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Facecare

Striking poses like he was striking fear into his competitors…as if he actually had any.

Domination — that’s the word that springs to mind when I think of Tabs.

Model. Genius. Boss. Majestic maestro of magnificence.

He was…Mr. Perfect.

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 830

For Connor Claire, he was there from the beginning. He was her first best friend.

Guarding the neighborhood…

Then Rosie came along, and she was…different.

She’s always had a lot on her mind, like particle physics…

And picnics. Also brunch.

Of course, she also does a little modeling on the side, mostly to fundraise for her scientific endeavors…

And her music career…

Marnie, our newest employee, is still kinda-sorta learning the ropes.

Let’s just say it’s a work in progress… 😂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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13 Underrated Blessings – Makeup and Beauty Blog

  1. Putting your socks on in the morning without any effort.
  2. Getting into your car and making it to your destination in one piece.
  3. Saying I love you to someone and hearing it said back.
  4. Drinking a delicious glass of water with ice.
  5. Writing or creating something just for the fun of it and not because your paycheck depends on it.
  6. Sharing a bag of cherry hard candies with your co-workers.
  7. Leaving your house and safely returning back.
  8. Standing at the water’s edge of a lake, river or ocean, and feeling the sand between your toes.
  9. The unconditional trust of an animal companion.
  10. Reflecting upon your actions, big and small, and learning and growing from them.
  11. A hot shower after a long, hard day.
  12. Friendships found far and wide, especially the ones you’ve found online. 🙂
  13. The time and space to enjoy being silly (see pic at top, ha ha ha).

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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27 Things You Should Be Able to Leave Work For

  1. When you start a good book and become engrossed in it (see above) and desperately need to find out what happens next
  2. When you find a wayward chin hair
  3. When you get food stuck in your teeth, especially blueberries, carrots and garlic
  4. When you miss your cat or dog (or other pet BFF)
  5. When your underwear or bra feels itchy or uncomfortable
  6. When you get the sudden urge to watch the “Little Women” movie (the ‘90s version with Winona Ryder, of course)
  7. When you find a white hair in your brows
  8. When you see yourself smile in the mirror and realize that a handful of rogue nose hairs shoot out of your nostrils when you grin
  9. When your socks slip down your feet whenever you take a step (a true tragedy)
  10. When it’s the upper 70s outside and there isn’t a cloud in the sky
  11. When people on the phone cross the line with their tone (ugh)
  12. When you need a comforting hug from your hubs or your kid
  13. me and coycoy hugging
    Take me back!
  14. When your jeans are annoying you (this seems to be happening a lot to me lately)
  15. When the last thing you want to do is be found on Microsoft Teams or Slack
  16. When you get a sudden and uncontrollable urge to eat ice cream
  17. When it’s your cat’s (or other animal pal’s) birthday
  18. When you wanna go shopping for Halloween decorations
  19. When you really need to see the ocean
  20. When you look down at your nails and realize that a manicure is needed ASAP for the sake of your mental health
  21. Whenever you hear someone refer to ’90s music as oldies (OMG)
  22. When someone calls you miss and asks to see an ID before you buy that bottle of wine
  23. When you roll up into Trader Joe’s and you find an item you loved which was discontinued is back, baby
  24. When you finally know all the lyrics to “September”
  25. When you have a new sunscreen that you wanna try
  26. When you want a kitten and your significant other isn’t on board
  27. When your husband refuses to honor your request for kittens
  28. When you find a bottle of discontinued perfume from the ’80s that you’ve been searching for YEARS for (more on this in a few)
  29. Reunited, and it feels so good
  30. When you’re able to spell Wednesday without having to say “Wed-NES-day” to yourself

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 847
Hanging out with a dragon, as one does. Happy Monday!

So…what is the Monday Poll?

Excellent question! It isn’t, contrary to its name, an actual poll, like with little clicky buttons. It’s just a list of more or less random questions I’ve been posting on this blog every Monday morning for the past quadrillion years (since 2007).

1. Which foreign language would you like to speak fluently: French, Spanish or Chinese?

Spanish because it would be useful for where I live in Northern California. So many times people looking for help have come up to me in stores or walking down the street to me if I speak it, and I always wish I could say yes. I only know a handful of words, though.

2. Breakfast for dinner or dinner for breakfast?

Oh my goodness, breakfast for dinner for sure! I once had dinner for breakfast once out of desperation, and I had a terrible stomach ache all day.

3. Pick a job: bookshop owner, makeup artist or a dog walker?

Dog walker, but I’d specialize in small-to-medium sized dogs because hello, big dogs equal big poop, LOL!

4. What’s the secret to having a good day?

I think a big part of it is having the ability to let whatever is bothering you at the moment go. Also, you know what I’ve found also really helps? Assuming that people are coming at you with the best intentions.

5. Which would you rather buy for yourself: liquid lipstick or liquid liner?

I’ll take the liquid liner, please. I need a new one!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Here are the questions to copy/paste with your answers in a comment. Talk to ya soon.

1. Which foreign language would you like to speak fluently: French, Spanish or Chinese?
2. Breakfast for dinner or dinner for breakfast?
3. Pick a job: bookshop owner, makeup artist or a dog walker?
4. What’s the secret to having a good day?
5. Which would you rather buy for yourself: liquid lipstick or liquid liner?

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I can’t get over how much Tabs liked carbs! It was crazy. It didn’t make any sense to me. He was a carnivore! — so why did he get more excited about a zinnia flower, a croissant or a piece of toast than a piece of cooked chicken?

The only thing I can think of is that his old dry food (Hill’s Science Diet) contained whole grain wheat and other veggie fillers, which I didn’t think twice about at the time, but then a few years later Tabs was diagnosed as pre-diabetic, and his vet said he should lay off the carbs.

After a while, he progressed to low glycemic grain-free Nutrisca crunchies and grain-free wet food, which he ate…reluctantly.

Well, he loved his nightly wet food (mostly Sheba Paté, but sometimes he got $$$ ZiwiPeak), but I don’t think he loved it as much as he used to love regular Fancy Feast, which has wheat in it to make that delicious gravy.

Over the years, I asked a couple different vets why some cats like to eat grass, other plants and flowers, and they weren’t sure. I guess there are different schools of thought. Some vets think cats do it as an instinct to clean their teeth, because the plant fibers can get down in there between their teeth and gums, or to supplement their diet with certain nutrients that they don’t get from meat, or to force themselves to barf, because it helps them clear out their digestive system. Even wild cats do it.

I don’t know the reason, but I do know that Tabs was a fiend for grass. He’d eat grass and flowers till he barfed every chance he got.

Rosie, on the other hand, has very little interest in grass, carbs and other plants. She craves meat! Yup, especially chicken and turkey.

It’s weird. How about your cats? Will they eat greens if left to their own devices, or are they full-on carnivores?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 846

So…what is the Monday Poll?

Excellent question! It isn’t, contrary to its name, an actual poll, like with little clicky buttons. It’s just a list of more or less random questions I’ve been posting on this blog every Monday morning for the past quadrillion years (since 2007).

1. Paint a pumpkin or carve a pumpkin?

Carve it!

2. Candy corn or candy apple?

Hmm, not sure. I guess the candy apple. At least I’d get fiber!

3. Cozy sweater or comfy boots?

Comfy boots!

4. Fall movie or fall football?

I’ll go with the movie. Something sweet and fun and not too scary.

5. Visit a pumpkin patch or a haunted house?

I’ll take the pumpkin patch, ideally on a cool day when it’s not too hot.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Here are the questions to copy/paste with your answers in a comment. Talk to ya soon.

1. Paint a pumpkin or carve a pumpkin?
2. Candy corn or candy apple?
3. Cozy sweater or comfy boots?
4. Fall movie or fall football?
5. Visit a pumpkin patch or a haunted house?

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One year on a very special Labor Day, Tabs gave the employees of Tabs the Cat Industries LLC the day off…

I know! Obviously, this came as a shock because Labor Day was normally not one of the holidays the company observed because Tabs preferred to interpret the phrase “Labor Day” as meaning “a day to labor,” rather than as a day to celebrate labor…by taking a day off. 🤔

Even though I basically ran the office on a day-to-day basis, it was hard to question the boss. He was, after all, the most successful plus-size kitty supermodel in Novato, California, history, so he obviously knew what he was doing.

Even though Tabs didn’t encourage taking time off from work (he was a workaholic, after all), there was one thing he did encourage…

Fashion!

He always dressed to the nines, and he liked to see his employees do so too.

Whether it was through clothing, jewelry or crowns, there were always humans and cats playing dress-up at the office.

Yup, it was a fun place to work. 🤗

Nowadays, the office isn’t as “spicy” as it once was, but Rosie and Marnie have been getting gussied up more often than usual. Like today, Rosie had four wardrobe changes!

That cat is definitely improving her style. 😄

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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The Cute and Comfy Shoe Chronicles: The New Balance 574

Isn’t the juicy orange color of these New Balance shoes so fun? I wear a lot of neutral clothes (grays, blues, beiges and taupes, so boring but totally practical for me right now), but when it comes to accessories like shoes or bags, I love a pop of color.

My feet have been mad as hell at me lately (sore arches in the morning, ugh), which is their usual signal that it’s time to get some new footwear, which is why these New Balance 574s are my newest shoe love! I bought them on the recommendation of a stylish podiatrist I follow on Instagram.

I’ve never owned a pair of New Balances, so I was pleasantly surprised when they were super comfy right out of the box. These shoes required no break-in time whatsoever, which is where I’m at in life. 🙂

I’m hoping that they last a while, although the same podiatrist who recommended them also recommends swapping out your shoes every six months, which is kinda crazy to me! My inner cranky Asian mom insists I wear them for at least two years, while the other side of me that wants happy feet (and loves to shop for shoes) is like, “YES, GIRL!”

Anyway, if you’re looking for a cute casual shoe that’s super comfy to walk in, these are great!

They also come in neutral colors, too, if bright orange isn’t your thing. I do think that orange and red combo sets a lovely fall vibe, though!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Happy Saturday! What are you up to on this long holiday weekend?

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Things I’ve Been Loving Lately

  • Summer tomatoes picked straight off the vine.
  • Summer plums, especially when they’re soft, sweet and extra juicy.
  • “The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat” movie on Hulu – excellent character development!
  • Letting people be wrong while they’re driving because it’s not my job to teach them how to have good manners (side note, school’s back in session, so the traffic is crazy in the mornings again).
  • Reminding myself that how this time last year I was so scared and uncertain about my health and the future, and I would’ve given anything to have what I have now — a healthy body, a steady work gig and people who I know will show up for me.
  • Mildliner Markers. Seriously, the best! They make my day-to-day lists so colorful and fun.
  • Walking Marnie in the evening just before the sun sets.
  • Yummy things to eat: Trader Joe’s Miso Crunch Salad Kit, TJ’s Tortilla Española and Jif Crunchy Peanut Butter.
  • The sound of my neighborhood early in the morning and at dusk.
  • Taking it easy on myself with writing and not forcing myself to do it when I feel overwhelmed with the other things in my life.
  • Walking Connor to school and leaving early so she has time to play on her swing and look for ladybugs.
  • Practicing cursive writing. Has yours gotten a little sloppy because you’re in front of the computer all the time? Mine certainly has!
  • Seeing all the students back on campus (I work at a college) and feeling the back to school energy.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. How have you been? I hope you had a wonderful week! 🙂

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 845

So…what is the Monday Poll?

Excellent question! It isn’t, contrary to its name, an actual poll, like with little clicky buttons. It’s just a list of more or less random questions I’ve been posting on this blog every Monday morning for the past quadrillion years (since 2007).

1. Have you ever traveled by yourself?

Yes, for work. Now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever taken a trip by myself for fun. Hmm, I just might have to rectify that.

2. Would you rather get a tattoo or get something pierced?

Oh my goodness, get something pierced, 100%. I only have one piercing per ear, so I’d do a second set with something classic, like diamond studs, LOL.

3. Have you ever been skinny dipping?

Nah, not really my jam. With my luck, I’d run into someone from high school who I never wanted to see again.

4. What’s scarier: heights or large crowds?

Large crowds! This is a relatively new thing for me that started sometime during the pandemic.

5. How’s your hair today?

Actually pretty cute! I styled it today with a flat iron to create loose waves. I do so much better mentally when my hair is done, I’ve noticed.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Here are the questions to copy/paste with your answers in a comment. Talk to ya soon.

1. Have you ever traveled by yourself?
2. Would you rather get a tattoo or get something pierced?
3. Have you ever been skinny dipping?
4. What’s scarier: heights or large crowds?
5. How’s your hair today?

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