Beauty

[just bee]

@kathie66

There's a whole thread on Community Chat about the balloon fiesta.  I've been using that as an outlet to post photos.

The day I get tired of hot air balloons is the day I sell my house and leave the state.

[geezerette]

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@just bee wrote:

@kathie66

There's a whole thread on Community Chat about the balloon fiesta.  I've been using that as an outlet to post photos.

The day I get tired of hot air balloons is the day I sell my house and leave the state.

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@just bee

You could always move to New York City and volunteer for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade.🎈

[just bee]

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@geezerette wrote:

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@just bee wrote:

@kathie66

There's a whole thread on Community Chat about the balloon fiesta.  I've been using that as an outlet to post photos.

The day I get tired of hot air balloons is the day I sell my house and leave the state.

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@just bee

You could always move to New York City and volunteer for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade.🎈

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@geezerette

I'm always bewildered by those who say they hate the balloon fiesta.  It's one of the few positive things we have here.

[geezerette]

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@just bee wrote:

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@geezerette wrote:

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@just bee wrote:

@kathie66

There's a whole thread on Community Chat about the balloon fiesta.  I've been using that as an outlet to post photos.

The day I get tired of hot air balloons is the day I sell my house and leave the state.

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@just bee

You could always move to New York City and volunteer for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade.🎈

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@geezerette

I'm always bewildered by those who say they hate the balloon fiesta.  It's one of the few positive things we have here.

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@just bee

I concur.  I know I’m certainly jealous of you right now.🤩

[kathie66]

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@just bee wrote:

@kathie66

There's a whole thread on Community Chat about the balloon fiesta.  I've been using that as an outlet to post photos.

The day I get tired of hot air balloons is the day I sell my house and leave the state.

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@just bee Thank you for telling me about the additional thread I enjoyed the pictures as well as the video. Have you ever been up in one?

[just bee]

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@kathie66 wrote:

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@just bee wrote:

@kathie66

There's a whole thread on Community Chat about the balloon fiesta.  I've been using that as an outlet to post photos.

The day I get tired of hot air balloons is the day I sell my house and leave the state.

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@just bee Thank you for telling me about the additional thread I enjoyed the pictures as well as the video. Have you ever been up in one?

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@kathie66

Yes!  When we moved out here one of our coworkers was a pilot so we were recruited to be on his chase crew.  Being on a chase crew might even be more fun than being in a balloon.

What's interesting about ballooning is that I didn't have any issues with my phobia.  I discovered when I was 12 that I had a problem with heights.  I had no sensation of "height" when I was in the basket.  That was surprising.

We were lucky enough to accompany this pilot on a trip to Colorado and I was able to go up again -- this time over Colorado landscape.

Totally recommend it -- even though it can be really dangerous.

[kathie66]

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@just bee wrote:

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@kathie66 wrote:

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@just bee wrote:

@kathie66

There's a whole thread on Community Chat about the balloon fiesta.  I've been using that as an outlet to post photos.

The day I get tired of hot air balloons is the day I sell my house and leave the state.

---

@just bee Thank you for telling me about the additional thread I enjoyed the pictures as well as the video. Have you ever been up in one?

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@kathie66

Yes!  When we moved out here one of our coworkers was a pilot so we were recruited to be on his chase crew.  Being on a chase crew might even be more fun than being in a balloon.

What's interesting about ballooning is that I didn't have any issues with my phobia.  I discovered when I was 12 that I had a problem with heights.  I had no sensation of "height" when I was in the basket.  That was surprising.

We were lucky enough to accompany this pilot on a trip to Colorado and I was able to go up again -- this time over Colorado landscape.

Totally recommend it -- even though it can be really dangerous.

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Awesome!! One day I will! Have a good Balloon Week enjoy!!!

[Oshare-girl]

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@geezerette wrote:

Another two big garbage bags went to the animal shelter donation site yesterday.  Along with several returns to Hobby Lobby that I succumbed to over the weekend while shopping with a friend.  I’ve never been to that store before and we just got a brand new one in our little town.  My friend is very much into crafts (big-time crocheter, if that’s a word), and I’m afraid her enthusiasm influenced me.  When I got home, I realized that I not only didn’t want most of my purchases, but these are the very things I’m now throwing out!  I did keep a photo frame and some iron cleaner, both of which I haven’t been able to find elsewhere.

As I go through closets, tossing and rearranging, I’m realizing more than ever just how much excess I have.  I think I’m going to have to implement a strategy of not buying new until I am ready to toss out whatever I’m replacing.  I replace things with new, but keep the old ‘whatever’ because it’s just not quite bad off enough to throw out.  Then I have two ‘whatevers’ when I only need one.  That’s how all this stuff accumulates.  If it’s worn enough to want to replace, it’s worn enough to throw out!

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@geezerette Yes to this! I have to remind myself not to buy certain things because it's what I end up decluttering. Just like you, crafts lure me in and then I end up never using them for the projects I had planned.  At least my kids are able to use them for school projects. DD recently needed some yarn and I found some from a blanket that I was crocheting for her when she was a baby, 14 years ago.  How ironic that she is using that same yarn...

I also buy replacements without discarding the old thing.  I really need to stop doing that.

[Oshare-girl]

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@aprilskies wrote:

I have really been enjoying my mu lately. I only use it when I go to work but I have been enjoying the process. I just wish I had a convenient place to sit and do it. I even now dont mind when it doesnt come out so good. Who cares. However, this morning, I put powder under my eyes to set my concealor, cause that is what we are suppose to do right, and I now know why I dont powder under my eyes. Can you say crinkles? I think I may of used too much. But, then, how in the world do people bake with it? Who knew mu could be so complicated. I have decided though to try and use all my palettes so I am going to put them in rotation weekly so they all can get some use. Some of them, I have barely used.

HEP - well, this week is going well so far. Yes, it is only Wednesday , but I think I can do it.  I am only cutting back and not dieting so it will be slow but I am okay with that. I still snack, just not like before, but it is HARD, for sure. Old habits dont die easily. It will take some willpower.  But, one lb less on the scale this morining was nice to see even though I am well aware that is flukey and fleeting.

I am going to try and have strong October. Hopefully that will set me up for November.

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@aprilskies I've been enjoying the getting ready process too. For me, there is a direct correlation between less products and enjoying them. Especially when there is pan showing and I see that grow daily. It gives me a sense of accomplishment, as ridiculous as that sounds.  I hit pan on a UD highlighter that was the birthday gift from UD last year. It's taken that long to hit pan, but boy, do I love using it now.  I'm also playing a mind trick on myself by "archiving" older, large eyeshadow and face palettes (ie UD X Gwen Stefani blush and eyeshadow palettes).  I put those away and told myself they are being archived, so I can still pull them out to look at the pretty packaging but not feel like I have to USE them.

I also have pan showing on 2 powders. One I use for setting under my eyes because it's a very fine powder.  The other I use on the rest of my face to mattify.  I don't understand the baking either.  I tried it but never got that flawless, creaseless finish that everyone claims from "baking". I have to set under my eyes because my mascara will transfer there if I don't.  But I'm very careful to do it lightly. 

Good job on the palette rotation. Doesn't it feel nice to enjoy your belongings?

[Oshare-girl]

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@geezerette wrote:

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@aprilskies wrote:

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@geezerette wrote:

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@just bee wrote:

I've purchased some Acure Organics products -- mostly oils and shampoo/conditioner -- and I've liked many of the items.  I was drawn to their website because it seemed like a company that didn't take itself too seriously and it had a sense of humor.

They've been redesigning their website.  It'll be up and running on this day, they said.  I'd check and it was still down.  We'll be back on this date!  No, you're still not there.

We played this little game for weeks.  I started to get concerned because it started to feel like a security-breach instead of a new design.

Anyway, the site is back -- not much of a design change, by the way -- and there are a few new products.  But there are also several missing in action.  I was getting ready to line up their body washes as replacements for my old philosophy and B&BW shower gels once they're gone.  Now they're gone.

Maybe they're just reformulating?  If so, why not say that on the website?

So I found their Facebook page.  Let me preface this by saying that I don't do Facebook.  At any rate, it was an interesting experience.  I'd noticed when they did their big repackaging change that the lightheartedness and humor went the way of the old packaging.

The Facebook page is revealing.  And slightly pedantic.  And definitely political.  Why can't I buy a "cruelty-free" product without getting a lecture?

Hmmm.  So now I'm on hold.  I won't be purchasing any more of their products unless I run out of shampoo and conditioner.  I need time to line up a new company.

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@just bee

I still don’t understand this philosophy of doing business.  The companies—whatever they products they are offering—want you to be loyal to them.  So why then, do they continually change their product lineup?  If something isn’t selling enough to warrant continuing production, why not just hop on their website and say, “Hey Guys, those of you who like this better get your act together and buy some more of this because we’re going to stop making it if you don’t.”  Or, “We know you love ‘X’ product, but we can’t get ‘X’ ingredient anymore so we’ll be changing the formula.  Sorry.”  

Or the big thing that gets me lately is finding a product or company that you love, only to have them sell out to a huge conglomerate that totally trashes everything you loved.  Not that I can blame them for getting the money while they can.  

Yeah, I know.  First world problems.  Guess I’d feel a whole lot worse if I couldn’t afford to eat, let alone find the right shampoo.

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@geezerette, dont even get me started.  I have really been missing Amazing Grace and I have been debating just buying a bottle even though the scent to me is different, but the last I remember, still okay. Well, I went in to Ulta the other day so I can use my 5 dollar coupon on some hair color and amazing grace was right in the path I was walking so I sprayed some from the tester. Um, just no. It is much different and I was sick of the scent at the end of the night. What a shame. 

The other day I was thinking, if only I had my holy grails, but no, I think I have given up on finding them really.  Just when you find something you love, it changes anyway.  Or you try and support a small brand and then they sell to a big conglom and the heart is lost, so is the quality of the products. I dont blame them, it is big money, but it sure is irritating.  

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@aprilskies

Too true.  I’m on my last bottle of pure grace EDP.  It’s not available by itself anymore, and the only place I’ve found the EDP lately is here at QVC, but only in kits.  It’s not the same as it used to be, but it’s still my favorite scent.  What to do?  Wait for another possible kit and pay for two or three other items I won’t use just to get the EDP?  Go for the “fragrance” version instead?  Go through the trial and error of trying to find something else (that maybe discontinued itself after I find I like it).  Or use nothing?  Decisions, decisions.  

Oh, and another thing that gets me is when they tout “this is the only order”.  Like this is a good thing?  What if I buy a “whatever” from that only order and love it?  I can’t ever get it again.  So how does that help me?  

Things today just give me a headache trying to understand.

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Now you've got me worried.  My scent is Amazing Grace, but I've been working on a huge 4 oz bottle for the last 9 years (no joke).  I did buy a set last year on sale but have given away the shower gel and lotion because I only wanted the perfume.  I haven't opened it yet since I'm still working on the current bottle.  Will the new bottle be that different?? I may need to do a scent-test tonight but I don't know if I'm in the mood to be disappointed.