How to Clean Makeup Brushes

Do you know how to clean your makeup brushes?  Wait, maybe we should start with a simpler question… do you know that you should clean your makeup brushes? Unless you like throwing away expensive brushes (because let’s face it, even the cheap ones can be pretty pricey), you should clean your makeup brushes.  When you clean them you’re getting rid of old makeup, oil, dirt, and even bacteria.  Gross. Usually I clean my makeup brushes with hand soap and felt it did the job.  I’ve heard some people use baby shampoo instead, but I’ve never tried that because I don’t …

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Kitchen Organization

As a neat freak I have a tendency to want to organize things.  I really enjoy organizing things, a lot.  Yea, I’m not sure if that’s weird or not, but whatever.  When I started writing this post, my husband told me our kitchen is neat, but not organized.  What?!  Well, it seems this appears to be subjective.  I can find everything very easily and he can’t find anything at all without asking me all the time where things are.  Is that because I was the person who did the organizing?   If you do the organizing, does that mean the …

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Baking Cookies 101

I love baking, especially cookies.  I’m known for making dozens of different cookies at Christmas time.  I’ve learned so much over the years, especially on my recent quest to find the Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie (which I feel I did).  All this research and practice means I have a lot to say about baking cookies, and specifically chocolate chip cookies.  Maybe I should have called this post “The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie: Part 2” because it goes hand in hand with the recipe, but it would have been a crazy long post.  If you are only interested in the recipe then feel free …

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Decorating a Vignette 101

Your personal space reflects your style so when you decorate it your things give the room character.  For example, you can decorate the walls with art you purchased from a garage sale or you can decorate the coffee table with books you’ve bought on your various travels. One way to decorate a room is to arrange a group of objects together on a flat surface, like a table, mantel, or night stand.  Professional designers call this a vignette. Here are some tips to help create a strong visual impact in your vignette by doing one or more of the below:  1.     Use …

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Easter Foyer

Happy Spring!  Although I wouldn’t know it since there are a few inches of snow out here in the Northeast.  Nevertheless, Easter is on its way! I love greeting my guests with a holiday themed entrance because I think it gets them into the spirit of the holiday.   When I think of Easter I think of Easter eggs so I wanted that to be the centerpiece of my look. I want to digress for a moment and give you a few suggested general money saving tips for holiday decorating. Check out the florist department in your local grocery because they have …

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