Website Wednesday: Beauty Blogs and Products - #love2011

Oh my goodness! There are so many beauty sites on the Web that if I listed them all here this post would go on forever!

Of course, my hope is that some of you readers will start submitting your own posts based on the assignments from The Love Project and I can start listing those on Wednesday. But... you seem to be shy. Where are all the bold bloggers out there?

In the mean time here are some blogs and products to check out:

Operation Beautiful - An inspiring site which tasks people with leaving surprise notes for others to find, reminding them that they are beautiful, exactly as they are.

The Chronicals of a Fierce Fathlete - A fun site recommended by the ever-faithful Love Project MVP, girlnutkin. The ups and downs of health, beauty, and other musings of a modern day woman who has a brain and isn't afraid to use it!

Daily Makeover - This is a fun site that lets you get a virtual makeover! Try it! (For those of you that didn't want to spend the $$ on a real makeover, this can be an alternative to this week's Love Project assignment!)

Best Beauty Blogs on the Internet - This post lists 21 blogs about beauty with links and descriptions.

The Beauty Blog Network - Where you'll find a whole network of people who blog about beauty.
1001 Forever Beauty Tips - Secrets on makeup tips, body, hair, hand, legs & skin care, Also beauty recipes, weight-loss, nutrition, exsercises and more.

Collection of Beauty and Skin Care eBooks

Must-Know Guides to Women's Healthy and Beauty

Dove Evolution YouTube - Campaign for Real Beauty #love2011

This week on The Love Project we are talking about Beauty. Check out this video and Dove's campaign for real beauty.

My Blow-dry Job at Tapestry

Even though I happen to be quite happy with my hair and my regular hairstylist (Sunny Sandford of T-Cuts) the other day I was talking to a friend about The Love Project Makeover Assignment and he recommended I try Garrette Terrebonne, a stylist at Tapestry Salon & Day Spa.

Well, I actually was having my photo taken (I'm going to be in The Yellow Scene next month!), so I gave the salon a call to find out if Garrette was available, thinking it was a long shot, but... what the heck? Turns out he had had a cancellation and was open at 3pm!




Garrette agreed that my hair was already in good shape (Yay!) but said he "gave a great blow dry" and that he could make me look like a Victoria Secret model! (No wonder women come from miles around to go to this guy! Not only does he give a good blow dry, he knows we love to hear flattery!)

Garrette was funny and told me how he used to have a client who was a 76-year-old former model. She told the receptionist that she wanted a standing appointment for a "blow job with Garrette." (It's not clear whether the omission of the word "dry" was accidental or purposeful!)

The salon was beautiful and I felt like a pampered queen. The receptionist, Christan Lewis, was cute and perky. She was very interested in my blog and told me she had a blog as well: Life of Lew Who.

I visited her blog this morning and was very touched by the depth in her writing. Since this week the theme of the Love Project is "beauty" I'll pass along an excerpt from her last post:

Today I conversed with over 30 people obsessed with perfecting their outside appearance but lacking the most important thing- RESPECT for others. Today I met a man named Bruce who noticed, out of all the people in the entire restaurant, that we were having a rough day and decided to put a smile on our faces by complimenting the bartenders rather impressive jew-fro. And this very evening, I watched a man lay on his back in the middle of the parking lot cursing at the moon for existing.

And though all of these people have different purposes, definitions and personalities they all have one thing in common- They’re only human.

As Christan alludes to in the first line of that excerpt, beauty means nothing if it's only external. It must come from within.

But, hey. Right now I'm enjoying my Victoria Secret blow dry job! We'll work on the character stuff another week!

Photo albums make great gifts from the heart

I am all about gifts from the heart... In fact, that is going to be one of our future assignments. So I was really excited this morning when I saw this EXCELLENT deal from Mamapedia and Shutterfly: Only $10 for a custom photo book! That's a 50% savings on something that is already a steal. (And I am a very frugal shopper!) This sale is only going on for 3 days, so I had to interrupt our "beauty" theme to let you know about it. It's also great in that you get a $10 kickback for everyone that buys on your link! Wow!

I really like SmileBox, as well as a way to create custom photo greetings, and that's completely free. Check out this Happy New Year greeting I created using SmileBox.

So, if you're not already doing so, get out that camera and start snapping some photos of all the wonderful things you're up to this year. Photo books and Smilebox greetings make wonderful gifts of love!

Assignment #3: Get a makeover - #love2011

We are starting Week #3 of The Love Project and the theme of this week is Beauty. Here is your assignment for the week:

Get a makeover! This can be a tiny thing or give yourself a whole new look. Experiment. Try a different hairstyle. Throw away all that old half-used makeup that you never wear and invest in some new! Maybe buy yourself some new clothes or accessories. Then go back to the Week 1 assignment and look yourself in the mirror and tell yourself how beautiful you look! Leave a comment or write a blog post about what you did and how it felt. I'll feature blog posts on Website Wednesday so be sure and tell me about it.

Extra credit: Take a before and after picture.

Note: Photo image was from lastminute.com , a site offering spa services, and vacations!

Beauty, as we all know, is only skin deep. Just because someone is beautiful on the outside, does not mean they are beautiful on the inside. Though the opposite can be true, I truly believe that people who are beautiful on the inside exude a natural beauty that draws people in. Therefore, if we work on beautifying our characters, chances are we're going to heighten our attractiveness-factor much more than if we just invest in makeup and hair-styles.

All that being said, when we feel good about how we look on the outside, we tend to have more confidence, smile more, and feel happier. And that sense of confidence and happiness with ourselves is probably what attracts people -- more than the hair or makeup.

The key here is not to feel like you need to cover up who your natural self is, but to be your best self so that you feel good about the face you present to the world. Even if you are perfectly happy with how attractive you are (which is great!) it's fun to experiment with a new look or to buy yourself something pretty or sexy. Don't think you have to be in a relationship to do this. Do it for yourself!

Is there a part of your body that you're not entirely happy about? What can you do to turn that around and make that more appealing? Do what you need to do so that when you look in the mirror each morning you think to yourself: I am looking GOOD!

Friday Funnies: A Week With a Personal Trainer

This week, The Love Project theme is goal-setting so for Friday Funnies, I'm going to pass along a funny anecdote that's been floating around the Internet. I don't know who the original author is, but I do want to give credit to the blog I found it on: Heidi Claire. Heidi's blog has all kinds of beautiful photos. In her profile she says:

"Through my blog I share my finds of what I love and learned. Sometimes there is something funny, because we can't take ourselves too seriously."

What a perfect candidate for a Love Project participant! I am going to be following Heidi!

Do you have a blog post (humor or otherwise) about love or the theme of the week? Let me know and I'll feature it on my blog!

And now... On to the Friday Funny:



Dear Diary,
For my birthday this year, my daughter (the dear) purchased a week of personal training at the local health club for me.
Although I am still in great shape , I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try.

I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer named Belinda, who identified herself as a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear.

My daughter seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started! The club encouraged me to keep a diary to chart my progress.
________________________________
MONDAY:
Started my day at 6:00 a.m. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Belinda waiting for me. She is something of a Greek goddess - with blond hair, dancing eyes and a dazzling white smile. Woo Hoo!!

Belinda gave me a tour and showed me the machines. I enjoyed watching the skillful way in which she conducted her aerobics class after my workout today. Very inspiring!
Belinda was encouraging as I did my sit-ups, although my gut was already aching from holding it in the whole time she was around. This is going to be a FANTASTIC week-!!
________________________________
TUESDAY:
I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door. Belinda made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air then she put weights on it! My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made the full mile. Belinda's rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT-!! It's a whole new life for me.
_______________________________
WEDNESDAY:
The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying the toothbrush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have a hernia in both pectorals. Driving was OK as long as I didn't try to steer or stop. I parked on top of a GEO in the club parking lot.

Belinda was impatient with me, insisting that my screams bothered other club members. Her voice is a little too perky for that early in the morning and w hen she scolds, she gets this nasally whine that is VERY annoying.

My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Belinda put me on the stair monster. Why the hell would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators? Belinda told me it would help me get in shape and enjoy life. She said some other shit too.
_______________________________
THURSDAY:
Belinda was waiting for me with her vampire-like teeth exposed as her thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl. I couldn't help being a half an hour late - it took me that long to tie my shoes.

Belinda took me to work out with dumbbells. When she was not looking, I ran and hid in the restroom. She sent another skinny bitch to find me.
Then, as punishment, she put me on the rowing machine -- which I sank.
_______________________________
FRIDAY:
I hate that bitch Belinda more than any human being has ever hated any other human being in the history of the world. Stupid, skinny, anemic, anorexic little cheerleader. If there was a part of my body I could move without unbearable pain, I would beat her with it.

Belinda wanted me to work on my triceps. I don't have any triceps! And if you don't want dents in the floor, don't hand me the damn barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich.

The treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and nutrition teacher. Why couldn't it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir director?
________________________________
SATURDAY:
Belinda left a message on my answering machine in her grating, shrilly voice wondering why I did not show up to day. Just hearing her voice made me want to smash the machine with my planner; however, I lacked the strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven straight hours of the Weather Channel.
________________________________
SUNDAY:
I'm having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go and thank GOD that this week is over. I will also pray that next year my daughter (the little shit) will choose a gift for me that is fun -- like a root canal. I still say if God had wanted me to bend over, he would have sprinkled the floor with diamonds!!!

A Life Sold - The Book of 100 Goals in 100 Weeks

Our theme this week on The Love Project is goal setting. If you're having trouble coming up with a bucket list of things you want to do with your life, you might want to read Ian Usher's book, A Life Sold, for inspiration.

I met Ian in 2008 after reading his blog and being very intrigued with his idea of 100 Goals in 100 Weeks. This project was in the wake of the vast publicity he got from "putting his life up for sale" on eBay after a divorce.

Ian and I met in 2008, and in fact, he is Mr. November in my book, The Laptop Dancer Diaries. (In my book, you'll see that, I, too, take goals very seriously!)

I interviewed Ian right at the end of his 100-week project. He told me he was going to write a memoir about his adventures and now he has done just that! Ian has a very authentic voice, describing the background and then the details of this incredible journey -- the places he visited, the people he met along the way, and the love he experienced. Pick it up and create your own 100 goals!

Website Wednesday: Goal Setting - #love2011

Welcome to Website Wednesday where we feature links to bloggers, sites and products related to the theme of the week.

The Love Project Week 2 MVP award goes to:

Girl Nutkin in the BA who not only continually promotes The Love Project, but blogged today about her commitment to "initiate contact with a younger guy" and "get booked!"

Blogs about Goals:

SpillIng Buckets
I Resolve To® . . .
A New You, NOW!
Goal Setting 101: Get to Where You Want to Be


Products about Goals:

Goals on Track - Smart Goal Setting Software
The Simple Guide to Goals
Burn Your Wish List and Achieve Your Goals

Websites about Goals:

43 Things
MyOneWord
My Life Changes
MyGoals

Happy New Year!

Create your own digital ecard

I'm interrupting my regularly scheduled "Love Project" posts to bring this Happy New Year greeting to my friends and relatives. Happy New Year!

Wordplay - One Word, Two Sites

The theme of the week for The Love Project is goal-setting. While there are plenty of people (like me) that get excited about goals and even have goals about keeping their goals, there are plenty of others who just want to keep it simple.

It seems to be very trendy these days to come up with "one word" to use as a theme for your year. A friend of mine told me about a website called MyOneWord in which you choose a word to represent your focus for 2011. From the site:

“My One Word” is an experiment designed to move you beyond the past and look ahead. The challenge is simple: lose the long list of changes you want to make this year and instead pick ONE WORD. This process provides clarity by taking all of your big plans for life change and narrowing them down into a single thing. One word focuses on your character and creates a vision for your future. So, we invite you to join us and pick one word in 2011.

My one word was... can you guess it? Love!

Now as I was searching for this site, I came across another "one word" site that is fun, especially for those of us who like to write and enjoy little creative exercises. OneWord gives you one word prompts and you have 60 seconds to write whatever you want about that word. Since my big goal right now is promoting The Love Project, I've decided I will add the twist of writing about love and The Love Project each time I play this little http://oneword.com/game.

For example, today the word was "ragged" so my sentence was something like:
"I felt tired and ragged until I started participating in The Love Project."

For even more word play, check out a third site, Wordle. Wordle let's you create "word clouds" like the one I used for the image on this post. You can put in a URL and the words that are used most often come up in larger fonts. I was happy to see my favorite word, Love, coming up as the biggest word!