Guest Bloggage Alert!

Mosey on over to A Daily Trinity of Thanks to read my guest-blog entry about my first day in Cleveland, featuring tons of foliage, squirrelage, and a mysterious gentleman caller:

He watches me cautiously, his eyes intent with hunger. Every time we walk
past each other, he brushes up against me oh so gently. He actually enjoys it
when I spend the night watching Top Chef with Scribe and hubby, nipping at my
glass of port while we make catty comments about the food. Sometimes I find him
trying to inhale my scent from my jacket, my shirt, the bed sheets.

Coming up soon: spa days, a trip to the Tarjay, Little Italy, and more!

Home Furnishing Post: A Tribute to Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

(If you're wondering what on earth Ludwig Mies van der Rohe is doing in this blog, read my latest Cleveland entry for NBLB for more deets.)

"Mies had designed it for his German Pavilion at the Barcelona Exposition of 1929. The Platonic idea of chair it was, pure Worker Housing leather and stainless steel, the most perfect piece of furniture design in the twentieth century... When you saw that holy object on the sisal rug, you knew you were in a household where a fledgling architect and his young wife had sacrificed everything to bring the symbol of the godly mission to their home."

- Tom Wolfe, From Bauhaus to Our House (c. 1981)

"Design Within Reach? Is this the store that sells the knockoffs of the clothes movie stars wear?"
"No, Mom. It's a store that sells furniture."
"...So it's the store that sells knockoffs of the furniture movie stars use?"

- Excerpts from a conversation between Meimei and her parents outside the new DWR at Ala Moana Center (circa May 2008)

"What Has My Chanel Ever Done To You?"

(Quote taken from The Scribe's mother, upon realizing that airport security at Guam has tried to enforce the TSA liquid rules on her carry-on makeup stash)

For the benefit of our friends in airport security: three of the dozens of Ziploc-ed stashes of products that are coming with me on my vacation.

The checked-in makeup stash. (Some of the products you may recognize from my graduation face in the last entry, so no point writing those down in a list. Just don't be surprised if something in that stash gets retired while I'm there.)

The checked-in skincare stash, which includes both versions of Aveeno Ultra-Calming Moisturizer. (That stuff, on the other hand, is something that I refuse to retire.) Also note that I also included a bottle of Clear Eyes in there, in case I get another one of those emergencies that may force me to lay off the eye makeup. (Dear Lord, I hope one of those "emergencies" don't involve cat dander - even though Scribe has assured me ten billion times that Kitteh is as hypo-allergenic as he comes. Amen.)

And finally, the carry-on medicine stash. I am not at liberty to disclose the other happy pills that are inside the Pocket Pak pill box (except to say that I'm still on probiotics) but I will admit that the albuterol inhaler is there for any stress-induced asthma attacks that might happen. Yes, that is a 0.34 oz.-size box of White Flower in there - as a Southeast Asian, I swear by the magical powers of this fantastic oil, which can be used for everything from nausea to stomach upsets. Which means that the Advil may be a little redundant next to the White Flower, but that's for the stuff that the WF can't deal with - like, say, a nasty sunburn or suitcase bruise.

Not shown, but equally Ziploc'ed: carry-on makeup stash; checked-in bath products (shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel); checked-in supplements, antihistamines, and happy pills (complete with doctor's notes... um, no); brush roll (still debating if they belong with the carry-on); fragrances (Chanel Chance and Vanille by Comptoir Sud Pacifique, in case you want to know).

This means there won't be a post tomorrow... or at least until I get to the nearest WiFi station, which means that I am taking the laptop with me and might end up posting some stuff between here and Cleveland-Hopkins. Until then...

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, EVERYONE!

The Face of Graduation

I love this photo like Kathy Griffin loves the Mel Gibson mugshot. Not just because I look so emotional on this one (especially considering that I'm wearing the Masters of Education hood with this), but because I love how all the elements work. It's a webcam shot, so I can vouch for the fact that the lighting in my apartment is sucky. Still and all, though, it says a lot.

Anyway, since this is a beauty blog, I might as well post what I'm wearing in this photo - aside from the graduation regalia and the orchid leis, of course.

FACE:

- Primer: Sephora Professionel Perfection Makeup Base

- Foundation: Sephora All Over Skin Fluid Foundation

- Setting Powder: Physicians Formula Solar Power SPF 20 in Translucent

- Blush: BareMinerals All Over Face Color in Warmth

- Setting Spray (and yes, I do use one): Travel size bottle of Make Up For Ever Mist & Fix

EYES:

- Base: NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils - I started with Rust as a base, but the craptastic lighting at the Blaisdell made me look like I had sunburned my eyelids, so I used the Slate pencil (a dead ringer for MAC Sharkskin, now unavailable from the MAC site) on the lids and sockets to make it darker.

- Powder: Just to lighten up the whole deal, I layered L'Oreal Wear Infinite singles in Gilded Bronze all over the eye pencils. I like the combination of powder and pencil, especially since the NYX pencils are especially creamy and can crease if I'm not careful.

- Mascara: Maybelline Lash Expansion (not too bad - way better than Great Lash, if you ask me)

LIPS:

- Lipstick: L'Oreal HIP in Driven

- Gloss: L'Oreal HIP in Gallant

ACCESSORIES:

- Gold earrings from Nepal that I got from my Mom

- Gold orchid necklace, also from Mom

- Shoes: Kitten heels, alternating with red flats from Wal-Mart (and worn with hose)

UNDER THE ROBE: A black floral dress I bought years ago from Ross

The ManoLOLcat Says...

*more cat pictures

All right, I get it - I should pack the nice shoes for Cleveland, then.

Have You Met My Eyeshadow?

(Try to say the title of this blog entry a la Neil Patrick Harris on How I Met Your Mother. Yes, I love that show - and not ashamed of it at all.)

True story: Once up on a time, I was such a makeup geek that when ER started shooting episodes here in Hawaii, I wanted to hunt down Anthony Edwards just to tell him that I was such a big Stila fan. Why? Because Anthony Edwards is married to Stila founder Jeanine Lobell - and I thought it would be more flattering for him to know that I was a big fan of his wife's work. Hee!

(Your turn, Patrick and Jillian.)

Okay, so the Stila 8-pan I'm brandishing here is old - having survived several trips to the Philippines, countless moments of "experimentation" in college, and a magnet mishap that caused it to turn into a 7-pan - but the remaining contents of this box are already staples in my wardrobe.

Clockwise from top left (see swatches from the Stila website): Twig, Rain (discontinued), Wheat, and Barefoot Contessa.

(...Um, is it so wrong to think that I bought that last eyeshadow because it reminded me more of Ina Garten than Ava Gardner?)

And as for the past inhabitants of this case, let's say a prayer for the following:

• Belle blush (got really pink for me; passed it on to a friend)
• Delaunay eyeshadow (renamed "Launey" on the site; casualty of magnet loss)
• Diamond Lil (bought it when I saw it on Gwyneth Paltrow in a magazine; has since disintegrated)
• Kitten (did not survive Manila trip; was replaced by Wheat at Guam airport)
• Ebony (lasted for ages before I got sick of it and it went bad on its own)

Someday, I will fill up the rest of those pukas with the Stila eyeshadow duos, which are now available in pan form and are supposed to fit into the palettes. Until then, they're going with me to Cleveland. Can't wait!

Tagged, Again

This time the meme comes from The Scribe. Personally, I don't know who else to tag in the blogosphere, but I'm going to dare my social-network friends to do this, bwahahahaha.

Write 10 weird, random facts, habits or goals about yourself. Then list 6 people to be tagged.

Since you asked...


10) I don't get rabid fandom. I'm already turned off by people who get so temperamental when their favorite shows get cancelled - you know, the "I'm not going to watch your network any more because you didn't renew (insert here: Veronica Mars/ Moonlight/ Wonderfalls/ etc.)" - so imagine how even more turned off I get whenever I go to, say, Makeupalley or the Lush North America forums and find myself surrounded by people who threaten to boycott whichever company that decides to discontinue their favorite cosmetic product. People, I hate to break this to you, but: it's business, and any person who has ever run one on their own will tell you that compromises are inevitable. Grow up, people.

9) Which reminds me: I am also not interested in either The Hills or Gossip Girl. If I really wanted to watch a bunch of overprivileged horny teens and twentysomethings wreaking havoc on their lives, I might as well re-read my yearbooks from the high school where The Scribe and I attended. Yeesh.

8) My dad introduced me to country music. And believe me, I resisted for a very long time... until I moved to Hawaii. Now, if you're wondering why a man with a PhD in Economics from a Midwestern university would be a big country music fan in the first place, well, that's another head-scratcher for another time.

7) The following questions are banned from my life until I leave for Cleveland:

"Why would you want to leave Hawaii in the first place? It's so beautiful here!" (Click here.)

"Why can't your sister get you a job at the City & County?" (Um, because I don't want my sister to turn into this major suck-up nepotist?)


6) Also: I still don't have my driver's license. I've never had one, in fact - and when I did work towards getting one, 1) it got interrupted by my trip to the Philippines and 2) by the time I got back, gas prices were so ridiculously high that I couldn't afford the lessons any more. Anyway, I'm so tired of answering the "Why don't you drive?" question any more that I am so tempted to punch people in the face the next time it comes up in conversation. (Sorry, friends, but... really. DROP IT.)

5) I am not a very opinionated person. Not that I don't have opinions - it's just that I hate brandishing them in other people's faces the way I've seen people do. I don't care if what I think makes you love or hate me more - and if you must ask anyway, I'd rather you know more about what I love and appreciate in the first place. Anyone can talk to you about the things they hate (and as you can see in this entry, it's not that hard), but it takes more guts to talk about love.

4) My peanut-sauce noodles are da bomb. While waiting for your linguine or spaghetti to boil, mix the following together: Peanut butter, soy sauce, lemon juice, Sriracha. Throw in a little pasta water from the noodles to thin them out. Drain the noodles, then toss the sauce with some peas or broccoli. Serve on their own, or top it with tofu or chicken.

3) I have a long history of questionable crushes. Admitting to having a thing for Keith Olbermann was one thing. Having a similar thing for Al Gore, on the other hand... oh, honey, no. (And don't get me started on that Barry Manilow phase... although, to be fair, I was eight years old at that time.)

2) I am notoriously picky when it comes to who I add to my social networking accounts. Sorry, guys - I'm just not the type to "just add anyone."

1) And if you really must know... I just paid $30 for a pedicure yesterday, and had my piggies painted with OPI's Suzi Loves Sydney - ironic, considering that everyone else in the salon were having their toes painted a nice, hot summery pink while mine was sporting a deep plum shot through with gold. Now I can say that my feet are peep-toe ready.

Last Song Syndrome

Adele playing "Best for Last" in Manchester.

So... my parents are gone, and I have one more week to pack and get my schizz together before I leave for my trip to Cleveland. That means I'll be posting a lot -and I mean a lot - of thoughts on travel and packing before and during this trip, since I will be having a lot of stopovers along the way. For now, here's what I've already figured I'm taking on the carry-on:

• Laptop, with outlet (since my battery got totaled) and headphones
• Extra headphones for the inflight entertainment
• Clutch wallet with passport/ checkbook/cards/ cash/ whathaveyou
• Cell phone
• Two extra T-shirts (just in case whatever top I'm wearing gets stained somewhere between Portland and Minneapolis)
• Two books - From Bauhaus to Our House by Tom Wolfe, and French Lessons by Peter Mayle - the better to make me hungry for the food and architecture of The Cleve
• My meds and vitamins
• Smith's Rosebud Salve, because I'm too lazy to put on any makeup before I get to my destination
• Lipstick and some eye pencil, in case I get over said laziness
• Travel-size Bvlgari Green Tea Body Milk - a freebie from Philippine Airlines (or, as our countrymen refer to it lovingly, "Plane Always Late")

Next post: More of what I'm taking with me.

The Case for the... Um, Do I Really Have to Write a Title for This Entry?

Salutations to the readers of Domesticity! Now that I have your attention, I wanted to let you all know that our favorite blogger will actually be taking the next few days off -- because, as we all know, Meimei will be graduating with her Masters degree from Chaminade University of Honolulu on Monday night at the Blaisdell Arena. (And, aye, it also helps that this lovely redhead will be the commencement speaker for that night.) That also means that she has to take care of a lot of things chez Meimei - including the fact that her parents will be arriving in Honolulu over the weekend, and she still has that trip to Cleveland coming up in a matter of weeks. Which means, knowing her, it will take her one whole week to pack... especially if I had any say in the matter, ye ken?




Not if I had any say in the matter, you kilt-wearing bastard! At least I was in a movie that Meimei actually liked. By the way, people, since Meimei will be taking a break this weekend, I won't be surprised if she does end up taking some hot and sexy pictures of her own to post on this site before she goes to Cleveland. I also won't be surprised if she does end up posting something on No Book Left Behind while she takes a break from here, so -- BUTLER! Don't even make me go there and pour jet fuel over your head!



Amateurs, the lot of you. FEH.

*****

EDITED @ 9:22 PM to add: Yes, I finally finished the BBC version of State of Play - three hours of me screaming "Booyah!" and "Hell yes!" and other expletives. If you have ever worked in journalism, you owe it to yourself to rent it... and pray to the highest heavens that the remake doesn't mess it all up.

Randomesticity: What the Meimei Is...

Watching: State of Play - the original miniseries that aired on BBC, not the US remake that's currently being filmed right now. (Dagnabbit - Edward Norton, why did you have to leave that project? And what is up with Helen Mirren playing the Bill Nighy character?) What an excellent piece of work - just when you think you've got everything figured out, somebody pulls a rabbit out of the hat... and you're left there with a massive Whisky Tango Foxtrot expression on your face. So far I've finished Disc 1 (episodes 1-3), and the second disc (eps. 4-6) are forthcoming from Netflix. Well-acted, well-structured, well-written... can't wait to find out what happens next.

Before I go on, however, I'd like to take this moment to apologize to all the John Simm fangirls out there for not finding the boy attractive. Seriously, people - I don't think he's ugly, but he looks way too much like Mr. Happy Scribe that I can't even muster an ounce of hubba-hubba every single time he goes on screen. David Morrissey, on the other hand... dear goodness, I've found him hot ever since the PBS/BBC version of Sense and Sensibility, so I was pleasantly surprised to watch him play a jackass. (The moment when his Colonel Brandon holds out his arm, falcon in hand, and says, "Come," I wanted to say "yes" so badly.) And, of course, I can't let this entry pass without a mention of James McAvoy, who is so ruthless here that I can never imagine him playing the naif in period attire ever again - Last King of Scotland notwithstanding.

Listening to: I've finally put Madonna, Adele, and Leona Lewis to rest (although I did read in one of the papers over here that Leona was vacay-ing at the Big Island with her boyfriend), so I've been adding a lot of reggae on my playlist - in particular "Could You Be Loved" and "Welcome to Jamrock." (Funny, I thought I already OD'd on reggae in college...) Also revisiting two of my favorite music heroes - Jack Johnson and Raimund Marasigan - and discovering "Two Times" by The Blakes on iTunes.

Rolling my eyes at: Bill Kaulitz (um, is the world so deprived of emo boys that we now have to import them from Germany?); the never-ending Democratic primary; the current seasons for American Idol and Dancing with the Stars; the new Oceanic Time Warner commercial with the obnoxious woman from Maui who moved in with her boyfriend because he had Road Runner (eww!)

In need of: A good foundation brush. I bought a Taklon concealer brush at Longs once and I've been impressed with the coverage; at the same time, however, I'm running out of cosmetic sponges and don't really feel the need to buy more.

Craving: A nap and a massage.

Hoping to buy soon: Some dressy shoes, to go with the cap and gown I will be wearing for graduation this Monday.

Planning: Oh, yes, did I just mention that I'm going on a trip this summer? And who knew I could be so excited about leaving Hawaii... even for a tad bit?


...No, I am totally not joking about this. I really am going to Cleveland. (And thinking of ways to kill the time during the five-hour stopover at Portland.)

The Birthday Girl Speaks

I'm not the most demanding person... but if there's ever a chance that Jason Statham Gerard Butler an unexpected loved one would show up at my doorstep today, I would be thrilled to receive this as my omiyage:

Oh, Lilyfield. Never before has a sustainable box looked so downright glamorous.

Of course, I could go ahead and turn this blog entry into a sugar-daddy shopping list of Things I Want, but... right now, as I stand, I think this song (and the can't-embed video*) says it all.

*Why, yes, I also want to see Iron Man, too... maybe next week?