Where to next?  That's the question that I'm constantly asking every moment of every day...  I was pretty optimistic after being downsized;  I thought "this will be easy, I can just sign up with a few headhunters, call old contacts, and start freelancing."  WRONG.  My industry has changed considerably;  a huge switch from print to mobile web and no willingness to retrain anyone... I'm wondering if I even have the brain to be retrained when a seemingly simple Java exercise has me stumped (or is it the exhaustion of parenthood?).  And what is the tech industry looking for?  Do they want new coders when it's getting shipped to Asia?  Is it all about the "content providers" and demi personalities? All the suggested sources:  LinkedIn, the same agencies, etc. have no information when they even bother to write or email me back.

Never mind, I have an awake baby at 2 AM...

...and now, the sweet part of cuddle time...

Killed all my emails, baby was napping, music is turned off... I have the opportunity to study CSS again, right? NO! Is this a 10 minute nap or a good hour long one? When he wakes will he play under the dangly toy, or need a cuddle (not that I mind - give me that baby oxytocin!)? Will he crawl now? I now know why it's called baby brain - we can multitask, but with what we already know...

No Sweats/No Holes

Cross-posting from my LinkedIn blog.  There's a coda that requires being added and it's more appropriate in this forum...

One sartorial method to staying focused:  getting dressed.  Since my office style consisted of straight cut jeans and tailored tees, I'm sticking with that.  What I can't let myself do is let myself stay in my sweatpants all day.  Sweats are for the dog park. Sweats are for running.  Sweats are for lounging about after 10:00.  What they are not for is daily dressing anywhere outside of the house;  I'm sorry, I may not be the most fashion-fierce, but I can't let myself get that white-trash-y.  Even a supermarket run requires clean clothes and a dab of blush.  The same goes for my sneakers:  they're for the dog park, road work, or going to a gym.  A quick errand means at least wearing real shoes.  I may not ever run into a potential manager here in the suburbs, but I may as well look like it could happen...

What could possibly be added to this?  

Well, along with not wanting to let a tiny bit of cosmetic go to waste, even my schleppy dog park sweatpants don't get thrown out just for a hole ... or two. Somewhere in my stash I found scraps of cotton knit fleece, added on a zigzag stitch, and voila!  Of course, when I hit another thrift sale and I find another pair, these will go into the stash and become fabric to repair something else or dustcloths.  

Corollary

I'll have to admit it, I have OCD tendencies.  That goes along with my environmental leanings as well.  So in addition to yesterday's review, I have to add that I can't recommend a lip brush enough.  It doesn't matter the brand, though when I commuted on the bus I liked one that retracted and had a cover - just to avoid a mess in my purse.

So, here's where it all comes together:

I have to use the entire tube of lipstick, not just a lipstick, it could be a chapstick or clear Vitamin E moisturizer.  I have to get the last drop at the bottom, and the brush is the perfect tool.  It doesn't matter that I got all this free and cheap, I'm ingrained to not waste a thing.  Maybe it comes with being raised by Depression-era parents...  I'll leave that to Freud...

First Product review.

One thing I'll really miss about my old gig was the swag.  Let me preface:  I can't say where I worked in publishing, but we ran lots of articles and blurbs about celebrities and their stuff.  So, the marketing departments of all that stuff would send some to us to potentially take pictures and put it in our pages.  In fact, there are entire agencies that target market which magazines and events get those samples just so it can be said that a D-list reality show "star" is in possession of said item...

But enough of my cynicism.  Of course, the fringe benefit was that the surplus items would be on the counter for free and twice a year the editor who received most of it all would have a sample sale for charity.  I am well stocked for hair care and toiletries for the rest of the year;  I think my skin will handle the winter with aplomb considering the oils and butters I stocked up on.

So now, my first review:  Tarte Complexion Brightening Lipstick in Fair-to Light.  What I like best is the creamy texture, with lots of moisture for my dry lips.  I can't say my complexion is brightened much, the color is a slightly tan-ny peach just on the bearable side of bubblegum, but still light enough to look like I'm not wearing LIPSTICK.   Tarte uses a variety of natural oils that are less bad than conventional cosmetic companies.
The question is: would I pay full price for it? Since it looks like a discontinued item, it's a moot point.  But, I've tried other Tarte products, and they have the same good level of moisture and lasting pigment.  $17 is a "treat" price for me though, I'd have to go through everything I have already to make that buy.

More testing...

Testing taking a photo first...

New gadget

Just testing a new tablet and it's unique apps... I hope to use this thing for easier mobile writing, coding, and creating...

Unfortunately, I'm hitting a glitch with posting a photo... Somehow, it's not linking correctly, and taking forever to save.... Hmmm...

Starting over

Trying to revive this blog.  I thought the downtime at work concept would work, but tasks built up,  and political email filled my inbox, I read more and wrote less...  And then, last week, I was downsized from a job I had for nine years.  I had a good run there, I can't complain, other than it could get boring.  I did see it coming - other long term employees were getting kicked out, and my division was making less money, while the upper management focused on mobile apps and video.  So, what next?  I don't know.  I did get a good severance package and I have time to figure that out...

In the meantime, I can promote myself more here.  I'll probably concentrate on my art, craft, and food and leave politics elsewhere...

Meanwhile, my last craft show nearly sold me out of my ruffle scarves, so, this is the second to last one I finished:    It's a cotton blend, and should be available on anastasi5.etsy.com soon...