Sporadic Sunday Thoughts

October: Everything from October to December is characterized by nostalgia for me. I tap into my inner-romantic and like to put myself in settings that evoke feelings of warmth and family. For example, on my way to to the grocery store today (long overdue), I stopped at one of our local bookstores just to look at the children's books. I love that some of the same books I read when I was little are still on the shelves of the bookstores. I remember characters (Clifford, Arthur) and they still make me smile. I'll go sit in a coffee shop and write just to feel inspired. I seek out retail during Christmas season because I love the chaos and music. Maybe it is strange that these tendencies are heightened in the Fall/Winter months, but I don't think I am alone. The old Thomas Kinkade paintings with homes that have smokestacks billowing form the chimneys, with lights on in all the rooms and a snowman in the front yard are hard to beat when it comes to evoking nostalgia and warmth. Hi, I'm Cheesy.

Jason Isbell/John Prine Concert: My parents got us tickets to this concert (which was last night). A couple of people turned me on to Jason Isbell a while back, and his shows never disappoint. Our first dance song was actually one of his songs called "Cover Me Up", which he nailed last night in the Orpheum. If you haven't listened to his music, give it a try.  Tying into the October nostalgia, his songs tell such great stories that make you think or imagine or transport. John Prine was also great, although very evidently aging. I think that's what made it feel nostalgic. I watched concert goers swoon over John Prine, a contemporary to many of them. You had a show displaying two talented songwriters representing two generations. It definitely felt like a place I needed to be and a thing I needed to see. We go see Jason Isbell again in Knoxville in just under a month! :)

Honest Beauty: I caved. I enjoy the honest cleaning products so much that I wanted to try some of the cosmetics. I bought make up removing wipes, a beauty balm, a lip crayon and tinted moisturizer. I rank them according to favorites as follows: wipes, moisturizer, balm, lip crayon. The wipes do a great job of removing my makeup. They also smell good and leave my skin soft. The moisturizer is thick! The only confusing part about it is that it smells like and contains sunscreen, but I would never want to wear something that thick in the summer humidity. The coverage is moderate. If you are trying to cover imperfections, opt for something else. The beauty balm is weird. I just have put it on my lips for moisture so far, but it advertises that it is for a lot of things. The lip crayon is very pigmented. I bought a bold shade. I like it, but it is very drying and leaves weird stains on your lips when it wears off, which is quickly. I might try the nude shade to see if it's the color that bothers me. All in all, I am still interested in trying a few more things. I don't think any of it is going to replace my other products, but I like having them on hand. I will definitely keep buying the wipes. I hope Target starts carrying those also!