wish list

Sometimes you can find some real gems at Old Navy, like this: I love the trim and the color!

 

And, although I'm not a huge fan of the whole snowflake/reindeer sweater trend this year, I do like how cozy and comfy this sweater looks:

Friday afternoon snack

My teen students are in the middle of exams and are always asking me for my American cookies and recipes, so I gave in last night and made some peanut butter cookies for them. They were a hit! :)

Christmas/birthday wish list

Holidays are fast approaching and I've started making my wish list. (Can I also just say that I love websites like www.nordstrom.com that have a wish list feature?) It's sort of difficult because I have to think of things that are easy to take back from the US and with baggage restrictions, it leaves almost no space. On top of that, Christmas is also my birthday, so (theoretically) I have extra gifts...
I know these aren't the most stylish, but when you spend 3/4 of your life walking like I do, comfort plays a BIG factor in deciding what shoes to wear:

Also, if someone REALLY REALLY loves me ;) maybe they'll buy me this Coach purse:

or maybe this one:

But, honestly I'll be just as happy with a few thoughtful small gifts :)

Belated...

Spring cleaning! Going through some old makeup, lotions and miscellaneous junk-drawer accumulations today. I can finally get rid of the million and one skin-care products that I've bought over time because I finally found something that works for me. I have combination/oily skin with mild acne. I tried a million things (and I mean a million!) but I was never completely happy with the end result. Most of the acne/oil-reducing products I tried ended up making my skin dry in patches and oily in other spots.
So I decided to go online and read reviews of the best products for oily, acne-prone skin and read that the Clinique anti-blemish 3-step system had worked for a lot of people. So, I decided to go ahead and spend my hard-earned money on the expensive stuff. 80 euros and three weeks later, it's safe to say that I've found a new favorite! My skin is softer, less oily (but not dry), and has cleared up significantly! I still get the occasional flare up, but they are much smaller and clear up MUCH faster. I am one happy camper :).  So, goodbye messy makeup drawer!!

(Christmas) shopping

So, this morning I stopped by a couple of my favorite stores, H&M and Zara. I only meant to be there for 15-20 minutes a piece, but sort of got sucked in when I saw the new holiday-ish displays.  I ended up buying a really cute gift at Zara (can't post the picture until after Christmas) and then also bought these for myself:

Then at H&M I bought a couple of cute, silly gifts and a cheapy sweater dress for me :)

SHOPPING!

The other day I went shopping at Sephora since my hubby was on business in Madrid (which also means he wasn't there to hold me back! ;) I also happened to have a 20% off coupon, which was pretty nice and contributed to my little splurge. Among my purchases were some new Dior foundation and powder and (new to Sephora in Spain) one of my faves-Urban Decay. I love their eyeliner and eyeshadows. The colors are great and they last ALL day, so I stocked up on a couple of those.

 

I also grabbed a couple of mini Sephora brand nail polishes. They have some new metallics for the holidays and they go on super nice and I love the crazy shimmer/matte combination. The bottles are tiny, but you only need one coat with these ones. Thinking of going back to get some more and giving them out for Christmas :p  I LOVE this time of year...gift giving is the best!!!!

Baking maniac!

Well, since it has cooled down considerably, I've started baking again to the joy (and chagrin) of some of my friends. ;) I've been going crazy trying new recipes-lemon poppyseed muffins, whole wheat biscotti and my latest-homemade whole wheat bread. Very tasty!!