HAPPY THOUGHTS; YOU GO GIRL

Soundtrack: Feeling Good, Nina Simone

Happy Thursday!

This past weekend the family and I went to a mega water park in scenic Sandusky, Ohio. I fully expected to return home with any number of maladies (staph infection, pink eye, norovirus), but it was actually pretty clean (am I the only person who brings her own sheets and pillowcases to suspect hotels?).

Anyhow, most bloggers take gorgeous swimsuit shots in extraordinary locales like Santorini or the Maldives. In contrast, my husband took some hilarious photos of me inside this water park, real America as my backdrop, but I don't have the balls to post them.  Here are a few outtakes instead:

(Swimsuit, Victoria's Secret. This one's no longer available online, but they're discontinuing all swimwear; everything is on sale. Photoshop disclosure: I removed an enormous zit on my cheek. Trust me, you don't want to see it unless you have a thing for cystic acne).

I've been feeling a bit blue these days, fretting over the future and not really taking care of myself. But I'm making conscious efforts to be a more positive and grateful person, and not worry so much. It's easy to slip into the occasional rabbit hole, especially when pondering all things difficult, wrong, or sad. I'm really trying to drum up confidence and see the bright side of things as I lay out my goals for the remainder of 2016.  I'll share these individually in my next few posts, so stay tuned!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

xxo

NO PHOTOSHOP, WATCH THE MAGIC HAPPEN!

Good morning Knuckles!

Gisele Bundchen recently made news for shooting a campaign for BLK DNM without any makeup or retouching.  “I feel like women should be really real and raw," she said, "and it doesn’t happen anymore."  Easy to say if you're a Brazilian supermodel!

That said, there is something to be said about excessive Photoshopping.  Her quote made me think of Dove's thought-provoking Evolution video from a few years ago.

In the spirit of "real" beauty, I made this Vine video that shows my personal evolution from the time I step out of the shower to when I leave my front door (turn the volume down if you don't want to blast your office with Skrillex).

(I'm such a cheeseball.  Glasses, Lenscrafters; tank top, Target.  Daily beauty products: Walgreens multi-purpose solution, Neutrogena Healthy Skin face lotion, Almay Clear Complexion concealer, Neutrogena Healthy Skin brightening eye perfector, Cover Girl Perfect Blend eye pencil, Neutrogena Healthy Skin bronzer, Tresemme hairspray.  Lip color always varies, above, Revlon Color Stay Overtime lip gloss in Unlimited Mulberry.  You can get everything at the drugstore).

It's all smoke and mirrors, Knuckles!  Here's to celebrating us in every way, shape, and form.  I now I think you know it all.

Have a great week!

DATE NIGHT SELFIES, PLUS SELFIES ON MARS

Good morning Knuckles!

This weekend Mr. Brass Knuckles and I went on a much-needed tapas-and-a-movie date night.

(Hat, American Apparel; sweater, H&M from the men's department, I bought this for Mr. Brass Knuckles for his birthday last year but he wasn't really into it.  I forgot to return it, and found it last week in our coat closet and it's now my new favorite sweater; blouse and necklace, F21; pleather leggings, Silence+Noise; bag; Oryany; boots, Gil Torres)

Here's a random selfie from the movie theater:

And here is the extraordinary Curiosity Mars rover selfie released by NASA last week:

(Photo NASA.  Seriously, this is Mars you guys.  Unbelievable).

Have a great week, Knuckles!  Kick some ass!