top five

The Top THREE–Cosmetics Companies

I’m known for extending my “Top Five” lists to include six items, but today I’m taking a look at the rare “Top Five” list that only has three items, because while I have a lot of brands in my vanity table, there are just three cosmetics companies that I absolutely love!

  • Bésame Cosmetics–This vintage-inspired brand offers products that are designed based on actual cosmetics products/colors from the 1920s through the early 1970s. They have also created collections inspired by influential women from that time period including Lucille Ball, and most recently, Ella Fitzgerald. I especially love their refillable powder compacts, and the different formulas of powders they offer, including setting, finishing, and illuminating varieties.
  • Colourpop Cosmetics–If I want fandom-based cosmetics, from Animal Crossing to Disney to Sailor Moon, this is where I turn. Aside from the cool theming, I love how pigmented and shimmery their eyeshadows are (especially the Super Shock Shadows), and I really love their lip lacquers…I just wish they’d make more of them!
  • Holo Taco–These are the prettiest nail polishes I’ve ever seen! The colors are vibrant, and there is so much shimmer in the holographic formula that it absolutely sparkles in the light. It also wears exceedingly well…I can go for much longer without chipping a nail with Holo Taco than I can with any other brand, and after over a full year of “Mani Mondays,” I’ve had a lot of experience!

Where are your favorite places to buy cosmetics?

Looking Forward By Looking Back

At the beginning of 2023, as I often do, I came up with a list of the top five things I was looking forward to in the coming year. And all of those things came to pass, and they were all as enjoyable as I had hoped they would be. But some of the most exciting things that happened to me in 2023 were not things I could have planned for; things I didn’t anticipate; even things I never would have dreamed would have been possible (four, not five this time)!

  • Disneyland–The idea of a trip to Disneyland to celebrate Turkey’s and Bunny’s graduation from SWIC began as a wild hair, but Ryan had a whole bunch of frequent flyer miles saved up, so it became a reality. I’ve never been so far west (and never really expected to!), and it had been over two decades since I had last flown, so it was definitely an adventure, and now is one of my favorite memories!
  • Today in St. Louis-When Rene Knott from KSDK contacted me near the beginning of the year, asking if he could do a story about me and my fashion, I was floored…and terrified. And then life kind of got in the way, and I just assumed it wouldn’t be happening. But things aligned this fall, and he did indeed come to our house and interviewed me, and it was actually broadcast! I never would have dreamed that something like that could happen to me!
  • A Free Dress and Hat–I enter a lot of Instagram giveaways sponsored by my famous brands, with little expectation of winning anything. But this fall, I actually won a dress (and matching hat!), from Miss Candyfloss, and it was pretty much the best day ever, especially since it was a dress I was interested in and couldn’t afford!
  • Be Our Guest–Over the summer, inspired by the Be Our Guest 4 The Day segment on SiriusXM Radio, I came up with a list of my top four(ish) favorite Disney songs. I didn’t just post them on my website, though…I also submitted them to SiriusXM to be considered for hosting the segment myself. Early in December, they contacted me asking me to record a whole bunch of spots, and while I haven’t heard it on the radio (yet), I did submit my responses, and one of these days, I just might drive off the road when I hear the sound of my own voice coming through the speakers!

So this year, I’m not going to make a list of the things I’m looking forward to (although there are plenty, with Moose’s high school graduation, the Paris 2024 Olympics, and the 50th anniversary of St. Charles Christmas Traditions topping the list!). Instead, I’m going to let 2024 surprise me, and next year, I’ll look back and see what the top moments really were!

Sartorial Saturday–The Top Five Dirndl Looks of 2023

I know I said yesterday that I was sharing my last “Top Five” photos list of the year, but those were photos I took…today I’m sharing my favorite dirndl looks that I wore this year, which are photos take of me, not by me!

I’m starting back in May, when we went to Maifest at Grant’s Farm. I really love the pops of pink of the apron and ribbon against the darker background of the dress, and I also really love the setting of the picture!

My second Everyday Dirndl was purchased specifically with paying homage to the Austrian flag in mind, and the full look is even better than I hoped. I love the white “Surprise Me” apron Erika created for me, and I think my accessories, which featured lots of edelweiss and pops of white and red, are the perfect accompaniment!

Next up is the look I wore to Belleville Oktoberfest. I borrowed an apron from another dirndl to go with my purple dress, and added my iridescent Docs and some purple accessories to complete the look.

Speaking of borrowing an apron, this is the dress that goes with the apron in the previous photo. This time, I added a fancy, sheer floral apron to my harlequin print dirndl for St. Charles Oktoberfest…I love the autumnal color scheme!

And finally, a look featuring my new Christmas apron. Not the look I wore on Christmas Day (which I also love), but the one I wore to the Belleville Christkindlmarkt, adding a green ribbon and red accessories for a festive look.

I really love finding new ways to mix and match my pieces, and I can’t wait to see what I come up with next!

The Top Five–Photos of 2023

My final “Top Five” photos list for the year is my favorite photos I took in general…no food here, but there is a travel picture from our trip to Chicago in May. I love the fact that the sculptures outside the Art Institute have a lovely backdrop of skyscrapers!

I’m always looking for interesting ways to frame photos, and I think this picture of the Cabanne House in Forest Park was especially well done:

When we visited St. Charles in October for Legends and Lanterns, I got a shot of the fallen leaves on the brick street:

Another fall photo came in brilliant orange at Lafayette Park in St. Louis:

And finally, a photo from Garden Glow at the Missouri Botanical Garden. I’m not sure I’ve captured it this gold before!

I hope you’ve enjoyed a look back at some of my favorite pictures from 2023! I can’t wait to see what I come across in 2024!!!

The Top Five–Disneyland Vacation Photos of 2023

It’s time to start taking a look back at 2023, and I’m beginning with my top five favorite photos from the trip Turkey, Bunny, and I took to Disneyland this spring. My first picture isn’t the most fantastic composition or anything, but it makes me smile every time I see it…I love that Radiator Springs at Disney California Adventure warns you to “Mind your speed as you go. Sheriff’s old, but he’s not slow!”

Nighttime pictures are always some of my favorites, and I love this one that captures the lights and the water display at Pixar Pier in Disney California Adventure during the evening show:

Back in Radiator Springs, I knew I’d have to include a photo of the neon lit up at night, and I decided Flo’s V-8 Cafe was my favorite of the bunch I took:

You can’t go wrong with a castle photo, and I especially love this one of Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle because the Disney 100 medallion and other decorations are so visible!

And finally, a nighttime photo of the castle, which focuses on one of the lamps in the foreground. I can’t tell you exactly why I like this picture so much, but it’s one of my favorites of all the ones I took!

Stay tuned for a look at some of my other favorite photos from 2023!

Tasty Tuesday: The Top Five–Food Photos of 2023

Time for a look at my favorite food photos from 2023! Most of them are dessert photos (hey, it’s not my fault desserts are so photogenic!), but let’s start with a spread I made featuring white borscht last winter:

Now on to the desserts. This white chocolate blueberry-lemon cheesecake was not only delicious, it looked amazing!

I also thought this cake I made for Ladybug’s 16th birthday was beautiful:

Linzer äugen (or Spitzbuben) are one of my favorite cookies to bake (and eat!) and they always look so lovely:

And most recently, the peppermint chip cake I made for Christmas Eve:

I’m including a bonus photo, because it’s not of something I made myself, but this Rainbow Cone just looks too good not to share!

This is just the beginning…stayed tuned for more “Top Five” lists for 2023, and then my year in review!

The Top Five–Iconic Christmas Songs

Inspired by this year’s music-themed “Christmas School,” today I’m looking at what I consider to be the top five (yes, I know…actually six. I had a Rat Pack tie at the end!), most iconic Christmas songs. When I say iconic, I mean the song and singer together…the type of piece where, when you hear it, you think to yourself “no one else needed to record this song ever, because it’s perfect as it is, and there is no topping it!”

  • Bing Crosby–“White Christmas”–No one does Christmas music like Bing, and maybe it’s just because White Christmas is my favorite Christmas movie, but I think this is the song he does best. I’m immediately transported to a different place and time at those opening notes!
  • Nat King Cole–“The Christmas Song”–Second only to Bing, Nat also excels at Christmas, and while I especially love his Toys for Tots song, we all know that Nat absolutely owns “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire” (I do also like the rendition they created of him and Natalie Cole singing it together.)
  • Andy Williams–“It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”–Another iconic voice at Christmastime, Andy has several songs that he does really well, including “Happy Holidays” and “It’s the Holiday Season,” but “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” is my favorite, and so recognizable.
  • Ella Fitzgerald–“Sleigh Ride”–I don’t know if it’s because it’s been used so well in movies (Elf comes to mind), but “Sleigh Ride” is totally Ella Fitzgerald’s song! This is another example of a song I recognize immediately from just the first few notes, because her version was so distinctive.
  • Frank Sinatra–“Christmas Memories”–This is probably the least-known song on the list, and it really captures that sense of nostalgia at Christmastime both in words and music, and Frank sings it with so much emotion, you get the sense he’s really feeling it when he sings “Funny, but comes December, and I remember every Christmas I’ve known.”
  • Dean Martin–“I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm”–Between this and “Baby it’s Cold Outside,” Dean is the king of winter songs, but this one is a little less controversial, so I chose it over the other, even though I like both equally well.

What Christmas songs are iconic to you?

The Top Five–Episodes of The Simpsons

Today’s “Top Five” list focuses on my favorite episodes of The Simpsons. There are so very many to choose from (over 700!) that it was a bit of a struggle to narrow it down, although I will admit that the first three came quite easily.

  • “22 Short Films About Springfield”–I guess it’s cliche, but this is my very favorite episode. My children know that they can convince me to watch The Simpsons just by suggesting we turn this one on. We quote the “steamed hams” short constantly!
  • “Hurricane Neddy”–The best part of this episode is, let’s face it, Ned’s rant. When he gets to “Do I hear the sound of butting in? It’s gotta be little Lisa Simpson, Springfield’s answer to a question no one asked!” I absolutely lose it. The rest of the episode is good, too, but that’s my favorite scene.
  • “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire”–Who here is surprised that a Christmas episode made the list? The fact that’s also the very first episode of the show just makes it better. The part where Bart imagines Marge being impressed by his tattoo is absolutely hilarious, and really sets the tone for the series.
  • “Bart vs. Thanksgiving”–If it isn’t a surprise that a Christmas episode made my list, it also shouldn’t be a shocker that a Thanksgiving episode did, too. “Mom, it’s broken” has become a catchphrase around here, but I really love the sweet moment at the end where Homer and Marge are eavesdropping on Bart and Lisa on the roof.
  • “Treehouse of Horror”–The first of these annual episodes is my favorite, and it’s all thanks to “The Raven.” I’m pretty sure this is the absolute best performance of that poem out there, partly because James Earl Jones (duh), and partly because of the crazed manor in which Homer plays his part. And “eat my shorts” inserted into it is just funny.

Do you have a favorite episode of the long-running show?

The Top FOUR–Disney Songs

Since we’ve had our new minivan, we’ve had a trial of SiriusXM Radio, which I’ve really been enjoying. We’ve had it from time to time before, and I also like flipping through the stations. One that we found that I’ve really enjoyed listening to is “Disney Hits,” which has music not just from the expected places (the classic animated movies and Disney Channel shows), but also from the parks, and newer Disney acquisitions such as Star Wars. I especially enjoy the “Be Our Guest 4 The Day” segment, where listeners get to pick their top four Disney songs to be played. I decided to come up with my own list, but of course I had to add a fifth song…but for once, I actually have five items on my list!

  • “Part of Your World”–This song from The Little Mermaid is my favorite from the Alan Menken era, and the one I most associate with the Disney of my childhood. I can’t tell you how many times I sang it in the shower (bathrooms have excellent acoustics, even for those of us who can’t sing a note!), and I still really relate to Ariel wanting to explore the unknown when she sings this one.
  • “Little Wonders”–I still haven’t seen the movie (Meet the Robinsons) that this song is from, but as it came out in the winter of 2007, I remember singing it to Ladybug when we were up in the middle of the night when she was a newborn. Danny Elfman’s music is almost as much a part of my Disney memories as Menken’s, so it’s only fitting that one of his songs has a place on the list.
  • “Hakuna Matata”–My children informed me that my list wouldn’t be complete without this song from The Lion King because I love singing it so much…when I see a warthog at the zoo, I’m always tempted to start belting it out!
  • “It’s a Small World”–I know this a controversial choice because the song has a reputation for being annoying, but I love it because it brings back such happy memories of riding the eponymous ride at both Disney World and Disneyland. It may be repetitive, but the sentiment is spot on, and you can’t have a top five Disney songs list without including the Sherman Brothers, can you?
  • “When You Wish Upon a Star”–For my bonus song, I picked what is arguably the most iconic of all Disney pieces, famous not just from Pinocchio, but also from the intro to classic Disney TV shows and films…it even won the Academy Award for best song in 1940!

What are your favorite Disney songs?

Caravan Memories

On Thursday, we said goodbye to our faithful Dodge Caravan. It was a good car, and we made a lot of memories in it, but it was nearing 100,000 miles, and we really wanted to make the transition to a hybrid, so we traded it in for a Chrysler Pacifica. Now it’s time to take a look back at the fun times we had in our old minivan, Stormy:

  • Family Vacation to Florida–We went on our second big family vacation in the Caravan. Unlike the first big trip we took in our Volkswagen, we didn’t have car trouble along the way, and it was a much more relaxing trip! Not only did we get to stay at Cabana Bay for the first (but not only) time, we also spent a day at both Legoland and Universal Studios, saw the ocean for the second time (and tracked a beach’s worth of sand into the car!), and visited Castillo de San Marcos.
  • A Weekend Getaway to Michigan–The summer before the pandemic began, we got to go on a road trip to Michigan, and I’m so grateful we had that opportunity before our extended period of staying at home. Not only did we get to meet Ryan’s parents in Southgate to celebrate the retirement of their former pastor, we also drove to Frankenmuth, a place I had long wanted to visit, and enjoyed a nice German dinner and a visit to the World’s Largest Christmas Store! Long trips are fun, but I also really enjoy exploring the midwest.
  • The Four Months that Weren’t–Some of the memories I have of the car are of the four months we went almost nowhere. I filled the gas tank at the beginning of March 2020, and didn’t fill it again until the end of June. We took staying home very seriously, so my once-every-two-weeks trip to go grocery shopping was A Big Deal, and I won’t lie…it felt a little weird driving after so much time of not!
  • Commuting to College–When Turkey and Bunny started at the community college, it was the first time in their educational experience that I had the privilege of driving them to and from school. I really enjoyed the opportunity to hear about their days on the way home, and Chickadee, my constant companion, would often read whatever her current book was out loud to me when we were going to and fro.
  • Epic Family Vacation–Last summer was our epic, never-to-be-repeated trip to Washington D.C., Myrtle Beach, and Disney World. It was a bit different from our first big family vacation in the Caravan (although we did get to stay at Cabana Bay again!), because we did have car trouble along the way…specifically, the brakes, which started giving us trouble in the mountains, again (just like when we went to Charleston). More specifically, the rotors, again. Even more specifically, we had the brakes replaced in South Carolina, again…our track record in South Carolina is not great! But, that was the only glitch on the trip, and we had so much fun driving through the mountains, to the beach, to all of the Disney parks and to Kennedy Space Center.

Now it’s time to make memories in our new van, and we already have a summer road trip planned!