Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Male Form CCLXIII

“The most important thing in life is to
learn how to give out love,
and to let it come in.”

Monday, November 28, 2011

Male Form CCLXII


The sense of the world is short,
Long and various the report,
To love and be beloved;
Men and gods have not outlearned it,
And how oft soe'er they've turned it,
'Tis not to be improved.


Emerson Ralph Waldo

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Male Form CCLXI


See myself holding
you close to me
squeezing your body tight
but for all I see as I daydream
|I know that I'll get you.....tonight.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Male Form CCLX

"The best and most
beautiful things in the world
cannot be seen or even touched...
they must be felt with the heart"


Helen Keller

Friday, November 25, 2011

Male Form CCLIX

When you get into a tight place and
everything goes against you,
never give up then,
for that is just the time that the tide will turn.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Male Form CCLVIII

"Love is missing
someone whenever you're apart,
but somehow feeling warm inside
because you're close in heart."

K. Knudsen

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Male Form CCLVII

"Love doesn't make the world go around.
Love is what makes the ride worthwhile."

Franklin P. Jones

Photo: Cory Grant --- Scott Hoover

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Male Form CCLVI

True love is not about the hugs and kisses,
the 'I love you's' or the 'I miss you's',
but about the chills that hit every part
of your spine when you think about him

Monday, November 21, 2011

Male Form CCLV

"Life has taught us that
love does not consist in
gazing at each other but in
looking outward together
in the same direction."
Antoine de Saint-Exupery


OH NO!! Ali & Roberto Announce Break-Up!!!

Sad day in the Bachelor world.  Hopeful engaged couple, Ali Fedotowsky and Roberto Martinez, are no longer together.  No details provided other than People confirming with one of their reps, that the couple split.  Rumors had been circulating over the past few months that there was trouble brewing in paradise. 

Together for 18 months before the split, this is particularly sad since they really seemed to set up a life aimed at beating the odds. Roberto moved across the country to San Diego, where he started an insurance agency business while Ali did a number of projects, including working on-air with Fox 5 news in San Diego.

Not sure what exactly was the reason behind their fall out, but hot tempers and frequent fights have been discussed.  Also, Ali had been traveling to NYC over this past week according to her Twitter account with no mentions of missing anyone in particular at home.

Am very sad as this was one of my favorite couples, even somewhat beating out my love for Trista and Ryan.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Carbs vs. Stacey B

I'm starving.  Or at least I think I am.  So our attempt to cook healthy meals for an entire week was a big failure.  Not to worry - we have been compiling all of the wonderful recipes you all sent in (keep 'em coming, btw) and I am determined to make them at some point.  We are going away the week before Christmas and with four weeks away, an emergency diet situation is upon us.

This means we are on day four of no carbs.  It hasn't been pretty, but drastic measures needed to take place if we want to show ourselves in public in bathing suits.  For the first 48 hours of this no carb diet, my stomach was making all sorts of crazy noises around 3 PM.  The thought of flaky, steamy, tasty bread is so overwhelming at times, it is hard to get it out of my head.  In fact, as I stare at the picture of this simple loaf of bread above, I find my mouth watering so out of control, that I am eager to finish this blog post.  I am trying to determine whether there is such a thing as carb less bread, pasta or ice cream and what such a thing would taste like.  It's not like I haven't been eating.  In fact, tonight we had roasted chicken with steamed vegetables as sides.  Then I ate my shoe for dessert.  Or at least that's what it seemed like, because those green beans had absolutely no taste.  And while I'm pretty sure my belly is full, I feel like there is something missing from my diet and it makes everything I ate seem unsatisfying.

The Husband made me a decaffeinated cup of coffee.  Why does such a thing exist?  Isn't this an oxymoron?  Kind of like carb less ice cream, right?  I guess some people like the taste of coffee, but not the caffeine.  I like the carbs in coffee ice cream.

Tomorrow night we are going to a friend's birthday dinner, so our little carb free extravaganza will definitely be called into question.  At some point, we'll reintroduce whole grain carbs back into our diet.  Until then, I may be chewing on my fingers.

Oh, and guess what The Husband and I got tickets to for this Saturday??? If any of you are in the NYC area, you should consider coming!! It's the American Kennel Club's "Meet the Breeds," with hundreds of different breeds of cats and dogs.  The best part about it is that you can learn all about the different types of dogs/cats that exist, learn what dogs/cats fit best with your lifestyle, personality, etc. AND you are not allowed to take any dogs home with you.  That's probably smart.  Anyhow it's this Saturday and Sunday from 10 AM to 5 PM at the Javitz Center (site of where I took the NY bar exam - horrendous memories there!).

Stags Responds, Then Disappears -

Got this wonderful response Tweet from Stags earlier this week.  I replied offering up Ro's contact details (she does not have a Twitter account), but have not heard back.  Hmmm.  Guess he's a bit tied up touring around North America and getting paid to appear at bars where the ladies fawn all over him.  Still, I think he'd really like Ro - that is, if he's actually looking to be in a relationship.  Maybe he needs to get the Holly thing out of his system before he's ready to meet someone like Ro.

Will continue to follow him on Twitter in case a NYC travel opp comes his way.  Or unless Ro tells me she's ready to go to LA and meet this kid.  Any other suggestions??

For those who can't read this (it gets cut off) Stags wrote, "@FreeStaceyB just read the blog. You are a wonderful friend. Does Ro have a twitter account? Won't be in NYC anytime soon tho. Whaow!"

Who wants to set Ro up with a Twitter account so she can correspond with her Prince Charming?

Twitter

Michael Stagliano @MichaelStag replied to you:

@FreeStaceyB just read the blog. You are a wonderful friend. Does Ro have a twitter account? Won't be in NYC anytime soon tho. Whaow!
In reply to…

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Vincent Longo Cosmetics: Meeting Vincent Longo & Henri Bendel Trunk Show Event Photos


I had the amazing opportunity to meet an incredible artist and a man who changed the beauty industry today. The fantastic Vincent Longo. We met at the Plaza hotel in Manhattan, drank cappuccinos and laughed about beauty, life and New York. He was amazingly humble, charming and intriguing. I interviewed him with a few questions that I was dying to know and I will be posting that interview shortly. We'll need a separate post for that :)

We met right before his exciting Henri Bendel trunk show. It's rare to see a master at work, but I was privileged enough to be invited to watch. The event featured his new and exciting products that he recently launched called the "New Essentials Collection." 8 appointments were available and as you can imagine, they were all booked! As soon as we arrived, his first appointment was waiting. A gorgeous woman who herself has been a lover of Vincent Longo products for quite a while. Onto the photos:













It was a sight to stop any beauty lover's heart!


The master himself, Vincent Longo.




 Vincent Longo's head artist, Sasha, hard at work. 









Her finished look: Doesn't she look GORGEOUS?!


Added note: Could her hair be anymore fabulous?! I don't think so.

All and all, it was a fantastic event and a pleasure to have attended. I'm even more in love with this brand than I was before (like that is possible!) and I think it a must for any beauty lover to try out. Vincent Longo products can be purchased at Henri Bendel, Space NK and Online.

Have you ever tried Vincent Longo products?

Vincent Longo New Essentials Collection for Fall/Winter 2011 Review & Swatches

I really adore when a brand launches a collection and I love every single product. That's usually the case when it comes to Vincent Longo products. I'm constantly blown away by the pigments, long-wear and the gorgeous colors of his line. His new essentials collection for Fall/Winter 2011 is no different. You can read about that launch here. Let's take a closer look...


Seen above are the velour pressed powders ($28). I tried Light #2 and Warm #4. These colors are definitely shades for me. Light #2 is a bit too light for me now, but I'm sure once we get more into winter, it'll be perfect. Warm #4 is almost perfect, but just a tad too yellow for my complexion. I used it a setting powder and for touch-ups throughout the day. I find that the shades are quite light, so I'm hoping for more shades in the future. I believe they are not meant as a foundation to be wore alone, but as a setting powder. They wore really well on me. It's really meant to add radiance and create a smooth finish, which it did.







You can notice there are a few colors put into each powder. You can blend all colors together for one color or focus your brush on one area.



The most exciting products I tried were the bronzers ($32) and blushes ($30). I was ecstatic when I saw the shades.

(Top row are bronzers/Bottom row are blushes)

 (Seen above: Golden Glow, Cooper Kiss, Cassata)


Golden Glow is described as a "golden beige" and to be honest, I've been using it as a highlighter on top of another bronzer. It's a very soft color, so it's perfect for that no-makeup look. I've used it alone and it gave a subtle glow.


Copper Kiss is described as "golden bronze" and I imagine it'll be the most popular of the bronzers. It's that perfect bronze shade that everyone desires. What I love about these bronzers it that they don't sit on top of your skin, but rather softly blend in for a natural look.


Cassata (my favorite) is described as "golden rose-sand" and it definitely looks like it sounds in the pan. It has a soft rose glow because of the small specks of color. I love the way this looks on my complexion. I intend to have a LOTD of with this bronzer.


These bronzers are absolutely stunning. I haven't used any other bronzers since I received them. They're incredibly pigmented and the colors are stunning. I found them great for contour use and perfect for just a soft glow. I seriously can't get enough of these! They also lasted about 6 hours on me.

 (In order above: Golden Glow, Copper Kiss, Cassata)



Get excited. Here come the blush swatches. More gorgeous additions to this collection!

(Seen above: Misty Blossom, Gold Canyon, Desert Rose)


Misty Blossom is described as a "powder pink" and she is very doll-like. Every-time I look at this blush I'm reminded of a porcelain doll with those perfect, rosy cheeks or Barbie. It looks awesome on my cheeks. I imagine it would look awesome on deeper skin tones are well.


Gold Canyon is described as a "burnished brown" and I've used it as a very natural blush.


Desert Rose is described as a "sandy rose" and this one is very light on the skin. I've also used this as a highlight or alone to create a soft glow. It looks almost pink/champagne on my complexion. I'm curious how it will look on other complexions.

*Products seen above where sent for consideration*


Have you tried Vincent Longo's New Essentials Collection?