Nixing the Chicken

Keratosis pilaris (KP), known commonly as 'Chicken Skin', affects - ready? - nearly 50% of the population. That's half the world, we're talkin' here!

What is it, exactly? Well, the scary scientific definition is that KP is  an incurable and chronic genetic follicular disease. The reality is that it's those ugly but harmless bumpy and/or red patches of skin that run most commonly on the backs of your arms. They're caused by too much skin growing around each of your hair follicles.

Image courtesy of BumpsOnSkin.com

It's something I've dealt with my whole life - Trips to the dermatologist as a kid, lactic acid lotions, oatmeal soap, and, since mine is on my arms, calves, and entire jawline, forever having people ask me if my "bad sunburn" hurts. I have scars all over my arms from picking at these unsightly blights for 25+ years, and it's flat out embarrassing. My friends and I even refer to my jawline as "The Beard" because it becomes so inflamed when I exercise or drink.

Lovely, right? Yeah.

Now after all that depression, here's a ray of light: DERMAdoctor's KP Duty Lotion. I've heard about this magic elixer for a while, but at $36 for 3 ounces.... Ouch. You'd think I would have been desperate enough to bite the bullet, but no... I'm cheap.

I finally did though, and let me tell you: After three days - THREE DAYS - I see a difference. I am significantly less red, and my skin is noticeably smoother. Three frikken' days. Even I can't believe it. I'm not using it on my face (some reviewers say you can), but there is marked improvement on my arms. I plan to give it a go on my calves post-haste.

What makes it work? Basically it combines three acids (don't be scared.): Glycolic and Lactic for exfoliation, and Azelaic for pore refinement. Mixed in with those heavy hitters you've got soothing willow bark and tea tree oil, which also reduce redness, and lastly Dimethicone, which hangs on to moisture like camel in the Sahara.

Sold? Buy it here for $36. Also offered up for sale are a body scrub and wrinkle cream with the same medicinal properties.

I don't know why the chicken crossed the road, but at least now it's taking it's skin with it instead of leaving it with me.

 

Image courtesy of LiveStrong.com

Note: I have extremely sensitive skin when it comes to medicated potions (no benzoyl peroxide, very little salicylic acid, etc.), and this hasn't irritated my skin in any way.

Challenge!

Call it mission impossible, but I am issuing a challenge: It's 30 Days Of Creativity, a call to all willing minds and hands to dive in and think outside the box  for the month of June.

I've been on a bit of a crafty kick of late - sitting at a desk drooling over blogs will do that to you - and have found this line of the 30 Days challenge to be true: "Your brain is like a muscle. The more  you exercise it, the stronger it gets."  I'm going to add increased flexibility to that too - Once I get going on a project I find I'm already thinking about my next, and how I can stretch it and make it better!

 Image courtesy of TheBookAndItsCover.blogspot.com

Now. I have friends who say (*ahem* EKD.) that they're not crafty. Lies! Crafty doesn't mean you're able to make a store-ready creation that the world will be clamoring for.

Far from it.

You can get crafty by adding a different spice to your tried and true recipe. Or by figuring out a new way to hang up your pile of necklaces. Try a new hairstyle. Eye makeup. Refrigerator magnet configuration. Or - my current obsession - by hacking up t-shirts to make them customized. Anything goes, and 100% counts as creativity if it's off your normal beaten track.

Image courtesy of rossauction.com

Go forth and create! If you want to share your work with the creators and followers of the project, feel free to email photos to submit@30daysofcreativity.com, or follow them on Twitter: #30daysofcreativity.

 

Image courtesy of Wikepedia.com

Signed, Personalized, Delivered - It's Yours

One of the most successful gifts I've ever given was a personalized sign from Meissenburg Designs.

All images in this post courtesy of OldWoodSigns.com

A homespun company with high end results, Meissenburg Designs offers a plethora (literally.) of vintage poster art you can choose to personalize with your own text. My choice was for my favorite skier, and after choosing my art, the size of my sign, and even the material (I chose metal), had the perfect "logo" applied featuring my skier's fave spot.

This is the art that's on my sign - I changed "Stowe" to a different city, and "Vermont" to a different locale.

I was blown away with the personalized service - I wasn't sure which version of my text to use, so my consultant whipped up images of both and emailed them to me for decision making. I had an estimated time of arrival of 2-4 weeks. I got it in one. I knew exactly what it would look like when it arrived. It looked even better in person.

All of this makes the bang for the (semi-big) buck oh-so-worth it. Each sign is priced based on size, material, and personalization preferences. Mine was over $100, but has been on the mantel for years since, and even elicited a little bit of a misty eye upon giving (score!).

How To Be A Football Cheerleader (Without Showing Extra Skin)

Football season is in full swing, which means if you're female and attached in any way to someone male, you're feeling a little lonely.

Image courtesy of fezzart.com

Personally, I dig it. Love the college ball, and have finally made my foray into the NFL Fantasy Football madhouse this year as well. I wear the jersey, I don the colors in public places with other crazies, I yell at the tv.

So I thought I'd offer a few basics so maybe - just maybe - it gets a little more interesting for the ladies out there. And if not, at least you have a phrase to whip out and sound impressive.

Image courtesy of globalodyssey.blogspot.com

Basic #1: Downs
Each team has 4 tries to go 10 yards. If they don't make it, other team's ball. So when you hear something like "third and seven", that means they're on their third try and still have seven yards to go to make the ten happen. If the 10 yards are made within the 4 tries, First Down has been achieved. They then get 4 more tries to go 10 more yards, and so on.

Basic #2: Extra Point(s)
After a team scores a touchdown (six points), they have a choice to either kick a field goal for 1 point, or try to score another touchdown beginning from the two and a half yard line (which is the same place the ball is snapped from for the kicker if that road is taken). That's called a Two Point Conversion, and is much riskier, making both the point and glory payoffs higher. Here's the tricky part: Field goals can also be kicked apart from TD scoring to earn 3 points. This is usually chosen when a team is close to scoring a TD, but can't get it together. Rather than risk not making first down and turning over the ball with no points at all to show for it, they call in their kicker to try to get them 3 points before handing it over to their opponents.

Basic #3: Safeties
One last way to score points. Here if a team gets flattened in their own end zone, the team that did the steamrolling gets 2 points and possession of the ball.

Image courtesy of conferencecenteratnorthpointe.com

Of course there's an infinite amount of other things to decipher, but that should get you started. Games of any sort are much more fun to play or watch if you know what's going on.

 So tag along to the sports bar and if it still doesn't do it for you, at least there'll be snacks.

Image courtesy of foodnetwork.com

An Apple A Day Finale

The grand finale!

Personally, I think I saved the best for last. And it's a newbie on the scene, so I get to do a little introduction.

Friends, meet the Stop Motion Recorder.

Image courtesy of 148apps.com

No sneaky moves with the name - This guy does just as promised, and with panache. Snapping still photos every 1 to 20 seconds (or by using the stop/resume function if you need more time), your movie is created claymation style, complete with all the jerky charm. And it doesn't even have to feature Rudolph.

Image courtesy of us.catchapp.net

Choose your effect (from black and white to mirror image), and enjoy using the on-screen grid and 'shadow' of your last picture to perfectly line up the next shot. Pick your frames-per-second speed and save for easy sharing and all 'round entertainment.

Did you have a flip book as a kid? Well here it is, all grown up.

Image courtesy of edibleapple.com

Thanks for stickin' around for the series - Enjoy your new toys!

An Apple A Day #4

Day 4 and it's a shorty, promise.

It's not that I don't have a lot to say about this app, it's just that at this point you have probably already heard about it in some way, shape, or form. That fact doesn't make it any less great.

It's Pandora.

Image courtesy of chictech.com

This ubiquitous office and dorm room friend has found it's way into easy touch-screen form. If you're not familiar, basically if you have internet access (built in if you have the iPhone, optional for the other devices), you can create your very own radio sation(s) built around your song title/artist/genre preferences.

Image courtesy of cache.gawker.com

For instance: Type in Britney Spears and get a mix of that piece of work, plus Christina Aguilera, Rhianna, Backstreet Boys, etc.

Rogers and Hammerstein? A mix of tunes penned by them plus other musicals.

You get the picture. Er, hear it, I suppose. Fave feature: Vote the song playing up or down by tapping one of the thumb icons on the screen. Turn it down and the app moves on to the next option. The only downside of this guy is that to keep it free (oh right, it's free!), you hit a limit with your 'skips', and sometimes just have to tough it out through a song you'd rather not hear.

A small price to pay.

Image courtesy of geekschwag.com

An Apple A Day #3

It's day three in the series! No game changer here though. Just another fab app f.y.e. (for your entertainment).

Today's pick: Project 365

Image courtesy of find.macworld.com

This app allows (and even reminds, but we'll get to that later) you to take a photo each day of the year, add a caption, and create an ever evolving scrapbook right there on your iDevice.

Image courtesy of image.macworld.com

There are two versions of this guy: A freebie and a 99 cent-er, and I highly recommend busting out the coin purse for the paid-for version. That reminder I alluded to earlier? That's an included feature by way of a push notification every day (something I really need if this whole 365 program is going to stand a chance). Your near-dollar also gets you a slideshow feature for month in review purposes, cropping, and the option for online back-up.

And you don't need to pay to get the essence of this app - Even with the free version you still get to take the photos and caption each.

Daily documentation at your fingertips.

Image courtesy of thepirata.com

An Apple A Day #2

Number two in the series! I know you've been holding your breath. Sit back, relax, and begin the download.

Pick number 2: Hipstamatic

Image courtesy of iphone.appstorm.net

This is the most-used app I've downloaded on my phone, simply because it's so much fun. The Hipstamatic camera offers an unpredictable, analog-y feeling to any scene you snap. A multitude of lenses, films, and flash effects, I feel like I could take 20 pictures of the same thing and have a different, creative result each time.

Image courtesy of 3.bp.blogspot.com

Fantastic!

Bonus features: An easy button to upload to Facebook for sharing the ones that you feel rival Ansel Adams, and every-so-often themed photo contests for Hipsta-users.

Image courtesy of farm5.static.flickr.com

The $1.99 download comes with 3 lenses, 3 films, and 2 flashes - Plenty to be happy with. If you love it and want more options, you can purchase 'Hipstapaks' for $0.99 each, which also come with several lenses/films/flashes, and can be previewed before purchase. I have to say, I've absolutely zero complaints about this one.

Image courtesy of pocket-lint.com

Oh, snap.

Image courtesy of geeky-gadgets.com

An Apple A Day...

In the spirit of some of my own favorite bloggers, I'm going to try my hand at a little series.

First up: My fave smart phone applications. I'm an iPhone drone, but with so many jumping on the iPad, and the iPod Touch being practically everywhere, apps are pretty approachable even if you don't want to sign a contract with AT&T.

Image courtesy of blog.crowdspring.com

Being... thrifty, I try to stay in the Free-99 cent range as much as possible, and it has served me well.

Number 1 in the series? Shazam.

Image courtesy of AppScout.com

This amazing little technological snack allows you to, with the touch of a button, secure the artist name and song title through any speaker playing music. Simply open the app, click the screen to "shazam" the song, and the iDevice will 'listen', analyze, and produce the info complete with album art.

And of course offer a button to take you directly to iTunes to purchase. It is an Apple product, after all.

However, it will keep a catalog of the songs you've 'zam'd if you don't want to purchase right away. The only drawbacks I've found are minor: The free version of this app only allows 5 tags per month. If you want more prepare to shell out $4.99 for the "Shazam Encore" to receive unlimited tagging. Also, if there is any ambient noise the analysis can stutter a bit and need to be retried.

All-in-all a fab app that has nailed down new music, hard to find remixes, and even some songs from tv commercials for this gal.

Image courtesy of EndlessSimmer.com

Bella Candela

I don't really feel the need to scent my home very often, and I'm loathed to purchase anything overly floral or dripping in sugary cupcake scents. But every once in a while, I need a little smile for my nose.

Bella by Illume candles are my favorite. I received one as a gift from my dear PNH last holiday season, and haven't looked back. They always have a balance of spice to sugar, and tend towards the natural side of the olfactory options.

Image courtesy of fringebenefitssalon.com

I'm currently burning the Pink Grapefruit and Tarragon, which is not only a lovely shade of terra cotta itself, but comes in a cute tin that I'm actually happy to leave on the coffee table even when unlit.

The scent of my living room...

I'm struggling to find a link to this scent online, but the Illume website offers a wide (and I mean WIDE) variety of designs and scents, including the one I just found myself being intrigued by: Pink Pepper. If only there were scratch and sniff screens...

I've found my Bella by Illume options most often at Target, where they retail from $10-$30, depending on size and style. Long burning and subtle - Bella indeed.

3-Minute Mug Cake

Okay, so this isn't exactly a tip or trick, and it's definitely NOT fashion-friendly, but it is delicious.

It's also about a 10 minute round trip from pulling ingredients out of the cupboard to a hot mug full of chocolatey goodness.

My fave mug, courtesy of soon-to-be-Mrs. MBM

So. In your fave (microwave safe) mug, mix:

*4 Tbs. flour
*4 Tbs. sugar
*2 Tbs. cocoa powder

Mix 'em up. Now add:

*1 egg
*3 Tbs. milk
*3 Tbs. oil (I used vegetable)
*3 Tbs. chocolate chips
*1 small splash vanilla extract

Zap in the microwave for 3 minutes (in a 1,000 watt oven). If you watch it, you'll see the cake come up over the top of the mug. Don't fret: It will hold it's shape and you won't have a microwave to scrub down. Let it cool - seriously - then you can slide it out onto a plate, or, my fave, grab a spoon and the handle of that mug.

All set for some dvr'd Project Runway

Is it the best chocolate cake you'll ever eat? No. But it is hot, homemade, chocolate comfort in a personal size container. Toss a garnish on if you're so inclined: Ice cream, cinnamon, fruit or chocolate syrup. You could even share with a pal.

...Nah.

Go-To Gift

Ever have trouble thinking of the perfect girlfriend gift for your bestie?

You want it to be perfect, a suprise, creative, and, of course, not too spendy. Well, if you have a camera handy, you've got your next present already half planned. One of my long time pals and I are both snap-happy, and both of us place a lot of value on photos. So, rather than agonizing over eachothers Christmas gifts, we've made a sort of pact.

Each year, we will exchange framed photography of our own creation. Sure, we know what we're getting, but the suprise of what photo was chosen and why makes the trade so fun and meaningful. What made that moment in time make her think of me? Out of all the photos she's taken in a year, why this one? It creates discussion and bonding, and we each come out with art for our home.

Christmas 2009 Photos: Left by yours truly, Right by RJF

We've both also become experts at cute-but-cheap picture frames. Target and Walgreen's have captured our hearts and wallets for their wide array, and one can easily find something well-suited to any photo in the $5-$20 range.

Forever Your Girl

Everybody likes to feel on-trend. Nobody I know likes to pay top dollar to fit in for a month.

Enter Forever 21. Or, more specifically, Forever21.com

This destination mall shop is the go-to for trend seekers hunting for flowy tops, skinny jeans, and close-to-decent handbags, but it's the website that is the true standout. I always feel like I have to gear myself up to make a true effort in the store - Like thrift shopping except everything is new. Sorting out the Astro Turf mini skirt (I really saw this once. Yikes.) from the perfectly cut 3/4 sleeve blazer can be time consuming and overwhelming.

No. This is a NO.

        Ahh. There ya go.

Images courtesy of Forever21.com

The ever-changing website offers not only better organization than the brick-and-mortar stores (i.e. no wall story of sequined animal prints burning your retinas), but saves you the hassle of wading through 15 year olds on their cell phones and touching every hanger to find the pieces you would actually wear out of the house.

Images courtesy of Forever21.com

Not to mention:
*Daily specials
*Stellar jewelry ($2-$8)
*Free smart phone app
*Extended lines/sizes (Love21 Contemporary, Faith21 Plus)
*Regular sales & deals on shipping
*Hassle free returns - Send it back or take it to the store near you for FREE

It's true, sizing online can be tricky, but if you're skittish about ordering clothes you won't be disappointed with the range of accessories, shoes, and seriously stellar jewelry choices. Page after page of cheap and chic steals.

Image courtesy of Forever21.com

They've even recently launched a men's line, 21Men. And okay, they're not batting a thousand on the chic factor, but isn't half the fun of the steal the thrill of the hunt?

M.A.C Fix+

It is my be-all, end-all, must-have product.

photo courtesy of maccosmetics.com

And this is coming from a new recruit. I envy the folks who found it ages ago, and have known it's wonders for years. It's M.A.C Fix+, technically a makeup fixant spray for use either before or after you put on your face. But it's uses are many:

*Fixant - Put your makeup on and keep it there. All day.

*Light moisturizer

*Makeup refresher
*Post-gym glow of a different (less stinky) sort
*After shave emollient - Legs & pits for the ladies, face for the menfolk
*Blend your powder shadow/pigments with Fix+ for serious stay
*During/Post-Flight wake-up call (& TSA carry-on approved 100mL)
*Etc. ... etc. ... etc. Endless.

A blend of green tea, cucumber, chamomile and glycerin (fab for those flaky moments, mattifying and calming for the others), along with good-for-skin vitamins and minerals, gets all rolled up into one perfectly fine mist. Topper? Deliciously scented with the (male & female friendly) scent of Sugi.

And I know how the equation usually goes: M+A+C = $$$.

Nope. At $18, it's one of the cheaper prods they offer. And it doesn't only last a week, but a couple of months at least, with the option of making it stretch as long as you want it to... Although I would like to hear from the person who resists addiction.

I'll be back at the counter in the next, say, 60 to 90 days. I'll shell out eighteen clams for true love.