I did something unusual this week.

I bought make-up. Well, I routinely wear foundation and powder (I love the Bare Escentuals mineral make-up line, by the way) and sometimes I throw on some lip gloss, too. But earlier this week I went out and actually bought mascara, lipstick (yes, real lipstick, not just tinted lip gloss), lip liner and eye shadow. Now, I'm positive that I haven't bought mascara since we lived in Toledo, so it has been about 7 years. The 1/2 dozen times I've worn mascara since then have been from the little sample tubes I got for "free" with my Clinique face soap. As for lipstick and lip liner? Heavens -- I probably bought those last in Toledo, too, though there is a possibility that I bought lipstick in Columbus. And I'll fess up to one eye shadow purchase in Columbus (which I still have by the way -- does anyone follow the tossing guidelines for make-up?).

All this is to say...I'm tired of looking like a stay at home mom all the time. Don't get me wrong -- I really do like being home. I just don't think my outside reflects my inside. I feel energetic, edgy, and powerful (I am woman, hear me roar!) on the inside. And on the outside I look like a pile of middle aged tiredness covered in toddler snot and baby spit and topped off with a pile of limp "hasn't seen hair product in months and has been styled by my 3 year old" hair. What a lovely picture I paint...

So, this is, hopefully, a step in the right direction towards feeling happy and confident about my appearance again. And hopefully all this stuff I bought is snot and spit proof...