Gardening is a mystery

I’ve been trying to plant the beds we had put around the pool in the fall… After van loads of plants, lots of sweat, and a couple of blisters I’ve realized that gardening is indeed a mystery.

For instance…

Why is one of my gardenia trees loaded with blooms….

While it’s brother around the curve of the pool looks like this…?

  They get the same light, had the same acid loving plant food, the same amount of water… but this one looks like Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree. Why?

Where the Hell did this mystery lantana plant come from…?

Behind this plant there are several white/purple mixed verbena… but nowhere in this bed did I plant yellow lantana… The butterflies love it, but it isn’t really working with my mostly white color scheme…

Why is my white Lily of the Nile this color…?

ALL of the larger white plants we bought are coming out this color… I’m highly disappointed :-/

And 2 of my white hydrangeas seem to be doing well in their new home…

But the 3rd one in the same spot looks like this… WTH???

While I’m trying to figure out life’s mysteries, I’ll leave you thinking of the smell of this…  because even though it may not be perfect, my yard does indeed smell heavenly.

Happy Gardening!

Clarisonic Opal review

AKA  An Eye opening experience…

This morning while at my friendly local medspa I complained about how I needed to book an intense therapy session with my aesthetician because of the lines I’m seeing around my eyes. They aren’t really crows feet… more like dry looking excessive lines under my eyes and puffiness.

Contrary to what Hubs believes, I don’t mind crows feet… Crows feet make you look like you’ve been happy for a really long time. These lines just make me look TIRED. Old and tired. (Not to mention I’m also starting to get skin tags around my eyes like my Maw Maw used to have *shiver*)

The ladies behind the reception desk joked and told me to take more allergy medicine. Smart asses… Then, bless her, one of the gals said “come here and try this”…

Stock photo from Clarisonic

This little pod just made my day… and possibly changed my life.  It’s the Clarisonic Opal Sonic Infusion System with Anti-Aging Sea Serum. Which is a total mouthful of a name. But however you say it, after ONE use, my lines are nearly gone.

Blink and re-read that last bit…

ONE USE people! 

ONE!

I’ve been eye creaming my way through Sephora for a few years trying to find something, ANYTHING to help. This little beauty deserves some major praise.

The Clarisonic site lists the following benefits… 

Benefits (as reported in our clinical studies)

• An immediate reduction in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles; results last for hours and build over time
• Younger looking skin
• Skin appears refreshed and energized
• Skin appears brighter
• Skin appears healthier
• Improved skin texture
• Noticeably firmer skin
• Increased skin hydration

I’ll vouch for the immediate results. My under eye area is definitely firmer and I look like I had a really good night of sleep. I’m going to use it twice a day as soon as I get over my excitement… but today, it may or may not be used upwards of 5 times… I just HAVE to see…

I poked around online and it looks like most places will charge $245 for the system, which is what I paid for mine at the spa.  Amazon and Sephora both carry it.  I’m thinking that’s not too shabby considering I have 7 or 8 $60+ tubes/pots of eye creams in my bathroom that didn’t do much at all for me. Actually, when I look at that written down, this thing is a DEAL! ;-)

I’m pairing it with my Cosmedix eye serum that I do believe is working well for hydration and reducing dark circles. I’m a Cosmedix junkie, so I may review a few of their products later if you’d like to know how they work for me. I will certainly be updating this post with a follow-up to let you know how I’m looking after a week or month or so…

Until then… Be good to your skin! Proactive is better than reactive any day!!!

What on EARTH?

Seriously, this creature makes me question the existence of aliens.

Last year, my friend and I freaked out over these nasty little guys… They looked like bird poop on my lemon trees. Then as we were bending down over the tree, it MOVED.  AND it had a scary face with horns (which apparently gives them super scary powers against their predators).  Cue the screaming & skeeved-out shivers. They had eaten their way through most of the leaves on these trees that I had babied for a couple of years… and I’m DETERMINED to have some lemonade one day. Obsessively determined.

While watering the lemon trees this morning, I saw that the nasty little creatures had returned. Today, unlike last year, I was prepared. I broke out my handy dandy organic pest spray and hosed the suckers. Then, because I was skeeved out, I picked them off my precious leaves and stomped on them for extra satisfaction.

More ballerinas…

I was going through some of my pics from the last few weeks… and I just couldn’t NOT share this one….  I love these girls. They save my baby from feeling like dance isn’t the thing to do. They are her friends when her school mates tell her ballet is boring and not cool. They put a twinkle in her eye and greet her with smiles every week.

The Sisterhood of Ballet

 

And really, who doesn’t want that kind of support.