Red Firecracker

I've had a jam packed weekend.  On Friday night, it was the 23rd anniversary of my husband taking me out on our first date.  Yes, April 19, 1990, I went out with him for the first time.  I was 14 years old, had a broken arm, and he took me go kart riding.  And the operator wouldn't let me in with a broken arm so I stood there holding his stuff while HE went go kart riding.  I was not impressed.

This time, we went to a Herzing University event.  Guys, it was so much fun.  It was at a fancy restaurant called Hot Olives in Winter Park, near Rollins College which is a prestigious college in my area.  I met so many cool people, including Amy who has been in touch with me since I enrolled back in 2008!

She invited me to visit her in Wisconsin!  How fun would that be!

Oh, and Mr. R took a picture of me before we left.  I clean up well, don't I?  Even when making goofy faces.  I was actually annoyed because I was wearing real heels and I was sinking into the ground.

We had a delicious dinner of salad which had almonds, cranberries and feta cheese.  I tried it and liked it!  Dinner was green and red peppers stuffed in chicken with some kind of sauce.  It was awesome...I also tried asparagus which was yummy.  The dessert looked delicious and it was.  But so sweet that after two bites I couldn't do anymore.  It was bread pudding with chocolate sauce and whipped cream.  (I'm wearing the dress I bought from Ross for $14.99, my Avenue blazer which is at least three years old, and my black high heels which are from Ross, for $20 purchased this year.)

Then, I went to the first City of Deltona open air flea market on Saturday, in a mostly abandoned parking lot which used to have a  Winn-Dixie supermarket in it.  It was a great event.  80 tables filled with locals selling Avon, Mary Kay, Princess House, Visalus, homemade jams and pickles, jewelry...the kind of thing I just love.  I bought a jar of homemade barbecue sauce, a bottle of water, and happily perused for two hours.  I would have bought more but my sons decided to come and I spent the rest of my cash on pretzels, hot dogs, sodas, Italian ices and burgers.  My goodness those two can eat some food!

Speaking of son:

Guess who won the Outstanding Soloist award at the Lakeside Jazz Festival?  Certainly, not me, I can tell you that.  Look at how proud he is!

Mr. R had to leave Saturday afternoon for a quick trip to Virginia.  I was bummed because the poor guy was home for less than a day.  But this is the busy plant season, and since winter has lasted forever up north, he is still busy.  I will not complain although it means conceiving a baby seems to be out of the question until summer.  He's never here, and let's face it:  this is one thing I can't do by myself.  Ha!

Then I went to church.  It was busy.  And I should not attempt to wear real high heels to work in kids ministry.  As much as I love wearing dresses and awesome shoes, it's not practical for what I do.  And what I do, is SERVE.  And serving means sitting on the floor with a child who thinks it's hilarious to tell me all about the machine he is going to create just to pull girls hair.

Black Avenue dress, purchased last week around my birthday for around $25 (you get a discount when you shop during your birthday month...mine is May.)  I bought this necklace at another yard sale for $5.  It came in an Avon case.  It took me some time to gather courage to wear it.  It's almost like a choker.  Matching earrings which I bought at Avenue, they just happen to match the necklace.

Yep.  I'm feeling cute in this.

I know my feet look too big for these, but they do fit fine.  I just have fat feets.  And a need for a pedicure.  And I'm sure you can see that cut on the top of my foot is still not healed.  Grrrr.

My husband would have loved this outfit.  He likes it when I wear high heels.  I wore these same shoes on Friday night and he was still taller than me.

And here is the "red firecracker" portion of my title today.  I wore red lipstick!  I picked up a sample at the Mary Kay booth which my friend Karen was working.  I picked up two samples of red lipstick.  Despite red being my favorite color, red lipstick SCARES ME.  I have big lips...not Angelina sized but darn close enough.  They are very full and kinda pouty and I don't want to go to church looking like I'm trying to get a date.  I toned down my eye make up (I love eye make up!) to just black mascara, and did the bold lip instead.  I liked it!  I was please since I wore all black and kept some color up near my face.  Today was a win!  Good hair, new jewelry, and new lipstick.  And pardon the skin...no active break outs right now, just some old scarring.  I used to be fanatical about covering it, but sheesh...make up melts in heat and so be it.  I have scars.  So there.