What I did this summer

We had some major changes this summer - so without further ado, lets recap, shall we?

Joey graduated and is now a real live periodontist.

We celebrated with family and friends. I barely had any pictures because during the graduation party people were actually coming to buy our furniture off of Craigslist. It was a little hectic. I wish I had photos with Mara and Jen!

I'm glad I at least have this photo with my fam - taken with my iphone, although it is sans Joey.

We ended up moving our mattress ourselves to Everett because well, its a long boring story.

Anywho - one near miss of getting on Storrow Drive in an extra-large U-Haul (the only size they had,) we we sold our mattress (at a loss.) Live and learn people, live and learn.

Then we were off to France...

We had a wonderful time in Paris, La Boulle, Barcelona and Cadaques. I can't wait to go back.

We drove my my health center one more time

Shortly after returning from our trip we were off to Texas. We stayed overnight with Grandma, which was a huge blessing since our movers turned out to not actually be movers and were subcontracted to pick up our stuff and move it to a warehouse - but wouldn't take all of our things because it wasn't on their list. Da-saas-tah. We had to unpack our subaru to take the big things (living room carpet) to UPS so they could ship them. Thank god they were still open. I heart you always UPS. So that being said, we had to say goodbye to our apartment and hit the road to CT.

ANYway.... I got to see my grandma again (even though it was just for a little while:( since we got in at midnight,) and ship a few more boxes via USPS the next morning ... and we were off. You guys should have SEEN our car on the way to Connecticut before we shipped those extra boxes. Then we had to repack it the next day. I'm saying - "dining room chair in the back ON PRINCIPLE because the movers wouldn't take it and it was going to cost a fortune to ship" kind of packing, and we could still see out the back window (about 90%.) I will say, I learned how to REALLY pack a car, people. If you need a consultant in this arena I will be happy to help you anytime.

 

We made it to Roanoke, VA the first night. Not too shabby! Joey super loved the Sleep Inn Suites. I'm not kidding, he still talks about it. We enjoyed some of the roadside cuisine...

And by the end of day 2 we made it to Memphis. We Pricelined a hotel, (which I DON'T advocate by the way-Joey made me,) and I grudgingly accepted that "we got a great deal on a 4-star hotel." Fine, its true. THIS TIME Priceline.

We got some Memphis BBQ...

Yum!

And we listened to some jazz on Beale St.

And then we we woke up the next morning for the final leg of our trip. We knew we were back in Texas when we saw the state and stars all over the highway. (And also it felt like our AC stopped working as well because we had to turn the dial up higher than it had ever been...)

And then we crossed the Dallas County line

And then we saw the skyine...

And we were home.

We got our cat back.

I started my program and we got a new dog.

And here we are. Joey takes his boards on Tuesday and starts work on Wednesday. I love my life right now. That being said, I miss my grandma and my family in friends in the northeast, and sometimes I feel so far away from them that I get a lump in my throat. This is a hard last post to write. I wish I could have everyone I love close to me all of the time. And having spent the last 6 out of 10 years in Boston - it makes me feel like I'm missing my other home.

 It is good to be back in Texas, near my parents, living with my husband and our little animal family...and at Baylor in my residency. Life is pretty good people, I have to say.

I've started a new blog, its called Superficial Sunday. Its (supposed to be) about cosmetics, hair products, and looks I love and have tried. We'll see where it goes. I'm going to try to update it every Sunday, hence the name. I hope you all like it. I'll miss writing on this blog. Thank you all for for reading.

Lots of love, E

Like all good things...

Hey everyone, I'm just going to cut to the chase. I'm not going to continue this blog. Just writing that makes me verklempt. Seriously, I have a lump in my throat. Also, I did NOT know that verklempt was spelled with a "k". Ah blog, you're still teaching me new things.
Initially when we moved down here I was overwhelmed with excitement and the beginning of so many new things. Now that we're more settled I've had time to reflect on this big change, and this week has had its share of many teary eyed moments. I miss a lot of things about Boston, and undoubtedly what I miss most is seeing my friends. Mara, Brianna, Jen, Becky - I miss you guys so much. I can't even go on about it. Thanks for being there for me all the time. Becky you must have heard me say "I'VE HAD IT!" about 327 times about our crazy office. I'll never forget when we found the Sugar Bowl and you bought me a turkey sandwich. I miss you, Ms. Go-To Fix-it lady. And Mara, thanks for always listening to me. I miss talking to you just about everyday about everything. I wish I was there to see Harper and how big he must be today. I think of you everytime I drink out of my Boston glasses, and lots of other times too. And Jen! I wish we could meet for trivia and catch up on the happenings at MGH and life. I wish I could say the Leopard Snuggies went out on top, but I guess I could say we might come back someday and reclaim that 3rd place prize we got that one time. I know all three of you gals are and will be the best moms. I can't wait to see baby Charlotte and baby boy Felices. Brianna lady, I miss you like the dickens. I hope you and Boo love your new place with Whit and Rico. I wish I could give you a big hug.
I also miss being so close to my grandma. I can't even talk about it. I can't wait to go back to Connecticut to visit, for real.
For all the difficulty with the change I really do love my life in Dallas. I get up everyday and I am so happy to go to my residency program. I'm not exaggerating. Everyday I am grateful. I've wanted this for so long, and I can't believe I'm able to train at such a great program. I've learned so much in the few months I've been here. As far as Dallas goes, I love my life here with Joey. Leon has adjusted and remembers we're his parents now, which is a bonus. And I love having my little dog. Plus I'm closer to my parents which is extra wonderful. There's not much more I could ask for out of life.
So I'll probably have one more post to close it up, and that will do it. I'm starting a new blog that I'll link to next time, it will be a little different but probably a lot the same. I love you readers, a lot. Thanks for reading.

A Tiny New Addition

Howdy y'all!!  Things have been a little crazy around here because, well - we've welcomed a new Laborde into our homes.



Our new puppy Rudy! And if you're wondering, why YES, I did get the idea to name him Rudy from our dear friends the Browns. See, I have always felt that if ever I was unsure in any situation, it was always best to do what my friend Emily did. And that logic never led me astray. And to clarify, and make a long story longer, they have a dog named Rudy.  Thanks Brownies! I hope you don't mind the blatant copying.

 And let me tell you, he is just one little ball or adorable happiness.

Why yes he IS a golden doodle, (miniature,) and my dreams HAVE come true! And yes we DID get him off Craigslist in a pseudo-rescue situation... which was my husband's stipulation for such a dog. And they're getting along just swell.

And if you're wondering how our Leon is doing with the new addition?

I'd give it a solid "eh."  But well, Leon is a cat, and if we did everything Leon wanted we'd live outside and eat bugs.

He'll come around in a few weeks. Until then they're more or less peacefully coexisting. Rudy is so precious and I'm so happy he's part of our family. Happy 4th of July everyone!

We're Texans again y'all!

Hey y'all! Its my first blog post from Texas! And no I haven't changed the name of my blog because 1) it makes me sad, and 2) I'm lazy.
I also haven't been writing on the blog since I've been here, mostly for the same reasons. Also because we had the movers from hell and we couldn't leave Boston for the last minute and I started my program right after we got in two weeks ago. Moving is horrible. Horrible horrible horrible. And anyone that says any different is no friend of mine. They should hang out with the people that don't swear and smile constantly.
But we are here, and I have to say, its good to be back. One thing though people... the heat. Oh hellfire and damnation, the HEAT. Today it was one hundred degrees. ONE HUNDRED DEGREES. Its been about the same since we arrived. Aside from that though, its been good. We got to hang out with our friends the Todds (2 guys named Todd that are near and dear to us,) my good gal pal Ali, and we had dinner and drinks with our friends Sean and Haley last weekend. Its so good to see them all again. I can't explain it, but its like it makes my heart feel good to see our good friends that we haven't seen in awhile, and without the rush of a weekend home from Boston trying to see as many people as possible in 1-2 days.  I'm still missing my best gal-pal Haify, but hopefully I'll get to see her soon.
I love my program, my co-residents are great, non-gunner-ish well adjusted people. And funny enough every single person in my class is married, all 11 of us. And there are only 3 girls, which is sort of unusual for a pediatric dentistry program. The other two girls are awesome and thusly we band together against the testosterone. Seriously though, all of the guys are really great too. We're still mostly in orientation mode and starting to transition into the various hospitals and community clinics where we'll be working, so they're trying to go easy on us in the beginning. It seems like its going to be challenging, so I'm looking forward to it. I have to admit though, I'm a little intimidated about working at some sites because the patients there are very fragile. Thankfully we have wonderful attendings and experienced staff. The other day a patient I was working with in one of the hospitals started to cry. Usually I have a mental behavior management flowchart to follow for when that happens while I'm working with kids, but let me tell you, its different when its not a typical child. I sort of felt sorry for her when she came in because of her condition, and I froze when she got upset. My heart broke. I was like, God, doesn't she have to deal with enough crap and now she's scared in my chair. Thankfully the dental assistant was the bomb and talked her out of her worries and we finished up no problem. I have to get a handle on myself and not pity these patients. They don't need my pity, they need me to be their dentist. And that's about all I have to say about that.
 Anyway y'all, its good to be back on the blog. More to come on the move and our current events. I hope you're all having a great week.

On my mind this moving day

So today we're moving, one way or another. The movers are supposed to come between 12 and 4, so I'm trying to do really productive things like write blog posts and think about the most precious little babe I saw yesterday, my good friend Mara's newborn baby boy,  Harper Aaron. Words seriously can't express how perfect and beautiful he is. And how awesome is the name Harper Aaron? LOVE. Joey held him and it was so cute/funny because he'd never held a baby. I figured a hospital setting with a lot of supervision was a good place to start. Joey kept saying "whoa, this is fun," in a soft voice. And Mara is a natural. I would be like, "do you have his HEAD?!" and be anxiously hovering over everyone, but she was laid back and already a wonderful mom. No wonder he was such a content little guy. Seriously, I have to stop because I don't even have Mara's permission to be talking about her child. Sorry Mara, I can't help it!
Alrighty, on my mind this moving day...
*the "going in the car" pile seems to be getting a little ambitious
* if the movers don't show up we'll get a U-Haul trailer
* but I super hope they come because I've freaked all the freak I have already over this move...
* I hope we get the list of things done before the movers come
* so Joey needs to get back from his jog
* and I'm not much better writing blog posts when I should be randomly scurrying all over my apartment
* I love being home during the day on weekdays
* because I love watching Ellen at 9am, its my favorite
* speaking of that we have to somehow get rid of this TV
* I met a boy last night that had on $1200 jeans (not Harper)
* he was strange
* alrighty, I really do need to pack up
* I guess this is my last post from Boston, which is bittersweet
* I'll miss you Boston

Um, can you say copycat?

I'm not necessarily accusing anyone just YET, but I mean, I think the beginning of her makeup blog sounds eerily familiar.



and WHAT about tinted moisturizer not lasting?! This saddens me, as someone who wears that under the impression she didn't need a lot on her face. I obviously need all of this makeup. I swear, I think I DO get more high maintenance everyday. And I'm going to name my looks too, like the "the grocery store," and "I'm a dentist."

We're Back!

We're back from France and Spain and it was amazing. I love love loved it. I was hoping some of the culture would rub off on me but alas, here I am googling "how to do your eye make-up like a Kardashian." It also seems like we'll be in Boston a few more days since our movers aren't coming until Wednesday. We've already sold all of our furniture besides a dresser, desk, and end tables that we're moving to Texas, so its kind of a weird set-up in this heezy. We're back to hanging out on our blown up air mattress in the middle of our living room, which is oddly enough just how we started out here in Boston so I guess we've come full circle. Ah, such is life.
Anywho, I'll post some pictures of the trip soon.  Although it was fantastic to get away, it feels good to be back.

Last Boston Week

This week was Joey's graduation, and I'm so proud of him. More details about that to come.  This week we posted furniture on Craigslist, packed, arranged movers, went to graduation events and graduation (YAY!) and spent time with our family who came from far and wide to celebrate with us. We topped it off with a graduation party last night. It was great to see everyone, and get to say good-bye... and more on that in a bit. Right now I feel a bit like this here dog:



Happy Saturday!

How to be vain and superficial at work

Well, lots of people have been asking me about my make-up routine, so I thought I'd just write a blog post about it. Or not really at all. No one has ever asked me about my makeup routine, but I do constantly give unsolicited information about new makeup I've purchased, or most recently, entire books on the subject. What can I say? I love being a girl.
The truth of the matter is, it all goes back to Kate Middleton. Once I found out she did her own makeup for the royal wedding, I was inspired/jealous but mostly inspired. I bought two books from Amazon about make-up, and they helped a lot. Then on our most recent trip to NYC I said "what's this?" and held up an eye corrector to a girl at the Benefit counter at Bloomingdale's. She did my makeup and voila! $100 later in Benefit products and a need to justify it and we have this blog post.
So this is my post-work/at work make-up routine. I do this when I want to freshen my makeup after work, like if I'm meeting people (Joey) for drinks and I want to look fresh and pretty and not like the week's work dragged me back and forth through a puddle.
(Dragged is grammatically correct, I googled it. It sounded wrong to me too.)

So at the end of the week I often look like this:

Oh wait, I'm supposed to look sad.

The cruel fluorescent lighting doesn't help. Anyway, my biggest problem is darkness around my eyes, and my skin looks a little flat.

I got this illuminating primer from Benefit and I love it.

And I apply it with the make-up sponge that comes in the foundation I'm about to show you.

Then I use this Benefit foundation that also works pretty well to illuminate my skin and cover anything that needs covering.

and it comes with the little sponge you saw earlier in its own compartment, which makes it nice and portable.

Looking better already!

I like to use this stila coverup stick (in color no. 03) to address my afterwork-undereye darkness.

It comes in this nice little tube and again its easy and portable.

I sort of draw it on... and yeah, that's my "putting on eye make-up" face.

And pat it in. Don't mind my unpainted fingernails - see previous blog post.

So then my eyes look a bit less tired.

But to brighten my eyes a little more I use the appropriately named "eye bright" by Benefit.

And again I just draw it on. In this case just the inside of the eye, all the way up to the inner corner of the eyelid, and the outside corner.

 Then I blend with my fingers.

Wait, there's more!

I use the Ooh la lift by Benefit to brighten even more.

The applicator is similar to a lip gloss, which I just dab on and blend with my fingers.

Ask any Texas gal what the secret is to looking glam and she'll tell you: "too much blush!" or maybe that's just my motto. I didn't put too much on in this case, but I love a lot of blush.  I use this Nars multiple for cheek color. Its the one with the name that I don't want to put on the internet because its salacious.

It rolls out like a large lipstick and I just dab it on. I like it because I can use it as lipgloss and eyecolor if I want, and because its easy to carry with me and I don't need a brush...even though I have a mini one anyway... I don't NEED it. I just blend it with my fingers, again.

I use the MAC powerpoint eyeliner in periplum for eyes.

And I line the top and bottom.

Bobbi Brown says not to line all the way to the inside so that your eyes don't look too close together. I line the outer 2/3's.  And I line the inside of my lower lid. This is totally fine for me as long as I make sure to remove it before I go to sleep.

The open mouth is necessary if to keep from blinking. Did you know that?

And I top it off with Maybelline Great Lash mascara. I think its the absolute best. This is the Big Lash in black/brown.

No picture, I figured you've seen enough of the eye makeup face.

Alrighty, moving on. I use this volumizing hairspray to freshen my hair and reduce the flatness. I just picked it up at the beauty supply store, and it works pretty well. It was more getting it in travel size than getting a particular brand.

And I just rustle it through my hair with my hands and then brush it out with my portable, foldable hairbrush from Sephora.

Whew! Talk about salacious!

Then I finish up with my lipgloss of the hour, Clinique superbalm moisturizing gloss in Raspberry. I can wear this without drying out my lips, (which is an annoying problem I have, but I'll still wear just about any lipgloss,) and I love the color.

and this Benefit highbeam highlighter works really well to add the last bit of polish.

I really love both of these things because they take about 20 seconds to apply for both, and they add a really nice bright finish.

The highbeam is in a tube similar to the Ooh la lift, and I just dab it on above both cheekbones, and just under the eyebrow.

And then I blend everything together with a little travel powder brush.

And that's it!

The lighting really is terrible here, but trust me, it makes a big difference. At least I think so. I also feel really comfortable and confident that I look great when we go out, and that in it of itself makes me feel less tired at the end of the week.

These are all the products I used:

And they all fit inside this make-up bag I bought at Forever 21:

... which fits easily inside my work bag.

The whole routine takes me about 5 minutes.

And there you have it, my 5 o'clock beauty secrets!