Five things

1. I got this awesome makeup palette from Eyes Lips Face in the mail yesterday. I won it at a Twitter party put on by the Clever Girls Collective for Project Runway. Um, fun! There's another Twitter party tonight, sponsored by L'Oreal - perhaps I'll see you there? RSVP here! I played with the palette today. It made me look like this. I'm not as snarky as I look in the picture. And please excuse the bra straps. My only strapless has given up the ghost. Oh, and this is what it looks like when I do my own hair. Messy. One side flips left - and so does the other! Why does the hairdresser always cut in two levels, one 3" shorter than the rest? That's not what I mean when I say I want layers! Grr!

2. I have a crush on the Pür minerals 4-in-1. It's $40 at Shoppers. For a compact of pressed powder. Ugh. Why is it MORE expensive to get make up with LESS in it (I don't want the chemicals, parabens, garbage fillers that are in all the regular drugstore brands, thanks). If you have a suggestion for a decent concealer and foundation that aren't full of toxins, xenoestrogens, comedogens and carcinogens... I'd love to know. I would go without but, unfortunately, at my age I still have acne issues.

3. I have been Beyond the Rack shopping again - this time for my husband. We picked up a pair of Doc Martens for him for $45 in one of their events last weekend. Just for the record - remember when I ordered that adorable Dereon lingerie set? Well it never came - I guess they oversold or something dumb like that. So they refunded my account... I was disappointed. I'm curious to see what happens with the Docs. I love Docs and wore one pair of their 8-hole boots for eight years before they wore out. They're a pain (literally) to break in, but soooo nice and durable once you get through that. My husband is a lucky man, is all I can say.

BTR is an invite-only online designer outlet. If you want to join and try it out, here's your invitation. Joining is free, and you can see all the current and upcoming events. They have stuff like shoes and clothing (men and women), handbags, cosmetics (Balmshell's on now!), lingerie, housewares, swimsuits, toys... You know. Stuff.

4. It was a good mail day yesterday. I also got a Made in the Shade dress from DownEast Basics that I won at Getting Kinda Crunchy (thanks!!). Lovely, although the value was marked at $30 on the shipping invoice, and that dastardly UPS charged me $29 in "import fees". This isn't duty or taxes, it's UPS' greedy money-grubbing evilness at work. UPS sucks.

Dearest US companies,
Please - when sending to your customers in Canada, go with a better courier.
Love, Emily.

5. I love spring. This year is a little harder. I wish it hadn't occurred to me that Lost Baby #1 would have been 10 weeks old today. I don't mean to torture myself. I don't mean to keep track at all. I wish I could forget. I confess, it's hard to see all the moms walking around the neighbourhood now that it's nicer out, babes in strollers and carriers, tots held by the hand. And the whole April Fool's "I'm pregnant!" joke on Facebook makes me ache inside. Not. Funny.