OK let's try this again.....

A year ago I created this blog in a fairly reactionary manner in response to a major transition in my life. The cosmetic brand I had worked for some ten odd years was closing and I was feeling a loss of identity and purpose. Fast forward to a year later and a lot has changed. I got married to Derek, I got my first professional job in human services, AND I finished a Masters degree. I know....SLOW DOWN, however stopping to enjoy the moment has often been a challenge for me as am sure it is for many others in the age of information.

Ergo this blog will be my effort to do just that, to stop and reflect on my life and the things in it that bring me joy. My choice to do so in a public forum is to share them with others for that is what I do. Much like my mother I am a storyteller and a teacher. My hope is that by sharing my passions with the electronic world I will in some sense fulfill that need and that anyone reading may find some benefit.

To that end my passions will frequently range from cooking, to social and mental health issues, but of course my obsession for all who know me, makeup. There is something amazing and astonishing about the transformative power of makeup. In my thirteen years as a retail makeup peddler I learned skills that would eventually be invaluable as a counselor. Certainly I understand the common perception of the frivolity of cosmetics, but I would challenge anyone to tell that to the woman who has lost all her eyelashes and eyebrows to chemotherapy, or the teenager that is suicidal because of her cystic acne. The mall was my battlefield and it broke me in quite well. But now thanks to the wonders of YouTube and the world wide web I can do it on my own terms.

In regards to food, well in my family food = love. So to share things that I think are yummy is to give anyone reading a big ole bear hug. And not just to give you one, but to mean it. So I may from time to time post recipes and the like or maybe just a great new restaurant.

Finally in regards to mental health and social issues, I must admit I have the spirit of an activist. I feel passionate about LGBT issues, addiction as a disease, poverty, and any other sort of inequity that is generally ignored by the mainstream. My husband says I get "preachy" so I will apologize in advance.

Most importantly thank you for taking time out of your day, be it personal or while at work, to read my random musings.


DZ