I do so much every day that is frugal - so here's more of my on-going rundown on my frugality:

• Got a FREE 26-week subscription to the Wall St. Journal for hubby (of course, I can read it, too.  I like the WSJ - but it is expensive....
• Rec'd my first copy of Martha Stewart Living mag
• Printed out my coupon for a reg. size hand cream at Occitane - a fancy store!
• Keep on trying to get a free mascara at L'Oreal on Facebook - but no soap yet.. (You can enter daily).
• Joined KMZT - classical music radio here in L.A. on AM & on the web - for points to win prizes. (I join all those things....)
• Joined Mommytalks.com to do surveys & win $ - I got $5 for just signing up.
• Joined the survey part of House Party.com - for more surveys....

ALSO - I dyed my slippers golden yellow using TURMERIC as a dye - washed the pink slippers & then put the powdered turmeric in the soapy water & rinsed until the water was clear.  They are now drying in the sun.  I never DID like the pink color!

And - I have been making flower arrangements using a combination of natural & fake elements.  Somehow I have been getting lots of large vases as presents - & I wanted to fill them inexpensively.  So - I found some eucalyptus-type leaves from a fallen tree - & sprayed them with heavy duty hair spray as they dried.  I did the same with a purple hydrangea a friend gave me.  They all dried out very well in our DRY climate here in L.A. I made an arrangement in the one large vase using some fake flowers I had, the dried leaves & 2 bunches of fake flowers I had bought at the Dollar Tree.  Turned out beautifully.

In addition - I picked some fallen fluffy tops of some sort of large grass plant we have around here - It was already down & partly broken off - so I didn't feel too vampirish in cutting it off.

I added it to an arrangement in another large vase, with some greenery I had, and the dried hydrangea - Then I sprayed it with heavy-duty hair spray - & in the last minute,as the hairspray was drying, I put on just a little touch of silver glitter to make the grass top look less dingy....Glitter is not normally my style - but it does look nice & the holidays ARE coming...

Did I mention that I had also brightened up some old rhinestone pins by applying glue & then silver glitter?  I also used silver nailpolish to cover the metal edges of one piece that was going grey & dull.  Nail polish is great for tiny jobs in upgrading costume jewelry - I also painted over a bird in a vintage pendant that I had with golden polish to match the gold background, as it has begun to look worn....And it's finicky - but I used black nailpolish to painted over the silver-colored spring on a cuff watch I had treated myself to at Urban Outfitters.  It makes the spring fade into the tortoiseshell color of the cuff.

Hmmm anything else?  Surely there is - but I will save if for next time, yes?  How are you all?

P.S. I WON $25 from thriftyfun for my tip on bleach spots!

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I do so much every day that is frugal - so here's more of my on-going rundown on my frugality:

• Got a FREE 26-week subscription to the Wall St. Journal for hubby (of course, I can read it, too.  I like the WSJ - but it is expensive....
• Rec'd my first copy of Martha Stewart Living mag
• Printed out my coupon for a reg. size hand cream at Occitane - a fancy store!
• Keep on trying to get a free mascara at L'Oreal on Facebook - but no soap yet.. (You can enter daily).
• Joined KMZT - classical music here in L.A. on AM & on the web - for points to win prizes. (I join all those things....)
• Joined Mommytalks.com to do surveys & win $ - I got $5 for just signing up.
• Joined the survey part of House Party.com - for more surveys....

ALSO - I dyed my slippers golden yellow using TUMERIC as a dye - washed the pink slippers & then put the powdered tumeric in the soapy water & rinsed until the awter was clear.  They are now drying in the sun.  I never DID like the pink color!

And - I have been making flower arrangements using a combination of natural & fake elements.  Somehow I have been getting lots of large vases as presents - & I wanted to fill them inexpensively.  So - I found some ecalyptus-type leaves from a fallen tree - & sprayed them with heavy duty hair spray as they dried.  I did the same with a purple hydrangea a friend gave me.  They all dried out very well in our DRY climate here in L.A. I made an arrangement in the one large vase using some fake flowers I had, the dried leaves & 2 bunches of fake flowers I had bought at the Dollar Tree.  Turned out beautifully.

In addition - I picked some fallen fluffy tops of some sort of large grass plant we have around here - It was already down & partly broken off - so I didn't feel too vampirish in cuttting it off.

I added it to an arrangement in another large vase, with some greenery I had, and the dried hydrangea - Then I sprayed it with heavy-duty hair spray - & in the last minute,as the hairspray was drying, I put on just a little touch of silver glitter to make the grass top look less dingy....Glitter is not normally my style - but it does look nice & the holidays ARE coming...

Did I mention that I had also brightened up some old rhinestone pins by applying glue & then silver glitter?  I also used silver nailpolish to cover the metal edges of one piece that was going grey & dull.  Nail polish is great for tiny jobs in upgrading costume jewelry - I also painted over a bird in a vintage pendant that I had with golden polish to match the gold background, as it has begun to look worn....And it's finicky - but I used black nailpolish to painted over the silver-colored spring on a cuff watch I had treated myself to at Urban Outfitters.  It makes the spring fade into the tortoiseshell color of the cuff.

Hmmm anything else?  Surely there is - but I will save if for next time, yes?  How are you all?

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Just wanted to check in on my day-2-day frugality efforts -

Rec'd a nice sample  - Dial Nutriskin.  These sample sizes are perfect for me to carry along in my purse!

Finally WON a beauty giveaway - Think I am getting eyeliner - which I don't have.

Going to FreeGretchen a lot for her giveaways!

Signed up with PG to receive samples of both Head & Shoulders & Prilosec (where, they are giving away a LOT of Prilosec!)Get yours.

Lash tint seems to be working bit by bit....

See ya!

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Here's a recipe for eyelash tint that I am trying out.  Found it on the internet, of course -

You need 1 cup filtered water

1 tsp. olive oil (I used coconut oil)

2 cups fresh sage (or 1 cup dried)

1. Put the water on a pan on the stove
2. Add sage leaves, bring to a boil & simmer for 15 min. (for darker add a pinch of sage & simmer 20 min.)
3. Remove from the heat & let cool
4. Strain into sterile jar using cheese cloth (I used a coffee filter)
5. Cool to room temperature
6. Take small-necked bottle & pour in filtered water 1 tsp at a time.
7. Add olive oil to bottle using an eye dropper
8. Close top of bottle & shake well (You have to shake mixture before every use.)
9. Apply conditioner to eyelashes & brows daily, using mascara brush. (I am using a Q-tip.)

Now, I have heard of using sage to darken grey hair - so it must have some tinting properties.

I am applying it (it's the 2nd day) & I do think I see a slight difference in my lashes -  MIne are long, but very blonde, so without something to darken them, they disappear.  But with all of my allergies, I prefer not to wear mascara all the time if my eyes are in a sensitive state. 

This herbal tint is not irritating AT ALL - & I have also put on some petroleum jelly to make them sleek.  This will be progressive - so I will keep you posted as to how it goes!

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 Almost cut my hair today....so goes the old song from HAIR.  Well, no almost - I DID.

Altho it was more of a trim - not worth $20 for a cut & besides, then it gets too short.

So here is how I do it:

• Make sure my hair is LONG, so there is a lot of room for minor error.
• Cut your hair DIRTY, because it grips better.
• Use VERY SHARP scissors.
• I do this in front of a bathroom mirror -
• Put some newspaper in the sink to collect cut hair.
• I have a very basic side-parted long - what they used to call a pageboy - long bob.
• This cut won't give you layers, but just cut the ends.
• I pull my hair back in an oblong barrette that holds tight.
• I pull the resulting ponytail up so I can see it in the mirror behind my head..
• I cut straight across the flat ponytail.
• Then check cut without the clip.  Usually I have to do this a few times & reclip it and snip more, then even it out
• I wash the hair, & then when dry - check the cut & trim where necessary
• I curl pieces of hair around my finger & then snip them to give shaping around the face. (This method also works for trimming bangs: bring bangs together at the front of the face, twist & trim.)

This method is NOT for the faint-hearted!!! Altho I have never had any real disasters.  But I have to feel optimistic & brave the day I do it! The trick is to use the cut in the barrette as a guide line to which you can trim the remainder of the hair.  This time, I pulled up back pieces by themselves & trimmed them, as I wanted the back to be shorter. (Cutting with the clip gives you more length in the back than the front....)

The trick, again, is to establish a GUIDELINE.  For someone else with a cut with layers, you could use the layers already established to trim from. Just keep on pulling it up & checking that the cuts are the same length - & go slowly!!!!

Luckily for us, today's fashions don't DEMAND absolutely straight edges, they was they used to!!! So a very slight unevenness is OK!!!

Have you ever trimmed your own hair???

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Signed up for Pureology's "member group" - perhaps there will be samples coming out of it! (I repeat, always join ALL insider groups!)

Stretched my perfumed dusting powder by mixing it up with some body powder - it still is perfumed enough! (I use it almost exclusively as dry shampoo.)

Got a freebie packet of coffee in the mail.

It's raining in So. Cal!  And when it rains, it POURS.  Dug out the Duck Boots I bought this summer.  Hubby thinks they are funny, but I know that they are right in fashion...Always shop for winter bargains in the summer & vice versa!  I wore the $6 woven S,. American maxi dress I bought last winter all SUMMER. (The boots go with my $1 vinyl raincoat - a summer purchase 2 years ago!) I also bought another pair of never-worn low suede booties at a yard sale over the summer - cheap....So - shop off season & do watch the styles, as they give you leeway in what to WEAR.

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It's time for us all to go back to work/school, whatever.  I am determined to post frugal tips for you guys regularly.  Heaven knows, I have new sources of savings pop up almost every day!

One of my latest freebies is a set of SEVEN (7) samples of Genifique from Lancome - It's a "youth activating concentrate" -  or sort of a serum for your skin - I received a coupon from Lancome via email & went & picked it up at a convenient Lancome counter. Nice stuff.  And knowing me, I will get more than 7 applications from those packets! I used about 1/2 of one last night under my night moisturizer, which is nice, but not too "active." 

My day moisturizer is a new formulation that I am testing out for Johnson & Johnson! Free!

The trick to getting some of these freebies is to sign up for EVERY makeup ""club" you can find. (That's how I got into the Johnson trial AND got the Lancome coupon.)  There are many of them listed at www.freestufftimes.com. AND look for anywhere you can join if you go to the cosmetics site for any samples.....

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