Beauty Tips for Ministers

Easter You

Hello darlings,
It’s 12:35 and SweetieBang and I are still up — I just put finishing touches on my Easter Order of Service and he’s staring intently at the computer screen reading about dog obedience training. The cat is curled in a cat loaf on the arm of the couch. All is pretty well in our little world and I’m looking forward to attending Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services over the next days.

I said attending, and aren’t I the lucky one? It is not my congregation’s tradition to offer either of these services, so I get to be a worshiper this Holy Week before joining with my own dearly beloveds for Easter morning at my own congregation.

But I am thinking of those of you who will be very much on the run over the next few days and I simply want to say, please take care of your good selves. Please eat well, stay hydrated, wash your hands often, rest as much as you are able between public appearances, keep a fresh hankie on you at all times, be careful shaving (gents) and ladies, bring an extra pair of pantyhose for an emergency and a comfy pair of slippers to church to slip on in the privacy of your study.

Scrub under your nails every night, wash your face well and with care, don’t over-do the caffeine (let the Holy Spirit do more and you won’t need so much java), keep your hair clean and neat, and tuck a lip balm into your pocket. When you get a moment in the sacristy, sit up in a chair and take ten slow, deep breaths. Rub your hands together to warm them and cup them over your eyes. Take your vitamins. Shine your shoes. Check yourself in the mirror before you go out to wash feet tomorrow night. Even servant leaders don’t want to have spinach stuck between their teeth.

Remember that PeaceBang loves you, is praying for your strength and stamina during this very challenging week, and knows that you will bring the beauty and grace of God to all those you encounter.

You are the resurrection and the life! Hallelujah, pigeons!

The Benefits Of Buying Regular Toiletries Online

Dearest pumpkins,

PeaceBang does have to get after her sermon in a moment, but she wants to ask if any of you do your regular shopping for toiletries online. As I get older and time gets dearer and gas gets more expensive, and because I have pretty good brand loyalty and know what needs to be in my medicine cabinet and supply closet month unto month, I am finding that a visit to www.drugstore.com is a good option for me.

There was a time it seemed easy to jump into a CVS or Brooks Pharmacy, or to peruse the aisles at Target or to swing by the grocery store if I ran out of contact lense solution. I have less time and patience for this nowadays, and I find that when I DO “jump into” the local pharmacy, I often leave with impulse buys. So this month, I am replenishing my deodorant, toothpaste, mascara, moisturizer, floss, and a few other items through drugstore.com. As an extra bonus,drugstore.com often stocks discontinued favorites I can no longer find in the stores, like my favorite Max Factor Stretch & Separate Waterproof Mascara. I love that I can go to one website and find what I need consistently, rather than leave the CVS with half of my list unpurchased because they’re low on stock or whatever.

I have only ordered from drugstore.com once before and I don’t remember their packaging as being overly ponderous — I could recycle the box, and the rest of the packaging was the same as it would be in the drugstore (still too much, but that’s a post for another time).

Shipping is free for orders over $49 — this time it was about $6, which seems worth it in time, gas and aggravation.

Do any others out there get your basic toiletries online? Got any hot tips?

UU Blog Awards

Precious kitty cats,

PeaceBang is still in Florida hunting alligators but she would like to inform you that it is apparently time for the UU BLOG AWARDS, so please nominate her!

My little Luddite-ish mind finds the nomination process a bit daunting, actually, but I know that you’re a lot more sophisticated that way than I and will show your PeaceBanging loyalty by choosing a few favorite posts and nominating your favorite “cheeky fashion maven” for some honors.

The Brown Shoe Controversy

I am on my way out the door to make a pastoral visit but I just had to stop and say that I LOVE YOU PEOPLE.

I love that you care so passionately about the relative cuteness/hideousness of the shoes I was considering and that we can have fun like this.

You crack me up. Seriously.

By the way, I did a shoe audit last night and found a pair of 3″ brown wedges I forgot I had purchased at Payless last year. I think they’ll work for a lot of my outfits. NOW I’m thinking that I might be able to skip the purchase of a brown shoe and focus on finding some suitable flat or low-heeled BLACK shoes that aren’t Olive Oylish like the ones I currently wear (and have almost worn out). They are Keenes and have the dumbest, roundest toe of all time. I hear clown music whenever I put them on.

I MIGHT get the Little Dutch Girl/Pilgrim shoes in black, which has a silver buckle. But I might start hearing clown music when I put THOSE on, too.

Ah, dilemmas! And while I’m on the subject, why can’t I find a pair of good snow boots that don’t make me look like the love child of Dusty Springfield and Chewbacca?

And I agree with whoever said that the ankle-boots-with-skirt thing looked hideous in the 80’s, and it will probably look hideous now. Only extremely leggy young fillies who are careful to coordinate rich-colored hose with their boots and skirts should try it. I’ve seen it in the fashion mags and it CAN be done, but not by the likes of meatball-shaped moi, I’ll tell ya.

Ta-ta, darlings! You’re a riot! And did I tell you that some of the latest shoe fashions are called “Shooties?” Apparently a hybrid of shoes and booties.

Silliness!! Ees good for the heart.

xoxo PB

Publishing Biz Help

Dear Person Who Wrote to Me a Few Weeks (Months?) Ago Offering To Give Me Some Help Navigating the Publishing Business,

I lost your e-mail! Would you be so very kind as to remind me who you are and to write to me again? I am so very sorry for my idiot-ness! I thought I carefully saved your e-mail but I guess that means I carefully deleted it. Argh! (pirate eye)

Tiny Tippy-Poo For Jeans

Honey heads,

First of all, thank you so much for steering me toward e-bay, where I have just aquired my dream watch for $88 instead of $500!! How did I do that? Well, the seller was asking $188 (that includes s&h) and I had $100 saved up in my PayPal account already. Wow! I will think of BTFM and you all every time I put on my beautiful watch (btw, for those of you who are worried about the quality of Coach products, Movado makes their watches).

Now, for the teeny tip: if you care about keeping your nice, dark denim jeans looking nice and dark (much classier than washed out denim), wash them inside-out.