Life with Dylan

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  • Five on Friday – Fun with Names

    Remember when you were a child and you would write your name and make up something for each letter? It could be something funny, a word to describe you, a place you wanted to go, or pretty much anything you and your friends decided it would be.

    I’ve spent a lot of time in the past month reflecting on myself and this week I’m going to reflect on my son. His name has 5 letters, so it’s prefect for this weeks Five on Friday post.

    Demanding. Not in a bad way, but demanding of my time. It seems like everything he does demands my time or attention. At times I feel like saying “do it yourself, I’m trying to read this magazine” and then I remember he’s just a child. I’m his mom and one day I will wish a little voice was saying “Mom, can you help me with this?”

    Young. He can carry on a adult conversation better than some adults I know. He knows things that I don’t. He is almost as tall as me and can wear my shoes. But he is also only 8 years old.

    Laughter. Ever since he was a baby and I heard his first giggle he can make me smile. His laugh that is infectious. He also knows how to make me laugh. He will make a funny face or strike a pose and before I know it I am laughing so hard my sides hurt.

    Animal Expert. Yes, technically that’s two words, but it’s true. This kid knows more about animals than I ever thought was humanly possible. At age 3 he knew the difference between a squirrel and a chipmunk – heck I don’t even know the difference! He thrives on memorizing animal facts.

    Nerd. I mean this in the nicest way. He would rather read a book than play outside. He got excited on the first day of school when he got a planner and a real textbook. Tuesday is his favorite day of the week because that’s when he has Science Club. He loves math and he thrives on getting good grades. Totally not me when I was a kid!

  • Wordless Wednesday – Instagram

    I’m quickly learning that Instagram can be just as addictive as Pinterest.

    LEGO’s, Drive-thru and Target – yep, that was my week via Instagram.

  • Star Wars Jedi Master Training

    Dylan doesn’t just like Star Wars, he lives Star Wars. He has memorized every character, the planet they come from, and what their strengths and weaknesses are.

    This video captures what Dylan does on a daily basis. He’s getting pretty good too.

  • Five on Friday – Memorable Moments

    Everyone has good days and then there are those days that are better than good. These days I like to call the best days of my life. Sometimes these days leave something in our lives that will last forever – other times these days come and go with only a glimpse of what could have been.

    Either way, they are all memorable moments. At one point in time, these moments were the best days of my life.

    • The day I gave birth to my son. I think my favorite moment that day was when everyone had left the hospital and it was just me and Dylan in the hospital room. 
    • The day I got married and the day I got divorced. Yes, strange I know – but it’s the truth. 
    • The day I saw my article in The Orange County Register. 
    • The day I passed the State Board exam and became a licensed esthetician. 600 hours of hard work had finally paid off – and I did it even though people said I would not.
    • The day I realized that I would do anything for my child. Even if it means sacrificing something I want or need. This is the day I learned what love really meant. 

    Take a minute and think about the best days of your life. What are your most memorable moments?

  • Write What You Know

    I started writing for OC Moms in late August and found that I really enjoyed writing for something other than my blog. I was able to reach a broader audience and start fine tuning my writing skills. 

    If you have read any of my articles, then you know that I was mostly writing about things to do in Orange County with your family. 
    (and if you haven’t read my articles, look up and click the tab that says OC Moms Articles – now start reading) 🙂
    Well, as much as I enjoy writing about fun activities and places to take the kiddos it was hard work sometimes. I would get writers block and spend hours just looking at the blank screen. Why was I having such a hard time writing about places I loved taking my child? Places that I knew readers would find fun for their families?
    Then one day I was talking to a friend and she told me to find my niche. She asked, what are you passionate about?
    I thought for a minute (insert light bulb over my head) and I said – Beauty, Makeup, Skincare. She said then that’s what you need to write about. I pitched the idea and a few weeks later I wrote For busy moms: Easy homemade sugar scrub and that was where it all began. 
    My editor liked it. Readers liked it. And the words just flowed across the computer screen – No more writers block. I was writing what I knew and it showed. 
    I will now be writing weekly beauty-related articles for moms and I love it. Today’s article talks about how at-home facials can refresh and rejuvenate busy moms. 
    Future articles will include makeup tips, product reviews, skincare questions answered, and much more. 
    Is there a beauty topic you would like to know more about? 
    Let me know. It might just be the next article featured on OC Moms.

  • Wordless Wednesday – LEGO Portrait

    Thanks to the LEGO Photo App, Dylan has become one with his favorite building blocks.

  • Follow your Passion

    Have you ever done something for so long that you just burn out?
    The thought of doing something one more time is just unbearable?
    Well, that was me 6 months ago. After doing bridal makeup for close to 12 years, I had to just walk away. I couldn’t imagine packing my kit one more time, or cleaning my brushes, or dealing with one more small cramped hotel room with poor lighting.

    It felt great – no wonderful – to have my weekends back, but something has been missing. I started getting depressed and unmotivated to style my hair (the ponytail became my new best friend) and only wore makeup when I had to. This was and is not me.

    I love makeup. Makeup is my passion.

    I recently spent 2 whole weeks home with my son for the holidays and spent more time than I care to admit on the computer. Tweeting. Pinning. Googling. Writing. You name it and I did it. However, one thing I realized a few days ago is that all of this activity seemed to be focused around one thing – Beauty.

    I was drawn to it. Makeup, skincare, beauty articles, and fashion magazines seemed to fill my days and nights. Is this just a coincidence? No. It’s my passion – and I’m good at it. Beauty is what I know. I can pick apart a photo in a magazine and tell you what is real and what is airbrushed. I can take that photo and recreate the look. I can tell you which ingredients are good for your skin and which ones you should stay away from.

    So I started asking myself why did I leave? Why did I give up on my passion?

    The answer was really quite simple. I just needed a break.
    Rather than quit, I should have scaled back. Less weddings and more photo shoots. More variety.

    Sometimes it’s good to take a break, but even better to know you still have a passion for something and just needed some time away to realize it. Michelle Fryer, Makeup Artist never left – I was just hiding out for a little bit – but now I’m back and ready to make 2012 amazing. One beauty article and one face at a time.

    The Facebook fan page is back, Beautyisms is new and the website will be getting a makeover soon. Now it’s time to hit the beauty stores and start revamping my kit!

  • Beautiful You Mondays – Makeup Brush Caddy

    I don’t know about you, but I’m always looking for a new way to organize and make my life less chaotic. Spending over a decade of my life as a makeup artist, I have acquired quite a bit of makeup and makeup brushes. I clean things out on a regular basis, but I know there is always something new and better waiting to be discovered.

    Over the holiday I tried getting caught up on my magazines – I’m up to November now – just shows you how far behind I was. Anyway, I found this great DIY project for organizing your makeup brushes while reading In Style magazine. How cool is this? No more fumbling through the makeup bag or plastic cup looking for the brush you want. Why didn’t I think of this?

    I did a little searching and found an etsy store that has something very similar (wonder if they got the idea from the magazine) – Address the Mess sells these already made ($25) for those that aren’t so crafty or handy with a drill. I think this would make a great weekend project.

    Find a friend who has a drill and make a trip to the art store or Home Depot … before you know it, you will have all your makeup brushes standing at attention and ready to work their magic.

    How do you store your makeup brushes? Share your organizing ideas in the comments below.

  • Five on Friday – New Year Wishes

    There are only two days left in 2011 and many people are talking about making New Year Resolutions.

    Will you make them? Will you keep them? The top 5 resolutions are … and so on.

    Well, after making and breaking New Year Resolutions for more years than I care to count, I have decided to do something different this year.

    I’m making New Year Wishes!

    Wait, that’s the same thing – just a different word, but it’s not. A resolution is something you vow or promise to resolve/fix. A wish is something you hope for. You can’t break a wish.

    So for today’s Five on Friday I am going to share some of my New Year Wishes …

    1. Spend more time reading the books and magazines I have piled up. I really want to read them, but just never seem to find the time. I wish to find the time in 2012. 
    2. Organize the 6 years worth of photos on my computer so I can find what I’m looking for. I’m thinking I will start by year and then my month or occasion. Or maybe by occasion and within that months/years. I wish to spend less than an hour finding a photo in 2012.
    3. Stop second guessing myself. I spend way too much time over-thinking and analyzing things. Yet on the other hand, I’m known to make snap decisions that I later regret. See, there I go already. I wish to think things through in a timely manner, without worrying what others will say in 2012.
    4. Finish decorating my apartment. I have been here going on 4 years and still no window coverings, my bedroom isn’t finished, and now it’s time to change Dylan’s room. I wish to have the decorating bug bite me in 2012.
    5. Learn more. Just because I’m not in school anymore doesn’t mean I have to stop learning. I don’t need a classroom or a textbook to learn when I have the internet and public library. Maybe I will check out a book on Greek Mythology or U.S. History. Maybe I will learn a new craft. I wish to broaden my knowledge of everything in 2012.
    What do you wish for in 2012?

  • Wordless Wednesday – LEGO Star Wars Millennium Falcon

    The gift that brought him so much excitement Christmas morning is now complete.

    1,254 pieces – 2 days of building – over 12 hours of hard work

    He is so excited and proud of himself – and so am I. Not sure what makes me happier – watching him open the gift Christmas morning or seeing his face when he showed me the completed Millennium Falcon.