Vacation

Still on vacation, no make up mondays... When I get back I will tell you all about my nasty sun burn....

Oh Aveda, My Super Hero Brighten My Day !!

Anti-aging products and I have a bad relationship history. My need to look younger always leads me down the wrong road with one of these products that promise me the fountain of youth and all I seem to receive is a small puddle of hope in a jar. I think it's an unfair abuse of my vanity, so I avoid skin care sales people and magazine advertisements, stick with basic skin care cleaners and hope for one day I will find a product that will be my super hero-skin care who "walks the walk and talks the talk".

One month ago I had a little talk with an Aveda skin care rep, she sang the praises of Aveda and I did my best not listen. As I rolled my eyes when she talked about how important organic and natural skin care, like Aveda, she caught my interest when she told me about a brightening skin care system from Aveda. She now had my attention, for years I have tried endlessly to lighten and remove the dark spots I have on my face and chin, all from a hormonal reaction from medication. She talked me into buying the "Brightening correcting serum". The correcting serum is a highly concentrated plant-powered brightening blend to diminish the appearance of dark spots and discoloration.


Stuff Inside;
100% naturally derived Plant-Powered Brightening Blend including Ascorbyl Glucoside (a vitamin C derivative), mulberry root, and grape extracts to help diminish the appearance of discoloration and dark spots.

Salicylic Acid and Glucosamine help promote surface cell turnover.

A soothing aroma made predominantly with organic lavender, sustainably sourced sandalwood, organic rose geranium and organic rosemary essential oils also helps soothe and calm the skin.

Information is from the Aveda web-site

The Verdict;
I was very surprised, within one week of using the product twice a day (AM and PM) I noticed the spots on my face starting to fade. Unlike other fading products I tried, this product did not dry my face or was not a bleaching cream. The salicylic acid acts as cell renewal and my dull skin has gone away. I repeat my dull, dry looking skin is gone !! I have used this product now for three weeks and I Love, Love it ! Im so happy I was not cheep and spent the big buck for it, worth every penny. The spots on my left side chin are much lighter, and this is the side that had the darkest spots. I found a picture of myself from six months ago, the spots on my chin where so dark then now you can barely see them. If you're looking for skin lightener serum that will not dry the skin, works deep into the skin tissue to give you a youthful appearance and have dull looking skin like me, this is the one for you.

One Last Thing;
I also bought the Brightening Cleanser, Im also in love with this product too, Shape Magazine 2009 Award winner in skin care cleaners. Aveda has a special online, orders are free shipping if you spend $50 bucks, easy to do at Aveda, you will get two free top rated samples.

Happy 4th of July

Sorry no make up mondays today, have a wonderful fourth of July. We will be back next Monday !!

Method To My Lemon Ginger Madness

I will be the first to admit it, I smell natural cleaning products first, based off the scent this determine what product I buy. Yes I know that Eco products are better for the environment but lets be honest, these products just smell better then regular cleaners. If one of the largest surfaces to clean in your home is the floor, then it goes without saying that (especially in my home) a pleasant scented floor cleaner is essential. The smart people at Method have a nifty floor cleaner, lemon ginger scent Squirt + Mop hard floor cleaner.

Stuff inside;
purified water, methoxyisopropanol a non-toxic solvent, alcohol produced from corn, ethoxylated lauryl alcohol cleaning agent, partial natural essential oil content, partially synthetic ingredients

The Verdict;
Love it, squeaky clean floors that smell like sweet lemon ginger tea. I don't know if you eliminate all germs for the five-second rule, but in my unscientific test, you sure do come close !  Two felines also reside in my house, I pay the bills and they get to live here rent free. So there is also a need to have products that do not leave a chemical residue on their furry paws, preventing them from becoming sick. Im please to say that my cat's like the scent too, they do not hide when I clean because of the smell, they wait to track paw print marks on the floor until later on, so sweet.

One last thing;
Also comes in ginger yuzu scent, "it's a little spicy-and-sweet from the ginger, and a little citrus-y from the yuzu. rumor has it there's even some lemongrass and coconut thrown in there for good measure."

http://www.methodhome.com/product/squirt-mop-hard-floor-cleaner/?lemon-ginger

Beauty No. 7

I hate dry skin, more then I hate dry skin is when my foundation looks like the skin of an alligator, dry lines and cracks all over my face. I may be exaggerating but I find the closer I move to 40 years old in age, I'm having a hard time with fine lines and dry skin. Foundation has become a little to thick and the deep pigment matte coverage is to much for my skin. Plus the fact that I like easy when it comes to makeup, the discovery of tinted moisturiser became a welcome answer to my problems.

Stalking the make up isle of Target, sunshine lit my way down the Boots isle. There among the beauty products that have been rated highly by Good Housekeeping Magazine, was the No. 7 Soft & Sheer Tinted Moisturiser

Active Ingredients;
Octinoxate 5 %
Titanium Dioside 1.9%
SPF 15

The Verdict;
Sheer color that hydrates for hours, one simple step to even out skin tone and moisturize, I love it ! Comes in three different shades, fair, medium (that is what i have) and dark. No heavy coverage but still sheer enough to have light coverage.

One last thing;
I also use Boots Mineral Perfection Power, to help set the moisturizer. Bonus gifts like mascara with select No7 Skin Care products at Target.com.

Boots web site
http://www.us.boots.com/SoftSheerTintedmoisturizer/

Le Toilet Cleaner That Smells So Good !

Would you think I'm crazy if I told you that I love my toilet bowl cleaner? Seventh Generation, the eco friendly company, that has been around for over twenty years, makes a toilet bowl cleaner that smells so good you will want to use it everyday.

The Background,
"Seventh Generation has been committed to providing safe, environmentally conscious household goods for over twenty years. Today they are one of the most trusted names in eco-friendly cleaning products. Formulated to be safe for your family and the environment, this product does not create harsh fumes and is non-toxic biodegradable. "

Natural Stuff Inside,
Natural lactic acids, coconut-derived surfactants, natural thickener (xanthan gum), whole and natural plant essences (a blend of emerald cypress, balsam fir, and lime essential oils), water.

The Verdict
Plant derived cleaning agents work very well removing stains easily from the bowl. Eliminates mineral deposits without the use of harsh chemicals. The bottle shape, makes it easy to use for under the rim, cleaner is thick and clear, good for holding on to the sides and not washing away quickly. The best part is the smell, Emerald Cypress & Fir, its like walking outdoors in the woods, reminds me of vacation in Big Sur.

The smell alone is the main reason to buy this product, I sometimes squirt a little in the bowl because the scent makes my small bathroom smell good. I wish the company would make this scent into an air freshener.

One last thing,
The web site also has weekly coupons to download.

www.seventhgeneration.com

Makeup Mondays, A Brow Above

Are you one of the lucky one's who was born with amazing eyebrows ? I hate you, really don't hate you just wish I had the same. So for the rest of us sexy minks who brow shape is more slump back mountain and not enough Kim Kardashian, you will need a great eyebrow pencil.

Anastasia Beverly Hills, the "must" see guru of the perfect eyebrow arch. Oprah swears by her waxing talent. Once Oprah give's anyone the thumbs up, we at Buddha are sold on her suggestion (lock stock and barrel ) so we tried the eyebrow pencil today.

The Subject:
Perfect Brow Pencil ,Dark Brown/Brunette. "Anastasia specially designed this pencil to apply and blend color into the brow to achieve a brow look so natural it looks like your own. With a velvety-smooth pencil on one end and a built in brow brush on the other, this product is perfect for anyone who wants to achieve a fuller brow look".

The Verdict:
I like it, the dark brown color was a perfect match and according to the sales girl at Sephora today, the colors pretty much are a good match for every skin tone. Comes in 6 natural colors for blonds, redheads and brunettes. The color glides on smooth, good for making a smooth arch line without skip marks. The tip has small brow brush on the end, genius idea, helps to blend the line and makes for one less brush in your makeup bag. Life is good now, I have "Anastasia perfect eyebrows", watch out Oprah and Kim !

One last Thing:
Nordstroms stores have a "Anastasia Brow Studio" within the cosmetic section. Im going to try and have my eyebrows arched there sometime next week, will keep you updated.

http://anastasia.net/index.php

Eco and Vintage Cleaning Power Get Married, The True Story .

In search of vintage item's, go to the Rose Bowl Flea Market and you will find row after row of overpriced, broken, in need of paint vintage stuff. So if vintage item's are in demand and environmental "green" cleaning products are also popular, why not have the best of both worlds. Bon Ami cleaning powder, the eco - friendly , little red striped can with the hatched baby chicken label that my grandmother used to clean the house.

A bit of history "Bon Ami was originally developed as a gentle alternative to the gritty quartz-based scouring powders on store shelves in the 1880s. An enterprising young man noticed that the tools used to separate the unused feldspar mineral from the harder quartz were as shiny as silver. Bon Ami was born taking that waste product — feldspar — and mixing it with soap to make a cleanser that polished away dirt and stains without scratching. These days we call that “zero waste.” Back then it was a thrifty way to make a better cleanser " .

Today I tried Bon Ami to clean my house. I first tried it on the kitchen sink, the first picture is of the dirty sink. First thing I noticed was no strong bleach smell, this is good . The powder limestone and feldspar work as scrubbing agents that dig deep and remove dirt. Since there are no harsh chemical you'll have to use a bit more elbow grease and work out those biceps muscles of yours. Think of the extra work as a small work out, the benefit of keeping the earth toxic free.

I found Bon Ami worked just as well as other cleaning powders, the only difference is Bon Ami cleaning powder has no bleach. The bleach is nice for stains but was not missed, I used another cleaning powder on one side of the sink to see a difference and there was not much of a change. The two grey marks on the side are shadows of the faucet, the sink came out sparkling clean.

The Verdict; Bon Ami wins Urban Buddha approval, a bit more scrubbing work but overall a good product that has no harsh chemical smell ( I hate a strong bleach smell) and safe to have around pets too. Bon Ami also comes in dish soap and liquid cleaners in tangerine thyme scent.

Bon Ami web site
http://bonami.3nerds.com/index.php/about_bon_ami/

urban buddha at 1602: Makeup Mondays, Mellow Yellow Saved the Day !

urban buddha at 1602: Makeup Mondays, Mellow Yellow Saved the Day !: "Welcome to the new Makeup Mondays, each Monday at Buddha we will review makeup that we love or just think are really cool and unique ! Mayb..."

Makeup Mondays, Mellow Yellow Saved the Day !

Welcome to the new Makeup Mondays, each Monday at Buddha we will review makeup that we love or just think are really cool and unique ! Maybelline New York, Cover Stick Concealer in Yellow, is the Bee's knees !! The good; yellow base to help cover up the nasty dark under eye circles, creamy and easy to blend and inexpensive. Now let me tell you, Buddha has always had a problem with dark circles and not just from when I think I'm a rock star and party until six in the morning. The bad; nothing, a great product that is rated number one by Allure Magazine, best drug store category and makeup artist alike. The fact that I spend five bucks at Target makes me happy and the best under eye yellow concealer I have ever bought. The concealer comes in two colors, yellow and green. Green is used to neutralized red spots and dark circles, perfect for my fair skin sexy kittens (boys or girls) who have problems with dark circles too.

Monarchy Mondays, Countdown has Started !!

  
The excitement is building  The Royal wedding is in less then 48 hours. Im going to watch the wedding on KTLA 5 local station here in Los Angeles. Coverage starts at 1 am pacific time. I have attached  a video about the wedding route.  Friday I have to work but I convinced  all my co workers into dressing up that day for a wedding.  The wonderful people at Fresh and Easy are supplying some English treats for our clients that day. I found this great, large, black & white feather head piece today at Nordstroms Rack, that with my grandmothers pearls will be my Royal Wedding outfit.  Monarchy Mondays has been so much fun for me the pass few months, I hope you have enjoyed it too.

Monarchy Mondays, Jolly Good, Five Day's to Go !!

Im so excited, five days to go till the Royal Wedding !! So for the next five days we at Urban Buddha will go crazy with anticipation. What you do not know is that Buddha has a day job, we are a super hero cleaning & organizing blog by night and a stylist to pay the bills by day. Found this knock off (looks real to me) engagement ring at Michele's craft store for ten bucks. Made a trip to my favorite store Cost Plus World Market, bought popular English nibbles to snack on. Prince Williams grooms cake will be made with McVitie's biscuits, so I picked up some at the store. Other yummy treats, Hobnobs and Flake chocolate bar, when I was in London for my 27 birthday, I had one of these every day, my favorite.

Today I was watching KTLA channel 5 morning show, the only morning show I watch, well the Royal Wedding gods must of wanted me to watch because I found a great site, Catch My Party. com. Found the cutest printable party prints for my "Knees Up Right Royal Party" this friday. I was looking for Union Jack stickers and found printable ones, very happy.

Well my friends, the day is almost here, please tell me what your plans are for wedding

Web sites to follow
http://blog.catchmyparty.com/category/royal-wedding/

The Tooth Has Been Crowned

Cracked tooth now has a crown and I have a head ace. Pain killers kick in soon, going to sleep and have dreams of sexy men that all want me !

Monarchy Mondays, An Update on HRH and Middletons Royal Wedding

Are you excited as much as we are ? So I want to give you some last minutes detail of the Royal Wedding. First I want to talk about the cute souvenir I found at Cath Kidston, a premiere British designer with shops in the UK and on line here in the states. You may have seen her cute oil cloth tote bags before,  English rose flower print and very pricey, I know I have one. What could be more proper for a Royal Wedding then a cup of English tea, little tea sandwich and an adorable kitchen tea towel to serve them with ! The site has everything you need to have a "Knees Up Right Royal Party". Also check out Amazon for Royal Wedding souvenirs.

The schedule of the wedding day, provided by the web site Official Royal Wedding 2011.org

Ceremonial Timings
The following timings have been confirmed for the Wedding Day:

Between 8.15am and 9.45am: The general congregation will arrive at the Great North Door of Westminster Abbey.

From 9.50am: Governors-General and Prime Ministers of Realm Countries,the Diplomatic Corps, and other distinguished guests arrive at the Abbey.

10.10am The Bridegroom and Prince Henry of Wales leave Clarence House for Westminster Abbey. 

They arrive at the Abbey at 10.15am.

10.20am Members of Foreign Royal Families arrive at Westminster Abbey from Buckingham Palace.
10.20am Mrs. Michael (Carole) Middleton and Mr. James Middleton leave the Goring Hotel for

Westminster Abbey. They arrive at the Abbey at 10.27am.

10.25am Members of the Royal Family (except those listed below) leave Buckingham Palace for

Westminster Abbey. They arrive at the Abbey at 10.30am.

10.35am The following Members of the Royal Family leave Buckingham Palace for Westminster

Abbey. They arrive at the Abbey at 10.40am:
- The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence
- The Duke of York
- Princess Eugenie of York
- Princess Beatrice of York
- The Earl and Countess of Wessex

10.38am The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall leave Clarence House for Westminster

Abbey. They arrive at the Abbey at 10.42am.

10.40am The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh leave Buckingham Palace for Westminster Abbey. 

They arrive at the Abbey at 10.45am.

10.48am The Bridesmaids and Pages leave the Goring Hotel for Westminster Abbey. They arrive at the

Abbey at 10.55am.


10.51am The Bride, accompanied by Mr. Michael Middleton, leaves the Goring Hotel for Westminster Abbey.

11.00am The Marriage Service begins. The Marriage Service will be relayed by audio speakers along the Route.

12.15pm The Carriage Procession of the Bride and Bridegroom with a Captain’s Escort of the Household Cavalry, followed by The Queen’s Procession with a Sovereign’s Escort of the Household Cavalry, leaves Westminster Abbey for Buckingham Palace.

12.30pm The Bride’s Carriage Procession arrives at Buckingham Palace.

12.40pm Members of the Royal Family and Members of Foreign Royal Families arrive at Buckingham Palace.

From 12.40pm: Other guests for the Reception arrive at Buckingham Palace.

1.25pm The Queen and the Bride and Bridegroom, together with their Families, appear on the Balcony.

1.30pm Fly Past by the Royal Air Force and Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

Sites to check out for more Royal Wedding information
http://www.officialroyalwedding2011.org/blog/2011
http://www.cathkidston.co.uk/p-16137-cath-kidston-royal-wedding-souvenir-tea-towel.aspx?
http://twitter.com/#!/MaxFosterCNN

Monarchy Mondays, The Wedding Procession Line

After Prince William and Kate Middleton tie the knot, the Royal Wedding parade route will be lined with thousands of people, screaming with cameras in hand, hoping to catch a glimpse of the newlywed couple.

Details on the exact Royal Wedding parade route have yet to be released (top secret like the wedding dress) the journey typically follows a path that will past many famous London landmarks. The Royal Wedding parade route will begin at Westminster Abbey, the official church of the royal family where the wedding ceremony is set to take place. The newlywed couple will emerge from the church; Im hoping it will look like the scene from the movie "The Color Purple" when Ms Sofia marries Harpo and turns around and said "I is married now ".

After leaving the church a grand carriage procession will begin . The route will pass through Parliament Square, Whitehall, and the Mall before it ends at the site of the Royal Wedding reception, Buckingham Palace. The couple will make their final public appearance of the day from the balcony of Buckingham Palace, where they are sure to blow air kisses for the cameras and wave to the crowd.

Vacation and The Chipped Tooth, Chicago Style !!

Sorry my friends that this week there was no monarchy monday. I was on vacation last week  in Chicago, had a wonderful time. During my trip I broke my tooth, second day in Chicago and what happens, my tooth cracks  !!  Must have been the cracked pepper, lodged itself in the small crack on my tooth and when I bit down, CRACK  the tooth chipped off, about the size of a piece of rice. Well, I returned from vacation late monday night, worked tuesday and wednesday I went to the Dentist office. The Dentist worked on my tooth, now I have a temporary crown, I think the dentist visit hurt more then when the tooth broke. My mouth hurts and pain killers keep the pain away but make me sleepy so  I have not had a chance to blog. Fear not, Monarchy Monday will return next week, we only have three more left before the big wedding day !

Monarchy Mondays ,Cookie & Fruit Cake, The Royal Wedding Cake

It's got gray icing, I can't even begin to think how you make gray icing" - M'Lynn about the red-velvet armadillo grooms cake

It's a bleedin' Armadillo Grooms cake !

Millions, I have watched the movie "Stella Magnolias" millions of times and my favorite scene is Shelby   and Jackson wedding, the grooms cake !! Weezer cuts off the butt "nothing like a good piece of ass" I say nothing says love like a cake that looks like road kill ! So I guess Im not the only one who likes the idea of a grooms cake, along with a traditional  British Wedding fruit cake, Prince William also will have a grooms cake made out of chocolate cookies, made by Mc Vities cake company. Paul Courtney, the firms cake designer, has said "the grooms cake will have broken up pieces of tea biscuits and special secret ingredients"

The wedding cake will be made by wedding cake baker, Fiona Cairns, the cake is multi-tired traditional fruit cake, Kate Middleton is said to have help created the cake theme. The actual design remains a secret but what we do know is the cake will have a British floral theme and use the Lambeth Method, a popular English style that relies on intricate piping and scrollwork. The ingredients, dried fruits such as raisins, walnuts, and cherries, if you are a guest and allergic to nuts, you're screwed but you do have the grooms cake to the rescue. The grooms cake contains dark chocolate and biscuits type cookies, sounds much better then a fruit cake but Im american so fruit cakes is something we make fun of at Christmas, not have at a wedding.

Wedding fruit cake, sounds nasty but if it makes the couple happy then we at Urban Buddha like it !  Have a craving now for red velvet cake with sweet cream cheese frosting, yum .

Put a Bird On It, So I Did

When I saw this skit from the Portlandia on Sundance Channel I almost fell off my desk chair laughing and was embarrassed  because I knew they where talking about me ! So I have forbidden all purchases of anything bird or any cute homemade bird type things. Today I was a naughty girl and broke my own rule, not my fault, when shopping at Home Goods you must buy now, the chances of it being their tomorrow are slim. Been resisting the temptation to buy any peel and stick art work too but today I found cute birds in gray, gold metallic and toile print. Guess you can say that I can't help myself, cute birds things make me weak. The wall above my shower was bare, needed a little something to jazz it up, so I put a bird on it !

Monarchy Mondays, Toilet Changed Royal Protocol !

Score one under "change of Royal protocol" for the commander, Kate, who will marry prince William this April ! To avoid an embarrassing future of unflattering "Royal toilet humor" their official monogram will read CW not WC. “WC” is the abbreviation recognized throughout the world as the water closet, or better known as a toilet. This oversight could have been the makings of years of unlimited jokes, the newly married couples Royal monogram could have been mistaken for the toilet. Here is where the problem lies with following Royal protocol, putting the initial of the more senior partner (William) would have meant that "W" would lead first, hence "WC" for water closet . So for the first time in British history, a spouse will have her initial placed before a Royal on the Monogram. The monogram will now read "CW" complete with Prince William's crest, the changes have already been made and inscribed on Royal Wedding memorabilia and souvenirs. So all is better, "Keep calm and carry on" a potential lifetime of very "bad taste" funny jokes will never happen now. Now that this issue is solved, the shit did not hit the fan, no pun intended, what fabulous and very expensive wedding dress will Kate ware for the wedding

Japan Tsunami Relief, Here is how you can help donate.

Today I was flooded with the same question from my clients "is your Aunt alright". My aunt Paula lived and taught English in Japan for twenty years, six months ago she moved back to the U.S. Paula lived eight hours south of Tokyo, in the city of Wakayama, in the region of Kansai right outside of Osaka. The seaside town she lived in is fine, minor damage but everyone in Wakayama and my Aunt are recovering from the earthquake. I love Japan, the best vacations I have every had, my love for Japanese culture started with Hello Kitty, 80's pop groups and the exotic allure of Tokyo. Urban Buddha will do everything possible to help, so today when I hear about Cost Plus World Market promotion for Japan relief I could not wait to help out and spread the news. "Cost Plus World Market will donate 100% of its net proceeds of sales of all products produced in Japan to Direct Relief International, to aid in the relief and humanitarian efforts currently underway in response to the country's recent earthquake and tsunami. Beginning March 23 through the end of September 2011, customers can shop and know that all net proceeds from the sale of popular Japanese food and beverage brands, including Pocky, Meiji, Kikkoman, Ramune, Sapporo, and Kirin will go toward aiding victims of this tragedy". Bravo World Market !!
Links to follow.
www.worldmarket.com
www.directrelief.org

Monarchy Monday, Lady in Waiting

Kate Middleton,the British princess-to-be must choose a lady-in-waiting. News of this development caused a frenzy with fans and royal watchers to hit the Web. The question Urban Buddha ( and my minions) wanted to know "what is a lady in waiting"? Dictionary.com defines the term as a woman attending on a princess or queen, this position is basically a personal assistant to the princess. For those of us who are caught up on episodes of "The Tudors" know that most ladies in waiting usually became mistress to the king (oh how we miss the naked bedroom scenes ). This role is traditionally taken up by a person close to the royals, such as a family member or friend. The duties of a lady-in-waiting include handling the mail and traveling with the royal party on official visits. While the job is probably ideal for the sister of the bride (who will also serve as maid of honor at the wedding), there could be a hitch. Kate may go for someone more schooled in Royal etiquette at first, before asking her sister,Pippa, who may have little knowledge of royal "household" rules .

Safety check your Bungalow !!

Daylight saving time started last night, did you set your clocks forward or where you an hour behind like me today. Twice a year, when the time changes, this becomes the perfect time to make any safety check around the house. A few simple safety changes could save you and your loved ones life. Start with the smoke detectors. Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are better equipped when they're powered on by a new "fresh" battery. Safety experts recommend replacing smoke and carbon monoxide detector batteries twice a year. Replace light bulbs, non working light bulbs are a safety hazard. Consider replacing conventional bulbs with energy-efficient compact fluorescent or LCD bulbs. The U.S. Environmental Protection estimates that replacing standard bulbs with energy-efficient ones saves over $30 in electricity costs over their lifetime. Celebrate time change sunday with new batteries, light bulbs and a bloody mary !!

Orange and the Subconscious Mind

"Orange is a color that is heavily associated with eating, overeating, and feeling full. Its presence in many shades tends to illicet thoughts of food in the average person. Many restaurants use red and orange lighting in order to stimulate the appetites of their customers. These effects make orange perfect for kitchen decorating".

Fantastic; the color orange will be perfect for the remodel of the kitchen !! My devoted Minions after careful consideration I have chosen two colors from Dutch Boy Paint from OSH Hardware, Pasadena. Appetizing color number one, Papaya Whip, for the cabinets, soft off white color with a hint of pale orange. Number two, Tinsel town, for the walls, light warm orange with a hint of brown and peach. The hardware for cabinets, Im going with Cost Plus World Market in an antique "looking" brown glass knobs. You can't go wrong with World Market, when in doubt I look their first for ideas. Now this is going to be a "hugh" project so Urban Buddha is soliciting any help or ideas you may have. This will include the best way to drill new holes in cabinets.

Monarchy Monday, Questions about the Royal wedding

Urban buddha has been asked basic questions about the Royal Wedding. The busy bee's (that would be me, a mac notebook and a diet coke) have been researching the most asked questions. We are not an official Royal watcher blog but we like to fancy ourselves as one. The answers come from; Reuters Royal Watchers at Yahoo and BritishRoyalFamily.com

1. Why is Kate arriving by car instead of the traditional carriage?
No official reason has been given for what appears to be a break with tradition. A number of explanations have been put forward, such as costs, security and modernity. Traveling by car is cheaper and less ostentatious, more in keeping with such austere times.

2. Where can I buy official Royal Souvenirs
Try Amazon, search under Royal Wedding, Royal Collection’s online shop as well as the shops at both Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle and Royal Collection shops in Central London.

3. Why aren't the Obamas on the guest list?
While the wedding is clearly a royal occasion, because William is not the heir-to-the-throne it is not a state event. Thus members of royalty from around the world have been invited but not heads of state, so the Obamas have missed out, as have leaders of European countries such as French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

4. What will Kate's title be?
Middleton's title will largely depend on that of her husband. If William has no new title, then the experts at etiquette specialists Debrett's say his wife would probably be known as Her Royal Highness Princess Catherine of Wales, although even that is not certain.

And the most asked question, Who is going to design Kate's wedding dress. The answer; I have no idea, can't seem to find this information on line yet.Even though mum's the word, there are some interesting rumors that point to the late Alexander McQueen's fashion house as having been given the commission. What I can tell you is that I will be waiting on pins and needles ready to report this information to you once I find out.

New Hardware

New knobs on the dresser, thank you Cost Plus World Market. First down on my game plan list change the hardware on dresser. My grandmothers dresser, she must of had it since the late 1960's, beautiful piece of furniture but the hardware was looking a little run down. My solution, change the hardware, so I added eight new purple knobs to the yellow dresser. The dresser still need's some T.L.C but this is a good start. Now on to the kitchen, the busy bee's at Urban Buddha are still deciding on what color orange to choose so stay tuned.

Monarchy Mondays, The must have invite of 2011

The Royal guest list has been drawn up and sent out. 1,900 people are invited to the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton on 29th April, 2011, but Sarah, Duchess of York and the Prince’s aunt by marriage, are not one of them!
Although no specific names of invited guests have been released, the invitations are beginning to arrive now. Over half of the guests are said to be family and friends of William and Catherine, with the rest of the guests being made up of international state leaders, politicians and dignitaries also a few celebrity guests, David and Victoria Beckham. Of the almost two thousand guests invited to the wedding ceremony at Westminster Abbey, about 650 of them will be asked to a special wedding reception buffet to be held afterwards at Buckingham Palace. There will also be an evening party that more people will attend, including a dinner and dancing for three hundred close friends of the couple, so invited guests will be interested to read on their invitation to which parts of the day they have been invited.For the rest of Britain and countries all over the world who were not invited, we will have to satisfy ourselves with watching the Royal Wedding on television. The day of the Royal Wedding, Friday 29th April, 2011, has been designated a Bank Holiday in the UK, here in the states, just another Friday day for us Yankees. I will be celebrating with my friend at her house, the wedding will start around 4 am pacific standard time so the bars will not be open at that time.

The Game Plan Moisturize, Knob and Paint .

Walking through the pain when you have lost a loved one, start with a game plan. My first plan of action; paint the kitchen, the dark orange paint is just ugly, need to go with a soft orange color. Today I stopped by OHS hardware and picked up paint samples swatches. Second plan; change the hardware on my yellow dresser in my bed room, picked up eight light purple flower knobs from Cost Plus World Market. Third plan; find a new tinted moisturizer, my skin has been very dry, you can see ever line on my face, not good. A walk down the cosmetics isle at target I checked out the Boots No 7 line, tested the "soft & sheer" tinted moisturizer with SPF 15 in medium. I think I'm going to love the new tint moisturizer, have had it on now for a few hours and my face stilll feels soft, the product claims to hydrates for twelve hours and smooth the appearance of fine lines ( I hope it works). So the game plan moisturize, knob and paint, Rebecca would be proud.

Monarchy Monday, The Engagement Ring That Keeps on Giving

Vanessa will you marry me (George Clooney asking me to marry him again) he then presents a beautiful 18-carat blue sapphire ring, the ring now sits perfect on my finger, this time I say yes. And this is the reoccurring day dream I like to have. Prince William has proposed to his long time girlfriend Catherine Middleton (commonly known as Kate). Kate Middleton's engagement ring is now a iconic ring, 18-crate blue sapphire set in a platinum, 14 diamonds sitting pretty on a 18-crate white gold band. Most of you will remember this is the engagement right with which Prince Charles proposed to Lady Diana Spencer in February of 1981. Diana keep the ring on her finger until after her separation with Prince Charles and later divorced. Prince William has had the ring in his possession since his mothers untimely death. Giving Diana's engagement ring to Kate Middleton, Prince William has said "this is a way to include my mother in our wedding" this ring is very special to him and Kate now. We at Urban Buddha at 1602 (the we part is just me and two cats) love that William gave this ring to Kate, we also would someday like a blue sapphire ring too. So today will be in search of a knock off, less then £ 20.00, about $ 30.00 bucks U.S blue sapphire ring for the rest of us without a prince as a boy friend.

Rebecca

I was thinking how I was going to start this blog. Every time I start to type I end up crying, so I just put the blog to the side for three weeks. My cousin Rebecca passed away at the end of January, she was my best friend, therapist and partner in crime. Even now I still have a hard time finding the words to tell you how much I loved her and miss her. My heart is broken and for the pass few weeks I have been trying to heal. Five months ago, I started to arrange my life, improve and better myself, I felt strong, on the road to a new life. My house was organized and remodeled, Rebecca was to sick to see the changes I had made, now my time with her is gone. Thank you Rebecca for the many years you listen to my dreams, heartbreak and self pity rants. I wish I could of been stronger for you, listen more, saved you from heartbreak. I have not left that road of improvement, I lost the strength to stand alone without you but I will learn to stand alone and run again. Someday (not soon) I will see you once more

Monarchy Monday "You can never be to rich or to thin"

Welcome to the new weekly installment of Monarchy Mondays. Most of you know that Im obsessed with the British royal family, so with the wedding of Prince William this April I decided to dedicate each monday to my favorite monarchy. This week, Wallis Simpson the American divorcee for whom King Edward VIII gave up the throne of Great Britain. Wallis Simpson met the future king (then Prince of Wales) early in the 1930s and a few years later they became lovers, though she remained married to her second husband, businessman Ernest Simpson. This romance became a little "tricky" when Edward became king in 1936, Wallis (who was legally married at the time) filed for divorce but the royal family would not allow Edward to marry the newly single Simpson. In December of 1936 Edward shocked the world by stepping down as king, saying in a radio broadcast "I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as king as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love". OMG, he gave up the title of King to marry the women he loved and you thought Diana was the first trouble maker at Buckingham Palace, she was a small fish in the pond compared to Wallis !!! Edward title was reduced to Duke and Duchess of Windsor and they lived in exile in France and then United States until Edward passed away in 1972 and Wallis in 1986. Wallis was internationally recognized for her sense of style, a size 6, she was able to wear designs by the likes of Dior and Chanel ( size 6 in the 1930's was considered small) Wallis Simpson is often credited with the popular saying, "No woman can be too rich or too thin".

Grey Nuclear Waste Bath Tub

Did you try Mr. Clean Magic Eraser ? My tub is quite old, a re-glazing would be a good idea for it. When I painted my hallway grey I used the tub to clean the paint brush's, not a good idea. The old tub had turned a slight grayish color, with spots of grey paint around the bottom of the tub. I assumed that a little cleaning and bleach type product would work, I was wrong !! Scrubbed and scrubbed some more and still not able to remove the grey stains, my tub looked like I had taken a bath in nuclear waste. As I was looking through the cleaning aisle in Target I noticed Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Since Im a sucker for new cleaning products, I decided to give it a try. The eraser is easy to use, wet the sponge and scrub away, it's like a little micro abrasion sponge with superhero powers. The grey nuclear waste looking tub was now sparkling white, no unsightly dirty spots, like new again (well close the tub is 40 years old). So my tip of the day is, save money on re-glazing, try Mr. Clean Magic Eraser first , works great on the water stains in your sink too.

It's your day off, what are you going to do ?

I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too big a burden to bear. ~MLK Jr.

Today is Martin Luther King day, "we hold these truths to be self evident, all men are created equal". That was the quote that still brings a chill to me, I sometimes wonder what it would of been like that day on the national mall during his speech. Most of you have the day off work today, how are you going to created a space that brings balance to your home ? I have started the day with taking down all the outdoor christmas decorations (yes I have been a little late in removing them) and cleaning the back pourch. Take some time out today to reflect on how Dr. Kings dream has inspired our nation and how small "cleaning" changes in your home can bring happiness and joy. My tip of the day: dry eraser sponge, the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser or any off brand will do. A great product that removes soap scum, dirt, scuff marks and tough on stains. I love the Magic Eraser !!! Try it and let me know what you think.

Happy Cleaning !!

New Day

For the pass ten years I was living a lie, my house was cluttered and looked dirty all the time. I had self help books everywhere, unfinished projects and a second bedroom that I called "the hoarder room". One day I sat in my bedroom and felt hopeless, I needed to change and did not know where to start. It was then that I finally understood that I was living in a toxic environment, I had to clean and organize my home first. Three months later I now have a home that is clean and allows positive energy to flow. I want to share what I have learned about Feng Shui and organizing. This is a new process for me, I feel that I'm about to embark on a new adventure and I'm excited to share this experience with you.