Saturday Shout-Out! to Li'l Ber and Others

I call Kimberly M. "Li'l Ber" in my mind, so I thought I'd share it in the blogosphere, too. I have purchased gorgeous items from her store several times, and she has always been sweet and generous with excellent customer service. Since she just followed my blog this week, please welcome . . . my li'l be(a)r! I'm honored that she decided to join us!

Here are her shout-out answers to: ([1] describe yourself in 3 words, [2] name 3 favorite foods, and [3] name 3 desert-island cosmetics)

Laid-back: My days consist of taking care of my home, raising 4 children (ages 1 to 8 years), attending business school, and running my cosmetics company, RockABetty Beauty. It can seem like a handful, but I have learned to roll with the punches, so to speak. In my younger days, I spent a lot of time stressing out about things that I could not control. I have now learned that I can't control everything; that things don't always go according to plan; and that life has a crazy system all it's own. Being able to take things (both good and bad) in stride helps keep me patient and available to my family, my friends, and my customers. Family-oriented: I come from a huge and close-knit Irish Catholic family. I grew up surrounded by aunts, uncles, and cousins galore. We would pack ourselves into my grandma's tiny condo or lounge around my aunt's 3-story home. It didn't matter where we were, or how cramped it was, as long as we all were together. I adore the big, close family mentality and I hope that I can instill that sense of togetherness and all-encompassing love in my own children. Psychobilly: I'm not even sure if that one needs to be said, LOL. Anyone who is familiar with RockABetty Beauty know that I am the perfect mix of retro pinup and creepy-cute fear. I also like to consider my products "horror glam."

My all time favorite food ever is cheese fondue. My mom would make cheese fondue for our family when we were younger, and it was the one meal where we were allowed to eat in the living room. My mom, dad, brother, and I would gather our bread, veggies, and apples and watch a movie together while enjoying our meal. Now that I have a family of my own, I love sharing this tradition with them. My husband preps veggies while the older kids help me add the cheese to the pot and stir to melt it. This meal has become as much a part of our family time as reading at bedtime and riding bikes, and everyone looks forward to "Cheese Fondue Night."Salmon is my favorite protein ever. Nothing beats a perfectly cooked salmon fillet, which, thankfully, my husband knows how to do. COFFEE! My days run on coffee, LOL. As unhealthy as it sounds, I usually drink about 2 (or more) pots of coffee per day. It's a ridiculous amount, I know, but it works for me. And kids, please don't try this at home: I I am a trained professional coffee-drinker :-)

I am addicted to lip balm. I probably have about 50 tubes that I use on a "regular" basis. Well, as regular as one CAN use 50 different lip balms! I love trying new formulas, textures, flavors, etc. I really love the balms from Ella Dean at http://www.etsy.com/shop/elladean?ref=seller_info. Although I feel incredibly awkward choosing one of my own products, but I am going to have to say Suck It Up! Oil-Absorbing Powder/Primer. I actually created this product for myself to help combat my oily skin and keep my makeup (or bare skin), fresh and slick free. You can check it out here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/77101334/suck-it-up-oil-absorbing-powderprimer. Last is a fragrance from Darling Clandestine named Circassian. It smells so amazing: I wish I could bathe in it. I highly recommend this scent and her products in general: http://www.etsy.com/listing/91415576/circassian-handcrafted-fragrance-oil-12.

Ber M. being her cheesy, goofy, laid-back, family-oriented psychobilly self. Watch out!

I love it when my "shout-out" give shout-outs to other tried and true cosmetic companies :-)

Also joining us this week is Elizabeth M. She describes herself as mother, warrior, and goth. [I myself think you need to be a warrior to be a mother in the first place!] Her three favorite foods are macaroni and cheese, fried okra, and cheese enchiladas [hmmmm, another cheesy follower!]. And her three cosmetic items she would want most if she were stranded on a desert island are CoverGirl Lash Blast Fusion in Very Black, Medusa's Makeup black kohl eyeliner, and Revlon PhotoReady foundation [she sure sounds like a slayer to me, LOL]. If you want to check out her blog, it's called Bethezda's Preoccupations and can be found here:www.bethezdaspreoccupations.blogspot.com.

We also had a couple more followers this week, "B." (just mysterious "B."), whom I couldn't reach for the mini-interview, and Smurfette, whom I'll try to get next weekend since it's getting to be my "veggie-out-on-the-couch" time soon :-) Don't forget about my Dawn Eyes contest here :-) Bye for now!