Small Successes

When I met my dental hygienist the first time, she was shocked and called my mouth the red sea, because as soon as she started grating and scratching, there was blood everywhere.

Since the first appointment which was a few years ago, I kept going once a year. Today was the day, again. Over the last months, I have been taking my dental hygiene quite seriously. Brushing, flossing, using an interdental brush, too, and last week I even started using a mouthwash twice a day. Funny coincidence, my best friends mum started using a mouthwash in the same week. Where did Listerine place the ad that immerged into our subconsciousness?

Today, while lying on the dentist's chair, I noticed how fast she actually got along. There was not much of the scratching and grating. And way less invitations to rinse the mouth due to bleeding. I kept peeking at the clock on the wall and after 30 minutes it was done, including massaging, brushing between the teeth and everything that tortures the gums. The appointment originally had been scheduled for 1 hour.

The hygienist stated that she can tell I take care. And she charged only half of the scheduled fee (1 hr). Having saved 50 EUR, I can buy lots of interdental brushes (very expensive), mouth wash (costly if brand-products) and use floss in excess.
I finally entered the inner circle of people with clean, well maintained teeth and quite healthy gums. ("quite", because we did not get along without any bleeding at all).

Apropos improving: yesterday I put an advice Peter Walsh gives into action: I de-cluttered my paper- and groverybags I store under the fridge. There were so many tiny paperbags from the perfumery inside the box, I tuck them all out and now it's much easier to pull a bag out of the box. Funny, how we tend to believe we have to keep stuff only because ...

I am looking forward to the next surprising spot I am going to de-clutter. Where will it be? The small tasks pop up, no big planning ahead. I just look into drawer or cabinett and there it is: the sudden insight, what gets to be done, N.O.W.

It feels good when you notice, how things improve over time. Could be your gums, could be the storage box you keep under the fridge.

Overexerted Under the Sign of Virgo

We are back from a weekend in the mountains, the 2nd of 4 skimountaineering-courses. Everything went fine, no broken bones, lots of chill factor during the first, short tour and nice weather on the 2nd day.

Paula attempting ski-ikebana

Whilst others put on the fake-furs on the skis to walk up the hill, I decided to carry them on the back, the backbag is supposed to carry skis, somehow ...

My backbag contains 1 litre of tea, 1 hooded down gilet, 1 fleece pullover and lots of MARS-bars. After excessive cookie-baking and eating around Christmas, the mountains are the only place where I allow myself to eat chocolate. You need lots of energy when I walk up a mountain through the snow.

Later we all had our skis where they belonged, on our feet.

Before entering the spruce forest.

Half an hour later we reached the larch forest. We learned how to chose the right track on a mountain.

You can tell by the way the trees grow, Mr Paula did not turn the camera in order to make this hill look steep. This hill was steep.

The larch forest was way more comfortable than the spruce forst, less branches on eye-level. We knew we would ski down the mountain we climbed. In the end I channeled my cat-me and looked down the steep hill, not really daring to go down. I can sooooo understand all the cats meowing on any roof/tree/...

In the end we made it down, and I forced Mr Paula to take this photo, so I could show you where we went down. I wish we would have chosen the lighter part in the centre of the photo, the part that ressembles a slope. But we did not. Because we were trained how to avoid expositions where avalanches might come down.

Back home, sitting on the couch I needed to talk it over, why I felt so overexerted. Mr Paula mainly saw the up-side: we made it, and yes, I can make it. No, he did not have fun, downhill in the forest but he was glad we got the chance to exercise this part of skimountaineering.

Imagine yourself going Schuss through this forst!

I still felt overexerted. Mainly because I lost controll once over my skis and went "Schuss", something that I consider an abolute No-No, to lose controll over your skis at any time. Moon under the sign of Virgo(control, safety) is probably not the perfect day to enjoy risc and fun because that's when I end up picturing some scenarios including me, trees and some blood.

All photos: Mr Paula

What a Waste

This is not a dark-chocolate roll, filled with hazelnut cream.

This is what is left of a bottle of Giorgio Armani Maestro Mascara after 2 years. I admit, I use mascara way beyond the recommended expiring date which is said to be 4 months. Since I did not notice any deterioration of performance I did not see a reason to throw it away. Now that I follow Lisa Eldridge's words, I ended the relationship with this mascara. And since I am a Water Rat (born in the year of the Rat /element Water), I am curious by nature. The saw-tooth knife did a good job, within a few seconds the bottle was open and as you can see, there still was a lot of mascara left – after 2 years, using only this mascara on a regular, not daily basis.

Dear Cosmetic Companies,
why not sell smaller packaging sizes?

EDIT:
I just opened my mail:

The answer to the question above is: they don't sell smaller sizes, because they give them away for free. The sample size is actually my perfect size. No doubt I will get one of those samples and probably use it for the next months.

Letting go ... Clutter and High Spirits.

Hehe. Who hasn't jumped on the bandwagon of de-cluttering?

In case you misinterpret the picture, this is AFTER de-cluttering:

This small kitchen shelf was an easy task. Both shelves had been filled with cook books. I pulled them all out on the working surface to look over them.

These are ready to go: some books and lots of loose recipes

As a result, the orange-press and the thermos fit in the shelf and don't waste any space on the working surface any more.

Not every clutter leaves as easy as loose recipes. What to do with a letter you received long ago, from a friend who bowed out of my life, much to my regret. This letter epitomises everything we stood for. Exuberance, at large. Today we live different lives, but what to do with the letter?

I remember the day the letter arrived. The letter did not fit into my mailbox, the postman had left a yellow notification in my mailbox and I picked up the tray/letter at the post office). On my way home I read it on the train. I was not the only one who smiled, the people around me smiled, too, when they saw me, the student, reading an eagerly-awaited tray from her friend away from home. Actually this isn't a letter, more a postcard. What could I possibly lose if I gave it away?

Hints of Spring

Vienna was experiencing unusual high temperatures during the last week (-13°C).

Which colour says "spring"?
No, not blue as seen in the picture below. This is just a starter for today's posting.

This is how I start my day. No way, you would rather stay in bed:

Recently, while reading other people's blogs, I noticed that picture-titles below the pictures aren't practical at all. From now on, I will place the title on top of each photo. Due to scrolling-reading, which differs from book/paper-reading, some layout-rules don't apply anymore. I was wrong (thinking, below would be the proper place).

Back to the mild climate and 13°C .... it did not take long and I started seeing spring everywhere:

one ingredient of a late pasta-dinner:

After 15 years I said good bye to the soap dish in the bathroom. Had enough of the stains every second day inside the dish. Liquid soap it is!

First I intended to buy the figue-soap by Savon de Marseille, but since I am on the green wave, I could not resist the Verveine. And I can tell you, the scent is divine!

Spring = Skirts = Tights

Good old Palmers - they have been redesigned and Libelle (the cheapest 20DEN tights you can find) don't come in this wrapping any more:

Skirts = Shirts = Ironing

Ah, the best way to start a fresh day:
Ready, Refill and ... Plug:

With Shu Uemira, "Moisture" comes in green:

Ok, maki edo does not count as green but since I fall for wabisabi, and it is a nice bridge from the Shu Uemura above, it is in.

The remains of a high end shop-bag - ready for salvation army. Just the paper bag, not the purse!

In case you enjoyed the hints of spring, you will love this:
http://sundayinbed.blogspot.com/2011/02/fruhlingserwachen.html
Beate is the best "photo-picker" I know so far :-)

Speaking of bloggers - the moment you post a funny, beautiful and entertaining posting, please let Louise know! She is ended up in the hospital (!!!) shortly after Yasi had hit her house. Now she has lots of time and a laptop with her.

Have a nice day!

EDIT:

I almost forgot the oldest green:

He was a gift from my first babysitter, '74 probably. No Steiff-bear for me but bell-bottoms and lots of chest hair. Over the years the cotton went down into his legs and he became a small chested bear.

Likes and Dislikes (1)

I like the King of Queens.
The show is old, the plot is simple but it's fun to watch! Nice cast.


I don't like it when staff at the bakery squeezes the Pain au Chocolat or Croissant brutally with the tongs and the poor, former fluffy pastry ends up flat in the paper bag.

intact Croissant to the right

I don't like walking behind a smoker in the street when I am trying to catch some fresh air after work on my way home.

I like watching birds jumping around in treetops.

I like watching birds in general. And of course listening to their chitchat.

So much for today.
Have a wonderful weekend!

The journey through Likes and Dislikes continues here.

Soignée and Neat for 70 EUR

This morning I ended up with this: A basket full of goodies:

The skin perfector was the reason I visited the E-Shop in the first place. And I ended up with a full basket. This basket costs approx. 70 EUR. I could live without the moisturising booties, the rollers and the pop-up-brush. But not without the Becca shimmering skin perfector.

Friend G and I used to discuss how easily we spend 70 EUR these days. Too easy. This vicious Euro, we lost the sense of of the amount of money and value we spend, due to the "new" currency. What was 500 Schilling before is now 35 EUR. 500 Schilling was something you would keep for days in your wallet.
So the reason I am posting is posting today is that I dislike the easiness how willing I am to "just spend" 70 EUR.

Oh, how these items promise a neat, soignée and well-groomed appearance.
What to do?

PS: The rollers are my - hopefully ! - last attempt (the velcro and the velvet ones did not work out at all (velcro pulled the curls out when removing the rollers, velvet shedded velvet all over the floor and the hairstylist says, they will always shed ...). I know I look better with my straight hair, but still!

You Can Tell Christmas Season is Finally Over ...

Late November I opened my best-ever Christmas Season by cancelling a project at my 2nd job. I have received a lot of quality time in return. Now it's Feb 1st and I am back to double-duty.

During daytime I am Paula C Kent ...

Ordinary printer in an ordinary office

And at night I become Super MC Paula ...

A cheapo H&M cosmetic pouch provides the professional appearance.
(The fake-fur is a wind-shield. )

Marie Curie does her best and tries to stop me ...

"No, please, stay with me! Don't go working late!
Lets have a good time and stay at home!"

The red herring aka necklace from H&M is a nice try.
Those innocent eyes, who could resist them.

So, in case you wonder why post infrequently these days, I probably had a long day at 2 jobs and am right now hanging out with Mr Paula and a cup of tea.