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.