Five Easy Clear Skin Tips

A friend of mine presented me with a problem. "My face keeps breaking out," she said. "I think it's just stress, but it's stressing me out!" I have never really and truly struggled with my skin except the occasional breakout when I've particularly slacked in the skin care department. So, I had to brainstorm. What was I doing right that she wasn't? Was there any way to help her? She washed her face and used over-the-counter medications on the blemishes. So, what to do?!

1. DON'T poke, pinch, prod, or prick!!!
Your fingers, no matter how clean you THINK they are, ARE FILTHY! When you try to clear up your skin my squeezing the blemish, you're really depositing thousands of tiny bacteria that will only make more blemishes or, worse, cause a full on infection. As tempting as it is, HANDS OFF. You are much better off using a treatment rather than trying to murder the little booger yourself. Additionally, watch where you put your hands when you're bored. Are you breaking out on your chin? Chances are good that you rest your hand there when you're thinking or tired or bored.

2. Just say no to desert. Your skin hates to be dry just about as much as you hate to be the last one to hear the office gossip. When you wash your face, the cleanser has a tendency to pull away all the good oils with the gunk. Then, your skin works overtime to keep itself hydrated. The problem is that the oils it produces can cause dirt to be trapped in your pores. Hello, concealer! To ward off the Zit Fairy, use a noncomedogenic moisturizer daily every time you wash your face.

3. Wash thine pillowcase. Even if you wash your face every night (and let's be honest, ladies, you don't) your face still creates oil and, if you have nightmares about missing out on a sale at your fave store, sweat. All of that is soaked up by your pillow protector like Jersey Shore boys soak up summer rays. The extra step of throwing in your pillow case with your weekly laundry will save you days of headache trying to clear up the pimples not washing it can create.

4. Cleanse your communication devices. By the same token, your phone harbors bacteria. Once or twice a week, wipe that baby down with an antibacterial wipe. That means cell phones and desk phones. This is especially important if you share a phone with others. Yes, your mom taught you to share, but I'm pretty sure that stopped at germs.

5. Antibacterial creams are your friends. If you wind up getting a blemish AND you forget rule number one, treat this situation like you would a wound anywhere else on your body... because that's what it is. You've broken down the bacteria's defenses (living comfortably in your skin), but you've also broken down your defenses (your epidermis). Help your face out by sending in the special forces - antibiotics. At night, when it's just you and your secret NKOTB PJs, smear some Neosporin on the open pimple and cover it with a Band-Aid. A couple nights of this kind of TLC should make you right as rain.

Picture Arranging with ZERO Measuring

I'm a stickler for perfection. Given the chance, I will over think things into oblivion. So, when it comes to things that should me more organic, I try to leave my neurotics at the door and allow my eye to take over.

I decided to replace the picture above my couch which was disproportionately small (and from an ex-boyfriend) with pictures of my family and friends. I'm a bit of a picture frame hoarder, but it's not hard to come by unique picture frames at thrift stores and, if the color isn't just right, you can always paint them like DulceCandy87. I decided I wanted a more eclectic look with metallics and colors to match my vintage-y living room.

First, choose a color theme and a general feel for the frames. Mine was easy because my living room is all subdued reds and sage-y greens with darker finishes in the wood and leather couch. Everything else is kept neutral. My husband have an inordinate amount of items passed down to us for people this young. I have old books from my dad and grandmother. He has vintage bottles worth more than I care to think about because they could break so easily.

Next, you have to "measure" the space. For this, I took painter's tape and marked off the area I planned to use for the pictures. This also helps you get a good feel for how much visual space the grouping will take.

Now, move that box to the floor.  This will work on carpet or hardwood or tile or linoleum.  It's even better if you can clear a space directly in front of the area you're going to hang the pictures.  Again, it's just a better visual for how you want to arrange them.

I would next choose a focal point.  Is there a particular picture you want to use as the center or, in my case, a non-photograph item?  The sign I'm using is from our wedding and it just happens to match our living room, too!

For my eclectic look, I decided to separate the dark frames first. I tried just arranging them by eye first and I ended up with half of the grouping being dark and half being light.  I needed a bit more science behind it. Place the dark picture frames (or whatever style picture frames you happen to have that stick out) in a spaced out way around the center object and inside the painter's tape rectangle. If you're using frames that are all the same color, you might want to do this with the ones that have a thicker frame or the ones that will be hung sideways/vertical.

Finally, fill in the other areas with the remaining frames.  I started with the metallic ones so that they wouldn't be right up next to each other.  Then, I went with the colored/brighter frames. Lastly, I placed the neutral frames.

Before you hand them on the wall, play around with the arrangement till you're 100% happy.  This might take a bit... and a cup of coffee, Wheel of Fortune, a few rounds of Angry Birds, a long call with your husband who's on his way back from Houston, and multiple battles with your dogs over who actually owns this floor space you're using.

Perfect?  110% happy?  TAKE A PICTURE! Use your cell phone or your camera to snap a good shot of how you have them laid out.  You could always sketch it, but it's so much easier with technology.  This will serve as a reference with you go banging nails in your wall.

Use the picture to hang the... er... pictures.  It's probably best if you put them up in the order you arranged them on the floor - focal point first.

Et voila!

Now, go get another cup of coffee and work on the laundry...