Pages

8.20.2015

recent beauty faves.



recent beauty faves.


  • I had heard great things about Donna Karan's deodorant, but the price tag always gave me pause--that was until I went to a wedding, danced up a storm and found myself smelling...gross. I went to Sephora and picked it up, and I am never going back to regular drugstore deodorant. Seriously. It's so good that I can still smell it the day after I apply--if you've been hesitating to pull the trigger on this, DO IT.
  • I have no idea where I misplaced my beloved NARS Red Square lip pencil, so I had to buy another--a classic red that's perfect for every season.
  • For a long time I had been using Benefit's brow pencil, but I hated all the resharpening I had to do (so lazy)--I tried Anastasia's Brow Pen and I love it--no sharpening and it lasts all day.
  • Finally I'm really trying to be better about taking care of my skin, so I've been using the Caudalie Detox Mask once or twice a week. It brightens my face in a major way, and I love it. 

8.10.2015

weekend things.

Starting the week off during the summer is the worst--I always feel like we should have a transition day to ease us back into the whole Monday through Friday grind...but since I don't make the rules I suppose I'll play by them...for now.

Seriously, though, I had a great weekend:

I switched out the hardware on MET's dresser, and it made SUCH a difference--who knew $20 would (aesthetically) go so far?

I finally finished painting the upstairs hall in Revere Pewter-- and I'm loving the result.
I had the best margaritas in recent memory during a sister lunch on Saturday.

I matched my clothes to my dog.
MET is off on two-week sailing adventure, so I've been left to my own devices. I had the best time with my sister on Saturday--we hit up the typical suburban locales and made a random stop into LOFT (a place I had not frequented since I stocked up on conservative pantsuits during an internship with the D.C. D.A.'s office circa 2003). I was pleasantly surprised with my purchases (a romper, striped tank dress and frenchie tee for $70) and will definitely check back in for their fall arrivals.

I also spent some quality cocktail/pool time with my parents, which was fantastic--I love being so close and I look forward to more social activities with them this week.

Happy Monday, I suppose...it's here whether we like it or not.

8.06.2015

garlic cheddar beer bread.



Sunday night MET and I grilled a full chicken using this apparatus (highly recommend) and I decided we needed some fresh bread to accompany our meal. I used this recipe, and I think it will definitely be on rotation this fall/winter to go with all of our soups and stews.

What you need:

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. garlic powder
2 tbsp. honey, slightly warmed
1 bottle (12 ounces) beer (I used Samuel Adams Summer)
1 cup shredded cheddar
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted


What you do:

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Grease a bread pan.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and garlic powder. Using a mixing spoon, stir the beer and honey into the dry ingredients until combined. Stir in the shredded cheddar until just combined. (Be careful not to over mix the dough.) Transfer the dough to the pan, and spread it out with a spoon so that it’s roughly level.
  • Bake for 40 minutes. Remove the pan and brush the melted butter on top of the bread. Return to the oven and bake for 10-15 more minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick/knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool for at least 5 minutes. Serve warm.


8.04.2015

blueprint cleanse review.



Why:
As I mentioned yesterday, post-Maine vacation I was feeling rather disgusting so I decided to take the plunge and do a juice cleanse. I had been toying with the idea for a while but my post "try all the clam chowder everywhere" body really sealed the deal. I went with Blueprint: I had heard great things and they also had a special on Gilt City which made the price tag a little easier to justify.

Pre-Cleanse:
I really tried to stick to their recommendations in prepping myself for my juice journey. Around 3 days before I cut out cheese, meat, caffeine and booze and the day before I only ate cucumbers, avocado, melon and vegetable broth. I figured if I was going to really commit to this, I should be as prepared as possible.

The Juice:
I did the 3-day Renovation, which is the "gateway cleanse".

  • 1 and 3 = Green Juice.
    • This consisted of romaine, celery, cucumber, apple, spinach, kale, parsley and lemon. I was most nervous about this one because I am really, really not a green juice kind of girl. But it went down easier than I thought it would--I could really taste the lemon flavor and I thought it was refreshing (although when I got to the second green juice of the day I was far less enamored--it lost its novelty quickly).
  • 2: P.A.M.
    • This was pineapple, apple and mint and I thought it was very sweet...but it was good and I had no problem drinking it.
  • 4: Spicy Lemonade.
    • Lemon, cayenne and agave nectar--it was definitely spicy but weirdly refreshing.
  • 5: C.A.B.
    • Apple, carrot, beet, lemon and ginger--if you like beets (and I do), this was good--very beet-y.
  • 6: Cashew Milk
    • This was the "dessert" of the bunch and had cashew, vanilla, cinnamon and agave. It was kind of like drinking a healthy milkshake.
Post-Cleanse:
The instructions tell you to ease out of the cleanse the same way you ease in, and eat only fruits and vegetables your first day after finishing...but at that point, I needed something more substantial.


I ate a salmon burger with veggies (sans my favorite aioli) and around 6 french fries...and I felt fine (I was worried my system would be shocked by eating real food again, but it was quite happy with lean fish.

The Takeaway:
Overall, I'm glad I did it--I think my system desperately needed a reset, and the fact that I spent so much money on the juice was a huge motivator in finishing. I don't think I lost any weight, but I did feel better and I was more conscious of my food choices after I finished...although I'm not sure I would do it again. I think I could get myself back on track by just eating healthier solid foods after my next vacation food/booze binge.

8.03.2015

hello, august.

Yikes. How is it August?

Here's what went down in July:

Boat cruises at night.

Drinks and classic decor at The Ramp.
Lazy Olive leg.
The best mini lobster roll appetizers.
An absolutely gorgeous wedding.
Country club dinners.
Niece bonding.
I spent the majority of July in Maine--there was lots of boating and drinking and clam chowder eating, and by the time we came back I felt absolutely gross and did a juice cleanse (review to come soon). The month ended with a bit of a shakeup at work, so I'm looking forward to a relatively quiet August with lots of pool time and home projects and little to no drama. I'm saving that for my mama.

Here's to the last (unofficial) month of summer!