Because I like to eat good food...

White Chicken Lasagna
(image courtesy of
http://oneordinaryday.wordpress.com/)

That's really the reason I cook when I do. I don't 'like to cook', but I like the result.  And my husband loves to eat.  So I cook when I can (much less frequently when school is in session), and since I don't cook all that often I like to try a new recipe almost every time. 

We make it a point to eat healthy as a regular course, and Sundays are our pizza (or other junk food) day.  I tried this recipe this past weekend and I will definitely do it again, and while there are no nutritional facts given, I suspect its overall pretty healthy. 

Currently craving...

Do you Etsy?  If you haven't discovered etsy.com yet, you are missing out.  Its like a wonderful land of creativity and, for the most part, loveliness.  Its like the ebay of homemade/handmade items, except its all sales and no auctions.  And I've discovered its a great place for jewelry. Not for gemstones, though you can find them too, but for unique and costume accessories without breaking the bank.  Here are some items I've been eyeing - though I better get to buying before they get snatched up!




Love the aqua shade.  www.etsy.com/shop/jennymasa

Pretty planet...

I stumbled across this link yesterday and was awestruck by some of these images. We live on an amazing planet, and too often we are too busy or disconnected to be aware. Plus, most of these are images from around the world from places most of us will never visit in our lives, so thanksfully there is photography that we can share in the sights.  Below are a few to give you a taste; check out the site for all 50 amazing images.

Soft as butter....

Or is the saying "smoothe as butter?" If so, that doesn't work as well for my point, so I'm making it "soft as butter."  And I'm referring to my hair after using one of the samples from my September Birchbox.  As you may recall, one of the product samples included was Fekkai Shea Butter Shampoo and Conditioner.  The packets were small, but I was able to get 2 uses out of them, and both times my hair was AMAZING.  SO soft, even noticably so while still wet in the shower.

Mist me...

It has been pretty darn hot here in SoCal as of late. Actually, we're used to some summer heat, but its usually a drier heat. This has been a muggy summer. And I don't have A/C in my apartment. Which is usually fine, because we live close enough to the coast to have a steady breeze, and with ceiling fans it usually stays cool enough inside. But lately its been just past comfortable with the temp and the humidity combination.
So I like to keep a misting spray on hand to help cool and refresh me. Its also a good finish to your makeup routine, especially on hot days, because it helps your makeup set and not slip down your face in the heat. There are various options, from just mineral water to water infused with various extras such as botanicals and antioxidants. Here are some that I've tried and like:

Kinerase Hydrating Antioxidant Mist

 

I usually use this one before bed. And I also poured some into a smaller airplane carry-on size spray bottle and take on flights with me to keep me hydrated in the dry airplane cabin air.

Evian Mineral Water Spray

 

This one I usually find in the travel section of Bed Bath & Beyond. The mist is so super fine and light, and I have first-hand experience with professional makeup artists on a movie set using this to help set makeup.

The Body Shop Vitamin E Face Mist

This one I confess I have not tried yet, but it sounds good. Its already in a small travel size bottle, and it says it has a delicate rosewater scent. The very first misting spray I ever tried was years ago by Crabtree & Evelyn, and it was a rosewater refreshing mist. It appears to be discontinued ( I can't find it anywhere) but this sounds like its very similar.

 

For more options, check here. Hope these help you keep cool this summer!

Its like Christmas once a month.....

For the past week I've been waiting for the daily mail delivery around the office in the hopes that my monthly pink box will arrive. Yesterday, the waiting finally ended, as my little box of goodies arrived.
I have so many products (beauty, hair, body...) at home. I don't know how it happened. I never wanted to be one of those girls. I've made a pact to myself (and my husband) that I will use up all the non-daily-necessity products I have before I buy more other products I want to try. And that's mostly the problem: if you hear good things about a product and think it's for you, you usually have to buy a full size (with a coupon, if you can find it). And then if you don't like it very much or it doesn't work as well as you wanted, you're stuck with a full size bottle collecting dust and taking up valuable bathroom counter/medicine cabinet space.

Currently Craving....

Yesterday when I was getting out of the car at home from work, one of my neighbors walking their dog asked me, "Are you a lawyer?" I smiled and said, "No, not yet. But I'm in law school."

"Oh," they replied, "Because you look like one."

I laughed. I'm not sure what about yesterday's outfit was particularly lawyer-ly - a pencil skirt and blouse can be any professional occupation - but I was flattered. For a moment. Then I thought about it and I don't want to LOOK like a lawyer, LOL! I used to get asked if I was a model (I'm tall and slender, and I THOUGHT fashionable). Things have changed, I guess. But I can still dress appropriately for my future profession without "looking" like a lawyer.

So here's some things I'm craving for their professional quality AND fashionability:

Boot hunting.....

This has been an unusually hot summer (at least this past month) in Southern California. So I've been wearing mostly sandals and pumps. But for the past 2 seasons I've been on the hunt for the perfect equestrian-style boot for the fall months. I have a brown and black pair of knee-high heeled boots, but I want a pair of flat boots. But since boots tend to be pricey, I'm searching for that perfect pair that can be casual with jeans on the weekends, and sophisticated and polished enough for work with a skirt. I think I might have finally found that pair.

Charlie Zip by Indigo by Clarks

Dreaming of the Loo...

It's funny how our daydreams change as our lift changes. 10 years ago I was day-dreaming about walking the red carpet in a designer gown, posing for photographers, on my way in to the Academy Awards. Now I day-dream about my ideal bathroom (or any room, for that matter.)
This weekend I spent the good part of a day cleaning the nooks and crannies of my master bath. This type of deep clean was long over due, and while I am happy with the results, its still not the bathroom I want. As a renter you're basically stuck with what you have. I'm trying to figure out some decor/design changes I can make that will pacify me until we can move and buy a place I can customize.

Happy Feet! My first attempt at a DIY rug...

I live in an apartment that I don't plan on being in for many more years, so it's hard for me to bring myself to spend on expensive home decor or furnishings specific to a temporary space. But it is my home for the time being, so I want it to be personalized. I have wanted new rug for the dining area, but rugs are SO expensive. I found this one that I really liked, but it was thousands of dollars.

Sweet Way to Start the Day...

I'm trying to become more organic and home-made with the body products I use. I've also been reminded from various sources that regular exfoliation is good to increase cell turnover and keep your skin young-looking, as well as the importance of moisturization to that same end.

Corrie’s Brown Sugar Body Scrub

I found this recipe for a home made brown sugar scrub, and I have given it a try.

Quick! A Sale!

If you've never heard of ELF Cosmetics, let me introduce you. ELF stands for Eyes Lips Face. And what better way to try a new products than with a 50% off sale! I wouldn't buy all of their products, but their studio line is pretty good, and its 50% today and tomorrow on orders over $20. (Use the code STUDIO50.)
Some of my favorite products:

e.l.f. Studio Makeup Mist & Set

e.l.f. Studio Kabuki Face Brush

e.l.f. Bronzer

e.l.f. Studio Lip Definer & Shaper

Currently Craving...

Pinterest is good and bad for my pocketbook. Often, I satisfy my shopping urge just by browsing and then adding to my Style Board. But then I go back to my style board and buy things! Although I have to admit, Pinterest has saved me from purchases that I would have made had I not had the option to pin it, then to not really be that in to the item when I went back a few weeks later to look at my style pins. So its like a test. Pin it when I think I want it, and then go back in a few weeks and if I still want it (and it's still available) then its not a bad purchase.

It takes a good foundation...

I humbly admit that I was blessed with pretty good skin. The only acne I really have had to deal with coincides with a certain week every month, but its nothing bad and it passes and for the most part I have weeks of good skin. I started using the Mary Kay skin care system in my early 20s, and have been happy with that. As I've gotten older, the usual effects of aging are starting to show (granted, I'm only 32, but I spent my years in highschool out on the track field in Southern California without sunscreen - shame!) I've got a few spots that are appearing darker, and a few wrinkles that stay around when I stop smiling. My husband is constantly telling me to stop crunching my brow when staring at the computer or reading a book (my eyes are fine, its just that when I'm concentrating I crunch.) So I'm always looking for a good product that makes a difference when I use it and doesn't cost a fortune.
Thus, I have joined the happy family of users of BB Cream.