What's Today's Date?

I’ll admit that I can be a bit obsessive about some things. Watches are one of them. I really don’t know where my watch fascination came from, although I can always remembering wearing one since when I was in high school. My very first watch is one that my Dad purchased for me. It had a brown leather band with a mother of pearl face and roman numerals for the numbers. (And believe it or not I still have the watch in my jewelry box)

Well, I believe my watch fascination has turned into a ‘problem’…

Earlier today when I glanced down at my watch, I noticed that the date was set to the 18^th. Even though I didn’t have any idea what today’s date was, I didn’t think it was the 18^th. So, I proceed to look at my cell phone and realized that today is the 13^th. The 13^th?!?!

Hard to see, although it does say the 18th

So, this means I haven’t worn this particular watch in several months since the date has skipped ahead by 5 days!

Geez…

And truth be told, I have 5 watches. (And you might be wondering why anyone needs five watches) Each one has a different function…dressy, casual, gold versus silver.

I know, probably not real justifiable reasons, huh?

The Fresh Market

A few years ago when I worked in Virginia Beach I was introduced to The Fresh Market and it quickly became one of my all-time favorite grocery stores! To be honest I probably like it better than Whole Foods, Central Market and Trader Joe’s. I mean, each of those specialty stores have unique things that I like, but all around The Fresh Market is AWESOME!

Lucky for me I realized there is The Fresh Market where I am currently on assignment at! I happened to find it trying to locate a store that carries Noosa yoghurt (one of my recent favorite food finds!). And while there, I found all types of goodies….

Of course, Noosa yoghurt …

 Some wonderful prepared salads that I can eat for dinner….

How could I pass up granola brittle? Since there’s granola in it, it has to be good for me, right?

Not the best looking picture but the granola brittle is wonderful!

And then finally one of my favorite tea drinks (and if you're lucky enough to have an Argo Tea Cafe in your area I am so jealous!) …

So if you ever see The Fresh Market I highly recommend that you check it out…you won’t be disappointed!

Pureology

Anyone who reads my blog probably has figured out that I like to shop and enjoy trying new things. Well, I have recently refound an old favorite that has made my Shannon's Picks list…Pureology!

It has probably been over a year since I have personally washed my hair. And before you get too wigged out, 1) African Americans typically don’t wash their hair every day and 2) I typically go to a salon to have my hair wash and styled every one to two weeks.

Anyhoo…

While on my current work assignment, and having a lack of available resources, I decided to wash my own hair. After a trip to Ulta (and $200 later) I was ready to tackle my do. I decided to pick up Pureology shampoo and conditioner since it has an exclusive AntiFade complex which is good for color treated hair and relaxed hair. I also had a previous stylist who used the Pureology line in her salon. Wow, did I forget how wonderful it is!

Photo Credit: http://www.pureology.com/systems/hydrate

While using the Hydrate Shampoo I noticed how great it was for detangling my hair. I could easily get my fingers through my hair to really get to my scalp. And the conditioner…double wow! I have a dry scalp and I could really feel the Hydrate Condition working on my scalp. There is peppermint in the conditioner that created a tingling sensation on my scalp. After leaving the conditioner on while I finished showering my hair soft and silky when I rinsed it. And I finished things off by using the Fortifying Heat Spray before blow drying my hair and using my Instyler.

So if you’re looking for a new shampoo and conditioner, I think you can’t go wrong with the Pureology line of products!

Do you have any styling products that you love and would recommend others to try?

The Eyebrows Have It

When I’m on a work assignment, sometimes my personal maintenance suffers. I mean, I can’t just go to just anybody to have my hair done or waxing services completed! So one of the great things about being in Indy for a work assignment is that The Eyelash Place is still open!

Now from the name you probably wouldn’t think that eyebrow waxing takes place there, but it does. Back in 1997 when I first moved to Indy was when I started getting my eyebrows waxed by someone who understands that having great eyebrows is an art form. Before then, I would tweeze them myself or go to someone who would over wax them. But after I learned about the wonderful world of eyebrow grooming, I never looked back!

I never realized how much eyebrows play a part in framing ones face. (Now of course I know that a uni-brow doesn’t do anyone any good!) My eyebrows have a good natural arch, although they do require some TLC to stay looking great. Lynn at The Eyelash Place was the first person that did more than just waxing….in addition to waxing away my wayward hairs, she tweezed superfine, hard to see hairs (did I mention she wears super microscopic goggles?), and also trimmed and shaped my eyebrows with scissors. The end result is nothing short of fabulous…perfectly framed and well-maintained eyebrows!

After living in Indy for 8 years and having wonderful eyebrows, you can imagine my sadness when I relocated to Cincinnati, Ohio for my company. Although I tried and tried and tried many salons for eyebrow grooming, they all paled in comparison to The Eyelash Place. I would even break down and make special trips to drive 2 hours to Indy to get my eyebrows waxed!

Then one day the eyebrow gods smiled on me…

They sent me to Jenny, the Eyebrow Expert! Jenny was even more fabulous than Lynn at The Eyelash Place and by far the best part of living in Cincinnati (no offense to anyone who might live there!). (Jenny also introduced me to Michele watches - one of my favorite things! - although that’s a story for another time.) Since leaving Cincy nearly 5 years ago, I have been back there once for a work assignment and my love affair with Jenny picked up again, although only for a short time. I keep praying to the eyebrow gods that Jenny is able to open a second location in Dallas...man, I miss her! (And once you read about Jenny on her website, you'll see that she sums up perfectly what eyebrows should be!)

Now, I don’t want you thinking that I fly all over the country just to have my eyebrows waxed! Fortunately, before I moved to Dallas I was there for 3 months on a work assignment. During that time I found Tara who is my current eyebrow artist. Tara keeps my brows looking great when I am in town. And when I return from a work assignment (unless I’m in Indy or Cincy) she’s there to groom my eyebrows back after whomever got wax or tweeze happy and tried to jack them up while I was away from her.

So, if you are ever in Indy, Cincy or Dallas, you’ve got 3 fantastic places to go for your brows!

Drunken Fish

On the first night that I arrived in St. Louis, I took a list of recommended restaurants from the front desk representative at my hotel. Almost immediately, I decided on a restaurant named Drunken Fish, which sounded like a Japanese restaurant. As I started to drive there, I began to second guess my decision...I really, really wanted some good sushi, and I was going to be soooo disappointed if this was garden variety sushi. So against my better judgement I continued on.

When I arrived the restaurant hadn't open yet, I decided to wait 20 minutes until it did. And am I glad that I did!

First plus is that Happy Hour is offered daily three times: 11 am - 12 pm; 5 pm - 7 pm and 10 pm to close. For Happy Hour there was an assortment of appetizers, speciality rolls, traditional rolls, nigiri, and adult beverages offered at half price to choose from.

Everything sounded good so I decided to try a hodge podge of things: lobster spring roll, white tiger roll, and sticky fries. And here's what that goodness looked like:

White Tiger Roll

Although I don't have a picture of the lobster roll (I took the first bite before I knew it and it was gone quickly!) it was AWESOME! It was a spring roll stuffed with lobster, cream cheese, jalapenos, asparagus and masago with honey wasabi dipping sauce. The spring roll was warm and creamy, and felt like it melted in my mouth. And the honey wasabi was wonderful! The honey kind of cooled the wasabi and gave it a light touch of sweetness to compliment to spring roll.

About the time I finished the spring roll, the sticky fries and white tiger roll arrived. I love, love, LOVE sweet potatoes, and the sticky fries were home-cut Japanese sweet potatoe fries, caramized in sweet syrup and black sesame seeds. O.M.G!!! The white tiger roll consissted of calamari tempura, crab, avocado and massago, topped with white tuna, spicy mayo and eel sauce. YUMMY!

Sticky Fries

Well you can probably tell that I throughly enjoyed my meal. I definitely give this restuarant two thumbs up and highly recommend Drunken Fish to anyone who goes to the St. Louis area and is looking for phenomenal siushi in a hip atmosphere. And to confirm just how much I enjoyed the restuarant, I found myself there AGAIN two nights after my first visit!

Red Dragon Roll and Caterpillar Roll - YUMMO!!!



http://www.drunkenfish.com/#home

Buddha Bowl

I’m certain by now it’s no surprise that I enjoy shopping (Probably a little too much sometimes). Well, today my Buddha Bowls arrived in the mail!

Who doesn't love a cute box?

It’s kind of a looong story about how I found these bowls, but here it goes…

Somehow I came across an online website called OpenSky. I honestly have no idea how I came across this website, and this could be a case of which came first – the blogger or the website! Well on the website, I could select different people (who become my team) whose online store I wanted to follow. The ‘team' then selects items that they like to showcase in their store. Well I came across a blogger, Kath, who is a registered dietitian and writes a food blog (more on her wonderful food blog later!) and decided to follow her. And this is how I found the Buddha Bowls!

Every now and then OpenSky will give me store credits (I’m sure it’s just a marketing ploy to entice me to make a purchase. And it worked!). After I received a store credit for $10, and I decided to use it to purchase a set of Buddha Bowls. First, I love dishes that are ceramic or made of stoneware. Second, I love unique items and these bowls seemed to be a cool way to eat soup or drink tea or coffee. Thirdly, seeing Kath’s delicious looking creations in the bowls definitely sold me!

See how easy it is to hold the bowl in the palm of my hand?!

Although I have only had ramen noodles in my bowl, I love them! I love the way I can slip my thumb in the handle and then hold the bowl in my hand. The warmth from the bowl just feels comforting and makes me want to snuggle up on my couch in a big blanket! OK, about Kath’s blog….

Kath is an awesome blogger who post several times a day at Kath Eats Real Food. She posts mainly about what she cooks and eats, the bakery that she owns, and remolding her home. Kath is also a great photographer and her pictures will immediately draw you in! And if you like unique plates, bowls and glasses, you will love what she presents her food items in. What I like is that Kath is into healthy eating, although when you look at the items you might not initially think that they are good for you. Overnight oats are one of my favorite things to make. Ah ha… I just figured something out!

The blogger came first! I follow another blog in which the blogger wrote about overnight oats and referenced Kath’s blog. That’s how I first located Kath’s blog. Then once I found out about OpenSky, it was nice to see a familiar name listed and I decided to follow Kath’s online store there. So hopefully you’ll take the time to check out Open Sky and Kath’s blog. Just don’t do it on an empty stomach! You’ve been warned…

Ah, Sephora

Today I made a long overdue trip to Sephora – the make-up, skincare, lotion and potion wonderland. For me, Sephora is one stop shopping for anything beauty related. And the best part is that I can test whatever I want to purchase before I actually make the purchase. (Well, today the best part was probably that I had a Sephora gift card that was burning a hole in my pocket) Which brings me to today’s testing excursion…nail polish!

For the most part, I don’t have a nail polish collection at home. I get mani’s and pedi’s on a regular basis and I typically select a color from the salon that I go to. Couple of problems with that: 1) I tend to wear the same colors over and over again and 2) if I chip a nail I don’t have the color at home to do a quick touch up. So today I decided that I would find a signature color to wear for the rest of the winter months. After trying on about 15 different colors (thankfully there was a wonderful and conditioning nail polish remover handy), I finally landed on a Sephora for OPI color named ‘Metro Chic’.

I like it because it is a neutral color that should go with just about anything that I am wearing. And to me, it is kind of grayish with a purplish undertone to it (and then again, I could be becoming colorblind) which seems to be pretty popular right now. (I am happy to announce that Sephora lists the color as ‘opaque dark smoke with a hint of purple’, so I wasn’t too far off with my description of the color!)

Other purchases for the day were a new blush brush and Urban Decay eye primer. (Since I have spoken about this amazing product before, I’ll have to later this week!) And the second best part of the Sephora excursion was that after using my gift card, it only cost me $1.42…winning!!!

Magnolia Bakery Cafe

Last year when I was on assignment in Pasadena, TX I found a wonderful lunch spot called Magnolia Café and Bakery. They have wonderful sandwiches, salads, soups, and I would be remiss if I left out their desserts…FABULOUS! So yesterday as I was driving around between appointments I decided to stop at the location in Lewisville, TX.

For the past week or so I have been in hot pursuit of a ham salad sandwich. And believe it or not, you can’t find ham salad sandwiches everywhere. There are TONS of varieties of chicken salad (and anyone who knows me knows that I do not eat chicken!) and tuna salad in grocery stores, but ham salad seems to be a rarity. So when I saw the sign for Magnolia Café and Bakery I knew my craving would be satisfied.

I had some great ham salad on whole wheat bread along with kettle chips and a side of sliced carrots. But the ultimate ending to my lunch was the homemade Coca Cola Cake that they make. The cake sits on the dessert counter in a pan that looks like it came from my grandmother’s kitchen. The cake is about 2 ½ inches thick and is covered with some type of fudgy, chocolate icing…yummy!

If you are ever in the Houston or Dallas areas you won’t be disappointed (or hungry!) if you find Magnolia Café and Bakery!

Barnes and Noble Nook

After many weeks of waiting my Barnes and Noble Nook finally arrived!

Last Fall I was contemplating purchasing an Amazon Kindle 2. Believe me, this was a big decision since I am definitely old school when it comes to books: I like to touch books, feel the pages between my fingers, and you can’t beat that new book smell. But after I had a chance to play around with a friend’s Kindle, I was like I love it!

Well, right about that time Barnes and Noble announced that they would be introducing their own eReader, Nook. And being the diehard B&N fan that I am, I had to wait until the Nook made its debut to make my final decision.

Some of the pros that I liked about the Nook are:

1. It has a color, touch screen.

2. When you are in a B&N store you can download a book to your Nook to read just like you would pick up a regular book from the shelf to read.

3.You can lend your eBooks to other people.

(To be honest, there are a lot of similarities between the Nook and the Kindle; for me the choice just came down to a brand that I was familiar with.)

Now the downside to obtaining the Nook was the waiting! I did have to wait about a month until my Nook shipped. I also picked out a cute cover for my Nook but it is still on backorder. So hopefully it will be here one day soon.

Stay tuned for more updates on my Nook! If any of my readers has a Nook, pleae let me know what you think about it too.

The Fresh Market

While on a work assignment in Virginia Beach, Virginia I had the pleasure of being introduced to The Fresh Market speciality food store. When I heard the phrase 'They have an entire row dedicated to trail mixes!' I knew that I had to check it out!

True to my friend's word, The Fresh Market has at least 20 different types of trail mixes (Sweet Carolina is one of my personal favs) in addition to about another 20 speciality mixes. And if a store has good, fresh banana chips, it definitely ups their ranking with me!

Just when I thought I had already died and gone to heaven, I found the most wonderful snack: purple sweet potato chips! I love, love, LOVE sweet potatoes (I have a baked one about 5 times a week!) so when I saw the purple sweet potato chips, I knew I had to try them. I'll admit that the $9.99 per pound price scared me (well, not really) but I had to taste them. And it was love at first bite!
In addition to the wonderful mixes The Fresh Market has, they also have a fabulous prepared food section (really great for people like me that don't always find time to cook, but like to have a healthier food option available).

I also love fresh flowers and you can get an awesome bouquet of flowers for less then 10 bucks!

Bond No. 9

Bond No. 9 is the name of a fragrance collection, as well as the address of its headquarters boutique at 9 Bond Street, in NoHo. The collection was launched as homage to a great city and each fragrance represents a specific downtown, midtown, or uptown locale or a city-wide sensibility.

While in NYC a couple of years ago, I had the chance to smell the Bond No. 9 fragrance collection. I was in the city for a Girl’s Weekend and we were purchasing the fragrance as a surprise birthday gift for a friend on the trip.

About a year or so later I decided to splurge on me and purchased The Scent of Peace fragrance and The Scent of Peace Body Silk. I don’t often use the word ‘splurge’ and ‘me’ in the same sentence because I think I am worth it. But, let’s be honest… spending over $250 on perfume and lotion is a bit much, even for me. (NOTE: the funding for the splurge came from my $750 bingo winnings while on vacation)

Although I really love the fragrance (and let’s be honest, the bottle too!) I have to say that the customer service from Bond No. 9 is first class. Once I made a purchase with them I was given VIP status, which includes:

1) Being the very first to receive free samples of their newest scents, even before they officially debut and

2) Receiving surprise scents on a regular basis!

Now, you might think these free samples and surprise scents are the garden variety type that you receive in Macy’s when you request a fragrance sample. No, no, no! These samples are cute little Bon Bon’s that are a complete .25 FL OZ! Perfect for traveling with and mixing up my daily fragrance choices.

After doing some checking on the Bond No. 9 website their Bon Bon’s cost about $15 each (if you could purchase them individually). To date I cannot tell you how many Bon Bon’s I have received. And you know what? Since my first purchase almost two and a half years ago, I have never purchased anything else from Bond No. 9.

My last kudos to Bond No. 9 is that they also acknowledge that we are in a recession. Throughout the past year they have specials were if you purchase a fragrance and bring in an empty Bond No. 9 bottle (and who wouldn’t save their beautiful empty bottle?) you can have it refilled for free. It doesn’t get much better than that!

Korres Lip Butter and Full Color Gloss

While on a work assignment in a VERY dry part of the country I found myself in dire need of a new lip product to hydrate and moisturize my lips. (When your lips are so dry that you start licking them and then begin to see the start of chapping around your lips, you know they are way too dry and that it is time for an intervention!)

I took this unfortunate situation as an opportunity to visit one of my favorite one stop beauty stores...Sephora! When I was in a Sephora store earlier this year I remembered a friend tried a product that she said felt like heaven on her lips. So I beelined my way right to...

Korres Lip Butter! Even though the label says 'a buttery lip balm that melts on the lips', I had NO idea what I was in store for. When I first touched my lips with the lip butter, I think my lips let out a sign of relief and began clapping. And when the labels says the lip butter melts on the lips, this is not an understatement...it literally did melt on my lips!

I purchased the Guava Lip Butter and not a tinted variety (But I will be back to purchase some of the tinted lip butter!). I thought the Guava would be great to wear to bed and also as a base under my other lip glosses and lip sticks (The website says the guava color is clear, but it is not. It turned my lips a pale shade of white). Within days I witnessed a transformation of my lips back to the smooth, kissable lips that I remembered and missed.

While I was falling in love with the lip butter, a salesperson came over and suggested the Korres Full Color Gloss. He raved about the gloss because it doesn't have the tacky feel that many lip glosses/lip glasses have. My hesitation was that the product is made with cherry oil. And I don''t like cherry flavored anything! But with his insistence I tried the gloss. And guess what? I fell in love for the second time that night!

The Full Color Gloss goes on soooooo smooth and there is no sticky feeling (especially great if you have longer hair and it is a windy day!). To be honest I think I was just being hypersensitive about the cherry flavor...either I have gotten used to the flavor or I now like cherries.

Although I am a loyal fan of another cosmetic line that carries lip glosses/lip glasses, I will be adding the Korres line to my make up bag. At this time the only thing stopping me from letting the Korres line become number one is the limited number of colors.

Item of Note: Upon doing a little more research on http://www.sephora.com/, I realized that the tinted lip butter can also be used on the cheeks to give a natural, healthy glow.