Dirty Little Secret

Rock a blow out for an extra day....I'm all about it! TIJI's Dirty Secret Dry Shampoo will allow you one more day of fab hair with out a wash and smells fantastic! This miracle in a can also adds volume and texture, all while soaking up any excess oils. It's colorless so it works on all hair colors too :)Perfect for after a workout!!

Sold at most salons and also online.

TIJI

Pretty Polish

I hate long fake nails- the acrylic kind. For starters they look, um, fake and they damage your nails. I also cannot stand the commitment of going every so many weeks.

For a long time, I have been getting basic manicures. I love they way the look at first and in just days they are already chipped and looking ratty- that is if I don't mess them up before I get home!

Finally I have found the solution and had to share... Gelish, Shellac, and Axxium.

No, not a foreign language. These a 3 different brands of a similar product that all do the basically the same thing- NO DRY TIME, NO CHIP, and NO SMUDGE. Let me explain....

Each product, is made by a different company, but all will provide a flawless, quick dry manicure that will last about 14 days. Each is applied in a similar fashion- with the color being applied to the nail, hands placed under UV light and like magic you have beautiful DRY nails. As soon as you get them done, you can wash your hands, grab your keys from your purse, and drive home all with no worries of the dreaded nail polish smudge.

The removal can be done by a soak off at the salon or by pealing it off. Again it will last about 2 weeks (by then your nails have grown) and will help promote nail growth (it keeps your nails from breaking). The cost is higher then a traditional basic manicure, but is well worth the no dry time!

For the most part they have a good color selection in the different brands and you can even get french (I did for my wedding and my nails remained flawless throughout my beach honeymoon). Each site provides salons in your zip code that offer the service. I go to my local "Asian" salon who has the Gelish brand and it costs $23 for the application and takes about 15 minutes.

Right now I'm wearing a lovely pink, I believe it's called Pink Smoothie :)

Gelish

Axxium

Shellac

Cheap & Chic

I love deals! I also love when someone compliments something I'm wearing and I can respond with something like, "I got it on sale!"

Today I go this little dress from Forever 21 for $22.80! It hits right above the knee and will be perfect for work with a black blazer....can I just say I am LOVING buying work clothes! No more frumpy police uniforms!

YUM!!

Basil Spaghetti with Cheesy Broiled Tomatoes

I saw this recipe in the Martha Stewart magazine while I was getting a pedi...the mag belonged to the salon so I could not rip it apart to take with me...so I snapped a few shots with my phone!! I made the dish Saturday night for Jason and I and it was quick, only required a few ingredients, and tasted delish!!

Ingredients:

12 ounces spaghetti (I used whole wheat)

1 large beefsteak tomatoes cut into 4 thick slices (Jason picked up from a roadside stand!)

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the baking sheet

kosher salt and black pepper

Fresh mozzarella, grated (low fat Kraft)

Grated Parmesan

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Torn fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving

Directions:

1. Heat broiler. Cook the pasta according to the package directions; drain and return it to the pot.
2. (It took 6 minutes for me)
3. In a small saucepan, warm the oil with the garlic and red pepper over medium heat until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Add the garlic oil, basil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper to the pasta and toss to combine. Serve topped with the tomatoes, additional basil, and shaved Parmesan.

To see the recipe and nutritional info go here to to the Real Simple Martha Stewart Website

Still Domesticated- Just not an officer.....

Well, I don't think I will change the name of the site...first because it seems complicated and second it has a nice ring to it :) For those of you that don't know I'm handing over my badge as I start a new career in sales. The nights, weekends, and holidays in addition to the criminals just took it's toll on me. I wanted to be able to have the time to enjoy life instead of missing it always having to work. The idea of making more money was not so bad either :)

The good thing is I am getting to use time I had saved up to just sit home (yeah right) while I await the start of my new job in a few weeks. I have a to do list that seems a mile long...so hopefully I can get around to knocking it out. Some of those things include selecting the photos for my wedding album, hanging up my necklace organizer (blog post coming on that), organizing my closet, picking paint colors for the walls at our house and so on- all while returning to fall classes at grad school, shopping for new work clothes, and continuing to train for my half marathon :)

 

If it's not a challenge, then it probably isn't worth it.


Oh and I won't have to hear this 100 times a day....

Catonsville Gormet

Let  me just start by saying, "I LOVE THIS PLACE!" and do for several reasons. To start, it's really close to our house and there is a large parking lot. If it's not close to you, well then it's worth the drive.

The place is quaint and although small, it doesn't feel crowded. The inside decor screams beachside restaurant, however it's located right in downtown Catonsville. I just love the wainscoting walls and rustic pictures that adorn the walls. The menu is packed with fresh seafood- entrees, salads, and sandwiches- also a large raw bar selection and dessert menu. Other bonuses: the staff is friendly and attentive and the menu is priced extremely fair. Dress code is casual- it's not white table cloth- but the tables are covered in white market paper.

So good location, menu, decor, and service- what else could you want? How about BYOB? That's right, this establishment has no liquor license and for a $5.00 fee- you can bring your own bottle and they will open, pour, and refill throughout your meal. Forgot to bring a spirit? You are in luck because the liquor store is right across the street!

There is one downside- no reservations- you can call ahead, but no guarantee you will not have to wait. I have always gone on weeknights and never had a problem getting seated right away. If you can't get a table you can always shop their "market" and get your own fresh fish or their delish homemade potato chips to go.

Jason loved the selection of raw oysters. I loved the crab cake entree. On a more recent visit (umm last night, I shared the fried calamari and for my entree had the Coconut Shrimp Cobb Salad- both of which were great tasting and good portion size). My dining companions let me sample their dessert- a heaping slice of a yellow layered and chocolate icing cake- yum).

worth the calories

fresh!

exterior: vintage looking sign

love the bare dark hardwood floors

Catonsville Gourmet is located at 829 Frederick Rd. in Catonsville, MD (DUH) 21228
Their phone number is 410-788-0005 and they are open 7 days a week.

Check them out here at Catonsville Gourmet

Reuse/Repurpose

My aunt Donna is moving and was giving away some of her furniture and I was lucky enough to take some off her hands. I took a collection of 5 different shaped pots all with beachy wicker lids. The pots are a sea foam green with earthy sand colored tones and speckled texture.

She also gave me a picnic table that is a dark wood and has only been used inside (as a sofa table in her conservatory). I took it and planned to stash in our basement for poker games, but loved the bench as a table to hold the pots- which now sits in our sun room.

I love the pots and the bench because they have character. They are not the typical stuff you see in the stores- they look as if they came from world travels (they may have, I didn't ask) and look like they have a history. Best part was they were free :)

close up of one of the pots

Pots sell for big money at major retailers...see this less interesting one from Pottery Barn that sells for $149 and is only 12 inches high....

See: Pottern Barn: Tuscan Planters

MAIL Call

The September FALL issues of both Vogue and Bazaar arrived at my house this week and nearly took up my entire mailbox (Vogue is small at 510 pages compared to Bazaar which is a staggering 758 pages). Combined they weigh exactly 5 pounds (yes I weighed them!)

I should point out I get both mags for free and have for sometime now- I don't really know how....I also get Shape too :)

These mags are full of to die for fashion: bags, shoes, and accessories umm all of which I cannot afford, but offer inspiration none the less. The majority of both mags are ads- including a few for Missoni at Target! (see Missoni at Target)