One night, I was feeling fancy, as you do. Maybe not that fancy since I was wearing leggings, a hoodie, and llama socks, but I was heavily using my imagination here. So I wanted to make something sophisticated. And because I’m lame, I went to Martha Stewart because she has dishes that seem elegant but a super lazy person like me can make. You can see how fanciful my fanciness actually was that night. Then I found it. The Persimmon and Brie Crostini. I’d never had a persimmon, but it sounded like something that would be served at a high-class
Author: Kristen Grace
Beauty junkie, food obsessed, and constant wanderer.
On My Playlist: “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” by Elton John
I know what you’re thinking. I’m listening to “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” by Elton John instead of the original Beatles version. Say what?! It’s difficult to pull off a beloved song and do it well. Especially when it’s a Beatles song. But HELLO! Elton John can do anything because he’s a genius. Plus, he makes the song magical for me. It loses the debate of whether its inspiration came from a son’s drawing or an LSD trip. It just is what it is — bursting with color and a universe that can only be translated into song. The
Please Hold Caller
I will be making a trip to Eastern Washington, to a remote area where an internet connection is unlikely. Please forgive me for neglecting any comments. Sometimes though, it does a body good to both unwind and unplug. In the meantime, some posts will go up because I did sorta kinda plan my absence. Enjoy the sun and for those on the east coast and midwest, please stay cool. That heat wave looks vicious.
Chicago on Broadway!
I’m so lucky. I need to stress that. I am so incredibly lucky. My favorite musical of all time is Chicago. The plot line involves a prison full of women who are there because they murdered their significant others. As the musical unfolds, you watch as they build defenses based on lies and try to use the media to their advantage. I love the music, the storyline, Roxy Hart’s devious ways, and Velma Kelly’s attempts to maintain her fame. It’s sexy. It’s funny. And it’s even better live and on Broadway. My significant other might have had concerns about my complete adoration for a story
Tips and Toes
So I’m preparing for another vacation (as if my tour of the eastern seaboard wasn’t enough), but this time it’s off to Eastern Washington. Like many women heading off to sunny lands, I’m dithering over what to paint my nails. Priorities people. Priorities. Otherwise known as first world problems. I’m loving the idea of using these two colors. They just scream summer fun to me! I’m thinking Deborah Lippmann’s Blue Orchid Gel Lab Pro Nail Polish on my fingers. Then adding a pop of orange color to my toes with Deborah Lippmann’s Hot Child in the City. It could work
My Summer Hair Saviors
I like to travel. Sometimes those travels lead me to places with a hot sun, salty ocean waters, or enough heat to cause sweat to cake in my hair. The end of the story is that I tend to get pretty dry hair and that is not cute. It really isn’t. Here is what I like to use to get my hair feeling healthy again. Nobody likes to run their fingers through what feels like straw, amiright?! Olaplex Hair Perfector No. 3 – I haven’t read the ingredients list on this but I’m pretty sure it’s made of magic. It’s
Clare’s Crispy and Spicy Fish Cakes – Not Fish Balls.
I decided to try Clare with the Hair’s Crispy and Spicy Fish Cakes. Let’s put an emphasis on the spicy though, because omg, my stomach cramped up in a fiery mess upon eating these. Not only that, the recipe destroyed my kitchen. We are talking epic disaster. I’m totally someone who cleans dishes as they go along, but for some reason, rampant destruction still ensued. To be fair, the directions weren’t the clearest for someone like me who’s skill in the kitchen borders on basic. I need everything spelled out so clear there can be zero room for error. Otherwise,
Chocolatiere de Victoria, a Shop in Victoria, British Columbia
I got drunk on truffles. You read that right. I GOT DRUNK ON TRUFFLES. That’s not meant to be a metaphor. The truffles I ate were infused with brandy. Taking a bite literally felt like taking a shot of the hard stuff. It made my belly warm, my mouth happy and me tipsy. I’m what you might call a “lightweight”. When in Victoria, British Columbia, this new novel idea was presented to me in the shop Chocolatiere de Victoria as I sniffed for truffles. I had never seen them with alcohol and there were so many options! I wanted one
Cosmetic Ingredient – Cetyl Alcohol
Cetyl Alcohol is a bit misleading. You hear the term “alcohol” and have instant visions of stripped skin and hellacious dryness. No worries here though, cetyl alcohol is not in the same family as those alcohols. You see, those alcohols are related to ethanol. Cetyl alcohol is related to plant oils. Big difference, right? Therefore, products can be sold as “alcohol-free” while containing cetyl alcohol. Confused? Don’t be. Just know that having cetyl alcohol in your makeup and skincare is most likely fine. The thing is though is that cetyl alcohol does come from several different sources. It can be one
An Open Letter to Boston, Massachusetts
Dear Boston To be honest, I have a bias towards you. I have family here so it always gives me warm feelings when I arrive within your city limits. Your city, while holding many monuments, is not a tribute to the past. It is an example of change, progressiveness and revolution. I found myself standing on history while feeling like history is still being made. It was a strange connection to the past and present that I cannot quite communicate in words. 2 hours later, enjoying a downpour! My boyfriend through gritted teeth was saying, “this is not the time