Happy Friday Favorites!

We have a busy weekend ahead of us. We plan on finally scraping the popcorn ceiling in our master bedroom and painting it. Maybe even painting the walls? But the major plan is to get the ceiling done. Then we have a night on the town Saturday evening at PetSafe’s Black Tie & Tails. Can you guess who is going with us?? That’s right – the Dash-man. He has his own tie ready to go too. 🙂

What have you got going on? Either way, hope you enjoy a few of our favorite things of late:

HIS

Game of Thrones: Well, after hearing EVERYONE talk about this show, I finally caved. And boy am I glad I did. I am a complete sucker for epic, grand scale, medieval stories….which is exactly what this is. Excessive nudity & violence aside, this is actually a pretty darn good drama with some compelling storylines and great acting. It has certainly peaked my intrigue and I can’t wait to continue. And yes…I WILL check out the books!

Panasonic Electric Razor: I was on the hunt for a new electric razor. Sure, nothing beats the old fashioned, tried and true razor with some shaving cream, but that takes FOREVER. I have seriously sensitive skin, especially my neck, so I poured over online reviews about which razor to go with. Ultimately I decided on this one and months later, I can say I’m still satisfied. It’s delicate, efficient and leaves a remarkably close shave for an electric razor. So far so good! (it sounds like they paid me…rest assured, they didn’t)

Old School Comfort Food: I have a soft spot for lil’ Miss Guarnaschelli. She’s kinda awesome. But underneath her witty personality is a serious chef. She cooks in a soulful way. A way that can only be learned at home, in a kitchen full of love. But she also has the culinary smarts of a classically trained French chef (which she is).  This is Alex’s first cookbook and it is PACKED with a ton of amazing recipes. Let me just rattle off a few… Sourdough Cinnamon Pancakes, Braised Short Rib French Onion Soup, Roasted Turkey Breast that Reminds Me of Thanksgiving (seriously, that’s the name of the recipe), Sour Cream Pumpkin Pie. I love her recipes in that they don’t take shortcuts. Something I’ve always admired about Alton Brown as well. Growing up in a family where shortcuts weren’t taken, I have maintained this in my later years. Our kitchen is one where shortcuts aren’t taken. And we’re cool with that. This is comfort food to Alex, not to us. So, our idea of comfort food is nothing like hers. There are 75 recipes in this book, ranging from the gourmet Roasted Leg of Lamb with Rosemary down to the simple Apple Crisp, or an iceburg wedge with blue cheese dressing (homemade of course). I leave you with this:

“I can only think of one thing better than enjoying Alex Guarnaschelli’s food in one of her restaurants . . . cooking Alex Guarnaschelli’s food in your own kitchen, preferably while wearing pajamas.”
–Alton Brown

Skinnytaste: Yes, while we have Guarnaschelli’s cookbook (among others) for cooking naughty sometimes, we spend a metric ton of time on Skinnytaste. Because it’s awesome. I love everything about it. I love that it’s a food blog that preaches and teaches healthy, fresh, clean eating and that it makes it accessible. Cooking is not hard, cooking healthy is not hard. Gina has made a living off of that message. And she gets it. She gets how you’re really supposed to eat and has hundreds of tasty recipes to get you there.

HERS

1. The Civil Wars album. This is their 2nd album and it was just officially released Tuesday of this week. It’s actually bittersweet because the band has broken up and this is going to be their last one. 🙁 Joy Williams was quoted as saying, ” If you want to know what happened to the band, listen to the album.” It’s a very moody, emotional set of ballads. Several of them with sad overtones, but still quite lovely and beautiful as we’ve come to expect from them. Dust to Dust is the most telling about the emotion around their breakup. I will be listening to this a lot over the next weeks.

2. Mint bubble necklace. Probably the most popular necklace of the summer. It’s a statement piece in a summery shade of mint green, which has also become the in color lately. I love it because it goes with just about everything and looks great on everyone. It can be dressy or casual. I wear it most with casual dresses to pump them up a bit (maybe with something like my number 3 ;)).  What I also love is that I got mine at Charming Charlie’s for less than $15! You all know how I love a good deal.

3. Lace Skater Dress. I picked this up off the clearance rack at Express when I was looking for a cocktail dress for our event Saturday night. While it’s not dressy enough for that, it is still super cute. The shape of their Skater dress line is flattering on just about any body shape – fitted at the top with a flare at the waste. It’s a little shorter than I normally wear, but the flare of the skirt actually hides that. Bonus – the material is super comfy, soft and stretchy.

4. Bare Escentuals BareMinerals. I don’t like to wear a ton of makeup. The feeling of heavy foundation on my face just isn’t for me. I prefer something lighter. The Bare Minerals line is perfect. It’s all natural and actually good for your skin. It’s just a powder, so it doesn’t feel thick or heavy, but it provides great coverage. I use their original powder in fairly light and the bronzer in lieu of blush daily. Why else it’s great for me? I tend to be too lazy or tired at night to wash my face, so I don’t feel guilty sleeping in something that is good for your face. I suggest getting their starter kit to begin with because it actually is a good deal.

Have a great weekend!