flying high

In the spirit of Mad Men, a new show jumped onto the scene on Sunday.  Pan Am on ABC.
Catch the episode online if you missed it.
http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/pan-am

Watching the first show painfully brings to light how wonderful flying once was.  Full bars, fine dining, ample seat room, lounge areas, and complete customer service (including pillows and blankets).  No TSA, no full body scans, no cramped quarters, no starving passengers.  Ahhh, the good old days.

The Pan Am flight attendants were true pioneers.   Jet setting around the world, when most women their age were settling for "what was expected of them."  Although still having to conform in the ways of the company, they were living life to the fullest. 

Oh, and am dying to have one of their carry on bags.  You are never going to believe what I found! 

Explorer Bag ~ 89.

Round Wash Bag ~ 45.

 Luggage Tags ~ 11.

Passport Cover ~ 24.

 

These treasures, and many others, are available online. 

http://www.panam.com/

lunching with Grace

Remember last Friday afternoon?   80.  Sunny. Wonderful.

I totally lucked out and was able to sneak in a lunch date with a girlfriend.  She picked Grace Kitchen in Seattle's University Village and it was perfect.  Totally understated, but perfectly decorated.  Grays and whites instantly calm you as walk in.  The staff was extremely happy and friendly.  And the menu was unique and interesting.  I love it when a menu offers new twists on old favorites.

For instance, Grace Deviled Eggs.

Grace Deviled Eggs~ eggs stuffed with salmon, sour cream and herbs. 

Those eggs were deelish! (I could have used a few more exclamation marks, but I resisted.  My husband shared with me that I may overuse them?)  We shared 3, but I could have easily eaten all of them myself! 

The menu offered many choices.  Here were a few that popped out at me:

1. Chutney Burger ~ grass fed beef, beecher’s cheddar, bacon, onion chutney, lettuce 
2. Spicy Tomato Almond Soup
3. Mac and 4 Cheese ~penne pasta, parmesan, gruyere, fontina and beecher’s cheddar, sage and oregano

Great options for a date night too:

1. Meatball Hero ~ classic italian meatballs, marinara, grilled peppers and parmesan cheese
2. Grilled Flat Iron Frites ~ chimichurri, wilted spinach, served with pomme frites
3. Linguini and Manilla Clams

After my lovely lunch, I read some reviews online.  Not  many were glowing but I say it is definitely worth a try.  I will to back to Grace Kitchen.  I might even invite my husband.
Check out the whole menu at http://www.grace-kitchen.com/

Never met an UGG I didn't love

Time to tumble into fall.  I have been waiting and waiting to wear my new UGG boots.  Not that I want our warm September to disappear too quickly, but I DO have something to look forward to when it turns cooler.

UGG 'Lynnea' Ankle boots. 

The perfect combination of warmth, clogs, and comfort.  A little protective suede spray (I do live in the rainy PNW) and these are going to be the winter equivalent to the summer flip flop.  These totally fit my life...but if I had a different life my go-to boots would be different.....

If I was a business girl with a bit of edge. 

UGG 'Aniela' (a mere $995!)

If I was fashion forward girl,  and 'casual' Saturdays actually looked different from my M-F wardrobe.

UGG 'Capera'

If I was a glamazon.

UGG 'Vittoria' (ONLY $1,195)

Like shoes in general, one can not have too many pairs of boots.  Loved seeing all the ladies out and about this week sporting their new fall boots.  I. can't. wait!  Happy Friday.

secrets to housewife happiness

 

How do you make a housewife happy?  Here are some ideas:

1. Surprise date night.  Everything planned, including finding the sitter.
2. A love note sent in the mail on a random Tuesday.
3. Coffee and her favorite pastry in bed.
   

OR could it be as easy as buying her a fridge for the garage?  This week it is!  Look what arrived at my house yesterday.  Isn't she gorgeous?  All 18.2 cubic feet of her.

Keeping it real simple around here.
(The aforementioned would also be accepted!)

spelling t-e-s-t-s

Well, it's Monday!  For most children in elementary school, that means there will be a weekly spelling list coming home today.  Cue dramatic music....dun, dun. dun.  Some may know all the words today, but others will have to do a bit of studying.

The task of practicing spelling words can be monotonous at best.  So why not jazz it up with some technology magic?  I have two ideas that work great in our house.

1.  Spelling City
http://www.spellingcity.com/

Easy, interactive website that allows you to enter your child's weekly list.  Your kids can practice their words during the week with activities using the week's words.  The website can even give them a practice test for you. 

2.  Magnetic Alphabet Lite- app for your iPad

FREE!!

 Remember alphabet magnets for your fridge? This is the updated version.  Kids easily drag the bright letters from the bottom of the screen to spell their words.  Great for little ones that live in your house too!  Perfect for early letter recognition. 

Hope these help this week! 

it feels great to be normal

I know that you shouldn't say things like, "I am just a normal girl."  Or, "I would love to have a normal family."  Why?  Well, I guess because your normal may not be my normal.  But I will say with the utmost confidence- in comparison to Tareq and Michaele Salahi...I am straight up NORMAL! 

Want a quick ride on this crazy train?  Here we go.....


We first met the Tareq and Michaele when they, "reportedly" crashed a state dinner at the White House in 2009.
Brilliant.

They then, promptly, found themselves in the hot seat.  That hot seat happened to be located in the U.S. Capitol building.  (I am sure they did not calculate that as a risk.)

Next stop...Bravo.

Michaele is cast in the Real Houswives of DC.  This franchise cashes in on the craziness that comes with over indulged women.  As an actual housewife, pretty sure Real Housewives cannot be considered reality TV.  (just my 2 cents).

OH, but the final stop may be the BEST yet.

On Tuesday, Tareq reported his wife missing and suspected that she had been kidnapped after she did not arrive at a hair appointment and called him from a strange phone.  But it now seems that she may have just run off with a rock star.

It appears her new squeeze is Neal Schon, of Journey.  (Not sure that Journey can really be considered a rock band, but that is how they are describing him....a rocker.)  Tareq did not believe the story and thought his wife called under duress to cover for the kidnappers.  He now knows she simply decided to leave him.  Oh. my. goodness.

See what I mean?  We are totally, 100% normal!

totally shellac-ed

 

shellac manicure day 2

After 12, fun-filled weeks of summer everyone in my house is officially back to school.  Totally treated myself to a manicure/pedicure yesterday!  I ventured out and tried something new.  The shellac manicure.  I had read about it, but had not known anyone that had tried it.  Very much like a classic manicure, but refreshingly without the hassle.  The nail shellac containing no formaldehyde or carcinogens is more like a gel coating.  After being exposed to UV light...it is instantly dry!  I did not have to worry about ruining it with a quick movement nor did I need help finding my keys in my purse.  Voila!  Instant beauty treatment that is inclusive to klutzes like me! Washed dishes last night and it is still looking great.  It may last up to 2 weeks.  I will keep you posted on how well it holds up to my "lifestyle".  (If I do it again, I am going to splash out and do a bright color.  Why not?)

Want to give it a try?  I loved the nail salon Patsy James, newly opened at the Sola Salons in Bellevue. Patsy is warm, fun, and a total professional.  While she does offer the shellac manicure, you may also indulge in classic manicures and pedicures.  She uses Butter London polish and lotions.  Plus, not only does she have the latest magazines, she also had the E! channel on inside her nail studio.  One can never be too far from celebrity news!  

http://www.patsyjamesspa.com/

immunity is back up for grabs

Oh, how I long to hear Jeff Probst say those words to me right before an immunity challenge.  Yes, I am a die hard Survivor fan.   But my obsession goes beyond just loving to watch from my couch every Wednesday night.  You see, I actually want to compete on Survivor.  Always have and always will! 

Some of you might find this a bit surprising.  I am not a rough and tumble girl, nor do I live off the land (or even go camping).  But I do love to compete.  The reward and immunity challenges would be the best days on location for me.  What I lack for in size, I make up for with heart.  Put quite simply I do not give up.

Outwit?
I, unfortunately, am not cunning or deceitful.  This poses a very large problem for me. As we all know, those who play with "integrity" are ousted, blindsided, or simply not given the million bucks.  I would have to play the social game like nobodies business.

Outplay?
At the beginning of my quest to be on Survivor I thought I would be the first one voted off.  Why?  My explosive personality would not bode well when surrounded by strangers looking for someone to boot.   However,  these days I am fairly confident I would not be the first to go.  I have a few more years under my belt (and a couple of kids) and I have been able to take charge of my darker side.  At least I keep it fairly well hidden. 

The one thing I still have no physical control over is my brow furrowing.  I have two wrinkles to show for it.  I may not utter a word, but my brows will say it all.  There is a simple solution for that.  Botox.  While not altogether ready to take the leap into cosmetic procedures, Botox would be a Survivor necessity if I want to at least make it onto the jury.  (And let's be honest. If you don't make it onto the jury, no one even remembers that you were on Survivor.)

Outlast!
Bug bites, annoying or disgusting people, rain, cold.  These would all be HUGE obstacles for me to overcome. But, BUT....if I could-  I might, possibly, be the soul survivor!  (Or maybe at least the fan favorite?)

Survivor: South Pacific premiers tonight at 8pm on CBS. 
You know where I will be!

@ west elm

 

Oh, this totally made my Monday!  Spotted this on the back of a West Elm catalog that arrived in my mailbox yesterday.  They are opening a brick and mortar store in South Lake Union, the "new Seattle".  Makes me smile BIG!

just a few of my favorite things......

Lacquer Wood Tray ~ 29.

Owl Measuring Cups ~19.

Martini Side Table ~ 129.

Teacup Measuring Cups ~ 24.

Parsons Mirror Console ~ 549.

Can't wait to be able to pop in and browse.  Catalogs are great, but there nothing like doing a little window shopping!

Opening Early October.

West Elm

2201 Westlake Ave

Seattle, WA  98121

Vince, Drama, E, and Turtle

The Entourage boys are taking their final bow this Sunday.  The earlier seasons were hilarious and worth grabbing from Netflix.  I will miss watching the craziness they call the LA scene. 

Have a great weekend!

rumor has it...

Word on the street is that Donna Karan Cashmere Mist deodorant is the BEST out there.  Have not tried it myself, but have heard from multiple sources-in just the last few days- that it's a girl's best friend.  (Would have come in handy for me this week....haven't found time to shower until after dinner each night.)

Think I may need to go pick me up a 3 pack this weekend!
PS.  It is going to be a gorgeous day.  Enjoy it!

kninkles?

Yet another reason I am SO appreciative of the paparazzo allowing me to scoot about town without being photographed.   The lenses are now focusing on kninkles.  What is a kninkle you wonder?  They would be knew wrinkles.  The dreaded saggy knee syndrome.  Looking at my own knees, I am safe for now.  But as with everything, the clock is ticking. 

Can you guess the faces that go with these shamefully wrinkled knees?

A. 

B.

C.

I am sure some hot shot, LA based plastic surgeon will develop a procedure to bring back the youthful look and feel of knees.  The surgical answer to kninkles.  

What to read the ridiculous article in its entirety?  

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2034153/Curse-KNINKLES-Thats-knee-wrinkles--Gwyneths-star-whos-got-them.html

A.  Demi Moore   B.  Kate Moss  C.  Courtney Cox

a guiltless souffle

I don't spend a lot of time or thought on beauty products. Pretty much think they are a waste of energy and hard earned cash.  (This excludes makeup, which is not an indulgence but rather a necessity in life.)  However, Ginger Souffle-Whipped body cream is one of about 5 things I use on a daily basis.  Made by Origins, it is hands down "the best in show" when it comes to a lotion.  The perfect balance of moisture, shine, and scent-without being greasy or overly sweet!  Pop into an Origins store or the Origins counter at Macy's and ask for a sample.  I promise, you will not be disappointed!

free with the code on back

 

 

Swing by your local Starbucks and grab a Pick of the Week card.  This week it is the App, Spy Mouse, for free.  Easy to follow directions are on the back of the card.  Downloaded it yesterday and it is already a family favorite!

Check back each Tuesday because every week Starbucks offers a new Pick of the Week.  The picks will now include free music, apps, books, and tv shows. 

Who doesn't love a little something for free?  Well, you are paying $4 for a cup of coffee, it is the least they can do.  

ps. no purchase required