Some Random Notes

In high school, my best friend Tiffany and I carried around these neon pink notebooks, in which we would record "observations."  I still have them; there are 20 volumes (not exaggerating).  So in honor of our "Pulsar Pinks," here is a list of totally unrelated notes and observations:

1. These days, I'm really into Hanging with Friends on the ol' iPhone.  Please play with me!  (clairekiefer)

2. I spent the past two days in a workshop at SF's Juvenile Justice Center entitled Trauma and Recovery, and then came home and slept.  Normal, right?  It was an excellent workshop with an excellent trainer, and I learned very acutely that I am not comfortable with silence!!!  ("Be comfortable with silence" was one of the counseling "dos").  I am talkative and fidgety and silence? . . . can't handle it.

3. Talk about dichotomous activities: after spending the day in a Trauma workshop, I spent the evening devising a grocery list for Cabo.  Someone will go shopping for us and deposit our groceries (and tequila) in our villa before our arrival.  What???  June 22 can't get here fast enough.

4.  Mesmerized by this picture:

smokin'

5. What does one do when one's 30th birthday falls on the second day of #$@!ing school?  Need ideas.

6.  My hair doesn't hold curl.  It's naturally wavy, but when I blow dry it and attempt to use a curling iron?  FALLS RIGHT OUT.  I lamented this fact while my girls were visiting SF last month, and Jessie recommended this curling iron . . .y'all, it's life-changing.  Best $24.99 I ever spent.  I can brush my hair, sleep on it, put it in a bun, and it STILL has curl.  I'm so into it:

Remington T Studio curling wand

Okay, that's all I got.  I'm off to the gym . . . but only because I've promised myself a trip to Yogurtland on the way home.  

Friday I'm in Love!

summergirl

Mostly I'm in love with the mere fact that it's Friday.  There will be no happy hour for me today, but there will be vodka & house-made tonic at Pizzaiolo before my folks and I head to the David Gray/Ray Lamontagne show!  I swear, their tonic is so dang good.  Full of herbs & all kinds of yumminess that makes it actually not taste much like tonic water at all . . . but it's still DELISH.

Today I'm in love with:

1. The Greek Theater

Berkeley's finest amphitheater.  Is there anywhere better to see a concert than an outdoor amphitheater?  I was lucky enough to see Jackson Browne there at the end of July, and now these two?  I'm musically blessed.  Only not when it comes to talent. ;)

isn't it pretty?

2. Edamame

Can't get enough these days.  I ate an entire bag the other night, for real.  It's so good.

3. These blogs (but don't forget these and these that I mentioned previously!):

Jessie's

Tillie's

Phoenix's

Annie Cristina's
Melissa's


4. The Brazilian Blowout

Seriously, my hair is curly & frizzy.  There's no getting around it.  Once upon a time, I had pretty waves, but that was before years of dyeing & blow drying & flat ironing.  Now it's damaged and frizzy.  I'm taking steps to reverse it, though . . . I haven't dyed it in a year (hello, dishwater blonde, didn't miss you at all!), and the Brazilian Blowout is making it so that I don't have to blow dry or flat iron it EVER.  My hair normally looks something like this:

I haven't been able to just get out of the shower & go since I was a kid.  But now it looks like this:

Voila, frizzless beachy waves!  I know it's kinda hard to tell (I'm terrible at taking pictures of myself!), but it's mostly straight with a little wave, has no frizzies, and is so smooth and silky.  Easiest hair in the world!  I am kissing my blow dryer goodbye . . . for the next 12 to 16 weeks, anyway.

Happy Friday!

Friday I'm in Love!

summergirl!

Yay!  It's Friday and I am in love with a lot more things than I was in love with last Friday.  My jerkface students & I hugged it out and made up today, and we're all staring a 3 day weekend in the face!  I don't even mind that I'm not going away to a warm beach this weekend, cause I'm so dang excited to catch up with some things around the house and otherwise be blissfully lazy.  Here's my 9/3/10 love list:


Birthday Earrings!
I am decidedly in love with all six pairs of earrings I got for my bday, but here's a spotlight on two pairs in particular (both of which I've worn this week):

The dangly beauties on the left feature photographs of Anais Nin, one of my very favorite writers/women/historical figures.  I LOVE HER.  They are from my best friend, Tiffany, who lives in Pittsburgh and whom I miss terribly (we've been bffs since 9th grade).  The adorable little studdies on the right are incredibly thoughtful fleur de lis pretties from the sweet-as-pie Summer!  They are especially meaningful since Summer & I share a deep love for New Orleans (she's from NOLA, I went to college there).  Thank you sweet girls!


Only Gold for Me
Not only is that my personal mantra, but it's the name of my new favorite nail polish.  I laid eyes on it this week in Sephora, tested it on my thumb, and knew right away that I had to have it.  Sadly, they were all out!!!  I couldn't bring myself to buy the tester, as it only had about 25% left in it.  You better believe I'll be waiting in line as soon as they get a new shipment; check out how gorgeous:

hot

Pretty Hair

I'm about as attached to my hair stylist, Lauren, as I am to anything in this mortal world.  Which is why I'm thrilled to have an appointment with her here

this coming Wednesday afternoon for a cut & Brazilian blowout!  Can't wait for my locks to be shiny & silky right outta the shower.  I'll report back with the results, of course.

Labor Day

I mean . . . as someone who has two jobs, values unions, and appreciates the common working man, I am fond of the spirit behind Labor Day, as detailed in Wikipedia:

The form for the celebration of Labor Day was outlined in the first proposal of the holiday: A street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations," followed by a festival for the workers and their families.

But I have to be honest and admit that I actually care a lot more about the fact that we get a long weekend than I am about the sentiment.  Bring on the Monday BBQ at our house!

Happy long weekend!

Hair Envy

So there's this terrible catch 22 in my life:

I do nothing to my hair, and it remains dishwater blonde with uneven, slightly frizzy waves

-or-

I highlight, blow dry, and straighten/curl my hair, and it looks pretty in the moment, but then in the long run, it gets FRIED.

It's a dreadful conundrum. For the past eight years or so, I've been opting for the latter. I love my highlights, and I looooove my hair stylist (if you're in San Francisco, go see Lauren Kolb at Glama-Rama in the Mission!). But after years & years of all this harsh treatment, my hair is less shiny, less thick, my waves are totally muted, and the ends are pretty scary.

So I stopped dyeing it. I haven't put any color in my hair in almost a year (hello, dullest, plainest, most dishwatery blonde ever!), and I'm reeeeeally coveting a Brazilian blowout, not only cause it would make my hair look immediately more awesome, but because it would mean that I could get away with not blow drying/straightening it for 3-4 months. SWEET!

My sister is part of my inspiration for not dyeing it, cause her hair is au naturale and it looks like this:

she got better hair genes

And I found this old picture of my dad, stepmom, sister, and me from several years ago (when I first started highlighting my hair), and my waves were so much prettier!

before I tortured my locks

But in the meantime, I'm antsy and filled with the urge to dye, chop, straighten, take the iron to it, etc. Or, I want hair like this:

So I guess what I'm saying is: I want hair extensions. Ha.

Tell me your hair secrets! Products, techniques . . . what makes your hair look gorgeous???