Weekend Escape

This past weekend, we enjoyed a much needed weekend escape. I had been craving a getaway and a chance to leave Pburg for a couple of days. It seemed like a little escape from reality would do me good...and it did!

 We left on Friday afternoon and headed to Abilene, KS to watch my nephew, Austin, run in the track and field high school regionals. He competed in the two mile run and placed third, which qualifies him for the State track meet this coming weekend in Wichita. I'm so proud of him for qualifying as a freshman and doing so well!

After the race, we drove up to Manhattan, KS, my old college town when I attended Kansas State University. We went to the late movie when we reached town and watched Robin Hood. The movie was very good and was able to keep my attention and keep me awake. It was almost 1:00 a.m. by the time we left the theater.

On Saturday morning, we took our time getting around and then headed over to the KSU campus. We walked all over campus and I gave Jim a tour of where I use to take classes and of my old dorm. Everything was closed up for the summer, so we didn't get to explore any of the buildings but we had a good time walking around and taking in the beautiful limestone buildings. I was most disappointed that Call Hall was closed and I couldn't get any of the ice cream that is made fresh on campus from the local dairy cows. I ate a lot of that ice cream my freshman year. (The mint, chocolate chip is the best!)

Here we are in the center of campus.

It was a beautiful day, being the first sunny day after a week of rain. I thoroughly enjoyed walking around and soaking up the spring sunshine.

Once we had walked campus, we headed over to the much-loved Aggieville. Aggieville is a collection of shops, restaurants and bars right off of campus. I have many wonderful memories of late nights with friends at Longhorns in Aggieville.

We did some shopping and finally ate lunch. I was starving since we had skipped breakfast. I was also in desperate need of caffeine from not getting my coffee fix that morning. Luckily, lunch took care of my hunger and headache.

Following lunch, we headed uptown to the mall and to explore the downtown shops. We found a new little gourmet food store uptown that was really cute. I bought a jar of lemon curd and we shared some peanut butter fudge that they make fresh in their store. Unfortunately, I can not recall the name of this cute little store.

We went back to the hotel and took naps before getting ready for a late dinner out on the town.

I found this beautiful teal dress at Modcloth and was excited to finally have an opportunity to wear it out. I wish the picture showed off the detailing around the bust better. The top is pleated with an intricate pattern to make up the bodice.

Beautiful hotel door backdrop from our luxurious Super 8 room.

Dinner was at my favorite restaurant in Manhattan, Harry's Uptown. We started out with drinks at the bar where Jim tried their Side Car drink that was on special and I had a wonderful, and strong, french martini.

The beautiful dining room at Harry's.

For dinner, we decided to share three appetizers for our own little buffet of goodies. They were all amazing! I had planned on taking pictures for you all, but my camera's batteries died...ugh!

Here is a recap of what we ordered: (Descriptions from their menu with my review to follow in italics.)

Jim's drink: Side Car - E&J brandy, Cointreau, lemon juice, simple syrup and an orange sugar rim. I tried Jim's drink and it was very good. Sweet and refreshing, making it a great summer drink.

Appetizer #1: Wild Mushroom Saute - Wild mushrooms sautéed with bacon, foie gras, chives, served over toasted brioche and drizzled with a fresh thyme Chevre sauce. I'm not a huge fan of mushrooms, but these were delicious! Very rich and deep in flavor. I'm glad that we ordered the pizza appetizer, as they were very good put on top of the pizza. I'm not sure I would have been able to handle an entire plate of mushrooms by themselves.

Appetizer #2: Hot Lobster Cilantro Martini - Lightly breaded, quick-fried lobster medallions finished in a rum cilantro sauce. This was so rich and decadent. The lobster meat was perfectly cooked and the presentation in a martini glass was beautiful. The lobster was in a very rich cheese/rum sauce. The rum gave it a very interesting flavor. We were only able to eat a few bites of this one, it was just so rich. The martini glass portion should probably be split by six people. A couple of bites is all you need. I felt guilty leaving so much of this one left after our meal.

Appetizer #3: Smoked Chicken Pizza - Smoked chicken, tossed in a creamy garlic sauce, topped with crisp bacon, fresh herbs, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. This appetizer was my favorite. The bacon and chicken made for a delicious combination and the perfect vehicle for eating our mushroom appetizer. I think I could recreate this one at home and am looking forward to trying to make it soon.

Following dinner, I enjoyed an Irish Coffee while we sat and talked for awhile and just enjoyed the rare evening out at a nice restaurant with no distractions. After I had finished my cup of coffee, we weren't ready to call it an evening yet, so we decided to go across the street to get some dessert.

I had heard of a new restaurant, della Voce, and really wanted to check it out. I'm glad we did, it was a fun place to try. Nice atmosphere and our server was very nice.

Jim ordered a Strawberry Lime-aid martini for dessert. It was very sweet and an extremely bright pink color. I really enjoyed taking a few sips from this one. Definitely a dessert drink. The drink was made up of: Stoli strasberi, Citronge, limoncello, grenadine and lime juice.

For dessert, I ordered the creme brule al cioccolato. It was a chocolate creme brulee and was ok. The flavor was good but it didn't have that rich custard texture that I love in my creme brulees. Jim ordered the torta ai formaggi classica, which is cheesecake. I wish I had ordered this one. It was so creamy and rich. I was glad that Jim shared a bite with me!

Another self-portrait.

Finally, it was time to call it a night and we headed back to our hotel. We slept in on Sunday morning and then headed home to pick up Ethan from the farm, where he had enjoyed an eventful weekend with his grandparents.

Review - Clarisonic Skincare Brush

Clarisonic Skincare Brush Review

I had my eye on the Clarisonic Skincare Brush system since I saw it featured on QVC when Ethan was a baby. At $195 for the system, it was a complete splurge and something I couldn't justify spending at the time.

Here's how Clarisonic describes its benefits:

What it is:

A professional-grade skincare brush.
What it is formulated to do:
From the creators of the Sonicare® toothbrush comes the Clarisonic® Skincare Brush. Sonic technology first changed the way we clean our teeth, it's now changing how we cleanse our skin. The sonic frequency moves Clarisonic's soft, gentle brush back and forth at more than 300 times per second, thoroughly clearing pores and skin surface.
Here are some of the benefits this revolutionary skincare tool delivers:
- Removes makeup six times better than traditional methods.
- Clears pores and reduces the appearance of pore size.
- Cleanses so thoroughly that skincare products absorb better.
- Creates noticeably healthier looking skin.

After hearing from so many people that I know rave about this product, I finally decided, three years later, to make the purchase. I waited until Sephora was having their 20% off Friends and Family sale before making the purchase. I also used my ebates account to receive 8% cash back. (I need to cover the wonderful benefits of ebates in a future post for those of you that haven't discovered it yet.)

After agonizing over the price, I finally pulled the trigger. I felt better about ordering it through Sephora, since they have a very generous return policy. I figured if it didn't live up to all its' hype, back it would go.

When the product arrived, I was really looking forward to starting my regime. As I've gotten into my upper twenties, I've noticed that my skin is more sensitive, has larger pores around the cheeks and nose area and is prone to cystic acne breakouts on my chin and jaw line. I was hoping that this pricey little gadget would help me with these troublesome issues. I'm way too old to still be having to struggle with pimples. I have more issues with them now then I did when I was a teenager.

I started out using the sensitive brush head and the sensitive face wash, called Hydro Cleanser. You can use your regular face wash, but I love the hydro cleanser sample that came with the product. It's my favorite of the three samples that came with my pink Clarisonic. (You can get other colors as well. The pink benefits the American Breast Cancer Society.)

In the beginning, I used it only in the evenings. I now use it twice per day - in the morning and in the evening. I like to remove my makeup with a makeup remover cloth before cleansing my skin. The feeling of the brush is very gentle. More of a buzzing than a scrubbing. I was very surprised at how gentle and pleasant it was.

Product Review
Pores: Almost immediately, I noticed an improvement in my pores. The Clarisonic removed the icky gunk that would plug the pores and make them stretch out and appear larger. With the gunk being removed, my pores appear dramatically smaller and no more blackheads.

Exfoliation: Through this entire winter, I haven't had any flaking skin issues.  My skin is much smoother and has a more even tone.

Acne: I don't have as many plugged up facial pores that would appear almost like little white bumps on my chin. This has been a great benefit. If I slack on using my Clarisonic, my acne will flair up as a direct result. If I use the product regularly, I do not get any cystic acne - those painful, under the skin pimples. If I do end up with one, the Clarisonic helps them heal up so much quicker than before.

Product Absorption: I can really tell that my products are working better than before. I can use fewer products and the ones I use are working harder.

Skin Reaction: It took about a month of religious use before I noticed all the benefits.

Price: Eek! I still think it's too pricey for what it is. I'm glad I waited until it was on sale, so that takes the sting out a little. Hopefully it will last for many years and be very durable. If it lasts the test of time, the price will be better justified. You also need to purchase replacement brush heads every three months at about $25 per head.  

Favorite Blogs

Hello Bloggy World!

I know a lot of my blog readers are not avid readers of other blogs. I got hooked on blogs in order to keep up with some of my friends that were blogging and also as a great way to pass time when bored. I've met some wonderful people from the blogging community.

Here are some of my favorite blogs:

All Things G&D
The wine in me sees the humor in everyday life. Even when I'm not drinking...wine.
G posts fun blog entryies on home decorating, daily fashion and she just had a baby this month, so there is lots of pregnancy and baby related musings. Check out here lucky baby girl's nursery - I love the colorful tree mural.

Bakerella
sweet inspiration & fun baking ideas

Bakerella is my favorite baking inspiration blog. She makes these amazingly beautiful creations and then breaks the steps down so that I almost think I could produce such adorable results. Her creativity seems endless and her photography is drool worthy. Her creations are extra sweet, which Jim loves. Jim's favorite goody that I make, cake balls, are from Bakerella's blog. She has a whole sections about them here and here.

 

Beantown Baker

I'm a twenty something engineer by day and homemaker by night. I love to bake and try new recipes. My Hubby serves as my number one taste tester.
Simple recipes that are easy to whip up and taste great. Her cookie dough brownies are a decadent creation.

Carrots 'N' Cake
A Blog Dedicated to a Healthy Balance
Tina updates her blog three times a day, covering her meals and activities, so there's always something new to check out. She is an advocate for living a balanced and healthy lifestyle. Exercise, healthy eating, social drinking, achieving goals and, of course, cake and treats make up her lifestyle approach. She's my kind of girl!

Fly Through Our Window
the account of our nest
Darby has three, absolutely adorable, children. She tells stories of their everyday happenings with a great sense of humor. I'm very envious of her photography skills and how she captures her children's personalities! Her blog is the perfect mix of happy homemaker with baking and home made crafts, but she also shares her mistakes and stumblings.

Young House Love
Two Young People, Falling In Love, With Their Fist House
A blog showcasing the updating and decorating of a young couple's first house. Lots of DIY and affordable projects. They also provide reader design boards, which I love for decorating sources and ideas for my own home projects.
 
Wan Life to Live
wan. married. mom. magical.
I can't remember how I first found Wan's blog, but I've been following it ever since. Her stories of her teen and bean are humorous, honest and relatable. She has a sarcastic sense of humor and I like an insight on what it would be like to live in a big city in California - such a different lifestyle than mine in rural KS, but also, not that different after all.
 
Fabulous Florida Mommy
A blog designed to showcase my styling talents through sets I have created.

I want her closet! We have a similar style, I just wish I had the motivation to get myself put together as well as she does everyday for things like running errands.

 

The Bloggess

Life Mother Teresa, Only Better

Jenny writes an award winning, satire blog. It's full of humor that would make my mother blush, swear words and a sarcastic look on life. It's not everyone's style, but I like to check it out occasionally and her posts often get me laughing out loud. (She is also well known for picking fights with celebrities on Twitter.)

 

Makeup by Tiffany D

One Girl's Thoughts On All Things Beauty

Tiffany has some really good YouTube tutorials for applying makeup and creating easy hairstyles. I'm not big on makeup, but I've learned some good tricks from her blog. I wish I had these type of resources when I was in jr. high/high school!

 

The Pioneer Woman

Plowing through life in the country...one calf at a time

I've mentioned this blog and her cookbook a few times already. Her recipes are some of my favorites and I cook them frequently. The are down home, comfort foods and she provides detailed, step by step photographed instructions. Her photography is amazing and her tales of life on the ranch, with four kids, are both familiar and humorous. She is a big city girl, transplanted to a working ranch and living a rural life. She also hosts really good giveaways on her blog, but I haven't been lucky enough to win one...yet!

 

I like to get up before the rest of my family and enjoy a cup of coffee while catching up with my favorite blogs early in the morning.

How do you view blogs? I use to keep them all bookmarked in my favorite's folder, but recently switched over to a Google Blog Reader. It's made me much more organized and up to date with my reading. I just sign into my account, and it displays the newest blog entries that have been posted.

*All pictures posted are from the corresponding blogs.

**You can click on my Blogspot Profile picture to see all the blogs that I follow.

Gossip and Beignets

This weekend was the perfect combination of relaxing and activities. We weren't running around too busy but we also had enough things planned to keep us from getting bored and restless.

On Saturday, I had some childhood friends over to my house for a chance to catch up and, of course, do a little gossiping. It's always so nice to be able to reconnect with the people who are truly important in your life.

Blast from the past - I think we're improving with age.

My friend, Monica, is busy traveling all over the world, flying planes and other cool stuff so it was great to have her in town and hear of all her adventures. Her jet-setting lifestyle is so fascinating to me - especially in comparison to my slow paced, small town life on the range in rural Kansas. Maybe someday I'll have the opportunity to visit her on one of her exotic adventures. (oh - good idea for a future friend's get together.)

Ethan had a lot of fun hosting the little girl at our house. They attend daycare together as well, so it was nice for them to be able to play in another setting and spend some time together. It worked out really well for them to be familiar with each other and play so well together so that their mommies could gossip and visit.

We headed to Shelly Ann's Cafe for breakfast. The food was filling and just how a country cafe should be and it always looks like a scene from a parody of small town life with old men having their coffee break and telling stories. It hasn't changed much since I was a little girl. I remember loving to sit and spin on the stools at the counter and I'm always glad to see that they are still there.

We headed out of town later in the afternoon for our monthly shopping trip. The closest Wal-Mart is over 60 miles away, so we try to plan ahead and go monthly to stock up on household basics and grocery staples. We drove 90 miles and into Nebraska so that we could go to a town that also has a Target and a large hunting/outdoors store for Jim.

We decided to try Eileen's Colossal Cookies for an afternoon snack. Jim and Ethan choose M&M cookies and I opted for a classic chocolate chip cookie. They were big, soft and rich. Yum! The cookies provided the perfect pick-me-up for getting through our marathon of shopping we needed to get done and the drive back home.

On Sunday evening, I took Ethan to his first movie at the theater and we saw Disney's The Princess and the Frog.

The local movie theater doesn't start movies until 7:30 p.m., which is Ethan's bedtime, so I wasn't too sure on how he would do being out so late. He behaved so well and I was a proud mommy. He stayed in his seat the entire time and the movie really held his attention...as did his movie goodies. Ethan and I both enjoyed a Kiddie Combo of a small drink, popcorn and mini candy bar. At only $2.50, I think it's a great deal for a movie theater treat.

The Princess and the Frog movie review:

I wasn't really looking forward to this movie but I didn't know when another little kid geared movie would be coming to Phillipsburg and I figured Ethan was finally old enough to enjoy a movie at the theater.

I'm really glad that I decided to see the movie. The beginning of the movie really shows New Orleans and its diverse culture, music and food. It reminded me of our honeymoon (we took a cruise that ported out of New Orleans so we stayed a couple of days touring the city) and all of the delicious beignets that I ate while there. (The title character in the movie is famous for her "man getting" beignets.)

I appreciated that the main character in the movie was an independent woman that was working two jobs to make her dreams come true of owning a restaurant. She knew that working hard and being honest to yourself was the best way to get your dreams.

Along the journey of the movie, she learns the importance of love and balancing that with her ambitions of owning a restaurant. I think this is a theme that many women today struggle with, especially those with career ambitions that are also trying to juggle being a wife/mother.

In classic Disney style, she finds her prince and lives happily ever after. However, I liked that their happily ever after wasn't in a castle but working together as a team to make their dreams come true and opening the restaurant.

Review - Revlon ColorStay Foundation

Revlon ColorStay Foundation Review

I learned about this foundation a couple of months ago when everyone on the Internet started raving about the coverage, longevity and affordable price of this foundation. Read some of them here: review, review, review, review

I tend to hesitate before trying something new on my face as I have very temperamental skin that will breakout if the product is even slightly irritating. This foundation is a long wearing formula and I was concerned that it would clog up my pores and cause me to have a reaction.

I finally caved in one day while cruising the aisles of Target. Don't you always come out of Target with way more than you had planned on? Anyway, at about $12 a pop, I thought what the heck?

Now - I think I may have lost my mind a little bit in deciding to post pictures of my bare naked face. I don't even feel comfortable leaving the house without at least a little concealer and now I'm going to share with all of you what I look like when I wake up in the morning. What the heck am I thinking?!?!

Ok, time to get back on topic and get on with the review...

Here I am without any makeup first thing this morning. Oh, and can I just say that it is REALLY HARD to get a picture of yourself? I felt like such a dork taking picture after picture of myself in the bathroom this morning and each one was just horrible. I really need to practice my self portrait skills. Any tips from you fellow bloggers?

As you can see, I have pretty fair skin with lots of freckles and the occasional blemish. Definitely not a flawless, natural beauty.

I applied the Revlon Colorstay Foundation in the Oily/Combination soft flex formula using a makeup sponge. My color match is Buff. Here I am with just foundation applied.

The coverage of this foundation is great. You can apply it lightly for just a little coverage or you can build it up for maximum coverage. I found the foundation to be easily blendable and the color was a good match. My fair skin can be hard to match without looking really chalky. You can see that I applied it lightly enough to allow my freckles to still be slightly visible but still had enough coverage to cover any red marks on my face.

After finishing my makeup with some blush, eyeliner, mascara and lipgloss, here's the finished product. I feel that the Revlon Colorstay Foundation provided a great base to apply my other product on top of. They blended easily and the foundation didn't cake up or get sticky.

Product Review
Coverage: Buildable and covered unwanted marks

Longevity: This foundation lives up to its' name of Colorstay. At the end of the day, my foundation was still in place with no shine breaking through.

Skin Reaction: Four stars!! My skin loves to breakout when I try new products. I have had no reactions to this foundation, which is amazing. If you have acne prone skin, this foundation is worth a try.

Price: When you compare to department store brands, this is a real bargain.