Friday Things
1. A day that starts with a complimentary mimosa and basket of scones is bound to be a good one, right?
2. I recently found a new-to-me hair and makeup blog which I love – The Beauty Department. I’ve never been one of those girls who is a natural at putting everything together when it comes to makeup and hair (or clothes and accessories, for that matter); I need some help and guidance. This blog has it all from step-by-step tutorials to product recommendations. I love it!
3. This past week, my best friend and I went to the New Kids on the Block // Boyz II Men // 98 Degrees concert. Indulge me for a minute while I tell you that it was all kinds of awesome and way, way better than I anticipated.
It was 3½ hours (yes, you read that right!) of boy band mania. Boyz II Men led off the show and put on a great performance – totally took me back to 8th grade dances! They were followed up by 98 Degrees, who were popular when I was already in college, so I only remembered a couple of their songs. Then, NKOTB performed for two solid hours with a mix of all of their old favorites and a ton of their new stuff. I admittedly hadn’t listened to anything off of their new album, but it was fun dance music. We had a great time; if you were ever a fan of any of those bands and the tour is coming to your city, I highly recommend going! (Michelle of BurghBaby was also at the show and brought her dSLR camera. She snagged some amazing shots; if you’re interested, check out her set on Flickr!)
4. I’m not going to lie, it was a little depressing to be at Consol Energy Center the week of the Stanley Cup Finals and not be staring at a sheet of ice. Ah well. I’m pulling for the Bruins in this one… each team has a Pittsburgh kid, so that’s a wash. Jaromir Jagr is our tie breaker ;-)
5. Last week, we had the wiring completed for the surround sound in our family room and we also splurged on a neat little system for our master bedroom and bathroom. The bedroom already had built-in speakers in the walls; we added one in the master bathroom and power them both through a receiver and a piece of equipment called Sonos, which is mind-bogglingly cool. You connect to it through a smartphone or iPad app and can play any music on any device on your home network, Pandora, Sirius, or more than a dozen other Internet radio apps, all controlled from the Sonos app. Definitely check it out if you’re in the market for a sound system!
6. Remember last week when I told you a container of Graeter’s ice cream had shown up at my door? We’ve blown through almost all of those pints; I can’t wait to go to the store and try some more flavors! I think the Peanut Butter Chip and Buckeye Blitz are going to be next on my list.
7. While I’ve been enjoying the ice cream, I must say that I’m missing soft serve ice cream since our move. I haven’t found any neighborhood soft serve stands around here that aren’t a chain. A little bit of a bummer, but that just means we’ll have to stock our freezer full of yummy ice cream.
8. I may be officially addicted to The Container Store. Send help… or coupons.
9. I still haven’t gotten around to planting my patio pots (time is flying!). That is one of my goals for this weekend; I’m planning basil, parsley, mint and jalapeño peppers for sure. I’m waffling on tomatoes; I’ve never done them in a pot. Any suggestions for plants that do well with container gardening?
10. TGIF! Time to catch up on some sleep!
I’ve been planting tomatoes in containers for the last few years and they do great! Just thought I would let you know.
Mimosas and scones-do you really need anything else in life? :)
I’m glad the concert was so much fun! It sounds like you really got your moneys worth. There must be a soft serve place or two around you. I feel like everywhere I ho I randomly see them driving around. You’ll probably just stumble across one one day.
So excited you shared that Beauty Department website – I need help too, it so does not come naturally for me. I’m sure I’ll be spending an hour browsing through this weekend! And have I mentioned how glad I am that you’re cheering for the Bruins too? ;)
I’ve been a huge fan of NKOTB since I was in junior high. (I’ve even gone on two of their cruises. :D ) I’m glad you had a good time, especially since it doesn’t sound like you’re a die-hard fan. That means that I will LOVE their show. (I’m going on Wednesday and to another in July.) Thanks for sharing!
Well, I was certainly a die-hard fan when I was 8 :) The concert was definitely more about nostalgia than current music tastes for me. That being said, it was an awesome show.
I was just curious if you knew what type of camera your friend was using. Her photos are phenomenal! :) Thank you!
Hi Lou, I’m not certain, but I *believe* she has a Canon Rebel.
Buckeye Blitz is the GREATEST ice cream EVER…… chocolate and peanut butter amazingness, you will never ever want a different flavor
I’m sold! Must get myself to the grocery store!
Buckeye Blitz! That one sounds amazing. As for container plants, I think cherry tomatoes work well, but the bigger ones I would save for the ground.
I’ve been container gardening for about 5 years now. The pots I use are available at Walmart now(I used to get them at Leows/Home Depot). They are sold as 18/20 gal Utility tubs with web cloth or rope type handles. They don’t have drainage holes, so you’ll have to drill some yourself. I grow beefsteak, and San Marzano tomatoes as well as eggplant, peppers, asparagus beans and cucumbers. It is an initial expense, but I’ve used my “pots” for 5 seasons now. Good luck with your container gardening!
it’s probably a bit of a drive from where you are, but growing up (and for my friends still living that way) you just couldn’t beat young’s custard stand in zelienople. i think the flavor this week is maple.
love your shirt ! where did u get it ?
At the concert ;-)
I can definitely use a Mimosa right now and for the record, I am addicted to the Container Store too.
OMG! I’m so jealous you were able to watch the New Kids on the Block // Boyz II Men // 98 Degrees concert!
Love the little pup!! Goldens rule
I”m so jealous!!! I love boys II men and 98 degrees! I was so into them back in the day (still am kinda) hehe.
Boy band overdose :) Sounds like a lot of fun and who doesn’t like commped mimosas?
yes! tomatoes do well in pots! but like everyone else said-use cages, and plant them in big, deep pots. basil and oregano grow nicely next to them too. also, a fun tomato you can plant in any pot is a japanese spoon tomato. the tomatoes are about the size of a fingernail and taste like tomato candy! they are great for salads, if you don’t eat them all right off the vine.
Would you mind sharing the name of the restaurant with the mimosa and scones? Also growing veggies in a pot is really easier than you think. We also have a window box that sits on the deck that I fill with lettuce so I can just go cut some off for an instant salad. We have multiple window boxes for strawberries and we just stick them in the garage for the winter and they come right back the next spring.
Hi Kathy, It was at Lidia’s for their Sunday brunch.
OMG, love the Container Store! so much better now. . they seem to have everything!
I planted my tomato plant in a big pot on my porch, and in the same pot, I put four pepper plants and a nasturtium plant. I already have little dime size tomatoes!! I’m anxious to see how the peppers do in the same pot as the other plants. So far so good… My mom bought a lettuce bowl at one of the nurseries in town. That thing is amazing, and I need to get one of those too. :-) There is one type of lettuce in her bowl that she had me try the last time I was there visiting. It’s a green lettuce, but has red veins running through it. She hands me a piece of it, and of course, I roll it up and pop it in my mouth, because as her 51 year old child, I still trust my mom, right? As I’m chewing, this thing is getting hotter and hotter…. and she’s watching the reaction on my face and killing herself laughing! Thanks mama.. lol.. The lettuce had a horseradishy type taste and heat to it. Honestly, I’d love to find this lettuce, or if anyone knows what it is, I would love to know. My mom had no idea what it was. I think that it would be wonderful on top of a hamburger, cut smaller into a salad, on a roast beef sub… so many things that it could be used for. Have a lovely day everyone.. :-)
love your site….thanks for link to the beauty blog….I need much help. I must admit that this site is my first stop on Fridays…..must see the doggie photos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love them too cute!!!
No! You’ve got to pull for the Hawks!! (and this is coming from someone who lives in Boston and has a Golden named CROSBY :) ) The heartbreak in this house over the Pens being swept was truly depression-inducing. Yes, Sonos is da bomb! Have it throughout our house (and it’s great to take outside!). Saw your Golden pics on Pinterest…we’ve just decided to get a second – WHOOT! The hockey name options are being debated at present :)
I truthfully didn’t want to root for any of the teams left, it’s a sliding scale of picking your poison ;-) Trust me, there was heartbreak here too!
So excited for the beauty blog suggestion! I had never heard of that, but I think it’s going to be highley useful for me.
We used to always grow tomatoes in a pot when I was little. They always ripened while we were on vacation in August, so our neighbors got fresh, home-grown tomatoes! You should definitely go for it.
Michelle, not sure where your new house is, but have you tried Hammer’s on Rt. 8 for soft serve and frozen custard? http://www.letsgotohammers.com/ It’s pretty good, as is The Meadows up in Cranberry.
Thanks Diane! I’ve had a few people mention Hammers, but I think The Meadows is actually closer. I’ll have to check it out, thank you!
I originally had The Meadows Frozen Custard at IUP. They came and opened up a place the year I graduated. It was worth walking all the way to get some!
A mimosa would sure make my morning better… So would ice cream :) Happy Friday!
It should be a mandatory thing, shouldn’t it? :-)
Tomatoes does exelent in pots, my parents grew them that way when I were a child to be able to take them in during the winter months and we always had the best tomatoes. Just remember they need structures to grow on.
We do plum tomatoes in pots and they do very well. We do put tomato cages in the pots to help support the growing plants (they come in awesome colors now, not just the ugly silver) and usually plant basil or other herbs around the plants. We are in the same climate so you should do well.
I could definitely use a mimosa, right about now! Have a great weekend :)
That show sounds like so much fun!!
I could use a complimentary mimosa right now. That looks delish!
And love that you got your boy band groove on. How fun! I think back to that era and it reminds me of Sarah McLaughlin, Alanis Morisette, Lileth Fair-ish type artist. I would love to do what you did and go to a retro-show like that!
Loving the The Beauty Department, I’m going to try curling my lashes with a spoon. :)
Love soft serve – especially with rainbow sprinkles!
For pots, if the plant is big, make sure you grow in a big pot.. big roots equal big fruits! :) Also bigger pots are better for more potting mix which allows more moisture and less chance to dry out. Lastly, for containers, always use potting mix. :)