Friday Things

1. Those pretty pink flowers in the photo above are sunpatiens. I love them and want to plant them at the foot of some large trees we have in beds in our backyard. I think they would be great for a pop of color. Important question for those with a green thumb – will they do okay being in the shade for most of the day? The tag that came with the flowers didn’t say anything about sun, shade, etc.

2. We have totally lucked out with the weather here in DC during our little midweek getaway – it’s absolutely beautiful! Summers in DC can be sweltering; I’m glad we caught a few days of mild weather for our visit. It’s been so nice to walk around outside!

3. I had success last weekend while looking for a wedding dress. I found one that I loved, and I just got a call that it’s finished being altered and ready for me to try on. Moving right along!

4. A few folks have asked how I’m liking my new hair dryer. I went with the Sedu Revolution 6000i. To say I love it is a total understatement. One of the best purchases I’ve made recently! I have naturally curly hair, so blowing it dry straight is usually a total process. With this hair dryer, I can blow it on high speed and it dries in about 5 minutes and is barely frizzy at all! Just a little shine serum or a quick pass of the flat iron is all it needs. It’s a miracle!

5. Speaking of beauty products, I’ve recently discovered Diamancel nail files. I am such a fan of them! I have the No. 2 file, the No. 1 file and the No. 11 foot buffer. The No. 2 file is great for shaping nails, while the No. 1 is more fine, which is better for finishing touches. The foot buffer is good for getting some dead skin off, but I’m thinking that the No. 20 foot rasp would work better for serious cracks or calluses. These files and buffers are pricey, but are supposed to last for years. I’m definitely loving mine so far!

6. After doing a test run of my friend’s Kindle Paperwhite, I went ahead and ordered one of my own. I didn’t think it would happen, but I was totally sold on it! It was so easy to hold and the screen completely mimicked the look of a book, which was easy on my eyes. Of course, I also got a pink cover :)

7. The book that test-drove the Kindle Paperwhite with was Why French Women Don’t Get Fat, which I really enjoyed. It heralds the notion of balanced eating without dieting, which I love. The author speaks a lot about how they ate growing up as children in France, which was actually quite similar to stories I have heard of how my grandfather ate growing up in Italy. Big meals at lunchtime, smaller meals at dinner time, an exorbitant amount of fresh produce, grocery shopping frequently instead of stocking up every two weeks. I definitely recommend it if you love to read about food!

8. One piece of the book talks about how good yogurt (the plain, unsweetened kind) is for you. I then read another article online stating the same thing. Then, a couple of days later, read two articles about how all animal dairy is not good for the human body. Gahhh! I need consistency! It seems like studies about food and medicine are always contradicting each other, right?!

9. I hardly ever order salad as a main course when out to eat, but I’ve ordered two steak salads in the last week. The one I had Wednesday night at Copper Canyon trumped all; cornbread croutons are seriously genius!

10. TGIF! I hope you get some good sleep this weekend! Einstein never has trouble sleeping!