Outdoor Fun

I'm preparing for a little brunch this morning with some friends that we haven't seen in quite awhile. I'll post my favorite recipe (creme brulee french toast) later with some pics.

In the meantime, I thought I'd share what we've been up to in the yard.

Last weekend we planed our containers, annual beds and herb garden.


Tonight we are having a pasta with sun dried tomatoes and fresh basil from the herb garden - YUM!

The clematis is finally blooming for the first time. This is its third year and is a cutting from my mom's clematis. I love its deep purple blooms.
I can't remember what this plant is (found out - it's a bleeding heart) in the hanging basket but I find it very interesting. I do know it prefers shade. I should ask my mom, she would know, she's a botanical encyclopedia.

It's a lovely morning and I'm actually writing this post from my patio table while enjoying a freshly brewed cup of coffee - very special indeed!

Here's my spot:


And here's my view:

Baby's crying...pausing zen.

Blogging from the Phone Results

I was just able to access my blog from the laptop and see that the phone blog post somehow chopped my one blog into two. hmmm.... Well, maybe it is useful for emergency blogging of mini stories.

of thought as the tic, tic, tic of my laptop. I suppose this would be acceptable, say in some sort of blogging emergency...

Hmmm...blogging from my phone. So it says I can post to my blog by texting to this number from my phone. The keys don't seem to accommodate the same free flow

Rachel's Rockin Raffel

My gal pal Rach is having a Rockin Raffel on her blog His, Mine and Ours. Check it out if only to see super cute Carli Grace rockin her very own Newsgirl hat http://bit.ly/C8U9T.

While you're there go ahead and enter to win a Newsgirl or Newsboy hat in any size from Simply J Crochet's Etsy Shop. Super cute stuff!

Weekend Beauty Shower

I'm not an overly high maintenance gal but I do like my little luxuries. On occasion I like to have a piece of good chocolate before going to bed and I enjoy a pedicure from time to time but I digress, back to the beauty shower.

During the week it's shampoo, condition, body wash, wash the face and shave (if weather or clothing necessitates) in fifteen minutes or less. On the weekend, I linger and indulge myself in my shower. It goes something like this:

Before shower (12 minutes including mask time):

• Pull a clean towel from the linen closet (to use when the beauty shower is complete)
  
• Wash face in sink
  
• Tone (or use a facial wash with toner like the one found in Arbonne's FC 5 line)
  
• Apply mud mask (I have lots of recommendations here, let me know if you need any)
  

and...

...sit in the super comfy chair in my room, feet propped up on the foot of the bed and breathe deeply with my eyes closed...inhale...pause...exhale...pause....repeat and clear my mind.

Ok, times up, hop in the shower.

Shower (about 20 minutes):

• Leave the mask on and shampoo, rinse and repeat. Yes, repeat. Not everyday, just on beauty shower day. It makes a difference.
• Apply a hair mask - just tried Arbonne's Sea Source mask and LOVED IT! (Yes, I'm turning into an Arbonne junkie)
• Rinse facial mask
• Exfoliate entire body with scrub of choice - I like olive oil and coarse sea salt (straight from the kitchen) but only if you aren't going anywhere because you'll smell like salad dressing all day but it does wonders for the skin.
• Wash body with luxurious body wash (Dove's sensitive skin formula is just fine)
• Rinse hair mask
• Work conditioner into hair and leave in
• Shave with a shave gel or cream
• Wash face
• Turn the temp down in the shower as cool as is comfortable and rinse the conditioner. This leaves super shiny hair.

Hop out of the shower:

• Slightly towel off
• Apply super luxurious moisturizer (Arbonne's 24 hour Sea Source moisturizer is my new fav - in one week the winter dry skin bumps on the backs of my upper arms vanished)
• Apply facial moisturizer and eye cream (I'm loving Arbonne's FC 5 line right now)

Approximately 30 - 45 minutes later it appears that I spent four or more hours at a spa for a fraction of the cost and am ready to conquer the weekend refreshed and revitalized.

I love my beauty shower! My husband always laughs at me but I'm pretty sure he likes the results of my beauty shower.