Fab 5 Summer Finds

1. Ramen! I just realized that my great big bowl of sodium from my college days has undergone a makeover. Ramen is in Vogue all over the country. Ramen restaurants have become a new destination for a big, healthy bowl of deliciousness. An incredible meal in a bowl, this is not your daughter's Ramen! Now I'm hungry...

2. Nothing says summer like a gorgeous pair of wedge sandals. Simple, chic and comfortable wedges elongate the leg in summer shorts and give you a sexy addition to any outfit. Jeans, shorts, skirts and maxi dresses-the options are endless. Owning even one pair of neutral wedges can take you through an entire summer of fashions! Of course I can never have just one pair..

3. Hot dogs-what is it about a hot dog fresh off the grill on a hot summer night? It just makes me happy. We all know the bad rap that hot dogs have gotten in the past, as far as fillers and ingredients, but there are lots of hot dog brands out there that are made up of good ingredients. Pearl is my favorite. I like my dog old school. Mustard only. Maybe, if I'm feeling adventurous, I'll add some diced onion. Couple that with a Corona and a lime and I can die happy. 

4. This is a new development. I've become concerned about exposing certain parts of my body to the sun without an SPF 50. In the past few years I've always armed myself with SPF 30 for my face, but after a discussion with my doctor this month, we both decided that a woman of my *ahem* age should protect the decollete (chest and neck) and the face with at least an SPF 50. Eve Lom's Daily Protection SPF 50, is my favorite weapon against damaging sun rays and the aging process.It's a 2 in 1 daily product. A powerful anti-aging moisturizer and a SPF protector. Available at The Candy Bar: BUY NOW 

5. I just finished this book and I have to tell you that I may re-read it all over again! Sophia Amoruso is the founder and creator of NastyGal.com, a fast growing multi-million dollar company. I love this girl! She happened upon her success by doing something she was passionate about. She created her FREE advertising buzz on social media that directed her shoppers to her eBay sales. Her concept was simple: BUY LOW/SELL HIGH. Or sell a bit higher. With her eye for style and photography, she built her brand by utilizing social media to create a cult following with her 90,000 devoted My Space followers. Even if you are not a retailer(like I am) this book is a quick and inspirational read for any #GIRLBOSS.

Black Mass

The great Johnny Depp is playing Whitey.

The notorious Boston gangster, Whitey Bulger, that is, and the people of Boston are curious. Beside Ben or Matt, I don't think there was a better choice for the elusive gangster. Depp is playing the title role in the movie adaptation of  the book "Black Mass: The True Story of the Unholy alliance between the FBI and the Irish Mob", written by Boston Globe scribes Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill. 

If you live in Boston, like I do, you would be hard pressed to find someone who does not know the story of the crimes committed by the Irish Mob for decades and the FBI men who allowed them the breathing room to commit them. It's an interesting story, and a book that I read with rapt attention.  Filming is going on now, and Johhny Depp filmed a scene yesterday In East Boston where he eerily resembled the aging, now incarcerated, legendary Boston gangster.  The scene, shot on the same street where a murder occurred just last week, was shot-quite literally-in Irish Mob fashion. According to the Boston Herald:

"in the scene shot yesterday Whitey/Depp and a couple of his henchmen walk with an unsuspecting victim near the water in Eastie. While Whitey shakes the man’s hand, he is whacked from behind by one of the aforementioned thugs. Whitey walks away and gazes out at the Tobin Bridge while the other two drag the body away."

Hollywood's take on this unbelievable story should be very interesting and the casting of Depp is brilliant. No one can take a character and make him believable, possibly even likeable, like Johnny can. (his portrayal of George Jung in "Blow" still remains one of my favorite Depp roles) Its a true crime story for the crime story lovers in all of us."Black Mass" is a best seller written by two Boston Globe writers who worked the beat and covered the Irish Mob during their horrific reign over the city which ends with the disappearance of Bulger in 1994 when he was tipped off by his FBI handler John Connley that the Feds were going to indite him on racketeering charges. He remained on the lamb for 16 years before being arrested in Santa Barbara, California in mid 2011. Bulger, at one time, was the FBI's most wanted man, right next to Osama Bin Laden.

Now he's getting the Holllywood treatment, albeit on screen only, but I wonder what old Whitey thinks of the casting of himself in his true crime story. These stories are the stuff that legends are made of. Lots of people died at the hands of these hardened criminals, and if justice is to be served, the families of the victims of the horrible crimes will share in the spoils of the movie's box office success. As for the real life cast of characters? Karma has taken care of them. And the rest is up to their maker, when they day comes for them to meet him. 

Tater Tale

So I heard this great story over the weekend, and I thought I would share it with you.

The book above was written by a local guy, who created, "The Adventures of Pat The Potato" to explain to a young family member about the size of one's heart and what can happen when a young potato finds the courage to succeed. It is a story about a very small, second grade potato who leaves home to get away from the ridicule of being the smallest potato in town. Written for his young family member who was struggling with peer pressure, the book became family lore and was then accidentally introduced to a publisher.

Mr. Gannon, flabbergasted that someone found his children's tale interesting enough to publish, was overjoyed to learn that not only did his tale about Pat sell, but the book was quickly adopted by the Potato Museum in Idaho as their pseudo "mascot" book. The sales of the book from the visitors of the museum and the sales on Amazon.com have been good and Michael Gannon couldn't have been more surprised.

Mr. Gannon relayed how amazed he is every month when he opens his small royalties check from book sales. The publisher has since asked Mr. Gannon to write another book. He has declined, of course, because the story came from an idea he had to help a young family member to understand that it's ok to be small and that sometimes being small sometimes has it's advantages. Never claiming to be an author, Mr. Gannon decided that Pat the Potato would be his only literary effort.

An effort like that, it seems, is no small potato.

A Lusty List

Things I'm currently lusting after:

The ultimate coffee table book about the man, the myth, the legend behind...the shoes.

Any and all things Iris Apfle:



Seven grand. Stop it. Just stop it.



Now seriously, and I need TWO of these. Price tag? $25,000.00. Each.



I have yet to make these babies my own:



Cooking expeirence to go with my brand new pressure cooker from Santa:


Cooking excellence:




And most important:



A WIN and we are INNNNN!!

Peace bloggers. Have a great weekend!