Move In Day!

So I have been up to my elbows in packing up Frick for college. Sorry about my absence.

A few things:

Yesterday was my 3rd wedding anniversary. I can't believe it has been three years because it feels like I have been with My Guy forever! We are so lucky to have found each other and I just want to say Happy Anniversary to the best husband, father and to one of the greatest men I know. 

I am currently in New York city about to embark on moving Frick into her dorm. I will then enjoy the rest of my Anniversary weekend with my husband and daughter in the Big Apple. (Frack had to stay home with his grandparents. Golf team practice has started) I will be absent from the bloggersphere from today, August 29, 2013 and will not be returning until Tuesday, September 3, 2013. 

Happy Labor Day bloggers! Make sure you BBQ all your summertime favorites and enjoy all the outdoor activities you can! 

O-h No Khlo! Say It Ain't So

I could hardly believe the news when I heard it this morning. 

Lamar Odom is a crack addict??? Stop it. Really? 

Word outta TMZ land is that Klohe Kardashian's hubby of 4 years, Lamar, has been riding the crack train pretty hard for a few years now and I can't beleve they kept it a secret for this long, but they did. When it comes to all things Kardashian, I have to admit to watching the show regularly, as it's a guilty pleasure I won't deny myself. It's completely mindless which makes it incredibly easy for me to step away from my own madness get lost into the madness of their lives. My Guy says they are responsible for the "dumbing down" of America, and I'd be hard pressed to argue with him. Still I watch the show because there is something uncannily engaging about this self-centered, self absorbed, rediculous bunch. 

Khloe was always my favorite because of her honest, in your face approach. When she married Lamar after meeting 4 weeks before, no one thought it would last. Khloe and Lamar beat the odds and became fan favorites in the process. I watched the now defunct series, "Khloe and Lamar"  and followed their first years as newlyeds. They seemed to have it all, but word now is Lamar had been battling the demons of drug use all the while. 

So comes today's report that I read on Sports Illustrated.com that Lamar has been missing for three days and feared to be on a crack-fuled drug binge. TMZ is reporting That Khloe threw Lamar out of their house on Wednesday when Lamar would not coorporate with a planned intervention. Apparently fed up with Lamar's drug use, Khloe gave her husband an ultimatum: Clean up or get out. Odom chose the latter and has not been in contact with anyone since. 

Such a shame, really. It would seem that they had a great marriage and life together, but everything is not always as it would seem. I wish them both strength and peace as they travel this ugly road ahead and Ii will hope for the best. Obnoxious or not, rich, spoiled, entitled, overbearing and any other adjective you can attach to the Kardashian moniker, this stuff is real. And stuff this real is hard and has a 50-50 chance of ending very badly. 

I don't  wish that kind of pain on anyone. 

Being A Big Girl

 And those are some big girl panties to fill!!

Happy Friday Bloggers! Have a great weekend and try not to deal with too much!

Peace!!

Snake Oil

So the strangest thing happened to me yesterday. A valued member of my inner circle told me that while out shopping, a woman working at the store, who she did not know, randomly asked her about her "friend who owns her own boutique". How did she know about this?, she was asked, to which she responded, "I'm a psychic." Without going into too much detail, it was confirmed that she was most probably referring to me. 

The "psychic/sales girl" produced her business card and informed my friend that she was available for home parties, of course, because life is sometimesone big sales pitch. Believe it or not, that's not the weird thing. The weird thing is that this swami/psychic/sales girl proceeded to tell my friend that the reason she asked about my business was that she wanted to tell me to get some....peppermint oil.

Peppermint oil?

She told my friend to tell me to put peppermint oil all over the top of my front door, on my body, on my wallet, in my bag and to carry it with me at all times. 

Really? Peppermint oil?

She said it brings money and good fortune. And before you ask, yes, I thought this to be very strange. But what I thought even stranger is that a couple of months ago, one of my BFF's gave me a bottle of peppermint oil as a gift....We had gone to Miami together in April and while we were on the plane she applied the pepperrmint oil to her neck. Being the complete product junkie that I am, I of course, inquired about the fresh smelling scent. My BFF told me that it relaxes the senses and that it's great for stress. I love any and all things peppermint, so I immediately applied it to my skin. I loved it and here's the thing...I have carried the roller ball bottle of peppermint oil in my bag ever since she gave it to me. 

Ok, so I know what you are thinking (I know you so well). She's a fraud, a Machiavellian scheister, a grifter and a swindler. It's highly possible and likely, but I'm not doing business with her. Heck, I didnt even meet her. Why did she bring up me? 

I'm a firm believer in psychic powers but I'm not stupid. I know how the grift works, but I also believe in messages from the universe and I can't help but think this is a message. Is the peppermint oils good, old fashioned snake oil? Probably. But what do I have to loose? 

So if you walk into The Candy Bar and detect the heavenly scent of peppermint. Smile. 

You'll know exactly the reason.

Egg On Your Face

European women have been doing it for years.
We just marvel at their clear, poreless skin. I've found their secret and it's so simple.

Pure protein egg whites.

Egg whites apllied to the face as a facial have the power to firm loose and sagging facial skin on the face and neck and draw out impurities. Kala Farms Egg White Facial Soap, from Belgium is a European beauty staple. This gentle facial soap cleanses away impurities, soothes and firms the skin in a daily wash that leaves skin flawless.

This multi-tasking product can be used two ways:

1. As a gentle, daily facial wash that rinses away impurities that leaves skin glowing.
2. As a egg white facial. Lather up this rich bar and leave on face for 5-8 minutes. 

It's really that simple. 

A popular product at The Candy Bar, Belgium Egg White Soap is a favorite of my clients who report to love the scent and the way it leaves thier skin after washing. At $10.00 a bar, it's a natural, cost effective way to anti-age and a secret you'll want to share with your friends. 

Or maybe you won't want to share. It's that good, pure and gentle.

Whatever you decide, your secret is safe with me. 

 

Moments Of Madness

This story is very sad. It's not reported  here to gossip or point a finger at anyone. I share it becausre maybe someone will learn something. Maybe this madness will stop. Maybe no but maybe yes and that one maybe makes it all worthwhile.

Jared Remy, son of beloved Red Sox announcer and former player Jerry Remy, murdered his girlfriend in cold blood last Thursday. An enraged Jared stabbed Jennifer Martel several times in a struggle that went from inside the apartment they shared to the outdoor patio. Two of their neighbors tried to stop Jared from stabbing her to death outside their Waltham, MA apartment. Sources say they punched, kicked and screamed for him to stop, but his fury continued and didn't stop until she was dead.

Their 4 year old daughter was in the house at the time.

Herein lies the caveat:
Jared was arrested for assault and battery the Tuesday before the slaying,  for smashing Jennifer's head into a mirror. The DA released Jared Remy on his own recognizance. Today the fingers are pointing all over the Middlesex DA's office and they are firmly denying any wrong doing. The facts of this case are blinding: Jared has a long rap sheet filled with violence. Since 1998 Remy has 15 counts of violence, six if them assault and battery on three different women.

Now the community wants to know how this happened. Middlesex DA, Marian Ryan, is attempting to explain this away by saying the victim herself is the best judge of saftey.

“Everything we know, both from the research and from 
experience in doing these cases, is in the 
majority of these cases, the best assessor of safety is the victim herself,” Ryan told the Herald, referring to Jennifer Martel, the mother of Remy’s 4-year-old daughter. “Miss Martel was declining to extend the restraining order that had been issued the night before.” Ryan said.


I'm not a DA and I don't play one on TV, but I'm thinking this monster slipped through the cracks somehow. I understand that Jennifer didn't want to extend the restraining order, even I can see that she was scared. LOOK AT THE GUY!!! He looks like a bad guy and I don't say that to make you giggle. There is nothing funny about him or this. It's obvious to me that his guy has a roid/rage problem. He looks terrifying and most certainly is terrifying, but why did it take the senseless death of a young woman to solidify that?

Lots of people are saying lots of things about Jerry Remy, his father who is a very public figure here in Boston. Things like that's why Jared got away with it so many times before. If that is true then we all share in the blame for Jennifer's death. I find it hard to believe that Jerry Remy's name carries that much weight in the court system or that we hero worship ourselves into looking the other way, but the facts here are the facts. There is no way that monster should have been alowed to live with a woman, let alone a woman and a child. Their village failed. No one saw this coming? Maybe they were afraid of him too but this family breakdown is a cautionary tale.

Bottom line: If it looks like a bad guy, talks like a bad guy and walks like a bad guy, then it's a bad guy.
If only it were that simple. Jennifer would be alive today.

Burger Bonanza

Ever have a juicy, delectable burger that you find yourself craving the next day?  I have found the ultimate burger that has been my go-to BBQ staple this summer. I served it recently to some friends who said, "best burger ever!" and that's not the first time I have served them. 

The story goes like this:

My mom and dad were at a Lowes dept store, picking up some home improvement stuff. My dad was perusing the magazines at the checkout line and he found this recipe. On the way home they decided 

to buy the ingredients and try them. The next day mom was on the phone raving about these burgers. About a week later, my dad copied the recipe and gave it to me, without me even asking. Since they were so highly recommended, I made them later that week and they did not disappoint. 

Just in time for the labor day BBQ, I present you with the best burger recipe EVER!

You can thank me later...

Beef Burgers with Blue Cheese and Caramelized Onions

You will need:

2 Tbs. unsalted butter

2 Medium yellow onions, chopped about 2 cups

1 1/2  Lb. ground beef (preferably 85% Lean)

1 Tbs. chopped fresh Tarragon

1 Tbs. Dijon mustard

1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce (preferably Lea & Perrins)

4 oz. blue cheese crumbled (about 1cup)

4 Brioche or challah rolls, split

Heat a gas grill to medium high or prepare a medium-hot charcoal fire.

Melt the butter in a 12 inch skillet over medium low heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until golden and soft; about 20 minutes; reduce the heat to low if the onions begin to brown too quickly. 

Meanwhile in a large bowl, thoroughly mix the beef, tarragon, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce with your hands. Form the mixture into four 1/2 inch thick patties.

Oil the grill grate. grill the burgers, covered, for 3 minutes. flip the burgers and top with the cheese. Cover and continue to cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into a burger registers 130 degrees F for medium rare; about 4 minutes more or 145 degrees F for medium, about 6 minutes more. 

When the burgers are nearly done, toast the rolls cut side down on the grill until browned and heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve the burgers in the rolls, topped with the caramelized onions.

http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/beef-burgers-with-blue-cheese-caramelized-onions.aspx