Pretty Pretty Bang Bang

Looks like thongs aren’t just for underwear anymore. This was on boingboing.net today.

Someone really must introduce a new fashion trend because the old ones are wearing me out. I’m so tired of my entire summer wardrobe consisting of crop pants, polo shirts, t-shirts and tank tops. I know there are lots of trends out there, but many are tragic and unsuitable for anyone over the age of 15. Take the Empire (pronounced ahm-peer according to Stacy London) waist silhouette, for example. Sure, it’s cute if you’re 8 years old and flat as a board. However, on me it just makes me look busty, fat and pregnant. Another trend I have yet to embrace is the layered tank. Let me get this straight. It’s 100 degrees outside and I’m supposed to put on three different tops? How is that cool? Nevermind the jumbled straps and extra bulk it will put on the midsection. Personally, I just think it looks sloppy.

This year’s trends I do like include gauchos (which I SWORE I would never wear), bermuda shorts and tribal embellishements. I like the look of chocolate brown with white and lots of wooden beads. I resisted gauchos for the first season, but have now come to like them. However, with my thick waist I must search for the correct material and drape to get a nice effect. Knit jersey gauchos are for teenagers. Period. Do not try to tell me they work on you because they don’t. Not even Heidi Klum should wear them. The style is much too young. Exceptions are made for yoga and dance class wear.

So this summer is shaping up to be a boring fashion season. Guess I’ll just have to wait until fall for something interesting. I do have word that this fall/winter is all about leggings. And stirrup pants. Yup, that knit crap we wore in the 80s is making a fashion comeback. Looks like my Fashion Police ticket book is going to get quite a workout come September.

On another hair note: I’ve been thinking about bangs again. Last time I thought about updating my bob and getting bangs I immediately started talking about growing them out the minute they were cut. Problem is the natural wave/frizz in my hair. The shorter my hair is, the curlier it gets. Add in some humidity and persperation and I’m a candidate for the Worst Tressed list.

What to do, oh what to do. Looks like ponytails for me this summer.

It’s time again for me to obsess about my hair. Oh wait, I never stop obsessing about my hair! This week I’m getting it colored and possibly cut, except I have no idea what to do with it! It’s taken me about three years to grow it out past my shoulders so I’m a bit leary about cutting it. I’ve never had long hair. I never wore it in ponytails as a child unless you count the “fountain” ponytail I had on top of my head. Cute when you’re 5, but not so much later in life. So I now have long enough hair to pull into a ponytail which makes it a breeze to style. Problem is, I never feel like it’s actually “styled.” I know ponytails are chic this summer, but I think I’m looking for a style. The only solution, of course, is to cut it and I’m scared to do that! I know, I know, my hair will grow, but I’m past that awkward growing stage so I should be home free.

I guess I’ll just never be satisfied. Maybe I should just be content to not be content. Knowing me, I’ll chicken out and just get it trimmed. Maybe I’ll cut it this fall…

I’m insanely tired today. Last night I was up battling a cough, sinus drainage problem that made sleeping a challenge. I have so much work to do to get ready for the trunk show this weekend in Des Moines. I’m excited about the possibilites, but am exhausted already just thinking about it! Tonight Steve has his Halo game night so I’m planning on several hours in the studio. Tomorrow and Thursday are bellydancing nights, but Steve has pottery on Wednesday so I’ll try to finish up then.

Yikes! I just don’t feel ready to have a show!

Dinner with friends is always a special treat for us. Whether it’s having a beer at a dive bar, gorging ourselves on Mediterranean food or an intimate dinner in, the evening always contains lots of love and laughter. Last night was another one of those evenings. Duane and Prudy took us to dinner at a restaurant called Pairings. We’d never been there, but it’s a favorite of theirs and they wanted to share the experience. Pairings is located just outside Springfield in a Frank Lloyd Wright-styled house. I didn’t care if we ate; I wanted to live there. We began the evening in the downstairs lounge where the bartender helped Steve celebrate by making him a special shot called a Sea Monkey. I have no idea what was in it, but it tasted like fruity Play-Doh. Not my style. Owner Rebecca Flynn knows Duane and Prudy so she took us on a personal tour of the restaurant and told us that it used to be her house. She even showed us the private upstairs bathroom that’s larger than our bedroom!

Dinner is designed so you can order flights of wine specially chosen to compliment your food. Steve was the only one brave enough to order the five-course meal with the complete flight. Somebody had to drive so I quite drinking before dinner. Besides, I wanted to be sober to enjoy the food. Duane and I chose the five-course meal without the wine and Prudy chose three courses. Everything was delicious! What’s nice about the courses is that they are very small so you end up with one medium-sized meal at the end. I didn’t feel overly full, but I felt very satisfied. Here’s what I had:

First Course
Baby beet and micro cress salad with asparagus, Easter egg radish, crater lake blue cheese in a watermelon, tomato and lemon basil vinaigrette.

Second Course
Baby butter bibb lettuce salad with buttermilk and tarragon vinaigrette and house made croutons. (Note: these two salads together didn’t add up to one “restaurant sized” salad. They were small, but very tasty)

Intermezzo
Cavillon melon sorbet (This was about a tablespoon of sorbet. It tasted like very sweet cantaloup.)

Entree
Sauteed Atlantic salmon with black lentils, brussels sprouts in a red wine and mousserone demi (this was a nice portion. I got about 4 oz of salmon and 1/4 cup of lentils)

Dessert
Olive oil and rosemary cake with spiced pear sorbet (This was about the size of a 1/4 slice of pound cake with about a tablespoon of pear sorbet. I chose it because it sounded different and it was! Good, but a bit weird)

The cost of this particular meal without the wine is $40 per person. A bit pricy, but since it’s a celebration and the food is more exotic, I didn’t think it was out of line. Thank you Duane and Prudy for an incredible evening!

A night out with Ralph and Blair is always an adventure. They seem to have a knack for unearthing the most unusual, whacky places for food and drink. Last Saturday night was no exception. They got a babysitter for the kiddos and we hit the booming metropolis of Des Moines for an adult’s night out. First stop was El Bait Shop, a Mexican joint known for their vast array of beers on tap and in bottles. Ralph, Blair and I were boring and had Goose Island Summertime Ale, but Steve got a Smoky Ale, which lived up to its name with a delightful, smoky flavor. We sat in a booth right next to a video fishing game and Steve and Blair left us momentarily to play classic games on tabletop arcades. Congratulations Blair for scoring your all-time high score in Galaga!

Next door to El Bait Shop is The Highlife, which sells only Miller beers. The great thing about The Highlife is it’s distinctive décor. The place is an homage to the 1970s. Original, retro lighted beer signs line the walls, shag carpeting covers the floor and the menu is full of comfort food. Here you can get meatloaf, mashed potatoes, pot roast and all the fixin’s to go with your Miller Beer. Oh yeah, it’s always Miller time.

After dinner at Star Bar, where Steve ordered the Boss Hogg sandwich consisting of three different pork products, we decided to have one last drink. Not wanting to waste our time at a normal bar, we stopped at a biker bar on Ingersoll called GT’s. Not many bikes were parked out front so we figured they might not be too crowded for a Saturday night. We sat in one of the front booths right by a huge picture window with a great view of the street. The bar was really smoky and loud, but the music was great. They have a digital jukebox with an incredible song selection and Blair chose the first round. I love that he remembered I liked “Spanish Bombs” by The Clash and played it just for me. Ordering a beer here is an adventure in itself. They don’t have a list so you just choose your beers directly from the cooler. Which is unlit. So they give you a flashlight and you choose your drink. How cool and weird is that?

After one last drink, we decided it was time to go home. However, I’m sure it won’t be long before we return. I know we’ll definitely be getting beers at El Bait Shop in the near future.

Here I am. A white girl with no rhythm, yet I’m attempting to change all that. I’ve entered the world of belly dancing. I figure I have the belly for it so why not use it? Last night was my second lesson and I’m beginning to get the hang of it. Please note: I’m not now, nor will I ever be, available for parties. I’m doing this for my own enjoyment and exercise not for public display. Fortunately, I’m taking this with my friend Mary so we’re having a great time doing it. Suzanne has been dancing for several months and has really enjoyed it so I was inspired after my St. Louis weekend. The music is really fun, the costumes are beautiful and the dancing makes me feel graceful. The thing I like most about my particular class and the instructor is that everyone is very encouraging and the class is relaxed. I’ll keep you posted on my progress.

Just a quick note to say I love the new Red Hot Chili Peppers CD! Sorry Steve for keeping it in the car, but I’m not about to give it up! It’s excellent. I haven’t made it through the second disc, but so far I haven’t found a song I disliked. Definitely a “must have” for any RHCP fan.

Once again I must get on my shoe soapbox. This time it’s about those rubber flip-flops that everyone seems to think go with everything. If you’re at the lake, at summer camp, in the garden or just around the house then I don’t care how often you wear them or what shape they’re in. However, I’m getting tired of seeing them in restaurants, churches and even the White House. Since when did we become so lazy as a society that we allow ourselves to wear cheap, dirty rubber flip-flops to meet the President?

Not only are they unattractive, but I’m amazed at how many chewed-up, dirty pair I see. Last time I was in Old Navy they were selling for $2.50 per pair so I don’t know why anyone would still wear them after the dog chewed on them. Invest in a new pair! It’s cheaper than a tall latte at Starbucks!

So the next time you’re invited to a weddding or attending church, please do everyone a favor and leave your flip-flops at home. They might be trendy and comfortable, but for just a few hours you can show the world how nice you look.