best day ever!

I really had the best day ever yesterday. Busy day at work, 2 hours of tennis with the BF, and ballet class after that. Woot! (um, yes, the legs were a little tired after that) Really wish that was an everyday sequence for me.

Also, check out this sunset.

Presto Pink Nails

Check out my pink nails. I love Sally Hansen's Insta-Dri nail polish. The best thing about this nail polish is that it is super pigmented. Also, it goes on smooth and dries fast so I am less likely to smudge it. I like all of the Sally Hansen products. Great quality, good price and available at drug stores.

Pomelo

My new favorite breakfast food is the pomelo. It is bigger and sweeter than a pink grapefruit and easier to spoon out.

Pomelo on the left. Pink grapefruit on the right.

Djokovic wins!

Djokovic wins the Australian Open 2012. Awesome! Love him.

Ballerina

I watched Mao's Last Dancer recently.

Very good movie but all I could think was "I wish I was watching Ballerina."

Definitely watch them both but I like the documentary style better in Ballerina. In Ballerina the dancers are shown in practice studio which I find very interesting. I might also be slightly obsessed with Uliana Lopatkina. Her arms! So expressive...

unpacking

Just got back last night from a trip for work. I unpacked my jewelry I had brought with me. I thought it looked so pretty there on the bathroom counter.

Chicken Salad

Made up this great chicken salad recipe. Its great in a sandwich or eaten with a fork.

rotisserie-cooked chicken from you local grocer
dried apricots
dried cranberries
walnuts
celery
mayo
honey
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper

Shred the rotisserie chicken being sure to remove all the skin, bones and connective tissue. Put the shredded chicken in a large bowl. Roughly chop the apricots, cranberries, walnuts and celery and add to chicken. In a small bowl mix 1/4 cup each of mayo and honey together. Drizzle in some olive oil until it reaches the consistency that will coat the whole chicken mixture. Salt and pepper to taste. For best results refrigerate overnight.

Don't get crazy with the apricots, cranberries, walnuts and celery. As it sits together the flavor of these components will permeate the whole mixture so you don't want it to get overpowered by one of these ingredients. So just about a handful of each. Fine! 1/4 cup of each.

If you think its not "salad-y" enough, you can add more mayo.

Bows, Bows, Bows!

I love bows. They are pretty and simple and a little whimsical. The only problem with bows is the word. If you start saying it a lot it starts to sound weird and then you're like "is that a real word? if so, I have completely forgotten what it means..." I digress. Recently I was on a mad hunt to find large bows to put into my hair. Could not locate. So I did what anyone would do. I googled it. Turns out they are really simple to make yourself. Check out this great video. I cut up some old pants. I used the pants material because it is a bit stiff and would keep that puffy shape.  This probably took me about 20 minutes to make both.

I just sewed a few sequins on this one to keep it from looking too plain.

a bit of warmth

I needed something to throw over my shoulders when I am chilling (ha!) on the couch. So I just knit a big square with some wool yarn and added 3 buttons to make it closeable. And voila! Its warm and it hangs on the couch next to the throw blanket.

Color Correction

Recently I decided I was fed up with my red face. I decided to try Almay Smart Shade Perfect & Correct Primer . Don't be lured in by the cool bottle. This product is unsatisfactory. The colored aspect is not noticeable enough to do any correcting. It is mostly the clear gel when you pump it out. The consistency is smooth and it does add a layer to your skin that could be good as a base before applying powder or foundation. I have combination skin so this only made my whole face oily. In the end I returned it. (Most drug stores will accept makeup you do not like since they don't have testers like Sephora or Ulta.)

After returning the above item, I purchased L'Oreal Studio Secrets Color Corrector Green . Much better product for the need I have. It is green enough to negate the redness but you could still wear it alone. It goes on somewhat matte so that is good for my combination skin. It pumps out fast and is a little streaky if you don't blend well, but overall I am happy with this product. Oh yeah! and this product is $4 cheaper than the one above.

Swan Lake!

Yes! February 17th and 18th Montgomery Ballet is partnering with Alabama Dance Theater to put on Swan Lake at the Montgomery Performing Arts Center. Can NOT wait! Montgomery Ballet is where I take my oh-so-wonderful Adult Ballet class.

Hungy vs. Unbearable Lightness

I have now read both Hungry by Crystal Renn and Unbearable Lightness by Portia de Rossi. Both I enjoyed immensely. But in case you are unsure which to read first or if you want to read both, here is a little comparison.

 

Hungry is a model's tale about anorexia. Crystal Renn is trying to make it as a model in New York but is failing because her misery is interfering with her ability to perform. In the end Renn realizes she must give up her extreme dieting and over-exercising if she wants to be happy and also successful. Renn's story gives insight into the modeling industry and the art of modeling and photography. The main underlying concept on body image is that everyone tends to be a certain weight and you live a balanced life you will settle into that weight.

I like the modeling industry info and the "accept who you are" concept. It was well written and filled with interesting facts about the health of people over 30bmi. I felt that Renn avoided being too emotional. She admits having a difficult life but seems to not want to link her behavior to any neurosis stemming from early life experiences. 

 

Unbearable Lightness is an actor's tale of anorexia, bulimia, and self-loathing. Portia de Rossi takes the reader on a terrifying tale of dieting, binging and purging, and a life of hating herself because she is gay. This book illustrates the horror of disordered eating. Finally after almost killing herself de Rossi starts a long road of recovery and finally tells her loved ones she is gay.

I like this book because it is like watching a train wreck. It is satisfying because in the end de Rossi finally is able to see her sexuality in a positive light. Also, I like that de Rossi's main tool in fighting her ED is to give up obsessing over food and herself. She finds love and realizes she is not the center of the universe.

Comparison

If you want to read about a person and their disgusting yet I-can't-look-away problems, then Unbearable Lightness is for your. If you want to read about a disease and an industry that ties itself to it while also learning some very interesting facts, then Hungry is for you.