One perk of working from home is that even if I am forced to be on conf calls until 10 pm at night, I can take a few hours for shopping in the afternoon and still work an 8-10 hour day. Today was one of those days where my trusty shopping partner Tasha and I took in some retail therapy at my neighborhood department stores. I believe I have found the ultimate pair of sunglasses for me, but am going to pray they are still available next month for purchase. (I think.) They are gorgeous Tom Ford shades that fit perfectly and are a blonde color to match my hair... *happy sigh, wishful prayer*.
Lapin a la Mode Tip du Jour
So, preface- while I am definitely not remotely as skinny as the cartoon girl on my blog header, my hair is actually as long as hers these days. My hair has always been a point of pride and rebellion for me. My mom is a sporty version of Mrs. Brady, and when I was very little, the three of us shared the same short haircut. I decided at about age three that I wanted to have long pigtails and get to wear ribbons in my hair, so I begged and cried to my parents to let me have long hair. And since then (other than an unfortunate time in 8th grade when I was persuaded by our town’s main stylist and my mom to cut my hair nearly to my chin- definitely the height of my ugly duckling phase), I have maintained hair at least a little past my shoulders. I have always wondered what I would look like with hair down to my waist, and swore I would grow it that long before having children. My hair has not reached that point yet, but it could be a reality in six months if I don’t cut my hair. (Although, I waiver weekly on whether or not my hair is too long and needs a few inches chopped off… thanks to my haircare products, the ends are very healthy still, so it’s not a necessity) My hair has, however, always been a challenge. It’s not *really* curly, or *really* straight, and left to its own devices, my hair would turn into fabulous natural dreadlocks in approximately 36 hours. (The greatest discovery of my childhood was conditioner).
So suffice it to say, once I found products that tame my tangles and smooth my frizz, I became very loyal to said products. I swear by my Matrix Sleek Look shampoo and conditioner (As well as their smoother used prior to flat ironing). The only problem is that while I can buy the industrial sized tubs in Walmart in the US for about $20 on special, the small version of these products cost about $30 here in Europe. So, anytime I go back to the US, or family or friends come here, these products indubitably find their way into the traveler's suitcase.That being said, there is a point which my hair reaches when it gets too much of Sleek Look built up in it (I wash my hair every single day. Otherwise, I become a disgusting greaseball.), so I try to use a deep cleaning shampoo once a month or so to refresh my hair. (It usually works to give my hair back some bounce). No matter what kind of shampoo you are using, it's good to change it up now and again (or use said deep cleaning shampoo) in order to get rid of any build up.
Click of French Culture
Growing up in the remote woods of western PA, our main hangout was the Truckstop (My little hamlet happens to have Interstate 80 traverse it), which always had good, basic food at low prices. While France does not have the TA (Truckstops of America chain), they have something called "Relais Routiers", which is basically an association of super cheap restaurants that offer a lot of high quality meals and sometimes even accomodation. These restaurants tend to buy ingredients in bulk, focusing on low cost seasonal ingredients, so the menus change regularly. Thomas and I are lucky enough to live a 3 minute walk from Paris's only one. We've only been one time, but not only was it the cheapest restaurant we've tried in the area, but the food... absolutely delicious! The fries were just... indescribably yummy! Everything was definitely homemade, and the menu was just handwritten on a piece of plain white paper. We definitely need to head back! (hint hint to my husband who is a devout follower of this blog) For more on Relais Routiers, click here.
Speaking of food, I need to start on dinner! A bientot!
-Liz Anne
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