essentials: hair products

since i blow dry my naturally coarse, curly hair straight for work, it is crucial that i protect it from styling damage.  i have finally pared down my hair products to the essentials that work for me.  since i only wash and style my hair twice a week, these last for months.

shampoo and conditioner first, i use aesop’s nurturing shampoo to cleanse, and then kiehl’s argan conditioner to condition.

styling productswhile my hair is still damp, i use orofluido hair oil on the ends.  i then work in bumble and bumble straight blow dry throughout.  finally, i spray bumble and bumble thickening hairspray everywhere (this step is very important because it works as a heat protectant).  i’m then ready to blow dry!

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coach legacy leather soft wallet

this is hands down the best wallet i have ever owned.  the leather is soft yet durable, and the hot pink color makes it easy to find when i am fishing around in my bag.  the wallet was a front snap closure.

coach 1 inside, there are 4 credit card slots.  i use these for my driver’s license and my three most used cards.coach 2 there are also two interior compartments.  i use one for bills, and the other for my other cards (insurance card, frequent buyer cards, etc.).coach 3 the back has a zip pocket for coins.coach 4my favorite thing about the wallet is how slim it is.  because it is just big enough to hold the essentials, it forces me to pare down what i actually need on a daily basis.  i can’t overstate how perfect this wallet is for my needs – it is definitely my best purchase so far in 2013.

(for those of you who need more credit card slots, check out coach’s new design of this wallet for this season.  it appears to have more credit card slots but only one interior pocket.)

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perfect sunday afternoon: strand and 81 irving

i spent a recent rainy sunday afternoon at two of my favorite places in nyc – strand bookstore and 81 irving place.

strand 1 as much as i love amazon, online shopping will never replace the experience of actually walking into a bookstore and picking up a physical book.strand 2 strand 3 strand 4 i came home with this awesome strand canvas tote.  the tote was designed by novelist adrian tomine, and depicts the faces of various strand customers.strand 5

after strand, we headed to one of my favorite coffee places in the city – 81 irving – for a soy latte and green tea.

irving 1 irving 2

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updated what’s in my bag

ps1

since i have been using my gray ps1 bag nonstop for the last few months (which, by the way, was the steal of the century from my local tj maxx in tennessee), i thought i should do an updated “what’s in my bag” post.  i have tried to pare down the contents to the bare minimum, in an effort to take a load off of my poor shoulders.  the ps1 is the perfect weekend bag for a girl always on the move, yet is classic enough for work.

ps1 contentsfrom top center: sonia kashuk for target make up case, metrocard, pencil pouch, oliver peoples sunglasses, mini umbrella, baggu (great for protecting your bag if you are caught in the rain!), quilted leather gloves from target.  center: coach slim wallet (which will get its own post soon), bag hook, and fiber plus bar.

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just in: oliver peoples sunglasses

sunglasses 2

as i enter my late twenties, proper eye and face protection is becoming increasingly important.  as much as i love my ray bans, they do not cover as much of my face as i would like when i am in harsh sunlight.  so, i decided to supplement my sunglasses collection with this pair of oliver peoples sunglasses from saks off 5th avenue.  i can’t find the exact model online, but this is a close match.

sunglasses 1

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a simple dinner

sometimes, when you get home late and it is just too cold to go outside and buy groceries, dinner may have to be roasted potatoes with a fried egg.

eggs and potatoesmy method:  i cut up potatoes into large chunks and coat them with olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper.  then, i spread them on a baking sheet and roast in a 400 degree oven for about 40 minutes.  top with a fried egg.

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dinner jacket: winter edition

i have already discussed how much i love billy reid’s dinner jackets.  since the other two i bought were raw silk and a bit thin, i decided to invest in a wool jacket for winter.

billy reid fullthis jacket is a gorgeous, absolutely perfect shade of camel, and is so incredibly soft (made of wool and cashmere).

billy reid lapelof course, my favorite part are the details:  notched collar, pick stitching, a gorgeous floral silk lining in the body, and a striped silk lining in the sleeves.

billy reid detail

 

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billy’s bakery

the weather has been unbearably freezing here in nyc.  during a walk in chelsea this past weekend, i ducked into billy’s bakery for steaming cup of coffee and a little something sweet.

billysit was definitely a great way to spend a cold sunday afternoon.

billys bar billys counter banana cupcake with cream cheese frosting.billys cupcake i loved the wallpaper and the ceiling detail.  i wish i could wallpaper the walls in my rental apartment…billys wall

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the dutch – soho, nyc

during nyc’s restaurant week, i went with a few friends for a lovely lunch at the dutch in soho.  warning: the inside pictures are a bit grainy because the lighting was dim.

the dutch

the decor inside was warm and inviting.

bar

for $25, we got three courses.  we started the meal off with delicious bloody marys.

bloody mary

for my main dish, i had the smoked mozzarella ravioli, while my friend got the short ribs.

raviolishort ribsand dessert was a choice between banana cream pie or an ice cream sundae.

citrus sundae banana cream piei would highly recommend the dutch for anyone looking for a casual yet delicious brunch/lunch!