Rise and shine, morning glory. Good morning. If there’s one huge lesson I’ve learned from 2020 so far, it’s to not take the little things for granted, because those little things — like stepping outside your door and taking a few deep breaths of clean, fresh air — those are the big things, which is why you’re going to have to put up with me posting pictures of the sky for a bit…
It’s been three weeks since I’ve been able to enjoy simply going outside, taking a walk and breathing. Finally, the smoke has cleared over the Bay Area. The sky is no longer Martian orange, and we’ve had healthy air quality for three days in a row (!).
A couple days ago we even woke up to fog.
FOG! Wonderful, wet, glorious fog!
I’m loving the gray tones in this pic, by the way. I feel like somewhere in there is a nail polish shade we all need in our lives ASAP.
Overall, this has been that kind of year, hasn’t it? Challenging, and we have to take the good things wherever we can find them.
On that note, more gardening in the front yard today. We’re planting our Muskogee Crape Myrtle tree, and to quote Ri-Ri, I need to “work, work, work, work, work, work.”
While I go put some weed mesh down, here’s your Saturday reading…
- RIP, RBG. ❤️ Thank you for everything you did for us. ?⚖️
- This is what it’s like to take a theater makeup class for college drama students right now.
- Vera Steimberg, a makeup artist in Hollywood who’s been working in the industry for two decades, talks about diversity, representation, and the things she’s been doing to encourage women who want to get into the business.
- This makeup artist transforms herself into celebs, and the transformation is shockingly accurate.
- Fragrances are everywhere, including remote places like mountaintop glaciers!
- In case you’ve got an extra $$$$ sitting around for perfume, Avon is releasing a new scent that costs $1,200.
- And in this week’s edition of “nothing really shocks me anymore,” TikTokers are now using nail files to shave their teeth.
- What happens when dudes add cats to their dating profile pic?
I’ve been craving boba for months.
Who’s going to make this for me?!
I’m down for easy glam.
Love this look
Talk to you soon, my friend.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Tatiana says
Oh yes!! Clean air!! I’m hoping it lasts, because I had such a bad asthma reaction last week. It was sooo nice going for a walk this morning. I stopped and picked up a cappuccino on the way home. First one I’ve had in weeks. And it’s even nicer that the temperature is moderate so I have all the house windows open too. Ah fresh air.
You have prettier views than I have. Love the photos! You can post pretty sky photos any time you want. I love them.
Karen says
We opened the windows this weekend too and it was glorious!
Bootsie says
So happy for you to see those blue skies and that beautiful grey fog! I have a Chanel polish that contains those grey and lavender tones…
Here in my part of Oregon, we had a week of hazardous smokey air and scary evacuations, with hundreds of homes and businesses burning to the ground. Yesterday it rained and cleared the skies so we have blue today, too. I am feeling so grateful right at this moment.
Blessings.
Karen says
Blessings to you too, Bootsie.
勝美 says
Boba à la Mazzy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6IO1iY1hQI
Deelish.
Last weekend for summer weather. Put the top down on the roadster and went to the east side of town for halo halo.
Somewhat reminiscent of Wisconsin-style kakigori with frozen custard, shave ice, azuki beans and an umeboshi on top. My favorite flavors are matcha or lime ‘n’ cherry.
Halo halo. Yummy.
So. After years of searching I can finally cross halo halo off my list. And Pompano en Papillote which I have wanted since I was a little girl and saw Edward G Robinsin in Key Largo…
Rocco: Back in Chi, in the old days, we’d pay ten dollars for an order of pompano. They used to fly it in. The way they served it… Done up in a brown paper bag… Got any champagne?
Angel: No champagne.
Rocco: Well, that’s too bad. Champagne and pompano. They really go together.
…and made it myself after a special shipment received at the fish market.
And absinthe. The Green Fairy. Another surprise. Locally distilled. Didn’t have to ditch the tour group at the Eiffel Tower to find a bar only to discover absinthe is illegal in France. Served in an absinthe glass with the sugar cube, absinthe spoon and urn of ice water.
So. Halo halo, pompano and absinthe. Other than the rioting and arson and the coronavirus pandemic, it’s already been a pretty great weekend.
And it’s not even my birthmonth!
Happy yours is going well. too,
Karen says
My weekend was pretty good! Kept busy in the garden. The end of our front yard project is almost in sight!
Now I’m craving halo halo!
Susan T. says
I’m going to have to try the 3rd Korean rice ball recipe with the egg. Yum! Although I’m in Alberta and not near any fires we are getting the smoke from Oregon and it’s pretty bad. I’ve had itchy eyes and a runny nose for a week but I can’t complain because it has been so much worse in the past and I know you had a terrible time with the smoke. Enjoy those blues skies. I certainly will when we see them again!
Karen says
I want to try all of the rice ball recipes… I just wish someone else would make them for me, hahaha!
Take care of yourself, Susan!
Adeliana says
My feed didn’t show this post and I had a moment of panic that the fires had got worse, I am SO glad to see those clear skies for you and to hear there was lovely, damp fog too. Hopefully this will lead to a run of clean air and you’ll all be able to breath a little easier.
I know this is trivial but I too am craving boba right now, it has been a long, long time (I could make it at home but it’s really not the same).
Karen says
Thank you, Adeliana. Hopefully the clear skies will hold up, and that it’ll stay wet enough through the end of fire season (which typically lasts for us through October).
I hope you have a great week ahead!
Christina says
Tell me about it! I opened all the windows for the first time in and, and it was just glorious! I was even able to go for a walk outside at night too. I heard the air quality is going to get worse this week, so I’m enjoying as much of it as I can right now.
Karen says
So did I. And in all of the rooms! AT THE SAME TIME. Oh, the things that bring me joy now…