Let's dish

You might recall my brief mention of wanting new dishes. Well, I never actually replaced them until just this past week. I suppose the impending move got me...well...moving. Ha!

Registering for our wedding was very fun: Here's a laser gun, shoot it at things you want others to buy you! It's not selfish - it's expected! You get to do it again if you have a baby, but why isn't is quite as acceptable to register to celebrate other important moments in your life? Pssst - I'm having my annual pap smear, and I'd really love these! Or, more pertinent: Hey, we are buying a new house, so we need some stuff!
When we registered back in 2002, we chose Mikasa Garden Harvest stoneware for our 'every day dishes.' It's traditional, goes with a lot, and it's very pretty. I still like it, but my style and lifestyle has changed, and it does have its negatives. It's a bit heavy, takes up a lot of space, and stoneware chips. Granted, in 8 years of daily use, only 6 out 48 pieces have chipped, but nevertheless, I have some noticeable chippage.

While I like all sorts of patterns and finishes, from classic to more bohemian, I'm much more practical than I used to be...I want simple, white (foodies agree everything looks better on a white plate), versatile, and durable new dishes that will survive Samuel's upcoming induction into the joys of shared family dish washing. As you might have guessed, I thought of Corelle. Then I hesitated. Then I considered it again. And hesitated once more. I knew it had all the durability qualities I was looking for, but I never cared for the way it felt - just sort of 'College Chic' with it's ultra light weight, compactness, and no edges. Cheap. I'll admit it, I always thought they felt cheap. I checked out their newer, heftier Ultra line, and though it sounded better, but I could never find it in a store to actually feel for myself. Then, last week, I eyed their Square line a little longer, and it grew on me. I thought that even with the lightweight feel, the square shape gives it some much needed style, but is still super simple. I did some research and snagged a great deal - service for 12 that did not include mugs (I hate the mugs, plus I love the plain white ones I already have), with free shipping, for $120.
It arrived today. I really do like it! The white is pure, without that weird skim milk luminescence the round Frost White seems to have. The square shape is stylish, but not trendy, and food looks sort of artful on it. Yes, artful. And, best of all, it takes up about half the space the Mikasa does. Win, win, win.

I posted the Mikasa for sale on Craigslist. In doing so, I realized that I was missing two dinner plates! Tim thinks I broke at least one. He may be right, but I don't remember doing so. A second may be forgotten at some one's house, maybe left behind after I brought goodies to share...but...who knows. If they doesn't sell via Craigslist by closing, I'll cart it over to our local consignment shop, where I'm sure it would sell fairly quickly.

True story

Sometimes you have a problem that's sort of ongoing and you'd like to resolve it, but you don't really put that much effort into it, forget about it, put it off, whatever. Sometimes you even get sensible advice about it but don't follow it and so you don't get anywhere. Sometimes, at some point, you finally decide to commit to some sort of solution and it's the right one - that's a good day.

We've been living in our house for 5 years, and we have really hard water. Like ridiculous. I think there's pebbles suspended in it. Anyway, hard water build up is bad - it's probably doing bad things to our pipes and appliances, but I can't see that, so no worries...but it has done some visible damage to my hair. It has become dull, rough, and unresponsive to different products, deep conditioning, and so on...it's almost "gummy" at times, and even after a thorough wash, condition, & blow dry it's just blah. No softness. No lightness. Just ew. I don't wash my hair daily either. It's kinda like doll hair - you know that weird fake feel? I even thought it might just be aging (gasp!)

So last night I get this great cut, and the stylist (not my regular stylist, but maybe will become my new regular stylist) asked me if I had hard water, then she said, "I can feel the build up on your hair...see how I can't run my fingers through it?" She was right.

I am a monster. Don't look at meeee!

She suggested a clarifying shampoo. I'd heard this before, but I just never--refer to my first paragraph. Once I tried a baking soda/vinegar thing which seemed to help somewhat, but what a pain in the ass process - I never repeated it. To compound all this, whenever a stylist suggests a product, I can't help but think that they don't really care about my hair, they just want to sell me product. But last night, with my monster-doll hair mocking me in the mirror, I said, "So what do you recommend?"

Since I only get my haircut once in a gazillion years these days, I "splurged" on Paul Mitchell Clarifying, which I am under strict stylist orders to use no more than once a week. Today, I had lunch with a coworker and I told her about it. Her water is incredibly bad too, she told me, and she uses a clarifying shampoo as well, and she said it makes a big difference. I wanted to drive home right then and try it, but I restrained myself.

Here is a Sammy Intermission - this is on our way to the car wash a couple of weeks ago, after the last snowy crap melted.



And now, the conclusion of my story - I used the special shampoo, and as I rinsed my hair, it squeeeaaked! I know squeaking is not necessarily a good thing for hair, but when you haven't heard or felt that in YEARS, it's fantastic and confirms that yes, yes indeed, there was something dreadful going on up there.

After the towel dry, I use a big comb to detangle and it was gliding through effortlessly. It was weird! I used the hair dryer and it's AMAZING! YAAAY! I have my hair back! I was floored that it worked so well in just one shampoo. It's much softer, fluffier (but smooth) and I can run my fingers through it - in fact, I can't keep my hands off. I imagine that it will be even better with regular use.

Later, peeps.
Your friend with the Glorious Hair. Go ahead, touch it. No, I'm not a Goddess, but thank you...you're too sweet.

Cheers

Give three cheers for all of the good things that have transpired in my life over the past week, starting with the most important first.

1. My new position at work was approved to be full time! If you didn't know, I had been half time for well over a year (our decision). We knew that eventually, once the financial reality of it hit us, I'd have to go back to full time, but figured whatever extra time I could have at home with Sam was worth the short term strains. This past November, my position was essentially cut due to the state's budget crisis, but thankfully, in the same breath, I was asked to take another half time position that was expected to be fully funded within six months - and it has in just 2 months!

I feel fortunate because it's still an 11 month out of the year position, I actually LIKE it a lot and am a real official Academic Advisor, which I had been working toward. I like the department chair (my new boss), and considering the current economic climate, I'm darn lucky to have what I have.

Besides all that, this enables Tim to finally quit his silly part time job, which had become a complete nuisance to us all. While I will deeply miss spending all that time with Sam, we'll have more time together as a family, and we'll be making more money. I'd call that a good shift.

2. I found 2 pairs of fabulous, butt-tastic (to me this means butt-minimizing) jeans in one brief shopping trip! Can you imagine?? I can finally retire the shredded, stained pairs I'd been sporting.

3. Our new coffeemaker - top rated on Consumer Reports (you know I do my homework). Sells for between 80 and 100, we got it for $64. Our old one was just a wreck. Isn't our new one all classy and fine?

4. We decided to finally buy the mother of all small kitchen appliances - the Kitchen Aid stand mixer. It was always on the fringes of my cooking consciousness, and it remained there because of the $300+ price tag and the fact that I don't bake very much. When trusty cooking types told me that it was oh-so-much-more than a baking tool, I paid more attention.

Tim was always a fan, I'm guessing because it's got wattage being cranked out by like an engine or something, so he didn't need convincing. I also suspect that he's thinking he'll get more home made desserts this way. Maybe, but more importantly, I'm fascinated by the dough hook for my pizza and bread.

But you know me, I can't spend the typical going rate. To do so would probably make me break out in hives. So we started watching. The 325-watt Artisan series seemed to suit our needs and is very well rated, and occasionally, Amazon runs specials for $249 or even as low as $229, but only on the basic colors - black, red, white. So we kept on. At the moment, my favorite color is Boysenberry, but that never goes on sale. Sigh. Note that a nice color is important to me because it would have to sit out on our counter top - I have no convenient place to store it. Black would be ok, but just ok, not sassy and sexy. You know? Yea.

Yesterday we were in Binghamton. We went to Kohls (were I found the jeans, by the way), and they were having a CLOSEOUT on the Kitchen Aid Artisan series mixer in Cobalt. I like Cobalt, but it wasn't my favorite, but the closeout price of $179 was making it my total fave. Then, to our disappointment, they didn't have any left. We offered to take the floor model (for an additional 10% off), but when they couldn't find the box and the paddle and whisk, we said never mind.

After we got home, we decided to find out if they could check other stores for the same deal. The Kohls in Horseheads has one sealed in a box, and they are shipping it to Binghamton. When it arrives, it is being set aside for us and we'll be able to pick it up for $179...but there's more good news...Kitchen Aid is offering a $30 manufacturer rebate until March. Yep. ONE FITTY is my final price. I love it. Like Jill would say, "I win."

So when I get the thing, I'll post a pic of it in its new home, and I'll tell you all about my first experiments with it.

Line me deep brown

About once a year, I de-clutter my makeup collection, tossing out the shadow that was all wrong, the cheap eyeliner that performed like cheap eyeliner, dried out mascaras (I always have at least one waterproof and a regular formula on hand - each has its merits), and the lipsticks that are starting to break down. During this time I also start browsing overpriced makeup lines like Smashbox and Shu Uemura and Nars - then I get real and do my best to duplicate what I can at the drugstore. Wheeee. Did you know Revlon now carries a natural mineral pigment for eyes? Very blendable, long lasting, and under $8. Recommend.

I hate spending much on makeup, but I like makeup. Actually, I kind of secretly love makeup. Sometimes if I'm bored, I'll put on heavy makeup and walk around the house blinking all slow and dramatic. Weird?

As a child, I'd beg my mom, grandmas, aunts, and later my little brothers to let me make them up. I would even take before and after pictures. And yes, my little macho brothers usually let me do it, full on, down to the mascara. They are real men.

Despite my wanting makeup for cheap, I will willingly splurge on Clinique a couple of times a year. So while I was getting inspired on the high end sites, I noticed that black liner is missing lately. At first I was alarmed, because it has been a staple for me. When I'm feeling saucy, I like to draw a gradually thickening, upward sweeping thingie on my top eyelid (you know what I mean). It's very hot. Especially on me, obviously. I always thought that having dark brown eyes meant going for black liner. Apparently when you're in your thirties, this is no longer recommended because it can look too harsh. Hmmm. Go on...

I decided if I was going to try a whole new shade of liner, I would go for a good quality, no nonsense eyeliner. I almost clicked and purchased Smashbox's cream liner, but then I remembered that we were going to an actual mall the following day, so I did a quick comparison on Clinique.com - their cream liner touted similar fabulous promises, and cost less ($7.50 less to be exact). Sweet.

Let me back up - why cream liner? Well, I did the research for you, lucky dogs: Unlike a pencil, cream liner goes on silky smooth, it never needs sharpening, and it dries in place, so no smudging. Unlike a liquid liner, it's more precise to put on (cause it's thick, not drippy) and easier to control. SOLD!

The Clinique consultant confirmed that I should go for a dark brown shade. She was attractive and had good makeup on, so I trusted her. She also showed me the difference between the brush that comes with the product (crappy) and their fancier, longer brush - I had to get the better brush, and the difference is indeed undeniable. I tossed the little crappy one.

So I'm feeling all swanky and Audrey Hepburn-y with my new liner, expertly applied and so brownie brown. I'm blinking slow. I may have to put on my pearls.

Old box, new box

No one wants another lecture about consumerism, supporting Main Street, the evils of mega-marts, and the like - not that we don't need to be lectured about this...trust me when I tell you I believe in fair trade, good quality, and ethical sourcing and production. Trust me as I tell you this while my other browser tab is on target.com -I'm looking at curtain panels for the living room.

Big box stores suck me in pretty easily...in some ways they remind me of childhood, wandering Caldor's and Alexander's with my mom. Those were some of the first big stores open in the outskirts of Peekskill.

Before that, I remember that shopping was all about going downtown to Woolworth's and then the big-time: Howland's-Steinbach - all fancy smack in the middle of downtown, with four levels, central escalator, and even elevators with real, actual elevator operators in uniform! It was like old-timey movies but with a late 70s soundtrack. Eventually it went out of business and after years of vacancy, the building was turned into a branch of Westchester County Community College, or as the locals call it, Harvard on the Hudson. Later WCC moved next door to the Woolworth building, and the former Steinbach was taken over by another state branch...ironically, the unemployment office.

Thanks to Ed Horn for the pic of the former Steinbach building, below. The fomer Woolworth building is now a branch of WCCC.

Fast forward to the 2000s. Living in upstate NY with Walmart being the main big-box game in town, I've grown to hate it more and more. Of course I hate what it stands for, its politics, and all that, but honestly, when I really break it down, Walmart has little to offer me outside of cheap and disposable crap. I still go there on occasion, but I make it a point to do it only for very specific situations and items. I always leave with more than I came in for (goodness, I idolize Ralph Nader, but I'm not quite at his level of freak yet...), but at least I can say it's mostly nationally branded stuff that just happens to be priced well at that moment (like Diet Dr. Pepper). As for the rest - food, cosmetics, clothes, and so on? I get those elsewhere. And I don't necessarily spend more. Their slogan is Live Better? I say Live Better than Walmart.

OK, done with that diatribe. So I'm getting to this in a totally roundabout way. Apologies. Keep reading. I have really enjoyed rediscovering the Main Street shopping experience over the past few years - and not just in Oneonta. Oneonta is still troubled with hiccups of empty store fronts and spaces changing hands. In my humble opinion the problem is really a circular little pinch of everything:

From the consumer side, it's lazy people not wanting to find parking and walk (though they'll walk the length of a football field in the Walmart lot), and people just too stuck in the convenience/cheap goods/all-in-one place/more-is-better mindset who never think to check downtown first. Big boxes are a real convenience - and a real threat. It's hard to live without them when they've been able to take over most of your frontal lobe.

From the business side, it's store owners that have to contend with high rents and overhead BUT don't cater to customer schedules (ya, you heard me Razzle Dazzle lady - you SUCK and aren't worthy of the fun stuff in your store), they aren't savvy or creative about advertising, and don't seem to get that if they have a significant, real sale, they will turn over much more inventory and make a profit. Try it. Face it. Your $1 off coupon in the Pennysaver ain't gonna pull me in. Your 'buy 75 at full price and get 5% off the 76th' isn't impressive - it's laughable. Offer a good deal, and you might just sell enough to offset the cost of your pathetic advertising and then you can't complain that your advertisements don't work. It's not the advertising, it's what you're advertising! Ok, sorry, again. There I go playing economist entrepreneur business marketing whiz anger child again. I get like that.

But really, I love Main Streets and I do shop them. Like just this afternoon, I bought some Christmas gifts. And they're unique and cool and you can't get them in Walmart. Or Target. And some were handmade, so the money stays in the community, and doesn't line the pockets of investors and CEOs. Some of the best gifts I've ever received were from small merchants, and some of the most treasured gifts I've given (at least people say they love them) were from small merchants. I'd love to post pictures of what I bought today, but like I said, they are gifts...

I probably won't post again for a week or so. I'm spending most of the weekend finishing my thesis (oh I'll blog about that for sure), and next week we'll be traveling for the holiday and I'm not sure I'll be able to get all bloggy with my bad self. So, Happy Thanksgiving and all that...I'll be back in December!

A wish list

Not that I expect anything. Just keeping you updated on a few of my new favorite things. Like Oprah's Favorite Things. Except I don't actually own these at the moment and don't have 300 extra to give out to my audience. And I don't have a show. Or a production company.
So let's just pretend that you're in my audience, and this blog is my show and this episode is Cristina's Favorite Things, and you oooh and ahhhh and scream wildly at each item as you scroll down through.

I'm in the market for new dishes. Everyone gets a set of this fabulous Dansk dinnerware! Of course, you can't think of dinnerware without thinking of fabulous ingredients. Everyone will be shipped 20 cases of this Dean & Deluca extra virgin olive oil. Calm down, calm down.

What's great dinnerware and wonderful oil going to do for you unless you can be in the kitchen looking amazing in these suede killers from Ralph Lauren. What, you don't cook in jeans and $500 purple heels?


I really want a circle pendant necklace. I'd also like to start wearing more gold again - I think it works well with my complexion. I want to bring out the Mediterranean in me. It's trendy to be Mediterranean. And even if you're not, all your friends will be jealous of this amazing piece by David Yurman.


I absolutely love these silk drapes from Pottery Barn. At $129 for ONE panel, I'd have to get 1 and cut it into six. But of course all of you will be bringing home 20 panels, so even if your color scheme is different, too bad - these are bound to be nicer than yours anyway. Redecorate!


I don't know why I love you, earth tone or black & white contemporary toile bedding, but I do.



Of course now we move away from the big ticket items and on to the smaller fun stuff. L'Occitane is good. It's very very good. I wreck myself in their stores. Hope you brought a shopping cart, cause you're all taking home 40lbs milk soap today...


Philosophy's Amazing Grace is one of my favorite scents.

Perhaps if I purchased a pair of $200 Gucci sunglasses, I wouldn't mistreat them the way I do my $17 pair. And if my neck was this long, fashionable sunglasses would be the least of my concerns.

M & M Training

I'm still suffering from a wit-block, so this will be more of a general account than a fun story.

A few items of note for today:

We have a new laptop. It's a SONY Vaio, but not the models with the battery recall. We had a VAIO desktop for years and were pleased with it. It's not my coveted airbook, I know, but it's white and sleek and fab. We got an exceptional deal on Ebay, much better than any sale we found.

With the renovations and my budget woes, the laptop might seem like a totally frivolous purchase, but we were thinking about it for a while: We have a traditional upstairs/downstairs layout, and our desktop is upstairs in the 'office.' When I'm home with Sam all day, I have to drag him upstairs with me, away from his play area, to do any work on the computer...not that he actually lets me focus on anything because he wants to be back downstairs playing. I can't blame him. We also risk waking Tim when we're up there (he works night shift 3/5 nights). With a laptop, Tim or I can do work while we're in the main area of the house and can give Sam full attention. With a master's thesis looming in December, and the extra work I've picked up, it has been frustrating to have to wait until Sam was in bed to get anything done. I have every confidence the laptop will help. Not only that, but now, after he goes to bed, I don't have to choose between obsessively watching Election Center on CNN and going upstairs to work on the computer. Yay for split focus.

Regardless of how much it can be justified, I will still feel guilty and frivolous about the purchase for weeks to come. That's just one of my issues. I can spend a shameful sum on a pair of shoes and not blink once, but on anything else, I'm suddenly a thrift queen. I have reigned in my shoe addiction, by the way.

Sam is in Potty Training. It's not a do or die situation yet, but we try for small triumphs every day. I don't want him to stress out about it (see Before The Storm entry). I'm totally copying what the mom from Jon & Kate + 8 does: an M & M reward system, specifically 1 for pee and 2 for poop. The only problem is that it's more like: 1 for pee, 2 for poop, and 26 for mom. I need to train myself OFF the M & Ms.

Today we went to the Fly Creek Cider Mill outside of Cooperstown. We met up with my friends Allison, Angie, and Beth. I was glad to hang out for a little bit. Sam had a blast checking everything out, especially the 'tractorland' play area. It was really crowded, so my initial excitement about picking up cheese and apples and cider wore off pretty quickly. It's like every time I go somewhere, there's a short honeymoon period where I forget how cumbersome it can be to have a toddler with you. Don't get me wrong, I wanted to go especially for Sam - it's just that some days feel more choresome than others. Is choresome even a word??

The Fly Creek Cider Mill runs a local commercial with an awful, folksy grate-on-your-nerves tune that goes: Apples and Cider, Apples and Cider, Apples and Cider at the Fly Creek Cider Mill. At the Fly Creek Cider Mill. Of course it was stuck in my head for days, but Sam broke up the monotony by saying, Apples and Spiders, Apples and Spiders. We changed the lyrics for a day or two, but now he knows it's really Cider.

*Is that you, Carol?

Every now and then, what's usually your humdrum mail arrives with an unexpected piece that livens up the day - a letter, a card, a check for 5 million dollars, and so on. Our mail looked pretty typical yesterday, but as I sorted, a thin catalog caught my eye. It was one of those catalogs hocking hundreds of silly and bizarre inventions like Poop-Freeze and bed skirt pins.

I started to skim through it anyway, expecting and seeing the usual junk. What I didn't expect was a 2 page spread on...um...erotic items. In the middle of the catalog, just randomly in between Household Helpers and Lawn & Garden, there were a variety of vibrators pictured with vivid descriptions. There was also a selection of DVDs, including the titles Totally Nude Yoga and Totally Nude TaiChi, both "sure to get your heart racing." It generally takes quite a bit to shock me, and I don't normally react much to these sorts of things, but I was caught off guard this time. I flipped to the front again - Carol Wright Gifts. I flipped to the back and there she was, part of a little logo, with a big smile and a smart haircut...she's like Betty Crocker. Carol Wright! The Carol Wright that has been selling America its dickies and cat-motif door stoppers for decades! Carol Wright whose biggest rival is the one and only Harriet Carter! At what point did she start selling sex aids?? Oh, Carol.

Adding to all the silly, the addressee turned out to be folks that live few houses down the road, whose last name differs from ours by 2 letters. They own a tree farm, and around Christmas time we get calls from people that mix up our names - unfortunately ours is first alphabetically in the phone book. They're older, more conservative types (as evidenced by their political lawn signage), and the thought of this catalog sitting around their house is forever seared into my brain. I may return it with a sticky note, "I accidentally received your catalog, and didn't realize it until after I looked through it. Really enjoyed pages 13-14. Thanks a bunch!"

Organic Guilt

Without going into an examination of the benefits of organics, or its market explosion of the past five years or so, I will reveal that I have been buying organic products (food and cosmetics and household cleaners) on and off since about 1994, making me feel a little bit more qualified than mainstream consumers to whine about the topic.
In college it seemed sort of like a postmodern hippie thing to do, an elitist little secret. Buying handmade soap felt as anti-establishment as getting a tattoo, or at least as anti-establishment as you can get for a state college student in the mid-nineties - occasionally shopping at the local health food store in a thick coat of L'oreal Raisin Rage lipstick and a credit card. It all made sense, didn't it? OK, so that's my back story.
Today if I choose organics, it's in a more purposeful and planned way, taking price and practicality into careful consideration. I'd love to buy 100% organic, sustainable, fair trade all the time, but it's just not financially realistic (I hear a huge uh-huh out there). I mostly stick to the dirty dozen principle, some organic dairy, and natural bath products for Sam. Sorry, that was more back story.
Yesterday I stopped in the Green Earth (Oneonta's health food store) for a few specific items. The cashier gave me a free promotional magazine called, "Delicious Living". I had a chance to look at it this morning, and I realized that every page was yelling at me. Shrill, white, upper-middle class mom's voices rose from each page, condemning me.

--What? You don't buy raw vitamins??
--You don't supplement your child with DHA? His brain will shrivel!
--Non-organic milk is poisoning your family!
--All your produce is devoid of nutrients!

Alright, so these are not exact quotes, but they are pretty much the messages the mag was sending. I started over, from the Editor's page. The red-headed, simple-but-gorgeous Editor is pictured sitting lakeside on a rock (Colorado) wearing hikers and cargo pants, smiling smugly, suggesting,"I'm a natural mom. Why aren't you?" What a bitch.
The next article was something about Argan Oil in skin care. Dump out your olive oil everyone, this one has twice the vitamin E! If you don't use it, you'll look like Phyllis Diller by Tuesday. I also noticed that the photography was so totally blase. You can picture it pretty easily: small ceramic ramekins filled with creamy looking concoctions arranged on a neutral background. Think Clinique ads for the past 2 decades. Groundbreaking work, people.
As I leafed through the rest, it occurred to me that I hadn't seen one non-white woman, man or child...in the whole mag, including the ads. Hmm. Seems like a magazine with such principled values would make an attempt to be more inclusive. See? Snobby Bitches.
This stupid magazine bugged me for the rest of the morning, and I finally figured out why before I sat down to write. It made me feel guilty - on a couple of levels: the most obvious being that I'm somehow not providing enough for my child, or protecting him enough...whichever. On another level, I felt guilty for being a part of all this and paying attention to it, choosing an organic over a regular product - I do not identify with all of these women, and I don't want to be pegged as one....but I want to shop in the Green Earth sometimes. Maybe I'm having an identity crisis.