Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Life Sized

So my brother’s Fashion Week Show in NYC is scheduled for September. This is understandably very exciting! (I still don’t have an outfit and I don’t want to talk about it.) Bubbles Hair Salons and their product line, CIBU, are one of the sponsors for the show. In promotion of this event, Bubbles has a life sized standee of my brother up in every salon. This has been a really funny thing for me. Can you imagine going to work and there standing at the door to greet you, is a life sized cardboard cut-out of one of your siblings? So strange it is. I don’t make it a big deal and actually, I am trying to lighten it up by posing for photos with the 2D little brother likeness. It is funny to have people come up to me and ask, “Is that your brother?” My response is obviously, “No, that’s a cardboard poster, my brother lives in New York, duh.”

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Hair Do

I have a fantastic hair cut because my stylist, Jamie from Bubbles Annapolis Mall, is a genius. This will only do so much since I wear it the same way everyday. I am not creative at all when it comes to styling my hair, but from spending my days in salons and getting educated on youtube I am getting a little braver. Bubbles Salons (where I work) has CIBU, their own line of Hair Styling Products. The Brand Manager, Jenn (who is very awesome), has a great youtube site with a bunch of videos showing different ways to style your hair using CIBU products. She is not a hair stylist which makes me feel more confident using the products and experimenting with different styles. I think, if she can do it, I can do it. Especially since she has short hair and still manages to where it in a million different ways.

I always go with a straight style by blow drying with a round brush and using a CHI flat iron to straighten and smooth. I use Shang High Volumizing Mousse on damp hair before the dryer and then use Sashini Thermal Shine Solution before I use the flat iron. I like the look, but get bored with the same style everyday. In trying to improve my personal style I decided to try a curly look this weekend.

I still used my Shang High Mousse and a blow dryer, but left out the round brush and did a quick dry with my head up-side-down. Then I used my CHI flat iron to curl small sections. To do a curl with the iron, you take a small section of hair and then twist the iron under like you would a curling iron and pull to the ends to make a flippy curl. I used CIBU Pho Finish Finishing Spray (like a light hairspray) on each section after I curled it. The curl fell into a really nice wave after I was finished. I am pleased with the look and am feeling pretty snazzy. With a few more practices, I’ll have it down. My next challenge will be some sort of going out up do, but I’ll need some major practice time before that goes up on the blog.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Good Stuff Eatery

A month or so ago, I walked by a new restaurant on Pennsylvania Avenue in DC and an older gentleman stopped me. He told me that I would have to come by when their restaurant is officially opened. I told him, I was headed to the salon less than a block down the street where I was working and his reply was, “I love all those gals at the salon, come back and see us very soon!” I thought nothing of this random friendly encounter from a fellow business on the block and went on with my day.

Earlier this week I found out what this new restaurant was all about. Good Stuff Eatery, a burger, fries and milk shake joint, co-owned by Spike from Top Chef and his family. I’d like to think the man on the street was Spike’s father, but who knows. As a Bravo TV junkie, I was so excited to try it out, but the past few times I’ve been by around lunch time, there was a line down the street. Today I finally got in the door and there was Spike, working the counter, passing out orders with a smile and hustling his line cooks.

I got a burger, Spike’s French Fries and a diet coke. I patiently waited for my order while thinking of what I might say to Spike when he handed me my to go bag. Unfortunately, he traded spots with the milk shake maker when my food arrived, so I didn’t have the chance to tell him my life story and my connection to Bravo. The burger wasn’t made to what I had ordered, but that turned out to be a good thing because I usually order a burger plain and the toppings were excellent The Fries were delicious. They weren’t your ordinary Fries. They were tossed in rosemary and some other spice that was absolutely delightful (and I am a self proclaimed French Fry connoisseur). The wait was a little long, but I will definitely make another stop at Good Stuff. I am really excited to have a Top Chef in the neighborhood. After all, Top Chef is my second favorite Bravo Show ;)