In a nutshell..

Today I:

Woke up at 7:00 a.m. for absolutely no reason (this is my day off).

Ate blue berry pancakes, yogurt, and a veggie sausage pattie for breakfast.

Watched the movie 'The Runaways' (which made me want to get a bad hair cut, start wearing leather 24/7, do hard drugs, learn to sing/play guitar, and start an all girl rock band, specifically in the 70's...due to the fact that it is no longer the 70s and all of these things are quite far fetched for my usual taste - this was a fleeing thought.)

I then took a shower, put on a pretty dress & red lipstick.

I read my 'Eat pray love' book at noon on our picnic table in my backyard.

I picked my friend Linsey up - and we went to lunch at a local mexican restaurant (that I recently blogged about) called 'Taqueria Mixteca'.

I went to 'Health Foods Unlimited' with Linsey after lunch, and discovered the biggest selection of Toms toothpaste that I've ever seen in my life!! Toms toothpaste is organic and has all natural ingredients in it..I buy Tom's because I physically can't use any other toothpaste. The chemicals in other toothpastes such as crest, and colgate, make my gums peel...which is precancerous lol. (Buying $5 organic toothpaste is a lot better than having the chance of getting cancer if you ask me) I just had to buy one! I couldn't resist the temptation of unchartered toothpaste.

I went to Carriage Hill (which is a farm in Huber where you can buy a ton of candy for under a dollar!) I bought 10 pieces of caramel chews, 5 pieces of bit o honey, 5 sweedish fish, and 5 pieces of salt water taffy - all together I spent $1!!!

Linsey and I were more than thrilled to have candy in our posession :) (I caught her off guard with the first picture though lol)

Linsey and I went to Jacks Aquarium to see the little bitty puppies. They were so darn cute! Whenever I have a bad day, I go to Jacks (or the mall) to hold the puppies - and I instantly feel better! You should give it a go sometime (trust me, it works!)

We finished our hang sesh on Linsey's couch, chatting away & watching the old episodes of 90210.

I went home, changed my clothes, and tried out my brand new toothpaste - before heading over to my aunts house.

I am currently watching 'Hot tub time machine' at my aunts house, and I'm not sure what the rest of my evening will hold...but that was my day in a nutshell :)

Let us begin...

[[Today’s music]]

UFFIE – ADD SUV

[[Today’s restaurant]]

LES MADELEINES – Salt Lake City, Utah

“Les Madeleines strives to offer unique pastries – some familiar, others less so. Flavors are bold. Everything has to meet two requirements: pretty. delicious. After all, we eat with our eyes long before the first bite.

Les Madeleines uses only the finest ingredients in all its offerings be they sweet or savory. All of our pastries are made from scratch using traditional French technique. Pastries are all made in individual portions which, I think, makes them more personal and more special. Portion control is applied to all of our offerings as well.

We try to bring the world to your palate whether through traditional pastries like a croissant, kouing aman or French Macaron, or by injecting old favorites with slightly more unusual flavors like jasmine, rose or passion fruit.”

http://www.les-madeleines.com/about.html

[[Today's kitchen gadget]]

APRON GUIDES

(technically not a gadget...but cool none the less!)

"Cooking experts beware as you will now face severe competition from amateurs. Apron Guides literally guide cooks as it comes with almost all imperative information you need. No more soiling keyboards with oily fingers as the Apron is full of useful information which includes numeric conversions, cooking times for vegetables, roasting times for birds, freezing instructions, defrosting times and a cooking glossary too."

Cooking made easy with Apron Guides!

[[Today’s news]]

FOOD COURTS UPGRADE TO FINER DINING

For a gourmet meal, head on over to ... the food court? Battered by the recession and competition from non-mall retailers, shopping centers are trying to attract customers with a decidedly upscale culinary hook.

Burger joints and smoothie shops are giving way to sushi bars and churrascarias. Flatware is replacing plastic utensils. And forget grungy cafeteria seating with the sticky table tops and fluorescent lighting. Now customers are chowing down in Wi-Fi-equipped patios with lush landscaping, waterfalls, fireplaces and city and ocean views.

The push for better fast-casual dining follows similar efforts in airports, hotels and even gas stations as businesses recognize consumers' increasingly refined palates.

But it's a particularly smart move for shopping centers, retail experts said, as they struggle to adjust to leaner economic times. While many consumers still aren't in the mood to shell out for a pricey new outfit or an expensive dinner, they still need to eat, and they can usually afford to do so at a food court.

Malls have also lost ground in recent years as consumers turn to standalone shops and the Internet. To stay relevant, they're looking for ways to evolve into "lifestyle centers" where the food and entertainment offerings are just as important as the shopping.

Want to read more?

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-food-courts-20100703,0,6613302.story

[[Today’s random]]

BLU – BIG BANG BIG BOOM

BIG BANG BIG BOOM - the new wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

[[Today’s food clip]]

BIZARRE FOODS WITH ANDREW ZIMMERN – HAWAIIAN BONE FISH

[[Today's curly head]]

JAMES FRANCO

Attention ALL curly heads!!

Want to be recognized for your beautiful, crazy, and all natural curls?

Then sign up to be a featured curly head!

You must provide:

- Your: Name, Location, Occupation

-Tell me why you love being a curly head.

-Fill me in on what makes you a unique curly head.

-Give any tips or secrets you might have about maintaining hair like yours.

-And send 2 photos – so you have a chance to put your curls on display!

(If you would like me to provide a link to your blog, facebook, myspace, twitter, etc. for the rest of my readers to see – then also throw that in there! The more exposure you get the better!)

Don’t be shy J Go right ahead and apply!

Please e-mail your application to: Jennablack8@gmail.com