Make-Up, Make-Up, Make-Up: NuboNau

Last week a few of us blogger types were invited by the lovely ladies of NubuNau for a professional make-up tutorial celebration the launch of their new line, nvey eco. Now, being that there are few things in life that make me happier than getting my make-up done (well, okay...that may be a slight exaggeration), I jumped at the chance. The bonus? This cool little store is is up the street from me in the Carlsbad Forum Shops - a little mall that I just so happen to be Foursquare mayor of. Yeah, those are some bragging rights.

NuboNau (pronounced new-bo-now) is an adorable all natural make-up and skin care boutique that only carries organic and natural beauty products. While I'm at the Forum Shops a few times a week, I've actually only been in this little store a few times. I blame the kids and the store's make-up and white counter tops for this...because if I had ever spent real time in this store before I would probably have a lot less money. It's one of those places that just smells relaxing. Maybe it's because I was out on a weekday without a shrieking 2 year old, but I walked in and immediately felt less tense. Hazel Walker, the owner, is the sweetest and we were soon chatting away about all the goodies she has in her store. 

While the store has always carried organic make-up by Dr. Hauschka and La Bella Donna, they are really excited to be carrying this new line, nvey eco, because unlike the other organic make-ups, this collection offers a variety of bright and fashionable pigments like one would find at a department store counter. One-by-one we all got the chance to address our make-up concerns with Sarah Chenot and get her tips to address them.

My concern, or desire, is to look even-toned and together without looking or feeling like I'm wearing tons of make-up. For me, she recommended a light-weight foundation with a quick powder. While "even-toned" to me says you can not see one freckle or spot on my face, Sarah disagreed. She believes that while you don't want that to be the first or only thing people see, you want to be able to see these things or else you look too fake. You want your skin to look smooth and clear with highlights and definition; this is what a woman is supposed to look like. She suggested dotting on concealer before I apply my foundation to even things out, but not to try and erase parts of my face. And while she used a foundation brush during application, she did note that one can cut about 5 minutes off of their make-up routine by using their {clean} fingers. 

If you are thinking about moving to natural cosmetics or even if you are just in the area, you should stop by this great store. The ladies in there are all super helpful and can offer a million suggestions for your skincare routine. Happy Shoppping!

Mommy Likes: The Chevy Traverse

If you follow me on Twitter you probably know that this week the nice PR people from Chevy have lent me a 2010 Traverse  to drive around town for a week. 

Now, I drive a little Audi A4. I love my Audi - I love the speed and the little sports car feel of it. And while it may have not made a lot of sense when I bought it after having a kid, at the time I was commuting daily and it was a good choice. And even though it's small, it's still our car of choice when going out with the family (Jason has a Nissan XTerra). But for the past year or so I've been wanting something bigger. The kids are getting bigger and we are going to need something able to haul around friends for carpools and soccer practice. And while I will admit to the occasional mini-van envy (ooohh, sliding doors...) I just can't bring myself to drive one.

Lucas, "just chillin' in the back, Mom"After a few days in the Traverse, I will say that I'm in love in a realistic way. It handles well and the room is amazing. We got the model with the captain seats in the 2nd row (see my rant about 3rd row seating here) and the space in this thing is amazing. Parked next to the Xterra it seems to be the same length, but HOT DAMN, the inside seems cavernous in comparison. 

After a trip to the library yesterday, Lucas climbed in the back to just hang out and read. DO YOU SEE THAT SPACE? This is with the 3rd row seats down flat. If the seats are up, there is still cargo area, but I went to the store yesterday, so I put the seats down for max. cargo area. 

The other feature that is super cool, is the reverse cam. This one is actually IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR. 

Lucas immediately dubbed it the "Spy Mirror" and it's really cool - a "picture in picture" pops up when you are in reverse. The Traverse also has rear sensors, so if you get too close to something while reversing it beeps a warning at you. While cool, it's also really scary when you are slowly and carefully backing up in the parking lot at Target and some jerk comes speeding by and all of a sudden it's screaming its beeps at you at a rapid pace. But hey, thats why it's there, to let you know before you reverse into things like trashcans, jerks speeding by and children running in the street. I would much rather be beeped at than in an accident. 

So far the poor car has only been driven to the park, Target, Trader Joe's, Islands and the library... but hopefully this weekend we can put it to the test on a mini road-trip to LA. I think a 2 hour car ride is where we are really going to love the built in DVD system...

iPhood; Banker's Hill Bar & Restaurant

Lately there has been a lot of buzz in San Diego about good restaurants that serve good food, for less an $20 a plate. Sparked by the recession and people not being able (or being too embarrassed) to go out and drop $300 on dinner, a lot of restaurants have changed up their menus - offering delicious food, just at a lower price point. Banker's Hill Bar and Restaurant is one of these new "lower priced" spots from Carl Schroeder, chef and co-owner of Market in Del Mar. And while other, maybe more "professional" reviewers seemed to be less than thrilled with their experience, I actually really loved this new establishment. 

First Up: Deviled Eggs

Whhaaa? You mean the dish that your random aunt always brought to BBQ's and your mom told you not to eat because they ended up sitting in the sun all afternoon?

Yes. But these 'aint your aunt's deviled eggs.

Flavored with BACON and capers and served over an arugula salad with fresh parmesan and a side of shoestring potato fries, these made my mouth so very happy. 

I will say that I may be quite biased, as this little plate managed to put 4 out of 5 of my favorite flavors on one plate. It did remind me of my favorite egg salad sandwich from Le Papagayo in Leucadia, and this isn't a bad thing; it wasn't a new flavor - but a good one. 

 Main Course: Burger and truffle fries and crispy pork tacos 

I love hamburgers. I love skinny fries/pom frites. I love truffle fries. So, it was very easy to assume that I was in heaven. Nothing amazing. Nothing out of the ordinary. Just a very well cooked, delicious burger and there isn't anything wrong with that in my book. 

The crispy pork tacos were a little different - they actually had cubed pieces of avocado inside the shell and an interesting sauce. They were definitely something you needed to eat in two bites - just like a street taco. I thought they were flavorful and really enjoyed them. 

DESSERT

If given a choice between dessert and a bowl of chips or cheese and crackers, I would almost always choose the chips - but this dessert may be one of the exceptions. Simple and amazing. Butterscotch pudding with Butterfinger crumbles. Simple but done really right. 

Its one thing to exclaim "Oh YUM" upon first bite of something... it's another thing when you are still exclaiming its loveliness 4 bites into it. 

All in all, I really enjoyed my meal at Banker's Hill Bar & Restaurant (although, they really could have used some help in the naming department). If you want to be amazed by unique meals - this isn't really the place to go. If you want a solid dinner with good, satisyfing food, this is the spot. 

Delicious Dish: Rock My World, Arugula

There is something I recently discovered that is rockin' my world. Arugula. Yes, I know... it sounds a bit strange, but recently I've been all about this leafy green. A few weeks back I posted about a warm pasta tossed with Arugula, and since then I've been looking for different ways to use it. 

Monday was a lazy day around here. Jason put a tri-tip on the grill and I started looking through the fridge and cupboards to see what what indigents catch my attention, then see what type of things I can make with it.  I do this a lot, in my head I've branded it "Google Recipe Roulette" - I find 1-2 things that I want to use in a recipe, and type them into Google and see what comes up. Since it was memorial day, I was looking for some kind of pasta salad, and after breezing through a few different recipes, I found the site The Arugula Files  and their pasta salad offering.

Recipe from The Arugula Files:

Ingredients
1 bag of arugula
1 box of rotini
2 lemons
4 garlic cloves
1 cup of garbanzo beans ** I used the Trader Joe's 3 Bean salad and it was delish!
1/2 block of feta **or crumbled feta
a knob of butter
1/4 cup of olive oil
Dash of rice vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Chop garlic into small pieces
2. Heat butter and olive oil over low heat – add garlic
3. Add juice of 2 lemons
4. Add dash of rice vinegar
5. Let simmer for a few minutes (do not burn the garlic)
6. Boil pasta
7. Strain pasta and save a few tablespoons of pasta water
8. Mix pasta water with lemony oil mixture
9. Pour 1/2 of lemony oil mixture over hot pasta
10. Add half of the arugula bag to hot pasta and stir around until it wilts
11. Add garbanzo beans
12. Add remaining arugula
13. Add the rest of the lemony oil mixture
14. Add feta
15. Toss
16. Add salt and pepper to taste

Have you tried that marinated bean salad from Trader Joes's yet? It's fabulous - a great item to always have on hand. I drained the liquid and just used the beans, but they gave it a little more flavor. Also, my feta was a seasoned crumbled feta, which I prefer to a block feta.

The salad was a hit and I think it would be a great item to bring to a summer BBQ. Something a little different and great for those who don't like a mayonnaise-based salad. 

STOP! Hammer Time.

So, I'm pretty much a slave to fashion and trends. If Vogue or Rachel Zoe tells me to wear it, I will or die/sprain my ankle trying. If you read fashion blogs and/or magazine's you KNOW that Harem Pants are "the hottest trend for summer 2010". Every designer out there has shown a pair in their collection. Celebrities are performing in them. Every list of "things to own" includes a pair. But, I've yet to actually see them on a real person. But THEY say I need them, so I obsess. 

Last weekend my mom and I took a day to meet at our "Happy Place" - South Coast Plaza, for a girls shopping trip. And after some lunch and a little chardonnay, I was feeling brave and ready to ramp up my look. We headed to H&M (which, for some reason the SCP H&M is the ONLY one I've ever had luck in) because while I have no issue with trendy clothes, I refuse to drop fist-fulls of cash on something that I'm not even sure I will wear. (Although, I did notice a pair of L.A.M.B. Harem Pants on the sale rack at Nordies...)

Visit hm.com

H&M had just what I was looking for, a black pair, with a roll-over waist and the BEST part? The $14.99 price tag. Now I will admit, that even after trying them on I wondered if they were even worth 15 of my hard earned dollars. It's not that I didn't like them.. it was more that I didn't know if by wearing them I would be thought of as a total fashionista or totally fashion fugly?

A few years back my favorite summer look was the cropped wide-leg pants with flip flops and a white tank. In my opinion, these pants may just be an update to this look. Easy, cool, hip and comfy - they seem like a good option. So I was sold and almost excited about them...I even got Zoe a little baby pair because I just COULD NOT RESIST.

So Sunday morning, feeling hip, slick and cool,  I walk out of the bedroom clothed in my new duds, and Jason looked at me, and without pause, says "So, where are we going to breakfast MC Hammer?"

So tell me this, am I fashion forward or a slave to fashion?