After years and years of using two other lines of hair care products, I made a radical discovery several months ago, thanks to my hair stylist, Randy. A line that is so luxurious, so special, so great that I used up all my existing stuff and quickly replaced everything with products from Oribe {pronounced or-bay}. So first let me say that I used to use two different salon product lines because neither one offered a whole suite of items I liked. The shampoo and conditioner from one company was good but the styling products couldn’t tame my thick, sometimes crazy hair. So I augmented with another line. This is no longer an issue. I can find all the products I need from Oribe. And the styling items are so good I’ve been able to pair down my routine of thickening spray, root lift, mousse, styling cream and hairspray {told you, crazy bordering on unmanageable hair} to just blowout spray, styling cream and hairspray. Yeah. But not only did things get simplified, the products are made with such high quality ingredients {many of them skincare grade} perfectly formulated that styling time is way shorter.
But perhaps the thing I absolutely love the most about Oribe is that every – E.V.E.R.Y. – product has the same fragrance! For someone like me who is both a fragrance snob and fragrance-sensitive, this is pure genius. So much so that I wish I would have thought of it myself. No more competing scents. Just a beautiful, clean, lightly perfumed aroma of florals and fruits. When my girlfriends and I went to the Mandarin Oriental Spa last week, they were able to try all of the Oribe products in their vanity area. They loved them and really, really liked the lovely fragrance. So much so that they raved about it to their husbands, so it made me think I should share these products with you.
Okay, these aren’t drugstore products so they are more than what you may be used to, but they are on par with other salon-only available lines. And I’ve found I only need to use a very small amount of the products, especially the styling ones – even the hairspray, that in the end, investment isn’t that bad. My favorite items are all from their Signature Line: Shampoo, Conditioner, Royal Blowout {which also thickens and helps me blow my hair both straight and softly curl the ends}, Crème for Style {which I use as both a root lift and to tame my baby hairs that like to stick up at the part} and Super Fine Strong Hair Spray {light but firm and doesn’t cake, flake or turn white}. All the products, although they are not in their color line, are color safe and contain UV protection. If your salon does not carry Oribe {mine, Robert Leonard in Seattle does} have no fear. You can buy their products on line from their website.
After my training session this morning at the gym, I stayed to have lunch with my friends Jenny and Kirsten, who had also just finished workouts. I was excited to sit down and chat with them and also to try a salad from the new line of prepared foods the gym just started carrying. Organic, fresh, healthy and yummy-looking from a company called Molly’s Organics. Sat down to eat my ‘Greens and Beans’ salad with dill dressing only to be disappointed. The green beans were a little worse for wear and the lettuce, wow. There were some huge honking pieces. When the lettuce is as long as your head that is never a good thing. I was the lucky one to be facing the mirror over lunch and as I watched myself eat I thought these three things, in order: 1] I look like a freaking goat with lettuce and curly greens hanging out of my mouth in all directions, 2] I’m so glad I’m eating with good friends and not at a business lunch or date night and, 3] this Molly is a little sloppy. I’d say I just got the short stick but Kirsten’s salad was worse. I think she had some dandelions growing in there. Oh well, on the bright side, Jenny’s sandwich rocked. The orzo salad that was on the menu got me thinking of what we would have for dinner tonight. After some brief discussion the ladies inspired me to make a quinoa salad and I was intrigued with the dill vinaigrette on my salad so decided to make a version of that. The original dressing was good but needed more depth. That depth was dijon mustard. The result? A quick, easy, inexpensive salad that was really flavorful. A little bread, soft cheese, this salad and you’ve got a full meal. For a meal with a protein this salad would be great as a side for simply grilled salmon or chicken. Also, it would be excellent with avocado slices. I went to add it but was so disappointed when I cut mine open and it was rotten. So, so sad. If you add avocado, cut it into slices or 1″ cubes and gently toss in a couple tablespoons of lemon juice then add to the salad right before serving. Trust me, the avocado would be awesome!
Summer Quinoa Salad w/Dill Vinaigrette
serves 6
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. dijon mustard
Kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp. fresh dill, roughly chopped
1 cup quinoa
2 cups vegetable stock
1 bunch radishes, ends trimmed, radishes quartered
1 cucumber, peeled and cut into 1″ cubes
¼ red onion, finely diced
1 lb. heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1″cubes
¼ lb. sugar snap peas, trimmed and finely sliced
1 cup feta, crumbled
In a small bowl, add vinegar and slowly drizzle in oil while whisking to emulsify. Add mustard and whisk to incorporate. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir in dill. Cover and set aside.
In a small pot, add quinoa and stock. Bring to a boil then lower heat to a gentle simmer; cook for 12 minutes. Remove from heat and using a fine sieve, drain quinoa and rinse with cool water. Let drain and set aside.
In a large bowl, add vegetables, quinoa, feta and half the vinaigrette. Gently toss with a spatula. Add more dressing as needed or to taste. Serve either at room temperature or chilled.
It’s Saturday, sunny and warm. So what am I doing inside? Passing time while doing loads and loads of laundry, that’s what. I should be vacuuming, dusting, cleaning the bathroom but that will come later. Really wanted to go to the driving range but responsibility set in. Well, kind of since I’m at the computer and watching Anthony Bourdain after all. Just thinking about the sheer amount of laundry that has to be done makes me tired. How can two people generate so much? If we stopped working out that would solve half of the problem, but that’s probably not a great solution.
:: Spent three days in Las Vegas this week to celebrate my friends Heide and Cory’s upcoming 40th birthdays. We were all looking forward to Vegas’ glittering gold sun…it was not to be. One, because it was mostly overcast while we were there [overcast but hot, and humid] and two, because we stayed at the Monte Carlo, a hotel that has now been engulfed by tall buildings all around it that act as man-made sun-blockers. Fab. { <— this is what Vegas shade looks like.} The pool there was not great; the chairs were packed in like sardines. I kid you not! They were literally laid out right next to each other so it was impossible to pull them even 1 inch away from each other. But since there were so many of us there, we luckily didn’t have to sit that close to strangers. I could go on an on about the hotel, but I won’t. If we had stayed there alone it would have been really bad, but we were with good friends. If you ever doubted that being surrounded by good, fun people can affect your mood, let me tell you, they absolutely can. We had a great mini vacation because of our friends. We laughed, relaxed, played, and laughed some more. Came back without a tan, but who cares?!
veehive 