ChocolateHairRinseUrban MargaritaBook

One of my favorite things to do when I worked in retail was to browse the web looking for fabulous products I knew nothing about.  Here's a couple things I've found here and there along the way.  Hope you all enjoy.

History of Chocolove

Tucked away in Boulder, Colorado sits an unassuming building where a little magic takes place... Every day, decadent chocolate bars are carefully crafted using the timeless combination of chocolate and love.

Chocolove chocolate bars are available in ten distinct flavors that range from a sweet, creamy Milk Chocolate with a 33% cocoa content, up to an Extra Strong Dark with an impressively strong yet smooth 77% cocoa content. Tied to chocolate's natural counterpart, love, each bar resembles a love letter, complete with a romantic poem.

***Personal Favorites: Raspberries in Dark Chocolate and Ginger Crystallized in Dark Chocolate***

Can be found at Akin's for you Oklahomans.  

I'm a Dr. Bronner's Fien in anyone hasn't noticed.

DESCRIPTION:
Our organic conditioning rinse is nourishing and effective without synthetic ingredients, and is certified by the same National Organic Program that certifies organic food. The USDA logo is your guarantee of organic integrity.

Organic Shikakai [“Shee-kah-kye”] powder comes from the seed pods of the small South Asian tree Acacia Concinna, and is widely used in India for soft shiny hair. Organic lemon juice, used traditionally in the west, rinses and tightens hair shafts for excellent manageability. Organic coconut, olive and hemp fatty acids moisturize for luxuriant hair.

INGREDIENTS:
Organic Lemon Juice, Organic Shikakai Powder, Organic Coconut Oil*, Potassium Hydroxide**, Organic Olive Oil*, Organic Hemp Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Lemon Oil, Organic Orange Oil
* CERTIFIED FAIR TRADE INGREDIENT 

I use this Hair Rinse following Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap.  This is a very different product then your average conditioner.  Your hair will thank you for making the Bronner's change.  As a retired hair stylist I am saddened and disgusted by the lack of truly natural hair products.  The ones that do exist are shamefully inflated in price.  Salon products are filled with chemicals that damage the natural pH-balance your hair is capable of maintaining on it's own. This product is not esthetically pleasing but I encourage you to look beyond that and appreciate what all these wonderful ingredients have to offer you and your daily beauty regimen.  

If you go out on a limb and begin the "Bronner's Challenge," please contact me if you get discouraged.  Sometimes it takes a little finesse but I assure you the payoff for treating your locks with goodness from the earth is immeasurable.

Chicago based Urban Spectacles

Love these Beauties, Wish I needed glasses...

Biography

From an early age my parents taught me creation is a functional daily necessity. My father’s work ethic set the standard as he took on multiple jobs to eke out a life in Chicago while my mother cooked three meals a day from scratch and sewed our clothes instead of buying them (ah, those red pants).

I came of age in the nineties, the era of plastic throw-aways. So it’s no wonder that when I felt the weight in my hands of an object from some bygone era I saw the pride the creator put into making it as unique and special.

My first pair of wood spectacles was a project of necessity. In 2004, while pretending to break dance, my father’s 1960’s frames flew off my face and broke beyond repair. Furious and determined, I took a hacksaw and my mother’s old dremel tool to a solid piece of wood and the frames that came out of that unfortunate accident have lead to my life’s work.

Six years later my journey to create the most beautiful, unique, well-made and custom spectacles available is well under way. When on your face or in your hand, you will recognize the pride of a self taught craftsman. My eyewear comes from a time forgotten, when quality and design met at an apex – in a word, timeless.

Philosophy

The primary mission of my work is craftsmanship.

I am a craftsman, artist, designer, and maker all wrapped up into one.

My method of creation is self taught. Just like the first frames I created, each new pair is transformed from a solid block of wood. My hand is literally on every step of the process. The texture and natural grain of the wood and my use of hand tools make each pair as individual as their owner.

Our culture is shifting back towards specialization, where the relationship between the craftsman and the client is valuable. I appreciate passionate people, all of my clients are unique and I have true concern for their tastes. I make each pair specifically for the person who will wear them. My body of work has evolved to tell my story and the stories of my client's lives, occupations, tastes and talents.

My passion for craftsmanship and design drives every aspect of my work. I am not a businessman; I am an artist making a living from my work. I plan on growing slowly and focusing on creating the highest quality custom product for each person I work with. As I build my line I will always uphold my ideals and never outsource production.

I am very proud of my work and I hope that you will enjoy the experience of owning an individual piece of functional art as much as I love creating it.

For those of you that don't know... I am a shameful Housewive lovin' embarrassment to society.  My all time favorite RHW...if you will, is Bethenny Frankel.  Yep, I said it....I'm even friends with her on facebook. It's a sickness....judge away.  I would if I were you.  Now, this brings me to the topic at hand.  Are you ready???? The infamous, Skinny Girl Margarita.  Ok, if you know me...I don't like sugary cocktails and think "skinny" girls look sad.  So just about everything involved seems to be heading south where I am concerned.  HOWever, last week I ran into the liquor store to grab some beer.  The one across the street is lacking in its New Belgium selection and I stood in front of the case perplexed as to what to grab.  I turned to the very scraggily employee and inquired about the India to which I received a rant about how IPA's taste like chewing on bark....and I quote,"They taste like gnawing on a tree."  Now, that didn't sound too bad to me, but I got the point that it would be highly unacceptable for me to walk out with the bark laced IPA...to which for same strange reason, I replied...." Do you have Skinny Girl Margarita's?"  I know, right?  Where did that come from?  To which, he replies, "Yeah, I think we do!"  I then asked him, "Is it any good?"  He replies, "Uhhh, I'm not really into low calorie drinks...that means lower alcohol content." Of course, what else is he going to say???? I explain that I'm not into all the sugar in Margarita mix but like Tequila and Lime and thought this may be a good alternative.  By this time I have now snuck Breck's Vanilla Porter under my arm....'cause I'm so calorie conscious and all.  That story went on way to long...my bad.  Moral of the story is I walk out with my Margarita that makes you Skinny and my Porter that makes ya Fat.  Both very GOOOOD.  I suggest a stuffed olive to garnish the Margarita...fatten it up a little.

Afterthought:  My only complaint is that my beloved Bethenny Frankel, Natural Food Chef, has added carmel coloring into The Skinny Girl Margarita.  According to my favorite Mile High Mama there are carmel colorings that aren't as evil as the one in coke....this I shall have to investigate.  Lordy Lu, I hope that story isn't as un interesting to read as it felt when I typed it.

Give it a whirl this Summer!

For the kid inside of all of us!

The Treehouse Book

Detailed how-to information, such as step-by-step building sequences, plans, and drawings, as well as information on tools and materials, supplement the behind-the-scenes tales of treehouses. From casual tree shacks to multi-tiered flights of fancy, these magnificent structures can appeal to anyone appreciating this ever-evolving art form.

This was a Georgia Bleu's Pick...(Lu Lu PIck's.)  She loves when it comes time to browse the internet and choose her next picks.  Can't wait to have enough room to use this book!  Do you ever get too old to want to live in a tree house???? I think, NOT.

Thanks for checking in to see what we're lovin' in our world.  XOXOPS