Hello Hollywood

Have you seen the J.Crew Spring 2011 look book? Le sigh. Never have I been so in love with old Hollywood glamour or felt a fiercer need to wear stripes.

For a moment I almost wanted to move to LA.

LA Weekend

My amazing weekend started a little early when my sister came into town on Thursday night and we got manicures and pedicures. It's been awhile for me and I don't think I've ever enjoyed a pedicure that much. Plus, I'm loving the OPI Russian Navy color that I got.



















Friday night, IKF and I stayed in and I got to try all of the recipes I've been itching to get to this week while he worked on a paper. I test drove the Apple Dumpling recipe, which got rave reviews. SO easy! SO delicious! I also tried a new Candy Cookie recipe that I'll post shortly. My Sunday School class couldn't get enough of the peanut butter cups in peanut butter cookies.

Afterwards we watched the FIRST Harry Potter movie, thus beginning our Harry Potter Movie Marathon leading up to the release of the next movie in November. I couldn't get over how cute Harry, Ron and Hermione were back then!

Saturday was the best, however. The inlaws organized a trip to the LA Temple and then the traditional dinner at Junior's afterwards. It was my first time in the giant, gorgeous, Los Angeles Temple. Going their and then eating at the famous deli afterwards felt like a right of passage. Plus I love my inlaws, we have a really good time together.

I got the potato pancakes. Dip them in sour cream and applesauce and you're in heaven. It had me missing Veselka like crazy though.

Sunday was church, naps and family! Aaaaaaand more baking. Because, that's what I do. Mom had all the right ingredients, so after a rousing game or two of Blockus3D, we pulled out the old stand-by: Chocolate Cover Cherry Cake. A few people opted to try the apple dunplings instead and were well pleased.

How was your weekend? Do anything different?

Next weekend I've got my fingers crossed for camping....

Dry Bar

From a professional perspective, this is a piece of branding genius. Dry Bar is a salon that does nothing but blowouts. They picked one thing to be great at, maintained their focus and can now command an independent market segment that didn't exist before. Genius. They have a menu of 5 different blowouts, each priced at $35. From a consumer perspective, that's less than a manicure and pedicure, which is totally doable... and in a unique, fun, hip environment.

Next time I need to relax, this is where I'm going.

Dawn in LA