Sunday, April 19, 2009

Key learnings, Chicago spring and salon sanctuary

Happy Sunday! I'm looking outside my apartment right now to...rain, which is a much different scene from Friday and Saturday when it was gorgeous and sunny in Chicago. But according to the Trib Web site, next weekend will be great too, so while I'm daydreaming of that, let's check out some key learnings.

Key Learnings:
  • If wearing a Snuggie for a bar crawl, a belt and pins in the back make it much more figure flattering
  • I am not afraid to verbally declare my love for something. For example: at my friend's birthday party, I yelled out loud, "I f*cking love potato salad!" (I do)
  • Bad tasting icing can kill the taste of any cupcake
  • Once warm weather hits, the desire to eat ice cream all the time returns
  • 70 degrees in April is not the same as 70 degrees in June, don't get too overzealous with the spring clothing
  • Searching for condos is time consuming
  • Developing an online dating profile is surprising challenging, especially if done late at night
  • If your salon offers a complimentary glass of wine, it is rude not to accept it, even if your appointment is at 11 a.m.
  • I really hate cleaning the bathroom. Almost as much as I hate cleaning the kitchen
  • The Kia commercial with hamsters on a wheel really cracks me up. I can SO relate to those hamsters
Salon sanctuary

This weekend I went to the salon and I so needed it. My hair grows like a tree so I'm in for color/cut every other month and I delayed this visit by two weeks so my hair was dying to be cut off. During the height of poverty, I cut my hair every six months, but I can't do that anymore.

I love the salon I go to in Chicago. I've been faithful to my stylist for three years, and that is a huge accomplishment for me. I think the salon is a place of total relaxation. It helps you unwind from everything and you feel so much better when you leave.

And along with a complimentary glass of wine, my favorite part about the salon is the scalp massage. A good scalp massage is almost as good as a bucket of cash. Well, almost. I've fallen asleep multiple times in the chair while my scalp is being massaged and I feel much more comfortable paying for my service afterward. Maybe that's part of the master salon plan ;)

Cupcake goodness

After the salon, I treated myself to a cupcake at Phoebe's grand opening. Actually, the first 3,000 people got a free cupcake (even better!) from its assorted flavors. The cupcake I received was a salted caramel flavor and it wasn't too bad. I'm a cupcake traditionalist though, I love chocolate and red velvet and don't get too crazy with cupcake flavors. But when it opens next week, I'll be there to sample both.

Here's a picture of my cupcake (not a great photo) and the cute card I received with it.


Spring blooms

So I take way too many photos of flowers, but here's a photo I took this weekend to help everyone think spring. When the sun is out, all of my photos turn out 100 percent better.


How was everyone else's weekend? Do anything fun or see any movies? Or was the weather nice by you too?

25 comments:

thatShortchick said...

your weekend sounds very similar to how mine went (without the inclusion of cupcakes).

I too enjoyed a wonderful visit to my hair salon and was thinking to myself during the hair washing how great the scalp massage is, though not as great as a bucket of cash :)

and I was out enjoying the beautiful weather on friday and little bit on saturday.

Mandy said...

I ditched work on friday to spend the day with my dog outside enjoying the beautiful day. I hung out with my best friend on Saturday and saw the Hannah Montana movie, which I enjoyed. Today I baked and that was about it. =)

You're right, the wrong icing on a cupcake just doesn't do it for me.

Maki said...

I love all your key learnings this week. Potato Salad!! Too cute.. Also creating a profile for online dating site indeed is time consuming - I did that for my BFF several months ago and two of them! Gosh it took five hours!!!

My week is getting better - thanks sooooo much for your kindness and support, Jess. It has meant so much to me and my family!! xoxo

April said...

I also f*cking love potato salad!! Your day sounds like it was so lovely and relaxing!

Lacey Bean said...

I love that hamster commercial!!! :) And we did an underground tunnel tour today of an abandoned subway tunnel in Brooklyn. It was fun!

Amber said...

You get a complimentary glass of wine at your salon?!? That sounds fabulous!

I love scalp massages the most too :-)

SA said...

I agree, bad icing take away from any cupcake or regular cake. If you're going to make icing at least make good icing. If not just buy the stuff in the can.

I love a good scalp massage. The only thing is that I've yet to find someone who can do a good one so I'm doing them myself. They're relaxing even if doing them on yourself.

jenn said...

did u do the snuggie bar crawl?? i've heard about that. those things are hilarious. also love cupcakes so you'll have to let me know how your 2nd trip to phoebe's goes so i can snag some the next time i'm downtown. weekend was finally nice in milwaukee too - but people definitely get a little ahead of themselves with the summer clothing! :)

P said...

I pretty much did NOTHING all weekend. Apart from sunbathe yesterday. And I ended up with sunburn. In April!

Vanessa said...

Nothing too exciting this weekend. I agree with you though, bad icing on a cupcake ruins everything, especially that crisco-type frosting. EWWWW!

Nilsa @ SoMi Speaks said...

Buying a condo and venturing into online dating? Sounds like me at 29 all over again!

Erin said...

I love my stylist, but he changed salons and now he's either a car ride or a train AND bus ride from both my house and my office. Ugh. I haven't been to see him since before Christmas.

I spent Friday working from home chasing the sun by sitting on various porches/balconies. Saturday I ran about eight millions errands and then worked in the yard. If we didn't have a dog I'd be totally into the condo thing just for the no yard work aspect.

Sunday I avoided the rain as much as possible until I went out for dinner at to the This American Life taping. If you can still get tickets, I highly recommend seeing it in a theater on Thursday!

Pretty Unfamous said...

One of the radio stations in Pittsburgh held a Snuggie bar crawl over the weekend, haha

EP said...

Bad icing can kill a cupcake/cake/anything that is supposed to be wonderful. And I agree about 70 degrees being different in April and June. Granted, it's in the 80s here now, so it won't be much longer until we're all breaking out the major summer clothing. C'est la vie.

That cupcake looks/sounds tasty! And I'm going to the salon tomorrow -- I cannot wait!

Living Dees Life said...

we all know how i enjoyed my weekend! i' happy to know that someone enjoyed the warmth and beauty of a 70 degree April day!

wine and scalp massages: i'd fall asleep too! that's just so relaxing sounding!!!

Maxie said...

I hate bad icing. That's my biggest beef about grocery store cakes.

The Modern Gal said...

I appreciate that kind of verbal expression of love, and I imagine whoever made that potato salad probably would to.

Pretty flowers.

erin said...

Ooh, I do hope you share some tales from the dating world (this is my official request... can I do that?) because I am highly curious. I currently live in Seattle, but am dying to move somewhere that is NOT Seattle. Being from the midwest-ish (Pittsburgh) I love love love Chicago. It's high on my Places to Move (hurry up and stop sucking, economy!) List, but I am curious what the dating scene is like.

Sounds like your weekend was lovely! Oh and my brother went on the Snuggie bar crawl in NYC this weekend, it looked awesome.

A Super Girl said...

I wish my salon gave free wine.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like you had a fun weekend! I love that commercial too - I think it's so funny. And salon scalp massages are the best.

Melissa said...

Ahhh.... the Snuggie Bar Crawl. Memories... good good, fuzzy memories.

Katelin said...

oh free cupcakes are never a bad thing. i really hope i get some red velvet ones this weekend for my birthday.

Meg Kathleen said...

I almost wished I lived in Chicago so I could go to your salon I still haven't found a stylist I liked and my hair is screaming for a cut.

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