Subway Shenanigans

Opera

Mariachi

Hipsters

View from the Q

I hope he took the elevator

Iron Butterfly

BJ as MJ

My Obsession with Skincare Products

I know my lot in life. I've got very fair skin and if I'm not careful I will look 40 when I'm 30, 60 when I'm 40, and it just gets exponential from there. That's why I am always on the hunt for promising skin care products. I spend hours reading (and clipping out) articles about cleansers, moisturizers, masks, sunscreens (loads of those) and anything else that promises to correct what's already been done or wage war against what's coming.

However, I recently decided to go big picture with this. I don't need the perfect product, I need the perfect REGIMEN. I am in NO WAY a dermatologist (although I've visited many) but I've tried to compile all of my learning into a cohesive and complimentary daily routine for myself. Some of these products I've been using for years but I've also added a few that employ the buzz words I've been hearing lately (i.e. antioxidants, peptides, glycolic acid, etc).

In the event that someone out there is as obsessed with skin care as I am, I thought I'd reveal my plan of attack and why I chose it. So here we go, I am beginning the countdown to perfect skin (or at least as close to perfect as a melanin-challenged person like me can get).

Morning:

1. Neutrogena Acne Wash- I've read about so many cleansers but this classic has the right amount of salicylic acid for me. It isn't too harsh but keeps pimples away so I don't have to use any other acne medicines. Plus, it's cheap and there are other areas worth spending more on.

2. DDF Mesojection Healthy Cell Serum- This is a new one for me. I'm not sure about this "mesojection" business but this serum has the two things my skin apparently needs at least every 12 hours: antioxidants and peptides. Note: this one is the priciest in the line up but you only have to use a few drops at a time and similar products are the same price. (I looked into a Murad equivalent that was $5 more.)

3. Clinique All About Eyes Rich- I like Clinique products because they're as good as but not as expensive as some of the top tier brands. I chose this eye cream because I found that many others I tried weren't moisturizing enough. And I want as much moisture as possible around my peepers to keep the crows feet at bay.

4. Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream- I love this stuff so much that I use it twice a day. I hear that retaining moisture is key to fighting off wrinkles. This cream (don't confuse it with Cetaphil lotion) doesn't have any treatment additives so it's purely for moisturizing purposes, but that makes it a great complement to the aforementioned serum. Best of all, it's cheap and super duper gentle.

5. Super City Block Face Protector SPF 40- Ahh, my darling sunscreen. Brian and I pretty much only fight about one thing: sunscreen. I am the SPF enforcer and not at all subtle about it. (Which is highly ironic because my mother and I fought like crazy about sunscreen when I was little. She gets full credit for my skin not being completely hopeless.) I've tried many brands of daily SPF but I'm on tube #3 of this stuff. It's thin enough for everyday use and while it's not exactly tinted, it has a great highlighting effect that evens my skin tone so I can skip any foundation and go straight to powder from here. (I object to tinted sunscreens because they are never the exact right color and Brian has had to lick his thumb and wipe them off my face one too many times.) This one isn't super cheap but it's not so expensive that I'm scared to slather it on which is absolutely what we should all be doing.

Note: I realize I've got a lot of products piling up here. But everything I read says to moisturize before you put on your daily SPF, so I just wait a minute or so while the serum+Cetaphil combo sinks in before I put on the city block. Maybe ladies with less dry skin could skip the Cetaphil part or use something lighter if this is just too much. I actually just discovered that Cetaphil has a moisturizer with SPF 50 that I might try if I fall out of love with this combo.

Night:

So the only extra thing here is the DDF Glycolic 10% Toning Complex that I just started using after cleansing and before seruming. The goal with this product is exfoliation and cell regeneration. I chose a chemical exfoliant over a physical one (things with beads or particles in them) because those make my face red and fussy. Another popular way to exfoliate is with retinoids. The Rx retinoids I got from my dermatologist were too strong and I almost got this over-the-counter option but then I read an article about how dermatologists can instantly tell if you've used retinoids because of how thin they can make your skin. I might try them again one day when I start really losing the battle against time. For now, I'm going to stick with glycolic acid. To start I'm only using this toner every other night but will build up to every night before long which will hopefully coincide with my skin becoming fabulous.

Well, there's my new skin care regimen in all its glory. If you've made it this far you might also be interested in some of the latest skin care articles that inspired this latest countdown.

One from Real Simple (about correcting sun damage)

One from Lucky (more focused on clearing skin but still interesting)

Equation for a Fabulous Engagement Soirée

1 bride-to-be + 2 hostesses who love her

+144 mini cupcakes

+120 fancy sourdough & jarlsberg grilled cheeses

+dozens of other yummy things like pesto crostinis, pigs in a blanket, champagne & mojitos

+300 twinkle lights & 20 chartreuse lanterns (Amy's fave color)

+30 good friends

+20 shmoopy moments

+1 loveable lantern hanger/errand runner/hostess husband

= a lovely rooftop engagement party

(and a healthy pile of dishes)

"Ab" ercrombie Loses Shirt to Gain Revenue

While walking through Soho last week I discovered exactly why Abercrombie's sales are finally back up. While these sentries are not exactly my type, (I like a man who can grow a beard, even if I do beg him to cut it) I can see how this little trick might work on Abercrombie's target market of tween girls between the ages of pre and teen.

PS I apologize for the self indulgence of this post's title. I couldn't decide between the "ab" ercrombie joke or the "loses shirt to gain revenue" joke so I went with both. Clearly too much.

Advertising at Sea

Last Friday Joel and I had absolutely nothing to do at work so we decided to take a ride on the Staten Island Ferry to see some of the advertising we did for our National Grid (an NYC energy company) client. The ads were in sets of two and were all over the boat.

The kind of yea-hoos who ride the ferry at 1pm on a weekday were a little suspect of us taking pictures of the walls, but luckily the $2 Budweisers kept them distracted.

The view was amazing and I was again reminded that the Staten Island Ferry is really just a publicly funded sightseeing tour. All in all, a great day at work.

(And yes, that is a Stella in my hand. It was after noon on a Friday!)

#1 Way to Drive to a Client Meeting

One of my agency's biggest clients is in Bethpage, Long Island which means at least monthly, time-consuming drives out to meet with them. But we went to pick up our usual, mid-size sedan from the rental car place last Thursday only to find this waiting for us in parking spot #5: a 2010, cherry red Camero. We didn't wait around to see if it was a mistake. The key worked so we took it. And after my presentation was over, I politely excused myself and spent the second half of the meeting doing dough nuts in the parking lot.

Letter to Brian's Beard

Dear Brian's Beard,

Please don't take this the wrong way but I must ask you to leave. It was fun to watch you grow and curl and do all sorts of fun new tricks every morning. But I feel like you have overstayed your welcome. Emily Post says guests should stay no more than 3 days. It has been 6 months. So far you have shared your strength with Brian, but according to wikipedia is it a fine line between symbiotic and parasitic. I fear a day will come when you try to take over. Besides, it's almost summer and I really don't want to see you in a bathing suit. Please understand that it's not personal. I just miss the shape of Brian's face. And maybe if he would have let me braid you things could have been different. But alas, until the next time our band plays an event based on the theme of facial hair, goodbye.

Sincerely,

Claire

PS. Please tell your cousin, Normal Beard, he is welcome to stay as long as he wants.

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and Brunch and the Zoo and...

Our weekend with the Smiths went a little something like this...

Thursday:

Janey, Bruce, Lily, and Nihl arrived from DC. If you have ever driven from DC to NYC with two little ones then you know why we ordered in (delicious Thai from Song) and spent the evening having wine and catching up and up and up and up.

Friday:

Had breakfast at Chez Jordan before walking across the park to Prospect Park Zoo. There were meerkats, wallabees, even bearded turtles. No, that is not some crass sailor slang, that is Brian as illustrated above. Watching the sea lions eat made us hungry so we had dinner at Rosewater and then finished the night with ice cream from Uncle Louie's. Everyone should watch a 3-year old eat an ice cream cone at least once in their lives. It might be as good as eating ice cream yourself. Almost.

Saturday:

Deja vu! Breakfast at our place again, but this time with bacon. Then we shopped around the Slope before Brian and I had to load gear for the show. We made our way to Chelsea Market to play music, drink beer, and marvel at the ability of freaky facial hair to warrant an entire photography exhibit. Congratulations to Dave for organizing a super cool event. I think I even saw a D-list model and that means something in NYC. Lastly, we had drinks and a midnight snack at the Maritime Hotel before calling it a day.

Sunday:

After hooting with the owls we had trouble soaring with the eagles. Brunch was finally had around 3pm at Building on Bond followed by a stroll down Smith St. with cappuccinos from Cafe Luluc to keep us going. We ordered in Aunt Suzie's for dinner which was our first experience. It was quite yummy and traveled surprisingly well for Italian food. We were all sad to say good-bye but the real life show must go on. All in all, a very lovely visit was had by all.

NYC To Do List

Who knew we'd move here and who knows when we'll be leaving. So to make sure we cover our bases, I am forming an NYC to do list. In random order:

1. Visit a hidden subway station

2. Revisit Ellis Island (Being 17 and disinterested the first time, I recall nothing)

3. Walk the Brooklyn Bridge (DONE!)

4. Picnic on Governor's Island

5. Visit the Tenement Museum

6. Go to Bastille Day in Carroll Gardens

7. Attend Riverside Church and eat some Harlem home cooking afterward

8. Have a cocktail on the roof of the MET at sunset

My Perfect Brooklyn Day (5.2.10)

12:00pm- Brian and I walked over to Boerum Hill (a neighborhood very close to ours) to meet my old band mates (Krit & Jamie) for brunch at Bacchus, a darling French bistro spot. We sat on the patio and tried to be thankful for the unseasonably warm weather.

2pm- Afterwards we ambled over to Krit’s apartment a few blocks away where her husband, Mark, just happened to have a few bottles of Prosecco chilled and waiting for us on the roof. We sat and talked while their kiddos Rocket and Vega raced tricycles back and forth. (Note: their roof has very high railings)

4pm- Mark was headed into the city for band practice and offered to drop Brian and I at the Manhattan end of the Brooklyn Bridge. So we piled into his 1985 conversion van (named Paco, of course) and were on our way.

5pm- Brian and I set off across the Brooklyn Bridge looking more like tourists than the tourists. I saw bikers zipping across the bridge and made wild statements like “I could ride my bike to work.” Right. (ADD: This crosses off #3 on our "NYC To Do List")

6pm- We hopped on the subway back to Park Slope and, with a plan forming in my mind, I made a quick call to my friend Joel before stopping at the grocery store.

7pm- With homemade Hawaiian quesadillas, ice cream sandwiches, and a picnic blanket in tow, we (and “we” includes Casey) headed over to the park to have a picnic dinner with Joel, his wife Kathryn and their absurdly precious son, Jackson. We spent the remaining daylight hours eating homemade Cuban sandwiches and watching Jackson dominate his invisible opponents at the game of soccer.

9pm- What else could mark the end of a prototypical Brooklyn day besides firing up our dusty old window unit for the first time of the year. Finally, two hours later the dog stopped panting and Brian and I were cool enough to fall asleep.

My Perfect Manhattan Day (5.1.10)

10:00am- Brian and I woke up and took Casey to the park (Prospect Park that is) where we experienced our very first sweat of the year. It was amazing. No coats, no gloves, no grouchiness.

11:30am- I met my ladies (Amy, Erin, & Maggie) for brunch at Joseph Leonard in Greenwich Village where they treated me to a belated 30th bday celebration. My manchego and egg sandwich on a toasted croissant was delicious as was the caramel pudding served in a mason jar and topped with whipped cream and a single candle. I thought they only gave you free birthday desserts at chain restaurants in Texas! The unexpected generosity made Maggie tear up a little.

2pm- Next the lady train headed up to Bloomingdales. This was my first time to visit this shopping Mecca and I was pleasantly surprised: all of the upscale customer service of say, Bergdorf, but none of the snootery. (i.e. A nice man wearing a suit and white gloves was passing a tray of colorful gourmet cupcakes) We headed to the perfume section where Erin gave me a very special birthday present: bespoke perfume created entirely by me. The trained apothecary helped me navigate through the many essential scents: floral, citrus, spicy, earthy until I narrowed it down to the perfect combination for me: two parts lily of the valley, two parts fleur de tropique and one part rose. Once my perfume was finished (aptly named Claire No.30) I was informed that I would receive a complimentary (the word “free” is so tacky) pair of pearl earrings as a birthday gift from Bloomingdales. Why did I wait 30 years to come here?

5pm- After changing into our floppy hats, we made our way to the Upper East Side for my very first Kentucky Derby Party. I’ve heard stories of such affairs but this was my first eyewitness account. In all of 1000 square feet there managed to be two full-service bars, a Derby-themed buffet, an endless supply of Veuve Clicquot, and hands holding mint juleps as far as the eye could see. (Note: often two of those hands were attached to the same person) We finished the party on the rooftop 30 floors above the city with the sun setting and the wind trying desperately to carry our floppy hats into the East river.

8pm- Our final stop was a farewell to the day on the back patio of a great little bar near NYU. Before long, I kissed my wonderful ladies good-bye and headed back to Brooklyn with my birthday spoils tucked under my arm.

11pm- Spent an hour recounting the entire day to Brian