ROAD TRIP: BALTIMORE MARYLAND - PART 2

Welcome to part two of my trip to the lovely Baltimore, MD. So last we left we were roaming the streets of Downtown. I forgot to mention that they have a state of the art aquarium and taxi's that take you around the harbor, all within the same vicinity of the shopping and restaurants, no car or cab needed.
After all our walking we went back to the hotel for a little siesta. Later that evening we were starving so we decided to find somewhere to eat. Being in Maryland, so close to the Atlantic seafood seems to be the staple here, in particular Blue Crab. We went to concierge and asked were we could get some great seafood at a reasonable price. He suggested MO's. So when you pass Mo's it looks like a huge Long John Silver. BUT it is nothing of the sort! Mo's is located right were Little Italy begins. It was walking distance from the hotel.

Mo's   by day

Mo's is located right outside Little Italy. So I ordered lump crab cakes and my husband ordered the seafood platter. WOW. WOW. WOW. Not only was the food delish it was a massive amount. I'm all about massive portions, sometimes I have to control myself. We couldn't even finish our food, something that never happens.

The crab cakes were the size of a small babies head.

The Seafood Combo.
Under that pile of fried shrimp and clams is a huge fish fillet!!!

Day three was the day of the wedding we came out there for. Lovely wedding, wonderful reception. Everything ended at 10 so we decided to walk around Fellspoint  and got a little peckish. We stumbled upon a pizza place called Brick Oven Pizza's . You can customize your slice. I had a white pizza, YUUUMMM.

Fells Point by night

I don't know these people, but they're in for a tasty treat

Apparently Guy Fieri likes it too

On our last day the weather was really nice, so we went walking around to look for breakfast spot. That lead us to Jimmy's. A small cozy dinner in the heart of fells point. the have these awesome breakfast bowls, with scrambled eggs hashbrowns, grilled onion and green peppers, and you pick which breakfast meat you want.

All in all I would say the trip was great. Baltimore is a really great place. If you ware looking for a weekend getaway downtown Baltimore is the place. Make sure you stay at one of the hotels in the inner harbor, so that way you can walk everywhere. The kind of eating we did we needed to.

ROAD TRIP: BALTIMORE MARYLAND - PART 1

Ok, Let me just preface this post by saying I don't like to make it a habit of going into long hiatuses between posts, however the past two  and a half weeks have been extremely turbulent. My crappy manager at my crappy job threatens to fire me, insults , and chastises me like a kindergarten teacher all in one day. I got into a car accident (some crack head ran a red light, there are a lot of those where I live) totalling my beloved vehicle plus the usual pressures from this turbulent world. . .

Now on to the trip. My husband and I were invited to a wedding in Baltimore so we left for the weekend and GREAT time. I wanted to share the highlights of the trip starting with the hotel. We stayed at the Marriott Inner Harbor. A four star hotel that we got for $89/night through Priceline.
Let me just say that Baltimore is a lovely place, the downtown that is. For those that have seen The Wire you know what I'm talking about. The Downtown is surrounded by this harbor which leads into the Atlantic Ocean. The Downtown Inner Harbor is full of  nice hotels, but the Marriott is right there on the water.

Lobby of the Marriot Inner Harbor

Daytime View from our room

 

We arrived early on a Friday night and decided we wanted to walk around a bit. We wound up in an area called Fells Point about three or four blocks away from the hotel that had a restaurant/bar district.We were a little peckish so we found a Greek tapas restaurant, called Kalil's Mezze, courtesy of Vassili the limo driver at the hotel. Yiasou Vassili! There was also a supper club a few doors down that had nice food and live jazz  and a restaurant that served Spanish Tapas not too far down from there.

Kal's Mezze

Day Two we woke up and went walking around the harbor. There was a pretty decent shopping mall with boutiques, but also your standard commercial retailers, Ninewest, Gap, Banana Repub., Aldo, etc. There was a nail salon in the mall, so I treated my husband to a manicure. (He desperately needed it). I also found a Filene's basement. BONUS! There are none where I live, and I managed to snag a sweater on clearance  for $3.87, skirt for $7.24 and shirt for $4.55. They were marked down plus another 75%. I highly recommend Filene's and Loehman's clearance racks but that's a conversation or blog post for another time.



Inner Harbor

Image Soure:

www.flickr.com/photos/madbuster75/1571443084/

The Gallery Mall - Downtown Baltimore Inner Harbor

CIRCLE CONTACT LENSES ?!?!

While on one of my blog travels, I stumbled upon a product called circle contacts. Being the occasional contact wearer I was immediately interested. Circle contacts, for those that are unfamiliar, are colored contacts with an expanded diameter of the iris. Basically in makes the colored part of your eye lager leaving less white. This product originated in asia and is very popular in Japan. The contacts actually give the eyes a cupie doll appearance or anime character. I must say I am intrigued with the way it looks. It's suppose to give the eyes a more youthful appearance, but it also reminds me of the way a rats eyes look. You know, all dark with very little white space. The contacts come in a variety of colors. Varying from "fashion colors" like bright greens, blues, even  pinks, to more natural colors. I must tell everyone, though these contacts are NOT FDA approved and some medical experts say that they might pose a health risk to the eye. Click here for news article. What do you think? Thumbs up or down on the circle contacts? Has anyone tried circle contacts?


Image Source:

http://www.lensescontacts.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/circle-contact-lenses.jpg




Image Source:

http://cheap-coloredcontacts.com/wp-content/uploads/27lq2.jpg




Image Source:

http://e0.img.v4.skyrock.com/e03/ulzzang-kawai/pics/957419434_small.jpg



MANNI OF THE WEEK

Welcome to another Friday edition of  Manni of the Week. I have a special treat today. This week's manni features OPI Purple with a Purpose. Once again idleberri manicurist fav Brandi Peddy has wowed us with her amazing designs. (To my muse Ms. K you have the best cuticles ever, nothing like my ragged dry ones, but I digress). I also threw in a design she created with the China Glaze Crakle in the Crushed Candy shade. I'm really liking the crackle, besides the obvious applications, there are a multitude of design creations that can be done with it.


MANNI OF THE WEEK



OOOOH CRACKLE . . .

MY TRIP TO WALMART



Image Source:

city-data.com

 So, what led to this trip to Walmart, you may ask? About a week ago I broke my glasses, and was told Walmart has cheaper alternatives to the frames found at your more common retailers. Low and behold they have a vision center with an amazing selection and CHEAP Frames starting at $38 that's before insurance kicks in (if you have it). I found these really cute tortoise shell frames, that are made by ECO eye wear, which means they are made from recyclable material.  I found Breyer's ice cream for $2 cheaper than the local grocers AND I stumbled on a huge display of Essie polish in the beauty section a few cents cheaper than what you would find at other retailers including Meijer's. They even had the Essie Spring 2011 collection.
Walmart is an interesting place, the prices are indeed lower than many retailers including my beloved Target (pronounced Tarjay). People come there from all walks of life and the store is not short of characters, so you can shop for a good deal, be amused, and get an eye exam. Wow.


        Image Source: www.flickr.com/photos/ryanrules/page153/          

    

Check Out my Specs: $24 for Frames and Lenses





WALL 'O ESSIE

 

Some More ESSIE



I even found the FRENCH AFFAIR COLLECTION




AVON CALLING!

Today I came to my desk and low and behold, a package! What a sweet treat. Nothing like coming to your crappy job and seeing a package you've been anticipating waiting for you. I didn't buy any makeup, although there are a few items I would like to try. I purchased the Avon nailwear pro nail enamel in Urban Grey. Now I have seen a lot of different greys. This one is very pale, slight shimmer. In the picture I have two coats, It probably could have used three, but then again I just plopped this on bare unprepped nails quickly. Another two really fun colors for spring summer are the coral bikini and jade (which by the way is dead on dupe for the highly coveted Chanel Jade minus the shimmer).


MY SWEET TREAT



URBAN GREY 2 Coats

Left: CORAL BIKINI        Right: JADE  



MANNI OF THE WEEK-FEATURING: ESSIE SEW PSYCHED

Well, it's another Friday . . .Once again life has taken buy the proverbial horns and slapped me around like an angry monkey. What can I say?  I've been real busy, which explains my two week hiatus. None the less I present you with Manni of the Week featuring a very COOL Color: Essie's SEW PSYCHED. It's from the Fall 2010 collection so everybody has swatched it, but I never really paid that much attention to it until now. This is a really great transition color from summer to fall and winter to spring. It's perfect for those that are looking to a change from their dark fall /winter colors but are not quite ready for the spring/summer brights. I found this manicure on one of my co-workers, and thought the designs were really sassy.


MANNI OF THE WEEK


These designs were hand painted using nail art paint. Below I have some swatches of Sew Psyched. I am in the process of getting a new camera. I'm gonna need these shots to be a little more crystal clear.



Artificial Light



Natural light, Please ignore the ratty, dry cuticles, Thanks



MANNI OF THE WEEK

It's Friday (YAY!) And it's time for our Manicure of the Week. This weeks Manni features the new Minx Nail Coverings. I have heard nothing but good things about the minx , which is basically and adhesive color

The color lasts up to two weeks and has no smell or drying time. After training, a nail technician can apply overlays in more than 100 different colors and designs.

Read more: Minx Nail Training | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/facts_6807608_minx-nail-training.html#ixzz1Fey06b2q

I think its great idea. This weeks "minx manni" also features an electric blue with a shimmer : China Glaze Frost Bite with the black and white houndstooth minx pattern  on the left hand ring  and index finger (that's the hand on top) and the right hand's thumb and pinky. Very nice indeed.



MANNI OF THE WEEK



OPI SPRING 2011 TEXAS COLLECTION: Austin-tatious Turquoise

What a fun, amazing color this is. There has been alot of turquoise in  a lot of Fall/Winter collections, but when I think of this color I think of  deep sea fishing or the middle of the Caribbean sea, where the sea is dense and darker than by the shore. There is a blue/greenish micro glitter that looks like the sea as the sun is beaming down. Hmmm . . . Anyone thinking of a going on a cruise right now? This collection has a lot  more great colors that I plan to explore.( I just haven't had a chance to stop by my local ULTA). This pic is two coats no top coat.

MANNI OF THE WEEK

So I have come up with something fun. In my latest fascination with polish, and all things that encompass it, I've come across some really great manicures. So each week I am going to feature the manicure of the week.

This one is bound to be a favorite, courtesy of nail technician extraordinaire, Brandi Peddy. Thank you  Ms. K for lending your beautiful nails to idleberri. This is a black cream, unknown brand, and middle fingers have OPI Mad as a Hatter. It won 2010 Favorite Polish color on All Lacquered Up, and I can see why. This color is like a party on your nails. Honestly unless you see this polish up close and personal you really don't get the full effect. It's like a burst of intense glitter. Another thing to note is in this picture the Mad as a Hatter application is only two coats.

MANNI OF THE WEEK





THE DURI-REJUVACOTE RESULTS

The results are in and my nails are nourished and polish ready. The final result pics were taken on February 13. Compare the index finger in the before and final results. Notice how nubby the index finger looks in the before pic. Granted its not huge difference, consider how short the nail was prior to applying the rejuvacote. While rejuvacote can and is suggested to be used as a base coat under polish, unless your nails are in really bad shape, I would use a "true" base that helps polish to adhere as rejuvacote tends to chip and needs reinforcement coats to be truly effective.  Overall I am very happy with the results of rejuvacote.



Day 1 of Rejuvacote

















Day 17 of Rejuvacote

I (HEART) Oprah Hair

Ok so I LOVE Oprah's Hair. Many of you may be surprised to know that is her natural hair. I thought I would showcase some pics to give you an idea of what I mean.

Image Source Page: http://beauty.about.com/od/blackhair/ss/shortblack_6.htm

If you're natural hair curls like this, that's amazing, but this look can be obtained with a small barrel curling iron

Image Source Page: http://www.easycurls.com/Opr-Win-Cur-776.html



Image Source Page: http://womenshair.about.com/od/celebritystyle/ig/Celebrity-Hair-Over-50/Oprah-Winfrey.htm



Lovin' the Waves

http://www.hairstyleswatch.com/tag/Oprah_Winfrey



NAIL GROWTH - DURI REJUVACOTE

Before I get into the nitty gritty of nail polish,  etc. I thought to start at the beginning of the nail. Right now my nails are on the frail and nibble side, due to recent low maintenance, and a relapse into nail biting. Yes I am a member of  the NBA  (Nail Biters Anonymous). But I haven't let it go too far. But there is this wonderful product out there, when I do fall off the wagon or when my nails need an extra boost in strength and growth, that does the trick. Duri Rejuvacote. I found out about the product years ago and have been a fan ever since. Notice the before and after pics . The before pics were taken without any thing on the nail bed and after the first application of rejuvacote on 1/26/2011. Now all we have to do is wait and see what happens...

This is the right hand before the Rejuvacote treatment

So  below we have the same hand, after a little cuticle oil and 1 coat of the rejuvacote.  Much better already right? The directions on the bottle say to apply once a day and after 5 days remove and reapply using the same process, as the nail gets stronger you can reduce application to every other day. I will be returning with the results after a week (or so). This is all so very scientific.







WELCOME

Welcome one and all,


Many of you might be wondering just what is this strange slightly ambiguous blog all about. Well, initially when I came up with the idea, I wanted this blog to feature my latest interest: nail polish, I know, I know you say "not another beauty blog featuring nail lacquer". But I can definitely say there will be other articles featuring my other interests: shoes, fashion trends, and from time time to time style articles, from a males perspective. Hmmm? How about that for variety. This is a brand spanking new blog and as with any new baby growth is inevitable, so for those of you that are first to join in on the idleberri experience welcome and enjoy at your leisure.