HOW I SPEND MONEY I DON’T HAVE:
Shifting from sword-slinging samurai to the forbidden romances of historic heroines, my week’s adventures thanks to MTW, took a decidedly feminine turn. So, keeping with that theme (in a little mini section—an homage to my love for fashion magazines—I’d like to eventually add to This Week’s Picks…well, if it works out), these are my selections of the week that had me feeling as pretty as a princess, as lovely as Juliet…
“The Velvet Kiss” martini, Casanova, Makawao ($10); Lemon Coconut Sconce, Café Marc Aurel, Wailuku ($3); ‘Sugar Babe’ body scrub/’Love Lettuce’ Fresh Face Mask, Lush, Lahaina ($4.95/$7.95); Women’s Haircut with Toni, Soleil Luna, Lahaina ($45); Entertainment Weekly #1068 feat. “Jim & Pam Forever!” ($3.95).
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Okay… since the blogosphere realm is endless, I can blab all I want about stuff… You can read or not read, and no paper is wasted! So, here’s a little extra info about the aforementioned sweet stuff:
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“The Velvet Kiss” martini, Casanova, Makawao ($10)
I ordered this martini before meeting with Steven, the owner of Casanova, who informed me it’s one of only two specialty martinis of his own creation. I felt pretty darned cool to have chosen so well; but to be honest, I picked it because of the name, as I’d just come from Seabury’s Romeo & Juliet (Because I like to rock my world as thematically as possible, I usually make choices based on irrelevant relevancies. Like when my boss @jenrusso brought me a hot pink iPhone case, I just HAD to wear my hot pink dress the next day… when “The Way of the Sword” issue hit stands, I thought it’d be fun to wear navy and orange. Wow. I sound shallow and coordinated. Likely the former, hardly ever the latter.)
Also to be honest, this martini was so good (and I was having such a good time) that I am unable to recall exactly what all was in it. I’m definitely going back soon for another, so will update), but it was a gorgeous, creamy concoction—white, light and sweet! An excellent pairing with their famous tiramisu ($7)—the smooth coat of chocolate on top (just underneath a pile of fluffy whip drizzled with more of the cocoa goodness), is divine.
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Lemon Coconut Sconce, Café Marc Aurel, Wailuku ($3)
OK. I practically live at Marc Aurel’s, these days and will probably talk about them quite regularly, if not already. Truth be told, I have this sick obsession with attaching myself to a local coffee shop (and have run myself into a ton of trouble as a result… another story, but not for another time), but if I can get deep, I really feel/find within Marc’s is my redemption. Everyone there is freakin’ the bomb. Oh, and they’re stuff is delish too. Oh, and I have more Ethiopian than erythrocytes in my red blood cells. Whatever…
Wherever I go—unless I’m hankering for something specific, which is rarely—I always ask what the servers like and stick with that. I’m not picky, so I’ll try anything (plus if I was picky, eating what they eat is probably the best choice). One fine day, on the verge of collapse, recognizing that if I didn’t get SOMETHING into my system other than coffee muddled up with a ton of sugar and half & half, I would surely pass-out and die…
Jill, with her bright blue eyes, was kind enough to recommend this awesome scone, and I am hooked! It’s moist and lemon-infused—sweet, but maintaining that classic scone bland-breadiness—topped with a health dose of shredded coconut, and further with lovely granular chunks of sugar. Ah, sugar.
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‘Sugar Babe’ body scrub/’Love Lettuce’ Fresh Face Mask, Lush, Lahaina ($4.95/$7.95)
Speaking of sugar, my Friday night was totally sweet. After a long-overdue haircut (which I’ll get to in a bit), I went on a little gallery crawl through Front St. One of my last stops was to Lush—located on the makai side of da street, near Ono Gelato. There, the girls hooked it up. OK, so they didn’t do much more than try to make a sale, but I love a bath products shop that’s eager to have you really TRY to the product.
Saleslady extraordinaire (I know, I know. You must think I’m a shit reporter… don’t know what’s in my damned drink, don’t know the name of the cool girl that helped me at Lush—though I asked. Hey, I was DRINKING!) lathered up my arms with divine scrubs, lotions and potions of all sorts and I left feeling like a pampered girl (it’s been awhile). Feeling like a girl is good thing, especially when you are one.
OK. More honesty: I didn’t actually buy the “Sugar Babe” scrub. I bought its cousin scrub—of a green color, that when used, looks like I’ve been grappling with a sea monster in the shower—that’s supposedly good for cellulite. Said cellulite seems to be appearing as rapidly as my money is disappearing. The actual “Sugar Babe” scrub is much cuter than the green thing I (happily) ended up with. With a red dot in the center (you crumble up the caked-product, using it bit by bit), it reminds me a lot of a crystalline manapua.
Even more honesty: I didn’t get the “Love Lettuce” mask either. It just sounds so much better with keeping with the theme (as I mentioned), and as much as I love themes, I (usually) love practicality more. The “Catastrophe Cosmetic” mask is what I actually bought, because the whole ‘catastrophe’ thing seems to fit the skin-bill better for me. Oh, but a note on the masks… They’re all fresh and ‘handmade,’ so you gotta keep ‘em in the fridge, and you gotta use it up within about two-week’s time. The fridge thing makes me want to put all body products in the fridge! How refreshing, in the heat, to slather on something icebox-cool?
A NOTE ON IMAGES: Okidoki… All the previous photographs are totally lifted from the web universe. For the section, I have none applicable, as the Lush manager wouldn’t let me take photos for marketing reasons (hey, I’ve done a hell of a lot of retail myself, so I totally get it). So, here are some photos from my other Front Street adventures… And, the rest of the images here on out are indeed mine! I don’t bring this up because I think my pics are anything cool (obviously not), just using own stuff makes me feel a whole lot better about things!
Mmm! Ono Gelato! Perfect on a hot Lahaina night!
Here’s the catalog low-down on both masks:
Catastrophe Cosmetic (Vegan!) : Calamine, talc, Chondrus Crispus (Carrageenan) Extract, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Glycerine, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Flower Oil, *Limonene Perfume.
Love Lettuce : Agar, Kaolin, Honey, Fullers Earth, Glycerine, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Shell Powder, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Seed Meal, Lavandula Hybrida Extract, Chlorophyllin-Copper Complex, *Geeraniol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume.
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Women’s Haircut with Toni, Soleil Luna, Lahaina ($45)
I love it when hairstylists are not only cute, hip and stylish, but have a great head of hair themselves. Toni at Soleil Luna was all those things and then some! Maybe the reason it’s been so long since I’ve gotten a haircut (May 28, 2008… Yeah. Gross.) is because one of the last people to cut my hair was no much older than me but totally going bald. Uh, no thanks? (Really, I haven’t gotten a hair cut ‘cause I’ve been impossibly broke and asking someone to deal with a head of hair twice as impossible/fro-like than the average stylist should ever have to contend with is, I feel, beyond insensitive… and rather embarrassing, every time.)
Whatever… Toni is freakin’ awesome. She was amazing to talk to and did a great job cleaning up the mess of a head I brought in. So, though it wasn’t a major overhaul of any sort (her client immediately prior, that I met as she departed and I entered, certainly did do the cut/color big deal thing… gorgeous), it’s so cool to have fresh ends and better-shaped bangs (the latter is still a work in progress), but most importantly, be able to chat with someone intelligent and entertaining.
How intelligent? Toni was going into med school before becoming a stylist (crazy hop, huh?!), and spoke fluidly about working in a hospital and arterial blood gas extraction. Way cool…
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Finally…
Entertainment Weekly #1068 feat. “Jim & Pam Forever!” ($3.95)
Uh, this is only (my) most anticipated TV union since Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman! Teri Hatcher was totally my hero when I was 8 years old. (speaking of haircuts…) My mom had taken me into Fantastic Sams (remember way back when they were at the Maui Mall?) for a chop (I had epic long hair when I was little, but was convinced I had to have a bob like Hatcher). I remember all the ladies having a good laugh when my mom explained the rationale behind my hairdo desires. They tried to talk me out of it–and I wish I’d listened–because forever remain some very embarrassing photos of what happens when a Hawaiian attempts a ‘sleek’ bob. Yikes.
I also remember not getting to watch Lois and Clark get married (live), because my aunt and uncle were actually getting married that very night. We set the VCR to record, and caught it the next day.
Ironically, much the same has happened with my beloved Jim & Pam. Here it is, a week to the day since the episode aired, and it’s still awaits, unwatched, in my dwindling DVR memory.
The magazine, however, has been adorning my desk since I got it!
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Okidoki, Bloggeeks! Well, after this week, I think I’m well on my way to no longer being a tomboy. So, I’ve got that going for me. That said, I’ll call it quits for this week’s vanity blabbering. Hmm… what theme fo the week to come?
A hui hou! – Anu
P.S. Love Letters: A very special mahalo nui loa to the lovable Matt Lane, for orchestrating a very special Friday night (and every Final Friday, among many great community events); the totally rockin’ Toni at Soleil Luna, for her hair hookups, time/skill-generosity and way-cool convo; the spectacular Steven of Casanova, for making me feel SO “at home”; and C.J.H., my R.L.S., for the mag.
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