oh, products

Isn't that a funny term? And, you know exactly what I mean, right? There are products like car tires and spatulas... and then there are products. Like the kind I will special-trip it over to Sephora for or order specially online. The stuff I won't go on vacation without.

I used to be super nutty for all this stuff (right, Nance?) then I cooled it a bit. There is such a thing as too obsessed. Now, I think I've found a somewhat principled middle-ground. I stick with what works and try to avoid junky/harmful ingredients. I also just wear less make-up than I used to.

Since I do love these posts from all of you, I'll go. Here's a short list of what I'm into right now.

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Best serious moisturizer | Rose Cream by Martina Gebhardt. And, by "serious" you know what I mean. This is definitely a post-30 moisturizer. It smells pretty, is luxuriously thick, works like crazy and is super safe. I've been using it for years, mostly at night.

Best exfoliation | Glycolic Acid 10% Hydrating Gel by Peter Thomas Roth. It has one or two "bad" ingredients, so I feel a little conflicted, but damn this stuff really works. It's like an overnight freshening-up peel. Don't make me give it up.

Best daytime combo | Argan Oil Daily Moisturizer with SPF 40+ and Argan Matchmaker Serum Foundation from Josie Maran. I tried the straight-up argan oil a while back and was a little underwhelmed. But, after the lovely Sara mentioned the foundation, I've been all about these other Josie Maran products. They all have that argan oil in them, which is currently popular, awesome, naturally beautifying, etc.--and they work great. All I know is that if I mix the SPF 40 with the "matchmaker" foundation (I'm not really a foundation person either, but this stuff is very clever), I have an excellent replacement for the tinted moisturizer I had to stop using b/c of all those parabens.

Best face wash | Skin Brightening Facial Cleanser by 100% Pure. Another post-30 item! And it came from our natural foods co-op (aka the grocery story). Score. This stuff is all-natural and it really, really works. Leaves the skin super clean and bright.

Best shampoo/conditioner | Organic Lemongrass line by Label M. This stuff is hard to find unless your salon carries it. If you see it, grab some. Though it's incredibly expensive, I've rationalized it by going French and not washing my hair too often. Ha. Seriously though, this is a line I can support: no sulfates, parabens, etc. And, aside from all that, it's really the very best shampoo/conditioner I've ever used. Eva.

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Anything you're particularly into these days? I might have to have it.

blood orange winter salad

Gahhh... beautiful, no? Pardon my food crush, but blood oranges are just so magnificent. Delicious and sultry. Where we are, they just came into season, and not a day too soon. I love them.

We eat them as-is... we shellac wild salmon with a soy-blood orange glaze (shall I post?)... Last year, I sliced them into Lillet cocktails when the weather turned warm. This year, I can't wait to try the Chez Panisse upside-down blood orange cake that Alice Q posted recently... and of course there are hearty winter salads. So far, every day this week for lunch, people. So, so good.



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Blood Orange Winter Salad
This isn't so much a recipe as a list of prepped ingredients... you can scale it up or down to suit your number of eaters.

:: Roasted beets, cooled, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks
--> To roast: chop off tops (save for another use!), wrap each beet in foil and roast at 400˚ until easily pierced with a paring knife. I do about 3 bunches at once; they keep really well in the fridge.

:: Blood orange(s), carefully cut peel off with a paring knife and slice into 1/4"-thick rounds.
--> I usually go with 1 small-medium orange per person.

:: Walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

:: Good blue cheese
--> I like Point Reyes Original Blue

:: Cooked quinoa

:: Cilantro

:: Poppy seed-honey dressing
--> I've been keeping a container full of this stuff on hand at all times. Jacky likes it too. On beets, no less. (Yes, I'm elated!)

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fog-less friday at stow lake, gg park

friday :: pretty

~pretty, pretty paperwhites~

Have a beautiful weekend!

still life with garlic & Heath

I nurtured this garlic all Spring and Summer, but it's funny: the most satisfying thing was braiding them all together. Maybe it was how pretty they look, or how much I love to eat garlic... or maybe how dusting off my french-braiding skills took me waaaay back to junior high. Woah.

a week in montana

vast, quiet, beautiful

reading, napping, cooking, drinking, eating

splashing, hiking, chasing rabbits

cloud-watching

saturday morning

Front porch view, 6:45am. 

Pretty, misty scenery is the upside of early-rising toddlers. And the silencer to my complaints about SF summers. Not only did I pipe down, this was so pretty I had to walk outside in my jammies with a camera. No shame.

summer in the city: trip to angel island