We met Placido! Goodness, isn’t he handsome?
Sean Connery was at the Grand Tier too, but I didn’t spot him (Melissa did a drive-by).
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Me and Melissa at dinner at the Grand Tier Restaurant in the Metropolitan Opera House with Jeff, Kendrick, and two of Melissa’s business school friends, Moran and Lane.
Because I know nothing at all about opera (last night was my first), I don’t think I should go reviewing Carmen, but this is kinda interesting: according to Jeff, the production was originally intended to be a vehicle for lead actor Roberto Alagna and his wife, Angela Gheorghiu…but then they got divorced, and Ms. Gheorghiu withdrew from the role and was replaced with the (extraordinary) Elina Garanca. Yikes.
Salmon with Brussels Sprouts
Valrhona Chocolate Cube with Caramel
Last night, Jeff and Melissa invited us to join them at the opera! I’ve always always always wanted to go, and was thrilled that my very first opera would be Carmen…and at Lincoln Center, no less.
While getting ready, I did that thing where you pull every single dress out of your closet, decide that none of them looks good on you at all, and then end up wearing the very first thing you tried on. In my case, it was a black silk and lace Rebecca Taylor dress that I bought for the Winter Formal sophomore year of college (it’s aged well).
You can make your own colored, flavored lip gloss by mixing a little Kool-Aid powder into Vaseline. Try cherry, black cherry, or raspberry, and maybe avoid the blue and purple flavors.
I LOVE Vaseline. I have tons of little tubs of it sitting all over the house, and am constantly finding new ways to use the stuff.
Some of my favorite uses for Vaseline:
- Coat your eyelashes with just a dab to give oomph to your eyes while maintaining a totally natural look.
- If you get a minor burn, slather the affected area with Vaseline and then wrap it loosely in Saran Wrap. It cuts the pain immediately.
DIY Wedding Favor / Lavender Sachets
I love lavender, as you may have noticed, and think that DIY lavender sachets make a beautiful (and inexpensive) gift. Just order tiny muslin bags (only $3.80 for 25 at sfherb.com) and loose lavender buds ($7.50 for a pound at sfherb.com), secure with a lovely piece of twine, and you’re done!
Old wives’ tale? Almost certainly. But that doesn’t stop me from firmly believing that a silver spoon placed in the neck of a champagne bottle slows the rate at which the delicious stuff inside goes flat (not that we usually have much left over, but…you know).
Another idea that seems like a good one: fitting the lip of an uninflated balloon over the top of the bottle.
Wedding Favor Problem-Solver
I think that wedding favors are usually a big old waste of money. They’re expensive, no one ever likes them all that much, and they either end up getting left at the reception or tucked in the drawer next to the broom closet.
I frequently get asked how it is that I eat all the junk that I eat without gaining weight, and I suppose the answer (in addition to having a relatively slight frame) is that I pay a ton of attention to what my body wants at that minute. If it’s dinnertime but I’m not hungry, I don’t eat. If I’m hungry, I eat until I’m full. And when deciding what to eat, I just give my tummy what it wants…even if what it wants is an entire jar of pickles (hey, I never said that this was a good idea, or necessarily healthy; it’s just the way I work).
Last night, this is what it wanted: roasted asparagus, sauteed portobello mushrooms, a sliced tomato with sea salt, a glass of Goats Do Roam, and a scrambled egg (not pictured).
Go figure.
