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Slim Paley Photo
Friday Favourite Flower; ENGLISH PEONIES!
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Hello my Lovelies! I’m so happy to be back and reporting in with this Friday’s Favourites as I am SO EXCITED about a couple of finds that I can barely contain myself.
I walked into the Roman pharmacy, close to the Spanish Steps, sadly grasping a lock of my hair and over-enunciating “DRY-UH, DRY-UH, DRY-UH!!” to the woman behind the counter. She went straight to the shelf, handed me a bottle of Rausch Egg Oil shampoo and off I went. At first I didn’t want to get too excited. I told myself it could just be that Italian water is much softer than Santa Barbara’s ( oh hello- Mussolini was gentler than Santa Barbara water), but when I couldn’t stop touching my own locks in London too, I began to feel a real tingle of hope. Upon arriving home, I couldn’t wait to put the shampoo to the test…Hallelujiah!! (sp??) This is without a doubt, the best shampoo for dry hair I’ve ever tried. Not to mention it’s mostly natural ingredients and it smells like divinely rummy eggnog on your head. Christmas in June anyone?! Can you buy it in your neck of the woods? I dearly hope so, but if not, I’ve ordered 3 bottles from a company called SiamHealthgroup.com in Thailand so we’ll see… if their business is still in business after the riots a couple of weeks ago, I’ll let you know if my order arrives safe and sound.
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Slim Paley photo
Check out these branches of bouganvilla…Now guess what?? They’re fake!! Can you believe it? they look so real. I found them at Pottery Barn. I think they are great for putting in a big wicker basket or pot on your porch, in your front hallway, or anywhere you feel like a great splash of colour in or around your home this summer. How about in your fireplace in place of logs, or wound around a hanging light fixture by the pool? I even cut some blooms off and put them in the lanterns going up my steps. The colour is so gorgeous against white or any shade of blue. Well done Pottery Barn!
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After my newly replenished supply of Very Berry Smoothies and Reversy Percy Pig gummies from Marks & Spencer’s in London runs out, I will be heading back to Whole Foods to pick up more of the over-priced but completely addictive Bissinger’s Gummy Panda’s I discovered shortly before I left for Europe. Don’t worry- I’m not going all Kelly Bensimmon on you, I just love a little gummy or two before I hit the sheets. It stops me from going downstairs and making popcorn with truffle salt which results in eyelids puffed up like Laduree macaroons in the morning. These Bissinger’s bed-side beauties come in several flavours; Pink Grapefruit (yum) with grapeseed extract, Blueberry Acai, Goji Guava with Camu Camu, and Pomegranite White Tea. They are all natural, gluten free and sweetened with tapioca syrup rather than corn syrup. They are quite tangy and have no after-taste. Oh, and happiness- I just saw they’re now available on Amazon (although not with Prime free shipping yet- $14 for a 1lb. resealable bag) Antioxidants via candy- what’s better than that?
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Speaking of healthy, regular readers might remember several weeks back I had recommended “Aveeno” face cleansing pads, only to be informed by a friend who is extremely knowledgeable about such things, that they are filled with nasty Parabens. After speaking with her, and reading more about the subject on her blog, LK’s Grab Bag, I decided to take a ruthless prowl through my teeny, little, wee (barely even there) cosmetic cupboard. Ouch…it turns out my Parabens have Parabens. Let’s just say that what I’ve bought in the pursuit of beauty ain’t so pretty 
LK suggested I try an organic facial cleanser called Organoderm that ranks like a flipping Virgin on the “Chemical Free Top 40 Charts” I’ve been using it for several weeks now and lo and behold…I love it! I don’t look like LK quite yet but there’s still plenty left. The completely organic ingredients include apple juice, coconut oil, cucumber extract, Sweet orange oil, watercress, chamomile and aloe leaf juice. Despite all those yummy sounding ingredients it doesn’t actually smell very good, but it foams like a car wash and your face feels super squeaky clean afterwards. IF you had, for some insanely slatternly reason, perhaps forgotten to remove your mascara before going to bed I would imagine it would probably even remove that. Just a guess on that one. The price is $22 for 8.5 fl.oz. It comes in a pump plastic container and a very little goes a long way. This is the only product from Organderm I’ve tried thus far, but based on how happy I am with the cleanser, I will be venturing forth to try a couple more. Perhaps LK might weigh in with a suggestion or two.
In any case, please DO check out her blog and DON’T let her being perfect at everything she does (Oh God- if you only knew the half of it) scare you. We can collectively achieve just a small amount of LK-y-ness to feel better about ourselves 
Posts are once a week and you’re always assured of learning something and having a laugh. Pssst-I’ll tell you a secret; She’s really hideous looking, overweight, not funny, rotten at sports, dreadful at Pilates, OK, well she really does SUCK at baking. Just the worst. (and if I think of anything else, rest assured, I’ll add it later)
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Don’t you just love the Sound Hound App. on the iphone?? It’s my Favourite App. Twice when I was shopping in London I heard a great song that really caught my fancy. All I had to do was click on Sound Hound and it told me what it was and saved it for me til I was Stateside. Voila; my new Favourite Cool Song; Drumming Song by Florence and The Machine
Click above
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Alright, I know I said I wasn’t going to… but the flesh is weak and the husband is naughty and he saved all The Housewives of NY for me to catch up on, which I did last night so now I have to go watch the finale. Have gummy bears ever been more appropo for an event?! “That’s what I’m talkin’ about!” Go Countess!!
Happy Friday Everyone!
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