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OK I admit, I'm a Sephora junkie. I have something for everything, and I have to try all their new products. Sephora made this huge deal over this revolutionary No Frizz line. I just assumed it was good advertising, but picked up the travel size during my weekly visit to the store. I went up to the cashier and asked her if they still had the sample available online, and she said she'd make me up a sample in the store so I could try it before I buy it. I swear, the service at Sephora is so incredible! They know their products are so great that once you try it, you can't live without it! I used my sample today after I showered (you apply the cream to towel dried hair.) Right away I noticed less frizz... I thought I was just seeing what I wanted to see. After I blow dried by hair, my roommate heard cheers from the bathroom. She's tempted to buy ear plugs now, because I have been RAVING about this product since I blow dried my hair an hour ago!! It's FANTASTIC! I have used SO many different de-frizz products from different brands (Redken, Jonathan, Tigi, Fekkai, Ojon, omg the list goes on and on and on!!), but I have officialy found "it." I'm obsessed! My hair is much less frizzy, and it looks and feels so healthy. I'm not the only one obsessed... there are 647 (and counting) reviews on the website, with about 640 of them raving like I am! Please do yourself the favor and go into your local Sephora store to try a sample! Check out the website to make sure you get the right product for your hair type (there are some for medium/thick strands, some for coarse hair, etc).
Priceless Legacy, a company that turns interviews with older adults into life stories in print or video format, recently interviewed people from the ages of 65 to 104. They then shared a list of "life's five most important lessons" as told to them in the interviews. I think the lessons are simple and wonderful. I had to share.
1. The simple things matter most.
2. Humor and time cure most pains.
3. There's more satisfaction in giving than getting. Service to others is the most satisfying activity.
4. Choose your spouse carefully. It will be your most important decision.
5. Work hard and in a field or role that you enjoy.
This is a picture of me with my great niece Hayden. Isn't she adorable? Simple pleasures.
I don't know about you, but I for one have dearly missed Project Runway on Bravo. The show was relocated from Bravo to Lifetime by its producers, but was prevented from airing on Lifetime when a lawsuit ensued last year between Lifetime and NBC Universal. In its place Bravo has created The Fashion Show, an almost complete duplicate of the original despite a more commercial edge. I have watched The Fashion Show on-and-off this summer, and while there is some definite talent on the show, it fails to touch my heart in the same way Heidi, Tim Gunn, and Michael Kors did on Project Runway.
Therefore, I am much relieved that after a long hiatus it is finally returning on Lifetime with a new season this fall.
However, this does not excite me as much as the new announcement of an All-Star version has. Seasons-past favorites Daniel Vosovic, Santino Rice, Mychael Knight, Uli Herzner, past winner Jefferey Sebelia, Chris March, and Korto Momolu will be returning to compete for a $100,000 prize and the All-Star title. I absolutely cannot wait to see Daniel V again, as he is my all-time favorite, and even Santino with his fabulous Tim Gunn impression.
The only question I have left now is... where's Andrae?
Whoa. I just was googling around for Tori Spelling's jewelry and one of the top links was www.torispellingjewelry.com. I thought I'd be led to a page where Tori sells her jewelry...duh! But go ahead a click that to see where it takes you... to a link for her mom's website promoting her book "Stories from Candy Land." A) How weird and deceiving to promote her book like that (Not saying Candy is behind it, but still!) and B) How do both her and her daughter have such clever names for their books?!?
(If you live under a rock... it's OK I did too for a while... Tori and Candy spelling don't get along and haven't for years. They also both released non-fiction books about their lives... at the same time. Drama! If you do a bit of Googling you can find the details of their feud. Can you tell I'm a big Googler?)
-Julie
For some reason I LOVE Tori Spelling. After getting hooked on her and Dean's show, I decided to read her book "sTori Telling" and I'm totally fascinated by her! (It's a GREAT book, I definitely recommend it for a light summer read. Next on my list is her other book, "Mommywood" ) As I read the book, I wished that I was just a few years older so I would have been old enough during the "90210" years to be a fan. I can't even say I've ever seen that show (hmm I wonder if that would make me like Tori more or less?) I also love Jennie Garth. What is it about those D list celebrities from "90210" that I love?!
I only call Tori a "D" list celebrity because she hasn't done anything super significant in the past few years. But she has raised two adorable kids (who she calls monkey and bunny, which I think is adorable but my friends think it's horrific.) Being a great mom is way more important than being a top celebrity.... but if you can do both (Hellllllo J. Lo, Angelina Jolie, Britney Spears?), then you've got it all!
Have you seen her jewelry line? I actually REALLY like it! It's very unique, but still super trendy. It's priced right too ( A necklace I want is only about $50. If it's quality jewelry, that's fantastic!) I wonder if she sells to boutiques? Jennifer, lets look into it!
-Julie
Heidi Cornell is a 40 year old millionaire CEO who owns and operates a highly successful clothing empire called Young Fabulous and Broke. She and business partner Brad Zion recently added 32 Flavors to their line a trendy collection of t-shirts and tanks.
Last week in NY, Gavin Brown had a huge art opening at his gallery in Greenwich Village called The living and the dead. Now if you follow the art world, Gavin Brown is a big deal. He's a young guy but he commands respect. He's done what few people can do in the art world - have a successful gallery!
When Gavin Brown has an art opening it's more like a block party for the young and beautiful and the who's who of New York. By comparison, I should say it's like a badger game complete with grilled burgers, hot dogs, beer and an after party. Now that's my kind of art opening! The streets are closed off and filled with people eating and drinking and walking the halls of an art gallery. I love it! What Gavin Brown has done is brought art back the masses in the form of a party. This is not Sotheby's or Christies, this is art focusing on new, as well as established, contemporary artist trying to make a name for themselves. Good for them!
Now mind you, this is contemporary art! Some of it I don't understand but who am I to say anything. For example
: why is a broken window laying on the floor of a big room, a piece of art? - or a pile of rocks on a carpet sample? How about a wooden squirrel drinking coffee? Anyone? Anyone? I didn't think so.
Now I'm not being critical here. I love art and I love going to galleries but I'm just curious as to who or why someone would do that and call it art. I would love to talk to the artist and ask him or her a hundred questions about this. But what I think about is how an artist or an exhibit gets picked for a show. I like to envision the conversation in my head with the artist and the gallery owner going something like this; "Hi Mr. Brown. Thank you for seeing me. My exhibit is called "Trash!" It's amazing, and what I do is I go to a landfill and I gather up bags of trash and I throw it on the floor in no particular order . . . . . . . " After a long pause, the gallery owner screams with excitement and says, "Wow! That's incredible! Your so talented! Let's do it! Where have you trained?"
Van Gogh sold one painting in his lifetime for $25.00. Jackson Pollock drizzled paint in no particular order over a canvas. Andy Warhol painted over black & white photographs taken by someone else. So what the hell do I know?
I think I'll just have a hot dog and a beer and think about it for awhile.
Jim McCarthy
For her Fall/Winter 2009-10 advertising campaign, British designer Stella McCartney
solicited the help from Bambi and other Walt Disney creatures including Flower, Thumper and Friend Owl, model Sigrid Agren and a real live fox. According to a McCartney representative, the campaign was shot in April in the English countryside and will appear both online and in the international print editions of Vogue magazine.
It's very interesting that Walt Disney has turned to fashion over the years as they did campaigns for Dolce & Gabbana, Vivienne Tam and Jean-Charles de Castelbejac to ramp up offerings beyond character T-shirts from their theme parks. But this is the first time I can recall the sacred intellectual property of the Magic Kingdom campaigning for someone else's clothing line.
I was curious how this entire campaign came about and thought it could have been from a family connection. Maybe dad could sing a song or two on a soundtrack or something but I was wrong. It turns out that Kidada Jones, the daughter of Quincy Jones, who launched a line of high-end accessories dubbed Kidada for Disney Couture for the company in 2007, is also a family friend of Stella McCartney's. They made the contacts and the rest is history.
Disney's now into fashion, to go along with all the other interests that they have including wine, food, theme parks, and about 50 other ventures separate from movies. Wow!
Lynn Los Angeles, CA
OmniPeace will donate 25% of the profits from the Congo line to UNICEF & V-Day's City of Joy, a leadership and healing center and safe community for Congolese women and girls.
When you purchase a Congo tee you will also get a postcard (attached to the tee as a hang tag) which is addressed to president Obama in which you sign and send via US mail. This postcard is a call to action addressing the issues of violence in the Congo in order to bring about legislation.
Look good. Feel good. Make a difference.
Even though its not technically fall yet, I thought it would be fun to share with you some of my favorite trends for the upcoming season:
Fur (faux, my preference) vests and jackets.
One shoulder or cut-out shoulder tops and dresses.
Sparkle for daytime or evening.
80's inspired bold shoulders.
Studs on jackets, handbags and shoes.
Leather jackets, dresses and pants.
Boyfriend blazer.
Bright colors.
I hope you enjoy this video on the runway from Glamour Magazine. The Fall collection at J. LaMore will start arriving the end of this month!
As a kid I've always been fascinated with space and outer space. Even today I would give anything to ride on the coolest machine EVER built: the space shuttle. How amazing would that be? If that thing isn't a marvel of modern technology nothing is.
So on July 20th we will celebrate 40 years of landing on the moon. Or did we? This milestone has brought back to life the conspiracy theory that NASA and the government faked the entire thing. Hmmmm! Okey dokey!
<<<< (Fake landing in a dark studio!)
It seems that there's a conspiracy theory for everything these days but I have to take issue with this one. I realize that a person who sinks their teeth into a conspiracy theory is an impossible person to talk to because nothing you say will ever change their mind. Even if you showed them undisputed scientific facts that state the opposite it still isn't good enough. The evidence is fake and part of the conspiracy. Even if you spoke directly to Neil Armstrong that wouldn't be good enough. He's lying and part of the conspiracy. How do you deal with that? I wasn't there. They weren't there either! So what do you do or say. By actually believing we landed on the moon you're corrupted and a victim of a successful conspiracy. I had no idea I was this stupid, and gullible too!
So lets break it down. In order to actually have a "conspiracy" you have to have two or more people involved. In the case of a gigantic conspiracy like this one you have to have tens of thousands of people keeping a secret. Are you kidding me? You can't get three people to keep a secret. A conspiracy theorists will tell you that the bigger the conspiracy the easier is to pull it off! think of this like a huge misdirection ploy. Oliver Stone has made a fortune doing that!
I could go on and on about all the crazy disputes that you read from people who still believe we never landed on the moon that NASA has refuted but the one I like the most is that we didn't have the technology to actually accomplish this. What? What did you say? How can anyone actually make a claim so ridiculous.
See what I mean!
Jim McCarthy
Whether or not you are a fan of Harry Potter, you have undoubtedly heard of Emma Watson, who plays Hermione Granger in the movies.
What do you get when you mix high fashion and fine art? Really great tops! I'm always looking forward to the new Lauren Moshi items that J.LaMore has..Keep them coming :)
My girlfriends and I are going camping this weekend. After telling people that I am going camping I get a "hahah, you.... camping?" I admit, I'm not an outdoorsy person (unless you count tanning by the pool as outdoorsy.) I've never been camping, but I did go hiking once in Vail, Colorado. I was nine years old, made it about 20 minutes, then complained till my mom took me back down the mountain. My parents now know better then to take me on non-beach vacations! (Although now I do wish I could hike up those mountains, maybe someday!)
What if you had, at all times, all of the love and joy that you need inside your own heart? Interesting question, isn't it?
Join us at J. LaMore with our special guest, Melissa Simonson. As a Joy Coach, Astrologer, and Inspirational Speaker, Melissa will create a space of fun and acceptance as she invites us to discover the extraordinary within our everyday lives. By asking powerful questions and bringing the spiritual down to earth through her own stories, she can help you realize that joy and abundance are not impossible to obtain, but rather a birth-right that we can realize at any time.
Ruby LaMore has been with Jennifer and I for ten years as well as being a shop dog the entire time. As you can imagine Ruby is very spoiled but is one of the happiest dogs you will ever meet. If you lived like her, you would be happy all the time too! Her entire world revolves around being petted and getting treats. Every day at 12:30 her "paw" Pilot will go off and she will stand by you letting you know its time to go to Mad Cat for a treat. What can you do. You take her and life is good. So here is the much requested:
I struggle with "ready to wear" because I don't understand what it means. Isn't ready to wear something you can wear right now? It certainly reads that way but the fashion industry is trying to confuse us with this term. Because it isn't ready to wear at all. The delivery dates for most designers is all messed up. Winter coats are ready for delivery in June and you start looking at swimsuits in November. In this day and age doesn't that seem out of balance? Why can't designers delivery the goods when they're needed?
In addition, the amount of fashion shows and even fashion related television is somewhat abnormal. Paris Fashion Show, London Fashion Week, NY Fashion Week as well as fashion weeks in LA, Tokyo, Hong Kong, . . . all over the world! I think it diminishes the fashion industry into a ho-hum thing.
Now, however, the fashion industry seems to have listened to the stores and come up with a thing called "pre-collections" A wearable collection between the shows that people can actually wear. Ready to wear is now something you can actually wear and its ready when you need it. Now that makes sense.
Clare London, England
Hi Jennifer: Nice collection of Mosley Tribes Sunglasses. I love the Paladino pair.
The term "High School Sweethearts" has been around for a number of different generations. Tons of TV shows and films have shown people reconnecting with their high school sweetheart and by the end of the show we all smile and think "that's real love there!". This past weekend a family friend of mine married his high school sweetheart and the two have been dating since they were 16 years old. Recently I have heard about more and more weddings of couples that met in high school.
Last night my dad brought up the idea to me, and suggested that I shouldn't be surprised if the next guy I date may be the person I end up with. Personally, I am one of those people who loves watching movies where couples from high school reconnect later in life and go onto marriage. I think it is fantastic when I hear stories today about relationships that have started in the teenage years and have gone on all throughout adult life.
Although for myself, I would not want that path. At my age now, I feel like I have so many areas that I will change and grow in and the same for any potential high school boyfriend.
Saying that, I realize that anyone could argue, "Well you will change and grow together" or "You may break up now and get back together once you've matured". While those are valid arguements, in my mind the relationship would always be built on "young love" or during our immature mind set. Whereas if I married someone that I met later in my adult life, I think it would be a completely different relationshiop.
Now ending my thoughts, I realize that I am still very young and have a lot to learn about love and relationships. Hey who knows who I may or may not mary; but when my dad threw the idea past me these were the thoughts that instantly came to mind.
I'd love to hear anyone else's thoughts or stories about the idea.
Raquel
I recently read an article about a man and his wife who live in a stunning castle in Ireland that was built in 1185 from the ruins of a monastery that was built in 633. Are you kidding me? Who lives like this? He also turned half of his castle into a contemporary art museum. That was very cool and then he opened it up to the public.
There is such an honor that comes with being someones Maid of Honor on her big day. Whether it's a sister or a best friend, being a MOH is a huge responsibility! I'm lucky enough to know how much work it is since I am one of my sister's MOH for her wedding on August 1st. I also consider myself lucky because instead of having ALL of the duties resting on my shoulders, I get to share them with our other sister Marianne.
So do you think it's acceptable to have more than one MOH? I've gotten a lot of funny looks when I tell people both my sister and I will be MOH's at our sisters wedding this summer. I did some googling and read a lot of stories about successful wedding parties with 2 MOH's (a lot of time it sounded like it was hard for the bride to decide between a best friend and a sister.) Now from experience and also from reading others stories, I've learned that having 2 MOH's may even be better! Here's a few rules I picked up though:
1. Make sure the 2 MOH's get along. They have to work together all the time, so hopefully they can not only work together but they can do it well!
2. You have to have either no other bridesmaids or 2+ other bridesmaids. If you have 2 MOH's and 1 bridesmaid she may feel left out and not as important.
3. Your groom doesn't have to have 2 Best Men (let alone even have the same number of groomsman.) Supposedly it's normal now a days for the bridesmaids and the groomsmen to not match up perfectly.
Well there ya have it! It's definitely becoming more acceptable to have 2 MOH's as traditions are being modified over the years. As for my sister's wedding, it's only 3 weeks away! She'll be getting married to her boyfriend of 11 years (yes that's right, 11 years. And she's 25...they've been dating since she was 14!) Their wedding is going to be on the BEAUTIFUL Mackinac Island in Upper Michigan. I can't wait!!
-Julie
Jennifer LaMore's brain is weird. Seriously! She belongs in the Barnum & Baily circus right along side the bearded lady, the two headed chicken and the fire eating knife thrower. I tease her about this all the time. She's a freak of nature!
The other day a customer ask me, "what colors in fashion are going to be strong this fall?" I was perplexed. I had no idea. So I blinked a lot and uttered feebly, "I'll have to ask Jennifer". Way to go and so manly too!
What's sad about that is the fact the I work at J. LaMore and have been there for ten years and I couldn't answer the most basic question. So when Jennifer came out she rattled off the colors, the trends, along with the color and styles for shoes and accessories as well as a ton of other stuff. What the . . . ! I asked her how she knew all of that and she said "it's my job to know all of that . . ." It's my job too so how come I don't know it. Jennifer just raised her eye brows, shook her head and walked away. What was that! I do important stuff around here. Is that her way of saying she's smarter then I am?
We get tons of trade magazines and fashion material every day and I read it to stay informed. But I don't think I've ever read what colors are going to be strong for fall. Who makes this decision? In the old days Prada set the standard for fashion and colors. Armani did to and everybody followed. In the old days we had Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder. Remember him? He could pick the odds on any team in any sport all day long every day without fail and everyone followed his advice. It was simple back then. But today, I have no clue. Today, fashion designers are celebrities. Stella McCartney has a body guard and there's a dozen more who are followed around by the paparazzi.
Jennifer just knows this fashion stuff like nobody else. Her brain is wired differently then mine that's for sure and her memory is bizarre. This is fun, watch this I do this all the time. "Hey Jennifer, who bought that blue Yoana Baraschi dress with the black fringe and wide belt we had about two years ago? - Oh that was Sarah, she works at the bank, she's a size four and she wore it to her class reunion . . . !" Or this could happen, "Nice try Jim. That dress you described never existed . . ." See what I mean? She's got me either way. This kind of thing goes on every day. I can't remember how I got to work that day.
Jennifer can figure out the sales tax in her head on every sale ever made. I do this all the time to her and its fun. "What's the sale tax on a $294.00 sale?" Jennifer will say without thinking about it "$16.17". Freak! It doesn't matter what number you throw at her, she knows the answer. (This will come in handy as we test her at "the home".) There is a down side to this freaky memory thing however, I can't get away with anything. ". . . You were not visiting a sick aunt, you were drinking and playing poker with your friends!" Dammit!
So, go ahead and ask me a question. I'll make sure I forward it to Jennifer.
Jim McCarthy
Megan Fox is on every man's mind lately. With her latest leading role in "Transformers 2," every magazine and teenage boy is talking about her. I admit I haven't seen Transformers 1 or 2... but after reading about her in magazines and seeing her in appearances on TV, I'm not a fan! She comes off as totally vulgar and trashy.
As a fairly seasoned traveler, I was completely cracked up by this funny video. Approximately one year ago, this musician was on a United flight on his way to a gig in Nebraska. While waiting on the plane in Chicago's O'Hare airport, he noticed out the window the baggage handlers throwing guitar cases! His guitar cases! One of his guitars was damaged and needed repairs totaling over $1200! United denied his requests for reimbursement so he took matters into his own hands creating this hilarious song and video regarding the incident.
Apparently, United has seen the video and loved it! They would like to use it for future training purposes on how not to treat customers. Fantastic! Maybe there's hope for all of us.
Enjoy!
Mosley Tribes have long been known as one of the best sunglass designers around and in a day or so you will be given a chance to pick up a pair (or two) at J. LaMore and jlamore.com.
Hi Everyone!
Before & After has really cute styles. I love the "Thermal Peace" Top. It's the perfect long sleeve top to have over the warmer months. I plan to take it along with me on all my summer outdoor events. It's just so easy to throw on over all my little tanks that I wear for when it gets a little chilly at night :)
Kalyn
J. LaMore continues the fight against fakes! Well, we can only support the fight as we don't carry the lines like LVMH, Prada, Gucci, D&G, Hermes' and others, but our customers do. So we do our part and report the news and breaking information whenwe get it.
This problem of counterfeiting is no longer just a nuisance. This is an epidemic and the picture shows Mayor Bloomberg of New York at a recent press conference where police raided numerous businesses on Canal Street who were selling fakes. In 2008 NYPD confiscated more than $270 million worth of counterfeit bags, luggage, watches, sunglasses and more.
These high end brands get hammered by knock offs and fakes to the tune of $250 billion (combined) every year! Ouch! No wonder they're angry. This cause has taken years to get going and nobody really got interested in fighting fakes until just a few years ago. The dollar cost for these brands to fight counterfeiting is incredible. Entire divisions of these brands have been set up and staffed to protect their work and their futures.
Ebay has spent tens of millions of dollars trying to fight counterfeiters on their site at the request of powerful big brands and a few lawsuits filed by the US Government didn't hurt the cause either. Several lawsuits filed in Europe as well has prompted Ebay to step up it's efforts. Resale shops are quickly becoming a target as they get put on watch lists by brands mostly genereated from customers who call and complain about them. All brands now have a hot line just so you can tell them where counterfeit items are being sold.
J. LaMore is here to help and below is a few things you as the consumer should be aware of.
HOW TO SPOT A FAKE
Email me with questions if you have any!
Jim McCarthy
Hi Jennifer & Friends:
My good friend and neighbor, Karen, (not pictured) is getting married at the end of September. We've met at our condo pool and discussed at great mind-numbing-length her wedding for almost a year now and I cannot believe how fast time goes by these days as the big day for her (and me) is fast approaching. I love her to death and I'm invited to the wedding but she is obsessed with talking about the smallest details which is really surprising because she is in her 30's, lives with her fiance' and is very laid back about everything else. I think I have to work on being more patient. Note to self! However, if there was anyone in need of a wedding planner it's Karen! OMG!
We discussed her wedding dress and the latest trend is "minimalism". Pouf is passe. Slim is stylish, and so are soft lace, flowing fabrics and focused embellishments. The everywhere, over-the-top beading and embroidery of recent years? That's gone, for the most part, in favor of simple adornments on a shoulder, sleeve or waistline.
I consider Karen to be an expert on "her" wedding as she is into it big time and I would imagine she has researched her dress to the last detail. She has spent a considerable amount of time and energy on this day and so when she says that dresses have gone minimal and where less is best, you have to believe her. The look these days is a little more classic. Simplicity and ease are very popular -- dresses that look easy to wear and not stiff and formal.
The wedding should be fun and it's an outdoor wedding in late September so both of us are a little worried about the weather. I know it's California but it rains once in awhile here.
Lynn Los Angeles, CA
Recently announced in Footwear News, Jimmy Choo and H&M are partnering for a "one time event" fashion collaboration of footwear and handbags! The retail chain expects to launch 12 styles for women and four styles for men. The shoes prices will range at retail from $55-$138 while the handbags will sell for up to $276.
What's up with 'cool'? I'm being kind of serious here. Who sets the standard for cool these days because I would love to have a little chat with them. I need someone who's cool to set me straight because I'm confused.
Cool has really changed but whatever cool is it never seems to go out of style. This has to be true because the word "cool" is still around and cool people still say it. Cool can describe a lot of things and it can go off in many different directions but it always seems to come back to describe people first. OK! I'm cool with that!
Individuality is the key to style and that's really cool these days because I don't believe you have to be perfect to be fashionable or stylish. You can be yourself. That's so cool!
Fashion really loves cool, especially when it's a little flawed and somewhat quirky but only when your imperfections stay within strict limits of cool. Crooked teeth and braces are now cool —but only when you have a gorgeous face and a cute outfit. Maybe a cool person had crooked teeth and, well . . . somehow it's now cool. Pregnant is sexy and cool now, but not with water retention. Bald is really cool, but only with incredible bone structure. I also don't think you're going to see a great head of hair shave his head anytime soon. Fat is now fabulous, but only if you’re a huge personality or very rich. Being rich is VERY cool!
What has really changed for the better is that prosthetics are cool today. Just ask model, Aimee Mullins, (pictured above) with the two artificial legs, wow! That to me is cool on every level and if you knew her story I'm sure you would agree.
Maybe it would be easier to define what isn't cool. I had a conversation one time with my niece and her boyfriend and I jokingly used the word "whack" along with a hand motion to emphasize the point even more and I was quickly laughed at and was told that "whack" is no longer cool. Really? When did that happen? Apparently about five years ago. I didn't get the memo on that from the cool people. Not cool can be very unforgiving.
I really don't know or care what cool is anymore and just like the judge who can't define pornography, I just know cool when I see it. I think!
Jim
We were gabbing here at J. LaMore today about our favorite restaurants in downtown Madison. Yum! I thought it would be great to share my local fav's with you! So, depending on what you're hungry for, I have a great suggestion!
I absolutely love everything on the menu at Restaurant Muramoto. It's an amazing Japanese restaurant that is all about small portions and sharing. A couple of my favorite dishes are the beef hanger steak, the scallops, and of course any sushi roll!
Hungry for a fantastic steak complete with a supper club decor? Look no further than Tornado Steak House. Known for their incredible cuts of beef, but everything on the menu is sure to satisfy. Friends rave about the king crab legs, as well as gamier fare like rabbit and venison.
When I'm with my husband or a group of friends and we can't decide what we're hungry for we always choose Cafe Continental. The menu is incredibly diverse and everything is outstanding. I always order the swordfish, which is to die for. Jim's favorite is one of their featured specialties called Spiedini. It's an amazing Italian dish consisting of tender rolled sirloin steak with herbs, Romano cheese, tomato sauce and bread crumbs. Other great choices on the menu are their incredible steaks, salads, pasta, and pizza! No wonder this is the place for undecided diners! Close your eyes and choose, you can't go wrong!
El Dorado Grill is the ultimate for me in Mexican dining. Their freshly made salsa and chips are the perfect start to what is always an incredible meal. I love the blackened catfish with a horseradish coleslaw. Amazing.
Other great restaurants in Madison include, Sardine (love the skate wing fish), Marigold Kitchen (great for breakfast) and Harvest (known for its use of seasonal fresh ingredients).
I'm hungry! What's for lunch?
Jennifer
Hi Friends: I don't write many blog's here on the 'friends' blog, although I've read every one of them over the years. I think I've written two of the more than 2,000 blogs written.
Here's one I think is worth reading and writing about.
About a month ago I read an article in ESPN magazine about a 16 year old kid named Zac Sunderland who set out from California to break the record of being the youngest person to sail around the world, ALONE! I don't even subscribe to this magazine but one day it somehow appeared in our mailbox and the story of Zac was on the cover.
The sub title of the story was "What were you doing at 17?" and after reading the article, I began following his journey around the world. I've always been interested in sailing and as a kid I crewed on a 20' C boat (flat bottom racer) which belonged to a friend's father and we would race it with the Mendota Yacht Club. It was great fun and I did this for two summers before graduating from high school. I learned a lot about sailing then so when I read this article, I was impressed to say the least.
While reading the article, I remembered getting caught in what seemed like a big a storm on Lake Mendota and can vividly remember the damage even small waves and wind can do to a boat as you try and secure it to a pier. When I read about the storms and high winds in the middle of the Indian Ocean that Zac went through, I don't think I'll mention my little storm experience right next to shore ever again.
Zac is sailing around the world in a 36 foot sailboat called the "Intrepid". That's not a very big boat, as you can see from the picture, and even if you don't know anything about sailing, what he's doing is absolutely amazing! The journey, so far, has taken Zac more then a year and he is scheduled to arrive home in Marina del Rey on or about July 14th. He's in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico now.
You can track this journey from his website and read his blogs just like I did and I promise, you will love it. It's completely incredible.
Jim (Jennifer LaMore's husband)
In the UK, Wimbledon is the 'Super Bowl & the Kentucky Derby' of sport. You see, we play tennis in England, and lots of it and this weekend is the men's singles finals with Andy Roddick who will play on the center court against his arch rival Roger Federer. This will be a fantastic match although Federer is the heavy favorite because of his winning record against Roddick.
Hi Jennifer and friends: Stackable beaded bracelets seem to be everywhere now and I know jlamore.com was out front with this trend when it began several months ago. (Actually, I think a trend like this never really goes out of style it sort of just becomes more or less popular.) I saw the new lookbook photo's and you must have them arriving on the site pretty soon. That's great!
What I like about this look is the easy and carefree way you can wear them. Multiple stacks of various styles can crawl up your arm and really add some style to a maxi dress, a pair of shorts, or jeans and a t-shirt. The imperfections in colors and size are what make this style a good one for summer. The prices are low for all the style you get and for me that equals value.
I like to mix and match this look with wood beads together with glass beads varying in size and color. Designers have taken special care to stay with color trends for the spring and summer season but all or most of them have stayed true to the 'boho hippie' styles of old. I'm glad they did that. Why change a good thing. The earth tone colors of brown, gold and deep reds will carry you all the way into fall.
Celebs' have now taken up this trend in a big way but I don't always follow what they do. I like to do my own thing keeping the trend 'my own' in a personal kind of way.
Lynn Los Angeles, CA
Hi Jennifer & Friends: The woman who sits in the "box" next to me is as cute as a can be. I mean seriously, she's adorable. Warm, friendly, very sweet, and, . . . she's seven months pregnant! (I have to mention that she's also one of my best friends so I'm biased here.)
Every day she comes to work I wonder how she can look so much better then every other pregnant woman I've seen. She's never tired, always feels great, she is not overweight, and she wears the cutest clothing. I've never been pregnant so looking for maternity clothing has never entered my mind but after seeing her we talk about maternity fashion all the time. So is it possible to look stylish when your pregnant? The answer is a resounding, yes! But, you'll pay for it!
Through numerous lunch discussions we discovered that looking fantastic comes with a hefty price tag. In the past it seems, maternity clothing focused on celebrating maternity and had little to do with fashion or style or everything was skin tight and kinda gross as well as showing a lot of cleavage because you've gone up two cup sizes. It's like you had no other choices and you were supposed to look this way and abandon your personal style and fashion sense to let the world know you were pregnant. But now looking fantastic is achievable and fun. So I heard.
But celebrities such as Jessica Alba and Gwen Stefani show that glamour can still be achieved. Allow me to introduce you to my salvation brands. There are high end websites like mama-al-mode.com where my friend buys her clothing and she loves it! Another site she frequents is blossommotherandchild.com. We have spent a considerable amount of lunch time visiting page after page on both of these sites. A lower end site is Seraphine Maternity Clothes which is very nice as well.
So, if your expecting and you're not Demi Moore gracing the cover of Vogue naked, you can still dress fantastic and have fun shopping for two.
Clare London, England
