FASHION

FASHION
FASHION

BEAUTY

BEAUTY
BEAUTY

FOOD

FOOD
FOOD

VALENTINE'S DAY DATE AT BEER KITCHEN, KANSAS CITY

Its still February, which means its still the month of love. While I shared Valentine's Day outfit ideas, my Valentine's Day post got delayed. Better late than never, right. While we could not go out in the evening like we do every year, we snuck out a weekday date, the same week, to celebrate Valentine's Day. Westport is a favorite part of town for us. There is a certain charm in walking hand in hand with your date, in those lanes covered by red brick walls. I and my valentine are foodies. While we do love going back to our favorite haunts, we also love the idea of exploring new places together. We headed to Beer Kitchen for our Valentine's Day lunch date. Thanks to my friend Kriti, for recommending Beer Kitchen to us, some time back.
We didn't have a reservation but we were seated pretty fast. A beautiful booth by a window, where the afternoon sun trickled in to set the perfect ambiance for romance. It was water for us, as we both had to get back to our respective workplaces. The decor was surely a conversation starter for a beer aficionado like me.
Stockyard Fries was our first course. Burnt-ends are a weakness for both of us. So when your order of hand-cut fries comes piled with barbecue burnt ends, smoked Gouda fondue, onions, and pickle relish, you know its a great start to the afternoon. Fair warning, that portion size of the fries, is large enough for a full meal by itself. We worked half-way through our fries and decided to proceed on to our main course.

My husband loves his Fish and Chips, especially when it is beer-battered. What is not to love in ale-battered whole cape capensis filet, malt vinegar aioli, cider slaw, and a mini Belgian fry. According to my husband, the batter was just the right texture, and the fish was well-seasoned. I took a bite and how flaky the fish was, without it being super greasy.
I am a burger girl out and out, so I opted for the Smokestack. Round two fo the awesome barbecue burnt ends and smoked Gouda, Whiskey barbecue glaze, pickled relish, chipotle aioli, and crispy Jalapeno straws on a cornmeal bun. If you are a fan of steak sandwiches, then you will surely love this. The barbecue sauce was not sweet and the whiskey glaze set the right note. Loved the play of textures with the Jalapeno straws. If you are a burger fan, tell me something. Do you attack it at one go, do you cut it in half and then tackle it. For me, it depends on the burger, how I tackle it.

We skipped dessert, as we were running short on time, and appetite. Beer Kitchen had a great ambiance and great food. We would surely be back for more. And this time around we will start our meal with something from the tap and end it on a sweet note, probably with their famous Milk Chocolate Creme Brulee and Hot Kiss(hot Italian Sumatra coffee, Bailey's  Frangelico, Kahlua, Brandy, and whipped cream).



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CURLY HAIR CARE: DRUGSTORE EDITION


 Curly hair care is all a rage now, with everyone throwing their two cents on it. Yes, the popularity of the Curly Girl Method has been nothing short of viral. Do I love it? Do I hate it? Does it work for me to any extent? I have been rocking my curls even before the CGM came into being. I have requested hairstylists over the years, to cut my hair in styles, which will suit my natural texture, which will look great when air-dried. I have been conscious of the kind of hair products that I use. So you can see this post has been on the back burner for a long time.  I have naturally textured hair. Is it curly, is it wavy? What kind of curls do I have?
 I grew up in the 80s when big perms were big. Then came the late 90s and 2000s with the chemically rebonded poker-straight hair became everyone's cup of coffee. While I skipped the perms, as I was blessed with textured hair, I can confess that I went through years and years of getting my hair chemically straightened. Not the best of my beauty decisions. Add to that I have had colored hair for decades now.

While the Curly Girl Method has its followers, I can tell you that I do not follow it 100%. I have grown up with some amazing hairstylists taking care of my hair. And the trend continues with my current amazing hairstylist - Amanda Pogue, of Studio A Salon KC, who has been taking care of my hair for more than a decade now. If there's one thing that I have learned from these amazing hair professionals over the years, is that any beauty/hair trend should not be followed blindly. So just because I have curly/textured hair, that does not mean the most popular Youtube/social media post on the CGM will work for me.
What matters in understanding not only your curl type, but also your climate? Which part of the world do you stay in? The YouTuber that you are following stays in Florida and you live in the Midwest. She is creating her hair care routine based on the fact that there is 30% humidity and you might just have 80% humidity. So before I start off rattling my curly hair care routine, let me tell you a little bit about myself.

 If we try to classify my curl type, then they are a mix of 2A-2C curls. I live in the Midwest and I wash my hair every single day. Yes, I cannot sleep if I haven't wet my hair after I get back home from work. I have been sulfate-free for over a decade now, as I saw the difference it made to the natural texture of my hair. I get my grays touched up every 8 weeks and I get my balayage/foilage/highlights touched up every 16 weeks or so.

 I am sharing pictures and shopping links of my favorite curly hair care products - drug store edition. Sulfate, silicone, and paraben-free is the way to go. On my shampoo days, I shampoo and condition my hair. When my hair is still dripping wet, I use a leave-in conditioner to detangle. Then I use a gel-oil combo, in the praying hand method and rake it through the length of my hair. Then I scrunch my hair. The water in my hair emulsifies the gel-oil product or the gel. Then I plop up my hair with a shower cap lined with a microfiber lining, for around 30 minutes. If I have time, I will let my hair air-dry, or else I will diffuse it. Only when my hair is completely dry, will I start to scrunch out the gel cast. I am left with soft curls, which are manageable.


If you have textured hair like mine, I would love to hear what works for you. Embrace the natural texture of your hair, as its fabulous!


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VALENTINE'S DAY OUTFIT IDEAS

It's Valentine's week and I do have some plans! We usually always do something special when it comes to February 14th! Not just February 14th, me and my girlfriends also try and squeeze ina Galentine's evening celebration. Valentine's Day or week, for me, personally is a time to spread love and have a good time with my family and friends. While I am a denim-girl most times of the year, I do like to bring out dresses on special occasions. There's a certain charm in dressing up, I tell you. When it comes to this time of the year, its an overload of pinks and reds. Last year, I had written about my favorite pink lipsticks. If you haven't read all about it, then click Here.  
Since it was beauty last year, I thought of tackling fashion this year, when it came to this week. Yes, you guessed right. I tried on a bunch of outfits for some Valentine's day outfit ideas. Although Spring is no way in the horizon, in my heart of hearts, I have been dreaming of the perfect warm Spring day. Reds and pinks and all things romantic was the idea which swayed my choices. Red is after all the color of love and all things blush/rose tones stand for passion.  For instance, if you wanted to be super dressy, you could pair these dresses with some pumps. If you were looking for a more casual vibe, then you could pair these outfits with a denim jacket and pair of white sneakers. You can choose to dress up or dress down any of these three options. Without much further ado, let us take a look at three of my favorite picks for this year:
Pink Leopard:
It is no secret that leopard is a personal favorite of mine. For me, it is the ultimate statement element that can jazz up any outfit. While leopard in itself would have been perfect for any occasion, what if we cued Pink Leopard. It's edgy yet romantic, it is fun yet flirty. I love the silhouette in how it is flowy, yet cinched at the waist. It clearly helps me camouflage my problem area, without me having to reach out for my tightest of Spanx. Love the ruffled collar and the frilly details on the hands.
Burnt Rose Swiss Dot: 
I fell in love with the color, I must add. The texture and flow of the dress came second. Blush/burnt blush to be precise, Swiss dot, tiered dress with a statement sleeve and ruffled collar.  It screams romance, to me at least.
Red Lace: 
Last but not the least, it is surely my favorite option of the three. What's more romantic than lace? Its Red Lace? Its a play on a different version of the Swiss dot fabric, but this time the case is lace. I love the drop waist and statement sleeves. The local boutique - Frankie & Jules, where I was trying on these outfits, also did have the same option in ivory, which also made a great choice.
Which was your favorite of the three options? If you feel you don't want to shop this week for new clothes, but want to add a touch of romance with your accessories, I rounded up some finds which should be available at your local Target! A statement earring is always a good idea if you want to play up a simpler outfit. Sugarfix by Baublebar is a personal favorite line to shop from when it comes to statement earrings. Hoping you have a wonderful and fun Valentine's week and day!

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