popcorn update

just thought long weekend readers would like to be in the know on this one: orville redenbacher's popcorn pops up bigger than it's competitor, jiffy pop. not in a scientific study in a controlled lab but in our own long weekend style kettle popcorn popper here at the office.

popping equal amounts of the 2 popcorn giants in a side-by-side compasrison yielded 2 very different results: orville redenbocker popped fuller, fluffier popcorn that popped the lid off and managed to runneth the kettle popper over. the same amount of jiffy pop kernels produced smaller, tighter and crunchier popcorn. hopefully these informative findings will prove helpful in selecting a popcorn brand next time you're in the market for some home popped popcorn.

both orville redenbacher and jiffy pop still make some delicious corn and are perfect candidates for making cajun salted popcorn: add 1 tsp of cayenne, 1 tsp of chili powder and 1 tsp of sea salt to a bowl of freshly popped popcorn. use a large spoon to mix and evenly distribute cajun spice over all popcorn surfaces, adding more spice and salt to suit your personal heat level. serve with a cold beverage and enjoy!

oh and, long weekend style must mention for all you popcorn-lovers out there that there is now a popcornopolis in the newly renovated westfield culver city mall. just thought you'd want to know.

earthquake in chile

our thoughts and prayers are with the people of chile, who were struck with an 8.8 magnitude earthquake on saturday, february 27th.

long weekend style also sends out good, positive, love-filled thoughts to those families who may be worrying about friends and family half a world away.

we will be posting information on how to help the chilean earthquake victims.

gimme your hands 'cause you're wonderful

LA based harpist, jill flomenhoft will be accompanying arthur autumn in a benefit TONIGHT, friday february 26th in an effort to raise funds for haiti. the benefit is called "gimme your hands 'cause you're wonderful: an evening for haiti" and will feature several local los angeles artists and musicians.

the event will be held at TRIP in santa monica. jill will be opening for arthur autumn, whose set kicks off at 10pm-ish where the duo will perform their rendition of U2's "sunday bloody sunday". trip is located at 2101 lincoln blvd, santa monica.

a donation of $10 is requested for the evening's entertainment and will benefit the organization, doctors without borders.

please come on down and support local artists and raise some dosh for a good cause!

kiss and makeup

long weekend style loves a deep dark colored lip in winter but the maintenance of said perfect deep dark lip can be a tad time consuming not to mention tedious.

so. here's how to work in that luscious, deep, dark lip into your everyday without having to your check lip status every 3 minutes:

find a lip color that looks ridiculously dark in the tube (2 good ones to try: chanel "maniac", a black-y eggplant and "underworld" from MAC, an insanely deep maroon), rub a bit onto the ring finger and "press" the color into your lips. the result: that deep crazy dark color in the tube is muted to a lovely highly pigmented stain that won't easily run south of the border. the pressing technique allows for the texture of your lips to show through, a fresh take on the dark lip look. for a little shine, conditioning or weatherproofing: layer on a little balm of your choice.

hot cha cha cha

ok, we HAVE to share the most amazing hot sauce that has ever come across our plate: THE cayenne habanero from all spice cafe.

this sauce is hot hot hot as buster poindexter would say. but not in an over-the-top, burn-your-tastebuds-to-a-crisp way. a perfect harmony of cayenne peppers and habaneros makes for a taste sensation that won't be easily forgotten, because it burns so good. several of the all spice cafe sauces have won scovie awards and LA magazine has named all spice cafe one of the sauces to put on your radar.

all spice cafe's cayenne habanero heats up boring tomato sauce elevating it to cajun style pomodoro atop wide linguine fresca. the CH also plays nicely with chicken wings, tacos and grilled veggies. the cayenne habanero sauce drizzled over a spinach feta lavash bread pizza - pure heaven. use it to spice up shredded pork, making it a pork worth pulling. add CH to bland guac and you've got a party for your tummy. so yummy. so yummy. one long weekend style staffer's 4 year old son likes it straight from the bottle chased with a slug of gatorade.

plus how fantastic is it that the label is peppers peppers peppers strategically placed in a pleasing facial recreation of it's creator, jd cowles? the label too, has won awards. well done you, all spice cafe!

and if things couldn't get any better, jd cowles, the tastebuds behind this locally brewed awesome sauce tells us here at long weekend style that there will soon be some new additions joining the already fantastic all spice cafe lineup.

please do check out the all spice cafe website for recipes as well as access to their other fine products: http://www.allspicecafe.com/. also carrying the all spice cafe line of fiery goodness is surfas in culver city, california as well as a few hand picked whole foods locations nationwide.

never smelled so good

D & G, AKA dolce and gabbana have launched a fragrance anthology of 5 unisex scents based on the tarot and if you play lotto, their corresponding numbers.

and we thought anthologies only applied to albums.

this collection invites the wearer to discover the true self within and range from uber-girliecue: "l'amoureux 6" - the lover, an ode to roses. lots of them to fresh: "l'imperatrice 3" - the empress, a blend of les fruites as well as nouveau hippie: "la roue de la fortune 10" - the wheel of fortune, of all things is alot of p's: patchouli, patchouli, um, patchouli and guess what, more patchouli blended with pink pepper, and pineapple. rounding out the pack is "la lune 18" - the moon which offers up a fanciful cocktail of iris, bergamot, apple, tuberose and lily.

but the fave here at long weekend style would have to be "le bateleur 1", the magician. an enticing blend of vetiver spiked with cedarwood and aquatic elements makes for a fanastic olfactory combination that hasn't been done to death. le bateleur mellows to a faint, sweet cognac by day's end and evokes a seductive quality, making skin even more deliciously intoxicating.

and who doesn't want to be deliciously intoxicating?

good times, these are the good times

let me clear my throat, ah-heh, ah-heh, ah-heh

'tis the season and we are hearing everyone and their mother just about cough up a lung at every turn. at the grocery store, at the thai nail salon, at the mexi joint down the street, silently in the car next to you on the 405.

and the cough, despite the actual cold disappearing from your doppler radar weeks earlier, hangs around like bad curtains. and like dolores o'riordan from the cranberries asks "do you have to, do you have to let it linger?"

well, no. no longer. get tough. face off with that cough. get a humidifier.

i know. i know it sounds absolutely counterintuitive to make one's environment even moister, especially when you keep thinking, i just gotta dry this cough out and move on already. but believe it long weekend stylers, a humidifier in one's boudoir will oust even the nastiest cough within days. you'll notice a difference by morning - that cough will be diminished. and bonus: you'll have plumped up, young looking skin to boot because skin LOVES it some moisture.

oh, and you'll be minus one pesky cough.

feel it all around

ok, so it's not quite summer but this amazingly warm socal sun we've been blessed with in february (!) makes me think of all the warm days ahead. and thinking of warm days, brings to mind this awesome tune "feel it all around" by washed out.

this is most ethereal, fantabulous dog days of summer song you'll ever come across. click the link to last.fm and give your ears a treat.

http://www.last.fm/music/Washed+out/_/Feel+It+All+Around

it absolutely captures the very essence of summer - the laziness in your limbs, the sun warming your skin, the distant cool breezes, mirages in the distance, steam rising off the pavement . . .

be immersed, inspired as washed out has you feel it all around

"feel it all around" by washed out featured on these CDs: summer 2009 and life of leisure, both available at amazon.com. or listen to streaming music from http://www.last.fm/

wake me up before you go-go out for the day

whilst perusing everyone's fav guilty pleasure celeb rag, people magazine, we recently stumbled upon the most brill makeup trick, although not so deftly demonstrated by the hollywood starlet of the day.

to give one's eyes a little pop as well as a "freshness" that we could all use, say after lunchtime, use a little eyeshadow brush dipped in metallic cream eyeshadow to line right below the lower lashes plus a little dab at the inner corner of the eye, near the tear ducts. said hollywood starlet used white eyeshadow but long weekend style suggests opting for a golden beige or pale pink as a pick-me-up color as white is a tad harsh and contrast-y. and to avoid that gloria gaynor-night-at-studio-54 disconess, use your ring finger to gently "press" the shadow in, allowing it to blend with the surrounding skin - giving your eyes a soft, diffused "glow" that makes it look like you just had a bit of a catnap rather than a bleary all nighter.

lip service provided by vaseline rosy lips

recently back from a stint in bristol, england where this awesome lippy was uncovered in the local tesco extra, a large (for the UK that is) costco-esque type grocery/clothing/housewares/cafe shopping extravaganza off the M4.

rosy lips by vaseline imparts a perfectly sheer pink tint that seems to compliment all skin tones as well as having the most amazing moisturizing properties and a delicate rose smell. several pots were recently smuggled back in a long weekend style staff member's suitcase and given to various friends here in the states, all who claim it is now their fav lip product. ever.

so now the bad news. sadly, dear long weekend style readers, rosy lips by vaseline is only available in the UK or through amazon.co.uk, which will only send you stuff if you are IN the UK. OR if you have friends traveling across the pond, perhaps those friends would be willing to act as rosy lips mules and ferret some pots back to you. averaging 1.43# (approximately $2.50) at stores like boots or tesco, rosy lips by vaseline is an awesome deal!

some UK long weekend fans are coming to the states in march and we have requested they bring us a few rosy lips pots to distribute to a few lucky long weekend readers. stay tuned and maybe you'll score one for yourself!

AHHHH . . . a foamy cloud of soapy goodness

so no doubt you're heard all the hubbub about shower gels containing parabens, phthalates and sulfates.

and that hubbub is not good.

won't totally get into the negative details but prolonged (read: daily) exposure to this combination of chemicals can contribute to the big C. leading the long weekend team to find shower gel alternatives that are paraben/phthalate/sulfate-free that won't leave you smelling like baking soda.

here's what we've hit upon: nature's gate velvet moisture body wash. and long weekend stlye especially loves the pomegranate sunflower scent - pure shower deliciousness. whips up to a fragrant, foamy lather that leaves skin not only moisturized but lightly scented with the essence of fresh pomegranates and sunflowers.

AND nature's gate body wash is completely phthalate-free, paraben-free and sulfate-free, wiping that awful chemical combo right out of your shower time. it's made in the good ol U. S. of A. in a little suburban town called chatsworth with no animal testing or byproducts, which is bound to make PETA happy.

$7.99 gets you an 18 ounce/532 ml pump bottle. besides the beloved pomegranate sunflower, nature's gate also has papaya, hemp and aloe vera on tap. available at whole foods markets nationwide as well as some larger chain supermarkets. or you can order directly from their website: http://www.natures-gate.com/ although nothing beats getting to smell these awesome shower gels with your actual nose. which is very hard to do over the internet. unless your computer happens to be equipped with some sort of super duper olfactory app.

deals! deals! deals!

long weekend style is starting to attract some attention!

several retailers and online stores are offering sweet deals to long weekend style readers, so check the long weekend style blog periodically as we'll be posting more details!

and thank you for being a long weekend style fan - we so appreciate YOU!

smooth operator: boar bristle hairbrushes

yeah, yeah, yeah. i know. boar bristle hairbrushes are the bomb.

being a longtime goody products user, boar bristle hairbrushes never entered my stratosphere. my sister and grew up on a full array of goody hair products from ponytail holders (the ones with the acryllic balls on the ends), combs, plastic bristle brushes, curlers with foam inserts, curlers without, bobby pins - you get the picture. boar bristle hairbrushes were just not a thing of the masses. especially in trendy san fernando valley. in the 70's. and especially not at the treasury, fedco or mervyn's.

well long weekend readers, i have seen the light and i believe. in boar bristle brushes.

they rock. they distribute oils evenly throughout hair. they separate and gently smooth out knots. they smooth hair to a glossy glasslike finish. they don't damage or break the hair shaft. they retain heat from the hair dryer without melting. plus your hair looks a hundred times better after a brushing with a boar bristle than a plastic bristle any day.

there are many options for boar bristle brushes; the famed mason-pearson brand come to mind immediately but are a little pricey in times like these. sephora retailers nationwide have their in house brand of beauty items which include several styles of boar bristle hairbrushes, selling for $10-$15 each. even brands like my beloved goody have offerings at stores like target and various drugstores, making boar bristle hairbrushes affordable for even the most frugal beauty diehards out there.

long weekend, over and smoothed out.

let me clear my . . . head

recently had my locks cut into a very pleasing configuration of hair.

finally.

i have long suffered from a lack of an enviable hairstyle since wearing a ponytail every single day may not in any way be construed as a hairstyle. sure, when one goes to the gym or perhaps a cute pony high on the crown but not day in, day out, people.

flash to me sitting in the stylist's chair with one of those fashionable black capes draped over my shoulders in an attempt to catch and deflect stray, cut hairs to the ground.

upon closer inspection of my strands, the stylist at large blithely asks: "do you condition your hair?"

why yes, almost every day, i answer. focusing mostly on the dry-as-the-sahara ends, i add in brightly.

"do you rinse the conditioner out?" she asks.

um yes, of course, says me with confidence.

"with hot, cold or warm water?" she shoots back faster than quickdraw mcgraw.

with probably hot or warm, depending on the temp outside, i weakly offer.

apparently, all my fervent conditioning to battle what i thought was an ends frizz issue then rinsing with hot/warm water was causing the conditioner to "bake" onto my hair strands, leaving behind a dulling, white film. and though i was only applying to my ends, the conditioner had managed to shimmy it's way up all the way to my roots, making my hair look a tad greasy. awesome. no wonder i can't do anything with my hair but put it in a ponytail.

the stylist, let's call her alina, quickly suggests what she calls "sunday shampoo". alina, being a brit, has cute and astute little britishisms for everything. so dear long weekend style reader, let me translate: sunday shampoo on the other side of the pond=clarifying shampoo stateside. so when your everyday shampoo has lost it's spunk and no longer leaves your strands in squeaky clean condtion, you need to call in the heavy artillery: a clarifying shampoo.

clarifying shampoo has the distinct job of being a shampoo, with ahem, "extras". wink-wink, nudge-nudge. those extras being the ability to rinse away grime, product build-up and all around hair yuckiness in one fell swoop. making your roots feel fluffy and super clean thus rendering your regular everyday shampoo back in business.

it's recommended to start by washing with the clarifying shampoo perhaps 2-3 days in a row in order to rid hair of any and all buildup before switching back to the everyday stuff. then just use the clarifying once weekly to get the gunk out. hence the name "sunday shampoo" as i am guessing this is the day of the week that the brits instituted using said clarifying in their hair washing shedule. yes, i type correctly, shedule, with no "c". because that's how they do it across the pond, folks.

2 recommended brands: neutrogena clarifying shampoo. $4.99 for 12oz. also pantene makes what seems like a jumbo-sized bottle for $3.99. both brands available at drugstores and online retailers as well as health and beauty store nationwide.

long weekend style is now on facebook!

you can now find long weekend style on facebook. just type in "long weekend style", click on our page and become a fan. it's that easy. and it's on facebook, which you're probably on all day anyway.

shine on, baby

let me straighten some things out: i love sterling silver jewelry. i do not love the tarnish that usually accompanies sterling silver jewelry.

i especially like shiny silver. to get that brand new fresh and bright sterling silver shine, i tried powders and scrubs yet nothing seemed to work. sound familiar? finally i had to resort to this toxic rotten egg smelling sterling silver dip that i purchased at some jewelry repair shop. the dip was much easier than the polish cloths which seem to absolutely dehydrate my fingers leaving them befit for someone more along the lines of the cryptkeeper. plus the dip could get into those little tiny places, like in between links and such. but the smell of past-their-prime eggs combined with the probable toxicity of this silver dip prompted me to look elsewhere. not to mention the husband was always saying that the smell of the dip was literally killing him as he walked around the house with his hands clutched to his throat.

today, i googled "eco-friendly sterling silver cleaner" and immediately was presented with approximately 157,000 entries for getting one's sterling silver items clean the green way. awesome. and now the hubster would not feign dying from the smell of the silver dip.

i decided to try the baking soda cleaner being that i had all the ingredients in house: baking soda, alumininum foil, boiling hot water and a pot or shallow dish which meant that i could have sparkly new silver within (hopefully) a few minutes. and those of you who know me, know i am one for immediate gratification.

here's the details: boil water on stove. cut piece of foil large enough to cover the bottom of either your pot or shallow glass dish. place sterling silver items onto foil being careful not lay pieces over one another. sprinkle on a healthy dose of baking powder over pieces then pour boiling water into your pot or dish. the baking soda will bubble and within just minutes, you will witness your sterling silver returning to it's original store bought shininess. rinse with cool water and dry thoroughly with a towel.

and since i've recently turned into my grandmother, i have taken to storing my just cleaned-like-new sparkly sterling silver in these plastic stackable towers, since dust and air promote tarnishing. plus i can now admire all my shiny things in one compact place.

grandma genevieve would be so proud.