Oscar Party

Tonight is the Academy Awards, or as I like to call them, that show that makes me really angry every year but I can't stop watching.  This year, my friend Nina is hosting the best Oscar party EVER, and here are the winning ingredients:

 Oscar Bingo!
Download the bingo cards on How About Orange.  You have to watch for fun things like "Winner forgets to thank their spouse" or "Colin Firth wins Best Actor".  I think it's going to make the party super hilarious!  I made a cute little prize pack for the winner full of crazy dollar store items and delicious candies. 

Vodka, of course.  And lots of mixers.

For dessert:  Crack Pie, the famous one from Momofuku.  Recipe here.

Have a great Oscar night everybody!

WeekendWeekend

Weekend Plans include:

• Thrifting
• Shopping at Old Navy
• Working
• Hunting down Girl Scout cookies
• Best Oscar party evaaaaaaaa!

What are YOU doing?!??!?

(image via mypolaroidblog)

Macrame

Macrame.

Yep.

It's happening.  I have confirmation.  Let's accept this together! 

Lucky for us, the new versions are a little cleaner and more streamlined. 

Here are my suggestions for modern macrame success:

1. Stick to either white or black rope.

2.  Don't use any wooden beads.

3. Utilize stylish metal hardware. 

Get a tutorial here. 

(image via skinnylaminx)

Thrift Score

{amber glass acorn}

The obsession continues!  I was so happy to welcome this lil' glass jar into my family of acorn items.  It was just sitting there on the thrift store shelf, waiting for me to come get it.  Someday I will be that old lady who has a million versions of one larger theme, and at this point I think we can safely say that the theme will be acorns. 

wantwantwantwantwantwantwant

Hey you guys-  have you seen this clutch? 

The one I'm going to be carrying around all summer long?  It's sold at American Apparel and it's $58.  The medium sized clutch, which would be plenty big for most people, is $45.  Yes, you heard me right.  I'm predicting that this bag may save the company. 

Available in all sorts of colors, & the zipper is gold!  Squee! 

{image via american apparel}

Got2b Fat-Tastic Thickening Plumping Mousse

Yes, it's official.  Worst product name EVER.

Luckily it works really well or I could never overcome the shame!  I was convinced to try this product after reading rave reviews about it on all the beauty blogs.  My hair is currently "growing out" and because it's so thin, I have had to switch over to a whole new type of product, one that's volumizing and thickening.
It's pretty simple, just shake the can well and apply product to roots while hair is damp.  Then apply heat and watch it work it's magic!  It's not going to give you "Texas Cheerleader" hair or anything, just a nice subtle lift that lasts all day.  Another thing I love about this product:  it doesn't give you that "crunchy" hair that most mousses do!  Can you believe it?
(Sold at drugstores for $5-$8)

Side Note:  I have a sneaking suspicion this product is being discontinued.  When I bought it at the grocery store, it was buy one get one free (which is pretty unheard of for beauty products) and when I compared prices at Rite Aid it was 50% off and had a sticker on it saying "discontinued".  So grab it for a great price while you can and then we can commiserate when we run out and can't find anything that works as well!  Can't wait. 

What's For Dinner?

Winter Salad With Lemon Yogurt Dressing

If I hadn't already deemed the kale salad from last week "the best salad ever"  I might be tempted to give the title to this one!

A recent goal of mine has been to take full advantage of food that's in season.  This recipe is the perfect example of that- a winter salad, with lots of crisp root veggies and a tangy and light yogurt dressing.  The final touch is the salty sunflower seeds sprinkled on top.  It's just heaven. 

I like adding some chicken or maybe a couple of slices of sharp cheddar cheese on the side to complete the meal.   

Recipe after the break-

10 Things That Make Derek Happy

For today's 10 Things, we have a very special guest, my oldest friend in the world- Derek Estes.  We met in high school and instantly bonded in that way that only teenagers who love things before their time can!  

Derek has beyond excellent taste and lives for film.  He has what seems to be the world's largest DVD collection, consisting of only the finest moving pictures, and collects vintage movie posters with an emphasis on westerns.  Derek lives in Portland, Oregon and is soon to embark on a new career in mixology.

Here are Derek's 10 Things That Make Him Happy:

1. The scent of Lavender

This is something that has happened over the past couple years. I've always liked the scent of Lavender okay, but recently it's something that I'm drawn to more and more. This fascination has also creeped into my eating habits too. I recently made a delicious Honey-Lavender ice cream, and I have to recommend Scrappy's Lavender Bitters in a Manhattan, amazing!

2. Game Theory

This is a band from the 80's that I stumbled upon about a year ago. I had read about them first, hearing that they were influenced by another band I really love, Big Star. At first I wasn't super into their music, until one magical day when everything clicked in my head it was the only thing I wanted to listen to. This band has a very small but vocal fan base and I've now joined their chorus.

3. Vintage snaphots and Photobooth pictures.

From about the 6th grade I've been collecting vintage snapshots from antique stores. I really love the small size of vintage photos, it makes them more mysterious and intimate. I'm also a huge fan of black and white photobooth pictures. They take the most flattering pictures, it's almost like a little Josef Von Sternberg in a box.

4. Buster Keaton

If forced to use one word to describe Buster Keaton's films I would choose "sublime". They are like perfect little jewels, with a million sparkling facets. His stunts are still breathtaking 80+ years later. He was also quite handsome, better looking than Valentino in my opinion!

5. Warren Oates' style as GTO in Two Lane Blacktop.
Those sweaters!

I should say Warren Oates in general. What a treasure! Warren Oates is both the coolest man in the room (or on the screen), and also the most unassuming. An actor who can both transport the head of Alfredo Garcia in white suit and sunglasses, and quietly break your heart in films like Two Lane Blacktop, The Hired Hand and Cockfighter.

6. "The Lubitsch Touch"

"The Lubitsch Touch" is a brief description that embraces a long list of virtues: sophistication, style, subtlety, wit, charm, elegance, suavity, polished nonchalance and audacious sexual nuance." -- Richard Christiansen

I couldn't have said it better myself!  Two of my favorite places to find the Lubitsch Touch:

-Trouble in Paradise

-Design for Living (based on Noel Coward's play! Can anything be more obscenely sophisticated?)

http://www.lubitsch.com/

7. Cacti and succulents

A perfect plant for four reasons:

1. They are very modern looking.

2. They help me romanticize a life where I live somewhere sunny and dry.

3. I'm lazy, and cacti love being ignored.

4. Sometimes they reward you with blossoms.

8. Leaves of Grass - Walt Whitman

Ok, now I'm not about to front that I'm any kind of expert on poetry. But, what makes this collection of poems so great for me is that their beauty is so clear and warm that it makes reading them a total pleasure.

9. Florsheim Comfortech Riva slip on shoes

Not only are these the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn, they look great with both formal and casual attire.  On a side note, these shoes also fit well with number 5 on this list.

10. The paintings of Emile Friant

I recently came across a few paintings by this great artist, and have been totally enamored with them. What strikes me most about these paintings is how casual and natural they feel. Friant's paintings feel like privileged moments that are staring back at us from the 19th century.

Ok, I'm cheating!

11. Marlene Dietrich's ABC

I couldn't help but squeeze this in. In some ways this book is the ultimate list. Arranged alphabetically, screen goddess Marlene Dietrich shares her thoughts on everything from romance to hardware stores, favorite recipes, famous lovers and thinly veiled jabs at Elizabeth Taylor and Yoko Ono.

Pixel Tree

My newest cross stitch project.

You may remember me giving you a sneak peek of it months ago, when I naively thought it would be done soon.  This one took me about 5 months, although I took some looong breaks.  What made this piece so difficult was all the tiny little shapes, there was a lot of starting and stopping stitches and it was slow going and tedious work.  I have learned a lesson with this one and that is to design pieces that don't have so much detail! 

Also everyone who looks at it sees different things in it that I never would have so that has been pretty cute.  Observations include a crusty crab, Space Invader/Pac Man characters, and small gnomes, while I have been obsessed with the double 'stache on the lower right hand corner.  I love how much color and texture this piece adds to my space.



 For this project I used 14 count Aida black fabric & DMC thread #166. 

saturdaysunday

What's up this weekend y'all?

I'm going to be:

1.  Catching up with old friends

2.  Eating

3.  Working

4.  Reading bookies & watching movies

5. Making sure to carry my umbrella with me everywhere!
Have a great one!

(image via sfgirlbybay)

LA Love

As you may or may not know, I am fairly new to the Los Angeles area.

I moved here about a year and a half ago from Portland, Oregon.  While I still love Portland and miss quite a few things about it, I was so sick of the weather and just needed a change in my life. 

Los Angeles has been the perfect place for me.  The weather truly brightens each and every day and I am very happy that I get to drive around all day in the sunshine! 

It has also been fun to discover all the new things about this city, even though it's been slow going due to a rather limited budget, and I like creating my new routines and favorite things here.

Today I wanted to share some things I am loving about LA:

1.  La Brea Bakery Bread

I had heard of this bakery prior to moving here, and owner Nancy Silverton's stellar reputation is well deserved.  Every time I bite into a loaf of La Brea bread, I think- this is the best bread I have ever eaten!  It's that good.

2.  Griffith Park & Hiking

 A lot of people talk about their favorite places to hike here, and most seem to like Runyon Canyon or hiking near the ocean, but I prefer going up to Griffith Park.  The view is amazing, visiting the planetarium is always fun, and the hiking trails are really hard so you get a great workout. 

3.  Taco Trucks

Sure, we had taco trucks in Portland, but they were kind of out of the way.  Portland's food cart scene is out of control, and dare I say, even slightly better than LA (don't hate me, it's true!).  But the taco trucks here are omnipresent and every one I go to is really good!  I'm never disappointed.

4.  Buying Liquor At The Grocery Store

Can't do that in Oregon.  'Nuff said.

(image via cupcakes & cashmere)

Martha's Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

Chewy. Chocolate. Ginger. Cookies.

Yummmm.

I baked these for the first time last year and was reminded of their deliciousness after my friend Krista blogged about them.  I needed to make something sweet for a get together with the girls today and these fit the bill perfectly.  They are kind of a long and exacting recipe but believe me they are worth it!  So gingery and good.  I also like to sprinkle a little fleur de sel on the cookies after they are done baking, it really adds a pop of flavor.

Get the recipe here.

Forage

{chicken, potatoes, brocollini, raspberry lemonade}

Today was a gray gloomy day in LA so a ladies lunch with Whitney was in order. 

We went to Forage in Silverlake and it was heaven!  Even though it was rainy the space is so filled with light and happy food it made us feel all better. 

Then we went to The Cheese Store of Silverlake and Reform School, and window shopped our afternoon away!  Perfect LA afternoon. 

Before/After

Today's before and after is a simple silver polishing. 
So easy and it makes such a difference!

I picked up this Italian silver plated bread/fruit basket at a thrift a few weeks ago, it's not in terrible shape but it definitely needs some freshening up.  For this project I bought "Wright's Silver Cream' polish at the grocery store for around 5 bucks.  I don't know much about these kind of products, or which one works better than the other, but this worked great for me so I am recommending it.  It comes with a sponge, and I also used a toothbrush and paper towels. 

Start by taking your silver piece, rub some cleaner on, keep rubbing and rubbing until you see the tarnish disappear.  Then make another go around, concentrating on the edges and crevices.  Wash with hot water and dry. 
Then comes the detailing.  Dip the toothbrush in silver polish and get in there!  Put a little elbow grease into it.  Think of your guests happy faces reflected in your glowing silver treasure!  Ok, that went a little too far.  Just get it done. Rinse again and dry.

And there you have it!  A beautiful piece for your home. 

Fill with food and arrange until pleasing to the eye.

10 Things That Make Alina Happy!

This week for 10 Things I am featuring my very sartorially inclined friend Alina. 
Alina lives in Washington D.C. and is a super smarty who works for the government, but I can't wait for the day when she decamps for the offices of Vogue.  I personally think I should do all my traveling with her from now on because she truly understands what is so important when visiting new places: shopping!  I have never known anyone who is just so excited to get dressed every day, it inspires me to no end.  If you want to get fashionably inspired every day too, check out Alina's blog-
The Hyperbalist. 
Here are Alina's 10 Things That Make Her Happy:

1. Shopping/Discovering cute stores in new cities.
2. Barcelona- in my opinion the most magical city on earth.  The CHARM, the style, the architecture, the street artists, the food- the whole aura of the city.  Gaudi, Salvador Dali, and Picasso found a niche there for a reason.  It's got the polished, uber-chic, demure older Spanish women whose style is insane, but the whole city is also defined by this extremely hip, fashion-forward, trend-creating youth culture.  It has it all; and best of all, is situated between mountains and the Mediterranean sea.  Heaven on earth.

3. Sipping lattes while alternately flipping through magazines and people watching in quaint cafes-
Cafe Zurich in Barcelona and Cafe Figaro in Los Angeles are faves.

4. The Royal Tenenbaums- my favorite movie. Owen Wilson's the best character. Ben Stiller's neuroses are hysterical, but even beyond the comedy, the love story between Margot and Richie is tender and sweet.

5. Dancing

6. Good Hair. (Cut, color, style). Fashion is irrelevant without good hair.

7. Pugs & French Bulldogs-- how can you NOT be happy looking into the face of one of these creatures? They are sheer comedy.  Fat, bug-eyed, wrinkled, and sassy.  I've yet to meet a pug or french bulldog that doesn't have a personality/attitude.  Quirkiest dogs around!

8. Food cooked by someone else!

9. Really hood rap, with insane beats and utterly ridiculous lyrics that make you go "DID HE REALLY JUST SAY THAT?"  Weezy always has that effect on me.

10. Discovering new blogs so good I can't leave the computer and end up reading the entire archive, most recently bleubird vintage had me riveted for hours.

Before/After

Look at that sad, colorless, ugly cat bowl.  I can't believe that I (and Strudel for that matter) have put up with this unflattering scenario for OVER 3 YEARS!!!

This dual bowl was part of Strudel's dowry when I adopted her but ever since I saw this post from Anabella over at Fieldguided, I have been wanting something cuter and classier for my own pet.

I wasn't able to find the same milk glass bowls that Anabella did, but while perusing the thrifts yesterday I spotted these bright yellow bowls that seemed like the perfect size. 

I love yellow with a passion so I was excited about the pop of color they would add to the kitchen.  Also, I was pretty stoked to find ANYTHING at a thrift store again after striking out all over town for the past week!  I didn't have the energy to run around LA trying to find some vinyl for a mat (where would I even begin?) but I substituted one of my old Target trays to hold the bowls and I think it looks pretty cute.  Thank you internets for the great idea!  I think Strudel will love it too.

Weekend Weekend

What are your plans for the weekend?

I will be:

1.  Making salads & cooking chicken

2.  Working

3.  Baking something delicious, maybe this?

4.  Marvelling over the amazing shoes I saw above at the Goodwill!

What's For Dinner?

The best salad in the world! 

I first saw this recipe in Bon Appetit and just glossed right over it, thinking it looked like seaweed and probably tasted worse.  Then my friend Lauren made it and it was ahmaaaazing, I think I had about 5 servings!  I don't know how I can rave about this salad enough, I know it sounds wacky and weird but it's truly the best salad ever. 

Kale Salad with Pine Nuts, Currants, & Parmesan

2 tablespoons dried currants

7 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar, divided

1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

2 bunches Tuscan kale (about 1 pound), center ribs and stems removed, leaves thinly sliced crosswise

2 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted

Parmesan cheese shavings

Place currants in small bowl; add 5 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar. Let soak overnight. Drain currants.

Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar, rice vinegar, honey, oil, and salt in large bowl. Add kale, currants, and pine nuts; toss to coat. Let marinate 20 minutes at room temperature, tossing occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle cheese shavings over salad and serve.

*Helpful Hint:  It's best to massage the dressing into the kale with your hands for a couple minutes, this helps to break down the tough kale into a delicious and tender salad.

What's In My Handbag?

The Contents:

1. Latest issue of Bon Appetit

(I had a couple of hours to fill yesterday so I brought it with me when I left the house and picked some recipes to cook.  They have a great feature on winter salads this month!  I'm going to make the Winter Salad with Lemon Yogurt Dressing.)

2. Pink Coach business card holder

(I bought this about 6 years ago right when I was starting the whole makeup artist thing.  I'd never had business cards before and I wanted something nice to keep them in.  It's so funny how things change 'cuz I'd never pick this out today but I still use it.  It's held up really well!)

3.  My Marc by Marc Jacobs sunnies

(Sadly on their last legs but I still love them.  Love you Marc!)

4.  Necklace from Veronica M.

(I always keep an extra necklace that will match anything in my purse now.  They like us to accessorize a lot at work and since I tend to forget things like that it's just best to keep one around.)

5.  Sunscreen and Aquaphor

(Since I live in Cali now I always have SPF in my bag, you never know when you will be sitting outside unexpectedly or something.  Aquaphor I use about 30 times a day as lip balm.)

6.  Redbox rental

(I grabbed The Social Network at the grocery last night since it's on "very long wait" on Netflix and I wanted to watch it before the Oscars.)

7.  Notebook

(I always have to make to do lists or I forget everything.  I also can't have just a list on my phone, it has to be handwritten and all that.)

8.  Receipts

(I went grocery shopping at Whole Paycheck and Ralph's last night and it was intense.  So many people out and about at 9:30 at night.  LA kills me.)

9.  My keys

(Nothing special here.  I like the kind of key chain that you can slip the key rings off easily through the little lever system.  I used to always have a crazy something or other attached to my keys but I'm over that now.  So grownup!  So boring!)

10.  Black wallet/clutch

(My current wallet has a nice little handle so you could use it as a going out clutch if you want.  Will probably never happen.)

11.  Makeup bag

(This one is from the Poketo for Target collection.  It's held up really well and the white hasn't gotten dirty at all.  I love futuristic materials!  I will do a post on another day with the contents inside.)

That's all folks.  And yes, my bag really always is that organized and clean.  I clean it out about once a day.  I'm ashamed you even got to see the receipts that should have been inside my wallet floating out and about!

P.S.  I'm feeling like some of my posts have been so random and pointless but I am having one of  those incredibly boring weeks with nothing going on and nothing to write about.  I hit the blogger wall!  I'm sure it will pass soon.  XOXO

Want/Need

Want- West Elm grey stripe duvet cover & shams $49-$79

Need- Overstock.com grey stripe duvet cover & shams $32.99!

Tuesday

Today was a good day but also so boring! 

I was super excited to go thrifting but wasn't having any luck.  I went from store to store and after I couldn't find anything I would become obsessed with going to just one more thrift where maybe, just maybe, treasures awaited!  It was kind of crazy.  I still had fun though and I like driving around LA to familiarize myself with unknown areas.  At the end of the day (I went to 6 places!) the only thing I found was a handful of Cook's Illustrated & Cook's Country magazines which I love so I was happy.

I still needed to achieve that shopping high so I stopped by the craft store and got some embroidery hoops and frames and thread.  Delightful!

By that time I was in the neighborhood of a delish bento place I adore so I got some yummy chicken, shrimp, and rice.  I planned to take a picture but I was so hungry I didn't get a chance. 

Hope you had a lovely Tuesday as well!

10 Things That Make Alisha Happy!

For this installment of 10 Things, I present Alisha Georgianna!

Alisha is a preeminent wardrobe stylist, costume designer, gallery manager and all around kick ass lady. 
I first met her on a movie set and we bonded daily over our love of YSL, vintage clothing, tiny hats, and all things 70's.  Alisha lives with her adorable family in Eugene, Oregon where they run a MMA gym/art gallery called Art of War.
Do look her up if you could use someone with her mad skills! 
Without further ado, here are Alisha's 10 Things That Make Her Happy:

1. Rare Minerals blemish therapy. A translucent powder that soothes redness and kills shine. Starts shrinking blemishes immediately and doesn't over dry.

2. 70's inspired denim flares. Dream pair would be Derek Lam.

3. Mac Jeanious collection to wear with great flares.

4. Modern Vintage wedges. Especially the "Lucy".

5. Drapey, slinky 70's inspired dresses (loving the 70's) a la Halston.

6. Cut offs with tights. But only when worn with a sophisticated blouse, sweater or blazer.

7. North/South totes. Loving Michael Kors but thrifting for an affordable treasure. So much room for junk!

8. Uneven hemlines. Currently sewing a khaki day dress with a swoopy shirtail hem. Almost done...

9. Coco Aloe juice from Taste Nirvana. Delicious coconut water with bits of aloe. Reminiscent of bubble tea.

10. Super shiny buffed and oiled nails. Natural Glam!

THE Cookies

Orange Carrot Cookies

My Grandma used to make these cookies.  She gave them as gifts every Christmas and I looked forward to them all year!  After my Grandma passed, my cousins and I got to talking about these cookies and how she must have had them memorized because we were never able to find a recipe.  That's where the lovely internet comes into play!  I looked for a recipe online sometime back in 2003 and I wasn't able to find anything.  I kinda forgot about it and went on with my life, occasionally craving a soft, cake-like cookie that was tinged with citrus.  Then about 2 years ago I went to a party and these cookies were on the table!  Can you believe it? I tried to get the recipe but the cook wasn't having it.  Secret family recipe, she said.  Yeah, MY secret family recipe, I replied!

Anyway, long story short I did another search online and this time around, there were hundreds of recipes out there.  Turns out it's a southern thing, and some people add nuts or coconut or almond extract.  I prefer to keep it plain and simple, just the way that I grew up eating them. Now, I know that you probably won't immediately want to try these cookies.  The word "carrot" seems to throw a lot of people off.  But they don't taste like carrot at all, I promise.  It just adds sweetness and color to the final product.  Also, they are ridiculously easy to make and the recipe doubles easily.  At least give them a try, they are amazing! 

Ingredients:

1 cup shortening (I used unsalted butter)

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg
1 cup cooked, mashed carrots

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Beat shortening; gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add egg, carrots and vanilla, beating well after each addition. Sift together dry ingredients; stir into carrot mixture and mix well. Stir in chopped nuts, if using. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for about 20 minutes (Mine were done at 16 mins). Transfer cookies to racks to cool.  Makes about 30 cookies.

Ice cookies with Orange Icing while still warm.

Orange Icing

Juice of 1/2 orange (3 to 4 tablespoons)

grated rind of 1 orange

1 tablespoon butter

1 1/4 cup sifted confectioners' sugar

Combine juice and orange rind with butter; stir in sifted confectioners' sugar until desired spreading consistency is reached. Add more juice or confectioners' sugar as needed.

Tillandsia

I got this cute air plant yesterday and housed it in my cute ceramic vase that looks like a soda pop can.

It was one of those spur of the moment purchases and I love it.  I was at the Home Depot trying to buy a lamp harp (I'm going to share my lamp project with you soon, it's been a ridiculous time wasting/money spending black hole ever since I started) and they didn't have the right size so to cheer myself up I visited the plant section.  It worked! 

Side note:  I used to think air plants were creepy & looked like spiders!  I wouldn't even touch them.  Isn't that funny?

Crazy Cat Lady

The Strudel.

You have to admit, she's the cutest.

Weekend Adventures

What is up this weekend ya'll?

I'm finally getting out of town to visit cousins in San Diego and I have been looking forward to it all week! 

Other activities include:

1.  Relaxing

2.   Eating

3.  Avoiding everything super bowl related

4.  Oh yeah, relaxing!

The Stiletto

The Stiletto:

Equal parts amaretto, lime, and whisky.  Shake with ice and strain into a chilled glass.

Best drink ever.  Tart and sophisticated.

Thrift Score

{framed vignette with small ship and sailor's knots}

I love this piece because it's kind of random but it fits in anywhere and, I think, adds a note of sophistication to the surroundings.  Now when people come over for dinner they might think that I'm some sort of knot tying expert or sailing aesthete.  I am none of those things, but with my newest Thrift Score, no one will ever know....

The Best Thing To Wear For Today- Work Uniform

On most days, my work "uniform" consists of:

1. Dark wash Not Your Daughter's Jeans (most unfortunate clothing name ever)

2.  Black cami

3.   Oversized drapey sweater

4.  Colorful sandals, black peep toe pumps or strappy heels

5.  Gold hoop earrings

6.  Peach lipgloss

This makes it easy to get dressed & still look somewhat stylish.  In my younger days, I really tried to mix it up a bit more, but now it's just so much easier to have my routine.  I really recommend it!