Yesterday I took part in the Hinsdale Farmer's Market, which takes place every Monday during the summer from 7am-1pm just north of the Hinsdale train tracks. I held an Arbonne table and split the tent with a friend of mine, Rachel Cantore, who owns her own business.
It was a lot of fun! Despite the early morning rain and cold weather, the day turned out to be sunny and mid 70s, which encouraged passers-by to stop and meander through the varying venders. And the two of us had a really great response!
For those of you who don't know Arbonne, it's a 31-year old skincare and wellness company that focuses on taking care of the entire person from baby to baby-boomer. They're only sold via consultants like me (sdcaprini@yahoo.com), and they're the best alternative to what you're already using. They have no mineral oil, no gluten, are certified vegan, no parabens or artificial chemicals or flavors, and the company not only lets you Shop and Save, but also Shop Save and Earn. If you have more questions, let me know!
So, next time you need a caterer, want to learn how to cook with a healthy twist, or just want help getting back in shape, call her, then call me, and we'll talk how to keep all of the healthy choices your making stick with your skincare and vitamin choices!
Thanks to Facebook, I recently discovered a new salon in Chicago that is innovative and changing the experience between salon stylists and end consumers: Us. It's called The Hair Loft ltd. It's a salon based in downtown Chicago on Huron near Ed Debevic's. But for all of you still wondering, here is what makes it so unique: Monday night Lab night.
Yes, that's right, "Lab Night". And no, for all you science drop outs out there, or those who were terrified of mixing chemicals and dissecting frogs, it's nothing like that. There are no white lab coats nor protective goggles that need wearing. In fact, it's quite the opposite. If you like free wine and hors d'oeuvres, a night with your friends, and a free hair lesson on "how to" with your own hair styles, then this is perfect for you! On Monday nights from 6:30-8:30, the Lab is open to guests who wish to come in and learn just how to do all their favorite styles at home on themselves. No more, "It always looks so much better in the salon," complaints! And the best part: FREE!
Otherwise, they're right in price line with any other nice, higher-end salon, but their selection of services is based on "menu" options. They really have taken the whole ordering experience to another level! It's fun and flirty - just what they intended - and they even have Spa services too. Aaaah, okay, time to grab the phone and find some other friends who like free things! See you at "The Lab" soon!
So last night, in celebration of my birthday and our one-year anniversary, we headed out to Keefer's restaurant in downtown Chicago. They're known for their steaks and had a yummy seafood selection, so we were exceedingly excited about what dinner was going to offer.
And they did not disappoint.
As most high end restaurants go, everything is a la carte, so be sure you know that going in. Nothing "comes with" anything else, which is where a lot of the bill can come in because suddenly you've added $50 to the bill because you wanted the salad or potatoes and spinach sides for every person.
We, however, kept it simple: appetizer, two dishes, and a bottle of wine. The corking fee there is $20, so for us to buy a nice bottle of wine (in the $20-$30 range) to take with and then have to pay another $20 seemed silly when we had a perfectly good bottle there for $50. We were able to taste the wine before we got it because it was offered by the glass, and the waitress did a phenomenal job suggesting it. We wanted something full-bodied, a little spicy, but that would pair well with steak and still not overpower the seafood I knew I would order. She recommended a Syrah by Beckman, and woah! It was everything we wanted and now on my list of wines to purchase. Highly recommended.
Dinner was simple: grilled calamari appetizer, halibut, and rib-eye. And everything was delicious. The grilled calamari, I will warn, has a twinge of asian flavoring to it, and I actually found myself, upon smelling it, wanting to grab for chopsticks. It's excellent, but if you don't like asian flared food, this probably isn't for you. The halibut was good and had a firm texture, but I still think the steak beat out all of the other food, hands down. It was beautifully marbled, melted in your mouth, and the blackened seasoning gave it just enough of a kick to enhance the flavors. It's also big, so it should fill you up. If you're super hungry and don't order an appetizer, then you probably will want a side, but we actually ate all three dishes completely, still had room to split a small dessert and not feel stuffed. And our dessert was free - a small chocolate lava "happy birthday" cake which was amazing, and I don't usually like dessert with hot, gooey chocolate in it. In fact, I usually really don't like it, but the cake just melted into a velvety rich heaven once you bit into it. Also on the list of things to recommend.
So, if you're looking for a nice restaurant to try or you've been here already but didn't get the rib-eye delmonico, then I say you need to put it on you "must visit" list and do so pronto. 5 out of 5 for the steak, 5 out of 5 for the calamari, 4.5 out of 5 for the halibut, and 5 out of 5 for the service and overall atmosphere. Thank you for making the night so deliciously wonderful.
Only three days ago I was in Athens, Greece, lamenting about how I had to leave a city with which I had fallen in love in such a short time. In the brief seven day trip, I had come to love so much about the city: the people, the food, the history, the atmosphere and weather, the personality, and even the language, despite its clear challenges. The one things, however, that confused me was the constant presence of upset and striking.
Now, granted, I did not see any full-blown brawls, but my friend and I witnessed a peaceful demonstration and a Syntagma Square full of camped-out Grecians in tents in protest of the government. As a naïve visiter, I admired it all from a distance but with little understanding of what the conflict involved and why so many Greeks were so passionate about their beliefs and in their frustrations. It took a local to explain to me some of the root causes of their displeasure, and while he was only able to explain a few of the concerns during our short encounter, I did understand that what he was explaining to me was only a brief skimming of the actual problem.
I left understanding that Greeks were unhappy about the debt and even the misrepresentation of what they owed in comparison to other countries. Some felt the media had expounded a debt issue to a "crisis" level that was not warranted. Some people felt the EU and the Greek government were not properly supportive of one another and that Greece might be better off on its own again, sans the EU. Still, some felt that the government needed to make reforms within the country to help pull the country out of its problem in a way that did not cut the legs out from under the middle class / working class people. And then there was the issue of general unemployment rates. In short, you can see why the brief conversation I had could not do justice to such an ingrained and involved predicament.
Ergo, I was able to continue enjoying my seven day vacation like any other tourist to any other city: parading around, strolling up and down the streets, drinking my strong Greek coffee at cafés and pretending I could speak Greek because I knew "Yiasas" and "Efaristo". Unfortunately, I returned home to find this article posted to the LA Times only a few days after my arrival back to a comforting home, shedding a quick spotlight onto the upheaval that had hit the city I had just left and loved so much. I missed the tear gas and the hours of conflict, the arresting of 12 protestors and the fleeing of tourists to side streets with the main government square turned into a brawl. I missed the police lining the streets and the shouting in Greek that filled the city. But more than that, I missed the true understanding that would have enabled me to empathize or truly comprehend the heart of the Greek youth, a heart that beat so strongly that it led the people to demonstrate and revolt for the inequalities they felt they faced. It's not that I missed the protest, per se, but rather that I missed the cultural awareness that it takes to be "present" in a city that I now understand I was merely "passing through".
How many times in history have we seen such actions: Tiananmen Square, the entire Civil Rights movement in the States, or the peaceful protests that just took place in Spain? It is people doing what people feel they must do to make their voices heard. In a matter of three days, the environment in Athens had changed drastically from a tourist-friendly city to one focused back on itself. And maybe it's not wrong. Maybe it's what Greece needs, or what the world needs to open its eyes to the problems people are really facing, the true reality, not the one we want to see "in passing". We need to be present in our world, not tourists with a visiting mindset. This is our world, our politics, our lives that are affected every day buy the decisions we make and the ones we allow others to make for us. It's just unfortunate that it takes something like a riot in Athens to make the news to make us readers, visitors, and onlookers face something we maybe should have taken note of before.
Yes, I love the Parthenon, and the Temple of Zeus, Santorini island and the wine tasting in Crete, but in order to love those things, I must not only understand the culture that created them but also the one that supports them now.
Yiasas and Kalimera! (Hello and Good Day!)
Well, I'm home now. My trip to Greece has ended, as all good things must, but it was one of the most amazing weeks of my life. I know there were a lot of factors that aiding in that being true, but it was phenomenal and inspiring.
For those of you who have not yet visited, make sure to make it a part of you "must see" lists. My friend and I did the Athens and 4-day Greek Island cruise and booked through a travel company called Friendly Planet. Originally when I heard that it was "group tour" things, I was skeptical because I didn't want to be toted around in group formation for a week, but it wasn't like that at all and, in fact, our group was so wonderful that they only enhanced my entire experience. Also, if you do decide to book with them and you have the ability to request your guide, request Ioannis A. He is spectacular, really knows what he's talking about, can give you all the great inside scoops and information bytes, and has a great sense of humor!
Our stops? Mykonos, Turkey, Padmos, Rhodes, Crete, Santorini, and, of course, Athens. I will explain more as I upload photos and narrow the breadth of future posts to more specific experiences, but this is the basic overview. The weather was sunny and 85-95 every day, there was so much to see, and the food was beyond mind-blowing. My favorites were Rhodes and Athens. I sadly didn't get to spend much time in Santorini so I can't comment on the island itself much, and Mykonos was breathtaking but is a quieter island during the day and a party-central area at night (but we were only there for the evening, not an entire night). But I will definitely be going back to Athens and Rhodes someday. That's a must!
Here are some photos of places we saw. Like I said, much more to come!
Some cool facts about Greece though: they are part of the EU, they do not have the "crisis" that most news articles have led us to believe for the reasons they have led us to believe; their main exports are olive oil (and it's subsequent products), food, wine, and tourism; they built a new airport and public transportation system when they held the Olympics in 2004; it has fallen under the rule of ancient Greece, Rome, and the Ottomans but has come away with it's own chosen religion (not one mandated by imperialism or mandated conversion); and it has 2500 islands of which 700 are inhabited.
So, it's official! I leave for Greece! Best part??
I"M GOING TO GREECE!!!!
.....okay, yes, there's more, but really, when you're going to Greece, do you need any more? I mean, hello....it's GREECE!
But, my friend and I will be visiting the ruins, the famous-person-frequented island of Santorini, and then even enjoy Mykonos, Crete, and Athens!
No I LOVE traveling Europe, having lived in Spain twice and visited countless cities and countries, but I always had a helping hand: my Spanish. I always knew I could default to Spanish if I needed, or I could pass as Spanish if I needed to not pass as English for the time being. Most of the languages I encountered: French, Italian, and even a little German, I could make out enough to know where I was supposed to go or what I was supposed to do, for the most part. This time, though, I have no idea how to read or speak any Greek. It's a Hellenic language, not a Romance one, so it's basis, lettering, and understandability is completely different.
Ergo, I made myself a cheat sheet! I have a few key phrases written down and learned just in case I need them!
(spelled phonetically, not in Greek) Bolded and Italic parts are the parts that are stressed.
Hello: ya-sas, yia-sas
Yes: neh
No: Oh-ke
Please: pa-rah-kah-low
Thank You: ef-kah-ree-stow
Toilet: toy-let-ah
Water: neh-row
Food: fah-gee-tow
Do you speak English? - mee-las ahn-glee-kah
Oh boy! We'll see how I do! Maybe I'll just go around saying "¿Español?"
I listened to John Tesh last night, a radio show host who hosts the program, "Intelligence for your Life". I've talked about his show before, and I really do love it! It's perfect when I'm running in between errands at night and he really has some great tips!
Last night's was on the power of meditation. He spoke about how in recent studies, two groups were given two options to deal with pain: mediation and morphine. Those with morphine lowered their pain by 20% but those who meditated were able to lower their pain by 40%. Additionally, and unfortunately I was only half listening at this point, but there was something about being able to lower one's blood pressure or something through meditation just as well as taking medication. Sadly, I don't remember the specifics.
Awesome, though! With all the push and need for natural remedies and less reliance on things like OTC drugs and pharmaceutical companies, I thought this was really great information! I'm not saying do away with everything, but it's refreshing to remember the incredible healing power the body possesses itself.
Maybe I should take his advice should Greece give me more of a sunburn than I can handle. Aloe, vitamin E, and meditation anyone??
I spoke to my aunt tonight. She's preparing for a commencement speech she is giving tomorrow and filled me in on what she was intending on saying.
Firstly, she and I both noted, we hate commencement speeches. They're all the same and they're all really really boring. Congratulations. You've graduated. You overcame obstacles and succeeded at things you didn't think you could do before; you're heading down new paths and taking old memories with you; may you go far in life...yada yada yada. Blah blah blah. Can I sleep yet? Please. We both agreed a new take on things was needed.
She decided, therefore, to take a different approach. She is speaking in front of an audience of graduating performing arts students, having been asked to present at the ceremony due to her long time support for a friend and her own person performing accomplishments. When deciding what to say, she decided to talk about tricks on how to succeed in life and the importance of a little thing called listening.
(all that follows is the summary of what she imparted on me)
Yes. That's right. Listening. Pause, think, and reflect for a moment on that very single concept. Listening. How often do you actually listen? No, not blindly go in and out of conversations and nod and say "mm hmm" at the appropriate points, but actually and genuinely listen? Try it sometime. Stop thinking about all the other laundry list of things you have going on and focus on who's speaking to you and listen. It's amazing how much you can learn by doing that.
That also, however, means listening to yourself. What do you want and what does that mean? Staying true to yourself and succeeding in an area about which you are passionate is only accomplished through working hard and listening to yourself. You have a unique voice for a reason. Don't drown it out because you think you're supposed to be doing something or supposed to be this or that person acting this or that way. But, you can't know what you truly want if you don't stop to listen to yourself.
Okay okay, enough theory. What is the main point? What's the "step by step" if you will she's trying to get at? Well, here it is:
How to succeed according to Sharon Ohrenstein:
1) Listen
2) Be in the Moment
3) Find your Passion
4) Do the Work
You can't truly do no. 1 without no. 2, you can't do no. 3 without no.1, you won't accomplish or be any good at pursuing no.3 if you can't do no.4, and you won't do no. 4 properly if you can't do no. 2. Ah, and hence, we've arrived at the full circle affect. Lovely.
Case in point: Liberace. Famous Piano Player. Amazing performer. Completely and utterly successful. Why? All because one night, one really rainy night, he performed his absolute best for the small audience of 17 who came out to see him despite the terrible weather. He could have looked into the audience and thought, "Why bother?" but he didn't. He gave them the show he would have given an audience at Carnigie Hall, and you know what happened? A TV producer happened to be one of the mere 17 people in the audience that night and he discovered Liberace and helped make him the amazingly famous face he was.
So, when all that's said and done, what does that mean, exactly? It means Pay Attention. Be truly in the moment, and listen. Listen to those around you and to yourself and what you want. Find something you're passionate about and run with it. Work as hard as you can and stay focused. They say it takes 10,000 hours to be "excellent" at something. Working 40 hours a week, that means you're looking at 3 years of work. Three years of SOLID, TRUE, CONCENTRATED work just to be excellent at something. If you spent any of those hours not "being fully present", then guess what? You didn't really do 10,000 hours. Keep trying.
So, dear all graduates and real-life inhabitants. Take a moment and figure a few things out for yourselves. Are you doing what you want to be doing? Are you truly working at making your passions a reality or are you "working". And lastly, are you really listening to those around you and to yourself? If not...it may be time to get your internal volume switch checked. Maybe then you can also actually listen to all the commencement speeches other people are giving. :-) Either way, thanks Aunt Sharon. That was a really great chat.
