Coconut Oil + Moroccan Oil Saves Dry Hair

My hair is a little schitzo. One day with a blow dry and a brush, it looks normal. Other days, without that tender loving care, it looks like a monster mash. I've been getting my hair done with Josh at The Green Room (formerly Moxie), and he would say "It just needs some attention." Which is true.

So I got the Moroccan oil and conditioner, and things were looking up. But then my second pregnancy happened, and my skin and hair went out the window. After the pregnancy, my skin made a recovery, but my hair was still unknown to me, like some untamed thing that I didn't know how to work with anymore. Even after getting it cut, it would look split and frayed.

And then my sister-in-law visited for the weekend, and was evangelizing coconut oil as the source to fix all problems: moisturizer, hair treatment, cooking oil for chicken or popcorn. She was coocoo for coco. As a gift, she bought us a jar from Beacon Natural Market on Main Street.

I put it on my hair that night, sleeping in it. The next morning I washed it out with my usual Aveda Color Conserve shampoo and conditioner, as well as the Moroccan oil conditioning mask.

What a difference!! I had tips again! My hair was smooth, and looked happy and less frizzy.

So my new routine is this: I put the coconut oil in my hair twice a week before I jog. That way, it gets anywhere from 20mins to 1 hour to work its magic before I wash and condition it.

If you have any hair tips, do share. Otherwise, pick up the coconut and Moroccan oils in town! Beacon Natural Market for coconut oil, and The Green Room (formerly Moxie) for the Moroccan line.

The Tailored Mermaid Opens on Main Street!

Watch out Brooklyn, Beacon is totally cool for boutique shopping!!

My mom and I were walking to echo boutique to shop, and we parked extra far away because shopping has gotten tricky now that Beacon is so hoppin' with shoppers and eaters. So we walked by this mermaid logo and it looked so familiar to me, but I wasn't sure why, and as we were studying it, the red polka dot coat caught my eye and I realized - BAM - there is a shop in there (you never know, since new stores are popping up all the time now so sometimes aren't ready yet)!

The designer and store co-owner Sarah Maria is well know in fairs and the Etsy Hudson Valley Team. She is the designer behind Meerwiibli, and she's made The Tailored Mermaid the brick and mortar home of her designs, and those of her friends!

They will participate in Second Saturday's, making June 8th their official grand opening party! Follow them on Facebook for more breaking news.

Take a peek inside!

The most unusually shaped dresses you've seen in a while. And the color contrast on them is amazing. You can thank designer and co-owner of The Tailored Mermaid Sarah Maria for this rack.

Admire the display birch.

The Tailored Mermaid includes dresses, clothing and jewelry from other designers. I tried on the dress on the right, and it was a perfect summer strappy dress that you can wear like a house dress, but looks sexy outside. The red and white dress on the left is CUUUTe. Why? Because designer Sarah Maria added her signature oval-in-a-square pockets on the front.

Bam, cute jewelry that is easy to look perfect and fresh. And do note the display price tags - it's on tree bark with chalkboard paint. Made by an Etsy display artist.

The designer's husband and co-owner Brian James is the author in residence here! He also has childrens' books over in the kids nook.

The convenient nook for kids to color while Mom shops. And they can add their drawing to the collection of other drawings in the window!

Sittin' on the Doc of the Hudson

This is why I love Beacon. Because I can sit on the dock of the bay after a day of commuting to the city for a meeting, which is thrilling, and return home to relax to lapping water and singing birds. And my shoes from Echo Boutique were a HIT. Even by city standards.

Reservoir & Wood: A New High End Fashion Boutique in Town

Reservoir and Wood is Beacon's newest high end fashion boutique, and if you take a look at their blog of the designer {EM} Reservoir, you'd know that NYC fashion came to Main Street in the Hudson Valley. Yet, {EM} Reservoir the clothing line, named after founder and designer Erin Murphy, is a religion of city and country for a fashionable yet functional wardrobe, which you would not suspect from their blog, which tumbles with big style outlets like The Emerging Designer, @ShowRoomNewYork, StyleCartel, and the Hudson Valley's own Chronogram.

But take a look at the bio of {EM}'s founder, and you'll get the drift: "Erin often describes {EM} Reservoir as 'a brand for those that pot and pick their own strawberries before tossing them into a glass of champagne.' A perfect representation of her own lifestyle AND wardrobe."

I knew something was different about Reservoir & Wood when Ruby, Cole and I stopped into her shop and saw the fly-fishing inspired earrings on the wall, right across from delicate yet rustic wooden kitchen stools and jars of candles. You'll find {EM} Reservoir designs in the store, as well as collections of purses, clothing and home goods from designers she loves. There is even a line of men's clothing.

When I asked store owner and designer Erin Murphy for her card, she handed me her clothing design card, yet planted a disclaimer that her business cards for the store were being made - out of wood. Yep, Erin is a Michigander, and loves her wood. Which hooked me in even more, because she got her cards from cardsofwood.com, which is where I was looking to have our cards made at Tin Shingle.

And that's not all, Reservoir & Wood is having a 15% off sale for Mother's Day, with a sale on the many purses you can find throughout the store. Stop in! They are on the East End of Main Street next door to The Hop. Just take the family, plant your hubby and kids at Hop, and shop!

Spring! butter LONDON Nail Polish in Happy Colors at Echo

Was stopping into Echo Boutique to treat my kids to play dough and fire trucks on a Friday night,  what did dazzle my eye at the counter but all of these happy shades of butter LONDON nail polish! I have a deep eggplant purple (although it's really named after the deep, dark center of a bone....woa!) that went perfect with my sister's wedding colors. Now I think I'll try the coral pink for spring, and the yellow just for fun. I love looking at the polish colors, like the mint, but I'm a traditional color kind of gal. But man do they mix a good shade...

Thank you Echo Boutique for making this available!

High Speed Police Car Chase Ends in Crash on Verplank and Cross

This morning police cars were zooming up and down Main Street and all around surrounding neighborhood blocks. One police car flashed his lights at me to move over as I drove on Main Street at about 10am.

At 11:00am i was working in my home office near Verplank Avenue Avenue and I heard several police sirens, followed by two big booms, one or two pops, and then nothing. My cats and I ran to the basement, and my dog wanted to come inside. People were walking around the neighborhood as they usually do on a sunny day, mail being delivered, while I freaked for a moment.

I ran to my windows, but saw nothing. I made some phone calls and later visited the scene, and gathered this:

A car was driving down Main Street at super fast speed, and police cars were also driving around super fast. The driver of the car, a man, eventually turned Verplank Avenue at high speed, and hit a Lowe's delivery truck at Verplank and Cross, sending the Lowe's truck 5ft into the air. When the truck came down, it landed on the car, smashing it. The truck also hit a telephone pole, splitting the pole in half. The electrical unit on the pole fell onto the truck. Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. cut the power to the area at 11:30am, and restored it at 2:40pm.

The driver of the truck was reportedly ok, and the driver of the car was removed from the car and taken by ambulance to Memorial Park, at which point a helicopter flew him to a hospital. The driver's family rushed to the scene of the crash, visibly devastated.

Prayers are with everyone.

Ken Fox Rocks as Beacon's Handyman for Hire!

Handyman Rock and Roller Ken Fox of The Fleshtones just hung my chandelier and trash pick shelf!

The chandelier is an iron floral bouquet that is my grandmother's and I've adored since childhood, and reminds me of her. The cabinet in the foreground is a trash pick from Main Street (at least, I hope it was!! If this is yours, let me know), and I'm going to put our art supplies in it, because the art projects are currently taking over my kitchen. Which I love, but needs some organization.

Ken had a cool green ad (seen below) on the Beacon Citizen, and I called him, and he's been so handy ever since! Hanging heavy things, electrical things, pretty much anything. But really, he's a rockin roller who plays guitar in the band The Fleshtones and he just got back from touring Europe.

Here's his ad that has his number!

And here is Ken on stage as a Fleshtone. I think he's the one with the guitar cheering on the other guitarist in the air jumping. Yay for double-lives of people who pursue their passions!

60% off Sale at Cracker Barrel Happening Now

The shopping experience at the Cracker Barrel restaurants is a guilty pleasure of mine that started on road trips, and has blossomed now that we live within regular driving distance of one (oh look, you can shop online, but in-store is better)!!

If you don't know, or have driven by blindly, our Cracker Barrel for Beaconites, Fish Kill and Wappingers Falls folks is on Rt 9 next to the Panera/Starbucks/Verizon plaza right off 84 headed north to Poughkeepsie.

Cracker Barrel's annual 60% off sale is happening right now (didn't know they had one! I always hit 'em up post seasons...hint for glittery holiday decorations at 75% off), and you know I snapped up that stuffed monkey rocking chair for little Cole's first birthday, down from $69.99 to $24.99 or some such. I also snagged two couch pillows for $12 each. So yeah.

Need some birthday presents? Flower tattoo stickers? Bulldozers? Baby cloths with tutus? Yup. Inside of Cracker Barrel. And then you can slide on over to the restaurant for pancakes! (Note: I don't recommend them for dinner...a little flour-y and bland....but still good for kids if you're in a pinch).

Thank You ISAMU for Sushi and Wine

Sometimes a girl just needs to have some sushi like a lady at a table with a glass of wine in a resteraunt. And when that girl is a mom with two kids to have the flu (thank gawd not the stomach flu but the sad head a chest and fever one), a girl needs to get out and sit with adults and use chop sticks and read a magazine.

Tonight I treated myself to such a fresh sushi dinner at Isamu dinner because I was supposed to have been in the City speaking on a panel for Young Female Entrepreneurs about branding your company online, but I pulled out because of the flu and opted to Skype in instead. But the darn wifi password at the panel location could not be found! I'd curled my hair and dressed my office space for the occasion, but alas, not to be.

So? Sushi!  :)