Review: Nicel Night Renew

Hey! I hope everyone had a great weekend. I spent half of it working, the other half vegging out watching re-runs of In Living Color and Project Runway with friends. When I did peel myself off of the couch, I realized that I was long overdue for a Big Lots run and decided to hit the aisles for a couple of instant gratification purchases. One purchase really made an impression as it turned out to be way better than I expected: Nicel Night Renew. I got this steal for a whopping $1.50 at Big Lots! Damn, I love a good deal.

I applied this in a thin layer to my face and neck. At first, I was put off by the slightly greasy feel, but this thick, rich cream was made to be used sparingly. A little bit goes a LOOOONG way and by morning I couldn't believe what I saw in the mirror! My skin had visibly improved overnight! It appeared smoother, more even-toned, and softer. It even had the nerve to perform better than the few popular expensive night creams that I have tried. I won't bring up names.o_0

Anyway, if you have a Big Lots near you, go pick this night cream up TODAY! Nicel also makes a day cream and an eye cream with great ingredients. Truthfully, I had been eyeing this cream for a year until I decided to try it. The price kinda put me off, but I am soooo glad I tried this.

Happy Monday!!

xxxx

Bitty Boss

Fried rice and everything nice

Hey, I'm back! *waves*

Earlier this week, I made this amazingly delicious fried rice for my hubby and he ate it like a caveman. I think that he might have even had trouble breathing because he was eating it so fast. I took that as a good sign that I had done something right and I gave myself a good pat on the back for a job well done. I can't lie. The "pat on the back" was actually a snickers bar, but I digress. Onto the recipe! I got this yummy concoction from allrecipes.com:

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 cup small shrimp - peeled and deveined
1/2 cup diced ham
1 cup chopped cooked chicken breast
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots - peeled and diced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup green peas
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup soy sauce

Directions
Cook rice according to package directions. While rice is cooking, heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Pour in sesame oil and stir in onion. Fry until golden, then add garlic. When garlic is lightly browned, mix in shrimp, ham, and chicken. Fry until shrimp is pink.

Lower heat to medium and stir in celery, carrot, green pepper, and peas. Fry until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in beaten egg and cook just until egg is scrambled and firm.

When rice is done, mix thoroughly with vegetables and stir in soy sauce. Adjust seasoning to your preference and serve immediately.

I really used this recipe as the base for my house fried rice. I used what I had in my refrigerator (spinach, ground beef from leftover tacos, shrimp, onion, carrots, garlic). I know that the taco meat may throw off some, but it really turned out to be HELLA good with all of the other ingredients. The celery, ham, and peas were not invited this time. I also reduced the amount of soy sauce to 1/5 cup. Next time I will make a veggie fried rice with chopped asparagus for a really nice crunch.

In other news, I went thrifting today and found a big bag of goodies for under $25 bucks. Here are some of the goods:

Wallet - $0.90
Vintage serving tray - $0.69
Swirly bowl - $0.49
Skinny faux aligator belt -$0.99
Oscar de la Renta silk scarf - $0.99
Brand new 80's sunglasses - $7
Cork wedges - $2

All items were purchased at Thrift Town in El Sobrante, CA.

I spent more on the sunglasses than I did anything else! I also found a pair of capris, a bustier , a plaid skirt from the 60's , a cute-comfy knit shirt, all of which are in the wash as we speak. There is a God!

Have a great weekend!

P.S. Remember to have at least three gut-busting laughs this weekend. Laughter (and sex...and chocolate) is medicine!

It's the end of the world as we know it, but if you're in San Francisco...

I know it's cheesy and predictable but I just had to post this song.

I KNOW you were thinking about it. Put on your your flannel shirt and scruffy waffle boots and prepare to go back in time.



I wonder how that dude who sold all of his stuff and spent $100,000 of his life savings is going to feel Sunday morning when we are all still here?

Anyways, here are some kewl things to do in the SF Bay Area tonight just in case the world does end:

Haight Street Hop @ Milk - 1840 Haight Street, San Francisco @ 9:30pm
If you are into the rockabilly scene, get yo dancin' shoes on and cut up tonight for only $5. It is a fun place to meet new people and step out in your sexy vintage dresses.

Hubba Hubba Revue @DNA Lounge - 375 11th Street, San Francisco, CA @ 9pm
See some shimmy shakin' and enjoy some drinks tonight with the Hubba Hubba Revue: A mix of vaudeville comedy, scantily-clad sexiness, and originality. Tonight is one of the performer's B-day so expect it to be a full house and an extra fun night. Here is the flier: http://www.dnalounge.com/flyers/2011/05/20.html

Friday Night Food Truck Party @ Fort Mason - Marina St. and Laguna St., San Francisco, CA. 5pm-10pm
From Indian Curry to BBQ ribs to cupcakes, this is definitely a place you wanna go to get yo grub on for cheap. Grab a paper-bag beer, a couple of your friends and do what it do.

Peace,

Bitty Boss

Show and Tell: Divine Inspiration

Even though it's only Wednesday , I feel like it has already been a long ass week. Sooo, let's focus on more pleasant things. Pretty things that make us happy need to be discussed.

I get my fashion and beauty inspiration from some interesting ladies throughout history. Because my parents are significantly older than most parents (My dear dad is 77!), I got a lot of inspiration from my dad's music: Songstresses from the 40's swing, 50's doo-wop, 60's lounge, The California "cool jazz" movement, and a hearty helping of 70's funk/soul. So without further ado, I would like to give you a peek inside the fashion sensibility of Bitty Boss. I'm such an old lady.

My Inspirations:


Billie "Lady Day" Holiday - I fell in love with her sultry, smoky voice, and her trademark gardenias. To this day, gardenias are my favorite.


Sarah "Sassy" Vaughan - This lady was one of my favorite singers when I was a child. I had never heard anyone sound so, dare I say it, sexy. We both were chocolate-complexioned, and I had a new beauty muse that I could turn to for inspiration when most of the beauties I saw growing up (the 80's) were of a much fairer complexion.


Cicely Tyson - This woman has such an extraordinary, unique beauty. With her soft-spoken manner and doe-eyes she was an example the sensual beauty that I aspired to be.


Chaka Khan - A fellow Aries, Chaka is sultry and passionate by nature like me. When I first saw that hair, I immediately wanted mine to be that big. She has set the standard to how big my fro wants to be when it grows up. She has such a spicy, eclectic fashion sense and was never afraid to try something new or bizarre. I loved that about her.


Bettie Page - This woman rocked my world when I was a teen. I was drawn to her bold, naughty looks and ways. She was workin' that bad girl swag to the fullest!

Who are some of your fashion/beauty inspirations growing up?

Favorite Eats: Kate's Kitchen

This place is truly orgasmic. Located in the Lower Haight district in San Francisco, it is nestled between smoke shops and bus stops. Small and sometimes crowded, it is somewhat of local breakfast secret amongst those who are in the know. Unlimited coffee and friendly servers are amongst the long list of awesome things about Kate's kitchen.

Some of the things that I have tried:

French Toast Orgy - The name says it all! Cinnamon french toast smothered in fresh fruit, honey, and powdered sugar. This has got to be one of my favorites.

New England Flannel Hash - This is the most perfect corn-beef hasn I have ever eaten. Not too mushy, not too hard, and not too salty. This makes me hungry now talking about it. My mouth is watering.

They also cook some mean organic pancakes with interesting ingredients like oatmeal and cornmeal.




The hours are kind of strange, but it is more than worthy of a try!

The Deets:

Kate's Kitchen
471 Haight Street @ Fillmore
http://www.kates-kitchensf.com
Open 7 days a week
Mon 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Tue 9 am - 2:30 pm
Wed-Fri 8 am - 3 pm
Sat-Sun 8:30 am - 4 pm

Oh yeah, it's a cash only joint, so hit up the ATM before you get your grub on.

3rd Day Hair and Local Love

I am swamped with school registrations, job interviews and family buisiness, but my hair still has managed to look cute amidst the chaos.

Observe:




How am I managing to stay sane you ask? Last Sunday, My sis and I decided to try the only place remotely poppin' in Hercules, CA...44 Sports Lounge. We arrived around 3 pm just in time for happy hour and all of the drinks were $5! After our heavy-pouring, steaming hot bartender served us our cosmos, we enojyed (to say the least) our deliciously flavorful carne asada tacos. I couldn't resist ordering them because they were only $5 for 2. Ain't nothin' like a good deal. 44 Sports Lounge is a cute, laid-back place to get a well-made drink. Peep the pics:







Local love deets:

44 Sports Lounge
848 Willow Avenue
Hercules, CA 94547
www.44sportslounge.com

Get a chic new wardrobe for practically nada

The Gorgeous Pearl Bailey


Do you need a cute, new, unique wardrobe without breakin' the bank?

Lord knows I do. That's why were going to do this together!

Vintage and thrift shopping is the holy grail of an answer to all of your problems. I love finding one-of-a-kind peices that no one else has for next to nothing. You can also find some buried treasures every once in a while. I'm talking designer peices y'all. Even if you find something that doesn't fit perfectly, you can take it to the tailor to make it fit perfectly. And we all know that the better your clothes fit, the more flattering they are to your body.

Some of my favorite thift, vintage, and second-hand shops :

$=What a steal
$$=Cool beans
$$$=Still cheaper than full price

Goodwill - www.goodwill.com ($)
Buffalo Exchange - www.buffaloexchange.com ($$)
Wasteland - www.wastelandclothing.com ($$)
Thrift Town..MY FAV - www.thrifttown.com ($)
Salvation Army Thrift Store - www.sanfrancisco.satruck.org ($)
Painted Bird - www.paintedbird.org ($$$)

A few of my finds this year:


Leopard scarf, $0.50 from Thrift Town


Enigma Shoe, $4 from Goodwill in San Franciso


Brand spanking new Forever 21 Shoes. Leopard print,cone heel. $8 from Thrift Town.

As you see, I love leopard. Rawwwr.



Vintage/Thrift event happening TODAY:

The Find hosts the Vintage Gift and Antique Fair
Where: Broadway and Water St, Jack London Square Pavillion, Oakland, CA
When: 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
How Much: $5

Enjoy your weekend!

Local love: Thursday Night Happenings

Fellow Bay peeps! Wanna get out tonight? I gotcha covered.

Read on!

OAKLAND


Tonight! Oakland Christmas Tree Lighting in Downtown Oakland

Thursday, December 2, 2010 - 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm
Cost: FREE
Oakland City Center - 12th St @ Broadway, Oakland, CA


Don't forget to bring an unwrapped toy to donate to the Mayor's Toy Drive. Cheer up a child's Christmas :-)


SAN FRANCISCO

<--The Hotel Rex


I love a good mid-week party. Gives you an excuse to pull out the cute shoes and funky hair.lol

Check out the Indie Craft Fair supporting 826 Valencia, a center that helps students improve their reading and writing skills.



The goods include...

*specialty handcrafted cocktails
*live music by Kevin Meenan from epicsauce & Electric Sunset
*raffle benefitting 826 Valencia with prizes like a Globe bike, Rickshaw Tweed *Messenger Bag & more from the crafters
*live screenings from the Disposable Film Festival.
*Cost...um no its free. Score!
*Starts at 6:00 pm in the Hotel Rex - 562 Sutter St. San Francisco, CA


You're welcome :-)

Have a great Thursday!

Links
http://www.826valencia.org/
http://www.oaklandcitycenter.com/happenings.cfm