Next time life's got you down, you're feeling tired and bogged down and ready to throw in the towel, remember these three "facts" about chocolate:

Dawn soap – Beyond getting wildlife rescues and dishes squeaky clean, dawn soap is excellent at getting makeup, pen marks, oil splatters, and most stubborn stains out of clothing! Fantastic, especially on delicate materials such as silk. Dab a little dawn over your stubborn spot, with a little bit of cold water, grab an old toothbrush and get brushing!

Club soda and/or salt – Probably wouldn’t make the best cocktail mix, well, unless you add some lime juice and tequila! But club soda and salt or salt as a stand-alone are great fixes for the ultimate party buzzkill - spilling a glass of red wine on a brand new silk top. You might have to take your top off, but pour some salt and a bit of club soda on your stain, let it sit for a few minutes, and then rise with cold water!

Spit – Yep, spit! Excellent for getting blood stains out, because the enzymes in your saliva and your blood are a perfect match!

Bonus: An alternative to getting bloodstains out would be to use hydrogen peroxide. Pour as needed over stain; let it sit for a couple minutes and washout with soap).

SHOES: the more uncomfortable, the happier the outfit; the more comfortable, the happier the feet!


Happy outfit and feet, thanks to my so fashionable patent leather dark red Sofft pumps :) Whoever said "you can't have your cake and eat it too" knew nothing about ingenuity!

Toasted Coconut Crusted Donut and Coffee

Whatever happened to the toasted coconut donut?  Discontinued a while back by Double D, I've missed its scrumptious goodness!  Missing it no more, at least not today.  Sweet treat from a very thoughtful officemate.  Thank you Sandy T. via Four Season Donut (Pennsville, NJ) #SimplePleasures...Yummy!

Spanish Rock Octopus

Foodie fit, La Fia in Wilmington, DE is a farm to table bakery and bistro and chef Bryan Sikora's latest venture.  If the chef sounds familiar, he should. He's the mastermind behind Django (Queens Village) and Talula's Table (Kennett Square). Django was an award-winning restaurant that ruled the Philadelphia Foodie scene during the Sikora years, also had one of my favorite dishes of all time. Talula's Table's accolades included being regarded as "The Toughest Table in America" and a slew of top restaurants list appearances.

Smoked Haddock

Chef Sikora's latest restaurant is a magnificently delicious addition to the Wilmington area dining scene. I enjoyed a lovely dinner from appetizer to dessert. Area resident foodies rejoice! Close to home there lays a decadent culinary option with easy parking.  Still dreaming of octopus.

AM - Arctic Monkeys

Turn Blue - The Black Keys

When it comes to Turn Blue, Don't believe the naysayers.  Older Black Keys fans continue to be up in arms over the progressive transition of the band's sound from hard-hitting soul and blues infused rock to an alternative groovy indie pop rock band.  Newer fans on the other hand appreciate the older Black Keys sound and love their steady evolution.  Variety is the spice of life and Turn Blue is delightfully so. "Weight of Love" sets the mood and "Year in Review" speeds up the pace.

Take Me to Church - Hozier

An EP with just four songs "Take Me to Church," also the name of the EP's title track is a passionate, enigmatic love song, with insightful and haunting lyrics.  Hozier, an Irish born soul blues rock singer has a newer EP, "From Eden," also with 4 songs.  The eight song sampling between both EPs has led to eager anticipation of Hozier's first full length album slated for September. We can all say "amen, amen" to that.

Happy Independence Day!!! 

So no Billy Idol's Rebel Yell during yesterday's commute. Cliché 4th of July fashion wins!!!

Red shorts - Anthropologie; navy and white striped cami- J. Crew Factory & navy blue summer sweater  and bracelet - J. Crew, black dress sandals - DSW Shoes 

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Inspiration nirvana, Pinterest is a graphic and web designer's dream come true! Search and browse curated boards to help get you out of a design block rut.


Packed with real-time articles, better bookmark articles you love!  Articles on Forbes' landing page are popularity based.  Here today and buried with other content tomorrow. Contributors furiously pump out content on trending topics ranging from pop culture to political news. Added bonus, awesome inspirational quotes are posted daily.


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Fun and flattering, with a tad bit of flirty, I'm wearing one of my favorite Anthropologie dresses. Anthro's Midday dress (sorry, no longer available except via eBay) is a causal effortless glamorous throwback piece.  The diagonal juxtaposition of its trendy stripes are flattering on most body types.

Accented with a black flower brooch, also from Anthropologie (also no longer available) and a black med sized belt, this dress can be dressed up with pumps and jewelry or dressed down.


DSW Thong Sandals

Perfect summer footwear!

Grace Bay Beach - Turks and Caicos

Got a case of "gotta getaway?" Thinking beach, calm water, tranquility, quiet, and relaxing...well, I recommend a vacation escape to Turk and Caicos. Warm sun, light on tourists (especially during low season), and with one of the world's best beach - Grace Bay.  You can't go wrong with this Caribbean gem.

Pier at Grace Bay (October 2013)

Foodie fit and always top notch, Fond restaurant in Philadelphia never fails to deliver.  Recently enjoyed a Tuesday night anniversary dinner at the cozy contemporary American restaurant.  Flavorful, fresh, and at times ogasmic, chefs Lee Styer and Jessie Prawlucki passion for food is evident in every bite.

Service at Fond is very much on par with the delicious food. Dining room manager Tory Keomanivong and the wait staff are knowledgable, dedicated, and simply wonderful.

Gourmet food nirvana, always at its best, I highly recommend trying the tasting menu if it's a first visit. Making a selection at this Philadelphia restaurant gem is always a feat on its own, but whether it's the wild boar pate, the pork belly, or skate, you won't be disappointed.

This Friday's causal style comes by way of J Crew, TJ Maxx, and DSW.  Usually during this time of the year, a pair of jeans wouldn't make the casual friday cut.  The weather forecast had the high at 80 degrees. Ended up being around 84 degrees and being a bit humid.  Anyways, here I am looking fab and relaxed.  All pieces are older items from my closet. Probably the last time till mid fall before I rock a pair of jeans, too warm!  All pieces are older.  Check out my similar look links: