Prep Chef

I've volunteered twice this fall at DC Central Kitchen - it's an organization that collects donated food from restaurants, then prepares meals to be distributed to nearby shelters, transitional homes, and rehabilitation clinics.

I've really enjoyed volunteering there. The people are great, you get to work in a commercial kitchen, chopping up celery and carrots, and you get to see the finished process as meals come together. So cool, even for a novice cook like myself.

They ask you to wear a hat when you volunteer in the kitchen. The only baseball cap I own says "Maserati" on it. Ha. Perfect attire for helping the needy. I hope this display of excess isn't an affront.

Celery chopping is the best gig, in my opinion. Last Sunday, I had to strip the meat off half-cooked turkey carcasses. That was a little rugged.

My friend Serena and I worked at the turkey station, along with another volunteer. He said he'd been volunteering there since middle school. Wow! What dedication, we said.

Serena thought about it. Wait, how old are you? she asked.

"I'm in high school," he said.

Ah.

Sparkle-Icious, Continued

I wasn't sure if this week's Nail Polish Challenge could be done. I looked all week for a Christmas ornament or something that would match, but nothing was quite tacky enough.

My friend Emily, however, rose to the occasion - she found a sparkly Steve Madden heel that matched my Sparkle-icious polish exactly!!

The one minor detail is that the shoes and my nail polish were never in the same room together. No matter.

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Sparkle-Icious

I've been obsessed with my nail polish this week. So sparkly. It's called "Sparkle-icious." I kid you not. Inspired by the movie "Burlesque." Again, I kid you not.

Those tweens know what's up - glitter nailpolish stays on forever. My manicurist didn't have the best command of English, but she looked at my nails when she finished and declared, "Now you are ready for the club. Put your hands up! Put your hands up!" (with appropriate hand gestures).

Again, not kidding.

I'm going to try to find something in the environment that it matches, to go with my Nail Polish Challenge. It has been difficult thus far. My friend Lani had an easier time with her pretty taupe manicure!