Good morning! And may I also say, “Thank you?”
That’s seemingly out of nowhere, I know, but I’ve doing this thing lately where I say “thank you” all day, every day, all throughout my day, and you know, I’ve been considerably happier. ? It helps a lot if you’re living through a pandemic during fire season as you’re waiting for your power to go out for days without any notice (there’s been a lot going on here, like everywhere else in the world).
I don’t necessarily direct the “thank you” to a particular person, either. I say it out loud or in my head for anything and everything. When I wake up in the morning, I’ll think to myself, “Thanks, bed! Thanks for giving me a good night’s sleep.” And when I get out of bed and start walking toward the bathroom, I’m like “Thanks, feet, for workin’ hard and getting me where I need to go today.”
Then, once I’m in the bathroom and I remember how the bathroom in the old apartment where I lived before this place was always freezing because it was built in the 1920s and had poor insulation and no central heating, I think, “Oh, thank you, bathroom, for being so warm and for having hot water” (because last year at this time, our water heater broke, and that was a hoot).
Anyway, you get the picture. Thank you, all day, every day.
So, thank you. ?
Thank you for being you, and thank you for swinging by today, which leads me to, ellipses-dot-dot-dot…Trader Joe’s! All paths lead to Trader Joe’s, don’t they?
I found these really cute thank you cards there…
They’re so cheerful and colorful, and I like that they’re a little bit corny, but not too corny. And they’re only 99 cents each, so they’re super cute and super affordable!
I’ve been going shopping at Trader Joe’s for years, but I only recently started buying their cards (I KNOW). The cards in my store are sort of tucked away next to the doors on a wall by the customer service desk, which is partially blocked off by the plants, which makes it a challenge to fit a cart back there, so I forget they’re there sometimes. But a couple weeks ago someone moved the card display into the middle of the store, and bam! LOVE.
Anyway, next time you’re there, look for the cards. They might be in a weird spot, but they’re worth tracking down.
Oh, and so while I was at TJ’s the last time, I was craving pizza, so I picked up a bag of their pre-made pizza dough and a few accoutrements…
I posted a picture of the pizza dough after rolling it out (and before adding toppings) on Instagram and got a surprising number of questions about how to get the dough flat.
(Please ignore the shape. I know it looks like naan. LOL! I never quite go for perfection with my pizza shape. I take what I can get.)
When I worked at the bakery for a hot second, I was repeatedly victimized by dough on a daily basis. Seriously, dough of any kind does not want to be your friend. Dough’s main goal in life is to do the opposite of whatever you want it to do, hahaha!
But there are still ways to get it to listen to you. For this pizza dough, which is really sticky, it helps to use a lot of flour when you’re working with it, and to use more than you think you need. Like, an almost obnoxious amount.
Cover the surface where you’ll be rolling out the dough with flour. I lined a baking sheet with parchment paper, sprinkled some flour on top, wiped it all over the parchment paper with my hands, and then rolled the dough directly on top of the paper with a rolling pin.
Before you use the rolling pin, rub flour all over it, too. Then roll the dough until you hit your desired thickness.
By the way, I used Trader Joe’s refrigerated pizza sauce, sliced fresh mozzarella (not the shredded kind in a bag, but the kind that’s shaped like a big ball) and sliced garden tomatoes. When the pizza was done, I put a ton of fresh basil on top, because like the Beyoncé song says, “If you like it, you should’ve put some basil on it.”
OK, so maybe not the exact lyrics…
Last, but not least (so this post is still marginally makeup related), I’ve been getting a lot of comments about my lashes lately, so thank you so much for that (another thank you!).
I’ve been using an old-school mascara from Urban Decay called Cannonball. Now, Cannonball was technically discontinued, which is unfortunate because it stretches out lashes amazingly well. The curl hold, in particular, is epic, so if you’re rockin’ those stick straight Asian Girl lashes (HELLO, IT’S ME), Cannonball works wonders.
Like I was saying, it’s discontinued, but occasionally it still pops up on the Urban Decay website in the the sale section.
There’s no rhyme or reason to it. It’s just there every once in a while when I search for it. I did that a couple months ago and found some in stock, so I bought three tubes at $10 each.
(Hours later though, poof, they disappeared, just as mysteriously…)
So, yeah, if you’re browsing UD one day and see Cannonball, get thee a tube ASAP.
Your lashes will thank you. ?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. TGIF.
That pizza looks amazing! Margherita pizza is my favorite!! Thank you for posting the recipe! (See what I did there?!) Happy Friday!
There’s really not that much to it so I didn’t think anybody would want the recipe, but do you really want me to do a post on it for reals?
Sure! I think I can piece it together from the steps you described, but a recipe is always nice so I can do a screenshot!
Everything about this post is joy! Thank YOU for the thank you reminder. ?
You’re so welcome, Tracey! I hope you’re having a wonderful day!
I rarely go into my local Trader Joe’s because now there’s always a line to get in. But pizza dough!!! Is it in the refrigerated section or is it frozen?
Was going to have leftover rice and beans for lunch but that “oodles of thanks” card gave me a craving for ramen.
Sigh, everything gives me a craving for some kind of food or drink lately.
You can find the dough in the refrigerated food section; our store has them by the salsas and the hummus. 🙂
Gratitude is an incredible salve. I give thanks, internally and out loud, constantly as well, especially these days/months (year…????).
I do miss Trader Joe’s. I can tell when someone from the office has visited the continent because there is a bag/box of treats from TJs in the office kitchen. Some of it goes fast, like the chocolate mint pareil stars (uh, I think that was me) and some doesn’t move at all, like the dried sweet orange slices. It’s very sweet that even though less than half of us are in the office at a time, now, folks are still thoughtful enough to bring treats. One more thing to be grateful for.
TGIAlohaF!
Do the dried sweet orange slices look like an orange sliced horizontally? If they are, I’m surprised nobody likes them. I get those all the time and I think they’re super good!
Anywho, I hope that you are staying safe and healthy these days. What are you and the hubs doing this weekend?
We’re going to work on our yard. The project is finally (!) moving along.
Can’t wait to see pics of the Epic Yard Project!
Ooh, maybe I’ll have to take a bite of the oranges (yes, sagittal slices they are) and do away with them like I did the dark chocolate mint pareils. heehee…
I’m sure we’ll chill at home this weekend and run through the beach to get into the water (since we’re on a lock down-lock down again for at least 2 weeks and cannot linger in the parks; our numbers are too high on Oahu, sadly). Maybe watch more episodes of “Hot Ones,” we can’t get enough of that show. I’d love to try some of the hot sauces featured on the program but I’m a total wuss just at Sriracha!
Stay healthy and unscorched!
Happy Friday! That TJ’s pizza looks so yummy. Now that I’m WFH it’s not as convenient to shop there, but I’ll have to put this on my list next time I’m there.
Those cards are so cute and colorful. I love buying little pick-me-up items like that.
Hope you and the family have a great weekend!
Hi Ruchita,
Definitely give the pizza dough a try. Even though it’s a little out of the way, one good thing is if you’re going to make pizza, you can find all of your ingredients right in the store! TJ’s has two kinds of pizza sauce; one in a glass jar that you can usually find with all the other pasta sauces, and a sauce in a plastic tub which is in the refrigerated section. Both are pretty good.
What cute cards! I wish we had a Trader Joe’s near us. The closest one is 45 minutes away and I have not been there since all the covid mess began. I miss them! Also, just to let you know, today is National Rainbow Bridge Rememberance Day. Thinking of all our precious fur babies who have crossed over the bridge and wait for us on the other side, and remembering Tabs on this special day.
Hi Daphne,
Thank you for reminding me about National Rainbow Bridge Day. I think about Tabs all the time and it makes me happy to know that he’s still in other people’s hearts, too.
Sending you a big hug!
Cannonball was the one with the weirdly shaped tip? The one that looked like a medieval weapon? Or am I confusing mascara brands here?
Also: Thank you for yet another entertaining post to brighten up my day!
That pizza looks SOOOOO good! It’s been ages since I’ve been to TJ’s and I’ve never had their pizza dough. I’ll keep an eye out the next time I’m there, stocking up on gummy penguins for the boys. 🙂 The cards are super cute and definitely a bargain.