Salon, Sandwiches, and Sun

Mr. Monkey left the condo early this morning to celebrate the first day of college football with his friends, so I did some laundry and then headed out to meet a few friends at Bellacures for some Saturday pampering.

Amber had asked earlier this week for recommendations for a good nail place, and I suggested Bellacures, after having had a pleasant experience there the day before my wedding. I usually go to Butterfly Total Beauty Center downtown, which is close to work (and which I highly highly recommend -- my nails last forever whenever I get them done there), but Bellacures is closer to Amber and actually has places to eat and shop nearby.

I love Bellacures because it's really clean. I absolutely refuse to subject my feet to gross swirling whirlpool baths. Blech. Bellacures is so concerned with cleanliness that it devotes a page on its website to explaining its cleanliness policy. (For the record, my usual place doesn't use whirlpool baths either.)

Today I had my toes done in Essie's Beach Party, which is sort of similar to OPI's Pink-ing of You. For those of you unfamiliar with the world of nail polish, it's kind of like a subtle cotton candy-ish hue that's perfect for tanned summer feet. My fingernails got a few coats of Essie's Starter Wife, which may be my new fave manicure color (my old staple was Essie's Sugar Daddy). It's a beautiful sheer extremely light creamy pink that makes your nails look like your nails...only better. Think of it as bridal makeup for your fingers!

Amber, Lilcee, and Wan seemed to enjoy their services, too. Amber and Lilcee both got manicures and "super duper" pedicures, while Wan opted for the "intense moisture" manicure and pedicure. When we were just about done, Lilcee's hubby came to pick her up with Teddy in tow.

Here we are with everybody's favorite mohawked canine.

Afterward, Amber, Wan, and I walked a couple blocks in the blazing hot summer sun to have a late lunch at Newsroom Cafe. By the time we got there, Amber was a little warm, Wan was hot, and I looked like I'd gotten caught in the rain. Except it was sweat and not rain. Ugh. Wan was a pal and gave me a ponytail holder. Yes, gave. There was no borrowing here. You wouldn't want that nasty thing after I used it today. The Sweaty Monkey thanks you, Wan.

If you're dieting or a vegetarian, Newsroom Cafe is a great place for you. It's not out of this world or anything, but it's tasty enough, reasonably priced (for Robertson Boulevard, home to the likes of The Ivy, Kitson, Lisa Kline, Tory Burch, Paige Premium Denim, Les Habitudes, and Erica Courtney), and offers a lot of healthy options. On the non-diet front, breakfast is served all day, which is always a plus in my book. We were amused by some of the beverage offerings below. Amber and Wan got turkey breast sandwiches with terra chips, and I got a tandoori chicken sandwich with mixed greens. All of the sandwiches came on multi-grain buns -- perfect for the Monkey Diet, so my munching was guilt-free.

Post-sandwiches, we braved the scorching heat again back to our cars. Mind you, it was at least 95 degrees, yet we saw this chick in suede knee-high boots! Her beau was toting a Kitson bag. Figures.

Then we saw this winner. Wow. Robertson isn't all celebs and paparazzi after all.

My iPhone makes me happy.