Author: awrensays
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My thoughts on Meliora by Parfums de Marly (or why you should be testing your fragrances on skin)
Previously at the Parfums de Marly boutique, I smelled Meliora. It is a fruity floral that I contemplated getting, but I was held back by the $375 price tag. Now, working with a sample, I am content with my decision. The experience I had in store, smelling the scent on paper, did not prepare me…
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A plate of sweet potatoes
As I ate the plate of sweet potato at Owamni, my mind started to buzz. There was something familiar about the dish. I couldn’t put my finger on it. And then it hit me. It felt like home. Memories came flooding forth, and along with them emotions. In times like now, when I am strapped…
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Eating at Owamni changed how I think about food
When many people think of traditional native cuisine, fry bread comes to mind. While it’s a popular food, it is the food of survival, an innovation, borne in response to forced relocations and resulting injustices. What we often don’t think about is the foods that are truly native to the Americas, such as potatoes, beans,…
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Honest thoughts on the food at Owamni
Owamni sits overlooking the waterfront in Minneapolis. I arrived to this indigenous cuisine restaurant in the early evening hoping to beat the rush. And it was perfect, because I could see the many reservations being prepped. Being a solo diner, I was seated at the bar, with a full of the kitchen. I looked over…
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Retire with Taco Bell (for just the weekend)
Taco Bell is giving its rewards the members the opportunity to taste early retirement. The brand is hosting members at The Cantinas, their weekend pop-up at a San Diego resort. Modeled after an active living senior community, the gives the adults in their 20s and 30s a taste of retirement lifestyle. More specifically on their…
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Taco Bell is going luxe, with their value meals that is
The commercial came out of nowhere. The new Luxe Cravings Box from Taco Bell. It piqued my interest. Not at all interested in the food, but the name. So what does it mean to call this product luxe? “Luxe” is likely meant to be a shorted form of “deluxe.” That would indicate value. For $7…
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Why you get product pilling
You’re getting ready for the day. You’ve applied your favorite skincare product and move on to the next. And oh no, it’s rolling up into little balls and coming off in a very unattractive manner. You have got some product pilling. With the number of products I try out, I have had my own experiences…
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It’s not about smelling good
My format for this blog has been that my Saturday posts have been about fragrances. But lately, Friday comes along, and I realize I haven’t tried anything. Why is that? I have written before on these words from the late Leon Talley: “We have a moral code to dress well, to present your best, ……
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Excellence is an acquired taste
I stayed in bed an extra three hours. I wasn’t exhausted. I was not falling in out of sleep between two alarms. No. I just didn’t feel like moving, so I didn’t. I have been one of those people, guilty of waiting for motivation to strike. It never does. Or when it does it is…
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Backstory Coffee in Minneapolis fuels my imagination
As I looked up the coffee shops I ought to try in Minneapolis, I came across Backstory. The name alone was reason enough to pique my curiosity. I decided to visit their location inside The Duffey. I got up to the front of the line and felt spoilt for choice with the baked goods on…
A Wren Says 