Updo

Here's a nice little updo I did on my friend Emily for a wedding. 

She wanted all of her hair up so she wouldn't get hot & have to worry about her hair later.

So we did the braided across 'do & she looked rather lovely.

Girly bun

Here's a cute way to throw in a hair accessory with a the ever-so-popular bun

that everybody is rocking right now. Love!

What I'm loving lately

buns of any kind

I just love them! Look at all these options for bun-wearing.

Doesn't this just make you want to throw your hair up?

via

Girls Day Out!

Yesterday was fun day of getting nails done, wine tasting, and going to dinner. 

My sister's friend Katie hooked it up; at VV Nails she brought champagne and little sub sandwiches, then we went to Lynfred Winery for a nice little wine tasting portion of the evening. 

Afterwards we grabbed dinner at Tapalpa and ate some well needed food by that point. 

And of course we had some margaritas. Quite a long day, but oh so fun.

  

Life lately according to my phone

1. Busse Woods

2. Giuseppe spying on me

3. Bell's is my fave

4. Josie Grossie & I

5. Flowers for my mama

6. crunchy leaves

7. so. much. studying.

8. even. more. studying.

9. Kate & Noah being formally introduced

Nailed it

I've done the glitter accent nail many a times. 

Here's just another version that I tried out this week.

Healthy breakfast recipes

I could eat breakfast foods at any time of the day.

Here are some delicious looking, healthy recipes that

I look forward to cookin' up reaaalll soon.

Yum!

Veggie & swiss cheese omelette

Whole wheat pancakes

Baked oatmeal bars (blueberry & banana)

Egg & salmon sandwich

Potato & zucchini frittata

Breakfast parfait

Huevos rancheros

Hash brown egg white nests

&

Plum-Raspberry blintzes

Noah Benjamin

I just wanted to give a quick congratulations to my sister's best friend, Brittany. 

She and her fiancé Craig just welcomed to the world a precious little, tiny baby who I plan to obsess over. 

How handsome is this little guy? 

Oh, yeah..we're gonna be the best of friends.

work, work--busy, busy

Here are a few shots Kate took of me finishing up with my client the other night.

Beauty on a budget

This week's look is a fun light purple/pink lip paired with a matte brown eye

and a dash of bronze. Super inexpensive, as always!

Concealer: Covergirl/Olay, Simply Ageless

Blush: Maybelline, Fit Me Blush; light pink

Lips: Revlon, Berry Haute

Mascara: Maybelline, The Colossal Volum' Express

Eyeliner: Rimmel, Special Eyes; Black Magic (just on the outer corners)

Eyeshadow: Max Factor, Ravenous eye palette (matte brown)
                           Almay, Intense i-Color; Trio for Blues (bronze)

A little bit of ombré

Here's that ombré that I mentioned earlier that I'd be doing.

How fabulous does my friend Jen look?

Busy, busy

Photo by Kate

I've been busy doing a lot of hair these past few weeks. A couple all over colors, a few haircuts, random updos, and some ombré. I've got a big photoshoot coming up in about a week, so I'm really pumped about that. I won't share the details yet, but I will be sure to post plenty of pictures!


Here's a hint: the shoot's theme is based off of a really popular book series...

What I'm loving lately

an accented glitter nail

You can do it with pretty much

any color combo that strikes your fancy. 

It's so fun & and adds a little

something extra to your manicure.

via

Working in the studio

I've been busy all day in the "studio" working on new jewelry pieces. 

Stay tuned for new items being sold in my Etsy shop...

Over the weekend..

Here's a picture from my sister's view of the world over the weekend. Me blogging. Her drinking an ice cold delicious beer. Looks like she had the right idea.

Cute little updo

Here's a cute little get-up from a few months back. My beautiful friend Amanda was going to a company party with her boyfriend and needed a fancy 'do. Not very complicated, but still pretty.

Juicing

Pictures thanks to my personal juicer, Kate. She literally handed me my juice this morning while I was still laying in bed.
The best sister? She just might be. Josie & Beth, step your game up.

My sister Kate and I have introduced juicing to our diets. Not just for weight loss but the other amazing health benefits as well. They say that juicing can reduce your risk of cancer, boost your immune system, help you remove toxins from your body, aid digestion, and help you lose weight. The whole idea behind juicing isn't that it's necessarily healthier than eating solid fruits and vegetables (the fiber actually gets lost in the juicing process), but your body can absorb the nutrients better and faster and it gives your digestive system a rest from working on fiber. This morning's juice was the basic carrot-apple. It was pretty good! 

Give juicing a try & let me know if you feel a difference!

source

She's not Josie Grossie anymore

The little one wanted her hair and makeup done for her Saturday night out. Here's what we did:

(bronze smokey eye with blue eyeliner on the lower lid & some curls)

What a doll.

Before & After

My friend Ashley came over this morning to get her hair colored. 

She wanted to go darker but still wanted it to look natural. 

This is the color we decided on. 

Can you say super babe?

Beauty on a budget

Today's plum smokey eye was crazy inexpensive. Like Wet 'n Wild brand inexpensive.

Yeah, I said it. I moseyed on down to the cheapest section 

of Walgreens and went to town.

You should too.

Concealer: Covergirl/Olay, Simply Ageless

Blush: Maybelline, Dream Mousse blush; soft plum

Lips: Covergirl, shineblast; 820

Mascara: Maybelline, The Colossal Volum' Express

Eyeliner: Rimmel, Special Eyes; Black Magic 

Eyeshadow: Wet 'n Wild, Petal Pusher palette; colors 3, 4 & 6

Get twisted

Here's a cute twisted updo on my little, tiny, baby sister; Josie.

Throw in a cute hair accessory like that flower to give it a little something extra.

Another hairdo that can be worn on your day off, at work, or even somewhere fancy.

Life lately according to my phone

1. one classy broad

2. rawrrr

3. she doesn't like taking photos

4. vintage beer tasting

5. me & Jo

6. catchin' zzzzs

7. new shades

8. more vintage beer tasting

9. more of me & Jo cuddling

Cute little updo

Here's a little somethin' I put threw together (literally, it could probably look better)

 that would be cute worn with casual wear, or 

with a fancy little get up. 

What I'm loving lately

Ombré

Just like everyone & their mother.

It makes for seriously easy maintenance and upkeep.

What's nice is depending on your style you can do a subtle version,

or have a more crazy contrast going on.

Either version..I love!

via

Stay tuned later this week when I do a Julia Roberts inspired ombré on my friend, Jen.

Get your smooch on

In honor of Valentine's Day, here are some favorite kissin' pics to give you a little extra

inspiration to smooch your loved ones to pieces today.

(And for pete's sake, recreate one of these pictures because

they are just the cutest things to ever happen).

Photos via Pinterest

Your kiss, is on my list.

Oh, yeah. I just blew your mind with that Hall & Oates reference.

Happy Valentine's Day, lovers.

Our little Valentine

Kate smoochin' on Jake. Jake being a super model. And me smoochin' on Jake.
Those cheeks are just too irresistible.  

I just had to share the adorable little cookie flower bouquet that Kate & I got in the mail today.

We both work for a family who is just the best, and they sent us this adorable Valentine's Day gift.

Way too cute.

So, here's our little Valentine.

Hope yours is as cute as ours!

Valentine's Day snack

Here's part of the afternoon snack for the little ones I watch;

cute little brownie hearts.

Don't worry they had strawberries, too. And it also kept with the theme...how convenient.

Healthy wraps

images via skinnytaste.com & eatingwell.com

Here are some very yummy looking healthy wraps that
 I am looking forward to eating to pieces. 

You should too!
Yum!

1. Creamy avocado & white bean wrap

2. Turkey taco lettuce wrap

3. BLT lettuce wrap

4. Tuna salad wrap

5. Turkey, corn & sun dried tomato wrap

6. Spicy tuna wrap

7. Mediterranean wrap

8. Buffalo chicken wrap

and

9. Southwestern beef & bean burger wrap

30 Day Shred

Oh, boy. Now, this is not the first time I've started the 30 Day Shred program. I usually teeter off somewhere after 10 days. Not this time though, I promise. My mom, Kate, Josie, and I are committing to Jillian Michaels kicking our butts for the next 30 days. That's like no time at all and the video is super short. I'll probably post about it every 10 days or so. That way you guys can keep me in check at every level change. Agh--here we go...

Post 30 Day Shred workout..it ain't pretty.

Vintage beer tasting

I went downtown yesterday with Sam & her boyfriend Ryan to taste oh so many beers, old & new. It was a good time with crazy beers I had never tried before. Or even remotely tried before. I was told that I aged 15 beer years, so that's pretty exciting. We tried some beers from 1998--which was weird because I didn't know beer would work the same way as aged wine. Which, it doesn't really. It tastes flat but it still has that distinct malty taste. Some beers had a crazy kick to them and they all had a big 'ol percentage of alcohol. And apparently this is the only Vintage Beer Fest in the world, so that was pretty cool to find out. All in all it was a good time with fabulous friends and I recommend that people try it out next year!

The studio

My dad made this awesome little set up for me in the garage; we now refer to it as "the studio." If you knew what our garage actually looked like, this would probably be funnier to you. Here's a little looksie in to the studio, and what it's like when I'm working. And yes, my dad is a permanent fixture.

Here's my dad sitting at the sewing table. He recently rigged that industrial Singer sewing machine to go at a lovely, slow--I like to say more reasonable pace. It's awesome. For the two of us (meaning my Dad and I..because yes he is the best seamstress in the house) it was an amazing development in the studio. And an excellent way to avoid industrial accidents. So, thanks again, Dad.

Here is a better picture of our sewing machine. How awesome is that? I think I'd rather sew on that vintage 1940's machine than a brand new one. Then again, I've never used a new one. And I really don't even know what I'm doing on the old one that well yet. To the right is a picture of three of our saddles stacked and lonesome in the corner, waiting for us to get new horses. Le sigh.

In my shop

Here is another peek at what you can find in my Etsy shop.

These are also some of the pieces being sold at the bridal shop.

So...shop.

Hand-sewn flowers hung on a sterling silver chain.

Prepping for photo shoots..

Remember how I said I had a bunch of photo shoots coming up? 

Well, here I am practicing some stuff on my hair. 

Think I could rock these crazy curls?

Nailed it.

So, the heart thing didn't work out.

But these still look pretty sweet, yeah?

Life lately according to my phone

admittedly a borrowed idea--but I like it.

1. Mom driving with me to Mignonette
2. G gazing out in to the back yard
3. some of the awesome decor at Mignonette
4. very dark beer we aren't sure about
5. TMNT
6. wine night!
7. bonfire time
8. working hard
9. I love me some Kate Spade

What I'm loving lately

A pop of neon

Neon in fashion is happening in a big way. Just check out the February '12 J.Crew catalogue and you'll see. It's not just for little punks or 80's biker shorts & windbreakers anymore. And not just in fashion--take a look at that neon green door. How cool is that? A little kick of neon makes everything a little more fun.

via

The best dog bed ever? I think so.

I think regular dog beds can be precious. 

But I wanted to make G a bed that was more fitting for my personality (and his, of course). 

So here's a little peek at his vintage suitcase dog bed.

He hung those pictures himself, I swear.

Healthy Panini Recipes

Here are a few delicious looking paninis that aren't loaded with an absurd amount of calories & fat.

Great for a quick lunch or dinner.

Eat up!

images via recipe links

1. Chicken Panini with arugula, provolone, and chipotle mayo

2. Grilled Eggplant Panini

3. Turkey Tomato Panini

4. Southwestern Cheese Panini

5.Mediterranean Tuna Panini

6. Cubano Panini

Your hair is uneven, you should've gone to Great Clips

Katie came over again (twice in one weekend, I know!) and decided to do something a little different with her hair. New year, new Katie I guess, right? My sister, Kate, also does hair and rocked this asymmetrical cut. Katie's husband Brandon keeps telling her she should just go to Great Clips because it costs like ten bucks; so our prediction is that he'll think she got a botched haircut and should've just gone there. Oh, boys. They don't know much about beauty & fashion, do they?

Elbow patch Valentine's edition

Remember when I told you to stay tuned for the V-Day remix? Well, here it is..

Super cute & super easy!

I just got some red flannel, cut out some hearts, and sewed them to my 'bows.