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"Life is not measured by how many breaths we take, but by how many moments that take our breath away."

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I'm an Okie native, but currently an Arkansan. Newlywed. Hairstylist. Lover of all things creative. Pinterest and blog addict. Wanna-be photographer and wedding planner. Jesus follower. I love meeting new people and I'd love for you to stay a while, read a lot, and follow along. I love discovering new blogs so leave me a comment and I'm thrilled you're here!

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Sunday, November 29, 2015

I'M GOING TO BE AN AUNT!!!!!!!!!

 
WEEEEEEEE!!!!! Can you tell I'm super excited? I am absolutely thrilled and I cannot wait to spoil this baby rotten. I'm so happy for my brother and sister-in-law and they are going to be such wonderful parents. This baby is going to be so loved. It will be the first grandbaby on both sides of the family. We found out they were expecting at the end of October and they are due May 22nd. EEEEKKK!!!
 
Of course I couldn't resist getting them a gift of congratulations. It is highly inappropriate, but if you know my brother then you know it is totally fitting and very appropriate.....poor Ashley!
I got the t-shirt from Thug Life Shirts online. 
In case you can't read the onesie I made in the pic above, here it is a little closer :) We can't wait to meet you and hold you little baby Corn!

Saturday, November 21, 2015

Let's Talk About Hair....My Current Must Have Products!

 
Since I sell hair and beauty products for a living, I thought I should share some of my current favorite products. It's funny because I used to despise using product in my hair. I washed my hair everyday, wore it board straight everyday, and I loved for it to feel like silk. Don't get me wrong, I still love for my hair to feel and look soft and silky, but I've changed my hair regimen up quite a bit over the years. I use a ridiculous amount of different products on my hair everyday and I couldn't style my hair without them. Obviously since my job is to sell these products to hairstylists, I want to try as many of them as I can on myself so I can give them my honest opinion and review of it. If you saw how many different products I had in my bathroom cabinet, you would probably faint. I've got it coming out of my ears. I've recently had a bunch of questions from friends and family about what products I would recommend for their hair so I thought it would be the perfect time to share some favorites on the blog!
 
Let me give you a background on my weekly hair regimen. I wash my hair once a week now. Yeah, I know what you're thinking...gross, or I can't do that my hair is too fine/oily, or I workout everyday, etc. Well, I have very fine, straight blonde hair and I workout at least three times a week. Here's how I do it.
 
I use all different kinds of shampoo and conditioner. Usually whatever is in my stash at the time. Currently I'm using Pureology Hydrate Shampoo and Conditioner, which has always been a favorite of mine.
 
 
After I wash, I apply a small amount of Lanza Healing Oil. I just started using this stuff and you guys, I'm obsessed. It smells amazing, a little bit goes a long way, and it makes my hair feel so good. My Wet Brush slides right through my hair when I use it.
 
 
In case you're not familiar with the Wet Brush...it's a brush that you can use on wet hair and it's great for detangling. You can also use it in dry hair.
I also always use a spray leave-in treatment and Redken's One United is my current favorite. It smells so good, it helps me get a brush through my hair, it smooths/shines/protects, and has 25 total benefits. It's a great product and I highly recommend it.
 
After I've put the oil and spray in my hair I blow dry it upside down for added volume. I typically don't straighten my hair. I will use large Velcro rollers or just smooth the ends with oil and go. I will usually wear my hair straight for the next few days. If you see my hair straight, you can pretty well bet it's fairly clean, haha.
 
Usually on the third day I'm in need of some dry shampoo to freshen up my hair and soak up the oil in my roots.
This is by far my favorite dry shampoo. It soaks up all the oil, has a nice light fragrance, and doesn't leave any white powdery residue. It doesn't make my hair look gray or dull. One of my biggest complaints about dry shampoo is that they smell too strong and it's obvious you just sprayed a bunch of dry shampoo. This stuff does not smell overpowering. I also love that they make it for brunettes as well. You should definitely try it! If you don't know how to use a dry shampoo, it's super easy. Spray it in at the root where you look/feel oily. Let it sit for about 2-5 mins and then just brush through your hair. It is also great for adding volume and texture.
 
After day 3 I usually wear my hair curly for the rest of the week. I will wake up every morning and my hair will look like a rat's nest. I just spray some dry shampoo, brush through it, and curl it with a wand or a curling iron. It takes all of 10 minutes.
 
When I wear it curly, I like to use hairspray.
These two are my current favorites. They are both a firm hold, but they don't leave the hair feeling sticky/crunchy/hard. They are workable, but hold the curl.  And of course, they both smell fabulous!
 Redken Triple Take 32
Matrix Style Fixer
 
Usually on the last few days of the week, I will try and get creative and wear my hair up in some fashion. I will usually do a braid and messy bun, or wear it half up, etc. That's when you know I'm due for a hair washing hah.
 
Recently, I've been using a hair perfume on the regular. There are quite a few brands that we carry that have recently come out with hair perfumes. 12 Benefits, Label M, and Lanza are some of them. I have used the 12 Benefits and I really liked it, but my new favorite is the Lanza Hair Perfume. It seriously smells like heaven. I want to bathe in it.
I use the hair perfume right before I leave the house in the mornings and throughout the day as needed, or after a workout if I'm going somewhere afterwards. You guys need this stuff. You will be obsessed!!
 
Obviously there are a million hair products out there and it's extremely hard to keep up and try them all. These are the products I use on a regular basis, but they are constantly evolving and changing as new products come out. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Everyone's hair is different so I may suggest different products for your hair. And always remember, buy your hair products from a salon or licensed professional, not from diverters or places like Walmart, Target, Walgreens, etc. You never know what you'll get from them.
 
Stay tuned for my favorite beauty/make-up products next! Have a great weekend and thanks for reading. You guys are the best!
 
 

Sunday, November 15, 2015

My New Most Favorite Christmas Ornament!

 
I was shopping in TJMaxx last week and I saw a paw print ornament kit for $4.99 and I thought sure, why not, that would make a great keepsake someday when Samson is no longer with us (I HATE even typing that). It was really simple to make, it doesn't require any cooking or messy plaster. It feels just like foam, you flatten it out and then press the paw down. It requires a few days of drying time before it hardens. I wrote around it with a Sharpie and wrote the year on the back. In case you can't read it, it says, "When I needed a hand, I found your paw."
 
 
It will now be my most prized/sentimental ornament on the tree. Last night when I was writing on it, Aaron said, "I know exactly what's going to happen, you're going to cry every year when you put that on the tree." Yup, he nailed it!
 
If you have a special pup, or animal child you should definitely go to TJMaxx and get one. It would also be a great stocking stuffer for a friend.

Sunday, November 8, 2015

October & November Weekend Fun!

 
The second to last weekend in October we went to Tulsa to watch the Memphis Tigers play Tulsa. We got to spend a few hours catching up with my Cousin Brad which was great. The tigers won and we had a great time!
 Brad's fan club!
 My mom, me and my cousin.
Catching up with Coach C.
 
We spent the rest of the weekend hanging out with Aaron's family. We watched football, played with the pups, took a fall foliage drive around the lake, ate way too much Halloween candy, went hunting and relaxed. I couldn't resist the cuteness of these boys while we were playing, so I grabbed my camera and snatched some pics.
 
 
 
 
 
 
I even went deer hunting with Aaron for the second time. I have never seen a deer while I've been hunting with him and I'm okay with that, because I think I would cry and hate him if I watched him kill a deer, but I enjoy hunting with him. It's great quality time that I get to spend with just him. This hunting trip we actually laughed harder than I've laughed in a long time. We were both crying we were laughing so hard (I won't get into what made us laugh, but it was great).  
 
We also got to hang out with our great family friend's Brian and Bev. They just moved from Houston to Tulsa so we got to see their house in the process of being flipped. Their daughter works for Chip and Joanna Gaines on the show "Fixer Upper" and she is super talented so I know their house is going to be FABULOUS and I can't wait to see the finished product. We are so happy they live closer now. The boys all went hunting on their land and Aaron was in heaven.
 
Halloween weekend I went back to Canton with my mom and some ladies from her Sunday School class and one of their daughters. I had so much fun hanging out with all these ladies. They really are a blast and they have such a great support group that have been friends for years. We spent our weekend enjoying wine and girl talk, shopping, and we even did a Christmas craft.
We all got some great purchases and we filled up three SUV's full. I'd say it was a success.
We made this Santa wreath...so fun!
 
I got a lot of goodies...a few scarves, a bunch of wood to paint, LED light up NOEL sign, Christmas gifts for family, etc.
I found the Build-A-Cross clearance tent and scored all of these wood cut-outs for $26! I'm going to paint them and hang them on the front door.
 
 
 
 
Here are some pics of what I'm going to attempt to do with them, we'll see how it goes.
 
 
 
source: BowsandBellsHangers on Etsy
 
 
 
 

Monday, November 2, 2015

Three New Pinterest Crockpot Recipe Successes!


I'm all about cooking in a crockpot. In fact that's about the only way you can get me to cook a full meal. Lately, I've been trying out some new crockpot recipes and they have all been a great success! These three recipes will be added to our recipe stash to make again and I think you should try them too.

#1. Skinny Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken: recipe link: http://www.skinnymom.com/skinny-slow-cooker-creamy-chicken/

picture source: Skinnymom.com

 
You can serve this meal by itself, with rice, but we opted to try it with some Southwest Pasta Salad that we had on hand...it was really really good with this pasta salad and it added just the right amount of kick!
 
Pretend like I'm a really great food photographer and that I have really cute dishes, lighting, and staging, hah.
 
#2. Slow Cooker  Mexican Chicken Chili with Cornbread Topping: recipe link: https://newleafwellness.biz/2014/08/27/slow-cooker-mexican-chicken-chili-cornbread-topping/
 
picture source: www.newleafwellness.biz
 
Since my last food picture was so beautiful, I decided to spare you a picture of this one because mine did not look near as pretty and I was so hungry at the time, I didn't run and grab my camera to snap a pic. FAIL! But this was a very tasty meal and great for the colder upcoming months.
 
#3. Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken: recipe link: http://damndelicious.net/2013/11/02/slow-cooker-crockpot-honey-sesame-chicken/
 
Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken - Simply throw everything in the crockpot for a quick and easy, no-fuss, family-friendly meal!
picture source: damndelicious.net
 
Now this recipe was by far my favorite of the three. It was so so good! It reminded Aaron of the Bourbon Chicken you get at a Chinese buffet and it reminded me of a Pei Wei dish. It is one of my new favorite recipes. Instead of serving ours over white rice, we served it over Rice a Roni Chicken flavored rice because that's what we had in our pantry. I also used Agave Nectar instead of honey because I already had it on hand.
 
Yet again, it doesn't look like the picture, but that doesn't matter because I devoured it in .2 seconds and it tasted fantastic!
 
Up next on this week's menu: Frito Chili Pie, Slow Cooker Ranch Pork Chops and Potatoes, Slow Cooker Pierogies Kielbasa Casserole, and Italian Meatloaf. I'll make sure and let you know how it tastes!