Keira & Emmy inspired new hairstyle

        
{Keira Knightley}

{Emmy Rossum}

I have been sooo busy lately, and quite honestly I've been neglecting my hair for far too long. So this morning I woke up determined to get my hair cut and styled. This time I wanted to get my hair done in such a way that it embraced my wavy hair. On a completely random note, did I mention that I think Keira Knightley and Emmy Rossum are smashingly brilliantly beautifully fab actresses and I admire their beauty and acting skills extremely much so? Hmmm. I thought not. *insert silly smile*

Okay, so today since I wanted to get my hair done so badly I facebooked about and texted a friend who's hair always looks fab (Brittany L.) and asked her where she got her hair done at. I got my answer of where and who to go to from Brittany, and then I found a phone number, called and made an appointment for 1:15-ish. I was beyond excited that I found someone to cut my hair at the last minute, and on a Saturday too. 

My younger sister Mary went along with me to go get my hair cut....it was a lot of fun gabbing (what with my voice sounding like a dying frog) and listening to Paper Tongues, Thrice and Nic Chagall in the car on the way to go get my new hairstyle as I sipped my Diet Dr. Pepper and sped along the mountain hills with my sissy by my side. 

We got to the salon a little early so the stylist said I could have a seat and browse through some mags while I waited for her to finish up with another client, and so I did. Earlier this week I had researched 'long brunette layers with sidebangs' on Google Images and came up with pics of Keira Knightley and Emmy Rossum {both extremely beautiful and fab actresses by the way!!}So, I was super stoked because the first mag I opened up had that exact pic that I really loved{up above}of Keira Knightley that I saw on Google Images before, and I was itching to show it to the hairstylist to see if she thought that that style would work for me.

 So I showed the pic of Keira to the stylist, and then my hair started to fly. Tonya, the fab hairstylist, did a wonderful job cutting and styling my hair exactly the way I wanted her to! I really enjoyed getting my hair cut by her. I even learned quite a few things from her too, like what products to use on my hair. I really enjoyed talking with her too. I will definitely be going back to her again, that is for sure!


Below is a pic of what my hair looked like this morning and then one of what my hair looked like this afternoon:


After I got my hair cut my sister and I headed over to the Sally's Beauty Supply store to pick up some goods, and then we managed to stumble into the Burke's, and then on into Cato as well where we ran into one of my lovely co-workers, Lindsay L. It was nice getting to see one of my fellow teachers outside of work and just chat it up about work and then anything and everything but work. I found the cutest Spring-y length denim skirt for just $10 at Cato......so in other words I splurged on myself today with a haircut, new hair products and a new denim skirt!

After buying goods at Sally's, perusing through Burke's and then bumping into Lindsay and the denim skirt that was on sale at Cato's Mary and I headed to our (almost final) last stop, Wal-Mart. Mary and I got the few last things we needed from Wally-World and then I stopped for gas on the way Home. 

Of course since my sister and I were feeling girly and extra pretty today we decided to 'make-me-up' in different outfits and jewelry and go outside and do a mini photo shoot of me and my new hairdo. It was a lot of fun, and you all can thank my absolutely positively wonderfully fab little sister Mary for taking the pictures of me that follow..... 




....and you'll have to wait to see the rest of my little photo shoot later on on my photography blog! I know, I know. I'm a complete and utterly horrible tease. I will however post them up on my photography blog soon though, okay? I promise. =)

I hope ya'll had a terrifical and very fab Saturday, and that you will have a super-blessed Sunday!

barberry & lace & inspiration

I have been in the process of ooh-ing and ah-ing over the Barberry & Lace shoppe on Etsy for well over a week now. I need help bloggers! I think I may have a problem with looking at, and with day-dreaming about owning, every piece in this Etsy store. For real. I love how very vintage-esque, antiquated and neo-victorian all of the items of jewelry look in Leigh's shoppe!

Alas, I do not have enough money to even consider buying a bunch of the loveliest and prettiest items of jewelry from Barberry & Lace, but you might say that I've been inspired....to find and make pieces of jewelry that are just as lovely and have a similar vibe to the B&L pieces that I fell in love with in the first place.

Below are the pieces that I am IN LOVE WITH currently from the Barberry & Lace Shoppe on Etsy:



{1
the merlot rose ring

I have a similar ring to this one already, but it is a coral-pinkish color instead, and I 'heart' it!

{2}
the rhinestone crown necklace

It's a Daughter of the King crown!! ;-)

{3}
the pink mallory headband

Okay, so apparently headbands are really "In" right now, and I am just dying to get my hands on one of these baby's!

{4}
the wishing tree necklace

I love the tree, and the pearl ornamentation.
*this is like one i semi-made...you'll see*

{5}
the drink me necklace

Alice In Wonderland is amazing. The books. The Tim Burton movie. Alice In Wonderland is everything Fantasy and Victorian and London and Child-like and I BIG TIME "Heart-it!!"


{6}
the mezzo piano necklace

This is so cool. It is like a piece of jewelry specifically for us pianists out there and it is so darn cute. "Mezzo Piano" means moderately soft  in Italian (which is what most piano terms are written in.)


{7}
the alice pocket watch necklace

Again, Alice In Wonderland inspired ::long sigh::  I must say that this piece (no matter the cost) will indeed be worn around my lovely pale neck some time in the near future. I am dying to get this necklace...and *wink wink* my birthday is May 11th! =)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Like I said earlier in this post I have been drooling and inspired over lovely jewelry things as of late; a lovely beastie on the prowl for new accessories to perk me up a bit if you will. Oh, how I've been perked up my dears! I managed to dream about  Barberry & Lace all day long Saturday and then when my sister and momma and I were perusing through Walmart this past Sunday I found what I had been in want of...

First I found this antique-esque-key-charm-pearl-rose pendant for $3.

Then I found this pendant (very similar to 'the wishing tree necklace' from B&L), also for $3.

I also managed to find this lovely little bird cage/birdie necklace and earrings set for $3. I am really into birds right now...for whatever reason....they are just so cute!

After I found the two pendants and the cutsie-pie bird jewelry set my momma found this necklace and bracelet chain set on sale for $7. I was so excited that momma found these because now I have a sturdy and pretty chain to place my pendants on to make two uber awesome necklaces!

Okay, so is it weird that I am in love with this box that my bracelet and necklace chains came in? Just so ya'll know......I am totally keeping the box!


After a long Sunday afternoon spent browsing around for deals at Walmart (and I mean deals) with my momma and sister....and then after going to see the movie 'The Rite' at the movie theatre with the family we drove back towards Home, but first we stopped in to spend a little time with my grandparents who just so happen to live next door up the hill from my house. After we spent some time with Grandma and Grandpa we decided to head back Home, but before I walked out of the door Grandma asked me to follow her to her bedroom, and then she said she had a little something for me. 

What she had for me was a lovely engraved (the back is engraved with the phrase live in sunshine) rose necklace (pictured above) from Fossil (one of the coolest and my personal fave brand name ever!) Grandma said that she thought the necklace looked like me, and that it was for a belated Valentine's Day gift. Boy was my day made. I had been drooling over necklaces all weekend long and then I was extremely blessed with a deal-full-of-retail-therapy and an extremely lovely and thoughtful gift. (Thanks Momma and Grandma.)

I'd say this weekend was pretty good. I managed to get 4 necklaces and 1 pair of earrings for $16. I had a good time with my family (I'm soooo loved *eep*) and we saw a really thought provoking and heart stirring movie that made for a great family conversation later.

On another note, I think I might just use the word lovely too much. What do you think?

a Horsefeathers Giveaway featuring: Barberry & Lace


Weekly Giveaway @ HorseFeathers


Olivia Collins is having a super cool giveaway at her blog Horsefeathers. I usually don't blog about a blog giveaway unless it is one that sets my heart aflutter, and this one definitely does! If you haven't checked out Leigh's (Horsefeather's Giveaway Sponsor) Etsy shoppe Barberry & Lace before I suggest you do so immediately. Seriously I am in love with EVERY PIECE in this young woman's shoppe. Oh, how I wish I had more money in my name to splurge on the beauties in the B&L shoppe....or that I could win the lottery like right now (I know you said something similar to this Olivia and I feel the same way)!!

So, please head on over to Olivia's blog, and also go and check out the lovely Etsy shoppe of Leigh Ashley!

stripped & broken

{image via: an (in)courage devo e-mail}
As many of you know I've been struggling with the move of my boyfriend Jared and his family over the last few days. Valentine's Day was so undesirably bittersweet. My mid week days this week were filled with the many random shades of blue melancholy-ness. Yesterday was the rough dumps, if you will. And today, well today was simply horrible, until I heard Him speak to me.

I am so getting ahead of myself here, so please excuse me while I back up a moment and tell you just exactly what I posted on my Facebook page before leaving for work today (and before spilling my soul to a dear friend through an e-mail, thanks "L") and then maybe you'll understand where I'm going with this a bit better.

My Facebook post at around 1-pm-ish today said:

"Oh, if I could but find a desolately populated (aka filled with no one) field right about now I would scream aloud unto my heart and lungs content."

Right around the time I had posted that whole screaming in a field post on my Facebook wall I had also just posted a little note on Facebook only moments before. I didn't realize it then, but writing that post on my FB wall after having read the e-devo that I had earlier this afternoon, the one that I had re-posted the little note on, I completely contradicted myself by writing what I did. There is a good thing that came out of writing that particular FB status though...connecting with someone else who is also currently struggling. God works in mysterious way does He not?

Anyway...

 This is the e-devo that I had read from (in)courage...

This fallen world never stops dis-membering who we are. We’re all breaking a bit more everyday, even in small ways. And there, even as we ache, is the gentle whisper of God. With the quiet urging to give thanks anyways, to do this in re-membrance of Him. But why in the world give thanks? Why in the name of heaven?

Because when we remember how He blesses, loves us, when we recollect His goodnesses to us, we heal — we re-member.

In the remembering to give thanks, our broken places are re-membered — made whole.

When we re-member all His blessings, we re-member all our fractures and in giving thanks in the assembly, it’s our very souls that re-assemble.




Even though I am seemingly broken at the moment over certain things (that I have no control over) I know that I can be re-membered by God. The Lord shells out numerous blessings upon us, His children, daily that we can glimpse if we would but open our eyes and will ourselves to see them. We can heal when we allow Him into ourselves. Our quite broken at times selves can be reforged....re-membered....if we allow Him to re-assemble our souls one piece at a time by laying ourselves at His mercy.

God spoke to my heart earlier today and said this (although I did not pay much heed to it at the time, and kind of just brushed it off when it was said to me): "I've stripped people in your life away from you because I want you to lean on me more and not on them, Sarah."

So if you are like me at the moment and you are feeling sort of stripped and broken I want you to know that only the Lord can re-assemble and re-member your soul. He will strip you down because He wants your focus.....and He longs for your heart.

Do you want to know what my updated FB status was this evening? 

It was this: 
"The reason He strips things and people away from you is so that you will have nothing left but to cling to Him."


roses for "Red" & too many goodbyes

{Roses for "Red" from Jared}

 So, I hope all of you lovelies had a wonderful Valentine's Day whether you are fabulously single or lovingly taken. I had a lovely and bittersweet Valentine's Day myself. The lovely part of my V-Day weekend and day was that my love came to visit me...and he brought me RED ROSES!! 

*long sigh as I look over at my beautiful red roses sitting in their lovely glass vase*  

{Thanks again babe, I love my red roses!}

Jared and I had a lovely, extremely relaxed, early V-Day date day out this past Saturday. We went to the used bookstore with a large stack of books in tow to trade in for some book credit, and we ended up getting $22 trade credit for our haul of books that we brought in. So Jared and I spent a while perusing through shelves upon shelves of books and dvds until I managed to find 3 books and 2 dvds ( if you are curious about what books and dvds Jay and I got you'll find out in a future post...okay!!) to get with our trade credit. All in all I ended up only having to shell out $2.16 for all of my haul that we were going to take Home with us! 

After going to the used bookstore Jay and I were both craving some Taco Bell, so that is where we ended up going for our early V-Day 'linner.' Classy, no? It's okay if you don't think so because Jay and I do! =)

{I laid on my chest 'n' tummy in the middle of the road to get this shot of Jared.}

After we got back Home from our V-Day date day out Jay and I decided to take a long 5+ mile walk around where I live at. It's so beautiful near where I live, what with all of the wildlife and mountain views to look at during the walk...so walking with my love is always a pleasure! Jay and I took Lila Canon (my camera) along with us as well so we could take pictures along our long walk. I actually let Jared hold my baby (Lila) for a while and he managed to get some pretty great shots too! 

We stayed outside and walked so long that I managed to get sunburned on my hands, neck and face a bit, due to my meds that I was taking for my case of acute sinusitis. In my defense I didn't know that meds could make you THAT extra photo-sensitive, and I forgot that I wasn't supposed to be out in the sun for a long extended period of time. I was on a mission to go on a lovely long walk with my love....my mind was obviously elsewhere, not on photo-sensitivity. Yeah, I felt pretty dumb, but I did have a blast walking with my handsome man and getting some great photos with him! 

{Pictures from our walk(s) will be up soon on my photography blog.}

{Jay sitting in the woods across from the cemetery....looking at flowers blown from off of the graves.}

On Sunday I decided that I wanted to drive with Jared to his Hometown and spend some more time with him and visit with his family, because even though I was slightly sunburned I felt a lot better (after having had the flu and sinusitis recently) and was rearing and eager to go. Now the bittersweet part of my V-day weekend comes into play because Sunday evening I had to stand beside Jared and his family as they said goodbye to their Church family (where Jay's dad was Pastor at) as the Fisher family prepared for the newest chapter in their lives...moving to another church far away from where they currently live.

{Me & Jay at Church saying our see you laters}


We said so many goodbyes Sunday evening, Jared and I. I tried so desperately not to cry while at the church. I never thought that it would have been so hard to say goodbye to all of those loving faces before us, but it was. My heart was fumbling around for wondering how to feel about it all, but I never really did understand how I felt until later on this week.

Many old wrinkled, beautiful hands, clasped my younger hands and told me that Jared and I were a lovely couple, and that their best wishes were ours. Little old ladies and men hugged me over and over again and marveled at how "pretty" I was and how "lucky" Jay was. It was hard to say goodbye over and over again, but it was easy to stand by my love's side and support him and his family. I love Jared whether he is here, or there or anywhere...as long as his heart is always close to mine. It will be hard knowing that he isn't just an hour and a half away any more (for the time being) but I know that I'll still have his love.....it's not Iceland.

{Renato & Sophia}


 On a positive note my friend Jennifer noticed that I had my camera with me and asked me if I'd take pictures of her husband Renato and their little baby girl, Sophia. I was obliged to do so for Jennifer....and that evening I had my first real photo shoot! Sophia is a living precious doll and I had the absolute best time ever taking photos of her and the rest of the family. =)

{Jennifer, Sophia & Renato}


The rest of the evening at church I played photographer, and I had the most wonderful time doing so. I got a lot of great shots of the church staff and their families together, as well as a few other completely silly and random moments too. I got to show my mad photography skills, and I think everyone enjoyed humoring Miss Blooming Photographer too!

It was awesome to spend time with mine and Jay's best mutual friend 'Saint Pat' too while at church. It was like old times back at camp where we all met for the first time (Patrick has a lot to do with how Jared and I came to be "Jared and Me.") We laughed a lot. We took tons of photos. And there was cake. It was indeed a bittersweet evening for moi...so full of life, memories and goodbyes to prick my heart with a menagerie of emotions.

 {Jared's parents: Pastor Robin & Tricia}


{The EHBC Cool Peep Crew}

{Jared, Me & our awesome friend Patrick}

During the evening people kept on coming up to Jared and I at church and saying how cute of a couple we were, how handsome my man was (him and his curly hair) and to let them know how things work out *wink wink* between us. Earlier in the evening Mrs. McCain came up to Jay and I and told us about how her husband had once been in the Navy and had been stationed in Iceland for a whole year and how they had recorded tapes (talking to one another) and sent them back and forth to each another. Mrs. McCain said that Jay and I will make it, because her and her husband did.

I told Jared when we got home that night from church, "It's not Iceland, love." And thank the Lord that Jared is not moving to Iceland because I know that being away from him for a long length of time would literally break my heart into a thousand pieces.

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It was hard packing boxes at Jay's house on Valentine's Day....really hard. I had to leave on V-Day though to go back to work, so Jared and I headed out to Wendy's for lunch before I hit the road. Wendy's was the first place we ate together and it was the last in this chapter of our lives together. This is so hard for me...because Jared will be moving (5 hours) away from me for a while (until he moves to Asheville this autumn we hope and pray), and I had to say see you later on Valentine's Day and then drive an hour and a half heading to work.

I'll be honest......I totally cried my eyes out in the Wendy's parking lot as Jared held me and said that he wouldn't be away from me for forever and that he would come and visit me as much as possible. I am just no good at the change game, really I'm not. Saying goodbye hurt so much. I just pray that Jared and I can weather through this time in our lives as we have weathered through many times and trials together over the last year and three months that we've been courting. I just pray my heart stops breaking at some point.....and that Jared's dreams become forged and alive....and that I continue to find my way in life.

happy saint love day to you!

but Jesus hearts His a lot more.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As Christians who love Jesus, should Valentine’s Day be different than any other day? Each year, God gives us 525,600 minutes to love Him and His people. We should strive to SHOW LOVE all 525,600 minutes of the year instead of only on one day of the year don't you think?

God is love. So why don't we show God to the world this Valentine's Day?

citation l'amour & etc.

{all images via: weheartit.com}

"Tis the hawk that was destined to catch the fish." 
-J.T. Fisher

"You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams."
-Dr. Seuss

"God closes windows to open doors that no man can shut."
-Brooke Keith

"Nothing is impossible. The word itself says, 'I'm possible.'"
-Audrey Hepburn

"I love you, not because you are perfect, but because you are so perfect for me."
-Unknown

"It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are." 
-E.E. Cummings

"Never grow a wishbone, daughter, where your backbone ought to be."
-Unknown

"A woman should be so lost in God that a man needs to seek Him in order to find her."
-Unknown

"Excuses are merely the justification's of one's failures and irresponsibility" 
-Patrick Binam

"Sometimes you don't see that you're a lion that is merely cornered by sheep." 
-J.T. Fisher

"When do boyfriends become man-friends? They don't because when they do finally become man-friends that's when they become husbands."
-momma
"Counting the stars is not impossible...it's just that people have a lack of attention span."
-Unknown

"Truth is a purging tool...a way to become reforged."
-J.T. Fisher

 "Love can turn a man into a beast. But love can also make an ugly man handsome."
-The Beast from La belle et le bette

nick jonas. because he is adorable. because he is holding roses ::sigh::

*watch this and melt m'dears*

My V-Day Movie Picks







 





Okay, so I may not be the biggest romance movie lover ever, but I do have my rare few go to romantic movies that I like to watch. As you can see I like a good mix, even within the realms of romantic films. Romantic-action, period piece dramas, romantic comedies, musicals, tear jerkers and teeny bopper romance films are among some of my fave romance movies. So what movies will you be watching this Valentine's Day?