can i keep it?

brian and jaime (my bro and sister-n-law) moved out of their first home

to build their next [bigger] home to help accommodate their growing family. 

this will also put them about 10 minutes away from me 

and sets me up with a prime location for babysitting.

hello, miss madeline [and future baby].

speaking of prime location...

our basement is currently storing a few of their boxes

and small pieces of furniture while they wait for their house.

we put most of it in our workshop or basement bedroom.

tonight, we finally unloaded the last truckload.
[thank you, turnbow. my arms didn't have the strength]

and now i want to keep a few items.

they just look so nice.  so perfect. so out of our budget.

(white pedestal table - crate and barrel)

(tv and tv stand)

i have also informed ronnie that these are now items
 on our "things to save for" list.

dig through it

i went to warrensburg's other gem on pine street:

those were the days.

a three story flea market.

i went for one specific thing.

old window panes.

so i could do this on my basement wall:

but dang it, they had no window panes.

blah.

so instead, i brought home these candelabras ($30) for my mantle.

[haven't bought the candles yet]



this little guy ($5), which i plan on spray painting.

and my favorite,

this rustic toolbox ($15)

[for a grand total of $50]

i decided it would be an amazing centerpiece for my dining room table.

the plan:

fill it with springtime flowers.

i can't wait.

here are some examples i found online.

pretty, right?

i think it will be gorgeous.

out and about

over the last month ronnie and i made it out with a few friends and i never shared.

first, to the the marina grog and galley on lake lotawana

for a celebratory dinner for lindsay and her new job.

we loved the marina and plan to go back this summer

so we can sit outside and enjoy the lake.

and then the next weekend we made it downtown lee's summit

for a few beers with kassie and chris.

where ronnie tried on chris's glasses

yay for double date nights.

a great big hug and a kiss from me to you

my barney is getting married.

my fellow delta z - my old roomie - my "we only smoke when we drink" partner

and one of my favorite people.

so of course, i couldn't miss the big celebration before the celebration.

the bachelorette party.

at a piano bar

where we could embarrass her

and make her take shots

lots of shots

and then i don't remember much, until i called ronnie to come pick me up 30 minutes away. and then i called him 5 minutes later to see if he was there yet.  what can i say, it was a long wait.

but well worth it.

congrats, barney!  love you long time.

what i wore you ask?

i borrowed a dress from linds.

and right now, i love to pair neutral colors together.

especially brown and black.

and while if i were to see a guy wearing a black suit with brown shoes i would still shake my head, there are ways to make it work. and look cute.

black and white striped dress - modcloth.

double brown belt - modcloth

black tights/brown socks - target

brown boots - payless

in the last 10 years

i am in charge of organizing my high school's 10 year reunion.

2002, baby. go tigers.

i was excited to do it and had a good idea of where i wanted to have it.

but the more i get into it,

the bigger pain it becomes.

i had to put down a deposit at the winery,

i have a meeting to pick out the food with the caterer,

i sent out a facebook invite to my classmates,

i contacted to school board to let them know we would be donating extra funds to the foundation,

and i contacted the high school to get an updated list of addresses.

i still have to order invites that includes a registration form and get them sent out.

i have to figure out if i need to open a new account at the bank for the money.

i need to go to the high school to borrow memorabilia to display.

i need to inquire about having a dj.

i have to figure out who will work the registration table.

and i need a crew for set up and tear down.

blah.

it's like planning another wedding.

i'm over this.

swirl and curl

curling my hair was quite the process,

and so i never did it.

until last week, when the hair dresser showed me a quick easy way.

before, i was scrunching my hair with gel, mousse, and hair spray.

so it looked like this:

 

then i would take each piece wrap it around the curling iron, instead of rolling it up the barrel.

this is the only picture i could find, that shows what i used to do.

this gives it more of a wavy look (this is the process you would do if you have a wand.)

i think part of my problem was that i hadn't bought a new curling iron since high school when i was still turning under my hair with a 2'' barrel.

so the curl was too big and curling iron didn't get as hot as i needed.

so i went to beauty brands and bought a new one. 

i didn't buy a wand because when the hair dresser did my hair, she didn't use one.

she said that i could and it would still work, but the curling iron would be easier.

plus i can still use this as a wand like the girl in the picture above does.

when curling your hair that way, you are going to get an 'S' curve to your hair.

also known as the mermaid wave.

so basically, this is the other way she explained how i could curl my hair:

the messy curl.

1. blow dry your hair.

2. always curl away from your face.

3. do not curl the ends. (leave 2 inches out)

4. do vertical barrel curls

5. have a variety of big and small pieces.

this might be the most important

6. do not touch the curls or your hair.

i normally get to this part and then move on to my make-up.

you have to wait until your hair is cold and the heat from the iron has all left.

the you can run your finger through it and give it a messier look.

i also tease my roots to give it more volume on the top.

(so this is where i should insert my finished picture, but this is where i realized that i was supposed to leave the house 4 minutes ago and i was rushed.)

 but i swear, this is what i looked like:

and this is a photo from that night.

not great quality, but you get the point.

so there it is.

my new fast way to curl.

enjoy.

moves like jagger

here is a fun film

to kick the weekend off:

he stopped when he realized i was there,

now that he knows i love sharing them on my blog.

but i still love that he's dancing for our babies.