Going short and red.

Yesterday was a big day for me.

 

I have wanted to change my hair for awhile. It all started when I saw this picture in a magazine. As soon as I saw it, I wanted to be a red head.

 

Then I was looking through some red hair pictures, and found this picture, and immediately wanted to cut my hair short.

I took both of these pictures to the hair salon.

Here's the thing. I haven't had my hair cut here in Sri Lanka as I have heard it is pretty hit or miss. I thought that is I took pictures with me, and went to someone a friend recommended, I would have a pretty good chance of success.

 

I started out like this:

 

And ended up like this.

When I left the salon, I looked like a bowl had been placed only head, and my hair was cut around it. I have really thick hair, and I don't think there are enough layers. We shall see when I have to wash and style it myself.

It isn't exactly what I was looking for, but I mostly like it. I have to figure out how to style it. Any ideas? Product recommendations?

 

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I chopped off my hair.

Shirt: Loft

Skirt: JCPenny

Necklace: Anthropologie

Belt: Thrifted

Shoes: Seychelles Brand

Watch: Fossil

As you can see, my hair has been cut.  Quite significantly, actually. I also dyed it. In these pictures it looks really dark, however, it is actually a red color. I will have to get some pictures in good light to show the color. Right now, the color is definitely my favorite part. I am still adjusting to the cut, but part of that is trying to figure out how I am going to style it. I am going to go to google and youtube and see what I can find. Do you have any suggestions? Advice? 

AND now that I have a new cut and color, I may have to adjust what I wear, and the make-up I put on.  It is another time of transition, so there may be an awkward moment or several. The good thing is if I can't figure it out, hair grows, and soon enough my hair will be long enough that it will just do it's own thing. 

Bits and Pieces.

Shirt: Neiman Marcus

Skirt and Shoes: JCrew

Necklace: Nordstrom

Bracelets: Target 

"Comparison is the thief of joy." Theodore Roosevelt (according to the internet)

I do a lot of comparing. Comparing myself to others and comparing my current self to my prior self, and just comparing to compare. I think about the bits of myself I want to change. Pieces of myself I wish were better, but you know what I have discovered? When I compare others strengths to my weaknesses, or things I have no control over, it makes me sad and frustrated. 

I am who I am, and no one else. 

You are who you are, and no one else.

I think it's for the best. 

Let's be ourselves.

We'll be happier this way.

What to wear when cleaning the walls and trash cans.

The bucket and mop were added for dramatic effect. I did not mop today.

Shirt: Gap

Skirt: Nordstrom

Shoes: Havaianas from Amazon

Mop and Bucket: Local

For the sake of this blog post, I am certain of three things. The first, that there is an outfit appropriate for every occasion. The second is there is music appropriate for every occasion. The third is I don't like cleaning very much. But since this blog fits more along the lines of appropriate outfits, that is what I will discuss today.

Today I spent the day cleaning. Well, maybe not the entire day, but a big part of the day. Mostly washing walls, cleaning out garbage cans, and laundry. On days like today I want to wear something I don't mind getting dirty, and something that I can sit on the ground comfortably. 

There you have it, my cleaning walls outfit.

*Note to self* It is best to take pictures BEFORE day of cleaning...just saying. Also, you need a pedicure.

My buddy.

Dress: Kohls

Undershirt: Shade

Belt: Cut off of a shirt from Anthropologie

Necklace: Target

Bracelets: Stella and Dot

Shoes: JCrew

Thomas is my little buddy.  He is my boy that doesn't like me to leave him, and loves to cuddle. Just this morning before I took him to preschool, he sat on my lap and gave me the biggest hug, and then he stayed that way for a few minutes. He is also the one that likes to lift my skirts/dresses and hide in them. It is rather awkward sometimes, but usually, it just makes me laugh. In these pictures, he was ready for his snack, and was trying to make me hurry.  

If you will also notice his outfit- he usually picks his own clothes, and doesn't always choose what I would. I don't mind, I think it is awesome that he picks his own clothes, you know, one less thing for me to do. Also, right now, we are in the final stages of potty training, and dressing in clothes that are easy to take on/off and wash is pretty important.

Going to Church.

Dress: Banana Republic (Old)

Shirt and Shoes: JCrew

Belt: Ann Taylor

Necklace: On the Street of NYC

Earrings: Crystalb

I have this theory:

You can find treasures anywhere.

 I found this little necklace in a luggage shop in NYC for about $5.00. It is easy to find treasures in the expected places, but finding one in an unexpected way/place, is an extraordinary experience. 

Sometimes I go into stores that I don't normally shop in- you know the "old lady" stores, the stores that don't "fit in" to my style, and stores that don't seem to have anything I would like. Many times, these stores have surprised me, and I have found some of my all time favorite items. I must say, there are times I walk in and don't find anything, however, you never know until you try. 

Spectacular date night.

Our Valentine's date.

Since Ben had to take out some people from work on Valentines day, we went out Friday, instead.

 

Most of the restaurants in Colombo do not open until 7:00 for dinner, so we went out for some pre-dinner drinks. They had a pretty decent mocktail menu, which made it even more fun. It was a great restaurant/bar - outside seating, overlooking a lake.

After drinks, we had a fabulous dinner- they even had cakes with hearts in them. (I'm sure they were left over from the night before, but still fun.)

It was a great night.

 

The view for our pre-dinner drinks.

 

My favorite part of my outfit, bracelets from Stella and Dot. So lovely.

 

 

Once again, Happy Valentine's Day!

 

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Happy Valentine's Day.

Kisses!

White Undershirt: Shade

Tank: Old Navy

Jacket: H&M

Skirt: JCrew

Arrow Bangle: Stella & Dot

Brooch: Etsy

Shoes: Seyshelles

Happy Valentine's Day. 

Obviously this Valentine's Day I went with pink. I love pink, and I was so excited to pull out my favorite sparkly tank top, and pretty pink bow shoes. You can never have too much pink, right?

 Not on Valentine's Day.

Today was a pretty low key day in our house. My husband had to take some people to dinner for work, so I took the boys to McDonald's. They were so excited, and when I told them they were my Valentine's dates, they were thrilled, which of course made my day.

Ben and I will go out to dinner tomorrow night, so that will be nice- and less crowded. 

When Ben and I were first married, I saw an advertisement that said, "nothing says 'I Love You' like a heart shaped pizza".  Even though we never got that pizza, (I'm not sure we could afford the extra cost of having it shaped into a heart) every Valentine's Day, I tell him that I love him like a heart shaped pizza.  You know, it's the little things that keep the spark alive. 

Blue Pants and an Elephant Necklace.

Shirt: Loft

Undershirt: Shade

Pants: Gap

Shoes: Born

Necklace: JCrew

Bracelets: Stella and Dot and Groopdealz.com

There was a slight chill in the air today, so I took advantage by wearing pants.  These pants are loose and lightweight, which make them perfect for a chill-in-the-air kind of day. I also am talking on the phone again. I don't always have a lot of time to take pictures, so I multi-task as needed.

Can we talk about shoes for a minute? I wear flat shoes a lot. As in everyday. I love heals, but I wear them here only for special occasions. 

There are a few reasons.

1. The roads and the sidewalks are less than ideal for wearing heals. 

 (Uneven and nonexistent in places)

2.  We don't have a car here. I take tuktuks and taxis everywhere, and when those don't work out, I walk. I usually have transportation, however, I will play a game where I will only take a tuktuk when they pull over and offer. Sometimes that means that I walk a LONG time, other times, it is just a few steps. Therefore, I wear shoes that I can walk comfortably in. 

The Emerald Isle.

My Jacket TOTALLY matched our rental car. It was definitely meant to be. 

The girls. 

Thank you to the wonderful Mormon missionaries that we ran into, that took our picture!

Have you been to Ireland?  Oh my gosh.  It is probably one of the greenest places I have ever been.  The entire country is enchanting. I absolutely loved it. We kissed the Blarney Stone, saw some castles, and enjoyed some Irish hospitality.  Are the Irish known for their hospitality?  Well, they should be. 

Some things I loved about Ireland: 

1. I am quite a pale girl, but so are most of the Irish. 

2. There are castles EVERYWHERE.  Look to the right, Castle. Look to the left, Castle.  It was awesome.

3. The food was perfect for a cold winters day.  Irish stew, yummy soups, and potatoes and gravy were abound.  My goodness, it was good eating.  

4. After almost hitting a bus, I figured out driving on the left with a stick shift.  Bucket list item, checked off.

And since this blog is a little more about clothes than it is about travel, I would like to mention a few things about traveling in the winter.  I love this coat that I am wearing.  As soon as I found out I was going on this trip, I bought myself a good winter coat.  This one is perfect for traveling because it can squish into almost any bag and still keeps me warm. We traveled on a "discount airline" which meant that we only had one bag free.  One bag, as in purse is included in the one bag, so we had to be very mindful of what we packed. Again, this coat is perfect for a situation like that. 

Also, rain boots are good for Ireland.  It rains a lot and can be quite muddy, so rain boots are a perfect way to avoid ruining any fancy shoes. Plus there are so many fun rain boots out there, it is a fun excuse to wear them.

Paris. The Magical City.

This photo thanks to my friend Kelly.

Every. Single. Time. I see the Eiffel Tower in person, it takes my breath away. It is majestic and magical and absolutely fabulous. Especially at night.

 Paris has become one of my very favorite cities to visit. Each time I go, it gets a little better and better, and I find something new to love.  

This trip was certainly no exception. This trip was a girls trip, and two of my best girls and I played for a week in the city of lights. It was a wonderful week, and a perfect break from real life. I can't wait to go back, and I can't wait to hang out with the girls again. There is something refreshing about hanging out with people that you can be yourself with- without holding back.

Oh, one more thing, I had more pictures of this trip, but unfortunately, I lost my Ipod touch...so sad.  If you want to see more, check out my Instagram. 

P.S. If you don't recognize him from his recent stint at running for President, the bottom picture is Newt Gingrich, and his lovely wife, Callista. Oh, and my girls, Kelly and Dasha.