Huntington Beach, or Vacation Part 2

The next day, we slept in, relaxed a bit at the hotel, got some food, and then drove the short distance to Huntington Beach!

The water was a bit chilly, but the girls and I didn't care! We love the beach!

We played in the waves, collected shells, watched surfers, and ate at Ruby's on the pier, and I was in heaven! I wish we had spent a week at Huntington, instead of just a day.

Disneyland, or Vacation Part 1

The last few weeks have been whirlwind of adventure for us! Wanna hear about it? 

I knew you would!

About 2 weeks ago, Brandon's awesome parents came into town to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with us. One morning, we woke up 4 am and packed up the car. We had been planning quite the surprise for Portia and Margot!

After the initial shock wore off, they were thrilled!

We spent most of the day riding every ride the girls set their little hearts on!

Margot says her favorite ride was Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, and Portia's was It's a Small World After All.

We even got to meet princesses!

As you can imagine, Portia and Margot were ecstatic! 

We stayed in the park until the girls literally passed out with exhaustion, then headed back to the hotel, ate some dinner, and fell into bed ourselves. We had even more fun planned for the next day!

Halloween, a week late.

I know, I know, Halloween has come and gone. But we've had a busy week, so here are the costume pictures now.

My girls were so excited for Halloween, it was almost comical. Every morning, Portia would wake up and the first words out of her mouth would be "MOM. How many days until trick-or-treat?!?"

The day finally arrived, and the girls took great care in every aspect of their costumes, down to their fingernail colors. They were thrilled!

I present to you, Elsa and Rapunzel!

5 Myths about hairstylists

Being a hairstylist is really fun. I get to meet and make friends with all sorts of people, stay on the cusp of fashion trends, and make people feel beautiful!

But over the last 6 years of doing hair, I've realized that there are several common misconceptions about the beauty industry, and those of us working in it.
Let's put those to rest, shall we?

Myth #1; My stylist is only trying to sell me product to make money.
Here's the deal. My main goal, as a stylist, is for you to leave my chair with gorgeous, healthy hair. Essentially, all I'm trying to do is make you happy. And product is a huge part of that.
We use product to strengthen your hair, enhance your style, and help you recreate the look at home. Yes, when we sell product, we typically make a little bit of money. But stylists usually only recommend product because your hair really needs it.
I would rather give products away for free and have my clients walk out the door with beautiful hair, than sell buckets of product to someone who doesn't need it.

Myth #2: I could do what my stylist does.

I've had clients sit in my chair and make comments that they could do my job for me.
On average, hairstylists spend thousands of dollars, and years on their education. We learn cutting, coloring, and styling techniques, client consultation services, and how to use our dangerous and complicated tools. We even go to business and tax classes. We also spend a lot of time and money on continuing education classes, sometimes as often as once a month. Part of the joy of working in the beauty industry is that it is always changing; styles come and go, and trends are continuously morphing. Which means that we are always re-learning our trade. We love what we do, and we want to be the best at it!
Please don't think that we just pick up a pair of scissors and become a pro; just like any career, we've have a lot of training to do what we do.

Yours truly, circa 2010

Myth #3: My stylist cut too much off cause she's mean, untalented, or simply didn't listen.

We've all had it happen. We go to the salon and the stylist goes on a cutting spree. She's horrible, right? Well, maybe not.
I can't tell you how many times a client has sat in my chair and said, "I just want the dead ends cut off." To me, that may mean 4 inches. To the client, that's only 1/2 inch. Communication is key! Chances are, if your stylist does something you don't like, they thought they were doing what you wanted. Tell your stylist exactly what you want, bring pictures, be clear. And if your cut is over, and you aren't happy, say so! We will either fix it ourselves, or help you find someone else who can. We want you to leave happy!

Myth #4: I can go get a consultation at a salon and then buy the service/product at drugstore.

I could go on an on with this one, folks. I know that you can go to Target and find Redken products for cheap, but chances are that those products are absolutely not legit. The products that we sell in salons are not guaranteed when not sold by a licensed professional,  as seen on my shampoo:

"Exclusive salon distribution"
If you find these products outside of a salon, you have found a counterfeit. In the beauty industry, this is called Diversion. These products are often expired or discontinued. I'll never remember the day in hair school, when one of our instructors brought a pile of products she had bought at local drugstores. One of the bottles was filled with dish soap. Gross.
The real kicker is that you probably aren't even getting a deal. At several salons I've worked at, we purposefully priced our products a few cents cheaper than Walmart and Target.
Buy your products from your stylist. Not only are you guaranteed to get the real deal, you are also getting a consultation that is customized just for your individual hair.
This blog post explains Diversion really well:
http://www.xojane.com/beauty/why-you-should-avoid-salon-products-at-the-drugstore

Myth #5: I know my stylist from school/church/PTA, so she won't mind giving me a discount.
While most stylists run specials from time to time, it is totally not ok to expect free or discounted service simply because you know each other outside of the salon!
Doing hair pays my bills. It is my career, and I need to be paid just like you and everyone else on this planet.
I know that some salon services are expensive, and who doesn't love saving a buck, but stylists work very hard and deserve to be paid accordingly. If a service costs more than your budget allows, let your stylist know. "I can't afford that right now," is something we've all heard, and understand. Call the salon first and ask for an estimate price. Be flexible and communicate, and your stylist will try to do the same.

Hairstylists want you to leave happy, so if there is anything we love, it's communication! Tell your stylist what you expect, what you hope your hair to look like, your budget, and voice any questions or concerns. Your hair will thank you!

It's all just a bunch of Hocus Pocus!

It's no secret that I love Halloween; it's one if my favorite holidays! I love candy, dressing up in ridiculous costumes, and everything macabre! 

One of my favorite things to do around this time of year is to snuggle up on the couch and watch creepy movies.  While these movies are not necessarily halloween-themed, they'll definitely get you in the spooky mood.

1. The Nightmare Before Christmas

Is it Christmas? Is is Halloween? I don't know, but it's certainly creepy! My kids are simultaneously terrified of and in love with this movie. 

2. The Dark Crystal

It's Jim Henson at his finest, folks. Large, intricate puppets, fantastical storyline, and some of the straight-up scariest dudes ever, the Skeksis. The disrobing of Camberlain seriously affected me as a kid.

3.  Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

This is probably the most Halloween-y of the Harry Potter films. The Hogwarts choir singing a Macbeth inspired song gets me every time! Awesome!

4. Labrynth

David Bowie has never been dreamier, in my opinion. 

5. Hocus Pocus

What Halloween movie list would be complete without Hocus Pocus? This is obviously the best of the bunch, with star actors, hilarious one-liners, and the creepiest zombie ever. Seriously, Billy Butcherson gave me nightmares for at least 3 years. 

My dear, you have the Grim!

Halloween is coming up, and so naturally, I've been watching and reading  Harry Potter a lot recently. Actually, I always have Harry Potter on the brain, but it's nice to have a somewhat justifiable reason around this time of year.

Anyway, one of my favorite characters in the third book, Prisoner of Azkaban, is Professor Trelawney. She's kooky and eccentric, and completely devoted to her sometimes legitimate seer abilities.

I have always wanted a Grim mug, but they are not found in stores, and cost upwards of $25 online. So I decided to try my hand at being crafty!

So, without further ado, here's my DIY Grim Mug!

First, you need your supplies. You'll need:
a mug (any kind will work, but a wider base is better)
a paintbrush
a plastic plate
black ceramic/enamel paint
rubbing alchohol

Make sure your paint is designed for glassware, and dishwasher safe is a plus.
You're going to wash your mug with the rubbing alchohol, and put a small amount of paint on the plate.
Now I looked up several pictures of the Grim design online, and practiced a few times on paper to make sure I got it how I wanted it, but if you're confident in your artistic abilities, free-hand away!
First, I drew the Grim, aka, a big black dog.

I found that the actual bristles of the paintbrush were much too big, so I dipped the handle of the brush in the paint and used that.

Next, I added the rest of the "tea dregs."

Once I  was happy with the design, I let the paint dry for at least an hour.

Now, for this next part, you'll need to follow the instructions on your paint bottle, as they may be different from mine.
To cure the paint, I put the mug in a cold oven, and turned the heat on to 350 degrees. After the oven had reached 350, I baked it for 30 minutes, and then turned the oven off and let the mug cool inside the oven all night long.

And there you have it!

And if you aren't into Harry Potter, paint whatever the heck you want! Just remember that, though the paint says dishwasher safe, hand washing will ensure that your design stays longer without chipping.

Get to painting! And you should probably watch Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban while you do it; Emma Thompson is genius!

I freaked out last week.

I'll tell you why. 

You may remember the story I've told about my Carrie-sister and I as little girls, terrifying the neighbor kids with our macabre-filled imaginations, also known as: The Story of Wang and Chang. If you need reminding, go read it here. 

Don't worry. I'll wait.

All caught up? Good.

Now, last week, Brandon and I were watching a documentary on netflix about autopsies, and the story of a famed set of conjoined twins was shown.

Let me introduce you to Eng and Chang Bunker, who rose to fame in the mid 1800s, and actually coined the term "Siamese twins." They were joined together by a band of cartilage on their chests, and lived to the age of 63.

Here's where the story gets freaky, to me anyway. 

One morning, Eng woke to find that his brother, and other half, had passed away during the night. He followed soon after. Upon autopsy, it was found that while Chang had died of a blood clot, Eng had died of shock. He was literally frightened to death. 

When Eng woke, the shock and fear of seeing his brother dead next to him, killed him as well.

http://blueridgecountry.com/archive/favorites/a-hyphenated-life/

Guys, I had never heard this story before until last week. And yet, Carrie and I told it to our neighbors 20 years ago.  

Has your brain exploded yet? Cause mine sure did.

After watching the documentary, I immediately called Carrie, and she confirmed my feeling that she too thought we had made it up. I have distinct memories of coloring the walls of our clubhouse while imagining up this strange and morbid tale.

There are only two ways to explain this. 

1. Carrie and I must have heard the story on TV as kids and just don't remember. Although, if this were the case, wouldn't it be safe to assume that the rest of my family, our parents and older sisters, would have also heard of the story? None of them remember hearing any other version than the one we told in the backyard. 

Which leads me to explanation two:

2. Carrie and I are psychics and/or were visited by the ghosts of Eng and Chang Bunker. 

On another note, Halloween is coming up. I think I'll dress as myself at 7 years old. It's sure to scare the pants off of everyone.

Things I never thought I'd say till I became a mom.

"Please don't put your pancake down my shirt!"

Pumpkin Pasties

Happy October 1st! Let autumn commence!

To me, it doesn't feel like fall until October.  So in celebration of the beginning of fall, I whipped up some Harry Potter- inspired Pumpkin Pasties today!

"Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in he corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, 'Anything off the cart, dears?'

...He had never had any money for candy with the Dursleys, and now that he had pockets rattling with gold and silver he was ready to buy as many Mars Bars as he could carry -- but the woman didn't have Mars Bars. What she did have were Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands, and a number of other strange things Harry had never seen in his life. Not wanting to miss anything, he got some of everything and paid the woman eleven silver Sickles and seven bronze Knuts.

...'Go on, have a pasty,' said Harry, who had never had anything to share before or, indeed, anyone to share it with. It was a nice feeling, sitting there with Ron, eating their way through all Harry's pasties, cakes, and candies."

-Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Chapter 6

I've always imagines that Pumpkin Pasties were basically miniature pumpkin pies, and when I searched Pinterest for a recipe, I was right! I found a ton of recipes, but they all seemed to be pretty similar. In the end I chose this one.  Go check it out for pretty much every Harry Potter recipe you can imagine!

To make Pumpkin Pasties, you need all the ingredients you would need for pumpkin pie. Make some basic pumpkin pie filling. You know- pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, all that jazz!

Next, cut some small circles out of a pie crust. I used a store-bought crust that you can roll out, because I'm lazy like that. If you want to make a homemade crust, go for it!

 Spoon a small amount of your pumpkin mixture into each crust circle.

Fold each circle in half, and seal it all together using a fork. Voila! Pasties!

 Brush each Pasty with melted butter and sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on top, then bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 11-12 minutes.

I drizzled some condensed milk over the top of mine, because yum, but you can used whipped cream, or just eat them by themselves! 

Margot approves!

My only complaint was that I felt like they should be sweeter, so I think I'll add a bit more sugar to the filling next time. Or maybe some bits of toffee, or even chocolate chips!

Ok, I'm getting ahead of myself. Calm down, sugar brains.

I thing I'll try Pumpkin Juice next.

Margot is 3!

Last week, we celebrated Margot's third birthday! She was so excited!

Happy birthday baby girl!

Color me crafty!

Once upon a time, Brandon and I drove to Virginia for a med school interview. While there, I found myself strolling through the mall to kill time, and a miracle occurred. I found the most comfortable, best fitting pants of my life. They were on sale for $2; I nearly passed out. Obviously, I bought them.

After bring these beautiful pants into my life, I thought I would wear them every day. But, I soon realized that wouldn't be happening. You see, these pants were white. Very, very white.

 

It seemed that every time I wore them, I would spill ketchup, or sit in mud, or my kiddos would smear some unknown substance down the leg. I would stare at these pants in my closet with equal parts longing, and fear.

Until I was watching Project Runway one night, and got the idea to dye them! 

 I got Tulip brand fabric dye, because that's what the Walmart near me carries, for about $2 each.

I was going for a plum/wine color, so I got one red and one purple, and followed the instructions on the package, mixing about 3/4 purple to 1/4 red.

Thank goodness for stainless steel sinks!

And the finished result! Now, I live in these pants!

The color is very even, and vibrant even after washing the pants a few times! 

I love happy endings.

Yum!

Just a few of the things I've been eating lately.

Pioneer Woman's roast chicken

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2012/08/roast-chicken/

Yum to the billionth degree. There should never be any other roast chicken recipe but this one. 

Onion Straws

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/03/onion-strings-oh-yeah-baby/

I made these to go alongside some meatloaf and potatoes, but ate the entire batch before it ever got to dinner time. Literally, I ate an entire onion. Dip them in dome ranch or honey mustard, delicious!

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Rollups

http://rindymae.blogspot.com/2013/04/cinnamon-cream-cheese-roll-ups.html

These are just as yummy hot out of the oven, or chilled the next morning!

Gooey Caramel Popcorn

http://m.prettyprovidence.com/xamrq1s/articles/56247/Aunt-Val-s-Caramel

Portia and Margot have been begging me to make this popcorn every day. I used lightly salted, but otherwise plain, popcorn.

Passion for Fashion Friday

Check out my new sequined shirt! 

I got this shirt from a website called Twice, that buys and sells high-end used clothes at some serious discounts. And when you make an account with them, and download their free app, they give to $20 to spend with them. Free. Seriously, check out my free blazer.

To sign up with Twice, click here: https://liketwice.com/CC9qq