Hair Challenge: What I Have Learned

January 30, 2013
I am amazed by my hair since I started the hair challenge. I thought it would be difficult to live without hair spray, heat and teasing, but here we are at the end of January and I feel pretty good about what the hair challenge has made me realise about my hair.


January 12: Up-do for LUGO

I did my hair in an up-do once, and there were a couple of times when I wore a pony tail. I thought my hair would be a lot more wild than it turned out to be. Before I started this challenge, what worried me the most was the fact that I needed hair spray to tame my hair, or so I thought. I used it to create volume, and I used it to keep my waves from going wild. Now, a month away from the last time I used hair spray, I realise that the hairspray was the problem. Once the residue was all washed away from my hair, I noticed that I have just as much volume, and my waves stay intact. In fact, my waves are even better.


January 26: Hair in a ponytail because it was a bit wonky

I like how I was forced to come up with a different way of fixing a problem with my hair if there was a wave that decided to go astray, or if I was going out and needed an up-do and couldn't curl or straighten. I like how if I couldn't do anything about my hair that day, I was forced to show some confidence in the hopes that people wouldn't notice that my bangs were curling out just a bit.

Looking at these two photos that are exactly two weeks apart, I am really amazed at how much my hair has grown. I'm amazed at how much I have grown.



Have you ever considered doing a hair challenge?




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A Little Bit Foxy

January 28, 2013


I fell in love with Cathy Terepocki's work a soon as I lay my eyes on it at a local shop. Each piece was so unique and beautifully made. Every mug, bowl, brooch, etc. had the most whimsical, fun, playful image on it; images that you wouldn't ever picture on something like a mug: bicycles, maps and wheelbarrows.



I bought my sister a brooch for her birthday that had bees and honeycomb printed on it. She loved it, and so did I. When Cathy had a sale at her studio because she was getting ready to move, I made my way over there to grab a brooch for my Grammie for Christmas. While I was there, I also picked up a mug for myself. It is now one of my favourites.



What makes the work of Cathy Terepocki so much more amazing is the fact that as soon as I walked through the door of her studio, she made me feel so welcome and had such a wonderful attitude. Makes me want to go back for more!



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DIY: The Recovering of the Lampshade

January 25, 2013
As soon as I saw this lampshade DIY on the blog of Sandy a la Mode, I knew that I was going to do it -- just don't pay attention to the date because it took me a while to get around to it. 

Finding the perfect fabric took a little time. I knew that I didn't want stripes because they can look wonky if not done to perfection, and I knew I didn't want a small floral print because we already have a simple floral print on our bedspread. It was time to go bold! I found this ikat floral print and carried it around the shop with me until I knew for sure that I wouldn't find any thing else that would fit the picture in my mind -- or my budget. I made sure that it was a stiff cotton fabric that wouldn't stretch, and would be easy to work with.



This project was actually a lot simpler than I thought, and took me no time at all. One more step in creating a master bedroom that I will be happy to sleep in is now complete.


Maybe it's time you thought about changing up those lampshades of yours, hmm?



p.s. I didn't do any sewing on my lampshade like the original DIY mentions. I just glued the edges down with my glue gun, and made sure that the fabric was pulled tight, especially once I reached the side edge that is at the back of the shade. I suppose I could have folded it over to create a nice edge, but it's at the back and it really doesn't look that bad.




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Why We Will Only Have One

January 23, 2013
This is a difficult subject to talk about. There are so many people out there that want nothing more in the world than to have a child, and here I am about to talk about why my husband and I are happy with only having one.



As soon as you get married, the question of when you are going to have kids starts coming up, and as soon as you have a child, the question of when you are going to have another one comes up. Some people want to have children, while others do not, and some people want to to have ten children, while others will only have one.

The question of having another child is a tricky one for us. After giving birth to my son, I was struggling with getting used to the life of being a mother, but I knew that I didn't want to close the door on having another child. As we are approaching the second anniversary of our son's birth, my husband is preparing to take the next step in making it a lot more difficult for us to have another child.

Although my heart will always be open, it is no secret that I didn't enjoy pregnancy. That is something that I am very unwilling to put my body and my mind through again. I also want to be able to give my child everything that I didn't have growing up, specifically the gift of travel. Call me selfish, but that is something we wouldn't be able to do with more than one child.



I also understand that having another child is something that my husband is unwilling to do. He is an amazing father, but he became one because I so badly wanted to be a mother. He does not regret his decision to become a dad, but he knows that he would not be able to handle having another child. One child that screams can be tolerated, two children that scream...not so much.

People can push, and people can say what they want, but we know what we have decided and there is no reason why we should have to defend it. When we say we are only going to have one child, it shouldn't be met with comments about how lonely he will be, or that he will be a horrible person because that's how all only children are. He has a loving family, and will have friends that support him -- maybe, eventually, a spouse, too -- and my husband and I are teaching him to respect others -- which includes sharing. Those comments are incredibly unfair assumptions.

The next time you're curious if someone is going to have children, or have another child, please respect their answer if it differs from your opinion. It's something that I'm continually having to work on, too.



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Dear Lush: A Thank You From My Face

January 21, 2013
Like most everyone else, I have the worst luck with my skin. I don't know how many products I tried in the past, and they all would leave my skin feeling too dry in some areas and too oily in others. I even tried one that was so abrasive that it caused a rash on my cheek that needed some medication from the doctor to take care of it.



After years of struggle, I finally came across Lush Cosmetics -- I mentioned Lush before when I talked about my love for my new shampoo and conditioner. I must say that the people that I haven encountered at Lush know everything that there is to know about their products, and they helped me find the perfect combination of cleanser, toner, and moisturiser, knowing that my face is combination skin and incredibly sensitive -- beyond incredibly.



I had just stopped taking my birth control pill when I stumbled into Lush with pimple-filled skin, where they introduced me to Herbalism. I love how all you need is a tiny amount in the palm of your hand and some water to make it into a paste. I must admit that my skin on my face never feels tight after using this cleanser, but it always feels clean.



The next product that was introduced to me was Breath of Fresh Air. I was told that it could not only be used as a toner, but it was great to spray on your face on a hot day to make you feel refreshed. What I like best about this toner is the fact that my skin is not irritated by it. In the past, the other products that I would use had some sort of irritating ingredient that would make my face burn and turn red for a few minutes, but not this product. It truly is a breath of fresh air!



Someone once told me that the best way to get rid of problem skin is not to dry it out, but to make sure you are using the correct moisturiser. Celestial is it for me. Before, I could feel when all the other moisturisers that I used were on my skin, but not this stuff. Upon using Celestial, my skin is no longer greasy, dry, itchy, or flaky. It is quite divine.



Have you found face cleaning products that you are happy with?




* Just to let you know, I don't work for Lush or anything like that. I was just having issues with my previous face cleaning products, and found new ones that I think are the pyjamas of at least three cats .




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DIY: The Reading Tent

January 18, 2013
I decided quite a while ago that I wanted to make a reading tent for Little Boy's room. I found this DIY and decided to go with it. The tent turned out perfect, but the DIY part, well, not so much. Let's just say that if my husband and I can't get along doing this project together, we don't be doing any big renovations any time soon.



We all love the reading tent. You will probably find my husband laying inside, taking a nap with half his body hanging out -- because although the tent looks rather large, the dimensions aren't. I'm looking forward to when Little Boy wants to sleep in it.



Happy Friday to you! Have a fantastic weekend :)





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Give Me a Well-Dressed Man

January 16, 2013
A little while ago, I saw this post about dressing for your man, which linked me to the original post on the same topic. The former was very well written, and made me realise that in the past I have not worn certain articles of clothing or jewellery that I know my husband doesn't like while I'm around him, but as I get older, I feel more confident in myself and what I wear, and it seems like he likes my style a bit more.

The latter post got my blood boiling. I've never shopped at J.Crew, nor worn the bubble beads that have been so popular, and my hair isn't long enough for the top knot, but I do love me a cardigan. When you live in a country where it is -20C for half the year, you like to dress in layers and have the option to take your sweater off -- it's not like I'm wearing my grandpa's sweaters or anything.

Anyway, the point of this post here is to tell you that these two posts really got me thinking about why women should be the only ones dressing for their significant others. Men should also be dressing for their women. Sweatpants, baseball caps, TapouT t-shirts, sports jerseys, and baggy jeans that hang down past your knees are simply not a turn-on -- and I'm sure you've got your own list.



Give me a well dressed man any day. A man that pays attention to what he wears and doesn't simply throw on the first thing he sees. He doesn't have to wear a blazer, a bow-tie, or a cardigan, but he does have to be aware that jeans that are cut just right to show off that perfect ass, and a leather jacket that is just tight enough to the body are enough to get most girls motors running. Am I right?




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Just the Coolest Fundraiser Ever

January 14, 2013
This Saturday, I had the most amazing experience. I went to a fundraiser for the local art gallery, but that it was no ordinary fundraiser. It was a huge party -- not the boring gala type -- where you could taste local food, listen to local bands, as well as other musical groups and performances -- including Kay the Aquanaut -- create art, and have fun with a photo booth, all while chatting, and dancing, with like-minded people.



My day started with purchasing a pair of Manitobah Mukluks to wear to the party. I am in love with them. I've always wanted a pair, and I finally decided to break down and buy some. I knew I wouldn't regret my decision when I noticed my feet got cold after taking them off while trying them on in the store.



Before heading out for supper with my family, I got ready to go to the party. Because of my hair challenge, it is quite difficult for me to do my hair, so I looked up some photos of braiding and decided to do two braids that wrapped around my head -- trust me, there will be details later.



There was music playing as we arrived, but the first band that we stopped and listened to, called Shooting Guns, was a really heavy psychedelic rock band. I'm not usually a fan of that kind of music, but I actually liked them. There were no words to go with their music, and I think that made a difference for me. 



The other band that we listened to was Young Benjamins. They are a folk rock band, and more my style. Their music was full of fun beats that were easy to dance to. I hope that you'll check out music from both of these bands!



One of the coolest things of the night was a live drawing project that was being created by comic artists and illustrators right there as people were watching. You could enter to win the drawing for a very small fee.



Does your local art gallery ever put on fundraisers like this?




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Hair Challenge: A Little Imagination

January 09, 2013
I'm trying out this new thing. I'm not going to touch my hair with heat, a comb, or hairspray for the next month.

I first heard about Bye Bye Beehive in a special guest post on the blog JustLove.lyThings in Autumn of last year. I never really thought much about it until New Year's Day when I had a shower and didn't take the time to do my hair. I decided that night, as I lay in bed, that I would try my best not to do anything to my hair for at least a month -- depending on how it goes, it may be more.


I haven't pinned back my hair in a long time.

This is going to be an interesting challenge for me. Although I don't normally do much with my hair, I usually have to straighten my bangs because they tend to go a bit wonky on one side, and some mornings, when I wake up, my hair needs a little bit of coaxing in a different direction than in which it woke up. Wavy hair can be a bit wild, and I'm going to have to figure out some new ways to deal with it.

I like it so far though. It takes me back to my time in elementary and early high school when doing my hair was not important; I would just let it dry and do as it wished. Here's to simpler times, and a little imagination!



When was the last time you let your hair air dry, or didn't use heat to style it?







valentineswap2013


p.s. Have you signed up for the Valentine Swap yet?




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Be Mine, Valentine Swap 2013

January 07, 2013
I started the Be Mine, Valentine Swap last year after taking part in a couple of other swaps, and having a lot of fun participating in them. My idea was to pair people up to send Valentines around the world, and make some new friends in the process.



Details:
You will be paired up randomly. Please be prepared to send a card overseas. If you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to contact me at littleshopofellesee@gmail.com.

Get Creative:
We are all creative people, so please make a handmade Valentine for your swap partner. It could be made with doilies and hearts, or it could be a little drawing that you've made into a postcard. Whatever you do, please make sure it is made with love by you!

Dates & Deadline:
Please sign up for the swap by January 11, 2013. You will be paired up, and have your partner's information sent to you by January 14, 2013. Please have your Valentine in the mail no later than January 25, 2013 -- remember that some of the cards will be going overseas, so you want to make sure that it is sent out in enough time to reach your Valentine by February 14, 2012.

Share:
I would love to hear about your experience, where your Valentine came from, and see what your Valentine made especially for you. Feel free to blog about it, and share a link to your post right here on Valentine's Day. 


Sign-up:
If you would like to participate, please leave the following information in the comment section or send it to me by email at littleshopofellesee@gmail.com:

Name:
Email Address:
Location:
Five words to describe you:
Anything extra:



Please help spread the word! It would be greatly appreciated :)


valentineswap2013








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For Your Valentine

January 04, 2013
Valentine's Day is about five steps around the corner. It's hard to believe that two weeks ago we were celebrating Christmas, and as soon as New Year's Eve came, I listed one of my new Valentines in the shop.

There are three new Valentines that I have added to the 15 other Valentine/Love cards that are already available. See anything you like?









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A -- somewhat -- Quiet Day at Home

January 02, 2013
We didn't do much on New Year's Eve. We invited my brother-in-law and sister-in-law and their respective partners to join us for supper, gave our child a bath, and watched The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring for an hour before we crashed into bed. It was a quiet evening of eating wine gums and drinking Coke mixed with cherry whiskey, and I wouldn't change it for the world!



New Year's Day was also a quiet day at home. The Little Boy helped me make the black bottom cupcakes that are my favourite recipe from Julie Ann Art, and we ate noodles for lunch. Before he retired for his afternoon nap, the child and I went outside and I took him for a ride in the sled. It was the first day that we could do that since winter started -- it's been so bitterly cold here. While he slept, I did some work on this old blog, and for the shop. It felt like a very productive afternoon, and it was equally productive for my husband. We joined him in working on the basement after Little Boy woke up from his nap -- he even played some music for Dad to work to.

I have found that since the child turned one, I have not been taking a lot of photographs of him. I decided that today I would try to focus more on him and trying to get some fun photos of him doing everyday things. Does that mean that I am going to carry my camera around religiously, and put the lens in his face every second of the day? No. But, I'm going to try my best to get more photos of him and not just let the moments pass us by.




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