LET'S TALK ABOUT HAIR.

I am not one of those girls who is super-attached to her hair, which I think is a good thing: There is a lot of other stuff I get worked up about, and my hair does not need to be part of that. Over the past couple of years, it's been really long, really short, mid-length, layered, un-layered, dyed ombre and dyed back to its natural color. I've never done anything really dramatic, like dye it blonde or chop it into a pixie, but my philosophy is basically, "It's just hair. It'll grow back."

That said, I have discovered that my hair looks best in a shoulder-length-or-slightly-above bob, and I've actually kept it that length for almost a year, which is a big deal for me. Unfortunately, something I have not yet discovered is exactly what to do from a styling standpoint: My impetus is always to straighten it, but my hair's naturally wavy texture plus the Florida humidity equals some interesting hair behavior on days when the weather's not perfect.

I'm going to see my stylist, Niki, soon, so I've been doing some Pinterest reconaissance, and I think for the first time ever I'm going to ask Niki to show me how to style my hair so that it looks good with waves as opposed to flat-ironing it into submission. Here are my inspiration photos. 

Do you have a love/hate relationship with your hair? Do you put a lot of effort into it, or do you just let it do what it wants? And yes, I realize this post is 100 percent frivolous, but sometimes those are the most fun!

P.S. The other question I'm forever asking myself when it comes to hair: Bangs or no bangs?

Photos via

Pop of pink.

Thanks to my recent birthday, I acquired a stash of gift cards—one of them to Sephora (which, happily, recently opened a mini-store in one of our malls, meaning I don't have to trek to Tampa or pay shipping fees these days). I'd been wanting a hot pink lipstick for awhile, and I'd been vacillating between NARS' Schiap and Funny Face, so last week, after a post-work appointment, I stopped by Sephora to test out the colors. I ended up going with Funny Face, but Schiap was really nice, too, and I kind of wish I'd bought it. So needless to say, there might be two bright-pink lipsticks in my life very soon—a nice change from my usual red.

Do you wear lipstick every day? I find that when I do, it brightens up both my pale, pale, pale face and my spirit—but sometimes I'm just too lazy to put it on!

Photo: My own. 

Signature scent: An update.

A few months ago, I wrote about my quest to find a "signature scent"—a perfume I loved so much that I could wear it every day. I also mentioned that I'd been wearing Dior's J'Adore in the meantime, since I'd been gifted a full-size bottle of it at a charity event and it functioned as a perfectly suitable signature scent stand-in. (And yes, using fancy free perfume while searching for a signature scent is definitely a first world problem.) And because I know you're on the edges of your seats wondering whether my perfume dilemma has been solved, I'll tell you right now that no, it hasn't. (Cue sad trombone.)

I've always been attracted to scents that remind me of Florida—orange blossom, for example, or gardenia. I've been dying to get my hands on a sample of this Coqui Coqui orange blossom perfume ever since I read about it on The Littlest Blog awhile back, but I've also been hesitant to take the plunge and spend money on it because I don't know if I'll like it, or that it won't fade or smell weird on my skin or give me a headache (which has been known to happen).

So I'd kind of resigned myself to the idea of using the J'Adore and that being the end of it, until I happened to spritz on some of Estee Lauder's Tuberose Gardenia the other day while out shopping with my friend Kate. You guys, I sprayed it on, rubbed my wrists together, and then proceeded to sniff myself every 15 minutes or so for the rest of the night. The gardenia scent is so true, and best of all, it lingered for a good long while. The lovely woman at the perfume counter was nice enough to gave me a sample to take home, so I can use it for the next few days before deciding if I want to buy it, but trust me, it's really great. Signature scent found? Finally, finally, the answer may be yes.

Any scents you're loving lately? Please share—I'd love to hear!

Photo: My own. 

Budget makeup find: Sonia Kashuk blush.

I've talked here before about my love of NARS' blush—Orgasm has been my go-to for years because it's seriously the perfect peachy pink. I love it; in fact, I'm currently trying to coax every powdery drop out of my almost-empty tray.

That said, at $25 a pop, NARS blush is not cheap, and I am not always able to get to Sephora to pick up a refill (I could order online but why pay shipping, you know?). So I present to you Sonia Kashuk's Beautifying Blush in Flushed, which rings in at under $10 and whose color, I'm finding, is an excellent reflection of its name. It's bright, so you don't need a lot, but it does the job. Pretty and inexpensive? Win/win.

Photo credit unknown; please let me know if you know it and I'll update!

Skincare: An update.

I mentioned in a recent post that, thanks to a series of fortunate events, I got my first facial from my wonderful aesthetician Renata last week, and aside from some kind of gross-but-apparently-natural (?!) peeling that took place afterward, thanks to a potion she put on my face that made my face feel like it was being repeatedly stung by bees, my skin has never felt better. In fact, it's has been in much better shape in general since I started seeing Renata, so I thought I'd share what's been working for me lately and some of her tips. (Real talk: I feel kind of superficial writing this post, but I also love talking about this stuff, so...here we go.)

The best lip balm ever.

I am prone to getting really, really chapped lips, especially around this time of year when the air is drier (yes, even down here in Florida!), and honestly, it's kind of gross. The chapping has been especially bad as of late thanks to my stupid bronchitis (oh no, it's not just a cold—thank you, Western medicine, for coming up with the Z-pack), so I've been on the hunt for a really good, ultra-moisturizing balm—and I found it in my own medicine cabinet (yay). Josie Maran's argan lip treatment is amazing—you don't need much, just a swipe, and it's incredibly moisturizing and luxurious but not gooey or thick. Seriously, my lips feel better within seconds of putting it on; I've never had that kind of instant relief with any other product. Highly recommend if you're prone to chapped lips, too, or just need something for the colder winter weather.

P.S. I also love Maran's argan oil for the face...

P.P.S. The argan lip treatment I have came as a sample in a gift box, so it's a smaller size; I know $18 is a lot for a little pot of balm, but trust me, it lasts forever, and I wouldn't recommend it if I didn't think it was amazing. xoxo

Photo via

Hair apparent.

I am really bad when it comes to my hair. I can do a pretty decent blowout, and I'm OK with a flatiron, but other than that, nope. I picked up a curling iron for the first time this year—seriously—and I've only recently figured out what products actually work for my long, wavy, fine locks.

Also, my hair is pretty much always in a ponytail, but I've realized that if I wash it and blow it dry at night, then sleep on it, I get a pretty nice wave, even if I'm just wearing it up. But the other night we had our office holiday party and I figured I should try and do something with it, so I came home from work, changed into a sparkly sweater, and then—using this Everygirl hair tutorial as inspiration—pulled some front pieces back, bobby-pinned it all (admittedly kind of randomly) and then hairsprayed the you-know-what out of it. And I thought it came out pretty well, so I'm doing it again for a dinner I'm going to this week. (Here's a photo of how it turned out the first time, if you'd like to see.)

Do you have a go-to hairstyle?

Photo via The Everygirl

A few favorites.

I always get a kick out of reading what beauty products other bloggers swear by (Anna at Door Sixteen puts together some particularly good round-ups), so I thought I'd share a few items I'm loving these days, too. (Please excuse the randomly numbered items in the image above, as they really are kind of, um, scattered. And please also share some of your favorite beauty products, as well—seriously, I love reading and talking about this stuff.)

1. Fekkai Brilliant Glossing shampoo and conditioner. Real talk: I generally cannot afford this stuff, but a few weeks ago I saw an offer from Saks that was too good to pass up: If you brought in a bottle of shampoo (any brand), they'd give you a free, full-size bottle of Fekkai. I was sold. (And I did end up buying the conditioner since that lasts me much, much longer.) It smells amazing and it works really well on my long, fine-but-thick hair. Two thumbs up.

2. Clarisonic brush. I've had this for a few months and I love it—my skin has never felt cleaner or smoother. It's an investment, for sure, but I use mine twice a day, so it more than works out (at least in my opinion). Plus, it's waterproof so I can cart it into the shower, which is awesome. And as far as keeping it clean, I just wash the brush with baby shampoo once a week and replace the head every three months or so.

3. Josie Maran argan oil. This stuff is a great natural moisturizer, and a little goes a long way; I put a dab on before makeup in the morning. It's also really nice for soothing chapped skin. Also: It lasts forever. 

4. Bare Minerals makeup. I've written about how much I love Bare Minerals before (here and here), and I'm happy to say that I still do. It's one of the few foundations that really works with my skin and my skin tone (which is super, super, super fair).

5. Nars blush in Orgasm. There's a reason people rave about this; the color is warm and it wakes up the face without being overpowering.

6. Bare Minerals eyeshadow in Pussycat. I don't wear eyeshadow every day, but when I do this is my go-to. It's a perfect color—an olive-gold-brown mix—it's shimmery without being overpowering and it's easy to apply. Yay!

7. CoverGirl Last Blash mascara (orange tube). I've tried a lot of other mascaras, and this is hands-down my favorite. It's volumizing and lengthening and I love it; a quick swipe does the job for daytime, and you can layer as needed for a more dramatic nighttime look. I usually buy it in black, but last time I bought it I grabbed a tube of brown and that's great, too.

8. My glasses, which I just raved about here. If I want to switch up my look, this is the easiest way to do it (again, the helps-me-to-see factor is a big bonus, as well.).

Bangs.

It's been a little while since the last time I changed up my hair, so I'm itching to do something new with it, and the idea that keeps coming back to me these days is bangs. I'm not even really sure I can pull them off, but I think if I'm going to get them, they'd look best with the length my hair is now (that is, long). And after all, it's just hair, right? It grows out.

P.S. Don't you just love this photo of Zooey Deschanel (and her iconic bangs) getting ready for the Emmys? It's from her Instagram feed.

Blue jean baby.

Question: Do you tailor your clothes?

I am notoriously guilty of not doing this, and as a result have spent my life wearing slightly-too-long pants that tend to fray at the hems and drag on the ground. I have short legs and a short torso, but the petites version of clothes tend to not fit as well as regular, so that—coupled with laziness—is basically the reason for my tailor avoidance.

But then this past weekend I found a really great pair of designer jeans for an amazing price while out shopping. As per usual, they're too long—like, so long that even my highest heels can't help them. But here's the thing: They fit like a glove and are so comfortable. I tend not to buy designer jeans—my go-tos have been Ann Taylor Loft's modern straight-leg or modern skinny styles, which are generally also a touch too long for me—so I could never tell the difference, but you guys: There kind of is one.

So I've decided to take my jeans to the tailor—there's one right up the street from me, next to the dry-cleaner that I occasionally (but not as often as I should) use—and I'm kind of excited to have customized, perfect-fit pants. Is this silly? Yes, probably. But I'm still looking forward to it.

Are you BFFs with a tailor? Or do you make off-the-rack work for you? I am genuinely curious, so please share.

Photo: My current favorite jeans—more Ann Taylor Loft skinnies—and my newest shoes, which I've been wanting forever: tropical, bright (!), a tiny bit obnoxious. I love them, and they're on sale here if you do, too.  Also, yes, I am aware of how badly I need a pedicure.

Awesome things: Lush bath bombs and bubble bars.

A few years ago—and oh, God, at this point it was probably six or seven years; HelloI'mOld.com—I went through a major obsession with Lush Cosmetics. I blame it on my friend Hayley. You see, Hayley is the person who introduced me to Lush and who fanned the flame of a soap phase so intense that I actually, on numerous occasions, drove 30 minutes to Orlando International Airport—the only place within 50 miles, at the time, where it was possible to buy Lush products—to pick up pounds of bath items. I am not kidding. It was bad for my wallet—I was a few months post-graduation and working part-time at Office Depot back in early 2006—but good for my soul (especially because it meant I got to see Hayley). And my skin. I smelled delightful, you guys.

After I moved to Sarasota in September of that year, my Lush obsession quickly faded—it was nearly impossible to get my hands on the stuff; I would have had to drive to Orlando or pay exorbitant shipping fees if I bought online. But I still loved the producs and what the company stands for—they're passionately anti-animal testing and all of their products are vegetarian, if not vegan—and whenever I was near a store, I'd pick up a bar of soap or some other yummy-smelling bath item. I'm not a big bath-taker—I'm much more a shower girl—so using a bubble bar or bath bomb felt incredibly luxurious. I liked that.

Fast forward to a few days ago: I was at the International Mall in Tampa and while ACS attended a business meeting, I (ahem) went shopping. I got a polka dot shirt (of course) on sale at Zara; I browsed the racks at J.Crew...and then I smelled that unmistakable floral scent. Lush was nearby.

Of course, I couldn't help myself, especially since my birthday was the next day: I walked in and headed straight for the bath bombs, wishing Hayley was with me, too. And one huge, round pink bath bomb and a floral-scented bubble bar later, I walked out of the store with a giant grin on my face. It's the simple things, sometimes, isn't it?

I haven't used either of the products yet; they're still nestled in their little bag. I'm saving them for a special occasion. Maybe I'll use one this weekend, and drink a glass of wine and read my new book. Who knows?

Back to life, back to reality.

I take comfort—just a miniscule amount, though, I swear—that some of you may now have the song that this post’s title references in your heads now, too.

Anyway, happy Wednesday, friends—how are your weeks going? As of this past Monday, I am back to my usual routine after nine whopping days off—nine days in which I went to St. Augustine, spent time at my parents’ house, ate a whole lot of cookout-friendly food and also an $8 ice cream cone—yes, seriously, $8; I’m making my own from now on! What is the world coming to? (Also, hello, I have apparently turned 90)—and slept past 10 a.m. on several occasions. It was glorious.

But the return to work and the daily grind is always kind of a bummer, no matter how much you love your job, and for the past couple of days I’ve found myself thinking about what else I want to do from now until Labor Day—what weekend adventures I’d like to go on, what experiences I’d like to have, what things I’d like to make (that gold brick DIY from a few weeks ago has me itching to spray paint everything gold. Not the cats, though, don't worry). And I love making lists, so I thought, Hey, why not make a list? And then I thought, Hey, why not share it with the Internet?

So there you have it, Internet: herewith my rest-of-the-summer bucket list.

1. Take a road trip with my mom. Last year we went to Savannah; this year we’re thinking Charleston.
2. Make ice cream. The $8 cone experience reminded me that I do, in fact, own an ice cream maker—I won one from Shelley in a giveaway last year. Homemade mint chocolate chip, here I come. Oh, and key lime and graham cracker gelato, too (be still my citrus-loving heart). Also, how hard is it to make waffle cones, you think?
3. Swim as much as possible. Preferably in the ocean.
4. Cut my hair (more on this to come).
5. Paint one wall in my house with chalkboard paint. (I’ve been thinking about this quite a bit recently; at first I wanted to do a whole wall in my living room, but now I’m thinking the kitchen is my best bet, mostly because I constantly want a place to write weekly menus and scribble to-do lists that’s, well, not a small pad of paper. Also: I am kind of obsessed with chalk.)
6. String up café lights on my “porch.” I use quotation marks because my porch is not so much a porch as it is a tiny strip of wood that’s screened in, but a Very Awesome Person bought me said lights—which I’d been talking about incessantly and, let’s be honest, probably annoyingly, for a year—and I’m excited to get them up.
7. Go to Adventure Island with friends. (I love water and water rides but am terrified of roller coasters and have a tendency to get slightly motion sick, so this should be interesting and may require alcohol.)
8. Do a huge closet clean-out—opening the door and looking inside is starting to make me anxious.
9. Take a cooking class here.
10. Watch a lot of sunsets on the beach.

How about you—what’s on your summer checklist? Please tell me; I would love to know.

Photo: Scout and Catalogue

Why I like to lift my legs in tiny, painful increments on Tuesdays

A few weeks ago, my friend and co-worker Lauren told me that she’d been taking this new-to-her exercise class called Pure Barre. I’m not quite sure how we started talking about exercising to each other at work, but the gist of the conversation was that she really likes Pure Barre, that it was a totally different kind of workout, and that  I should try it sometime.

Well, OK, I thought blithely. Maybe I will. I like working out and I’d like to lose my—ahem—“Christmas weight,” so why not?

Before I go any farther, here’s something you should know about me: I have a propensity to get really, really excited about certain things for short bursts of time, but after that period of time ends, the thing I’d previously been so excited about drops off my radar. Are some of you like this, too? (Please say yes.) It’s actually not a bad habit to have when shopping, for example—in fact, I’ve channeled said fickleness into a litmus test of sorts, the litmus test part being that if I forget about the item I’ve started obsessing over after a couple of days, then I obviously don’t really need it anyway—but when it comes to stuff like, you know, exercise, it can rob me of some good and good-for-me experiences.

Pure Barre almost fell into that camp. After Lauren told me about it and I’d agreed to try it, I kept having scheduling conflicts that forced me to have to back out. But I finally made it to a class, and while I was a bit (OK, a lot) intimidated—you do a bunch of the exercises at a ballet barre, hence the name Pure Barre, and I am not, I repeat, NOT a dancer—I ended up kind of loving it.

Basically, Pure Barre (for those who haven’t tried it) is like a super intense Pilates session: you do small, isometric, ballet-inspired movements that work your core and that are quite different from my normal exercise routine, which is made up of a whole lot of cardio and not much else. And while you definitely get your heart rate up with Pure Barre—I admit it: I was breathing hard after the warm-up portion of the class—you also feel like you can have a normal conversation with someone after you finish each routine.  But the best part—to me, at least—is that you concentrate so hard on form and performing the movements during class that afterward, when you emerge from your highly focused (and, in my case, so-focused-you’re-squinty—attractive!) state, you just feel clear. It’s awesome, especially after a long day at work.

So yes, I totally felt that clear-headedness right after my very first class, and was proud of myself for getting through the whole thing—Pure Barre is hard, guys. In fact, I was kind of smug: I wasn’t even sore when I got home that night! I’d also gone to spin class the day before—I was the picture of health! I looked in the mirror knew that the Christmas weight was ALREADY melting away!* Pretty soon, I’d be a ballerina!

Um, yeah, and then I woke up the next day and was more sore than I’d ever been in my entire life. Everything hurt. It hurt to lift my arms, it hurt to lift my legs, it hurt to sit, it hurt to laugh. I had to explain to people all day why I was grimacing when I lowered myself into chairs or, you know, took a step. So much for being a ballerina—I’d been humbled by the barre.

But I went back to a couple more classes—in fact, I’ve been going at least once a week ever since—and like most things, the soreness has faded over time, and what’s left is that clear-headed feeling that’s so addictive and, often, elusive. Also like most things, practice makes perfect—I can feel myself slowly getting more flexible as the days go by, which is pretty cool. It’s kind of a win/win.

And that, my friends, is why I like to lift my legs in tiny, painful increments on Tuesdays (and sometimes Thursdays, too).

*Do you get like this as well? I am so guilty of coming home after a tough spin class or elliptical session and looking in the bathroom mirror as I glisten with the sweat of the workout while thinking, “Yep—skinnier already!” even though that’s totally nuts. Please tell me I’m not alone with my crazy.


Photo credit 

Hats off.

I have a ginormous head.

No, really.

It doesn't look huge (...I don't think), but it is. For example, if I get a wild hair and decide I'd like to wear a hat, it's got to be a men's size large or extra-large--which means, as much as I would like to sport this cute J.Crew number, I generally don't wear hats. Sigh. Hard life, right?

Anyway, it has come to my attention that since Florida is sunny for a great part of the year--without a doubt one of the best parts about living here--I should probably get a big, floppy beach hat, mostly to avoid getting horribly sunburned on my pale, pale scalp. (Side note: Scalp sunburn is the worst, isn't it? Ouch.) (Second side note: "Scalp" is kind of a gross word.) So I'm on the hunt.

But I'm curious to know if you guys wear hats, too, to the beach or otherwise. And actually, do you wear headbands or other hair accessories, as well, or are you like me--happy with a brush, a hairband and the occasional bobby pin? And, ooh, most importantly, are you in the Big Head Club like I am?

Raindrops keep fallin' on my head.

If you live anywhere in the state of Florida, chances are you've gotten drenched at some point in the last 24 to 48 hours. Case in point: I was picking up my lunch yesterday and got caught in sideways rain and wind so intense that it turned my umbrella inside out and then made my car shake while I was stopped  at a red light. ("Is there a tropical storm I don't know about?" I wondered--quite seriously--several times prior to getting safely back inside my office building, albeit with sopping-wet shoes, pants, shirt and hair.)

It was so windy, in fact, that it reminded me of the time I thought I was stuck in a car wash and decided to climb out of the car while the car wash was still on. Oh yes, I did do that, and it's a tale that prompted my mother, when I told her about it, to roll her eyes and wonder why she'd spent so much money on my college education.

But anyway! That's a story for another time. Back to the one at hand.

Yesterday was the worst of the rain, at least so far, and when I'd gotten inside and thrown myself into my desk chair, relieved to be in a place where water was not falling from the sky, I looked down at my soaked leather heels--boohoo!--and thought, "I should really get a pair of rain boots." I had a similar thought last Friday, when it was also raining, and when I was hopping around outside--in a pair of gold shoes, no less--like a maniacal fairy, trying to cross the street while at the same time trying to avoid the huge, deep puddles of water that had accumulated as a result of the City of Sarasota's very bad drainage system.

So: rain boots? Yes or no--and specifically yes or no for someone who lives in  Florida, where the weather is temperamental? It'll be sunny one moment, pouring down rain the next, then sunny again. Often, it will rain heavily in one place and not another, and those places can be as close as your front and back yards. Also, you can see rain coming here; if you're in the car, for example, you can often see the sheets you're about to drive into long before you actually reach them. (Do you experience that where you live, too? A friend of mine who lives up north said it's not like that there. Is it?)

And if the answer is still yes, what kind? There's the iconic Hunters, of course (and I love the coral color, above, although I'd probably go for black or olive green), but they are expensive--as are Kate Spade's, which are adorable and feature bows. Target makes cute ones, but I'm afraid my friends and family will disown me if I bring home another polka dot item. Do you wear rain boots? Is the buy/wear ratio worth the investment? Pleas share.

(And yes, I realize I just wrote a whole post about rain boots--I live a wild and crazy life, I tell you.)

Photo via

Let's chat.

I have some things I would like to discuss.

1. Mrs. Meyer's cleaning products. Do you use them? If you don't, you are seriously missing out. My favorite, favorite, favorite scent is geranium, because it sends me back to summers at my grandparents' house in Pennsylvania, sitting at the stools in the kitchen as a breeze blew in through the open windows. (Related: I think my middle name should be "Nostalgia.") My second favorite scent is honeysuckle. It is glorious.

2. Josie Maran argan color stick in Petal Pink. I love Josie Maran's cosmetics line; her argan oil has become a daily staple, as has her argan lip treatment (it feels so good on my perma-chapped lips). The lip treatment is kind of thick, though, so when I need something moisturizing that also has a little bit of color, I swipe on this stuff, which is the perfect shade of pink. (Her Magic Marker cheek and lip stain is also delightful.) And in other lips-related news, Rosebud Salve is also really great.

3. These shoes. I am a woman obsessed. I really want them. I tend to buy a pair of wedges every summer, and usually a cheapie pair from Target because I also tend to walk hard and therefore ruin said wedges. So, yes: I wear them until they break, and when they do, I typically tumble to the floor in a terribly embarrassing way, often in my office or in front of someone important, usually while wearing a skirt. Anyway, all that to say that I love this pair and I wish they would go on sale.

4. Mad Men. Oh, Mad Men. Do you watch? Please tell me you watch. The past few episodes have been so great, and Sunday night's moved me (and also freaked me out) to the point where I thought about it all day on Monday. Like, I was sitting in my lunch meeting at work, crunching on a potato chip and thinking about Mad Men. I was typing emails, but thinking about Mad Men. I was talking to people -- coherently, I hope -- but thinking about Mad Men. You get my point. I think Season Four is my favorite (and "The Suitcase" is by far my favorite episode of that season), but I alternately can't wait to see next week's episode and am crushed that it means that the season will be over.

5. Pure Barre. Have you guys ever tried this workout? I was supposed to go last night, after work, but guess who forgot she'd agreed to go to a dinner meeting until a reminder popped up in Outlook 15 minutes before said meeting? (Guess who was also in jeans with greasy, ponytailed hair?) So I'm going to another class instead--obviously, since I missed Tuesday's--with my friend Lauren from work, and I'm a little scared that I'm not going to be able move when I wake up the next day. If you've taken a class or are a Pure Barre-or-similar addict, please let me know.

OK, I think that's it. Anything you would like to discuss? Lay it on me!

Photo: Jamie Beck for A Cup of Jo. 

Let's talk about my hair some more!

Well, after all the talk of bangs last week, I ended up with...not a lot of bangs. I do, however, have a lot of layers and a really deep, dark, chocolate-y, almost-black color that I am in love with. It may seem counter-intuitive to darken one's hair in the summer, but I march to the beat of my own drummer...or something. And anyway, this color--while darker than my natural dark brown--feels like me, which is a relief.

Don't get me wrong, I really liked the balyage I had put in around the holidays--you can see some of it in the photo above--and the woman who put that color in my hair did a great job. But it started to feel tired after a couple of months, and when I was in Target trying on a maxi dress  a week ago, I noticed a bright blonde stripe right in the middle of my ponytail that was, in some weird way,  totally appalling to me (I believe this is what's known as a "first world problem"). So--because I am fueled in great part by instant gratification--I picked up the phone and made a hair appointment that very day.

The funny thing is, I made an appointment with a stylist who'd cut my hair before, and who cuts my friend Kate's hair regularly and does a great job. So I felt pretty confident in how my 'do was going to turn out. But then, on Friday afternoon, I got a call from a very nice-sounding woman at the salon, informing me that said stylist had sliced her thumb open in a freak kitchen accident and could not fit that digit through her cutting shears. I could reschedule my appointment, she offered apologetically, or switch to a different stylist.

Because I'd been excited about getting my hair cut all week, I decided to keep my appointment but switch stylists, and let me tell you: There is something disconcerting about heading into a situation in which someone who has never touched the hair of anyone you know is about to come at you with a pair of scissors. I'm not even one who's particularly attached to my hair--I lopped off a whopping 10 inches last spring and didn't flinch--and I was still a little wary.

But DeeAnn, the woman who cut and supervised the coloring of my hair, was just lovely, and it's kind of a relief to think that I've finally found a salon I'll be sticking with, and, frankly, always should have stuck with. It's important for a girl to have a good hair salon, I think; there's something about getting a great haircut that boosts the self-esteem.

Plus: head massages while being shampooed.

I mean, come on.

Scenes from the weekend + committing to...

Happy Monday, friends--how were your weekends? I hope they were relaxing and sunny and spring-y.

I did pretty much exactly what I'd planned: Go-karting, The Avengers, a nice dinner out on Saturday night, a long walk, a trip to the farmer's market near my parents' house. Oh! And I actually did a little DIY project that I'll share with you tomorrow -- it was ridiculously simple, but I'm so happy with the results and I can't wait for you to see them. (Surprising, right, especially after my claim that I am the least crafty person alive? I think sharing that "things I'm afraid to tell you" list actually gave me a little push to work on the things I'm afraid of or things that I've told myself I'm not good at. Which is pretty great if you think about it.)

Something else I've been thinking about is what I wrote in that same post about being afraid of gaining weight back. So my big commitment this week is to raze how I've been eating/exercising for the past few months and start from scratch. Part of that is writing down what I eat in a little notebook -- not calorie counting, just tracking so I can be more aware of what I'm putting inside me -- and part of it is making healthier choices, like getting back into an exercise routine, starting the day with lemon water, incorporating more vegetables into my diet, cutting out diet soda completely (I've been bad about this recently) and cutting back on sugar. It may sound like a lot, but all of these steps are not really a leap for me: I function best when I make sure to follow them, and I'm thinking of the whole project as getting back to basics. Writing it all down here just makes me feel more accountable. Also, like many people I know, I'd like to lose some weight, so I'm interested to see how these changes affect that goal. I'll let you know how it goes.

That's a lot for one week already, but some other little commitments are to cross some nagging household tasks off my to-do list (like, hello, filling my glasses prescription), making a big pot of soup or similar that I can eat throughout the week and cracking down on a few extracurricular projects so I don't have to worry about a single thing over the three-day weekend. How about you--what are your goals for the next few days?

See you back here tomorrow with my craft (I'm really too excited about this)!

Photo: The farmer's market near my parents' house.

What are you doing this weekend?

Happy Friday, everyone! We made it to the weekend! I don't know about you, but this week kind of crawled for me -- on Wednesday, I had convinced myself that it was Thursday -- so I'm especially glad we're finally to the end of it. I'm heading north after work tonight for the weekend and I'm looking forward to it -- especially since I think more go-karting (or maybe swan paddleboating?!) and a movie (The Avengers -- have you seen it?) are on the agenda. Oh, and a cupcake, too. Always a cupcake.

And in keeping with the last couple of Fridays, here are some lovely links from around the web this week:


A Sarasota stuntman -- Nik Wallenda -- is going to walk over Niagara Falls on a tightrope!

I'm madly in love with these shoes.

I would like a cupcake ATM in Sarasota, please.

"Made with love" canning labels. Love these.

Falconwright clutches are so pretty.

I love the NYT's One Page Magazine, especially the "That Should Be a Word" feature.

Binary Flips' wedding photography is gorgeous.

We've talked about HBO's Girls before, but are you watching VEEP? Julia Louis-Dreyfus is brilliant.

The new Lonny is beautiful. I want a Moroccan wedding blanket so badly.

A wonderful Imaginary Outfit -- and blog post -- from Stephanie.

 What are your plans for the weekend? Let me know, and I'll see you back here on Monday.

P.S. Thanks for all your helpful comments/tweets re: bangs and on the new blog design. You're the best, truly.

P.P.S. The title of the bangs post was almost "She Bangs," but I refrained. You're welcome.

Photo: My dad and me, 1984.

Hair apparent.

First things first: If you're reading this post in Google Reader or some other RSS service, might I suggest you click over to my blog? It got a little facelift yesterday and I'm super happy with it.Yay!

Second of all: Do you mind if we talk about hair for a minute? I am in the midst of a bit of a conundrum. Every summer, I think about doing something different with my locks -- two years ago they were super long; last year I chopped them off. In the winter, I added ombre highlights, and I still like them, but I want something a little different. So I'm thinking: bangs.

Here's the thing: I have a round face and hair that is not straight, not curly, and tends to frizz in the Florida humidity. I am also not someone who can go for several days without washing her hair; I wash my hair daily  -- and sometimes twice daily, depending on whether it's hot outside/I sweat, etc. So I'm thinking longer, side-swept bangs might work (kind of like these that Lauren from Walnut Animal Society is sporting, and yes, I realize it is slightly stalkery to link to that Instagram photo!), because I can clip them back if needed, and also, if I decide to grow them out, they'll kind of blend into my hair.

But I also know myself in the morning, and I know that sometimes I just have no desire to do anything with my hair other than pull it back into a ponytail. Will bangs make that ponytail look nicer, though? Or will they just be a hassle?

I'm curious: Where do you stand on the subject?

Photo credit: Unknown. Please let me know if you know it and I'll add it immediately.