Saturday, November 24, 2007

It's the most wonderful time of the year....

I love a fun holiday craft to celebrate the season! This year, I decided to make my own greeting cards. I thought this would be a great way to spread some holiday cheer. These cards were truly a joy to make.

With Christmas carols playing, I was able to relax, sip hot chocolate, and craft away! I am hoping to have them all done soon. Look for them in your mailbox!

Friday, November 23, 2007

Serious Salad

I love a well composed salad! I had the task of making a salad for Thanksgiving. I took this task very seriously. I had to create a salad worthy of being placed on a table that would also be graced with cheesy potatoes, stuffing, and of course, turkey. To your left, my masterpiece. Ta Da! Romaine lettuce, yellow peppers, cherry tomatoes, and yes, those are leave and pumpkin-shaped cucumbers. I think Martha would be proud!

The classy looking salad to the right is my mom's creation. This salad was made with spinach, dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, and sliced PEARS! I love non-traditional ingredients in salads. It gives my tastebuds a fresh and lovely surprise. Cheers to you Mom!

Monday, November 19, 2007

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Stone Valley

More exciting news! Jeff and I found a beautiful piece of property in Brighton Township that we are going to purchase. We found a breathtaking development, "Stone Valley," last weekend and thought for sure the lots would be out of our price range...the homes in the development are amazing. Turns out the developer fell into some financial trouble and the price of the lots was reduced by an incredible $100k. There was a bit of bad news, however, the lot that we initially fell in love with was sold.

Last night, driving home from work, I saw a rainbow. I just had an all around good feeling about the evening. After meeting with the real estate agents, we discovered that "our" lot was available after all! The pending sale fell through. How fortunate for us!

Jeff and I will soon be the proud owners of lucky lot #7!!!

Monday, November 12, 2007

News

I have enrolled at The Douglas J Aveda Institute. I am not sure if I will be going to school at the Ann Arbor or Royal Oak campus. I am very excited to be making a career change. 2008 is going to be a busy year...first year of marriage, new career, hopefully a house, who knows what else might be in store!

Breakfast Benedict

This was my first try at "Eggs Benedict." I put a little Florentine twist on this dish by adding a tomatoe and swiss cheese. Next time, I think spinach might be a nice touch.

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Strange Events

Over the past few days, there have been a series of three fairly odd things that have happened. It all began last Sunday...

Jeff lost his wedding band on our drive home from Grand Rapids. He was fiddling with his new flair and it slipped out of his grasp. It was dark and we were on the highway, so I told him we would find it once we got home. I knew it would be a challenge to find since it was dark out and I have a theory that the smaller the item dropped, the further it travels. At the end of the drive, we did not find the ring.

Travel forward six days, it is the weekend, Saturday night. We went to Hiller's Market to get some beer and munchies. I love Hiller's, but there are some pretty eccentric people who shop and work there. The woman scanning our items at the checkout asked for one of our ID's. Jeff forked his over. She noticed that he just had a birthday (November 5th) and that he was a scorpio. I informed her that we were both scorpios. She then went into an interesting dialogue about how in the next few days the moon would be in the house of the scorpian constellation and since Scorpio is the sign of "death and rebirth," we would be experiencing a tragedy soon and also rebirth. I began to listen more intently. What could she mean? She concluded by saying that "when this event occurs you can remember that the crazy lady at the grocery store mentioned something about it." The very same day, Jeff received terrible news that his grandmother had been taken to the hospital, was very ill, and was expected to pass during the week.

Next odd event. Now this one is not nearly as intense. Jeff and I were flipping through the channels, and I said, "I wish the Wizard of Oz was on." Two channels later...guess what was on.

Today, Sunday...one week after Jeff loses his ring. We are on the way to church and Jeff is telling me what he would like for Christmas. I tell him that he will probably be getting a new wedding band. He then says out loud, "I wish I had my wedding ring back!" Not a moment goes by ... he looks over and down. There, smiling up at him was his wedding band, stuck in part of the seat belt plastic.

Now, you might think that all of these events are just a strange coincidence. I myself, do not know what to make of all of it. I have had odd instances happen like this before, but never so many so close together. It makes me wonder if these situations are simply coincidence or if there is something else going on.

Friday, November 9, 2007

Hair that Flatters

No matter your face shape, there will be cuts that look best on you. (Except for this style which looks great on almost everyone). Here's a quick guide of what to look for and what to avoid for five different face shapes.

Oval Face Shapes
The oval face is the most versatile face. You can pull off almost any look -- short, long, straight or wavy. No matter the length of your cut, you'll look best with layers near your cheekbones, lips or chin -- basically whatever feature you want to highlight.

Styles that are flattering and stylish: Chin-skimming bobs, blunt bangs, long beachy waves (think California surfer girl).

Avoid: Short layers that add height on top of your head. This will make your face appear long. If your hair is thick or curly, avoid a blunt cut. You'll look like a pyramid.

Celebs who share your face shape: Kate Hudson, Jessica Alba, Jada Pinkett Smith

Tools you can't live without: A great curling iron and flatiron to create waves and straighten your sleek locks.

Long or "Oblong" Face Shapes
Ahhh, the long face shape. The perfect haircut is one that doesn't drag down the face, yet adds width.

Styles that are flattering: Side-swept bangs (I plan to never go without them again). Chin-length bobs are also ideal for this face shape because they create the illusion of width. You will look great curly or wavy (these also add width).

Avoid: Stay away from extremely long or short cuts. These elongate your face. Long hair looks best with a few layers cut in, especially around the face. You might also consider a v-shaped style, where the length is mainly in the back, while the sides and front of your hair appear shorter. Super hot styles now: Long layers.

Celebs who share your face shape: Sarah Jessica Parker, Ashlee Simpson, Giselle Bundchen

Styling tools you can't live without: A great volumizer. My favorite is Bumble and Bumble Thickening Spray, I also love the hairspray Big Sexy Hair Flip it Over Full and Wild.

Round Face Shapes
Your goal is to create less volume around the face. You also want to minimize the appearance of roundness.

Styles that are flattering and stylish: Try cuts that fall just below the chin. Soft, graduated layers are a great bet because they make your face appear slimmer and tend to remove bulk and weight from the sides. Consider wispy and tapered ends. These de-emphasize the roundness of your face. Bangs are flattering, but keep them long or sideswept.

Avoid: One-length, blunt cuts if you have short hair. Curly, short hair is also a no-no. These only emphasize your roundness.

Celebs who share your face shape: Fergie, Kate Bosworth, Oprah Winfrey, Cameron Diaz, Kirsten Dunst, Michelle Williams, Catherine Zeta-Jones

Tools you need: A great Boar's Hair brush to keep hair tame.

Square Face Shapes
If you have a square face, you'll want to play down your strong, angular jaw. Texture, in the form of curls or choppy ends, do this brilliantly. You can also get away with short, spiky cuts and long, sleek styles with layers that start at the jawline and continue downward.

Avoid: One-length bobs (especially chin-length) and blunt-cut bangs. These will make your face look even more square.

Celebs who share your face shape: Gwyneth Paltrow, Demi Moore, Angelina Jolie, Isabella Rosellini and Rosario Dawson

Heart Face Shapes
Your pointy chin tends to be the focal point of your face. Draw attention to your eyes and cheekbones instead with sideswept bangs (like Reese Witherspoon pictured here), brow-grazing fringe, a strong part and hair that falls at or below your jawline. Have short hair? Keep top layers soft and long. Long hair? Go for long layers that graze your cheekbones.

Avoid: Short, blunt-cut bangs and harsh, choppy layers.

Celebs who share your face shape: Katie Holmes, Jennifer Lopez, Rachel Bilson, Reese Witherspoon, Ziyi Zhang


One theory...

While in Newport Beach , California last January I walked past this sign. Interesting thought.

Monday, November 5, 2007

Happy Birthday Jeff!

Jeff turned 25 today! Happy Birthday honey!

Friday, November 2, 2007

A Tribute to Vogue

"Vogue was described by book critic Caroline Weber in The New York Times in December 2006 as "the world's most influential fashion magazine":

"Vogue is to our era what the idea of God was, in Voltaire’s famous parlance, to his: if it didn’t exist, we would have to invent it. Revered for its editorial excellence and its visual panache, the magazine has long functioned as a bible for anyone worshiping at the altar of luxury, celebrity and style. And while we perhaps take for granted the extent to which this trinity dominates consumer culture today, Vogue’s role in catalyzing its rise to pre-eminence cannot be underestimated."