salon dresser makeover

I am going to show you another project that I did for my new salon. My mom got this dresser at a yard sale for $25.The color = horrible. But as you can tell it has potential. It has a cute shape :) After my mom sanded it down and primed it and gave it to me :) I painted it black. I knew I wanted to do a little something different to it than just having it all black. And then it just HIT ME! Don't you love it when that happens?? So off to Hobby Lobby I went & found the perfect scrapbook paper. I used a spray adhesive to adhere the scrapbook paper to the top of the dresser. Then I used a straight razor to cut around the edges. I LOVE the way it turned out!!Now a have a perfect little set up for my wax, yummy candle, candy for the kids, and my phone! I plan on using the same handles that were on it to begin with when we find them..somehow they got misplaced but these will do for now! Here is an up-close pic of what it looks like :) Btw, I was very happy with this pattern on the scrapbook paper because when you lay them next to eachother, the pattern matches and flows! So you can't tell where one paper is and the next one starts.My original plan was to mod podge the top of it so it will seal it but when I did a small portion, it started bubbling up so it scared me & I wiped it off. I need something to seal it but not sure what to use. Any suggestions??

When I told the hubby my plan for this project he didn't really know if it was going to look good or not..... but when he got home he was very impressed and loved it!!! I did this all without my hubby so I am linking up to Shanty 2 Chic! and Twice Remembered! and A Soft Place to Land! Have a great day :)

my favorites:)

I have an obsession. If you walk into my bathroom then you will see what it is. But since you can't do that, let me share with you :) I love love love any kind of beauty/hair products. And since Kelly over at Kelly's Korner is hosting a party today featuring your favorite hair & beauty products, I thought I would join in!

I know I talked about this stuff not long ago but in case you missed it... I use this lotion every day. It is a gradual tanning lotion and the thing I love most about it is that it does not smell like tanning lotion normally does. It smells really good and it gives you a great color! It is called A Touch of Summer by Hempz.Another great tanning product I am in love with is FAKE BAKE! Oh my goodness, this stuff is awesome. It will not turn you orange or streak. It goes on dark so you see exactly where you are putting it. I try to use this once a week before I go to bed at night (if I remember!)

This is Fake Bake's self tanner for your face. I use this just about every day before I put my make up on. It will not clog your pores and it gives you a great color.

Now on to skin care. I am IN LOVE with Image. I discovered Image about 5 or 6 years ago from a friend who is now an Image consultant. This stuff is amazing and would recommend it to anyone. I love their Vital C line. I use their hydrating cleanser at night before bed.

After I wash my face with the cleanser, I use this anti- aging serum. LOVE IT!
I also use their hydrating eye cream and their hydrating skin repair creme at night. In the morning I use the Ageless total facial cleanser. I also use the Solar Defense creme during the day. It has spf 15 and does not leave your face greasy. None of these products do. I also have the Clear Cell medicated acne mask. You can use it as a mask or as a spot treatment when you have breakouts.

As for make up, I use Bare Escentuals. I love this make up because it gives you a good coverage without feeling heavy. It is a mineral make up so you can sleep with it in and it would be okay. (I do not do that though because I feel like you should wash your face before you go to sleep!)

I am picky about mascara. I have switched back and forth between MAC & Victoria's Secret. But.....one day I was completely out of mascara so I picked some up at Wal-Mart and I am in LOVE with it!!! It is Maybelline's Collassal Volume Express. This stuff is awesome and more than 1/2 the price cheaper than the others:)Now on to HAIR :) Ahhhh. This is my number 1 weakness- hair products. Since I am a hairstylist, I have tried lots of products and here are the ones that I love most.

One of the things I can't live without??? My Chi. If you have one, then you know why. If you don't have one, go buy one immediately.

I also love the Chi hair dryer. A must have for sure. Yes, it is a little expensive for a hair dryer but it will make such a difference. (sorry, not sure why this pic turned out so small!)
Since my hair is unruly & frizzy, my favorite shampoo & conditioner ever is Sleek by Matrix. I have tried others and always go back to Sleek.During the fall & winter (especially around the holidays) I can not resist this pumpkin shampoo & conditioner by Sexy Hair. It smells so good you will want to drink it. But don't.
If you are needing some volume, this root pump by Big Sexy Hair is amazing!

My favorite hairspray is this one by Kenra. Great hold without that stiff feeling.

Biolsilk Silk Therapy:) Ahhhhh love it! Need I say more?

This is a product I have recently discovered. The lady at the beauty supply says they CAN NOT keep it on the shelf because it sells so fast. It is called It's a 10. This is their leave in miracle product that is AMAZING!! They also make shampoo, conditioner, and a miracle reconstructor. They are all great! Smells GREAT as well:)

I have tried a billion different things to give you texture. Some waxes are too heavy and sticky but I love this Soy Paste by Healthy Sexy Hair.

But something I love even more than that is this stuff by Short Sexy Hair. Its called Play Dirty :) It is a spray wax and I love love love it! It sprays like a hair spray but gives you texture like a wax. It will not weigh your hair down. Love it!! Oh, and it smells so yummmmmy!

Now these are just some of my favorites. I could go on and on about some more that I love but since its an obsession, we could be here all day! Ha! Now off to clean my messy house:)

simple pleasures

Here are some things that make me SMILE :)

* cuddling on the couch with my hubby and our Kobe
* clean sheets fresh from the dryer
* chocolate chip cookies
* hearing Kobe yawn out loud every morning
* getting lost in a good book
* lunch dates with my mom & my bfff
* trying a new recipe that actually turns out good
* the cute pictures he draws for me
* finishing a project
* making a big breakfast on Sundays
* seeing what all the Lord has done in my life
* ice from Sonic
* watching Joyce Meyer in the mornings
* hair products that smell good
* making my clients happy
* spoiling my hubby
* sunny days
* finding a great deal
* coffee in the mornings with hazelnut creamer
* working from home
* the smell of snuggle fabric softener
* taking lots of pictures

The list could go on and on but I will spare you! Ha. I am linking this to Kelly's Korner :) Have a great day!

snow!!

This has been SUCH a fun weekend:) We got about 5-6 inches of snow and it is so pretty. I have not seen this much snow since I was a little girl! It started up Friday morning and snowed pretty much all day Friday and some of Saturday.

Josh, his brother & our neighbor Ronnie have started a snow plowing business. It is good money but poor things have been out in this mess since Friday night. They worked all night Friday night (during the night) and came home around 11 on Saturday and took a 2 hour nap. Then headed back out yesterday and did not get back home til late last night. Then left again at 4 am this morning and he is STILL not home. He is going to pass out as soon as he gets home I am sure.

So it has been pretty much a girls weekend so it has been fun:) Friday night me, my sister in law Tiffani (who is expecting her 1st baby in August so we will be an aunt & uncle!! yay!), and Jennifer (Ronnie's wife) hung out and watched movies. Then yesterday morning my other sister in law, Sarah, came over and stayed the night. She just left and I am worn out! Here is what our weekend consisted of:)

Kobe LOVED the snow!! He ran around like crazy when he first got out in it! He didn't know what to think. Then he started eating the snow!

Here are my in laws! I am so happy they were able to bring Sarah over!This is Jennifer & Ronnie's (our next door neighbors) little boy, Tripp! Is he not the CUTEST thing ever:) We took him for a ride on the sled down our road and he just loved it. He cried when Jennifer took him back in..We also found a huge hill close to our house & went sledding!! Talk about FUN!

The worst part was walking back up the hill! Talk about a WORK OUT!

Today after church, Sarah and I decided to build a snowman:) Sounds easy, right???? Nope. I never knew how hard it was to build one! Ha! But he turned out really cute!

We also made snow cream and watched the Miss America pageant! I really wanted Miss Tennessee to win but I thought Miss Virginia was so gorgeous!!

I am so ready for Josh to be back home. Tonight we are going to eat leftover chili and watch 19 kids and counting. Its the new episode and I am so excited:) Hope yall have a great night as well!

Fake bakin.

This time of year is definitely not my favorite. Not only because it is so cold but I am so white! But I refuse to get in the tanning bed for many reasons.. skin cancer not only runs in my family but last April I had a mole removed that was in the beginning stages of melanoma!! Scary, I know!! The crazy thing is that it looked like a freckle. But it just came up one day about 2 years ago and it caught my eye. I noticed that it would get dark and then get light and get dark and get light.... so I decided to go have it checked out.

First of all, let me back up to about 6 years ago. My mom had a mole removed that was melanoma :( Scariest thing ever. They said it had spread to her lymph nodes but the Lord healed her!! She never had to go through chemo or anything!! But since then, they keep a close eye on her and she gets her moles checked every 6 months. And since I used to get in the tanning bed all the time & because of my family history I get mine checked every 6 months too. We go to the best doctor here in Nashville, Dr. Melissa Langley. We love her!! (Btw, my mom has never been in the tanning bed. She is just fair skinned, red hair, light eyes, and it runs in her family as well)

Anyway, so I had Dr. Langley look at my freckle looking mole and she said it did not look bad but to keep a close eye on it. So I did. A whole year went by and last March it started to itch. Then it started bleeding.... Which are both signs of skin cancer so I made another appointment with Dr. Langley. She took it off and it was in the beginning stages of melanoma. It was not cancer yet, but it would have turned into cancer. I am so happy we caught it before that point! I know it was God who gave me an uneasy feeling about it in the first place and I am so thankful:)

So since then I have been really careful. When I am out in the sun I make sure I ALWAYS wear sunscreen. But this time of year just sucks!! Used to around this time of year, I would start getting in the tanning bed to get some color. But not anymore, its just not worth it! I have been wanting to get a spray tan but I just can't bring myself to pay $25 for something that may turn orange or only last a few days. But let me tell you what I have been using that I just LOVE :)

Fake Bake!! This stuff is awesome. It will not turn you orange. The lotion itself is dark so when you put it on, you can tell exactly what it is going to look like so you can rub it all in and not have any streaking going on! I use this sometimes at night. You have to be sure to let it dry all the way though before you get dressed or get in bed. Or else it will kinda rub off onto your clothes or sheets:)

They also have the one for your face. It won't clog your pores or make you break out. I put this on some mornings before my make up. Love it!This is something new I have just discovered and I am in love! It is an everyday gradual lotion. It is by Hempz and it is called Touch Of Summer. It gives you a good color and the best thing about it? It doesn't have that smell that most sunless tanners have. It actually smells really good! :)So I don't feel quite as depressed as I normally do this time of year:) Something about just having a little bit of color makes a girl feel good!

let it snow!

For the past 3 days it has been flurrying non stop :) It has not accumulated to much but it sure is pretty! We were supposed to get 2-4 inches Wednesday night but we didn't. I was not surprised in the least bit. I did have to run to the grocery store Wednesday afternoon and it was PACKED! That's what happens when they call for snow in the south, everyone goes crazy and then the whole town shuts down. But that's ok. I wouldn't have it any other way :) Have a great weekend!!

SEW CUTE baby bib

Do you remember me talking about visiting my cousin, Shauna, in Knoxville back in this post? If you don't remember her sweet baby girl, Sidney, then let me remind you :)She is PRECIOUS! I wanted to make something special for her. I remember seeing this tutorial about 6 months ago and thinking I could do something like that one day. So I saved it to my favorites and forgot about it :) Until I started thinking about what I could make and then it hit me!! It was pretty simple.

Please note this was the 1st time I have ever made anything with a pattern.. so is it perfect?? Nope. Did it turn out exactly like the pattern?? Nope. But it did turn out super cute and I can see myself making many more of these in the future!

Print the pattern that is in the tutorial above and find some cute fabric. I loved the cute pink & chocolate fabric I got at Hobby Lobby about 6 months ago. It has been in the pile of "projects to be done" for a while now. You know, the pile that drives my hubby CRAZY!

After you cut your fabric, lay it on top of a towel. I chose a chocolate towel from Wal-Mart. This will be the back of your bib.

Now you have the front and back of your bib. I will have to admit that the hardest thing about making this bib was cutting out the hole for the neck. Don't ask why. It was just awkward.

Please refer to the tutorial above for the rest of the instructions!! I tried to tell you but decided to delete it all because it just sounded confusing!! Jill is much better at explaining :)

This is what it looked like when I was done!! I thought it turned out super cute. Shauna and Sidney thought so too:)

{I should have ironed it before I took these pictures but you get the picture!}

I used my embroidery machine to do the "S". I have had my embroidery machine for about a year now and have barely used it at all. It takes time to learn how to use it and we have moved twice since I have had it...so no time! But I am learning to make time now and I am getting the hang of it. I LOVE IT!

I made this all by myself and without my hubby so I am linking this to Shanty 2 Chic as well! Have a great day :)