// Worth It or a Waste: Irresistible Me Extensions

It's officially been 3 months since I had my Irresistible Me hair extensions dyed by Dana at Salon 865 in Franklin. I thought I'd follow up with my thoughts on them since they're the first brand I've worn a considerable amount of time, aside from my tried-and-true Sally cheapies. The extensions were courtesy of Irresistible Me, but I paid out of pocket to have them dyed to match my newly green/turquoise hair (and was not compensated for this post!)

The extensions I chose to receive were the 20" Volume Vixen set in Platinum Blonde. For the past 9 years I've consistently worn the 18" Sassy brand extensions from Sally Beauty Supply. I've always cut them to blend myself, and dyed them when I had red hair. They're $89.99 per set, and I typically wear 2 sets at a time for volume. I also have to cut and hand sew them to clips myself. The Irresistible Me extensions come pre-clipped and in sections of varying widths. The set I used sells for $262. By comparison they're clearly more expensive, and at first inspection I was convinced the multiple pieces were going to be a total pain in the butt. I wasn't really sure if they were going to live up to the hype, despite feeling soft at first touch, and having great packaging. Well, I'm happy to report my concerns were totally unjustified because the multiple pieces have already proven to be a major improvement in overall wear and quality. Because I'm constantly switching where each smaller piece goes when I put them in, they never have a chance to "dread" up with surrounding hair. Aside from the one largest piece that I always wear at the lower back of my head (see second photo below for an example of what I mean), all of the hair has remained smooth and brushable up to the weft. 

While the hair felt really soft and heavy (that's a good thing!) when I first opened the package, I didn't quite realize how nice they were until my stylist Dana exclaimed how impressed she was with them when I picked them up from the salon. Of course quality and weight also comes with a price tag when it comes to dyeing them haha I ended up having to pay for two color treatments on the set because there was just so much hair! She had originally quoted me based on a set of Sassy extensions, as this is the most common brand she dyes in her salon. Dana ended up using 9 tubes of Joico dye to get full and even coverage. A temporary bummer was pretty much gone when I saw how great they looked after being dyed to match my hair.

Overall the extensions mostly add a ton of volume to my hair, but they also add a couple inches in various spots. Then again sometimes I'm amazed at how long my hair has gotten when I blow dry it straight and leave out the extensions. Ultimately I love the volume and length extensions give my hair, so I'll likely continue to use them indefinitely (or at least until I convince myself to get a new hairstyle haha). I'm most eager to see how long these Irresistible Me ones last me. As of right now they're being properly maintained and they're holding up great. They're definitely due for a trim at the ends as they're splitting, but honestly I should've done that a month ago or more! While they're a considerable amount more expensive than the brand I typically use, I'm hopeful that I'll be a loyal convert if they stay this nice much longer! I think the price tag would be worth it in the end seeing as they've held up so incredibly well and they still feel so soft. At this point with my Sassy extensions, they were pretty "fuzzy" and a bit dreaded at the weft. They had also lost most of their shine. I promise to follow up and let you know what I think at the 6 month mark :) 

In the end: Totally worth it. Seriously, I'm so impressed with these and I stand behind every penny I paid to have them professionally dyed. I really need to get back into the salon and have my hair touched up, but you know, priorities. These extensions have held the Joico color so so beautifully. Also daydreaming about dyeing my hair purple next. Then of course I'll need another set of these!

xo KB

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// Agadir Argan Oil Hair Products

So here's the deal... I haven't dyed my hair since September 2012, and I have neither the desire, nor plan, to dye it any time in the near future. After being a bottle redhead for several years, my hair was in a not so great state pre-wedding. I opted to try and balance it out with some ashe brunette dye before the wedding, and then I vowed to let my natural color grow out. This of course has left me with some ombre (I know, it's ~soo 2011!), and I probably should chop off the ends, but luckily a year and a half later, my hair is healthier than it has been in quite some time. I'm so glad my natural color is finally mostly in, even though it brought along with it a plethora of grays (How old am I?!). The only drawback to having really dark, naturally oily hair? It looks greasy 24/7. I've used argan oil products in the past to help with the "dryness" of my dyeing routine, but stopped after a while because I felt like they just weighed my hair down more after going back dark. I would feel like I was a bucket of grease as soon as my hair dried post-shower, then I'd try and neutralize that with dry shampoo... but that left my hair feeling dry and "flat" in color. It's like I couldn't win. Agadir sent over a big ol' box of goodies for me to play with, and even though I'm not obligated to post about them in any way (and I was not compensated), I thought I'd share my experience with some of the products. I'm always on the hunt for new things to work into my routine so I figured it couldn't hurt! Maybe you'll find something you like, too. (Was this giant paragraph as "all over the place" for you as it was for me? Sorry...)

I'm not normally a hair product kind of girl. I feel like I may have single-handedly put a hole in the ozone layer with the amount of hairspray I used to use. I haven't touched the stuff in nearly a year and a half, and I hate feeling like any of my routines are too time-consuming. That being said, I love me some good conditioners and hair masques. Since I wear my hair curly, I get some super fun dreads going after a couple of days. And by super fun I obviously mean annoying and sometimes painful. The items that make it onto my shower rack get put through the wringer realllll good. Here are my personal experiences with some of these items:

1. Volumizing Hair Spray: Again, I'm not a hairspray user. However, I did get a chance to use this on my little cousin's hair when I did her hair and makeup for her dance photos a couple of weekends ago. I used the hair spray when teasing her hair into a pompadour and it held up really well. I also used it to sort of "seal in" the curl from some hot sticks (Hello 1992!). It was nice and light, which was nice since I used to use cheap, heavy hair spray myself. Even after a few hours of dancing around for photos in the heat and humidity, she didn't have any fly-aways or frizz, so I guess that means good things!

2. Heat Protectant: I don't use this often, but I have worked it into my hair a couple of times when I knew I'd be curling my hair on the same day. Normally I wash my hair at least a full day before I want to curl it because my hair prefers to be slightly dirty to hold shape. I noticed that this stuff helped "dirty" it up just enough to hold some curl, but one day I made the mistake of doing it too close to curl time and it just made it limp and wet. No bueno!

3. Styling Spritz: I used a little bit of this on Kaylie while doing her hair. I didn't notice much difference in it and the hairspray, except of course the application. I couldn't say whether or not it made a huge difference honestly.

4. Styling Gel: I never got around to using this stuff, sorry!

5. Daily Shampoo: I really liked this shampoo. It smells amazing and never left any greasy residue behind. Like the other Agadir products, I appreciated that it was sulfate free.

6. Daily Conditioner: I feel like the conditioner took the silver medal in this whole batch. My hair felt super soft after using it. The only qualm I had with it: It claims to be a great detangler and I just didn't find that to be true on my hair. Like I said before, I wear my hair curly and it tangles fast... It takes a really great product to help me comb it out (and you know, not have bald spots at the end of my shower...) I tried on multiple occasions to use the conditioner as my only detangling agent and I was left frustrated and tender-headed. (Biolage detangling conditioner all the way!) Despite it not being the best for my almost-dreads, my hair felt great after each shower. And like the shampoo, the conditioner smelled amazing!

7. Moisture Masque: This was hands down my favorite product in this whole batch! The masque feels sort of weird on your fingers, but it makes a world of difference. I can't say for sure if the super soft, buttery hair came from just the conditioner or the masque, or if it was the combination of the two, but boy oh boy, I'm a fan! Not only did my hair feel super smooth at the end of my shower, but I noticed that I had way less frizz after using this combo a couple of times. I don't use the masque every time, but the benefits definitely last several washes. Now I'll be honest and say my hair did feel a bit "heavier" when I would style it (heavy, but not "wet" or "greasy," if that makes sense). My curls just managed to feel more dense overall. Normally I'm battling a bit of frizz at the top of my curls regardless of what I do or how often I wash my hair, so this was a pleasant surprise. The trade off was worth it to me. The frizz-free period lasted a full 3 days after washing with this combination and that's unheard of with my hair.

8. Spray Treatment: Agadir claims this spray is great for using for extra "shine" during the day, or as a heat protectant with your blow dryer or flat iron. The only heating tool I ever use on my hair is my curling iron, but I did give this a whirl before one curling session. I noticed that it was a lighter coverage than the heat protectant in the pump bottle, and I greatly preferred it. It didn't feel like it weighed my curls down as much. I probably wouldn't buy it myself since my hair seems to hold up just fine on it's own, but I'll definitely use the rest of what's in here.

9. Styling Mousse: Mousse totally evades me... I just don't get it. Maybe I've just never had the right hair style to make the most of a mousse, who knows? I used this on Kaylie's hair at one point and never really noticed any great benefit.

Overall there were several "take it or leave it" type products that I'll probably use up and enjoy (or give to a friend), but not necessarily purchase again. However the total stars are my usual favorites: the shampoo, conditioner and hair masque combo. I really do believe they are the reason I'm currently able to wear curly hair without an insane amount of frizz up top. I also loved that they didn't weigh my hair down with extra grease or oil.

Normally I keep it simple with my hair routine in the shower, but I've always sworn by It's a 10 Keratin deep conditioner and Biolage detangling conditioner. If you've got any favorite hair products that will aide in naturally oily + frizzy hair, I'm all ears!

* I was provided these products free of charge and for promotional consideration, but was not compensated or obligated to post a "review." All opinions are 100% my own!

Misikko Review: Corioliss Curling Wand

I'm going to preface this "review" with a disclaimer: I've had this product for months and months. I was originally contacted by Misikko many moons ago to review one of their flat irons. Well, I never have straight hair so I opted out. I was able to choose a curling wand and give it a go, but upon it arriving to my house I started to notice how saturated the "blogsophere" was with Misikko reviews. Normally I google every pitch I get to make sure I'm not one of a hundred bloggers writing about the same thing. I kindly responded to my contact that I'd keep hold of it to review later in the year, once the saturation had died down a little. I've seen reviews for flat irons and blow dryers, but hopefully there aren't umpteen billion wand reviews! If there are or you aren't interested, feel free to skip over! ;) (Also -- I know absolutely nothing about hair styling or anything.. Take everything I say with a grain of salt. I manage to do my own hair without too much catastrophe but whatever!)

As the months past I didn't give the wand much thought. Remember my basketball head incident? Yeah, it took me a few months to get my hair color under control. The last thing it needed was a heating tool touching it. Finally I made progress with my hair and decided to give the wand a try. Holy cow. Y'all, I was so ready to be disappointed. I guess I tend to be kind of a cynic toward expensive things. I think I don't need them or I could do it myself. I've always used a cheapo little $10 curling iron from Target. I don't need to be wowed and dazzled by some name brand. Or do I?... I still feel the same, but I can say that I am very pleased with the results of my Corioliss 18mm curling wand. I was so confused on how to use it, but after a few Googles, I had it down. Granted I managed to give myself some pretty gnarly burns (that thing is hot!), but I did it to myself considering I decided to forgo the accompanying glove. 

Let's talk about the product specifics and I'll give you my opinion on the overall item...

This is my hair using a traditional clamp curling iron (with straightener and entirely too much hairspray):

This is my hair using the Corioliss curling wand (and absolutely no hairspray!):

The packaging is a huge deal to me. It can make or break my loyalty toward a brand. The wand itself was very neatly packaged in this well designed box. It felt like you were getting something more high end as opposed to ripping open that awfully sharp clear plastic! It was packed up with various ELF cosmetics and maybe even a sleeping mask. This was a nice addition, except I felt like it didn't really fit the Misikko brand. While Misikko items are far from the most expensive on the market, they're still much more high end than what you'd pick up on an impromptu run to the drugstore. I love ELF products and use a lot of it myself, but a $1 eyeshadow packed in with a $130 curling iron seemed a bit off putting. But maybe that's just me! I didn't really find any use for any of the extra gifts, but we're really talking about the wand here anyway!

I absolutely loved the results of my hair from using the wand. My curls were soft, bouncy, and less of a tight spiral. They had more body to them and they just felt nicer. I love that the wand got hot enough to curl my hair without the aid of hair spray or another heating tool. Overall, the wand was very very quick and efficient.

The wand comes with a glove to help protect your non-dominant hand. Use it! So many people say you're fine without it but I have the most epic burns on my hand from this thing. It's hot! There are no heat settings. It's simply on and off. It's a nice simplistic design which I can get behind, but be warned! I also really appreciate the fact the wand was designed so that it can rest on itself, with the head stick suspended in air. That way you don't worry about burning whatever you have sitting near it, but you don't have to worry about those pesky stands that get tangled in your curls. 

I won't lie and say I think this is a miracle product. My experience with other wands is non-existant so I won't simply say "Go spend $100 on THIS very product!". I'm still not sure I could stomach the thought of spending $100 on a curling iron when I'd much rather spend it on a roadtrip (or shoes!). I will say that I've been converted. I'm throwing out my clamp curling iron and giving in to the ways of the wand. I've looked up reviews on various other wands at different price points and many say the ones available at Target are great, too. If you're looking to have some fun bouncy curls, give the drugstore one a go! If you still feel like you need more oomph, check out the Corioliss line! If my Corioliss ever craps out on me, I'll probably try a less expensive version before buying a new one, but I am very happy with these results! I even had people at work say they loved my "new hair color" (which wasn't new at all... and hadn't been dyed in 3 weeks!). The lack of product in my hair gave it new life. It just looked more effortless, yet put together. Anyway, this product has my vote, but don't be afraid to explore other options!

Do any of you use a curling wand? Specific brand that you just can't live without? Tell me all of your hair tool secrets! I'm still kind of a n00b!

Red Hair 101

Hey Honeybees! I get countless comments, tweets, emails, etc about my red hair and how I attain/maintain it so I thought I'd elaborate on my original How-To video (and my Hair FAQ video) by doing a text based post I can direct people to in case they don't have the ability to watch the vlogs! 

I first started dying my hair red in 10th grade. I was more of a copper/ginger than my bright red like I have now, but I was in love. I've kind of always secretly wanted natural "ginger" red hair but my hair is naturally almost-black! I went back brown for many, many years. I was sold on having natural colored hair! I loved being a brunette but for some reason I was really desperate for change after my first summer in NYC so I headed to my local Sally's, picked up some red dye, developer, and all the essentials, then dyed my hair myself in my bathroom. This was huge. Partially because I was letting go of my natural, perfectly even, hair color, and mainly because I had never once dyed my hair myself. I had never even dyed a friend's hair! I was heading into uncharted territory. The first dye made my hair a shiny auburn color, but I wanted RED RED! So I dyed it again in a few weeks time. Each time I dyed it, it became more vibrant. Before I knew it I had shockingly red hair... the sunlight caused my head to basically look like a giant, fluffy tomato. Awesome! 

I kept up my routine of redying my hair every 2-3 weeks for the next 2 years almost. Then I decided red was old news and I wanted to go back dark. Well that was an adventure. But not nearly as accident-ridden as the move back to red in the middle of summer! I decided to use color remover on my hair to lighten the dark dye, then use my typical "For Dark Hair Only" dye to make it red. Um, don't do that. I had a basketball head for weeks! Like, bright orange. It was awful. It took a lot of trial and error, and a couple months worth of dying, to get it back perfect. Now I'm finally back to my favorite red that I missed so much. Yeah, it was a lot of work. But hopefully the rest of this post will help you achieve your bright red hair without all the hassle I went through the second time around!

For starters.... the stuff I use on my hair is:
L'oreal Excellence "For Dark Hair Only" dye in Red Fire
L'oreal Oreor Creme Developer (9, 20 and 30 volume)
John Frieda Radiant Red shampoo + conditioner
Chi Silk Infusion + Infra shampoo
Biolage Detangling Solution

Tricks and tips about the dye I use --

Do NOT use this dye unless you have naturally dark hair... and by that I mean do NOT use this dye if you have any dye on your hair currently. If your hair is dyed black/brown, this is not for you. If your hair is naturally dark but you have any dye on it, this is not the product for you. If you have blonde hair, this product is not for you. This product is only for people who currently have dark, dye-free hair!

I really can't stress that enough. I get daily YouTube comments, emails, and questions asking "Will this work for me if..." The answer is: No, unless you have dark, dye-free hair. Sure, you can use it if you have anything else, but the results will not be what you see here. That's all I'm sayin'! You might get a color you totally love, but you won't get what you see in my hair (I simply don't want to be held responsible for basketball head like I had! :P) If you want to try it, go for it! Just don't blame me if it doesn't turn out as planned!

If this is the first time you're using this dye -- You can stand to use 30 volume developer like the box calls for. If this is a subsequent use of the dye -- I recommend using 9 or 20 volume, depending on the situation. Developer can damage your hair! Don't fry it like I have in the past. (Not going to lie, my hair isn't in the best condition, because I've made a lot of mistakes in my "trial and error" approach! Hence this post! haha) I mix up my dye and developer in an applicator bottle and shake it up real good. Then I apply it to my hair. I let it sit for 30-45 minutes and then I rinse with lukewarm water.

If you can bend over the bathtub and always wash your hair with cold water, go for it! Sadly our loft only has a shower so I have to stomach quick, cold/lukewarm showers. Hot water will fade your color faster. But many people still use it.

Try to limit how much you wash your hair when it's dyed red. I'm not saying go be gross or have greasy hair, but try and utilize dry shampoo as much as possible to keep the red lasting longer. Red is probably not going to be the color for you if you are obsessed with washing your hair daily. Currently I wash my hair 1-2 times a week. I use Pssssst dry shampoo on all other days (hence my never-ending tangles! Dry shampoo will rid your hair of natural oils, thus making it slightly more prone to tangling.) This is where Biolage Detangling Solution comes in. I cannot write enough great things about this product. I have a giant bottle of it in our shower and it's a heaven send! 

Red shampoos and conditioners -- I use John Frieda's Radiant Red daily shampoo + conditioner. I've tried the "Ravishing Red" stuff in the past and it was absolutely horrible. It stripped my hair of it's color and I threw out the bottles immediately. This is just my personal opinion! I've found that JFRR works best for me, but you might feel differently!

I've also used CHI Infra shampoo in the past with good results. I'd limit this to once or twice a month if possible though. Before I redye my hair, I always do a leave-in conditioning treatment... maybe a few hours, maybe overnight. Then I rinse and let my hair "dirty" for a day or two before dying it. Leave in conditioner will also strip some of the brightness of your dye so be sure you do it toward the tail end of your routine. 

To make your hair shiny and soft -- I recommend CHI Silk Infusion. A tiny dime-size amount will work wonders on how your hair appears. Just be careful not to saturate your roots or your hair will look greasy.

If you're going to dye hair extensions to match your hair -- I recommend trying to find extensions as close to your shade of hair as possible (pre-dye). You can dye them the exact same way you dye your hair. I recommend a box of dye for your extensions, and a box of dye for your hair. You can leave the dye in your extensions for as long as you need (I've even left it in overnight before.) Obviously I don't mean dye them with them clipped in... but on a trash bag or old towel, or even in your bathtub!

So here are some quick FAQs about red hair that I get daily... in case you're too lazy to read up there! ;)

• What hair dye do you use? L'Oreal Excellence For Dark Hair Only in Red Fire. You can buy it at Sally Beauty Supply or Amazon.com

• What shampoo + conditioner do you use? John Frieda Radiant Red, along with a leave-in conditioner and/or CHI Infra shampoo.

• How often do you have to dye your hair? Every 2-3 weeks. I try to stretch it as long as possible, but I have really really dark roots, and red hair fades incredibly quick.

• How much does it cost you to dye it each time? The dye is roughly $6 and the developer is $7 for a large bottle. Then I buy an applicator bottle and gloves. Each time it's roughly $10 or a little bit less probably. Maybe $20/mo total.

• Will that dye work if I have...  The dye I use is intended for naturally dark haired people that currently have no other dyes on their hair. I have used the dye on lightened hair and the outcome was not a pretty one. I do not recommend it unless you currently have dark hair without the assistance of dye.
  
• Always do a patch test with your dye if you've never dyed your hair or if this is a new dye to you. You dont' want to end up with a horrible skin reaction, burns, or an infection! Be smart! ;)

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Please note that I am of course, not a hair stylist in any way. I only know what I've learned from my own experiences and from my best friend Jessica (who is a hair stylist... and she shakes her finger at me daily!). My method may not be the best, most advised, or anything of the sort, but it is what I do. My hair hasn't fallen out yet, so that's a good sign. Maybe? ;) Goodness knows I'm willing to learn some pointers from anyone myself!

Any other bottled-redheads out there got any tricks and tips they'd like to share? Love a certain product? Have a better way of doing it than me? Please share below!

Autumn Hues

After oh so much debate, 6+ months of my natural brown and another 2+ months of attempting to get my red hair back to the hue I had, I'm happy to say I finally have! Huzzah! It's been a long road, that's for sure! From white roots to basketball orange hair to a muddy red brown that didn't make any sense with the intended color (Copper, c'mon!), I reverted back to my old hair dye and it was a success! I know it'll continue to get even brighter each and every time I dye it (love that!), but I'm really really thrilled to have my old red mop back!

Red hair is exhausting to keep up with but I feel the most me with red hair. I opted to go back red now because I think I want brown hair for our wedding next year and I knew I couldn't have brown hair a whole 18 months without going crazy. Might as well get it out of my system now! The picture above makes it look really bright red but it's honestly just a medium brightness (for now). Time to take stock in Sally Beauty Supply! haha I think red hair is oh so perfect for Autumn.

These are also my new glasses! I got two pairs from Coastal Contacts (here are the first pair!) and these are also so very Autumn appropriate. They're tortoise shell frames with light pink (!!!) sides! They even have a little heart cut out at the end piece behind your ear! I'm kind of in love with them.

In other news -- Our Chicago trip was SO much fun! I'll be going back through all of that in the next couple of days. I didn't take any pictures (doh!) but there's still plenty to blog about! Including our big Ikea haul, sweet Salvation Army finds, and Renegade of course! The next few days will be crazy with me trying to catch up on emails (I have several hundred from just 6 days alone! Eek!) and finishing up a few design projects. AND expanding Hive + Honey's accessory line! So happy to be in this place. I just want to create, create, create!

But for now we're (read: Mike) going to build my new work desk (!!!) and then head down to pick up our sweet little munchkins (I've missed them so much!). Then we're cooking dinner for Brian and Christina! What a wonderful Tuesday! xo

Do you dye your hair for the different seasons? What color are you rocking for the Autumn months?!

PS; I'll have a couple of blonde-haired outfits left to post soon too!

Little Blonde Bee

I went blonde on purpose once. Eighth grade. It wasn't pretty. In fact, don't mention it around my mother because I think she may still have some hard feelings toward it (haha, really!). But I did it again.. on purpose... Yep! Little Blonde Bee indeed! Only two people mentioned it at work last night. Perhaps it looks so ill-fitting that they just didn't want to say anything? Who knows. I just wanted some mermaid hair. It's got that fab beachy vibe! Really never thought I'd utter the words "I'm a blonde!"

I'll be back with an outfit post shortly! xo

Unveiling The Natural...

So many people have asked me when I'd show my newly-dark hair. Well, I guess it's not so new anymore. I dyed my hair back my "natural" color from red about 5 or 6 weeks ago. It came out way darker than I had hoped so I've spent the past month and a half trying to fade it a little. Of course now it's faded with a red undertone. I don't mind so much but I can't wait to have solid dark brown hair again. I've missed it. It's been almost 2 years! Disregard my outfit as I'm in my work clothes. We'll leave here at 8pm and I'll work 9 until 2, then we've got that long drive home yet again!

Just wanted to take a minute to show you my natural hair to appease all of the questions! It's growing on me... I guess. Tonight will also be the first night that I don't have pink hair at work since early December! Woohoo!

Fool-Proof Adventures in Pink Hair! (+ a Review!)

What if I told you...

I have pink hair?

♥♥♥♥♥♥

All that is missing is my curls.

A Blast From The Past...

Some of you remember when I had dark hair... I mean, it was only last year. But many of you are new and probably have only seen a photo or two of me with my natural hair color. I went 5 years without dying my hair before I decided to go red. I've had red hair for about 14 or 15 months now. It's a lot of work. 

I made the mistake of signing into myspace so I could look at old pictures today. Some were so incredibly embarrassing. Some made me really miss my natural color. I thought about dying my hair back dark, but then I got nervous and afraid. I'm afraid that it won't look natural. (obviously my red doesn't look natural but that was never the intention.) My brown hair I loved simply because it looked totally authentic. Because it was. So when I look at pictures with my brown hair, I long for it. and then I look at a photo with me with red hair, and I still love it all the same.

Maybe it's just the "grass is greener" complex but I'm so afraid to dye it back dark! I guess I'm afraid because it's not easily reversible. I can't dye the red back over it if I hate it. And I won't bleach my hair. Plus I'll have to get a green-based brown in order to cancel out the red. It really just seems like a lot of work. And I'll have to hope my new extensions match. Man oh man! Leave it to me to make something as simple as dying my hair into a big chaotic mess. 

I'll just show you some pictures, and you can vote. :) (I look like a totally different person with brown hair... and it probably just adds to that that I lack the cheek piercings and overly visible tattoos).

(if my hair could look like ^this^ every day of the year, i'd be a happy camper! sadly it was never that polished!)

this one is from november 2005. yes, go ahead, laugh it up! man I feel so embarrassed by this photo! I was only 17 though so whatever.

and a few red just for good measure:

I remember when I first went red this time around... I swore I'd be a redhead forever because I loved it so much. I still do love it, don't get me wrong. Like I said, I think the always wanting what you don't have thing is getting to me. Plus I don't know how it'd look now. 

So cast your vote below! Should I go back dark? I'll throw out the disclaimer that I'm not basing my decision on the votes, because honestly, even if it's 100% yeses I'll probably still be too big of a sissy to do it... but I'm weighing my options! 

edit: looking back on this I can say that I probably won't dye my hair back dark for a while. I spent all this time typing this out but whatever! haha You can still vote though. Or just leave comments about how ridiculous that 2005 picture is of me. Oh lord...


edit edit: i'm NOT dying my hair. case closed.

How-To Video: Dying Your Hair Red!

Someone in my FormSpring asked for an *exact* How-To on how to dye your hair red. So here you go! I really just needed to dye my hair today so this was an incentive to do it. And someone else in my FormSpring has really been wanting me to do YouTube videos. Don't make fun of my chubby face and the slicked back hair'do! I know it looks rough! hahaha Oh well! Hope this is helpful!

xoxo

Back from the Grave...

Hello my loves! I'm finally feeling well enough to be up and at 'em, though I'm nervous on how I'm going to make it through 5 hours of smoky-bar work tonight. We'll see! Thursday was awful. I'd only get out of bed to walk 5 feet to the bathroom. I was feeling substantially better on Friday but even as I got dressed to try and go to work, I was weak and frail. I called in and got back in bed. Thursday came with 7 episodes of Gossip Girl watched (I'm not hooked... but I'm 2.5 seasons behind. Oh boy!) and Friday brought on 3 or 4 episodes of Dexter for me, and 7 for Mike (he's watching another episode as i type this! He's so sold!). Even though I've been sickly, Mike has managed to take amazing care of me. Getting me Sweet CeCe's that I can barely eat, fixing me veggie soup, opening my medicine, tucking me in, and running me a candle-lit bathtub. He also sold my giant big screen tv and huge entertainment center. Swwweeee!

Today we got dressed and ran errands. It felt SO nice being out of the house for once. I'm still battling a sinus headache, and awful congestion. It's in my head and my chest. Not fun. But I'm on the upswing so thats good! I've missed the past 3 nights of work and I REALLY need to be able to get back on track.

After errands we went and grabbed lunch at Blue Coast Burrito and saw a matinee showing of "Remember Me"... the new movie with Robert Pattinson. The movie was good... but man we can't help but think the ending was a total cop out. I like the subtle hints to it, but I wasn't sold by the ending. I do suggest seeing it though. I think every single person in that theater cried at some point or another (I did... but shh! I cry at AT&T commercials ha).

Tomorrow Mike and I are going to visit my parents. We're going to stay the night and take it easy, then probably go visit his in Lawrenceburg on Monday evening. It'll be nice. Thursday the girls are having a crafty day. That should be fun. I'm just looking forward to feelin 100% better and taking it easy for a week. I really want to go to Savannah, GA soon... I've been really really wanting to scope it all out (South Carolina, too) for maybe settling down in a place like that. Who knows. Whatever Whatever. Talky Talky Talky.

Anywhoo, my iphone case FINALLY came from LuxAddiction yesterday... 28 days after I ordered it. They promised a "free gift" but I definitely didn't receive it. Lame. I also got a package from Emily in the UK! Yay! I love package penpals. I will have Emily's and Ashley (from L'burg) in the mail this week when I get home from visiting our families! :D I got behind thanks to being sick the last 2 weeks. yuck!

Oh, and here is my hair straight with no extensions because that's probably one of the most common questions I get asked for pictures of. Ignore my sickly face. This was Wednesday night when I started to get a sore throat and all that jazz. Gross makeup and whatnot. Wutevzzz.

PS; go check out Mike's blog! Follow him for fun stuff! He'd be happy to trade blog banners with you!

clip-in extensions tutorial video!

as promised! sorry it took the better part of the week to do! and sorry i look a hot mess and sound all nasal-fied! haha enjoy! tutorial of the curls comes tonight! stay tuned!