April 1, 2015 || 3 Years Home

Today marks 3 years since I woke up in my new home in Bend, Oregon. I moved to Bend on a whim and had no idea what I was doing or what was in store for me. I wouldn't change a single thing about these last 3 years. God had a plan for me to move here and I try to listen to Him daily. Letting Him guide me in this crazy life is easier said than done, but He is gracious and has opened so many doors and opportunities for me.

I don't know what is in store for the future, but I sure am loving the present. I am beyond thankful for this beautiful place I get to call home and for this life that I have made for myself in Bend.

Balayage

Balayage is becoming the most requested color service in salons all over the world. Remember those beautiful sun-kissed highlights you had as a child? This technique allows for that natural softness without the obvious grow out. It has been around since the 1970s and it's been making its way to the top ever since. Balayage is a french word that means "to sweep" or "to paint", which is exactly how stylist achieve this look. It is done by freehand painting the surface of the hair, lightly saturating between the root and the mid-shaft of the section and completely saturating as you move down the strand by the time you get to the ends or "tips" of the hair. This allows for natural dimension and contrast from root to end. Each stylist has their own techniques, so the results will always vary.

What's the difference between traditional foil highlights and balayage, you ask? Foil is more precise and the grow out is more noticeable, unlike balayage which is freely placed and scattered all over the head or just in certain sections with no noticeable starting point. Both techniques have their own place in the hair world. It's all about what fits your head of hair and how much maintenance you would like to do. Maintenance is very low with balayage. You can touch it up as much or as little as you like. Typically, when my clients reach their desired balayage color, they will come in anywhere from 8-10 weeks to refresh it. Using a professional color safe shampoo and conditioner will help protect the color in between appointments, helping it not to lose its luster and healthiness.

Balayage is one of favorite services I offer in the salon. I have endless techniques and methods, making this a completely customizable color. No two clients look the same and I love that. Being able to personalize someone's color, no matter if they are light or dark and emphasizing their best features with a very soft look is what makes me fall in love with this service each time I do it.

Whose ready for some balayage highlights?

LENT || Ash Wednesday || February 18, 2015

Lent. It's a time to take distractions away from your life. A time for simple living, prayer and fasting. 40 days to be exact. 40 days to "repent" and re-focus our lives. It's a time to grow closer to God. It's a time to take away the things that are getting in the way of our relationship with Him. Lent is a trial run to a new lifestyle. Going into Lent this year has weighed heavy on my heart. As I thought and prayed about what I want to give up, I literally couldn't come up with anything that I felt as a struggle to "give up" for 40 days. French fries, maybe? They really are my weakness. I can eat a healthy meal, but put french fries in my face and I'm done for! As I prayed, "Lord, do you want me to give up french fries?" I didn't have clear sign or feeling that this is what he wanted me to do to draw closer to Him. I kept praying.

Yesterday, Fat Tuesday, the day I really needed to figure out what I am giving up for 40 days and I am slammed at work, running behind and I can barely breath. I had 5 minutes to sit down, I look at my phone and my best friend Jessica had sent me an article link, "Why you need to know your own soul before you look for a soulmate." I read it and it's a great article. Single, married, young, old, it doesn't matter! Read it. I linked it for you. It's just a push of a button.

I call my best friend after work. We chat about the article, what we relate to, what we need to be more mindful of, etc. We can agree that we both are just silly, 20 something year olds that really don't know what love is supposed to look like at this point in our life. I've always been a firm believer in truly loving yourself before being involved in a relationship. I feel that I have done a good job at it. I don't try to "find" a relationship and I definitely don't want a Jerry Maguire, "you complete me" in my life.

Which leads me to what I am giving up this year for Lent....

Dating.

That's right... Dating. Dating is different for everyone, so let me explain the kind of dating I am talking about.  The kind of dating that two people meet socially for companionship, beyond friendship. It's so exciting you take an extra hour to get ready or buy a new outfit. The type of dating that you call your best friend because it was so great, or not so great. The kind that you're hoping for a Goodnight kiss. Someone that you are truly interested in and maybe would go steady with. The kind of dating that could potentially lead to marriage.

I am choosing to take dating out of my life because I feel like it is distracting my relationship with God.  My most recent ex and I separated just shy of 6 months ago. I wanted zero to do with men when we originally broke up and that still stands true today. Being in a relationship sounds exhausting right now, but honestly, who doesn't love the attention and companionship of someone else? God made us to naturally want companionship, but healthy companionship. With that being said, I have been on a few dates, a friend even convinced me to get on an internet dating site for a hot second. Nothing mind blowing or life changing happened. No wedding bells. Mostly just no connections beyond the normal interaction of two people exchanging a few words.

I know in my heart that I don't want to meet "the one" right now, so why am I going on dates and wasting my time and their time? I don't want to give a false impression and awaken someone's feelings without any intentions of reciprocating those feelings. I know what that's like, it's heartbreaking and I do not wish to do that to anyone.

It's time for me to re-focus on my career, family, friends, young life and life in general. More importantly, it's time to re-focus on my loving God. I need to grow and pull closer to him. He has graced me with a beautiful life and by focusing on him rather than my marital status, one day, dating won't seem like a chore and this will have been for the right reasons.

Now ask yourself, "What I am giving up for Lent?"