Afternoon, Darlin’.  Now that your hair’s health is under control and trimmed, lets take a look at some hair color trends for this season.

Up first, my favorite: streaks of color.  Its something that can be customized to fit any style and taste.  You can go heavy or light, bright or subtle.  This is one I definitely think I want to try soon.  What I love about this one is that, as long as your hair is light, you can use temporary.  Temporary is damage free and washes away.  I’m thinking purple.

The Beauty Department
Hair Love by Haarrtek
RUNWAYCRAZY

Another trend we’re still seeing is the sun kissed ends.  If you’ve never colored your hair {or at least in several, several months}, you may notice that your hair is slightly lighter toward the ends that the new growth {root}, because of sun exposure.  This is now a look that is being done on purpose.  It even has its own name: ombre.  Its a very natural, pretty look when done subtly, and a fun, dramatic one when drastic.

Easy Curls
Style Corner
Girly Do Hairstyles

The observation I’m coming away with, though, is that people are becoming less and less intimidated by color.  I’m thrilled about that!  These are just two more subtle examples of the trends.  If you like more extreme looks, you should try bold colors.  And if you can’t decide which one, throw them both in there.  Whether its blonde and red or blue and green, blending two and three different hues in there can add my depth and pow to your hairstyle.

After all this bright inspiration, I can’t decide what I want to do!  This is a style I wore a couple years ago which would have been perfect for this season!  I suppose I’ll just settle with some highlights and maybe a splash of purple in there some there, sometime.  I love the ombre look, but it seems to work best on longer hair, which I’m not quite to, yet.

Do you have any plans of brightening your shade for the changing seasons?  Highlights?  A new shade?  Or maybe just a new cut?  How are your changing up your hair?

Afternoon, love!  I just wanted to take a minute to note how beautiful the weather has been the past couple days!  Today, I’ve decided to take my work outdoors.  I had lunch and am now enjoying some sweet tea out here on my back patio.  Its a bit windy, but nothing a light jacket can’t fix.

I stopped by Kroger on my way home from class and grabbed a pack of sushi from the deli.  I was overjoyed to notice they have finally set out their seeds for this Spring.  Can’t wait to get some things growing in the back yard!

Hope you’re having a lovely day!

Hey there, darlin’!  Its been a mighty long time since there’s been a Locks & Ringlets post.  Is your hair missing the love?  Let’s take a minute to show them locks a little TLC, shall we?

Spring is just around the corner and its time for some sprucing, wouldn’t you say?

I’ve put together a short series to help you whip things in shape.  For today, I have just three words for you: moisturize, clarify and protect.  Ok one more: chop.

At the top of the list is moisturize.  As we all know, winter is the dry season.  The hair lacks humidity, in the winter, and the windy days just make it worse.  We also know that with warm weather comes sun and swimming.  All of these things wreak havoc on your hair.

To prepare your hair for the coming seasons {and mend the past}, I suggest grabbing a good conditioner.  A moisturizing conditioner, if you have regular to dry hair, or a moisturizing shampoo, if you have more oily hair.  Also, another good idea would be to invest in a deep conditioner to use a couple times a month and maybe a leave in.

Number two: clarify.  With the regular use of products and the prospect of more time outside {pollution}, your hair collects build  up quickly.  Kind of like plaque and not brushing your teeth.  The color isn’t so nice and the shine–what shine?  I suggest using a clarifying shampoo once or twice a month {depending on how much product you use}.  This will lighten your hair {giving it more bounce} and thoroughly clean it {shiny?}.

Next, its time to get a hair cut.  I know how you are.  Putting off haircuts for months at a time.  Shame on you {I look in the mirror while I say this, too}.  I understand, though: money is tight, where is the time and you’re growing it out.  I know, I know.  But really, this time.   You need to get rid of those dry split ends before they split all the way up the hair shaft.If you want your locks lookin’ lovely, you need to do it.  Even if its only a half inch.

And last, but not least: protect.  We should already be doing this if we use any sort of heat on our hair.  Also, like I was saying earlier: warmer weather means more time outside.  We wear sunscreen to protect our skin and we actually need to do the same for our hair.  The outside world can cause both damage and color fade.  But the good news is there are tons of products out there to help.  My favorite is Joico K-Pak Protect & Shine Serum.

And that wraps this list up.  Stick around for more Spring hair talk.  I’ll be writing about trending styles and color, as well.

In order to keep up, I invite you to subscribe to Fuzzy Little Wishballs.  There’s a little box under my photo to the right that asks for your email.  I promise not to spam or sell your email.  *pinky promise*

Hello, darlin’.  Hope this post is finding you well on this chilly Saturday.  I just wanted to drop you a quick note to make you aware of a few things.

First off, If you’ll notice on the lower right hand side of the page, there’s a new button.  One of my blogger friends requested a button swap with a few of us bloggers.  Be quite a fan of her page, I jumped at the opportunity.  So, I hope you’ll scroll down and click over to Naomi’s sweet little page.   {p.s. if you’re interested in doing a button swap, contact me at meghannLchapman{at}gmail{dot}com}

Second off, I wanted to point out the new comment platform I’ve installed on the page.  This new way of commenting should help make our interactions more easy, appealing and, well, hopefully more frequent.  I can’t wait to hear from you to see how it works out.

Third, I have some bad news.  I didn’t get the internship.  Bummer.  Yeah, I’m a little down about it, I suppose, but not too bad.  I actually feel very comforted in the fact that I’m learning to ask God for HIS plans to come through.  I, of course, make Him aware of my wishes and desires, but also admit that He is the one with THE plan and that’s the one I want to follow.  Seems to be working out pretty well.  Considering how much I really wanted this position, I’m not near as down about it as I expected to be.

And finally.  I wanted to make sure we are as connected as can be.  Yes, I started this blog as a way for myself to grow creatively, but I also did so as a way to connect with others.  I’ve met so many super cool people through this whole blogging experience.  I want to continue to grow that network.  There are several ways we can do this: Facebook and Twitter will probably give us the most interaction.  To keep up with the blog, I suggest subscribing {to the right} or grabbing my RSS feed {the little orange box on the right} and adding it to your choice of reader {Google Reader, BlogLovin’…}.

That ’tis all, love.  Hope the rest of your weekend is fabulous!

I don’t know if you knew this or not, but we kind of like dandelions, around here–hence Fuzzy Little Wishballs.  Back story?  Well, I guess I didn’t ever share one or give an explanation.  I just figured it was a given, I suppose.  There’s nothing to it, really.  Let me fill you in real quick.

When Lilie started getting old enough to understand me and talk back, play time became more and more interesting.  She loved being outside from the moment we left the hospital that sunny August day, four and a half years ago.  Every time I walked out the door with her, she pushed herself back away from my body as if basking in the warmth of the sun.  It was so neat to see this tiny little creature enjoying something other than feeding, burping, rocking or sleeping.

Anyway, back to the story.  Lilie and I were outside exploring in the yard one day when she stumbled upon a flower.  It was a little yellow dandelion.  I remember her being so excited to have found a flower and proud to present it to Mommy.

Then, she stumbled upon a fuzzy-looking one.  Being so young, I knew I’d confuse her with an explanation of how they were actually the same.  I thought I’d have a little fun with it, instead.  I told her it was a fuzzy wishball and you were supposed to blow on it and make a wish {kind of like a shooting star}.

But it didn’t end there.  Lilie loves the idea of them and searches all over to collect them, like jewels, making as many wishes as she can.  So many people have asked what we were talking about and really taken a liking to idea, as well.

Dandelions seem to hold some meaning, though.  They remind me of being a child and also of the love I have for my own little one.  They also remind me that we are always His children, no matter what.  They make me think whimsical and lovely thoughts.  Ideas of adventure and mystery.

Dandelions are always thought of as weeds, but are they?  Weeds are merely unwanted plants, right?  Well, they’re not unwanted, here.  I’ve given them a place in my garden.  I even entertained the idea of getting a small tattoo of one {which has not been completely crossed out, yet}.

So, when it came time to think of a name for my blog, it was pretty much a given.  Nothing else seemed to fit.

Are you wondering where I’m getting at with all this?  Tea.  Dandelion tea.  We finally made some for the very first time, the other night.  I was leery of it because of the pungent taste I’d read about.  But with a spoonful of honey, it was just fine.  Lilie happily slurped it right down.

First, we rounded up about 5 or 6 small dandelion leaves {winter left us lacking}.  We tore the leafy part off of the stems and rinsed them of dirt.  We then poured boiling water over the leaves in our cup.  Let it steep for about 10 minutes then added honey.  You can use fresh or dried leaves.

Dandelion actually holds a lot of benefits:

• nutrients such as vitamin A, K, C, calcium, iron, potassium and several more
• reduces inflammation of the liver
• helps with weight loss
• helps lower blood pressure
• the fiber helps with cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and cancers
• helps lower the effects of stress
• helps with acne, eczema and psoriasis
• helps digestion and eases stomach aches
• aids in cleansing your system

And that’s not all.  Do a little research and I’m sure you’ll find tons more.  I can’t wait to get my herb garden started, this year.  Happy sipping!

Have you ever tried using herbs, other than those prepared, for making tea?  What was your recipe?

Anyone who ever had the pleasure of a Sunday lunch {or holiday dinner} held in the home of my Mamaw Ree, will tell you she was the best cook, hands down.  You talk about some down home southern country cookin’.  That lady had it.

Though I may not be able to choose one dish to call my favorite, her fried corn was definitely up there on the list.  Mamaw’s corn was not just regular corn scraped out of a can.  No, no.  Mamaw’s corn was always lovingly grown and picked from her very own garden.  Want me to share her wonderful recipe?  I made it just the other night.

You start with corn on the cob {sweet corn is best}.  Grab a knife and a skillet and cut your corn off the cob.  I used five ears of corn. Turn the burner up to medium and throw in some butter.  I love buttered corn, so I used two table spoons.  Don’t give me that look!  You can use less if you like.  

Then I slowly added about one cup of milk.  Add it a little at a time.  Then cover and let it cook, being sure to stir often.  Depending on how sweet your corn is and your taste, you may add a little sugar.  Its your call.  I added just under 1/4 a cup to my batch.  

Continue to cook until your mixture is creamy and the corn is soft to chew {mine took about 20-25 minutes}.  Then pull off the burner and you’re finished.  

Mamaw Ree’s fried sweet corn.  Yummm-eeee.  Oh, the memories that come to mind.

Do you have any favorite family recipes?  Lets share them in the comments below!  I’d love to hear from you.

Things are definitely off, lately.  I’ve felt a creepy dark pit in my belly for days.  Clueless as to what was causing it, I think I’ve figured it out.  Stress.  I’ve felt anxious and nervous for a couple weeks now, but haven’t had any major tasks of my own to blame it on {other than an interview}.

However, Billy is still searching for work and it is really affecting us.  I’m finding this unemployment thing to affect more than just finances.  Its totally mental, too–for both of us.

But this week, we had Valentine’s Day.  It was some sunshine through the clouds.

Lilie and I had fun creating some little potato stamps to make Valentine’s for her class party.  She was so excited and talked about it for days.  When the party came and I think it ended up being more than she hoped for.  We chose not to attach candy to her cards, but pretty much everyone else did.  She was thrilled.

Valentine’s Day is definitely one of her favorite holidays right now.

That night, we all went out, as a family, for a fancy dinner.  When I say ‘fancy‘ I mean a place with a playground and small bill.  Us, girls, were treated to roses, as well.

Oh! And I almost forgot to share my favorite part of the day!  Lilie made the sweetest little Valentine for bring home to us.  She is constantly making ‘rockstar’ and ‘I love you’ hands.  This Valentine is so her.  I loved it so much I immediately framed and hung it up.

And that pretty much wraps up my week.  I did have a pretty awesome interview on Tuesday, as well, but more to come on that later.  I won’t know anything until next week, so I’m holding my tongue until I hear from them.

Have a lovely weekend!!

Funny Story:    Today as soon as Lilie woke up, we told her ‘Happy Valentine’s Day.”  She’s excited about her party at school.  

Some back story: A month or so ago, I bought Lilie her first set of days-of-the-week undies {don’t tell her I told you this}.

We pulled to the door at her school and as one of her teachers was unloading her from the car for school, he asked her, “Lilie Jo, do you know what today is?”  She leans up to me in the front seat and whispers in my ear, “Mommy, what day do my underwear say?”

I laughed and told her he meant what was special about today.  Then it clicked.  She giggled and exclaimed, “Valentine’s Day!”

For those of you married or in a long term relationship, you probably have experienced times of can’t-get-enough-of-your-lovin’s.  But then again, you’ve also probably experienced times of I-love-you-and-all-but-my-mind-is-distracted.  Yes?  I’ve been in one of the latter modes, lately.  I’ve had a lot come up and going on in my “professional” world, lately.  I know its bad to let that consume me, though.   I’m sure Billy is most definitely feeling neglected.

But its Valentine’s Day!  And I have a very important interview today.  So does he, actually.  But once that interview is over, I need to be ready to switch over into sweetheart mode.  How do I plan to do this?

Easy.  Just think of some of the things which make Billy such a wonderful companion for me:

• Billy is so loyal and faithful to me.  That’s, apparently, hard to find these days.
• I love the way his hands feel on my body–and no, I do not mean that in a bedroom way.  He gives the best head and back massages.
• Billy and Lilie {my illies} are so cute together.  Seeing them playing, teasing and snuggling each other warms my heart to no end.
• He gets me.  I mean really gets me.  I always used to think that sounded so vague and cheesy when other people said it.  However, I understand it now.  Its not so much a description of someone else’s actions, but of a feeling they give you.  He completely understands me and listens to me.
• Billy is likely one of my greatest cheerleaders.  He’s always supporting me and pushing and encouraging me to follow my dreams.  I know he’ll be there with me the whole way.
• He makes me laugh.  That man is one of the biggest dorks I’ve ever met and it makes me so happy {that’s a term of endearment in my house}.

Billy is my perfect match.  He’s easy-going to balance my strict walk.  He’s spontaneous to balance my control.  He’s passive to balance my aggression.  And we are both so very passionate.  Look up the word in the dictionary before you get too giggly.

And now, I’m already over halfway to sweetheart mode.  Just let me get through this interview, and I’ll try really hard to forget about it for a few hours.

But even if I don’t, I know I have a man that still loves me and will probably share in my excitement with me.  That’s just how awesome he is. <3

p.s. My Valentine greeting to you can be downloaded below.  Who say’s it better, than Shakespeare?  Ok, so Nicholas Sparks is pretty good, too, but this sonnet has a pretty ring to it.  This printable is a 5”x7” jpeg. {also, thanks for your pinning!!}

My first drawing class was last semester.  I was definitely pushed to the edge of my comfort zone but I learned so much.  I’ve also talked about how therapeutic drawing has become for me.  I joke with my friends that I can’t afford a therapist, so I just taking drawing classes, instead.

Ok, so I don’t really have a choice, since its required for my graphic design, but yeah.  I don’t mind.

This second drawing class has already pushed me out of that confort zone.  Of course we started out drawing with our regular ole graphite pencils.  As boring as it may seem, its comfortable.  Its generally light {depending on the pencil you use} and its erasable.  Lord knows I’m no where near perfect, therefore, my eraser is my best friend.

However, our professor took away our graphite and erasers after just one week of drawing.  She then limited us to ink pen.  Ink pen! I don’t mean sketching in graphite then going over in ink.  I mean starting, drawing and finished with ink.

No more eraser, no more fixing my mistakes.  Just messy lines all over the place.  After a couple of weeks working in ink, though, I think I’m kind of getting the hang of it.

Honestly, though, I think drawing in ink is more representational to my life and there for more fitting for me.  With graphite, you can keep erasing until its just right.  You can make it just the way you like.  But with pen, your mistakes are there for all to see.  But its still beautiful.

{unfinished}

Its messy and real and you can see every mark made by the artist.  There’s no redos.  You can’t go back, erase a mark and try again.  Just like life.  Just like my life.  I’ve made so many mistakes and have so many blemishes in my life, but it all together makes the whole picture, which is me.

Without those mistakes, I wouldn’t be the woman I am now so happy to be, today.  I’m learning to love drawing/sketching with an ink pen, now {even more since we’ve started adding some color}.  Especially now that I’m able to see the beauty which secretly lies within the finished piece.

What have you done, lately, which pushed you out of your comfort zone?   Did you learn anything from it?

Notice the random mix of items in the title.  Allow me to ramble a bit, won’t you?

Today, I heard, is National Bagel day.  Since I’ve been on such a bagel kick, lately {I mean that’s all I’ve want for breakfast}, I have been more than happy to oblige.  We were out, so a trip to Panera was in order.

I celebrated the day with a most delicious asiago bagel, topped with regular cream cheese {another favorite}, with coffee on the side.  Blonde roast, to be exact.  Its ok.

This is a photo moment I just wanted to share.  Lilie was painting–err polishing {because I’m a professional}– her nails last night.  However, the task at hand wasn’t really what I was even focusing on.  Check out those curls.  Au naturel.  No product and no curling iron.

Though her curls are some times a pain to tame, I adore them.  They visually make Lilie who she is {plus her big blues}.  Any time I have ever straightened her hair for her, everyone throws a fit and says “It doesn’t even look like ‘Lilie,’”  Everyone knows her as the brave, sweet, creative, outgoing, fun loving, little curly head.  Its just not the same when the curls are subtracted from the equation.

Two more randoms, and I’m finished.

Inspiration.  Change of scenery.  I get a lot of my inspiration from what’s around me.  I also get a lot of it from what I read.  An enormous amount, actually.  But when school’s in session, I don’t have as much time for leisure books {I’ve been reading Pride & Prejudice for a month and I’m dying to finish it}.  Instead, I keep up with blogs.  That’s my leisure reading.

As I am inspired by what I see and read, I’ve noticed my own blog becoming more and more like those blogs.  Why?!  That style of blogging isn’t even my aim.  Its not me!  And isn’t that exactly what this blog is supposed to be?  A reflection of me?

Well, I’m working on that.  I’m going through my blog feed and cleaning up.  Getting rid of some guilty pleasures and adding in some more design and intellectual type bloggers instead.  Still light and easy, though.  After all, I did call is ‘leisure’ reading.

And finally.  Long underwear. {click image to go to source}

I’m so over the cold weather and the layers and trying to decide what to wear and barely being able to move and yes, I know this is a crazy run on sentence and I just wanted to add a few more words to make it even worse; go big or go home, right?

Back to long underwear.  They’re definitely no sun dress, but they’re so comfy and light, I want to wear them all the time.  Is that allowed?  Is their a fashionable way to wear them outside the house?  I mean without all the layers?

No, really.  That’s not a rhetorical question.  I really do want your suggestions!  There must be a way!