a little change for the holidays

i needed a change. and honestly…this feels a little bit more like me right now. and i kind of love them. even if i am still trying to learn how to manage them.

products used: pureology and pantene volume mousse.

and i have to admit. the head massage after my shampoo and conditioner felt amazing after the month i’ve had. Monday i found out that i have to have a larger portion of skin removed to make sure the cancer is gone and i also have to have a sentinel node biopsy. all in the same day during the same surgery. little nerve wrecking because i know i’ll have to wait to find out if the cancer had spread. and that scares me.

but today… i had some good definitive positive news. no more skin cancer! the one on my shoulder was a fluke which somehow makes me feel better.

guest post: homemade wreath

About six months ago I graduated college and moved out of my parents’ house. Moving into a new place has given me plenty of opportunity to use my decorating skills and taste. But this time between Halloween and Thanksgiving has been a little complicated. It’s still fall so the pumpkins can stay, but I had to put all my “scary” décor away. At first I had a bit of trouble thinking of what I could do to add around the house. So I decided a wreath was one way to go. (Plus I’m on a budget!)

All you will need is scissors, a ruler, a wire hangar and scraps of fabric.

Start by making the hangar into a circle. It does not have to be perfect because you won’t be seeing it once the wreath is complete.

I used fabric by Elements Jelly. They are premade scraps which makes it much more convenient to pick out fabric and to cut it up. The set I purchased was 2.5”x48” strips.

But you could grab any fabric and cut it into 2.5”x7”

I got mine from JoAnn Fabrics – remember to always google a coupon before going!

I always look one up on my phone while I’m in the store and usually I end up with 40% off!

I did not double knot these, but you can if you desire.

If you would like the wreath to be fluffier then cut your strips longer.

I didn’t follow a pattern of color with my wreath.

I just grabbed whatever color I felt like would look good next.

Ours is currently on our front door.

This craft is super easy and can also be something fun to do with children.
It can be modified to any color and theme and is wonderfully cheap.

Thank you Alex for sharing your blog with me!
I invite others to check out my blog featuring personal entries and more crafts!

guest post: holiday lip scrub

Hi Everyone! My name is Brittany and I’m a Lifestyle & Beauty blogger over at Life, Set Sail. I am so excited to be here with you today, and even more excited about the post I have to share!

This time of year I find myself fawning over anything Christmas inspired…from fashion, to home decor, to beauty. The products at Lush are downright decadent, but if you’re anything like me it’s hard to justify spending very much cash on fancy soaps and scrubs!

What if I told you, you could make your very own custom lip scrub and that you probably have at least eighty percent of the ingredients in your kitchen right now?! It’s easier (and yummier) than you think people! So let’s get to it ;)

What you’ll need:

8 teaspoons brown sugar

6 teaspoons coconut oil

6 teaspoons honey

8 drops peppermint essential oil

1 airtight container

Mix all of the ingredients together, leaving the essential oil to be added last. That’s it. Really.

This project set me back less than $10. I spent $6.99 on the peppermint oil and $2.50 on the jar. Now that I have the oil, I can make however many batches I want! This recipe made about 1/4 of a cup of scrub. You can play around with the flavour too…I think orange would be another lovely option for this.

And there you have it, a perfect little treat for your kisser and a great gift for friends too!

xx -b.

*Always make sure to sterilize your jars before you put anything in them.

calling all bloggers!

via weheartit

i’m so excited to say i have a few slots open for guest bloggers the week of the 18th !

for the last couple of months, i have been planning a trip to my favorite place: New York City. i’ll be there for five days and while i will be able to still bring you my own content, i definitely want to open it up for guest bloggers.

what i’m looking for is anything lifestyle, fashion, travel and anything holiday related. i’m open to anything, though and it will be a great opportunity to get your blog out there!

for any information, or to grab your spot now, email me at love.alexandria.lou@gmail.com

can’t wait to work with you!

love,
alexandria

a surprise ending to a dull night is always a good thing

today was just…blah.

i woke up too early on my morning off, the day dragged on before having to go into work.

so when i got a text message from a friend asking me to help her with something tonight, i was like, “YES PLEASE!”

the fabulous Jenn and i go way back. somehow through good and bad, we have always come out friends. if we haven’t seen each other in awhile, when we finally do hang out, it’s like no time has passed. she’s just awesome and i’m lucky to have a friend like her.

we met at my place and she explained she needed me to teach her how to do her hair for tomorrow night. and surprisingly, and luckily, it turned out pretty well!

but that’s not the best part. we talked for a few hours and, like always, i’m reminded how much i enjoy catching up with her.

so my dearest friend, jennifred, thank you for a great pick me up tonight.

^^^ this is from forever ago! but always one of my favorites.

giving up the bad to make room for the good

i try to be the best person i can be. really, i do.

i try to leave tips in the tip jar, even if it’s starbucks’ drive through. i make a conscious effort to drink more tap water instead of grabbing another bottle of water out of the refrigerator. my room is sometimes always clean. sometimes, people. sometimes. i always try and hold the door open for the person behind me. i’ve made sure to turn the water off and not let it run while i’m brushing and flossing my teeth. i smile even at someone who is scowling. i take off my makeup every night and wash my face every day. i try to eat more fruits and veggies and when i get mad at other drivers on the road, i seriously try to not cuss out loud or say mean things in my head. no matter how badly i want to.

these things may be so little but they are the ones that feel like i’m making progress in my life.

so when i eat that extra piece of chocolate or throw that shirt i didn’t have the three seconds to spare and hang up onto the floor, i should give myself a little break. right?

the other day i went to Swenson’s {the day of my biopsy- i needed a pick me up} and saw they had pumpkin milkshakes and i ordered a large. their larges are normally the size of a grande at starbucks. but no, people. i’m talking huge, slushie size cup from speedway or some other gas station. the kind you need a special lid to fit the diameter or the cup.

and guess what? i drank the.whole.thing. the worst part was promising myself, OUT LOUD that i would put half of it in the freezer to save for another time only to hear the familiar empty cup sound coming from my straw.

shame, alexandria. shame.

a little Q&A

i was browsing through some of my favorite blogs this morning and came across a fun little post on Note to Self. I had to share it and participate in it as well. thanks for the inspiration!

1. spring or fall?

i have to say, and i think you all know the answer to this, fall is my favorite out of these two. the air is crisp, the colors are warm despite the cooler weather and the flavors and smells that come with the season are enough to make me giddy. just thinking about them

2. your quirkiest habit?

i am extremely organized. it bugs me but is something i love. when my desk is messy, i can’t write. when my room is messy and my clothes are thrown all over the place {i swear, i’m working on it} i can’t go to sleep. yes, i have gotten out of bed after midnight to clean up my room. when i toss and turn, i know why. just look at my floor.

3. hour of the day you’re most productive?

i would say either in the morning or at night. i used to wake up at four in the morning to study for exams in college because that’s when i would remember more. but at night, when i get some time to wind down, i love doing some of the things i hadn’t had time to in the day.

4. what’s a reoccurring dream you have?

my grandma hugging me.

5. heels or flats?

being as tall as i am, i am a huge sucker for flats and i am discovering how much fun it can be to dress up an outfit just by slipping them on my feet.

6. something your readers may not know about you?

the name for this blog came from how i sign my books. i put an actual heart and then loop it into my name. it’s faster than writing ‘love’ but that’s the idea behind it: love, Alexandria.

7. one person you want to meet – living or dead?

John F, Kennedy. hands down. or Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

8. the fashion trend you’d never be caught dead in?

patterned overalls or patterned leggings. colored leggings i will do. but that’s the extent.

9. one piece of advice you would give to your thirteen year old self?

you have your whole life to worry. don’t spend so much time worrying about what other people think. be you.

(Heels photograph by Josefina Andrés)

good times, old friends, fun memories and wineries…oh my!

tonight i remembered how much i missed some very awesome people.

after over a year of not all being together at the same time, my friends cassie and Kristie were able to get together for a night out.

we went to a winery i had never been to {i know, shocker!} that i had been told great things about. and it sure was!

i’m not sure if it’s fall weather or the colors on the trees that make any winery absolutely quaint and adorable, but this place sure was. it is an old farmhouse and on the inside is perfectly set up. the only thing was it was a little too warm for everyone and made drinking wine a little hard.

now, i don’t drink a lot of wine. scratch that. i don’t drink a lot PERIOD. so when i do have a glass, it makes me fuzzier and warmer faster than normal lol. so we were pretty warm by the end of the night.

we met for dinner and between us split a guacamole turkey bagel sandwich {OMG… but the bagels still weren’t as good as they are in nyc}, a cup of their fall potato soup, and goat cheese and pita chips. it was perfection!

i love nights like these. so lighthearted and fun! and i sure did miss my girls.

^^^ i shared a bottle of locomotion a drier white, crisp wine.

a little dare

everyone seems to have a dare story hidden in the back of their mind. you know, the place people put things they don’t want to remember?

well, this isn’t one of those, thankfully.

so instead of posting this on facebook, where dare came from, i’ll post on here for the whole world to see.

don’t get too excited.

the dare is to write six random facts about me.

1. i am blessed to be able to say that I’ve been to almost every state in the united states before the age of eighteen.

2. i got my first speeding ticket, EVER, this summer at the age of twenty-three. let’s just say i was super embarrassed and will never go over 60 in a 55 ever again. ever.

3. when i was in college, i explored and studied three different majors. speech pathology and audiology, early childhood education and then English. i guess i was indecisive. or i just have many interests. but this is the reason i was in college an extra semester…or two.

4. i have a problem with wanting things to be organized and in its place. not in a crazy way but in the way that if it’s after midnight and i can’t sleep, it’s probably because of the mess on my floor and i usually get out of bed to put them away. crazy? i hope not.

5. i have two tattoos on my back {no, not my lower back or upper} that mean a whole lot to me. i spent over a year thinking about the idea before i had the guts to get them. in fort myers, FL

6. i currently have an obsession with: candles, leggings, sweaters, Kate Spade NY, bright lipstick (Nars in Red Lizard and Revlon in Love That Pink} blogging, pinteresting {why yes, i sure did make that word up}.

see, nothing too exciting. but that’s six facts about me.

now, give me six facts about you!

I dare you.

my life up until now, according to my iphone

sorry if the quality isn’t so awesome. most of these were pre-editing software that i awesomely downloaded on my iphone. enjoy.