//my subtle blonde ombre//

I cannot believe summer is winding down and Cormac is on the verge of starting pre-school.

Eek!

In honor of "back to school" season I recently got my hair cut and highlighted.

(Just kidding...I did it just because I desperately needed a trim.)

I decided to try the ombre trend by keeping my natural light ash brown on top, 

and adding some subtle blonde highlights on the bottom half...

Okay, so I realize my dark + grainy phone pic makes it hard to tell... but I love the beachy, updated vibe it gives my long hair.  The price tag was a little steep, though...so I will definitely be keeping it long for a while to make this splurge worth the cash!

Ah, if only ombre had been in style when I was fifteen!   Then growing out my hair after dousing in with Sun-In all summer wouldn't have looked so ridiculous...

'1996 ombre' - aka "really bad roots"

Perhaps my new 'do will help people stop asking where in the world my kiddos get their blindingly bright blonde hair?  Probably not.  But here are some more photos dug out of the archives to prove that, yes, I once had some natural blonde locks...oh, and a bit of natural curl!

little g - age 2

probably 3 or 4

my 6th birthday party - still rockin' some blonde wispies in that ponytail

My hair started getting darker around age eight.  So perhaps my two little blondies will turn out to be brunettes in the end.

Has anyone else out there tried ombre?   I think it is one of those really fun trends that we will all kick ourselves for in twenty years and whip out embarassing photos.  Along with the high-waisted shorts and crop tops (that I definitely won't be rockin' any time soon.)
Check out my hair inspiration board on Pinterest if you are thinking about ombre yourself!

Hope everyone is having an amazing week!

mama confessions : six tips to feeling attractive {no - SEXY!} in the third tri

Yes, I said it.  The 'S word.'  Sexy.

My first pregnancy I don't remember feeling like a total slob.  This is probably because I was still working a normal job where I got dressed in nice, tailored clothing and wore heels.  I put on makeup every day.   When my Hubby left for work I wasn't in a bathrobe, my hair a crazy mess, with dark circles under my eyes from lack of sleep (since I slept much better last pregnancy.)

last pregnancy - 40 weeks

This pregnancy I have, in general, felt not sexy.  I'm not saying I look ugly or that Hubby is not attracted to me - I just feel really, really blah.  

I am sure I am not the only mama who has felt this way during pregnancy, particularly in her third tri.  Right?

So in an effort to feel a little better about myself I searched for ways to 'get my groove back' in this third trimester of pregnancy...

1. Self tanner.  I feel better tan.  If you feel sexy pale, more power to you; however, I am willing to invest in bronzer or going for a spray tan if that is going to help me feel sassier.

my go-to "insta-tan" bronzer

wearing pink {and lipstick} really helps :D

2. New clothes.  Not talking about going on a major shopping spree here.  Even a new necklace or boldly colored scarf from Target can help.  Since I have sworn off clothes shopping until after this pregnancy, I satisfied my urge for a new outfit by unpacking all my maternity spring and summer clothes.  I have a LOT of cute dresses that fit my bump (or mu-mus as I like to call them.)  I tried a few on and felt sexier.  Now the weather just has to cooperate...

3. New hair style!  Again, trying to be thrifty I did NOT go to the salon, rather I colored my hair at home.  By myself.  Red!  Okay, well, technically it is 'dark auburn brown,' which is not extremely red, but redder than I have ever gone before.  I have previously written about my wish for red hair.  Turns out I LOVE IT.  I feel sexier as a redhead.  It really doesn't look drastically different, and maybe others think I am cuckoo for doing it...but it is fun and definitely makes me feel sexier.  Score. {will post pics soon when I have the time to take with decent camera!}

4. Have more sex.  This may seem like a no-brainer, but if you are not feeling sexy and then realize you  really haven't been having sex with your husband as often as usual, it may help to increase that.  Even when you are ginormously pregnant I am pretty sure your husband is into you.  So forget that you are overly exhausted, bloated, and hormonal...and just do it.  Just sayin'.

Source: Greta on Pinterest

5. Work out.   Getting sweaty at the gym makes me feel a million times better.  It is not just a body thing, but a mind thing.  So get those endorphins pumping!!!

6. Be happy.  Audrey Hepburn said it best when she stated, "Happy girls are the prettiest girls." I am definitely guilty of getting stuck in a negative rut.  I'll fully admit I can be a terrible nag, and a world-class complainer sometimes.   I don't think nagging and complaining on occasion are awful things, unless they take over your mindset completely.  (In fact, I think people who are ALWAYS waxing positive/roses and sunshine are rather dull/fake/trite.)  However, finding things to be happy about even when the weather sucks, your house is a complete renovation disaster, you have cankles  AND you resemble a waddling hippopotamus is crucial.  So I've been trying to be more laid-back and positive about the things I can't control, and focus on the good things!  There are many!

Source: theniftyfifties.tumblr.com viaSue on Pinterest

So that's my list.
What makes you feel sexier when in a rut... 

(preggo or not)?
g

pixie cut

I finally chopped my hair. I've been wanting to do for a while, having admired pixie cuts for years, but always felt maybe my face was just too round.  ???  Anyway, decided to just do it.

I went for the longish version,
inspired by these gorgeous {round-faced!} ladies...

Source: trendyshorthaircuts.com via Greta on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Greta on Pinterest

Do I like it?  Yes.

Now I want it even shorter! Then I think I would love it.

Cormac and Hubby like it, too...

which is good, since they have to look 

at me every day!

Ever chopped your hair short?

Did you love it? 

Have a hard time parting with your long locks?

g

{makeupless me}

Are you comfortable in your own skin?  I mean - your own skin.  Not that which you conceal, powder, paint, and bronze...but the stripped-down, raw version of you.

I am speaking, of course, literally and metaphorically.

When my blog friend Tanya started her Makeupless Me series recently, I knew I had to join in.  So much of what she wrote about this topic rings true with me.  We need to love and appreciate ourselves in every form.  Even the pale, tired-looking, flawed version.  Makeupless.

This is me.   I am thirty years old.  I have crow's feet.  The lines on my forehead, though not pronounced, are deepening.  There is sun damage from years of using a tanning bed, as well as not using sunscreen consistently.  Also, after my pregnancy (strangely not during) I developed a dark pigmentation on my upper lip that seems to be here to stay.

I could look at this picture and get sad over the aging and the damage.

But I don't, because this is me.  Aging.  Damaged. 

I think of the life I've gotten to live -- the years I've been blessed with that have put the age on my face, and I know have to be thankful.  For the laughter, the surprises, the healthy pregnancy, and the sunny vacations.  For the years.

Some people don't get thirty years.  Some get hardly any in comparison, and yet they make the best of every day.  Case in point:  Josiah Viera.  When I saw this video on ESPN the other day I sobbed from beginning to end.   I sobbed because of how selfish I am, and how often I take the smallest things for granted.  I sobbed because I'm a mother to a healthy baby boy, completely undeservedly, and I cannot even fathom the idea of outliving him.

Pause my playlist at the bottom of the page, then please watch this video:



Be thankful for your years.  For your age.  For every line and spot on your face that says you have lived and you are still alive.

g

no more XS

Since having my baby, I have suffered a severe 

style identity crisis.  

Before my pregnancy I worked a lot -- as a shoe store manager for years, and then several in an office.  My style was business chic:  tailored pants and button-down shirts from Express, mainly. Oh, and lots of really cute high heels.   My casual wardrobe consisted mainly of:  flared jeans and tight embellished tank tops in the summer,  and tight v-neck sweaters in the winter.  

Now, as a stay-at-home mama,  I have no use for any of the business clothing, rarely wear heels, and my post-baby figure does not warrant anything involving the word "tight."  Let me explain... 

The other day I was out with friends and I realized I felt uncomfortable.  Not because of the conversation, or because I had eaten too much...but because my darn sweater kept creeping up.   I kept reaching back to pull it down, even though my back was to the wall and no way anyone would see my unmentionables...but it still made me uncomfortable, and therefore not as able to focus as well as I could have on the conversation.

I think the key to looking good is feeling good inside...because it shows in your smile and your eyes.  I don't think I look good when my mind is saying, "Pull your sweater down so your undies don't show!"  and "I shouldn't have ate that ice cream because now my jeans feel like they are squashing my lower organs!"

Inspired by my gorgeous blog friend Sarah at Modern Country Style in this post I decided to clear out my closet.  One afternoon while baby napped, I purged any of my pretties that had these two letters inscribed on the tag: XS

I'm just not extra small, and haven't been for a while.  So why, oh why, have I held on {and even bought more of} this size?  I am a 30-year-old woman with a baby.  I'm simply not extra small.  On a good day I'm "small."  On most days I'm "medium."  Or as my husband coined:  "Smedium."

And I'm okay with that.  I look back at photos of myself when I really was "extra small" and I don't think I look my most beautiful.  I know I didn't "feel" my most beautiful.

So I'll take "Smedium" any day of the week.  Because I'm way more happy now.

 Goodbye pretty dresses that don't fit/aren't flattering anymore...

Except this one...because every girl needs a LBD.  And Hubby likes it:

I tried on everything I own, discarding what I didn't LOVE.  I ended up with a very empty closet.  Kind of like a clean slate.  The few garments I kept were only those that  I really thought were comfortable and flattering.

I'm not in any hurry to go out and buy new clothes.  Why?  Because five days a week I wear t-shirts and black sweatpants, like these:

When I do go shopping for some new threads, you can bet I will be more wise about my spending.  I will try on everything before purchasing and, as wishful as my thinking may be, I will not buy anything "extra small."

Plus, I want to try to figure out what my personal style is now.  It certainly has changed a lot in the past five years.   I only want to buy items that coincide with my style...whatever that is.  It will be fun shopping and figuring it out.  :)

Do you hold onto clothes that don't fit?  How would you describe your "personal style"?  How has it evolved over the years?

g

14 days of loves: day 8 {Jergen's Natural Glow Foaming Daily Moisturizer}

...otherwise entitled: Confessions of a Tanorexic. Well, former tanorexic.

This is not to joke.  I know there really are girls/women out there that are addicted to tanning.   It was never a real addiction for me. I didn't go to multiple salons and tan multiple times a day...

but there was a time in my life when I was simply too tan.

Don't believe me?  Check it out:

 I was 19 here. 

I would tan probably 3 or 4 times a week during this period, in a low-pressure/high-likelihood-of-burning bed.    

Clearly I thought raccoon eyes looked good. 

Needless to say, all that tanning leaves me now, 10 years later, with probably more moles, sunspots, and wrinkles than I would have otherwise.

Yes, if I could go back in time, I definitely would not have tanned quite so much.

 I continued to tan since then, but not to such an extreme.  I went through various "pale periods."   I even started actually using sunscreen.

But last year, when I got pregnant,
my semi-regular {bad} habit of tanning came to an abrupt halt.   I had no desire to "overheat" my baby or any of the other crazy stories that I read would happen if you tan while pregnant.
It wasn't hard to stop at all --
 I was too tired to drive to a tanning salon anyway!

So I ended up pretty pale by the end of my pregnancy...

even though it was mid-summer....

and I was okay with that.

However, I cannot deny: I like being tan.

Not overly-tan, like above, but with a nice
subtle, healthy, beachy glow.

So, I've turned to self-tanning.

I've tried spray-tans at the salon, but unless I do the palest possible shade I end up looking "orangey." 

Plus, with Baby it is rather inconvenient to ever go tanning anywhere.

I've tried lotions, but those have left me pretty streaky.

My latest find:

Jergen's Natural Glow Foaming Daily Moisturizer...

I actually use the "fair to medium" version...and I LOVE it!

It doesn't smell, it is really lightweight, dries quickly and leaves my skin soft.  

Did I mention I love it?

I exfoliate during my morning shower and apply after drying off for smooth results.

I  just use it instead of my normal body lotion.

I saw nice results after 3 days --

highly recommend if you are looking for a 

UV-Free glow!

Still looking for a good facial self-tanner

that is within my scant beauty budget.

Anyone have one they love, that is not too pricey?

'Til I find one, I'll stick with a little bit o' bronzer now and then. 

And sunscreen every. single. day.

g

14 days of loves: day 6 {lip gloss}

I have a problem. 

 No, seriously.  The other day I was cleaning out dumping out my purse and came across this...

All from Victoria's Secret...except the Lancome one, second from left.  A stocking stuffer this year from my MIL Karen - who apparently knows my problem.  And the Burt's Bee's lip balm isn't gloss...but I typically have a bunch of those lying around as well.

Five tubes of flavored lip gloss.  In my purse.  

This is not counting all the others that I have in my makeup drawer.   Not sure how I accumulated this many lip glosses...but I do love them.   

Ladies, isn't it funny how you can put on lipstick and feel a little bit better about yourself?

Anyone else have an inordinate amount of lip gloss/lipstick in their purse?

Happy Wednesday!

g

14 days of loves: day 5 {Falsies}

Now, I won't normally blog about makeup. Mainly because I am a cheapskate and the only makeup I will buy must be found at a drugstore.  Everyone likes to spend their extra money on different things...and for me, that is travel, wine and food.  Beauty products take a waaaay backseat in my life.  I have never even entered Sephora, M.A.C., or shopped at a department store makeup counter.  I color my own hair.  I wax/pluck my own eyebrows.  I can count the number of mani/pedis I get per year on one hand finger. I will leave the hard-core beauty blogging to those who really know.

However, my blog friend Christi over at Between 3 Sisters recommended Maybelline Falsies mascara in this post.  I was intrigued {Christi's makeup always looks amazing!} so when I was at my local Walgreens I picked up a tube of Falsies.  My verdict:  LOVE.  Of course.  That is why I am posting it as Love #5. :)  Plus, I paid only 7.99!

I really did get great volume on my meager lashes.  The "spoon brush" is something I've never seen before, and seemed to really coat the lashes without getting clumpy.  I tested it Friday night before going out to a girlfriend's birthday celebration.  I used three coats.  Not sure what is normal/correct???

my eyes not really that blue.  fun with saturation!

Now, can anyone recommend a good self-tanner???  

I am paaaaale.

:o)
g

14 days of loves: day 1 {B&B Surf Spray}

{From now until Valentine's Day I will be posting one thing each day I "love" right now - in addition to my regular posts.  Enjoy!}

Love for Day #1: Bumble and Bumble 'Surf Spray'

I have always hesitated to buy these salty surf sprays because I thought they would make my hair sticky and gooey.  My hair is prone to get oily anyway, so I don't want make matters worse.  However, my stylist convinced me when I recently chopped 10 inches off my hair that my new haircut would require a little product.  Product.  I never like to hear that word uttered by my stylist as I always feel like I'm being pressured to buy stuff I don't need.  As you probably know, I am really cheap.  So I usually listen to the spiel and then politely say, "Um, I'll think about it." even though I don't really need to.

But my recent haircut, named "the shab" by the fashion mags because it is a cross between a "shag" and a "bob" 

Source: usmagazine.com via Melissa on Pinterest

(apparently "the slob" didn't sound as cute) had me feeling like I needed something.   My stylist convinced me that all I would need was this Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray.  A couple of spritzes, whether my hair is wet or dry, and a few "scrunches" with my fingers was all it would take...

And she was right.  I don't blow dry.  I don't curl.  I don't flat iron.  I don't even need hairspray or dry shampoo.

Sure, it does look a little disheveled...but it's supposed to!

Plus, this is on my third day of styling (as I only wash every 3rd day.)  Not too "shabby." :)

I love it.  It's easy, modern, and did I mention easy?  Perfectly easy for a new mama stayin' at home...and sassy enough for a night out.  And I only need one fabulous product.

Another lovely 'love' tomorrow for Day 2!

g

{i feel pretty, oh so pretty} : my top 5 beauty must-haves

What makes you feel {pretty}?

(And who now has that song stuck in their head?)

The last couple days I have been feeling very blah so I decided to whip out my Top 5 Beauty Must-Haves that make me feel oh-so-pretty and share them with you...

1. Baby oil.

Not trying to be weird here, but I love baby oil. I use it instead of body lotion. Partly because I am lazy, and partly because I am cheap. For $3/month my skin stays glowing and baby soft, and it is easy to just slather it on after a shower, quick rinse, towel dry. Lurrrve my baby oil.

2. High heels.

These are not my fabulous legs or my Louboutins, but even I can go from shlup to sassy just by putting on a pair of 4 inch heels. Sometimes I wear them around the house. With my sweatpants. Just 'cause.

{posh}

3. Bronzer.

I'm no Snookie...but I love to be tan. At least a little tan. So when I am going out and feel a little pale I am instantly energized when I use some mineral bronzer with a touch of glitter. Oh yes, I did, in fact, say glitter.

4. Bright scarves!

This is my go-to accessory to feel lovely. Jeans, t-shirt, scarf. Something about a fun, bright pattern hanging loosely around my neck makes me feel cozy and chic at the same time...and brightens my mood!

{anthropologie}

5. Clear lip gloss.

You know, the really shiny, plumping kind? I don't know why I bother, as it ends up being licked off unconsciously within the first hour, but for that first five minutes my lips look, well, fantastic - and shiny!

{So what are your top 5 beauty must-haves?}

G