Happy Monday

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Those in the mental health field may find this a bit funnier than others, but poor, poor Monday... he has so many haters!! 

Happy Monday y'all!! 

♥,

Nicole 

10,000 viewers!!!

How did I miss this event??

I have been waiting on this event since my blog hit 1,000 viewers.

I took a glimpse and realized that sometime in the last week, my blog has hit

10,000

viewERS!!!!

This is a big deal to me...not quite sure why, but it is so I will do a little internal celebrating tonight! 

I started counting viewers in January 2010 but the website I use to count my statistics only shows me the past 52 weeks' information. Dumb. I don't know how many people viewed my blog before January 2010, but knowing that I started counting after I started my blog makes my heart smile knowing the number is even higher than it says! 

I selected the setting to count the number of individual people that visit my blog, not the number of times the public views my blog... that way I can say this many PEOPLE have seen it- and that just makes it a little more awesome!! 

Thank you, Blogger, for having a super convenient Pageviews link that gives you all kinds of stats on your blog.  I was curious, so I went to see which of my entries have gotten the most hits, and this is what I found:::

Thank you to all my friends and random people to have stumbled upon my blog! It's CRAZY to think that people from the USA, Russia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark, the Philippines, Australia, Ukraine, and the Netherlands have viewed my blog!! 

Keep on comin' back y'all! And comment, comment, comment! I love to get random comments from people I didn't know knew my blog existed. If you're one of those people, click that FOLLOW button and stay connected!! ;) 

What I've been doing to occupy my time

I have been a super horrible blogger but it hasn't been because I wanted to be!! I always have so many things going on and I've been taking pics on my iPhone with every intention of blogging about them!! Here are some very very random things I've wanted to blog about...

• Taylor Swift's Journey to Fearless is on Netflix Instant. Do yourself a favor and watch it. It's so stinkin' uplifting, positive, and if you have a daughter, I highly encourage you to let her listen to Taylor Swift. There's not many singers out there that know and care that they "help raise today's youth" and Taylor is one of them. Who am I kidding? Y'all know I love me some Taylor Swift. AND, HOW DID I NOT KNOW that she had a Speak Now DVD out?? Netflix, you should have informed me of this!! That's next on my to-watch list.  Seriously, I just need to meet Taylor. 
• So, I've still been working on healing my hair.  My friend got me a keratin treatment that was on sale at Cosmo Prof. My hair needed some serious protein to build it back up to its original health! I'm not even going to lie... the stuff worked like a miracle from God!! My hair is dramatically less crazy and the ends don't look near as fried. I'm getting another to use next month.  I learned you're not supposed to use an excessive amount of keratin on your hair, because too much protein isn't a good thing. It'll actually damage your hair. So, I'll wait a month & use it again.  I can't wait!! I used Paul Mitchells' Awapuhi Wild Ginger Keratin Intensive Treatment.  It comes with two tubes of keratin in an oil-like form. I used both on my hair (or, Addi did), and then you put the mask on it for about 10 mins.  I still have some of the mask to use in a couple days!! :) The stuff was on sale for $5 at Cosmo Prof!! I seriously need to get my cosmetology license just to be able to shop there on a regular basis. You would not BELIEVE the mark-up that salons and stores add to their products!! It's highway robbery for sure. For example, something that would be $12ish at Cosmo Prof I found at Target for $35.99!! No joke! So, between that keratin treatment today & Addi introducing me to Kenra products... I think I see some hair product shopping occurring in my near future.
• Did I tell y'all that I got Alex and iPad for our anniversary?? Yep, three years (this go-round), and all he can talk about is wanting an iPad (and a jet ski, but that's another story). Since they went down $100 when the iPad3 came out, and since there wasn't a dramatic difference in the 2 and the 3 to justify $100, I saved a bit of money & splurged for a 2. :) He was super surprised (after he realized it wasn't a digital picture frame) and he hasn't put it down since! Seriously. It's getting pretty sad.  Between Temple Run and Zombie Highway, I can't seem to get his attention! He's busy this weekend, so I forced begged him to let me use it this weekend. Yep, I bought it and I have to fight to get some time on it.  I see His and Hers iPads in our future. I'm finding the Psychology section of Stumble Upon really interesting.  Does that make me a nerd?
• My dad's painting some furniture for me... remind me to blog about that later!! I made sure to get "before pics" and I'll for sure take some after pics. 
• I got a pair of prescription eyeglasses on Coastal.com for a STEAL!!! I seriously saved over $300 since I bought there instead of at my eye doctor's office. Remind me to blog about that too. It deserves its own blog as well.
• I'm teaching my grandparents to Skype. Yep, you heard me right. They're tickled to death because Pawpaw gets to SEE his uncle that he hasn't seen in YEARS. That makes my heart smile! :) 
• And so does the fact that Pawpaw is continuing to lose weight, get his kidney function up, and feel great!! He even got in Mom's car today & drove around the block for a while. Don't laugh- it was a big deal!! We love that man and we are so glad to say that he is doing well. :) 
• I got highlights. Yeah, I can't go long without coloring my hair.  I'm working towards the lots of different colored highlights look. But I know I'll have to build up to it, especially after all the damage I did to my hair when I got that body wave perm. 
• I got my first Birchbox in the mail!! Remind me to blog about that too... (See?!?!) 
• I discovered What We Should Call Me and flooded my twitter with my favorite posts. I thought they were all hilarious but some of them were mirroring my life!! My friend Becky thought that I had a virus... LOL... no, that's just me, sharing the love!! Here's a great example.
• And I've lost 7 lbs!! Woohoo!! 

I think that about sums it up.
I told you I've had a lot on my mind to blog about. :)
Until later...

♥,
Nicole 

Hope during your season of waiting

I just wanted to remind those of you out there that have forgotten (while also reminding myself) that God is so so so good and when we think that we are missing out, it's just because He has a much more perfect plan for us.  We just see the here and now and often forget to look outside of our box and see how our disappointments could possibly be for the better. I vow to continue to try my hardest to keep the faith that God knows what He's doing and knows what's best for me more than I do.  Just when you think you can't take anymore, God finds a way to surprise you with the most richest blessings! Being patient, keeping faith, and (here's the kicker) attempting to not be so darn anxious while you wait is what pleases God the most. It also makes the ride a lot more bearable.

I hope that if you think you're missing out, or  you're bummed because something's not going your way, to please remember that God loves you and only wants what's best for you.  We often think we know what's best for us, but we don't. We really don't.

The following are some Bible verses and random quotes that I had found years ago (I'm sure it was during a time when Alex and I were not dating and I was having a hard time), but I just found so much hope in Bible verses and quotes. I still do.  I think they're super relatable and  say words that you often can't come up with yourself.  My current issues of waiting does not have anything to do with Alex. (So now y'all, this doesn't have to do with marriage, him proposing, anything of that nature. So hold the comments if you will.)  But these are something I held highly at one point, and I know that someone out there will be able to use them today for whatever it is they're going through.  They all are pretty ambiguous, meaning that they aren't specific to one area. You could be able to apply them to any period of waiting that you're currently going through.  I hope this finds it's way to those who need it.  :-)

"God may not always give us answers, but he always gives us grace."

"Sometimes it's best to forget how you feel and remember what you deserve." 

I understand that it's not understandable; only You, Lord, know EVERYTHING.

The bigger picture is so much more beautiful. ♥

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." -Proverbs 3:5-6

"Faith is being sure of what we hope for but certain of what we do not see." -Hebrews 11:1

"Beginnings are scary. Endings are usually sad, but it's what's in the middle that counts.

So, when you find yourself at the beginning, just give hope a chance to float up. And it will." -Hope Floats

"Waiting for God's perfect timing can save you years of heartbreak.

Remember, God is faithful and always keeps His promises...even if you have to wait."

"Always remember, it's not what He's keeping from you, it's what He's SAVING FOR you."

Nicole got a body wave, I mean PERM...

So, this long blog post on haircare started like this: I got a hair cut.  It was an impulse hair cut, by a new hair stylist because I had the afternoon off and just had to get a haircut.  I need a shape to my growing-out hair and wanted it right now.  I am so darn impulsive, it's not even funny! I got a recommendation of a hair stylist from a friend, called, and got an appointment for 4:00. I was so happy! I will admit: I wanted something that probably wasn't possible.  My bangs are growing out. I don't like that tapered down the face look. I wanted a shape. I didn't want to cut too much off because I was growing my hair off. So, she did exactly what I asked her to do. She attempted to even out the growing out bangs but in the end, the front was a bit shorter than the back.  I didn't want to cut the back off because I want long hair more than I want a lot of things in life. I don't know if I was going to leave happy because my hair's just in that "in between" stage, and as you know, that phase sucks. But, she did exactly what I asked her to do, so, she did a good job in my eyes, whether I loved my hair or not.

Well, I had been wanting a body wave for a really really long time. I thought, "well, if I don't love my hair cut, now's the time to get that body wave I've been wanting so I can scrunch it when I want." Right? Right? Well, not so right...

I got a body wave perm and do. not. love. it. I think it has something to do with the fact that...
A) my hair must not have been 100% healthy to begin with, so I probably shouldn't have gotten one
B) some of the strands of hair won't scrunch as well- unfortunately it's the strands at the top of my head and around my face, so, you can see how this is upsetting
C) due to point B, I can't wear it down, and when I do, it's not pretty
D) it is much curlier than I wanted it to be, you know, on the strands that worked. I wanted a body wave, not straight up perm. {yes, I know body waves are considered a type of perm, but y'all know what I mean!}
E) it takes me longer to straighten my hair
F) I can't have my hair permanently straightened for another while. I'm currently trying to let my hair HEAL.

Went straight home & styled it myself with what products I had...Still was deciding my feelings

You can see in the picture above how curly it actually was. No wave here.. just straight up curls! Also, you see how my bangs are curly at the root and then not so curly at the ends? That's probably due to the fact that either the stuff wasn't left on the right amount of time OR my hair wasn't healthy enough to handle the chemicals and just fried.

Day 2 morning = why I was in a panic!

Day 2: Got to wear it half up already.. on my way to get products!

Thanks to my sweet friend Cassie, I learned a bit about styling curly hair. She has naturally super curly hair so knew what worked, what didn't work, everything. It was so nice to have her walk with me into Cosmo Prof and say "You need this!"   

She recommended the following:

Sebastian Professional Whipped Creme

I HIGHLY recommend this stuff if you have curly hair.  The can looks just like a whipped cream can, and the stuff looks just like whipped cream.  This is for you curly headed people who want to have defined curls without that crunchy look. This stuff saved my life.  I may or may not have used too much of the stuff. I bet it doesn't require as much as I used, but as you can tell from my statements above, I was desperate.  I ran out of the stuff within two weeks. {Don't judge me!}

It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product

Okay, so, the lady who did my hair used this stuff on my hair.  Then I saw she had some stuff for sale and I knew I needed some products.  I was debating between this and another thermal protectant.  Then I realized that this is a condition and a thermal protectant.... and repairs dry, damaged hair {need that!}, adds shine, smooths and controls frizz {gonna need that!}, stops hair breakage {need that!}, prevents split ends {need that!}, plus other things! She has this stuff for $12 and I thought "Not bad!" so I tried it, LOVED it, and have used half the bottle already. Again, I don't think your hair requires that much product, but I am desperate.  After I started mentioning it to people, I found out that this product is apparently the world's best kept secret. People use it for curly hair, straight hair, whatever! It's just a fabulous leave-in product that I will probably use for the rest of my life now. 

I also went to Wal-Mart to see what they had.  I bought the following:

VO5 Hot Oil Treatment

because an "intense conditioning treatment" sounded like something I needed. And it was less than $5.

Organix Renewing Moroccan Argan Extra Penetrating Oil

Disclaimer: The stuff I have looks almost like the picture about, but the link is to the stuff I actually bought. I bought the "Extra" Penetrating Oil, for dry and course hair.  I don't naturally have dry or course hair, but I was in a panic, and knew that this body wave perm had fried my hair, and my thought process went a little something like this: "fried = dry." Anyways, I love this stuff! The website says it "penetrates, moisturizes, renews, and creates softness and strength while protecting your hair from harmful styling heat and UV damage, giving you smooth, sexy tresses." That it does! I personally wear it more when I'm wearing my hair curly, but this stuff is worth the $5ish it costs! The benefits sound like a lot of the benefits of the It's a 10 leave-in product, but it IS oil, so don't use too much! :-)

Organix Weightless Healing Oil

The website says "This exotic precious formula of Moroccan Argan Oil Weightless spray instantly heals split ends, creating soft frizz-free perfection while protecting your hair from harmful styling heat and UV damage, giving a smooth, glossy, shine." And that it does! I spray it on before I blow dry it, and when I'm done straightening my hair, I spray a bit in my hands, then swipe my hands through the hair to prevent frizz! And, again, I thought my hair could use some "healing oil."

Oh! AND...

Joico K-PAK Shampoo & Conditioner

I saw these huge bottles of Joico K-PAK shampoo and conditioner for $16.99 each and thought they were a God-send! I previously have used Joico's K-PAK Deep-Penetrating Reconstructor and LOVED it.  It's an extra conditioner to use, to leave it for 5-10 minutes, and then to have the most conditioned hair ever, that's apparently more "repaired" than before.  I love the stuff & can't decide if I was surprised or not to see that Kourtney Kardashian was talking about also loving the stuff! Anyways, the K-PAK line was introduced to me by my fabulous friend, Ashley, and it's for damaged hair! {Aka.. what you have after you get a body wave perm and probably wasn't supposed to.}  I went to Ulta and swiped up a trial size of the Deep-Penetrating Reconstructor when I saw it for $5. Unfortunately it was only 1.7 fl oz. but I may get 2 or 3 uses out of it, so that's a good thing! I definitely recommend it for a weekly mask for your hair. And I'm loving the shampoo and conditioner.  I don't think I would trust any other shampoo or conditioner on my hair at this point in time.

SO...

I went about a week without using ANY heat on my hair after I did this. And I survived!!! Now I only straighten my hair 2-3 times a week, as opposed to every. single. day, which is what I used to do. I really just want to let my hair breathe and heal. It and I are not BFFs right now. And I don't blame it for being mad at me.  :-/