no heat curls (shauna reed style)

i didn't invent this.

but i have seen it done and then i have experimented with how it works for me.
this is what i have found  and my funny little way of communicating how to do your hair like i do every day....though video and photos.

step one:
wash and air or blow-dry your hair till it's almost dry....like 95% dry.

step two: watch this (get ready because i talk fast...and repeat myself a lot)



some extra advise:
*the tighter you pull the hair around the headband the tighter the curl.
*i have done this over night lots of times....the longer you leave the headband in the longer the curl/wave stays...
* i've done this on ella and i leave her bangs out....still really cute.

here is some ideas for what to do while waiting for your curls to set....(just in case you are bored or something :)

watch this.
here i am watching it...and maybe sorta crying.

talk to your kids and then make them hold a daffodil so you can take their picture.
the more you do this the more they will get used to it and humor you?

then realize that none of them want to hold flowers for a photo, but they might do some "football photos" cause that's cool!

nothin' like dirty little kids playin' football in their backyard.

then you could try the "do not smile" game to a sad little fella after he has a bit of an emotional melt down about his sister "borrowing" his hat....yes, that's snot.

then ask the kids what they think you should take a picture of...

then give them the gummy worm you were promising them the whole time you were taking pictures...

ps. here is my hair the day after the curl treatment.
no heat waves.
i like it equally as much...

 

wait, what did i wear wednesday again?

i've always wanted to do a 

"what i wore wednesday" post.

but it's hard!

i have to remember to take pictures of myself and my whole outfit.

plus, it's hard to remember when i wore stuff.

was that monday or last week?

i can't remember... ( i guess you don't HAVE to know when you wore it, i'm just making excuses)

wha wha...

well, i finally did it.

stripey tank---forever 21

jean short cut offs---a little boutique that i forget the name of

floppy hat---nordstrom's rack

cheeky grin---God's little blessing

dress---i made it from a vintage vogue pattern (eeeekk)

shoes---target

(yay! i actually had shoes on! that doesn't usually happen until i'm getting in the car...)

v-neck pocket t---gap

bell bottom jeans---H&M

necklace---brassplum @nordstrom

tiny little blondie---Mr. Reed

tank top---walmart

skirt and belt--- anthropologie clearance table

head band---blossom and vine
sandals---sseko designs

laundry and wild "puppy" kids in the background---mine everyday

notes:

it is really hard to keep my hand still to take photos with my phone when i try and look away from the phone and at at the mirror to make eye contact...

i am so un-coordinated, i guess.

i am so glad to get to be a part of Lindsey's famous series!

finally!

thanks for having me Lindsey!

(ps. when i saw her at the Queen Bee Market a few months ago, Lindsey and i realized that we used to work at Ruby's together when i was like..... 17! crazy! that feels like FOREVER ago.)

********************************************************************
friends!
be sure to check out the side bar button that takes you to the reed's pie eating contest shoot with wildflowers photography!!!
you are gonna freak out it is so awesome!!!

summertime

and the livin' is easy?
yah, we'll see about that.

but i am so so so so glad that it's here.
i pick them up in a few hours.
the thing that is pulling on my heart a little is that my tiny ty is gonna be done with half day school and on to staying until 2. gulp.
that does not make me happy.
i love having that guy around.
and although i may have my fill of that in the next few months, i am still sad to see a phase of his life go.

look at the about me page that he filled out in his first ever yearbook.

yep.
i get to be his BFF this year.
what about next year?
and let me just say that he was THE CUTEST ever with that yearbook.
asking everyone and their mother to sign it.....not kidding he has a ton of notes from moms in there.
he has all the moms swooning i tell you (little reedo)

there are things that WILL be better next year though.
for example, i am looking forward to having time where ella is in preschool (oh wait, that's crazy too!) where i can help in the boys classes.
i didn't do that at all this year. i tried to embrace the last year of having a baby to stay home with knowing that next year will give me different opportunities to help.
but, although i am glad about that choice, i definately felt that.
i didn't feel great about not being in their classes engaging with their teachers and classmates more.
still, you choose one thing, you DON"T choose another...that's life.
i can't do everything all the time.

oh and before i forget,
i made jar pies for the teacher last night.
and i have some tips.....
but you know what?  i think i am going to just do my own tutorial for you because the tips are a lot of words.

still embracing....

summer's here!

marshmallow math, rip tide, and sassy instagram photos of me....

since we are still in school (gag)
we still have math homework.
but, just in case you are wondering, math is way more fun with marshmallows as counters.
(no my children did not eat all those marshmallows...just some of them)
ella (3 1/2) used them to trace  large shapes i drew on pieces of paper.
ty (6) used them as counters for subtraction.
jake (7 1/2) used them as motivation ( as in, if you do 5 problems you can eat a marshmallow)
fun, huh?
a version for every age of my gang of little people...
AND i am sure you notice the special patriotic marshmallows we got...
we do love america, our home sweet home!

a fancy tradition we have decided on is when our kids are in kindergarten and have open house we take only the big kids to a teppan style restaurant after.

we did it with jake last year.

it was so fun for him and he was so surprised by the flying food and fun cooking in front to him.

and this year, with ty, was so great too.

for both boys their kindergarten open house was their first time ever seeing a restaurant like this.

it's special.

look at his little face....

reedo showed the boys how to get hit in the eyeball with rice....

it was so grown up-ish and fun with high stools and soda to drink....

i can't wait till ella gets to join us in a few years!

i love this little canvas i made for by my bed,

just had to share it.

i made a tiny one for my friend amy a few months ago too.

you can see hers here. (plus if you click over, you will learn how to make ice cream)

i like that we have matchy matchers, but they are a little different too.

i'm just gonna say it.

i love cafe rio.

i wish i could go there everyday and not gain a million pounds.

here is a photo of me going to get my free salad from filling up my punch ticket.

why-o-why is that so rewarding?

getting a free meal, i mean...

it really just makes me feel amazing to get a free meal.

and here are a few embraces of my camera phone

i'm getting way better at that.

there are way more than you even want to see, but come on!

you can do it too!

stretch out that arm and take some!

i only have eyes for you...

remember how i am trying to embrace the idea of being in pictures?
i made a point to here and here.


well, i have been thinking about how the same goes for videos.
i know that i can't even think about getting through an old home video that includes my mom, with out tears and a stomach ache...
i mean there aren't that many, but even my wedding video makes me a little sick.
just watching her alive body talking and singing and smiling and breathing.
so i want to make videos of myself more normal too.
less, stop and stare.
more, "oh, mom! not with the singing again!"
so in light of that idea, here i am.
with my girl.
no make up.
bad hair day.
it's for the children, and maybe a good laugh.

ella and i sing to you.







i just know that will be a tear jerker in 10 years....or even 10 days, maybe.

embrace me

i am sure you have seen this button before, right?




why is this girl so darn cute?she claims to have greasy hair....yah, right.
but i have been thinking a lot about this idea to challenge yourself to be in photographs.i have been thinking about how it really is true that when i look back on photos of my mom, i never think about if she has a double chin or her tummy.i look right at her eyes and wonder how she felt that day.what was happening in her life?how did she feel about my dad?was she in a fight with a friend?was she frustrated in her job of being a mother?was she embracing her life or disappointed....that makes me want to take more photos of myself...somehow.to give my kids the gift of a visual image of their mother that lasts beyond my life.that idea means something to me.i am a visual person and i love photographing relationship.and love looking at photographs that capture relationship.so it isn't too far a stretch to think that my kids might find value in that too.i am not sure how i will accomplish this though.a tripod?teach my kids more about photography so that they can help?yah! i like that idea!most pictures you see of me on this blog are from photo booth or taken by tiny ty (my 5 year old).but here are a few taken by my reedo when we took a family walk up in the hills the other day.i gotta say...not too shabby huh?

 this one(below) is my favorite.

ok ok, i took those last two.

but here is one that i didn't like my face in, but am adding anyway.

this it the one that inspired the thoughts about how silly it is to think so hard about double chins and weird over perfectionist ideas about how i look.

it's fine, right?

good hair. good arms even!

and i am running and playing with my girl.

but still, i'm thinking i want to get rid of it since my face isn't my favorite expression? dumb.

i tell you people! it's always something!

so i am stamping down those controlling, self conscious feelings and posting these babies and i am promising more to come.

more self portraits.

i promise.

for my babies.

and for now here are some i took up in the hills too....

 um. he is so so handsome, i know.
he is easy to photograph too since he doesn't change his expression when he sees me coming.
i make weird faces when i see a camera coming.
he stays just. the. same.
in fact i think photographing him needs to be more common as well...
since everything i said above applies to their daddy too....
plus, it's fun.
as long as he likes me at the moment :)
hmmmm.

and here is one i took of myself that day.

i am trying, see?