Pantry ... I'm in LOVE!

Absolutely LOVE this post on a pantry re-vamp. Definitely my kind of project - check it out.

Grow, hair! Grow~!!

I have had some very bad haircuts and very bad experiences at the "salon." Growing up, I would always get my hair cut at Great Clips or the equally sucky equivalent, because I had a basic hair style. It was long, with long layers. I mean, how can you really screw that up? I was fine with these $15 haircuts until a lady got her rings tangled up in my hair while she was washing it. I mean she tugged and pulled to free her gaudy rings from my hair - to the point that tears ran down my cheeks. That was the last time I paid less than $50 for a haircut.

Then I went to college and found Nathan. He was a very good stylist, and gave me a scalp massage first thing every time. It was Ah-MAZ-ing. However, I don't really want to drive 45 minutes there and back AND spend over $50. I don't need a day trip, just a trim.

So, I tried Beauty Brands and got the cutest angled haircut ever. I mean, it was so cute. It was high maintenance, but so worth it - so cute! Then ... there was Bertha. You laugh. You think I'm kidding. No. Her name was Bertha and she butchered my hair. There is photographic evidence, but I refuse to share. It was just bad.

So, I've been growing my hair out ever since and still have yet to find a stylist who I trust and like and doesn't live in Timbuktu, and I feel is worth the $50 I shell out. Any referrals, ladies??

Here's the look I'm going for. Connie Britton from Friday Night Lights. See how long and flow-y it is??

LOVE those big, flowing curls. Curling iron?? Hot rollers??

Now, just 10 more inches to go. Grow, hair! Grow~!!

We went to Arizona ... in April...

So back in April Jason and I went to Arizona to meet up with one of my best friends who lives in California, and then met up with Jason's family for a good old fashioned Smith Family Vaca. It was a full week off of work and a great time away with lots of people we love. Tayler's parents own a house in AZ just outside of Phoenix that was within walking distance of this super cute little town square. They let us stay in the house, which was so awesome. It was so beautiful and I totally love her family's decor tastes. It was a nice way to relax and feel more at home than to stay in a hotel. I just wished we could have seen her family - miss them. Maybe a trip to CA is in order for sometime next year.

Tayler and Alina - friends for 10+ years (since high school)

I'm so jealous of Tay's long hair - isn't it beautiful??

This is Tayler's boyfriend, Brett. Super cool guy. Jason and I totally approved. ;)

Me and the hubby.

We also got to eat at In-N-Out while on our trip. LOVE this.

This is Jason and me enjoying a delicious dinner at this cute pizza place.

This is Jason on our hike up a AZ trail. There were TONS of people hiking and it was a weekday mid-morning. It's like just another way to exercise in AZ, just drive up to the trails and hike for some extra cardio. It was the most intense trail there, which we didn't know until later flipping through a magazine. Ha! It was BEAUTIFUL, though, and the weather was perfect.

These are Jason's parents posing next to a frog statue in Sedona. Lots of pretty scenery, but it was a little overcast and chilly. Still very breath-taking and a wonderful experience.

Barry rode with us for one leg of the road trip and Jason caught this photo while driving.

Me and Jason on the road - my camera got this weird fleck in the lens (you can kind of see the blurry spot), so I kind of stopped taking pictures after this. We fixed it later at home, thankfully.

All in all it was a great trip and we got to spend a lot of great time with Jason's family. We hardly ever get to see them, so it was nice to be able to spend so much time together just hanging out. We got to see a lot of sights, including the Grand Canyon (my second time), the Hoover Dam, and Las Vegas. It was a great experience, and hope to do another road trip sometime next year, too.