DIY Pearl Hair Pin

One of the best accessories to complete an outfit without going over the top are pearls. I got my first set from my grandma when I turned sixteen and they've been a favorite of mine ever since. They're timeless and beautiful, and you can wear them with almost anything. I dress them up and dress them down. I wore a strand of pearls on my wedding day (see below) and today I'm wearing the same strand today with a black shirt. I've got four (yes, I know that seems a bit much) pearl necklaces, a pearl ring, a bracelet, earrings, and now a faux pearl clip I made this morning to go in my hair.

I'm a little obsessed with pearls, but when used sparingly they can really dress up just a plain outfit so easily. I don't wear them everyday, or even once a week. But you know those "blah" days where nothing you do seems to go right? Put on a strand of pearls and you'll feel just like Fancy Nancy. (Have you read that children's book? I read two of them with my niece this past weekend and they were great!)

To make my pearl clip, I used craft-store pearls that are sticky on the bottom. Using a tiny dab of hot glue, glue them one at a time to a clip (find hair clips at a beauty store, such as Sally Beauty). This would also be darling in a little girl's hair in place of the expected flower. Pair it with a red or pink dress and she can be Fancy Nancy for the day!

photo by Mariah Baddas based out of San Diego, California.
She was the most amazing wedding photographer EVER.

My First Haircut

Okay, so technically it isn't my first haircut (thank goodness!) but it's my first hairstyle. I've always had ringlet-curly hair, from the root to the ends. While it is very beautiful, there's not too much you can do with it. Every single time I'd go in to get a haircut, it was simply 'just a trim'. Bo-ring. But what else can you do? Not much unless you want to look like a toy poodle.

Well thanks to pregnancy [and apparently my dad's family genes] my hair has straightened quite a bit. I all of a sudden found myself with so many new options! I can make my hair stick straight very easily or scrunch it up and curl it easily. It's so nice! 

I knew I needed a haircut soon (it's been since October) and today seemed like a good day to take risks. So Tyler and I searched the internet and printed out a photo, and I chopped everything off! I am so happy with it! What do you think?

I went from this to this:

high school band trip to NYC

look at me! look at me!

the lady cutting my hair told me i had a "delicate" neck.

My hair!!

Holy moley, I dyed my hair. I did it.

I let Doreen (our fantastic hairstylist/good family friend down here in Oceanside) go all the way and do whatever she wanted to my hair.

Tyler has always wanted it dark, and though I love it blonde, the girls at Paul Mitchell school in Provo take 4.5 hours (!!) to highlight my hair each time I go in. It's ridiculous and I finally decided to just take a chance! I'm still not use to it yet - it's definitely a change! It matches my eyebrows now, and it makes my eyes really pop green and/or blue. It should fade a bit, but still stay brown. (I've had trouble in the past getting any color to stay in my hair.)

(and on a completely unrelated note, here is a sweet picture of Tyler I found on the lappy today. I love this man so much!!)