<3

Hair hair hair...more bangs?

I'm having a slight issue. okay okay, it is bigger than a slight issue, but only because my hair is pretty important to me. it sounds lame, however, it is very true! God blessed me with it and I have taken the best care of it as I can since I learned how to take care of my hair. and because of that, in about 4 or 5 more inches, I can donate it! it has never been completely coloured or bleached, cut in a dramatic hairstyle, or burnt. I also don't blow dry it more than maybe 30-42 times a year. sometimes I don't wear makeup and sometimes I am dressed like a hobo, but I do my very best to have my hair look descent. so my big issue is this...


the last time I got my hair cut (about a month ago) the lady cutting my hair convinced me to get a little more bang going on. I'm sure it took me longer to decide than the normal person. I gave in and got this...
I like it, for the most part. there are days I love my bangs and other days that they just aren't working, ya know? I have apple cheeks which makes me very hesitant with doing things with my haircuts in fear of emphasizing them more than they already are. I am also a little self conscious about my large forehead. this pic's angle kinda shows how I see my forehead about 64% of the time. not too bad, but I'm always willing to try to illusion it into looking slightly smaller ;)

I think the bangs above where what I had in mind, but my forehead isn't that small and my part is a tad over to the other side.

I love these bangs!
but would they mess up like this ALL the time? would it drive me so very crazy? would I have to keep brushing them to the side making my bangs get all oily/greasy faster?

the bangs below are cute, yeah? not too thick is nice, in my opinion. then I can push them to the side a little if I wanted, but have them across if I preferred it. I wouldn't have to curl them all the time, would I?


what about the swoopy looking bangs?
since my forehead is large, my bangs would look more like the ones below, right? idk if I like that as much...


you see? it is a more difficult process than one might think!

help?



<3

Festival of Lanterns - a dream that will come true

one day I HAVE to go to Chiang Mai, Thailand during the Festival of Lanterns (Loi Krathong). it "takes place on the evening of the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar" (November ish).
it would be like a Tangled moment brought to life and a dream come true!
"To set the scene, hundreds of locals and visitors gather on the banks of the Ping River, each with a lantern adorned with a message or a wish with a candle placed inside. On the count of three the crowd let go of their insecurities, hopes and dreams – whatever these may be, and release their lanterns up to the sky.
The tradition is rooted in the idea that people would sacrifice their time to design and create beautiful lanterns only to release them up to one of three Brahmin Gods – Pra I-Suan, Pra Narai, and Pra Prom, in the hope that the bright light would lead them from darkness to more prosperous times." http://www.chiangmai.bangkok.com/attractions/loy-kratong.htm#ixzz1kpqEDE9L
can you even imagine what it would be like? the magic? the excitement? the love? the energy? oh my garage door! I'm sure it isn't quite like the New Year's gathering in New York and it would be a different energy than a Superbowl game or anything like that. no... I think it would be something along the lines of a spiritual uplifting moment. to write down your "insecurities, hopes, and dreams" then to let them go and watch them until they are no longer within eyesight... I WILL witness that one day and I can't wait :)






<3

Hate is a really mean word

I don't normally use the word hate cuz it is really mean and strong and negative, but I can't think of a word that describes what this feeling is.
I ______ (hate/highly dislike/can't stand/don't understand)
-being called about a dr appointment from the end of 2010 saying that my insurance has been trying to get a hold of me for more info. and since it has been so long, I have to pay the almost $300 myself b/c insurance refuses to pay it now. the excuse of me NEVER hearing from insurance and that they were probably contacting my dad (the policy holder) who has been in the middle east for years and rarely comes back to the states (making is difficult for mail and such)...no excuse. I just get to be suddenly screwed over.
-not being able to get away from my maiden name. it is to the point, at times, that I don't even know what to tell them when they ask at the dr's office or walgreens or anywhere official. I introduce myself as Ward and that doesn't seem to work. my SS and license is Ward - why can't I get rid of my maiden name???
-trying to save money and make big plans for Jacob and I that we need (like a car), but things like this keep coming up and we go back to ZERO. it just kills.
ahhhhhh!

now that the venting is over with for today....
I'm trying to make a family management binder. there is a section for a yearly and weekly schedule, our Z goals, a weekly menu area, fill in the blank shopping list, a daily/weekly/monthly cleaning list thingy, receipt tracking list, plastic sleeves to hold the receipts... I hope it will make things a little less stressful. it is fun to make anyways. lol
the snow seems to be sticking! pretty much the 1st time all winter. it feels good! the cleanliness of the white snow, compared to the dead grass, is calming and enjoyable :)


<3

<3

Trying to be creative and such

I saw this on pintrest and then I added to it to make it something more :)
it consists of:
frozen chicken tenders
black beans
black olives
a block of cream cheese
a small can of mushrooms
a can of corn
a can of diced tomatoes (because I didn't have the can of rotel it asked for)
a little garlic powder
some taco seasoning from a packet
...I think that is all. it had to be stirred every hour or two and then, once the chicken was cooked, I pulled the chicken out and pulled them apart with forks to shred it up. I put it back in the pot, stirred it up and served it over rice a little while later.
it was actually pretty darn yummy! and we were excited to eat the leftovers :)

my camera's neck thingy doesn't feel very good on my neck. it is skinny and a little rough. I bought some fabric and felt or fleece stuff (for padding) and I made a cover for it! it can be slipped on an off when needed too. it literally took me 3 tries to make this. it was always too small! partly because it had the padding that made it thicker so when I tried to pull it through...it just didn't budge. lol. third time is a charm!


because I was in so much pain that wrapped around my midriff, I needed heat on my front as well as my back. Jacob filled up one of his knee-high socks with cheap rice for me almost a year ago. it has been such a blessing! I needed something a little flatter so that I could lay on it. I had leftover fabric and fleece stuff, so I made a rice bag pillow thingy! it works great!!!

because of our lack of money, Jacob and I didn't do anything too out there for our anniversary. it is times like these when I wish we live near the woodlands so we could walk the waterway for free or go through the shops on market street or something for a little romance. just being together for a day with Jacob not being called into work was pretty darn good this year, though.
we stayed home so that we didn't have to have gas issues (already having to spend about $80-100 a week in gas is quite enough). we did splurge at the grocery store, though. we bought lots of fruits and veggies! we loved it :) I wanted to make some type of fun sandwich thingy during our day, so I went to pinterest. haha. I don't like the sodium and such in some meats and cheeses that are packaged. I try to go the deli and only get about 1/2lb of two or three things each time.
Jacob's sandwich was made on potato bread.
it consisted of:
a slice of mozzarella cheese
tomato slices
it called for peperoni, but I don't like that so we did salami
sliced avocado
one more slice of mozzarella cheese
then cooked like a grilled cheese sandwich :)
mine was the same, just made on g-free/wheat-free bread.
it was quite yummy! can't wait to make it again.

just a day or two ago, I got these books in the mail...it was a total surprise! no lie. I was addressed to Kristine instead of Kris and with my maiden name. with that evidence, I'm pretty sure it was from my dad. he didn't tell me that anything was being sent my way, but it was a pleasant surprise. I have been able to learn a lot more about the ingredients, purposes, and substitutes. some of the recipes are beyond anything I am interested in, some of them are lamb and eggs, but some I have marked to try. I invested in a hand mixer finally. I don't like hand mixers...I have never really used them all that much, they kinda freak me out, and I always seem to make a mess with them all over me and the kitchen. yeah... but I can't afford a kitchen aid yet. lol. gluten-free stuff already tastes a little odd to me at times, but not mixing your ingredients all the way can make them taste even worse. I'm hoping my hand mixer will help me in my up coming adventure!

<3