Dear Christina Perri,

"To thine own heart be true." I would like to thank you for your amazing show at "House of Blues" Friday night. How can you articulate precisely the emoting of raw emotions? How can you do this and it still be a fun and upbeat tour? I would like to thank you for being pretty much the most amazing and inspiring girl around. Your talent. I mean, your talent. You write the crazy haunting lyrics, you write the music, and you lay down your guitar to play the piano. Is there anything you can't do? Oh, and also, thank you for not giving up on yourself. Thank you for teaching your fellow tenderhearts how to be "lovestrong". That concept seems to land somewhere between angry feminist and niave love-struck little girl. Kind of smack-dab in the middle of "you're enough just the way you are". Be you because you're the only you. And if the object of your desire doesn't recognize, then it's "their loss".

What still amazes me is that you even have unrequited love to write about. Who would drop you? Who wouldn't have you? Why does the heart inside of someone so beautiful and talented waste even one second on anyone who keeps you anywhere past an arms length? (Ladies, could we all take a note?) But it makes for honest stories, genuine music, and plenty of places for us mere civilians to relate.

The other thing I would like to thank you for is how fresh your set was, it was not overtly sexy, and that was sexy! You are simply a beautiful girl, making music with her band, rockin' the coolest hair, wearing nothing but a bomb little skirt, confidence, a smile, and flirty tattoos in all the right places. Doesn't get much sexier than that. You are a fox! Just to further prove my point, only you could make Tom Petty, swanky (had to be there). So thank you for the breath of fresh air. And may you be an inspiration to all of us...to own it. Own your own.

O dear, baby Jesus, I have just become a groupie. Don't be creeped, only flattered, by my devotion. I am inspired! Take home message received: When you do what you love, take a risk, and follow a dream, it's scary, and hard, but your life can be more than you ever imagined~too!

P.S. Someone is going to arrive in my chair and get a variation of Christina Perri hair. Who is the lucky client? Again, Christina, do not be creeped, only flattered. ;)

Dear Weston,

It is not a slight thing to send your baby brother to war, and while you may always be my baby brother, you, most definitely are no longer a baby. You are a stoic, brave man and I'm so proud of you. I think you are noble! And while I don't always trust those who lead this country, I trust in you. I believe in you. I think you will fight many battles in Iraq over the next year. Some will be missions you have trained for, others will be battles with yourself, but all will be invitations to transition you into the highest calling of yourself. I feel confident you will return home. You will come home changed, and that change will not break you. It will develop you fully. You will experience things you've never experienced before. You will know things you wish you never knew, but you will also find beauty in some of the most unexpected places. I wish you courage, strength, peace, bravery, wisdom, intuition, confidence, and the gift of feeling God near when you need him most. All virtues which you already posses, but may they be cultivated more deeply. May the depth of your character, your experience, and your compassion become rich deposits back into the lives of those you love and the communities you serve when you return home. We will all benefit from the beautiful story that is your life! Thank you for choosing to defend our country. Thank you that my baby girls get to sleep snug in their beds because you defend them. As the True boys would say, "Live life, taste death!" Come home safely. Don't get into too much trouble. Think with your head (you know which one), better yet think with your heart. Protect your heart, but don't let it callous. Kick some ass! Show 'em what your made of! When you think about your family that loves you, may you feel the comfort of home. And from the bottom of my heart, "THANK YOU"! God bless you, and keep you. I love you, man!

Erin Go Braugh

I want to take a trip to Ireland. You see, I'm always dreaming. So I'm going to quit "thinking" about it and really do it! I want to go to County Kerry where my grandfather's family is from, I want to kiss that Blarney Stone and receive my gift of eloquence. I want to walk the country side, and see the Cliffs of Moher. I want to pull up a barstool next to some classic Irishman in a quaint pub and listen to him spin a web of tales. It's official, this excursion has just been moved to the top of my "bucket list".

Okay friends, if you've been tell me where to go and what is a must do...So I can plan my trip.

Read All About It

It's really on the newstand. I'm excited. Read more here.

Tall, Dark, and Handsome

Meet Apollo...my new Great Dane puppy. He's such a lover...We'll see if my tune changes over the next couple weeks, but for now I'm in super deep. Deep in "puppy love" that is.

Spring is in the (H)air

March 20th denotes he first official day of spring. I love the spring. The cool days, the blue skies, the working in the garden, and the spring clothes in ALL my favorite stores.


What will spring 2011 hold? I don't know but I'm sure I'll love it.


I like In Style's Spring Fashion section. My top predictions include:


A strong 70's vibe- (Hair) Think Farrah Fawcett. Golden blond, fringy bangs and feathery/swoopy sides. (Clothes) High waisted, light washed, wide leg jeans worn of course with wedge sandals . My color predictions: rust, mustard, navy, and peach.


Florals- We'll see lots of floral tops, skirts and dresses.


Dresses and skirts- feminine summertime dresses with cardigans and full short skirts with T's and cardigans worn with oxford shoes, of course.


Block colors- I do also think you'll see people taking a risk with colors.

I like Lucky's Springtime Trends for hair. I tend to agree.

Ombre highlights: I love love love them.

Pixie cuts

Wavy bobs

Pureology

Pureology...I'm starting to see it everywhere. I don't mean to "toot my own horn" or "pat my own back" but I LOVE LOVE LOVE it when I discover something before it's "tipping point". (Tipping Point: moment of critical mass -by Malcolm Gladwell from The Tipping Point)

I'm falling in love with Pureology. It was hard to transition from Aveda to ANYTHING else. But now that I'm familiar with Pureology I find it an avid rival to Aveda. They have similar central corporate values, humanitarian efforts, and ecological focuses. Their products are 100% vegan, organic botanical, and sulfate free. The shampoos and conditioners amazingly improve the quality of of your hair and prolong the life of your color. I sound like a commercial, but anyway they don't need me to advertise b/c I've seen them everywhere lately. The cuticle polish is in this month's Lucky Magazine

The Knot

I got a phone call from The Knot the other day. Oh yes I did, and I'm pretty excited because the amazing Rocky + Sara photography will be featured in The Knot because of the charming Abigail Campion wedding. I just so happened to do Mrs. Abby's hair, so I should get a little shout out in the fall wedding issue. So look for it in August. I'm excited. Actually I'm thrilled because the whole wedding was the most "Anthropologie chic" wedding this side of the milky-way, and the photos that Sara + Rocky do are amazing. Actually, I'm going to have to learn a new vocab word to describe the pictures that Sara + Rocky take.

Have a sneak peak...Campion Wedding



Check out their gorgeous blog:

but if you look closely at these weddings you can see me earning a day's wage...

Abby + Chris



Jennie + Matt

So I have a bit of a shoe thing

I'm so in love with shoes. I have really high maintenance feet and a low pain tolerance so unfortunately there is often a disconnect between what I actually wear on my feet, and what I actually cherish in my heart. But I have recently stumbled across some adorable new shoes. Take a look.

Seychelles

Poetic Licence

Tomorrowland

"Mad Men" if you're a viewer, need I say more?

The season finale was amazing! After I recovered from the initial shock, I really love Meghan. She's adorable. Oh, she won't be enough to keep Don from "his ways" but she will keep the show interesting.

Here are my predictions. Don will try to stay straight. There may even be a few episodes where he will resist a temptress or two, but then he'll cave. He'll head back to his rambling ways. I even anticipate a rendezvous with Betty in season 5, maybe even a drunken mishap with Peggy? Betz, she'll be around a little more, and we'll learn a few things about Henry next season I presume.

This is absolutely my favorite show on the tele' right now. Matthew Weiner is amazing. He's so astute. He understands both men and women so well. He really personifies relationships, and the roles we all seem determined to fill. Good thing, otherwise there wouldn't be anything to watch on television. :O)

Chianti

I want to go to Italy so bad I can taste it. And that's exaclty what I want to do, eat and drink my way through Italy. I'm not exactly sure when I fell in love, but I'm infatuated. I want, of course, to see Rome (because it's Rome), Venice (because it's Venice), and Naples (becaue it's Naples, where they invented pizza AND ice cream) but more than anything I want to go to Tuscany. Really I want to travel around, shop at local markets and learn how to cook

from some Italian grandmother.

But tonight I'll settle on suburbia and a traveler's fantasy. We did make spaghetti and drink a new Chianti. Da Vinci, it was 'molto delizioso'. It was so tasty and no headache.

We were celebrating my passing score on the TDLR board exam. I am officially done. I am a licensed cosmetologist operator. :) Just like Elizabeth Gilbert's favorite Italian phrase, "attraversiamo" it feels like a crossing over.

Best Interview Scene in the World

Job searching and interviewing is stressful business. It should be taken very seriously. Watch very closely and take all your cues from this training video. It's "cut-throat" out there.

Life Under Construction

On September 24th I should attend my last day at Aveda Institute Houston. Other than being very sad to leave all my girlies, do you know how happy this makes me? It has been a long hard year. It has been 365 excruciating days. It has been a grueling experience. Did I mention the long hard year I've almost completed? Every other aspect of my life has been subject to complete neglect to entirely overlooked. But that is all about to change in 4 weeks. Although I have senior-itis and school has become a drag I am about to emerge with a new career that I absolutely love. So it has been totally worth it.

This post is not another failed attempt to blog again daily like I use to. No, but rather a transition into whatever this blog will become. It will not be what it was, but it will evolve into something new. The focus will be on transitioning into a new career, and all the facets that surround this transition. My creative new career as a cosmetologist, putting a healthy and quick dinner on the table, Ayurveda health, and just a place to stay connected.

Abby Jones this post is for you

Come over to my house, Abby, and we will make these out of my fabric stash. You too, Brittany, Stephanie, Lizzie, and Sam-okay?





Plus were gonna have a Stella and Dot party with Patricia, too.

Fabric Flowers

I've been dying to make some fabric flowers lately out of my baskets and baskets of fabric scraps. I've been using my scissors a lot these days, but it hasn't been on fabric that's for sure. As of late, hair seems to be my only medium. But I've been dying to get upstairs to the studio and pump a few of these fabric flowers out.

I figured I'd share my internet research for you just in case you want to play along.

Tutorials:

Pink Paper Peppermints and this book looks fun!

Martha, More Martha, Even more Martha

Maize in Montana

Oh my deer

Wisecraft

Couturesmith

Develop the need to create

I found a new supercute blog.

Jubella

Not only is it super-stimulating eye-candy, it's got a creative purpose.

Urban Dictionary

Have you ever looked up your name on Urban Dictionary? I have, and I like what I discovered. Sarah as defined by the Urban Dictionary means:

1. A quiet, sensitive girl. Loves animals and loves to be with people. Not selfish and thinks of others constintly. doesnt always revolve her life around guys, and thinks education is more important.
man, i wish i was a sarah like you!

2.A hero, a friend, a sexy peice of @#!
whoes that girl over their with that toad in her hand? oh thats my friend sarah, isn't she a sexy peice of @#!? Yeah; what a hero.

3.the hottest and cutest girl in school shes just so awesome and has the best personality, shes realy shy at times but everyone loves her and whoever doesnt love her is just a jelous lozer:) and if ur a guy(damion, aj) then u should deffenitly go out with her
omg did u see that sarah girl over there? yea isnt she the coolest? ya, dont forget the nicest!

4.The correct spelling of the name sara.
What is your name? Sarah Me too! But how do you spell it? The correct way.

I'm pretty sure it's factual. All I can say is what a hero!

While we're on the topic of me, I need your opinion. When I first started school everyone- not exaggerating- everyone told me I looked like Ellen. But now lately, a group of people have been saying that I look like Drew Barrymore. I've always wanted a celebrity look alike. Do you think these could be mine? It appears I'm some sort of odd hybrid. ;)