Glitz Defined.

Stowed away in a small town rumored to be a dark dank culture in itself, given nicknames that bestow nothing of pristine beauty.....I found a gem, a retreat that won my heart and yearn to revisit for years to come. A place where I can get away, breathe, find the quiet within my soul to purge the negative and submerge myself with vital positive energy. This quiet cove lies within our backyard, hidden and treasured by those who have been introduced to it. It's breathtaking trails, namesake waterfalls and peaceful pools of water lie in Philmont, NY, High Falls Land Conservancy of Columbia County. Like the saying goes, don't judge a book by its cover. This town may have its faults, but underneath its rogue outward appearance,  lays a majestic inner beauty. It's much like the human race. 

With life happening at such a rapid pace, mostly good along with the handful of stress, I am drawn to nature to find peace, channeling positive energy. I have been practicing breathing through difficult times, as well as simple mantras I can fall back on when I feel off center (...mind over matter...). I am a strong believer in finding that calm within ourselves when we feel our world isn't grounded. As a child, I  always believed in a higher transcendent. Growing up Christian, those beliefs have laced with what I now believe and practice. I am constantly searching for knowledge regarding finding ones true self and peace with who we are. Along with research, surrounding myself with those who  are driven with the same goals and outlooks helps to keep me focused.

I  believe that we have the capability to call on good energy, rebuke the bad and heal ourselves by touch and surrounding ourselves with those who reflect the same outlook on life. I am still in the process of understanding energies and how to channel them, but I feel that we must be careful when choosing who to work with as our guide. Making sure your teacher is of good heart, has strong knowledge on the topic and that you are both on the same page as to what your beliefs are is a must when it comes to searching for a guru. A great book to read regarding this is The Essence of Reiki 1, written by Gary Malone. I cannot put this book down, it is so well written for those just beginning their journey. I highly recommend!

In a world of pressure to be a certain way, we lose ourselves, the goal or mission that we as human beings are marked with the day we are born. Why am I here on earth? What is my purpose? I think most of us struggle with this question. A captivating read on this topic is Yoga for Life: A Journey to Inner Peace and Freedom by Colleen Saidman Yee. I am hooked, as will you be :)

I truly feel that I have stumbled onto the right path in my life. I feel as though my birthright is to inspire, motivate, strike cords with those around me through writing. It's my vocation to embrace my need to inspire people, to harness my natural positivity to shine through others, to cause you to see the world in a different light. I would love to be the inspiration for you to go out and find YOU.. Embrace the difference you bring to this life, allow yourself to follow your intuition. Your soul knows best what your body and mind need. We just need to quiet the mind. We can come to love who we are, respect our soul and in turn to love others, even those who we come in conflict with. Instead of viewing negative situations as negative, we may be able to view them as lessons learned and handle them with love. Rather than accept the negative energy from the situation, we have channeled the positive. In my mind I envision placing my hand out, refusing the negative from my life. The best representation of placing a hand out to rebuke the bad is the Hamsa symbol:

{Pinterest}

For me, this is my glitz. Finding yourself, treasuring the simple things in life that spark an awakening, the drive towards happiness and the core of your being telling yourself that you are on the right life path. I am placing value on being human, coming to terms with making mistakes, claiming them and learning positive lessons. These are the jewels of life. It's the journey we have been blessed with. 

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A Perfect Afternoon

{Dress: TJ Maxx & Bag: Just Fab}

The first hints of spring and warmer weather are here, at last!!! Its arrival has truly felt amazing, I can literally feel the sun seeping into my very being slowly melting away the winter blues. As much as I am bitter with winter, without her, I would take spring for granted I am sure. But as of right now, spring is my very favorite, she holds the most magic! I cannot wait for my garden's to grow....its always a moment of awe for me. 

{giving this new hairstyle a try, didn't turn out exactly how I envisioned, but I still rocked it! Thank you Promise Tangeman for the tutorial!!}

My girlfriend and I took a quick getaway during our lunch break to catch a few rays, enjoy the fresh air and enjoy our little town, it was amazing not to have to need a coat! You could see the smiles on everyone's faces welcoming the change, I feel as though I had perma-grin, loving everyone and everything!! There were definitely good vibes floating around ;)

{Coat: gift from hubby from Victoria Secret's}

As much as I loathed going back to the office, I felt refreshed and looked forward to taking a nice walk with my littlest guy in the evening. Some of the best things in life are truly free! Like great weather, awesome friendship and laughter.

{apparently someone loves SOUP, haha!}

Other things cost a little more. Like.....bright pretty pink nails to match my brighter spirits (cheesyyyyyyyyy! LOL!).

I am not one to fork over money to get my nails done. I used to. But now, I literally feel like its just something else I have to devote valuable time to. Aside from a few pedicures during the summer, I would rather spend the time and money elsewhere. That being said, I do like me some bright eye catching nails. I am more than capable of doing them myself. But finding a nail polish that stands up to constant cleaning and filing paperwork IS a challenge (not to mention gardening in the summer, yay!). I have bought high end nail polish and drug store brands.....nothing ticks me off more when my nails chip the very first day of wear. GRRRR.

{LOL! This picture makes me laugh every time! He thought my book prop was hilarious, so he had to replicate it as well!! And yes....he did his nails with mommy too!}

So, there are a couple of demands that I ask from a nail polish: quick drying and stay power. I want and need the ultimate super woman of nail polishes. And, I believe I have found it! 

{Spoiled nail polish, CVS exclusive, best lacquer around, I swear by it!! Two coats, clear coat and your ready to go! The shade I chose, Plastic Flamingo #S010}

Better brace yourself ladies: cost $1.99. Time: 15 - 20 minutes. Memories: a lifetime! 

Hope ya'll are enjoying this beautiful weather as much as I am!! 

Tousled

{Brigitte Bardo - I lalalalala love her!}

Tousled hair, pink lips lingering on a glass of chardonnay, day dreaming to tunes from The Girl From Ipanema, whipping up  something savory for my family, sporting an over-sized t-shirt paired with my husbands wool hunting socks......these are all signatures of who I am.  My personal style is forever evolving, I love to have fun with clothes, I haven't ever settled for one particular style! I have an open mind when it comes to clothes, food and music. But a couple of things remain constant: BIG crazy tousled hair and pink lipstick. And wine. Ha!

I tend towards the messy. Meaning, messy wavy hair. I like it to look like I am ready to have a little fun, it's a sure match for my spontaneous fun-loving persona! I love to laugh and be a little....crazy. Life is too short to be taken too seriously, eh?!  And if I could, I would end each sentence with an exclamation point.....but when proofing my posts, I realize I sound like a madwoman. For me, hair alone can speak for itself, it gives a glimpse of who you might be without a single word being uttered. My icon is Brigitte Bardot, although my hair tends to say Janis Joplin. Which, might rein true. A mixture of sex-kitten, undertones of free-spirit, lined with femininity and wild unbridled energy. I adore both icons.

{Hello, darlin!}

So, how do I get my hair to be so big, wild and lioness like? Why, I simply wake up like this. Yep. NOT! HA! My hair rituals and go-to's are fairly short and sweet. I am not a hair junkie. I used to be, but as a mother and wife, it was time to have some modesty in that department. I do have some great products that I am loyal to. First off, before we start, consider the texture of your hair. I have very thick, coarse hair, with natural wave to it. So if your hair is fine, these products aren't for you (I'm sorry!!). Waves and curls need a lot of moisture or they tend to become frizzy. I do not mind minimal frizz.

Before heading into the shower, I always brush my hair to get all the tangles out. Especially if I am going for waves, I do not want to brush my hair after I shower, since it will minimize the waves and that is not the look I am going for. Right now (since I do tend to switch up my shampoo and conditioner, I feel like my hair ends up getting used to a product once used for too long), I am pretty happy with the Tresemme Renewal Hair & Scalp line. Whether I do a blow out or create waves, my hair has just the right amount of moisture to keep it bouncy and voluminous.

The next step I apply product that will keep my waves soft, touchable, slightly defined and larger than life. First I add a over generous quarter sized dollop of Miss Jessie's leave-in Condish. I really make sure to pay special attention to the tips of my hair, working my way up to my scalp. With this harsh cold weather, the more conditioning, the better! I follow up with another generous quarter size amount of Miss Jessie's Pillow Soft Curl's. I really love these products, they have become a staple of mine! My next purchase will be a deep conditioner from their line, I will have to keep you posted on the results.

Once I feel as though my hair is ready for styling, I attach a large diff-user to the end of my blow-dryer. If you do not have one, you can simply purchase one from Walmart or Sally's Beauty Supply. If you have a lot of hair, in which case I do, you want to opt for the largest one the retailer offers. Basically, the drying process takes the longest. For me, it takes between 20-30 minutes. I start by flipping all my hair over to the right side of my head, then  using the diff-user as my hand I gently scoop hair into its "claw" gathering and bringing it as close to my scalp as possible. I do this until I feel it mostly dry. Then I flip all of my hair to the left side of my head, repeating the first process. Lastly I flip it upside down. Once its dry or nearly dry, you are finished.

{my biggest secret: DIFFUSE}

You want to refrain from toying with your hair with your hands or fingers while drying and styling as it creates frizz. So I do a little "placing" once I am done drying and finish it with a mist of hair spray. I am not a fan of aerosol, so I like to use either Tresemme's Tres Two-Spray which is an non-aerosol extra hold hair spray that keeps my hair in place without the freeze effect.

And there you have it lady loves! Hope your waves are looking wild and free, remember, the bigger the hair, the bigger the dreams ;)

Carla, XO