Throw Caution to the Wind...

Pretty much my whole life I've had long-ish hair. At least bob length or longer. The longest I've had it was in my teen years and it measured to be 15" long. Afterwards I had a punkish/rocker hair that was sort of crazy, but cute looking. Anyway, after that I've pretty much had longer hair.

I was able to get a hair appointment with my salon on my birthday to have it all hacked off. I've always been a safe person when it came to my hair. I kept it longer so I could do all sorts of lovely vintage styling and possibly learn how to pin curl. But I rarely did anything with my hair. Most days I pulled it back with a bobby pin and others threw it up in a pony.

So I decided to just say "to heck with it..." and cut it all off.

Before

I had some fun with the effects!

After

The first photo was taken the day of my birthday, just before my appointment and the second was taken on the Sunday afterwards. I wanted to get a after picture the way I styled it. A little product and blow dried. I'm very pleased and I'm so loving short hair!!

I thought I'd get a detailed shot of my new headband. So cute! And another shot of my hair from a different angle.

I do not regret my decision to cut off my hair. Almost 7" is going to Locks of Love and you can't get a better cause that making life a little easier for children going through the hellish treatments of chemo and radiation. Next time you get your hair cut off, ask to keep it if it's a large amount. Locks of Love will take as much hair as they can get. All of the hair is eventually separated and combined with others to create a fabulous wig for someone. Remember, even short hair matters, because not all boys want to be bald either. So next time you get a new cut and have a lot cut off, will you consider giving some of your hair to Lock's of Love??

All in all, I just love my pixie!

Birthday Bash

Okay it wasn't really a birthday bash per say, but it was a great day. The 16th was my 23rd birthday and I fully expected it to be a rather difficult day. November's been a rough month. My parent's anniversary was on the 6th, my birthday the 16th, and Thanksgiving on the 22nd. We've already been through a few firsts since losing Dad, and I'm so looking forward to 2013.

And with all that, I thought I'd be miserable on my birthday, but I wasn't. I'm so thankful for all my family and friends who were there to make me feel great that day. Everywhere I went I received oodles of birthday wishes. I got a great birthday phone call from my Aunt B {yes, that's right I have an Aunt B. Get this, I have two Aunt M's also!} and that was really great.

Also, I got my hair chopped off!! I'll save that for another post, but I'm absolutely in love with my new cut!

As for presents, we don't go overboard. Mom asked me months ago what I might like for a birthday present and the only thing I could think of was more knitting needles.

Sizez 0-15 in mm sizes, but to make things easier I wrote the number sizes on the tops of the needles. I even had a great place to store my lovely bamboo needles. In a beer stein that Dad bought for mom. She never cared for it, although Dad and I really liked it, so now I use it for my needles.

It has a great picture of George Washington crossing the Delaware. And since I love my American history, this is pretty much perfect.

My sister knows me so well! She got me this great Marilyn calendar, which features early modeling photos of then Norma Jeane. Also, she found a great birthday card with Marilyn from Some Like it Hot. To top it all off, she gave me the soundtrack to My Week With Marilyn weeks earlier. {I got her a present - Season 1 of OUAT and didn't think she should wait!}

Mom and my Aunt L also gave me such sweet cards! I love all the colors on the one Aunt L gave me. The card Mom gave has a little girl with a hat, and you know I love hats!!

Fun Note: That afghan that you see as the background...my Grama made that for me when I was a little baby, so it's as old as I am and still around! I have no idea how I kept it around for so long, I was always ruining things as a girl, so it's a miracle this afghan survived my childhood.

NaNoWriMo - Week 4

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This week was pretty difficult to actually set aside time to write. Whenever we have a holiday {Thanksgiving in this case} we clean and get our supplies for what we're going to make. Then I had to finish up some knitting for Christmas presents. Then before I knew it the day was almost over and my brain was too much in a fog to actually write anything worthy to put into the novel.

I'm so far from meeting my challenge it's pathetic. Buuuut, I'm so excited about this piece and I'm going to slowly finish it like I do all my WIP's and then try and submit it to, well hopefully I have a literary agent by then.

I had hoped to have more updates about my NaNo WIP, but maybe I'll be more productive in week five.

However I've been contemplating some visual changes to my blog. I'm sorta getting tired of seeing the banner pic I made earlier this year, so I've come up with something new and I hope you all find it fitting to my love of vintage and writing!

Also, I created this button for my blog. If you choose to use it, I ask it to have a link back to my blog. And if you would like for me to feature your blog along my sidebar, just ask. I love promoting other blogs and all of it is free! I don't have a lot of traffic on here, but anything to help fellow bloggers!

Thanks all! Till next week...

Pixie

Some could argue that a pixie cut is masculine, but I am here to argue that it is absolutely feminine! To prove my point, here are some lovely ladies who have chosen the pixie cut. And nothing about them is masculine!

First up...

Sophie Scholl

Audrey Hepburn

Twiggy

Elizabeth Taylor

Anne Hathaway

Michelle Williams

There are a few things I need to point out about the pixie cut...

• It is feminine. 
• It's all in your attitude. If you want to like it, you will. If you don't, you won't.
• If you don't like it, it's hair and it will grow back.
• There is no age, weight, or time limit on getting a pixie. 
• If you never take risks with hair, just do it! Like I said before, it'll grow. That's why you will need to get it trimmed every month.
• Don't hide behind you hair. Have fun with your hair. It's an accessory, it should be changed often!!
• You only live once.

I am so excited for this change. I've been hiding behind my hair for too long, it's time to let go. I've told myself for so long that I kept my hair long because I wanted to do vintage styles. No, I was lying to myself. Do you know how many times I actually do my hair in a vintage style each week?? None. I'm excited about this change. Everyone needs a change, right??

NaNoWriMo - Week 3

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Wow, it's week three already!!! Boy time passes when you having fun. And seriously I am. I'm really just winging every chapter and I'm not sure what will happen next. I've never really done this in my writing before. I normally have the whole plot planned out, characters, etc... But now I'm just letting go and having loads of fun.

Okay, so some of you wanted to know a little more about my current WIP. I'm a little nervous in sharing this, because I consider my novels as my babies. So here goes nothing...

There Is A Season {working title} is set in present day Indiana, as if I could chose anywhere else?? The main protagonist is Colin, an alcoholic who is befriended by Audrey at their local AA meetings and as their friendship grows it blossoms into a romance, but things come to a halt when Audrey finds out she is no longer in remission.

That isn't the whole plot, there's much more to it and there are plenty of twists and turns. I have no idea what the ending is yet. As for the title, I chose it from the song written by Pete Seeger and made famous by The Byrds Turn, Turn, Turn. The song has been my favorite since I was a girl. I grew up listening to the oldies because that's why my dad listened to. Anyway, the song was played at my dad's visitation and funeral and it has special meaning to me.

I chose alcoholism as a topic in this novel, because so many of my family were alcoholics. It is something that really hits close to home and something I'm very aware of.

As for my word goals...I'm way behind, but I honestly don't care. I chose to do NaNoWriMo this year for fun and I'm going to continue doing it for fun. Thank you all for your cheerleading!! I appreciate all your support!

Jane Austen Knits

A little while ago I found {via Ravelry} a bunch of knitting patterns that are Jane Austen inspired. I don't know if I'd actually make all of these, but I thought I'd share some of them with you. Enjoy!

Linen Work Apron

Chawton Mittens

Woodhouse Spencer

Northanger Abbey Hood

Some of the magazine index's on the various knitting projects. I love that military inspired one below...could it be Persuasion inspired??

Collages with detailed pictures for you.

You can find many more patterns on Ravelry. They have three magazines worth of patterns for you to drool over! :) I'm just getting started on Ravelry {That link is my profile} and I am still trying to figure out how to add yarn to my stash and trying to find the lace scarf pattern I'm currently been working on this year. {They are going to be Christmas presents for family.}

Today was able to grab a copy thanks to my sister who found it. It's their fall issue with my lovely wrap shawl in it! I'm so excited it even has information about the yarns of Jane's period and this magazine is quite interesting. I'm quite content with me purchase! :-)

NaNoWriMo - Week 2

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I think my NaNoWriMo challenge is doing pretty good. I've got five chapters done and plan on working on chapter six tonight. The first week was pretty rough and I didn't get a lot accomplished. Today I was feeling a little under the weather, but I'm still going to try and get chapter six done.

This novel is sort of different from any other I've done. For one I've been writing it all on paper, not on a computer. I've never really done that before and actually completed the manuscript. I am averaging around 1200 to 2000 words per chapter, I'm ball parking that amount, and I think for my set goal I'm doing good. My chapters aren't at all long which isn't what I wanted anyway. I don't do long chapters. Even in my novels, most of my chapters are around 3000 to 4500 words long. If I'm lucky 5000. I'm going to try and write a chapter every day during the work week. Since I didn't write some last week, I need to write this weekend.

Whew! I am really getting into the challenge. I don't plan on submitting it or anything to the NaNoWriMo, I don't want them reading it when the only one who has is my sister and she liked it. That's all the feedback I need.

Another thing, this novel isn't really religious. I like to think of it as a book about life, second chances, and family. Most likely if it were to be published it would be mainstream fiction. Is anyone interested in the plot, characters, setting, etc??? Just curious. If so, I'll just put something in my NaNo post next week about it.

All for now...

Casting On

Because of all the political posts today, I've decided to post something relaxing and you can't get much more relaxing than knitting. I'm serious, knitting is a great stress reliever!!

For the past six months I've been knitting the same pattern {presents for family and friends} and I'm really getting tired of it. I don't know how people who do custom knitting orders and the such, do it. I don't think I'd have that kind of patience.

Anyway, I'm eager to start a new one. I won't be able to right now, but I'm still pretty darn eager. So I've been searching Ravelry {I've just found the site and I LOVE it}I have found some pretty cute patterns that I can't decide upon. I want to make them all at once, but I know that is just not possible right now.

Stolkhom Scarf

Which is just a cowl scarf that I found out can be knitted with straight needles and then sewn or crocheted together when finished. And I need a new scarf. Who doesn't need a new scarf?! I also love that olive green color. Green is my favorite!

A Sensible Shawl

Because I recently re-watched Cranford for the billionth time, gosh I love that mini-series, and I fell in love with a shawl that Mrs. Forester {sp?} had. It is a wrap shawl that you tie in the back. How adorable and period correct, anywhere from the Colonial days to the Edwardian period.

Mrs. Forester is the lady on the far right with the cute pink dress and her lovely wrap shawl. Cranford takes place in the 1840s England. If you haven't seen it, Judi Dench is in it and that is reason enough!

Rosie Headband

Need I explain more?? I adore just about anything Rosie the Riveter and Rosie is one of my favorite 40s fashion icons. I'm a tomboy, so I dig pants. Anyway, this is a lovely take on the kerchief Rosie wears and naturally I want one. What color, I'm open to suggestions...

I am trying my best to figure out which one I want the most right now. And which one I will use the most. Considering I'm always cold that shawl would come in handy. Then I'm going to chop off all my hair, so the headband will be adorable! But...I need a scarf. Not only that, but a green scarf. Ah, decisions, decisions...

Most likely I'll make them all, maybe one right after the other. Just need some help deciding which one to start on first.

23 Skiddoo Giveaway!!

American Duchess has done it again!! She's been producing amazing reproduction footwear for a while now and now there is a pair from the roaring twenties up for grabs, in your color choice of course!

Wow, those are stunning!! If you want more information about the giveaway, please head on over to her blog for all the rules and conditions.

BarlowGirl

This is neither a vintage post, nor a writing post. This will be a post about music. Recently I found out one of my all time favorite bands are retiring. {Que sad faces!!} I did a review on their last CD when I finally got the album. You can see it HERE.

I've been listening to this group since I was a teen and their uplifting and rocking tunes have really helped me through so much. All of their music is written by them and written from personal experiences. One album, Another Journal Entry, was all from their prayer journals and diaries. These gals, Alyssa, Becca, and Lauren Barlow were always inspirational to me and so to see them call it a quits really leaves me bummed.

Their first album came out in 2003 and quickly I became a die hard fan! Tracks, You Found Me and Never Alone were very touching. Never Alone is one of the biggest hits from their first record and personally one of my favorite songs. {Yes, I did have that awesome funky hair Alyssa is sporting!! Funny thing is we almost always have the same hair style at the same time. Great minds?!}

Another Journal Entry came out in 2005 and again wowed the audiences with rocking tunes of Psalm 73 {My God's Enough} and Grey. My personal favorites are Porcelain Heart and I Need You to Love Me. Porcelain Heart's lyrics sound like they are comforting someone who has been a victim of abuse. I Need You to Love Me, reminds us we are so imperfect and need someone to love us to to keep us going.

How Can We Be Silent was another great album the ladies put out. The title song How Can We Be Silent speaks of the persecuted in the world. And the tear jerking song I Believe in Love was written inspired by a unknown prisoner of the Cologne Concentration Camp. I want to tear up just thinking about it.

Home For Christmas is one of the best Christmas albums in modern music, I've ever heard came from these ladies. The song I'll Be Home For Christmas always makes me tear up. A constant reminder that our military might not spend their Christmas with their family, let alone come back home. And the very old O Come, O Come Emmanuel has always been a favorite of mine, their take on it is so pretty.

Love & War was another album filled with goodies. The album represents the war within ourselves and what we can do about it. Running Out of Time is by far my favorite song, speaking about how if we look away from evil around us, we are too guilty. In the case of the Holocaust or prejudice of the African-Americans which was pictured in The Help or To Kill a Mockingbird, this song brings such horrors to mind. Beautiful Ending is another good one and although it's not my favorite from the album I think it is beautiful.

Hope Will Lead Us On is the final song the ladies produced before ending the band. The title is pretty much self-explanatory, but in usual BarlowGirl spirit, it's full of inspiration. As I listen to it now, I have a glimmer of hope that at least one of the ladies will continue on in music, whether it is just as a songwriter, producer, or just a solo act.

Here's to you BarlowGirl!! I wish nothing but the best for you all!

NaNoWriMo - Week 1

Yay for NaNoWriMo!!! Today is the first day and I'm so excited. I've been doing some prep work, very little, so now it all begins. I'm not going to submit my work, mainly because I don't feel comfortable doing so. I don't like strangers viewing my babies {ahem...WIP manuscripts are pretty scary. So what a perfect post, maybe I should have done this yesterday??}.

However that fantasy fiction piece was not going how I wanted it to so I had to put it down and thankfully thought up another plot hastily just in time for the challenge. I'm not sure if I want to disclose any of the plot, characters, info, etc... about my NaNoWriMo novel at the moment, but time will tell.

I am however going to try and blog each week on my progress of my manuscript and hopefully by the end of November I will have completed my novel. I will also be updating my word tracker on the right sidebar of  my blog. But honestly if I don't I'm going to try and not worry about it. I mean NaNoWriMo is supposed to be fun, right??

Are you going to participate in NaNoWriMo?? If so, I wish you all the luck! It's not easy to write a novel and for me, it's almost impossible to write one in a single month. It takes me months to get a first draft, grant you it's usually about 60,000 words or more.

I guess that's all for this week. I gotta get cracking on my novel!