Happiest girl in the world.

I have been hinting at some news for a while now....

Zach and I have decided to get hitched!


I am so very excited and he seriously proposed in the cutest way ever. I nearly exploded. No joke.

Our first date was under this big tree in a park. When we sat under it he started saying something about a branch looking like a lion and I had no idea what the hell he was talking about, so he put his arm around me to "show" me where to look. To this day I have no idea if the branches actually resembled a lion or not. Anyways, he took me antiquing last Saturday and we ended up back under "our tree". We have been talking a lot about marriage this last year and we knew we wanted to tie the knot in October, but nothing was official yet. I knew it was coming, but I just didn't know when. Zach brought a quilt my Granny had made and we laid for a while under the tree and talked. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and we ended up dozing off. Of course I had to pee like a madwoman when I woke up (SO ROMANTIC, I KNOW.) and I walked off to find a bathroom. When I came back we sat propped up against the tree and he put his arm around me. I laughed and asked something along the lines of, "oh no lions this time?". He laughed too and pointed to a nearby branch and asked, "what do you see in those branches?" "Uhhh... a branch." He pointed to some more, "how about those?" "Still branches." Then he pointed above us, "what about those?" There was a ring box hanging above my head! Inside the box was the most beautiful opal ring I have ever seen in my life. I am now a happily engaged woman... and I can't wait to blow this blog up with wedding planning!

Hope you all had a great Monday!

She's here!

Last Friday was seriously the best day ever! At 3 a.m. we got the call that Kayla's water had broke and off to the hospital she went. I have never been so excited in my entire life...

Corley Rose is absolutely perfect. I am so in love I can't stand it... I could kiss her chubby cheeks all day! It is crazy how much she has changed since she was born already. She hardly even looks like these pictures anymore.

I mean, look! Is that even the same baby? Haha. I am one proud Aunt Emy.

Hope you all are having a great week!

Honestly.

Look how happy I am in the above picture. That was taken last April... I worked as a rehab tech in a nursing home and had all the free time in the world.

Then I decided, hey, I am gonna go to school.

Which is why I am writing this blog post. A few months ago, during a random surge of inspiration, I made this list of all my plans for the New Year. I had my mind made up that I was going to do an outfit post every week among a dozen other really awesome things. I was excited and feisty. Guess what I am now? Tired. I am very tired.

Honestly, I barely change out of my black smock from school. My cute outfit days are becoming few and far between... and I am afraid it is going to be this way until October. Between being on my feet all day at school with rude clients and then going straight into GameStop some days to deal with even more rude people I am spent. I don't feel like planning blog posts. I don't feel like walking out to the woods behind my house for outfit pics.

This blog will never be an obligation. I never want to get tired of blogging because it feels like just one more thing I have to do. This is my happy place. I am not trying to sound mean or bitter. I am quite the opposite... I LOVE blogging. I love the people I have met. I love getting on here and finding people that inspire me and writing about whatever pops into my little head. I love putting together the occasional hair tutorial makeup looks, but I am not going to stress over it.

Some days I will post, some days I will not, and that's okay. While my life is so very stressful right now, there are some absolutely wonderful things happening (which are contributing somewhat to my stress, but in an awesome way!) and I CAN'T WAIT to post about them. Y'all don't even know. I am about to bubble over I am so excited.

I can't wait until I have time to do what I love again, but until then this is the way things will go over here for a while. Thank you to all my readers and those who I follow here in blogland... you guys are amazing and I am lucky to be surrounded by such amazing people.

Until sometime,

Emily. 

More preggo spam!

It has been nothing but babies in this house for the last few weeks. Between Kayla and my brother being a few weeks away from welcoming my first niece into the world and my cousin finding out she is having twins baby fever has been rampant in my house. These are a few pics I snapped over the last week for my seester-in-law's maternity photos. I think I managed to make her look glowing and excited rather than "my ankles look like fence posts and I want this baby out of me".... just kidding! As miserable as she is, I think we are all just excited to get Cora Rose here.

Having a niece on the way has led to a whole lot of talkin' 'bout the future with the mister and I. There are a lot of big things coming this year that I can't wait to share with you all soon! Never fear, I have no plans to pop out any munchkins this year or the next few. However, Zach and I have pretty much picked out baby names for our future little shits. Lucy Louise for a girl and Hugh Russell for a boy. How freaking adorable is that?

Well, it is off to school for me. Hoping this week is better after I had the client from hell this last week... She asked to see a picture of Zach and informed me that he was "hot" and I needed to "get that shit cleared up" on my face if I was going to be with him. This was after she informed the sweet old lady getting her wig thinned out beside us that she "didn't know colored women could grow hair like that." I am getting an anxiety attack talking about her. Geesh. Have a good day, y'all!

Small hiatus.

We had a death in my distant family this week and my cousin flew in on Friday from Bermuda to see her uncle before he died. He passed away on Saturday and she left back home yesterday. I abandoned the idea of writing anything blog-related to spend time with her. Tomorrow I am at school until 4:30 and I work until 10, so this little blog will remain silent until Monday. I know, I know, I need to work on scheduling my posts ahead of time... I'm working on it!

Also, I should probably get cracking on those resolutions for the year. Hehe.

I was hoping these pics from my bro and sis-in-laws 3D ultrasound would get me some forgiveness for my procrastination. My brother's face in the first picture is so, so perfect. He was seeing his daughter's little face for the first time. Let me tell you, she is pretty much perfect and she isn't even done cooking yet. I need the next few weeks to pass so that I can kiss those chubby cheeks!


Well, time for bed... first client is 9:30 in the morning and I have a long day ahead of me! Hope you all are doing well. I can't wait to catch up on some blog posts from some of you ladies!

This week on Instagram.

  
1 and 2- I am that person in class that volunteers to do everything because my theory is "I would rather screw it up here then when I get out of school." So, when my instructor informed us that a client wanted her hair lighter and she had waist-length hair I was like me, me me! I also drug my friend Ana down with me. Little did we know the girl had ethnic hair, half of it was a grown out relaxer, aaaaand she wanted to be taken from almost black to a caramel color. I managed to convince her to do highlights so she wouldn't fry her hair. It took us four hours to do, but it was worth it in the end! She looked rad! 

3- Murnau hates pictures. 

4. My friend Ana and I decided to have near-matching hair colors. Yay!

5. Got to watch my sis-in-law get her 3D ultrasound. Baby Corley Rose was PERFECT. Her cheeks are already so chubby it kills me. 

6. Finally got around to cutting my bangs the other day. Whew. 

7. Started on a drawing that I reaaaaaally need to finish of Jennifer from Grits and Moxie. I'll be a sponsor over there soon! 

8. My kit at school! Still waiting on my CHI flat iron. Sigh.

Project Makeover.

A few weeks ago our school put together a little project where one person was nominated to receive a complete makeover. My team had the pleasure of working with Doris, who was pretty much the sweetest lady ever. Her story is really sad. She has raised her grandchildren for the last four years, but somewhere in the last year or so the mother came back and the children are no longer with her. She is now also going through a divorce, and has no income. It was such an honor to be a part in giving her a confidence boost... she looked beautiful. When she walked out in her new outfit and her hair done there were a lot of happy tears. She was like a new woman.

Our team's "Kardashian" moment. Haha. I love how confident she looks!

Hope everyone is having a lovely day!

One of those weeks.

Do you ever have those weeks where you just want to curl up in a ball and watch Harry Potter and not be around people of the human variety?

This week has been that for me. I feel like everything has gone wrong in some way. My internet has been out, parents are gone on a cruise, I'm having to juggle work/school/ and dinner for my little brother and great aunt. This has also been my first really hectic week since I have been back at school. There have been several points where I have wondered to myself just how smart it is for me to be using sharp objects around people's heads.... kidding (kinda.). Maybe it is the stress of going out on the floor. It is chaotic and I am a nervous wreck out there and I have not had the confidence to really finish a haircut without having someone help me. I hate that. I am not good at asking for help.

I know it all comes with time. I am still learning. I am just frustrated and people seem to be grating on my nerves lately. As in to the point where I got into it with a lady that goes to school with me. Sometimes I tend to let my alligator mouth override my tweety bird butt... I promise she deserved it, though! Haha.

Enough whining, though. The bad weeks make you appreciate the good ones. I am surrounded by amazing people and I have a lot to be thankful for! We also did a really awesome thing at school where we did a makeover on two very deserving women. I can't wait to post the pictures when I grab a minute this weekend... unfortunately I just got internet access again and I have school and work until late tomorrow night. Blah! The makeover went awesomely, though... so many happy tears. Those are my favorite kind.

Hope you all are having a better week than me!

These last few weeks on Instagram.

Wow, I have a lot of catching up to do! It has been a while since I have done an Instagram post... well, it has been a while since I have regularly posted. It feels good to be back! (and that is not just the cough syrup with codeine talking!)

1- Some girls get excited over flowers... I get excited over tea. Still equally romantic!
2- That was a serious conversation. 
3- My mommy and me. She is so lovely! 
4- Kitty cat dress to work... one of my many awesome Christmas gifts! 
5- My brother came home from deployment! This is the first picture I have gotten with him since last year. All we are missing is our oldest brother who had to be at work that day. Boo! 
6- Matilda being gorgeous outside. She likes to sit on the porch and chew on blades of grass. I tried to get her to actually walk in the yard, but she freaked. 
7- Bat paperweight I got Zach for Christmas + an antique book I found in the garage + Zach's glasses. 
8- Awesome vintage dress I got! Need to remove those shoulder pads. They make me look awkward. 
9- Doodle of my friend Ana I did.
10- Christmas day! I miss the Christmas tree. I wish we could keep it up all year. 
11- Maggie does not appreciate tornadoes. This is her, "I would much rather be tearing up toilet paper than to be stuck in here with you and your preggo cousin" face. 
12- My mother and Zach. I love them! 

Hope you all are staying warm and flu free! I think my lungs are falling out myself, but so far the flu hasn't come yet. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers, too... I have an ultrasound in the morning to make sure everything is all good with my baby basket. Hoping for no cysts!

PS- do not get doped up on cough syrup and look for chapstick. You end up accidentally using a homemade cucumber lip balm that is over three years old... those things have a shelf life. I think it was fermented.

New year, new me.

I am quite late on this, but I think now is better than ever. There are SO many things I want to accomplish this year! I will be adding to this list as I go along the next few months.

1. Post on my blog more frequently. No more excuses or apologies! This blog is something I have dreamed of for years and I am not going to let it die because I don't make the time to post like I should. I love all my followers and awesome people I have met and I am in this for the long haul.

2. Buy (mostly) vintage or thrifted. Or thrifted vintage! I blow too much money at places like Modcloth... which I still love by the way, but my wallet doesn't. I would also like to incorporate more vintage into my wardrobe.

3. Read a book every month. 

4. Be healthier. This does NOT mean losing weight, but I do want to be healthier on the inside and out. My body works hard for me, so I should treat it to something other than spaghettios.... 

5. Be more organized. I can never find anything! My room is always a wreck.

6. Makeover my bedroom. 

7. Spend more time outdoors. 

8. GRADUATE COSMETOLOGY SCHOOL.

9.  Open an Etsy store. This includes not keeping every vintage item I find. Haha.

10. Clear up my acne. 

11. Write a children's book. Zach and I have been talking about this one a lot lately. I am going to write it and he is going to illustrate it. So awesome!

12. Be kinder to my hair.

13. Do an outfit post every week. 

14. Do a "beauty for a bargain" post every week. 

15. Get a tattoo. Time to stop being a wuss! 

16. Do a DIY project every month. 

17. Be able to run a mile. 

18. Learn to sew. 

So, what about you all? What do you want to do this year?

Heartbroken.

I took these photos last year as a surprise to my mom for Christmas. This would be my amazing grandparents and, as far as I know, they have never had pictures made of them that weren't just shot at family gatherings.

I love my grandparents. My Mammie is the sweetest lady you will ever meet. My Pappy is the best grandfather and father around (sorry, I am kind of biased.) and despite the fact that he is not a man of large stature he has always seemed strong.

Sometimes I think our hearts were all made of stick glue and elbow macaroni. We all have some form of issue. My little brother had open heart surgery at three months old, I had surgery at 17, my mom and my aunt have rhythm problems, and Pappy has heart disease. It has gotten so bad that his belly is constantly full of fluid.
Friday he went in to have surgery to fix three hernias. Come to find out, they weren't nearly as big as we had feared. The fluid in him was pushing them out and making them appear worse. Everything went well and they were going to remove some of the fluid later. We all breathed a sigh of relief. He even joked with me a little when I went to see him after his surgery. He smiled and said, "Magoo!"... that is what he has called me since I was born. "Where are you going?" I told him we were leaving because he needed to get some rest. He said, "Oh, but I just got here!" I was happy to hear him joking. His color looked better.
Sunday morning I wake up to a text from my cousin. Pappy had started bleeding and they were taking him back to surgery. His blood count was really low and his kidneys weren't functioning. I ended up going in the hospital in the same clothes I wore the night before and I stayed until last night. He was stable when I left.
This morning they moved him to intensive care. His kidneys are not functioning. He is really uncomfortable. He can't lie down because he feels like he can't breathe from all the pressure since nothing is leaving his body.

Y'all, I am heartbroken.

I am heading to St. Thomas in Nashville as soon as Zach gets off work.

I really, really need him to get through this.

So, please keep my grandpa and my family in your thoughts/prayers/meditations. We could use some good vibes!