Hear Yee, Hair Me!

Important alert: I love my new hair cut! If you don't love going to the salon and getting your hair done, then something is seriously wrong with you. Seriously. We can't be friends.

I mean, Hello! You get a head massage, really fancy and special-smelling shampoo and conditioner, and you hair is magically softer and cleaner than it ever is at home. It's miraculous.

I went to a new salon today, which can be scary sometimes. But I knew I was in good hands today because TJ has cut and styled the hair of my friends.

I already had long, brown hair, and I still do after the cut. So what's the big fuss? Now my hair is a richer, darker color; has fun layers and movement; and lots of depth with awesome highlights. (Yes I realize this is the most conceited, silly, and globally unimportant post ever, but shut it, because I'm really excited about my dern hair.)

If you live in the Fort Worth area, you'd be insane not to check out Magnolia Avenue Salon and ask for TJ.

Layers! ( And big ol' pimple.)

Highlights! (And head-tilt to conceal big ol' pimple)

As an added bonus, I was also able to catch lunch with Brandi, who happens to be TJ's girlfriend and the sister of one of my best friends and bridesmaids, Colby. In addition to her fabulous connections, Brandi is a super cool girl in her own right, and I'm hoping we'll be able to hang out some more since we're sorta in the same area. I'm also hoping Brandi is reading this so she can see how I'm creepily planning our future relationship, in public, on the internet...

Before and After

Shrubberies

Is it just me, or did this bush by our side door look like one of those Komondor dogs?

Ya know, one of these:



Anyways, here's what it looked like after I got to it with some hedgers that Tanner
got me:


So our grass is dying in spots, but the bush looks a lot better! We also trimmed
the tree, but need to get back in there and get rid of all that new growth at the bottom.

Here are some more shaggy bushes. These were in the front:


Don't even get me started on where the Dish people decided to place the satellite:
right smack dab in the front of our yard. I wasn't there that day, needless to say.

Here's how it looked after I got done trimming:

I might have went a little bit overboard. But the goal was to give them a shape,
and then let them grow out to a more natural look.

Garden

Remember our wee garden?

Well here it is now:


It's out of control! Those are the cucumber plants that are growing
out of bounds. And that ridiculously tall weed looking thing on the left,
that's dill. I'm thinking I should trim it back, but not sure. We've got more
squash and zucchini than we know that to do with.
(Gosh, Happy, flip your ear over for goodness sake.)

Patio

Before, we were just a little country:



Now? We're those neighbors:

Bye Bye's

If you're interested, you can click over and read the last post I made on the "On Staff" blog at my former place of employment, Horse & Rider magazine. Wow...it hasn't really sunk in yet that I don't work there anymore.

Hope I don't accidentally drive the ol', familiar 74 miles to Denton Monday morning instead of the 31 miles to Fort Worth.

YEAH RIGHT!

http://onstaff.blogs.equisearch.com/2010/06/see-ya-later.html

She's baaack...

Boi-oi-oing

This is me sitting in a coffee shop in Dallas with my laptop. I am officially BACK and better than ever.

And by "back," I mean back to bloggy world. And by "better than ever," I mean 8 pounds heavier, less one job, plus a new job, and suffering a breakout on my chin related to the use of oil-laden (as opposed to oil-free) sunscreen.

The Friday before Memorial Day was my last day at the magazine Horse & Rider, where I've worked for the past 2 years. Next Monday is the first day of my new job at the magazine Quarter Horse News. This Tuesday through Friday is the first and last week of my current job: taking time to do whatever the HECK I want to!

On today's agenda: venturing away from my newlywed sanctuary, Weatherford, and traveling deep into the Eastern hemisphere,a.k.a, Dallas. My wedding rings needed their 6-month checkup and cleaning (which is more frequent than I clean my ears) at Diamond Doctor in the Dallas Galleria. My girly-gab tank needed filling by a lunch with Tara. And my city-girl soul needed satiating by sushi and a movie with Jessica. And, despite the fun I've had today and the fun planned for the rest of the day, my inner pessimist needs to tell you:

3 Reasons Why I Hate Dallas:
1. I can not park my truck. My truck was not meant for European-luxury-car-sized parking spaces or streets crowded with ding-dongs trying to parallel-park while wearing 5-inch wedges and pencil skirts on their lunch break from behind the counter at Nordstroms. My truck is very angry and wants crush every other car insight.
2. My ideal bee-bopping around town outfit does not consist of pearls, a Ralph Lauren button down, pastel-colored chino shorts, and boat shoes. Therefore, I am an outcast. I also have no Greek letters on the back of my car, on my purse, on my flip flops, or tattooed across my forehead. = double outcast.
3. I only ordered ONE )gasp) medium-sized drink at the coffee shot I have spent 1 1/2 hours at on the computer, ("And you're total is a whopping $3.75," I was informed), and I can't suffer the hateful glares any longer.