A Dreamy Hair Fix...

About a week ago, I ran out of my gallon sized Color Care Biolage Shampoo that I've had for over two years...not joking...that's how often I am able to take a shower and wash my hair. ;) But, seriously, I wash my hair every two or three days, condition, blow dry, and curl. I was sad my trusty shampoo had dripped out its last drop.

Then again, I was sad about my hair for a number of reasons; my once soft straight hair, which my husband could run his fingers through if he so chose, was coarse, tangled, and fried. A conspiratorial combination of age, pregnancies, hormones, and added pigment-less (translation: "gray") hairs are the suspected culprit.

Anyway, I was trying to figure out whether to venture out into a new shampoo realm for a possible fix when I had a dream. I have really weird dreams...I think because they are just a slight alteration of my normal sleepy state since I don't really sleep a whole lot.

The dream went like this. I was at a party with a friend and she introduced me to a friend of hers. She told me during the introduction that her friend was a hairdresser, so, in my dream, I pounced on this new acquaintance, "HEY, I have a question!!!"

And, in my dream, I told her my dilemma.

Her response was to whisper in my ear "a little hair secret"--

She said I should try my husband's Head & Shoulders. (Ours is the 2-in-1 kind with shampoo and conditioner in it--how do they do that?).

Well, I woke up thinking I might just be crazy, but I had nothing to lose, so I shampooed with the dreaded "husband's shampoo." Oh, I thought I was going to end up with sticks for strands.

But, you know what? It turned out the silkiest, smoothest, healthiest-looking hair I have had in YEARS! Even Scott commented on it! (UNHEARD OF!)

I also used my Nice and Easy color seal conditioner which was hanging around in my shower from the last at-home color job too (I used this before, so this was not the secret, but it could have been the combination that worked so well).

And my hair turned out like this (without any curl of course), and ever so flatteringly taken in the garage; it's a little flat in these pictures, but hey, it's not bad!

So, even though it doesn't look like this:

At least it doesn't look like this:


And this is my frugal dreamy hair fix for the day.

The end. :)

Little Nooks and Crannies

Some parts of the house just make me smile. This little table with room for my latest reading material and devotions, the bread machine, and lamp, just makes me smile. Emma loves it too. I also took an old bulletin board, spray painted the frame black, covered it in fabric, and put up all my important information. Menu and Cleaning Plans, Priorities and Family Foci (right? That's the plural of focus??), Exercise Schedule, etc. I also put black ribbon along the edge so I didn't have to be too precise with the fabric.

I also love this breakfast nook table. And I love the wonderful list of "Be's" in the corner. This is where we spend a lot of the day, and I'm glad. It has a great natural light from the front and a view of the horse stables across the street. Our hummingbird feeder is hanging right outside so we can watch them feed while WE feed! :)

We purchased the nook table on Craig's List for a mere $100!! The wall hanging was made by a friend for a friend and I CHERISH it. It reads, "Be Grateful, Be Smart, Be Clean, Be True, Be Humble, Be Prayerful." Can't get better than that!!

XOXOXO

Free Table

The girls' room gets a new table from a friend! FREE! It's the little table at the end of the crib. SO cute, huh? And Kya loves to do her schoolwork there. She keeps special things like her calculator and special pens, pencils and erasers in the little drawer. Thanks friend! We love hand-me-downs!

My Mudroom/Laundry Room of Happiness

Here are some more pictures of my frugal redo of the mudroom (really, a mud area when compared to some blogged mudrooms I've recently seen), pantry, and laundry room. I adore having a place big enough to write out ideas and verses and menu plans, etc. Whatever strikes my fancy for the day, up it goes and I get to look at it all day! LOVE that! Here is the boot tray and a bench that used to be blue, which was weathered from being outdoors for quite a while. I spray painted it oil rubbed bronze (which apparently translates to shimmery black). The bench is perfect for little bummies to sit and put on or take off shoes. Scott loves that he has a place for his muddy farm boots.

A closer look at the chalkboard wall and mirror...

And the window area, with a stupid flash in the window. Here, I was given the tray by a dear sweet friend, the flowers are from Wally Mart, the lamp was given to me also by a dear friend, and the Pepsi sign has been hanging out around the garage for years. The valance was a yard sale find and the clock came with the house.

This room is my favorite in the house so far...althought I still don't care to do laundry (you'll note the washer and dryer are not pictured because they are covered in full baskets of dirty and clean cothes, haphazardly strewn about...bleh...laundry...I really don't like it.) I thought perhaps I would suddenly love doing laundry once the room was done, but no. It's really nice in there though. And I love love love my chalkboard wall!!! So I think I'll regularly walk in with my back to the washer and dryer, stare at my favorite wall and go right back out again. :)

Clean it up!

Sometimes there are things I put off because I can't afford the major redo I'd like--you know, full new patio decor, or whatever. But, what I'm learning (slowly) is that I often much prefer an area of the farm after just cleaning it up a bit! And clean up is free!

So, here's the little area by our carport that has a small garden of artichokes and snow peas (they are on the right in the before pictures, camouflaged by the weeds and grasses.)

BEFORE:
BEFORE:

AFTER:

AFTER:

AFTER:

See, it's not beautiful, but it's clean! I just took a hula hoe and a rake and about 45 minutes later, I had filled the wheel barrow with weeds and grass, taken it out to the chickens to chomp on, and now we can walk through this little area of the farm and breathe a small sigh of relief that it is clean. :) Nice, huh?

Chalkboard Wall

BEFORE: AFTER: (yes, that's Lucy Barbie's tail in the back there)...

This is the chalkboard wall in the mudroom area. This room is not completed yet, but I wanted to show the chalkboard wall I looooooooooooooooove so dearly. :)

Master Bedroom Redo

BEFORE: AFTER:
SCONCE AFTER:
TV AREA AFTER:


I wish I had taken a better before picture, and that I had a GREAT camera, but this will give you an idea of what I did. The sconces, I spray painted with "oil rubbed bronze" and reattached upside down, the bedside tables were replaced with stools I spray painted black, and the chairs and couch area were more defined. The number one frugal fix for this room? Cleaning up the clutter! I still have a lot to do...we need some window treatments, and ultimately, I'd love to get a more neutral comforter set, but for now, we are much happier in here! :)