Discover Austin.

This weekend I enjoyed a trip to Austin, TX for a hair show with Kate and Laura. This was my first time in the capital city, and it did not disappoint. We enjoyed shopping at the local boutiques and vintage shops... maybe a little too much. We also enjoyed stuffing ourselves at every meal. One of our favorite stops was a cupcake truck on South Congress called "Hey Cupcake".


In the midst of all the shopping and eating, we did manage to make a little time for work. We enjoyed several classes at the Redken and Pureology stage. I feel rejuvenated and ready to play with some hair tomorrow.

10 years from now when someone asks me where I was when I heard Osama Bin Laden was dead, I'll remember hearing the news in a hotel room in Austin, TX with Kate and Laura.

Mountains Beyond Mountains.

Yesterday after work we made the drive down I-40 to Memphis for the Arcade Fire concert at the Orpheum. Laura and Caleb rode down with us, and we met several other friends from Epoch at the show.  They were amazing! The lead singer's wife was too cute...she had the best style, played every instrument under the sun, and twirled around like a ballerina.  We got home late, but it was worth the sleep deprivation at work today.

I'm back!

Lent ended yesterday with the celebration of Easter, so I'm now officially allowed back on social media.  Fasting from this blog, facebook, twitter, etc. gave me a chance to realize how much time I was wasting on the computer and my iPhone.  I was able to spend more time with the Lord, my family, and even go to bed earlier.  I enjoyed my time away, but I can't say I didn't miss knowing what everyone has been up to in the blogging world.

Lots happened while I was out.  We went on our Europe trip, I read some good books, and we had our kitchen remodeled.  I plan on breaking down each stop on our trip for those who are interested, but first I'll  fill you in on what's happened most recently: spending Easter Sunday with our family and surviving a tornado.

Gary's parents came to visit this weekend.  We enjoyed catching up with them and sharing the photos from our travels.  They are great about showing a genuine interest in what we are doing, asking questions and listening. 

Sunday we enjoyed the traditional Easter lunch at my grandparents' house after church with all the Jenkins family.  (We've had lunch at my grandparents' on Easter for as long as I can remember.)  After lunch the family photo shoot commences!  This year was especially fun, as we all seemed to enjoy some sillier shots than what we've done in years past. Here are a few of my favorites:

We are truly blessed to have such wonderful families on both the Grant and Jenkins side!

Tonight Arkansas experienced more bad weather in the form of thunder storms and tornado's.  We spent a good hour hiding out in our bathtub this evening while the storm raged and tornado sirens whaled outside.

The storm has calmed down now, and we are safe, but the forecast is calling for more bad weather tomorrow.  I sure hope the May flowers are worth all this!





Let's Braid! What Hairstyles Are Fashionable Today?

Voluminous hair, slipshod plaits, French braids and complicated braiding are very fashionable hairstyles this season 2011.
A hair plait, or braided hairstyle, is a simple style that works beautifully for elegant occasions but also looks nicely as a more casual look. It helps to keep your hair out of your face and it takes a little time to do. Plait hairstyles can range from the simple to the elegant. They can also be useful to keep hair away from the face while going shopping.

Braids seen at Alexander McQueen

Return of the braids can't help making us glad!  Seen at Erdem and Givenchy

French braid. Rachel McAdams

Fish tail. Fergie

Fish tail. Leona Lewis

Learn how to make a french fishtail braid by yourself:

Or this one:

Celebrities dictate beauty trends. Fashionable Haorstyles.

Celebrities show us how to look fashionable and stylish this season. Hair fashion trends from celebrities:

Sleek haistyle. Emily Blunt and Jennifer Lopez were seen whis that hairdoes.

Long fringe. Lake Bell and Olivia Wilde go out covering their looks with long fringe.

Short haircuts. Ashlee Simpson and Emma Watson like short  naughty hairstyles.

Lent.

Tomorrow lent (the season of fasting from Ash Wednesday until Easter) begins.  No, I'm not Catholic, but I do think observing lent can be helpful in refocusing our attention.  Our church has encouraged us to give up something that distracts us from the Lord, so we can use the time normally spent on that distraction to focus on spending more time with the Lord. 

As I began to think about what I might give up, I was reading through 1 John and stumbled across a verse that really convicted me.  The scripture reads:

"For everything in the world- the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does- comes not from the father, but from the world (1 John 1:16)." 

That's when I knew what I needed to give up...all forms of social media (facebook, twitter, instagram, foursquare, and this blog).  I love starting and ending my day with browsing these sites.  They keep me connected and informed, but they also breed lust and boasting in my life.  It  is so easy for me to look at someone's blog or facebook page and be envious of what they have or what they are doing.  I also find myself feeling pressured to boast about the things I'm doing in return.  Talk about a distraction!

So, for 40 days and 40 nights I will not check any form of social media.  In addition I will replace my dependence on caffeine with a dependence on Christ as my source of strength and energy.  I'm going to miss my daily diet coke and morning coffee, but I'm looking forward to a renewed since of dependence and a life with less distractions.  Please pray that the Lord will honor this time of fasting and grow me in ways I never thought possible.

See you all again on Easter!

Happy Birthday Bestie.

Saturday was Laura's birthday.  After work we went to dinner with the birthday girl and some of our friends from church at Arkansas Burger Company.  Following dinner, we took the party to the Gunnels' house for Dance Central on the X-Box.  I only danced one time, but I had a ball watching everyone else show off their moves. 

Laura loves owls, so our friend Jessica made her this adorable owl cake.  Laura is also the "Martha Stewart of North Little Rock", so I gave her an owl flower pot filled with all the spring gardening essentials.

 

Laura has now joined me in being closer to 30 than 20.  I'm so thankful for friends and fun memories.  Hope your birthday was a happy one Laura. We love you!