7 Braids You Will Want To Do Right Now

Raise your hand if you know how to do a regular braid and that is all you can do!

I am right there with you guys… I definitely need to up my braiding game. Like, yesterday.

I tend to “get by” with doing my hair, but that means always doing the same thing. I am not much of an experimenter, because I tend to get stressed when I can’t get a hairstyle to work for me on the first try. Since I can’t get it on the first try, my hair gets all funky because I’ve been playing with it for awhile, and my whole good hair day goes down the drain. Bummer!

I am constantly checking out Amber Fillerup Clark’s braids at Barefootblonde.com, and she makes it seem SO incredibly easy. Why not give hers a try?!

Below, I am adding my favorite braids, from Amber’s site to ones I found on Pinterest. This might be a far stretch, but I think these could all be doable. Just give me an entire day off to experiment, and then maybe I can get these braids down.

If I ever do, I will be sure to post. 🙂

Heart Jenn

 

8 Cinder Block Projects

Lately, I have been really into cinder blocks. I have no idea where this obsession came from, but maybe it’s the fact that they are so cheap. At about 1 dollar and a handful of change, you can buy a cinder block at Lowe’s. How great is that?

For awhile now, I have been trying to figure out how to make a desk. I was either never sure what kind of an office area I wanted, or I just didn’t know what to use for the legs. Legs seem to always be the problem.

I thought of using filing cabinets, but I could never find some cheap enough. I love going to yard sales and flea markets, but I never came across any at those places. I checked Craigslist and online yard sales as well, but no luck!

I also looked at getting typical table legs at Lowe’s, but I wasn’t really in love with that idea. There wasn’t anything unique about them, and that is a no-go for me!

If I found some ideas for legs on Pinterest, they were either too expensive, or they involved too much labor, both of which are not on my list!

That is when I came across the most amazing idea of using cinder blocks for everything. Literally, everything. Right now, I am typing on a desk that is made out of a wood slab and cinder blocks. Eventually, I need to rough up the wood a little, stain it, and possibly spray paint the cinder blocks. But other than that, I absolutely love this simple, effective desk.

Today, I thought I would share some of the cinder block projects I came across, because I love them all! I foresee many projects in my future..

I apologize in advance Tony. 🙂

Let me know what you guys think!

Heart Jenn

 

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Photo by Alan Gastelum via dwell.com

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Photo by Larnie Nicolson via newzealanddesignblog.com

Alabama Strawberry Picking

Tony and I had some free time after work the other day, so we figured, why not go strawberry picking? The cutest little farm is down the road from us with local, organic fruits and veggies. They give you the option of picking your own strawberries (or whatever is in season) or grabbing a basket of already picked ones. Who wants to miss out on the fun of picking? Not us!

I have never been strawberry picking before, unless I went when I was little and that’s a given that I wouldn’t remember that. Sorry mom and dad! We had such a fun time, picked the best tasting strawberries EVER, so I thought I would share some pictures from our outing!

#shoplocal 🙂

Heart Jenn

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Green Beauty Target Finds

You guys!

I have been so excited to share this post with you because, well, these products are just that great! I love a great, all-natural find at a store where they know me by name. Just kidding. But really, I love Target, and if there was one in my town, they just might. 🙂

Anyway, after moving back to Alabama from Germany, I was dying to get to Target and browse. It had been so long since I was able to have a variety of options on items. I was always resorting to whatever I could find on Amazon with free shipping. After awhile, that got extremely old because I wasn’t getting my Amazon Prime promise of “2 day free shipping” since I was located in Germany, and I wasn’t buying products I truly wanted.

Now that I am in America, I get those Amazon Prime perks back, but I also get the perks of going into my favorite stores. Win, win!

I had a whole list of items, some of which are here and here. One of the items I found was not on my list, but on every other natural beauty blogger’s list. So naturally, I had to have it.

All three of these products were bought in February and I still have lots of every product left.

Acure Brightening Facial Scrub: This one was never on my list, but was recommended by everyone else out there who knows anything about beauty products. It is definitely a winner in my eyes! The consistency is pretty perfect. It isn’t too fine where you barely feel like your face is getting a good scrub, but it isn’t ripping your skin to shreds. We all know there are products out there that do that! It brightens and makes my skin feel so fresh and so clean, clean. It really feels like my skin is new.

Zoe Organics Cream: This cream works wonders on my dry skin. My hands and elbows get super dry year round, so I mostly use this cream for those parts of my body. It has a great texture, but still feels like coconut oil does when you rub it on your skin. For this reason, I only use it on smaller areas. BUT, it is pretty amazing on those areas. It is small enough that I keep it in my purse and whenever I need it, I scoop out a small amount and lather!

Physician’s Formula Mascara: I had a hard time trying to find the perfect mascara. Reading reviews after reviews and watching Youtube videos after Youtube videos, I finally settled on Physician’s Formula. This stays on throughout the day, doesn’t clump, and doesn’t smear. I have noticed that if I’m having a busy day (I work at an animal shelter) and running around constantly, then my bottom lashes might look a little smudged underneath, but that isn’t terrible. All in all, I like this mascara and I will continue buying it (since it is easily accessible at stores) until someone sells me on another.

Let me know if you have any favorite Target finds!

Heart Jenn

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Backyard Oasis

Obsessed much with Julianne Hough’s backyard remodel? Both of my hands are raised high!

I love a great backyard. They are my absolute favorites. They can be a fun place to host dinner parties, have friends or family over, or simply hang out and play games, read or relax. I find that I am drawn to a house more if the backyard is an oasis. That being said, I am currently pining over Julianne Hough’s new remodel with Joss & Main!

Her description of what she wanted her yard to look like was “something earthy, natural and fresh, but also young, modern and inviting.” If I could pick a sentence to describe what I want in my home, this would explain it perfectly!

Everything she has is located at jossandmain.com. I see they have some great sales going on, so head on over and pick out your favorites! I know I am, with a little convincing of the hubby of course. 🙂

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Photo Cred: Justin Coit

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Photo Cred: Justin Coit

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Photo Cred: Justin Coit

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Photo Cred: Justin Coit

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Photo Cred: Justin Coit

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Photo Cred: Justin Coit