A Little Bit on Who I am at the Moment...

...Thankful. So incredibly thankful. For my family, friends, my career, just my life in general. It's amazing how much gets put in perspective when significant things (good and bad) happen in your life. I am so fortunate to live the life that I do, and while nothing is perfect and I spend my life being a professional smart-ass and mostly sarcastic, I am aware of how good  I have it.

... Currently watching (and LOVING) Orange is the New Black on Netflix. I'm awful at explaining things, we all know this. So please just take my word for it and set aside a full day to marathon that show, you'll fall in love with it and we can all be one big, happy prison-show loving family :)

... Currently reading "This Is How You Lose Her" by Junot Diaz

... REALLY trying to come up with a healthy eating+living plan! I know we all have the same excuses for slacking off when it comes to eating right and exercising regularly, so my excuses don't need to be listed. I just need to be better.

...working like a Mad Woman. Ferreal... all I do is work...and think about work...and when I get home I'm working on things for work. It's never ending. The need to find balance is a serious one.

...TRYING TO DE-CLUTTER MY HOUSE...ohmygod it's never ending. Why do I have so.many.clothes??!! Have you ever just looked around your home and wondered, " Where did all this shit come from??" If you havent, you're probably doing it right.

...wondering how anything was ever planned before Pinterest.

....working everyday to be a better version of myself.

Listening to Lately...

The Neighborhood- Sweater Weather (All day,Everyday, Over and over and over)

Polica-Wandering Star

Ciara-Body Party

The 1975- Sex

Miley Cyrus- We Can't Stop

Mr. Little Jeans- The Suburbs (Arcade Fire Cover)

Paramore- Still Into You (Their new album is flawless, just  TRY to stop listening to it, I dare you)

Lydia-From a Tire Swing (This whole album is just perfection)

The day I lost my voice-Copeland

The Rubens-Lay it Down

Miss Jackson- Panic! at the Disco ft. Lolo






Download these albums, and thank me later :)

Joshua Radin- We Were Here

                                                     

Lydia- Devil

Paramore- Paramore

Taylor Swift (Red) 
 yeahh... i know, but just do it. 

The Maine- Can't Stop Won't Stop

Wordless Wednesday...

May 24th, 2013

Harper Ellison: Month 4

My little Harper E,

   How is it possible that you just turned 5 months old 3 days ago? I know it probably gets old hearing me question where all this time is going and why it refuses to slow down, but you'll understand someday.
   In the last couple months, your personality has been such a pleasure to get to know. You smile back when you're smiled at and your little right cheek dimple is too cute to even handle.
  Being high up in the air is your favorite thing in the entire world. If we hold you up above our heads, you will just SCREAM because you're so happy. Occasionally you'll let a laugh slip out, but usually always a scream with that big gummy smile of yours. Perfection.
At 4 months (and 1 day) you just decided to start sitting up on you own. I'm not sure what compelled you to do this, but with supervision (and a soft pillow behind you just in case) you would sit up and play and "talk" and occasionally tip over. And then, a few weeks later, you just decided, "oh hey, I'm just going to stand up on my own, I'm not even going to hold onto anything." Yeah...I about had a heart attack and am completely surprised that I even had the wits to take a photo. Luckily, you haven't done that again, the standing on your own nonsense. I'm glad we at least still have a liiittle bit of time left before you practically start running this place.

On my first Mother's day, we did a family photo session with Darci, one of the photographers I always work with, and who you will probably know as Aunt Darci in the years to come since she's known you since before you were even born. It was probably about 92 degrees outside and the blazing sun just would not quit. You hated every second of that shoot, but you looked absolutely gorgeous in your little dress and headband.

At one point, I dipped you into my cup of coffee :)...and you were featured on a website for it.

You became reaaaally good friends with your feet.

And I may or may not have drawn eyebrows and a mustache on your face while you were sleeping so innocently....

Baby girl, you have been the most incredible EVERYTHING to me. So much fun and so much cute and so incredibly happy (most of the time). I constantly have to remind myself that, yes, this is real life, I DID get the most perfect human child to ever be born into this world. Biased? Nope. Not even a little bit, everyone else thinks so to. 

I love you so much more than you will ever know Harper. You bring a crazy love, an incredible light to all of our lives. I don't know what kind of good I could have possibly done to create something as beautiful as you are but, I am the luckiest. The very, very luckiest.

Love, Mama

Harper Ellison : Month 3

Tomorrow, my darling Harper E, you are 4 months old. I need the pause button. Why don't they give us a pause button?!

Your third month of life was full of sooooo much. So much babbling, SO many smiles. Your first really nasty cough, which resulted in you having to wear a nebulizer mask, you weren't a fan AT ALL. You discovered just how powerful your little voice is, always trying to make sure you're being heard by everyone. It's hilarious listening to you just have these really seemingly detailed and in depth "conversations" with yourself. Like you're having loads of intense debates. You've reached a new level of drool. You'd think you'd be all dried up, that in a 24 hour period of time, that you've had to of reached the maximum amount of drool in a human beings life, but then it just keeps coming. You're quite good at making bubbles with all that drool, too. 

You've recently decided that anything and just about everything needs to be in your mouth RIGHT NOW! Your hands, Blankets, ESPECIALLY blankets. You're pretty keen on having a death grip on most objects as well, as a result, I will always remember this month as "Top Knot Month". Because I learned after the first time you grabbed onto my hair and refused to release even just a tiny bit,not to have my hair down. It's pretty funny to watch as other people learn this same little habit of yours. :)

You've been my little makeup assistant, I bring you just about everywhere with me. Photoshoots, Ikea, Visitng Friends, Restaurants, EVVVVERYWHERE. We lucked out with you being such a calm, content baby. We really did. 

I was lucky enough to hear you actually laugh for the first time just the other day, Jillinn and I took you on a 3 hour adventure in Ikea on the 26th, we were in the parking garage and I started to run and push the cart faster, you LOVED it. You were smiling that big, gummy smile of yours and all of a sudden the best sound I've ever heard came out of your mouth, my eyes even got a little teary. 

Every single day i wake up, shocked at the fact that I love you even more than I did the day before. My heart might just explode, from loving you so much, Harper. 

22 before 23 update!

Well, tomorrow is my 23rd birthday! I've got an insane day of photoshoots and my little Harpster will be my little assistant for the day, tagging along with me :) 

Last year I made a list of 22 things that I wanted to accomplish before turning 23. Let's just say that I didn't exactly do as much as I really wanted to. With the discovery of our super exciting surprise pregnancy last May and a huuuuge move into a much smaller home last October, to say that I was focused on other things is an understatement!

1. Finally take boards and get my license!
2. Really practice and get back to the fluent level of French
3. Save up for, find, and live in the perfect hardwood floored- exposed brick loft in Downtown Denver

4. Lose 40 pounds!(gained back 28 of the 31lbs I lost previously during pregnancy, 2 months post-partum and I'm down 33, 2lbs below my pre-prego weight :))

5. Take one lovely international vacation
6. Crochet or knit as many scarves/hats/ mittens as I can to donate
7. Take up Yoga
8. Wear every pair of shoes that I own at least once
9. Dance more
10. Read 22 new books ( I read 7) 
11. Fro-yo date once a week with people I adore
12. Create a lovely home+work studio space
13. Be and inspiration to anyone
14.Visit the Denver Art Museum atleast 5 times
15. Do a fruits&veggies challenge...3 times
16. Create a beauty/fashion printed 'zine
17. Have a disposable camera for every month of the year and develop all 12 on 3/14/2013
18. Travel to New York
19. Purge my closet in a SERIOUS way
20. Donate Blood
21. Be more creative in everyway possible
22. Save$Save$Save

So with only 3 1/2 things crossed off last years' list, I'm surprisingly not bummed out at all. I made a human. We made a huge move. My business is incredibly successful. I'm working on getting into shape , and I'm so so sooo happy. Maybe I'll add a few of these to this year's list! 

Harper Ellison: Month Two

My hilarious little girl,

    You are just too much perfect for me. Too much cute, too much funny, too much wonderful.

I imagine that you will, when you're older, really come to hate the word "beautiful" because you hear it at least 82 times a day, be it from me or other people. You are just the most immaculately put together human being. Every little piece of you is just so beautiful (i know, and I'm not sorry). And you're smart too. I wake up everyday fully expecting you to recite the "ABC's" or just sprint across the room, like you were born doing it. I'm constantly wondering what it is that you're thinking about, I mean really, what is it about a plain white wall that just entertains you to no end. You can (and do) just stare at the wall behind our bed for hoooours or until you fall asleep  You kick your legs and flail your arms around and just talk to the wall, you never get bored with that wall. That wall is probably your best friend.
 And let's just briefly touch on the fact that you sleep for 5 hours in.a.row. just about every night. perfection.
  Back to how beautiful you are. For the first 6(ish) weeks of your life, and really everyday of my pregnancy, we allllll wondered what color your eyes would turn out to be. What color and how curly your hair would be. Your eyes are the brightest most intense blue. Indefinitely without a doubt, blue blue blue. They're breathtaking, my favorite color in the whole world. Your hair is still straight and light brown. Still fluffy and short. Still so adorable. I could go on for years talking and thinking about that smile of yours. I would go sleepless, foodless for that perfect smile. It absolutely sets my whole world on fire. Erases every ounce of stress and pointless negativity going on in my brain.

You've got the most lovely temperament too, my dear. You really tolerate a lot of interaction and aren't fussy when you aren't the center of attention or even the most comfortable. You sat in your car seat for a minimum of 8 hours yesterday while Kaitlyn and I shopped for unnecessary amounts of time.I knew you were over it at like 5 hours in and you only started crying on the way home. Thanks for that little darling, it's like you know when to just cut me a break. You've become a little bit more vocal too, which is just a huge cherry on top of all of your perfection. You just babble on and on and on and if you don't get an answer back from us, you let out one big yell. I just love that. It just makes us laugh every time. You recently discovered just how tasty your own hands can be and you just gum your hands to death.Precious. You are so loving bath time right and it is so awesome! You're such a little mermaid baby, and you always want your whole face to get wet. You kick your legs like you already know how to swim. Its so much fun to watch you little baby.

 I can't get enough of everything that makes up your tiny little being, Everyday is my favorite day with you Harper Ellison, there will never be enough days with you.

You will never know just how intensely we love you, but I promise to try my hardest make you feel it you everyday. Keep growing and learning babygirl, I'll be right next to you doing the same.

Love,

Mama

A little bit of Saturday Style Inspiration

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Effortless. Feminine with a bit of an edge. and Tights...tights are everything.

1.2.3.4.5.

6.7.8.9.10

A little bit of Tuesday Link Love

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

 I know that this is the very definition of forever ago, but how can you not loooove this?! 

Because who isn't obsessed with Beyonce right now? 

watch the video here

and a pictorial here


BABIES ARE HAPPENING EVERYWHERE!
I swear I was aalllll alone throughout my pregnancy not a single blogger,iger, or friend of mine was pregnant and now that I'm all done being a sacred vessel of human life, now everyone decides "oh hey, lets all be cool and grow babies together" jerks. justkiddingiloveyouall. but really, next time wait for me! thanks

Hilarious Mandy over after Harper's Happenings (uhm hello, our daughters have the same name,reason enough to love her)
Elycia from Love Elycia,craft, thrift and cat lovin'
Brytny, with her gorgeous model self
and the always inspiring Danielle from Sometimes Sweet
are all just a baby growin' away. Those lucky gals! They're all amazing and their little babies are super lucky to be born to such lovely, beautiful women and families!

Season over at Colorado Courtship, featured this amazing looking recipe for cream cheese strawberries. Perfect for my constant craving of strawberry cheesecake and perfect for my constant need to get in shape. Genius I tell you.


Morgan aka Mrs.Priss is being a positive force in the world, and making me want to be one too.

Kate features a great overview of some celebrity Oscars hairstyles, and I pretty much agree with all her "winners" and "losers"

Tegan and Sara do it again.

A little bit of Career Talk

href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/4857649/?claim=x9bwwny37bh">Follow my blog with Bloglovin For those who are unaware... I am a Professional Hairstylist and Makeup Artist, that's generally the first thing that people know about me. Not only is it my career choice, but hair and makeup (as shallow and pointless as it may seem to some people) is my passion. I love everything about the business of beauty and I take my career choice incredibly seriously.

My work allows me to meet a whole lot of different types of people, from the clients I work with to the fellow hair/makeup artist I meet and work with occasionally,  I genuinely love getting to know the people that  my craft brings into my life. A lot of my clients and colleagues have turned into friends and I have zero complaints about that. I've had the amazing opportunity to work with a few celebrities and more importantly, am  invited into the lives of Brides to be, to spend a few hours beautifying them for the most important day of their lives. To me, that's pretty cool! I am incredibly lucky to be able to do what I love, and boy, do I love what I do.

Occasionally, I'll post some of my work here, some behind the scenes shots (taken on my phone) and some of the professional images that I get back from the photographer as well.

I am completely open to answer any questions that you may have about hair and makeup, what I do (and don't do), Tips and Tricks, etc.

                         Since taking a few weeks off at the beginning of the year for maternity leave, these are some random snaps of work related stuff since I've gotten back to work, I think I only took like 3 weeks off, since I can bring lil Harper with me to photoshoots (again...SUPER lucky). I just have an absolutely amazing time doing what I do. Don't get me wrong, there are stressful days and a lot of preperation (and paper work bleh) just like any other job, but it's more than worth the little bit of extra stress.

New kit! I bought myself a new MAC Zuca bag! lovelovelove this! My back is thanking me right now

Updo and a little bit of Airbrush makeup on my little sister! 

Maternity and Boudoir photo shoot makeup! Darci Amundson on of the photographers that I work with frequently, I love her, I love her work, I LOVE her clients!

Boudoir makeup for a session with Darci

Prepping for a boudoir shoot.photo taken by Darci Amundson

Before and After at one of last weeks Bridal Trials! Valerie looks gorgeous both with and without hair and makeup done. It was such a pleasure meeting and her family! Can't wait for her wedding day!

More prepping. Photo courtesy of Darci Amundson

SO. MANY.BRUSHES

Some "chola" makeup on one of my clients at MAC

Boudoir & Glamour 

Boudoir session with Darci! 

Fancy new business cards! LOVE these!

Harper Ellison:Month One

href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/4857649/?claim=x9bwwny37bh">Follow my blog with Bloglovin

 I'm writing this on what is actually your 44th day of life. For 44 days you have been the center of my whole world, changing the way I think, sleep, eat and even drive.
 Only hours after you were born, you started to raise your head and hold it up for a few seconds then rest it right back on my shoulder. Then you'd try it all over again, raising your head for just a few more seconds each time. The doctors all told me that you were advanced. Well I'm more than proud to say that not only can you hold your own head up for more than just a few seconds, you can sit up with nothing but a hand in front of or behind you. And thats you're preferred position, always sitting up so that you can see everything thats going on, God forbid you miss something! You're very particular about what you want to be doing and get bored pretty quickly if we're just sitting around. You love to be entertained, and to be talked to. And you love to "talk" right back. Your  little coos are almost too precious for me to handle.
 Your little personality is starting to show more of itself and I couldn't be more in love! You're growing so quickly too, just last night I came home from work and your father had you in a onesie...a 9 months onesie and it was only big in the shoulders. I almost cried. Tomorrow we head to the doctor for regular 6 week  checkups for both of us. (update: You, Harper, are above the 95th percentile in Height, Weight and Head Circumference, you weighed in at 12.15 lbs and measured 23 1/2 inches tall, 39 cm head.)


I just love watch you grow and change. You'll be 2 months old before we know. Where did the time go?

I love you I love you I love Harper Ellison, you are the greatest thing I've ever done.

Love, Mama

New Year, New Baby

That's right folks, I rang in the new year by welcoming our sweet baby girl, Harper into the world!
I wish the English language had a word for the crazy, overwhelming kind of love that I have for her. There's just no way to put it into words though, when I try, all I come up with are tears, the happiest kind.

                                                      12am 01.02.13; 7 hours and 3 minutes old

                                                                            01.05.13

 

01.05.13

 

01.06.13

 

01.10.13

                                                                      

                                                                      01.10.13

                                                                              01.11.13

                                                                        01.11.13

                                                                       

01.11.13

                                                                  


 I'm sitting here on the couch, with my daughter in my arms, typing this one handed. They should tell you how many things you really can do with just one hand, but apparently it takes becoming a parent...or a dismembering accident to really find that out. Take your pick.

 Harper Ellison has been alive and kickin' for 14 days, it seems like so much more and less than that, which makes no sense,clearly. What I mean is, it's really hard for me to picture my life prior to her, I'm well aware of the fact that I should have a clear remembrance of what my life consisted of 14 days ago. I know. It just feels like I've always had her, like I've been waking up every 2 hours to feed,change and just stare this human being, forever. And  at the same time, she just seems so new. I want her to stay new. Everyday that passes I feel a little tiny selfish twinge of sadness because everyday that comes, she needs me a little bit less than she did the day before. I told you it was selfish.
So regardless of the "words of wisdom" from other, more seasoned and experienced parents, I hold my baby when I want to hold her (pretty much 24/7), I kiss her too much, I take atleast 70 photos of her a day, We sleep with her in our bed, I lie awake all day and night, even when she's sleeping just to watch her breathe. And it will never be enough. I mean, who knows if I'll get to do any of this again, right? I made this amazing little being from scratch. I don't want to  miss anything. And plus, she smells AMAZING!


  She is just so unbelievably, beautifully, perfect. I will never know how I got so lucky, really.

Hey Harper,

  Thank you for picking us, thank you for picking me.

 iloveyouiloveyouiloveyou,

Mama

 

01.08.13