My Hair's Mini Holiday

Ok, yes....admittedly I may be losing my mind, but I have to tell you it certainly feels like my hair got a holiday. I don't know about you but this crispy cold air has turned my coiffe into crispy fried hair. Luckily my friend Deborah Tang, yep, Deborah from last year's post, suggested a mini spa day for my ailing locks. I am not one of those girls that spend hours each morning perfecting their hair and makeup.....I am more the roll out of bed and tie my hair in a knot on the top of my head type, but still my hair was driving me nuts as it was so frizzy and falling into my face. Deborah lent me this really cute bag with everything I needed to save my hair from an untimely chopping.

The shampoo is Arbonne Pure Vibrance Lustre Fortifying Shampoo. It smells divine. I can't put my finger on the exact scent but its somewhere in the berry area. Its not too fruity or strong. I am really sensitive to strong fragrance so you can trust me when I say its just right.

The conditioner is Arbonne Pure Vibrance Fortifying Conditioner. It does not really have a smell. At least I could not smell it over the lovely shampoo. You know how when your hair is really damaged and you run your hand over it when it is wet you can feel the tangly feel. As soon as I put this conditioner on that was all gone. Poof. Conditioners do remove some of that but not like this. It was literally smooth as silk.

I was already tickled with the performance of the products and then I tried the hair mask. Oh my! My hair's texture totally changed. I thought about doing one of those videos where you see the girl flouncing her gorgeous hair around but I figured you would be laughing too hard to finish reading this post.

The spa did not end there. She lent me a serum....I think more valuable than the serum used to create Captain America. Arbonne Pure Vibrance Colour Last Hair Serum. My hair is not coloured....that will be next weeks post  (be sure to check in) but it does tame your hair and make it shiny and glossy. The final touch was the Arbonne Texturizing Mousse. Ta-Da....a perfect hair day.

Thank you Deborah, I really needed this intervention to save my hair.  If you are having a hair emergency or even just need a glamorous holiday look, Contact Deborah Tang Arbonne District Manager, Independent Consultant deborah.tang@gmail.com or shop Arbonne

Family Photo Traditions At Christmas Time - Guest Post By Sarah Kirby

It's funny how little things become traditions without even noticing. 

One year you bake cookies and the next year your kids expect that you'll be baking cookies. One year you decorate the tree while watching Miracle On 34th Street and ... well, you get the idea. 

For my family, the "silly Christmas couch picture" seems to be a tradition we've had for a few years now and I don't see it leaving us anytime soon.

Because I'm a photographer, it's perfectly normal for me to never be in any family photos. Unless it's a cell phone "selfie", I'm the one behind the camera.

So, I started using my tripod to get at least one family photo with me in it. (We could be like the Simpsons!)

My husband is uncomfortable posing for photos, my girls are not (because of their years with a mom who always has the camera out). 

While I was taking some test shots to make sure the light was right, my girls used the time to make some faces and help Mike relax a bit. 

Somehow, a perfectly lovely happy family photo turned into complete silliness and that silliness has evolved into one of our most fun traditions.

I do still get my perfectly lovely happy family photo too!

A few years ago we tried a "photobooth".  

I set up our little "booth" at the end of a hallway by tapeing a sheet to the wall. Our light source was a floorlamp with the shade removed.

I used my good camera on a tripod but I discovered that there are several "apps" out there that will do some really neat images like Photomat (free) and Pocketbooth (.99 cents). You don't have to have a big camera with a tripod to try it out.     

This hasn't become a tradition for us ... yet. But it was a hoot and definitely calls for a round 2 this year now that I have a home studio.

"What are your family photo traditions at Christmas time? If you don't have one, maybe this is your year to experiment! Have fun with it."

Sarah is the owner of Imagine Photography

About Sarah Kirby

My name is Sarah Kirby and I live in Belleville, Ontario with my husband Mike and my daughters Becca and Brianna, all of whom are tremendous supporters of Imagine Photography. In 2007 I began a second career as a scrapbooking consultant and it was through this work that my passion for photography developed. I began to see photos from a different perspective, imagining what they might look like in a scrapbook and how they might best be taken to preserve memories for a lifetime.

My passion (some might say "obsession”) eventually led to taking pictures for friends and family and that passion for photography was fueled even more. Through photography courses, I constantly strive to upgrade my knowledge, skills and equipment so that I can give you, the customer, the highest quality photos and the best overall experience possible.

From 2012 to 2014 I lived in and visited seven countries on three different continents. This experience not only gave me a deeper appreciation of diverse cultures, but also allowed me to photograph some of the most beautiful places on earth. Egypt’s Great Pyramids, Jordan’s ancient city of Petra, and Kenya’s Masai Mara are just a few of the locations I have been privileged to photograph. (please visit my Blog pages to view the travel photography or my Landscape page if you are interested in buying an image. Egypt/Kenya/Jordan Blog and Thailand/New Zealand/Ecuador Blog)

Now that I have re-settled in the Quinte area, I am ready to devote all of my efforts to serving my customers and creating beautiful and lasting memories

Find Sarah on Facebook

Meet My Friend Sarah and Sneak Peek at November Posts.

Its always nice when out of the blue you have the opportunity to get to know someone new. I was lucky enough to meet Sarah a few months ago in a fb group and we became quick friends. Sarah was kind enough to agree to guest post this week about Family Photos. I know this is something that I start to think about this time of year. Will they be formal shots of the whole family or just the kids dressed up in their Christmas best? I can't wait to share Sarah's "take" on the whole situation.

Join us this Friday for Sarah's informative yet unorthodox post.

Also, be sure to check back later in the month for articles from other guest bloggers about holiday entertaining, keeping holiday stress in check, eating right and staying healthy during the holidays and more.

Did you visit the Heroes Of The City Giveaway yet? Those wonderful folks are at it again. This time you can win a $25 Amazon card. Winners will be drawn every day December 1st-25, 2014.

Enter to win here: 

http://is.gd/HGIxtD

Jumpstart Your Christmas Cardmaking: Pop-Up Nativity Card

Who doesn't love a good pop-up card? This card requires a wee bit of fussy cutting but the end result is so cute that its worth the effort.

Materials:

Colonial White card base & Envelope

Colonial White Cardstock

Desert Sand Cardstock

Adhesive

Crystal Blue Ink

Desert Sand Ink

Cocoa Ink

I used Glory To God Stamp Set (Retired) but the new version is Reason For The Season (You can also use the diecut pieces that are included in the design file in artfully sent)

Embossing Folder (I used a frame folder from Cuttlebug)

Cricut Artfully Sent Cartridge

The best way to tackle this card is to work on it as two separate cards and then put them together. 

Cut a 41/4 x 51/2 piece of colonial white cardstock. Using your embossing folder create the frame impression. Next stamp your city background in desert sand ink. Next add your sentiment, wisemen and star in Cocoa. Using a sponge lightly ink your sky using crystal blue ink and the ground using desert sand. Allow the ink to dry completely and then adhere it to the front of your card base.

Using your artfully sent cricut cartridge select the Nativity Pop Up Design from page 46 of your instruction booklet. You will see all the layers you need appear. Once you have cut the pieces out of colonial white and desert sand you will want to carefully fold the pop up base. The easiest way to do this is by folding the card in half like a regular card using your bone folder and then go back and gently push alternating slotted areas forward. Once you have all your folds done attach it to the desert sand base liner. I find it is easier to line the characters up once it is stable (no pun intended). If you need to stamp your images now is the time to do it and then fussy cut them before adhering to their steps.We stamped our Creche right on the back of the card so that Jesus and his family would seem to be inside it.  Stamp your sentiment in the bottom right hand corner with cocoa ink. Once you have your nativity scene together you can gently adhere it to the card base. Voila you are a pop-up card whiz.