Going gracefully...

This weekend I attended another Christmas party and visited, laughed, and danced into the night.  It was delightful!  I can never seem to make it through any type of event without someone asking me something hair related.  I love it.  It gives me a chance to explain things to people and it challenges me to come up with new ideas to do the same thing.

At this party on the weekend, I was approached by a lovely lady who said that in her peer group the question of the day is, "how do you grey, gracefully?"  That's a good one!  How DO you let your greys come in without looking like a hot mess??  I have decided to tackle this burning question.  I think that the best way to approach it would be to break it down into a series and discuss it in chunks.

Like I always say, the best place to start is with a conversation with your stylist.  Hopefully you and your stylist have a good enough relationship that y'all can converse about your issue.  I believe that the whole grey thing is a bit of a dodgy area for some stylists.  The fact of the matter is, coloring hair is THE main way that we make our money.  I am optimistic your stylist won't try to convince you to keep coloring if you would like to stop.

When we go through the topic of greying gracefully, I'd like you to keep in mind that you must be prepared to do some work and be very patient.  I'm here to help!  We'll start the series on Saturday on the fresh perspective... post.

Peace

the fresh perspective...

How much is too much? How do you know when you have let yourself be overcome with 'stuff'?  During this season of giving and getting, it's a wonder we have space in our lives for the things we will be getting...

We go from shop, to boutique, to mall, looking for that perfect something to give the ones we hold the nearest and most dear to us.  We anticipate seeing their faces light up when they open their gift.  Something about that, I guess, is why we give.  But why must we give things?  Why do we fail to see that the gift of time-spent is something much more valuable?

Giving time instead of material things seems easy but let me tell you, it's harder than you think.  Even now as you read this, your mind has already traveled to all the places you need to be by the day's end.   All the things you need to accomplish before you sleep, gently nudge you through your day.  So to think that you would need to spend little or no money, but time, might be challenging.  Let's face it, it's easier to buy someone a gift than to give them four uninterrupted hours of your evening.

I'd like to challenge everyone this year to maybe give time as a gift.  This holiday, begin with one or two people.  Start small because your time is valuable as well and if your family or group of close friends are many, all your time will be gone.  That's the fresh perspective...

[polldaddy poll=6747140]

Renée's Aesthetic

I just want to send out a huge THANK YOU along with a great big hug, from all of us at Freshair Boutique, for your unbelievable support of freshFOOD.  Today I am lucky enough to contribute to the 300th blog post.  I know, we are still in shock too. The blog world is booming, and yes there are millions of followers, but most of all I'd like to send a "shout out" to each and every contributor.  People put their heart & soul in to these projects, and often share intimate parts of their lives to the world.  The amount of times I've been inspired from other posts is countless.  Whether it be about art, culture, style, food, fashion, or design (you name it), the internet is a great source to spark that creativity within ourselves.

Here's a list of 15 amazing blogs that I'm following at the moment.  Check them out & follow them. Trust me, you won't regret it.

colossal

roost blog

stay fancy free

spoon fork bacon

this is poster

freunde von freunden

rosencrown

clark huot cocoon

field guided

into the gloss

kinfolk mag

for me-for you

bridge and bardot

nailside

she lets her hair down

-né

the fresh perspective...

For CP- In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.

-Abraham Lincoln

Abe Lincoln seems to have been an amazing man.  I'm excited to see the movie about his life and learn more about him.  It seems like he was a man who wasn't afraid to be the first.  I don't know very much about him but his quote above spoke to me.

For all of you who have lost someone and feel like you can't pick up the pieces, this Lincoln quote should be able to give some perspective on the current life that you do have.  Are you spending time with the ones you love?  Are you making a difference?  Are you happy?

That's the fresh perspective...

Renée's Aesthetic

Winter has once again graced us with her unforgettable presence.  Now more than ever, I just want to wrap myself in the coziest of blankets, lay by a crackling fire, sip on homemade apple cider, all while listening to the enchanting tunes of Miles Davis.  This sounds about perfect to me. That being said, I'm sure there's more than a few of you out there who would love nothing more than to hibernate during our cold winter months.  Unfortunately there's no stopping the snow from falling, while every day life continues to call our names.

I know how difficult it is to see the joy in -25 weather, when you're scraping the icicles off your car or sitting at a windy bus stop on your way to work.  Not to mention trying to keep your poor little hands warm as you can feel them throbbing from the cold and beginning to crack.  I've been fighting a continuous battle with winter, in the efforts of taking proper care of my hands (something I use EVERY day).  As part of my first blog post and the first major snowfall of the season, I wanted to share a few simple little tips on how to help your hands survive until spring.

1. ALWAYS wear gloves.

2. Moisturize constantly.

3. Exfoliate!  Preferably a few times a week (don't be shy to go up to the elbow, and keep those cuticles in mind).

4. Use good quality product, plain and simple.  There's a lot of stuff out on the shelves that may be inexpensive but that are packed with ingredients that do nothing or can even damage our skin. My top favorites right now are Malie Organics Koke'e scrub and hand & body lotion.

5. Get a manicure.  It's a great time for some pampering.  It's not all about the polish ladies and gents, you'll leave with great shaped nails, cuticles trimmed, and skin feeling extra smooth from the hand and arm massage.  How could you go wrong?

Even though these are just a few simple ideas, trust me they work.  Remember, take preventative measures to get you on the right track to self-care.  Happy Winter everyone!

-né