Review and tips: Ion Color Brilliance Liquid Hair Color

*BIG SCARY DISCLAIMER: I am not a professional. I have figured out how to dye my own hair, and I'm sharing that process with you. If you want to use ANY hair dye, even a relatively fool-proof drugstore at-home hair dye kit, please do some research. If you want to use the product I am reviewing, Ion Color Brilliance, or any other hair dye that requires you mix it yourself and is intended for professional use, do yourself a huge favor and make sure you do a ton of research. Don't JUST read this post; I fumbled my way through and got good results for myself, but I am in no way qualified to advise others on which products would work for their hair.*

This is a fairly long post; if you aren't new to coloring your hair, or just want to see the results, skip down to the photos and the summary for the "short version". 

I mentioned a couple of posts back that I (finally) dyed my hair again. I have been coloring my hair red since I was about 16, and I've wanted to be a redhead since I was about 12! In 8 years of dyeing my hair, I've used quite a few at-home brands with varying luck. I've gone burgundy-red and coppery-red and auburn brown. I've had my hair professionally dyed a few times as well, but decided it wasn't worth the money when I could do it myself at home and get a color that was as vibrant and just about as close to what I had in mind when I started.  Enter, Ion Color Brilliance. I'd grown discontented with drugstore offerings after they seemed to have eliminated the shade range between auburn brown and burgundy red; my go-to color is a bright coppery red, which is really difficult to find in a kit. I was also having to buy at least two kits to cover all of my thick, long hair, which wasn't cheap! The icing on the cake was when my favorite shade and formula combination was discontinued. I started reading about professional hair dyes and based on its reviews on the Sally Beauty website, settled on Ion Color Brilliance. People seemed really happy with the results.

Now, before you decide to run down to your local beauty supply store and buy hair dye, there are a few things you need to know. It's a big change in some ways from buying a box of hair dye from your drugstore; those are pretty fool-proof. There's a lot more that can go wrong when you are buying all the individual components on your own, and having to make more decisions without the proper training to do so. The hair dye you find at places like Sally Beauty, including Ion Color Brilliance, are meant for use by professionals. I knew that I was using these products at my own risk! That being said, I did a lot of research and read a lot about hair dye. First, you have to figure out the level of your original hair color, and the level of color you want to go to. Even though the red I was trying to go for looked to me like it was just as dark as my natural hair color, I realized after looking at swatches that I was really trying to lighten my hair quite a bit, and then add a red color on top of that in a single step. Based on your natural hair color (or your current dyed color) and the color you want, you decide what developer to use. In general, the lighter you want to go, the stronger solution you need to use. 

So, what did I use? I acquired: 

*a non-metallic mixing bowl. I needed to use a buttload of dye for all my hair, and the little mixing bowls they sell at Sally Beauty were not large enough. I bought a plastic bowl from Big Lots as my mixing bowl. 

*A Tint Brush: You can find these at beauty supply stores. They'll help you get the color from the bowl onto your hair. 

*Lotion. Any kind will do; you'll want to smear it around your hairline and on your ears, avoiding the hair itself, to help keep your skin from getting stained. 

*Gloves. I used regular latex gloves that we had laying around the house from painting. You can get a couple hundred to a box at Costco, or you can buy just one pair at beauty supply stores. 

*A wide toothed comb: to help pull the color through your hair. 

*a hair clip or two: to help keep your hair on top of your head while the color develops. 

*Hair color: I used Ion Color Brilliance Liquid hair color in 7IR (7 indicating the lightness/ darkness of the color, IR for Intense Red). It's described as a Medium Intense Red Blonde on the box. 

*30 Volume Creme Developer: This gets mixed in equal proportions to the dye. 

*Color Brilliance Pre-Color Treatment: Because my hair is long and has been dyed multiple times (and so it's more porous at the bottom than top), I decided to get this treatment to be on the safe side and aid in even color results. 

*Thick hair conditioner. It doesn't really matter which one you use, just make sure it's safe for color treated hair and very moisturizing. 

While this is more expensive the first time you do it than running to CVS and buying a box of dye, I got much better results with these products, and all but the dye itself will last you more than one use, so after your first application, you'll probably end up spending less using this system than a drugstore kit. And I can guarantee you'll end up spending WAY less than going to the salon! 

I mixed 2 bottles of color (for a total of 4 ounces) with 4 ounces of developer, stirred well, and applied it to my hair. I massaged it through, let it sit for 40 minutes, and then rinsed it out, following up by conditioning twice. My hair felt dryer than usual as I rinsed the color out, but after conditioning twice it is fine. 

Here are some pictures of my hair. My coppery auburn color had faded and I had a toooon of root showing. After coloring my hair, you cannot see a differentiation between hair that had been colored in the past and my virgin root color. This is impressive to me; lots of hair color kits in the past left a bit of a line. Also, this color is REALLY vibrant. It was hard for me to capture it on my camera. My skin looks a bit washed out in a few of these photos where the color my hair color is accurate. 

Before dyeing my hair:

After Ion Color Brilliance: 

And here are some of the products I used: 

The box of color and the Pre-Color Treatment 

On the side of the hair dye box; I don't know what any of this means! 

The bottle of dye itself

Scary warnings! 

The chart to help you figure out which developer to use

There are crazy warnings all over this thing telling you this is ONLY to be used by professionals. Therefore, if you (like me) are not a professional... Do this at your own risk! 

Summary: I've been really pleased with my results using this brand! This is actually the second time I have used Ion Color Brilliance; the first time I mixed this color with a less-vibrant copper red, and my results were great that time as well. I tend to start off brighter than I really want, knowing it will fade a ton after the first couple of washings. If you are dyeing your hair at home, you cannot be too picky about your results, but that being said, my results with this line have been pretty spot-on to the hair swatches they have in the store. However, I want to emphasize that these were just my experiences; hair dye can be really tricky. I also think that from years of using various dyes, I've learned how different shades tend to turn out on my hair. I know that I need to go lighter than I think I do; I know that I need to go more vibrant than I think I do. I cannot say if this would be the case for anyone else. But, if you've been thinking about making the switch from drugstore brands to professional hair color from a beauty supply store, I would recommend checking Ion Color Brilliance out! My results were consistent from root to tip, even on my long hair with damaged split ends. I haven't used this without the Pre-Color Treatment, so I can't say if that's why I got such even results, but I'd highly recommend using that product as well. It's certainly worth the few extra bucks, and one spray bottle will last you through a few applications at least. Also, the Ion brand developer is supposed to be gentle; I think this is probably the case, since when I've had my hair colored at salons, it's stung like crazy, but this wasn't painful at all. All in all, I've had a better-than-average experience with this line, and will continue to be loyal to it. 

Blogging Tags Madness!

*Ugh, sorry in advance... It seems like the font and highlighting and what-not got all screwed up for this post, and I have no idea how to fix it... If anyone knows, could you leave me a comment? I think it is from copying and pasting the questions down below from other blogs, but I have tried all sorts of things to remove the different background color, get the font correct, etc... and it doesn't seem to be reverting back to normal. Sorry... *




Hey Guys! I know a few of you have tagged me for several awards and what-not, and I promise I haven't forgotten about them... I guess I just think too hard about this. Janny, I promise I haven't forgotten yours; in fact, I have a draft going... But I want to go through and take lots of pictures of the products mentioned... Who knows, maybe that part of the project will get jettisoned!


But for now, I am answering lots of questions as part of these awards. I've done this once before in this post, but I'll do it again! I actually really enjoy reading these on your blogs, so I guess that means I have to play, too. Both The Peach of http://a-crazy-peach.blogspot.com and Miranda of http://splatbyarfblat.blogspot.com tagged me, so here I go!

So, if I understand this correctly, I have some questions to answer! For The Peach's tag, I have to answer 11 questions she posed to me in addition to 11 random facts, and then I have to think up 11 questions for the people I tag. And for Miranda's Versatile Blogger award, I have to share 7 random facts... so I guess the 11 questions for The Peach will cover that? Oh boy.


I'm starting off with the 11 questions that The Peach posed for me:


1. Have you done much traveling? If so, where? I have traveled a little, but not nearly as much as I would have liked to... I've been to a number of states, including Hawai'i, Ohio (shout-out to my family!), Colorado (my aunt!), Florida (lived there; it's where my mom grew up), Nevada (hi Dad!), New York, Washington, Washington D.C., Oregon, Indiana, Georgia, etc... I've also been to Mexico (for a cousin's wedding) and Japan. The Japan trip wasn't necessarily full of sight-seeing, though... My dad got appendicitis while on a business trip, and was in the ICU for a couple of weeks. His company flew my mom and I out to be with him because he was so ill. However, I did manage to get to Tokyo Disneyland for a day, which was wonderful! I'd love to go back someday. My bucket list travel destinations are England/Ireland/Scotland/Wales (a lot of my ancestors are from the Britain, and I write and read about them all the time... I can't wait to see the historic landmarks I research all the time), Egypt, France, and Italy. I don't think there's anywhere I would say no to visiting, though, as long as it isn't an active war zone!


2. What is your idea of relaxing? I think my idea of relaxing is busier than most people's! The most rejuvenating thing for me is spending time with friends or running around doing fun things. If I have a day to fill the way I want to, I plan a day in the city at a museum, going to my favorite cafe, etc... That always makes me feel refreshed. At any rate, I'm the happiest and most relaxed when I am busy with leisure activities. I kind of hate admitting this, but my favorite vacation spot is Disney World. Or Disneyland. Or any Disney park, really... I can't stand vacations where the point is to sit on the beach and read all day long. I guess I'll have to start trading in some of these Disney vacations if I want to travel the world, though! 


3. How long have you been blogging and why did you start your blog? I have been blogging for just over a year now, and I started my blog as a way to connect with other people who share a passion for blogging, and as a way to share some of my experiences with others. I know I always appreciate reviews from "real" people than from magazine editorials. 


4. Bacon? Eh. I don't love it, I don't hate it. Sometimes I have it on burgers. That's about it... 


5. Do you have a monthly makeup budget? I don't want to talk about it... 


6. If you could live anywhere, where would it be? (I'm sorry, John!) San Francisco. I lived there while I was an undergrad and I loved it, I have never been so happy with my surroundings as I was when I lived there. I still love getting back there, but it's not the same as walking the streets every day. It still makes my heart skip a beat when someone stops me and asks for directions or help with the public transportation system, because I realize they think I am a San Franciscan. I guess I did leave my heart in San Francisco. Unfortunately, I also left a hefty chunk of change there, as well. The cost of living is sky-high, which explains why I have been unceremoniously forced out into the suburbs. 


7. Do you prefer to shop online or in actual stores? Actual stores. I avoid shopping online; you guys have probably heard me complain about not being able to touch indie products before buying them, and that's why I don't order from more online cosmetic companies. I really value the experience of shopping and making a purchase in person.  I guess I'm just a really tangible person. It makes me so nervous every time I order online; I feel like I'm not getting the full value of a product if I don't get the experience of actually shopping in a store. 


8. Do you do have an interesting job? Are you still in school? What is your dream job? I am still in school, and am currently focusing on that full-time. Or trying to; I am suffering from a major crisis of faith and writer's block right now. I am working on getting my MA in English Literature. I'm actually not sure what I want to do after I graduate. I always assumed I'd go right through and get a PhD, but I am so ready to no longer be a student. I day dream about getting a part time job right now, but the truth is I'm terrified that if I have anything else to focus on, I won't finish my degree. It's a messy situation, I'm sorry I brought it up! Anyway, I'm interested in event planning, maybe wedding planning? I'd love to be a writer, I'd love to do something creative full-time. Having a little shop has always been a dream of mine, selling fabric or pretty lingerie. Right now, with the economy in the state it's in, I'm afraid to get too specific in my dreaming. I'd settle for something fulfilling with a bit of creativity that would pay the bills. 


9. How many text messages do you send in a day? Oh gee... maybe 15 or 20 if it's a high-traffic day, and I've gotten involved in a texting conversation? But that's not average. In an average day, I tend to receive 1 or 2 "checking in" texts from family and shoot off about that many in reply.


10. Do you have a close relationship with your family? I don't even know how to begin attacking this problem. All of my familial relationships have changed drastically since my mom's illness and death. So I don't think it's that I'm not close to my family, it's that I haven't gotten the feel for these new relationships, and I live so far away from all of my family (my dad moved out of state about a year after my mom passed away) that I haven't been able to get it all sorted yet. 


11. What is your go-to makeup brand? I don't think I have one that I prioritize, but I definitely "trust" that I'll most likely have good results with NARS, Urban Decay, and Make Up For Ever. It doesn't feel like as much of a risk buying from those brands, so I guess they're my go-tos. 


And now I will try to think up 11 random facts about myself to share... Geez, was I able to do this last time? Yup, looks like I did... I'm not even going to worry if there's some overlap. 


So What might you guys not know about me that you might like to know about me? 


1. I have a stutter. It's not bad. In fact, a lot of people don't notice; they think I'm just taking my time to think about what to say. But it's a huge pain in the ass. I always have to think ahead before I speak to make sure I'm not about to say something that will trip me up, and I never feel particularly eloquent. I much prefer writing to speaking for this reason, although I do alright. The phone is the worst, though; in person, people pick up on physical cues to just wait for me to speak, but on the phone if I can't spit something out, people think they've lost the connection, or that I'm wasting their time. 


2. I am writing my thesis on Shakespeare's Richard II, and the concept of sovereignty. I know that's really random, and broad for this forum, but I figured I'd throw it out there anyway, since it has become such a huge part of my life. 


3. I sew! I know I've mentioned this before, and as part of the last one of these I did, but I don't know how I'm going to come up with 11 random facts! I sew costumes, mostly, although I am thinking about moving into some retro-inspired sundresses this summer. We'll see. 


4. I have been a redhead since I was 16 years old! I am a redhead at heart so I just keep on dyeing it... 


5. I totally watch trashy reality tv. The more awful it is, the better. I just discovered Bridezillas and Bridalplasty. The people on them are horrible, and shame on the producers for exploiting people's bad qualities... But man, it is just so entertaining! Don't worry, I also like good television. That's just not as fun to write about :P 


6. I am an only child! I think there are positives and negatives to this... Suffice it to say that I am scared to think about how different I would be if I hadn't been raised this way, but I always wish I had siblings. Bonus fact: my boyfriend is also an only child! 


7. I used to sing; I took voice lessons all through jr. high and high school. I really loved it, even though I don't like my voice. I get compliments at karaoke, so I don't feel bad singing for fun in situations where it's appropriate (haha, like playing Rock Band or going to karaoke), although I don't like singing alone for an audience. I was being pushed in an operatic direction when I was being coached, but the old jazz standards are my favorites . 


8. My favorite word when I was about 4 or 5 was "oxymoron". I'm not sure how I heard the word, and I think I only latched onto it because it contained the word "moron"... Hmm. 


9. I still haven't taken my Christmas tree down... the bins that hold the ornaments went missing! 


10. I have been accused of being the "girliest" person that some of my friends have met. I don't think of myself as being the epitome of femininity or anything, so the fact that I've heard that a few times always kind of throws me... But I like makeup, I like pink, I've worn my hair long for most of my life, I love getting dressed up in skirts... 


11. ...Speaking of skirts, I went to an all-girls Catholic high school. I wore the same skirt to school every day for 4 years! (there was a casual sweatpant uniform we were allowed to wear unless it was a formal dress day, but I never did that :P) We were allowed to pick out our own shirts, socks, and shoes, as long as it fit into the dress-code, so there was still room to be expressive. For instance, you'd think they would be against brick red patent leather Mary Jane heels, but... nope. Combat boots also made the cut! I really liked it there, but I think I had a very different high school experience than most of my friends, who went to coed schools. 


Ok, time for 11 questions for other people to answer. 


1. What is your first memory? 


2. What did you think you would be doing today 10 years ago? 


3. Where do you hope to be in 10 years? 


4. When someone asks you to close your eyes and think of your "happy place", where are you? 


5. What are your top 5 favorite books? 


6. What is your favorite outfit? 


7. What is the best costume you've ever dressed up in? If you don't do costumes, then your favorite "not everyday" outfit? 


8. Do you have any pets? If not, what type of pet would you want if you did have one? 


9. Is makeup a hobby for you, or is it part of your career? 


10. Who is your beauty icon? 


11. If you were inviting 5 historical figures to dinner, who would they be? Do you think they'd get along with each other? 




I'm not going to tag anyone in particular, since I would love to see everyone who wants to participate do this! I'd hate to limit it to just a handful of people and make anyone else feel excluded. Like I said earlier in the post, I love reading these things on other people's blogs, so feel free to take part if you want. And no pressure to answer ALL of the questions; if there a couple you feel inspired to write on and want to just write up a short post with those few questions, I say go for it! I know, I'm breaking the rules... I am a rebel like that! 

FOTD: "Are you wearing more pink on your eyes than usual...?"

The title of this post was my boyfriend's question to me tonight on our evening walk. The answer: yes, if you want to call that pink. Really, it's an orange-coral shade and purple.

I hauled a few new things during the Sephora VIB 15% off sale that's going on right now, and I was itching to try them out. Plus, I dyed my hair (more on that in another post), and that was making me feel EXTRA SASSY.  My cheeks always look brighter in real life than in photos; this reminded me a bit of a less-exaggerated china doll look. So much so that I randomly got the song "Coin Operated Boy" stuck in my head! I'm sure the crazy-red hair isn't hurting that effect.

The look:

Here's what I used:

Face: Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Protective Base, NARS concealer (under eyes, on nose, and on chin blemish), MAC Pro Longwear Concealer (on redness on cheeks and near jaw), The Body Shop All In One Face Base patted on t-zone with sponge, Illamasqua cream blusher in Laid (on fullest part of the cheek), NYX blush in Taupe (in contour), Benefit High Beam (to highlight cheek and brow bone), Make Up For Ever  Blush Powder in No.5 (on fullest part of cheek), finally I brushed some of the All In One Face Base to blend my cheeks with a fluffy brush.

Eyes: Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in #13 (lashline to browbone), Make Up For Ever Blush Powder in No. 5 (on outer 1/2 of lid, avoiding lash line), NARS Daphne (wet to line upper lash line, dry in the crease), Inglot matte shadow in 352 (to highlight brow bone and inner corner), Urban Decay 24/7 pencil in Baked (on lower lashline), Prestige My Biggest Lashes on upper lashes, Stila Major Lash on outer corner lashes and bottom lashes, Prestige Eyebrow Pencil, Ulta brow gel.

Lips: Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Natural in N35

Finally gave my brows some much-needed TLC! 

Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Natural in N35

Sorry guys, I feel like everything looks a little bit washed out in my photos... I need better lighting, and a better camera probably couldn't hurt things either. Better add those to the wishlist... Nonetheless, coral and purple with bright sheer pink lips-- very fun! I might try another version of this come summer.

Black Bean Taco Recipe

Hey Guys!

It's been a little while since I've included a food-based post here! Ok, ok, there was that one foray into salading along with some other, more relevant content... But this is my first purely food-related post in awhile.

Today, I am going to share with you some homemade tacos that my boyfriend and I had a couple of weeks ago. These are probably our favorite homemade meal... They are soooo satisfying, and very easy. Unfortunately, not the healthiest meal ever, but they're a good once in awhile treat.

What you see here are fried corn tortillas with black bean filling, homemade fresh salsa, and homemade guacamole. I topped them with feta cheese, since I didn't have any authentic Mexican cheese; the feta is nice and tangy and flavorful, and provides a nice counterpoint to the spicy flavors in the bean filling.

I'm no going to give you the recipes for the guacamole or the salsa, since we don't really have these perfected. Suffice it to say we threw together tomatoes, lime juice, jalapeno and serrano peppers, and salt and pepper. I used all the same ingredients in smaller quantities for the guacamole. They were good, but not great; once I get the details of these recipes hammered down, I will be sure to share them.

For the taco shells, we just fried corn tortillas in a bit of hot corn oil for about 15-20 seconds on each side, and then bent them into shape. As you can see, they're not as perfectly U-shaped as what you get at the store, but the texture is satisfyingly chewy with crispy edges. You can adjust the cook-time to get them crispier if you like them that way; I rather enjoy the bit of chewiness. Of course, if you're watching your waistline, you could always use unfried corn tortillas, but I think it's worth making this a once in a blue moon sort of meal to be able to enjoy the crispy-chewy homemade fried tortilla shells!

Now, the star of the show: the black bean filling!

Black Bean Taco Filling Recipe: 

2-15 ounce cans black beans
2/3 cup red onion, diced
4 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 cup salsa verde
2 tablespoons HOT red salsa
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon lime juice
Dash chili powder
Dash garlic powder
Cayenne pepper to taste (you may not want any after the hot salsa!)
salt and pepper to taste

(Note: I am not an "exact measurements" kind of person; I urge you to tweak these amounts to suit your taste preferences. Start off with small quantities, and if it's bland, add more of the flavors you like most! For instance, with the recipe as listed above, I'd recommend adding more cumin if you don't think it's flavorful enough, but if you don't want to add any heat.)


Directions: 

Drain your black beans and rinse them well. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a medium sized pot (I think I used a 4 or 6 quart). Once the oil is hot but not smoking, add the diced onion and minced garlic, and saute for about 3-5 minutes; you want the onion to get translucent and soft, but you don't want either the garlic or the onion to brown. Once the onion/garlic mixture is done, add your beans and stir it all together. Add your liquid ingredients (salsas, lime juice), and then the herbs and spices (cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, cayenne, salt and pepper). Turn your heat down low and let the mixture simmer for 20-30 minutes to allow some of the beans to loosen and for the mixture to get just a little creamy. Stir it every once in awhile as it simmers to make sure it doesn't burn to the bottom of your pan!

Ta-da!

Another really good topping for this black bean mixture that I haven't shown in the photo is lime sour cream. I took a couple of tablespoons of light sour cream, mixed in about a teaspoon of lime juice, and a dash of cayenne. It was really surprisingly good! As a lime-lover, I really enjoyed this on my tacos.

As I've mentioned here before, I am not a vegetarian, but my boyfriend is and we tend to eat vegetarian when we cook at home. These are so flavorful and good, I actually prefer the black bean mixture to any kind of meat taco filling. This is a great meal to serve to mixed vegetarian and omnivore crowds; I bet your meat-loving friends won't even miss the meat in their tacos! This is easy to make vegan as well, if you don't use cheese or sour cream as toppings.  If you want some crunch on your taco, try this with shredded cabbage!

One final disclaimer: I am not claiming this is in any way an authentic Mexican recipe. Just that it's really tasty!

Hope you enjoyed this!

Sunday Mish-Mash

Hey guys! A little bit of a mish-mash post today, but I don't see any reason to split this up. First, I have a Lip of the Day to show you guys, and then a brief comparison of several mauvey-pinky-beige shades that I own, and then we move on to a new necklace I have that I wanted to share with you all. Who knows, maybe I'll throw in a cat picture or two at the end!

First, the lip combination. It's nothing flashy, but I really like the shade this ended up being, and the texture was awesome:

I used NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Bettina, then put a swipe of Fresh's Sugar Plum Lip Treatment on top, and then a dab of an Avon lipgloss in Nude on top.

P.S., I may have found my Holy Grail mascara duo; Prestige My Biggest Lashes with a little bit of Stila's Major Lash on the outer corner. Check it out!

I'm going to have to try this out after having curled my lashes to see what that does!

Next up is my new necklace; I got it on super-clearance at Macy's, it's a Rachel Roy design. It spoke to me when I saw it in the store, but I've been wearing it with EVERYTHING lately, and it goes with a surprising number of things! I have been in a bit of a jewelry-rut, so this is helping me crawl back out again.

Now I have a bit of a comparison for you. I have Cover Girl's lipstick in Romance, and I love it to death. If you've been following the blog for awhile, you have probably seen it in a few Face of the Day posts. I know a few of you own it as well; it's a popular shade from the collection. I had this nagging feeling that it was really similar to NARS' Bettina, so I pulled out a few of those nude-pink shades to compare it with.

Top to Bottom in all of the photographs are NYX Round Lipstick in Thalia, Cover Girl Lip Perfection in Romance, NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Sex Machine, and finally NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Bettina:

Natural light

Indoor Light

Thalia is a cream, and the other three shades have a tiny bit of iridescence to them. As you can see, they're all in the same color family, but none is an exact dupe of the other.

Finally, I caught all three of the cats in a pile on the couch the other day. It was too cute to not take a photo of!

Sooooo cute! 

Yes, I am a dork for cats. I love when they snuggle!

So there you go, a lot of somewhat random things that I felt like sharing with you guys, all cobbled together into one giant mish-mash of a post. Hope you have all enjoyed your weekends!