Thrifty Thursday: My Spring Threads

I thought it would be fun to share with you something I actually wear (quite a lot) with you for Thrifty Thursday today instead of my usual post of things I'm lusting for. And also share with you every picture of myself with my hand on my hip. I obviously know only one pose.

I love clothes and fashion, but the truth is I just don't get new stuff very often. I have a tendency to wear pieces until they are completely worn and torn. I still own and wear some clothes I had in junior high! And they are in fairly decent shape. When I do buy new clothes, I will only buy things if they are a great deal. For instance, that cardigan in this post I got at Old Navy, but I waited until it was marked down a few times and ended up getting it for $2! My Chacos I also found on sale when I lived in Moscow (they usually go for $90-$100).

When buying new things I also try to go for things I now will stay in style for quite some time. The skirt I am wearing is actually fairly new. The high-low trend and the maxi skirt trend are both trends I've loved and they seem to be sticking around a while. I love this skirt, because it accomplishes both subtly, but isn't too trendy. I can see myself wearing this for years. And the cool colors are so classic. I found it at a DownEast Basics discount store in Meridian, ID for $12!

Although I have had most of these items for years, I still thought it would be fun to add up the different prices I paid for them:

Skirt: DownEast Basics, $12 on sale

Tank Top: hand-me down, free

Cardigan: Old Navy, $2 a few years ago

Shoes: Chacos, $45, a few years a go

Headpiece: DIY

Total Outfit Costs: $59

And, of course, to make up for that hand-on-hip extravaganza:

^all pictures in this post by Brianna Hodgkin^

Because you can't take photo shoots too seriously.

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DIY Delicate Floral Crown

My sister took a few pictures for me last weekend and I threw this floral crown together on a whim before I headed out to her place. Isn't it lovely? I was pretty happy with how it turned out. And doesn't she make me look good? Jeez, Bee. I must also thank her for a few new images around this blog thing.

I think this delicate little floral crown is a nice whimsical outfit addition. It sure says a lot without being over the top. It made me feel like a woodland goddess :) ha. I actually think it would even look really great for a wedding. The best part, though? It was super easy to make. You can see how I created this piece below.

How to Make a Floral Crown:

1. What you'll need: fake flowers in the color(s) of your choosing - for a delicate look select smaller blooms, lace ribbon, floral wire (optional), any other desired accents, scissors, hot glue gun and glue sticks
2. Begin by peeling apart your bunch of fake flowers. To make things easy, select the longest of the stems to use as your base. They are full of wires, but nicely covered meaning it will be a flexible, sturdy, and thick base, allowing you to add blooms however you like. If your flower bunch doesn't have a long stem, use floral wire to create a base by weaving a few wire strands together. Use your head as a guide and bend your base into a round shape that will sit comfortably.
3. Leaving length on both sides, wrap lace ribbon around the base of the crown. Hot glue securely in place a few times as you do so the ribbon won't slip. Leaving length on both sides will allow you to secure it to your head more securely. This will also come in handy if your crown doesn't quite reach all the way around your head.
4. Removing individual flowers from the bunch and hot glue them onto the base, positioning however looks best. Be sure to put varying sized near each other and to include greenery and other accents to add dimension. Also be sure to trim the stems as you go, you don't it to be poking into your head.
5. Continue in this fashion all the way around the crown. Add as little or as many blooms as you'd like. 
6. Do one last trim of stems and spot check, filling in areas more where necessary. Clean up all those fly-away strands of hot glue too to make it look neat. You're done!

I told you that was easy :)

Check back later today for Thrifty Thursday featuring the outfit I am wearing in these pictures. Next week I'll share the statement floral head piece I made with those larger yellow blooms you can see in the step by step pictures.

If you've made your own floral crown, leave a link in the comments below. I'd love to see them!

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Exciting News and (Another) Midweek Favorite Finds

After that heavy post from earlier today, can I share something exciting? If you have visited Oh Whimsical Me lately, you may have noticed a new page link up top (titled Fitness Journey). I was contacted by the social media consultant (Tara Smith) for Revolt Fitness to trial their program and share all of my results with you! I'll be starting the program April 29th and sharing my progress here (with photos even! kinda scary) once a week for the next 12 weeks. As someone who has recently begun to embrace my own health and fitness, I could not be more excited. Revolt seems like such a great program with lots of structure, serious workouts, and a clean eating extravaganza! I think Revolt will be just the kick in the rear I need to finally reach my fitness goals. Here's to a stronger, healthier me! Check out a video featuring Nichole Huntsman, Revolt's founder, and the Revolt Fitness Manifesto, below:

Without further ado, my Midweek Favorite Finds:

1. How Sweet It Is's recipe for Spiked Almond Joy Poundcake had me drooling, majorly. I may just have to make it this weekend.

^image via How Sweet It Is^

2. I'm a longtime reader if The Sartorialist, I just think he is brilliant. I love seeing and being inspired by fashion from all over the world. His post from yesterday, If You're Thinking About Walking Shorts, is lovely. I'd love to find a pair. Do you know where I can get some? Please share if you do! Perhaps I'll have to hit up the thrift stores.   

3. This Beside Table DIY over at A Beautiful Mess? So cool! Those girls are so crazy talented, and so is everyone who works for them (I'm pretty sure they're, like, everyone's favorite blog). This homemade table has got me brainstorming about all kinds of wood-working projects I could do!

^via A Beautiful Mess^

4. Probably the thing I am most excited about, Eisley premiered the song Drink The Water (listen below) from their upcoming album Currents (dropping May 28th) for Nylon Magazine. I can't even begin to describe how excited I am for this new album. I've been a long time fan of Eisley, my obsession with their dreamy music began all the way back in their early days when I was in Junior High! And I love love love everything they put out. And I really love love love Stacy's other group Sucre. It's been 2 years since their last full length album The Valley. Their new stuff is sounding better than ever. How do you keep getting better and better, Eisley? How?



Hoping your week is nothing but lovely so far.

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All The Feels

I was hesitant to saying anything about this, but Monday had me very angry with the world. When events like the tragedy in Boston strike, it's hard to not let it get you down. It is devastating to remember that we live in a world that is home to so much corruption and maliciousness. Questions about how someone, a human being like me, could plan and commit such an atrocity and hurt so many people, are often left unanswered. And maybe, it does not do good to dwell on them. It is hard to find reason in madness. This article from Amy Davidson at the New Yorker was also devastating. The racism that is well alive in this country sickens me. There are a lot of things to be angry about concerning the Boston Marathon bombing. The wise words I have seen floating around the internet from Mister Rogers himself have seemed to help me a lot, "When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of ‘disaster,’ I remember my mother’s words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers - so many caring people in this world." It is devastating that this isn't the first time this past year that these words are so appropriate. How great it would be to live in a world where these words never needed to be relevant. But they are so relevant  So we have to focus on the good. We must. It is difficult to do and sometimes hard to find, but it is always there to some degree.

^image found here^

^gifs found here, taken from this video^

And as always, if you really want to do some good and are capable of doing so, there are plenty of ways to help.

That's all I want to say for now. Keep those you love close and love all those that you can.

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Puppy Birthday Cake

Today is Pippin's birthday! His first birthday, to be exact. Today he is enjoying lounging around in the sun and munching on a lollipop shaped rawhide.

Yes, I am one of those people that celebrates the birthday of a dog. Of course I do! He is part of the family, after all. And we are all so happy for it. I can't imagine not having this snugly, lovable pup around. Last night, after dinner, we had Pippin's bestest friend Bo over to play with him and Scout. Pippin's sister even made an appearance!

^It was so hard to get a picture of this little girl, she moves so fast!^

They hadn't seen each other since they had been adopted, it was fun to see their reaction to meeting again. Pippin was mostly just a little snot; he hasn't really been around girl dogs, or any dog smaller than him for that matter (she is quite a bit smaller than him, 4.5 pounds, while Pippin is 10 pounds now), and I'm sure she smelt somewhat familiar to him. He just didn't know what to think about her running all around his house. He warmed up to it, well only just a little bit, but he did stop trying to intimidate her, after a while. We joked about how he was probably just mad that she got adopted before him :) He'll definitely have to learn some better manners.

Puppy Birthday Cake, adapted from here:

1 cup whole wheat flour or brown rice flour
(white, bleached flour isn't good for pups!)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

optional topping:
1/8 cup cottage cheese, spread thinly
a handful of your dog's kibble

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a 8 in round cake pan. You could make some little cupcakes, if you prefer. Combine the flour and baking soda. Whisk in the peanut butter and egg. Add in the oil, honey, vanilla, and lastly the shredded carrots. Stir thoroughly with a spoon. Pour batter into your prepared pan and flatten out evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool in the pan for ten minutes and then transfer to a wire rack. Let it cool completely. Decorate with cottage cheese and kibble bits, if desired, before serving.

Your dog will likely love this and gobble it right up. Be cautious of not letting him eat too much. As delicious as it is, I doubt he wants a belly ache!

Hopefully you'll have a dog like Scout around to clean up everyone's mess. And don't worry, we had these treats for the humans.

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Baking Soda and Vinegar Hair Care

Want to know something kind of weird? Or cool? I don't shampoo my hair. Ever.

This may come as a shock to some people, but I know I'm not alone. I have seen a lot of posts floating around the blog world about this specific hair treatment. But, whenever I mention to someone new that I don't use shampoo I tend to get a lot of questions. So this is a chance for me to organize my experience with not using products on my hair and hopefully a place where you can learn a little more, too.

I was definitely on the 'flatten and straighten your hair as much as possible' train all through high school. I have a lot of hair, which can be a bit wavy and coarse, and it has a tendency to get weighed down and frizzy. Eliminating products from my hair has really allowed me to embrace my natural hair texture, as it has much more body and lift, and is a hell of a lot smoother. I didn't even know how wavy my hair actually is until I stopped using shampoo. My hair is very happy for the change I have made.

There are many reasons to use all natural ingredients on your hair instead of shampoo. The average store bought shampoos have extremely harsh ingredients. If you do use a shampoo, try selecting one that is sulfate and paraben free. Many shampoos list as an ingredient sodium/ammonium laureth sulfate, which is a detergent (and thereby an irritant) that essentially will strip the hair of sebum and essential oils. Most shampoos contain harsh, drying sulfates that are extremely damaging for curly hair in particular. They are often foaming agents that make curly hair frizzy and uncooperative. Here is a list of other questionable shampoo ingredients to avoid. And I know what you're thinking, so shampoo is bad, but what about conditioner? Well, it is also full of unnecessary ingredients. It also binds to the hair, which can weigh your hair down drastically. The fact is, if your hair is healthy conditioner is rarely needed (if not completely unnecessary).

Did you know that modern shampoo, as we know it, was only introduced in the 1930s? And then, even still, the idea that you needed to wash/shampoo your hair everyday didn't come around until the 1970s. This mindset is reinforced by the greasy feeling of the scalp after a day or two of not shampooing. But that greasy feeling is directly related to shampoo use. Using shampoo every day removes sebum, the oil produced by the scalp. This causes the sebaceous glands to produce oil at a higher rate, to compensate for what is lost during shampooing. Can anyone else smell a marketing ploy? I doubt it is any coincidence that shampoo is recommended for daily use, of course companies want to sell more of their product. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Even just a gradual reduction in shampoo use will cause the sebum glands to produce at a slower rate, resulting in less grease in the scalp. And cutting shampoo use all together can bring a natural, healthy balance to your hair.

I first found out about Baking Soda and Vinegar as hair care (sometimes referred as 'no-poo') when I was searching for natural alternatives to various beauty products I was using. It seemed a little too adventurous for me and I kind of dismissed it. Then a friend of mine tried it and loved it, but I had a super short pixie at the time and was too chicken to try (my hair got oily very fast when it was short). As soon as my hair length was a bit longer, I got up the courage to give it a try. I'll never go back.

Things you should know if you are considering throwing out your shampoo and conditioner:

1. Your hair will need a serious amount of adjustment to a new, shampoo-free regimen. After all, it has gotten use to producing an over-excess amount of sebum. When I first starting using baking soda and vinegar, after my first wash, my hair felt great. It was super shiny and smooth from the vinegar rinse. Then it felt awful. My hair had gotten use to producing sebum at a fast rate and it didn't quite know what to do now. It felt a little straw-like for a week or two. And so greasy. It may take 2-4 weeks for your hair to adjust to not being shampooed. It may even look worse at first. This a long-term commitment and depending on how damaged your hair is, it may take a couple weeks for it to regain its health. Stay confident through this adjustment period. Remind yourself that you are doing something great for you hair. Wear braids and buns for a week or tie it up with a scarf. It is worth it.
2. To help your hair as it adjusting, try to slowly wash it less. And maybe consider a few coconut oil treatments to help it out. I thought I could magically start with baking soda and vinegar and only need to wash once a week. I was wrong. I lasted three days, my hair looked awful, and I caved. When I first started, I washed about every three days. Now I can go a whole week if I want to.
3. Washing with baking soda and vinegar is going to feel really really weird. It is not going to lather all up and be all foamy and delicious. You'll get use to it.
4. You hair will not smell. I repeat, YOUR HAIR WILL NOT SMELL. Everyone seems to think that I must smell like vinegar all day. But, once you have rinsed the vinegar from your hair and your hair has dried you will be surprised by how much it doesn't smell. In fact, it pretty much just smells like hair. That's it. This may come as a shock if you are use to hair that smells super flowery/scrumptious all day. You could try adding in some essential oils, like lavender, to your vinegar rinse if it bothers you.
5. If you don't use one already, you may want to consider using a dry shampoo, in addition to your baking soda and vinegar. After about day three of my wash, my bangs or the area around my part will be a little greasy (I touch my hair a lot), but not to the point where I want to wash it just yet. I'll comb a bit of dry shampoo through my hair on these days. For you brunettes out there, cocoa powder is a great dry shampoo and smells delicious! I use an old makeup brush to dab cocoa powder on my hair, rub it in a bit and comb through. It works great, without looking grey/ashy.  

How to Wash Your Hair Using Baking Soda and Vinegar

Baking Soda Mix: As a general rule, mix 1 tablespoon baking soda with 1 cup of water. You may need to adjust the amount of baking soda, depending on how hard or soft the water in your home is. You want the mixture to feel kind of slimy. If it does not, you need to add in more baking soda. You can do this just before showering in a cup and just pour it over you hair. I like to use some small spray bottles for both of my mixes and keep them in the shower. This amount is good for three or four washes. Cover your scalp with the mixture thoroughly. You do not need to run this through all of your hair, just your scalp. Massage it in and give your scalp a good scrub. Rinse completely and follow with the vinegar rinse.

Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse: Mix 1 part vinegar to 2-3 parts water. When you have thoroughly rinsed out the baking soda, work into all of your hair and comb through. You can let this sit for a minute or two, if you hair is really tangled. Rinse completely with lukewarm water.

Other Tips and Tricks:

1. When you apply the baking soda, really give yourself a nice scalp massage. It is great for stimulating hair growth!
2. Do not comb your hair when it wet, this can cause breakage
3. Avoid using hot tools (blow dryers, flat irons, curling irons, etc)
4. Let your hair air dry for best results
5. Consider a coconut oil treatment for split, dry ends (you may need to use a mild sulfate-free shampoo after, as baking soda does not remove oil well)
6. If you work out often, and the sweat grosses you out, try just rinsing your hair with water and then using a dry shampoo once it has air dried, to avoid washing your hair everyday.

If you have any comments, concerns, or questions feel free to leave them below. I'd be happy to talk to you more.

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Oh Hi!

Sorry if things look a little sloppy or weird around here; I'm busy giving this site a mini makeover today! Be sure to come back later to see the results.

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