So hey, first of all I feel I must apologize for the lack of posting lately...and to tell you that it's probably not going to get much more awesome any time soon, as Megan adjusts to life with baby number 3 (i.e. lack of sleep, double the diapers, and feeding, bathing, or changing someone around the clock) and I adjust to being a full time working mom with no nanny (i.e. my mom moved out--insert heaving sobs here). Wow, my 'adjustment' doesn't look so tough after compared Megan's. Nonetheless I'm still feeling a bit daunted (is that a word?). Add to that my lack of creativity of late and you get, well...weeks between blog posts. I'm so sorry but I hope you'll bear with us because we love Taste{full} and we [heart] you guys and we're not going anywhere any time soon.

SO, now that that's off my chest comes the purpose of this post. And it's a desperate cry for help. I need change. I am feeling quite crummy about my personal appearance for a variety of reasons, with which I won't bore you. And while some things will take time, money, or plastic surgery to get under control, I'm thinking my hair is something I can change with a 2 hour salon appointment and less than $100.

I am so sick of this conservative bob type thing I've been sporting. And since I haven't come into any unexpected cash (why can't I be Oprah's half sister?!), I won't be getting Tyra's hair stylist to weave me up something nice any time soon. So, I guess that leaves me with one option--a cut. I'd like a cut and color but my hair...oh my hair...I could write pages and pages about my hair woes. My basic problem is that I go completely against its natural texture and relax it. Why?  Because it's so nappy (what do white people call it-- kinky? super curly? You get my point) that I just do not have the time or patience to deal with it. There's a lot of "debate" about why black women straighten their hair but I'm not going to get into that right now. For now, suffice it to say it's both for form and function. BUT as a result of the chemical process that is 'relaxing,' as much as I'm tempted to add a fun color (I seriously want to be blond--I mean Beyonce does it, Tyra does it, Iman does it, Keri Hilson does it...oh wait, they all have fake hair. Right), I have to accept that I can only do one chemical process at a time. (or else I may end up like this. Which maybe wouldn't be so bad?!). Maybe in the future I'll experiment with extensions in a different color for a highlighting effect. But for now, I'm going to have to stop at a cut.

When looking for a cut I have to keep in mind that I have a 14 month old, so the Halle Berry cut that is my usual go to when I'm in need of something fresh, just isn't going to cut it. It's a bit too much effort. I need something that's still easy but a little edgier than my current look. I really don't want to look like a soccer mom any earlier than I have to. Here are a few options. What do you think? About my cut? About hair maintenance? About straightening or coloring our hair? About anything related to hair, really?! Let me know! I'm giving you the power to ChAnGe Me!!

The New Year always brings with it the promise of new beginnings. That's what I'm most excited about this year. I only wish I wasn't so OCD...because once I decide I want to accomplish something, I can't sleep until I research all the options and run myself ragged trying to do it...Don't get me wrong-- I'm not an overachiever. If I were, my abs would be flat and my house would be clean. Yet, that doesn't exactly stop me from zeroing in on that one thing I HAVE to do and looking at researching every site under the sun until I've done it. Then playing Monday night quarterback and going over and over what I did right, but mostly, what I could have done better. And then demanding a do-over. OK, that glance into my psyche may have been a bit too much... I'm saying all of this to basically say, I want to accomplish some big goals this year! In all areas, but right now I'm obsessing over my house. You know, the one that I have not done a thing to for several years (besides Genevieve's nursery). For whatever reason (unemployment, pregnancy, the combination of the two?) I just haven't had the finances or the time to do it. But now that Joe and I have decided we will not be buying a bigger more beautiful house any time soon (sniff sniff and damn you Dave Ramsey!), I have decided that I must make some updates to my current home or I might die. Or kill someone. SO here are just a few projects I've listed out for this year. I plan to use this blog to walk you through these tasks as I complete them...and seek your advice along the way!

The "drapes" from Target and the Christmas Tree shop just aren't cutting it anymore!! And blue and brown is sooo last year (or a few years before that?)!

We literally have all of her riding toys "parked" outside of her bedroom door...right in the middle of the walkway toward the kitchen. In other words, waiting to be tripped over. With a birthday in November and Christmas last month she went from having a few baskets full of toys to having toys everywhere!

Why did you guys let me paint it PINK? I'm over it!! And it's so much more of a 'nursery' than a toddler room. I need it to be way more functional. But of course, pretty!

OK, not everything...but you know how it is--you move in, and you do what you can and you get all excited and you go shopping and you paint...and then slowly you run out of cash or steam or whatever and things remain undone. I have a half spruced up bathroom, a dining room with no art...etc, etc.

Paint and decorate. I need it to be fresh and modern with a bit of vintage appeal. Why is that so hard?

My husband has worked really hard to grow grass. There's not a ton of it but it was entirely dead sod and mulch when we moved in so it's progress! Nevertheless I have put zero effort into shrubs, flowers, mulching, etc. It looks a bit sad.

As in, kind of make one up where it doesn't exist. That's what happens when you buy a 60 year old house. You have to create space.

Did I say just a "few" things? I lied. I could go on and on but I'll stop for now! I know I need to narrow this list down and then focus on one area at a time. But something about writing it all down makes me feel better...like it's going to happen eventually.

Link L♥VE: Pictures from here, here, here, here, and here.