Service + Finals = the following

I just got back from our Stake's Youth Conference. We had a wonderful time. We had the opportunity to paint murals, plant gardens, and clean a city elementary school in downtown DC. This kind of a thing should be done more often. We also got a chance to do a little rock climbing, dance to some hip beats, and enjoy friendly conversation. Heck, I felt like a youth participant, not a youth leader; except for the fact that I got a full itinerary at the beginning of the conference including all stake youth leader cell phone numbers.

Jess had a good time too. The man didn't sleep one wink from the Friday night we arrived to the Saturday evening we came home. He stayed awake all night in a barn (the designated location for slumber), surrounded by 50+ sleeping individuals, typing away on his laptop in preparation for a final on Tuesday. Good for the health? no. Great for the final? yes. And thus we see how extreme testing schedules in concurrence with leadership duties can affect your actions.

Yep, the hair saga continues

I've contemplated again and again if I should continue the hair cut story, as it could be laborious, but this is too good not to share.

No overbooking this time at the respected salon. Instead, I got my haircut and I am pleased with the outcome. Granted, I look like Amelia Earhart, but she was quite a style guru back in the day, so I don't mind. Getting there however was quite an ordeal. In fact, it took over 3 hours from start to finish, and I didn't get my hair colored or styled, just cut. There are few things you don't want to hear your hair stylist say, and I think I heard all of them during my visit.
You have a lot of hair!
I just can't get this shorter!
I've never done this haircut before.
Does this pull?
Your hair really is curly.
Can I get some assistance?

At the end of the time period it takes most of us to watch a full length movie and have dinner, the stylist began to straighten my hair. It was much easier said than done. She must have tried to straighten my bangs 3 or 4 times, each time adding more smoothing product. At the beginning of the fifth attempt, I offered her a solution, "You don't have to keep trying. My bangs are quite wavy and difficult to control." She nodded with relief, but wasn't yet done with the straightener. She began making her way around my head, straightening her version of the haircut I asked for. This time it did take out my natural wave, and by the end I looked like a page boy. Again, I interjected, "I'm just going to wear this haircut wavy so don't worry about straightening it." She looked at me surprised. But it totally made sense to me as I stared at my page boy self with my bangs poking straight out due to the previous treatment and a stubborn a cow lick. Again, I saw relief from the stylist. She knew the straightening couldn't make it better.

I left, leaving a tip, and saying thank you. As I walked the streets of downtown, I caught my reflection in every reflective surface, the H&M windows, the McDonald's red neon sign, the office building's metallic address in huge numbers, making the haircut inescapable, even for one minute. I caught the train, went home, took a shower, and let the wave back in my hair. It was then that I realized the 3 hours had been partially well spent.

Photos requested:

Before and After (aka Amelia!)

Opinion

There are many differing opinions in the fashion world and everyone has their own tastes, but I believe I have found one opinion that is indisputable. It is the opinion that a mock turtleneck/silk casual shirt with a suit,

is never going to look better than and is not a suitable substitute for a classic collar shirt/tie with a suit.

You know what's really good?

Cinnamon Toast Crunch mixed with Corn Flakes.
Have you ever tried mixing cereals? Some concoctions can be quite tasty.

I was supposed to get a haircut

At 8:00am this morning I got on the metro, traveled to the salon, heard my name called, and stood in surprised silence as they told me they'd overbooked appointments while offering me a certificate for a free haircut because of the mistake. I'll admit, I was a bit disappointed... okay, a lot disappointed. I said a few, lame, in-the-moment-of-annoyance things, one of which included, "This type of thing wouldn't have happened if we didn't live in a big city." When my husband appropriately responded, "Yeah, and we wouldn't be able to go to any of the neat, free, renowned museums around here either." I got the gist.

We ended up making the most of our trip, walking to the tidal basin, enjoying the cherry blossoms in the pleasant weather without the crowds of people. It was a great time.

And with that, I share a few little things like the cherry blossoms that add to life, even when someone overbooks and you're the one they bump.

Chocolate bunny (never had one before until this year)

New $7 skirt (screamin' deal)

National Gallery of Art (for free)