Chop the Mop

I've had long and thick hair for a very long time. I loved how it flowed and waved. I loved how feminine it made me feel. It was part of my identity.

But after the wedding and settling down in PA, I've gotten so lazy with my hair. With being so busy with school, plus the 40+ minute commute to and from school, I don't feel like taking the time to fuss with my hair. So up in a messy bun it goes.

Trying to make my messy bun cute with a bandanna...still not as cute as a hair cut!

Long hair is gorgeous, but it takes a lot of time, shampoo, and money to look attractive.

So I suddenly got the urge to chop it off. I had it long for my wedding, and now I do not have a reason to keep it long besides my attachment to it.

I called the best friend, Erin, who has donated her hair in the past. She encouraged me to do it, and I knew I needed to get it cut ASAP or else I would wuss out.

I did my research to see where I would donate my hair. Locks of Love, the default donation organization, will not take processed or dyed hair. Plus during the research I did, I found that they often sell the donated hair they get to make money for their organization instead of putting it directly into wigs.

Children and Hair Loss is a organization that takes processed hair. I did my research and felt confident in donating to them.

So off I went to the salon with this hot mess of hair:

Yeah, it was getting bad. 

I walked in when they opened and asked if they had an appointment available. Luckily they had a rare last minute opening. The stylist told me Saturday morning openings are rare and that it was "meant to be."

We talked about how much hair I wanted off. She put a pink cape on me (only those donating get to wear the pink cape. I felt special haha), braided my hair, and before I got a chance to chicken out, she snipped! It was very freeing.

My hair was so thick, she had to make two braids!

No going back now.

She washed, snipped, and styled my much shorter hair. And this was the end result.

It's so short!

I LOVE IT! My face looks so much less round, I look older, and it is SO much easier to care for!

I donated 11 inches of braided hair.
I felt like I lost 10 pounds from my head.
I helped give a child with hair loss a chance to feel confident.
I also gave myself more confidence with this hair cut.

Overall, I am so glad I did this. It took a lot of guts for me, but it was an amazing feeling and I am so happy I had the guts to chop the mop.

Love and Blessings,

Annmarie Faye

P.S. I can't write a post without a picture of my pooch!

My obsession, Maisy

I Once Was A Racist

I have a confession to make: I used to be a racist.

Now if anyone knows me, this might be shocking to you. It was to me. But it also might be shocking to say I was not the average racist.

I was a "color blind" racist.

To me, this is ignoring race completely. This is separating the person from their color.

Wait? Isn't that a good thing Annmarie?

Well, it is a great thing! It is truly a wonderful idea. At least in the perfect world.

But we live in a broken world. A world where race affects a person so deeply, that ignoring their race is ignoring a core part of their personality.

I am a white woman. I will never have to wonder if I'm being pulled over by a cop for "driving while black." I will never wonder if a "random search" on me at an airport is due to my olive skin.. I will never have to wonder if I was denied a job because my name reflects my non-European culture.

Yet so many people have these struggles each and every day.

I will never truly understand what it is like to live as a racial minority. But I can acknowledge that. I can ask questions of people to try and understand more. And I can see that race does matter. Race is a huge part of who we are, and by not only acknowledging it, but celebrating it, we can ease the tensions and enjoy this complex tapestry of differences in our world.

Because lets be honest, a quilt would be very boring with only one color and texture.

Love and Blessings,

Annmarie Faye

My Amazing 21st Birthday!

Yes, November 7th was the big 21st. And I learned just how seriously blessed and spoiled I am.

I was woken up at 6AM to my handsome man carting this:

French toast, bacon and sausage for the win!

He woke up at 5 to make me breakfast and bed before work!

So after eating with the man he brought me gift number one: blue-rays of The Heat and Identity Thief. I am OBSESSED with Melissa McCarthy, so this was perfect! These movies are hilarious! Then the man went to work and I cuddled with the pooch most of the day.

Oh, and got the coveted horizontal license.

I got home and he had told me to be ready by 5:45 so we could leave for dinner. I was getting dolled up, browsing the mail (My parents sent me a card from them, as well as one from my dog. They know me too well...), and wondered where we'd go.

We ended up at the Bonefish Grill! Gah it is so yummy! We had Bang Bang shrimp (fried shrimp covered in a creamy spicy sauce) for an appetizer, the man had lobster and steak, and I had a cheesy crab stuffed tilapia.

And of course, I had my first legal adult beverages:

Bonefish Martini 

Their winter special martini...super sweet and good!

We got home and there were two dozen roses and a teddy bear waiting on the door step from the man.

And a chocolate tower from the sister-in-law. It was filled with chocolate pretzels, chocolate covered peanuts, chocolate peanut butter cups, chocolate chip and toffee cookies, and pecan clusters. I am going to be huge just looking at it!

Thanks for making me fat Rachel! ;)

The man also brought ice cream cake (my favorite) and got a little carried away decorating it...but it was delicious!

The 630-8 is for our wedding date (6/22). The other stuff...I'm not really sure. 

The next day, I got my next birthday gift in the mail:

New Boots!

I picked them out by the way. It was his idea to get me boots...but he didn't trust himself to pick them out. Probably for the best :)

That evening we went to a French cooking class. Not going to lie, we followed the address on the website and ended up at a residential house, so we were sure we were going to be murdered.

But instead, we had a blast! We signed up for a creme brulee class, but she also taught us how to make another variation of creme brulee with caramel, caramel sauce, and langues de chat cookies. 

Creme brulee! I feel like a gourmet chef knowing how to make this haha

Caramel sauce!

Langues de chat cookies...which is French for cat tongue...but they were yummy!

Not only did we learn to make some amazing food, but we learned a lot. Sylvie, our chef, is from France. She told us all about French culture, cooking, and life. She even pulled out some chocolate cake that she was working on for us to try (the way to my heart!) and gave us a small class of French wine.

What I loved the most was learning about how the French have decadent foods, but only have small portions because they enjoy each bite. They don't shovel down huge plates on the couch while watching How I Met Your Mother. They treat each meal as an experience to talk and laugh and enjoy great food. It inspires me to do that more often.

That was my super spoiled birthday extravaganza. I am so blessed and had the best birthday a girl could ask for.

Love and Blessings,

Annmarie Fate

P.S. And because everyone loves a dog in a cone, here is a shot from out Saturday nap:

She loves cuddling! Even if she looks possessed...