This weekend was awesome. Cousin Toby came in on Saturday, and ran John and I absolutely were run ragged. We went to Zilker and chucked an aerobie around (I think I set a new world record...most amount of throws that went in the exact opposite direction intended). After we were nice and sweaty, we took a zillion mile hike in the Greenbelt  in search of a swimming hole that dried up. We eventually made our way back to a nice stagnant pond with a lovely chunky monkey bottom, and took a quick dip in that (100 degree heat will make you do questionable things). We grabbed a bite to eat at Shady Grove, which serves my new favorite condiment: jalapeno ranch dip. Cue Homer Simpson-style slobberfest. The day was basically a 12 out of 10 on the fun-o-meter. Toby and Audrey, consider this my plea for you two to get your derriere's back here in Austin asap.

On Sunday, I took one of the most important steps in my life: I got baptized in Town Lake, surrounded by my family and friends, our Church elders, and the family and friends of 7 other people making that commitment to Christ. After the (rather emotional) baptism, and coming out of the water reborn in Christ with boogers all over my face, some people asked me if I felt different now. I don't, really. For me, it wasn't so much a feeling as it is an examination of who I am, what I believe, and how to make a difference in this world. It's a proclamation of a spiritual journey put into action, an on-going process. There's a lot I want to change about myself, a lot I need to do. Bottom line: I am uber-psyched about making this commitment to God, and am ready for the trials, tribulations, grace, and joy that come along with it.

So....to wrap up the weekend recap on a lighter note, check out my cute manicure!! It's a modern revamp of the classic French manicure, and I'm kinda obsessed.  It's also really easy to do if you have those handy little nail tip stickers. I think they were maybe $2 at CVS. Worth the investment. Just a warning, though: make sure nails are REALLY dry when you put those on. When it was time to take two of them off, it was off with their heads....the polish and strip came off together. Aside from that, no problemos whatsoever!

free "Eye Love You" printable from Inkbloom // free sloth printable by Mary Beth Heishman from IndieFixx // remaining prints by me // super pretty lucite tray c/o Mattie Luxe // candle from Voluspa // wine glasses from HomeGoods // my fave vase ever from Juliska

We have lived in our apartment for 8 months, and until fairly recently, most of our walls were totally bare. I loved the look of a gallery wall full of colorful prints, but I just couldn't fathom putting a zillion holes in the {rented} wall. So, stark white walls it was. It was really after I whipped up this little illustration that I decided it was time to punch up the color spectrum in our place. I went thrifting for some frames, but didn't really find a whole lot I liked...so off to Hobby Lobby I went. They were having a 50% off sale on wall frames at the time, and I may or may not have shouted "CHA-CHINGGGG!" when I saw that. I swear, I think the lady working that section of the store thought I had Tourette's or something. I also picked up some of those super sticky wall hanging kits so I wouldn't have to deal with wall damage when we move. I've never used those before, so hopefully when it's time to take them down, it won't look like a hot mess. After getting the goods, I went to work (well...really, play) in Photoshop. Some designs were me just goofing around with watercolor brushes and grunge textures in Photoshop, and others were 'heavily borrowed' from some prints I've seen around blogtown, but hey....I figure as long as they are for my personal enjoyment and I'm not selling them, why not recreate and put my own spin on them? It was a really fun afternoon DIY decor project, and it really brings that little space to life.

Hope you all have a happy Friday, and a super awesome weekend! John and I are going to have some outdoorsy water-sportsy fun with my cousin on Saturday, and then on Sunday I am getting baptized! So...without wanting to come off as too preachy (this is a design blog, after all),  I'll just say it's been a rough-and-tumble road for me to get to this point in my faith, but I am so elated to publicly make this declaration of my faith and commitment to Jesus. God bless!

Thayers Alcohol-Free Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner with Aloe Vera // Garnier Fructis Style Volumizing Anti-Humidity Hairspray //CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser // CoverGirl LashBlast Waterproof Volume Mascara // Yes to Cucumbers Hypoallergenic Facial Towelettes // Rimmel Natural Bronzer // Revlon ColorBurst Lipstick in 'Candy Pink' // Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips in 'Tie-Dye' (in blue too!) // La Roche-Posay Anthelios SPF 60 Melt In Sunscreen Lotion

Living in Texas has given me a whole new set of sympathy for the Wicked Witch of the West. I mean, I completely understand how she must have felt when she was meeeeeellllttttingggg, meeeellllttting. Ironically, my skin tends to look about as hydrated as the Sahara. I plump it up with a gentle hydrating cleanser in the AM and PM. Toning at night with some witch hazel keeps the greasies away. For the most part, liquid foundations are a no-go - I sweat them off in T minus 5 seconds. Instead, sunscreen and a bit of bronzer take its place. I opt for a simple eye - just a tiny bit of liner and a waterproof mascara - paired with a bright lip. Humidity-busting hair spray keeps my imitation beachy waves in place (whine sesh about how I miss the beach in a later post), and nails in bright, punchy patterns are the best for summer. I really like those nail polish strips - no dry time, and basically fudge-proof. That gets an A+ in my book.

The best part? All my faves are at your local Walgreens or CVS, and won't make you choose between eye cream or paying your utilities bill for the month.

Hello, my name is Kirsten and I am a bread-aholic. Fluffy, flat or crusty bread...pass the basket of the carby, starchy stuff por favor. I'm addicted. Add some cheese in there, and I'm done for. That can be my meal right there. During the week with my "domesticed shmomesticated" attitude, I went on strike and didn't feel like grocery shopping. Our fridge was looking a little empty, so I grabbed a can of chickpeas and toasted those up. Protein? Check. Now I needed a vehicle to transport said protein to my mouth, and a plain old fork just wouldn't do. Bread was the answer. Flat bread. Bread that is fool proof. Bread that can be made in under 2 hours. After a quick recipe search, naan was the clear winner. I busted out the bread flour, and began mixing. As you can see, I didn't get those massive bubbles that restaurant naan somehow manages to get....but it still tasted realllllllly good. I froze about half of the dough balls, so there will definitely be attempt #2 coming up soon.

A little bit about this scrumptious body of pink water that I simply must jump into before I die...

Situated north of the Cap Vert Peninsula in Senegal, northeast of Dakar, Lake Retba, or as the French refer to it Lac Rose, is pinker than any milkshake you’ve ever come face to straw with. And once you see it, you too will agree that a sippy straw may be in order over a boat. Experts say the lake gives off its pink hue due to cyanobacteria, a harmless halophilic bacteria found in the water. If the color weren’t enough to make you smile, it should be known that Lake Retba has a high salt content, much like that of the Dead Sea, allowing people to float effortlessly in the massive pink water. In fact, Lake Retba has an almost one and a half times higher salt content than the Dead Sea. 

(Source: gingerleaf, via pinterest)

Dads are some of the hardest people to shop for, huh?? After years of pocket knives, shirts, and wallets, there had to be something that was a little more original to give my pops. So, I sat on a bench and thought "Think....think....think....", which reminded me of Winnie the Pooh. Like lightning, the image of my brother-in-law Brendon doing his Winnie the Pooh impression came into my head. He did that back in 2001, and it still cracks me up. I can't separate the two anymore. Then, the revelation happened...just like Winnie the Pooh, my dad is addicted to honey. I've literally seen him shoot it straight from the bottle. He's even contemplating keeping some hives of bees in their backyard. So, I went looking for some honey and I found the motherload. That baby up there is like a half gallon of the sweet stuff. Liquid crack, I tell ya.

When I came across these amazing vintage-inspired free printables for Father's Day created by the lovely ladies at Hello! Lucky, I knew this was going to "bee" (hehe...had to throw that cheesy pun in there) just the ticket.  I tweaked their labels just a little bit so they had a more custom feel, but they are pretty close to perfect without any fiddling with. Don't cool labels take ordinary gifts to a new level? Like a level that wasn't bought at my local grocery store that is a little bit on the ghetto side? Bravo on the great work, Hello! Lucky and thanks for the lovely printables.

PS There are even more printables on their site here. Woohoo!

Last week, my motto was "domesticated shmomesticated"...I couldn't pull a decent dinner together for the life of me last week, and I totally failed at fulfilling my husband's one request: making sure we are always stocked with his fave cereals (Captain Crunch, anyone?) and milk. Ooops. A simple enough task, but I got sucked into the computer time warp. Before I knew it, it was 7:30 and I had about 15-30 minutes before John walked in the door. What's a gal to do? Whip up a cheap dinner in less than 15 minutes that looks much more complicated than it is. Rotisserie chicken salad to the rescue!  What really makes me go gaga for this quick dinner is 1.) the lack of zillions of dishes to do afterwards and 2.) the addition of balsamic vinegar. The tangy but sweet vinegar goes so well with the creamy and slightly peppery chicken salad. You could even mix up a little balsamic mayo blend - no exact recipe here, I usually just keep adding in the vinegar until it tastes how I like it. Also, don't be deterred when you first start mixing the balsamic mayo together. It looks a little chunky monkey. Just keep stirring until it's creamy.  You could also opt for the lazy gal method and just pour the balsamic over the bed of greens. Either way, you've got a relatively healthy and filling meal in less time that it takes to order take out. Bon appetit!

I'm going to let you in on a little secret of mine. An anti-stress secret. Oooh, you're ears totally just perked up, didn't they? Here it is: Stop taking everything so seriously. It's as simple as that.

Do I mean not to worry about looming deadlines, job searches, endless to-do lists, and flooded inboxes? Nope. Those are all very important aspects of my life today. I just try to keep it all in perspective - not to get overwhelmed or underwhelmed by it. Just whelmed, haha. When I get that "OMG I am drowning in the sea of life" feeling, the best method I found is to shut my brain down and restart. Works for computers, works for my mind. Some people might suggest taking a walk, others might suggest having a little snack break. I recommend 5 minutes of dancing like a seizing crazy person. Seriously. Shut the door to your office, press play to dance along with Thom Yorke, and just LET GO. Move without thinking, dance without inhibition, and try and catch a glimpse of your reflection. Granted Thom's probably higher than a kite in this video, and you and I are sober, but that just makes it all the more effective. I dare you not to bust out laughing. It's so utterly ridiculous, but it really helps reset your brain and give you a fresh perspective. Sayonara, stress....hello, clarity.

I think we all need to take a moment to stop taking ourselves and life so seriously. I dare you to just try it. Y'all probably think I am certifiably insane. Maybe I am....but I just did my cuckoo dance and I'm not stressed out right now, either.

{Get Your Greek On} Diamond Enamel Evil Eye Necklace // Jen's Pirate Booty Goddess Gauze Dress  // Forever 21 Colorblock Trim Floppy Hat // Acacia Swimwear Deia Triangle Top in Cantik // Ancient Greek Sandals Ikaria Metallic Leather Wing Sandals // Intermix Mystique Neon Criss Cross Sandal  //  Acacia Swimwear Kenya Halter Top & Acacia Swimwear Crochet Side Bottoms //  Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral Powder SPF 45  //  Jurlique Herbal Recovery Night Cream //  Ray-Ban Erika Sunglasses  //  Kate Spade New York Clutch // Laura Mercier Tinted Oil-Free Moisturizer

Speaking of de-stressing, vacations are an awesome way to do that. Anyone going anywhere fancy this summer???

I'm dreaming of Greece. My newly engaged bestie Kristin and I went there in college, and I still dream of going back. You know, the hottest mess in the EU right now? Yep, that Greece...home to the cool shopgirl that was convinced I was an American soap opera star and wouldn't let me tell her otherwise, land of the ridiculously slippery Acropolis where tourists nose-dive into the ground at an alarming rate, maker of delicious dolmades and loukoumades that Kris and I tried to eat while getting stalked by a weirdo named Dimitrios, home of perfect sandy beaches we found while cruising around Santorini on an ATV, and old school and totally awesome donkey-riding ways. Greece, I had a blast visiting you in 2007 and I hope to see you again someday. Hopefully before you get fired from the EU, your economy collapses, and chaos ensues. Yes....I say we take a vacay there pronto and spend some of those hard earned dollars pumping the Greek economy back up.  It's too awesome of a place to let it crash and burn.

PS Have any of you seen Ginger and Cinnamon? It's about 3 Italians that go to Greece, and it's definitely good for a few laughs...check it out on Netflix if you can!

Hair Tutorial: Bohemian Twist Updo (Great For Summer, Weddings and Prom!) from Kirsten Powell on Vimeo.

This romantic, twisty, bohemian updo literally takes only 4 minutes to style...and I have video proof! Trust me when I say I will be wearing this 'do all around town....during hot and stick summer days, at my friend's wedding, at home, at work (aka the same place as home....drats). Oh, and about that tiny little rat tail that didn't make it into the twisties? Don't worry...I pinned that up pronto.

Woooooweeeee, it's heating up here in Texas! The AC is cranked pretty much 24/7. It's such a joy to get that bill at the end of the month.......NOT. You know, mail is just so not fun when you are an adult. Bills, junk mail, bills, coupon flyers, bills. The irony is that while I am sifting through our mail and paying our bills, I am planning out what to charge on my plastic. How twisted is that?? I might as well let you in on what I am hoping to add to my wardrobe for the summer. I am particularly fond of this little Anthro number....plus it's on sale. SCORE!