the one major downside of being a redhead

There are many things I like about having red hair.

The uniqueness.

The compliments.

The supposed higher pain tolerance that comes with it.

And I actually really do like the color of my hair. I would say it is my best feature and probably the thing that defines me most.

But what I don’t like is the one physical attribute that often accompanies redheadedness:

pale skin

Now I’ve heard that there is pasty-pale and pretty-pale and I’ve been told that I have the latter, but I’m not sure I buy it. Pale is pale and I’m pretty much convinced that everyone looks better tan.  The problem with redheads is that most of us don’t tan – we freckle. Again, I don’t hate my freckles; in fact I sort of like them.

But I sure wish I could get tan, too.

Before Maui my friends and I went against our better judgement and spent time in pure uv bliss {aka: laying in a tanning bed} in preparation for our trip. They all showed up tan … I just came with freckles.

I’m learning to embrace my paleness. It is part of who I am and I can’t do much about it {although I just discovered that there are artificial melanin injections to make you tanner – crazy but interesting}

What I can do is use self tanner.

Not all self-tanners work for pale skin – most turn out really orange/overly bronze for me.

I have only tried a handful of self-tanning lotions, sprays and foams {mostly drug store varieties} but I have found that Jergens Natural Glow firming lotion is my favorite so far.

It says it takes a few applications for the color to develop, but it actually shows up on me with just one coat. I like how subtle it looks … but could do without that strong self-tanning scent.

There are a million different products on the market that claim to give a natural tan and I’m always looking for one that is just right.  If you are the self-tanner type and have a favorite product, will you share your tanning secrets in the comments below?

Just in time for summer.

The fair-skinned girls of the world will thank you.

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random.

Random stuff to chat about today …

First up, tulips.

I’m so glad spring is here. Even if the first spring flowers do look a bit unruly after only a few days.

Can you tell what we’re working on in our household?

It goes for me too. I may not stomp up the stairs or cry when asked to do something I don’t want to do, but I certainly mope in my own way.  We’re working on that …

This weekend I went to a baby shower and ate the most delicious brunch/dessert ever.

crepe cake

I’m not sure what recipe the hostesses used, but it was delicious. The filling was a mixture of cream cheese, strawberry preserves and whipped cream. Then we poured hot fudge and sliced almonds over. Yum. Very healthy too {I’m kidding.}

Want to see something else that is not healthy?

Ugh. Those beauties are not looking so good. Any suggestions for cracked nails? Clearly I need some help.

Let’s look at something prettier for a moment …

Isn’t that herringbone brick floor the best? {and the velvet settee and molding and urns …}

One thing I like about my kids is that they all like to draw and color.

We leave their craft stuff accessible – which means the kitchen table is almost always a mess – but I like that they can draw whenever creativity {or boredom} strikes.

Have you entered the March giveaway yet? There is still time …

Have you seen this no-heat-curl-method for getting nice wavy hair?

I tried it a few days ago.

This is while in progress … I look a bit like the Queen Mother, yes?

I wish I could say the no-heat-curling method worked … but it was sort of a bust. At least for me. Probably due to user error and the fact that my hair is ridiculously long and thick.

If you have medium-weight hair and have had a hair cut within the past 8 months {oops … time to schedule one} I bet this would work great.

You can watch a really cute video for how to create the curls here.  Let me know how you hair turns out.

And we’ll end today’s chat with this:

I’m brainstorming ideas for a new spring wreath.

Last year’s is quite pretty and I’ll be re-using it somewhere in the house.

But I’d like something new and different for our front door this spring.

Here are a few great inspiration ideas:

1. |  2. |  3.  | 4. |  5.

We’ll see if I can come up with something as pretty and I’ll be sure to post a tutorial when I am finished.

As always, thanks so much for reading, commenting, linking, liking and the sweet notes you send. I’m beyond grateful and flattered by your kindness and friendship {even if we’ve never met in real life}. You are great.

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