A Necklace and A Hair Update!

A Fun Necklace for Myself
There are so many goodies in my stash that are not the easiest to work with! 

So I decided to make myself something with some of these odds and ends.

I do miss the days of doing jewelry parties since unique funky things sell well in person. Online, not so much which I completely understand. Most prefer to try on conversation pieces before buying.

Anyway I love of the lava stone with the huge crazy horse stone coins and Botswana agate chips!

How does it look on? Here it is:

It's neat how the beads twist and turn sitting however they would like. I need treat myself more often since it is fun to make a unique piece to wear.

Hair Update
I had my second short cut since rebelling against hair coloring.

This cut is shorter on top so I an wear it down or I can go wild with it! Next week I should be able to have even more fun with it since it was cut a little short initially so I wouldn't feel the need to get a hair cut again in 3 weeks.

It is getting lighter with less processed hair left! The hair is blending in well. I was worried about walking around 2 toned but it does not feel that way.

Thank you for stopping by! ~Val

Merrimack River

I cross this bridge over the Merrimack River multiple times, to and from the post office. 

So it felt like I should take a closer look!

Yes there is a pylon in the tree!  A typical city bridge.

With typical local graffiti. I don't know how the kids get into some of the high cubbies!

This city was a hub for industry back in the day using the river for water power to create textiles and footwear.

Many old mills buildings still stand and have been re-purposed for commercial and residential use. 

This river was also made famous by Henry David Thoreau in his book A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers. This was about about a trip he made up and down the connecting rivers with this brother in 1839. No I haven't read it but now I'm curious since I enjoy his work and would love to read what is was like along the river at that time.

Or course it is a place to seagulls to chill out and poop.

Along the river was an old railroad that is now a rail trail. It is not scenic and peaceful like the ones I used to live near.

However I have read of plans of making this an art walk which will create an enjoyable stroll. 

I was curious about this mural I see from the bridge.

I believe this is the first and only piece so far. It was dedicated in loving memory of a resident who adored the city, its parks and was a huge supporter of this endeavor. I believe the work signifies all the wild life in the region.  

Going Gray
I got a pixie cut this week! This is officially the shortest I have ever gone with my hair!

I thought I would have everything cut up to the gray but I went the with the stylist's advice of leaving some hair on top. This is due to cow licks and the fineness of my hair. 

I actually love how the gray shows on the sides. Kind of funky in a good way! So I will rock this cut until I'm all gray. Then maybe keep it or grow it out.

Thank you for stopping by! Wishing you a fun creative week ahead. ~Val

New Roof and Chimney!

Our home insurance carrier sent out an inspector a couple of weeks after closing as the companies normally do. I did not think anything of it. Then we got a phone call that they were going to cancel their coverage! What?!?! 

The main reason being the condition of our roof and chimney. We budgeted for this but were going to wait for warmer weather like normal people but the insurance people had a different time line in mind!

Here is was before. 

The chimney was rough, no doubt. The roof was not horrendous though but we were planning on replacing it anyway.

Luckily we are having a strange winter weather wise and we could get this work done. The other bonus was that the contractors don't have a bunch of jobs lined up either so they came out right away. I think it was only a week since being notified by the insurance company and then having the contractors starting their work. Amazing!

The chimney guy and the roof guy knew each other well and were able to coordinate efforts which was a beautiful thing!

I'm very proud of this since I dealt with the contractors for the most part getting referrals, contacting them, getting estimates, etc. We are extremely pleased with our choices. 

I wish I filmed us trying to choose the roof shingles! We were all over the place from light grey to medium grey to black. Who knew that would be a difficult choice! We ultimately decided on a charcoal grey which is perfect.

Going Bold 
How so? Going natural meaning all gray! I have been battling gray hair since my teens and it has become way too stubborn in recent years. I'm done coloring! So to get there quicker I have started with a bob.

The Dreaded Selfie

Here you can see what my hair color is going to be! Yikes! I have never been one to worry what people think so I'm just going to rock going gray in my early 40s!

Where did this inspiration come from? A fabulous documentary on Iris Apfel that is on Netflix. I highly recommend looking it up if you have Netflix and feel in need of a little inspiration in your life. What an icon!

source

Thank you for stopping by! Wishing you a fabulous week ahead! ~Val