Push Not The River

I just finished reading my book for the month. It was called Push Not the River, a novel by James Conroyd Martin. It's based on the diary of a REAL Polish Countess Anna Maria Berezowska.

The author notes that "Countess Berezowska began keeping a diary when her personal world began to disintegrate and writing became for her, I suspect, a great therapy...Amazingly, the years of the countess' personal crises coincided with some of the most important years in all of Polish history: the Third of May Constitution years. It is fortunate that such a remarkable private view--and a woman's view--of those perilous years has survived."

I thought that because the book is set in the 1700's, the language used would be similar to that of Jane Austen, but that was not the case. Martin is amazing at making it simple to understand. He doesn't waste time getting to the point, which is one of my favorite things about it. The story is very intriguing and even scandalous in some parts, but a very good read. It definately sparked my curiousity on the history of Poland. If your looking for a good book,Push Not the River is good plus some.

Myspace Blogging

I have a myspace, and I usually don't blog on there, but for some weird reason I decided to last night. I thought it was a pretty decent blog, so I'm going to post it on here as well. Enjoy!
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I know I have another blog that I could write this on, but what the heck. Today I'm blogging on here.

I love quotes. I think that quotes are a simple way of learning the lessons from influential people of the world. I'm what people would call a quote-addict. Here are some of my favorites.

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"Don't worry about being well-known. Seek to be worth knowing." -Elder Bruce C. Hafen

This quote reminds me of the importance of building a strong character. It reminds me that I should be more concerned with who I am than by who I know. A man may know millions, but until he knows himself, he can't help anyone.

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"You can only think as deep as your vocabulary allows you to."

I heard this at a leadership conference I attended last year. I don't remember the name of the man who said it, but I still find power in those words. I want to know the word that BEST describes what I see or the word that completely clarifies my feelings. I hope to be able to expand my vocabulary so that I can, in effect, expand my thoughts.

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"Choose your love and love your choice." -President Thomas S. Monson

In a world where divorce seems to be the easy way out, this quote reminds me to have faith in marriage. Love is a choice and where there's a will there's a way. I believe a couple can resolve any problem they have and that their love can last for a long time--a VERY long time.

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"If you don't go after what you want, you'll never have it. If you don't ask, the answer is always no. If you don't step forward, you're always in the same place." -Nora Roberts

Amen to that. I love the part about asking. If you let the fear of rejection keep you from asking a question, you'll never know if the answer could have been yes. Sometimes all you need to do is ask.

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If you have a favorite quote, you should definately tell me what it is!

Love ya.

The author tag.

Favorite Authors (tagged by: Cheri)
Who is your all-time favorite author and why???
Jane Austen.
She's classic. I love the fancy old English. It amazes me that even though Austen wrote those books so long ago, they are still read by millions. That's some good writing.

Who was your first favorite author and why?
Whoever wrote Junie B. Jones. I was obssessed with those books. I thought they were hilarious.

Do you still consider him/her to be among your favorites?
No. I don't even know what her name is. Or if she's a her.

Who is the most recent addition to your list of favorite authors and why?
Right now I'm reading a book by James Martin Conroyd and I really love his style of writing. He doesn't waste time with unneccessary descriptions. I would say that he is now one of my favorite authors.

If someone asked you who your favorite authors were right now, which authors would first pop out of your mouth?
Most likely Jane Austen.

I tag:Erica, Kylee, Krystn

What the?!

Today I realized how outdated my blog was. My background was still stuck on Thanksgiving. AS IF. (sorry, that's my Clueless-watching kicking in) Thanksgiving was SO two weeks ago. But no worries. I have saved you all from a little fashionable mishap. My blog is now with the IN crowd.

I have a thought.

I think that finals week stinks. I've never been so stressed in my life and I only have three finals! This is ridiculous. I guess I just need to remember that there's only one more week and then I have a whole month for winter break!! Pray for me to make it through this week.

Photoshoot!

On Wednesday I went with Jo and her kids to the Ogden Walkway to take some pictures. It was such a fun day. Anna was loving it, but Kaycie wasn't feeling too good so she was pretty grumpy the whole day. Here are some of my favorites of the girls.

I'm home!

I can't believe I'm finally home. I love everything about it. I can tell that this next week is going to rock my socks! Here's the low-down on what's happinin here in Roy Town this week

Tomorrow-----> Photoshoot with Jo and Clint. TWILIGHT (for the second time, but that's ok, because this time I'm going with my mom and Erica..and maybe Jo too...)and the best part...PIES!!! mmm. My favorite is Banana Creme.

Thursday-----> FOOD! Grandma and Grandpa's House. Family. Laughter. Gratitude. It's going to be AWESOME!

Friday-------> Black Friday! I really want to go to Kohls, but I don't know if anyone else is up for it. We'll see, I guess...

Saturday-----> Clay Pigeons! This is always my favorite part of Thanksgiving Break. I usually get some amazing pictures out at the range. And I shoot better than ANY of the guys...Yes, that's a challenge! haha

Sunday-------> Rest from the long week. Go to church. Head back down to Ephraim for the last week and a half of school! I can't believe how fast this semester has gone by!

I'm ready for some good times this weekend! And don't worry...I can always pencil you in if I need! haha Love you all! Have one dang Happy Thanksgiving!

Four days until...

I'm going home! It's been almost an entire month since I've seen my family! I miss them so much.

I want to thank every single person in my family. Here's a little message for each of them!

Dear Dad,
I found out that you've rubbed off on me. Not only with your breakfast sandwiches (which I eat all the time!), but I have inherited your talent of making up songs! My roommates love the random songs I sing all the time (at least I think they do) and I just say, "Thank my dad!" haha I love you! See ya in four days!

Dear Mom,
I would never know what was going on at home if it wasn't for your weekly phone calls. I love to talk to you and I'm glad you take the time to talk to me. I love you! See ya in four days!

Dear Erica,
I hear that you're the talk of the town. I just have one word for you, "Read!" haha My roommates got a kick out of your story of passing out the other day. I hope everything is ok though. Let me know if I can do anything for you! I love you! See ya in four days!

Dear Jessica,
Denver is WAY too far away. haha. With current gas prices I'm thinking I need to take a ROADTRIP! woot! I hope you're coming home for Thanksgiving, I really really miss seeing you. Keep on Keepin on! (that reminds me of the emails you used to send us when you were on your mission!) I love you! Hopefully I'll see you in four days!

Dear Jocelyn, Clint, Anna, and Kaycie;
Sorry your letters all got clumped in one, but that's what you get when you're married?! haha We're going to have to have a movie night when I come home so that we can chat, only I dibs you guys don't embarrass me. You guys (mostly Clint) are really good at embarrassing me, especially on the subject of guys! haha I love you guys! See ya in four days!

Yo Tay!
I figured you were too 'cool' to get a Dear Tay. You are so funny dude. We are going to have to do something extremely fun when I come home k?! We'll make a visit to Rohmer, for sure! You're the best little bro ever! See ya in four days!

Ketchup!

I've been down at Snow for almost one whole semester! It is amazing how much happens in just a few months. I was looking through all my pictures and I realized that I haven't posted about a lot of things that went on, so now I'm going to 'Ketchup' on things. This is going to be a long one...
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For Halloween me and my roommates were the Sandlot. I was Ya-Ya! This is us at the ward party entering a quite fantastically painted pig into the pumpkin contest. We won first place with this hog.


This is my (actually Krystal's, but I'm wearing it) hot pink converse and Squints (aka Emily)


We went to Gunnison a couple days before Halloween and found this beauty...it already came with a face!


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Every month Snow Lodge #6 has a big group date. This month we celebrated EVERY major holiday. It was so much fun. I can't even tell you how hard I was laughing especially when we ran around the apartment complex at 10:22 banging pots and pans and yelling "Happy New Years!" My date was Emily's cousin, Jaiden! He was such a fun date!! I'd recommend him to any girl!



Toilet Paper Mummies (or at least an attempt at it)


The damage of whip cream and the throwing there of...


This is why we have green on our faces in all the pictures. We were supposed to draw four-leaf clovers on eachothers cheeks, but I was laughing so hard that it turned out to just be a smudge. He got revenge.


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Last Saturday my roommate, Krystal, invited me to go rock climbing with her and her brother. I couldn't pass up the offer..my name wouldn't be Kamilla if I did! We are crazy climbers! We got skill.





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Picture tag!

I've been tagged by Cheri Marie! She seems to always get me, but I'm excited to do this one. What you're supposed to do is go to My Pictures, open the fourth folder, and then post the fourth picture.


This is what I came out with:




This is me and my roommates at the opening social at the institute. We were trying to get a picture with the face on the back of that girl's t-shirt, but we all started laughing. I was trying to smile and laugh at the same time, so that's why my face looks contorted.

Well, that was fun.

I'm tagging: Erica, Krystn, and Kylee.

SQUASH.

I have a new love..and that is spaghetti squash. I just can't get enough of it! Me and my roommates went to a Farmer's market in Gunnison yesterday to buy some pumpkins for halloween and I couldn't resist gettin a spaghetti squash too.

I'm going to go eat some right now....

Words Galore!

The other day I realized how much I didn't like how my room was decorated. I wanted to come up with a cool way to decorate it, without having to spend a lot of money...so it had to be creative.

Ever since my junior year in high school I have been fascinated by words. I don't have a very big vocabulary, but that doesn't mean I can't admire words. I think its crazy how one word can have so much meaning behind it. I decided that I would use words to decorate my room.

I only have a few words right now, but I'm hoping you can help me think of some more.

The words I have so far are:

Love: for obvious reasons, love means something different, but something important to all of us.

Smile: I think this word defines all I am. I try find a reason to smile when there seems that there is no reason.

Belle: This is my favorite French word. It means beautiful (f)

Courage: When I think of courage I think of all the times I've faced my fears and done some incredibly ridiculous things that would make any sane person pee their pants.

Expression: This word always brings a picture to my mind. I always think of bright colors being splattered on a wall and an artist with tattered jeans. I love that picture.

Dedication: If we want to do anything in life, or be someone of influence, it is going to take a lot of dedication on our part. This word to me means hard work, perspiration, and vision.

Inspire: I hope that what I do in my life will help inspire those around me to be better people.

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What are the words that have stories, pictures, or meanings for you?

Mood=Profound

Every once in a while I get in this mood where I think about what's going on in life and form some deep opinions about it. Today I had a cool experience that showed me how everything happens for a reason.

So let's say you're going through something very difficult in your life and you think "Why is this happening to me?" But then you meet someone who's going through a similar experience, and because you went through it yourself, you are more able to help that person.

I honestly think that everything we go through in life will not only enrich our lives and make us who we are, but will enrich the lives of those around us and make it possible for us to relate to them.

That's just what I've had on my mind today...What do you think about it?

Mosaic-Me

1. Kamilla, 2. Orange is In..., 3. Roy, 4. Lime Green Window Shutter, Red Flowers and a Rail, 5. Mark Ruffalo , 6. Raspberry Lime Rickey, 7. French Countryside from Train, 8. homemade matcha green tea icecream., 9. Love is..., 10. Listen, 11. Proud and Ambitious, 12. wooo-hooo!
The Rules: you answer the following 12 questions about yourself (my answers are in parentheses after each question):

01. What is your first name? (Kamilla)
02. What is your favorite food? (oranges)
03. What high school did you attend? (Roy)
04. What is your favorite color? (Lime Green)
05. Who is your celebrity crush? (Mark Ruffalo)
06. Favorite drink? (Lime Rickey)
07. Dream vacation? (French countryside)
08. Favorite dessert? (icecream)
09. What do you want to be when you grow up? (loved)
10. What do you love most in life? (listening)
11. One word to describe you? (ambitious)
12. Your Flickr name? (blue jean daisy)

Want to play?: Type your answer to each of the above questions into Flickr's search. Using only the images that appear on the first page, choose your favorite and copy and paste each of the URL’s into the Mosaic Maker (3 columns, 4 rows)...Enjoy!

see caption list (above) for photo credits...

Quality Time With Richard Simmons!

Every Tuesday night all of us in apt. 6 take part in an 80's night. Last week was our first meeting, so this is a fairly new tradition. We got all dressed up in 80's clothes and stretched out for Sweating to the 80's with Richard Simmons. At first it was all fun and games, but after an hour, we were all sweating...who would have thought that Richard Simmons could make us exhausted?!?! All I can say is "inhale...and sizzle!"

Funny Faces

I thought this picture was pretty hilarious. This is me and my roommate, Krystal, on our way to paint homecoming signs...thus the paintbrushes. I'm not going to lie, I look like an anime cartoon. That is why I love it so very much.

Homecoming

This past week was Homecoming. I didn't even know they had homecoming in college. I also found out there is a dance to go along with Homecoming. I got asked not once, but twice, and it broke my heart to tell the second guy 'no'. I should have just said yes to both...I wonder what they would have done. I went with a cute guy named Bryce Leishman. My roommate, Jackie, went with Bryce's roommate Sam. After all the school festivities (parade, tailgate party, and the game) we went trap shooting. It was so cold and he didn't have earplugs for us. Other than that it was really intense. I was a pretty good shot too. I got 8 out of 15 or something..even though that doesn't sound like a good shot, I was better than the other girls! They made us dinner; Bryce made me pasta and chicken, and Sam made dumplings and fish for Jackie. My dinner was very good. I was impressed. After we finished dinner we went to the Noyes building to dance. There was a live band and we swing danced. It was fun, but don't worry...me and this guy aren't going anywhere.

This is me and my roommate Jackie, all ready for the dance!



This is me and my date...CHEEZIN it!

A-Z I've been tagged!!!

A-Attached or Single: Single
B-Best Friend(s): Cheri and Krystal and Melissa.
C-Cake or Pie: Pie. Banana Creme. Mmmm..
D-Day of Choice: Wednesday!
E-Essential Item: Toothbrush
F-Favorite Color: Lime Green
G-Greatest Accomplishment: Moving away from home.
H-Hometown:Roy
I-Indulgences: Thinking. can you indulge yourself in thinking?
J-January or July: July
K-Kids: are cute.
L-Life is incomplete without: my family
M-Marriage Date: November 11, 2011 haha that would be cool.
N-Number of Siblings: 4
O-Oranges or Apples: oranges.
P-Phobias or Fears: SPIDERS! other than that I'm fearless :)
Q-Quotes: Don't worry about being well-known. Seek to be worth knowing. -Elder Hafen
R-Reason to Smile: People. and stupid things people do.
S-Season: Fall
T-Tag 5 friends: Kylee, Cheri, Erica, Kara, and Jocelyn!
U-Unknown Fact About Me: I clog everything I touch. I know that sounds awkward, but its not. It's just a fact of my life.
V-Very Favorite Store: Khols.
W-Worst Habit: Not making my bed.
X-X-Ray or UltraSound: X-Ray. I have some cool bones, I'm sure.
Y-Your Favorite Food:Saltine Crackers. They go good with everything.
Z-Your Zodiac Sign: Leo

ROOMMATES!

Ok, so pretty much these girls are amazing! We get along so well and we have so much fun! Oh and don't pay attention to my super cheesy smile...my bad!




From Left to Right:
Back row in the yellow, Lindsay. She is by far the most optimistic girl I know. She has one of the strongest testimony's too, so she's a strength to us all.

Me. Enough said :)

Jackie! She's the heart breaker. The guys all come a runnin for this one

Second row:
in the pink is Krystal. She is probably the most fun. Whenever I need someone to come with me to do something, she is always up for it.

Jillian. She is the only sophomore in our apartment and by far the funniest. She keeps us all laughing with her embarrassing stories. She has way cute clothes too!

Emily! (in the blue) Her missionary just left on his mission today, so she's been kind of sad lately, but she is such a cute girl! She's going into photography, so she's pretty much my hero.

Kara..the bestest roommate ever! She is so good at talking to everyone. Someday I'm going to be just like her :) She's pretty easy going, so we get along really good.

and last but not least...

Shelby! She's an art major and I love looking at all her work. She's amazing. She's definitely the most creative out of us all.

Just keep swimming.

We all have those days that seem to drown us. We drown in homework, responsibilities, and the worst...emotions. Today was one of those days for me. I was so busy that I barely had time to think, and to add to it I was super tired. I stayed up two hours longer than usual last night to wash dishes, because the dishwasher broke. My roommates keep asking if something's wrong, and I keep telling them I'm ok, but then my watery eyes keep giving me away. I need sleep.

College Life!

Life down here in Ephraim is different than anything I've ever experienced. I love everything about it. I'm living in an apartment with seven other girls. We all get along so good, it feels like we're sisters! My barbeque chicken was a hit for our first sunday dinner...a few guys we didn't even know showed up to eat! My roommates think I am an amazing cook, which is funny, because I rarely cooked a thing before I came down here. I haven't been to any classes yet, but I'm feeling that my schedule is going to be a hit. My cell phone gets ABSOLUTELY NO service down here. My family is hating it, because I haven't called them since Saturday. (Family, if you read this, know I'm doing good and I would call, but it's hard because all my roommates are constantly on their phones and mine is useless.) I haven't met very many guys I feel I could potentially like either. That's always a bummer for me, but probably a relief to my parents. Classes start Wednesday and I'm getting anxious. I have major butterflies. I'll try my hardest to keep you updated. Keep checking my blog in the near future for pictures of my roommates and our apartment. Love ya!

The Fair!

I entered some pictures of mine into the Weber County Fair this past week. It was my first year, so I wasn't expecting to win anything. I was in for a big surprise when I got there, though.

I got first place for a picture of the Teton mountains, second place in wildlife for a picture of starfish, and Best of Show (amateurs) on my still life picture!

Memories

When you saw the title of this blog you probably thought this was going to be about the musical CATS didn't you?

Well, sorry to disappoint all you cat ladies, but this is a lot more sentimental than Cats will ever be :) And a lot more fun too. This is a game...and it's totally worth playing!

Let's take a trip down memory lane...here's how it all works out...

Leave a comment on my blog of a memory that you and I have had together. It doesn't matter if you've known me for a short time, or a long time, anything you remember! Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.On your mark...get set...memory lane here we come!!

Yo Fam..I'm yellin to ya

This is a shout out to my family!

[because]

You keep me smiling when I'm down. You know just what makes me tick. You are all the best storytellers ever, but even better dancers..and I mean it. You have sic moves:) I might get angry at you or I might annoy you just for a good laugh, but I want you all to know how much I love you. Thanks for being the most amazing people in my life.

In One Week

I was thinking how much things can change in just one week.


One week ago I...

1. had two jobs

2. never saw any of my friends

and

3. didn't know how to cook chicken


This is how these things changed...


1.Yesterday I quit my waitress job (a huge relief, because I swear I was losing more money than I was making) but I'm still working at North Park Elementary.

2.In the past two days I've seen approx. 10 friends from highschool(thanks to Roy Days!), and it's been so fun to catch up on their lives.

and

3. It's sad but true. A week ago I had no idea how to cook chicken, but I decided to get out of my comfort zone (aka ready-made meals) and experiment with cooking...and I'm not going to lie, it wasn't too shabby.


Also in one week from today I will be an adult! That's right. Bring on the Singles Ward:)



Seeing these little changes in my life has made me want to pay more attention to the little, what I like to call blessings, that happen every day.

PHOTOSHOOT!

On Sunday night, Erica and I had a photoshoot. We tried to make it all serious...which also made it really funny. I also straightened my hair that day for the first time since the perm. I didn't realize how long it's getting! I am super excited about long hair! Anyways, here are some of our favorites. Let me know what you think!

Oh! The Places You'll Go.

I really want to travel. I want to see the world and take pictures of it all. Here's a list of my top ten places I'd like to visit.

(1)Switzerland
I love mountains and I hear that when it comes to mountains, Switzerland's got the best.


(2)Maine
Lighthouses. Trees. The ocean.

(3)Venice,Italy
The whole idea of a city where the streets are made of water blows my mind. I've almost got to see it to believe it.

(4)Australia
Surfers with accents. Need I say more?

(5)Boston, Massachusetts
It played a major part in U.S. history and I hear it's an amazing place.

(6)Alaska
I've always wanted to see the Northern Lights...and a grizzly bear!

(7)Greece
Riding a Vespa through the streets of Greece was always something I wanted to do.

(8)Egypt
To climb a pyramid.

(9)Anywhere in France
I love the French language. I guess I could go to Canada, but France is so much better.

(10)Ireland
After watching P.S. I Love You who wouldn't want to go there?

STUPID STUPID STUPID!

I can't even portray to you my feelings right now. I just found out that a kid who a week ago was telling me how much he liked me is totally and utterly avoiding me. I'm fine if he doesn't want to date or something, but c'mon! At least tell me. Don't leave me hanging here waiting for more. He's probably not worth my time anyways.

Jane Austen

I know I just posted, but I forgot that I am reading this pretty amazing book right now. It's Persuasion by Jane Austin. The first book to read for the book club, and I love it. It was a little slow at first because I didn't understand what the heck she was trying to say, but after the first few pages I got used to how the talk and now I can't put it down. It's all about loving someone and wondering if they love you back. I really love the old style writing now.

I Learned The Hard Way.

Last Friday I went swimming at the aquatic center with some friends. I wanted to get some sun, because it's a known fact that I have the whitest legs out of all my friends (except Rachal...poor Rachal). In my attempt to get tan I took SPF 4 sunscreen. We were at the pool for four hours, so according to my calculations, I was protected from the sun one minute every hour. When I got home I looked in the mirror, surprised when I saw a lobster staring back. The immensity of the red is unimaginable. I was so red that I was practically purple.
Saturday I went on the Ben Lomond Hike as you see below.(I did a little picture editing to make me look normal..oh the joy of Picasa) This was probably not the smartest thing, because now not only was I a burning fire flame ball, I was also exhausted and dehydrated. My body decided this was a bad combination and on Sunday I woke up with a swollen forehead. I refused to leave the house.
On Monday we were leaving to the Uinta's, so my mom hurried and took me to the doctor before we left. The swelling was now moving down my face, and slowly eating my eyes up. Obviously my plan to become beautiful and tan backfired, because now I looked like an ogre. The doctor told me that the swelling was a "natural reaction". I looked at him and said, "we both know this is NOT natural." He gave me some steroid lotion to stop the swelling. All I could think was, "Oh great. Now I'm an ogre on steroids."
Luckily I was with my "loving understanding" family all week and didn't have to be seen in public. They were so sweet, they thought of pet names for me such as kankle face, cling-on(something off of Star Trek), and occasionally SPF 4. Every day I'd wake up and the swelling would be somewhere else on my face. Luckily, the swelling stopped, but thanks to my dad, the teasing didn't. I will forever remain kankle face in his eyes.

Let this be a lesson to all you "want-to-be-beautifuls" out there. Albino is better than ogre.

My legs feel like jello

Yesterday Jessica, Cheri Peacock, me and some of Jessica's friends hiked Ben Lomond. We left at about 6 in the morning and got done around two. It was a 16.4 mile hike round-trip. I think you can understand now why my legs feel like jello.

The view from the top was breath-taking. We could see Cache Valley, PineView, and the Great Salt Lake all from one point. Besides almost collapsing on the way down, scraping my legs trying to make our own trail, and getting bit by a horsefly, the hike was way fun! The view at the top was worth all the sore muscles.

To all you fellow Utahns, you haven't lived until you've "stood on top of the world" at Ben Lomond.

I don't know what got into me...

Today I decided to perm my hair...and when I say "I decided", I mean my sister Jo decided to perm my hair. Let me know what you think. Here are some pics.



I haven't had a perm since the third grade. I was petrified thinking that what I was about to do to my hair, would stay in forever...ok...a few months.


At least one of us was enjoying ourselves. Anna decided that getting a perm looked fun, and insisted that I roll up some of her hair.



About this time I had haunting pictures of poodles running through my mind...


I forgot how much perming burns. The fifteen minutes the chemical was on my head, were the longest fifteen minutes of my life.



Now for the final product...hold your breath...



Personally, I love it. Props to Jocelyn.