I was a confidence MACHINE this weekend!! ;)

What are some little ways you increase your confidence, even if only temporarily?

These two hats are my mom-in-law's latest creations for my other etsy shop, juniper + clover. I put them on just to take pics for our listings, and WHOA!! Instant confidence! Then I added in the fake glasses, and even more so! (I do sometimes wear my real glasses, but these are faux. The lenses on my faux pairs aren't very clear, so they bug me after a while, but they sure are cute.) I couldn't believe how my mood and perception of myself were instantly transformed just by donning hats! I wanted to head on over into our town square, which is filled with really awesome and funky people who dress way cool and maybe, just maybe, intimidate me a little sometimes unknowingly, and strut down the street with the best of 'em!!! I'm definitely gonna need one of these for myself as a keeper. This is one reason we say 'round here that we celebrate inner and outer beauty. Of course we know which one is the more important one, duh, but when you try to improve upon your outer beauty (within reason), sometimes it will enhance how you feel about yourself, thereby making you feel freer to showcase your inner beauty as well.

When I had funky, bright hair colors, it was like an automatic bravery boost as well! You cannot have bright pink or purple hair and not enjoy the extra looks you get walking down the street. ;) 

No She Didn't pictured

Wearing Lime Crime lipsticks, especially the ones that are not traditional colors (which, thankfully, is most of them!) has the same effect on me. I sometimes hear people say, "It looks great on other people, but I could never wear that color." Somehow, that never crossed my mind. When she first came out with the line, I was so entranced by them that I was determined to have them and ROCK them! And I think I do, not so much because of how I look but the ATTITUDE I have when wearing them...especially this blue one called No She Didn't. Man, I put that on and feel like I can conquer the world!

The candle was a gift from my friend Shybiker. :) Isn't it cute??

I got three free nailpolishes in the mail this weekend from Zoya - they were doing a special where you could get three if you just paid S+H. I got three of the brightest, boldest ones they had to offer!! One of them is called Yummy, this gorgeous, matte sky blue that I think is gonna look great with my No She Didn't. (Plan to do a review on the nailpolishes soon, but I think I can safely say I love 'em so far.)


I really don't wanna make y'all tired of hearing about our bottlecap necklaces, but I truly do just LOVE them even if no one were ever to buy one...I take joy every morning in picking one out to wear, and it may be a reflection of how I'm already feeling that day, or it may be something that prods me to feel how I WANT to feel.

(The rest of my hair is still long; it's in a ponytail here.)

And, finally, I got my bangs yesterday! I have unfortunately not managed to get a good picture of myself with them yet, but as you can see, they don't really look that different from any bangs I've had before...yet they were just what I needed to start propelling me out of the winter blahs! I've had the same stylist for, oh, about 8 years, I think...fate led me to a Hair Cuttery of all places, and it didn't take long for me to realize this girl belonged in her own place. We developed a friendship over the years, and I kept encouraging her to get past her fears and get her own space...and she finally did! I'm so proud of her. She also did my wedding hair, and I PROMISE someday soon I will tell you guys all about our wedding and show pictures! Anyway, when I walked out of her salon, I felt like a million bucks. I walked down the street like I owned it, with a smile on my face. I saw two guys do double-takes out of the corner of my eye. When I met up with my husband where he was waiting for me and then found a mirror, I realized the wind had swept my bangs into chaos, nothing like the perfect way she'd fixed them, and I looked pretty frazzled, actually...and yet they were still looking because I was CONFIDENT. I'm not purposely trying to get other guys to look at me; I'm just making a point. ;)


Getting my nose pierced and my two tattoos, as well as being part of the closet narcissist, naturally boosted my confidence as well. Blogging in here actually boosts me up a little more every time, simply because I'm talking about confidence. You'll naturally soak up whatever you focus on.


None of these things can provide real, lasting confidence in and of themselves until you internalize the confidence and ingrain it into your heart. But they're small steps that help you "fake it til you make it," until it becomes so ingrained in you that you don't "NEED" the funky hair color or certain hat but just WANT them simply because they make you feel even better. Now and then, we all need a little extra boost! And, you know what, sometimes the only thing you need to boost your mood or your confidence is to plaster a big smile on your face even when it's the last thing you feel like doing. It just might work.

On an unrelated note...is it a sign that I'm 30 years old if I am somewhat intrigued by Pajama Jeans?? They don't look bad to me! Am I about to get lost in a world of elastic waistbands that I don't have to unbutton after a large meal? heehee Hmm...not sure if these would boost my confidence or not! ;)


Oh, and I have stayed up all friggin' night long redoing the entire blog layout, from the header to the template to each little facet I'm able to change...I'm happy with it, and I certainly hope y'all are, cuz I'm gonna be paying for this...grooaaannnn.


But back to the original point of this post (sorry, I am getting loopy!):


What are the little things that help boost confidence for you??