The Messy Bun Mafia - Hair. Coffee. Moments.

A Spectacle of Hope for the World

I am getting close finishing up journaling the Gospel according to Luke from the Illuminated Scripture Journal from Crossway, and something smacked in the face today. There’s this one word in particular I want to talk with you about, Then, I’ll share with you a couple of devotionals you can consider for the Easter Season.

The word is spectacle. It doesn’t appear in every translation of Luke, but it does appear in the ESV version that Crossway chose for these Journals. Let’s get into why it’s sticking with me…

Are Your Hair Care Products too Old?

What’s on the label matters…

Originally Published Aug, 2020. Updated February 2024. Contains affiliate links. Thank you for visiting!

Did you ever wonder why something might work beautifully and then, eventually, just NOT?

You’re not crazy…their is a reason for that…actually, probably several reasons, but let’s talk about two of those. Age and those pesky directions. Don’t worry…I’m not talking about YOUR age…I’m talking about the age of your beauty products! In the discussion, I will be talking from the perspective, mainly, of hair care products…but you can apply most of this to ALL of your beauty and personal care products.

Let’s just dig right in…

I asked the UPS guy what he wanted for Christmas…

Every year, without fail, someone asks me what they should do for their UPS guy…so, I asked the one that lives in my house to add to the list of things that I already know he loves and/or wants…here are the things they all want, even if they don’t know it yet.

What do I get the UPS Guy or Gal for Christmas?

UPDATED FOR 2023! We have added a few options, and we are still triple checking all of the links and removing items no longer available – this post has been a huge hit for 4 years running and we thank you for the love!

Here’s a quick List of LOTS of ideas on Amazon if you’d prefer to just skim that. It has ideas for all UPS employees, gifts for the family, and a few potential ideas for retirees. Not all items in this post are on that list, because not everything in the world comes from Amazon! We hope that you’ll also consider your local shops and friends and support those, as well.

SHOP THE AMAZON UPS IDEA LIST

We’ve all upped our online shopping game in the last 4 years, and that means that we’ve REALLY gotten to know those drivers…and, likewise, they’ve gotten to know us. Maybe you want to say thank you, maybe you want to give them a little ‘hush money’ 🤣…I know I owe gifts to my Amazon drivers, Shipt Shoppers, Fed Ex, and ESPECIALLY to my mailman, who gives me such INCREDIBLE personal service, he’ll probably have a key to my house soon (this is not normal…he’s been delivering to someone in my family for at least 20 years, and actually went to school with my sister…but STILL!!). I’m shipping out lots of packages on the regular myself, and he’s helping to make sure that they make it to the truck without getting stolen. So, we have our system down PAT!

How to Wash an Angora Sweater

Woman holding up cardboard sign that says, "it's so fluffy!". Picture of black sweater in basin with title of how to wash angora

I came across the softest, most luxurious sweater I’ve ever touched…and I knew it wasn’t cashmere, so I checked the tag…it’s Angora…and it’s fabulous. It’s for sale if you want it… unfortunately, it doesn’t fit me. 😢. But, I digress…What exactly is Angora, and if you own it…how do you care for it?

Read on to find out…

Don’t Let You’re Grad Cap Fall Off!

Five Options For Securing A Graduation Cap

Updated for 2023

Keeping that cap on your head until it’s time toss it up in the air can be tricky! So, I’m going to show you how to make it stay put so you can focus on everything you have accomplished and snagging that diploma. You’ve worked so hard to get to this point, let your hair be the last thing on your mind on your big day.

Regardless of your hair type, length, style – I have some solutions to ensure that your cap is secure – but also ready to toss…big hair, in between hair, short hair, long hair…even NO HAIR! If you’re still trying to figure out how to wear your cap, I’ve got you covered!

Fun & Easy Senior to Freshman Gift with + Environmental Impact

If you’re looking for a fun Senior Legacy Gift idea, I have one for you that is so very simple, and will have great impact on many different people and areas of your school.

This project can be run by basically anyone in your school – the PTO, Student Council, Environmental Club, etc. at our school, the Art Department & Student Council teamed up to handle it:

Merry Christmas | Carrie Stephens

A Christmas post worth sharing from author, Carrie Stephens:

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told. Luke 2:20 Is “happily ever after” real? If you’ve ever wrestled with questions like, “Will this next treatment finally heal me?” or “Will love ever really…
— Read on www.carriestephensauthor.com/merry-christmas-2/

How to Quickly Date Vintage Nike Clothing

All the resources in one place!

I find my myself flipping from source to source, so, I’ve gathered the ones I found the most useful here for you. First, you’ll find a link to a blog post with images and information. And then you can check out 3 videos I found helpful. If you have a great resource, please add that to the comments and I will consider adding that to the post. I hope you find it helpful.

This photo appears on SO MANY posts, I have no idea who the original owner of the photo is…

Strengthen Week Nails for under $10

I’ve waiting a long time for this.

Originally posted February 2020, updated April 2022. I still 100% believe in this product and stand behind my review and recommendation!

Literally, my entire life…I’ve been trying to grow my nails. Yes, I bit them, picked at them, did all those things…do I think that was the problem? NOPE! I do not…

*This photo was taken about two weeks ago – as of original post- and I haven’t managed to break them! I will be filling/redoing them this week. 🙂*

DIY Gel Nails Prep Guide

MAJOR, and I mean MAJOR contributor to this post: my dear, precious friend, Cat Ludeman. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for keeping me from looking like a fool…and your ETERNAL patience with my ignorance. You are truly amazing!

This is how I prep to use Gel Polish combined with acrylic powder (and sometimes with dipping powders – stay tuned for more on that!). My nails are weak – this makes them strong, and they don’t end up ridiculously thick like you’d expect with traditional gel polish applications.