25 Weeks and Counting Down

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Looking for date night outfits, I was inspired by the dress I wore at a wedding five years ago.
Keeping with the blush and pinks with the fascinator for the English in me. 
On the second of August, 2013 my husband and I will have been married for ten years. This weekend will be eleven years since we had our first date.  A third of my lifetime has been married  to Ryan.  So much can happen in ten years. We have been through more than I would wish on anyone to have to experience.  So much thrown at us that it almost tore us apart irrevocably. Sadly in our military community we witnessed so many divorcing and calling it quits.  Yet having come through it all it has made us closer and stronger than ever before.  So in twenty five weeks time my husband and I will be reaffirming our love as we renew our vows.  Every week I will be blogging a ‘Wedding Wednesday’ post as we count down to the big day.  
My husband and I in Paris last summer for our 9th Anniversary in the city of Love.
Though not taken on the day, we had been married 5 years at this wedding we attended.
This was my ‘Sex and the City’ Carrie inspired ensemble.
The fascinator was a DIY that I made myself out of a broach and feathers. 
‘He wore black and I wore white’ – Nancy Sinatra ‘Bang Bang’

 I have set a new years resolution for myself and though it be February, I do not see it too late to start one.  I aim to take so many more photographs where Ryan and I are both in the frame together.  Looking back through old photographs to post for this blog I realized that we have so many of just one of us, while the other person took the photograph. My goal is to better document our love for us to cherish and look back on when we are truly ‘old and gray’.

The lack of couple photographs aside there have been many anniversaries and huge chunks of time where we have not been together due to the military and other circumstances out of our control.  I do not like missing important dates or being apart for long time, let alone an evening.  I really do cherish every moment we have together for life is uncertain and far too short.

One thing that I have definitely learned in the last ten years is you cannot let the words and actions of others come into your marriage and break you apart.  You have to be team.  If you let other people, be they acquaintances or family, speak ill of your partner or do things that could cause friction and stress you have to block them out.  What I love so much about Ryan in this moment in time where we are today is that he blocks out the toxicity of others and holds me close with so much love.



* Photographs belong to Bonnie Rose and cannot be used without written consent.
** Wedding photography by Angela Alexander.
*** Fashion & Beauty images from polyvore.com 

I broke up with my facial cleanser

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Tuesdays Tips & Tricks 
“Are you suggesting coconuts migrate?” – Monty Python and the Holy Grail

In the last several years as a Beauty Therapist and Hairstylist, my bathrooms in all the places I have lived have been littered with a vast array of beauty products.  Though some have come and gone, others made reappearances through out the years.

Coconuts.  I grew up thinking they were funny. I also grew up with monty python and if you did too you can connect the dots.  On my honeymoon in Cozumel, Mexico I realized just how yummy coconuts can be.  A few years later my husband and I  had the pleasure of living in Hawaii, on the island of Oahu, for four years. My youngest was born there and my kids grew up with the sweet pleasures of island life.  Though we no longer live on the island, you cannot take the island out of this girl.

Coconuts for cooking? Yes, please!

I love to try new things and a couple of years ago we tried coconut oil in our coffee for health benefits.  This went on to be used in replace of other oils in a lot of our cooking.  Thanks to sites like Pinterest the many uses of coconut oil has been revealed to so many.  To be fair since we began buying it by the jar fulls, I feel like I am a constantly finding new uses for this miracle oil.

When it comes to facial cleansers I am a hopper.  I will try this one for a while and then try something else.  Maybe perhaps because my skin is never normal.  It may be beautiful and perfect for a few days then the next week its broken out and then the next its really dry.

What is a girl to do when she is unhappy?

Break up.

Since 2003 I have been using a little bit of bicarbonate soda (baking soda) mixed in my facial cleanser of choice a few times a month to exfoliate the skin.  So when I heard I could mix it in with coconut oil in lieu of my facial cleanser it made perfect sense.

Here are my tips for breaking up with your facial cleanser with a DIY option:

What you need:
Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
Bicarbonate Soda/Baking Soda
Baby hair brush
Water
Facial towel

Steps:
1. Flush your face with warm water to open up your pores.
2. Mix a small amount of bicarbonate soda in with the same amount of coconut oil.  My oil tends to be in a solid state.  Make sure to warm it up in your hands to cause it to liquify.
3. Once the two ingredients are mixed together well you can apply it to your face.
4. Rub gently in circular motions with the pads of your fingers.
5. Using your baby hair brush which you have warmed up under hot water, continue to rub your skin in soft circular motions.  Only do this step once a week for extra exfoliation.
6. With your hands rinse your face with water.
7. Use really cold water at the very end, flushing your face a few times.
8.  Pat, do not rub, your face with a clean facial towel.

Advice:

  • It is advisable to try using the bicarbonate soda every other day and use just coconut oil for washing your face the days in between.
  • Your face will appear oily as soon as you are finished but the coconut oil will absorb into your skin within minutes.
  • Use extra coconut oil (small amount works wonders) on any spots as an acne treatment.
  • Consult your doctor if you are unsure about any sensitivities you may have as I speak just from my personal experiences from using this on my skin.  It works GREAT!
My final thoughts after breaking up with my facial cleanser:  Why didn’t I do this sooner?!

 
My skin has been clearer and I have not had any new breakouts since trying this out.  My skin is also getting moisturized so well by the coconut oil that my makeup goes on a lot smoother. Since the coconut oil cleanses, tones, and moisturizes I have a lot of extra space in my bathroom cabinets that is much needed!  But the best part…
 
…I smell like coconuts and cookies all day and night long. 😉 Yummy. 
* Photographs belong to Bonnie Rose and cannot be used without written consent.

Food Shopping in the UK made Simple

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I would like to take you back a few years to when I was living in Hawaii, USA courtesy of the United States Air Force.  When it came to eating and food Ryan and I found ourselves in the melting pot of asian cruisine from the Phillipines, Vietnam, Thailand, and China (to name a few). Our eldest was 2 and our youngest was born in Hawaii and they grew up there asking to eat sushi, pho, fish, and shrimp for meals.  It was not the typical food from mainland USA but it became the norm for my family.  If we were not eating out we were buying our groceries from the commissary on base.  Usually twice a month we would go and fill up our shopping cart till it could hold no more just like the other military families.   If you were not careful shopping at the commissary could be like a mother on her own shopping at Target.  You leave with a cart full of items and many of which were not on your original shopping list.

Let us fast forward to my husband and I moving to England.

After we had graduated from living in a hostel and eating homemade sandwiches, we found a room to rent and could start buying groceries to cook real meals.  However we walk or take public transport everywhere. The ‘american style’  of shopping is not going to work here. The nearest grocery store was far off and we would have to be smart about which items we chose because they would have to be carried all the way back home.

When we moved out of Brighton to the town of Haywards Heath we were now a short five minute walk from our town’s grocery store.  It now became normal to go to the store every day or every other day for one or two items.  It was on the way home from work and accessible.  We do not have a car to take home bags and bags of groceries.  We get what we really need and we carry it home.

I look back on shopping in the USA now and I cannot imagine doing that here in England.  Our fridge contains what we need for the week and we possibly fill up one small cabinet space with items such as teas, oils, spices, baking items, rice and porridge oats. The pantry we have has items like sweet potatoes and onions, extra toilet paper roll and unused kitchen appliances like a microwave we now never use.  Its about simplicity. There must be a need and an immediate use.

 So we do not have a pantry full of unused boxed and canned items full of sugar, salt, and preservatives   We may have to get creative if a zombie apocalypse happens. 😉

Luckily for us there are no zombies. However we did get creative and resourceful.  This week was our second time of having groceries delivered to the door.  Ryan spends a few minutes on his phone ticking off items we need while seeing what specials are on offer.  Then the items come at a scheduled time in colour coordinated bags to tell me where they need to be put away.

I feel spoiled.

To think of walking with the kids to the bus station, to wait for a bus, to get to the store where I have to find what I need while being swarmed by many other shoppers, only to have to wait in line and then carry everything home is just exhausting having to type in this blog. Plus have I mentioned we got our organic veg box?  I am in heaven.

* Photographs belong to Bonnie Rose and cannot be used without written consent.

I am a TCK and an Expat

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TCK (Third Culture Kid): A Third Culture Kid (TCK) is a person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside the parents’ culture. The TCK frequently builds relationships to all of the cultures, while not having full ownership in any. Although elements from each culture may be assimilated into the TCK’s life experience, the sense of belonging is in relationship to others of similar background. (read more…)

Ex-Pat: An expatriate (in abbreviated form, expat) is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person’s upbringing. The word comes from the Latin terms ex (“out of”) and patria (“country, fatherland”). (read more…)
I was born and raised in Oxford, England from 1982-1984.
I went to primary school in Norfolk, England in the early nineties.
 Moved back to England with my husband and sons in Brighton from 2011 – 2012.
I lived in Stuttgart, Germany in 1995 – 1998 and attend 7th & 8th grade at Patch American  HS.
This photo was taken on my birthday with my friends before we went on a shopping trip. 
I lived in Naples, Italy in the 90’s for 4th-6th grade and again for 9th-11th grade.
This group photo was taken at our house with our church family. 
In 2002 I spent the entire summer in Australia for a church campaign group from my University
and on a lone backpacking trip up the coast from Sydney to Port Douglas.  
The summer of 2004 my husband and I spent in Bangkok, Thailand for a ‘Let’s Start Talking’ campaign to teach english.
I returned to Thailand and Cambodia in 2006 for the Asian Mission Conference.  
We lived on Oahu, Hawaii from 2007 – 2010
I worked as a fashion photographer, hairstylist, and airbrush makeup artist. 
In December 2012 we moved to Bath, England and currently live here.
Took this photo on a timer during our first snowfall of 2013.

Welcome to 2013

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A new year and we began ours with a move, a new job, and new house.  This is our first house to live in since my husband and I got married almost ten years ago.  It has been really nice to get out of the small flat and into a place with lots of storage space and room to enjoy family time.  What I love the most is where we are situated in Bath, in the town of Batheaston.  It is like being in the shire and my favourite aspect are the sheep we can see from our windows. It is a great place to call home and I feel so blessed to be here with my family. 
The view of the rolling patchwork quilt hills dotted with white sheep from our windows.
My husband, +Ryan Aherin looking very English and just needing a sheep dog to complete the look.
We took a country walk with the boys on New Years day to see the sheep on the hill. 
The boys and watching the sheep on our Country walk through the Bath countryside. 
My English gentleman. 
The church in town with the English flag flying from above.  
Walking through the town with my three men. 
I love all the details on the buildings and the originality of each door.  
The sunlight breaking through the grey english skies. 
The last of the holiday decorations on the door.  
The winding roads leading us into 2013.
Instagram: thebonnierose

About Bonnie Rose & A Compass Rose blog

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Self portrait photograph with my family on December 27, 2012 at our home in Bath, England, UK.
(Pictured with my husband, our sons, my sister and my mum; ‘Nonna’)


(Read more about her life as an Expat & TCK)

BACKGROUND:
Bonnie Rose was born in Oxford, England and grew up in Europe moving every two to three years, due to being a daughter of an USAF officer. At the age of seventeen, she moved with her family to the United States, where Bonnie went on to University in 2001. Bonnie attended Harding University where she majored in Theatre with a minor in Ministry, and went on to study Cosmetology for a license in the beauty industry. Bonnie is married with two young kids.

HAIRSTYLIST & BEAUTY THERAPIST:
While majoring in Theatre at Harding University, Bonnie found her passion for Acting and Directing also included a love for working with hair and make up. After completing an Advanced Theatre makeup course as part of her degree, Bonnie decided to go to school to pursue a Cosmetology license for the disciplines under hair, skin, and nails. Bonnie began her study at Arthurs Beauty College near her University, and finished up her required hours at Regency Beauty Institute in Illinois. Being married to man in the military, Bonnie’s mobile life continued to keep her uprooting her life, bringing her next to the beautiful island of Oahu in Hawaii. She finished extra hours needed to transfer over to work in Hawaii, and obtained her Hawaiian cosmetology license. She worked with Christine Gardner of Flaunt as a Hairstylist and trained Airbrush makeup artist for clients, weddings, and models. In May of 2009 she began work at the Black Cat Hair Studio as a Colour specialist and one of two Hair extension techs at the studio. During her time in Hawaii, she continued to also work as a freelance hair and makeup artist to clients at their homes and with models and photographers on photo shoots. In the Spring of 2011, Bonnie Rose moved to Brighton, England, to be joined by her family that fall. She worked through that first year in England as a Hair Designer at Peewees Hair Salon in Burgess Hill.

FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER:
Bonnie Rose is a self taught photographer with a decade of experience in Photoshop, who has been taking photographs since her first Polaroid camera at the tender age of ten. In the beginning of 2008, Bonnie focused her creative energy and spare time to working with other industry professionals on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Bonnie soaked up a lot of hands on experience and knowledge from everyone she collaborated with on the shoots. She kept herself open to the limitless possibilities by working as a hairstylist, make up artist, wardrobe stylist, and assisting the photographers and models. A year later in 2009, Bonnie Rose decided to build her own portfolio in photography and started executing photo shoots that stemmed off her background of theatre and her training as a hair and makeup artist. Bonnie made a name for herself across the Internet and through various networking sites as well as having her work seen in local and national publications that Spring. Bonnie Rose focused as a Portrait photographer while her flair as a fashion photographer to each shoot, working primarily on location.

She works now in Bath, England focusing on her Bespoke Lifestyle Portraits and Wedding Photography in the Bath and Bristol areas of Sommerset, England.

* Photography belongs to Bonnie Rose Photography © 2007 – 2013 All Rights Reserved | http://www.bonnie-rose.co.uk

Our first Christmas in Bath

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We moved just a couple of days before Christmas to Bath, England and we able to celebrate the holidays with Nonna (my mum +Teresa Nystrom ) and Zia Zoë (my younger sister +Zoe Nystrom ) at our new place.  It had been a little stressful, but nothing could make our Christmas better than having our family here for the Holidays.  I have not spent a holiday back in Europe with my mum and sister yet, and it was an amazing sense of ‘home’ to break in our life in Bath.  Although my dad could not be here with us in person, he was definitely felt here with us in spirit.  What great memories +Ryan Aherin and I to share to end our 2012.

My family (from L to R): Bonnie, Ryan, Zoë
, Teresa, Ronan, and Maddox)
Making snowflakes on Christmas Eve with roasted chestnuts and mulled cider prepared by my husband. 
After getting their new Arsenal christmas pyjamas, the boys opened the stockings on Christmas morning that Nonna brought for us from the USA.
Maddox asked Father Christmas for a spy kit and looks like he listened!
Nonna brought the boys full Science kits including lab coats!
Ronan ‘trying’ to look sad because it was not a metal detector. But really he was and is still very excited about his Meccano kit.

My husband and I brought back these Roman gladiator sets from our trip to Italy for Father Christmas to bring on Christmas day.  Looks like they can both play ‘Rory’ now. 
We took my mum and sister, Zoë, to the Abbey in Bath on December 27th.
Zia Zoë and my sons lit a candle for my dad on his birthday, who would have been 59 on December 27th.
The view of Bath at night time is equally as beautiful and I loved seeing the water lit up by the lights and bridge under the moonlight.  There were a group of swans that you cannot see in the photo but that added to the ambience of the moment. 
Instagram: thebonnierose