Quick blog

I read this article tonight off of Yahoo's home page and this concept is just speaking to my heart. I know y'all know I love me some Facebook and I've recently said "see you later" to the social networking site.  Although I haven't REALLY missed it {enough to sign back in} YET, I do often times finding myself out of the loop or ... kind of bored.  This is RIDICULOUS as I've always said, "How could anyone ever be bored?" Bored's not the word. Lazy is the word. There's other things I could do with my time, but if I'm tired, I don't want to get up, or get stuff out, or .....yeah, just get up. And I find myself falling asleep if I watch a TV show without food or a computer in front of me. SO. Yeah, I don't know where I was going with that, but, that's that. That's where I am.

Lots on my mind, but my computer's about to die & I'm being too lazy to get my cord out & plugged up. :)

Side note: I wonder if people who have noticed I'm MIA on Facebook have thought to check out my blog? Hmm. I wonder. :) I'm still alive, folks!!

Be In The Know!!

This is just a quick message to anyone out there who reads this and wants to be a part of my Mary Kay email list. If you are interested in knowing when I am having another fabulous 25% - 50% off $ale, send me your email address in a comment & I will add you!! :)

Until later...

Sweet dreams!

I've been tagged! Q&A time!

Sweet Maggie from A Carolina Love tagged me to do this neat little Q&A that I miss oh so much from those Myspace days. When I always got bored wanted to procrastinate I would  fill out those quizzes. Here's an example of one of those old quizzes {from 2005}. Thanks to Maggie tagging me, you now know totally new & completely random things about me! I know, I know....you're ecstatic. :)

Okay, now, here were the rules.

1. You must post these rules.
2. Each person must post 11 things about themselves on their blog.
3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
4. You have to choose 11 people to tag and link them on the post.
5. Go to their page and tell them you have linked him or her.

 And here were the questions Maggie asked me....

1. What is the one item you have to have in your fridge/pantry? 

If you know me, you know I am ADDICTED to Mello Yello. It's my absolute favorite drink in the world, and for SOME reason, people don't think stores still sell Mello Yello. Well, they do! I love me an ice-cold can of Mello Yello during a meal. Lucky for me, I rarely finish a can. Therefore, I waste a lot of Mello Yello. But I'd rather waste it than ingest it all. It is a soft drink after all! But, one I have, and always will love. :) Here's proof:

Yes, this is a picture that was taken in my dorm room during my freshman year at Appalachian State. I was {obviously} in love with Mello Yello then...and that was 2/9/2006!! {Don't judge me. I only know this because Webshots tells me when pictures were taken via my old Kodak camera. I just thought it'd be funny to prove my point through a almost 6-year-old picture!} 

2. Is there a song that evokes an emotion/memory from you no matter what? (can be a happy, nostalgic, etc)

The honest truth is that every song reminds me of something...some time or some person or some situation I was in or some time in my life. I love that so much because just hearing a song you haven't heard in such a long time can take you back & you can feel those feelings or be reminded of how far you've come just by hearing a song. 

Side note: I put this blog on hold and had to take a drive. So I shuffled my iPod during the drive to see what songs on there made me think what. And this is what I found: 

Des'ree's "You Gotta Be" reminds me of a summer Saturday in the 1990's, having very little care in the world, feeling encouraged, with the sun shining, and the windows open all throughout the house. It really makes me feel happy, empowered, and carefree. I will always love this song, no matter how silly I think the music video is. Man, I swear I could make such better music videos than 90% of people who actually get to make music videos.

3. What do you feel is your biggest accomplishment to date? Could be personal or professional.

My biggest accomplishment to date would have to be a professional one. I feel like I have not "accomplished" too too much in my personal life, yet. ;) Obtaining my Masters degree in Counseling is something I was determined to do, and did as quickly as possible. I had my mind made up & was motivated to succeed! Of course getting licensed as an LPCA & getting a j-o-b fall right on into this category, because without those two, I can't do what I went to school to do.

4. Would you rather go the rest of your life without ever watching your favorite show/movie or without reading your favorite book?

I would go the rest of my life without ever reading my favorite book again, duh. I've already read it & I seldom read the same book twice.  But I could watch a funny TV show over & over again! 

5. Skydiving or bungee jumping?

Skydiving! It's something I think I'm too chicken to do. BUT I think I would love it if I did it. Tori amp; I did the skydiving simulator on campus last year, and it was fun! :) 

6. Where is the one place you want to go before you die?

NEW. YORK. CITY.
Seriously, if you know me, or have talked to me in the past....year, you should know this. I have blogged about it and said it over and over again to those around me. I think someone's gonna get tired of hearing about it & just buy me a (one-way) plane ticket. :) Please do.

7. If you had a book written about you and your life, what would you want the title to be?

Dang, this is a toughie. I have absolutely no idea. Maybe "Fabulous Fulfillment" - :)

8. What would you want your 15 minutes of fame to be for?


For donating an organ to someone who really needed it and some really cool ironic or coincidental thing happening between myself & my organ recipient.

9. Is there a hobby or activity you did when you were younger that you've given up, but wish could start again?


I really miss sleepovers with my friends. Staying up all night, talking, doing hair, playing games, prank calling people, you know...typical sleepover stuff. The only time I have a "sleepover" is when I visit my out-of-town friends for a night or weekend and need to sleep at their house, but there's not really sleepoverish things going on...you know, because we sleep. I really valued that time with my friends and miss those days so much.

10. What would be the hardest food to give up forever? (Mexican, Italian, cake, etc.)



Chocolate. Basically anything chocolate.

11. If you could be amazing at one thing, what would you want it to be?
Doing.....this:

Wow! What a trip down memory lane for me! :) I love love love reminiscing.
NOW- onto those who I wish to tag! Note: I'm probably not going to tag 11 people. I know, I'm a party pooper! But I'll tag those who blog the most who I think have the slightest bit chance that they'll wanna do something fun like this too! :)
And I choose...
Meredith from The Davis'
Joy from Just The Three of Us
Ashley from Life With Busy Bea
Winter from Deeper Than The Ocean
Erica from My Life as a Ledbetter
Abby from The Randomness of Abby
Laura from Taylor Tales 


Now...your questions are...
1. What is the happiest movie you've ever seen? What's the saddest?
2.  What's the biggest lesson you think you learned in 2011?
3. What bold thing are you just scared to death to try?
4. What is the most out-of-place thing in your purse?
5. What's your favorite app on your smartphone? And if you don't have a smartphone, why in the heck not?
6. Are you Team Kim or Team Kris Humphries?
7. What's one thing you would tell your 16-year-old self?
8. Who is your celebrity look-a-like?
9. What websites do you visit on a daily basis?
10. What's something on YouTube you want to share with others?
11. What is your favorite quote or Bible verse?


Now I can't wait to see who responds! I love stuff like this. :)

I can't do everything but I need to do more.

"You can't do everything." -My dad

My dad warned me of this when I was a teenager. When I was in middle school & high school, trying to run here & there, participate in this & that, make two parties in one night, you know, typical crazy  busy-people things. I don't know if it was age or exhaustion, but I finally realized that {bracing myself to say this} but... My. Dad. Was. Right.

After a long day of working, I would love love love to: eat dinner, spend time with my grandparents, watch some TV shows, do some laundry, do the dishes, blog, read for pleasure, do a nightly devotion.....oh, and see my boyfriend.  The bad thing is is that my nights usually look a little something like this: Work til 6:30-7:00ish, go to my grandparents to eat dinner (kill two birds with one stone), get home around 8ish, thank God my boyfriend doesn't mind traveling to BFE to come hang out with me, watch a couple shows with Mom & Alex, head to bed to play on my phone for a little while I "wind down" & hope to be asleep before 11:30. {It takes me forever to get to sleep.} Guess what didn't get done: everything else.

I don't know what's going on with me, but I am a super sleeper lately. I should say super napper instead of super sleeper because it takes me forever to get to sleep & it is an act of Congress to get me out of the bed in the mornings.  Alex  blames soft drinks, of course, but that's a risk I feel like I'm going to have to take right now. ;) BUT- this weekend, let me tell you, I have slept like a DOG! I have napped until I felt guilty. I have slept, slept, and slept some more. I chalked it up to saying on Twitter, "Saturdays are for being lazy," and "Sundays are for church and napping."

Now, one could argue that I can't get anything done if I nap, but I am being serious when I say that I have felt SUCH the need to sleep sleep and sleep some more lately. I don't know why! But, I know I've got a busy week ahead & I've got to be prepared, and hit the ground running! That is my plan, so, tonight I spend my Sunday evening catching up on paperwork from work, and feeling SUPER rested after a FOUR hour NAP after church this morning. SERIOUSLY. I have slept this weekend away!!

How does that tie in with the quote from my dad? I don't know. I think I'm procrastinating again but I DO think I had a point. And I think that point is: I can't do everything, but I need to find a way to do more.

So, the weekend's almost over. I must go back to work.
I need to figure out a better plan though because this not getting anything done crap is for the birds.
One thing I can say proudly is that FACEBOOK has not been the reason for me not getting things done.
I can proudly say that I have spent 6 whole days OFF of Facebook and I haven't really missed it have only missed it a little. :) Yay me!
I'll be honest: I am tweeting more but, I mean, come on! {I will work on it. I promise.}

Until then: holler at me on twitter: @nsykes0921 -- say hello! I would love to know who actually reads these durn things. :)

Where I've been, and where I haven't...

Life has officially taken over. As I began my transition to full-time outpatient therapist and clinical evaluator, I found my time consumed with work, playing catch-up, and making sure I am set to begin this career. I've been doing research, getting organized, and taking my time to make sure I am getting done all that I am required to do for this new position.  I am so thankful the time has actually come for me to be able to do what I went to school to do, what I believe I was Called to do. The only thing is: I am a TOTAL newbie. I have little experience. I am so so new to this. The to-do list for an outpatient therapist in a non-private-practice mental health facility is ever-growing. I not only have to figure out what I was originally supposed to do, and how to do it correctly the first time, but I am having to figure out what all this & that paperwork is and when it's required, etc. for all the new responsibilities of us therapists! It's a lot to take in, but I am trying! I am grateful for my job, and the experience, and the supportive co-workers I have, and the supervision that is provided free of charge! {Supervision can get EXPENSIVE!} And y'all know I'm grateful for that pay raise. CFNC is knocking at my door & it's about time I let them in so we can hang out for the next 100 years. {Grr!} Luckily Dave Ramsey Alex is on top of my finances & is getting me on track to succeed! I am so thankful for him, and for his love for organized & successful finances! Even if it does mean that I have zero privacy when it comes to money.

So, between that & my mission to simply my life, that's where I've been.

Speaking of...I'm doing a couple extra things to get my life on the right track!

I am officially o-f-f of Facebook! Can you BELIEVE it?!?! I don't know how long it'll last, but right now, I'm not missing it. A friend of mine sat at the restaurant for three hours had lunch and I became convinced that I should get off Facebook think about getting off Facebook. I have a million reasons why, and maybe one day I'll share those, but...

I became 100% convinced that I should get off of Facebook during our first night meeting for our Made to Crave small group. More on that later, BUT, I basically realized Facebook is something I crave, just as much as I crave FOOD!! Stupid crazy, so something had to give. I am on Day 2 without Facebook and honestly, I haven't even missed it......yet.

Now I swear if I found a good makeup train case my life would be a lot less cluttered!! :) I'm working on that.

He Qualifies The Chosen

Jacob cheated.

Peter had a temper.

David had an affair.

Noah got drunk.

Jonah ran from God.

Moses commited murder.

Giedon was insecure.

Miriam gossiped.

Martha worried.

Thomas doubted.

Sara was impatient.

Elijah was moody.

Zacchaeus was short.

Abraham was old,

& Lazarus was dead!!

GOD DOESN'T CHOOSE THE QUALIFIED,

HE QUALIFIES THE CHOSEN!!!

Thankful in 2012

Lots has gone on since the last time I posted. Christmas and New Years came and went. Christmas was far from normal & probably one of my worsts. When I'm feeling kinda of blah, like I am right now, I like to stop, snap back to reality, and remember all the things that the good Lord has blessed me with!! I need a reminder every now and then of things I am thankful for, of things I have been given, of things I probably typically overlook or take for granted. 

Let me start off by saying that GOD DOES WORK!! I have nothing but thankfulness and joy in my heart when reporting that my Pawpaw is doing SO much better!! He is at HOME now, getting better every day!! I am so glad to have him back with us, being so glad to see us walk through the door, asking how our day was, and fussing about something he saw on the news. I wouldn't have it any other way! :)

I am super thankful for Alex's family who took me in on Christmas Day & treated me as if I was one of their own! I love them for that! Heck, I love those guys anyways! It feels so reassuring to date someone with a good Christian family. I don't know what I'd do if I had to worry about future in-laws, or passive aggressiveness, or any other negative thing other people seem to have to worry about. 

I am thankful for new beginnings! 2012 is here. It started off with a 4 day weekend and for THAT I am thankful! I needed time off, sleep, and just some good ol' R&R. It TOTALLY jacked up my sleep schedule, but heck, isn't that what the holidays are for?!

I am thankful I can say that Alex and I spent another year being able to say "happy January 4th" to each other.  9 years ago we went from best friends to boyfriend & girlfriend.  We have had our bumps in the road but we are getting stronger every day!! I am so glad that we made it to year #9. ♥

I am thankful that my pay raise went into effect two weeks earlier than I thought it would! To some, that's nothing. But to me, that was something extra for those I love at Christmas time, and it makes me so happy to give to others!! I wish I made enough money so that I could buy people presents every time I saw something in the stores and thought, "He or she would love this!"

I am thankful for heated seats in my car, hot water coming out of my shower, and for the fact that I do not live in Boone, NC anymore!! Man oh man I am sick of the cold weather already!! The thermometer in my car read 22 degrees the other morning!! That is just stupid!!

I am thankful for so much more. Really, I am. But right now, I am thankful for my bed, my comfy sheets, and my iPhone that will wake me up in time to go to the JOB I am thankful for! ;)

Hot Topic: Duggars commemorate their stillborn child

Before I head off the computer to work on my "living simply" I want to share something that came across my Facebook newsfeed. I clicked the link & read the article. I would send you a link to the article, but, in the past, when I've done that on here to share something with you, the link has been deleted or the pictures are no longer working, so I will try to copy & paste as much as I can to share it on here with you {while crediting the site}. Okay, so, it said:

In November, to the surprise of many, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar announced that the couple’s 20th child was on the way. As the Blaze reported, they encountered a fair amount of criticism, considering the large size of their family, past complications and Michelle’s age (she’s 45).

Sadly, just one month later, the Duggars told the world that they suffered a miscarriage. On December 8, during a 19-week checkup, it was discovered that the child no longer had a heartbeat; Michelle miscarried naturally three days later.

This week, the stars of TLC’s “19 and Counting” held a ceremony for the child, whom they named Jubilee Shalom (she allegedly weighed just 4 oz. and was 6 c.m.), in Springdale, Arkansas. Friends and family converged to help celebrate the life that would have been.

The ceremony apparently included hundreds of attendees. While some might see the family’s actions as a bit odd, others would revere the notion that they valued the life so preciously that they sought to commemorate it.

Photo Credit: TMZ

Following the event, Amy Duggar, the family’s cousin, created a stir when she tweeted a note and picture commemorating Jubilee’s life (she later deleted the message). It read, “RIP precious Jubilee Shalom Duggar! Can’t wait to meet you someday, thank you Lord for giving our family peace.” Mail Online has more:

The photograph shows Michelle reaching out to touch daughter Jubilee’s tiny hand, with the juxtaposition of size deeply moving.

While Michelle obviously displays a fully grown adult hand, Jubilee’s is incredibly tiny, with her palm half the size of her mother’s finger tip. [...]

Photo Credit: TMZ

At the ceremony, a selection of photos – which some might find distressing – were distributed to guests, with one image showing Jubilee‘s tiny feet on Michelle’s hand, with the message: ‘There is no foot too small that it cannot leave an imprint on this world.’

A representative for the family has purportedly defended the photos, saying they were never intended to reach the public (although one of the images is now on the family’s web site). Also, Michelle released an audio letter to the baby, which can be heard below:

Jubilee Shalom Duggar from John Andersen on Vimeo.

The Daily Beast’s Maria Elena Fernandez has more regarding the negative response that has followed these actions:

“It just seems too public and almost seems like, ‘OK, we’re stars, everybody wants to know abut us,’” said Susan Newman, a social psychologist who has taken the Duggars to task for continuing to procreate in two columns forPsychology Today. “From what I know of parents who have lost children, it’s horrific. It’s not something you want pictures of. There are people who will argue with me and say it’s a way of coming to terms with the death. But given the Duggars’ history, their television show, and the way they exploit their children, I just find this a cog in the same wheel. I find it rather distasteful.” [...]

But the cofounder of the nonprofit organization that photographed the stillborn baby at the Duggars’ request said that thousands of grieving parents have turned to the group for its free services, because the photographs help to console them during the worst time of their lives. Cheryl Haggard, who had a son who died after birth because of a condition that went undetected during pregnancy, cofounded Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep with a photographer she hired.

You can read more about the debate here. Regardless of how one feels about the family’s method of handling the loss, suffering a miscarriage is certainly tragic.

Michelle has understandably said that she feels “a great sorrow and grief” though she has peace in her heard. Jim has expressed similar feelings, saying, “we know we will see this child in heaven one day.”

(H/T: Mail Online)

Check the site out here if you want. 

I will say, whoever thought of the idea to take pictures of your stillborn child to help you cope with the tragedy of losing a child {because that's what it is} is a genius! I personally find these images moving and inspirational. Look how TINY a HUMAN LIFE can be! It goes to show you that NO MATTER HOW SMALL, God has formed a PERSON from SECOND ONE of conception! That almost fully-formed hand is HALF the size of its mother's FINGERTIP! For those who want to criticize the Duggar family, they need to take their negativity elsewhere! The family might be a little crazy, or, the parents might be, but who isn't??

I've said it before {on Facebook} and I'll say it again:

While I think she's addicted to pregnancy (for real), people need to lay off the Duggars. They live debt free in a house they built themselves, homeschool their children, and teach their children teamwork, the value of a dollar, Christian principles, and responsibility for their actions as well as to care for others. No lie, the world wouldn't hurt from a few more Michelle Duggars.

 More power to her them! Who are we to judge??

Live Simply

DISCLAIMER: This blog post is going to make me sound like a horrible, materialistic person who can't tell you the difference between want and need and who has zero self-control. Don't judge me. Just sayin'.

I must admit. I do not "live simply," although that is something I strive to do. I want to embark on a personal journey to live more simply. I'll be honest. My life is chaotic, and I'm always running, and even though I HATE {with a passion} clutter....it surrounds me! I blame it on space. Or, well, I used to. I do wanna give myself props because after moving for the TENTH time in six years, I started throwing things away. Of COURSE I accumulated crap over the years. But now, my closet's tinier than ever before and I am just sick sick sick of so many little things overwhelming my life!

Basically I need to reevaluate what I have "room" for in my life. Unnecessary stress is not needed nor welcomed in my life...and it's something I MUST get rid of ASAP to make more room for the things that are truly important! I know this process will be a baby-step-kind-of thing, but I am willing to make it happen! ;)

NOTE:  These are just a couple things I strive to do in the near future. This list is mostly personal, and is a part of a {more than likely} never-ending list. Again, please don't judge me by my list. ;)

Step 1: Get rid of stupid negativity on social networking sites. Tonight, as silly as it seems, I deleted a bunch of negative people & celebs from my twitter account because I did not want to crowd my life with negativity of all things! So, step one: complete! ;)

Step 2: Organizing all my jewelry that seems to land all over my bedroom and bathroom. I can not wait for Santa Claus to give me my jewelry armoire! We found it at Sears for $85... yes, Santa & I shop together! ;) I can not wait to put all my jewelry in ONE place and keep it out of the way!! Step two is half-way checked of....just gotta wait until December 25th!!

Step 3: Operation Makeup Organization!  My makeup is SUFFOCATING ME! It's literally overtaking my bathroom and I KNOW I don't wear all that makeup! It's time for a purge!! I am wanting a makeup train for Christmas. I need to research the best prices for a good one! Like I said before, I want to have a makeup set I keep in my bathroom, and a makeup set for travel. There's no reason for all this makeup crap to stress me out as much as it does....and getting rid of it {all} is not an option! ;)

Step 4: Minimize the closet. Gastonia is getting a Plato's Closet! I LOVE Plato's Closet in Charlotte & can't wait for their Gastonia Grand Opening! I am going to take a bunch of clothes I don't wear & purses there to consign! And what they don't take I am going to try to sell on eBay. I am doing great at selling stuff I don't use anymore. Facebook has been great for that!!

Step 5: Turn the TV off at 10:00pm. Whatever's on past 10:00, can be watched at a later time thanks to the best invention ever: DVR! I know this might sound silly, but I know this is something I need to do to unwind at the end of the day. I'm not someone who can listen to the TV while I fall asleep. And I'm not someone who instantly falls asleep. I know this is something I need to do to ultimately get more sleep.  By 10:00, I should be hanging out in silence. If I'm not sleepy, that sounds like a great time to work on my to-read list. :)

To be continued....

Do you have any {realistic} suggestions for me on living more simply??

If so, please share them with me! I seriously want to hear them.

Update on my Pawpaw

If you are my Facebook friend, you may know that this Friday, my Pawpaw was admitted to the hospital.  I appreciate those of you who have reached out and asked how he was doing or told me that they were praying for him. That really means so much to me. I spent my Saturday visiting him in the hospital, then came home, napped, and did a bunch of girly things...like colored my hair & tried on my new makeup. Alex and I went out to eat last night & I spent the rest of my night browsing makeupgeek.com. In the time between me leaving the hospital Saturday morning and Saturday evening, Pawpaw was transferred to the Critical Care Unit {Intensive Care Unit as most people call it}, as his symptoms had become life-threatening. This bothered me, but I was not spending my evening worrying {as you can tell} and I give most of the credit for that to my Lord Jesus Christ. My Pawpaw has gone through the Intensive Care Unit before and came out better than ever. {Ok, so that was an exaggeration....but following his time in the ICU, rehab, physical therapy, and a new strict diet, he was better than ever!} I wasn't as worried as I probably should have been, but I just KNEW in my heart it was going to be okay. I can't describe that peace. I was trusting in God to get my sweet grandfather through this, so why did I need to worry?

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. {Isaiah 26:3}

I will admit that since I woke up this morning, I've been worrying a bit. Last night was a really rough night for my Pawpaw. He is so uncomfortable and just wants to go home. So that, on top of fact that that is NOT happening in the next couple days is frustrating for him, especially hooked up to all kinds of machines and tubes and wires. The man just wants to be in the comfort of his home! My heart broke for him as I had to tell him to relax and quit trying to get out of the bed or to take his mask off.

I'm going to be honest -- If anything ever happens to that man, the best man I will ever know, then I don't know what I'll do. I am trying not to focus on that option, because I still have 100% faith that God knows what He's doing and will pull my Pawpaw out of this mess, and in time for Christmas! God works in such mysterious, all-knowing, powerful ways and it's not something that I even want to try to wrap my head around.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. {Proverbs 3:5}

For example: Pawpaw's blood test came back around 6:00pm on Friday. The doctors called and told him he needed to go to the Emergency Room. He was completely physically able, coherent, talkative, and was able to get ready & go to the E.R.  Two days later, while giving my Mawmaw an update, his doctor said that he would not have lived two more days if he had not come to the hospital, and we would not have known the cause of death. How amazing is it that the medical staff took their time at 6pm on a Friday night to investigate his results & get in touch with us and advise us with urgency to seek medical attention?! THANK GOD they aren't nine to fivers or I would have lost the best man I know!!

Right now my Pawpaw has fluid around his heart & lungs, pneumonia in one lung, congestive heart failure, and renal failure. If you are reading this, please, stop what you're doing for five seconds and lift up my grandfather in prayer. Specifically, right now, he needs peace and comfort to be able to relax and work on his breathing so the medical staff can do their job. He, of course, needs a physical healing that his organs are able to fight off their infections and his potassium level needs to decrease dramatically.  I pray that the Lord sends an angel to his hospital room to help comfort him in his time of discomfort. Please join me in praying for my Pawpaw. He's the most deserving person and I know he'd do anything he could for any of us if we were in the same position. I am, without a doubt, leaving this up to God because I know He can handle this and I cannot.

With God, ALL things are possible. {Matthew 9:26}

Also, please pray for my Mawmaw. She is staying so incredibly strong. She herself is coping with a nasty cold/cough crud & was actually trying to rest in the bed when the doctors called to send Pawpaw to the E.R. on Friday. She is running on little sleep and especially after last night will be camping out at the hospital. That's never fun, or comfortable, so please y'all pray that she herself quits coughing and gets over this crud and is able to devote her energy to Pawpaw and helping him in whatever way she can. Bless her heart, she is the most amazing woman and she is constantly overdoing herself. She needs REST, Lord...I pray she is able to recuperate  & rest!!

Come unto me, you who are weary and overburdened, and I will give you rest. {Matthew 11:28}

Christmas 2010

'But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,' declares the LORD. {Jeremiah 30:17}

Tis the season...for new makeup!

I went for a good month probably without wearing eye makeup to work, because, quite frankly, I got lazy and thought I could substitute wearing eye makeup for eyeglasses. Hey, it worked for me! But, I accidentally snapped my glasses in half...yep, right between the eyes...totally ruined them. So, there went my brilliant idea! Good thing I'm back in the makeup mood!! ;)


DISCLAIMER: Yes, I still sell Mary Kay makeup. No, it's not a crime to sell one brand of makeup and love others as well. ;)

Side note: My friend & co-worker, Ashley, introduced me to this FABULOUS website, Makeup Geek, and I'm currently spending my Saturday night watching tutorials online & learning all kinds of girly things! I love it! Also, if you're looking for a good tutorial site, check out Makeup By Tiffany D. I learned so much from her site as well. What I love about these two girls if not only do they use nice, expensive makeup brands, but also things you can find at your local drugstore or you know, at Wal-Mart if you live in a small town like me!


Mom took me to Ulta last night to get some Christmas shopping done! First, let me say that I am so glad that I work in a city where there is an Ulta! Living in a small town has its perks but being able to find great makeup usually isn't one of those perks. The following was definitely on my to-buy list:

Hoola Bronzer by Benefit Cosmetics

Hoola Bronzer has changed its packaging since I last had to purchase it! I am digging the improvements...The lid flips up instead of having to be removed completely {like that's a hassle or something} but I am super digging the new mirror that is included on the new lid!! Great idea, Benefit Cosmetics!

ULTA Eye Shadow in Sable

Ashley told me to help smudging my eyeshadows I need a nude-colored eyeshadow & she recommended ULTA brand eyeshadows for this. ULTA had them Buy One Get One Free so that was great! I got two in Sable, thinking it'd match great. It did on my hand, but it's looking a little dark for my winter white skin! I appreciated the sale because I really want to work on having two makeup kits: one for my bathroom that I can keep organized & one to keep for in the car, or in my purse, or for travel. I know I can return the Sable shade, but I think I'll just go test another shade & get two of those while this sale's going on...that way I can just add my {growing} collection. ;) I used this eyeshadow tonight though and LOVED it. Ashley was right: it's a great, highly pigmented inexpensive eyeshadow! I like eyeshadows that are packaged separately from other shades...I hate colors getting mixed in with one another when you keep them all together. That's a problem I'm having with my Mary Kay mineral eyeshadows. I know there's a solution...I just haven't gotten motivated enough to implement my solution yet! ;)

NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder in dark brown/brown

Ashley recommended this AWESOME product for shading in your eyebrows!! I got the "dark brown/brown" shade instead of the "brunette" because I knew I'd be coloring my hair soon & didn't know how dark I'd need. The fact that this comes with two colors, mini brushes, and a wax for $5.99 is AMAZING!!  AND ULTA was having a Buy One Get One 50% off sale...so I got two! ;) Ashley is really convincing me that shading your eyebrows is a big deal & makes a world of difference. For someone who has never gotten their eyebrows professionally done, and have tweezed their eyebrows MAYBE three times in their entire life...you can see how this is a big deal for me. But, I took the first baby step in buying this product!! Next up on the list that I will HAVE to buy is Anastasia Beverly Hills' Eyebrow Stencils. Otherwise I would have an all kinds of jacked up pair of eyebrows!! I am NOT an artist, y'all!!

Also, this wasn't on my to-buy list, but after chit-chatting it up with homegirl at ULTA, this very well be my new favorite makeup product ever:

Lancome Aquatique

This stuff!! I can not rave enough about this stuff!! Homegirl at ULTA showed me a demo of this product and I would have not bought the stuff without the demo. {I would have purchased Benefit's Stay Don't Stray, which I've used & loved before, & was coincidentally homegirl's #2 choice.} This stuff only comes in one shade for us white people, but it's okay because shade of the primer isn't going to alter the color of your shadows; it will actually enhance the color! Homegirl applied this stuff to her hand, then put some pretty but very bright purple eyeshadow on top of the Aquatitque. She then went, applied some water on top of the shadow & rubbed. That stuff did not move! I was shocked! I told her I should have videotaped her doing that to show my blog readers. {All five of you.} But, I didn't videotape it- so I'll just tell you now. The stuff if amazing! I am six hours into wearing my eyemakeup and it hasn't budged a BIT!! {Yay!} For $25ish...you can't beat that!! For as sparingly as you have to use this stuff, even using it every day, you will go a VERY long time before you need another. Homegirl did warn me though: you HAVE to make sure the lid's on tight, because it's a water-based product & it will dry out if left open!

I think Mom bought a couple extra Christmas presents for me without my knowledge, because her total was probably $40 more than I had calculated it should be. Sneaky, her!! ;) Gotta love Santa Claus!!

What new products have you tried & loved lately?? Do share!! :)

The 90's taught me everything I know about love

So, I follow this blog called "We're Just Not There Yet" and it's pretty funny. It's basically guys talking about dating, love, whatever... and their latest post, The 90's Taught Me Everything I Know About Love   is hilarious!! You must check it out, especially if you're a 90's fan like me!! Excuse the random curse words on there. They haven't gotten the memo that cussing is not cute.

This morning's thoughts

Today it was hard to get out of bed. I was gone from 7am-8pm yesterday {more on that later} & was up late last night reading The Shack {again}. I just wanted to sleep in SO bad this morning. But I knew I needed to get my butt up & head to church to hear what I knew would be an amazing message from the Lord via our awesome pastor, Mike Devine. It was, per usual, and Sunday School was great/interesting as well. I just love our little group! :)

Now, with that said, I skipped post-Sunday School breakfast at Bo's because I just felt like I needed to come home and "get some things out." I don't know what. I just knew I wasn't going to do it at Bojangles. {Also, I had breakfast on the way to church. I can't be up for 2 hours without eating!!} So, here I am: back from church, in my comfy clothes, blogging my little heart out, and FOR SURE napping afterwards. That's what Sundays are for, right? :)

Anyways, so, as I said, I am re-reading The Shack. It's really getting me stirred up on the inside, which is a great thing! I want to share so much with all of my readers, but I haven't figured out the best way to do that yet. I'm trying to get it all down, then I can get it all.....out? Bear with me please.

Also, I have this other blog, Fabulous Fulfillment. It is a collection of my favorite excerpts I've come across while doing a daily devotional, reading a new book, or just digging into the Word! I try to categorize each post with a label so you can search for a particular subject, book, or person if you'd like! It is my way of sharing with you my inspirations so you can join me on my journey to become "Fabulously Fulfilled"! :) --- Ok, so that's that the "intro"/"about me"/"welcome" section of that blog says. Truth be told, I haven't blogged on there in almost a year. I feel HORRIBLE about that. Truly horrible. Then again, I think, should I beat myself up about this? I also feel equally guilty about not devoting enough time to ten minutes to get you through your day, or, to Christ in general. I want to share things I enjoy or grow from with ALL of my readers, Facebook friends, and everyone else I come across. But what's the best way to do that? I don't know yet. Should I just put everything together on one site. Is that appropriate? Why wouldn't it be? I originally thought it'd be good to put all my devotionalish stuff on Fabulous Fulfillment. But then I would have to inform my readers of THIS blog that I've posted something there, and that could get annoying. But really how often would I post stuff on there? But I want to share so many things so often. But I don't. For whatever reason. So what am I even still doing AWAKE right now on my Sunday afternoon?!?!

You are catching a glimpse of my though process. Just so you're aware of what's going on here... :-P

All joking aside, this is a serious thought process I have and want to gain control over. I have a call to share with all of you and I've had that urge for quite some time. For whatever reason, I have let LIFE take over & have not done what I feel in my heart I am called to do.

I'm GOING to find a solution.

Stay tuned!!!!

Snap back to reality....

Sometimes I'll admit, I wish I had more to blog about. I wish I read more. I wish I had more going on in my life....BUT I don't. So, I blog about TV shows and random crap. There's rarely any adventure going on in my life...certainly nothing anyone cares about. I talk about my job or my friends or tell y'all about some YouTube video that I like. And that's what I'll do until something better comes along- like, a ring on my finger, a wedding to plan, or a baby to show off. I honestly don't think that any of the above will happen in the next 234324234 years, so, I hope y'all like YouTube videos and wanna know what I do with my days.

But no matter how UNeventful my life is, I am thankful for it! I am thankful I am not fighting any diseases, or coping with the loss of a loved one, or having to worry about food or hot water. I am so incredibly lucky.

My friend Maggie posted this today on Facebook & I LOVE it:

I made this large so you can read it, so you WILL read it. :) It is so so true. We take so much for granted. I appreciate these wake-up calls snapping me back to reality. I hope you do too! ;)

My new favorite..... Once Upon A Time!!!

So, ALEX of all people convinced me to watch this new show that's on TV. I saw the previews a while back & thought it looked like something I'd definitely be interested in. I mean, it involves fairy tale characters!! But, I just didn't allow time in my schedule to watch yet another show, so, I just never got into it. Every Sunday for the past four Sundays I'd see people on Twitter & on Facebook talking about how much they loved the show, but I just added that to the list of shows that everyone else in the world watches.

Well, Alex, not working, apparently watches a lot of TV during the day. He had watched the first THREE episodes of Once Upon A Time and DID NOT TELL ME! The shock! Haha... He probably didn't want to admit he was watches shows about fairy tale characters, but, that cat's out of the bag now! ;) But, he wanted me to watch it too, so we watched two episodes last night & I. AM. HOOKED!

I've told my mom, grandmother, friend Caroline, friend Lindsey, and friend Ashley about it in less than 24 hours!! Haha.... Can you tell I love it yet?

But anyways, if you haven't watched it yet then get to it!! It's beyond fabulous & it's not a "girly" show AT ALL boys!! It's got all that cool mythical boy crap in it to keep you boys in suspense while us girls look at all the cool details that correlate with the Disney movies. :)

If you've seen this, let's talk about it. I hate when I love something & have no one to talk to about it. Don't you??

Photography Tips for your Point & Shoot Digital Camera

Thanks to Pinterest, I have found some great tips for using your P&S {Point & Shoot} digital camera. You know, for us too broke to buy a fancy pants camera. Just thought I'd share some of the links that I found helpful.



How to Make the Most of your Point & Shoot Camera by Ashley at Under the Sycamore

angles, angles, angles...on my point & shoot by Ashley at Under the Sycamore

How to Get the Most from your Point and Shoot Camera

Mommy's Camera is a great site for all things point & shoot!

Point & Shoot Tips

Macro Photography Tips for a Point and Shoot Camera

I hope this helps you all as much as I think I have learned. Honestly, it's night & I haven't tried anything yet. BUT- it's on my mental to-do list!  ;)

If you know of any tips & tricks for your P&S digital camera, feel free to share! :)

I bet I wouldn't wanna sleep in NYC....

This time change has jacked my internal clock all up. I have been wanting to go to bed at like 7:30 every night, which is great, if I don't need to clean, or do laundry, or spend time with my grandparents, or Alex, or catch up on my DVR'd shows, or. do. anything. It doesn't help that I have been getting up at the buttcrack of dawn to go to the gym. I will say that it has made me feel better- not physically better, but more productive and less guilty, so, I'll take it! I do like that it's light outside by the time I'm done with my workout and I don't feel like crawling back in the bed. Yes, that happens to me. I don't get why people say that working out gives them energy. It makes me want to lay down & take a nap. But anyways, I've been getting up early and going to bed, which is a far change from my life as an RD. I could really get used to this. But, with all the sleeping, working out, working, and "etc. things" I've been doing, I haven't had time to update this {turned out to be}VERY long blog about MTV's episode of "True Life: I'm Losing My Sight." I have all my thoughts on there, but it needs to be more organized and probably split into multiple blogs, so, that's on my to-do list for me to share with you all. Until then, I'll just let you know what I'm currently doing....

daydreaming about being in NYC....

Happy Halloween....5 days later!!

One Another thing I love about my job is the fact that they all love to celebrate! We had a Halloween party {slash "staff meeting"} and it included a costume contest! I had little time to search for a costume and zero money to buy one just for one hour. I was offered a Wilma Flinestone costume {thanks Erica!} but the wig looked like Wilma had way too much fun the last time she appeared {haha!}, so that costume idea was out. I got home late the night before & was bummed that I wouldn't have a costume. Mom said, "Why don't you wear the E.T. costume in the garage?!"

Now, please let me tell you. My grandmother had this costume MADE for my aunt in the 19EIGHTIES. I've seen the thing taken out of the box only like a handful of times in my life, and definitely made fun of it every time. This thing has been in a box SINCE my aunt wore it, again, in the 80's. But something struck me and I thought this idea was the best! I got so excited and hoped that it would fit!! We pulled that thing out of the box, and I tried it on.

That thing definitely smelled like the 80's, but thank you Febreeze for helping me out in that department!! The mask was a little smushed from being in a box for 25 years, but, behold the final product:

I just had people hold my mask out so I didn't look like a monkey!!

Do you see my glowing heart & red fingertip??

My only regret with this costume is that I didn't bring Reese's Pieces!!

Also- meet my work girlfriends {or 2 of them anyways!} Here's Ashley & Amy!! Ashley and I share an office, listen to 90's music on Pandora, and talk about so many non-work things! I love it! Amy is no longer working with us, but I'm not as super sad about it as if I would be if I wouldn't be seeing her for movie nights & texting on Tuesdays about New Girl and comedy-relief Wednesdays!! I ♥ these girls!

This clueless PC lover meets Siri, Apple's new robot

So, I have heard enough about this "Siri" feature on the new iPhone 4S. I had to YouTube it to see what all the fuss was about, and this is what I found:



I think we are officially one step closer to Sonny from I, Robot.

It's kinda freaky, kinda cool.

I think this is somewhat a waste of time. I find I spend much more time in my life waiting to responses from texts when I could have originally just called someone to ask them a question, but honestly, sometimes I just don't want to bother talking to people. That's really sad, but sometimes I'm really tired! Haha....OR there's a good song on the radio! I mean, I don't text while I drive.

This feature IS however a FABULOUS idea for the visually impaired!!! I'm going to bring the idea up to my brother and see what he thinks. He uses his Blackberry right now but, I honestly think it's a huge waste of an unlimited data plan if you ask me because he still calls 411 all the time- which ain't free, Pat!

I keep seeing things on "upgrading your Apple operating system" & stuff of the sort. Anyone wanna fill me in on what the heck that means? I have an iPhone 4 but does that mean I can upgrade my operating system on my phone?? Is it free?? What's it do for me if I upgrade?? I am so Apple clueless. Give me my Windows PC all day long but I LOVE my iPhone.  {I realize I can Google these questions but it's my bed time!}

My one suggestion for the iPhone is: BUTTONS! I miss my buttons on my Blackberry. I have not mastered the touch screen. My fat fingertips just keep typing the wrong letters all day long! It's pretty frustrating.

Honestly, SOMEtimes I wish I could downgrade to an old flip phone and not have the worry or obligation to constantly check emails, Facebook, etc. But come to find out, that would be a bad idea now that Verizon no longer has an unlimited data plan. I'm grandfathered in, which basically means I need to keep it for life. I am finding myself becoming more technologically challenged and wanting to make life simpler instead of high-tech.

But what do I know? I'm a loser who goes to bed at 10pm on Halloween night. :)

What would you do if...?

So, without going into detail as to why I am asking this, I am wondering...

If you were diagnosed with cancer, what about your life would change?

Would you eat better?
Work out more?
Right your wrongs?
Cross things off your bucket list?
Give up?
Search for God?
Get angry?
Fight?
Get your affairs in order?
Go buck wild?

No really, what would you do?

{It's something to think about.}