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.}

Becoming an LPCA....

Can I just tell you how anxious I am to become an LPCA? I am so over the licensing board & their stupid timelines and requirements. Since July, they've made all applicants complete a Jurisprudence Exam. It's basically an online test of laws & statutes that relate to the counseling field. Let me just tell you- that was a $45 waste of time. You have no way to prepare for this exam, as the link to the board's webpage doesn't work. So you're basically best guessing your answer to these 55 questions, and after you're done, you have to "re-take" the questions you missed the first go-round. You basically keep answering the questions until you've got them all right and can print a Certificate of Completion. Are you kidding me? Seriously, this is a requirement for LPCA licensure!! That is so annoying and inconvenient and seriously a waste of $45.  Since I'm not licensed yet, I don't have $45 to waste on money-making requirements for a board that won't answer their telephone!

Can you tell I'm frustrated?

I am not nearly as frustrated about it as I seem, but is that not stupid?! I would be more frustrated if I wasn't approximately four weeks away from becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor- {Associate.} Provisional or not, I'll be able to have clients, do therapy, do clinical evaluations, and sign "LPCA" beside my work-related signatures. :) I am pretty excited about it!

Until then, I had Alex basically kill all my hopes & dreams of ever shopping again and work out a hardcore budget to last me until I get a raise for the rest of my life.  It's going to be hard but going to be SO worth it. It's so discouraging to have a personal conversation with homegirl at CFNC and extend your 10-year student loan(s) to 25 years just so it'll be under $800 A MONTH!!! Seriously, I don't know if my education is worth all that. All I know is I better love counseling and do it for a long, long time.

I think I might. :)

Sweet Surprises

Seriously, this is so unlike my life- but I have felt the love lately!! I have felt so blessed, surrounded by such positive, uplifting, encouraging people in my life. I recently talked about my girlfriends, but today I want to give a shout out to my fabulous co-workers.

As you probably know, I passed my NCE (National Counselors Examination). That was a Friday & I took the day off of work to take my test in the morning and to head to the mountains for one of my best friend's weddings.

Well, Monday morning when I got to work, this was on my desk:

That in itself was so nice of them to do! I felt so happy seeing that. Everyone congratulated me and we went out to lunch to celebrate me passing the NCE and a co-worker's birthday! It's not often most of us get to take off work for an hour, together, so that was nice! Then at the end of the day I got a surprise!

Some nice-smelling goodies from Bath & Body Works & a card signed from everyone in the office!!

Seriously, how sweet is that?! I am so blessed to work with such great people.

I often whine & gripe about things that annoy me....so I thought I would take this time to remind people that there are nice people left in thsi world...and I am lucky enough to get to work with them!! :) Thank you, Lord!

My test is OVER!

Update on my test:

I PASSED!!!!!!

Seriously that was one of the most stressful things. I hadn't had some of these classes in over two years. I had eight sections of counseling material to study, and no time to do it in. I think in the week I had to study (super long time) I actually spent maybe four hours studying total. I know, I know. I suck at studying! It was just all super boring material that doesn't all even necessarily relate to actual counseling, which is not encouraging! Plus I knew I was taking Friday off work & had to flex my time at work that week, so by the time I got home, worked out (one day), tanned (wedding weekend was coming- can't be pale!), ate dinner, took a shower & got ready to study I was flat out tired!! {You see I have my priorities in line.}

But I woke up at 6AM Friday, showered, and headed to Charlotte in hopes of having enough time to get where I was going {if you know me, you know I got lost} and last minute study/cram before my 9AM test. I have Rosenthal's The Encyclopedia of Counseling to thank for educating me on all things counseling. The "Boot Camp" Study Guide in the back of the book is what I read in the H&R Block parking lot, and thank God I did!! I didn't have time to finish the book (in the times I have spent studying for both the CPCE and the NCE) and that study guide informed me of things that most definitely helped me with a number of questions on the exam! 

The exam was 200 questions and lasted me about 2 hours & 15 minutes. It was brutal! The kicker was only 160 questions counted and 40 questions were "trial questions" for the test-makers to see how well test-takers do on them & possibly use them on future NCEs. But anyone taking the NCE has no idea which questions count & which ones don't! So, the point is to do your best on all of them. Please just imagine me eenie-meanie-miney-mo'ing some of those questions, then praying it's one of the 40 that doesn't count. It was so stressful!

I was also super thankful that the test was electronic. The CPCE (the practice NCE) was paper-based and it took like 6 weeks to get our results back. That was stupid. So, when I finished taking my test Friday, I got to see my results immediately! 

Basically, if I didn't pass this test, it would take me so much longer to get licensed (and get a much needed pay raise) and I would have to pay another $200 to re-take the test. I could NOT fail this test!

I had so much support from family and friends. I could not be more thankful for that either! Everyone kept telling me that they had faith in me, that I would do great, etc. but the best thing I heard was, "All you have to do is PASS!"

That is so true. I don't need a good grade. Nobody needs to know how well I scored. Nobody cares about my score. I just have to pass the test!! That was such a relief in itself. 

Just so you know... you have to get 91 of the 160 correct. Depending on how you look like it, that's only 56% correct. On the other hand, you have to get NINETY-ONE QUESTIONS CORRECT. Bluh! 

But I did it.
It's over!

I don't have to stress out about it anymore.

And in four weeks I am going to have my scores sent to the LPC board and they will license me and I will be an LPCA and get to start doing what I actually went to school to do!!

I am still so thankful for all the support, love, & prayers!! Love you all!! ♥

Saturday I am thankful for: Girlfriends

I've really enjoyed my day. I slept in this morning, had some yummy leftovers to eat, caught up on Grey's Anatomy, and I think after that is when the cleaning fairy possessed my body. I basically took the entire refrigerator apart, washing every piece, and organized everything. A feeling of accomplishment set in after that was complete...so I headed to the bathroom to clean my shower & toilet (weird) and then put all my clothes away & did laundry. On my "day off!!" I don't know what overcame me....but it was a definite possession. A nice hot shower snapped me back into reality & my laziness kicked in while I painted my nails & watched a Lifetime movie with Mom. There are some seriously hardcore Lifetime movies coming out lately...and I must say that I don't think all the profanity is necessary, Lifetime.

Luckily, my friend Erika was free for dinner & spent probably two hours in that Mexican restaurant, just chit chatting about all things life. I sure am thankful that girl is in my life! Now here I am, with the Encyclopedia of Counseling in my bed with me, just having consumed the yummiest Reese's Blizzard from Dairy Queen, and about to start studying for my test Friday.

Y'all know I don't want to study. So I am opting to blog instead at the moment. Forgive me for being me & you can thank my talk with Erika for sparking this motivation of mine. :)

I just want to say shout from the rooftops that I am so incredibly thankful right now. I am at a point in my life where I feel like God is blessing me with amazing girlfriends. There was a time when I felt like all my girlfriends were too busy living their own life to even notice what I was going through. That's a crappy feeling, feeling like you don't have any or many girlfriends. I have "always" had my best best friends. Unfortunately my best best friends haven't lived in the same town as me since 2005. Luckily, these are relationships that have maintained and no matter how far they are, we still take time to talk, know what's going on in each others lives, and knowing we would always be there for each other if the other needed it. These are also girls that I could go months without talking to (but luckily don't) and the next time we talk, still be as close as ever. I consider these true friendships and I feel really blessed that these friendships have lasted over time, over distance, and over life circumstance!

my best best friends ♥

Now, I have "my time in Hickory" to thank for creating some great friendships. I don't get to talk to these girls as often as I did when I lived on campus, but I still consider these girls wonderful friends and love love love catching up with them whenever I can! I also am extremely thankful to have such a lasting friendship formed with Mrs. Lindsey Jervis in the past couple years. I feel so honored to now be her children's GODMOTHER! Unfortunately I no longer live in the same city as any of my Hickory girlfriends or Lindsey. :( Stupid distance! Thank God for cell phones & Facebook!

But since I've moved home, I've got to grow friendships with some pretty awesome ladies. I really have Group 212 to thank for that mostly. I love making friends at church because you know that you are both there for a common goal and don't have to worry about those friends putting into tempting situations or surrounding you with negativity. I've really enjoyed getting to know these girls better and spending more time with them. It always seems like we have a good time, no matter if we're out doing something or if we're standing in some parking lot talking!

♥ my girls

Now, last but certainly not least, I am feeling the love that I am surrounded with on a DAILY basis! I love my co-workers. I unfortunately don't have any pictures with them....yet! ;) They are so encouraging, positive, uplifting, helpful, and hilarious!! A great combo to have in someone you will spend most of your time during most of your days with. I am realizing more and more lately that great co-workers are hard to come by, and that just makes me feel more and more blessed!!

THANK YOU LORD for surrounding me with those who lift me higher :)

You know I need it bad

and You always give me what I need. ♥

It's Test Time Again!!!

Hey guys! I've been completely missing from the blog world lately. I hate that because blogging is something I enjoy doing.

Can I just say that when I tell people that "I blog" or that "I have a blog" they make all kinds of fun of me. Do they now knot that blogging is in?!  I've been referring to my blog a lot lately for "things from the past" so I completely feel it's necessary to continue blogging as long as I want. :)

Now, I have some BIG news!! But here's a little background first.....

As you know, I started working for Support, Incorporated in September. I interned there this summer and LOVED it. I have really been blessed to work in such a positive place. But, until I'm licensed, I'm not really qualified to do anything there. So right now I am "Clerical Support" and basically help anyone with anything that I can. At first it was kind of slow but we are a growing company & I am a busy girl now!! :)

Well, to become licensed as soon as possible, I submitted all my necessary paperwork & money by September 9th, which was the deadline to turn everything in for the OCTOBER board meeting. Why they need it 3+ weeks early, I don't know, but I didn't question it. At this time I submitted my buttload of money to the NBCC (National Board of Certified Counselors) so that I can register to take the NCE (National Counselors Examination). They said that it'd be four weeks after they get your money before they will notify you that you are able to register to take the test. SERIOUSLY. Okay, so, four weeks to the day goes by & I get an email saying it's time for me to register to take my test! I immediately do what I need to do to register, and realize that they only offer the test during the first two weeks of every month. I found out on the 7th, which means that one week has already gone by!! Holy cow... 'kay, so I said a quick prayer & hoped that there would be availability THIS month for me to take my test....otherwise I'd have to wait until NOVEMBER, just to take the stupid thing!! Not to mention that it's 4-6 weeks after you take the test that your scores are sent to the LPC (Licensed Professional Counselors) Board.

Okay so here's the BIG news....I was blessed and was able to sign up on the ONLY day left that was still available....this coming up Friday!!!! So that means I have a week (from yesterday) to study for this darn thing! That's more than double the amount of time I had to study for the CPCE (the "practice NCE" I needed to pass to enter into my internship) so, I'm trying not to freak out. But this info is less and less on my mind now that I'm out of school...it's been 2 years since I've had some of these classes, AND it's not like 99% of the information I'll need to know for this test will ever relate to ACTUAL counseling. Pretty frustrating!

So basically, this test is a big deal! It's all that {I'm aware of that} is standing between me getting licensed as a counselor!! Why do I care so much?? Well, because while I love helping everyone out at the office doing anything I can, I can't wait to do what I actually went to school to do! I can't wait to have clients who come to therapy on a regular basis, and get to see progress from them, and know that I made a difference!! That and the fat pay raise I'm going to get AND WILL DESPERATELY NEED to begin paying off those beautiful school loans that will be due in just one short month will not hurt either!!

So with all that said, please please please pray for me that I am able to focus and devote my time to studying this week. It's all the time I have & need to use as much of it as possible. And y'all know I'm not good at studying! My ADHD will kick in so quick....this is no joke! A lot is riding on the results of this exam. And pray for me that I don't fREAk OUt remembering that all week. And Friday, pray for me that I am a good guesser...because I have a feeling I'm going to be doing a LOT of "eenie, meanie, miney, moe"-ing. :)

The Problem With "Breast Cancer Awareness"

A friend of mine recently posted this quote from Wikipedia and it sparked some interest of mine. First of all, here's the quote:

"Promotion of the pink ribbon as a symbol for breast cancer has not been credited with saving any lives. Wearing or displaying a pink ribbon has been denounced as a kind of slacktivism, because it has no practical positive effect and as hypocrisy among those who wear the pink ribbon to show good will towards women with breast cancer, but then oppose these women's practical goals, like patient rights and anti-pollution legislation. Critics say that the feel-good nature of pink ribbons and pink consumption distracts society from the lack of progress on preventing and curing breast cancer. It is also criticized for reinforcing gender stereotypes and objectifying women and their breasts. Breast Cancer Action launched the "Think Before You Pink" campaign, and charged that companies have co-opted the pink campaign to promote products that encourage breast cancer, such as high-fat Kentucky Fried Chicken and alcohol."

As time went on, I thought about the quote more and more. I didn't really investigate the sources from the site. The quote kind of made a lot of sense. I personally have family who have been diagnosed and survived breast cancer. But a friend of mine also died from breast cancer- so it is something I am well aware of. However, I'm not a pink-boa-wearing female who runs in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer or anything of the sort. Am I a bad cancer-hater? Should I be doing more? Am I obligated to raise "breast cancer awareness?"

via

I think the point of this quote was to say, "Wearing pink is for 'Breast Cancer Awareness'; however, people are aware breast cancer exists. We need to be raising awareness of the lacks of funds, lack of a cure, and working with each other to help those affected by breast cancer.  The 'Save the Ta-Tas' signs aren't really helping anything, unless all the money from that sign went to help fund breast cancer research."

And I agree {for the most part} but I will say that I truly appreciate any and every company that wants to give a percentage of their sales to the Susan G. Komen Fund, etc. during the month of October.  If I have a choice between a product I always buy, and the same product in a pink bottle, I'm going to buy the pink bottle and be glad that a percentage of that sale will go to actually help someone in need who has been affected by breast cancer.  I just hope that everything "pink" this month that is supposed to "raise breast cancer awareness" has an actual donation behind it in some way to help fund the research to cure or prevent the disease, or help someone that has been affected by the disease. Otherwise, shame on them!

While on Google searching for images of "breast cancer awareness" I found this site that accurately vents saying:

If you are female, you’ve probably had at least one message on Facebook saying something along these lines:

 ”Shh, don’t tell the boys but post your shoe size in inches, the number of weeks by multiplying your birthday with your starsign, how many seconds you think it would take you to get David Tennent naked*, where you like to keep your handbag, as your Facebook status and it will magically help promote breast cancer awareness.”

Cue the sound of sighing and the rolling of eyes.
Help promote breast cancer awareness? Really? How? We are not even supposed to tell half the population of the world – the men – despite the fact that they too can contract breast cancer. And the status updates don’t mention breast cancer. There are no links to websites where people can read more, no helpful information about how often one should check oneself, no, well, anything.
Here’s an idea, if you want to help fight against breast cancer click this link to the breast cancer site. There you can click a button which will give a free mammogram to someone that needs it.

And if you want to raise breast cancer awareness, try using the words breast cancer and following them with some useful information.

 Now THAT I also agree with!! I couldn't have said it better myself.

I wonder what your thoughts on the topic are. Feel free to share! :)

My Huge Inventory Sale!

I have the following Mary Kay items for sale:

I am sharing this link as I go. Right now, everything I have in my inventory is on this list. Quantities available are on the left, and on the right, marked out, are the suggested retail prices. The new sale prices are in red to the right of each item!

If you see something you're interested in- let me know! 

TimeWise® Anti-Aging Skin Care
(1) TimeWise® Trial Miracle Set® (normal to dry) $44 Now $25!
(1) TimeWise® Trial Miracle Set® (combination to oily) $44 Now $25!
(2) (1) TimeWise® 3-In-1 Cleanser (combination to oily) $18 Now $13.50!
(2) TimeWise® Age-Fighting Moisturizer (normal to dry) $22 Now $16.50!
(2) (1) TimeWise® Age-Fighting Moisturizer (combination to oily) $22 Now $16.50!
(1) TimeWise® Age-Fighting Moisturizer (normal to dry) $22 Now $16.50!
(3) TimeWise® Day Solution Sunscreen SPF 25 $30 Now $22.50!
(1) TimeWise® Night Solution $30 Now $22.50!

Skin Care:
(1) Velocity® Facial Cleanser $10 Now $7.50!

Full-Size Makeup Brushes: 
(2) (1) Mary Kay® Mineral Foundation Brush $10 Now $7.50! 
(1) Mary Kay® Liquid Foundation Brush $10 Now $7.50!


Compacts:
(1) Mary Kay® Compact Mini (unfilled) $16 Now $12!
(1) Mary Kay® Compact (unfilled) $18 Now $13.50!

Makeup Brushes for Your Mary Kay® Compact (any size!)
(2) Compact Cheek Brush $2.50 Now $1.88!
(1) Compact Powder Brush $4 Now $3!
(2) Eye Applicators $2.50 Now $1.88!

Cheeks:
(1) Mary Kay® Mineral Cheek Color - Citrus Bloom $10 Now $7.50!



Foundations:
(1) Mary Kay® Mineral Powder Foundation - Ivory 0.5 $18 Now $13.50! 
(3) (2) Mary Kay® Mineral Powder Foundation - Ivory 2 $18 Now $13.50!
(4) (2) Mary Kay® Mineral Powder Foundation - Beige 0.5 $18 Now $13.50!
(2) Mary Kay® Mineral Powder Foundation - Beige 1 $18 Now $13.50!
(1) Mary Kay® Mineral Powder Foundation - Beige 2 $18 Now $13.50!
(1) Mary Kay® Mineral Powder Foundation - Bronze 3 $18 Now $13.50!
(1) Mary Kay® Mineral Powder Foundation - Bronze 5 $18 Now $13.50!
***Click here to get a preview of all the shades of Mary Kay® Mineral Powder Foundation

Lips
(2) Mary Kay® Liquid Lip Color - Malted$13 Now $9.75!
(1) Mary Kay® Liquid Lip Color - Cherry Coffee $13 Now $9.75!
(2) Mary Kay® Creme Lipstick - Shell $13 Now $9.75!
(1) Mary Kay® Creme Lipstick - Red$13 Now $9.75!
(7) Mary Kay® NouriShine® Lip Gloss - Fancy Nancy $13 Now $9.75!
(2) Mary Kay® NouriShine® Lip Gloss - Berry Sparkle $13 Now $9.75!
(1) Mary Kay® NouriShine® Lip Gloss - Starry $13 Now $9.75!
(1) Mary Kay® NouriShine® Lip Gloss - Cream & Sugar  $13 Now $9.75!
(1) Mary Kay® Lip Liner - Neutral $10 Now $7.50!
(5) Satin Lips® Lip Balm** $9.50 Now $7!
(5) Satin Lips® Lip Mask** $9.50 Now $7!
**I recommend the Satin Lips® Set $18 Now $13.50! (the mask & the balm together). They were made to go together!

Eyes:
(3) Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover $15 Now $11.25!
(8) Mary Kay® Eyeliner - Black $10 Now $7.50!
(2) Mary Kay® Eyeliner - Deep Brown $10 Now $7.50!
(1) Mary Kay® Eyeliner - Olive $10 Now $7.50!
(1) Mary Kay® Cream Eye Color - Beach Blonde $13 Now $9.75!
(1) Indulge® Soothing Eye Gel With Calming Influence™ Botanical Blend $15 Now $11.25!
(2) (1) Mary Kay® Lash Love™ Mascara - i ♥ black $15 Now $11.25!
(1) Mary Kay® Waterproof Mascara - Black $15 Now $11.25!
(4) Mary Kay® Ultimate Mascara™ - Black $15 Now $11.25!
(3) Mary Kay® Mineral Eye Color - Precious Pink $6.50 Now $5!
(1) Mary Kay® Mineral Eye Color - Lavender Fog $6.50 Now $5!
(1) Mary Kay® Mineral Eye Color - Black Pearl $6.50 Now $5!
(1) Mary Kay® Mineral Eye Color - Sienna $6.50 Now $5!
(1) Mary Kay® Mineral Eye Color - Midnight Star $6.50 Now $5!
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(1) Mary Kay® Mineral Eye Color - Iris $6.50 Now $5!
(1) Mary Kay® Mineral Eye Color - Lemongrass $6.50 Now $5!
***Click here to see a preview of what all the mineral eye colors look like. 

For the Face:
(1) Mary Kay® Concealer - Beige 1 $10 Now $7.50!
(4) (3) Mary Kay® Foundation Primer $16 Now $12!
(3) Beauty Blotters® Oil-Absorbing Tissues (pack of 75) $6 Now $4.50!
(3) (2) Acne Treatment Gel $7 Now $5.25!


Etc.
(1) Mary Kay® Subtle Tanning Lotion $16 Now $12! 

Limited Edition/Discontinued Products:
(1) Mary Kay Weekender Lip Pencil with Sharpener - Pink Sand
(1) Mary Kay Weekender Eye Pencil with Sharpener - Classic Navy
(1) Mary Kay Weekender Eye Pencil with Sharpener - White Wash
(1) Mary Kay Weekender Eye Pencil with Sharpener - Sage
(1) Mary Kay Weekender Eye Pencil with Sharpener - Turquoise Waters

Feel free to ask me any questions you have AND to browse my website and see if there's anything else you'd be interested in! I can order anything you want & give you 25% off whatever I don't have in my inventory!

Just let me know - nicolesykes@marykay.com!