Day 1: Pink Shorts & Long Necklace

I love my outfit today. I am obsessed with my pink American Eagle shorts. They fit me amazingly and kind of make me look a little tan. And they are the perfect length. At my height shorts are always either too long or too short. I wish I had these shorts in more than one color. I'd wear them everyday. This is my favorite long necklace. It's simple enough that you can wear it casually like I did today or wear it with a dressier outfit.

Project 40 Days

So despite the fact that since Tyler and I started dating I have had an incredible increase in my self-esteem levels, I still don't have the greatest self-esteem. I'm not one of those girls who says I'm not pretty just so I can get attention. I really just don't find myself pretty if my hair and makeup are not done. And even then I can't promise you some days that I will find myself pretty. After many attempts, failed ones might I add, to raise my self-esteem, I'm giving it one more shot.

For the next 40 days, I must find something about my appearance that I can honestly say I like and document it with a picture and a post about why. This can be the way my eyes look in a certain light, my hair, my outfit, my makeup, my entire body image, whatever, but it has to be ME. Every day for 40 days.

I've tried not wearing makeup and all kinds of other things and nothing works so maybe this little plan of mine will. Let's see. This begins tomorrow. So keep your eyes open!

Be Blessed! :)

Future Cat Lady of America

Last night, as many of you saw via facebook and Instagram, I got a wild hair up my butt and decided to bake. I am not the baker in the family. I give all the credit to Dana. I, on the other hand, always seem to find mission impossible in baking....and make it 100% possible. So last night I decided to make brownies and put them in cupcake liners so they were easier to take with me to the tailgate. My brownies EXPLODED!!!! Want proof?

I forgot to add the eggs...
Although that was the easiest mess I have ever cleaned up even after sitting out all night. It was so sticky, it just peeled up like tape. AMAZING! This is just one of the dozens of disasters, I have had in the kitchen. I am destined to a miserable life as a future cat lady. But luckily Tyler finds my mess ups, cute and entertaining. I would call it anything but although I am rather biased and extremely hard on myself.

This morning I decided to give it a try again and make cupcakes! And I made sure to add all the ingredients!

Have a terrific Sunday, y'all. && SIC 'EM, BEARS!!!

Be Blessed!

Crazy Town, Texas

Let just begin my saying...THANK Y'ALL FOR THE PRAYERS! If you have been praying for my my family and me, I really, really appreciate it. I just got some news, that my daddy is looking to be doing a lot better. How great is God? But really?! He is absolutely amazing. I am so blessed. Although if you had seen me just over an hour ago, you would not have gotten the impression from me. I was in tears several times today. This month has just been so stressful for me, and this week has helped...NONE!

So first I found out my dad, who I haven't spoke to in over a year, (just in case you are new) is in the hospital in Afghanistan with internal bleeding. His wife wasn't giving us information. So I began calling anyone and everyone with the company he works for to get answers. I got answers just in time for them to move him to a hospital in Dubai where I could no longer get answers. In the mean time, Dana had gotten into a car wreck. Her entire rear end was crushed and she began to have back problems so we started dealing with insurance companies and all of that jazz. We also were all three signing up for classes and trying to figure out our financial aide situation so we could pay for classes. Then my dad get released from the hospital and within 2 hours is back in needing a second blood transfusion in a week. We got Dana into a rental car while her car was getting fixed and she had that for a week. During that time, R.E.'s car gets broken into at 4 am one morning. His iPod is stolen, but neither of his $300+ Oakley's were taken. That same day, Roxanne has 2 major seizures and scared R.E. and I. He had a panic attack and broke out in hives. I left for Dallas last Thursday and the next day my mom left for Alabama. Dana got her car back and the starter went out so she has my mom's car while mom is Alabama. I came home and Dana had her worst anxiety attack yet. School started Monday, I have a crap load of homework already, and work decided it was the most appropriate time to schedule me overtime.

No big deal. Just a minor speed bump. That's a joke. This month has taught me self-control, patience, how to control my temper, to lean on God more, and has definitely tested my faith. So my breakdowns today did not come as a surprise to anyone. Actually everyone was expecting those to happen weeks ago. I am so thankful for my amazing momma who has been loving me and encouraging and helping me through all of this, my family who has really pulled together to be there for the 3 of us kids, my friends who are constantly praying for me, and most of all...Tyler and his wonderful family. His family has been so loving and understanding. Tyler is seriously the most perfect guy. He challenges me and encourages me to do better, loves me, and prays for me. I seriously couldn't ask God for a better man in my life right now. Despite everything that has gone wrong, any chance I get to see Tyler or talk to him...that's when I am at most happiest and I don't feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders. Lee Brice has a song called "Hard To Love" and currently that is my song to Tyler. I am hard to love, but thankfully he does despite all the mass chaos going on.

Again thanks for all the prayers, y'all. I seriously couldn't get through all of this without the prayers. Be blessed!!

Daddy Dearest

The irony of this title is in the 9th grade I wrote a paper titled the exact same about how amazing and wonderful my dad is. Oh how the tables have turned. Oh but they have turned again...

I received word almost 3 weeks ago that Daddy was in the hospital with internal bleeding in Afghanistan. My world came crashing down and felt a if God had just slapped me in the face. Not only me, but my entire family. Despite all the crap my dad has put us through we just all want to make amends with him now put all the drama aside. The last few weeks have been a roller coaster but it's drawn my family closer and tested my faith. I've questioned God no doubt. And I am shameful of that, but it's caused Him to draw me nearer and intentionally grow in my faith. Right now we are just taking everything day by day, and praying the doctors are able to heal him.

Homemade Spa Day

Today was my first day off in 11 days!!!! The last 2 weeks for me have been anything but easy and stress-free. Between being sick for 4 days and still making sure I was functioning enough to work, Dana was in a car accident, I had to get new tires for my car, figure out how to afford those tires, make a tank of gas last 2 weeks because that's how broke I was, sign up for classes, get a shot, get financial aide, got a flat on my new tires, had to get that fixed, and work was stressing me the heck out!! Now none of that is in any type of order, mind you.

I have the whole weekend off. So today (with it being payday) I ran some errands (shopped), got my oil changed, treated myself to Chick-fil-A 2 days late, and decided I needed a spa day. Now as you can tell, I am so broke, that broke doesn't even begin to describe my situation. So an actual spa day was out. But a homemade, cheap spa day is exactly what I needed. So I got on the beloved Pinterest, found 3 blogs that I had previously pinned, wrote down all the ingredients I would need, and headed to HEB. $26 and some change later I walk away with all of these things for my spa day:

• Brown Sugar
• Honey
• Olive Oil
• Lemon Juice
• Eggs (I bought large brown eggs because they are cheaper)
• Skim Milk Powder (found in a box with the Evaporated Milks)
• Apple Cider Vinegar (It still stinks, don't worry)
• Baking Soda
• Hydrogen Peroxide
• Bananas

At the bottom I'll include the 3 blogs I got my ideas from, so you can reference them...but I didn't follow them exactly. I put my own spin on some it.

I started out with a facial scrub:

1/2 tbs. Brown Sugar 

1 tbs. Honey 

Mix together and spread it all over your face. I even went down under my chin and my neck. Once you have rubbed it in real well, rinse off and pat your face dry.

After that I did a moisturizer...

1/2 tbs. Olive Oil

1/2 tbs. Honey

dash of Lemon Juice

Mix it together and leave it on your face for 15-20 minutes. Then rinse and pat dry.

While I was waiting on the moisturizer to set I did this to my hair...

Mix an egg, 2 tbs. of Olive oil, and (the recipe calls for a cucumber but it slipped my mind while I was at HEB so I used a banana) 1/4 cup Banana, mix together and apply to wet hair. This it gross and will stink. Wrap you hair and either plastic wrap or a towel and let it set for 20 minutes before rinsing.

Okay so while I was waiting for all of that to set I made a scrub for my legs. This is the link for it. http://glutenfreenavywife.blogspot.com/2012/01/softest-silkiest-legs.html

The only thing I did different than her is I used 1 cup Brown Sugar and 1.5 cups regular Sugar just to mix it up a little. ;)

So I washed my face and rinsed my hair. Then I got in the bath and did the sugar scrub for my legs. You will get VERY oily from doing it so I took a shower immediately after. While I was in the shower I shampooed and bathed normally but when it came to conditioning I used a little mixture...

1 tbs. conditioner

1/2 tbs. Lemon Juice

1/2 tbs. Vinegar (I used the Apple Cider Vinegar)

And I let it set in my hair for a couple of minutes like normal and rinsed it out.

I towel dried my hair a little, ran a comb through it, and now I'm letting it air dry. Now here's where I didn't use my common sense too much but its okay....

I then proceeded to pluck my eyebrows. I decided to use the Apple Cider Vinegar as a toner after that...GENIUS! It hurt. So bad. I yelped a little. Not going to lie. And my skin smelt AWFUL. Yuck! Vinegar smells soooo bad. So I mixed the Dry Milk according to the package, and used it a cleanser. It stinks while it is on your face but rinse with a little water and pat your face dry, and it won't stink anymore.

Now tonight there is some sort of egg mask that I am going to do while I sleep! So we will see how that turns out! I can't wait!!! 

But here are the links to the other 2 blogs...

 http://ylcf.org/gotcurl/curlyconcoctions/

http://inspiringpretty.com/2011/02/25/15-natural-beauty-recipes-using-everyday-foods/

Oh and I almost forgot!

Use the Hydrogen Peroxide and Baking Soda to whiten your teeth! Use the mixture only once a week, but take a q-tip and dip it in hydrogen peroxide and act as if you are brushing your teeth with the q-tip. I do it every morning before I brush my teeth. Hellooooo Pearly Whites! :)

Enjoy! 

Loneliness & Depression

So a few weeks back I was talking to my friends about loneliness and depression...mind you, this is in a group text with 6 girls other than myself so the conversation was interesting to say the least. As we are talking about this I flashed back to Eat, Pray, Love where Liz talks about the two as if they are people. So I'm going to quote the chapter because I feel God calling me to share this with others. :)

Depression and Loneliness track me down after about ten days in Italy. I am walking through the Villa Borghese one evening after a happy day spent in school, and the sun is setting gold over St. Peter's Basilica. I am feeling contented in the romantic scene, even if I am all by myself, while everyone else in the park is either fondling lover or playing with laughing child. But I stop to lean against a balustrade and watch the sunset, and I get to thinking a little too much, and then my thinking turns to brooding, and that's when they catch up with me.
They come upon me all silent and menacing like Pinkerton Detectives, and they flank me-Depression on my left, Loneliness on my tight. They don't need to show me their badges. I know these guys very well. We've been playing a cat-and-mouse game for years now. Though I admit that I am surprised to meet then in this Italian garden at dusk. This is no place they belong.
I say to them, "How did you find me here? Who told you I had come to Rome?"
Depression, always the wide gut, says, "What-you're not happy to see us?"
"Go away," I tell him.
Loneliness, the more sensitive cop, says, "I'm sorry, ma'am. But I might have to tail you the whole time you're traveling. It's my assignment."
"I'd really rather you didn't," I tell him, and he shrugs almost apologetically, but only moves closer.
Then they frisk me. They empty my pockets of any joy I had been carrying there. Depression even confiscates my identity; but he always does that. Then Loneliness starts interrogating me, which I dread because it always goes on for hours. He's polite but relentless, and he always trips me up eventually. He asks if I have any reason to be happy that I know of. He asks why I am all by myself tonight, yet again. He asks (though we've been through this line of questioning hundreds of times already) why I can't keep a relationship going, why I ruined my marriage, why I messed things up with David, why I messed up things with every man I've ever been with. He asks me where I was the night I turned thirty, and why things have gone so sour since then. He asks why I can't get my act together, and why I'm not at home living in a nice house and raising nice children like any any respectable woman my age should be. He asks why, exactly, I think I deserve a vacation in Rome when I've made such a rubble of my life. He asks me why I think that running away to Italy like a college kid will make me happy. He asks where I think I'll end up in my old age, if I keep living this way.
I walk back home, hoping to shake them, but they keep following me, these two goons. Depression has a firm hand on my shoulder and Loneliness harangues me with his interrogation. I don't even bother eating dinner; I don't want them watching me. I don't want to let them up the stairs to my apartment, either, but I know Depression, and he's got a billy club, so there's no stopping him from coming in he describes that he wants to.
"It's not fair for you to come here," I tell Depression. "I paid you off already. I served my time back in New York."
But he just gives me that dark smile, settles into my favorite chair, puts his feet on my table and lights a cigar, filling the place with his awful smoke. Loneliness watches and sighs, then climbs into my bed and pulls the covers over himself, fully dressed, shoes, and all. He's going to make me sleep with him again tonight, I just know it.


I love the way she describes loneliness and depression in this chapter. I hope this reaches whomever it's suppose to reach. As always,
God Bless Y'all!