makeup tutorial: bold red lip

hello my mon amies! How has your LEAP day been? Mine has been swell. I got to visit w/my grandparents earlier today. My gramps brought me peach iced tea...yum! And they also surprised me and brought their dog named Perla! She was recently groomed and had eye surgery and she came all spiffed out in pink today. She's a doll!her eyes glow too!

my nana accessorized her w/her own heart bling

I also decided to do another makeup tutorial today focusing on a bold red lip. I felt sort of inspired with a Paris theme, because of the shirt I am wearing today and I naturally thought of using red lipstick today. All I need is a beret?

tutorial on red lip here

makeup tutorial: purple smokey eye

First of all, I wore pj's today. The temps here went from like almost 80 to a high in somewhere in the 60's today! This is my 2nd attempt at makeup tutorials and somehow the first take i got cut off, thus there's a part two. I did this smokey eye on the lighter side so it can work perfectly for daytime for the office, running errands or working at home.

I was having trouble with blogger uploading my videos...taking foreveerrrrr! So i'm posting links below for ya! Hope you enjoy and aren't afraid of a little color on your lids :)

part 1

part 2

before

after

p.s. I heard through the grapevine that shades of purple are flattering for those with brown eyes. However, i like to mix up the colors I use whenever i wear makeup. I don't always follow "the rules." ;)

book review: two among the righteous few

I admit I am a total book worm. I love to read though my love for reading actual books goes in phases. I may read three books in one month or not read one book for three months. Last friday, i finished reading," Two Among the Righteous Few: a story of courage in the holocaust" by Marty Brounstein.

I don't know about you, but i am so drawn to stories that are associated with the Holocaust. I know it might sound morbid or odd, but I think it's important to really know the "behind-the-scenes", the different people's versions of what happened, what they went through or how their lives were affected by this unimaginable, devastating time in our world. All of this whether it be fiction or non-fiction.
This story, however, is real. A true story.I felt such a deep connection to the story, to the people in the book , especially to the author and his wife, Leah "Ineke" baars. I don't want to giveaway too much in case you'd like to read the book, but it's about a young Catholic couple named Frans and Mien Wijnakker who risked their lives along with their four young children to help save at least two dozen Jews in south Holland. The couple lived simple lives and were devout Catholics, yet even their priest was against the idea of hiding Jews in their home. This brave couple embodied what it meant to be brave and faithful. To stand up for what is right.

check out the book here
It's inspiring and makes you ask yourself, "would I be willing to risk my life to help those who were facing injustice and death?"

I was fortunate enough to be able to attend Mr. Brounstein's book signing on friday night at Barnes and Noble!! I have never met any author of any book I've ever read, so for me to be able to go this time for a book on a topic I really enjoyed meant so much to me. It was indeed a once in a lifetime opportunity. I got to meet Marty, his wife who both signed my copy, as well as had a picture taken with them. They were kind and thankful that us small group (about 20 people) came for the signing and to hear Marty talk about the book and how he came about in actually writing the book, which happened on accident. I'll never forget last friday night.
I was on a literary high.

want in on a little secret?

*in a whispering voice, Did my post title grab your attention? I hope so! Keep reading friends because I am about to tell you a little secret I've been keeping for the last two weeks!

The ever so giving & brilliant Ashley LeMieux of The Shine Project is changing the world WITH a little help from her friends, ME & YOU! We are now activating Pass It Forward! This is OUR project! We have the power to do so much good and pass on kindness to those who may feel forgotten, not loved or are simply having a bad day.

Here is what Ashley gave as an example for the Pass It Forward mission:

"Pass It Forward was designed to get people to do little things, everyday, that makes an impact on the community around them. Pass it Forward is designed around a card (read card that I've attached now so you understand). Each card is given a unique ID number. Lets say we're at McDonalds, and I decide to pay for the person behind me in the drive through. I'd give the cashier the card, and tell them to pass it along to the next car when the give them the food that has been paid for. I then go home and log into the website that was on the card, and find my unique ID number. I log into it, and add my information... My first name, city, and a description of what I did....

Let's say the person behind me was you, you would pass it forward to someone else, and then would go home and do the same thing. From the very beginning, you will be able to track where your card goes, and how many people you affect just by doing one simple act of kindness."

Source: Uploaded by user via Deby on Pinterest

"Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love." Martin Luther King, Jr.

When Ashley first told me about the Pass It Forward, I immediately thought of the movie,"Pay it Forward". Even young kids get the idea and give with everything they have, when they put their mind to it. So we as adults can certainly do the same thing!

Check out myshineproject.com for all the happy details!

Let's go wave some shine around our world!

celebrity spotting, sort of

So it amazes me at the timing of everything. God's timing and how we are supposed to be where we are at whatever given time. and not only that, but perhaps the people we do meet:
Btw, I didn't know who these guys were at all. Total strangers to me.

Baseball player #1

I walked to the local grocery store w/my friend James two afternoons ago. We then stopped at starbucks before going to the bank. There was a few people in line and I couldn't get through, so James went in line to order for me. I waited to the side of the tables.quote via pinterest

There a girl in her 20's sat, with two other guys who took off somewhere else and the 4th guy of their party walked toward me on crutches. He had a broken foot or ankle. I did a double take because he seemed to be walking very near to me, slowly. I smiled at him and he smiled back and said Hi. A minute later, the girl at the table said for him to come sit down, in a foreign language, Korean or Japanese, I am not sure.

SO this guy kept looking at me(i could tell from the corner of my eye as I was trying not to eavesdrop even though i have NO idea what they were saying! lol). I finally looked him in the eye and asked if he played football, because I just KNEW he played that or baseball. He said, no i play baseball. I said, "pro?" He said, yes i play for the Mariners! Me: REALLY!? (in my excited voice). Omg, Im going to go see you play in two weeks. He smirked and looked down at his foot, "well I won't be playing, maybe not til June" I asked him, what happened and he said he fell. poor guy. He then asked me if I liked the Padres or Mariners better, because Peoria Sports Complex is both team's homebase for spring training. I said, either or, i just like going to the games, watching baseball, eh uh hum, HOT baseball guys! lol...and being with friends and enjoying the cheering crowds and all that. He laughed (i didnt tell him about the hot guys part though lol)..anyhoo, he was quite friendly. i admitted that I didnt know who he was, if he was like a top player or anything like that. I asked his name, but not sure if he heard me and he said Lau or something Low...and then again, im not sure if i heard him right!

So this is where I get crazy. I was like on a high. I googled-STALKED and clicked so many links trying to find an Asian player who was tall and buff and younger than 33. I posted about this encounter on facebook and my friends were making fun of me lol. My friend C said, "brittany, if you met Ichiro [suzuki] and didn't know, im going to be shaking my head at you lol", but for reals, I KNOW it wasn't ichiro. I can distinguish his face, plus he's like 39 and not as buff as this guy. Even James said that this guy was cute for an Asian guy, because no offense, typically Asian guys are shorter and skinnier. It was so funny. I literally spent 4 hours trying to find him/his picture/his name..looked at the minor teams as well, no luck. C is bringing 2 pairs of binoculars so we (me, her and pam pam) can spot him in the crowd when we go to the game! hahahaha.

baseball player #2{Mr. Eric & I}

today, I was transported to my pulmonologist's office for my routine 2-month trach change. The driver I met for the first time today is Eric. Him and I talked the whole time, pickup and drive which was a good 40 minutes. He is so cool and friendly. It was awesome because we have alot in common. The convo started with him asking me if I was moving out (because of the bags I gotta carry around on my chair whenever i leave the house) lol. We then talked about spring training, him wearing a baseball hat (boston red sox), college, are you an Az native, internet & ways of communicating, old friends, which lead to him saying he came out to Az from Ohio on a baseball scholarship to ASU. He was so good that he was wanted by the atlanta braves, but he declined because he tore his rotary cuff and he wanted to finish college and become a fighfighter (wow huh!) As we neared downtown phoenix, I noticed he had 2 books on his dashboard, one about the holocaust (whhhaaat I love those stories too and am currently reading "two among the righteous few" by Marty Brounstein, which I'll write about in another post) and a book by Dr. Wayne Dyer! Whoa, are you kidding me!? I love positive thinking advice and just last week my neighbor let me borrow one his books by Dyer! Eric is Christian (high-5) and def spiritual. We hold the same idea that just because you may not attend a specific church, doesn't mean you are less worthy or holy as one who does attend church every Sunday.

extra coolness is that Eric didn't think I was crazy or get freaked out because he agreed to take a pic with me and let me talk about him on my blog.

I hope he drives me again to my dr's appt in 2 months. I throw this up to God!
Despite being in pain today, it's been a great day! I love meeting new people and baseball guys are an added cherry on top of cake! ;)

waking up

I literally had the song "aftermath" w/lyrics by hillsong united
in my brain as I was being woken up this morning! I haven't listened to it in a while and decided, "I need this song in my collection" so i downloaded it on itunes.

Enjoy this worship song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40_QRjjAvTA

Also when I went to the kitchen to eat breakfast, i drove up to the table and I sipped my first sip of warm coffee. i savored the taste and comfort of it for 10 seconds. {I am trying to practice being more mindful and grateful for the little things that make my heart happy.} I literally began to smile a little smile, because God gave me another day. The skies were blue and the sun was shining today.

"Freedom found in Your scars
In Your grace my life redeemed
For You chose to take the sinner's crown
As You placed Your crown on me"

Being more mindful and grateful, i feel is one way to show thanks and praise to the One who gave up his life for me. In Him, my physical body may not be healed right now, but my spirit sure is awakened to his mercy and love .I continue to wake up to all the goodness He has given me(and i am SO NOT a morning person). I am constantly waking up to an infinite amount of love that is all around me and occasionally fail to notice. There are days when I feel crappy, when I feel irritable or am less than patient and i can't stand myself when i am those ways. However, there are days when all is well and I have to give credit to God for enabling such blessings. Wherever I go and however I am, I know God is with me.

"And I know that You're with me
Yes I know that You're with me here
And I know Your love will light the way"

No matter "where" you may be in your life, I believe God is there for you. I know that He loves us. Because of God's love, I am able to 'stand' firmly in who I am. I see God's favor in little things that make me happy: greeting a stranger walking his/her dog, someone letting me go ahead in line, surprise snail mail/text/email from a friend or family member. These are little reminders to us that we are not forgotten. I think of accepting God's love as refreshing as splashing water on your face on a hot summer day. I thank God for every day that I wake up. No doubt, He is still tinkering away at my heart. I know I am not alone as I try to find my way in the dark, as Psalm 119:105 says, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."
He helps me see what I couldn't before.

i am not a robot

Robots. I slightly associate robots with futuristic creatures; void of emotion. the worst are the "machines" in The Terminator! SCAARRYYY! However, there is only one robot that i can think of who is neat-o and who cares for her family and that's Rosie from the Jetsons! Did anyone else like that cartoon? I seriously wish sometimes you could just instantly order whatever you wanted to eat and it would appear!

I took this pic of myself the day after my birthday this year.

Whoa my eyes are glowing!
(really, i am not a robot, though someone has called me bionic woman, close enough eh?) lol.

I'll leave you with "i am not a robot" by Marina and the Diamonds:

http://youtu.be/S_oMD6-6q5Y

let me warn you, it's catchy! :)
Happy Friday!

six year anniversary part 1

It's here! the day has arrived, today marks my 6 year anniversary of when I went to the ER and stayed there for nearly two months. I always feel a bit bittersweet about this day and the 19th of feb. It was a time when my life changed completely forever, though I didn't know it at the time. Life as I knew it would no longer be the same. introduction to the story click here

To better understand why i feel that way, i'll give you a little background.

Prior to being hospitalized, I was ALOT more independent. I was going to ASU full-time (on a scholarship that I won by being placed Az academic 3rd team).i traveled from my dad's house to school by city bus (1.5 hours each way). It was a race some mornings to get out the door on time! I used to go everywhere by myself majority of the time: to the store, library, movies. Besides having more freedom, i was unfortunately more concerned with myself: how i looked, what clothes i wore, how i did my hair, hanging out with friends, studying constantly. I was pretty selfish.

Yes, I appreciated my family and those who took care of me and were always there for me, but i didn't really really show them or take time to let them know how much they meant to me. I struggled internally because I was quite "religious" too at the time, yet questioning teachings and rules of the Catholic church (where I grew up). I explored Mormonism, non-denominational Christianity and even read about Islam, out of curiosity. I wanted to be a good daughter of God but also a good daughter to my parents. I felt conflicted because I guess i was trying to be on my own and do things on my own, which I did leave them out on cool stuff i did :( I guess I was trying to grow-up, but i didn't do it the best way possible. I neglected my parents, my grandparents and my brother.

Why mixed feelings?
Sad losing a big chunk of independence and thinking i had it "all", when in reality i was really lost//happy because i was found. I live for God and for those who love me. What can i do to help others? I am thankful for that experience.

"I am not who I was"-brandon heath

A great thing about being a believer in Him, is that you can start anew. He breathes new life where the old ways are just not measuring up. His love is constant and unconditional. During my illness, I realized (in a hard,painful way) that all of the above family members were prime examples of God's love for me. They never left my side(literally). My mom made sure that either her or someone else was with me at some part of the day or spent the night with me[i was completely scared and couldn't talk-i'll explain later]. Night-time was the worst time of the day for me. I was an insomnia, anxiety-fear-filled person.

I am sorry I am not telling this story in chronological order, exactly. I am jumping a bit ahead, but what I want to say is that one HUGE blessing that came from my illness was that God changed me, for the better. He took this "sad" event in my life and molded me into a better brittany. He opened my eyes to the love of my family that I was not accepting. Why did I fight it? He helped me to become more self-less and be concerned and aware of others. He taught me what love really is: putting others needs before your own. Not to be self-serving, but serving others. In turn, over the years since 2006, I am so much closer to my parents, grandparents and brother. I am not saying that I am not selfish at all, because i do have my moments (i am a work in progress), but I do love more whole-heartedly. I want to be there for them and all my loved ones as best as i can. I want to give back to those who stuck with me and to those who may feel lonely or forgotten. I want to pay it forward to those who have less than I do. I believe we weren't meant to live life "alone". Go with God and He will show you the way. Let love in, it never fails.

did ya notice my new blog design?

I'd like to give a little shout out love to amanda over at royal daughter designs for giving my blog a pretty vintage-y facelift! She is super sweet and super talented. I seriously don't know how she comes up with such whimsical or fashionable designs! She installed my new customized-especially-for-me design this week. She added the cute little bee wearing a crown ( I couldn't have pictured it better) and made me my first very own blog button! YESSSS! I love it! [high*five girl!]

The reason I decided to name my blog Bee Littlequeen, is because my first name starts with a B. My grandpa Henry calls me and my three other B-named girl cousins, The Killer Bees and Littlequeen is my nickname that I took on from the name of my favorite Creative Nail Design nail polish pink color of the same name. I also believe that since God is my Father in Heaven and He is the King of Kings and we are all children of God, I am a daughter of God, therefore making me royalty :) So Amanda, the little crown bee is so fitting and perfect! THANK YOU!

If you ever decide to upgrade your blog, contact Amanda. She is fun to work with and so creative! She has reasonable customizable design package prices or a la carte options! You can find her blog button on the bottom right of my page! Or click on the link above :)

intro to my upcoming 6 year anniversary

I'm going to tell this story for you, because many of you, my new, lovely blogger friends don't know what happened and how i came to be ventilator dependent. Writing my story again helps me to keep moving forward and being thankful for all that I have, all those who love me and who i love.

*****

no, this isn't a romantic anniversary. but love did win in the end. you might be thinking then, what kind of anniversary? February 16th, 2006 marks the first day of my new life. I view my life, BV (before vent)/AV (after vent). This date was the day that I went to the hospital ER and little did I know that I would remain there for another 7 weeks.

I remember that day so clearly. I was at home at my mom's house. She asked me early in the morning, around 5 before she left for work, if I was sure I was ok. I told her yes, go to work, I will call you if I feel worse. The night before that morning, she slept in the bed next to the chair that I slept. I didn't know it at the time, but I was having anxiety. Sitting up was the only way i could rest. I wore oxygen through my nose, like an elderly person with emphysema or something. 2 liters. I was exhausted as I hadn't been sleeping well (had sleep apnea and used a bi-pap machine. The cute oxygen guy whose girlfriend had a boston terrier too( we had 3 ) came by to deliver to my "mini tanks." a little while after that, I gave in. I was done fighting on my own. I called my mom at work. I need to go to the hospital. Something just isn't right. I knew that I wanted to go to the hospital ER in a calm state, (which the hospital I needed to go to was an hour away). My mom came home in less forty-five minutes, I had on my olive green gouchos, a navy blue AE t-shirt and black slipper booties (my legs and feet swollen as elephant's legs). Into the truck we go and make our journey. Despite being mid-feburary, the sun was really warm on my bare arms.

We got called in the ER, filled out paperwork, all that first business first before they even see you. The ER was so crowded. Triage was crowded. Lots of tests, blood, waiting,etc. I sat on a slender bed, my mom sat with me the whole time. I had my first balloon catheter inserted down there :( Uncomfortable, this meant i was going to be in this hospital maybe a few days? Oh and i got my first blood gasket ever too. The lady who did it didn't lie (which i completely appreciate honesty), it was going to hurt and that made me nervous because they use a big ugly needle to go in your artery ( got little veins that roll, they always use butterfly needles) ahhhhh. My mom held my hand and prayed so hard that by the time the blood gasket was over, i was like, "really, it's over, the worst is over?" That is one example of how God was with us, with me. Thank you mom for your prayers. God helps ease the pain.We ended up staying the night in triage, with a loud, big family squished in right across the other side of the curtain. Spanish music and fried chicken buckets lol. a party with the sick, me and my mom laughed. We closed our eyes while late night tv talk shows hummed in the background.

Margaret's birthday

Hello friends!

Today, February 9th, is my Nana Margaret's 67th birthday!

I wish she were here, so we [all of her kids & grandkids] could celebrate with her. I am sure we'd gather at maybe my aunt june's backyard or my aunt dorothy's house and have rice, beans, enchiladas, salsa and cake. There would definitely be music, probably tejano/mariachi/Salena music because my nana loved to dance. She was always so charming and wanted to include you in the fun. You could just tell in her smile and that twinkle in her eye.

a funny thing about nana is that she was quite vocal-i mean loud! especially if she was playing referee between my three cousins, all sisters: brooke, bridge and brie.
It would make us girls all laugh because nana would get flustered (when she was mad at us or telling us something to do) trying to pinpoint one of us girls and go through the line: Bridget! I mean, Britt, ughhhh, BRIE BRIE!
SO this is why my grandpa henry refers to us B named cousins at the killer bees! haha.

anyways, the older i get, the more and more i miss my nana m. One thing i think i get from her is the love of makeup and always taking pictures, even of myself as she liked to get her picture taken professionally as seen below :) After she died and my dad and aunt were going through her stuff, we found notes that she had written about what makeup colors looked good on her and what colors of clothes to compliment the look. Isn't that so womanly? i love it!

happy happy birthday nana margaret!

love xo,
britt

p.s. happy birthday to nana's twin sister, my aunt nellie who lives in cali.

as seen in a newspaper magazine

*Please excuse these poor quality pictures: taken from my cell phone.

For reals. I saw these two ads in a newspaper magazine, USA WEEKEND in the past month or so. Some of you may get PARADE, depending on the region of the U.S. you may live. Have you seen these?

FOR WOMEN-You can own two of these for only $16!! wait, what?! You mean I can get two of these AH-MAZING stretchy, comfort bras for that price? lol.

I think they are so funny. Now, I apologize in advance, but I do not mean to offend anyone whatsoever. It's just that these products, especially the women's bras seem a little cheesey ridiculous. I don't see how they lift the girls with no underwire? Also, the straps are really wide. Some of my tank top's straps are not as wide as that, so you'd see the bra. They don't offer a size A cup (poo)! I'd get lost, which reminds me of that scene in "the proposal" where Betty White is fitting her old wedding gown on Sandra Bullock haha. Then, these bras are just not pretty. I mean, i think they are uglayy!
Pros: they are good deal. 2 for $16
Cons: not for me

AND MEN, so you won't feel left out ,they have SLIMMING SECRETS for YOU for only $11.97! Trying to smooth down the beer belly? wanna look tougher and buffer? Then this is perfect for you!

Oh man, i got a kick out of these!

Love of the Liebster

Happy Monday everyone! So guess what!? I have GREAT news! Yesterday morning when I checked my email, I got a message from sweet Sue over at hello. also, i love you. She awarded me with the Liebster Blog Award! This is my first ever blog award! I was so ecstatic! If you don't know what the Liebster is [which I didn't know until I read Sue's blog]; it's an award that goes to bloggers who have 200 or less followers to help promote awareness of their blog and to make new friends! It also means that someone out there thinks that your blog is read-worthy and fantastic! AWESOME!




Sue said this about me on her blog: "She is darling. She writes about things that really matter to her, and we all know how hard that can be sometimes. I've only recently started reading her blog but I already love it."

I was so touched by her compliment and sincerity. It totally made my day! Thank you Sue! I so look forward to building a friendship! :)

The rules of this award are:

When you receive this award you:

1. Post the award on your blog.
2. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.
3. Reveal your 5 picks for the award and let them know.
4. Bask in the love from the most supportive people in bloggerland... other bloggers.
5. Finally, the best rule of all, have fun and spread the love!

majority of the blogs that I read have well over 200 followers, so I scrolled carefully through my blog list and found 5 wonderful ladies to pass on the award to. I can't wait for you to check them out because they are inspiring, funny and beautiful women. It's in my opinion that we(as women) should uplift & encourage other women and celebrate the sisterhood type bonds we can share, whether we live next door, across the United States or in another country! This is one reason why I love the internet: to be able to connect. And I for one, enjoy making new friends! So without further ado, let me introduce you to my five picks! (it was hard).

Suzie over @ semihomemadesuzie . she's hilarious! This post especially made me laugh. She loves starbucks(which i love too-twinsies!) She writes about her life with her hubby and little son. She loves to give gifts and seeing people's faces light up, I totally get that! Oh and she posts yummy recipes.

Jenna over @ paddingtonway She is a young, married mom. she's stylish, I really like her outfit posts. She loves snailmail like me. She's in Arizona, like me. and she has her own Etsy shop which the rosette & fabric hairclips are cute!

Lauren over @ culinarilychallenged She is a student in Canada. Her and I became blogging friends in January. She has the same type of sort-of-sporadic music taste as me, fleet foxes to Elvis Presley, for instance? She is funny too. I love her sense of humour ;) as well.

Leslie over @ showthewonder She is a young, married woman of faith with a knack for fashion too. I like her honesty. She is courageous and she watches "The Walking Dead"--zombies, Yes, me too! lol.

Jenna over @ Our Blessed Little Nest A woman of heart she writes about her life with hubby, 2 little boys and their adopted daughter. Adoption is near and dear to my heart, so when I came across her blog, I was really interested. Her storytelling of their adoption journey is inspiring.

I would also like to note that another thing that is in common with all 5 of these beautiful ladies is their heart for God. We all have that common bond, so reading/talking about faith is so cool.

When you have some free time to catch up on blog reading{like at night when it's all quiet, like me?}, check out these amazing young women! You won't be disappointed! :) SO go on, pass on the love!

valentine cards or just because

Many of you may not know, but i like to cardcraft! In fact, I sell my cards, mostly by word of mouth. If you are interested in buying a few cards from me, leave a comment or email me and we can talk details! I charge $1-3 per card depending on how much & what materials are used. Last week I started making valentine cards. These cards can be used for letting your hunny or hubby know you love them, just because. I bought a 12x12 sheet of scrapbook paper from an online scrapbook store called, Yourscrapbookstash.com, but sadly,they are going out of business! wahhhh! :( I had ordered from them for about a year, only because that is how long I knew they existed. Anyhoo, I can't remember what "line" this paper was from, but i love it. I cut out each playing card for my colorful cards.

Here are some that I made, which were featured in the giveaway this last week at my work blog, Ms-Misc.com


The last one I made especially for my grandpa's birthday, which was the at the end of January. I mentioned him in my january-youve-been-swell post.

I know the saying is cheesy, but it made me chuckle and fits perfectly with my grandpa's personality.

Only nine more days until St. Valentine's day! I love this holiday. I don't care if you are single( I am!) Or married or have a boyfriend/girlfriend. Who say's that this has to be a lovers only holiday?! We can celebrate all kinds of love:spouse,friendships, family bonds, pets, neighbors & blogging friends! :)

Are you doing anything to celebrate valentine's day or to prepare for it? Making special crafts or baking scrumptious treats? In addition to these cards (i've also got a few to make for my siblings: it's tradition), I've made a couple picture frames and making wooden bead necklaces as gifts for my ms-misc girls, which i'll post later this week. Shhh, don't tell them I told you! lol.

Bye for now loves, I'll return again soon! Have a relaxing, great sunday!

empowered

Right now, I have an overwhelming sense of empowerment because I know who I am, and who i am NOT and in things/people I believe in. To my discovery early this afternoon, a good friend of mine was under "attack" for an article based on faith that she posted on facebook yesterday. she merely was wanting to have an open dialogue. We may not have known each other a long time (all in relativity anyways) or be BFF's(yet ;)), but i do know that she is caring, creative, serves others, loves her hubby and kids, etc, the goodness could go on. The bottom line is that some people like to point fingers at others for their own insecurities. I am so honored to be her friend and stand firm in my beliefs to "love unconditionally" and be forgiving because that is what Christ teaches. How can we be so quick to assume things ,start to turn on our true friends or have the attitude that one faith is the only true faith(being so closed minded), when God continually pours out his love on us and his mercy? I am not saying I've never done these things, but I realize this and admit it because I am not perfect, i do mess up at times. I admire bravery and women especially who choose to have a voice in matters. People who stand up for what they believe to be true and dear to their heart is inspiring, because it makes us look at ourselves and ask, "are we being true with ourselves?" All of this reminds me of a Bible verse that my friend C has as her signature in her emails :

"Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act." -Proverbs 3:27

God gave us the freedom of agency. He gave us the tools we need to make daily choices of how best to serve Him and those we love. He isn't expecting perfection, but that we try our best. He has confidence in us! You may not agree with one's choices or belief system. It doesn't make them any less a child of God if it's different from yours. (in my opinion).