secret blogger swap reveal

I participated in my first ever secret blogger swap this month hosted by danielle of framed frosting! It was sooo much fun!

I had such a fun time shopping for the blogger that I received, whose name is Emily over at Designs by Emily F. and I absolutely love her blog! Even though we live in different parts of the country, I feel like we have so much in common and that we'd totally be friends in real life! I wasn't 100% sure that we could/supposed to take pics and post of what we got our swap pal. i didn't take pics :( , so check out Emily's blog to see what i got her.

Just a few days ago, i went to check the mail (totally forgetting that any day i'd be receiving something from a stranger) and I saw the envelope addressed to me. I thought who do i know there!? lol...then it dawned on me, MUST BE FROM my secret blogger!! I yelled with excitement full of giddyness as i drove quickly in my wheelchair back to my house to open the mail!

yay!!! sorry i had to re-tape the envelope so you can read it!

 I discovered my new blog pal/secret blogger was Stacey of One Seventeen South!! I also learned that she has her own etsy shop of eccletic jewelery and im totally loving these earrings for one of my good pirate loving friends!!

she was spot on knowing that my faith is central as well as my coffee habit!

her witty note cracked me up, i sure did love this a "latte" !!

THANK YOU STACEY for my sweet note & gift! It's perfect!

can't wait to do another secret blogger swap. In fact, i just signed up yesterday for Christmas in July--see the button on my left sidebar if you want to participate! Thank you again Danielle for this fun project! :)

Memorial Day 2012

In honor of today, besides enjoying an all-american meal of hamburgers & hotdogs, I am wearing red, white & blue. I am patriotic. I tear up at a public event while the National Anthem plays, but when people say, God Bless America, i really want to say what I think matters more is, God bless the World because we all impact each other globally. We are all God's children.  I am certainly blessed to have been born, raised and live in the United States, especially with my all of my health problems. In other countries, wheelchair accessibility is scarce and some children/adults have makeshift wheelchairs out of old bicycle tires and plastic outdoor chairs. The comparisons can go on, but i just want to say thank you to those who defend us and allow us to live without worry that others face daily.


On my personal facebook page, i wrote:

                happy memorial day! let us take a moment to thank and remember those who have fought and are  fighting for our freedoms that we sometimes take for granted! With love comes sacrifice! and thank you Quique Trevino (my grandpa) for telling stories of our relatives who are no longer with us who served our country!

My sweet bloggy friend Kendra of A Proverbs 31 Wife, wrote a perfect memorial day post that basically said everything I wanted to express plus some with a viewpoint that I never thought about: how this day can also be a day to remember the ultimate sacrifice for mankind and eternal life, Jesus Christ. Wow, blew my mind away!

I want to share some old photographs of my extended family members who have served our nation. I never got to meet them in person, so I look forward to the day when we will be reunited. I also am grateful that my grandpa Henry shared these pictures to keep their memory alive and also to my grandpa M and my uncle Gilbert who served in the Air Force and the Marines respectfully.

my 2nd cousin's late husband, Ismo Reyna

great uncle art "tudie" trevino, served during vietnam war

great uncle Jesus "chuy" Trevino, served during WWII

great uncle Joe Trevino, marines served during vietnam

I will not forget those who gave their life for our freedoms or the hearts of the family members they left/leave behind whether they were killed on duty or simply being away from home for a long period of time. I think of my dear friends Bess, James, Carissa, Sue, and amanda who have immediate loved ones currently serving! We honor you & love you!

friday fun day: what's in a bag?

I've always thought it was funny to display and talk about what's in your bag of choice--purse, satchel, hobo, cross-over, clutch, wallet etc. I think what we carry around in our daily life speaks volumes about ourselves. I've seen other bloggers do this, so i thought, why not me? It'll be fun!

When my cousin Stephanie was getting married, at her bridal shower, we all played a game where we (in teams) had to use whatever contents in our purses that started with each initial of her name. For example, S-and I grabbed my syringe for inflating/deflating my cuff balloon attached to my trache [we got everyone beat because who else really has an S item in their purse, unless maybe a snickers bar/snack?] lol.

So friends, let's dive into my mary poppins bag of tricks...

THE CURRENT BAG:

my red envelope clutch that is my FAVE! i bought this beauty for $.75 at a yard sale four years ago!

THE TRICKS:

From L to R: pink ipod nano, bath & body works hand sanitizer, coppertone water babies spf 50 sunscreen, barnes & noble coupon, up&up tissue, syringe, saline bullet, notepad, 2 pens including that sparkly one!, clean & clear oil absorbing papers, part of a broken mirror lol, mula & coins, 3 lips products, coupons. (not pictured were the all important cards/id,store cards/emergency contact info)

I just love the travel size sunscreen, found at walmart/target for about 99 cents!

I need my burt's bees lip balm w/spf 8 to protect my lips, but do i really need 2 lipcolors? NO, but i am a girl and i need to have options! 

Oh and i should add that *sometimes, i totally carry an extra pad for those special times of the month. Not really for me because i always go potty BEFORE i leave the house for a long period of time (no pun intended) & i strongly dislike public restrooms anyways, but rather for whatever woman might need one that is with me and let me tell you, it has been needed. I like to be prepared!

So tell me, what do you carry around on the daily? Any out of the ordinary items? What are some of your must haves?

p.s. I promised a giveaway once I hit 50 gfc followers and we're almost there!! eeeeee! Thank YOU for all of your sweet, encouraging comments and for reading. I'm So glad that I decided to make my blog public months ago so that i could meet YOU, befriend you and learn about others and how really, we are all similar! I'm definitely getting excited about that so stay tuned! 

annddddd head on over to royal daughter designs,
I'm part of a group giveaway here going on NOW. Amanda has been and is hosting lots of wonderful giveaways with prizes from other fabulous bloggers in honor of her birthday this month!  Who doesn't like a birthday partay!!?

sister j

today my little sister j graduates from high school being in the top 15% of her class! It's crazyyyy how time flies! I remember the day she was born. Our dad treated me and our other brother Alaska to Fuddrucker's (known for their delicious gourmet hamburgers) and announced sister j's birth.  Tomorrow she will turn 18! 18! An adult! She and our younger brother bubba are learning to drive. They may or may not have their learner's permit already, but i know they are doing great! On a side note, if you can't tell, i HEART my brothers and sister!

dynamic duo, Christmas 2010

bubba bro

Brother bubba will be graduating next in 2 years! I have such fun memories of both of them as they've grown up. From playing in the sandbox our dad built, to swimming in the plastic pool that then leaked and swamped the entire backyard!, to blasting our radio reallly loud replaying "tequila" by the champs, to watching Lion King, Barney or Veggie tales on vhs a hundred times! Those two are a dynamic duo!

lol

 T siblings, sept. 2010

sister j has grown into a beautiful person inside and out. She has such a giving heart and is truly a peacekeeper, especially when it comes to her friends. She doesn't want anyone to feel left out. Just a month or two ago, she participated in the American Cancer Society's fundraising event, Relay for Life with two of her good friends and they set a goal of walking 20 miles and beat that with an end result of 28 miles! Talk about determination!

sister j & sister b

 My stepmom said that sister j was following in my footsteps because I did that event too back in 2003 when i was in community college. I was my team's captain! It made me feel good that I influenced her for the good, because Lord knows I was and am not no saint! lol...

sisters forever

I am definitely a proud big sister! I know she's going to be an amazing, successful person as she embarks on her college journey. She will no doubt bring so much joy and blessing to others lives! I love you sister j! Congratulations on this big accomplishment!

the littlest things

Sometimes when life gets hectic and things don't go as planned, we feel defeated. we feel frustrated. we feel bummed. but then it's like God switched the light bulb on above our heads and we remember things that makes us smile. things that make us chuckle. things that brighten our day.

the littlest things are profound. they make an impression in our hearts and we make memories worth keeping.

one of these cheery little  things was this: I left a note for my mailman and here's what he replied THAT same day! So kind!

and then a few days ago, my little bird friend p was hanging out with me and she wanted to take the pictures herself. she cuddled next to me with the camera strap attached to the camera on her wrist and we took a few self-photos. They aren't perfect and that's what I like best about them. one unexpected shot, one planned, one whatever!

my little bird has such a big heart for her tiny body. she is so giving and always wants to help whenever possible, even if one doesn't need help, you make up a job for her. With so much energy, she can't help but love full force. There is something to be learned from children. Their innocence and well intentions can never be denied. Even though she may start to annoy me with her constant, repeated questions, I am so thankful that i have know her since she was 6 weeks old and she's now 4 and a half. Twenty five years younger than me and I learn from her! I can't help but smile whenever she's around.

Children know how to love best and to make the best of whatever given situation because they trust their parents. Yeh, they may have a crying fit or get an attitude for 5 minutes if/when they don't have their way, but they get over it and continue to be happy & playful! Why can't i be as trusting with my Heavenly Father! Why do i become full of doubt and worry with the troubles of the world? Just like our earthly parents, God is watching out for us, He protects us, He fights for us, He loves us with a perfect love!

philippians 4:6, "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done."

there is far more goodness & kindness (like the mailman mentioned above) in existence than evil & cruelness. we've all been faced with rude, negative people who don't seem to have a heart, and even though i may sometimes say bad words toward them in my brain!(i'm human), i deeply think that these are the ones who really need praying for and perhaps really need a friend. As difficult as it can be to do, i need and want to be compassionate being. Just like a child is so quick to forgive and embrace, i hope to emulate that kind of love.

p.s. I forgot to add that i guest posted yesterday over at The Houtz House party for my dear friend Kelly while she's on vacation! Go check it out and leave her a love comment, she's amazing and so much fun!

dress me up

I never used to like wearing dresses. The farthest I would go to dress up was donning on a cute shirt and a skirt. Ever since I became ventilator dependent with my weakened physical state, putting on dresses was easier for my caregivers versus wearing tees and jeans everyday, ( though i still love my flare hipster jeans!)  I started actually LIKING dresses and now, shoot, i am IN LOVE WITH DRESSES, especially vintage looking ones!

My mom told me a a few weeks ago while we were browsing in LensCrafters that I was born in the wrong decade, in response to me oohing and ahhing over these slight cat-eye tortoise frame glasses she tried on. If you like dressing a little more modestly and still want to feel oh-so-sexy, i HIGHLY recommend the women's dresses from Shabby Apple! I don't own one *YET, but i vow to someday soon!!

some of my faves are the bright  cockeyed optimist perfect for summer, the vintagey  pre-columbian for a date or the desert modern is a great neutral to accessorize!

I am excited too because I just became a Shabby Apple affiliate. If you look on my left sidebar there's a gorgeous shabby apple button gracing this blog now! Yahooo! Feel like a new dress for a special occasion or just because, check em out, you will seriously fall in love!

my creative space

today, im linking up with Laura at Our Reflection and Sue at Hello. Also, I love you. Peeks into our homes!

I live with two other roommates. We live in a home where nurses and caregivers are on staff to help take care of us or be there to help us in a case of need or emergency. My home is really my room, my personal space. So here's a peek into my humble abode.

The yellow walls USED to be a darker blue (my former roommate's room). My dad & brothers put up my nice white shelves for me. My brother A hung 90% of the picture frames for me.

I love color and i certainly think my room displays that.

I have a thing for birds.

Yes, I have a crucifix and rosary, but don't consider myself a practicing Catholic. I am not against the church by any means or even attending mass, i just don't believe in all of it's teachings. The cross and rosary are symbols t of faith. they are holy. they are good reminders of who i am and where I came from.

crafting supplies corner. 

My room may be cluttered, but i promise i know where everything is and placed! It's my own organized mess.

I love this wall. It's like an art gallery of little tokens, pictures and trinkets. and yes, there's a little pink monkey hanging from the ceiling..her name is frenchie, as in she's pink and one of the pink ladies from Grease.

I guess i am a reader and music lover, eh? Remember cd's and those things called cassette tapes!? lol

my closet of my clothes!!!! This space is also known as the archives that hold hundreds of photographs in boxes as well as prints & negatives from when I was a photography student in college.

 one of the kids here painted the B picture for my door. displays proudly.

My growing collection of flower headbands behind my door!

mothers.

I know I am a day late in posting, but i want to dedicate this post to mothers in honor of mother's day.

My life is enriched because i have a slew of upstanding, exemplary women in my life. I'd like to highlight some of them today, though I know other fantastic mothers including my cousins, aunts and friends who are a light in their children's lives!

me & my mom, mothers day 2011

First, I will start out with my mom. She is an amazing, resilient, beautiful, smart, hardworking woman. She instilled me values and sentiments that I have clung to all my life. She taught me about God and believing in Jesus and having a life of prayer. Faith is like the core of which my life stems. I also think she passed on a love for animals as taught from her mom, my nana lilly. My mom has fought for me. comforted me. laughed and cried with me. stuck with me through my ugly days as well as my pretty days. I am SO blessed that God gave her to me as my mom. Her strength is beyond my knowledge.  Plus, she's the greatest shopping partner! lol.

janet & me summer 2011

Next, my stepmom Janet. She's  bright, crafty and organized & also my nail tech! lol. She's a good listener and conversationalist. I've known her for most of my life and she became someone important to me. I got my love for letter writing and sending notes via snail mail from her, im sure of it. I used to help her address, stamp and seal at least 50 Christmas cards. I learned alot of motherly duties in babysitting after she had my little sister and brother. I am grateful for that, even though the kids would drive me crazy sometimes, i love them both with all my heart.

I got the best of both worlds having my mom and janet as women i looked up to and i still look up to them. It was so nice to be able to ask them wherever I was at home, "how does this outfit look?" or "do these earrings match?" or talking to them about boys, ya know, girly stuff.

twins, great-aunt nellie & nana margaret

All of my grandmothers. I have three. My nana Margaret passed on in 1997, but i feel like im still getting to her know even thought she's not 'here'. I've talked about her before a few months ago and I surely miss her more and more as i get older. Then there's nana lilly who is 74! Amazing! oh and a funny thing i should mention is that both nana's are duplicates. Margaret was a twin and lilly is a triplet!! I love it! Nana lilly makes me laugh. She's so particular about things and introduced me to coffee, soap operas & the price is right! she's a really petite, skinny lady, but she is so strong. My step-grandma Agnes passed on in 1991. I didn't know her that long and being so young i didn't understand everything, but she had such a gentle spirit and calm voice. She was teaching me how to sew, up until she got sick. I really wish I could still know her and maybe i'd be a sewing genius by now?! She helped me realize a flaw of mine-that I must finish what I start--and that lesson i still struggle with sometimes.

nana lilly

There's Sooo much i could say about all of these dear women in my life, i love them!

Mothers, you are divine creatures and have a bond with children like no other. I am not a officially a mom yet, so i don't know everything about motherhood. I don't know how you manage to be super-mom and handle everything! I certainly appreciate my mom and the motherly figures in my life. I sure hope you all had a wonderful mother's day and know you are loved!

learning to deal & week summary

So, where have I been? I sort of took a mini vacation from blogging and haven't spent as much time online this past week. I've had some personal things going on which caused me to withdrawal. I think I needed time away to sort out my thoughts and talk with God. I don't seem to do well with negativity and drama, yet in our world, we are faced with opposition daily. It doesn't matter that my situation or circumstances are different than yours perhaps, we all have those awkward, discouraging days. 

At 29, I am still learning to deal. still learning to reassure myself of who i am and who i am not. The past week has been a deep-thinking, self-reflecting, this-is-how-the-world is challenge. I am in the world, but i am not of the world. We are set apart as God's children. We have a divine purpose. I really believe that. My world is idealistic, full of hummingbirds, flowers, sunshine & rainbows, but sometimes I let the ugly, rude, gloomy reality of this pessimistic world get to me. I will still stand for what is right. I will still get back up even when I tumble & fall. I will rise to the call of being courageous even if I am filled with a little fear, because i know God is for me and with me. I can keep my confidence & seek victory in Christ because he came & conquered death.

Romans 8:31, "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

2 Corinthians 12:9, "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

The above two verses are some of my fave scriptures. They were like my theme verses for the week as I was feeling weak too, not just physically but emotionally. Ever have those moments?

I'll give you a summary of my past week daily happenings:

Last thursday: trache change. I go see my pulmonologist every two months for this in-office minor procedure. Yeh, it's painful, but thank God for pain pills! It's part of my routine care with being on the ventilator.

fri: taking it easy because my throat is sore. a little grocery shopping w/two friends.watching little miss sunshine.

C & B! I <3 this pic!

sat: preparing all day to go to my friend tessa's graduation party {hair, makeup, changing outfits, charging batteries}. hang out with C while at party. it's like a big deal to me to actually have my hair looking really nice & styled after being washed, hair dried, curled, pinned,etc-happens like 4 times a year.

The grad, our friend david & me

earrings: along for the ride, shirt: F21, half-tee: downeast basics

sun: packaging mail to be sent, writing notes, cutting coupons, cardmaking, reading, talking to family on the tele.

mon: farewell lunch & being adventurous trying new foods at pita jungle with heide and bev. Bev flew back home the next day after being here for 2 months. It was so nice getting to know her and hear her stories. Good times spent with the ladies, unfortunately i don't think i was made to be a vegetarian.

 :)

 Bev looking good w/her makeup!

I just marveled the ceiling & the chandeliers are so cute!I'd love them in my dream home!

 oh & walgreens trip + 2 boxes of l'oreal healthy look hair color for $6 with coupons= success.

p.s.walgreens brand candy is on sale for $.49 per bag til this saturday!!

tues: happy hour at starbucks!! half off fraps umm YESSSSS!! grocery shopping with james. reading alot of my fave blogs that i've missed. thinking what am i going to write about next. 

yesterday: FINALLY getting back on track with Bible study! it felt so refreshing to be back in the Word!  visit w/the grandparents and perla. catching up with my brother. 

nana unsuspected. her new headband

doggy fashion, perla in sportswear

 enjoying the cooler weather outside after a freak rain storm.

Hopefully it won't be over a week til my next post! I've missed you guys! If you made it all the way to the end of this post, well thank you! I know it was long! Keep on being your wonderful selves and we'll chat again soon!

Guest post// Sue from Hello. Also, I love you.

I asked Sue if she would like to guest post over here a while ago and then things got busy in our lives and in bloggy world. Finally, it all worked out! i am SO happy to have her share tidbits about her life with you all today! Sue is darling. Isn't she so pretty!? She is one of my first friends  to befriend me in this ever-growing blog world. It meant alot to have a new friend who embraced me & cheered me on, even if she is thousands of miles away! She is the one who actually passed on the Liebster blog award to me.  Sue is a newlywed & a mama to an adorable baby dog! Enjoy!
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Hello to all of Britt's lovely followers! I'm Sue and I blog over at Hello. Also, I love you. I write to share my story in the hopes that it will inspire others to embrace the good and the bad and then to let it all go. I love to read life stories which is why blogging is so amazing to me! If you have a minute stop by my blog and say hello. I love to make new friends!

I currently live in Japan with my hubby and my puppy. This is us.

We love living here! The food is delicious. The people are friendly. The country is beautiful. This is one of my favorite places in Japan. It's in a Japanese prayer garden. Absolutely beautiful!

The most difficult part of living here is driving on the wrong (read: left) side of the road. The first time Aaron pulled out into traffic I about had a heart attack. And this photo is still baffling to me. If you can explain it you'll win lots of useless and unnecessary points!

Britt asked me a few questions...

1. Why do you blog? I started by blog as an interactive journal where I could share words, pictures, and anything else I wanted. I kept blogging because writing is a great outlet for my problems, emotions, and happy moments in life. I love having somewhere to share it all.
2. If you could pick anywhere in the world, where would you pick and why? I would move back to Utah. I love living abroad and all the experiences I've had here but I miss my family and friends. And Cafe Rio. 
3. What color represents you or inspires you? I recently re-themed my blog with blue and accents of yellow- I LOVE those colors. Although purple is my favorite color, blue and yellow are the sunshine and a bright blue sky and you can never have enough sunshine in your life.

And 5 random things about me...

1. I've eaten ox tongue, completely by accident.
2. I have seasonal allergies but I have no idea what it is I'm actually allergic to.
3. I have 5 younger brothers and sisters who are my best friends.
4. I love to get mail.
5. I love nail polish and if you can invent one that doesn't chip you'll be my best friend. 
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Omg sue, you are so fun! That traffic light sure looks confusing to me, but makes me laugh. Thank you Sue so much for guest posting!