I've been laying here with my laptop on my lap trying to come up with some snazzy title to go with this blog post.
life lately came to mind because, well, these are things lately that make me happy.
+ making lists. see exhibit A:
+ remembering that I have lacked in keeping up with my food journal, thus re-starting recording what I consume on the daily.
see the near month long gap!?
+ my dad & family's new rescued dog, Bogey. Long story short, but it seems that he was abandoned. My brother bubba found him while at work and they bonded and now he has a warm home to roam around and chew up things. Dad says he eats like a horse, but how could you not just love this face?
i texted bubba the night my dad told me that they had Bogey. I said to bubba, I am so glad that you found bogey and that he followed you at work and that you two bonded! I love him already and haven't even met him.
+ being productive & seeing the fine finished product of my labor & creativity
+i recently joined the community of bloglovin!!! come find and follow me if ya love bloglovin too!
+ replaying "radioactive" by Imagine Dragons and "nothing is wasted" by elevation worship
shoot, I should make another blog post about my current playlist mix!
what things or persons or furry friends have put a smile on your face?
This past weekend was a slightly cold & blistery day. The wind spiked at different times and Sofia and I were brave to go walking to walgreens. Before we left, I just had to get some photos of myself in my outfit, since I made the effort to get really dressed and put my makeup on, even adding a pair of earrings! Wow, look at me! hahahaha
cardi: gap (was a gift), tunic dress: F21, jeans: Target, earrings: worldmarket
With our Arizona winter, I am usually found in printed pajama bottoms and tee with maybe my crocheted granny sweater with hair up in a mess for 2 days or maybe 3 days straight (no brushing involved), not even joking.
Oh, and let me point out that I used my newest makeup product. It's by Flower, Drew Barrymore's new makeup line only sold at Walmart. I used the cream eyeshadow in orchiding around. Here's a couple pics so you can see. It looks more grey, but it's really a mauvey-grey color.
I really like this shadow. It glides on and blends easily. It feels like mousse on your eyelids and for about $8 i was willing to try it! I definitely would like to pick up a couple other gorgeous shades in: vine of the times and i lilac you alot = those two would pair well together! I'd also like to say I semi-enjoyed watching the Oscars on sunday night. I know, I am like 4 days late commenting on that. I just love to see what pretty gowns (or not) the stars wear! I got teary eyed by Ben's speech, which was real, authentic and devoted to his wife. Maybe you heard it? I also was emotionally moved by Anne Hathaway's acceptance speech about keeping hope that maybe one day, there won't be anymore unfortunate circumstances that women like Fontine have to endure. Oh and if you aren't following And Here's to you Mrs. Robinson on facebook,you should because Megan posted this video on her page over the weekend that made my eyes well up! Yeh, I've been pretty emotional lately..ok, what am I talking about? I am always emotional!
have the best week pretties!
" Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.”
One thing that I absolutely adore about the blogging community that I have come to know, love and experience is the willingness to help one another.
Julie has always been so supportive, friendly and encouraging to me.
It's not about "what can you do for me?" or "how many followers will this bring?" but about serving and loving one another and raising awareness, truly.
I am happy to have Julie guest post on the blog today about a real and highly unfortunate reality in our world. Sometime last year, I met Julie of From Awkward to Art, formerly The Funny Thing of It Is. She lays her heart out and all its guts into her writing, which is so raw and thoughtful.
Her birthday was just a couple weeks ago (go visit her and wish her a happy birthday month!), but we could still help make her totally unselfish birthday wish come true!!! Now, why didn't I think of something like this? Perhaps, next year! Read on.
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THE MOST IMPORTANT POST I HAVE EVER WRITTEN:
If you know me or have read my blog at all for any length of time,
you know that my heart is deep for helping the broken, the hurting, the destitute...
and those stuck and bound in lifestyles and addictions they so desperately need rescue from.
Whether it be depression or drug addiction, whether it be poverty or human trafficking..
I have always wanted to see people through God's eyes.
When I was nineteen years old, after coming home from a missions trip to Albania,
I remember coming arcross a man walking along the street who wreaked of alcohol,
who looked skinny and lost in his world of addiction and he looked hopeless,
even though he may have not even realized it.
My heart broke that day. I start sobbing to my mom. And it was then that I cried out
and asked God to give me His heart, a heart of compassion.
Today that heart has brought me to do something I have never done before.
I have started a project of my own for the month of February called
Suburbia to the Streets Project.
If you would take a few minutes to watch my video, I will explain a little more about my
personal project and how one day I came across an organization called Mocha Club and
decided I wanted to help.
Between my personal facebook account, my blog readers, email contacts, twitter followers...
I have well over 2500 people. If only 80 of those people could give
at least $10 to help rehabilitate one precious woman and give her a fresh start,
that would cover my goal for the month of February, the $800
I need to help TWO women off the streets.
This is my birthday wish this year.
or
160 people give $5
80 people give $10
40 people give $20
20 people give $40
I have confidence that together we can help two women and give her & her family a new
chance at life and love and caring for her family.
Things I want you to know about Ethiopia:
Understanding the Sex Industry in Ethiopia:
In Ethiopia, the sex industry is often linked with deep levels of generational poverty and
financial hopelessness. Lacking meaningful resources and a sense of hope, many young women
and ever girls, resort to becoming sex workers as a means of supporting themselves and their
families. These women are often desperate to leave the sex industry but remain trapped by a
lack of opportunity and rehabilitative support.
*ONE of NINE women are trapped in the sex industry in the capital city of Addis Adaba
*THREE of FOUR contract HIV/AIDS
*Children are endangered and left home alone at night
Here are the details of the care they will receive:
*Individual and group counseling
*A twelve step addiction recovery program
*Pre- & Post HIV Counseling and testing
*Daily Devotions and Bible Studies
*Skills training and job placement services
*Day Care Services
*Tuition & schooling for children's education & many more programs that
address the unique needs of rehabilitating the women.
I will be running this campaign, the Suburbia To The Streets Campaign though the
month of February as 'My Birthday Wish.' Anyone who wishes to help me make a
difference in the life of TWO WOMEN, can do so by clicking on the donate
button any time this month. This will take you to the MOCHA CLUB where
all funds raised through me will be totaled!
When I reach MY GOAL of $800 at the end of February, I will join a Milwaukee organization called The Inner Beauty Center that promotes value and love in our own streets with our own women.
***If you can help spread the word by tweeting about it, blogging about it, grabbing a button or allowing me to guest post THIS post on your blog, let me know! TWEET HERE
valentine' day 2013 proved to be one of the best and sweetest valentine's I've ever had, even though my social status has always been, so far: single.
I hung out last night with two of my "beary" good friends, Tessa & James. We had dinner that Heide made..we love tacos, rice & beans!
James made "earthquake cake"--a recipe that he got from him mama in Texas. He made it his own with adding red food coloring and attempting to make hearts in celebration love day and he also used regular chocolate cake mix vs german chocolate cake mix, that walmart couldn't even keep stocked! :(
It came out looking like steak! bahahahhah.
now it's coined " earthquake heartbreak steak cake"
It was so fun to spend time with these two friends of mine and still celebrate love, because....
"Valentine's day is NOT just for lovers!" hahahahah
Poor Tessa has been so exhausted from teaching that she fell asleep about an hour after dinner. I heart my love! We all gathered in the big living room and watched, Liberal Arts. It stars Joshua Radnor from How I met your mother and Elizabeth Olsen--sister of the famous twins. I really like her and her acting and also HIMYM. I could definitely watch this movie again. It portrays how sometimes it's hard to grow up, but then also, how someone young is wiser, more intelligent than her peers, but still needs to experience life.
Here are some sweet and thoughtful valentine's that I received from my sweethearts:
v-day sweets & notes. do you see that sexy brown m&m? that's me! lol
the most delicious NON-CALORIE cupcake ever!!
a new mug to add to my collection since i keep breaking mine!
fun package from my family. I LOVE the notecards, Hello!
surprise from my cousin Richard!
Hope you all had a lovely and sweet day celebrating the love/s in your life!
It's all about the love, yo!
and now i'll leave you with a few out-takes:
eeeks! i looked scared lol
Rawr! that means i love you in Dinosaur. t-rex here.
Day 3 of my birthday bash weekend will be posted soon. xo
Saturday was spent preparing all day for the party which started at 5 p.m.
I literally had to sit in the corner of my room for hours while my ventilator battery and ventilator itself were being charged so i could be mobile for the duration of the party + after! ;)
with my brother being here, he had went and visited + SURPRISED my nana & grandpa at their house BEFORE coming to the party, since they wouldn't be able to make the party.
My grandpa + night driving= no bueno.
My dad, stepmom, bro and sister arrived around 2:30pm to help set up and figure with the help of Heide where we'd set up food and tables since it was raining and all muddy next door! My dad also assembled and baked the taquitos around this time.
My mom and friend lorraine arrived around 4:30 with food in hand, with them haven't had the chance of seeing my brother yet.
Alaska and his gf arrived around 4 to get ready for the party.
1:30 I started putting my makeup on.
3:30 sandy bought a helium tank, so me, James, sister J, bubba & sofia blew up, tied and grouped the 15 balloons together. which btw, I know Janet got some cool photos of us doing this lol.
4:30 i go potty and change into my night clothes
5:00 aunt june rescues my hair and does the finishing touches
5:15 i go see my AMAZING cake that my friend Lisa made from scratch in her home. (i had no idea how it was going to look)
5:20 the party is officially set in motion!!
5:30-10:00 taking lots of pictures with my guests, talking, taking bites of my dinner, laughing, greeting, belly dancing/drums entertaining,roasting marshmallows, breathing treatment
10:45 the last guests leave except my cousin Brookie who stayed and hung out with me (i finally got eat at this time! lol i started getting cranky because i was hungrayyy!), my brother, his gf and James.
11:30 i start to get ready for bed
12:30 alaska comes and chats with me for a bit
2:00 AM- go to sleep
FUN, but CRAZY night celebrating with 80 wonderful people!
I'll let these photos from the night do the talking!
a wonderful birthday with special memories made and a reunion of sorts.
Here are some of the pretty details:
Menu
chicken mole
flour tortillas
beef + chicken taquitos
chicken enchiladas
spanish rice
refried beans
2 kinds of salsa
tortilla chips
green chile
fruit salad
veggie tray
7 layer bean dip
salad
cupcakes
cookies
hot coco
punch
90% of the food was HOMEMADE by my awesome family and friends!
Little Extras:
black or red balloons with white polka dots
handmade card box with red, b&w
flatware wrapped in white napkins tied with 2 different shades of pink ribbon
Life has been on-the-go since before Thanksgiving and hasn't slowed down til this very day. I frankly have been exhausted from everything these last few months!
Right after Christmas, I started prepping and planning my big 30th birthday bash set for Saturday, January 26th! I actually ordered my birthday invites the week of December 14th because I had a promo code to use at Shutterfly that I had won in a giveaway, which saved me tons of money. Literally, on the 26-27th of December, I started addressing the invites. There were about a little over 100 people invited (most family) and 80 people showed up despite the cold and rainy day! Soon after, I wrote out the Mexican food menu I wanted to have and planned to ask certain family members to make certain things that are my faves that they particularly make.
This was the biggest and best birthday I've had so far for many reasons, including:
1. Family from both my dad's side and mom's side gathered together for a joyous occasion! [typically, ever since I was young, neither side of the family mixed unless my brother or I was sick/in the hospital or high school graduations-just the way things were, not for any bad reason] 2. my dad and aunt june made it possible for my brother Alaska and his gf to come to Arizona from Oregon for the weekend!! It was a TOTAL SURPRISE to me as well as to my grandpa henry and to my nana & grandpa manuel! Having my brother here to celebrate with us was the best gift eVeR!! We (my family) hadn't seen my brother in nearly two years!
Before I get any more deep in detail, I thought I'd break up my birthday party weekend. Scenes from Friday (January 25th). Alaska and his gf come to my house and SURPRISE me with their presence!! I was in my pj's/no makeup/eating a piece of hungry howie's pizza.
Around 12:30pm, heide walks to the family room from the kitchen saying, "i have a surprise for you" and right behind her is my brother!! I screamed OMG! went to hug him. I cried in his embrace for a good three minutes! hahahahaha We then took a walk to the grocery store and hung out at starbucks.
Funny thing too, my dad had called me the night before-Thursday- to see if I was going to be home the next day, which I was {alaska and his gf were right there listening to my and dad's convo--apparently i was on speaker phone and had NO CLUE!] My dad was a HUGE help in setting up the party and bringing tables and chairs and other stuff we needed. He just told me, "ok,I'm thinking I'll get there (my house) by 2:30 on saturday to help set up."
