You'll never find me without...

Every girl has those items she has used for ages (for whatever the reason) and wouldn't change... and I love to hear what they have found to be tried & true!

Hopefully you will enjoy seeing my favorites & a few ideas that I have narrowed down as much as possible:

Ponds Cold Cream, Original $4.69 at Target

This is a product one of my family friends, Shelby Patterson, has used for years (atleast 7!) and used to use on me every time she gave me a makeover (just about every weekend). Recently I was browsing Target and faintly remembered the smell of the face cream she used on me... I texted her to ask and she said Ponds, which I bought and loooove for taking off makeup and just feeling pampered! She also recommended Jergens face cream (from Walmart) which has a much more reasonable price tag!

Paul Mitchell Super Clean Hairspray $17-20

Another smell I have loved since childhood: Original Paul Mitchell. This hairspray works like magic, holding curls for days! And you even get a second whiff of the fabulous smell when you're washing it out! Although I know the price is a little high, it takes me forever to go through a bottle (I have had my current one since May) and is totally worth it!

Revlon Super Lustrous Lip gloss, 070, Glossy Rose, about $6

This shine blasted color is a find I made on my mom's counter. It seemed she never used it, but I used it (and adored the color) every time I was home from college and finally she offered for me to take it!! It is not sticky at all, but gives enough of a color change and shine for date night! Sadly enough, my mom decided to conveniently share the piece of info a few weeks ago that they no longer make this particular color. I am currently scraping the sides of my tube for more!! Guess it's time for a Target trip to find a new color!
 ***UPDATE: After trial after trial, & error!, Mom and I found a comparable color. Also Revlon, it has a longer tube and a different applicator but the formula of the gloss seems very similar. Must try-- Revlon Rose Gold.

Shellac polish $20 each time

Absolute favorite for nails. Pricey- My dad's input was "No more shellac on the college budget..!" If only he knew.. They just started doing toes & I currently have french!! 

I highly recommend Byhalia Nails, Collierville, TN!!

Mary Kay blush, Strawberry Cream $10

My mom recently took up selling Mary Kay and I am soon to be right behind her. This pinky rose color provides just the right amount of color to my cheeks plus a little glimmer which I love!! Great for day or night!! 

Mary Kay love lash mascara $15

This is probably my most recent discovery! No clumps, chunks, or sticking together, only beautiful lashes all day long!! Every girl needs it :)

Original Burts Bees Beeswax Lip Balm 

I use this every single day, no exceptions. (I even have the boyfriend searching for it in my purse constantly!) It is a savior for dry, chapped, wintry lips. I cannot even count how many tubes I have gone through. I keep trying to find a cheaper alternative, but after years and years of trying everything available, I can't find anything even close!

Lancome Juicy Tube, Touched by Light $18

I discovered this June of 2010 while in Italy from my former English teacher. It looked so beautiful on and I went to purchase it straight from the airport. I adore the look of nude lips with some shine and glimmer and this gives exactly that. This is one thing definitely worth the splurge!!

I am planning to try:

Tea Tree Oil for on the spot acne treatment. Everyone raves about it!!

I currently use Mary Kay acne treatment gel but am not satisfied. Even proactive doesn't get rid of mine!


For the savvy money saving girls out there, A tip from Mom: When buying cosmetics you are unsure about, although Target is addicting, go for Walgreens! They will return any cosmetic. Even if it has been opened :)

In the loneliest of places.

Twice while driving to Starkville today, this song drifted to my ears from KLove & the mouth of Jason Gray:

When I lose my way                                    We consistently forget Who we are called to live for.

When I forget my name                              Romans 8:16 "child[ren] of the living God"

In the mirror all I see                                  depend on physical appearance to tell of our worth- Psalm 139

is who I don’t wanna be                              criticizing myself, my body; prevalent in women, esp.college girls

In the loneliest places                                 College campuses- our first time away from home
When I can’t remember what grace is      We allow our mind to slip and focus on other things

Tell me once again who I am                      Show us, Oh Lamb of God. I cry for you to show us all
I belong to You

When my heart is like a stone                    When I refuse to pay attention to Your Voice
and I’m running far from home                 When I try to deny your teaching

When I can’t receive Your love                  Stubborn refusal to listen or accept
Afraid I’ll never be enough                         Will you accept us with broken hearts, lives, and promises?

If I’m Your beloved                                      I know I am. See- Song of Songs 2:13. He calls US beautiful!!
Can You help me believe it                         Will you show me oh God? I long to see the beauty You see in me.

I’m the one You love
That will be enough                                     In the end, nothing else matters.

Remind Me who I am to You

Lyrics are in black; My words/thoughts are in teal

This sweet song called me to think about my life, my motives, my dependence. Am I allowing God to show me who I am or the world?

Am I of God or am I of the world? --So thankful for Romans 8:16. I am the beloved child of a living, working Savior!

This is my prayer, not only for myself but for those of you reading this... and specifically my sisters in Christ who struggle as we all do. 

May we never lose sight of who we are in Him. Unworthy, yet beautiful, sinners who have lives abounding in Mercy and Grace- Thanks be to God forever. Amen

Credit due to Jason Gray- Remind Me Who I Am

Change.

For salvation, we must change our mind and agree that God’s way is better than our way. 


 “And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2



Changes happen when we least expect them. Changes happen when we do not welcome them. Changes usually do not happen when we try to make them.


Let me explain... 
Mitchell and I always laugh at the phrase "This Is It." You know... like Michael Jackson's hit movie? Only kidding. This is it is what people say when they try to create change. This is the last time I will bite my nails. This is the last time I will overeat. This is the year I will lose 20 lbs. This is my new life. I can't tell you how many times I've made promises like this to myself. Graduation was it. Summer was it. College was it. I thought...
More than likely, these changes don't happen. God is in control. Not us. 


We try, over and over again to change yet fail; However, when we least want to change, it ends up happening.


My absolute best girl friends and I (who I love so dearly) in high school, always said "We are the ones who won't separate. We are the ones with friendships that will survive the college years." We didn't want a thing to change. You know what comes next... they did. We all have such different lives. Brand new, exciting schools, fun friends, sisters we never had, busy schedules ... all of it.
Luckily, some parts of us will never change. We each hold close to our hearts the days spent together doing nothing, our FL spring break, Bachelor every Monday night, the drama, the fun, and the close relationship. If we could do it again, I bet we wouldn't change a thing.

A friend loves at all times 

[whether our lives have changed or not]

Proverbs 17:17

It is hard, so so hard. Even heart breaking to watch your life change before you. Change does it's own thing. It is the rebellious child. It does what it wants no matter what you say to try and make it stop.


Despite all of this change, I am thankful.  Not because of what it has and is causing, but thankful that God's plan is showing in each of our lives.

Mitchell and I on Thanksgiving Day

He had these plans from before we were even thought of. And that brings me peace, and thanks. Be still, and know.


P.S. On Thanksgiving, I was excited to be reminded of how much life changes by this picture of Mrs. Jere Lee, Mitchells' grandmother, and my sister in Phi Mu. 

Grandmom, Phi Mu @ Memphis State

Oh Lord, inconvenience this type A girl!

I always have a plan. Always.
Whether it be the time I am to wake up, shower, go to sleep, I mean EVERYTHING is planned.. and usually hour by hour...
I can never be found without 'my planner.' & if you do find me without it, you will find one worried, anxiety filled girl. aka: a girl who is not trusting God in all aspects of my day (some days not even in any) Am I really unable to trust Him that He is still holding me in the palm of his mighty hand?... I need to release my need for control. I need to let God control me completely, in every sense of the word. I need to realize He is near no matter what. I need to see that He cares even for the small details.
In my first semester away from home and in college, I have never doubted my salvation or Christ's love for me-which I am so thankful for! But I also haven't made my Lord Almighty my 1st priority. 
I have allowed other things to be so time consuming that the One who gave his life for a filthy sinner such as me has been pushed aside. I am so thankful that my heart would not stand for this and I prayed day in and day out for "You, Oh Lord, to stir me. Break me, melt me, mold me, fill me."


This weekend, I was stirred. 


Sunday morning, we headed to Grace Evan (like any other Sunday for the last 18 years). But this was not like any other. Jimmy Young brought the Word of God (as always). And when I say brought it, I mean it. No holding back. I HAD to listen. His focus was on Ephesians 5: 1-14...

1 "Be imitators of God...walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us 

and gave himself up for us ...among you there must not be even a hint of 

sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these 

are improper for God’s holy people. ⁴ Nor should there be obscenity, 

foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 

⁵ For of this you can be sure: 

The immoral, impure or greedy person

has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God...

 ⁸ For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of 

light ...and find out what pleases the Lord. ¹¹ Have nothing to do with the fruitless 

deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. ¹² It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret...

“Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

Then Dr. Young said something that shook me to the core... "Anyone whose habitual conduct and settled down lifestyle is defiled by such sins (impurity, greed- to which we are enslaved and addicted)... you are not a Christian. "

I have heard this group of verses many times. But never, ever has it hit this hard. Wow- how can I ignore such truth?! I am impure, I am greedy, I refuse to imitate God. I am truly human. I have known these things. But to hear blatantly that if I continue this way I have no place in heaven. Woah. Don't mess with this Jesus girl's spot in Heaven. Whether I wanted to obey or not, I knew I had to. My heart and soul craves the Lord of all the earth. Way more than the things of this fleeting earth.

To add to my stirring... tonight, my mom and I had sweet, sweet girl time. We went out for Mexican food before heading to Central Church to hear one of our favorite authors and fellow "Jesus girl"...
Lysa Terkeurst. Lysa spoke right to me tonight in saying "Inconvenience Me." In so many ways, I am about convenience, which goes hand in hand with my impatience and and greed. These affect all areas of my life.I must be inconvenienced. I must be stirred. He must be first.


He is working. In this weekend. In this day. In my relationships. In my heart. And I couldn't be more thankful.
God, INCONVENIENCE ME. Mess up my plan. Make me make the hard decisions. Wake me from my sleep.I want to shine for You.


I will strive to be 1) Joyful, 2) Prayerful, and 3) Thankful in the coming days and beyond. 
Oh how God is good. He hears my cry. And HE ANSWERS. I don't know about you, but that overwhelms me with excitement.


I do not have to obey. I can head for the fiery depths of hell. But I am able to serve the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.. for all eternity. How beautiful.

Where to begin?...

I adore reading blogs; whether they be adoption, weight loss/fitness/food/diet, or craft related, I have been known to sit with my laptop in my lap for hours- like literally 4-5 hours!!!- soaking up all the information. I tend to find/read blogs of people I admire. (& I always go for the cute ones!! If it doesn' attract me immediately... X) I have always thought in the back of my head, "Maybe I could blog one day!" But my next thought is, "Who would want to read that?... Mitchell, sure. My mom , of course! But other people?! No way!" Here I am, actually doing it. Maybe someone, somewhere will find something to admire in me.

I hate, like hate HaTe HATE to start right here in the middle... when you don't know where I have been, or where I am going, (that would be my OCD flaring up!!) but I will do my best to catch you up as we go.

Thanks for reading :) I hope you'll enjoy your time here & come back for more!!

Me & Mitchell, who you are bound to hear more about- Nov 2011

GIMME A BREAK!!

I am officially on Thanksgiving Break. Hallelujah!! & Hellooo 11 days in "the ville." I can hardly contain my excitement.

My plans while away from school include lots of R & R, Christmas Shopping, babysitting, running/exercising, BLOGGING and lots of family time & of course--- the food!

I am heading home tomorrow only to road trip right back to Starkville, MS Friday afternoon with M for my sorority formal. It is guaranteed to be a fun night with M & all my sister!
Saturday = Mitchell's 18th Birthday!! WOW! Our plans as of right now include driving back to Collierville and maybe the UFC fights?... We'll see what the birthday boy is feeling!

Wishing everyone safe travels & a Happy Thanksgiving!

Hebrews 12:28-29 Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude... with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.

A few days late... 11-11-11

November 11, 1989, 

my parents were married. 

I am ever so thankful that they have lasted 22 years (& have many more ahead of them!) 

That is such a rare family situation these days.

Thank u mom & dad!!

143

Happy Anniversary!!!