Beach reads (so far)

Eat, Pray, Love

by Elizabeth Gilbert

(image from Amazon.com)

I've always wanted to read this book but have *sigh* "never really had the time." No, seriously. 

Last week, I went to the Eclipse premiere and saw the preview for the Eat Pray Love movie coming out later this year, I believe, with Julia Roberts as the leading actress! The preview made me want to see the movie, so I resolved to read the book immediately (because the book is always better, right?). I picked it up at Target right before leaving for the beach this week and read it in less than 48 hours. This is one of the best books I've ever read - hands down. It chronicles the spiritual journey of Elizabeth, or "Liz", as she goes to Italy, India, and Indonesia, basically on a journey to find herself and to find happiness. Her descriptions of each place make you feel as if you are really there - it's incredible. She also faces many questions that many of us often have about ourselves and about joy and satisfaction. Word of advice: READ THIS BOOK!

Pretty in Plaid

by Jen Lancaster

(image from Amazon.com)

I also picked up this book at Target. Let's be honest - the pink and green argyle caught my eye and basically that is the reason why I bought this book. I read the back - "Before she was bitter, before she was lazy, Jen Lancaster was a badge- hungry Junior Girl Scout with a knack for extortion, an aspiring sorority girl who didn't know her Coach from her Louis Vuitton, and a budding executive who found herself bewildered by her first encounter with a fax machine. In this hilarious and touching memoir, Jen Lancaster looks back on her life-and wardrobe-and reveals a young woman not so different from the rest of us." -  and thought it would be a fun and light-hearted read. It was a fairly easy read - again, read it in less than 48 hours (plenty of pool/beach time permits this!). Her writing style is very entertaining. I loved that she associated each part of her life with a particular item of clothing, and in the introduction she notes that that is usually how she remembers events in her life. It was a cute book! She has a few other books published as well.

These books have been enjoyable. Today, I hope to start on this book:

The Piano Teacher

by Janice Y.K. Lee

(image from Amazon.com)

I received this book as a gift at Christmas and have yet to read it. I am looking forward to reading it during the last few days of my trip.

What books have you read this summer? Any good reads that you would recommend?

It's been a while!

I haven't posted in quite some time! Over a month, I believe! Don't get me wrong, I love blogging! I'm not a pro by any means, but somehow a lack of followers sort of un-motivates one to continue! Though I must thank my most loyal follower, my sweet significant other, who happens to be both of my followers!
I have, however, been out of town a good bit - mission trip to Colombia, working two weeks of church camp, and now enjoying a week at the beach with my family - and contribute my lack of posting to those activities. In spite of the small numbers, I will continue blogging because it is something I really enjoy doing. If anyone has suggestions or comments, please feel free to share!

What will it take....

....to hear God?

I can't say that I have this completely figured out, but for me, this is what it takes:

• TURNING OFF THE COMPUTER: This I struggle with. Whenever I am looking for a distraction or am just bored, I check my e-mail or Facebook or look for something on eBay. I often just leave me computer on with the e-mail window minimized so that if a new e-mail comes, I can open it and read it at a moment's notice. Today I am counting the number of times I check my e-mail, and I am afraid of how high that number is going to be.
• NOT STAYING ON THE PHONE: This has become a lot easier since I went to Costa Rica. While there, I did not have a cell phone. My only means of local communication was the house phone. My phone wasn't always in my pocket, and to be completely honest, it was so nice. Don't get me wrong, I love to text or use BlackBerry Messenger, but it's pretty liberating to not have a phone and to not be responsible for every message, call, or e-mail that goes to it.
• APPRECIATING TIME ALONE WITH MY THOUGHTS: I thrive in busy-ness. I feel like I am at my best. I had a better GPA during a semester when I had 27 hours (3.8) as opposed to a semester when I had 16 (3.1) - not saying that anyone should try to take a load of hours or more than you can handle - I just had to do it to graduate. I love to work, to have things to do. But I tend to avoid alone time and the quiet because I don't want to be alone with my thoughts. But I think think that this is very necessary if we are to do some self-examining and reflection and talking to God.
• SPENDING TIME WITH OTHER BELIEVERS: Sure, there are times when we may be "alone," like if you are the only Christian in your office or in your home. But quality time with other believers who challenge you and hold you accountable is in my opinion so crucial to living the life God wants you to live. We each need support and encouragement, accountability and challenges. Love itself is based on relationships, and if we are to love God and love others, we need to spend time talking with those people who also love the Lord.

What does it take for you?

The Shack

I am currently reading the third book on my summer reading list - The Shack by William Paul Young. I have heard so many wonderful things about this book and have always wanted to read it, and now I have a lot of free time that permits me to do so! So I picked up this book a couple of days ago when my dad and I took a small road trip to a small Georgia town where is teaching at a youth camp this week. The hour and fifteen minute drive there and back gave me plenty of time to read, and once I got started reading I just couldn't stop! This book has a lot of food for thought, and I am only about halfway through it right now.

I won't divulge too many plot details, but what I would like to do is to share some quotes from the book that have really struck me and that have challenged my thinking and beliefs.

"Humans have a great capacity for declaring something good or evil, without truly knowing."
I read this sentence, and re-read it and re-read it. How true is this?! I mean, think about it! Everything that we know and judge is based on our own ideas of right and wrong, good and bad, fair and unfair, often by our own standards and not necessarily by the standards presented in the Bible. The character to whom this was told acknowledges this:
"I guess I would say that something is good when I like it - when it makes me feel good or gives me a sense of security. Conversely, I'd call something evil that causes me pain or costs me something I want."
"So it is pretty subjective then?"
"I guess it is."
The character then begins to realize how individualized our perceptions of good/evil and right/wrong are.
"To be honest...I tend to sound justifiably angry when somebody is threatening my 'good,' you know, what I think I deserve. But I'm not really sure I have any logical ground for deciding what is actually good or evil, except how something or someone affects me."

Taking this into consideration, I began to think about how I discern good from evil and I realized that I do this same thing - I base the good or evil in something on how I am affected. And this is not how the Lord intends for us to measure good and evil.
The character to whom Mack is talking (Sarayu) then responds:
"Then it is you who determines good and evil. You become the judge. And to make things more confusing, that which you determine to be good will change over time and circumstance. And then beyond that and even worse, there are billions of you each determining what is good and what is evil. So when your good and evil clashes with your neighbor's, fights and arguments enure and even wars break out..."
So on my terms, cancer is bad. Death is bad. But I measure that by how it affects me. If someone close to me were to have cancer and die, I would think that it was awful and terrible because of the suffering that that person and myself and others around me were experiencing. But does that necessarily mean that God wants any of us to suffer? I don't think so. I think that God has more things going on than we can realize and that they are all working together for our good.

Mack later confesses:
"I can see now...that I spend most of my time and energy trying to acquire what I have determined to be good, whether it's financial security or health or retirement or whatever. And I spend a huge amount of energy and worry fearing what I've determined to be evil..."
Wow. Punch in the gut. I don't think that the author is necessarily putting down our desires and efforts to do things that are "good" (or that we perceive to be good), but maybe he is asking us to examine where we expend our energy and time and if we have the right focus and right intentions.

"So is there a way to fix it?" asked Mack (and Tonya!).
"You must give up your right to decide what is good and evil on your own terms. That is a hard pill to swallow; choosing to only live in me (the Holy Spirit). To do that you must know me enough to trust me and learn to rest in my inherent goodness."

Can we do that? Can I do that? Can I really give up my ideas of good and evil and live completely guided by the Holy Spirit? Thinking about that is scary, but it also seems a bit liberating, to think that I don't have to take the time and effort to figure out what is "good and evil" - I just have to rely on the Holy Spirit to guide me.

What seems right to me may not be right, or vice versa. But it's not my job to figure that out. Romans 8:28 says that GOD causes all things to work together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose for them. It doesn't say that Tonya works all things out, or whomever. God does! Look at Hosea. What he did by taking a prostitute as his wife and loving her was probably viewed as something absolutely crazy by the people around him. And even if this were to happen today...can you imagine what people to do if someone who we considered to be holy and good said that God told him to marry a prostitute? Would we believe him? Probably not, unfortunately, even if God really had told him to do so. But Hosea was focused on the bigger plan and bigger purpose.

So the big question is......What would we be able to accomplish for God and show to others if we learned to be so sensitive to the Holy Spirit that we let Him decide what is good and evil for us?

Costa Rica reflections

Studying abroad in Costa Rica last fall was hands down the most incredible and life-changing experience in my short life thus far. I think about my time there every single day - the people, the places I visited, the delicious food - and long to go back.

I've been thinking a lot about why this experience was so memorable to me and why it was so incredible. Here are some reasons that I have come up with:

1. I was daily seeking the Lord and His will by spending time studying, praying, reading, and thinking. Every morning I woke up and before I ate breakfast, I spent some time reading a devotion. I would write the main verse down and the main points from it, and then I would jot down my own thoughts and interpretation. I was evaluating, changing, and growing daily. The more time I gave to this and the more I devoted my heart and attention to it, the more aware I was of the Lord working powerfully in my life and helping me along the way. Throughout my life I would say that I have put time into having quality devotions and quiet times, but moreso in Costa Rica than any other time, I poured my heart and soul into it each day. It made such a difference, and it made me more aware of the Lord's presence everywhere.
2. I lived every single day without regrets. I seized nearly every opportunity thrown at me, looking for ways to see more and do more and learn more. And it definitely paid off. I had such an enriching and full experience, and I have no regrets. When there was doubt or uncertainty, I fought my hardest against the desire to be lazy and complacent and looked for and found more.
3. The Lord gave me amazing friends and an amazing host family. At the University, at home, and around town, I made friends, made connections, looking to create, build, and maintain relationships with so many people. I invested time in these people, and they invested time and love into me as well. When I think about all the incredible things that I was able to do, I realize that everything was so incredible because of the people around me. I met so many different people from all kinds of backgrounds, of different beliefs, and each of these people taught me different things about myself and about life in general.
4. I was out of my comfort zone, away from my family and friends and my home and school, in a completely new environment. My limits were tested, my environment and surrounding culture was changed, and I learned to adapt and change as well. Being away and being alone taught me how much I need God. This may perhaps be the most important lesson I learned while living in Costa Rica. I depended on Him every single day. Depending solely on the Lord helped me to recognize his power and his love and his sovereignty more than I ever have before.
5. While in Costa Rica, I had no job and no cell phone. No organization meetings, no big expenditures. I lived a basic and simple life. And I loved it. I experienced so much less stress than I normally do. And I could tell a huge difference - physically, emotionally, and spiritually. My face cleared up so much. I wasn't always concerned about huge tests or assignments or having to go to work or do the things that my normal day-to-day life requires. Food was always prepared for me. My laundry was done for me. All I really had to do was go to school during the week and travel and play on the weekends. I loved it!

Re-adjusting to my own culture and lifestyle that I have had for the past 20-something years has been so difficult, and sometimes I still do not think that I have completely re-adjusted. I know I shouldn't do this, but I compare many different aspects of my life to Costa Rica and think of how wonderful life was there. I long to go back daily. Don't get me wrong though, I do love being home, with my family and old friends, doing many things that have always been a part of my life.

And sometimes I wonder if I will ever have experiences that are equally as wonderful as that experience in Costa Rica was? Was that the pinnacle of the experiences that I am to have? Is there more left to be seen and done?

I am beginning to realize that though I may not be able to completely repeat my Costa Rica dream life, I still serve a God who is able to give and show me more than I could ever dare to ask for or imagine (John 10:10). My prayer is that the Lord would give me the strength and willpower to serve him fervently and seek His will in such a way that my life becomes like the Costa Rican experience every day- no regrets, no looking back, full of joy, and unforgettable.

Friday thoughts

1 Timothy 2:9-10
"I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety....with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God."

Proverbs 31:20
"She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy."

As women, we need to have a Kingdom-focus instead of a me-focus.*

In everything she (a wise woman) does - from the way she dresses to the way she orders her day - she seeks to delight in Christ and put His beauty and excellence on dispay. Getting love, getting a guy, getting "stuff," or getting her self to the point where she feels "self-actualized" isn't her overriding goal. Enjoying and glorifying God is. She focuses on building His kindgom - not on building her own.*

The Girl-Gone-Wise understands that regardless of whether she is single or married, her overriding purpose is to display Christ and to be busy with the kingdom work that He has for her in that season of her life.*

I'm still here. There must be something God wants me to do today.*

*From Girls Gone Wise by Mary A. Kassian, published 2010

thoughts for the day

“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.”- Acts 20:24

"So, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation whatsoever to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you keep on following it, you will perish. But if through the power of the Holy Spirit you turn from it and its evil deeds, you will live." - Romans 8:12-13

"And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with self-control, right conduct, and devotion to God...He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing what is right." - Titus 2:12-14

Thank-You Notes

I have written many thank-you notes over the past few years. I wrote quite a chunk just after graduating from high school, after many birthdays, and have another round of thank-you notes under my belt after graduating from college a few weeks ago.


In the days of computers and e-mails and BlackBerrys and what-have-you, I think that thank you notes and hand-written notes have become less and less common. But I think that knowing that a person took time to write any kind of note (thank you, just to say hi, anything) is very special and not outdated at all!


With that in mind, I thought I would go through how to write a thank-you note!


Here are six easy points to remember:

1. GREET THE GIVER
   
   Dear Grandma........
   Acknowledge the person(s) to whom you are writing the note. Who doesn't love to hear their own name?
   
2. EXPRESS YOUR GRATITUDE
   Thank you for the fur coat that you gave to me for my birthday.
   Mention what you were given here.
   
3. DISCUSS USE
   The winters in Charleston are very cold, so I will wear it a lot when winter comes this year.
   Say something nice about what you were given and how you will use it.
   
4. MENTION THE PAST, ALLUDE TO THE FUTUREIt was great to see you at my birthday party, and I hope to see you again soon.
   If it’s someone you see infrequently, say whatever you know: ‘Mom tells me you’re doing great at Stanford, and I hope we cross paths soon.’ If it’s someone you’re in regular contact with: ‘I’ll call you soon, but I wanted to take time to say thanks.’ If it’s some errant family member you have little or no contact with, simply go with ‘You are in my thoughts and I hope you are well.’
   
5. GRACE
   Thanks again for your gift.
   It never hurts to say thank you again!
   
6. REGARDSLove,
   TonyaKeep it simple. Wrap it up.

Other tips:

• Use a blue- or black-ink pen!
• HAND WRITE your notes!
• Do not include any news about your life. The thank-you is exclusively about thanking somebody for their kindness.

Information from http://www.themorningnews.org/ - "How to Write a Thank You Letter" by writer Leslie Harpold.
Site: http://www.themorningnews.org/archives/how_to/how_to_write_a_thankyou_note.php

Summer reading

This summer, I am taking some ME time. Some necessary R&R. This past semester I somehow managed 27 hours and by the grace of God I graduated on time!!! Another story for another day. Anyway...I am taking this summer OFF. No summer school. No steady job. I am taking some time for me! I plan to spend loads of time with family and friends and my boyfriend, working at church camp, going on a mission trip, going to weddings, etc.

One of my FAVORITE down-time activities is reading! Usually during school I don't have a lot of time to read. I prefer to read when I have more free time, because I tend to read books only in a few short days. With that being said, I have already made it through my first summer read - South of Broad by Pat Conroy.

My mom bought this book for me for Christmas, and I got to read it a couple of weekends ago. I went with my boyfriend and his family to see one of his sisters graduate from college, so there was a lot of road time and a lot of down time, and I was able to read the entire book in a weekend. I have heard good things about Pat Conroy and his writing style, and of course, being a southerner, the fact that his stories are set in the South greatly appeals to me! This book is set in Charleston, South Carolina, perhaps my favorite place on earth (other than Costa Rica, of course)!!! So I knew that I had to read this!

The book begins in the late 1960s and spans nearly 20 years into the late 1980s. Without giving many plot details away, I will attempt to convey a couple of my favorite things about this book:

• As previously mentioned, the setting is what drew me first to this book. Charleston, South Carolina and all its southern charm and sophistication are a wonderful backdrop for any story. If you are familiar with Charleston at all, I think that you will be even more intrigued by the story and its landmarks, places, streets, and even Hurricane Hugo in Charleston and the entire Charleston area.
• The reality of the story in terms of its exploration of both joy and sadness, good and evil make for an interesting read. Many novels have everything going right for the characters, or may even throw in something more realistic like a loss or death without really going into detail. But this novel explores some of those other realities of life - loss, death, homosexuality, fear - in detail. It really gives you a full picture of what is going on in the story and how it affects the characters and their minds.

It is difficult to summarize without giving away book information, but take my word, this is a wonderful book. If you don't mind some 'colorful' language, then take a chance and give this one a read!

target wish list

I just got these shoes by Miss Trish last week and I LOVE them!

And I do love both of these shoes by Cynthia Vincent for Target:

 Gladiator Wedge Sandals in Cognac

Print Wedge Sandals

weekend wrap-up and giveaway

I am (un)officially D-O-N-E with college (it won't be official for me until my diploma is in my hand)!!! As an undergrad, at least! I turned my last papers in on Friday and now am just waiting (im)patiently for final grades to be posted, which must be done by tomorrow for graduating seniors. Now the graduation countdown begins til Friday morning at 9:30 am!

I visited Cordele, GA this weekend for a bridal party pre-Cinco de Mayo fiesta for my friend who is getting married in July! I will do a whole separate post about that because I actually have TIME to do lots of posts now!!!!

It's a rainy day here in Tiger Town, and I am still in bed. This is the first time I've been able to do this in a while! Welcome back to my life, laziness!

Also wanted to let everyone know about an awesome giveaway by College Prep going on right now. Check it out here!!! College Prep is one blog that I read every day and this giveaway is great!

Have a marvelous Monday!

thoughts for the day

Philippians 1:6
being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 1:11-12
And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.

check these out!

Enjoyed these posts today:

"Momma needs a time out" from Short Southern Momma
I LOVE all the pictures!

"DIY pearl cluster necklace" from Gigi's Gone Shopping
I plan to try this during the summer when I have some free time!


Have a great Monday!!!

Celebrating graduation in my own special way(s)!

Many college grads get trips to Europe, long va-cays, or an expensive piece of jewelry. And who's to say that isn't in the future in the next few weeks? Well, realistically, maybe not any of those things, but maybe a new computer or something else wonderful from my sweet parents.

In spite of those 'things' that graduation brings, I have decided that a couple of important trips are in order.

First off will be a bridal party fiesta this weekend in south Georgia. One of my best friends is getting married in July and the entire bridal party will be gathering this weekend in the deep south to hang out and have a good time! I'm really looking forward to this little weekend adventure!

BFF - E, her fiancee, and me in Charleston last summer

My next adventure will be down to Charleston (where I will be moving to in AUGUST!) to visit my best friend from high school! He will be graduating from the College of Charleston the day after I graduate, and he was kind enough to get me a ticket! I will be spending a few days in Charleston, hanging out and having fun!

T has been a dear friend over the years. We graduated together from high school and have remained good friends throughout college. Pictured below is T with me and my 2 old roommates just before Charleston Fashion Week. We all coordinated in classy black and white!

T will be going to Germany for a year to take a few classes and then do an internship of his choice! I think that he will end up doing something with fashion. He studied abroad there last summer and worked at German Fashion Week! He has worked at CFW all four years of college too.

Graduation is a bittersweet time, but I am very excited about making these little trips, spending time with those who are close to me this summer, and relaxing and finally catching up on my sleep and rest.

pink dress please!

I get e-mails from Express sometimes, and this was today's:

I think the outfits and shoes are very cute! But this one is my favorite...

Two-Tone Rouched Dress

LOVE LOVE LOVE this dress!!! Saw it in the store and it is adorable!

LLBean

One of my favorite places to online (window) shop!

Vacationland Dress, Madras, $49.50

Summer Knit Dress, Navy/Lattice, $49.50

Bean's Classic Chinos Embroidered Skirt, Glen Green/Starfish, $39.50

I LOVE the pink and green in this skirt!

Canvas Tote, Rose Pink/Lobster Crab, $39-$59

Bean's Wellies, Navy, $59

I will probably be investing in a pair of these when I move to Charleston in August!

Saturday delights

Workroom Project Table, grandinroad.com

Chloe Tall Chest, grandinroad.com

Anderson Media Console, grandinroad.com

Athena Necklace, shopmamie.com

Small Chunky Jelly Watch, shopmamie.com

FYI - Old Navy mega-clearance!

I assume that this is standard across all Old Navy stores right now, but I stopped in today to see what was new and - TA DA - there was an extra 50% off clearance items. I found a swimsuit coverup, skirt, and sleep shorts, and paid only $19! Check your local Old Navy this weekend for some INCREDIBLE deals!

Thrifty Thursday - 4.8.2010

Look at what I found at the local thrift store for only $3!!!!!

It has a small tear in the seat, but I can overlook that for $3!

The paint is a bit chipped, but I love the worn look!

I think I'm going to use this for a desk chair. What do you think?

Enter Maxxinista...

I LOVE these map-py decorations!

My little sister loves key decor, so I snapped this picture for her. They had a LOT of key-things!

I loved this little doo-dad with small racks that you can hang things on! It could be good for hanging coats just inside of a door somewhere.

If only I had the black and white room I have always dreamed of, Audrey would have gone home with me after I found these!

Love as a Way of Life

I came across this book by Gary Chapman (author of one of my favorite books, The Five Love Languages) in Ross for only $3.99! I couldn't pass it up - hardback book AND in excellent condition! I began reading through it last weekend while at home for Easter and feel very challenged by a lot of things I have read so far, and I have barely gotten past the introduction! The book basically focuses on seven characteristics to loving relationships. I would give a brief summary of what I have read so far, but I have decided instead to post some (direct) quotes, listed below:

• "I believe it is the common person like you or me who holds the key to creating a world in which relationships are valued above all else, in which serving others is normal and expected, in which children grow up to respect each other...This is not an impossible dream." - xiv
• "Today is the day to turn your life in a positive direction." - 4
• "My own definition of success is 'leaving your corner of the world better than you found it.'" - 4
• "Whatever your sphere of influence, when you are seeking to enrich the lives of others through relationships, you will find the most satisfying form of success." - 4
• "The truth is, you are made for relationships." - 4
• "When we love others because we value them as individuals, we experience a joy unlike any other." - 4
• "The key to finding joy in loving others is to focus on giving love, not on getting it." - 4
• "Love is not an emotion that comes over us or an elusive goal dependent on the actions of others. Authentic love is something within our capabilities, originating in our attitudes and culminating in our actions. If we think of love as a feeling, we shall be frustrated when we can't always work up that feeling. When we realize love is primarily an action, we are ready to use the tools we have to love better." - 6
• "Authentic love brings out our authentic selves - the people we want to become." - 7
• "Sometimes it is in the midst of difficulty that we find our greatest opportunities to experience and share love. One of the beautiful things about living a love-filled life is that we are not dependent on circumstances for our satisfaction." - 8
• "...love is an attitude that says 'I choose to focus my life on helping others.'" - 8
• "If you truly want to love someone, begin in small ways." - 9
• "Our role is to open our hearts and minds daily to receive love and to look for opportunities to share it with others." - 10

Whew! I already feel like there are so many things to think about and work on and I have only made it through the first chapter! The book goes on into detail with each of the seven characteristics to explain them, make them practical, and help the reader find ways to improve that quality of his/her personality.


The seven characteristics are:

1. Kindness
2. Patience
3. Forgiveness
4. Courtesy
5. Humility
6. Generosity
7. Honest

SPRING FLING

Last night, Sigma Kappa and Gamma Phi Beta co-hosted a 'spring fling.'

All the sweet sorority girls donned their light-colored, floral sundresses.

(And the sweet southern boys looked sharp, too, of course!)

Here I am with my date. We are both goofy and decided to go for a classic "prom pose."

Here, my friend and I try to make Lilly P. proud!
(Pardon the appearance. This was AFTER a lot of dancing!)

I thought it would be a night of shagging! But much to my surprise (and excitement) they played quite a bit of great hip-hop music (my FAVORITE genre of music), so my sisters and I danced the night away!

Spring is in the air! I'm so happy it's spring time and that it's starting to warm up a bit!

favorite body/shower products

Today, I am sharing some of my FAVORITE shower and body products!

 

Skin Milk Shave & Moisturize Shaving Milk

Skin Milk Body Lotion

Skin Milk also has Foaming Bath, Body Cream, and Shower Gel - all available at Ulta online or in Ingles stores. These products feel like silk to me! They leave your skin feeling soft and so smooth! And they aren't heavy and very oily like a lot of lotions are.

Dove Go Fresh Revive Body Wash in Pomegranate & Lemon Verbena

Dove Deodorant in Pomegranate & Lemon Verbena

I LOVE this new scent from Dove! I found an ad for the body wash and deodorant in a magazine that had a scratch and sniff of the scent! I loved it and went right to the store to get some.

Olay In-Shower Body Lotion

I LOVE the way this smells and feels! I know sometimes my legs burn after I shave in the shower, and this always seems to keep them from burning! It's moisturizing and smooth and smells great!

Neutrogena Foaming Scrub

I've been using this product for almost a year! I have had problem skin throughout my teenage years and am always trying different face cleansers to see what works best for my face. I tried this last summer and loved it immediately. You only need a pea-size amount. One bottle lasted me nearly six months! And I used/still use it every day. I use it in the morning in the shower. It does a good job of exfoliating, but it is very gentle on the skin, which is very important for me. I know that this is a good product that works - I am currently receiving laser treatments to help remove some of the redness and scarring, and before the first treatment the lady put me under a UV light to see if I had a lot of dead skin, and I had NONE on my face! I give all the credit to this face scrub. She said "Keep using whatever you have been using to exfoliate!" This product also comes in a facial cleanser (without the microbeads) and a body wash which I have also used and love! And it smells INCREDIBLE - pink grapefruit!

All of these products (except the skin milk) can be found at any Target, Wal-Mart and even the grocery store, and online, of course.

What are YOUR favorite body and bath products?

quick trip to Target

I stopped by Target last night on my way back to school and picked up a few things...

Can you tell which is which? I bought the black pair at Target for $22.99 (they also have the cognac color). The Steve Madden shoe sells for ~$70. I thought this was a steal! I love the strappy style of this shoe (I have larger feet so I like more details ony my shoes and less of my toes showing) and I loved it when I saw it!

I recently bought a new mascara to try and I just absolutely hated it. I saw this new Great BIG mascara advertised, so I decided to go for it! I have never liked the regular Great Lash Mascara, but I decided to give the Great Lash BIG a try! I used it this morning and really like it a lot.

Hello, Liberty of London! Everyone seems to be raving about these products! And I can understand why! The patterns are beautiful and there are so many different products...you can't help but want them all! I saw this wallet online, but didn't like the way the material looked. I found one in the store last night, and knew IMMEDIATELY that I wanted it!! I think it could be used like a little carry-all clutch. It has plenty of slots for cards and cash (but not too many like some wallets have), and a part that snaps open for change, though I'll probably use it to put in lip gloss or a camera if I am going out somewhere. What a deal for $15!

I almost bought one of the Liberty of London 'milk crates' (not to use for milk, obviously) to use in my room. The colors and pattern would go great with my floral bedspread and the colors of my room. I decided to hold off, however, since what I really wanted was something like this to put magazines in:

Check out the Liberty of London goodies at Target! A lot of stuff is out of stock online, but I know my local Target still had a good bit of items left!

shabby chic project 1 - bookshelf

Last semester I studied abroad in Costa Rica. Whily studying abroad, I arranged a sub-lease for an apartment this spring since I would only need a place January-May (until graduation in May). During Christmas break, after I returned from the land of pura vida, I went to meet the girl from whom I was subleasing and see the apartment so that I would know what I needed. Luckily I have gotten through college without needing the first piece of furniture, living in a freshman all-girl dorm, an on-campus furnished apartment my sophomore year, and on off-campus furnished apartment my junior year. So this apartment, my LAST semester of college (at least as an undergrad!), was the first time I would need furniture for my room. I decided immediately that I wanted to go with a 'shabby chic' theme for the room.

Luckily we have an antique iron bed at home given to us by a lady in our church, so that was where I started. It was a weird shade of brown, so my dad primed and painted it. That was technically project number 1. I wanted it to be an off-white color, but for some reason the paint that my dad used turned out to be rather white. It's fine for now, but I will definitely be painting it for future use. We then came across an off-white chest and night stand at a relative's furniture store and got a good deal on those pieces, so the shabby chic (dream) room was slowly coming together.

The next thing(s) I knew that I needed/wanted were a desk and a bookshelf. I REALLY wanted an antique writing desk, and am still looking for one of those! I found another desk that I will blog about as project 2 to show what we found and how we chic'ed it up! So I went on a search to every antique/thrift store within a 20 minute radius in search of these two pieces. I knew that I wanted 'fixer' pieces that I could re-do and add my own personal touches to.

Enter...damaged bookshelf.

One of the last places that I looked was the local Haven of Rest Thrift Store. I saw this bookshelf and knew IMMEDIATELY that it was what I wanted. I wanted something small with three shelves with room for my small flat-screen TV to sit on top. And look at what I found! It is the perfect size - one shelf for DVDs, one shelf for books for pleasure-reading, and another shelf for textbooks. I paid $6 for this bookshelf, between 3-4 feet tall.

The paint was chipped in many places, and the bottom of all the shelves was unfinished.

This is the shelf before my dad's magical touch!

This was on the back of the bookshelf, and the lady who sold it to me said I could easily replace it. It was pretty bad, so dad just ripped it off and put a new piece of plywood on the back.

Dad sanded all the edges and for a fun little touch put a small piece of crown molding around the top of the shelf. He then added a coat of paint to it which he found at Lowe's nearby for probably $8-10 to match the bedding that I had picked out for the room.

And .... TA-DA!!!

Here is the bookshelf, painted, in my room!

My dad helped me out a good bit, but only because I didn't have time. This is a project that anyone with limited skill like me could easily do!

Total cost = <$20