Frugal Beauty Tip #1

Hey Ladies, have you ever cracked up your eye shadow or your blush and found it so hard to use that it's just taking up space in your make-up bag?  Did you end up just throwing it away?

Well, don't throw away your money!  Make-up can be very expensive nowadays.  You can repurpose those cracked eye shadows and/or blushes.  Be sure that it's a color that would look good as a lipstick, i.e. browns, golds, pinks, and reds.  I'm going to show you how to create long wearing lipstick with those cracked items.

Here's what you need to get stared:

• Petroleum jelly
• Cotton swabs
• Tootbrush
• Cracked make-up item (s)
• Small container to hold repurposed lipwear

Here are the steps to create your new lipstick:

1. Use the end of the toothbrush to smash up the product until it's the consistency of a powder
2. Take the cotton swab to scoop out some protroleum jelly (about the size of a medium grape)
3. Mix the potroleum jelly and the product together until you don't see anymore lumps, you may have to add more potroleum jelly
4. Enjoy

Because the product is powder based it will last longer than regular lipstick or gloss.

Enjoy being a girl!!!!

"Ladies, Don't Let this Happen to You!"

It's maxi and sun dress season.  This is a good thing and also a very bad thing if we don't do things right.  As you can see in the above pictures these are examples of embracing the maxi & sundress season the wrong way.  We don't want our panty lines showing, nor do we want anyone to see straight through our dresses.  We want to keep our goodies a cherished secret.  Also, there is nothing more embarrassing than taking a moment to rest in the cool of the shade and then get up and feel that dress wedgie.  Then we look around and hope that no one else saw it and pull it out quickly as possible.

Well, ladies, there is an undergarment that can correct all of these issues and it doesn't cost a lot.  You might be able to go to Auntie's or Grandma's dresser to find one and it just might be free!  It's called a slip.  I am not sure when it went out of style but it never should have.  I see so many who could benefit from one and sometimes I tell them if they are teenagers because that's when my Aunt Sarah taught me about the benefits of wearing one.  If she never would have told me I probably would have continued to allow that uncomfortable feeling of the dress going between my legs when I walked.  My Aunt Sarah simply said to me, "A slip would stop all of that."  A slip also helps smooth out your frame under the dress.  So, I went out and bought two of them and I have been using them ever since.

There is nothing old fashion about a slip.  It's a small price to pay to avoid a big fashion don't!  When a woman makes the above fashion faux pas it truly takes away from the style, femininity and elegance of any dress.

You can buy a slip as low as $2.70 on Amazon.  You can also find them at Sears, JC Penny, Khols, Nordstrom's, & Macy's.  Here is the link to purchase from Amazon:

 http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=1044964

Happy Maxi & Sundress Season!!!  It's fun being a girl!  Enjoy!!!!!

I'm Not One of "Those" People...

What is recovery anyway????  Well, recovery is one of the most misunderstood and beneficial things that one can do for themselves.  I once read somewhere that everyone should be in some type of self-improvement program. Well, recovery is that and so much more and if that is the case then recovery is definitely the answer.

It's more than reinventing oneself.  Recovery is a lifestyle of living life free of any baggage-hurts, habits, or hang-ups. It is the guidelines or a spiritual remedy for a total overhaul of ourselves; our personality, our character, our coping mechanisms, our boundary systems, our thinking, and the difference between us being reactive (negative) and proactive (positive).  It's a way of looking at oneself through a magnifying glass, it's self-examination, self-evaluation, and self-improvement.

Recovery is for the divorced, the abused (physically, emotionally, sexually, or verbally), the raped, those who have been pleasing others to the point where it's surpassing their own self-care, the sex addicts, the over-spender (debting), those who want to control everything and everyone around them; it's for those who are not living a prosperous life.  We need recovery from anything that is blocking our way to living an abundant life.

To often the church only focuses on the spiritual well being of the person.  We are triune beings, we live in a body, we possess a soul (mind, will, and emotions), and we have a spirit.  Unfortunately, the soul is often the part about which that the church forgets.  Recovery focuses on the soul.  There are two Bible verses that I think of when I think of recovery.  The first is Philippians 2:12 where it talks about working out our salvation with fear and; trembling and the second is  3 John 1:2 which says, beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.  These are truly recovery verses.

That's what we do in recovery.  We focus on our souls so that we can be prospers in relationship with ourselves, God, and others.  How can your soul be prosperous (your mind, your will, and your emotions) if you don't attend to them?  

Many people think that recovery is just for alcoholics and addicts, "Those" people, but recovery is for anyone whose hurts are greater than their fears.  Anyone who gets to the point where the pain is too much to bare and who no longer care what anyone else thinks about them.  Anyone who just wants to be relieved of the pain and the unmanageability of their lives.  This is when we seek recovery, when our lives seem to be crumbling all around us.

What drew me to recovery was codependent behaviors (I will discuss codependency later). I started my recovery program over five years ago and have not looked back since.  I attend a Christian recovery program and sometime a secular one called Codependents Anonymous.  This programs have helped me to face the horrible tragedies, the pain, the guilt, and the shame that I carried for so many years.  They also helped me to build and maintain healthy boundaries which in turn all helped me to develop healthier relationships.

If you haven't considered a recovery program, you should at least think about it.  Ask yourself these simple questions:

1. Do I take responsibility for my actions?
2. Do I live in the moment?
3. Do I mind my own business?
4. Do I respect other's "No"?
5. Do I respect other's right to their decisions?
6. Do I have to always be busy doing something or helping others?
7. Do I have to do something that is unhealthy for me daily?

If you answered no to any of these questions, please consider a recovery program.  You won't regret it.

No Shame Here

This is my first blog post ever!  I am finally stepping out on faith and doing some of the things God has told me to do.  This is a picture that I saw on Facebook.  It is a small quote, but packed full of power!

I used to be ashamed of being sexually abused multiple times by a woman and several men.  I used to be ashamed of being raped at age 11.  I never dealt with these things and kept them a secret because of the fear, guilt and shame until I was well into my adult years. For so many years I thought that these things were somehow my fault.

I heard it once said by one of my good friends from church that, "If you don't deal with IT, IT will deal with you."  This was such a true statement for me.  I developed all kinds of character defects because I didn't deal with these things.

Thank God that I was introduced to recovery.  Through recovery I dealt with these difficult things and more.  I let go of the shame because Jesus bore my shame on the cross over 2000 years ago.  This revelation gave me the courage to face these horrible things and even to share what I have been through with others and encourage others.

I hope that this blog will be a source of encouragement, inspiration, and a place for you to glean.  I will be discussing mostly recovery issues as well as beauty and image tips for women.  Please let others know about the blog and visit often.