Happy Halloween..

I'm literally laughing out loud at the fact that the entire view from my office window is covered in snow.

Yes snow! 

I saw that the weather man was claiming snow would be coming our way this evening, but I didn't expect a 1/2 inch by 2pm on Halloween!!

-

I was teaching an anti-bullying lesson at one of the local elementary schools today and when the falling powder of horror caught my eye, I stopped dead in my tracks. 

Then with much enthusiasm I point toward the window of doom and yell, "Oh my gosh, look out the stinkin window people!!"

The children, of course LOST THEIR MINDS. 

As did the teacher when she couldn't control the noise level in the room.

I just giggled to myself then continued to teach as if nothing happened (kids still freaking).

Thank the Lord that the snow fall I witnessed at the school only lasted for a quick couple of minutes.

Upon my return to work, stopped at a stop sign..I glance out at the beautiful blowing leaves on the road.

I think to myself that it is such a beautiful fall day and how I blessed I am to be able to see it.

Then 1 hour later I'm witnessing a freaking Winter Wonderland. 

I quickly intensify the volume on my Halloween Party playlist via Pandora and refuse to let go of my Halloween spirit.

I love fresh fallen snow yes, but dang it..I didn't even get to watch Hocus Pocus but one time this month. 

I mean for heaven's sake, at least let me get in a Halloween marathon before the night ends.

Michael Myers hasn't even haunted my dreams yet..and that's a must.

It's the season of weirdos.

I haven't even had the chance to be weird.

..well that's a lie, but you get my drift. 

Basically, It's too early for snow.

*

How to Clean Your Makeup Brushes...

"You do what with your makeup brushes?"

Is a question I have heard many times from different women in my life. 

I of course repeat myself and say, "I CLEAN my makeup brushes".

I'm laughing inside because once, I too, had no idea that my makeup brushes needed cleaned sometime or another. 

I have learned the hard way that dirty makeup brushes do indeed hold a lot of bacteria..

Just think of the dust, dirt, makeup, oil, skin particles, etc.. that get built up in your brushes over time.

I learned that all of the bacteria and product that is built up in makeup brushes, can cause acne.

I do suffer from acne and a lot of my severe times have had a lot to do with having dirty makeup brushes!

After learning my lesson and faithfully participating in cleaning my brushes, my acne has definitely improved.

Now it's not totally gone, it's a work in progress, but my skin has definitely changed.

I have heard through the grapevine...that your brushes should be cleaned at least once a week. 

Face brushes should the ones that are more faithfully cleaned, but eye shadow brushes are just as important.

So as I was cleaning my brushes this evening, I decided to document some pictures to share with you guys! 

I hope this gives you an idea of how you too can clean your makeup brushes.. Enjoy!

*

-The only product I use on my brushes is Antibacterial- Dawn Dish Soap-

I only use Dawn because I know it is safe and not too harsh on the brushes. If it can be used to clean animals, it can clean my nasty brushes.

*

    

*

I squirt some soap on a kitchen plate and swirl each brush head into the soap.

Make sure to cover the entire head of the brush and massage the soap into the brush hairs.

*

*

As I move from one brush to the other, I lay them down on a clean paper towel until each brush is coated in soap.

* 

*

Once I am finished soaking the brushes, It's now time to clean!

One by one take a face brush and swirl it in the palm of your hand to get the soap really worked into the brush head.

After it's all sudsy and messy, it's time to rinse.

Make sure your sink water is at a lukewarm temperature. 

Too hot can harm the brushes and too cold won't clean the makeup out.

*

*

When getting the brushes wet, make sure to not let water enter the brush past this point.

If the water happens to get inside of this break, it can eat away the glue and your brush hairs will start to fall out.

*

*

When time to dry, I place my brushes head down on a clean towel. 

Leaning them face down onto the towel will help any excess water to drip out of the brushes and prevent any water from entering the bottom of the handle. 

*

*

Repeat the same steps for any eye shadow brushes.

These dry a lot faster than face brushes do, so I usually just lay them down on the same towel to save room.

*

*

Because I did just do this tonight, I don't have the after picture. 

But I will add it onto here tomorrow once the brushes are dry!

I hope you all enjoy this post and have fun cleaning :)

*

My brushes are products from

Sigma Beauty:

http://www.sigmabeauty.com/default.asp

Real Techniques: (also at ULTA)

http://realtechniques.com/

Bh Cosmetics:

www.bhcosmetics.com

Sally's Beauty Supply:

www.sallybeauty.com

*

If you want further detail on my brushes or which ones I specifically have, just message me and I'll let you know!

Family time..

So basically on the daily, my coworker and I tend to have heart to heart conversations about life, love, and all the things that drive us crazy. 

We talk about a variety of things, ranging from our shoes, nails, ignorance, broken hearts, death, love, and most of all our families.

We work in a place where the word family, does not always mean much.

We have a lot of people come to us with brokenness- we just try to pick up the pieces and put them back together. 

These circumstances often bring my coworker and I to a place of realization. 

We realize time and time again of the many blessings that we have, and just as many others do, we often take those blessings for granted.
There are so many little things in life that often get overlooked.

One topic we always touch base on; the simple act of eating together at the kitchen table for dinner.

Often we all forget how important it is to spend intimate time with our family. 

Whether you are newly married, have no children, have one, have ten, or you’re elderly, family time is necessary.

In particular, "Dinner time" is extremely important for children- of all ages.

 I see so often, many children going unnoticed. 

Parents get too busy, they lose their focus, and forget that their child/children have needs. 

Eating, bathing, having clothes on their backs, having roofs over their heads, etc..those are simple needs to a child. 

They may not always be simple to the parents out there, but to a child there is so much more that they need. 

Every child strives for attention. Whether they get it in a negative or a positive way, they NEED and WANT your attention.

I found a statistic that actually kind of made me really sad…

“The average parent spends 38.5 minutes per week in meaningful conversation with their children” (Jessica Barna).

38.5 minutes?!

               I can easily spend 38.5 minutes on Twitter (in one setting), no problem. 

There are parents out there who are not even spending that much time with their children per WEEK? It’s an overwhelming feeling to think that there are many parents out there who probably do not even really know who their children are. 

Spending time around the dinner table is the perfect opportunity to talk with your children. 

Get to know them for who they truly are. 

You might even be surprised, they probably would like to know who you are too.

I can honestly say, some of my best memories with my family is time spent
 around the dinner table. We never ate without giving thanks to God, sharing our day with each other, and loving on each other.

 I cherish those days with my family because those days, I will never get back.

Each day that you spend not knowing your child/children, is a day that you will never get back.

Having “Dinner” with your family is not about what you eat, how much food there is, where you sit, or how many times you get seconds. 

Having “Dinner” with your family is about how much love you share with one another. 

It’s about getting to know your children, helping them through their hard times, guiding them through life because we all know life is not always easy, and laughing with them.

Time is sacred, use it wisely- Children are not children forever. 

Fall Favorites..

*

The wait is finally over! 

Fall is back and very large and in charge..

The town's talk has been consumed by weather and how fast Fall has arrived this year.

Quite frankly, I'm okay with it.

Every year I get super excited for Fall and this year I would like to share my Fall favorites and what I am looking forward to this year!

*

First and foremost.....PUMPKIN CANDLES-Pumpkin everything is more like it!

Need I say more.

Oh my gosh, the first sight of them I about lost my mind.

I got this candle at CVS for $9.99 and let me tell you what it smells amazing!

*

-Fashion-

One word...obsessed.

I am obsessed with fall fashion!

Let's get real people, who isn't?! I mean it's probably the most looked forward to thing of the year (well, besides Christmas of course)

Anyway..I think my favorite fashion piece (aside from thick sweaters, moccs, and boots) this fall is probably going to be the plaid scarves I've been seeing. Gorge people..just gorgeous. 

-

*

-Nails-

I'm such a freak when it comes to my nails being painted. I literally feel like I'm losing my mind if they are not done. Having my nails painted makes me feel so put together and just..you know, complete. :)

I wear dark nail polish basically every day of the year, but when it's in season..i just go crazy.

The following are probably my basic favorites that I use every year!

*

OPI-  Just a little Rosti at this

*

OPI- From A to Z-Urich

*

China glaze- Loft-y Ambitious

*

China glaze- Call of the wild

*

Last, but not least we can't forget some of the most important parts of Fall...

Halloween, bon-fires, hay rides, haunted houses, scary movies, crunching leaves, and Thanksgiving.

-Happy Fall Y'all-

"Life starts all over when it get's crisp in the Fall"

F. S. F.                                        

<3 Shay

DIY American Flag Tshirt..

Being that the 4th of July is probably my second favorite holiday of the year, I had to make and post this DIY project..
I have been wanting to make this shirt for such a long time and never got to it...until now!
It actually turned out really well and done in perfect time for the 4th!
Here is how I did it..Enjoy!

*
Materials Needed:
-White v-neck

-Masking tape
(I think mine was the 1 inch wide one)
-Stars
(I got a pack of sticky ones from Walmart for $1.97)
-Blue spray paint
-Red spray paint
-Cardboard to avoid staining and to keep the shirt flat
*
How To:
1. Flatten the shirt onto the cardboard and start taping where the stripes belong.
I just eyeballed it, but a ruler would probably work too.
*
2. Next I just added my stars.
(I used sticky stars because I did it outside and it was windy)

*
3. Cover what will be the blue section with an extra piece of cardboard and paint on the stripes.
I did a little at a time until I got the color that I wanted.

*
4. Wait a few minutes for the red to dry then section the blue part off.
Once again I did just a little color at a time until I got the color I wanted.

*
5. I would suggest waiting about an hour.
The paint needs to dry really well before you take the tape off

*
6. Lastly remove the tape and the sticky stars

*
Because spray paint has such a distinct smell, I am going to gently wash the shirt in my sink before I decide to wear it.

Let me know if you like it and how yours turns out if you try it :)

<3 Shay

Day 8..

Day 8: Fears: No spiders or horror films. What truly scares you that brings out human emotion? Why does it make you fearful? How would you confront your worst fear?

*

Truthfully, I'm not even really scared of spiders, horror films, or anything like that..

I'm more scared of the real parts of life.

Overall, my biggest fear is to not truly live.

There are so many things I want to do in my life, see, and become.

Just like a lot of other people, I fear that I will never get to do those things.

I want to live my life as fully as possible..

I don't like living the same day twice, and I don't plan to.

I have made many many changes in this last year to better myself and the life I plan to live.

I eliminated a lot of negative and brought in a lot of positive.

*

Ever since I was little, I knew God had a plan for me and my life.

As I am growing older, I still know that he has a plan...but understanding and figuring out what that plan is...

Well that's not easy.

Negative things are all around us..which makes it hard to escape.

These negative things have brought me so much anxiety..

I let it overcome my life and make me into a bitter person.

I let it carry me through my days with fear, desperation, and hopelessness.

...But i'm not letting it anymore.

I have made permanent changes in my life that I will never break.

I am moving forward with God by my side..

I will succeed.

I will do great things.

I will be the woman that I and God wants to be.

I will truly live the way God wants me to live.

*

To be honest, if it wasn't for God..I don't think I could face my fears..

I have made the choice to stand firm in what I believe and let God help me tackle my fears.

It's easy to get distracted, it's easy to stray away, and it's not always easy to make your way back.

When I am fearful, I try to turn to God as much as I can..

These are just a few verses that help me get through my day and night..they calm my fears and bring me peace...

"Fear not, for I am with you. I am your God, I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous hand" -Isaiah 41:10

"When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer" -Psalms 94:19

"So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today" -Matthew 6:34

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

Never forget to Thank God for all he has done..

<3 Shay

Day 7..

Day 7: Enchantment: What is your favorite fairy tale, story, fable, or myth? Who is your favorite character, and why? What elements of the story enchant your mind?

*
I love anything that can enchant my mind, especially a fairy tale.
I've always loved to read stories and watch movies about fairy tales.
They bring me to a place that I have never been before..
They allow you to find a part of yourself that you may have once lost, or you have yet to find.
I love the magic I feel when I really get into a good fairy tale..
*

Let's get real..I cannot pick just one..
Actually, anything enchanting strikes my interest
We should always be searching for some sort of magic and enchantment in our lives..
Most of the time it's nothing outside of us, but within our beings.
Fairy tales remind me that it is okay to be different..
It's okay to stand out and stand up for what you believe in.
It is okay to follow your heart..
It's okay to be curious and go searching for what you thought you would never find..
*
You have to believe in yourself and in the magic that life holds.
I'm talking about finding the essence in all of the little things in life..
If you don't believe that there is good in people, then you will never find it.

<3 Shay