Hello May, Goodbye Makeup!!!

the outfit: floral dress with a red sweater.

the moment: Getting ready for church this morning has a major piece missing. not a very time consuming piece but one that takes priority too often in my daily routine. well, my outfit is the biggest piece but putting on makeup is probably second in line of importance for me.... it was until today. From now until the end of this term in June I will not be wearing any makeup! 

Why?.... that is a very good question. I'll start form the beginning:

last summer I was speaking to a friend of mine who gave up eating meat for a whole year! not for health reasons or because she wanted to save the baby cows, just because she wanted to see if she could do it, to have control over that very small aspect of her life. this got me thinking of what I want to have control over and what I would want to give up..... makeup was what I landed on.

this small idea evolved into a 8 month relay of does and don'ts that would climax with (without) makeup. Each month I picked a new "rule" that would add onto the previous pick. so by June there would be 8 things on the roster. Each one helping me improve my self control and simplifying my life. I can easily drive three blocks to the fabric store but why not ride my bike. I could easily grab a handful of MnM's and thoroughly enjoy them, especially peanut butter ones, but how about not this time. And I can DEFINITELY spend some serious cash on nice new clothes and shoes but how about I hunt for hidden treasure until I find a gem that someone else gave up just for me...     

October: Not eating fast food.

November: No purchasing espresso drinks

December: No candy

January: Only shopping 2nd hand for clothes

Febuary: Reading scripture daily

March: No eating 2nd helpings

April: Not driving for in town errands

May: No makeup

So today is day one of what will hopefully not be as hard as I am anticipating it to be. I'm not incredible self conscious of my appearance but I've just always relied on a little bit of makeup to try and hide those slight insecurities. plus its really fun to put on and wear!  

Have you ever thought how strange it is to try and explain make up to a child? or someone who has never heard of the concept?  "we paint our faces to enhance or hide certain features." at the core of it you will find a belief that our natural faces aren't good enough, aren't beautiful enough and aren't an accurate reflection of the inside. In a competitive world that puts massive value on attractiveness, makeup has become such a normal part of our daily routine. without even thinking about it we cake on the lotions, powders and colors.  it is at a very basic level body modification.  I'm not trying to say that makeup is bad, I've been wearing it for years and in June I will wear it again, but too often the motives behind makeup are wrong. God created us in His image. Do you appreciate that image God has given you? You are soooooooooooo beautiful in His eyes. why should anyone else's matter?

I hope that this truth moves from my mind into my heart through this experience. 

For a second there I thought that was a tattoo

The outfit: skinny gray jeans, black and white patterned tank top, pale pink hoody, rain boots.

the moments: Tattoos have become a pretty significant part of my life, at the very least my appearance. My body is a canvas to display pretty pictures as well as meaningful images. Yes each of my tattoos have a meaning and a story behind them but at the very root of them all, i think they are so beautiful! in light of eternity our earthly bodies are so so so temporary!!! why not decorate them and tell the story of who we are?
Here I am:

Tattoo #1 June 2009
from the first moment i knew i was going to get a tattoo a dandelion was what i wanted! there playful and wonderful essence is captures by their attraction the children's wishes. Some view them as opportunities to be youthful while others view them as plain old weeds. How can something so delicate and intricately beautiful be an eye sore? This tattoo reminds me to maintain that childlike innocence and continue to be aware of the little things that so often go unnoticed, especially in nature. The stem of the flower is the bible verse 1 Peter 4:7-11. This chunk of scripture is also a daily reminder of how I want to live my life.

Tattoo #3 October 2010
This idea evolved over the course of about a year. My sister recently became a tattoo artist and I was so so excited to have her work on me! I really wanted a piece to represent my family. we are all very creative and arty in our unique ways. That is a big reason why I wanted it to look like paint.  My mom is an inspiration to me, from a very young age we are doing all sorts of projects and crafts. it is because of her that I have that desire and passion to create and be artsy! My dad who is also very creative is a musician which is represented by the music note splatters. My brother, who is again very creative works on the complete other side of the spectrum!!! Computers! For him i put binary code running down the bone. It reads:FAMILY. My sister obviously did the tattoo. There is also a trinity which represents that part of my eternal family. This one receives the most comments on a day to day basis.

   

Tattoo #4 March 2011
This is my most recent addition. One of the most Awesome, Mysterious, Wonderful, Powerful, and Marvelous qualities of God that we as humans posses is the ability to create. He is the ultimate creator, just look out the window, and yet within every one of us is that same characteristic. I see evidence of the Lord in so many things, natural or "man made". I am so very thankful for this ability and similarity to God. One of the ways I express my creativity is through tattoos... and sewing. This is a hand needle with thread swirled around to spell the word create!!! soooooooo good!! My sister did this one as well.

You may have noticed there is no #2. thats because I have proverbs 21:23 tattooed inside my lip. it doesn't photograph very well.....  this proverbs says "He who guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles." Your words are very powerful! They have the ability to lift people up or completely tear them down! This is just a subtle reminder for me to be aware of this fact.

Who are you?

BUSHWHACKERS!!!!!!

The outfit: 
Long dark jeans with a sleeveless off-white blouse tucked in. brown belt with a corvette buckle. brown western boots.  
the moment:

I started country dancing last September. I was just thrown into the mix at Eagles. My first night was completely overwhelming; stumbling through every line dance and feeling sorry for my partner who endured me walking all over his feel during the couple dances. By the end of the night, drenched in sweat and frustration, I couldn't tell if I hated every minute or wanted it to come back each week until I knew all the steps. I chose the second option... I actually don’t think I have missed a Thursday night of dancing since that horrid maiden voyage to Eagles. Each week I learn something new. And now that I am in the country dancing class I have learned some of the more technical aspects.  It has been so helpful to actually learn the footwork. This has made the most difference on the 2 step and swing. Before I would just spin around until my lead stopped me. It involved a lot of guessing and verbal instruction, all while I am counting the slows and the quicks for the 2 step. But now I am better at understand each move and what the lead is trying to do.   

Last week I went to Bushwhackers Dance Hall and Saloon with about ten other people. It was a perfect ration between men and women which is usually not the case at Eagles, so I was able to dance to every song I wanted to! Almost all of the people I went with are in the country 2 class which makes every dance a learning experience with new variations. I enjoy the challenge of trying something new and committing it to memory for the next week. My favorite dance is the Cha Cha. Fortunately they played at least four that night. It is also very interesting to see the distinct dancing style of each partner. We may be doing the same variation but each guy has his own style of leading and executing it. There is one variation during the pivot turns in the cha cha where it is the most noticeable. This helps make each dance a new experience! Near the end of the night when the dance floor was nearly empty we had the opportunity to practice our fancy swing moves. One of our friends who has not taken the dance class, wanted to learn some of the more technical moves, including the log roll. I was the guinea pig for this educational process. After several failed attempts we finally mastered some fun move. We learned a couple dips, the log roll, and a move where the girl is hoisted up on his hip and flung around to his other hip before landing back on her feet. I also practiced the butt duster with one of the more experienced guys in out group. After bruising my butt pretty bad I think I've got the hang of it. I am very excited for the day I can execute these moves during an actual swing dance, not just while we are practicing. It is so awesome to see the rang of skill everyone has and the willingness to learn as well as teach each other. I have a great group of friends! Once we were the only people on the dance floor we had the D.J. play one of our favorite line dances to end the night, Runaway! Laughing and twirling we sang every word/instrumental and tried to travel the span of the dance floor with each wall. Needless to say Thursday nights have become the highlight of my week! Not only is it fun to flail around on the dance floor but it is a great way to spend time with the people I love.

Yeeeeeeeehawww!!!!!!  

What Ifs and a Fast Pulse

The Outfit:
Skinny jeans rolled up, a black "The Click Five" tee shirt, and black vans.

The Moment:
These past few weeks have been an endless canter of "what ifs", hopes and uncertain plans between Adriana and I as we try to patiently wait for a responce from the canyon in regards to the summer internship. Its a tough battle between patience and anxiety as every day rolls by without a phone call.  Thursdays are my busies day. And thats saying something coming from a student with a vigorous 8 credit & 7 hour work schedule. As I am making my way across campus from work to my first class of the day(out of two) I see a missed call and voicemail from an unknown number! My heart instantly starts racing (with no relation to the bike ride to class). The message is from Tim, my potential summer supervisor, asking for me to call him back. Needless to say I had the hardest time paying attention in my already boring lecture class. After the longest Hour and Twenty minutes of my life I called the Ranch in hopes to hear the wonderful news that I have been hired! but no..... ring after ring after ring..... no answer. I finally was able to leave a message on someone else's inbox for Tim to call me back. My heart was still racing (with no relation to the coffee I drank during class). Disappointed and still attached to my phone... I wait!!!