Slow and steady wins the race

A few things have set me back a bit. 1.) Procrastination. I'm a professional procrastinator. This is a partial shot of my room right now. And I haven't even touched the kitchen, yet. Oy. Tomorrow, Monday, I'm supposed to be putting boxes into my storage unit. By Tuesday, I should have everything packed in there and locked up. Can I just say that I hate clothes? This is the MAJORITY of my problem. Then add in this nostalgic half-problem where I have to keep things because they might be something I'll want in the future, and I'm overwhelmed like an overcooked bowl of oatmeal. 2.) Money. No real surprise there, but for once, When I did the RESPONSIBLE thing, I paid for it. Or, well, I'm not able to pay for anything else, I guess. I knocked out all of my bills for July(yay!) but then forgot that I have $25 I need for checking my bag on the airline on Wednesday, AND the $58 I need for the Storage Unit. Bonus, though, I paid my entire bill for my comprehensive car insurance. It only cost me about $38 for 6 months. It's like... a steal. Woop! 3.) Unfortunately, that SUPER ADORBS Fan Photo that I had for my card wasn't accepted. Bummer. So I guess when the opportunity arises again, It's back to Hogwarts, I go! No big deal, I suppose. It's a gorgeous picture. But Copyright issues with Disney were the culprit. Banks are so picky, and I just want to be nerdy. Did I ever mention that what I SHOULD be doing right now is making a bit of a catalog of my boxes? Yeah. So my mom can find things if she needs to, when I need her to get the jackets, foundation, or random costumes I might need. Imma go do that now. Well, After I tell you guys that leaving church and my Crosspoint Kiddos today was SUPER bittersweet. This proves to me that what we do in church makes a difference in these kids lives. Gunner, one of my favorites, was so cute when I said Goodbye. He said "Why do you guys have to go? First Greg, then you." (Greg was another leader who also got an awesome job opportunity) I explained that we both were just blessed with new opportunities, and Gunner said "You'll be there for one day. And then you'll come back. And then Greg will come back the next day." Haha! So adorable. We're going to miss that charming child. Ok. Now for Cataloging. meh.

You call me out upon the waters.

Ever since I've gotten the chance to work with Disney, I've been extremely nervous of my relationship with God, and how it will be affected by moving away from my favorite churches in Nashville. My biggest disappointment is leaving all my kiddos at Crosspoint Kids. I lead worship for them on Sunday nights, and I have an absolute BLAST doing so! But my preparations for leaving have left me to drawing away a little more than I normally would, this summer. I believe it's because I don't want to get too attached to these children. Normally, I'd be waist deep in VBS activities and I'd go out for Summer Camp counseling and music leadership - at least that's what I'd love to be doing. But I'm a HUGE procrastinator and so all the things I'm supposed to be doing are taking up my time from that. Instead, I'm supposed to be packing, organizing, and getting ready to store things. Have I been? Not as much as I should. Granted, I DID just go through boatloads of makeup and weed out anything that should be expired, thrown out, or just plain organized. However, that still leaves me a whole MaryKay starter kit bag full of junk. That thing doesn't look so big, but just try putting that into another travel bag, then add a box of hair care (1 Hair Dryer, 1 Straightener, 1 Mini straightener, 1 Mini curler, 1 Styling Comb, 1 flat comb, and 1 Mini Brush, Conditioner, Shampoo, and also a body wash). Yeah. Not much room left in that bag when I need to bring shoes, jewelry and clothes. I guess that's what my Carry-On is for, but sheesh. This packing thing's not so easy. Especially when I'm going through ALL of my stuff, and I discover things that I think "Oh, this would be nice to have...." Like the millions of fragrances and lotions I have stored up from working at Victoria's Secret. I'm GOING to need lotion. But which one ... ONES... do I want to take? AND DO I HAVE ROOM FOR THEM????!!!! ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!!!. Bah. Humbug. Anyway. I SHOULD be going through these and actually deciding. but I get bored, distracted, and tired, and I end up napping, instead, when I should be volunteering to help out with the kiddos. I'm REALLY sorry. But I KNOW that I would be even more insane if I WERE working with the kids more than I am. Even though I love them. Also, part of me wants to kindof take as little time with the kids as possible, just so I'm not overwhelmed with them when I'm constantly surrounded by them on the ship. The other part about my worry has been about whether I'll find a church I'll connect well with. Crosspoint and Brentwood Baptist both have a REALLY good direction going for them, and that's what I love about big churches. They have the power to remind their attenders that, as christians, we need to focus on the outward love and care of the world around us. God and us... We're good. We're forgiven. The vertical relationship between us and God is good. We're not perfect - duh. But we don't have to focus on that so much as the fact that IF we're good(and we are) with God, Then we need to then love God's people. That means our relationship with the world around us needs to take place much more. It's SO common for a church to focus internally, and they don't necessarily MEAN to do so, but they get caught up in how things are going that they put less emphasis on what they need to be doing. Crosspoint is opening a church in a prison. They're setting up camps for disabled kids(Because being disabled doesn't disqualify you from God's love). They're opening a new Dream Center and creating a program for inner-city kids to get connected with internships and programs so that they aren't left out and forgotten! Crosspoint is making it a HUGE point to SERVE THE COMMUNITY. They're making a HUGE point to be an outward expression of God's love and to be the example of how the church should be creating and leaving its legacy. When people look at Crosspoint, they should say "Oh my gosh, Thank God for that church and the work they do to make this city better!" Not just "Oh, that big church..." Brentwood is very similar in its mission, and I'm so glad to be an attender at both churches. I go to Kairos on Tuesday nights and then Crosspoint on Sundays, and I LOVE this schedule and the messages. But my worry has been whether I'll find a church with the same mission. My worries were stifled for that, last night, when I heard the leader speak at Kairos last night. My worry and fear was that I wouldn't have a church to fit into. When I should have been concerned about how I can find someplace I can stoke the fire to. I shouldn't be going somewhere I'm comfortable. I should be going somewhere that I can help lead! I shouldn't be counting on some other church to GET IT. I already understand what Jesus told me and all of us to do. I GET that I'm supposed to be setting an example. Through Faith, I should be letting good works, deeds, and morals fall into place, and I should be leading others to Christ through my example. I'm supposed to love others. That's my greatest command after loving God with everything I am. I'm still working on that. But I understand that I'm supposed to. So it came to my understanding yesterday that I'm not going down there to fall into place in another church that might not get it, yet. I'm going down there to share my love, and to be an example for the people around me to understand the calling to love others around us. Now, I have a new mindset. I'm not worried about going down there to fit in, anymore. I'm going there to step out and be an outward expression of Christ's love. Instead of finding a fire that's already ablaze, I'm going to put myself somewhere that I can stoke or build a fire with. I've got the reminder down that I'm supposed to be looking outward, to God's people. It's time more people were reminded of that, and ACTED on it. I'm not growing if I'm not scared. That's a lesson I'm continuing to understand. I'm scared to go down there and leave my friends, family, and comfortable lifestyle. But I'm going to grow in experiences and friends when I go down there. If I don't let myself go to do that, I'll be stuck in a rut, and that's not a fun place to be. And I don't want anyone else to be stuck there, either. The last thing I've been thinking a lot about lately is how God is speaking to me. I feel like it's usually through music, and I was blessed at the right time to have God speak through a newly popular Hillsong song. You call me out upon the waters The great unknown where feet may fail And there I find You in the mystery In oceans deep My faith will stand And I will call upon Your name And keep my eyes above the waves When oceans rise My soul will rest in Your embrace For I am Yours and You are mine Your grace abounds in deepest waters Your sovereign hand Will be my guide Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me You've never failed and You won't start now So I will call upon Your name And keep my eyes above the waves When oceans rise My soul will rest in Your embrace For I am Yours and You are mine Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders Let me walk upon the waters Wherever You would call me Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander And my faith will be made stronger In the presence of my Savior -Hillsong United Guys. God is LITERALLY calling me out upon the water. I'm getting on a SHIP. And the words in this song are strong reminders to remain confident and trust in God and in His plans for me. He will not fail me. Even if things go crazy, which, they always do - no matter what job you're in. Things will be tough. Waters will rise, literally and figuratively. I'm going where I've never gone before, in the middle of an ocean, and I'm GOING to rest in Gods promises. I have to. I will. This song spoke to me a lot. It's like a little message, saying "Jill. When you need to remember to keep close to Me and remember what I'm calling you to do, think/sing/speak this song. It'll be a great tool to you." And Finally, Amanda Cook's song, You Make Me Brave, continues to solidify how God is speaking to me. You make me brave You make me brave You called me out beyond the shore Into the waves I'm called to do this. I'm called to be where I'm going. I'm scared. I'm nervous. But God is RIGHT THERE. I'm going to be fine. And hopefully, I'll help lead someone to Christ, and help them GET what it means to be a child of God. ...Mmk that is all for today.

Preparations

So as I've been planning out my last few weeks on land, I've been paying attention to my last days at each of my jobs. July 3rd will be my last day at Artisan Design Gallery. :( July 4th will be my last day at Bare Minerals(Woohoo time and a half to kick me off!) July 5th will be my last day at Crosspoint as the 4:30 Worship Leader ;(((( And Victoria's Secret is still TBD, just because I need to keep my insurance, but I'm unfortunately very close to putting in my 2 weeks notice to the job I've had the longest. It's been 5 years and 9 months since I started working at Victoria's Secret, and it's going to be bittersweet leaving this job. On one hand, I'm going to be EXTREMELY relieved that I don't have do deal with those dishonest shoplifters and irritated customers that just can't seem to let anything go right on their visits. On the other hand, I'm going to miss my regulars and the family that I've built through being with this company. I've learned so much through VS, and I've got a lot of respect for everyone who has each job that they have taken on in that place. It takes a very patient and loving person to work retail and enjoy it. It takes an even MORE patient and loving person to encourage a woman about the size she is wearing, whether it's a shirt, pants or bra, and to furthermore make her feel CONFIDENT. Sometimes a Woman's confidence is all you need to boost to make her feel special(And sometimes that means boosting the sisters, too!) As I was working yesterday, something came across my mind. Through the frustration of trying not to die in our horribly laid out back room, I looked at each of our mannequins, and something just struck me. Each of them were different. Some were grey forms. Some pink. Some clear. Some were plastic. Some cloth. Some satin. Each and every single one of them did the same job, just differently. They all wore clothing. Or lingerie. The plastic ones didn't give at all, but the pink cloth ones had a little extra cushion where the bra went so that it would give the illusion of a great pushup when a bra was put on it. Others were even only busts or booties. We've got some on the floor that are mostly full bodies, minus arms, feet, and heads. But like I said before, they all fit the same purpose of displaying the merchandise. Each of them were just a little different. Some were great for unlined bras. Some were great to enhance the look of a pushup. Some were going to be good for bright colors to be displayed, and others were better choices for the more normal and muted colors to be displayed. The ones out on the sales floor showed just how nicely our leggings fit. Some were meant for certain things, but that didn't make them any less valuable. That's just the same way I feel about this race problem we're having. Whether the form is grey, pink, black, white, yellow, fluorescent(Sorry guys, I'm TRYING to tan my legs), olive, brown, clear, They're all here for the same purpose. Those of you at Crosspoint will recognize this, and see that this is WHY this is a part of my thought process right now. Those who have heard and read the bible might also recognize this - as well as christians. I would encourage you to visit crosspoint.tv and watch the new Unwritten Series to see where the other part of my heart is at this point. "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." - John 13: 34-35 When Jesus came, he did not come to start a religion or to separate us. Nowhere in his teachings did he say "Your RELIGION is the most right, or MY RELIGION is the most correct." No no no! Jesus said "The only way to the father is through ME[Jesus... not me. I can't save you unless you're like... falling off of something and I'm nearby. Sorry.]." Did he say a single thing about how any race was more important than the other? Or social status? NO! In fact, he SOUGHT OUT the least favorable of people just to prove that it didn't matter WHO the heck you were. What mattered was that our instruction was to LOVE ONE ANOTHER. Simplified. Demanding, yes. Oh my gosh, you guys have to listen to Pete's message. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE go listen. He describes this SO much better than I do. But I follow his thinking 100%. Anyway. The other thing that frustrates me is how people cannot seem to get over the fact that they HAVE to put each other in their place. Black, White, Anyone of a different race, Cops, Civilians, Crooks, People in general. Yes, it's our sinful nature, but WHEN is it going to be more important to be known for our compassion and LOVE than being able to put someone in their place? Because I'm anxious for that day. Instead of all these stupid hashtags about #blacklivesmatter and #bluelivesmatter, how about we start and continue with a new one? #ALLLIVESMATTER !!! We are all here to do the SAME PURPOSE. Just differently. Just like those Mannequins. Instead of displaying bras and panties(Though some of us obviously do THAT well, too #angels #angelstatus #iwannabeahealthyweightandonabeachincuteswimmingsuits) We're displaying LOVE. We're supposed to be getting along because it's more important to have peace than it is to cause an issue. We CAN agree to disagree. That's okay, as long as it is not in favor of something harmful. We're all different sizes, different colors, and do things a little differently, but the main goal is still the same. To display something good. To display Gods love. To everyone. REGARDLESS of who they are... And yes. That means terrorists. That means we love the unlovable. Because MAYBE that might change just ONE of their lives. And that might make ALL the difference. It could. One more quick little story, and I'll get on with my Preparations for Disney... Hailey Hunt, You'll like this one. There was a Grandson and Grandfather walking along a beach. The Grandson noticed that hundreds of starfish had washed ashore and were dying as the tide receded. So as they walked, he would pick one up and toss it back into the ocean. After a while the Grandfather paused his Grandson and said "You know you can't save all of them, right? There are hundreds, Maybe even thousands..." The grandson said "No, But I can save this one." He tossed one into the ocean and picked up another. "And that one... And that one..." Sometimes, it takes just one. Martin Luther King Jr., JK Rowling, Einstein, Franklin Roosevelt, Taylor Swift... The list goes on. Each of those people had VASTLY different goals. MLK: Color fairness. Accomplished through PEACEFUL protest(though yes, there was some dissonance) JKR: Saving Orphans from Institutions. (She never meant to be famous, but what she's DOING with her fame from HP is Phenomenal and life-changing!) E: discovering things that made life make sense,(e=mc2 ... I don't math, but for some people this is SUPER important) FDR: uniting a country under fear (Fireside Chats led our nation through crisis!) And TS: Manages herself well! (She stalks her fans, gives them presents, and hangs out with them!) But each of them did these things for the GOOD of others. They display love. And it CAN take just one person to make a huge impact. So why don't we all band together and make a GARGANTUAN impact with OUR display of love and good? Ok, I'm stepping off my soapbox now, to update everyone a little more on my Disney stuff. I'm going to be shutting down my Bank Accounts soon, and I've opened a new one! My two reasons for this: 1.) My normal bank isn't anywhere near port. 2.) They let me personalize my card. LOOK LOOK LOOK! I'm putting THIS on my card!!! ISN'T IT CUTE?! Kristoff is a Hufflepuff! Anna is a Gryffindor! The only way it could be more perfect is if I would have gone with THIS image: Look, there's even a tear in the space/time continuum in the ice!!! But I didn't because it was just too small for a card. It's time for me to sadly say goodbye to the Hogwarts card. But I've got that image on the back of my phone, so It's all good. Moving on. I bought myself a new suitcase. I'm extra excited about this one because I can fold it all the way back up after I've taken all my stuff out of it, and it's smaller than a briefcase! I got it from The Container Store, and they only had 7, so I had to get one. It's bigger than what I was GOING to use, which is GREAT! I'll have more room for more... crap. :/ meh. Anyway, this also means that I can put boxes and things in there for storage. Woot! I've got several I thought I was going to leave behind because they wouldn't fit neatly in the suitcase I own. Now they will, and they'll be better bases for what I'm packing. OH! I called AT&T the other day and asked them about cellular coverage. Puerto Rico and a few of the Virgin Islands. I should be able to have Domestic connections there, so I can call my mom from the beach. Woo! I'm going to double and triple check, but or now, this is what I'm going on! Also, I think something is wrong with my phone, so I'm going to have to stop by AT&T later and see if they can't fix it. For now, that's all.

Bibbidi Bobbidi Oh my Goodness!!!

Guys, As the day gets closer that I'm going to be in Florida to start my new job, I progressively get more and more nervous. Here's an update, so far: (and first thing's first, if this font in "dancing script" is too much for your eyes, leave a comment below and let me know!!! I like it, but it might be a bit much...) Firstly, I've gotten my storage situation taken care of. Unless someone wouldn't mind me paying them like $20 a month to put the stuff that's going into storage into their storage unit or garage or shed. Which would be supah welcome! However, Thompson Lane Storage is being extremely kind to me! I took my stuff there to be stored before I moved into the place below my mom's house. They charged me like $58 for a 5x10 unit which was pretty cheap considering all the other places around Nashville. But their prices have gone up. So, Since I was a returning customer (and I LOVE the desk lady's office cat), I'm sticking at the $58 a month, instead of $89! Wahoo! I'm also paying her off with Toilet Paper rolls for her kitty. Those are his favorite type of toy! Secondly, I've finally moved 90% of all the jewelry I own into a Charming Charlie jewelry bag...thing. It's like an over the door Shoe storage thing, but for Jewelry. So, much smaller. Which is strange for me, because I'm used to having that 4.5x3.5 foot, lace back, gold frame displaying my earrings and necklaces beautifully. Sadly, that is also going into storage. :( Thirdly, I'm in the gruelingly boring process of sorting through my makeup. Which, if you know me, is a next to impossible task. I have this huge hat box where I've dumped the majority of it into, and I STILL don't have room for it all. UGH! I know I'm going to have to start off with the basics and move up from there, but dangit. I have so many dang colors. Y I cant haz dem ALLz? (Because there's no room for them, dummie.) My Caribbean wardrobe for my face is going to look something like this for the BARE MINimum (if you know me, you'll see what I did there): Cleanser: Either Aveda's Tourmaline exfoliating cleanser or Bare Minerals Mineralixirs Facial cleanser. Before I got my job back at Bare Minerals, they introduced this new oil line that included an Oil Cleanser, 5 in 1 Oil blend for moisturizing, and a nourishing oil eye balm. A little lesson: A lot of people are WRONG when they think that putting oil onto their face is BAD. Now, obviously, not just any old oil will do. I wouldn't recommend going to the fryer at a McDonalds and grabbing the cooled oil from the fryer. BAAAAAD idea. Oh so bad! But Coconut Oil was something I was experimenting with and loving, since it was so gentle and moisturizing. Plus, it has a PLETHORA of uses. I used it for cleaning and moisturizing, sometimes even oil pulling, and it was LOVELY. My face is soft with the oils, AND oil naturally dissolves oil. So it attacks the trapped oils in your pores and helps gently lift them away! It's great for those gross blackheads on your nosies. Plus, it leaves your skin with a nice natural glow. That's what I've noticed on mine. People think oil is going to make MORE oil happen on your skin. Not the whole truth. In fact, when you use products that are supposed to dry up oil, your skin FREAKS! It's naturally supposed to have a good balance, and stripping it of natural oils is going to make it go crazy and overproduce! This is why I WON'T use Proactive. If you are oily, meaning oil seems to spring up on your face no less than 5 minutes after you've washed your face, you HAVE to moisturize. Your skin is SO thirsty for what you're stripping it of. So if you have oily skin, try a gentle oil cleanser like the one at Bare Minerals(now at BareEscentuals.com or in your Local Green Hills and Cool Springs Malls), and use it for a good month. You'll start to see your results after you've spent a lot of time with it. You can't expect an IMMEDIATE change with pretty much anything. Especially Skin Care. You've got to give your skin time to adjust. It took me 3 months to clear up my acne from using Bare Minerals products, and now it's SO much more happy! Primer: You're going to get sick of me talking about this company, but it's mostly what I use, and I stand behind their products! Bare Minerals has this fantastic Primer that makes me feel like I have a brand new canvas of skin for my makeup to sit on. It's like Silk, ya'll. I use the Original, but there's a ton of different types for different things. When I get sunburned(and I WILL, unfortunately, get sunburned), I'll probably have the neutralizing one on hand to keep the redness out of my finished look! Eyelid Primer: Bare Minerals Eyelid Primer This stuff is Supermegafoxyawesomehot! This is the only primer for your eyelids(that I presently know of) that has SPF in the formula. So when you're laying out in that summer sun, sans your hipster shades you had before they were awesome in order to avoid inverted raccoon eyes, your delicate lids won't be burned(as easily - Moderation in everything!)! Ever had an eyelid burn? Yeah, it SUCKS. This formula is made with SPF 15 and can be worn with or without eyeshadow. In fact, the light, nude colors are fantastic for a base that brings out the majestic color of that new eyeshadow you're going to buy once I tell you about it later! Moisturizer: Now I've got 2.5 options for this. 1.) Bare Minerals Advanced Protection Moisturizer This is 1.5, because I have one version for when I'll be on the ship and not in the sun, and the other version that has SPF 20 in it for when I will be. However, these will be what I use when I use my powder makeup. I won't use them for my 2nd option, which is Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue I have fallen absolutely in LOVE with this Complexion Rescue product! Here's a little background as to WHY: When you look at a moisturizing liquid foundation, the molecule of that foundation is made of three things. Think of it as an Onion while I explain the layers. (Made-ya think of Shrek, didn't I? Muahaha!) There's even a video link in the description box of the hotlink I attached to the aforementioned product. Go freaking watch it! It's gross and cool at the same time! :D The outer Layer is usually made of Pigment to match your skin color. Then Oil is underneath that, and then water for moisture. Complexion Rescue works from the inside out! Outside, you have Mineral Infused water. Your skin craves certain minerals to thrive! That water is around Bare Minerals' Pigment and Humectants. For those of you who need a dictionary for that H word, It just means things that retain moisture. In official studies, the use of the Complexion Rescue improves skin's Moisture levels up to 215% after one week! There are no fragrances, parabens, silicones, or oils, and it's hypoallergenic, so you don't have to worry about your skin freaking out too much at all! This product has the best qualities of a BB, CC, and Tinted Moisturizer, without all the crap you don't need in your makeup. It goes on with a cool feeling because of the water, and leaves your skin with a fantastic dewy glow. If you want to matte that glow up a bit, I like to set my Complexion Rescue with the Mineral Veil. It's a translucent powder with a little Corn Starch in it to soak up excess oils and moisture. Bonus round: The Complexion Rescue has SPF 30!!!! Foundation Also 2.5 options for this. 1 is the Complexion Rescue I already talked about. BUT It's more of a sheer to medium coverage, so when I need MOAR, I'll use my Bare Minerals Original Powder Foundation. Naturally, it comes with SPF 15, so this is why it's important for me to have my SPF 20 moisturizer. KEEP IN MIND this does NOT mean I have SPF 45. You cannot add SPF like that. Whatever highest SPF you have on your face is the highest you'll get. The only layering technique you can do to increase your sun protection is a sun hat or umbrella. Even then, still be careful. If you are out on the beach, the reflection of the water still translates into a burn if you don't have SPF, or low SPF and a hat. Same thing with Snow. Just be careful. Protect that beautiful skin of yours! Now, the reason I have .5 options for this is because I range from the shade Fairly Light (or Fluorescent, as I like to call it), to Medium Beige (meaning, oh hey, that girl isn't dead!) depending on whether I've been in the sun much or not. For the past 5 months, I have NOT been in the sun much. I've been in an air conditioned shop, selling gorgeous jewelry and gaining weight like it's my career. However, when I worked door to door, I got this lovely color of Medium Beige, and I was quite happy with it! I'll have Fairly light for while I'm working up my tan, and once I've got some color, I'll need to switch. Same thing with my Complexion rescue. While I can use the #5 shade, I can tell there is more pigment than my skin has if I don't cover my face correctly. So I'll switch from #2 to #5 when I have more color. Hence the half a point for options on foundation. Then, if I'm outside and notice I'm getting a little dewy, I can brush some Mineral Veil over my skin and keep my makeup from melting off. :D Now to shed a little color on the situation. There are two things I will NEVER leave my abode without. A.) Mascara. I use Bare Minerals Lash Domination. It has Quinoa extract in the formula to nourish and lengthen lashes. While it is not altogether waterproof, it is water resistant, which is nice. That means I can wash it off without having raccoon eyes that I have to scrub-a-dub-dub for 5 minutes until they're clean. I've noticed a difference in the length of my lashes. They had once been getting shorter and shorter as years went by. As a kid in dance, I never needed fake lashes because mine were fabulous! But as I got older, I started to notice that they didn't rock quite as much. After using this formula for over a year, I'm hooked! My lashes have grown at least a centimeter, and they've gotten fuller. Oh mylanta it's so nice! Even though Fake Lashes are fun, too! Pro tip: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE replace your Mascara once every THREE months. You will not believe the amount of girls that come into work to get their eyes did that have styes! Gross fact: All adults have eyelash mites. They feed and live on the oils, bacteria, and dirt on your eyelashes. If that, in itself, is not a reason to STOP SHARING MASCARA TUBES, I don't know what is. The transfer of those gruddy little things, along with the existing oil, bacteria, and dirt, creates an unclean place on your eyelids, resulting in styes, which can really damage your vision if they get bad enough. On top of that, it's bad for all that rubbing and itching! You have to be gentle with your eyes! They're the only ones you've got! Wash them every single night before you go to bed. It doesn't hurt to clean your face in the morning, too! 2.) Blush. I'm dead looking without it. As of right now, my absolute FAVORITE shade is Bare Minerals All Over Face Color in True. It can be used all over the face. Hence the name. But I love it for just a little hint of sparkle and color on my cheeks. It's natural and ethereal at the same time. I'll also pop a little Flawless Radiance on the top of my cheekbone, just under my eye, and up under my eyebrow bone for a dewy highlight. LOVE! Now, if you're looking for something with a little more pink, without the mess of a powder (so you can pop right it in your purse), The Natural High is a great pink with a beautiful golden highlight. Moving on to the fine tuning, I'll share some colors I adore, and for the sake of time, I'm just going to mention them, and link you to the main Bare Escentuals page so you can search for them on your own. Eyeshadow Lately, I've been favoring Nude Beach and Bahamas for my all over lid wash. Every now and then, I'll pop on some of that True, just to make my eyes look bluer, but those are my go-to's right now. They've got just enough sparkle, and, well, I'm in the mood for being tropical, anyway! At this point, I'll shade my eyelid creases with just about any dark color. Heart is a good one for every day, while the Warmth all over face color is also a good choice to give a nice sunkissed shade. Celestine is a fantastic smokey color, and then Queen Phyllis is a very popular highlight color. But you do you. Those Baby Blue eyes go well with more blues, reds, and coppers. Green eyes will pop(just not out of their sockets - hopefully) with purples, and browns can do pretty much anything. If you want your eyes to look bigger, line your waterline with a white color(I'm lazy and just used powder eyeshadow), and if you want those blue eyes to look even more blue, line your waterline with a light, whitish blue. I'm not going to line my eyes much this summer. I've gotten too busy for all that micro-focus nonsense. But every now and then, I'll take a black liner of no particular brand origin and line my upper waterline just to make my lashes look fuller. In fact, I don't think Disney allows winged eyeliner, and I'm okay with that. Unless they want me to look like a classic pinup. Then they're going to have to attach a corset and red lipstick to that contract. While we're on the topic of lipstick, I'll tell you what I'm currently using as my normal routine. I've got a set of 6 lip glosses from Bare Minerals from last season. Something along the lines of "Natural Nudes" or something. Their Marvelous Moxie line has Shea butter in it, so I seriously just use these things as my chapstick. I'm not really a lipstick girl, and chapstick ends up flaking my lips too much, on top of the fact that there's a lot of precision involved for me with lipstick. So I'll swipe a pretty light color over my lips and be done with it. Now, Bare Minerals doesn't have that kit anymore, but they do have a new set of 3 double ended wands with 6 colors ranging from nude to peach and deep maroon. Though, they're glosses, so they're not going to be SUPER pigmented. The kit is called Gloss on the Go, and I'm going to get one because I'm almost out of all 6 of my other glosses! I got them a year ago! Finally for my makeup wardrobe, I'm going to stick in a little bit of skincare for the body. I got a personalized body wash valued at $25 from Aveda for my "birthday."(meaning I got my coupon 2 months after the fact...) That company seriously spoils its clients! It's super minty. Nom! I've been a fan of Jergens Natural Glow Moisturizer for a long while, now. At $9 a bottle, it's a little disheartening to purchase, but when my legs look like replacement bulbs for the light fixtures, and I'm going to the Caribbean for work, I think I can shell out a few bucks to not blind our clients until my natural color comes in. It also helps my Hypopigmentation in my shins where I cut myself shaving when I was younger. When I worked at a Tanning Salon in College, I would notice these little white spots, and my manager told me(and ruined my whole day, then), that those spots that were missing that melanin would NEVER color again. Boo hoo. So the color in the formula helps me have even skin color. Just please remember to wash your hands after using. otherwise, you'll get it trapped in the base of your fingers, and that isn't very attractive. MOVING FORTH Fourthly(see what I did there?), Sorting my CLOTHES out is the NEXT next to impossible task. I'm planning on taking mostly dresses since they're so comfortable, and I've got several I don't want to just pack away because they're adorable! I have 2 pairs of shorts that fit me, so on days my legs aren't white, I'll be wearing those. And I'm going to be super torn with shirts. Should I pack a couple of adorable ones to wear? Or should I pack my plain old Church T-Shirts that are made of some sort of magically soft cotton? Maybe two of those? Then cuteness all around? I gotta say, though, (and this is going to get a little TMI-ish) I'm going to hate leaving behind a lot of my bras. Working at Victoria's Secret has taught me that there are SO many bras for SO many things! And I can't just leave all of them at home! Of course, My Incredibles will come. They're the most comfortable. And I'll need a strapless one for those dresses. Then lies the problem of underwear - which I pretty much have solved. PINK has created this line of superfantastic seamless underwear that is quite honestly perfect for any and all occasions. They don't show through Yoga Pants(of which I'm packing like 3 pair), There are colors that go perfectly under light colors(like my white shorts), and they are weightless and seamless! My cheeks really love these. So I've obsessively stalked every 7 for $27 sale since they came out, and I've got PLENTY. The only problem is that I have some cute normal underwear. Underwear to wear with jeans that don't care if there's a seam or not. And then there are the ones that MATCH the bras I love that I'm bringing. Good Gracious. I hate this narrowing down thing. But hey... Sometimes narrowing down is good. Not only for stress of what to wear, but also for the tummy! That's right, I'm narrowing down... Fakely. I purchased a steel boned corset from the Renaissance Festival, and not only is it giving me a flatter tummy, but it helps with my posture! That'll be a must when I'm bent over children all day! So THAT is coming along. Fifthly, and probably the most irritating issue I'm going to face: HAIR Goodness Gracious GREAT Balls of Fire. My hair has a mind of its own. Now, I like to say my hair is Naturally Crappy. And I've tried everything from Frizz canceling mousse to split end repairing masks and even leave in conditioner. NOTHING seems to calm my hair when I get out into the humidity. It's full blown Hermione-sitting-over-a-steaming-cauldron-for-3-hours Hair. It seriously needs to sort out its priorities, because I am just about ready to chop it all off. (But I love braiding and curling it too much....#Elsa #princess #lazyhair #cantletitgo) Siriusly, where's a vial of Sleakeazy's Hair Potion when I need it(all the time)? I've visited Aveda several times to get their opinion, and I have an appointment with a Tessa this weekend to see if there is ANY hope. But I'm not holding my breath. I've got a whole shelf dedicated to mini Aveda products, and the ONLY thing that's ever done a SMALL bit of help has been a sample from an ipsy bag. Living Proof Nourishing Styling Cream. Imma have to grab some of that before I go. I've been out of it for a while now, though, so with all the other things I've tried, I'm not sure it's going to work, anymore. However, I am trying a new option for Haircare and it's from this brand new Natural-based hair care line called Monat (Pronounced Moh-Nate). I'm one of the distributors, so that's nice. You can order it from my website, and I actually think it's VERY well worth the money. A little goes a long way, so it lasts, and my hair feels extremely soft and looks beautiful when it's styled and the humidity hasn't hit it, yet. And you know how when you look at those girls' hair, you're jealous of that soft, silky shine at the edge of their heads?... You know the type. The ones with that beautiful, healthy, shining hair with that glowing line of illumination halo-ing those gorgeous locks, right on the crown of their heads? Yeah, Well, I'm starting to get that beautiful shine! I'm also using Argan Oil to protect my ends before I blowdry or curl my hair, and I just bought a new straightener that lets me control the temperature more easily. I didn't need as much heat as I thought I would, and I found out that the trick is not to go over the section of hair you're straightening a zillion times till it's straight. It's slow and steady wins the race. Don't keep it on one place for more than three seconds - keep the plates moving, but nice and slowly. And don't straighten one section of hair more than three times, either. That only stresses(and stretches) your hair out and makes it more prone to breakage. Also, you don't have to press so dang hard. Just guide the plates through gently. It'll get there! So far, it looks like my bags are going to be super packed. And I haven't even talked about SHOES. I'm required to have a black and a white pair for work, and Disney provides the costume for me, which is nice. I'll be working most of the day, anyway, so all of this is kindof a little much to be taking just for the short hours I'm lounging, but I'll figure it out, somehow. This ended up being a much more informational post than I meant it to be, but I guess that's good. It means I can talk about something. For now, I'll just leave this here. Let me know in the comments what you'd like to know more about, and I'll pick a topic for the next blog! Also, for anyone reading this that thinks this job or something involved with Disney Cruise lines sounds fun, Click HERE to look at jobs that are hiring right now, and maybe we can join on this adventure together, or just in passing! Bibbidi Bobbidi Bye for now! Disclaimer: I was not paid to mention or feature any of the products listed and linked on this page. I sincerely love these products and am happy to share the information about them!

Bibbidi Bobbidi Beginnings

So, as most of you know, I've been accepted to work on the Disney Cruise Line, in the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. So I'm going to start this blog to record all of my adventures outside of work! I'm looking forward to documenting my runs, if any, around the islands. I'm excited to discover new places, try new things, and swim around like the Little Mermaid! I'm sure that if I get enough money, I'll order a GoPro camera to take in my wanderings, but for now, most everything will come from my Samsung Galaxy s5. It's water RESISTANT, so I'm not going to take it deep sea diving, but I'll certainly try to catch some interesting shots. Keep checking back for more updates! I've got around 8 weeks left at this point. We'll see if I can get a countdown clock on here!