MERRY CHRISTMAAAAAAAASSSS!!!!!!

Twas the Night Before Christmas....

     Merry Christmas (EVE) everyone!!!

     I can't believe Christmas is already here. There's lights on the tree, hot chocolate, a fire in the fireplace, wrapped presents, (no snow), and Christmas music, and I'm still sitting here blinking and wondering why we're having Christmas again... it was just yesterday, wasn't it?

     Although there isn't snow, it's pretty cold (my fingers are numb), and we've been running around all morning visiting family and such. We went to my grandma's house this morning, and this is how it ended:

    We dog-piled my brother. (Yes, that's him on the bottom. Then dad. Then me. Then Rebekah.)
    We're going to open presents soon (though I know pretty much everything I'm getting, haha), and I'm still going to be sitting here wondering where the time has gone. But, that's ok. It's Christmas.

     I hope all of you have a great Christmas Eve, and please remember why we celebrate Christmas :)
     And I also hope that all of you have a GREAT Christmas day tomorrow! Drive safely if you're driving, smile brightly (you should be smiling,) and always say Merry Christmas.

     - the writer

A Quiet Winter Night

Fly Away

Of Hot Choclatey Nights and Panda Shirts

Concert Time!

     So, believe it or not, mom and I went to a Herman's Hermits concert Saturday night. Mom had bought tickets to see her teenage heart-throb group quite a while back, so I decided to go with her and see what it was like for myself.
     We had a GREAT time, and my mom was ecstatic - she's wanted to see this guy (Peter Noone) for a very long time, and she finally got the chance to. We didn't get home until 11:40 or so that night, but the whole thing was so much fun; I knew a few of his songs, so it wasn't like it was completely foreign to me.
     To get better pictures, I left my seat and went down to the front of the stage; it was a great spot, and the concert was small-ish, so I didn't get kicked out for being so close to the stage.
     There was a signing right after the concert was over so mom got her program book autographed, and since I didn't have any paper... "just sign my hand," I smiled as he shook it. "I don't have any paper!" He laughed and says in his proper British accent, "Hey, you were the girl down there taking all the pictures!" 
     Enjoy the pictures (that he caught me taking), and there's a couple of videos at the end :)

- The Writer

Natural Beauty

     So, what is natural beauty? You see it advertised everywhere, but it's clear that these girls are wearing a nude colored foundation and are far from "natural". Natural includes pimples, freckles, dark circles, and a number of other blemishes. The question is, though, are these really blemishes?
     I'm not saying that makeup is a bad thing at all; I use plenty of it myself, but the cold Winter air has dried my skin out and I've been "forced", so to speak, to go makeupless for a while to let my skin heal, and use some natural remedies to help in that process.
     There are really only seven things that you need to remember to do:
     1: let your face breathe. Don't smother it with foundation and powders, even when you do wear makeup. Use as little as possible.
     2: don't touch your face during the day, and before washing it at night, always wash your hands first. There's a lot of dirt and bacteria on our hands that gets transferred to our faces, so don't touch!
     3: wash your face every night, preferably with a natural soap (soaps that have tea tree or peppermint are excellent); keep it clean.
     4: honey and lemon juice are /amazing/. Mix about a tablespoon of honey with a moderate amount of fresh lemon juice, then spread it over your face and let sit for five minutes or so; rinse off with warm water. It works wonders.
     5: if you have any essential oils on hand, use them. Tea tree oil is great for dabbing a tiny bit on pimples, and if you've never tried emu oil, I suggest you do. It keeps the skin soft and works to clear it up.

au naturale! (with freckles, too!)

      6: never just wash your face and leave it to dry out; warm water and soap usually will do this, unless you have oily skin. Use a natural lotion, NOT a commercial one. Coconut oil is also excellent (as is emu oil).

      7: and lastly, be sure you eat healthy and detox your body on a fairly regular basis. Lemon water is a very simple way to do this.

     God gave us the skin we're in, so let's take care of it!!! 

Life in Pictures

Thanksgiving

     Last week, I went to GA to celebrate my Grandma's 80th birthday and Thanksgiving. We had a good time, and I especially enjoyed spending time with my little second cousin, Cameron. It was cold and snow flurries fell from grey skies, but the trip as a whole was pretty enjoyable.
     I can't believe that it's already the 6 of December. Where's my life going??? It's already time for Christmas music, colorful lights, hot chocolate and a Christmas tree...
     I'm not quite sure how to take this all in.

Beautiful