by | Jul 9, 2017 | From the Heart, Gardening, Inspirations |
Hello Wonderful People!
I hope you having an awesome day!
Summertime is in full force with temperatures soaring into the mid-90s this weekend. Coupled with high humidity levels and it definitely is a good idea to be inside where it is cool. While my hubby and I have been staying inside whenever possible, we have also been heading outside to take care of our backyard tranquility. Owning your house means it’s good to keep the grass cut, the trees trimmed and we like to plant flowers. In the last couple of weeks while working outside, we have learned several valuable lessons. Not just about yard work and gardening; but about life in general. We wanted to share with you what we have learned about life, through our time working in the garden. We call it Life Lessons From The Garden. This is the first in those series of articles.
Flowers from the Garden / Photos by JTwisdom
I know what you are thinking. Why would I be working in the garden when it’s so hot and humid?
Ever since I was a little girl, I have spent many hours outside with my daddy, and now my hubby, taking care of our yard and the flowers. My mother would often have me outside trimming weeds, watering the plants or doing whatever she thought needed to be done. Through the years, what began as a chore has now blossomed into one of my passions, and brings me some of my greatest joys. I have grown to enjoy the time outside and I can truly say that it brings me peace. After a long day or week and needing some time to unwind and destress, I head outside to see what needs to be done. It lowers the blood pressure and the stress just melts away. Spending hours planting, watering, weeding and tending to the garden, and then seeing that flower show off its vibrant color or aromatic scent, the joy just builds up inside of me. I take breaks and drink plenty of water; but I still sweat. Coming inside to eat some delicious watermelon is always nice.
Getting my hands dirty in the garden.
The first lesson learned from our time in the garden — Find What Brings You Fun times.
For me, my number one Joy is Jesus, my LORD and SAVIOR! I can’t put anything before him, He makes it possible for me to enjoy my everyday life.
God gave me this passion for gardening.
It’s a lot of fun going to the gardening center with the hubby to purchase the flowers and plants.
For me, fun is deciding how to arrange them in the yard for the greatest display of color.
For me, fun is making sure to water, to weed an to manicure each day.
For me, fun is cutting a flower and bringing it in our home.
For me, fun is the flower’s aroma tickling my nose each time I get close it.
For you, what brings your fun times?
Maybe it is a walk in the park with your dog.
Maybe it is spending time with your family.
May it is reading a good book with a hot cup of tea.
It does not matter what it is. Once you experience that joy, you know you will want to keep it going. Take the time to find out where your joy comes from and be sure to do it as often as possible. When you have more joy in your heart, you become a happier person and being a happier person means you can enjoy more of what life has to offer.
Check back for more lessons learned from the garden. Until then, happy gardening! And be Joyful!
by | Jul 7, 2017 | Fashion |
A lot of women find themselves in a difficult situation. They often end up feeling as though they really want to embrace fashion and look good; they just don’t know how to go about doing it. After all, the world of fashion can be incredibly complicated. With trends constantly changing and things going in and out of style all of the time, it can be impossible to know where to start! However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t develop your own sense of style, it just takes a little bit more awareness than you might previously have given to your outfits. With that in mind, here are a few simple pieces of advice that can get you started on the road to developing a sense of style and fashion that is all your own.
Dress for the occasion
A lot of women simply have the same few outfits that they wear no matter what. This often makes it seem as though you simply don’t care what you wear and that you’re willing to throw on any old outfit without really thinking about it. If you want to start getting a better idea of how to dress more stylishly, then you need to start thinking about particular outfits for particular occasions. For example, the weather can change your style completely. You might buy sundresses for summer in order to stay cool in the sun, but during the fall you’d be better off with chunky knitwear and lots of layers. Not only do these outfits help you stay comfortable, but the way that they’re styled actually fits with the atmosphere of the season. This kind of thing is very simple, but it can start to help you understand how your style can adapt and change to what’s going on around you.
Know your body
The other mistake that a lot of women make is that they end up dressing in a way that simply doesn’t work with their body type. Now, this is not to say that you shouldn’t be allowed to wear whatever you want because of course, you should! However, there are certain styles that just don’t work with certain body shapes. Some women who are curvy can’t pull off some dresses, but look amazing in things that tall, skinny women could never pull off. Knowing your body and being aware of it is incredibly important to understanding where your personal style fits.
Be confident
In the end, the clothes that you wear are only really half of the equation. The other half is all about how you wear it! As long as you hold yourself with confidence and you don’t care what anyone else thinks, then anything that you wear is going to look good on you. You could be wearing all of the most fashionable clothes in the world, but if you hold yourself in an apologetic way, then they’re never going to look right on you. However, raising your head up and standing tall is going to immediately make any outfit look a thousand times better!
FTC Disclaimer:
This is a collaborative post and may contain affiliate links.
by | Jul 3, 2017 | Fashion, Inspirations |
Happy Independence Day!
This weekend before Independence Day, is time to relax, and enjoy family and friends. My husband and I celebrate Independence Day because it is more than just a date for us. This is a time to thank those men and women in uniform who have fought and are fighting for our freedom for our country, the United States of America. Their sacrifice allows us to enjoy living in the greatest country.
At church this past Sunday, we had a guest speaker, Matt Roever from Operation Warrior Reconnect.
What is Operation Warrior Reconnect?
“Operation Warrior RECONnect is dedicated to rebuilding self esteem, confidence, financial freed country.”
Did you know that on average, twenty-two soldiers commit suicide every day? This staggering number has to stop and Operation Warrior Reconnect is doing an amazing job and making an impact.
Matt and his father, Vietnam veteran Dave Roever, head this organization that is making a change in the lives of so many men and women who have fought for our country. At Sunday’s service, Matt introduced three men who served in the military. They shared their stories from the war and how Operation Warrior Reconnect, with the love of Jesus, helped to change their lives.
I left the service, feeling more patriotic and thankful for the United States military.
In honor of Independence Day, I wore my red, white, and blue. I wanted to style my outfit in a different way. I thought at first this was too much red, white, and blue, however it was just right. I actually received a compliment from one of the veterans who spoke at Church. He said, “That’s a really put together outfit, anchors away baby!”
Red white blue
The Look
Wedges – Skechers (These wedges give height and are so comfortable)
Purse – Carlos Falchi
Chambray shirt jacket – Tommy Hilfiger
Freedom Blue shirt – Church on the Rock
Skirt – Charter Club, Macy’s
My doggie Vinny, has to be in the my pictures with me. Sometimes to he is photobombing behind me.
Pattern of Skirt, photo by Bubblingwitheleganceandgrace.com
This is the pattern of the skirt, see the anchors and the stern.
I do not share 10 or more pictures of the same image on one blog post. My limit is no more than four. I like to share something different and I that is too much of me in the same outfit.
In this collage, I also share my Zuni-inspired real turquoise sterling silver bangle. Turquoise is one of my favorite stones. I wear all year long and it was perfect with this outfit.
I was working out in the yard and accidentally clipped the three star gazer lilies that looked like they wouldn’t bloom. This disheartened me and husband said, “This one has a bud, so lets put it in the stalk in the dirt with the other flowers.” Guess what, it bloomed!! I will bring it inside, and my wise husband said you bloom where you are truly planted; I couldn’t of said it better myself.
Independence Day collage photo by Bubblingwitheleganceandgrace.com
If you would like to help the Warrior Reconnect foundation, you can click on Roever Foundation.
by | Jul 3, 2017 | Fitness |
When you look at yourself in the mirror, it can sometimes be hard to love the reflection staring back at you. As our lives move on, we sometimes end up gaining weight, getting frazzled because of our busy lives, and our skin loses elasticity as we age. Looking at your reflection can be tough when in your heart you’re still eighteen years old and perfectly happy to sprawl on the beach in the tiniest bikini in the world. If you find it hard to look at yourself in the mirror after a shower, here are a few ways for you to feel more body confident.
Focus On Being Strong
First and foremost it’s time to focus on what your body can do and not what it looks like. If you’ve had babies then your body is a marvel – it can house and grow these tiny human beings before pushing them out. Your ‘mummy tummy’ and stretch marks are a sign of your strength, and not anything to be ashamed of. Remember that skinniness is overrated – focus on the way that you feel instead and things like whether you get out of breath easily and whether you can run up a flight of stairs. Feeling strong and able to do things will feel a million times better than thin ever will.
Start A Fitness Class
If you want to get more toned and fit, don’t bother joining the gym – that’s no fun! Instead, go for a fitness class where you can meet new people and have some fun as well as getting fit. Yoga will help to tone you and improve your emotional and mental health as well as your physical strength. Pilates is known for improving your core strength, and if you want to have a dance and a laugh at the same time as getting fit then why don’t you try out zumba?
Consider Cosmetic Options
A lot of people shun cosmetic options but why not explore them? Get your makeup done at the beauty counter and buy a couple of products that make your skin look brighter, and get your hair cut in a new, different style that flatters the shape of your face. If you want to change the shape of your breasts after years of nursing your kids or if you’ve always been troubled by the shape of your nose then remember plastic surgery is nothing to be ashamed of. Just remember to get therapy as well – sometimes the way you feel about your body isn’t restricted to one specific part of it.
Love Yourself
Finally, the biggest challenge of all – and the greatest love of all, as the late and great Whitney Houston said – is learning to love yourself. This will take years of practice, of looking at yourself in the mirror and picking out the things you love, of choosing clothes to show off your shapely calves and delicate wrists and the other parts of your body that you love instead of hiding the parts that you don’t love. It’s a process that you’ll keep going through forever, but it’s more than worth it.
by | Jun 30, 2017 | Music |
Making Money As a Musician
Want to earn some money for your musical talents? The music industry is a tough place to make a name for yourself, but there are many ways that you can earn a few bucks for doing what you love. Here are just a few ways to make money out of being a musician.
Start playing live
The easiest way to make money is to start performing live. You could start by busking on a street corner or you could try performing at a local bar. Network with other musicians that may be able to find you support slots, as well as introducing you to new venues. The likes of sites such as Reverb Nation are great for finding gigs. At first you won’t be paid much to perform live, especially if you’re in a band, however as you make name for yourself you’ll be able to play larger venues. You can also use such gigs as an opportunity to sell CDs and merch, which leads onto the next method of making money from music.
Sell your own music
In this age of digital downloading and streaming, this is by far the hardest way to make money from music, but nonetheless shouldn’t be ignored. Companies such as Nationwide allow you to produce your own CDs and create your own merch that can then be sold at live events or put up for sale on your website. It’s worth getting your music on iTunes and Spotify, although don’t expect massive returns from these mediums if you’re just starting out. Make sure that you’re marketing your music so that people come across it more easily. Often using free mediums such as Soundcloud and Youtube can be a great way of helping you gain exposure.
Become a session musician
Other musicians may be looking for a drummer or a backing vocalist either to help record a track or play a live gig with. You can make a fair bit of money by taking up these odd jobs. The bigger your profile, the more you’ll be able to charge people for your services. You can specialise in one genre or try your hand at all manner of styles if you feel you’re proficient enough. The likes of Fiverr and Gumtree are great places to advertise yourself. Also look out for ads on job sites and music forums.
Teach others
If you’re adept enough at your chosen instrument, the next step could be teaching others. You could teach an instrument at a school, do private lessons or do a combination of the two to increase your income. In some cases you may need a degree or you may have to be a certain grade in an instrument. In other cases qualifications and grades may not be necessary, especially if you’re teaching rock or pop. Some people have even made money through giving online lessons and tutorials, either via Youtube videos or lessons via Skype.
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