by | Jun 15, 2013 | From the Heart, Inspirations |
On this Father’s Day, I honor my Dad who went to be with the Lord in 2003.
Love and compassion. He was a kind, God-fearing man who worked hard to provide for his family. My mother did not work she was an awesome stay at home mother; so he was the bread winner. It was not always easy; but we made it. I will always remember him giving me undercover candy when my mother wanted me to constantly eat healthy snacks. He always looked out for me; and I admire him for that.
I am the only child and I knew that I was in a house of love.
I remember my Daddy riding the bus with me to college because my mother did not want me to be on the bus by myself. I needed to be close to home when I went to college so I went to a small private college in town. At the time, I did not understand why he had to ride the bus with me. But I look back now and I am so thankful for him being with me and taking care of me.
When my grandmother became ill, my Daddy stayed with her after he would get off of work so that she would not be in the house alone. She had previously walked out the house and became disoriented. After that time, it was important for someone to be in the house with her. He did not have to do that, but he did when no one else stepped in. I admire him so much for giving of his time.
JT’s Grandmother and Dad
I know I should be cheerful on this Father’s Day. However, as I write this, tears role down my face when I see these pictures. My Father is with the Lord in heaven and I am happy that I know that I will see my Dad, my Mother and my Grandmother again.
Happy Father’s Day Dad!
by | May 13, 2013 | Fashion, From the Heart, Inspirations |
My Grandmother and I
I celebrated my birthday on Saturday with my hubby. Every year, my birthday and Mother’s Day always seem to to fall on the same weekend. Some years, both are on the same day. I have feelings of joy and sadness. I have to cast that sadness down because my mother and grandmother are both with the Lord and would not want to come back.
To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:8)
I miss my mother and grandmother; but I know I will see them again so that puts a smile on my face.
Today I was going through vintage photos and came across a photo of my grandmother and I. I might have been eight years old in the picture above. She was coming off the train from traveling out of town. Sometimes, she would travel with her church friends. Other times she would visit family in Mississippi or Chicago. She was a sweet lady who loved the Lord and loved her family very much.
My Grandmother was a sharp lady. I know that is where I get my style from. It is in my blood. The picture above is one of my favorite pictures. She looks like she could be on her way to church or an evening out at the theater. I am not sure when this photograph was taken, maybe the 1940s. This stylish outfit could work today, just as it did then. Her classic style has inspired me ever since I was a little girl.
My mother was strong and confident in who she was as a person, and I admire her for that. I do not have many photographs of my mother and none of us together. She did not like to be photographed, even though she was very pretty. My mother died in 1994. It has been nineteen years; but sometimes it seems like yesterday. I hold on to the values she taught me, and the love she gave me.
Cherish your mother if you are blessed to have her with you. Tell her that you love her; even if you have already told her and give her a hug. A mother is a wonderful treasure to have, she is a queen to behold. If you treat your parents well, you will continue to be blessed beyond measure.
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Not Dead Yet Style
by | Apr 7, 2013 | Beauty, Fashion, From the Heart, Inspirations |
Getting ready for church this morning and I realized my hair is still wet from my twist out. What is a girl to do? I washed my hair last night, detangled, conditioned and had six twists on each side of my head. Ready to be styled in the morning. Well, I had let my hair air-dry last night; but my hair is quite thick. This morning my hair was not dripping wet; but it was damp.
Again I say, What am I to do?
Thoughts in my head of wearing a cap, but it is way too warm for that today. Maybe I could wear it up and no one would never know that I didn’t get the soft lustrous curls that I wanted.
What did I do?
I untwisted my hair added some Carol’s Daughter Hair Milk and styled it to the best of my ability. As you can see in the photo below, this is naturally me.
JTwisdom’s natural curls.
I am not fond of hair shrinkage; but I said to myself, “This is who I am, so people can take it or leave it.” A few years back, I would of never had worn my hair in this style. It was always straightened either with a pressing comb or by a relaxer. Almost four years ago, I decided to go relaxer free. I had to learn how to style my hair and find out through trail and error what products work best for my texture.
JTwisdom’s natural curls
Here I am, hair shrinkage and all. My hubby was constantly saying that he thought it was cute; but all I could think about was how short it looked.
But you know what, I went to church and got received several compliments.
My hubby said, “Is it better hearing it also from someone else?”
I said, “No.” But his comment made me think that I have to be fine with myself.
God’s word says that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14)
God made me and He gave me curly hair and I have to love me some me. If I do not love myself; how can I show love to anyone else.
- JTwisdom
I find that the times when I don’t think I look my best are the days that I get the most compliments. Here I am talking about the shrinkage in my hair and a lady today said to me that she would have to pay to get hair like mine, meaning she would have to buy a curly wig. Go figure?
But the tidbit of advice to remember: Compliments are great; but if there are no compliments, you have to feel that self love inside that you know that you are beautiful.
Outfit in Review
Cardigan Macys
Silk Blouse J Crew
Tights Macys
Wedges Vince Camuto
Necklace – Nolan Miller
Bangle – Bronzo Italia
Gem silver cuff – gift
Fragrance – Fabulous by Isaac Mizrahi
This post is linked with NotDeadYetStyle
Visible Monday
by | Feb 7, 2013 | From the Heart |
The Christmas season is now but a distant memory for most of us. But you may be reminded of it, not for the joyous memories of spending time with your family. But instead, thoughts of paying for all those gifts you bought are racing through your mind. You maybe thinking about fiscal cliffs and tax increases, and wondering about debt help terms. It may be a bit over whelming; but debt counselors like ALLABOUTMONEY.COM can help.
Here are some common sense tips to make sure you can enjoy the holidays without getting into financial trouble.
Decide who you are buying for before you start.
If you have a large family or have many friends, you may not have the finances to purchase for everyone. Decide before you start purchasing any gifts who you are buying for. It may just be your spouse, your children, your parents, your in-laws and a select few other people. You may not need to buy something for Uncle Jimmy who you only see once a year at Christmas or Cousin Betty who moved to Florida twenty years ago and you have not seen her since.You may need to let your people know that you are cutting back on the number of gifts you are purchasing because you are want to be financially smart.
Know your limit on how much you are spending on each person.
Once you have decided who you are buying for, then you must decide on an amount you are willing to spend. For some people, you may want t0 spend a little more, like your parents. For others, you may be a little less, like a niece or nephew are just babies. One way to stick with a designated amount is to buy a gift card to the person’s favorite store. Gift cards are an excellent idea because the person can get what he or she really wants and you don’t have to guess. Also, it prevents you from buying multiple gifts and going over your designated limit.
Do not feel obligated to buy gifts for someone just because they buy you a gift.
Many times, you will receive a gift from a co-worker or a neighbor. You may feel like you are obligated to purchase something for them. But check your list, if they are not on your original list, don’t feel like you have be buying something for them. If they truly gave you the gift from their heart, they should not be expecting anything in return. You can give them a thank you note, expressing your gratitude. And then for their birthday or another date in the future, you can give them a gift.
Consider homemade gifts.
Some times the best gifts are not the ones purchased, but the ones that are home made. If you have a favorite recipe, nothing can warm a person’s heart like homemade cookies, cakes or breads. I have given friends and family homemade cranberry bread and I have received the most enthusiastic “thank you’s”. And the cost for an entire cake is generally in the $5 to $10 range. Using this price range can help you expand your list of people who you can give to.
Homemade Cranberry Bread
Another alternative, homemade lip balm.
The holiday seasons should be a joyful and happy time spent with family and friends. You don’t want to get consumed by the need to be buying for everyone and hurting your financial stability in the process. Set your limits, stick to it and it will be a happier time for everyone.
by | Jan 31, 2013 | Fashion, From the Heart |
For the last three years, my hubby and I have been following the chronicles of Downton Abbey with much enthusiasm. I am a big fan of movies and television shows set in the nineteenth and early twentieth century. So when I learned about Downton Abbey was coming to Masterpiece Theater on PBS, I was eager to watch.
DowntonAbbey.com
After watching the wonderfully scripted shows for the past three seasons, I found myself taking a liking some of the characters, and a certain dislike to others. Probably my favorite of all the characters was Lady Sybil.
Sybil-downton-abbey
I especially liked her because she was so real in every way. She put no one above her and no one beneath her. She treated everyone the same, whether you were a Lord or the butler. She wanted to learn to do things for herself that would never have been expected for someone in her social class. One of my favorite scene was when she came downstairs to learn from Ms. Patmore how to cook; and her mother came down to say something to her but stopped and was really proud of her.
Downton Abbey (Sybil in the middle of the picture)
Watching the last episode was especially difficult for me. Sybil’s death after child birth was completely unnecessary and preventable. To have grown men argue about what was the best care for her was unimaginable and a shame. When Lord Grantham decided to believe Sir Phillip, the doctor to the royals, over the doctor from the village; it was against all what Lady Sybil believed in. She would have been cheering for the underdog and making sure that their voice would be heard. The argument scene seem like it went on for hours going back and forth, forth and back and all the sudden the baby was born.
I was telling my husband that it seemed too quick, too easy and then all the sudden Lady Sybil was gone. The only one in the the Downton Abbey manor who thought both of her sisters were nice people. Such a sad day in Downton. Tom, Lady Sybil’s husband, is stubborn but I know that he will miss her dearly. He has to raise a child now by himself now. I wonder how he will be as a single father.
Do I blame Lord Grantham and Sir Phillip for not taking Dr. Clarkson’s advice that she may be seriously ill and would need to give birth to the baby via cesarean? What can I say, I think that she should have been taken to the hospital; but it is too late for that now. Lady Grantham blames Lord Grantham and Sir Philip for Sybil’s death. Lady Grantham believes that if the Dr. Clarkson was able to get her to the hospital; Sybil would still be alive and there is some truth to that. It will be interesting to see the Lord and Lady Grantham’s relationship will play out in the coming episodes. Will she forgive him and allow him back into their room? Or will she forever blame him for her baby not being there now?
For more about the fashion styles of Downton Abbey, check out my other post by clicking here.
To learn about the seven beauty lessons learned from Downtown Abbey, check out the article on Daily Glow by clicking here.
by | Jan 14, 2013 | Fashion, From the Heart, Inspirations |
Hi Elegant Friends,
Hope you had an awesome weekend and a fabulous Monday!
I ask the question, “What does it mean to be in love forever? To share a bond that will never separate.” Is it easy? No! Is it worth it? Most certainly yes.
Having God as the center of our relationship I know is the key.
I put these questions in your mind because my hubby and I went to a friend’s wedding this weekend. The couple was renewing their wedding vows after 30 years of marriage. Totally awesome! The couple looked so grand. A highlight was when their son came down the aisle with shades on, a cell phone and a briefcase in his hand labeled ring security. That was really cute, he was really looking like a secret service agent.
The wedding reception was beautiful also, the talented husband and family of musicians. It was a privilege to attend such a special occasion.
Everybody was line dancing and having a lot of fun.
I get questions often on what to wear to occasions like this one. I love to dress up, however I like to be comfortable yet chic at the same time. I wore black and white which can be typical. However, I kicked it up a notch by adding a contrasting of color in my tights.
I enjoyed wearing this outfit it is breath of fresh air. Would you believe I have on a dress with a close fit to the body cardigan? I constantly say get pieces of clothing that work for you in your wardrobe.
If you wear black or monotone, add an eye-popping tight to your ensemble , completely changing the game.
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