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Thursday, December 16, 2010

(Repost) And The Award goes to............










Imagine my surprise when I came across an email from NewEnglandMomma of www.muddy-feet.blogspot.com informing me that I had just won The Stylish Blog Award!  It Is my very first blog award so I am thrilled!  It feels good to get a pat on the back, yes indeed.  A heart felt thank you to NewEnglandMomma for selecting my blog, you rock!

Rules for accepting this award are:
1. Thank & link back to the person who awarded you this.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Pay it forward to 15 recently discovered great bloggers.
4. Contact those bloggers and tell them about their Blog Award.

And Now I have to share 7 things about myself so here goes! 

1.  I am hopelessly addicted to lemon meringue pie
2.  I was born and raised the the Bahamas






3.  Believe that one should never stop learning



4.  I am honest, loyal and adventurous



5.  I am a Gentle spirit but a warrior in Christ!



6.  I am Passionate about Animals, Nature and Art


7.  I  love my family, my friends and my life



Sunday, December 12, 2010

With A Grateful Heart


As we approach Christmas day every single hour the shopping and mad dash for decorations or last minute gifts greatly intensifies.  Unfortunately the stress levels for most people are becoming just as elevated and intense with each swipe of the credit card and each new receipt for items purchased. Why do we do this to ourselves every year? When I found myself venting to a dear friend of mine about my impending holiday doom, I suddenly had a moment of absolute clarity.  Is all of this really necessary for me to have a merry Christmas? 







Well, the answer to that after some thought is a resounding No!  Oh happy day!  
With this new found sense of freedom, there's a new sheriff in town. 


Yes, I still plan on giving and receiving gifts this year however, I will make an effort not to think so much about what is given but appreciate  the spirit in which it was given. Now I am not advocating giving a gift that is useless or thoughtless, in fact I am encouraging you to do just the opposite. 


















 Before you run off to the mall think about who you are buying something for, are they artistic, romantic, sentimental, adventurous, superficial? If they are the latter, off to the mall you go!, if not you may be able to give something that you can make or put together yourself. Some of the the best gifts I have ever been given have been gifts that were fairly inexpensive but totally took into consideration some of the  things I love. I have received everything from lemon meringue pies to exotic seeds, pods and beach glass, and I was just as thrilled to get them as someone who perhaps got a designer bag. It made me feel special and this is what we strive to do for others at Christmas.  I really want to celebrate this Christmas in the true spirit of the season which is love.  I figured I would make a list and check it off as I complete each task.  Well, here goes, am sharing this with you since these are all Godly deeds that cost little or no money to do but will bring joy and love not only to our own hearts but to all around you.  And that my friends as we all know is what Christmas is all about!



    Christmas To Do List
  1. Give a hand written letter or handmade Christmas card to someone who I care about but haven't  spoken to in a while.  In my own words tell them how much they mean to me.
  2. Bake something that one of my siblings really likes and surprise them with it.
  3. Give a gift to a child whose parents cannot afford gifts for the holidays
  4. Spend quality time with my family with absolutely NO computer time on Christmas day.
  5. Pray and have a grateful heart throughout the holidays
  6. Do a free piece of Graphic design for a new startup business
  7. Hug more and be more affectionate
  8. Wish the telemarketer a Merry Christmas instead of hanging up on him or her right way
  9. Compliment and tell people when they are doing a good job or if they look nice
  10. Smile more, especially with someone who seems to be having a bad day













Thursday, December 9, 2010

And These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things....


I don't know if any of you caught the "Oprah Favotite Things" show that aired recently.  If you did then you're probably still in traction from laughing so hard.  It was absolute madness!!!  People were screaming hysterically, jumping up and down, gasping for air, clutching their chest, I am pretty sure a few of them even passed out.  Oprah is hard core folks!

Well, after watching this I was inspired to share some of my favorite things as well.  I cannot give you cars like Oprah yet but what I can give you is really nice gift ideas that will save you time and money.  So, lets do this!

First up these gorgeous emerald green earrings inspired by one of Angelina Jolie's red carpet looks.  These earrings are incredible looking and they are under $80.00.  Not bad at all for something that you can wear for years to come.


Next is one of my absolute favorite gifs to give, holiday gift baskets. You can personalize these to meet every personality under the sun.  Just fill the basket with your friend or family member's favorite things and you have a gift that will not only be appreciated but remembered! (Tip: some the filler items can be very inexpensive, like a particular chocolate bar or a favorite book but together all of these things make a wonderful gift for the recipient) Also it does not have to be a basket, it could be any good looking container, be creative!

And what would Christmas be without some sparkle?  This bib necklace is perfect for the woman who is not afraid to shine......yes, the pun was intended.



If you have girl friends who likes fashion like I do, makeup is a great gift to buy.  Trust me she will love it!  There are so many trends in makeup right now and you certainly can be as tame or daring as you want to be.  The best discovery for me however is the fact that I can now buy organic makeup that was made with my health in mind. How fabulous is that. Here is a great brand called Afterglow whose pieces range between $16.00 and $18.00 per piece.

Tip: Nail polish, eye shadows, neutral lipsticks, eye pencils and bronzers are a good choice since they work with lots of skin tones and are not as specific as face powders. If you are not too confident stick with neutral palettes.

This list would not be complete or realistic without something technological, after all technology is now a vital part of our daily lives. So here is a little beauty that stole my heart.  The Canon IXUS 105 digital camera, as advanced in function as it is stylish. The question is, who wouldn't love this digital camera?  (Retails for around $165.00) 
These dinner plates from Delfina Dinnerware really caught my eyes in more ways than one.  I just love the pop of color!  Imagine how marvelous this would look on a table. Of course you can mix and match  with other pieces or buy the whole set, whatever you do, its bound to look spectacular!  A great gift for mom. (Retails for $51.80 for 4 dinner plates) 

Now this is not something you should do on a whim, however if you have a child or special love one who adores animals, wants one and could take proper care of it, you cannot go wrong with a pet.  Its common knowledge thats a pet loves its owner unconditionally and thats something we could never have too much of.



Tip: visit your local animal shelter first before buying a pet.  There are many animals waiting to be loved and given a good home.  Also, in most cases it will cost a fraction of the cost to adopt than it would to purchase a pet.