2015?? Really???

Woah. It's been a hot minute since I've posted... Allow me to apologize and maybe share what's been going on in my life (not that anybody is interested- you can always skip this post ;))

I did my fourth year of summer missions work with churches throughout my county. I made a new bestie through that, and am so glad God brought her into my life! She is awesome! I'm in the middle of decision making time, whether or not I will do it again this coming summer. I'm leaning toward yeeeess, unless something else pops up that will have me too busy. But I'm super excited either way!

Let's see, I went to Children's Hope in Jacmel, Haiti for the second time back in August. It was just as incredible on the second round as the first! This time we did less community work, and stayed mostly at the orphanage getting to know the kids and helping our hosts with anything they requested.

I'm currently substitute teaching in an elementary school. It's really opened my eyes to if I think education is really where I want to be. I feel God's calling in my life is to work with children, but maybe He's leading me to work outside of the United States. I gots some prayin' to do! (Considering I'll be back in school soon!)

I think that's a sum-up of all the big stuff. Not too much going on. Oh, yeah! I also started singing in the church choir since my mom became the music leader. Like what even? But anywho, I've been meaning to get some new crafts and different things posted, but my blog is a back burner type of thing; I do it when I can/want to.

Hopefully, I'll be posting some new things very soon.. so keep a look out! ☺

5 Sneaky Acne Causes

If you're like me, you occasionally get breakouts- even though you're not a teenager anymore. But I'll let you in on a little secret.. The five tiny causes below are many actions we are guilty of, but no worries! We can easily stop doing them!

 

1. Hands off: Adult acne can appear anywhere you apply repeated or extended pressure on your skin. Resting your chin on your hand while you work, pressing your mobile on your chin, or wearing tight clothing can contribute to acne. Touching your face can be a hard habit to break. To break the acne cycle, try using a headset with your mobile phone and wearing a ponytail to keep hair out of your face. 

Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash

2. Sweat it out: Surveys show that we often touch our faces 10 to 12 times an hour. This can increase during summer as we wipe sweat from our faces. Unfortunately, sweat contributes to clogged pores so instead of wiping sweat with your hands, invest in makeup-removing wipes. 

3. Glasses glitch: For acne-prone skin, glasses are an extra opportunity for nose pimples. Wearing glasses makes it easier for oil, dead skin and dirt to remain on the skin and clog pores beneath the frames. To avoid breakouts caused by glasses, give the area added attention during your cleansing routine. Also, keep wipes nearby to clean your frames and skin throughout the day. 

4. Long bangs: Be aware: your fringe may be causing forehead acne. Apply styling products with fingers or a comb instead of spritzing on your hair and face. Hair products can block your pores and start a breakout.

Olay Acne Control Face Wash

5. Sunscreen side effects: I hope you're wearing sunscreen every day, even if it's overcast- not that I'm not guilty of usually skipping! But any beauty products without noncomedogenic on the label can set your acne-prone skin off. Choose water-based foundations, mineral-based powders and oil-free sunscreens to minimise your blemish count.

 Maybe by knowing some of these small factors, you can save yourself from a breakout!

My First Newborn Session!

An old friend got in touch with me not too long ago and asked if I would be interested in doing her newborn's photos. Of course, I hopped on that like hungry wolves on a juicy steak! I've never had the chance to take newborn pictures, so this was very exciting for me. I've heard you have to have a lot of patience to do baby pictures and I finally found out firsthand. He was a little on the fussy side through most of it, but he was completely adorable and I enjoyed every minute of it ☺

 100% Boy!

 Fresh from Heaven

 Isn't he the cutest thing?! I so enjoyed taking these pictures and it was an excellent time to catch up with my friend. He is a beautiful little boy!
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Easy Picture Book

Hey everybody! I have another craft to share with you ☺ My boyfriend randomly asked me one day if I would make him a picture book. I said sure, kinda worried it would be bland, but he had faith in me! He knows I love using my imagination, and being a little silly doesn't hurt. So I looked through all the pictures we had taken together from the beginning of our relationship til now. I chose my 45 favorites and put them in order of how they were taken. Now, here's the best part- I didn't have to fork out a lot of money to do this project. Walgreens has photo specials all the time, and one I got was buy 25 4X6 prints, get 25 free! How awesome is that? So look often on their website for really sweet specials. Enjoy!

All You Need Is:

- A photo album with about 50 pages (Mine had 48 and I got it at the Dollar Tree)
- Old magazines
- Stickers
- And of course, your photos ☺

 The old magazines will be your best friend when you want to describe a certain photo. Cut out words or phrases that would make sense on a picture. Stickers work well, too, but magazine cutouts can be put together to form sentences- instantly making it more personal! I had to cut out the magazine words and organized them into clear cups, writing what kind of words they were on the outside. This makes it easier to find what you want when you need it without having to dig through a huge stack!

Using the first few pages of the photo album (including the inside cover), I left my boyfriend a personal note and made an "About Us" page that displayed our anniversary date, birthdays, and interests. Then using some of the magazine cutouts, I made a collage that started with "Jamie is..." then picked words that best described my man.

 Each of the photos were dated on the back so I wouldn't lose track of what went where. On the fronts, I also put dates, but I sometimes had multiple photos taken on the same day. The first photo would be dated, then the rest simply followed after til a new date was reached. 

I personalized the front and back covers of the photo album from a simple blue polka dot image to a more graphic floral one. The back cover was replaced with a green polka dot that matched the cover with a small owl sticker placed on the bottom- because I like owls.. A lot. 

Bonus:
What my boyfriend doesn't know, unless he someday takes a peek at this blog, is that I wrote love quotes on the back of the photos. Not all of them have one, but most of them do. I thought this was a simple yet oh-so-sweet thing to do!

I hope you like this craft as much as I do! Oh, and just so you know, my boyfriend loved it ☺ Have a blessed day!

99 Things!

I thought this looked like fun and wanted to share! Mhmm.. I haven't done a whole lot apparently (though some things I'm not so sure I wanna do lol). How much have you done? ☺

99 Things

Bold or cross out the things that you have done on the list. (I've crossed out.)

1. Started your own blog

2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Been to Disneyworld

Number 18- Tomatoes!

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a praying mantis 

10. Sang a solo

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightening storm

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child

16. Had food poisoning

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitch hiked

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill (I call them "mental health days")

24. Built a snow fort

Number 26- to West Virginia

25. Held a lamb

26. Been on a mission trip

27. Run a Marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself a new language

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Fallen in love

Number 38 ♥

39. Gone rock climbing 

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David

41. Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Gotten a ticket

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie 

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma

65. Gone sky diving

66. Bought a house

67. Bounced a check

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten Caviar

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job

76. Gotten married

77. Broken a bone

78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Moved more than 4 times

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Got a kiss at midnight on New Year’s Eve

Number 93

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone’s life

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous

92. Joined a book club

93. Been white water rafting

94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a law suit 

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee

Words of Wisdom

I hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend! Here are today's Words of Wisdom. Can you relate to either? Feeling inspired? Let me know! Feedback is always appreciated! 

All your dreams can come true- if you have the courage to pursue them. -Walt Disney

The happiest people don't have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything.

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Snap Shots

I was looking through some photos I have posted on Facebook and thought I'd share them on here. It's been a hectic week of finishing school and getting ready for finals, but tomorrow is my last day of classes! Can I get an "Amen?" I'm so excited to be wrapping up another semester of school and I'll be starting summer missions at the end of May!

Words of Wisdom

Hey hey y'all! Here are our Words of Wisdom. These quotes inspire me and I hope they inspire you too!

By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest: Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is bitterest. - Confucius

If you don't know where you're going, and road will get you there. - Lewis Carroll

Easter Blessings

I hope everyone had a fabulous Easter, and that you didn't forget the real reason we celebrate. It's not about the chocolate bunnies or the marshmallow chicks, but about how our Savior rose from the dead to give us a way to eternal life!

This year, just like the last two or three years in a row (I've lost track- it's so inevitable now..), I dressed up as the Easter bunny for my church's annual egg hunt. I'm not going to say I don't enjoy it, but when children who normally love me run away to hide behind their moms' legs.. It kinda makes you feel bad. I scare children. Every year. At a family egg hunt. That is my confession. Oh, and I'm not the real Easter bunny. I had one child bluntly call me a fake and that the real bunny's name is Peter Cottontail. Oi.. There is always at least one. But it's still fun and it makes just as many kids happy as it does scared, so I'm having my suit dry-cleaned and stored for next year- when I'm sure to pull it out again.

Aha! A baby who was not afraid of me!

My favorite two-year-old!

 So, again, I hope your Easter was amazing!
From: The Not-So-Real Easter Bunny

Words of Wisdom

Happy Friday everyone! It's also Good Friday! This is Easter weekend and let's not forget why we celebrate this time. It's not about the jelly beans or goodie baskets, it's about Christ's triumph over the grave!

He is not here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. -Matthew 28:6

And this weeks Words of Wisdom:

An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backwards. So when life is dragging you back with difficulties, it means that its going to soon launch you into something great.

Book Post- The Five Love Languages

The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman is a great book for couples! And I don't just mean married couples. Even if your just dating, this book will help both of you in understanding each other. Of course, there are also several variations to this work, such as The Five Love Languages Singles Edition or The Five Love Languages of Children. So take your pick and start reading to understand the people in your life!

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2010

 

Marriage should be based on love, right? But does it seem as though you and your spouse are speaking two different languages? New York Times bestselling author Dr. Gary Chapman guides couples in identifying, understanding, and speaking their spouse’s primary love language—quality time, words of affirmation, gifts, acts of service, or physical touch.
By learning the five love languages, you and your spouse will discover your unique love languages and learn practical steps in truly loving each other. Chapters are categorized by love language for easy reference, and each one ends with specific, simple steps to express a specific language to your spouse and guide your marriage in the right direction. A newly designed love languages assessment will help you understand and strengthen your relationship. You can build a lasting, loving marriage together.

Gary Chapman hosts a nationally syndicated daily radio program called A Love Language Minute that can be heard on more than 150 radio stations as well as the weekly syndicated program Building Relationships with Gary Chapman, which can both be heard on fivelovelanguages.com.

Words of Wisdom

Well, it's Friday again! Time for another Words of Wisdom post ☺

To be nobody but yourself in a world that is doing it's best to make you somebody else is to fight the hardest battle you are ever going to fight. Never stop fighting. - E.E. Cummings

  

 You are the icing on my cupcake ♥ Just because I love this one!

College Life 101- Photos

So as I was chilling out in front of my college's fountain, I thought "Hey, why not take a few shots since it's such a beautiful day.. And I have nothing better to do for the next 20 minutes.."

Monroeville is the literary capital of Alabama!

Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird

You can find these photos and more on my Facebook page Photography by EKM. Look me up!☻