Inspiration: Remember Why You Started

Whenever you feel as if you are about to quit something, just try and remember why you started. It is so simple, I cannot believe that I have never thought of it before. Thank you, pinterest.

Our Father's Love Letter

So I had this message forwarded to me as a text and I nearly started crying. Please read this, it is life altering: 

A Letter from our Father -

My Child,

You may not know me, 

but I know everything about you. 

(Psalm 139:1)

I know when you sit down and when you rise up. 

(Psalm 139:2)

I am familiar with all your ways. 

(Psalm 139:3)

Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. 

(Matthew 10:29-31)

For you were made in my image. 

(Genesis 1:27)

In me you live and move and have your being.

(Acts 17:28)

For you are my offspring. 

(Acts 17:28)

I knew you even before you were conceived. 

(Jeremiah 1:4-5)

I chose you when I planned creation. 

(Ephesians 1:11-12)

You were not a mistake, 

for all your days are written in my book. 

(Psalm 139:15-16)

I determined the exact time of your birth 

and where you would live. 

(Acts 17:26)

You are fearfully and wonderfully made. 

(Psalm 139:14)

I knit you together in your mother's womb. 

(Psalm 139:13)

And brought you forth on the day you were born. 

(Psalm 71:6)

I have been misrepresented 

by those who don't know me.

(John 8:41-44)

I am not distant and angry, 

but am the complete expression of love. 

(1 John 4:16)

And it is my desire to lavish my love on you. 

(1 John 3:1)

Simply because you are my child 

and I am your Father. 

(1 John 3:1)

I offer you more than your earthly father ever could. 

(Matthew 7:11)

For I am the perfect father. 

(Matthew 5:48)

Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand. 

(James 1:17)

For I am your provider and I meet all your needs. 

(Matthew 6:31-33)

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope. 

(Jeremiah 29:11)

Because I love you with an everlasting love. 

(Jeremiah 31:3)

My thoughts toward you are countless 

as the sand on the seashore.

(Psalms 139:17-18)

And I rejoice over you with singing. 

(Zephaniah 3:17)

I will never stop doing good to you. 

(Jeremiah 32:40)

For you are my treasured possession. 

(Exodus 19:5)

I desire to establish you

with all my heart and all my soul. 

(Jeremiah 32:41)

And I want to show you great and marvelous things. 

(Jeremiah 33:3)

If you seek me with all your heart, 

you will find me. 

(Deuteronomy 4:29)

Delight in me and I will give you 

the desires of your heart. 

(Psalm 37:4)

For it is I who gave you those desires. 

(Philippians 2:13)

I am able to do more for you 

than you could possibly imagine. 

(Ephesians 3:20)

For I am your greatest encourager. 

(2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)

I am also the Father who comforts you 

in all your troubles. 

(2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

When you are brokenhearted, 

I am close to you. 

(Psalm 34:18)

As a shepherd carries a lamb, 

I have carried you close to my heart. 

(Isaiah 40:11)

One day I will wipe away 

every tear from your eyes. 

(Revelation 21:3-4)

And I'll take away all the pain 

you have suffered on this earth.

(Revelation 21:3-4)

I am your Father, and I love you 

even as I love my son, Jesus.

(John 17:23)

For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed. 

(John 17:26)

He is the exact representation of my being. 

(Hebrews 1:3)

He came to demonstrate that I am for you, 

not against you. 

(Romans 8:31)

And to tell you that I am not counting your sins.

(2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled. 

(2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

His death was the ultimate expression 

of my love for you. 

(1 John 4:10)

I gave up everything I loved

that I might gain your love. 

(Romans 8:31-32)

If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, 

you receive me. 

(1 John 2:23)

And nothing will ever separate you 

from my love again.

(Romans 8:38-39)

Come home and I'll throw the biggest party 

heaven has ever seen.

(Luke 15:7)

I have always been Father, 

and will always be Father.

(Ephesians 3:14-15)

My question is…

Will you be my child? 

(John 1:12-13)

I am waiting for you. 

(Luke 15:11-32)

Love, Your Dad

Almighty God

Thick Eyebrows Are In

To you girls who pluck and wax your eyebrows so they are only one-hair thin, thick eyebrows are the trend again! Thank goodness for that! My natural eyebrows are thick, so the less I have to wax and pluck, the better. Who likes doing that anyway? IT HURTS!

Celebrities and models that rock their thick eyebrows:

Lily Collins is one of the first people that come to mind when it comes to fabulous thick eyebrows.

Other Models and Celebrities Who Rock It:

Now if you are like me and have been waxing your eyebrows thinner, here are some tips and tricks for growing out your eyebrows:
Just a forewarning, eyebrows take a long time to grow back in fully; we are talking months here. The trick is, with a little strategy and a lot of patience, full brows can be yours again once more.
Tweezing is the most precise way of removing facial hair. What I would recommend is first going to get your eyebrows professionally done and shaped. After they are well groomed by a professional, you should be able to tidy them up yourself every two weeks. Before plucking, however, it is recommended that you first pencil in your brows to prevent yourself  from making any mistakes. When plucking, allow your eyebrow hairs to come back in rows. So those hairs closest to the brows can stay, and those that are not can be plucked. Simply grow them out one row at a time, and slowly they will become thicker.
TO GROW THEM OUT FASTER: It is simple... DO NOT PLUCK! If you are wanting them to look not as gross, then plucking is recommended. However, if you are wanting to get them grown out as fast as possible do not pluck!
Tip: Exfoliating the area with a soft or baby toothbrush will help stimulate the hair growth.
Tip: Do not use a magnifying mirror - you will end up losing your perspective and over-tweezing, which can be fatal to the life of your beautiful eyebrows.
Tip: Avoid bright lights - they will make you tweeze more than is basically visible. Those little thin hairs, no one should be close enough to your face to even see. You cannot even see it yourself when you are in the mirror so why bother?
Tip: Prevent yourself from applying lotions and creams to the brow bone. They tend to clog the hair follicle which not only weakens the hair, but causes shedding and prevents growth. Not really what you want when growing in your eyebrows is it?
On average, it takes approximately three months for your eyebrows to grow in. Until that time, create a mantra for yourself. A mantra is a commonly repeated word or phrase that people often use to calm them down, or allow them to keep focus on the goal. In this case Refinery 29 suggests that your mantra when growing out your eyebrows should be, "fake it until you make it." Meaning, fill in your brows. I suggest that for the best result, to not use brow pencils that are waxy.
When filling out your eyebrows it is best to lightly trace around the outline before blending through. Not only will this enhance and shape your brows, it will make them appear fuller. Best of all, you can hide that nasty growing out process. YUCK! Afterwards run a spoolie brush through them until you've reached the desired shade, then finish by coating them with a clear gloss to help keep them in shape.
Tip: Do not want to spend all that money on a clear eyebrow gel? You do not have to! Simply purchase a clear mascara for a third of the cost, and it works just as well.
Want to see a video for how to fill in eyebrows? Well I found just the one for you by beauty guru SMLx0: Steph uses gel liner rather than pencil, but it looks amazing and it is waterproof!
To go directly to the eyebrow tutorial and skip the introduction go to 1:50 -

If you follow these simple steps and tricks, even though your eyebrows will not grow overnight, you will still have them, and can kind of avoid the gross ungroomed look.

-Samantha

Memory Monday: Graduation Hair

I have got my hair done for many special occasions in the past. None have I loved as much as the hair for my high school graduation. Seeing this picture is making me regret cutting my hair to the collarbone.
This half-up look was inspired by none other than the beautiful Julianne Hough:

My only instruction from that was "more curl" and to "cover the bobby pins", and that is what I got. I absolutely love the stylists at my hair salon. I basically go to three different ones. The one who cuts my hair I followed there from her old salon. I am not faithful to a company, I am faithful to a stylist. If someone can cut over six inches off my hair and I can still love my hair and them, they are worth keeping around, but I do have someone else who also cuts my hair. She is also one of the only people I will have color my hair. She managed to bleach it and dye it three times in one month to get it to a specific color without making my hair even look slightly damaged. She actually works at the company my other stylist switched from. The final stylist is the one who did the look in the picture above. Granted, she is not exactly gentle on the head, but she knows what to do to make your hair look amazing.
This has got to be one of my most favorite Julianne Hough hairstyles with her long hair before she cut it. I guess if she was an inspiration for my long hair, she might have been the muse for cutting my hair short. Hopefully when I go back to the salon in about a month to get my hair lightened, I do not use her as my muse otherwise I will end up looking like fried carrot.
Click here to read my next post on my ACTUAL muse, Miranda Kerr.

Until Next Time,

Samantha.

Nina Dobrev's Fitness Tips

If you are a die-hard Vampire Diaries fan like I am, you would love to know what keeps the lead actress, Nina Dobrev (Elena Gilbert), in such good shape. Well good to know that she tells Self magazine that she would never starve herself to be skinny. She even eats dessert.
Nina Dobrev works out four days a week. She loves to attend spin classes with her fellow co-star, Candice Accola, and the stunning British that we all love, The Originals star, Claire Holt. Running however, is something that Nina likes to do all by herself because it is her "me" time. She does not run for the fitness. She runs for the endorphins and energy that it gives her. Exercising outdoors is better for the soul, according to Nina Dobrev. That honestly does not surprise me coming from her. She is the one whose motto is "Breathe deep, and let things go", and ends nearly every tweet with "namaste". Is it any shock to you that she is a yoga-nut? Watching YouTube videos of Nina doing yoga are amazing. She does very intense and hard positions, which we of course need to work our way up to.

Her personal trainer, Steve Moyer, did a video with Popsugar TV's Fitness channel on YouTube to show us three moves that Nina loves to do. Apparently she loves to work her core: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYUIQrQGHgc

Nina is a big inspiration in my life. She is a kind hearted person, and works hard to keep her body in shape. She is truly beautiful on the inside and out. This is a reason I created this blog, is to help make people have as pure of hearts as hers and maintain a healthy lifestyle like her. 

- Samantha

Until Tomorrow, 

Namaste

Retro Bombshell: Brigitte Bardot

For those of you who do not know, Brigitte Bardot is a former French actress, singer and fashion model in the 1950's and 1960's. Her sexy bed head hair, and smudged eye liner had guys lined up at her doorstep. Do you blame them? She is a stunner. 

So today, I am going to let you in on the secrets achieved from Self Magazine as to how to achieve the "Brigitte Bardot look".
For Her Tousled Hair: 

Use a two inch barrel curling iron to create waves all around your head; holding each piece for fifteen to twenty seconds. Once the entire head is completed gently comb through your hair with your fingers to break apart the curls to give it more of a tousled, bed head look.

The "Smudged Makeup" Look with Sultry Lips:

For this look it is recommended that you use a jet-black gel eyeliner to achieve the best results. Now dab a liner brush into the gel eyeliner and apply a thick border all the way around the lash line, on both the top and bottom. It is probably best if you use a dark, smokey, eyeshadow for this look as well. Now that you have completed the eyeliner, it is time you apply the mascara very generously. Apply one coat to both the top and bottom lashes, and then apply another, and another, and another. You may even use false eyelashes if you want to complete the eye makeup. 

For Brigitte's look, her eyes are most definitely where all the attention goes, so that is the main part of the look. You do, however, still want those kissable and seductive lips. So as far as most of Brigitte's looks goes, I recommend using either a nude or baby pink color that is to your liking.

Our Past Does Not Define Our Future

Growing up, that was me. Not so cute, hey? I was a kid who never brushed her hair, showered maybe once a week, came to school in the same clothes as I wore the day before, bushy eyebrows, and nerd glasses. I wish I could have showed you how bad it truly was. I burned the evidence. This is probably the worst picture I have left, and it is in my kindergarten yearbook. The reason I am showing you this is because we all feel like we are in a position where we cannot change and feel stuck at one point. Little did I know, it did not take much effort to change from that to who I am now...

Unfortunately, I got caught up in it all. I have been trying so hard to bury my past, and I still am, I am forgetting to make these days count, and am still paying the price of beauty. Once I started I felt like I could not stop. It went from brushing my hair, showering daily, and changing my clothes, to buying fifty dollar shampoo and conditioner to make my hair shinier, healthier, and softer. That is not even the crazy part. I went from not caring to what people think, to only relying on other people's opinions. Getting away from that is quite hard. It made me very insecure and I am trying as hard as I can to do what I do for me, not for anyone else. I have done the unthinkable for beauty. I currently wear fifty dollar foundation, that works just the same as the eight dollar ones at the drugstore. At the time, I though waxing was the most dramatic thing I could have done. Now I have had broad band light treatment, microdermabrasion, and even laser hair removal. Aside from the microdermabrasion, all of which are extremely painful. Beauty is like an addiction that I cannot get away from. Now, instead of doing it for others, I am doing it for me. I am exercising vigorously, and eating healthy for my own well being. Although, continuing to wear contacts may seem like it is for others, it is a personal self-esteem item for me. I spent so much time trying to fit in, that I almost ended up losing myself. If I be someone else, who is going to be me? I spent so much time wishing I could be someone else or be more like them that I actually tried. Extensions were bought, and as were clothes that were nearly identical. Now that that phase is thankfully over, I have time to be myself. Although I absolutely hate my bushy eyebrows, bushy is back in style, but not as bushy as mine were. Which is why I am growing mine back, only slightly. It saves me a little bit of pain from waxing and plucking. Going back to being myself I have never felt so at peace and happy with myself. I am no longer spending every waking minute wishing I was someone else, I am now spending every minute thankful for who I am and what God blessed me with. I only wish I could have realized this earlier. Everything does truly happen for a reason. That phase made me realize the importance of personal hygiene and fitness. I went from being that gross girl that people could not get away from fast enough, to the one who turns heads. While trying to become someone else, I created myself. I know that sounds weird but that is how it happened. I have also come around to be less judgmental of people. I honestly saw people who was not classified as the high school status of "pretty" and I judged them on the spot. Who am I to judge with a past like that, and I am not perfect myself. I have come to realize that before I better make sure I am perfect before I point out other's flaws. No one is perfect. Some may be close, but I am far from it. I have a lot of work to do both on the inside and out. Now, I try to focus on the greatness of a person, rather than the flaws and it has helped me to see the world differently. Who am I to judge someone I do not even know? 

I spent so much time trying to cover up my past that it took me until now to show people how far I have come. That is something I should truly be proud of and thankful for. I hope my story lets you know that our past does not define us, or our future. It is not something that can just be covered up. It is something that should be exposed for the world to see and hear to prove to them how far you have come and how much of a better person you are now because of it. No one can be you, except yourself.

-Samantha 

Motivation

Changing your lifestyle to become more healthy and fit is very challenging. You need to have someone there to support you and luckily I do! Out of everyone helping and supporting me though, one stands out more than the rest: my best friend, Hannah. 

We originally hated each other back in elementary school. However, as time went on and we grew up we became best friends. All though we grew up, our maturity level has stayed in the past, which is why we never have a hard time finding a way to laugh. Since we became friends we have done everything together. From camping, horseback riding, and road trips, to working out, and our past addiction of tanning. She decided long before me to change into a healthier lifestyle, so this is a little easier for her than me. When I am with her and we are on our nine kilometre walks she gives me advice on what to cook, how to cook it, and how to resist junk food and it is a lot of help. 

Unfortunately, Hannah cannot be monitoring me all the time, and the other day I caved to junk food! I spent nearly thirty dollars buying chips, candy, and chocolate. The addiction I have to junk food is bad and sometimes the cravings just come randomly. How to avoid it is the trick! I manage to try keep myself motivated to stay fit and healthy by viewing others with the same lifestyle. I know that eventually my metabolism will not be functioning so quickly and this is all going to catch up to me. Fear of the future is one motivator for me. Another big one for me, is the Internet! 

I used to have a horrible addiction to the Internet! I would be on it from the moment I woke up until I fell asleep! Now, it is not as bad! I decided to utilize that habit against my unhealthy lifestyle. I have deleted Facebook to stop comparing myself to my "friends". On Instagram, an iPhone and android application, I have searched and found many health and fitness accounts to follow. So when I check my Instagram several times a day, I get motivation from the pictures they upload. On Pinterest, I also follow a ton of health and fitness boards. My motivation on there comes from pictures, phrases, workout routines, and recipes. Some of my favorite pictures are: 

There are so many inspiring and motivational quotes and pictures on Pinterest. It is part of the reason that I will never give it up! 

The final at home motivator for me is YouTube! Growing up with your mom living ten hours away I was unaware of the feminine side of things. Things such as how to do your hair or your makeup! So I have watching beauty gurus on YouTube since I was little and my skills have changed immensely. Recently, a few of the channels that I follow began uploading fitness videos and how-tos. That gave me the idea to start watching fitness videos, and subscribe to their channel. That way, whenever I check YouTube there is a new fitness tutorial video from the channels I follow which gives me the drive to want to work out! Hopefully you can manage to push yourself to be who you want to be, and find your motivation. I will let you in on a little secret though, your biggest motivator is yourself!

-Samantha