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Don’t Forget Xena

I wrote what’s called an Anaphora (a poem with a repeating word) for my monthly writing class. I was asked to read it out loud; I knew it would be hard, but I got through it. So sad since my poor Xena, my soulmate, is slowing dying of cancer.

Remember how you and your sister Petra arrived after foster homes and two stays at Animal Control?
Remember when you started out as Xena Malina Chavez, the feisty Mexican street fighter, beating up your sister?
Remember the days when you were secretive, on a mission and hiding out like a Russian spy named Malinsky?
Remember the times you were contemplative and spiritual as Tikka Malina, a Hindu Goddess, after Petra left?
Remember all those memories we shared and no one, not even time itself, can take them away. But most of all,
Remember how much we love you Xena and always will.

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A Crown of Thorns

There was, upon this earth, a Savior
who came to cleanse and heal.
He wore a crown of thorns upon His head, Our souls to ever seal.

He gave up the crown of Glory
that was rightfully His, that day ~
that He came to earth to give
unto all men, a glorious stay.

He put aside His own sweet crown,
His signet ring that day,
That, maybe, all would come and walk
In His dear righteous way.

He loved us with a love so pure.
On His head He wore a crown of thorns,
That His love would cleanse the world
And man could be reborn.

Mighty is the name of this Savior,
Jesus. He redeemed the day
For all who would accept Him
And walk along His righteous way.

They hung Him upon
an old rugged Cross,
A thief on either side.
But, the day He comes back, again,
He’ll take us to be His bride.

If we give our Hearts to Him
Who bore our shame on Calvary’s Cross,
Though we’ve sinned o’er and o’er,
We’ll suffer no loss …

But, only if we claim Him as Savior
And are not filled with shame.
Then, that fateful day, in Glory,
He’ll proudly proclaim our name.

This is the love of one so dear ~
That He suffered agonizing pain
So, when this life on earth is over,
Through Him, we’ll be joined again.

By His tender mercies and pain
Of a crown of thorns upon His head,
He will raise us up to Glory, as was He
After they pronounced Him dead.

Easter Poem by  Pearlie Duncan Walker

9 thoughts on “A Crown of Thorns

  1. My dear sweet friend,
    I just got your notification through my gadget. First of all thank you so much for you kindness and concern to my blog. Honestly, I want to take your invitation, but unfortunately this time I could fulfill what you wish because this time I have situation here so I could not post the required ideas now. Right now my mom is in hospital 😦 I am so sorry couldn’t involve in this blog hop. I really hope that you will not disappointed and upset to me. Maybe later in another time I will fulfill this invitation. Really sorry for this 😦 Blessings to you too.

    • Dear, sister Anna.
      I am doing well, sis. Thank you very much for your care. Yes beside busy with my office tasks, Andrew always make me busy with his acts. Thank you very much and God bless, sis 🙂

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Archive for May, 2009

Legal Pedophilia

May 23, 2009

I saw a while ago, a woman who went on national television basically to say that she had fallen in love with a 14 year old and he had fallen in love with her.  They had even gotten married, she homeschooled him herself, she “didn’t mind supporting him.”  They eventually got divorced.  But she thought he was her “soul mate.”  I’m sorry, but that’s called pedophilia, plain and simple, pedophilia.  Teachers get arrested every last time when they have sexual relations with students who are the same age when the teachers are actually younger.  And he was 14, so it means his parents actually gave consent for the marriage in the first place.  What is wrong with that kid’s parents!  When a 40 some odd woman wants to marry your 14 year old child or have sexual relations with your 14 year old child, what is wrong with you saying go for it!  But honestly, people have been arrested multiple times for the same thing, because it’s weird, it’s sick, it isn’t right.

May 22, 2009

I believe that soulmates exist, but not in the sense that Natasha Bedingfield talks about. I believe there is someone that you meet that you need. I believe that there is someone that you meet, feeling at that moment like you have known them forever. I believe that there is someone for everybody that turns into a special and exclusive type of friend, because that kind of friendship and understanding goes both ways. I believe they have a certain window into your soul that others really don’t, and so we can feel in some ways like it would be like the song. But from experience, I have found that it never works out like that. Sometimes they are the sex that you are not interested in, and in that case obviously you aren’t going to believe that you are in love with them, or at least not usually. But if they are the other type of sex, then you may mistake it for the person you want to marry. But eventually, it always works out that you don’t achieve that result, but rather a lifelong friendship that really is amazing nonetheless. It’s not like you are missing anything or losing anything. You are gaining something that is better with that particular person. But if one or both of you start out believe that, then it can hurt for a while when one of both of you figure it out, because it always hurts if you spend enough time under that belief. I could see how it would be easy to make that mistake, after all, I did. And it took me quite a while to get to the point where I was okay with it and where I realized how it was. During that time, we still remained friends, we were still always together, some people thought we should have been together together, and we still had something you really only find once in a lifetime. But we had figured out that being together was something that wasn’t meant to be.

May 21, 2009

I think I feel sorry for transgender people, but not for the normal reasons that seem to be popular these days.  I feel sorry for the way society looks at them.  I feel sorry for the discrimination they go for, because even as just a minority in general, I have suffered through discrimination in so many ways, and I can’t say it’s fun.  So I can relate, but at the same point in time I can’t relate.  I can’t say that I know what it feels like, because it’s a different kind of discrimination.  But I feel bad for them.

I feel bad that they feel trapped in the wrong body.  I feel bad that they feel out of place not only in their family as many of us do, not only in society in general as some of us do, but in and of their own body.  I mean the way people treat gay people, it is hard to be gay.  But the way people regard transgender people is even worse.  It’s disgusting and reprehensible to say the least.  But I mean at the very least, couldn’t you feel empathy for a person because they are suffering in general?

Facebook Popularity

May 20, 2009

I just had about 20 different people add me on Facebook who I’ve either never met before in my life, don’t remember, or don’t really care to remember or know, though for some unfortunate reason, I remember them all too clearly at this time.  Some of them had mutual friends with me.  So I had to ask our mutual friend who the crap these people were, and some of them were explained to be little high school kids or college kids who were in some kind of contest with their friends, whether spoken or not, to get the most Facebook friends.  I am way too old for these things.

I mean that’s one of the few benefits of Twitter.  I think I like expressing myself in a few random words here and there.  But realistically, I figure if people find my random thoughts interesting, and sometimes there’s about 50 a day and sometimes there’s none, they can follow me and I don’t have to actively reject them or ignore them if I either don’t want to follow them or don’t want to be friends with them.  I just let them follow my random thoughts and reply to me in ways that I can read or not read.  Though I have blocked one person from following me, they don’t know I don’t think.

But seriously, with Facebook, it’s this huge popularity contest, and I just hate the fact that years later, when I would like to think of myself as an adult, I have to deal with random little kids in some kind of weird contest adding me as well as people who frankly made my life miserable in high school or at best had no idea who I was or at least acted like they didn’t.  I have too many friends to keep track of on that site as it is.  Why do I need more that I don’t recognize or don’t like?

stick With What You’re Good At

May 19, 2009

There’s that saying of “stick with what you’re good at.”  And for me, I find it ironic at times.  I have the tickets to prove that I am a perpetual speeder.  The largest one is pretty large, and the most common one is for going about 15 miles over marked as 9 so that they could have me do traffic school, which works for me.  It’s a vice, and it’s one that cops of course consider to be “dangerous.”

But the irony of the situation is, and this is something that is somewhat unique to me, I’m not afraid of what I will to do other people in my car, but rather what they will do to me.  It sounds harsh, it sounds bad, but it’s true.  When I speed, they say it saves you only seconds.  They say going 10-15 miles over literally saves you seconds in the average commute.  But realistically, those seconds are all I need.  For me, those seconds make a substantial difference.  It’s luck, a curse, whatever you want to call it, but it happens.

When I go 10-15 over, I end up getting where I’m going.  Occasionally, I get pulled over and ticketed.  But I do that to myself.  So no big deal.  It sucks to pay the ticket, but that’s life right.  And really, all my tickets are for speeding.  But those seconds make all the difference for me.  When I speed, I may get a small ticket.  But those seconds are a big deal to me.  They take me seconds out of situations where I would’ve otherwise been possibly injured with my car definitely smashed.  They take me out of situations where I get stuck in a car pileup, where I get stuck in the areas with dirty cops who pick someone at random it seems.  So the way I figure it, I’ll take speeding.

May 16, 2009

You know, I think it shouldn’t be such a social stigma when people sue companies for discriminatory practices.  I mean not every case is actually legitimate.  But even those that are not provable are sometimes based on reality, and I don’t really think it’s fair to automatically assume that those people suing are just jerks or just greedy or don’t deserve their fair day in the spotlight and getting job promotions.  It’s not fair to assume they aren’t smart, haven’t earned their place, haven’t earned promotions that they are somehow not getting.

May 15, 2009

I can’t say I ever liked unions.  I mean they had their time when the conditions were so bad and they lobbied for safer conditions, better work environments, etc.  They were great back then.  But now it seems that they have gone way too far and also gone into corruption and greed.  Now they have guys who have barely graduated high school or not graduated at all making more than many college graduates.  I’ve even heard figures as large as $80,000 a year.  I mean I’m all for people making a descent amount for manual labor, it’s hard.  I’m all about people being protected from losing their jobs when they get sick or not having to work in bad environments and so on.  But protecting a worker who is too lazy to do his job, because he has a union membership, that is too much.  Paying someone who might have graduated high school $80,000 a year for a manual labor job essentially, that is going too far and it is driving many companies under.  I mean honestly, there is a line.

Texting And Twitter

May 14, 2009

How do you mix up texting on your phone and Twitter?  I mean my parents are both technologically retarded.  But they’re not that bad.  I mean even on the iPhone or Blackberry, it is a separate application that you have to go into in order to post!  It’s not that hard.  And yet an Attorney General for the state of Utah apparently does not understand this concept.  Attorney General Mark Shurtleff has recently been on the boat of saying stuff like well I’m not sure I’ll run and crap like that.  He was apparently trying to text somebody when he sent a tweet to 1600 followers saying “$2 million will be a snap!”  I mean everybody makes mistakes and all, but how exactly do you do that?

I’m Not Average

May 13, 2009

Why is it that men always buy every woman the same things! I mean they think we all want the exact same things! I really want to know why that is, because it’s annoying. It’s like in some sense, they know I’m not the average anything, and yet they insist upon treating me like some stupid little girl whenever they feel like it. They get all huffy about they can’t afford to buy me all these expensive things. Who asked?!?!?! I didn’t. I don’t want expensive things from a guy, I don’t care to get them. I don’t need a fancy ring, fancy jewelry all the time. I mean if I want a nice car or a nice this or a nice that, I will buy it for myself. And if the jewelry is extremely expensive, it scares me a little, and it seems tacky to me. And then they insist upon buying all these red and pink roses. Red roses are nice, but they’re so common, and unlike every apparently stupid little girl out there, I hate pink! It’s not so hard. I mean if they got me purple roses, they would be better than good, they would be seriously great, and they would be rewarded accordingly. But only one guy has ever figured that out. Why? He did it, because he liked to get me things or do things I actually liked. But that was only when he couldn’t get calla lilies, and he even got lotus’ once, fake ones, but lotus’ that you really don’t find at florists, which is why ya. But I just don’t understand why it is so hard to figure out that not all of us like the same stupid things.

Prisoners of Birth

May 12, 2009

Sometimes I think we’re prisoners of birth. By this I mean we get no choice. We are born into certain financial circumstances, we are born into our genders or sexes, we are born into certain places, certain times, etc, and we become prisoners of birth. Granted, it’s now easier than it has ever been before to earn more money and make yourself another person. But at the same point, is it fair for some to have to do it while others don’t. And if you grow up in certain neighborhoods, because of your birth, you see a lot of things and go through a lot of things, growing up faster than another child in a different part of town might. But we don’t get the choice. We don’t say well I don’t feel like being born into that. It is all about our parents’ choices. And let’s face it, parents don’t have children to be great parents and take care of another human being. They have children to see a little mirror of themselves, to have someone that will love them regardless of what they do, at least in the beginning. Parenting is selfish just as we say choosing not to parent is selfish.


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life rockets onward

I hope I get my Pen back from Olympus in time to take it to Paris. I was going to leave it at home, in a bold break with sense and reality, and only take my IPhone, but there are so many things that the Pen can do better, and every time I catch a glimpse of my own blog header or Facebook page, with the photo of me holding it in Paris, I find myself missing it badly, like a lost finger. I sent it in for a good cleaning, and just told them, so they wouldn’t get judgy, “it has been on safari.” End of story. And really, my life is much like safari. It was just a word to stop a conversation, but as it turned out, a good one.

I am a swirly cone of mixed feelings, dotted with sparkly points of excitement like Pop Rocks. When I went in to see Larry yesterday, he said, “how are you feeling?” and I said “overexcited.” But that doesn’t really describe it. It’s more like my skin can barely contain me. One of the things that I have noticed when I am in his studio is that now that things are really moving in my body, I can feel the energy rushing around my skin, my self, coursing through the intersections. If I move my head in subtle circles (so small you can’t even see them) I can direct it, I can swirl it around and out, or, shockingly, I can run it down to my feet and let it rocket back up to my head and down again. I say “shockingly” because I have bumped backwards into the Kundalini; it is… well.. powerful. And sexual.

Sexuality is no stranger to my life; I have always put it at the core of my being. But this force expresses in a way that charges my body, sure, but isn’t so much about banging the guy in the next chair- it’s more about creation, fecundity, birth, idea, generative force… I can see it now as the equal and the balance to destructive force; I can understand from inside how they are not necessarily different.

I take out my Shiva (?) lunchbox, and stare at it.

(Update- Allison says this is likely Lakshmi, beloved of Ganesh… I am a rotten journalist, you know, but I mean well.)

Students who study this sort of energy (kundalini yoga, for example) are cautioned not to take it lightly; it can be overwhelming to people who aren’t ready for it, or who want to use it to dominate others. Teachers advise getting a grip on one’s moral life before beginning to find and channel this force.

All I can say is… Lord. I know very little, but maybe I don’t need to.

I understand why it is easier for people to place this in religious context, but that isn’t really who I am. I haven’t the slightest interest in religious thought of any kind; if you know me, you know this.  Being good has got to be enough. And right now, it’s taking all of my time and focus, because it is a newish pursuit.

Anyway, these are all old ideas, commonplace even. As I read about my lunchbox (or not my lunchbox, as the case may be) I see:

The dance of Shiva is the destruction of all patterns of being that are chaotic, that are not harmonious…  it represents the evolution of cosmic consciousness. This can only take place as the ego (and its suppressed fear) is transmuted through love.

Maybe my lunchbox is enough.

5 thoughts on “life rockets onward

  1. This post supports my contention that you should write write write… and maybe take a few photos along the way. I would sign up for an early purchase of the novel.

  2. Did I ever tell you that my daughter is a Kundalini yogi? She teaches students and teaches teachers. Her influence was Gurmukh (google her). She’s also the most awesome woman I know. Her kundalini journey was awesome to see (and still is).

  3. If more of us paid attention to the inner journey and made these mind bending and soul opening discoveries the universe would be a much more harmonious place, and wouldn’t that be nice for each of us and all of us.

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A few things about me..

After recently hitting 100 followers on my blog (doesn’t sound like a major achievement, but it is to me!), I thought I’d hit you all up with 25 facts about me. To anyone who’s been following me since pretty much the dawn of time, thank you. To anyone who’s new here and just started following me, thank you. To anyone who’s super super new and hasn’t clicked follow yet; why not have a lil roam around my site and click the follow button that appears? Love & good things to you all. 1. My favorite book of all time is The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

2. Because I’m British, I was taught to write color with a ‘u’ – like ‘colour.’ Now, neither way actually looks correct and I live a life of uncertainty.

3. I’d never been to America before I moved here. I just hoped for the best, to be honest.

4. I love almost anything avocado based.

5. I’m actually an unashamed cat lady; all my friends have cats and I go over to see the cats, not my friends.

6. I love Marmite. I could eat it off the spoon.

7. I hate the cold (ironic because I live in MA and it’s like super cold for 5 months of the year..).

8. Carbs are my jam; pasta, potatoes, rice, you name it and I love it.

9. My best friend and I bonded over food.

10. My favorite city in the world (so far) is Paris, France. I visited for the first time when I was about 12 and fell in love.

11. In fact, I just love France, period.

12.I have a tendency to pile other people’s feelings on top of my own and have crumbled under the pressure a few times.

13. It’s a toss up between The Little Mermaid and Lilo & Stitch for my favorite film.

14. Instagram is my favorite social media.

15. That’s closely followed by Tumblr.

16. I started watching Pretty Little Liars and ended up despising it.

17. I love the beach at any time of year. I’m lucky enough to be from a seaside town and I actually love walking along it during the winter.

18. I’m so angry with myself for letting my French drop. I was actually pretty good when I left high school, but I’ve not had to speak it for about 5 years.

19. I’ve watched all 10 seasons of Friends on Netflix at least twice over the past 8 months.

20. I got bitten by the travel bug at the grand old age of 20, and two years later it’s still going strong.

21. I have an actual, official, full-blown fear of birds. I’ve vomited from just seeing them before. In fact, there was a point in my life where I wouldn’t go outside without someone with me, just in case. I honestly nearly cried just typing this little point.

22. I want to visit Copenhagen if only to have a picture with the Little Mermaid statue.

23. I love to read, but I just don’t read enough.

24. I ruddy well love giraffes. I feel at one with them (maybe because I’m tall). I also quite like zebras. And hippos.

25. I’m currently on a mission to learn Italian.

4 comments on “A few things about me..

  1. I can totally relate with facts 4 and 14. Congrats on the 100 followers, lovely!!

    Liked by 1 person

  2. I enjoyed reading these facts about you! Congrats on 100 followers 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

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Stag Oil Painting in Royal Blue Hues

Parallel to overseeing my exhibition (still running for one more week) I have been working on commissioned projects including this royal blue stag painting.Image

When being asked specifically to work in one colour I automatically thought this was a slight restriction that could potentially suppress a lot of the natural character that could be captured in a wildlife painting. However I decided to take it on without reservations and find other ways to inject character. The palette I was asked to used was ‘royal blue’ which in itself could well portray the pride of a stag. I decided however to minimise the use of royal blue and begin by building darker and lighter tones of this blue until I had the basic stag. The royal blue I then added as a highlight. minimal with the idea of brightening, suggesting and ultimately setting the tone of the piece itself.

I am still working on this piece and I cannot wait to see it finished, it is a personal favorite of mine and a challenge in following the guidelines.

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My new classes!

I just published my newsletter…well, Steph actually published it…on Thursday.  I’m excited about my new classes.  You can see them by clicking on my class schedule at the top of this page.  Come join me and make something fun!

This rainbow bargello is so pretty and so not complicated!  Village Fabric Shop has the jellyrolls now.

I borrowed this tree skirt from my children.  It’s hand appliqued and hand quilted and easily finished before Christmas!  The shop has the patterns.

My cross stitch family class produces this.  I made one for Amy because everybody in my family is really tall.  🙂

And then there’s this!  I finished my La Pass (this shows the bottom edge) and we are having an Open House next Saturday, August 12 at 9:00 at Village Fabric Shop.  Come join us and see what that’s all about!

Again, just click on my class schedule to see what’s waiting for you!

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On Moya Bailey, Misogynoir, and why both are important ‹ The Visibility Project

Known for creating the termMisogynoir, Bailey defines it as the intersection of racism, anti-Blackness, and misogyny that Black women experience. The term is specific to Black womanhood, as Misogynoir cannot be experienced by women of any other race, but can be perpetuated by people of any gender or race.

On Moya Bailey, Misogynoir, and why both are important ‹ The Visibility Project.

Why #SolidarityisforWhiteWomen Is So Important

Why #SolidarityisforWhiteWomen Is So Important

Right now on Twitter a well-known Black woman blogger @Karnythia has started a trend online with the hashtag #SolidarityisforWhiteWomen. I have seen related tweets coming from publications such as Al Jazeera and Colorlines.

Of course, there are the people who automatically jump to the conclusion that #Solidarity is about hating on White women who want equality for ~*everybody*~, and that people of color participating in the tag are just race-baiting. That’s a given. And I’m sure most of said people are not actually reading the hashtag, they are just responding to the name. For those who aren’t aware, it should feel like a punch to the gut. I promise you that being excluded from the mainstream feminist movement feels much worse.

To be clear though, this hashtag is about holding “allies” accountable. It should be self-explanatory! For too long, White, straight, cis, able-bodied women have been the face of feminism.

New York Times: The New Shades of Feminism?

New York Times: The New Shades of Feminism?

Read #SolidarityisforWhiteWomen to understand what marginalised people are trying to say. Feminism is supposed to be for people marginalized by patriarchy, but so far it only uplifts the women pictured above.

Here are some gems from #Solidarity

Click the link above for more!

SONG OF THE DAY: Beyoncé – Grown Woman [Audio]

Beyoncé has something to say to the people out there waxing poetic on Black celebrity-hood and respectability politics.

Rebecca A. Gowns: Most of all, I love the small “But of course!” line thrown in there, delivered by a bitchy passive-aggressive white girl. “I’m a grown woman! I can do whatever I want!” Beyonce belts, and in the background, there’s that tiny valley girl voice: “But of course!” That’s gotta be intentional; this song is just as much a response to her (white feminist) critics as “Bow Down” was. What makes it extra delicious is that this is the only spiteful part of the song — “But of course!” — and it’s coming from some weird non-Beyonce character (a single character, with not a single echo, chorus effect, or call and response acknowledging her). Beyonce made the hater a part of her song. This is a trophy song, a song to celebrate her and all her achievements, and it’s topped with the head of her enemy.

Gowns pretty much summarizes how I feel in this quote above about the song. Read the lyrics here.

Open Season on Mrs. Carter

ImageIs anyone else really sick of people ragging on Beyonce, or is it just me?

I’m not saying you have to like her music, or like her as a person, but let’s take a look at her accomplishments:

There’s plenty more where that came from, but even if there wasn’t I would say that Beyonce Giselle Knowles-Carter is a very accomplished, multi-talented, influential and admirable person.

This is one of the reasons why I get particularly annoyed when I happen to come across things like this letter that Rakhi Kumar has written to Michelle Obama about Beyonce not being a good role model for her daughters, Sasha and Malia Obama.

Rakhi Kumar’s complaint starts with her objection to one of Beyonce’s outfits at the Mrs. Carter World Tour, which apparently consists of a sheer bodysuit with the nipples showing. Because I haven’t been to the show, and because there are people commenting saying that her nipples were not showing, I won’t comment on that. But I will say that it’s a bit ironic that Kumar was so bothered by the costume and the ‘misogynistic implications’ that it represented, because the fact that Beyonce’s performance was belittled to what she was wearing can be read as misogynistic as well.

Also, a sidenote: Why do people have such a problem with nipples? Last time I checked, all humans, regardless of gender, had nipples? What about them makes them overtly sexual? They are used FOR FEEDING CHILDREN. As soon as nipples are revealed, they are instantly assumed to be there for a man’s gratification, and if they are revealed for breastfeeding, it’s ‘indecent’. Feeding infants naturally is indecent now?

But I digress. My point is, automatically rendering any woman’s body parts overtly sexual… sexualizes women. And apparently, women aren’t supposed to be sexy in order to be good role models. Or at least that is the case according to Rakhi Kumar.

At one point in the letter, Kumar says:

Beyonce, performing in sheer body suits, nipples displayed, mouth open, high heels and sheer tights, shaking her butt on stage, can no longer be held by world leaders as an icon of female success.

Because for as long as she is, we are feeding a demonic myth that women must make themselves sexually available to enjoy ultimate success.

This is a debate that comes up a lot in discussions about rape culture. There is an idea that women who wear revealing clothing are ‘asking to be raped’ or ‘asking for sex.’ Because apparently women don’t dress for themselves- they dress to attract or repulse men. So by wearing clothing that is revealing, Beyonce is making herself ‘sexually available.’ I wish it was obvious to people why that is an extremely flawed philosophy, but apparently not. So just to make it clear: women are people. People should have the right to wear what they want and not be judged for it. As far as I’m concerned, a woman should be able to walk down the street naked and not have someone touch her without her permission. If a man can walk down the street shirtless and we can just assume he’s hot, and a woman can’t because that’s indecent exposure and she’s inviting rape, that says more about our assumptions and who we are than it does about the man and woman in question.

Kumar also says later on in the letter:

And it’s time that young girls were sent a different message. A more refined, intelligent message. A message that engaged them at the level of their intellect and potential because implicit in our message to them should be the acknowledgement that they are naturally brilliant and that we believe that they are capable of everything -without ever having to undress to achieve their success.

I’m sorry, since when is someone’s intellect based on their appearance? Because Beyonce isn’t wearing enough clothing for your standards, she isn’t smart or strong or capable? Beyonce won every single award she has because you could see her nipples through her bodysuit?

Kumar even points out that Beyonce is the one who chooses to do it! You don’t have to agree with Beyonce’s choice, you don’t have to like it. But to tell the First Lady of the United States that she is not choosing the right role models for her children because you don’t like Beyonce’s clothing is absurd. The fact that Kumar refuses to acknowledge Beyonce’s talent as an artist and musician because of a sheer bodysuit is playing right into the idea that a woman can be defined by what she wears. And the fact that Kumar feels the need to criticize an aspect of Michelle Obama’s child-rearing reminds me of Jaclyn Friedman’s piece last year on GOOD, telling Beyonce and Jay-Z how to raise Blue Ivy Carter.

In a broader scope, I tend to feel icky when people feel the need to tell influential, successful Black people how to raise their children. I also don’t like the idea of Beyonce being judged by her outfits, because I feel like Black women are simultaneously oversexualized and desexualized, and that there is another anti-Black political message in judging what Black women wear and what effect that has on their body and their sexuality. But that’s another post for another day.

I conclude this by saying: Leave Beyonce alone! Let her live her life and celebrate her accomplishments the way she wants to, please stop overcriticizing every little thing she does. No one is a perfect human being- that includes celebrities, and that includes her. Before Kumar judges someone else for not being a good role model, she should make sure she is one too- and so far, I’m not feeling the messages she has for young women.


text:
Spring favourites

Spring favourites

Monki red top
$48 – monki.com

Monki chunky sweater
$48 – monki.com

Monki blue sweater
$48 – monki.com

Monki purple top
$8.27 – monki.com

Topshop jeans

Topshop shoes

Revo sunglasses
$12 – ginatricot.com

Topshop lipstick

Topshop lipstick
$15 – colette.fr

Topshop nail polish
$11 – colette.fr

Topshop nail polish

Christmas list #1

Christmas list #1

Topshop slouchy top

Topshop blue top

Aztec mini skirt
$25 – newlook.com

Topshop tall jeans

Topshop boots

Nars cosmetic
First of all, let me apologize for this absolutely epic absence from my blog! It has been a very hectic past few months full of complications and transitions. However, life has alas gone back to normal and I remembered my beloved little blog and decided to post a Christmas wish list!
I have been very naughty this year with buying “gifts” for myself and now I am behind on my Christmas shopping for my friends and family…damn. I have a new fixation on the brand Nars and suddenly I want absolutely anything and everything Nars! I recently bought the blush called “Day Dream” from the Nars limited edition Guy Bourdin collection, is it absolutely incredible!
I have always spent more time and money on makeup rather than clothing, and so for this upcoming year my goal is to care more about clothing. I admire fashion bloggers and their daring clothing choices, love of bold prints and clashing patterns. I would really enjoy as well owning a designer bag! I currently have a classic cognac leather Coach bag but I am not at all a fan of Coach. I do love Rebecca Minkoff purses and I especially adore the black mini handbag above! I hope to get my paws on it ASAP.
I would also like to wear skirts once in a while…Now this is difficult given that I am all legs at 5’10”. Most skirts end up being ridiculously short on me and I am not at all into the whole “bodycon” trend so I would rather find an aline skirt, something along the lines of what Kate from the blog Gh0stparties usually wears.
What are some things on your Christmas list? x

Products that help tame those wicked summer spots!

This summer has been a crazy one for rapid weather changes, alternating between extreme heat and awkward cold. My skin has been very unkind to me this summer and I have been using more face masks than usual, and recently I have added a newbie spot treatment to my routine….I absolutely love it!

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First off we have the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Instant Oatmeal 10 Minute Mask ($22). I was lucky enough to find this face mask at Winners as my local Sephora does not sell this brand. I have heard of this mask before from the blogger Lily Pebbles from Whatiheartotday.com. It is a very nice, hydrating mask which has tiny oatmeal grains which I guess lightly exfoliate, but I use it primarily to hydrate my skin as often spots come from skin being dehydrated. This mask is lovely and effective, though it does feel like putting porridge on your face, as Lily so hilariously put it!

Image 2Next up is Super Facialist by Una Brennan Rose Hydrate Brighten & Refine Facial Scrub ($20). Ok, so I’m not the biggest fan of the rose scent, it makes me think of old lady perfume and potpourri. I can look past the rose smell though as this scrub brightens and brings back radiance to the skin, and it’s specially formulated for sensitive skin types! It’s great to exfoliate your skin regularly, maybe 2-3 times a week as dead skin cells can clog pores and spots will develop. This scrub is wonderful to use and I believe it’s extremely cheap in the UK as it’s a drugstore product. I had to pay more for the product to have it shipped here which totalled about $20 CND. This is better than some Origins scrubs I have tried, and that says a lot! I can’t wait to try out more from this brand.

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Oh Origins, is it so obvious that this is my favourite skincare brand? I love pretty much everything from this brand. This Origins Out of Trouble 10 Minute Mask ($27) is definitely more on the “intense” side, and it has quite a particular scent that many may not like. It is however very effective on problem areas. I apply this to parts of my face that are breaking out and I leave it for 10 minutes so that it can work its magic. It reduces spots and makes the skin feel clean. Though this is a clay mask, I would not use it as an overnight spot treatment. I would also not use this on any parts of your face other than problem areas, as it can be quite drying and it does nothing for blackheads.

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Last but not least is this ahhhhmazing Super Spot Remover Treatment by Origins ($17.50). This is the most effective spot treatment I have ever used. I put the tiniest amount on a Q-tip and I gently dab it on a spot and leave it overnight. It goes on clear which is nice, and when I wake up my spot is reduced in size and the redness is virtually gone. It’s a great spot treatment to have, and at $17.50 I feel like this will go a long way as you have to use so little.

So this little routine has been helping my summer skin quite a bit, and I am happy to report that with Autumn on its way, my skin will go back to normal as this heat has just been killing me! What are some of your favourite spot treatments?

This week’s most loved #3…

This week’s most loved consists of a smaller stash of goods that I have pulled aside for this post. I have been loving everything that screams Autumn this past week because I am anticipating the fall so much. Bring on the fall, and adios to summer!

1. L’Oreal Evercreme Sulfate Free Nourishing Leave-In Spray ($13.99)

The L’Oreal Ever Riche line is huge right now it seems with it’s affordable pricing and sulfate-free ingredients. I have very long, thick and straight hair and I have not used a detangler since I was a kid. This stuff however has me sold, as it makes combing out my wet hair so much easier. The smell is amazing as well! I bought the shampoo, condition and hair mask from this line also. I am pleased to report that everything is indeed of salon quality!

2. Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Balm ($17.50)

I know almost $20 for a lip balm seems ridiculous, but I just HAD to try this…I’ve heard so many great things about it in the blogging world. It is the most amazing lip balm I have ever used. It comes in a glass jar with quite a lot of product in it, it smells like honey and lemon and has sort of a thick and grainy texture that somehow easily absorbs into the lips. It’s so hydrating and long-lasting, I am in love. It’s great to wear under lipsticks as a base because it’s matte and non-sticky, but the hydration will be a mega-plus under lipstick!

3. Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye-liner in Cobalt ($26)

This is the most amazing blue eyeliner for the fall. We’ve seen photos of models rocking the blue eyeliner and mascaras this summer and currently into the fall season, and I was dying to get my hands on a cobalt blue eyeliner. This was the most striking blue eyeliner that I found, and the fact that it’s waterproof made it extra-appealing. This applies so easily and it does not budge all day but comes off easily with eye makeup remover. I have been wearing this a lot this week on my upper eyelids!

4. Lancome In Love Eyeliner in 501 Jade Crush ($29)

I bought this eyeliner to wear in the summertime as it was just such a beautiful and vibrant turquoise. It is waterproof and possibly the most beautiful blue eye liner that I have ever seen. Truthfully, I haven’t gotten a lot of wear out of this but I’m in a blue-eyeliner craze right now so I had to mention this one. It’s a colour I admire more than I wear, but I’m hoping to wear this more before the summer is over!

5. Origins Out of Trouble 10 Minute Mask ($27)

I bought this to sooth my currently irritated skin, though I was advised by a Sephora MUA not to use this on my fairly sensitive skin. I am pleased to report that it seems to be a great face mask, though it is too harsh to use all over my face. I use this on my chin, nose and forehead once or twice a week. It’s a great clay mask, but it does smell quite strong and it can be a little tough to remove. Sensitive skins be warned! I personally have been loving this mask lately as it’s really been helping out my problematic summer skin.

There you have it…A short but sweet post on my most loved products of the  week!

Image 2   I’m sure I’ve stated this somewhere in a previous post, but I absolutely LOVE big eyebrows. I have been obsessed with eyebrows since my early teens, back when I used to take an angled Mac eyeliner brush and fill in my brows  with a little bit with Mac’s Carbon eyeshadow. Luckily, my eyebrows are dark enough that it didn’t look too unnatural, however, luckily times have changed and I have become a bit wiser with brow products!

1. Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Brow Color ($23)

I love the concept of a waterproof brow marker. I must be honest though, I didn’t believe this would look at all natural and so I avoided testing this product for several months. On one curious day while browsing Sephora, I saw this eyebrow pen again and I noticed that they got a new colour which they call “dark”…I tried it and I fell in love with the natural finish and minimal effort. It’s a great summertime product. I have heard that this can dry out pretty quickly, so I’m hoping that this will last! Otherwise, Gosh has an inexpensive version of this.

2. Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel ($29)

I originally owned this in the colour Espresso, but that had too much red in it for my liking so I went back and purchased it in Granite which is a dark brown with a more ashy than red undertone. I am obsessed with this eyebrow gel. It’s one item that if I don’t use daily, my makeup feels so incomplete. It tints, it grooms and it sets my eyebrows into place. What more could I ask for? The only other tinted eyebrow gels that I have ever seen have been by Benefit and Elf, both are more inexpensive options!

3. Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil ($39)

This feels like the gem of my eyebrow product collection. The elegant packaging alone could have sold it to me, but luckily this product really delivers. I love that one end is a thick, arched eyebrow pencil, and the other end has a spooly to comb through the brows. This pencil is easy to use and it is quite low maintenance. I prefer this kind of eyebrow pencil over small, thin ones like Anastasia’s. A cheaper alternative to this that is VERY similar is by a brand called Marcelle, it has the same colour selection and shape, however instead of one end being a spooly it has a clear eyebrow mascara…Major bonus!

So there’s a bit of brow wisdom to finish off the weekend! I love talking about eyebrows and I could really do it all day, but I shall spare y’all. What do you use to complete your brows?

The Wednesday Skincare Blues…

This week was quite a long and stressful week (oh dang, it’s only Wednesday!) so I decided to give myself a Wednesday night at-home spa session to make myself feel better! This Wednesday night treatment was inspired by Vivianna from viviannadoesmakeup.com who did a blog post called “Sad Skin Wednesdays”  (http://www.viviannadoesmakeup.com/sad-skin-wednesdays/) – there she wrote about the attention we give our skin on weekends, and the neglect that our skin faces during the busy and stressful weekdays. After reading that post, I have forever changed the way I do my weekly skincare routines. I now do Wednesday night pampering sessions where I do a face mask, paint my nails etc, it’s all very relaxing. Here are some of my favourites that I have been using to conquer the Wednesday skincare blues…

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1. Bioderma Micelle Solution for Sensitive Skin ($22)

For me, this is an absolute must every night for makeup removal as I use this in preparation for washing my face. In the summer I can’t be bothered with oil cleansers as I find them too thick and difficult to remove in the warmer months. This Bioderma micellar water is truly an incredible product. It dissolves makeup and leaves the skin makeup-free and ready for some face washing-action. I can even use this to remove stubborn eye makeup! I can never be without this product again, and I know that many other bloggers would agree that this is an essential for daily skincare!

2. The Body Shop Camomile Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover ($15)

I absolutely love this for removing waterproof eyeliner and mascara. It’s very creamy and effective and it doesn’t dry out the under eye area. It works extremely quick and the tube will last forever. I personally use the Bioderma micellar water for removing all the other makeup on my face but I reserve this for the makeup on my eyes.

Image 2

3. Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash ($24)

I may be jumping the gun by saying this, but currently Origins is my absolute favourite brand! I cannot get enough of their products. They’re all just incredible, and fairly affordable for “higher end products.” I love this cleanser, it gives such a satisfactory, gentle clean and does not tighten the skin after use. You only need the tiniest amount of this product as it indeed gets frothy when water is added to it! This is my absolute favourite face wash right now.

4. Origins Out of Trouble 10 Minute Mask ($27)

This is a clay mask that’s quite creamy in texture. It’s extremely effective and really gets to work quickly. I have a more sensitive skin type and this can be a little bit irritating when first applied, but if you wait it out a few minutes you’ll see just how rewarding using this face mask can be. It’s fantastic for decongesting the skin and ridding the face of blemishes. However, I would not use this as an overnight spot treatment like some do with other clay masks, I believe this would be too harsh for overnight use. Try the Origins Spot Treatment for that!

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5. Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil ($50)

Ohhh this is so luxurious. I apply this after my toner, so this list is a little out of order! This facial oil is aimed towards treating oily or combination skin, and I fall into the latter category. My skin is a lot more on the dry side but I do tend to get oily on my t-zone. This product works so well to hydrate the skin and control breakouts. Now that I have found this product, I don’t know how I’d ever live without it. I love to use this a few times a week before I apply my nightly moisturizer as I wake up with healthy skin and it always seems to tame any near-future breakouts.

6. Nuxe Creme Prodigieuse Anti-Fatique Moisturizing Cream ($32)

I must have a serious thing for French pharmacy brands because I just love Nuxe and Bioderma! This moisturizer caught my eye because it also says “anti-oxidant” and “anti-skin stress” on the tube which made me think that this must be an ideal facial moisturizer for bad skin days. I bought the one for “normal to combination skin” even though there was an option to buy this for dry skin, and I feel that I should have bought that one as I don’t find this one to be the most moisturizing..but used with the Clarins Lotus Oil, I find that this Nuxe moisturizer does the trick quite alright. It has a gorgeous floral-lavender smell which is very relaxing, and I love the tube presentation because I’m tired of unhygienic jar moisturizers!

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7. Bobbi Brown Hydrating Face Tonic ($30)

This has been one of my favourite facial toners for years. It smells like lavender and cucumber and I find it to be extremely soothing and very hydrating. My skin loves this toner and I always end up going back to it. It’s a gorgeous product, and I find that Bobbi Brown skincare is for the most part amazing, though it doesn’t seem to get tons of credit in the blogisphere.

8. Lush Sugar Lip Scrub in popcorn flavour ($9)

This is a nice lip scrub that I like to use before applying an overnight lip treatment. This is a gentle and nature exfoliator and it works like magic, what more can I say? The smell and the taste are mega pluses too 😉

This is how I’m conquering the Wednesday blues, what are you using to beat the mid-week battle?

This week’s most loved #2…

This week I officially got over summer. I long for the fall, and for sweater season. I say bring back the layers, I am so done with shorts! For now though, here is my weekly roundup of the top products that I have been using lately to see me through this unbearable heat!

1. Clinique Super City Block SPF40 ($25)

This is the best face sunscreen that I have tried and I am happy to report that it’s oil-free, a mega plus! This has a slight nude tint which disappears when it’s rubbed in. This makes for a great makeup primer and it absorbs super quickly. It also claims to protect against environmental irritants and it’s safe to use near the eye area! This is so good I’ll probably use it all year round for extra cautious skin protection.

2.  Mac MSF in soft & gentle ($30)

These Mac Mineralized Skin Finishes are incredible.  They give such a perfect highlight to the cheeks and this particular colour is my absolute favourite! This comes in a quite generous size at 10 g which will last pretty much forever. It looks sort of bronzy in the pan but it’s actually a goldy-peach, a perfect colour for all skin tones and I like how it looks on my fair skin. This isn’t too shimmery so I never feel like a disco ball when I wear this!

3. YSL Rouge Volupte lipstick in #13 peach passion ($39)

I happened to be in Holt Renfrew in Toronto one afternoon and I stopped by the YSL stand only to see this lipstick staring back at me. It’s a gorgeous matte peach with a very silky texture when applied to the lips. I saw this lipstick before on Katie from katiesbeautyblog.com and I thought it looked so lovely on her, but I had completely forgotten about it until I saw it in person. I adore this colour, and though I don’t reach for it that often  (I prefer pink shades for daily wear) I am so happy that I bought this! This is my first YSL lipstick and it will always hold a special place in my heart, especially with such luxurious packaging. Also, just as a side note, pair this lipstick with your favourite lip balm because this formula can be a little bit drying I find!

4. Benefit Hervana Blush ($34)

I love the packaging of Benefit blushers, they always look so cute! This particular blush has a wheel of colours which blend together to make a gorgeous cool toned pink. I love that I can wear this in summer for a gorgeous pink flush or in the cooler seasons paired with a darker lipstick. A definite favourite, I find myself reaching for it quite often!

5. Essie Nail Polish in bikini so teeny ($11.99)

I always get loads of compliments when I wear this nail polish. It’s a gorgeous pale, cloudy blue that looks stunning in the summertime. I find myself always going back to this colour. I am however not a huge fan of Essie nail polishes, despite having so many, I find them to be really prone to chipping. I find that Essie is a little bit overrated and that many drugstore brand nail polishes will last longer. This is one of my favourite nail polish colours and a definite winner of this week!

6. Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayon in 02 Fuchsia Libra ($20)

I am simply obsessed with lip crayons this summer and this Bourjois lip crayon was long under my radar. I purchased the colour Fuchsia Libra because I adore hot pink lip colours in the summer. I find these lip crayons to be superior to the Clinique and Revlon lip crayons because the Bourjois leave a more prominent stain and they stay glossy, instead of drying out. I can’t wait to get my hands on more. Also, a side note to Canadians: These are half the price on ASOS.com than they are in stores, and ASOS has free international shipping. 🙂

7. Batiste Dry Shampoo in blush ($7.99)

I was first introduced to dry shampoos by reading multiple beauty blogs. Now I have about 5 different ones that I alternate between to use on the every “other” day that I do not wash my hair. This works great for adding volume and texture back to the hair and they smell phenomenal. Batiste is one of my favourites and I love how affordable they are as well.

These are this week’s most loved, stay tuned for my next post!

Summer Haircare essentials

I don’t know about you guys, but come summer, I am forced to acknowledge that humidity is not my friend! I have naturally straight and quite thick hair, but in the summertime it tends to go crazy. I get loads of fly-aways, my hair goes limp and I am forced to deal with my split ends. It’s not pretty. I use the following haircare to keep the craziness contained during these warm summer months.

1.  Bumble and Bumble Texture Hair (Un) Dressing Creme ($32)

This is my go to product for texture and volume. I apply a pea sized amount in my hands and rub it together and then I apply this to my roots. In the summertime I don’t use heat on my hair, it’s just to damn hot, so I use this in my wet hair and let it air dry and I get some great volume without feeling any build up or grease in my hair.

2. Dove Nutritive Therapy Nourishing Oil Care Daily Treatment Conditioner ($5)

I must admit that I have always been skeptical to use Dove haircare products. I find most drugstore hair products tend to be waxy and leave build up in my hair. This product has been raved about by many and I completely understand why. Let’s start with the smell…it’s simply divine. It comes out as conditioner infused with oil, it looks kind of toothpaste…but that aside, this product really performs. It makes my hair so soft and I truly enjoy using this, plus, the price is amazing. It’s doing a great job of keeping my hair looking healthy!

3. KMS Hair Play Sea Salt Spray ($16.50)

I tried the infamous Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray and I was completely underwhelmed. Perhaps that kind of product is better for those with shorter hair, but for me, it just didn’t do anything for my long hair. I purchased this KMS Sea Salt Spray because it comes in a much bigger bottle than the B&B spray and so far I’ve really been loving it for giving me some texture and awesome “beach hair”….Success!

4. The Body Shop Grape Seed Glossing Serum ($12)

Before this I had never tried any hair care products from the Body Shop aside from a shampoo and conditioner. I picked this up after reading great reviews about it on makeupalley.com, and it is definitely a keeper! It smells amazing and it gives a lot of shine to my hair while never making it feel or look greasy. I apply this when my hair is wet and bam! I have glossy locks.

5. Klorane Shampoo with Desert Date ($13)

This shampoo is a nutritive and reparative shampoo for dry, damaged and brittle hair. I use this sort of as a detox shampoo and it works like a dream. The smell doesn’t particularly have me sold but I love the way that it works, and I especially love using this with with the aforementioned Dove Nutritive Therapy Nourishing Oil Care Daily Treatment Conditioner.

6. Macadamia Deep Repair Masque ($20) and Macadamia Healing Oil Spray ($15)

I love Macadamia products, I’d choose them any day over Moroccan Oil. This hair mask is the best, I use it probably once every two weeks and I get soft, hydrated and shiny hair. The Healing Oil Spray is meant to be used as a pre-blow dry and pre-straightening protectant but I actually use this to give some extra moisture to my ends, it works like a dream! This duo is a must for the summer.

7. AG Colour Care Split End Spa Repair Serum ($23.95)

I have never found a better product than this for sealing my split ends and making my hair healthy looking in between trims. This has an odd pump, but it distributes the perfect amount of product onto the hands and then you apply it only to the ends of the hair. This is a product I will always repurchase!

8. Babyliss Pro Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner ($16.50 each)

This shampoo and conditioner is another great alternative to Moroccan Oil. It smells identical but in my opinion these products perform better. I love that these are sulphate free and they give great moisture to my hair. I alternate these into my hair care routine and I absolutely love them and could not be without this set!

Have you tried any of these products? Tell me what products save your hair during these hot summer months!

Disappointing Products of the Summer!

I’ve had a few disappointing experiences this summer with some products that I was looking forward to using, boo! I have a very love/hate relationship with some of these brands, but these are my top picks for the most disappointing products.

1. Laura Mercier Mineral Powder SPF 15 (Soft Porcelain)

I was looking sooo forward to using this. I had never used a mineral powder foundation before and I had heard rave reviews about this one (particularly thanks to Essiebutton and GirlAboutTown18) and so I finally went to buy it at Sephora. I wore it a total of three times using a Real Techniques Buffing Brush to apply it as I’d heard they’re a killer combo to use together. This product separated on my face, and it looked really terrible, I tried using more moisturizer, less moisturizer, a primer, etc etc and it just looked terrible. It did not give me a good, lasting coverage and this is the first product I’ve ever used that actually separated while wearing it throughout the day. Not a fan, but I know this must be a cult favourite for a reason!

2. Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer (51)

This concealer takes dry to a whole new level. This is very thick and dry. It provides full coverage, which is great for those who like heavier-coverage concealers, but I found this to be a very unflattering concealer on me and I definitely would not use this under the eyes as it’s so thick and drying, it would definitely settle in to fine lines. I feel that my Mac Studio Finish concealer is much better than this product. I will pass on this concealer and maybe someone else will have better luck with it!

3. Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer (Very Fair)

This shimmers like Edward Cullen under the sun (I hate the Twilight movies, btw) but this really does have a lot of shimmer in it for a concealer. It’s an odd consistency, a little to watery, and it gives an incredibly light coverage which seems totally impractical for an under eye concealer. I get that the shimmer is supposed to provide radiance but what good is some radiance without a good coverage? I think that the Origins Ginzing Eye Cream on its own does the exact same thing, and furthermore, the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer does what this claims to do. Though a great drugstore alternative for those who have pretty much non-exsistent under eye circles, this is a definite pass for me!

4. Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit (Warm Ivory)

I’m really glad that they put “creamy” in the name, because damn, this stuff is like greek yoghurt. Would you want to apply greek yoghurt under your eyes?! Maybe that’s a slight exaggeration, but this is a really thick concealer, in a smoother way than the Bourjois, but it still creases like madness. I know this is a common complaint with this concealer, and I find the setting powder to be an annoying extra step. Also, most dark-circle sufferers are told to use the Bobbi Brown corrector, which I have in the past, and that creamy corrector + this creamy concealer = crease-galore. If this ever got reformulated, I’d give it a try, as I really like Bobbi Brown’s colour selection and I find that this brand is overall fantastic. This particular concealer did not do much for me.

5. Bourjois Delice de Poudre Bronzing Powder (51)

I feel like I’m picking on Bourjois today, but it is actually one of my favourite cosmetic brands. I was on the hunt for a great non-shimmery bronzer that would suit pale skin, and I was searching for one solely for contouring. I tried the infamous Benefit Hoola Bronzer which I found to be too muddy looking on me, and I tried a series of other brands that all seemed to be so shimmery. This one seemed to be the best out of all of them, but my main complaint would be that it is so orange. The packaging is really cute though, it looks like a chocolate bar, and hell, it smells like a chocolate bar too..but it always seems a little too orange and noticeable on my skin. I may pass this on and just opt for a taupe blush and use that for contouring.

6. Real Techniques Expert Face Brush

I dread writing this review. I know that this is one of the most popular Real Techniques brushes out there and I will have a lot of people disagreeing with me about this one. I find this very awkward to use when applying liquid foundation, and I find it especially awkward to use to apply cream blush. This has lost its purpose in my makeup brush collection and I have stopped using it all together. The tapered sides of the brush makes it hard for me to use, and I didn’t like how it applied my makeup in general. I much prefer my Real Techniques Buffing Brush for foundation and my Mac Stippling Brush for cream blushers.

7.  Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer (Nova & Luna)

I had read so much about these Rimmel Apocalips on beauty blogs that I absolutely could not wait for them to be released in Canada, so I ran to eBay and bought the shades Nova and Luna. Nova is a pale, mauve-pink and Luna is a white-peach, they are absolutely gorgeous colours to swatch. Now, to get to the point, they both looked terrible on me. I also can’t stand the smell, they have a very cheap smell. The packaging for these is really cute though, but the colours are just very unflattering on me. I’ve seen them on Katie Snooks (www.katiesbeautyblog.com) and she looked absolutely gorgeous in these colours, and so I figured since we have pretty much the exact same skin tone, that they’d suit me also. I was so wrong! Anyhow, I saw these were recently released in my country and so I went to buy two more colours to give a try, called Stellar and Celestial. Hopefully I’ll have better luck with these!

8. Topshop Lip Stick (Coy)

I ran like a child in Toys’R’Us around the Topshop in Toronto and I ravaged their cosmetics section and was able to score the Lip Stick in the colour “Coy” for $5! I brought it home and I was so excited to use this, I saw it on Kate from Gh0stparties and it looked amazing on her. I found this to apply very rough and to emphasize any dryness in the lips. It is very matte, and very drying and the colour itself did not suit me. I’m so sad, I wanted to badly to love this. I’m obsessed with the packaging of Topshop cosmetics, it’s just so darn cute.

9. Clarins After Sun Moisturizing Ultra-Hydrating Balm

I really can’t tan even if I wanted to, but I bought this in an attempt to prolong whatever little colour I get from the sun. This really didn’t do anything for me, it really only functioned as a nice soothing moisturizer. It did not prolong any colour I was able to get on my arms and legs. I find that with Clarins, their facial care products are for the most part amazing, but their body care products seemed to be overpriced and they never seem to do what they claim they will do.

So, unfortunately, I had a few misses this summer with cosmetic purchases but I shall not end this on a completely negative note: I will be posting my summer favourites and perhaps making a video for that, so, stay tuned!


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Ron Paul on CISPA bill

Earlier attempts to pass two bills SOPA and PIPA that would have enabled the U.S. Justice Dept. to shut down websites and/or search engines were shelved after public protests. The sites could have been shut down if they did not cooperate sufficiently with the war on terror or were accused of copyright infringements.

However, the U.S. government has not given up trying to control the Internet. The government wants government controls and filters on the flow of information. While Paul is correct, corporations also want to control communication and data flow as well under the rubric of intellectual property rights. In fact the government bills serve corporations and their profits as much as the government itself.

A new bill has the acronym CISPA (Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act). According to Paul it would allow both the government and private corporations to view supposedly private on line communications with no judicial oversight. Of course it must all be done for reasons of cybersecurity. The bill would allow the Department of Homeland Security access to an individuals' on line communications..The wording si so broad it could be used for purposes extending much beyond cyberterrorism.

As Paul points out the bill involves close collaboration between large corporations such as Google and Facebook and the government. The corporations will hand over information about you with no warrant or judicial review. Since the corporations may be breaking laws such as the Electronic Communications Privacy Act they are conveniently given immunity from lawsuits when they hand over the information. Obviously your rights can be violated by Google or Facebook but you have no recourse. It is just part of the price you pay for fighting terrorism or perhaps for living in a developing police state. For more see this article.

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Is God Full of Himself? The relationship with my wife suggests otherwise.

I watched and was enthralled with authentic worship. A divine whisper that crescendos into fresh, spontaneous joy as Steffany Gretzinger leads the congregation through an intimate and unguided encounter with God. I first saw the video (embedded below) when it surfaced back in March of last year. Since then, it has over 1 million views. Last night, someone shared it on Facebook. It brought me back to a question I’ve had for a while now:

Is God full of himself?

I think this question comes understandably from His commandments in Exodus:

And God spoke all these words, saying,

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me,  but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. – Exodus 20:1-7

Then throughout the remainder of scripture He commands us over and over to worship him or else. From the outside looking in, from the perspective of those who have not experienced authentic worship and I daresay, those who have never been in love, this feels like petty, whiny, temper-tantrum inducing narcissism.

But take a step back and look at the relationship between two lovers. They express what they’ve found within the relationship through physical touch and audible adoration. Those feelings of joy inside are not truly realized until they’ve been expressed. It does the relationship and the lovers no good kept inside. It must be released. The world must know that this amazing girl is mine and I would go to the ends of the earth to let everyone who would listen know.

Our commandment to worship is not the object of misguided narcissism or the abuse of power. Rather, our incredibly wise Father knows that our relationship with Him is intensified through our worship of Him. The expression of our love, through authentic praise beckons us to a richer experience that abandons foolish idols. We are commanded to worship in the pursuit of liberty.

May they all see it from the tips of my toes to the top of my head!

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Black Lives Matter Part 1

The reason black lives matter isn’t because white lives don’t. It’s because all lives matter once black lives do. This is a concept I only really began to grasp recently. As a freelance journalist, I’ve tried to cover to the best of my ability the outrage over the killings of black men throughout the United States, but I think I’ve mostly failed. Maybe this is because I’m white, but probably not. Rather, I feel like it is more or unless the unwillingness of the general public to fully appreciate the idea that a certain section of the American population is being persecuted in a way that is so blatant and so terrible, that it is unnoticed.

There are two concepts to understand: there is racism and then there is police brutality. These two things intersect more often when it comes to blacks than any other demographic. I’ve been brutalized by the police before, but I never ever thought it was because I was inferior to the police due to my appearance or my culture. I was arrested in a white neighborhood, near white people, by white police, for trying to defend the rights of those who were protesting against puppy mills. I grew up around white people, I’ve been robbed by white people, and I’ve been hurt and hurt other white people in my past.

But when you watch the local news, all you see are ‘black on black crimes’. They are usually in areas that are poor and are mostly demographically black. More crime does happen in these areas. Socio-economic factors certainly play a roll in this. But the larger point is that white people simply cannot understand the feelings of blacks. They don’t realize that the same things that happen to blacks could easily happen to them under slightly different circumstances. They don’t consider the larger picture.

It is for this reason that I’ve decided to follow the ‘black lives matter’ protests and try to understand the activists, their feelings, and the issue at hand. I also want to attempt to grasp the reasons for why institutionalized racism is such a difficult thing to change, and what can be done to ultimately erase it.

This will be the first entry in a line of future ones about the black lives matter movement. It will be accompanied by video and photos. I would appreciate any feedback.

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Life in Four Seasons

When I finished a post few months ago, and I shared my hardships to my leader, he revealed to me about what is really happening in my situation. He told me that this is just a season of life. And he explained it to me this way:

The Four Seasons of Life

  • Summer – The season in your life where you enjoy the most on what God has given to you. It’s like “PARTEH, PARTEH!!” for the whole season.
  • Autumn – Okay, this is the season of preparation for hardships. The time you will prepare for the most to endure the upcoming season.
  • Winter – Aw! The most enduring season of all. This is the season where it is full of trials, hardships, and pain. The only thing you can do for this season is to endure all the pain and this is the season where you can use what you have prepared last Fall. But take heart! In spite of this harsh season, God is still giving you blessings to last the season.
  • Spring – Yes! Hardships are over! Its time to enjoy the season because the pain is over. And this is also the preparation to “PARTEH, PARTEH!!” next summer.

Life is just a never ending cycle of these seasons. There was a time that you’re in summer, or in winter. But be thankful, because God is always there for you in all seasons of life.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

– James 1:2-4

About Kevin Reyes

Once a piece of thrash that was always being ridiculed, getting fooled, always getting bullied. But when God found me on that condition, he gave me a new life, a new direction, a new purpose. And I'd like to share my walk and my testimonies to all of you so that you might experience also God's love.

Posted on March 5, 2011, in Discipleship, Encouragements, Testimonies, Youth Oriented. Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.

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Element Make It Count – Helsinki

Last Saturday Eemil Mäkelä took home the overall title in Helsinki’s Element Make It Count qualifications. that means Eemil is on his way to Madrid on the 14th of May to compete for a spot in the finals in California in Midsummer.
More Skateboarding Videos

1. Eemil Mäkelä
2. Ari Hannola
3. Ari Rekola

1. Heikki Saarinen
2. Ivan Borissov
3. Silver Gyninen

13 and under
1. Jaki Pirttilä
2. Jan-Erik Lindberg
3. Matias Porkka

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Friday, March 19

But I want it! Etsy jewelry browsing...

I often browse ebay because I sell things there (I sold a few hundred this month!) and sometimes etsy and then I feel like I want to show someone what I find (if I'm not sure if I want to buy them) and I don't know who to show to! I think yobu's a little tired of seeing them and nowadays he's off recording at night so I can't even try to get his attention. Anyhow, I figure this is what a blog is for!
Right now I'm seriously considering the beaded black earrings and the silver ribbon earrings...
Top left: hoop earrings $3.85. butterfly bow pendant $3.50. 3 stone onyx ring $6.95. stone bracelet set $12.00. beaded earrings $3.75.

From left/top: truffle pendant $4.00. xmas heart earrings $4.49. xmas silver bows $2.45. chanel pendant $2.50.

What do you think? Would you buy any?


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The Women’s March in Chicago

One day after Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president, women and like- minded people in the US and around the world took to the streets to make their voices heard. I was there along with Mary Jo and Bobby and Kelly and 150,000 others…and that was just in Chicago! Approximately 500,000 marched in Washington DC and countless others in India, France, Africa and elsewhere around the world!

Chicago’s rally was a testament to grace, dignity, sisterhood, kindness, unity and a hunger for justice. The weather was sent from heaven-sunny and warm. We couldn’t ask for better! Not the task at hand is to turn our enthusiasm into votes, voices and activism. Can we do it? The future of our country and our world is in our hands. What will we make of it? For myself, I refuse to lay down and shut up, not anymore. The stakes are too high for my children and nine grandchildren.

Nashville is greening up nicely

Nashville is the gathering place for the Adventure Cycling Natchez Trace bicycle trip. My flight to Nashville arrived on time–the taxi ride to the Super 8 hotel was a little dicey. I had to look up the address on my phone for the driver and he ended up going right past it! But I’m here now, waiting for my roommate Julia to arrive. Bruce, who very generously schleppped my bike here from Chicago, is already here and I met one other cyclist, Eric from Alaska.

Tomorrow, Sunday, we will all pile into the  van and head South to Natchez Mississippi to begin our trip on Monday. It will be a long day-about 8 hours in the van, but my

 bike is in good order andI can’t wait to get started!

We made it to St Augustine!

The weather cooperated, the police escort was thrilling and lunch on the beach at Anastasia State Park was delicious, but it still hadn’t sunk in that we had really done it.

Left to right above is Kathy, Nan, Jill, Nancy and Suzy. That’s tour leader Katie with the flag, and of course, Nan and I. I spent the rest of the day exploring St. Augustine with (left to right) Patricia, Wendy, Soonil and Mary, That’s Mary’s Bear Simon peeking out of her pack. He completed the journey, too, sometimes with his head under a plastic bag. I worried about him. Nan spent the day with her twin sister, Ann. They are remarkably alike even though they are not identical twins.

The city of St Augustine is preparing for their 450 year anniversary in the fall. Scaffolding is up on many of the historic buildings,  including Flagler College, in preparation for the event. It should be quite a celebration. Besides the lighthouse, (no, we didn’t walk up 200+ stairs in cleats) we couldn’t miss the oldest house, the fort, and buying T-shirts on St. George St.

Later that evening we celebrated our accomplishment with a banquet at Le Pavillion. The seafood was delicious and we got to hear our “Senior Superlatives.” I was “Most organized” because all my stuff was in labeled zip lock bags, (doesn’t everyone pack that way?) and “most precise” because at the morning snack table I cut my PBJ neatly into quarters (do I sense a pattern here?) and finally, thanks to Nan, “most likely to get tangled in spokes.”

My advice to anyone contemplating an epic journey is to follow your dream and you can’t go wrong.  I’m so glad I did it and that my readers were generous enough  to share their time and read my blog. I don’t regret my decision for a minute. For those of you who are planning for upcoming Woman Tour adventures, please, keep me posted.

This is a good time to mention that I am an author. Check out my novel, “Mommy Machine” (Heliotrope Press 2008) on Barnes & Noble website under Kathleen McElligott or Mommy Machine. Most of the riders on the ST read it and “loved” it. We had a book signing in Silver City at the Little Toad Brewery. Thanks especially to Rita Rowe, who brought the book with her and generated all the interest in it. Thanks, Rita. If she hadn’t brought it, I probably wouldn’t have mentioned it.

I wish all my fellow riders and readers the best. Jill and Alex will be planning our reunion in 2018. Oh, and one more thing, I am only a few hundred dollars away from reaching my fundraising goal of $1600 for the Alzheimer’s Assoc. My mother Josephine had this terrible disease and passed away in 2013. If Alzheimer’s has touched the life of a loved one you know how devastating it is. Any amount will help me reach my goal. The Alzheimer’s Assoc website is longest day, my team name is Kathys Cross Country.

Thanks again. See you down the road.image

Old Florida & Logging Trucks

Only 2 more riding days! Here’s some shots from the last couple of days. Logging is a booming industry here and these huge tuck loaded with newly cut logs come rumbling along the highway only a few feet from us. I hang on tight to my handlebars and silently curse them. Mostly they try to stay as far from us as they can, but when a car is coming in the opposite direction there’s no where to go. image image image image image imageSome of us stayed at the Cadillac Hotel in High Springs on Tuesday night.

Trivia Quiz & Falling Down (laughing)

Our funny, sassy chef’s helper, Lea, put together a trivia quiz based on our “Q” sheets throughout the trip. Lea is the one who went down on the slippery tracks last Saturday and is recovering in the hospital in Talahassee. Best wishes, Lea, for a quick recovery & thanks for putting together the quiz. Three of us tied for first place: Sandy, Alex and me! Here’s unphotogenic me with my prize, a Slap-on flashing light. Thanks, Lea.

That’s not the only thing that happened to me today. I was standing next to Nan on my bike, my right foot was unclipped and my left foot was still clipped in when I lost my balance , toppled over onto Nan’s front wheel and landed under my bike with my handlebar hooked into Nan’s spokes. I was literally sandwiched between two bikes with my left foot still clipped in and I Could Not Get Out! Nan had to untie my left shoe and I slipped my foot out, but I was still wedged I between the two bikes. I was laughing so hard, Nan thought I was crying. The only part of me I could move was  my butt. I was more concerned about Nan’s bike than anything else. Nan tried to help me up, but until the 2 bikes were unhooked, I could t get up. I heard someone coming down the path (this happened in Ichetucknee Springs State Park) so I yelled “Help!” A young man on a moped raced over to the tangled bikes and was able to disengage my handlebar from Nan’s spokes and lift the bike off me. Miraculously, both bikes were fine I I only had a small scrape on my left knee and a very bruised ego and wounded pride!image

An Oasis of cool

About half way through our short (47.5) mile ride from Quincy to Crawfordsville today we had the opportunity for a side trip to Wakulla Springs State Park. It added about 7 miles to our day but it was well worth it. A maze of underground fresh water springs and caverns run hundreds of feet below the ground in this area and bubble to the surface at the site of the state park swimming area. Mary, Soonil and I ate lunch at the lodge’s authentic soda fountain before boarding a boat to tour the river with its abundant wildlife including alligators, turtles, and many species of birds including double crested cormorants, blue herons, gold crowned herons roosting on their nests, Anhingas, black vultures and a species with black body feathers and a red bill whose name I don’t remember.

Some of you have asked me to provide “tips” to future Southern Tier riders. The tips I have to offer are things we as cyclists all know but sometimes forget: don’t follow the cyclist in front of you too closely. We’ve had accidents with damage to bicycles and injuries to riders. We’ve all heard it a million times: cross RR tracks at a 90 degree angle, but if the tracks are wet, or even damp from an earlier rain, Get Off and Walk across! A rider was seriously injured & is off the tour because of slippery tracks. A generous rider stayed at the scene to warn the rest of us. I would very likely have gone down, too, if not for her being there. Just use common sense and stay focused, esp as the tour draws to a close and you’re thinking about your flight home and plans once you get there. That’s all I’ve got. Only 4 more days left to ride. I can’t believe it!

image image image

Pensacola is Picture Perfect

We hated to leave Duaphin Island on Wed., but the panhandle of Florida is proving to be a gem. After disembarking from the ferry we rode through Fort Morgan AL, a natural lowland along the golf with pastel houses on stilts. The area was natural & not commercial except for the real estate rental signs. We entered Florida at mile 33 on SR 292 which parallels the gulf and Perdido Keys State Park.

As we rode along Gulf Beach HWY, I saw contrails in the air & thought it might be a tourist attraction. I looked again and saw a jet do a death dive and recover at the last second. We were being treated to a live performance of the Navy’s Blue Angels! It was amazing and jaw dropping. 3-2-1 formations, two jets crossing in what appeared to be a heart, I had all I could do to stay focused on riding while looking up to see the show. Thanks Blue Angels whose home base is nearby.

I fell in love with Pensacola’s downtown district. It’s parkling clean vibrant with an assortment of cafes, bistros, and restraints, just steps away from our hotel on Palafox St. We walked as far as we could on Palafox, about 3 city blocks, to the gulf and the Port of Pensacola where we saw massive ocean going tankers. My daughter Jaimie loves record stores & Revolver Records was right across the street. I talked to the owner of 28 years, Elvis. image image image image image image image

With so many restaraunts to chose from, Nan & I chose V Paul, a rather upscale Italian place and weren’t disappointed. I said we deserved to treat ourselves to a nice meal out.

Plans are underway for our last  day: the picnic, shipping our bikes home, and arrangements to the airport. I don’t think I’m alone in not wanting the tour to end and yet wanting to get home to see loved ones and resume my everyday routine. I have to say, though, that the memories of this trip will stay with all of us.

Pone of my readers asked me to talk about reflections of the tour and tips for future riders. One thing is for sure, if you’ve decided to ride cross-country, you’ve made the right decision, whatever your motivation, be it to test your physical strength, it’s on your bucket list, you’d like to see our country on the ground. There’s no wrong answer.

Loving Dauphin Island AL

image image image image image image image image imageAlabama seems exotic and tropical, yet earthy and primal. You’ve got the elements of sun and sea, perfect for relaxing, but you’ve also got the hardworking fishermen who catch the delicious seafood that we’re feasting on: crayfish, oysters, shrimp and more. We rode over a small drawbridge (before the Big Bridge that would take us onto Dauphin Island) and in a cove the trawlers were waiting to go out to sea. It’s a magical place with salty sea air, sun and a connection to the earth.

I remember reading Carson McCullers as a young teen, enchanted by stories of the Deep South. Her description ofthe “summer kitchen” with its dirt floor, detached from the main house had me mesmerized. I’d always wanted to experience for myself this magical and mysterious place, and now I have.

Tomorrow I’ll be relaxing and preparing for our final 9 days. There’s a bird sanctuary on the island and between the beach, eating and relaxing, it should be a great day.

Sunny Sunday in Pascagoula MS

Mother Nature smiled on us today–not a hint of rain and a beautiful ride through De Soto National Forest. The ride into Pascagoula was dotted with pastoral scenes of houses set back from the road, surrounded by wood fences and well groomed horses out on the pasture. Oh yes, and more than a few dogs racing out to greet us enthusiastically, although a stern “Go home!” Or a whistle or silent whistle gets them off the road and back home. Since there’s apparently rarely cyclists riding by, folks don’t leash their dogs. We all have our own mEthod: I use my mean voice and yell, “Go home! Go,” which usually works, but if not, Nan has her silent whistle which Always works. The dogs just stand still looking a little stunned, but it doesn’t hurt them.

Today we were rolling along just fine when Sunill got a flat rear tire in the Natl. Forest. So, how many women does it take to fix a flat and remount the tire while on the road? The answer is 4! It’s all insurance though. If Nan or I get a flat, we know Mary and Sunill will stop to help.

Although it was warm and very humid riding into Pascagoula, a stiff cool breeze off the Gulf kept us from overheating. Pascagoula is a major port and ship building center. We had to cross 2 major bridges to get here. And to add to our fun, Jill arranged a crayfish boil at Bozos for several daring souls who wanted to try it. I’d never done it and probably will never do it again, so I was game. My Grandson Connor is an old pro at this, having visited friends in New Orleans before. “Grandma, you break the tail off, eat the bit of meat off each one and suckimage image image image image image image image the juice out of the body. I know, it sounds gross, but it tastes darn good. We had 30 pounds of crayfish for 8 women, but we didn’t finish them all. They set big plastic bags of crayfish on the table and you reach in and grab a bunch and to to town!

Tomorrow we ride to Dauphin  Island, a resort spot on the Gulf for the beginning of our last rest day. Then it’s 9 days without a break until we reach St Augustine.

A wet welcome in Mississippi

Morning showers greeted us as we made our way into Mississippi. I’m trying to stay focused on riding for the remaining 11 riding days of the tour, but I made poor rain gear choices this morning: my rain booties remained in my backpack during the showers and I didn’t want to stop and put them on and I didn’t put a dry jacket in the sag. I lost my motivation after 20 miles and didn’t feel bad about navigating for Jude, our sag driver for the day. “Tomorrow is another day” she said on the steps of Tara. (I think the South is getting in my head!) image


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Anybody Shining

As another school year draws near, I’m once again scrambling to finish all of the current nominees for the South Carolina Children’s Book Award. As of today, I’ve managed to read 17 of the 20 titles, and I started number 18. Can I finish the rest before next Tuesday? We’ll see.

Anyhoo, I finished reading Anybody Shining by Frances O’Roark Dowell, one of this year’s SCCBA nominees, this afternoon. Historical fiction is not typically my go-to genre, but I found this book to be a quick, moving read that I think many of my students will enjoy.

Anybody Shining takes place in the mountains of western North Carolina in the 1920s, and the language used definitely reflects the setting. To be perfectly honest, I felt like I was reading something that one of my older relatives could have written. I still hear some of the same vocabulary encountered in this book, and I’m willing to bet that many readers, particularly those who’ve grown up in the South, will be able to relate.

Arie Mae Sparks wants just one friend to call her own. She’s hopeful that her cousin Caroline, who lives all the way in Raleigh, will respond to her letters one of these days–and be the friend she’s always wanted–but it’s not looking good at the moment. Still…Arie Mae keeps on writing, telling her cousin about everything happening in Bone Gap, North Carolina.

Though Arie Mae despairs of ever finding one true friend, newcomers in her little town may provide some hope. These new folks–who’ve arrived all the way from Baltimore, Maryland–have come to the mountains to learn about the nearby settlement school. Almost immediately, Arie Mae sees the potential for friendship in Tom, a boy who has a special shine about him.

Even though Tom has a bad leg and can’t do everything the other kids can, he and Arie Mae form a fast friendship. He doesn’t care at all that Arie Mae is not as fancy as his sisters or that her family doesn’t have as much as his. He simply wants to hear her stories and go on adventures with her.

Arie Mae is all for seeking adventure, but she soon learns that Tom has more difficulties than just a bad leg. His mother warns Arie Mae that her new friend has a weak heart and shouldn’t exert himself too much. Arie Mae worries about this, but Tom is determined to do just what he wants. What’s a friend to do?

Through her continuing letters to her cousin, Arie Mae reflects on her friendship with Tom, her feelings about his condition, her family and their life on the mountain, and all sorts of other things. She thinks about what makes her world so odd to some and so special to others. Can people be true friends when they see the world so differently?

Learn more about the power of friendship, reaching out, and overcoming differences when you read Anybody Shining by Frances O’Roark Dowell.

Like some of the other SCCBA nominees this year, Anybody Shining is an excellent book for exploring the concept of voice. Arie Mae’s voice, in both her letters and the book’s narrative, shines through, and I think readers will delight in how she views the world around her. I’m hoping they’ll even follow her example and write their own friendly letters, allowing their own distinct voices to shine.

To learn more about Anybody Shining and other books by Frances O’Roark Dowell, visit the author’s website.

I’m hoping to have a book trailer up for this book soon. You can check my school YouTube channel for that in the near future.

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Call for prayer warriors

07 Jun

I personally met both Fr. Jocis Syquia and Fr. Jojo Zerrudo on two different occasions. I had a short acquaintance with Fr. Jocis in mid-2009 in San Carlos seminary while arranging for a group retreat of Malolos Lay Ministers at Layforce. Fr. Jojo, on the other hand, was a co-celebrant in the Holy Mass for Souls organized by the Prayer Warriors for the Holy Souls (PWHS) aired and televised on Nov. 2, also in 2009.

Brothers and sisters, wake up! The devil is real. It works unnoticed and undetected in our midst. We don’t have to experience total demonic possesion in order to believe. Demons are already living with us and among us, day and night.

I have witnessed evil in front of my own two eyes in the performance of our Healing and Deliverance Ministry. Evil infests people, families and children, in different forms, levels, styles and tactics. Demons deceive people in various forms of magic, belief, amazing events, even (false) physical healing. They are with us daily in superstitions, in new age belief (horoscope, astrology, palm reading, divination, yoga, any form of fortune-telling, occultism, talisman, amulets, objects of good-luck, spiritism, feng shui, etc. that are contrary to the Catholic faith).

We need no additional proof. The rising cases of abortion, suicide, depression, brokeness, drug addiction, sex and fornication are results of evil infestation. And how can we fail to mention the devil’s works on the tip of our nose: the RH Bill, legalization of vices, sex education for children, promotion of same-sex marriage, euthanasia (mercy-killing), contraceptives, etc. Even the existence of various heretic churches and false beliefs and freemasonry are loud and clear proof of the devil’s untiring works to destroy the church by destroying the faithful.

Know your enemies. Join us in battle. Be one of our prayer warriors. Just send your name to 0929-3998884 or

Saint Benedict, pray for us.
Saint Michael the Archangel, pray for us.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us

May the Lord bless us,
Deliver us from evil,
And bring us to everlasting life.

Bro. Arnold, TOC
KSB Team Leader

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