Christmas In Progress

 Hello Everyone, 

This holiday season will be different especially with it being the first holiday season without my mom. Christmas was one of her favorite holidays. As many of you know that my birthday is on Christmas Day. I've made a promise to myself that I won't get too depressed this holiday season, but I won't lie, it's hard. 

The day after Thanksgiving I made myself take out the Christmas Tree and decorations. It made me think of all the happy holiday memories I shared with my mom over the years. I owe it to her memory to continue Christmas Traditions. 

My tree has been the same theme for the past 3 years. Silver, Clear, and White. The lights reflecting off the clear ornaments looks so beautiful. 

I like to burn a candle(s) as I'm decorating. I usually burn Fresh Balsam, but this time I'm burning Vanilla Bean Noel, one of my favorite Christmas Candles.

Holiday 2023 Inspired Nails

 Hello Everyone!

Disclaimer: These products were pr gifted  by various nail polish brands . Thank you so much for sending these products over! All opinions are 100% my own.

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. Today on the blog, I'm going to share a few holiday inspired manicures. 

Morgan Taylor On My Wish List Holiday/Winter Collection 2023

This collection should be on your wishlist! Look at all these festive colors!

Gift It Your Best

This nail polish is the definition of icy! Outside of Gift It Your Best being a gorgeous nail polish, you can wear this all Winter!

Before My Berry Eyes

How gorgeous is this metallic polish? As much as I love sparkly and traditional holiday colors metallic add a nice touch to the holiday season Winter months.

Zoya November Color of the Month: Amaris 

Zoya Amaris

Zoya relased their color of the month in Amaris. I this blue sparkle polish. I like traditional holiday nail polishes, but its something special about a blue sparkle polish during the holidays.

Zoya Magical Collection: Holiday 2023

Zoya is ending the year on a magical note with their latest collection.

What a beautiful collection of polishes. I think this collection has a polish that will go with many themes this holiday season.

Zoya Cheri

Is it really the holidays without a classic red nail polish? Zoya Cheri is a beautiful red matte polish. I think matte polish is a nice alternative from the regular shiny red polishes for the season. 

Zoya Vixen

This polish is given Fall vibes continued for the holidays and I'm here for it! This vampy color is perfect for my lovers of darker nail polishes that still look festive. 

Sunday Weekly Reset

 Hello Everyone!

Since I work 5 days a week, the weekends are very sacred to me. Its my chance to relax and reset. I try to make the most of those 48 hours lol. Before I got sick back in August I was starting a Sunday reset routine in addition to my Sunday Skincare Routine. I'm currently having a throat ache I'm thinking it due to weather and hopefully nothing else so I need this weekly reset.

Pacifica recently added a few more products to their Glow Baby Skincare Line and the products are amazing. These products add the perfect balance of cleansing and layering to my skincare routine. Not to mention I smell like a orangesicle afterwards. 

Since my throat hurts I didn't wash my hair this week, but the past few weeks I've been using these products from the Sea Moss Collection by Curls. My hair feels so soft and more manageable when I use products from the this collection.

I try my best not to let the upcoming week overwhelm me, so I try to write down my weekly goals and manage my schedule using my planner. 

During my Sunday Reset A burning candle is a must. If you've been a longtime reader of my blog then you know I love candles. Candles are calming and a smell good throughout my home. Since it's a cool night I'll be drinking a cup of hot chocolate. 

A Challenging Year of Thankfulness

 Hello Everyone, 

As you can see for my photo the leaves are changing colors as we continue the Fall season. I think life is a lot like the leaves, life is always changing. 

My life has been a constant season of change especially since my mom died on the 4th of July. That was the day my life changed forever. When she first died I was completely devastated. I mentioned this before, but the morning after she died I was so angry not that she died, but that I woke up. I just wanted to be with my mom. When she died it was hard for me to look at myself in the mirror knowing that I look just like my mom.  Four months later I still hurt. I think about her everyday and I miss my mom so much. She wasn't only my mom, but my very best friend. 

The moments when I feel sad, I like to think of the happy memories of my mom. She was so full of life and I know she wants me to remember our happy times and all that she instilled in me to be the woman that I am and the woman I want to become. In the midst of all my grief I am thankful for the 37 years my mom was in my life. 

In August I found a new lease on life because I could've lost my own life. I was so sick with pneumonia, sepsis, and covid. That first hospital stay still traumatize me knowing that I could've died. I still struggle with that. I'm thankful that I was able to recover from those illnesses sooner rather than later. I'm still having some complications, but I'm not as sick as I was before and for that I'm thankful and blessed.

I started blogging again to channel my feelings. Everyday isn't a bad day, but I do have my bad days that I struggle with my mental health and physical health. Some days I'm harder on myself than others and I don't give myself enough credit and grace. In life we just the best we can and take one day at time. Challenges can make you feel like maybe I deserve all the bad things I feel and going through even though that's usually not true. Life just tends to happen. In this season of thankfulness I'm thankful for a lot, especially lifes basic necessities a home, food, etc.. No matter what you go through it's always some in your life to be thankful for.

Fall 2023 Manicure Inspirations

 Hello Everyone, 

Disclaimer: These products were pr gifted  by various nail polish brands . Thank you so much for sending these products over! All opinions are 100% my own.

Fall is in full effect and today I'm going to share a few of my recent manicures. I love this time of year so much because of all the vampy colors of the season.

China Glaze Serpentine Collection: Halloween 2023

I'm not a fan of snakes at all, actually I'm terrified of all of them to be honest. The colors in the collection are gorgeous.

China Glaze Gold Hearted and Caution Might Bite

Morgan Taylor Change of Pace: Fall 2023 Collection 

I was introduced to Morgan Taylor through PR last year and I've been a fan ever since. Look at all these gorgeous Fall inspired colors!

Morgan Taylor Stay off the Trail and All Good in the Woods

Zoya Enamored Collection: Fall 2023

Is it really Fall without a collection from Zoya? Over the years I can't think of a Zoya collection that I haven't liked. Their polish theme hit the mark and go great with each season. I have to admit I look forward to the Fall Collection each year.

Zoya Pamela and Twinklette 

Zoya Enamored Collection: Fall 2023

I love that Zoya included sparkle polishes for their Fall Collection this year. I can wear these polishes over a solid color or alone on my my nails.

Zoya Murphy 

Kiss Salon Acrylic Natural Long Nails

When I use fake nails I've been using these nails Long Acrylic nails by Kiss. If you use your rewards at CVS, you can get a pack of these at really amazing price. I think I paid maybe $1.50 each for a few packs if these back in the Spring.

Fall 2023 PR Haul

 Hello Everyone!

Disclaimer: These products were pr gifted and gifted by various brands. Thank you so much for sending these products over! All opinions are 100% my own.

I know the last few posts have been about my health and overall life updates, but today I want to share a few of the recent products I received. I received some of these products when I was in the hosptial and others once I was home.

This collection was released back in July and Pacifica was kind enough to send over the collection. 

Pacifica Glow Baby Collection

Near the end of September I was invited to attend a Zoom meeting introducing some of the additions to the New Glow Skincare Collection. Pacifica also sent over the collection! I love using these products so far and they smell so good!

Derma E 

Pixi Beauty 

Bliss 

When I was in the hosptial the first time during the end of August beginning of September, Bliss sent over a get well package full of skincare goodies. How thoughtful and kind of them!

Morgan Taylor Change of Pace Fall Collection: Fall 2023

Zoya Enamored Collection: Fall 2023

Tarte Cosmetics 

Tarte sent over this bag of Goodies. I thought it was so sweet of them to send me a teacher tote since I work with children. 

2023 Holiday Gift Sets

Urban Decay Cosmetics

Wow what an amazing gift from Urban Decay! 

Therapy

 Hello Everyone!

Some of you may have wondered with everything I've experienced the past few months have I pursued therapy. The answer is yes. I  like to think of myself as a woman of God and I pray constantly and keep faith even when I feel lost. In addition to my faith I also feel that therapy helps me cope. Over the years therapy, has helped me put things in perspective in my life. This time I think I do have a lot of work to do in trying to balance my life and cope with my thoughts and feelings.

One thing I realized is when to know to walk away. I mentioned I recently started a new job a few months ago, but Friday I officially resigned. To make a long story short, no job is worth being mistreated, taken advantage, and making my health a last priority. I was telling my therapist that I felt free when I quit. 

My therapist gave me insight on struggling with ruminating thoughts...I thought I'd share it with you all incase you struggle with the same issue. now that my brain is In a safe space. It's like Alexa...when she says to much and you would say Alexa stop, the same applies with my thoughts. I never thought about it like that, but it makes a lot sense.

Monday is a clean slate, I have a new job. Still doing what I love. I'll post more about that in an upcoming post. I'm looking forward to this new opportunity.