Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Hello readers!

Today was my last day of school and tomorrow I will be graduating.

It was a bitter sweet feeling today. Excited to be moving on to new adventures and not having to deal with certain issues that happened school while feeling sad that I did not do enough, when I could have and should have. I feel sad that I will not see certain people everyday and that it is going to take, on my part, effort to maintain certain friendships. I am appreciative of the mentors and friends that have influenced my life over the past four years. I look forward to new things and do not want to hold back.

I appreciate the thoughtfulness of my parents who got me peonies and cookies.

"Volunteer some hours. Focus on something outside yourself. Devote a slice of your energies towards making the world suck less every week. Some people suggest doing this will increase your sense of well-being. Some say it's good karma. I say that it will allow you to remember that, whether you are a legacy or the first in your family to go to college, the air you are breathing right now is rare air. Appreciate it."  Shonda Rhimes
 
The point is to keep trying. The more you keep trying, the more you find the grace to keep trying.

"Go find your joy. It's what you're going to remember in the end. It's not the worry, it's not the what-ifs. It's the joy that stays with you." Sandra Bullock. 

Congratulations Class of 2014!



Thank you for reading this post. These photos were taken by me. Please do not take or copy my photos.  

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Hello Readers!

I wanted to share what happened in my life on Sunday, June 8, 2014.

There was a Baccalaureate Ceremony at 2pm in the Auditorium at my school. It was 84 degrees that day. Graduates and the graduates family members sat inside the Auditorium. There was no air conditioning. The ceremony began with ROTC presenting the Colors and we said the Pledge of Allegiance. Then the school's choir sang a song. Following after student speakers and guest speakers spoke one after the other. In between the school's orchestra performed a piece. Then the principal spoke, he honored the graduates who were in certain sports. He had the graduates stand when he called his or her sport. The principal then had the graduates stand for other categories. 

It was a joyous occasion for the class: a time to rejoice, to praise, to honor and to celebrate.  It was especially a time to recognize, in a formal manner, the achievements of my fellow graduates.  


Congratulations to the Class of 2014! 


This picture belongs to me, please do not take it or copy it. Thank you. 
Thank you for reading. If you want to please let me know what advice would you tell a graduate? 

Saturday, June 7, 2014

Hello readers!

I wanted to share with those reading what occurred on Saturday, June 7, 2014.

On this day two people were married.

My parents and I, among others, were guests, witnessed the love between two people as they were being married. The wedding and the reception was rustic themed. The theme colors were yellow, grey, dark navy blue, and brown. The groomsmen wore dark navy blue suits with dark reddish brown leather shoes. The bridesmaid's wore yellow dresses. Each lady wore a similar yellow dress. The groom wore a soft grey/beige suit.

Following the theme, I wanted to wear similar colors.

I went to Charming Charlie's in April, and found this dress, this necklace, and the earrings.

This dress is a knee-length shift dress. I wore white flats with black toe caps from Payless (not shown).

The brand from Payless that I love is called Dexflex Comfort. Each pair of shoe has arch support and cushioned insoles. I suggest you go find a pair you love and buy them. Your feet will be happy.


The reception was held at the Dominguez Rancho Adobe Museum.
The museum is on top of a hill. The reception was outside and unfortunately it was so hot that guests were moving the tables from where they were set. Which was allowed but there was only a small section of shade near the building. So not every round table fit in that area. Then there were some people moving chairs in to the shade. But the sun kept moving.  From the museum the land stretches out and gradually slopes off. There is a little forest, a secluded, private area. There were trees, bushes, flowers, and a brick laid path. The path winds down to a seating area. This path then leads to road.


The reception ended around 7 p.m. because the couple had to catch a flight. Their honeymoon is two weeks in Ireland!

I enjoyed the wedding and the reception. I am honored that I got to be a part of this moment in the couple's lives.


Readers, if you want to, let me know where you had your honeymoon.
Thanks for reading. I hope you had a great day.

These are my photos, please do not take them, copy them. Thank you.

Friday, June 6, 2014

Hello readers!

I wanted to share what happened to me on Friday, June 6, 2014.

I got the OPI Little Bits Of Neon Mini Set for $12.99 at Sally Beauty Supply (in-store). I got the 6 piece set which includes: Juice Bar Hopping, Life Gave Me Lemons, You Are So Outta Lime, Push & Pur-pull, Hotter Than You Pink, and Down To The Core-al.

Online at Ulta this set is $19.95. Then add the cost of shipping.
 http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod10411061

 On my right foot, I painted my nails with Down To The Core-al. I used the OPI Natural Base Coat first. I used two layers of this, allowing about a minute or two of drying time in between. Then I painted my toe nails with two layers of Down To The Core-al; again allowing about a minute or two of drying time in between each layer.

On my left foot, I painted my nails with Hotter Than You Pink.
I did the same routine/application to these nails as described previously.

Once the polish dries, it looks matte. I added the OPI TOP COAT and once this dries, the neon colored shined. 

 

For my hands: 

I painted my right hand, the index finger, the thumb, and the pinky AVON's Nailwear Pro+ in the shade  Luxe Lavender  and there are many shades you can purchase. The NAILWEAR PRO+ Nail Enamel is currently on sale, online for $3.49, original price was $6.00. AVON claims that this enamel will last twelve days and increases nail strength by 80%. As well, AVON says this enamel has a high-shine finish and will resists dings, bangs, and nicks. There is no formaldehyde, toluene or phthalates in this enamel. After I applied a base coat, then this polish then letting it dry, there was a shine to the nail. I still applied a top coat, the OPI TOP COAT. 

For my middle finger, on the right hand, after applying a base coat, I painted this nail with OPI's Little Bits Of Neon Mini in the shade Push & Pur-pull. This shade when painting the first coat came out streaky. After letting one layer dry I had put another layer and let that dry. For me, I had to build the layers to get the dark pure color. After many layers, this shade does not look like a neon. This color is like a dark fuschia or a dark burgundy. Then I applied the OPI TOP COAT.

For my ring finger, on the right hand, after applying a base coat, I painted this nail with OPI's Little Bits Of Neon Mini in the shade You Are So Outta Lime. After one thin layer, I did not like this color with the other colors I had already painted. After that layer dried I added the shade Life Gave Me Lemons on top of it. For this shade, I had to build the layers to get the rich color I wanted. Allowing drying time in between. Then I added the OPI TOP COAT.

For my left hand, I painted all the nails with AVON's Nailwear Pro+ in the shade Luxe Lavender. Doing the same process explained previously. 

 

This photo was taken in natural, sun lighting. About 6 PM.

The purple smudged writing on my wrist says: Choice, Focus, Effort.

Friday evening, my parents and  I and a family friend went to Armstrong Garden Centers, Long Beach. This place is located at 3842 East 10th Street Long Beach, CA 90804. This place has an indoor store selling some things like BBQ's, patio furniture, and food products. My dad loves pumpkin butter. He will buy different brands of pumpkin butter. This is what he bought:

 

 All the plants, pots, and other things are arranged outside of the store. You do not even have to buy anything. It is open for you to walk around and look. I love taking pictures of most of the flowers. And there happened to be two doves sitting on a water pipe line.

Leaving Armstrong Garden Centers, my parents and our friend and I went back home to eat:

Accompanying this lasagna was yellow squash and garlic bread. I recommend if you like lasagna and if you have a Fresh & Easy near you, to buy it, take it home,cook it and eat it. Then let me know what you think. I thought this lasagna was good. I like lasagna when it is hot and fresh out of the oven. The garlic bread is my weakness. Readers, do you like homemade or store bought lasagna? If store bought, could you share with me your favorite? If you like homemade lasagna, would you like to share your recipe with me?

Thank you for reading this post. The pictures in this post were taken by me. Please do not take my photos. And if you are still going to take my photos, please credit me. Thank you. 

I hope reader you are having a great day.  "For salvation comes from God. What joys he gives to all his people."Psalm 3:8 The Living Bible.