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Inspirational Moment...

This is something that really hit home for me today!

xxLindsey

It's a Hard-Knock Life...

I know, better than most people, that life is hard. I have had my fair share of things happen to me, bad things, good things, hard things, easy things, sad things, happy things. And all of those things entertwine and mix in my memories and self and just have helped me become who I am. They continue to shake me and shape me as I grow up, and grow older  and offer me my personalized life experience.

So, with all these 'things', I am faced with constantly growing, constantly changing, acting and reacting to life. The hard part is, and correct me if I'm wrong, the hard part is having the guys to get the things your heart whispers to you about. Being a "go-getter" is terrifying and scary! There is a beautiful quote (by whom, I'm not sure) that says, "it only takes 20 seconds of insane courage, and those 20 seconds can change your life". This is, of course, paraphrased. But it's a quote I constantly thing about. 20 second?! That's all?!

The kicker? It's getting passed the 20 seconds that can be even more terrifying than all the things you could gain after. Whether it's kissing someone, telling them you love them, quitting a job, telling the truth, taking a test, a job interview, a speech, walking into a funeral, calling an old friend. There are millions of things in this world, and in this life, that we need 20 seconds of courage for and on the other side, we come out better than we were before, as well as changed.

When I was younger, I struggled with public speaking. I wouldn't know if I still do, since I avoid it at all costs because of the overwhelming paralization that it used to give me. I would turn beat red, I would shake, stutter my words, never look up from my notecards, wish I was blessed with laryngitis so I could skip my presentations all together.

A side rant: why is speech class required in middle and high school? Are humans tortured enough between the ages of 11 and 18 with insecurities and acne, puberty, college applications, orthodonture, school dances, and several other things? Forcing those who don't want to, to stand in front of their classmates and give a five minute speech on England seems cruel and unusual! If someone likes giving speeches and enjoys that as an option, great! Let them do it! Have every test be oral! But for those who could not move passed it and were scarred for life from it, art projects, papers, one on one oral exams, multiple choice, anything else, will suffice. I remember more from papers and art projects I did than any of the speeches I gave.

But! Back to the point. I have this thing, a life change coming up, and I need to share it with someone, the only problem is it isn't beneficial for them at all. So I'm working on thinking back and helping ease my heart and my head by outting myself in their shoes. Though that helps with being logical, it doesn't help with nerves. 

I just have to do it. I am thinking to the other side of the conversation and it will open up so many doors and avenues for me. It's something that will move me towards a life that I want to lead, a life full of possibilities and dreams coming true. 

Wish me luck! I will share more about it when I can!

xxLindsey

***UPDATE

I did it! And it worked out so well! Things are looking up and I can't wait for all the exciting new chapters to come! 

She's Got the Look...

I have a few outfits to post. Just because I love clothes and have been really inspired by the warmer weather.

There are a few more on my Instagram if you're interested!!

@beautyandwonderment

Thank you for stopping by!

xxLindsey

One More Step at a Time...

For your physical health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
It aids in weight loss, promotes healthy skin, and helps with cellulite and discoloration.

2. Eat breakfast like a king.
Eat lunch like a prince.
Eat dinner like a beggar.

3. Eat more foods that grow on trees, plants, and come from the ground.
Eat less things that are manufactured in plants.

For the health of your heart:
4. Don't compare your life to others.
You have no idea what their journey has been.

5. Try to turn negatives thoughts into positives.
Being negative doesn't help anyone grow.

6. Know what your limits are.
Practice keeping them as often as you can.

7. Dream more while you're awake.

8. Smile and laugh more often, with as many people as you can.

For the health of others:
9. Call your family often.

10. Each day, give something good to others.

11. Remember that, what other people think about you is none of your business.

12. Your job won't take care of you when you're sick or sad.
Your friends will.
Remember them and keep in touch.

For everything else:
13. Do the right thing!
You know what the right thing is.
No excuses.

14. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful, or joyful.

15. No matter how terrible a situation;
No matter how wonderful a situation;
Things changes.

16. No matter how you fell,
Get up, dress up, and show up.

17. Your inner most is always happy.
So, be happy!

***I found this on a tumblr post. I couldn't find a source, I couldn't find an author. Seems to be a compilation of a bunch of advice from all over. I am not claiming this as my own, I'm just passing it along.

xxLindsey

Dear Human,

You've got it all wrong. You didn't come here to master unconditional love. That is where you came from and where you'll return. You came here to master personal love. Universal love. Messy love. Sweaty love. Crazy love. Broken love. Whole love. Infused with divinity. Lived through the grace of stumbling. Demonstrated through the beauty of... messing up. Often. You didn't come here to be perfect. You already are. You came here to be gorgeously human. Flawed and fabulous. And then rise again into remembering.

We are all searching for something; a place in this world, a purpose, a reason for living. For some people, they find this in a soul mate, in a hobby or activity, or their faith; sometimes it’s a mixture of all three.

For me, for a long time, I was obsessed with growing my faith. I didn’t feel drawn to any one passion and I wasn’t anywhere near finding my soul mate. So I turned to the one I was constantly surrounded by: religion, faith, and spirituality. I went to a catholic high school so there were many opportunities for me to grow in my faith. Mass once a week, religion class three days a week, and a massive Campus Ministry and Service program. I loved to see those people who were unrelenting about their religion and I wanted to feel so strongly about something!

Diving in headfirst was not a big deal at all. I had so many friends who were involved in all my school had to offer that I just continued to sign up for service projects, I would volunteer to read things at mass weekly, stayed after school to help organize. Plus, I began attending church on my own as well, on Sunday evenings. It was the only way I knew how to find that… something.

But, now being very far removed from high school, I have come to con realizations about this. I realized to religion and faith, spirituality, I was looking for and wanting to find wasn’t happening for me. The services I was attending twice a week weren’t making me feel any closer to God or my something. I wasn’t getting that overwhelming and all encompassing feeling of faith. It didn’t feel like it was going deep enough for me.

Enter the ideal of The Universe.

The Universe is how I look at all things in my life. The Universe has a plan for me, a way of making everything work out just as it’s suppose to. There is a quote that says something along the lines of: “Once you make a decision, with all your heart, the universe conspires to make it happen.” This is a quote adapted by something Johann Wolfgang von Goethe wrote. And I think that explains it all.

The Universe involves so many things such as God, karma, and everything happening for a reason.

I believe in God. My ideas about Him are a little different than the typical vision of God, but my beliefs in Him  and The Universe are rooted in Christianity.

I turn to Him when I am having a really hard time, when I need guidance or advice, or when I feel as though I have exhausted everything I can do, and I need a little divine intervention. I tend to keep a constant conversation with Him in my head. Not, necessarily praying, but more reaching out and speaking to someone who is always listening, who always cares, and who I know would never allow me to go through or feel more than He believed I could handle.

The most important thing I can tell you, that I get out of my faith, and having the beliefs that I have, and my center of spirituality is to love. No matter who the person is, what they believe, their lifestyle, color of their skin, socio-economic status, none of that matters. All we need is love in our lives and everyone is deserving of love.

That's how I try to live my life and that's how I try my best to look at each difficult situation. I am not perfect by any means, and I often lose this ideal when I am extremely upset or anything like that, but I do my best to always remember that. Everyone wants to be treated like a person and have their heart understood, no matter what.

There is too much in this world that is unexplained. There are so many beliefs. Not one of them is more true, right, or real than another.

Love Makes The World Go Round.

The Three Things that Matter Most.

In the end, only three things matter:
how much you loved,
how gently you lived,
and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you.
--Buddha

Sometimes we just need a little reminder that the little things in life don't matter as much as they seem. Focusing on your heart and the type of person and energy you are blessing the world with will leave room in your soul for all the things that really matter.

Dreaming of Warmer Weather.

Living in the Pacific Northwest often means that our weather can be...temperamental. We get fun and sun, but if you blink your eyes, the clouds roll in and it's raining. We are known for the rain and we get lots of it!

But at this point in the year, we are getting the teaser days. The highs are around 70, the nights and evenings are still quite chilly! It's, actually, my favorite time of the year. Some days are sunny, hot, beautiful, but at night, I'm still able to sleep, snuggle in my blankets, and enjoy the cool breeze coming through the window. It's quite beautiful!

There is something so intoxicating about warm weather. Like all things are possible and all things are open to you! The world is your oyster, or so they say. I was speaking to my boyfriend about this. In the summer you never feel as tired. You can go out to drinks, dinner, dessert, concerts, walking on the river, movies in the park, and enjoy yourself. There's hardly a time when you say no to things when the weather is nice. 

BBQ chicken, corn on the cob, watermelon, burgers, all the good food! Oh my goodness, my mouth is watering! But back on track, summer and spring is all about the happiness, and all the fun you can have with the weather and your friends and enjoying.

The point of this post? Warm weather means one of my absolute favorite things on the planet! That is... SUNDRESSES! Gosh, I would live in them if I could. They're easy, comfortable, and all you have to do is find shoes and jewelry and you're out the door. Ugh, it's just something I adore. 

I bought a dress at the Old Navy Dress Sale that I am in love with! And I bought a new jean jacket because the one I had was from 2005. Time for a new one. And I put them together for a fun outfit idea and I cannot wait!  

The scarf is from GAP many years ago and I just thought the patterns were a fun mix. I'm so happy! I think I have to perfect occasion to wear this! But it's a secret since I'm surprising my boyfriend for his birthday! 

Enjoy the sunshine!

xxLindsey

Let Me Paint You a Picture.

Today is just one of those days, finding that you miss when things were more simple.

For me, that's always been summer vacation. You get to sleep in, have no responsibilities, sit in the sunshine, paint your toe nails, have a tan, and go on trips with your family. There's so much nostalgia associated with it.

Maybe the reason I am wishing I could be consumed by those times, is because I am sitting on the floor of my bedroom; the same bedroom I have was brought home from the hospital to. But let me raise you a Boom Box and forty or so mixed CDs I made in high school. Some of the music I still listen to frequently, and some of the songs I haven't heard in years and years.

We are in the day of iPods, iPads, music files, and YouTube. We no longer hope that our favorite songs come on the radio; or call in and request! *cough* Barbie Girl *cough* Instead, we hear a song we like, and we download it. We can listen to our favorites ten million times, learn all the words, and be onto the next song in hours.

But back in the day, mixed CDs were the only way to have the music you wanted when you wanted it. I just put in a CD and "Come Clean" by Hilary Duff was the first track. Followed by "Flavor of the Week" and three [yes, three] Celine Dion hits.

This is like a beautiful treasure hunt; most of these CDs have some obscure title, picture, or simple nothing at all drawn onto the face. No track list, no artist name, no year. Some CD titles I have come across so far: Sad Songs, Signature Collection, Random Stuff but GOOOOOOOD, Encounter [Years 2004, 2005, and 2006], RBL Mix, and one that simply has a heart on it. Other than that, there is nothing written on them.

Exploration of my musical tastes over the years! And I am feeling overwhelmed by the amount of memories that come with the music.
It is said that memories is most closely and accurately remembered with smell, but music is a crazy reminder of certain times in our lives, our friends, our feelings.

What makes this picture more beautiful, and very true of my true nature, is that I have the window WIDE open. The air coming in is crisp and cool, but not too cold. It just rained a little and the smell is overwhelmingly delicious. This is at the top of my list of most loved things in life.

Another one of my favorite things, is hearing one of these songs, one that I haven't thought about or heard in at least eight years, and still knowing every single word. It's enough to make someone [ahem.. me] cry.

So, my picture, that I am suppose to be painting for you.

I am sitting on my floor, next to my bed, boom box next to me, pile of CDs scattered all around, and my computer in my lap. All things that point to a teenager's room. One you may see in a movie or cartoon. However, as it goes, I am a 26 year old, adult woman, with a job, driver's license, and a much better understanding of life than my teenage self. Yet! I sit here and couldn't be happier  reliving some of my teenage afternoons, spent alone, listening to music, and wishing I didn't have homework and did have someone glamourous to go.

One of the songs just skipped, and I instinctively knew it would. These CDs were burned in my memory banks at one point or another and have never left. That makes me smile.

Sunday is Bun Day!

Follow me on Instagram for more ridiculousness and shameless selfies!

@beautyandwonderment

Happy Sunday!

xxLindsey

My Prince Charming...

Doesn't have to be a prince at all. For everyone out there looking for their Prince or Princess of their dreams, there is always a little list. This list can be written out, or just mental, and it is a list of things that we want in our life partner, soul mate, other half.

My list was written out. I had it in a note in my phone and I would add to it every time I had a.. less that perfect dating experience. But it became a list that didn't leave me with much of an open mind. I got so stuck in the mind set of a man with a certain look, certain accomplishments, and so many superficial things.

A good friend of mine helped me break free of this. She wrote me a small note that I have kept ever since. It was a beautiful note and it was such insight that I found a weight lifting off of me.

The note said this:

"What to look for in a man!
-integrity -adhere to a moral code
-honesty
-confidence
-makes you feel valued
-someone one, if he leaves me, he'll leave me better off
-someone who is prepared to take care of me
-someone who can take care of my heart
You deserve the best! and you're worth it. You don't need to settle for less."

There is nothing wrong with the need to be attracted to your one true. There has to be a little bit of a physical attraction. However, her list opened my eyes to the things that are ACTUALLY important.

My list, before this epiphany, included: dog lover, over 6'3", owns a car, college degree, loves his family, dark hair, kindness, belief in a higher power.

Nothing wrong with those, but if I was going to be strict to that list, I would miss out on a lot of great people, and I would also be boxed into dating a certain kind of man.

The weight that was lifted when she gave me her list was this: the superficial things don't matter as much as I was making them out to. A kind hearted man who would take care of mine. He may be shorter, like cats, drive the car he's had since high school, and still working on college. None of those things matter as much as what is present in his heart.

So, thank you Hollie! You have opened my eyes to what is out there.

And interestingly enough, when I opened up my heart to other things, I was pleasantly surprised to find a man who I have fallen head over heels for. He checks off everything on Hollie's list, and had proven to be one hundred percent better than any old list I had.

Open heart, open mind, just know you deserve to be treated like a treasure, a precious stone, because we are all just that.

xxLindsey

One Step at a Time...

1. Push yourself to wake up before the rest of the world.
Start with 7am, then 6am, then 5:30am.
Go to the nearest hill with a big coat, sweater, scarf, blanket, and watch the sunrise.

2. Push yourself to fall asleep earlier.
Start with 11pm, then 10pm, then 9pm.
Wake up in the morning feeling re-energized and comfortable.

3. Erase processed food from your diet.
Start with no candy, chips, then pasta, rice and cereal, then bread.
If a child couldn't identify the ingredients, don't eat it.

4. Get into the habit of cooking yourself a beautiful breakfast.
A smoothie, scrambled eggs cooking in real butter, cut up fruit, organic oatmeal.
Sit, eat, and enjoy it, and do absolutely nothing else.

5. Stretch.
Start by reaching for the sky as hard as you can, then trying to touch your toes.
Roll your head, gently, from side to side. Stretch your fingers. Stretch everything.

6. Buy a big, fun water bottle.
Start by pushing yourself to drink the whole thing in a day.
Then try drinking it twice.

7. Buy a special journal and a glorious black pen.
Write down everything you do, including dinner dates, appointments, assignments, to-do lists, coffee orders.
No detail is too small, and don't forget the date.

8. Strip your bed of your sheets, blankets, and pillow cases, and dump it all into the washing machine.
Wash on super hot with a few drops of your favorite essential oil and a free and clear detergent.
Make your bed, shower, and sleep well with a clean body and a clean bed.

9. Organize your room.
Fold all your clothes, donate what you don't use, clean your mirror, vacuum the floor.
Light a beautiful candle and enjoy.

10. Have a luxurious bath with candles and your favorite music.
Wash your hair, scrub your body, shave your legs. Lather your body with a luscious moisturizer.
Get familiar with your body again: between your toes, your inner thighs, the back of your neck.

11. Push yourself to go for a walk.
Take your headphones, wear cute clothes, take your dog.
Smile at strangers as you walk; you'll be surprised at how many people smile back.

12. Message old friends.
Reminisce about experiences, jokes, and other friends. Suggest a coffee date to catch up and hug.
Push yourself to actually follow through. Old friends can make the best new friends.

13. Think long and hard about what interests you.
Crime? Sex? Travel? Find a book about it and read it.
There is a book about, literally, everything.

14. Take all of your panties, night gowns, bras, and intimates, and wash them.
Get rid of the old ones, the stained ones, and the ones that don't make your body look amazing.
Wear them with confidence. Even if no one is going to see them but you, you are special.

15. Become the person you would ideally fall in love with.
Let cars merge into your lane. If you see a parking meter running low, throw some change in. Smile and wave at babies. Compliment people on the things you like about them. walk with good posture. Look people in the eye. Talk to acquaintances so they become friends.
Challenge yourself not to ridicule anyone for a whole day, then two, then a week.

While working on these things, lie in the sunshine, daydream about the life you would lead if failure was not an option. Then open your eyes and take small steps every day to make this happen for yourself.

Life is so short, and so many people waste days, and weeks, and months hoping and dreaming of changing, but if we all encourage one another and take small steps, we all can become who we were meant to be.

xxLindsey

Stop Being Them, and Start Being YOU!

Welcome! and Welcome back!

This blog has been so many things before. A makeup blog, a place to launch my freelance makeup artistry business, a personal space for quotes and pictures... It became those things in the past because those were the suggestions of others. I often heard the question, "What do you write about on your blog?" and to that, I answered, "A little bit of everything!" Proud of my answer, I would get confused looks and then the suggestions came rolling in. "You need to focus on one thing." "How can you gain followers if you don't have a focus?" And the list goes on and on.

But I recently came to the conclusion, while wishing I had a single blog instead of three, that I am allowed to share on my blog, all the things I wish to share. If it is an amazing beauty product, some tips and tricks I picked up doing a wedding, or if I just feel like sharing a heart wrenching realization that I need to put out into the world, I am going to have a place to do it. 

The title of my blog: Beauty and Wonderment. This is a perfect, and all encompassing umbrella phrase for everything I find beautiful and wondrous. Makeup, fashion, religion, feelings, books, art, projects, my friends, love, family. All of these things have a place in my heart and are a part of who I am. Some people have a main focus, a talent that they cannot go a day without experiencing. I have that too! It isn't easily summed up in a single word or hobby. I love it all. I am passionate about so many things.

So, I am hoping that this will be a great and new beginning for me. 

Like I mentioned above, I have two other blogs, along with this one. But I want to merge them together to for something beautiful and wonderful and something that is all mine.

Confessions of a Book Lover, the blog I started a few summers ago when I was reading at least 15 novels a month, was so much fun, but quickly became daunting since I was blogging more than I was reading. So I will be transferring all my book reviews from there, to my GoodReads.com profile. I will be reviewing books there from here on out. That website is so amazing!

The Life of Lindsey is a personal blog that I started when I was living in LA, almost three years ago. I needed an outlet from the situation I was in and it became my obsession. But once I stopped posting every single day, and obsessing about it, I became torn between posting things here, or posting things there. So I will be taking some of my earlier posts and revamping them for here. But some of the older ones that are no longer pertinent will be erased, released to the world wide web...

So, this is day and a time for new beginnings. There are so many things that I have on my heart write, there are so many beauty products I want to write about and review, and there are so many quotes and stories I want to write about. 

Welcome to Beauty and Wonderment! I hope you enjoy, subscribe, and embark on the journey with me!

xxLindsey