top ten: self magazine

A few weeks ago, I picked up a magazine from one of the newsstands at the train station. It was my first time purchasing a magazine in months!

Flipping through the pages of SELF was so invigorating. I want to share some of the fashion, health and beauty tips I learned this month.

1. After Jessica Alba found her daughter eating beads from her diaper, she started her Eco-friendly baby product company, Honest. By the way, doesn't she look gorgeous on the cover?
   
2. There are a few apps that give shoppers rewards or cash in return! How cool is that? The apps are called: checkpoints, fancake, viggle and nexercise. Check them out!
3. SELF has their own diet club, and anyone can join online. They suggest exercising with friends for motivation, which I put this to the test. It really works, friends are a great motivation to get up on your feet. Thanks, SELF - I know Dana and I are very thankful for this tidbit. :)
4. Want radiant skin? Eat these foods: almonds, apricots, chickpeas, brazil nuts, crab, green tea, oranges, salmon (a favorite of mine), sunflower oil and whole wheat bread.
5. Naps are a very good thing. According to Jena Pitman-Leung, Ph.D., 15 to 30 minutes is an ideal amount for a nap, but if you sleep an hour more, that's ok too.
6. A study from the University of Wisconsin indicates that if you say the word of something you've lost repeatedly like, "keys, keys, keys", it can help you think clearer and find them.
7. The biggest calorie bomb at the fair is a soft pretzel! It contains more calories than a funnel cake or a hot dog. Long hair, don't care... I'm still eating one.
8. My hair sheds all the time, and I think it's disgusting. I learned that some hair loss is normal, but high levels of the stress hormone, cortisol can cause hair to fall out even more.
9. There is a new smoky eye in town, and it's easy to maneuver. Just outline both lash lines with a brown pencil, add cocoa shadow to your lids and swab silver loose power on the inner corners of your eyes. It's a really pretty look.
10. My new fall color is red. Not a bright red, but a dark, brick-red. I saw models wearing red throughout the magazine, and I think it is one of the popular colors this season! I even bought my self brick-red pants the other day, and oh do I love them!

Stay beautiful,
Marina

james

It is safe to say, number one on my list is essential. Who would I be without my God in my life? I placed this goal first because I am guilty of not putting Him first, and I need to start learning from Him.

My best friend Dana is the one who has sparked accomplishing my first goal. She asked me if I wanted to join a bible study at Wheaton Bible Church a couple of weeks ago. I was very eager to join, but I had no idea to what to expect. In fact, I still have no idea what to expect.

We are only two weeks into the study with Beth Moore, and I can already feel God working in my life.

The study is surrounding the book of James, and the way Beth Moore leads the study is absolutely amazing. She mentioned that she took about a year to prepare for this study, and boy did she dive deep into the bible. This woman definitely did her research! The time she took to go through the background of the book of James is inspiring. I have already learned so many things about Jesus' brother and the relationship they had with one another.

The bible is so complex and it's hard for me to wrap my head around it at times, but I am confident this study will help me understand James and the words he wrote. Actually, I just learned yesterday that the book of James might have been the first book written in the New Testament. (See, I'm learning a lot!) :)

I am extremely blessed to have a best friend who encourages me to grow spiritually and I am so happy to experience this with her.

I am more than excited to learn about James. I'd really appreciate your prayers as I participate in this study, so thank you in advance.

Cheers to being on my way to accomplishing the most important goal on my list!

Stay beautiful,
Marina

pistol annies

Number 6 on my list - listen to a new album every week, soak in each lyric.

I have to admit, this has to be one of my favorite goals. I already have a huge desire to discover new music.

I love lyrics, especially lyrics I can relate to. I have this ability to get lost in a song. Most of the time I'd rather be listening to music than doing anything else.

Music has always been there for me. Through break ups, good times with my friends and those moments when I just want to sit around my room, light a candle and listen to a sweet, soft melody.

Not only do I love lyrics, I love harmony. While one person is singing the melody, another person steps in and starts singing along with a couple of different notes that compliment the other voice so much. Just thinking about two voices colliding gives me chills.

Harmony is the word that came to my mind when I first heard the Pistol Annies.What beautiful harmony they sing.

If you love country music, you will love this band. If you love Miranda Lambert, you will definitely love this band.

Miranda Lambert was one of the first country artists I listened to. I still remember... I was a freshman in high school, and I was listening to one of those country radio stations on Yahoo!. Miranda Lambert's song, "Me and Charlie Talking" came up on the station, and I'm pretty sure I fell in love with the song instantly. I loved her distinct southern drawl when she sang because it was so different from the music I had listened to.

The Pistol Annies consist of three women, Ashley Monroe "Hippie Annie", Angaleena Presley "Holler Annie" and Miranda Lambert "Lonestar Annie". They each have such an original sound to their voice. Even though they sound completely different, they combine beautifully when they sing together.

One night, the girls decided to put their music and talent together to start a band. The first time they performed their music was at the Academy of Country Music’s Girls Night Out special on CBS in April, 2011. They sang their single "Hell on Heels", which is one of my favorites from their album. The song is so raw and showcases the edge the three women have in their voices. The song is a true anthem for a strong girl born and raised in the south, who doesn't mess with anyone. They each sound like they have so much spunk and sass in their voices, and I love it! During a couple of verses, they each sing a line, which is sooooo powerful!

Another one of my favorite songs is, "Boys From the South". The song reminds me of a cool summer day. I love the lyrics. "Yea, the first time I felt it I was only 16, and he kissed me underneath the chinaberry tree. Said 'Goodnight darlin,' with a sweet southern drawl. Man, I think I might just have to love them all –
my boys from the South." It's such a sweet song and the melody is more pure sounding than any of the other songs on the album.

"Beige" is another song that caught my attention. It's about a girl who is about to get married because she is pregnant. Her parents are planning her wedding, and she is wearing a beige dress. It's a very somber song, but it has a hopeful sound to it as well.

If you have never listened to a song by Pistol Annies, I would strongly recommend listening to some of the songs I've listed.

These songs will bring you southern comfort and great melodies to sing along to. I will warn you...in order to like this album, you must LOVE country music. :)

Stay beautiful,
Marina

a gift for a friend + diy = love

Buying a friend a gift for any occasion can be difficult. I usually want my gifts to be special and have meaning, but sometimes it’s tricky to pin point exactly what will suit them.

Pinterest has made discovering new crafts and DIYs sooooo much easier. Finding these crafts often leads to creative ideas for a gift. I am incredibly thankful for this. 

I love, love, love exploring the crafts/DIY section, because I feel like I can create something beautiful if I simply follow the directions listed on my computer screen. I truly adore the fun and quirky ways other pinners use materials to make the most useful objects.

When it came to picking out a “going away, I will miss you dearly” gift for one of my best friends, I automatically turned to Pinterest. Like a kid in a candy store, I became very excited about all of the gift possibilities Pinterest would have to offer me. 

In the past, I have seen crafts for a person's home. Ashley was about to move into her new apartment, so I wanted to make her something that she could use in her new bungalow.

Once I spotted the DIY painted coffee mugs, I couldn't resist clicking on the directions. Ashley loves coffee, which is something that she, my best friend Dana and I have in common. I figured if she loves the taste of coffee in Michigan, she can definitely use a mug to drink out of, and if she loves original works of art, this is will be the perfect gift!

So, Dana and I traveled to Michaels and Target to pick out our plain white mugs and Martha Stewart paint supplies. Once we got to my house, we splattered our tools across the table and began creating our masterpieces. 

Great mug shot, right? :) The mugs are from Target.

Here is how we made the mugs, just in case anyone would like to give it a shot.

Martha Stewart paint is awesome! It is dishwasher safe, which is a plus when painting ceramics or you know, the occasional mug. We used a purple and a mint green/teal color. The two complemented each other very well.

We also bought a Martha Stewart foam pouncer set and stencil set which is what we used to paint the mugs. There are many stencil kits to choose from. We chose an elegant set, which added a sophisticated but fun look to the mugs. These products and the paint can all be found at Michaels.

Applying the paint onto the stencils was very easy with the pounce set. The tricky part was getting the stencils to align with the mug. The back of each stencil is sticky, which allowed them to stay in place. Once the stencil was placed correctly, we started to paint. We stuck the pounce set into each dab of paint and lightly pressed down onto the stencil. These steps can be repeated with as many stencils as you desire! The sponge pounces are also very easy to clean up. Just run through water, and the paint is gone. I would suggest rinsing the sponge through water right after using it, just in case the paint decides to stick.

Once you are done applying the paint, you can remove the stencil quickly by peeling it off. 

And here it is, the moment you've all been waiting for. The final product...

There you have it. Simple. Elegant. Fun. 

I loved crafting with Dana. It was a very fun way for us to be creative together. What made the experience better was making this for Ashley, and being able to accomplish #5 on my list!!

Well Ash, I hope these mugs bring you loads of coffee and happiness. We miss you already. Best of luck to you at Michigan State. Rock it girl!!

Stay beautiful,

Marina