Saturday, December 29, 2012

Smelling Roses



As I am reflecting on 2012 I am so thankful that God has truly taught me the importance of enjoying as Joyce Meyers would say “Everyday Life.” Sometimes we get so busy trying to succeed and reach our many goals that we forget to take the time to smell the roses along the way. More often than not I hear someone speak about regrets of not taking time to enjoy their family and simply the blessing of life until its too late. Life is fragile tremendous gift that each moment should be treasured. So here are some of the journeys that I am currently enjoying.

Spiritual Journey: God is so amazing that no matter how close or how long you’ve been serving him, you can never know him enough and there will always be room to grow. There are still many areas in my life that He challenges me to surrender completely to him and He is shaping and transforming me daily. So while I am not where I want to be I am so thankful that I’m not who I was.

Health Journey: This year has been the year that I discovered green juices/smoothies. I can personally say that I have reaped major benefits. However, I have not been consistent but I’m still thankful for new knowledge and that making healthy choices has always been a lifestyle for me.

Hair Journey: I learned about hair care a few years ago but I think this year was really the turning point for me. I went through all the frustrating points, I was a product junkie, jumped on every bandwagon etc. but thankfully that is over and at the end of the day it really is just hair. I refuse to allow my hair to become a frustration. In the meantime I’m enjoying the health of where it is now not solely focused on where I want it to be.

Whatever journey you’re on I hope that you will take the time to smell your roses. Celebrate your small victories whether you moved from a size twenty to size eighteen, furthering your education, becoming debt free, etc. What are some victories you celebrated for 2012?
Remember where there is life there is always hope:)

He Makes Beautiful Things,
Nicole




Friday, December 21, 2012

Holiday Memories



I often chuckle when I hear people say that it does not feel like Christmas until it snows or that they are wishing for snow for Christmas. Admittedly, that first snowfall is beautiful, and there’s something incredibly beautiful and peaceful about watching snowflakes fall softly.  Yet I don’t equate snow with Christmas. The Christmases of my childhood memories are quite the opposite. They were warm and usually sunny and filled with smiling memories of family, friends, and good food.

Growing up, I had what you called “island Christmases.” Those Christmases spent in Jamaica are some of my best and favorite childhood memories. I remember waking up to a packed house filled with relatives and friends from near and far.  In our excitement, my cousins and I would rush to open gifts on Christmas morning, usually grabbing the gifts from relatives in “foreign” (the term we used for the U.S., Canada or England) first.  Though exciting, gift giving and exchanging was not the focal point of Christmas.  We were always thankful for what we got, but I don’t remember creating wish lists or even wanting the latest gadget.  I do remember anxiously awaiting my cousins’ arrival and longing to see my relatives from abroad who usually came home for Christmas. Time spent with loved ones was paramount in my family. Since I come from a musically talented family, we often gathered around singing together or listening to my uncles play the guitar or keyboard. My sister, cousins and I also enjoyed dressing up and performing songs for my family. I haven’t sung some of those songs in years, but today I still remember the lyrics. There are times I catch myself humming those songs of my childhood around the holidays. In addition, my family always (and I mean always) played a huge and extremely competitive game of scrabble. To this day, scrabble remains my favorite board game, and to this day, I cannot beat my uncle T., aunt M. or cousin S.

Although it does not snow in Jamaica, I do remember waiting up one Christmas Eve with my sister and cousins looking out for Santa and is reindeer. We were way too young to realize that poor Santa would have sweated buckets wearing his red wool suit in the Caribbean.

As we get ready to celebrate Christmas in a few days, it’s a great time to stop and reflect on its true meaning. Gift giving and receiving are definitely great parts of this blessed holiday, but they are not the full meaning of Christmas. I like to refer to Christmas as “love holiday,” because the greatest gift that anyone of us can give each other around this time is love. So for this love holiday, remember to give some love away. 

Cheers,
~Nika

Sunday, December 16, 2012

My Holiday Party Look

Yesterday I attended my office holiday party. I used some of my own tips from this post such as wearing color, dressing up and adding sparkle. Since I was a little girl, I've loved pink. I thought that my pink preference would have changed with age, but lo and behold I still love pink.  I fell in love with this dress the moment I saw it in store,  mostly for the color, but I was sold when I tried it on for its cut and the soft feel of the fabric. 







 Dress: I love H81
Shoes: Topshop
Clutch: Vintage
Cardigan: Old Navy

Face

I very much wanted to rear red lipstick, but I tend to shy away from bright lips because of my braces.  I decided to focus on my eyes and wear a neutral look. I found the perfect inspiration from one of my favorite Youtube makeup artist, The Fancy Face, and did a neutral smokey eye with a neutral lip. 



The Inspiration






Cheers,
~Nika

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Our Condolences


Our hearts are so heavy right now for all the families affected by the elementary school shooting in Connecticut. Our prayers are with them. May God comfort them in their time of pain. Pray for our country and 
pray for our children. 



 

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

7 Fashion Dos for the Office Holiday Party

It's that time of year, good cheer, time with your loved ones and holiday parties. Here are some tips on how to look professionally glam at the office holiday party.


1. Do Dress Up
How many times do you get to dress up for work? I mean really dress up? Here's your time to shine! Go for a beautiful and elegant dress or dress pants (brocade pants are hot this season) with a silk top. Make sure to keep your look tasteful and professional; though it's a party, it's still a business event. 








2. Do wear red lipstick
Red lips may not be appropriate for the office during your work day, but it's a great way to glam up your holiday party look or add a pop of color to your makeup.  I personally love and highly recommend Mac's Ruby Woo. As a tip, if you do choose to go with a bold red lip keep the rest of your makeup soft and natural. 





3. Do spice up your look with tights
Tights are my favorite Fall/Winter accessory. They're such a great way to have fun with your outfits by playing with texture and color, plus they're always fashionable. 





4. Do Add Sparkle
Tastefully celebrate the season's festivities with your look by adding a dash of sparkle with accessories. 




Michael Kors Bracelet,  HERE



5. Do make a Statement with your Shoes
This is the perfect opportunity to pull out those statement-making shoes that are inappropriate for everyday office wear. Make a fashion statement with your shoes. One caveat: do wear shoes that are a comfortable height for you. Stumbling around in uncomfortable shoes you can hardly walk in is not exactly the way to make an impression at any party. 


 shoes available HERE.

6. Do wear color
If your work wardrobe consist of the colors black, grey and navy blue do switch things up a bit and wear color. Variety is the spice of life, right?





7. Do wear a smile

Because nobody is fully dressed without a smile.



Cheers,
~Nika

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Given A Chance


Top: Express, Skirt: Express, Stockings: Primark(London) Shoes: Macy's

My sister gave me this skirt a few years ago....and this is my first time wearing it. I took so long to wear it because I was on the fence, I wasn't sure if I liked it or not so to the back of my closet it went. Fast forward three years and I was getting ready for church and I saw the skirt peeking out at me and thought I should give it a chance. I decided to wear it and absolutely loved it! I felt like I was at church from dawn until dusk because of an event we were having and I was comfortable and uncrumpled the entire day:) Another cool thing about the skirt were the side pockets. Sometimes in life we have to give people, relationships, ourselves, and our dreams a chance. You never know, the outcome might me fantastic!! What will you give a chance in 2013?

He Makes Beautiful things



Monday, December 3, 2012

Do It Afraid



“Just because you feel fear doesn't mean you can't do it. Do it afraid."


I'm looking forward to the New Year - the possibilities, the hopes, the dreams and the plans. Not necessarily my own plans, I've come to rest assured in God plans for my life. "For I know the plans he has for me..."


Reflecting on 2012,  I call it a year of lessons.  Snapshots of time periods and scenarios that were filled with life gems. Some lessons I grasped quickly, others I think will be revealed over time. It's the beauty of life, we must constantly learn in order to change and grow. 





In all the lessons that I learned, I did not learn how to be fearless. I know that statement might sound odd, but I've always wanted to be fearless.  I prayed to know how to  be fearless. Yet God answered my prayers in a different way.  I am not fearless.....yet.  But I've learned something else; to do that thing I'm afraid of doing in spite of my fears. In other words to do it afraid. I do not know if it's possible to have a human existence without feeling afraid sometimes, but I do know that what we do when we're afraid can profoundly affect our lives. As the saying goes, "courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it." 





Before I moved to California, I was afraid. The excitement was definitely there, but one night I lied awake thinking about the gravity of my move. I was moving 3000 miles away from everything I knew to a place I've never even visited. I had no family there, and except for a dear friend who lived 5 hours away in San Francisco, I had no support system. Yet despite these fears I moved anyway. So far it's been awesome.

That's just one example of the many things I made a conscious decision to do afraid. It's not confidence in myself, it's confidence in my Father who will  never leave me nor forsake me.

As we move forward to anther year, I challenge you to try it. What is it you want to do but you haven't because of fear? Do it anyway and do it afraid! A fear is so much smaller when you face it head on.



Cheers,
~Nika

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