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

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

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

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.