Facebook Hiatus

It has been 22 days since I've logged into Facebook. I deactivated my account mid September to get away from the cyber addiction and to get more involved in the real world. My boyfriend was going to be away for three weeks with no contact so I decided I wanted to keep busy and active to distract myself from missing him and to help the time pass by more quickly.
It was surprisingly easy to drop this habit. The main reason being, that I picked up another social networking site to fill my habit. Twitter. I spent the last three weeks being very productive in my own life, and the format of Twitter allowed me to tweet a quick blurb about what was going on that day and then move on and do it, rather than sit on Facebook and waste three hours before I realize what time it is.
Facebook appeals to the inner stalker in all of us, that natural human curiosity. You can literally click through pages of random people's photos and updates for hours. With Twitter, other people's lives seem less interesting, and it has allowed me to enjoy the past three weeks much more.
I've even crossed a few things off of my NYC bucket list. I've spent more time with friends, traveled a bit, gotten more sleep, done more cooking and baking at home, made some craft projects like painting coat hooks and hanging them by our front door, and even had time to watch more sports, news, debates and other random tv shows that probably killed brain cells.
So, maybe I did simply substitute one form of social media for another, but I think it did allow me a much needed break from caring more about what's going on in other people's lives than my own. And if that's the only benefit I received, focusing more on my life, then I'd say that's a pretty successful hiatus, wouldn't you?
I should be back on Facebook at some point tomorrow. I reached my goal number of days with ease and could go longer, but I've had quite a few people texting me wondering why I've disappeared off of Facebook and I have an upcoming event that I want to invite some friends to. Facebook isn't all bad. There are plenty of positive reasons to use it, including sending mass event invites. However, if you ever start to feel like you spend more time online than you do with real people in person, why not take a hiatus? See what it's like to go out and not check in everywhere you go. See how it feels to make plans for every night of the week, even if one of those nights your plan is to cook dinner at home, and one night your plan is to bake something new, and one night is to catch up on sleep or call an old friend. There's so many different things we can do and experience. So many opportunities we fail to take advantage of because we waste so much time wondering what everyone else is doing with their lives, that we forget to truly live our own.
Go out and find yourself. Fall off the grid for a bit and simply have some fun, have some you-time, relax more, party more, experience something new, work toward a goal, do something. Anything. But don't waste your time in front of a screen living vicariously through others. Go live!
Xoxo

Rules to survive NYC

After 3 years in NYC, I've learned a few things about city-living. Here is my list, in no particular order, of the rules to surviving.

• Ignore any person who tries to talk to you in the subway or on the streets.
• Walk briskly on the streets, everyone is in a hurry.
• Stand to the right on escalators, walk up on left.
• Hustle, Hustle, Hustle. New Yorkers on average spend half their income on rent alone. Be prepared to work, and work a lot.
• Don't live in Manhattan. There are places to live in Queens and Brooklyn for half the price, and twice the space, with the same or similar commute depending on the area.
• Network! Knowing the right people can get you jobs, free meals, free drinks, and invites to some amazing events.
• Don't give money to homeless people or anyone begging for money. If they're really going to spend that money on food, they'll accept your offer to walk with them to the nearest restaurant/street food vendor to buy them a meal.
• Keep everything in your front pockets, keep your purse zipped. 
• Never carry large amounts of cash, but enough to pay for dinner if the restaurant doesn't accept cards.
• On the tops of cabs, if only their cab number is lit up, they are empty and available. If "OFF DUTY" is also lit up, they won't stop for you. If nothing is lit, someone is already in the back.
• Subways are pretty easy to figure out, grab a map and be sure to double check that the train you are about to get on is headed in the proper direction.
• There are tons of $.99 pizza slice places, don't pay $5 for a plain slice in Times Square.
• Be prepared to walk a lot and use a lot of stairs. Get in shape first, our your legs will be sore.
• Wear flats during your commute, change into heels outside of your destination.
• If you are standing in the middle of a packed subway car, you may need to shout "excuse me" in order to get let off at your stop.
• Always try to barter, especially in shops in china town, with non-yellow cabs, even haggle-down your broker-fee on your apartment.
• If you're carrying large bags/luggage on the subway, use the service door, not the turnstiles.
• Always allow extra time to get everywhere. You never know when a subway delay will happen. You can only get away with blaming the MTA so many times.
• Men can't get into any nice clubs/bars/restaurants in shorts or sandals. 
• There are more women than men in NYC. 41.7% of women in NYC have never been married, the highest percent in the country. Average age of first marriage for women is 28, men 30.
• If you get lost, ask for directions, New Yorkers are actually nice when it comes to giving directions for the most part.
• Don't bother driving in Manhattan. Too much traffic, expensive parking, and tolls, not worth the stress. Take a train or bus instead. If you are moving here, sell your car.
• There's always a ton of free things to do, from summer outdoor movies in Bryant Park, to food festivals, parades, and museums. Do your research. There are websites dedicated to free things going on everyday.
• If visiting, you can save hundreds by staying at a hotel in Queens or Brooklyn instead of Manhattan. Some hotels are only a 10-15 min subway ride to Manhattan.
• Consider unlimited MetroCards for subways and buses. Sold in monthly or weekly values.
• Make friends with locals. If you know people who already live in NYC, they can help show you the best places to go.
• This might be the most important: there are very few public restrooms! McDonalds and Starbucks are unfortunately your best bets. 

That's all for now, I'm sure I will add more as I remember them, or think of new ones to share. Good luck on your visits or if you plan to move here.

xo

Madhattan

A girl about 7 or 8 years old was on the train this morning badgering her distressed father on whether it was called Manhattan or Madhattan. I don't know where she got this from, but it's a commentary on our lack of cheer nonetheless.
Sure you can find nice people in NYC, most of whom were raised in the south and moved up here at one point or another.
There's something about the long commute by crowded, smelly, trains with the occasional crazy bum that puts people in a bad mood. Is it that we just aren't forgiving people? Are we unhappy in other areas of our lives and take out our frustrations on the MTA?
I know if one too many people beg me for money, and turn down the food I offer them, that'll quickly put me in a discouraged, verging on angry mood.
So, maybe we should try to ease our stresses some and enjoy life more. Maybe then we can be a part of the greatest city in the world again, Manhattan, not Madhattan.
Xoxo

Adele Before and After

If you weren't a believer in the magic of hair and makeup, now you will be. I was watching the music video for Chasing Pavements, Adele's first single, and realized just how amazing she looks now. Thanks to a professional team of hair, makeup, stylists, and more! Of course, there's always photoshop as well, but great makeup can go a long way to making someone look and feel ten times better. Check out the before and after I put together. Let me know your thoughts. Do you think she looks better before all natural, or after all the works? I don't mean to come across as shallow, but girl looks amazing now. Since you all know I'm a makeup artist, it should be no surprise that I am in full support of slapping some cake on your face if you get results like this:

xoxo

Deadly Sin #4: Greed

I began writing this blog entry Saturday but had a little case of writers block, saved what little I had, and put it away. Sunday, I went to church and guess what the pastor's sermon was on? Yup, you probably guessed, Greed. He practically wrote this entry for me. You can watch the sermon on UStream at this link: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/21051443
Press pause, let it load for a while and fast forward to the beginning of the sermon at 14 min 30 sec.

God refers to us as rivers several times in the Bible. We should act like rivers in our lives to avoid being greedy. What flows in, should flow out. If we are dammed up, and we keep all that we get, then we are subject to damnation. See the correlation? If not, let me elaborate.
We have made religion about collecting enough God to fill up our dam and then we stop searching for Him, we stop praying, we stop going to church, until our dam is empty and then we go back for more. We have completely perverted the idea of religion. We need to seek Him every day. He is a God of daily bread, not annual bread. If you seek Him once in awhile, your faith, and your fruits, will go stale. God is a renewer. If you use the talents and gifts He's given you, He will multiply them and give you more fruits.
Don't reserve your energy, your gifts, your God, for your use alone. Give them away, use them. God is the source to the river that flows through us. If we forgive, we can receive forgiveness. We loves because God loves. If we do not do these things, we are being greedy. We are attempting to keep the blessings to ourselves. We create damns in our lives of both material things, and spiritual gifts and blessings.

Matthew 6:19-21

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The rules of the Earth say that things decay, rust, break with time. Why would we invest in these things?
Greed is most often assimilated to the excessive desire for money. What about hoarding? Hoarding has been going on for years but is only most recently coming into the public eye as a problem due to television. It creates anxiety and complexity, absorbs time, and causes you to have too many choices, and slows your decision making. We can live simpler lives by de-cluttering them.
How many pairs of shoes do you own? Teeshirts? Handbags? We should give them away as soon as we don't use them anymore. Don't keep them for 10 years until nobody can use them. That is selfish, that is greed.
I am going to go through all of my things here in NYC and donate whatever I don't need or wear anymore to the Salvation Army or another charity that accepts clothing. Then, I am also going to take a few days to go back to CT and go through all of my old things stored at my parents house and give away most of that as well. I'm sure it'll feel like a weight has been lifted, like I accomplished something, that I have less worry and more space!

Matthew 6:24

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

We need to actively change our hearts to only desire God, because your heart gets what it wants. If you focus on material things, you'll get them, but you won't fully receive all of the blessings God has in store for you. If you focus on bad relationships, you'll get them, focused on gossip, you'll get more.
We've discussed giving away material things, what about giving away money? The devil tells you to wait until you have more, to give more. The devil lies. If you believe him, you will only come to realize, that the more you have, the harder it becomes. Mo Money, Mo Problems. Ha.
Back on track, God is the source to our river. The more we give, the more blessings He will bestow upon us. He is a renewer. Don't give more than you have, but give what you can.
Seek the kingdom of God and He will give you all that you need. Thank God and He will give you peace. Peace will help you to make the best decisions of your life. How easy are peaceful decisions? Have you ever made a peaceful decision or do you always doubt your choices, over analyze them, contemplate them even after you've made them? Did you truly seek God before you made these choices?
Don't make decisions based on short-term happiness, but think about long-term. Don't keep something because you want it, even if you don't need it, or if it's not good for you, because in the long-run, it will end up wasted. Don't hold onto relationships that you know aren't healthy and in line with what God wants for your life. Isn't that being greedy as well, if we hold onto someone that we know we should just give away?
Be a river, not a dam. God is the source of our river and He will always provide us with what we need. God tests, the devil tempts. Make peaceful decisions by letting go, and letting God take control. Seek Him for all of your needs. Seek Him daily, and He will give you your daily breads, and fruits, and blessings, and gifts, and talents, and relationships, and forgiveness and love. The more you give, the more you will get, but don't forget that you have to then give again.

xoxo

Deadly Sin #3 Gluttony

When you first think of gluttony, you assume it only refers to over eating, and becoming over weight. However, if you've read any of my other entries on the seven deadly sins, you know already that I'm not going to focus on the obvious. What is the point of reading something you already know about? Why not explore something new and make yourself think?
Could gluttony really just refer to the general idea of not taking care of one's own body? Since the Bible refers to one's body as a temple; that Jesus lives in your heart and soul, you should take care of your temple and do what it takes to keep it in shape. There are many things that you can do to commit gluttony. Abusing alcohol, drugs, or other known dangers is one thing that comes to mind. Over indulging in anything that is not good for your body is a bad decision. It's not only about what you're putting in, but what you're getting out of it. What benefit do these things have to your spirit? Don't they only satisfy your flesh?
I know I've said before, that many of the seven deadly sins are related and intertwined. For instance, if we've discovered that it is gluttonous, to over indulge yourself in a heavy meal, and a long nap, and your favorite TV sitcoms for hours without exercise, is that not also sloth? What about once we know something is wrong with our health, yet we stubbornly do nothing to attempt to heal it? Is refusing to see a doctor, a sin? It could very well be. God tells us to take every measure to preserve life. If we don't, we are disobeying him. If we stubbornly think we will be fine on our own, is that not also prideful and boastful? There can be many sins at work at the same time, in one action, in one thought.
It is best to try to avoid all of these sins, to take care of yourself, to know your temple's needs and to work to meet those needs. Do not over indulge in your cravings, whatever they may be. By nature, we crave things that are not good for us. We need to implore more self-control.
xoxo

Deadly Sin #2: Lust

Before the new year I started a series of blogs on the seven deadly sins. One sin blog down, and I had to take some time off from blogging to focus on myself. I went through a breakup of a 5 year relationship, and handled it surprisingly well, actually. I wanted to spend some time with friends, rekindling the spark that the old Michelle used to have. I feel back to my truly happy state. So, get ready for a flood of blogs!

The second deadly sin I want to discuss is Lust. According to Wikipedia, lust is defined as an emotional force that is directly associated with the thinking or fantasizing about one's desire, usually in a sexual way. The thing I want to emphasize is that it is usually related to sex, but it doesn't have to be. You can lust after many things. 

You can lust after someone else's job or career. You can lust after finding a rich man to marry you. You can lust after anything really. You can even show lust through prayer, which may be the worst type of lustful sin to commit. Have you ever prayed something similar to, "Please Lord, help me win the lotto so that I can finally buy that car I've been wanting?" This is lustful prayer.

James 4:2-3

You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God.

When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

This type of lust, is similar to greed, and envy. They are all related really. You envy what someone has, you lust after it, and then you greedily keep it for yourself. 

We can lust after positive things as well, but this falls into sin, when we fail to give it up to God and let Him be the one that chooses when/if we receive it. God answers all prayers, but sometimes, that answer is no. We shouldn't question God, and continue to lust after the same things long after we've realized that maybe what we want is not part of His plan for our lives. 

Yes, there is the sin of sexual lust, all over the world, and it is becoming more and more prevalent, and more and more acceptable in society. However, I wanted to focus this entry on the non-sexual context of the word lust. A context in which most people will never think about; where you can lust after anything, but any lust is wrong.

xoxo

Makeup Tutorials

If you are interested in learning new makeup application techniques or want to try and do makeup for the first time, YouTube is a great resource! My friend has a makeup tutorial channel that you can check out. Best of all, it's free! Plus, you will learn something useful, instead of just watching videos of cute kittens.
Watch and Subscribe!




xoxo

Picking Up the Pieces

A good friend of mine recently recommended I watch the video below. While watching I realized something possibly more profound than what the video itself implies. Not only can God pick up the broken pieces and turn them into something beautiful and new, but He can do much more. He can return the broken object to its original form.
Alone, we can try to glue back the pieces, mend the tears in our relationships, erase those words we wish we never said, rewind the tape on that last fight, etc, etc. However, alone, it never comes out perfect. That glass vase you tried to glue back together, will always have a leak, will never look as perfect as it did before it fell onto the floor and smashed. It is damaged both in it's usefulness and in it's beauty.
God is the only one who has the ability to take a broken vessel, and repair it to its original perfection. He can take away all of your sin, guilt, and pain. He can mend your relationships. He can make you perfect again. Without Him, we end up like broken pieces of glass on the floor, we try to put the pieces of our lives back together again, but alone, the pieces don't match up, and we feel a void, and we can never fill the leaky holes.
I know that was a lot of symbolism in one blog, but I hope you understand my comparison. The main point is to understand that without God, we try to fill voids in our lives with other things to give us happiness, and it never works. The only way to feel the relief of guilt, shame, hurt, abandonment, whatever you are feeling, is through Him. There is nothing else in this world with as lasting effects. Be blessed. I hope you like the video.

http://youtu.be/gT-QWSxV0Hs

xoxo

Beauty Must-Haves for 2012!

Great recommendations on a few of my old and new favorites!

Lips:

• Urban Decay Lipstick in Sellout (nice natural lip color and smells amazing!)
• Stila Long Wear Lip Color in Exhilarating (hot pink matte long wear, bold color!)
• Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain in Always Red 01 (perfect matte red for any complexion, long wear!)
• Nars Velvet Matte Jumbo Lip Pencil in Dragon Girl and Damned (Dragon Girl is an amazing bright matte red, and Damned is the perfect berry for medium to dark skin tones.)

Cheeks:

• Smashbox Halo Highlighting Wand in Gold (easy to use, beautiful, shimmery highlight, doubles as an awesome eye shadow primer!)
• Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Blissful and Flush (Blissful is the perfect peachy coral blush that works on any fair to medium skin tone. Flush is perfect for very dark skin tones that like a pop of pink on the cheek. Great pigment and long wear in all of the colors.)
• Guerlain Terracotta Light Sheer Bronzing Powder in Brunette 02 (slightly shimmery, zero orange pigment, multi-colored for a balanced bronze)

Eyes:

• Stila Prime Pot (thick, long wear, crease-proof eye primer in two shades for your skin tone)
• Smashbox Photo Op Eye Enhancing Palette (3 different palettes based on your eye color, rich velvety, high-pigmented shadows, 6 shades in each, some matte and some shimmer.)
• Givenchy Phonomen'Eyes Mascara in 1Black (unique sphere brush catches every lash and gives length, curl and volume!)
• Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in Black (Best liquid eyeliner ever! Never smudges, easy marker tip applicator, amateurs welcome!)
• Smashbox Limitless Eye Liner Pencil in Java (dark brown, almost black shade gives definition without being harsh, waterproof, and smudge proof, comes with a sharpener built into the cap for sharpening on the go.)

Complexion:

• Too Faced Primed and Poreless Face Primer (makes skin super soft and fills fine lines and pores for a smooth finish for your foundation, increases the wear of your foundation, also is slightly tinted to even skin tone.)
• Lancome Effacernes Waterproof Concealer (full coverage in a smooth, skin-like liquid formula)
• Nars Sheer Glow Foundation (good for drier skin types, huge range of colors, skin-like finish, medium coverage)
• Makeup Forever Duo Mat Foundation Powder (good for more oily skin types, medium to full coverage in a oil-absorbing powder)

Skin care:

• Ole Henriksen Truth To Go Wipes (your all in one wipe for when you are too tired at night to go through your regimen, these are makeup removing, cleansing, brightening, firming, moisturizing, all in one all-nature wipe and they smell delicious!)
• Caudalie Instant Foaming Cleanser (removes all makeup and dirt and oils, from an all-natural line)
• Algenist Concentrated Reconstructing Serum (resurfaces the skin for a youthful more radiant look)
• Clinique All About Eyes Serum De-Puffing Eye Massage (2 extra hours of sleep in a magic tube! You can feel it cool and tighten the under eye in the morning after too little sleep!)
• First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream (great moisturizer for dry skin)
• Murad Oil-Control Mattifier SPF 15 (great for oily skin)
• Peter Thomas Roth Sulfur Cooling Mask (great as a blemish spot treatment or for large breakouts, dries up pimples fast!)
• Ole Henriksen Micro/Mini Peel System (3-step facial at home on your day off, all natural line, leaves skin glowing!)

Hope you give some of these products a try! Come into Sephora at 5 Times Square, NYC for a complimentary consultation on any one of these products!

xoxo