tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50236464935273457382024-02-19T04:24:14.725-08:00I AM DreLynn...There are many underlying causes for the shorter life expectancies of Native Americans. Many of the problems can be placed at the doorstep of deep social and economic problems such as: chronic depression, caused by lack of self-esteem and self-respect; leading to an extremely high incidence of suicides.
If I can start helping my people by simply promoting self expression and inspiring others to get "creative" - then so be it, that's where I'll start...DreLynn Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553820530093922757noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023646493527345738.post-56796569999524257722011-09-22T22:47:00.000-07:002013-05-16T14:16:50.756-07:00Post-It-note Please...<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wgynSHZbwhM" width="420"></iframe><br /><span style="color: black;"><br />Do you remember this episode?? Of course you do! How could any girl that's ever been dumped, forget this episode haha! It was the infamous episode of </span><em style="color: black;">Sex and the City</em><span style="color: black;">, where Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker</span><span style="color: black;">) finds herself being dumped</span><span style="color: black;"> by her boyfriend Berger (Ron Livingston), via a freaking Post-It note! I remember watching it and thinking "What a chump! Who does that?! Man, I'd be pissed if some douche ever did that too me!"</span><br /><br /><span style="color: black;">Well, I'd take the Post-It-note ending about now...</span><br /><br /><span style="color: black;">An ending that includes words (any kind of words, written or not haha) is more dignifying than let's say, </span><strong style="color: black; font-weight: normal;">an "Evaporating" ending.</strong><span style="color: black;"> Evaporating endings are those when he/she simply just stops calling or answering the phone. </span>Not only does he/she take themselves out of the relationship, he/she takes away the other person's right to express the hurt they feel.<span style="color: black;"> T</span><span style="color: black;">he uncomfortable feelings that go with dumping someone may be lousy, but it beats disappearing any day of the week, leaving that person wondering.</span><span style="color: black;"> I would guess that this tactic is popular amongst more male daters than female - it's easy. </span>It requires zero effort; any coward is capable.<span style="color: black;"></span><br /><span style="color: black;"><br />So yes, can I please just have the damn Post-It-note...</span><br /><br /><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></center>
DreLynn Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553820530093922757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023646493527345738.post-62091871402234297452011-09-07T01:30:00.000-07:002011-12-29T12:35:40.905-08:00Envision It, Live It...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiBnfH6UqkqjhYh4_DtdnUbAShBzEFoEqtxO0mEB8U74D6PaarRZG8xaNJZyLASYuFqmm5sNUX1tjZZarPNWcRCXIxsUjY5DWX_DV5F2J7Qn0P6E5QvzOZLxb0vDgg3HqL-ASIfxxZ4yU/s1600/IMG_0150.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649533267624206946" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiBnfH6UqkqjhYh4_DtdnUbAShBzEFoEqtxO0mEB8U74D6PaarRZG8xaNJZyLASYuFqmm5sNUX1tjZZarPNWcRCXIxsUjY5DWX_DV5F2J7Qn0P6E5QvzOZLxb0vDgg3HqL-ASIfxxZ4yU/s400/IMG_0150.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><em>“A vision is not just a picture of what could be; </em><br /><em>it is an appeal to our better selves, a call to become something more.”</em><br /></p><br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">Rosebeth Moss Kanter<br /></p><br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></p>DreLynn Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553820530093922757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023646493527345738.post-90251423674760038292011-03-23T12:51:00.000-07:002011-03-23T14:47:40.179-07:00More Than A Rack...<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbWfJyHGYkpZbosoSYut78PirzSYabg4xBWJ6kTfUroOYdq_xlRh1FNPCdhCUlg_HBOvbbMf44CnqRP5doJytoB3dEYMWI-Z74m6KjejTzjxbFb7rZPeO7p2LQGo0FM4wT24x6gypkiBg/s1600/photo+2.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 234px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 306px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587369870924652626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbWfJyHGYkpZbosoSYut78PirzSYabg4xBWJ6kTfUroOYdq_xlRh1FNPCdhCUlg_HBOvbbMf44CnqRP5doJytoB3dEYMWI-Z74m6KjejTzjxbFb7rZPeO7p2LQGo0FM4wT24x6gypkiBg/s320/photo+2.JPG" /></a>For the past few months, I’ve been staging completed pairs of beaded earrings on a magazine cover and posting the photos on Facebook. I did it for several reasons, but mainly just one.<br /><br />Earrings are a big part of my wardrobe. I AM my own trend. I LOVE fashion, however I'm a bit modest and almost never wear revealing clothing. It's just not my thing, and in the society that we live in, it's a challenge sometimes. Sex sells and you see it everywhere – television, on the radio, plastered on billboards, and on the cover of magazines. One day while skimming through a magazine, the idea was born.<br /><br />Cosmo and Glamour Magazine are mainly filled with sexual content and a majority of the women on the cover are dressed with little to no clothes. AND you almost always see boobies! Haha. Well, I just thought it would be fun to stage my earrings on the cover of these two magazines. When I look at the photos, I immediately see the earrings and it isn’t until later, that you see all the other details of the magazine cover.<br /><br /><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 217px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 311px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587370111928107490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVA7WeGrcl1YKwZeN1OgDe6zl1cT_qFzMt61SUleB4pAKcmyGHq5kA_AwzIAdj7kszLj7J5mSeCIHcXYCyCMlI39sc_Seb5mgEZr5TyffwAOKcEl-knQapJ3GndMuIQ5W6XBWYlD9c9Ss/s320/photo+3.JPG" /> When I first started beading earrings for myself, I had never really imagined that I’d be making beaded earrings for others to wear. At first I’d wear them mainly at powwows or any other like-setting. Then eventually I was wearing beaded earrings everywhere I went - whether it be a professional or social setting, I was in them. Almost always, the earrings I had on were the first thing that people noticed. I have an obsession with color, so I'd bead in vibrant very eye catching colors. Not only did the colors draw eyes, beaded earrings were unexpected in a majority of the places I went to. I was (am) a Native American woman living in a traditional and contemporary world and I was proud to wear them. When I did decide to make them for others to wear, my intention was to replicate that sense of pride that I had while wearing them, in every woman. </div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx-u0fgIrEyPnLcaI4PBWXePCrffW4cZOXiSJmqnS9BxeC7jkkiaEq8E5e_HMci3_ET9yYuj-ILHoEE3ioBNlXJKqOpyiFMN99teVHULu8bW6D-VnMtwxnGnu0ESbsNbWdr69LfpVm3yc/s1600/photo+1.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 243px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587395006909325906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx-u0fgIrEyPnLcaI4PBWXePCrffW4cZOXiSJmqnS9BxeC7jkkiaEq8E5e_HMci3_ET9yYuj-ILHoEE3ioBNlXJKqOpyiFMN99teVHULu8bW6D-VnMtwxnGnu0ESbsNbWdr69LfpVm3yc/s320/photo+1.JPG" /></a>I meant to distract the eye in these photos - it was my mission. I believe that all women should master that one thing about them (us) that grabs positive attention. Whether it be our earrings, our smile, our knowledge, our voice, or anything else that brings positive attention and energy – let's use those, before we seek attention with our boobs. My method of choice just happens to be earrings, what's your's?<br /><br />Be blessed… </div>DreLynn Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553820530093922757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023646493527345738.post-63039501407651804542010-12-29T00:44:00.001-08:002010-12-29T14:17:36.158-08:00How to Treat a Girlby A. Lynn Scoresby<br /><i></i><br /><div align="center"><i>First I thought women got all the breaks. Then I discovered that by respecting them, I was lifting myself too.</i></div><p>A lot of teenagers today don't even carry a handkerchief. But when I was a young man, having a handkerchief ready for an emergency (like someone crying, for example) was considered important. At least, my mother certainly thought so.</p><p>I was going on one of my first dates and was halfway out the door when I heard my mother's voice calling my name. I went back inside to find her with a white handkerchief in her hand.</p><p>"Do you have a clean handkerchief?" she asked. "Mom," I said in that special voice reserved for mothers by exasperated sons. I took the handkerchief because I was anxious to be on my way. I stuffed it into my pocket, and I was out the door and into the car without thinking more about it.</p><p>Today, a white handkerchief is probably the farthest thing from anyone's mind before a date. Time tends to change many of our styles and customs, but the courtesy and respect that my mother taught me should exist in dating relationships are just as important today as they have ever been.</p><p>I don't remember much about that date, but I do remember asking my mother afterward why a clean handkerchief was such a big deal. This led to a conversation between us that taught me a lot about establishing good relationships with young women.</p><p>Now, I don't mean that I treated girls like they were just one of the guys; but I had a lot to learn. My mother explained, for example, that as a sign of courtesy young men should (1) walk ahead of a date in a darkened theater or room, (2) walk on the outside of the sidewalk, next to the road, (3) stand when a girl the same age or a woman enters the room and stand when she leaves, (4) stand until all women have been seated and help them be seated before seating themselves, and (5) take a young lady back to her seat and thank her after a dance. I did know, without my mom telling me, that opening car doors and helping girls out are also signs of respect.</p><p>At first I suspected my mother's suggestions that all young men should obey the rules of etiquette might be a female conspiracy transmitted from generation to generation in order to control men.</p><p>Later, as I listened to my wife make suggestions to our sons, I realized there were some time-honored ways for young men to act, and that young women usually like to be treated in those ways.</p><p>After I dismissed the conspiracy theory I selfishly thought that if men did all those nice things for women, we would be the only ones doing all the nice things. "What are they doing for us?" I thought. Girls usually don't have to ask for dates and risk being turned down, and they don't have to keep standing all the time, or help seat boys at the table.</p><p>Because of my suspicions and selfishness I was undecided about whether I wanted to try all of my mother's ideas. But I soon learned that when people go on dates there are doors, cars, dances, meals, rooms to stand in, introductions, and movie theaters. There are times during each of these situations when someone needs to do something, and if no one does there is a silent awkwardness which makes you feel like a true klutz. I know.</p><p>I was at one of my first dances and somehow I'd gathered the courage to remove myself from the wall to ask someone to dance with me. The young lady I asked said, "Yes," and suddenly I found myself out on the dance floor feeling rather uncomfortable. Fortunately, however, some of my friends had found partners also and joined us. As we danced, my friends and I made comments to one another and before I knew it, our talking had turned into a full-fledged conversation that excluded our partners. Immersed in the discussion, I became oblivious to the young lady I was dancing with and somehow drifted off of the dance floor without even realizing it. Back at the wall again I glanced out at those still dancing and, to my embarrassment, saw my partner out on the floor, alone. An uncomfortable feeling settled itself in my stomach. I wanted to do something, but I didn't know what or how to even go about it in an awkward situation like this. So I did nothing. That night, I decided that some of my mother's ideas might be worth trying.</p><p>As I did so, the first thing that happened was unexpected. Girls I dated began to think I knew what I was doing and relaxed around me. The nervousness I sometimes felt disappeared too, and I started having more fun. The more we relaxed, the easier it was to talk. Talking comfortably might not seem very important, but it is the way friendships and liking begin and continue. By communicating well, I also began to get to know girls better.</p><p>I'll admit that when I first started dating, I wanted to be seen with girls who wouldn't tarnish the social image I thought I had to protect. However, after spending time with some young women, having long talks with them and my mother about many things, I found out that girls could be friends (without worrying about all the romantic stuff). In fact, some of the dates I enjoyed most were with girls who were fun and were not worried about trying to make boys like them.</p><p>I soon found, though, that I felt better around and preferred the company of some young women over others. After talking about it, my mother suggested that I needed to learn how and why I got along better with some than with others because it would help me when it came time to get more serious about finding someone to marry. So I learned to be observant on a date, to think about why I did or did not feel comfortable.</p><p>I began to look at those I dated for the characteristics I thought important, like how well they communicated, their sense of humor, what they believed about religion and what they thought about themselves. I didn't think much about it then, but I know I was storing up ideas. More important, I also found out that most girls start out wanting to have genuine, fun friendships because they are evaluating young men too. What's more, as we evaluate others, we're also evaluating ourselves. Most people feel complimented by genuine interest and questions that give them an opportunity to talk about themselves.</p><p>My willingness to treat a young woman with genuine interest and to stop trying too hard to impress her helped me discover that I was often guilty of prejudging. I found after talking to some girls that what I had thought about them at first was later proven untrue.</p><p>My mother also taught me that courtesy and acceptance are ways of showing respect, not only toward girls, women, and even toward other men, but also for myself. This knowledge and skill has helped me many times because it has increased my confidence around others. I believe I am less afraid to meet new people, enter new situations, speak in public, and carry on private conversations because manners help me know what to do. Manners have helped me, and many men, overcome a natural shyness.</p><p>Women deserve the respect of men. Both men and women are warmed by it and helped to feel secure. In an age when there is much concern about equality of the sexes, some women are receiving unequal amounts of rudeness and disrespect. Many men are using the idea of female equality as an excuse to neglect courtesy.</p><p>My mother helped me to learn and show respect for her, and consequently taught me that all girls and women are deserving of it. No one benefits by demeaning or rejecting another person. When young women are ennobled by the respect young men show them, both are elevated.</p><p>It never occurred to me as a young man that if a boy treats a girl like a queen, he is raising himself to a higher level too. All men and boys can learn an honest courtesy. And all young men can be known as "good dates," not because of their social standing or good looks, but because of the respect and kindness they show to those they date. </p><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><a href="http://lds.org/new-era/1987/02/how-to-treat-a-girl?lang=eng"><em>New Era, Courtship and Marriage, February 1987</em></a></p><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><em>Copyright by THE CHURCH of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-day Saints</em></p><em><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="left"></p><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="left">---------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="left"></p></em><div align="center"><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#663366;"><strong>I found this article years ago, and it's still my favorite. That's just the kind of man that I hope to find :) </strong></span></div><div align="center"></div>DreLynn Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553820530093922757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023646493527345738.post-19832216989954377982010-10-19T15:09:00.000-07:002010-10-19T19:50:17.868-07:00Learning Before Leaning...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6O5f_EM_mz4_5C4fVTsgjqomCRdhvtUXOauDyR3SGNrxB8zaQq-nRxM-vT7ajlnQ-kNEna3F3CEqutxAT3wwp9ubdxCVtOIMlqyahIyoXU5cd3M7p_ioTGTULzb4LWSF_uW88GiTgaN8/s1600/im-a-scientist-guys.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6O5f_EM_mz4_5C4fVTsgjqomCRdhvtUXOauDyR3SGNrxB8zaQq-nRxM-vT7ajlnQ-kNEna3F3CEqutxAT3wwp9ubdxCVtOIMlqyahIyoXU5cd3M7p_ioTGTULzb4LWSF_uW88GiTgaN8/s320/im-a-scientist-guys.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529955015634487186" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I’ve been in a relationship since I was almost 16-years old, up until I was 25-years old. I’ve been single for almost three years now. Got learning about Dre out of the way, next it’s become learning about men. I’ve definitely gone backwards in this life! Haha, but it’s an animated life most def. </div><div> </div><br /><div>Anyhow, a girl’s first lessons on the opposite sex normally come from her father and how he regards her mother and his children. I lacked this. Instead, I learned from how my mother regarded men. As most people know, my mother is the superwoman of them all! I love her to death; but I sometimes realize how she’s made my sisters and I into some real hard-asses – excuse my language:) She’s an amazing woman and I owe being the strong woman I am now, to her.<br /><br />I’m dating again -- pause for the party horns please….<br /><br />… and holy cow, it’s rougher than I remember! I think I blame that on the fact that I have standards these days – haha. Okay, in all seriousness, yes it’s been definitely a combination of weeding out the ones that just won’t work and learning how much of my expectations need adjusting. Don’t mistake that statement for settling for less than you are – no one should settle. Instead, what I mean is that I find myself seeing how some of my expectations contradict each other.<br /><br />My biggest thing these days is trying to find a man that can be the masculine man I crave, yet, the sensitive man that I’m used to. While doing so, I’ve learned more than I could have imagined and have decided to blog about my experiences. As of recently, I’ve learned the following:<br /><br /><strong>Don't<br /></strong><ul><li>Emasculate your man</li><li>Take up all the masculine space in the relationship and then get mad at him for not being a man</li><li>Put all the responsibility on yourself and then get mad at him for not doing his share</li><li>Shame him for not being perfect or living up to your standards</li><li>Compare him to another man</li><li>Make fun of him for being too sensitive</li><li>Measure his worth by his paycheck, his papers, or any external measure.</li><li>Put up with him not giving you unconditional love and respect - but that means that you have to give it too</li><li>Settle for a man who isn't willing to be honest with himself and do his own personal growth work, or get mad a man who won't change for you.<br /></li></ul><br /><strong>Do</strong><br /><ul><li>Value him for his ability to act and do as well as be and love; see his strengths and support him</li><li>Be honest about your personal expectations, and take your personal hang ups out of the equation</li><li>Expect a man to be honest with himself and do his personal work, and be compassionate with him along the way</li><li>Believe that there are good men out there.</li><li>Drop your unrealistic expectations and see your man as human, without giving up or settling for what your heart and soul truly desires.<br /></li></ul></div><br />Whew! So now, before I get my She-Man-Hater Card revoked (haha), I’ll leave it at that -- until next time, happy dating ya’ll….<br /><br /><div>Be blessed…<br /></div>DreLynn Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553820530093922757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023646493527345738.post-85609239346092858212010-10-11T20:28:00.000-07:002013-09-02T11:59:12.165-07:00Improvise and Run With It...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZbgLtP5W7ltnmTXdvm2N1e_zIdiv1YuXlyVAOSHQkSAT1PzVJSJlpCPJ7eXp8sMP_SHzhVObU9nG1FkOgtNVQCAY3DIN4gopDvdcqROmMK_3NmZ35GR8X16IKr-2ha08fA2-Gb2dHWcs/s1600/30008_423233507921_583682921_5453824_101224_n.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527335150709017970" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZbgLtP5W7ltnmTXdvm2N1e_zIdiv1YuXlyVAOSHQkSAT1PzVJSJlpCPJ7eXp8sMP_SHzhVObU9nG1FkOgtNVQCAY3DIN4gopDvdcqROmMK_3NmZ35GR8X16IKr-2ha08fA2-Gb2dHWcs/s320/30008_423233507921_583682921_5453824_101224_n.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 320px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 240px;" /></a><br />
When I first drew my best-selling earring (years ago), my boyfriend at the time offered to take it into <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Photoshop</span> to clean it up. Back then I only produced one pair, for myself, so I wouldn't have noticed how lopsided he had created my original hand drawn design into. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Haha</span>.<br />
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It wasn't until I, along with my partner in business and best friend, embarked on our mission to mass produce this earring using that template, that we noticed the flaw. Every time we beaded a pair according to the pattern, something was off and we couldn't figure it out. Eventually, we realized it was in the pattern.<br />
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Still until this day, I haven't changed it. Instead I manage to work around the flaw. I improvise - creating my own balance of beads to create an even number on all sides of the circle. I do this every time I bead a new pair because it reminds me of how Life can be like that sometimes. It can be off and unbalanced, lopsided even. It's then that you must count your beads graciously and improvise! Because in the end, the color of it all takes over and the flaws diminish - almost like they never existed at all.<br />
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In the end, it's all balance anyhow :)<br />
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Be blessed and love with everything that u are...DreLynn Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553820530093922757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023646493527345738.post-73533016158896805522010-08-12T16:34:00.000-07:002010-08-13T03:45:45.300-07:005 Must Read Lessons on What Causes Success:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Tv1CqRNbrx-LqM1V7sAO-TjFbnPgWfETXLBSRqodCawN6-KL-peeI3YMXf7tW6uTlmL8toG_nPa05ycRQEIzO7-jhcF5P4yZYr4fB_sjyWCR-lahz5GyDsM300MxDiSHy3Io3OpRRhg/s1600/416980365_5889a2c612-1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Tv1CqRNbrx-LqM1V7sAO-TjFbnPgWfETXLBSRqodCawN6-KL-peeI3YMXf7tW6uTlmL8toG_nPa05ycRQEIzO7-jhcF5P4yZYr4fB_sjyWCR-lahz5GyDsM300MxDiSHy3Io3OpRRhg/s320/416980365_5889a2c612-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504843206157693122" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;">1. Understanding the Success Formula</span></div><div align="center"><br />“Success is simply a matter of luck. Ask any failure.”–Earl Wilson</div><br /><div>Success is usually the result of concentrated focus in an area where you have a natural advantage. Concentrated focus multiplies your effectiveness seven-fold. Concentrated focus makes the difference.</div><br /><div>One man with discipline, determination, and focus will accomplish more than a 100 men who are merely interested.</div><br /><div>The use of concentrated focus in an area where you are talented, will in time, grant you the opportunity to succeed. Success has almost nothing to do with luck. What people call luck is usually the offspring of concentrated focus. Success may appear to be the result of luck, but appearances are often deceiving.</div><br /><div><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">2. Passionate Energy and Drive</span></div><br /><div align="center">“Success in almost any field depends more onenergy and drive than it does on intelligence.”–Sloan Wilson</div><div><br />When we talk about concentrated effort, we’re talking about using our energy and drive in one area. Energy and drive will surely take you down the road of success. Energy and drive will cause you to climb the hurdles that keep others from succeeding.</div><br /><div>Another word for “energy and drive” is passion. Are you passionate about your goal? If you’re going to succeed, you’re going to have to have an unprecedented passion to see your goal realized. You can’t do it for the money, you can’t do it for the fame; you must do it for the love. How passionate are you?</div><br /><div><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">3. The Realization That Success is a Science</span></div><div align="center"><br />“Success is a science; if you have the conditions, you get the result.”–Oscar Wilde</div><div><br />Success is scientific, and it’s predictable. Its cause and effect; you do this, and you get this result. Don’t try to mystify success; this will only keep it out of your reach.<br />Success is a simple science; simple to understand that is.</div><br /><div>Although success is quite simple to understand, it is usually very difficult to accomplish; difficult to accomplish, …but still worth the price.</div><br /><div>It’s true that the price of “true success” is never too high. As the saying goes, “No journey is too great, when one finds what he seeks.” You see, “true success” is finding exactly what you seek, in every area of your life. True success, is balanced success.</div><br /><div><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">4. Pure Enthusiasm</span></div><br /><div align="center">“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.”–Winston Churchill</div><div><br />To run you must first crawl, to succeed you must first fail. Failure is a part of success, you can’t separate the two. To say that you want success without failure is to say you want water, without the wet. It’s a package deal, you get them both.</div><div><br />Failure is the school that trains you for success; you can’t succeed without a degree from Failure State University (FSU). It’s through failure that you prepare to succeed. The secret is to never lose enthusiasm as you go from failure to failure.</div><br /><div>If you learn from each failure, while working in an area where you’re passionate, you will make progress, and in time, you will succeed.</div><br /><div><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">5. Effort, Effort, Effort</span></div><br /><div align="center">“Success is dependent on effort.”–Sophocles </div><br /><div>When it’s all said and done, the person who succeeds is usually the person who has put in the most effort in a particular field. Look at the successful people in the world, the great writers, have spent the most time writing, the great actors, have spent the most time acting, the great singers, have spent the most time singing; these individuals worked towards their natural gifts, and they allowed “effort” to carry them the rest of the journey.</div><div><br />Are you giving your best effort? Success requires all that you are. You won’t succeed on 20 percent effort; you are going to have to give your all. So let me encourage you to give your all today, and when you do, your life will never, ever, ever be the same.</div><br /><div>Thank you for reading and please pass this article along!</div><br /><div><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">About the Author: Mr. Self Development is an author who teaches a practical guide to success and wealth. Please visit him at </span><a href="http://www.mrselfdevelopment.com/"><span style="font-size:85%;">Mr. Self Development.com</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> or read one of his most popular articles, “</span><a href="http://www.mrselfdevelopment.com/2009/07/how-i-manifested-a-7-bedroom-home-at-24/"><span style="font-size:85%;">How I Manifested a Seven Bedroom Home at 24</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">.”</span><br /></div>DreLynn Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553820530093922757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023646493527345738.post-71170665546957605992010-08-02T09:42:00.001-07:002010-08-02T10:15:16.692-07:00Monday's Food for Thought:<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHmdjDAL5qnYtJ393xZu5iuRRZlB7ZdOUc9ejqPMBNw32Hf0jh1fExIci9MvedeK8aWQU_uqjBAtFxTcdJBPLMsJBUxJb3PPJpyrjYtfbqOYRymDAhA3Ce_oF6IkL0vaXy4WgH8T8sm8c/s1600/photo.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500862027709888386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 134px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHmdjDAL5qnYtJ393xZu5iuRRZlB7ZdOUc9ejqPMBNw32Hf0jh1fExIci9MvedeK8aWQU_uqjBAtFxTcdJBPLMsJBUxJb3PPJpyrjYtfbqOYRymDAhA3Ce_oF6IkL0vaXy4WgH8T8sm8c/s320/photo.JPG" border="0" /></a> Today is the time to make up for lost and stolen moments. Make that call, send your love, hug a little tighter, extend yourself to others the way you never ever have. Love harder, listen better, say what you mean and BE YOU as if your life depended on it!!!<br /><br />Be blessed...<br /><br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhoneDreLynn Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553820530093922757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023646493527345738.post-66396614692456680842010-07-22T02:35:00.000-07:002010-07-22T16:37:02.382-07:00Finding Love...<br><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivmDpwHHsoDLG3ZMUyrJ7cYxYkNxROf1iigLNuciubCYpu_KmHJ6wF2vq76uj6K9FaxvBfWL7m1qDTAqJp9F68EFHOjGKQmt3RC6bgNaffn9us27XvTiUyF5VdJU0UVvUaBLPHp6siyfo/s1600/find-love-online-dating-sites.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496877217465306898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivmDpwHHsoDLG3ZMUyrJ7cYxYkNxROf1iigLNuciubCYpu_KmHJ6wF2vq76uj6K9FaxvBfWL7m1qDTAqJp9F68EFHOjGKQmt3RC6bgNaffn9us27XvTiUyF5VdJU0UVvUaBLPHp6siyfo/s320/find-love-online-dating-sites.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">I have countless entries on ending a relationship, so tonight I'm considering writing an entry on what I perceive to be the best way to find a worthwhile relationship. Today, I’ve realized how excited I finally am to find a worthwhile and long term relationship…. that's all. </span></span><br /><br />Regardless of culture, our level of education or economic status, at the depth of all of us are the same desires- to love, to be loved, and to be happy.<br /><br />Of course I could add other desires to this list, like money and wealth and fancy things, but when you drill into these things, the reason for wanting them is so that we can appear more desirable, and will hopefully be loved and accepted.<br /><br />If love is something so fundamentally important to us, then why is it that we have so many issues and misunderstandings in the area of finding it? I think the answer is simple, that most of us have never been educated in this fundamental area of our development. Chances are, you didn’t grow up with parents who were relationship experts, and we certainly didn’t study relationships in our high school curriculums. For most of us, it’s been an adventure in trial and error and learning through pain and heart-break. But is there an easier way?<br /><br />Ahh! One of my favorite topics of all time: <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">finding love</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Dre's Story</span></span><br /><br />Yea yea, we've all heard this story Dre! And guess what, you're going to hear it once more because its an important one… it's the basis to my enlightenment.<br /><br />I spent most of my time in my late late teens and early twenties on finding love, or so I thought at the time. In actuality I was seeking self-acceptance, approval and identity. I was deeply insecure and had a great fear of being alone. I jumped from relationship to relationship, all the while searching for myself. But the act of seeking self-worth through my external relationships took me further from that which I longed.<br /><br />I’ve always been an ambitious person and in addition to my job, I’ve often worked on side projects and other interests. But whenever I found myself in a relationship, I would drop everything that was important to me and would focus exclusively on the person I was dating. You see, I didn’t respect myself, and I thought that finding someone to love me was more important than anything else. During these time-consuming romantic courtships, I was distancing myself further from my passions, my purpose and my true self.<br />Looking back, I had entered many (all two haha) of these relationships out of infatuation or loneliness. It was the fear of abandonment or the guilt of obligation that kept me in these relationships. I often got into and remained involved in relationships for the wrong reasons. I would convince myself that no one else out there would love me, and so I settled. Despite my surface appearance, I was deeply unhappy.<br /><br />My freedom day came roughly two years ago. In a state of deep depression over unsatisfied relationships and through a growing despise of my gross dependencies on them, a miraculous understanding came to me and I experienced a moment of clarity. At that moment I made a vow to end the pain.<br /><br />I started to devour as much material and wisdom as I could find on the topic of relationships, and studied (and continue to study) with various relationship experts and their published books. I have come a long way from being that insecure little girl, and have learned much about myself in the process. Most importantly I discovered that once I started to truly love myself, and to focus on my own inner peace and wellness, true love comes looking for me.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">It Was All In the Patterns</span></span><br /><br />I got really good at looking at the pattern in anything and everything. Ultimately, I began to see and really look at some of the most common relationship problems and the reasons why many romantic partnerships do not work out.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Ego, Fear, & Emotional Insecurities</span><br /><br />As with material possessions or professional achievements, relationships give our ego a method by which to identify who we are to the outside world. The problem is that we attach so much of our identity to the external appearance of our relationships that we lose touch with the parts of ourselves that are wise and conscious. The attachment to this false identity leads to a feeling of desperation rather than fulfillment. After all, without the relationship, or the job, or whichever other false identity we have chosen, who would we then be?<br /><br />Besides the ego identification, it’s easy to develop a dependency on companionship. That independent person that we once were starts to evaporate and dissolve. Our mind becomes fogged and distorted and as our self-identification begins to attach itself to the other person, unconsciously or consciously, we become afraid to <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">lose</span> that person. We become dependent on that person and fearful of loneliness.<br /><br />Out of our emotional insecurities, we start to become needy and to seek out validation from our partner. So, instead of focusing on the <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">celebration of love and partnership</span>, it becomes a game of <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">how to protect ourselves from ultimate loss</span>.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Communication of Needs</span><br /><br />Out of a desire to avoid appearing needy and out of a fear of losing our partner, we start to filter what we say. In doing so, we do not communicate our needs clearly, openly or bravely. We somehow become convinced that our partner will <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">magically</span> know what to do to fulfill our needs. When our needs are not met, we secretly blame the other person and begin to resent them. When we are unhappy, our partner will pick up on the cues, and in turn, secretly resent us, thus starting a vicious cycle in the silent destruction of a romantic partnership.<br /><br />So much of what was needed to be said was not said, and bad feelings are bottled up and start to fester inside for both parties. Have you ever had a friend come to you and complain about all of the things they are unhappy about with their partner? Well, those are the kinds of things they should be telling their partner, if they actually want to see change.<br /><br />Worse yet is when one partner openly communicates their needs; only to find that the other party is simply not listening,or does not fully acknowledge what was said, or makes them feel guilty for having those needs.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Bad Fit and Settling by Default</span><br /><br />Deep down, we are all really good people. But this doesn’t mean that any combination of two good people will make a good partnership. There <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">is</span> such thing as a bad fit, and it is okay to admit it.<br /><br />The best fits are ones where the most important values for both people are met. They must have life goals that align with one another and have a mutual attraction, understanding, and level of respect for each other. Both people must be committed to making the partnership their top priority.<br /><br />Sometimes, even when we realize that our relationship isn’t a good fit, we justify staying in it with what seem like logical reasons. We may feel that we won’t find another person who accepts and loves us as much as the current one. Or we may be afraid to be alone, so we simply settle by default. Each time we are reminded of the bad fit, we brush it under the rug and distract ourselves with some other thought.<br /><br />We may feel that we are doing a service to the other person by staying in the relationship, but in reality, we are hurting them by not being honest with them and ourselves. And we are accumulating bad feelings and bad energy in our inner space.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-size:130%;" >Who Is Your Ideal Mate?</span><br /><br />We all have a rough idea of what our perfect partner is like: beautiful, or smart, or rich, or educated, or tall, or petite, or pale, or dark, or handsome, or fit, with this car, or with that house or whatever else that strikes our fancy.<br /><br />The problem comes when we find ourselves in a relationship and we are constantly comparing our partners with this conjured-up ‘perfect’ person. When that happens, we stop appreciating our partner for all the beautiful qualities they do possess.<br /><br />The truth is this perfect person does not exist. More importantly, we may not actually need all of these qualities in a partner to be <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">extraordinarily happy</span>.<br /><br />What we <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">need</span> is to identify the most important qualities that we <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">must have</span> in order to feel satisfied and fulfilled (more on creating a must-have list below). By not having identified the must-have qualities in our chosen life partner, we end up settling, and since the person cannot give us the things we truly need, we start to resent them. This will snowball into larger issues.<br />For example, if height is something that is really important to you, and your partner does not meet that height requirement, regardless of how much they try, they will never grow taller or shrink shorter, and this will bug you and affect your union.<br /><br />In life, we will get random results if we have not specified what we want. Identifying and understanding what it is that we need in a relationship, allows us to set clear intentions, and in doing so, moves us closer to realizing our intended desires.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Identifying Must-Haves</span></span><br /><br />Here’s a very affective exercise that I picked up along the way that will help discover and identify the <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">must-have</span> qualities in a partner.<br /><br />Ready? Here we go:<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Step 1. The Perfect Image</span><br /><br />List out all the qualities that your ideal partner will have. What kind of characteristics and qualities do you truly desire? Be creative and open.<br /><br />Be as specific as you can. Get into details like physical attributes, values, lifestyle, views on money, spiritual beliefs, personality traits, hobbies, abilities, age, habits, profession, tastes, etc.<br />For physical attributes, include things like height, weight, body type, hair color, ethnicity, or anything that you would want if you had your choice in creating your ideal partner.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Step 2. Minimum Requirements (MR)</span><br /><br />Minimum requirements are qualities you <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">need</span> from your partner, and without them, you will feel unwell or unsatisfied.<br /><br />Go through each quality from step 1 and test it with this question:<br /><br />“Would I rather be alone than be with a person who wasn’t [insert quality]?”<br /><br />If the answer is yes, mark MR next to the quality, otherwise, leave it blank.<br /><br />Don’t worry if your list sounds superficial or ridiculous. One MR item on my list is “Great dancer with rhythm and groove”, which may seem like a trivial or petty quality for some people, but is a deal breaker for me.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Step 3. Screening MRs</span><br /><br />Now, filter through the MR list, for each item with the MR label, ask the following question:<br /><br />“If a person had all the other qualities on my MR list, am I willing to let this quality go?”<br /><br />If the answer is yes, cross out that MR.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-size:130%;" >The Selection Process</span><br /><br />I believe it is crucial to identify and clearly communicate our relationship expectations and personal timelines early on in the dating phase. So often, we get into relationships with silent expectations of a future event that is important to us, <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">thinking</span> that our partner will come around to it when the time is right, only to find out several years later that things will never work out the way we expected. Some common unspoken issues of this nature revolve around marriage, children, financial goals, and even which city you settle down in.<br /><br />First, be clear with yourself on these types of issues. Understand what kind of commitment you are looking for in a relationship, how you feel about children and where you plan to live. There are no wrong answers, but be honest and specific about what you are looking for in the current stage of your life.<br /><br />Next, tell yourself that on all of your first dates, you will be clear with people about your relationship expectations and timeline, if any. It can be a scary and awkward experience at first, but it will become less of a nerve racking experience over time. And just think of all the time and emotional energy you are saving by being open from the get-go, instead of setting silent expectations that can lead to disappointment.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">When It Comes Down to It…</span></span><br /><br />Like attracts like…<br /><br />You have to be the person you want to attract. If you want a loving & caring companion, you have to be that person yourself. People with a low self-esteem, 9-out-of 10 times, end up being with someone who also has a low self esteem. You end up with what you settle with from the beginning. I had been a codependent girlfriend all these years, and I had boyfriends that were just as well. I was never happy because there was never any growth on either side of the fence. It's a crazy cycle until you end it with some ME time, in which you learn about yourself and become the person you want to be and be with... and that my friends, is thee part that makes this all worth it!<br /><br />Be blessed... </div>DreLynn Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553820530093922757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023646493527345738.post-35522223833802087902010-07-08T13:06:00.000-07:002010-07-10T14:35:44.377-07:00My Secrets to My Happiness<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-RBi7juOnkxR2IHo7E6C6GwykkUHbclbdq2owT9u_8RKQsLgpayIZGLLgcX-yrvzJuHV1e_NfxXh-VnWmPbDSYcIBNDy5EcXIsgz7kEY79V2iJfP6hE07AFgOpz3LVkifFLHVSeQ9zk/s1600/IMG_7065.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-RBi7juOnkxR2IHo7E6C6GwykkUHbclbdq2owT9u_8RKQsLgpayIZGLLgcX-yrvzJuHV1e_NfxXh-VnWmPbDSYcIBNDy5EcXIsgz7kEY79V2iJfP6hE07AFgOpz3LVkifFLHVSeQ9zk/s320/IMG_7065.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492394277358726082" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong>1. Study</strong> </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Whatever it is that I am passionate about in life, I study every aspect of it. Knowledge is power.</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />I’m passionate about art, I study what goes into the making of a painting or a sculpture. I study the lives of the artists that I admire. I learn about the paints or beads, the different kinds of paper and material, and all the tools involved in making a masterpiece. Basically, I try to learn every single possible thing there is to know about art. </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />Expertise is not something you are born with…it is something that you earn and develop. Read. Listen. Observe. It doesn’t matter what your passion is… just master it.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><strong>2. The 10,000 Hour Rule</strong> </span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />The point of this rule is that practice makes perfect. Or rather, practice helps turn luck from a concept into a reality. Any time you are doing something that relates to your passion or whatever it is that you want to master, that time is counted towards your 10,000 hours. I read somewhere that The Beatles practiced for 10,000 hours prior to becoming famous .<br /><br />Two years ago, I realized and accepted the fact that my passion in life was to bead and paint, and I knew in my heart that my niche would be to “create in color”. It was then that I decided that in order to achieve my dream, I really needed to master my thoughts and ideas. So I began spending my time creating pieces for myself. I work jobs to support my desire for art and travel but every spare moment I have when I’m not at work, I’m talking to or surrounding myself with people that have like interests.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><strong>3. Visualize</strong><br />Whatever it is that I want to experience in life, I visualize it. I see myself doing whatever it is that I desire or want to achieve. I want to be a successful artist, so I visualize what that would look and feel like. I imagine my work on the walls of a gallery. This doesn’t mean that I visualize while sitting back and doing nothing. I have to take some form of action too because visualization without action will not yield results.<br /><br />I read a biography on the life of Madonna awhile back. Many people recounted how when Madonna was just a club act, she handled every show as if it were a concert in a huge arena. The general conclusion was that she was acting like a superstar even before she became one.<br /><br />Visualization is a tool that I use frequently because I have seen it work. Many times in my life, I visualized achieving certain goals or having certain funds. And every single time without fail, each item that I visualized became a reality. Sometimes it took hours and other times it took years. But, the interesting thing about visualization is that it works with not only positive thoughts and images but with negative ones too. So I try to take care of what I visualize.<br /><br /><br /><strong>4. Surround Yourself With People Who You Wish To Be Like</strong><br />The company you keep does have an impact on you. This does not mean that I rid myself of all friends and family. All this means is that I have people in my life who are not only like-minded, but who are also doing what I wish to be doing.<br /><br />Call it vibes or energy or whatever you wish; the people we spend time with do affect what we do and how we think and feel. Spend time with people who complain about life, inevitably you will start doing the same thing too. Studies have proven this and I have seen it in my own life as well. When I spent time with people who lamented about their lack of success and lack of funds, I experienced those same things. However, when I started to surround myself with positive people who were doing what I wished to be doing, I began to notice how my mindset of lack was being converted into a mindset of abundance. And you know what happened? My awareness of my chosen career path began to expand and I began to notice all the possibilities that were out there.<br /><br />Someone once told me that you can tell a lot about a person by the company that they keep, so I surround myself with people who are living what I wish to achieve.<br /><br /><br /><strong>5. Be Kind To Every Single Person You Meet</strong><br />Every single second of every day we are surrounded by people. You never know whom you may meet at the gym or at the coffee house. Every single person you meet might be someone who has the power to change your life for the better.<br /><br />The person in line behind you at the supermarket may be an agent who can give you a record deal. The person who is sitting next to you on the subway may be the best friend you always wanted but never had. The guy serving you coffee may be your soul mate :)<br /><br />In our society, we have a tendency to invest more in things than in people. Therefore, many tend to be impolite or totally unaware of others. Compassion and kindness go a long way. Being rude never does any good.<br /><br /><br />Be blessed…<br /><br /><br /></span>DreLynn Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553820530093922757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023646493527345738.post-79155663044588103132010-06-11T11:09:00.000-07:002010-06-11T11:27:04.424-07:00You Are Excused Now...I’ve learned from a very young age what I would and wouldn’t deal with when it comes to whom I keep close to me. I use to run with my older cousins as a wee little Dre. We did everything together and defended each other until the end. If an outside person picked on one of us, we were all right there to defend that person. In fact, we often got talked to by our parents about leaving other neighborhood kids out of our games and what not. Once, one of the neighborhood parents told our Grandma that we had social issues and that it “just wasn’t right” that we didn’t interact with other kids but each other. There were only five of us and maybe it was unusual, but we learned from a young age what friendship and loyalty were, and also what it meant to be “family”.<br /><br />When I was 12 years old, I had a gun pointed at my face during a dispute between a classmate and I. It wasn’t unusual behavior for the neighborhood I grew up in. A girl in the same grade seemed to think that the guy she liked might have liked me, so she bullied me down an alley way that day after school. It was my first (of many) physical fights. In a neighborhood like that, you either fought back or laid down to be forever bullied or ridiculed. Anyhow, after the other girl lost that fight, she pulled out a gun. Obviously I never got shot. Instead we became friends in junior high through high school, best friends to be exact. This was a big lesson in forgiveness for me.<br /><br />Later in high school, that same best friend got mad at me for “judging” her and a guy we knew for doing meth and cocaine. What was I thinking right? How could I judge them for doing such things? Haha, needless to say I didn’t continue that friendship past the 11th grade. It only took a gun in my face AND drug usage to figure that she wasn’t a good friend! I remember thinking about the whole friendship afterwards and knowing that it should have been over the moment she pointed a gun at me. I realized then, that most people will show you who they are right away, you just have to open your eyes.<br /><br />That same year (11th grade), I was dating a guy in whom I remained with after high school. Just like any high school relationship, we were on and off again that whole year. I was very much in love with him. Aww young love - haha. Anyhow, I also had this neighbor who was younger than me, that I had considered to be an extension of my immediate family. She was younger than me so when she got into high school, I was nearly out. She knew my darkest and deepest secrets. I wasn’t too different then as I am now, when it comes to my feelings. I held them in, locked up from family and friends, with the exception of that one person that I could completely trust - and she was that person. So, imagine my surprise when she asked me if it was okay for her to date my on-and-off-again boyfriend! I was hurt – you know the kind of hurt that makes you want to throw up! I stopped talking to her after that conversation. She wrote/called me for days/weeks after. I refused to acknowledge her from that point on. For the life of me, I just couldn’t understand why she felt that she could ask me that. Umm hello, you wiped my tears from my face when the dude and I broke up!! I took her asking me if she could date my boyfriend as one giant F-You! The option of still being friends was non-existant, I would never have trusted her again and what's a friendship without trust? This was my first encounter with cutting people out of my life that hurt me.<br /><br />That next year, my cousin had a baby. I was there for the birth and I loved her as if she were my own. I was with my cousin throughout her entire pregnancy, while the father of her child was nowhere around. Shortly after the baby was born, we got word from our family that another cousin whom we didn’t really grow up with, but acknowledged, came to visit, bragging of her new boyfriend. The problem with that whole scenario was that she had claimed to be dating the deadbeat father who had fathered our cousin’s baby. She knew they had conceived a baby together, came to their house when they were together. Now, she was dating him and telling our family that the guy was going to file for custody of my cousin’s baby?!? I was beyond furious. For one, that dude had never been in my cousin’s life during and after the pregnancy. Second, that was our cousin he was dating!! That cousin called me later that night to hang out, I gave her an earful and declared she was ex’d out of whom I considered my family. I was young then, but even back then I felt very adamant that family doesn’t do that to family.<br /><br />I didn’t talk to that cousin for 4-5 years after that incident. Then one night she hit me up on messenger, like nothing ever happened. Time had passed and I had taken into consideration that she didn’t have the same upbringing as we (my other cousins & I) had, so I responded. We got rather close that year – sisters pretty much. We remained close for almost 3 years after that. Eventually, she pulled that same junk with my newly ex-boyfriend as she had with my other cousin and her ex-boyfriend. I wasn’t surprised, yet, it didn’t hurt any less. In fact, she had used our close relationship against me this time. She told my family of a secret of mine that wasn’t her business to tell, but she did. I guess I should have known, most of our relationship, I had spent stressed out by her. You ever have a toxic person in your life, in which they talk you down, compete with you, have drama in all areas of their own life, and just have bad energy? It was then that it occurred to me that she had been one of those toxic friendships that I had managed to keep around just because she was a family member. I haven’t talked to her for almost 3 years. And really, I doubt I’ll ever talk to her again. I’m happy…<br /><br />I look back on this life, even now in the present, and see that I’ve learned to disconnect from those that hurt me rather well. People let me down all the time and it’s no biggie. However, it’s those that commit serious offenses that I can’t tolerate. It sucks when you’ve given a select few close-up seats to your life, only to see that it hurts so much worse when they throw daggers because those daggers are thrown from a closer range and you’re most often blindsided to the attack. I also happen to think that there are those that should have “just known better”! I have had intelligent and smart friends, yet, it’s amazing how there’s those select few that lack the common sense to see how one could be hurt from their actions. This is okay… but in the end, that’s where I have to cut them out of the picture, no hard feelings. I just don’t need people like that to be that close to me, and vice versa, because really, I always forgive but hardly forget. If you did it once, you’ll most likely do it again and that I have yet to be proven otherwise. Either way, I don’t have the time to find out – life is short.<br /><br />My only responsibility in friendship is that I try my hardest to be a good, honest, loyal, and caring friend - without compromising my own feelings and values. I won't stay friends with people who drain my energy or that are not supportive. I refuse to attract ‘negative’ people into my life.<br /><br />And this is what I mean by: I AM Dre without apology…<br /><br /><br />Be blessed...DreLynn Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553820530093922757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023646493527345738.post-2424617964321162082010-05-19T03:51:00.000-07:002010-05-19T03:55:47.231-07:00Believe...<blockquote style="font-family: lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;">“You are all geniuses, and you are all beautiful. You don't need anyone to tell you who you are. You are what you are. Get out there and get peace, think peace, live peace, and breathe peace, and you'll get it as soon as you like.” - John Lennon<br /><br /><br /></span>- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone<br /></blockquote><b><br /></b>DreLynn Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553820530093922757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023646493527345738.post-68822158827426765132010-05-10T10:11:00.000-07:002010-05-10T16:06:19.744-07:00My Monday Mantra..."I promise to be honest with myself, always. Uncompromising, unwavering honesty, about my motivations, my actions and my reality. When I can't be honest, I will seek out people who can help me find Truth, and listen..."<br /><br />Not settling is a promise and a practice. It's something that you have to commit to and choose whenever the option to waver comes up. Here's what I tell myself whenever it seems hard or confusing... Remember that you were given a great gift, your life. Do you want to live it fully and be so happy that joy is streaming out of your ears, or do you want to struggle and suffer because you were too afraid to go after what your heart and soul craved and desired? Choose to live. It's not that life is too short - it's that life is too magical, fabulous and precious!<br /><br />Be blessed...<br /><br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhoneDreLynn Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553820530093922757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023646493527345738.post-75086940573655360332010-05-08T23:00:00.000-07:002010-05-08T23:20:29.939-07:00Dare to Know the Woman Behind the Role...<img alt="" src="http://x.myspace.com/images/spacer.gif" border="0" height="1" width="30" /> <!--- blog subject ---> <div class="blogSubject"> <span style="font-style: italic;">This Mother's Day, I decided to re-post a previous blog post of mine. It reaches deeply into my soul because I wrote it during a time of healing and growth. It was a time in which I found myself seeing life for what it become, and redefining myself as a woman. That year, I became reacquainted with my mother at a deeper level than I had ever been before. Enjoy...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >(Original Post: <a href="http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=10082842&blogId=487962612">DreLynn's Myspace Blog 5/8/09</a> )</span><br /><br /> </div> <!--- blog body ---> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal" align="left"><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:100%;" >This Mother’s Day I’m going to forget the flowers and... dare to know the woman behind the role. The truth is that mother and daughter relationships are complicated, not perfect. We love each other. We hate each other. We act alike. We couldn't be more different. And to be honest, we all have judgments, emotions and thoughts about this woman we call ‘mother'... too many of which go unsaid because we get stuck in our roles as mother or daughter, instead of being able to see each other for who we really are, WOMEN.<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:100%;" >What would happen if you stopped seeing your mother, daughter, grandmother, aunt, etc. as her “role” and started seeing and talking with her as a “woman,” who just like you has dreams and fears, successes and failures, doubts and convictions. Maybe then we could all have the ‘perfectly possible' relationships we want.<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:100%;" >My mom (“momma” as I call her) has been so good for me these past few months. She’s a remarkable person. She is strong, hardworking, smart, outgoing, and she’s provided for us like no other. She is my rock. My momma has endured as a mom mos def. However, the truth is, I’ve spent my whole life up until this point trying to be nothing like her.<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:100%;" >I despised when people said “you look just like your mom” or “you are your mother’s daughter”. I went out of my way to live another way, almost like she was a bad mom, but it was nothing like that at all. I wanted to “love” not like my mom. I wanted to get “love” right, unlike her many (not as many as I’d like to exaggerate) relationships - I wanted healthy and functional “love”. I blamed her every time she uttered “we’re breaking up”. I’m not sure how I got this way actually. It might have been the fact that I felt her actions changed MY life. As most you know, I raised my sisters since I was 8 yrs old. I was my mother’s helper because she was a single mom. To me, I was a helper because she couldn’t get right with any of our fathers.<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:100%;" >So all these years, I’ve always had “don’t be your mom” in the back of my head. Since the age of 16, I’ve had two serious relationships and a few in between, but for the most part, just two men have had my heart. I’ve carried this “don’t be your mom” mentality into both these relationships and I see now, the complications I created with this mentality. These relationships weren’t entirely bad, I feel a sense of gratitude now thinking about the experiences. However, I see now that at the end of the second one, at age 25, I had no clue who I was. It was so scary, I panicked even. I had become something I didn’t know I didn’t want to be. And when I tried to be who I wanted to be, I didn’t even know what that was! I had become something I didn’t even know. That was all me – not my mom! Her past relationships had nothing to do with it. Granted that I still loved the guy, I felt like shizz lol. Nothing hurts more than realizing you love someone you can’t reach, or that, even if you did, it wouldn’t work anyhow. Swear I felt that I was the only one who ever felt like this lol. I had to talk myself into getting up and getting ready in the morning. Alcohol helped. But that just numbed whatever until I was sober – and let’s be honest, not cool to be drunk forever haha.<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:100%;" >One morning I woke up hung over - on both vodka and love. I remember thinking to myself “shyt this really sucks!”. I don’t know if my headache hurt more or the fact that I just wanted to crawl in bed for the rest of the month but I wanted to disappear. So I did. I spent the rest of that month in my house pretty much. Obviously, you can’t live a functional life like this. Jobs get in the way lol, friends call, you need food, bills pile up, and honestly, yea you just need to get sunlight lol. This is never okay obviously. Luckily, I don’t have pets or kids because who knows where they would have been. We did have a house plant – it died. But imagine feeling like this and having kids. This thought came to me one of those hung over mornings and it led me to thinking about my mom.<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:100%;" >Mei-Lein’s dad left us when I was 8 yrs old. Mei wasn’t born yet and Candace was 4. My mom was 26 or 27. This was the first time thinking and realizing that my mom was MY age when this happened to her. And I know she loved that man with all her heart. Still, I know she never stopped loving him. The thing about that was he left her without a word one night after a fight. So we went on living but her, she was never given a chance to even try to get him back because she didn’t even know where he was. She had been abandoned with child but nothing hurt most like the abandoned heart he left her with. I remember her being sad actually – for years even. But she kept living and she loved again years later after we were old enough. She didn’t get those drunken nights or get to crawl under the covers with her broken heart in hand. She had 3 girls to care for. She HAD to go to work, She didn’t get the “mental health” days I took. And again, she was my age when this happened. When I realized this, I called her. I, finally after all these years, felt eye level with my mom. She wasn’t the mom who couldn’t get right… she was a woman. I had been so hard on her all these years and now I was finally relating to her as a woman. I envied her strength...<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:100%;" >It’s been a little while since I made this peace with how I thought of her and how she really was. I relate to her a lot nowadays. I see now as I’m finally growing into the woman I always wanted to be, that I’m very much like her. In fact, I see a lot of the women in my family in this new light - my grandmas and aunts. They all had their own love stories and a story in which they coped with a broken heart. Those stories shaped the remarkably strong women they are now. My momma and I - we have the same coping styles and we somewhat love the same, and now, that doesn’t seem like such a bad thing because she is the most loving person I know. If I could have just a fraction of her ability to love unconditionally, I’d be set. We spend a lot of time together these days and in this time we sew, shop, eat, & talk. I’m 26 and she’s 44… she is one of my wisest friends. I see now we have some of the same dreams, interests, flaws, failures, and stories. I relate to her as a woman this Mother’s Day and remain in aww…</span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal" align="left"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal" align="left"><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></p>DreLynn Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553820530093922757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023646493527345738.post-70369395188544476232010-04-30T23:37:00.000-07:002010-05-01T00:51:08.173-07:00A Quick Glance at the Past 2-Weeks for DreLynn Design...<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFppX5Iov3fyWhyphenhyphenSJ2gqUORiEg-Tmy1GGLsccnwmKzDypbavIeButOw5n3_rU4Gp5wH8Z18eR0Q2TunzcWGJz3kR4CZFotTule42mlooBPw5PDZue6DcfhrS2v1UGwT6KdiOv6LEqCKM/s1600/IMG_0680.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFppX5Iov3fyWhyphenhyphenSJ2gqUORiEg-Tmy1GGLsccnwmKzDypbavIeButOw5n3_rU4Gp5wH8Z18eR0Q2TunzcWGJz3kR4CZFotTule42mlooBPw5PDZue6DcfhrS2v1UGwT6KdiOv6LEqCKM/s320/IMG_0680.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466190767336620338" border="0" /></a>I started out with making 25 pairs of my Half-Full Bottlecap Earrings. I needed to debut each design on my <a href="www.etsy.com/shop/drelynndesign">Etsy Shop</a> before I left for my 2-week long selling spree.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGAei4R8ZQozfJaXrxUbuBZfnVOuLZCgBJuEIj9kkNm84u79ouaBtlS-Qye2jkwcXfLp_a0s0Fbbr6yvDWSHxxZhaHBpIw62JR_UOmPBgffKlR2kaFUWVrH-C2qnqyAcwjvBdcfRtnJNw/s1600/IMG_0708.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGAei4R8ZQozfJaXrxUbuBZfnVOuLZCgBJuEIj9kkNm84u79ouaBtlS-Qye2jkwcXfLp_a0s0Fbbr6yvDWSHxxZhaHBpIw62JR_UOmPBgffKlR2kaFUWVrH-C2qnqyAcwjvBdcfRtnJNw/s320/IMG_0708.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466190618348838194" border="0" /></a>I wanted 75-100 pairs of my HandPaint'd Fun Earrings completed before Arizona State University Powwow and the Gathering of Nations. This pair was my favorite...<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibN4ZvJFsToEo38k0MQz7LBXR4uCoZ_DIa_xXQumG5V8bfCFZAbc6Z3gUorXc5XKsSAAZYgrrdLfSrswt26fmBxMeSWY_iwkXgXZz6qk5m5xBeGE8WWK9no-f0crCstPBBRCy4c0SGuaY/s1600/IMG_0711.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibN4ZvJFsToEo38k0MQz7LBXR4uCoZ_DIa_xXQumG5V8bfCFZAbc6Z3gUorXc5XKsSAAZYgrrdLfSrswt26fmBxMeSWY_iwkXgXZz6qk5m5xBeGE8WWK9no-f0crCstPBBRCy4c0SGuaY/s320/IMG_0711.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466190504375508482" border="0" /></a>This was my second favorite pair. Both were sold pretty quickly.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdzCOSl9v1TfuIRWeRuOm-e-_7v3BZc86YUlJJ_UPP_kEa3Rg9yKucCCBDb7M_Ez2KdcQdel3K-j317MzkrYM-hgg-pD1nxMsEkyQ6PjkMsTH6iLyUeJ9cPSGOc5DPZYpVNbCoeeuhsM8/s1600/IMG_0714.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdzCOSl9v1TfuIRWeRuOm-e-_7v3BZc86YUlJJ_UPP_kEa3Rg9yKucCCBDb7M_Ez2KdcQdel3K-j317MzkrYM-hgg-pD1nxMsEkyQ6PjkMsTH6iLyUeJ9cPSGOc5DPZYpVNbCoeeuhsM8/s320/IMG_0714.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466190367448627154" border="0" /></a>I ended up finishing 91 pairs. I was tired of cutting through paint the night before ASU Powwow.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcOaC3VgNo1s7ETrSfooIJQZRJ0jvDwTTOi6si9KmVZ6czPhMorD8vzkvaBcCbEVPS-rwQEugI_0F3G7bgrvkQSLiSkNl0Ta2gLbC2Awa_H9HI67Bpf_nxcPCGWyd34bQA2zKyyESgbz8/s1600/IMG_0717.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcOaC3VgNo1s7ETrSfooIJQZRJ0jvDwTTOi6si9KmVZ6czPhMorD8vzkvaBcCbEVPS-rwQEugI_0F3G7bgrvkQSLiSkNl0Ta2gLbC2Awa_H9HI67Bpf_nxcPCGWyd34bQA2zKyyESgbz8/s320/IMG_0717.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466190077035050226" border="0" /></a>The earrings with dark acrylic paint seem do really well. I sold out of all those that one day of having a both at ASU Powwow. I think I'll make more of these when preparing for future shows/events.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIoeBNVU0gutzJOWYHrMWE-Tz1whDywBCmNRxUBLpubzltMIUpFeAeo_l3akdRU5ztk7wAeQOKdVNdLo5M0IIiY6vPFcecptArsXDbwrbrhhN2zMage4krAQpAj8z6YxhwSQefC-OzMVE/s1600/IMG_0721.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIoeBNVU0gutzJOWYHrMWE-Tz1whDywBCmNRxUBLpubzltMIUpFeAeo_l3akdRU5ztk7wAeQOKdVNdLo5M0IIiY6vPFcecptArsXDbwrbrhhN2zMage4krAQpAj8z6YxhwSQefC-OzMVE/s320/IMG_0721.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466189909218753218" border="0" /></a>Sitting at the "craft table" with <a href="www.myspace.com/meabfly">MeaB'Fly</a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Eb6ugeqPYjuo3MJK5Wg_TqXiBDfEsr-PPr2tuMpQ0bvlnPepBv1v5lETbhr0kZJ0wosdhwTxYJgbzHXWjOtp-jkWLEw0PmyRD1t6B00JbDgDgtQIvJp8kpwmsjRhy8GW4n1S1MtcwQk/s1600/IMG01141-714892.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Eb6ugeqPYjuo3MJK5Wg_TqXiBDfEsr-PPr2tuMpQ0bvlnPepBv1v5lETbhr0kZJ0wosdhwTxYJgbzHXWjOtp-jkWLEw0PmyRD1t6B00JbDgDgtQIvJp8kpwmsjRhy8GW4n1S1MtcwQk/s320/IMG01141-714892.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466189603519102738" border="0" /></a>Setting the both up at ASU Powwow with <a href="www.myspace.com/meabfly">MeaB'Fly</a> & <a href="www.gjewelry.blogspot.com">GJewelry</a>. This was our first time using the new display frames we had constructed the week before. I believe we'll continue using these to display our earrings.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIkP2EKCxKJCPGaqMfQyGxbdXFIDiOk5_0156S94QgyhebTPQFBdnv7BDUQEAmTB6IZAS2jQoEBpxLgWkPAaTGY8scdAyoUEQ51wxBYlObtb3ImHNQlDu6IftREFmXV9MeIwJosAW5Mbk/s1600/IMG01142-712496.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIkP2EKCxKJCPGaqMfQyGxbdXFIDiOk5_0156S94QgyhebTPQFBdnv7BDUQEAmTB6IZAS2jQoEBpxLgWkPAaTGY8scdAyoUEQ51wxBYlObtb3ImHNQlDu6IftREFmXV9MeIwJosAW5Mbk/s320/IMG01142-712496.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466189404289229634" border="0" /></a>DreLynn Design at ASU Powwow (April 17. 2010)<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP55pSO98kzPar37pMZeunhIfrdjxVbUGv1nib2p_MG4LL-onnmJDm4TYSU3z2F00HOuZmTBFyUvgIYTYM5gjaoZ9pYF-7yff6ad8l1OF5ajNmPt3_rAMpSWYFPTRYwsnB_06fdYMGNyA/s1600/IMG_0737.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP55pSO98kzPar37pMZeunhIfrdjxVbUGv1nib2p_MG4LL-onnmJDm4TYSU3z2F00HOuZmTBFyUvgIYTYM5gjaoZ9pYF-7yff6ad8l1OF5ajNmPt3_rAMpSWYFPTRYwsnB_06fdYMGNyA/s320/IMG_0737.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466189039413855426" border="0" /></a>I had hoped with 91 pairs of earrings, I wouldn't have had to make more. However, since I had sold almost all of my earrings during ASU Powwow, I had to quickly make as many as I could for the following weekend.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghKp2DHYMSK9lYifzgZvPBj8Thq-9rvDXOq_0gDHlUpgmMUa80TO3mcn_F3hwsPNRmUsCTvwbzg338aIB5SSsDyHWdiyKfD7-OntIT8azd5MqLXOkHPFNFtdPz8JJq0cvyt4i2QVyIf7I/s1600/l_065eaa8097684946b36b9edb51b08f4d.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 247px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghKp2DHYMSK9lYifzgZvPBj8Thq-9rvDXOq_0gDHlUpgmMUa80TO3mcn_F3hwsPNRmUsCTvwbzg338aIB5SSsDyHWdiyKfD7-OntIT8azd5MqLXOkHPFNFtdPz8JJq0cvyt4i2QVyIf7I/s320/l_065eaa8097684946b36b9edb51b08f4d.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466188493410600338" border="0" /></a>Gathering of Styles: Many many thanks to Kim Smith for organizing such an event. It was a successful event with good down to earth energy! I met fellow jewelry artists and overall had a good night!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEganwjWFU505isEvXIsorniRyWH5YdC7NVXmpWZLBy3DvNvncy-JJWOUFjWxabiJyPrGz_O4Zn890UEVx0YJOuuAgEGxj9uDzG7UPrb7jaxiYY4FDB9F3D-8omZczmgaTe-gcNhET-BqvA/s1600/29290_387915157063_736507063_4577004_3809487_n-1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEganwjWFU505isEvXIsorniRyWH5YdC7NVXmpWZLBy3DvNvncy-JJWOUFjWxabiJyPrGz_O4Zn890UEVx0YJOuuAgEGxj9uDzG7UPrb7jaxiYY4FDB9F3D-8omZczmgaTe-gcNhET-BqvA/s320/29290_387915157063_736507063_4577004_3809487_n-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466188373575443122" border="0" /></a>Originally, we had tried to set up outside the Trillium Art Space but Albuquerque, NM was extremely windy that weekend! Our earrings continued to blow away the more we tried to keep them on their frames. We moved inside the gallery eventually.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2YG9vRei7UCZvKPpbDfWUfI5ZNp9wjr-AydlGrZOUjOanSHXSWvOH-1wk45K31ayHh5T-ViK0QKsVlvirs_AJFBxZ9kj4yVmDvK_XVart0z9VeWvKsclQ6ZuBvNWgcg8ohQI82U38d2M/s1600/90531312.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2YG9vRei7UCZvKPpbDfWUfI5ZNp9wjr-AydlGrZOUjOanSHXSWvOH-1wk45K31ayHh5T-ViK0QKsVlvirs_AJFBxZ9kj4yVmDvK_XVart0z9VeWvKsclQ6ZuBvNWgcg8ohQI82U38d2M/s320/90531312.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466188263639703906" border="0" /></a>This pic was captured by <a href="http://www.neyomfriday.blogspot.com/">Neyom Friday</a>. I was tired, yet, still trying to keep up with everyone by the end of the night haha. Good show :)<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibHQ-Jy52jdNedmqZ3x2HVjS6lDsl33SXKvHWOY6Jf4-jEeeqBpIbaVx_4vIieY2oOCan1RmGz5cJwOSBmEQvOqm-lNUukU9An2UjIJeYyXzCpNtGkuKUYdz-SbTXLpFX2C-48kauzVAE/s1600/IMG_0740.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibHQ-Jy52jdNedmqZ3x2HVjS6lDsl33SXKvHWOY6Jf4-jEeeqBpIbaVx_4vIieY2oOCan1RmGz5cJwOSBmEQvOqm-lNUukU9An2UjIJeYyXzCpNtGkuKUYdz-SbTXLpFX2C-48kauzVAE/s320/IMG_0740.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466188010417591922" border="0" /></a>I lost my camera later that Friday night. SO, this happens to be the only picture I have of my traveling crew for that Gathering of Nations Weekend. This was captured on Saturday night with my iPhone.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkIyj_UJBo4Oia-MidH0pQ-Ise1DBAeBFZV2mTLMScQ_lHAKVY1bReuhVd_h-rCw6tJI1NYxhAA5Sm2wvRXomemlgbKdx6pMw1bJgap0ICaDrW9Z_ojU_SKpGqeIw1rEcIWf5uJD-aIFk/s1600/l_1c1f9fb8da2e49e68e83f793cce06559.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkIyj_UJBo4Oia-MidH0pQ-Ise1DBAeBFZV2mTLMScQ_lHAKVY1bReuhVd_h-rCw6tJI1NYxhAA5Sm2wvRXomemlgbKdx6pMw1bJgap0ICaDrW9Z_ojU_SKpGqeIw1rEcIWf5uJD-aIFk/s320/l_1c1f9fb8da2e49e68e83f793cce06559.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466187819633795026" border="0" /></a>A quick shot of Maria of MeaB'Fly, Cassandra of <a href="http://www.myspace.com/creativitynlivity">Creativity for Livity</a>, & myself :) It was amazing to meet all the fellow artists that weekend.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyIKDt88Uq3W6ZXV5_sdDPkftgrQL3sTdjPuTnUsz8z5_QCnE1VOsX_AOw_zhyKp6846dzC2HVIRyuOb2VxJhXKSYvnzF67I4izHIY4BXrKxug9YGkEpvoYZCJ0u0dfWdbl6vGsmw1n-U/s1600/l_9a65396d1beb42d490dccd8ddcf106ec.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 207px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyIKDt88Uq3W6ZXV5_sdDPkftgrQL3sTdjPuTnUsz8z5_QCnE1VOsX_AOw_zhyKp6846dzC2HVIRyuOb2VxJhXKSYvnzF67I4izHIY4BXrKxug9YGkEpvoYZCJ0u0dfWdbl6vGsmw1n-U/s320/l_9a65396d1beb42d490dccd8ddcf106ec.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466191701054930562" border="0" /></a>Lastly, on the last day before returning to Arizona. We set up a booth at the Kiva Powwow that Sunday. It was a good event and I was thankful that the weather finally warmed up. It was definitely a good day to powwow, especially that powwow. This powwow holds a special place in my heart so it was quite humbling when I was asked to donate earrings to the powwow drawing, in exchange for a booth. Also, I was just excited to meet more good people and sell whatever earrings I had left there.<br /><br />In the end, I pushed 135 pairs of earrings in those two weekends. I was left tired and extremely thankful for the opportunity to meet new people. Every pair of earrings I've sold has been carefully created unlike any other, so I'm so humbled by every smiling face that has bought a pair or two. This all has definitely opened my eyes as to how far I can eventually push my art. I want this. And I'm going to continue working towards that next pair!<br />Be blessed...<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone<br /></div></div>DreLynn Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553820530093922757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023646493527345738.post-34236873973891222782010-03-31T04:56:00.001-07:002010-03-31T05:05:29.226-07:00Why Write?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNmlwvpDvmXhDLliznyxrcnMAsOGCNhFxygdNq5HRPwJPAF0puDD4XQCAEfNQyp45leMWR4_wpGxYuDxA1ONSNVZnCXxcl-S5FJmsfb7Za0Wf0grFfdhtbxqSQUjXK1v7-FHFKlO-5bn8/s1600/writing-center.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 216px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNmlwvpDvmXhDLliznyxrcnMAsOGCNhFxygdNq5HRPwJPAF0puDD4XQCAEfNQyp45leMWR4_wpGxYuDxA1ONSNVZnCXxcl-S5FJmsfb7Za0Wf0grFfdhtbxqSQUjXK1v7-FHFKlO-5bn8/s320/writing-center.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454766843408961122" border="0" /></a><blockquote style="font-style: italic;"><span>"Something about human nature not only wants to tell stories, we want to tell our personal stories and be the hero or heroine. We want not only to express ourselves, but we also believe our stories will speak to others. Almost every human heart yearns to be just a little bit legendary and leave a legacy that will inspire others..." </span>-- <span style="font-size:85%;">Andrea L. Preston, CHS Journalism 2000</span></blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span>I was digging around in the garage tonight and I was excited to see I didn't lose everything in the fire that claimed most my tangible life memories prior to 2003.<br /><br />Reporting LIVE from the garage, this is Dre signing off :)<br /><br />Be blessed...<br /><br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhoneDreLynn Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553820530093922757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023646493527345738.post-4206445358015744822010-03-30T13:31:00.000-07:002010-03-30T13:39:32.264-07:00Spring Equinox... The Body As A Temple... More Food For ThoughtI'm a people watcher by nature. I dig how technology has made that easier for me, via Twitter and Facebook. I like to watch trends and see how humans naturally react alike during different times of the season and Moon. For example, I pick up real easily when the Moon is about to change because everyone's statuses change and people begin reacting accordingly.<br /><br />These past few weeks, I've seen a good amount of people really pay attention to their diet and exercise routine. Most have taken it up a notch, myself included - The Master Cleanse and recently having taken up running. Naturally, seeing this common trend, I looked up the Moon's path this week and checked the weather too! Feel free to call me a hippie about now (haha) because guess what: Spring Equinox occurred on March 15th!<br /><br />The Spring Equinox is one of the four great solar festivals of the year. Day and night are equal, poised and balanced, but about to tip over on the side of light. In many traditions, this is the start of the new year. Last weekend's Spring Equinox, naturally brings a renewing and replenishing kind of energy, hence, everyone's sudden urge to get in healthy and back into shape. With my experience with body cleanses, its the Ayurvedic tradition in which this is the main times to do a full body cleanse, so it makes sense how Spring brings on this sudden urge to "shed the old" for anyone. This all brings me to my current thoughts for today about my body and how I care for her.<br /><br />I feel pretty healthy, yet, my relationship with my body has never been my strongest relationship. For me it's not that I hate her, it's that I forget about her. Like I can go months without looking at my unshaven legs (lol), feeling my calf, or noticing that I have this appendage called an arm. I eat well, yet, I take my body for granted, as if she is always going to be there to be the workhorse I have always expected her to be. As an achiever I have driven her past the brink of exhaustion on many occasions to 'get the job done' and the truth is that I have treated her more like a piece of machinery at my beck and call than as the temple that she deserves to be treated as.<br /><br />The other truth is that without her, I would be nothing. I don't exist on this planet without her. My spirit needs this form to be on this Earth. None of the passions, missions, dreams I have can be accomplished without her. And although I like to think that I am in charge of her, the truth is that very quickly, if I don't adore her the way a temple deserves to be adored, she will be in charge of me, and I won't be able to do a darn thing about it.<br /><br />Last month for example, I was extremely slowed down with a crazy case of bronchitis/ pleurisy. I blame myself for that one actually. I had spent months going back and forth between low and high elevations, hot and cold climates - without properly resting every time I felt "under the weather" or exhausted after each Flagstaff to Phoenix trip. All that combined congestion settled into my chest. Even then, I refused to go to the doctor until the last moment when my left lung hurt and I could barely manage a breath out of it. I'm better now but wow, it really slowed me down in the end.<br /><br />It makes sense. Just think about any time you didn't feel good physically -- from a canker sore to a cold to a much more serious condition - you were at the mercy of your body, and the only way to change the situation was to treat her well.<br /><br />Well, what if we treated her well before she revolted and got sick?<br /><br />What if we treated her well, despite our judgments on what she 'should' be?<br /><br />What would it be like if we treated our bodies like temples, and everyday that was the lens through which we made choices?<br /><br />Some more food for thought...<br /><br />Be blessed...DreLynn Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553820530093922757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023646493527345738.post-37488342519870707992010-03-22T15:51:00.000-07:002010-03-22T17:05:53.085-07:00Today's Food for Thought...In high school I took a series of art classes, I went as far as you could possible go with high school art - independent study art even! Anyhow, I took a ceramics class once and I can remember the first time we finally got to work hands-on with the clay. When we got the clay, it was literally this huge slab. We had to use string/wire to cut through the clay, because there was no way a knife would be able to make a dent in the thing. I remember though, that even with the string/floss/wire, it was still quite the difficult to cut. With the substance being that dense and hard to cut, you could only imagine how much more difficult it was to mold. I like things I can control, and working with clay wasn't as easy as I needed it to be, to feel inferior to it. Needless to say, that was my first and last ceramics class haha.<br /><br />I've always loved to paint, and working with clay wasn't anything like painting. First, you had to warm up that huge slab of clay. This wasn't one of those put-it-in-the-microwave kind of warm ups. You really had to work with it. You had to get your hands in there, knead, pound, hammer, and literally beat the crap out of it - just to get it to be workable. To get it to be moldable, you had to do even more kneading, pounding, and etc. It was an insane workout on your arms and upper body. To add to it all, it took a lot of time.<br /><br />Every class pretty much started with this tedious process of warming up your clay. Though it may not have been as difficult as the initial session when we first cut the clay, it was still necessary to knead and pound the mound of clay so that it was workable again. This was an on-going process each day at the beginning of each class because the clay cooled down and somewhat hardened from the last time you had worked with it.<br />. . . . .<br /><br />It's been awhile since I've been on my blog game. I'm still getting back into it - slowly, yet surely though! I used to blog often on Myspace but fell out of it somewhere. Life has been... well... life: ever-changing, ever-shifting, ever-growing. The past few years have been "trying" to say the least; from personal stuff, to losing people close to me. Then to top that off, add; work, moving back and forth across country, releasing three earrings collections, and everything else in between. It's been a bit of an insane roller coaster ride mos def. Still, I fly by the seat of my pants most weeks, other weeks, I'm dealing with the emotions of it all.<br /><br />It's a good life though - I remain amazed with the paths I've had laid before me. Prayer and faith have been my guide through it all. Lately I wonder, amidst all that chaos, how stubborn and hardened I must have been for God to have to go and lay down all these hard knocks just so I'd be moldable again. I know I'm stubborn at heart, always have been, probably always will be to some extent. In light of that self-awareness, I wonder how much harder I make it for God to teach because of that fact. I'm quite the amazed, that He has yet to throw in the towel and say "Forget it! I'm done trying!". I know I probably would have, because I'm not that patient. Instead, He forges forward, working through the toughness and ever-patiently making slow progress, even if it's only little bits at a time.<br /><br />Just some food for thought.<br /><br /><br />Be blessed...DreLynn Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553820530093922757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023646493527345738.post-26060968099679864002010-03-17T14:15:00.000-07:002010-03-22T06:42:26.035-07:00Strong Roots - Perfect for Growing Towards the Sun<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7iGHZiD4DK_bCCJ-iZ5xkGTtwwh-BDyGHrXdhwUdTzhfPmlHo3N0mV56kxGpqN1NHXA8snvVra7D8qjRwZ5so_-lsQ32596IubAInLnDJPKnYdmW7XlXEOhyXwEWTINfv74z9l5Z3T_E/s1600-h/benally_fig02b.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 274px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7iGHZiD4DK_bCCJ-iZ5xkGTtwwh-BDyGHrXdhwUdTzhfPmlHo3N0mV56kxGpqN1NHXA8snvVra7D8qjRwZ5so_-lsQ32596IubAInLnDJPKnYdmW7XlXEOhyXwEWTINfv74z9l5Z3T_E/s320/benally_fig02b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449714638133971986" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >"In life we constantly experience death. In death, we experience life. The two are interwoven into the pattern of creation. It is this pattern we perceive to be 'God'. The breath of the Creator, mixed with our own, forms the warp and woof of the two interpenetrating realities."</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Scott Preston, Navajo Nation Vice-Chairman (1955-63)</span></div></blockquote></div><br />I can recall being 10-years old, at Ellis Perry Trading Post (Gallup, NM), and my grandmother pointing up at a mural high up on the wall of Navajo men and saying to me, "that's where you come from". Painted on the wall was a man I had never seen before, but he looked very similar to my mom's dad - underneath, it read "Scott Preston".<br /><br />I grew up, knowing I was special. My mom told me the stories her parents told her, about coming from a long line of well-doing Preston men. My great-great-great grandfather Samuel Preston was an Irish man who had started various trading posts on the Navajo Reservation, including the Tuba City Trading Post, in which I grew up near. His son was Scott Preston, whom worked in tribal politics. Scott's son Jimmie Preston was a Navajo Code Talker during WWII and was married to my great-grandmother Sally K. Preston. These were the basics I was given. It wasn't a whole lot of information but it was sufficient enough to be proud that my last name was Preston.<br /><br />All my great-grandfathers on my Preston side of the family had all passed on before I was born. My great-grandmother Sally was a big part of my life, she is still alive today, but as far as I knew, she was the head of our family. She talked about my great-grandpa Jimmie from time to time, mainly about his service in the war. I think those memories of her were the peak of the time they spent together. He died of carbon-monoxide poisoning in council chambers one cold winter night. As I previously mentioned, she was the head of my family growing up. I think that's how the switch of power came along. Somewhere along the way, the women in my family started to be the head of each Preston household. It's expected that a woman be the head of any Navajo family, but up until a certain point in our family blood-line, I had never heard anything of a Preston woman prior to my Grandma Preston. I find it funny that still till this day that the mothers of all my great-grandfathers, remain unknown. Maybe that will be the next thing I research.<br /><br />Last night I was digging around on the internet, and was brought to tears after two hours of reading the words of my great-great-grandfather, Scott Preston. By the time I was finished, I had ordered a handful of books that he had been quoted in, on issues such as Navajo medicine, religion, politics, and education. I was/am left inspired.<br /><br />In my research, I also learned that Peterson Zah (Navajo Nation Chairman 1983-87) was the nephew of my late great-great-grandfather Scott Preston. However, despite my high hopes, there wasn't much written about Scott's father Samuel Preston. Maybe those kind of records from the 1800's are archived somewhere? I was most interested in finding a photograph of Samuel, that I know I've seen as a child. In the photograph, he's in an old fashioned car. Apparently, according to the book I had once seen the photograph in, Samuel owned the first automobile on the Navajo Reservation. In the book, there were stories about how awesome and friendly of a man Samuel was -letting everyone and anyone ride in his car. I really wish I could see that picture again. Anyhow, in my research last night, I did read more about his dealings with various trading posts across the Navajo Reservation. Shortly after he came to Arizona in the late 1800's; he, along side with his best friend C.J. Babbitt, had three trading posts by 1903. There wasn't any other information that I could find about these trading posts, other than the one in Tuba City, AZ.<br /><br />I believe Samuel, did run the trading post in Cameron, AZ. My best friend recently told me that, while telling her her great-grandfather about my family name, he turned out to have known Samuel. At first, my friend and I thought he might have been talking about my other great-great-grandfather (Sally Preston's father) "Many Whiskers". However, he had mentioned that the grandfather he was talking about was a white anglo man :) Therefore, we figured it had to be Samuel. Apparently, my friend's great-grandfather used to work for Samuel at that trading post in Cameron. He told my friend how Samuel had sent him to San Francisco, CA and such, on business for the trading post. He had a few stories about Samuel, and possibly has some about my other great-great-grandfather "Many Whiskers", as he did mention that name while telling my friend how he knew my family. My friend's grandfather is much older and needs to be cared for these days, I'd love to take a digital recorder down to his house in Moencopi, AZ and get his account of managing that trading post. Soon...<br /><br />I'm a person that feels things don't happen on coincidence. I feel all things are meant to be, for some reason or another. I've really come to that truth these past few years. I've come into contact with people that will forever be part of my life. For example, my best friend Maria. I've pretty much grown up near her my entire life - knew of her, but never befriended her until just recently in the past two years. Imagine my amazement as she told me her great-grandfather knew my great-great-great-grandfather. My mom can't even tell me stories like that. Not to sound too hippie (haha), but the Universe aligns things so perfectly, bringing things/people to your path, for a reason.<br /><br />Just recently, I met another girl in which I've befriended pretty quickly. I don't take on close friends like that quickly, but after being at a birthday for her son and meeting her in-laws, it makes sense as to why we've been put on the same path. Her husband's grandmother asked me who my family was and as always, I always just mention my great-grandmother Sally's name. I always expect to be related to someone, being Navajo and all ha! But, it's never a close relation - just by clan or something. This time, it turned out that this lady's dad and my Grandma Sally's dad are first cousins. My grandma later confirmed it. Anyhow, later in that conversation, my great-great-grandfather Scott Preston was brought up. He had been married to a lady in Ganado, AZ I guess, so the family at the birthday party had made that connection. I don't know much about that. Shortly after, Scott Preston as a tribal vice-chairman, became the topic of discussion. I heard how good of a man he was, how he had no "formal" education but held that political position as if he had, and how he brought the language (Navajo) back into the schools. I was proud to say I was a Preston in that moment, and it was amazing because it had been awhile since I had felt like that.<br /><br />I remember several years ago, while living in California, I was at the dinner table with my partner at the time, his adopted brother and dad, and a pretty well known and respected man in the community. When I was introduced by partner's dad, he had mentioned who my grandfather (my mother's father) was. I got that nod of approval immediately. My grandfather was always great in my eyes. However, it was that night that I saw how others had looked at him. I was in an entirely different state, away from the reservation; yet, I was still being seen in a good light for being a Preston.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWD8B9aRQVTO5dAMjx1K-x3gqmjt0Jfgkyx7kVHKYUPYgB5rwIGfbW3229TzYi9Y-rcou17VKZ413cMuf7tL2lWvw-QSve6ZeraiUar7qpASWomrIxcbzhBIbx1DkZ0HKGDxC0cEMA0Do/s1600-h/photo.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWD8B9aRQVTO5dAMjx1K-x3gqmjt0Jfgkyx7kVHKYUPYgB5rwIGfbW3229TzYi9Y-rcou17VKZ413cMuf7tL2lWvw-QSve6ZeraiUar7qpASWomrIxcbzhBIbx1DkZ0HKGDxC0cEMA0Do/s320/photo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449755321737348930" border="0" /></a><br />Yesterday, I went back to Tuba City, AZ for a quick visit. I took a quick photo of the Tuba City Trading Post with my iPhone. I've been looking at this photo since, it's what brought this all on - blog and all. This historical building represents home for me - always has. Although I visit often, I haven't lived in Tuba City since I was 8-years old - I'm what you would call an "Urban Indian" :) I went to visit my Grandma Sally, as I always do. She has a head cold but she is healthy. Her hearing and eye sight aren't as good as they used to be. I don't think any of us great-grandchildren know her exact age, but the last time I peeked at her driver's license (years and years ago), I'd have to say she's around 89 year-old now? It takes her a minute to recognize us but I think that's more due to her failing sight than her memory. My sister and I were laughing during this trip because my sister Mei-Lein was saying that Grandma NEVER fails to recognize her boyfriend, whom happens to be an Anglo guy, but has to zero in on our faces to recognize who we are :) Anyhow, I have the best conversations with her. I might have to scream for her to hear me but it's just as well. She's always in the loop with what I'm doing these days. We write each other often and she remains one of my biggest fans. Knowing that my great-grandmother approves of how I live my life, is the greatest motivation these days - for she is the epitome of a strong Navajo woman.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3twiGGr9_bQIo_9B0WGatcYoRNQ_8BAhP40D6FD0LjE0ZL63CQQp0L7QcWliJxJgZOVqwi6Yhn43beLAfttH51TtWDzrcpZrCWnFHkDmwv-YYiwIU8oucPLJ-TYCMP0fFfFGIroPK1MA/s1600-h/3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 257px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3twiGGr9_bQIo_9B0WGatcYoRNQ_8BAhP40D6FD0LjE0ZL63CQQp0L7QcWliJxJgZOVqwi6Yhn43beLAfttH51TtWDzrcpZrCWnFHkDmwv-YYiwIU8oucPLJ-TYCMP0fFfFGIroPK1MA/s320/3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449774912477503218" border="0" /></a><br />I'm 27 years old. I've had a job since I was almost 17 years old. I've always had good jobs in which I've worked hard to get. I continue to seek the knowledge taught in an accredited school, yet, I've taken it upon myself to learn where the real lessons are being handed out - and that's by truly living LIFE. I've lived in some of the biggest cities away from home (Arizona), traveled to many places, met people of all directions, and learned of and walked along side many indigenous tribes. I live my life right...<br /><br />Just recently, I've tapped into my artistic abilities. An artistic eye for detail runs in my family as well, so I'm excited to relate on that level. I feel this was that missing piece to my well-being. I love to bead and paint. Just this year, I was accepted to showcase my beadwork at The Heard Museum Indian Market (Phoenix, AZ) this past March 2010. I'm currently submitting my work into other future art shows across the country. Life is good.<br /><br />The concept of loving life, isn't far from the thought of where it all comes from. As I grow older, I see how important it is to know one's self - I believe this is the ultimate goal in life. That's all I can ever move towards. I have more digging to do, more stories to hear, and more people to meet, however, I'm so very thankful for the strong roots I was given. These roots prove that I am meant for greatness. I can never let the concept of defeat in, for it isn't in my blood. I am of great people and this is what I have to work with...<br /><br />Be blessed...<br /><blockquote></blockquote>DreLynn Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553820530093922757noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023646493527345738.post-28988585494686291292010-03-11T02:46:00.000-08:002010-03-11T03:38:22.273-08:00I believe this is heaven....<object height="285" width="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xS1jSXrVT54&hl=en_US&fs=1&border=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xS1jSXrVT54&hl=en_US&fs=1&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="285" width="340"></embed></object><br /><br /><br />I'm trying to figure what I love more - music or color! These two elements make the most sense to me, when all else fails... these remain truth. I'm plugged into both this evening - deciding as to which one will best communicate my thoughts tonight...<br /><br />I can't get enough of this particular song lately. I dig meaningful lyrics. Bethany Joy Lenz nails it with her cover of this Sarah McLachlan song. This song is phenomenal. I think the song is about coming to terms with being "different" and exploring your individuality on all levels, without allowing the opinions of others effect your opinion of yourself. I dig it because she's talking about how hard it is to search for a place where you are at peace with yourself. She found a place to let go of everything in her life that has hurt her - that she had held on to, not knowing she could escape it. And as she finds this place, she sees it as heaven - a place where no one else can touch or make her feel as good as she feels here.<br /><br />I've worked so hard to find something, such as this peace, within my own self. If you (yes you), wish to tear down this dream - my heaven- and say it is nothing... then you should know you're going to have to try harder than you have been. Your ill words regarding me, my thoughts, and my creative ventures remain evidence of your own personal hell. I won't speak to you in my writing any longer, so please depart...<br /><br /><br />Be blessed...DreLynn Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553820530093922757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023646493527345738.post-84640852952960173922010-03-04T15:28:00.000-08:002010-03-04T15:32:28.428-08:00Ok I Heard You... You Can Stop Crying for My Attention Now<span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content">"Those who hate most fervently must have once loved deeply; those who want to deny the world, must have once embraced what they now set on fire" - Curt Tucholski<br /></span></span>DreLynn Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553820530093922757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023646493527345738.post-61175961149064864162010-02-24T22:56:00.000-08:002010-02-25T17:25:47.650-08:00Beauty Products I Live By...<div style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb-77aNKKOrvydxga-i1BYcopl4SHxgbmO3tjZ1SKIveqKxuX3YMhlt9TJTGKwvJfZw5FfdVx32j2dlcFtX5kmXryiMTL8ge25g6ue5OAiC-mSDhXXb_ISVdZ3_L-7pccOQ7Uvw0Rut_Y/s1600-h/1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 165px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb-77aNKKOrvydxga-i1BYcopl4SHxgbmO3tjZ1SKIveqKxuX3YMhlt9TJTGKwvJfZw5FfdVx32j2dlcFtX5kmXryiMTL8ge25g6ue5OAiC-mSDhXXb_ISVdZ3_L-7pccOQ7Uvw0Rut_Y/s200/1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442330914515060930" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" ><br />Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />I've been using this moisturizer for almost 6 years now - LOVE IT! It does the job of moisturizing my face, while not making my skin too oily.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc5fMVCLeTaODHgpI7ekeoGgDz9cEbU2FQmCmDckT_BmBjLjfWGahF5hTPWPWhS-G81xlPgypJiITY1FWcLmxMTRDJ8SimXwT1wC41x10fK0OwOTebzh3RaVBAQ5Ruj8s_lhMpNrMwwd8/s1600-h/2a.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc5fMVCLeTaODHgpI7ekeoGgDz9cEbU2FQmCmDckT_BmBjLjfWGahF5hTPWPWhS-G81xlPgypJiITY1FWcLmxMTRDJ8SimXwT1wC41x10fK0OwOTebzh3RaVBAQ5Ruj8s_lhMpNrMwwd8/s200/2a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442331105229321986" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" ><br />Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily SPF 30</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />I don't venture out much when it comes to face moisturizers, however, this moisturizer is the only other one I'll use (other than Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel). It has SPF 30 but it's not so heavy - most with SPF feel too oily for me.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK9tlkGjnkVuJt9sBowzhv-bg6BfqBWShT4RuCWaIa4B4ag7l4rohOA2vkxY8yEVzvdHNfmJkeKqeiCT1NB2ME2Hj609cycXSK2_Y4IDWH15XOIDQ-7P2iaiBYMLfo2-l4OQJ5JaugJyo/s1600-h/3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 160px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK9tlkGjnkVuJt9sBowzhv-bg6BfqBWShT4RuCWaIa4B4ag7l4rohOA2vkxY8yEVzvdHNfmJkeKqeiCT1NB2ME2Hj609cycXSK2_Y4IDWH15XOIDQ-7P2iaiBYMLfo2-l4OQJ5JaugJyo/s200/3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442357069850865218" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Too Faced Primed Poreless Face Primer</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />I've only been using foundation primer for almost 2 years, since starting, I doubt I'll ever go without! I've used this particular brand of primer for almost 3 months - I swear by this primer! It can be worn with or without foundation. It smoothes and preps the skin, making pores unnoticeable. My foundation lasts longer and I never go without it - when I do, I can see/feel the dramatic difference.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjta2-FnZ0lJ-jBms0IMjHVqutiBb5AOoBQuI0yuYafJCpoArihyphenhyphenMXzUbxD7VKncRhJarmIw2uIKr_-OYMxyt8VC7swdL9s7hLgzKa-467ZzKxsGiLk7jotKMZZCguxCN60ne3ZYy2P84U/s1600-h/3a.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 159px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjta2-FnZ0lJ-jBms0IMjHVqutiBb5AOoBQuI0yuYafJCpoArihyphenhyphenMXzUbxD7VKncRhJarmIw2uIKr_-OYMxyt8VC7swdL9s7hLgzKa-467ZzKxsGiLk7jotKMZZCguxCN60ne3ZYy2P84U/s200/3a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442332213819959218" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >BareVitamins Prime Time Foundation Primer</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />This is the next foundation primer I like. I started using this particular product when I started using primer 2 years ago. It works well with the foundation I use but I noticed my face was oilier during the summer months, other than that, I like this primer for the most part.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXEdDY8yoS5sOOx71PxaCfn_mXAUMdprV5wvl0KVQ8b001u6_B0bzzAga2huuXOZ-XGDdgKujtvAPHAUUxUSb3FJXh8BDmtvHFA0iqOE-DrLH5NyYLqOsK5bDabuIiOv1oA0SLJ8Otu-s/s1600-h/P244441_hero.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXEdDY8yoS5sOOx71PxaCfn_mXAUMdprV5wvl0KVQ8b001u6_B0bzzAga2huuXOZ-XGDdgKujtvAPHAUUxUSb3FJXh8BDmtvHFA0iqOE-DrLH5NyYLqOsK5bDabuIiOv1oA0SLJ8Otu-s/s200/P244441_hero.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442332742194532978" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Benefit Boi-ing & Eye Bright Duo</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />This concealer/eye brightener duo is the best I've used so far. I don't have severe under eye circles, but it comes handy after a long night.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH11ZKcpgPgEPh8N7gV1h5nm97pLsjWoU6vgxTdaN-u5luOSiz0UXwn-nGHUNAUNZvxyGM-PIT3YfdvcnaXqBTx4cNpUCidZ4OcS2J0xUIwo7bsq-rUsDeoYmsJVXxzypDqFNoyawy_Kg/s1600-h/331-bare-minerals-foundation-.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 188px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH11ZKcpgPgEPh8N7gV1h5nm97pLsjWoU6vgxTdaN-u5luOSiz0UXwn-nGHUNAUNZvxyGM-PIT3YfdvcnaXqBTx4cNpUCidZ4OcS2J0xUIwo7bsq-rUsDeoYmsJVXxzypDqFNoyawy_Kg/s200/331-bare-minerals-foundation-.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442333122468351234" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >BareMinerals SPF 15 Matte Foundation</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />I've been using BareMinerals for almost 3 years. I'll probably never go back to regular liquid foundation. It provides enough coverage for my skin and comes closest to my skin color than any other foundation - without that cake-like feeling. BareMinerals Matte is fairly new, I used to just use the regular foundation but now that it's available in Matte, I swear by it! It helps with shine and makes my makeup last longer throughout the day.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2kpN1M6NVrUhzGYjcrsVpsqhHsSj_5B6TawnA2PCgZg4xnXlSS2ElQQh7oAOIlwEZbJuPgT5SOIgbChE54ILpvITcjmKfVzlHH_RVaYeOeWrsq57AcSKixNPBccb26IUraitIyTBrOk/s1600-h/36457_WellRested_FlawlessBrush_D.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2kpN1M6NVrUhzGYjcrsVpsqhHsSj_5B6TawnA2PCgZg4xnXlSS2ElQQh7oAOIlwEZbJuPgT5SOIgbChE54ILpvITcjmKfVzlHH_RVaYeOeWrsq57AcSKixNPBccb26IUraitIyTBrOk/s200/36457_WellRested_FlawlessBrush_D.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442333466625926786" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >BareMinerals Multi-Tasking Well Rested </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />This is another concealer I use every so often. It's not as heavy as most concealers but definitely keeps up with the best of them. I use it on the days I feel extra flushed and redness can be seen around my nose and cheeks. It works as a great under-the-eye concealer as well.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyam8FpuQ0DrwF6Y-pqEAPrP8FQxmgDXHyAzY7LOflpXrXnMICwDr2HLfN_gGS8u68-qvct3zTgq_7JTRCriY1-YrGKDYF303ImQQ20O4RBzdYc0_od5mdAcYnmOlvNWBSOqU0x6_Pr2c/s1600-h/7.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyam8FpuQ0DrwF6Y-pqEAPrP8FQxmgDXHyAzY7LOflpXrXnMICwDr2HLfN_gGS8u68-qvct3zTgq_7JTRCriY1-YrGKDYF303ImQQ20O4RBzdYc0_od5mdAcYnmOlvNWBSOqU0x6_Pr2c/s200/7.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442333905018497874" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Bare Escentuals Mineral Veil: Loose Powder</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />This is the perfect setting powder that can also be used for touch up or shine blasting! I love it! I currently bought the Bare Escentuals Hydrating Mineral Veil to try it out, so far "it's okay" but the original mineral veil is better because it feels less chalky. The mineral veil can definitely be used alone, I envy those people that can use it by itself for light coverage...<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTiknyh04fXl8gJ8uPZyVG0WOE5C_dIRYQP9IIz95ScVRGmwJO4ibracf85R6xm-UvqRgMVc47Ztr9V8IU1GDUhTrBsRhnfPTUmtvmPBhl4_Safp68kwU-QVXX36WCqJVwefei2YWwHwQ/s1600-h/8.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTiknyh04fXl8gJ8uPZyVG0WOE5C_dIRYQP9IIz95ScVRGmwJO4ibracf85R6xm-UvqRgMVc47Ztr9V8IU1GDUhTrBsRhnfPTUmtvmPBhl4_Safp68kwU-QVXX36WCqJVwefei2YWwHwQ/s200/8.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442334367975352066" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >NYC Brush-On Brow Powder with Grooming Wax</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />I have eyebrow hairs that are thick but I don't have a lot of them, if you can imagine how that looks haha. I also have a scar on my left eyebrow so I have to use a powder and wax to make them lay in the direction I want them to go. This brow kit does everything I need it to, and it's more than $20 cheaper than other kits. I started using this product in 2004 and I've started using it more so in the past year. Love it!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbPSPRE8ch0QrHhPfBEVauFJSN6_fTpIE0nPpLxZlUfIrR4N_Tb1HNh93aY9saU8_bVu1Kvi-kwjoFlEjphvUhFTVeTIsWi_ImiL0w0mJ_6u52AHQGpBMm7JXvUMcB2cvgUpbfHIeOpN0/s1600-h/41bIpVQoxnL._SS500_.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbPSPRE8ch0QrHhPfBEVauFJSN6_fTpIE0nPpLxZlUfIrR4N_Tb1HNh93aY9saU8_bVu1Kvi-kwjoFlEjphvUhFTVeTIsWi_ImiL0w0mJ_6u52AHQGpBMm7JXvUMcB2cvgUpbfHIeOpN0/s200/41bIpVQoxnL._SS500_.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442334769773408434" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Too Faced First Base Eye Shadow Base</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />This is one of those products that I have a love/hate relationship with. Too much can look like a muddy mess, yet, if applied only on the lid; it looks awesome! When applied in small amounts, the base's iridescent shimmer really brings out any eyeshadow in any color. I save this for when I wear really loud colors like magenta or turquoise.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHTy7NBeJbQpcdM4GdUrWWKg2R5skilWL6Nj50nM_32Q7DFZSjpIpWvJOZ6ZP0FAkGTTahOHrWRzrLUyq9Oxi6rCwuqOfrQcBRUHUDE9WDPpH9hvtt4e4wVF-ecTs6TiRIefCA-P-OZ3c/s1600-h/9a.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 190px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHTy7NBeJbQpcdM4GdUrWWKg2R5skilWL6Nj50nM_32Q7DFZSjpIpWvJOZ6ZP0FAkGTTahOHrWRzrLUyq9Oxi6rCwuqOfrQcBRUHUDE9WDPpH9hvtt4e4wVF-ecTs6TiRIefCA-P-OZ3c/s200/9a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442335141151535586" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >MAC Eyeshadow - Nylon</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />Nylon is perfect for everyday wear. I use this eyeshadow as my all-over eye color. It is fantastic to wear alone with some eyeliner, or blended with just about any other eyeshadow color!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrfEhlMNlZhARXu6BADrEFEivnQhotbclXULSwhyLZrFxB1ZtOkv4TGdfmj2J07tai5ehn3HOHQoRcYcT5VrmhyVwmvMQiTx625rbKmt6Kgl797LMcwYCX5U2uQx18qXMoFQbuky50Sjo/s1600-h/10.gif"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 175px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrfEhlMNlZhARXu6BADrEFEivnQhotbclXULSwhyLZrFxB1ZtOkv4TGdfmj2J07tai5ehn3HOHQoRcYcT5VrmhyVwmvMQiTx625rbKmt6Kgl797LMcwYCX5U2uQx18qXMoFQbuky50Sjo/s200/10.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442335556411354594" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Urban Decay Eyeshadow - Midnight Cowgirl</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />I love the texture of this eyeshadow and how it accentuates the brow bone. I don't use this particular eyeshadow everyday because it's quite shimmery and glittery, however, it's been a fave for almost 5 years!<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" ><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVnHS-48j1rukXPu4uU7d8GguaB5umAPGs0V8dpMCb-Qlg6-dWEf3w3ZsPnnJZYffhcRvE6ZlJgTIFMX6L4y1K32Pmwf5WysDQDI_SJSaaeYYCIM_XsfcpyUq-qJmmfhryhFiUxA7n8e0/s1600-h/11a.gif"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 175px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVnHS-48j1rukXPu4uU7d8GguaB5umAPGs0V8dpMCb-Qlg6-dWEf3w3ZsPnnJZYffhcRvE6ZlJgTIFMX6L4y1K32Pmwf5WysDQDI_SJSaaeYYCIM_XsfcpyUq-qJmmfhryhFiUxA7n8e0/s200/11a.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442341815497410722" border="0" /></a><br />Urban Decay Eyeshadow - Polyester Bride</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />This is just like Urban Decay's Midnight Cowgirl but the shimmers and glitters are not as gold. Both look amazing when dusted anywhere on the face or shoulders, I use them for whatever needs a little shimmer!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62Zd7yy662bYRpgScpG3EgnoFBFe7UpnRjmnsINsSIoNz-KbOvS5bTqu_iZhGAiKvjHu9gRJDu4uweQjYU2Q1Wdjd1YNrg4LPaO5Lh2oaF3lRUg-hZLjpGMOi7tVhLgvquscNucLIqBg/s1600-h/12.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62Zd7yy662bYRpgScpG3EgnoFBFe7UpnRjmnsINsSIoNz-KbOvS5bTqu_iZhGAiKvjHu9gRJDu4uweQjYU2Q1Wdjd1YNrg4LPaO5Lh2oaF3lRUg-hZLjpGMOi7tVhLgvquscNucLIqBg/s200/12.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442342310408241058" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" ><br />Coastal Scents Makeup Palette (88 Pc.) </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /><br />These highly pigmented shades are amazing! First of all, I bought this 88 eyeshadow palette for less than $20! They are VERY much comparable to the more expensive brands, such as MAC. I love color and this has to be my best beauty buy of 2009!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjwhnkRgUXykAdc56xBs2Ojd6-oF4611yio-lPQfhGQgcPtxHT-oyWO0Qk_TQjFmRexbY6fntZEjdH_5q4ijwXuF7NcWcizBqyz-bSy9IZ9tC1pfnde7On2Km7pxVGYB5YCBrpuTVWKE/s1600-h/13.gif"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjwhnkRgUXykAdc56xBs2Ojd6-oF4611yio-lPQfhGQgcPtxHT-oyWO0Qk_TQjFmRexbY6fntZEjdH_5q4ijwXuF7NcWcizBqyz-bSy9IZ9tC1pfnde7On2Km7pxVGYB5YCBrpuTVWKE/s200/13.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442342890152792930" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Clinique Powder Blush - Precious Posy</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />I've used Clinique blushes since I was a teenager and just haven't strayed. There are probably better blushes out there - I really wouldn't know! I'm so fair complected so their caucasian shades of pink work I guess haha. This blush is gentle enough for my skin, doesn't cause breakouts.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAPRkMDUYbtB7p6La-WW5vCfURka0rTenzl9D0c-D5WXQ_AI9nghRhyQHinJnNwBWOTcK8mL-Dwg6H3sLbTWh9UX5FcMeO4elsfiuLp8cadz8rbvIsXAOpBX3j4bEXVs0sk61NP5LrpE4/s1600-h/14.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 152px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAPRkMDUYbtB7p6La-WW5vCfURka0rTenzl9D0c-D5WXQ_AI9nghRhyQHinJnNwBWOTcK8mL-Dwg6H3sLbTWh9UX5FcMeO4elsfiuLp8cadz8rbvIsXAOpBX3j4bEXVs0sk61NP5LrpE4/s200/14.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442343977799943090" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Rimmel Natural Bronzer - Sundance</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />I fell in love when I first experimented with bronzer this past summer! This bronzer would have to be my 2nd best buy of 2009! I have no idea why I never used bronzer until just recently!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixR35FJMv8gBd387K4ooCYM55erUFg7qJsx2kqMhzZ4gUKdTUUn2uXy0F73MSJWLgQDPZPH2cDNmiHZT5BdiQcTrLdyoGcLCz9tSskbEMfTGknMI6XRnHFu4OrGy0D-HxobPEYatAVdYs/s1600-h/7768-928560-d.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixR35FJMv8gBd387K4ooCYM55erUFg7qJsx2kqMhzZ4gUKdTUUn2uXy0F73MSJWLgQDPZPH2cDNmiHZT5BdiQcTrLdyoGcLCz9tSskbEMfTGknMI6XRnHFu4OrGy0D-HxobPEYatAVdYs/s200/7768-928560-d.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442344472361708834" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Stila Sun SPF 15 Bronzer</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />As excited as I was about bronzer, I happened to buy several. I go back and forth between the two bronzers I have listed. I like this one because it is about a shade darker than the Rimmel bronzer. It's great for the summer months when I'm slightly tanned, and also it has SPF :)<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDs3PDOoIUG_wQzVfaaF0As8mhyphenhyphenjZREWcyzOfHvo5yOc41N5OUbDUcwCAgugVyVzpWbxC66XWrgMGWvsrD4IwfoklFQZX6ja5eO9_hoHgWCRCs8LurKwHKTNzXF9kOoKVCLmREbIbwYFM/s1600-h/14b.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDs3PDOoIUG_wQzVfaaF0As8mhyphenhyphenjZREWcyzOfHvo5yOc41N5OUbDUcwCAgugVyVzpWbxC66XWrgMGWvsrD4IwfoklFQZX6ja5eO9_hoHgWCRCs8LurKwHKTNzXF9kOoKVCLmREbIbwYFM/s200/14b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442345276031236306" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Too Faced Pink Leopard Bronzing Powder</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />This is another product I have a love/hate relationship with. It's okay for days when I'm wearing nothing but lip gloss and mascara. However, if I'm going for a much bolder look, I can hardly tell I'm wearing this product. Kudos for the packaging and the little kabuki brush it comes with though -- I'm a sucker for marketing :-I<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKSjYogV7E2Ax6vbKLJGecxU2fqjBS1nrsjVsjS8zMxyXklFhGqzqd8KV0rCr2WpfPuh1xfvJs1vAFT32R4UY7moaJ6uPdogsL02zgquIt34PX7mGBm43L7b1GBMTEodlvxPVUQJk5TIs/s1600-h/15.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKSjYogV7E2Ax6vbKLJGecxU2fqjBS1nrsjVsjS8zMxyXklFhGqzqd8KV0rCr2WpfPuh1xfvJs1vAFT32R4UY7moaJ6uPdogsL02zgquIt34PX7mGBm43L7b1GBMTEodlvxPVUQJk5TIs/s200/15.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442345488660318146" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Stila Illuminating Finishing Powder - Gold</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />Awesome finishing & highlighting powder! When I actually remember to apply it, I dig how it makes me glow!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAGNhblY4k1_SQSR9DmSZVcuzv77J3zNqWwRTwyqxRe9gr3qkEfZq1fRSemsklBggM_c92awKC9aoeXFx8xArg_mYCeXH_LcMKCHxwE5QUdd4HABknjwTZHzjAk-58A_wB8oM8xPPwlS0/s1600-h/16.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAGNhblY4k1_SQSR9DmSZVcuzv77J3zNqWwRTwyqxRe9gr3qkEfZq1fRSemsklBggM_c92awKC9aoeXFx8xArg_mYCeXH_LcMKCHxwE5QUdd4HABknjwTZHzjAk-58A_wB8oM8xPPwlS0/s200/16.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442345751380658322" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >MAC 'Penultimate' Eye Liner - Rapid Black</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />This is thee best liquid eyeliner EVER! I'm a huge fan of liquid eyeliner, it stays on longer and looks clean. I've always preferred a felt tip marker when it comes to liquid eyeliner, however, I had yet to find a good one that didn't dry up after a few uses. When I found this one - my life was complete! It's easy to apply, doesn't go on super thick, and doesn't dry up! This is my 3rd best beauty buy of 2009! I've been using this product for almost a year, I'm a fan.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg54DLcp66FJ-Rc_k6AulajpHIpCiXIPSqM3bCu2Wfe-8MDTIsqVHKARfh46BtIuORBznMh9mgKrsM2pGEXbLutAZMja3FebN-w0MbbRCPqYa7I7Qdz8gVxf31cY71UsYUg_BkmUHKjyo/s1600-h/16a.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg54DLcp66FJ-Rc_k6AulajpHIpCiXIPSqM3bCu2Wfe-8MDTIsqVHKARfh46BtIuORBznMh9mgKrsM2pGEXbLutAZMja3FebN-w0MbbRCPqYa7I7Qdz8gVxf31cY71UsYUg_BkmUHKjyo/s200/16a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442346936621067442" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >NYX Felt Tip Eyeliner - Jet Black</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />I just recently discovered this felt tip eyeliner at an Ulta Store. I really like NYX eyeshadows so even though I'm pretty faithful to my MAC liquid liner, I thought I'd try it out. The verdict: it's VERY comparable! Save $10 and reach for this one! Either or, they're both dope!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKIQ72I2a1WDOm4E8a4Y-1eKKKKBKjeZqexHFZrFnn2RzAn64aBYYJiLBdVtXG6sY_Q37K0Yx2FdBo2uH31epRkJSdqfMV02YkMLdQ1rAqJCVsCice757dySugJvu8Uib0r7mWXBXjFKk/s1600-h/17.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKIQ72I2a1WDOm4E8a4Y-1eKKKKBKjeZqexHFZrFnn2RzAn64aBYYJiLBdVtXG6sY_Q37K0Yx2FdBo2uH31epRkJSdqfMV02YkMLdQ1rAqJCVsCice757dySugJvu8Uib0r7mWXBXjFKk/s200/17.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442347755451189218" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Clinique Lash Building Prime</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >r</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />I've been using this product for almost 5 years. As you can probably see by now, I stick with what works! This works! It primes my lashes for my mascara and leaves my lashes thicker and more stacked. I have a few favorite mascaras but honestly, as long as I have this primer, any mascara will do!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJDzx_pUDFzsWI0Tc4mkvOdJk8-Gj_5z7XDS7_yXFDAAycaLyXlKQ0zVJn22Sz2lHIPCce5XbQHaLTGJ4LvmEKQCo7VDsRoduhbKz526iuZ6G4IsG3Vgk34luR32DVdkNo1yC8E2tSq2o/s1600-h/18.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJDzx_pUDFzsWI0Tc4mkvOdJk8-Gj_5z7XDS7_yXFDAAycaLyXlKQ0zVJn22Sz2lHIPCce5XbQHaLTGJ4LvmEKQCo7VDsRoduhbKz526iuZ6G4IsG3Vgk34luR32DVdkNo1yC8E2tSq2o/s200/18.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442348460271554994" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Clinique High Impact Mascara - Black</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />I've tried them all and this still remains on top, after 5 years of using it. In my opinion, this mascara is one of the best on the market. I love the way it glides on my lashes. My eyes look bigger, as my lashes are so defined. It never clumps, stays in place all day, and is easy to remove. I don’t have any complaints about this mascara, even the price is reasonable for this high quality product. This is the mascara that I always come back to – it’s reliable and effective.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-24BFbO4wUSiLQ6LTg1y4-nJLk_XCSQ2X20pSZ2hjTtacq1IBlQB6D5yMqMkhx1PkhiktY8iti6ZbbBUNPH84tpdBXe2URTI7VJ4man8bK4P6dGYoQ3BF-8LxKXEWkxw3Qjo-48BqtSA/s1600-h/18a.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-24BFbO4wUSiLQ6LTg1y4-nJLk_XCSQ2X20pSZ2hjTtacq1IBlQB6D5yMqMkhx1PkhiktY8iti6ZbbBUNPH84tpdBXe2URTI7VJ4man8bK4P6dGYoQ3BF-8LxKXEWkxw3Qjo-48BqtSA/s200/18a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442349203466280530" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Maybelline Great Lash Mascara - Black</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />This is my second favorite mascara. I try to keep a tube in my makeup bag at all times, just in case I want to go over my normal mascara, for that extra bold effect. This mascara works, it's award winning and our mom's used this crap so it has to be good right? Haha :)<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIbBJEZGJAXfOA7m2-CbejKAuS4mM4cz3YOdIMPz47-9VHssPMjN8UXC98HSu7Fer4gfLzeJ5IGySJNjk3kzHN4Ypo9Ulhin1C-1H8zOVP5nu73Ksld-K3OU7aiX1igUqzLEPNcBwQc_k/s1600-h/19.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIbBJEZGJAXfOA7m2-CbejKAuS4mM4cz3YOdIMPz47-9VHssPMjN8UXC98HSu7Fer4gfLzeJ5IGySJNjk3kzHN4Ypo9Ulhin1C-1H8zOVP5nu73Ksld-K3OU7aiX1igUqzLEPNcBwQc_k/s200/19.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442349627665664242" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Alba Pineapple Enzyme Facial Cleanser</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />Where was this cleanser when I was a teenager?! I used to breakout as a teenager and everything I tried was too harsh for my skin and the stuff for sensitive skin did nothing to help. I've been using this product for almost 3 years now and I'm sold! The pineapple enzymes remove all of my makeup, without stripping my skin. This is thee best facial cleanser I've ever used!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWNvHVcAQSOewSmC8NhP60O_SxtWG3aOT7pZ4aCfEwEOOIncQoDAwIfC2mlD3Hv03q3e4ibbLQ18hdG50QK2iXg6EZ4pmZ_VHDBJgK9FkFTJUf01mWZJMka7gZBeW6mbrrKK0uYn7FFg/s1600-h/20.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWNvHVcAQSOewSmC8NhP60O_SxtWG3aOT7pZ4aCfEwEOOIncQoDAwIfC2mlD3Hv03q3e4ibbLQ18hdG50QK2iXg6EZ4pmZ_VHDBJgK9FkFTJUf01mWZJMka7gZBeW6mbrrKK0uYn7FFg/s200/20.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442350298653189410" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />I've been using this scrub for about 5 years because it meets all my standards. It's not "grainy" at all - that's important because grainy irritates and inflames my skin. This is the perfect scrub, not harsh, yet it gets the job done! I use it 1-2 times a week.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs3p9nt_2T1F_hiRwQBFFjosnyPSjFAyTu5KLCsCQXbv1bXAQxk6g1VoZdh_cADBXkcbO50lcc_5air-LvlDMy7SKstTzYo-Gd2aVitiJt-efn7HIAHzjoEkwOGvHvg3yX1aNUCNiGx3U/s1600-h/21.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 192px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs3p9nt_2T1F_hiRwQBFFjosnyPSjFAyTu5KLCsCQXbv1bXAQxk6g1VoZdh_cADBXkcbO50lcc_5air-LvlDMy7SKstTzYo-Gd2aVitiJt-efn7HIAHzjoEkwOGvHvg3yX1aNUCNiGx3U/s200/21.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442350681113353378" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" ><br />Proactive 3-Step System </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />P. Diddy and Kelly Clarkson were right, this stuff works! Haha :) I'm selective as to what products of this system I like. I love the Revitalizing Toner, use it everyday before my makeup. It's so gentle and has little to no scent, plus it actually feels like it cleanses your skin without any tingling effect. Next, I use the Repairing Lotion on the days I'm prone to breakouts (PMS) -- it's gentle enough for my skin, yet it has active acne fighting ingredients. Lastly, I really like the Refining Mask! I use it 1-2 times a month. It smells like a fart but it's awesome for de-clogging pores and keeping your skin firm! I don't like the Renewing Cleanser. I might have liked it but the few times I've used it, it left towels and clothing bleached and discolored so that kind of freaks me out - not trying to put that on my face! Other than that, awesome system for that one week out of the month!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtTmINc6Q6y-FnVyz9jQiWyinVy6XDrU4kkFylCIdwo_QfojSEgWcr_SaVTxt0q-RfssBIF3ffG_whr0DcTRV0cvCXnRcIdJ3x7nXxbXy0XkoFDoXCwvIDX5NK-oXmw1DEhoqRPYjqNO8/s1600-h/22.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtTmINc6Q6y-FnVyz9jQiWyinVy6XDrU4kkFylCIdwo_QfojSEgWcr_SaVTxt0q-RfssBIF3ffG_whr0DcTRV0cvCXnRcIdJ3x7nXxbXy0XkoFDoXCwvIDX5NK-oXmw1DEhoqRPYjqNO8/s200/22.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442351102482323282" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Johnson's Baby Lotion - Original</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />I've used this lotion since I was a wee little Dre! It works, smells good, and doesn't irritate my skin! It's less expensive than the other smelly stuff too. Sometimes, I sneak a few drops to maintain my crazy Spanish hair frizz :-I<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh7tOmKXv2GBbfTBOzLLWRK9vRjnvFpwL00AZYlDTGKqSij_30Qgpn4W2tGYfyZHVaIenKVcRztpKXgrVeNz7MyacvqOxQH1BUqcAxTklnhRPusSGYVs_lu3dAo3Ujkcq1kLZKEd-SiHI/s1600-h/069_xl.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 152px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh7tOmKXv2GBbfTBOzLLWRK9vRjnvFpwL00AZYlDTGKqSij_30Qgpn4W2tGYfyZHVaIenKVcRztpKXgrVeNz7MyacvqOxQH1BUqcAxTklnhRPusSGYVs_lu3dAo3Ujkcq1kLZKEd-SiHI/s200/069_xl.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442351699256673906" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Burt's Bees Coconut Foot Cream </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />First of all, it smells delicious! The product is so thick, awesome for after the shower! This product is a must have for any desert living, sandal wearing person!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmsH2is-4-vTYuzFZLbI8SEPGDX_C_S5wU6g6e0_eeFVrGifQOfjWX7IvIZlzJuj_C9ECFEppJD4hct3t0iQFEE4K-BgOg9KXEfuNJfpIL1fflh_kV801WDMSEen4ObFwIbRE7tGRhyphenhyphen9I/s1600-h/23.gif"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 177px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmsH2is-4-vTYuzFZLbI8SEPGDX_C_S5wU6g6e0_eeFVrGifQOfjWX7IvIZlzJuj_C9ECFEppJD4hct3t0iQFEE4K-BgOg9KXEfuNJfpIL1fflh_kV801WDMSEen4ObFwIbRE7tGRhyphenhyphen9I/s200/23.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442351486848320754" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Frederic Fekkai Brilliant Glossing Hair Collection</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />I fell in love with this collection 2 years ago. The main ingredient - olive oil - fights frizz and leaves hair shiny and glossy! I use the shampoo, conditioner, and styling creme.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJar-7tMC0N-Gg-1I3lAxzBTYTHEpCZkuBWZ_3W0fouXneRyiXd4emPy11k-cKZf8aI8rmN7WAQHyy4BaYK78aQ0Bvxg4Jz8dNoMQgBbYRUKO_iCnh8OxkxED6P8o2dSfe0JIdy2Y-5aA/s1600-h/23a.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 126px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJar-7tMC0N-Gg-1I3lAxzBTYTHEpCZkuBWZ_3W0fouXneRyiXd4emPy11k-cKZf8aI8rmN7WAQHyy4BaYK78aQ0Bvxg4Jz8dNoMQgBbYRUKO_iCnh8OxkxED6P8o2dSfe0JIdy2Y-5aA/s200/23a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442352052943086514" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Biolage Strengthening Shampoo & Conditioner</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />Since I've cut all my hair off haha, I have to be careful not to overload my hair with products, yet, I have to have something to fight this Spanish frizz. Soooo, I go between the Fekkai Collection and Biolage's Strengthening Formula. It's conditioning enough, yet, not as heavy as the Fekkai Shampoo and Conditioner. I'll go between the two until my hair grows back.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Yw1ADt-SC3yuI7Kp5RE73S34XLu8BxUKb895Zxgg9ygDao4ZVynEB89tmOJkL6VkOUpq6M1rrZ-myO4MbDURQL0sUt0hMSRkvAktyXYmcH67nzgmwPOA8eYKWKABbP04C-E_lm43koU/s1600-h/burts-bees-avocado-butter-pre-sh_1227564729_LRG.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 152px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Yw1ADt-SC3yuI7Kp5RE73S34XLu8BxUKb895Zxgg9ygDao4ZVynEB89tmOJkL6VkOUpq6M1rrZ-myO4MbDURQL0sUt0hMSRkvAktyXYmcH67nzgmwPOA8eYKWKABbP04C-E_lm43koU/s200/burts-bees-avocado-butter-pre-sh_1227564729_LRG.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442352574353799074" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Burt's Bees Avocado Butter Pre-Shampoo Treatment</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />I haven't had to use this product since I cut my hair. I swore by this product when I had hair to repair. I used this treatment once every other month or so, and I recommend it to anyone with long hair. I still keep my tube around because I'm growing my hair back!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixADujfCVI8X96ZhZppWWXsZhckt-hu2kTJVXCrQgkyduJh9AF0GAUwlYszHLOCpMLDJwOm5lkSBeMREs7Vh9MO-arE__0kR-tU2t_ciFhuX1Cm3ZdWpKnRljxygRSZMcWwk2hbAtHrIQ/s1600-h/TresemmeThermalCreationsHeatTamerProtectiveSpray.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixADujfCVI8X96ZhZppWWXsZhckt-hu2kTJVXCrQgkyduJh9AF0GAUwlYszHLOCpMLDJwOm5lkSBeMREs7Vh9MO-arE__0kR-tU2t_ciFhuX1Cm3ZdWpKnRljxygRSZMcWwk2hbAtHrIQ/s200/TresemmeThermalCreationsHeatTamerProtectiveSpray.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442353549534412322" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >TRESemme Heat Protective Spray</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />I use a flat iron now that I have short hair - not often, but more so when I first chopped my hair. I use this heat protective spray before I apply any heat to my hair. It doesn't smell bad, doesn't leave any residue, and makes my hair feel soft. It's not expensive and it gets the job done!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVwY34BvYObEU8iumXg0V7U_Xap6DqCuI2atwado7l9xFIOoxdmU5krJvAP0Wus8uGn-nfqUIuL76C7yvI-IHKY6MIsgJ6EmjgqqaLoZoImvX7DKvGk_HRLi83EsZROSx63PQc9JWDTzU/s1600-h/24.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVwY34BvYObEU8iumXg0V7U_Xap6DqCuI2atwado7l9xFIOoxdmU5krJvAP0Wus8uGn-nfqUIuL76C7yvI-IHKY6MIsgJ6EmjgqqaLoZoImvX7DKvGk_HRLi83EsZROSx63PQc9JWDTzU/s200/24.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442354244351861778" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Garnier Fructis Style Fiber Gum Putty</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />This is another product I've used for over 5 years haha. It works well with wet or dry hair. I have a lot of frizz and flyaways that I have to maintain, and this works. It doesn't flake or make your hair stiff, plus it smells good!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQihUxz678sDiuakei7NfXCIrEjbLA1W8H6qnsMklzwyWpGZH_K_p9f-FcPSRGsIq9M_YSNlVeO6_nxmwmhUzcP3AlVrW9SgyG65uAQQYQPNZdrnuGYGK6MTgPeWhKh2IB4y9hkq0-i1Q/s1600-h/25.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQihUxz678sDiuakei7NfXCIrEjbLA1W8H6qnsMklzwyWpGZH_K_p9f-FcPSRGsIq9M_YSNlVeO6_nxmwmhUzcP3AlVrW9SgyG65uAQQYQPNZdrnuGYGK6MTgPeWhKh2IB4y9hkq0-i1Q/s200/25.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442354654022207570" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Herbal Essences Set Me Up Hairspray</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />I'm not super picky about hairspray, if they still sold Rave, I'd use that! Haha. This smells good and holds my hair without getting stiff. It's awesome for braiding hair and keeps the baby hairs in. I buy a can every 6 months or so, I don't use to much.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg19gBGG-jU_AGanHem8l1binYg2uvS4oemZVPrV4HowtaDqOfD0a6X3oxbP3vxzXRdpSU-6ALDYdoETH4DeIHNWE0DVNnpwMUiuGKgvBNQylMKhmRMfUhX3eBwrRc4UqZDYECh0CuC5GI/s1600-h/25a.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg19gBGG-jU_AGanHem8l1binYg2uvS4oemZVPrV4HowtaDqOfD0a6X3oxbP3vxzXRdpSU-6ALDYdoETH4DeIHNWE0DVNnpwMUiuGKgvBNQylMKhmRMfUhX3eBwrRc4UqZDYECh0CuC5GI/s200/25a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442354959825034066" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Big Sexy Hair - Volumizing Hairspray</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />This is an awesome spray for volume! I spray my hair before blow drying and it accomplishes that full look. I also use it before teasing sections of my hair - I recommend it to those in need of big hair :-)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></div>DreLynn Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553820530093922757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023646493527345738.post-84649853345697830812010-02-21T22:58:00.000-08:002010-02-21T23:35:58.155-08:00Master Cleanse - DAY FIVE<span style="font-family:arial;">When I first decided to do the Master Cleanse this time around, I knew from the beginning I would only do it for 5 days. I travel a lot, and it's not convenient to fast when food plays a big part in my social interaction with others haha. This past weekend was full of social eating, therefore, my cleanse was planned to end on a Thursday (Feb. 18th). Sorry for the late blog, I was on the road and busy with family and friends this entire weekend.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Day 5 was good. In fact, Day 4 and 5 were completely normal. I wasn't hungry and I felt perfectly fine. That morning, I woke up and salt water flushed as I normally would. I drank my lemonade throughout the day - even as I drove down to Phoenix. I met with friends for that "first meal" that evening. I eased into dinner with a glass of orange juice, then dug into a medium bowl of egg drop soup and a side of ginger sauteed vegetables. I was half way through the meal when I started to feel my stomach turn, my food was already digesting haha! It was good to eat :)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Nothing else really happened on Day 5, worth writing about, except that I tried on a new pair of Size 4 jeans -- THEY FIT!! I can't remember the last time I wore anything in Size 4 haha! I think the smallest I can remember wearing is a Size 7/8 in junior high! Needless to say, I felt good...<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTkpiTH6atRajVhgpmxWiAdDnYuV3UQqoHT97q-L6GJ2qRN8hHeB9rmCHrYH2dDJVB0oNNj287uQCEHkzll8KK5-8KiWestTIrvt8ES8t9tMuN0GBmLw7YjAa6nG4QK9D2jd22COw0iGE/s1600-h/P1200068.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 286px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTkpiTH6atRajVhgpmxWiAdDnYuV3UQqoHT97q-L6GJ2qRN8hHeB9rmCHrYH2dDJVB0oNNj287uQCEHkzll8KK5-8KiWestTIrvt8ES8t9tMuN0GBmLw7YjAa6nG4QK9D2jd22COw0iGE/s400/P1200068.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440967464187083234" border="0" /></a></span></span></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Taken two days after the Master Cleanse (2/20/10)</span><br /></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Today, three days after finishing my cleanse, I feel good! I've had more energy lately. I skimped on sleep for the past week or so, but I feel really good. My skin feels great, my hair feels livelier, and I feel lighter on my feet. I haven't eaten any meat yet, think I'll try to keep it like that for the most part. I'm quite satisfied with myself actually. This has been another goal obtained, I feel empowered to take on anything. There's much to be accomplish this year, and it feels good to make that conscious decision to make sure my body is up to the challenge!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Be blessed...<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Day 5 by the numbers:</span></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Lemonade consumed</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">:</span> 64oz <br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Pounds lost</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">:</span> 1.5 today, 11.25 lost total<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Measurements</span> </span></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >(bust, waist, hips)<span style="font-style: italic;">:</span> 36 in. x 27 in. x 37in.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Energy level</span> </span></span> <span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >(1-10 — 1=dead weight, 10=olympian)</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >: 10<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hunger level</span> </span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >(1-10 — 1=poster boy for famine, 10=fuck food)</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >: <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">10</span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><br /></span>DreLynn Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553820530093922757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023646493527345738.post-11883373965233756572010-02-17T20:22:00.000-08:002010-02-17T21:11:42.336-08:00Master Cleanse - DAY FOUR<span style="font-weight: bold;">9:22pm</span><br />Holy sheep! I got through Day 4 with no problem at all. I'm convinced that Day 3 is theee hardest. I did everything like I should, it's become such a routine! No more sinus congestion! I do sound like I am getting over a cold though, my voice is a little raspy from all the drainage. Other than that, I felt normal today! I'm sure I smell lol and my tongue still feels bleh but I'm bursting with energy. There's not much to report today :) On that note, I wanted to chit chat a bit before I sign-off to prepare for Day 5 tomorrow - my final day!! :)<br /><br />Today I woke up to a lot of inspired Twitter friends, wanting to start their own Master Cleanse :-) I encourage anyone to start it, the benefits are endless. I know that the losing weight can be a motivation to start the cleanse. I don't discourage anyone with this motivation from starting it, you will lose weight. However, its the overall cleansing that will help put you on that road to healthier eating and living - this was my experience with the Master Cleanse. Importantly, I can't stress enough to people thinking about trying it - do your research! Read the book - I have it if anyone needs the PDF emailed to them. Also, the <a href="http://themastercleanse.org/">Master Cleanse</a> and <a href="http://therawfoodsite.com/">Master Cleanse-Raw Food</a> website are very informative during the actual cleanse. I found the forums on those sites helpful during my first few cleanses. Nevermind what Beyonce says, lol do your own research.<br /><br />Today, I also heard a few people say the Master Cleanse was "wrong". I live a pretty healthy life I think. I'm active and eat good, yet, I do these cleanses when I feel the need to clean from within. I'm happy doing so, it's become another thing I do to keep healthy, IN and out! I've come to realize with my own body that I need a combination of things to keep my temple dope. I used to play college soccer, I know a lot about physical exercise. However, I also know that you can run marathons but if you aren't right with your nutrition and digestion... it won't mean a thing! I do me and you do you...<br /><br />Soo, I'm really excited for those that are starting this cleanse soon! I wanna hear the stories and details! It really will change your path to healthier eating. All your hard work during this cleanse will be your motivation to upkeep those insides lol. Clean colons save lives people! Haha! Good night lovers...<br /><br />Be blessed...<br /><br /><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Day 4 by the numbers:</span></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Lemonade consumed</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">:</span> 64oz <br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Pounds lost</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">:</span> 3.25 today, 9.75 lost total<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Measurements</span> </span></span><span style="font-size: 85%;">(bust, waist, hips)<span style="font-style: italic;">:</span> 36 in. x 27 in. x 37in.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Energy level</span> </span></span> <span style="font-style: italic; font-size: 85%;">(1-10 — 1=dead weight, 10=olympian)</span><span style="font-size: 85%;">: 9<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hunger level</span> </span></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-size: 85%;">(1-10 — 1=poster boy for famine, 10=fuck food)</span><span style="font-size: 85%;">: <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">10</span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>DreLynn Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553820530093922757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023646493527345738.post-71960799515558676482010-02-16T22:33:00.000-08:002010-02-16T23:59:26.582-08:00Master Cleanse - DAY THREE<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3tc6IHxc2o8nkAy2qINEJNLi48F3o8wDVVF7Ko9VmopN3nAHrhMnroKJ4rpocKTwUJNp4zTiKEOn97P3af0OCoYTPAcAW794ItvKQp084tPD0ENcLurlBEbFeOt1GEwRIyoF75lx1pLc/s1600-h/photo.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3tc6IHxc2o8nkAy2qINEJNLi48F3o8wDVVF7Ko9VmopN3nAHrhMnroKJ4rpocKTwUJNp4zTiKEOn97P3af0OCoYTPAcAW794ItvKQp084tPD0ENcLurlBEbFeOt1GEwRIyoF75lx1pLc/s200/photo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439104113883256930" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">11:00pm</span><br />Soo... I'm still at it! Today was the hardest of all days. I was beading until 3:30am this morning and woke up at 7:30am. I woke up because I felt like crap! I felt so congested and the sinus pressure was pretty intense. I can't take any medicine during this cleanse, however, I really avoid medicine already. Anyhow, I got up and knew that I needed to salt water flush stat! I always feel better after a flush. The salt water flush today was like all the others. This flush wasn't as solid as the others but it was just as gross. I fell back asleep shortly after I was finished flushing.<br /><br />I slept until 2:30pm. I was really tired. I slept hard, yet, my dreams have been pretty out there. I already have some weird ones sometimes, however, these were more vivid and I kind of felt outside myself during these ones. I woke up and needed to shower because I swear, I felt like there was a thin layer of residue all over my body. Not only that, I was starting to smell a "dead roses" smell! Haha, not sure if that was me but I wasn't trying to find out :-I A super hot shower helped clear out my sinuses and I scrubbed extra good! Following the shower, I noticed a rise in saliva production in my mouth today. Brushed my teeth for like the 4th time today, and that was the moment I noticed the thick white layer of crud on my tongue.<br /><br />All of the above symptoms are normal and expected. My body is definitely detoxing and excreting the grossness within. It's disgusting but it's awesome to know it's getting done! My hunger level is still manageable. My tummy was growling at the beginning of the day but everything else is mental. My family had Kentucky Fried Chicken for dinner... I have no interest in that garbage anyways so it was completely okay. I haven't had KFC for over 4yrs... I don't dig depressed chicken, no thanks!<br /><br />I'm still trying to finish the rest of this lemonade right now, then I'm heading to bed. Sinus pressure is my biggest complaint today, I almost feel like I have a cold? I know the feeling of "skinny" during these detoxes and I don't feel that yet haha. I can keep this going without feeling the need to eat my arm...<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Day 3 by the numbers:</span></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Lemonade consumed</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">:</span> 64oz <br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Pounds lost</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">:</span> 3 today, 6.5 lost total<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Measurements</span> </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;">(bust, waist, hips)<span style="font-style: italic;">:</span> 37 in. x 27 in. x 39in.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Energy level</span> </span></span> <span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(1-10 — 1=dead weight, 10=olympian)</span><span style="font-size:85%;">: 5 <br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hunger level</span> </span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(1-10 — 1=poster boy for famine, 10=fuck food)</span><span style="font-size:85%;">: <span style="font-weight: bold;">7</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>DreLynn Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553820530093922757noreply@blogger.com0