The *Best* Time

This past weekend I took a girls only trip. I am still gushing over what a great time I had. Still. Gushing.



We rode up to Vienna, VA to see Priscilla Shirer and her brother, Anthony Evans at the Going Beyond conference. Let me just tell you that I have played Anthony Evans' latest CD about a million times since Feb 12th. Best Valentine's gift. Seeing him lead worship was a most fabulous treat. He is an awesome worship leader. I am hoping to see him here in Raleigh this Friday. I know that's a little "stalkerish". Don't judge!


Priscilla delivered a great message. And the conference was interactive. We had quiet time. Yes, 2400 women having quiet time at the conference Friday night. Never had that happen. I loved it. The second day she taught us her technique for studying the Bible. And then we had to do it right there at the conference with 2-3 verses. Can you say incredible?


But y'all, the best part was hanging out with the three ladies I attended with. We had the best conversations. So many diverse topics were covered. We listened to a lot of Christian music on the drive up there. Two of the ladies had a cool app on their iPhones that allowed them to "grab" a sample of the song. From there I think they could get the CD information so they could purchase later. How cool is that?


I had my first visit to P.F. Changs. That place has great food and ambiance. It was great to sit down and break bread together after the conference. I think we were all still processing some stuff from Priscilla's teaching but we still had a great time.


I have to apologize, AGAIN, for my loud rooster alarm on my phone. But hey, we needed to get up anyway. LOL 4 women with one shower? Yeah, I think I can be forgiven. We had a good breakfast that we were all glad we did not have to cook. Don't hate. We're all moms so we were happy to get a break.


We did lunch at the conference and then headed home. What was outstanding was that we were having such stimulating conversation on the drive home (4+ hours) we never turned on the music! That's a first for me. I think I can speak for all of us when I say we truly enjoyed each others company. We're already planning our next road trip. Yep, I like this girlfriend time. It's the best. What a blessing!


So, when is the last time you took a girls trip? If you never have, where would you want to go and who would you want to take with you. Leave a comment with your answer. And as always, Be Blessed


Mari

Filling Up The Gas Tank

I'm on vacation from work this week. O HAPPY WEEK!!!! Yes it was time for a vacation. Everything and almost everyone was getting on my nerves. So, I'm home relaxing this week.


Let's see how relaxing this week. I'm doing laundry and running the oldest beauty to choir practice because she has a concert this week that I'll attend. I'm participating in the Muse Online Writers Conference while also trying to get some work done on one of my two works in progress (this one is an eight lesson bible study). Oh, did I mention my youngest beauty is still on break from school and so I'm spending some time with her when she's not texting or playing Toontown. Oh yeah, I'm also trying to beat my oldest beauty's score in Cafe World on Facebook. Hey, we're competitive like that. Makes for a strong mother-daughter bond.

Yep, I'm relaxing all right :)

But even with all that activity, I do feel relaxed. Why? Because I'm doing things I like, things I'm passionate about. Except the laundry. I am NOT passionate about laundry. Ever. Laundry aside, it is much more enjoyable to participate in activities you feel strongly about. Positive things create positive feelings and relieves stress.

I think that's why I love reading my Bible. There's so much hope there, so many places to go for encouragement, inspiration and instruction. I'll be spending a lot of time in my Bible this week. I know...one more thing on my "relaxing" schedule. It's much needed though. I need to fill up my spiritual gas tank before I return to Babylon, I mean work :)

How about you? Where is your spiritual gas tank this week? Full? Half Full? Running on empty? Fill up today. All it costs is a little time.

As always, be blessed!!

Shower Goodness

Have you ever gotten out of the shower and felt pampered and beautiful? I have. And it was with the help of some new Suave® Naturals body wash and moisturizing products.

Yes, Suave® . Usually that name speaks value to me. But the body washes I've been using speak the word luxurious to me!

The first time I used the Apricot Exfoliating Body Wash, which is infused with apricot and coconut extracts. YUM! I followed with a wonderful moisturizing lotion...Suave® Cocoa Butter with Shea Moisturizer. My skin felt FABulous.



I wanted to test another combination, you know, to be sure it wasn't a one time fluke LOL. Enter the Wild Cherry Blossom Indulgent Body Wash, which is infused with cherry blossom extracts and Vitamin E. I followed that with the Advanced Therapy Moisturizer. The result: Excellent!

If the body washes only smelled good, they would not be worth talking about! But they also feel great and truly moisturize and pamper you. I can't say enough about the lotions. I have very dry skin. Dry African-American skin turns white, like ash. Can I just tell you that I haven't had one ashy day since I started using these Suave products. So any lotion that can hold its own with my elbows, hands and knees is a keeper.

These products have even been endorsed by Holly Robinson Peete. See a few of her tips on pampering below :)

I want you to be able to share in my excitement about these products. So here's the deal.

Use this sweepstakes link to enter for weekly prizes from Suave® . The beauty of this sweepstakes is that you get to create a registry of prizes that you can win instantly. AND....you will be automatically entered to win the ultimate at home shower for you and your friends. Now that is pampering at its best! There's still a few weeks left so hurry on over and then come back for the second way I want to share. Go on! Click here and I'll be here waiting for you when you're done registering.

Are you back?

Good.

Now I happen to have a Suave® Ocean Breeze Refreshing Body Wash infused with mineral rich sea algae extract, a Suave® Naturals Wild Cherry Blossom Indulgent Body Wash and a Suave® Advanced Therapy Moisturizer available for one lucky reader. It will come complete with the tips sheet from Holly. Just leave me a comment with your email address letting me know what you look for in bath and body products. Winner will be drawn the old fashioned "names in a hat" way next Tuesday.

While you're waiting to win...enjoy one of Holly Robinson Peete's tips for summer pampering.




Trade in your daily shower for a relaxing bath that’s fit for a queen! Transform your bathroom into a private sanctuary by lighting an aromatherapy-inspired candle and playing your favorite tunes. Be sure to use Suave® Naturals Lavender Vanilla Calming Body Wash. The soothing scent of lavender will calm your senses and transport your mind to a tranquil oasis.


Shower yourself beautiful by hosting an at-home spa day. Invite girlfriends over for manicures and pedicures and paint fingers and toes summer-inspired shades of sorbet. Once nails are dry, generously apply a moisturizing body lotion to keep hands and feet soft and smooth all summer long.

Good Tips from Holly. Well I can't wait to see who's going to win my little giveaway. And if you happen to win the sweepstakes, let me know!

As always, be blessed...and pampered!

Mixers, Nite Outs and Girlfriends

One of the benefits I've found to connecting to women online is that you get a whole new set of girlfriends. Isn't even more fun when you get to meet them live and in person. I was able to do that recently with three fellow bloggers and twitter friends. I'm actually going to hang out with Carolina Mama tonight in Apex, NC at the National Moms' Nite Out event. I am very excited! And bless her heart, she actually interviewed me Tuesday on her blog as part of her Carolina Girls series. How cool is that?! Hopefully her blog recovers from that event! LOLOL

This will be our second time hanging out. The first time was at the Primrose At The Park Mixer in Morrisville. It is a wonderful preschool. If my girls were younger, I'd definitely have them there. The event was sponsored by the lovely Maria Bailey of Mom Talk Radio. The owner of Primrose At The Park, Leslie Grivalski, is a wonderful woman. I could tell she was passionate about the school, the kids and the parents. Her commitment to excellence is refreshing to me.

It was a great time meeting and getting to know other bloggers and twitter mamas! I'll give a shout out to @RealLifeSarah, @myGOMom @onemomsworld, @notimemom, @MomTalkRadio and of course @CarolinaMama. What fabulous women. I'm hoping we can arrange a tweet up (twitter talk for real life get together of twitter folks) soon. @RealLifeSarah and @onemomsworld live up in the mountains. I vote we meet there! I'm just saying.

Anyway, if you have younger kiddos, consider Primrose, if you have one in your area. Check out how cool it can be for your kids (see pics below). And check out National Mom's Nite Out. It's going on tonight, Thursday, May 7. There might be some mom fun going on in your area.

In the meantime, take a tiny glimpse inside Primrose. Enjoy! And blessings to you!

It is time to play a Wild Card! Every now and then, a book that I have chosen to read is going to pop up as a FIRST Wild Card Tour. Get dealt into the game! (Just click the button!) Wild Card Tours feature an author and his/her book's FIRST chapter!



You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Shelley Adina

and the book:

Be Strong and Curvaceous (All About Us Series, Book 3)

FaithWords (January 2, 2009)

Plus a Tiffany's Bracelet Giveaway! Go to Camy Tang's Blog and leave a comment on her FIRST Wild Card Tour for Be Strong and Curvaceous, and you will be placed into a drawing for a bracelet that looks similar to the picture below.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Shelley Adina is a world traveler and pop culture junkie with an incurable addiction to designer handbags. She knows the value of a relationship with a gracious God and loving Christian friends, and she's inviting today's teenage girls to join her in these refreshingly honest books about real life as a Christian teen--with a little extra glitz thrown in for fun! In between books, Adina loves traveling, listening to and making music, and watching all kinds of movies.



It's All About Us is Book One in the All About Us Series. Book Two, The Fruit of my Lipstick came out in August 2008. Book Three, Be Strong & Curvaceous, came out January 2, 2009. And Book Four, Who Made You a Princess?, comes out May 13, 2009.



Visit the author's website.





Product Details:



List Price: $ 9.99

Reading level: Young Adult

Paperback: 256 pages

Publisher: FaithWords (January 2, 2009)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0446177997

ISBN-13: 978-0446177993



AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

BE CAREFUL WHAT you wish for.



I used to think that was the dumbest saying ever. I mean, when you wish for something, by definition it’s wonderful, right? Like a new dress for a party. Or a roommate as cool as Gillian Chang or Lissa Mansfield. Or a guy noticing you after six months of being invisible. Before last term, of course I wanted those wishes to come true.



I should have been more careful.



Let me back up a little. My name is Carolina Isabella Aragon Velasquez . . . but that doesn’t fit on school admission forms, so when I started first grade, it got shortened up to Carolina Aragon—Carly to my friends. Up until I was a sophomore, I lived with my mother and father, my older sister Alana and little brother Antony in a huge house in Monte Sereno, just south of Silicon Valley. Papa’s company invented some kind of security software for stock exchanges, and he and everyone who worked for him got rich.



Then came Black Thursday and the stock market crash, and suddenly my mom was leaving him and going to live with her parents in Veracruz, Mexico, to be an artist and find herself. Alana finished college and moved to Austin, Texas, where we have lots of relatives. Antony, Papa, and I moved to a condo about the size of our old living room, and since Papa spends so much time on the road, where I’ve found myself since September is boarding school.



The spring term started in April, and as I got out of the limo Papa sends me back to Spencer Academy in every Sunday night—even though I’m perfectly capable of taking the train—I couldn’t help but feel a little bubble of optimism deep inside. Call me corny, but the news that Vanessa Talbot and Brett Loyola had broken up just before spring break had made the last ten days the happiest I’d had since my parents split up. Even flying to Veracruz, courtesy of Papa’s frequent flyer miles, and being introduced to my mother’s boyfriend hadn’t put a dent in it.



Ugh. Okay, I lied. So not going there.



Thinking about Brett now. Dark, romantic eyes. Curly dark hair, cut short because he’s the captain of the rowing team. Broad shoulders. Fabulous clothes he wears as if he doesn’t care where he got them.



Oh, yeah. Much better.



Lost in happy plans for how I’d finally get his attention (I was signing up to be a chem tutor first thing because, let’s face it, he needs me), I pushed open the door to my room and staggered in with my duffel bags.



My hands loosened and I dropped everything with a thud.



There were Vuitton suitcases all over the room. Enough for an entire family. In fact, the trunk was so big you could put a family in it—the kids, at least.



“Close the door, why don’t you?” said a bored British voice, with a barely noticeable roll on the r. A girl stepped out from behind the wardrobe door.



Red hair in an explosion of curls.



Fishnet stockings to here and glossy Louboutin ankle boots.



Blue eyes that grabbed you and made you wonder why she was so . . . not interested in whether you took another breath.



Ever.



How come no one had told me I was getting a roommate? And who could have prepared me for this, anyway?



“Who are you?”



“Mac,” she said, returning to the depths of the wardrobe. Most people would have said, “What’s your name?” back. She didn’t.



“I’m Carly.” Did I feel lame or what?



She looked around the door. “Pleasure. Looks like we’re to be roommates.” Then she went back to hanging things up.



There was no point in restating the obvious. I gathered my scattered brains and tried to remember what Mama had taught me that a good hostess was supposed to do. “Did someone show you where the dining room is? Supper is between five and six-thirty, and I usually—”



“Carrie. I expected my own room,” she said, as if I hadn’t been talking. “Whom do I speak to?”



“It’s Carly. And Ms. Tobin’s the dorm mistress for this floor.”



“Fine. What were you saying about tea?”



I took a breath and remembered that one of us was what my brother calls couth. As opposed to un. “You’re welcome to come with me and my friends if you want.”



Pop! went the latches on the trunk. She threw up the lid and looked at me over the top of it, her reddish eyebrows lifting in amusement.



“Thanks so much. But I’ll pass.”



Okay, even I have my limits. I picked up my duffel, dropped it on the end of my bed, and left her to it. Maybe by the time I got back from tea—er, supper—she’d have convinced Ms. Tobin to give her a room in another dorm.



The way things looked, this chica would probably demand the headmistress’s suite.



* * *



“What a mo guai nuer,” Gillian said over her tortellini and asparagus. “I can’t believe she snubbed you like that.”



“You of all people,” Lissa agreed, “who wouldn’t hurt someone’s feelings for anything.”



“I wanted to—if I could have come up with something scathing.” Lissa looked surprised, as if I’d shocked her. Well, I may not put my feelings out there for everyone to see, like Gillian does, but I’m still entitled to have them. “But you know how you freeze when you realize you’ve just been cut off at the knees?”



“What happened to your knees?” Jeremy Clay put his plate of linguine down and slid in next to Gillian. They traded a smile that made me feel sort of hollow inside—not the way I’d felt after Mac’s little setdown, but . . . like I was missing out on something. Like they had a secret and weren’t telling.



You know what? Feeling sorry for yourself is not the way to start off a term. I smiled at Jeremy. “Nothing. How was your break? Did you get up to New York the way you guys had planned?”



He glanced at Gillian. “Yeah, I did.”



Argh. Men. Never ask them a yes/no question. “And? Did you have fun? Shani said she had a blast after the initial shock.”



Gillian grinned at me. “That’s a nice way of saying that my grandmother scared the stilettos off her. At first. But then Nai-Nai realized Shani could eat anyone under the table, even my brothers, no matter what she put in front of her, so after that they were best friends.”



“My grandmother’s like that, too,” I said, nodding in sympathy. “She thinks I’m too thin, so she’s always making pots of mole and stuff. Little does she know.”



It’s a fact that I have way too much junk in my trunk. Part of the reason my focus is in history, with as many fashion design electives as I can get away with, is that when I make my own clothes, I can drape and cut to accentuate the positive and make people forget that big old negative following me around.



“You aren’t too thin or too fat.” Lissa is a perfect four. She’s also the most loyal friend in the world. “You’re just right. If I had your curves, I’d be a happy woman.”



Time to change the subject. The last thing I wanted to do was talk about my body in front of a guy, even if he belonged to someone else. “So, did you guys get to see Pride and Prejudice—The Musical? Shani said you were bribing someone to get tickets.”



“Close,” Gillian said. “My mom is on the orchestra’s board, so we got seats in the first circle. You’d have loved it. Costume heaven.”



“I would have.” I sighed. “Why did I have to go to Veracruz for spring break? How come I couldn’t have gone to New York, too?”



I hoped I sounded rhetorical. The truth was, there wasn’t any money for trips to New York to see the hottest musical on Broadway with my friends. Or for the clothes to wear once I got there—unless I made them myself.



“That’s it, then.” Gillian waved a grape tomato on the end of her fork. “Next break, you and Lissa are coming to see me. Not in the summer—no one in their right mind stays in the city in July. But at Christmas.”



“Maybe we’ll go to Veracruz,” Lissa suggested. “Or you guys can come to Santa Barbara and I’ll teach you to surf.”



“That sounds perfect,” I said. Either of Lissa’s options wouldn’t cost very much. New York, on the other hand, would. “I like warm places for my winter holidays.”



“Good point,” Gillian conceded. “So do I.”



“Notice how getting through the last term of junior year isn’t even on your radar?” Jeremy asked no one in particular. “It’s all about vacations with you guys.”



“Vacations are our reward,” Gillian informed him. “You have to have something to get you through finals.”



“Right, like you have to worry,” he scoffed, bumping shoulders with her in a chummy way.



“She does,” Lissa said. “She has to get me through finals.”



While everyone laughed, I got up and walked over to the dessert bar. Crème brulée, berry parfaits, and German chocolate cake. You know you’re depressed when even Dining Services’ crème brulée—which puts a dreamy look in the eyes of just about everyone who goes here—doesn’t get you excited.



I had to snap out of it. Thinking about all the things I didn’t have and all the things I couldn’t do would get me precisely nowhere. I had to focus on the good things.



My friends.



How lucky I was to have won the scholarship that got me into Spencer.



And how much luckier I was that in two terms, no one had figured out I was a scholarship kid. Okay, so Gillian is a scholarship kid, too, but her dad is the president of a multinational bank. She thinks it’s funny that he made her practice the piano so hard all those years, and that’s what finally got her away from him. Who is my father? No one. Just a hardworking guy. He was so proud of me when that acceptance letter came that I didn’t have the heart to tell him there was more to succeeding here than filling a minority quota and getting good grades.



Stop it. Just because you can’t flit off to New York to catch a show or order up the latest designs from Fashion Week doesn’t mean your life is trash. Get ahold of your sense of proportion.



I took a berry parfait—blueberries have lots of antioxidants—and turned back to the table just as the dining room doors opened. They seemed to pause in their arc, giving my new roommate plenty of time to stroll through before they practically genuflected closed behind her. She’d changed out of the fishnets into heels and a black sweater tossed over a simple leaf-green dress that absolutely screamed Paris—Rue Cambon, to be exact. Number 31, to be even more exact. Chanel Couture.



My knees nearly buckled with envy.



“Is that Carly’s roommate?” I heard Lissa ask.



Mac seemed completely unaware that everyone in the dining room was watching her as she floated across the floor like a runway model, collected a plate of Portobello mushroom ravioli and salad, and sat at the empty table next to the big window that faced out onto the quad.



Lissa was still gazing at her, puzzled. “I know I’ve seen her before.”



I hardly heard her.



Because not only had the redhead cut into line ahead of Vanessa Talbot, Dani Lavigne, and Emily Overton, she’d also invaded their prime real estate. No one sat at that table unless they’d sacrificed a freshman at midnight, or whatever it was that people had to do to be friends with them.



When Vanessa turned with her plate, I swear I could hear the collective intake of breath as her gaze locked on the stunning interloper sitting with her back to the window, calmly cutting her ravioli with the edge of her fork.



“Uh oh,” Gillian murmured. “Let the games begin.”







© 2008 by Shelley Adina.



Used by permission of the author and Hachette Book Group USA.

My Review:

This is a young adult book that appealed to this "older adult". I've not read the first two books in the series. However, Ms. Adina certainly gives you enough information in this novel to give you a fairly good idea about what has gone on in the lives of the main characters.

The focus in this book is on the character named Carly. She is attending an exclusive boarding school on scholarship because she checked Mexican on her application and in her own words, filled a minority quota. She struggles with keeping up appearances that she is as rich as the next person attending Spencer. She has strong friendships with several Christian girls and they accept her as is. But then, they don't know her secret. Carly will do whatever she can to make sure they never know she's a scholarship student.

In this book, Carly gets a roommate who happens to be royalty. She also gets under the skin of the school mean girl. Carly has to make a decision whether to ignore Mac or befriend her. A difficult and frightening situation Mac finally reveals to Carly seals the decision and the adventure keeps going from there. Several surprising twists and turns. I was impressed.

Interwoven into this is the story of Carly's dream of being a fashion designer and how that dream will be impacted by a school event. And what good young adult book would leave out a romance? I had mixed feelings about her love interest until the very end when his true character was revealed. I'll let you rad it yourself so you can learn the lesson Ms. Adina wove into the story about judging others (well at least I got a lesson out of it!).

All in all, this was a good read. I will say that I had to backtrack a few times in the beginning chapters because of a few run-on sentences. But after that, it was smooth sailing and good reading. If you are young or young at heart, I think you will enjoy this book.

Labor Meme

I'm playing along with Rocks In My Dryer today with a little labor meme.

How long were your labors?

Daughter #1, 20 hours.
Daughter #2, 2.5 days
Daughter #2 started labor on July 4 and did not decide to come out until July 6. The pains kept coming close, spacing out. I was SO tired by the time she came I was just like, evict her NOW! She's still slow

How did you know you were in labor?
Daughter #1, excruciating pain radiating to my back. I wanted to die.
Daughter #2, excruciating pain, radiating to my back. The pains would come close but not close enough to go to hospital, stay that way for 4-5 hours and then space out. I wanted to die.


Where did you deliver?
Two different teaching hospitals in Chicago.

Drugs?
Well now, here is the rub. With Daughter#1 I wanted drugs becaue I was in so much pain. The nurse said, "Okay, as soon as we break your water." My water hadn't broken and the pains were already off the chart on that monitor thing they hook you up to. It was kind of odd that I was only 4 cm. So they broke my water and I asked for my drugs. BUT... I suddenly felt the urge to push. The nurse came back and said "Oh mommy, we cannot have drugs now because you are now 9 cm and we need to deliver the baby now. " My response? "Who the heck is WE? I want the drugs, NOW!" But no, I could not get them. I was not happy. I tried to jump off the table to choke the drugs out of the nurse but hubby would not let me. I blame the pain for said behavior.

With Daughter #2 I was very tired. I mean really, 2.5 days of dealing wtih labor pains? I wanted drugs. I needed drugs. My precious husband, who was trying to be encouraging, said, "You are strong. You can do this without drugs, just like with daughter #1. " Ummm, that was *not* the right answer. I looked at the doctor and said "I'm tired and in pain. Get me that epidural, NOW!" I meant that in the nicest way :) And I blame the pain for said behavior.

C-section?
Nope

Who delivered?

Both by doctors.
Daughter #1 was delivered by a woman OBGYN.

Daughter #2 was delivered by a male OBGYN that I inherited when his female partner left the practice. I was too far along to go looking for a new practice. He did a good job. He didn't mind when I called him on July 6 and said, "I want her out now. If she's not here in 2 hours, I am coming to your house. I know where you live." I meant that in the nicest way :) I blame the pain for said behavior.

Come play along. Stop by Rocks In My Dryer, leave a comment with a link to your meme post.

Happy Labor Day!

Coolness

Coolness. I've received my first bloggy award. A big thank you and grin to Beachy Mimi for giving me this great award. (Waving at Beachy Mimi) It is the Arte y Pico award. Niiiiicccceeee.


I feel so privileged! I'd like to thank all my bloggy friends for their love and support. You like me, you really like me!


So now for the business part:



The rules for this award are:

1) You must pick 5 blogs that you consider deserve this award, based upon creativity, design, interesting material, and that also contribute to the blogger community.

2) Each award must have the name of the author with a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.

3) Award-winners must show the award and put the name and link to the blog that awarded it.

4) Award-winners and the one who has given the prize must show the link to the Arte y Pico blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award.

5) These rules must be included in your post.

Oh me oh my. This is hard. Just 5? I can only pick 5? Wow. I hope no one gets offended ::wringing hands:: I'll try to pick those who I think haven't received it before, but deserve it IMHO. Okay here goes:

Prayer Gifts (Lee)

Runner Mom (Susan)

Shabby Olde Potting Shed (Lea)

Ponderings (Joy)

Living for Him (Lisalyn)

Congratulations to all the winners! Be sure to stop by their blogs to congratulate them and be blessed by their wit and wisdom.