Showing posts with label USA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label USA. Show all posts

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Pageviews & Gratitude


Today I hit 1000+ pageviews of my blog from 14+ countries! It seems like a milestone worth celebrating. I am amazed and humbled at the reach my simple words have had, and the ability to hone my skills as a writer.
Thank you so much for all the support! :) I can't wait to share all of my Swiss adventures with you! 
T-Minus 19 days!
xoxo,
     Rebecca

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Beauty Is Pain?

Oh mah gosh.

Today I went and got my lower legs and underarms waxed for the first time. My beautiful friend Sarah is a student at Aveda and is currently raising money to go to New York Fashion Week! I figured I could kill two birds with one stone, you know, support my friend, and get mah smooooth on ;) haha. 


HOLY. SHIITAKE. MUSHROOMS.

I feel like the screaming pain my calves were experiencing is the pain that guys think a Brazilian wax is like; dude, I will take a full Brazilian wax over legs any day of the week. My poor friend had to deal with all my screaming and head shaking hahaha, I'm sure it was hilarious. 

*Side Note: So the manager/teacher came in and informed us that some dude was getting a facial across the way... "I know it hurts, but...." Oh, you are not serious right now lady. You're telling the woman getting hair ripped out of her skin to shut up!? Maybe you shouldn't have the waxing station and the facial station NEXT TO EACH OTHER! 

Anyway, my legs feel fine now, but I may just stick to shaving. I am NOT looking forward to doing that ever again... although, the first time is always the worst... *shrug* we shall see. Underarms weren't as bad, but they're still a bit sore. It's nice to be all smooth though! 

If you're in the Provo area, hit up Aveda Institute (ask for Sarah! she did a FABULOUS job) for hair, makeup, waxing, facials, etc. Treat yourself! You deserve it! :) 

xoxo,
     Rebecca

Friday, July 4, 2014

God Bless the USA!


I'm so blessed, and so grateful to call America my homeland. I hope you all have a safe and happy Independence Day! :) 
xoxo,
     Rebecca

Thursday, June 26, 2014

"In all thy ways acknowledge Him..."

I had an epiphany today. 

I'm often surprised at how capable I am at blowing personal development epically out of proportion.  What should I do? Where should I go? Who should I be? These kinds of questions have haunted me ever since I graduated high school and began my journey in the world of "higher education." So much time and exhaustive effort was put into trying to figure it all out. Something about our society - I'm unsure if it's an American thing, or a world thing - seems to put a time limit on "self-discovery."  Like if you don't know what your grand contribution to the world is going to be by the time you graduate from college, you're some kind of deadbeat who's living on welfare and tax-payer's dollars. 

Uh, ok... thanks world.

I've always been so jealous of friends and other random people, who divulge that they "always knew" they wanted to be a *blank*, or they knew from the time they were *blank* years old that they wanted to go into *blank*. When I was young, all I wanted was a little brother or sister, and for my brothers to live with me in the same house (neither of which happened). I also had massive interest in extending my bedtime, getting my parents to let me watch pg-13 movies, and begging for a dog (none of which happened either). I wish I'd had that kind of foresight in my life; I don't think my curious little self could comprehend the idea of choosing ONE thing to do and be forever, when so many things fascinated me, especially with my parents encouraging me to be involved in so many diverse activities. To some degree, I still don't understand it, but maybe this has allowed me to be open minded towards opportunities that have come my way because I didn't have a set plan, although I certainly did try to come up with one. I still do it now, as I think about pursuing a Master's degree someday and not really knowing which direction I want to go with it. There are so many variables and possible outcomes!

The beautiful thing though, is that God knows your greatness. 

If you are doing what you're supposed to, and you seek Him out, willing to hand your life over to Him, He's going to use you to achieve His purposes. You don't need to stress (like me - I'm a worrier and a planner) about figuring out who you are or what you should do with your life. If you are proactively and eagerly engaged in seeking out and doing His will, God's not gonna just let you sit on a shelf collecting dust - He'll put you to good use. 

"In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." - Proverbs 3:6

I wrote this in my scriptures during my Seminary years of high school:

"If I want to receive an answer to my prayers then I must be willing to place my life and future in the hands of the Lord. I must be willing to give everything I have to Him. I must be patient."

The loudness of the world creates a mind full of chaos and doubt, but in the core of my being, I know that I'm doing alright because I am TRYING. Besides, "the best way to predict the future, is to create it."
xoxo,
     Rebecca


This is a video a friend of mine shared on Facebook. It's mind-blowing. This is what initiated my thinking leading into this lil' epiphany of mine. Have a look! 


Sunday, June 22, 2014

Weight-Loss & Victoria's Secret

Holy moly, where do I start!? :)
I lost 6 lbs this week! Woo hoo! #highfiveforme 

I lost SIX of these! WOO HOO! :D

I'm so proud of myself! All I've done is cut portion sizes WAY down, and I cut out grains (ie bread, cereal, pasta etc...). I still allow myself a treat on occasion - like chocolate pudding, YUM - and I try not to drink anything but water ---> I don't want to drink my calories! I also try to carry around healthy snacks with me in my purse such as walnut/almond mix, cucumber slices, carrots... apparently it's working! Which is fantastic because when I get to Switzerland I want to taste/eat all the delicious food (in moderation, of course)!

Anyway, I've also stocked up on some new swimwear because unfortunately, my old VS swimsuit has been ruined from the chlorine in the gym pool. BOO ...but yay for shopping! haha. 

Check out these awesome VS products I found - click on the caption(s) for direct links to each item: 
Victoria's Secret Forever Sexy Tie Front Tankini (Color: Ink Blot)

I got the bottoms shown in the pictures above and below, in these colors which I thought would look really cute with the dark blue tanktop:
Victoria's Secret Forever Sexy Foldover Bottom (Color: Black/White Dot)

Victoria's Secret Forever Sexy Foldover Bottom (Color: Coral Blaze)

If you love VS or PINK products and you aren't already subscribed for their emails, I highly recommend you get on that - they send fabulous promo codes for extra savings; all of these products were on sale, and I had promo codes for an additional 20% off and free shipping. AWESOME.

I also found these cute Hurley swim shorts on Zappos that I thought would work really well with the dark blue tankini top as well:
Hurley Supersuede Printed Beachrider (Color: Midnight Navy Skeleton)


Hurray for summer, healthier living, and cute new swimwear! 


xoxo,
     Rebecca