Virtual Makeover Blog Hop

Howdy Blessings!

So, I tend to think that I'm an okay looking creature 

[on my GOOD days].

I decided to try out this virtual makeover session you can do in the privacy of your own home.

Its on my website, and I thought I'd try it out...

since I never really fooled around with it before.

BEFORE PIC:

AFTER PIC:

So, I really didn't do too much with my makeup, 

since I like more of the natural look

but in the words of Dr. Emmett Brown...

GREAT SCOTT!!

Man, does my VIRTUAL hair look AMAZEballs!!!

I absolutely love everything about it:

the color and the style, the layers...[SIGH!]

I think I may have to show Jaybee [Hubby] to see what he thinks.

I think I may actually go from two professional hair appointments this year, to a whopping THREE to try this look out.

What do you think...YEA or Nay??

OH!!...

You know what would be an UBER fun idea?

Go to the Virtual Makeover page [ Here's the direct link: http://www.marykay.com/cbryant380/whatsnew/virtualmakeover/default.aspx?ab=sidenav_vmo]
and do one of yourself

[take yourself back to days of playing dress up...You know..."Back in the day when you were young, you're not a kid anymore, but some days you sit and wish you were kid again..."]

and link it back here in a blog post!!

Oh...well...I thought it was a good idea.

Awww...go on 'head! 

You know you want to.

Make sure you follow your host 

[that would be me, for the first time ever in life...

I'm a lil' geeked]

and make sure you link your MAKEOVER pic as your thumbnail.


Make sure you visit at least 3 other brave DIVAS and share some comment and follow love!

I can't wait to see everyone's makeovers..

this should be fun...

and some major tomfoolery.

Be Blessed <3

Partying with:
Show and Tell Saturday
SITS Saturday Sharefest

Wednesday Words of Wisdom

Yes, it is 10 minutes before midnight...SUE ME!...but you CANNOT say that I didn't post a Wednesday W.O.W. for you...this was another good thought that came from my Mary Kay hotline call today...MAN!!!...Thoughts are powerful...its kinda scary to think that your destiny can be controlled by your very own thoughts...and at the same time, kinda liberating too...and yet, also confusing if God already had my life's blueprint in the palm of his hand.


Thoughts? 

The Present is a Gift

With A LOT on my mind recently, I've been constantly thinking about my next move...


What should I do next with my life?...


I've been out of school since 2006, had two MORE amazing boys since then, held down my first ever-in-life full-time job for a year (hated it!), and now I'm at home with my 17month old and a church friend's daughter...


WHAT IN THE WORLD DO I DO NOW?!?

One day last week, as I was listening to my daily Mary Kay Million Dollar Message hotline, I was reminded of this thought...yes, I should be planning for the next stage of my life, but most importantly, I need to slow down, focus and ENJOY the present...

I need to remind myself that many do not have the present anymore...
and its a gift in itself that I do still have mine today, right now, as I'm typing this...

Don't let your gift get snatched...

The present is precious...Slow Down...Enjoy it...Live it...and take the time to thank God for it because you never know when you might lose it...

Be grateful for what you have, where you are, and who is in your life at this present moment.

Start Something Beautiful

Your life is whatever you dream for it to be...

Beauty, Business, and Future...

Beauty, Business, and Future...

all in one bag...

Who DOES that?!?

No one but 

Mary Kay Cosmetics.

I Think I Can Get Used To This...

- Weekday Dodger Games...

- Having Hubby around more...

- Sunbathing in the backyard, reading, blogging or booking parties as the kids play...

- Beach days to walk and watch the waves...

Nope...I CAN get used this...this lifestyle. It has me contemplating as to whether or not I should go back to the normal 9-5 j.o.b. (just over broke) or work for myself...
Being an entrepreneur was NEVER an option for me, but NOW its beginning to sound better and better the more I consider it.

We are called to live a life full of faith...but what does that look like for us as mothers and wives as it relates to us working...Of course, there's always the never-ending debate "To Work or Not To Work". The other side of the spectrum: working a job, is often seen as such a routine: doing the same thing that someone higher than you demands for you to do over and over, day in and day out as you wait for them to decide when is the right time to promote you for your job well done...I believe neither is better than the other, but that you must choose which option will be best for your family...a personal preference.

I've finally had my taste as a full-time working woman and I admit I didn't quite like it...well, it actually wasn't that bad...I liked feeling productive and needed on a grander scale.  Working as team and people relying on me to help achieve a common goal felt great and to top it all off...having grown folk conversations!...Now on the other hand, I had a HORRIBLE boss and I NEVER saw my family or had personal me time (although that's STILL hard to come by as a stay-at-home mom)...

[photo source]

So, I wanna know what you think?...Let's spark some discussion on that historic debate.  What's your preference if you had the chance to choose...would you be a Corporate Wonder Working Woman, a Mompreneur (work from home), or a Super Stay-at-Home Sassy Mama?

Free Microdermabrasion Giveaway for Memorial Day Weekend

In honor of Memorial Day, I'm giving away 2 Microdermabrasion Sets just for showing

 Pink Hugs & Blessings some L-O-V-E...

The Microderm Lowdown:

For those that don't have a CLUE of what I'm talking about, Microdermabrasion is a very powerful exfoliation treatment that  contains aluminum oxide crystals to help remove the top layer of dead skin cells to minimize and soften the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, helps smooth uneven rough skin, decreases scarring from acne and pore size, and reduces age spots. Since it unveils a new layer of skin after each use, it makes it easier for your high tech skin care products to penetrate your skin to build  collagen to give you a more youthful appearance....Microderm spa treatments normally cost you $100-$150 each session with an average of 6 monthly series of treatments...Crazy right?!?

Mary Kay's Microdermabrasion Set allows you to control the pressure of exfoliation, in the comfort of your own bathroom, and gives you about 30 series of treatments for only $55...SHUT UP!!

So...enough of all the "skin care 101" mumbo-jumbo...

Here's how you can win your very own full-size set...

Get 1 entry for each completed task:

1. Subscribe to Pink Hugs & Blessings blog
2. Like Pink Hugs & Blessings on Facebook
3. Add me (Christine/Xtinebee) on Twitter and Pinterest (gain up to 2 entries)
4. "Find Your Way to Beautiful" by subscribing to the                                      Beaut-e-News newsletter
5. Share this Giveaway on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest (gain up to 3 entries)

**That's right...that's 8 entries right there!**

And as my gift to you:

Receive 3 EXTRA ENTRIES when you treat yourself to something on my website and take advantage of one of my special offers to say THANK YOU...

1. 30% ALL Website Orders
2. FREE GIFT w/$40 (before tax) or more on website orders
3. The GIFT OF $40                                                                    (Pay ONLY $40 for all purchases totaling $70 before tax)
4. Free shipping & delivery

[Photo Source]

Can you get excited for the opportunity to have up to 

11 entries for your chance to win!?!?...

Make sure you leave a comment here on this blog post telling what tasks/offers you took advantage of and feel free to tell why you're most excited about winning the 

Mary Kay Microdermabrasion Set.

The winners will be announced on 

Wednesday May 30, 2012...

May the best TWO luckiest women win.

Happy Memorial Day!!

*Pink Hugs & Blessings*
Christine Bryant
Independent Beauty Consultant
www.marykay.com/cbryant380 

Mom & Pop Shops vs. Major Businesses

This is what happens when you support small business:

Thank you for your continued and future support in me and my Mary Kay Business!

...Twiddling Thumbs...

Life's Check List:

1. Marriage.............CHECK!

2. College Degree...CHECK!

3. Kids...(THREE of them, matter of fact)...(AND ALL BOYS)...CHECK!!!

...Now what??

Have you ever felt that way?...Oh no wait, you're going through this right NOW, you say?...Yeah, me too.

Remember playing MASH in middle school, and sad to say in high school, too?...MASH?...You remember MASH?!?  The game when you drew the huge never ending spiral in the center of the paper until someone yelled, "STOP," and the number of rings of the spiral indicated how many spaces you would go at a time in order to predict how many kids you'd have, who'd you marry, where'd you live, what car you'd drive, how much money you'd make, what kind of career you'd have...the list could go on depending on your categories...Ahhhh!...Yes, MASH (Mansion/Apartment/Shack/House)...now you remember.

Mine would always seem to come out looking something like this:

Kids: 20

Husband: Steve Urkel (or Micah Cheney, the BIGGEST nerd in the class)

Home: SHACK

Job:  Fast Food Drive-Thru Attendant

Money: Dirt Poor

Car: A Skateboard

City/Country: Africa, Mexico, South Central Los Angeles

All that to say, I'd take my three crazy boys ANY DAY over 20 rugrats, The AMAZING Mr. Jarrett Alan Bryant over Urkel or Micah, my rusty-dusty 2001 Ford Escape over a skateboard, and living with my parents...Oh...you didn't know that?...YES...a party of five living my "Parentals" AND my two siblings, and R.J., can't forget him...the family dog, over living in a shack...I guess.

So, here I am, a college grad and married with children and I hear countless discussions at church, among friends, the kid's school, the park, and the hair shop (when I can make it there, I'm a ponytail 365 days a year-type of girl) about how women can't wait to be married, want to finish school, wish they had kids...but see... I have all that...Now what??

I know that a career shouldn't define who you are...and plenty of moms are just as happy being home with their children...but I feel unaccomplished at times...I feel like I'm not doing anything...being at home isn't enough right now for me, especially knowing that I need to help financially right now.  So what's a girl to do?  Do I start looking for a  j-o-b (just over broke) or do I get on the grind and begin this Mary Kay hustle for real and stop seeing it as just a hobby anymore?

So...I never got back to my goals like I said I would in January...So I think I'll start there...set out my goals (personal and business) and make a plan for action...that will be my next assignment and my next blog entry...now for some accountability...I NEED some...whose got my back? Maybe you need some accountability as well...why don't you tell me your goals and aspirations and we'll hold one another accountable...I'd love to hear from you and what's on your heart to accomplish or get a move on...

...Great!...Now I wanna play MASH...any takers?

Feelin' Good...

 It's 1:18am and I'm still up...BOOOO! I should be knocked out but my mind keeps ticking about EVERYTHING...but long story short, about my 2012.  What I want it to look like, my goals I yearn to accomplish, my dreams I wish to shoot for, the new, improved, and better me I long to become. I know I need to get things together...my career, my aspirations, my family, my marriage...MY LIFE. And I KNOW it can't be done without God as my foundation for everything that I choose to do, first and foremost. I'm also coming to terms about my "weakest links" that keep slowing me down and keeping me great distance from being my best: procrastination, indecisiveness, fear, and ME (whomp whomp).

So...later today I'll be making my short term and long term goals for 2012 and posting them (accountability is needed and is a must for a sista).  Then I will be back with a plan of action to commit myself and to ensure I am on track to meeting my goals. 

Feeling Good is my 2012 song dedication to myself. I wasn't a fan of this song until Melanie tore down the house with it on X-Factor, especially since it had so much meaning behind it for her because of her upbringing and where she had physically and mentally came from...I connected to her and to the lyrics...

It's a new dawn

 a new day

a new life for me
And I'm feelin' good...

...about 2012.

Me, The Co-Creator of My Life??

So, while keeping up on my blogs that I read daily, I've been seeing this idea of "ME" being the "Co-Creator of My Life". I haven't quite understood what exactly this meant so I would pretty much breeze through that part, especially knowing that my Lord and Savior is THEE ONLY Creator of my life and yours.

Recently I've been on an emotional roller coaster as I'm undergoing "My Lessons of Life," AKA: My Circumstances, My Storms, Major Tomfoolery...LIFE!  I choose to refer to them as "My Life Lessons" because I choose to believe that God is not just allowing bad things to happen to me as I sit here questioning his motives as to why are these things occurring.  But instead, I know that God is teaching me important lessons to help live my life to the fullest, to help build me into the D.O.R.K. (Daughter Of The Righteous/Risen King) He wants me to be, to help me find and live my purpose in Life, and to better equip me with the godly characteristics that I need major work in.

So, for when my marriage is at a low, I could, and have many times, choose to feel like a complete loser and think, "Boo on my life," or I can thank God for the test (and for the testimony to come) and work my butt off on Acing It, so I don't have to struggle with this storm anymore. I look for the lessons in my circumstances, and trust and have faith in God, that He'll see me through since I know He does not give me anything that He knows I can't bear. 

So when I feel burnt out, like a loser, unloved, lonely, stressed...(ADD YOUR OWN HERE)...I choose NOT to!  I choose to change my way of thinking about the situation and choose to feel the POSITIVE feeling to the previous negative one I was just experiencing. 

I have learned this is what it means to be the Co-Creator of My Life.  I choose to feel loved, not lonely, to feel like a winner, to feel refreshed and blessed. Because I am fearfully and wonderfully made...

As Lady Gaga would say, "I'm on the right track baby, I was born this way" but only because God made ME and YOU to be nothing less...So why think and act like you are?

Choose to be the Change you wish to see.

*Pink Hugs & Blessings*

Mary Kay Featured in Essence June 2011

I <3 when I see Mary Kay products in magazines...because we are just THAT good. This is the new Time Wise Liquid Foundation (in a matte and luminous formula) that includes all the anti-aging fighting benefits that our skin care line also has...double the benefits!! This is Essence and the foundations are also featured in O Magazine, as well.