Beverly’s Favorite Things

How are you doing? Can you believe that April is just about over? I can’t! Time is clicking along, isn’t it? I do hope you have had a wonderful 4 months of 2019. We have so much to be thankful for….even when things don’t go smoothly. A good example is my moms recent accident. I wrote about it on my last post. I thank the Lord everyday that it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. She had seven stitches above her eye after a bad fall. But….no broken bones, no skull fractures, no pain! You read that right…no pain! The doctor ordered her a couple of medications and she didn’t even get them filled. She has some strong bones and a strong head. -wink

I thought it would be fun to do a quick little post of some of the latest things that I have purchased or ordered online and fallen in love with.

I love purses….but, it is so hard to find a really good purse that feels good as you carry it and doesn’t weigh too much on my arm. Plus, it has to look really cute.

I purchased this bag when we were in Hilton Head, SC a few weeks ago. I made my first visit to a store called Spartina! Yes, I fell in love with their bags and jewelry. I even bought a scarf that has pictures of Texas landmarks on it, not to mention a few pieces of jewelry. I’l share those another time. Click here to go to their site.

As I was walking through Dillards in Austin last weekend, I spotted a purse on the sale table. I couldn’t leave the store without it and I’ve really loved carrying it. It is lightweight and holds everything I need and the size is just right….as in baby bear’s comment in Goldilocks. Anyway…here is a link to the purse. I’m not able to copy and paste the picture from the site, so you will have to go check it out. Sorry about that! I got it in hot pink! 🙂

I am not a huge fan of salads. But….when I do eat a salad, I like it to be chopped as much as possible. I found this fun little gadget on Amazon. It works really good. You put all of your lettuce and veggies in the bowl and then just cut through all the little slits and voila….you have a chopped salad. Easy and no mess!

Also from Amazon, I purchased a digital scale. I’m ALWAYS working on weight loss issues it seems and when I read about this scale, I thought…this might help me stay motivated with all the bells and whistles. I used it first thing this morning. You set up your bluetooth and you will have all kinds of charts and graphs of things I have never even knew about. Let’s just say that after I weighed this morning…my eyes were opened to a couple of things that made me think…..I need to be more intentional and serious about this little project of mine. Or should I say, hobby. Does anyone get so tired of having weight issues hanging over your head? I sure do! The scale readings made me think more of health than actually losing weight to look better. Okay enough of that…we can talk weight issues later. Here is a link to the scale I purchased.

I’m always buying books. I read them and if I really loved them, I keep them and if I’m ready to say goodbye, I put the read books in a large basket designated for just books. I usually take them to the library and donate them and I recently was told that I should take them to a used bookstore and sell them. I may try that next time my basket gets full. Here is the last book I purchased. I haven’t read it yet, but I can’t wait to go through it. Click here to check it out on Amazon. I love organizing and I’m always attracted to organizing books!

I’m also a fan of beauty treatments. I know, you can’t really tell, but, I am! I’m always trying the latest when it comes to skin care, hair care and make-up. This is the last thing I purchased. Still trying it out. I’ve noticed that the older we get, our neck looks different. Or is it just me? Anyway, I purchased a neck serum off of QVC forever ago and my neck looks the same and I keep thinking, “when is this stuff going to run out?” I gave up and purchased this item. Click here to read about it. We will see how my neck looks when the jar is empty. -wink

A couple of years ago, I ordered a few things from this company. I was excited to hear that one of my favorite speakers in women’s ministry, Debbie Stuart, is doing an online Bible study with one of this company’s products. I ordered the book from Daily Grace Company and I look forward to doing the study.

Thanks for following along with me and reading about my latest purchases! I only share the things that I like. I don’t give negative reviews….if I don’t like something, I do away with it and never mention it again. Except for the never ending neck serum. It smells good and feels good….I just haven’t seen a difference. Maybe I’m not using enough and that is why it’s lasting FOREVER!

Until next time,

My Self-Improvement Class with Miss Texas!

A few years ago, okay, maybe many years ago, I was happily going along in my first year of marriage trying to figure out how to be the perfect wife.  I saw an ad for a class being offered in the home of a previous Miss Texas.  She was teaching on self-improvement.  She would cover things like, make-up application, hair care, confidence, etc.  This was right up my ally as I loved things like this.  I never thought of myself as pretty and I was always looking for ways to learn new things to present myself better.

I called my bff, Tammy!  What fun she was.  We had just become close friends and we were always getting into something.  We often referred to ourself as Lucy and Ethel.  We had taken a sewing class together and I’ll have to share that one someday, but, today, I felt led to share this little story of our self improvement class with Miss Texas.  Can you imagine, sitting down with a Miss Texas and have her share all of her secrets?  What fun this was going to be.

Since it was 37 years ago, I don’t remember all of the teachings, but, two main things have stayed in my mind for…..37 years!  Matter of fact, as I was washing my hair this morning, it went through my mind again.  So, naturally, I had to write about it.

Tammy and I had our notepads all ready to take down important notes as we gleaned wisdom from this beautiful lady that had won a title in the Miss Texas pageant.

One lesson that was planted in my brain for 37 years was about… my hair.  Trust me when I say that I have struggled with my hair.  I have very thick and course hair.  When I would put my hair in pony tails, I would usually break the rubber band due to trying to get it in my hair.  I would roll my hair each morning on electric rollers and my hair was so heavy it would be straight within a few hours.

While in high school the latest rage was to frost your hair.  Yep, I went for it.  So many hours of sitting with that cap on my head as someone would dig into my scalp to pull a small strand of hair out of the little bitty holes in the cap.  I can still hear that sound and feel the pain when the metal pick went into my scalp.  The thing about frosting your hair, you need to keep it up as it won’t look good as it is growing out.  I learned that lesson pretty fast.

My hair is a dark blonde and the small bit of frosting I would do gave it just a bit of lightness that I loved.

Also, during that first year of marriage, I went to a hairstylist that gave me a Dorthy Hamill haircut.  Whew, it was short, but I liked it.  Easy to keep and style.  My thick hair was perfect for that style.  I’m being brave and sharing this picture from that “era.”  I should have attended the session on eyebrows!  What in the world!  What happened to my eyebrows!  Okay, I know what happened.  My aunt who was very beautiful had very thin eyebrows and I admired them as my eyebrows were huge!  Evidently, I wanted eyebrows like my aunt.  Ouch!

 

Okay, back to the class and the session on hair.  The first question that was asked was, “Who colors their hair or frosts their hair?”  I raised my hand and all of the sudden I felt like I was alone.  Miss Texas then said, “Well, I have virgin hair, so I don’t know anything about coloring.”  All of the sudden I felt really embarrassed about my hair.  Virgin Hair?  What in the world did that mean?  I began thinking about it while she was talking and of course I couldn’t tell you a thing what she said after her statement about virgin hair.  I felt like a hussy (aka Harlot) all of the sudden, me and my non-virgin hair.  I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.

After Tammy and I talked about it, we had a pretty good laugh and joked about it for a long time.

The next class was coming up and me and my non-virgin hair showed up for the session on voice.  I needed this one for sure evidently because as soon as I told her my name, Miss Texas immediately handed me a 4 page handout with a script on it.  She said that I needed to lower my voice and not talk so high and soft.  I have always known this was a problem for me.  I had been made fun of for many years for my voice.  It is very soft and quiet.  I took the script home and I practiced it for a week in a lower voice and a bit louder.  When we went back to the next session that next week, I was ready.  She asked if I had worked on it.  I did, but, as I started reading, my voice was no different…..I think I was so nervous and fearful of not sounding correct, I lost everything in my brain that I had worked on.  She wasn’t that happy with me and moved on to the next subject.

I was failing my self-improvement course quickly.

When I told my husband about it, he simply told me to not worry about my voice.  He liked my voice just how it was.  So that settled that.

The last class was approaching and it was on make-up application.  I had really wanted to go to it, but, I had to be at church that night.  So my fun friend, Tammy, went alone.  She came by the house when I was home later that night and was fuming.  First of all when I saw her, I started laughing.  She had so much make-up on that all we could do was laugh.  The only words that I remember her saying is, “I feel like I look like a clown and you weren’t there to go through this last session together!”  I let my friend down to walk her through the craziness of make-up application by a Miss Texas.  I apologized and we laughed some more and I even laugh today when it pops into my head about that crazy course on Self-Improvement by Miss Texas.

Life is so much fun when you have a BFF that will do all those crazy things with you and you have a husband that tells you that he loves you just the way your are when you come home in tears from a self improvement class by a Miss Texas!

I still go and have my hair highlighted (not frosted)  and I can safely say that a hair appointment doesn’t go by that I don’t hear Miss Texas say, “Well, I have no idea, I have virgin hair.”

All that to say, I’ve come along way since my Miss Texas class on self improvement.  She was a beautiful young lady and had much wisdom to share.  I was a shy girl with low self esteem and I never believed anyone when they told me I was pretty.  Today, I still work on the areas that I need help in and I’m always willing to learn something new.  I still struggle with my hair and I think I have control on my eyebrows now.  I have the assurance that my husband loves me just how I am even when I don’t have any make-up on and my hair needs highlights.  I am a firm believer in being the best YOU possible, but, sometimes I see many going overboard in that area.  I work hard at not getting caught up so much that I’m heading to the local botox place.  Well, if I weren’t so afraid of needles and doctor offices, it could cross my mind!  We watch movies and look at pictures of celebrities and we  admire the beautiful people we see and the truth is they are so plumped up with botox and make up and then filtered that we don’t see the real person.  We want to compare ourselves to that picture.  The same is on social media.  Everything looks so perfect and beautiful.  We might be surprised at what the real version looks like.  Don’t get me wrong.  I like making things look beautiful. My home, my life and even myself as hard as that is sometimes.  But, sometimes things aren’t perfect and beautiful.

When we are secure in who we are and that we were created and formed by an amazing creator, we don’t have to get so caught up in being perfect and look just right.  He takes all that un-beautifulness and turns it in to something amazing for His glory.

When we have been saved and redeemed by Jesus Christ we want to present the best us that we can, so we can share the love of Christ to others.

We can use our voice regardless how quiet or loud it is to share the good news of a Savior who came to die on the cross for our sin and give us an eternal life.

Let what is in your heart shine through and the beauty will be unstoppable.  Even botox can’t compare to a real peace and love that shines through your eyes, your voice, your attitude and your life.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,

I know that full well. -Psalm 139:14

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Linking this post with A Wise Woman Builds Her Home

Help Me, Jesus! I have nothing to wear! – Book Review

I’m so excited to share with you a book review of a book that I have read before and I just finished reading it for the second time.

 

If you love fashion, you will love this book. If you don’t really enjoy reading or thinking about fashion, but you want to look your best at all times, you will love this book!

 

A little backstory…

 

When I was a teen, I loved fashion and read everything I could get my hands on. I made many of my own clothes, so I spent a lot of time looking at patterns and studying different styles. At one time I had wanted to attend a school called Bauder Fashion College. I dreamed of being a fashion designer. But, that dream was short lived, as there was no way I could have ever been able to afford to go to a special school such as that. Which all in all, it really wasn’t the Lord’s plan for my life anyway. It didn’t stop me from always staying on top of fashion. Granted, as a pastor’s wife of small churches, I was fortunate to have a couple of outfits to work with. Over the years, I did the best I could on our budget to dress my family and myself.

 

I had recently reserved a spot on a cruise for my mom and I to travel to the Caribbean. This was a cruise with a group called, Cruise Chics. It is a group of Christian women who travel together. While on the cruise there would be workshops on the subject of fashion with my favorite Image Stylist, Shari Braendel.

 

I came down with a horrible cold/flu and didn’t think I should chance getting on the ship with a terrible cough. While I was resting and blowing my nose, I decided to read Shari’s book again. The information is so good; I just had to share it with you.

 

Several years ago, I had bought a book called, “Good Girls Don’t Have to Dress Bad” by Shari Braendel. I loved everything I read and called her up and asked her to come speak to the ladies of the church that I attended. She came and taught at a conference with our ladies. I loved it! She stayed in our home and what a treat she was. She was so much fun and such a godly woman. You can learn so much from women such as Shari.

 

Since that time, Shari’s book has been updated and the title has changed to, “Help Me, Jesus! I have nothing to wear!” I would encourage you to purchase this book and if you aren’t able to, hopefully, I can share enough to help you take a look at your fashion issues. I will just highlight her teachings and then if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to visit her site or maybe, just maybe, I can help out somehow. I will provide links to the various sites that will give you more information at the end of this post.

 

Are you ready? Here we go….

 

The first step is determining your body type. Shari has four categories that we will fit in. When you are in one of her workshops, Shari will ask you to think about where it is that you gain weight the most. For me, it’s my hips and thighs. Bummer…anyway, that makes me a D Body Type. If you gain in your tummy, you are a B body type. For those that gain up top, you are an O. For those that are evenly balanced and you gain evenly all over, you are an X. How easy is that! So, whatever you body type is, there are certain ways that you can dress that will balance you out so it doesn’t draw attention to those areas that you don’t want to “fluff” out. By the way, you don’t say “fat,” you use the word “fluff.” There are so many tips in this chapter; I’m thinking you need the book. Feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions and I will do my best to answer.

 

Once you have your body type figured out and what styles look best on you, you will learn that you have certain colors that work best on you. In learning how to determine this, you go by your hair, skin and eye color. There are six color groups; Light, Deep, Soft, Clear, Warm and Cool. I am a Soft. Here is a sample of the color swatches that are “my colors.”

 

 

Isn’t this fun? If you want to know what you color code is, Shari has a quiz that you can take that will help you determine what that is. You can also order your own swatches. These are great to take shopping with you to help in picking the correct colors.

 

Accessories!!! My Favorite! You will find a chart that helps you in learning how to have just the right amount of accessories.

 

The next chapter deals with undergarments! After you read this, you will understand why the correct fitting of undergarments are so important. It will change your world.

 

Shari will share with you how important the correct hairstyle, skin care and makeup are.

 

You will love the chapter devoted to the topic of finding the correct jeans. If you love jeans like I do, you will appreciate this chapter!

 

Towards the end of the book, Shari will give you your marching orders to hit the mall. There is an art to shopping. You don’t want to be an impulse shopper! You want to be organized and shop on purpose. You will then have a closet full of clothes that you love and can wear.

 

The last chapter in the book deals with my very favorite; Modesty! Whew, is anyone else so tired of seeing private parts popping out everywhere? Shari shares from her heart in a gentle but straightforward way of why and how to be discreet in our dress, but yet fashionable. It is possible. You can be Miss Fashion and still be modest.   I’ll share an excerpt from Shari:

“Dressing modestly doesn’t mean being old fashioned and dressing puritan-like. What it does mean is having an attitude in dressing that reflects a respect for God, our self, and even the opposite sex. Yep, that’s it!”

 

One more:

 

“Modesty is learning how to take each style and make it respectful. Doing this will bring out the fashionista in all of you (and your daughters) by allowing you to be creative with your clothes.”

 

I hope that sparks a desire to dress in just your style of fashion and reflect who your Savior is at the same time. We didn’t even talk about the styles. You have a style personality and Shari has a name for each one. Can you guess which one you are? There is the Pure Natural, Classic Modern, Style Fashionista and the Creative Original. You will have fun finding which one you are!

 

 

Here are the links to the resources I mentioned:

 

Help Me, Jesus! I have nothing to wear! By Shari Braendel

 

Fashion Meets Faith (Shari’s site)

 

Analysis to determine your color code by Shari Braendel

 

Cruise Chics with Michele Harkins, Travel Agent

Linking my post up with A Wise Woman Builds Her Home

Eyelashes and Contentment

                                              Eyelashes and Contentment 

“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have…”   Hebrews 13:5a 

Being content with eyelashes has never occurred to me until recently. I was hearing so much about 
eyelash extension it made me curious. I began noticing ladies with long full gorgeous eyelashes. I’ve  always had decent eyelashes, I’ve never complained about them. They never bothered me with being too thin or short. The fashion magazines always show models with extra long eyelashes. I was beginning to think how fun that would be to have extra long eyelashes, plus I justified the expense with not having to buy mascara or eye makeup remover. Not to mention, no more mascara smudges under my eyes. So the eyelash bug got me….I made my appointment for eyelash extensions. I was excited, never will I have to bother with mascara anymore and my lashes will look as good as the ones in the magazines. What could be better? My appointment finally arrived after a few weeks due to the fact that she is booked months ahead because so many ladies are getting extensions. The first question she asked me was “Are you an eyelash puller?”  “No, I’ve never pulled on my eyelashes” I replied. So for two hours, the extensions were applied. I LOVED them! They were so long that when the wind blew, I could actually see my eyelashes blowing in the breeze.  Who knew? 
 
A couple of weeks down the road, I was watching an intense documentary with my husband 

 

and son about some men that built a raft to travel the high seas and were attacked by 
sharks. I don’t do very well with movies like that.  By the end of the movie, I didn’t have any 
eyelashes left. Yes, you read correctly, I had been pulling on my eyelashes throughout the 
movie and I quickly found out that when you pull an eyelash extension out, you pull your 
real eyelashes out. So all that to say, “My name is Beverly Dillow and I’m an eyelash puller.”  
 
Now, as I sit here waiting patiently for my eyelashes to grow, I thought, “Why wasn’t I content with the eye lashes I had?” Nothing was wrong with my eyelashes, I just wanted something better. Okay, maybe I coveted long full dark eyelashes.  I was consumed with the thought of “better” lashes, that I justified every reason to not go for it.  
 
I’m all for taking care of ourselves and being the best we can be in order to glorify the Lord, but I sure wish I would have been content with the eyelashes that God gave me.  
  
I’ve always taken to heart the verses that deal with contentment and I have worked hard at being content in the seasons of my life and also being very careful not to covet the blessings of others and miss the blessings God has for me. Little did I know eyelashes would be a huge lesson of the century. As I wait for my eyelashes to grow and try very hard to be patient and not run down and get some more, I will be on guard and keep my heart in check 
for those other things in life that sneak up on me, whispering, “if you had so and so, your life would be so much more fun!” 
 

Eyelashes and Contentment, Part 2

Eyelash Drama continues……

If you read my recent post on Eyelashes and Contentment, you might be wondering how my lashes are holding up.  So far, so good.  I feel like they are getting fuller and growing.  They are still shorter than they were, but I’m sure it won’t be long until they are where they should be.

I actually checked on a prescription that you can get from your eye doctor.  It is about $125.00 and has had some great reviews.  The side effects are possible dark spots on eyelids and around eye and then if that isn’t enough, could cause discoloration of your pupil, which would be permanent.  That changed my mind really quick…wasn’t worth the risk to me.

I will share some products that I’m using on my eyes.

After cleansing my face, I use an eye make up remover by Mary Kay that I LOVE!  I have plenty in stock because I don’t want to ever run out.  It is the best I’ve ever used.

 

Gently removes eye makeup, including waterproof mascara, without tugging or pulling the delicate skin in the eye area. Formula does not leave skin feeling greasy.
  • Clinically tested for skin irritancy and allergy.
  • Suitable for contact lens wearers.
  • Suitable for sensitive skin and sensitive eyes.
  • Hypoallergenic, oil-free and ophthalmologist-tested.
 
 
I then use an eye cream by Mary Kay, as well.   They have several eye creams and I’m trying them all and this is the one I’m using right now.  
Reawaken tired eyes and give them a lifted look.
  • Targets deep lines, wrinkles and sagging skin.
  • Targets undereye bags, puffiness and dark circles.
  • Targets crepiness and dry skin.
  • Increases skin moisture for 12 hours.
  • Features a unique liquid crystal delivery system that helps enhance effectiveness.
  • Contains the benefits of the Volu-Firm™ Complex.
Mary Kay also has an eye lash serum that I’ve been using for a couple of weeks now.
Mary Kay® Lash & Brow Building Serum™


​Builds thicker-, fuller-looking lashes while improving the look of thin, sparse lashes and brows.  See results in just 30 days.
  • Lashes seem more voluminous.
  • Lashes look maximized
  • Brows look healthier.
  • Helps reduce lash loss during makeup removal.


And finally, I have been using a certain mascara for several months now, They’re Real by Benefit.

That’s my story for now, stay tuned for Part 3 of my eyelash drama coming soon!

 

Eyelashes and Contentment, Part I

LEARNING TO BE CONTENT WITH MY EYELASHES!
Yes, I did it!  I got eyelash extensions.  I had been thinking about it for quiet some time.  I love long eyelashes and mine were decently long, but, I thought they could be better.  It seems to be a fad right now in the area that I live.  So many are getting them.   Every time I would put my eye make-up on, I would think, “what fun that would be to have extra long lashes.”
So, I did a little bit of research, not much.  I booked an appointment, which took about 3 weeks to get in due to the high volume of ladies getting their eyelashes done.  I finally went in and the procedure wasn’t too bad, but wouldn’t be listed as a highly pampering item on my list.
I had them for about 3 months.  I went in for my fills every three weeks.
I learned a huge lesson about myself and the process itself.  When I did my research,  I didn’t find too much except for advertisements for services and products.  So, I decided to write my own thoughts along with the pros and cons.
Pros
Long lashes enhance eyes
More fun doing eye make up
No more mascara
No more smudged mascara
Can laugh or cry without fear of mascara running
No more mascara remover at night
Cut time in getting ready for the day
$$$ saved in purchasing mascara and remover
Eyes look great in mornings, could get away with no make-up at all
Some strange reason, long lashes give confidence
Cons
$$$ – My expense was $175.00 for a set/$65.00 for fills every three weeks. Plus you must tip. 🙂
Time – The set takes about 2 hours, for a fill, about an hour or more.  *you need to stay on top of the appointments.
Can’t rub eyes even if you are tired. 🙂
Do not get any oil products on eyelashes.
Be very gentle with eyes at all times, even when washing face. *yes, we should anyway
No saunas or steam of any kind. *not a problem for me
Need to check on eyelashes regularly while out, lashes tend to curl under and might not look too good.
People ask if they are real or fake, you have to say, “fake.”
When people compliment you, you struggle with saying, “thank you, they aren’t real.” or just “thanks.”
I could feel the glue on my lashes.  It bothered me to where I felt like something was always there and needed to be removed.  A very thick feeling.  Sort of like when you were little and you would wake up with “sleepy” on your lashes and had to rinse your eyes out.
*This is where is was hard for me:
In feeling the glue and with it bothering me, I would get in the habit of pulling on them and trying to get the glue off while I was reading or watching television.  I began wearing my glasses so I would keep my hands off, but that feeling of wanting to get it off consumed me and needless to say…..gone…….along with my real lashes…..not good!
There you have it, the pros and cons of eyelash extensions for me.
If you have extensions and love them, I am very happy for you.  I wish I could wear them.  But, for now, I’m just praying my real lashes will grow back……..soon!  *If I read correctly, it takes 4 – 8 weeks for an eyelash to be replaced with a full grown new eyelash.  Obviously, it is going for the 8 weeks for me.
I was going to list all the eyelash facts here as well, but there is so much out there and some of it is conflicting.  You may want to google eyelash facts and read for yourself.  I read some really strange things that I don’t know if they are true or not.  All I can go by is what I did and what I obviously can’t handle.  I hope it helps you in your decision with eye lash extensions and also to be grateful for what you have.
Part 2 of my Eyelash drama coming soon!
 
In the mean time, remember…
 
“Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him….” Revelation 1:7a NKJV
(with lashes or not)

Wrinkles? Me?

While visiting with our three year old April, she all of the sudden looked up at my forehead and said “Mimi, why do you have a crack right there?” She was pointing between my eyes. I said “That isn’t a crack, it’s a wrinkle.” She looked really puzzled, so I explained that as we get older, we get wrinkles. She was very concerned. I was too! I have always threatened to get botox there, but I’m only teasing. If I just see a needle, I feel faint. So, botox will always be out of the question for me.

I was shopping at Stein Mart and spotted some tape that you put on your wrinkle and then put make-up over it to cover the wrinkle. I contemplated it and then put it back. I came to my senses. Although, several weeks ago on QVC, I watched a lady that has a line of skin care and one of the products was called Instatox. You put it on the wrinkle and let it dry and it makes your wrinkle disappear. Yes….. I ordered it and it doesn’t work either.

So for now, I’ll have to live with this “crack” in my face.