Flashback Friday: Occupational Hazards

Now I know it has been a little while since I worked out in the "world" but I still suffer from O.H. (Occupational Hazards). Ya know things that you notice more because of a job you had or have i.e.; someone who worked as a waitress will notice a good server more quickly, a Civil Engineer will notice grading and sidewalks (jimmy), Me, I notice Eye Brows!!! In fact I was recently sitting in a movie and the main characters eyebrows were driving me UP THE WALL!!!! I have tried over the years to not stare at my friends eye brows, I don't want them to be self conscious, but sometimes I just can't help myself! As a Licensed Esthetician, my solution in an effort to give a little advice on "Proper" Eyebrow grooming and shaping is to post a tutorial, A "How To" keep your eyebrows looking pretty!! You're Welcome.

Step 1

The best way to a great result is to have the "Proper Tools", you can find them just about anywhere these days at very reasonable prices. Below we have needle nose tweezers, slanted nose tweezers and eyebrow scissors. Take good care of the tools, if they are dropped "nose first" they will no longer work very well, if at all because the tips will not line up.



Step 2
When deciding the areas that need to be "Groomed" there are some very basic guidelines to follow. If you follow these tips it will ensure that you DO NOT OVER TWEEZE, which in my humble opinion, is the single largest mistake people make when tweezing their own eyebrows!!!

First using a make up brush/pencil or anything similar, hold it to your face connecting the imaginary line from the outside of your nose, to the corner of your eye (pictured above) any hair on the outside or right of the wand should be removed, the rest stays!


Next you will then place the "wand" connecting the imaginary line from the outside of your nose through the pupil of your eye (pictured above), this is YOUR arch!! This is the area in which you will have a natural arch, DO NOT remove hairs too closely to the inside of your eyebrow creating a "False Arch", it does NOT LOOK PRETTY!!


Last Step is to connect the imaginary line from the outside of your nose to the outer most point of your eye (pictured above), this is the area in which your eyebrow should end! Anything beyond this point can and should be tweezed.


The final Result is a well groomed eyebrow that is not too far apart, nor forming a uni brow!!

Please make note I do not have very thick eyebrows, the hairs are pretty fine so I have to work with what I have. Also note that I have hairs that grow up instead of over on the inside, this is normal and very common, DO NOT REMOVE them, using your small scissors trim them a bit.

These are tips in SHAPING your brows, yours might be thicker, darker or lighter but these tips work for everyone! Women naturally lose thickness in their eyebrows as they age, and the hair will eventually stop growing once it has been tweezed/waxed long enough in the same area. These facts can either work as a curse or a gift depending on weather the hair has been removed from the right places. I have not had my eyebrows waxed in probably 7 years, the hair has mostly given up and I really only have to maintain a few strays a few times a week!

This is a DON'T
(unless your goal is to grow it and donate it to Locks of Love)

This is Another Don't
(unless you have just recently donated the hair to Locks of Love)

I hope to continue sharing some of the handy tips that I have learned along the way!
P.S Does this count as a Service Project??!!??lol

Flashback Friday: Bit 'O' Vegas

I really haven't had the time that I would have hoped for to post all the pictures from Vegas, well you don't have the time to view ALL the pictures from Vegas, since there are over 1000, anyhow I came upon this picture and it instantly made me smile! It took me right back in that moment and that is how I knew it should be the one I post for tonight!

The kids were playing outside (since we had brought some cooler Mt. temps with us) in my parents backyard and the girls were looking so sweet and I thought "Perfect moment to get a couple quick pics!", that is where James objected, he really had ABSOLUTELY NO INTEREST in getting his picture taken! Instead he chose to laugh demonically and throw his head back to emphasize his own hilarity in it all (he is sooooo his Dad), and those 2 perfect angels in the foreground, well they take after their Mom, of course!!

Flashback Friday: Vegas Baby??

So the kids and I have been enjoying our time here in Vegas, missing Daddy however, but enjoying the unusually cool temperatures, seeing friends and spending time with my parents/"Gram" & "Pa" (according to James).

This whole "growing up" and moving away thing has given me this whole new perspective, not sure what perspective that is, but it's new. I love getting to come and visit the things I enjoy about Vegas, and then I can go home to Colorado. It makes me sad that the city I grew up in and loved growing up in, has changed so drastically in such a short amount of time. In the past I have described it as a cancer that started in a few small areas and has now spread to much of the Valley. The schools, the neighborhoods, the family oriented activities that were a huge part of this city are all on the fritz!!

Growing up in Vegas was great, I had lots of friends, loved my school and ward, and all the fun things we could do as a family i.e miniature golf, hike at Red Rock, Valley of Fire and Mt. Charleston, go to the lake, the movies, Warm Springs, Wet n' Wild, outdoor plays at Spring Mt. Ranch. Now all but, I believe one location for Miniature golf have closed, same with Wet n' Wild, and the last I had heard so did Warm Springs (a natural warm spring). The Strip rid itself of most of the family friendly hotels, and hang outs, everywhere I look there is graffiti, and trash just dumped on the side of the road. What the heck happened to this once great city?

Please don't misunderstand me, there are still so many wonderful people here and there are pockets of Vegas that are better than others, but it just feels like the life has been sucked out! I know that the economy has not helped, and in fact, it has exacerbated the "cracks" that were being formed years before the "crash"! More and more of my friends are trying to eventually leave Vegas, and it makes me wonder will there come a day that I won't have much reason to come back and visit?

I lived in Vegas for 24 years of my life and I look back on those years and smile from all the amazing things I did while growing up here. It saddens me to see it this way, and who knows, maybe it will make a come back down the road. (oh and as soon as I can get some pictures uploaded I will post the fun we have been having.)

Flashback Friday: Someone Else's Flash

Since I am far from my hard drive and since I lost another memory card to my Mom's printer/cf hook up, and all the pics I have taken since I have been in town, I must move on and therefore use someone else's "flashback".

Before

More Recently

I remember meeting Lindsay Lohan once at California Adventure, Lexi was so excited and was able to take a picture with her (at home). At the time she was a rising Disney Star, young and seemingly sweet. I feel sad for all these young ladies that are eaten up by fame, but at some point they need to take responsibility for their lives and make better choices.

Flashback Friday: A little Nudge

Today is the girls last day of school, school is not actually out until next Thursday, but we have a family Emergency and we will be headed to Vegas in the morning. Anyway, I was reflecting on the past school year and tears filled my eyes as I realized how perfectly placed the girls were into there perspective classrooms!!

The thought came to me that while all the things preceding our move to Colorado were difficult/stressful/sad/frustrating, they were set before us as a roadblock, not to hinder our progress but to draw our eye to another path. This new path has provided our family with opportunities, blessings, and joy, it was a little NUDGE from the Lord.

Before our move I had the distinct feeling that we needed to move for not only the job, but for the sake of our children. I wasn't sure why or which child, and today I realized that it had been especially for my girls. Grace was set in the most perfect Kindergarten class, her teacher has been so patient, so kind and truly provided a safe place for her to be each afternoon. Lexi has made so many friends and loves her teachers, she needed the change so much. She is happy and blossoming into such a great young women, I really find it mind boggling that she will be going into Middle School next year.

The Lord has blessed our family so much this past year, I know I have said this many times before but it's true and I can't let it go unnoticed and unappreciated.

(Lexi on the first day of school)

(Grace on the first day)

Just a couple days ago

First of all it is not right that Lexi's hair grows that quickly and Grace looks like a big kid now!!! What a great year they have had!!

(oh and as a side note I will be in Vegas for the next little while so if my Blog suffers my apologies in advance)

Happy Friday!

All My Love,

Flashback Friday! The Power of One!!

(Me at 18)

Oprah has her talk show.

Michael Jordan, the basketball court.

Julia Roberts, the movie screen.

Amelia Earhart, the sky.

Marylin, the WCW Wrestling Event.

I was just a white girl with a dream really, and never in my wildest imagination thought I could reach it so young at just 18 years old. Don't ask how or why, but I attended many Professional Wrestling events in my day, and there was one that will forever stand out in my mind. It was shortly after graduating High School in 1997 watching two grown men in spanks, bounce off ropes and tackle each other when the match took a turn for the desperate and I suddenly shouted "Bite His Ear!", it was just weeks after the Tyson vs. Holyfield fight and the words slipped easily from my lips. The people around me chuckled and then as if I were the director standing before them they all began shouting "Bite his ear, Bite his ear!" It grew and grew and next thing you know the entire MGM Grand arena was shouting "Bite his Ear!!" It was a moment that only happens in movies, it was then I knew I was meant for greater things! The people in front and behind me were throwin me high fives for my addition to the match, the wrestlers were forced to acknowledge the crowd, I don't remember what was said, but I remember the pride in knowing I had the Power to influence those around me with my words!!

I realize that this all must seem silly, but you found yourself reading every word didn't you??? Hey and I still know some moves, so don't mess!!!




P.S I have some great news on the "Saga of the Bully" so stay tuned!! :)

Love to you and Happy Friday!!

Flashback Friday!! Love is In the Air so I thought I would share!

Being so close to Valentines Day I thought I would give a little "flash" love to my heartbreakin husband!

To most he is quiet, shy, reserved etc. etc. etc., you know the "strong silent" type! To me he is goofy, funny and laughs all the time. Jimmy is constantly teasing someone or everyone, especially the kids, in fact they are so use to it that most of the time they don't pay much attention. However, this week Jimmy thought he would be really funny when Grace asked him if he liked Valentines Day, he told her no and when she asked why, he gave her some lame reason like "it being too commercial" yada yada yada. She persisted and then asked him what he was getting me for Valentines day because "He just had to get Mommy something!" so he sweetly told her "Poop", that's right, my amazing husband told our 5 year old he was going to get his wife poop for Valentines! You're jealous aren't you????

Jimmy riding one of our nieces bikes while we were in TX last year!

Flashback Friday! Life Just Isn't Fair......So I Have Just Gotten Use to It!

My Mom has always taught us that Life isn't fair, things will never be equal in the ways we hope or want, she often says "Life isn't fair, so just get use to it." I think that was her best come back for when we would say "But Mooooommmm, that isn't fair, she gets to....(teenager blah blah blahs)" and now I have been able to pass it along to my children, such a nice family tradition.

When I was about 15ish our family made a trip to California and we decided one afternoon to rent one of those bikes that multiple people can ride sitting side by side and peddling along the shore. Sounded great, and I was very excited until we get to the rental booth and they tell us that anyone 16 and under had to wear these HORRENDOUS bright yellow helmets!!! Um, EXCUSE me! 16 and under, really?? Well, my Mom and sisters thought it was hilarious that I would have to have a helmet, I however, found it less so. Lucky for me my Mom had her camera and felt it best to document this amazing moment in my already damaged teen years, she did also let me remove the helmet once we were out of the rental booths sight! So after years in hiding I decided it would be OK as well as therapeutic to reveal it to all of you. Go ahead, laugh, it's fine, no really, just not too loud!! :)

Janna, me and Emily

PS DON'T FORGET THE GIVE AWAY!!!

Flashback Friday! Back Logged Birthdays!

January is a busy month in our family! I have two children that celebrate their birthdays during the month, one sister, a sister in-law,and several friends! I guess they are all the equivalent of a possible tax return baby gone late! Just kidding, each of my children are treasured members of our family, and we would never think about the possible financial gain from producing offspring, NEVER!

Here is a little flashback of my January babies!

January 9th Lexi turned 11, holy smokes! Can I just say that living with a hormonal preteen is way too much competition for this high maintenance Mama, I am the only one in this house that is allowed to be hormonal! Oh wait, this is supposed to be about the good qualities, OK back on track!

Alexis was my little angel that saved me from myself and my brain dead stage of 17-20! From the moment she was born I knew that all my decisions needed to be made in her best interest and not my own!

After I separated from the "donor" just 10 days after she was born I only looked forward! I started school and focused on taking care of her. I didn't date or expose her to any lame guys for the next three years, I just figured if I was to marry again that my Heavenly Father would take care of it. He did, and boy were Lexi (3 at the time) and I super excited!


The years have swept by much faster than anticipated and she is just a few short years from driving, dating and then graduating! In the process however she is an amazing daughter, sister, cousin and friend! Lexi works hard in school, loves to read, ride her bike and talk (this could be from genetics but we are working to discover the source). I love her and I am proud of her! Go Lexi Go Lexi, shake your booty, Go Lexi, it's your birthday!


To celebrate this year we were actually in Utah for my cousin Rachel's wedding (which was on Lexi's birthday)! It was a great day we ordered room service for breakfast, got ready and then spent the entire day with family for the wedding. We ate lunch at a great Mexican place in downtown SLC and the best part of the entire day was when we were at the wedding dinner my sweet and amazing cousin Rachel stood and announced to the entire room that it was Lexi's birthday and had everyone sing to her! It made Lexi so happy, it was the most generous thing that Rachel could have ever done for her! Lexi was so surprised by it that she had to cry (remember hormonal), which then made all the rest of us cry! It really was a special day!






Then there is my James, how do I describe the boy that stole my heart from the moment he was placed in my arms? He was born on a fantastic day, January 24th, my sister Janna's birthday! I remember it was early in the morning, he was calm when they handed him to me, he looked up at me with those sweet eyes, and that was it for me, I was all his!



He is ALL boy, through and through, no question! He loves to jump, kick, punch, shoot, tackle, play with cars, and then when he is done he will come give his mama the nicest hug! He throws his head back when he laughs and gives his sisters a stern yelling at if they step out of line. James is silly, loves to be tickled and rides on the "big kid" swing, yelling "Dog! Dog!", meaning he wants an "Underdog"! (it's when you push your child in the swing and go underneath them). I am proud to be him mama!


This year for his birthday it was small and quiet with some cake and the usual Birthday anthem. This year I made cake pops for his cake and they were quite yummy! He is a good boy and I love watching him grow!


But don't mess with James cause I think he is gonna run this town someday!!

Flashback Friday! Inside Jokes!

My Family has many the inside joke! We all love to laugh and why not laugh at each other in the process, all in good fun of course! There are 5 of us "Holler" kids and I would say that my lone brother Jack is perhaps the most notorious for the start of several of our family jokes. Today I will share one of my favorites. First there must be a slight back story. Both Jack and Alyssa had little trouble when they were younger in school, it just didn't come as easy for them,while Janna and I had both managed to do ok.

Jack must have been oh maybe 1st or 2nd grade (not really sure), and my mother was sweetly tucking him into bed when he looked up at her and said "Mom, how come Janna and Marylin are smart and from Dad's side of the family, and Lys and I come from your side of the family and we are, well, you know?"

I am not really sure how my mother (whom is not dumb in any sense of the word) responded to the inquiry of the young lad, but ever since it has been a joke in our family! Anytime one of us acts a little um "you know" then we are from my Mom's side of the family and if we are "smart" than we must have surely come from my Dad's side!!

Flashback Friday! It's My Party and I'll Cry if I Want to!

This picture is from my 15th Birthday can you see how thrilled I was!! Yay Birthdays :)

November is my birthday month and recently I was thinking about previous birthdays. For years I had this crazy superstition that my birthday brought about people dying. It started in High School when a good friend died near my birthday and her funeral was on my birthday. It actually continued for about 7 or 8 years where EVERY year there would be a funeral ON or VERY near my birthday for someone I knew. I guess I started to not really want my birthday to come, and it kind of became a thing for me to tell my friends not to go anywhere on my birthday so they would be safe at home. As I have gotten older my birthdays have become less and less of a big deal, I am usually happy with a cake, candles and a few presents. Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE parties, but the people close to me are not party people and so if I want a party, I have to plan it myself, which has always seemed a little weird to me. Anyway, this year I am just hoping for no funerals and a little cake, although my husband does have some gift he has been working on for quite sometime and I am excited to find out what that is!



Some pictures from past years. The one with the messy chocolate cake was Jimmy's first attempt at making one. The one that says 21 on it, was actually a joke from my sister Emily, I was actually turning 29. I have also had two baby showers on my birthday, one while I was pregnant with Alexis and the other while I was pregnant with James. For my 16th Birthday I went on my first date to Sadie Hawkins, I didn't meet the kid I went with until that day (he was the younger brother of my sisters boyfriend at the time). Good Times!

Love to you,

Flashback Friday! "Can I Take a Picture With You?"

Since we are so close to Halloween I thought I would share a picture from Halloween Past. While we lived in Vegas we made it a tradition to go to a pumpkin patch every year, well three years ago we were at the pumpkin patch getting ready to take a few pictures when all of a sudden 10 people surrounded us. Some were men in black suits and sunglasses with ear pieces, some were younger women with rolls of stickers in their hands, and then an older lady came over and asked to be in the picture with Jimmy and the kids. I had no clue who she was, but felt bad to say no, so I smiled and said "sure". Once she walked away I noticed that the "sticker girls" had placed one on Grace and Lexi and they read "Carter" on them, at the time Jimmy Carter Jr. was running for an office in Nevada and so I assumed they were just people out trying to get votes for him.

Well, later on I was speaking to my Mom and told her about the old lady that wanted a picture with us and the "sticker girls" and my mother began laughing hysterically and told me that was Rosalynn Carter, former First lady and wife of former President, Jimmy Carter. Suddenly it all made sense, but I still wouldn't have known who she was since they were at the White House from 1977-1981. I felt a little bad for her because in her mind she is "Rosalynn Carter", and to me she was "some old lady that wanted a picture with us". It is fun though to look at the picture and think that Jimmy and the girls had their picture taken with a former First Lady, although I still chuckle a little every time I see it.

HAVE A GREAT HALLOWEEN!!

Love to you

Flashback Friday! Who Knew??

This was just a few short weeks after Jimmy and I were married! We were such babies, and to think I thought I was an old maid at barely 24! Sheesh what perspective will do for ya!

This was Jimmy's VERY first trip to the beach and Disneyland. It was so fun watching him get excited over the smell of the ocean, the sunset and everything that IS California! I remember when Jimmy and I were dating he would ask me what I saw in him and I would say all the "right" and "nice" things, but I really had only seen the surface of who he is! Jimmy is even more of an amazing husband and Father than I knew possible at that time. We have grown so much together, he supporting me and I him. He has qualities that I didn't even know I would need, you see I was an "Independent women", I had been for several years and never thought that his ability to let me rest from my "Independence" would be so vital. He showed me that I could rely on someone else, he could help carry the weight of parenting and keeping a house and home going! I was no longer alone!

He has been here to be my help mate, and I have been so blessed in our marriage. He is kind, and generous, strong yet humble, intelligent, hard working and he is so patient with me. I know at first glance this might seem like a brag fest, but let me say that before Jimmy I didn't know I deserved all that. I know what it's like to be "legally obligated" to someone who is none of those things, so no this is not a "Look what I got" it's a thank you to my Heavenly Father for seeing far more than I could (and can) and blessing me with someone who would be more, than I could have imagined for myself.

Don't Ask! Flashback Friday! I know it's not Friday anymore, just pretend!

In not so many words, it's been a long week and yet short at the same time! I am late on my post but who the crud cares, really??



This is my ALL time favorite studio picture of myself as a little kid, actually maybe of all time!! I think it captures me in my essence, happy! I mean how could you not love that face, no wonder my Mom kissed it all the time! :) I promise I have lots to post about and will do it soon!

Love to you

Your Hands Will Clap! , Career Change & Flashback Friday!!

This video has been a favorite of mine for quite sometime and I thought I really shouldn't keep this groovy goodness to myself any longer! I LOVE the old ladies that are givin it to the guys with a smile on their faces :)!!

Career Change!!

A change of heart has come upon me in recent weeks after our visit to one of the amazing museums here in the Denver area! This was the natural history museum and it has some of the best displays I have seen (granted I am coming from Vegas), but still very good! My parents went with the kids and I and it was a really fun afternoon. It also brought about my new love and a change in direction for my photography career! I have decided to take up Wild Life Photography (wink wink), I figure since I work with them on a daily basis, I am accustom to the danger and risk at hand! The best part about the wild life at the museum was that it was very "attentive", it made it much easier to get my shot! I was well prepared for the quick motion of such creatures but these animals were extremely docile and well trained, if only I could get my "wild animals" to be as such! LOL

James Looking at the bugs!!

This picture makes me laugh because we had told Grace that everything in the displays had been alive at some point......You should have seen her face when she saw this display of Native Americans!! LOL :)

Flashback Friday!! Christmas Past!
I love this picture for a few reasons: One, because I am holding my First Real Cabbage Patch Doll (I had one made by a neighbor) and Two, because just behind me you can see some white tubes that were actually the bunk beds that my Grandma Holler made for all of us for our dolls! I had actually walked in on her working on them and all I saw was these white plastic tubes and she told me she was making something for my Dad. I took her for her word and in fact I didn't put two and two together until I was a teenager! I don't have any living Grandparents so all of my memories of them are very precious to me.

Love to You,