Life without Limbs

I found myself sitting in front of the screen, watching some sports channel, when all of a sudden there was this guy with no limbs, playing football, wrestling, and being the best at everything he did. Here was a guy who had everything going against him, but he overcame every obstacle. No matter how many times he fell and failed, he continued to get back up. His life encourages me to do the same. Every word that came out of his mouth were words of encouragement, words that breathed life, words that made me want to be better.  I don't even know how to put him into words for you but I couldn't help but share his story with you.
Any of you who are feeling depressed or angry at God or feel as though there is no reason to live anymore, please, please, just watch this video. You will leave changed, just by listening to him for a few minutes. Share Nick Vujicic story with anyone and everyone. Everyone needs some encouragement and his life is definitely that!

Nick Vujicic video

SORRY I tried to embed the video but that didn't work out so well!

check out other videos as well as his website. www.lifewithoutlimbs.com

hope you guys enjoy him and leave just as encouraged!

<3 Lex

o0o0 P.S. Another good video I think all kids/people should see :)
with our words we can kill or give life

Mario Kart Love Song [video]

This is the absolute sweetest for any Mario Kart lover and hopeless romantic!
Can't get enough of it!

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and if that doesn't exactly come out click here
Hope you enjoy!:)

<3 Lex

Looking at life a little differently

Looking at life a little differently can be quite a challenge when all we've seen is all we've known.
Perhaps this sentence doesn't even fit with the sentences that will follow but I continue.
I first apologize for not responding to any comments/emails/ or posting comments in the past few weeks. I have been away from the internet world. I have been in and out of hospitals/dr.s visits, I won't go into details though.

What I have learned is that we only have one shot. Only one life to live. What matters most are the people we have surrounding us at that time. Supporting and encouraging. Pursuing are passion, cause you know what, so what if we try something and then suck at it?! At least we tried!! I haven't been living so afraid of everything. Afraid of failing that I've failed at life, but there aren't many second chances at this thing.

So go after what you want to do. And remember that your family is there for you no matter what.
I honestly have learned to appreciate them so much these past two weeks and seen their unconditional love and support for me. I don't know what I would do without them.

Somewhere along these two weeks I've found who I am again. Not entirely, but I see the beginning processes unraveling.
As well, I've learned to see people differently.
For the better. That's for another post though.

Just wanted to keep all you lovely ladies posted! I really miss you all and will hopefully be getting back into the groove of things soon.

I hope you're all doing well!

Just a little Venting.

Have you ever just sat there, the only sound around is the beat the clock makes while it ticks. Your body, frozen still, while your mind is running 1,000 miles per hour, yet everything's a blur.
The only thing you feel are the warm tears that run down your face.
The overwhelming weight of your heart has you plastered to where you lay.
And you start to ask yourself, how did I get here?
How did I become this way?

God can you hear me? Are you watching me anymore? Have I pushed you too far?

I know I've been so angry with You and just shut You out.
It's just this is all too overwhelming and I've grown hopeless.
But I can't make it through this without You. Can you still hear me?

then to get up and go to work, hoping you could make it through the day without crying and making a scene.

Have you ever felt your heart grow hard?  Barricaded by the walls  built around it?
Only left confused on how to tear them down? They're so strong and heavy, you try to remove one brick at a time, and all of a sudden an intimidating factor appears and that one brick that was taken off has been placed back and stacked three rows higher.


There gets to a point you almost begin to feel not human. Numb. and yet there is still pain.
I don't really know. There's so much confusion and pain inside that I can't even begin to verbally express the surface of it all. but somehow it almost feels like your dead inside.

The people you once felt so comfortable with are just a constant reminder of how you've changed. The awkwardness settles as your in a room filled with people, laughing, joking, and you long so much to just feel that for a moment, and partake in the joy but instead your silent, alone, and just more aware of how different you've become and wondering if you'll ever be that way again.

Maybe you've noticed that I haven't said I to any of this, rather you, I think for one I'm wondering if I'm alone here, and second, to express this under I, scares me. I don't know, it's written all the same, but to claim and confess all of this, just scares me.

I've just grown so weary of it all and at the end of the day, I just feel completely foolish.

Well I guess that's enough venting for  today.

I wish I could be here doing this right now.

For the Love of Music: Vedera

                                            I guess it's all about the music today!

Do yourself a favor ladies and check them out!! Her voice is frikkin' amazing!


you can visit there site here <-

and I couldn't find the songs I really like to show you but go to www.grooveshark.com and type out Vedera and then look for the songs Redemption and Moments Rewound!

Let me know what you think :) I hope you like it just as much as I do!

For the Love of Music

One of the things I love about music is the instant connection there is between one's heart and the words. All the words locked up I cannot put to words someone else has been able to so perfectly put together, and all of a sudden, it feels as though someone else shares my heart, my hurts, my pains, my joys, my quirkiness, my anger, my fear, my craziness. You name it, someone else has written about it. And all of a sudden, there's a bond that is made with that artist. Although you've never met, when you sing along to the words there is some special connection, the artist has no idea they've made but all of a sudden you see them differently.

So many songs have touched me but my latest obsession is Alison Sudol from A Fine Frenzy!

I've loved her since I first heard of her and each of her songs touches at least one part of my heart. A few years back that connection was Almost Lover, so much I did the cover of it I showed you guys in this post. Lately the song I seem to keep on repeat is The Beacon.
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For some reason, I relate to the person she's talking about and it's the whole role the two play in each others love. The care and love she feels for that person. While the person doesn't feel good enough. I don't know but that song just puts me in that place every time.

I'm actually trying to learn it to do a cover :)
I can't find instrumentals anywhere nor piano tutorials, so I'm going to try and learn it on guitar.

So I guess that's the song for my mellow mood.

but my gosh her other songs!! I love blow away, there's something so playful about her upbeat songs. I've always lived in this imaginary world and when I express things usually it's exaplained in these weird visuals and sometimes listening to her songs makes me feel like I'm not alone in that, in all actuality I see the beauty in it.

ok so now I'm babbling, all about one person! but you see it's not just her music I like.
I love the fact she's modest! Her style is absolutely adorable without revealing anything. Her face is that of sincerity and when she smiles it's like everything's okay. I know it sounds a tad lame me saying that but it's like the pureness of a child's smile.

Ps. I totally wish I had those dimples!

Ok so I'm slightly obsessed but how can I not be? Looking at her reminds me of that childlike happiness and imagination that I miss so much.

She may have no idea but there's a strong connection to her music that has been as if her very arms have embraced my heart.

I'm sure you've all heard of her, if you haven't check her out.

I just wanted to share my latest obsession/connection.

Hope you're all doing wonderful!!
<3Lex

Paola loves to shop Giveaway Winners!

Hello lovelies!! Thank you for all who participated in Paola Loves to Shop's Giveaway..

So now we proudly present..... THE WINNER!!!!

drum rolls please................

Olivia from S&O Productions!!

Congrats hun you totally deserve all those precious goodies!

but wait folks that's not all! Paola is super awesome and decided to throw in a bonus for 7 lucky people!!! 

and they are:

Chloe

 

Bebe Bird Beck

 

Laura

 

Steffisworld

 

Callie

 

Catherine Barton

 

 

Biscuit

Congratulations to all you lovely ladies!!! Now head on over to Paola Loves to shop and send her an email with your addresses to receive all your goodies!

Happy Mail and a Pooptastical Happening!

So I'm the type of person that prefers to hear the bad news first and end on the good news, so that's how this post will go as well.

So this morning when I get to work and as I'm sitting in my desk, I smell this horrid smell, I continued to smell around and I think to myself, is that poop? Could someone have left a dirty diaper somewhere laying around? I asked my husband to sit at my desk and see if he could smell it to, it could be me just going crazy, smelling something thats not there. But he smelled it to. ok so I'm not crazy, now what the heck is it and where is it? Around 9:30am we have our staff meeting so I just figured I'd attend to it later.

An hour into that meeting I smell the poop again. Oh no! Did I touch something with it that now it's on me?! This smell is haunting me. Mind you I was not feeling well this morning. I felt a tad nauseous so this smell did not help.


I go back to my desk and all of a sudden there is that smell again. At this point I thought, let me check the bottom of my sandals. At this point my sandals are tucked underneath me. I lift my skirt to see, and there it is! The culprit! The poop that had attached itself to me! I had been walking around with dog poop on my shoe all day long! Not only was it on my sandal, but now it was on my brown skirt that had just been nicely washed before.

Normally, that may have gotten me a tad annoyed. grrr....but this time I just had to laugh.

Ok...so on to GOOD NEWS!!

Jamie from Inspired Mess had a giveaway and I was one of the Mini-Giveaway winners! YIPPEE!!!
And omg! I opened my mailbox today grabbed the package ripped it open and found my sweet ol' goodies that just made me SMILE!

Look at all her sweetness!! Thank you Jamie! You're the best!! I absolutely adore you!

Thank you for all of this wonderfulness!! You made my poopy day all better!!!!!! :)

You all should go visit her page if you haven't, which I'm sure you've all been there, but just in case! ^_^

A Frikkin' Sweet Giveaway!

Hello ladies!! I know we all love giveaways!! This is a collabo giveaway with the lovely Paola from Paola loves to shop :)

You'll be winning a few of the items from her shop.http://paolalovestoshop.bigcartel.com/

Okay so what do you gotta do to get one of these beauts?

Good question.

Rules:

1. You must be a follower of Paola Loves To Shop's Blog

2.Become a fan of her facebook

3. You may or may not follow my blog, that parts not the most important.

4. Make sure to leave a comment after you've done all the above :)

5th option: Tweet about the giveaway!

I'm so excited for this giveaway! I hope you are too!!! 

<3Lex

Ps. the giveaway ends this Tuesday!

New hair every day.

Do you ever just get sudden urges? This morning I woke up thinking about teacup chihuahuas and now I've found myself just wanting wigs!! Oh the fun of changing up one's hair according to your mood without the damaging consequences to one's hair! Here are some I wish I had.

 

I love this color and think it would be so much fun to dress up in! :) but I'd never be bold enough to transform my whole head into this shade! 

                                                Because I've always wanted blue hair.

                                                 Because I love UBER long hair and curls!!

                                             Because I would love to try this FIRE red!

because the length excites me, I've always wanted know what I'd look like blonde and because I've always wanted hair like the girl from Tristan and Isolde!!

I could go on..but really I must stop!!

but but I want them sooo much!! /tear

Korean girl playing/singing on iphone (video)MUST WATCH

Ok, so I ran into this video on youtube and the first minute I was like what the heck? Did I just get rick rolled??? but if you fast forward to 1:29 you'll see her start. What she does is she plays and records the music on the iphone...then she plays that while she plays another part and sings..it's ridiculous..but Beyonce has some competition cause this girls voice is amazing!!
if the embedding doesn't work...click here

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I just couldn't not share it with you guys! I hope you guys like it as much as I do!!
:)

Andddd I hope you guys had a great weekend!! :)

<3 Lex

20 Questions Tag Video :)

Here are the questions if you're interested to do the tag, whether by video or written :)


1. Thing you cannot leave the house without?
2. Favorite brand of makeup?
3. Favorite flower?
4. Favorite clothing store?
5. Favorite perfume ?
6. Heels or flats?
7. Do you make good grades?
8. Favorite colors?
9. Do you drink energy drinks?
10. Do you drink juice?
11. Do you like swimming?
12. Do you eat fries with a fork?
13. Favorite moisturizer?
14. Do you want to get married later on in life?
15. Do you get mad easily?
16. Are you into ghost hunting?
17. Any phobias?
18. Do you bite your nails?
19. Have you ever had a near death experience?
20. Do you drink coffee?


hope you enjoy and can't wait to see yours! <3

A Young Heart with Inspiring Words

Hello beautiful ladies!

So I'm thinking of starting something a little different. Every once in a while I'm going to have a guest write about different experiences and how they've dealt with it. We all face a lot of struggles in our lifetimes, it takes no bias on age, gender, or race. I'm going to be asking a few people to share their stories as a way of motivation for us all. If you are interested in being a part of this feel free to email me so we can work something out. Email: cupcakesniper@gmail.com

Today's guest is young but there is so much to learn from this beautiful girl who is not only beautiful on the outside but so incredibly beautiful on the inside and I am so lucky to call her my friend. I hope you all can take something from this story and feel free to comment, she will be reading your responses and I'm sure you all can offer some encouragement as well :)

A Young Heart With Inspiring Words

Hi, I'm Talitha. I'm twelve years old and something that has happend to me was I got depressed over something that happend in my own life but one of the things that I was feeling was alone but what I did was I stayed in my bible and I did not stop praying and that is the best thing you can ever do and out of that i found out that I'm never alone and the Lord is always with me and you to!
And the Lord will never do anything bad to you with out a reason because he loves you and he has a plan for you and it is an awesome one to!
I don't know what else to tell you but the Lord loves you and if your  not praying and staying in your bible you really need to I'm saying this not to judge you but to help you cause I know it's hard but the Lord is the best person to help you.
The verse that has helped me throughout this time is Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future".


_________________________________<3_____________<3________________________________

I don't know about you all but I know I have a lot to learn from this amazing 12 year old! I hope her post was able to help inspire and bring some comfort to a hurting heart.

<3 ya guys!
Lex

To Write Love On Her Arms

You know I've always heard about TWLOHA and I've seen the t-shirts and for some reason I thought it was a popular band or something. That was until I saw today what it really was. I saw Miley Cyrus (yes, so what?) had a video talking about supporting them and their suicide prevention program.
I decided to check it out and that's when I got to hear the story of Renee, the girl in whom this program had originated with. I was watching some of the videos and couldn't help but just be completely moved by her story and was able to relate in some areas. At the same time there was a heaviness in my heart. Oftentimes I've just heard so many people look down and make fun of "cutters" and people dealing with these situations, and yet they wear the shirts as some sort of fashion statement.

I just want to encourage anyone who has, don't just wear the shirt as a fad, but do what it says! There is a purpose behind those shirts, to remind us of loving those in pain. Don't look down cause you've never been there, stand beside them, encourage, and love on them. You can make a difference in a person's life, on whether they'll want to make it or not.



If you're interested in her book its titled "Purpose for the Pain".

Encouragement in Trials

I was reading these few verses and just found incredible comfort in them. Not only comfort, but a deeper understanding of the reasons we're allowed to suffer and how we should count it a joy, although,  that is something really hard to do without understanding these verses.
I wanted to share it with all you beautiful ladies who may be struggling at the
moment with whatever trial has come your way. I pray you may find some
encouragement as well.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.- 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.- 2 Corinthians 12:10

 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. -James 1:2-3

 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:6-7.

Why are you downcast, O my soul?
       Why so disturbed within me?
       Put your hope in God,
       for I will yet praise him,
       my Savior and my God.
       My  soul is downcast within me;
       therefore I will remember you
       from the land of the Jordan,
       the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
                                                      -Psalm 42:5-6

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
                                          -Romans 5:3-5

 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.    -2 Corinthians 4:16-18


Sometimes it's brought on us because of our sins and like any loving parent, God disciplines us so that way may become better.

And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:
   "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,
      and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
 because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
      and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."
                                                 -Hebrews 12:5-6

 "If his sons forsake my law
       and do not follow my statutes,
  if they violate my decrees
       and fail to keep my commands,
  I will punish their sin with the rod,
       their iniquity with flogging;
  but I will not take my love from him,
       nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.
  I will not violate my covenant
       or alter what my lips have uttered.- Psalms 89:30-34


Sometimes, he allows us to suffer so we may learn to depend on Him & lean on His strength, not our own.

 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. -2 Corinthians 1:8-9

 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
                              -2 Corinthians 12:9


Apostle Paul mentions one of his sufferings and he understood the purpose for it, so that he would not be prideful.

To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
                                    -2 Corinthians 12:7


Such a simple verse, but if we really did this, I think the outcome would grand! A God given recipe for life.

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."-Romans 12:12

God will use our suffering to bring others to Him. We should actually be joyful that He would even consider using us, although it may not be fun at the moment, there is a greater purpose for it then we can understand, and Paul knew just that.


Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.   -Philippians 1:12-13

Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.-Philippians 1:14

^ (Paul had been put in prison and he saw this is God's purpose, not to harm Paul, but to bring people to Life.)


I hope this brought some understanding and comfort to all of you that our hurting at the moment!
Let me know if there is anything I can pray for you for!

<3 Lex

Beauty (video included)

What is it that makes us feel or not feel beautiful? Why do we compare ourselves?

The other day I was at CVS getting my hubby's gift bag and card, when all of a sudden I heard two girls behind me, probably the ages of 11 & 13/14? roughly. They were looking at the magazines that  are often stocked at the counter and I just heard them looking through saying she's pretty, she's pretty, she's pretty. Oh how I remember doing that with my sister. Going through the magazines and seeing all the beautiful ladies. Suddenly, when it was my turn to pay, I hear the girls just comparing themselves to these women who have their makeup all done, hair all done, airbrushed, tall and thin, who had hours spent on making them look unattainable, and these girls felt they didn't measure up. Talking about how those were the women they had to compete with.

Girls you're 11 & 13!! WHY do you have to struggle with not feeling beautiful enough at such an early age? My heart broke for them, because I know that feeling all too well.

I turned to them both and told them, you girls are way prettier than any of those girls in those magazines. All of a sudden, they're faces looked up with a bright smile, faces shining. It's so important to tell the young girls in our lives how beautiful they are. How the "beauty" the world is telling us to attain isn't real beauty. We get so caught up in trying to attain this beauty, that we forget about the important things in life. I'm speaking from experience.

I remember being bigger..like 176 lbs, and yet, I had this joy. Although I've never felt like I was "beautiful" I felt okay with myself. Because I was happy with who I was. Someone told me how important it is to be "beautiful" because guys look for "beauty"and although my personality was beautiful, it wasn't enough if I ever wanted a guy to marry me. I'm putting these words very nicely from how they were said, but that day they pierced my spirit.
I know the person's intentions were for my own good and I think that's the way they're motivated, so they tried motivating me in that manner, but it did the complete opposite. I lost something that day I haven't been able to get back.

That weekend I didn't want to go out. I felt too ugly to be out in public. Then I started working out and dieting and lost all this weight. I had gotten down to 120, but that 176lb girl was still haunting me. People were telling me to stop losing but I couldn't see it. All I saw was this ugly girl who couldn't measure up. She couldn't measure up to the tall thin beautiful toned girls in the magazine or on tv. I still struggle with it sooo much!

Christmas Eve this year we were supposed to go to my husbands families house, inbetween his work, instead, I was on the floor crying in my closet looking at the clothes hanging there, telling me, you're too fat to fit in me, you're ugly, comon you won't look good no matter what you wear! This is a day you're supposed to be all dressed up and pretty! Everyone's going to see how ugly and fat you've gotten. I know it sounds soo silly, but for anyone who's been there, you know how real it feels at that moment. Everyone else around will just look at you as a retard, don't know if that's the word.

It's funny, cause a friend of mine is doing this GREAT group for young girls on seeing themselves in a healthy way and she asked me to be one of the guest speakers one day. I feel so fake doing it. How can I tell these girls to see themselves in a way I fail yet to do. I struggle with this everyday, and I'm still not healed, I still cry in front of the mirror and actually hate looking!  Hopefully somehow I'll be able to help encourage them in a better way to not fall into the path that I have.

I hate the fact that because of all of those words, I placed such an importance on how I look, on trying to be beautiful, I lost that inner beauty, that inner joy.

This is just one of the broken pieces that need to be mended.

Why do I say all this? Because I want you all to know how important it is to tell the girls around you how beautiful they are! The world is telling them how pretty they're not! That they'll never attain beauty, but you can be the voice to tell them otherwise. Show them what true beauty is. Show them how important it is to be beautiful on the inside!! That it's where beauty truly counts!


You are all sooo beautiful!! In and out!

My Hair is on Fire!

Hello ladies! Remember that Giselle color I wanted?
Well...I didn't exactly get that but, I actually love the color I have.
I would have never been so bold to try it and I'm glad that I was forced into it.
It was a process that took over 8 hours!

                                                                
The Outcome

The Process:

 

o0o0 dead sexy...it's okay laugh.

 

  

  

 

Thank you Jenn & Laila and everyone else who worked on this project!

I really like this bolder color :) And they say it'll wash off into Giselle's so best of both worlds!

Watcha think?