30DHAC Reflection: Week 4

Yesterday was the end of the 30 day Husband Appreciation Challenge.

If you joined up with Laura and the others that joined the challenge, I hope you got something out of it.  I think it was what a lot of us women needed. I am going to actually quote Laura on her final post because her words are just SO true:

"I believe God is constantly at work in our lives. I believe my Googling something to PRAISE my husband for at a time when I wanted to stuff him in a closet was because God was saying, "Laura, knock it off. Couples argue. No one is perfect. You need to forgive him and get past this. Think about all of the great things he says and does. Appreciate your husband for who he is, not a mistake he has made. You are not perfect, either, so, step it down a notch." So, I listened, and when God told me to turn to Google (teehee), stumbling upon this was what I needed.

Maybe it's what you needed, too. Maybe you did the entire challenge with me. Maybe you did most of it. Maybe you did three days of it. No matter how much of this challenge you did, I have been praying for you all along -- praying that you can appreciate your husband. That you can realize, along with me, that...um...ladies...we aren't perfect. We screw up. We married these men for a reason (hopefully more than one), and arguing and being angry over dirty socks on the floor is a sad excuse to talk to your friends about how awful your husband is or to even think such things. You married him because you love him. Because he's great. And regardless of our moods, we should always appreciate our men.
I hope you learned something. I hope something was changed in you." Amen Laura. Those words are profound. Couples DO argue. As perfect as someone's relationship may LOOK to you, beneath the exterior surface, everyone is just like us, imperfect humans, imperfect relationships, BUT, it's a perfect love that brings us together. And when times get tough, THAT'S what we need to remember. Here's the verses Laura put up this week:Day 25 ". . . seek peace, and pursue it." -Ps. 34:14b
Day 26 "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." -Luke 2:52
Day 27 "Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the LORD."  -Ps. 31:24
Day 28 "The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility."  -Prov. 15:33
Day 29 "A prudent man foresees evil, and hides himself; the simple pass on, and are punished." -Prov. 27:12
Day 30 ". . . This is my beloved, and this is my friend . . ." -Song of Solomon 5:16b

Reflection:
My husband was not home AT ALL for the entire last week of the 30DHAC. He was enjoying the Osh Kosh flight festival in WI. He flies home tomorrow and I am over the moon! I can not wait. Anyways, as for the week, I don't have much to reflect upon since he was not home. Sad. He wasn't even gone for two whole weeks and I was a mess. I have so much respect for military spouses(such as Laura!). I can't even imagine what they go through on a daily basis. <3 Day 25 (Monday) was reflection time for me as it talked about finding peace. My husband gives me peace. I am the one that it quick to anger sometimes and he is the one that calms me down. I need to follow his lead more when it comes to my anger and be more laid back. Day 27 (Wednesday) was also an easy day because my husband definitely has the courage to stand up to sin, even when it's his own sin, and that is an important quality. I actually just read day 30 (yesterday) today and found it ironic that it went right along with a FB comment I left my husband last night. I will share it with you as it was part of our vows: 
"to marry your best friend is a joy, but to marry the one person that God has set your heart upon is a joy unparallelled in human life"
My husband IS my best friend. And he knows it. We were best friends, inseparable for a year before we even began dating, and that was one of the best years of my life. I feel so blessed to have married my best friend.

So, that's it friends. The 30DHAC is DONE. Be sure to stop by Laura's blog (linked above) and thank her for hosting. It was a great challenge idea.

Don't forget to check back tomorrow as I will have my next giveaway listed. This one will go on from August 1st - August 25th. I'm super excited for it. I feel like Oprah, sharing her favorite things, because I will be sharing something from one of my favorite blogs. Yay!


Oh, and my BIL, DaisyJo, friend/photographer, and many other members of my church family JUST got in from a Nicaragua missions trip a few hours ago. Thanking God for the ways he used him this past week, and for their safe travels. I can't wait to see pics and hear stories.

Andddd if I didn't say it before, my husband comes home TOMORROW. EEEEEEEEKK!!!

Have a Blessed Sunday, friends.

XOXO

Fabulous Friday :) & Target Gift Card WINNER!

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!

* insert cute photo here *

I was trying to edit a photo however my laptop kept wanting to over heat (grrrr. does anyone else have this problem?) and it was slowing everything down. drastically. and annoyingly. SOOO, I decided the photo wasn't that important! I just want to get this post up so I can announce the winner of my first ever giveaway. Eeek! I used random.org sequence generator and this is what it randomly generated for me:

22
24
31
34
20
35
 2
 4
 1
15
16
40
 7
23
10
39
 8
19
33
21
 6
 3
28
18
30
26
29
37
13
17
25
 9
12
32
27
14
 5
11
36
38

With that being said... Congratulations to commenter #22....AKRITICAL.
"  akritical said...shared on fb http://www.facebook.com/akritical/posts/25714690764496"
Please send me an email to BrownEyedBell11@yahoo.com within the next SEVEN days with your contact info so I can mail your gift card. If I do not hear from you within one week, I will redraw on next Friday's post.


As for this Friday's Fabulousness....

This week I received my brand spankin' new social security card in the mail. It has my new married name. Eeek! This was super exciting for me. What about you, other newlyweds? Was this exciting for you?!

I did a major cleaning of my room. It took about 6 hours, but it was nice and clean. I am a hoarder of sentimental junk stuff. Sometimes the clutter adds up. Thankfully, I was able to get everything nice and organized, though I still have a few bags of random stuff I want to use for a wedding or honeymoon scrapbook. The question is WHEN will I work on them?!

OH! My adorable tea set that I blogged about LAST in last Friday's fabulous post arrived yesterday. Super stoked about this buy from ideeli

I just posted on my pet blog about the dangers of leaving your pet in a parked car. I also listed an amazing site where you can go and download fliers to distribute with information about just how dangerous it is. With the ridiculous heat wave we've had going on as late, be sure to get the awareness out. And if you see a pet that's been left unattended in a parked car. Call 911. Every minute counts, and that pet could be dead within just a few.

I also posted 3 new items on the shop my closet page. I am sad to sell the Del Sol color changing pearl necklace and ring set HOWEVER I bought them in 2007 and have yet to wear them once. BOO! So, I think it's time I find them a new home with someone who will wear them!

I'm also very excited because on August 1st I will have information for my next giveaway up! I know, that's soon! BUT, I have a method behind the madness for August. I can tell you that the giveaway will be held on August 26th, and that entries will be accepted from August 1st - 25th. Stay tuned!

I hope you gals (and guys) have a fabulous weekend. Be sure to take a nap. They do the soul good :) And don't forget to link up, anytime between now and NEXT Thursday it'll be open.

XOXO

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Dreaming if cooler days, and last day to enter giveaway

HI FRIENDS!

I don't know about you all, but I am soooo ready for some cooler weather. Unfortunately, I'm in Florida, so it won't be coming for months...and months. It's not ridiculously hot right now. It's 10am, 86 degrees BUT 76% humidity. It's that sauna feeling that gets ya. Ugh! BUT, I know there are many others suffering 100+ degrees. And my prayers go out to you. Come on cooler weather. I wanna wear my black trench, pictured above!

Anyways, I wanted to remind everybody that TODAY is the last day to enter the Target Gift Card GIVEAWAY. Who couldn't use a $20 gift card? For yourself? or a gift for others? As of now, only 38 entries... so that means your odds of winning aren't half bad. There are SEVEN ways you can enter:

All you have to do to enter is:

Become a follower of Brown Eyed Bell(e) with Google Friend Connect. To do so, you can click JOIN THIS SITE on the left hand side of the screen and follow it with your google/blogger, twitter, yahoo, or AIM login info) and then leave a comment below letting me know you are following me. NOTE: If you are already a follower, just leave a comment letting me know. That is your entry. You MUST do this entry first in order to be eligible for other entries.

You can also earn other entries by doing the following:
* become a follower of my pet blog 4Paws4Love

* update your status on facebook with the link sending people here

* LIKE Brown Eyed Bell(e) on facebook
* LIKE 4Paws4Love on facebook

* blogging about this contest, with a link sending people here

* tweeting about this contest, with a link sending people here. If you do so please use the following tweet: @heatherlc02 from Brown Eyed Bell(e) is giving away a $20 target gift card. Check it out :) http://browneyedbell.blogspot.com/2011/07/my-first-giveaway.html

 

 please please please remember that your entry is YOUR COMMENT. So you MUST leave an individual COMMENT for EACH entry that you do, ie "I tweeted this contest" for one comment.... "I follow you via GFC" for another comment... etc etc. I've seen a few people retweet that didn't leave a comment, or comment on my FB page.... the comment HAS to be left here. Good luck ya'll :)

 

Now, I am off to clean the bedroom. Ugh. It is in need of a complete overhaul. And, what better time to get all the cleaning done than while the husband is away? Speaking of, he has been gone for a whole week and I am missing him SO much. :( I can't wait til he gets home. BUT, I am glad he is having an awesome time at Osh Kosh.... well, besides the migraine he suffered yesterday that had me feeling bad that I forgot to pack him with excedrin migraine. Oops! 

XOXO

Tire Vent Fest

I have to take a minute today to vent about.... tires. I know, I know. Tires?! But yes, tires. 

My car EATS tires apparently. 

I have a 2006 Mazda 3, that I bought in October 2005 shortly after the 06 model was released. It was my first new car, and probably my last. While driving off the lot with only two miles on the odometer was nice, I quickly learned how quick the price of a new car depreciates once you drive it off the lot.

Anyways.... my car uses low profile tires. For me, I originally had no clue what that meant. I was told over the phone that it means they are softer, and wear quicker, and are normally for sportier cars. I googled (of course!) and found this definition of low profile tires:

“Low profile“ describes an especially short sidewall height, or aspect ratio, on a tire. That’s the amount of rubber between the outside edge of the wheel or rim, and the road. Shorter sidewalls provide crisper handling and positive feedback to the steering wheel, but also give a rougher ride because of less cushioning between the rim and the road, which sends each bump and road imperfection directly to the suspension. Many people also like the looks of low-profile tires.
All tires have a size code, such as P245/45ZR17, on the sidewall that displays the tire’s dimensions. The aspect ratio is the number following the slash — 45 in the aforementioned code; the smaller the number, the smaller the sidewall height.
You can find low-profile tires on sports cars as well as vehicles with large diameter wheels, such as the Cadillac Escalade with optional 22-inch wheels. Sports cars will use the smaller sidewall height for handling performance reasons, while the Cadillac’s huge tires and short sidewall allow a combined diameter that can still fit in the wheel wells."

No Bueno. I can't even tell you the number of tires I've went through since I bought this car in October 2005. Way more than any of my friends, who drive cars that take "normal tires" that last over 30,000 miles. I've tried buying a set of 4 new tires at once. That was pointless as within the first year I was replacing separate tires which made me no longer have 4 of the same age. I KNOW I just bought another tire in April, right before my wedding. And now, I need two new FRONT tires. Sigh. And these low profile tires are NOT  cheap. I was quoted just over $300 for two today. I told them guy I don't have that, to which he of course offered so kindly to put it on my credit card. No Interest for 6 months. Same as cash. Ugh. yeah. Problem there? If I don't have the money now, I doubt I will in 6 months. It's just the inconvenience of constantly buying new tires. I DON'T want more credit card debt. Argh! I take very good care of my tires too by having them rotated and balanced quarterly (thankfully I get that for free at Tiresplus). So it's not like I'm just letting them wear unnaturally.


Google also showed me many other Mazda 3 owners (and other owners of cars that require low profile tires) have the same problems. Their tires wear at 10-15,000 miles instead of the MUCH longer tread life of other NON low profile tires. Just my luck. Now I know that when car shopping, pay attention to tires as well. They can make a big difference in buying. While I love my car, I'd NEVER want another one that requires the same type of tires. No No No.

Soooooo. My plan is to go to my appointment for rotation, balance and alignment on Friday, see what they say about my two front tires, and maybe I can start with just getting one replaced. We shall see. In the mean time, I am going to look at the bright side: when I called one of my best friends to vent today, she told me of a coworker who had an awesome SUV that required $300 tires. OUCH! Double what mine typically cost per tire. Someone always has it worse. :(

Don't forget, you can enter the Target gift card GIVEAWAY through tomorrow at 10pm EST. There are seven ways to enter. Good luck friends!

XOXO

A friend's Baby Bump

I've been rushing around like crazy again today. I started my morning off with a two mile walk outside. That was nice and sweaty even at 930 in the morning. THEN as I was checking out at my vet (had to buy special sensitive stomach cat food for my near 20 year old cat) my hair stylist called. I've been trying to get squeezed in for a trim and she had an opening at 11am. EEP! That is on the other side of town. BUT, I buggied on down and made it just a few minutes early. YAY! But yeah, my weekend can't get here soon enough. SO glad tomorrow is MY Friday. How is everyone's week treating them? Hopefully well!

I just have to share with you a few pictures from my friend Anissa's maternity photo's. I am blessed to know so many amazingly talented photographers. These photo's were taken by Dani Costine Photography. If you live in central or southern Florida, check her out. She is located out of Port Saint Lucie.

THIS is my favorite!

 

2nd favorite :)

Oh course Momma got a lot of flack for the picture of her standing in a tree, but rest assured, Dani had a death grip on her as she helped her up there.  And the end result was amazing. As I said, it's definitely my favorite. She's just standing there, in the vast wilderness. So serene. Love!

Are those not the cutest? I love baby bump photo's :)

Anissa is already mother to precious twin boys. They turned 4 this year!

Circa 2007

Circa 2011

You can only imagine her excitement to be adding a baby girl to the family! Miss Piper is due early September. And I for one can't wait to see the new family portraits that I am sure they will have done.

I also have to share a photo from another friend's baby shower this past weekend. This friend happens to be the sister in law of my friend Anissa above. Their baby girls will be born weeks apart! Eek! But anyways, the theme of her shower this past weekend was Derby Hat. SOOOO fun!

Also, only two more days to enter my Target Gift Card GIVEAWAY. Go to the link to find out more info on how to enter through Thursday at 10pm EST. There are SEVEN ways to enter! I am so excited about this giveaway and can't wait to do more. I already have one in store for August 1st. :D

XOXO

Nicaragua Prayers & 4paws4love

Well Hello Monday! I had an extremely long (5 day) weekend and you STILL snuck up on me!

Today's post is super short and sweet because I kept myself so busy over the weekend helping a friend move and spending every minute I could with her, that I didn't do the stuff I was "supposed" to get done! Haha. Oh well... It was SO worth every second of it. We had a blast going out, trying ethnic foods, and just finishing up around her apartment.

BUT, today I have stuff to do! So here's to a short and sweet post because I still have important things to say :)

Most importantly is please keep my friends and church family in your prayers. They left on Saturday for a missions trip to Nicaragua. You can read more on the trip via my friend DaisyJo's blog. She is actually ON the trip right now. My photographer Brielle Elizabeth as well as my brother in law are both attending the trip along side numerous members of my church family. I pray for safe travels for them, and that lives would be changed (I KNOW they will) :) I can't wait to see (pictures) and hear all about their trip! They come back on Saturday.

Also, last night on my pet blog, I blogged a story of a beautiful doggie I rescued from the middle of a median of a major highway in Spring Hill last year. I ended up taking him to a local shelter out there, and he got ADOPTED! Read the heartwarming story by checking out my 4Paws4Love blog.

And of course, don't forget the winner of  the $20 Target gift card will be announced Friday morning on the Fabulous Friday post. I am so excited to be having my first giveaway. And who COULDN'T use a Target gift card? Click HERE to go to the giveaway post and enter! There are SEVEN ways to enter! Good Luck :)

Here's to hoping every single one of you has an amazing week! <3

XOXO

30DHAC Reflection Week 3

Today is day 24 of the 30 Day Husband Appreciation Challenge (30DHAC). If you haven't already, check it out! :)

Here are the verses Laura posted this week:
Day 18 "You will show me the path of life. In your presence is fullness of joy . . . Happy are the people whose God is the LORD!" -Ps. 16:11a; 144:15b
"A merry heart does good like medicine . . ." -Prov. 17:22a
Day 19 Read this description of a wife's description of her beloved in Song of Solomon 5:10-16.
Day 20 "And be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you."  -Eph. 4:32
Day 21 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." -Matt. 6:33
Day 22 "Let your speech always be with grace . . ." -Col. 4:6aDay 23 "Let your speech always be with grace . . ." - Col. 4:6a
"In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works . . ."  Titus 2:7a
Day 24 "And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord." - Eph. 6:4

Reflection: The last two weeks of this challenge won't be as "hands on" as my husband flew out for vacation on Thursday. He goes annually with his aunt and uncle to the Osh Kosh flight Festival in Osh Kosh, WI. He flies to Chicago and then they drive! So yeah, that makes the daily challenges different since I am doing via phone and text.

Monday's challenge asked if my husband was playful, or more serious. That was an easy one; my husband DOES have an extremely playful spirit. He's a big kid at heart. And he knows it. And knows that I love him for it. He often jokes that his family and coworkers always say "Poor Heather" and he has to remind them "She KNEW what she was signing on for". Yes, I did. A lifetime of laughs. :) He can always make me laugh. Tickle wars are often a source of laughter and playfulness. I think Day 19 is very important for women to read, because as we are often trying to improve our bodies, sometimes we try to get our husbands to join in. BUT, depending on the way you ask, it can sound criticizing, which can be devastating to a mans ego. I try to remind my husband daily of how attractive he is to me. I want him to know I have eyes for only him. Day 20 was awesome. I am thankful to have a Godly husband who understands forgiveness. On Wednesday we actually prayed and meditated on Forgiveness and how wonderfully blessed we are to have God's forgiveness. Forgiveness is such an important part of any relationship, because if you can't forgive, you will forever have resentment getting in the way of a growing relationship. The resentment will eventually break a good relationship down. So friends, if you are harboring resentment towards a spouse, family member, friend, or anyone you care about... talk about it now. I have to agree with Laura on her reflections for the week. I think day 22 was the most meaningful to me too. While I don't purposely go out intending to bad mouth my husband, when you get with your best friends and hear them talk about the little things that their boyfriends or husbands do to aggravate or annoy them, sometimes you just get drawn in. And I really don't have anything to complain about. My husband helps me in so many ways. I guess for some it just isn't as fun to talk about "oh! my husband cleaned the bathroom for me" or "puts away laundry for me" or "made the bed". But ya know what? I don't know why. I guess that goes with we need to be so thankful for what we have.... right in front of us... and not trying to constantly make something better. Us women... always aiming for improvement. Haha. I am thankful that I can see just how blessed I am, and that I remind my husband daily of how much I love and appreciate him.

Goofing off UNDER water :)

REMINDER: You can enter my target gift card GIVEAWAY through THURSDAY at 10pm EST. There are SEVEN ways to enter. Please make sure you are actually ENTERING. You must leave a COMMENT on the ORIGINAL GIVEAWAY POST for EACH individual entry; IE, "I liked you ob FB" for one entry...."I am following you via google" another entry..."I tweeted about the giveaway" for another entry... Etc etc. GOOD LUCK! :)

XOXO

The Paper Mama - Summertime photo contest

When I saw The Paper Mama was having a Summertime photo contest this one immediately popped into my mind. Each year me and my girlfriends go to Anna Maria Island on the weekend of the anniversary of my mom's death. My wonderful girlfriends take time off work, and join me on a girls weekend getaway and they keep my spirits high as I miss my momma the most. <3 I am so blessed to have amazing friends. This picture was taken at last years trip.

Good Luck to everyone entering :)

XOXO

It's NOT goodbye, it's see you later.

One of my best friends got an amazing job opportunity.... two hours away. While the whole "gang" is all excited to see her advance and get a position she deserves, it's all bittersweet since to do so, she has to move away from us. I know I know... there's friends that live thousands of miles apart. We know to most two hours isn't nothing to complain about. And we realize, we WILL make it work, with many trips back and forth on weekends, BUT, the simplicity of hopping in our cars and driving to the other side of town on a whim will be gone. It's all good though, it could be way worse, and she could be moving out of state. Those drives would be MUCH longer. And more to complain about (yet still make work, because nothing can break the bonds of friends). On the positive side, she is moving near the beach so HELLO BEACH WEEKENDS! And it's more cultured where she is moving, so that means lots of ethnic places for she and I to try. Mhm! Things to look forward too :)

The last two weeks have consisted of us helping her pack, go through and donate things, sell things, and last night we had a night out. She had always wanted to go to a local country club/bar, SO, that's where we went. And that was quite interesting, to say the least. We did have a good time though, and hit up good ol' steak and shake at 2am. Classic. Today we took advantage of our last day to try ethnic foods together(not many of our friends are willing to try random food) and experienced a Turkish restaurant downtown. Amazing stuff for the taste buds. Nom Nom!!

Mo & I

Mo, Double Heather's, & Gina :)

She was so excited to "borrow" someone's hat for a pic

Turkish food

Mo leaves tomorrow morning and I am going to try hard not to cry. She's already planning vacation days around our many "events" that we do as a group. Anna Maria weekend, Breaking Dawn midnight premiere, Relay for Life walk.... there's just so much that we do together as a group. And none of it would be the same without her. 

I am very blessed to call Mo a friend, and I wish her nothing but the best for her future. I can't wait to see what is in store ahead for her! I hope you know how much you are loved Momo! And how much you will be missed!

Also, a note on the Target $20 gift card GIVEAWAY. I've added a way to enter. You can also start following my pet blog, 4paws4love. If you have pets or are an animal lover like myself, I definitely suggest following it. I have some cool things in store for that blog. Also, PLEASE remember to "enter" you HAVE to leave a comment letting me know WHAT you did. A separate comment for each entry, IE "I am following you" "I liked your facebook" etc etc. I've seen a few new followers, as well as FB fans, but no comment was left. Good luck all!

XOXO

Fabulous Friday :)

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Can you BELIEVE it's FRIDAY already?! Where did this week go? It seems like the older you get, the quicker time flies!

Anyways, it's been a few weeks since anybody has linked up and I am hopeful that someone, somewhere, has had some fabulous this week that they want to share. Remember, if you can't link up today, I leave the submissions open til NEXT Thursday, so feel free to link up on your own Fabulous Sunday, Tuesday, or whenever!

I have honestly had an amazing week! So many fabulous things happening in my life. Prayers have been answered for me this week, and I don't want to elaborate yet, but, hopefully will be able to soon!

What I can share:

I bought this fabulous little saucer set over at ideeli for a steal! $15! SOOOO CUTE! I am swooning over them. I love drinking tea, and now I have this adorable little set that I can host with! Thanks to Kaelah @ Little Chief Honeybee for sharing!

**andddd, hello again after 8 hours!! I was in the process of getting the Fabulous Friday post up early for link up and I got a call and had to head out to meet up with my room mate, and I had so much going on the southside that I spent most of my day there, to avoid wasting gas commuting between north and south side of town (about a 30 minute drive). SOOOO, sorry for the super late post**


My husband arrived safely in Chicago and then drove with his aunt and uncle to Osh Kosh Wisconsin where he will spend a week enjoying the great outdoors at the annual Osh Kosh Flight Festival, aka Airventure. He loves aviation and this has been an annual trip for years now. I am super excited he gets this time with his family! He wants me to go, but with my back problem, spending a week sleeping in a tent, on a hard ground, just won't work for me. SOOOO, one day, if we ever win the lotto, and own an RV, I can go then :D Hahah. Though his family DID invite me to come regardless because I am always welcome to stay the week at their house in Chicago. And invite friends to keep me company. SO, maybe I will take them up on that next year. A little Chicago vacation sounds fab!

The Hubs and I took third place for that local cutest couples contest I keep bugging you guys to vote for! (THANKS IF YOU VOTED!). Very exciting! We won $100 (hello CC payment!) and they wrote an article about us, and the other two couples that was published today. Check it out! Cutest Couples Contest Winners

My friend James brought amazing CHUNKY MONKEY cookies to work on Monday. He TOTALLY made my day Monday by surprising me with one. Yum Yum! and today, we had a potluck style birthday party for my boss (happy birthday!) and one of the employees brought in smore cookies that his wife made. Another delish!

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Thanks to inspiration from The Pioneer Woman I made a SUPER easy cake (Cuppa Cuppa Cake) on Wednesday. It literally was a cup of flour, a cup of sugar, and a can of fruit cocktail. Mix it all together and cook til warm and bubbly. Hello simplicity! Apparently it's a recipe from the movie Steel Magnolia's which I've never seen.

ps - please don't judge me on the horrible sweets I've ate this week :D

Oh, and I am having my first ever giveaway on the blog. I'm so excited and looking forward to many more. This week I am giving away a $20 giftcard to Target. You can enter until Thursday night and I will announce the winner on NEXT Friday's Fabulous Friday post. Good Luck! Click HERE to get more details on the giveaway and how to enter. 

XOXO

Inspiration Day 4: Remission from Leukemia

I hope you guys are enjoying reading these inspirational stories this week as much as I am enjoying sharing them. :)

Today I am going to blog about not one, but two of my very dear friends (one is also my room mate) that are in remission from the same type of cancer, Leukemia.

Meet Ashley & Tina

Me, Ashley & Tina Oct 2010

Ashley battled Leukemia when she was just three years old. She had ALL (Acute Lymphocytic Cancer). On top of the Leukemia she was battling at such a young age, she was also diagnosed with a rare chromosome disorder(Philadelphia Chromosome). This caused her chances of survival to drop below 5%. Scary! BUT, Ashley is a fighter, a SURVIVOR! She has been in remission for just over 20 years now and leads a very active lifestyle playing softball for various local teams most days of the week, as well as participating in annual cancer fundraisers such as Relay for Life & Light the Night

During treatment

Ashley in the middle at Relay for Life 2010

Scrapbook Ash made

SURVIVOR! <3

Tina actually was diagnosed with Leukemia when she was 23. Out of nowhere she started to feel sick, like a bad flu, fever, achey, etc... She also had TONS of bruises pop up everywhere that was not typical. *I* actually made her go to urgent care one Saturday and from there, after blood tests, she was immediately admitted into our local hospital, where she did not leave for almost eight weeks. She was diagnosed with APL (Acute promyelocytic cancer). Thankfully Cristina is a fighter too, and a SURVIVOR! She underwent aggressive treatment for just over two years, and has been in the early stages of remission since late 2009. Doctors will not consider her full remission until she is five years cancer free. She's told me the doctors actually told her to thank her friend that made her come, as I may have actually saved her life. I'm so thankful she listened to me that Saturday, and let me take her to urgent care.

The Lord has truly blessed my two friends, and we are all so thankful for that. <3

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XOXO

My First Giveaway :)

I'm super excited to be doing my 1st ever giveaway starting today!

You can enter today through Thursday July 28th at 10pm EST. The winner will be announced in NEXT Friday's Fabulous Friday post.

Sadly I haven't made enough connections yet in the blogging community to ask to do a giveaway for someone's Esty shop, etc, BUT, I would love to do that in the future. SO, if you sell something, and would like me to host a giveaway for you, shoot me your info in an email: HeatherLC02coupons@yahoo.com. We can set something up.

For now, I am starting with an adorable $20 gift card to Target. I figure most states have a Target, so here we go! 

*Note: Don't mind the notebook I took the photo on. It is entirely too hot to go outside and be creative, so the notebook did it today :)

Now, for the rules.... there's gotta be rules people :)

All you have to do to enter is:

Become a follower of Brown Eyed Bell(e) with Google Friend Connect. To do so, you can click JOIN THIS SITE on the left hand side of the screen and follow it with your google/blogger, twitter, yahoo, or AIM login info) and then leave a comment below letting me know you are following me. NOTE: If you are already a follower, just leave a comment letting me know. That is your entry. You MUST do this entry first in order to be eligible for other entries.

You can also earn other entries by doing the following:
* become a follower of my pet blog 4Paws4Love

* update your status on facebook with the link sending people here

* LIKE Brown Eyed Bell(e) on facebook
* LIKE 4Paws4Love on facebook

* blogging about this contest, with a link sending people here

* tweeting about this contest, with a link sending people here. If you do so please use the following tweet: @heatherlc02 from Brown Eyed Bell(e) is giving away a $20 target gift card. Check it out :) http://browneyedbell.blogspot.com/2011/07/my-first-giveaway.html

In order to qualify PLEASE remember to leave a separate comment for each entry that you do, as well as the link so I can verify it as an accurate entry if you win.

That's SEVEN ways you can enter!! :)

GOOD LUCK FRIENDS :)

Also, on a giveaway related note, please be sure to check out Kaelah over at Little Chief Honeybee as she is giving away an amazing PINK Nintendo DS. Swoon!

XOXO

Inspiration Day 3: Praying for Zoe

Today's inspiration is actually the little sister of a friend of mine. 

Her name is Zoe.

And her life changed tragically on Easter Sunday this year. While jet skiing with her cousin(and very close friend), the girls collided causing Zoe's left leg to be severed right below the knee. She endured a total of 11 surgeries during her eight week stay in the hospital following the accident.

During that time the community really came together with various fundraisers to help raise money for her medical bills. Volleyball (Zoe is an amazing volleyball player who had hoped to play varsity this year) tournaments were held at her middle school, as well as HOT PINK bracelets that say "supporting Zoe Gibbs" were purchased and sold out within a matter of minutes. Various events were held at local restaurants and bars around town. A Praying for Zoe facebook page was created, that currently has just over 900 "likes". The support has simply blown her away.

Thankfully she has had an amazing support system. My friend Whitney, her older sister, never left her side, even taking three months off work so she could be there constantly, as well as spearhead the fundraising efforts. Seeing their closeness just makes my heart swell.  That bond will never be broken.

 Zoe was released from the hospital just over a month ago and is now recovering much more comfortably in the comfort of her own home. She attends physical therapy 3-4x a week, and now realizes that she can (and will) still achieve her volleyball dreams.

Our local paper just published an eight minute interview with Zoe and her mom last week, check it out if you'd like: Zoe Gibbs: Road to Recovery

Zoe and her family are definitely still in need of prayers. While Zoe is home, which is a blessing in itself, the family still faces many financial battles ahead. Zoe's father is unable to work due to Parkinsons disease and receives disability and Zoe's mother was just notified a week ago that she was being laid off from her job.

Zoe you are an inspiration to not only me, but many others. Keep doing what your doing, you are AMAZING! <3

Again, I am enjoying doing my inspirational week (that I just decided to do on whim); if any of you readers have an inspirational story you'd like to share, please comment and I will get in touch with you.

XOXO

Inspiration: Day 2

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Yesterday I blogged about me being inspired by a young lady I met a few months ago.... and I received a few comments thanking me for the inspiration. Last night, I read an article that inspired me yet again... so I decided to share today... and make this Inspirational Week. I am all about a little inspiration. There is so much going on around us daily, that some times we miss the little things here and there.

Yesterday I came across an article in the news that was actually a follow up to an article I'd read May 2010. I remember the article vividly because it was about a beautiful bride, who was paralyzed in a freak accident during her bachelorette party. At the time, I was a bride to be myself, and I just couldn't fathom the thought.  

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The above photo is of Rachel during a fitting of her dress.  Rachel was paralyzed in a freak accident on May 23rd 2010 during her Bachelorette party when a bridesmaid who also happens to be her best friend playfully pushed the bride to be into a swimming pool. When she fell in, she struck her head, paralyzing her from her neck down. She had suffered a C6 spinal cord injury that would forever change her life. 

The accident happened about a month before she was set to wed her college sweetheart, Chris, whom she'd been with for five years. After the accident neither she nor her fiance ever considered leaving each other, giving true meaning to the terms 'through sickness and in health'. Chris said it was always "what are WE going to do?" NOT "what am I going to do?" They do everything as a team. And he supports her 100%.

Not only did Rachel suffer a horrible tragedy physically, her best friend also suffered tragically, mentally and emotionally, and as Rachel said, "sometimes it's harder to deal with when you are hurt emotionally than it is when you are hurt physically". Rachel has stuck by her friend through it all, even refusing to give her name to the news reports. As Rachel says "It was playful, but it went wrong". It was truly an accident and she wants no ill wishes towards her best friend. Her best friend will also be in attendance in the upcoming wedding.

Rachel and her husband to be are working hard to keep Rachel active as she was before the accident. She has been playing wheelchair rugby and he has been coaching it. She is trying to get a hand cycle so they can bicycle together. She has also said she is trying to raise $15,000 to attend Project Walk in California for 3 months of therapy and housing. She says "they don't promise anything, but there are stories of people that walk out of there with the same exact injury as me, so it's hard not to try".

Rachel who is a huge Beatles fan plans to get a peace sign with the words "Let It Be"  tattooed on her neck where the injury occurred. It symbolizes that she is at peace with it.

Can you say WOW?! I am still blown away by this story. What an inspiration Rachel is. I can't even imagine my life being changed that way. What I would do, or how I would act. But she is an example of the right way to handle it. She's not focusing on pity, she is focusing on living her life to the fullest and realizing just how blessed she was to not be killed in that horrible accident.  I could only hope to handle it with the grace that she is. Many prayers are with you Rachel. You are a blessing to this world..

If you'd like to read more articles on Rachel and her story, google Rachel Friedman, or Bride paralyzed at Bachelorette party. There are numerous articles out there with more pictures and video.

As Rachel said in her video "stuff happens, and it happened". It can happen to anyone. Today is a gift, that's why it's called the present. We just don't know what tomorrow will bring.

If any of you fellow bloggers have went through something inspirational, please let me know, I'd love to feature you! Just leave a comment with your email address and I will get in touch with you.

XOXO

Scheuermann's disease

Happy Monday Friends :)

I'm in a bit of a rush today as I have quite a bit to do, and am adding to it. Hah. SO, I figured I'd finally finishing editing a post I'd started a few months ago. Eep. I'm a procrastinator.

** Note: I started typing up this post a few months ago, and am just getting around to finishing it as I had to find the photo's and links that I wanted to link up **

I found myself humbled earlier this year as I learned things about a young lady that I met through a friend of mine. It's not often that I find people my age that have severe back problems like mine (and I wouldn't wish that on anyone anyways) but she does have back problems, and she is in a great deal more pain than I am, yet she still gets by with a smile on her face. She has truly been an inspiration to me as I learn more and more about her condition and how she handles it.

Here's the Wikipedia definition of what she is dealing with:

Scheuermann’s disease (pronounced 'Shoy-eh-ah-man' though very often mispronounced as 'Sherman') is a self-limiting skeletal disorder of childhood. It is also known as Sherman's Disease, Scheuermann’s kyphosis (since it results in kyphosis), Calvé disease and Juvenile Osteochondrosis of the Spine. It is named after Holger Werfel Scheuermann. Scheuermann's disease describes a condition where the vertebrae grow unevenly with respect to the Sagittal plane; that is, the anterior angle is often greater than the posterior. This uneven growth results the signature "wedging" shape of the vertebrae, causing kyphosis.


Scheuermann's disease is considered to be a a form of juvenile osteochondrosis of the spine. It is found mostly in teenagers and presents a significantly worse deformity than postural kyphosis. Patients suffering with Scheuermann’s kyphosis cannot consciously correct their posture. The apex of their curve, located in the thoracic vertebrae, is quite rigid.


Scheuermann's disease is notorious for causing lower and mid-level back pain, which can be severe and disabling. The sufferer may feel pain at the apex of the curve, which can be aggravated by physical activity and by long periods of standing or sitting; this can have a significantly detrimental effect to their lives as their level of activity is curbed by their condition and they may feel isolated or uneasy amongst their peers if they are children, depending on the level of deformity.


In addition to the pain associated with Scheuermann's disease, many sufferers of the disorder have loss of vertebral height, and depending on where the apex of the curve is, may have a visual 'hunchback' or 'roundback'. It has been reported that curves in the lower thoracic region cause more pain, whereas curves in the upper region present a more visual deformity. Nevertheless, it is typically pain or cosmetic reasons that prompt sufferers to get help for their condition. In studies, kyphosis is better characterized for the thoracic spine than for the lumbar spine.


The seventh and tenth thoracic vertebrae are most commonly affected. It causes backache and spinal curvature. In very serious cases it may cause internal problems and spinal cord damage, but these cases are extremely rare. The curvature of the back decreases height, thus putting pressure on internal organs, wearing them out more quickly than the natural aging process; surgical procedures are almost always recommended in this case.


Many with Scheuermann's disease often have an excessive lordotic curve in the lumbar spine; this is the body's natural way to compensate for the kyphotic curve above. Interesting, many with Scheuermann's disease have very large lung capacities and males often have broad, barrel chests. Most people have FVC scores above average. It has been proposed that this is the body's natural way to compensate for a loss of breathing depth.


Often patients have tight hamstrings, which, again, is related to the body compensating for excessive spinal curative, though this is also debated (for example, some suggest the tightness of ligament is the initial cause of the growth abnormality). In addition to the common lordosis, it has been suggested that between 20-30% of patients with Scheuermann's Disease also have scoliosis, though most cases are negligible. In more serious cases, however, the combination is classified as a separate condition known as kyphoscoliosis.

I actually found out about her back problems via facebook. Go figure. I saw she posted an xray of her spine, and was talking about getting surgery and I replied back how much I admired her, as I myself am petrified at the thought of surgery.

One of the things that inspire me the most is her drive. She suffers through so much pain, yet still pushes herself to do things such as the Iron Girl, which she completed last 2010.

Duathlete still battling

The above pictures are so inspiring to me. From talking with her about the event, I know she was in pain every step of the way, and that she paid for it months after the event, BUT, the bigger picture is, she did it. She proved the doctors wrong. And that's exactly what she set out to do. She is planning to have surgery in the next year or so to correct her problem, and I pray that things go smoothly and that she can get the quality of life that we all deserve, that many take for granted. If you are in good health, be sure to send praises up today because of that. It's definitely a blessing.

XOXO

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