Fabulous Friendship

Today I decided to write about someone who let me know that I was an inspiration to them when in fact, they are truly an inspiration to me as well. There are those few people in life that you really feel like you’ve known your entire life and who knows every little detail about you and still loves you for you. It’s very hard to get close to someone because you want to find trust in them before you break down your walls. A special person makes you see that you are instantly a part of their life from now until forever. Those people don’t come around very often and when you do find someone like that, you want to hold on very tight and never let go of them.

If you can count on one of your hands with just one finger the best friends you have in your life, you are a lot luckier than most. To have even one best friend is an incredible thing. If you have more than that, that’s great too. I am so lucky to have a best friend who understands me. She is someone who sees the good in me and pushes me to follow my heart with any obstacle that may come my way. She has overcome many difficult obstacles in her own life and it has shown me how strong of a person she really is. She does not give up and finds positivity in negative situations. I already have two sisters and she feels like my third. She is beautiful inside and out and most importantly always makes me laugh. Life without laughter is a boring life and who wants that? We have taught each other that it’s ok to make a mistake and that no one is perfect, if you want something done you have to do it yourself, you can’t let others bring you down, and if there is something that you really want in life; it can be yours. 

Now let’s think about what defines a best friend. Then think of your best friend/friends and see if they fall under those categories:

-Someone who is always there for you no matter what, not just when it’s convenient for them

-Someone who is an amazing listener, who sometimes doesn’t even need to say anything back but it felt like the best conversation in the world

-Someone who supports you with any decision that you make or path you may take

-Someone who makes you laugh and smile at all times

-Someone who is genuine and truly cares about you

-Someone who teaches you things about life that make you want to be a better person

-Someone you can confide in and you know that your secret is ALWAYS safe with them

-Someone who no matter what you are doing, if you’re together, it’s the best day ever 

Each one applies to my best friend so I know I am very lucky to have her in my life. This is my wish for her: Comfort on difficult days, smiles when sadness intrudes, rainbows to follow the clouds, laughter to reach your lips, sunsets to warm your heart, hugs when spirits are low, beauty for your eyes to see, friendships to brighten your being, faith so that you can believe, confidence for when you doubt, courage to know yourself, patience to accept the truth, & love to complete your life.

Love & Pink,
Lisa 

Four Letters with a huge meaning (LOVE)

Being in love with someone completely changes your life. It’s a feeling that cannot be explained even if you try really really hard. There are not enough words in the world to describe the special bond that the two people have. I know about love because I have grown up surrounded with so much love and it is absolutely incredible. I feel so lucky to have such an amazing family who supports me with everything in life and is always there for me no matter what. They wouldn’t have me any other way. My family is very unique compared to other families. We truly are all best friends and we would all do absolutely anything for each other. Then to find a guy who thinks I’m the most beautiful girl in the world is the best feeling in the world. He prefers me with no makeup on and loves my hair curly even though I love straightening it. Everything that I see as a flaw in myself he sees as beautiful. I am far from perfect but I have never felt so happy and positive than I do with him around me. Of course physical attraction is very important when you’re with someone (and there’s lots of that goin on) but when you have much more than that; you know that it’s real. We have an amazing emotional connection and both have taught each other so many new things about life and about ourselves. We will always have eachother’s backs and no matter what we always tell each other the truth. There are no secrets in this relationship, and if something is wrong we communicate. Being in love is a unique experience that all humans should undergo. He is one of the only people outside of my family that has completely changed my life. I have gone through some very difficult times in the past, and he stuck by my side. He made me see that I can do anything I put my mind to and that I am a strong, smart, and passionate girl and the sky is the limit. I wish that one day every single person has someone like this in their life because he is my rock. I never imagined that my best friend would be a guy let alone my boyfriend of now almost four years. I cherish every single moment together and I am extremely excited to see what’s in store for us in the future. I still get butterflies in my tummy when I see him and hearing the words “I love you” will never ever get old. 

 Love & Pink,

Lisa

Give me EvErYtHiNg

1. "She's anything but typical. She's so unpredictable. But even at her worst, she's not that bad."

2. "Love will turn your world completely upside down. There's the physical stuff - your cheeks getting hot, the flutters in your stomach. And then there's the mental madness - you feel like you're losing your mind because all you can think about is the way they smell, how good it feels when they put their arms around you, or the cute little dimple they get when they smile. When you're with them, there's no other place you'd rather be; when you're not, you can barely wait until you see them again. Love is a total high - better than eating chocolate, acing a test, or scoring the winning goal."

3. "You’re going to come across people in your life who will say all the right words at all the right times. But in the end, it's always their actions you should judge them by. It's actions, not words, that matter."

                                                                   

4. "There are just certain things in life that are better off unknown, things you wish you never asked, never saw, never heard, and never felt.' 

5. "If you want your life to be a magnificent story, then begin by realizing that you are the author & everyday you have the opportunity to write a new page."

6. "I make mistakes, & gain from them on my own. Experience is my best teacher. Always was, always will be."

Love & Pink,
Lisa

Would you rather have a million dollars or a perfect body?

In our consumer culture, money is everything and everybody wants it; a lot of it. According to a recent poll (about 2 weeks ago), it looks like money may not be people's top priority anymore.

According to the newscasters on CNN, when people were asked whether they'd rather have a million dollars or a perfect body, over 20% of people chose the perfect body. Pretty crazy right?

To me, the answer seems obvious. It's all about the money. Even if you didn't have the perfect body, with all that money you could easily look up the best plastic surgeon in Hollywood and buy yourself a perfect bod, just ask Heidi Montag! Not to mention, you'd still have tons of money leftover. (Kidding, everybody is beautiful in their own special way and you shouldn't waste your time wishing you looked like someone else!)

Then again, it's crazy how obsessed our culture has become with achieving the perfect body. Every time you turn on the TV or open a magazine, there's an ad for some new weight loss pill or some new celebrity workout DVD. Most people do not look like that in real life people! Only a very small percentage do, so it's crazy to compare ourselves to them. I love the body I was given and at times do I wish it was a little easier to lose some weight, yes. Am I going to beat myself up over that and miss out on enjoying my life and living in the moment happy, no! 

So if a genie popped out of nowhere and offered you one or the other, which would you choose: one million bucks or the perfect body you've always wanted?

Love & Pink,

Lisa

3 Ways to Improve Your Self-Esteem

Let’s face it: your quality of life is somewhat contingent on how you view yourself. Life seems rosier and more feasible when you believe you can face it head on; by that same token, when you lack confidence in yourself, otherwise simple tasks may seem insurmountable.

 However, feeling good about oneself is easier said than done. On any given day, an individual person may be exposed to at least 500 advertisements, many of which propound messages on how to be beautiful, successful, and likable in today’s society. While there’s little that can be done about the messages themselves, we can change how we choose to receive them and, more importantly, how we view ourselves. Try these three ideas to improve your self-esteem:

1. Take note of what you want and what you need — and act accordingly.

One of the most crippling aspects of low self-esteem is the negative belief system that goes along with it. Thoughts like, “I’m so unattractive,” or “I can’t do anything right.” You think you will not succeed, then you either don’t succeed or write off your success, and then you find your beliefs justified.

When you stop thinking about what you may or may not “deserve” and start thinking of what you want or need, then you start to see without these cognitive blinders. For instance, if you feel you do not deserve a raise at work for whatever reason, you are unlikely to obtain one. However, if you see situations objectively and recognize your hard work to see that you’ve earned it, your view can shift dramatically. When you stop placing value judgments and instead look at situations for what they are, you begin shedding these negative self-appraisals.

  

2. Create a positive environment.

When I feel poorly about or lack confidence in myself, I make an extra effort to look particularly nice. Fashion is important to all of us, so I am sure I am preaching to the choir when I say that dressing well offers an ego boost on the most difficult and trying of days.

There is more that goes into cultivating positive energy than just dressing well. Surrounding yourself with positive people is an important factor in feeling good. But other people aren’t the only thing that plays a hand; your thoughts and words also contribute to your environment. By being aware of negative perceptions and choosing to stop thinking them or adjust them accordingly, you help contribute to building a positive environment in which positive self-esteem can flourish.

3. Give yourself rewards, regardless of whether you “deserve” them or not.

I loved my time in college, but as a graduate two years later, I recognize that one of the worst “skills” I learned was how to reward myself. A new pair of shoes if I earned an A on a midterm or a muffin if I trudged through an insufferable textbook were both incentives I dangled in front of myself to keep going. This was all well and good when slogging through the tedious academic mire, but this rewards system can encourage unhealthy behavior when applied to other areas of life.

So why is this so bad? It’s because over time, using a rewards system suggests that you need to “deserve” nice things in order to have them. Or if you do let yourself have nice things, then you start feeling an inkling of guilt tickling in the back of your mind. What a terrible mindset to live in! The finer things in life should not always be the reward for hard work. Using a rewards system is an effective approach to monotonous tasks — and so long as you don’t overdo it. But if you still feel you need to “deserve” the things you want, then start rewarding yourself for things that really count instead of only accomplishments (i.e. being a good friend, having a good sense of humor, etc.).

Love & Pink,

Lisa

Better Together

(Our new song) 

Lyrics to Better Together by Jason Mraz :

There's no combination of words
I could put on the back of a postcard
No song I could sing
But I can try for your heart
Our dreams, and they are made out of real things
Like a, shoebox of photographs
With sepiatone loving
Love is the answer,
At least for most of the questions in my heart
Like why are we here? and where do we go?
And how come it's so hard?
It's not always easy and
Sometimes life can be deceiving
I'll tell you one thing its always better when we're together

[Chorus:]
MMM its always better when we're together
Look at the stars when we're together
Its always better when we're together
Yeah, its always better when we're together

And all of these moments
Just might find there way into my dreams tonight
But I know that theyll be gone
When the morning light sings
And brings new things
But tomorrow night you see
That theyll be gone too
Too many things I have to do
But if all of these dreams might find there way
Into my day to day scene
Ill be under the impression
I was somewhere in between
With only two
Just me and you
Not so many things we got to do
Or places we got to be
We'll Sit beneath the mango tree

Its always better when we're together
We're somewhere in between together
Its always better when we're together
Yeah, its always better when we're together

MMmmmm MMMmmmm Mmmmmm
I believe in memories
They look so, so pretty when I sleep
Hey now, and when I wake up,
You look so pretty sleeping next to me
But there is not enough time,
And there is no song I could sing
And there is no, combination of words I could say
But I will still tell you one thing
We're Better together

 

 

 

Love & Pink, 

Lisa  

Things that make life worth living (and loving)

1. Best Friends (the ones who are always there for you and the people you'll never forget or let go of)

2. Falling in love (it will happen eventually, I promise!!)

3. Food (because it's just sooo good!)

4. Music (because it can cure anything; especially a bad day. It brings back memories and reminds you of things you forgot about)

5. The butterflies you get when you see that special person (heart racing, your tummy feels like it's doing flip flops...it's an amazing feeling I swear)

6. SMILING (show off those pearly whites, smiling is contagious) 

7. Waking up and seeing that you still have a few hours left to sleep 

8. Making wishes on 11:11 (so guilty of doing that)

9. Acting however you want in public because you are having the time of your life and that's all that matters

10. Singing really loud in the car & jamming out with your friends

11. Going to the beach! (cute bikinis & flip flops yay!) 

12. Unexpected Compliments (I'd take one of those any day of the week)

13. Hearing your favorite song on the radio (I must admit though, every other song I consider my favorite!) 

14. Performing in front of hundreds of people (I really miss my dancing days) 

15. Making someone laugh REALLY hard

16. Kisses

17. Sugar...enough said

18. The color pink (what is not to love I mean let's be real)

19. Getting gifts (yes please!)

20. Taking lots of pictures (everyone freaks out that I take too many pics and then they love looking at them the next day…I ignore them now when they complain! It's called capturing the moment people!)

21. Feeling really pretty

22. Shopping (I work hard for my money and now I wanna see it all well spent hanging in my closet)
23. Your family (the people who know absolutely everything about you and yet still love you to pieces)
24. Manicures & Pedicures (it's nice to be pampered every little bit!)
25. Victorias Secret and Forever 21 (a girly girl's heaven)

Love & Pink,
Lisa

Bye Bye Belly!

You might be feeling a little sluggish from the long work week or just straight up lazy (I'm guilty of that sometimes). No matter the cause, there is an an easy fix for that belly of yours. These great ab exercises will target your lower abs, aka that stubborn stomach pooch that often gets ignored with standard crunches/ab workouts.

1. Double Leg Drops

Begin in a supine position and bring both legs into the air. Keep your feet together and lift your shoulders off the mat. Keeping your feet together, lower your legs down to a 45 degree angle and then squeeze your glutes back up into your starting position (not shown). For more of a challenge, take your legs as low as possible without letting your lower back arch. Everytime you lower and lift your legs, engage your core and squeeze every muscle in your body. This will give you the most results!

2. Swimming Feet

Begin in a supine position and bring both legs into the air. Lower your right leg down to 45 degrees and keep your left leg a couple inches higher. Place your hands behind the nape of your neck and lift your shoulders off the mat. To begin the “swimming” motion, bring your left leg down to 45 degrees and your right leg a couple inches higher. Keep simultaneously switching each leg’s position so that you are creating a scissor kicking motion. You will feel this. Oh em gee, will you feel this.

On another note...if you want to experience a great workout you should consider joining Indigo Studio located in Chicago. Their classes are insane as in insanely good and even though you wake up having pain in multiple areas of your bod, it's so worth it! They have classes that cater to everyone! (That makes me miss Destiny's Child song: Cater to you) :)

Love & Pink,
Lisa 

Sugar & Spice and everything Nice

1. "Too many people get caught up in what could be instead of appreciating what is. Don't fall into that trap; appreciate what you have and who you have."

2. "He's not perfect. You aren't either, and the two of you will never be perfect. But if he can make you laugh at least once, causes you to think twice, and if he admits to being human and making mistakes, hold unto him and give him the most you can. He isn't going to quote poetry, he's not thinking about you every single moment, but he will give you a part of him that he knows you could break. Don't hurt him, don't change him, and don't expect for more than he can give. Don't analyze. Smile when he makes you happy, yell when he makes you mad, and miss him when he's not there. Love hard when there is love to be had. Because perfect guys don't exist, but there's always one guy that is perfect for you."

3. "Laugh when you can, apologize when you should, and let go of what you can't change. Love deeply and forgive quickly. Take chances and give your everything. Life is too short to be anything but happy. You have to take the good with the bad. Love what you got. Always remember what you had. Forgive, but don't forget. Learn from mistakes but never regret. People change and things go wrong, but always remember that life goes on."  

4. "She's the girl that has a few best friends and doesn't need anymore. The girl that laughs the hardest at her own jokes. She's the girl that will hang up on you, but then call right back and say sorry. She's the girl who will never leave your side when you need her. The girl who will go out of her way to cheer you up. She's the girl who never sleeps without her teddy bear by her side. She's the girl who says she isn't ticklish, but really is. She's the girl who will not give up on you if she really believes in you. She's the girl who believes in loving somebody forever."

5."Someday, everything will come together, but until then, live it up and do what makes you happy. If someone doesn't agree, then screw them. Pick yourself up and deal with everything that happens. Remember that mistakes only make a person stronger, everything happens for a reason, the only regrets you have in life are the risks that you didn't take, and well-behaved women rarely make history. Above all else, go with your gut and guard your heart."

6. "You just have to hang out with people you trust and not worry about what others think. You'll always be under pressure.. what you're wearing and what you're doing. The only way to be comfortable is to know that you're surrounding yourself with people who like you for you.”

Love & Pink,

Lisa

Peace - Love - & Lipgloss

These are a few of my favorite things....

Cappuccino Lipgloss by Bonnie Bell is my signature accessory. Yes, you read correctly bonnie bell. It’s under $4.00 and by far the best ligloss I've ever owned. I am obsessed with lipgloss so I of course have MAC, Chanel, Stila, etc. and nothing compares to this stuff! It makes everyone’s lips look good. I never leave home without my gloss : )

Other things that are always in my makeup bag: Maybelline Lasting Drama Eye Studio 24 hour Gel Eyeliner in Blackest Black, Maybelline Volum' Express The Falsies Black Drama Mascara, Clinique Blended Powder and Brush in Transparency Bronze, & Victorias Secret Mosaic Blush in Wild Child. 

A nail polish that looks good on everyone: Essie Nail Polish color in Figi and Chastity 

Best Lotion: Johnson's Body Care 24 Hour Moisturizer

Best Moisturizer for the Shower: Johnson's 24 Hour Moisturizing Wash 

Best Exfoliate: St. Ives Fresh Skin Invigorating Apricot Scrub

Razor Ready: Gillette Venus Tropical Disposable Razors for beach ready skin! (includes 3) 

Best Lip Treatment: Vaseline! Your lips will feel amazing after you put it on and its also great for taking off makeup!

Something I couldn't live without: my Chi Straightener (in hot pink of course) and all of the Chi Products are great for your hair. 

Love & Pink,
Lisa

I am me. In the whole entire world, there is no one else exactly like me. Everything that comes out of me is authentically mine, because I alone chose it -- I own everything about me: my body, my feelings, my mouth, my voice, all my actions, whether they be to others or myself. I own my fantasies, my dreams, my hopes, my fears. I own my triumphs and successes, all my failures and mistakes. Because I own all of me, I can become intimately acquainted with me. By so doing, I can love me and be friendly with all my parts. I know there are aspects about myself that puzzle me, and other aspects that I do not know -- but as long as I am friendly and loving to myself, I can courageously and hopefully look for solutions to the puzzles and ways to find out more about me. However I look and sound, whatever I say and do, and whatever I think and feel at a given moment in time is authentically me. If later some parts of how I looked, sounded, thought, and felt turn out to be unfitting, I can discard that which is unfitting, keep the rest, and invent something new for that which I discarded. I can see, hear, feel, think, say, and do. I have the tools to survive, to be close to others, to be productive, and to make sense and order out of the world of people and things outside of me. I own me, and therefore, I can engineer me. I am me, and I am okay.

Love & Pink,

Lisa