Black and Blue

All about George

George is honestly the most adorable creature who has ever walked the planet.

His top five favorite things are

1) Attention in any form 2) Playing fetch for hours upon hours 3) Snuggling with me and growling if another dog tries to get rubbed 4) Treats (he gets too excited sometimes and bites my hand) 5) Falling asleep curled up in my neck and giving me a kiss goodnight on my nose.

His top five least favorite things

1) The leash 2) When he sits in front of you and kindly lets out a little whine with his toy and you don’t play with him! (its truly not acceptable!) 3) When the food bowl isn’t completely full. 4) When you take away his chewing stick 5) Baths (he avoids that bathroom at ALL costs)

This week he turns 8 months old and he has been the greatest companion to me so far. Isn’t he just the cutest thing?!

Rabbit Raves

 

(Top Left) Theres something about the color pink…it just makes you happy! You can stick your nose up all you want because its too ‘girly’ or ‘overrated’ but I think if something is beautiful, its beautiful. And thats all there is to it! Peonies are my favorite flowers in the whole world and I love seeing them everywhere! My favorite are the white and light pink ones, especially together. I can’t get enough of these fresh flowers in the house…

(Top Right) Who doesn’t love a little fluff in their life?! These sheepskin throws/rugs are making my heart sing. They feel like a puffy cloud, they look so classic and cozy, and its such an easy way to warm up a room by throwing it over a leather arm chair.

(Bottom Left) This is my ALL time favorite scent. Issey Miyake is literally heavenly and I get compliments every time I wear it. It has this fresh smell that is so distinct, yet never overpowering.

(Bottom Right) While we are on the subject of pink, could this lipstick be any more lush!? I love NARS lipsticks because they are super pigmented and they last a long time. I also happen to be a tad bit obsessed with packaging and logos and I just love the way they market their lipsticks. I can’t wait to add this shade to my slowly growing collection!

 

Hope you enjoy this weeks Rabbit Raves!

 

xx

R

Fake nails, fake hair, & a real heart

I recently got extensions and acrylic nails. I just feel plain beautiful. I feel like it matches how I feel on the inside. Here are some photos of the fun I’ve had with my new look!

On the bottom is a photo of what my hair used to look like!

I’m totally crazy about the cut and color! I’ve been thinking a lot about how appearance does matter…even if you don’t want it to matter it still does. People are aesthetic and their first impression of you is how you look on the outside. I feel like it is so important to take care of your appearance because how you look is generally an indication of how you feel on the inside. Taking the extra steps to feel attractive (whatever that means to YOU) can truly do wonders! Growing up with my mom as a hair and make-up artist, I see time and time again how much people change when they leave her studio. Its so amazing to witness people feeling beautiful…

So today and everyday, take time for YOU- whatever that means! You are important, don’t talk yourself out of it!

xx

N

 

 

Earth Day

I love God. He made the earth. Therefore, I love the earth. He gave us the earth to take care of and so it is all of our responsibility to do our part! 

There is something beautiful about being close to the earth and working with the things that we have already! This year I will be planting a garden! I will be planting green tea, camomile (or anthems nobles), aloe vera, and an assortment of herbs. Additionally, I will be planting kale! I read this book in Barnes & Noble the other day about making all natural remedies for sickness and ailments and it was so interesting! All of these things that God has given us in the earth are filled with nutrients and positive qualities. They are right at our fingertips! So in my free time I will be experimenting with making my own teas, creating natural oils for my dry skin, and exploring all different ways to use things that come from the earth. I think it will help me to be more grateful for everything I have around me and will teach me how to be more self sustaining. I hope to expand my array of vegetables, fruits, and flowers as I get the hang of things!

Aren’t they pretty?! I am so excited to get started. If anyone has any tips, send them my way! Hope you all are enjoying the beautiful day.

Happy Earth Day!!!

-N

*ALL PHOTOS ARE NOT TAKEN BY ME EXCEPT FOR THE ONE OF ME. I TAKE NO CREDIT FOR THEM!*

Australia, change, & why I won’t listen to my heart

On everyday of my trip to the beautiful Melbourne & Tasmania, I would take notes in my phone whenever something memorable happened for me. I was scrolling through it and was filled again with the overwhelming magic that happened there. Words cannot express the deep connections, outrageous fun, and faith building miracles I got to experience.

For some reason, about two months before my trip, I began to feel flooded with anxiety about my life and about what I thought was true. For the first time ever I had to wrestle with these questions that I had just never thought about before. Questions about my faith and about who God was made me want to almost give up. I felt trapped and lost. Right before my trip I met with my absolutely glorious mentor and pastor who listened and spoke words of peace and encouragement.

She had no fear about any of my doubt but instead said with a perfect smile on her face,

‘I’m not worried at all. About any of it.’

She then poured into my spirit what felt like a waterfall of restoration and hope. All I needed was someone to unveil the thin fabric from my eyes so that I could see the truth: I was exactly where I needed to be and it was easy to have relationship with God. All my fears and questions seemed so much bigger than they were. I just needed someone to remind me that I was surrounded by God no matter how I felt.

 

Thus begins my most recent journey! One that has changed my life and made me feel more free than ever before.

Because I am so sensitive and ‘feely’, almost every decision in my life has been made from a place of how I feel. It just comes naturally to me. I feel like crying, so I will. I feel like going shopping, so I will. Usually it isn’t an issue, but lately I’ve realized that my feelings lie! Quite often actually! Those suckers seep through your mind and soul and tell you things like,

‘you should quit because its hard.’

or

‘God is far because you don’t feel Him’

Well frankly, I’m about fed up with boarding the feeling roller coaster. It is absolutely exhausting and it makes the people around me crazy! People always say to listen to your heart but to be honest, the heart deceives us. And in my case, my feelings come on strong…so strong that it pushes away all the deep truths that I KNOW to be reality. And because I am a powerful person, all I had to do was realize it is as easy as saying no to your feelings and yes to believing the truth.

So when someone on my trip said something that hurt my feelings I CHOSE not to get offended. I literally had a conversation with myself. I said,

“Nicole. That hurt. I acknowledge it and I’m sorry it happened. But now we are going to let it go and decide to not let it ruin your day.”

It may sound silly, but it totally worked! I recognized that I always have a choice of what will rule my life. The rest of my trip was absolutely fabulous after that. Every time I didn’t feel like doing something, I remembered the reason why I was doing it and pushed through. When I was exhausted from ministering and felt like I was the worst worship leader on the planet earth, I went to my leader and asked him to remind me of what was true. The more I did it, the more I was able to discern what was the lie and what was the truth.

Of course I am not perfect and I still fall prey to these pesky feelings, but everyday I become stronger and I am happier than I have ever been.

Here are some highlights from my trip:

We had over 400 miracles, signs, and wonders! This includes cancer getting healed, deaf ears opened, backs completely healed, nerve damage completely healed, drug addiction broken, knees being healed, churches being restored, numerous salvations, broken bones coming into alignment, and so much more! The love of God POURED over the people every place we went and it was such a privilege to be a part of it.

I taught a 4 year old little girl how to pray for people and we walked around the church service while she laid her chubby hands on people and said, ‘3, 2, 1 be healed!’ It was killer!

I got to lead worship again for the first time in 8 months!!

A girl at a high school came up to me and asked if I could pray for her back to be healed and wound up receiving her prayer language, weeping under the presence of God, and telling me that for the first time in so long she felt close to God again.

The first day we got to Tasmania, there were 3 girls that got completely healed of back pain (one of which had been stabbed 2 months earlier). Five minutes after we had left them, 2 of the girls chased us down and wound up accepting Jesus in their hearts and were full of hunger for the kingdom!

I received an invitation to go around the world for 6 months in a yacht for FREE with a beautiful couple from Melbourne!!

We went to the beach

We made incredible connections and friends!

These are just a few things that happened in only 14 days of being there….Australia was fabulous and I am SO glad I got to go! (Except for the jet lag that lasted 4 days. Dear heavens I felt like I was going crazy from my funky sleep schedule!)

In 4 days I am going to Georgia with my boyfriend for spring break to visit my future University and see my new home for the first time! God has been so good to me…I feel so blessed to be here and be surrounded by the absolute best people constantly pushing me to be all that I can be.  I have only a couple more weeks until this year comes to a close and I go back to LA for the summer.

So for now, maybe think twice next time you hear or feel something that is negative or icky…maybe take a minute before you just ‘listen to your heart’. Definitely travel to Australia if you get the chance, and whenever you are down- find someone you admire to talk to. Lastly, always be ready for change and for greatness, you deserve it!

With all the love in my heart,

R

VDAY shenanigans

On Valentine’s eve, my house had an incredible party that was filled with fun, chocolate, and love notes. I thought the host, Natalie (Shown below. Look at her, GORGEOUS!) had such great ideas you might want to implement into your next festive party!

She bought twine, paper bags, candy, and tacks to make a heart on our wall filled with treats for our close friends. We had instructions for anyone to get a valentine or some candy and slip it in someones bag and when everyone left, they could take their bag as a favor! How cute is that!

We tacked wrapping paper we got at Michaels on a plain wall to set up as a ‘photo booth’! Natalie made a homemade ‘Happy Valentine’s day’ banner that was my favorite decoration from the night. We had a little table set up with bubbles, glasses, and other fun objects that people could take pictures with. *you could also have an instagram hashtag that people can tag if they want to use the wall for an insta shot!*

These amazing cupcakes were delicious and beautiful. We also had sugar cookies, chocolates, chips, & lollipops. We even had a tea & coffee bar! They were all such hits!

I’d love to hear some of your DIY party ideas!

Until next time!

xx

R

Sexy Saturday

I feel sexy when I listen to Norah Jones. I feel sexy when I wear a really beautiful outfit. I feel sexy when I wear heels and become the same height as normal people. I feel sexy when I am at the gym & when I do something really hard. I feel sexy when I am content. I feel sexy when I make something. I feel sexy when the song Beni and the Jets are playing (don’t ask why). I feel sexy when my parents go out because I’m like,

‘Damn they look good. I came from them. I must look good!’

I feel sexy when I have a messy high bun at a friends house wearing her shirt that always seems to look better than my shirts. I feel sexy when I am singing. I feel sexy when I am editing a photoshoot and it turned out so much better than I thought. I feel sexy when I am eating healthy because I know I am doing something wonderful for my body.

I feel sexy when the person I love gives me that look at a random time. The look thats like, ‘ugh. your mine.’ Its just the best.

Its important to pay attention to what you do that makes you sexy. Because otherwise we compare ourselves to other people’s sexiness and we lose our own. I am sexy. Not because I look like a Victoria secret model or a super athletic billabong surfer. Just because I am me. And I love me.

I am sexy. & so are you.

xx

R

Glisten & Glow

I love at home beauty treatments and so I thought I’d do a post about some at home regiments that are easy & affordable. And of course, they’ll make you ‘glisten & glow’! 😉

FUN FACTS ABOUT AVOCADOS: Avocado is rich in fatty acids, which can be used to moisturize the skin. Avocado contains humectants, which are chemicals that attract and hold water. Treatment of avocado on your skin will attract and add moisture to your skin and the avocado oil will form a barrier to help seal in moisture and protect your skin from the elements.
HOW TO: Rub the inside of an avocado peel on your skin, leave on for 15 minutes, then rinse off with water. (I love this one because you use all of the avocado! So no waste!)

FUN FACTS ABOUT HONEY: Honey, like the avocado, also attracts moisture. Because of its natural antimicrobial properties, honey can also protect against infection and promote the healing of a wound!
HOW TO: Go to your local supermarket, get some organic raw honey (if you are on a budget, regular honey works fine too) and wear it as a mask as many times as you want! Rinse off and moisturize. I actually do a honey mask every night before bed for about 15-30 minutes while I journal or read and then moisturize with coconut oil! All natural & I’ve definitely noticed my skin has an extra glow lately.

FUN FACTS ABOUT LEMON: I freaking love lemons. They are rockstar fruits. Lemon is the single largest and best source of Vitamin C. It has been found that a single lemon contains as much as 40 mg of Vitamin C, which, incidentally is the recommended intake of Vitamin C for one full day. Not only that but over time lemon oil or lemon juice can help to decrease dark spots from acne scars, act.
HOW TO: There are so many ways to use lemon. First thing in the morning drink a big glass of water with lemon juice in it. You can also warm up some water, add some lemon juice, and some honey before bed. I have lemon oil and every once in a while I’ll rub some on an acne scar if I have one!

Favorite Things this Week

 

 

These are my favorite things on pinterest this week. ^^ I love the happiness of each photo. Isn’t is amazing how a photograph can capture a moment and then make people feel that moment again and again afterwards? And side note, pinterest is seriously the best thing ever.

Below you will find a list of songs that I’m loving lately too.  Note that ‘I Want You’ and ‘Warm Water’ were recommended to me by two dear friends and after listening to them, I’m in love. (Thanks Aaron & Matt!)  Music & beautiful photos. Not sure theres a better combination.

 

Anyhoo, hope everyone’s day was hipping & hopping, remember to stop & acknowledge the beauty around you!

xx

R