Be Still!

A good friend of mine is not happy today. She is going home to take care of her mother who has been taken ill. I am saddened by the fact that she will be travelling with a heavy heart, with so many questions lurking in her mind and no certain answers.
Nobody likes uncertainties and sudden changes in their lives. My friend leaves not knowing when she will be back, not knowing how bad her mother is, not knowing how she would be able to help with a ten month old baby, not knowing how the rest of her family will cope without her here in Kuwait. So many issues to think about.
I have been thinking about her predicament and I have come to the conclusion that she will survive through it all because she will have God's favor on her side. When we are sure of God's presence in our life, we can take on any challenges that come our way. Simply because God is in control of every turn in our life. What great hope we have as we have the favor of God on our side.
Faith is standing still and holding on to your promises during the STORM and not when the sea is calm.
Faith is being certain of the unseen.
Faith can move mountains if you truly believe and not waiver in your thoughts.
It is very difficult to be still and not ask questions when trials hit you, but that is what we are called to do. That way we show characteristics of a true christian. I love the verse I read this morning, "we are asked to run with patience the race that is set before us". Patience and run are two extremes in my dictionary, they cannot go hand in hand during a race. It is so contradictory, yet we are asked to run with patience. In my understanding it simply means its during your trials and challenges that you are asked to move on doing your duties and not sit and wallow in your adverse situation. You have to carry on what you are asked to do and move on in life. Just like Christ was sure of the crucifixation that lay ahead, he continued to do miracles, continued to heal the sick, blind and lame, he continued to reach out to the down-trodden. He did not sit moaning the trial that was up ahead.
So my advice to my friend would be to move on, go ahead and run the race that is set for her, with patience and in due time she will see God's hand was with her through all her uncertainties.

My Hair!

I finally went and had that long over-due hair-cut. I gathered all my courage and went straight from work. Did not want to have second thoughts. I have never been happy with my hair cuts, they have never been "oh wow". So, usually, when I decide to cut my hair, and reluctantly make that appointment, a 100 thoughts crop up in my mind like, why did I want a cut, my hair looks good today, everyone has bad hair days, why did I make that appointment, my hair looks better than it ever has right now.....all these thoughts crowd my mind and I go with that negative attitude. Not yesterday! I did not have any of those thoughts.......my hair was really really bad, limp and made me look very pale. All signs were showing that I was indeed long over due. I must admit, I prayed that I wud not look odd as I had a birthday party to attend.

Amidst all the standstorm in Kuwait, I have been hit by the wind of change. Last week I went in for a candle wax treatment for my facial hair, wow, my skin feels as soft as a baby's butt, and then I went to a shoe store and got myself two pairs of shoes that I would never even have tried before, but this time I put it on my feet and decided it would be make a good change.

Back to my hair, I must say I am a happy person. Hope it stays as good after my first shower.

P.S. For your info, my face is totally touched up with photoshop or one of those amazing programs. Hard as I looked, I could not find a single blemish on my face. This picture just goes to prove what technology can do!! Who knows may be the next time, the photographer could make my neck look shorter!!

My hunt for shoes carries on.

I have been looking for the perfect black shoes for I dont know how long. I have gone to so many malls, in and out of so many of my favorite stores but in vain. I need that perfect shoe for work, the perfect heel, the perfect look, the perfect comfort. I do not compromise for second best when it comes to shoes/footwear. No matter what others think, if I am not confident in them I will not pick it.

I go for stilettos, shoes that are delicate to look at yet comfortable. It has to look just perfect from any angle of the human eye. The colour of the heels matter to me just as much as the colour of the shoe itself. And as if that does not make my hunt for shoes tuff, I had to have shoe size that is neither 37 nor 36. Anyone out there have feet that measure 36.5?. Join my club. Its so difficult to get shoes that are comfortable as you either opt for a slighly loose fit (37) or a tightly packed fit (36). All my life i settled for 36 which has left me with some odd looking cones on my toes. I feel more confident with a tight shoe than a loose one that might just fall off my feet while I trot to work.

I went to Skechers the other day and found meself a very nice shoe that was size 36.5. I grabbed it. Keds are available in all sizes but shoes are the difficult choice. What is even more depressing is when your husband does not like your choice in footwear. I prefer the delicate ones and he prefers me wearing cloggs, out of this world kind of shoes in shocking colours and funky stuff. In my opinion, I feel all of that is very loud for my sense of dressing and therefore refrain from picking those. What do you do in these instances, do you buy shoes to please hubby or yourself?? Uuh uuh......not me! Its all about being confident in what you feel good in. I aint straying from that train of thought EVER!

I have been looking for a skin tone (nude colour) shoe as well, that wud go so easily with all dresses and skirts. But that too in vain. You just do not find shoes like they have at Jimmy Choo. I wud love to meet her and thank her for making a world of difference in the shoes worn by celebrities these days. She makes such lovely shoes, its amazing. They are perfect and delicate from every angle. In addition, she has them in all sizes. God bless America!

Check out some of these shoes below to understand what I am trying to say.

http://http//www.jimmychoo.com/pws/ProductCategoryAttributeLink.ice?layout=departmentprod.layout&paId=CLAS&value=02&paId2=AVAILABLE_ONLINE&value2=true&productsPerPage=6

I love Anna Sui dresses!

Check some of these gorgeous dresses by Anna Sui.


http://www.edressme.com/annasui.html


I love the prints and the feel of the fabric. The very design of each of these dresses makes you want to have them. I must admit they are priced on the higher side but if I ever see these dresses, I wud love to pick one at least.

Look of the Season!

Little white dresses (LWD) are officially the look for the season. I love white clothes, in fact most of the clothes in my closet are white. I feel a white dress can be carried off during the day or night, just by accessorizing it for the occasion. White can be accessorized with any bright colours to give you that summer look, go plain white or my all time favorite is accessoize it with tanned brown. My favorite combination wud be a white dress with a tanned broad belt, with the same colour boots. That would be so cool. Perm up the hair a bit to give that bohemian look. Another kool look with white would be throwing a short-denim jacket over it.

According to In Style, Eva Mendes, Cameron Dias and Demi Moore were spotted in white dresses and what lovely white dresses they are.

Do you know what to look for in a potential mate?

There are lots of qualities that matter: character, integrity, stability. But here's something else to consider: look for someone who encourages you and has a positive outlook. It's hard to have a happy marriage when your partner constantly criticizes you or makes you feel inadequate. Your spouse should be trying to build you up - not tear you down. And it's easier to have a happy marriage when you're with someone who finds hope in situations instead of always seeing the glass half empty. So look for someone who has a positive attitude about working through the tough spots in your relationship.

Five Things Every Marriage Needs By: Dr. Gary Smalley
Excerpted from the book, Joy That Lasts

So where did I go wrong? How could I wind up in such despair? My derailment occurred because I was looking for happiness, not joy. There is a major difference between happiness and joy. Happiness in life is transitory, dependent on circumstances. Joy continues regardless of trials. That's especially true in marriage. When a couple discovers joy, they are free to enjoy marriage the way it was designed by God. And they are able to endure all that life throws at them.

These are five things every individual (not just married people) needs in life, but we tend to look for them in all the wrong places. But when we have these five things, we are able daily to experience indescribable joy.

First, I Needed an Energy Source to Recharge My Spiritual and Emotional Batteries
I was looking to Bill and to my job for my energy. Everything that gave my life meaning and significance came from my friend and my work. When I was with him, I was high. When I was on the road planning an event, my life felt important. On those occasions when I was not getting what I needed from work, I would look to Norma to make up the difference. But she was busy with three kids, so my expectations often weren't met. I didn't realize that neither my job nor any person would provide the lasting fulfillment I needed. That had to come from another source.

Second, I Needed Someone to Whom I Could Pour Out My Heart and Talk to About Anything at Any Time
You might naturally think my wife would be that person, and Norma tried to help. But I knew she had expressed concerns about my being involved in this work, so I didn't feel free to completely open up to her. And the problem with having only one really close friend like Bill was that when that friendship changed, I had no one else to turn to. What I didn't know was that I did have this type of friend. He was waiting for me to open up to him, but it took me a long time to realize it.

Third, I Needed to Understand My Emotions, For They Were Warning Lights Telling Me I Was in Trouble
I didn't know it at the time, but there were numerous indications that I was in trouble. My anger at Bill and the ministry was a big one. Fear of the future was another. Loneliness should have been a clue that I was expecting too much from Bill. Depression was a major warning sign that life wasn't cooperating with my expectations. But I didn't understand my emotions, and so I suffered far more than necessary.

Fourth, I Needed to Know That There Is Meaning in the Trials We Endure
The Bible makes a promise though it is one we don't really want to claim that we all will endure trials. Trials are an inevitable part of life. But I was totally unprepared for this trauma. Norma couldn't help me either, because my trial had caused a crisis in her life. There was no way then that Norma and I could come together and gain understanding of the situation. Now I can look back and tell you that this crisis was one of the best things that happened to me and Norma. I would never want to go through it again, but I truly wouldn't trade what I learned either. The message of this book, the joy that Norma and I discovered, is a direct outcome of my crisis.

Fifth, I Needed to Have a Shared Mission with My Wife That Was Beyond Us, One That We Could Strive for Together
You no doubt noticed that Norma wasn't a part of my work with Bill. So often we segment our lives, and work stays distinct from family. But by leaving Norma out of this part of my life, I lost something of great value. Fortunately, today Norma and I have combined our talents and we are a team. You may see me in front of a crowd at a conference, but believe me, without her supportive work, there is no conference. The joy we get out of working as a team is incredible, even though it's not always smooth sailing.

Which would be the dress you would chose?

I love clothes and I think the ones on this site are really smart dresses. Personally I do not like to show off my arms/shoulders as much as I like to show off my legs. I dress for I, me and myself. I feel the days I dress well, I can work better, am a happier person and somehow can look at life's challenges through a better perspective. Hmm shallow you may think. Yet true it is. Its just a state of mind where I am happy and very little can ruin it. I like to set my own style, my own fashion statement and do not necessarily go with what the world follows at any particular time. Of course if it suits my taste, no denying I will be with the trend.

I work in an office where I often do not meet people, come in late (flexi hours) and leave late (everyone has left the offices) and yet I enjoy dressing up. A sense of happiness I get when I dress well. That is precisely why I never like anyone else buying me clothes. I will not wear anything that I am not confident in, albeit it may be a dress worn by Denise Richards or Kate Hudson. It has to make me feel good for me to wear something. Sometimes I wear clothes that are not always approved by my friends, but that does not stop me either. I love stripes and will wear them no matter how wide I look in them.

I think my closet has more of white clothes and of course stripes. I love mixing a white semi-formal shirt with dark blue jeans and throw in a scarf to got with it. What I love and am most comfortable in is long loose tshirts with my jeans and keds.

Do you look at Jimmy Choo shoes and wish they were on your feet? Hmm what about those Prada bags that seem so perfect on your arm? Well my closet has neither!

http://http//www.bebe.com/b/675941011?extid=ps_msn_Apparel_Dresses_drop+waist+dress&OVMTC=p&OVKEY=drop%20waist%20dress&creative=395888&adcid=949132

No longer a Secret! Victoria's Secret on Sale!

Check this half yearly sale on all products from Victoria's Secret!


http://http://www.victoriassecret.com/?cm_mmc=AveA-_-MSNSpotlight_FrShip070809_swimclose-_-140x140-_-HP

Do you ever wonder?

Have you ever felt that as we grow older our lives seem to get more complicated? Do you look back and wish you could go back to those yonder years when things were not this complicated? Do you look around and find love everywhere around you yet you are lonely? Do you try hard to think back and retrieve all those old memories when you too did have the time of your life. Do you often wonder why at those times your aim in life was to finish college, get a job and move out of your parents' home? Now you realize, you have finished college, you do have a job and you do not live with your parents anymore, yet you have not attained what you were looking for.
Do you wonder if there was a time machine you could step into and go back in time and live your life to the fullest, change things that could be changed and appreicate the people you hurt along the way; literally make sweet memories that would last you during those days in your future when you would start wondering?

Lasagne

Have you ever wanted to bake lasagne yet never knew how to go about it. Here's a very easy way to do it. Just click away:

http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/northern-style-lasagna-1001

The Room

I personally like homes that are sparsely decorated. I feel a home is not a home unless its cosy. The fabrics used, the color of the fabrics, the comfortable look of the sofas and the lights play an important role in giving it that perfect ambience. If I ever were to build my own home, it would have wooden flooring and a wooden staircase. A low coffee table would be a must. I would have off-white or white fabrics. I prefer white as it makes the homes look brighter and larger. I am not into paintings so would keep it to one or two. If I had my way, the television set would not be part of the living room decoration. Have a lot of hidden lamps in the corners of the sofa with dark green plants over them. I like a home to have a big mirror somewhere close to the entrance of the living area. Large windows definetly a must in my home. Preferably, one wall of the house should have french windows. A music system that is heard but not seen. Not too many artifacts as then the beauty of the art work would lose its value.
I recently visited a friends' home which had loud colours, was crowded and had antique pieces all over. I found that house to be very ethnic and beautiful. Alot of effort was taken in getting all the colours coordinated, albeit it was red and black. Getting the right shades of red is not an easy task. I appreciated that house too. Although I have my own set idea for a home, it does not mean, I would not appreciate another that would be contrary to what I have in mind.
Everyone's home is their special place.
I love Japanese homes. The picture above would be picture perfect if I could change the flooring (too laminated for my taste), the shelf to the left of the TV set would have to go and voila, its my ideal living room. I love white sofas, the light coming in through those curtains, the dip in the flooring. I would lose the coffee table in front of the TV set as well.
Feel free to comment on what would be your ideal living room.

Girls Day Out!

Recently, all our husbands were out on a mission together and that got us women to have a Girls Day Out. We dressed up in jeans and went out bowling. We had planned the whole day out; looking back now, we were a bit too ambitious. We wanted to conquer the world in half a day! Do all the things we always wanted but never actually got an opportunity to do. We wanted to swim, watch a movie at the theatre, shop around the biggest mall here, go bowling, have a nice meal, blah blah blah. We managed to do 3 out of 100! We went bowling and had a whole load of fun. All the screaming and excitment got us real hungry so we thought eating would give us more energy. Wrong again! That only led us to being over-stuffed and lazy. Eventually we ended up at my place, watched the movie "The Women". It was a real nice movie with an all women cast and what a lovely cast of women: Meg Ryan, Eva Mendes, Annette Bening, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett Smith, etc. Men are richly mentioned but not portrayed. The movie was directed by a woman, Diana English. A must see when friends get together.

The Proposal

The best romantic comedy I have seen since P.S. I love you and How to lose a guy in ten days. Sandra Bullock is excellent in this movie, although I felt she over did her acting in that eagle scene. I still love her dress sense and the way she carries herself. Its a must see for all girls who like chick flicks. Every actor in the movie did his/her part really well. A good entertainer, I would go for it the second time easily.

My Michael Jackson!

Hmm...the morning the news that Michael Jackson had passed away, I got several sms and calls from my family members. They were sharing their kind sentiments with me. I did not feel any different from any other ordinary person on hearing the news; shocked and saddened but that was it. Yet, they were all passing emails and sms asking "how is she taking it".

I was surprised to realize that I was not affected by Michael Jackson's death as I would have been in the mid 80s. I was one of his craziest fans and drove my dad and siblings crazy collecting all his stuff. I had my room with his posters on the wall, postcards, cassettes, videos, tshirts, stickers, the works. I had his picture drawn by one of my good friends, Renee, in the eighth grade (God bless her), I wrote him letters to invite me for any of his concerts, learnt all his moves.......Looking back I really got my dad to spend a lot of money on me. Hmm....strangely now it all comes back to me like a bolt of lightning.....where did all that die-hard fan emotions go of mine. I thought I would never love anyone as much as MJ!I knew the lyrics to every song of his, PYT being one of my favorites after Billie Jean. I used to fight with any and every person who used to so much as even suggest that he was not normal. Fact remains that he was my idol then, but not anymore.

I always wondered why my daughter had to have anything and everything that has a 'Hannah Montana' tag or the famous "HSM" logo. For her, it really does not matter if its an over sized pyjama, a pair of sock, a teeny weeny bag, another cushion, whatever. I remember how my parents indulged me with all my heart's desires. I would not define myself as "spoilt child". I guess all these idols, imitations are trimmings of growing years. With time you grow out of it, just as I did.

Today I do feel bad about MJ's death. I feel he had a very sad life, he had too much for any person to handle, bearing in mind he saw fame and money from a very young age. He was defamed through alot of scandals, which may have been true. Funny how the press always abused him and mocked him while he was alive, and today, they just keep chanting praises on how he is a legend, an icon, King of Pop.....why do they wait until a person is dead to give him the compliments that they should have while he lived.

I feel for his family who are left behind. They would have never expected him to die so soon. I am sure there were many feelings and unsaid words that they missed out telling him due to the distance created by fame and money. Here's hoping we never take each other for granted in our lives. All I would say is treat everyone as if it was your last day and you will have no regrets.

A Different Look, look no further.

Girls,
This is a fun site. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed viewing the attached site. I have always wanted to know what I would look like if I cut my hair short, blunt, caree, the works....and I never mustered enof courage to go and actually try it out. Many a times I have chickened out at the last moment. Well, I have gud news for you, for all those who are like me, who are bored with the same straight limp hair.....I have news for you.

The link below takes you to this site which actually allows you to use your photograph and impose several of the divas hairdos customized around your face. Unbelievable, I thought so as much. It is so kool, you will love it. You just have to try it out. You can use any of your pictures and its just a three (ok, may be four, I was not counting) step thingie.

Save all your pictures with the different coloured hairdos and see which one really suits you. Once you have made up your mind, drop everything you had planned for today, make that important call to the hair salon, beg if you have to for an appointment, grab your bags and keys and voila, go get that hair cut that you have so wanted for like a zillion years. Do it today or you may change your mind tomorrow.

This is amazing.

http://www.instyle.com/instyle/makeover/?action=showMakeover&makeoverName=jenanistonoscar&tab=hair&hairPage=12