Preparing for the 4th of July!

I am addicted to Pinterest, did you know this?  Well, follow me and you'll see all my pins.  I've been especially pinning holiday decorations and what better holiday than to plan for than Independence Day!

I am a wreath person - I want a wreath to decorate my door year round!  I made a Wine Cork Wreath which I LOVE!  Every holiday I change the ribbon for the season because, well...I always drink wine.  My new home that I live in has a door that faces west, which of course is when the sun is the hottest..blah blah.  My corks were glued on with hot glue, and the heat of the sun was so hot it ended up melting my glue and my corks were falling off one by one.  :(

So I went on to Pinterest and started looking for 4th of July wreaths and found this one that I loved.  So I made it!  Here's what I did:

16" Foam Wreath
Red Yarn
White Yarn
Blue Yarn
String
Wreath door hanger
Wood Stars
White Paint
Hot Glue

First I wrapped the Red Yarn, then the White Yarn than the Blue Yarn

*I did 13 Red & White Stripes as per the American Flag! 

Viola!

I then took some wood stars from Michael s and painted them White, then I hot glued them onto the blue portion

I LOVE IT!  

But it wasn't enough...

...

It needed something

.....

Patriotic

........

So I took a canvas tote bag and CUT it up into mini flags: 

 Then I had to make sure I made the right size letters to spell out USA, so I traced my flag and wrote up letters.

I cut the letters up onto some Vintage Fabric, Hot Glued the letters onto the flags and then I cut up little strips and glued them onto the top to hand them from.

I placed the flag on the wreath and gued the flags in place (becuase of the incline) 

I LOVE IT!

God Bless America
...
and Pinterest!

Let's Talk Water

Today is North Orange I was in my car recording my "Driving Around Karaoke" and when I looked down my car told me it was 100 degrees outside!  Holy Cow- May 2nd and it's 100 degrees!

I knew it was hot, hence I put on shorts and a tank top, but nothing quite lets you feel the heat like a beads of sweat!


I am a HUGE advocate for water!

Water is the essence of life

Human blood is more than 80% water. Water flushes waste products out of our kidneys and livers, lubricates our joints and keeps our eyes, mouths and nose tissues moist. It regulates human body temperature and protects our internal organs. Our lungs are 90% water and our brains are 70% water. In fact, about 60% of the average human body is water.
-Thank you discovery.com

WOW

So what happens when we don't consume enough water - Dehydration can happen

EW...

I prefer it when my pee clear - I like to call this "Ultra hydrated"

Dehydration means your body does not have as much water and fluids as it should. Dehydration can be mild, moderate, or severe based on how much of the body's fluid is lost or not replenished. When it is severe, dehydration is a life-threatening emergency.
-Thank you Wikipedia

It seems so simple doesn't it?

It has been recommended that everyone should be drinking a MINIMUM of 8 glasses of water a day.  A glass of water is considered to be 8oz.  A typically water bottle purchased in a 24 pack from the store is usually around 16.9oz!!  So if you finish 1 bottle of water you've already knocked out 2 glasses worth!

Our bodies not only need water to survive, but water allows our body to function properly.  It is so hard for me to wrap my mind around why people don't drink enough water!

* Water is FREE when you're out to eat
* Water bottles are CHEAPER to buy at the store
* Water is good HOT and COLD

If I told you I held the secret to life, access to the fountain of youth and it's a sure thing what you do?  Would you say "yes please, tell me tell me" or begged.  Well folks, here is it: WATER

I Challenge you for 1 Week (7 Days Straight)  to Drink Two 16.9oz Bottles of Water Before Noon and Two 16.9oz Bottles of Water After Noon and Tell Me How You Feel

Fresh Squeezed Lemonade!

One warm afternoon I was thinking to myself how much I would enjoyed some fresh squeezed lemonade.  So I went online, found a recipe, checked my fridge and went right with it!

Step One "What makes Lemonade so sweet"
*Making your own Simple Syrup*
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Water
Heat in medium saucepan until sugar is completely dissolved
-note- sugar makes water come to a boil faster, keep an eye on it

Step Two "Lemon Juice"
*Start juicing your lemons!*
4 Large Lemons
Cut in half and use a juicer.  You will need 1 Cup of Lemon Juice
- note - I do not have a strainer but I did try using a spoon to remove the seeds

Step Three "Simple meets Sour"
*Combing the simple syrup and lemon juice into a pitcher or carafe
As stated above, pour the warm simple syrup you just made into a pitcher/carafe and add the lemon juice

Step Four "Make it Drinkable"
*Adding Cold water*
Add 4 Cups of Cold Water to the mixture

Step Five "Make it Cold"
*Stick in the fridge*
Then Drink it!

Here's where I got the Recipe

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/perfect_lemonade/

Learn to Ballroom Dance - The Best Videos For Beginners!

Hello everyone!

One thing I commonly tell people about myself in my history is that I used to be a swing dancer.  I used to teach, choreograph and compete and I loved every minute of it!  My husband, sadly, does not dance but I have great plans for him to learn, not only swing dancing, but ballroom and other forms of dance.

I have been trolling the internet to find the best YouTube videos teaching beginning dances and thought I would share them with you.  When they learn that I used to be a swing dancer people will commonly say, "I wish I did that" or "that always looked so fun".  So here is my gift to you!  Professional instruction on dance to help you start feeling the rhythm of music and quickly get on the dance floor!

The first video I want to show you is what I refer to as a simple and very fun dance - the:
Merengue (/məˈrɛŋɡeɪ/^[1]) is a style of Dominican music and dance. Partners hold each other in a closed position. The leader holds the follower's waist with the leader's right hand, while holding the follower's right hand with the leader's left hand at the follower's eye level.

I prefer to think of the counts of 1,2,3&4, 5,6, 7&8 insead of 1,2,1,2,1,2...  This is better for choreographing notes so you know you move to right for 2 counts of 8 and to the left for 2 counts of eight.  :)

Then there is another very lively dance that everyone should know! The:
Polka is a Central European dance and also a genre of dance music familiar throughout Europe and the Americas. It originated in the middle of the 19th century in Bohemia.  Although the dance did not originate in Poland, the Oxford Etymological Dictionary states that its name is derived from the Czech polkameaning "Polish woman" (feminine form jive/ dancing high to polák, a Pole).^[1] OED also states that the theory that it comes from the Czech word půlka ("half"), referring to the short half-steps featuring in the dance.

A nice short video that teaches the basic with a turn!  His voice is little dry but Joe Baker knows his stuff!

So that you've learned to dance with one step per beat and learned double steps we can now move into a more fluid dance the:
Waltz is a smooth, progressive ballroom and folk dance in  triple (help·info) time, performed primarily in closed position.

Joe Baker does it again!  The Waltz is a great dance with movement to songs with 3/4 beat.  It has that beautiful quick step.

Now, the dance that I won First Place in when I was in the 7th grade...a linear or box dance...The
Foxtrot is a smooth, progressive dance characterized by long, continuous flowing movements across the dance floor. It is danced to big band (usually vocal) music. The dance is similar in its look to waltz, although the rhythm is in a 4
4 time signature instead of 3
4. 

Here you learned the Quick Quick!  Love this Dance!



Okay so now what you've been waiting for!!  I'm going to show you some amazing swing dance moves!
The Great Swing Dance Starter!  The West Coast Swing
*This dance moves in slots or straight lines

The audio sucks but this is a nice intro to the dance, there are better lessons on Youtube that help break it all down if you have 2 left feet!

Howcast is a great YouTube Channel to learn more about the dance!

The Great Swing Dance Upgrade!  The East Coast Swing 
*This dance moves in a rotation or circles

With more quick steps you quickly learn the way to count and move.  Nina is one my favorite dancers/teachers!

The Lindy Hop is where swing dancing gets its power and energy - Enjoy!

Here's an amazing Lindy Hop Contest! 

Frida is my favorite dancer!


Now, you need to learn the Charleston!

And once you're pro:


And that my friends is a great start!  Now hit the dance floor at your local ballroom and get ready for a lifetime of a fun, exercise and making new friends!

Enjoy!

Oh, and here's yours Truly:

Conviction - Forgiveness

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
Matthew 22:37-39

So lately I've had a lot time on my hands.  Due to my unemployment I have used my time to clean way more often, bake and cook!  I have spent countless hours applying for jobs and sending out my resumes that I'm pretty sure every HR manger in Orange County knows my name.  haha, kinda funny...kinda not...

With my excess of time on my hands I have gone through a hurricane of emotions from joy to despair and back again.  More and more I am feeling convicted with forgiveness.  I recently started attending my new church home Cross Pointe and immediately joined a small group with my husband.  Since attending I have felt so connected with God and I'm trying to get connected with people.  A recent small group study talked about God's love (similar to 98% of all church sermons) which I usually feel is over done.  But this study brought up some questions that really made me think and dig deep into myself.  Trying to remember the question completely - How have you used God's rule against people?  I think that's close.  Well the first person that popped into my mind was my ex-best friend.  Instead of loving on my friend when she needed it most and instead of listening to her needs, I shut her down and basically broke up with her because of her actions.  I did not extend her forgiveness and it has been over a year and a half since we've spoken or seen each other and I have to be honest; I miss her.

[ The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant ] 21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”  ²² Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times."

Matthew 18:20-22

Facebook has been the venue for people to reconnect with past friends and acquaintances some times to our joy and sometimes to our detriment.  I have clicked on "add friend" a few times and have ignored the bulk of some.  What is the gut reaction you have when you find a "people you may also know" suggestion of someone that betrayed you 15+ years ago?  As a teenager I was so utterly hurt by this person, discussed and we had a knock down drag out (verbal) fight with our parents present.  I was wrong to say what I did when I heard what she did.  As a teenager I crossed so many lines and because I felt hurt I felt it was my privilege to be just as hurtful.  Well, now that I'm an adult, I realize how wrong I was.

³⁴ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.³⁵ “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
Matthew 18:34-35

About 9 years ago I had a strange part of my life.  I'm not sure what exactly was wrong with me, but I look back and think "wow, I was not nice to ** and ^^ or ## and @@".  I had a really hard time forgiving people back then, and now I'm curious, did they forgive me?  Did they forget about what I said/did?  Should we all agree to not talk about it ever again?  I don't want the past to haunt me as it has been for some time.

 ²⁸ Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter
 Matthew3:28

I have been convicted by my God to extend forgiveness to those I have sinned against and my own sin against me.  I have held on to hurt and bitterness that has eaten away at my heart not leaving much room for the Holy Spirit.  I want to say I'm sorry.  Do I call them? Email them? Write them? or hope they read this and hear my heart.  Or is this conviction here in my heart so that God can continue to work on me and help me through.  Healing is an important part of relationships both internal and external.  

My Bible verse I dedicate to my friendships old and new:

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 
1 Corinthians 13:4-8

And this is my Forgiveness conviction.  Thank you for reading.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:8-9

Popsugar Must Have - February 2014 Review

I was so very excited to receive my FIRST Popsugar Must Have box!  When I signed up I kept reading through the blogs of previous boxes and could not stop my curiosity!  I was very intrigued by the idea of getting a box of surprises each month that were considered "must haves"!

Shipping took 4 days - a little disappointing since it shipped from the same state, but none the less I was excited!

My Box!

Upon opening the box I found this gorgeous pink tissue paper and they told me to "Enjoy!"

 The products int he box!  Time to open up!  I loved the way they displayed the items, shipped perfectly.

Khall Designs Peony - a tiny little candle which packed tons of floral scent!  You could see the beautiful oils from the wax, I cannot wait to light the wick!

$11 Value

 The box provided me with $25 off at Gorjana Griffin where I can buy something nice for me, or something nice for my nam!

 This is a Gorjana Griffin jewelry roll in a beautiful red - picture makes it look pink though.  This will be great for all my future travels!  It's so pretty and so nice and so me!

$45 Value

 Lip Stick and Lip Gloss Duo from Model Co.  I am an oober fan of the lip stick color which is a soft pink and great for my skin tone.  The gloss was too sparkly and shiny for my humble taste and not good for kissing "it's sticky"  lol

Usually sold in set, Value probably around $25 each

 This face serum from Nourish Organic is my FAVORITE item!  I wash my face at night and then apply this to my face.  It puts moisture and color back into my face.  I love the way my face looks when I wake up in the morning.  My only complaint is the applicator pump isn't the right fit for this product.

$24 Value

 This Beautiful Box came with a Beautiful Note that says "Always Except Something Sweet is About to Happen" with Cinnamon Candy Hearts from Sugar Wish.  My favorite thing - the Box! :)

$9 Value

 Body Wash - This was the ugliest surprise in this box.  for a February Must Have, you would have thought there would be a Bath & Body Works body wash that was pink or red in color...None the less...I used this in my shower and it smells divine.  It does it's job a body wash so no complaint there.

New - probably a $4 Value

Just in time for Valentine's Day - Red Nail Polish from NCLA.  Proper Color Title "Rodeo Drive". 

I will be giving myself a manicure sometime this week to see how it turns out!

 $16 Value

My Must Have Box in all it's open Glory!

Can't wait for my March Box!

Please follow this this link to sign up with me and receive your monthly Surprise PopSugar Must Have Box!

When you sign up through my link you'll help me to receive more and more boxes and provide more and more reviews and recommendations!

Cheers!

Join with Melanie

Writing & Singing and Hustling

I thought I'd take this opportunity to share my YouTube Channel with you!  I have been busy hustling by writing and recording my very own songs.

I have recorded everything on laptop using Mixcraft6 the first posts were used just using my computer's microphone and the last songs I used a direct line with my guitar and special condenser microphone to enhance my voice!

All these are rough Edits, but I want to share them with you as I hope to bring my music to the world!

Enjoy!

My most recent Song "In Another Life"


My Second Recent Song "Coming Back to You"


My Third Recent Song "Happily Ever After"


And my First Recording "Living and Breathing and Loving"



Thanks for listening and Subscribe to my YouTube Channel so you can view my posts as they pop up and also see my fun "Singing in Traffic Karaoke" videos!!