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WHEN GOD CALLS
I remember laying on my bed, sobbing my eyes out. I was miserable. Angry. Confused. Alone. I had just ended a relationship with the person I had moved to Southern California for, and now it was over, and I was left broken beyond what I even knew then. I was mentally sick from the toxic relationship I’d tried to make work, now with engrained misconceptions about who I am and what I’m valued for. I felt nearly brainwashed. I had changed my entire life for this relationship, and now I was stuck hundreds of miles away from family, crying my eyes out in a room I rented in a home…
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THE BEST PRESENT TO GIVE THIS YEAR
I am obsessed with Christmas. Obsessed. (Why you so obsessed with me... Oops, wrong Mariah song). The moment Thanksgiving ends, the eggnog comes out, the Harry Connick Jr. comes on, and I begin squealing in delight with every Christmas song on the radio -with the exception of Wonderful Christmastime- thanking God for things like lit up wreaths on street lights, house lights that change color, and my very first Peppermint Spice Latte of the season. I am a poster girl for Christmas cheer. Think the spirit of Buddy the Elf in a five-foot-five blonde. I think my love of Christmas comes from being raised in a family that really knows how to…
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FAITHFULLY EVER AFTER
The screen of my phone lit up with his name, and instantly my stomach flipped. In the sound of silence that followed, my spirit heard the faint whisper of the familiar voice I have known my entire life. The Voice gently probed, “Are you really willing to give up everything we have in order to pursue him?” The response in my heart and mind that followed was the scariest moment of my life to date, as I heard my soul reply, “I don’t know.” THE PREACHER’S DAUGHTER I grew up in a home of passionate, faith-filled believers. My dad, now a Reverend, has been in the ministry in…
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APPLE CRUMBLE CHEESECAKE RECIPE
Happy Thanksgiving, lovelies! This year I am spending it with my husband’s family as we celebrate our first Thanksgiving as newlyweds. My husband’s favorite dessert is apple pie and mine is cheesecake, so this year I found something to satisfy both our cravings! This cheesecake is super easy to make, but it looks and tastes like something straight out of a Food Network Star’s personal recipe stash. (Do they use recipes…?) Well, who cares? It’s delicious! xo, Suz INGREDIENTS CRUST: 2 cups gluten-free old-fashioned oats 1 cup gluten-free flour 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed 3/4 cup butter, melted 1/4 tsp salt CHEESECAKE FILLING: 3 (8oz.) packages of cream cheese,…
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REAL WEDDINGS: LAVENDER & LEMONS EDITION
We were standing in front of the castle, taking a couples’ photo as instructed by my Disneyland Scavenger Hunt list. In but a single moment, I went from standing next to my boyfriend, smiling at the camera, to staring in disbelief at the sparkly ring in front of me, and the most handsome smile grinning at me from behind it. I had dreamt of this moment my entire life. I was the stereotypical girl who grew up oohing and ahhing over wedding magazines, pinning obsessively on Pinterest, and letting my head float up to the clouds as I imagined what it would be like for me someday. Needless to…
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GADGETS & GIZMOS: SPLURGE OR SKIP?
One of the most exciting things about the world of skincare is that it is always changing, always evolving, always improving. It’s fascinating to hear about the latest innovations and technologies, and I often joke with my clients about how these things were thought of in the first place. I imagine the masterminds behind these common inventions sounded something like this… Chemical Peel: “Let’s come up with a bunch of acids that when applied to the face, makes our skin fall off!” Microneedling: “If only I could actually get this serum to be absorbed as deeply and efficiently as possible… I know! I’ll stab my client’s face with a ton…
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IS ANYBODY LISTENING?
“I try to explain that although I have a normal looking mouth, and attempting to eat anything feels like I’m shoving knives in my throat, everyone around me seems to respond by offering me a cheeseburger or asking if I, by any chance, have any snacks in my purse. Does anyone listen? Does anyone hear what I’m saying? No, they seem not to. But that, also, probably isn’t by choice. And I guess that would be the biggest problem of them all.” The above text is from one of my personal journal entries I wrote, processing through all the doctor appointments I’ve been to over the last several months as I…
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5 HUGE SKIN MISTAKES I SEE CLIENTS MAKING
If I were to describe the clientele and the variety of skin types I serve, I could probably inspire the next Dr. Seuss book. Grandmas and Grandpas, and moms and dads Career-women, athletes, and even some lads From thick skin to thin skin, large pores, crinkled eyes They all are so different but to my surprise All make these mistakes that seem itty bitty, But trust me, they’ll make your skin look quite sh…. You know where I’m going with this, right? Okay, okay. All jokes aside, the point is that as an esthetician, I work with an array of people, skin types, goals, and concerns. But there are some…
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THE REAL REASON TO LOVE YOURSELF
If you follow us on Instagram, you may have noticed that KC and I (Suz, here!) spend a lot of time talking about beauty, self-worth, self-care, and self-love. Many young, female bloggers do. But today, I want to spend a little time explaining why the message you’ll get from us is not the same message you’ll get from other self-love platforms. A WOMAN’S WORLD One of the very honest, raw, and admirable things I have heard both my husband and my dad admit is that they will never fully be able to understand the world that women are forced to live in. In the 1950s, women were expected to spend…
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PILLOW TALK
It’s our paradise and it’s our war zone… well, that’s for friggin’ sure! Although the former One Direction singer was certainly not referring to how something as simple as a pillow can make or break your skin in his hit song, “Pillow Talk”, I personally think there’s a Weird Al rendition waiting to happen. I would imagine it would go something like this: *ahem* So we’ll piss off our skin cells In the place that absorbs oil The place that takes a toil Yeah, reckless behavior A place that is so pure, so dirty and raw In the bed all night, bed all night, bed all night Pore clogging in…