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Beauty Product Favs (April Edition)
Okay beauties, I am going to start sharing 5-7 monthly beauty products that I love. I am CONSTANTLY trying new things, and mixing up my rotation with the products I use, so I thought I would start sharing the products that get the “LaL Stamp of Approval” with you girls. Each product will be listed below, with a direct link for easy shopping if its something you would like to try. Think of me as your new beauty shopping resource and guide. ZO SKIN HEALTH GROWTH FACTOR SERUM I have shared and spoken about this product a lot on my instagram because it truly is a “game changer” skincare product.…
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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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“YOU’RE FAT!”
“YOU’RE FAT!” The words that echoed as I swung on the swings when I was in second grade. I remember it like it was yesterday. I also remember just before, gazing out at the world every time that swing hit the high point. I felt free and so full of joy. Within moments those feelings were stolen through some very hurtful words. I imagine that kid today doesn’t remember saying those words to me. Why would he? We’ve all said things we don’t remember. Mostly we don’t remember because they didn’t affect us or attach us to a specific feeling like his words did to me. I HATE THOSE…
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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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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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WHEN THE MISSION TO HURT IS ACCOMPLISHED
“You’ve done it again. You’ve screwed up AGAIN. What a complete and utter failure you are.” Words that have literally been plaguing me for the greater part of the last 6 months of my life. I find myself at a crossroads. I am torn. Torn between my knowledge of the truth. The truth being that these words… are nothing but lies. On the other hand, they feel so real. So real, that I can’t help but consider if this is just the reality of my existence. THE OCEAN OF FAILURE AND DEFEAT When I am in these moments where I feel like I am rapidly sinking in an ocean of failure…