White Out Lung Cancer

I know, I know. Where have I been the last few weeks?!  My missing in action status can be attributed to the craziness of summer and some much needed silence.  To be quite honest, I didn't have anything to say for the past few weeks so I thought I'd simply take some time off from the bloggersphere. But I'm back and I'm ready to break the silence by sharing with you an exciting event that is happening this Friday in my second home city, Raleigh!

White Out Lung Cancer is a fabulous fashion show that is going on this Friday at Raleigh's Burning Coal Theater @6:30PM.  The evening includes a wine tasting, hors d'oeurves, silent auction, and a fashion show brought to you by local designers and boutiques!  Sounds like the perfect excuse for a girls night, am I right?  Plus, all the proceeds go to the North Carolina Lung Cancer Partnership to help find a cure for lung cancer.

Did you know?

• Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer in both men and woman in the U.S.
• Lung cancer takes more lives each year than breast, prostate, and colon cancer combined  
• Between 20,000 and 30,000 people who are diagnosed with the disease have never smoked

Learn more about the event and the cause: White Out 2012
Get your tickets: WOLC Tickets

Come out and join the fight or just enjoy the fashion!  

I'm back!

It's nice to be back at Carolina Fairy Tale after my two week hiatus. Exams are over and summer has officially arrived for this chica! Anyway, I'm excited to be back and most of all I'm super excited to tell you about all that's changing in my life.

Last week I had the opportunity to attend an intensive called Making Things Happen.  A room full of beautiful, talented ladies and myself spent the day together talking about making things happen in our lives. Some were photographers, graphic designers, and many of them were mamas. It was so revitalizing to be surrounded by creative women who want to do big things.  By the end of our time together it felt like somebody lit a match under me.

My life, however, is now requiring some changes.  One big change is removing the negatives in my life so this week I...(drum roll please)....deleted my facebook.  I knew it was necessary when I would go from a good mood to a bad mood just from being on facebook.  Facebook made me waste time, it made me competitive, and I was tired of reading negative things.  I'm okay not keeping up with what everyone is doing because it was making me miss out on what I want to do! 

Another big change is no more watching The Real Housewives of any city. Bravo is amazing but I would waste hours of my life watching those darned housewives fight about everything known to man. And there were so many seasons: Atlanta, NYC, New Jersey, Beverly Hills, Orange County...and the reunions got to be three parts long! I'm beginning to think that Andy Cohen won't get out of there alive one of these days.  My time was being wasted on a show that didn't make me a better person and frankly, it just stressed me out seeing them fight all the time!  I did learn one important lesson form my years of faithful watching: money can't buy you class.  Thank you, Countess LuAnn.

Change is hard but it is necessary.  It might seem silly to cut little things out of your  life but ask yourself, "Is this making me better?"  If the answer is no, then kick it to the curb.  It's your life, so don't waste it on things that aren't worthy of your amazingness. 

Summer beauty

Despite the East Coast cool down that occurred over the past few days, summer is still on it's way!  My trip to North Myrtle Beach this weekend is serving as a reminder.  The summer months are a time of sun and showing some skin (calm down we're keeping it classy). You'll need a different arsenal of beauty products to equip yourself for this time of year. Today I'm going to share some of my must-have summer beauty products!

Sunscreen
I know some of you think that a little sunscreen will get in the way of you becoming the bronze goddess you were meant to be but trust me...it is your friend. Not only does it protect you from getting skin cancer but it helps keep your skin looking young. And don't think you have to be pasty white all summer because even with sunscreen you can still get some healthy color. Use at least 30 SPF on your body and reapply every hour that you are in the sun. Use a stronger SPF for your face. I use a Neutrogena baby sunscreen stick on my face.  It's 60 SPF and for sensitive skin. You can also rock a cute sun hat for extra protection!

Light Make-up

If you're like me and wear make-up everyday then you'll want a lighter make-up for the summer time. I use Bare Minerals foundation year round because it's easy to control the coverage. If you want something even lighter then go for the Bare Minerals Mineral Veil. The key for summer make-up is to look natural but if you want to add a little shimmer then find a highlighting powder and lightly apply it on your cheek bones or brow line.

Get Wavy
Hair is another thing that's best to wear natural in the summer.  The humidity makes it hard for me to straighten my hair so I like to wear it wavy.  One of my favorite products is John Frieda's Dream Curls.  It helps curl my hair without weighing it down.  Another must-have is a diffuser attachment for your hair dryer.  This attachment will help give your hair that extra curl and wave. If you want to let your hair air dry then use a texturizing spray on your damp hair and scrunch it. This will give you beachy, natural waves.



Pretty Polish
You've got to keep your fingers and toes looking cute in the summer.  I love Essie nail polish because they have really bright, fun colors and they don't chip as easily as other polishes.  My new favorite Essie colors are "Playdate" and "A Crewed Interest"  A pretty polish keeps your toes sandal-ready 24/7!


Refresh Yourself
One of my all-time favorite beauty products is Evian's Facial Spray.  It's a mineral water spray that instantly hydrates and refreshes your skin. I love to spritz some on my face when it's hot outside.  At Ulta you can find small travel size bottles.  I keep one in my purse and they are TSA-approved so you can take them on the plane during your summer travels!

Going to the chapel?

My favorite girl from The Hills, Lauren Conrad, graced the cover of Glamour Magazine this month.  Obviously, I bought it.  Although I don't normally buy Glamour, it was actually a fun and interesting issue.  One article in particular caught my attention. The article was titled, "Do you still have faith in marriage after all this?" As a girl from the south, who still believes in true love, it was a must-read.

Glamour took a survey of 3,250 women and men ages 18-40.  They reported that 51% of women under 30 believe that "marriage is history." I can't say I was shocked but it was definitely a sobering reality.  Despite that statistic, 92% of both men and women want to marry. We want marriage but yet we think its history? Something doesn't add up.

Yes, I'm only 22 and no, I'm not married but I'm still giving my two cents.

It's clear that almost everyone wants the happy ending. The fairy tale. To find their one true love. But obviously, that's not happening in America.  Here are some of the reasons why things aren't working:

1. We don't understand the words "marriage" or "commitment" 
Marriage isn't just having a ring on your finger or legal documentation.  It's about committing to spend your life with another person. It's about learning how to communicate and work through problems. It's a BIG commitment, yet, we take it lightly and then wonder why things don't work out.  Commitment equals work.  It's not a cake walk but it's worth it in the end.


2. We settle.
We are so in a rush to get to our happy ending that we are willing to fill it with the first person who comes along! Marriage isn't like an impulse buy you make at the mall.  You want to make absolute sure that this is God's match for you. This means praying and talking to that person about what they believe and want for the future. You don't have to agree on every little thing.  It's okay if he doesn't like mexican food or American Idol. He doesn't share your religious beliefs? That's a problem. Listen to your gut and pay attention to warning signs.

3. We are selfish.
I can't tell you how many times I've heard a person or "real housewife" justify a divorce by saying they just have to do what makes them "happy". It seems innocent enough but it's actually pretty selfish. Marriage vows don't say, "Till unhappiness do us part."

4. We don't listen to God
This may be hard to hear but God doesn't promise you prince charming. He doesn't promise to give you a spouse. It may not be part of your plan. That's why it's so important to listen to Him!  While He doesn't promise you a love story like The Notebook, He does promise to give you peace and He promises to never leave or forsake you. Now, that's what I call commitment.

Marriage doesn't have to be history. We have the power to keep the institution alive. We have to first learn what this commitment really means and we have to learn to be patient and trust God to guide our lives.

This one's for the girls

We were little girls once upon a time.  We had soft hair, smooth skin, and wide eyes.  We believed in magic and true love. We wanted to wear poofy dresses and glass slippers. Our mothers and fathers told us how pretty we were. We played in the forest with bare feet and we soaked up each day until the fireflies signaled the night.  Those were the days we laid in the grass and dreamed about someday.

The years pass and the hairstyles change.  Somewhere along the way the world takes hold of us and shakes us.  It tells us we aren't pretty enough and poofy dresses are stupid. It tells us that we won't find true love and that magic isn't real. It tells us that our power doesn't lie within our intelligence or creativity but in our sexuality. It feeds us lies after lies and we believe them. We spend less time with the forest and fireflies and more time in classrooms and workplaces. Boys break our hearts. Friends disappoint us. We experience failure and uncertainty. We think back to that time when we were just little girls and we think to ourselves, "this is someday?"

Now that I've probably brought you to either the brink of crying or depression I'll stop and say: this is the part when your someday gets better. I've been that little girl and I've been that confused and misinformed woman. I've made my share of mistakes along my path to adulthood and I've believed a lot of lies. We all just want to be happy right?  Well, I've found the secret.

Believe in true love. Believe in magic. Be giddy at the sight of sparkles and glitter. Get dressed for yourself and not for men. Embrace your intelligence and creativity and be proud of it. Eat a cupcake with sprinkles. Read books barefoot in the grass. Listen to the birds sing. It's your someday. It's not anyone elses. The world isn't allowed to commandeer your someday.  

The world is both beautiful and ugly but we can choose to be part of its beauty.  So let's make our somedays brighter for ourselves and for the little girls who will come after us.  Let's show them that it's okay to be confident and strong and still secretly hope for a poofy dress and glass slippers.   Let's teach them that the world doesn't dictate who they are or what they are worth.  And most importantly lets teach them that God is in control of their someday and, if you trust Him, He writes the best fairy tales.