~twylajoyful~

Happy Mother's Day! & Facing Storms

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 13 May 2012 01:05:00 +0000

First all of I wish all you moms a very Happy and Blessed Mother's Day. There is no greater honor than to be a mom....there is no greater blessing than our children.

I am so thankful God allowed me to be a mom. And through all my mistakes and failures, my kids are perfect. Maybe not perfect to some, but to me they are perfection. They have taught me so much more than I ever taught them. There is not a day that goes by that I don't thank God for my beautiful girls. I love you Stephanie, Jordan, and Courtney to moon and back!!!

Also, I want to say how thankful I am for my mother. She has been there for me when no one else has. She has had her share of heartaches in life as well, but she still tries to stand by all her family. I love my mom with all my heart and hope she has the best Mother's Day ever!

I can't let Mother's Day go by without saying how grateful I am to my Mamaw, who has been with me through thick and thin. She has stood by every family member and is the strength of our family. She will be 92 in August and I love her dearly.

As most of you know, I have been going through some challenges. At times these past few months it has seems unbearable as this storm I'm in has tossed me side to side. I have struggled and fought the winds that have come against me, trying to solve each issue in how I thought would be the best. I have cried, prayed, gone from and sad to mad and back again - still ending up crying myself to sleep every night and asking God, "how much longer will this storm last?" I have had a loneliness that I really cannot describe - a feeling of total hopelessness and despair. I have sank into such a depression that at times I didn't see any way out. There have been moments when I thought my mind and my heart wouldn't be able to take the sadness any longer. So many thoughts about how I had made mistakes, and ways to make it better......only at every attempt seemingly making things worse.

I only became more hurt, sad, and invisible. Feeling invisible may seem like a small thing, but being invisible to those you love can hurt so much. It feels like you're screaming at everyone and saying, "Please help me, please take this pain away. Please just say you know how I feel....please just say something!!" But it seems no one sees you or hears you. Everyone has there own problems - they have their own life and don't want to be bothered.

Then, a couple of days ago God allowed me to hear a message (actually two messages from different people, both having the same meaning). It spoke to my heart, and I have listened to it over and over. It has changed my way of thinking. I have been struggling and fighting against the winds in this storm I've been going through. The wind is blowing me one way and I'm trying to go another way - the way that makes sense to me and the way that in my mind will make my life better. Well, actually one day I want to go in one direction, and the next day another. - not really knowing what is best for me. I just wanted to do something to get out of my situation - out of my pain.

I was reading in Acts in reference to the message I listened to. In Acts 27:15 it says this, "The ship was caught in the storm and couldn't be turned into the wind. So we gave in to it, and it carried us along." They decided not to fight the wind anymore, but let the wind carry them along. I knew God was speaking to me through this verse and this message. I felt such a peace come over me. Wow...not to have to worry and struggle against the wind - not to have to worry about proving my worth to anyone - not trying to get anyone to love me or not leave me - just complete surrender to God and let him have full control and take me where he wants me. No more asking why did this person leave and trying to figure out what I did to cause it or why I wasn't good enough. I have given it to God to work out and let the winds of this storm take me where He wants them to.

The struggle is so draining. Fighting for love and acceptance is so draining, because none of us do everything perfect. We all make mistakes and we need to learn those who love us will be there for us and stick with us just as we have them. If they don't, then we don't need to struggle against it. Let them go. God will take us where He wants and He will place those in our life that He wants there. Our destiny is not determined on who walks out of our life.

So I've decided to let the winds take me where I need to be, not struggle against the wind to get where I think I need go. God has put it in my heart to be there for others. I don't know how I can do anything for anyone, but I can pray. I can encourage. I will do whatever I can where I am until God takes me to a higher level. I am determined to not focus on my problems, but to be a help to others.

Most everything in my life is gone. Nothing in my life is as it was before, so I will take this time to give myself completely to God and His plan for me. I will not look back with sadness for what I have lost. But I will look to the future for the good things God is going to put back into my life. I can't remember a time when I did videos or wrote on my blog or wrote any description about myself that I didn't say that my family was the most important thing to me. And it still is. I so believe in God's restoration power, and I believe He can make all things new. But if He sees fit to not restore my marriage, He will keep me in peace and make my life full and happy.

I have made it my priority to speak positively and look to my future with hope. I will envision good things for my life. I will let the winds of this storm blow me in the direction I need to go knowing He has good thoughts toward me and good plans for my future.

The same for you...if you're going through a storm today, Don't get discouraged and fight the winds. Let God guide you and take you were He wants you. Rest in him knowing you don't have to know why everything happened like it has. Why someone has hurt you or left you, or why someone lied to you or betrayed you. God knows all and if we keep in peace He will lead us to our destiny safely. He will give us double for our trouble and we will be better off than before.

Do something good for someone. A good time would be Mother's Day....especially your mom. But also for someone who may not have anyone to make their day special. Look around everyday and find someone hurting. Offer a smile and a kind word of encouragement. It may not seem like much, but it will mean so much to those who feel alone and without hope. Let the winds of your storm blow you in the course God has chosen for you...there just may be someone there God wants you to help. Or maybe God has placed someone there to help you. God is faithful, and if we trust Him, He will give you divine direction.

My Thoughts Today - Posted on Facebook

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:36:00 +0000

Still looking for a job. Being a stay-at-home mom most my life isn't counted as "job experience" so much. Even though I went back to college to earn some degrees - it doesn't seem helpful. Way too much reality for me today. I didn't plan on being homeless at this age. I planned on growing old with my husband and enjoying my grandchildren. It was enough that my marriage fell apart in January, but on top that my baby girl turned 18 and moved out. I miss everything about being a wife and mom. I miss cooking for my family...making grocery lists and meal planning. I miss watching TV in bed with my husband and laughing at the same sitcoms we had watched a thousand times. I miss the way our home always smelled..the scent of candles burning. And even as I go through our things today for a yard sale, I can still smell the scent of our home on them and it makes me cry. I miss how even after being married for almost 20 years I still would get that excited happy feeling when it got time for my husband to come home from work. I miss every Friday going to our favorite Mexican restaurant and always ordering the same thing...me and Gary a Burrito California and Court always got grilled chicken with fries instead of rice. I miss shopping with Court and her asking me which outfit I like the best. I miss us watching Lifetime movies and eating snacks. I miss Court telling me her plans for the future with excitement. I miss my baby girl. I know I need to move on, but so much of my life is tied to these memories. And now I have to deal with being thrown into a world that I'm so unfamiliar with. An unorganized world with all my clothes in boxes..not organized how I love them in my closet. Sleeping on a couch (which I'm thankful for...please don't misunderstand) instead of my bed with sheets smelling like Gain and all my fluffy pillows. I fight everyday to find my place in life. I start the day asking God to give me strength to trust His plan. I go to sleep listening to messages of encouragement. I am determined to not feel sorry for myself and know the sun will shine again. But sometimes I just feel the need to express myself when I feel overwhelmed. I just wish life could go back to the days we were all so happy...but wishing does no good at all.

~Christmas Eve and Christmas Day~

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 04:43:00 +0000

Hi guys! I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas. It was wonderful getting together with family. We had a great time opening gifts on Christmas Eve with them. My mom fixed baked ham and a pecan cheesecake, my sister-in-law Susan made some awesome appetizers and yummy mac and cheese, Courtney made her famous mashed potatoes, and Stephanie brought a broccoli casserole, and homemade fudge. It was just an old-fashioned Christmas...nothing over the top. I love the simplicity in life. To me, nothing compares to spending time with family on the holidays. I feel so blessed to have them in my life.

On Christmas day, we went to my sister-in-law Bonnie's house and spent time with some of Gary's family, including his mom. Again, we had a wonderful dinner and great time!

Here are few pics from Christmas Eve and Christmas. Hope you enjoy them.

Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 00:16:00 +0000

Wishing everyone a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Blessed New Year!!!

Just thought I would share a family video with you guys. They are the most precious gifts in my life.

New Haircut

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 02:18:00 +0000

This is my latest haircut. I am getting my color done tomorrow and will post pics more pics tomorrow. I needed a change!

Bullying - Not a Popular Topic

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 02:54:00 +0000

In the beauty community of YouTube bullying is not a topic that seems to be popular. It is, however, a popular thing to do. Please don't misunderstand, I think it's more important to focus on the positive things in life, and I try to do so. But there are some things that need to be said at times, and more importantly standards that need to be set.

If you have never been bullied or know someone who has, it may not be feel like an important topic, but to those who have been affected...it is. People who bully feel that they have some kind of power over others. It's necessary for us to let them know they do not!

I found this graph showing the cycle of bullying and found it very interesting.

It is clear to see from this chart that society chooses to either be a bully, be a part of the bullying, like it and not take part, just be an onlooker, dislike it and do nothing, or be a defender and try to help the victim.

I don't know about you, but I choose to be a defender. But here's where it can get tricky as well. It's hard sometimes to differentiate between who is really getting bullied and the poser....the one who is pretending to be bullied. The poser in many cases is the worst of all because they not only pretend to be a victim, but they themselves are sometimes involved in the bullying process.

To me, it doesn't matter what part you play, if you're not defending you are not helping the cure. That is how bullies gain their power....the fear people have of standing up to them and calling them out. Many simply refuse to "get involved". For some reason, some feel if you mention this topic you are being negative. I, on the other hand, feel it is a positive message to send out to others.

Everyone likes sunshine and roses, and at the very thought of mentioning anything otherwise sends some into a frenzy. I have mentioned some of these topics on my YouTube channel and got some comments suggesting that I not worry about it because it's a beauty channel and we are not trying to solve world peace - just learn about makeup. I agree, it is for fun and enjoyment...that is the general idea. But what happens when some choose not to "keep it fun" and openly or secretly attack others?

Since being on YouTube, I have had my account hacked, my FB hacked, and Twitter hacked. I have been lied on, had people walk away from me for taking a stand, been labeled negative, and many other hurts and offenses. I have, and will continue to stand out against bullying, but and the same time I will do everything in my power to keep the peace with people and go the extra mile to show a good example...even when it means swallowing my pride. I made some videos concerning matters that I really wished I had not. I should have kept my focus and direction simply on issue of bullying and harassment... not on areas that are not important - regardless if I agree with others videos or not. Nonetheless, for the stand I took, I was bullying and got some pretty unfair treatment that was very hurtful.

Those not involved may not feel the sting because it's not them that is getting attacked. However, the victims do feel the sting and it hurts. It hurts feelings, it hurts character, it hurts credibility, and it hurts self-esteem. Some may say, so what can I do? I'm not causing it or supporting it! Well, in my opinion, here are some things that can help to bring down bullies.

If you know someone who is bullying or promoting it - DON'T SUPPORT THEM...NO MATTER HOW POPULAR OR WELL LIKED THEY MAY BE....YOU KNOW THE TRUTH!!!!
Don't support sites that promote bullying. I've done some experimental research about GG, and they are not interested in anything other than bashing people for stupid stuff. If you get anywhere close to the truth, they want no part of it. Sadly enough, some gurus (in disguise) post on this site to create drama for more views. There is nothing good or honest about it, so stay away from it!!!
If you hear something bad about someone...don't spread it. Stop the gossip!!
Basically, just respect others!! Treat others as you would like to be treated. Don't bad-mouth, ridicule, make jokes, judge, or back-stab other people. All these things only gives fuel to the bullies and it adds to the drama. Chances are what you have been told or heard isn't even true...this I have learned the hard way!
Don't respond to negative comments that stir up drama...that is what they want - the ATTENTION. Another thing I have had to learn the hard way.

The bottom line, there are NO perfect people. We just need to support each other. Everyone should have the right to make videos on YouTube and do their own thing without being torn to pieces by jealous, vindictive, glory-hogging women that only choose to tear down others with their evil comments while they sit behind a computer and THINK they are hidden. There is room for all diversities of people on YouTube. Not everyone will be to our liking, but there are certainly enough channels to choose from without visiting channels we don't like and harassing them.

BTW, visiting people's channel and reporting back things to others is called a trouble-maker! Also, carrying out acts of harassment for others who want to keep a low profile so their name will not get tarnished is called being a henchman. A henchman is a person who is a supporter of someone dubious (suspicious...questionable). Having someone else do the dirty work, in my opinion, is even worse. Not only does it label them a bully - it also brands them as a coward.

I'm aware these are not areas that people care to talk about. I've listened to many of the videos with people expressing a desire to stamp out bullying, but people need to realize in order to stamp it out, it must be cut off at the root. It's one thing to say you want to end bullying - it's quite another to actually DO something about it. The doing part is where you will meet the opposition. That is where you will see people begin to back down and the enthusiasm begins to die out. That is where the rubber meets the road, so to speak. That is where you may take a chance on losing friends, subscribers, popularity, and so on. Sadly enough, many are not willing to make that kind of sacrifice to help in the fight against bullying. They do not want to be in the line of fire...especially after seeing the impact it has had on others.

Taking a stand is never easy. It has to be a personal choice, you must be thick-skinned and ready to stand your ground. Many don't see the need until they have come face to face with it. When faced with it the choices become one of two...run away or stand up and fight. I would urge everyone who reads this to not wait until you are faced with it, but take a stand for those who are at the present time being faced with it. We all will benefit in the end :)

Thanks so much for your time!

xoxo
~twyla

Mistaking Kindness for Weakness

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:39:00 +0000

There is a quote that says, “~Kindness is not to be mistaken for weakness... nor forgiveness as acceptance.. it is the knowledge that hate and resentment are not the pathway to inner peace~”. What that says to me is – you can still be kind to others that you don’t agree with or may not be kind to you and still be strong. Being kind to others does not stamp your approval on them or their wrong doing. It does say that you’re strong enough to over-look weaknesses in other and be kind to them anyway.

Staying in strife with those who we don’t agree with or who have done us wrong robs us! It wastes our time and energy hanging on to negative feelings. Many times we try to “fix” the problem…maybe with the best of intentions. But I have discovered my energy is much better spent fixing my own problems, and let others do the same. I have to remind myself on a regular basis that I cannot control the actions of others, BUT I can control how I react to them.

Sometimes we don’t plan to get involved, but for whatever reason we find ourselves smack-dab (as we say in KY) in the middle of a situation that we don’t need to be involved. I found myself in this type situation with YouTube. I came to YouTube very naive - not having a clue what it was all about. First thing I knew I was involved in all kinds of weird situations….struggling to make sense of it all and attempting to make it better for myself and others. I failed to understand that most of what goes on with YouTube has little to do with reality. Once I came to that conclusion, I realized that I can’t get involved in all the staged drama that surrounds the YouTube beauty community.

With this new found knowledge I can sit back enjoy the show, do my own thing, stay out of the drama, and enjoy making videos without feeling that I need to defend myself or others. I felt it was important that I do some damage repair and get some ill feelings with others resolved. Does that make me weak to be kind to others that I once had differences with? No, not in the least! It just means I have more control over my emotions. It means I’ve decided to not try to fix problems that others created to stir up drama. It means that I have dismissed the negative thinking, and refuse to be in conflict with others whether I agree with them or not.

I guess what I’m trying to say, is just be careful before you start fighting battles for yourself and especially others. Weigh it out and make sure you know all the facts. If you feel that it’s worth the fight then make the call. But it most cases, you are better off the stay in peace and not get involved. In time, things will work themselves out and right will win out. Save yourself the time and energy of trying to control the actions of others and learn to control have you react. You’ll be a better person for it. You can be kind to others and still not be weak. Never feel weak for showing kindness to some who may not deserve it. It takes great strength to show undeserved kindness.

I started writing this blog a few days ago and didn't have time to get back to it until today. I just saw on Facebook the news about Sam and Jay. This is just another example of the damage that can be done by bullies. I don't understand why others feel it their duty to dig into other people's business and make themselves a judge over other people.

I will end this blog, but plan to write more on this subject in the next few days. I feel that it is an important one and people tend to shy away for it, when in reality more people need to stand against it!

Thanks so checking out my blog and all your support on here and YouTube.

Happy Holidays!

~twyla

Coming soon.....a new grandson! Baby Noah :)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 21:58:00 +0000

I'm so excited to be a Nana again in January. I already have two grandsons....Benjamin and Colton - both 2-years-old.

January 11, 2012 baby Noah will be born. This weekend Court and I will be helping Jordan decorate Noah's room and get it all ready. Looking forward to spending time with Jordan and Ben Ty (short for Benjamin Ty). I hope to remember to take some pics to post for you guys.

We will be going to visit on Saturday and spend the night... then we're going to church with them on Sunday. Gary is meeting us at church and he, Court, and I are going out for lunch and do a little Christmas shopping while in the city.

I feel so blessed to be having a wonderful Christmas season with all my family and then in January get to meet my new grandson.

I posted a few pics below of Jordan at the her baby shower.

Merry Christmas!!

He loves feeling baby Noah kick :)

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 20:40:00 +0000

Our Christmas Tree. We didn't change it from last year since we got a new tree last year. We chose red, green, and chocolate brown ornaments on a white tree with a large brown bow at the top. It's very simple, but we love the color combo. It has the traditional colors with a little twist.

Other than our tree, the main theme running throughout the house is snowmen :)

Just Chillin'

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 21:33:00 +0000

Hey Everyone - It's just a lazy Saturday. I am trying to get my Blog updated with some new posts and ect. I miss posting here. Finally, my life has gotten back to normal enough that I can have some extra time to do some of these things that I enjoy doing.

BTW, I am trying to drop a few pounds before Christmas. Not anything drastic, just a few pounds that I have gained over the summer. I have a goal of 10 pounds. So far I have lost 2. I have my work cut out for me, but I'm eating better and exercising daily. I really have a hard time with my weight. Not so much to lose it, but the maintaining always gets me. This time I maintained pretty good for almost a year, then around Thanksgiving I just over-do it.

I thought about waiting until after Christmas, but I want to get into some of my favorite clothes and have them fit well. So I'm going to get those pounds off now. Then, the first of the year I'm going to work on some more...just not going to try to lose so fast.

So right now I'm working on my blog and watching Lifetime movies. I can never just do one thing at time. I have to have two or three things going at one time or I get totally bored. But that's me :)

I hope everyone is having a good Saturday!

xo
~t

Holiday Looks

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 21:31:00 +0000

Hair Care

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 21:28:00 +0000

Shopping Today

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 14 May 2011 03:25:00 +0000

Hi Everyone!

My day began at 5:30 today. And if you know me, you will know, I'm not a morning person. I don't talk in the mornings at all. I have always been that way. So I started out a little grumpy. Going to sleep at 4:00 a.m. and getting up at 5:30 a.m. is not the best way to start a long day...especially after being sick and not still feeling 100%. We did have fun, but Court and I are exhausted. In fact, Courtney came home, ate some watermelon, and crashed. Of course me, being the brave soul I am, came home did a hair color touch-up, used a face mask, and then used a hair mask. Whew....am I ready for bed....just hope I can sleep!

Now, to get to the shopping. I had a successful shopping trip. I found the necklace I wanted at Dillard's, I got color-matched at the Chanel counter and got a sample of foundation (Pro Lumiere) that I look forward to trying tomorrow and hope to give a review on shortly. I got a sample kit of some Benefit skin care products....which I will show you guys and do a review of as well on YouTube. I also went to Victoria's Secret and got some new things. And that's about it. So I was very good compared to how much I usually get. However, I did add some things on my list to go back and get. One is the Makeup Fovever HD finishing powder, another is the Laura Geller Balance and Brighten...which I sampled and was color-matched for as well. I am a medium and possibly tan in the LB/B&B. I think I may like it well enough to get it, but I have to justify it in my mind before I get it, due to the fact I have purchased several foundations and powders lately that I need to use before I get anymore....UNLESS I can prove to myself that I will use it more than the others I have AND that I can recycle my others to one of my daughters so I know it will not be wasted...haha. We'll see how the debate in my mind goes :)

My daughter Courtney got a new lipstick at MAC in shade that is so pretty! I will have to try it and see if I like it enough to get one as well. It's a very vibrant pinky coral shade which is matte as well...just a gorgeous color. Benjamin went to the Disney store to check out some of his favorites....Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Buzz Lightyear. Given the fact those are his favorite cartoon characters, he got a stuffed Mickey Mouse, a Buzz cell phone, and a MM tote (mostly for his mommy's use) all of which kept him occupied for the most part of the trip. In fact, in loved them so much Jordan had to tear the tags off and give them to the cashier because was not going to come off them for one minute so she could pay for them. He is rotten!! :))

I took some pics today...some of them didn't turn out well and was too blurry to keep. But the pics posted in this blog was at one of the malls we went to. I forgot to take pics at the other one. I also forgot to take pics of the selection of necklaces they had to choose from that I wanted to show you. I will show you guys the one I got in my Haul video on Saturday.

I hope you guys have a really nice weekend. I plan to get out and get some sun tomorrow if the weather is nice...I haven't checked TWC yet to see what it's going to be like. Thanks for stopping by and checking out my blog. I hope you enjoyed it :)

Love and Hugs,

~twyla <3

Blush Swatches

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 12 May 2011 19:01:00 +0000

Hi Everyone!

My last video was about Favorite Blushes. My lighting wasn't good enough to show a good swatch, and I got a comment wanting to see swatches and suggesting I post them on my blog. So, here I am posting. And thank you Brenda for your suggestion. I will try do that more often with my swatches. I am new to this whole Blog thing...and relatively new to the YouTube thing, so sometimes I forget to do things :)

I took some pics of the swatches on my arm, and I will name them from left to right. If you have any more questions about any of these blushes, please let me know. I know I didn't go into a lot of detail because I still wasn't feeling 100% and I was worried my voice would start going out. But I did want to try to get a video and continue the little series.

Starting on the left:

Physicians Formula -Blushing Berry
MAC - Gleeful
L`Oreal - Innocent Flush (soft peach color)
p2 - Dreamy Berry
Hard Candy Fox in a Box - Truth or Dare
e.l.f. - Fushia Fusion
e.l.f. - Blushed (comes in a duo with the bronzer)
Clinque - New Clover
Sleek - Sunrise

Check out the video at http://youtube.com/user/twylajoyful

I am getting ready to post another favorites video and a weight loss update, so check them out as well.

I will try to post any additional information for the new video in a Blog post. I will add a link as soon as I get it posted.

Thanks so much for watching and reading my Blog and for all the get well wishes. I appreciate you guys so much :)

Love and Hugs,

~twyla

Weight Loss

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 04 May 2011 17:21:00 +0000

Hi Everyone!

I wanted to update on my weight loss. I am coming up on meeting my 20 pound goal...I am now, as of today, at a 18.1 total loss. So, I think I will be at the 20 mark by this time next week. The pictures in this blog reflect the stages of my weight loss...showing before weight gain, after weight gain, and my current weight.

I have to say, in the beginning I really struggled, but now, it's so much easier. My stomach has gotten adjusted to less food and therefore doesn't feel empty as much, and it doesn't take nearly as much food to feel full. That really helps. I'm eating lots more healthy too. I hardly ever drink soft drinks...when I do it's Diet Rite, I cut way back on bread, and when I do eat bread, its a low calorie bread. My favorite bread is honey oat. I drink lots more water as well. I have
cut my serving portions down probably by half...just little adjustments like that.

I started out doing WW, and I still follow that as a guide. I don't really keep track of my points too much anymore. I just kinda know what I can eat on a daily basis, and stay within those boundaries. I also take one or two days a week for cheat days. On those days, I usually eat whatever foods I want. I still don't go overboard with my portions, but I do indulge and enjoy the foods that I wouldn't eat on a daily basis.

Last night I had a cheat day. I snacked on pizza while watching some late night TV. I felt guilty since it was so late, and I was certain I would see a gain today, but I ended up seeing a loss. As one of my Facebook friends pointed out...it's good to splurge every now and then. Although it can sometimes feel a little scary - being worried all your hard work is down the drain. However, if done within reason, it actually "revs up" your metabolism to help speed up the calorie burning process.

I'm starting today to work on my exercise program stronger. I am going to really kick it up notch and get some serious toning workouts in place. I will be doing everyday, a DVD called "5 Mile Walk" and in addition to that I will be doing daily strength training with weights and using my medicine ball. I will keep you guys posted on my progress on that as well, and let you know it's going.

Many of you have followed my weight loss progress from the beginning, and others of you have joined in later. I would like to thank all of you for being so supportive. I get so many encouraging comments on my YouTube channel, on here, and on Facebook. I helps out so much knowing you have good support and friends are pulling for you. I appreciate you guys more than you know. You share in my success. Knowing you guys are keeping track with me gives me accountability, hearing your encouraging words keeps me motivated, and so it makes me want to strive to give you a good report of weight loss each week on my updates. I feel so blessed to have the good support of family and friends like you.

I wish each one of you tons of success if you are in a some kind of weight loss journey. Whether it be the the losing or the maintaining stage...it's all hard work. So make sure to reward yourself for your hard work and feel proud of your accomplishments. If you have lost weight and kept if off...you have much to be proud of. Maintaining, to me, is harder than the losing part. It's easy to get comfortable when your not trying to lose and fall back into your old eating habits, so maintaining takes lots of self-discipline. Hang in there wherever stage you are in!

Until next time...

Love and Hugs.

~twyla~

My Package to Kerstin

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 20:29:00 +0000

Hi Guys!

This was my first experience with shipping internationally, so I didn't get my package to Kerstin as fast as she did mine. I hope to do much better next time. However, I had so much fun shopping for her, and I really hope she gets her package soon, and that she enjoys what I picked for her.

Here are a few pics of the package I sent her. I know she likes floral patterns by her YT videos, so I tried to use that theme with her package.

So here is a little look at the package I sent to Kerstin. It has been late getting there, but I hope she enjoys hers just half as much as I enjoyed the one she sent me.

Again, thanks so much Kerstin for doing the swap with me. It was so much fun :)

Love and Hugs,

~twyla

I'm Feeling This Spring Weather and a Sneek Peek of my Makeup Area

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 20:06:00 +0000

Hi Everyone!

It is a very spring-like day here in Kentucky. It's 74 degrees, and I'm sitting by my open window enjoying the nice breeze...so relaxing. We are supposed to have temps in the mid 80's tomorrow....Yay!! Of course, then we're gonna get storms. But hey, that spring for ya :)

Well today, I plan to do my video showing you my makeup area, and where I do my videos. I still haven't gotten it all like I want...going to work on a better storage system. But.....I'm getting there. So be watching for that video.

I am going to post some preview pics so you can see how it looks..probably a little clearer than my camera will pick up. I hope you enjoy, and I look forward to your feedback!

You would think with all the sickness that we have passed around to one another, it had run its course. Think again. My daughter had to take my grandson, Benjamin, to the doctor a little bit ago. He woke up running a 102 temp......ugh. That poor baby!!
This year has been one for the record books for our family with colds, flu, and stomach viruses...basically everything that is going around we get!
Can we say.....multiple vitamins!!! We need some in mega doses.....haha.

So that's about all for this blog post. I will be posting the next giveaway next week so keep watching and don't forget to follow me on this blog and comment to be entered.

Love and Hugs <3 ~twyla

Talking About What's New with Me Today :)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 07:35:00 +0000

So we got some bad storms today, but not as bad as expected. We had a few trees down locally, but that's about all..thank goodness. We had Tornado Watches and at one time a Tornado Warning one county over. One good thing, my husband got to come home early due to the bad weather. I love it when he gets to come home early, because he works no many long hours.

We are all well on our way to recovering from the flu and ect. Even my daughter, who had to make a trip to the ER due to dehydration, is feeling much better. Keeping the Lysol handy to keep germs from spreading to others. We don't need a repeat cycle!!!

I got my hair toned today to a much flattering blonde shade. Although, I love the platinum blonde shade...it just wasn't working with my skin tone. I toned it to a light natural blonde. Still very blonde, but much softer and more flattering to my coloring.

Finally I got my haul video posted with my swap from Kerstin included. I did have some glitches in the audio today on my video...don't know what's up with that. So I'm hoping the sound turns out okay. It's loading right now, so it will be ready to view in the morning.

She sent me some really awesome things, and much more than I expected. She is a lovely person. I really enjoyed doing this swap with her. Although, she is much better at getting it shipped out much faster than I am. Since this was my first international shipping experience...it took me longer to get everything together. But, I will be much better at it the next time :) I will post some pics of the things I got in the swap and how it looked before I unwrapped everything. It was so exciting!! I really love doing swaps,and hope to do many more in the future.

Also one last note. My daughter, Jordan, decided to do some YT videos. She is hairdresser and wanted to share some of her knowledge and have some fun making videos. She is totally unlike me...she's not shy, tells it like it is, and as her YT name suggests....Sassy. So go check out her channel...it would make her day. Her name is SassyNClassy0731.

I appreciate you guys for sharing your time with me. I will chat with you again soon :) Have a great day!

XOXO

~twyla

http://gan.doubleclick.net/gan_click?lid=41000000026781826&pubid=21000000000361685

The Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 03:04:00 +0000

Hi Everyone!

So the whole family is now recovering from the flu bug that we passed around to another. Just has we are beginning to feel better, Jordan my middle daughter, ends up with a stomach virus that sent her to the ER...Ugh!!! I am praying I don't get it on top of all I have already had with the congestion, cough, and ect.

Other than that...the weekend has been lovely. The weather today was so beautiful! We were in the mid 70's...just perfect. Now, as I'm lying in bed uploading a new video I did today, I am hearing on TWC that we have severe storms headed our way tomorrow...not happy about that :(

As I was saying, I did a March Favorites video this afternoon...nothing went right!! I couldn't get to my products because I was having issues with my arrangement. It was just one of those videos. Then I realized I did leave some of my favorite products out, like It's a 10..which I adore and have used faithfully in March. But, too late to add it now. I hope I have better luck tomorrow when I do my haul video.

I think I mentioned in the video.... I had to redo my desk. I had to take the door off...it just wasn't working for what I needed. And it's so sad, because it looks so pretty on there. I just don't have any other solution right now. Oh well, I'm sure it will all come together soon.

I hope your weekend has been awesome. Leave me a comment and let me know what you guys did this weekend. How's the weather where you live??

Also, leave a comment letting me know which kinds of video you would like to see me do more of. That would be fun to see.

Talk to you all soon. Don't forget about the giveaways this month...so join my blog and get all the latest details!!!

Love and Hugs!!

~twyla

http://gan.doubleclick.net/gan_click?lid=41000000026781826&pubid=21000000000361685