Declined

..."Unfortunately, the Board has declined your application for the healthy infant program. They advised that they will consider applications without demonstrated infertility on a case-by-case basis only if the wife is over the age of 35..."

That's just a little snippet of the email we got on Friday. We were declined by the Thai Red Cross, because we cannot prove that we are infertile. As I said in this blog, we really hoped they would overlook that requirement - but no such luck. I'm not sure if they even read our profile and all the details about how involved we are in Thailand, or if they just turned us down based on the fact that we don't have "demonstrated infertility".

It doesn't make sense to me. Infertility is NOT an official requirement to adopt from Thailand, but it is a requirement to adopt a "healthy infant" from the Thai Red Cross, and the Thai Red Cross happens to be the organization that 3 out of the 5 Thailand adoption agencies go through. So we can either try to have biological kids - and if we succeed then we will never be accepted through the TRC  - OR -  we can try to have biological kids - and if we fail, and go through lots of testing, then in several years time we can reapply as "infertile" to the TRC program (which has a 3+ year waiting list just to be matched). Not the greatest situation to be in, huh?

We are disappointed to say the least. I won't say that we put all our eggs in this basket, but we sure did put a lot of them in there. We really hoped that the time we've spent working in Thailand, learning Thai, and all our other connections to the country might grant us some favor. But I guess this was not the program God had for us!

Everyone keeps asking us "what's next?" The short version is - more research and more prayer. We would appreciate it if you would pray for direction and confirmation from God about what our next step should be. There are still a couple of options for us when it comes to adopting from Thailand - we just have to figure out which one is the one God is leading us to. He knows the path to our little girl... we just have to get the directions from Him!

In the meantime, I am leaning on some very, very wise advice my friend Malerie (who is also adopting) gave me a while back. She told me that it's okay to be emotional, but when it comes to our adoption we have to operate in TRUTH. What that means is - We KNOW God told us to adopt. We KNOW God said our child would come from Thailand. We KNOW His will and we KNOW that it will be done in His timing. That is the truth that I must operate in when things feel hopeless. That is what I have to lean on when the world says this is impossible. It is so easy to drown in doubt and fear if my feet aren't planted on the solid rock of His TRUTH!

My husband Rusty has a different version of this. He has said for years, "If I can see the unseen, then I can handle the seen." Our focus must be on heavenly things and God's promises to us - not the earthly barriers we are facing right now.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for 

 and certain of what we do not see. 

- Hebrews 11:1 -

Furniture Makeover :: My Pretty Purple Table

As promised - here are the pictures from my 2nd furniture makeover (and the first one I did all by myself!)

This piece started as a banged up end table that Rusty found for $10 back when we lived in Michigan. It used to sit in his "mancave" (ie - the basement) so I didn't care how bad it looked! I planned to send it back to the thriftstore when we moved, until I saw the pretty lion head hardware on each side and fell in love with the detailing! So we brought it to Alabama, and it's been part of an extra little sitting area in our living room ever since.

The problem though, is how beat up it looked! It's real wood, and while I wished I could bring the original finish back out there was no way I wanted to sand, strip, and re-stain the piece.

I did want to paint it black to match the chairs next to it, but to get a true match I'd have to hire the lady we bought the chairs from (and she charges more than I wanted to pay for an end-table).

So it sat, and sat, and sat.... and when I found out that Annie Sloan had a muted purple chalk paint, I thought - why not?! (We have purple throw pillows and some really cool antique purple art in our living room, so I figured it would work!) Since it's such a small piece, I was able to get by with just a sample pot ($11).

First I removed the hardware, wiped down the piece to get rid of any dust and dirt, and then I painted 2 coats of Emile colored chalk paint. It took a little longer than I expected because of all the crevices and details!

Next, I decided to distress the piece. I didn't want to "age" it with the dark wax, I just wanted a shabby look to it. Most people suggest doing this after you do the clear wax but I wanted to try it pre-wax. Because the paint is water-based, I decided to use a couple of techniques. In some areas I sanded it. In others, I rubbed a wet-wipe over the areas I wanted the paint to come off. Sometimes I did both (sanding followed by a wet-wipe). I found that when I sanded it, the natural wood showed through. When I just wet-wiped it, the darker finish (from it being stained/sealed) showed through. So I now have areas of light brown and a brownish/black peeking through the paint!

Of course I finished it with the clear wax, and buffed it after 24 hours. And here's the final piece!

And here it is back in my little sitting area, between my shabby black and burlap chairs! (Don't you love those gorgeous handmade pillow covers from India?!)

I haven't decided if I like it or not. I think the piece turned out beautifully - I'm just not sure if it really "goes" with my living room or if I should sell it and buy something else. I think I would like it more if the Emile were a little darker. But honestly I can't complain over such a quick, cheap makeover! It definitely looks better than the beat up piece it used to be!

My First Furniture Makeover

Thanks friends for the prayers in regards to my last blog. I appreciate those of you who commented on my blog and facebook!  It always helps to know other people are praying!

Today I thought I'd do a lighter post to share my latest hobby with you all. I'm sure most of you have at least one friend (or one blog you read) that re-does furniture. If you're anything like me, then you drool over the Before & After pictures of their re-finished or painted pieces, all the while thinking - "There is NO way I would ever have the patience or know-how to do that!" For a while now I've been oohing and ahhing over several friend's furniture makeovers (like Erin's buffet & Katie's bench) and staring at project after project on the Fab Rehab and Roadkill Rescue blogs. But the idea of actually stripping and sanding and priming and painting a piece of my own was way too intimidating!

Until I met Laurie!

Laurie Peacock and I met at a marriage small group one night, and in her little "about me" intro she mentioned that she re-did furniture. So when I had finally HAD IT with my crappy chest-of-drawers, I called her for help. [*side note - Since Rusty and I are still renting a house, we've decided not to make any big furniture investments until we buy a house for them to permanently live in. That means we've still got miss-matched, hand-me-down thrift store/consignment store furniture everywhere! Most of the pieces are in pretty good shape, but our chest-of-drawers was definitely the roughest of the bunch. It's a cheap veneer hand-me-down I've had since college, and I reasoned that replacing it would remove the majority of the "ugly" from our bedroom!] Laurie encouraged me to buy this replacement Bassett chest that was a really good price from Craigslist, and graciously volunteered to come to my house and teach me her furniture fixin' tricks! When I heard that she used a *magical* paint that didn't require stripping, sanding, or priming - I was in!

BEFORE

The paint she introduced me to is called Annie Sloan Chalk Paint*, and it's nothing short of life-changing. This stuff will go on anything - wood, veneer, plastic, brass, metal, concrete, you name it! It has practically ZERO fumes, and washes off with water (even if you get it on your clothes!) It comes in a ton of gorgeous colors, and is super easy to use. When you use the paint though, you have to also buy the wax for a sealant. You can get just clear wax, or you can also buy the dark wax to layer on top of the clear wax. The dark wax is what will give your furniture an "aged"  or "distressed" look. All in all it's about $100 for 1 quart of paint, 1 clear wax, and 1 dark wax - but those 3 small cans will last you through 4 - 8 projects (depending on how big your pieces are). To me - it was totally worth the price to not have to strip, sand or prime!

I painted this chest-of-drawers with 2 coats of Old White chalk paint, and then Laurie came over the next day to help me with my first waxing job. Using a paint brush we coated the whole piece with clear wax, and then she immediately began brushing dark wax over it and rubbing it back off again (working in sections). If the dark wax got too dark, I would brush the dark area with my clear wax brush and she would rub the excess off. It was a pretty foolproof process!

When we were done with the dark wax we replaced the hardware and let it dry. 24 hours later I went back and buffed the piece with a wiping rag (an old t-shirt will work great for this!) And TA-DA!!!

AFTER

Isn't it GORGEOUS!? I love the way the detailing on the front pops with that dark wax! It gives it such a beautiful, aged look! I could not believe how easy this was, and how incredible the end result is. I just love seeing something old and tired transformed into something beautiful again!

So for those of you who are asking - here are my "tips" in case you'd like to try this *magical* paint for yourself!

#1 - Find a store near you that carries Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. It is only in a few select places (it's been sold in Europe for a while, but it's just started becoming available in the US!) This site should give you a list of places near you.

#2 - Buy yourself some paint, wax, at least 2 decent sized brushes (they don't have to be the Annie Sloan brushes - mine were only $2). I would also recommend a couple of smaller brushes for details. If you are doing a small piece - like a nightstand or end table - you might be able to just buy a sample pot ($12) instead of a full quart ($35) of the paint. You should also get a dropcloth, some cheesecloth (this is the best material for rubbing off the wax), and some rubbing cloths for buffing (these are like $2 at Lowe's and they are cut up t-shirt material. You can totally use an old t-shirt if you have one!)

#3 - Follow these instructions for applying the paint and wax. This is the best tutorial I've found! If you want your dark wax to show up more, you can use a "hatch stroke" when you paint (which is like criss-crossing brush strokes). Then the wax will catch in those places. I personally like to go with the grain and I always use 2 coats.  Be careful not to scratch your piece in between painting and waxing. The paint comes off super easy before it's sealed with the wax! (If you do scratch it - just repaint the area. The paint/wax combo is super forgiving :)

#4 - Wait 24 hours to buff. When you buff the piece, it is going to take some elbow grease, so be prepared!

#5 - It's okay if your piece still feels a little bit tacky in places after you're done. The info I've read says it takes a full 28 days for the paint/wax combo to "set" fully. But once you've buffed it, it should be perfectly fine to sit things on the piece and use it normally - just don't scrape any sharp objects into it. (Of course, you wouldn't do that to any painted piece, now would you?) If you're doing a table-top (or any piece that's used a lot) you may want to do a 2nd coat of clear wax.

If you're still not feeling brave enough to try this paint, but you love the look, then you should definitely check out Laurie's pieces for sale! She does this as a side job, and she has some gorgeous stuff for sale on Craigslist. Just type "French Urban" into the Birmingham Craigslist and her items should pop up! Or, if you have a piece at your house you'd like re-done, Laurie can do that too! Just contact her at calibamagirl@att.net for pricing and other examples of her work!

This GORGEOUS coffee table is just one of Laurie's beautiful pieces for sale! 

Stay tuned for more of these furniture makeovers! I have already done my 2nd piece and I can't wait to show it to ya'll! Happy painting friends!


*Chalk paint should not be confused with chalkboard paint. This is called chalk paint because of it's consistency - when it dries it feels like chalk. You can not write on it like a chalkboard.

Adoption Update :: We Need Your Prayers!

I know it's been quite a while since I blogged about our adoption, and I apologize for the lack of updates. The truth is, this process has been a lot more difficult than we realized it would be, and a lot more emotionally draining. 

You see, I'm extremely familiar with international adoption, and we thought we knew what to expect when we began this journey. We have so many friends who have adopted through the years, and I've followed their blogs every step of the way. I just love seeing these precious children come into their forever families, and I knew we would have a similar story someday! So I have read blogs and articles and helped with fundraisers. I know what a homestudy and a dossier and a waiting list is. I've read all about cultural differences, language barriers, and bonding & attachment issues. So when it (finally) came time for us to begin our adoption process, I knew I was ready!

Or so I thought. Boy was I wrong.

We had researched the requirements for adopting from Thailand and knew we met them all - except for the 3 years of marriage required. So we spent February looking at agencies online, March in Africa, and right after our 3rd anniversary in April, we were ready to move forward! We found 3 agencies that looked promising and set up phone interviews with all of them. We thought we would pick the best one, submit our application that week, and begin our homestudy. But it didn't happen that way at all.

What did happen, was the realization of a lot of strange rules, red tape and closed doors. I know that the requirements for every country are different, but I've never heard of someone having the difficulty we have had moving forward (especially when they meet all the "official requirements"!) Every phone call we had was more discouraging than the next. We were told about closed programs, 3 year wait times (and that is just to get matched!), the inability to choose gender, and for most programs - that we would have to be infertile to even apply! Considering we haven't even tried to have children, we have no idea if we are infertile or not. (And considering infertility is not an official requirement to adopt from Thailand, we weren't expecting that road block!)

By the end of the week, we were devastated. Adopting from Thailand seemed impossible. I cried... a lot. We went through so many emotions... frustration, confusion, anger, and sadness. I went from feeling as if I were "pregnant" to going through what felt like "adoption infertility". It seemed every door was closed, and it felt so hopeless! I couldn't talk about the adoption without crying. I couldn't look at anything adoption related or even child-related. I got angry reading other's adoption blogs because it seemed so EASY compared to what we were facing. Suddenly, a 1 to 2 year wait time sounded like a dream!

I have this sweet little handmade bunny I bought in Thailand last year, that I thought would be cute on our child's bookshelf someday (at that point we didn't know we were adopting). Now it sits on my desk to remind me to pray for our little girl. I know this sounds silly, but for a couple of weeks I couldn't even look at it! It was just too painful. Several of you (without knowing what we were going through) sent me sweet facebook messages during this time telling me you were praying for us and our adoption. I apologize for not responding to them - but I just couldn't find the words. We were both just too full of questions and emotions. We kept wondering if we'd heard God wrong...

After a couple of weeks of wallowing living in this hopelessness, I got a phone call from our mentor Michael. He spent quite a while talking to me and getting me "unstuck". I cried on the phone while he told me that I had to stop speaking death over this process (because our words carry power) and that it was time to start praying through this like never before. He talked a lot about Faith --- of being sure of what we HOPE for and certain of what we DO NOT SEE. (Hebrews 11:1) It was exactly what I needed to hear. 

And so - we picked ourselves up, looked at our options one more time, and decided to push forward. When every other door seems closed, we are choosing to (try to) walk through the one that might be open just a tiny crack! There is one agency that told us they would be willing to submit our profile to the Thai Red Cross. This is not an application - it's just a preliminary profile to see if by any chance the Thai Red Cross (TRC) might make an exception for us. Typically, only infertile families can apply to this program - but because we don't know if we're infertile, and we don't have any children, she seemed to think there could be a chance they would overlook that rule and consider us for an adoption. She also thought the fact that we have lived in Thailand, work in Thailand, speak basic Thai, and have so many connections to the country and culture could work in our favor. So we have taken a chance and submitted our profile and photos to the Thai Red Cross.

Now we need you - all of you - to saturate this process in prayer!!! I am not going to say this is our only hope, because I know God ultimately knows who our daughter is and He has a plan to get us to her. But I will say that this is the very best option that we know of right now - and the only option we have found that will allow us to adopt a healthy, young child (2 years old or under).

I know this seems like a longshot - but I have seen God work INCREDIBLE miracles when it comes to orphans and adoption. We have had friends all over the world be told that things are impossible - only to have God show up and fling open doors that no man could open! So we are praying for Him to open this door for us, so that we can at least start the adoption process. With 3 year wait times (and longer), it is killing us that we haven't been able to officially begin our adoption. Any news that will help us take that first step, is a way for us to get closer to our little girl!

Thank you in advance for covering this in prayer!  I will keep you all updated with any news I hear!

Jesus looked at them and said, 

" With man, that is impossible. But with God, all things are possible." 

 ~ Matthew 19:26

The Miss Alabama IMPACT Award

Just a few days ago, I shared some of my favorite Miss Alabama Pageant memories with you, and explained how important my years in the Miss America Organization were to me. I absolutely would not be where I am today without the incredible experiences and relationships I have from my time in the Miss Alabama family. Without the scholarship money I won while competing, I wouldn't have been able to graduate college debt free. (And had I been saddled with student loan debt, Rusty and I would not have been able to start our non-profit organization The Sound of Hope). I also wouldn't have learned the poise, confidence, and public speaking skills I have - which are vital to my role as the Executive Director of The Sound of Hope. My time as a local titleholder in the Miss America Organization, and my years competing in The Miss Alabama pageant helped shape me into the best version of myself that I could possibly be. And although I never won the title of Miss Alabama or Miss America - God used those programs to get me exactly where I needed to be today.

I believe "to whom much is given, much is required."  My life is richer because of these incredible programs, and I really wanted to be able to give back to something that gave so much to me. So a few months ago I approached my husband Rusty with the idea of creating a new award and scholarship for a contestant at the Miss Alabama Pageant. He loved the idea of helping another young woman through college, and encouraged me to go for it. He had a side job that allowed us to save up some extra money over the past few months..... and so, this year, the Miss Alabama IMPACT Award was born!
 

The Miss Alabama IMPACT Award

Award Stipulations:

25% of the score is for the contestant's service work done with her platform

25% of the score is for her involvement and service above and beyond her chosen platform

25% of the score is chosen through a vote by her fellow contestants

25% of the score is chosen through a vote by the Pageant Moms – the volunteers who work with the contestants during pageant week

 

The Miss Alabama IMPACT Award is given to the contestant who is making the biggest IMPACT on the world around her. She must demonstrate exemplary involvement and service, as well as exhibit grace and kindness to her peers and everyone she works with. A good description of this young woman would include words like generous, hardworking, enthusiastic, engaging, compassionate, and inspiring.

The winner of the 2012 Miss Alabama IMPACT Award & $1,000 scholarship

was the beautiful Beth Milam, Miss JSU!

I got a chance to talk to Beth for just a few minutes at the luncheon (we're having a lunch date soon!) and I was amazed when I heard that she just got back from Haiti 20 days ago! What are the odds of a young woman with a heart for missions winning my award? Isn't that incredible!?

I have had so many people stop and tell me how glad they were that she won, and how deserving she is of this award. It made both me and Rusty so excited to know that we have the privilege of investing into the life of such a special young woman!

But you know, the funny thing is - God turned this award into something so much bigger than I had planned. I just wanted to give back to a program that I believe in. I wanted to help give another young woman the opportunity to graduate college debt free! There are so many deserving girls at the Miss Alabama Pageant each year - but only 1 gets to walk away as Miss Alabama (and only 9 others get to place in the Top 10!) I wanted to provide an award that would allow one more young woman to be recognized and honored. But God wanted to do more....

Nan Teninbaum, the President of the Miss Alabama Board of Directors

 

The President of the Miss Alabama Board was so excited about my award that she invited me to speak at the Miss Alabama Luncheon on Saturday. There, I got the opportunity to share my story with all the Miss Alabama Contestants and their families. It was amazing to get to tell them what God has done in and through my life since my pageant days! I have had several contestants and their parents come up to me since I spoke and tell me how much my story encouraged and inspired them.

Who could've guessed that God would use the fact that I didn't win Miss Alabama to inspire people?

I'd never thought of it before - but usually these contestants only hear from the current and former Miss Alabamas. They are incredible women - doctors, lawyers, business owners, models, etc. But the girls never get to hear about the lives of the other contestants who didn't become Miss Alabama. And the truth is - there are so many of us who are successful, inspirational women too! One of the contestants told me, "I just needed to know that there is life beyond the crown."

And there is. 

There is a rich, FULL life beyond the crown. As I told the girls at lunch - only one contestant will leave each year as Miss Alabama. But every single one of them will leave with scholarship money, incredible life experience, and some wonderful relationships. And it's what you do with those 3 things that can truly change the world!

Each woman that is a part of the Miss America Organization is so special, and they have so much to offer the world! It was an honor to get to remind the contestants of that, and I was so blessed to get to be back with my wonderful Miss Alabama Family! Thanks so much Nan for this amazing opportunity!

Here are a few more photos from the day....

 

My beautiful friend Courtney Porter, Miss Alabama 2011. 

Courtney and I competed together my last year at Miss Alabama, and we went to Auburn together too!

Ms. Judy - one of the many precious Pageant Moms who took care of me when I was a Miss AL Contestant! 

It was such a joy to see these ladies again (wish I'd gotten a picture with all of you!)

 

With Haley Ates (Miss Chattahoochee Valley) and Catherine Crosby Long (Miss Alabama 2003)

I was SO excited to see Katie Boyd, my BFF from my days at Miss AL! I love this girl sooo much! We have some great memories from 

the 2 years we competed together (she went on to compete for 3 more years and won over $45,000 of scholarship money!) 

Katie is absolutely precious, crazy talented, and in my heart, she will always be a Miss Alabama! ;)

I got to meet Miss America 2004, Ericka Dunlap!  She had one of my favorite crowning moments in Miss America history - she was so excited and emotional that she couldn't sit still long enough for them to crown her! Haha! I figure I would've been the same way. I have wanted to meet her for years, because she is a rare E-R-I-C-K-A!  I still remember how neat it was to see MISS AMERICA ERICKA in all the headlines when she won!

Opening number - featuring Jamie Langley (another amazing woman I competed with), 

Courtney Porter, & Dedra Eastland Pennington.

Beautiful Beth Milam, winner of the Miss Alabama IMPACT Award, in the final number!

Courtney Porter taking her final walk as Miss Alabama....

Your new Miss Alabama, Anna Laura Bryan!

*For those of you that want to see more pictures from Miss AL, I'll try to post some on facebook later this week!

Miss Alabama Week!

In case you didn't know - it's MISS ALABAMA WEEK!!! That probably doesn't mean much to those of you who aren't connected to the Miss Alabama Pageant, but for me it represents 2 years of wonderful memories with some of the most incredible women I've ever met.

2005 Miss Alabama Pageant Contestants with Shannon Camper - Miss AL 2004

I know there are a lot of people who think that "pageant girls" are vain, shallow idiots. Unfortunately, shows like Toddlers and Tiaras, and the sketchy behavior allowed in other pageant systems have only reinforced that idea. But the truth is - the women of the Miss America Organization are so much more than that!

For those of you who don't know what it takes to be Miss America (or Miss Alabama, or even a local titleholder in the MAO, as I was) let me tell you that it requires much more than a pretty face. These women are not only beautiful, they are also intelligent. As a matter of fact - 30% of their score comes from their on-stage question and interview competition (and I can assure you - I have NEVER had an interview that came close to the level of difficulty of a Miss Alabama interview!) They are also leaders in their schools, communities, and states, and they work tirelessly to promote their chosen platform. Their platforms are a type of community service - some examples would be Mentoring, Breast Cancer Awareness, or Curing Childhood Cancer. I know that one of the women I competed with, Deidre Downs, (who went on to win Miss America) helped raise over $100,000 for pediatric cancer research! These are women who are truly making a difference in the world!

Charlie's Angels - Me, Deidre, & Katie goofing off backstage!

Whenever I get the opportunity, I am quick to share that the Miss America Organization helped shape me into the best version of myself that I could be. I saw a vast improvement in my public speaking and interview skills during the 4 years I competed in preliminaries, and the 2 years I served as Miss Gadsden Area and Miss Auburn-Opelika Area. I would not have the poise or confidence I have today without my experience in this amazing organization.

I also wouldn't have the thousands of dollars of scholarship money I won! Did you know that the Miss America Organization is the largest provider of women's scholarships in the world?! With the work we do overseas I cannot stress enough how important it is for women to have the opportunity for an education. I worked so hard to pay my way through college - but even with a 4 year academic scholarship from Auburn University, several outside scholarships, and a job - it wouldn't have been possible without the money I was awarded at the Miss Alabama Pageant and local prelims. Because I was able to graduate college debt free, without the burden of student loans, my husband and I were able to start our non-profit The Sound of Hope. It's crazy to think that The Sound of Hope wouldn't exist if not for my years in high heels and evening gowns, but it's the truth!

2004 Miss Gadsden Area

And had I not competed, I would have missed out on some wonderful relationships! From the precious "Pageant Moms" that took care of us on pageant week, to the dedicated directors, board members and volunteers, and of course the beautiful, talented, intelligent, inspiring women I competed with! I have so many fond memories from this week back in 2004 and 2005. Goofing off backstage with the girls, learning dance moves every day, going to autograph parties and talent rehearsals, late night pajama parties in the Samford dorms, and getting to SHINE on-stage every night at the Wright Center! As exhausting as it was, we had a blast together during Miss Alabama Week each year!

With my precious friend Katie Boyd, on our way to the Brookwood autograph party!

2005 - Me & my Miss AL roomie Mallory Wooten

2005 - Ready for Opening Number!

Do you see the pic above? Talk about funny memories - we had the worst opening number outfits both years I competed! In 2004 we had to wear full length velvet renaissance gowns and headdresses, and in 2005 we looked like 50 green M&Ms! We shared a lot of laughs about those costumes! ;)

PJ Party with some of my favorite girls! FYI that is sparkling grape juice we're drinking ;)

Miss Auburn-Opelika '05 with the current Miss AL Courtney Porter!

With Melinda Toole in 2004 - the "Twinkies" strike a pose! ;)

It feels like just yesterday that I was up on that stage. I can't believe it's been 7 years since I competed, and 5 years since I've been able to attend the Miss Alabama Pageant. After 2 summers in Africa and 3 in Michigan, I am so thrilled that I get to see the show and watch a new Miss Alabama get crowned tomorrow night! It will be wonderful to reconnect with my Miss Alabama family and to introduce my husband to this part of my past.  

BEST OF LUCK to all the beautiful young ladies competing this year! After this week is over, I hope you carry as many wonderful memories with you as I have!

"A Few of My Favorite Things" ~ GIVEAWAY WINNER!

Alright ladies, the winner of my favorite things giveaway is....

Comment #10

BECCA STANLEY COME ON DOWN!!!  

(did you hear The Price is Right theme song in your head when you read that? did ya?!)

Becca, you are the winner of a (4 oz) bottle of my favorite thing for Spring - Arbonne's FC5 Exfoliating New Cell Scrub, which is a $28 value!  This is the perfect skin care addition for you, since you're an on-the-go mom to 2 precious kiddos! After you've washed your face at night- just rub a dime sized amount over your damp face, wet your fingertips and rub it around in small circles. Then rinse! No need to leave it on for 10 minutes or anything crazy like that (who has time for that?!) It's gentle enough to use every night or you can just use it once or twice a week if you prefer. It's a quick, delicious smelling treat for your skin! And you will be AMAZED at how soft your face is after!

I'll be mailing your prize to you soon! If any of you other ladies would like to give this amazing product a try, just comment below and I'll be sure to contact you the next time I place an Arbonne order. Thanks for being such great blog followers! :)