Life's crazy and I like it that way

if i was just sitting on my tush all day watching soaps and wondering what new song i was going to download from i tunes i would have some serious issues to deal with. fortunately with school demands and a social life that will not slow down...."popular, i know about pop-uu-lar!"....i need to break out that soundtrack again! :) :) :) but really, life is hectic. for seven months i'm working in a spa thinking that i will live the cushy little life of a massage therapist. not so cushy i end up finding out. i start up school, quit my job because of the unreliable hours, and i go back to old faithful a.k.a. arcadia christian school a few days a week. life can turn upside down like that. i've realized that's not always a bad thing. i came home from colorado early bird sunday morning and i've been on the go ever since. i haven't let a little tiredness get in the way. i've had a typical week of internship, school, and acs- and i'll be going to a woman's retreat this weekend with soon to be mama amber in ventura. i'm looking forward to what the weekend will bring and what God will show me!

next weekend i have my bi annual yard sale...(again with amber), a graduation party, and a fun night of line dancing. loves it. i gots to get back to taking vitamins and drinking water by the tank full like i did in the high school days of yesteryear. i am too busy and too committed to be getting tired.

it's funny how your life goes in waves. one minute i'm hanging out with friends here and there and finding lots of time to relax at home- just hanging out and taking it extra easy. before i know it i'm running around, barely finding enough time to do laundry or watch my beloved american idol- oorrrr post and email my colorado pictures which will be coming in the next week...by hook or by crook i tell you.

so there is a little understanding (i hope) for some of you if i am not returning calls or i'm a little m.i.a. . let me tell you: this is just for the time being and i will make it happen to find some kind of balance with my life! what a blessing it is to have a lot of responsibilites and relationships. these are good things!! it's sure hard knowing how to have a crazy fun time and still relax it up too. i am motivated to find out how!

love to all!!!! have a tremendous weekend. i hope God shows you something new...

all my love,
REBES

The letter "R"

I am following suite to Cerissa as I have been tagged with the letter "R". I've given some creative thought to the top ten things and or concepts I like most that start with this letter. Here they are in no particular order....enjoy!


Roses~
I have a fondness for not just roses, but roses of various colors...especially when they are arranged in a bouquet. I think the variety of colors is much more appealing then say just red roses. I do love yellow roses though.

Red Wine~
It's said that wine gets better with age...I hope the same will be said for me when I'm 95 and kicking. Red Wine has so much more character than white wine. Don't get me wrong, I love me a sweet glass of white from time to time, but I'm a sucker for a good Pinot Noir and Cabernet or Merlot (can't remember which one I like better).

Relaxation~
What is better then kicking up your feet? Shoot, you tell me.... Whether it's relaxing at the beach, at home, in front of a movie, book, or just chillaxin with friends; the art of true relaxation is something many people have forgotten how to do without being lazy.

Reading~
If I can find a book that interests me and strikes a cord on some level then I'm on board! When perusing through Borders I am both overwhelmed and inspired at the thought that I could read until the cows come home and still not have enough time (this would make my mom proud!). I'm finding that I enjoy reading before bed or especially when I am on vacation. Get me on vay-cay and you are sure to find a few books packed. Magazines are a guilty pleasure too...many of them are for the pictures so they only "half" count I suppose.

Radio~
I am my mother's daughter, and have grown to enjoy "talk radio." Dr. Laura and Michael Savage are my favs. I am in love love love with On Air With Ryan Seacrest during the weekday mornings. Not to mention that there is a potpourri of various music stations, (even if many of them play some of the same songs over and over) the radio is a great alternative to staring at the t.v., and is nice background noise when folding laundry.

Road Trips~
Some of the Road Trips I've taken have been to Montana, Washington, Oregon, Iowa, Borrego Desert, Michigan, Arizona, and through parts of Tanzania and Kenya. Fun pictures, stories, and adventures have always come out of these. Being on the road can bring you into amazing conversations, and memorable adventures like car sickness, crazy drivers, weird towns, and new people. Love them!

Rondevus~
Say what you think when you first hear this word. Rondevus to favorite vacation spots, Rondevus with old family and friends, and Rondevus of all kinds (let your imagination run) are some of life's joys.

Ryan Seacrest~
This man is a mere genius! From having the most entertaining morning radio show, (ever listened to Ryan's Roses anyone?) to being co-host of E news, having his own production company, and of course being host of the most fabulous American Idol- it is very curious why this prodigy has not dropped dead from all his responsibilities! He seems to love what he does, and is always "on". Do not underestimate the powers of Mr. Seacrest.... he is one of my favorite "R's." :)

Romantic Comedies~
Are by far some of my favorite kinds. Humor mixed with Romance...loves it. They are especially great during a rainy day or just when you need to relax and feel better about yourself. I'll take Romantic Comedies over stupid horror movies any day.

Roman Holiday~
Being that this is an Audrey Hepburn movie, it sure makes this top ten. The story tells of a princess who lives a day in the life of a regular citizen. The location of Rome and the relationship she develops with Gregory Peck's character is both charming and unexpected. Black and white and just right, this movie brings you back to the old Hollywood era when they really knew how to tell a good story.

Pay It Forward

Apparently, this is a title of a movie which I have yet to see... (Side-note I may give in to seeing
Twilight). For those of you who are screaming with joy at the thought, (Nikki) the only reason I am considering it is because I have been told by many who have seen the flick that it is more of a "love story" then just a focus on vampires- which sounds like the stupidest thing EVER. Though I may seem too cynical for love, I do appreciate love and I believe it is out there...even for me (gasp!) But back to Paying It Forward: This concept is such an important one because it allows us to put others before ourselves. It really is a challenge and a triumph of the human spirit when we "Pay It Forward". Let me explain...

Paying It Forward is basically doing something kind for someone else. If you were to help the little old lady across the street with her groceries that would be Paying It Forward. If you were to open the door for a crowd or even a single person, that would be Paying It Forward. Things like simple smiles as you walk past a person, giving a thoughtful gift to someone, sacrificing your time to help another in need....the list goes on. You get the idea yes?

To me, Paying It Forward is not only rewarding for the receiver, it is also rewarding to the giver. It helps instill a selfless mindset and is a wonderful representation of love... Love is KIND. Paying It Forward says to others that they are valued and important. I hope that we all will Pay It Forward in the coming days. I hope that it becomes contagious as others pick up on the thought behind it. In no way do we need to declare what we are doing, because I hope our actions alone will speak for themselves.

So, dear friends... Be kind, watch the movie for inspiration, and learn to Pay It Forward!

aloha from Colorado!

hello bloggers! yes, i know it has been far too long since i last posted at the beginning of the month. i have some down time here this afternoon and thought i would share with you all. i am visiting my Aunt Carol (mom's sister) and my two cousins who live out here with her- Elizabeth and Ian. thought i would take some of my spring break time from PCC to enjoy life's finer things (like visiting family and seeing new places). it's so nice having a change of scenery. we are just hanging out... i hope to go on a hike to one of the local spots while i am here. i may go to the "y" with my aunt this evening for an exercise class, and in a few minutes Elizabeth and I are going to borders...always a favorite. aannnd she just bought a Breakfast at Tiffany's puzzle. its 1000 pieces and i can't wait to tackle it with here while i'm here. you might be wondering why on God's green earth are you excited to do a puzzle nerd face? let me tell you that puzzles are a lost art. haven't done one in years but they are always challenging and fun. so i encourage all of you to start up with puzzles. you just might get hooked. oh, and we my visit some spots like Garden of the Gods, The Trading Post, and we also have reservations to go to an upscale tea on Saturday...la-te-da! :) i will be back Sunday morning in time for church....loyalites.

enough on all that... i still need to give my two-cents on the "pay it forward" topic. that will be next i PROMISE.

love, REBES

take the GOOD with the BAD

so here i am. a lot is reeling through my head. i feel a little koo koo right now so hopefully getting this all out will at the very least make me feel better. here goes...

BAD news first:
the past 24 hrs i've been losing things and it is making me quickly lose my mind. it all started friday afternoon (yesterday) at work when i thought i lost an earring. mind you this is just an earring... not expensive, and replaceable. thankfully i found it after digging trough all the contents of my purse. problem solved; or so i thought. the next item up is one of my FAVORITE movies 'baby mama'. so ridiculous that i cannot describe to you, how do you lose the disc and not the cover? i got into the bad habit of just laying dvds around after watching them and not putting them away into their covers. so my wish is that it will magically appear. i have checked in both dvd players here at home, and high and low in all the expected places. maybe i'll have chad alder burn me a new copy. he does that you know. :) the third item are mine and my mom's tennis rackets. thought they were in the hall closet but nooooo. the next place to look for them is in our joke of a garage. at the moment it is filled up with stuff so that none of our cars fit in there. good luck finding the rackets in all of that. i have however, been quite persistent lately and i am not about to give up! lastly, i can't find any of my tax forms that i set aside. a week ago i went into a major spring cleaning of my bedroom, and somehow misplaced or even *ouch* threw them away. i now have to go to the palms and get a new print out of my earnings, (i hope they can do that) and also go to the library for a new form. so i am 1 for 4 for finding my lost stuff! pray that i can find all of this or somehow make it right in my mind. not a huge deal because they are material. but like anyone, it is making me feel like a nut! oh and by the way if we happened to play tennis together with the rackets in question, give me a holla!

the GOOD news: my aunt, uncle, and two cousins are visiting from virginia. its been fun taking them to the monrovia street fair, on a hike and to knotts. unfortunately, i wasn't able to join them in the last two mentioned because i had work. but not complaining here because this is the good news! we all will be meeting up for brunch tomorrow after church and have the afternoon to hang out before they leave on Monday morning. another piece of joy is that i got a facial at work today. as i am in my final days at the palms, (in case you didn't know. it's all for the best since i am at acs again as i mentioned earlier in a blog. ask me for details in person if you really care to know more.) sofie our facialist gave me a great facial as my "going away gift". plus, i heard through the grapevine that our spa will be throwing me a small going away dinner. that's nice eh? i am finishing up one of my classes on the 13th, so i will be at pcc one less day a week! during my spring break i will be spending over half of it in colorado with my other aunt and cousins. that will be in about 2 weeks, so of course i am looking forward to that. and last but most certainly not least i am all about "paying it forward." what is this you ask? check out my next blog...

Quote of the day

"Risk-taking, trust, and serendipity are key ingredients of joy. Without risk, nothing new ever happens. Without trust, fear creeps in. Without serendipity, there are no surprises."

~Rita Golden Gelman, Author of Tales of a Female Nomad. She has had no permanent address since 1986.

*This woman is amazing! She is living one of my dreams...

Fashion Icons

Yes the dear Victoria Beckham is one of them! I can say that I have four very strong fashion icons. I take away something from each of these woman and make it my own. They are all very different from each other, and they are all fabulous in the way they execute themselves and their styles. So here are the ladies in no particular order:

Victoria Beckham:

The woman is just amazing. She arrived into the fashion designing world a few years ago and is doing very very well at it. Her love of sunglasses, a perfect pair of jeans, and a feminine dress, are some of the items she is best known for helping create. I love how she just pops in whatever she is wearing at the moment. Victoria has had some extreme looks in the past, (especially during her Spice Girls days) but those times have only molded her into the fashionista that she is today. Victoria is beautiful, creative, and has a knack for putting together some of the most beautiful outfits.

Jennifer Aniston:

I mentioned her before in one of my other blogs. I admire her for her wonderful acting, her consciousness of health and fitness, and of course for her fashion. Jennifer knows how to make a simple outfit look great. Her signature color is black. From evening gowns to tank tops she knows how to make black look great for any occasion. Her style is really effortless, and her classic "girl next door" look is what she is known for. She doesn't have to over-do it to make a statement or look great. Jennifer's fashion sense will never go out of style!

Kate Hudson:

This boho-chic woman is a goddess! One of the first things that draws me to her style is her blond hair. She can pull off torn jeans, hippie blouses, and really anything with unique prints. She always looks pretty and feminine, and you never have to question her identity, because she knows exactly who she is. She doesn't have to wear a lot of make-up. Kate and Jennifer have natural beauty going for them. Natural beauty ie: good skin complexion, nice body shape, pretty eyes and smile- will take a woman a long way. Kate has it goin' on!

Audrey Hepburn:

Though this beauty has left us, her style and grace is not forgotten. She is best remembered for her feminine clothes, and classic taste. Audrey knew how to make any outfit look good with a string of pearls. Just take her in Breakfast at Tiffany's for her example. She also knew how to make the most of her face. Her eyebrows were usually perfectly shaped, and this also really helped play up her eyes. Even as she aged, she aged gracefully. She always drew love and attention from top fashion designers, (like Victoria) and she always presented herself with poise, elegance, and stunning beauty. Her look is timeless, and women still like to recreate the Audrey Hepburn look. That is a true testament to a true fashion icon.

coffee house chats

i wonder how often people actually have encounters like the one i had today at a starbucks in pasadena. i had a little while before my next class so i ordered a drink and proceeded to make a list of goals that i want to have accomplished by june. i took a seat in the fairly crowded place by a decent looking guy who i had noticed when i walked in. didn't think anything would come of my seating choice but about 2 or 3 minutes into enjoying my coffee and making my list, he turns to me and says "so what are you working on?" the rest of our conversation quickly turned into sarcasm, insights, and facts about ourselves. i felt close to comfortable laughing and carrying on and was enjoying the newness of the experience. its exciting and interesting to know that conversations like ours exist. you don't wake up in the morning and go, "i'm going to have an entertaining conversation out of nowhere with a total stranger, and enjoy the heck out of it."

so to end my little story, there was mild flirtation, i gave him a business card, and i would like nothing more then to possibly see him again for some good old jabber. don't know where he stands spiritually, or even see how far of a friendship we could form cause it could have been a fun spark that was meant for just that moment. love this stuff. ~*~

Quote of the day:

"Being nice never hurt anyone." ~Me

(**I have got some great responses lately by just being nice, making small talk, and smiling and saying "hi" as I walk past people. Some might think "why bother?" I say "why the bloody heck not?" It makes my day a little better and I get some good interaction in the process. It amazes me when people are rude and none responsive for literally no reason. Get a life people. Life is too short to have your underwear up your butt. **)

to give a much need update

i am alive and well. keeping busy "crossing my t's and dotting my i's", and trying not to go crazy in the process. i've wanted to keep updated with pictures, but my camera is out of whack and all the other technologies in my life such as my computer, printer, and i tunes are giving me troubles so needless to say i've felt discouraged that just a regular old blog with no pictures would not be so great. well here is my regular old blog and i hope you find it at least mildly interesting. :) about two weeks ago i had fun with my girls at work and we participated in a spa photo shoot for the hotel. it was fun posing and messing around and getting free lunch out of it! we originally heard that our pictures and ad were going to be placed in over 5,000 bridal magazines, but the real story ended up being that we will be featured in the hotel's magazine...the truth came out. good still, but not so glamorous.

my next adventure was this past weekend. i participated in a hike up azusa canyon with friends from church's young adults group company 122. had a blast with everyone. good group of people. lots of fun and a video came out of it too! i am realizing that in this faze of my life i am cherishing and truly enjoying my outings, friends, and activities more because fun stuff is less often now that i am ageing gracefully on this path of adult-hood responsibility. yuck yuck yuck....

sick and tired of being sick and tired

yes i am. my immune system seems to be especially weak these past several months, and the cold that i thought my body was fighting finally "gave up the ghost" as they say. three days ago i woke up with full blown symptoms. grossness.

on the brighter side of things i'm starting to feel better and will be going to my first internship day at arcadia methodist preschool. so all is good there! going back to being a debbie downer though, i have a lot looming over my head since i've gotten zero accomplished these last few days. major cleaning and organizing of my bedroom and bathrooms, homework over the weekend (always a joy), birthday presents to buy for friends, a trip to the bank and gym, the car wash that my poor car has not received in months, and the much needed pedicure.

Quote of the day:

"Not all who wander are lost."



*(i saw this on the car of a man who looked like he had been growing his hair out in a strange white mans frow sort of way, and yet it looked like he just woke up. people are great)*

just like that...

life can change! i went from 2 days a week at work, to having my old job at arcadia christian ask me to come back for a week and a half, (and then whenever i want when it fits in my schedule). i'm taking my child development classes at pcc and i will be doing field training at arcadia methodist preschool three days a week. this is all so great and it all happened within a weeks time! God is good and looking after me as He always does. i am able to get my classes finished, get some on sight experience which will totally benefit me later, and my old job is giving me a few hours back to make up for what massaging is not! ohhhhh yeahhhh....

keep your heads up people, the economy is effecting ALL of us. let me leave you with a hilarious quote from my girl nikki:

"so give me a call. i'm out on the job market like everyone else, going into places only to hear "no we're not hiring have a nice day", and then walking out with a tail between my legs. love you"

Sleep with someone you can trust

I kid you not, that is what the shirt said on this woman who was shopping at Albertsons.... and she was pregnant. Some people! For all intentions and purposes she didn't look ghetto or trashy. She looked pretty middle class, early thirties ish... I just don't understand why you would wear that message if you were pregnant. Even if you were pregnant from your loving husband and were totally happy why would you wear it? If you were embarrassed or annoyed that you were pregnant from your good for nothing boyfriend or one night stand why would you where it? I'm going to go as far as saying why would you even want to wear it? Is that the only clean shirt she had? Pshhh please lady. The statement isn't even funny. I would understand more if someone was wearing a shirt that said "I only eat pineapples." In fact I would laugh. Very loudly. I will even take this a step further, and ask that if anyone ever sees a shirt with this inscription on it that they buy it for me immediately and I will pay them back. I'm serious here.

Go GREEN or go home

That's right. I'm trying to help the environment by helping myself and conserving and supporting products that are "organic" or made from organic ingredients, environmentally friendly, and of course not tested on animals. I know its a big hype these days to buy reusable grocery bags (I bought one the other day and keep it in my car), and to cut down and conserve during these hard-pressed times. I'm not one to get all hyper about global warming and over population, but I think its important to be aware of my part in the world, realizing that if I take care of myself I'm taking

care of my surroundings. There you have it. So far I'm eating organic peanut butter, yogurt, and carrots. I buy Dr. Brauner's soap (thanks Caitlyn), and I just bought organic milk shampoo and conditioner. Some may think "You crazy hoe, you're getting way too into this." So what if I am? I think its time for healthy changes. Since I try to eat right (most of the time :) ) and exercise a few days a week, I might as well keep it up. Some think that it's super expensive to go organic and sometimes it is. But the shampoos only cost me 13 bucks total, and the reusable shopping bag was a dollar fifty from my girl forever 21. So it's all good folks! Don't eat that stuff above anymore. Lets go GREEN together!!!

where to buy eco friendly stuff:

*trader joes (deodorants, reusable bags, recycled paper greeting cards, dr. brauner products, vitamins)

*target (shampoos, dr brauner products, mineral make-up)

*fresh and easy (they are awesome and specialize when it comes to organic and green living)

*whole foods and health food city (these places are a meca)

"Being married sucks and workin is awesome!"

If only this quote was true for me.... One of the best lines from one of the best movies 'Baby Mama.' If you haven't had the chance to see it; rent it, netflix it, or download it illegally...I don't judge. Well I bring up this quote only to say that work actually does suck because I rarely get to do it. I went from 2 hours under full time to practically half that. This massage industry is super slow and people are cutting back from luxury type stuff such as this! If only I had known that the career I was hoping to make me financially independent would be the biggest joke of a life-time. I've tried getting back my old job at the school, called dozens of restaurants, had a small job offer from a friend only to have it not work out for her anymore, and the latest is that I'll be applying at three different gap stores. Massage jobs are super hard to come by these days and the major companies that I would like to work for don't have any spots open. The only jobs I can find in this industry are with no name places which is fine, but they are all part time, and I'm not going to trade part time for part time. So heck, I need your prayers and if you hear of any job offers that might be great for me send them my way!!! The good news is that for those of you who don't know, I'm back at PCC taking my last 9 units of childhood educ. units so that I can be a preschool teacher by late summer or fall. I figure parents will always be sending their kids to school so hopefully there will be some stuff out there for me in the months ahead. I will of course be keeping up my private massage clients, so if any of you have hurting backs or bodies and need a good 'ol rub down (no ridiculous comments please:) ), then call me up! PEACE.

Quote of the day

Live in the sunshine.
Swim in the sea.
Drink in the wild air.

~Ralph Waldow Emerson

Mawwige!

Friends, I thought I truly had a sister that would be single with me forever. Magically,

L-O-V-E found it's way into Amber's heart, and today we celebrated with her and Sean. It was beautiful! I stayed true to my hippie ways and wore the dress above. Cute yes? :)

i went to my first yoga class today

and it was grreeaat! i had a few ideas of what it would be like and i was not disappointed. it was great because those of you who are yoga(ers) know how you feel with your muscles stretching. you sweat a little but it's all gradual and you just feel like your body is being worked out slowly and with a sort of purpose. so yeah... needless to say i liked it and will be back. bonus, one of my icons jennifer aniston has been a long time yoga(er) and the woman just turned 40 and any 20 something such as myself would love to have her body. so that means i will probably go to yoga at least twice a week. i was going to go to another class tonight but felt tired and don't want to get burned out too fast. i'm taking the class at 24 hr fitness, so i can go to as many yoga classes whenever i want since i'm a member. great stuff. this all kind of goes along the lines of the "lookin hot" topic i mentioned in my first blog. being in shape and having a great body is awesome but the process of getting there is not always exciting. i think we all have reached our highs and lows with getting into shape and taking care of ourselves. it can be a high sometimes when we see how hard we can work and the fruits of our labor. we want more from it. i find working out at the gym can be tedious so yoga might be the trick. there's something more to it that i might gain from. so let me challenge you all to find an active hobby that you enjoy. to a hot body....mine is coming soon! :) bwahahahhaha!!!!!

over the weekend...

eharmony anyone?

Hellloooo all! Well I said that I would discuss the topic of eharmony. Friends, I am here to share with you that indeed I took a stab at the whole internet dating fiasco through eharmony. If only I had known... Don't get me wrong, eharmony put me out there in the adult dating scene but my experiences were amusing to say the least. If I had known the emotional exhaustion that it was going to take out of me I would have thought twice. I know some people with some successful eharmony adventures. I thought "what the heezie?" I'm young and should be open to trying something new and different. Well, the guys I met were certainly new and different. No thank you. I'm glad I tried it because now I know it isn't for me. For those of you interested in trying eharmony let me know how it goes for you! And those of you who have tried it, can we please swap stories so we can laugh hysterically together?

hello blog world!

For those of you who don't get the chance to see or talk to me on a regular basis, ta friekin da! you can now check my blog to catch the latest and greatest. Even those of you who get the pleasure on a regular basis might find some of this amusing. After all I am amusing aren't I?

I must give props to Cerissa who is a blogger and who inspired me to start this up!. Thanks Cer! I will be good about regularly updating on my life with stories, pictures, facts, and anything that is developing and is of interest. If this all sounds boring and like a waste of time to read about, well then thank goodness this is a free country 'cause you can click off right now. I have a few good topics to start off with including: "eharmony", (bwahahah) "the job world", and "Lookin Hot". Stay tuned.