Christmas Day In Pictures

His 1st Christmas. And yes, that's a bow on his head. :)

Can I just say how gorgeous my cousin looks [on the right]. Natural shot and all and she still manages to look flawless! 

I hope y'all had a wonderful Christmas!

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♡Gabriella June

The Latest

I never do outfit of the day but for the first time I decided to give it a shot. 

With this view you couldn't see the necklace so I decided to take a cliché selfie and to take it but where else but by the Christmas tree!

Boots: Ralph Lauren

Jeans: Virgo (Nordstrom)

Top: Nordstrom BP

Purse: Michael Kors

Necklace: Nordstrom BP

*Can you tell I'm obsessed with Nordstrom? hehe*

Christmas time means spending time with my family which is exactly what I've been doing lately. The other night we all got together to play games and just all catch up. My family has been flying from all over, from New York to Las Vegas to right here in Texas.

And it was also graduation season. Two of my closest friends graduated this semester and I couldn't be more proud of them and all of their hard work!

 I sadly forgot to post the other picture of my friends and I.

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♡Gabriella June

A21

Lately, I've had this overwhelming hurt for these young ladies that are being sold into human trafficking. 

Looking into ways to help, I cam across the A21 Campaign. 

In the midst of looking through the site, I see these sad facts:

And then this...

You can find ways to help by going to thea21campaign.org and help do something about this ongoing issue. 

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♡Gabriella June

My Baby Cats Are Taking Over

Papas snuggling.

Relaxing by the fire.

Curious cat.

Oh and I happily got a new phone case, woohoo!

Hope you enjoyed the many pictures of my baby cats. I'm probably a crazy cat lady but how can you not be when they look that precious!? 

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♡Gabriella June

So Thankful

Thanksgiving was a wonderful day. I was able to spend it with my parents, some of my cousins, grandma and aunts. (And of course, with my beautiful cats.)

His first thanksgiving!

I had to take a cliche picture of my food!

Can I just say how thankful I am for facetime!? 

My sister face timed me from a different city and in the midst of talking to her, my aunt and cousin face timed my other aunt, all totally unplanned. So in the end, we were all able to be together on Thanksgiving! Thanks Apple! :)

My cousins, grandma and I. 

My cousin and I with our Starbucks getting ready to do some black friday shopping! 

After all that eating and shopping, someone was stuffed...

I hope y'all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and did some shopping today on black friday! :)

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♡Gabriella June

Is Your Life on Hold...

"Is your life on hold until you have someone to hold?"

This topic has been on my mind a lot lately, mostly because it's something I'm going through and I would love to be transparent and open about. The topic on singleness.
I log onto facebook, instagram and twitter and see beautiful pictures of brides and weddings and feel myself getting jealous instead happy. 

"Why isn't that me?" "Am I doing something wrong?" "I thought he would be here already..."

Being a girl, we grow up dreaming of our wedding and picture our husband riding in on a white horse sweeping us of our feet, but what if this all doesn't happen in the time you thought it would? Are you going to be ok with that?

Growing up, I had a timeline that I would graduate college with my family and husband by my side. I'm graduating college next semester and I'm seeing that MY vision might not happen the way I wanted it to. For a good while I was freaking out. What am I going to do? I had no back up plan, I was counting on him being here so we can start our lives.
1.) Can anyone see a repeating word in all of this? "I".
2.) Can anyone see another thing wrong? Waiting to start you life.

I realized that I was wanting/expecting something at a certain time and I voided out the thought that God might have wanted something else for me. 

1.) Praying about it made me realize that God has plans for me during this time of singleness. What they exactly are, I still am not sure but I know He does know and I trust him with that. (Its easier said then done.) During this time though, I found myself trying to make the time go by faster by consuming my time in things that will keep me busy, but because now, I will realize I have to consume my time and life to the Lord until he's ready for my husband and I to meet. So I'm putting the "I" away and placing it with "God."

2.) Another thing I realized about this is that I found myself putting things off until I meet my husband,  because once you meet your husband THEN you can start living your life right? NO, NOT RIGHT. There is not a better time to do something then right now. Go for it, you'll be so glad you did.

In my case, I can apply that to me contemplating if I should go to gradute/law school. But one thing was holding me back, I don't want to go to school because I want to be a wife and stay at home mom. But I realized, I will get that chance when God allows me to have it but for right now, when I'm single, why should I not go for it?

But in the mean time, I will be happy in my state of singleness and be consumed by the love God gives me daily. Living for him is the best thing you can do, be focused on him and he will provide everything else. He has the perfect timing, better then our own. 

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♡Gabriella June

Alice & Olivia + Starbucks= Black, White, Gold & Tutu

Today I purchased the cutest mug! Who else would have made a such a cute mug but the one and only Alice and Olivia, so combine her creative style with tasty Starbucks and you get this totally adorable mug (yeah, that's a tutu)! So it's clear to say that I had to have it, and it was even more meant to be when I coincidentally matched it! :)

You can find it online at Starbucks.com

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♡Gabriella June

Happy Veterans Day

I was honored to ride bikes this morning with a veteran, my dad! Happy Veterans day to all who have served in our military and a huge thank you for fighting to keep our nation safe! 

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♡Gabriella June

A [Texas] Fairytale Wedding

Yesterday, my beautiful amazing cousin got MARRIED! Woohoo! I am so happy I was able to celebrate her special day with her and stand beside her as she married the man of her dreams. Here are some of the pictures from the beautiful day:

[Yep, that's an awesome batman grooms cake on the right.]

And we danced the night away...Congrats you guys! :)

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My take on it. [Possibly a little blunt]

 "Why should you be beaten anymore? Why do you presist in rebellion? Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted. From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness- only wounds and welts and open sores, not cleansed or bandaged or soothed with olive oil." 

-Isaiah 1:5-6

• "Why should you be beaten anymore?" -Why do you keep beating either yourself or allowing something to constantly beat you.
•  "Why do you persist in rebellion?" -Why do you keep going through the same thing...why do you keep persisting through something that is not good?
• "Your whole head is injured, your whole heart is afflicted. From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness- only wounds and welts and open sores..." -Your heart is suffering and you're still not healed, instead you have wounds and open sores. Open sores that you haven't given it time to heal, that you keep going through something and never take the time to stop and let God heal your head/heart.
• "...not cleansed or bandaged or soothed with olive oil."- That you've been going through something over and over again because the open sores are not healed, they are not cleaned or bandaged. You keep walking, getting beat up and bruised and you never stop and take a moment to sooth your wounds with *olive oil. 

*In my study bible, olive oil is said to be used to treat wounds and prevent disease from traveling. If you don't cleanse your wounds then it eventually travels to other parts.

Reading this passage you can relate it to so many different life situations, but the one thing that I relate it to the most, especially being a girl, is of course with relationships. Sometimes getting out of a relationship leaves you beat up and wounded emotionally and us girls try to brush it off, act like we're good and try to sometimes find another guy. But how do you expect to find your dream guy when you haven't healed and taken care or your wounds? If you continue to walk on these wounds/broken heart, you never fully get healed, you only open up the sores even more causing disease to travel (more heartache). Take a moment to grab the olive oil, God, and allow him to mend your broken heart, bandage the wounds.  

-Question- Are you walking on wounds? Have you taken the time to stop and let God heal you? Wether it be your heart or mind, are you ignoring it, causing it to get worse and getting constantly beaten? 

If you are, stop. Grab some olive oil [God] and allow him to take care of the wounds, welts and open sores.

Breast Cancer Month

September's Ovarian Cancer month is officially over and October is now here with breast cancer awareness month. Something I love seeing is pink everywhere, especially when I watch Sunday football and the NFL players/coaches are all wearing pink! 

So, in honor of breast cancer awareness month I have a couple of pink things I want to share with you.

I recently purchased this pink and black study bible. I have regular bibles but one thing I do not have and I feel like everyone should have if you're looking to read more in depth is a study bible. A study bible gives explanations and history on certain things in the bible that help you understand something specific a little more. It's so helpful on those readings you don't quiet understand, you're able to flip right there and have it explain what something means. 

[I bought the NIV version because that's the translation I find fits my reading style more.] 

Then we have my nails. The other day was my cousins bachelorette party so in honor of the girls night AND breast cancer month I decided to go with a soft baby pink with some glitter. 

And the polish's I used were not expensive. Wet n Wild usually runs around $2 and the Milani polish  was on sale for $2. 

Keep an eye out for brands that raise support for breast cancer, here are a few places:

Essie

Clinique

Sephora

Coach

Kendra Scott

Tweezerman

Loft

Vera Bradley

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Hello fall!

So yesterday, I tried a dirty chi from Starbucks. Can I please tell everyone to go try it!? Omg was it amazing! 

I wanted some sort of caffeine but wasn't entirely in a mood for something like a white chocolate mocha or caramel macchiato, and I was craving a chi tea but knew it didn't have a whole lot of caffeine. [I'm difficult I know.] So I was explaining this to the patient brista and she simply said, "Just get a dirty chi." I gave her a crazy look and then she explained it to me. It's regular chi tea WITH a shot of expresso. I know! Amazing! I can always count on Starbucks to fix my coffee problems! Thanks Starbs :)

{oldie of a picture but forgot to take a picture of my drink :( }

Someone is very ready for fall. Cannot get over my baby cat's cuteness! :)

I hope everyone had a wonderful first day of October!

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My Weekend...in pictures

My cousin and my nails...

Closer look at my nails...

Pumpkin pancakes for the first day of fall!

Cleaning galore [...or going down memory lane?]

Painting the guest room's [my old room] wall. Bye-Bye green wall!

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Sneak Peak into my Journal: Saul & David

For some reason I really wanted to share this with y'all. Maybe because I'm going through it and this really spoke to me.

How many know the story about Saul and David? Well Saul was trying to kill David. I'm basically going to write to y'all what I wrote in my journal about this this morning...

-I was thinking, mostly about my attitude, and it made me think of David & Saul. So many times I find it easy to hate someone or strongly not like someone.

-Saul was hunting down David, David could have easily killed Saul.

*{David:} "I cut off the corner of your robe but I did not kill you." -1 Samuel 24:11 [Clear to say I probably wouldn't have been as gracious as David was here.]

*{David:} "I have not wronged you, but you are hunting my down to take my life." -1 Samuel 24:11

-David could have been like, "you know what I'm gonna kill you before you kill me, you'll pay." And had anger, revenge and bitterness but instead he gave it to God.

*{David:} "May the Lord judge between you and me. And may the Lord avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you." -1 Samuel 24:12 [Gives it to God]

-Saul was in shock, his response to David was...

*{Saul:} "You are more righteous then I..." "You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly." -1 Samuel 24:17

*{Saul:} "When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the Lord reward you well for the way you treated me today." -1 Samuel 24:19

-I asked myself the first part, "When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed?" Or am I mean to them? Giving them dirty looks and making rude remarks? David let Saul get away unharmed. 

-Self-check: learn from Davids grace with Saul and the next time someone is rude and I have a chance to roll my eyes or make a quick smart remark, bite my tongue and give it to God.

I hope that made sense and helped you. Sometimes my thoughts can be all over the place and only make sense in my head so I really hope it made sense. ha

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