Tag Archives: GIRLS TO WOMEN

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Self- Love Finale (June 2018)

24. List 24 things that make you smile…

My son, live music, great surprises, being in love, makeup artistry, food, seeing my client see their transformation, helping someone in need, modeling, comedy, accomplishing something, newborns discovering, people that underestimate me, seeing my family after a short/long time, my favorite artists in concert, when I receive reviews, when I receive referrals, seeing love, seeing my students perform and excel, a great massage, stress free vacation, fun times with my bestie, fun times with my sis, seeing my name tagged on great photos of clients and/or myself.

25.  My favorite quote is…

“Beauty awakens the soul to act!”  You see it on everything associated with my business  because I believe it to be true.  I doesn’t necessarily have to mean outwardly beauty, it could mean the inner beauty, the inner kindness that inner energy that exudes from person to person that travels.  When you feel that positivity or someone smiles at you and you instantly feel a little better, it helps someone else.  In my business and in life; when you look good, you feel good- wake up and make a change even if it is a small ripple effect.

26.  What does self love mean to you?

Self love means loving yourself enough to accept you with no makeup on, flaws and all.  Love yourself when you make mistakes or when you feel as if you are on top of your game.  Accept you when you are behind closed doors or in front of paparazzi and love yourself through it all.  

27.  What positive changes have happened in the last year?

I have become more open to risks, as scary as they are- I have taken a leap.  I have started working in my passion of being a full time makeup artist.  I am in my #journeytothecrown for Ms. Full Figured NC.   I am in transition of moving to Charlotte.  I am…

28.  I deserve happiness because…

I deserve it!  Why not?

29.  What are 5 things you are grateful for this week ?

I am grateful for family, life, a place to lay my head, employment, grace/mercy.

30.  How will you make next month a great month?

Continue to be migraine free, work towards my goals of becoming Ms. Full Figured NC (if you’d like to support my journey by donation and/or sponsorship, please click the link: https://www.gofundme.com/denises-journey-to-msffnc-crown).   I will be working within my platform, assisting young and mature ladies in becoming the best versions of themselves.  I will also be settling in Charlotte, NC and networking and making that my new home so any referrals , send them my way.

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Self- Love Continued…

16.  What do you look and feel like when you are most confident?

When I am most confident comes in 2 forms, one when I can sit and just be myself, flaws and all.  However, I am at my most confident when I have slayed my makeup, my waist is snatched and everything is in it’s place.  In those moments of my flaws and all, the insecurities can creep in, sometimes when you’re slayed, they can creep in but you have to know that you are beautiful no matter what and accept you in whatever version you are.  The one that’s a work in progress, which tends to be most often or in the moments where you feel like you are your absolute best.  Be confident and accept you for you, flaws and all, behind the foundation or not.  You are you by what’s in your heart.

17.  What is something you do better than your peers?

This is a hard one to answer.  I’d say patience and/or thinking before I speak.  There are a lot of things that I take my time with  or that I’m not quick to react on.  Sometimes that saves me and sometimes I should’ve said what’s on my heart.  However, depending on who is on the other side of it most likely changes if I need to sit and think a while first.  They say if ‘you think long, you think wrong’ but that gives me time to weigh pros and cons and and the many different scenarios that could come from it.  All in all, you have to do what is best for you, but sometimes the biggest last word is the one not said.

18.  Name 5 traits that make you a good person?

Patient, Friendly, Helpful, Nice, Loving 

19.  Free write [positive]

Blessings.  Sometimes you just have to stop and live.  This weekend was technically not the best time to go away for a weekend get away.    My life is changing, I am starting a new job on Monday in a new city and need to be getting some things in order (not to say that those things aren’t happening while I’m away).  But when life is constantly in your face, sometimes you need to step away and just breathe.  I have a lot that is changing and it can definitely be overwhelming and I am so blessed to have people in my life to help me step away from it or help me conquer it.  I am very thankful for all of the people that help me navigate life.  A lot of things are being thrown at me quickly and Im working on catching all of the fast balls but sometimes they are ground balls and I have to pick them up but nevertheless, I get to them and we find a way to not strike out if possible because we have people watching our back.    So as I sit in Daytona Beach with the beach in my backyard and the freewill to write this post and a few moments to not think about all of the things that I need to think about…it feels good to just enjoy the moment and the friendships and the family and the raindrops and the hot tub and the food and the sand and the talks and the breaths of fresh air.  I am not perfect and I am learning to be better at everything day by day.  I may not do everything the way that you’d like me to do it or vice versa, or I may not handle each situation the same way you would, we’re all different but just know that I’m doing my best to be the best version of me and continue to grow into a better version of me.  With my new role of working in my passion as a full time Makeup Artist, a may not have the time to get away like this again so I take this moment to just bask in the sunset.

20.  What do you want more of in your life?

I want more love, more travel, more freedom, more living.  We spend so much time living check to check or in between checks that we don’t have time or the freedom to experience all that this world has to offer.  We can’t just get away and live and sit by the beach, run your toes through the sand, try a new food…just experience something new.  When I say love, it doesn’t have to be in a relationship, that would be nice but even just friendships, loving life and the skin I’m in.  Every moment is not promised, live it up, take chances.  

21.  If you were a flower , what kind would you be?

Calla lily, these flowers are associated with purity, faith, youth, and rebirth.  I strive to walk in faith more and not scared faith.  Lately I’ve been working on trusting God more and just walking in faith.  The beauty of this flower and the meaning is truly what I strive for, to be elegant, full of inner and outer beauty, full of faith and purity.

22.  What would make your teenage self- proud of you now?

I think my teenage self would be proud that I have not strayed far from the person I was then.  I am a matured version of that same person with more morals, values and responsibilities.  You couldn’t look at me now and not recognize that person then… same ‘ol NiSi.

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Self- Love

So to keep going with the self-love challenge, yes I’m playing catch up.  It’s been a very busy week with the close of one chapter and the beginning of a new chapter… details to come soon.

4. What is one thing you look forward to everyday?

I look forward to no migraines and no stress.  Over the last few years, most days I wake or close my days with a migraine whether moderate or severe and some may not know this because I don’t talk about it or I try to fight through it.  I try not to complain and just keep pushing forward, the days are getting much better where the migraines are less frequent.

5. Who is your hero and what is one thing that makes you two relatable?

My hero is my sister, she is a free bird.  We are 10 years apart yet so close, I like to say that we’re twins born 10 years apart.  A lot of what I’ve learned in life has come from shadowing and watching my sister’s successes and her lessons.  She has lived a life that has consisted of walking in faith and I am learning to do the same.  Somehow things just work and in some cases I think she is crazy as ever but she believes.  We are relatable because we are sisters and we were raised in the same way, however we have lived different lives.  Crazy enough, although different- we’ve had many of the same experiences.  I love that sister of mine.

6. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In 10 years, I see myself as a Celebrity Makeup Artist working for myself setting my own schedule, heading a non-profit for young girls and women in transition; building self- confidence and inner beauty.  I’d also be teaching makeup classes around the world, traveling and living life to the fullest.  If I think it, it shall be.

7. Look at your hands.  Write something positive about them.

They are small and petite.  They can fit in places that some people’s cannot.  Smaller hands, smaller  fingers= ring prices may be less expensive.  

8. What does your “best day ever” look like?

My best day is full if happiness, compassion, the person and/or people that make me happy just enjoying life… no stress, just living.

9.  What’s your one word of intention today?

Faith

10. Today I will/have accomplished…

Today I have accomplished some paperwork.  I will accomplish these self-love journaling exercises that I’m catching up on (feels good to take time for self).  I will also accomplish some things that will help in the new chapter of my life (excited and scared but faith as small as a mustard seed).

11.  What’s your wildest lifetime goal and how can you achieve it?

My wildest lifetime goal is to travel the world and visit every continent and even possibly teach/do makeup on each one.  Also, learn and become fluent in 1-2 more languages at least.  I may even take up some other  careers that help in making people feel better, maybe I’ll be  a masseuse.  I can achieve this by continuing to work in my craft and network and learn.  There’s always more to know and more people to know.  You never know who that person sitting next to you is connected to.

12.  Five things that make me really happy are…

  1. Love 2. Smiles 3. People true to their word 4. Accomplishing a goal 5. Good music/entertainment

13.  How do you want to be remembered?

I want to be remembered as someone who was dependable and did the best she could and slayed some faces.  I want to be remembered as someone who made you better after you left my presence.

14.  Write a thank you letter to your body for all it is capable of.

Dear Full Figured Body,

Thank you for just being you even when I don’t like what I see, you stay strong and don’t break down.  Thank you for you plumpness and thickness and the extra-ness that you possess.  Even when I shed some of you, you are still your best in whatever form you take on just because you are apart of me.  We are one and we are what we will be at a size 16 or a size 12, we love every capability.  Things may get a little harder to do sometimes but you still push through and make the effort for little ol’ me and show me that it’s possible.  So I thank you for working with me and showing me that even when my mind says, you can’t do 5 more …you push through and show it that we’re a BOSS.  Now, let’s go ahead and win this Ms. Full Figured NC pageant crown with this full figured body.

Yours Truly,

Denise

15. I forgive myself for…

Not speaking up when things didn’t feel right and tactfully telling how I really felt.  Some things in my life could’ve possibly gone differently had I thought things through or even just said exactly what was on my mind.  I’m learning that my mind can’t be read no matter how long I’ve known someone and and our feelings/opinions change about things as we grow older- so speak your mind.  You can do this without being rude but if you want someone to know your true feelings, let them know and save yourself the stress.

 

 

 

 

Photo Credit: CL Reeves Photography

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My Challenge… My #JourneytotheCrown

So I’ve been given a challenge, feel free to take this journey of self-love with me. I’ll be combining two days into one for the sake of this post but here are the first two prompts and at the end, I’ll give you the others so that you can continue.
#1. What is your favorite personality trait?
#2. How many people do you think you’ve made smile in your lifetime?

So I’ll start with the first one, I believe that my favorite personality trait of myself is my patience. I am extremely patient and take my time with things. In some cases this can be a gift and a curse but in my field of being a teacher and a makeup artist, and just a person that works with people; you kind of have to be able to take your time with certain kinds of people. We’re all different and don’t all catch things at the same speed or even move at the same pace; but all in all sometimes we really do just need to slow down and just enjoy life. My students have even told me that I’m too patient and I need a Patience Award. LOL. That says a lot coming from some that drive it to the edge. As the singer Tweet would sing, “I was created for this…,” this is who I am.

In taking that time with people, you get to know people and in that time just maybe a smile is exchanged. And sometimes it’s not depending on the topic but maybe it’s in the hello or the goodbye. However, I’d hope that over a lifetime that I’ve made millions of people smile. From my days as a baby to performing as an actress, singer, model, and the many times I’ve held the mirror up to a client so they could see what I’ve been doing to their face. The smile that came after was always a good feeling in my heart. As a teacher, seeing my students accomplish something or even feeling the love that I hope that I exude on a daily basis shows on the smile and the goodbye waves and “I love you’s” as they leave my classroom (some for the last time this year).

I’m sure that many smiles have been exchanged from my face to others and hopefully it has helped to make someone’s day better or at least that moment. Whether someone smiles at you today, stop reading this right now….. go to the mirror…. and give your biggest Celie from The Color Purple smile (but don’t ever hide your smile and always love yourself first.
Feel free to comment and leave your thoughts.

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