End of Month Ministry Wrap Up!

This month marked my 6th year at WABC doing our Women's Day services.

It was great honoring the Women of The Year for 2014. I've known Mrs. Madeline since I was a child. She just happens to be my aunts cousin. Marc said we must have really surprised her because she was actually speechless. LOL

This year we had a special Women's Day choir with women from different churches participating. It was awesome seeing so many women in the choir stands!

Our guest speaker was Rev. Anna Copeland. Who just happens to be a fellow classmate of Marc's.

Both her and her husband have been a blessing to Marc. Going to school, working his own business and pastoring (not to mention squeezing in family time when he can) is very demanding. I love that he has found friends who check on him and even call to remind him when an assignment is due. LOL

For the first time we had an afternoon service to accompany our usual celebration. Both of my daughters were there to support me. 

I'm very proud of these two young ladies for the contributions they make to God.

Speaking of proud. I was very happy to have my young friend Raven and her friend who agreed to come and render a praise dance for the program. Raven is the young lady who's sweet sixteen party I decorated for a few weeks ago.

This is Quisha along with other women from her church who came to sing a few praise songs. Quisha even debut her own song which she wrote and has had put to music. I wish I could share it but it hasn't been copyrighted yet.

We also invited back my daughters friend Elizabeth and her praise team. They were our special guest last year for our women's workshop. I am pretty sure our paths will cross again in the near future.

My girlfriend Teresa who I can always call on came out and did a spoken word using the poem Phenomenal Women by Maya Angelou. How ironic considering the fact that a week later Dr. Angelou would pass away.

The following weekend I got to hear my cousin Shelly speak at a prayer breakfast for the deaconess at WABC. I'm so very proud of her. Just this month she was named the Principal at one of our local schools.

Michelle and I are more like sisters then cousins. We've had each others back since the old days. We are truly ride or die sista's! I wouldn't suggest anyone bad mouth me in front of this girl. She's been known to fight (in the street) on my behalf back when we were kids. Her daughter and my youngest are the same way. Funny how history repeats itself. LOL

Sunday was bittersweet for us at WABC. Our longtime friends and Marc's assistant are retiring and moving out of the area. So our church got together to do a special service in their honor. We go back almost 20 plus years to our early days in ministry at a church in VA Beach. Our kids have grown up together, we've taken vacations together and have done ministry together at WABC for almost 5 years.

Several people from our old church showed up to surprise them, including WIT. An organization Dianne and I are a part of. Marc and I presented them with flowers and certificates on behalf of the church for their many years of dedicated service to us and the WABC family. 

I know these two are going to miss each other. The next coming weeks will feel just a bit more empty without them. Especially our trips to Ihop for late night dinner or to Brewster's for ice cream! 

I wish I could say life is about to slow down with the approach of summer. And although I get a slight reprieve from planning anything I can't say that our calendar is any lighter. VBS starts in a few weeks.

And in August we host our 5th Women's Workshop. After that we have two weeks of vacation and then its right back to work (and class for Marc who will be wrapping up his senior year at VUU). 

Next week though we get to sit among some great speakers and just hang out with other ministry leaders at the 100th Hampton University Ministers Conference. I don't know if I'm more excited about hearing TD Jakes speak in person or the fact that for a week I get to hang out with Marc and just chill (I think I'm more excited about hanging with Marc...lol). My mom will be there as well and this year we don't just help her settle in for the week we get to spend it with her! 

May Ipsy

You just never know what you will get when it comes to Ipsy.

Exhibit A: this is Nicki's Ipsy bag. It looked really interesting. 

This is my Ipsy bag. Over all I would give it a C-plus. I can probably use most of the products but it was nothing I got overly excited about using. So most of the items with the exception of the eyeshadow from Pacifica is going in my travel bin. 

Organization update!

As you may or not know I'm in the process of re-organizing several rooms in my house. My laundryroom has come a long way!

Marc brought this for me since it was one of the things on my wish list for the space. 

I'm also working on our bedroom! We have really been in need of some storage space so I'm revamping the room little by little. 

I'm hoping to get an additional one of these cabinets to stack on top of this one to hold most of the clothing I don't hang up!

I brought three of these book shelves to use on the room. One is for our bathroom and the other two which I got in a darker stain are for my shoes and purse.

I already started using one and I love it! Hopefully soon I can replace these black shoe boxes with clear ones from Ikea!

Unfortunately the laundry sorter didn't work in the laundryroom! So it's taken up residence in my bedroom. Marc actually brought two so I'm not sure yet what we will do with the second one! Yet! lol 

My next organizational post will be about my re-organization of Marc's dresser drawers! You will see then that I am not the clothes horse in the family! lol 

After Easter finds!!

Y'all know how I do! The best time to find items for next season is after the event!! Here a few things I picked up from Target for next year!

His and Her mats! 

A tablecloth, runner and napkins! 

Egg shaped placemats, napkins and a spatula for baking ( something I need to get crackin with)! lol And the total for all of this was less then $24! 

Mothers Day Weekend in Picture form.

I traveled home on Saturday to hang out with my mom for Mothers Day weekend. Of course there had to be something going on that weekend.LOL

Tea anyone?

Us after church on Sunday morning.

The dinner I fixed for mom.

Gifts from WABC!

Cupcakes from my daughter Quisha.

Cards from the girls!

My mommy!

My auntie J! 93 years young and still looking good!

April Favorites

My April Fav. List is really short but I love, love all of the products listed so I think that makes up for there being less to choose from! 

You all know how much I love Bath and Bodyworks. For my birthday my daughter Quisha took me on a shopping spree at my favorite store. I was surprised how much I liked the Coconut Lime Breeze! I smelled like Key Lime pie from The Cheesecake Factory! LOL Another favorite from my birthday was my white waffle weave robe from Target.

My daughter Nicki had been telling me about the Vaseline Intensive Care Cocoa Radiant lotion. I didn't think I would like it as much as my Lubriderm Lotion but its a close second and its great for those ashy areas on my knees and elbows. I still think I would use the Lubriderm in the winter but this is light enough to use in the summer without being to greasy.

I was never quite satisfied with the Maybelline Baby Lips so based on the reccomendation of a YouTube guru I decided I would try out the Nivea. And I love it!!! Its very moisturizing without leaving my lips chapped (which the I experienced with the Baby Lips).

This picture does not do this jewelry set from Catos justice. In person its very gold and it looks great with casual as well as dressy clothing. I hesitated buying the set when I was looking for something to wear for Easter but I am so glad I caved. I see wearing this set for years to come.

Its been forever since I brought a pair of shoes from Payless but my budget was tight last month and I knew I wanted a pair of neutral pumps but they had to be comfortable. These Karmen pumps are advertised as comfort shoes. So far they have been extremely comfortable and the heel is just tall enough without being crazy high.

I had heard people talk about how great this Maybelline Great Lash clear mascara was as an eyebrow gel. I'm not sure that I love it as much as my Mary Kay eyebrow gel but for the price it works for me!

I have just about finished burning this Pomela Grapefruit candle from Bath and Bodyworks. Marc commented on how well it mask stinky smells (more so then a deodorizer he brought at the Dollar Tree...lol). Hopefully this means the next time I buy their 2 for $22 candles he won't complain (at least a girl can hope...lol).

A few months ago I noticed an increase in fatigue whenever I went out. We would walk into a store and within a few moments I would be out of breathe or extremely tired. My cousins suggested adding a multi vitamin to my regiment. I will admit I have tried supplements in the past but had not noticed a difference. This time I noticed a difference within a few weeks (I also noticed a difference when I didn't take them). The Natures Way Alive commercial was also an influence in my decision ( who wouldn't want to take something that promised to have you up and dancing in the aisles....lol). 

The camera does not do this Globtrotter bag from JustFab justice. I have never gotten as many compliments from one of my bags as I have from this one. And it has a bazillion pockets! JustFab has continued to impress me and has become my favorite place to purchase bags.

My favorite snack this month is courtesy of my hubby. Why did he have to bring these Lay's Que Rico Limon chips home? I really have to pace myself to keep from eating the entire container!