Jazzy Sinatra

Random Me

2011-05-23T18:28:00.000-07:00

Every now & then I like to write some random stuff about me...I don't know why. So here it is--

There are 3 coconut rings that I wear every day. (One of which you can see in the picture)
I think it's fun to take apart a pen and put it back together.
I can eat more than you think.
I can sleep through almost anything...there can be a party in my room and I still won't wake up.
I love frozen yogurt.
I love history...& Ronald Reagan was the best U.S president hands down.
I don't need anything fancy like Coach or Gucci to feel special.
I'm a great matchmaker ;)
I try to be the best friend I can be...I really do care about your problems and I really do try to help.
I love ironing clothes....I don't know why. Give me a pile of clothes to iron & I'll be happy.
Anything that has to do with "orange" is wonderful...the fruit, the color, the soda, etc.
I love boxes. Don't ask me why because I don't know.
Music is my favorite.
My #1 goal everytime I go to Disneyland is to take a picture with Donald Duck. I've been there a million times and I never had a chance to take a picture with him :(
Most of the people I admire are from the past...Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Clark Gable, & the list goes on.
Believe it or not I love sports. And I think it would be awesome to work for ESPN.
One time I got excited when I found 10 pesos in Mexico, but got sad when the only thing I could buy with it was a soda.
I love monkeys.
Polka dots are "ew".

The End.

Illiterate

2011-05-20T15:08:00.000-07:00

It's like being a confused child
Seeing the words but not knowing what they say
I wish I knew what they mean or what they stand for
I know what I want them to read
But here I am just staring
Trying to make some sense
Hoping to understand
You make me feel illiterate
Not being able to read your face
Or your thoughts
Hard to express myself
My words don't make sense
But I know what I'm thinking
I know what I want you to say

I love you, Frank.

2011-05-14T23:25:00.000-07:00

It has been 13 years since Frank Sinatra passed away. On December 12, 1915 The Voice was born in Hoboken, NJ and died in Los Angeles on March 14, 1998.

I literally grew up listening to Frank Sinatra. My father always had an appreciation for jazz music and the good American pop standards, so when I was very young (probably around 5 or 6 yrs old) he introduced me to this local radio station that played nothing but "old music" as I would call it. They played all sorts of things, from Louis Armstrong to Tony Bennett; Ella Fitzgerald to Bing Crosby. I love and adore all of these amazing singers, but Frank's voice would always stand out to me even at my young age.

For years I would listen to this radio station morning and night as I would get ready for school. I didn't own my first Frank Sinatra CD until I was about 12 years old. I remember in middle school everyone would bring a CD player and "show off" what they were listening to. All the kids would give me a funny look or make fun of me when they found out I brought my Sinatra CD to school, but I never felt embarassed. As a matter of fact I remember I told a kid "you don't know what you're missing".

Over the years my appreciation and love for Frank Sinatra has grown and he is definitely my greatest musical inspiration. (I even named my car "Frankie" after him....I know, I'm weird.) His music will always continue to live on as long as I'm around, because I play him every day and sing his songs everywhere I go. Frank Sinatra, I love you!

-Jaz

Training Wheels

2011-05-07T12:51:00.000-07:00

I don't know how it happened but I made up this analogy once when I was conversing with Ian. I can't remember exactly what we were talking about or what I applied this to, but after thinking about it for a while I thought it was pretty interesting, especially because it is easy to understand and to apply to various situations. (I might have used this example in one of my Sunday School lessons or in a conversation, so I apologize if this sounds familiar to you).

Many children begin learning how to ride a bike with training wheels. Training wheels are the smaller set of wheels attached to the rear wheel of a bicycle. These wheels are very small but they have a big responsibility, and that is to help a child balance on a bike. After a certain amount of time is put into riding the bike, the child begins to notice that the training wheels start to feel wobbly and off balance. Although the bike ride may not be as smooth and steady as before, and whether the child notices or not, these training wheels are still continuing to fulfill their purpose.

This is the point where the child (and even the parent) has two options: 1. to remove the worn training wheels and attach a new set, or 2. to continue to ride the bike and let himself balance.

The entire time the training wheels were doing the balancing, but regardless of the quality, price, color or style of these wheels they always come with a breaking point. This is the most important moment of learning to ride a bike. This is the moment where one needs to learn to balance on their own.

A child can always ask his parents to replace the worn wheels with new ones. I admit I have done this plenty of times as a child. Actually, I have been "secretly" riding with training wheels up until I was in middle school. Is that embarrassing? VERY! This is the point where I forced myself to learn to ride a bike without training wheels. If I would have never let myself be trained, then I would have eventually stopped riding a bike and would have never learned to balance on my own.

APPLICATION: This story can be applied to many different types of situations whether it may be in your career, education, raising a family, spiritually, or even just life. I will let you plug this in wherever you need it, but I will give an example with raising a family since I think I will make better sense out of it in text.

Parents are the training wheels in my following example. A parent can teach a child many different values, responsibilities, etc. Sometimes a child may hear things like "please put your toys away" or "don't talk to strangers". Little by little as the child begins to mature more responsibilities and things are taught to them. A loving parent's purpose in doing this is so the child may learn and grow in things that they will eventually need to use on their own. While the child is still living at home they may enjoy a nice meal prepared by their mother or hold their father's hand while crossing the street. But just like a bicycle with wobbly training wheels an individual will eventually have to live their life on their own. If they allow themselves to be taught (or "trained") then they will be able to apply these things to be able to better "balance" in their life.

-Jaz

This, Not That

2011-04-27T20:34:00.000-07:00

I like orange, not pink
Dresses, not shorts
Sandals, not sneakers
Target, not Walmart

I am a musician, not a dancer
A fighter, not a settler
A daughter, not a mother
A woman, not a girl

I prefer chicken over beef
Bananas over apples
Summer over winter
Thanksgiving over New Year's

I love music more than movies
Baseball more than football
Church more than school
Beaches more than cities

I want love, not hate
Time, not money
Sun, not rain
Laughter, not sorrow

I pray
Hope
Wish
Want
Need
Give
Help
Love
Smile
Frown
Cry
Laugh

:)

A Great Celebration!

2011-04-24T10:15:00.000-07:00

Today is Easter, a day most commonly known as a day about bunnies and egg hunting, chocolate and baskets, gifts and nice outfits. I love Easter, but I love it for what it really means.

Just like Christ is the reason for Christmas He is also the reason for Easter. Christmas is the celebration of Christ's birth as Easter is the celebration of His resurrection. This is truly the greatest thing we could ever celebrate. Our Lord has risen!

I don't want to make this a very long blog post, but I just want to say that as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ with our family and loved ones, and even in our hearts, that we will be filled with gratitude for the Savior. This is a feeling that I truly enjoy and is strengthening to my faith and testimony.

On that note I want to close my post with my favorite scripture: "And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail -- But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him." --Moroni 7:45-47

Jesus is the Christ, he is our Savior & Redeemer. I love him and am grateful for his sacrifice and everything he has done on this earth...because he truly loves us. I love you all and hope you all have a wonderful Easter Sunday :)

-Jazmin

Jazz the Slacker

2011-04-21T23:22:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have been neglecting my blog for the past 4 months. Not like anyone really reads this anyway (shoutout to my only 2 followers!) but I enjoy writing, and on occasion if I really like one of my posts I'll just post it on Facebook to give it more attention.

UPDATES! I have decided to start preparing to serve a full time mission for the Lord (18 months). There are many minor reasons behind this, but the main reason is because I love the Lord and I want to serve Him. I've always had those moments when I think "if I am ever rich one day, I'd like to donate lots of money to charity..." but charity is much more than simply giving money. I am excited to give 18 months of my life to serve others.
I still haven't turned in my papers though...maybe because deep down I feel like maybe I should wait? Wait for what? I don't know. And it is so strange how all of the sudden everything so happens to come together (things at work, home, socially, personally) like right when I'm at the point of turning in my papers! This is where prayer, scripture study, faith, etc all come into play. I can't just let my emotions guide me, that will never get me anywhere.

LET'S GET PERSONAL! Everything happened this month. Or really, everything has been happening within these past two weeks. My bro went back to college! I miss the guy but I'm happy for him at the same time. A few days later my sister came to visit with her boys and my grandma is visiting as well. It's a full house and I love it!
Tomorrow I am going to the salon to get a trim and some feather extensions! I'm not too exact on what they are but I will owe this blog some pics.

PEAC LOVE & JAZZ <3

90/10 Principle by Stephen Covey

2010-12-14T22:43:00.000-08:00

Discover the 90/10 Principle. It will change your life :

(at least the way you react to situations).

What is this principle?

10% of life is made up of what happens to you. 90% of life is decided by how you react. What does this mean? We really have no control over 10% of what happens to us. We cannot stop the car from breaking down. The plane will be late arriving, which throws our whole schedule off. A driver may cut us off in traffic. We have no control over this 10%. The other 90% is different. You determine the other 90%. How? By your reaction. You cannot control a red light., but you can control your reaction. Don't let people fool you; YOU can control how you react. Let's take an example. You are eating breakfast with your family. Your daughter knocks over a cup of coffee onto your business shirt. You have no control over what just what happened. What happens when the next will be determined by how you react. You curse. You harshly scold your daughter for knocking the cup over. She breaks down in tears. After scolding her, you turn to your spouse and criticize her for placing the cup too close to the edge of the table. A short verbal battle follows. You storm upstairs and change your shirt Back downstairs, you find your daughter has been too busy crying to finish breakfast and get ready for school. She misses the bus. Your spouse must leave immediately for work. You rush to the car and drive your daughter to school. Because you are late, you drive 40 miles an hour in a 30 mph speed limit. After a 15-minute delay and throwing $60 traffic fine away, you arrive at school. Your daughter runs into the building without saying goodbye. After arriving at the office 20 minutes late, you find you forgot your briefcase. Your day has started terrible. As it continues, it seems to get worse and worse. You look forward to coming home, When you arrive home, you find small wedge in your relationship with your spouse and daughter. Why? Because of how you reacted in the morning. Why did you have a bad day?

A) Did the coffee cause it?

B) Did your daughter cause it?

C) Did the policeman cause it?

D) Did you cause it?

The answer is "D".

You had no control over what happened with the coffee. How you reacted in those 5 seconds is what caused your bad day. Here is what could have and should have happened. Coffee splashes over you. Your daughter is about to cry. You gently say," It's ok honey, you just need, to be more careful next time". Grabbing a towel you rush upstairs. After grabbing a new shirt and your briefcase, you come back down in time to look through the window and see your child getting on the bus. She turns and waves. You arrive 5 minutes early and cheerfully greet the staff. Your boss comments on how good the day you are having. Notice the difference? Two different scenarios.

Both started the same.

Both ended different.

Why? Because of how you REACTED. You really do not have any control over 10% of what happens. The other 90% was determined by your reaction.

Here are some ways to apply the 90/10 principle.

If someone says something negative about you, don't be a sponge. Let the attack roll off like water on glass. You don't have to let the negative comment affect you! React properly and it will not ruin your day. A wrong reaction could result in losing a friend, being fired, getting stressed out etc. How do you react if someone cuts you off in traffic? Do you lose your temper? Pound on the steering wheel? A friend of mine had the steering wheel fall off Do you curse? Does your blood pressure skyrocket? Do you try and bump them? WHO CARES if you arrive ten seconds later at work ? Why let the cars ruin your drive? Remember the 90/10 principle, and do not worry about it. You are told you lost your job. Why lose sleep and get irritated? It will work out Use your worrying energy and time into finding another job. The plane is late; it is going to mangle your schedule for the day. Why take out your frustration on the flight attendant? She has no control over what is going on. Use your time to study, get to know the other passenger. Why get stressed out? It will just make things worse. Now you know the 90-10 principle. Apply it and you will be amazed at the results. You will lose nothing if you try it. The 90-10 principle is incredible. Very few know and apply this principle. The result? Millions of people are suffering from undeserved stress, trials, problems and heartache. We all must understand and apply the 90/10 principle.

Ring in the Christmas Season!

2010-11-27T16:17:00.000-08:00

My favorite time of the year is here! I love Thanksgiving, but once it's over now I totally focus on Christmas. The Christmas season always seems to go by fast, so I like to get a little headstart on the season to enjoy it to the fullest.
This post will include an easy little recipe as well as a list of some great things to take advantage of this coming month.

MINT HOT COCOA

What you will need: hot water, hot cocoa mix, crushed candy canes, mini chocolate chips, whipped cream, powdered cinnamon (optional), marshmallows (optional), candy cane (optional)

Add the cocoa mix, crushed candy canes, chocolate chips, marshmallows, and hot water to your favorite holiday mug. Stir with a candy cane (or whatever you would like to stir it with). The crushed candy canes, chocolate chips, & marshmallows should melt into the water. Add whipped cream to the top and sprinkle with cinnamon. Enjoy :)
*I prefer to mix in dark chocolate hot cocoa mix. If you like dark chocolate, you will find that this drink will taste even better ;)

FASHION

Forget the summer season's bright colors and loud patterns. Neutral colors and simple patterns are in this season. I have also noticed that dark tights and boots are popular this season and can be matched with a cute dress or something that allows them to be visible. I admit that I Googled this pic on the left just as an example of what I'm talking about.

ENTERTAINMENT

I am obsessed with The Nutcracker Ballet. I actually listen to the music all year long for two reasons: Tchaikovsky is my all-time favorite composer & I also bought the complete Nutcracker Ballet last year for solo piano and am still working on some of the songs.

A great CD available for purchase on Amazon is The Nutcracker performed by the Kirov Orchestra directed by Valery Gergiev. This includes the complete ballet music all on one CD.

If you are interested in watching a live performance of The Nutcracker Ballet be sure to check Ticketmaster to find the nearest performance. A good and affordable performance in southern California will be at the Riverside Fox Performing Arts Center on December 11th & 12th. Tickets will sell for about $19.

DECOR

We all love Christmas decorations. I know I've checked lots of stores for Christmas decorating ideas for around the home, but the best decorations are the ones that we make ourselves. It could be an individual project or you could get your family involved. A website I love to steal ideas from is HGTV.com. Click here for 8 Easy Christmas Crafts that you can make.

THE MEANING

We normally tend to get carried away with the commercial side of Christmas, but we must remember to never leave behind the real meaning that Jesus is the Reason for the Season :). The Christmas story can be read in the following references: Matthew 1:18-25; Matthew 2:1-12; Luke 1:26-38; Luke 2:1-20

Lizzie Allen

2010-10-20T21:33:00.000-07:00

This is cute...a nice English home with a nice wooden chairs and a table with a cute centerpiece, the simple lamps and window bring in just enough sun & electricity to light up the room. But the telephone box? Believe it or not, that telephone box is actually a huge piece of wallpaper...designed by Lizzie Allen herself.

I have always had a passion for interior design, and usually designers have their own signature style. One thing I would put in my own little list of "do not's" is wallpaper. When we think of wallpaper, we usually think of a floral pattern with old colors and some embossing here and there. If someone buys an older house and a wall happens to be covered in wallpaper, the first thing they normally do is tear that sucker off.

Today I actually happened to have one of those magical moments on Google that probably changed some of my opinions. I was actually browsing Google Images for a picture of a jazz musician, and I happened to come across a picture that instantly made me fall in love:

This picture is called "Jazz in Central Park", designed by Lizzie Allen. I instantly fell in love with her style so I decided to ditch my original search on Google and change it to Lizzie Allen. That is when I discovered that she resides in the UK and is a wallpaper artist. I spent probably an hour on her website admiring her many different wallpaper designs. Most happen to be inspired by the life & culture of England, but being the jazz head that I am, my absolute favorite is "Jazz in Central Park".

I spent enough time admiring her work that I actually had time to dream about what I would love to do to my own house, that is, when I have one of my very own. I would definitely order the "Jazz in Central Park" wallpaper from her (even if she lives all the way in England, that's how much I love it). This design fits perfectly with the vision I have in my head. Thank you, Lizzie!

Please visit her website http://www.lizzieallen.co.uk/ and browse through her many different designs. I would love to post them all on my blog, but I would really love everyone for going on HER website. She deserves all the credit!

5 Tips For Successful E-Communication

2010-10-15T22:56:00.000-07:00

Have you ever received countless numbers of messages/emails/comments/wall posts that are so dry they become a bit annoying? Do you sometimes wish you could hide from the e-world completely? Ok I'm exaggerating, but most of us have been in that awkward position where we open a dull message and wish we could go back in time and leave it as unread, because after all the sender can see the message status change from "unread" to "read". Or maybe we are the person on the other end who wishes to communicate electronically to a certain individual but don't know how to get a conversation going. Yes, I'm being silly but there is a lot of truth in this blog post that will help people on both ends reach successful e-communication.

TIPS
1. Don't send a 1-4 word message. This is ok if you want to send a quick message, comment on a post, etc, but if you actually want to communicate try to avoid sending a 1-4 word message, regardless of how shy you are. I can't say how many times I've opened up a message that says something like "Hello", "What's up", "How are you" or "What is going on". Honestly, what do you expect me to say in return?

2. Words to avoid. If you personally know the individual you are sending a message to then it's ok to utilize your diction in whichever way is comfortable for both people. If you are sending a message to someone you do not know personally, you want to avoid words that make the other person not want to respond. Regardless of how many good things you may say, the misuse of some words can ruin your efforts.
-- Example: "Hey sexy..." Seriously? *Delete.*

3. Don't comment on everything. It is very appreciated that you are very attentive to updates, posts, etc, but commenting on almost everything can be a little annoying. Not that it's bad to be nice and comment, but after seeing notification after notification they just aren't as "exciting" anymore. Comment in moderation, it's good to see you are interested in the things that are posted, but try not to overdo it.

4. Study, study, study. If you don't know the individual as well as you'd like, then STUDY their page (in the most non-stalkerish way, of course). Why do you think pages such as Facebook have sections where people can post their favorite movies, music, hobbies, etc. If, for example, you see that person really likes jazz music and if by some coincidence you enjoy jazz as well, then there is a really easy way to start a conversation!

5. Don't beg or complain. Let's face it, life is life, and anything can happen. We may be the most interesting person in the world, have the greatest conversation starter, and maybe we even have a six-figure job. Who cares, sometimes none of that matters when the person you are trying to communicate to isn't interested or whatever. DO NOT beg (and yes, some people really do beg online) and DO NOT complain to the other person. That will not change anything, it will ruin everything. I'm not telling you to give up, but just give it time, insist a little, but not too much (don't forget about tip # 3). Also, don't waste all your e-energy (lol) on someone when there are lots of other friends you can speak with! We will not always understand the situations that others are in, so just be patient and move on in the meantime ;)

Unite in Freedom

2010-09-08T19:45:00.000-07:00

As a twelve year old, my preteen life was an average one. School and family were my priorities, I loved my friends and I dreamed of boys. I had a lisp when I would speak because I had to wear a retainer, I was tan for always running outside, and I would proudly wear my brand new pink sneakers every day to school. I thought I was cool then, looking and acting like I did, and at that age I believed that nothing could ever be more self-defining.

On the night of September 10th, 2001 I got ready for bed like I usually did. I was laying down while pondering and closed my eyes at around 9:00 p.m (as this was my regular schedule). Normally at around 4:30 a.m I would hear footsteps in the hallway; this was my father. He would always wake up early and prepare for his work-day. I would shut my eyes even tighter at this sound, because I knew my time to wake up was just 90 minutes away. Just like most human beings, I was not looking forward to the moment when my alarm clock would go off as I was comfortable snoozing in my dreamland.

That morning at approximately 5:45 a.m my father opened my door and asked me to wake up. I reminded him that I was still asleep and have about 15 precious minutes left before my alarm goes off. I will never forget his words following what I had told him; they still ring as clear in my mind as I heard him speak them to me that morning -- "Jazmin, wake up and come to the living room, history is happening."

I noticed the serious tone in his voice and knew that this had to be something important. I got out of bed and walked with him to the living room. My brother and mother were already there sitting in front of the television. The first thing I noticed as I turned to the tv was a tall building fuming smoke, and while I was trying to wake up and pay attention at the same time my father told us that our nation was being attacked.

I will not go into detail of everything that I saw on the news that morning; history knows everything that happened on that dreadful day. I was only twelve years old at the time, lived 3,000 miles away and was 3 hours behind due to difference in time zones, but that does not make any difference to me. What had happened that day was stapled to my heart ever since. I remember for months I noticed how unified our nation was. No matter where I would go, whether it was walking into a store, going to school, or driving on the freeway I would see signs and people handing out flyers that said "We will never forget..."

I was not in New York when this happened nor did I personally know anyone who had lost their life that day, but I still have not forgotten. My eyes water up every time I remember where I was 9 years ago on September 11th because of the love I have for this country. My heart will always go out to those who lost their lives and who have fought for our protection and freedom.

Now I look at our nation and notice that we are not as unified as before, clearly most have forgotten...
2001 was a year where political party, race, gender, and faith did not seperate any American because we were all united in such a cause. As the years went by any little issue would begin to divide our nation up again.

We are fortunate to live on the very land where our forefathers, their families, wives, and children all sacrificed their time, homes, shelter, and even their very lives, not for a selfish act, but for an enduring freedom for any citizen to live on this very nation. After a well-earned freedom, wonderful men were inspired to gather together and write the Declaration of Independence. They founded this nation under the Supreme Being, the Creator, our God, who led them through every battle and every difficult challenge prior to gaining freedom.

As our star-spangled banner waves every day, the sound of freedom rings through every city, town, valley, and place. I am proud to be an American, I truly am.

Freedom is never free. Things will always happen, nations will always want to attack us or try to destroy us, and many people in other lands may have negative opinions toward America. Abraham Lincoln once said, "America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." One of the beautiful things of this great nation is our freedom to choose. We are free to choose which political party to join, what to believe in, what to say, and even something as simple as what to wear. We can choose for ourselves. Our opinions, beliefs, and thoughts will differ. But regardless of what it is we believe in, let us not go up against ourselves and destroy what we have, but always be united in one thing -- OUR FREEDOM.

As September 11th comes around again this year, let us remember and never forget. Let us ignore the hate, fear and threats and stand united, at least on this day. Remember and honor the sacrifices of everyone throughout America's history. As my father told me to wake up because history is happening, we should also wake up and do something, because we write our history every day. I pray that God will continue to bless this nation and bless every American that they may stand with their feet firm on the ground and defend what is ours -- our freedom.

The Little Black Dress

2010-08-14T15:31:00.000-07:00

What is a "little black dress"? It pretty much follows it's name...a small black dress with a simple cut/design. The style has been around since the 1920's and is still one of the top "must-have's" for any woman's closet.
Personally, the LBD is my favorite piece of clothing in my closet. Why? It fits perfectly into any occasion. Whether I'm attending a casual, semi casual, business, or even formal event the dress automatically fits into whatever environment it's in. One could never go wrong with the LBD!

What the Little Black Dress Can Say About You

The dress may be simple, but it speaks more colors than we may even realize. Depending on how it is worn, it speaks sophistication and elegance, classiness and modesty. Confidence is written all over the LBD, because the first thing noticed is the woman, not the dress. Extravagant dresses are beautiful, but they hide the woman and the attention is mostly focused on the dress. The LBD allows the woman to stand out, and she is who makes the dress beautiful.

A Little Black Dress' Worth

The wonderful thing about the little black dress is that you can buy one at Target for $24 or at Nordstroms for $800. Regardless of the price, a little black dress will always be a little black dress. It always fits into our budget. We could go find a LBD at Forever 21 for $14 and walk out with a dress that looks like it could be worth $1k. We could also go to Saks Fifth Avenue to buy a $500 LBD but it would never look like it's worth $14.

Wear whatever jewelry you want, whatever color of heels you like, and wear your hair and make-up as you desire. The little black dress allows you to be YOU and nobody else! :)

Free Recipe Friday!

2010-07-30T18:31:00.000-07:00

Two free recipes to celebrate our Friday :)

BREAKFAST (OR SNACK): Strawberry Shake

1/2 cup strawberries
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
6 ice cubes
12 oz. soy/nonfat milk

Add all ingredients in blender, pour into cup, and enjoy your healthy & delicious shake.

LUNCH/DINNER: Grilled Chicken in Fresh Herbs

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lb)
1 medium shallot, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh chervil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cracked pepper (optional)

Prep Time -- 30 min.
Start to Finish -- 30 min.

1. Heat 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot.
2. Cook all ingredients except pepper in skillet 15-20 minutes, turning chicken once, until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (170° F). Sprinkle with pepper.

May be served with a side of fresh vegetables.

Makes 4 servings

Hello, Baby Kai

2010-07-27T19:31:00.000-07:00

I am so excited that my new nephew is here! He was born this morning and I am DYING to see him. Now I'm an aunt of two little boys which I love so much.

Cheap Makeup Convsersions

2010-07-26T19:05:00.000-07:00

I have been pretty particular on the makeup I use...mainly because it is touching the skin on my face. For that reason I thought that buying "counter makeup" was the way to go...Estee Lauder, Clinique, Dior, Lancome, etc. I wanted the best results, regardless of the price I had to pay. After years of spending wild amounts of money and now as the poor economy is quite clear, I've had to cut back on certain unecessary "luxuries" that I once enjoyed. Doing some research and being open to trying different things out, I have built up a list of my new favorites to use. These less expensive examples are so similar, if not better, than what I have been spending so much on.

FOUNDATION

I would use Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation .... $34 USD
Stays on all day, anywhere, anytime (yes, this includes the beach). That was my favorite thing about this foundation, I hardly needed to touch-up. If used regularly this bottle will last about 2-3 months.

I converted to MAC Studio Fix Fluid ... $26 USD
Just like Estee Lauder, this foundation stays on all day, anywhere, anytime. Rarely do I need to touch-up. A little bit of liquid goes a long way, so the life of this foundation will surpass that of Estee Lauder's.

SAVINGS ... $8 USD

POWDER

Estee Lauder Double Wear Powder ... $34 USD
The perfect powder to seal up the foundation! This was part of the magic that allowed it all to stay together throughout the day. This powder is so good that you could even wear it alone (without liquid) and it still does what it was designed to do. The only negative is that this powder doesn't last very long, I find myself having to buy a new one about every 1.5 months.

I converted to MAC Studio Fix Powder ... $26 USD
Seals up the foundation just as well if not better! I do not need to touch up AT ALL, I don't have to use very much either, so not only am I saving $8 with this powder, I'm also using less which will save more in the longrun.

SAVINGS ... $8 USD

MASCARA

Diorshow ... $24 USD
Great mascara...I loved the thickness in the brush & in the formula, yet I hated the price. Who pays $24 for mascara?? Me. I have long, thick eyelashes so I am VERY particular on my mascara if and/or when I use it. Diorshow never clumped my lashes...and it was awesome when people thought I was wearing fake lashes when in reality they were my own. That's how wonderful this mascara is!

Maybelline Colossal Mascara ... $5 USD
Ok, so maybe this mascara doesn't have DIOR written all over it but HEY for $5 why not?? The formula isn't as thick as Diorshow but the brush is the thickest I've seen in drugstore mascaras. Anti-clumps, pro-volume and thickness. Love it. Another pro is that I don't have to drive to the mall and fight the masses of people at the makeup counter for this mascara, I can just purchase it at any drugstore. Simple.

SAVINGS ... $19 USD

LIPSTICK

Estee Lauder PureColor Lipstick (Preferred Color: Pinkberry) ... $22 USD
Gorgeous color, stays on lips for a good amount of hours. Nice presentation, etc. Looks good in my makeup case.

L'Oreal Colour Riche (Preferred Color: Fairest Nude) ... $5 USD
Stays on just as long as Estee Lauder would. The color isn't exactly like Pinkberry, but it is the closest I could find at a drugstore. And just between you & me, Lancome owns L'Oreal, so expect good quality makeup for a cheap price!

SAVINGS ... $17 USD

Of course, this selection goes for my taste. I am not guaranteeing the same results or feelings towards these makeup items, but I do encourage to shop smart! I underestimated a lot of the inexpensive things when in reality it could save you a lot!

TOTAL SAVINGS ... $52 USD!
And that's just in makeup!