blurb…..
Always wanted to develop a ministry…plan retreats….write a devotional book (one of my goals on my bucket list)….
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MUSIC // T’s Summer 2015 Playlist
Now that we’re kinda halfway through summer, I figured I’d share some of my favorite songs that I’ve been really enjoying jamming to while riding around with my sunroof open. Last year’s Summer Playlist STILL goes hard! But if you’d like to see what I’ve been rocking to as of late, check out my favorite summer jams in the playlist below! Enjoy!
What songs have you been dancing to this summer? I’d love to hear them so comment down below!
Until next time…
Love and God Bless,
– T
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NATURALLY T // Flat Twist Out on Blown-Out Hair
blurb….
PIC
Products used….(bought in recent Carol’s Daughter sale)
PICS OF FLAT TWISTED HAIR
Products used when undoing twists
PICS OF TWIST OUT RESULTS
Love and God Bless,
– T
LIFE & STYLE // Rainy Sabbath in Lace
This weekend was another lovely one spent in the DMV. This time for my bestie’s wedding!!! But more on that later this week 🙂
Sabbath was absolutely lovely. Weather kinda sucked as it rained all day but it was also very relaxing and calming as a result of that as well. I was able to finally visit RPC SDA at their new building and it was an amazing worship service. I was truly blessed. I pray that God continues to bless their ministry exceedingly and abundantly.
Oh yeah? What’d I wear….
Hat – Stolen from @colorbystyle / Light pink lace dress – Zara / Belt – Zara / Cognac pumps – Target (can you tell these are my faves? Lol)
It was definitely a great Sabbath spent with great friends in preparation for a great WEDDING! More on that on Friday 🙂
Love and God Bless,
– T
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BEAUTY // My Daily Makeup Routine for Work
I never thought I’d ever be able to become one of those women that wore makeup to work every day, had her hair done, and outfit snatched on a regular consistent basis. I just felt like it took too much time and work. And as a resident….time isn’t really something you have a whole lot of.
However……
I’m kinda becoming that chick. A couple of months ago, I made the decision to really put serious effort into the way that I look for work. Because I know for sure that when I look good I feel great. Plus, I want to always be the best representation of who I am and Whose I am, you know what I mean?
So with that, I started wearing makeup everyday and put together a 15-minute makeup routine (loosely…it can take anywhere from 10-15 minutes depending on the morning).
TONE, MOISTURIZE, & PREP
First I start by toning my freshly washed face with The Body Shop’s Tea Tree Skin Clearing Toner. This toner has been a part of my regimen for the past year or so and it has definitely helped my acne-prone skin clear up quite a bit and lessen the breakouts. Then I moisturize with Aveeno Clear Complexion Daily Moisturizer. This moisturizer is so awesome. It has great ingredients to help with complexion issues (including salicylic acid), and I love that this moisturizer has SPF 15 in it as well so it’s perfect for the summer time. Then to help with oil control for this grease-ball I call a face, I apply a layer of Phillip’s Milk of Magnesia (holy grail for oily girls!), followed by Becca Cosmetic’s Ever-Matte Poreless Primer (ALSO a MUST-HAVE for oily ladies who love wearing makeup and want that matte look all day). Then right before applying my actual makeup products I spritz on my tried and true Skindinavia No More Shine Makeup Finish for Oily Skin. Yup, once again, another holy grail product.
SPOT CONCEAL & EYES
Then I use my all-time favorite concealer, Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer in the shade Warm Deep to spot-conceal my areas of post-acne hyperpigmentation. Then I do my quick eye look using Stila’s Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner , which like, legitly stays on ALL DAY, and open up my eyes by coating my lashes with Loreal’s Telescopic Shocking Extensions Mascara.
BRIGHTEN, FOUNDATION, & BLUSH
I brighten up my under eye area by using Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in the shade Amdande and applying with a knock-off beauty-blender type sponge from Real Techniques. Then using the awesome and super soft Precision Face brush from Bare Minerals, I apply the Bare Minerals Matte Foundation in the shade Golden Deep. And shout out to my lovely Peds intern Alisha for putting me on to this foundation! It literally helps my face stay matte ALL. DAY. LONG! In combination with the other products of course. And does a pretty good job of matching my complexion as well. AND it has SPF 15 so again, perfect for summer time. I really love that this foundation has a wide array of shades as well because….after my upcoming beach trip I just may need to move up a shade…but I digress. I follow that with a bit of blush on the cheeks using the e.l.f. Blush Brush. My blush of choice on a daily basis is usually Milani Fantastico Mauve.
LIPS
I finish off the look first with another spritz of the Skindinavia setting spray. Then for my lips, I line them with MAC’s Chestnut Lipliner, apply Kat Von D’s Studded Kiss Lipstick in Cathedral, and top it off with a gloss from Laura Mercier in the color Bare Beige (and shout out to my cousin Jonelle for putting me on to this gloss as well!)
And here’s the finished product!
I definitely think it makes a difference in how I feel about myself when I KNOW my face is BEAT for the GAWDS hunty! lol
Hope you enjoyed today’s post and have an awesome weekend loves!
Love and God Bless,
– T
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WEDNESDAY WORD by @ColorByStyle // Press
“I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Crist Jesus first possessed me. No, Dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”
Philippians 3:12-14 NLT
Source
So what exactly is Paul saying? Here’s the way it can be perceived:
“I get it, you’ve accomplished some things, or well for others of you you’ve been through some things. Cool. I understand but I’m looking forward, pressing on, working towards, striving for, reaching out earnestly to become something much more valuable or worthy of my attention and praise. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that I have that ‘thing’ yet but I’m not letting myself get caught up in whatever has happened before. I’m focusing on what’s ahead. I am not just looking forward to any particular goal but that which GOD through CHRIST JESUS Himself is making possible for me to achieve.”
Does that make it clear? Look I understand we all have been through some things. Each of us on our journeys have walked through crap, climbed up certain hills, met certain people, achieved certain things…good and bad, and the reality is we all have history. It’s history though. It can inform aspects of the present and provide context but it is still the past. Too many of us provide history opportunities to be present (yep, think on that).
God spoke through Paul to you and me. He made sure to remind us that the only thing that matters is the prize before us. What is your prize? Is it money? Is it fame? Is it temporal and therefore extinguishable and without meaningful value? Because if it is those things then I can tell you now, it’s not really worth it. Those things will vanish with time but you know what won’t? Eternity. That prize that Paul speaks of, what God wants to give to each of us through Christ Jesus is eternity. Eternity is a future worth focusing on. When you place eternity in your crosshairs and make it your singular focus a lot of other things are placed in perspective: people, places, jobs, money, and I even dare say relationships. Don’t get me wrong, the past has significance in each of our lives. But how much value are you going to place in things that cannot be changed? Focus on Christ, keep the Cross before you, look ahead and push on, fight hard, and look square at that prize laid before you by God himself.
Love and God Bless,
– T
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LIFE // My Morning Routine
One of the things I have struggled with in the past is getting out of bed in the morning with enough time to actually prepare mentally, spiritually, or physically for the day that lies ahead. Recently, one of my favorite life and style bloggers, Krystal over at The Feisty House shared her morning routine and that inspired me to really create my own and be consistent with it. And when I tell you it’s been life changing thus far over the past 3-4 weeks….it’s amazing.
T’S MORNING ROUTINE
5:15 AM ~ Wake up, Pray, Have Devotion
6:00 AM ~ Post Devotional Excerpt to Social Media
6:05 AM ~ Jogging (Outdoors or on Treadmill) – Sun/Tue/Thur
6:45 AM ~ Make Smoothie (if not grabbing breakfast at work)
7:00 AM ~ Shower & Get Ready for Work
7:45 AM ~ Leave for work (oh the luxury of living 8 minutes away from work….)
And because my internal clock has gotten used to waking up at 5:30 AM I’m waking up pretty close to that even on the weekends, which has really made for very productive Sabbath and Sunday mornings! It’s pretty awesome. Overall, sticking to my morning routine has made me a lot more productive, energized, and just….less stressed. And I thank God for that.
Do you guys have morning routines? Or even nighttime routines? Feel free to share them by commenting down below! I’d love to hear how you start your day and unwind before bed.
As always, thanks so much for stopping by the blog. I really appreciate all of your support.
Love and God Bless,
– T
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LIFE & STYLE // Summertime in NY x 3
This past weekend my family and I went to NY to celebrate Guyana Day as we usually do each year and of course we had a blast! It’s always great to see old friends, make some new ones, and look great doing it.
Figured I’d share my outfits of the weekend with you all since I definitely had to get creative to stay cool in the heat.
SABBATH – #Classy
Dress – Forever21 / Clutch – H&M (similar HERE) / Cognac pumps – Target
SATURDAY NIGHT – #Street
Graphic Top – Forever21 / Distressed denim shorts – Forever21 / Black Hi-Top sneaks – Aldo (similar HERE)
SUNDAY – #DMVgirl 
Black tank dress (worn as tank top) – Forever21 / Graphic skirt – American Apparel
Which was your favorite look? Was it #Classy, #Street, or #DMVgirl? Comment down below! I’d love to hear your thoughts 🙂
Until next time….
Love and God Bless,
– T
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WEDNESDAY WORD by @ColorByStyle // Seek Ye First
“Seek the kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”
Matthew 6: 33, (NLT) 
Source
I have been known to use the phrase, “Let’s keep it funky”, which is translated to “let us be as honest with ourselves as possible”. Too often we allow our focus to be shifted from heavenly pursuits and endeavors to all other manner of evil. The press of the world is forever around us and we are bombarded on a daily basis with responsibilities and realities that remind us in so many ways that we need more. For those of us that fell into the American trap of college (I say that tongue in cheek), the moment you graduated, if you weren’t fortunate to have a job already lined up or didn’t have to take any loans, you heard that six month clock begin ticking. Somewhere floating in the financial sky was the iconic ACME anvil of debt and despair. How can anyone focus on spiritual growth when financial debt, among many other things, seemed so imminent? Let’s not forget the desires of our hearts, the women or men, the cars, the clothes, the sales, and desire for fame and prestige. All these things can seem a lot more tangible then the kingdom of God.
Well the scripture has very practical teachings about possessions and money found in the book of Matthew Chapter 6 which I encourage you to read at your leisure. If we look to media, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, what we see are people desiring more because the immediate vanishes and withers away. Even fame only last as long as the memories of those perceiving it. Christ says in Matthew 6:19 not to store your treasures (things and crap) here on earth because they will eventually be lost to the inevitability of time. He continues to state in verse 21 that where we store our things is where the desires of our hearts will be focused. Christ desires to give us His children all that we need and desire. In fact He says so in the scripture. He plainly states that if none of the natural things of this world worry or show concern about where there nourishment and sustenance will come from, then why should we?
If we pursue Christ and the kingdom, if we seek His face through constant communion and prayer He will grant us all that we need. The thing is for most of us we allow ourselves to be caught up in the flow of the world instead of standing in the peaceful meadow of Christ’s calm assurance. Why not take a chance on faith, trust in the Lord and see what he will provide. Seek the Kingdom first.
Love and God Bless,
– T
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LIFE & STYLE // Peds Residency Graduation
On Tuesday June 9, 2015 I was one of the first graduates of the inaugural class of the Children’s Hospital at Lehigh Valley Hospital’s Pediatric Residency Program. I can’t express enough how grateful, proud, humbled I am to have been granted the privilege to work and learn at such an amazing institution with such wonderful human beings. I will truly miss my lovely colleagues at LVHN and I am so thankful for EVERYTHING that everyone has done! Definitely would not have made it through residency without them and the grace of GOD! 😊
Missguided definitely came through for me once again with this graduation outfit!
Black jumpsuit – Missguided (similar HERE) / Gold plated belt – Missguided / Black strapped sandals with Gold T-strap – Forever21 (similar from Missguided)
Looking forward to the next chapter…. 🙂
Love and God Bless,
– T
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Perfectly Imperfec_T 
