Day 7 - Facial Laser

MUCH BETTER!!!!!  All of the peeling is done.  I just have some red spots from where I helped along the peeling skin....bad Tamara!!  Other than that, the skin has no blemishes or brown spots on it at all!!  Can't wait to not have the red anymore!  I actually went to church today and didn't wear any makeup.  I did put some translucent powder on just to keep the shine down.  I am soooo happy that I did this!!  I am going to stop doing a daily post on the laser now.  I'll try to put something up on a weekly basis so you can see the continuing lightening and tightening.  They say I should still see/feel difference up to 6 months after having the procedure done.  YAY!!

Day 6 - Facial Laser

Day 6!!  WOOHOO!!  It's getting better!!!!

I attempted going to a concert last night and wore some makeup to cover the redness.  It's amazing how tight my skin is when I do not put the ointment on.  As you can see from these pictures, it's clearing up rather well.  I'm beginning to get a few breakouts on my chin and in the crease of my nose.  I'm sure it's because of all of the ointment I am having to rub on my face.  I did not realize how ridiculous my hair looked until I started this post.  Sorry!!  Please try to ignore the pom pom of hair on the top of my head!

Day 5 - Facial Laser

Day 5 has proven to be even better than Day 4 - hahaha!!!

Can you see the difference this laser is making?  My skin is so tight that it feels like I had a facelift. (not that I would know what that felt like...just assuming!)  The skin is still pink but as I look close up in the mirror, I notice there are no brown spots anywhere, no sun damage to be seen and no melasma!!!  YIPPEE!!

Next week should be a drastic difference.  Tonight we are going to the Brooks & Dunn farewell tour concert and my Dr. has told me I could wear some makeup to cover up the pinkness.  I can't wait!!

Book Review - The Bridegrooms

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Summary: 

Tragedy hits the Allenhouse family on a hot summer night in Ohio when a mother of four vanished. Eight-year-old Vada virtually grew up overnight and raised her three younger sisters while her father lost himself in his medical practice in the basement of their home.

Now, Vada is a grown woman, still making her home with her father and sisters. Her days are spent serving as an errand girl for Cleveland’s fledgling amateur orchestra; her evenings with Garrison Walker, her devoted, if passionless, beau.

Dizzying change occurs the day the Brooklyn Bridegrooms come to town to play the Cleveland Spiders and a line drive wallops the head of a spectator. The fan is whisked to the Allenhouse parlor, and questions swirl about the anonymous, unconscious man.

Suddenly, the subdued house is filled with visitors, from a flirtatious, would-be sports writer to the Bridegrooms’ handsome star hitter to the guilt-ridden ballplayer who should have caught the stray shot. The medical case brings Dr. Allenhouse a frustration and helplessness he hasn’t felt since his wife’s disappearance. Vada’s sisters are giddy at the bevy of possible suitors. And Vada’s life is awakened amid the super-charged atmosphere of romantic opportunity.

My Thoughts:

I must say that this book was such a sweet story of young romance and sisterly love in the 1800's.  There are so many great twists and turns in this book.  You think when you start reading this book that you know how it's all going to go.  Well, that's not always the way it goes. 

These sisters are so funny to read about and it seems that you've known them for many years once you dive in and start your journey with this family.  This is a quick and easy read and such a feel good story.  I highly suggest anyone to read this book!


About The Author:


Allison Pittman is the author of Stealing Home, the Crossroads of Grace series, and her nonfiction debut, Saturdays With Stella. A former high-school English teacher, she serves as director of the theater arts group at her church. Allison makes her home in Texas with her husband and their three boys. Learn more about the author at http://www.allisonpittman.com/

GIVEAWAY ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!

I have one book (courtesy of http://www.randomhouse.com/waterbrook/bloggingforbooks/) to give away to one lucky reader of my blog. Can't wait to see who wins!

To earn an entry into the drawing:

1 - leave a comment

2 - follow my blog

3 - invite a friend to follow my blog

Please let me know if you started following or have a friend that started following so I will know how many entries you get!!  Good Luck!

Day 4 - Facial Laser

Well, it's day 4 and the peeling and ITCHING has begun!!!!  I have been waking up in the middle of the night for the past two nights with such itching that I have to get up, wipe my face off, wash it with cetaphil and reapply the aquaphor.  Then I can go back to sleep and rest with no itching....until a few hours later!  It's all worth it right????!!  You'll see!!!

As you can see it's looking much better!!  It's only day 4...imagine what two weeks from now will be!!  CAN'T WAIT!!!

SHOES, GLORIOUS SHOES!!!

Two posts in one day...What in the world??? 

That just means that I got a package today from...dah-dah-dah-dah (trumpets sounding) SHOE DAZZLE!!!  If you've never heard of this, go to shoedazzle.com and check it out.  It's a club that you join and pay a monthly fee of $39.95.  You do not pay that fee until you make your first selection. 

Here's what I got today!!!

First of all, they come packaged BEAUTIFULLLY!!!  With a pink dust bag included on top of the perfectly wrapped up shoes.

Unwrapping the lovelies one at a time!!

*Trumpet blast*  dah-dah-dah-dah!!!

Just makes you smile, doesn't it??

I can not wait to wear these lovelies!!!

Seriously, if you have a shoe problem like myself, check out shoedazzle.com!!  It's worth it!!

Day 3 - What a Difference a Day Makes!!

Today is day 3 since I've had the MiXto laser on my face.

If you've been keeping up with my progress, you can tell that the swelling in my face has gone down significantly.  Yesterday I was so swollen that my eyes were barely open.

Hoping that tomorrow will be even better!!!

Day 2 - Facial Laser

DAY 2 - So I woke up this morning and my face was swolen and super duper tight.   Here's the pics for Day 2 for you all to see.

First pic of the morning.  As you can tell, my eyes are super swollen and I look a little tired...haha!

Sideview:

Here's my face after washing it this morning.

And here I am with my face all greased up with the medicated Aquaphor!! 

Today is the day that I am sitting here saying to myself, why did I do this?  I am having trouble seeing.  My eyes are so swollen that all they want to do is stay closed and make me sleep...shame on them!  I think the worst part of the entire laser is when I have to go and wash my face (6 times a day) and re-do the aquaphor.  When I do this, it burns really badly.  I have been told that in a couple of days that burn should be gone. We'll see...  Until tomorrow with Day 3 update!!

Facial Laser Treatments - Day 1

So, for my birthday (back in March), my husband gave me the gift of a facial laser. The laser is called a MiXto laser and it's the latest greatest things in facial laser. Read more about it here.

I went in today at 3:30 for my treatment. I was so excited and couldn't wait to get this started!! At about 2:00, I took a hydrocodone and a valium to relax me. The pain was definitely there at moments but was easy to deal with while "drugged". I can't imagine how this would've felt if I wouldn't have had these meds in me.

I have decided to show the progress of my face over the next few days. Can't wait for you all to see the end result!! It's going to be soooo exciting. I'm not usually this candid to share myself looking soooo bad but, I thought it was time to. Enjoy!

DAY 1 - Before (drugged if you can't tell)

Sorry you can't tell much by the before picture here. I am kicking myself for not getting a better before pic. I have had a lot of sun damage, age spots and melasma for the past couple of years.

During the laser treatment.

The treatment didn't hurt much. You could definitely feel the pings of the laser in the more sensitive areas.

After the treatment was completed, they lathered my face up really well with a moisturizer. It's super shiny and goopy. After getting home and sleeping off a little bit of the meds, my sweet hubby went to Walgreens to get the cleanser and medicated moisturizer that I needed for the next several days.

Clean face with no moisturizer on it:

See the lovely tract marks from the laser? I know it looks really horrible huh??

Here is my face after washing it with a cleanser and putting a heavy moisturizer on.

Cleaned and moisturized.  Ready for bed!!

Can't wait to share with you the next few days.  You are going to be seeing a lot of different phases to my skin!!  I'm soooo excited!!

To find out more about Dr. Kris Armstrong who performed my laser please visit Face 2 Facial here.

AND MORE PICS.......!

I am so sorry to all of you that read this blog. I've been putting a ton of our pictures up from our family photo session. I have MORE!!! Bear with me, please!

More Pictures!!

My friend posted 3 more of our pictures she took on Mother's Day Weekend.  Enjoy!!

Mother's Day Weekend

I hope everyone had a fabulous Mother's Day this past weekend!!

I know I did!!  I don't ask for much....just stay out of my face, let me rest when I want to rest and let the house be quiet!!!  I got my wish...believe it or not!

Every other year I ask for family portraits for my Mother's Day gift.  If I didn't do that, we would NEVER have family portraits.  We spent 3 hours Saturday with a friend of ours doing pictures at several different locations.  She gave me a sneak peak of about 5 pics today.  I thought I would share them with you all.

What do you all think?  Worth it??  I think so!!  Can't wait to see more!!!!

**See more of Chasity's work on facebook:  Chasity Frazier Photography**

I NEED HELP!!

I have a new opportunity!  I need some help from my bloggy friends.  I need ideas on how to raise some extra funds over the summer.  I have been offered an opportunity to travel to Kenya for two weeks on a missions trip.  We will be helping out in an orphanage, building a tabernacle, helping with a mobile medical clinic and holding evening crusades.  I am soooo excited about this but need to know for sure that I can accomplish my financial goal.  Therefore, I am asking if anyone has any great & grand ideas out there for fundraising.  Hopefully someone has a brilliant idea!!  Thanks!

1st Week of "Boot Camp" - COMPLETE!!

Well, my friends, it looks as if I have successfully completed the first round of "boot camp" with my personal trainer.  He told me this morning "Congratulations".  That made me feel great as I army crawled out of the gym trying to find my breath...haha!!

Truly, it is a great feeling to know that you have successfully completed the first round of training.  Yes, I did it in 4 days.  He has a 4 day regimen that works a different zone every time.  That doesn't mean that I'm not going back until the weekend.  It just means that I start all over again on working out the different zones tomorrow.

I do believe today was my worst day yet.  I was tired and out of breath most of the workout this morning.  Why?  I don't have a clue!!  He was even so kind as to give me a shot of NOS.  Have you ever drank that?  That stuff is good!!  I'm not too sore.  I am feeling a little soreness in my pecs that I worked out yesterday.  Other than that I feel pretty good!!

Good luck to those of my other friends who have started their workout journey!!

New Adventure

Oh my fellow bloggers!!!  I officially started with a personal trainer this past Saturday.  By 5:00 Sunday morning, I was "cussing" him in my mind!  I was so sore!  This too shall pass...this too shall pass!!  That's my new mantra!!  ha

Today was my second day with the personal trainer.  I worked my arms on Saturday and today worked legs so, I will probably be limping by the time this evening rolls around! 

I HAVE to do something for my body!  I don't recognize her anymore!  I have always had such an easy time with weight.  I could always eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted and not worry about it.  When I hit my mid 30's and had my thyroid removed, IT WAS A BAD THING!!!  I had my thyroid taken out two years ago and it's been a BEAR trying to get it regulated.  It hasn't been up until these past two months that they have that thyroid hormone at the level it's supposed to be.  Hallelujah!!  Now I have to work on getting this extra weight off!!  I will keep you all updated on my journey over the next few months!