Author: MichelleR

Free

MichelleR

I was thinking about the phrase, “The Truth will set me free,” and I hope that is still true. In a time where we are constantly bombarded with “spin” and scripted reality-TV it can be hard to hear the truth over the propaganda, separate understanding from ego, and reject blind-obedience for scientific-method.

I find myself at a crossroads both in my physical health and spirit. Intuitively, I know they are connected. I am on a spiritual trajectory inwards and upwards to my highest self. Yet I am aware that I need to declare my independence from the image people may have of me, who they perceive me and want me to be. To disrobe my compliance for the sake of security. I need to be free, finally, at 50, to be myself. My health and heart require it too. And so here we are reader.

Who am I? – I am Crone. The wise one with scars seen and hidden, whose inner strength as been tested and found worthy. I am the one who loves my experienced life and body with quiet confidence. I am coach, champion and lover of my female clan. I no longer wish to compete or compare but instead to lift, support and inspire. I am not afraid to acknowledge the beauty of others and it does not diminish or negate my own. I am Mother. Fierce and tender; a forgiver of all transgression and singer of lullabies. My arms ready to cradle and hold my babes no matter what age or world they live in. A mother who wants a better world for her children than the one she lives in now. I want them to stop being sexually harassed and marginalized. I want them to feel safe and strong in a school room and a board room. I want them to receive equal pay, equal opportunities and equal rights. I want them to know that I will always support them and love them. Always. Which means:

  • I will celebrate and support their love with whoever they choose.
  • I will celebrate and support their career choices, whatever they decide to become.
  • I will celebrate and support their individual freedom to think for themselves, choose for themselves, and not place my beliefs and ideas as a guilt trip to carry until I am dead.
  • I will support and defend them, my fellow sisters and brothers, my LGBTQQIP2SAA friends and family, and any other oppressed and marginalized humans until we once again all feel free.

I have been afraid for a long-time that speaking in a public forum would bring the scorn and judgement that I have avoided since childhood. I expect some of you still reading this will unfriend me, and if it easy to be a friend when we agree but not when we disagree then the choice is easy. There are those of you who know me so well and already know this is who I am so this is no surprise. But it is not my job to be who you want me to be, I am being true to my calling and my purpose.

This will the last entry for the AZBlergBlog, and it is fitting that it be this one. Tomorrow is a new day. The 4th of July. And I am just beginning my freedom. There is so much more to come.

Free to be Me

I love where I come from and I love where I am heading. I love my age, wrinkles and body. I love my partner/husband/best friend. I love my daughters who are my soul and breath. I love God, my Angels, Ancestors and Guides. I love this beautiful Earth and connectedness of all living things. I love my drums, my incense, my crystals and yoga. I love the way I pray and the way I listen. I love my family, siblings, friends, and past. I love my family and friends and whoever they love. I love writing, manifesting, and positive mindset. I love oracle cards and reiki and hypnotherapy and alternative and indigenous healing arts. I love you as you read this judging me or supporting me. I love my life and I am free to be me.

A Watched Pot Does Boil

MichelleR

I know this because I just witnessed it while boiling water for tea a couple of days ago. I walked up to the stove just in time to feel these life lessons were meant for me at that exact moments.

  1. In order for the substance in the container to boil, consistent energy must be applied.
  2. The substance in the pot is not affected at the onset of the energy, in this case the water can still be touched by the finger without burning.
  3. This is where the old adage comes from: A watch pot never boils. In reality it only feels like that, because we are impatient. We want to see the end result without acknowledging the transition of the water in the pot, has already begun.
  4. Soon, at the places in closest contact with the energy source, small circles of air are forming, one at first then multiplying exponentially. Meanwhile, on the surface, it appears as if nothing is happening, the water appears unaffected.
  5. In time, with the energy source remaining consistent, the floor of the vessel is covered with bubbles, some even begin crawling up the sides.
  6. There is still an appearance that nothing is happening on the surface, but if you were to touch it, or able to see through the top layer, the activity that is about to take place would be evident. Certainly, if you were in that pot you would know a huge transformation is about to occur.
  7. In time, with the correct amount of time required given the heat/energy applied to the vessel and it’s contents, the first bubble releases from the bottom and floats the surface, exploding. It’s release touches another bubble next to it and it too leaves the bottom, rising to the top. The domino affect begins and shortly the vessel is alive and bubbling and transforming.
  8. If at any point you remove the vessel from it’s energy source, the process is halted, the transformation stinted. The longer it is away from the energy source, the longer it will take to return to where it was.
  9. The now boiling water is producing steam, which affects whatever is near it. The boiling water is able to transform whatever it comes into contact with, like tealeaves, pulling from them fragrance and flavor.

Silly thing to feel like I learned something while watching a pot of water boil. But it reminded me to stay with the energy that is being applied to right now. There is so much happening below the surface.

Over 1,000

MichelleR

1,095 to be exact. We’ve lived in Arizona now for over a thousand days and most of them great. Today marks the three year anniversary of loading up a Penske truck and driving our lives into the desert. Here are some of my favorite things about living here:

  • The people I have met. I am so grateful for the friendships so quickly cultivated here. They are already deeply rooted and treasured, like they were just waiting for me to arrive.
  • The cactus. I can name more kinds now than I ever knew existed and they are each indescribably beautiful in their own ways.
  • Sedona. It is my happy place, the place my spirit longs for, the minute I see those red rocks I feel my heart settle into a complimentary rhythm.
  • My dog Mango that I was finally able to get when we moved.
  • Tempe Town Lake and the plethera of things to do there.
  • The Phoenix Zoo and Papago Park.
  • World Wildlife Park and having dinner at Dillon’s with sharks.
  • The Herberger Theatre, for a multitude of reasons.
  • Driving to Ahwatukee to have Nikki do my hair.
  • P83 with the Ball Park and restaurants for days.
  • The proximity with which we are now available to both sets of parents and our aunt.
  • Having friends and family visit and exploring together.
  • Downtown Scottsdale.
  • The White Tanks and it’s trails.
  • The view of South Mountain on a clear day.
  • The view of the sun setting almost any day of the year.
  • Luke Air Force Base and the fighter jets that fly over regularly.
  • Our booth at the Brass Armadillo.
  • Creating a space for me to work on my spiritual journey complete with rattle, drum and sage.

While moving here was completely the right thing to do there are some things I miss still:

  • The smell of the theatre as I walk in the back door.
  • Seeing Jennifer every morning and sharing every detail of our lives together.
  • Messing with Colton and wondering where our bucket is and why he won’t try harder.
  • Hearing Jesse and Caleb’s laugh from the audience.
  • Mike Mechanick’s smile.
  • Yelling Tony’s name at the top of my lungs, for no reason at all.
  • Being able to see Laurie for our lunches and dinners.
  • Drunk Sundays with the worlds best neighbors.
  • Family dinners at Tom and Lori’s.
  • An only two and half hour drive to see Alex and Cory.
  • Driving to San Francisco just to have dinner and come back.
  • Being able to go to Napa, Sonoma and Calistoga for a day or a whole weekend to restock the wine frig.
  • New Year’s Eve parties and cast parties and birthday parties and every kind of party.
  • Writing or directing a show and seeing it come to life.
  • All my theatre kids.
  • Our volunteers who were more like family.
  • Being a short drive from everyplace I’ve gone to school or lived.
  • Knowing my favorite grocery stores and their layouts.

Now all this is not to say that I have traded one thing for the other. I don’t feel that way at all. I feel that there are times when our lives are outwardly, visibly in motion. Where we are seen and our impact is felt by many on a large scale. And then as the Wheel of Life portends, there are times when we retreat into a dormant, restorative phase. A phase of healing, incubation and ripening. I am blissfully a part of the later, but only for a time. I feel my phoenix rising and rebirth already begun. The desert is a beautiful place to be transformed.

The Heart of My Matter

MichelleR

March marks three years that we have lived in Arizona. I started this blog soon after moving here. My aspiration was, at least initially, that it would be about all the adventures that Frank and I would have here. And we have had a few, but the reality is that most of our days are spent working, our weekends caring for home and helping family, and the adventures are more like outings where we zen out and don’t feel like taking pictures and transcribing every moment. And I am so okay with that.

Last year, Pandemic Year One, I wanted to write more, to share stories and the creative side of me, but I honestly felt guilty for writing about what was happening in my imagination when the world was in a health crisis unlike anything before in my lifetime, and people I am friends with were experiencing the death of people they love. It just didn’t feel right.

I even thought about letting my “subscription” for this blog name expire and not renew it, to just let it vaporize because: a) I have very few followers/readers and b) I don’t think, or rather didn’t think, that whatever I wrote meant anything or made any difference whatsoever. That may all still be true. But, the intuition that I am getting very attuned to listening to nowadays, told me, “No, don’t let it go. Just wait.” So, as I am trying to do, I followed that lead.

My previous blogs have alluded to what I have called a spiritual journey that I feel I have been on the past several years. But I have been modest with my words, timid in my tone and fearful of full expression. Nagging, yelling, and now finally, hollering at me, is my same intuition saying that this platform is useless unless I am open and honest and brave. So, here I am, ready to boldly admit that that this journey is more of a transformation, a revelation of my self, an awakening of consciousness that has rocked me to my core.

I realize that my words do matter: written and spoken, they are energy and create a vibrational frequency that continues to expand and impact whatever it comes into contact with. Just like the energy your words carry. So if I sit on this blog and say, “Gosh I’m really going through something and I think I am getting stronger,” it’s energy is weak because it is only a partial truth and not the full expression of my what I feel and experience in my being.

And here’s where I will start loosing friends, readers, and followers as I need to shake off and clean out those who peep and peer and judge. You may stay here to read and observe but I do not write for you. I can only hope that the energy of my words turns your judgement to support if you decide to ride this ride. There are people who knew me as a child, young adult, young mother and never knew the battles behind my smiling face. You knew me in high school and theatre and because I was boisterous and quirky you might have mistaken that for confidence. You knew me in a church group or youth setting and because I have a deep faith you think you know how I should act, believe or behave. But today I say that the Michelle you knew, or projected onto me, is only a part of me. It was only one layer of my being and that is okay. But who I am is growing and becoming and rapidly evolving every moment and I can no longer write a blog about trying on contour unless I also feel safe enough to tell you the full story.

Click out now. Unsubscribe, unfriend, block, eye roll emoji your heart out, I literally am at peace with that. Fin-al-ly! And it feels so good. (Only took me about 50 years to get to the beginning.) And if you ever really loved me, the me you knew, or thought you knew, if our souls shared an energetic connection, then I know you will be right here with me continuing that. I already know who some of you will be. And I love you for loving me so much and supporting me.

It’s about to get all woo-woo up in this blog my friends. I don’t know another word for it. But the thoughts and experiences I am going through I do not believe are solitary. I believe, and know, others who are having this same pulling to understand and connect with the core of our consciousness, what I call the soul. The power of the human mind has been consuming my thoughts and I am mesmerized with studying the facet of neuroscience that explores our subconscious power. I believe that our faith in that power can transform and heal, help and change us because I am experiencing it! To this end I am studying and reading everything I can. Because I also have a vision and a belief that part of being called here to Arizona is just the beginning stages.

So don’t be surprised when you pull up my blog and see titles like, “How Yoga changed my Mind about my Body” or “My Shamanic Journey” or “Quantum Physics and the Astral Plane”. Hopefully, one day soon, I’ll even be able to host retreats in Sedona for those of us who don’t mind being a little woo-woo now and then.

Slack Jaw

MichelleR

By Michelle Raskey – A Dream. A short story start? You tell me.

At first glance I thought she had tried to unsuccessfully swallow a mouthful of coffee grounds. Brown crumbs fell out her parted lips, her mouth too small to hold everything. Then I realized that her jaw was detached, lower mandible slack, held in place by flesh that looked stretched to capacity. She tried to speak, I tried to look away. I was sure my expression was at the very least shock veiled in horror. I peered, staring at the grotesqueness of the beautiful girl. I can’t remember if I spoke out loud or thought it, “Does it hurt? How does it work?”

“This is the only way to keep my face together,” she mumbled, tufts of soil falling out her mouth. Black , rich, fertile soil. She swung back on her neck, gaped open, eyes rolling back in her head in death or ecstasy, revealing her contents. A forest floor was in her mouth. An orchard’s worth of roots, all tangled together, were keeping the earth and her jaw intact, just enough. She quickly shut it, a puff of dust escaping in time with her eyes rolling back into their place.

“You should only open your mouth when you absolutely have to,” I thought to her.

She looked out the window of our taxi, waiting for her stop.

You are enough

MichelleR

I came into work one day to find those words written on a note, stuck by a friend to my computer stand. I had heard that phrase and seen it written in gorgeous fonts in Pinterest memes numerous times, but it quietly became my meditation. The catalyst that allowed it to root in my heart came from a deep knowing that she believed this, and in doing so, gave me permission to believe it too. I still catch myself wrestling with its truth as I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror or when a beautiful woman enters the same room.  But I doubt it less and less. Because another woman believed it about me first.

I don’t recall when I started ranking myself, it is not a thing I am proud of, but I used to do it a lot. I would compare myself to other women. It wasn’t about judging that particular women but rather feeling myself diminish because I believed she was more than me. Comparison seeps like a tea bag left in the cup, becoming stronger as it sits. And, while I believe that all humans have beauty, I depreciated my own.  I can play a great game of confidence, but inside my tender heart would think, “I wish I was ‘inset adjective of choice’ like her”.  This eventually led me to shying away from many female relationships to avoid those uncomfortable feelings in me. It also led to hundreds, if not thousands, of missed opportunities over the years to tell other women how incredible I thought they were. A tragedy.

Please don’t misunderstand. I do not hate myself.  I do not hate other women. I have had wonderful female friendships that have lasted decades. I had an incredible childhood with awesome friends.  But, I guess I can call it my Achilles heel, comparison to other females robbed me of joy, the joy of believing that I am enough. The joy of telling other women that I believe they are enough.

The journey to even write this entry has been a long one. It’s taken me a while to even fully understand what I was going through. But when I started using the phrase, “I am enough” as a meditation it allowed me to compare my life with my desires instead of my life to others. I started asking the question, “If I am enough, then why I treating my body so badly? If I am enough, why I am eating outside of hunger? If I am enough why aren’t I looking for ways to love and care for myself? It keeps going, but you get the picture.

I recently met a huge weight loss goal for myself that I didn’t think was possible at my age, or with my past track record with “diets”. I truly believe it was because I was ready. I wasn’t trying to loose weight for summer, knowing I would go back to eating like I always had, but because I was ready to believe that I was enough and worth the work needed to prove it. I was ready to become healthier. I was ready to work on multiple areas of my life to increase my life experience and joy. I was ready to be enough for myself.

The health aspect of my journey is a part of the full spiritual and personal transformation that I have been working through for a few years now. Here is the Cliffnotes version (because someday I’ll put that full story in a novel and try to actually make a living doing this writing thing):

  • About five years ago I had the realization that I was unhappy and angry despite a “good life”
  • I was given the gift of a healer in my life who started me on a path to find myself
  • I became open to hearing and then listening to my inner voice
  • I stepped out of my “safe place” and, with my partner beside me, completely changed course
  • I made a conscious effort to view all women in my life as gifts, treasures, and purposely placed
  • I sought to become happy from the inside out – instead of the self-deprecating humor I used as a shield
  • I realized my next and hardest work was to love myself so much that I would care about the one body I’ve been given in this life and to start treating it that way.

And this is where I am now. On an amazing journey to “optimal health and wellness”. I am in a place mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally that I didn’t not know I would ever find. Hell, I didn’t even know I was looking for it. But here I am and I believe I am enough. No, not just believe it, but I know it. And it feels amazing!

I feel stronger and mentally sharper. I feel joyful despite the world circumstances. I know it sounds sappy but I look back down that hill into that valley and I see how dark and sad and lost I was and all I want to do is yell, “Hey you down there! Do not give up! It’s worth the uphill climb!” And I want to tell everybody who’ll listen. And, if you are reading this and you need encouragement or a partner in the journey to wellness please reach out! We are stronger together and I will walk with you!

I also recognize that throughout my personal journey I would see people posting on social media about their weight loss and how much better they felt and I would want to reach right out and punch them in the middle of their stupid smiling faces. And I would grab my beer and 26th pizza roll, dip it in a ton of ranch, and swipe. But I also know that somewhere I believed it wasn’t possible for me. I believed health was never in my future and it made me sad. But, I think, I just hadn’t started believing I was enough.  I am going to tell you, you are. You are enough! YOU-ARE-ENOUGH!

I want to share some notes from my journal, which is very personal. I hope it resonates with those who need it. I hope it inspires those who need it. I hope the universe returns it to me used so I know that it, like everything, served a purpose in the journey.

4/3/2018 – Yesterday was my first day officially at “C…” and I feel embraced, welcomed, and needed into the tribe. These women all seem to love and accept me…Already I see how I can be better as a woman – to really start loving and uplifting other women in my life. Already I see the woman I want to become – more love.

9/15/2018 – …My desire/denials: Morality (Queen of Clouds/Mind) Break through the cage of conditioning to reach the truth of my own heart. To see life as it really is. Awareness as the root of morality. …Do not look outward for what it real – look within. Drop my opinionated mind and move inside. Relax in the deepest truth. Doubt is a blessing.

2/21/2019 – …I am to let all of the past and future worries fall away. Observe what is happening now and what the universe is doing…accept the place I have put myself in (leaving CA, new job with police, all of it) and become one with myself – not lonely – but I am enough – just like this…I am simply the reflection in a pool of consciousness…Finally, the child emerges innocent and spontaneous and true to his own being. A time of growth and change.

5/6/2019 – …about my weight and health and immediately I see the long uphill journey of the mountain. The top is obscured from my view. I cannot see the top or where it is. I looks like such a long way and I feel I can’t do it. It’s too high, too hard, too far – there is no way I can do this. I see I am alone, only I can go on this uphill journey and no one will give me a ride or a short cut because there are none. But, isn’t the view always worth the hike? I don’t know but at the top is the sun and it’s brighter at the top than it is at the bottom…I see myself healthy. I see a thinner happier Michelle – I want that me…It’s not a race, I don’t have to hurry, I just have to take a step every day and not turn around.

7/27/2019 – I see and know inside me this spiritual awakening is calling me, a great force…transporting me to myself…taking responsibility for who I am and to live my truth.

(There is a gap when I started my new promotion at the department and then in January of 2020 started a 21 day mediation on manifesting and abundance. This is also where I reconnected with my health coach and old friend).

2/15/2020 – Meditative thoughts from the book, “Women Who Run With the Wolves”. I am of extravagant body – made round like the earth herself. My body is a vessel made to carry so much…To live preoccupied by my appearance in this way – scales, measures, counting, consumed with thoughts of food, my wild nature would never advocated for the torture of my body…take back my body – change my attitude towards myself and celebrate the joy of my natural body. Don’t wait, don’t hold back, take back my real life.

2/19/20 – I signed up to start a weight loss journey program with my coach Jessica and I am nervous…I hope that by journaling I can get to the root of my obsession and addiction to food so I can no longer be enslaved by food but restore my body as a spiritual temple and place to commune with God and nature…Can I see quality time with others as not about eating?

3/24/20 – It’s been almost a month that I have been on my plan and I have to say I feel good.  – Where do I see myself in a year, five years? A year from now I will still be doing great on the plan, now helping people at the same time. I plan to be blogging and working on my personal spiritual journey…Within 5 years I see myself hosting and preparing retreats in Arizona/Sedona area for women with health and self-care at the core.

4/23/20 – 18.6 pounds down today! “I patiently allow my body to heal and transform with ease”. I need to remember that I took decades to bring my body to this unhealthy state. I cannot expect that in a few weeks I will completely fix it: both physically and mentally. I am transforming the way I eat; the way I cope; how I feel about food; its purpose in my life. That takes time…I start my day with yoga and journaling…all of it sets me in the mindset that today is a gift.

5/12/20 – Down 23.6 pounds! …I feel I need to focus on tuning out my own negative thoughts about myself. While I have made progress and steps, this is something I battle with even this morning in yoga, and when I step on the scale. I need to be kind and so proud of the progress I’ve made since March 1st on this journey! 3 months into healing from so much misuse of my God given body and life. This is exactly what I would tell my past self, besides start now, the first thing I had to do was to love myself enough to care about what happens to me. I loved others but not myself. Spiritually – it took me a long time to accept myself as I am – then I started to love myself as I am – then I cared enough about myself to care for me/my body. So, I would tell younger Michelle to look inside for love and acceptance from myself first.

7/3/20 – What year, decade is this? Time is a blur…everything feels so out of control – except me – I feel on track with my weight loss/health journey. I am doing yoga every day and I love it! I need it. I cannot imagine a day without yoga (Yoga with Adrienne) now. Only ounces away from my goal…So much to be grateful and thankful for…Loving myself is enough…

Consider this my sticky note on your computer stand:

Little Horse Trail

MichelleR

By Michelle Raskey

Traversing the path through your crests and curves
Stepping farther into your mystic land,
Watched by ancient ghosts.
At each crunch of my boot I shed
Layers of accumulated fabrics, growing smaller:
First mule deer, now coyote, next badger –
Until I disrobe completely, a snake.
Rusty red blood carries me and I
Slither across your rocks and truth.
My sacred pilgrimage complete I open my eyes,
Wet wings unfold,
I take flight and hunt.

The Little Horse Trail, Sedona, Arizona May 2020

8. The Morning Routine

MichelleR

This Pinterest challenge is a real winner in my book. I am not a morning person, but this Pin and my motivation to instill habits of health in my life have created a routine that I find myself looking forward to. The premise is that the way we start our day and what we focus on can play an important role in how we deal with the challenges and opportunities that will present themselves. Since I get up about 4:30 am every morning with my husband, I have plenty of time to do all this before work. I don’t need to be on social media or watch the news, I need to focus on what is best for me and my health. I have been doing this for about 3 weeks now (which is why I named it Pin #8. See, I have been doing my part – just slacking in the posting department), and I have to say, I can tell the days I skip. I am finding I need this routine because it grounds and focuses me on making healthy eating choices, moving more, smiling more, listening more, and not being stressed out about everything that is happening around me. And with the pandemic, I need to stay focused on the positive and my locus of control. I love all the the Habits here but I focus on these seven every morning and I love it! It has helped me so much, and I hope it helps you too! https://www.pinterest.com/pin/172755335695075662/

  • Habit #1: Get up right away. At the sound of your alarm count down, “5, 4, 3, 2, 1” and get up. This eliminates thinking about how much time you have before you have to “really get up”, which isn’t restful anyway. Set the alarm for when you have to get up and do it.
  • Habit #2: Make your bed right away. It makes you feel like you already have accomplished something before the sleep is even out of your eyes.
  • Habit #3: Repeat an affirmation: I have this link here for the affirmations I love and I start my day with the next one on the list. If I really love it, I write it on sticky note and keep it at the front of my planner. This is my day’s “battle cry” and I like to remind myself of what I am capable of. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/172755335695626568/
  • Habit #4: Journal – It doesn’t have to be long, just write. You can free write, dream journal, or use a prompt like the ones in this link. Just get your mind moving. I like the prompts because they inspire me to keep focused on working on becoming a better version of myself: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/172755335695531390/
  • Habit #5: Meditate: In the blog, Laivana gives links to some great 4 and 5 minute morning meditations to get you in a positive mindset. You can definitely find hundreds on youtube of any length. I started with her blog recommendations but I definitely have expanded to try lots more. Searching for a good mediation is now a fun part of my morning routine.
  • Habit #6: Yoga. This is probably the #1 reason why this routine has really kicked in for me. I love to use the youtube videos called Yoga with Adriene. She is awesome, not annoying, has videos from 5 min to whatever you have time for, her dog is frequently assisting her, and they are DOABLE! I will even post the video that got me hooked and has now has me doing longer and longer videos because it makes me feel good! https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene
  • Habit #7: Focus on the positive. List 10 things you are grateful for each morning. I include this with my journaling time and many times am smiling while I write them!
  • There are three other habits she recommends in her blog but I sort of wrap a few of them later into my day. She lists a morning skin care routine (but I incorporate that with my shower); prepping in advance (like setting out your clothes and making your lunch the night before), but with the Virus I haven’t needed that yet; and taking inspired action – you choose your life every day. I try to take that with me throughout the day (especially right now as I remind myself that I choose everything that I eat) so make good choices. Choices that make you healthy and happy.

Maybe it seems overwhelming to try 10 new habits to add to your day, so just try one or two. Then add a few more each week. It really doesn’t take that much time and has been a positive mindset changer for me. Tell me in the comments: What is one part of your morning routine that really makes you feel awesome and you absolutely can’t do without. (And you can leave out the coffee and the constitutional – that goes without saying.)

Here is the video that got me hooked! Anyone can do 5 minutes!

10. Makeup Tutorial -Part 2

MichelleR

To round out the house-bound beauty pageant I was throwing for myself I chose an eye make-up tutorial for brown eyes. Yes, my eyes are brown, thank you for never noticing. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/172755335695584249/

I normally do not wear a lot of makeup. I would consider myself a slight to moderate makeup connoisseur. I own more than I would ever wear (especially lipsticks) and mostly because I don’t really know how to wear it. I love how it looks on other people, but I don’t ever feel like I really pull it off. So, this pin, “Simple Everyday Eye Makeup – Beauty Point of View” sounded easy enough for me and since there were only a couple of items required I chose it. Looking back, I wish I had chosen something more wild and crazy and completely ridiculous, but we’ll save that for another Pinterest Challenge week. So here is Part 2 of the makeup tutorials: Pinterest Challenge #10: Eye Makeup.

9. Makeup Tutorial – Part 1

MichelleR

It’s been a while since I posted a video of me making a fool of myself and with the quarantine in place and an insane amount of time on my hands, I decided not to clean my closet and video myself doing a couple of Pinterest Makeup Tutorials. What could go wrong?

Here is the link to the Pinterest tutorial I followed (because I had this makeup already): Anastasia Beverly Hills Cream Contour Kit Review and Demo https://www.pinterest.com/pin/172755335695584212/

For my 9th Pinterest Challenge I chose a tutorial that I have been fascinated by for a few reasons: Contouring. Firstly, I know that you can use this trick for stage to either age yourself or make yourself appear younger. But, I always thought that was because you are so far away from the audience. I never thought about wearing contouring makeup for real life and walking outside in public! It seems insane unless you were having it done by a professional makeup artist (aka you’re a Kardashian). Nevertheless, there are countless tutorials on the site, with all ages of people, claiming they look magazine-cover-ready, all from a shading tip. I was like, really? This cannot be for real. Especially if you are older than 20. And since I am well past that age, this is going to look like a I was in a Mud Run. So, while it’s a little long (I cut as much as I could) here is my first ever attempt at contouring:

Disclaimer

This blogger acknowledges that she knows little to nothing of Arizona, its people or its history. She is however, excited to learn as much as she can. This blog is just her “notes from the journey” on making an epic life changing move. If I get something wrong, meh – get used to it. Blerg.