My new obsession...NAILS!

I was never the one to paint my own nails. I usually just get acrylic nails at the nail shop or leave them plain jane. My younger sister has always said, "You need to paint your nails"....but I never really paid her any attention. I've seen many women paint their own nails, at which some had chipped nail polish, some nails longer than the others, or with "not so attractive" hands...and that alone put a bad taste in my mouth for wanting to paint my own, real nails..LOL! I recently purchased more nail polish for the heck of it. So one day, I was bored & decided to paint mine. From that point on, I've fallen in LOVE with painting them. I'm slowly collecting polishes & hope to experiment more with different designs. Enjoy :-)

This black nail polish was beautiful! I put a gold/blue/red glitter polish on top

The base color was red-orange & I tried to be a little creative with my ring finger which was a mixture of gold-orange, white, turquoise, & yellow polish

.....I don't know why!

The quickest "I don't know why" look/pic I could find, lol!

I sometimes don't know why in the world Jesus loves me! Its not because I've been so good or done so many good things, and its definitely not because I'm *cute*, smart, intelligent, wise, helpful, caring, compassionate, have a beautiful personality, wonderful sense of humor, or is willing to give my last to rescue someone in need. Its only because of his goodness & mercy that I am still alive & doing well today. I am so grateful to be given another chance. I am so unworthy, yet he keeps on blessing me & making a way. I don't deserve a thing, but yet and still, he loves me. I sometimes ask the Lord, "Why do you still put up with me & my ways?"...and his answer is always simple. Because I LOVE YOU! We often say we love others, but we will never, ever, ever ,ever experience what it truly means to be loved & to love somebody the way God does. I don't understand it, and I'm not trying to. I'm just amazed at how someone as wretched as me continues to be blessed beyond measures. Thank you Lord.

LIVE or DIE: It's your choice!

 EZEKIEL 18:20-32

I really thank God for giving me another chance to get some things in order concerning my life! He could have taken me out a long time ago, but he saw fit to allow me to turn away from my sins because he wants us to LIVE & not die. For God says, "Turn back and live!" ~Ezekiel 18: 32.


We  will all be judged according to our actions. Those who sin will be punished and those who do good and are obedient will be rewarded. God wants us to live & not die, but what is to come is a result of our decisions and actions. God has no respect of person. If you do good (are righteous) and turn back to sin, all of your good deeds will be forgotten and you will die. If wicked people turn from their sins and turn to God, they will live and save their lives.
We have the right to decide what our fate will be. Either we LIVE or DIE according to our actions. The table has been set and we must make up in our minds whether to eat from it or not. God wants us to turn back & LIVE! Though I sometimes fall, I choose to LIVE no matter how many times I have to dust myself off. I encourage you to do the same & live according to God's will! His plan is much greater than ours, for he cares for us (Jeremiah 29:11) Choose LIFE!

SPEAK your DREAM!

I thank God for allowing people like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. live to speak his DREAM into existence! I am humbled and honored to learn just a little about this marvelous man of God. Just as Dr. King had a dream, I too have a few. I see dreams as goals. Some of my goals/dreams are to:

• Graduate with my Doctoral degree within the next 4 years
• Start a non-profit organization catered towards the betterment of youth
• Start another business or two or three or four (Lol!)
• Become a wife & mother
• Become a homeowner of about two/three homes
• Travel the world
• Be able to give more than I receive
• See more people happy, peaceful, and have a great relationship with God
• ....and the list goes on!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DR. KING! THANK YOU FOR HELPING US TO REALIZE THAT DREAMS DO COME TRUE!

We must learn to start SPEAKING those things that are not as if they were SO! Whatever your dream is, please know that through God, it will come true! Be encouraged & don't give up!

~What is your DREAM?~

EARLY wedding plans :-)

I'm sure I'm not the only single gal that thinks about her wedding...from top to bottom, lol. I literally will sit up for hours planning all of the details from start to finish. I sometimes get in this "wedding planning" mood when I'm bored or have watched a cute little romantic film, lol. Anywho, though I can't see my husband's face, I can sometimes picture everything else. I've always been an "off the wall" kind of girl that does & wants things that the average person would not. For instance, I'd rather where cute, quirky, and weird looking "flat shoes" than heels, just because I like to be comfortable at all times. When it comes to my wedding, I want off the wall colors. Not the typical royal blue, white, and silver (no offense) colors, but something bold. I personally like to pair bold, bright colors with a dark color- yellow, pink, lime green with black, etc. (if you paid close attention to my blog, you can tell...lol.) I basically have those I'd love to be apart of my wedding, a small picture of the dress I'd like, the songs I'd like played, how I want my reception to be, and more. When I tell you that your girl has it planned out....LOL! But I also know that God laughs at our plans! So even with the things I desire to have, God has the FINAL say! Through obedience I know he will grant me the desires of my heart though.

At first I thought I wanted a huge, big, enormous wedding....but now I'm leaning more towards a smaller, more intimate and private one. For starters, I don't believe alot of people would even come, lol- some just to be nosey, others to wish us well. But anywho, these are just some visuals of what I desire. I'm pretty sure that things will change by the time I jump the broom with my boo, LOL! Enjoy just a few tidbits of what I'd like & share some of your "EARLY wedding plans" with me! I'd love to hear...lol.

I would love to have different food stations at my reception for my guests to pick exactly what they'd like to eat! One of the stations I'd like is a Martini Mashed Potato Bar where my lovely guests can pile all of their favorite toppings on one of my favorite foods....MASHED POTATOES! Yummy, lol.

I absolutely adore this grey, white, and yellow color scheme. I would probably add pops of red in it though for added color. This is so chic!

Purple, lime green, and grey are also pretty colors together!

Because I'm heavier up top, I think a more flowy, romantic type dress would look better on me. Even if I was smaller, I still like the look and feel of flowy gowns. This is breathtaking....

This is also very simple and chic! My type of dress hands down. This is so cute to me! Adorned with the right accessories, a high bunned hair style, with either flowers or feathers pinned in my hair SCREAMS...SHENINA! Lol

I would love tall centerpieces accompanied by fruit as my table decorations at the reception!

I've been eyeing Two Birds bridesmaids dresses for a couple of years now! Though it is a bit pricey, I think I would love to see my girls in this. This dress comes in many colors and lengths & can be wrapped more than 10 different ways and worn numerous times to various events! It is a stretchy, jersey material and would flatter all figures. I would even get myself one, lol!

Just thoughts...

Its been a hot minute since I've blogged. I've been on an emotional rollercoaster lately. When it comes to God, and my current & future life, I just want to make the right decisions. In the past, I've made so many wrong ones by stepping out before I was given permission to by him, and its like I'm afraid to do that now. I know that as Christians, we shouldn't have that "A" word (afraid) or the "F" word (fear) in our vocabularies because they are both of the enemy. Welllllllll, truth be told, I do sometimes get afraid and fear the unknown. I'm afraid that if I don't consult God on some major decisions I need to make that I will fall later, and I also fear what I don't know when it comes to my future decisions as well sometimes. I've also been feeling as if I'm "paralyzed" and I'm just "stuck" in the same body, doing the same things, and thinking the same things. Its like I want a new something, but I don't know what it is!!!! Because of my "fear" of the unknown, I sometimes don't make the first step towards doing something different. I also feel myself being comfortable and even complacent with where I am in my life right now often AND THAT IS NOT COOL! I don't want to be complacent- meaning staying in the same spot/ways/attitude etc. forever. I know a change must come soon, but it is going to take discipline, work, & effort on my part! The majority of the situations I am in comes from ME, and though I know this, I sometimes don't want to admit it. I'm getting in the habit of being totally and completely REAL with God by telling him EXACTLY how I feel- whether mad, sad, disappointed, afraid, happy, joyful.....whatever. I know things are already better! Though I've failed God many times, his mercy endures forever....and for that, I'm GRATEFUL! These are just my current thoughts.....

blah, blah, BLAH!

For the past couple of days, I've been feeling really "BLAH" as if my life has no substance or meaning, and as if I need to be doing something else, something more. I often feel overwhelmed at times because there is so much I need to do, and because of that, I don't know where to start- therefore not doing anything at all. Though I can encourage, motivate, & help others.....it is hard to do the same for myself sometimes. When I start feeling like this, it doesn't last for a long time, only for a few days. Even in the midst, I KNOW that God is still good, but sometimes I don't "feel" him near. I'm reminded of the quote: "Even when you can't trace God, TRUST him" (or something like that, lol). So that's exactly what I'm doing. I know also that alot of how I feel comes from me not doing "enough". When I'm not busy, I often think about the "past" instead of the future. The enemy will sometimes even bring up past relationships at which I'm trying to forget about. For instance, just like today....I was on this particular site and saw the "name" of someone I was in a relationship with, and shortly thereafter I saw a "picture" of someone else that I was in a relationship with also! Lol, I was like "DANGIT"! But I know ALL is WELL! I get like this sometimes. Everyday isn't peaches & cream for me regardless of what you see or may read. I am normal, I am human, and I make mistakes, get angry , frustrated, annoyed, confused, and sad just like the next person. But lately, I've had a couple of BLAH days....have you? What do you do when you have these kind of days? These are just a few of my thoughts.....

Hot Oil Treatment! (Desire More Naturals' way)

Here's a quick video so that you can hear the voice & face behind Desire More Naturals....ME, lol! The video is a tutorial on how to do a simple Hot Oil Treatment using the SONshine Stimulating Hair Growth Oil & the Fresh & Clean Black Soap Shampoo both found HERE! Enjoy!

He'll LOVE me JUST THE WAY I AM!

I sometimes wonder is MY husband (whomever he may be) sitting up thinking about me just as much as I do him? I'm currently ~SINGLE~ and often wonder how my husband will look, how he will smell, how he will dress, and what kind of personality he has, among other things. Its like I sometimes picture him sitting across from me watching t.v. & I'm doing my hair or something, lol. It is a little weird, but those are some of the things I think about at times. I often pray for my husband and ask God to just keep him in his perfect peace, to forgive him for his sins, and continue to mold him to be the man he needs to be for me. Even now, I look a hot mess and I can just picture him saying, "Baby, I love you just the way you are!"...and with that being said, I can here "JUST THE WAY YOU ARE" by Bruno Mars playing in the background, lol. Oh gosh, I just love my husband already! I know he will be ALL that I desire & more! That's my BOO BOO PUDDIN' POP PIE, lol!!!!!!!....waiting patiently :-)

Isn't our President & First Lady just as cute as they want to be? I can just feel the love & passion JUMP from these photos :-)

Accessories & Hair! (BEWARE)

My collection of beanies! I love them & am adding more shortly. They are especially cute for those BAD HAIR & I DON'T FEEL LIKE DOING MY HAIR days, lol! YOU WILL SEE WHY IN JUUUUUST A SECOND! I have yet to wear the sparkly one though!

See, I told ya! This is how my hair currently looks while posting this blog. LOL! Dirty & dry looking...Ugh!

And again (side shot). I have one piece of grey hair. Do you see it??? LOL!- WISDOM BAY-BEEEE!

LOL! I don't even know....

My very junky & unorganized collection of bangles & bracelets. There is more but you would scream if you saw how I was keeping them...lol! I absolutely LOVE accessories!

My collection of earrings! They are supposed to be grouped by color in their own individual bags, but I've gotten lazy over the past year in keeping them up. I do know where EACH pair is though, lol. There are more but they're scattered everywhere :-(

My necklaces & some earrings that have fallen out. They are a tangled mess...I know...I know! And the bags you see contain even more jewelry & fashion rings! I'm such an ACCESSORY JUNKIE :-)

There is a BALM in GILEAD (Healing for your SOUL!)

Lord have mercy on my soul, lol! There is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much I want to tell you all about being ENCOURAGED! I am LITERALLY sitting up here crying while listening to the song I have attached to this post! I know that everyone isn't as STRONG in their faith as I am (and some are even STRONGer), but if you can just BELIEVE that God has your back & best interest at heart, you're on your way towards HEALING your SOUL from every wicked, hurtful, disappointing, & frustrating thing. I can only share so much on facebook, lol, but I will try my "darndest" to spread the Good News about God in every way I can.
No matter what you've been through, there is STILL a chance for your soul to get healed. Jesus died to save our sins & has come to give us LIFE (John 10:10- The thief's purpose is to steal, kill, & destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness...NLT) I've mentioned that I'm more concerned with the "healing of your soul" many times before both on my personal page & business page on facebook. So "what does it mean for your SOUL TO GET HEALED?" some may ask. The healing of your soul is when you begin to RELEASE EVERYTHING that is attacking your mind & body in order to move on, close old chapters, & become a better you!

Steps toward HEALING YOUR SOUL:

• Open your heart
• Acknowledge what you've done wrong
• Pray & reflect on just how important you are & how you deserve to be forgiven (meditate)
• Be easy on yourself & do good things for others  (Source:ehow.com)

In order to move past the hurt, pain, anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, anger, frustration, guilt, grief, and confusion, you need a "clearer" way of thinking. To think clearer, you must rid yourself of all toxins and contaminated thoughts & trust God to see you through. When your soul is healed, you feel better, look better, talk better, act better, and will ultimately BE BETTER all around! You are NOT what you did, You are NOT who they said you were...God has come to give you LIFE! BE ENCOURAGED!

Let's GET IT TOGETHER!

...I'm NO professional, but if you have goals that you'd like to accomplish this year (in particular) & beyond, or even if you want to get a little guidance on what it is you should be doing & how to get back on track with those things, I invite you to email me at 

allthingsme.shenina@gmail.com 

if you care to! Once again, I'm not a professional therapist, counselor, or psychologist, but I do believe that we can both help & encourage each other through prayer & trusting God! Sometimes, all one needs is just a little motivation towards accomplishing goals, & that is what I would love to do for YOU! Don't play with 2011 because the enemy is out to get us & we must be prepared! All information is kept confidential! MUCH LOVE, RESPECT, & BEST WISHES towards your growth! We are in this TOGETHER! And IT IS SO!

What the HECK??? (A very weird dream)

I don't have dreams often, but when I do I know that God is trying to tell me something. I need to get into the habit of writing my dreams down while they are on my mind because I will forget quickly. But anywho, I know that there is something REALLY special behind this one, lol, and you will see why in juuuuuust a few seconds........

I had a dream this morning that I was on, what I think, a college or big high school campus. While on the campus, I saw this person walking in really, REALLY short and tight boom-boom-get it girl shorts (LOL!) with flip flops on, a big oversized baseball jersey that buttoned in the front, and the hair was hanging down- not properly rolled or curled, just hanging down and dressed as if "this person" had been cleaning and lounging around the house all day. Now I couldn't make out whether this person was "ME" or whether I was an on-looker, or the narrator of the story (dream in this case).For now, I'll just say that "this person" is ME.

As I was walking, I noticed a group of girls walking & talking behind me. They were talking so loud that I could here their remarks and laughter. They were saying things like, "Oooo, her panty line is showing" and laughing hysterically! What makes this part of the dream REALLY funny is that for those that actually "know" me, knows that I wouldn't DARE come out of the house dressed like that, especially in a public place such as a college/high school campus, lol! But oh well, the story/dream continues.....

I then came to a big building (I'm assuming it was a high school), walked through the doors, and into a hall filled with students as if they were waiting to enter the auditorium. I then gathered some of the students in a separate room that had a huge glass wall or window, and told them all to sit down (the students were looking at me like who is this ___ coming up in here commanding us to do stuff. I then turned to the girls that were "talking about me" and told them that I in fact heard everything they said. (At this point of the dream, I was really confused...LOL!) After telling them that, one of the students came in rudely, without asking permission to speak with the others and loudly said, "If ya'll are coming to paint, come on" (I'm assuming that the some of the students were in the middle of a project prior to me coming. Once again at this point, I was VERY confused, lol!) So half of the students left with Ms. RUDEness (totally ignoring me) while the other students sat down, including this really cute teenage couple, and listened to what I was trying to tell them. After that, I don't know what happened, lol.....

The next thing I know, I was at a bar like table meeting with the Principal (I'm assuming) along with another male & female (I couldn't make out their faces) informally (it looked as if they were on their break). The Principal turned towards me, while on his laptop computer and asked, "So what can you offer us?", as if I was in an interview. I don't remember my response exactly. After responding to his questions, he then proceeded to tell me that what "I had on" would have to change, and the other male & female that were near agreed with him. (Are you confused? Yeah, I was too...hahaha)

So, all that I remember about the last part of my dream was walking back into the same building wearing an olive green and black checkerboard suit (pencil skirt & jacket), with some FYA black pumps, hair down, and carrying a brief case. For those that "know" me once again can attest that I do not wear "heels/pumps" often because they hurt my feet & I like to feel comfortable (I'm more of a cute, weird looking flats kind of girl). But in this case I walked so confidently & FAST! I mean I was a "STALLION" in those pumps & looked good in them too, LOL. And then I WOKE UP....

Sooooooo I shared that with you, not just to entertain you, but to let you know that there are so many hidden revelations in my dream, and for you to take heed to what God is trying to tell you through YOURS! What do you think? I kind of know what God is saying to me, but I would love to hear your thoughts!

LORD.....THANK YOU!

I have no words for this post....I simply just want to blog & tell the Lord,

THANK YOU!

2011: The beginning of something different.....

2010 was a great year for me & I pray that 2011 and beyond will be even better! I’ve always had a small love for sharing thoughts with others. If you “really” know & follow me on facebook, you can sometimes (most times, lol!) see that my statuses are “lengthy”. I will use the entire 420 words limit, lol, to get my thoughts across and sometimes get angry when I can’t write any further. Its like I want to share ALL of me with those that care to know! With that being said, I’ve decided to start a “personal” blog! It has been in the making for a long time, but because I want to do things differently, I decided that the beginning of 2011 would be a great time to go for it! Though I have a business blog for Desire More Naturals, I thought it would be equally, if not MORE important to start writing down and sharing my feelings with all who care to know them!

This blog will consist of my highs & lows, as well as my joys and triumphs as I begin to venture on the next phase of my journey in life- simply put, “all things about who?—-NINA”! This is a place where I can “vent”, regardless if people like my posts or not. Most importantly, I want to continue sharing my experiences, what I’ve learned from them, spiritual wisdom/guidance, motivation, encouragement, inspiration, empowerment, & the GOOD NEWS about God with you! I’m only Nina…..I can’t be anything or anyone else! So, I wanted to start 2011 off with something a little different. Thanks for entering my world….you are in for a rollercoaster ride, lol! :0) HAPPY NEW YEAR!