Woman Blessed. Woman Empowered.

This is me. This is who I am. No man can change the core of me. Regardless of my weight or my age, my passions lie where they belong, my heart beats on through trials and through triumphs, my soul sings my song and no other.

Some may say what I've been through is trivial and others believe I've been to hell and back. Regardless, my life has finally led me to a place where I feel that I have the potential to finally be comfortable in my own skin. I'm not completely there yet, but I am close. Finally I am on the path to being me, not who others want me to be.

My life has changed so much. I am facing new challenges. Good ones this time. I am going to complete college, I am volunteering with my community. I am going to join a committee within the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce, and I am working at a job that I really love. The man I am with is real man, someone who genuinely values me as I am. He is willing to work hard so we can accomplish our dreams of a home, marriage, and a family of our own. He is also willing to let me help him work towards our goals.


Richie has helped me in so many ways, if not for him I am not sure that I would have went back to college; which itself has led to so many rewarding things already.


Because of an interview for one of my classes, I was offered a job to start working at Red Hill General Store again, which led me to start getting my hair cut just down the road, where I met Haley and I am now helping her with the Women's Business Expo. Red Hill has also gotten me involved with the Chamber of Commerce. College has led me to be a member of Phi Theta Kappa, where the volunteer requirements led me to Chestnut Creek School of Arts, which is an awesome place in and of itself.


All of this resulting from the encouragement of one man who believed in me.


My family has also been an enormous blessing n giving me the continual encouragement to stay on this path when I have days that I feel I am unable to accomplish these big tasks in my life. They have more love and respect from me than they could ever know.


I know that from time to time I can get down on myself. But I feel that to a certain point that this is only natural. But when I take a moment and truly think about my life, I am floored at how blessed I really am. I only wish everyone could experience this feeling of accomplishment and life potential.


I am a woman blessed. Blessed by my family, my fiance, and the discovery of my own inner strength.

Ugh, I keep being MIA

Sorry that I don't keep up with blogging like I used to with my other blog. Life seems to keep getting in the way. (That and the fact that I still don't have the internet in my apt. Grrrr!)

But despite that fact, I have some neat news to share with you! The store I work with, Red Hill General Store, owns a website (one of many) called Pressure Cooker Outlet, where we sell pressure cookers, pressure canners, and other kitchen sundries. (Of course!)

Well, we have been working on a little something with Pressure Cooker Outlet, and have finally released it for the public, and that is our Pressure Cooker Outlet Affiliate Program. Seriously go check out that link! We are offering 10% of the sales made through our affiliates' links to the affiliate in question. Want to know more? Go to: http://www.pressurecooker-outlet.com/aff/affiliate/index.php

Stealing Ideas - Mosaic Medley

Came across a neat blog by PioneerCynthia called Visual Descriptionary and I'm so snagging her idea, but first for the rules:

1. At the end of this post is a list of questions. Type your answer to each of these in Flickr Search.
2. From the results, using the first page only, choose an image.
3. Copy+Paste the URLs of the chosen images in FD’s Mosaic Maker.
4. Insert the resulting Mosaic in your blog post.
5. Drop a link to it in the comments to this post.

Here is my mosaic and the questions follow:

Here are the questions:
1. What is your first name? Crystal
2. What is your favorite food? Right now? Veggie Pizza
3. What high school did you go to? Carroll County High School
4. What is your favorite color? Pink
5. Who is your celebrity crush? Chris Hemsworth
6. Favorite drink? Dark Chocolate Almond Milk
7. Dream vacation? Tropical Cruise
8. Favorite dessert? Dark Chocolate
9. What do you want to be when you grow up? a famous writer
10. What do you love most in life? being creative
11. One Word to describe you. Jack of all trades

Links to Answer Photos:
1. * * * * * * * * Crystal Ball * * * * * * * *, 2. Veggie Pizza, 3. Boys' High School, 4. pink gadgets, 5. chris hemsworth, 6. Dark Chocolate Almond Milk, 7. Pedro Garcia - Tropical Cruise, 8. kshocolat Dark Chocolate Bar, 9. 20090208-142931-1829_sRGB, 10. the art of getting by., 11. Jack of all trade...master of none..12. Not available