Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Quotes For Reflection

"Love seems the swiftest, but it is the slowest of all growths. No man or woman really knows what perfect love is until they have been married a quarter of a century."  - Mark Twain

Monday, December 26, 2011

My Latest Obsession

The latest installment of the Elder Scrolls Series - SKYRIM has got me hooked! It is amazing. Bethesda Game Studio has been working on this game since 2006. And it has paid off.


Dragons have returned! I love dragons!


In this game I play as a Dragonborn and I get to fight really awesome looking dragons. I'm not going to geek out in this post...I'll save that for a later one. However, I will share the pictures Eric took of me as I unwrapped my Christmas gift...The Collector's Edition of Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim








Wednesday, December 21, 2011

My First Booties

I have always loved the look of booties on the Victoria Secret models. Being only 4 foot 11 inches I figured there's no way I could ever pull them off. Not to mention, I am a size 4.5 in women's. My shoe size is very hard to come by. Sometimes depending on how and who makes the shoe I can wear a size 5.


My husband had his work's Holiday Party coming up and I just had to buy the perfect shoes to go along with the perfect dress I found to accommodate my growing belly. Just because I'm pregnant does not mean I can't look fabulous, right? lol


Gianni Bini "Elliot" Booties in black, size 5.5 (slightly big but I make it work!)






I am 31 weeks pregnant and I wore them at the Holiday Party for 4 hours, danced for 3 more hours at Latin Night with a few friends and taught them some Salsa steps.


PROS                                      CONS
Comfortable                              Haven't found any yet...hehe
Stylish
Stable
Well made
HOT


These are now my go-to for numerous occasions!


Here is a picture of my outfit for the Holiday Party. I have gained some fashion forward confidence and am beginning to feel that I too can look stylish at right under 5 feet. At the bottom of the post I'm including links to my favorite petite fashion bloggers.






Visit my website: http://www.marykay.com/lpangburn/Profile.aspx?m=lpangburn


Here are a couple bloggers who have been a recent encouragement to me in expanding my style without hesitation or fear brought on by my height and size.


http://www.reallypetite.com/
http://petiteearlymorningstyle.blogspot.com/

Monday, December 19, 2011

The Good Fight

It has been a long weekend. There are things in your life that you know are worth fighting for and others are just the right things to do - which doesn't that make them worth fighting for? Because it is the right thing to do?


My parents taught me to never giver up. To never let the enemy have what God has given us. There are many stumbling blocks set before us and Satan is amazingly skilled at convincing us that we are doing nothing wrong. He sounds just like us.


"I deserve this."
"I don't need this headache."
"I don't need to do the right thing if I'm not happy."
"My happiness is all that matters."


Man, those are strong words, thoughts, and feelings. I've had them. We've all had them. Doing the right thing is always hard.


I am resolved to fight for the right thing. I will do my best to do the right things.



Monday, December 12, 2011

Am I Scattered-Brained?

So, I was trying to organize myself today, a feat nearly impossible according to Eric, and I realized that I am more scattered then I originally thought. I look around me and I see that most of my friends have only a couple of real hobbies, projects, or interests. And they do them WELL. I, on the other hand, am spread out so thinly. I have too many things going at the same time. I become distracted easily causing me to put aside whatever task and forget about it for a LONG TIME. I eventually get back to it and think, "Oh yeah! I was really into that just a little while ago." A little while ago can mean really any amount of time to me. From 15 minutes ago to 4-5 months.


Throughout this pregnancy, Eric has continually urged me to find a hobby to keep myself from going stir crazy. I don't need to find another one! My current resolve is to become efficient in at least one 'hobby'. My ultimate goal is to be very well-rounded and enjoy each hobby/interest/project of mine thoroughly. I am choosing one hobby and I will give it all my attention and will-power. I will document my progress to keep myself accountable. Now to just choose one...hmm. 


My project will be to FINALLY complete my mom-in-law's Afghan blanket I've been working on for the past 5 years.

Lydia the Homemaker

Lydia the Homemaker.


I love to cook, sew, crochet, knit, and other various 'homey' activities. I'm not to keen on cleaning, but it's tolerable. lol
I enjoy making meals from scratch and I have tried with minimal success to keep a veggie garden. My husband says it is because I have a black thumb (or thumb of death) instead of a green thumb. I don't think I'm doing that horribly at gardening. Lot's of room for improvement though!
I also enjoy crocheting afghans and I'm currently working on one for my baby and mom-in-law. I've always like making things with my hands and being creative.
Lately, I've been rediscovering my past interests. I went a couple of years where all I did was work and I let every hobby fall to the wayside.  

Friday, December 9, 2011

Lydia the Girl

This hat fits just right and kinda funny, I think.
Lydia the Girl. That's why I am a Mary Kay Consultant. That and it's the only skin care/cosmetic line I'm not allergic to. 
I'm sure that there are many of you out there who feel the same. Not quite tomboy. Not quite girly-girl. I really like fashion and style, but I don't always dress up or put effort into looking put together. Although, I am drawn to high fashion and vogue.


I have a few really great girlfriends who are really good at that kind of stuff, so I'm hoping to learn from them. lol
My husband signed me up at a modeling agency and thought it would be a fun experience for me. It's been a year and I still feel self-conscious. I'll fill you in more on that later.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Lydia the Zumba Fitness Instructor/ NSCA-CPT

Hello there!
I'm Lydia the Zumba® Fitness Instructor and NSCA-CPT (Certified Personal Trainer). I love teaching ZUMBA classes and helping others learn to live healthy and fit lifestyles. 


This hat is actually 2 hats in one and in a later post I will elaborate on why. In the mean time I'll introduce them both at the same time.


ZUMBA Lydia loves to shake it with her amazing students. There's nothing like the boom boom boom of the bass and the wonderful ethnic tones that make ya wanna move and sweat away the pounds, stress, and let loose! This is one of the best hats I own!



Lydia the personal trainer is more technical and scientific. My approach to exercise and nutrition is a bit more serious. I love fitness and the benefits of being healthy and working out. There are many ways to exercise with or without a gym membership. I look forward to showing you how!






It is a true pleasure to help others live healthier lifestyles; to help someone build confidence in themselves! 

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Rant/Pep Talk

So, the past 3 days have been frustrating to me. Mainly because I am hormonal (pregnancy) and miserable with the flu. 


Day one: Eric tells me he's deploying soon. Ok, so I mentally prepare myself for his deployment which will be immediately following the birth of our child if she is on time. 


Day two: Eric tells me to scratch that! Not deploying. Training package came through. Still leaving though around the same time frame for about the same amount of time, BUT he'll be within a 6 hour drive radius of the baby and me. Ok, so I'll mentally prepare for that.


Day three: BACK TO DAY ONE! He will be deploying and when he gets back he'll still have to go to 'school' for the training.


This is common for a military family. I'm not upset or crying about it. I just want a final decision so that I can proceed with my life. I love my husband's dedication and hard work. I admire that he never complains about assignments or deployments. He made an oath to protect this country, to fight for our freedom. Even if it means sacrificing family time, missing out on his daughter's first few months of life, or worst case scenario - laying down his life.


I made a promise to Eric when I married him.  I will support him in every way that he needs. I will not complain or throw a fit. I will stand by my soldier. I will pray for his safety. I will encourage him to take necessary steps to further his career and to do what he must for our country.


Side note: nothing disgusts me more then a whiny, selfish military spouse. rawr.


Wow! I really needed that! I feel ready to take on the world now. Great pep talk to myself...lol


I AM A PROUD MILITARY SPOUSE!

Lydia the Mommy-to-be

Meet Lydia, the Mommy-to-be.

Pregnancy. I am pregnant. God has blessed me with a beautiful baby girl. I'm excited to meet her very soon.



Kinda looking forward to this whole motherhood thing. This is definitely a new hat for me. So far I think I like the fit. hehe

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Lydia the Wife

Time to meet...Lydia, the Wife

Not only am I a wife, I'm a military wife. Being a wife can be difficult. Being a military spouse is even more so.

Sometimes being married to a man in the military means being alone, doing things alone, being completely and solely responsible for everything alone.

I love my husband and am proud to wear this hat. I am proud to support him while he serves our country.

Monday, December 5, 2011

A Girl of Many Hats

Hi!
I’m A Girl of Many Hats. The hats I wear are the roles I play in life. I think introductions are in order. I’ll take the next few days to introduce you to each of them…me…err…yeh…me.


Let's see. There's...

Lydia, the Wife

Lydia, the Mommy-to-be

Lydia, the Personal Trainer/Zumba® Fitness Instructor

Lydia, the Daughter

Lydia, the Sister

Lydia, the Friend

Just to name a few...haha