<--A Year in Closing-->

Today's Facebook Status read as the following:


"A closing to another year is on the horizon..no matter how good or how bad things got in the past 12 months, GROWTH was experienced and we are to move on in a NEW direction...Happy Friday my friends!!! ♥"

I'm happy to report that at least 20 of my friends liked it, I'm glad it hit home for a lot of you!

When I was in my Teenage Years going into my Young Adult stage and I would get my feelings hurt in some way, my Mom (aka Mommy Dearest) would always say to me:

"I'm glad something like this happened to you, this just means it's going to make you stronger!"

I would then snarl at her and would walk away thinking she was the meanest person in the world, but I knew what she was talking about. In this year, I had her inside my head every time something bad happened and my heart would sink. It's as TRUE today as it was back when she used to say it.

As I sit here and now write to you all and say that were A LOT stronger than when we first started out, I'm pretty sure and safe to say that it's the TRUTH and reality. Everything makes sense and appears clearer everyday I think about ALL the good and ALL the bad.

I was able to find out that:


-->A mistake doesn't always have to be a negative aspect
-->Were allowed to change our minds within reason and not feel bad
--> Speaking your mind is the best result in any case
-->LOVE comes in many forms, not just from the heart, but in action as well
-->It's O.K. to be HAPPY for those whom have hurt you in the past

Personally, it took 8 years of my LIFE to fully know I would be O.K. with moving on from the opportunity I thought I lost and didn't take advantage of. I was making the right business decisions and fully aware of what would be my next step, but spiritually and inside my heart I was lost and hollow. This year I met so many people that fell in that exact space of eternal blame. It brought back so many memories yet I was able to help in the right direction and give so much of the positive aspects rather than get stuck upon any of the negative ones. 

These 5 bullet points that you see above I was FINALLY able to make sense of them  rather than just allow them to only be words and have them all to go over my head. A lot of you I've spoken to have made GREAT progress and an amazing turnaround in your lives! Some of you are at least on the brink of wanting to explore a NEW sense of direction and a NEW sense of LIFE. Either way, KEEP up the search, KEEP up the ever changing factors of LIFE!

What makes us grow is our passion to continuously search NOT for the right answer, rather for the right path.

A year can bring so much of everything. It's allowed us to face the most difficult of situations and the happiest. If you've made it through the year with bruises from the stones that were throw at you, be grateful, for it taught you STRENGTH....If you've made it through the year with a patch that you had to sew up in your heart...be grateful for it taught you PATIENCE....If you made it through the year wiping away your tears and putting on a genuine smile... be grateful for it taught you FORTITUDE.

My friends, ALL I can say is, in a year of closing, EVERYTHING is worth it's LOVE and SACRIFICE. Now we can put on a smile, say FAREWELL to 2011 and ring in the NEW 2012 YEAR!

A little side note, you've ALL made a BIG difference in my life for having had allowed me to enter your minds and hearts with my experiences of LIFE. "Busy Little Queen Says..." wouldn't be successful and wouldn't be able to continue if you ALL hadn't shown your full support!! I thank you for making 2011 a GREAT year in writing and philosophy!! I can't wait to see what we can discuss in 2012 and where we can take these PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE LIFE experiences!

Thank you EVERYONE for this amazing opportunity!!!

Busy Little Queen loves and thanks you ALL!!!

Another Year- The 2nd Half (Pt. 2)

I hope all of you enjoyed the 1st half of my 2011 year...it seemed pretty interesting for myself to reflect upon it as I was writing it.

Well, here we go with the 2nd half of 2011-->

July-December

To finish off June, that month was the beginning of the lessons I had to learn. A couple of "friends" were used to me offering them free hair services due to this neverending economy, and I'm all for helping others in their time of need. What wasn't known at this time was my move to Pasadena, I kept it very hidden because it wasn't real even to me, until everything was said and done. I started helping out my parents in a financial sense as well, along with some of my other siblings, and I had to make sure I was in the "steady" part of my own financial status. So then these "friends" (about 6 of them), were wanting me to provide them with free hair services and were expecting me to get them in at ANY given time, until I put a STOP to it myself. I knew it would cause conflict, not for me, but for them, because I wouldn't be catering to them anymore. Sure enough, one by one, they ALL began to say the same thing, "To save our friendship..." so on and so forth, and sooner rather than later they stopped calling or even inviting me out to dinners that I myself paid for. For months after I was hurt, because I knew they didn't care about who I was as a person, they cared about what I could give them, what I could provide for them. A very sad reality unfortunately time unveiled the TRUTH.

In July I was able to take a weekend off and go to Lake Arrowhead for the first time with my foster family. It was very high, very beautiful, and again, relaxing! So relaxing that I stayed in my pajama's the whole weekend, my favorite attire in the whole wide world!

August proved to be a very busy time as I was preparing clients to go back to school and get all the Mom's looking their best for the new school year.  I joined the Hair & Make-Up Union in Los Angeles, which was an amazing accolade for me in my professional career. I was what one would say on Cloud 9...until...near the end of that month.

It was then that I was accused of "money laundering" and was let go from one of my salon's where I worked so very hard to get ahead in. For one, I've NEVER stolen money in my LIFE, not even from my own parents. In my 10 year career and 28 years of LIFE, I've handled thousands of  amounts of cash, checks and credit cards, and not once have I stolen one penny from any register or an employee and/or owner. Unfortunately, I found out some pretty interesting details surrounding this "money laundering" accusation, so much that the IRS would be interested in this information on their behalf, not mine...alas, I decided NOT to rely on vengeance for as it was explained in a homily at Church 1 week after the incident, "No matter how many times you are done wrong by anyone, you must forgive them anywhere from 7 to 77 times, however many times it takes you, for retaliation is the LORD's doing, not YOURS!" FORGIVENESS resounded so strong in my head, although my true nature was that of darkness, a very dark place of vengeance. I was completely hurt and destroyed, because the majority of what this business gained was because of my knowledge and those of my business savy co-workers as well. This is what I got for helping. I didn't have time to sulk and be down..thankfully, 2 days later, I was hired at another establishment, again, THANKFULLY!! Yet, I was filled with hurt, anger and pain. In due time, I would get over it. I finally broke down in tears weeks later for the first time in a year and a half...it felt good to get it out.

In September I turned 28, I did work a little bit that day, then after I spent the rest of the day with my closest sister Mari...it was a much needed sibling time. A lot of other friends and siblings had birthday's that month as well, so there were celebrations at least every week in that month. One being my little niece Sophia, she turned 1 and a bunch of us took a Friday off to be with her and enjoy the day at Disneyland. It was very magical! A 12 hr walking day filled with love and joy on her face and on all of us adults was what ALL of us needed. Very special indeed!

October was when I found out my Dad needed a place to go to for several reasons, and it was announced that I was the only one out of my siblings that could take him in. Fair? Not really yet I didn't fight it, I'll take on any challenge and show everyone that survival is possible, there will be that light at the end of the tunnel. He moved in a day before Halloween and my one bedroom apartment now houses 2 grown men. This is still a very hard situation for me because I lack privacy and I have him on my mind everyday that I'm away from my place. Patience is what I continuously ask GOD for because there's such an age gap between my Dad and I, I'm 28, and he's 73...it's hard to understand each other many times of the day, yet I'm glad I can make sure he's OK wherever I am. I have to make clear and conscious choices about his future very soon, it's very scary, though not impossible. We'll get there if anything.

November and December brought the Holiday's, my allergies, a failed attempt at dating, a wedding of LOVE, several repeat clients not coming back because I wouldn't cater to their tantrums, and I held the 1st Annual Canned Food/Blanket Drive for Busy Little Queen & Company. What can I say, I can multitask anything, including my personal life. The Blanket/Food Drive was a HUGE success, in part due to my clientele and close friends who rallied together to bring comfort to those who are less fortunate, which is a major plus for me! We can put ourselves last to help others in need, it keeps us human. My allergies, well, they're allergies (shrug). My one date that never happened, well, let's just say we were texting nonstop, somewhere in there I was seeing red flags left and right, and I called it, we never met, he canceled 2 hrs prior to us meeting for the first time. I'm 28, not 15, move on! My foster Mom re-married a wonderful man that treats her like a Queen, my best friend and I were able to sing at the wedding, and thankfully all came together beautifully as GOD would have it. The tantrum clients, y'all know who you are and if you're reading this, I hope you found someone that can take care of your EVERY need, unfortunately, YOU are not for me anymore and I am not for you either. We moved on in Peace..at least I did. Thanksgiving and Christmas brought smiles, a lot of my family members together, and clarity to much sought after confusion. Now I'm just awaiting the New Year to come just like everyone else.

Overall, 2011 came with a lot of surprises and unexpected situations, and I take every single one with me along for my ride of LIFE...for there's ONE Busy Little Queen, and I will say this, if you don't know the name, make sure you do, because you WILL know who I am in 2012!

Here's to 2012!

P.S. To ALL who wished that something wrong would happen to me...I'm still here...I forgive YOU for any thoughts that hurt YOU more than they hurt ME...I'm smiling and thanking GOD for every negative thought that came my way from YOU, for YOU have made me STRONGER than EVER! 

LOVE YOU ALL VERY MUCH!!! <3

Another Year- The 1st Half (Pt. 1)

2011 has come and gone what it seems to be like in a flash!!! I still remember what I was doing a year ago today, I took the day off just like I did today...funny how some things never change : )

In this post, we'll discuss the 1st half of 2011-->  
January-June 2011

I remember after the Holiday's in 2010 I was wondering what would be coming up within the New Year, what would be the next move for me in a professional and personal sense. Little did I know that I would be learning quite a couple lessons out of me wanting to help others, something I've been doing the majority percentage of my life.


January 2011 started out like any other year, me working my butt off at 2 different salons and trying to balance my studio work for Telemundo and build connections at all 3 of my jobs. By this time it had already been a year and a half that I hadn't written any new music, being that my last music venture was released in August 2009, and I was bursting with the simple fact of just wanting to write something down and get it out into the world. So one night as I was streaming Facebook, a couple of my friends had put down their new "Blog" entries as their status updates, and I went ahead and read them and saw that they belonged to "Blogspot.com"...that is when I decided to open my own "Blogspot.com" account and started to write down thoughts and I myself started to post them weekly. This was a lifesaver for me!!! That is how "Busy Little Queen Says" was born : )

Now between my weekly blogs, 3 jobs and constant traveling to Riverside and Los Angeles counties, I discovered, yet again, that I needed time to relax, and in March, I went to Las Vegas with 3 girlfriends and was able to spend quality time with them. The food was great, the Luxor Spa was relaxing, Celine Dion was amazing, and David Copperfield was astoundingly fun and witty. It was a quick trip yet one that proved to be much needed.

After the Las Vegas trip I went into full gear with my career and really had no time to view the other projects I was planning for 2011. There are times, when you plan certain goals for yourself where in the beginning, they sound fun and perfect, until the Universe has it's way with your mind and you decide to put things on hold.

In Telemundo I was making progress with my make-up artistry on the news anchors as best to my ability, trying to learn new techniques and as with anything, dealing with both ups and downs...it's ART, it comes with the territory.

In 2010 I had done 5 shoots for my website Busy Little Queen & Company, and by 2011, with what was already going on, I decided on only doing 2 more shoots with a time span of 3-4 hrs from beginning to end, fast yet efficient. Both of which were fun and different (High Fashion/Gothic & BRATZ). 

By June 2011, I was granted my apartment in Pasadena, which was fulfilling to me in so many ways yet it was something that happened so quick. With everything going on professionally, it took me 3 weeks to fully move in, but I got there, with the help of family and friends! In the salon's, the demands for having long and blond hair with the clientele was HUGE, as it is with every summer, all the while in one of the salon's I was working for at the time, me and a couple other selected stylists were working double time because of the amount of work we were generating, little did we know what would be coming of it in the next couple months....

Coming Home

A year ago this month (December) I went to go see the movie "Country Strong"...which I actually got to see it twice in the movie theater because I loved it so much!

For some reason it's a BIG shock when people find out that I LOVE country music, I know I don't fit the profile and all, although, I don't fit any of the stereotype profiles in the world if were going to go that route...to say the least, country music is where my heart lies : )

This is why when I watched Country Strong for the first time, I fell in LOVE with the songs and the storyline. The songs tell stories, stories that hit home...whether about love, heartache, or even a summer day barbecuing burgers. They're real and have substance.The storyline follows the continuous struggle of a successful singer who's trying to get better for the sake of saving her career, not just for her, but for her husband/manager per his instructions.


Gwyneth Paltrow really knew how to portray the LIFE of a struggling singer with a disease that many Americans unfortunately go through everyday, they don't call her an Oscar winner for nothin'! Near the end of the film, her character sings her last song of the concert titled,  
"Coming Home"...in which she describes that after everything that she has going on, everywhere she needs to be and everything she's going through, she can come home to herself, her safe haven. The song has such conviction, that it gave me chills because I related directly to the song myself....especially with the chorus:

Home
The world tried to break me
I found a road to take me
Home
There ain't nothing but a blue sky now
After all of my running
I’m finally coming
Home

So many times were running around, going from place to place and making sure all get's done accordingly, yet, more times than often, the world breaks us because for some reason, something isn't right...therefore we can't wait to get home to call it a day and be at peace. It feels good to do so and it creates such an amazing environment of safety. We have to make sure though that we have a place to call home, a place where ALL that were about is inside ourselves where no on can touch it (our Safe Haven). 

After working 12 hr days or more at times, having no days off for weeks, taking care of people's emotions, and providing for many, not just myself, it's safe to say that I have a place, a physical and emotional place where I can come HOME to and be there for me, making sure I see my blue skies.

A lot of what I go through are choices I've made, and many have also been made for me, yet I feel content to say that being able to come home to me has been one of the hardest issues I'd ever had to face, because I had gone so long without paying attention to what I needed...I forgot about Coming Home to me. Yet I've survived and now LIVE to tell about it through my actions, writings and experiences. 

Many believe that Coming Home is a place of non-existence, yet, one has to remain at a consistent level to be able to reach it...if it is as they say "Where the Heart is...", then YOU personally must know where your heart belongs and where you stand.

Just like in Country Strong, Coming Home is a struggle, a struggle where it can ALL end or continue...just make sure you COUNT every second you struggle to make your HOME your Safe Haven.

Coming Clean with the Situation

The first thought in your mind right now is...."What situation is he talking about??? I wanna know!"

Well, let's talk about this situation shall we.....

Ever feel trapped, bombarded, forced to say "YES" and not because you want to, guilty, suppressed????

Yeah, I've been there, MANY times! How many times have I talked about the TRUTH, making sure it comes out in the best light possible so no feelings will get hurt and no one takes it the wrong way....the last thing one wants to do is hurt others, especially their feelings and make them the object of negativity.

What does it take to OWN your feelings and actually ACT upon them without having to hurt the person next to you? 

--->Communication (Internal and External)

Now you might be asking, "How can you communicate your feelings externally?" Well, it's obvious that you can communicate your feelings internally through your tone of voice, explaining yourself and saying what you need to say in due time. Externally, you can use your actions to help get your point across in the right direction, allowing there to be space can be a life saver as well as a tie breaker...be careful how you wish to view yourself...it can last a lifetime.

At times there tends to be a lot of emotions involved, a lot of pent up guilt that just grew more and more each day, which can actually make it difficult to communicate. As we learn and say that communication is key...we also tend to avoid communication altogether for the sake of not having confrontation. By avoiding, it only makes things harder and awkward.

This is why it's better to "Come Clean" with what it is you need to get off your chest, to avoid ANY difficulties. Even though "Coming Clean" basically means that you should admit to a lie you may have told, as it being the TRUTH, it can definitely hurt... damn, it can pierce a nerve, yet, it can also save on time in your life that can be better spent. What makes "Coming Clean" a good opportunity is the sense behind it....if anything, does it make sense to feel suppressed, guilty, trapped? Why would it make any sense...it's a negative feeling. Opportunities come when you least expect them to, take full advantage of them to bring closure to your heart and mind.

Whichever situation you may be dealing with that requires you to "Come Clean", remember that it's always for the best, never the opposite. As for my situation...I believe it's time to "Come Clean" myself. Pretty soon I will be sharing about it...so stay tuned...for now...be mindful in

Coming Clean with the Situation

To KNOW is to LOVE

I meet couples everyday...whether out in the street, in the salons, or at the T.V. stations I work at....and I've met them in all stages and in every form imaginable, older, younger, middle aged, gay, straight, and of every mix of color. This year has brought the most unlikely people to come together, and when I mean unlikely I mean polar opposites. Yet, it's so beautiful when I see the love these couples have for each other.

Of course, like the "chismoso" that I am (that means Gossip in Spanish slang) I always have to ask about how these couples first met, and each and every time, it never fails, both stories have the same similar core, but have differences about who pursued who and who made the first moves. Nonetheless though, it all comes down to the love they feel for one another. Now a lot of these couples have moved in together within the past year, and one thing they all have in common is the TRUTH behind the struggle of merging two live into one.

I have to say, this has always scared me, due to the way I've always liked to keep my things a certain way, for some reason it's hard for me to let go in that aspect. Though I know it must always be a 50/50 meet halfway type of thing, the older I get the more it's easy for me to be spontaneous and understand the circumstance. Yet, I'm human, and I'm a Virgo...it's in the stars!

The same thing I heard a million years ago I still hear today:

"When you find that certain someone, nothing will matter because you want them close to you at all times and your details in your life will go out the window, the only thing that will matter will be the the LOVE and UNION between the two of you and nothing else"---> Believe it or not, this is from my MOM..aka Mommy Dearest

It's so TRUE...how do I know? I've seen it first hand and continue to see it. This is when we go into  

"The Know"....

When do you KNOW that this is the one? 

You just do...when DOUBT doesn't exist in ANY shape or form...that's when you KNOW that it's LOVE. Like these couples that I've met just this past year, they KNOW this is LOVE, that smile and twinkle in their eyes say it all! It's something that cannot be denied and it's real life evidence, the good kind. You KNOW when you KNOW.

To KNOW is to LOVE...To LOVE is to come ALIVE!

Hiding in the Shadow

Before this economy went south and took us ALL by storm, we were bold, loud, and had no worry in the world. They were times where if we encountered an ounce of fear or terror, we would stand tall up against it whether we'd get burned or got out of it without a scratch. 

Now, three years into the depths and bowels of the darkness, we find ourselves loving the inevitable. A place where we can hide and not have to show our faces because apparently, we have lost our sense of direction and have lost all sense of any possibilities ever coming our way for us to regain consciousness.

Don't get me wrong, ALL of us have been swept up in a tornado and have been thrown in any which way it knew how. I've seen businesses go down to nothing, families losing their homes, countless people losing their jobs, people with Master's degrees that now work at Starbucks, gas prices skyrocketing to almost $5 in major cities, the count of homeless people on the streets have tripled, etc. It sounds like a bad dream that most of us want to shake ourselves so bad that we want to wake up and be back to where we used to be.

Unfortunately, were here today, and living the aftermath and 

HIDING IN THE SHADOW.

 I can only say that if anything, were fortunate to see the light of day, everyday.  We've ALL experienced what it's like to lose something due to the lifestyles that we once led. The economy is getting better here and there, yet instead of having just one job, many have 2 or more (I myself have 3), trying to hang on tight to what's left of our strength. It's hard to be optimistic and know that ONE day we can go back to where we used to be.

I do see a lot of perseverance, a lot more humbleness, and above all, the TRUTH that people had hiding within, also, in this journey... were not alone...were ALL going through a lot of changes, and thankfully, a lot of choices are being made carefully. It seems like we don't really have a choice these days, although, we do.

As they say, with any storm comes the sunlight. It's unfortunate that some of us have found comfort HIDING IN THE SHADOW, even though we were put there to begin with..and again...we have choices. All will resolve itself within a certain amount of time, and at this point, we know that we have a couple more years before anything settles down, until then, let us remember that at some point, something had to go down to make sure that "FEARLESS" facade wasn't going to plague what were really about. One step at a time, we'll get to the point where we can once again feel secure, we just have to hang in there and know ALL will be O.K.

The Sun will come out after the Storm

Blessings and Love to You ALL my friends <3

Sugababes

Now I know, for those of you who love music as much as I do, how dare I not know who the Sugababes are until now! It's Girl Group blasphemy!!

Destiny's Child, En Vogue, Danity Kane, Xscape, Spice Girls, Pussycat Dolls...just to name a few, you can put this group in that exact category!

Sugababes actually have quite the legacy in the music industry, having started out in 1998, they've released 25 singles, 6 of which have reached number-one in the UK and 20 have reached the Top 20 in the UK, seven studio albums that have reached Top 40 charts worldwide. That's an amazing record! Now, what makes them so special??? Well look at them, the video above is just a taste of what they're all about. It's simple but catchy pop music, at the same time, they're live performances are actually LIVE!

Like any girl group out there, they've also had their pair of shake ups, with 4 line up changes since 1998, each with keeping it as a consistent trio. It seems that everytime they've had a change in the line up, they get criticized for doing so, the "NEW" girl doesn't sound good singing the former girl's part or they're just not the same, etc. Yet these women are classy and they do what they do best, keep their fan base happy! Let me tell y'all, just like Destiny's Child was here in the U.S., they've managed to continue to put on a smile on their faces and get better and better with every era of the group. I understand die hard fans get used to a certain line up and want the original girls to continue the legacy, just like in some of the girl groups of the past, although, as time has it, changes come up and more than anything, you just can't help what others want to do and/or what they feel. Just like the saying goes, "You gotta do what 'cha gotta do!" So these Sugababes move on and continue to make good music, in my opinion of course.

I've seen the YouTube live performances, the interviews, the videos, past and present, and they have something that unlike any girl group that I've seen has had...consistency...that's what makes them successful. Their voices blend, they're always looking glamorous, they like each other, and if they don't, you never see it or notice it, and they enjoy what they do, it's the perfect formula : )

I'm a big fan of ALL the line-ups, and even the current one. I believe that each girl has brought their very best and has improved the Sugababe name, which is something that's very hard to say in the music industry these days. In my opinion, no one is better than the other, it's been a great evolution for them and has been a wild but successful ride. Some of the former Sugababes have gone on to their successful solo careers, now that's not so bad! They definitely know how to pick themselves back up and make the best out of their talent outside of the group. 

To the Sugababes--> You can count one more fan on your roster, keep doing what you do for as long as you can, and a BIG thank you for inspiring people all around the world!!
 

Busy Little Queen loves the Sugababes!!!

Sugababes 2011

~To Say that I'm Missing Something..Only means that it's Me~

I took a full day and a half to not do anything, to dedicate myself to only ME..which by now, as many of you know, that's a very difficult task for me, being that I like to cater to the world.

In that 1.5 day absence, I was spying on the social networks to see what others were up to, I do that from time to time to gain perspective on what others are up to, see what they're feeling, etc. Well, the majority of the Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ status' ALL have one thing in common:

Love is in need, and unfortunately, 

nothing is being done to make it a priority

LOVE is a necessary feeling that the human soul needs in order to feel good...it's a must as we say. Yeah we have family, siblings, best friends, etc., yet we say, "It isn't the same..I want a REAL love!" While we tend to feel sorry for ourselves and really feel down because we believe that our true soul mates are never to come, we miss the bigger picture and once again fall under the spell of, "I'm unworthy of having a real love, of someone loving me". 

Do we dare say to ourselves that we are UNWORTHY of having anything? Do we dare convince ourselves that only another person can make us whole? Can we be happy just by being with ourselves?

I was to have a date this past Friday that unfortunately fizzled 2 hours prior to meeting...now, I haven't opened myself in a very long time because I'm actually quite satisfied with being with ME, though at times I would like to be with someone, in my LIFE right now I would think that it's virtually and physically impossible with all that I have going on. It's still kind of mysterious how this date wasn't meant to be, yet, as I said to my very dear sister-in-law, it was a SIGN. Of course I was bummed, if anything I look forward to gaining friends, and I like to open myself up to new opportunities, and I know that in due time, if I must once again step into a relationship, I better be ready! I'm being optimistic that I will hopefully one day meet this fellow for I am interested in seeing him in person, hopefully, he is to, if not, it's all good : )

Now today being Sunday, I feel good, I feel I have so much unfinished business that it's only a matter of time before I get it done. I actually don't feel as if I'm missing something, I feel as if there's more to gain, more that I need to look out for. I bring to my LIFE whatever it is I'm craving, whether it's work, fun, relaxation, happiness, sadness, etc. 

I say the same thing to ALL of you, to say that you're missing something..it only means that it's you, if you want LOVE, bring it to you, if you don't, then you'll be back to square 1. Feel worthy of yourself to know that you can have the best this LIFE has to offer, whether it's a job, a better life, a loving partner, even a beautiful day, we ALL have the ability to make LIFE what we want it to be and where we want to be.

Are we worthy of it...YES!

The Donation : )

As many of you know and have been invited to participate in by yours truly, for the months of November and December I've decided to hold the

1st Annual Busy Little Queen & Company

Holiday 

Canned Food/Blanket Drive

in both the Glendale and Murrieta Salons in which I work in. They've so far been a great BIG hit and today, with the help of a very great friend, the first donation was made to Project Touch, a Non-Profit Organization in Temecula, CA that caters to those whom are less fortunate. 

http://www.projecttouchonline.com/

Originally, on the Riverside County side, I had planned to donate the collected items to
5 Loaves Ministry, a Non-Profit Organization that caters to feeding under nourished children in other countries..unfortunately, they only accept financial donations and order the food overseas, which is still a great big help! They were great and recognized that what I did was in good intention and personally thanked me for taking them into consideration..in return Busy Little Queen & Company is still in FULL support of 5 Loaves Ministry and will be making a donation to them in the month of December : ) http://5loavesministry.com

Los Angeles is next in donating the collected items to the 

Jacob Deliverance Foundation in Pasadena, CA...were coming your way!

As today is Thanksgiving, allow us to always remember what being HUMAN is all about:

~~~Love, Compassion, Understanding~~~

The following excerpt is that of the TRUE account of my great friend whom helped in delivering the collected items to Project Touch yesterday (I unfortunately was not able to deliver the items personally due to scheduling conflicts):

I appreciate & thank you all for your support - times get tough & when it rains it sure does pour. Seems like one bad thing right after another bad thing..when you think it couldn't get any worse, something else happens. As luck would have it, or I should say as God willed it, I was lucky enough to have the chance to help out my dear friend, Erik the Busy Little Queen. He asked for my help and I whole heartedly said yes. He asked if I could deliver all the blankets & food he has collected so far. Natty & I drove to a church in Temecula that runs Project Touch which helps out homeless men, women & children. I explained why I was there & all Heaven broke loose. The joy that these blankets and cans of food brought these people was exhilerating. This is what I needed, what my heart needed. To be there, to talk to some of these people, to see and feel the happiness in a little girl when Natty handpicked a blanket that had a babydoll attached to it was unimaginable. Thank you Erik and thank you God for helping me see a light that I was looking for. For helping me remember that it can always be worse, but that people are good. So tonight I will lay my little head on my pillow and say my prayers with a whole lot of extra love, extra thankfulness, and extra joy. I learned my Thanksgiving lesson today. Happy Thanksgiving, my friends. May you all be lucky enough to find that extra little something we all need. Love you all ♥

  

At times with the unfortunate turn of events in our personal lives, something good always happens to counter act the bad situations. I myself am experiencing a downfall in my family, it is a very trying time for us at the moment, and a very difficult one for me personally if I may be upfront with you all,  although, we ALL continue to believe that there's always a purpose, always a reason WHY things happen the way they do, and with GOD in our lives, anything is possible! 

There's always a ray of light after the storm...hence, my friend's day and the delivery of the collected items.

In any case, I THANK YOU ALL who've donated to this great cause in helping our fellow man, and as with anything, the second batch for December has already begun! If you happen to have anymore blankets (new or used) and/or Canned Foods, please bring them by either salon location:

-->Fletcher-Smith the Spa

39825 Alta Murrieta Dr. Suite B22-24

Murrieta, Ca 92563

Speak to Donna, Stella or Brenda

-->Palazzo Salon & Spa

915 N. Glendale Ave.

Glendale, Ca 91206

Speak to Erik or Jackie

I thank you for ALL of your love and support from the bottom of my heart!! 

Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone! <3

P.S. Why am I doing this on top of everything else I have going on??? Well, because I believe in GIVING and in LOVE...help me spread it EVERYWHERE we can!!

<--Dive Into the Necessary...NOT the UNNecessary-->

Today in the salon I was talking to one of my clients about "Diving"...how she has nothing to lose by giving herself fully into what she's always wanted. This woman has been working on herself day in and day out always trying to take the right step so she can take 2 steps forward and not go backwards. Now that she's worked on herself, she's found her voice, inner strength and knows what and where she needs to be, by "Diving" into a whole new situation she's afraid of losing what she gained and is afraid to lose her passion of soul searching.

Until I told her this:

"By being afraid you're giving FEAR it's rightful position where it doesn't belong, it's hollow..it doesn't exist in your world anymore."

Meaning that we pay attention to so much of the unnecessary that we enter into this scared mind frame  and we refuse to accept what's actually going to make a difference. One would think that by adulthood it doesn't  really affect the mind, yet, it's when it's the most dangerous.

"Diving" into the necessary can only create success upon success upon success, it would be a positive domino effect! Though when diving into the unnecessary, by giving this hollow bubble the light of day, it's only going to prove that you're afraid to make a move towards positivity. Once you have YOU available and ready to dive into other opportunities, completely fully immersed, is when you'll start to see positive reinforcements all around you.

Do you have anything to lose??? Genuinely speaking...NO...if anything you're going to build an even bigger empire for yourself to roam around in, meet other people, really see what "Diving In" has caused your outcome to be. 

Now remember, it's Necessary to take care of others when you're good with yourself, it is Unnecessary to block your vision of what you want for yourself.

 <--Dive Into the Necessary...NOT the UNNecessary-->

"Today's the Day"

This song is one for the books!!! If you've ever seen the movie, "Enough" with Jennifer Lopez, you will recognize the song in a scene of that movie. It's very touching where the director chose to place it, it's at the right moment in the film. 

The song is called 'Today's the Day" by Aimee Mann, former lead singer of the 80's Pop Group 'Til Tuesday. She has such a melancholic voice, very much like Sarah McLachlan, Joni Mitchell and Carole King. Which is why I've always loved Aimee, she makes you wonder and think..HARD!

"Today's the Day" is a story where it involves CHOICES, where choosing one direction over the other will really make you think twice, especially because of the repercussions that it will involve. It also sounds like there's a secret waiting and bursting to get out in the open, and yet there's the whole, "Well, it wont hurt if no one knows" type of mentality.....very much of a subliminal message hidden in the song.

Choices can either make way for your path to be one of 2 things:

-->What you've always wanted out of LIFE

-->Deter you from your goal in LIFE

Every choice counts, as well as every thought...it can really make a difference. Some choices are better than others, although, whatever choice we tend to make, we know what's coming and what will be the end result if we decide as so.

In my case, I personally chose to lead a LIFE dedicated to my career back when I was 17 years old. Throughout the past 10 years I've had other opportunities where I could've followed fashion design, full time singer, youth ministry, and even, a 9 to 5 everyday job. Each one I was able to experience fully and each and every time I chose to come back to the Hair & Make-Up Industry. I had such a great time diving into those other opportunities, and of course I had my moments of weakness as well, times where I knew people had thrown me under the bus...times where I didn't think I fit in, times where I thought, "What is this? Am I really what I want from me?"

Yet, my heart belonged to helping others discover a new part of themselves that they'd lost somewhere along their path in LIFE...and also, in each opportunity, including fashion design, I had to hide and not mention my personal life, meaning my sexuality...it was hard, I didn't feel truthful to myself...and as it states in the chorus of this song, I started to think:


And isn't it enough for you
Isn't it enough?
Isn't it enough for you
Isn't it enough?
For you...

Not that I like to flaunt that part of me to the world, but to have to make it seem like that part of me doesn't exist?? It couldn't be done. I was a phony trying to be another person...and now that I dedicate myself to my Hair & Make-Up Artistry, I can be ME, without ANY restraints! As a result in my career, I haven't been able to have a stable personal LIFE, but it's OK with me, I made this choice knowing what would become of me in that portion of my LIFE....all in due time right : )

I was able to make my choices, within reason, and had to think that if it deterred me from my goal, I had to make sure I was ready for what was coming my way, though thankfully, I was able to leave a firm standing bridge with each opportunity presented. Each one brought me some of the best mentors I will never forget, I was able to learn so much in such a small amount of time and actually grow from them.  

Choices are there..... present.... ready for you to take a leap!

  

"Isn't it enough to prove today's the day?"

- "Today's the Day" by Aimee Mann

Enough is Enough--->Time to Wake UP

It can be easily done....

      It can very well be you....

              It can have you for a very long time.....

                       Until you say...

Enough is Enough--->Time to Wake UP

The simple reality of unveiling your TRUTH, your path towards your own way of LIFE without having someone dictate it for you can be a very liberating experience and yet a very costly one.

With every chain you break free from, there's bound to be a sacrifice, there's bound to be a downside. Although it's a downside that needs to take place to keep you at a necessary and safe distance from anything that could make you weak. 

At times you may go back and forth between whether or not you really want to change your direction...lead yourself in a way that could wake you from the spell that bounded you to have no say in your LIFE. It's a thought process that really takes it's time, a process where you shouldn't mind the right choices and/or any mistakes, embrace them.

If anything...make the best out of your growth...

count each time you cry, each time you feel for another person,

each time you have angst against yourself....every little bit counts.

When waking up to the new path, to the renewed strength you thought you could never have, ponder  what really made you say, "Enough is Enough"...but don't get mad at what you think you've lost, because if anything, you've gained a new direction and a whole new VOICE where now you can say...

I Live because I want to  Live & this is where you can find me!

A Letter To You (Pt.4)-->"Running"

Dear You,

As you most likely noticed, I was excited, relieved and so happy to hear from you recently...you were a breath of fresh air for me!

That same day I noticed how much I missed you...a certain something always makes me think of you, and that day for some reason, it made my heart miss you more than any other time...then your call made my heart jump all over again...what a coincidence? I think not : )

There's so much going on in both our world's, I know that we must stay focused on what we want out of our lives. At times I think to myself though... 

Why is it that I've had to jump through so many hoops to get here? Is it worth all the sleepless nights? Is it worth the uncertainty? Is it worth the struggle and sacrifice? Is it worth.... YOU?

As I try not to think so much, which is merely impossible because that's what I do best, I've been able to learn what's good and what isn't for my life and see the truth of the overall matter...which in this case is my happiness. I have to think of a long term effect...the choices I make today and tomorrow will shape my future, and as they say, "One will reap what they sew".  This is where this song "Running" comes into play for me....

What I wouldn't give to know that you're to be by my side when "Running to the Future"...to know that you inspire me to the point of the fact that all I can keep doing is keep "Running"...you give me so much of yourself in such a small amount of time that all I want to seem to do is "Run" with what you're able to bless me with. You never make me want to give up, if anything, every time I'm around you, you build me up...you care.

I don't give into the "Unknown", because in all reality, tomorrow is never promised...we can only hope and pray that were able to continue onto the future. So many have said that I've done so much thus far without knowing what my outcome will be, although, in my heart, I'm in it for the long haul. One must not toy with the human emotion, that's why I know we came across each other at a perfect time...one of us needed to heal, and the other has been able to supply that healing in many ways, yet the most important is that of the soul, which I'm glad to see that you're finding yourself and your voice.

You're shining more and more every time...do know that I'm very proud of you, and keep on "Running"...cause I think we'll make it <3

Discover the Lighter Side : )

I'll be the first one to say that LIFE can be overwhelming at times. We forget that were here, on this earth for a reason, to make the most out of what were given, and what were given, we've given it to ourselves.

To every dark side, there's a light side....just as when something tastes good, it can also taste bad...it pretty much comes with the territory. I'm sure we can ALL feel when the dark side takes over, it's NEVER fun and you always seem to feel a cloud looming around..yet also, it's normal to have to deal with the dark side, as I've mentioned before, it's how we take the experiences and whether or not we decide to learn from them.

After every dark side comes the light side...the side where you feel the energy, the warmth inside you...making you want to do nothing but SMILE! The symptoms are:


-->Hunger in the morning
-->Enjoy a shower/bath
-->Sing in the car on the way to work
-->Greeting everyone with, "Good Morning!" or "Good Afternoon!"
-->Indecisiveness doesn't exist
-->You actually enjoy the glare of the sun instead of wanting to hide from it
-->You smile for no reason
-->You splurge on yourself

Now...doesn't this sound like a Lighter Side of LIFE??!

It almost makes it sound like a cheezy, idealistic day for Mike Brady of the Brady Bunch...although it can be achieved...what's so bad about making sure you're looking out for yourself in the right way? Absolutely nothing!

A Lighter Side can really make a difference in how you're living day to day. I remember in my late teens I would always hear my Mom complain about this and that and how the sky was going to crumble if things didn't go her way...and I would say to her, "You know Mom, the more you worry the more wrinkled you're going to get...", let's just say..she wasn't amused! So true though...goodness gracious!

Overall, stay positive my friends for the world can offer you both the dark and light side...

it just depends on YOU for which one you choose to bring along for the ride.

Break Away & Pick Up the Pieces

Let me guess...

you've thought over and over and over again about making your LIFE your OWN....finally!!! 

Your OWN thoughts, your OWN imagination, and last but never least, your OWN lead on your OWN path...phew!! You're FREE!!!

If there's anything you could've done better, you just did it! The "shy" might say you hid and ran away, although the TRUTH is...you did this for YOU...a little BIG thing we like to call:

Break Away

Now as you feel rejuvenated with a whole new sense of YOU...you might be asking yourself, 

"Now where do I go?" Well, good question that has a simple yet a definitive answer:

Pick Up the Pieces

 Usually after freeing yourself from such a blind place in LIFE, you find yourself in pieces, GOOD pieces, one over here, the other over there, one up above, the other down somewhere. Don't think of it as a "thousand piece puzzle" that will take forever to solve...the good thing is that now you know where YOU stand and YOU have a blank foundation to start the building  of the new YOU, this time around, YOU get to call the shots and allow yourself to fit the pieces where you WANT them to fit instead of MAKING them fit..there's a huge difference, and a positive one at that!

Sounds easy, and very much like a piece of cake...although it will take time, strength, and a lot of soul searching...the BEST aspect about this whole escapade is that it's your OWN...it's yours!!!

Open your heart, look inside, and there you'll find...YOU! 

Surround yourself with ALL the LOVE and LIGHT you can find to make YOU the best YOU could ever possibly be <3

P.S. I'm living proof of this becoming a success...it CAN and WILL be done!