We're Going to Be OK

Once the realization is accepted that even between the closest human beings infinite distances continue, a wonderful living side by side can grow, if they succeed in loving the distance between them which makes it possible for each to see the other whole against the sky. ~Rainer Maria Rilke

You know my life has been a struggle over the past couple of years. You know we've had issues in my house, in my marriage. I don't hide stuff like most people do. Well I don't hide everything anyway. Some "stuff" is just best left unsaid.

But life is looking up these days. When I look to the sky at night, I feel peace. When I look within my own home these days, I feel a peace I haven't felt in over a year and a half. 

There's always been love in my home, but sometimes the chaos...the storms...outweigh the good. We forget what's important. The only thing that is truly important is my family...my marriage. We're getting back to us. We're finding love again. 

I love the night sky, I love my surroundings, I love my family, and I love being in love again. 

Count your blessing on a daily basis. They are fleeting and you never know when they'll end. Cherish your family. Cherish your surroundings. And above all else, never forget who you are!

HOUSTON...Are You Ready to Get BIG TIME RUSHED?!

For the record, I received complimentary tickets to the Big Time Rush concert to give away to my readers to help promote this  event locally. No other compensation has been received and as always, all opinions are entirely my own.

Have you heard? More importantly, have your kids heard? Big Time Rush will be in Houston this month, The Woodlands specifically, and every teenager (and younger kids, and most moms) wants to see them. Who wouldn't? Take a look for yourself!

I remember pining over listening to the Back Street Boys with my oldest daughter many moons ago. Now I sit and watch BTR with my youngest daughter in much the same way. This is a fun, family-friendly band and I want my 6 year old to grow up listening to this kind of music. The kind of music that makes you want to sing and dance, and there's nothing that you're afraid she might hear/repeat. Yup, this is Bug's kind of music and I couldn't be happier! Music is a bonding experience between parents and their children so it's great when you can find that common ground. 

Now, are you ready for the exciting part? BTR is coming to the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on 6/28/13 and I have some pretty cool news. I've been given some VIP tickets to give away to two of my lucky readers and I'm so excited  to give you this chance to bond with your child! 

The details:

• Where? Cynthia Woods Mitchel Pavilion, The Woodlands, TX
• When? Friday, June 28, 2013 at 7:00 pm (6:00 pm for you, see below)
• What? VIP tickets! This includes special tickets to the sound check and a photo with the band (*SQUEE*)!
• Added Bonus: Victoria Justice is opening for BTR!

I'm giving away 2 sets of 2 VIP tickets for this amazing event. Why just 2 tickets each? Because I want this to be a bonding experience for you and your child. It's so important to connect with our children in this day and age and this will be a great opportunity for you to do just that. 

Entry is easy and your chances of winning are just as good as anyone else. Are you ready? Just enter below! I'll be picking a winner on June 25th and your VIP tickets will be rushed to you prior to the event. All you have to do is show up and enjoy!

What are you waiting for? Enter now! Be the first one in Houston to say #IGotBTRushed!

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One Night..at Bait Camp...I Found Out I Wasn't a Redneck

Just so we all know, I'm highly aware that in the mainstream world, I'm pretty much a redneck. I like beer from the can, I say y'all way too much, and I live a sheltered life. I get it. But nothing could prepare me for bait camp. 

I headed out with my family to see a live band, at a bait camp, because B said it would be fun. But one night...at bait camp...I found out just how high class I am!

We pulled up in the middle of nowhere to this! I posted it on Facebook because I knew something was off about this sign and was backed up by my not so illiterate friends. Alligators can swim and they should not be told that they can't. I did see an alligator or two floating on their backside so I was happy that they could read better than the locals and that they decided to play by their rules. But I'm still curious. Why is alligators in parenthesis?

And excuse me for being wrong here, it wasn't a bait camp at all, it was a fishing camp. This place was a high class double wide displaying both the American and Texas flags hanging high. We had arrived!

One day at bait camp...I realized they might serve food here and I wanted no part of it!

And I was left wondering what sort of crabs gather here while the beer did my belly good. 

I would have taken more photos inside at bait camp, but it was too smokey and I couldn't breath let alone see. At bait camp, you can chain smoke inside. That's not cool!

I did stay for a moment to watch the sound check. And by sound check I mean, one night at bait camp I watched a crane operator (a really good one according to B), fiddle with a bunch of buttons to make some guys sound absolutely horrible through those speakers. Seriously, this guy should NOT quit his day job. Note: They sounded great before the sound check!

And one night at bait camp, I sat outside and listened through a muffled door and window as some dudes played music that wouldn't have been awful had it not been for the really craptastic sound system as the mosquitoes bit me and my babies. 

And one night...at bait camp...I listened as people told the most outlandish tails of catching 97 catfish in less than an hour. Oh there are so many tales to tell but I don't want to be hateful. 

So my one night...at bait camp...will be my last. No alligators, horrible sound systems, really nice midgets, or smokey rooms for me. Nope, I just need to stay on my island and away from the bait camps. 

One night...at bait camp...I had jokes for days but I decided I'd keep them to myself. Y'all don't want to know. Just know that the conversation between B and I (and by conversation, I mean my monologue on the way home) was hysterical. 

One night...at bait camp...I realized that I'm a high class redneck, swamp people exist, and alligators don't swim as long as they can read better than the locals.

Natural Looks for Summer: Get that Sun Kissed Look for Less with Rimmel

For the record, I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and their client. However, all photos, opinions, and ideas are entirely my own! #RimmelRealBeauty #shop

Summertime means fun in the sun here on the island. We play at the pool, we go to the beach, we ride bikes, walk the Seawall, and play at the park as much as we can. And summer brings out my fun, lighter side. Not only in my attitude, but in my clothing and makeup as well. Luckily for me, the makeup trend this summer is to "go nude" and Rimmel products make that affordable.

I could take that whole "go nude" thing literally, but let's face it, clothes are an acceptable societal norm so I wear them. And not wearing makeup at all is unthinkable to me. I've always been a makeup junkie and the older I get, the worse my addiction gets. I keep a budget for it. I'm not kidding.

During the colder months, when we stay indoors more, I wear a pretty heavy "face" to cover my pores, hide the bags under my eyes, and minimize the wrinkles. Plus I'm pasty white during those months and I like to liven things up a bit. But during the summer, I stay very tan and I like to let that natural glow show. I do wear heavier sunblock on my face now because apparently the sun wasn't my friend all of those years so my face tends to stay much lighter than the rest of my body now. So for more reasons than one, I refuse to go nude.

That's where Rimmel products come in. I needed a fresher, sun kissed look for summer, without the look of heavy makeup. Rimmel offers affordable makeup so I didn't have to break the bank to achieve my natural glow. They offer a wide variety of products and I love all of the earth tones they have available. For me, there are only a few essentials and Rimmel offers them all at Walmart for only $3.97 each. So let's get down to business shall we. I'm going to show you how I got my look but I must warn you, you will be seeing something very few people have in the past 10 years. ME WITHOUT MAKEUP!

Always start with a good foundation applied with a brush, not a sponge. I used Rimmel Clean Finish Foundation for a poreless finish. Then for the sun kissed glow, apply a bronzer to get the appearance of a tan without all of the skin damage. For this I used Rimmel Natural Bronzer.

The eyes, it's all about the eyes. Seriously, your eyes are the windows to your soul. You need to make them shine. I picked an awesome Rimmel Glam Eyes Quad, Sun Safari, to fit my theme, and I loved how the earth tones blended with my skin tones and only served to enhance my eyes rather than make them look made up and heavy. Split your eye up with the colors. Dark in the crease, light on the upper lid to brighten and open the eyes, bright on the inside lower lid, with a subdued darker color on the outer lower lid.

Although I did buy two of these Rimmel ScandalEyes Waterproof Kohl Eyeliners, I chose a brown shade for this more natural look. I do wear my eyeliner heavy no matter what, so that will never look totally natural, but I just feel a good outline opens up your eyes and brings attention to them. And this one is waterproof which is great because yes, I even wear my makeup at the pool and beach.

My lips are thin so I like to use lip colors to highlight them but I don't want anything bold. I chose to use a base color from the Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate collection to shape my lips.

And gloss that up with Rimmel Stay Glossy Lip Gloss for that extra shine and sparkle that I enjoy so much!

I love this gloss and at only $3.97 a tube, I can buy lots of different colors to wear all summer long. And it lasts for 6 hours, that's not just a claim, it really does!

I'm pleased with the look that I achieved and the money that I saved achieving it. All 6 products that I used cost just under $30. Now I can just sit back, relax, and enjoy my summer being "nude". And it's our little secret!

Be sure to check out Rimmel on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram to stay up to date on all of the latest beauty trends!

If you want even more ideas for your own natural, sun kissed look for the summer, be sure to read the LiveSoFab Summer Digital Magazine. You'll love all of the fun stuff inside. Happy summer y'all!

My Vlogging Debut...It's Beer with Christy...Or Something!

I accepted a video challenge. I know I can't vlog (video blog for those of you that don't know). But it was like a double dog dare and I had to take it. My mentor, the vlog star queen herself...Mallery from the Horrible Housewife, put the challenge out there and I couldn't pass on a double dog dare. Vlogging is the wave of the future. I have to jump on the band wagon. Apparently I need to step it up a notch. I'm quirky, I'm odd, and I'm animated. 

I had to mimic my mentor. This is where I went with it. Too much?

Please forgive the wings over my ears (seriously, what is going on with my hair?), and forgive my quirkiness. This is my first shot at public video and it's the best I can do. Stick with me. I'm working on it!

Keeping Up with the Jones

Life has it's challenges. Either you're broke, or you're making a decent buck. You "upgrade" as you move along in life. But what do you sacrifice?

Recently, over the past several years in fact, I've realized that you sacrifice quite a bit while you strive to move ahead. Is it worth it? Is keeping up with the Jones really all it's cracked up to be? Is the bigger ring, the nicer car, the beautiful house really worth it? And by worth it, I mean, the sacrifices you make while keeping up. You spend more hours, more money, trying to be the best you can be. 

But do you forget who you are while you're on the path to success? I remember a time in the not so distant past when B and I were broke. As in, where would we come up with our next meal broke. But at that time, we always headed to the grocery store together, as a family, list in hand and babies in tow. We stuck to the budget and we certainly didn't starve. And our shopping trips were fun. They were to me anyway. It was family time that I miss. 

Now I grocery shop alone, or I send him, without regard of spending or budgets. We're doing well. And we're doing it alone, separately. 

These days, I have a bigger ring, I have a nicer car, I have a fabulous condo. I live a lonely life. My marriage isn't a huge success right now. It hasn't been for some time. There is still love there, and we'll stay together, but I miss being in love. I miss my little ring. I miss our broke trips to the grocery store. I miss watching the babies get excited that we can go to McDonald's because that's just not something that's in the budget so the rare treat is like going to Disneyland. 

I miss my devoted husband that I didn't forget in my path, or his, to success, but that I put on the back burner more than I care to admit. As did he with me. I miss a lot actually. You don't have to lose everything on your journey to success. Success is an awesome thing and I'm glad we're there. I'm just sorry that we're weak and lost our family values. 

So tonight, I did something trivial in most minds I guess. I swapped my big ring for my little one. I want to get back to basics and be me again. I can succeed and still be me. Who needs the big ring? Who needs to keep up with the Jones? Who are the Jones anyway? We're the Gossetts and I'm just going to own that from now on. 

We'll be OK. We'll be successful. We'll be happy.

She Graduated from Kindergarten...what...WHAT?

How can this be possible? I gave birth to this baby yesterday. Seriously. It was yesterday. But apparently not. My baby girl, my hot mess, just graduated from Kindergarten. Not a big deal you say? The hell! It's been a hard road and she's not an "easy" kid. I've gone to Staples and they told me there are no easy buttons for kids like this!

But she did it. She didn't just do it, she excelled at it. She's goofy, she acts up, but this baby did it. She stayed on "green" for most of the year. Two reds, one yellow. I'll take it. That's a record any mom should be proud of. 

It was a long ceremony. I might have complained a time or two. But truth be told, I wouldn't have missed it for the world. 

As she stood in the pool of caps and tassels, I watched her craziness. I don't think she was flossing her teeth on stage, but I'm not sure. I'm never completely sure with her but there's never a dull moment and that's the fun part. 

There are times in a momma's life when she should tell her child to act like "the others". Then there are those times when she realizes that her daughter acts just like her and it's OK to be different. And so I encourage it: Cut up Bug. You're on stage. It's your time to shine. Be funny and make them laugh. If they aren't laughing, you're doing something wrong. That's my girl!

And then, when the ceremony's finally over, and you see your baby girl with her friends, you know it's the beginning of the end (for you anyway...not for her). Yes, they're only 5 or 6. Yes, they have years to go before they're grown. Or do they? In the blink of an eye they went from infants to Kindergarten graduates. Future burn book authors (seriously look at these girls and think about the movie Mean Girls). It's hard to swallow. I swallowed back many tears as I watched my baby girl relish in "her moment". I've already seen 2 tiny minions grow and leave the nest. I want to hold fast to this one, and to her brother. 

Congratulations Bug! Can you do me a favor though and just slow down a bit? There's plenty of time to grow up. For now, just be Mommy's baby girl, keep smiling, and keeping being the "different" you that makes you so special. I'm proud of you.