J.P. Hearticulate

               Hearticulate

                            J.P. Edwards

         This album has touched many people already and it just had its debut! 

From my own hometown of Texarkana, Jeffrey Parker makes friends with everyone he meets. 

We met at Starbucks while I was at work there and his kindness made an impression on me.

The crew has adopted him as part of the family, which I am sure that all the people in Texarkana are very proud that his talent comes from here. 

I spoke with Frank Pryor, producer at S.M.A.R.T. production studios, and he said that he was very proud of this project. He was so excited and wanted me to write about my friend and his successful music, saying "It's like being wrapped in a big warm hug!"

I am so pleased with the opportunity to be able to jot down a few thoughts about this kind fellow that came to drink coffee and chat with us. 

Being from Texarkana is a blessing and a curse, of your choosing. There are so many uniquely talented people here, but some don't go after their dreams. We have A LOT of musicians to be discovered right here! 

            J.P. has the right idea. With brilliant lyrics and soft melodies that you can fall in love with, this romantic album sends you swooning for more of his talent. 

     There is no denying the beautiful voice and wonderful ability of his new album Hearticulate. check it out for yourself!


View all his upcoming events on facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/jpedwardsmusic?fref=ts

Take a look at the studio!
https://www.facebook.com/smartstudionash?fref=ts


Order this heartwarming album today!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/hearticulate/id1041969571

Heavy Glow

                                  Heavy Glow

A visit to Tk...

  Our town is called "twice as nice" but it only truly is when guys like this come to perform for us. Mingled in with our local talent, there just really isn't anywhere better to be in that moment. 

    

        I just met these guys on May 18, 2015 and they had a great impact on my love for music. So much so, that i HAD to write this blog.

 Their founder, Stevie Salas, was raised in San Diego, California, where he was influenced by a great variety of music.                                                  

 The talent of these friends is a collective amount of personality, melodic psychedelic retro feeling tunes that I can't help but to dance and head bang to.

You might call me a big fan, Heavy Glow enthusiast...

When they go on tour, they put their whole heart and soul into the performance. You can tell that they have a lot of fun on and off stage, making friends in every city they visit.

Every trip is filled with shenanigans, heart-filled moments and collaborations of dedicated musicians. I feel so happy and honored that they would come to my city and make my friends, their friends!

 

Sexism in 2015, what a bitch

                  In the words of Lily Allen, it's hard out here for a bitch!

       I was raised in the south with very little knowledge of how the world works and my place as a woman. I got pregnant at 15...yes i had sex when i was 15...not uncommon at all, but very "frowned upon." Well let me just let you in on a secret...alot of people have sex at 15, why should i have to justify it just because I'm a woman?! Not frowned upon for a man, just a woman because she can get pregnant. Well, guess what? I have a beautiful 14 year old daughter! She knows about sex, because i told her...I made sure she understands the reason why she is inclined to want to try it because of hormones, the reason why she should always have protection and birth control. I also told her that it's a big decision and not let guys talk her into it like i did. My daughters will be fully educated on sex and how she has the right to live as she chooses. She will know that she does not have to feel shame for engaging in sexual activity as long as she is safe. She will also be a strong woman who pursues her goals and does not get arranged into a marriage before she is grown enough to know better.
           2015 and it's still so sexist that i want to scream! Why are my sexual needs not important? Why is it not ok for me to have lovers?Yes, multiple, because let's  face it, i have options and i don't want to have to spend the rest of my life with someone i don't have a burning desire to have sex with every night! I am so sick of feeling degraded just because i have sex! Don't spout your ridiculous religion at me either! I am a human  being that lives as such.
      Men, just because i don't want you does not mean that I am less of a person! Respect me, respect yourself and move the fuck on! I love sex, but that doesn't make me a "slut" and besides, what's wrong with a healthy sexual appetite? Just because you want me, does not mean i have to give in!
     I work hard, i am promiscuous, and i take care of business! If you don't like it, bite me!
I am not property, I have a brain and feelings and i can do as i please! You can't just use me and throw me aside and call me a slut, it's degrading and guess what? I can do better than you! No doubt that's why you ditched me, fear of rejection...so many more people to choose from, why would i give a shit if you broke my heart? I'm a free woman, free to live and love as i see fit.
This isn't ancient biblical times where i will need to be stoned for leaving my childhood husband, this is America where we all have rights to explore our sexuality and marry for love not circumstance.

So I should've posted a New Year's resolution on here, but I guess I just wanted to achieve it! I guess its true about writing it down makes you turn it into a plan though. I did/do write things all the time, they just don't get wrote on here that often.  I am starting to go after my goals this year!!
I didn't get my Executive promoter kit or my personal training studies started like I wanted, but I have gotten my article written on Young moms club!!! This was on my list! I also wanted to do something artistic, which I am! I got a role in the local college play! I also want to take my business and fitness to the next level and budget our family money better. I am determined to get my physique in top condition! I have to start researching muscle gain. I know that this paragraph is not super interesting and not very grammar fantastic, but I just had to type this up because I am so proud of the progress I am making that I have wanted for so long. I really hope my charities go well and that I can help people get free nutrition and lose weight/get fit!

Busy mom, multi-tasking?!

Today i am thinking about alot of things.
1. fashion: I love to look special. It takes alot of work, time and money to build a wardrobe and i have three little girls to dress too! I want them to have different styles, designs and colors when getting dressed. I also want them to have the right accessories and hairstyles to go with it. I see people with great outfits that match their day and personality and i just wonder how they pull it off. I mean, I am still trying to find my signature style and its even harder when you dont have time to shop. I love seconhand things because i dont feel as bad if i keep something a week and then decide i hate it.

2. Recipes and food! I need to print off recipes and think of creative ways to incorporate good foods into meals that my family will love to eat together. and this leads me to the second thing of number 2: coupons!! I have got to get printing so i can save money!

3. Homework! I love to teach my daughters new things and study with them what they are learning in school. I need to research and get to printing out a weekly plan of cool things for us to do together. which also includes crafts!!!

4. excercise! It is so hard for me to stick to a schedule with kids! I love that i have a full time job with precious little ones, but i also need to figure out a way to kick up my workout routine while still leaving energy for them.

5. THE CHALLENGE! I have got to get to promoting! I have a party to plan on Sunday and i need to get to calling people for it. I absolutely love my job and i have got to get the success rolling with helping people get fit for free!

Being a mom is a very tough job, but its the most rewarding too! Your children are a direct result of the things you teach them. The time and attention you spend will determine what kind of person they become. Life isnt perfect and we will make mistakes about what we do around them, but the little things could mean the most.
 Show them you really care by teaching them things and spending time with them. Find things they are interested in and go from there. You could read a book, take a walk, excercise, go to the park and fly a kite, or play ball. There are so many things you can do together to pass the time that we teach your children fundamentals of how to be. Like respect and responsibility. Even just eating a meal together and discussing how the day went is a good way to connect.
 I find it very satisfying that i have had a good day with my kids! So i do my best to schedule the day and add play time or creativity. Even just sitting outside early in the morning when its nice is special to us. I love to find things my children enjoy and cultivate their talents. I like to take a moment for each one and let them know they are special and loved.
 As challenging and time consuming children are, they are worth the effort and time. I am proud to be a mother of inspiring kids who i want to teach focus as well as creativity and adventure. They teach me as much as i teach them.  I love pouring myself into their development. Sometimes i think i dont do enough and that i dont work hard enough and then i remember that i have the most important job of all: shaping little minds.

  Rather than blast all over facebook, i figured i would write a "diary" entry. I am feeling really overwhelmed by alot of things right now. I have a full time job taking care of my three girls and this house and the bills. With the girls starting school, it makes me want to do something so much! I am so ambitious, but have yet to accomplish much for myself. I LOVE my job but its not making money as fast as i want. Well, i LOVE being home with my three yr old and she keeps me busy so i dont have alot of time to promote and i dont have alot of money either. So, now i am asking God what he wants me to do and he is telling me that i AM doing what i need to do. I am so impatient and want to do so many things. I also want to make money so i can help my husband and have more fun with my kids. I want them to be able to do special activities that harness their talents. I hope by spring that my business will be doing well so that i can put my daughter in preschool, but i really like being home with her bc she is growing so fast. I definitely do not just want to pay some strangers to watch her when i can do it myself. I am worried that it would be a waste of effort and money anyway bc i would have to pay childcare and gas and probably wouldnt bring anything home at just any job. I have high goals and i intend to achieve them, but not at the expense of my daughter. I want to enjoy this time with her, but i am constantly worried about money. I want to put my faith in God and start putting a plan into motion.

"Garnish" your creative life

 As I was scrubbing the kitchen floor on my hands and knees, I was beginning to realize why so many people find it hard to eat well. Ok, I understand America! Why you are having trouble eating right and excercising, I do get it. You don't have alot of time, just like me, you struggle with knowing what to eat and when. A workout schedule is hard to keep as well. I mean I am wondering how in the world my house is so dirty when i am here all the time and i am constantly cleaning! LOL
People who work and have kids have the most work cut out for them with health.

  I absolutely love food, but i am realizing that i have no idea what i am doing when it comes to cooking dishes. I want so badly for my family to eat together and eat healthy, but we all like different things! I want to try new recipes, but honestly i dont have alot of time. I try to pick up some different fruit or vegetable at the grocery store every time, but i need to research it first. Who has time for that? I dont currently own a smart phone so i couldnt just look it up either. With little money and even less time, it gets harder and harder to put together good meals instead of call for take out or hitting the nearest drive-thru window, I feel your pain! I bought radish today and duh, its a Garnish!! haha
I dont know any recipes to use it, but i knew it was a vegetable. I will have to come up with a way to use it.

 So, we know that there are many bad effects that alcohol, tobacco and even prescribed (and not) drugs have on our bodies and we still use them. Fruits and vegetables have many positive effects to our bodies. Why not take a step to new health by buying fruits and vegetables and make the time to eat them?! I know what you are thinking: I can't afford it, I don't know how, I already try, I don't have time. Well, if i can squeeze in some creative thinking into my brain, you can too. Think healthy and be healthy, even if you have to research and read and study until you gain all the knowledge you need to cook and eat and excercise to better health!!

  Presently, I have been struggling the last couple of weeks to stay on track. My eating habits have changed and my excercise hasn't been on cue for my schedule that i had. I have many goals that i want to obtain and i am realizing i have a long way to go. Along with studying fitness and nutrition, I am going to need to study culinary, because i love food and i want to know how to make all the ingredients come together in a dish. This takes lots of work, but it is so worth it! Its worth the effort to eat right and that takes preparation. If you don't take the time to eat healthy, you will feel sick soon after you gobble down unhealthy junk that is fast. I understand you feel faint and need to get something down you quickly, eat an apple or orange until you get your meal made. If you want to reach your goals, add some creativity but choosing to learn and grow, its the spice of life.

  Visalus isn't just "something to do" for me. I honestly didnt know what kind of career i wanted until now. I am very interested in a great many things. I love Music, I would love to teach, I want to take physcology, english, history...I love all kinds of things. I also want to learn to play the piano, relearn the flute, maybe even the guitar. Now I am interested in martial arts, kickboxing, yoga, and personal training. That is my new goal to become certified and be a nutrtionist. I want to help people get healthy and make it a lifestyle. People dont understand and they say "But i like to eat" uh hello, I do too!!! That is why i workout! People need to wake up and realize that they can make small changes and gradually learn new habits that they will do without thinking about it and may start leaving unhealthy things alone!!! I just dont understand how people can say they want to lose weight or look good in a two-piece and not try to change! If you want something, you are going to have to work for it, its not just gonna happen! Yes excercising can be difficult, but it is worth it for your self-esteem! I am not asking anyone to give up all their favorite foods, I am simply saying that you can cut down, lose weight and start making healthier choices. You may even be able to make some of the recipes you love with less sugar and fat than before.
   My challenge kits are awesome and I love telling people about it! The products we have will help you stay focused and energized! We have a wonderful company that is one big family! We care and we want you to be happy and healthy! So why not get started on your goals today? you can get fit for free and help your family and friends do the same! I am here to help, so no more excuses!
You CAN afford it! Just do it :)



My Challenge showdown video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jVVH0hT138&feature=plcp

Diary of mad house wife

       I always think about getting a job, other than the one i currently have. I work so hard to keep the house clean and the girls' things in order. Keeping up with three girls is tough!  The Lord keeps reminding me that I AM doing my job. To be a stay at home mom is tough! I need to focus on the kids and getting Anna ready for preschool. She brings me so much joy! I do get tired of being at home, but my creative side comes out when i ask the Lord for inspiration.

So, I am supposed to be enjoying the summer. Instead, I have done nothing but worry and fuss.

I want so badly to do things that i have never done before! I want to go places and have adventures! Live life! It has been a bit of a bummer summer, but we've made the best of it. We always find a way to be thankful. I need to keep my eyes and goals on the Lord.

It takes money and time to go and do fun stuff. ok, mostly money, which i dont have.

I need a job to make money to do stuff and buy stuff. Jealousy is not attractive on anyone, especially a Christian. I see my collegues succeeding and supplying good health to the masses and i want to be happy for them, but i want things. terrible, i know.

But, for now, I need to get myself in check. Take care of the kids, take care of the bills, take care of the house (cleaning) and the many other things i attend to. I get into bad moods because i dont have what others do. What they do, who they have become, I want to BE someone to. Then I realize, all the wonderful tasks God has assigned to me. I have three gorgeous children, cherish them.

I have a hard working wonderful husband, comfort him. So what if we are struggling right now, it won't stay this way and it has definitely been worse! Oh, how far we've come!

The plan now is to focus on the kids and prepare for the upcoming opportunities. Personal training certification study will commence as soon as i have Anna ready to enroll for school. Prepare her for getting up and studying. Prepare my attitude for the work place. I should get used to difficult situations. Learn how to control my emotions and handle my kids with carress.

The start of the fall shall be good. Lilyanna and I enjoying the planned days of being together. In the Spring I intend to file my fasfa for college, but if i can afford it, I will buy the materials needed online for the pt. So, maybe by then she will be ready. 6 months and enroll in school? maybe. If i can find a job suitable for the pay needed for preschool. So, enjoy the next couple of months? How, when everything is falling apart around me with my husband working hard to provide and still lacking? I could put in job applications, but it would be just as well to wait. Lord be with us. So tired of being short on money to breathe.

But, they are getting older. Each day shows new signs that i had better enjoy every moments passing, because they will all, too soon end.

So quiet with the little one and I. I see now that just one kid is easy, no matter the age. The noise gets to me and i just want to be my own person!!! I mean really, why can't i have the best of both worlds? no friends, no fun! Well, just this past weekend was fun. What am I really seeking? New friends, maybe. New business opportunities, definitely! Truth is, I have lots of friends, but can never connect with them. For some reason they are either too wrapped in their own lives or i dont have enough money to be a part of theirs. I honestly dont get out much. Perhaps if i had a chance to actually join something, like sports, excercise classes, etc. Hence, the need for money. I want my girls to join things too. They are so talented like their mother. So a job would be a great solution, but I already work really hard at my job. I take it seriously. Sometimes too serious. I need to get messy with the kids and do arts and crafts like we used to. Definitely going to start studying again. I try to keep the house disinfected, you can tell i have OCD cant you? Yes, I work hard. Does it pay? Yes, it does, I just forget how important it is.

Do not be conformed of this world, says the Lord. But, I want so much to have nice things, especially clothes. I love fashion. I love music, to sing, to dance. I can't even afford to take my kids anywhere. But to rush to a job now would be foolish. I have so much on my plate as it is. I can't even afford to keep the house repaired and the yard in order. But, we have definitely had worse. We are so blessed to have a home and vehicles and utilities.

It's hard to detach myself from "mom" to "Me" because I haven't been anyone else for a while. I want to explore this "Me" person. I want a group of friends that can honestly say they enjoy being around me. I need a fire in my heart with the passion I used to have. Love unabandoned. Express who I am without bounds. Do I know who that person is? Where did that lusty redhead go? I love being me, but am I on fire? I want to feel the flames of heat for my love. Do I love me? Where are these cravings a young woman should feel? Beauty is not just skin deep! I know what real love is and yet I let the precious moments pass me by because I can't feel the heat that once consumed me! Oh, to feel that again, why did those flames burn out?! To be hot on the inside as well as out. Is it true? Do I dare to believe the words of his lips that used to make me tremble when they kissed me.

I have decided that I will enjoy every moment of being a stay at home mom, even if that means letting my business take me a while. I am finding myself more and more. This parenting thing is awesome, it just takes some time to get the hang of it. I enjoy excercising, writing, relaxing, and playing with my daughters. I love to be outside with them and play sports. As I am writing this, we are outside enjoying the summer sun. wearing sun screen of course. But soaking up the vitamin D.


May 20,2012

I really have been spoiled over the past 6 years and have noticed it fully. But, you know, me just getting started on my career is no different than people my age just now having children. I have learned how to balance my own time with the lives of my children, on most days ;)  My career thus far has been to raise my girls and indeed i have done well. "For there is no perfect way to parent a child, but many ways to be a great one." I have just begun to truly enjoy being a stay at home mom, but all good things must come to a new beginning of one's self. I am still on the journey of finding out who i want to be and where God wants to lead me. Oh how I love nature and how the breeze flows over me as I enjoy the sun. The winds of change are surely blowing.