Inner Beauty (Girlz & Teenz)

Dainty Dolls

2011-09-24T18:50:00.000-07:00

Here's an adorable craft that you can make from scraps around your house and a box of Q-tips. Check out these Cotton Swab Dolls. Have fun!

Beautiful Modesty

2011-05-03T11:30:00.000-07:00

Make Your Own Doll Bed

2011-02-22T11:11:00.000-08:00

Check out these instructions for an adorable home-made doll bed made from a garden stake and a basket. Too cute!

Healthy Makeup Sale :)

2010-12-01T10:51:00.000-08:00

Place any Teen Mineral Makeup™ / Affordable Mineral Makeup™ order totaling $15.95 or greater from www.InnerBeautyGirls.com from now through December 3, 2010 and use discount code
cyberweek1210
in the coupon code field at checkout to enjoy:

30% OFF your ENTIRE order AND...

A sleek black Mini Kabuki brush ($6.49 value) FREE WITH YOUR ORDER!

No limits! No exclusions! Use the coupon as many times as you like! Share the coupon with your friends and family on Facebook and email!

When you order, please be sure to always enter the catalog page through my "Shop" link at www.InnerBeautyGirls.com and to add my name, Jenni Saake, to the comments section of your order. This will allow me to be recognized as your personal consultant and to be able to continue servicing your beauty needs in the future. Thank you for observing this deta

Great Prices on Doll Clothes!

2010-11-19T08:37:00.001-08:00

Win Felicity

2010-11-02T11:50:00.000-07:00

All the doll lovers out there know by now that Felicity is being retired from the American Girl doll collection. If you want a chance to win this sweet doll before she's gone, check out the give-a-ways at MommyMandy.com and OurOrdinaryLife!

Thank you to:

and

:)

Save 20% on Mineral Makeup + GIFT!

2010-11-02T11:31:00.000-07:00

Place any Affordable Mineral Makeup™ / Teen Mineral Makeup™ (AMM / TMM) order of $10 or more from www.InnerBeautyGirls.com from now through November 5, 2010 and take 20% OFF your entire purchase when you use coupon code eggme1110 at checkout!

But wait, that's not all! With every order placed using this special promotional code, you will also receive a FREE Mini Kabuki brush with a retail value of $6.49! :)

No limits or restrictions. No exclusions. Use the coupon as many times as you like! Share the coupon with your friends and family on Facebook and email! Simply place your order and enter eggme1110 in the coupon code field when you checkout. Enjoy!!!

When you take advantage of this great deal, if you would be so kind as to be sure you are always entering the AMM website directly through the "shop" button on my consultant page at InnerBeautyGirls.com and that you leave my name, Jenni Saake, in the comments section when you make your purchase, I would greatly appreciate it. This will help assure that your order is credited to my account and that I am able to continue servicing your Affordable Mineral Makeup needs in the future. Thank you so much! :)

12% savings code

2010-04-07T17:11:00.000-07:00

Get 12% off your entire Affordable Mineral Makeup order today and tomorrow (through 11:59 Thursday evening) at www.InnerBeautyGirls.com with coupon code:
worldhealthday

Award Winning Kid Author

2010-04-07T09:56:00.000-07:00

Find out what Alexa Schnee, the youngest ever recipient of the Mount Hermon "Most Promising Writer" Award, has to share with her friends about writing:

Advice for Your Writers, From a Young Writer

Refresh!

2010-03-19T15:47:00.000-07:00

Here's a wonderful new blog designed for young women, teens through college-aged, can come by to be refreshed by the Word of God and real, truth-filled encouragement! It's also a place for women to be equipped with answers to questions every young gal faces in this journey called life.

Check out Refresh for Q&A on everything from friendships to forgiveness, from social life to siblings. Great give-aways too! :)

How to Make Doll Shoes

2010-02-23T11:54:00.000-08:00

Here's a fun link!
Doll Shoe Pattern

Have fun. :)

Dollar Doll Clothes

2009-12-10T14:45:00.000-08:00

For those who love dolls, sewing, and/or saving money, I just had to share these amazing links!

Dollar Doll Clothes from Underware! You have to take a moment and check out this amazing, frugal and adorable idea!!!

Doll Messenger Bag and Shoes from Recycled Handbag

Dollar Store Recyle Makes Doll Backpack

Something For Nothing Doll Dress (How amazing that she found Felicity for $1 at a yard sale!)

Fun Doll Resources

2009-12-07T09:23:00.000-08:00

We love dolls at our house. I still have some of mine from when I was younger (the Fisher Price "My Friend" line with dolls about 15 inches) and Mandy and Jenny are now lovingly cherished by our daughter, "MineralPrincess". Many of her friends have American Girl dolls, but so far the only 18 inch doll she has is her treasured Elizabeth from the Proverbs 31 line.

We are just learning our way around the 18-inch world and wanted to share with you a few fun doll resources we have found so far.

Emily Rose provides beautiful 18 inch doll clothing and furniture at discounted prices.

Dolls N' Woll is the blog of 11-year-old Jasmine, filled with adorable doll pictures, stories of the lives of her dolls, and an occasional fun give-away. :)

Doll Clothes Patterns offers patterns to make your own clothing for your 18 inch doll.

American Doll Fan is another cute doll blog.

I am very sad to say that Proverbs 31 dolls have been out of stock for some time and Blessed Toys cannot confirm any plans to restart this line. When MineralPrincess gets a little older, she will receive some A Life of Faith girl dolls that we were able to collect before that wonderful company also stopped production this year. Another beautiful alternative to AG is available through The Vision Forum in their Beautiful Girlhood collection (less expensive, yet reported to be great quality) - I haven't seen this line in person.

What are your favorite doll websites? Please share!

Free Book July 10 only

2009-07-10T11:55:00.000-07:00

We all want to be skinny. There are healthy ways to work toward this goal and unhealthy ways. If you are a teen wondering about how to live with your body, today only you can order a TOTALLY FREE (as in nothing for the book, no tax, no shipping, nada!) copy of Skinny by Laura L Smith Today Only, using coupon code H20E1M3Y4. Enter your coupon code at the top of your cart before you head to check out.

Free Makeup Offer

2009-07-08T14:12:00.000-07:00

Receive a FREE 5g sifter jar of Teen Mineral Makeup™ in your choice of color by placing any $50 order before July 13! To receive this gift, write "free 5" and the name of your color choice in the COMMENTS section (notice, this is different from the discount code area) when you place your order from InnerBeautyGirls.com

Give-Aways!

2009-05-02T13:29:00.000-07:00

Over on the main InnerBeautyGirlz.com website (adult version of this blog) I'm hosting a big Virtual Spa Weekend right now with lots of give-aways. So please let you mom, your aunt, your teacher or any special woman (18 or over) in you life know about it. Here's a special offer just for my "Girlz" who are teens and tweens.

Nancy Rue, has graciously donated a copy of FaithGirlz BeautyLab to be mailed to one of my readers. All you need to do to enter this contest is check with your parents for permission, then leave me a comment with your first name, age and a working email address (so I can contact you to get your mailing address if you win) by May 9. If you are under 13, please ask and adult to enter for you, something like, "Hi, I'm Amy's mom, Sue. Amy is 11 and would love to win this book. Please email us at amyandsue@ouremail.com when we win. :)"

Teen Mineral Makeup

2009-03-04T08:52:00.000-08:00

Now Affordable Mineral Makeup™ has a "little sister" division, offering high-quality, trendy makeup just for teens and tweens!

Knight In Shining Armor

2009-02-14T19:00:00.000-08:00

As young women we long to be swept off our by a knight in shining armor. We have fairy-tail dreams that are all-too-often disapointed by the guys in our lives. But tonight I want to tell you the most beautiful Valentine's story ever.

Let me start by telling you about two necklaces I own. One is a large, beautiful crystal-cut heart necklace. The other is also a heart, this one of solid metal and inscribed with the words of John 15:13, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

Like my crystal necklace, there are many ways we can strive to look beautiful on the outside and reflect a good image to the world around us, just like the facets on this necklace reflect beautiful colors and light. To look at most of us you might think that we “have it all together.” But if I take off my necklace and hold it away from light, we can see that all that beauty is just outward and that inside there is nothing there but plain glass. Sometime what we portray to the world is simply a disguise for the fragile emptiness we are feeling inside.

We all have different heartaches. Yours may be longing for someone to love or be loved by. Or trying to make your body look differently than it does in order to fill that void in you heart. At one time in my life my emptiness drove me to the point desperation and even contemplating suicide. No one could see that lonely emptiness inside, but I knew it was there. The heartache and grief consumed me every day and I felt abandoned by God because it seemed that He didn't even care.

But thankfully how I may "feel" about God doesn't dictate reality. Lamentations chapter 3 is a long book of heartache about all the things this author suffered. But hidden right in the midst of his complaints, he dramatically shifts gears for a few verses and boldly proclaims, "Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail." While I was busy feeling overlooked by Him, He had already been going out of His way to prove the opposite to me.

What is the value of something? It isn't really the cost of an item as much as it is what someone is really willing to pay. There are many things I don't buy because the price tag is higher than I feel the value to be. But God placed the ultimate value on me when He choose to pay the price of His son's life to prove His love for me! Many of us know the verse John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." God made this verse very personal to me when I realized that "God so long to call me His daughter that He allowed the death of His only biological son to pay the price of my adoption."

If you are feeling empty and fragile and wondering about God's love for you, He has proved it better than any knight in shining armor ever could. Remember the verse on my second necklace, John 15:13? "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." Just like this necklace is strong and solid and full of meaning, when I put my hope in God and trust Him at His word even when I don't "feel" Him there, He fills that empty place in my heart with hope.

” Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness…
For men are not cast off
by the Lord forever.
Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,
so great is his unfailing love.“

-Lamentations3:21-23, 3:31-32 (NIV)

Teens for Safe Cosmetics

2008-10-17T16:59:00.000-07:00

I stumbled across a fantasitc website today, Teens for Safe Cosmetics. This organization was founded and is run by young women who are passionate about using healthy beauty products that do not contain ingrediants linked to cancer, reproductive issues or other health risks. Check them out today at http://www.teensforsafecosmetics.org/

Win FREE Wii™ System!, an iPod™ Nanos, or signed copies of THE BOOK OF NAMES

2008-07-30T22:23:00.000-07:00

I'm stepping a bit outside my usual offering with this one, but the prizes (a FREE Wii™ System!, an iPod™ Nanos, and signed copies of THE BOOK OF NAMES, by D. Barkley Briggs of http://hiddenlands.net ) are just too big to ignore. So I emailed the author and asked if his book touched on true beauty in any ways. Here's Mr. Briggs' reply, along with a short passage from his book.

"The central theme of my book is about the power of identity, and where true identity originates. While the tone is geared more towards boys, I've heard from plenty of girls about how much they love the fantasy genre (as well as from their moms and grandmas who are buying it for them)."

The following scene involves Hadyn, the older brother, being captured by the Nameless. He is being hauled away in the hold of a ship along with many other Nameless/Lost, on their way to the island of the sorceress Nemesia. They go to her to forget themselves and their pain:

"I don't know what Kyra means. I just know I don't like it. I never have."
"Why? It's very pretty."
"That is why. I am not nearly so pretty as my name."
Hadyn, taken aback, quickly realized he needed to be careful. He did not want to risk offending whatever new friend or ally he had just gained. Kyra had smooth skin and bright eyes flecked with mischief not yet lost to Nemesia. Like all the Lost, she was dirty and worn, but most anyone seeing her would have thought her attractive. Not beautiful, but cute. And feminine, with a girlish, fluttering voice.
"I don't much like being a girl," she said, as if reading his thoughts. "Always guessing what other people think about me. I grew up watching the Revlon Cirque in Portaferry. Now those are women! So beautiful and graceful, with those huge feathers in their long, twirling hair."
"I'm sorry. I don't know what that is."
"The Cirque? Are you even from here? You talk funny."
"To be honest, I don't know how to tell you where I'm from."
"Well, everyone here loves the Revlon Cirque," Kyra smirked. "They are the most marvelous carnivale in all the world. Men desire them. Women envy them. Paintings of them hang in the streets. They are rich and famous." She lowered her eyes. "I do not have their shape, their face, or their fame. I never will. When I told a friend once how I wished I could be a Revlon, she laughed at me."
Hadyn spoke gently. "Not much of a friend, I'd say."
Kyra was unmoved. She pulled out a small round mirror from the folds of her gown. It fit in the palm of her hand. She gazed into it sadly. "That is only because you do not see what I see every day in the looking glass."

- from THE BOOK OF NAMES, by D. Barkley Briggs. Used by permission from NavPress. Copyright 2008, all rights reserved. www.navpress.com

So I leave you with this simple question... What do you see every day in your looking glass?

Winners for Two Months Running!

2008-05-08T08:34:00.000-07:00

And yet a second congratulations to the Reno Homeschool Wonderful Wacky Writers for taking first place in the Silly Books international writing contest for a second straight month! Check out their Penguin's Peanut Butter story. :)

Kid Author Congratulations!!!

2008-04-07T09:45:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to my Eagle Homeschool Co-op Writing for Publication class, the Reno Homeschool Wonderful Wacky Writers (RHWWW), who have just won the February writing contest at SillyBooks.net! Please view their adorable story, Pirates, Popcorn and a Party that has been professionally illustrated as part of their winning package.

Looking for more resources for homeschooling writers? Check out homeschoolwriters.com for a great list of contests and writing resources!

Growing in Beauty - Guest blog with author Camy Tang!

2008-03-19T07:49:00.001-07:00

Something many of you may not know about me is that I was raised in Japan for seven years of my childhood. So is it especially fun for me to share today's blog with Camy Tang who describes herself as "the loud Asian chick who writes loud Asian chick lit." She used to be a biologist, but now she is a staff worker for her church youth group and leads a worship team for Sunday service. She also runs the Story Sensei fiction critique service. On her blog, she gives away Christian novels every Monday and Thursday, and she ponders frivolous things like dumb dogs (namely, hers), coffee-geek husbands (no resemblance to her own...), the writing journey, Asiana, and anything else that comes to mind. Visit her website at www.camytang.com for a huge website contest going on right now, giving away five boxes of books and 25 copies of her latest release, ONLY UNI.

Welcome, Camy. Thank you for joining us to share your reflections on beauty!

-----

Thanks for having me here, Jenni!

I love the verse for your Inner Beauty Girlz website, 1 Peter 3: “Beauty should not come from outward adornment... Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.”

It took me a long time to understand my inner beauty and to be happy with who I am. For most of my teenage years and even my twenties, I spent too much time being embarrassed for being awkward, nervous about making a social mistake, shy to put myself forward.

I knew my self-esteem was low, but I thought it was “natural” or that I needed to exert myself more in order to raise it. I knew that my self-esteem ought to be dependent solely on Christ, but I didn’t know how to go about doing that, and couldn’t get what I knew in my head to make an impression on my heart and how I felt.

It wasn’t until I reached my late twenties that I started to understand how to let Christ determine my self-esteem. I’d been under the misapprehension that I needed perfect social graces to be acceptable to other people. That mistakes on my part would make people think of me as strange or odd, and at all costs, I didn’t want to stand out or be thought of as a weirdo.

But slowly I started to understand who I really was, who God had made me. Slowly I started being happier with exactly who God had made me—a bit awkward, with an unusual sense of humor, a bit out of the ordinary.

And that was okay.

I made an effort to stop being nervous about social mistakes I made. I learned to ignore my mistakes or laugh at them. And I discovered that while some people DID think I was odd, I started making friends with people who DIDN’T think I was odd.

God sent me friends who loved who I was—awkward, strange, a bit of a dingbat. He gave me people to be my sisters in Christ, and a husband who completes me in ways I didn’t realize I needed him.

I have found my inner beauty, and realized it was there all the time, the beautiful person God had made me to be. When I could accept who I am, and stopped trying to be who I was not, He drew people to me who also saw my beauty. He helped me see myself as His child.

And because of what He’s done for me, this is my prayer for all my readers, too—that they will co me to see themselves as God made them, and to accept who they are.

Winner of My Life, Unscripted

2008-02-02T16:09:00.000-08:00

Plaughersquared, you are the winner of the January drawing for My Life, Unscripted by Tricia Goyer! Please email me at jennifer AT saake DOT biz (removing spaces and replacing AT and DOT with @ and .) with your mailing address by February 15, 2008, and I will be happy to drop this wonderful book in the mail to you!

Published Authors Under 18 Years Old!

2008-01-11T15:06:00.000-08:00

I am going to be teaching a class in our local homeschool co-op on writing for publication. The class will be open to anyone in 4th-12th grades. As I'm collecting resources for this class I'm finding some really fun websites for or about authors under 18 years old. I'll probably be editing this post frequently, adding new links, but I'm getting it started today as a central place to keep track of what I'm finding.

Please note that while I have personally visited every site listed here, at least briefly, resources are listed here for informational purposes only and I am not specifically endorsing any site linked here. I have not had a chance to explore most of these links in much depth and would appreciate hearing from you if there is any site linked that would cause grief to the heart of God. I would ask you to prayerfully evaluate each potential markets for your writing together with your parents and have them approve any websites you wish to visit.

If you are serious about getting published, be sure to start with some of the resources found on the Young Author's Bookshelf!

Websites, Publications or Publishers Seeking/Accepting Youth Submissions:

KidLit offers children the opportunity to see their works of art or literature published on the web.

Cyberkids is a site for ages 7-12 to submit writing.

KidPub claims to be "the world's largest online collection of stories written by kids for kids!" (There is a a $12.95 yearly fee to participate on this website.)
Stone Soup invites young people ages 8 to 13 to contribute their stories, poems, book reviews, and artwork.

Creative Kids magazine "is the nation’s largest magazine by and for kids. The magazine bursts with games, stories, and opinions all by and for kids ages 8–14." Contents include brain teasers, contests, stories, artwork, poetry, pen pals, mysteries and more.

Skipping Stones magazine contains writing by adults and children. Kids ages 8 to 16 may submit essays, stories, letters to the editor, riddles and proverbs.

TeenAge Magazine online publication "For Teens, By Teens".

Teen Ink offers teenagers the opportunity to publish their creative work and opinions on the issues that affect their lives - everything from love and family to teen smoking and community service. Published more than 25,000 teens since 1989. (Request free sample issue from their site.)

The Claremont Review showcases inspiring young adult writers ages 13 to 19.

Cicada accepts submissions from 14 years and up and publishes short stories, poems, and first-person essays written for teens and young adults.

Teen Voices provides a forum for teenage girls by publishing their poems, essays, letters, and stories.

What If? showcases creative writing, editorials, book reviews, and songwriter interviews by Canada’s teens. Work by writers in other countries is also considered.

Cyberteens is a site for teens to submit writing.

Writing Contests:

Reading Rainbow, K-3rd, March 21, 2008 submission deadline

Scholastic: Kids are Authors, K-8th in teams of 3 or more, March 15, 2008 deadline

SillyBooks.net 2008 Writing Contest invites any child age 16 or younger to write a silly book on any topic, but it must be under 300 words. It may be fiction or non-fiction. Books may be written by individual authors or in collaboration with friends or classmates. Final submission deadline is May 31, 2008. SillyBooks will choose a winning entry each month, between September, 2007 and April, 2008 (8 total monthly winners) with $25 cash prize each.

Listen to a Life contest. Interview an older person about their hopes and goals through their life, how they achieved goals and overcame obstacles, and how dreams may have changed along the way. You must be 8-18 years old, interviewing a grandparent or "grandfriend" 50 years or older, and write a 300-word essay based on the interview. Prizes include Lenovo computer, $25,000+ in Orchard software, and iPods! Deadline: March 31, 2008.

Picture Book Writing Contest for Homeschoolers, open to any homeschooled student "working at a high school level" (any age, as long as the appropriate level of study is presented), submissions between March 1 and March 31, 2008 only.

Christian Worldview Essay Contest offering $6,000 in prizes! Open to anyone ages 17 to 23 as of Jan. 1, 2008. Must read the book Freedom and Capitalism: Essays on Christian Politics and Economics John W. Robbins and write your essay about this title. Submission deadline September 1, 2008.

Online Publishing Large list of online publishing sources including many different contests for youth writers!

Academic Contests for Homeschoolers

Authors Who Have Become Published Before Age 18:

16-year-old homeschooler, Ellie Willingham, author of Wildwood.

Articles about homeschooled Christopher Paolini, author of NY Times best seller, Eragon:
Christopher Paolini and Eragon
How I write: Christopher Paolini
Interview with Christopher
How Stuff Works: 15 year old author
Young Genius CCN Video

Books by Children

Become a Better Writer:
While the first few sites listed here are specifically for kids who write, others are general writing resources or sites about writing children's stoies (and probably created more with adult authors in mind, but this doesn't mean you can't find some helpful tips too).

Writing Workshop for Kids offers 16 lessons teaching you how to create your characters and "show don't tell" their feelings. Write beginnings that "hook" your reader. Learn to use a "writing camera" to freeze a scene, and much more! Download free worksheets for practice and easy reference.

Learn to Write the Novel Way is a step-by-step program for 5th-12 graders, teaching you to write an entire novel!

Paradigm Online Writing Assistant interactive, menu-driven online writers guide and handbook free on the web

The Purple CrayonInformation about Writing, Illustrating, and Publishing Children's Books

Children's Book Writing Supersite

Articles:

Getting Kids' Writing Published Ideas to help children submit writing and become published writers or artists in magazines, on websites, and in other publications.

Writing and Publishing as a Kid offers tips for young authors who are serious about their writing, basic elements of story writing, and a list of books for getting published as a kid.

Video Contest

2008-01-04T16:15:00.000-08:00

Last week I featured Tricia Goyer's book, My Life Unscripted. (Don't foget to leave a comment on that thread for a chance to win her book!) Now let me share Tricia's latest contest with you. Creat Your Own Video and share it with Tricia for a chance to win!

When a Friend is Pregnant

2007-12-29T08:11:00.000-08:00

I just read a wonderful article called What If You Were That Friend? by Tricia Goyer. Tricia offers 6 specific steps you can take to be the kind of friend Jesus would want you to be when you find out a friend is pregnant. She knows what she is talking about, having "been there" herself.

For a chance to win Tricia's amazing book, My Life Unscripted: Who's Writing Your Life?, please leave a comment here (with a valid email address so that I can contact you if you win) by Jan 31, 2008. If you post a link to this thread somewhere and send me the link, you will earn an additional entry in the drawing for each link you send me. I will gladly share this book with one blog reader when I draw a name in early February.

Gonna Wash That Dullness Right Out of My Hair!

2007-12-28T12:25:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder how to get your hair a bit shinner? There is one very simple trick that can help. Wash and condition your hair in nice warm water, being sure to rinse, rinse, rinse it well! (You probably need to rinse about twice as long as you think you do in order to get all the soap out.) Then do a final rinse with cool to cold water. This will help close down the hair follicles and help turn dullness to beautiful shine!

While rinsing with cold water, use this same technique with your skin as well. Wash your face with a gentle soap and warm water. Rinse well, then slash you face with an invigorating slash of very cold water to help keep your skin healthy and fight away dirt and grime.

TBIO (Turn Beauty Inside Out)

2007-12-14T10:12:00.000-08:00

What a great site! TBIO was started a group of girls, ages 8-16, "to invite people everywhere to join us in celebrating Inner Beauty - the beauty of conviction, caring and action. Girls and boys (not to speak of women and men) need a definition of beauty that focuses on who they are and what they do, not on how they look." Activities of TBIO include looking for "Bad Ads" and mailing them back to the creators with "GirlCaught" Stickers to let advertisers know that we won't buy into messages that promote unhealthy self-images or other poor values! Be sure to visit TBIO today!

Clean, Tone, Moisturize

2007-10-25T17:52:00.000-07:00

There are 3 basic steps every woman should observe when it comes to beauty, the building blocks that create the healthy skin needed before any beauty products go on the face. These are clean, tone and moisturize.

To do these things step by step, first you start by cleaning, washing away old layers of beauty products, dirt, oil, and the yucky stuff of daily life that clings to you.

Then, with clean pores and fresh face, toning tightens those pores back down, preventing new polution from too easily settling in and infecting those freshly cleaned places of vunerability.

And finally you follow these steps with a refreshing moisturizer, preferably oil-free especially for young skin, that will help your thirsty face drink in healthy nurishment. It may seem strange to moisturize your face when you have just stripped away your own natural oils, but suprisingly moisturizing actually will help keep your face from a vicious cycle of overproduction of your own pore-clogging oil. Left to tackle the dried out skin on it's own, your face will actually do itself more harm than good in oil production. Sun protection with your moisturizer offers you even more protection against the attack of the emements against your skin!

Believe it or not these same three steps can be applied to our quest for inner beauty. First we must come before God with all the yucky stuff in our life, our unkind thoughts, our unkind actions, our failures of all kinds, and ask His forgiveness. His Son, Jesus Christ is the only perfect person in all history, yet He died a criminal's death to pay the consequences for every wrong I will ever do. By admitting to God that I know I've messed up in life and asking His forgiveness, I am forgiven and made "clean" on the inside, forever!

While His forgiveness in forever I will unfortunately continue to blow it in life, making mistake after mistake. Since forgiveness does not make me perfect in the way I live my life, I need to continue to go to Him and admit to Him when I have made wrong choices. Just as my face feels freed from the grime of life and refreshed with soap and water, confessing to God my failures makes me feel freed and cleaned within too.

As I get to know God and ask Him for wisdom each day to live my life, He will put a greater and greater desire with in me to make better choices. This is much like the toning stage of beauty. The Bible tells me to " put on the full armor of God" every day to protect myself from those things that try to make me "dirty" again. I do this by seeking truthfulnees, righteousness (living a right life for God), remebering the love of God that would allow Him to take the punishment I deserve, and seeking to spend time with God daily.

If I have my "pores tightened down" to keep yucky stuff out, I also need to be "moisturizing" to put good stuff in so that I'm not messing things up more by trying to do it all on my own. How can I "moisturize" my heart? Jesus, who not only died to pay the price for the worst things I could ever do, but who also has power over death and lives again now and forever, calls Himself the "Living Water"! I can't think of any better "moisturizer" than that!!! To apply this kind of protection to my heart, I need to spend as much time with God as I can both talking to Him and listening to what He wants to say back to me.

What girl doesn't love to read a love letter? That's really what the Bible is, God's love letter to us, explaining just what Jesus did, why He did it, and the amazing love that would take all my dirt and make me His beautiful bride. I listen to what God wants to tell me by reading His Word, the Bible. Prayer is simply talking with God and sharing my heart with Him too. This is the best kind of beauty I could ever hope for!

Radiant Beauty

2007-10-15T19:26:00.000-07:00

No matter how much makeup or what outward beauty steps you try, if you aren't at peace inside, that radiant joy won't shine through. But isn't it wonderful that God does bless us with the ability to enhance the skin He has given us when it doesn't quite reflect the beauty we feel inside? Just for fun, today I wanted to share with you pictures of my skin both before and after a simple treatment of mineral makeup.

It is my prayer that, with or without outward adornment, my face always reflects Jesus. What are you radiating today?

Anything and Everything For and About Dolls!

2007-10-12T14:17:00.001-07:00

I've had so much fun playing around the Doll Diaries website today! Packed with articles, links and resources for everything doll-related, this is a great find for any American Girl or other doll lover.

Who's The Fairest?

2007-09-23T15:49:00.000-07:00

You remember the storybook from when you were a kid. But when you stop being "Daddys Little Princess" and grow up to find that the mirror doesn't like you anymore...

My latest article on being "Beautifully Imperfect" is now available here.

Free Drawing for God Wants You to Shine

2007-07-28T19:14:00.000-07:00

My friend Michelle Sutton is hosting a drawing for a free book happening from today only through Tuesday, July 31.

Author Stephanie Perry Moore weaves another great tale with 14-year old Faith Thomas, daughter of a popular Christian musician. She and friends Nellie, Hope, and Kendal face struggles that test their beliefs and their sense of worth. Through it all, Faith learns to trust God with everything from the trials of friendship to feelings for boys to the pressure of a beauty pageant. This unforgettable journey through a calendar year leads Faith and teen readers to discover the unique way God wants them to shine!

To enter the drawing, go to her Shoutlife page and sign her and leave a reply on her blog.

Feeling Like You Are Not Pretty Enough?

2007-07-03T10:47:00.001-07:00

In a world where we are continually being told and shown what beautiful should look like, here is a reality check. What you see on t.v. the internet and magazines is NOT REAL!!! Watch these videos and you will see the computer process for making those pictures in process. Real beauty doesn't need computer enhancement.

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised."
- Proverbs 31:30 (NIV)

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."
- 1 Peter 3:3-4 (NIV)

Do you ShoutLife?

2007-06-02T17:24:00.000-07:00

Looking to meet other Christian kids online? Check out ShoutLife by starting with a safe site you know and working your way through our list of friends and quality teen groups linked there. This site is kind of like the idea of "MySpace" but with clear rules about content that is honoring to God. Be sure to check with your Mom or Dad before you register so that they can set safe limits for you like the ones we have in place for our Little Princess!

New Teen Magazine

2007-05-25T10:13:00.000-07:00

While not strictly a "Christian" magazine, there is a new "clean" teen magazine that is "based on Christian principles" and will soon be launching. It's targeted for young men and women ages 13+ (into college years) and I will be contributing a regular column on beauty. Check it out at http://teenage.doubleedgedpublishing.com/

Here's what the publication says about itself. "You're at the hottest site for teen entertainment on the Internet. Here, you'll find fiction, poetry, product reviews, articles, and a lot more! Updated a couple times each week, you'll never have to wait long for new content! TeenAge is run by teens for teens."

Natural Skin Cancer Protection

2007-05-10T08:40:00.000-07:00

Skincancer.org has produced an article on Sun Protection and Make Up stating, "Protecting your skin from the sun is one of the most important things you can do to keep your skin looking younger, longer. But it doesn't mean you have to slop heavy, sticky sunscreen on your face every morning. You can get excellent day-to-day sun protection from your cosmetics."

There is a new study out stating that skin cancer is drastically rising for young women. Mineral makeup makeup is formulated to help clear the skin and also contains natural sunscreen to protect us from damaging UV rays. Chemical-Free, broad-spectrum sun protection is found in titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.

Years of being exposed even to little amounts of sun can have deadly effects you may not even realize. Walking your dog, driving a car, and sitting in front of a sunny window are all examples of the type of sun exposure that you might not think of protecting yourself against. A person's risk for skin cancer doubles if he or she has had five or more sunburns. One blistering sunburn in childhood more than doubles a person's chances of developing melanoma later in life.

Salt and Seasoning

2007-04-09T18:58:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed the address here is www.mineralz.blogspot.com while the site name is Inner Beauty Girlz. But what do mineralz (minerals) have to do with Inner Beauty? A lot, actually!

While I couldn't find the actual word "minerals" anywhere in my Bible, I did find several different, specific kinds of minerals referenced, and often used with instructions on living a beautiful life. If you want to see a list, check here on the Bible Gateway site (excellent resource for finding out what your Bible has to say about any topic).

We will look at several kinds of minerals in the months to come, but today I would like to start by talking a little about the mineral salt. Salt has been used for centuries to clean, disinfect and protect skin. God uses salt to explain how we should live toward those around us.

In the book of Matthew (5:13) we read, "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men." What does this mean?

Have you ever tried to each something bland, like maybe a potato or some chicken noodle soup, without any salt? Imagine french fries without ketchup (yes, there's salt in ketchup) or any kind of seasoning at all. Yuck! That's kind of the idea here. If we just live our lives and never let anyone see God living in us, then we are not living for the purpose God created us and our time on this earth isn't worth very much.

The next verses of Matthew explain, "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." We are to be "salt" and "light" in this world so that through the choices we make, the words we say, the ways we live, our lives continually point others to God.

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Colossians 4:6 (NIV)

As a reminder of how God wants us to be "salt" in this world, enjoy some salts that pamper your skin! Mix equal parts of salt and olive oil, scent with a drop of esscential oil if desired, and enjoy as a luxious srub for your skin in the tub or shower!

Green Slime

2007-03-11T13:08:00.000-07:00

From the privacy of my own home an indulgent mud mask might sound inviting. It claims to make me more beautiful, clear my complexion, soften my skin. Put it on, let it do its thing, wash it off, and I'm on my way with glowing skin! Sounds safe enough.

But what if when I went to wash my face, the green slime wouldn't come off? Could I ever go out in public again? Would I be willing to go to school or the mall like this? No way! I wouldn't even want to answer the doorbell!

What I had once thought I could keep private would suddenly be a source of shame! It's kind of the same with envy. While it might feel kind of good to let myself dwell on jealous or greedy thoughts about someone else in the quiet of my own head, what I think about has a way of becoming as obvious to the world as a permanent slime mask.

You've heard the saying, "green with envy" right? Well, think of envy like green mud that won't easily wash off. The Bible says, "A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones" (Proverbs 14:30). Holding envy in my heart not only hurts me inside, but it ultimately hurts my body as well. Only peaceful hearts bring beauty both inside and out!

Emily Rose (affordable doll clothes)

2007-03-02T09:10:00.000-08:00

From A Life of Faith dolls, to P31 (Proverbs 31) girls, to the popular AG dolls, everyone seems to love 18-20 inch dolls these days! In addition to the great lines found through the toy companies themselves, "Emily Rose offers unique and affordable doll clothes, accessories and furniture for your American Girl Doll. Our Fine Furniture is always FREE SHIPPING."

Emily Rose - Doll Clothes & Accessories for American Girl

Don't know where to keep your doll and all her beautiful clothes? Have your parents take a look at these instructions for building your own doll cabinet. What a great find!

A Life of Faith encourages Beautiful Girlz

2007-03-02T08:54:00.000-08:00

Thursday afternoons are so much fun! Each week I get to meet with six delightful young ladies from our homeschool co-op and explore lessons, games, crafts and activities from our A Life of Faith club. Club meeting are based around the stories Elsie Dinsmore and Millie Keith, two fictional characters from the early 1800s. While the stories are set in a time very different from our own, the concepts of living a life of beauty transcend time. Be sure to drop by the ALOF website and find out more!

Powder and Detail and Kabuki, Oh My! How to choose and use my brushes?

2007-02-19T12:18:00.000-08:00

One of the unique features of mineral makeups is that they come in powder form rather than the liquid foundations many of us may be used to. And with powdered makeups come the need to learn about various makeup brushes. So, if you are wondering what the brushes are all about, here's a quick explanation about a few of the most common brushes, created by my friend Teresa:

Kabuki Brush - Foundation, Mineral Veil, Bronzers - Use to belnd and buff your entire face for a perfect finish.

Powder Brush - Foundation, Powder Me Again, Bronzers, Shimmer Powders, Blush

Powder Dispensing Brush - Fill with foundation, veils, blush

Chisel Brush - concealers, eye shadows and foiling the eye shadows, lips

Angle Brush - eyeliners, detailed shimmer powders and eye shadows

Detail Brush - eyeliners, lip liners, detail with eye shadows

Oval Lip Brush - Lip Products

Smudgers - for smudging eye liners and eye shadows right around the eyes, used a lot in smokey looks.

Pro Spoolie - (looks like a mascara brush) eyelashes and great for brushing and grooming (with a little hair spray, gel, etc) eyebrows into shape. Also, to remove powders trapped on eyebrows.

Fan Brushes - Use for blush on cheeks, foundation, etc. These should not move your foundation after it has been applied. Use with shimmers or bronzers also to highlight or contour the face.

"You're Blushing!"

2007-02-16T18:07:00.000-08:00

Here's a wonderful article full of beauty tips and tricks, from Brio Magazine. Enjoy You're Blushing! Know of other helpful articles or links for beauty both inside and out? Please reply and share the treasures you have found.

Welcome to "Inner Beauty"

2007-02-15T23:35:00.000-08:00

What started out as selling gentle, quality makeup that is great for young skin at affordable prices, has quickly has grown into a mother's passion to teach girls that beauty is much more than skin deep. This "Inner Beauty Blog" is dedicated in loving memory to our first daughter, Noel, who would be entering her "tween" years now. It is joyfully created in partnership with Noel's little sister, our own "Little Princess." To find out more about the concept of Inner Beauty, please visit my Affordable Mineral Makeup websites at InnerBeautyGirls.com and myAdult Inner Beauty Blog too.

Much more information and a ton of great links will be added to this blog in the days to come. Please come back and visit often! And don't forget to "subscribe" to the feed so that you always know when new posts are made.