A few days ago I met a beautiful woman, Michele, who happens to be a jewelry artisan. She creates beautiful and unique pieces using natural stone, silver, and buttons! She is a true artist that puts a lot of love into her pieces. We actually met through Facebook where she posted some of her pieces on a wall of a friend of mine (gotta love technology). Anyhow, through her research she discovered the ancient relationship between the healing properties of Lapis and thyroid cancer and she created an incredible choker for me (pictured above). It fit perfectly, laid exactly over my scar, and she added a songbird atop a heart with wings because she knew I was a singer. It was an incredible gift which left me speechless, emotional, and most of all grateful. Michele is a new friend I have met because of cancer.
I have friends who have known me before cancer and now, I have friends who only know me because of the cancer. I wonder if I am different to these two sets of friends. I know that I am not the same person I used to be. It is my ‘new normal’. I see things differently, I feel things differently, and there are things I’m less tolerant of because life is too short. I wonder if my old friends can see that because that is the only person my new friends have known. We are all continuously changing into the people God created us to be, but cancer and mortality have opened my eyes a little sooner. Everyone is unique and is molded by their history. It’s so fun listening to their stories and as I sat with Michele and listened to her story and how cancer has affected her life I knew that this was no ‘chance’ meeting. I love all of my friends and I am so thankful that God brought every single person into my life at exactly the right time. 
Today’s lipstick is Iced Amethyst by Revlon! It’s kind of a purply-silver. Don’t let the color scare you because it actually goes on soft. It highlights a natural plum lip color (like mine) and adds a little sheen. Like my friends, old and new, they highlight my life and are just ‘icing on the cake’!
Anna's Lipstick Journey 
Anna, I am so glad we met and, like you, believe that things happen for a reason. I am thrilled that you love your new choker – I loved making it, enjoy. Check out my new logo – I rolled it out today!