Norma Rapko Vargas's Blog

Where Have I Been?

                                    WHERE I'VE BEEN. THE ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE DAY THAT CHANGED MY LIFE FOREVER.
My poor blog has been neglected for the past year, but I'm not beating myself up for it. How can I, when I have neglected myself. Today marks the one year anniversary of the day that changed my life forever. 
Things were going great. I had worked hard and persevered to take my business to the next level. I was on top of the world and was coming off a successful launch of Crystyler by Norma Rapko.
I had worked 5 long years to bring Crystyler to market. We had just wrapped multiple shows on HSN that had sold out on my product and had launched a national informercial with one of the most successful companies in the country. I was also celebrating on a personal level. My son, Andrew, had been accepted to CalState Northridge. He is the first in our family to be accepted to a university. I was riding high!
On a cold, cloudy morning all that changed. The phone rang and it was my husband’s doctor. I had my suspicions when we’d gone in for a checkup and this call proved my suspicions right. A tumor on his left cheek in the parotid gland was a concern and needed to be removed immediately. The procedure would require high risk surgery. The news shook me to the core, knocked the wind out of me and brought me to my knees. My thoughts immediately circled back to his mother who had passed away of cancer when he was 10 yrs. 
The news was devastating, and I struggled to compose myself. I had an impending meeting scheduled 10 mins after the doctor’s call. It was a big meeting. The kind that is a game changer in the business world. It took everything I had to pull myself together for it.
The meeting brought more bad news and not the outcome I was hoping for.  FAILURE! That was the only thing I could think of. You FAILED! I am a failure.
There were a hundred moving parts to my husband’s procedure, so I had to keep moving. He needed a team of experts and extensive care after the surgery. My son also needed support as he transitioned into college and my daughter was panicked at the thought of her father’s diagnosis. My family required my full attention. I was so overwhelmed, but I stepped into this new chapter with my whole heart.
In the following months I made the decision to pull back on my business. My family has and always will be my #1 priority. I stopped traveling, no longer did appearances and dropped anything else that would take time away from those I love the most. 
During the next four months I helped nurse my husband back to health. The day he returned to work I could't get myself out of bed. I sobbed all day. I allowed myself to release the pain, grief, stress and failure I had bottled up inside of me. I was exhausted and burnt out. I had completely neglected myself and was feeling the effects of that. I come from a long line of women who taught me, “Keep going. Be tough. You'll get through it and it will all be ok.” But it wasn't ok. I had fallen apart. I was broken, hurting, grieving, and depressed. Ultimately, I had lost myself. 
I knew in that moment I needed a drastic change. I began to practice self-care through meditation, mindfulness and prayer. I started writing, reading, painting, and cooking again. I went back to all the things I loved to do but had been too busy to do. I slowed my world down completely. Looking back on it now I call it, My Year of Silence.
In this silence I was able to take a really good look at my life and discovered what is most important to me, who am I and what my purpose is here on earth. 
I had gotten on a roller coaster and didn't even remember when I bought the ticket. On top of that, I had never gotten off! I was living my life in the past and in the future while racing through the present.
On the morning of October 26, 2014 God made it loud and clear that living in the past is painful and worrying about the future is too time consuming. What matters is this present moment. The here and now. The love we experience and the people we share it with. That day I got off the roller coaster and changed my life forever. I am a different person now, with a different purpose full of beautiful and rich experiences. God has given me the power to 'see' and has breathed new life into what he intends for me. 
These days I am excited about exploring new opportunities and sharing my story.         God answered my prayers and my husband has made a full recovery. My son is enjoying his days in college and my daughter is a senior in high school and loving every minute of it. 
So, live in the moment. Be present. It's all we have. As for me, my spirit is not broken and I am moving ONWARD!


Xoxo,Norma 

I invite you to subscribe to my blog as we journey together through this beautiful thing called LIFE.



            

Brit + Co for HSN | DIY Rhinestones and Votives

Personalize your Gifts

Have you ever been in a situation where you don't know what type of gift to give. Of course the usual card, gift basket, or even a bottle of wine. That's cute, but when a gift is given, you want to make it personal. The Crystyler gives you that opportunity to create a gift that is specific to the person! Not only are you creating a personal gift that is truly a one of a kind, but you also get a the gift of creating, and putting your vision into reality for that very special person!
Whether the special person is into hearts, fashion, or animal prints, the Crystyler is there to add some sparkle to your gifts!
Because, the Crystyler crystals come in variety of colors, one can keep the gift subtle for those who are a little more difficult to perceive. Keeping the crystals to 1-2 different colors! and for your friends that is a artist, fashion lovers or color lovers you can use all the variety of crystals that Crystyler offers!The simple things go a long way! 

SummerTime with Crystýler

Have you ever went to shop for a bathing suit and realize its thousands of them, you buy one, and see someone post a picture of them wearing the same exact bathing suit that you bought? Its nothing fun about that is it? I didn't think so. Summer is not all about having the summer bods, but also sparkling in the summer sun. Crystýler helps you separate yourself from everyone from the beach bums, friends, and even your favorite celebs. When beginning this new project, you have endless possibilities as to how you can personalize your new bathing suit. Here is pretty much a basic outlining of the bathing suit. Its your choice of bathing suit to use, and theirs no need to have to go out and buy another one, that's up to you, but using one you have in your closet would work just fine. The ideas of how to design are also up to your creative minds. Either way you create, you definitely will notice that no one will have the same bathing suit as yours, because yours is one of kind.

Crystyler x Chic Buds

Chic Buds and Crystyler both bring out the creativity out of you,because both brands work for one another, makes it easy for you to  !each item from ChicBuds for you to get you some the cutest Chic Bud items,and create some love of sparkle on them!
 
 

Creating with Crystýler

Getting creative with crystyler ! I absolutely love creating things and just giving it an extra spark to my accessories! What I loved most about Crystyler is that it was so easy to create! All i did was load the color of sparkles I wanted and unload them creating a flower design on my laptop! Before sparkling my laptop, I never really liked my laptop, it was so dull, but soon as I gave it some shine; I couldn't wait to show it off! Its no apple, but it is officially Crystyled!!!                                              

Crystýler at Coachella

Thousands of people come out to celebrate Coachella every year, and every year the fashion changes, but the sparkles don't! Every where you turn you see sparkles on the face to the nails, all the way down to the feet! Lets not forget the fashionable items that bling as well! A lot of you may see these items and wonder , where, when, and how to get these fashionable statements in your closet! WELL, what if I told you they are already in your closet, and the only thing your missing is your Crystyler Kit! The Crystyler by Norma Rapko is designed not just to sparkle all your items, but to lift up your inner creativity and help you create all the things you thought could only be brought at the stores! 



pictures provided by Fabsugar

Coachella never has a problem turning heads with fashion. Our favorite stylish sisters showed their creative funk with Kylie Jenner wearing a black leather fanny pack with sparkles surfacing the exterior, and not to mention her big sister Kendall Jenner wearing getting creative with here sparkled face which surfaced around her forehead and eyebrows, really showing her inner hippie chic. No! we aren't done, look a little further down to Kendalls sandals and see more sparkles all over her feet, they're both sparkled up from head to toes! The two pictures left and right of the stylish sisters are other at home projects that can be to Crystyled up that were also seen at Coachella 2014 extravaganza. The closet of yours is almost prepared for your next trip Coachella! From your head all the way down to your toes, you can sparkle like a superstar!!!



Take a Closer Look!!!
Visit the Website To See How --- Crystyler 

Handmade Holiday Blog Hop

 Welcome to the Third Annual Handmade Holidays blog hop!! The best crafters, designers, and makers have come together to create and share  a series of thoughtful, handmade gifts for the holidays during this 3 day blog hop. Our goal is to inspire you to create something from the heart this holiday season as well as share how to use our products in fun, innovative ways. We intend this hop to serve as a resource to you for this holiday season and for years to come.

Hop along to each blog in the list. Each day, from November 1 through November 3, 2013, we’ll be posting a brand new list of blogs to hop to. Comment on each blog, share your favorite posts over social media, and then use the Rafflecopter widget at the bottom of each post to enter to win the Grand Prize, a gift basket filled with crafty swag from the companies on the hop! We’re ready to inspire, share, and create – are you ready to hop?

I wanted to make a beautiful pedestal stand to display one on my favorite paper Angeles!I chose a Walnut Hollow round Basswood Plank for the top and a  glass candle stick holder for the pedestal.






I wanted to add Sparkle to the stand. Using E600 glue I started by making sure the glass was clean and dry. I then spread the glue evenly over the sides and very quickly applied the crystals, using Crystyler in size 20. To view Crystyler in action click here http://www.normarapko.com/Instructional-Videos_ep_54-1.html





I love these Graphic 45 Metal Flowers and wanted to add them to my project.

I stacked the two different size flowers and bent them for  three diminutional look.

Then using a hot glue gun I hot glued them to the side of my stand. For added Sparkle I added crystals to the center of the flowers.




Now I was ready to glue the candle stick to the center of the  wood with generous
amount of e6000.




I loved how this stand turned out! Get Creative you can use it to display your holiday desserts of Christmas decorations.







 Make sure to subscribe to the blog! You won't want to miss the next post where I will share with you how to make this Angel!


We hope you all enjoyed the Third Annual Handmade Holiday Hop! We had so much fun participating in this spectacular event. Be sure to hop around and leave comment on today's featured blogs. There is so much fun and inspiration to behold! Thank you all so much for joining us today! We hope you enjoy the rest of your day. Be sure to stop by and see us tomorrow for more fabulous inspiration!Hop along to each blog in the list. Comment on each project, share your favorite posts over social media, and then use the Rafflecopter widget at the bottom of each post to enter to win the Grand Prize, a gift basket filled with crafty swag from the companies on the hop! We’re ready to inspire, share, and create – are you ready to hop?


<a id="rc-bddf7266" class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/disp..." rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="http://normarapko.blogspot.com//d12vn...


November 1:
Clearsnap http://blog.clearsnap.com
Craft Attitude  http://www.jonathanfongstyle.com/blog/
Smoothfoam http://www.smoothfoam.com/blog/
Donna Salazar Designs  http://donnasalazardesigns.blogspot.com/
Walnut Hollow http://walnuthollowcrafts.wordpress.com/
100 Proof Press http://www.100proofpress.com/_blog/Blog
Graphic45 http://g45papers.typepad.com/
ICE Resin http://iceresin.com/icequeen/
Stampendous http://stampendousblog.wordpress.com/
Sizzix – Eileen Hull Designs http://eileenhull.blogspot.com/
Donna Salazar Designs - Mistra Hoolahan http://mistrabutterfly.blogspot.com/
100 Proof Press – Elise Durenburger http://mamacowcreations.blogspot.com/
ICE Resin – Lexi Grenzer http://lexigrenzer.blogspot.com/
Graphic 45 – Rhea Freitag http://starrgazercreates.blogspot.com/
Clearsnap – Debbie Cole http://www.debbiecole.com
Smoothfoam – Vicki O’Dell http://www.vickiodell.com
100 Proof Press – Teresa Abajo  http://thetamarisk.blogspot.com/
Sizzix –  Amy Bowerman http://pluckingdaisies.com/
ICE Resin – Jo DeSerio Jones http://shopjomama.blogspot.com/
Smoothfoam – Lisa Fulmer http://lisalizalou.blogspot.com/

November 2:
Clearsnap http://blog.clearsnap.com
Craft Attitude  http://www.jonathanfongstyle.com/blog/
Smoothfoam http://www.smoothfoam.com/blog/
Donna Salazar Designs  http://donnasalazardesigns.blogspot.com/
Walnut Hollow http://walnuthollowcrafts.wordpress.com/
100 Proof Press http://www.100proofpress.com/_blog/Blog
Graphic45 http://g45papers.typepad.com/
ICE Resin http://iceresin.com/icequeen/
Stampendous http://stampendousblog.wordpress.com/
Sizzix – Eileen Hull Designs http://eileenhull.blogspot.com/
Graphic 45 – Romy Veul - http://scrapstuffandmore.blogspot.nl/
Clearsnap – Steph Ackerman http://stephaniescraps.blogspot.com/
Sizzix – Tami Mayberry http://tamimayberry.blogspot.com/
100 Proof Press – Vicki O’Dell http://www.vickiodell.com
ICE Resin - Cindy Cima Edwards http://www.cindycima.com/
Donna Salazar Designs – Nadia Canizzohttp://samnadia.blogspot.com/
Graphic 45 – Susan Lui  http://luv2scrap-pages.blogspot.com/
Sizzix - Lorine Mason http://lorinemason.com/blog/
Smoothfoam – Lindsay Obermeyer http://loops.typepad.com/serendipity/
Donna Salazar Designs – Tracey Sabella http://gracescraps.blogspot.com/
Clearsnap – Meihsia Liu http://meihsia.blogspot.com/

November 3:
Clearsnap http://blog.clearsnap.com
Craft Attitude  http://www.jonathanfongstyle.com/blog/
Smoothfoam http://www.smoothfoam.com/blog/
Donna Salazar Designs  http://donnasalazardesigns.blogspot.com/
Walnut Hollow http://walnuthollowcrafts.wordpress.com/
100 Proof Press http://www.100proofpress.com/_blog/Blog
Graphic45 http://g45papers.typepad.com/
ICE Resin http://iceresin.com/icequeen/
Stampendous http://stampendousblog.wordpress.com/
Sizzix – Eileen Hull Designs http://eileenhull.blogspot.com/
Jamie Dougherty http://jamiedoughertydesigns.blogspot.com
Nathalie Kalbach www.nathaliesstudio.com
Jen Goode http://www.100directions.com/
Kathy Cano-Murillo http://www.craftychica.com/site/
Tanner Bell   http://www.craftteen.com
Jennifer Priest http://hydrangeahippo.com
Jen Cushman http://jencushman.wordpress.com/
Adrienne Ford http://bry-and-i.blogspot.com/
Joanne Fink http://www.zenspirations.com/home/
Vicki O'Dell http://vickiodell.com/
Liz Hicks http://blogerisms.blogspot.com/
Denise Hahn http://inmyblueroom.blogspot.com/
Courtney Chambers http://www.alittlecraftinyourday.com
Tami Mayberry http://tamimayberry.blogspot.com/
Norma Rapko http://normarapko.blogspot.com/
Cheryl Waters http://blog.artsyfindings.com/


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Handmade Holiday

 
I wanted to make a beautiful pedestal stand to display one on my favorite paper Angeles!I chose a Walnut Hollow round Basswood Plank for the top and a  glass candle stick holder for the pedestal.

I wanted to add Sparkle to the stand. Using E600 glue I started by making sure the glass was clean and dry. I then spread the glue evenly over the sides and very quickly applied the crystals, using Crystyler in size 20.





I love these Graphic 45 Metal Flowers and wanted to add them to my project.

I stacked the two different size flowers and bent them for  three diminutional look.

Then using a hot glue gun I hot glued them to the side of my stand. For added Sparkle I added crystals to the center of the flowers.




Now I was ready to glue the candle stick to the center of the  wood with generous
amount of e6000.




I loved how this stand turned out! Get Creative you can use it to display your holiday desserts of Christmas decorations.







 Make sure to subscribe to the blog! You won't want to miss the next post where I will share with you how to make this Angel!  Happy Holidays!!

DIY Crystyle Your Halloween and Day of The Dead with Crystyler By Norma Rapko!

 I started Bellas makeup using Mac eyshadows and makeup.  I then added Crystyler clear crystals in ss12. I glued them using eyelash glue!

 Brookes Pirate eye was craeted using a black Mac cream eyeshadow and Crystyler ss20 clear crystals. We used eyelash glue and about 30 crystals.

And here I am in Day of the Dead face paint! I created a crystal heart using The Crrystyler 20 Tool and ss 20 crystals in red. The Crystyler tool makes the application process so fast and easy!

                                   Now go out and Crystyle your Halloween and Day of the Dead!

                                       http://www.normarapko.com/Crystyacute...