Pretty in Pink

Loving all things pink right now. It all started with an obsession for the perfect pink lipstick. Right now I have about 3 shades of light pink lipstick and and 1 hot pink. But I'm still looking for a bright pink that's neither light nor hot. Does that even make any sense?

Something that looks semi like this:


I'm also a big fan of bright pinks paired with other bright colored hues like blue and and purple:
And of course pink and black...best combo ever.

Maybe it's the Girlie-Girl in me, but pink is my favorite color and sometimes I have to be reminded of how versatile a color it is.

Lovely Lace

In what situations, and how exactly can one wear see through lace. It's something I've been trying to figure out for quite some time now(and by that, I mean the last 3 days). Lace is definitely something I will be trying to work into my wardrobe.

Emma Watson looks stunning in this black lace and leather number. And I absolutely love the pixie haircut. It makes her look a lot like Victoria Beckham though...


Not exactly a dress you can work on any occasion, but she does look spectacular.
Its fun and flirty, sexy and demanding of attention. I loves it!
But of course I'm always thinking of a way I could make my lace numbers work appropriate. I've got to find more places to go to wear all my fabulous clothes...

How Hot Are These Shoes?!!!

Alexander McQueen's Scultpture Platform Heels. They run for $3,999 . That's not too bad right? Lol They are just absolutely gorgeous, I did a sharp intake of breath when I first saw them.

What More?

Now that I am gainfully employed, I'm all good now, right?
Wrong.

There is so much my job doesn't do for me. From provide a venue for me to truly unleash my inner fashionista to offer an opportunity for me to give back to the community. Soo....I've been looking into places to volunteer. I, of course, rely on the most comprehensive non-profit search site I know of, Idealist.org.

I love that you can search by job openings, volunteer opportunities, and organizations. It's funny how it's so easy to find volunteering opps in comparison to jobs, but I suppose that makes sense: who doesn't want someone to do work for them for free? There are a couple of options I'm looking into and I can't wait to find something that offers me a chance to help others in a field that I hope to further pursue--mental health.

What can I say? I'm a giver. Lol no, but really, I believe everyone should spend even a little bit of time doing something that will benefit others. I think as we get older, life and all our own problems(bills, family issues, time schedule, etc)get in the way of our giving back to the community.

What do you think, should more people find ways to do community service even as they get older?

Fabulous Natural Hairstyles I'm Loving

You already know how I feel about fabulous fros. more women should rock them!!

I'm definitely feeling home girls earrings as well.

Love the ring on the left and the black & white striped blazer. One of my New Year's Resolutions is to take my fashion-forwardness to a new unprecedented place of fabulousity. And of course to document it as I do so. These ladies are rocking the natural so right!

California, specifically the Bay Area(where I am now) is a couple steps behind in the natural hair scene, and I may have to single-handedly lead them into the new nappy place. Lol I kid, there are plenty of fabulous women rocking natural; however, it is not as prevalent as I saw in Atlanta or in New York.

I have a lot of women come up to compliment me on my hair and express how they wish they could go natural. I tell them they absolutely can and give my little bit of advice. I want to help women step over to the nappy side. Has anyone wrote a book on how to go natural yet? Hmmm....

January Jones. As much as I can't stand her character on Mad Men, Betty Draper, love this pic. She is a really beautiful and her cheek bones are quite striking in this pic.
Are you up on Mad Men yet?

Are They Serious?

Are they serious about these shoes?!!! Who is wearing these?! Absolutely hideous. The platform heel, the sequins, the Nike sign....it's all way too much.

Happy Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas Eve!!!!!!!
I pray that you all are spending this holiday season with those you love. Today's my younger brother's birthday, so we will absolutely be treating him like King for a Day.

I want to make him some cupcakes. If they turn out nicely, I'll take pictures and put them up......wish me the best!

Don't forget to take some time to think about Who is the true reason for the season. Hint: It's Jesus :)

Just found this collection called The Afropolitan Collection by Canadian Nigerian Eniola Hundeyein. She melds traditional African fabric with contemporary cuts and styles. I absolutely adore the bright colors and the mix between old and new, traditional and contemporary.
I'm especially feeling the bottom right dress. I would totally rock that. In fact, i need to find a someone to sow me a dress ASAP.

Here's a video of the models rocking the outfits:

"Never Change"-Indigo Charlie feat. Khleo

Anybody remember Khleo from the movie Holes(and some other smaller movies)? He was such a cutie patootie! It's nice to see he grew up to be such an attractive guy too.

The leopard print heels Indigo has in this video are fiyah!

Can we just talk about how sexy Jake Gyllenhaal is?


Mmmm get him Taylor! If it's true that he's dating Taylor Swift, I will put every piece of hateroid away and give her props cause homeboy is fine.

Homecoming

Today I head back to Georgia to spend the holidays with my fam. I've missed them terribly and weirdly enough, I've missed Georgia, as well. I know, I know...after all the complaining I did....but I do. I miss my church. I miss jogging in my neighborhood. I miss my beauty supply shop. And I miss the amazing natural hairstyles I used to see everyday. Californians really need to hurry and catch up with the natural hair MOVEment.

Anyways, I am excited to be going home and look forward to joking with my sibs, defending my drinking habits to my big sis, and harassing my younger bros.

This is truly the number one reason why I love Christmas. I know it means I get to spend time with the people I love most.

World's most expensive Christmas Tree. It's in Abu Dhabi, and though the artificial tree itself just coast $10, 000, the diamonds, emaralds, and rubies that adorn the tree bring the price to a whopping $11 million!! Why would any tree need to have that many jewels on it? I hope they got serious security over there lol!

Whip That Hair

So can I get braids that long? That is some ridiculous length!! Love it though.

Workplace Fashion Wonders

I'm always looking for fashion forward outfits to rock at work. I try to channel fabulous, sophisticated powerful women.

When that doesn't work, I just go with hot and hopefully appropriate....


These two looks are exactly what I go for. I will hopefully soon start taking pics of my work ensembles to post so you guys can see what exactly I hope is appropriate for the workplace.

Should I Stay or Should I Go Part 3

After nights of tossing and turning and literally changing my mind every five minutes for 3 days, I decided to go. I chose to switch jobs and go work for the feds for a number of reasons. The first and most important was the money. The opportunity to almost double your salary is a hard thing to turn down....

The second reason I decided to switch positions was the opportunity for advancement within a field as grand-scale as the federal government. Hopefully, after gaining permanency within the federal government I will be able to transfer my skills and passions to a department that would better utilize my abilities and further elevate me towards my goal of helping young adults and working to improve the mental health of our young people.

I plan to enroll in grad school next year, in fact I'm working on my applications now. If I am able to start Fall 2011, I will be able to work and go to school at the same time. this will allow me to stay better focused toward my goal.

I absolutely, do not want to get comfortable in this position. I can not forget that I have dreams that go further than where I am now. I thank God for the opportunity to be where I am now, but I look forward to further blessing people in my field of interest. :)

Did I sell myself? Just a little bit. But I plan on buying every part of myself back. :)

Love my thick fabulous sistahs representing.
Black women will forever epitomize true beauty to me because we come in every size, shape, and color. With the amazing ability to flaunt what God gave us, we represent such varying degrees of beautiful. We are like butterflies in that each of us has a different design and we flutter around so magnificently. I could be bias...but it's my blog and what i say goes. Plus its just true. :)

Holiday Themed Nails

Loved this nail design!

I tried to replicate. This is my version:


I think it's pretty hot for my first try.

Time to get back into the blog game. I needed to restructure my life and hey, that includes my blog. As I make changes and plans for my future, I want to share them with the blogosphere...whoever might happen across my page and care to read about the fabulously mundane thought, experiences, opinions, and--of course--diatribes of this diva.

Trashy Professional With A Dash of Sophistication....

That is my work look inspiration. When I say it, I see exactly what I want my office attire to look like, but apparently, it's not an easily "picturable" look for others...

Pictire this with a long brown cardigan and a belt of the cardigan...

This outfit has a look of victorian elegance....I'd personally switch out the black heels for some grey booties.

Ok this may not be exactly work appropriate...but it is fierce. You could work in some choice pieces to make it more profesh.

She's Like A Star

Just heard this song by Taio Cruz called "She's Like A Star"



How unfortunate that Taio Cruz is so unattractive...but I do like this song.

Should I Stay or Should I Go? Part 2

Ok. So here I am with a choice to make: Stay with this wonderful non-profit agency that first hired me or put in notice and go work for the federal government.

Here's my case for staying:

1. Over half my family caseload is Spanish-speaking, with a great majority of them with little to no English language. This means I get lots and lots of Spanish practice. I love that everyday I get to practice a language that I spent way too many years(and a semester abroad) learning to speak.

2. I work independently. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have certain deadlines that I have to reach and I don't have anyone harassing me about it. I get my work done and no one breathes down my neck. Beautiful.

3. The job is directly related to things I'm interested in doing....working with children, helping low-income families. Doing therapy, etc. What can I say? I'm a giver...

4. And probably for me the most important thing, I feel needed here.

Here's me case for leaving:

1. They will pay A LOT more money. Like A LOT.

2. After two years, I become career conditional which means I can take my grade level and grade pay with me to any Federal government department anywhere in the world.

3. The location of the office is a block and a half from the Bart station which means I could use public transportation a little easier. And considering I don't have a car....that's a pretty big deal.

4. I would be able to save more money because I would be making WAY more. I kinda said that already....

So do I stay in the position that I actually like, with interesting people and unpredictable days or do I go to the well-paying job where I will be a lot more comfortable, but has a high likelihood of being boring, still who knows what opportunities might lie there for me.

It's hard because all my family and friends are telling me to go with the higher paying, more secure job, but I like what I'm doing. I will of course make up my mind on my own, but they do have a point. Maybe a part of me is also just afraid to upset things because I would be inconveniencing the agency by quitting with so little notice...what to do? que hacer?

Fun Fall Footwear

As you are all well aware I'm obsessed with zapatos. That's shoes for all you non-Spanish speakers out there. I'm always on the hunt for fabulous new shoes for purchase, but most times just admiration(my frugality keeps what could be a very expensive habit in check). I came across this faboo collection from Tashkent by Cheyenne.

Beautiful fall collection. Check it out here.

Should I Stay or Should I Go? Part 1

Although this whole story has played out already, I still wanted to share the latest decision I had to make in regards to my employment. Around the time I applied for my current job as a Family Advocate, I also apply for a job with the federal government that a good friend of mine told me about. After I interviewed for the Family Advocate position, but before I heard whether or not I had gotten the job, I was invited to interview for the fed job. About two weeks into working at my current job I was asked to come in to interview for the other position.

Of course I aced the interview, and a week later they are offering me the position! Wow!!! How awesome is that?! To go from having no job(for lack of better words--being underemployed) to having two jobs is a wonderful feeling and absolutely solidified that all my fervent prayers were heard--all I had to do was wait on the Lord!

I thanked God for giving me the gift of choice and got to work trying to make a decision about whether I should stay in my current job, where I have been for less than 3 weeks or split and go work for the feds.

Where Did Amber Rose Go?

I know it was inevitable that her 15 minutes of fame would end, but still I held out hope that she would ride Kanye's Louis Vuitton coattails for as long as possible.


She was spotted with Drake, so maybe there will be a few more Amber sitings. But Drake tends to jump from video ho to video ho so who knows....My not-so-secret girl crush on Amber has me missing her spot on/spot off fashion and blond shaved head.

Knock Your Socks Off...

I'm so glad to see this style is back raging this season. I love love love knee-high, thigh-high socks(and boots). I really hope I can work some into my work wardrobe. Professional, but still haute.

Sidenote: I love this model's face. Her makeup is so natural and soft, and the light foundation gives her a "gothically" ethereal look.

Glee Season 2 Premiere

Glee tonight was "eh". I was really hoping the show would get back a lot of the witty humor they had at the beginning of last season, but it seemed they continued on the mediocre note in which the show ended.

Top 3 Things that Stuck Out to Me in Tonight's Episode:

3. Did Mercedes gain weight?
I thought when you got more successful in Hollywood you lose weight, not gain it....I know Gabourey Sidibe got the brunt of the public's attention when it came to obese actresses, but that doesn't mean we forgot about you, Amber Riley. I mean I'm all for various shapes and sizes being represented on television, but I do want to see healthy people(PC version) and not fatty mcfatfats(unPC version)


2. The Top 40/Pop songs
JayZ & Alicia Keys' Empire State of Mind, Lady Gaga's Telephone, Travis McCoy & Bruno Mars's Billionaire....I missed the show tunes and really good old school music that they sometimes sample. Also, I didn't really think they experimented with the songs that much. I'm going to need a little more creativity in the song renditions.

3. Charice
This Philippine singer dubbed by Oprah as "The Most Talented Girl In The World" was a refreshing addition to the cast as Sunshine Corazon. Her voice is AMAZING and Rachel should be worried. This girl is pint sized with a larger than life voice. I don't know what was with the nerdy Asain character they had her playing, but whatever. She was belting out Dreamgirls's Listen, better than Beyonce ever could. I hope I get to see(and hear) more of her this season.



Overall, not really impressed, but Sue Sylvester keeps me coming back with her hilarious one liners. She makes Glee worth it it.

Office Place Fashion

Valentino Bow Belt Jacket and Leather Skirt.

How hot is this as a power suit?

Alexander McQueen Structured Shoulder Jacket & Crepe Pencil Skirt

Now that suit absolutely makes a statement. I'm fierce and not be messed. Boardroom with the big boys type suit.

Dolce & Gabbana Floral Print Dress

This dress is very Joan from Mad Men....Seductive secretary. The floral pattern tames the tightness of the dress and adds a little innocence to the look. All in all it's an "all eyes on me" type of dress. Loves it!

Insanity

My whole body aches. My thighs are screaming and my calves are in shock. My arms refuse to travel too far above my head or behind my back. The only part of my body not in pain is my face.

I love this kind of pain. I feel as though it's pain with a purpose . Not the Rihanna & Eminem "love the way it hurts" type of pain.I can feel my muscles getting stronger and so far the workout itself isn't impossible to do. Shaun T keeps me encouraged and though I have to stop sometimes to catch my breath or wheeze or collapse, Shaun T yells at me till I get up, and the abs on the women in the video motivate me to keep going.

The real struggle is the 4am wake up time in order to get my workout in before leaving for work. Now that's Insanity.

Getting My Gleek On

Glee returns tomorrow evening and I can't wait!! Even though by the end of last season, every single character was getting on my damn nerves, I'm glad they're back and I look forward to a fall season of slushie throwing, beautiful ballads, adults acting like high schoolers, and high schoolers acting like, well, high schoolers.

Still my all time favorite Glee rendition:



What's your favorite Glee song so far?

One Reason Why I like Being a Family Advocate

My favorite part of my job is that I don't have people calling me to do this or do that. I always said I hate being told what to do. And people would respond: "well how are you going to keep a job if you can't stand being told what to do?"

There is a difference between, being bossed around and being assigned a responsiblity. If I know what my job description is, you shouldn't have to harass me every hour to do something. And that why I love this job.....nobody bothers me and I get my job done. Brilliant.

Mehcad Gives It Another Go

Why does Mehcad Brooks keep signing on for these shows that aren't going anywhere. First it was Deep End, a horribly scripted lawyer drama on ABC, now it's this My Generation, a new ABC show.


It also looks like it won't last more than a season. I wish a lot better for Mehcad than these dull dramas.



I'm willing to bet this show won't last get halfway through the season....thoughts?

Whip My Hair, Debut Single from Willow Smith

Whoaa.....is this nine year old going to have her single played in the clubs?! I am definitely feeling this song; it makes you wanna dance and well, whip my hair.

Willow Smith's first single, "Whip My Hair":



The nine year old daughter of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith just signed to Jay-Z's Roc Nation label. That whole family is full of stars.

For Colored Girls....

There's been mad buzz around Tyler Perry's adaption of Ntozake Shange’s 1975 play "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow is Not Enuf"

Some of the hype has been positive, but there has been a lot of negative reactions as well.

I've seen the preview and I'm still interested to see how they fit all the different vignettes into one cohesive, flowing film. I'm eager to see if Tyler Perry can step up to the task.

In Remembrance of Those....

Who lost their lives this day 9 years ago....

Who lost their lives fighting in the war that came from this tragic event....

Who lost their fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, friends, and family as a result of the actions of that day

Who were in any way at all affected by the tragedy of 9/11....

That means all of us.



Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Romans 12:21

Deuces. Loving Breezy's Newest Song

Chris Breezy's back for real this time! Love this song and Breezy's coming hard with it this time around.



Quality tends to numb controversy.

There's A Purpose And There's A Plan

Everything in my life has led up to this moment and I thank God because you don't ever really get things until hindsight. God has been orchestrating out steps since the beginning all in preparation for our purpose. Whatever it is you have been put on this Earth to do, remember that where you are now is place and an opportunity to prepare for that purpose.

Bad Girl Cat...Love Her

Not since Taniesha has there been a Bad Girl that I have liked as much as this season's Catya. She has had so many awesome one-liners:

"Men know their worth. We as women need to know ours".
So true, so true...I've been saying this for forever.

"It's because they're desperate".
In reference to two other bad girls hooking up with losers. I just like that she said it so matter of factly. There was no hater-tude in her statement at all.

I especially love her tantrums because even though she was way out of line, she managed to still look classy. "You gonna disrespect me? me?!" (motioning down her body with her hands in disbelief)

Love her:

Hard Times

I just finished watching an episode of Hard Times of RJ Berger. The show is kind of funny in a crass high school dude sort of way. I'm watching Part 1 of the season finale and as most high school finales of any sort go, it centers around sex. And this RJ dude's quest to get laid. It actually was pretty entertaining.


Still, after all the jokes have been made, you have to wonder is this how men view the world? Every event or situation is just some opportunity for a grand scheme always with the same objective: sex. Do men ever evolve past this? Or are they just hard wired to do anything and everything possible to get "some" ?

My Favorite Season Brings New Fashion Trends

As autumn quickly approaches, it's time to say goodbye to summer barbeque's and heat stroke. Ok ok I know I'm a little premature, but I'm so excited for fall!! I love everything about the colors, patterns, and silhouettes that hit the runway for Fall season.

Here's one trend I was ecstatic to hear about--60's inspired dresses!!Now anyone who knows me knows that I was born in the wrong era. I should have been a teenager in the 50s and a young adult in the 60s. I love those periods in American history...everything from the fashion, to the lingo, to culture. Everyone was fighting for what they passionately believed in and as cultural changes drove our nation to war--both domestically and internationally--people did their best to make the lives they wanted to live...

Ok, but on to the fashion:

Louis Vuitton A/W 2010

Full figured 60s dress. Loving the tan combined with florals very feminine, which i LOVE.

Jayson Brunsdon, S/S 2010

How inno-cexy is this dress? I love white dresses and this one has the air of being wearable all year long. It's very Betty Draper(yes that was a Mad Men reference...you don't think this trend just came out of nowhere do you).

L'Wren Scott, S/S 2010

OK, so how could I not love this dress? It's my favorite color and I very much appreciate the contrast of seductive and innocuous. The baby girl collar and sleeves, below the knee hemline, combined with the curve-hugging fit of the dress is so refreshing, yet timeless.

I'm so excited for this season's newest looks and trends, most of which I won''t partake in but it's like I say: Fashion is art. I can appreciate even if I don't own the portrait. Enjoy!

Why Can't I Relax?!!

On this lovely Sunday afternoon, I'm looking around wondering what I need to get done. I'm getting tiny ever increasing flutters in my stomach--a nervous feeling that I can't exactly pinpoint the cause of. I'm anxious, but I don't know why. Is there an email I need to send out? No. Is there an job application due soon that I need to fill out? Hell no. So what's the problem?

Doing nothing makes me nervous. It's one thing if I need a break because I've been doing so much...then I'm resting. But after resting usually I get right back to work. This sensation of not having anything to do at this precise moment is a novel one. So of course I had to alleviate the anxiety I was having by looking up graduate school programs. I immediately felt better.

This got me to thinking. Americans in their work-driven frenzy are in constant motion, working hard to get somewhere that--quite frankly--may not exist. In our culture, we work for the bigger house, the bigger paycheck, the prestige, the power, but we never take a moment to just stop and be. Vacations aren't even a form of rest anymore. We take a break from work to numb our minds with entertainment like the garbage known as Jersey Shore or the latest blockbuster movie. But it is all just a mechanism for not thinking about the many things we still have to get done. We work ourselves into an pill popping, anxiety ridden, stress overload, and then wonder why Americans suffer from so many health issues.

I have to learn how to rest. How to stop. How to breath. It makes life easier. Worry is not my friend. Anxiety does not have my back. Fret is not a good color on me. I can't be worried all the time. The Bible tells me not be

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"-Matthew 6:25-27

...so I'm learning. Slowly but surely...I'm learning that it's ok to have nothing on your to-do list. Now I'm gonna go read a book. For leisure....and I'm okay with that.

Fresh Look....

These pics are old, I think, but Ms. Badu was just looking too fly....I had to post them. Love the hair. Love the glasses. Love the nails. I hope know I will be that fly when I'm thirty something...

New Hair Color...?

Thinking of dyeing my hair. Can't decide what color to go with as, my hair is natural and it would need to go with my always inevitable fro situation...

A pretty multitone brown perhaps?

Or maybe a chestnut with blonde highlights?


Anywho...need a new look for the new start :)

EMPLOYED!!

One year and two months after graduating I have finally found full time employment!! YipEE!! :D
It has been a long time coming but God works things out in such a way that all you can say is THANK YOU and AMEN!!!

The position is located in California, the Bay Area to be more exact...how amazing is that?!! I spent a year in Georgia really resenting the place and I was able to find something back home...I love this state.

I'm so excited to start this new chapter in my life. A chapter with new stories, new problems, new experiences, and new good times. I will update about my job position at a later date, but I just wanted to post up that I am excited to no longer have to be looking for work :)

Thank you Jesus!!

Is There Nothing Inappropriate to Post to Facebook?

Disclaimer: I am part of that Facebook generation that you could only join when you had a college email address. FB was not so much a social media extravaganza, but rather a networking tool.

Over the past few years, I've seen quite a few things I would deem horribly inappropriate on Facebook, but perhaps it's just me and I need to move with the times.....here are some of my biggest FB pet peeves.


5. TMI Status Update
You're about to get it in. I really don't need to know that.... Why do you feel comfortable telling the world your boyfriend has an STI? (true story)

4. Vague Status Updates That Just Call For Attention
Status: "Never Felt Like This Before" Never felt like what? You know you want people to ask you what you feel like or what's going on...why all the melodramatics? I suppose people just want to seem so caught up in their own lives that they didn't really have time to explain what the issue was.

3. Constant Presence on My NewsFeed
You just really shouldn't be spending that much time on FB. Really though..commenting on this person's status..that person's picture...just won level 235 of DragonRaiders FB Edition...all of that just doesn't need to be on my Newsfeed. I'm really trying to keep the hiding people on the NewsFeed to a minimum...

2.Using Facebook as a way of giving condolences or as a grave site.
Am I the only one that thinks it's kind of rude to give condolences through FB? "I'm so sorry to hear about your grandma. She was such an awesome person RIP" You really couldn't pick up the phone to call if you were really sorry? Or send a card....? Also, I just thought it strange to post something on the wall of someone who was dead. The person is dead...they can't "like" your status.

1. Little kids trying to friend me on Facebook.
I'm sorry, but if you don't have a school email address, we CANNOT be friends. I'm still salty about the fact that FB is open to everybody now, I don't need that fact rubbed in my face when kids from my church, or neighborhood, or everydamnwhere request my friendship. But don't be too mad..I'll confirm that request once you've gotten an acceptance into a university...consider that incentive :)

If Only I Could Write Cover Letters Like This

dream cover letter:

To Whom This May Concern;

My name is Ngozi Ojukwu and I'm a college graduate. I live at home with my mom and have been mooching off of her for far too long now. I would like to make some substantial money so I can support my shopping habit and actually start paying off my loans.

I believe this position is the right fit for me because you need somebody and I'm desperately available. I know there are thousands of other desperately available people, but I'm smarter than most of them, with better fashion sense as well.

Please hire me because I could really use a job. Don't think too hard about it, just go with me.

Sincerely,
Minah C. Di

wouldn't t be nice...

Still Here

been scared and battered.
My hopes the wind done scattered.
Snow has friz me,
Sun has baked me,

Looks like between 'em they done
Tried to make me

Stop laughin', stop lovin', stop livin'--
But I don't care!
I'm still here!

Still Here-Langston Hughes

I was really inspired by this poem because it really relates to how I feel right now. Things have not gone my way; life has not turned out the way I expected, but I'm still here.
It is so easy to get caught up in all the negativity and the things that have not gone the way we wished, but take a second, think about and you will realize there is so much to be thankful for. I'm thankful to still be alive and well, I'm thankful for every tear I ever cried because each one represented the pain and frustration that I was letting go of. I'm stronger because I have overcome. And I thank God for that everyday.

It Feels Good To Be Back

I recently returned to my home state of California. And boy, does it feel good! As a friend of mine observed, "I can feel your whole aura changing". And she's right. My whole mindset has changed while I've been here. Not just changed, but calmed. There is just something about the California air, sun and people that just makes you feel....chilled out...or at least welcome.

I will later discuss why I am here and how much fun I am having, but basically I've been visiting family and friends I haven't seen in ages and pretty much relaxing. As you all know, Georgia is NOT the business, and it feels good to be back where recycling is the norm, public transportation AKA BART is easily accessible, and white people don't have funny accents that make me fear the possibility of being lynched--I'm just saying.

Anywho, California, what can you say besides it's awesome? And once we get Arnold Schw-something out of Governor position, it will hopefully be back on its way up to its crowned glory.

X Marks the Spot

Check out Mehcad Brooks, Kellan Lutz and two other male models in this Calvin Klein commercial...I hope this stuff isn't making it to television. I mean, I like what I see, but it's a tad inappropio for daytime tv.

My Chick Bad

I won't even lie, I do love to jam to this song(and I'm talking "in the car with the volume as high as it can go and the windows rolled down" jammin). Still, I can't help but wonder: is this the new female empowerment? Women calling themselves b***hes and bragging about how good they are in bed? I know it's nothing new, but when I took a second to actually listen to the lyrics, I was dumbfounded by the message. Never mind class, intellect, charm, and overall lady-like behavior, bad is the new good and that requires having the "best ass in the game" or "rolling with b***hes that all look Brazilian"

Dirty Little Secrets

Everyone has secrets. Some are just bigger and dirtier than others. For sixteen years, Lucy has kept her mother's hoarding a secret. She's had to -- nobody would understand the stacks of newspapers and mounds of garbage so high they touch the ceiling and the rotting smell that she's always worried would follow her out the house. After years of keeping people at a distance, she finally has a best friend and maybe even a boyfriend if she can play it right. As long as she can make them think she's normal. When Lucy arrives home from a sleepover to find her mother dead under a stack of National Geographics, she starts to dial 911 in a panic, but pauses before she can connect. She barely notices the filth and trash anymore, but she knows the paramedics will. First the fire trucks, and then news cameras that will surely follow. No longer will they be remembered as the nice oncology nurse with the lovely children -- they'll turn into that garbage-hoarding freak family on Collier Avenue. With a normal life finally within reach, Lucy has only minutes to make a critical decision. How far will she go to keep the family secrets safe?

I recently finished reading the book "Dirty Little Secrets" by C.J. Omololu and I felt the urge to blog about it, not only because it was such an interesting book discussing a topic I'd never really considered, but also because I haven't blogged in quite some time and that's just a shame.

This was such an emotionally compelling read, with a protagonist that was both absolutely relatable and at the same time, many of her decisions we're impossible to understand. I would def recommend this book just as a look into what it is like living with someone who is a hoarder.

I'm Back

I gave up internet tv for Lent and I guess it trickled into giving up blogging too because I haven't posted anything since then.

Ok Ok let me not blame Lent for my laziness. I've just been feeling incredibly uninspired to write anything is all.

But I owe it to all my fans(all three of you) out there to write. Because as incredibky unspectacular as my life is right now, I know a lot of you are experiencing a lot worse, so if my fabulous diatribes help to alleviate the angst of mediocre living them I'm sort of obliged to write then...right?

Just to emphasize the point, here's T.I.'s newest single appropriately titled: I'm Back:

We Are The World Remake

I just saw this video and I had to watch it 3 times just to catch all the different celebrities. The video made me a little sad in that it was a tribute to Michael Jackson and also a Haiti benefit video/song. Love the autotune bit with Lil Wayne and T-Payne. Justin Bieber? Hmmm...questionable....But beautifully done. Check it out.

"Young Hollywood": White and Thin

I saw this article online and it upset me a great deal to know that as far as we have come, beauty standards have not budged, rather they have become increasingly hegemonic, and I am sure they continue to implode the self-esteem of young girls of color and girls that are not a size 2.

What does "Young Hollywood" look like? According to Vanity Fair, it's pretty, thin, female and white.

Amanda Seyfried, Anna Kendrick, Kristen Stewart, Carey Mulligan, Abbie Cornish, Rebecca Hall, Emma Stone, Mia Wasikowska, Evan Rachel Wood: There's not a single woman of color on the cover of Vanity Fair's "Young Hollywood" issue. Two of the ladies — Kristen Stewart and Amanda Seyfried — were already on the August 2008 "Hollywood's New Wave." issue. There were two women of color — Zoe Saldana, America Ferrara — on the cover of 2008's "Hollywood Issue," but apparently the next decade is not about diversity.

VF's "Young Hollywood" is much like the golden age of Hollywood: There was a fetishization of the lithe, gorgeous, virginal ingenue, whose virtues and ambitions were pure, and therefore desirable. You either wanted to be her or sleep with her. She was the photographed wearing white, and her "All-American" good looks meant that she was a WASP or a fresh-faced farmgirl. Certainly not black, definitely not fat, and never both. Looking at the March 2010 issue, has anything changed? Even Evgenia Peretz's descriptions of the actresses — "Ivory-soap-girl features," "patrician looks" "dewy, wide-eyed loveliness" — reinforce the idea that a successful actress is a pretty, aristocratic-looking (read: white) actress.

It's hard to say if fault lies with the editors of the magazine, or with Hollywood itself — trying to come up with some projects employing new, young Asian, black or Latin actors and actresses is a tough exercise. The few names which come to mind — Jaden Smith (The Pursuit Of Happiness, The Kung-Fu Kid), Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire, Julian Schnabel's Miral, Woody Allen's next film), Gianna Jun (Blood: The Last Vampire, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan) — are up-and-comers with just a few roles under their belts. The Hurt Locker's Anthony Mackie recently did a Q&A with VF.

Gabourey Sidibe — cover girl for the March issue of Ebony — is an obvious choice, though she admits in the accompanying interview:

"I don't try to live up to the standards of Hollywood or any of that – I know that I'm different and I celebrate it. In a weird way, I kind of really, really love being the alien in the room. I dig it."

And it's good that Gabby doesn't care about living up to Hollywood standards. Because judging from the VF cover, the "Hollywood" standards need to change.

Touche. So unfortunate that Hollywood still refuses to acknoledge some talented actress because of their deviation from the white standard of beauty. Where are the Freida Pinto's, the Jurnee Smollett's, Zoe Saldana's, America Ferrara's? Well, you get the point.

But, anywho, who really reads Vanity Fair anyways?

Pretty Wedding Hairstyles I'm Feeling at The Moment

After, recently working a wedding doing hair and makeup, I've been temporarily obsessed with wedding hairstyles. Of course the hairstyle that I would personally looove to walk down the aisle in is:And I don't care what anybody says. This hairstyle is truly a showstopper and would make a great statement on my wedding day. It would say: "Today's my day and I don't give a damn what you think because I'm B-E-U -Tee-Ful". Lol
Yea, so that was the plan until myy cousin mention how I would have a honeymoon soon after and do I want such a grandiose fro as I'm frolicking the Virgin Islands? Or sipping tea underneath the Eiffel Tower? Or swimming in Dubai? This got me thinking and here are some new options for my wedding day hairstyle.

Locs perhaps....



Or maybe I will do an updo with my natural curls...



Of course all my bridesmaids must wear their hair natural on that day:
I guess I should probably work on getting the groom situation all figured out before I start making these plans.