New Years Resolution - 52 Proof

This year, I'm being realistic. How many times do we make a list of resolutions we want to resolve for a new year? And, how many times does that list become compromised by the third week?

So, I've decided to take it week-by-week. Each week I will dedicate myself to a resolution that will hopefully become embedded in my genetic code and eventually become apart of my daily life. Here's my list of 52 Weeks of Resolutions. They say if you do something for 3 days, nonstop, it will become a habit. Hopefully, that's not a myth.

Enjoy and add your own, if you wish!

1. Begin my customized diet regime. No eating bread for an entire week. Yes, it begins this week, no next Monday...today! Have a breadless week!
2. Drink only water. No Kool-Aid is not colored water. No Vitamin Water, just pure bottled or tap water. Make sure you wear those cotton panties or maybe grab a pack of Depends.
3. Workout everyday for 30 minutes. Everyday, get up (morning or afternoon) and go to the gym. No, you can not go into your living room and do situps for a substitute.
4. The week of meditation. Meditate for 20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes before going to bed. This is daily, so make sure you've set your alarm to make time for it.
5. Pray everyday. Talk to God every hour. (Maybe not out loud when others are around.) Just make sure this week you show the man upstairs some attention. (Not your boss.)
6. No cursing, swearing. Notice I gave you a few weeks to get it out of your system. So I hope you cursed enough the past 5 weeks. (Hopefully you didn't curse on Week 5 when you were talking to God.) Nonetheless, you've got to get rid of that potty-mouth.
7. Buy yourself something you really want with that Income Tax Refund. Don't spend all of it on one item. But at least go ahead and purchase that Marc Jacobs bag you've been drooling over at Saks.
8. I love you week. This week tell your loved ones, how much you love them. Say, I love you everyday to someone that definitely deserves it.
9. Be slow to speak and quick to listen this week. Keep the talking down to the minimum of your job convo and that's about it. Other than that, practice this week on listening to what others have to say. You have the right to remain silent!
10. If this happens to be the week you pay the price for being a woman, then it needs to be swapped with another week. This is the week where you can not have sexual intercourse. Cuddle with him and do everything...but!
11. 200 situps daily. I don't care how you divide it up. But by this time, the pounds should be shedding and the waist line should be debuting. So to help with the process, you can do 100 situps in the morning and 100 at night.
12. Read a book or listen to an audiobook this week.
13. You'll be green this week, and that's not because you're envious or naive. This week you're only eating vegetables. If it wasn't grown from a garden, then you won't consume it!
14. Write in your journal daily. Record the activities of the day, or lack thereof.
15. No gossiping. If it's tempting, then leave the table or room. Go somewhere where it does not exist. If someone you know begins talking about someone, then bite your tongue as hard as you can. Maybe the pain will cease those lips from adding to the juice!
16. No music this week! OMG! I know, but this week you'll rely on crickets and quiet noise to get you thru the week. It will be just you and your thoughts.
17. Draw a picture everday. You have the talent! So let's see how you would do in the artist profession. Eat your heart out Ernest Barnes.
18. Plan your getaway to London, Paris, Rome, Milan, Greece...I don't care where it is, just begin making hotel and airline reservations for week 25.
19. Brush up on those piano skills. Play the piano everyday. I don't care if it's only For Eloise...just play! It's a talent that you practically begged for!
20. Read the Bible this week. Of course, you read the Bible anyway...you love biblical history. But read it this week like it's a juicy novel you can't wait to pop open.
21. Pick up the pennies. Wherever you see change, pick it up and save it. See how much you can save!
22. Cater to your man this week. Ask him what he desires and let it be your duty to fulfill his wishes. Now of course, there are some conditions on those desires. There are just some things you'll never do, for any man!
23. Indulge myself this week. Take care of you! Schedule a physical, breast exam, massage, body treatment, pedicure, manicure, facial, teeth cleaning, and take yourself out to your favorite restaurant and see a good movie! (No plus 1's)
24. Call a friend you haven't spoken to in forever, each day this week.
25. Travel abroad. Wherever you planned to go back on week 18, that's your destination this week. Have fun and be safe living it up in a foreign country. Don't forget your passport!
26. No MySpace this week. : (
27. Write a letter to special friends and relatives everyday this week. They'll really love the special attention. I mean when was the last time you got a letter in the mail? 1993?
28. Time to go to Hallmark and stock up on "Thinking About You" cards. Send all of your girlfriends a touching card.
29. Pamper your mother this week. Send her flowers, fix her lunch and dinner, wash & style her hair and do all the things that will make your mother feel like a queen.
30. Be Daddy's girl this week. Although you still are, let him know that everyday this week, you'll be hanging out with him.
31. Send off your articles to magazines you would like to write for this week. Make sure you proofread with a fine-tooth comb! Make a list of magazines you'd like to do freelance work for and send off those query letters without hesitation!
32. Take your daughter outside and play everyday this week. Even if you're tired, push yourself to dedicate the entire week to your special daughter. No phone, no significant other...just you and Little Miss Sunshine.
33. Movie week. Watch a new movie everyday that you haven't seen before.
34. No cell phone this week. However, your cell phone is like your lifeline, so let's say the phone stays on QUIET mode and you can only answer incoming calls from "HOME". No text messaging either! OMG! I don't know if I can do this one, so I'm going to need everyone praying for me on this week!
35. Tell a joke everyday this week. Make somebody laugh.
36. You can't get mad this week. If you feel your eyebrowns turning south...turn that frown, upside down!
37. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. This week, you can't talk to him. Not even text message. Come on, that's too close to week 34! Oh well, you can inform him of this week's resolution ahead of time. So talk his head off the Saturday prior!
38. No television this week. Make sure you've erased enough hours on your TiVo so you'll have enough space to record & watch what you missed for the week.
39. You can't say, "I know that's right" this week. Please avoid your popular catch phrase you use when you don't know what to say!
40. Give to the needy. This week you're cleaning out your closet and giving all those size (cough!) to someone who can wear them!
41. Clean the house this week. Clean and dust everywhere you've never hit before. Cleanliness is next to Godliness. Wipe until you see a bald white man with an earring.
42. Write all the words in the dictionary. Make sure its not a school dictionary. Gasp! So, exercise your right hand, but be glad that your brain will have expanded its vernacular.
43. Create a financial portfolio this week. Pull your credit report and bank statements. Tract your spending habits and make improvements. Create a financial plan that would make the Trump give you a thumbs up!
44. It's your time to make the judges at Project Runway take a second look. Construct a fashionable garment this week and wear it on the weekend. Make it work!
45. Do something nice for someone you do not even know that well. Pick someone at work or at your church and be a blessing to them. This week dedicate yourself to sharing with them the blessings you've been provided. Let them sit under your umbrella.
46. Go out this weekend and have a good time. But guess what, you won't have a glass in tow. So when you hear "Buy Me a Drink" come on, you may want to make a run to the bathroom for a spell. No sipping off others either!
47. Begin your bathroom renovation. Make that bathroom look like it belonged to Marie Antoinette. Choose some bathroom friendly colors, towel racks, and other bathroom accessories that will make your bathroom your favorite room to be in.
48. Start your novel this week. Begin the research and dedicate yourself to defining characters and plot diagraming the book that you've always wanted to write but never quite committed to!
49. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Go up in the attic and get that Christmas tree (or maybe you need to buy one). Get creative and make your own wreaths and bows.
50. Revisit your diet plan. It's the holidays and certainly you've been enjoying the reason for the season. So cut back and eat smaller portions.
51. No eating out this week. Everything you eat, will have to be concocted in your kitchen. No Stouffer's either!
52. This week you can....curse, swear, eat bread, drink, lay around the house, tell anybody off, get mad, gossip, turn the music up, spend lavishly, talk and text message like crazy, and all the other things that drove you crazy from not being able to do the other 51 weeks of the year. And when you're finished, look back on all the things you accomplished and be proud of yourself! You stuck to something and some things stuck to you!

HAPPY 2008!

Let's Talk About Love...

A while ago one of my best friends asked the question on her blog about true love and soulmates... "maybe I do believe in true love but do I believe in soulmates... I don't know, are they different or are they the same"

I replied the following and thought I would share with my popular audience on love, a four letter word that is completely taboo and may get you a year-to-life death sentence if used inappropriately. Of course we've all had conversations about it, but it's really hard to discuss it honestly with the ones that need to hear it. Once upon a time ago, we heard songs about it. People discussed the ramifications of falling in love, the good and the bad. Everyone could relate the circumstances of their relationships to what was being sung on the airwaves. Now, it's easier to bang up headboards, than to unconditionally give another person your heart. Crazy huh? Anyway, here's my reply to my friend's blog. Feel free to give your opinion on the matter.

The "soulmate" adage is something that I feel is very circumstantial (thanks for that word yesterday, I added it to my book of words). It's not a virus you catch, it's something that if your heart is open to it, then it can happen. However, if your heart is closed, cold, bitter, resistant to change, biased and conditional...then no, you'll never give your "soulmate" a chance to appear or better yet, you'll use him in the wrong capacity (i.e. booty call). A "soulmate" to me is someone that is destined to be your companion on this Earth. He (or she) was divinely created for you and you for him (or her). Even as the two of you crawled in diapers unbeknowst to one another, you were already appointed the place and time to meet in the future. I also believe, that if you missed the date, because you were with Mr. Asshole and he was with Ms. Bitch, there is still a chance for the opportunity to re-present itself. It all depends on your faith and how far you are willing to hold out for real love. We've all had our "booty-calls" and "one, two, three night stands"...and we can tell after 5-minutes into the initial meeting, where it's going. But if he has potential, pull the reins on your ass and hold out. Get to know him...as I have recently learned, be patient! Get to know who he is inside and out. You may be surprised. But nonetheless, you love yourself like you've never loved you before. Take yourself on trips, get spa services, look captivating (as you do anyway) and have this self-confidence (not arrogance), that let's any man know that steps into your path the standards he has to uphold to be with you. Put your foot down, but firmly pull it back when you see it necessary. If you believe it, then you will send an Amber Alert for your soulmate and at the most awkward and opportunistic moment he'll be there. Of course you won't know it. And you'll unintentionally, brush him off as just another guy you've met. But love does conquer all. Like I said before, love will have its way...it will be if your heart is open to it...if it's destined and you're ready for it...His "will" will be done! He's your soulmate and that's solid....no getting around that. Nonetheless, you can not turn a "waist of time" into a "soul-mate". Some people are truly only in your life for a season. If it's the cold, cold, winter with their ass..then by golly turn up the heat, pick your leaves off the ground, and go into 2008 with spring on your mind!

Training Day

I'm working it out these days. I've dumped my TiVo for some much needed love and attention on the thighs, abs, & arms. Yes ladies & gentlemen, I have become a gym addict. I've picked up the frequency on the eve of 2007 as I'm preparing myself for a more in shape and toned 20-something year old.

According to this article on LifeFitness (the gym trendsetter), diet can't do it alone! I really like what they had to say:

• It's not just cutting calories. Eating less, or cutting back on fat in your diet, won't keep the weight off. What you really need to do is strike a good balance between the number of calories you consume and the number you burn. And the only way to do that is to exercise.
  Don't groan! By exercising, you can lose weight while you eat more calories than if you simply went on a diet. Regular physical activity is much more effective at keeping the weight off in the long run than any diet.

Where did this new attitude come from? I think it was born while shopping for clothes during the holiday break and slowly realizing that my waist line had become extinct. It appears my waist line is this new waist accessory that I can't seem to take off the traditional way. Missing breakfast isn't cutting it for the late 20-somethings. My metabolic rate has slowed down to residential speed and I've gained weight in all the wrong places. So I decided to not only cut back on the calorie in-take and bread fest, but I'd also speed up my activity level. I mean let's face it, I can only burn so many calories with the "significant other".

iLove

Last Christmas, it was the iPod Nano. I was estatic to finally enter into the extended family of APPLE and give this new gadget a spin in my ever so busy world. The antiquated CD Player, while music friendly, was never user-friendly. I don't care how many jog-proof stamps they engraved on it, that thing would skip with a sneeze! Plus my love for small bags and clutches, couldn't seem to accommodate the bulkiness of the CD player.

The Nano was great! And I say that at a volume that doesn't seem to support the meaning of the adjective. Post Nano, I've now entered into the iPod Classic la familia! I feel like I'm apart of the Godfather of iPods. It's sleek design, with metallic features, makes this gadget seem like it's a weapon of mass destruction! Yeah, I could have gotten the iPod Touch, an abbreviated version of the iPhone, but this was a purchase that I didn't have to transact. It was a Christmas present, one that's getting much love and attention at the moment. I just downloaded Ugly Betty Season 1 and let's just say I feel like I'm cheating on my lover. Instead of picking up my BlackBerry, I'm carrying my new-boo everywhere I go, almost forgetting my much needed necessity of life~my cell phone. (Which is why I wish the iPhone was available to other cellular providers. We've got 4 more years to go!)

Anyways....just thought I might share my new addiction with everyone. Yeah, it's something I'm proud of! I just can't wait to watch another episode of Ugly Betty, which is phenomenal by the way, on my new iPod. No, I won't need a 12-step program, or a room at Shady Acres next to a hopeless celebrity vixen. I'll be okay... as long as I can press play! (Hey, that rhymes!)

iCapricorn

The Zodiac that penetrates greatness into the realms of this world! Thank God for those of us that were born under the sign that continues to speak volumes of history. Take a look at all of the Capricorns that have put a much needed dent into the history books & made it worth turning the page for more!

CAPRICORN ADJECTIVES: Strong, Independent, Know-It-All, Dedicated, Down to Earth, Realist, Purposed, Driven, Determined, Multi-talented, Giving, Loving....iCapricorn : )

Growing Pains - One track at a time

I just pressed play. Growing Pains plays in the background as I type.

It's hard for me to let her finally grow up! I want her to forever be that young 20-something diva, with door knocker earrings, black lip liner (no blend), rocking a jersey with knee pads. Or better yet, looking like a Grown Woman but still holding on to the fountain of youth & the blues that accompanies it.

Fast forward to today. She's thirty-six. Happily married, he seems to be everything she could ask for, and she has a newfound outlook on life. Beats are at the root of her music now. Where her rawness of inexperience & uncertainty made every song more relatable to her audience, now it's been replaced with sassy & up~tempo beats that make you dance and not cry.

I'm not criticizing her. This is not a critique at all. It's only a way for me to come to grips with a Mary J. that I didn't know even existed until a couple of albums ago. Rewind to the track No More Drama, I started feeling this newness, awareness, and self-realization that Mary was beginning to accept into her life. But then, after the therapy and once everything is realized, accepted, and healed, there's apart of you that dies and yet another, that is born. Then comes the acceptance of a new you. See, as I was holding on to my own drama, it was hard for me to accept the rehabilitated Mary J. Blige in The Breakthrough, Love & Life, and No More Drama. I'm still singing to My Life, Share My World, What's the 411?, and all the other classics from soundtracks and collaborations. And I'm sure, she's over that...probably even has a hard time hearing it too much! Maybe even singing it!

So, here are I am...sitting at my computer listening to my Itunes library play one track after the other. Then the track "Stay Down" comes on...I'm doing a little sway back and forth to the intoxicating beat, as she repeats "Did you know, did you know, did you know...". Quiet for a moment. I even stopped typing. Listened to what she had to say about a relationship that's enduring a test. At the moment, it seems to be overwhelmed with drama & stress, but there is one thing that holds her there. The fact that relationships are not perfect, but good ole' love conquers all. It's what makes the good and the bad worth the ride. One day we'll look back on this, we'll be like remember this and it's gonna make us smile. Cause in the end we stayed down. I know that's right! I feel every word in that song. I immediately get off of my nineties-Mary J. Blige-hiatus and accept the fact that our life is surely and certainly not defined by others. Yeah, maybe we influence her financial portfolio, but nonetheless, her happiness is not measured by whether we accept her personal revelations.

Then Hurt Again comes on. OH Sugar Honey Iced Tea!!!!!!!! That's my current anthem when it comes to affairs of the heart. I've been there and I've done that and I promised never to get hurt again. Never again. You drive me crazy but I promised myself never to get hurt again... I don't deserve it. I can never get hurt again, never get hurt again....never!

I sigh. Place my fingers back on the home keys and search for the right words to bring this blog on home. Mary's CD continues to play in the background and every apprehension I had prior, has become a fading memory that I'm thankful I can't remember. Mary's all right with me. You know why? Because I've changed a lot from the person I used to be and some people want me to still be that person forever. I mean, are you the same person you were five, six, ten years ago? But new and improved, some people don't like the look and are more accustomed to accepting you as you were in the past. The first sign of productivity or improvement, some, not all, are quick to put you back on the memory bus and make judgments that it's fake and impossible. Well, Mary, now I know exactly how you feel. Here I was about to do the same thing to you, that some have done to me. No, you can't make everyone happy. Yes, some won't like the new you. Yes, some people will think it's impossible for you to change. But be for damn sure Mary, they can listen to this CD and fall in love with Growing Pains. Something that all of us have had or are still experiencing. We're all a work in progress.

Workin',

K'

I'm not a gossiper, but....

Jamie Lynn Spears, sister of estranged baby-mama Brittney Spears, is pregnant! And peep this, she's only sixteen years old!!!! This family is in serious need of a sit down.
She recently told OK magazine that she is 12 weeks pregnant and the baby daddy is (drum roll, please)...Casey Aldridge! Hmmm...never heard of him! I just hope he's ready for the paparazzi fiesta coming their way! I mean, hasn't she learned from her sister's frenzy with her photo-friendly enemies?!
According to the interview, she'll be raising the baby in Louisiana, so that "it" (that's how she referred to her baby) can have a normal family life. OK, hence the pun intended, why would you announce your pregnancy to a highly syndicated magazine?! (Shaking my head)

FIRST LOOK

So you wake up and you're thinking about wearing this one tee, that you finally ordered from this super cool blog site : ). And then there's this bag that you bought from this super chic handbag designer : ). In the words of Tim Gunn, "MAKE IT WORK!"

DAY:
*Hello Nobody Tee
*Lynette clutch - Nneka Hurley handbags
Nobody Cult high-waisted jeans
Miss Sixty "Vaila" Boots
EVENING:

Ashley Capelet

LUX High-waisted tweed pencil skirt

Miss Sixty "Ester" Boots

*same on both looks

Don't Rain on my Parade!

This is my salute to a parade of fabulous and gorgeous fashionistas that have graced red carpets or just trekked out and about in classic chicness. In my opinion, they do not have to try too hard to look as debonair as they do. Now, I know that some people may say well, why didn't she include this person? Well, let's just say that this is my damn blog! LOL!

Try a Little Tenderness...

A little girl with pigtails sits in a chair, bouncing her legs back and forth and blowing sighs of impatience. She looks off towards another little girl playing on the floor, that seems to be too young for her to attempt to indulge in imaginary play with. Her mother sits back, Mary Monroe's latest novel in hand, consumed in her reading, but still attentive enough to hear her name being called. A restless 40 or 50-something lady, looks over her glasses in disbelief at the crowd of others waiting and looks over to that infamous glass divider, wondering if the diagnosis is good or bad. I'm shaking my head, because I never wanted to end up here. This is the last place I wanted to spend my Saturday.

If you haven't guessed it by now. No, I'm not at the emergency room. I'm waiting in the Sprint store. It seems my BlackBerry is having a mind of its own when it comes to hooking up to my car charger. For the price I paid two years ago, it should have wireless charging! Some battery charging sattelite off in outer space for pricey phones! I sigh, like everyone else from time to time, shifting one leg over the other. I sit back and make the best of it. I wish I could snatch that Mary Monroe novel and at least go into another world, that keeps me from dying of impatience in this one. I cross my legs, yet again, and at least try to spark up a riotus conversation with my next seat neighbor. "This doesn't make no sense!", I say, trying to initiate a protest out of her. She just nods and seeemingly enough, her name is called. She heads to that representative like he was Bob Barker on The Price is Right! I look up at the fancy 60" flat screen on the ceiling. "So that's what my monthly bill is really paying for?", I say to myself. I notice my name goes a little higher on the totem pole. Just three more names and my problems will be solved!

An hour goes by, and I'm next! My heart begins to race, adrenaline rushes, I'm on the tips of my toes, waiting to hear my birth name. Feels like graduating from high school all over again. There are times like this, whether you like the choice your parents made years ago or not, that you're estatic when you hear your name being called. I glance at a few of the representatives, all of them seem to be invested in high-profile cases. I get hopeless for a moment. I wanted to catch the 3:50 matinee...It's now 3:30. Finally, a young (kind of attractive) man emerges from behind the glass divider and my name is called. Mmph, wish I had've looked in my compact mirror. At least he took some of the edge off I was waiting to spill over. Sprint probably made it their duty to hire a few attractive reps, to keep their irate customer frequency controlled. After the common protocol: Name on the account. Password. I tell him the situation, like he's a doctor and I want to know if I'm pregnant or not. He smiles, not genuinely, almost robotic, and tells me something I didn't want to hear. "Well our tech has left for the day, so if you want to leave your phone..." I don't remember what he said next. All I know is that anxiety that he helped to soothe with his looks, immediately showed up all over my face. But then Otis Redding's song, started playing in my mind, Try a Little Tenderness...."she may be weary, them young girls they do get wearied...but when she gets wearied, try a little tenderness." I smiled, laughing to myself. Told him, "that's okay, I'll come back another time. Maybe on a Tuesday morning, when a majority of customers are at their 9 to 5's." He seems shocked. Larry, yeah, that's the name on his badge of Sprint/Nextel honor. Larry takes a step back and shrugs off the unexpected reaction. I walk away and notice others waiting with the same anxiety I had. To ease the stress for a few, I say loud enough to be heard..."If your phone needs the doctor, well, he's left the building. Out on a call I guess." A lady smiles and another curses.

I walk out of the Sprint clinic, into the see-saw 70 degree weather of December and put my sick BlackBerry back inside of my purse. It's okay baby, we'll get you fixed up one of these days.

Just Like You...

THE WAY IT REALLY IS...


You know I was rather leery to check out this much talked-about show when I saw the commercials for the second series debut. And not because I'm not a Keyshia Cole fan. I love the girl's sound and her image is like a baby Mary J. Blige. But then there were the edited snapshots to lure viewers into tuning in on its debut. I saw black women, yet again, being represented as unruly chicken heads, yakking off at the mouth, finger pointing, fighsty...just plain rude and disrespectful! Those were the judgments I made, from a few commercial plugs. I my apprehensions kept me from adding it to my TiVo.
Then, reluctantly, with nothing else to watch one Tuesday evening I tuned in to all the hype. Much to my surprise, the episode began with Keyshia, her sister Neffe, and mother Frankie, having a therapy session! I couldn't believe it! I immediately started shaking off my hasty judgments and by the end of the episode, I saw something that I wish the man in the editing room had've portrayed on those commercial spots....love. There was a generation of wounds that were left unhealed and festering. Definitely a raisin in the sun. Poor Keyshia. Poor Neffe....and POOR FRANKIE! I felt so much empathy for the pain they'd experienced and still conflicting with. But somehow, they still hugged and loved one another. Keyshia Cole gained much more respect from me as a daring woman that is truly "JUST LIKE YOU" and I. I was compelled to even look at my own life and recognize the power of pain that had nearly destroyed myself and my family. But we have all perservered.
Keyshia's life is a bestselling biography. A television series is good, but let's face it...the producers show us what they want us to see! I'm sure Keyshia does have some executive play in all of it, but there's a man in the control room that wants to cut out the mushy stuff and hit us in the head with the festering drama. Frankie, Keyshia's mother, did not raise her. Luckily, shoot... thank God, a friend of hers took Keyshia in at three years old, while Frankie continued to do drugs and prostitute. But in no way, none whatsoever, do I say that in a self-righteous way. I'm reminiscing on my own quiet skeletons. The things that I'm not proud of and the stuff that still makes me cry. It does not rule me, but let's face it, making bad choices surely has its repercussions. Now, modern-day Frankie, drug free and determined to be a better woman, wants to experience the things she neglected her seven children from. Maybe she needs a few etiquette classes on being a lady, but the woman is doing a damn good job. I'm sure, considering where she came from, she is a butterfly. She came from standing on a cliff, about to jump off...but, that sweet & quiet voice, that speaks so softly, turned her around...and put her back on the "good and narrow". It's hard, but you do your best and be who you were destined to be!
So, am I ashamed of Keyshia Cole's family...No, I am not. I can relate to that kind of family...as dysfuntioncal as it may seem, its normal & tolerable when you're in it. I'm also thankful that Keyshia, unlike other celebs, allow us to see how real & similar life is for all of us. Being a Miss Goody Two Shoes may get you hella endorsements and camera time, but being real is a reality that none of us can put a price on. It gives us something that an autograph or concert ticket could never give...relatability and a soothing assuredness that you're not in this alone!

Kudos to Keyshia and God bless her entire family!

WORK IT B#$@!

Jessica wears it, but Mary serves it.

Oscar de la Renta....one gown, two muses.
It's quite apparent that the gown flows like an angel with Jessica's frame and stature, almost Roman goddess like. But Mary's caramel skin and sharp Moe haircut with blond and caramel tresses, along with the jewels around her neck, keeps our eyes fixated on the right pic! She serves the complete look and almost makes Jessica look like a mannequin wearing this Oscar de la Renta gown.

I'll steal the jacket off of your back, Rihanna! This beautiful, form-fitted, Jean Paul Gaultier plaid number is just the right pick for the jetsetter in all of us. Whether it's London, Paris, New York, DC, the ATL, Dallas, Miami, LA....this jacket is definitely convenient for any weather pattern....oh yeah, and it's super stylish! You could have on a Haynes white-tee and wear the jacket as your icing on top! I'm so inspired to lose 15 lbs to get that waist line!

It's about to be a girl-fight!!!

Last, but certainly not least....Mrs. Jada P-Smith....I think this is the only one I'd fight for the complete look. This chick looks like perfection in this black tafeta dress. But check out the pink trim at the bottom of the dress....take a deep breath....annndd....exhale! Simply breath taking...this Baltimore goddess is a long shot from her hay-days with childhood best friend Tupac Shakur...

Lauren va a Paris!

If anyone knows me...I'm a "The Hills" junkie! Although I didn't plug into the series finale until much later in the broadcast, I was happy to know the answer to my week long question...Would Lauren get the chance to go to Paris, again? So when I saw her packing her bags (again, this time for International travel and not shacking up)...I was so happy!

Now of course the flair of last night's finale was centered around the Sonny and Cher modern day...Heidi and Spencer. I pretty much predicted that she'd finally come to her senses and postpone, if not break off, the wedding. I don't know why she was mad, or even surprised at Spencer's sister spilling the beans about her wedding jitters. Blood is definitely thicker than water. And their blood seams to be packed with a bunch of drama filled red blood cells. In any route, I'm almost proud of Heidi for trusting her instincts, not falling for the pitiful performance that Spencer poorly displayed, and head home to Momma!

I just can't wait to see what next season will bring....more Broady? The HILLS

A Girl with ALOT of BAGgage!

Don't let the hand on her hip fool you! This girl has a closet full of bag~gage!


Let me reminisce for a moment...

I remember in undergrad we were getting ready for one of so many cabarets. Myself and a mutual friend were standing around, maybe near the cafe' (the memory is fading, but you get the picture). Of course discussing what most young 20~somethings stressed-out about~what to wear? And this chick says, "Oh I'm piecing something together ." Or something close to that. I shrugged it off as a trip to the mall, probaby Express or Arden B, for something that somebody else may repeat on the day of the extravaganza. But then I learned she was actually making it...no, not getting it made, she was threading the needle. I couldn't believe it! On the night of the cab', I saw her ensemble and was immediately speechless. The girl was definitely a pre-Project Runway candidate!


Now, some odd years later, we're still friends. She transferred to another school, but we had mutual friends and stayed in touch. I ran into her at a fashion show in Richmond, Virginia, where she was showcasing her bags. Models accessorized each designers' label with Nneka Hurley handbags. I was impressed. She did all the manufacturing herself. As the daughter of a seamstress I do consider myself a connoisseur of fashion construction, and as I reviewed each bag, the stitching was absolutely stunning. After the fashion show, she went back to Philly and I went home, back to my nine to five. I prayed that she didn't give up on her destiny. Well, full speed to present day, she didn't. Nneka has a catalog of oooohs and ahhhhs, I'm just disappointed that a boutique buyer, or major department store buyer hasn't jumped on the bandwagon...yet. I know it's coming for her. She's well within her rite of passage to crossover into consumer heaven and make a black Friday out of it! Her bags are some adjective that pushes it beyond expectation. This bag lady is young, hip, down-to-earth, committed and more importantly, creatively blessed. A woman with baggage that doesn't add stress lines... gotta love that!
*Visit www.myspace.com/bagsbynneka for more!

For my readers....

For my friends....my library of the beginnings of bestsellers....

I.

It’s hot outside. Not the kind of hot that only needs a fan circulating. It's unseasonably hot, for a day in March. I’m sitting at the window sill with the window open, smoking a cigar – a little secret bad habit I picked up from my days in undergrad. Too many bad relationships will do it to you.
I live on the infamous, 18th Street & Junction. Known for its newly renovated historic homes, busy intersection, corner stores, and Wax Recording Studios. I take a pull from the cigar and exhale as I observe the cluster of people two stories below. As a writer, it is a privilege to have so much richness and history at my window. I’m always inspired to write about this or write about that. Children parade around the corner store, with newly pressed shorts and t-shirts, ready for the temperature rise. A little girl emerges from Kwik Corner Store with a Popsicle in her hand, waving and teasing her peers with it. I’m thinking she brought the cherry-flavored Popsicle unbeknowst to her buddies and they all shout in disbelief. She makes a run for it around the corner and they run after her.
A young girl with form-fitting denim booty shorts walks from the direction of the children and stands at the intersection waiting to crossover. Men stop, stare, gloat, and make pleas and gestures. They think about what type of ass exists underneath the denim. A smirk appears across her face, as she hears the awes and the wave of disrespectful comments. She seems to be pleased with her reactions and I wonder if she knows that she’s being disrespected. I don’t think she really cares.
I’m immediately distracted by the rhythms of Curtis Mayfield’s Move On Up, emerging from a car slowing down to a stop at the red light. I smile as I listen to the smoothness of Curtis Mayfield’s voice and the pulsating music that harmonizes with him. I catch a glimpse of the forty-something driver bopping his head and probably reminiscing to that night when he owned the ladies as he danced to that song. He turns it up and mimics the beating of the bamboo drum, as if he’s on the stage beating away all of his fears and tears. I smile at his one-man show and know that it feels good to him, even if it is make-believe. Those wise enough to understand, feel the music also as they pass by. They smile at the driver’s intensity for the drums and remember with him, that same feeling. Then a horn blares from behind, interrupting the one-man show. The audience speaks words of dissatisfaction towards the party-pooper in the black Camry. The Curtis Mayfield impersonator stops his act abruptly, gives the car behind him the finger through his rear view mirror, and speeds off.
This scene connects to me, because it is a metaphor of my love life, or lack thereof. Excitement, sadness, disappointment, laughter…a sea of endless emotions. I identify with that driver. Wanting so badly to feel that love from others. That driver will forever feel that he should have been on that stage. He would have been everything to that band and to the pleasures of anyone that desired to listen. But the driver behind him assured him that he’s only driving to another destination. Likewise.
A black Lincoln Towncar pulls into a parking space in front of my building. My heart begins to race, not for the man that’s driving, but for the little girl that’s inside.
“Olivia’s home.” I say out loud, only to myself. I immediately put out the cigar. Although I’m sure she’s smelled the odor, she has never seen me smoke one. I spray as much air freshener as my lungs can tolerate. I take a much needed deep breath. Here comes the man that fertilized one of my eggs, I remind myself. I can hear his voice ascending the stairs and her rambling about the time they've spent together. I imagine he's spent...exhausted. Ready to drop her off and run back to his bachelor pad, never looking back. But before he exits quickly, I'll remind him that the day care monthly rate has increased. ...

Crack Kills ~ The Chapstick Tragedy

Now I know I've been incognito for a moment, but did I happen to miss a new trend? When did "Cracked Lips" become the next best thing? Yeah, I did capitalize it, because as I've maneuvered throughout, trekking along, I've bumped into many that think the LL Cool J lick, is the dry-lip solution! First of all it, makes it worse and to add insult to injury, a white film surrounds your lip because of the dryness. I'm sorry fellas, saliva does not have a shea butter or aloe vera agent!

No licky~licky, no sticky~sticky...

"It be calling me man" in the infamous words of Pookie of New Jack City, that's exactly how I feel about MAC's Lip Conditioner with SPF 15. It is the best lip moisturizer worthy of its $14.50 price tag! This moisturizer keeps your lips juicy and kissable even at 10 degrees below zero! So, if you're a resident of the colder states or trying to get your lips ready for that first kiss....buy this moisturizer and put down that hopeless Vaseline that dries before you can close the top. If you don't believe me, get his opinion on your new purchase and I'm sure you'll buy it again!

P.S. They also have it in a tube, for guys that may think the tub is a little too risque'...

Hello...who are you?

Hello Nobody!

Yeah I know that sounded kinda crass, but let's face it...we've all, maybe secretly, believed ourselves to be as insignificant as a bug splattered on your headlights. I just thought I would begin this blog~or rather "blogspot" to be as oxymoron as possible. No I'm no one! Get it? If not, you may want to retake English 101 or possibly pick up Diana Hacker's A Writer's Reference, or maybe google it...which ever comes naturally or more convenient!

As for me, well....I guess I'm a writer. No I didn't major in it, (I don't think Writing is a major), but I think we've all had to do it, whether forcefully or by our own will. "In the beginning was the word..." now there's some supporting argument for your a$$. The word comes naturally to me, but the punctuation & grammar thing...I just haven't seemed to get? Ooops...

Nonetheless, I can write about anything, from BUSHit to Blahniks...test me, and you'll see I can B.S. my way through any thesis topic! Thanks to boring professors and a small town, I think my imagination and this keyboard can take me anywhere!