Tag Archives: new beginnings

Weekend at a glance: the 28th year #63

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I can’t say that celebrating my birthday is something I enjoy doing. Most times, something bad always happens. But this year, I really did enjoy myself and my company.

In the midst of my “loner” moments, I forget how much love I have surrounding me. And it’s the little things that matter to me the most: the time spent and the memories. It’s the things that money cannot buy.

I’m so very grateful to the few people who came out and celebrated with me. The new and the old friends. I really appreciate you all. Thanks for the memories. XoXo.

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Fresh start.

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I struggled for a while trying to define my blog when deep down, I really didn’t want to conform. It didn’t feel natural. But I thought I needed to have a niche, like everyone else. I thought that to make it in this blogging business, I needed to be an expert at one specific thing. And maybe that is the case for some bloggers. And yes, I’d like to master some things. But the fact is, I am a lifestyle blogger. I blog about…my life, lol. That’s a damn hard thing to define. Some of the bloggers that I find to be the most inspiring are just amazing at creating beautiful things. And that’s what I do. No need to define. It just is.

So anyway. On to technicalities.

If you’ve ever tried to design your site on your own without any prior knowledge of CSS or HTML, you know what kind of HELL it is. I’m somewhat of a perfectionist when a project has my name on it. I’d much rather not put anything out than half ass my own shit. So instead of just tossing stuff on here, I’m pacing myself. Bear with me, y’all!

Quick tutorial of minor changes.

If you’ll take a gander at the menu above my custom header *Vanna White exaggerated point*, you’ll notice that I added a few tabs. I will primarily be focusing on these topics (if you couldn’t tell from my posts already). I have an extremely difficult time functioning within dysfunction, hence why I created a rubric of sorts for myself. And now…

A preview to what is to come:

-a new weekly (3 days – m/w/f) posting schedule

-guest posts

-interviews

-new finds and reviews

Keeping it simple, keeping it sweet.

Until then, I’ll still be posting on my other social media accounts. Follow if you dare.

Again, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING MY SHIT!!! See you in a week. :)

ml

It’s been real, 2012

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The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

4,329 films were submitted to the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. This blog had 22,000 views in 2012. If each view were a film, this blog would power 5 Film Festivals

Click here to see the complete report.

What an enlightening year. I didn’t post as much as I should have because this has been such an EMOTIONAL journey for me. And I didn’t want to post too many emo things about my life. But I did jot them down in my phone as the feelings came to me.

At first I thought that 2012 was a loss but I really did accomplish a lot this year. Maybe not professionally (which hurts the most) but definitely personally.

I met: Bill Hallman, Claire Sulmers and Rosetta Thurman.

I learned: to knit, to stop fearing small dogs.
I joined: a small group at church.
I had my hair styled FIVE times (more times than I ever have).
I lost: WHITNEY!!!!!!
I gained: Blue Ivy!!!!!!
I gained and lost 5lbs, at the same damn time.
I cared deeply for a man.
I had: two photo shoots, one at a cemetery and the other on cinco de mayo.
I threw up for the first time in my life from alcohol ON my 27th birthday.
I went to a horse race.
I sang: for a good cause at karaoke while sick as a dog.
I got my second tattoo.
Although all that I resolved to do this year did not get accomplished, some did. I am grateful for that. And I would list my goals for 2013 but I have things like “getting kissed at midnight on NYE” on there. I don’t need you to judge my life.
Cheers to more love, laughs, faith, hard work, transparency and more gratitude in 2013.
ml

Happy black woman happy hour

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11.11.12

Finally got to meet the wonderful Rosetta Thurman of Happy Black Woman blog.

 

She was very surprised that with all of the Black women in Atlanta, we didn’t have more meet-ups like this on a regular basis. Nevertheless, a good group of women came in support and we had a blast.

 

 

 

And guess who won the biggest prize??? THIS GIRL! Earrings, necklace and bracelet gifted by Traci Lynn Fashion Jewelry.

 

To read more about the event, click here. And definitely subscribe to Rosetta’s blog, Happy Black Woman. Inspiring!

Nothing lasts forever

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While sifting through my 30+ unpublished blog posts, I came across one that I wrote it back in December of 2011. Not sure why I never hit publish. But after reading this post this morning, I just had to share this with you all. Enjoy.

12.29.11

I think I’ve always had in mind that nothing lasts forever. It’s kept me from taking things too personally and getting my feelings hurt. But I eventually did let my guard down and got hurt. But I reminded myself to learn from those experiences. Use them as teachers to guide me forward. To reflect and remember the good times. When you look at it that way, nothing really feels like a loss.

The danger in the relationships we form in life is in thinking that everything is permanent. We’ve all heard the saying, “the only constant thing is change.” Knowing this, I accept all that the universe brings my way in whatever form. I accept that absolutely NOTHING lasts forever. Not people, not marriages, not life. Everything is subject to change. And the quicker we acknowledge that, the easier it will be for us to accept the twists and turns in our lives. And the less hurt we will be by situations in life. Hopefully.

One of the truest quotes I’ve ever heard was concerning seasons. Every year, Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall come. Every year. And each year, each season is uniquely different. Do we ever question the seasons as to why they change? No. They have to. And so do we. Accept that. Sit with the “uncomfortableness” of it because it will make you feel awkward.

I remember one of the first times I attended a service at Destiny. I stayed after for one of the youth chats. We were split into groups with strangers. I don’t remember what we discussed but I remember telling a personal story. One of the girls, noticing my struggle, shared one of her own to comfort me. It touched me SO much, especially coming from a complete stranger. I never interacted with her after that day. I didn’t know her or anyone else in the group but I still felt a connection to her. I felt like that was my “moment” with her.

The moment we realize that life is fleeting, that nothing lasts forever and that we cannot control the future, is when we will start to savor each moment of life we’re given. Stop dwelling on what you don’t have control over.

I cannot waste another day not being happy with every single decision that I choose to make.

Take things one day at a time. Don’t promise me anything in the future. Promise me today. This very moment.

Nothing lasts forever. You live and then you die. That’s it. So live before you die.

People Come Into Your Life For A Reason, A Season Or A Lifetime

Unknown Author

When you figure out which one it is,
you will know what to do for each person.
When someone is in your life for a REASON. . .
It is usually to meet a need you have expressed.
They have come to assist you through a difficulty,
to provide you with guidance and support,
to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually.
They may seem like a godsend, and they are!
They are there for the reason you need them to be.
Then, without any wrongdoing on your part,
or at an inconvenient time, this person will say
or do something to bring the relationship to an end.

Sometimes they die.
Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.
What we must realize is that our need has been met,
our desire fulfilled, their work is done.
The prayer you sent up has been answered.
And now it is time to move on.

Then people come into your life for a SEASON….
Because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn.
They bring you an experience of peace, or make you laugh.
They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.
Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons
things you must build upon in order to have
a solid emotional foundation.
Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person,
and put what you have learned to use in all
other relationships and areas of your life.
It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

A few new things

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I was invited to attend a sneaker ball benefiting the Without Sole marketing campaign. Without Sole targets young people who donate gentle worn shoes that will benefit thousands of people internationally (including Haiti!).

“The message is that giving is an essential part of humanity and it begins with something as simple as an old pair of shoes that you don’t want anymore.”

At the end of the event, they collected well over 3,000 pairs of shoes :)

 

I found the mixing of formal wear with street wear to be a novel concept! I’m glad my outfit worked.

 

My sister celebrated her 25th birthday with Tex Mex and a sombrero.

 

It always feels good to meet new people who you can vibe with. Glad I met these girls. Hi Tamika & Shay.

 

Remember my post about tattoos and placements and letting it be? Yeah.

 

Four more years

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Four years ago, I was sitting on my living room couch writing a paper while watching the results for the presidential election roll in. I was happy that Obama won. I was elated to be alive to see the first African-American president of the United States. I was proud that I voted for that man. But today is different. I’m even more excited about this election. And I feel like it is even more important than the first time.

I’m sure I might get a few frowns for speaking politics but it’s my damn blog so…yeah. The last four years have been extremely rocky for our country. Financially, many of us experienced the worst times. Slowly but surely, progress is being made. Jobs are being created and unemployment is still low. Change doesn’t happen over night. We have one hell of a clean up to do.

I believe in President Barack Obama and what he stands for. I have faith that things are changing for the better. Here’s to moving FORWARD.

GO VOTE!

 

Notes on a plane

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9:37pm EST 10.17.12
It’s almost ten pm est and I cannot sleep. Not sure where I am. In the sky somewhere, on my way to Frankfurt. I did really good with this flight. I made it to the airport on time. Checked my one suitcase and it was smooth sailing from there.
I will say though, connecting flights on extended trips like these are the worst. I flew from Atlanta to Newark and now to Germany. I want to sleep but I can’t. Had I gotten a direct flight like when I flew to London, I would be knocked out right now.
I’ve watched two movies: Brave and People Like Us. I read a few chapters from The Perks of Being a Wallflower. And I listened to Tony Braxton and Adele. Now I don’t know what to do. These seats hurt my back and it’s too cold to lean my head against the window. I want to stretch my legs so bad. Ugh.
“Close your eyes and think of me and you.” That worked once. Lets see…
11:10pm EST
It didn’t work. Well, kinda. I slept through about eight Stevie Wonder songs.
Our male flight attendant is really funny. Earlier for dinner he announced that we’d be having steak and potatoes. I started doing a happy dance in my head. When the female attendant came around, I was more than eager to tell her that I wanted steak. I figured, although lobster would be amazing, it would be too messy. So imagine my surprise when she asked if I wanted beef or chicken. Im sorry?! He tricked meee!  Well, trick me once, shame on you. Trick me TWICE, shame on me. For breakfast, we were supposed to have bacon and eggs. Instead, we got the smallest croissant ever created and a bowl of fruit. Ashton, where are you?
5:55am CEST 10.18.12
We landed an hour early in Frankfurt. Long story short, I got to see my good friend Bessie, rode on the autobahn and walked around a bit. I will be back!
2:15pm CEST 10.18.12
Dude!!! Lufthansa is THE best airline I have ever flown on! No seriously. Does it get better than this?! After spending a few hours in Frankfurt with my friend Bessie, I boarded the flight to Nigeria. Immediately I noticed the wide aisles and seats. When we took off, I noticed that Germany has so much more greenery than America. More and more, America is becoming less appealing to me. :(
I’ve been fighting the urge to fall asleep for some time now. I don’t want to be jet-lagged so I’m staying awake or at least trying to. I took a quick nap and when I looked out of my window, I saw nothing but white tops! The Alps, perhaps? I don’t know but it was beautiful.
The flight attendant announced that we would be served a light lunch. That was definitely unexpected. I heard the menu and assumed that maybe this lady is a prankster like the attendant on my previous flight. But NO. I really received lamb. LAMB. Actually, there was nothing “light” about my meal. I’m so shocked and happy!!! The best part is that there is FREE wine and no one asked me for ID!!! Yup, I’m slightly tipsy but its okay.
The flight attendant just convinced me to continue eating this raspberry cream thingie. I’m not a big fan of sweets but its…interesting.
Oh, I forgot to mention about this hot wet wipe. I saw the attendant coming down the aisle with it but I had no idea what for. After observing the people, I realized it was to wipe your face. I guess a quick clean up. I don’t know. I followed the crowd.
I’m watching the absolute worst movie: Moonrise Kingdom. Meh!!!!
I want more wine and I’m ready to sleep the rest of the way.
As a departing “light snack”, they offered a slice of pizza. I kindly declined. There is too much going on in my stomach right now. I did take the gummy bears and chocolate. Best. Treatment. Ever.
6:33pm WAT 10.18.12
Landed in Lagos without any issues. There was a man waiting for me when I arrived. Not much to say about it just yet except that traffic is truly a nightmare. I should probably not complain about Atlanta traffic in comparison to how long I spent in the car.
11:55pm WAT 10.18.12
I am finally getting sleepy. Everyone else is knocked out. Tomorrow is a new day, new adventure.