Mademoiselle Mitchell

#MusicMondays (Blogger Style)

2011-09-14T22:23:00.000-04:00

International Travel Challenge: Day 2

2011-07-06T01:28:00.004-04:00

Day 02 – Where you’d like to travel next

Back in 2007 I wrote this blog post where I identified the next 10 countries I'd like to visit. Funny enough, they still hold true for the most part. However, I think #1 has officially become Thailand, which I fully intended to visit this summer before life happened (aka I decided it'd be cool to take a new job).

I'll try to make it in 2012 though! (Although I also wouldn't complain if someone sent me to any of the other countries on my list first...)

Who in their right mind wouldn't want to spend time

somewhere with water that looks so perfect?

International Travel Challenge: Day 1

2011-06-22T09:35:00.009-04:00

So I'm late to the 15 Day International Travel Challenge, but I figure it's better to start late than never! Over the next several days I'll be posting based on the following timeline:

Day 01 – Favorite place(s) you’ve been to
Day 02 – Where you’d like to travel next
Day 03 – An adventure/challenge you had while traveling or living abroad
Day 04 – A picture of you in another country
Day 05 – What do you bring with you when you travel?

Day 06 – What does “home” mean to you?

Day 07 – Besides people, what did/do you miss from home?

Day 08 – A favorite food from another country/culture
Day 09 – A song you like from another country/language

Day 10 – A favorite foreign movie
Day 11 – Did you have any milestones or “firsts” while traveling or living abroad?
Day 12 – Someone who influenced you to travel abroad
Day 13 – A favorite travel quote
Day 14 – What did you learn from traveling abroad?
Day 15 – Advice to someone who’s thinking about traveling to another country

I may not post daily and I may skip around, but it'll be fun!

Day 1: Favorite Place I've Been

Visiting the south of France was by far my favorite trip while studying abroad. We went to all the typical places - Cannes, Monaco and Nice - but my favorite place was a small town that only took an hour to see, Eze. As I wrote in my travel blog it was a cute old town, very tiny, and left very much as it was many many years ago. And when I say tiny, I'm referring to everything from the actual size of the town to the size of the doors! And the view of the Mediterranean sea was spectacular!

More pics...

Be Inspired

2010-12-06T01:49:00.003-05:00

A friend shared this with me.

I found it inspiring, so I'm sharing it with you.

Blessing for a New Beginning

In out-of-the-way places of the heart,

Where your thoughts never think to wander,

This beginning has been quietly forming,

Waiting until you were ready to emerge.

For a long time it has watched your desire,

Feeling the emptiness growing inside you,

Noticing how you willed yourself on,

Still unable to leave what you had outgrown.

It watched you play with the seduction of safety

And the gray promises that sameness whispered,

Heard the waves of turmoil rise and relent,

Wondered would you always live like this.

Then the delight, when your courage kindled,

And out you stepped onto new ground,

Your eyes young again with energy and dream,

A path of plenitude opening before you.

Though your destination is not yet clear

You can trust the promise of this opening;

Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning

That is at one with your life's desire.

Awaken your spirit to adventure;

Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk;

Soon you will be home in a new rhythm,

For your soul senses the world that awaits you

-John O'Donohue

2010 is Practically Gone. Now What?

2010-12-01T23:50:00.009-05:00

2010 didn't quite go as I expected. I'm sure that's no surprise to many of you. I'm even more sure that you feel very similarly about this past year. What's interesting is that for me it turned out far better than I could've expected - both the extreme highs of the triumphant moments and the extreme lows of the emotional "stuff" that makes life not so awesome.

For it all, I'm eternally grateful.

I started 2010 with nothing more than a vision board to carry me through. After the phenomenal growth I've experienced this year, there is so much more that I want to do to prepare for January. A lot is still in the works, but let's just say that I'm staring with a WHOLE lot of blank pages in my life. And I'm super excited.

Of the many things I'm doing to prepare myself for next year, reflection has been the number one priority. I've spent most of this year reflecting on things that have happened to me, my feelings about certain situations, my growth, my relationships, my career etc. I'm at the point where I'm ready to figure out what that all means, where I'm heading, and how I intend to get there.

So when Rosetta Thurman launched her challenge, 31 Days to Reset Your Life, I just knew I was in. I had been thinking already quite a bit about my professional goals, but I hadn't put enough emphasis on my personal goals and where the two met. I'm looking forward to taking part in the challenge since the activities will perfectly complement the planning I'm currently doing.

So join me over the next few weeks as I share some of my reflections with you and embark on a journey that's going to make 2011 even more phenomenal.

Photo Credit

It's My Birthday!

2010-10-14T00:00:00.000-04:00

24 years and I'm still going strong. I've been neglecting this blog while building my professional blog (http://www.nikitatmitchell.com/), but I haven't abandoned this one yet. I have posts I want to write. I'm just struggling to find the time. Stay with me though!

Oh and as a brief update, I cut my hair again. Why? Because I wanted to see what it looked like. The conclusion: it's fierce!

I Started a New Blog

2010-08-19T01:46:00.006-04:00

This blog chronicles my professional journey and development. My name is Nikita and I'm a twenty-something working hard to strike a balance between my career and personal ambition to change the world. Join me as I share my experiences on this journey called life.

Check it out: www.nikitatmitchell.com!

A three week vacation? Will you ever want to work again?

2010-07-29T20:47:00.009-04:00

A good question when you really think about it. Even for overachieving A-types.

The longest vacation I've taken since graduating from college was Christmas ('08) & NYE ('09) in Jamaica visiting my sister, who was living there at the time. I went along with two of my other sisters and relaxed for two weeks. Beach, party, sleep. Well, not in that order. And, really, it was mostly sleeping. And then the beach. And then partying. But yea... I was trying to say that it was just the break I needed, and I don't remember having any trouble going back to work.

On Wednesday I left for Barbados on a 6am flight. It's Cropover season (the nation's carnival of sorts) and the immigration line was ridiculous and took almost two hours to clear. I'm here for a week spending time with my cousins, relaxing on the beach and enjoying the season's festivities until next week when we leave for our family reunion. This will be our third, each of which has happened 4-5 years apart, so it's kind of a big deal. Our reunions are held on Union Island, one of the Grenadines of St. Vincent & the Grenadines, which is the homeland of my grandfather.

After four days of planned activities, my parents and I are flying to Trinidad to spend time with my paternal grandparents. They don't know that I'm coming, and it's been like five years since I've visited them (they often spend months at a time in the US with us). This is rather frustrating for them, though, because I spent so many of my summer months with them in Trinidad as a child. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to seeing them.

As I sit here in my maternal grandmother's house writing this (in a notebook, mind you... how old school right?) and listening to the rain fall on the roof, I wonder what it will be like going back to work after 3 weeks. Will I feel super lazy or will I eventually tire of my family enough to run back to the airport?

I have so many goals for myself over these three weeks that it's almost not a vacation by some people's standards. Books to read (too many, I realize), writing to do (both journal and post ideas), and studying (GRE words - #womp). I'm betting between that and all the beach time, partying, and spending time with family that these three weeks will fly by. Moreso, I'm betting with all of this "work" I have myself doing I'll be more than able to ease back into the routine of life. Maybe even hit the ground running on the project waiting for me at work.

Only time will tell.

Review: "Bitch Is The New Black" rocked my world

2010-07-10T00:32:00.011-04:00

You had to have been living under a rock over the last several months if you didn't catch the media’s obsession with letting the world know that black women are undesirable. If so, I submit Exhibits A, B, C, D, E…Z – and I’ll stop there even though there’s much much more. Well, in the midst of this ridiculous craze, a young woman named Helena Andrews made the spotlight. A single, educated, successful and attractive woman, she was featured in a Washington Post article about her, then, upcoming memoir entitled Bitch Is The New Black (aka #BITNB). The article focuses on Andrews’ life as a young black woman dating in DC and the frustrations that many like her feel trying to meet suitable companions in the city. While the article was interesting, it didn’t do the book justice. I couldn’t be happier that I stepped out of my used-books-only (or-seriously-discounted-bookstore-books-only) norm and ordered myself a copy. I read the book over the course of two days because I couldn't put it down. I absolutely loved it, and let me tell you why.

Her wit is razor sharp and her writing style is engaging.

He’s the Nigerian E-mail Scam of ex-sorta-boyfriends, trying to seduce me over cyberspace with promises of riches in the real world. Problem is, I’m black and I have a vagina, so my Waiting to Exhale intuition tells me this shit ain’t for real.

The memoir is a collection of 16 essays with titles such as ”Perfect Girl” and Other Curse Words and Riding in Cars with Lesbians. Nuff said right? It gets better, though. Andrews uses each of these essays to chronicle her past, smoothly jumping back and forth in time in many of them. She gives us insight into everything from her childhood to her professional endeavors post graduate school. She has a really intriguing childhood growing up with a lesbian mother who made them move around quite a bit and an even more interesting adult life filled with dating trials and tribulations, a friend/line sister who commits suicide, a best friend on the west coast, and a blossoming career in DC.

Her mother is awesome.

See, Frances does this. We’ll be talking about something FCC-approved for mothers and daughters, like, say, vaginal itch, and she’ll bust in like the emergency broadcasting system with a ‘What kind of birth control do you use’ or and ‘I’ve been celibate for almost a decade’ or an ‘Oh, so you two are just fuck buddies then. Beeeeeeep goes the filial flat line. Dead. She’s got mommy Tourette’s.

Simply put: Frances, Andrews’ mother, is awesome. Not more awesome than mine, of course. But on a scale for non-my-mothers, she hits the top. Beside the fact that she calls her daughter “little brown eyed girl” – my mommy calls me “precious” *smile* – she’s just an amazing fun-loving woman pulling Andrews through a childhood filled with unpredictable turns while working hard to raise her the best way she knows how.

She’s me. At the very least, she’s like my BFF.

I don’t feel almost twenty-eight. Not an actual adult, I’m more adult-ish. See, I’m just a girl. An awesome one, of course, but just one. And like so many other little brown girls my age, I believe the problem of loving, lusting, or even “liking liking" someone can be solved with a simple equation: x + y = gtfohwtbs (if “x” ≥ 28 years old and “y” = socially retarded men).

I connected to Helena like she was a new girlfriend telling me her story over sushi and way too many bottles of Riesling. She laughs. She curses. She complains. She gets excited. She struggles. She seeks love while still holding onto pieces of relationships that aren’t worth more than a penny. She’s a twenty-something. She’s me.

It was so exhilarating for me to read a candid and completely relatable memoir written by someone not much older than me. It’s like being in eighth grade and listening to the older kids talk about their daily lives, both in junior high and high school. You listen to the joys, the heartache, the triumphs with excitement for times to come while wondering how to avoid the future heartbreaks that are inevitable.

She and her best friend are hilarious.

‘Dude, what is your life about!?’ quizzes Gina every morning over IM like the opening bell of a boxing match, startling me into the ring of another Monday. The alarm to starting the day off single.

Frequent use of DUUUDE! and play by play accounts of online IM chats and texts with her BFF and various guys were enough to make me giggle like a little girl. My daily gchat convos with @Ladiee_D have not been the same since we put this book down. A convo just doesn't feel right without at least one use of the word. What did we ever say before to express our feelings? "Dude" just seems so much more fitting now for every situation.

She’s real.

I don't think Michelle [Obama:] minds bein our new muse. I think she gets it. We little brown girls - drunk off The Cosby Show, sobered up by life, and a little suicidal - we need her.

I love how willingly she shares her imperfections. In an effort to tell her life story she provides the reader with a view into her mind and allows us to laugh with her as she reflects on her moments of insanity, pain, confusion and joy. To judge her would be to judge both my current and my future selves. She makes mistakes, deals with broken hearts horribly, has terrible days and denies her need to emotionally release all while cherishing her family, friends and dog and living life as best she knows how. All of these things I know too well (except the dog part).

After all, isn’t that what the twenties are about? If not, then I guess I’m doing it wrong.

Helena Andrews is currently working with Shonda Rhimes, creater of my favorite TV show Grey's Anatomy, on the film adaptation of the book. I can't wait to see it!

I Cut My Hair

2010-06-16T22:07:00.037-04:00

I still can’t believe that I didn’t cry. Instead, with a smile, I watched all my hair fall to the floor. There wasn’t an ounce of sadness. Just pride.

I had finally done it.

It was almost a year ago when I first considered cutting it all off. The nagging desire to do it came at a time when I was struggling with so many aspects of life: my relationship, my friends, my health, my job and my purpose. I was unhappy with so much, confused about a lot and downright frustrated with the rest. My hair had yet to become the change I was looking for, but I knew I wanted something different in my everyday life. I wanted to feel fulfilled. I wanted to feel like I was pursuing a passion.

I initially began pressing myself to plan for grad school, thinking that with my love for school that would be the change I needed. Despite the excitement I felt about possibly attending a school in Europe, or at least on the other side of the country, I quickly realized that I wasn’t ready to go back. I didn’t know what I wanted to do professionally (other than my current job), far less what I wanted to study.

So that ended that.

Then my post-college boyfriend and I broke up. And for reasons that would take another post to explain, this opened up my mind to a whole new world of possibilities that I previously wasn’t considering. Most importantly, it brought back a possibility into my life that I hadn’t considered since undergrad: the Peace Corps. It was something I wanted to do since ~~this bautiful man~~ a recruiter spoke to my freshman business orientation class. I was staunchly against working in Corporate America at that time, and to someone with a passion for service and a desire to experience new cultures (hence my International Business degree) this opportunity simply seemed too good to be true.

But life happened. Better yet, two corporate internships, parents who wanted me to get a “good job,” and a college boyfriend who I was considering spending the rest of my life with happened. But the breakup between me and my post-college boyfriend felt like a blessing in disguise. I was ready.

Once I committed myself to the Peace Corps application process, I became more and more excited about the opportunity to spend the two years abroad focused completely on making a change in a community and being challenged beyond belief. I was more than ready to jump start a whole new phase in my life.

It was exhilarating to feel so passionate about a goal that I felt was a complete reflection of me – not my parents, not my peers, just me. I imagined every step of the process, fantasized about the placement I might get and began to mentally prepare myself for the lifestyle adjustments I’d have to make. The possibility almost felt too good to be true. I felt like the character in my favorite book, Black Girl in Paris, was finally coming to life for me. Eden is a young woman who dreams of living in France and meeting her literary idol, James Baldwin. My favorite part of the book is when she finally decides to just up and go to Paris with only a few hundred dollars in her pocket:

"Before I left home I cut my hair close to my scalp so I could be a free woman with free thoughts, open to all possibilities... I didn’t know what I wanted to be but I knew I wanted to be the kind of woman who was bold, took chances, and had adventures. I wanted to travel around the world. It was my little-girl dream."

I’ve struggled to adequately explain what this book means to me – especially that excerpt – since I first read the book at 18. And while that paragraph has always had a profound effect on me, it never meant more than during the phase I was in last summer. I was ready for something new. I was ready to “be a free woman with free thoughts, open to all possibilities.” That was when I decided that I would cut my hair before my departure for my service in the Peace Corps. I planned on entering this new phase in life as a new me.

Now if you don’t know anything about the Peace Corps application process, let me give you a brief rundown. There’s an application, an interview, regional nomination, medical forms, medical clearance, financial forms, financial clearance and eventually (you hope) an invitation to serve in a particular country. I submitted my application in August, was interviewed in September, was nominated for Africa the day of my interview and spent the next few months completing the EXTREMELY comprehensive medical and dental forms.

Let me tell you, getting those medical forms filled out was by far the most frustrating experience in my life (and I’m sure my doctors’ offices felt the same way, bless their hearts). But finally, after much back and forth with follow-up information requests, I was told that my application was in full review and that I’d have to wait 6 weeks to 3 months to hear a response about my medical clearance.

So I waited. And squirmed. And prayed. And checked my mail. And whined to my friends. And waited. Finally received the letter. Read it. And cried.

And cried.

I’d been medically deferred. The Peace Corps told me that they could not continue to review my application for medical reasons and that I was welcomed to resubmit my medical forms if things changed. I was so confused. Why didn’t they want me? It’s not like I was dying or anything! I was so shocked. “No” was a word that I barely heard. And this one hurt more than ever.

About a week later I wrote a blog post about the “pause” I was taking time to think things through a bit and allow for my reality to set in. I’m very much a believer in all things happening for a reason, but I also just was not ready to begin thinking about what would be next. Afterall, I had very much built myself up to believe that the Peace Corps would be my next step.

During that time I got to thinking about a lot of things, particularly about how much personal growth I’d experienced through the application process, my relationship woes and my professional situation. I was proud of myself. Yet I knew there was so much more growth I wanted to experience. Making the decision about the Peace Corps for myself and by myself was the first step in me getting to know me on a deeper level. I wanted to continue breaking out from the fear of other people’s opinions, judgments, plans, expectations and disappointments. So I decided I would still cut my hair.

As a black woman who has been natural all of her life,“the big chop” wasn’t significant for me in the way that it is for so many others. Yet in many ways it was exactly the same. I wasn’t breaking free from the pressure to have straight hair or fit into society’s idea of what I should look like. Rather I was releasing myself from the pressure I’ve placed on myself to be something that I don’t have to be. I was giving myself permission to be authentic and true to myself at all times.

I want to be a free spirit. I want to be bold. I want to take chances. And while I still have a long way to go before I am able to embody many of the qualities that Eden talks about, every day I can take a small step toward becoming that woman. Last week I took a big leap when I cut my hair.

Be Inspired

2010-05-18T11:18:00.009-04:00

"I wish for you the kind of trails that help you discover your life’s work and give you the strength and faith to pursue it. I wish for you a life lived not in response to the doubts or fears or desires of others, but in pursuit of passions, hopes and dreams that are your very own."

--Michelle Obama to University of Arkansas Pine Bluff c/o 2010

The Case of the Missing Best Friend

2010-05-10T19:43:00.012-04:00

The transition happened slowly. We weren’t the type of friends who saw each other very frequently and neither of us particularly enjoys phone conversations. Rather, we would typically catch up every several weeks for a few hours over dinner and drinks. Even when we found ourselves going through a longer than desired period of absence from each other’s lives, a simple text expressing the need to meet up because x, y or z happened was enough to get something on the calendar ASAP. So when she slowly started disappearing from my life I almost didn’t even notice it. At least, until things got rough.

By that point we had gone months without speaking to each other more than once. I knew she was busy with her new teaching job, her engagement as well as grad school so I told myself the “you have to be understanding” story. However, I started struggling with things in my last relationship and I gradually became bitter as I realized she wasn’t readily available to be the listening ear and objective advisor I’d become dependent on.

I don’t open up easily to people, and I’m very selective about with whom I share what. I have another best friend who lives in Atlanta whom I spoke with every so often. But I’m an out-of-sight out-of-mind kind of girl, and this best friend was literally the only person I told everything to – including my secrets – without hesitation. She was the one I felt I needed. Yet she was nowhere to be found.

*Cue the loneliness.*

When the only other person you share your emotions with (other than your significant other) is unavailable, what do you do? You pick up and try to keep moving. But it’s hard when you’re doing it through the hurt, the tears and the confusion that you refuse to talk to anyone about. It’s even harder when you feel guilty for feeling bitter.

I felt I was being given a taste of my own medicine. I’ve always been that friend who never picks up the phone to call. Even worse, I’m guilty of screening calls and not answering because I’m in an I-don’t-feel-like-talking kind of mood. And if it’s not that, I’ve legitimately missed your call, yet my good intentions of calling back at a better time quickly get lost in my black-hole of a memory.

This is how I’d been treating my best friend in Atlanta. I reasoned that that's just me, and anyone who loved me would get it. So how could I get upset when the person I needed wasn’t there when I called? What do you do when someone you cherish, someone who had become so integral to your emotional well-being essentially disappears from your life? How do you adjust?

Well, I’ve gone through the experience of losing friends and, more recently, the process of realizing that certain people aren’t truly friends. So I’m beginning to think that this is the period where I learn to adjust to the changing nature of relationships.

My best friend doesn’t love me any less. If I needed proof, it exists in her poor attempts to respond to my communicated desires to connect. She has even randomly sent me a text letting me know that she’s thinking of me and misses me. These things mean the world to me and assure me that our friendship is still intact. However, the role she plays in my life has changed. It may be temporary, it may be forever or it may continue to evolve. Only time will tell.

The positive things that I’ve been able to take away from this experience include my commitment to being more active in my friendships (i.e. calling more or even just answering the phone often enough) and efforts to become more open to taking friends and family up on their offers to be a listening ear. While it’s easier said than done, life is not meant to be lived in a bubble. I'm starting to realize that ignoring and hiding from my feelings only makes things more difficult than they need to be, especially when there are so many people in my life available for me to lean on.

Nonetheless, I look forward to the possibility of having my best friend as a central part of my life again one day.

Image source

Why is Michelle Obama so fierce?

2010-04-23T14:10:00.003-04:00

We all know that I have a slight obsession with Lady O, and on so many levels. One of my fave sites Mrs. O keeps me up to date on her flyness. I mean, would you just look at this outfit?

That is all.

A Bibliophile's Dream

2010-04-20T21:28:00.009-04:00

This weekend Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda, MD had its 37th annual used book sale. Known as one of the largest book sales in the Washington, DC area and listed among the top ten largest in the country, this sale had 14 miles of books (yep, you read that right).

If libraries and bookstores are what dreams are made of, used book sales are slices of heaven and this one offers up a seriously giant slice. Held in the campus gymnasium, the books are organized into over a dozen genres, ranging from children to chick lit to gardening to African American to history to business (and on and on).

The prices of books primarily ranged from $1 to $5, and all sales support the school’s scholarship fund (Stone Ridge's tuition is not cheap). On Friday and Saturday, books were sold at full price; on Sunday, everything was half off; and yesterday, a bag of books cost $10.

For those of you who read my blog or have spoken to me recently, my family raised funds to buy books for the library on the island where my grandfather was born and raised. We held a raffle which helped us raise over $2,000. My mother and I were allotted a budget of $500 to buy young adult books. On Sunday alone, we purchased four boxes and three bags full of books for around $400. Yesterday, my mother and I picked up another five bags for $50 – a few of which were for our own personal libraries though!

Needless to say, this is an event to mark on your calendar every year. To get more information, visit the website and sign up for the mailing list. If you are interested in donating books to the school, they are accepted throughout the year.

My New Favorite Place

2010-04-12T13:50:00.007-04:00

In my mind, it's DC's version of Central Park in NYC. It's called the National Arboretum (which keeps coming out as arbortorium in my head, don't ask why), and it's located on the edge of DC in NE between NY Avenue and the Anacostia River.

A friend of mine introduced me to the place this weekend. Having grown up in the area, I cannot believe that I've gone 23 years without knowing of its existance! It was the absolute perfect spot to spend a relaxing Sunday full of sunshine.

There are all kinds of sights to see, including a Bonsai tree exhibit (shown left), the national capital columns (above), beautiful gardens, and many paths/walkways to explore. Do yourself a favor, and check it out.

See the Yelp site for some great reviews and suggestions.

Finding My Power

2010-03-22T20:55:00.009-04:00

I was never a runner. My running experience and skill is limited to the couple years I joined the track team in high school to kick it with my girls ~~and watch cute boys at track meets~~. So it has come as a bit of a shock to me how much I've grown to love running.

It started only a few months ago. I'd created a regular workout routine, consistently working out a few days a week at BodyTalk. It was the longest I'd remained committed to any kind of working out routine - partly because it's a lot of fun and partly because it suits my schedule better than the gym classes I love such as cycling.

But I didn't feel like that was enough. BodyTalk is really just for strengthening, particularly for your arms and core. I knew my classes there couldn't give me the cardio I needed, so I randomly started running. It made me feel like any other great workout would - after pushing through it you feel both invigorated and proud of yourself. However, I discovered that there was something to love that I'd never appreciated before. Running makes me feel powerful beyond belief. I'm on a high when I listen to my playlist (filled with dancehall and soca to keep me moving, of course). I almost feel invincible.

But even beyond the physical, there is the mental challenge of running that appeals to me. I'm not a competitive person by normal standards. You won't catch me trying to run better or faster than the next person. But I'm super competitive with myself. I am my worst critic, and I definitely don't like disappointing myself. So when I run 3.5 miles (as I did today), I expect improvement the next time.

And that's the part that I need the most. The mental stamina is so much harder to come by than the physical stamina. There are so many points during my run where my body is capable of pushing it further, yet my mind is telling me to slow down or run a shorter time.

I'm at a point in my life where I'm experiencing so much growth. I'm also aware of how much growth has yet to occurr. As I continue to make running a regular part of my life, I believe that the same feeling of power that overcomes me during my workouts will take hold in my personal and professional life. The mental strength I build will develop the courage and committment I'll need to face future challenges that come my way.

I'm working with a theory here, but my goal is to follow through in order to see the results.

Rocking the Red Pump: Women and HIV/AIDS

2010-03-10T23:33:00.010-05:00

I'm rocking the Red Pump today in honor of National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. The goal is simple: raise awareness.

I must admit: I do not know any women with HIV or AIDS (or open to me about it, rather). However, I find this damn near impossible when I look at the statistics. I find it even more impossible when I look at the alarming rates that black women and girls are affected in my own community.

HIV is the 5th leading cause of death in women in the United States, ages 25-44. Every 35 minutes a woman in this country finds out she's HIV positive. Black women make up 66% of all new diagnoses of HIV in women.

It gets scarier, especially for those of us living in the DC Metropolitan area. The rate of women in D.C. infected with HIV/AIDS is nearly 12 times the national average. According to the Washington Post, in "at least 3 percent of District residents have HIV or AIDS, a total that far surpasses the 1 percent threshold that constitutes a "generalized and severe" epidemic.”

Last I knew, epidemics were faced with much more urgency. So that begs the question, at least in my mind, what will it take to not only increase the urgency in our own community, but also get the full attention and support of our leaders? I mean... what will it take for you to truly believe that this is a serious issue??

I remember when I first got tested. It was in school at Howard. Honestly, I only did it because I heard they didn't need to draw blood. (I have this fear of blood and needles that I'm beginning to get over so don't judge me please!) Since then I've been tested by swab and/or by blood just about each year. And each time it's the same. You take the test and you wait for results. I don't care if you're abstinent, that wait is nerve-racking whether you’re waiting 15 minutes or a few days (to get lab results back)! But it’s entirely worth it.

Knowing your status empowers you. Finding out that you are infected allows you a fighting chance. Finding out that you are not means you are blessed to be one of the few who will get to live without the disease another day.

So please. Don’t be a part of the 21% who don't know they are infected with HIV. Get out. Get tested. Know your status. And raise awareness.

If not for yourself, do it for the betterment of our community. Our lives depend in it.

Statistics from the The Red Pump Project website.

Respecting the Pause: Wisdom from Alice Walker

2010-03-03T22:10:00.012-05:00

"Wisdom, however, requests a pause. If we cannot give ourselves such a pause, the Universe will likely give it to us. In the form of illness, in the form of a massive mercury in retrograde, in the form of our car breaking down, our roof starting to leak, our garden starting to dry up. Our government collapsing. And we find ourselves required to stop, to sit down, to reflect. This is the time of "the pause," the universal place of stopping. The universal moment of reflection."

So you have your mind, heart and soul set on a goal. You work hard and push forward toward that dream. Focused. Determined. Passionate. You do all that you can do, and you are told there is time you need to wait. That’s just the process. So you wait even though waiting is far from your strength. You get anxious. Quite frankly you’re almost squeamish because you are so excited about this dream you are pursuing. But you wait because you know it is worth it, and there is nothing else you can do.

Finally you receive the news. It’s not the news you expected to hear. You just knew how this was all going to play out, and this news was definitely not in that plan. Matter of fact, you wouldn’t have even planned for this type of news if you had created a contingency plan. I mean it totally came from left field.

The news sinks in. You internalize it, and you grieve. You grieve because it hurts to have something you wanted so badly no longer be within your grasp. Then you go to sleep. And you wake up.

Now the question is: what do you do next?

Well, I don’t know about you, but the A-Type side of me needs to have that answer. However, through this thorough and personally challenging process that pursuing that goal required, I’ve experienced quite a bit of growth. Growth that I’m only now seeing as I sit and take pause.

In her book We Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For Alice Walker says, “if we cannot give ourselves such a pause, the Universe will likely give it to us.” Ironically, and almost bizarrely, I reread this meditation (the book is a compilation of various meditations she wrote) the day before I received my news. When I first read the book I didn’t think much of it, but when I reopened it a couple weeks later this was the one that grabbed my attention. In reflecting on my situation, I believe that I have been given a pause. And it is my intention to take it.

So when you see me, don’t ask me what my plans are for my life. Because I don’t know. Don’t ask me what’s next or how long I will be staying at my firm. Because I don’t know. When you see me, don’t even ask me when I’m going to grad school or what I’m going to study. Because I don’t know. And I don’t need to know right now. I’m respecting the pause.

And if you’re worried that I’m discouraged or getting "off track," just stop your worrying right now. I’ve grieved, and I’m okay. Furthermore, I still intend to live out my purpose. There is no changing the innate part of me that is driven to succeed. However I am well aware that there are many paths to that purpose. Right now I’ve been told to take a detour (whether temporary or permanent), and I’m simply taking some time to sit on a bench in the park to enjoy the scenery.

The Gift of Books

2010-02-25T00:00:00.013-05:00

Update: The raffle is over and we raised over $2k!! Thank you so much for your support!

My love for books should come as no surprise to any of you who know me and/or read this blog. This love for books runs through my blood. As a result, it should really come as no surprise to you that my family is currently raising money to give the gift of books.

Our Alexander Family reunion will be in Union Island (where my grandfather was born) in August of 2010, and we would like to donate at least $1,000 worth of books to the library, which at present has a very limited collection.

In order to accomplish this goal we are selling $5.00 raffle tickets for a 19'' TV! I hope that you will help to make our goal possible. The date of the reunion is fast approaching so the drawing will be held on April 3, 2010.

So what are you waiting for? It only takes 5 minutes! Here's what you do:

Click the orange "Donate" button at the top of this page.

Enter your donation amount. $5.00 per ticket and $20 for five tickets. However, feel free to donate any additional amount if you heart desires!

Either log into your existing paypal account or click continue under "Don't have a PayPal account?"

Continue toward checkout. BUT... be sure to use the "Add special instructions to seller" section to tell me how many tickets you are purchasing as well as a phone number to reach you if you win!

Your support is much appreciated, and I look forward to sharing stories and photos of how your donation made a difference!

A little about Union Island

Southernmost island of the Grenadines belonging to the state of St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Situated 90 kilometers southwest of Barbados and the islands of Carriacou
The mainland of Grenada can be seen to the south
Located 40 miles from St. Vincent.
About 3 miles in length and half that in width
High, rocky, and dry and is largely covered in thorny scrubs
Dotted with cacti and free roaming goats.
Home to approximately 3,000 residents and Clifton and Ashton are the two principal towns

Review: By The River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept

2010-02-22T22:25:00.010-05:00

“By the River Piedra I sat down and wept. There is a legend that everything falls into the waters of this river – leaves, insects, the feathers of bird – is transformed into the rocks that make the riverbed. If only I could tear out my heart and hurl it into the current, then my pain and longing would be over, and I could finally forget.”

And so the novel starts out. The most beautiful opening paragraph I’ve ever read in my life. And unless you are heartless or have never been in love, I don’t know how this wouldn’t at least rank somewhere on your list of most beautiful passages.

By The River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept was written by Paulo Coelho. He is best known for writing The Alchemist which just so happens to be my least favorite of the three books I’ve read by him. My introduction to Coehlo was The Zahir which was, like the other two I read, a beautiful story of love. Neither of those however prepared me for the beauty I would find in that very first paragraph of the novel.

It then continues:

By the River Piedra I sat down and wept. The winter air chills the tears on my cheeks, and my tears fall into the cold waters that course past me. Somewhere this river joins another, then another, until – far from my heart and sight – all of them merge with the sea."

A couple pages later the protagonist, Pilar, takes us back to the beginning to tell the story of how she ended up weeping for this young man. They seemed to have always loved each other, even as childhood friends. However, they grew up and took separate paths in life. He chose to leave their small town to learn about the world (a theme present in both The Alchemist and The Zahir) while she chose to take the prescribed path of enrolling in a nearby university. They kept in touch throughout his travels, and one day he invited Pilar to hear him give a lecture in Madrid.

The story is a whirlwind from here. Pilar struggles to accept and embrace her feelings for him. He struggles to reconcile his love for the seminary, the gifts he has been given and the love he has held onto for so many years. While the beauty of their love story as it unfolds kept me wanting more, I found myself disappointed, especially toward the end when I didn’t feel the same intensity of emotions as I did with the opening paragraphs.

Like the other Coelho books I’ve read, By The River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept carries a spiritual theme, as he touches quite a bit on the mystical nature of God. In this particular piece, he focuses on the young man’s belief in a feminine God that grants him the power to heal. For some this may be an appealing aspect of Coehlo’s writings, but it tends to throw me off. It gives me some of the same vibes that the Celestine Prophecy gave me, which is more eerie than anything else.

Nonetheless, I enjoyed this book. I have two more books by Coelho that I want to read, one of them comes with high praise from Miss Melissa. And if you know me, you’ll know that there are VERY few authors from whom I’ve read more than one book. I must really like this guy.

C'est Mon Anniversaire!

2010-02-19T00:00:00.002-05:00

It all started three years ago, today. Mostly because I was bored. Also because I was in a new country, reading lots of books, missing my boyfriend and looking for an open ear - or in this case, interested eyes. And my travel blog about my experiences in France was not enough to keep me entertained.

And here we are! Woohoo. I’ll keep writing as long as you keep reading. Who am I kidding, I write on this thing knowing that I might be the only one reading. So let me rephrase that: I’ll keep writing as long as I keep thinking.

Happy Birthday C’est La Vie!

Do you know what time it is!?

2010-02-14T00:13:00.000-05:00

Girl Scout cookie time! I live for this time of the year. Ok.. maybe that's a slight exaggeration but you get the idea. This time of the year could seriously compete with Christmas for "The most wonderful time of the year," in my life at least.

My personal favorite? They come in a purple box of goodness. The Girls Scouts call them Samoas. I personally don't care what they are called. In my opinion, they don't need a name to be eaten.

I've already done my Antie duties and order three boxes from my nieces. However they live in NJ so I'm guessing that will be my stash for post-sales cravings. In the meantime I will be camping out in front of my local shopping center, eagerly anticipating the day the girls begin selling them.

What's your fave Girl Scout cookie?

Review: Women, Race & Class

2010-02-08T06:00:00.006-05:00

A few months ago I started on a quest to educate myself about feminism, especially as it relates to black women. As a result, my GoodReads queue has become filled with books on beauty, books written by authors like Alice Walker and even couple books on hip-hop feminism. I've recently been introduced to authors like Bell Hooks, and I'm constantly learning of others to add to my list. As with my general fascination with learning, the more I read the more I realize I don't know and want to find out.

[Insert fascination with Angela Davis' books.] Need I say more about why I chose to start with this particular one?

Written in 1983, Women, Race & Class takes a serious look at the intersection of feminism and racism in America. In this collection of writings, Angela Davis touches on a range of topics that point to the struggles of the Black woman fighting to fight for equality in a movement that fails to include her.

It starts with a telling and often gruesome discussion on the female slave, detailing the laborious expectations on the field coupled with her complex role in the home (slave quarters). She even goes into the brutal punishments regularly inflicted - from the abuse experienced by pregnant women to the brutal rapes at the hands of white men. This, for me, was the hardest part of the book to read because of the raw brutality illustrated.

The subsequent essays delve into the history of the women’s movement and the influence of African-Americans, most notably the likes of Fredrick Douglas, Sojourner Truth and Ida B. Wells. As the book progresses Davis articulates the various issues that were used to ostracize black women from the overall women’s rights movement since the late nineteenth century. Whether it was excluding black women to gain support from the South for women’s suffrage or ignoring issues of forced sterilizations when it came to reproductive rights, there has always been an unfortunate division in the movement that ultimately and consistently left the needs of Black women unaddressed.

With Women, Race & Class, Davis brings these issues – and more – to light with the message of unity for the benefit of everyone in the fight for equality. It's definitely a must read, especially for young black women like myself.

A favorite quote:

Evidence of the accumulated strengths Black women have forged through work, work and more work can be discovered in the contributions of the many outstanding female leaders who have emerged within the Black community. Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Ida Wells and Rosa Parks are not exceptional Black women as much as they are epitomes of Black womanhood.

10th Annual National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

2010-02-07T12:36:00.016-05:00

I only learned about this day two days ago, but couldn't pass on the opportunity to learn more and spread awareness. According to the CDC, it's a day for "national HIV testing and treatment community mobilization initiative designed to increase the awareness of HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment among Blacks in the United States."

Some statistics for you to share with others today:

AIDS is the leading cause of death for black women aged 25–34 years
At the end of 2006 there were an estimated 1.1 million people living with HIV infection, of which almost half (46%) were black/African American
Blacks with AIDS often don’t live as long as people of other races and ethnic groups with AIDS. This is due to the barriers mentioned above
Rate of AIDS diagnosis for Black women is approximately 23 times the rate for white women and 4 times the rate for Latina women
Black teens (ages 13–19) represent only 15 percent of all teenagers in the United States but are 68% of new AIDS cases among teens

To get more information, check out the Center for Disease Control and the Black Aids Day websites. If you do only ONE thing today, spread awareness.

Fave Commercial Fridays: Staples

2010-02-05T15:03:00.000-05:00

This one had me crackin UP the other day. Enjoy.

Black History Month: Ain't I a Woman?

2010-02-02T19:51:00.006-05:00

And here we have it ladies and gentlemen. This is the month dedicated to the celebration of the contributions black people have made to this country. You know the story... it started off as Negro History Week in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson. What was originally the second week in February eventually became a whole month.

Fast forward, and here we are.

Black History month for me this year will be no different than other months of the year except for the fact that I will sporadically share some of my fave things about black women I'm learning about along the way.
Let's start off with Sojourner Truth's speech in 1851 at the Women's Convention in Akron, Ohio. In Women, Race & Class (which I'm currently reading), Angela Davis tells the story of Sojourner Truth's impact on the women's rights movement. In response to the absurd arguments about why it was ridiculous for women to want the right to vote (i.e. we aren't able to walk over puddles or get into carriages without the help of a man) she presented her response:

Well, children, where there is so much racket there must be something out of kilter. I think that 'twixt the negroes of the South and the women at the North, all talking about rights, the white men will be in a fix pretty soon. But what's all this here talking about?
That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain't I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man - when I could get it - and bear the lash as well! And ain't I a woman? I have borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother's grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain't I a woman?
Then they talk about this thing in the head; what's this they call it? [member of audience whispers, "intellect"] That's it, honey. What's that got to do with women's rights or negroes' rights? If my cup won't hold but a pint, and yours holds a quart, wouldn't you be mean not to let me have my little half measure full?
Then that little man in black there, he says women can't have as much rights as men, 'cause Christ wasn't a woman! Where did your Christ come from? Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him. If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back , and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them.

Obliged to you for hearing me, and now old Sojourner ain't got nothing more to say.

I don't know why this isn't something that I was taught in school growing up. It's too late to go back now, so I'm sharing it with you. Happy Black History month.

My thoughts and prayers are still with Haiti

2010-01-28T22:05:00.014-05:00

And they will forever be.

As you know, on Jan 12th an earthquake devastated Haiti. It happened on a Tuesday. My first knowledge of it came via Twitter from a woman, whose husband was visiting the country at the time, asking if it was true. Hours later I get home, turn on my TV and realize how serious the situation was.

On that Wednesday there was the expected outpour of concern for the needs of the Haitians and a mad rush to do any and everything possible (from most people at least... I will not discuss the lack of compassion I've also witnessed). Out of the madness quickly came both valuable information as well as misinformation. This included everything from 1st hand accounts via Twitter of the situation on the ground to false rumors about companies like UPS offering free shipping for items under 50lbs.

This situation brought on a whole range of emotions for me:

Sadness. For those who were (and still may be) hanging on to life, with hope of rescue. For the victims. For the families of victims. For the rescue workers. And for the women and children, who are most vulnerable in times like this.

Helpless and Powerless. Because sending that donation text doesn't pull someone out of the rubble that day. Because crying doesn't ease the anxiety they feel as another after-shock hits and everyone runs outside into the night. Because sending a second text doesn't immediately feed anybody as the hunger becomes unbearable. Because crying from the pain I feel doesn't alleviate theirs.

And last, but not least, Shame. For myself. For not knowing enough about Haiti prior to Jan 12th. For knowing of its story of independence and about the hunger and poverty to some degree, yet not understanding the richness of its history.

So what happens next? I remain committed to the people of Haiti. As the news networks continue to show fewer and fewer clips/photos, I will still be praying. I will still be supporting the rebuilding efforts in any way I can. And most importantly, I will still be educating myself and others about the country and its people. That's the promise I'm making.

Here are some links I used to get started:
-History of Haiti
-The Myth of Haiti’s Lawless Streets
-Haiti’s Debt
-Haiti – the Politics of Rice
-Haiti's revolt inspired U.S. black activists
-US Policy in Haiti Over Decades
-Our Role in Haiti’s Plight
-Haiti's Tragic History Is Entwined with the Story of America

How to Help Haiti

2010-01-13T19:38:00.008-05:00

This information is copied and pasted from a Homeland Security email. Please share.

“…Let me just say that this is a time when we are reminded of the common humanity that we all share. With just a few hundred miles of ocean between us and a long history that binds us together, Haitians are neighbors of the Americas and here at home. So we have to be there for them in their hour of need…Despite the fact that we are experiencing tough times here at home, I would encourage those Americans who want to support the urgent humanitarian efforts to go to whitehouse.gov where you can learn how to contribute."

President Barack H. Obama
Remarks by the President on Rescue Efforts in Haiti
January 13, 2010

Greeting Colleagues:

Thank you for the display of compassion and generosity toward the Haitian people and know this will be instrumental in continuing to help during this disaster. If you are looking for way to help, the most effective way to support the individuals and families of Haiti is through cash donations and support in locating family members.

LOCATING FAMILY MEMBERS:
The State Department Operations Center has set up the following number for Americans seeking information about family members in Haiti: 1-888-407-4747.

DONATIONS:
Cash donations allow for voluntary organizations to quickly pay for response and recovery efforts, and quickly provide direct financial assistance to disaster survivors to meet their own needs. Those interested in making contributions to help the victims in Haiti can do the following:

1. You can go to http://www.whitehouse.gov/ for additional information regarding help for Haiti and Watch the President's remarks this morning below, or read the transcript

2. For those looking for additional opportunities to donate to organizations involved in recovery efforts in Haiti following the devastating earthquake that struck near Port au Prince on Jan 12, 2010, you may contact the Center for International Disaster Information. The Center, operated under a grant from the United States Agency for International Development's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance and initial support from IBM, has become a valuable resource to the public, as well as US government agencies, foreign embassies and international corporations. CIDI has established a dedicated page to coordinate Haiti support at: http://www.cidi.org/incident/haiti-10a/

3. For those interested in learning more about how best to donate or provide assistance in Haiti click here. You can also go to http://www.fema.gov/ for more information

4. Additionally, interested donors can visit www.interaction.org to obtain a list of credible responding agencies for international emergencies and www.give.org to get valuable information on making informed decisions when supporting charities. In addition, donors can visit http://www.globalgiving.org

We leave you with these words from Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano:

"The entire Department of Homeland Security (DHS) extends its sympathy for the devastation and loss of life in Haiti following last night's earthquake--a disaster that has called the world to action in response…I encourage the American people to donate what funds they can afford to disaster relief organizations such as the American Red Cross to allow these voluntary groups to provide goods and services to disaster survivors as quickly as possible." January 13, 2010

My Vision Board for 2010

2010-01-08T17:44:00.000-05:00

Yay! It's 2010. A new year. A new start. The beginning of a fabulous journey. Can you feel my excitement.

Well, in order to start the year right, I kicked it off by creating my vision board. A vision board is basically a collage of words and images that motivate you to achieve your goals. It is meant to be inspirational. Something you look at everyday to get you moving closer toward your dreams.

Well this is mine. I must say there is only one real goal that I have for myself in 2010. ((It's something that I will get more into as the year progresses!)) Everything else is inpiration, motivation, and empowerment. What better way to ensure that 2010 is a great year?!

Listening to..

2010-01-06T12:15:00.002-05:00

Today's an E. Badu kinda day, and I realize that this must be my favorite CD cover of all time. Well, the Trey Songz Ready album is in close running - but for ENTIRELY different reasons. You feel me?

My Plea to Mothers Everywhere

2009-12-24T14:31:00.019-05:00

Dear mother and mothers-to-be,

Really, this goes out to all women surrounded by young women/girls who look up to them. However, the emphasis is entirely on mothers as they are the most influential on the self-esteem of their daughters in my opinion.

There are so many women and girls in this country (and across the globe too) who are torturing themselves emotionally and physically. They are living their lives trying to be something that they are not. They are quietly suffering due to low self-esteem simply because the women who they loved the most didn't help them develop it. Many have actually had their self-esteem destroyed, both intentionally and unintentionally, by these same women. Add the destructive effects of media into that equation and you have a young girl, young woman, or a grown woman who has not learned to see her own beauty. And this breaks my heart.

I just finished watching the documentary, America the Beautiful. At the beginning of the year I got my hands on the book Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry, and a couple years ago I fell in love with Dove's work on the Campaign for Real Beauty. In my opinion every mother should be aware of the issues addressed in the documentary, book, and campaign. There are tons more resources out there to learn more, but it would make a world of a difference if every mother started with even the most mainstream of materials.

Women, please hear my plea.

Think about the damage that you might be unintentionally inflicting on the young girls you are surrounded by. They look up to you whether you like it or not. Be careful how you speak about your own body, how you show your pride in your talents/strengths, and how you demonstrate love for yourself. They are watching and learning.

If you are already a mother and this comes as news to you, it is not too late. Sit down with your daughter. Tell her that you love her and why. As one of the women in the documentary perfectly stated, "Don't over appreciate your daughter based on appearance."

That doesn't mean don't tell your daughter (or niece or sister... etc) that she is beautiful. It just means don't make her feel as thought that's what your love is based on. Because what will happen on the days she doesn't feel beautiful? Will she be able to maintain her self-esteem if she does not know that she is uniquely blessed with talents/gifts? How else will she know that her spirit is amazing? Let her know that beauty comes from within as well.

I make this plea not from the voice of an expert (which I am not) or a mother (which I'm not either), but rather as a young woman who has come to appreciate the way that my mother and my sisters taught me to love myself. I just ask that you do the same for the young girls and women in your life.

Yours truly,
Moi

In the news:

I'm Still Dreaming Big

2009-12-18T23:39:00.015-05:00

Attempt something so big that
unless God intervenes it is bound to fail.

I found that quote last week at the Emergence Community Arts Collective on Sylvia Robinson's profile and it has not left my mind since. I saw it and it immediately had a huge impact on me because I felt it was meant for me to see.

I have big dreams for my life. I don’t know exactly how they will shape out, nor am I too worried (a very recent phenomenon, mind you). I just know and believe in what I am working toward. I believe that God has shown me my purpose, and this quote says so much to me as a result. It tells me that I should not hesitate as I move forward because I cannot accomplish it all if I don't trust that He is there.

Addicted to Love

2009-12-11T08:34:00.004-05:00

I’m addicted to love. I’ve come to this conclusion.

When it’s here I wrap myself in it like a safety blanket. Cuddle up with it. Throw it over my shoulder. Rub it against my cheeks. Hold it tight at night. Long for its warmth all day.

I’m an addict of love. I never want it to go. When it’s far I want it close. When it’s near I want it nearer. And when it goes it hurts my soul.

Why is it that something so beautiful can also be so painful? For some, it can even be destructive. Why is it that love loses so often in life? I’ve been shown what love can do. How love can move mountains. How love can be everything. Love is kind. Love is patient. Yet that’s not always enough.

I’m an addict of love. I never want to let it go. I hold on so tight that it simply hurts to know that love won’t always win. Not if I’m to grow.

Or maybe that is how love wins.

Photo Source

Fave Commercial Fridays: Talk to the Moose

2009-12-11T08:15:00.004-05:00

You can't say you don't love this one!

Women's Earnings in the DMV

2009-12-08T08:16:00.004-05:00

Image Source

In case you missed it, last week the Washington Business Journal reported on Forbes.com's ranking of DC as the best place for working women in the US.

D.C.’s 133,000 working women made 92.2 percent of men’s earnings in July
2009. The approximate median annual salary in the District was $45,032.

Apparently Maryland ranked #2.

The 1.06 million working women in Maryland made 83.6 percent of what men earn and see an annual median salary of $40,248.

Not so bad. Except when you consider the degree to which this gap is closed due to “the plethora of high-paying government jobs — many with a regulated pay system.” But I'll take it. I'm glad I ended up staying in the DMV after college.

Be Inspired: Shine your light.

2009-12-07T09:24:00.010-05:00

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, georgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually who are we not to be? You are the child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in all of us. And as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

- Marianne Williamson

This passage never fails to inspire me. For most of you, it sounds familiar. That's because it has been quoted by Nelson Mandela in his inaugural speech in 1994 and, more recently, in the movie Akeelah and the Bee. It's from her book A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles" which sits cozily on my bookshelf (yet to be read unfortunately).

I hope this inspires you to be your best this week.

Celebrating World Changers

2009-11-28T23:01:00.022-05:00

"A global celebration
of ordinary citizens
making a world of a difference."

I watched CNN's show Heroes on Thanksgiving night. Well, I watched the second half after the Beyonce special was done... but I caught up on the first half after! But that's besides the point...

I loved this show. To me, it's exactly what we need to see regularly on TV. The people in this world working and fighting to make a difference. To be honest, I hadn't paid much attention to CNN's advertising of this. I didn't take a look at the nominees on the site, vote, or anything. But I'm glad I caught it. I'm sure there are or will be skeptics out there about CNN's intent and yadda yadda. But I don't have a single negative thing to say about.

Each of the Heroes awarded inspired me. Some of them even touched me to tears. Watching shows like this is exactly what my spirit needs in order to combat the hurt that builds up from all the things I read/watch about this world we live in (see my Sexual Exploitation of Young Girls post). People like the CNN Heroes remind me that there is hope, and that I too can make a difference even if it is a "small drop in the bucket" - as one honoree referred to his efforts to provide clean drinking water to children.

In the show, 10 men and women were provided a CNN Hero award - the result of over 2.5 million online votes. Each of them was awarded $25k to continue their work. At the end, a Hero of the Year was awarded an additional $100k

This year's awardee was Efren Peñaflorida. He takes education to the streets for Filipino youth as an alternative to gang membership via a pushcart classroom. Every Saturday you will find groups of kids from ages 2-14 running toward his pushcart for their reading, writing, math, and english lessons

Now if that's not powerful to you, then I don't know what is.

Fave Commercial Fridays: Target 2 Day Sale

2009-11-27T09:50:00.003-05:00

These commercials crack me up. They are definitely the best Black Friday commercials on TV (that I've seen at least)!

The Sexual Exploitation of Young Girls

2009-11-20T23:25:00.005-05:00

I’m sitting here on my couch. Crushed. My heart is heavy and the tears won’t stop. I’m emotional (I’ve told you this before). And I’m idealistic (I’ve also told you this before). So it hurts me deeply when I hear stories of cruelty and injustice. It hurts me even deeper when I learn of the miseries that so many women, especially young girls, deal with in this world.

I just finished watching Very Young Girls. It’s a documentary about the sexual exploitation of young girls in this country. Taped in New York City, it highlights the struggles of several young women, most of whom have left the streets and moved on to a new life with the help of a non-profit called Girls Educational and Mentor Services (GEMS).

But its not just this movie that has my tears flowing. It’s everything from the story of Sara Kruzan to Shaniya Davis to the teenage girl who was gang raped for over two hours while over a dozen others watched. And these are just the stories that “earned” media attention. There are hundreds and thousands more. And I can’t help but think… do people even fundamentally care?

I’m not talking about the founders of programs like GEMS. I’m talking about the random person you see walking down the street. Because I feel like if they did, would these problems even exist?

I don’t know. My mind is racing in circles and my emotions are taking control. I’ve already written most of my nonsensical thoughts in my journal, but I just had to bring some awareness to this documentary that touched me.

Here is the trailer:

Fave Commercial Fridays: Ikea, again.

2009-11-20T13:15:00.003-05:00

I'm keeping the Ikea theme going in honor of my mother, who absolutely loves this commercial!

Maya Angelou Poem

2009-11-17T14:50:00.000-05:00

Alone

Lying, thinking
Last night
How to find my soul a home
Where water is not thirsty
And bread loaf is not stone
I came up with one thing
And I don't believe I'm wrong
That nobody,
But nobody
Can make it out here alone.

Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.

There are some millionaires
With money they can't use
Their wives run round like banshees
Their children sing the blues
They've got expensive doctors
To cure their hearts of stone.
But nobody
No, nobody
Can make it out here alone.

Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.

Now if you listen closely
I'll tell you what I know
Storm clouds are gathering
The wind is gonna blow
The race of man is suffering
And I can hear the moan,
'Cause nobody,
But nobody
Can make it out here alone.

Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.

Fave Commercial Fridays: Ikea

2009-11-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

Haha. That'll be me as a momma.

Joy Comes in the Morning. Always.

2009-11-05T21:40:00.023-05:00

Ever had one of those days where God had to bang a message into your head? It's not that he told you something you don't know, it's just that he wanted to go "yoohooo, hellooooo! I'm still here! I'm still carrying you."

Well yea, I had one of those days on Tuesday.

Let's just say it got off to a rough start. The night before I had a bit of an emotional breakdown. Actually, it was one of those ridiculous I'm-releasing-I-don't-know-how-many-or-which-emotions kind of breakdowns. If you put two and two together, it explains the letter I wrote to myself.

Normally, I wouldn't share this. Being overly emotional is something I'm typically very embarrassed about. But this is a testimony I just have to share, because the next day things got a lot better.

First. My pastor's wife called me. Let me start by saying that she is not the type of woman who calls to chit chat. With anyone. She calls with purpose. Well, she said she was calling to find out how I was doing. Said she thought of me last night. Said she saw me crying, like something was wrong.

Whoa.

Yea. That's what I thought. Well I told her that she was right, and she spent the next 30 seconds (a slight exaggeration, but she was quick) telling me that sometimes people like us with the desire to change the world deal with that kind of emotional stress. She told me that it will all be okay and to call her if I need anything. I got off the phone thinking about how amazing God can be.

Second. I received an email from my favorite world changer, Melissa. We were emailing back and forth about a trip to New Orleans. I emailed her letting her know that I didn't think I would be able to go. I told her that I appreciated her including me and that she's one of the most awesome people I know. I figured I'd pass on a good feeling. Why keep such thoughts to yourself when it might just be what they need to hear that day.

Well, who woulda known that it would come back to me. I swear I wasn't fishing when I told her that. Her email back to me was flattering and motivational to say the least. She shared her admiration for me, calling me grounded, highly intelligent, independent and balanced. She also implied something about my fabulousness (clearly my fave part haha). Anyway, It was one of those emails you tuck away to read on a bad day. Double points when you get it on an already rough day.

Third. A friend and former colleague from a campus job at Howard randomly sent me a gchat message saying that he read my blog post on sexual assault. He had already left a positive comment on the post, but he then proceeded to send more positivity my way. A small token, but it meant a lot.

Fourth. I met with a former manager about a presentation we were doing together, and to catch up in general. We spent some time talking about my situation at work and some personal goals I'm working on. She is my favorite person at my firm, and one of my biggest - if not the biggest - supporters. She only ever has positive things to say, and her aura alone is peaceful. She was an open ear, provided advice, and offered encouragement. There couldn't have been a better way to end my work day.

Fifth. (I'm almost done I promise.) Close to the time I was getting ready for bed, I got a gchat message from a former mentor. He was my assigned "buddy" when I interned in NY the summer of 2006. Neither of us did a good job of keeping in touch after. I've sent him a couple emails randomly over the years, especially after he finished getting his MBA because I was trying to decide what grad degree I want to get. Well, he randomly sent me a message to see how I was doing. We agreed that we would catch up this weekend via phone. Another small thing, but one that meant a lot.

Sixth. (And final.) I checked my email before I logged offline. I began reading an email from a mentor who works in the city. She was my first of four interviewers for my current job, and we instantly connected. She played an instrumental role in me accepting my firm's offer, and although she left the company shortly after to follow her passion (went to work for a local charter school) we still communicate fairly often.

Well I reached out to her a week ago to update her on everything I've been doing. Her email response was obviously excited, but it also included the most positive thing I'd heard all day: "When I first met you during my [firm] recruiting days at Howard, I knew in my spirit that you were destined to do great things."

Now tell me that God isn't good. I don't know about you, but he never wastes any opportunities to let me know that joy always comes in the morning.

A Letter to Myself

2009-11-03T08:17:00.005-05:00

Dear Mlle Mitchell,

You have been on my heart over the last few days, and it is with both love and concern that I write to you. It has been twenty years since I stood in your shoes. Shoes that may often seem difficult to walk in even though you know they are shoes that many would die to have. They are wonderful shoes. Shoes that have been broken in with love and support both from family and friends. You are truly blessed. But this is something we both know.

What you don’t know however is where those shoes will take you, and that makes them uncomfortable for you. Sometimes you feel like you need to take them off, put on a different pair, a different color, or possibly a higher heel. But the truth is those shoes you have on right now are the exact pair that you need. They may wear in overtime and you will have to put on a new one. And those new ones are going to take some time to break in. But I don’t want you to be afraid of that because it is a natural process that cannot be planned.

Look at where you are standing now. Sometimes you feel like you are standing alone, but you are not. There are so many others standing there with you, behind you, and in front of you. Even when you do not see them, lean on them.

You keep thinking about the journey in front of you so much that you are forgetting to cherish this moment. Right now is always the time for you to love your best, give your best and be your best, even if the road it will take you on is unclear. The burden of the future is one you place on yourself. It has already been spoken, so do not worry about how you get there. The shoes you have been given will take you exactly where you are meant to be.

I want you to remember at all times that you will be okay. Life is a wondrous journey. Find joy in all of its experiences, face challenges head on, and always find a way to be true to yourself. There is only one you, and there is a reason for that.

With love,
Mademoiselle Mitchell (November 3, 2029)

Cause of Death: Pregnancy and Childbirth

2009-10-29T17:16:00.012-04:00

Every second there is a mother somewhere in the world dying from either pregnancy or childbirth. Take a look at this powerful video (only 4 minutes long). It definitely taught me something new.

The quote that stuck out for me most in this amazing video: "In some countries, a girl is more likely to die from giving birth than to go to school."

I found this video on the Huffington Post.

Real Men Don't Rape

2009-10-27T21:27:00.007-04:00

In light of the recent news about the 15 year old being gang raped for over two hours, I thought I'd post this on my blog. Ironically, I wrote this over the weekend as a sample post for Change.org. Its saddens me that this is a topic that even needs to be discussed.

Source: Alana Green

Every two minutes a woman is sexually assaulted in America. Put in perspective, by the time you’ve finished reading this post at least one woman will have experienced some form of unwanted sexual contact. Even more devastating, according to the Department of Justice, 20-25% of the female college population could experience an attempted or completed rape this year.

Awareness of violence against women, particularly sexual assault, has been a cause taken up by many women across the country. It is important that we as women voice our concerns about issues that affect us, but it is imperative that we do not stand alone in this fight.

In today’s society women are consistently portrayed as sex objects. Whether it is in a fashion advertisement or pornography, the objectification of women has become something as common as a teenager with a cell phone. Therefore it comes as no surprise to me that there are men who have no qualms about using women as tools for their own sexual pleasure. These are men who see a woman’s body as something to be conquered and find pleasure in demonstrating their physical dominance through sexual assault. Simply put, it is an inhumane act of cowardice that exhibits a complete disregard for women.

Victims of sexual assault often find it difficult to speak up and identify their assailant. Moving on with life and healing after being sexually assaulted can be a long, difficult process. Understandably, there are numerous resources available to victims to deal with the legal aspects as well as the psychological and possible physical health impacts that arise from the incident. However, these resources fail to get to the source of the problem itself. In order for the statistics to change, a general mentality toward sexual assault must first change.

Four in five sexual assaults against women are committed by men. If there is ever a chance of changing this situation in our country, it is imperative that the male population takes a stand for what is right. For every woman who becomes more educated about sexual assault or has the courage to report a crime, it is for naught if the devastation caused is not understood by men everywhere.

Over the last several years, there has been a growth in the number of organizations committed to educating men on the prevalence of sexual assaults against women in society. Organizations across the country such as the non-profit Men Can Stop Rape, Haverford College’s Men Against Sexual Assault and Rape group, and Harvard University’s Men Speak Up campaign work to convey the message that this is not just a woman’s issue, but every man’s as well.

Women are your mothers, sisters, daughters, and granddaughters. We need more men everywhere to stand up for what is right. Not only do men have the power to change the current reality, but you also have the responsibility to do so.

Music Mondays

2009-10-26T11:43:00.006-04:00

I spent last week jammin to the following CDs (or Pandora stations). I anticipate that nothing will change this week either!

Trey Songz - Ready

Well, let me start by saying that I think he's dead wrong for this cover. That's enough on that.

This is the CD that led me to really notice Trey Songz. His songs always come up on Pandora, and they often get favorited. However, the singles that were released from this CD made me a fan. That and just him being him. Ok, I'm really done. But for real, the boy can sang.

Jeremih - Jeremih

Ok, I didn't even know who he was until the song Imma Star started playing on the radio. Then I was introduced to the HILARIOUS music video and decided to listen to the album on Imeem.com. I will definitely say that it is not that great of an album, but a lot of the tracks are cute and have a nice beat. Overall, I find it pretty enjoyable to listen to. Take that for what it's worth.

What are you listening to this week?

Review: Women on the Edge of a Nervous Breakthrough

2009-10-18T00:13:00.011-04:00

Prelude: Its been a long time since I've reviewed anything I've read. I used to do it consistently and post the review on my goodreads.com account too, and I miss that. So here goes nothing. Let's see if I can keep it up...

I won't lie. This was a classic case of judging a book by its cover. You see, what had happened was... well... I had a lot of Barnes and Nobles gift cards from graduation (May 08), and I bought a crap load of books from the bargain books section. Most I chose based on the reviews, but this just had an awesome cover and title. Would you have turned it down for 5 bucks? Didn't think so...

Well clearly, I've just gotten around to reading this selection (I bought a good 17 books in total with those cards...). To put it simply, this book is your cliche you-never-know-what-life-will-throw-at-you type story. But with an intriguing twist.

It all takes place in the quaint town of Kettle, Wisconsin, the most perfect town in the world in the eyes of its residents. Nothing can go wrong here... I mean, there's never even been a murder in Kettle. Pretty dull right. Well that's exactly what I was thinking.

But then - as I'm sure you were expecting just as I was- things start to change. A high-life murderess joins the community. Fresh out of Manhattan and free from homicide charges, she's looking for somewhere to dodge the press until she can get back on her feet. She's lost her life as she knew it (previously filled with sugar daddies, couture, and partying) and she gets her life back together in a way that makes you gush. Ladies, this is chick lit to its core.

For the most part the plot is centered on Vivian and two Kettle residents, Sarah and Erin. Sarah is Kettle's Stepford wife. In her mind she lives the perfect life in the perfect town with her perfect family.

Then there's Erin. She's often perceived as the bizarre one. Like a screw is missing. However as the plot unfolds she shows herself to be the one most in tune with reality, seeing clearly through the town's air of perfection. As the plot unfolds, you'll realize this is due to her own deeply hidden secret.

While most of you will be able to predict the overall storyline, the best twists in his story are better than the semi-expected relationships which are formed. It's about the depths to which the simple presence of someone new can take a set of individuals out of their comfort zone and have them do things that were never expected. At least I sure didn't expect to read what was coming toward the end!

Check it out and tell me what you think.

Do you know what today is!?

2009-10-14T08:39:00.010-04:00

It’s my Birthday. I’m 23! I can hardly believe it.

Some days… screw that, most days I wonder if I’ll ever get good at this whole adult thing. When I was 16 I just knew I could handle all that life had to throw at me. At 23 whole years, I’m starting to bruise and wonder what the heck I was thinking. But still I keep moving! Still living, loving, and – most of all – learning.

Here’s a taste of what the real world has taught me in the last year:

Just because you've decided to move on, doesn't mean it will come easily.
Last summer Monsieur N and I broke up. It was a decision that I believe was good for me, especially at that time. But deciding to leave someone does not equate to immediately not loving them anymore. It takes time to move on from that. You see, Monsieur N and I didn't break up on bad terms or anything. He never did any particular thing that would make my friends hate him and tell me to leave his blank blank blank. It wasn't like that. It was simply something that needed to happen. And because we had been together almost four years at that point (all through college) and had dealt with A LOT together, he had become my safety blanket. And while I knew how much I loved him when the decision was made, I didn't realize it would be so hard to release him emotionally.

I definitely spent several months after our breakup partying, dating, and anything else that allowed me to not deal with my emotions. Then I met someone (this always happens when you don't want/expect it to) who grabbed my heart. And that forced me to face myself sooner and faster than I would have otherwise. I truly believe that all things happen for a reason, and God has been showing me a lot of things about love and myself in the last year as a result of the breakup.

I’m a lot more of an emotional person than I'd like to be.
Man it's bizarre. I've always been one to cry tears of frustration and anger, particularly in situations where I feel like I have no control; but these days a good sob story that would've typically just made me sad makes me bawl. WTH? It seems like after ~20, each year I've become more and more of an emotional mess.

If it's hormones they need to either (A) stop, or (B) be more useful and help a sister out physically... get me?

I'm living to work, but I can still make the best of it.
Mommy Mitchell would argue that we are working to live. On some days that might be the case (i.e. the rare Saturday that feels 200 hours long and is a pure blast), but most mornings it just. aint. true. I don't get up for fun. I get up to work 5 out of the 7 days a week. And I'm realizing that that's okay. I have an awesome job for the most part where I get to learn tons of things. But mostly, I am learning to take things in strides. This job isn't where I'll be forever, but there is a purpose in my life for everything that I do here, and that's reason enough to take full advantage of what it has to offer.

My passion and purpose cannot be ignored.
At this sweet and innocent age of 23 (that's how the more seasoned folks react when you tell them your age), I know my purpose. I'm starting to realize through talking to people that I'm actually not alone in trying to figure out what the path to my purpose looks like. And that's not really what I should be focused on anyway, even if my over achieving personality can't stand the thought of not knowing what's next at all times. God doesn't work that way (that was a 22nd birthday lesson learned that I'm still growing used to). He alone knows what my journey looks like.

I'm learning that everything I do has it own purpose for me ultimately, and fighting/fearing/avoiding - for whatever reason (i.e. not what people expect from me, not the "right" time, etc) - anything that probably is meant for me to experience is even more difficult that trying to figure out the whole journey ahead of time. So I'm taking heed of the blunt honest advice of a good friend. Put nicely, he said stop being a punk and follow your passion.

While there were many other lessons learned in the last year, these were the few that have had the most impact. I'm still soft, so I'm sure the world will throw a whole lot more my way. But I'm ready for it. Happy Birthday Me.

The Eye of the Beholder

2009-10-07T23:06:00.013-04:00

As a young professional finding my way in the big bad real world, I find myself constantly assessing my progress, strengths, and weaknesses. More often than not, I’m already aware of my strengths, and I find myself seeking out feedback to determine my weaknesses. While it may sound like an easy thing to do – and at the risk of sounding cocky – this is often difficult because I am a high-performer at a firm with a passive aggressive culture. What does that mean? I often get told what I’m good at and have to press hard to know what I should work on.

Well, a few days ago I was provided unsolicited feedback from a manager that I really admire and respect. While I have not worked directly for her on any client work, I worked with her a few days last month organizing an internal presentation. Additionally, I’ve been struggling with a situation at work, and she has been a great mentor through it all. Therefore it came as no surprise when she requested that we grab coffee on Monday afternoon. What did come as a surprise to me, however, is when she told me that I don't come across as confident.

*crickets*

“Uhhhhm. Really?” I thought to myself.

It was the last piece of feedback I’d ever think to hear. As I continued to listen, I heard her say things like how she was not confident either at my age, especially since she never had anyone around her to give her positive feedback and….

“Confidence? Really?” I think I was in shock.

I’ve spent a great deal of time since then analyzing this feedback. Being that I’m known (and made fun of) for analyzing and over analyzing things, this should come as no surprise to some. Over the last two days I’ve had several conversations with myself. First, I was telling myself that she clearly missed something, and I shouldn't bother thinking about it too hard. Then, I started telling myself that she wouldn't lie and that her opinion is one I really respect. Eventually, I got to a point where I realized that even though the feedback goes against everything I believe about myself, maybe there are situations where I do not appear confident. Besides, nobody is 100% confident 24/7, right?

One of the definitions I found online for confidence is “belief in oneself and …abilities; self-confidence.” Now... if you know me (or even read that first paragraph), you’ll know that I’m very sure of myself and what I have to offer. I wouldn’t hesitate to tell you that I’m the person you want on your team. I’m a go-getter. I’m intelligent. I’m sharp.

Does that sound like someone who lacks confidence?

It doesn’t… So what’s the point of all of this then? This situation has taught me that everyone will form an opinion of you, and sometimes it will completely differ from how you view yourself. But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t valuable feedback to digest. While I may think that I’m confident, my demeanor (often quiet and reserved in new situations) will be perceived differently by different individuals. My confidence mostly comes from my strong performance, and they may or may not give me more time to demonstrate my abilities before they judge me. And I think that's okay. It'll happen. I've decided that it doesn't mean I need to change anything. Rather, it's simply something that I will remain more cognizant of in the future. After all, life is full of lessons - most of which I'm beginning to believe are in your 20s.

Reflections: A look back at previous posts.

2009-09-28T16:17:00.009-04:00

I took some time earlier today to reread some of my old posts. In 2007, when I first started my blog, I wrote very frequently and often very passionately about different topics. These days I haven't taken as much time as I'd like to develop my writing, so it's always nice to be inspired by where you started. Check out some of my favorite posts:

Can I Get Some Hope Please

A Woman After My Own Heart

History in the Making

Land of Free for Everyone, No Really

Hooked on Phonics Worked for Me

Literary Highlights

2009-09-28T11:26:00.003-04:00

I've been featured on Uptown Literati's SheReads segment. In it I briefly review a few of my most recent reads. Click here to check me out!

Wedding Bells

2009-09-26T22:43:00.008-04:00

The story starts with one young woman. Who met another young woman. And they become best friends.

Throughout her college years, she develops relationships with several lovely (and fabulous, might I add) young women.

More importantly, she was developing a long-lasting relationship with a very special man.

One day, there were beautiful bridesmaids and handsomely dressed groomsmen involved.

Beautiful flower girls (one missing from the pic)...

And a precious ring-bearer...

A nervous ring-bearer that the bride had to encourage.

And then there was a long walk down the aisle, tears, a saxophonist, sniffles, more tears, and vows.

And a lovley Rolls Royce.

After a long night of eating and partying, there were the goodbyes. Afterall, the bride did have a long night ahead with her husband and a week of honeymooning to prepare for.

It was a weekend well spent.

Nashville, TN

2009-09-17T18:38:00.008-04:00

I've loved traveling for as long as I can remember. My first trip was before the age of 1 if I remember the story correctly. I spent most of my summers being shuttled by cousins and air hostesses between the US, Miami Int'l (for layovers), and Trinidad. And while flying isn't anything new to me, the feeling of being in the air is one that has never left me after all these years. It doesn't matter if I'm going to Charlotte, NC or to London. There is nothing better than soaring high above the clouds.

I remember when I was little, I'd look out the window and imagine jumping from cloud to cloud. At the time the Care Bears had me convinced that clouds were as soft as cotton and as reliable as a sidewalk. I'm old enough now to know that would lead to certain death, but such thoughts still make me smile.

I've just landed in Nashville, TN to spend the weekend as a bridesmaid in my best friend's wedding. (Btw: It's hard to have adulthood denial at a time like this... if your friend's wedding isn't one of the biggest wake up calls to adulthood, I don't know what is.) I'm excited for the weekend since I'll be spending quality time with some of my favorite ladies - something that hasn't been done since college.

I'll be taking lots of pics and documenting one of what I'm certain has to be one of the most important weekends of my 20s. I wouldn't want to miss a moment of this celebration!

Life Isn't Fair

2009-09-10T19:58:00.009-04:00

Growing up, that was always my mothers response whenever I got upset that something hadn't worked out in a way that I felt was right. And I'm sure this is no different than many other homes across the world. However, most of these kids grew up and learned to accept that. I'm on the cusp of 23 and there is something deep within me that still refuses to accept it. I don't know if its something that will hurt me or help in the long run, but it makes some days hard to swallow.

I walk around and live my life in this ideological bubble that the world keeps trying to burst. Some days I wonder what's wrong with me because just about everyone else's bubble disappeared a long time. It's like I see what's outside the bubble but I run back to it and remain convinced that it should never and will never be broken.

But am I wrong? Is it futile to believe that all things good should be? Is it stupid to work toward things that others want you to believe will never be - at least not anytime soon - just because "life isn't fair?" Should I really accept "such is life" (as my mother would also say) as a reason for the unfair/unfortunate things that happen to people in this world? Help me out here because I'm going crazy. Or maybe the issue is that I am crazy and that this world is normal and that people like me will never really make a difference in this world because it's just naturally unfair.

To be honest. Life isn't fair sounds to me like an excuse that the average person uses to leave things at the status quo. Why do we tell our children these words? Why should they accept that life isn't fair? Can't we teach them to be resilient in some other way? Ugh.

Tonight my thoughts are just all over the place. I'm overwhelmed with emotion that took hold of me earlier this afternoon, that I suppressed while at work, and that flooded out once I got home without me realizing it was still there. And at the time I looked for someone to talk to and realized that I couldn't even explain what I was feeling. I knew it began with news that made me angry, but the issue itself I knew was bigger than that. It was something that I realized most people might not even understand why I was upset about. How do you explain that at the age of 22 it still hurts me to know that life isn't fair?

My Literary Inspiration

2009-08-18T20:31:00.004-04:00

Last night I started reading my favorite book for what must be the gazillionth time (ok, maybe 5th?). My first time reading it was for English 201 freshman year in college, yet the effect it has on me has never changed. I spent last night and my train ride this morning engrossed in the first section of the book. It's a novel that I could get lost in, if not for the rest of my life, for the rest of this phase of my life.

The first time I read Black Girl in Paris, the protagonist Eden captured my heart by the third page with the following passage:

That passage instantly placed me into Eden’s shoes. Just like her, I had dreams of my travels to far away lands as a little girl; at 18 years old I was desperately seeking my own identity; and I, too, often thought that I was walking alone on a nonexistent path - never believing that someone could ever relate to my hopes, dreams, doubts, and vulnerabilities.

Therefore I walked with Eden through her journey. The rest of the novel, which reads like poetry at times, both captures and fuels my soul. This novel is a beautiful piece of art that inspires you to live life, follow your passion, be more open, and discover who you want to be.

As I read for the first time in a couple years, I realize that while I continue to walk in Eden's shoes, it's with a different mentality. I don't know how to articulate it yet. To say the least, I long more than ever to be a "free woman with free thoughts." So for the next few days, I will be rereading my favorite passages over and over again, reflecting on how I feel, and writing out my thoughts.

Stay tuned for this literary journey.

passage can be found here on Amazon.com's website

India Arie: This too shall pass

2009-08-12T01:23:00.011-04:00

Some songs really just take you there.

There can refer to any emotional state under the sun. This particular song takes me through tears, overwhelming feelings and frustration all the way to hope. It has gotten me through many crying nights in a particular phase in my life. At that time, all of the words spoke to my heart. Now, it's less about love for me and simply about the inherent challenges of life. I spent a 35 minute car ride listening to it on repeat tonight. One word: cathartic.

Thank God we're given a new day every morning. I'm still taking life one day at a time, and I'm starting again with tomorrow. As some would say... Jesus take the wheel!

"Then I hear the whisper that this too shall pass
I hear the Angels whisper that this too shall pass
My ancestors whisper that this day will one day be the past
So I walk in faith that this too shall pass"

Fighting Homlessness: Street Soccer USA

2009-07-31T14:25:00.009-04:00

Anyone who knows anything about me knows about my interest in non-profits. Well one thing that I absolutely love about the company I work for is how involved I can get in community work. Our US firm does a lot of work with great non-profits across the country. In this area, I've witnessed our active involvement (i.e. not just throwing money and a logo at them) at organizations like the local Boys and Girls Clubs, Catholic Charities, and Capital Area Food Bank. I've actually had the opportunity to get involved with at a couple of those orgs over the last several months.

One organization we most recently supported (and will continue to now that we've developped a relationship) is Street Soccer USA. It's a great non-profit organization that uses the power of sports to offer education, jobs and new opportunities to homeless youth and adults in 16 cities nation-wide. SSUSA currently reaches 1,000 teens, at-risk youth and homeless adults annually. In just 4 years since its first pilot program, SSUSA has realized a 75% success rate in affecting a positive life change, such as addressing a substance abuse problem or mental health issue, securing full-time employment or moving off the street.

This weekend, DC is hosting the USA cup. One of my favorite partners (who interviewed and recruited me) is the coach for the DC team. I just came back from the kickoff and the first match which was DC against the defending champs, Minnesota. All of the newly hired analysts and a few second year analysts (including myself) went to cheer on the home team. And it was fab! I'll be working with several of my colleagues tonight and tomorrow with a few other events (and of course cheering on for support). The event is free all weekend (tonight through Sunday). C'mon out... and bring a friend.

Check out the website for more information: www.streetsoccerusa.org

Sabbatical

2009-02-18T23:09:00.007-05:00

I'm so not here mentally. I have a lot going on between work and my personal life (all of which is positive, thank the Lord)that I have no desire to blog.

So I will be gone. I may very randomly post every month or two. But I'm really only expecting that I'll be talking to myself... so if you happen to visit that would make me more than happy lol.

smooches dearies

xoxo

Oh, and fyi Tweeter is my new fave thing. That should last a few months lol... but in the meantime look out for motivational quotes and pure randomness on a frequent basis!

Be Inspired

2009-02-06T08:21:00.001-05:00

Again

When you've successfully accomplished something once, you know you can do it again. So do it again.

It required a lot of work the first time. Yet you rose to the occasion, did that work, and created something of value.

It will take more work to do it again. And this time you have the opportunity to accomplish even more.

You know without a doubt that you can achieve. So make the choice right now to do what you know you can do.

What a shame it would be to simply rest on your accomplishment. For much of the value in any accomplishment is in the opportunity it provides to reach even higher.

Go ahead now and make full use of that opportunity. Achieve again, and again, and lift your world higher with each day.

-- Ralph Marston

Oscar de la Renta

2009-01-21T22:59:00.010-05:00

I absolutely adore this man. In my heart, I believe he designs most of his clothes with the wealthy version of me in mind... If your reading this Ossie, send me that pink dress I posted a picture of two years ago. I know that's as good as trash in your world by now, but it would completely change mine. Thanks.

Spring 2009 Womenswear

(Pictures from this site)

Sigh... I would so wear all of those outfits tomorrow. Even if I had nowhere to go. I would just put one on, walk around, put another on, walk around, put another on, walk around, etc. until I fell asleep in one (then probably freak out once I wake up b/c it got wrinkled).

Plus, isn't that such a beautiful signature? I can't wait until this label is on my clothes instead of plain old Made in Taiwan, Machine wash cold.

Smart Goals for 2009

2009-01-04T13:52:00.004-05:00

Despite the fact that I'm very goal-oriented, I've never created new year's resolutions for myself. Why, you might ask... because my experience and observation has been that people make new year's resolutions all the time that they constantly fail to accomplish. But in thinking about it lately, I realize its because they aren't smart goals. I say smart because of a new accronym I've recently learned. It's something that is discussed at my job when we are creating our annual performance goals, and I've come accross it in the description of my next Girls Just Wanna Have Funds meetup event.

So, what do I mean by smart? The definition of a S.M.A.R.T. goal is as follows (I've shortened the descriptions and changed some of the examples to my liking):

Specific
WHAT are you going to do? Use action words such as direct, organize, coordinate, lead, develop, plan, build etc.

Measurable
Choose a goal with measurable progress, so you can see the change occur. How will you see when you reach your goal? For instance, deciding to get through three sections in the GMAT book by March.

Attainable
A goal needs to stretch you slightly so you feel you can do it and it will need a real commitment from you. For instance, setting a goal to loose 1lb and when you've achieved that, aiming to lose a further 1lb.

Realistic
For instance, it may be more realistic to set a goal of eating a piece of fruit each day instead of one sweet item. Don't make your goal too difficult because you set the stage for failure, and if its too low it sends the message that you aren't very capable.

Timely
Set a time frame for the goal: for next week, in three months... An end point gives you a clear target to work towards and without a time limit there's no urgency to start taking action now. Time must be measurable, attainable and realistic.

With that said, I have decided that I want to create goals for myself this year. I am always throwing around things in my head that I really want to accomplish, however I have not truly taken the time to establish how and why I intend to accomplish some of them. I figure that this excercise will require me to really reflect on which goals are most important to me right now and what changes I need to make in order to achieve them. Here goes...

Buy a home
Begin preparing myself for graduate school
Begin taking better care of my natural hair
Begin taking better care of my skin
Learn to cook
Make excercise a part of my life
Take advantage of opportunities to improve my language skills
Do something new every month with the beau
Get more involved in community service activities related to building the self-esteem of girls and young women - (a passion of mine, remember this previous post?)
Not take my goals or life too seriously!

Number ten is most important because I am my biggest critic, and the thought of failure can depress me sometimes. I just need to remind myself that in the process of achieving goals and developing new lifestyle habits I will need to have fun and allow for mistakes. Easier said than done of course.

I will write follow-up posts for most of these goals that allow me to take the time to think about how I intend to achieve these goals - basically, making them S.M.A.R.T.. This way I have a constant reminder and motivator when I find myself slipping. Hopefully at the end of the year, I can report some impressive progress toward each of these goals!

Happy Holidays

2008-12-27T22:22:00.002-05:00

As previously mentioned I'm in Jamaica for the holidays. See you when I get back!

A Woman After My Own Heart

2008-12-18T17:46:00.009-05:00

I believe I have briefly expressed my love for Michelle Obama before. But in case you missed the memo… I LOVE Michelle Obama. J’adore cette femme! And, yes, even more than Oprah. “Blasphemy!” you say? ..well I don’t think so, and here’s why.

She is everything I want to be – my perfect role model. Never before in my life has there been one woman in the media who represented all aspects of what I want to be “when I grow up.” First and foremost, she’s a successful, black woman. This is the spot Oprah filled for the most part. But then you add in highly-educated, happily married (from what we can see on the outside), a mother, stylish, strong, and sophisticated. I mean, that previous sentence could really be changed to, “everything I want to be.” Michelle Obama is a force to be reckoned with and when you add that to the fact that she’s by the side of the most inspiring man I've ever seen in my adult life, I get so excited I could pee my pants.

Yesterday, there was a quote by Michelle in USA Today that read, “As we’ve all said in the black community, we don’t see all of who we are in the media. We see snippets of our community and distortions of our community. So the world has this perspective that somehow Barack and Michelle Obama are different, that we’re unique. And we’re not. You just haven’t seen us before.” Until I read this quote, it hadn’t quite sunk in for me that the Obamas are the first real-life model black family that mainstream media has ever seen. I personally love the fact that they are the ones filling this void. It’s clearly a big one to fill and, so far, they’ve done it with such grace.

Please don’t get me wrong kids. It’s not that I admire Oprah any less. She will always be an inspiration for me, and I would still give anything (not literally) to be able to meet her – like sit down to lunch/coffee and pick her brain type meet her. But there is something to be said about finding someone like Michelle Obama who can be an even bigger inspiration in your life. Everyone deserves to have someone like that. It’s just about time that young women like me have found her.

Can I get some hope please?

2008-12-17T16:01:00.013-05:00

In a world where foreclosures, unemployment, and welfare rolls are at an all time high, people continue to die of preventable/treatable/curable diseases, and incompetent/apathetic individuals continue to run countries around this world, it’s nice that I can still hold on to a bit of hope.

Call me idealistic but I want to believe that it’s possible to save the world and that me and my homie Mlle. Melissa will be huge forces in the movement. While that naiveté will probably hurt me more than help me along the way, it’s not something I want to lose. Luckily people like Arne Duncan (current Chicago public school executive, future Sec of Education - read about him here) continue to provide me with the hope that I might not be such a “foolish young girl.” Change can come. I mean, hasn’t Obama already shown us a lil somethin somethin?

This morning I was reading the news, which I do most mornings, but today I just felt overwhelmed by the number of stories of death, tragedy, and just pure evil that I came across. Add that to the many conversations that I continue to have with people where I find myself the only one arguing on behalf of the ethical and kind people in this world. I’m beginning to grow concerned that the party I represent is either dwindling quickly or was simply a figment of my far-fetched imagination in the first place.

I want to believe that not all corporations are run by money-hungry individuals that have no concern for the people they employ… that there are politicians who behave with integrity and are genuinely concerned about the community they represent… that it is possible to grow wealthy in this world by following your passion with compassion. Because, if not, then I have a really difficult journey ahead of me as I forge a path that doesn’t exist.

Growing up my parents always provided me with the best advice. My father, in particular, always said things that stuck really hard as I grew older – such as, “Never forget where you’ve come from and remember you didn’t get to where you are by yourself.” I have slowly come to the realization that my purpose in life is to be of service to my community. While the way in which I continue to do so will change over time, I pray that the compassion and integrity with which I do so will never change. Even as I face difficult obstacles in life and have to hold my own in the midst of the many people in the world that may never understand or even believe my sincerity. Even if I become an army of one, my side will always be stronger with Him behind my every move. That's where I ultimately get my hope, and I'm officially telling the world to stop trying to take it away.

7 Random Things

2008-12-15T11:34:00.007-05:00

So I've been tagged by Mademoiselle Nicole! Here goes...

I'm scared of the dark. And NO I don't sleep with a night light. I just had to get that out the way cuz I know that's prob the first thing that came to your mind. I just make sure that I turn on all lights in the house on my way to my destination. Then I turn them off on my way back to the safety of my covers.

The thought of eating a bread and cheese sandwich makes me feel a little nauseous. When I was younger I went to Jamaica with my father and his soccer team. For the entire two weeks - or however long it was - we literally ate bread and cheese everyday, sometimes even twice a day. My family thinks this is humorous for some reason. *sigh*

I wish i could fly. I mean, who doesn't?

My left calf is bigger than my right. Don't ask.

I'm a pain-o-phobic. Yet not only am I the clumsiest person ever but I also always seem to have to be in a dentist chair being drilled on! My pain-o-phobia is therefore closely related to my dentist-o-phobia. (Read here if you have not yet been enlightened... *squirming in my chair with the thought*).
I want to be a pirate. Me and Mademoiselle K are going to start up our pirate careers soon. I'm a little blown though that we've got copy cats already over there by Somalia. We won't be bad pirates, just fierce. All men with cooking skills feel free to apply for our chef position. The princesses, uh.. pirates, on board will need to be fed well.

My favorite color is pink. Not so random actually. So if you didn't know this then I ask.. Where the hell have you been!?

Now I'm tagging: Mademoiselle K and Lady D!

VidaVisi: Divas of Faith, Vision, and Purpose

2008-12-11T18:45:00.015-05:00

What do you get when you take a handful of brown women and drop them in middle of an all white, catholic girls prep school? In the case of me and my girlfriends, you get an unbreakable bond and unique friendships between divas of faith, vision, and purpose.

Our journey together started September of 2000 at Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School. We spent four years together, sharing common experiences... struggles, triumphs, and everything in between.

On June 8, 2004 we graduated from Visitation - fabulously dressed in white as tradition calls - and we each embarked on our own individual journeys. We attended some of the nations most prominent institutions of higher learning - Hofstra, Babson, Maryland, Spelman, NYU, and Howard, travelled the globe, found both love and heartbreak, explored and discovered our passions, and eventually made our way into the real world.

We are at a point in our lives where we recognize the true beauty of our relationship; and in an effort to both capture and maintain it, we've decided to start our own blog. While the main purpose is for us to keep up with each other, we also recognize that we are fabulous and extremely interesting young women. Therefore, we're putting it all out there and giving each of you a chance to recognize our greatness before it's too late for you to say you knew us!

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you VidaVisi.

Obama Chronicles

2008-12-07T08:47:00.003-05:00

Have I ever told you how much I love Michelle? She's the new Oprah to my life. Hence, I love this pic, lol.

Hello, My name is Mlle M...

2008-12-04T18:10:00.003-05:00

and I'm a...

Slurpee addict.

YES, but please don't judge me. I'm not on the road to recovery - despite my admission - because of the simple fact that j'adore slurpees. And not just any slurpee...

The slurpee in the middle is the light of my life. And I'm craving one pretty badly right now. However, I've been ordered to wait until I've completely recovered from my cold before indulging myself - which left me no option other than to use this post as an outlet for my craving.

It's a very pathetic substititute, but it will have to do for now.

I ask that you keep me in your prayers. Thanks.

Laughter is Good for the Soul

2008-12-03T10:00:00.000-05:00

Jim and Mary were both patients in a Mental Hospital. One day, while they were walking past the hospital swimming pool, Jim suddenly jumped into the deep end. mary promptly jumped in to save him. She swam to the Bottom and pulled Jim out.

When the medical director became aware of Mary's heroic act, he immediately ordered her to be Discharged from the hospital, as he now considered her mentally stable. When he went to tell her the news, he Said, "Mary, I have good news and bad news. The good news is you're being discharged because since you were able to jump in and save the life of another patient, I think you've regained your senses".

"The bad news is that Jim, the patient you saved, hung himself in the bathroom with the belt of his robe. I am so sorry, but he's dead."

Mary replied, "He didn't hang himself, I put him there to dry".

Ready for Love

2008-11-30T15:00:00.005-05:00

I remember when I first heard this song. It's from India's Acoustic Soul CD - which I used to listen to over and over and over. I was 16 and at a point in my life where I was so in love with the idea of love. Maybe even obsessed. I would listen to this song and really feel the power of the lyrics.

Later that same year, I was given a shot at what I guess the old folks refer to as puppy love. After a year and a half, that didn't end so pleasantly, but I was on my way to college so I wasn't too shaken up about it.

And then I really fell in love. And it was great. There were lots of ups and toward the end there were some downs. We were extremely close and, to the end, I loved him more than I'd loved anyone else before. And just as I'm sure so many others have experienced, that made our breakup really difficult. To be with someone who knows your deepest fears and holds your greatest insecurities one day and then be without them the next is def not easy. Actually, it made me practically fear even the idea of falling in love again.

I've been on a long journey since then; and while Monsieur N and I may no longer be together, the post I wrote over a year ago still holds true in that I am still learning both about life and love. I think the only added thing is that now I am probably struggling with the two more than I ever have before.

Now, though, I can say that I'm truly willing to give love another chance, and I'm excited to see where it will guide me. I can once again sing these lyrics and mean it from the bottom of my heart:

I am ready for love
If you'll take me in your hands
I will learn what you teach
And do the best that I can

Be Inspired

2008-11-20T17:08:00.002-05:00

The price of excellence is discipline. The cost of mediocrity is disappointment.

William Arthur Ward

A Special Introduction

2008-11-19T23:47:00.006-05:00

Her name starts with a K and she might be putting Kimora out of business any day now.

This diva is no celebrity... at least not yet. She's my homegirl Katrina, better known to us here as Mademoiselle K from this point forward. She's fly, fierrrce, and the epitome of fabulous.

You see, many fail to realize that fabulous is a state of mind. It isn’t about how you are dressed or who you are wearing. Simply put -- it's that feminine swagger that's rarer than Fish-eye disease (it's real lol, click the link).

Anyway, she is a black American princess and a force to be reckoned with. She currently resides at http://misskatrinaelise.blogspot.com, so go check her out.

What are you waiting for? Get going already!

Be Inspired

2008-11-13T10:05:00.002-05:00

Even if I'm not particularly feeling inspired to blog, I intend to inspire and motivate both myself and you - the reader! So stop by anytime you need a dose!

A life lived with integrity - even if it lacks the trappings of fame and fortune is a shinning star in whose light others may follow in the years to come.
Denis Waitley

My President Is Black

2008-11-08T21:08:00.002-05:00

I love my new first family. Period.

Jolie the M3

2008-10-20T20:03:00.007-04:00

It took like ten years but thanks to the lovely Mademoiselle K, my baby - aka copper red Mazda 3 - officially has a name!

Jolie!
\j(o)-lie\ (pronounced zhoh-LEE)
Aside from being a beautiful name, it is the French word for "pretty". How fitting for such a cutie pie owned by a cutie pie.

Now the next order of business: I want personalized plates. I thought they were expensive but they def aren't... how exciting! So now I need your opinion. Option 1? or option 2?

Option 1

Option 2

What do you think? I'm leaning toward option 1 because I doubt many people would realize that MLLE means mademoiselle...

Let the vote commence!

I'm a Big Kid Now

2008-07-19T22:35:00.003-04:00

Time has really flown. Just a few minutes ago I was researching colleges... or so it feels. I never even got a chance to at least decide to be an adult - hence the reason I'm still in denial. Nonetheless life moves on and I'm rollin with the punches.

Life post-graduation must be the best period of one's life - at least in the top 5. Think about it if you haven't already. You are done with school. You are waiting to start a job. You have probably received graduation gifts - most likely money - thus you shouldn't be terribly broke for a few months or weeks. You may have the opportunity to move back home to get your plans and money together. That means free shelter and free food, maybe even free transportation. Free to do whatever you want. So if you decide to up and go to Mexico for five weeks, you can. What more can you ask for!?

Well with only one week left of the best time of my life I am starting to feel the pain. When people ask "So what do you do" I will no longer be able so say "nothing" - which always makes me happy inside simply because this is the only period in my life I will be able to say that without people thinking I'm a lazy unambitious fool. I can already foresee the freedom-of-my-own-time withdrawals and I-gotta-listen-to-a-real-boss anxiety attacks.

Ok. So as usual, I'm being overly dramatic, but you get my drift. Life is practically coming to a halt as I have known it for the last two centuries. I mean, I have real bills now. I bought a car and we all know those requires monthly insurance and loan payments (it's a bitter sweet thing *tear*). Add that to the fact that I turn 22 in October. I'm pushing retirement age people!

Ok, I'll stop now.

All jokes aside, I really do want to retire in 5 years. Not gonna happen you say? Well whatever. A girl can have a dream can't she... sheesh.

P.S. I absolutley love my car. It's a Mazda 3 and it's such a cutie! I have yet to name it so lemme know if you have any ideas (i.e. my sister and I shared a 1989 Toyota Camry up until last year that I affectionately called Candy the Camry)

copper red

the beautiful interior

More About Me Mondays

2008-06-16T00:00:00.003-04:00

I'm constantly changing. I pray that it's always for the better, but there are no promises that can be made. As of today, I can tell you that:

*I get chocolate cravings like a stereotypical woman, and I'm still in love with white chocolate as much as I was the day I wrote my profile.

*I love music. I like discovering new music that I love; so when I travel I try to find music that I like in the country's language.

*I am a big dreamer.

*I get scared that I will not fulfill all of my dreams.

*I am moody.

*I like change - i.e. change of job, change of furniture in a room, etc. - but I'm not very good at any change that involves my personal thoughts and actions. I wish that would change...

*I love spending alone time with myself.

*I don't need you to like me. I only need you to respect me.

*But there are times when I care whether or not people like me - more than I should.

*I love traveling, I like learning Spanish, and I am just crazy in love with learning/speaking/hearing French.

*I am the product of many cultures: American, Trinidad, Grenada, St. Vincent and Barbados. However I feel as though I "belong" to none.

*I think that may be the reason why I love traveling and learning about other cultures so much.

*I wish I would spend the next year traveling the world and mastering a language instead of starting to work.

*I wish I had the guts to have decided that instead of working after graduation I would just travel to another country and see what happened.

*But even if I had the guts, I don't think I could've left the love of my life behind.'

*There are many days when I wish I could see what the future holds for me...

*Nonetheless I am grateful for the abundant blessings in my life.

Viva Mexico!

2008-06-07T21:46:00.009-04:00

So as promised like five hundred years ago, I have to tell you all about my somewhat random decision to come to Mexico and my experience thus far. It has officially been 18 days since I've arrived...

Why did I decide to study español? Because I'll be working in DC and there is a 99.99% chance that I will meet more Spanish speakers on an average day than a French speaker. As much as that slightly sucks (because I love French soo much, not because Spanish speakers suck lol) I always wanted to pick up Spanish anyway. I figured it would be a great excuse to travel and enjoy these last few free months of my life before I start working in July!

Why Mexico? I have a friend that I studied in France with who is Mexican and when I told her that I was interested in learning Spanish she told me to come to her town since there are lots of great schools to learn the language. So I thought GREAT!

Where am I? Cuernavaca (red dot below) is the capital of the state of Merelos. It's about an hour and a half away from Mexico City. Interesting fact: There are 32 states in Mexico in addition to the federal district of Mexico City.... sound like the set up for any country you know?
Cuernavaca is known as the "City of Eternal Spring" because of it's spring-like weather 256 days a year. Seriously, the weather is absolute perfection. The sun is always shining and the cool breeze is always blowing. As a matter of fact, the sun was only missing one day so far and that's because there is a tropical storm approaching the gulf.

Ok, so moving on...
I'm having a great time here! I'm going to a school called Chac-Mool. It's a gorgeous place (pictured above) that has a very fun and relaxing learning environment. The geek in me absolutely loves school but this place is fantastic for all types of people and all ages. The only rule we have is no speaking English which was reallllly hard for the first few days. Now I've had two weeks of classes and I'm already able to express myself in Spanish. My grammar is pretty bad and I'm very slow to respond / lost for words sometimes but I would say it's still pretty impressive for someone who has only had a severely limited knowledge of the Spanish language prior to arriving!

relaxing poolside in Acapulco with my current read

Anywho, since being here I've visited a very popular and pretty nearby town, found some great places to eat, moved three different times, learned how to take the bus, gained experience haggling over the price with taxi drivers, gone clubbing, gotten some salsa lessons, bought some really great bootleg DVDs for $1.50 (that play in English, Spanish, or French), enjoyed quite a few margaritas, spent a weekend relaxing on the beach in Acapulco, and more...

Needless to say, I'm sad that I only have like two weeks left. June 23rd I return to hot/sticky/humid DC. Oh well. While I try to get over it enjoy the pics!

If you have problems seeing the slide show, click on "fullscreen"

And if your looking for me I'll be studying these *gosh*darn* irregular verbs! They kill me every time.

A New Earth

2008-05-27T08:00:00.003-04:00

That's the title of one of the very few books I've ever picked up and couldn't bring myself to finish. I'm not sure if it's because I'm not ready for it or because it really is that wack. I mean, it's not completely wack I guess because there were some parts where I was like "hmm, yea..." but for the most part it was just not doing anything for me. So I'm finally removing it from my "Now Reading" section.

Right now I'm in Mexico so I wasn't going to allow myself to spend my free time reading but I was told by a friend that I just had to read One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez because he's such a fantastic Latin American writer (he is the author of Love in the Time of Cholera; he has won the Nobel Prize for literature). So since she had the book I decided to pick it up. I like it a lot so far.

Nonetheless, when I get back the first book I will be reading is A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce for my online book club, Uptown Litterati. Check us out!

Guess Where I Am?

2008-05-26T22:02:00.004-04:00

Long story short: I decided a couple months ago that I need to learn Spanish... like... now. So I decided to come to Mexico.

Short story long? (doesn't work inversely huh...) That will come in another post. Gotta go study mi vocabulario!

Presenting your favorite 2008 Howard Graduate!!!!!

2008-05-13T15:13:00.018-04:00

So i'm a loser and a lazy bum. I started this post over a week ago and I don't feel like finishing it. So I'm cutting it down to size so that you get the basic message: I'M A FREAKIN ALUMNA!

Yes I'm done people!!! YAYYYYYYYYYYYYY!

This has been a longgg week and a half of fun! Full of parties, friends, food, parties, more friends, and little-to-no sleep. And I wouldn't have had it any other way. This is what my schedule looked like for the last several days:

Thurs. April 24th I finished my last exam at 1pm, went to dinner with some of my old team members - I was a team leader in the School of Business (SoB) my sophomore year, in charge of 20 new students - then I went out with friends to a bday celebration for some drinks.

Fri. April 25th - 26th My best friend and I had a sleepover and we watched our fave movies EVER. Hers is B.A.P.s and mine is - you guessed it - Legally Blonde. No surprise there probably, lol!

Sat. April 26th-27th Me and 7 other Team Leaders from SoB went to Kings Dominion then kicked it all night at a hotel near the park. I hadn't been on a roller coaster in over a year. Needless to say, my voice was hoarse by Monday! I def think I had way too much fun on the bumper cars too (pic above)...

Sun. April 27th I went out with my roommate and other friends to The Park - which is a lounge I hadn't heard of until that night. It had two hip hop levels and a reggae/soca level. Got in free but drinks were a bit pricey - $12 for a small apple martini :-( Despite that... definitely fun times.

...blah blah blah For the week leading up to graduation I partied like it was my last chance to party. It was so much fun! Lots of high heels, open bar drinks, and dancing! By Friday night / Saturday morning (which is the annual HU Alumni party at Love the club) my feet were DONE. After getting some breakfast at 4am and making it home to sleep for an hour, I had to pack up my dad's truck with my stuff at 7am in the pouring/freezing rain. Needless to say I didn't even feel like going to graduation and if my stuff wasn't already all packed to go home, I would've put on some jeans and Chucks.

Graduation was great... exciting... blah. Actually, it was pretty lame since it was in the gym instead of outside and I was super exhausted/hungry from having to wait from 7:30 to close to 12:00 for graduation to start but whatev. After graduation was my party and that was fab. After my graduation party I was convinced by my cousin and sister to go to a party. I don't know who I was fooling cuz I spent the next four hours sleepin on the man's couch. Too bad cuz the music was great and the drinks were flowing :-(

The last several days I've been chillin. Fixin up my room (I'll post pictures sometime soon - when I feel like I'm done) and packin my stuff away. I've been working a lil bit and mostly just enjoying the freedom. Oh, the life!

Guess What!?

2008-04-28T10:02:00.003-04:00

I'm Done!!!!
I'm Done!!!!
I'm Done!!!!

I finished my last exam last Thursday and I'm Done!!!!

I have free time, completely free free time. That means it's not procrastinating free time. It isn't guilt-ridden free time. I literally have 3 months of pure free time. If I wanted to sit on my bottom and stare at the wall... guess what!? I COULD.

OMG. this feels so good. I'll blog later once I come down from this high.

12 More Days Until Graduation!

Tata,

Ahhh... It's Spring!

2008-04-22T14:51:00.003-04:00

...the warmth of the sun on your face
...the fresh smell after all that rain
...April showers that turn into May flowers
...THE BLEACHERS GOING UP ON THE YARD FOR GRADUATION!

After 2 more essays and one more exam I am officially outtahere! So the countdown continues:

Just 18 more days until graduation!

I Need 2 Weeks

2008-04-14T15:20:00.002-04:00

2 weeks for you to allow me to disappear completely. I have tests, papers, and presentations out the wazoo right now. I am officially done April 23rd, 2007 so don't expect to hear from me until then.

26 Days until Graduation!

More About Me Mondays

2008-04-07T22:55:00.007-04:00

My graduation website is up and it's super cute. There are photos and my whole life story.

Check it out: http://www.hugrad.lifequarters.com/Welcome.wq

Be Inspired

2008-04-01T23:31:00.024-04:00

I need lots of inspiration this week. I'm in the library and I like to listen to music, some of which is very inspiring and uplifting. There are two songs that keep me going. Allow me to share one of them...

even those of you who don't like go-go may be able to appreciate this one
LYRICS
do you believe in miracles
maybe we can change the world
maybe we can make a better life
can you see the light

Verse 1:
hey you gotta go for it, go for it
man in life you gotta go for it, go do it
no matter what you go through to get through it
you gotta get to it
they say that we can't do the impossible
and I'm like damn, why cant I try!?
the only thing capable of stopping you is your pride

Verse 2:
it's your ego, its your effort
it's your drive to make it work
it's persistence, it's resilience
it's desire to be first
it's your honor, it's your thirst
Let's just milk it for what it's worth
I see the light, I see the light, I see light yeah

Chorus:
do you believe in miracles
maybe we can change the world
maybe we can make a better life
can you see the light

o o o i see the light now
o o o i see the light now
o o o i see the light now o o o (x 3)

verse 3:
it's the reason why i sing
it's the wind beneath my wings
it's the sunshine on my face
cause i know its a brand new day
but it's that courage in my heart to reach what always seems so far
I guess I believe in miracles
I see the light yeah

Verse 4:
truth is proof is in the puddin
truth is you get back what you put in
so I put in the all of me
the difference between win and defeat is an apostrophe "t"
either you can or you cant, you do or you don't
either you are or you ain't, or you will or you wont
well me, if I conceive it, I can achieve it
and if i dream and believe it, then i can be it

Chorus:
do you believe in miracles
maybe we can change the world
maybe we can make a better life
can you see the light

o o o i see the light now
o o o i see the light now
o o o i see the light now o o o
you gotta go for it, go for it....

The Message: YOU GOTTA GO FOR IT!

Be Inspired

2008-03-30T01:02:00.002-04:00

Guess what I just used?

2008-03-27T11:57:00.008-04:00

Do you remember those? I'm in the library studying for a finance exam. For the last few days I've had to use "regular" pencils because my mechanical ones have no lead. Well I've been going back and forth between three because two of them have a really good eraser and two of them (one without a good eraser) had nice points. Well as I've been working these problems, my tips kept getting worse and worse. I didn't think about the idea of sharpening the pencil until just now when it got really annoying to try writing. Ok so you may think that's weird but the truth is that my mind is so far removed from the idea of sharpening a pencil that I didn't consider it until it was necessary!

Well anyway, that lead me to write this post b/c the sharpener I used - exactly like the one pictured above - looks like something that should already be in a museum. And then I got to thinking about how, before I was "cool" with my mechanical pencils back in middle school, we used these things:

Ancient huh.

I can already imagine the day when my kid looks at one of these (<---) and asks... "Mommy, what's that!?"

Laughter is Good for the Soul

2008-03-25T22:33:00.000-04:00

The Children's Bible:
In the beginning, which occurred near the start, there was nothing but God, darkness, and some gas. The Bible says, 'The Lord thy God is oneʼ, but I think He must be a lot older than that anyway, God said, 'Give me a light!' and someone did. Then God made the world.

He split the Adam and made Eve. Adam and Eve were naked, but they weren't embarrassed because mirrors hadn't been invented yet. Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating one bad apple, so they were driven from the Garden of Eden. Not sure what they were driven in though, because they didn't have cars.

Adam and Eve had a son, Cain, who hated his brother as long as he was Abel. Pretty soon all of the early people died off, except for Methuselah, who lived to be like a million or something.

One of the next important people was Noah, who was a good guy, but one of his kids was kind of a Ham. Noah built a large boat and put his family and some animals on it. He asked some other people to join him, but they said they would have to take a rain check.

After Noah came Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob was more famous than his brother, Esau, because Esau sold Jacob his birthmark in exchange for some pot roast. Jacob had a son named Joseph who wore a really loud coat. Another important Bible guy is Moses, whose real name was Charlton Heston.

Moses led the Israel Lights out of Egypt and away from the evil Pharaoh after God sent ten plagues on Pharaoh's people. These plagues included frogs, mice, lice, bowels, and no cable. God fed the Israel Lights every day with manicotti.

Then he gave them His Top Ten Commandments. These include don't lie, cheat, smoke, dance, or covet your neighbor's stuff. Oh, yeah, I just thought of one more: Humor thy father and thy mother. One of Moses' best helpers was Joshua who was the first Bible guy to use spies. Joshua fought the battle of Geritol and the fence fell over on the town.

After Joshua came David. He got to be king by killing a giant with a slingshot. He had a son named Solomon who had about 300 wives and 500 porcupines. My teacher says he was wise, but that doesn't sound very wise to me.

After Solomon there were a bunch of major league prophets. One of these was Jonah, who was swallowed by a big whale and then barfed up on the shore. There were also some minor league prophets, but I guess we don't have to worry about them.

After the Old Testament came the New Testament. Jesus is the star of the New Testament. He was born in Bethlehem in a barn. (I wish I had been born in a barn, too, because my mom is always saying to me, Close the door! Were you born in a barn?' It would be nice to say 'yes'). During His life, Jesus had many arguments with sinners like the Pharisees and the Democrats. Jesus also had twelve opossums. The worst one was Judas Asparagus. Judas was so evil that they named a terrible vegetable after him.

Jesus was a great man. He healed many leopards and even preached to some Germans on the Mount. But the Democrats and all those guys put Jesus on trial before Pontius the Pilot. Pilot didn't stick up for Jesus. He just washed his hands instead.

Anyway, Jesus died for our sins, then came back to life again. He went up to Heaven but will be back at the end of the Aluminum. His return is foretold in the book of Revolution.

Spring Break 08

2008-03-24T18:56:00.009-04:00

It's been over a week and spring break is officially FAR gone. *tear*

I'll be okay.

Now that I'm back to reality and I have a little more than a month to get my grades up (yes I'm a slacker to the tenth degree) so you gotta bear with me. I finish exams at the end of April. So until then, a post a week is my contribution. This one doesn't count for this week btw.

Off to do some work. I have an exam tomorrow. TTYL! Oh, and enjoy the pics. Hilton Head is beautiful!

If I was famous

2008-03-15T23:08:00.012-04:00

I would be a hustler. For example:

((minus))

= $ for Randy Jackson
((this is just my assumption because I never really
saw his contract dudes and dudettes))

Now correct me if I'm wrong. But I can't think of the last time I (or anyone else I know) got paid for my (their) name to appear on a billboard or headline... or anything. I've watched this show at least 3 or 4 times and if his name wasn't in the title of the show, I wouldn't know he had anything to do with it. According to my friend Wikipedia, he's the producer. But does that even mean he puts in hours on the set? PLUS, how many producers have their names as part of a show title? Exactly. Well whatever he does, imma bet that he's gettin p.a.i.d. for it just because he's Randy Jackson. I mean can I get paid for just being [Mademoiselle M]?

Well class, in conclusions: If I was famous everything would be "[Mademoiselle] presents..." as long as it was cool in my eyes and paid money. Lucky for my would-be future celeb competitors I don't want to be famous. I just want to be a prosperous and financially savvy diva social entrepreneur kicking butt in the community. I'll have to find some other way to charge the world for my presence.

Tata,

Spring Break Update

2008-03-10T15:42:00.021-04:00

WHOoooOOO HOOOooOOO!!!

T-4 days until spring break starts
... and a few more until I leave with Monsieur N for our ROH-man-tick getaway!

I know I mentioned previously that I was going to go on a cruise with Mademoiselle V and her beau but she opted out since the beau couldn't take part in spring break activities (he lives and works in Tennessee) so she is going with some friends to Puerto Rico. I on the other hand, can't deal with the spring break craze. I don't do long nights of partying, drinking with strangers, or dealing with drunk friends and strangers. I just.don't.

Well Cancun and Puerto Rico are out of my budget anyway... remember getting the money straight in '08! ...and the cruise turned out to be at least $200 more expensive during that week, obviously because that's a popular week. So I started doing some searches for Florida - Miami Beach, South Beach, etc - which didn't excite me because I don't want to around any Girls Gone Wild type scenes. It's just not me. I'm an old lady you know.

So I was super duper excited when I found the perfect option for me and Monsieur N: Westin Hilton Head Island Hotel.

Beautiful right!? And the best part yet, it is only gonna cost us $139 per night for the two nights we are staying there! Thank goodness for travel websites.

I start work in July which means that I won't be able to go to Barbados or Trinidad yet again this summer. So I need - I mean I NEED - to see some beach in my life. And while I may not get in the water ...I have this "thing" about US beaches... I can have some peace of mind by sitting out on the sand listening to the waves.

Oh and we're road-trippin it. Monsieur N and I always enjoy ourselves when we ride together so it should be 8-9 hours of fun!

I'll tell you how it was, my loves :)

Just another Wednesday night.

2008-03-05T22:29:00.009-05:00

Uhh.. what's the deal with TV. No Cashmere Mafia for the last two weeks. You rope me in when I was most vulnerable (no Grey's + no Ugly Betty + no Samantha Who = state of depression) and then you STOP? Ugh.

So now what do I do?

I just gave myself some hair-apy. I've had my hair straight for the last several weeks - easier than the wash and go during the cold winter days. But I'm starting to miss that crazy frizzy hair of mine. So I took a break and pampered my hair and scalp. MMmmmm. It smells so good right now!

And now I'm watching the beginning of The Big Give because I didn't wake up in time from my nap on Sunday. Can I just say that I'm a sucker for an emotional story. That means I was BALLIN when the team of two guys presented all that money at the block party for a woman named AJ with two kids whose husband was shot. Now I'm watching the initial meeting they had with her and I'm getting all teary eyed.

Anywhoo. So we've established that The Big Give is a great show that I can consistently watch -I know my girl Oprah won't let me down - but what else do I have people?! Nada. Nothing. I mean, I've even started getting tired of watching Law and Order Criminal Intent. Me? Tired of Criminal Intent? I woulda never thought.

Oh. Back to the topic of giving big. Not only am I a sucker for an emotional story, I'm also a sucker for non-profits, programs, and people dedicated to giving back to the community. To whom much is given, much is required. Just waking up to another day is a blessing and it should never be taken for granted. Plus, my ultimate goal in life is to start my own non-profit.

Well last night I went to a fantastic event called the District Sample Sale, otherwise known as "The season's most fashionable event." Too cute right!? Well the Labels for Love charity was created to raise awareness for women and children causes. A friend of mine from high school who I haven't seen in forever-ever invited me (her mama started the charity) so I went to see her and see if I could find some goodies.

This is how it works. You pay for your ticket prior to the event b/c they sell out so quickly. There are even VIP tickets which get you a full hour of "preview shopping" and a goodie bag. Now this aint no party-favor goodie bag. It's got fantastic samples of hair products, a small bottle of vodka, a t-shirt, and gift cards to select boutiques and spas and it weighs like 4500 lbs. After getting your goodie-bag (for you VIPers out there), you stop by the bar for a glass of wine or champagne. Then you make your way past the DJ and down the stairs where you start shopping away!

Yesterday's event was their fourth. Previous events raised $11,000, $12,400, and $17,200 for worthy causes. That's what I call giving big.

Unfortunately, I am so focused on havin my money straight this year that I didn't buy anything. Plus I didn't see anything that I needed (i.e. work clothes for July). The few things that I liked but didn't need were either not in my size or out of my guilt-free price range. But I definitely will be at the Fall 2008 District Sample Sale on September 9th with a wine glass in hand, ready to shop my work-related stress into oblivion - of course all while staying within my financial means.

More About Me Mondays

2008-02-25T14:37:00.009-05:00

I think this is what people refer to when they talk about a quarter-life crisis: the state of being unsure about who you are, what you hold dear, how to achieve your dreams, and what you really want out of life. And I use the word "unsure" very broadly because it can range from being slightly unsure to being on the verge of an anxiety attack - depending on the person.

I was thinking about this today and I suddenly had the urge to Google the phrase (what's new, Google completes my life). Below is the list of characteristics on Wikipedia. I've highlighted those which apply to me right now as we speak.

feeling "not good enough" because one can't find a job that is at one's academic/intellectual level
frustration with relationships, the working world, and finding a suitable job or career
confusion of identity
insecurity regarding the near future
insecurity concerning long-term plans, life goals
insecurity regarding present accomplishments
re-evaluation of close interpersonal relationships
disappointment with one's job
nostalgia for university, college, high school or elementary school life
tendency to hold stronger opinions - I've always been opinionated so this doesn't apply
boredom with social interactions
loss of closeness to high school and college friends
financially-rooted stress (overwhelming college loans, unanticipatedly high cost of living, etc.) - for me, I am buying a car after graduation and I want to purchase a home within a year
loneliness
desire to have children
a sense that everyone is, somehow, doing better than you

I am at a point in my life where my short-term reality is pretty much as clear-cut as clear-cut can get in life: graduate in May, buy a car, start work in July, remain active in my church with our planned programs, save up to buy a home by '09, etc. But it's the bigger picture that always starts creeping up on me and freaking me out. I have so many goals in life that I get scared that they aren't all going to work out.

When will I live abroad? Will I ever work abroad? Will I ever become fluent in French and Spanish? When will I have cute little babies? Will I get to stay home with them as long as I want to (about a year)? What kind of graduate degree will I get? When the heck will I have time to get a graduate degree? When will I open my non-profit? Will I ever gain the wealth I hope to gain in my lifetime? ...and the list goes on. and on. and on.

Every once in a while I have to remind myself that I have to take life one step at a time b/c there is only so much planning you can do.

I was talking to my homie today and we were talking about how school is not life and how she recognized several years ago. I, on the other hand, have just realized that b/c in my family education=life=education and there were no other interpretations. She told me that she came up with her own 10 commandments (i.e. #1 Thou shall prioritize). That has allowed her to keep things in perspective.

I've decided that creating my own commandments will be my first step to getting through this period of my life. I'll let you know when I've completed it. For now, I would like to share this Maya Angelou poem with you. I read it for the first time today. I love it and will be taping it to my wall tonight.

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE …
enough money within her control to move out
and rent a place of her own, even if she never wants to or needs to…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
something perfect to wear if the employer, or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
a youth she’s content to leave behind….

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
a past juicy enough that she’s looking forward to
retelling it in her old age….

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ….
a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
one friend who always makes her laugh… and one who lets her cry…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..
a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal, that will make her guests feel honored…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
a feeling of control over her destiny.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
how to fall in love without losing herself.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
how to quit a job, break up with a lover, and confront a friend without; ruining the friendship…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
when to try harder… and WHEN TO WALK AWAY…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
that she can’t change the length of her calves,
the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
that her childhood may not have been perfect…but its over…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
what she would and wouldn’t do for love or more…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
how to live alone… even if she doesn’t like it…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW..
whom she can trust,
whom she can’t,
and why she shouldn’t take it personally…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
where to go…
be it to her best friend’s kitchen table…
or a charming inn in the woods…
when her soul needs soothing…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
what she can and can’t accomplish in a day…
a month…and a year…

-Maya Angelou

Did you know?

2008-02-21T20:15:00.006-05:00

www.myfico.com

Get your financial life on track this year people! Be sure to get your free credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com. No, there is no trick or hidden costs. You have the right to view your report for free each year. Educate yourself and get/keep your credit in check.

Websites to definitely bookmark:

I'm very passionate about financial literacy. So please, take this information, learn, and share with those around you.

Thanks

I'm Taking a Stand

2008-02-19T19:58:00.015-05:00

This year started off on a strange note for me. I began experiencing strange feelings that I had never previously experienced to such an extreme degree.

Extreme sense of downtime entitlement
Severe lethargy
Chronic lack of focus (beyond the usual AOADD - adult onset attention deficit disorder)
Ambivalent and apathetic attitude toward academic affairs
Significantly lower level of self-motivation

I was really in some need of help so I Googled the following: WebMD and Senioritis. I was distraught when it did not yield a WebMD website. Are they serious? Hmph. A sister was really in need of some advice and some quick-fix type remedy. Nonetheless, I did find that somebody out there is very sympathetic to my situation. The author of this article even understood my feelings regarding my Google search, equating WebMD's lack of recognition of Senioritis as a real disorder to the belief that the world was flat at one point in time.

I never honestly believed that I would succumb to such an awful disorder. I barely experienced this infamous Senioritis in high school upon acceptance to a university yet I have slowly slipped deeper and deeper into this quicksand trap since I signed my offer letter in December.

So what's a girl to do? It's so bad that I was in the process of failing a finance exam that I wasn't quite prepared for last Thursday (YES ON VALENTINE'S DAY!) and laughing the whole way through. The unbelievable part? I'm not freakin out about it. How weird.

Well today is the day that I take a stand. No longer will I allow this disorder to run my semester. Nope. It stops right here.

I'm off to the library to try to get back on track. Senioritis does not define me.

..insert standing ovation...

So Shoot Me

2008-02-13T20:59:00.003-05:00

I already know. I'm a slacker. So shoot me already! I've been interested in posting for weeks. But I haven't. And for no reason. No, actually my passion for blogging has been pushed back a little since I've been reading a lot more. I don't usually read for leisure during the school semester because of all the work but since I haven't been doing any work, I've been using all my time to read and watch TV. Little room for blogging if you add in all the other nonsense (aka school work) that I actually have to do from time to time.

So I'm going to break it to you like this. Let's agree that I'll post once a week. More than that will be a treat but let's keep the expectations low for the next several weeks. I know. Low expectations are not a part of my DNA but work with me here. I'm under-promising so that I can over-deliver. Okay? Thanks.

Tomorrow is Valentines Day and I've got a surprise for Monsieur N up my sleeve!!! Tell you bout it later.

xoxo

Music Video of the Year!

2008-02-04T13:05:00.000-05:00

I'm officially declaring my love for Obama with the help of this video!

Off With Her Hair!

2008-01-29T18:37:00.000-05:00

As you guys are either already aware or might easily assume based on my previous confession of geek-ness, I like watching Bloomberg. For those of you who don't have it or don't know what it is, it is a network completely dedicated to business and financial news all day, every day. Some of you may puke at the thought but whatev.

Anywho, my point is that I was inspired by one of the TV personalities - or whatever they are called. What are they called? Somebody tell me... Ok, back to my point:

So I cut my hair yesterday. I wanted one of those straight cuts. The woman on Bloomberg had hers shoulder length but since the front of my hair was not as long as the back, to get the full effect I had to cut it a bit shorter than I would have liked. But I love it! There is something about cutting your hair that is invigorating. Or maybe I'm just a diva and I'm happy to feel fly with my new hairstyle. Like I said before, whatev.