!i$@ bee

Fun Employed

2012-01-01T17:40:00.003-05:00

First and foremost dear readers: HAPPY 2012! We made it y'all, and the world hasn't ended yet. Woop!

Now for some explanation: quite obviously (and somewhat regretfully I might add), I've been MIA here on the interwebz. But only because a wonderful stroke of luck hit me around the time of my last post here and I've been super, super busy ever since: I GOT A JOB!!!

And a most wonderful job it is...

Almost exactly six months after I made these declarations, I got a random phone call from the Deputy Executive Director of a non-profit here in DC. The organization wanted me to come in and interview for a Web Developer position that would be responsible for maintaining the international presence of said organization on the web. I knew this was a great opportunity as soon as I got the phone call, and I prepared for my interview accordingly. Long story short, after wowing the staff with my web knowledge and prowess during three rounds of interviews--including a ~fabulous~ PowerPoint presentation--I got the position!

Last Halloween was my first day on the job; I went as a Successful Black Woman, fyi.

My job duties are quite similar to the ones I have maintaining www.lisa-bee.com--but on a much larger scale, of course. Some of my responsibilities include: managing the day-to-day operation and maintenance of all websites; designing & developing new webpages and implementing web content updates, graphic design, banner ads, social network management, and multimedia development;developing site concepts, interface design, and architecture of websites; and using strong navigation and site-design instincts, as well as researching new technologies available and recommending technical and architectural improvements.

All things I've been doing--for free--for the almost three years (wow, time flies when you're having fun!) I've had this blog. Now, I'm getting paid more than I've made in any other job I've held in my life, doing something I love and am passionate about.

MIND BLOWN.

Three months in and I'm still in awe that I took something that was basically a hobby for me and turned it into my full-fledged career.

A mentor from my days at Sports Illustrated told me that if I find a job I enjoy, I'll never work a day in my life. I've kept that adage in mind since beginning this journey, and it's still very relevant today. Every day I get up to go to work, I am so grateful--and, dare I say it, even thrilled--to be there. Not only am I and the rest of the staff working toward a mission we all believe in--that of furthering the resources and support available to black engineers worldwide--for myself, at least, I'm also literally working my dream job.

What makes this all the more sweet for me is that I worked incredibly hard to get to this point. Aside from the support and guidance of my dearest friends and family, no one else can say they put !i$@ bee in the position she's in now besides myself. And that's a great MFing feeling, lemme tell ya.

The year 2011 was a bust for many reasons, and for many folks. But I'm glad to say mine ended on a high note, and my 2012 begins on one, too

Maneki Neko, or Lucky Cat

This made me LOL: Her Mama Told Her They Were Going To The Mall To Meet Beyoncé But This Happened Instead...

2011-09-21T16:30:00.006-04:00

Oh Kelendria. Get those dollas, girl!

From C&D:

Somebody call Child Protective Services, this sh*t ain’t right.

Life wasn’t fair for one of destiny’s children living in the Lakewood, California area on Thursday at the fragrance launch for Empress By Sean John. Additional pictures of Kizzy and Mouf Breeva attending the event after jump.

Ridiculousness. On a sidenote, maybe this girl needs a cheeseburger and not a $112 meet & greet plus perfume to motivate her to smile. Just sayin'.

Suckers, Punching: Mayweather vs. Ortiz

2011-09-19T17:27:00.006-04:00

Those of you who caught the Mayweather vs. Ortiz fight on Saturday HAVE to be in an uproar over that mess. I'm not the biggest boxing fan in the world (personally, I find it a little barbaric), but I really expected more sportsmanliness--from both sides!--for my my friend's $60.

The post-fight commentary was entertaining though:

video platform video management video solutions video player

You tell him, Larry Merchant!

Yeah, Ortiz headbutting Mayweather was definitely NOT a good look. And while hilarious and unexpected, you gotta admit that Mayweather 1. Looking directly at the ref before swinging and 2. Actually knocking ol' boy the hell out during what appeared to be a timeout* was really... uh... not how I expected this fight to go down. Not for my friend's $60! I sincerely hope they do a rematch on this one

Read more on the controversy surrounding the fight in this LA Times article.

In other news, watching the fights leading up to the game, I found myself a new favorite boxer! His name is Canelo (aka "Cinnamon"... awww) Alvarez and he has ~red hair~ ♥ You know how much I love natural red heads. He's so much fun to watch:

Get 'em Red! Read more about his fight vs. Alfonso Gomez here.

* Yeah yeah yeah, watch your back at all times, yadda yadda yadda. Still a dirty move Floyd!

My scores from the Missoni for Target Collection :-)

2011-09-15T16:07:00.005-04:00

Can you smell the ~couture~?

As all you fashionistas out there may have realized, the Missoni for Target collection was released this past Tuesday to much fanfare. By the time I got to my local Target around noon that day, most of the merchandise was completely gone; what was left looked like a tsunami hit it. Luckily, two of the three items I came up there looking for were still in stock and in my size, too (yay!):

Missoni for Target silk floral scarf and suede pumps

What I didn't find--at least not in my size--were these cute and comfy-looking flats:

I hit up the Target website once I got back home, only to find that Target's servers had crashed from the sheer demand. It's that serious, yo! I know Target has had other prominent names in fashion on its racks--Isaac Mizrahi, Alexander McQueen, even lesser-known but still costly and chic brand Tucker--but nothing of the magnitude that Missoni brought to the table.

For the uninformed, Missoni is an Italian knitwear label best known for its colorful zigzag patterns. They also specialize in striped, geometric, and abstract floral prints. These prints come in a variety of fabric choices, primarily wool but also cotton, linen, rayon and silk.

The Missoni for Target collection has women's clothing and accessories (of course), but also chic and unique items for kids, men, and the home. The campaign runs from September 13 to October 22, though I've heard that the collection is so popular, Targets everywhere have been wiped out of the collection and are unsure if and when they'll get more items in stock.

If you haven't already, get thee to a Tar-jhay tout suite!

Hottest Couple of All Time*: Lisa Bonet & Jason Momoa

2011-09-13T10:00:00.001-04:00

At the Conan the Barbarian premiere last month

UNFH. So much sexiness here. I really look up to Lisa Bonet, not only as a fellow Lisa B. but THOSE LOCS. So luscious. She also has a track record of pulling only the most hottest of dudes:

What is there not to admire?

At the beach this month. Sun & fun with your bun = ♥

Lisa seems to be aging well; she's 43 and Jason is 32. Just for comparison, here's a contemporary of Lisa's, Jasmine Guy, who's 49--and looks it:

Oof What happened Whitley Gilbert?! Yeesh. Anyways, back to positivity and sexiness:

Looking sexy at the airport

Looking sexy while walking with child (I think this is their son together, Nakoa-Wolf Momoa)

Looking sexy chilling carside with Zoe Kravitz

One big sexy family

*Besides me & my man. Duh.

My September 11th Story

2011-09-12T17:22:00.009-04:00

At 9:43 a.m. on September 11, 2001, I was in 11th grade History class preparing to get my learn on. This really annoying and overly dramatic girl--let's call her V--runs into class saying a plane has just crashed into the Pentagon. Our initial reactions were ones of disbelief (thanks to the source) and confusion: how does such a thing even happen? The fact that the crash occurred at the Pentagon immediately raised red flags... these things just don't happen in the US. Yes, DC is a huge target for political extremists; on the other hand, our guard is ALWAYS up to prevent such nonsense from happening. Right?

Oh, but it was true.

From the panel of windows in our classroom facing the street, a large plume of smoke was visible in the very far distance. The entire class congregated at the windows, stupefied. Our teacher told us to get away from the windows, closed the blinds, and turned on the TV, which verified our worst nightmare. The Pentagon had been attacked.

I remember feeling incredibly vulnerable at the time. There were so many unknowns then: who did this? Why? Are more attacks coming? Students and faculty were in a frenzy; the faculty less so, but anyone could see the fear in their eyes.

I called my parents from the girls bathroom. With their offices right off of Pennsylvania Avenue, I was seriously worried for my parents and desperate for them to have escaped the aftermath of the attack. Thankfully, my parents were fine. We discussed transportation; to avoid the other nightmare that was going to be taking the Metro home, my mother picked up my father and me.

In what seemed like a few short minutes--or maybe it was an hour? Time seemed to stop for a while--more parents swarmed into my school's tiny parking lot and wraparound driveway to pick up their students. At that point, no one knew if a similar attack was planned for WMATA; no one wants to be trapped underground* during a terrorist attack, that's for sure. Once we arrived home, all of us watched the news--perturbed, shaken, mournful--well into the night and the entire week thereafter.

Of all those who perished in the attack on the Pentagon, one in particular was close to my family: my father's childhood friend, C.G. The destruction to the wing of the Pentagon where C.G. worked was so severe that his remains could only be identified through dental records and hair samples.

It was a closed casket funeral, of course. Immediately afterward, C.G.'s wife moved away, never to return. Too many memories, she said. Before she left though, to thank my father for what amounted to decades of friendship with C.G., she invited him to accompany her to a memorial service held for those who lost their loved ones in the attack. My dad got front row seats and even shook former President Bill Clinton's hand. That made him pretty happy.

What I learned on September 11, 2001 was that, despite our efforts, very few things are fully within our control. People can either accept and embrace that fact, or live out their lives in fear. Living in fear isn't living at all, and part of me refuses to "let the terrorists win" (omg how many times did people say that in the months following 9/11?!) by doing that. I always try to be aware of my surroundings though, and don't trust easily--never did. "Cautiously fearless" is a good motto for how I felt post-9/11. I try to keep that feeling up today.

*From Inglourious Basterds:

Lt. Aldo Raine: You didn't say the g*ddamn rendezvous was in a
f*cking basement!
Lt. Archie Hicox: I didn't know.
Lt. Aldo Raine: You said it was in a tavern!
Lt. Archie Hicox: It is a tavern.
Lt. Aldo Raine: Yeah, in a basement. You know, fightin' in a basement offers a lot of difficulties. Number one being, you're fightin' in a basement!

This made me LOL: Ali Lohan's new face

2011-09-08T15:53:00.004-04:00

Before & After

Actually this made me o_O more than LOL... bad plastic surgery is an unfortunate thing. The work done on Ali's face has done nothing to reverse the seeming curse of the Lohan women: looking 30+ years older than you actually are (Ali Lohan is currently 17-years-old).

Catholic School Stories: Runner-Up

2011-09-06T10:00:00.001-04:00

What can I say, I'm no Usain Bolt

Happy post-Labor Day! Hope everyone enjoyed their long weekends. To ease you back into the work week, Imma bless you with another Catholic School Stories post. This one is about that time I was (briefly) on the long distance track team.

Let me start off by saying I hate running long distance. I thought I could run it out of me during off-season--I also played lacrosse in the spring--but nope. Hated it. Like a trooper I stuck with it though, until this one meet we had.

Our scrimmage that day was at Georgetown Prep, an all-boys school located all the way across town and over the state line in Maryland. They have a very large campus there (90 acres!), lots of woods and lush green expanse.

My school's long distance team huddled together before the race getting instruction and encouragement from our coaches. An average runner at best, I tried to pump myself up by focusing on the one thing I did perfectly while running: maintain excellent form. Too bad speed and agility couldn't have been part of that, but beggars can't be choosers.

Anyways, the race starts and despite my pleas that this was my first real long distance race and "Please don't leave me behind!" those hoes on my school's track team (I say that lovingly) did just that. Luckily, the distance between me and the other hundred or so runners wasn't too apparent just starting off... with all the moms and coaches at the starting point, I would have been hella embarrassed to START OFF already behind. The distance didn't grow too significant until I got the bubble guts

For my runners out there, I'm sure you're already familiar with what the up-down motion of running can do to your digestive system. I'll spare you the details--I'm a lady, after all--but I did make a serious detour from the trail to use one of the bathroom facilities. I didn't even know if the race allowed for bathroom breaks but screw it, I wasn't gonna dig a ditch and go in nature, that's for sure. Now my problem was finding a girls' bathroom on an all-boys campus...

I aimlessly followed the running trail for a few minutes until--finally!--a glint of light caught my eye in the distance. It was one of the school's remodeled buildings, its shiny glass doors illuminated by the setting sun. I ran over to that beesh with the quickness, making a mental note to keep that same energy up for when I cross the finish line. There was no ladies room, naturally, but at that point I didn't care. Luckily the building was empty and no boys were around to witness me commit this ultimate foul.

Anyways, relieved and ready to resume the race (not really), I headed back to the running trail. I saw the group of runners heading towards me a few meters away... had I been gone that long that they're already on the second lap? Guess I had. I made moves like I was trying to run and keep up with them--really, I was at that point--but eventually they passed me yet again. All 100 of them I resigned myself to my long distance running fate and just started walking the trail nonchalantly.

After a few more minutes aimlessly wandering the running trail, I ran into some supporters. There were a couple moms and a handful of Georgetown Prep students on the sidelines, cheering the runners on and handing out water bottles. I moseyed on up to them and grabbed a bottle.

"You can do it #6!" they told me.

"Wow, you must be pretty far ahead to just be walking already!" said one of the moms.

Yeah, whatever lady. I didn't have the heart to tell her I was really dead last. So I just continued my walk, water bottle in hand.

Eventually I made it back to the starting point. The runners were coming up again from behind; to not look like a total lazy person I started jogging lightly. Moms and coaches galore were shouting encouragement from the sidelines. Even though I was dead last, I absorbed it all and pretended I wasn't Denial is a powerful thing, I tell ya.

After what seemed like a marathon of loops running around this campus, we hit the last lap of the day. I saw the finish line on the horizon and could almost taste the sweet juicy goodness of finally being done with this mess. Before I even hit the finish line, a bunch of moms descended on me from all sides.

"You did it!" they screamed.

"You're a great runner!" said some more.

I tried to explain the situation to them--really, I did--but in spite of my breathless head shakes and explanations that, "No, moms! I'm actually dead last!" they went on and on. I think they thought my protests were ones of disbelief, maybe even humility. But nope, they were protests of admitted failure. Gotcha suckers!

Just kidding. But really, I was so out of breath and busy guzzling water PLUS trying to explain myself that all of it just got jumbled up in the post-race chaos. One of the moms got my name from my coach so it could be published in the local newspaper. Oh lord, this is getting out of hand already, I thought. I didn't catch my breath again 'til the very next day at school...

Sheepishly, I walked into my coach's office and explained the whole scrimmage situation. I thought he would be mad or disappointed in me. After giving me a quizzical look over the top of his glasses, he burst out laughing. I stood there awkwardly, hoping this was a good sign. He called the other coach in his office and we all had a nice hearty laugh about the situation. Wiping tears from his eyes, my coach said he'd call Georgetown Prep and have everything straightened out.

Whew!

Long story short, I still hate long distance running. But I must say, I was definitely in shape come lacrosse season

F*ck it, I'm on 1 (...hundred, thousand, trillion)

2011-09-01T23:04:00.014-04:00

That accident left me feeling a little... dare I say it?

As of today, it's been exactly one year since that car accident I was in. It's a bittersweet occasion for me... out of all that trauma, worry, and confusion came exponential growth. If it weren't for that accident, I honestly believe I'd be a completely different person today.

Prior to the accident, I was so focused on my job and my life that--knowing my drive--I would never have voluntarily taken a break. Being in that accident forced me to reevaluate a lot of things in my life spiritually, emotionally, and most definitely physically.

I never thought I'd be saying this, but that accident turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Had it not been for the car I was in sailing through a red light that night, I would probably still never know just how much I could endure without breaking.

Recovery was difficult, sure. But instead of spending my days grieving for the life I once had (which was all too easy to do), I refocused my energies on creating the life I truly desire. I had a job position at the time of the accident, certain aspects of which I enjoyed. Overall though, that position wasn't relevant to my career interests; it was simply a job I did to make money. The months of recovery post-accident allowed me to figure out exactly what it is I'm best at and develop a plan to make a career out of those talents.

In addition to getting things moving again on the job front, I did a lot of intense self-evaluation and improvement. I watched a video series recently where women in positions of leadership in DC were asked to advise aspiring female leaders. I was most inspired by former U.S. Representative Jane Harman, who said, "If you can navigate a failure gracefully, you're stronger for it." She also lauded the principles of discipline, focus, and inner strength, all of which I gained in abundance from having been in that car accident.

I wouldn't say that being in the accident was a failure of any sort on my part. But I am certainly stronger for navigating its aftermath to the very best of my abilities. Having taken what I now see was a much-needed break from the hustle and bustle of my former life, I have a renewed drive and focus much more keen than that I had prior to the accident--and I thought I was operating at a pretty high level then. All of the pain and turmoil I endured--and eventually conquered--combined with the self-discipline I carried over from my school days contributed greatly to the continued development of my inner strength.

I'm going to stop very short of thanking my friend for flying through the intersection that fateful night. But I will say that, thanks to the accident, I found multiple strengths within myself (tenacity, increased drive and ambition, wisdom, and many, many others) that I was never fully aware I possessed.

It's an unusual route I took to get to this point of... enlightenment, I guess you could say. Knowing what I know now though, I don't think I'd have it any other way.

Jobs' Loss: Steve Jobs steps down from the helm of Apple

2011-08-25T21:43:00.002-04:00

Steve Jobs holding one of his creations, the ever-popular iPhone

As an avid Apple user (peep the alliteration yo), I was most saddened to hear that Steve Jobs has stepped down from his position as CEO of the company. As my uncle Joe frequently reminds me, "Apple has more money than the US government!" No small feat, indeed. To commemorate this grim occasion, I've decided to post this little snippet of quote Mr. Jobs gave on his definitions of design and creativity:

“Design is a funny word. Some people think design means how it looks. But of course, if you dig deeper, it’s really how it works. The design of the Mac wasn’t what it looked like, although that was part of it. Primarily, it was how it worked. To design something really well, you have to get it. You have to really get what it’s all about. It takes a passionate commitment to really thoroughly understand something, chew it up, not just quickly swallow it. Most people don’t take the time to do that.

“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things. And the reason they were able to do that was that they’ve had more experiences or they have thought more about their experiences than other people.
“Unfortunately, that’s too rare a commodity. A lot of people in our industry haven’t had very diverse experiences. So they don’t have enough dots to connect, and they end up with very linear solutions without a broad perspective on the problem. The broader one’s understanding of the human experience, the better design we will have.

~ Steve Jobs, Wired, Feb. 1996

Find more quotes from Mr. Jobs at the source.

John Wooden's Pyramid of Success: #15 - Competitive Greatness

2011-08-16T14:00:00.000-04:00

From the homie Chazz's daily Words of Wisdom email:

Pyramid of Success

#15 - Competitive Greatness

"Perform at your best when your best is required. Your best is required each day."

For more than half a century I have defined Competitive Greatness as follows: "A real love for the hard battle, knowing it offers the opportunity to be at your best when your best is required."

The great competitors that I have played for, coached, and admired all shared a joy derived from the struggle itself - the journey, the contest. They have done so because only in that supreme effort is there an opportunity to summon your best, a personal greatness that cannot be diminished, dismissed, or derided because of a final score or bottom line.

In my view, there is nothing tiresome or trite in the old adage, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." I have tried hard to meet that criterion and teach it to others throughout my life. At the exact moment when the going gets tough, the thrill of competition gets going for a leader who has acquired Competitive Greatness.

I believe this is one of the crucial concepts that you can convey to those under your supervision when you're in a position of leadership; namely, a true love for the hard battle and the test it provides against a worthy opponent.

The hard struggle is to be welcomed, never feared. In fact, when you define success this way, the only thing to fear is your own unwillingness to make the full 100 percent effort to prepare and perform at the highest level of your ability.

If you are a leader, you must teach your team to love the struggle because only in hard competition will you, and they, find Competitive Greatness.

I took nearly fifteen years to choose and define the blocks of my Pyramid of Success because I recognized that ultimately they would be used to help me and those under my supervision achieve Competitive Greatness. For me, this was, and is, something of the highest significance.

Of course, my sincere hope is that you may derive the same benefit I did from the values found in the Pyramid of Success. In a real way, it has been my own personal road map to pursuing and, at times, achieving Competitive Greatness.

~ John Wooden

Amy Winehouse Painkiller Portrait: Too Soon?

2011-08-16T11:03:00.001-04:00

L.A. based artist Jason Mecier has captured Amy Winehouse in this incredible portrait made out of 5,000 multi-colored painkillers.
The soul singer died last month, bringing to an end her battle with drugs and alcohol. Since 2006, she earned a reputation for her struggle with eating disorders and addiction.
The Winehouse pill popping portrait is part of Jason Mecier's series of celebrity mosaics using everything from aspirin to candy and newspaper. Celebrities such as Amy Sedaris and Florence Henderson even send him their own junk. [Source]

I think that if an art piece is found to be controversial, then it's a success. All great art should not only be aesthetically pleasing (keeping in mind the adage that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder"), but also force observers to think. This painkiller portrait of Amy Winehouse certainly does that to me.

What are your thoughts?

True love knows no height

2011-08-15T17:36:00.014-04:00

Shaq & Hoopz... a match made in reality TV/gold-digging heaven

Shaquille O’Neal’s new girlfriend is quite a handful!! We mean that literally, as she is about the size of one of Shaq’s hands. Her name is Nicole “Hoopz” Alexander — the “Hoopz” means she’s “kool” and likes “bazketbawl.” Nicole is actually a part of the VH1 family, having won her season of Flavor Of Love. While we hate to break the news that her relationship with Flava Flav on that very real really really real reality show of love did not work out, it looks Nicole is doing OK for herself. Oh, she also won her season of I Love Money, with the prize apparently being you get all of Shaq’s money.

At 5’2″ tall, Nicole is nearly TWO FEET shorter than Shaq, who stands at a Freedom Tower-esque 7’1″.

So, I know what you’re thinking… Just how do these two get it on? The answer ahead.

The Answer
VERY AWKWARDLY

[Source]

Yeah... um... good luck with that, you two.

Kanye West & Jay-Z's Best Fashion Lyrics

2011-08-13T14:52:00.010-04:00

BAWSE.

(Image via WireImages)

From MTV.com:

To celebrate MTV Style's unbridled enthusiasm for throne watching (which we've been doing nonstop), we've chronicled the BEST and most memorable fashion lyrics from the entire album with multiple nerd sessions devoted to "Otis." Of course. Get your Gucci geek glasses on, mmkay?

From the pedestrian "dot, dot, dot" (as in three dots, that midrange cotton T-shirt line) references in "Change Clothes" from The Black Album, Jay-Z has since moved (silently and with continuous secondhand movement for you watch fiends) onto Swiss timepieces in the $500,000 range. Plus, remember when he name-dropped Evisu in "Show You How"? Hasn't the beleaguered denim manufacturer had two major makeovers since?

A great many seasons have passed since both of these artists entered the stage; Kanye has long graduated from working retail at the GAP and his admiration for Antwerp is still going strong. In honor of each respective rap titan's style evolution, we dug our keyboard-bruised fingers into the massive lyrical content of the record. Some of us even made an homage Tumblr to Jay-Z's black strap, because "you know what that's for."

"N***** IN PARIS"

"Prince William ain’t do it right if you ask me/
'Cause if I was him I would have married Kate and Ashley.
What's Gucci, my n****?
What's Louis, my killa?
What's drugs, my deala?
What's that jacket, Margiela? "
— Kanye

Just imagining Kanye in a polygamous relationship with the mini moguls of The Row and Elizabeth and James makes us titter in glee. Also, we have seen Kanye IRL in MULTIPLE beautiful, reeeeeeedick Maison Martin Margiela motorcycle jackets that feel and look like buttah.

"Got a broke clock, Rolleys that don't tick tok/
Audemars that losing time, hidden behind all these big rocks, I'm shocked."
—Jay-Z

Does Jay-Z have a Audemars Piguet manual? Is he not having his properly serviced annually? What is going on? Get thee to a watchmaker who is familiar with your particular caliber STAT, sir (respectfully). Also, you know what the Rolleys don't tick-tock is about, right? The second hand of a genuine Rolex features continuous motion. They literally do not tick.

NO. You're the nerd.

"OTIS"

"I invented swag, poppin’ bottles, puttin’ supermodels in the cab/
Proof I guess I got my swagger back, truth/
New watch alert, Hublot’s/
Or the big face, Rollie I got two of those..."
—Jay-Z

Hublots are also good watches. Many people like them. Many in the sense that among the VERY FEW who can afford say, a King Power Alinghi 48 like it's no big deal, a great proportion like them a lot.

"I made 'Jesus Walks,' I’m never going to hell/
Couture level flow, it’s never going on sale.
Luxury rap, the Hermes of verses/
Sophisticated ignorance, write my curses in cursive."
—Kanye

This high/low thing is MAJOR in WTT, with cover artwork designed by Riccardo Tisci, the headmaster of Givenchy. But instead of it being a staid, minimalist production, the gilded image is so over-the-top that it indeed reminds us of writing curses in cursive. Also, here, Kanye is not only talking about orange boxes Hermes, but how quickly he spits. As in, Hermes, the Greek god with wings on his feet. Whoa. And the next line talks about "accustomed to customs" and Hermes was also the patron of travelers who cross boundaries. So...

"GOTTA HAVE IT"

"Bueller had a Muller but I switched it for a Mille."
—Kanye

The entire blog world thinks this song is about vacuum cleaners or some such (as they are thinking MIELE) but Kanye is clearly referencing watches. Muller (as in Franck Muller) and Mille (as in Richard Mille) are much more sexy (and up 'Ye's alley) than house cleaning products. Plus, you know your man has a Dyson ball.

"THAT'S MY B****"

"How could somethin' so gangsta be so pretty in pictures?
With jeans and a blazer and some Louboutin slippers."
—Jay Z

It is funny that this was Jay's line, because we all know that Kanye looks great in his house shoes.

"WHO GON' STOP ME"

"I’ll show up in all white, wearin' no socks."
—Jay Z (Image via Getty Images)

Please direct your attention to the picture at the right.

"MURDER TO EXCELLENCE"

"It’s a celebration of black excellence/
Black tie, black Maybachs/
Black excellence, opulence, decadence/
Tuxes next to the president, I’m present/
I dress in Dries and other boutique stores in Paris/
In sheepskin coats, I silence the lambs/
Do you know who I am, Clarice?"
— Jay-Z

I don't have much to add to this, except I'd like to quietly point out that, in talking about his luxurious shearling coat and Dries Van Noten, Hova references SILENCE OF THE FREAKIN' LAMBS. Marinate on that for a moment.

"WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE"

"Move blocks and squares, move apples and pears/
Work pots and pans, Just to cop me some Airs."
—Jay-Z

"Welcome To The Jungle" doesn't sample G'N'R, but it does remind us where Jay-Z came from. And that he looks fly in Nike Air Jordans.

"MADE IN AMERICA"

"Downtown mixing fabrics trying to find the magic/
Started a little blog just to get some traffic/
Now all my n***** designing and we all swaggin’/
Ignore the critics just to say we did it/
This ain’t no fashion show, m********, we live it."
—Kanye

Kanye points out that some of the best rappers in the world have their own line, Jay included. And here could be his first (and maybe only?) reference to the line that he is quietly working on to be debuted at NY's Fashion Week, come September.

(via Getty Images)

"THE JOY" (Bonus Track)

"No electro, no metro, a little retro, ahh, perfecto."
—Kanye

Ah, we love a world where metrosexuality gives way to a bit of a vintage-inspired throwback. Truth: Kanye's at the top of his style game.

"ILLEST M*********** ALIVE" (Bonus Track)

"Collo Drolo sponsored by Manolos/
She got Zeppi Notos ready for some photos/
Yeah and I'm cold b****, please try to keep the door closed/
Lanvin thousand dollar tee with no logos/
Let me show you what I see when my eyes closed."
—Kanye

First, Giuseppe Zanotti reference, which is more evidence 'Ye is going to be making some pumps for ladies and we also love the "zeppi noto" since it reminds us of f***yeahmenswear (an oldie but goodie fashion insider reference). Second, he pronounced Lanvin correctly, which is better than I did when I quoted this line to someone, and they retorted, "It's not *nasal voice* LAN-vin, it's *posh voice* LAHN-VAHN."

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Just because I think this pic is hilarious/frightening:

V up, A-town down

2011-08-09T10:00:00.000-04:00

So another week begins. Unfortunately, I'm no longer in Virginia Beach living the life ::silent tear:: But I have memories and pictures! The bf and I had a blast tanning it up, staying nothing less than slightly sober at all times, and even managed to fit a little parasailing in

Our first day on the beach. The weather was perfect all week long, with only a couple overcast days. The timeshare we stayed at was right on the boardwalk. Magnificent location & views!

How cute, a "No Cussing" sign. Just from the signage alone, we knew we (thankfully) weren't at an Atlantic City beach.

We had dinner one night at this great Mexican restaurant and sports bar called Cancun Fiesta. Our waiter Johnathan hooked us up with some delicious taco salads (in a crunchy taco shell bowl... mmmmmm ::Homer drool::) and massive 28 oz. frozen margaritas!

Needless to say THAT meal didn't last very long.

Here we are about to go parasailing the next day. #Jets

Strapped in and nervous/excited to go up! It was my first time going and my man's second.

Up we go! The smiley face parachute made me feel safer, lol. I was worried we'd go up immediately but the incline is gradual. It was kinda like being a human kite.

They get you really high in the air. It felt like we were a mile away from the speedboat we came in on. It was so awesome seeing all of Virginia Beach and the beautiful deep green of the ocean, all from our very own air swing! Once we were back in the speedboat, we also saw a school of dolphins swimming in the distance. It was beyond serene, yo.

Here's another shot of us at our highest. Hah.

Our driver told the ladies on-board to watch out for sharks if we had brightly colored toenails, as they could mistake our toes for fish (aka food). Hilarious! Just what you want to hear 1. before you're whisked 2,000 feet in the air and 2. right before being semi-dunked in the ocean.

As a joke, the speedboat driver dunked us like Oreo cookies. It was cool though, the water only went up to our waists. Nothing like a refreshing dip after scaling the heavens, eh?

A magnetized version of the state's famous slogan. I must say, having vacationed there con mi amor, there IS quite a lot for a couple to do. Besides each other I mean ::ba dum chhh::

All in all, Virginia Beach was a wonderful respite from the humdrum humidity of DC. Ah, to be a beach bum again.

The beach at sunrise. So beautiful!

I'm on vacation, but here's a stupid cat

2011-08-03T19:53:00.000-04:00

The bf and I are on vacation in Virginia Beach (it's for ~lovahs, dunno if you heard) so posting will resume regularly next week. 'Til then, satiate yourselves by browsing the archives and/or with this hilarious cat video! Cats... so awesome and cute ♥ (Listen with headphones if you're at work... language NSFW)

Catholic School Stories: Giving "Tonyas" in the boys locker room

2011-07-28T17:35:00.038-04:00

I'd like to introduce a new segment to my blog called Catholic School Stories. I attended a Catholic high school after being only in public schools up to that point. As a non-Catholic*, it was an... intriguing experience to say the very least. I'll start this series with a lovely young lady named Tonya's** story.

I met Tonya my freshman year in high school. We had a lot of classes together, but very little else in common. We had distinct groups of friends, disparate grades in class, and, as I soon found out, very different ways of spending our extracurricular time...

During gym class one day, I took a break from sitting in the bleachers reading my book (I always told our male gym teacher I was on my period so as to avoid physical activity/sweating out my hair. Yes, I was that lazy. The uncomfortable look on his face whenever I told him my excuse was just enough to keep me on the bench most of that semester) to go to the bathroom. Lo and behold, who do I see coming out of the boys locker room but Tonya herself.

"Girls room crowded?" I asked. It usually was, with only two very tiny stalls to use.

"Uh... no, not really," Tonya said, looking rather embarrassed.

"Alrighty then..." I said, continuing to the bathroom.

But before I could even take a step, the door to the boys locker room swings wide open and almost hits me in my face. I was stopped in my tracks by none other than a member of the junior varsity football team. We all exchanged awkward looks.

"Yep... well... see you in class then," I said, rushing to the bathroom.

Public men's rooms are some of the most disgusting places on Earth. I would never get it on in there ::shudder:: This pic was taken at the relatively new Cowboys Stadium in Dallas. A 'Skins fan would never do this, FYI.

A few months later, Tonya stopped showing up to class. Every time her name was called for attendance, there was silence. One of our teachers made an inquiry to the front office about Tonya's absenteeism, and that's how we found out ol' girl was expelled for... you guessed it: giving Tonyas in the boys locker room. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who interrupted her little gym class rendez-vous. Our dean of students did too

Naturally, this led to a lot of questions among the freshman student body, namely: "Is giving Tonyas really considered gettin' it on? [Wiener in body = Yes.]" and "Can you get pregnant from Tonyas? [No. And take an anatomy class, PLEASE.]"

One girl even had the audacity to ask these questions of Miss District of Columbia, who came to speak to our entire school about motivational type stuff. She looked mad uncomfy up there, trying to explain to 500 Catholic school students how their bodies work. Finally, she just said: "Wrap it up kids."

Good enough, Miss DC, good enough.

The same semester Tonya got expelled and before Miss DC was booked to speak to us, a girl far more popular than me and who I didn't think knew I existed leaned over in religion class and asked me, Virginal High School Lisa, if what Tonya was up to is honestly equal to knockin' tha boots. What a ridiculous question, I thought. One, that this girl was asking me like I'm some kind of sexpert (I'm not, and certainly wasn't in high school). And two, that these kids are like, fourteen or fifteen years old, doing all types of sexual stuff on AND off school grounds, but have no idea how to protect themselves or even the consequences of what they're doing. At the same time, I couldn't blame this chick for having questions, it's not like she'd learn the answers in a Catholic school of all places, right?

Homegirl looked so genuinely curious and innocent asking that question, I kinda pitied her. So I broke it down for her. I even directed her to a site I found particularly enlightening around that time. She seemed satisfied with my response and that was that. At least until junior year when she turned up pregnant

Ah, well. You live and you (hopefully) learn.

* I consider myself a student of all religions... a fancy way of saying I don't practice one religion exclusively.

** Name changed to protect the guilty

Bohemian = a classy hippie

2011-07-27T21:12:00.000-04:00

This is a real live convo I recently had with my physical therapist:

CJ: So what school do you go to?

Me: I went to Brown... It's a hippie school.

CJ: One of my clients called herself a hippie the other day. She doesn't wear shoes.

Me: Wow.

CJ: So are you calling yourself a hippie?

Me: No. I'm more of a bohemian.

CJ: What's the difference?

Me: A bohemian is a classy hippie. I also wear shoes and bathe regularly.

CJ: ::chuckles::

Taylor Gang, snitches. Chucks are my shoe of choice for physical therapy and general gallivanting.

According to CJ, Chucks are a "hippie shoe." I gave him one of these looks for that: To me, they've just always been a classic sneaker, much like Nike Dunks and Jordans. I think Toms has the hippie shoe market of today down pat though. Not that I'm up on that or anything...

A Toms shoe. Hippie feet optional.

I'm baaaaaaaack

2011-07-26T18:49:00.004-04:00

It's been a long time... I shouldn't have left you... without a dope beat to step to:

Yeah, I know. It's been a hot minute since I've had the chance to update my blog ::crickets chirping:: The fact of the matter is, I got super busy working and being on my freelance grind within the past two months or so. Like anything that I'm passionate about, I threw myself into networking and securing tech and writing gigs full force... unfortunately, to the detriment of other things I enjoy doing, like blogging (and my nails). I'm sorry about that.

What I'm not sorry about is the major changes that are going on in my life right now. Not only did I start from scratch doing something I ~~know~~ knew little to nothing about (freelancing), I did it all while still dealing with the aftermath of the car accident I was involved in last September. And I did it successfully

There were a few bumps along the road, namely issues with payment and figuring out how to organize my time. When you're in business for yourself, you're always on the clock. And being my own boss was, as I've said previously, one of the most rewarding yet challenging things I've ever done. Needless to say, I haven't had much time to devote to the one thing that started it all (besides my drive and ambition, of course ): my blog. A good post for me--I'm talking more than just pictures and a caption--takes a couple hours, easily. Plus the time it takes to research a topic, link to it, upload pictures, etc. I just didn't have that time to spare these past two months. And to be honest with you, it made me a little sad, neglecting my lil piece of the web.

But I'm back now, with tales of my fantastical adventures (freelance and otherwise), updates on my hair & nail situations, hella dope music, and my wry, irreverent take on current events and assorted randomness. Stay tuned, folks!

Lames catch feelings, I catch flights #JetLife

2011-06-17T13:40:00.007-04:00

Because of deadline I'm super late on posting this (womp womp) but it's been an adventure-filled couple of weeks for ya girl. As a fan of Curren$y, I practically live by his "jet life" motto.

Living the jet life is basically being lifted at all times, staying fly, jetsetting, etc. Definitely something to aspire to

Anywhoevers, as a post-graduation treat for my girl ("Highly educated bachelorettes..." ~ Big Pun), the homie D & I took to the skies for a flight lesson:

In front of the Cessna, woo!

D was first at the wheel, taking us from the airport in Bowie, MD to Annapolis, MD:

Ready for takeoff

To her immediate right is our flight instructor, Michael. Big ups to him for keeping us informed and alive!

A ~*Jet Miss*~ at her flyest (and soon, highest)

Gettin' lifted

Before I knew it, we were 2,000 feet in the sky. Exhilarating!

Lookin' down on you lames. For real for real, I was surprised how many peeps have pools in MD. Jealous!

I believe these are sheep. They look like fluffy dots, ahaha

Once we landed safely in Annapolis, it was my turn to fly us back to Bowie! I was so pumped to be flying a freakin' JET:

Siced like a mug! Jet life to the fullest

Birds of a feather...

...pilot jets together!

Leave it to me to have a mini snafu in the clouds: as our instructor Michael was telling me which buttons to push to maintain a level wing span, I accidentally--MOMENTARILY--turned the engine off D nearly pooped her pants but Michael reassured us that at the level we were flying, the plane's velocity would keep us afloat long enough to correct the problem or land if there were a serious issue with the plane. Whew!

"Look up at the jets, now where haven't we been?"

After that little fiasco, we managed to land safely back in Bowie, ready to live another adventure... #jetlife!

This made me LOL: The Rick Ross Soundboard

2011-06-11T22:12:00.003-04:00

I'm having waaaaaay too much fun with this

New Obsession: The Hershel (woo!)

2011-06-09T10:28:00.006-04:00

After much debate over its hilarity--or lack thereof--the bf FINALLY managed to get me to see the genius in a little cartoon called Squidbillies.

A family portrait: Granny, Rusty, Lil, and Early

Squidbillies centers around a family of redneck squids living in Georgia. The main characters are Early Cuyler, a recent ex-con released to take care of his teenage son; Rusty, Early's son with the town prostitute; and Lil, Early's sister who took care of Rusty while Early was in jail but later lost him to the state when a meth lab was found in her home. See? Hilarious. Oh, and they also live with their grandmother (great-grandmother for Rusty), Granny Cuyler.

My Squidbillies epiphany came with one episode: "The Original Gator Hator," which features the star of Lil's litter of squids with an unknown man, that star being Hershel Walker Cuyler Them Dawgs Is Hell Don’t They (I call him "Baby H" for short).

Baby Hershel's little "woo!" gets me everytime. D'awwww.

Some background on Baby H:

Partially named after mixed martial artist, former football player, and Georgia native Herschel Walker
Unofficially adopted by his Uncle Early, whose yell of destruction he adorably imitates
Impresses Uncle Early with his incredible acts of violence (i.e. killing off the rest of his siblings after Early takes the litter to see Saw 3)
Shaped like a molar, slightly cock-eyed, fond of giant hats

Aside from the mass murder, too cute! I wish they'd make Baby H a regular... but with his violent tendencies, there'd probably be no cartoon left to speak of. I smell a spinoff!

Opening Day at the Pool!

2011-06-09T10:07:00.005-04:00

To show off our fierce mani/pedis and summer-ready bods, my homegirl D and I were first in line opening day at the pool One of the biggest gripes I have with public pools is all the germs and covert urine operations going on... nast. Luckily, this particular pool is so tucked away only neighborhood folks or people "in the know" (aka me & friend!) even know it exists. Plus school is still in session, so no pesky children running around taking up my precious waterfall mushroom space. Man it's sweet to have connections!

Poolside chillin'

I even found this neat toy in the grass welcoming my arrival. What's the name of this little guy again? He's so fuzzy and cute.

I've been waiting for pool time since at least last summer, so this excursion was MUCH welcome. It was the perfect day for it too: hot as Hades and not a cloud in sight. Woot!

[source unknown]

Next visit I'm pulling a Kardashian and posting up by the pool with a delicious tropical-looking drink. Yummers.

[source unknown]

NOTD: A "Get Over That Man" mani & "Don't Be Petty" Pedi

2011-06-07T13:58:00.000-04:00

To cheer up the homie D and get her through some temporary relationship woes, we had some Girl Time chatting it out and painting it up! With a busy week ahead of us full of multiple outfit changes and whatnot, I kept her mani colors neutral but fun.

Colors used:

Essie Playa Del Platinum (base)
Sephora by OPI Already Famous (shimmery gold used on the diagonal)
Wet n Wild Never Been Kissed (white diagonal stripe)

I finish my mani/pedis off these days with a swipe of olive oil on the cuticles. Man, that stuff is so versatile!

A closer look

Tackling the toes, I went for a bright summery coral accented with little flowers. Nothing like tantalizing tootsies to kick that man out of your life! Lmao.

Colors used:

Sinful Colors Indian Pipe (base)
Wet n Wild Never Been Kissed (flower petals)
Nicole by OPI The Grape Debate (center of flowers)
OPI Who The Shrek Are You? (leaves)

Perfect for chillin' poolside, which is exactly what we did the following day...

Stay tuned for "Opening Day at the Pool"!

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Gettin' it WRITE & tight

2011-06-06T21:17:00.001-04:00

It's been a whirlwind couple of weeks for your dear !i$@ bee Things have really started to take off in terms of my newest venture, that being technical writing. I spoke a bit about my refocused career endeavors in this post, and thanks to a lot of hard work and a hustler's spirit, my goals have started to realize themselves sooner than I thought!

All good of course, but a bit stressful nonetheless. Suddenly I have tight deadlines to meet and a relatively strict schedule to stick to in order to get everything accomplished. I love that I get to be my own boss in all of this, yet it's one of the most difficult--and most fulfilling--positions I've ever had. Nothing good comes without hard work so I'm more than up for the challenge, but hopefully, that explains the lack of blogging around here (womp womp... mama still loves you lisa-bee.com!).

To celebrate meeting my latest deadline, I decided to relax my mind, body, and soul by reconnecting with my loved ones and doing fun, exciting things far away from my laptop and words, lol.

I'll spread updates of my past couple weeks over the next few days (promise!) since Blogger wants to be a bia right now and not upload my pictures

How has YOUR June been so far?

Happy Memorial Day!

2011-05-30T13:56:00.003-04:00

I know posting's been a little sparse around here but fret not regular readers! I am alive, well, and more than ready to supply you with doses of freshness resuming this week. Til then, enjoy the cookouts, BBQs, and shopping sales that abound this holiday (I know I am) and remember to honor your U.S. Service Members!

Africa Underground at the Smithsonian!

2011-05-23T10:16:00.001-04:00

The bf and I recently attended a spectacular event held at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art (NMAA) called Africa Underground.

Africa Underground is an after-hours event held every few months at the NMAA. Each event celebrates a part of the African Diaspora. In February, the focus was Brazil; this month's focus was West Africa and the Caribbean.

From a Smithsonian press release:

Coming on the heels of a successful first installment of Africa Underground in February, this edition will also see the museum’s doors held open after hours, giving revelers the chance to enjoy West African and Caribbean foods, refreshments and dance, and experience the museum’s exhibitions, ambiance and performances.

This installment will include several exciting new elements such as music by DJ Spyda, who will spin Caribbean and West African beats from the museum’s Haupt Garden and from a designated perch in the thick of Africa Underground. The evening will also feature Farafina Kan, performing a traditional West Africa dance, Moko Jumbie Stilt Dancers, spoken word from Mistress of Ceremonies Love the poet, and new- and old-school reggae from Kurow and the All Stars.

The event is extremely popular, with February's event selling out in about four days. May's event was a success with 1,300 tickets sold! I didn't think the museum could even hold that many peeps (it's kinda tiny), but luckily the NMAA's lovely and expansive garden was open to party revelers, as well. I love garden parties!

A glimpse of the dancefloor, where reggae, soca, and dancehall jams played all night long

The Enid A. Haupt Garden, with the Smithsonian Castle in the background.
The NMAA is directly to the right (out of frame) in this pic [source]

Rice and beans, curried goat and chicken, beef and veggie patties, and all sorts of other West African and Caribbean fare were on the menu. I would've snapped a pic of the offerings, but the bf and I scarfed ours down with the quickness after braving those long lines. Plus, so many people were admiring the food and drinks (our admittance tickets got us one free drink--Chardonnay for me, beer for my man) it was difficult to get a good view for picture taking. No worries though! Despite the slight crowding, it was so wonderful to see our diverse, beautiful, and brightly dressed fellow party-goers.

Lots of African print dresses (including my own), headwraps, and other garb floated around the event, the wearers looking something like exhibits come to life. It was very cool.

I tweeted this snapshot of my African inspired halter top maxi dress

Of course, the museum's current exhibits--Artists in Dialogue and African Mosaic--were open to attendees. We posed in front of these cool-looking wood sculptures by Brazilian artist Henrique Oliveira:

This piece resembled an abstract Buddha coming out the wall

This massive piece took up half the exhibit space!
It reminded me of those giant sand snakes from "Beetlejuice"

Pieces by South African-based artist Sandile Zulu were also on display:

Zulu made this piece through his signature fire-controlling technique.
I'd love to observe his process in-person!

Inspired by a dialogue with Oliveira, Zulu also came up with some sculptured
wood pieces for his exhibit. This is his interpretation of the human spine

In the next exhibit hall was African Mosaic, a display of the variety of African art pieces that people have gifted to the museum or that were purchased for the museum itself. The event ended and guards started ushering people out right when we were in the middle of viewing it, but I was able to snap this before leaving:

You'll never believe what this piece is...

LOL. I know, I have the sense of humor of a 13-year-old boy

Hoe money, hoe money, hoe!

Right outside of the exhibits was the gift shop (natch), so we popped in for a little looksie. Such cool trinkets, books, and other souvenirs!

A lizard made out of Fanta soda cans. There were also recycled textile bags
and bowls made out of sturdy African cloth for sale

I could have spent all night in the books section, especially after peeping this:

New addition to my wishlist!

The Africa Underground event was so much fun. Everything, from the food to the visuals to the exhibits and performers themselves, added to the creative and engaging ambiance swirling around throughout the evening. I can't wait for September's event!

This made me LOL: Are You Smarter Than A Fifth-Grader? (Not this lady...)

2011-05-19T15:26:00.002-04:00

WOW O_o

I would've just kept my mouth shut. Not to hate on the big girls, but she should know a thing or two about stuff orbiting the sun. She's wearing yellow too, bwahahaha. Just sayin'...

Btw, the answer is Neptune, which takes about 165 Earth years to orbit the sun. Neptune is also, coincidentally, one of my fave planets (it rules the house of Pisces February/March babies, STAND UP) and music groups. Yezzir.

EDIT: Guess we're both dumber than fifth-graders. Neptune takes the longest to orbit the sun, MERCURY takes the least amount of time. Just checkin' to see if anyone caught that, lmao. Thanks for the heads up Mike!

Designer... nails... in... the... club

2011-05-18T14:03:00.003-04:00

Since the coveted Chanel 2.55 bag is a little out of my budget at about $3,500 (to say the VERY least lol), I decided to get my Chanel fix in a more attainable manner: on my nails!

Peep 'em:

I got these interlocking "C" decals off eBay, the holy grail for all things random, cheap, and awesome. Next I think I'll get some YSL decals. How hot would that symbol look against a nude polish background?!

600th Post!!! My Fendi Spy Bag has a new sister :-D

2011-05-16T11:17:00.001-04:00

Top: My first introduction into the world of haute couture handbaggery, the Fendi Spy Bag ♥
Bottom: My newest baby, my Prada "Mauve-elous"

Just in time for my 600th post, a generous and sexy benefactor has blessed me with a fabulous handbag!

Introducing my Prada "Mauve-elous," as I've christened her:

As a fan of larger bags that can easily accommodate my daily arsenal of Fly Lady Stuff, I was a little apprehensive about switching to a smaller bag. I'm so siced that despite her compact size, Mauve-elous fits literally *everything* that was in the large faux croc tote I'd been carrying, and more!

Inside my bag. I've found it helpful to pack my essentials in tiny
makeup bags so things aren't tumbling around my actual bag all day

There's an inside compartment to the bag that's about as wide and deep as the bag itself, allowing me to carry even more than the spacious interior already allows.

LOVE the embroidered interior, so chic!

Luxe to the max. Speaking of luxe, yes, this bag is fabulous as we can all see. Something I did NOT foresee in choosing this bag is how high-maintenance it would be in terms of upkeep. Suede is not an easy material to keep clean, especially in a light color such Mauve-elous' dusty rose. In just the first week of taking her out on the town, Mauvey Baby has a couple scuff marks already. A little internet research taught me how to clean her up myself, but I am still considering taking Mauve-elous to someone who specializes in leather care to have her sprayed with a weather-resistant spray. I just hope it can be done without ruining the gold hardware.

I like my bags how I like my jewelry: gold accents, baby

Carrying Mauve-elous around, I haven't been this afraid of inclement weather--and random beverage spills--since my perm days She's so cute and wonderful and perfect though (really folks, this bag goes with EVERYTHING), it's totally worth it. I think of the time I'll spend obsessing over her cleanliness, buffing out the occasional scuff, and investing in her weatherproofed future as Mommy-Bag bonding time ♥

"PRADA Milano, dal 1913," b*tches

So fab! I'm looking forward to lots of stylish days and nights with Mauve-elous in hand.

This made me LOL: "Imma Get U Back OFFICIAL VIDEO"

2011-05-12T11:21:00.001-04:00

OMG why?! That kitchen... the basement... shoulda never gave you nuccas the internet and a green screen, smh. He's not gonna get anything back but a restraining order with this mess!

"When you let yourself be happy, sh*t happens"

2011-05-10T11:15:00.001-04:00

A unique and inspiring way to view that infamous quote, "Sh*t happens." It sure does

[P.S. Wishing you a very happy birthday Chris (aka "chris matt" in the comments here)! Witcho inspirational a$$...]

NOTD: Nails that make you go "!"

2011-05-09T21:19:00.002-04:00

This week's mani was inspired by a pic I stole from the talented ladies at WAH Nails:

You may remember the color scheme from a previous NOTD post. Nothing pops quite like hot pink and bright blue! This go 'round I went with a more subdued color scheme using OPI's San Tan-Tonio and my brand new, very trusty Sally Hansen Nail Art Pen in Black.

My accent nail was all WAH-inspired goodness though: shimmery pink base thanks to Claire's Mood Color Changing Polish in Calm/Wild, white polka dots thanks to my Orly dotting tool and Wet & Wild Never Been Kissed, and again, my increasingly handy and wonderful Sally Hansen Nail Art Pen in Black.

Here's a closeup of that accent nail. The SH nail art pen is so great! Makes doing intricate or tiny designs by hand MUCH much easier. I wonder how I functioned so long without one:

Fabulous, no? Now haters have something pretty to look at as I flip them off--besides my pimp ring, of course

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"The Boondocks," the early strips (well, one of 'em)

2011-05-03T13:16:00.003-04:00

Click to enlarge

This is one of my favorites, right when Huey and Riley move into their new 'hood. This is so funny because one of my besties upgraded to a similar hood with strangely named streets (um, Whistling Duck Blvd./St./Ave. or whatever-have-you? Ducks don't even have LIPS son, they can't whistle ).

Osama Bin LaDEAD

2011-05-02T19:19:00.000-04:00

I had reservations about posting about Osama Bin Laden's death (after all, it has been and will continue to be well-covered by a variety of news outlets and social media sites), but decided to anyways, as I strive to keep this blog relevant and my readers well-informed. There isn't much to say that hasn't already been put out there, so I offer you a transcript from last night's Presidential Address:

Good evening. Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda, and a terrorist who’s responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children.
It was nearly 10 years ago that a bright September day was darkened by the worst attack on the American people in our history. The images of 9/11 are seared into our national memory — hijacked planes cutting through a cloudless September sky; the Twin Towers collapsing to the ground; black smoke billowing up from the Pentagon; the wreckage of Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where the actions of heroic citizens saved even more heartbreak and destruction.

And yet we know that the worst images are those that were unseen to the world. The empty seat at the dinner table. Children who were forced to grow up without their mother or their father. Parents who would never know the feeling of their child’s embrace. Nearly 3,000 citizens taken from us, leaving a gaping hole in our hearts.

On September 11, 2001, in our time of grief, the American people came together. We offered our neighbors a hand, and we offered the wounded our blood. We reaffirmed our ties to each other, and our love of community and country. On that day, no matter where we came from, what God we prayed to, or what race or ethnicity we were, we were united as one American family.

I'm not someone who celebrates the death of another human being... in fact, rather than rejoicing at news of Bin Laden's death, I am more fearful of retaliation against the US. This is a time of deep reflection and caution for me, and I'd imagine a host of others as well. My thoughts and prayers are with my family, some of whom were lost in the 9/11 attacks; country, of course; and those fighting everyday for the safety and protection of the US, including another family member.

We need the safety and service of those who fight for the US now more than ever. There's little else to do now except endure the agonizing wait of what, if anything, comes next...

NOTD: Who The Shrek Are You? with Lucky Lucky Lavender half moons

2011-05-02T18:45:00.003-04:00

In honor of spring officially being here, I painted my nails the color of pollen--and also our favorite friendly ogre, Shrek:

Released last year in OPI's Shrek Forever After collection, OPI Who The Shrek Are You? is certainly a standout. OPI was spot-on in getting this color just the right yellowy-green shade as Shrek himself.

The Shrek fam, and friends

OPI Who The Shrek Are You? is such a fun, bright, and unusual color. For adventurous nail fiends like myself, it's a great springtime color as well, kinda like leaf buds sprouting at the ends of your fingertips

Single nail colors, as vivid and unique as they may be, just aren't cutting it for me these days, so I spiced up the look by adding some half moons courtesy of OPI's Lucky Lucky Lavender:

I'm so sprung over this springtime mani

Fresh!

iLove! This is such an eye-catching and complimentary color combo, and the added shine (courtesy of my new go-to topcoat, Seche Vite) makes it that much better.

Now if only I could fight the urge to sneeze every time I admire my nails...

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How I lost 10 pounds ::squee!::

2011-04-28T18:13:00.001-04:00

I've discussed my dedication to eating healthier and getting my body fit again before, most recently in this post. However, several people have asked me for more details as to how exactly I achieved this miraculous feat...

I was never Heavy-status before the car accident, but months of being bedridden and barely able to move did make me pack on the pounds. Since I couldn't wear pants with a waistband because of the pain in my hip, I was basically living in sweats and yoga pants, both of which have elastic waistbands. That and the generally baggy fit of those types of pants made it difficult to gauge how much weight I was actually gaining.

Luckily, from the outside, those same features also made it difficult to tell I'd gained much weight at all--unless you were me, of course. When I couldn't fit into my favorite skinny jeans anymore without looking like a sausage, muffin top, or some other stuffed food, I knew it was time to take action.

What a difference a few months of hard work & determination make

With my doctor's permission, I put myself on a strict diet and exercise regimen starting in January. I got a very helpful calorie-counting app for my iPhone, which helped me maintain my limit of 1200 calories a day. I also started working out with Wii Fit (so fun!) 5x a week, doing a combination of yoga, strength training exercises, and aerobics.

Mii !i$@

Instead of regularly eating out or getting ~~seconds~~ thirds of foods I like, I'd prepare more meals at home, which allowed for greater ingredient and portion control. I also started toting a water bottle around (purple, of course) and began drinking more H2O instead of always going for my usual: fruit juice. I love, love, love juice to this day and it is a semi-healthier alternative to soda. But truthfully, juices are often packed with sugar and all kinds of dyes. Some sports drinks even have hydrogenated oil in them... nast.

Anywhoevers, I kept this new behavior up 'til I started seeing results. Since it wasn't THAT much weight I was trying to lose, I was patient with myself and would try not to freak out over missing a day of exercise here and there, or devouring the occasional cupcake in .5 seconds. Once I was near my goal weight--as I am now--I increased my calorie intake to 1500 a day and started working out 3x a week to avoid the risk of sending my body into starvation mode. Once your body does that, it's difficult to continue losing weight. In fact, you might just plateau or start gaining more weight since your body will seek nourishment from whatever sources it can (those sources being lean tissue and muscle), since it doesn't know when it will next receive food or drink.

I'm glad to say my weight-loss journey has been a success thus far! In fact, just the other day on Facebook I updated my status to reflect a new, rather unfortunate (but not really) state of affairs: my favorite leggings are now too baggy for me to wear. Nothing's sadder than baggy leggings

But nothing's better than a tighter, righter body to display this summer, and for the foreseeable future!

The Look: All of the (Easter) Brights

2011-04-26T11:18:00.003-04:00

For Easter dinner with first my fam, then the bf's, I decided to embrace the 88-degree day by busting out my brights. I've had this vintage, floral print wrap skirt in my closet for theeee longggggeeesssssttttt just waiting for the right shirt to wear it with:

The shirt had to be form-fitting to compliment the A-line of the skirt, and a little dressier than a simple white V-neck. Of course, I only wanted to pair a white shirt with the skirt, to bring out the background color and make the print pop even more. Luckily, I found the perfect shirt at Forever 21--as cheap and disposable as their clothes are, gotta admit, I still kinda love 'em. Nothing like getting your basics for the low-low, ya dig?

Anyhoo, a breakdown of the entire outfit:

Yellow hoop earrings (somewhat hidden by my increasingly lengthy locs ): H&M

Shirt: Forever 21

Skirt: Vintage. Longer length skirts and dresses are so in this season. There's a couple maxi dresses out there with my name on 'em.

Fun-yet-random fact: Did you know there's a theory that skirt/dress lengths correlate to the economy? Shorter lengths are more popular when the economy's good; ladies are more demure with baring their gams when the economy's bad. What a coincidence that flowy, boho chicness is the look this spring/summer, ha.

Sandals: Steve Madden. I live in these sandals. A gold neutral goes with EVERYTHING

For my nails, I had a rainbow flake galaxy deal goin' on on my fingertips, and some pinky-coral goodness courtesy of Ulta's Capri Coral on my toes. Swaggin' on 'em!

Oh, but I'm not done yet. You know I couldn't go out in this fiercely cute outfit without a face to match. I kept the tropical feel of the skirt and the weather outside going with some equally as balmy maquillage.

Eyes:

MAC Liquidlast Liner in Aqualine (upper lashline) << LOVE this stuff. It's so bright and fun, and stays on forever unless you use an oil-based makeup remover. In fact, there's still remnants of it on my lid as I type this (both gross and cool, yes)
Maybelline Define-A-Line in Ebony Black (lower lashline)
MAC Pigment in Teal (under eye area)

I was in such a rush to make it to dinner on time, I completely forgot to apply mascara. Ah well, it was the turquoises' day to shine...

Cheeks:

Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Cheek Tint in Just Peachy

Lips:

Urban Decay Lip Junkie Lip Gloss in Crush (hot pink)

The bright colors come together quite nicely, methinks

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NOTD: Rainbow flake galaxy nails

2011-04-25T11:08:00.004-04:00

This week's mani I created using the same colors I used on my toes about a month ago (peep it on my tootsies in this post). I love the depth and changing color scheme I was able to achieve pairing Nicole By OPI's The Grape Debate, Nubar's 2010, and Nicole By OPI's Pitch-Black Glimmer together. Gorgeous, mega sparkly, and quite interesting to look at (much like yours truly ).

A warning though: to fully capture the duochrome effect of the polishes, I had to take lots of pictures. Brace yourselves for awesomeness!

Left to right: Nicole by OPI The Grape Debate, Nubar 2010,
Nicole by OPI Pitch-Black Glimmer

The Grape Debate provides a nice, plummy opaque base for Nubar's 2010 and Pitch-Black Glimmer to shine through. 2010 is a multi-colored flake topcoat, quite similar to Sally Hansen's Hidden Treasure, a cult fave I was never able to find in stores. I offset the rainbow flakes in 2010--which flash copper, green, red, and gold--with the black & multicolor glitter found in Pitch-Black Glimmer (flashes black, blue, and silver).

In artificial light:

...and natural light:

In these pics you can really see the red, green, gold duochrome effect of the Nubar's 2010 in action, with just a hint of sparkle from Nicole By OPI's Pitch-Black Glimmer:

Here's a better pic showcasing the depth and interest Nicole By OPI's Pitch-Black Glimmer adds. You can peep the black glitter better, too:

Nicole By OPI's Pitch-Black Glimmer is such a unique polish--judging by the bottle, you'd assume it was a sparkly polish with a black base. However, in order for the black glitter to show up, the polish is actually sparkly with a clear base. An unusual combo for sure, but that distinction makes it a great polish for layering over other colors. To see how the polish looks on its own, peep this post.

If only pictures alone could capture how beautiful this mani is in-person. I love how the topcoats used make the look so multi-faceted. Different angles give my nails a whole new look!

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This guy would look GREAT in a Lego heart pin

2011-04-22T11:18:00.000-04:00

Cedric Washington, Soho, NYC

It's a little out there, but I dig where this guy went with his choice of outfit.

I've been a fan of flapper hats since last winter; they look so warm, and the built-in earmuffs are useful. Not feeling the giant, carpet-looking scarf or the I-just-teleported-from-the-70s jacket, but if the cuts were slimmer, those would get a pass. I LOVE the black-and-white polka dot collar peeping out, complimented by a black tie and black pullover sweater. That print and color combo is sick, and dude managed to pull it off in a very subtly sophisticated manner. I also dig how the pants are both skinny, yet baggy. The fit of the jeans also compliments and shows off those combat boots. I dunno about the driving gloves... I've been looking for a pair like that for myself since fall, it's odd to me to see an otherwise well-dressed guy wearing them

The flower pin, or boutonniere, adds a touch of feminine flair. It's interesting--nay, refreshing--that he would add that to the outfit, and it does go quite well with what he's wearing. However, a similar, less flowery effect could have been achieved had he bought one of my Lego heart pins in Black.

How hot would that look?! (Very.)

NOTD: Lucky Lucky Lavender

2011-04-21T15:50:00.004-04:00

There's an ever-growing list of polishes I've been lemming that a recent windfall has allowed me to shorten. The latest addition to my stash of lovelies is OPI's Lucky Lucky Lavender, a real stunner from OPI's 2010 Hong Kong Collection.

I wasn't able to get a great picture of it under artificial light, but you can get a good idea of the color of the polish in any case--a lavender-tinged soft pink. It's a very flattering color, and I see it working well on a range of skin tones. If you're a bit tan the color pops even more, making it a great shade to sport for spring/summer.

The quality of the polish is excellent, as if we'd expect anything less from OPI. The formula applies smoothly and dries to an über-shiny finish, so shiny that I didn't use a top coat for this mani. It's lasted about 4 days on my nails so far with minimal wear, which is rather impressive for not using a top coat.

Here, I've photographed the polish under natural light. It gives a better idea of the tinge of purple apparent in the color and also showcases Lucky Lucky Lavender's subtle brightness.

A salon favorite, OPI has a wide range of colors to choose from and they regularly intrigue and impress me with their seasonal collections. The color selection is so varied, you could easily find a shade to match whatever color suits your mood, as I did with Lucky Lucky Lavender
--for instance, this shade perfectly matches my current pillowcase (random, I know).

Anywhoevers, I'm definitely looking forward to adding more OPIs to my collection soon

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There, but for the grace of God, go I

2011-04-19T11:04:00.001-04:00

Though many, many positive things are currently happening in my life, I recently took a moment to reflect on the sheer magnitude of how I got to this point after a tumultuous couple of years post-graduation. In the span of two years, I lost both my grandma and an uncle within a week of each other; I nearly lost my father; and I barely escaped death my damn self.

...And yet, it could have been so much worse

After months of recovery after the car accident, I resumed my job grind. Instead of doing the type of work I was doing before, which paid well but wasn't really fulfilling to me or relevant to my planned career track, I stopped accepting such positions in favor of volunteering my services in the hopes of landing that perfect full-time opportunity developing and designing websites.

It's working well for me so far. Back in January, I wrote myself a little note with some goals I want to achieve this year:

Explore careers in my fields of interest
Look up ways to monetize my blog

I'm FOCUSED, man!

After joining an organization for professional women in technology, I networked like a mofo and finally landed a position where I have near full control over a small business' online and social media marketing campaigns. Not only am I doing what I love, I'm also building my portfolio and gaining new skills.

As for monetizing my blog, I do have some space dedicated to ads (in the sidebar and at the very bottom of my blog), however, I hate an ad heavy site and just don't want that for my viewers. Online ad revenue isn't even worth it unless you make practically your entire site an ad space; at best, one makes *cents* a year with modest amounts of ad space. I have my thriving Lego heart pin business, which is one way I've managed to monetize my blog. Another way I've found to make money off this thing is through the skills I've amassed maintaining my site. Things like blogging, Facebook, Twitter, and other technologies are second nature to me; now that I think about it, I've been using a computer since I was three years old (!!!). I still can't wrap my head around the fact that people are willing to hire me to do what comes so naturally--and what I'd do for free anyways, out of sheer enjoyment.

The road to recovery post-accident was anything but easy, but with ~~a little~~ a lot of will and determination, I fought through. Things could have ended drastically in that crash--visions of the car skidding ever closer to a brick wall, less than eight feet behind the concrete barrier that ultimately stopped the vehicle from hitting it, still haunt me--and there hasn't been one moment where I haven't kept the quote "There, but for the grace of God, go I" in mind.

I felt pretty sh*tty for the next few months, but regular checkups with my doctor revealed nothing wrong aside from some understandable aches, pains, and minor injuries. In other words, I have a clean bill of health--something I'm especially grateful for as so many others cannot say the same. Seeing as how I've been gifted not only with my life, but also with my health, I set out to maintain that by regularly exercising through my physical pain (I do yoga, strength training, and aerobics about 5x/week), eating healthier and in smaller portions, and drinking more water. Doing so has done wonders for my body, inside and out.

I still get occasional sharp pains, especially where the seatbelt lay across my body (something I addressed more fully in my Chakra Khan post). Whenever that happens, I take comfort in the fact that I do have my life and health, and I remind myself to allow myself the time it takes to fully heal from such an intense impact.

All in all, things are on the up and up I've worked extremely hard to put myself in a competitive position in terms of securing jobs of interest and good health. It is so exulting to see the fruits of my labor finally begin to blossom.

Das Booty

2011-04-18T17:35:00.003-04:00

I can't believe some of the outfits this chick wears. At least we know what keeps Common coming back...

More bootyliciousness at the source.

It's the #ReturnOf4Eva ho!

2011-04-15T11:38:00.005-04:00

I've been bumpin' Big K.R.I.T.'s latest (and entirely self-produced) mixtape, Return Of 4eva, since it dropped on March 28th. I knew he was good from hearing him on tracks with other artists, including Curren$y and Wiz Khalifa...

...and from downloading his previous mixtape, K.R.I.T. Was Here (2010), but Return Of 4eva tops even that worthy effort.

With his infectious Southern drawl and laid-back, bass-heavy beats, K.R.I.T.'s sound is certainly enticing to the ear. I'm a sucker for accents--I even want my future kids to have an English one for no reason except mommy's entertainment--and K.R.I.T.'s thick-as-molasses Mississippi twang captivates and charms just as much as his beats and rhymes.

He also hilariously drops references to other classic hip hop songs throughout the mixtape, as he does on the hook to "High & Lows" (if you're up on your rap game, you may recall the "All these horny girls wanna fuuu..." line from the Slimm Calhoun ft. Andre 3000 song "It's OK"). You can also hear Project Pat's "Alright, alright, alright, alright" from "Chicken Head" on K.R.I.T.'s "Sookie Now" ft. David Banner, and Andre 3000's doubtful questioning from Outkast's "Miss Jackson" on the retro-sounding "R4 Theme Song." This is one of those rare albums for me where every one of its 24 tracks is worth a listen.

Return Of 4eva leaves no doubt as to why K.R.I.T. was selected as one of XXL's Top Eleven Freshmen of 2011. He is certainly one to watch. Give your ears and bass system a gift and download K.R.I.T.'s free mixtape tout suite (that's French for "with the quickness"):

>>DOWNLOAD HERE<<

The Look: Giving 'em FACE

2011-04-15T10:51:00.009-04:00

This is just a quick look I did before going out to RCSC this week. All purple everything!

Eyes:

Urban Decay Primer Potion (base)
NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Purple
MAC eyeshadow in Parfait Amour (blue-based, shimmery violet)
N.Y.C. Liquid Eyeliner in Jet Black (top lashline)
Maybelline Define-A-Line Eyeliner in Ebony Black (bottom lashline)
Maybelline Great Lash BIG Mascara in Very Black

Cheeks:

Bare, to let the eye & lip colors shine

Lips:

NYX Mega Shine Lipgloss in African Queen

Top:

Charlotte Russe

I would have taken more pics but I wanted to make happy hour in time. Rest assured the rest of the look was fiyah tho

Behold: an even longer, more luscious ponytail!

2011-04-14T16:11:00.000-04:00

With my two-year loc hairiversary coming up (June 17), just thought I'd give you guys a lil update on my ponytail progress since the original Behold, a ponytail post at the 10-month mark:

My loc ponytail on March 20, 2010, and my loc ponytail today

Awesome! My hair is so long now I pretty much have to tie it back with something or else it winds up in my mouth, food, and drinks. Kinda frustrating at times, but I suppose this is the price I pay for luscious, lengthy locs. I gotta give props to my loctician Amanda though; while it took a minute for my hair to grow long enough for me to notice the subtleties of how she styled it, the way Amanda installed my locs is such that it looks like I have side-swept bangs in the front. That's why it pays to get your locs installed by someone who knows what they're doing (bringing pictures helps too!). A good loctician can really hook you up in terms of the best and most flattering styles for your lifestyle and hair type.

I just retwisted 'em on Monday, so my locs are lookin' fresh as a muhfugga too. I love how, since my hair is "mature" now, it lasts longer between retwistings and actually stays down (Sit... good hair!) instead of pointing every which way in the mornings and after washing.

Progress, people!

Hell at the Shell pump

2011-04-14T15:32:00.003-04:00

I recently came across this pic (also in this post) while going through my albums. This station STILL hasn't fixed that light, though it's particularly fitting nowadays...

NOTD: Black Crackle & Gold

2011-04-12T11:36:00.002-04:00

This week's mani colors remind me of a great Sam Sparro song, Black and Gold. Jam! Now, on to the post...

I finally managed to get my paws on a SEPHORA by OPI shade I've been lemming for a while now: the sparkly golden-taupe Already Famous.

Look at that sparkle!

I love this shade because it's a more understated way of blingin' out your nails. To me, Already Famous is the polish equivalent to MAC's Reflects Antique Gold pigment: glittery, sure, but also sophisticated. The taupey gold color goes with anything in your closet, and though it is a sparkly polish, I could see this working in an office setting too.

Understated elegance... nails like money!

Already Famous is beautiful on it's own, but I have been meaning to bust out my China Glaze Crackle polish in Black Mesh more often--it's such a cool and unusual finish, plus I dig how colors look underneath the crackle effect:

Hotness. Is it bad that I want to finish every mani now with Black Mesh over top? I know crackle polish comes in other colors, but black is the most versatile. At least having a preference for Black Mesh curbs my crack(le) addiction from developing any further

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The importance of semantics

2011-04-12T10:56:00.001-04:00

First, a definition.

se·man·tics [si-man-tiks]

--noun (used with a singular verb)

1. Linguistics
a. the study of meaning.
b. the study of linguistic development by classifying and examining changes in meaning and form.
2. Also called significs. The branch of semiotics dealing with the relations between signs and what they denote.
3. The meaning, or an interpretation of the meaning, of a word, sign, sentence, etc.: Let's not argue about semantics.
4. General semantics.

There's been a man going around a very wealthy part of DC called Georgetown assaulting women. While most people would come right out and call this guy what he is, a creeper and possible rapist, The Washington Examiner, NBC4, and others in local media attribute him the disturbingly cutesy moniker of "The Georgetown Snuggler" or "The Georgetown Cuddler."

Georgetown student reports sex assault in dorm
A Georgetown University student reported she was sexually assaulted in her on-campus dorm Friday night, according to Metro police.

The student told police she walked to the dorm basement around 6 p.m., when a man she did not know began following her. The man called, "Hey girl," and pushed her against a wall, putting one hand over her mouth and the other up her shirt, according to the report.

A string of sexual assaults have been reported in the Georgetown area over the past couple years involving an offender dubbed the "Georgetown Snuggler." With such incidents, women have reported waking up with a strange man in their dorm beds. This latest incident has not yet been linked to the "Georgetown Snuggler," police said. (from The Washington Examiner)
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Has the Georgetown Cuddler returned?
WASHINGTON -- The Georgetown Cuddler may have struck again.

On Wednesday, an intruder broke into a home on the 3300 block of Prospect Street, police said.

It may be the man responsible for a number of break-ins in the neighborhood. Students call him the Cuddler because he will climb into a bed or couch where a resident is sleeping.

"You can say it's a little creepy," said Georgetown student Katrina Koser. "Obviously waking up with someone you don't know in your bed would be extremely scary."

In the most recent incident, the Cuddler allegedly laid down on top of a woman on her sofa, possibly after getting in through an unlocked door around 4 a.m.

Georgetown University is warning students to keep doors and windows locked.

"I live on campus, so I feel a little bit safer, but the idea of someone coming and just laying with you in the middle of the night is terrifying," said Georgetown student Maria Hayden.

"We're taking all of these break-ins very seriously and we have a lot of resources out investigating similarities to see if some of these incidents are connected," said D.C. Police commander Matthew Klein.

So far nobody has been injured by the Cuddler, but police say they're worried the crimes could escalate.

The Cuddler has struck almost a dozen times near campus. He typically enters through an unlocked door or window and either spies on or crawls in bed with unsuspecting women, according to police.

One victim, who didn't want her identity revealed, said the suspect threw a blanket over her while she was sleeping inside her campus apartment last semester. She woke up and started screaming, at which point the man ran off. (from NBC Washington)

This man's (or mens') actions are incredibly dangerous and repulsive. Because these crimes take place in a so-called nice neighborhood, does not mean the impact on the women assaulted or the homes burglarized is somehow lessened. I feel that the media giving this person a name like "The Snuggler" or "The Cuddler" serves to trivialize the victims and also these really disturbing criminal acts. These names are also a testament to one neighborhood's steadfast denial and cover-up of crime within its borders. Image is everything, and God forbid some of the city's most wealthy and influential live in a 'hood where rapes, murders, and burglaries occur. The horror!

In any other quadrant of the city or civilized area of the country, people would address this man or men by the violent crimes they've committed; something like "The Georgetown Burglar" or "The Georgetown Attacker" would be far more fitting than softening the person's image and crimes with visions of snuggling and cuddling like you would with a loved one.

Ick. This disgusts me. A perfect example of the importance of semantics, and of maintaining a firm grip on reality when receiving information from various news sources.

This made me LOL: LEGO Heels (or "LEG-GO Stilettos")

2011-04-11T11:26:00.000-04:00

As anyone who takes a gander at my site's sidebar knows, I ♥ Legos. Apparently, so does the British artist who created these colorful Lego heels:

From AOL News:

"I was never allowed Legos as a kid, so in a way, this was like going back to childhood. I got to act like a big kid while still creating art," [artist Finn Stone] said.

"I like the idea of taking something serious like a pair of plain stilettos and turning them into something artistic and beautiful. The use of Legos is a throwback to youth."

Besides his urge to play with toys as a grown man, Stone said the idea for his so-called "LEG-GO Stilettos" came about after rummaging through a drawer filled with random junk at his house.

"I always make stuff out of the rubbish I find in that junk drawer, and this time there were a couple of pieces of Legos in there. That sparked the idea to see what I could make out of them."

If you love the youthful appeal of these shoes, better start saving up: these babies will run you $2,600. The shoes aren't available for consumer purchase just yet, but Stone thinks they'd be perfect for art aficionados, "serious shoe collectors," and stylishly edgy celebs.

"I think they'd be perfect for Willy Wonka's girlfriend," he joked. "Or someone who's more daring in their fashion choices."

Fun fact: Beyonce wore Balenciaga's “Closed Front Cage Sandals With Ankle Pads” heels—aka the Lego shoes—during her performance at the 2007 American Music Awards.

Great for if you want to capture the fun feel of Stone's Lego heels, but again, these will destroy your wallet at $4,175 (!!!).

[Thanks Ashley!]

Pink (gloss) Friday

2011-04-08T14:26:00.000-04:00

While browsing Sephora the other day, I stumbled upon a product I've long been interested in trying: Smashbox's O-GLOSS.

The elusive O-GLOSS, $22 at Sephora

O-GLOSS is a lip gloss that applies clear, but within a few minutes of application reacts to your body temperature and warms up to a lovely, personalized pink. Having never encountered one in person before, I swatched O-GLOSS against the back of my hand to see how well it held up to its claims.

I wasn't sure what color pink I'd ultimately wind up with: at first, the gloss was a coral-tinged rosy pink... some minutes later it was a sheer bright pink... twenty or so minutes after that, the color was a deep rose.

Once I got home, I swatched some similar colors I have in my collection to compare:

Top to bottom (left): MAC Plushglass in Full for You;
Smashbox O-GLOSS; Urban Decay Lip Junkie in Crush
Right: Korres Lip Butter in Pomegranate

Fifteen minutes or so after the previous pic was taken,
the O-GLOSS darkens from a sheer bright pink to rose

Because of the color changing effect, I really have nothing like the O-GLOSS in my current beauty arsenal. Whenever I thought I'd found a dupe for the color that I already own, the gloss would warm up to a completely different, yet still flattering shade. The consistency of the gloss is a bit thick, which I don't mind as I've found thicker glosses last longer on the lips. It has no shimmer, but does offers mega shine and a long-lasting rosy lip stain--perfect for when you dab the gloss off to eat or drink.

The O-GLOSS spectrum of pink covers several universally flattering shades, mostly coral and rose as far as I can tell. It's definitely something I'd apply when I'm feeling adventurous with my makeup and don't mind having a different colored lip gloss throughout the day.

Overall, Smashbox O-GLOSS is a pretty neat product. If the thought of shelling out $22 for a color changing lip gloss doesn't sit well with you, there are a couple cheaper alternatives:

Left: Too Faced Mood Swing lip gloss, $18 at Sephora
Right: NYX "Mood" lip gloss, $4.50 at NYX

Not sure how well these work or how intense the color change effect is, so if you own one or both of these, feel free to weigh in.

Happy Friday folks!

The Color Purple

2011-04-07T11:02:00.003-04:00

Is it wrong to have so much love for one color? Looking down from the glare of my TV the other night, I noticed I have a lot of purple in my life: my favorite hoodie, my nails, my statement ring, my iPhone case, my water bottle, my blanket. I like to say purple's my favorite color because it combines the tranquility of blue with the passion of red--a pretty accurate description of my temperament, if I do say so myself

Purple is the color of royalty according to human color psychology. It became associated with royalty and nobility from Greco-Roman times, when Tyrian Purple was only affordable to the elites. The color is even said to have been a favorite of Egyptian pharaoh Cleopatra. It's also said that a purple room can boost a child's imagination or an artist's creativity.

I must be onto something with my purple love, as Pantone selected the color Blue Iris (PANTONE 18-3943) as the 2008 Color of the Year, saying:

"Combining the stable and calming aspects of blue with the mystical and spiritual qualities of purple, Blue Iris satisfies the need for reassurance in a complex world, while adding a hint of mystery and excitement."

There's even a purple language, so to speak. There's more than a few phrases out there incorporating the color in terms both positive and negative. A "purple cow," for instance, is something remarkable, eye-catching, or unusual. "Purple prose," which describes exaggerated or highly imaginative writing, tends to be used negatively. "Purple speech" is profane language, and "purple haze" describes a drug-induced state of confusion or euphoria--a strain of potent marijuana and a type of LSD are the usual culprits.

Believe it or not, there's a word for fear of the color: porphyrophobia. Yet, nothing in the modern English language rhymes with purple (or orange for that matter). Unique!

If you've been following my blog for a while, you may remember my Chakra Khan post. There, I mentioned how the color purple correlates to the Crown chakra at the top of one's head. This chakra is often pictured as a lotus flower (the symbol of which I have tatted on my wrist... #winning), opening to allow spiritual awakening in an individual. The Crown chakra is also considered the well that intuitive knowing is drawn from. In other words, the Crown chakra--and its correlated color, purple--is a tool used to communicate with one's deeper spiritual nature.

Purpleness is next to godliness, as they say

Purple also has sexual connotations. I first became aware of this back when Teletubbies was popular. Everyone said the purple one was supposed to be gay because of his coloring, the triangle shape on top of his head (a gay pride symbol), and because he clearly spoke with a male voice but carried a purse.* A little Wiki searching helped me figure out how all that purple = gayness stuff came about:

The purple hand is a Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) symbol that derives from an incident which occurred on Halloween night, 1969, when sixty members of the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) and the Society for Individual Rights (SIR) staged a protest at the San Francisco Examiner in response to a series of news articles disparaging LGBT people in San Francisco's gay bars and clubs.

Wow. How did people instantly learn random facts before the internet again?

Anyhoo, that's the extent of my interesting purple facts, so my ode to the color ends here. Well, after this quick shoutout:

♥ I can't get enough of you, boo! Mama loves you in all your shades and variations ♥

*A little murse (male + purse) action never hurt anyone! I'd totally carry one if I were a dude... or at the very least, some kind of messenger bag. Cue that Beyonce song:

Tuckered Out In

2011-04-06T19:15:00.001-04:00

I've been a big fan of a little indie clothing label called Tucker for a while. I first picked up one of Gaby Basora's highly coveted, loosely-cut silk tops while scouring the racks at my favorite consignment shop a couple years ago and I was hooked. Seeing as how the tops are 100% silk, come in beautiful, limited edition prints, and are worn by celebrities and fashionistas alike, it was more than a steal to pick up this lovely for a mere $25 (the tops retail for $200+ at Bloomingdale's, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth, and other high-end retailers):

Dressing room photo shoot!

I love Tucker's whole hippie-chic vibe. The colorful vintage-inspired prints are gorgeous, and if I had the money, I'd snatch up a few more tops and dresses for the summer. The pieces are so versatile, too: with the cut and fabric, Tucker's tops and dresses can easily transition from day to night, season to season.

Imagine how thrilled I was to find that Tucker is part of Target's Go International campaign, in which designers are handpicked to craft affordable, high quality versions of their lines for the masses. The campaign is five years old this year and to celebrate, Target's released some highlights from current and previous Go International collections. With such big names in fashion as Luella Bartley, Paul & Joe, Proenza Schouler, Thakoon, Rodarte, and Zac Posen contributing to the campaign, it goes without saying that the pieces released get snatched up with the quickness.

Browsing the aisles with my homegirl Ashley this week, I spotted the very last of these $34.99 Tucker cuties on the rack:

Fun fact: This is John Legend's ~~beard~~ girlfriend, Christine Teigen

Of course, it was the last one AND it was just my size. It had to be a sign from the fashion gods

I'm totally digging the fit of this dress. It falls at a flirty mid-thigh length, is lightweight but not incredibly sheer, comes with pockets (!!!), and has that wonderful vintage-inspired print I've come to know and love from Tucker. I also dig the comfy waistband; it draws the dress in and keeps it from looking too boxy and shapeless. It can also be covered with a chunky leather belt if visible waistbands aren't your thing. The only thing I'd change is the buttons, which say "Tucker" on them--kinda tacky in my opinion. But they can be easily replaced with something less "Look At Me, I'm Wearing A Brand Name."

UGH, "Tucker" buttons

The Go International campaign is only good for a few more days (ends April 10), so snatch up some of your high-end designer faves from the store while you can!

Welcome to DC where the playas play

2011-04-05T14:25:00.002-04:00

After a week of fun & debauchery with my uncle and cousin, it's back to business as usual. I love when out-of-towners visit because it gives me a chance to see DC from a tourist's point of view--though I kind of despise tourists (ironic, no?).

My fam visiting from Cali had a great time in the city, capped off with a tour of the White House we thought wasn't gonna happen: apparently, the White House folks need five days notice to get your name on the visitors list... thankfully, we have connections like that

So I start this week a little broker, a little more tired, but feeling that it was definitely worth it to see my peoples from a faraway land I like to affectionately call Sactown. Now to get my $$$ up again and return the favor

A little taste of what we saw last week:

The lovely, oh-so-shoppable streets of Georgetown

We randomly saw a horse & carriage there.
If you enlarge the pic, you'll see an adorable Jack Russell terrier keeping the seats warm

Had to visit the smoke shop on M St.!
That hookah has to be, like, 8 feet tall.
Party time, excellent!

The Monument, or as I liked to call it when I was little,
The Pencil Building

El Capitol

The Jefferson Memorial

If we had more time, I would have tried to see the National Cherry Blossom Festival. It's soooo pretty when the trees are in bloom.

But LAWD the traffic! Would have def. BMW'd that mess (Bus, Metro, Walk). The weather wasn't really cooperating either

Spring, where art thou?!

Underneath the Kennedy Center

Part of the Watergate Hotel

Two jumbo slices in Adams Morgan... YUM

Cheesin' it up at Rock Creek Social Club.
That's one of my besties D on the right

The rest of the party: Rob, The bf ♥, Cuzzin J & D

A fun and adventure-packed week, indeed!

L.I.S....M.I.A.

2011-03-31T19:40:00.006-04:00

I know posting's been sporadic around here, but I have family in town visiting from California. Of course, THIS DC Soulcialite is stepping up & doin' her thang in terms of getting them reacquainted with the city

Regular posts to resume next week; 'til then, feast yourselves on the new albums (and a couple semi-oldies) my cousin and I have been bumpin':

Pusha T - Fear of God

Chris Brown - F.A.M.E.

Curren$y - Fast Times at Ridgemont Fly

Curren$y & Wiz Khalifa - How Fly

This made me LOL: The AB-hancer

2011-03-29T11:06:00.001-04:00

I said "I want a six-pack, fool" not a fool with a six-pack!

"I couldn't believe how effective AB-hancer was, chicks dig it." - Jeff

I suspect this isn't a real product, but I'll offer up an "LOL/LE SIGH" anyways.

NOTD: Pink & blue half moon

2011-03-28T20:13:00.006-04:00

With my trusty nail striper from Ulta, I created this awesomely bright hot pink and blue half moon mani. I used this pic from Wah Nails as inspiration:

~*~*~*~*~*~

love & beauty Fuchsia and Sally Hansen Pacific Blue, with Seche Vite top coat. I'm getting compliments for daaaaayyyyyzzzzzz with these tips!

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R.I.P. Liz & Nate!

2011-03-23T23:17:00.001-04:00

Dame Elizabeth Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011)
Nate Dogg (August 19, 1969 – March 15, 2011)

I'm sure you've heard of the untimely passing of two entertainers this past week: Hollywood legend Dame Elizabeth Taylor and Nate Dogg, G-Funk rapper & Snoop Dogg's cousin. Call me superstitious, but I have a feeling we'll be hearing about another famous death soon... it comes in threes, as they say. Fingers crossed that it doesn't happen though, I like my entertainers alive and prolific, you smell me?

Anywhoevers, my ultimate memory of Liz Taylor--aside from my academic advisor at school sharing her name ("Where are you going, Lisa?" "To meet with Liz Taylor!")--has to come in the form of her perfume, White Diamonds. My grandma LOVES this fragrance. I'll forever associate it with old school Hollywood glamour and mature older ladies... but mostly with the latter ::Kanye shrug::

Aside from her perfume, Dame Taylor led quite the interesting life. She had eight husbands in her lifetime (when asked why, she replied "I don’t know, honey. It sure beats the hell out of me"), won two Academy Awards, was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, and perhaps most legendary, she founded The American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR). Taylor's influence has touched millions, and her legacy will live on through her many charitable endeavors. You will be missed Dame Taylor!

--------

I first became aware of Nate Dogg's music in elementary school, when Dr. Dre's epic album The Chronic was released. I didn't start really appreciating his flow until college, when a dormmate of mine from California would blast nothing but G-Funk from her room each day (thanks for that, girl! I got hip to mad Cali music from that ).

Probably my favorite song of his was this collaboration with his cousin, Snoopy D-O-double Gizzle:

♫ Never Leave Me Alone

Nate's signature, soulful voice was honed in church. Once Dr. Dre heard Nate on a demo tape with Snoop Dogg and their friend, Warren G, he put the wheels in motion to have Nate make his debut on The Chronic. A year later, Nate was signed to the infamous Death Row Records.

Nate was plagued by a series of issues in his last years, including arrests for firearms and drug possession and suffering a stroke and heart attack in 2007. In September 2008, Nate suffered a second stroke that left his fans wondering if he'd ever return to crooning his G-Funk anthems. Ultimately, Nate succumbed to congestive heart failure complicated by his previous strokes.

R.I.P. Nate Dogg, keep the underworld G-Funky for us!

The Look: Birthday Bash at Recess

2011-03-22T18:19:00.002-04:00

I pulled out all the stops for my birthday bash with Rock Creek Social Club at Recess last week. From the dress to the nails to the lashes, I was DETERMINED to--yet again--be the baddest bish in the room.

To start off my look, I busted out a brand new pair of Wispies, copped the night before while beauty shopping with my homegirl Ashley:

Before/After

Not bad for a first timer, yah? I did practice applying them beforehand so I didn't waste a band of lashes, but overall, I found them surprisingly easy to work with.

After applying the lashes, I set to creating my full eye look for the evening. That involved the following products:

Urban Decay Primer Potion (UDPP)
SMH Metro (silvery taupe) in the crease
MAC Reflects Antique Gold pigment over the lid, in the inner V of the eye and on the lower lashline
Rocket City RC-67 palette (the golden pink shade) as a brow highlighter
Maybelline Define-A-Line in Ebony Black to line the lower lashline
CoverGirl Eye Enhancers in Brown Smolder to soften and smudge the black liner

Full eye, sans lashes

I used liquid glycerin mixed with a little water to apply the Reflects Antique Gold. This worked well in terms of preventing fallout and helping the pigment stay put, but unfortunately, it did lead to some creasing by the end of the night despite the UDPP underneath:

Golden arches

I finished off the look with NYX Blush in Pecan on my cheeks, and MAC Plushglass in Big Kiss on my pucker:

Lashes for days!

As for what I wore, I kept it simple and chic with a charcoal-colored dress by XOXO worn under a cropped motorcycle jacket from H&M. Didn't even think to get a full body pic with the shoes, but I kept my tootsies warm, comfy, & equally as chic in some black suede slouchy knee-high boots from Journeys. I topped everything off with one of my favorite accessories, a sparkly purple glass flower necklace I picked up while consignment shopping (and which you can get a better look at in this post):

Nothing like a great look to compliment a fun and fantastic evening!

This made me LOL: Janet Jackson's cutlery cheeks

2011-03-22T16:48:00.007-04:00

Janet Jackson promotes her book "True You: A Guide To Finding And Loving Yourself" at Barnes & Noble, 5th Avenue on March 19, 2011 in

New York City.

Awww. She looks like a pixie chipmunk. Them thangs look *sharp* (literally); Miss Jackson and the rest of the gang are looking more and more like Michael with each surgery

Don't overdo it, kids!

More cheekiness at the source.

NOTD: St. Patty's Day & mini-haul

2011-03-18T23:25:00.004-04:00

Just in time for St. Patty's Day, the homie Debbie blessed a sista with the very hard-to-find Sinful Colors Green Ocean! It's been on my polish wish list since seeing Enamel Girl use it in a look of hers:

[via Enamel Girl]

Green Ocean is a gorgeous blue/green flakey glitter polish. The shade is supposed to be part of the St. Patrick's Day display at a number of drugstores, but of course, it's sold out or just plain not sold at all everywhere I checked. In terms of its finish and price point (a very purchase-worthy $1.99), Green Ocean is reminiscent of the uber-popular Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure, which I also was never able to find on shelves. I was able to find a dupe for it on eBay though: Nubar's 2010, which I'm currently wearing on my toes between a base color of Nicole by OPI The Grape Debate and Nicole by OPI Pitch-Black Glimmer as a top coat:

Rainbow flakes, glitter, and purple?! Oh my

Green Ocean is like the turquoise version of Hidden Treasure. Though it looks very green in the bottle, when applied the color pulls more blue. Here, I used 3 coats of it over Sinful Colors Black on Black:

I had no problems with application. The flakes in Green Ocean are bigger and chunkier than those in my Nubar 2010 and the formula is thick and almost gel-like in its consistency, but none of this makes the polish difficult to work with. The formula dries rough to the touch, which is typical of most glitter polishes. Nothing a couple coats of Seche Vite can't fix though.

I also picked up love & beauty Fuchsia yesterday, a very springy hot pink jelly, using that color as an accent to break up the blue.

I really like this mani, it reminds me of chillin' in a hot pink bikini in a shimmering pool Obviously, summer can't get here soon enough, lol.

Besides Green Ocean and Fuchsia, this week's haul also includes a vintage Gucci sweatshirt. I can't wait to pair this with my favorite leggings, a gold dookie chain, and some fresh kicks.

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Party Time! Excellent!

2011-03-18T19:28:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the lack of updates around here! Things should be back to normal next week. Super, super busy this week: had interviews to prepare for as well as my slightly belated birthday party to enjoy. Everything went ~*fabulously*~ as planned

Tuesday night, I celebrated a promising interview with one of my networking contacts from last week (and also my birthday!) by partying it up with Rock Creek Social Club at Recess. RCSC is a weekly party me & the bf have been hitting up for a little over a month now. If you dig electro and hip hop music, a diverse crowd, open bar AND not paying a cover or adhering to a dress code, you should definitely check it out.

Just a few of the lovely ladies in attendance

I was pleasantly surprised by the number of people that showed up, despite it being rainy and a Tuesday. The low cost of the event, available street parking, and non-existent lines at the door are certainly a huge draw!

It was great seeing friends old and new. Drinks and shots were flowing, the DJ killed it, and great times were had by all

I can certainly toast to that. Bottoms up!

NOTD: Stupid fruity birthday swag

2011-03-14T17:08:00.002-04:00

You know I couldn't let a day of celebration go by without the appropriate nail gear. As an early birthday gift to myself, I ordered some Fimo nail art off of eBay. Fimo is a polymer clay that is rolled into elongated canes, which are then thinly sliced to make nail decorations. You can buy the canes in their elongated form or order them pre-sliced, like I did. There's a whole video I found on the process of making them; fascinating!

For more info on Fimo nail art, click here.

I love that Fimo is so tiny, yet so detailed. It reminds me of my obsession with dollhouses when I was younger... all tiny everything!

For this look, I did an American manicure--like a French mani, but with colored tips--with Nicole by OPI's The Grape Debate (a deep plum) as the base and Nicole by OPI's Glitz & Glisten (glittery magenta) over top. I covered that with a clear base, and stuck the Fimo and a little nail jewel on top of that. Then I topped everything off with a couple coats of Seche Vite. Four days and counting, and my digital fruit salad is still intact.

iLove! Yet again, I find myself unable to tear my eyes away from my nails. If you see a hot chick with dreads walking around town and into oncoming traffic and various poles, signs and whatnot, just remember, her nails are probably very fierce.

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Birthday Weekend Recap!

2011-03-14T15:31:00.006-04:00

Busy, busy, busy and productive week last week in preparation for my birthday this past Saturday (a quarter of a century + 1 = yeeeeeeaaaahhh boyyyyeee ). Thursday I went to this great networking event for local women in the new media profession. It was held at The Science Club downtown. Interesting spot, as going by just the name, you'd think it was an actual, uh, science club. But surprise, it's a bar!

I made a lot of great contacts at the event, which got me super excited about my prospects in the field. It was also nice meeting other young women who are interested in technology and new media like myself. Like so many industries, technology is primarily male-dominated; it's good to have events like this and the camaraderie of women already in the field to support me in my career endeavors.

Friday, I just chilled wit mah man in preparation for Saturday's main event: BRUNCH. Anyone who knows anything about me knows I love two* things: brunch and cats. I'd received several recommendations to go to brunch at The Beacon Hotel's Bar & Grill. They host legendary brunches each weekend, with Sunday being their most popular day. But since my birthday was Saturday, Saturday it was.

I went with my uncle, with whom I share my day of birth, and the bf. The decor was nice, sort of a retro-modern feel. We were seated under a skylight, in a comfy and quiet corner right off the main dining area.

The food was *~delicious*~ The Saturday brunch is a three course, prix fixe meal served with bottomless mimosas, mmmm. I had the fruit and yogurt with granola as my appetizer (so fresh and yummy) and the French toast with berries as my entree. Yummers!

Too bad the service wasn't as great as the meal. Our server spilled drinks--and asked us to clean up his mess with our napkins, which we had to flag down a busboy to replace for us--and forgot parts of our meal in the kitchen. For instance, the French toast I ordered was supposed to come with a side of sausage links, which didn't arrive until we reminded the waiter ourselves and it was time to serve dessert. The coffee my uncle ordered earlier didn't arrive until dessert time either.

And on our birthday no less! FAIL.

We left the waiter some buttcheeks (like a "3" but turned sideways so it's perfectly seated on the tip line) as a tip. I hope he didn't mistake the butt for some nads, although either way, he should get the hint.

Anyways, we didn't let that little mishap ruin our day. My mom and grandma really pulled out the works with the birthday decorations and food, and my uncle and I ate like the king and princess that we are all weekend Now THAT'S how you celebrate a birfday!

*I actually love many, many other things, but for the purposes of this post, we'll keep it down to two

SOTD: Chris Brown ft. Busta Rhymes & Lil Wayne - Look At Me Now

2011-03-08T04:31:00.003-05:00

Aside from all his domestic violence drama and recent nude leaks, this is a surprisingly dope song from Chris Brown's camp. I like songs about making money, gets my day started right.

What is the general consensus about Chris Brown these days anyways? What he did to Rihanna was atrocious, no doubt. But a few of his songs have been catching my ear lately. Not sure how to feel about that... hmmm In any case, partake!

♫ Look At Me Now

Facebook Pepsi Family Bizness

2011-03-07T19:26:00.006-05:00

Five more days til mah birfday!!! ::Happy dance:: I'm still tryna figure out exactly how I wanna celebrate... so much desire, so little time. Anyhoo, thought I'd kick off the week with a recent revelation: The Social Network guy & the Pepsi Girl from waaaay back are related! The resemblance is uncanny, can't believe it's taken me this long to connect the two.

Hallie & Jesse Eisenberg

Even though I rolled my eyes whenever she appeared on my TV screen, it's funny to me that old Pepsi Girl and new Facebook Movie Guy share some DNA.

Speaking of familial relations, it's also funny to me that out of all the Sheens, Emilio is the "sane" one now. I mean, dude starred in Mighty Ducks (kids hockey is brutal) AND was married to Paula Abdul (::glug glug glug::). That's a recipe for disaster right there, it's a wonder he didn't turn to The Sheen to get him through.

NOTD: Tiffany Dunk nails

2011-03-05T11:30:00.003-05:00

My China Glaze Crackle Glaze in Black Mesh came in the mail this week (had to order it off of eBay because it's been sold out EVERYWHERE) and I'm so souped to finally have my hands on it! I had the CoverGirl crackle polish in middle school and a few years ago I remember wondering what had happened to that finish. Well this season, both China Glaze and OPI have hopped onto the crackle bandwagon, with both companies releasing crackle polishes in a variety of color combinations:

China Glaze Crackle Glaze Collection, Spring 2011

OPI Katy Perry Collection

I started out with Essie's Turquoise & Caicos (turquoise jelly finish) as the base color. I thought the brightness of it would make a nice contrast against the Black Mesh crackle:

Turquoise & Caicos also reminds me of the Tiffany Dunks I've longed for forever. I've yet to find them in a Mens 6.5

T&C reminded me even more of the Dunks after I painted Black Mesh over it, followed by a coat of Seche Vite to seal it in:

I'd say the formula of China Glaze's Crackle polish is much better than Cover Girl's (after all, they've had more than a decade to improve). Once applied, the crackle effect took place almost immediately. There is a slight technique to applying the crackle polish though. Applying the polish thick yielded bigger cracks, while applying a thin layer made more discreet cracks:

Thick layer of polish on pinky; thin layer on ring finger

Also, be sure to apply the crackle polish only after your base polish has dried completely. I applied it on two nails while the base polish was still wet, and the effect was not pretty

So siced about my dope nails though! Black Mesh crackle polish is like sneakers for my digits

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If you like RuPaul's Drag Race, you'll ♥ Maurica from the LES

2011-03-02T10:00:00.001-05:00

These videos have been giving me life since yesterday. I love this bish, she sounds just like my Dominican girl friends from NYC. All she cares about is finding someone to pay for her tits and her BBQ, and I can respect that. Kinda NSFW (glorious, filthy language throughout) but you'll live if you just turn the volume down a notch or plug in some headphones. DASSIT. Partake!

Charlie Sheen quote generator!

2011-03-01T21:29:00.004-05:00

Everyone's favorite coked up crazy now has his own quote generator... FINALLY. This man has been waaaaay too quotable lately to go without one. I could spend hours on this site just soaking up the insanity (not really though... hug a thug, not a[ll] drug[s] y'all).

Click for hilarity.

[Thanx Ashley!]

Drumroll please: Loc update post!

2011-03-01T15:16:00.012-05:00

These are my locs at just over a year and a half.
My babies turn 2 in June

I know I'm long overdue for an update on how my luscious locs have been coming in... as one reader reminds me, I haven't done a post on them since last year. Atrocious! The reason loc posts have been so sporadic is that I haven't really switched up my routine in taking care of them. Just lettin' em grow long and luxurious as nature intended. But I know there's a lot of loc'd up lovelies out there looking for a little guidance and advice on how to care for their own manes, which I'm more than happy to offer. There's also a lot of curious folks who just wanna revel in the awesomeness of my hair... I'll happily oblige you guys, too. On to the post!

This is my hair right after washing. I try and wash my hair every two weeks (some might wash even less than that... because loc'd hair has different needs than loose hair, it's best not to wash it too often), but since I've been exercising every weekday, I might bump that up to once a week. Now that my hair is longer and heavier, it stays down instead of pointing every which way like it used to.

THE LENGTH. I love it. I honestly don't know what I'm gonna do with my hair once its past boob-length, and it's definitely getting there faster than I thought it would. I could cut them but then the ends would be straight; I like how each loc curls into its own unique pattern at the tips.

Getting long(er)

One-of-a-kind tips

These are the products I rotate between using on my hair. The Nexxus products I've had since my 'fro days... I find they work well with my hair type, but because they make my hair so soft, I don't use them as often as when my hair was loose. At this point, I'm just trying to use up the economy size bottles of product I have, then I'll probably switch to a brand that's more focused on my current hair needs.

Nexxus. Saved me from many a bad 'fro day

I also use Oyin handmade products on my locs. If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you'll remember when my homegirl Erin and I went to one of the store's bottling parties and got a boatload (well, raftload is more like it I guess) of Oyin products, including these gems right here:

The Honey Wash I love for my locs, because it cleanses them without weighing them down with product. It's a light, almond milk-scented formula and though it's kinda on the thin side in terms of consistency, it definitely gets the job done. The Honey Hemp Conditioner has a creamy, whipped consistency and it also doesn't weigh my hair down. A little of each of these products goes a long way.

This is what I use to retwist after washing. I picked this up on my most recent jaunt to the beauty supply store because it seems they've discontinued my fave shea butter solid, Queen Helene's Queen Helene's formula was more like a shea butter pomade, whereas Jamaican Mango & Lime's formula is more like a hair grease... I know grease is bad for your hair in general, especially if you have locs--it attracts lint and adds to buildup--but since this was formulated specifically FOR locs and I trust the brand name (and, not gonna lie, the smell reminds me of my beloved Queen Helene's) I picked it up.

This is only my first time using it, but I'm not disappointed with the results. JM&L's Conditioning Shine kept my twists in order and delivered the "brilliant shine" as advertised. I like that it doesn't leave my hair greasy either, just shiny and lush

Aerial view. Ignore those fuzzy locs on the left... they just HAD to be different, smh

It takes me about an hour to retwist my locs now. It used to take almost two! I will forever be grateful that I consulted a loctician (big ups to Amanda at Bang Salon!) to install my locs because they are the perfect size for my lifestyle and hair type. I did NOT want to be stuck doing my hair for hours or be forced to pay someone to do them for me because they were so small.

Now that my hair is longer, it seems to have naturally grown into layers. Shorter upfront (which falls into "bangs" when I pull my hair into a ponytail), and longer in the back.

If you only went by this shot, you'd think I had a bob or something...

But as you gradually make your way around my head, you'll see the natural layers start to stand out.

There's still some minor issues I have with my locs, namely lint buildup in the back locs and what to keep my hair covered with a night to further keep lint at bay. I have solutions for both, but they require $$$ I just don't have at the moment: dying the locs that I can't get embedded lint out of (I'm leaning toward a vibrant orangish-red on just the back locs), which may run about $75 or more cuz I'm certainly not doing it myself, and these things called Loc Pockets, which retail for $15-$20. Worse comes to worse, I suppose I could simply dye the linty locs black myself, but I'm not sure how well a store-bought dye will work on dreadlocks. Have any of you tried this with good results?

Anyhoo, hope this satiated your thirst for a loc update! Seriously though, I will try and knock out more of these on the reg. I forgot how fun and informative they can be Don't forget to share your loc tips, suggestions, and experiences in the comments!

Shameless plug: Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect!

2011-02-27T16:10:00.004-05:00

I've gotten more than a few inquiries into how to follow my blog. Coincidentally, I'm also always on the lookout for new blogs and interesting people to follow, both here and on Twitter. Aside from the "Subscribe/RSS" link in the upper right-hand corner of this site, I've made it easier for you guys to follow my blog AND share your own blog or Twitter info with me by adding a Google Friend Connect widget to my sidebar You can find it sandwiched between my contact info and where else you can find me online. Looking forward to connecting with my new and longtime readers (and catching up on all of your blogs and Twitter feeds, of course)!

Drake = Pure, unadulterated corniness

2011-02-25T21:44:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry but Drake Aubrey Graham has to be one of the corniest muhfuggas on the planet. I admit I jam out to his songs every now and then, but overall, he'll always be Wheelchair Jimmy from Canadia to me. People act like he's the first dude to ever combine rapping and singing... well, maybe he's the first to do it while looking like a sleepy hound dog/caveman/Mr. Potato Head. Anyways, there are a number of instances since his rise to fame where ~~Drake~~ Aubrey has displayed his sentimentality for all to see--and guffaw over.

Cases in point:

That terrible letter he wrote to Aaliyah on the anniversary of her death last year. I was truly in love with you... I said to myself that even if we never met, I wanted a woman in my life just like you... I hope I make the right life choices so I can end up in heaven where I know you rest your head. Seriously? How can you be "truly in love" with someone you've never met. And posting it on the internet like that just makes it seem insincere, like "LOOK AT ME! I'm ultra sensitive and can meet your emotional needs, girl." This letter was TOO extra, unintentionally hilarious, and a little creepy.
The near constant references to Nicki Minaj, their "marriage," and his undying love for her. I understand that's your labelmate, but for real, tone it down. For one, isn't this chick bi? She's even said in interviews she isn't looking for a a partner right now, so every word Drake espouses regarding this matter automatically looks stupid and desperate.
Hanging off Lil Wayne's nuts. Again, I understand he's your rap mentor and opened up a lot of opportunities for you through affiliation with his crew. But please, reign the lovefest in. Understand girl, we fam girl/Can't get me right and not do Wayne... ~"Show Me a Good Time." ...Yeah. Good lookin' out for his sexual satisfaction, too, Drake. THAT isn't suspect at all, bro

Then there's the many unflattering pictures of this man floating around the web...

Even Riri's like "Damn n*gga, enough with the PDA"

Lord, look at his face. He's so geeked (literally)

LMAO

There's even a website devoted to his many Drake faces. Smh. Step ya game up, boy!

This is TOO CUTE not to post: IRL "Up" Grandpa

2011-02-25T15:48:00.001-05:00

Twins!

Class of 2011: If Social Media Were a High School

2011-02-25T15:45:00.000-05:00

[click to enlarge]
[via flowtown]

SOTD: Lupe Fiasco - All Black Everything

2011-02-22T18:49:00.007-05:00

Lupe dropped another single from his highly anticipated Lasers album today... Correct me if I'm wrong, but I have a feeling this LP is gonna be fiyahhhh. Lu' even said this is his favorite record ever. Strong (and appropriate from what I've heard thus far) choice of words there. Partake!

♫ All Black Everything

*Just in case the link above doesn't load:

This made me LOL: Business Cat Meme

2011-02-21T14:34:00.006-05:00

Happy President's Day! I guess not for my folks that are stuck at work... but fret not. Business Cat is here to save your day! Don't you wish all bosses were this adorable

Hahaha... Super Troopers quote. Can't be mad at that.

Patrick Bateman! D'awww

[via UPROXX... thanx Chris!]

Video: Kanye West ft. Rihanna & Kid CuDi - All of the Lights

2011-02-19T16:16:00.004-05:00

The video for "All of the Lights," off Kanye's acclaimed My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy album, dropped today. Early thoughts: very colorful, kinda basic... then again, his last video was pretty macabre. What do you guys think? Personally, "All of the Lights" is a dope song but, admittedly, I'm a bit underwhelmed with the video.

::Kanye shrug::

This made me LOL: On-Air Penis Joke

2011-02-19T12:25:00.004-05:00

An Australian news anchor delivers a low blow from "down undah." Even though dude walked right into that one, look at his face at the end.

::PISSED::

Hahaha

NOTD: Cookie Monster

2011-02-18T20:14:00.008-05:00

The bf thinks I'm some kind of child-hating monster because I loathe loathe LOATHE Will Smith's kids (and wife, but that's another story...). Not ashamed of it; they're really cocky and annoying. I hate overly precocious children... damn, just be a kid. Anyways, today's polka dot mani made me think "cookie monster" (yum). I got to try out my new nail dotting tool... love! Making kicky retro-ish designs just got THAT much easier y'all. Also made use of my brand new caramel-colored polish, OPI's San Tan-Tonio, part of their Spring/Summer 2011 Texas Collection.

Here's the polish on its own:

This polish really stood out to me in the beauty supply store, as I've been on a nude kick lately with my makeup and this shade matches my skin tone almost exactly. OPI describes San Tan-Tonio as "honey tan," which is very accurate. Application was creamy and opaque; only needed about 2 coats to fully cover the nail.

San Tan-Tonio is lovely and work-appropriate (yet fashion forward) on its own, but to up the jazziness of my mani a little, I added some dots:

Business on the left; party on the right

After 2.5 hours of perfecting my use of the dotting tool (had to start over again more than once ), we have this:

Yay!

-------

Video: Teedra Moses - R U 4 Real

2011-02-16T14:40:00.003-05:00

As a Valentine's Day gift to her fans, Teedra Moses dropped the first video from her much-anticipated studio album The Young Lioness, to hit stores later this year. My long time readers might remember me linking to her mixtape last year, which this single was a part of. If you can, definitely cop or download that... Teedra is NOT to be slept on!

Who is Esperanza Spaulding?

2011-02-14T17:28:00.005-05:00

More than a surprise Grammy-winning artist, fab hair, and a target of the hate of a thousand Beliebers, Esperanza Spaulding is an artist I've had my eye (and ear) on for a minute.

What first caught my attention was Esperanza's hair. She was featured in Essence Magazine a few years back, when I was fro'ing it up myself. To see another talented young woman of color with a massive afro was total hairspiration for me.

A couple years later, homegirl was playing the White House. That's when I realized she's probably a bit more than just awesome hair... HELLO, how many fools get to do what they love in front of the leader of the free world?! Props.

Now ol' girl has a freaking Grammy, a surprise win not only for the many whom seem un-hip to her legend, but also to this longtime non-watcher of award shows. They never seem to award the underground artists--in my opinion, the ones who deserve the MOST love & recognition--at those things. Low and behold, 2011 has switched the game up a little.

I'm impressed by and proud of Esperanza's win last night. The year has great things in store!

... But apparently not for the legions of Justin Beiber fans out there, who commenced the hating almost immediately after Esperanza's win. They totally destroyed her Wiki page, changing her middle name to "Quesadilla," and adding such gems as "JUSTIN BIEBER DESERVED IT GO DIE IN A HOLE. WHO THE HECK ARE YOU ANYWAY?"

[click to enlarge]

Way harsh, Tai. To quote Gawker, I can only imagine what it's like to have thousands of people trying to kill you with their minds. To the Justin Beiber (whom my grandma affectionately refers to as "Justine Beaver") fans out there I present to you this .gif:

Get over it and get hip, psssht.

What A Girl Wants

2011-02-14T16:18:00.005-05:00

Well, for starters, THIS girl wants Christina Aguilera to try not to flub the National Anthem at the Super Bowl... a song she's been singing since she was, like, five years old. NO EXCUSES.

Anywhoevers, this being a day of ~lurve~ Imma keep it positive in this beesh and show ya what a lady really wants for this glorious, overly commercialized* sap day. How bout some roses, a little box of chocolates, and the sweetest note ever delivered to her doorstep? YES PLEASE.

I think I might have the sweetest, most wonderfullest bf ever ::swoon::

You guys can stop barfing now.

Wining and dining to commence around 8-ish at our favorite sushi spot (yummers), followed by hours of mushiness and sappiness, just how Hallmark & Russell Stover like it.

How are you celebrating V-Day this year?

*That might sound a little bitter (I'm only a few years removed from spending my V-Days dressed in all black waiting patiently for the February 15th candy sales), but shouldn't we be showing our love to each other all day everyday? Preach.

Just in time for V-Day: Skeletal remains locked in a romantic embrace for 5,000 years

2011-02-11T15:27:00.003-05:00

Just 25 miles from Verona, where Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet is set, the skeletal remains of a young couple were found. Archeologists believe the male may have died first, with his female partner offered as a sacrifice to accompany his soul in the afterlife. The couple is believed to be young because neither is missing any teeth.

Elena Menotti, who is leading the dig at Valdaro near Mantua in northern Italy, said:

"I am so excited about this discovery. We have never found a man and a woman embraced before and this is a unique find.

"We have found plenty of women embracing children but never a couple. Much less a couple hugging -- and they really are hugging.

"From an initial examination they appear young as their teeth are not worn down but we have sent the remains to a laboratory to establish their age at the time of death.

"I am so thrilled at this find. I have been involved in lots of digs all over Italy but nothing has excited me as much as this.

"This is the discovery of something special."

An initial examination of the couple - dubbed the Lovers of Valdaro - revealed that the man (on the left in the picture) has an arrow in his spinal column while the woman has an arrow head in her side.

[source]

Pikachu Kitty!

2011-02-11T15:19:00.003-05:00

This has to be one of the cutest things ever. I need my own cat ASAP.

!i$@ bee

Fun Employed

This made me LOL: Her Mama Told Her They Were Going To The Mall To Meet Beyoncé But This Happened Instead...

Suckers, Punching: Mayweather vs. Ortiz

My scores from the Missoni for Target Collection :-)

Hottest Couple of All Time*: Lisa Bonet & Jason Momoa

My September 11th Story

This made me LOL: Ali Lohan's new face

Catholic School Stories: Runner-Up

F*ck it, I'm on 1 (...hundred, thousand, trillion)

Jobs' Loss: Steve Jobs steps down from the helm of Apple

John Wooden's Pyramid of Success: #15 - Competitive Greatness

Amy Winehouse Painkiller Portrait: Too Soon?

True love knows no height

Kanye West & Jay-Z's Best Fashion Lyrics

V up, A-town down

I'm on vacation, but here's a stupid cat

Catholic School Stories: Giving "Tonyas" in the boys locker room

Bohemian = a classy hippie

I'm baaaaaaaack

Lames catch feelings, I catch flights #JetLife

This made me LOL: The Rick Ross Soundboard

New Obsession: The Hershel (woo!)

Opening Day at the Pool!

NOTD: A "Get Over That Man" mani & "Don't Be Petty" Pedi

Gettin' it WRITE & tight

Happy Memorial Day!

Africa Underground at the Smithsonian!

This made me LOL: Are You Smarter Than A Fifth-Grader? (Not this lady...)

Designer... nails... in... the... club

600th Post!!! My Fendi Spy Bag has a new sister :-D

This made me LOL: "Imma Get U Back OFFICIAL VIDEO"

"When you let yourself be happy, sh*t happens"

NOTD: Nails that make you go "!"

"The Boondocks," the early strips (well, one of 'em)

Osama Bin LaDEAD

NOTD: Who The Shrek Are You? with Lucky Lucky Lavender half moons

How I lost 10 pounds ::squee!::

The Look: All of the (Easter) Brights

NOTD: Rainbow flake galaxy nails

This guy would look GREAT in a Lego heart pin

NOTD: Lucky Lucky Lavender

There, but for the grace of God, go I

Das Booty

It's the #ReturnOf4Eva ho!

The Look: Giving 'em FACE

Behold: an even longer, more luscious ponytail!

Hell at the Shell pump

NOTD: Black Crackle & Gold

The importance of semantics

This made me LOL: LEGO Heels (or "LEG-GO Stilettos")

Pink (gloss) Friday

The Color Purple

Tuckered Out *In*

Welcome to DC where the playas play

L.I.S....M.I.A.

This made me LOL: The AB-hancer

NOTD: Pink & blue half moon

R.I.P. Liz & Nate!

The Look: Birthday Bash at Recess

This made me LOL: Janet Jackson's cutlery cheeks

NOTD: St. Patty's Day & mini-haul

Party Time! Excellent!

NOTD: Stupid fruity birthday swag

Birthday Weekend Recap!

SOTD: Chris Brown ft. Busta Rhymes & Lil Wayne - Look At Me Now

Facebook Pepsi Family Bizness

NOTD: Tiffany Dunk nails

If you like RuPaul's Drag Race, you'll ♥ Maurica from the LES

Charlie Sheen quote generator!

Drumroll please: Loc update post!

Shameless plug: Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect!

Drake = Pure, unadulterated corniness

This is TOO CUTE not to post: IRL "Up" Grandpa

Class of 2011: If Social Media Were a High School

SOTD: Lupe Fiasco - All Black Everything

This made me LOL: Business Cat Meme

Video: Kanye West ft. Rihanna & Kid CuDi - All of the Lights

This made me LOL: On-Air Penis Joke

NOTD: Cookie Monster

Tuckered Out In