Imperfectly Quotable

"You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking."

Marianna Williamson

Forgive my disbelief!

Sometimes I can't believe:

• what an awesome set of friends that I have
• just how wrong I was about life as a teen
• the awesome endless possibilities this world holds
• how much love I am capable of expending despite all the hurt I've experienced
• what a cruel world I live in
• the kindred souls I've met despite us being so many miles away
• how much I have grown in the last 5 years
• how paralyzing some of my most irrational fears are to me
• my brain hasn't exploded from all the dorky & useless info I cram into it
• how much I love sushi
• I survived my teen years without crumbling to ashes
• I have these 2 piercings and want more
• how massive my hair is
• I'm not out of these damn braces yet
• people actually care what I have to say
• I'm madly in love with someone & there's absolutely nothing that I can do about it
• God chooses repeatedly to use me bring life back to others
• that person in the mirror is me

Disbelief is the most counterproductive cognitive function! The only way to cure it is simply to do the opposite and just believe. Each day is a process that I'm willing to give my all to because I know the end result will be worth the effort.

Tumbling 'Round

Tumblr is one of my guilty pleasures & I've been going insane since it crashed the other day. Man, I wish everyone had a Tumblr! You can really learn a lot about someone from what post. I love it a million times more than the traditional blog because there are no words to sort through or explanations to trip over! Here are just a few of my fav Tumblr gems:

Happy Hump Day! ♥

Stumbling onto the right answers...

I had a little bit of downtime on my vacation last week & had an opportunity to reflect on lessons that I've learned (& re-learned) this year. I don't think the blogosphere has enough space for me to go into details on how & why. Besides, I think the lessons are far more valuable than the stories at this point. Though the process of learning is not always easy or the most comfortable position to be in, I find myself humbled and grateful to undergo such a thing. I always hope that I'm making the best decisions & honestly, I never really know until I'm crossing the threshold into the consequences. If I had to grade myself on mastering this life thing, I'd say I'm passing. The challenge is just getting from good to great! Enjoy!

• Pick up my feet! (Directed at my clumsy inner 13 year old self!)
• "Why?" is never a dumb question when my happiness/destiny is involved.
• Get carried away in what I love!
• It's not my problem when someone can't see how awesome I am! (*not trying to be conceited)
  
• Don't suppress my inner pioneer!
• Fear is a wasteful emotion.
• If hearing "no" is the worst case scenario, I'm in a good place.
  
• When I love from the right place, I'm energized.
• Inspiration is omnipresent if I just change my perspective.
  
• Keep believing in a fairy tale ending until it happens. It will!
• Those that want me in their lives will make it known & make room.
• Some things are worth just doing & apologizing afterwards.
• Stop apologizing so much!
• Great thinkers must eventually move on to be great doers.
• My grandparents & parents did what they could to open doors. I can't be afraid to kick in the ones still closed!
• Buying planes tickets to travel thousands of miles away, without a clear game plan, isn't really that scary.
• Don't be afraid to walk away, especially when no good is possible.
• It's okay to keep a mystery about me to preserve what I treasure most.
  
• Not only does my opinion matter but it's also relevant.
• Don't be afraid to offer silence as an answer when action will speak louder.
  
• I'm enough!

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!

On Repeat...

Since my new-old position kicked off, my schedule has been a bit erratic. It all happened at the time of some major rollouts so I've been spending longer days at work. Music has been keeping me sane! Here's a bit of what I've been looping non-stop:

So Beautiful - Musiq Soulchild

Slow Dance - Keri Hilson

Come Close - Common & Mary J. Blidge

More Than Love - Amerie & Fabolous

Break You Off - The Roots & Musiq Soulchild

This is not an emergency...IT'S LIFE!

Heart for Art's Girlfriends painted by me

James 1:2-5

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double‑minded man, unstable in all he does.

I have to admit this week was one of the hardest that I've had to face in quite a while. It was comically summed up in a joking game of I never on Friday when my friend yelled out "I never lost my job then got it back in the same week!" She looked at me & I chugged wine while everyone gasped in shock. I just winked back! I can look back & laugh at the circumstances but I was on edge all week. I'm blessed to have an awesome group of friends that keep me sane when I'm more than sure the world is crumbling around me. Once I got my bearings, I had to seek counsel from the Big Guy Upstairs on how to maneuver this crazy storm. From there, things just seemed to click on the reality of it all. I did all that I could to the best of my ability & prepared myself to be okay with whatever the outcome. I reminded myself that while I always think my plan is ideal, God's will is always perfect! Regardless of the final decision, I could see the opportunities in it all. I am humbled & grateful that when people see me, they really see the God in me for I'm just a vessel of his grace and blessings!

It's not easy being GREEN!

Same stuff; different day except for my newest jewelry acquisition. Thanks to my super talented & creative friend, I am in love with my one-of-a-kind gingko leaf drop earrings. Inspired by PeaceImages' Leaf earrings, I gave my buddy a super cheap pair of drops & she delivered these beauties! Few know of my love for gingko leaves and how elated I was to actually spot a few trees downtown. Now I have my own pieces of sunshine to wear about town!

And just for the hell of it...

When enough is really ENOUGH!

This morning, I woke up with the craziest feeling! It's not that I've never felt it before. I've definitely been here before but I guess I didn't think I'd be here again so soon. The feeling was the need to get some things in order. Though it was soon replaced with nausea after my morning breakfast (Ugh!), I'm so glad that it was filling my space. I kinda wish that I'd recognized it during my wrestling match with insomnia the other night. That was surely a great time to get some ish on the right path. Let's just rejoice that I'm at the crossroad here, now, and right on time! The major epiphany that you've been waiting to hear...I have enough! Yep, that's it! No, really that's it. I have enough material things to last me quite a while. Though I'm not an exclusive gadgets or designer threads girl, I do like the experience of shopping. For me, it's less to do with the actual item purchased and far more to do with the process of it. Guess that makes me an experience girl? Maybe? Back to the moment of clarity...

As I look around, I see that I have all that any girl like me could want. I have a space of many awesome mini-experiences cataloged by some kind of artifact whether an impractical dress, one-of-a-kind necklace, cheeky coffee table book or perfectly-me set of stationery. All of these are enough for me! Then naturally, I asked myself exactly what's next for me to get into. I had to take a quick inventory of how I felt about this whole thing because I had to make sure this didn't mean that I'd climaxed in life. This just wasn't possible. Hell, I'm not even 30 yet! Talk about a short climb to the top! Not the case here so I talked myself off the ledge. I was actually relieved because this turned the spotlight onto what was behind the creative flood that I've been wading in for the last few weeks. I'd acquired my (current) heart's desire and now it was time for me to move from consumer to producer. Now it's my time to take all my creativity and put it to use. There's no reason for me to dream in blockbuster, heart-pounding color and not be able to translate it to something for tangible. Today that ends! The experiences will continue but now just from a different angle!


P.S. I really LOVE writing in this Nyquil-induced whimsy. If you don't mind, I'm just going to archive the drafts that I have on my hard drive. Maybe they'll get to come out one day. Who knows!?!?

Disclaimer: Moments like this don't always go as smooth as described above! There may a a flicker of panic in me. Inside, I was screaming "What?!?! What?!?! This can't be happening to me! What is wrong with me?" Then came a tiny whisper that said "maturity". That was it! It was settled! This was a moment of maturity. No way that I could argue with that! I got somewhere and sat real still to hash out my game plan for handling myself in this juncture.

Imperfectly Quotable (& Apologetic)

"I'm afraid that the older I get the more I'll have to regret...what do you do with regret...especially for an admitted perfectionist"

Kanye West via Twitter

Sorry for the sporadic posting! It's not that I don't love you but I've been a tad bit busy trying to avoid regret! I woke up this morning & as usual, Mr. West was tweeting away while I was catching some zzzzzzz. (Sadly, catching up with his & Erykah Badu's tweets are the highlights of my very early mornings! What else am I supposed to do at 5 a.m.?) I love that he allows the world into that Rubik's Cube of a brain of his! Back to my point, the older I get the more aware I am of potential opportunities that may never come around again. I'm trying like hell to catch them all! Whether if it's nothing more than a quick lunch with a friend or an 18-hour road trip to Washington, D.C. (best ever!!!), I don't want to look back and hate that I didn't do something. In my early 20's I missed quite a few significant life moments of friends that I hold close to my heart. At the time, my life was such a whirlwind full of hard bumps and I couldn't be there. Now I look back & realize that my presence in those moments were needed for them and myself. I should have taken the break from my insanity to focus on someone else's moment of happiness thus opening up a stream for that to trickle into my situation. Living life with no/minimal regret takes conscious choices while weighing out the risk but, most importantly, the gain!

F*ck You!

There is no other statement in the English language that's as definite as this! There is no denying what's meant when this is yelled at you! I always get a chuckle when I'm going back & forth with my BFF about some random situation & she replies "Screw them!" I know deep down inside she wants to launch a super-sized f-bomb! I'm so glad that I'm surrounded by people who are completely okay with exclaiming just how they feel. In fact, I think people should live in the moment of expressing themselves and telling someone where to park their foolery. (Not so) Shamefully, I admit that I've dropped a few f-bombs in my lifetime. It's just something liberating about the whole thing! However, I've crafted quite a few classy ways of doing it. As much I'd like to stand on a table to deliver my message (hand gestures included), I've perfected my own ways of delivering the message fully wrapped in the grace of Southern girl. Please let me know if you'd like to learn a few ways!

This video is such a gem & probably quite appropriate for someone's day!

Happy Hump Day!

You owe IT to yourself!

By "it", I mean honesty! Early in life, I fell prey to the mindset of keeping quiet as to limit the number of feathers that I'd ruffled in life. Looking back, I can remember run-ins with a few haughty personalities that further influenced my decision. I even recall a sharp-tongued "That's what you get for thinking" reprimand at the hands of my mother. I never wanted to cause trouble or be a hindrance. I only wanted to make a difference in the world! It seemed like a simple enough task but there were some bumps in the road. Years of taking the passive co-signer's role led me to some pretty unfavorable situations. Not all bad but I can't say that I was always proud of my stance and the resulting outcome. In some cases, I regretted my spineless involvement to the point of tears. The continuous cycle of people-pleasing then regret soon led to resentment for others & myself.

As this wasn't an easy cycle to fall into, it was an agonizing cypher to break free of. I struggled so much with how I'd be perceived or even if I was capable of making a decision on my own. At my table sat resent, doubt, inferiority, shame, and a host of other downtrodden insecurities. Wrestling with these for so many years pushed me to a point of exhaustion and outright sadness. I had to make a change and my life depended on it. Changing behavior that's become nature will never happen overnight. Honestly, the journey isn't over until you're dead. As long as there are choices to be made in life, you are on the battlefield fighting for your personal truth. So, how did I get to the breaking point and what did I do? Though the task seems great, the actions are small & purposeful!

• I mastered having "face time" with myself. Admittedly, a few times I was forced into this when it was just me alone with my emotions. Hating to be backed into that corner of inadequacy & resentment, I resolved to make purposeful time to have honest reflection on where I am, how I got here , and where I want to go from here. I'll never lie to say this was always an easy moment to be in but it helped me to really understand what makes me tick. I was able to see decisions that were counterproductive for what they were.
• I had to end the blame game. My entire life I listened to family members blame life's circumstances and other people for their poor choices. Without even realizing it, I'd taken on the same mind frame. By blamimg someone for my bad choices, I was essentially saying they were in control of me. Never so! I was fucking up on my own and I knew it! An exercise in 100% responsibility showed me that and I'm forever grateful for the eye opening experience.
• My opinion is valuable! Never one to be in the forefront or seek to outright lead, I convinced myself that my individual opinion wasn't as important as the popular vote. It wasn't until I stepped into a true support role at work that I realized that my job was to offer up a voice when I saw an opportunity or disaster on the horizon. Still a work in progress, I'm far more aware of the significance of my opinion in those crucial moments.
• Question everything!* (Can I express how much I really hate this part! I really want to believe that everyone is innately good and also looking out for me but, sadly, that's not always the case!) This was so hard for me because I felt like I risked coming across as defiant or even juvenile. It took some mastering but I learned the benefits of approach, tone and timing! If one of the three is off, things could crash & burn FAST. Sure, I feel like a tool sometimes for asking 'why' but it clears up any possible misconceptions.

Being honest with yourself is simply a part of growing up. The sooner that you can take off other's expectations & misconceptions that you're wearing, the sooner you can enjoy being comfortable in your own skin. Others will appreciate your authenticity & you free yourself to love the best possible life you can!

*I have another post in the works about the whole questioning things. I'm finally going to get off my butt to finish & edit it. Say a prayer!

Photo credit: Brianna McCarthy

A little TLC should do you just fine!

Another crazy day but luckily my TLC station on Slacker stepped in to bring me some smiles! I thought I'd share a few of my favorite TLC jams with you. Enjoy!

So you want the burger & fries but no drink?

Color me confuzzled!! I was in the oddest conversation earlier this week. I was having a casual chat with a male friend about some recent engagement announcements & the dating game, in general. I jokingly said that I'm ready to be engaged so that I can get a ridiculous rock! (Before you flip your wig, I know that's not what marriage is about. I'm well aware of the commitment & work involved. This was just a part of our morning ramblings.) I listened very attentively as he stated "I'll tell you what the problem is & why you don't get approached!". The next part felt like I'd been backhand smacked across the face! He continued on to say that men aren't going to be up to the task of approaching me because my height is intimidating, I'm attractive & just by looking at me, you can tell I don't take any bullsh*t. At risk of sounding braggadocios, I have to say he's right about those observations.

What I don't get is why any of this would bother a man! Why wouldn't a guy look for a mate with the proverbial "total package". (I'm aware humbly that I'm not perfect but I know what I bring to the table.) Call me whatever you may but what would make a guy turn away from an opportunity to match wits with a woman who has her head on straight & that he can deal with on the up & up? Am I in the minority for seeking the same things? Whatever the case, this is yet another conversation that pushes me to challenge my thinking & understanding of others. I'm not completely offended by his offering in this conversation as I know ill-intent was not the motive. It just surprises me this would be a problem for some men. Makes you ask if what you're seeking is really what you want! Hmmmm...

She-Ra: Reloaded

My inner ferret is now on Cloud 9! All of today was a hum-drum blur except for the lunchtime mail run. I was heading out to lunch & got the random urge to swing by the mail room. Before I even saw the name on the boxes, I knew they were for me. I was on a tight deadline for lunch & had all intentions of opening them when I got back to the office. That only lasted about 10 minutes and I had to pull to the side of the road! Are you really surprised? (I'm not! I have the willpower of a toddler!) I had enough sense not to turn on my flashers. I didn't want to have to explain that I was pulled over to try on jewelry, you know! The rest is history so I'll let the pictures speak for themselves:

I am the proud owner of Rachel Stewart's Space Princess earrings & Warrior Woman cuff! I've been eyeing these for quite a while & finally took the plunge. I'm so glad that I did because I can see myself putting these in heavy rotation. I've gotten a ton of compliments and I've only tried them on once for a few minutes. Rachel is a talented artists & stunning curly girl with a great sense of humor! I was sold immediately. You have to support those that are following their dreams and having fun while doing it!

If you've not familiar with Rachel Stewart's work, check her out:

Twitter

Facebook

Blog

Liberating Style feature

Random thought: I think Tyra Banks would be so proud of my "smizing" in that last pic! LOL

Dabbling in a bit of everything!

I've been trying my hand at some DIY projects that I've spotted online. So far, all have been a success. One was so much of a success that I've been spending my free time making them for others. That being, none other than...zipper headbands! Random, I know! I'm not really sure where I saw them originally but I couldn't resist taking a stab at it. This now officially makes me a dorky, headband-wearing, crazy cat lady! I'm not too proud of the title but I look pretty good wearing it (the headband & title). And for shits & giggles, I decided to post photographic proof in the form of the ever popular car photoshoot. Luckily, I snapped this earlier in the day before my hair grew to epic proportions & started swallowing the headband whole. I thought you'd also appreciate that I was abiding by the law & wearing my seatbelt! Click it or Ticket, people! Not sure if you can tell but I'm wearing my newest Mac Plushglass in Oversexed...LOVE THIS COLOR!

I'm sure you want me to offer something of substance but I'm all whooped so I have nothing to really offer. EXCEPT for a great article that my co-worker/friend & reader of my blog posted to Facebook. Maybe it's just the current mood that I'm in but I wanted to scream "Hallelujah!" & high five anyone walking past my desk as I was reading the article! I confess that I have a difficult time conveying my feelings. I use way too many words & fly off into random stories that pop to mind as I relive the emotions. This particular article got about 97% of how I'd describe myself without confusing you with my high definition styled stories. Hopefully, you'll find a part of the article that resonates with you!

the initiated woman

Congratulations! If you stand on your tip toes, you can see the weekend!
Make the most of the rest of your week!

Almost broke a promise!

A few posts ago, I mentioned that I'd entered into a local art project hosted by the Rozelle Artists Guild. I was really pushing the deadline on getting my submission in time for the book & exhibit. After a few late nights, I finished. It didn't take me so long because I'm just that good of an artists but because I'm a manic perfectionist. I just couldn't decided on what I wanted to draw & then if I wanted to keep it in pencil or color. After doing most of my sketches in pencil, I went to Walgreens to buy crayons and colored pencils. I had to basically, erase everything except the outlines just to recolor everything. Crazy, I know! I tried to scan the final book but the copies were all wacked out but I did snap a few on my trusty BlackBerry during the process. I promised you pics so here they are. Enjoy!

I took this as I was racing to the post office before it closed at 7:00pm on the last day to have it postmarked to be featured in the book.

Your friendly neighborhood h4xx0r!!

Before you get alarmed & think I'm pushing illegal substances, "h4xx0r" is just a way of saying hacker! And by hacker, I really am friendly & just doing a few D.I.Y projects. If you know me then you know there are few accessories that I've come face-to-face with that I didn't like. Bad for me because I've run out of places to store my collection. I thought a no-buy would buy me time to solving this problem. NOPE! It's just turned me into a D.I.Y fool! In just a few projects I've saved myself about...brace yourself...$400!!! What can I say, I have expensive taste!

After church, I jumped in the Blue Bullet and headed over to Joann Fabrics to see what I could get into for the afternoon. So here's what I've been up to:

Hack #1 - Rope necklace

I first saw this D.I.Y done by Maegan of ...love Maegan a few months ago. At the time, I was too lazy to look for the supplies so, essentially, it was just another bookmark saved for no reason. I rediscovered her blog last month & decided I was going to go through with it this time. One minute, two curtain ties, one spool of ribbon & $8, I had a new necklace! It was so easy & cheap that I can see this being my staple necklace for the fall. (Sales alert: The curtain ties run $4.99 but are 40% off right now making them $2.99!)

Hack #2 - Feather Headband

This was an impromptu purchase while I was at the fabric store. It was inspired by a picture of Laura Izibor that I saw online earlier. (SN: F*ck Yeah Curls Curls Curls is an awesome site for curly inspiration. If you aren't a curly, this site will push you over the edge!) Headbands like this can range from a few dollars at Forever 21 to $$$ for designer ones. I was able to make this one for $5!! Not too shabby & it will surely distract from any bad hair day!

Hack #3 - Makeup Organizer

Over the past year or so, I've gotten into makeup. It's never been anything major just a few lipglosses, eyeshadow pans, and mascaras. Some kind of way, my small collection has expanded to a couple of highly disorganized makeup bags. I just couldn't take it any more so I made the step to fix that. I stole an idea from Sephora to organize my brushes, lip & eye liners and random other tools. The jars & sand cost me just $5. Yay for me!

I'd Do It All Again...

Last night I {{FINALLY}} got the chance to see Corinne Bailey Rae in concert! Just so you know, I LOVE HER!! I really love the sound of singers from across the pond. The whole deal with her husband made me think that she'd surely give up on music & I'd never have the chance to see her perform. Several failed attempts at seeing her at the re-birthed Lilith Fair also made me believe that seeing her in person would never happen. Imagine my excitement when I found out that she was coming to town & tickets were only $25! REALLY?!?!? On a whim, I was crazy enough to buy a plane ticket & concert tickets to see Erykah Badu in Chicago so I was not going to miss out on another chance to be a musical stalker. The concert was held at the New Daisy Theater on historic Beale Street. The venue leaves a bit to be desired and is standing room only but is great if you want to see an artist in a very intimate setting. Her voice & energy were awesome! She was having a great time & so was the crowd. Despite all the chaos at the beginning of the night, it was well worth it!

Sorry about the quality of the pics. My digital camera had major 'tude so I had to resort to using my BlackBerry. I saw a girl with the new touch-screen Coolpix last night & I think I might take the plunge. Her pictures rivaled those of the fancier larger DSLRs. I'm going to see if Santa thinks I was a good enough girl to get it for Christmas or sometime before then! *crosses fingers*

My new boyfriend (in my head)!!

Today is seriously slow moving! I have things to do but all I want to do is finish off my Rozelle Artists Guild sketchbook & go home to cook some bangin' Ramen for lunch. This officially solidifies me as a Monday Fail! I then made the mistake of fumbling onto Twitter leading to more potential failage (new word). One of my fav artists Erykah Badu (@fatbellybella) retweeted a link to some artwork by a fellow E. Bady lover & artist by the name of Rob Gibson (@robartistic). He did two awesome pieces in tribute to Erykah & Corinne Bailey Rae. How random to find a guy that loves two of my favorite artists & then he got down on the canvas with them. Immediately, I pegged him my new boyfriend in my head as Wendy Williams would say! Check out his work:

Lollapalooza 2010

His blog if full of more awesomeness so stop by & check it out! Really, I don't want to be the only person Twitter-stalking him!

Happy Monday!

My week? Let me show you it!

This is the best way that I can describe how my week has been! Long hours, high stress & health issues = WOWZA! I rarely go into details about my job because some days it's just too wacked out to understand. Between backstabbing, gossip, legal woes & other randomness, I think people would much rather hear about the good in the world! Gotta run to another meeting & then I'll be joining the NyQuil Nation! PEACE!

Tell Me Something Good!

Longest day ever & now I have insomnia! Luckily, Soul Train saved the day with this gem!

Confessional is now open!

I don't boast about it but I'm a bit artsy fartsy when left to myself. I don't have a particular medium that I like to work with. I've tried a few different techniques over the year. My job doesn't allow for any creativity so I escape by way of quick pencil sketches. My mind gets so cluttered with random idea that a few years back I started carrying moleskin notebooks in my purse. Fairly quickly, more than half of the pages are littered with random doodles. I never show anyone because they're never anything special. It's my little secret! Once I've finished a book, I throw it into a pile and rarely do I ever go back to look at them. I picked up the drawing bug from my dad. He's the most talented artist that I know. Sadly, it's not a talent that he uses often; if ever. He's a secret doodler like me. In high school, he was granted an Art scholarship but he didn't use it. He was pushed to focus on basketball because of his height. (He's 6'9"!) When the basketball thing didn't get him into college, he just started to work. I remember the first time that I discovered he could draw. I was working on a project and asked for some help drawing a horse. In minutes, he'd sketched out the most perfect masterpiece. I contemplated signing my name on the bottom to turn it in as my own work but he wasn't having it. He took me through the steps on creating my own. And that's when the art bug bit me! I've drawn all kinds of things & recently branched out to photography. I get super excited at the opportunities to get outside to take pictures or lay out & draw. Doesn't happen too much but it's a treat when I get the chance.

I'm sure you're wondering why this qualifies as confession worthy! Well, I've been wanting to discreetly put together a collection of sketches and photos. I've been putting it off & making excuses about time and my lack of professional training. I received a random e-mail from a childhood acquaintance and wrote a super-charged motivational e-mail reply just to realize that I should be taking my own advice. Dawn Okoro's recent blog post pretty much reinforced that little voice that was telling me that I have no more reasons to run from it. I'm entering a local event where random citizens are asked to fill a small sketchpad with their creativity. I should get my book by the weekend. I'll share the final product before I turn it back in at the beginning of September.

Won't Let Nothing Show Through

Today, I had on a serious poker face! I can feel my exhaustion all the way to my bones. Since there is no such thing as time outs in real life, I had to keep pushing through the day's events. I survived my first real day under my new boss and an off-site event. I even dug down deep to muster out a workout, a quick trip to the grocery store and slight housework once I escaped the workhouse. I'm now zonked and heading straight for the Sandman's neighborhood!

♫Listening to Do You Feel Me by Anthony Hamilton♫

Right to the point!

I'm such a fan of Anthony Hamilton & his sound! He's one of the few artists that I can see having REAL music that will be passed down to the next generation. This song was my favorite as soon as I heard it and I can never listen to it just once (or 3 times). It gets put on repeat for hours & never gets old to me! What can I say? It's just that good to me! I have all the love habits listed in this song. Not always the best way to love but I'd much rather love to the fullest than to never get the chance to do it at all. I guess that makes me a love dispenser!?!? Just like extroverts energize by being in their element of large groups, the opportunity to authenticate my love by way of true action refuels me. Not in a way that expects reciprocation but just to let someone know my love is there when they need it. I fully believe that when you give love from a genuine place without expecting anything in return, God will keep it flowing and it's our job to find new vessels to deposit it. He'll do for us just like He did for the widow in 2 Kings 4. I love the line in Eat~Pray~Love when she says that she wants to one day have the capacity to love the whole world. I wonder what that would feel like! Just imagine!

Happy Tuesday!

Another year in the books!

Yesterday I celebrated my 29th birthday & of course, it was a day of mixed emotions for me. I can't begin to tell you how many people called, e-mailed & texted to ask me when and where was my party. I was beginning to think someone was actually planning a party for me without telling me. With each inquiry, I had to respectfully let down the person and let them know that I had no plans. Honestly, the introvert in me wanted nothing more than to find a small island to jet off to celebrate alone. A private island was out of the question but a drive a couple of hours away did the trick. Funny thing was that the friend that I met up with needed the visit more than me! Cocktails, movies, football and much needed down-time was a nice birthday present for me!

The drawing above is by the talented Brianna McCarthy! I'm a fan of her work & get super giddy whenever she updates her blog with new work. This piece is called Bella - The Colours of Hope, Faith and New Beginnings. We both agreed that she looks a bit like me. What do you think?