Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Thank You!!!


I just wanted to take the time to say thank you to my readers!! I asked for prayers on Friday and I know some of y'all were gracious enough to do so. I won't elaborate right now, but be on the lookout for a celebratory post coming soon!

:-)


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Monday, July 29, 2013

Girls Weekend

This past weekend was Girls Weekend. I needed a fun break from the very strenuous events that have taken place in my life lately, so even though this lengthy post will highlight the good time I had.

Me & Nicole (@ Pharr Away)!

Way back in February, one of my girlfriends took the initiative to get a group of us together for the Beyonce concert in Charlotte. Now, I like rap and hip hop more than R&B, so if I was looking for concerts to go to this year, the Beyonce concert would not have been on my list. Quick story - During the trip, I decided to play some of her songs on my iPod to get us ready. When I searched her name, I only had 6 songs!! LOL. If it were Drake (95 songs on my iPod) or J. Cole (114 songs)...we would have been good to go...lol...but I digress. I listen to her (I guess just not on my iPod) and from the little bit I've seen and heard she's a good entertainer. I knew this would be a good opportunity to hang out and I didn't want to be a party pooper, so I decided to go with them. It just so happened to be restaurant week in Charlotte too, so we all decided to try a new restaurant as well. There were 32 restaurants in the Uptown area to choose from, so we all narrowed down our choices and decided on going to BlackFinn American Saloon. Let's discuss.


First up, BlackFinn American Saloon.
I've never heard of this place before, but from the menu there were good things to choose from. I ordered:
House Wine: White Zinfandel
Seared Ahi Tuna
-Pretty self explanatory. It was the sweetest of the wines and tasted like Moscato, so I was happy with that.
Starter: Seared Ahi Tuna
-Sushi grade, garlic and pepper crust, seaweed salad, pickled ginger, wasabi, soy sauce)
-I read the description and thought I had an understanding of what would come on my plate, but I was mistaken. The crust was good, but I wasn't a fan of the sushi grade tuna itself. I'll try anything once...I tried it and now I know I don't like it.
Salad: Caesar Salad
-I like my salad a little more on the wet side. This salad was dryer than I would have preferred.
Entree: Lime Seared Salmon
Lime Seared Salmon
-Roasted corn and black bean pico de gallo, rice pilaf, fresh asparagus
-The salmon was good. I could have done with the black bean pico de gallo. This was also my first time trying asparagus and it was very tasty. The rice was good too. It tasted like beef rice-a-roni. LOL
Dessert: Strawberry Shortcake
-pound cake, strawberry sauce, fresh strawberries, whipped cream
-I don't really like pound cake, but I absolutely love strawberries and whipped cream. The edges of the pound cake was burnt side, so I ended up cutting the edges off and eating what was left of the cake with the strawberries and whipped cream.
The Girls


The experience with trying new foods at a new restaurant wasn't all that great, but it wasn't all that bad either. Being there gave us a chance to catch up with each other because I hadn't seen my friends since the last birthday gathering we had in March! It's so hard to keep up with friends these days with everything we all have going on. (Sidenote: I finally got the chance to tell my friend how hard it was to keep her upcoming engagement from her!! We all knew how much she wanted it and when she brought it up at her birthday gathering we were all like...take the key out and zip those mouths!!! I'm just glad none of us spilled the beans.)

After catching up on everyone's life...it was concert time!


The Mrs. Carter Show - World Tour
Luke Jennings was the opening act. As I've said before, I don't like R&B, so I wasn't paying attention to this guy. He was on stage for about 45 minutes. After the fiasco we experienced trying to get into the arena, I needed to rest. Beyonce began right on time...which was awesome! I love timeliness.

Inside the arena



I've seen bits and pieces of this show in different places and even with having done that it was still a different experience seeing it in person.


"All the single ladies...."

I decided to post only one picture. I would hate for the Beyonce police to arrest my blog for posting pictures of her show...LOL!!

To say the least, she's definitely a great performer. I've never been interested enough to go to one of her concerts before. During her last concert tour I heard her ticket prices were outrageous so being the curious person I am I checked it out. From what I remember, the lowest priced tickets were in the mid-hundreds (about $130-$150).

I love a good concert, but I love a good ticket price even more. I've been fortunate enough to see some artists I really wanted to see for some great prices. So I'll just say I have a cap on what I'm willing to pay for a concert ticket.

A few other things about Beyonce. She's a great singer. I remember when she and Destiny's Child came out. I was a little unsure about her singing ability...not saying that she couldn't sing because I loved DC and their albums. I can see the maturation of her voice over time and it's beautiful. She's very pretty and has a GREAT body. If I had to have a body role model, it would be her. She's hippy and wears it very well. I really don't like when she gets too skinny because then she looks awkward. I just feel like she's made to have curves so when they're not there she doesn't look like herself. She has great physique and with that great physique she can dance her butt off!! I wouldn't mind being able to dance like her either but that's a post for a-whole-nother day!

Shrinkage is real.
One last thing, then I'm done! Y'all know how I am with my hair and this shrinkage, right?! My hair was on point Satuday! For some odd reason, I didn't check the weather for the day. I guess I figured, I'm going to this concert with my friends to have a good time so I know it's going to be sunny. Wrong! Unfortunately it rained in Charlotte. Thank goodness it stopped before we got there, but there was so much moisture in the air...and my hair soaked up every little bit of moisture it could. I was so upset...lol...but I learned I need to always keep a headband (or something to tie my hair up into an afro puff with) in the car. If all else fails, I can turn a shrinking afro into a beautiful afro puff in 30 seconds! Lesson learned, my friends, lesson learned.

To say that least I had an excellent time with my friends. When things get rough it helps to be in the good company of people you know have your back, understand you, and love you wholeheartedly. There was food, much laughter, and a great show to top it off!! Oh, the stories we'll tell. We must definitely do it again.

I wish the weekend and the week would switch places, but who am I fooling?! 
Have a great week y'all!
:-)

My favorite post of the week!

Life in a Break Down



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Friday, July 26, 2013

50 Questions, Part 7

Alright guys,

I'm getting close to the end with this series so hang in there! This is a weird set of questions, so this post won't be too long. I wish I could swap these questions out but I won't! I'll stay true to the fidelity of the model (that's my work talk:-) and answer every question as is.

I'll try to make it as interesting as possible!

31. At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive?
New York, New York @ The Rockefeller Center
This is a great question. I've been so bogged down with every day life things that I can't even think of anything at this moment. That's terrible, I know! If I had to pull something out of the air though, I would probably say that last time in my recent past was when I went to New York. That wasn't even all that recent because that was last year. There was just something about being in that city with all those people that made me feel alive. It was so busy and my boyfriend and I were caught up in the hustle and bustle of the NY life. I wouldn't say it was passionate, but it was definitely fun.


32. If not now, then when?
In a fairy tale world, I have a picture in my head of when I'll be able to live a more passionate and alive life. I know it should be something I strive to do everyday, and I try at times to remember that, but there are things I want out of life (and if you follow me regularly, you can probably guess what they are). I feel like the things I want will help contribute to me feeling most passionate and alive.
I also want to be free of some of the worries I have now. I know worry is a choice...and there really is no good reason to worry (per the Bible)...but what can I say, I'm a worrywart! Absence of the things that add worry in my life will definitely help free my mind some. I'm not saying then and only then will I feel passionate and alive...but I think it speaks to why I can't think of a time in the recent past that I would describe as a time I've felt that way. I've been happy and excited and I've experienced a whole host of other emotions as well, but passionate and alive...not so much.

33. If you haven't achieved it yet, what do you have to lose?
I don't have anything to lose. I could, however, lose some of this worry and lack of time and resources I have. I say this, but I feel like it's possible to achieve even if those things are present. I would just prefer them to be gone!

34. Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever?
Yes, I have.

35. Why do religions that support love cause so many wars?
This is the second time I've heard this in the past week and there's something about this statement I just don't like. People aren't perfect. People commit actions that have effects. Inanimate things/beings/causes aren't able to make anything happen. A religion does not cause war. People who have disagreements can and they can claim to be doing it "in the name of religion". I don't believe religions cause war just like I don't think music or video games cause violence. People have to make decisions about how they will act. We're each accountable for our own actions. At the end of life, I don't think God will say to religion "why did you cause this war?" but He will certainly come to you and I to ask us about the things we've done during our lifetime.

So, the weird set of questions is complete..."wipes brow". Now we can resume with better questions next time. Also, I've got some exciting things going on today. Pray for me!!


And last but not least...after some debate (LOL) I'll be seeing Beyonce' tomorrow with my girls!

After all that's been going on a girls weekend is definitely needed...going to a concert isn't bad either!
Have a great weekend y'all!


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Wednesday, July 24, 2013

I'm An Introvert - 2

Are Introverts Shy?!

A few things to consider when dealing with an Introvert.For those that have been following, you know I'm trying to get through this series about being an Introvert to give you a glimpse of who I am and what I'm about. There are 10 things I'll touch on that describe myths of Introverts and why they're not 100% true. I'll talk about how these things relate to me, but this is not to say that this is how all Introverts are.

Here's a few things I should have included in my first post: I don't like talking on the phone. I will if there's a need, but talking on the phone is kind of like the small talk thing for me. There are some exceptions to this, but if you get a phone call from me...know it's serious!!
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Monday, July 22, 2013

Everyday Look OOTD

I've been feeling really stylish lately so I've been trying to find items in my closet to dress up and wear in ways that I wouldn't normally wear them. Colored pants are a hot item these days and I just so happen to have a few of them in my closet.

Here's one way I've decided to dress up a pair of colored pants for church.






Owl Earrings: A gift from my friend/cousin/Soror!
Necklace: Aldo Accessories
Michael Kors watch
Claire's bracelet
Ralph Lauren Cardigan: Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store
Old Navy tank top
Pants: Belk
Christian Siriano shoes (I didn't mention this in the last post, but he was one of my FAVES on project runway!!): Payless Shoesource





It was a very cute outfit to wear for only 2 hours...lol! Adding this item to my to do list - wear this outfit again..and soon!

Two things:

still being [molly]Check out funday Monday!

I know it's Monday, but I'm also using this post for my Random Wednesday too!!
What can I say, I love the outfit!

AND, don't forget about this AWESOME giveaway!! Go check it out!!!
 


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Monday, July 15, 2013

Busy Hair

Wash and Go

I'm sure you guys have noticed that I've been missing. If you've been keeping up with me, you know how busy I am...so I've decided to quit explaining my busyness because I know you all understand. As much as I want to post every day, I can't. At least not right now. If there is one week when I do...applaud me, because it wasn't an easy task to do!!!

Because of my busyness, I had to find something to do with my hair. I'd gotten a protective hair style for the holiday. After a trip to King's Dominion (the water park especially...a trip which I'll post about later in the week) my hair was threw! Since I wasn't home that weekend, I decided to do a wash and go.
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Friday, July 5, 2013

50 Questions To Free Your Mind, Part 6

I hope you all enjoyed the holiday yesterday!! I'm having a great time and I'm very thankful for this Friday off (WHOO-HOO!). It's unfortunate for those of you who have to work but....make that money!!

If you've been keeping up with me you know that I've been doing a Free Your Mind series. I took a break to catch up on a few things, but now I'm ready to jump back in there. Since it seems this week is looking more and more questionnaire week (sorry) I figured this was a better week than any to start 'em back up.

So, here we go!

26. Would you rather lose all of your old memories or never be able to make new ones?
This is a very tough question! My gut reaction is telling me to lose all my old memories. It seems to me that there would be no point in experiencing new and great things if you won't be able to remember them. This is not negating the fact that old memories can be just as great too, but I want to make room for the new memories. I know I have such great things in store.

27. Is it possible to know the truth without challenging it first?
I believe it is. You can turn the eye of a stove on and it will glow orange to show that it's hot. You can see that. Someone can tell you that. You don't have to challenge that to know and/or see it's true.

28. Has your greatest fear ever came true.
My greatest fear is death. I know everybody is going to die one day. I know some people are excited about death because they believe we'll go on to be with God if we've lived the life He's wanted us to live. I get that and I'm good with that...but moreso than being afraid of death, I'm afraid of dying before being able to accomplish certain things in my life. I've lived a life dreaming of what life would be like when.... I would hate to leave this earth before being able to experience what it's like to get engaged, married, pregnant, and have children that I'm responsible for. It may not seem like much to you but all of those things would mean a lot to me. So, the short answer to this question is no my greatest fear has not come true...but it will one day and when it does I hope to have lived a very great life full of love, happiness, peace, and great times.

29. Do you remember the time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset?
Does it really matter now?
Probably not. I'm a very emotional person. Things can have a great impact on me because I like to have a sense of "control" over the things going on in my life. When I don't and can't exactly control what's going on, it upsets me. I was in grad school in 2008, so I was probably stressing out over some exam or paper. I stressed a lot in grad school because we had to have A's and B's. After my experience in undergrad, I was very worried about my performance so I stressed a lot about exams, papers, projects, etc. So, I guess you can say it mattered because it was grad school related, but it probably didn't matter as much as in the long run (if that makes sense).

30. What is your happiest childhood memory? What makes it so special?
I touched on this a little bit here. What makes it so special is that's a time that I can remember when things were good. Everyone would get together and just have fun. But, as we get older, we get hit with life. You get grown up responsibilities, family members have passed on, things change. Those were the days!

Now that I'm up-to-date on my Free Your Mind series, I will be waiting for the next set of questions to be posted so I can stay on top of things. There are four more posts remaining, so stay tuned. Things have been very busy around my way!!


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Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Rooftop Party OOTN

This past weekend, my boyfriend and I attended one of his office parties. Unfortunately, we had other plans to fall through, so I was unprepared for a party. We ended up having to spend a whole evening shopping for an outfit I could wear!! Here's what we found:

**That's not my purse, nor is that my water! Those items just so
happened to be there while we were taking pictures.**





Earrings: Aldo Accessories
Necklace: Aldo Accessories
Watch: Michael Kors
Bracelet: Tiffany's
Dress (w/ attached belt): Nordstrom
Shoes: Payless, Christian Siriano
Arm Candy: MY boyfriend...and NO!, you can't have him!










Since, we were searching kind of at the last minute our options were limited. We didn't want to spend two evenings searching for a dress I'd be wearing only for a few hours. I came across this dress and thought it was cute...then I looked at the tag and saw it was a petite (womp, womp...lol!). By no means am I a petite woman but I can get away with wearing petite dresses (at least I think I can). If I wouldn't have mentioned it was a petite dress you wouldn't even know...lol...just as I'm sure no one at the party noticed either! If they did, it wasn't a bad thing; I was just "givin' 'em a little leg!!"

;-)


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Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Liebster Award #3

If you've been tuned in then you know that I've been nominated for two more Liebster Awards. I answered the questions for Liebster Award #2 yesterday. Today, I'll be answering the questions for nomination #3. For this award, I would like to thank Aracely at Mama Fashion Files.

Let's get to it!

1. Why did you start blogging?
Well, two of my best friends had recently started blogging...one on BlogSpot (see below) and one on Tumblr (Our Life. Our Love. Unbreakable. - The Coley's). In order to follow my friend on Tumblr, I had to join. I initially started blogging to chronicle my hair journey. I thought it would be neat to look back and see what I was doing with my hair along the way. I took more of an interest in blogging then just wanting to share pictures. I wanted to talk more!! My friend convinced me to check out BlogSpot and once I did, I loved it! Now my blog has turned into a little getaway of sorts for me. There have been times when I've wanted to approach my blog like a diary, but chose not to for fear of who would see it...but I'm trying to move away from that (just a little!!). This blog is my space to share with you all what I want to share. It's not an all inclusive picture of my whole life. Everything is not all good or all bad. It's a mixture of both. My blog is my space to express me, however and whenever I choose to do so!

2. Name two of your favorite bloggers?

My best friend Nicole at Pharr Away

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And Rekita at Her and Nicole

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3. What's your favorite place to shop?
Well...I'm kind of at a crossroads with places to shop. When I go to the mall I go to Belk, JCPenney, and Charlotte Russe. But let's be honest, we don't really have a lot of good places to shop around here. When I go out of town, I make sure I stop at places like Forever 21 and H&M. I haven't been able to find a favorite spot just yet, but I'm sure once I identify exactly what my style is...I'll be able to do a better job at picking a favorite place.

4. Are you an impulse shopper?
I hate to say it but I think I am. I try to stay away from the mall, but I usually find myself shopping when I'm sad. Shopping takes my mind off my feelings and helps me feel better. Buying something cute and new helps too. I tend to spend when I know I probably shouldn't, but once it's done it's done. I never return things. If I bought it, I wanted it and probably needed it in some way or the other...so, I live with it!

5. Favorite TV show?
I have a hard time picking favorites but there a number of TV shows I enjoy watching. For some odd reason, I enjoy reality TV. I find myself watching those shows a little more often than I'd like to admit, but they can be quite entertaining. I also like to watch The Walking Dead, True Blood, Scandal, and The Game...to name a few.

6. Favorite vacation spot?
Well, I don't really vacation that much. I definitely don't visit the same places when I do vacation. If I had to pick a few places I enjoyed I would say Myrtle Beach, Virginia Beach, Fort Lauderdale...notice a pattern?? Lol.

7. Starbucks or McD's?
If you're asking which place would I choose for coffee, I'd say Starbucks. If you're asking which one I'd pick over all, I'd say McDonald's. Even though I don't really like their meat anymore...I still love their french fries.

8. Have you read any good books lately?
To make a long story short...unfortunately, I have not.

9. What's your guilty pleasure?
See here (letter I)

10. Which celebrity's close would you love to raid.
Beyoncé. She does her thing.

11. Do you prefer flats or heels?
Flats, for comfort purposes...but because heels make me feel more like a "lady" I wear wedges or thicker soled sandals (see here) as a compromise. That way I get the best of both worlds.

Ahh...that was fun. Thanks again to both ladies for nominating me and my blog. I'm glad y'all enjoy my blog enough to recommend it to others!! :-)

Have a great day y'all.


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Monday, July 1, 2013

Liebster Award #2

So I've been nominated for two more Liebster Awards. To see my first Liebster Award, click here. Because I know how difficult it can be to find people to nominate, I always like to participate. I had such a low turnout for responses during my first one, so I don't nominate bloggers anymore.

What I've decided to do is answer both Awards and post them back to back so it won't be too much reading for one day. For the first award, I would like to thank Erin at Life Beyond The Well.

Here we go!

1. What the best dish you cook?
Well, there are many staple items I enjoy cooking. If I had to pick one dish I cook well it would be hamburger with onions and gravy, rice, and green bean casserole.

2. What was your favorite subject when you were in school/growing up?
My favorite subject was always math! I liked math because there was always a right answer to find. There were designated formulas to use to get you to the right answers...so you had to be knowledgeable in knowing which formula to pick. Once I got to high school my favorite subjects were Calculus and Chemistry. I liked chemistry because it was a math...just related science. I took AP courses for both of these subjects and thoroughly enjoyed my time in each. One piece of advice my calculus teacher gave us was...whatever math level you place into at college, take the class below it. But noooooo....I thought I knew it all. Looking back on things, I should have taken her advice for both math and science. Needless to say, my favorite subject changed once I got to college. I enjoyed psychology. I loved learning about the mind and behaviors of people. I chose this as my major because I wanted to be able to better understand people. I think I've learned now that it is a nearly impossible task to do but I still enjoy learning about psychology (mental health, substance abuse, etc.) to this day.

3. What's your all-time favorite book? Why?
I discuss this both here (#1) and here (#5)

4. If you had the opportunity to start your own business, what kind of business would it be?
If I had both the time and resources to start a business that would be profitable, I would take up photography. I love taking pictures and would love to learn how to do it professionally. It would also be awesome to make money doing it! I know it can be done...I've seen how much wedding packages cost!

5. What's the best piece of advice you received from your parents?
I touch on that in a nutshell here.

6. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Ever since I can remember I wanted to be a OB/GYN. I've always loved babies and I thought it would be awesome to be a part of bringing them into this world.

7. Cats or Dogs? When one would you prefer as a pet?
We've always been dog people in my family. We've always had a dog. I can't remember a time in my life when we didn't have a dog. It's not that I don't like cats, I just never grew up with them. The ones I did have contact with were mean!

8. Did you play any sports while in school? If so, which ones?
I played recreational softball starting in the 4th grade. Once I got to middle school they introduced doing fast pitch softball and I DID NOT like that. In the 8th or 7th grade I played softball for my middle school. It was cool and all, but I didn't like the coach. I wanted to quit the team so bad, but my Moma wouldn't let me. She never let me quit anything. I always had to stick it out. Needless to say, that was my last year playing softball. I miss it a lot. My mom still plays softball and every time I watch her play I feel super nostalgic.

9. If you could have an all expenses paid vacation to anywhere in the world,
where would you choose to go?
See here (#17), here (#2), and here (#2)

10. What is your favorite childhood memory?
I remember a lot of playing! I was a tomboy back in the day. I stayed outside until dark most nights. I enjoyed flipping, playing in the dirt, riding my bike, you name it! I was so carefree then. Other great childhood memories I have are of family gatherings. My family used to get together all the time for family reunions. It would be great seeing everybody and eating all that good food!! We don't see each other as much anymore...on either my mom or dad's side...and it's very unfortunate.

11. Chipotle, Qdoba, or Moe's?
My boyfriend absolutely LOVES Chipotle...and if there's not a Chipotle around, he'll settle for Qdoba. SMH...I am not a fan of Spanish cuisine, so I don't eat at any of these places...except when I'm with him...LOL

I hope you guys enjoyed the read...and tune in tomorrow to read my third nomination!


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