I Don't Blog Naked

Major benefit of being a blogger: you don't have a dress code. Most days I roll out of bed, wash my face, brush my teeth, and grab my laptop. Now don't go spreading internet rumors - I don't blog in my birthday suit.

I've had to "get dressed for work" twice this month. I share pics of my outfits on Facebook, so I figured why not share them here with you too.

photo courtesy of Body Central (bodyc.com)

 I had my eye on the vest pictured above for about two years now. I kept waiting for it to go on sale, but it never did. Until now. It's on clearance.

I already had the other pieces to recreate this look, but I couldn't find a vest at a price I was willing to pay. Until now. Thank you, Ross Dress for Less!

 

I picked up my shrug for $8.99 which is still a buck less than Body Central's clearance price. Scored the tank from Rue21 (two for $10) - my favorite spot for tanks because they don't lose their shape and are always on sale. My black wide leg pants are from Gap...got em a few years ago when a store was closing at a local mall.

I wore these - part of my collection thanks to lay-away at T.J.Maxx:

Franco Sarto shoes from T.J.Maxx

I think I got them two summers ago. Maybe, but don't quote me. I just know they aren't brand spankin' new. I checked the bottom to get the price, but it was torn off. My guess is they were between $29.99 - $39.99. Not bad considering similar sandals are $69.99.

I wore this outfit to the Do You Naturally Expo yesterday where I presented a topic on entrepreneurship. 

Here I am with author and speaker Erika Gilchrist:

Here I am again with KXAN meteorologist Rhonda Lee who talked about her natural hair journey as a media professional, along with expo host, Veola Jolly.

I can't remember the last time I shopped for something to wear to an event. Whenever I see affordable, versatile pieces that would compliment my wardrobe I pick them up. It's so much easier and cost effective than running out buying something every time you have to make an appearance.

I'm gonna get my 8.99 worth out of this shrug! Not only will I wear it again, but I'll be photographed in it too!

Guess what?! Due to the overwhelming response to this post, I started a personal style blog. But it's not just any personal style blog. Go on..click here to check it out!

Today's Video: Don't Wait For The Slam Dunk

I've been guilty of this. I would justify it by telling myself I hadn't quite earned the right yet...I had to keep my nose to the grind so I wouldn't lose focus.*

If you can't see the video CLICK HERE.

On those really challenging days when it seems like nothing is going your way (had one of them myself yesterday), you have to look a little harder to find the victory. It doesn't always show up as a win...sometimes it's just a matter of deciding to stay in the game.

*I inadvertently said I was contacted by entities who want to work FOR me when I should've said they were interested in working WITH me.*

Mama Knows Best...You Should Know Better

As I sit here at the kitchen table, I keep reflecting on a comment my friend Zara made on her Facebook page recently. It's not verbatim, but it boiled down to her saying we should let go of some of the beliefs our parents ingrained in us and adopt our own. Neither one of us could remember the context in which she said it, so I'm going to give you an example of how it relates to me.

Sunday dinner was a big thing when I was growing up. My mama would ask the day before what I wanted and that's what she'd cook. It was never anything simple. That's not how traditional Sunday dinners are supposed to be. Often times it consisted of something freshly picked from a friend's garden and was the epitome of southern soul food. Alot like what my dinner is today. 

I seasoned the pork chops and turkey wings last night. Sundays are reserved for two meats, a green vegetable, a starch, and a wildcard side dish (but not a starch because double starches are a sin). Even if it's the hottest day of summer, you have to turn the oven on because dinner ain't complete without cornbread.

Did you know if you drop a fork on the floor while you're cooking, it means someone is gonna show up unexpectedly...hungry?! Heaven help you if you don't have enough to feed them! 

The turkey wings are in the crockpot and the chops are still resting in the fridge. It's not time to cook those yet because everything has to be ready and hot - at the same time. No microwaves on Sunday unless you're warming up seconds. The hand-selected cabbage from the produce section at Wal-Mart is prepped and will be last on the stove. Overcooking makes it mushy and you lose all the nutrients.

The Zatarain's Dirty Rice counts as a starch. Even though you add ground beef, it's not a third meat. The only prepackaged thing mama cooked on Sunday was Corn-Kits cornbread. She never could quite learn from her mama how to make it from scratch. And by the way, Jiffy ain't real cornbread because cornbread ain't supposed to be sweet. I've been rebellious my whole life so I add sugar and melted butter to mine.

One time mama called and asked what I was cooking. I said tacos. She said, "Tacos on a Sunday? That's a Friday or Saturday meal". She didn't give me a chance to tell her I was making boxed spanish rice and the lettuce and tomatoes counted as vegetables. Not garden fresh, but fresh enough and I had cut them myself.  She obviously missed the memo that my generation doesn't go near the stove on the weekend and if we do, there's a good chance whatever we're preparing contains chopped and frozen onions, celery, and bell peppers.  

About eleven years ago I hosted my first Thanksgiving dinner. My friend Charlene told me to serve mushrooms. She said put them in the oven and add steak seasoning and they'd taste just like steak. My niece hasn't stopped asking for them since. I wish she was here today because it ain't nowhere near the fourth Thursday in November and I'm getting real fancy. Adding sweet golden tomatoes and red onions, cooking them on top of the stove.

I continue to evolve as an individual and as a cook. I still heed what mama says, both in and out of the kitchen, but part of the wisdom she imparted on me is knowing when to lean on her teachings and when it's best to embrace and apply my own.

My Mid-Life Addiction

Remember when I won that gorgeous bag from Bangle and Clutch? Well, Nannette Bosh Inc. liked my video so much they returned the favor and invited me to write a guest post. They ran into some snags getting it up on their site and that's why I'm sharing it here so you can read it:

I thought long and hard about adding the word ‘Strange’ to the title of this post, but decided against it since I don’t eat toilet paper, sleep with blow dryers, or play wife to a man blow-up doll. Is my addiction real? Oh hell yes. Is it strange? Hardly not..

I was raised in the south by a woman who had three daughters. I’m the youngest. As part of our upbringing, we walked with books balanced on our heads because ladies have good posture, ate properly with a knife and fork (even if your food didn’t need to be cut up) because ladies have good table manners, and if we left the house without earrings, we were subject to lose an ear. Because a lady would rather die than get caught without earrings.

Somehow, over the past 39 years, the urge to have a foreign object dangling from my lobes – hoops are my drug of choice…the bigger the better – has spiraled out of control.

I’ve always had the potential to become a heavy user and I got strung out about five or so years ago. I didn’t start off doing the hard stuff. I had enough sense to know that could be deadly. So I’d just throw on a necklace here and there. Then another. And another. Before I knew it, I was mixing and matching and layering every chance I got. I couldn’t step foot out the door without experimenting. I was never a designer kind of girl. I found myself gravitating more toward the recreational, costume stuff.

As I added more poison to the almost fatal concoction, it became harder to function. The only thing I could focus on was my next fix. Everything I did centered around picking the right ring, bangle, and/or cuff. I thought I’d hit rock bottom when I got introduced to scarves and the mere thought of a trendy handbag sends me into a cold sweat.

Then the dealers started playing dirty. The got more creative with how they marketed the goods to defenseless addicts like me. They turned to twitter and Facebook and used giveaways to lure you in.

I refuse to seek treatment though. Either inpatient, outpatient, or otherwise. I can beat this thing. Single handedly. One rhinestone and clutch at a time.

Real Geeks Don't Cry

My technological prowess isn't all that advanced, but I strive to make improvements. Sometimes it consists of something as simple as learning a new feature on my two-year old Samsung phone.

I outsource video editing to The Girl. She's good at it. I'm not. She enjoys doing it. I never tried it until today, but I knew in advance I didn't like it.

In an attempt to streamline processes at Headquarters, I'm slowly transitioning from the desktop that's on its last leg. The only thing it's good for is about six straight hours of Runescape. I'm consolidating all blogging functions on my laptop. 

Today I learned how to:

1. convert a .wlmp to a .wmv (you save the file as a movie - don't save it as a project)
2. edit the beginning and end of a video (I'm gonna be dangerous when I learn how to do the middle!)

I celebrated briefly. And then pronounced myself brain dead.



photo: Rakka