Mother's Day 2010

My mom had such a lovely Mother's Day with her children and their sweethearts who are also like her children. Happy Mother's Day mom! :-)

Center: My mom Dottie :-)
Left to Right: Me and my boyfriend Rich, my brother Levi and his fiance Bri, my sister Lydia and her fiance Dwayne.

Destiny's Child Farewell Part 1

I'm the girl with the braids talking to D.C. I was so nervous but it is such a wonderful memory. Thanks to the one who posted this on Youtube.

Rest In Peace Guru

This man was one the most powerful lyricist of all time. He will definitely live eternally through his music and in our hearts.

Keith Elam aka Guru

July 17, 1966 – April 19, 2010

Tiger Woods Apologizes? Ok....

I didn't know I was married to Tiger Woods along with the rest of the world. Why is he apologizing to us? It's not like we can divorce him and take his money. As long as he right with his family and God, who really cares? They are the ones who need to accept his apology for his behavior. He is not the first person and most certainly won't be the last. How long will America keep intervening in people's personal affairs? I've had enough already.

Snow Day 2/10/10

Some photos I took of the blizzard. Location: Newark, NJ

Happy Birthday Mommy! Feb 3rd 2010 :-)

So glad she enjoyed her day and spent it with family.

Michael Jackson's This Is It on DVD and Blu-Ray

Available on DVD and Blu-Ray Jan. 26th

RIP Daddy. It's Been 7 Years Still Missing You

It seems like it was yesterday when you left my life, but you will never leave my heart.

Jan 23, 1939- January 26, 2003

Wii The People Be Fit

When the Nintendo Wii was first advertised on television, I was wondering "Wow, Nintendo has a new system coming out?" Then I was thinking "Wow, it's interactive!" I thought this would be the most coolest game and it would actually make people get off their butt. lol I was so happy when my sister brought it because it is also a great family game. We work out and play sports (Wii Sports) games on there, such as bowling, tennis, and more. Then there are games, such as Wii Fit, that can help you keep track of your weight and help you with health tips. There are games for balance and aerobic, then there are strength training and yoga exercises. I try to keep up a routine but I do forget sometimes but with Wii Active, it gives you a daily workout plan to work out your core muscles and increase your balance. Hand and eye coordination is another key element that is increase and well as your energy to do daily activities.
I love that the Wii lets you play family fun games to build up your knowledge as well. Then there are adventure games and the classic Super Mario Bros. and Mario Kart games.
All I can say is when I play these games I have so much fun, especially with my family. I feel it is one of the best video game consoles I've ever played with. I did one of my work outs today and I feel good. :-)

Sade is Back!!!

Sade is back and looking more radiant than ever. I fell in love with her song "Soldier of Love" and the video is awesome as well. Her smooth soulful voice has never changed and her look has intensified with age. She still looks the same as she has looked in the 80s. I grew up listening to her music and wishing I was her. lol. Too bad I couldn't be her but I do look watching her perform. In her recent "Soldier of Love" video she does sway her hips waving a lasso and does stepping moves with a step group. It's a side of Sade I have rarely ever saw. The video does get quite a good amount of airplay on VH1 and VH1 Soul. I sing it every time I see it or hear it on the radio. Her vocals and the beat is so amazing. I know the rest of her album is great. Her last album was Lovers Rock and was released in 2000, ten years ago. For her to still have that spark, she's definitely a legend.

I've lost the use of my heart
But I'm still alive
Still looking for the life
The endless pool on the other side
It's a wild wild west
I'm doing my best

I'm at the borderline of my faith,
I'm at the hinterland of my devotion
In the frontline of this battle of mine
But I'm still alive

THE JACK5ONS: A Family Dynasty is Alright with Me

When I first heard that Jacksons were cominig out with a reality show I thought "Why now? Why after their brother's death? I thought exploitation all the way until I did further research and became addicted to watching it every Sunday. I also forgot the love the brothers had for Michael and that it was genuine. The show consists of Jackie, Jermaine, Tito and Marlon Jackson. The other brother Randy is not on the show. So far I caught one glimpse of Katherine, their mother, and heard the voice of Janet. There was also talk about whether or not Michael's children would make an appearance but their children and family do appear.
The episode that got me hooked was when they went to the premeir of Michael's rockdoc This Is It. Their reaction towards it was deep. They didn't really feel too comfortable but they were anxious at the same time. They felt it was too soon to see their brother preparing for the show that kept him away from them. But they banded together and went in.
They are also trying to record an album. There was an episode where they decided to go on lockdown away from everyone and focus on recording. They show them disagreeing with eachother but eventually things should come together in further episodes. But the brothers did stick by their brother Michael and continue to keep him in our hearts. As long as they do that I will support them.

Happy Birthday Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.!!!

His legacy will live on forever

Yele Haiti: Please Donate and Keep in Prayers

Haiti was hit with a 7.0 scale earthquake causing massive damage and numerous deaths in the country. It is in a State of Emergency. When I heard the news I was trying to think of people I know who may have family there and reach out. My prayers are poured out to the entire country and family and friends. It is still so hard for family to contact relatives who live there. Please everyone pray for Haiti.

www.yele.org

Pray for Haiti

Rest In Peace Teddy Pendergrass

Wow, the soulful singer and songwriter Teddy Pendergrass has passed away. I always loved his music even though some songs were quite sensual. I enjoyed hearing his deep voice and his musical styles. Even when he song with Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, his voice just stood out. When he began his solo career, he drove the women wild with lyrics and smooth demeanor while performing songs such as "Close the Door" and Turn Off The Lights." Most refer to his music as "panty dropping music" like late greats Marvin Gaye and Barry White.

My favorite song he songs will always be '"You're My Latest, My Greatest Inspiration" and "Wake Up, Everybody."

May he rest in peace and my prayers go out to his family and friends. He will truly by missed.

Teddy Pendergrass
March 26, 1950-January 13, 2010

Tiger Woods Shirtless?! And Your Point Is...

Wow, who would have thought a golfer would have a body life that? I could tell because how his shirt fits him and how his arms stand out. The recent photo shoot for Vanity Fair magazine shot by well-known portrait photographer Annie Leibovitz (she's great!), features Tiger Woods shirtless on the cover stating the photos are the never-before seen side of Tiger; They include various shots of Woods shirtless and baring his muscles. The cover photo shows his expression as serious and makes him appear like he's a tough guy. Like he has some kind of an attitude. Of course these photos of Woods were criticized like other shots taken by Leibovitz, especially since the scandal. People are saying that he seems self indulged and into himself. The man is just posing for photos, why do people always have something negative to say? He's just another athlete posing shirtless. It's is weird seeing him like this but it was bond to happen someday. As for the marital issues, I hope that he can work it out and learn from this mistake. Then return back to golf.


Tiger Woods always had a serious look on his face game day anyway.

Me Time Photo Shoot

I was bored one night after work, I decided to snap...pics that is. :-)

Happy 2010!!!

So far an hour has passed into the new year as well as new decade. The year 2009 was a sort of eventful year for me and others I know. But I had to let out the old and let in new. Who knows what's in store for the new year, but I hope it will bring prosperity to my life and happiness. I would love my family and extended family to have a beautiful year and stay positive. The same goes out to my friends. I would love to get plenty of things accomplished this year. I know what my resolutions are and I will do my best to keep it up. Happy 2010!!!! 364 days to go :-)

Happy New Year's Michael!

My Battle With the (Swine?) Flu

Who'd thought the coughing spell I was having would lead to the flu. It all began on December 26th when I got back from the mall. I ate some dinner and watched television with my mom, sister and my boyfriend. Then I began coughing as if something was in my throat tickling it. I figured it was a cold coming so I took some cough syrup and went to bed. When I woke up, I had to do laundry but I felt very sluggish but still went about my day. I tried to eat but didn't have no taste for anything or could barely taste the food I ate. Then I drank some tea with honey and lemon which still didn't work. Later that night, I bought Tylenol Cold Severe to take cause by then I had stuffy nose, coughing, itchy throat and felt a slight fever coming on. Before I went to bed, I ate some soup but I made me feel so hot like I really had a bad fever, which I did.
That Sunday night was the worst night of sleep I had because my body didn't know whether it wanted to be hot or cold. I still had a stuffy nose and a bad cough so that kept me awake. When I got hot my throat became dry so I would feel parched. So I tried to drink some ice water to break the fever, but instead I became extremely cold real fast. At that very moment I knew something was wrong and I knew I had the flu. I was still destined to show my face at work especially after the holiday weekend to prevent conflict with being absent. I did go for about two hours and felt I couldn't make it and went straight to the doctor's office. They quarantined me with another woman with the flu in another room, I waited for about three hours before being seen. I was freezing, thirsty and my lips kept chapping up. What a combination. Plus coughing and a stuffy nose too. My doctor was surprised I even went to work the way I was. He said I had fluid in my ears, my glands were swollen and I definitely had the flu. He then told me that the Swine Flu would not be as bad as the regular flu. I just hoped it wasn't bad at all whatever one it was. As soon as I got home, I jumped right in the bed for the rest of the night and took the prescribed medicines. It has been a struggle because the cough and the stuffy nose has not left yet along with the chest congestion. I still continue to take my medication, drink plenty of liquids and let my body get plenty rest but it is not easy. Hopefully I'll be fully recovered before returning to work. Then I have to make a follow-up visit with the doctor.

Brittany Murphy: Gone Too Soon

Until the autopsy results come in and are released, if released, to the public nobody will know the cause of Brittany Murphy's death. It was such a shock to hear of her passing on Facebook posted on the status of my friend's profile. I immediately went to Wikipedia looking up her name and it was not updated, so I thought my friend was joking. But being that Brittany shied from the public eye I thought maybe my friend was telling the truth, so I checked on MSN and Yahoo. The headlines read "Brittany Murphy dead at 32" all across the internet that day, so of course I had to accept the fact that she was gone.
I first saw Brittany Murphy on the Disney Channel television show, The Torkelsons. Many people don't quite remember this show, but my mom and I loved it and tried to watch every episode. She wasn't a main character but her character did out shine many on the show. She had such a quirky and bubbly yet lovable personality. This also followed her to the television show Sister, Sister with the Mowry twins, Tia and Tamara as the friend who was able to tell them apart when nobody else knew the difference. My most memorable role of her to this day is her role as Tai on Clueless. She was the main one that couldn't fit in to the one who became more popular than the best. In this film she kind of reminded me of me in my small circle of friends. The klutz, the awkward one, the geek, but yet the one with true inner beauty that shined throughout. I really loved the movie and she played the hell out of that part. it nearly had me convinced. :-)
But this girl was multi-talented and versatile playing any type of role to the fullest that came her way. From her angelic singing voice in Happy Feet to her sinister role in Sin City and from her innocence in Clueless to her rawness in 8 mile, this woman will be remembered. May she rest in peace and my prayers go out to her friends and family.

Brittany Murphy
November 10, 1977 – December 20, 2009

My Brief Hair-story!

After watching Good Hair I figured I would put this together.
Before the perm:

The Press and Curl:

The First Perm:

Braids:

Ponytails:

Quick Weaves:

My second short cut:

Now a Doobie, no weave:

Good Hair: A Good Documentary

Good Hair which is a documentary by Chris Rock is very informative about the knowledge of African American hair and hair in general. I love the part where he describes relaxers which is made from the chemical Ammonium thioglycolate and it is used to straighten hair. I remember my first perm or relaxer, I was about six or seven years-old. It was a sort of painful experience. It burned like hell lol but I made it through. My hair has always been course and had to be pressed with a straightening comb and curled with curling irons. So when I had to get a perm, I would rather have a perm than the heat of hot metal touching my ears or back of my neck. It was also a shorter process to go through. I was so happy to show off my nice, silky smooth hair but one mistake can damage your hair. My bad experience with a perm was having it take my hair out from being to strong. You would think I would stop, nope so addicted.
Another segment of the documentary I liked was the segment about weaves. I was never a fan of weaves but I have worn a few in my days. I first started with ponytail pieces and braiding hair. When I wore my first ponytail piece, I thought I was so fly lol until this girl yanked it clean off my head lol. I wore a few long quick weaves, wigs as well as back pieces. But nothing brings me out more than my natural hair. After watching Good Hair, they show where human hair weaves come from. It is not surprising to me that it comes from India because they have beautiful hair quality, but these people sacrifice their hair to make our hair look good.
Kudos to Chris Rock and everyone who contributed to the making of this documentary because it makes me look at hair a whole different way.

Janet Jackson's "Make Me" Video

I look at Janet's video "Make Me" as an homage to her late brother, Michael. There are some many things to in the video that represents Michael. God bless you Janet and Rest In Peace Michael. Let's see if you can name a few. Leave comments.

Tiger Upper Cut from Me

I'm not trying to take sides on the issue but I'm tired of hearing about the issue. Not just his case but all of these celebrities and their personal affairs being aired out like dirty laundry. These people are human beings and they had private lives. Their private lives need to just stay within their homes. I'm just so tired of when something negative happens to someone, their faces are all over the news and newspapers. No matter if it's CNN or ESPN, Tiger Woods dominated the channel today. From a woman's point of view, I do feel bad for his wife. As a husband and a father, he should not have done what he did because when you marry someone your committment is to your wife. Plus they have a child. But that is a personal issue for her and Tiger to work out. They are going through a tough time right now and people just keep digging into it. A question that really gets to me is if he didn't crash his truck in front of his own house would all of this have come out? Would all those women would have come forward? My main question is can America focus on something else please? All this hoop-laa is driving me crazy.

The King of Pop

Rest In Peace

From Dominique Wilson

Kanye West doesn't even come close, sorry.

Thanksgiving 2009

Thank you to my family for making Thanksgiving fun :-) From eating the great food, playing the Nintendo Wii, conversing and taking photos i had a great day.

Whitney Houston's Comeback!!!

I'm so proud of Whitney Houston!!! She's looking good, doing good and singing very well. Her songs on her new album are very inspirational. She went through so much that I am glad she pulled herself together. I was getting worried about her and hearing all those reports about her. I'm so glad she rose past that. During her interview with Oprah this year, she explained her past and she knew she needed to get out of it and she did. Her performance during the American Music Awards last night was phenomenal. It brought tears to my eyes and gave me goosebumps. She performed "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" from her I Look To You album. That song touched so many people in the audience because it gave people a glimpse of her struggle with the drug addiction and how she realized she was a stronger person than that. My favorite part in the song was the hook:

"I didn’t know my own strength
And I crashed down, and I tumbled
But I did not crumble
I got through all the pain
I didn’t know my own strength
Survived my darkest hour
My faith kept me alive
I picked myself back up
Hold my head up high
I was not built to break"
The song is just awesome and she did an excellent job performing. I'm so glad I did not miss it.
Also congratulations to her receiving the International Artist Award.

2012 - What are your thoughts?

2012 is supposed to be the new blockbuster film. I saw it this weekend and it was a very good movie. The effects were much more dramatic than the previous The Day After Tomorrow and Independence Day by director Roland Emmerich. It made me lose my breathe a few times as well as other people in the theater. I call him the "Disaster Master." I felt he wanted people to leave the theater with that one question in their minds, "What if...?" I know that was on my mind as well as "What would I do?" The prophecy in which the film is based on has been told for so many years but now that that the time is approaching another question forms in our heads, "Do you believe?" Do you believe that the world will end on December 21, 2012? Will there be shifts? Will the Yellowstone super-volcano erupt? Will California fall into the Pacific? Will giant tsunamis engulf the world in water? We'll never really know when. Do you think when our creator is ready to come will he give us a specific date or time? These are tough feelings and tough emotions. Who's to tell us when the world will end? It's an unsolved mystery. Until the time comes, no one will know for sure. The movie will leave you wondering.

Another point made in the film is "Will you be saved if there is a way to survive?" According to the film, people who had billions of dollars here safe and average people like me and you will never know what's happening. Now that the movie made that point clear, I'm sure people are wondering "What will they do when the time comes?" I know I did. Another point it makes is "Will you be at peace with God or your higher power?" and if you are, "Will you fear death and take the sacrifice?" I know I'm afraid to die but if I do I am at peace with God. This movie will make you think about plenty of things. I feel that people should go out to see this film. It will make you wonder, no doubt about it.