Run, run, run!

And I have done just that! I forgot how GOOD it feels to just run! *amazing* Late Spring I decided that I did not want a gym membership and that I would just run to workout! Well, it went pretty well up until my birthday vacation! lol

You could find me out of the house by 6 am up with the birds and the fresh morning dew on the ground just running! I surprised myself! each week I went a little further and eventually started running 4 miles a day! whoa! Sometimes I would run in the AM and then at night when it cooled down.  I loved finding new trails and just blasting my i.Pod and running!

It definitely paid off and I had accomplished something I set out to do! So here comes my birthday vacay! I was doing 2 a days for 2 weeks prior to my vacation.  Even on vacation, I worked out on the cruise ship! I walked up and down ALL of those stairs no matter what and ran around the track on the boat! When we went out for excursions we walked EVERYwhere, no transporation at all! (I even managed to lose 5 pounds on the trip, the food was gross so that was easy)

Anyways, fast forward to Tuesday and I hadn’t run since like mid September and it showed I was so upset with myself! So I left work and noticed it wasn’t as dark as I thought it was and decided to go running in a well lit area.  Let me tell you how my lungs HATED me, lol! They would NOT cooperate! So I only put in 2 miles, struggling! haha!

I decided I’m not going to give up and went back out last night! man! it was like I never stopped running! My running legs and lungs are back in effect! I even added .5 mile to my trail! woot! To keep the momentum, I went running this AM in the fog and drizzle and had a blast! I stayed out too long and was late for work, lol! But I was enjoying myself and ran on a new trail

I’m excited that I am back to running and just in time too! All these holidays and parties coming up! I gotta look fab in my dresses and skirts! it’s great to be back! (and feel my quads bursting) yeah!!

Sanity, mine

Let’s all pray, no really, that my sanity can stay in tact.  I recalled this one, ONE breakdown I had when life was completely overwhelming – I just told one of my good friends and her jaw continuously hit the floor.  Anyways, there were extinuating circumstances, and now, there are too – just different levels and different circumstances.

Everyday I struggle to um, maintain. It is getting harder and harder. But I must prevail, I must go on…or so they say.  Now I’m not crazy or anything nor s.uicidal, but sometimes life is rough and you just need to check out – mentally, physically, emotionally.

However, because bills don’t care if you are having trouble with life – uh, who isn’t – you must go to work AND with a F*CKING smile on your face at all times. Uh damn!  I’m a great faker at this, in fact I have mastered it. I can even help you through your bad day! I can turn your frown upside down! I can do the same for my self but at the end of the day, or by 11 am, I am tired!

I would like to ask why, but apparently that is a slap in the face of God, the One who has kept me this whole time and will continue to keep me.  I pray, I fast, I pray, I fast. I have faith – goodness gracious has it been tested recently! – and I go on. I live, thank God to see another day.

The thing that gets me is this, “there is so much more to life, you just have to have the courage to pursue what you love.” Oh, pursue I did, then reality slapped me back into the harsh “real world” Is it my job that’s bothering me, maybe. What else is bothering me – oh, let me count the ways, except I won’t because that’s stupid.

See when there is one major aspect of my life that I can NOT control, I freak out.  during this time I normally revert back to back behaviors- ie that pesky eating disorder, not going to church etc. – just to have and maintain some form of control over my life. (what a concept, control over your own life, wonder what that’s like – no really, I do)

Anyways, back to the focus that is me and my sanity, I pray I can keep it. Despite what is going on in my life, and if I actually think about it, it really isn’t all that bad, relative to what it could be *praise Jesus* – I also have to absorb what is going on in my family’s life and our Parker world with a little bit of the rest of the world thrown in! Now, I could really care less about what the rest of the world is going through but somehow it always find a way to affect my family which then affects…ME!

ugh! do you see the dilemma? it isn’t new, everyone faces such dilemmas, trial, tribulations *insert gospel song, they are only here to make you stronger* yup! then I should be a world champion body builder, ya digg?

*Am I complaining?*

Well, it’s my blog and I’m going to write what I want, when I want! Sometimes you can’t keep stuff all bottled up – that will kill you.  *steam coming out of ears*

I do a damn good job of holding it together in public and even in private! I told you I am a master at this. Then one little thing, it’s always the little things, can set me off and I’m done! One tear turns into some damn crying fest - I DETEST crying, btw, it’s ridiculous.  One dollar missing turns into hundreds, lol, I can’t right now. and so on and so forth.

So then what am I going to do to maintain my sanity through adults who act like embryos, through living paycheck to paycheck, through family issues/drama/concerns, through these fake ass smiles that I put on everyday, through this holiday season, just through it all…good question! When I figure it out, I hope it’s not in the confines of some mental institution nor a hospital bed, really.

Peace, *B*

My Nail of the Day

I never post nail polish but I absolutely love this China Glaze – Let’s Do It In 3-D! It’s so uber-fab that I had to post it!  It’s discontinued in stores but, I got in on eBay for like $4!

I am absolutely LOVING the holo-glitter of this polish and best part! It covers in one coat! ( I did two for good measure, but one coat will do!) 

Dreadlock Barbies!!

Ah how FABulous!!! I found these over on Naturally Beautiful Hair blog! How chic and totally appropriate! I SO want one! ah! Check her blog for ordering information! These dolls would make a great addition to my collection of Barbies that I still have in their original boxes!

No sleeves on my leather, please

*check my fashion piece over on Miss Princess Dominique Dishes Fashion*

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If there is one essential piece for your Fall wardrobe, it is the bad girl, tough chic, leather jacket, duh!  Well, up your fierceness quotient by getting this trusty and updated trend by cutting off the sleeves (not literally) and rocking a sleeveless leather vest!

Sleeveless? Leather? Vest? – yes!! Get one! or two! The essential ones to have are the off-center all black tough girl biker vest with lots of exposed zippers, like this one by Alexander Wang – excellent craftsmanship! I can almost feel the suppleness of the leather through the screen!

  

One is dove gray, because gray is oh so chic! This one by Express even has studs! score! It is also vegan friendly: (minus the) Leather studded vest

 

Check how to wear a sleeveless leather vest via the looks below:

Rag & Bone – I love, love, LOVE the jeans this vest is paired with! Total bad girl!

Vent Couvert – this is a chic cool way to wear a leather sleeveless vest in warmer climates

And this is my Polyvore set - Rock a leather sans sleeves:

rock a leather, sans sleeves by VaFashionista

Items in this set:
Alexander Wang jacket, 1,209 GBP
Lipsy dress, 60 GBP
Juicy Couture ring, $98
Giia.bigcartel.com necklace, 74 EUR
Talullahtu.co.uk jewelry, 14 GBP

 

Can’t leave you without pointing out the Haute-ness that is this cropped studded leather beauty! Letoya and Alicia are rocking it in their new videos, check it! Total dope hotness indeed! One thing’s for sure, you MUST get yourself a stylish leather this season, whether cropped, or sleeveless and… ROCK IT!

Ciao! *B*

Hello Fab Ones!

So, so much has been going on! Life, love, work, etc etc! But in the midst of it all, I still remain fab! *as you can clearly see* lol! I’m playin but not really!

Anywho! I’m loving, LOVING my new hair and am being patient letting it do what it’s going to do! Because in a year I’m going to have a head full of Fabulous locs! *giddy*

I found some uberfabulous stuff in my Harper’s Bazaar this morning, check it:

I need these purple Gucci shades in my life! I’ve been rocking my YSL’s for a few years now, time to get a new pair

These Louboutin chain link wedges are my ultimate Spring/Summer shoe! Starting a mini fund for them RIGHT now! Gotta have them!

Then I got an email from Aldo on thes HAUTE boots! Need these and a fab light weight gray leather jacket to fill my Fall leather quotient!

**umm sorry about the size of the pics, but they won’t resize!**

~insert bullet portion of this blog post~

- Oh yeah, so big things are about to happen for me – SO excited!

- Got a new-new crush, it’s mutual and oh so cute! he started it lol! adorable he is!

- comments such as “that’s SO not like you!” and “I can’t imagine you with ‘dreads’ ” make me laugh, like uh, so how am I? hmmm?

- partied all last weekend with my buddy B, going to do it all over again this weekend! viva la party!

- I can never pick what color nail polish to roack so I rock 3 or more at a time lol!

- *Clearly* some people aren’t meant to be in your life, so when they can easily walk out and NOT look back, pssht! let them GO! They aren’t part of the greater picture, your destiny and purpose ANYWAYS so…BYE!!!!!

- LOVE and ADORE my life right now! Couldn’t and Wouldn’t ask for anything more!

Ciao for now,

*B*

***NEW HAIR*NEW HAIR*NEW HAIR***

Wow! I haven’t written on here in a minute! Of course my Birthday vacation was AWESOME!!! But onto my new hair!

I love my curly hair, it’s so fab, why wouldn’t I?! But lately (read: the past few months) I’ve been ready for a next step, something new with my hair! Plus, I have serious hair envy when I see men and women with a fab head of beautiful dreadlocs!

I did my research and tried out different ways to loc my hair on the back of my head and finally decided on interlocking as a way to start my locs! I only did 12 and quickly realized, ummm I need someone else to do this for me!  I called up my good friend who has had her locs for 8 years and told her about my decision and she said she’d do it for me! YAY! so yesterday, October 3, 2009 marks the day my baby interlocked locs were born! Check them! I’ve also started a new blog to chronicle my new hair journey through pics and stuff – From Fab Curls to Rockin Locs

Countdown to my (Birthday) VACATION!!!

Day-cations and stay-cations don’t resonate well within my soul! ha! My body doesn’t understand why it hasn’t laid on white sandy beaches or  frolicked in the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean as of yet! My skin is a tad “pale” – ok, slightly bronzed, but not that fab bronzy glow I get when I travel to de islands mon!

So, on to my trip! I am mucho excited and just realized it is only 20 days away! yippee! I have been BLESSED to be able to go on a 4-day Western Caribbean cruise that stops in the Florida Keys and Cozumel! What’s even better is I will be celebrating my 28th birthday in Cozumel and on the high seas! dude! I’m elated!!! Even more fun, when we dock in Miami, we are staying there over the weekend! woop! partay fabulous!!!

And just to let you know HOW BLESSED this girl is! The grand total for my flights, 4-day cruise, hotel in MIAMI is……..$460! that’s right! Four hunnent and sixtay dollllllas yo! whooo hooo! The Lord was looking out for ya girl!!

I am just so thrilled that I get to go on vacation, that I get to celebrate my 28th BIRTHDAY not in VA and that the trip was way affordable! Trust and belive when I say I’m a Blessed girl! (This is just one of many of my blessings!!)

Countdown: 20 days to ship off!! woop woop!!

Good Music!

Here are some of my favorite Bible verses in song.

First up is one of my favorites, no matter who sings it! Better is One Day is an AMAZING song! Truly, better is one day in His courts than THOUSANDS elsewhere!!! I like this Kutless version alot! This song is based off of Psalm 84 – please read it here – and then listen to it:

The next Bible verse is Isaiah 40:31 – But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

This verse has special meaning to me and EVERY morning I wake up and turn on 104.1 to listen to the Yolanda Adams morning show it is the first song I hear!  They That Wait by Fred Hammond is just the song to start your day off right! It is also God’s way to remind me to go ahead and wait on Him! He has what is best for me and I need to trust and keep the faith!  Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. - is also another one of my favorite verses that goes along with Isaiah 40:13.

Listen to the song here:

Another verse that makes you stop and think is Proverbs 26:11 – As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.  Think about that. Why do we return to the same sins, over and over again! because it’s comfortable? because we think we already know the outcome? I read somewhere the other day that “we can choose our sins, but we cannot choose the consequences.” That’s deep and resonates with me to the core. 

Check out Benjah’s Get Filtered; he references Proverbs 26:11:

Just had to share these songs with you! God is good to me and I LOVE my life! Through ups and downs, God is there no matter what and I am thankful He has blessed these artists with their talents to put the Gospel to song to reach us!!

Have a BLESSED day! I know I am!

Ciao, Ciao

*B*

P.S. – had to share this AWESOME picture I took the other day while tanning at the pool! Look at the cloud shaped like a heart and God’s love radiating around it! Oh, I LOVE it! Another sweet reminder from God that He loves all of His children!

 

 

Monday = wackest day ever!

omg! Ok, so first of all, i couldn’t sleep last night and ended up finally falling asleep around 4:30 am…ummm I wake up at 6 am! AHHHHHHHHHHH! THEN!!! I leave my house late, ofcourse, because I slept in til 7! I get on the toll road and forgot my change, so all I had was a dollar….How come the guy two cars in front of me spent…10 minutes…yes, 10 minutes talking to the toll booth person asking directions…….uh WHAT!!! get a GPS!

Wait, it gets better! So then I finally get to work, 30 minutes late mind you, and get situated for the day.  I go to fill up my water bottle, as I do every day, and bring it back to my desk. About 10 minutes later I go to grab my water bottle and what does it do???????? IT OPENS AND SPILLS ICE AND WATER EVERYWHERE!!!!!!! really?! like seriously?! ugh!

Then, I go to my doctor appointment – I get there 10 mins early. ummmmmmmm but how come the doctor wasn’t there!? Ummmm how come he was in his OTHER office that is 30 mins away! WHAT!!!!! but I’m told he was “close” so ummmm I got there at 10:30 and left at 12 noon…………..*dead face*

Ok, add to that the fact that I WON’T be going on Holiday for 15 months like I’d planned – don’t ask.

Really – right now, I’m ok, just laughing because clearly I must have done SOMETHING to deserve this barage of craptacular happenings in my life! But really. I can’t wait to get off work and go run! something has got to give. Like right now, It’s back to the drawing board but I have no more paper! ugh! just ugh!

*insert screw face, with a little bit of a sad face, and a big blank stare* – life, isn’t it grand!!!!!!!!!!!

Let’s pray that my day get better.  It has to!!!!!!!!