Tuesday, November 28, 2006

You know you're Haitian when....

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I can name family members that these things apply to.. HA!

You Know You're Haitian When....
1. Your parents still put you "a genou" even though you are 19.
2. You've eaten rice within the past 3 days.
3. You eat too much chicken, duri kole, or duri a djon djon.
4. Your living room couches are covered with plastic.
5. You try to bargain your way out of everything and anywhere even in department stores.
6. To get out of trouble with a fellow Haitian, you use the phrase: "bon sa-ou genyen la?, se Ayisyen nou ye mon(ma)che."
7. Once the temperature gets below a certain level, you lose all concepts of coordination when it comes to things like snow boots, winter coats, scarves, and hats often doing things like wearing two different color hats at the same time.
8. You have a bunch of expensive perfumes on your dresser but prefer to use the cheaper ones because you don't want to waste your good stuff.
9. You point at things and people with your lips.
10. You just don't feel fresh until you've drenched yourself in "Bien Etre"
11. Your house is so packed with meubles and *biblos* that you can't even take two steps.
12. There are entire rooms in your house that no one is allowed to go in because they are reserved for company.
13. You have three sets of china: odd, even, and miss-matched.
14. You might be late for a wedding or may not even even show up at all,... but damn it, you are early for the reception!
15. And of course you bring home a plate wrapped in aluminum foil and some 'gateau'. 16. You prefer juice in the form of concentrated syrup.
17. The weakest old woman can strike fear into your heart with just one look.
18. When you really get mad at someone you want to take off your shoe and slap him or her with it.
19. Saturday is "bouillon day" at your house.
20. Yawning more often indicates hunger than fatigue.
21. All soda is called "cola" and all chewing gum is called "Chicklets".
22. Maggi, Matouk's/Tabasco, & tomato paste are cooking essentials.
23. You refuse to throw out old grease so everything you fry has that taste of fried fish, chicken, bannan pese, or griot.
24. The US is only made up of three cities: Miami, NY, and Boston.
25. Deep fried pork (griot) is one of your favorite dishes.
26. You have either Jean or Marie placed somewhere in your name and you know someone named Roro, Fanfan, Pouchon or Marie Rose.
27. Your furniture is too big for your house.
28. You dip bread in your coffee, hot chocolate, and even certain kinds of liquor (Kremas).
29. You go to work as though you were dressed for church, you go to church as if you were dressed for a wedding, and you go to a wedding as if you were dressed to meet Queen Elizabeth.
30. When you hear "pssssssssst", you know that someone is trying to get your attention.
31. You nod your head upward to greet someone when you're too busy to talk.
32. If someone says that the party starts at 8pm, then you know not to show up until 11PM!
33. You're proud to be Haitian - and you pass these jokes on to all your Haitian friends

Saturday, November 25, 2006

Lip Balm Test...

I'm such a fan of good pranks and this one is great.

I think you'll get a kick out of it:

Hangin' with my girls....




Shakera, Jamel, and I hung out at Dave & Busters last night. We had some cocktails, conversation, and even played some skeeball!!

These ladies are absolute gems and they imparted a lot of sister knowledge to me in our later conversation that evening at my place. It's wonderful to share your pain, fears, trials, challenges, and tribulations with sisters who care and who share their similar experiences, give you options, and genuinely care about you. Our conversation meant a lot to me ladies. I needed to just vent and you guys were so sweet and loving. I definitely feel a kinship with you and it's sincere.

Love you guys and can't wait to hang out again.

PS - Shakera, when are we going to IKEA???? lol

Thursday, November 23, 2006

You are a STALKER!!!

I don't know if you all are familiar with a character that makes videos called Mr Pregnant. I'd love to know why he decided to call himself that. A lot of his videos are a bit odd, but most of them are pretty damn funny. You can find him on Myspace or on Youtube.com. He is attempting to be provocative and most of his messages are tongue in cheek, so keep that in mind while watching them.

My friend Sam shared this particular one with me and I thought it was absolutely hilarious, so I thought I'd share it with you all. This is a great video to send to a stalker.. LMAO!!

PS - Check out the music playing in the background.. hahahaha.. Great choice!

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Rat boy prank..

Ok, time for the laugh of the day. I don't know how many of you used to watch the show 'Scare Tatics', but I used to love watching it myself. For those of you that didn't watch the show, people would set up their friends and be willing accomplices to a set up that would scare the living daylights out of their friends. The show would set up the 'situation' and film the reaction.

There were a lot of pretty funny set ups on the show, but this is one of my all time favorites. Even if you've seen it before, it's still pretty hilarious!

Michael Richard's racist rant..

I was completely oblivious to this until my friend Sam (wink, wink Papi) informed me of the news/controversy about Michael Richard's racist rant on stage at the Laugh Factory. I was absolutely appalled when I saw the footage and heard what was said. I will not even post it on my blog because it's just that offensive IMO.

If you haven't had a chance to hear exactly what was said, w/o editing, I'd suggest you check it out on TMZ's site. I know that he's since apologized and said that he lost his temper due to some African American men who were heckling him, but is that really any excuse? It's not that you lost your temper, but what you said when you did. I often quote the following phrase 'many a truth is said in jest' and it certainly applies in this case. You can't apologize for being a racist and that automatically wipes the slate clean or in any way explains it away.

It reminded me of the recent controversy surrounding the drunk tirade that Mel Gibson went on regarding Jews when he was arrested for a DUI charge. It reminded me of another phrase, 'a drunk man's words are a sober man's truth'. Again, you can play the blame game (blaming it on your temper, the alcohol, etc), but it all boils down to what's really in your heart.

I'm really upset because I'm such a Seinfeld fan and I feel this has tarnished that for me. I'll never be able to watch and laugh at Kramer like I used to because now in the back of my mind I'll be thinking, 'hehe hell ya racist bastard'. Such is life, but it doesn't make it any easier to swallow.

Nat.. (disillusioned and disappointed)

Natural Choice...

I came across an online article entitled 'Natural Choice' and I thought I'd share it.

It talks about the growing movement among African-American women to wear their hair naturally and relates a few personal experiences.

Let me know what you think...

Monday, November 20, 2006

10 Rules for the Thanksgiving Buffet:

I don't celebrate Thanksgiving perse, but since I know you guys do, I thought I'd share the following because I thought it was pretty funny! Enjoy:


1. If you are allergic to anything, get the ingredients before the buffet table is set. Don't wait until you are in line and ask what everything is on the damn table! You will get punched in the head for that!

2. If you can't walk or are missing any limbs, sit your ass down until someone makes your plate for you. Dinner time is not the time for you to be independent. Nibble on them damn pecans and walnuts to hold you over.

3. If you have kids under the age of twelve, keep them in the basement and bring their food down there. Tell them that they are not allowed upstairs until it's time for Uncle Butchie to start telling family stories about their mommas and papas. If they bring their ass upstairs for any reason except for that they are bleeding to death, I will break a foot off in their ass!

4. There is going to be one prayer for Thanksgiving dinner! JUST ONE! We do not care what you are thankful for at the buffet table. Save that talk for somebody who gives a damn. The time limit for the prayer is one minute. If you are still talking after that one minute is up, you will feel something hard come across your lips and they will be swollen for approximately 20 minutes.

5. Finish everything on your plate before you go up for seconds! If you don't, you will be cursed out and asked to stay your greedy ass home next year!

6. BRING YOUR OWN TUPPERWARE!! Don't let me catch you fixing yourself a plate in my good Tupperware knowing damn well that I will never see it again! If you touch my shizit, I will shoot you!! Hands down!

7. What you came with is what you should leave with!! Do not leave my house with anything that doesn't belong to you. EVERYBODY WILL BE SUBJECTED TO A BODY SEARCH COMING AND GOING OUT OF MY DOMAIN!!!

8. Do not leave your kids so you can go hopping from house to house. This is not a DAYCARE CENTER! There will be a kid-parent roll call every ten minutes. Any parent that is not present at the time of roll call, your child will be put outside until you come and get him or her. After 24 hours, I will call DHS on your ignorant ass!!

9. BOOK YOUR HOTEL ROOM BEFORE YOU COME INTO TOWN!! There will be no sleeping over at my house! You are to come and eat dinner and take your ass home or to your hotel room. EVERYBODY GETS KICK THE HELL OUT AT 11:00 pm. You will get a 15 minute warning bell ring.

10. Last but not least! ONE PLATE PER PERSON!! This is not a soup kitchen. I am not trying to feed your family until Christmas dinner! You will be supervised when you fix your plate. Anything over the appropriate amount will be charged to you before you leave. There will be a cash register at the door. Thanks to Cousin Alfred and his greedy ass family, we now have a credit card machine! So VISA and MASTERCARD are now being accepted. NO FOOD STAMPS OR ACCESS CARDS YET!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Cutting locks for religious purposes..

I'm a member of the Lovin' Locs yahoo group and there has been recent discussion about this topic due to a member's post. She was inquiring about how to 'take down' her locks, but added 'due to my faith in Christ and conviction in the Holy Ghost I chose to get rid of my 2 1/2 years of locks'. As one can imagine this has caused a fire storm of controversy within the group.

Many have posted questions to her about what her biblical basis is for this decision and she refuses to provide any stating 'I don't have a scripture, but what I do have is peace in the decision I've embarked on'. I'm really disappointed with her response because it's so dismissive. If it's not something you wanted to discuss or provide an explanation for, why even state the reason for wanting to remove your locks? Granted, one has the right to do whatever they wish, but if you're going to say something like that in a group full of people that are passionate about their locks and this journey, why would you announce something of that nature and neglect/refuse to provide the basis for your decision. Also, does this mean that since the remainder of the members of this group have locks, your view is that we don't have faith in Christ? That's a huge indictment to make and fail to back up.

How could someone twist or misconstrue a journey to being natural as something that was in some way un-godlike? Logic would tell me that this would be something Christ would embrace. I'm of the firm belief that faith is important, but religion isn't always the best route to spirituality. It seems to me that there is some preacher that may be persuading her in this decision and that may be why she has no way of explaining her stance on the topic. And if her decision has been made by influence of a so-called 'spiritual guide' it has nothing to do with scriptual or doctrinal tenant. Those that claim to be elders or spiritual leaders are still human and have flaws and can misinterpret the bible, just as anyone else. I have seen so many people misquote scripture and verse out of context and twist it to deliver the message that they want to deliver instead of what the message truly is.

I may be a bit biased on the subject due to some of the hypocrisy, ill-intent, and the misuse of authority that I saw groing up within the confines of 'religion', but she chose to openly criticize our journeys by her comment and I feel it's very offensive.

How do you feel about this subject?

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Hangin' out at Jamie & Jamel's place..

I went over to Jamie & Jamel's place last night for an impromptu gathering and had a BLAST! You guys are such genuine people and I love your family. I feel like I've known you forever.

We had some drinks and conversation. The photos show only a fraction of the good time we had. After we drank, hung out, danced, and talked, Jamel and I went out on the town. Kris was too tired to hang, but we had a ball with her at the house.

Jamel and I went to a couple bars and all we had on our minds was getting our hands on some buffalo wings, but to no avail. Why is it so hard to find Buffalo wings in DC at 1:30am???? LMAO

So we headed off to Adams Morgan and went to McDonalds since it was about 2:15am at this point and everything else was about to close. It was last call at a lot of spots. As we rounded the corner, we were laughing at the fact that we could hear the DJ outside. Yes, there was a DJ at McDonalds. Never heard of that, right? Well, low and behold, we walk in and one of the DJ's is a friend of mine Hasaan who I haven't seen in well over a year. I had to snap a shot because it was too funny.

Jamel had to settle for McDonalds chicken (shicken) tenders with buffalo sauce and I made the mistake of getting a Big Mac, which later came back to haunt me. I really need to start making better food choices.. lol!

We had an African gentleman approach us while we ate. Bless his heart, he wasn't gettin' no play although we instructed him about the best way to find a quality woman. Good luck in the future Amos, but please don't call me (thanks Jamel). He ended up walking us out to the car and we informed him that if he tried anything, we had a knife and he wouldn't live to tell about it, since we'd just been discussing the fact that there's a serial rapist running about the DC/MD area. He laughed and said he was a fortunate man and that wouldn't happen. I told him that he'll continue to be fortunate as long as he didn't have any ill intent. He got the point.. lol

When we got in the car, we sat around a while to watch the ever entertaining throngs of drunk people spilling out of Adams Morgan. We met a couple of guys visiting from Boston because one of them fell on Jamel's truck.. too funny! They were cuties and we chatted for a while. Jamel is a trip and I was cracking up as she taunted the guys.

I had a ball and look forward to hanging out with Jamel and fam again! Thanks for inviting me girly!

Friday, November 17, 2006

Sade..

I was just in a Sade kinda mood tonight, so I thought I'd post some of the videos of some of my favorite songs by her that I could find.

Enjoy the chill mode... Kisses

No Ordinary Love:


Cherish The Day: All time favorite of mine


Feel No Pain: Ok, didn't even know there was a video for this and this is one of my real favs by Sade


King of Sorrow: Can't get any better than this


Love is Stronger Than Pride: Love this

Muppet Matrix...

Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE the movie 'The Matrix'. So imagine my excitement and laughter when I found the following on youtube today. It's absolutey HILARIOUS, especially for us Matrix fans out here.

Tell me what you think...

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Christina's Coils




My girlfriend Christina went natural and had her BC in July. She and her hair are gorgeous. She's been impatiently waiting for it to grow into a lovely full (bush HA!) fro and it is, albeit not at the speed she'd prefer.

She accompanied me on a trip to my loctician and got her fro styled for the first time last week into comb coils. They looked ABFAB!!! She got to see how long her hair truly is.

Above are a couple photos of Christina looking lovely with her coils. I actually got her smiling and that's something since she normally doesn't smile in her photos. Check out her fotki photo album to see her journey thus far.

Post Script - Christina is on punishment because as I write this entry, the coils are already gone. She washed them because her scalp was itching. Beauty is PAIN/Discomfort. You would have thought as a woman in America she'd know that by now. Spritz your roots with some water, massage your scalp, don't wash out the beautiful comb coils. We didn't even get a chance to see what the twist out would have looked like. I'm grieving the loss of the twist out (I'm preclemped, talk amongst yourselves while I gather myself.. SNL Jewish lady moment LOL). I'll let you all know when I'm talking to her again.. Just kidding or maybe not! (Smile)

Christina's Comb Coils
Sunrise: November 10th 2006
Sunset: November 14th 2006
Rest in Peace babies.. You didn't deserve your fate.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Lunch @ Jaspers...


My girlfriend Alexandra (Alex for short) and I went to Jaspers for lunch today. This Jaspers is located in Largo, MD and was the location of the previous BET Soundstage.

We had a great time, so we decided to snap some photos. Forgive me since I had no makeup on my skin. I was only rocking lip gloss and mascara. I've been feeling so lazy when it comes to makeup lately. Guess I'm in a low-maintenance phase these days. My locks make it easy for me on a day-to-day basis when it comes to my hair. Maybe it will start a trend for me, who knows..

Nothing like taking a break from the grind of work for some down time with a friend. Lunch was great and so was the company!

How's it hangin'?


Ok, someone explain it to me.

We live in a world full of phallic symbols. We find them in our every day lives, architecture (Washington Monument.. lol), etc. and I think this is no coincidence. I think men love to be reminded of what's inbetween their legs. Why is it that men are so preoccupied with their genitalia???

If you disagree, I offer the following proof. In recent weeks, I've noticed a growing trend in vehicle 'bling'. I first noticed a souped up pick-up truck on the beltway with these silver testes hanging from the bumper. I thought it was pretty funny since I'd never seen it before and figured it was probably some man trying to be funny. In the past week, I've noticed 2 cars with the same thing, so I snapped the above photo yesterday to show you exactly what I'm referring to. It's lost it's novelty and I'm wondering what it's supposed to prove. Am I as a woman supposed to look at that and say, 'Wow, what big balls he has!' and follow your car until I can get your number????? NOT!!!

And as if that wasn't enough, the man that was driving the above vehicle was African-American, but the balls were white, hmmmmmmm??? Could he not find brown ones and then another question begs to be answered, where does one even purchase these things? I'm just saying..

I wanted to know what other women (or men) thought about this. Have any of you seen this or am I unusually observant? What's your take on it and does it offend you in any way? How would you feel if a date came to pick you up and had some balls hanging off his back bumper? Should women have some breasts or a uterus hanging from the back of our vehicles?? LMAO

I'm curious to hear your opinions. Let me know!

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Rest In Peace...



I was truly saddened to hear about the passing of both Ed Bradley and Gerald Levert this past weekend. I have to say that although I heard the news about Ed Bradley rather quickly, other than word of mouth, I have yet to see any reports of Gerald's death on television. What's that about?

Ed Bradley passed from complications in connection to Leukemia at the age of 65. He was best known for his reports on 60 minutes. He'd been a journalist for over 40 years and was well respected in his profession. He'll be sadly missed.

Gerald Levert had a massive heart attack in his sleep and passed away at the young age of 40. It is said that he weighed close to 300lbs and was in the process of filming a reality show where 12 of his female fans came to live in his home and work with a personal trainer, with him, to loose weight. Makes me think of the fact that I need to lose weight as well. I don't want to die at 40 or younger because of weight related issues. It just doesn't make sense.

My prayers are with both of their families and I hope they rest in peace.

Crack has never been so WHACK!!!


Ok, can someone please help me???????

First let me say that I was never a fan of KC and Jojo anyway, so that might have something to do with my views on this, but can we step away from the crack pipe and let the dead career rest in peace???? I'm just askin'????

KC looks like a bonafide crackhead in these and all of the recent photos I've seen of him in the past few years. If he's not, I don't know what to think. Who pays to see him in concert anymore???? Whitney needs to talk to him.. LMAO!!! I feel like I'm going to see a reality show on his intervention anyday now.

What do you think?

11 months and counting..

So, I've entered my 11th month of my locking journey and I'm still loving the process. I can't believe it's almost been a year because it's flown by so quickly. I'm not going to say I don't have my days when I feel my hair is challenged, but for the most part, I've definitely learned to go with the flow, which I've never done before with regard to my hair. I always wanted it to look so neat and put together, but these days, I'm learning to let it do it's thing.

Going natural is definitely a process and I can honestly say it's taught me quite a lot about myself and the world/society I live in. I look forward to celebrating my 1yr lociversary and beyond.

Here are some update photos taken yesterday by my photog friend Vicki. It's amazing to see my hair from another perspective. It's really growing. I'll feel something brushing the back of my neck and I have to remind myself that it's my locs (smile). And I can finally wear hats. I know that might seem like a small thing to some and most probably think, why weren't you wearing hats before, right? Well, I hadn't because I wanted my hair to be a certain length and now that it is, I feel like sportin' some hats.

I'm loving my journey and look forward to the future. I give thanks for all the support I've received from friends and family alike.

Sunday, November 12, 2006

Ghana Cafe..


After the Nappy gathering, a few of us went over to Nicole's house to hang out. The house is beautiful and I want half her shoes!! lol

It was great meeting Nicole's roomies because they were all really sweet guys. You've definitely lucked out Nicole; beautiful home and people, who could ask for more?

This weekend's weather was unseasonably warm, so after hanging out for a while, myself, Nicole, and Chrissy headed to Adams Morgan for some fun. We went to Ghana Cafe first, but it was dead, so we went to to another spot. We tried to hang at Bukom (sp?), but it was way too crowded. I can't have a good time when everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, is rubbing all over me the whole time. So, we went back to Ghana Cafe and this time, the band was set up and playing. There weren't many people and we found seats at the bar, so it was great. More people came as the band continued, but we'd secured our spots, so we were good!

The music was wonderful and the company was even better. I had a great time dancing and watching all the drunk people for entertainment. Isn't it amazing how they're so much fun to watch??? LMAO

The lead singer of Steel Pulse was in the house, so the band took a few photos with him and dedicated a song to them. His locks were huge and thick!

Let me just say that trying to get a cab in Adam's Morgan around 3am is absolutely NO FUN!! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise... Despite that misadventure, I had a ball with Chrissy and Nicole and just wanted to share a few photos.

November Nappy Gathering..


We had our November Nappy Gathering at Busboys and Poets in DC and it was fun as always. I had a great time meeting some sisters for the first time and seeing the ladies I've grown to love from past gatherings.

Can't wait to do it again ladies..

Stay beautiful.. Nat

Thursday, November 09, 2006

Lifeguard on Duty..

This is a classic Jim Carrey moment on SNL.

If you've never seen it before, you will be cracking up. Nothing like Jim Carrey being spastic.. LMAO

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Kanye strikes again...

I like Kanye's music (or shall I say, I like what I've heard for the most part), but he's an ARROGANT BASTARD! Initially I remember partially respecting what I thought was confidence on his part in an interview I saw on MTV that he did with Sway after the success of his first album. He was blunt and honest (even admitting that he betrayed Damon Dash by siding with JayZ after their company split), but I also remember thinking that his confidence was bordering on arrogance at the time due to some other things he said regarding his talent. Having seen and heard some of the shenanigans (sp? lol) he's pulled since.

What I hate about his behavior the most is that it takes the sting away from what he had to say about the president after the hurricane Katrina debacle. Now all his detractors can just say, 'See, he IS crazy!' and that irritates me. The fact that he was the voice for a lot of people that couldn't say what needed to be said is taken away by his subsequent arrogance and stupidity.

I enter the following clip as evidence of his arrogance and stupidity. This was Kanye's reaction to not winning an award for a video at the Europe VMA's. He came out on stage and interrupted the winner's acceptance speech because he was upset that he lost. He hadn't even seen the winning artist's video to know if it was better than his, which he admitted, but starts talking about how much was spent on his video (as if that's some indication of how great his video was). Then had the nerve to say that since he didn't win the award, the show had lost it's credibility. Now, how would he have reacted if someone else had done that to him in the middle of his acceptance speech? He would have been outraged!

Tell me what you think:

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

'Tu Recuerdo'

I caught Ricky Martin's MTV unplugged performance on the MTV Spanish channel last night and I fell in love with this song, so I found the video to share with everyone.

This is a duet that he performs along with La Mari de Chambao and Tommy Torres. Enjoy...

Orishas..

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Orisha's is an afro-cuban group that mixes traditional Cuban music with hip-hop and make beautiful music. I've been listening to them for years and find many have never heard of them. I think if you heard their music you would be a fan if you love Cuban music and hip-hop that is!!

If you're interested in purchasing their CD's, check out this link on Amazon to see a list of releases. They're definitely a group you want in your collection!

Here are a couple music videos so you can familiarize yourself with their style! Enjoy...

"El Kilo":(one of my favorites of theirs)

"Naci Orishas":

"537 Cuba":

Monday, November 06, 2006

FLAVOUR FLAHV!!!!

I know the spelling looks off, but my friends will understand (inside joke)!!! LMAO

I will admit that Flavor of Love is a guilty pleasure of mine. One of the reasons is because I find it amazing that there are women out there that are openly attracted to this man and because he's so ridiculous, it's actually entertaining. I will add that every time he ever got 'intimate' with any of the ladies, I shut my eyes and turned away from the television gagging because the visual was already burned into my brain (ohhhhhhhhhhhh the painnnnnnn).

I've always said that Flav looks like a Gremlin and here's the comparison shot. Tell me what you think!
Gremlin:
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Flav:
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I rest my case...

Happy Monday, I FEEL GREAT!!!

I was just joking, it is a Monday afterall. But at least it's only a 4dy week with the Federal Government's observance of Veteran's Day on Friday, I'll be off, YAY!

I came across this video and thought it was hilarious. Has Nutri-Grain EVER made you feel this great??? If so, I wanna know if there was some crack mixed in it????


PS - Ok, only the first guy had the Nutri-grain laced with crack, so what was everyone else's excuse?? Just wondering (scratching my head and confused).. lol

Have a great week everyone!

Sunday, November 05, 2006

Esthero...



I have loved Esthero for a while now. I first heard Esthero when I heard her song called O.G. Bitch on a mix CD that my sister hooked me up with in Brooklyn. It was a deep song about how someone else (presumably Nelly Furtado) had tried to steal her musical style and bury her in their shadow. Unfortunately, none of the artist's names or songs were listed on the CD, so although I loved the song and the singer, I never knew who she was.

I have a huge wishlist of CD's on Amazon and whenever I purchase a CD, they tend to suggest other artists/CD's that are similar to that of which you just purchased, so I came across Esthero that way and added her to my wishlist. A couple months later, I purchased her first CD that was released in 1998, called 'Breath From Another' and fell in love. She has a diverse style and a beautiful voice. Then, I decided to purchase other CD's and low and behold, I came across the song that I had discovered years earlier, but never knew who it was. YAY!

Since then, I've grown to love Esthero even more and have learned that she's been working on collaborations with other artists for some time now. I have introduced her to a lot of my friends who had never heard of her. She's not mainstream, but her music is boss. I really think you'll like her, so I'm including a few of her videos for your musical enjoyment. I'd certainly advise adding her to your musical collection because of her versatility. Her music is diverse and never the same.

A Better Life:

We R In Need of a Musical Revolution:

That Girl:

London Chronicles - Chapter One

My sister has begun to chronicle her experiences in London. She has a blog, so I thought I'd share her first entry of her london chronicles with you all. It's a wonderful read, so please take a moment to read it and follow her journey with me.

I'm adding her blog to my list of links under the name Gypsy Photogher's Blog, so feel free to bookmark it for future reference.

Decisions... Decisions....

I've been seriously considering moving at the end of my lease. I'm currently renting a cozy 2bdrm townhouse for a reasonable price for the space, but I'm thinking about renting a much smaller (or less expensive) space.

My main motivation in this consideration is the opportunity to save money. I'm not sure if I want to purchase a home yet, but the thought has been lurking in the back of my mind for the past couple years. I don't even know if I want to purchase land here in the US and I don't know that I want to take that kind of responsibility on alone (might have to wait until I'm in a two-income home/married to do so). I certainly know that I'd like to save money for my other dream of travel. I think that if my expenses are lessened that it will enable me to travel at my whim, which has been my dream.

I would like the option to take short, but meaningful trips to start with. Possibly a 4 day weekend trip here and there and longer trips later. Every time I've desired to travel, it's been a bad time in my life so I've put it off for one reason or another, but I'm tired of doing that. So I think that 2007 will be a year of change for me since I've started to change my thought and approach to my life. It's time to be proactive and take charge of my destiny. What do you think?

Well, if anyone can suggest an affordable and decent sized space in the MD/DC area, I'm open to suggestions. I need to start making some decisions because I don't like procrastinating when it comes to moving. My lease won't be up until the summer of next year, but that's not really a lot of time since it seems to fly so quickly.

We'll see what happens and I'll keep you abreast of my decisions and any developments in this endeavor!

Friday, November 03, 2006

Romantic Sleigh Ride

This is one of the funniest beer commercials I've ever seen, and I've seen my share.

Tell me what you think...

Thursday, November 02, 2006

Lock Jewelry

Ever since I started my lock journey, I've been on a quest to find some gorgeous lock jewelry. I've always been partial to beautiful jewelry and now that I have a hairstyle that can support some adornment, I'm hooked. I started looking for lock jewelry before I was even locked having made the decision to do so.

I found some beautiful lock cuffs right before I got my TSTs so I wore one during my first photo session for chronicling my journey in my photo journal:
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A couple months ago, I purchased a couple lock coils from Knotty Boy's site. I know that their products are mainly for people with European hair, but it was jewelry afterall and they were on sale, so I thought it would be beautiful. I'm partial to silver jewelry, but the coil that I liked only came in copper, I purchased it anyway and this is what it looks like:
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I purchased 2 of them and due to the size of my locks, I ordered the small. I must note that I have medium sized locks, but the only options that were given were small or large, so I thought I'd be safe with the small with those options. Well, I ordered 2 and they are a bit larger than I thought they would be. Fortunately for me, I started my locks with semi-texturized hair, so I have these thick ends where the texturized hair bunched up and so I'll be fine, but only until I eventually cut those off, but I don't plan on doing that for another year or so, so I can rock my copper coils for a little while w/o worries.

Well, approximately a month ago, I came across a jewelry designer in the UK that makes gorgeous lock coil jewelry and it was just the style that I really like. Her name is Yvonne Allen and her her company is called Zayunu by Design. Yvonne makes some gorgeous jewelry in general, not to mention lock jewelry. I ordered these two designs and she even sent me a couple extra and sent them very quickly. I was more than pleased when they arrived and would suggest anyone doing business with her.
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I would suggest checking out her site if you are a jewelry lover. There are a couple cowrie shell pieces that I MUST HAVE!!! lol Yvonne will work with you on the conversion and you can make payments thru PayPal with no worries.

Zayunu offers lock jewelry in large, medium, and small sizes. I got the medium and they are perfect for my locks. The challenge I face is the flip of the first challenge. These pieces fit my lock, but not the bulbous bunch at the end of my locs. There are a few of my locs that are thinner on the ends so I was able to try them on and they're gorgeous on. I'll snap a few shots with them on so you can see them and post them later.

Happy shopping... Nat

Smile...

Lily Allen is a new artist from the UK that I just discovered the other day. I haven't heard a lot of her music, but I heard and saw this video and fell in love with the track because of how cute it is and the reggae feel of it.

This is for all the ladies out there that have ever been jilted. This is our anthem!

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Blog Quiz...

I think this is pretty accurate.. Can you tell I had some free time on my hands today?
Your Blog Should Be Yellow

You're a cheerful, upbeat blogger who tends to make everyone laugh.
You are a great storyteller, and the first to post the latest funny link.
You're also friendly and welcoming to everyone who comments on your blog.

Halloween Costume Funny..

Ok, I had to post this because it had me cracking up when I saw it (Can you tell I love to laugh???). These are photos of Tisha Campbell and Tichina Arnold with their halloween costumes on. They were dressed as Tyra Banks and Miss Jay from ANTM (America's Next Top Model). HA!!!!
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They did a good job because Tyra does look like a Klingon with that forehead of hers:
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And Ms/Mr Jay looks a hot mess all the time no matter what:
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PRICELESS, although I know they're going to get some bad press for it.

Dangers of high fashion...

WHY is it that watching someone fall is SO entertaining? It's like, before you can even bring yourself to make sure that the person is alright, you're cracking up. I know I'm not the only one that feels this way, so I thought I'd share this with you. I wanted to post a video from the local news where Jim Vance was showing this and busted out laughing and couldn't keep his composure, but it wasn't to be, so I'll post this clip of the same fall covered by BBC news.

This second fall is what's going to do you in!!! HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

I bet you watch this over and over again.. Wanna bet????

Martin Luther...

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Not to be confused with Martin Luther King Jr, Martin Luther is a multi-talented singer, songwriter, musician, and producer. His story is of a choir boy turned rocker and his music is a blend of rock, blues, funk, and R&B. I would don't know that I can compare his sound to any other artist because of it's versatility and funkiness! His music is marinated in the sounds of Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, Sly & The Family Stone, and Stevie Wonder. He mixes the old with the new and very successfully I might add.

His recent album is called Rebel Soul Music. I can't say that I love every track, but it's worth having because of the tracks that are good. I prefer his live performances. He is on an independent label, so many have never heard of him, but he's FLY and I love his style. I wasn't able to find much on him to share with you, but I did find a live performance he did on VH1 Live (of his song entitled 'Daily Bread') to share with you. Enjoy!