Me , You, Whats the Difference?

What I want now...

2010-03-11T05:38:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile but I have been swamped with all kinds of things and have neglected my blog! Not anymore!

I saw this clutch and could not help building a wardrobe around it! Its by Cole Haan, the price is $217 and something about the zippers makes my heart swarm!

I love this silk dress by Latona and I know the price tag is simply ridiculous at $2446 but the heart loves what the heart loves!

Close it out with these Badgley Mischka pumps for $219 (which is a steal by the way) and I have got myself a great ensemble! And to think it all started with a clutch ;)

It's Complicated

2010-01-05T04:56:00.000-08:00

Life is full of surprises. I am quick to say I dont like surprises but then again some are not that bad. This past christmas my ex surprised me by flying across 3 continents to be with me during the holiday...romantic? yes. But are we together? no. He has spent a total of three (long) weeks trying to convince me why "us" would work and each time I had no peace about it so I had to say no.

Sometimes God works in ways I do not understand, I think I have it figured out but then He surprises me. I love my life but I always yearn to make it better. Having a really great guy in my life was on my list...so when ex showed up, another guy dropped on the radar as well. Life is full of options, some are clear and others not so much. I am glad I got a choice, without a doubt I am going for option B.

Project I

2009-12-07T03:50:00.000-08:00

Another cold day in the northeast is just so perfect for staying in bed and doing nothing, at all, all day, till tomorrow... But I cant do that. I have to work on me today! Yes me! I know, it is totally random but I figured rather than work on making my kitchen look like the set of Rachel Ray or work on get the frozen leaves off the icy yard, I would rather do something that makes me better today.

What can I do? I got to do something every day so what is it that I could possibly do today..? Got it! Will write out my goals and get started with one today, not tomorrow, today, there is no time like the present ;)

Life

2009-12-03T08:32:00.000-08:00

Okay just got hit with the epiphany of a lifetime, life does not just happen. I choose to make it what it is!

So this morning I woke up and realized I could stay in bed sick or get up and take a shower. I went with the second option. I could choose to eat oatmeal or my corn syrup infested apple sauce, I chose the former. I could put on some makeup and look semi decent or just go naked, I went with naked. I could stay under the covers and try to get knocked out by NyQuil or take a short walk, I went with the walk. I could choose to blog or not to blog, I chose to blog!

Bottom line, the entire day will go the way I want it to if I make an effort or not. I choose to have a a good day. :)

New

2009-11-30T16:00:00.000-08:00

Sometimes the world is not as perfect as I want it to be, there just seems to be a different feel to it. I am not despondent just tired. I wish I could feel God sitting right next to me so I could snuggle up next to Him and just cry away my pain. My mom says "there is no plan B" so I guess with enough faith I really will feel God all around, even when the world around me is pulled up from under me....

You make all things new.... lyrics to the Brooke Fraser song "Shadow Feet

Hunh?

2009-11-19T12:51:00.000-08:00

Today I feel really blah, my stomach hurts and also my car broke down yesterday! But all is well that ends well, I figured I could brighten my mood by making something delicious! Before your mind goes all food network on me I gotta say I am just making popcorn! Lol! It does make me happy :)

I Heart Revolution

2009-11-05T06:13:00.000-08:00

Last night we went to see a docudrama by Hillsong and it was really mindblowing. The purpose of the film was to highlight the differences in the world in terms of culture, status, wealth... and it showed how we did not care enough to bring change to the world one person at a time. I decided I would do what I can in my own little circle here in Jersey, show people that they are loved and cared for, what else is a better gospel than being who we say we are? I am christian.

Ah

2009-11-04T10:02:00.000-08:00

Today is a good day, just discovered Picasa!!! Yes I know, it has been know to the populace since the generation of time but I am slow with technology. I only got the Itouch 3 months ago, keep in mind that before that I still used a walkman. And, until this year, I had never had to use a flash drive!! LOL! I did go to college but when I graduated in 04 CD's were it, some still sported Discs then too.
To start improving my self before the new year I will try something new every week. Just to see what fun thing I can try for the first time and actually like. So far, I know bowling is not it, tried it this past weekend and scored horribly :)

Greek Yogurt

2009-10-06T18:02:00.000-07:00

Found myself laughing really hard at a tub of yogurt that read on top "Greek Yogurt" but on the side "0% Authentic Greek Yogurt"!! Isn't that silly? I get that they meant non fat but the wording is just so wrong. How much did they pay for the marketing department that came up with that grand idea.... I wonder :-)

GAP

2009-09-18T06:42:00.000-07:00

Some days are simply better than others. Case in point, I went to the Gap 3 days ago & saw this awesome blue jacket! Well it was on sale for $54, originally $68 but I was alittle iffy about spending that much when I knew it will probably go on sale again. Guess what?! I went in last night & it was $37!!! I almost snagged two! The Gap rocks!!

Summer Ends

2009-09-15T14:20:00.000-07:00

It is officially fall but the weather outside was too beautiful today I had to take a picture! I honestly got tired of the summer heat and have yearned for my Jeans (which I abandon every Summer), sweaters & boots!! But now that it is over I feel a bit sad, not to worry, Starbucks totally kicked me back into happiness with the Fall inspired Pumpkin Spice!! Yum!! It is back!!Yay!!!

Hope for better days ahead!!

The Breakup

2009-09-01T21:30:00.000-07:00

Wow, it has been awhile since I wrote a blog. I am on at 12:30am because I cant sleep. I just wanted to put the question out there... why is breaking up so complicated? It is over, yes, but then I am sort of clueless on where to go from here now. I am used to plans and now all i got is a mess. But not for long though~ I am pretty sure this will pass cause God loves me!!! Just need to get through the next couple of months :)

How Rich are U?

2009-05-03T08:59:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness, I found this awesome site called globalrichlist.com. My pastor (awesome Tim Lucas) was talking about it and i had to check it out. I put in $18000 (which is in my head is poverty) and it came out as the top 11.59% in the world!! Crazy! I always feel like I could use more money and no, I don't make 18000 dollars but still I often get dissatisfied. I must admit I feel guilty wasting 4 dollars on Naked Fruit juice almost daily, but the point is not that I give up the fruit juice, I think its to be grateful for what I have. It's hard when you have all the glitz and glam on television always ready to show you their "cribs" on MTV, well it will be easier to remember the little child in Ethiopia who has no clean water to drink. I am not like an Ambassador or something but I want to be a regular person in Boston making a difference. I will stop buying Naked for 3 weeks and the money I save will go to building a new well in Ethiopia, how much fun is that? And to think I didn't have to have a million dollars to make a difference!

Rain

2009-04-20T17:52:00.000-07:00

You know, looking out my window all I see are gray skies and lots of water pouring down for the 4th hour in a row. Singing in the rain does not come to mind, I would rather be sleeping in the rain but then again there is that whole stack of dishes that awaits me.... :)

The Proposal

2009-04-07T17:52:00.000-07:00

New England in April is so... special. It rained almost all day yesterday and today it was amazingly sunny at 9am. By 3 it was cloudy and cold again :( At such times I wonder why I do not live in the Arabian desert! But all hope is not lost, they fixed my heater today so I actually feel really toasty inside my apartment! Yay! There is also another bright side to my gray day, I saw the trailer for "The Proposal" starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Renolds!! I can't wait for it to come out, June 19th, seems like its going to be just as awesome as "2 Weeks Notice".

Its been way too long

2009-04-03T15:53:00.000-07:00

I really got to say getting back into the swing of life is way harder than I expected. I am now in my first semester of grad school and i often think about how much "fun" work was... okay my previous job was not exuding fun but all the same I still miss it.

I must admit I have not blogged due to an absurd amount of laziness but a new me has emerged and I am happy to admit I shall once again pick up my pen/keyboard and write again, cause there are too many interesting things happening on a daily basis. Great example, today I discovered it is not possible for me to eat store packaged cooked meals...this leads to lots of bathroom runs!

See u tomorrow world!

Wedding Frenzy!

2008-12-17T23:15:00.000-08:00

Its almost Christmas and there seems to be a rush to get married before the clock strikes 12 mindnight on the 25th of December. I had two weddings last saturday, 2 weddings the saturday before that and since October, a total of 8 weddings! This is totally bothersome cause I get to the wedding and bump into old friends that are already on their second child, and this of course solicites the usual response "so when are you getting married?"

At first I shuddered at the thought of being on my second child like they were, I am only 27 I tell myself, who needs that responsibility? But then I really wanted to be like them, join the young wives club, they looked good and seem like they have it all together. Only problem is every prince that comes my way I totally find a way to label him a frog. Okay, some were absolutely of the reptilian variety but looking back I really should have given others a chance.

No regrets now, I have an awesome boyfriend who thinks marriage will be awesome'r' than dating. He has proposed at least 4 times in the past couple of months and my response has been "yes!!", "no..." and "please dont bother me". What in the world do I want? I really want to get married but then I freak out at awesome boyfriend cause a panic button in my head screams "he is not my McDreamy", but who the hell has a real McDreamy?!

As 2008 comes to a close I am quite certain I will get proposed to by my handsome beau (yet again) and this time I will find the courage to follow my heart.

boomerang

2008-11-16T23:02:00.000-08:00

I havent blogged in forever it seems! I am still in Abuja, its been loads of fun hanging here for the past four months. Everything here has a sort of backward feel to it. Like traffic lights, we have them, most of them are brand new, they work, but why use them when we can have a road safety officer control traffic manually? yeah, they had me stumped with that one. Another silly point, in the strip malls most electronic stores have some goods in the parking lot so that you get enticed by it and follow the sales person to their store. This of course is illegal since it turns the parking lot into an open market, but it gets better. Every month or so, the police barge in on these "unsuspecting" hawkers and seize everything they have in parking lot, then the parking lot turns into an erie looking war zone of scrap and dust. Until about 3 weeks later when again the "hawkers" come right back...its a cycle that shockingly never ends!

Lovely

2008-09-07T04:45:00.000-07:00

I am decorating this month...okay more like for the next couple of months. I am in Abuja so its really aggrevating that I cant simply run into Target or better yet, Marshalls! I am stuck with finding cute things online and getting them custom made here and thats alot more taxing than an afternoon drive to Jersey Gardens Mall. I started with my bedroom, thats going well but I have 4 more bedrooms, 2 parlors, 1 den, 5 bathrooms, a sunroom, dinning room, kitchen, foyer, study/library and then a humungous yard! I am overwhelmed clearly, but I shall rise to the task. I would put up pictures as soon as the process begins, everything though is amazingly slow here. It took about two weeks to get a new door installed!! Keep in mind they romoved the old door first, so for two weeks there wasnt a door leading out the kitchen! Talk about security concerns!

I came across this lovely chaise and wondered where I could put it...foyer maybe? That would be different.

Patricia Gray

2008-08-30T09:48:00.001-07:00

I have to give an ode to one of the best Interior Designers I have come across recently, her name is Patricia Gray. I stumbled upon her blog two days ago and fell in love with her design. She also travels and takes really awesome pictures which are packed with architectural detail and intricate design. I got my header backdrop from a picture she took in Italy at a Hotel, I love her work and if you are craving for a design thats clean, streamlined and warm then you dont have to look any further than http://www.patriciagrayinc.com/

Blue Eyed

2008-08-29T12:03:00.000-07:00

An ode to my fellow blogger, Kate, who loves all things nautical. I love the room, I never really thought of stripes as the clincher of a room before...

Wondering...

2008-08-29T11:54:00.001-07:00

Friends is what we are but why I wonder. Is it my laughter that got you hooked or my incessent need of chatter thats got you wrapped around my finger?I wonder sometimes why we are friends. I love having you around even if I have nothing to say, sometimes your being there makes me smile even if you are talking about the mechanics of an electrical machine.I wonder if we are friends because you can answer all my questions or if I like you because you are a ridiclous blend of geek meets GQ.I wonder sometimes if you laugh at my jokes cause no one else will or if you know the little things you do mean so much to me.I wonder sometimes if being friends for 10 years makes me Julia Roberts in "My Best Friend" or if I'll end up like "When Sally met Harry".Sometimes I get mad when you dont do what I want you to, but in the end I am glad cause who made me the boss of you.I wonder if my friends are right, am I just blind or so uptight. Cause what happens when a friend becomes more than that, the truth is too scary so I will simply wonder...

Dating Fiasco

2008-08-28T00:40:00.000-07:00

There is nothing more complicated than the world of dating. I am flattered with the out pour of men in need of my number here in the Nigerian Capital but how many dates are too many? This week alone I had 3, they have all the standard requirments, they are christian, cute and they are awesome in their own ways but can I really have them all...hmmm, of course not. What am I thinking right? sensory overload i guess. I figured I could rule them out based on behavior but they are all kinda similar now. Okay i should simply pray about it, yes, that would work.

Nothing crazy is happening here in Abuja, people are still rude for the most part but fashion is very interesting to put it mildly. Anything goes including red brow liner when your brows are black, sometimes even purple. And people are obssessed with me not being seen in flip flops! Dont they know Old Navy rocks?

The Ultimate Search

2008-07-23T02:53:00.001-07:00

Last night I was watching this great show called The Ultimate Search, its sort of like Survivor only of course more comical. Thousands show up for physical try outs to become the next "Strongest" man (or woman), although I must say I thought it rather unfair that women got to do the same exact things men did. Yes I am all for women power and liberation, but when we have to jump the same 10 foot wall that men who are a good foot taller also jump, I think its not fair. Anyway, my favorite part is when they do the swimming tryouts, without fail some people claim to know how to swim. They run and throw there arms around in the shallow end, then when they get to the deep end they start drowning...and amazingly they keep running forward?! They are eventually rescued by a lifeguard. I guess sometimes I can be like that, I know something is totally over my head but I cant seem to ask for help, I would rather "drown" trying! Which of course I now realize is so silly. Its like saying to God "Dont worry God, I got this!". At the end of the season of the show, the winner gets to star in a Nollywood movie (Nigerian verison of Hollywood which is quite a big deal in Africa and the Carribean), I guess the whole point of the strength test is to make sure you can do your own stunts...

Slow

2008-07-19T03:01:00.000-07:00

Here is a shot of a field on the way to my house, I really realize I love nature, cant stop taking pictures. life here is mighty slow. I have been here for a week and everday seems amazingly similar to the day before. Its like the Bill Maher movie, Ground Hog day! I figured I would wake up everday with a to do list and have amazing things accomplised by the hour. But as I found out, almost everything I planned never really panned out as I planned... I set appointments for 10 and 11 and they show up at 3 and 12... what in the world? Half the time I wasnt available anymore to actaully meet with them. I guess life is like that. According to my life plan, 15 years ago, I thought I would be a neurosurgeon. Clearly not where I am at at the moment. But life still turned out pretty good. So I guess even with the lack of schedules in this city things still work out just fine. So I am not going to sweat it the next time someone says see you at 4 which really means 7.

Cultural Differences

2008-07-14T04:34:00.000-07:00

Hi All! The flight was soooo long! I left on Thursday from Newark at 8am and got to Abuja on Friday at 4:30am! Stopped in England first and London was surprisingly cold, I really tried to understand that. Also their driving on the wrong side of the road really throws me off!

Abuja is so fun, besides it being mega humid, there is so much going on all the time it seems, last night was a concert with Rihanna, Jay -z and Usher the day before that was some music festival and today I hope something fun is happening.

Something I also totally forgot about, people visit without calling first... a friend came over yesterday afternoon and when I got the door there were two more families waiting to get in... of course being overly American I thought it was ridiclous but culturally in Nigeria it isnt. A better scenario; I went to a cousin's house last night after CALLING her to say I was coming. Got there and within an hour a woman came with her daughter and a SUITCASE! I know I should not yell in caps but nothing can express it quite as nicely as caps. They came and they are sleeping over, the best part is they did not call and she has no idea how long they will stay AND its rude to ask. Cultural differences should really be my doctorate dissertation...

Over & Out

2008-07-08T13:51:00.000-07:00

I have 2 more days before I head north of the equator to Abuja! I am so excited I can hardly think, there is so much to do and so much to see. I am going to be away from the Jersey shores for a whooping 4 months! How will I survive without my Marble Slab Ice Cream? Have not really thought about it. I am hoping this adventure takes me through some simulation of the Indiana Jones series or I could settle for a pretty woman synopsis (barring the prostitute part of course).
As I wade through the airport on Thursday and Friday I shall document the joys of 13 hour layovers... hopefully we wont be that long in Heathrow but you never know. I shall blog at some point next week hopefully with some awesome shots from Abuja. The forty days of faith are almost over and at the beginning of the fast I had no idea I wont be in Jersey 40 days later...God is so amazing. Till next week this is Natasha signing off, over. &. out.
P:S Just incase you are wondering, Abuja is in Nigeria which is in West Africa, here are some pictures...

One Life to live

2008-07-05T13:26:00.001-07:00

If I had one go at life what would I do differently? Probably will diet less often, eat good food (good does not equal unhealthy), run in the rain (without an umbrella)go birdwatching, not freak out when my sister ruins a perfectly slamming outfit of mine... the list can really go on forever. Answer is, I really do have one life to live, why should I be concerned with all the petty things I so often think about now? Is a 5 bedroom house in the Florida keys really a good idea for a single not uber wealthy 27 year old from Jersey? Or does my Jetta (acquired two years ago) need to be swapped for something newer and better just for the new car smell? Does my to do list really need to be done in a 12 hour time frame or does the latest celebrity gossip have to require half an hour of my time website hopping?
I watched this movie recently (Bella) with gorgeous actor Eduardo Verastegui and he made some mistakes in his life but chose to live his life differently. It took him two years to get there but for me it took an afternoon to get it. God has me covered, does not matter if I do wrong or right, point is my life would not be void of worries or trials but I can live with the certainty that each decision I make is done with the knowledge that I have one life and I choose to live it right.

Fourth of July

2008-07-04T01:53:00.000-07:00

Hey its finally here! I usually get super excited about today cause of the fireworks and the endless burgers. I hope I don't sleep away the entire day cause I spent all of last night till 4am this morning hanging out with friends and watching movies. Saw Vantage Point...ummm Matthew Fox is gorgeous. Then Meet the Browns... yeah very corny but still sort of lovable. Lastly, Swordfish...this was a little tricky. Don't know if I like it.Ok I did not.
So here I am at 5am wondering whats going to happen on the 4th. I had a hair appointment planned (Spanish salons are always open it seems), pedicure,oh and lets not forget tending to the garden which is taking on a jungle look right now, then I have to go to the mall for some much needed jewlery and then help paint a friend's basement. Needless to say, I should probably go to bed right now. I will blog when I am alittle more coherent.

Happy 4th!

Extra Ordinary

2008-07-02T07:57:00.000-07:00

In a move of ultimate laziness I forgot to blog yesterday. And to think I had so much free time! I still don't know where the time went, then today I am baby sitting 2 nephews and a niece (3, 2 and 10 months) yet I found the time to blog?! Yes, I don't understand that either. I want to say to all the mothers of toddlers out there, bravo, you are like super heroes!

I have been trying to do this thing where I do something awesome once in awhile, like going to the Nursing Home just to talk to a couple of random residents, they love that. Or babysitting for young couples (have not done this in awhile, my sisters kids don't count), decorating my parents home when they are not in town (this one is so much fun!)or helping out in the soup kitchen... the list of awesome things are endless. Well I was thinking, to do something cool I always seem to have something planned out in advance, it really cant be that spontaneous. And spontaneity is my thing. So in an effort to head towards an "Awesomer" me I must change this. I have decided my list of awesome things does not have to be anything out of the ordinary, it just requires me doing a little extra. So as I watch the 3 munchkins I shall go the extra mile of making sure they are changed (on time), fed healthy meals and entertained without the help of Noggin. When I wash the dishes I will go the extra mile of creating a spotless kitchen that might be envied by Lucille Ball. When I see the mailman I will go out and say hello. I shall iron more often :) I will follow the ENTIRE recipe from 30 minute meals with Rachel Ray...
Basically, I will not settle for the ordinary anymore, I will strive for the extra ordinary.

little sister

2008-06-30T19:48:00.000-07:00

Oh today has been a crazy day! I loved every minute of it! I stayed up late last night with my wonderful sister, Margo, to watch 10,000 B.C. (okay the actor was totally hot), it was a great movie and it got me thinking, what kind of love could make you overcome your greatest fears just to make sure the one you love is safe? Yeah the movie hit me that hard, which is so funny cause people keep telling me the movie was not that great!

Well I thought about this unconditional love thing, it reminded me of God and how much He loved me and could sacrifice life itself for me. But then I thought, but who in the world could I sacrifice my life for? I am not married so no sacrificing there, no kids (that would have made it clear cut), parents and my other siblings would give their lives for me but my little sister...my little sister would simply have to be the one I could give everything up for. I know, I know, so dramatic right? yeah, especially since there are not many situations where my life would need to be surrendered (aka guillotine, duel...).

Margo and I are two years apart so she isn't that little :) She is and has for the most part been my best friend (besides my weird Gothic period in my early teens, another story for another day). We always did stuff together, we travel together (wedding hopping), we talk so often till the early hours of the morning together, we watch movies together, we dream (out loud) together and we actually are so close I could say what she is thinking on a good day. I am saying all this knowing quite well she DOES NOT read my blog (yes she clearly has faults), its sort of a thank you note (that shall go unacknowledged ) for her making pancakes at 11pm at night and also for agreeing to stay up and watch yet another movie with me!

The Onion House

2008-06-28T20:15:00.000-07:00

Today was a hectic day, I have been out of my house since 10 this morning and did not get back home till 8:30! It got me thinking, maybe I need a vacation before my vacation... great idea right? Well on my quest to humor myself, I came across this house in Kailua Kona, Hawaii. Its called the Onion House. Its not something I could live in actually, but I wont mind spending the weekend there...

Bra difficulties

2008-06-27T05:57:00.000-07:00

Today is my last day at DunderMuffin Supplies! Okay wrong company, but I am leaving corporate America today! Good Bye gray walls, staff meetings at 8am, vending machine stealing my quarters, parking 10 miles from the building entrance...the gratitude list is endless.

Funny story that I have to share, this morning on my way to work I turned on the NPR and this lady came on. She is Betsy Johnson I believe, about 94 years old. She explained when she was a teenager she was pretty flat chested and her mom began to worry that she might not get boyfriends so she bought her an inflatable bra. She was really happy about it and she set it to a size 32. So, one day she was on a plane in the Andes or something and as the plane began to elevate her bra got larger, it could not take the pressure. It kept growing till it became a size 48 and then it exploded!!! I think I almost fell out the car when I heard that part, its so humiliating but yet so funny because it did not happen to you. Anyway the pilot came out with a gun and they landed the plane so a bomb squad could check her out. Lets just say I am glad that has never happened to me!

What to wear

2008-06-25T22:12:00.000-07:00

I am still up, I should be sleeping and I know this. I feel so much more alive at night than at 5:30 in the morning! Well I was working on something online and that took forever literally.

There is the voice in the back of my head saying " you really should go to sleep right now" another voice is saying "what are you wearing tomorrow?!" Which of course is technically today and I am slightly clueless. I long for one of those organized spaces that are the size of a NYC apartment, someplace where I can have all my shoes and bags neatly stacked, that would be amazing. This is going down on my list of must haves. Have a blessed day :)

Choose

2008-06-25T11:27:00.000-07:00

John is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, 'If I were any better, I would be twins!'
He was a natural motivator.
If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.
Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked him, 'I don't get it!'
'You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?'
He replied, 'Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or...you can choose to be in a bad mood
I choose to be in a good mood.'
Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or...I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it.
Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or...I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.
'Yeah, right, it's not that easy,' I protested.
'Yes, it is,' he said. 'Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood.
You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live your life.'
I reflected on what he said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.
Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower.
After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back.
I saw him about six months after the accident.
When I asked him how he was, he replied, 'If I were any better, I'd be twins...Wanna see my scars?'
I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place.
'The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon-to-be born daughter,' he replied. 'Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or...I could choose to die. I chose to live.'
'Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?' I asked.
He continued, '...the paramedics were great.
They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man'. I knew I needed to take action.'
'What did you do?' I asked.
'Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me,' said John. 'She asked if I was allergic to anything 'Yes, I replied.' The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity''
Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.'
He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude...I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.
Attitude, after all, is everything.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.' Matthew 6:34.
After all today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.

Arrgh!

2008-06-25T05:49:00.000-07:00

Okay today is not going as planned, I need to figure out a way to brighten my day and I have not figured it out yet. Total bummer. I am so sleepy too, sadly I am at work so I cant take a much needed nap. You know sometimes things happen that knock life out of you, that's what I feel like at the moment. This is definitely a stuff my face with Ice Cream moment but all I have got are fruit bars. Okay it will not stay this dreary all day, at some point it will get better until then I will be patiently waiting...

Cheese please

2008-06-24T08:16:00.000-07:00

For some unknown reason I have been day dreaming at my desk about nothing in particular, but I cant stay focused! Then in the past hour my mind has been playing the sappiest scenes ever.
Flash to "Sleepless in Seattle" when they come back up the elevator for his backpack and she is standing there....

or Maid in Manhattan "where they are dancing and she realizes at that moment, she is Cinderella and she has fallen for him

oh oh oh I got a better one, "Sweet Home Alabama" when they are kids and he says "Will you marry me?"

Its endless replays of the best scenes ever. I realized I am romantic comedy fanatic, anything cheesy should have my name on it, I like predictability and sad endings ruin movies completely for me (what were they thinking in "City of Angels"?!) So this week I shall devote myself to finding and purchasing as much of my favorite movies as possible that way I don't need a mental play back to reminisce.

Laundry

2008-06-23T05:07:00.000-07:00

Okay today is still an awesome day, I have attained day 22 status and I am feeling pretty good about it. Once these 40 days of faith is over I have no idea what to do next.

I had to share this laundry story as I realize I seem to come off as a cleaning icon or something, I think I am closer to Lucielle Ball(I love Lucy...)

This Saturday I decided to do my laundry, 5 loads! So I go to Target (Tar-zhay) to get detergent. Well I pick up the usual Tide with bleach for colors, love it alot...but on my way out of the isle I run into Clorox 2 for colors and it was literally half the price! So I swapped it and felt so good about by 50% savings. First was the whites, I was so happy they were going to come out blazing white...they did not. I said "maybe its because its for colors" so I wash the second load of colors and that also came out mediocre. I was not too thrilled, but as I started the 3rd load I realized something (that probably everyone else knows) Clorox 2 is bleach and not detergent!!! Yeah I think I laughed for 5 minutes on that one. I ended up doing laundry till 1am but at least I had a good laugh and I still made it to church sort of on time :)

Travel Fever

2008-06-21T15:57:00.000-07:00

It's such a great day, Saturdays are so relaxing for me, something about not having to get up at 5:30am. I woke today at 5:30 but out of principle I stayed in bed till 8:30... then of course cleaned the kitchen. The floors sparkle right now, I love it!

I went shopping today for luggage (with my sister) and I remembered a LandsEnd set I saw earlier in the week, I really loved it, I wish they had it in Yellow. Waiting at the terminal at the airport, patiently with yellow luggage just seems like alot of fun. But instead, my sister and I settled for a black set, dont worry, she is a designer and would figure a way to spruce the luggage pieces. I have 3 weeks left to go and still no passport, I am not worried though, I ordered it this week and it should be here a week before I leave.

I am reading a book called "Reedeming Love" by Francine Rivers, its so good, its christian ficition and I highly recommend it, its based loosely on the book of Hosea (the prophet who marries a prostitute). It shows us plainly the way God wants us to love.

Okay I am off to start putting stuff in my suitcase so I dont forget a thing, then I am going to do my laundry!

TGIF

2008-06-20T05:21:00.000-07:00

I am still going strong with the 40 days of faith and we are almost
at the half mark, I want to say this is day 19? just a guess.

Its Friday! I have a ton to do today, I am redecorating my living quarters with my sister (she is the best) and I am assuming its going to be an all nighter thing. I couldn't resist, I had to clean last night, this time it was the living room and I feel alot better knowing I am not the only one cleaning at this hour. Phew.

My pastor is writing a book and its called a Thimble or the Sea, I love the title. The story behind that is, we went on a mission trip to D. Republic and while there he went to the beach and God told him that all we know of Him is as much as a thimble but He is bigger than the Sea. I thought that was like wow. I have gone to the beach twice in my life (I know I am totally deprived), the first being an ex boyfriend that thought it would be a good idea to go to the beach at night and this scared the life out of me because 1. it was my first time 2. it was loud and the waters seemed choppy 3. it was black and endless. I really thought I was going to be one of those stories on Dateline NBC, you know the ones where Chris Hanson would say "And this is where she was last seen. This is the scene of the crime and we believe the truth will be discovered here....". Okay my mind is always imagining all kinds of things.

The second time I was on the beach was in the Dominican Republic, we had ended the mission trip & our flight home was over booked so I and 4 others gladly volunteered to stay back and they put us up in some all inclusive resort in Puerto Plata. The water was so beautiful I wondered how I stayed away so long. The water was so vast and big, it made me feel like there is more to life than this...

Merry Maid

2008-06-19T05:47:00.000-07:00

I have not slept well these past few days, I have been staying up late to do different things, one day I literally cleaned out the bedroom closet (with my sister) from 10pm till 12am, the next day I cleaned out the coat closet and that felt like it took all night too. I don't know what it is with cleaning and night time, but in my head they go together, is like getting an epiphany right around 9:30pm and of course I think about it for 30 minutes, then a bolt of energy whisks me away to clean for the next couple of hours. Now don't get me wrong, I love cleaning, but the side effect is getting up at 5:30am on 5 hours of sleep and that is not pretty. I love when I went for an appointment on Tuesday and the guy at the door said "you look pretty tired", dude it was 10am! Could he have been more subtle? did he really have to tell the truth, actually he did not need to speak. Oh well, I took it stride and tried not to fall asleep in the waiting room (sadly i did). Last night I went to bed at 9:30pm and I feel so good today, if you see anything on the northeast coast that looks like Road Runner, its probably me.

Ruth, Chapter 1

2008-06-18T05:54:00.000-07:00

Quick background information, Naomi and her husband, Elimelech leave there home in Bethlehem because of famine and move to Moab. They have two sons who marry Moabites, Ruth and Orpah. Fast forward 10 yrs & Elimelech and his sons die and neither of the sons had children.

Present Day
Naomi: This is insane, I have lost everything! Why am I here? Why am I living? Its best I go back home.

Orpah: I will go with you, can’t let you go home alone

Ruth: I will come too; I don’t think I can live with my family anymore

Naomi: No please go home, God’s great. You can remarry. (Sob)

Ruth & Orpah: No (wailing at this point), we can never leave you

Naomi: What’s the point, even if I got married today you would have to wait for the baby to grow up and marry him?! No, go home

Orpah: (She’s got a point), okay I will go

Naomi: Goodness Ruth follow Orpah, she is heading back. Please leave me be, go to your people & your gods

Ruth: Please don’t beg me to go, I can’t. Your people are my people, your God is my God and I’ll die where you die. As a matter of fact, may God deal with me severely if I ever leave you!

Naomi: (Okay this girl is clearly on the brink) fine

They get to Bethlehem, everyone stares at her, asking, “is this Naomi?” to which she replied “No I have changed my name actually, its now Mara, cause I am a tad upset with God right now”

They settled in just in time for the Barley harvest season.

And it was the 16th day

2008-06-17T15:27:00.000-07:00

Hooray I so did not go to work today! I had to get some stuff done in none other than car theft capital....Newark! Okay to emphasize my point, I shall point out that my poor girlfriend (who shall remain unnamed) had her radio and air conditioner system taken out of her car in broad day light on Broad street in Newark! Whoa, that's enough for me to never want to drive in that city. But if you think that was bad try getting stuck in Brooklyn on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Today is my "I am going to be grateful" day no matter what. So what better way to show that than to blog about my experience in d Brooklyn Ghetto. So I get off work early to go to a concert in B town, haven't been there in a minute so took the train and got their mad early. Got off and looked for Starbucks (basically asked around while the locals laughed at me and told me to try Royal Fried Chicken instead) but ran into several leash-less dogs of the pit bull variety. Got to the church were the concert was being held and the doors where not going to be open for another 4 hours! So we sat in the freezing cold (this was mid May) until 7:45pm.... here is the best part, the artist didn't sing! It was still a great day though, I loved it when at midnight the pastor closed with a prayer that simply said "Lord let no one die today, get mugged today or get raped today"... that was a first. Somehow, I made it back to the subway in time to sit next to a blinged out pimp looking dude that definetely thought I was interesting enough to talk to for 40 minutes! Ran into Penn Station and missed my train to Jersey by 5 minutes! So I was stuck in d city till 4am and this is news to some of you but New York does sleep! They totally closed all restaurants in Times Square. Me, my sis and a girlfriend ended up in McDonald's to avoid d homeless in Penn. Got home at 5am...of course I did not make it into work. All in all, I was grateful not to be "killed, rapped or mugged" :)

Day 15...Who Am I?

2008-06-16T10:42:00.000-07:00

Trish asked this question today and I realized I have never really had to answer that. I guess I Can be real generic and say, Christian, 20s, happy, educated, single... the list is endless. But I don't think that is what Trish was hoping I get at, its more personal than that, who am I when no one else is watching?

After much thought I have come up with 3 things I can say define the true me.

1. I really do love God (a lot) but I make so much mistakes that I often feel I don't measure up. Of course I cant be perfect, my brain knows that but my heart differs.

2. I love people and am able to connect with them because I genuinely care, flip side is I really could live without people if I had a well stocked library (usually people do not believe this but it is true).

3. I come across as so easy going (which I am ) and somewhat whimsical that people think I never have any problems, truth is, show me someone with no problems and I will assure you they are dead. Even though I let things go and usually go with the flow of whatever life throws at me, I do care and just like everyone else I also get hurt (true blue).

Okay so that was me, but over the next 25 days (15 days have already whizzed past) I will let go of that model of me because I know without a doubt that I am valued way more than I could fathom so nothing on this earth good or bad can change that. My identity is not in me anymore, really I could care less what anyone thinks (not in a bad way), I will simply strive to live my life God's way. Fun! Okay I got to get back to "work", the printer is working and I don't want to miss this golden time slot!

60 things about moi

2008-06-16T08:07:00.000-07:00

1. What is in the back seat of your car right now?”
Redeeming Love”, a book by Francine Rivers
2. When was the last time you threw up
That’s really hard to say, its been years
3. What's your favorite curse word?
Darn…(but then it’s not a curse word right?)
4. Name 3 people who made you smile today?
Sorry its still 10am, I am yet to encounter anyone outside my workspace…does my boss count?5. What were you doing at 8 am this morning?
I was at my desk at work reading a blog
6. What were you doing 30 minutes ago?
Printing out some invoices from great (does not work half the time) printer :)
7. What will you be doing 3 hours from now?
Luggage shopping!
8. Have you ever been to a strip club?
What kind of question is this? No, what would I be doing there exactly?
9. What is the last thing you said aloud?”
The printer is printing, you can get off the phone with the helpdesk”
10. What is the best ice cream flavor?
You can never beat Vanilla from the Magnifico’s East Brunswick, NJ (Strawberry is a close second)
11. What was the last thing you had to drink?
Nameless Tea
12. What are you wearing right now?
Khaki colored stretch Capri’s and a Golden V neck top with a Brown jacket that compliments my brown Mary Janes
13. What was the last thing you ate?
That was last night…sweet butter bread (that I made from scratch…so proud)
14. Have you bought any new clothing items this week?
I don’t think so…last splurge was really really great tissue paper from target
15. When was the last time you ran?
funny question, yesterday…it was raining
16. What's the last sporting event you watched?
Celtics vs. Lakers, watched about 2 mins to be exact
18. Who is the last person you emailed?
My dad, he demanded a call for father’s day then implied my sister sent an email so I should do the same…I love him :)
19. Ever go camping?
As in real grass? That has never (and will never) happen(ed). As in Girl Scout “camping” trip where we stayed in a hotel? I was 11 and it never happened again after that
20. Do you have a tan?
Yes I actually do even though I am dark skinned, its so weird, but 5 mins is all it takes and wham I have a photoshop picture of my outfit on my neck and back and arms…
24. Do you drink your soda from a straw?
no…why
25. What did your last IM say?
Sorry don’t IM, yes I know, so backwards but don’t really care
26. Are you someone's best friend?
My sisters! Margo, Mrs. A, Mrs. O and my only bro Majestic. Love you guys!
27. What are you doing tomorrow?
Working…
28. Where is your mom right now?
In Abuja, Nigeria, West Africa, Smack in line with Equator
29. Look to your left, what do you see?
Gray wall with Co Worker, John “working”.
30. What color is your watch?
Silver
31. What do you think of when you think of Australia ?
Hillsong Australia, Hillsong United, Keith Urban, Snakes (sorry don’t know why but I do)
32. Would you consider plastic surgery?
Never, but then again I am 27 (although probably still never)
33. What is your birthstone?Really don’t know and too stubborn to goggle it right now, I was born in March…
34. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru?
Being that I am not a fast food girl, neither, I have been to one in over a year
35.How many kids do you want?
Two, but willing to adopt after that
36. Do you have a dog?
No, really like to have one but I don’t like them jumping on me (counterintuitive right)
37. Last person you talked to on the phone?
Margo, sister (we talk ever day)
38. Have you met anyone famous?
Yes, my favorite was F. Murray Abrams (Amadeus) , he came in and taught one of my undergrad classes
39. Any plans today?
Read Bible, read blog, work, find luggage, find nice flats, clean room, donate clothes, eat dinner, etc……
40. How many states have you lived in?
New Jersey, Virginia, Boston and Abuja (sorry diff country)
41. Ever go to college?
Yes MCC/ Northeastern / Rutgers (Scarlet Knight 4 life) / Harvard
42. Where are you right now?
My gray cubicle
43. Biggest annoyance in your life right now?
Gray walls with zig zag lines….(my cube)
44. Last song listened to?”There is a God” 33 Miles, I love them46. Are you allergic to anything?Anything with Hydroquinone
47. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time?
Flip Flops
48. Are you jealous of anyone?
No
50. Is anyone jealous of you?
Don’t know, I have not asked around51. What time is it?10:58am
52. Do any of your friends have children?
Countless! 75% of my high school classmates are married and most of them have a couple
53. Do you eat healthy?
For the most part, I O’D on rice
54. What do you usually do during the day?
Work and go online…
55. Do you hate anyone right now?
No, doubt I ever will
56. Do you use the word 'hello' daily?Yes, is there anyone who doesn’t…(maybe they don’t have a phone…)
58. How old will you be turning on your next birthday?
28 YES! I love getting older (I am a rare breed)
59. Have you ever been to Six Flags?
Yes, do not like it at all (funnel cake was my highlight)
60. How did you get one of your scars?
A marble table fell on my foot when I was 8, I literally thought I had died. A couple shots and stiches was all I needed, no broken bones thankfully, but I really really don’t like shots now, the thought of them makes me cry :(

Okay its Sunday

2008-06-15T20:52:00.000-07:00

Today was awesome besides the fact that I forgot it was father's day!! Thankfully my dad is in another country on a different time zone, I figured it out before the day was done. I skyped him and he was glad, although I must mention he called me first to remind me I had to call! Lol.

Went to Watchung reservation this past weekend and I really loved it, I am not a woods kind of girl, but from my car I can appreciate. I look at trees like this and somehow, nothing else matters, world hunger, poverty, presidential race, all that is solved when I am surrounded by trees!

day after day

2008-06-14T14:01:00.000-07:00

I am hot!! wow, its not summer yet, I really need to think about happy things like Alaska.

Today was such an awesome day, I went to the park today and I really tried to read my Lucky Magazines (4 to be exact) but people kept calling me! Yes I should have shut the phone off but what if someone "really" had to reach me you know :) So as an ode to Traci I had to take a self portrait of me and my Luckys (I love them soooooo much). I finally left the grass for Zimmereli Museum in Rutgers (Scarlet Knights!!) University, just so happens they dont open till noon. I figured I could wait right? Well in the span of 45 minutes I encountered first, a kid looking for a hall for a placement exam, we probably walked around for 10 minutes before I realized we had walked past it twice! Secondly, I was accosted by 5 guys who just got out of the Rehab program (I really did not think they should have been let out... they still looked a little dazed), they wanted to chat since they had a day pass and figured they should spend it with a lady such as I. I figured I should help the Rehab process by getting them back into the grind of things, I suggested they walk around Rutgers and come back when the Museum opened to you know get cultured or something. They agreed and left so I figured now would be a good time to move. But then as I packed my things I ran into a teenager who was really friendly and he wanted to know about the business program. Turns out he is a whiz in the kitchen and wants to be a chef some day, I told him not to let that go, you kinda forget what you loved to do as life happens sometimes.

My day isnt over, I have a dance recital in 30mins and am I dressed? No! Yikes, I got to go. I also should say I had a pow wow with my sisters and they are amazing, I love them all!

and the days keep on rolling...

2008-06-13T06:41:00.000-07:00

Went to bed last night at 1am , actually tried to sleep at 12, just didnt happen. I woke up at 5:30ish, which is pretty typical of me these days, my mom would be so proud (I did it without an alarm clock too). My department is having a picnic today and I was enlisted as the bearer of Ice Cream, okay I volunteered myself for this role (anyone who knows me well understands that I had no choice, Ice Cream is in my blood). So I stood in the frozen section for about 30 minutes freezing mind you, but I just could not make up my mind. I was stricken with panic when I realized 30 minutes had gone by and all I had in my cart where Bagels (Thomas's Honey & Oatmeal, yum), so I grabbed a couple of Edy's and Ben & Jerry's but the best purchase was Dipper bars made by Skinny Cow, the packaging had me at Skinny. Again I am not fat but the brand name uber cute, who could turn down a Skinny Cow?

Needtobreathe

2008-06-12T11:49:00.000-07:00

On my quest to find everything/ awesomely/ good music, I stumbled upon Needtobreathe. They are really good, so here is a video from their new single, makes me want to dance in the rain :)

Day Thursday

2008-06-12T10:49:00.000-07:00

I was wondering what to blog about today...

I saw a picture on the internet and I had to put it in here. Its a little girl in Jos (in northern Nigeria) and for some reason I really really love the picture. The picture was taken in Miango, which is a town with Missionary guest houses and schools. My family and I vacationed at one of the guest houses in 1997 for a week and had the best time ever( www.miangoresthome.com ). There was no tv, phones or video games, so all day we hiked (more like walked) the trails, jumped on the trampoline, ate group meals, played card games, read books in the library and slept. There was actaully time set out for a siesta at 2 or 3 in the afternoon and there was a night time imposed curfew (talk about being strict). I saw this picture and it reminded me how disconnected I am to my surroundings sometimes, I dont believe I saw one poor person in my stay in Miango (guest houses are in a secluded area thats probably fenced) not because they were not there but probably because I chose not to see them (not intentionally of course). I do this everywhere not just Miango, like Manhattan, I pass by a homeless guy and dont say a prayer for him. Why is he homeless? does he have family? do they know he is alive? are they homeless too? He was once like the little girl that no one cared to see.

God Tube

2008-06-11T16:53:00.000-07:00

Every once in awhile someone sends me an inspiring video, so I had to put this on my blog.
Its a father and son team that compete in triathlons, the glitch is the son is a paraplegic and communicates through a special computer device. He told his dad he does not feel disabled when running and that started the beginning of what is now known as team Hoyt.

Its a tear jerker, I realize how ungrateful I am, I have alot more than others do; I pray to love more, it is the greatest commandment after all.

Can I live here?

2008-06-11T11:07:00.001-07:00

Came across an Interior Designer from the West Coast in Cottage Living, her name is Tia Zoldan, she furnished the home featured on my blog. It was so lovely that I had to post it...

I have the sudden urge to repaint (and refurnish) my entire home or I could just move into this house here, its so perfect! I can totally see myself in the Kitchen throwing it down with Bobby Flay or better yet Paula Dean! So I dont know them personally but with a house like this I am sure they will do a personal house call right? :)

Day TEN

2008-06-11T08:39:00.000-07:00

I made it! Ten days and 30 to go (just have to repeat this 3 more times, phew). I am holding up pretty good, I even came in to work early and chipper for my 8:30am meeting, sort of reminded me of "Office Space" with the "Did you get the Memo" speeches. I love that movie. For anyone wondering what corporate America has been for me, please watch the movie : )

It rained last night!!! For about 5 minutes?!! Thankful for it though, because it brought cooler weather and did not destroy any of the trees in my neighborhood, cant say the same for other counties... lots of downed trees and power outages (and to think I was fuming that the rain did not last long).

I'll be back

New Artist

2008-06-11T03:33:00.000-07:00

Okay I was able to download an Aaron Sledge song called "I'm Sorry"! I love this guy : )

Hot & Bothered

2008-06-10T16:33:00.000-07:00

Do you ever feel like sometimes you just cant measure up? It's surreal like, you have a great day then bam, you do something wrong & out goes the great day. Well I am having that day right now. It looks like rain but the wind has not picked up yet...bummer, I could use the rain right now. Something about rain is soothing you know? The rain drops hitting the window, sitting comfortably in bed looking out the window at the perfect chaos of a rain storm...okay maybe I am the only one that likes rain storms! lol

Back to my first point, I guess the whole point of doing the 40days of faith is to know that we can never get everything perfect but we can have faith that we would do better next time : )

Found this guy on rhapsody, he sings christian R&B and its really good too! Sadly he does not have a music video but he is on blogspot! www.aaronsledge.blogspot.com

Day ??

2008-06-10T10:51:00.000-07:00

Cant remember what day I am on at the moment, only that I feel good. I had some nervousness this A.M. about trying to eat breakfast and could not get my mind made up in time so I had grapefruit juice... lets just say I am starving.

Heard this new cd by Tenth Avenue North, its so good, I was thinking of maybe touring with them as an assistant manager/Cook/Seamstress who works for free (they cant turn down an offer that good right?). My friend turned me on to them a month ago and now I cant get enough of them. Here is a video of their current single, "Love is Here"

I am at work currently reading about King David...the movie script of the movie King David to be exact (sorry I have loads of time on my hands). Well so far the accuracy is about 90 percent but I am only 9 pages in and have about 126 to go, I am psyched. In case you are wondering, I read scripts when I am bored...at work (you see, you cant read a book....) and the day goes by way way faster. Don't worry, its not like I am not doing my work, it is that I have NO work. I got a file today and I did it in about 10 minutes which means I have 7:55hrs to do something else...don't fret, I do get creative : )

Added another thing to my list, I almost forgot to pray on the ride to work, I got so used to doing it that whenever I forget I feel strange like something is off. Thankfully I remembered.

I also have to share about a Food Network show, "The Next Food Network Star", it is sooooo good, there is a kid thats 19....never mind it will take too long to explain, just watch the show!

What I want right now....

2008-06-09T08:24:00.000-07:00

When I think Summer I always think GAP, something about their tees are so perfect...the stretch tees are a most have people, I literally dislike the term "must have" but in this case, it applies :)

I have been going back and forth about this dress, dont know if I should get it or not, it seems perfect for a sunday brunch date, or an outing to the city (which I need to do ASAP). I got to think about it a little more.
I saw these Stuart Weitzman flats and I figured I could spruce up the outfit a bit, make it a tad dressier than the regular sunday brunch look, perhaps I could wear it to a lunch date with a prospective client, add on a belt (Leather Rock), a killer bag (Nancy Gonzales)with sunglasses (Marc Jacobs). Gorgeous.

Okay I get that the bag, the shoes and the belt are all definitive pieces, choosing just one can up the dress a couple of notches, but for me? Fashion can only be defined by wearing what I want now in anyway I please.

Day 8

2008-06-09T07:32:00.000-07:00

Okay clearly missed Trish's post that we skip sunday since its the day of rest. Oh well, I will try to remember next week.

This day is a good day, wanna know why? Well my Period ENDED!!! Yippee!! Okay its not that serious to most of you but imagine a period that lasts the average of 14 days for the past year....not good right. So I added it to my list of "Lord this needs to change" and guess what, its over at day 5! That is a whole 9 days shorter!

Woke up this morning thinking to myself, there is no way today can be as hot as yesterday, I thought wrong. It was 6:48am when I pulled out the drive way and realized it was 82 degrees.... people it was 6:48am!!! I am glad to be at work in an air conditioned building but I am dreading the walk to the car afterwards....would my car seats melt? will the keys wilt? will my tires begin to sweat? so many questions.

I was by the fax machine today and decided I should look in the vending machine, yep nothing is new besides my ANIMAL CRACKERS!! I love that thing, I was thinking maybe I dont have to fast from Animal crackers because it is more of a need than a want right?

Day 6 & 7

2008-06-08T06:15:00.000-07:00

Okay I totally forgot to blog yesterday. It was my sister's birthday and we had fun, which was good. It was a HOT day, our car topped at 100 degrees! That was not cool. I had Ice cream a couple times yesterday. Oh, by the way, saw "Dont mess with Zohan" yesterday, the movie with Adam Sandler...umm I should have listened to the title okay. It was 10 mins of actually funny humor and the rest was a sexual based grotesque humor, it was not funny...not to spoil the movie for you but there is a part where he bangs a grandmother...I am sorry that is not funny, why is it cool to depict older women as such sex starved people that they will sleep with anything? Sad thing was my theater was crawling with preteens! Parents please know what your kids are watching! Okay I feel better now :)

Yesterday I read Psalms and it was very calming knowing God will go after my enemies & I dont have to, yeah! I prayed some more & realized I needed to add something else to my list, I feel this list will continue growing forever!

My friends went to Six Flags yesterday without me :( could not go cause it was my sisters birthday and she does not like amusement parks...well niether do I, rides terrify me (its always a death experience when I go on one okay)but there was a concert there as well. mercy Me & Tenth Avenue North, cant wait to hear the great stories of how awesome they were.

Tata

Clutch Heaven

2008-06-06T12:15:00.000-07:00

Ok I was asked about a black clutch and in my search for the purse that carried the required specifications, I came across others that I could not resist posting.

Okay the above clutch was barely 40 bucks which means its way affordable, not my taste but looks similar to what I was searching for.

This next purse is a little more me, although I should point out it is silk (crinkled) and this came up at $50.00.

So I thought what clutch would I wear everywhere with everything? What could be better than Carlos Falchi, this bright orange stunner retails for $2710.00, I believe Saks has it on sale for about $1300 which is awesome.

I got to say this next one by Brian Atwood is a little Utilitarian looking for my taste but can still be worked with jeans, tee and heels. I believe it runs about $1300 at Noordstroms and Saks

I had to put a pretty one, I love this one simply because of the handle loop, its unique and I can totally wear it with something very airy and soft.

Last one I had to add is a Tory Burch gorgeousity (created this word okay, dont sweat me). She is one of my favorite bag designers, she simply had to debut on my blog

DAY FIVE

2008-06-06T10:52:00.000-07:00

Okay today is a good day, which day isn't? In my world, every day is a good day. I woke up this morning at 5:30am and did my devotions 15 minutes after that, since we are done with Ruth I went on to Psalms, but something tells me I will keep drifting back to Ruth because I love it!

I was just thinking about how good yesterday was, I sat in the office and listened to music all day on ksbj.org (Austin station!)and the music just seemed to set the tone for the work day. You should really play music while you work, it makes the day so much happier.

My sister's birthday is tomorrow and I still dont know what I am doing (gulp), dont freak out I tell myself, I have a skeleton of a plan but dont know if it will pan out tomorrow...We shall see. I totally forgot about Cake (Eck!) what am I doing?! Got to go!

Okay just freaked out totally when I walked by the vending machine & I saw ....Animal Crackers!!!! I love them, they have not had them in there for over a year, they choose to do so when I am on a fast? how fair is that?

To Have or Not to Have

2008-06-05T12:27:00.000-07:00

I was sitting at my desk "working" when I came across this great Michael Kors bag! It started a search for all things chic, it carries a hefty price tag of $995.00 which is not that bad compared to some other unnamed pricey bags that retail for much more and do not carry the same cuteness factor. I come from the school of thought that says "does not matter if the price tag is $5 or $500, if its is cute it is cute, if it is ugly it is ugly". Sometimes something could be totally ugly and because it has a designers name attached to it ppl jump all over it, I never get it. So I have ensambled some really cute chic things and some not so cute chic things...

This next clutch is by Christian Louboutin, retails for $740 (yikes!) but is totally worth it! I love the purple leather, it can make any outfit (and i mean any)look ten times better. Although I am quite sure that you can find a similar clutch that costs way less, the idea is to see what I like, if I cant afford it then look for something that costs way less but still packs the same power.

Okay this next number is just as gorgeous and yeah it is different than the prior purple sparkler i realize but for $50.00 I think its totally worth it

This was hideous, it is Christian Louboutain, I expect better if I am going to have to cough up $1700 bucks. It is not that I would have bought it at $50.00 but something about it being $1700 makes it so much worse...

This is a really nice Edie Bauer "summer is here" yellow dress. As yellow is my fav color I cant help but think I should splurge on this number, as its only $88.00 I think it would be worth it

This was so special that if I did not add it on you might have thought I made it up. Someone bought this before I could find out the price, all I can say is "Pretty in Yellow".... totally channeling Molly Ringwold in anything prior to 1988...

Why stop at two yellow dresses when you can have three right? This was listed as a must have... I am sorry why MUST I HAVE IT? it is beautiful but where exactly will I be going?! Supermarket, Wedding, Baseball game?

Must have lists are really not to be followed, this is yes the 4th yellow dress I realize but it was listed as a must have for the summer as well. Its JCrew and lists at $150.00, it is not bad but nothing screams must have about this dress. I would still struggle on whether to buy it or not if I saw it at a flea market for $15.00

Okay, I had to throw these in, they are from one of my fav stores, the GAP!! I worked there so many years ago and have loved it ever since. These are a pair of summer shorts that I honestly believe I might get in every color, if you are wondering if i am one of those serial shoppers that likes something and gets multiple colors...yes i am guilty as charged :)

So, I figure this is somewhat of a mishmash of my likes and dislikes, I will try to coordinate it better next time...yeah good luck with that Natasha! MUST GO BACK TO WORK!

DAY FOUR....

2008-06-05T11:20:00.001-07:00

Today is a good day. It started out as a blur, woke up at 3 something in the morning due to period issues....started me thinking about a way to shorten the darn thing. Its an average of FOURTEEN days, what am I? A blood machine?! Got to work and started to google all sorts of things related to shortening periods and only came up with Birth Control, yikes! I was not trying to get on the thing until it was absolutely necessary (as in I am married & my husband does not like the idea of a vasectomy as a form of birth control...). I dont really have anything against it, I am not having sex so no fears of getting pregnant, its just something about it changing the level of your hormones that has me worried you know? What if it makes me moody, I like being happy, what if I gain weight (shudder...), what if I just shut up and stop scaring myself? thats a good idea.

I finished reading Ruth (chapter 4) today and it was so romantic in bible sort of way. I love that Boaz was so on top of getting Ruth to be his girl, you know the whole sitting at the gate thing waiting for the elders and the kinsman to show up was romantic. Was he nervous as he sat there? did he pray the kinsman will not want to redeem Ruth? makes me think of Sleepless in Seattle when Tom Hanks goes up the elevator hoping to see Sam his son and how they waited nervously for Meg Ryan to show up...(okay so thats a stretch from Boaz's story but my mind connects the weirdest things!). Okay I am going to pray a total selfish prayer right now, "God, send my Boaz...love you! "

Day Three!

2008-06-04T04:18:00.000-07:00

Yippy! I made it to day three, okay its still 8:16am but I am psyched about today. Thought I could sneak in a yogurt this morning but decided that might be cheating :) So will wait till 6, pray I make it guys...I will make it.

Alright I am out the door to my "exiciting" career in Accounting that totally is giving way at the end of the month for my exiciting career in fashion! Yeah!

(ADDITIONAL BLOGGING AT 4:15PM)

Hey, just had to add my period started an hour ago!! Wait if that was not bad enough...it came with cramps, which mind you I never have!!! So of course I downed 4 asprins (yes I did know it was 1000mg) and I feel better. Still have an hour before I get home then I will eat something, dont feel like getting something on the way home since I just spent a ton of money in the bookstore for lunch. Ever since the 40 days began I have been sitting in Borders on my lunch break, determined to read something exciting but instead I leave with books. This is not good as I am trying to get a better handle on my cash flow due to ever increasing gas prices!

So I am going to leave now, I refuse to spend another second looking at the computer when I have an hour to drive home...yes a whole 60 minutes but who is counting right ;)

day 2

2008-06-03T15:51:00.000-07:00

Yeah I survived day 2! can i just say this was a hard day, HARD DAY ok. I was good till about 10:30....then my stomach started groaning ever so lightly but I ignored it proudly. I made it till 6pm! So cool.

Okay so I prayed about random things today as i was driving down the highway, i realized there is really alot of things to pray for if you look for them. I have 26 days left at my job!! I cant wait to move unto greater and funner things what ever they may be.

The dishes are calling my name so I have to go wash them. Night Night

Day One

2008-06-02T13:25:00.000-07:00

Okay! I am so ready for change!

This is day one in my 40 day journey to be a better me....are you still there? great. Here is the low down. I was living a life of total non chalance (strange word, dont know if it applies but still determinded to use it...anyway back to the story) doing what was expected of me. Getting up, going to very very non exciting job environment (while encouraging others to do better mind you), struggling to stay awake for 8 hours and finally making it home in time to eat dinner and crash to repeat the cycle yet again in a "A ground hog day" horror. Ok, not so dramatic.

Well, during my search for male candidate to bequest (again strange use of word that i have no inkling of) my hand in marriage, i stumbled into Borders to engage in "light" reading while scoping the area for "eligibles". As you see, I am christian, so any guy in the Astrology, Mythology, Witchology(made that up) sections was immediately barred from my conscience. Eligbles would preferably be in the Religion section reading a bible while holding on to a book labeled "How to know When God's perfect woman is in front of me". Well none of that happened but I did pick up a really good book for we single (desperately hoping not to remain so) women, it was called "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not" by Trish Ryan. I pondered over the book this entire weekend and decided I shall make a big move in my life, I shall join Trish (Ryan that is) on her forty days of faith expedition ( http://fortydaysoffaith.blogspot.com/ ). I shall subject myself to 40 days of fasting from (gulp) food ....from am to 6pm. And I shall petition forth my Fabio! Okay it does not work like that, I know. I really just want God to change me, sometimes we get carried away with the "God is not enough" syndrome, but He really is. I hope from this wonderful journey I will get closer and closer to discovering what my purpose is in Him and what I can offer the world!

Join gals (& erh guys) on this journey to be something greater than we are, letting go of something we hold on to and giving God our deepest requests while expecting Him to answer them in whatever ways are best!