Flawless Friday

Love that Red.

 The Satorialist

Lands' End-Canvas

Move over J. Crew.  Lands' End introduced it's Canvas brand.  They are offering stylish and affordable looks for spring.  The collection of accessories make it easy to add a nice finish to a simple tee and jeans or a nice crisp skirt/pants for day or shorts for play.    They offer an amazing array of alternatives of color/texture to their scarves, belts, and bags.  Especially in spring, its always fun to have a unexpected splash of color to make a simple outfit chic. 

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Mourns Loss: Linda Marie White

Sorors of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., mourn the passing of our 26th Immediate Past International President, Linda Marie White.

R.I.P.

Philadelphia Loves the Big Apple

lildecalshoppe's

Sade in Ebony

Sigh.......So beautiful.
You know I wasn't going to let this pass.
Nor would I wait until Flawless Friday.
On stands March 9th.

Questions to Ponder, Part II

Am I as thoughtful and forgiving of family as others, or do I take my frustrations out on them?
It's a funny thing about family. We know each other best-warts and all, and yet that seems to give us carte blanche to behave any way we want. You don't always have to be at your best and you know it. Family loves you anyway. It's that knowing, that confidence in the unconditional love that we have for each other that oftentimes gives us an excuse to act in ways with our loved ones that we wouldn't dare act with anyone else. It should be the exact opposite shouldn't it? It's the same way with God. He knows us, warts and all right? He loves us anyway, and it's that knowing, that confidence in his unconditional love and forgiveness that we take for granted. When everyone and everything leaves-family remains. It's the same way with God. Meditate on it and make a conscience effort to be more thoughtful and patient with those who know you best, and love you anyway.

BluLabel Bungalow-Custom Moodboard Giveaway

I love beautiful things and Erika Ward, principal designer at BluLabel Bungalow, satisfies my eye candy cravings. She has an incredible design sensibility-first and only so far on my blog roll for beautiful things. BluLabel Bungalow is celebrating reaching 100 followers with a Custom Moodboard giveaway! The moodboard is a e-decorating service that offers inspiration, a design plan, and links to shopping resources. Click the link for details on how to enter, and enjoy Erika's wonderful blog while you're there.

Artistic AYA

Soft Romantic Necklace

Vintage Memories Necklace

Paper Space Cuff with Mirrors

DC based artist Dana Ayanna Greaves, creates beautiful handmade jewelry in a variety of mediums. Her favorite materials are paper, ink, paint, and fabric. Eclectic. Gorgeous.
Available on her website, Artistic Aya, or visit her Etsy shop here.

Signs of Spring

2010 Philadelphia International Flower Show

Party's Over!

White House Social Secretary, Desiree Rogers is reportedly leaving her post next month, fourteen months and 330 events into her position, to "explore opportunities in the corporate world". A successful Chicago businesswoman and socialite, Ms. Rogers was the first Black woman to hold the position of social secretary and a close associate of President and Mrs. Obama. She came under fire in November 2009 when Tareq and Michaele Salahi crashed the Obama's first White House state dinner. Her critics characterize her as a spotlight seeker who maintained a very high profile including appearances in fashion spreads early on in the administration, and inserted herself as a guest during the dinner instead of fulfilling her responsibilities as social secretary. Of course when you're as fabulous and stylish as she, it would be hard to disappear into the shadows.

My number one rule as a planner is to take care of business-you can't relax until the event is over. You are being paid because of your organization skills and attention to detail. When the event is over-kick your feet up and have a cocktail. If you are managing an event-manage it. A planner should stay behind the scenes handling every aspect of the event detail and be prepared for every contingency. You'll receive your kudos for a expertly managed event-once it's over. It's a shame her tenure ended with a cloud over it.

Just goes to show that even or especially in the White House, you can't let your guard down for a minute. I wish her well.

Flawless Friday

(Getty Images)

As California Goes, So May Go the Nation

Earlier this month, San Francisco’s District Attorney Kamala Harris announced she'll run to be California’s next Attorney General. She was the first female DA in the City, the first African American, and the first South Asian American woman to hold the post. She’s been called the “female Obama”, and cited by the New York Times as one of 17 women nationwide who would likely be the first woman to serve as President of the United States. That's pretty heady stuff!

Kamala completed her undergraduate work at my alumni, Howard University, and she's also a member of my beloved Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (AKA). Kamala went on to attend the University of California, Hastings College of Law. She hasn't looked back! She has fought some tough issues in San Francisco, and is now looking to take on the state. And if that's not enough, Kamala has a book out entitled "Smart on Crime". Kamala explains in detail her comprehensive and sensible approach to reducing crime.

Watch out for her, you never thought your President would be a Black man either did you? I'm just sayin'......

All Right, Mr. DeMille, I'm NOT Ready for my Close-Up!!!!

My family doesn't have a lot of pictures of me. I don't like taking pictures. I don't like the way I look in them. When I turned 30 I promised myself I was going to get one hot picture of myself. Perfectly styled and groomed, and it would be just spectacular. Didn't happen. I should have been clearer-that was close to twenty years ago (see comment section)! Now I do have pictures of me and my family scattered about, but when the camera shows up, I usually offer to take the shot instead of be in it. Now I'm faced with the task of putting up a picture for my blog. I'm not ready to show the world my face. There's nothing wrong with it. I'm not the worst looking person in the world. In fact, I'm blessed. But not quite ready for my close up. I've decided to use my personal symbol, the Aya or fern to go in that little square as my identity. When I actually pasted in the African version, I didn't like it. Looked like a fish bone. Even with a symbol, you can see I have vanity issues. I'm going to start the search for something else or maybe get a picture taken, but until I do, tell me if you like this one. Not to ethnic, not too leafy, just right for right now.

Questions to Ponder

Our Lenten Bulletin asked questions for each of us to examine, I'll list them here a couple at a time throughout the season.

Am I sharing gladly what I have with others, especially the stranger and the poor?
Don't act like you haven't been there when $ 20 dollars may as well have been $2,000. Someone shared with you when you had a need. You never know how a small simple action can change someone's day, or even change their life. Here is something to really keep in mind: It does NOT have to be money. It can be a ride to the store, keeping a friends' child overnight so she can work, a book, a smile, a genuine compliment-ANYTHING-you get the picture. Don't think of any payoff or payback. Just keep in mind the principle of karma: What goes around-comes around.

Do I have a gracious and patient attitude with others, especially those that irritate me?
Did you laugh out loud? This is extremely hard, but it can be done if you only keep in mind that God made us ALL different. I've learned the reason people irritate me is because they're NOT ME. They don't do or say things in the way that I would do them. And thank God they don't-and who am I to be irritated? It is highly unlikely that you'll find anyone out there who would say that I irritate them..right? Did you laugh out loud again? I know people can rub you the wrong way and you don't even know why. That doesn't give any of us the right to act on that. Be gracious (more on that later), show some patience. You never know, after a while, that person may respond to you by being a little less irritating, and they won't even know it. You must be the change you want to see-Ghandi and all that.....

Fabulous Over A Certain Age

I have been anonymously reading this blog since it's inception last year. Mind you-i'm not fifty yet, but I have decided to start REALLY reconciling my head with my body/face. They say God gives what you need-right when you need it. Here's what he sent me:

1. The "Payback" Flash: An "ex" family member had raging hot-flashes. I mean the kind where you're fanning like the ladies in church coupled with the loud whooping noises. My fabulously arrogant thirty something self said to my husband in annoyance one day that she should stop making all that noise. If nothing else, she's going to remind her husband how old she is. There's alot of noise coming from my bedroom at night these days, but you get three guesses the majority cause. The Lord remembered my cattiness, thus, the "Payback Flash".
2. Sade: Thank you Lord for reminding me that the older you get, the better you get, nor does your talent disappear.
3. The most wonderful supportive friend in the world, who we'll call ZEN. She encouraged me to just keep up with this blogging thing until I figure out exactly what I want to do and what that looks like. She also recommended the 21-Day Oprah cleanse, but adding structured mediation and exercises seems like a chore right now. She's actually in the first stages of talking to me about Integral Hatha Yoga. She recently received her certification in this yoga style. The yoga instruction is really her Act II coming from corporate America. She really followed through with her passion and now has CLIENTS!!!! Bravo to my girl ZEN. Another bonus besides doing what she loves? She's able to maintain her ideal weight, which ironically is my ideal weight, but I never got there.
   
4. Recent blogposts from Faboverfifty. The past week, I've been reading a very honest and informative account of a fifty something woman named Geri who undergoes what she calls "surgery light". I won't recap it here, but what I will tell you that it must take TREMENDOUS courage to go in front of the world vulnerable with your flaws (real or perceived). I finally came out the closet a few days ago to give her a "Bravo". Check out her journey. PS-Put the doctor's number in your Blackberry (i'm just sayin-you never know).
   

Once again-thank you Lord-for reminding me I don't have to fight middle age and all her "gifts", there is motivation, inspiration, and great plastic surgeons out there to help me through.

Best Old House Neighborhoods-2010

Mt. Airy, Pennsylvania is one of the many wonderful neighborhoods in Philadelphia, but it just earned the distinction of being named one of best Old House Neighborhoods in the Northeast according to This Old House.

Mt. Airy is a community known for its exquisite examples of 18th and 19th Century residential architecture.

Lenten Season 2010

LONG BUT GOOD POST WARNING!

The family went to church this Sunday. Just for the record, we go to church every Sunday (plus or minus a few soccer/basketball games) so don't think this is me "fronting" for Easter. The handout in our bulletin contained wonderful information regarding Lent:

Why 40 days? Because, Jesus fasted and was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days. Lent, then, is our time of fasting, prayer, temptation and repentance. Lent is not required anywhere in the scriptures, but it has been a custom, which Christians have practiced for most of the last two thousand years.

In many languages, the word "Lent" actually means "fast". This is where the custom of giving up something for Lent originated.

Just to confuse things, Lent is actually 46 days rather than 40 days. Why? Because the 40 days of Lent are supposed to be days of fasting, which means self discipline and self-restraint. But Sunday, the Lord's Day, should never be a day of fasting, but a day of celebration! So each Sunday we suspend our Lenten disciplines and celebrate. Lent is 40 "fasting" days spread out over a total of 46 days beginning on Ash Wednesday.

The focus of Lent was always threefold:

1. It was a time to prepare new converts for baptism through intensive classes and instruction.
2. It was a time for long-standing Christians to review their lives and renew their commitment to Jesus Christ.
3. It was a time for backsliders to be restored to the faith.

In every case, it is a time for serious, disciplined self-examination, a time spent in intensive prayer and repentance before the cross of Calvary.

To represent the dark and serious business of Lent, one custom has been to strip the sanctuary of all flowers, candles, and colors during Lent. This custom helps us to turn inward and examine ourselves, even as it reminds us of the dark and colorless Sabbath Day when Jesus lay dead in the tomb. Put simply, Lent is a time to examine ourselves carefully.

And you thought Lent was created just to make you give up chocolate huh?
Let me know what/if you're sacrificing for Lent.

Mrs. O - In Philadelphia

(Image Copyright: Daylife)

Michelle Obama came to Philadelphia today as part of her "Let's Move" campaign. The First Lady, along with Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack visited the Fresh Grocer located in North Philadelphia. Mrs. Obama was appropriately dressed in colorful layers of white, gray, and navy blue finished with her signature belted style.

Davis Wins the Gold

I don't normally care for the Winter Olympics. I don't really identify with cold weather sports. Don't ski, don't ice skate, and I REALLY don't understand that "sport" that looks like a shuffleboard game on ice, Curling. But I normally watch the ice skating competitions, and this year skiing because "they" pumped up Lindsay Vonn so heavy but that's another story and I'm trying to keep a no-hate zone here. Anyway, when I normally hear about speed skating, it's all about Apollo Anton Ohno, but we keep track of our "own" and got in late last night hoping we hadn't missed Shani Davis compete. Davis won the Gold Medal in the 1,000 meter skate. It's the first time an athlete has won the Gold in that event two times in a row. It was heartwarming when NBC cut to a shot showing the kids from the Fort Dupont Ice Arena in Southeast DC's reaction when he won. Davis inspired the DC Inner City Excellence Program (DC-ICE). The program offers programs relating to Academics/Athletics, the Eastern Arts (Yoga), Nature (they are located in Fort Dupont Park), and also mentoring and life skills programs. The rink offers public skating as well as lessons in figure, speed skating and ice hockey. If you want more information hit up the Friends of Fort Dupont Ice Arena website here. I'm working on my linking skills-if the link doesn't work-do it yourself until I master it ok?

The Road to Fulfillment

Never forget if you always give, you will always have.