Updates, Updates!

Just got back from Open Mic Night @ Busboys and Poets, or as I lovingly refer to it, BB&P.

It was fun, as Too Deep is always the hilarious hostess/poetess. I read a couple of great pieces that weren't captured on video, unfortunately! However, I will post both up tomorrow once I have rested, etc.

In summary, there were a few great poets/artists BUT, I'm still laughing @ dude who came last called "First Call" (ironic right?). He came on introducing his appreciation for local artists, etc. and decided to perform a song a la Diddy or some wack singer/rapper. The funniest thing was the hook, "Whatever turns you on...." LMAO!! And then he tried to sell us $3 umbrellas since it "might rain". I may be able to bless some of you with a 10-second clip....but hilarity at its finest indeed!

For now, I am taking my behind to bed since it's 12:20 am! Thanks to all who came out to support (Grisel, David, Ramone, My Love, and Mr. Great Dad).

Goodnight Everyone!! =)

Persistent Thoughts

It's 10 am on this beautiful Sunday and while I should still be asleep, my thoughts won't let me.

I've created 2 performance pieces for Open Mic Night at Busboys and Poets. We - me, My Love, Grisel, Del & Denise, Vina, Dad, Karley, Stella, and Cyd - went last week but it was sold out. We're better prepared this week though, so if you have time come through!

I refused to have anything but peanut M&M's this morning. A few minutes later, a funny thought came about:

Uncovering a cheater is like a hangover. You know all that alcohol ain't good for you but you consume all you can until you can't take anymore, you barf, then you wake up the next day wishing you made a better decision.

I was inspired by that movie Hangover which was hilarious! Relationships are already difficult as they are and require a lot of work, but if it's worth it then you do all you can to make sure it survives.

Random fact: Peanut M&M's is brain food for me. Sometimes I think most of my great work was created through several bags of these.

If you can, you should come out this Wednesday @ BB&P and check out the amazing poets around the DMV.

Beer anyone?

I don't usually drink beer, but I try whatever he tries. Well, for the most part.

I'm a certified lightweight - a drop of tequila and I can be "twisted" in an instant LOL! One weekend we were watching some basketball and what goes better with sports than drinks?? So we bought some Hoegaarden (pronounced Whoo-garden) and Mike's Cranberry Lemonade (for me). Hoegaarden is white ale and similar to Blue Moon which I think is really good!

Have you tried it yet?

P.S. I'd like to note that this is one of my fave pics for reasons that may be obvious but is actually unfathomable ...

Hangover???

Last weekend I went to a couple clubs with some friends to party the long week away!!

I don't remember the last time I partied two nights in a row and while it was ssooo much fun, I still haven't recovered. Of course, until this morning I'd been struggling to stay awake. Late nights, etc. can wear someone like me out --- I feel so old! Ha-ha....

Saturday afternoon, Sharon & I went to a Pho Resto nearby called Hoa Binh. Pho is the best medicine for a hangover. I usually don't use anything from the veggie platter - usually consists of jalapenos, brussel sprouts, basil, and lime. It was delicious! Especially since I paired it with coconut juice - anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE COCONUT JUICE!!

Ladies, you know what time it is.....

We have a summer-like weekend ahead of us and you already know what that means Ladies! Gorgeous dresses, cuffed jeans or shorts, tanks, sandals but most importantly, a nice manicure & pedicure.

Ever seen a pretty girl with some nice sandals on and her feet look busted?? This is probably one of the biggest fashion faux-pas because it definitely completes the look. Ok, so you got your Marc Jacobs tote and Rock & Republic Jeans with your Gucci sandals --- but did you make a visit to the nail salon? If the answer is no, then you might as well put on some sweatpants and your Coach sneakers or J's cuz it ain't gonna work.

And with the current state of the economy, of course you want to save some money! So, I have a few tips for you:

* Go to your nearest beauty supply store and buy the following: pumice stone, foot scrub and lotion, file, buff, and nail cutter for trimming, oil to soften cuticles, base coat, polish color (I like OPI the best!), and top coat.

* Begin the prep stuff at home - when you get a pedicure, you see the nail tech using pumice stone and foot scrub to make your feet smoother so you can do the same at home. Then you want to start trimming your nails to a desired length. You then buff before putting cuticle oil. You rinse and then proceed to the final step.

* Color - The three key steps to a perfect manicure/pedicure are base coat, polish, and top coat. You can't expect good results if you miss one. And make sure that you stroke upward when applying the noted key items.

I do all of the above before I go to the nail salon. And my sole purpose of going is to get nail art. I like the variety of colors and designs - it makes it more interesting & fun! I am so excited about this weekend because of the beautiful weather coming our way! I'm ssoooo tired of the cold!!

I guarantee that in doing this, you will save money because if you think about it, the other two seasons don't require such maintenance. Have a fabulous weekend everyone!!

1 month down, 3 more to go....

A month ago today, I made a vow to myself. I vowed that for four months, I will not buy a single garment, shoes, accessories, etc. No to shopping sprees!! Ooohhhh, it seems like it's been years!!!

If you're wondering why I would do such thing, here are the following reasons:

* Every time I browse at any store or even online, I HAVE to buy something!
* If I see something I really like and it comes in other colors, I'll buy it all
* I'm a sucker for shoes so I buy 'em in bunches
* A gorgeous blouse or shirt must go with the perfect jeans or skirt and I won't stop 'til I find both even if I already have something similar in my closet!
* I try to convince myself, 'Hey, it's a great sale - it's only $10! And then I can't seem to ignore the other "great sales"

If I keep going, it'll probably take several posts LOL! So like a true addict, I've been going through withdrawals. I even slipped last week! I saw a double-strap buckle belt at Ann Taylor that would go great with a few things in my closet. BUT...If I'm going to be serious about this, I would have to completely commit to it. I returned the belt!!

As with all recovering addicts, there are going to be times when I'm gonna slip. My shopaholic ways isn't as serious as other addictions. However if you check out my post entitled 'What's your Addiction?', you will find how it can easily get out of hand. But like the true champ that I am, I'm gonna make it....

Sick Lately

Sorry for the lack of posts, but I have been very, very sick! Ugh!

The worse part - sounding like a man or missing out on seeing my boys? Both, but it's all good. Still recuperating and this Zicam is working wonders for me =)

Damn you.....

Have you ever been irked just by someones presence? The mere sight or sound of them makes you feel ill or highly irritated to the point of....well you catch my drift.

These are some things that get on my nerves: 1) Asking a question you seem to want an answer to and when suggestions are provided, you keep it moving like you heard nothing. OK, so you asked for my opinion because...?, 2) When someone talks to you even though they see that you're on the phone. So, I suppose what you have to say is more important than my conversation? Hell no, it isn't! Whatever you're saying right now is not going to register anyway, so just wait your damn turn, and 3) Back handed compliments. Example, "Hey, you look tired today"....um, do you mean I look like shit? Because we all have our bad days and you just caught me in one? I suppose you're completely blindsided about the fact that upon a greeting, the common & courteous way to do so is to ask someone how they are doing....

I'm sure you all can name some and I can go on all day too. But I just wanted to point out the fact that, given we are all different in our own ways, one should do a common sense check regularly. That way, even if you make an obtuse remark, you can reason it later.....

Well, well....

I'm suddenly feeling overload on ALL THINGS....from work to my upcoming exam, etc. I'd like to take a mental break, but unfortunately that isn't doable. What to do....

Well, it's been quite a challenging past few weeks. Without going into details, which I do very often, it's been a cross between tumultuous and uncontrollable state of elation. I'm usually great with words - scratching the chin ensues - but it's all that and more. There's absolutely no way to describe, in a word, how I feel at this very moment. The most precise description would be: EUPHORIC...Aaahhhhh

Emotional vs. Logical

Thanks to my Internet-savvy sibling, I'm back up and running per usual. I'm definitely not the "computer tech" type - I'll leave that to my S.O. I can, however, whip up a good poem in less than 5 minutes or finish a book in a few hours. Care to discuss current events or fitness tips? Perhaps you need a stylist? Or a good shopping buddy? These are just a few things I'd like to mention about the 'Dynamic world of Ivy'.

It's 1:00 am and I have no idea why I'm still up. Just saw a couple episodes of Sex and The City - reruns come on TBS around 12:00 a.m.

One in particular made me realize that my views are predominantly male-based. It was called Easy Come, Easy Go where Carrie Bradshaw (main character) and her current boyfriend, Aidan run into Big and his wife. Carrie ends up cheating on Aidan with Big which inevitably leads to their break-up.

Back on topic, I believe my stance on several things in life are what you would expect from a man. Here are a few examples: 1) I don't live for confrontations, 2) I'd rather not gossip, but we all do it, 3) I'd rather play or watch basketball than do my hair, and 4) I'd prefer my J's over stilettos any day. BUT the ONE thing that I love as a woman: The ability to be multi-dimensional. While I am mostly logical, I can also be emotional. While I would rather talk about the SKINS lacking offense vs. the COWBOYS at last Sunday's game, I can explain in detail why that green cardigan would look so much better with the black skinny jeans. You catch my drift....

Lack of....

There's been a lack of new posts due to my Internet connectivity. Since my last post, a lot has happened.

I've been doing some Christmas shopping for family and a few special others ever since September. For example, great sales from stores like GAP, etc. helped me execute my new plan. I figured that I'll start early this year - the past few years have been quite hectic around this time. It seems that after Halloween comes Thanksgiving and before I know it, I've got a week to finish off my list. I'm almost done; just need a few more for that special someone who will remain nameless. Have you done some Christmas shopping of your own? Or are you more like the last minute/ rush shopper?

FOOTBALL: Give me a second to vent...AAARRRGGGGHHHHH!!!! We looked so good out there in the 1st half, so what lead to our loss against the COWGIRLS??? Now we're tied up (6-4)and we need to win against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, November 23rd at 4:15 p.m. I know you COWGIRLS fans are smiling from cheek to cheek right now, but don't get too happy just yet.

On another note, was anyone else checking T.J. Houshmandzadeh (#84 - Cincinnati Bengals) yesterday? I mean, of course, he was playing well (149 receiving yards & a touchdown), and seemed like he was the only one who wanted to win against the Philadelphia Eagles but all I could say was 'DAMN, HE IS SO SEXY'! LOL! That is a fine man right there.....

More updates soon to come.....

TRY THIS....

I went to a breakfast event last Thursday for IMPACT Silver Spring who was honoring County Executive, Isaiah Legett. Basically they're an organization who advocates diversity. There was a website they asked everyone to visit however I had no clue what it was about. My natural curiosity set in and I checked it out.

I did the Obama/McCain study and it showcased various perspectives of the political mind. To be precise the studies offered allows you to "explore unconcious perceptions". I found out that I slightly favor Black people over White people - I suppose due to relevance - and that each time I saw OBAMA's picture, positive energy came about. Of course, I do not favor one race over the other, but I make no excuses for the wonderful people that I have in my life either.

NOTE: The above picture is so relevant to this post because it's a great example of diversity. When you get a chance, please visit this site: www.implicit.harvard.edu. Let me know what you discover about yourself!