The Woods

DH went to a wedding in the park the other day...and here is my look.

It was his first time doing the outdoor photos for me and he got a little blown with how many I wanted so I did my accessory shots in the car. I wonder, ladies who do OOTD posts, who is taking your pix for you? It can't be your dudes, can it?

Dress - I've had this for almost for ever and bought it about 8 years ago when I first lost a lot of weight. I can finally fit it again!
Shoes - Nine West
Purse - Vintage (from my favorite Aunt who recently passed and gifted to me by her daughter)
Accessories - Rue 21

I think none of the things I had on this day were purchased prior to like 2004/5! Amazing how good stuff doesn't go bad.

Perm Envy

Lately...I've been feeling quite envious of chicas I see with perms! What is that about? I don't know, maybe the grass is always greener syndrome, who knows. 

Anyhoo, its not the long permed hair, its the short, tight hair style I used to wear. Shaved in the back, short on the sides, long in the front. I'm sure I'm going to get over it, especially since I've committed myself to at least 2 years of growing my hair out in its natural state.

I've tried to straighten my hair since going natural on more than one occasion and the results were very tragic...

Its just not a good look on me yet. I look like an old lady. It poofs up almost instantly and I can't do anything with it.

I know this too will pass, but I wonder, do any other natural chicks sometimes long to go back? Hear the creamy crack calling them? Or is it just me?

What is love?

Hmmm...

So what is love? I found this definition:

"Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the desire to mate every second of the day. It is not lying awake at night imagining that he is kissing every part of your body... For that is just being in love; which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over, when being in love has burned away..." (source).

I love this definition. It is real talk done son. Love is what you have, after you've "won" that person over. Love is not pretty, Love doesn't wear make up, Love wears a bonnet at night. Love may not take you to dinner or have stimulating conversation, and Love may, hurt you. Let me rephrase...Love will hurt you. You want to know why... because Love is hard. Love is work. Love should brought your ass home last night (ok, you know I had to do it).

Sometimes, I get caught up in the Love of it all. I get caught up missing those feelings of being "in love". The beautiful thing about marriage (and cherish this because its hard for me to find these moments) is that it forces you to fall in and out of love over and over and over again. It forces you to stay with the person after all that gushy stuff is gone; the you hang ups, no you hang ups. Through the hard times, Love is the thread, the force that keeps you together until you find something to be in love with again.

Since I've been married, me and my DH have divorced several times (in my head). And then we fall in love all over again. We are just entering our 3rd year and people say, if you get to 3 years you're good. And then other people say, you're still not safe, because you get the 7 year itch. And most recently I heard the crazy "its really the 10-13 year mark that makes or breaks you". HA! All buffoonery if you ask. From the day, the minute, the second after they pronounce you man and wife, shit gets real. Real real! And anyone who tells you it will all be a crystal staircase and cherries on top, is full of crap. Tell em Rae told you!

The bottom line is, Love is what will keep you together. Love is what sustains. Just remember, when you are having a fat week (or summer in some cases), and your natural hair journey has taken a turn for the worst, Love is what you need. Love is what you want.

So what am I saying...I'm just saying. Fluff is good. Fluff makes for nice stories and makes a good pillow. But who cares about the pillows, if you don't have a good bed.

In addition to showing what my face looks like during the Love thinking process, I wanted to show off my twist out! (more to come on these pix in the next blog post, lol).

HCG 3rd Cycle Update: 5 Days In

I started the HCG diet (modified of course...see previous links from cycles 1 and 2) on Monday and I'm down 7 lbs! 7lbs in 5 days! Its omazing! I'm back down to my weight (almost) I was since the last cycle.

I don't know what it is about the diet, I don't even think its the spray because DH did it without the spray and still lost. But you really don't put on that much weight that you lost and when you start again, you lose right away, quick! Of course, by next week, my weight lost won't be a dramatic and more gradual (the bigger you are the faster you lose) but I hope to continue.

I plan to look like this by my birthday, Novemeber 3!

#hoopdreams
I know, I know, buffy may be far fetched, but I'm on my way! Add to that, I've been working out EVERYDAY again, at least 30 minutes of some intense cardio and I'm sure I'm going to tighten it up fast! I want to be in a bikini when me and the DH go to Mexico!

Leeeeegooo!

The Great Hurriquake of 2011

THIS IS MY 100TH POST!!!

Some type of bells or sirens or some other fantastical ish should be happening right now! Its happening in my head, and I guess that's enough!

Is it irony that my 100th post is about the GREAT HURRIQUAKE OF 2011?

Hurriquake...wow. Who would've thought in less than one week I survived my very first Earthquake and a Hurricane! Where they do that at? I'll tell you where, the great state, oh I mean district, of Washington, DC!

I'm sure instead of people realizing that Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth was happening all in one week, this was more reminiscent of the conversations going on...

(source)

So sad, but oh so true! If only we served a God who punished us for everything the right wing considers wrong, we'd be lucky!

Needless to say, I survived. I had lots of cocktails and listened to a lot of good music and bonded with my family. Coming "close" to death twice in one week really makes you realize how we are not in control of much. How our decisions and the way we take care of each other and the earth impact the future. How we take each day for granted. How much we don't live in "this moment".

I think this was the perfect time for a hurriquake. In my life and in America. Hopefully it shook everyone up enough and made them realize we should start taking care of each other. Not making decisions to benefit one but all. Maybe the hurriquake will wake our legislation up and make the decision making process easier. Everyone in my office was definitely more kumbaya and I hope it rubbed off on all of DC. Lefters and righters holding hands, helping each other, and realizing if the building crumbles...what will we have left? At the end of the day, even the most irrational man has to ask...what profits a man to gain the world and lose his soul?

Hmmmm...I think our current politicos are actually worst than irrational. Instead they probably figured out some way to blame President Obama for the weather and will be adding a new tax for everyone whose basement flooded.

In My Ears: The Weekend - Thursday

I heart The Weekend. I don't know if the weekend is a group, a man, young, old, black, white, and you know what...I don't care. That is the beautiful thing about music, it transcends aesthetics. It is all about the sound, the rhythm, the words. Not how cute the artist is or how naked the chicks get in the video.

Because of this, The Weekend is the best thing going for me. His/their mysteriousness adds to the intensity of the music. The Weekend just released a new mixtape called Thursday...so perfect in so many ways. Thursday is a juxtaposition of sorts. Its a day that's close to the weekend and makes you get excited, but its not quite the weekend. For some, Thursday is their weekend...its all about perspective.  As is the album.

My favorite cut on it so far is The Zone. I have not been able to give this CD the attention it needs yet, but I did have a listening party during the uneventful Hurricane we had here on Saturday.

Take a listen, tell me what you think.

Back to the basics: HCG

To say I've went HAM over the summer would be an understatement. I've went ham, turkey, corn beef...the list goes on.

I've had a super lazy summer, full of not working out, and lots of eating out. My diet, fitness, belly has just gone out the window. Add to that I signed up for the Marine Corp Marathon (only the 10K race, but still) and it is in 2 months. I have NOT worked out since June! WTF!

Today, I started old faithful...HCG again. No other diet plan has worked and stayed with me like this one. I am sad to inform you I have gained like 10 lbs during my summer of loafing around and its not a good look at all. Especially with my bday coming around and I expected to be well under my goal weight by that time.

Anyhoo, today, I got on the scale and the numbers were frightening. I was in shock and appalled at them. Yeah, my clothes have been a little more snug, but damn...who knew.

I'm back. Today, as I type I'm eating my apple:-( (I haven't eaten an apple in like 3 months) and I have a salad and chix breast for lunch (I haven't eaten a salad for lunch in like 2+ months). And my horrible horrible MelbaToast for my snack.

Ugh...*whispering in my quiet voice* leggo