FOOD || cooking stuff and thoughts about it. again.

So for Mother's Day, I planned a brunch. I'm trying to get some experience cooking, well mostly baking. I've realized I love baking things, not just sweets, and if I could bake something everyday, I would. Luckily, I have no classes and I have no job (at this moment) and I'm at my mother's house so I have room and time to try recipes.

But back to the brunch, it turned out well. My mother and sisters seemed to enjoy it and that made me really happy. I was also really tired as I started at 9 AM cooking up things.

We started off with banana chocolate chip muffins (walnuts in some for my mom) and then fruit (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and grapes) and mimosas. That was followed by spinach quiche, drop biscuits, pan-fried chicken breasts, rice, and bacon (for my mom.) It was tasty. I'd never made quiche, biscuits, or muffins before and they all turned out great!

I wish I would have oven-fried the chicken, because I really don't like cooking on the stove top. I'll try a few more things to see if I just have an aversion to
frying things, but in this cooking journey, the baking has been the most enjoyable.

I only hope to get better and better and to make people a bit happy with what I can make.

MUSIC || mother's day.

Mother's Day is coming up!
One of my favorite things about that day used to be that it would be the only time of the year I could hear "Mama Used to Say" by Junior. I can listen to it whenever now, because I know the artist and important information. But the point is this was my favorite Mother's Day song because it was upbeat, fun, and made me want to dance. Also, Junior's falsetto is quite amusing.

So whenever I listen to this song, I remember being a kid and waiting for this song to come on the radio.

Now, I saw the video for the first time today, and I really don't know what scrubbing yourself in a bathtub and a cartoon house have to do with what your Mama Used to Say, but hey, I still love the song.

IRL ||morning randoms for you.

1. Clearly, I think I'm missing my housemates. But I will be in Detroit for the rest of the week. . .

2. Spent the morning with Faith Evans and the fabulous Chaka Khan. Lovely.

3. Feeling weird because every time I listen to "You Gets No Love. . . " this line always stands out: "Just because I let you get some, that don't make you the one. We ain't even in love. . ." And I like it. Just bad.

4. I am kind of obsessed with the new BEP's "Boom Boom Pow." I listen to it whenever it comes on. I kind of think it's a silly song too, with Fergie's screeching in the middle.

5. I want, like, a bizillion dresses! I think I might start switching over to a mostly dress/skirt wardrobe. I think that would be fun. I've been slipping into jeans and t-shirts lately. Like, real t-shirts-- not the fitted ones with the flattering necklines, but like standard 2X t-shirts. Get it together Miss .renae.

IRL || busy weekend ahead.

Cupcake baking at home in Detroit.
Bridal shower set up.

Bridal Shower in Southfield.
UofM graduation and yay-ing for my sorors in Ann Arbor, of course.

It seems like a little bit, but I can't find time to really do much else this Friday and Saturday. Hopefully Sunday will be chill. I may stay in Detroit to watch the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency.

By the way, I am still afraid to go back to my room, but I have to go and make sure no more spiders have made little pods on my ceiling. That way I, or my sister, can kill them and spray again. I really hope they are all gone. I still feel ill thinking about it.

finally.

FINALS ARE FINISHED.
HALLELUJAH!

For my finals I:

• Researched trends of giving to theatres and created grant modifications.
• Designed and constructed a dress.
• Designed lights for staging a poem and made a light plot for it.

I tried 5-hour energy for the first time. Twice. It got me through a paper and half a light plot on day one and the construction of my dress on day two.


I am so happy do be done.
I have time to blog.
I have time to clean.
I have time to SLEEP.
I have time to do other stuff.

Also, thanks to the blackfolk community on LJ, I was introduced to the following video. HILARIOUS. I love when little kids dance. . .

the ordinary just won't do. i need a love that's pure and true i can always find it in you, jesus.

I love Commissioned.
The many configurations of this group had some amazing singers.
My favorite is the stuff from their reunion. It had the original members and stand out other members as well, most of whom have had successful solo careers as well (Fred Hammond, Marvin Sapp, Marcus Cole anyone?)

This song brings me to tears each time.



I always thought Boyz II Men was my favorite group. Oh, Commissioned. More videos like this are forthcoming.

dancing.

I wrote this somewhere else.
For a while I felt stupid to put this here, because my friends read this and I'm always happy. . .


I am 24 years old.
I have never been asked to dance.

I go to the parties.
I look cute. I put on my best outfit, I wear and dance in heels, my hair is done, my makeup is tight.

What happens?
My friend standing next to me gets asked to dance. I smile and cheer her on, like a good friend, but I'm still just standing there.

Now, it could be that I am with my thinner, cute friend. And maybe all the guys in the party like the petite thing she has going on.
It could be that I am with my light-skinned friend and they don't really fancy darker skin, like mine.
It could be that I'm with my sister, who doesn't look all that different from me. Maybe she has on a better color eyeshadow or something.
But in the whole party, there are tons of dark-skinned women dancing, fat women dancing, girls in sneakers or in high heels, women who could care less about their appearance and those who only think about it. Shy ones, mean ones, stinky ones, well maybe not the stinky ones. . . They are all dancing.

But either way, I get left on the wall, while they are dancing. Or turning people down. Or dancing, but not really wanting to, but still having the choice to dance with someone.

Now, I'm usually cool with dancing by myself or dancing with my girls. It's a lot of fun. But when that slow jam comes on and everybody starts grooving, and the guys start searching and choosing or asking. I've never been chosen. The worst feeling of all is thinking someone is walking to you only to have them say "Excuse me" and pass you up to get close to your friend. Or they say "Hi," and you smile. Then "Could you tell me who your friend is. . ."

I am one of the cutest, well-dressed, put-together (Well I think until I get out) invisible people on this earth.

I know, I know, I should get out there and start choosing. I should ask someone else to dance. And I should. I really should. But I think that everyone wants to know that someone is looking and likes what they see.

Or switch parties. Go to a different kind with different music and different people.


In the end, this really has nothing to do with dancing, though seriously, I've never been asked to dance. It's kind of just about everything that I've been struggling with right now.