IRL || things that made me happy this week. with exposition.

It's the time where all of the final projects are due. I've been holed up in my room or the library or some computer lab every spare minute I've been getting. Kind of. Anyway, the fast-approaching finals can be cause for sadness at times, and certainly stress. Luckily, I've been afforded a few smiles here and there:

one:
I got paid.
Therefore I bought new earrings and some warm boots.
The earrings have Africa cut outs. Really cute.

two.
I got told "I like your look."
It's nice to get complimented on your style. I've been doing new things with how I've been dressing.

three.
I saw my sorors.
They're cool. I love them. Lots of hugs were involved.

four.
Work hasn't been super boring.
That's good, right?

five.
I get to chat and talk and now, tweet with someone special when I get breaks and/or bored.
And so I get laughs and warm-fuzzies from far away.

six.
I chatted with my sands for sands chat.
It's always lovely.

seven.
I'm busy.
And even though it's a little stressful, life is still good, in general. And I can focus. Mostly. Heh.

IRL || hair today, gone tomorrow.

I've always been wowed by those who liken "the big chop" to something freeing, something spiritual. I can understand it now.

For me, though my hair has only been short for four days, it is something that is freeing. Now, I didn't go natural, so I am still very much a slave to the flat iron and other straightening agents, so I can't comment on how it feels to be able to enjoy hair as natural as it can be. But, this chop has enabled me to really confront my ideas of beauty, especially for myself.

I've always wanted to cut my hair, but I always stayed in the "safe range": There would always be hair on my neck and always some length on the sides, because I felt it was flattering. Fat girls look better with long hair? Right? Do guys like short hair? Would it look ok in pictures? What would my grandma think? Now, come on, black people value length. Most times I hear, "Oh she can pull off that short hair, but most people couldn't" or something like that. The same goes with natural styles.

I knew that hair was just hair. I decided that I'd go on with it and if it looked awful, I'd wear a hat or get a weave or something. Oh my, that did not need to cross my mind because it is fabulous.

When my chair was turned around to face the mirror, the first question I asked was "Why hadn't I gone short a long time ago?"

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.

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.

like paperdolls, but better.

I found a new website and it is so good, yet so bad.
It's called Polyvore and you can tag clothes from all over the internet and put together outfits.
I. AM. ADDICTED.

I stayed up entirely too late last night playing with clothes.
Oh. My.
It. Is. Goooooooood.

If you like fashion and/or internet shopping, you should really try it. It's amazing.

play on.

Yesterday I saw August Wilson's Radio Golf at the Detroit Repertory Theatre.
I was so excited to get out to the theatre, but not so excited about the play. I read it last year, and for some reason I was not impressed.

Boy was I in for a surprise. It was really, really good. I laughed and I (almost) cried. Radio Golf is about business and community and how they don't fuse a lot of times. It is about politics and renaissance, and doing what's right, even when you have all the intentions of good when doing wrong. It was about internalized racism and privilege.

I understood the choice of play. It opened a few days prior to President Obama's inauguration and in the midst of Detroit's mayoral turmoil and primary elections. It was like the Rep was pointing at us and saying "Hey you, Detroiter. Hey you, black person. Hey you, any person. We have to find a way to thrive and be compassionate at the same time. . . "

I am looking forward to the next play in their season, Finding the Burnett Heart.
I hope some of my friends want to go. I love the Rep. It was where I saw the play that would become my favorite, Yellowman, about intraracial prejudice.

In other news, I finished Kindred today. AMAZING. That book took me on a journey. It's been a while since I read a book like that. It was great! That is the happy-making thing of the day!

reading. yay.

I've been longing to read a book.
I've been, off and on, reading through The Message Bible that my mother got me a few weeks ago, but I wanted, like, a book.

Today, I purchased Kindred by Octavia Butler. I started reading it some time in high school, when I would spend lunch hours or study hall hours in the library. I used to sit next to the shelf that housed it, and thought it looked interesting, and one day just picked it up. It was good then, but it is better now. I put a good dent in it since 3-ish.

I hope reading for pleasure will stick. Moreso, I hope it won't override reading for school. Luckily, I never have too much at one time, I usually have too many projects.

More later.

this made my day.

I went to dinner with two of my sorors, and this made us ROLL laughing. I love it!
Shaq dancing!

b-i-b-l-e.

I've never read the entire Bible. I've read lots of passages, but not the entire thing.
This weekend, my mother bought me The Message Remix 2.0 (I helped pick it out), which is the Bible in 'plain, contemporary English'. I really like it and it has inspired me to read it from cover to cover.

There tends to be a lot of humor in this translation (at least I hope it's supposed to be humor, my mom and I have been known to crack up at some of the wordings and stuff)

It's small and hardcover and makes reading it anywhere pretty easy to do.

I don't know. Just thought I'd share. It's pretty happy-making.

random thoughts.

I woke up to the sound of the high, high wind gusts. I am not looking forward to going anywhere today, but I want to get to church sometime before I go back to A-squared to go back to school.

I didn't get to do everything I wanted, but I did get to go shopping for a bit with my sister and I got a dress I'd been eyeing for months. That was just one happy-making thing of the day!

Just heard on TV that Black women are shrinking. Check out the article here. I think along with the "obesity epidemic",that seems to carry all the blame (something in which I do not fully believe), malnutrition and bad conditions in air and water (lots of pollution) from where low-income, "black" neighborhoods are placed, it is amazing that it's not addressed in the article. I do believe that the solution to this is to work with families by teaching about nutrition and offering green places to play with fresh air so that all the polluted air can be countered, if being short is a terribly bad thing.

Today is the third day/principle of Kwanzaa, Ujima : Collective Work and Responsiblity. Heh, I guess the above kind of fits.

Oh dear, Joel Osteen has the most-positive-sounding voice ever.

a smile. needed.

This makes me smile. And laugh.
Especially the dance-off, and the Guitar Hero Part.

I don't know how it really fits with the song, but it sure is entertaining.

this made my day:

I made s'mores last night and was able to share them with my crazy housemates and their people and my sister! THAT made me happy: spending time with them.
The s'mores were yummy. The company was hilarious and lots of fun. They raised my spirits.

one.
One thing I enjoy about being finished with classes and finals is that I can do whatever I want with my time, including waiting impatiently and excitedly and nothing else, if it so suits me. Well, I choose to do so today and will until close to six tonight. Love.

two.
Last night was photos and blogging. I support this blog: www.urbanskydiving.blogspot.com and the fun, pretty, conscious, serious girl who is writing it. Unlike mine, I'm sure this one will have a focus and a point.

three.
Over break I plan on going to Mercury Coffee Bar. Probably more than once. I am looking for people to accompany me. Thanks. I also hope I can fit in a Friday Night Live at the DIA.

four.
Happy-making thing(s) include: witnessing fly hair, photo shoot on a Tuesday night, presenting my last final project, safe travel in the snow.

five.
Yeah. I really like Common's new CD. A Lot.


Listening to Common "Make My Day"
"Yeah i think i like her because she really makes my day. . . "

why i love cupcakes

I love cupcakes.
I especially like to go to Hiller's Market and splurge on the special ones at their bakery. Today I got a mocha cupcake and it was yummy. Which was one of my happy-making things of the day.
(I am about to enjoy it's chocolatey-coffee-ey goodness in the photo.)

Why do I love cupcakes so?
Because they are cute. And miniature versions of cake and I like cake, but I doubt it would be a good idea to eat an entire cake. But it is perfectly fine to eat an entire cupcake.

You see, cupcakes are whole and entire in and of themselves. A cupcake isn't a part of a whole. A cupcake is the whole.

Most people don't want or need to pair cupcakes. For cake or pie, you need ice cream in order to make it a celebratory food. Not with cupcakes. A cupcake is the celebration. Add ice cream, and the party is double. It is enhanced, but it isn't needed.

Cupcakes are fun. They are easy to grab and go, so they are kind of spontaneous. They don't require flatware, they are self-contained in their own little cups. They are quite comfortable in a group of a dozen or so, yet they can stand alone.

I'm kind of like a cupcake.
Besides being miniature, which I am not. . .
I'm cute. I'm whole and entire in and of myself, but add another person (a friend, a love, etc.) and the party is doubled or tripled or something. I'm fun and like a bit of spontaneity. I like groups, I love being with other people, but I can still stand alone.

Add to that a little sweetness and some fun sprinkles.


Listening to "Announcement" by Common and Pharrell.
"I'm finna take it to the tip-top, baby"

happy-making thing of the day

Or Things:

1. Early lunch with someone I love.
2. Painting in the scene shop. There was something calming taking my mind off of life to paint a few set pieces.
3. Coming home to a lively house. And cookies.
4. Dinner on the way. Yay!

I am one happy girl. I get to live with a houseful of people I absolutely love. I have a family that I am going to see tomorrow, even if I have to wake up excruciatingly early to do so. I have friends who I get to see over break and I get to experience new things almost daily. I get to experience love from so many places. I had a calm day. I want to hold on to where I am right now, because it is warm and I love it.

Oh, if I know you, could you comment and let me know you're reading this. Because, well, I'm nosy.


Listening to "Save Tonight" Eagle-Eye Cherry
"Save tonight and fight the break of dawn. . . "