2 cent tidbits....:-)

Hello and welcome to daylight savings time! It's time for longer days and warmth. But where's the warmth in NYC? I am really over wearing my coat everyday. I mean really. Patience come to me now. :-)

So, as you can imagine, I'm a busy chickadee getting together everything I can think of to make May 6th a day worth remembering. List after list....It's coming together, but I have to admit I'm a little anxious. Lots of good stuff coming up in the next 5 weeks, amidst the packing, organizing, and creating....All will be wonderful, I'm sure. I'm accepting all your good thoughts for a calm, beautiful, sunshiney day. Thank you!!! :-)

On my mind right now....just a few random thoughts. Some silly, some serious. All make me wonder....;-) Here goes:

**Why does it seem like such a task for folks to mail back an RSVP? It's stamped, addressed, and ready for a signature and a drop in the mailbox....hmmmm

 **Japan is in my prayers. The images of the Tsunami are incredibly unbelievable! I can't imagine what they are going through. I actually have a high school friend who lives there with his family. Thank God they are well right now. He asks for us to pray for his neighbors.

**Who knew Dionne Warwick was so fierce? Is anyone watching Celebrity Apprentice? Wow.

**After coloring my hair throughout my 20s--from highlights to dark rinses, I've come to embrace and actually like my natural hair color. Would that be considered exhaling? ;-)

**One can accumulate way too much paper in 6 yearS....and candles...and picture frames. Packing is such a joy! lol

**Janet Jackson concert this Saturday. Yeah baby!!! First and probably the only time I'll see her live.
**Waiting for Lenny Kravitz to announce a tour. He rocks!

**I had to get a steroid shot on Sunday because of an allergic reaction, I pray it doesn't make me gain weight. That's a side affect of steroids. :-( But I had to get it. I looked like I was in a fight with Mike Tyson when I woke up that day.

**Loving my new glasses. At lasttttttttttttttttt.;-)

** Aretha Franklin looks fab! She shed 85 pounds. Go ReRe!!

**I just love seeing (or hearing about) married couples still enjoying life together and l.i.v.i.n.g! My gal pal's parents have been married almost 40 years and they are going on a cruise with other couples this summer to Alaska. I can dig that!

Sending good times your way. Tag you're it!

Step by step...embrace the emotions :-)

Happy Monday night! It was pretty today in the NYC. The sun was glowing and the weather probably reached 45 degrees. Odd, that I now welcome 45 degrees these days. :-). I'm just patiently awaiting my favorite 70-degree days. They are just around the corner....

Time is ticking, ticking, ticking. The next scene is about to take place in my life. I literally feel like I'm prepping for a mini-movie, as I produce aka plan every detail of one of the most special days of my life, my wedding. I knew it would be "something" but wow, it has really taken over my being. Thank God, I'm into breathing. I mean b-r-e-a-t-h-i-n-g to realign myself with the now and the beauty of the process.

Sometimes I lose myself in the "stuff" of life, the this and the that and forget to enjoy and appreciate the process of it all. The process isn't usually non-stop fun. But, it always has something worth smiling about. Something that makes you feel like "yeah, I did it" or "I'm doing it." The breathing comes in handy when I feel like I may be losing sight of the good of it all. The meaning of it all.

The breathing helps me to remember that no matter what happens on my oh-so-anticipated day, all will be well no matter what. Everything is already wonderfully well right this moment, in fact. The process is exciting, exhausting, surprising and delightful.

The emotions are beginning to flow out. I actually shed a few tears today. I am sure it's natural to feel these different feelings when you're making a transition in your journey. It's a good thing. :-)

So, I choose to embrace it all, as my gal pal advised. The tears just came as I began to pack and let go of things I no longer need to hold on to in my journey. So, that's exactly what I intend to do. Embrace the emotions. It's natural. I am a being who experiences a plethora of feelings. And so it is all very natural and all just fine.

Ahhhhh, and so I am breathing and I am smiling. And gratefully~peaceful. Now.

Sending grace your way. Tag you're it!

So Over It!................

Hello out there! It's March, are we ready for Spring or what? I'm more than ready to welcome longer, sunshiney days.

Forgive me for barely blogging lately. Tonight's post was inspired by my cool gal pal, Brookey. She was also the one who encouraged me to begin sharing my thoughts through my own blog, last year. My anniversary is this month. Whoo hoo!

Anyhoo, right about now I'm SO over a few things. What about you? I'll start. Here goes:

***Layering my clothes. This has been a really cold, snowy, windy winter in NYC/NJ. I'm so over temperatures below 50 degrees! I want to wear sundresses, now!! :-)

***Recycled cell phone numbers. Ok, I finally bought a new cell phone, a smart phone. I let go of my simple, non~internet access, tap~system Samsung phone, for the HTC Incredible. But guess what? Every day since I've had it (about a month now) I get 2-3 calls from an 800 number asking for someone named Melissa Rosen. Really. Today, I finally called the number back and told them this is not Melissa Rosen. I guess Melissa owes somebody something. I really hope they've updated their system. :-/

***Rude customer service folks. So over these people! I mean why did they choose to work at a job where they are required to speak, cater, or assist other humans on a consistent basis?

***Getting home when it's dark. So over it!

***The Android smiley faces. What happened to the regular round ones?...Androids are kind of scary and not cute. Already over it after barely a month with my Incredible. :-)

***Bottled water that costs more than $1.25. I mean really.....

***Long lines in Whole Foods, no matter what time I go. Over it!

***Dry hands. Really over Winter skin. :-(

***Not being able to think of Love songs that I really really really love. So over thinking about it tonight. Can you help me? :-)
**********************************************************************************
There are a few things that I'm So Into right now, thank goodness.....;-)

*Warm showers after a good day's work. Soothes my soul.

*My dear one calling me Sweetlove. Really makes me smile. :-)

*Funny text messages from Sarpong. Makes my day so much happier!

*Cool, refreshing water! Ahhhhh

*My mom, dad and everyone supporting me right now as I prepare for the next phase of my journey.

*Crossing more details off my list of wedding "to-dos" Yes!

*Receiving packages, in the mail, that I've ordered for the wedding.

*The new ringtones I have on my HTC Incredible. ;-)

*My life! Even when I'm a little worn out and fall off track, I am still pretty dang glad I'm still ticking, smiling and capable of giving!

Sending brighter days your way. Tag you're it!

On the verge......;-)

Good Wednesday night! Can you believe my sweet February is almost over in 5 more days?

I have to say every waking moment I'm thinking of the event of my life--thus far. It seems to take priority in my thoughts these days.:-) It's overwhelmingly exciting, lots of work, and constant reminding myself that this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I mean you only plan your first and God-willing last wedding, once.

Tonight, I began assembling my invitations. It made me happy! I spent hours searching for an invitation that I felt was me and my dear one. Then more hours finding the right font, then even more hours finding the right words. And finally after 2 weeks--they arrived! Ahhh, one more check off my "to-do" list -- as the official wedding planner for that special day. :-)

The last few days have been an adventure. My birthday was Friday. Praise God from Whom all blessings flow. :-) Thus, my new year has begun! Mother Nature gave me a very much appreciated gift of warm weather in mid-February in NYC. It reached 60 degrees that day. I got to spend it outside with my dear one, enjoying the delightfulness of this creative, tough, hip, eclectic city. I am grateful.

I've been feeling on the verge of many different emotions....from giddiness to sadness to exhilaration to silliness. I embrace each one, realizing it's my life and I'm living it. I'm painting it day by day with all that I do and even all that I don't. I'm learning about myself even when I least expect it.

Most essential revelation of today--Don't doubt, just do. :-)

How fitting that I stumbled upon this quote by one of my favorite spiritual gurus today, and it totally resonates with me:

"It takes courage...to endure the sharp pains of self discovery rather than choose to take the dull pain of unconsciousness that would last the rest of our lives." ~ Marianne Williamson

 

I want to be awake in my living, even when it's feels easier to sleep through some stuff. :-) If I can do it, you can. Right? Your positive energy fuels my positive energy and vice versa. Let's keep climbing, don't look back!

 

Sending zest your way! keep on, keep, keep on..............................

 

So loving this & that right now...:-)

Hello and welcome to Wednesday night!
It's February. The shortest month. My Birthday month. Ahhhhhhhh. In essence the beginning of my new year.

I was just thinking about things and information I'm so loving right now. What about you? Have you made any new discoveries this year so far? I'll start first--here goes:

1. Totally appreciative & loving the sun glowing even on a cold day. (& loving capturing the sun like I did here in this photo I snapped). Tomorrow's forecast is in the 50s. And on Friday, my birthday, 64 degrees. That's a sweet present from mother nature. ;-)

2.The daylight lasting a tad longer than it was a month ago.

3. Bitters Spray from urbanmoonshine.com. Helps ward off the queasies. :-)

4. Green Italian olives. No, not those basic green olives you find everywhere. I’m talking about this perfectly round, pretty bright green, superbly delicious green Italian Olives. I discovered them in Sahadi’s Fine Foods in Brooklyn. That store is a jewel!! Fresh goodies like olives, dried fruits of every sort, dark chocolate covered ginger…and sooooo much more.

5. Yoga. I am not where I want to be, yet I’m learning to enjoy the journey. No judgment, simply do it and smile.

6. The Well Being Journal. I stumbled upon it while waiting in line at Whole Foods. I was intrigued by the articles so I bought it. It is overflowing with golden information for our well being and health. 2 nuggets that stayed with me after reading several articles this weekend:

********Cereal is no good. No matter where it’s bought. The processing of it, which is called extrusion, zaps out all nutrients. A more in-depth explanation is in the WBJ. For me, it's bye-bye to cereal.
********Margarine is just not good for you. According to the WBJ, Margarine processing uses the cheapest seeds, most of which are full of pesticides and genetically engineered. The manufacturers steam clean the oils, which removes all the vitamins and all the antioxidants, but the solvents and pesticides remain. I let go of margarine years ago, however reading the WBJ reminded me to keep it out of my diet forevermore. :-)
Bottom line, eating whole foods, foods from the earth with little or no processing, is the way to feeling better, looking better, acting better being better. It’s not so easy in our fast-paced society, but for me, I’ve decided it’s worth the effort. Better now than never.

7. Georgia NY Salon & Boutique. I had the delight of visiting and having my mane done at this shop last night. My stylist, Elizabeth, was very thoughtful; she listened to my hair goals and used the most scrumptious products on my hair. The boutique is filled with fun and pretty pictures of the owner's children and travels… and with tons of all-natural, organic, wonderful skin/hair and beauty products. Even a few gorgeous jewels grace the shop's shelves. This was a little piece of heaven for a gal like me— who's always on the hunt for the best moisturizer ever! :-) I must go back soon.

8. These sparkly TOMS shoes, because I just dig sparkles. ;-) And I love the fact that TOMS gives a new pair of shoes to a child in need per pair bought!

Sending peaceful vibes your way. Tag you're it!

Oh what a life! :-)

Hello out there! It's Friday, almost Saturday. I'm so happy to be blogging tonight.

What a week! I'm truly engrossed in wedding planning, just 2.5 months to go. Wowee! You can't imagine how many websites are out there with every little tidbit, any item, a gazillion ideas for "your' wedding. A gal could go bonkers. But, I'm still swimming. Yay! :-)

I can appreciate a productive week! What about you? This week I learned a little more about myself. I learned that it's OK if I'm not the same exact person I was a year or 10 years ago. I'm growing, blossoming, becoming more of who God created me to be. I am open to understanding myself more and being the best CDM I can be...day by day.
I"m learning that to listen more, smile more, get over things more. Simply let go of agony and keep walking towards the sunshine. I admit some days it's just not that easy. However, I've decided to do my darndest to enjoy the now of my life. To be constantly grateful for all this is beautiful in my world, despite any pains, pitfalls, and hiccups.

 So, let's celebrate! There are a few things worth celebrating right now. Here goes:

*** My little sister, Jana Kay's birthday was Thursday. Yes to another fantastic year!!!!

*** The people of Egypt and their perseverance!  Yes!! I love what our President said about Egypt today:“For Egypt, it was the moral force of nonviolence -- not terrorism, not mindless killing -- but nonviolence, moral force, that bent the arc of history toward justice once more.”

*** Congrats to my friend Willie on his recent engagement and for having the coolest wedding date I've heard of so far (at least personally) 9.10.11. I really dig that!!! :-)

*** Kind words. It's really so delightful to get an unexpected compliment. 3x times this week. Wow, that really rocks! I really dig telling someone how amazing they are too. Never hurts. ;-)

*** Kickboxing! My all-time favorite workout, hands down.

*** Sparkling Natural Spring Water. Oh so refreshing!

*** The sun shining no matter how low the temp is. I love you sunshine.

*** My dear one. He make me smile. He is the most patient and engaging man I know. I'm deeply grateful for his love. :-)

*** My brother is coming to my wedding. Yippee!!!!!!!!!!

*** I was in a commercial this week! A real commercial that will air on Time Warner and Cablevision. I was asked to volunteer by my company. Kewl. :-)

*** Options!

*** Weekends.
Your turn!

Sending new beginnings your way. Tag you're it!

Just wondering....:-)

Good Thursday Night! Is it me or did this week fly by? In fact, this year is zooming... so far. And what a winter we are having on the east coast. I've lived in the northeast for almost 16 years and this is the first winter that I can recall where we've had consistent snow weekly. I've worn my snow boots almost every day this year, so far. Layering is essential. :-)

So I am wondering a few things....Curious to know what others may think. Here goes;-):

~Is it me or does America or at the society I'm living in right now, just really not honor aging? I am so sick of seeing commercial after commercial telling me how to anti-age. I mean wouldn't anti-aging  mean to cease existing? Growing older aka being alive should be something to be proud of. Something to give thanks about, especially if you're pain free, brain~functioning, and able to love & smile, right? :-)

~I was rereading one of my favorite books this morning, A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson, and was reminded that I am the star of my life. Sometimes, I forget that--this--what I do, what I put my energy towards, every single day --is my life story, my feature film. I must remember it's not a dress rehearsal. This is it. Do you ever think about that?

~Where's the most magical place you've ever been? A place where you felt like you were in another world and time. A place where you discovered how tremendously wondrous God's green earth really is.  A place where you felt closer to humanity. So far, for me, that was Egypt. I pray for her peace.

~Do you ever try visualizing? I do even when I'm not trying. It's just imagining, sometimes. Dreaming in color, I tend to think. I'm visualizing a few things for the upcoming months. I'm giddy with excitement. What about you?

That's all for tonight. I say YES to the weekend. Bring on the fun! :-)

Sending curiosity your way. Tag you're it!