Death by phone

So, here I am..months later at working killing some time before it's time to call it a night. Shaking my head at what the day has brought and the many buttwipes that have come my way. Why do people act in such nasty manners when it comes to something simple like their phones? I have seen some of the worst sides of the human nature unfold with a sentence of "I'm sorry but yes, this will cost you fifty dollars to replace". But aaa..such is life..waking up to the unpleasant causes people to tap into their inner devils and unfold a lashing so severe only to struck by reality. It is what it is, you need to grow up, and deal with the ramnifications of your decisions. At least, that's my motto, do what you want, scream all you want, sucks for you buddy. Be nice, and I'll see what I can do, I was going to do it anyway but now that you're acting entitled...hmmm...

Anyway, this not only applies to the vengeance of people on their property but anything that impedes the comfortability that they have operated in. Today, the crapshoot blew to the roof when schedules had to be changed to reflect equality amongst all workers when "the favored" did not speak to some of the workers because we upset the "natural order". Gossip groups started flourishings, warnings expedited, and quarreling springing up with the mention of one comment. Yes, drama!! Oo, the drama between "the reporter" --the one who reported the unjust scheduling to the "responder"--the one who decided that "I ain't dealing with you witches no more" (lol). Finally, the team leader decided to actually do what he's supposed to do which is lead and started working towards a resolution while I'm caught in the middle. MM...some of the stuff that happened made me nearly jump out of my skin but hey at the end of the day we all just have to step back, reflect, and see if all the hullaballoo is really worth it. Because as much as the "reporter" said she didn't care what the "responder" said..she does..because all her assertions of "I'm ok, I don't need to talk to her"..really translate to "I miss the community we used to have and I wish it was back the way it was before I said something". All that near up and down swearing that everything's ok assured me that as much as we say "we don't care about all that stuff" that it's actually deeply important to our emotional well-being.

So, whatever you swear "you don't care about" ...just step back and be honest with yourself for at least one moment of the day and admit quietly to yourself that you DO care and that it does matter. It's quite liberating and after admitting that to my nemesis aka my team leader, it felt very cathartic...like and ole time baptismal in the river cleansing me from my past. It is what it is..it's in our human nature to care. So death by phone..not likely..but truthfulness revealed..finally. And with these thoughts I close my night.

Goodnight friends,

Island Gal

Frikkin Fabulous: Why I don’t believe in Love!

So, I ran across this book today on my quest to endlessly explore the internet till I die. And I was SO THRILLED beyond measure! FINALLY, two women who are preaching against the idealistic delusion of “marriage”. Now, before you start drawing conclusions that I have some deep-seethed emotionally repressed issues which are expressing themselves as a strong disdain for “marriage”, let me explain myself. It’s not that I don’t believe in marriage, I do. Rather, I despise the notion that women see themselves and are seen by others as incomplete and/or lacking until they have that coveted ring on their finger implying “till death to us part” or till “the next divorce papers are filed”. I actually think that “till death” still works as long as you don’t marry a butt-wipe or the next best thing to “shield” yourself from societal and internal pressures you exert on yourself.

I think my exceeding excitement and satisfaction in finding this book greatly stems from the fact that for four and a half years of my life I spent it in super-conservative country. A place known for it’s marriage farm ideals and it’s divorce rate. It is as if it is better to carry a string of broken hearts as coveted medals of honor then to confess that you are single and happy. I actually got scoffed at and laughed at publicly for confessing such a thing. I was perceived as a feministic ball-chopper, sick delusional, going against the natural order of GOD (whatever the crap that means). I was meant to be barefoot and pregnant making some man his dinner. Really, I’m quoting here. Yes, as much as I wanted to shove a stick up their cracks, I pitied them to the core of their (not mine) existence. That you are that lonely and dissatisfied with self to subject yourself to a delusion that is so costly, I have no other sentiment but deep pity. I have deep reverence for the Man upstairs and yes someone can be single and genuinely happy and satisfied with life. I love how some claim natural order while they’re the first in line for Botox injections..mmm...

But back to the book, “How to Marry the Wrong Guy”; it’s a guide to help you navigate the challenging terrain of mating. Many women get stuck in unhappy marriages because they get married out of expectation, comfort, convenience, loneliness, and just selfishness. It’s time that we firmly grasp all the freedoms our ancestors fought so hard to afford us. The only person that can make the choice for happiness is YOU! I strongly believe that now more then ever.

So my two cents, actually forget that, 98 CENTS to this discussion is: “DO NOT forsake your current state of life for someone who cannot enrich it more than it is now.” My dad (gotta love him) told me “Christie, here’s the deal. Don’t marry NO MAN that gives you less than I can.” Mind you, he sacrificed his personal retirement savings to send me to school. His sacrifice for me and my personal happiness blew my mind, and has set a significant standard when it comes to love and marriage. It’s not about the dollar amount but the amount of sacrifice the man is willing to do that makes him genuinely happy w/o requiring anything back (and I do the same! It’s not only about me, ya know). Yes, I know it’s crazy! But wouldn’t it be great if this actually was so?

It’s not impossible! I have witnessed it firsthand (by ppl other than my dad :-)So heads high! Work on yourself and do not succumb to the voices who spread such foolishness causing much sadness and down days. We have the power to be happy regardless of what the world says is required. The happiest people on earth have learned in the absence of their wants that life..life is so much more than all these “requirements”. Life is to be discovered, to be reveled in, to be searched and seen everyday with child-like vision. Life is a blessed adventure waiting to be embarked on.

So happy trailing,

Christie a.k.a “Island Gal”

Great Beginnings

Well it's been seven months since I made that on a "whim" decision to move to the DC. With one decision my whole life was packed into a truck driven through inauguration traffic to the heart of Shirlington to start a new life. A new life began on the promise of independence, fulfillment of dreams, and self attainment. As great as my aspirations were so much adversity attached itself to my new quest. From losing the job I moved here for to staying in limbo for months because of Visa processing complications and the rough patch the economy is going through to now working as a customer tech. Beach vacations and road trips interspersed as with my housing situations since I've been through four moves in the last seven months! Craziness! Can you blame me for craving stability? Seems like things are slowing down but now I wonder how I'll be able to stay in the country since I don't have a job that I'd like to get sponsored through. Well, I'm happy to have a stable living situation (or so it seems) and life seems to be winding down. Seems like lots of people are going through beginnings and so am I. Five years ago, I just moved to the States knowing no one really and now this is my freshman year in DC grownup life.

So here's to initiation into my new phase of life,

Cheers,

Island Gal

technology sidenote:

Just trying out these new technologies. From ChaCha, Gubb.net, Evernote to Posterous. What I like about what these products promise is the cross platform functionality. So new beginnings for my laptop, internet presence, and mobile.

Here's to new beginnings

Christie
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Posted via email from islandgal's posterous

Sexy Co-workers

Ooh what a whirlwind week it has been! From showing up late for work at my new location because we got lost, to having a customer come in and say his phone number had been hijacked by people from jail *loco*, to learning the importance of sign language. Lord, you know it's been crazy but good, stressful but enjoyable. Every hard experience is a learning opportunity for the next. Taking my apples and making some yummy apple pie (instead of complaining "how do you like them apples, ey?). Well......well.....well (*insert church pipe organ here + dramatic black preacher inflection*) MMmmMmm..so it's a nice environment to work in but what got me all up in a mini-semi tizzy is one of my co-workers. He's a very nice man, tall, athletic-looking, well-dressed, happy and sweet. He's a good conversationalist and boy...because he actually LISTENS (acting like what I'm talking about is super-interesting) and has something intelligent to add plus his dreamy Euro accent and physique isn't helping a sister to stay in professional mode--aka-- we cool ppl's but keep it work! It's not like I'm detecting anything, for all I know some other woman is all up on him in his down time but hey, it's a cheeky daydream fancy. But I really need to get over my *work crush* soon, sure nothing will happen, he'll become a jerk, and soon all those dreams will fall off the face of daydream earth at the discovery of some horrendous flaw impairing my David (not his actual name--he has a sexy name though--but referring to the sculpture. When you think a name's sexy (that is common) then you know you *mini-infatu-sprung*--> infatuatingly into a person --this detour from the regularly scheduled programming only last but so long. Hhahahhha..oo the simplicity of humans. Well, I'm enjoying the crush au courant--I'll let you know what broke the "spell".

ttyl Sassy Island Girl

Sue me!

Lightbulb moments have been hitting me like mosquitoes feasting on a bloody fiesta. And I'm loving it! The central point of my revelations is "I am, who I am, so sue me". For years, though I might come over as a tough determined (yet sweet :-) cookie, I tried to appease people in some ways so that they wouldn't feel akward or wouldn't see me as that. Now, I'm like screw that! It is what it is, and if it isn't for you--move on! NO MORE, people pleasing, I don't NEED to be the center of attention, I don't need to be the focus of a new group, racking up friends like shot glasses at a frat party, having "bff" talks and revealing my soul to a bunch of strangers in an attempt to make them realize "I'm on of them". That crap tends to hit the ceiling and then when it's used against you, you'll be crying "I thought we were friends". I don't deny that true friendships can be formed in such situations but rather emphasize the point of embracing the moment and richly enjoying it for what it is. Not overcomplicating it but relishing sharing a common human experience. If you are so blessed to forge a seasonal or lifetime bond out of it, great stuff! That's the second big lightbulb moment I had: Live truely in the moment and don't sweat the details constantly. The Man upstairs is taking care of all that. Do what's in YOUR power and leave the rest up to Him. Whatever happens works out for your good somehow. Believe it and you'll start treasuring the hard experiences in your life even.

anyway..let me know your thoughts... signing off Christie

Footsicle

So, yeah I wrote about Ugly Joe and one of the guys who this archetype was based on confronted me about it. He called and did the "we need to talk" voice and I was like SATSUMI Roll! I was like..hmm...I think he got to the post. Karma is a beast! Anyway, after an interesting car conversation the air was cleared and the dust settled...He's actually a nice dude and had no ulterior motives. It's interesting what not following your gut instincts, listening to girlfriends, and endless teasing will do to your perception. I knew not to read into it but somehow took the road well-traveled by us women to the land of "concocting something that isn't there". Thank God, he was very nice and humble about it and after apologizing profusely over and over explained that because I thought he WAS this archetype I had a strong knee-jerk reaction but now that we are both in the clear of friends land, I'm good. I'll try to focus on the positive experiences I've had with men but in general though there are a number of jerks walking around. DC has served many a surprise, bc there are some nice men but honestly after my last idiotic bum-rider Sam encounter (I'll elaborate later) I became somewhat embittered against "menkind". Sorry boys! Thanks to my friend for not making the conversation about my blogposts akward. Still have a slight sink in the ground moment feeling but this Too shall pass. Another story for the kids and an interesting growing point.

till next time folks--just to recap--> nice guys who are purely friends still do exist. Contrary to popular belief.

Reflections on UJ

After doing some cathartic soul searching and reading, a eureka emotional moment dawned on my spirit. I was always intrigued why UJ annoyed me so much. Trust, there are many things I dislike about him but may be able to overlook wasn't it for the fact that I realized that he's trying to change me into the package he perceived I was or wants me to be. I know he's physically attracted to me but in many of our interactions he brings up that I need to calm down or do this or that. He wants me to fit this picture HE has of the "perfect girl" he wants. So, all this nonsense doesn't concern me as much as it concerns his emotional needs and disconnect from reality. As I've said before, you CANNOT change a person. This is a task best left for the Divine and maybe the people who bore/took care of this person. Cause Lord knows, I ain't got time for that anymore. Thanks Daddy! (read Dating 301 post). This realization about UJ's emotional disconnect brought much peace to my soul because he just bothered me and I didn't know why. It irked me so much to the point of just wanting to squash him emotionally. I guess it's ingrained in the human spirit that we do not want to changed but accepted moreso lovingly understood and appreciated for the quirks that makes us..us and not someone else.

So UJ, I have a message for you. You like an illusion of me, a figment you've created but not what I am.You need to take some time and realize that this person doesn't exist and abandon ship on whatever type of lame "strategy" you were trying to concoct. Leave it alone...let it die..PLEASE, I BEG OF YOU! Because it irks this girl you're trying to "go after" and causes you much more discouragement than if you took the time to see that the one for you is not me.

It's ok, I've been there but I'm learning to let go and let God bring into my life the man who is what my spirit has been desiring. Because we (that man and I) are cut of the same cloth but YOU happen to be of a different textile.

Idiots R us

As I was contemplating what to write about ending my bloggeriatus, I remembered one of my last text convo's with a "guyfriend" and I was more than inspired to go off on no-good idiots that call themselves men. No, I'm not bitter woman walking around wanting to chop off men's numchucks or suddenly want to start shopping in my "department" bashing the other department for their lack of "insert reason for turning lesbian because of a man here". No..no...no...I'm just sick and tired of dealing with men who haven't left their boy tendencies in kindergarten with their powerranger sheets.

Exhibit A: Lets call him Ugly Joe Archetype
He's a nice guy, he's helped me while I was in some difficult situations, seems to treat women with reasonable amount of respect. DEFINITELY not a looker, style needs some upgrading (jeans from '98 and an free promo t-shirt does NOT constitute evening wear!) but has manners. So what irks the ISH out of me with him? He asks me on an evening "out" a date w/o calling it bc he had to BS his way through giving me reasons why I should go. Then during the whole time he's like "Oh, I'd be a good influence on you, I can tell your friends this, or yeah I can balance you out". I'm like who ARE YOU to infer that I want my ways changed or need your help to explain my friends who've been my "roaddogs" (as I call them) my ways? (Can you tell I'm Super Independent?) The reason they ARE my friends are because they like what I am! He kept "saying things" without actually "saying it" that after awhile I said "You know what I HATE in men? That they can't be upfront of what they want! If you like a girl tell her and either you'll get reciprocated or get SHOT DOWN LIKE A MAN!". Well, I thought that was the end of that, but oh no my friends. Even, after I gave him the "Friends" line, he persisted. Some of my best friends noticed it and one of them remarked "girl, I think he's trying to wear you out until you give in". HECK NAW, because after last night's text convo I'm DONE! I injured my back badly yesterday and he sent me a text saying "hey, did you go bullriding w/o inviting me..wink wink?" and then proceeding to come up with "funny" ways that I pulled my back. FUNNY WAYS??!! HOW IS PULLING YOUR BACK FUNNY?!! Then being like..don't be so uptight..you'll be fine as I spent my morning BAWLING my eyes out and INCAPACITATED by EXCRUCIATING PAIN! Everything was out of whack; I was dizzy, nauseous, and unable to walk or sit much. I just had to sleep it off and pop pills like it was going out of style. If I didn't wake up a bit better today, my next trip would've been the hospital and I'm still considering going to the chiropractor. His insensitivity and constant sly "come-ons" are irritating the MESS out of me! I let him know that his comments were offensive to me and he apologized but I'm just tired of him right now. Exhibit A showed me that I really have little patience for men who haven't upgraded their game past throwing rocks at girls they like. Sorry boys, girls grow up into WOMEN-- ACT ACCORDINGLY!

NEXT WEEK: Bum-rider Sam

Friendly Disclaimer: UJ if you read this-Sorry, I like you as a person it's your "game" I can't stand.

Bliss

I'm long overdue for a post but today I was so inspired to write on what defines wealth. My family and I have been staying with a friend who has a fabulous house in a gated community in South Florida. It's everyone's dream to live in such luxury and abundance but as much as enjoy it I realized that while this experience brought me joy, it couldn't touch one of my happiest memories of late. Honestly, being with a great group of friends playing Taboo and mafia increased my joy to such levels that it eclipsed vacationing in such grandeur. We laughed till we cried, teased each other, argued, and forged new bonds that could never equal to gated communities, private clubhouses, and Lexuses. These are all things, and honestly if you don't do meaningful acts with these things they will just be utensils with the promise of a greater life. Now, I do not deny that there is a certain esteem and ease that comes with living in wealth but making that what drives you just sets you up for a huge disappointment. You'll have the finest utensils in the world but no one meaningful to share it with, no rich human experiences to cherish, no beauty to fill your life. We are relational creatures so the next time you're killing yourself to aspire to reach something remember this-- will the end use of whatever I'm trying to gain make me truly happy? Will it enrich my human experience that I will live to be better? If not, don't kill yourself over it. Just enjoy that humble meal in your small apartment instead of brooding with discontent over it's lack of storage. See the beauty in your humility, and revel in it. So many envy to have such meaning in their lives but lack the courage to admit it. Do crazy things, live like you were dying, and remember:

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
— Mark Twain

Toodles & God bless,

Christie

4 ways to lighten your PMS

If you're like me, I have months where I turn into a "green-eyed" monster flying-off-the-hinges at one point or breaking out in tears the next. This is all is due to our drastic drop in Estrogen days before the onset of our period. Instead of hibernation, buckets of chocolate icecream, or acting like the bride of chuckie to your loved ones there's actually a couple of steps you can take to lighten your symptoms. They're very simple steps and mostly nature-inspired.

1. You are what you eat.
I was having severe cramps and just felt that my strength was ebbing away. However, I realized that when I ate certain foods and drank certain things that my periods were so much lighter and easier.

Foods to add to the list: Omega-3's do wonders for your body so incorporate Flax-seeds (oil, pills),tuna, salmon. Beta-carotene, add some more carrots to your salads, garnish your rice with shredded carrots. Bananas, probiotic yogurt (to help regulate your digestion system), complex carbohydrates like whole-wheat breads, cereals and fruits which can help increase seratonin levels (your happy hormones!). Beans are full of protein that will do you a world of good! So get yourself your fav Mexican food. Get your Zinc in and Folic Acid by popping in some vitamin pills.

2. Take preventative aim against severe cramps.
A natural way to get rid of cramps and relax your uterus muscle is to add some ginger to warm milk. Warm up some milk and cut up some fresh ginger (canned ginger) or add a couple of table spoons of ginger powder to the milk and let it lightly boil. Pour into your favorite mug and drink. In a half hour you'll be feeling pretty chipper! This recipe is an oldie I got from my mom :-) that works EVERY time!

No ginger? No problem! Take one or two pills of ibuprofen starting two to three days before your worst period days. It helps prevent blood clots which are the major cause of your cramps.

3. Drink to your health
A very easy way to get more nutrients and vitamins in is by drinking V8 multi-vitamin juice (pick ones w/o high fructose corn syrup) or whatever other brands of fruit juices mixed with vegetable juice. Honestly, one of the best things that I ever did to help my PMS symptoms.

4. Do some yoga or Pilates stretches
There are different beneficial poses "asanas" that help increase bloodflow, muscle stretching, and relaxation. Here's some links for some recommended asanas http://bitly.com/2mlaEQ & http://bitly.com/oJl3H

Want to read more on how your hormones influence you week by week? Marie Claire has a great article called "Your Life in Hormones". Read it here--> http://bitly.com/hDHOH
http://www.fitsugar.com/1054411

Green your Margarita!

Today, I found a yummy recipe for creating an organic margarita. I'm anxious to try it soon being the organic health nut that I am. According to Elizabeth Seward of Planet Green (Discover channel) "Not only did this margarita taste awesome, but I would argue that it was over all more satisfying because I knew I was putting healthy ingredients into my body."


Organic Margarita Recipe

1.5 ounces of tequila (4 Copas makes organic tequila you can use.)
1/2 ounce of pure organic acai
3/4 ounce of organic agave nectar
1/2 ounce of organic egg white
1 organic lime, squeezed

Shake until metal shaker is frosted and then strain into a chilled glass. Enjoy!

Originally from Planet Green http://bitly.com/8hmvs
Image by Getty Images

Dating 301

I'm about to impart on you the most sage relationship advice my dad gave me came a couple of days ago as I frantically called him about a boyfriend of a best friend situation. My dad is full of golden nuggets of wisdom about relationships and marriage. He's been married to my mom for 25 years and they've been through hell and back but they're still at it. So yeah..back to his advice..he was like "Christie, let me tell you something. In my fifty-four years (gotta assert the wisdom lol).. Ya marry a person with baggage thinkin' they goin to get better." Pause..I'm like okay. He resumes "NO, they ONLY GET WORSE with time and get MORE baggage as they get old on ya". ROFL..now by this time I was like *insert Mom here* We both love her but God help us when she decides to pull one of those mad black woman acts on our behinds. So yes, I took MUCH heed to his advice. I once read somewhere "Men marry women hoping they'll never change" and "Women marry men in the hope of the man they could be". Well, ain' gon be that fool! As they say back on my island--not even a donkey knocks its head twice on the same rock so I will take it to heart and put the foolishness of changing a man to rest, no actually throwing it in hell, burning it, and burying it 100 feet deep.

Toodles..*as I'm grabbing my shovel*

The powers that be

Well, well, well... After wrestling with a suspicious "cold" for the past weekend I have learned something very valuable! Do NOT underestimate the power of pollen and other allergens. It all started Wednesday when my throat was acting up and I was getting a bit more phlegm than usual.I was like...hmm..must be some reaction to the drastic weather change but no big deal. Ignore.
MISTAKE NUMBER 1: Ignoring signs of your body
I go along looking forward to a super JAMPACKED weekend full of fun, activism and adventures!Friday comes, I'm coughing a lot so I decide to take a Mucinex to break up my phlegm so I can get better.
MISTAKE NUMBER 2: Taking Mucinex and mixing it with an immune booster.
I take it maybe an hour to forty-five minutes before I'm about to go out well when I get to the Metro I'm high as a kite. Feeling woozy and a little to close to the tiles but hey..me canceling on fun with friends..HECK NO!! The fun must go on! So, we have a fun evening. I'm high of meds and my crazy friend is supertired so her restrictions on her actions are ... lacking to say the least. It all amounts to a hysterical night with video documentation of some of our craziness. BUT OO NOOO...One of my guyfriends who was out with us was kind enough to bring me home since I wasn't in the most coherent state lol. And then the evening takes a turn for the worst. I have an allergic reaction to the medication I took. I start spazzing out, all my senses start firing, hot, cold, feeling sick, digestion system feeling out of whack, feeling about to pass out..and the list goes on. Thank God, the guy was nice and he was very attentive and got me home safe while keeping a list of hospitals in the back of his head.

All this to say: DO NOT MIX stuff! It might seem harmless but by the reaction I had. I learned a good lesson. I rode the effects out the whole night. Second, I checked with my nurse friend and she cautioned to check expiration dates on even your OTC medications. And, lastly I discovered on Monday after spending two miserable days in bed missing my kayaking trip among other things which as you can sense I'm still a bit "bitter" about that this was all due to a bad case of allergies. As soon as I took Zyrtec I was back to my old self again! (At least for the most part)

So learn something from this "misadventure" down medication lane. If you're miserable (health-wise) right now, Check if you have allergies and don't ignore your body! It's what you live in and your most prized possession! Take care of it!

copyright picture Alex and Laila/ Getty Images

Learn10: Power up your language

Want an easy fun way to learn a new language? Try Learn10.com! It's an innovative little online app that gives you ten fresh words in whatever language you use to learn everyday. You can get the words via Twitter and Facebook or you can go to the site. There's a premium edition too that gives you a few extra bells and whistles but honestly the FREE edition is fantastic. It even has the ability to let you test yourself and share with your other social networkers. Fun stuff! I'm brushing up on my Spanish. Now, you really don't have any excuse not to try learning a new language :-).

5 Songs I'm loving right now

1. Laura Izibor "From my heart to Yours"
If you haven't heard from her yet, she's this old school Billie Holiday voice mixed with funky sounds. The result "happy music" that makes the soul smile!

2. Kelly Clarkson "I don't hookup"
Amen! Needs no more explanations than the title itself!

3. Ne-Yo "Part of the List"
Emotional, raw, and tender. Ne-yo at his best! Please check out the video. It definitely magnifies the song even further. The acting is totally on point plus I love the fact that it's shot in London.

4. Chrissete Michele "Epiphany"
Wise-up anthem realizing that she ain't putting up with that mess anymore! Love her voice and the treatment of the lyrics. Of course, it was written and produced by Ne-yo and his production company Stargate.

5. Kid Cudi "Day and Night"
The lyrics are melancholic; a poetic simplistic expression of someone's pain in the pursuit of peace. It just touches a deep level within you. Though the stoner seeks it in his white smoke..(sad face) it reminds you that everyone is just looking for peace. I found mine in forgiveness in Jesus not religion, and everyone has their journey to the point of peace. You just have the option of the choice.

Good Week

Good week you all! Hope you had a great Easter weekend! I had a fantastic time with old and new friends. To start the week off, I thought I'd share some inspiring quotes.

"Whatever you think you can have, claim it, believe it, pray to God for it. It's His Kingdom and you're His child." -Canton Jones

"To seek validation from others is no better than letting someone else invalidate you. Remember that what someone else thinks of you is really more about them and their issues, not you and yours." -Seltzer

I put these quotes up to encourage you to go after whatever your passion/vision is this week, and not let anyone deter you however convincing their arguments may be.

Cheers to a Great Week,

Christie

got questions, comments, need advice? email me @ roomtobreathe07@gmail.com

Creative ways to land a job!

This is for all of you who are looking for jobs through the traditional methods by going on Monster.com, Careerbuilder.com and other job boards. There are BETTER ways to land a job! Think about it, unemployment has jumped for 850k people to 12.5 million in the US. Most, if not all of these people are trying to get a job. The most advertised job boards tend to be the places they resort to. So, lots of competition for a "small" number of jobs. Then how do you separate yourself from the pack? -->GO VIRAL!!

My friends, if you don't have a Twitter account, GET ONE!! If you don't have Facebook, sign up!! And keep up with viral news!! Yes, it may be too much for some of you but bear with me. I get my news through Newser.com; which updates in a visual rolodex way with pictures and headlines. When you click on the pic you get a summary of the article plus the link to the full article. I highly recommend keeping up with the current headlines because that's how I landed on an article about tweeting (Twitter post) for jobs! From there, I clicked on hotlinks that brought me to rich sources of undiscovered jobs. So, follow these steps and get creative!!

Step 1: bookmark or just keep up with Newser.com for current headlines
Step 2: Open a Twitter account. Here's a link Twitter for Dummies if you want a more detailed breakdown. Register with Facebook if you don't have one!
Step 3: Start following people by asking your facebook friends if they have Twitter. Post your twitter link in your status and watch followers come to YOU!! Post your twitterlink on your blog, on your social network profiles, email signoff, on your business card, put in on your forehead. Hahahaha, ok too far. The more people you start getting, the bigger pool of potentials. You can use Twittersearch to find people according to a topic but I've found these following services to be the most useful.

• Wefollow.com : find people to follow according to your interest. You can even find Ellen Degeneres twitter page this way.

• Twibs.com : Browse 8,823 twitter businesses and connect with professionals that will refer you in the right way. I got SOO much useful information by following people in my profession which is marketing. So if you're in marketing, hit me up on the twitter.

• Small Business Search Marketing blog compiled a very long list of industry execs with twitter accounts. Find your industry, follow some execs and make some interesting comments back. Don't tweet them with..I need a job...please give me one..or I'm the best thing since sliced cheese. Dialogue over what they're talking about and contribute useful ideas. You never know what might happen! DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS!! This is the key to this new job market landscape.
  

Step 4: Blog about what you're going through, write notes on facebook. People tend to read things that include interesting info with a sense of humor. So do that!

Step 5: LINKUP! One of the GEMS I found from Twibs.com for jobs is Linkup.com!! They are a fantastic online job board that keeps ONLY CURRENT job openings, no scam/fake jobs (yeah finance assistant my rear), and the great thing about them is that they collect jobs STRAIGHT from the source! Which means tons of unadvertised job openings!

Step 6: Apply, apply, apply! Keep your head up and know that you aren't alone. There's 12.5 million of us. For an encouraging read on being creative, read this Forbes article!

Godspeed yall!! Feel free to hit me up and let me know how things are going with you and the job market or with any other useful suggestions. http://twitter.com/ciqua

Turkey Penne

So I made some yummy Turkey Penne today and thought it a nice idea to share the recipe. I'm all about keeping things simple a.k.a recession-friendly so you won't need many ingredients or fancy spices to make this.

Turkey Penne Recipe

What you need for a pan-sized amount (feeds 3-4)

- 1/3 of packaged Ground Turkey
- 2 cups of Penne Pasta
- 1/4 minced garlic
- chopped onions
- 1 finely chopped celery stalk
- 1 cup of Sharp Cheddar Cheese (or whatever cheese you have)
- all-seasoning
- 1 tbsp of butter

optional

2 tablespoons of Teriyaki sauce
1 tbsp of Salsa con Queso (if you only have cheese dip you can substitute the cheese for cheese dip)

Preparations

Penne:
While you are preparing the ground turkey put a small pan of water with the penne to a boil for 3-5 minutes. Poke the penne and if you its moist then turn the burner off. Drain the pasta with cold water.

Turkey:
Heat up the pan at medium heat and melt the butter. Fry the chopped celery, garlic and onions light brown. Bring the heat down a bit and add the ground turkey. Brown the turkey. Add a couple of dashes (be careful not to make it too salty) of all-seasoning and the teriyaki sauce. Stir the turkey mix well and break the bigger pieces of the turkey up (it likes to clump up).
Now add the penne in and mix well. Add another dash or two of all-seasoning to give the penne some flavor. Finally garnish the dish with the cheese and add in the cheese salsa if you decided to use it in the recipe. Mix well and let the cheese melt and SERVE! Yummy!

Happy eating!

Products I'm enjoying right now

1. Suave Peabody Shower Gel
Cheap and delicious smelling; this shower gel gives you an invigorating shower without drying out your skin like most shower gels.
2. Supercook.com
Fantastic resource to get your recession cook on! I'm a firm believer now that the products in the back of your cabinet/fridge can yield some of the most yummiest dishes. Supercook allows you to search for recipes according to the ingredients you have. Fabulous!
3. Onima Natural Beauty Lip Balm
Derived from Aloe plants on the small eco-friendly island of Bonaire. This lip balm is fantastic for moisturizing and reviving dry, cracked, chapped lips.
4. Dream Curls ™ Curl Perfecting Spray
Like the package states; it transforms wilted dry curls into sexy swerves. What I love about the spray is that it doesn't contain alcohol, isn't greasy, and leaves my hair smelling fresh and pretty. My curls loved it!
5. Arm and Hammer Natural Essentials Unscented Deodorant
I LOVE IT! Why my strong proclamation of love to this product? I've been looking for an affordable (stress on the affordable) all-natural deodorant. When I saw this in my local grocery store I was delighted to read that the deodorant is aluminum-free, paraben-free and provides natural protection against odor by combining its namesake Arm & Hammer baking soda plus Coriander, Rosemary oil and other natural derivitaves. The deodorant glides on nicely, doesn't leave any marks, and has a nice natural smell.

Stay posted for more Fav products. Have any recommendations? Send me an email at roomtobreathe07@gmail.com

Fit & Fab!

For all my asana loving babes, I have to introduce you to my au courant crush Doce Vida Fitness wear. The line is sexy and made out of quality material! Finally, you can have stylish workout wear. Doce Vida has been featured in numerous magazines such as Self, Fitness Magazine, and Prevention. I'm particularly in love with their Copacabana Capri retailing for $68. Price a bit too steep for ya? Get a budget-friendly version from Old Navy's new activewear line for only $16.50. Happy, fit and smart!


Doce Vida $68
Old Navy $16.50

SPRING AWAKE!

AAAh...the snow covers are off our windows, the air slightly warmer, and skirts coming out of the closet. It is time for SPRING!! It's such an exciting switch in the year when the cherry blossoms come out and the sun is out and it ACTUALLY feels warm. Makes me feel all warm and goeey inside walking outside...hahahah..I'm such a sucker for nature.

Anyway I have a bunch of discoveries that I want to share with all of you!! Excitement is in the air!

Music
First off, Sunday I went to one of the best live concerts ever! Estelle with Ryan Leslie! Now, if you don't know who Ryan Leslie is...you are about to KNOW! He's the producer behind Cassie and was an intern for the Diddyness...(no comment). He has a very great sound that is a fusion of contemporary hip hop with old school music. Good thing is that he's a Harvard grad doing his thing and climbing up in the music world. He seems to have to a bright and creative future ahead of him. Estelle, she was ...hahahha..fab..honest and FUN!! That concert was a party basically! I enjoyed myself a lot! If you are in the DC area--hit up the 9:30 club! They have great artists performing!! Next month--Jhud and Robin Thicke is in the area (not at the 9:30 club), so get your tickets EARLY!!

Fashion
Now that Spring is in the air, you're wardrobe may want to be refreshed but keeping it recessionista style! Now girl...if I didn't see the price on these pieces I'm about to showcase you'd think it be straight from the catwalk with those daggone CATWALK prices walking your hard earned dough right out of the bank. But NO WORRIES!! It's all H&M which did an incredible job this Spring to do the trends right at FANTASTIC Recessionista prices! I'm wanting to cop that white $12.90 top.


Press
Ok, I'd like to join with the millions of people mourning the death of the incredible Natasha Richardson. Such an unexpected and tragic loss and my deepest condolences to first and foremost her family and all the ones who knew her personally. You all are in my prayers. May God give grant you comfort during these very very hard times.

On a lighter note though, I burst with excitement at three magnificent strong beautiful successful black women who appear on the cover of April 09's cover. Venus, Iman and Taraji look magnificent!! Congrats ladies! Please cop that magazine off the newsstands quick! The content is even more fabulous as they cover relationship advice, SOUND financial advice and FABULOUS Fashion spreads!! ESSENCE is KILLING IT!! Worth every penny!

Well, that's it for right now!! Of course, I have TONS more to share but till next time ;-) which is soon! Thanks for reading!! I will try to keep posting more regurarly and doing a cover all the bases post every week!

Stay Fabulous,

Christie
Jesus saves!

I leave you with a sampling of Ryan Leslie's incredible talent

How It Was Supposed To Be (Military Version) from Ryan Leslie on Vimeo.

Fall Fashion W 09 highlights

Just wanted to wet your appetites with some of the highlights of fashion week for me. The clothes were more demure with zipper accents, well tailored skinnies, romantic ruffles, pops of color and impeccable tailoring (for the most part- saw some atrocious fits on models though).



Stay Fabulous ..

Christie

P.S: Fall trend discussion is soon to follow! No worries :-)

Style & Grace 09

Wow! It's been awhile since I've written a new post but I'm back again!

This time I intend to write more regularly again. Keeping you posted on new tidbits and helping you develop your own personal style. Recently, the realization dawned on me that I was sometimes trying too hard to be "in" fashion instead of fashion being "in" with with me.

As the new "icon" of first lady fashion Michelle Obama put it in her interview with Andre Teleon of Vogue in the March 2009 issue.

"First and foremost, I wear what I love. That's what women have to focus on: what makes them happy and what makes them feel comfortable and beautiful. If I can have any impact, I want women to feel good about themselves and have fun with fashion ."

That's my mission too this year with life and this blog. Being comfortable in your own skin and expression of style whatever it may be. Doing it with style and grace while being true to yourself and not some hoitsy toitsy style editor who's mostly out of touch with mainstream America. Just check out what some think is recession chic- "cheap wedges that cost ONLY $200-$300 in the latest magazines--hahahah they really don't know.

Anyway, Stay Fabulous and till my next post discussing Fall 09 trends!

yours truly,

Christie :-)

P.S: check out the interview with first lady Obama here http://www.style.com/vogue/feature/2009_March_Michelle_Obama/