‘Tis better to give than receive…

As stated in one of my previous posts, my friends and I adopted a young college student. He is a very humble guy, and is eager to learn from others. We took him to Old Navy on Friday to get some clothes for him. B.M. picked him up, but did not tell him why they were going to Old Navy. My wife and I met them there. When they got there my wife explained why we were there, and he was so humble, and completely amazed. He is a very inquisitive young man. He asks questions about education and other things.

At the present he wears his clothes kind of baggy, and he made the statement that as you get older, you make changes. So, we bought him some jeans that weren’t so baggy, and he seemed to like them. There was a young man in the store who was older than D. and he was giving him some advice about clothes. Telling him that when you wear your clothes properly, and you change from the “hood” look to a more professional look, you feel better about yourself. So, we are going to try to work him up to that. But for now, less baggy jeans is a start.

I am happy that we were able to help him, and I wish we could do so much more. I plan to start a Christmas fund for him next year, and take him shopping to get some of the things that he needs. In the meantime, and between time, I will try to help him out during the year. He doesn’t only have needs at Christmas time. My wife and I were talking in the car after we left Old Navy; just talking about how many D.’s there are out there. It saddens me to even think about it. For now, we’ll help the one that we know, and try to reach more and more as we move along.

Get out and help someone.

Peace and blessings

Michelle

Giving back…

I have been looking for a volunteer opportunity for a little while. As each day passes, I realize my need to give back. I have been blessed beyond measure. I want to reach back and help others in need. I know that there are millions of ways to give back, but I wanted something that really filled my passion. Imagine my shock when my wife sent me an email about a program that fit my passion. Her friends daughter is the director of a program for aged-out foster kids. I have finally found a program that’s geared toward what I have longed to do.

While in high school I came to the conclusion that I wanted to work with aged-out foster kids when I became an adult. I had a few friends who were in the foster care system, so I learned about what they went through first hand. I can’t believe that there are people who become foster parents just so they can get a check. They don’t have the best interest of the children at heart at all. My friends went through their lives without being taught the basic essentials in life. They didn’t know the things that they would need to prepare them for the next level in their journey.

I am so excited about this opportunity. I will meet with A.D. for an interview on the 8th of January. The next step after that is to go through a full day of training, which will take place on the 23rd of January. After that, I get to meet my mentee. I was once a “Big” in the Big Sister, Big Brother program, so I know the ropes of being a mentor, but I am sure this one will be just a little different. I am ready. I have been ready for a while now.

I will keep you all posted on my journey.

All I want for Christmas is…

I love the holiday season. I have since I was a child. Even though I grew up poor, I can remember some very nice Christmases…most of them having nothing to do with presents. Although I like receiving gifts, I love the feeling that’s associated with Christmas. See, even though I didn’t have much growing up, my Mom always tried to make the holiday special. I love spending time with family and friends.

As we get closer to Christmas – 22 days to be exact -I think about all the families who do not have enough money to buy food or clothes for their children…let alone presents. I think of my friend Anita who passed away last month, leaving 3 young children without a mother this holiday season. Thinking of all this let’s me know how truly blessed I am. So, my plan is to be a blessing to others this holiday season.

I plan to get gifts for each of Anita’s children this season. They are the sweetest little kids. I know this holiday will be extremely hard for them. I am glad that they have their mom’s sister to help them get through it.

My wife and her friends started a group called the PSer’s, and when I married her I was “grandfathered” in. My wife came up with the idea to pay $10 a month into an account, and at the end of the year use it for a community project. We had gone back and forth about what the project should be, until the night of Edwin and Erin’s wedding. 10 of us went to Applebee’s late that evening. Sitting around the table, S.D. started talking about a former student of the school that my wife worked at. She talked about the fact that he wore an Ohio State hoodie to UC and the kids were making fun of him. He stated that it was all he had. So, S.D. took him to the campus store and bought him a UC shirt. He is lacking in some other areas financially, so we decided that he would be our project. Those of you who have gone to college know how lean those times can be financially…especially if they were lean to begin with. I am glad that we will help him. He seems to be such a sweet person.

One of my other acts of kindness this holiday season will be to feed the homeless either on Christmas eve, or Christmas morning. I have to look for the shelters in the area to decide where I am going. I think being around those less fortunate will help me keep things in perspective. I was homeless when I was 6 years old. I know how it feels not knowing where your next meal is coming from, and it’s not a good feeling at all.

We can never forget where we come from. As we move forward, it’s so important for us to reach back and help someone else along the way!!!

Peace and Blessings,

Michelle

Isn’t Love Grand…

My wife and I went to E.’s wedding this weekend. E. is her sorority sister (SGRho). The wedding was absolutely beautiful. They make a wonderful Couple. E. (husband) is a Zeta. I got to see them and the SGRho’s stroll. It was a beautiful thing.

I have finally found a hairstyle that I like, so I am going to post a picture of my TWA. I am really feeling this journey. I am in search of a couple more styles that look good on me. I like the one that i have now, but I would like to have a couple to fall back on. Don’t want to be a one trick pony.

My before hair. I am the one in the middle.

My TWA

I wore a head scarf to work today, and this is how my hair looked when I took it off.

I would like to hear from some of my natural sisters about the type of hair products they use. I received some help from trishasdaughter last week, and it was very helpful!

I just wanted to share a few pictures because I know a few of you wanted to see my new hair. Let me know yours thoughts.

Peace and blessings,

Michelle

A little bit of randomness…

I search the web for things that interest me. Here are a few things that I came across recently.

1. My wife is in love with Sade. I think if she could trade me in, she would. :-0 She was anticipating the release of Sade’s CD this December. Well, we didn’t hear anything about it. So, last night I did a search, and learned that the CD is due to drop on February 8, 2010. I must admit, I love Sade also. I had the biggest crush on her when I was a young girl. Now, it’s all about her music. You must admit, she makes beautiful music.

2. I love cards. I make handmade cards and sell them on Etsy. I often peruse the web to see what others are doing as far as cards are concerned. I came across this site that sells Letterpress cards. I went to Archiver’s a few weeks ago, and I found out that they have a Letterpress kit for one of the die cut machines that they sell. I am so on it. Here are a few samples of the cards that I found on the Old Tom Foolery website.

3. I have fallen in love with these Aphrochic pillows. I definitely want the silhouette pillow centered in the front.

4. I am loving her hair in this pic…and the tee is hot also. The tees are also for sale on Aprhochic’s website.

5. I absolutely love this painting. I found it on YMIB, but it doesn’t state where/if it can be purchased.

6. When I work on scrapbooking, or when I am making handmade cards, I sometimes use colored pencils. I currently have them stored in a tall mason jar, but I think I want to make this caddy to put them in. Love it!

Thankful for so much…

Turkey Day is finally here. I wish you and your family a happy, healthy and blessed Thanksgiving. I am sitting on the couch with the Mrs watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade. This is the first time that I’ve ever watched it….even when I lived in Jersey I never watched.

Even in times of recession, we all have a lot to be thankful for. I am thankful for my health, a loving wife, my job, and my friends and family.We were going to cook and have friends over to our home, but our friend Stevie invited us to have dinner with his family. So, we will be heading over there this afternoon to eat. We have invited friends to come over tonight at 8 for dessert, wine, and some games. We always have a blast when we have game nights. We are making cupcakes and chocolate chip cookies.

So, you all know that I got my hair cut yesterday. I have a TWA. I love the fact that it’s all natural, but I do not like the style on my face.   Last night a friend twisted it for me. My wife says she likes the twists, but I am not sure that I do. I think the issue is that I have never had short hair…so, I need to find a style that compliments my face. I will be experimenting for a little while to see if I can find something that I like. I will post pics soon. Not comfortable right now.

Well, I am going to relax for a little while. I am washing clothes, so I guess I should go downstairs and put them in the dryer. Be blessed everyone, and be safe.

Peace and blessings,

Michelle

 

 

Some of the things I’m feeling right now…

This is a collage of some of the things that I am feeling right now. I will go clockwise and end with the center photo.

1. iPhone I have been in love with the iPhone for a long time. Instead of getting the iPhone when I upgraded the last time, I tried to give Sprint a chance. I got screwed for having done this. My bill went from $70 to $104 because of a lie told to me by one of the “customer service” folk. I am not going to do the whole two years on this contract. I disregarded the signs, and now I am paying.

2. Be Natural Tee As you all know, I am going natural. My wife bought this “Think outside the box” tee for me when I first decided that I wanted to start the journey. I love this tee, and the whole premise behind it.

 3. Natural Beauty This tee can be found on BNatural’s website also. It is linked above. I really like this one because of the definition on the shirt. It says, 1. One whose beauty radiates from the inside out. 2. One whose beauty does not rely on outside manipulation. 3. ME.

4. MacBook This has also been a long time love of mine. One day I will be able to go to the Apple Store and drop a thousand bones for it, but right now we’re trying to get our budget straight. But, just so you know, MAC is the best laptop out there.

5. Commitment My wife bought me a “Courage” print from this website. I searched the site and found the Commitment one. I work for the Board of Elections, and I know the importance of each vote. I know that my ancestors died for my right to vote, and I value that a lot. This will be the next print that I get.

6. ColorSplash App I don’t even have an iPhone yet, but I’ve searched the Apps on iTunes millions of times. The search for this one came about today. I am making Christmas cards for my co-worker Anna. She is a dog lover, and she plans to put her two dogs Odie and Pete on her cards. I plan to do the picture of them in black and white, and have their Santa outfits in Red and white. So, I did a search for a program that could do that, and ColorSplash was one of them.

7. Cable Cardigan I started knitting again, and was really excited about it. Then the holidays started approaching, and I began making cards to sell on my Etsy site. Now that I am pretty much done with that- except for making Anna’s cards, and the cards that my wife and I plan to send out – I can once again focus my attention on knitting. This sweater will be my first project. I am interested in seeing how long it will take me.

8. Celebrate Equality and Diversity in America If you read my blog, then you know that I am a lesbian. I am serious about diversity. It really pains me that we have not made more progress as far as diversity is concerned. I plan to get this tee shirt to wear to work on Casual Fridays.

9. Total Money Makeover This is where I am now. Working through Dave Ramsey’s money makeover plan. It is my goal to be debt free. No credit cards, nothing. I am so tired of being a slave to debt. It is so important to let this stuff go. We are planning a family, and when we do so, I don’t want any of the issues with debt to stand in our way.

10. African American Art Work I am so interested in African American art right now, especially when it has to do with women rockin’ natural hairstyles. This is a piece that I also want to get in our home. I think this would be a perfect addition. This decal can be purchased at Ten23Designs.

11. Golashes For some reason I have acquired this liking for Golashes. I am still looking for the perfect pair for me. I saw a cute pair in the DSW ad by Tommy Hilfiger. I have to go try them on to see how they fit. The last few times I tried some on they didn’t fit the way I wanted them to.

12. Nikon D90 Ok. This is another item that I have been wanting for a while. In case you all don’t know this about me, I will spend my last dime for others, but I am somewhat cheap when it comes to buying things for myself. This is on my “to buy” list.

13. Natural Hair I love anything to do with natural hair. I love to see photos of African American women rockin’ their natural hair styles. I love the way T’Keyah’s hair looks in this photo. This is my motivation. I am getting it cut tomorrow, and I will only have two inches of hair. This is what I have to look forward to.

The date has been set…

I went to see Marie (my natural hair stylist) today, and I am all set. Come Wednesday, I will have 2 inches of hair on my head. I am nervous about it, but at the same time I am so ready for this change. I am so tired of dealing with two different textures. So, I am ready for the next phase. I look forward to the changes as it grows back out, healthy and natural.

I was on Afrobella last night and I have already found the hairstyle that I want once my hair has grown back out.When talking to the stylist I asked about the texture of my hair. She stated that it is medium-fine, and it has a wavy/curly pattern. I think the hardest thing for me will be finding the products that will do right with my hair. So, for all my natural readers, please let me know what your favorites are. I plan to also get some suggestions from my stylist.

While I was on Afrobella’s website I

found some art work that I like. I am

 

the person who loves to decorate in our households, so I have been bouncing ideas through my head of ways to update the look in our home. The furniture is good, so the next step for me would be to paint all the walls, and then add some art work and accessories in each room. Here is a very nice print, and it can be purchased here. I plan to put this one in the guest bedroom. I am still looking for some art to go in the basement…which is where my craft room will be. If you see something that you think may be appropriate, let me know.

Well, I was supposed to call my Aunt at 9:30 pm. I am 10 minutes late. So, I must wrap this up. Have a good evening.

Peace and blessings

Michelle

Can I Just Be Me?

It has been quite a while since my last post. I am trying to get back into the swing of things.  I am completely healed from the surgery, at least physically. At times I still tussle with the fact that I will never have any biological children of my own. I know that this is something that I cannot change, and I will come to accept it one day. But, it is a process.

The most busy time at my job is almost over. We are wrapping up the election, but unfortunately, we may have 6 recounts in our county. So, that will mean not being able to take off days as soon as we would have liked.  I am so ready for a vacation!!!

My little cousin is turning 19 on December 3rd, and she is a die hard Aaliyah fan. She wants an Aaliyah canvas painting. It’s $88 on eBay. I think I am going to get it for her, and that will be her birthday/Christmas present. I honestly believe that she can do the painting herself. She draws, and the girl has skills. Here is the painting she wants.

My brother sent me a text a couple days ago asking if I was butch or femme. Today he sent a text stating that I must be butch because I plan on getting locks somewhere in my going natural process. He stated that he “despises” hard lesbians, and he believes that butches wear locks. Now, this is my thing. It’s hard enough for gays and lesbians to deal with stereotypes and incorrect information from straight people, but to also hear it from gays disheartens me. Oh yeah, my brother is gay. I told him that I don’t do roles. I am neither butch or femme…I am just as comfortable in a dress and heels as I am in jeans and tims.  He stated that there is always a butch and femme in gay/lesbian relationships. This, I do not believe. My wife and I have two friends who are in a relationship, and they are both “butch”. I have friends who are in a relationship and they’re both “femme”. So, to say that there is always one and the other is not true.

He asked me if I was the “boy”. He feels that because a woman “fixes up stuff” around the home, she is “butch”. I don’t believe this either. If a woman who identifies as “butch” cleans the house and cooks, does that make her “femme”? No, it makes her a woman who cleans and cooks. I just don’t like labels. Never have. I am who I am, and that’s it. Don’t try to put me in a box. I cook, clean the house, and I fix things around the house. What does that make me? It makes me an adult with a wife and a home.

I talked to my new natural hairstylist today. I am going to go tomorrow to show her the picture of how I want my hair and we will make an appointment from there. Part of me is so excited about having it cut because I am tired of dealing with two textures. There is part of me that is also nervous…wondering how it will look. I will get through it though. Will post pics once the deed is done.

I have been perusing blogs and I came across usweetpea here on wordpress. That is where the image to the left came from. She has a blog post up there where she talks about an Etsy seller. You all know I love Etsy, and that I sell my products on there also. Well, here is the image that she posted that I fell in love with. I gotta have this! If you also like this, you can purchase it on the Etsy website in Ten23 Designs shop. There are lots of lovely items this shop. Swing by and see what you can find.

I finally found it!!!

I have been on a desperate search for a short hairstyle that I like. I am currently transitioning to natural. I haven’t had a relaxer since May 23rd…which is also the day that I married the love of my life. So, it’s been a little over 4 months. I went to my hairdresser one time, for her to twist my hair so that I could take the twists out and wear it curly. After that, I asked myself why would I pay $55 to do something that I can do myself. So, I have been doing it on my own, except I’ve been doing a braid out.

That's me on the left...but you all probably know that by now.

I love the way it comes out, but I am tired of doing it every week. I am ready for the transition to be over. So, I have been looking for a style that can be done if the rest of the relaxer is cut out of my hair. I just want to get down to the knitty gritty. Here is the style that I came up with. Let me know if you all like it. I think it’s just a finger twist…at least I hope so.

Love this style. Wonder how it would look on me.

If you all have some short hair styles in your stash, please pass them on. I am open to it all.

Peace and blessings

Michelle