Category Archives: She. Me. Her.

Sometimes, you need a dance party.

Posted in entertainment, She. Me. Her. by

The past two weeks have been crazy busy. My stress level was on 10, y’all. Today at work I felt like my head was going to explode. 

And then, I heard ‘Boyfriend’ by Justin Bieber. 

Y’all might be thinking, “Welp, let me get a mop to clean up the head explosion. If she was on the edge before, surely Biebs gave the final push.” 

NOPE. Turns out what I needed to alleviate my tension was a full-fledged, no shame in my game dance party. So that’s exactly what I had. 

I body rolled in my foyer. 

I twerked on my refrigerator. 

I pop, locked, *and* dropped it in the middle of my living room and it felt f*cking fantastic. I feel so much better and am ready to conquer the last day of the work week. 

Now if you’ll excuse me, Missy Elliott just dropped a new video and I have more booty shakin’ to do. 

Nothing Less

Posted in Normal People Things, She. Me. Her. by

Life is too short to waste time on those that don’t deserve it. Every person you hold dear should improve your life and make you a better person in some way. If they aren’t bothered with making time for you, keeping promises, or caring about your feelings, keep it moving. They don’t want to invest in you, so why should you invest in them?

It can be hard to end those relationships and sever those ties, but it must be done. You deserve to be surrounded by people who care about you and want to make you a better person, not those who only care when it’s convenient or beneficial to them. You are worthy of dedication, love, and respect. 

Accept nothing less. 

Back Here

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It’s been a minute, hasn’t it?

My unplanned hiatus was filled with work, travel, and everything in between.  I’ve had some awesome times in the past two months–I’ve cried more than once too–but overall I think I’m slowly getting myself to a better place.

Things I’ve worked on since I’ve been gone:

  • Healthy eating:  I’m cooking more at home and trying out new recipes
  • Expanding the mind:  I’ve committed to reading 30 minutes every day and keep a list of books to read
  • Reconciling the past:  I’ve started attending Al-Anon to deal with the impact of my father’s alcoholism (more in a future post)
  • Interpersonal relationships:  I’ve been spending more time with friends and trying to get out of the house more
  • Self-esteem:  I’m realizing that I am AWESOME, just the way I am

I’m also committing to blogging twice a week from here on out–I’ve even got a new app to help keep me on track.  🙂

So here’s to continued personal growth and loving me for me!

Some nights…

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…I just want silence. No tv, no phone, no distractions. Just a woman and what’s on her mind. 

It seems as though people today are afraid of silence. We seek to fill every moment with something instead of taking the time to appreciate the stillness. Are we afraid of it, the thoughts and feelings that come when the world quiets? Or are we simply so used to a world full of noise that anything else seems unnatural?

Sometimes the most powerful revelations come in the quietest moments. 

Food for Thought

Posted in Normal People Things, She. Me. Her. by

Do you know how long it’s been since I cooked a meal for myself that wasn’t ramen or frozen pizza?

Yeah, me either. 

Lately I’ve been so busy with work or friends that I haven’t had time to make dinner. If I did have time, I didn’t have the energy. Did I want to dirty a bunch of dishes and eat the same leftovers for days? Nope. Then all those days of eating dinner (and lunch…and breakfast) out hit my bank account and my waistline in a less-than-stellar way. 

That changed today though. I made myself a meal–pork chops and green beans–and it was great. I stood right next to the stove and ate it. I barely got it on the plate! Having these leftovers for tomorrow actually sounds pretty good. Taking time to do something good for myself sounds even better. 

Mani Madness: Pewter Perfection

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Check out my latest mani courtesy of Lotus Nail Bar and Spa in Madison–I love it! Gray is one of my favorite neutrals–it goes with EVERYTHING–and the sparkly finish adds a little spice. The owner freehanded the ring finger design for me. 🙂

You can find the original picture that guided this look (and other beauty inspirations) by following me on Pinterest.

  Pretty in Pewter

FOTD: Kitty Kat

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Beyoncé is my queen. Her music, style, and general badass-ness gives me life…and I know I ain’t the only one. Recently I’ve been listening to some of her older albums–B’Day, I Am… Sasha Fierce, and 4 still go hard, y’all–and got inspired to do this cat-eye look. I’ve never tried a cat-eye this dramatic but I’m definitely feeling the result; it probably won’t become an everyday thing but I’ll definitely bust it out for special occasions. 

Product and application details are after the jump: 

My finished Face of the Day! 

Face:

  • Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream in Dark (applied with fingers)
  • Smashbox Contour Palette–highlight and contour shades only (applied with the flat brush and contour brush from my Sephora contour brush kit)
  • Mary Kay Powder Blush in Berry Brown (applied with the stippling brush from the aforementioned contour brush kit)
  • Cover FX Blotting Powder in Deep (applied with powder brush all over the face)

Brows:

  • Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade in Ebony (applied with brow brush and spoolied out)

Eyes:

  • Two Faced Shadow Insurance Eye Shadow Primer (applied with a cotton swab over the entire lid)
  • Mary Kay Cream Eye Color in Violet Storm (lid, applied with fingers) and Metallic Taupe (crease, applied with fingers)
  • Urban Decay Eye Shadow in Half Baked (brow bone, applied with tapered blending brush)
  • Benefit Roller Lash Mascara in Black and Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara in Jet Black (two coats each on upper and lower lashes)
  • Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in Black (upper–used a lot of cotton swabs and eye makeup remover to get the wings together)
  • MAC Smolder Eye Kohl in Black (lower–on water line)

Lips:

  • Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Lip Pencil in Ozone
  • Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Treatment in Rosé
  • Victoria’s Secret Beauty Rush Lip Gloss in Midnightini 

 All smiles–I feel so pretty! 

Mani Madness: Spotted!

Posted in She. Me. Her. by

Check out my latest mani courtesy of Lotus Nail Bar and Spa in Madison–I love it! The color combination and whimsical polka dot accent are perfect for transitioning from spring into summer. 

You can find the original picture that guided this look (and other beauty inspirations) by following me on Pinterest. 

  Recently “spotted”: fun spring colors and a cute polka dot design!

Darkest Night, Brightest Day

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Yesterday was a big day. My ex came to get the rest of his things from my home. I was initially very nervous, but everything worked out fine. A very nice policeman came to “protect the peace” as they call it. Peaceful it was–within 45 minutes it was over. He left a pile of cards and notes I’d written him, thrown on the floor like trash. If he thought that would hurt my feelings, he needs to think again. I put those papers in the recycling bin and never looked back. 

The overwhelming emotion was relief. My heart lightened when I looked at the now empty room that contained his things. My house is starting to become my own. I am already making plans to improve it: painting walls, getting new furniture, mounting a big flat screen in my living room. I hired someone to maintain my yard and it looks beautiful. If things work out as I hope, I’ll have friends over for a barbecue this summer (though I should probably put my grill together and learn how to use it first). 

My life is starting to become my own again too. I notice that I smile more. The anxiety and depression are gone; I’m more energized and alert. Before, each day was a little dim, as though a cloud hung over it. Now I thank God as soon as I wake for the blessing of witnessing another beautiful shining morning.  

It’s funny how the deepest heartbreaks can bring the greatest joy. The darkest night leads to the brightest day. After so many years of doubt, I am sure this is where I should be. 

I am happy. 

FOTD: Minimal and Marvelous!

Posted in She. Me. Her. by

Now introducing my newest series: Face of the Day! I’m starting to get more into makeup and thought I’d share my experiences with different products and applications. There aren’t enough resources out there for women of color in regards to which colors and brands work best for us, so hopefully these posts will help a sister out! 

I’m heading to Chipotle to get a burrito and didn’t feel like doing my full makeup routine, so I decided to a minimal look that still looked pulled together. Below are the products and application, as well as a photo of my finished face!

  My finished Face of the Day!  

Brows: Anastasia Beverly Hills Browdip Pomade in Ebony. Applied with a brow brush and lightly brushed with a spoolie brush for a more natural look. 

Face: Cover FX Blotting Power in Deep. Applied with a powder brush all over the face, including over the brows to set the color. 

Lashes: Benefit Roller Lash in Black and Smashbox Full Exposure in Jet Black. One coat of each (Benefit first) on top and bottom lashes. I love the Benefit brush because it has a smaller side for applying to your tiny bottom lashes!

Lips: MAC Pro Longwear Lip Pencil in Kiss Me Quick and MAC Lipstick in Viva Glam I. Red lips instantly give you a more put-together look. 

That’s it! Just a few products and a few minutes to apply them that still give you a put-together look. Let me know what you think and tell me about your products for a minimal but marvelous look!

 Lipsyncing for my life to Luther Vandross Radio on Pandora–I love old school R&B!