NaBloPoMo: What Television Show Would I Be Apart of Today?

Prompt: If you could be a cast member on any television show, which one would it be? Tell us about your character.
Being on TV would definitely be out of my comfort zone but I'm up for a challenge. If I could be a cast member on any television show, I would be apart of Andrew Zimmerman's "Bizarre Food" on the Travel Channel. I love to travel and I love watching Zimmerman's cultural exchanges with people from all parts of the world. While he is an aficionado of exotic cuisine, I wouldn't mind be apart of the ride to witness maybe even try some of these authentic dishes. 

For me, I would more so want to be apart of the journey because I think it would be nice to a woman of color on TV to tell their story of their travel adventures with the world. For some reason, I think there is this unspoken myth that people of color don't travel (or not as much) and I believe I could eradicate that myth as well as bring a fresh perspective to my travel adventures/cultural exchanges.  

It was really hard to choose one show!

Music Mondays: KING Bey Gets Crazy on "7/11"

In case you missed it, Beyonce' surprised us last Friday with a new music video called "7/11." The video is so H-town and allows you to see how Bey kicks it with her home girls in a massive hotel sleepover. We've all had those moments where we've danced around in our undies or PJ's at home alone (or with friends) and now Beyonce' shows you how it is done with a mean two-step.

Just remember to have plenty of red cups on deck and no liquor touches the floor! Get crazy and have fun!

What do you think of her new music video?

NaBloPoMo: What's one appliance you can't live without?

 

 I can't live without a stove or a grill of some sort. It took me some time to figure out what appliance I couldn't live without but then I started thinking about how I could manage without others. Without a stove or grill, you can't make fire which is one of the most important survival needs for humans. You can perform a multitude of household duties with this one appliance and for the most part, it could keep me functional on my day to day needs. You can heat water to wash clothes or bathe, you can cook and you can also get some sort of heat (if needed) and more.

Photo Courtesy of Flickr.com/By CJ Sorg

#NaBloPoMo: Do you have a book in you?

                 

Prompt: Do you have a book in you? Fact or fiction? Related to your blog or totally different?

I believe we all have a book inside of us and for me, it is in someways aligned with my blog. Without giving away too much detail, my book is centered around getting to know yourself in your 20's (which was the original purpose of my blog). I'm still not out of this age range yet so there is still room for growth;however, I've seen and experienced enough to say that this has truly been one of the hardest decades of my life. I do feel like this decade can make or break you and it sets the tone of how your life will be lived for years to come. By far, the world we live in today has made the transition from teen-hood to adulthood challenging to get through because it's a competitive world out there. Everyone is out here for self and it's rare that you get support nowadays!

This book would totally be a non-fiction book because while I do believe a lot of 20-something issues are discussed or published, where is the remedy to these issues? It's safe to say that most of us took the college or trade school route to better ourselves; however, we haven't reaped the fruits of our labors, just debt, debt and more debt. For those who jumped directly into the work force, many are finding themselves ill prepared and frustrated of not being taken seriously because they may lack the education or credentials they need to excel in their careers. It's a vicious cycle that many millennials face everyday so it's hard sometimes to remain encouraged in a society where a looming cloud of defeat trails you. 

#NaBloPoMo: Are you the funny one in most groups?

                 

Prompt: Are you the funny one in most groups? What kinds of things do you find funniest?

I'm not sure if I'm the funniest one in my group of friends but I will say I love to laugh! For the most part, I do believe I can be funny at times but I enjoy watching jokes unfold with others. Since most of my friends are scattered around the world, we tend to link up and create new memories of laughter together.

My closest friends and I seem to make some of the funniest memories when we are traveling together. One of the funniest memories I have is when my friends and I went to the Dominican Republic and one of my friend's got soooo tipsy that she kept making phone calls home and she ran her phone bill up to $300+. We were at a party and she stepped out to talk on the phone so I followed her to see where she was going. I have no idea what she was talking about (she doesn't remember either lol) I tried to warn her many times to keep her convos short but she kept talking and talking and talking. I think at one point I fell asleep at a patio table and woke up AND she was still on the phone LOL. It was hilarious to all of us but it wasn't funny when that bill came to her that next month. I always look forward to trips with my girls because we always have a blast!

I honestly find a lot of things funny! Even when I'm stressed, I try to find laughter in the situation because I'm a firm believer that "laughter is the best medicine."

What Are Your Deal Breakers?

We all have deal breakers but what is it about a person that causes you to think if you should stay or should go? No person nor any relationship is perfect but being honest with what you're willing to tolerate versus what's intolerable can truly make or break your relationship.

My personal deal breakers are:

• Liars
• Bad hygiene/grooming (and you refuse to fix it or you don't have a problem with it)
• Disrespectful 
• Bad Teeth and/or breath (sorry not sorry!)
• Lack of manners
• No ambition

What are some of your deal breakers in a relationship?

Photo Courtesy of Flickr.com/By Atlas Web Consulting

Snack Attack: I Love Pickles!

                 

The other day, I had a yummy pickle in God knows how long and it was the most amazing thing ever! My amazing pickle moment happened at Jersey Mike's Subs (JMS) because not only are their subs delicious (always add the "juice" to your sub by the way), I love that they have a lovely jar of pickles at the counter to add with your meal. Now, this wasn't my first time at JMS, its just that I never really thought about adding a pickle to my meal until the other day!

To be honest, I do not know why I've haven't been eating pickles because I use to always keep a jar in my fridge whenever I wanted a quick snack and the best part is drinking the pickle juice! Sounds gross to some but I think it's a divine (and mandatory) experience that will change your life.

If I had to choose two snacks (Honorable mentions a cheese block with kalamata olives and crackers maybe mangos and pomegranates too!)  that I couldn't live without, I think it would be pickles and popcorn. Not together of course but just because they both bring me so much joy!

#NaBloPoMo: Have You Ever Had Extended Writer's Block?

 

Prompt: Have you ever had extended writer's block? How long did it last? What did you do to break out of it, and do you have tips for other bloggers?

I have had extended writer's block and I believe the longest I've ever had it last was almost a year. The hardest part of being a creative brain sometimes is that you're expected to have this endless reservoir of ideas but at times, your creativity dries up. The bulk of my block started because I just didn't feel motivated or inspired to write anything at the time. The best way for me to break out of writer's block is to take a trip or two to just clear my head. If I can't find the time to getaway, then I like to try creating new recipes. Cooking is my roundabout way of forcing me to still be creative but just in a different way.

I've always found trying something outside of your creative comfort zone to work for me. So even if you're not a painter, try a paint n sip activity, if you're not a great cook, sign up for a cooking class or if you dance like you have two-left feet, try a ballroom dancing class for fun! The point is you have to remain true to you're creative side but finding an outlet that still allows you to express yourself while picking up a new skill could be a great way to break your writer's block. Who knows? You might even discover hidden talents that you didn't know existed until you try something new!

Photo Courtesy of Flickr.com/By PhotoSteve101

Happy Veterans Day!

I'd like to take today to salute our former men and women who have served this country! The sacrifices you all have made for this country do not go unnoticed and I thank you all for your service. You all are the REAL MVPs and SHEROS/HEROS of our country.

To celebrate your day, make sure you take advantage of the discounts and freebies/gifts that some restaurants and stores are doing to say "thank you" for your time in the armed forces. Also, make sure you call ahead to restaurants/stores in your area to see if they are participating in any special deals for veterans before you head out on the town (don't forget your military ID!).

Cheers to every veteran around the nation! Enjoy!

Photo Courtesy of Flickr.com/By TDn2KTeam

Music Monday's: Sade

I absolutely love SADE! There is something about her voice that makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. Honestly, when I've had rough day or I feel like zoning out, her music is my go-to for some sweet tunes. The reason I believe I love her so much is that she's just a dope Capricorn like myself, Her energy is magnetic yet she's mysterious and a BOSS at the same time so you can't help but admire her and her musical gifts.

Anyhoo, I was in a music kind of mood today so I thought I would dedicate this music monday to this gem! The hardest part is picking just one Sade song but I have to say "No Ordinary Love" spoke to me as I was typing this post and I really love the music video for this song because she's a mermaid! 

Did I mention that I have a slight obsession with mermaids and in case you are wondering, yes, I was a huge "Little Mermaid" fan growing up. LOL

 Enjoy!

Are You REALLY Listening?

The other day I had a great conversation with a dear friend of mine and we had a great conversation about LISTENING. After our usual catch up, she started talking about the importance of being a great listener to foster healthy relationships with people. We talked about how we’ve experienced poor conversations with people (even with a couple of friends) because they aren’t ACTIVE listeners and we were grateful for each other because we give our undivided attention when we do speak to each other.

According to the article, “9Things Good Listeners Do Different,” (great article by the way!) it references that “the average person has 25% efficacy” when it comes to listening. That’s pretty sad because that means most of what you say to a person is falling upon deaf ears. With this in mind, it made me think about how our world could change if more people would just listen! As a citizen of this world, I try to remain informed about current events; however, it’s heartbreaking to watch the news today because there are so many issues going on at once. Perhaps absent listening skills is the root of it all?

Technology has been a gift and curse to us all! By far, it has significantly reduced our human interaction abilities. We’ve relied so heavily on smartphones/handheld devices to communicate on our behalf that we’ve forgotten how to just pick up the phone and call! It’s hard now to hold conversations with friends and family members when they’re easily distracted by the chime of a new text message alert, a “like” on a photo and of course being busy (I’m guilty of this one).

Statements like “shoot me an email” or “text it to me” have become all too familiar instead of “I have someone on the other line, I’ll call you back” or “I LISTENED to your voicemail so I’m returning your call.” 

Instead of making time to listen to someone, you wonder why it is difficult to watch the news because you’re tired of HEARING about gun-violence, suicides, drive-bys and more. But did you ever think that maybe if you became an active LISTENER, you could change a person disposition?  In most cases, people show out or explode because they feel like they aren’t being HEARD or misunderstood so they feel the need to do something drastic to get the undivided attention they deserve! After all, we all have something to say but it would mean more if people gave the respect and the attention to hear that person out.


Photo Courtesy of Flickr.com/By Shel

#NaBloPoMo: Do you consider yourself a "professional" blogger?

11/6-Prompt: Do you consider yourself a "professional" blogger? Why or why not? What does that mean to you?

I do consider myself a professional blogger; however, I still have a day job by choice because a girl has to pay the bills (and I really love to work on multiple things at once). However, if I had more time to focus on my blog, then I would like to learn more about how I can get more blogging for my BUCK! I believe the title of “professional blogger” is a well-respected profession now days because I’ve seen so many bloggers transform their lives from typing behind the screen to being in front of the screen better yet, the camera. Bloggers today are becoming published authors, blog/TV correspondents, guest speakers at major events or experts in their trades even being tapped to be brand ambassadors or private consultants for major Fortune 500 companies.

While I've been blogging, I've had some pretty cool partnership/sponsorship opportunities come my way as well!  I’ve had the pleasure of once being a “SkinFirst” Ambassador for Eucerin Skincare products. A local PR agency in Washington, D.C. reached out to me about their client, Eucerin at the time and found my blog as they were looking for bloggers to help host giveaways of their products and educate the importance of skincare during the chilly season. This opportunity led me to meet some of their corporate liaisons in DC at a special gathering that benefited women’s breast cancer awareness (Eucerin was a corporate sponsor of this event).

I’m always looking for new and exciting opportunities to grow myself professionally but more importantly to build my brand. Feel free to email me at thelipstickmemoir@gmail.com if you’d like to work together on a project!

#NaBloPoMo: Finding Your Voice on Your Blog

11/5- Prompt: Do you feel you have found your voice on your blog? What techniques have you tried to develop your voice in your writing? What are some characteristics of your personality in your writing?

Overall, I feel like my blog serves as a platform to amplify my voice. I’ve always been a fearless, opinionated and REAL person so my blog just helped me further share my two-cents with the world. My blog started almost five years ago (Nov. 20 is the official anniversary) and it was birthed when blogging was a new concept to the digital world. Not knowing much about blogging at first, it helped me fulfill my love to write as well as fine-tune my voice over the years.

To date, I believe reading anything and everything (tried and true method for all writers) has been my greatest technique to develop my voice. With so much going on in the world today, it’s hard not to read something without having an opinion on it and I share it here on my blog. Another great technique that has helped me develop my voice is studying similar blogs like my own to see how their voice translates on their blog. For example, a blog I love to follow is Awesomely Luvvie! Not only does she have her own Luvvie-speak but she’s also exudes her personality through her blog which makes it exciting (and entertaining) to hear her voice her opinions on different topics. 

 Over the years, I too believe that I’ve developed a personality to coincide with my blog and it certainly has matured over the years. The most important thing I’ve learned in developing my blog personality is to ensure that the delivery is always true to who you I am! With this in mind, I try to use a correct balance of wit and seriousness on my blog to keep things interesting for my readers.

Photo Courtesy of Flickr.com/By Coastline Windows & Conservatories 

NaBloPoMo: What is your favorite holiday memory?

 

I have two favorite holiday memories but they both occurred during Christmas.

My first favorite holiday memory is when I use to have both of my grandmother's for Christmas. My paternal grandmother passed away my junior year of high school but prior to her death, I have lots of memories with her especially during Christmas since it was her favorite holiday! She was very traditional in celebrating Christmas especially when it came to COOKING! My grandmother, affectionately known as Ca-Ca (pronounced Kek-Kek) or Ms. Cassie to others, made amazing homemade dishes. She enjoyed singing Christmas songs, telling the story of Christ's birth, brewing up hot cups of coco, decorating the tree and sitting by the fire eating roasted peanuts while admiring the tree.

If only I paid more attention, I wish I could have adsorbed some of her famous recipes such as her chocolate cake, SWEET POTATO PIE, and sweet rolls! Not to mention she was also a skillful seamstress so she always use to sew me blankets, twirly skirts (I liked to dress up and dance around) or clothes for my dolls! She truly was the backbone of our family and now that I'm older, I recognize some of my favorite things (food and fashion) were learned from her! She even bought me my first sewing machine as a Christmas/birthday gift. She tried to give me lessons on how to sewing when I would see her but didn't master the skill :(. I guess that's why the holiday's are bittersweet for my family and I because they haven't been quite the same without her. However, I thank God everyday that I have one living grandparent left! I don't take her for granted at all and I try to make the most out of every visit and holiday spent with her because that's all I have left.

The other holiday memory of Christmas I have is when I was little for a few years my family and I didn't celebrate the holidays at home. I mean we weren't living like gypsies or anything but they enjoyed being on the road more when I was a kid. In particular, some of my first Thanksgiving/Christmas memories were spent in the Big Apple. To this day, I have a strong connection to New York for that reason because I have so many awesome memories as a kid. We would wake up early to catch the parade then we would head over to Woodies (now Macy's) to have breakfast with Santa! It was so awesome because I remember one time I had this pretty crushed velvet purple dress that I wore with white tights and black patent leather flats and I ran around on that plush red carpet inside Woodies.

I'm so thankful and grateful that I have these memories to cherish (and I have pics too)! Someday when I become a mother, I want my kids to experience this type of childhood memory(ies).

Photo Courtesy of Flickr.com/By Guowen Wang

#NaBloPoMo: Imaginary Pitch for an Amazing Brand/Org

                 

11/3-Prompt: Write about an amazing imaginary brand or organization you'd love to work with. What would their pitch to you look like? What would your post say?

I’d love to work with an organization that created the first flying car. As a kid, I remember there was so much talk about what life would be like in Y2K and while we don’t have flying cars (yet) I think it would be pretty cool to work with this type of imaginary organization.

Their pitch would have looked something like this:

Subject: Relax and take flight in our Fly-Mobile!  

Dear XXXX,

The term “sky miles” just took on a whole new meaning! If you ever thought of riding in style in the first flying car, look no further because “The Fly-Mobile” is set to take flight May 20XX. Engineered by the by the makers of XXXX, the “Fly-Mobile” has been designed with the everyday person’s commute in mind.  The Fly-Mobile is undergoing rigorous safety test and training modules at this time to ensure that is will integrate seamlessly into the flight plans of FAA.  

After visiting your blog, we’ve gathered you cover a variety of topics especially as it relates to travel and we feel the Fly-Mobile would make a great addition to your blog!

If you are interested in learning more about Fly-Mobile or interviewing the designers of this product, please feel free to contact me so we can set something up on your schedule.

______

A sample of my post would be something like this:

 If you are a full-time student or a working professional, your commute to A to B just became easy as 1-2-3. Pigs may not be flying yet, but it appears cars do! That’s right, the “Fly-Mobile” engineered by XXXXXX has taken an innovative approach in technology to make life simpler in traveling.  I never thought in my XX years of life I would finally know what it feels like to live like the Jettison Family dream!

The “Fly-Mobile” is set to release May 20XX and it is in the works of undergoing the final phases of safety/training to make it available nationwide (worldwide eventually). The thing that shocked met the most is the affordability of this vehicle because it only retails for XXXXXX! It seems like a dream worth pursing especially if you are an avid traveler like me!  This has completely simplified my life tons to know that this type of transportation exist...