Go Red!

Februray is American Heart Month Go here for more information. AHA
Today February 4th is Go Red! For Women Go Red!
Today, women all over the US are sporting RED in support of healthy hearts, and education about heart disease that impacts thousands of women each year.
Do your part: Get Educated, Spread Awareness, and GO Red!

One Year Later | Haiti

Thousands dead. Millions left homeless.
They still need help rebuilding.

(image via Time Magazine)

To help provide support and funds to our brothers and sisters still in Haiti, contact

Red Cross

Unicef

CARE

Yele Haiti

Breast Cancer Awareness Month | Get Pinked | Be informed.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and in honor of that, Women and men all over the world are getting "pinked" Wearing pink, blogging about pink, walking for pink and most of all educating other women about pink. The pink ribbon is the symbol for breast cancer awareness and actitvism- We wear this ribbon in remembrance, to show our love, but most of all to show our support for a diease that will take the lives of some 200,000 ( http://www.breastcancer.org/ cases of breast cancer that will be detected just this year alone.
Take the time to educate yourself about this disease that is silencing woman earlier and earlier everyday.

Get Pinked. Be Informed.
Check out these links for more information
http://ww5.komen.org/
http://www.sharingcourage.com/
http://www.nbcam.org/
http://www.breastcancer.org/

Shot of the Week: All grown up

Meet Camylle. The young woman that used to be my little sister. She's now all grown up.

Music Review: Kool's Bazaar

Fact: Indianapolis has a fairly small indie music scene. A few months ago, well more like almost a year ago, I kept hearing about a, awesome jazz/neo-soul/ hip-hop/spoken word group by the name of Kool's Bazaar, that was TEARING up the Indianapolis music scene. I wanted to hear this group, YET everytime I wanted to hear them, I kept missing out. FINALLY a few months ago- I was able to catch the smooth, cool, awesome, ecelctic sound that is Kool's Bazaar.
Please, Please, Please, Check them out! Kool's Bazaar

Kool's Bazaar released their debut album: The Kool's Bazaar Experience recently and let me tell you: IT IS GIVING ME LIFE!

The live band is simply awesome. The lead singer Nas, thrills me with her riffs, and runs, and her unique sound.

My favorite song on the album is: Temptations
Check them out: Support Local Music! cdbaby-Kool's Bazaar

Happy Father's Day

Today is the day we celebrate the men and women who have taken on a fatherly role in our lives.
We salute you with gifts like grills, ties, and steak dinners, but we also show our appreciation for the little things you do. Those little things add up to be such big memories- how to change a tire, our first date, or the last kiss before we walk down the aisle.
Today, I wish my mother Anita,  A Happy Father's Day, the allthough I have a dad, the duel job you've done for the past 10+  years has been amazing. You took on the double role with grace and style like no other.
I praise God for sending me a mom, and a father like you.

To all the Father's (in whatever capacity that may be) Enjoy today. It's all about you. Thank you.

Happy Mother's Day

Today we give our mothers (or mother figures) love and flowers while they can still cherish them.
Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's out there. What you do day in and day out is truly amazing. The shot below is of me and my mom on my wedding day in 2008.
Happy Mother's Day mom. You are truly my angel here on earth. God broke the mold when he made you.

My First Photo Session

Happy Sunday Yall!!
I completed my first photo session yesterday!! Whoo-Whoo..
My awesome, loving, and daring cousin allowed me to snap shots of her beautiful children in their home yesterday, and I had a blast!!
Here are a few shots from the session.

Black AIDS Day 2010

Do you know your status....?

The HIV/AIDS epidemic in Black America is a continuing public health crisis for the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at the end of 2006, there were an estimated 1.1 million people living with HIV infection, of which almost half (46%) were Black.

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, February 7th of every year, is a national HIV testing and treatment community mobilization initiative targeted at Blacks in the United States.

 There are four specific focal points: education, testing, involvement, and treatment. Educationally, the focus is to get Blacks educated on the basics of HIV/AIDS in their local communities.

World AIDS Day

Do you know your status?

On December 1st, people big and small all around the world will recognize World AIDS Day. This disease has become a global epidemic in only 27 years of it's existence. World AIDS Day, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic that is caused by the spread of HIV.
The Facts:
Over 1.1 million Americans are estimated to be living with HIV.33 million people are living with the disease worldwide.Blacks/African Americans accounted for over half (51%) of the estimated number of HIV/AIDS diagnoses made during 2007, followed by whites (29%) and Hispanic/Latinos (18%).
What you can do:

Get Tested!
ALWAYS Practice Safe Sex
Spread Awareness

For more information.. Check this out:
http://aids.gov/
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/default.htm

E. Lynn Harris- R.I.P

E. Lynn Harris, a popular and best selling author has died at age 54.

I am a HUGE fan of his work. I recently(Tuesday) went to pick up his latest release at a local bookstore, only to find that it was SOLD OUT!

Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers.

*Peace

When it's time to let go: Friendship

Give me a good friend, and I'm happy for life. I'm a Cancer, and we tend to hold on to friendships for live, even when we know we shouldn't. So the thought of letting a friend go makes my stomach hurt and my head ache. I've even prayed about it.

Currently, I'm at a crossroads, I have this friend that I've known for years, were close, and consider ourselves more of sisters then we do friends. Lately, I'm feeling that things are different, and not in a good way. Change is good in most cases, but not when it involves a friend that is holding up their end of the friendship bargain. I feel as if I've been more than a great friend and sister, but my needs of the friendship aren't being met. So, what does one do when a cherished friendship has run it's course? How awful is it realize that this friendship you have shared for 12 years is no longer serving its purpose?

From the looks of it, a good house cleaning on friends is in order. Hard to do, and much easier said than done, but I've got to do what is best for me. As much as I love this friend, and have shared most my life with this person - our lives are at different forks in the road. My road leads on way and their road is leading another.

Losing a friend is hard, but sometimes it may be the best thing for you.-and I'm ok with that.

*Out!

Birthday Dinner Pics

Pics from my birthday dinner. Enjoy!

Chef Bocho

Eric and I

The Onion Volcano

Group Shot

True Compassion

Good Day Folks!

Today I learned a lesson in compassion from a woman that I admire very much-my mother.

To make a long story short. Today my mother reached out to and lent her hand, and heart to my newly acquired step mom, along with my dad who seem to be going through a rough patch right now. My mom took it upon her self to reach out bless her with a few food items to help get them (my dad, step mom, and 4 children) through their rough patch. Not only did she reach out, but she had a long, much needed, tear-filled chat with her. She spoke about as two women, they need to be there for one another, and support each other, not only as women but because they are FAMILY. Talk about compassion. Talk about showing tenderness in world that is constantly shutting doors in people's faces.

My mother could have easily turned her cheek, and said "not my problem". But she didn't. She decided to be a blessing to someone.

Thanks for the lesson mom.

Growing up, everyone has to

This month has been a huge point of reflection for me. Over the past few weeks my baby sister has grown up. To me that is. It seems like in the past few weeks i realized that she wasn't the little kid attached to my hip anymore, and that she had her own life. How could she! Doesn't she know that if she gets older I get older? Or even more so, that she is going to be an adult- like soon! OMG! Over the past few weeks, my sister has gone on a college tour, has chosen where she wants to spend 4 years of her life to better her self, and finally this Saturday she will be attending the prom.
Where did the time ago? It seems like yesterday my parents brought her home and introduced her to me. At first sight, she was the most beautiful person I had ever met, and today I still feel that way. We haven't always gotten along, but what siblings do? My mom would say that sometimes she felt as if she was in the middle of World War 3, with all the fighting and screaming between us. We were born 7 years apart. We didn't really have a lot to talk about. Now we do, and I love it!
I am proud to know my sister. She is beautiful inside, and out, and I can't wait to see where this journey called life takes her.