Good-bye 2010....I'm glad to see you go

source: Crunch Gear

"Such is life" - my mom

2010 has been a thorn in my side since it began.  I never saw the horizon because I spent so much time in the valley.  It seems as if everything that could go wrong in my life, did go wrong.  It pained me to see some of the things I worked so hard to achieve taken away from me.  I felt like I spent most of the year down and defeated, trying to fight off every battle that was thrown my way.  Do I think I've grown? Absolutely.  Am I grateful for the obstacles I've faced? Yes.  Did I like it? No, who wants to experience life when it seems everything is going wrong.  If I had to chose to do it again, would I?  Yes, if it was God's plan for me.

So while I am glad to bid a farewell to 2010, it is mainly becuase I am ready to take on everything that is waiting for me as I step in 2011.  I will continue the journey that I started in 2010, but my outlook will be brighter, my steps will be stronger, my faith will carry me and I will take with me, everything that 2010 threw at me.  Most of it knocked me down and some of it kept me down, but I'm shaking it off and using it as the foundation that I step on to move forward to what is waiting for me.

So farewell 2010, I wish you well.  I eagerly await everything that your sister, 2011 has for me.  Bring it on, because I'm ready! 

Happy New Year

Buried in Brooklyn

I laughed at the people in New York because they were buddled up with hats, scarves, gloves and North Face coats and it was still in the 40s.  Even in the 30s, with the sun shining, it was still nice outside.  The weather in November and December, in New York was nothing compared to the frigid weather that my family faced in Chicago. 

Fast forward to Christmas weekend and a winter storm would fall upon the northeast, dropping plenty of the white stuff right over Brooklyn.  The cancellation of hundreds of flight would let me know just how bad the snow had disabled the New York, New Jersey and Philadephia areas.  Heading to the airport I was happy to know that American Airlines flight #1918 was scheduled to leave on time.  Check-in and security were a breeze.  In fact, I had just 1 hour before my flight was scheduled to board.  Max was settled in his carrier and just as I settled in to drink my apple juice, it happened.  One glance of the flight board and my flight was delayed for three hours, until 9:20pm. 

Fast forward another nine hours and I pulled my suitcase through the snow.  The snow that was piled so high that the cab driver couldn't drive down my street.  Snow that was so high, I had to pick up Max because it was too much for him to walk through.  Snow that covered the front porch of my building.  Finally at 2:00am (12 hours after leaving for the airport in Chicago), tired, hungry, sleepy and with a major headache, I walked into my apartment, left my luggage by the door, got in my pajamas and went to bed (ok so I watched an episode of Cold Case first). 

Here are pictures of what waited for me and Max, this mornng, as we went on our morning (well, afternoon ) walk.   Hopefully, we won't be buried in Brooklyn for too long.



a neighbor trying to dig his car out of the snow





looking for a place to do his business





I guess the saying is true "rain, sleet or snow" you will get your mail





my front porch



He is...............

source: tvguide.com

Laz Alonso, Laz Alonso, Laz Alonso.  The brother is so fine, I gotta say his name three times.  So many times, I've mentioned his name and how fine he is and usually most women will say, "who is that?"  And since I have his pictures saved on my computer like he's a member of my family, the only thing I can do is e-mail his photo to the person that is clueless to his name.  It's never a surprise that the response e-mails I receive always says something like, "oh yeah that brother is fine," or "oh my God, I watch the movies he's in just to stare at his face," and my favorite, "good God no one should be that fine."  So it's pretty obvious that he has a face that no woman can forget.

Here's a little about Laz (source: www.imbd.com)"Born and raised in Washington DC, Laz always knew he wanted to be an actor. He remembers at a very early age entertaining his family by imitating relatives and family friends. He graduated from the prestigious Howard University School of Business, earning a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in marketing. After college, he worked on Wall Street at an investment banking firm. He and several partners eventually started their own marketing business, promoting mainstream products to the trend-setting urban market. Owning and operating his own successful business freed up Laz's time to finally explore his passion for acting. Laz began taking classes in the evening to hone his craft and it didn't take him long to begin landing roles in commercials and videos.

From D.C. to New York, Laz feels his upbringing not only taught him how to deal with the school of hard knocks, but also prepared him for his biggest goal, his acting career. He credits the move to NYC as his move into manhood and the city holds many great memories for him. Laz also credits his acting ability to these life experiences, as he is able to bring a little of what he knows or has dealt with into his characters."

While Laz has appeared in many movies and television shows, some of his most memorable are Miracle at St. Anna, This Christmas, Stomp the Yard, Just Wright, Fast & Furious and who can forget Avatar.  So blue, and still so fine!  Laz is the kind of fine that you'd lay in the bed at night just staring at his face, while he sleeps (yeah, I know that's a little stalker like).  He's the kind of fine that you root for his character in a movie, even though he an asshole, because he's too fine to root against (i.e. Fast & Furious.....I did not appreciate Vin Diesel crushing and killing him).  He's the kind of fine, that during This Christmas, while Regina King was whooping his ass for cheating on her, you kept your fingers crossed that even if only for one second, you hoped that towel would drop to the floor.  And he's the kind of fine that even though Just Wright starred Common and Queen Latifah, it took you a while to really get into the movie because you kept rewinding back to date scene with Laz and Queen Latifah.  But, I don't know, maybe that's just me.

So there you have it.  If you haven't figured it out by now, Laz Alonso is fine.  Educated, yet talented and oh so super fine.  Well, just in case you're one of those who is still trying to figure out who I'm talking about, you can come from underneath your rock and look at the photos below.  Enjoy, I'm positive you will!

source: nydailynews.com

                                                             source: (universal) from www.zap2it.com

source: starpulse.com

source: JetMagazine

source: humormilmag.com

Central Park through my lens

So my move to New York hasn't been everything I'd hope it would be, but each week gets better.  On this particular day, I decided to combine my love of photography with my desire to get to know more of New York City.  Tired from a weekend of going out, I braved the cold air,  grabbed my sony DSLR, jumped on the A train and headed to the corner of  72nd Street & Central Park West to meet the rest of my advanced photography class for a 1 day shooting session of Central Park. 

Here are some of the photos (unedited) that were taken on my Central Park journey.

Close up of leaves on a tree.  Perfecting my aperture and shutter speed so that the background is blurry.



Ahhh!  Many are wondering how I made those leaves turn blue.  Well, me too because I can't      remember what feature I used on my camera.  Oh wait, I remember.  I changed the white balance to Tungsten. 

                                                    

I've seen this shot in many movies (can't remember which ones right now), but this is a good shot.  It shows some of the beauty of Central Park and gives a little glimpse of what's waiting outside of the park.

       This was the BEST pretzel I've ever had.  Maybe I was a little hungry, but it was still very tasty.  

I hope you've enjoyed a small peak into what was a good day for me, in Central Park.  I'm still in the process of exploring New York City and all it has to offer.  As I explore, I will share, the good and bad, and hope all ends well and I stay in New York because right now it's not looking real good for the city.  But hey, that's another entry for another day.

Common is Just wRIGHT

Scott McNight, Common....no wait, I mean Scott McNight, no Common....UGH! I can't decide.  Could it be because Common was sooooo fine as Scott McNight in the movie Just Wright.  I've seen Common appear in several movies and television shows. Among other things,  he threw down as the poet and Lynn's lover in Girlfriends.  He was killer as an assassin in Wanted (with Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman) and so good as a crooked cop in Street Kings that I almost forgot it was him.  And who can forget American Gangsta.  Appearing in anything alongside Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe gives anyone another hole in their acting belt.

I'm a hopeless romantic so it's no wonder that I loved Just Wright, starring Common and Queen Latifah.  Unlike, some critics, I thought Common's acting, in this film, was excellent.  Common stars as basketball star Scott McNight who meets physical therapist, Leslie Wright (Latifah) and quickly develops a friendship.  Meanwhile Scott is dating Leslie's god-sister, Morgan (Paula Patton).  Ok so I'm about to speed the story up........McNight gets hurt, Morgan dumps him, Leslie treats him, McNight likes Leslie, she like him back, Morgan wants him back and in the end Scott and Leslie hook up.  It was a great romantic comedy.  I got it on Netflix 2 weeks ago and refuse to return it until I purchase my own.  I mean I absolutely love this movie.  It's right up there with Hope Float (you know I love Sandra Bullock).  I find myself smiling the entire movie, except for those times when Leslie feels hurt.

Common was fine and smooth.  He was so good in this film, I'm hoping the next man that comes into my life is just like Scott McNight, minus the pro basketball player thing.  I loved the way he talked, the way he looked, the way he smiled, the way his eyes gazed when showing interest in a woman.  He was the complete package.  Being from Chicago, I'm a Common fan anyway, but seeing him in Just Wright was just right for me.

Once a skeptic, now a Sprinkles believer

Walking out of Bloomingdale's, with my mom, I looked across the street wondering what celebrity was in town that's causing the long line across the street.  I look up and see Sprinkles outside the building where the line was stretched down the streeting.  Wondering what Sprinkles is, I say to my mom, "I wonder what kind of place that is that has all those people lined up like that."  My mom, as clueless as I was, hunches her shoulders and we continue walking towards the car.  A few moments later, I learn it's a cupcake place.  Really?  Laughing out loud because I'm thinking these people must be crazy.  And me, being out to prove that they were crazy, get in line to see what is the hype about this cupcake.

Exactly 12 minutes later (and my mouth is watering NOW just thinking about it), I'm sitting in the car with my mom and bite into the best piece of cupcake I've ever had in my entire life.  It should be against the law for something to taste so good and satisfy my sweet tooth to highest level of any amount of sugar I've ever had.  To say that a Sprinkles cupcake is good would be an understatement.  Words do not decribe the taste of this tiny piece of cake that has people in Beverly Hills, Dallas, Houston, Washington DC and Chicago going crazy.  I figured if it was featured on Oprah (I didn't know this until standing in line and watching the Oprah segment on the screen outside the store) then it must be a hit.  But featured on Oprah or not, this cupcake is everything and more.  It is a moist, sweet, soft, iced just right little something that has you ready to go to bed just so you can wake up in the morning to rush and buy one.  And it is worth every bit of the $3 it cost for one cupcake to bite into one of the many, delicious flavors (red velvet, banana, carrot, lemon, dark chocalate, cinnamon sugar, milk chocalate, coconut, to name a few) . 

As happy as I was to have discovered Sprinkles, I was also sad.  Sad, because I discovered it 2 days before I moved to New York City.  That night I thought, surely if there was a Sprinkles in Chicago, there was one in New York.  Nooooooooo!  I couldn't believe there was no Sprinkles in New York City.  However, my disappointment didn't last too long as I soon discovered there would be one opening in New York in February 2011.  Until then I get them whenever I visit Chicago and wait for the moment they arrive in New York City.  Wherever that line stretches (I'm sure it will be one), I know I will be in it as someone else looks from across the street saying, "why are all those crazy people in line for a cupcake." Once bite of a Sprinkles cupcake and you'll be crazy too.  Check them out http://sprinkles.com/. 

She's Like a Star

Call me a lame or call me late.  First of all, I don't even know who Taio Cruz is or when he came out.  I only came across this song, a few months ago, while watching someone else's You Tube video and this was their background song.  So the song may be 2 years old, but it's a hit with me.  Like most songs, the beat is what pulled me in.  

I mean, I like a good beat.  I can't stand to hear Lil' Wayne's annoying voice, but I like most of his songs because of the beat.........but, before I get started on his irritating voice, I will move on.  

The lyrics aren't that bad either.  Taio Cruz is actually singing about something that makes sense.   I'd been listening to the song on some generic you tube channel and just recently came across the "official" video.  And looking at Taio Cruz, I still don't know who the heck he is, but I still love this song.  And I smile while bopping my head because one day some guy will be singing (well at least thinking) that same thing about me. 

Don't get it twisted. Twisted Sista got it right!

Yep, this is it!  I am a product junkie and I'm not ashamed to say so......Hello, my name is Cheney and I am product junkie!  Most of the products I've used have been okay.  With some I've had success and others, well, not so much.  I have been a long journey to find that product that curls my hair exactly the way I want, without a lot of shrinkage.  Either I can fiind a product that gives me great curl definition with too much shrinkage.  Really, sometimes I'd have 85% shrinkage.  Other times, I find a product that elongates my hair (where it looks wavy) but no curl definition.  I've never been able to find a product that gives me both.  Until now.............the gates of heaven have opened and the angels are singing.......YES, thank you, Lord for sending me Twista Sista curl activator (from Urban Therapy).  This stuff is the bomb and may have cured by product junkiness, though I'm not really sure about that.  I may be a product junkie forever. 

So having just moved to New York, while most of my hair products hadn't been moved from Chicago, I was in my local Duane Reade and saw this product.  Not sure of how it would work, I thought, from the packaging alone that it was worth a try.  And man oh man, am I glad I tried it.  The curl activator both elongates my curls and gives me GREAT curl definition.  The top 5 ingredients (water, paraffinum liquidum, glycerin, caprylic/capric triglyceride (coconut oil) and cetyl alcohol), are all LOVED by my hair.  This will definitely be my staple product.  I also like the 30 second curl spray for my roots.  I haven't figured out if I'm using the curl spray correctly because it doesn't do anything if I spray it on the entire length of my hair, but my thick roots seem to love it. 

So there you have it.  If you haven't tried Urban Therapy's Twista Sista curl activator and 30 second curl spray, you better do so NOW! 

The Perfect Place for your Pet

I take all things concerning Max very serious. Yep I'm one of those dog moms that does everything for her dog. So it's only natural that when I moved to New York, finding a top quality doggie daycare was a top priority. I don't mess around when it comes to Max. He gets the best treats, wears the flyest clothes and needed a place where he could have fun, be taken care of and, most importantly, a place I could trust. I will cut you when it comes to my dog!

After searching high and low, checking out websites and visiting places in Queens, Manhattan and Brooklyn I found the perfect place. GREEN PETS SPA & BOUTIQUE, the little hidden gem in Brooklyn. After my first conversation, with Wendy, I knew I was going to like this place. Walking in, I was a little hesitant (only because I was comparing it to DoGone Fun! in Chicago) but after talking to Wendy and Jimmy, while Max played around I began to relax. And the cherry on top was meeting the owner. It says a lot to me when an owner takes the time to meet and greet and talk with potential customers. Twain Belgrave, the owner of Green Pets, has everything, in HIM, that I was searching for in a doggie daycare. Dog owners are extremely fortunate that he took all of his care, committment and compassion for dogs and created Green Pets.

For a day or for a week, Green Pets is the place for dogs. They have reasonably price day care packages, grooming, boarding and....drum roll please.....drop off and pick services. Yes, they will pick your dog up in the morning and bring him home in the evening. So whether you're in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens or the Bronx check out Green Pets Spa & Boutique. You won't be sorry that you did! Oh and if a little brown and white Morkie is barking at your feet, that's just Max.

Check them out at http://www.greenpets-spa.com/

Max after a long day at Green Pets Spa & Boutique

Willow Smith makes me wanna Whip My Hair

Music is the one thing that keeps me sane. Some music though, causes a confused look on my face. Sometimes I don't understand how some artist (if that's what you want to call them) were even allowed to make a record. But every once in a while, there's an artist that makes me listen. Today, that person would be Willow Smith. Her new song, Whip My Hair, is really hot. The beat is tight and babygirl can actually sing. That Smith family......there's something in the genes.

Try a Little Tenderness

Has there ever been a song or a the way the person sings a song that gives you chill bumps? Well, there are a few songs (and the way the artist sings it) that make me feel this way. And has much as I love seeing Laz Alonso's fine face in This Christmas, Chris Brown singing, "Try a Little Tenderness" is my favorite. I think Otis Redding would be proud.

Homeless in New York City

"Where are you from?" the lady in the airport asks me.  Smiling, I say, "well I'm from Chicago, but I live in New York."  Deep down, I'm crying.

I am officially a New Yorker!  Okay well, not quite yet.  Yes, I did move to New York 3 weeks ago, but since I don't have a place to live and my things are still in Chicago, I don't consider myself an official resident.  This move has been a long time in the making and I am so thankful (and grateful) that it has finally happened.  I was beginning to think this was something I wanted that God just didn't want for me.  While I'm never one to go against or question God, this is one thing I was not willing to back down from.  For many years, I've wanted to move to New York and something (purchased a condo in Chicago, got a job promotion, etc) always happened so the move didn't happen. But a few months ago, I realize I was just not happy in Chicago and the only way for me to grow professionally and personally was to move to New York.  So in March 2010, I set a goal of being in New York by September 1, 2010.  After months and months of interviewing for jobs in New York, I finally got a job offer that I accepted and started on August 23rd.  Yes, I met my deadline. 

So why am I am in New York feeling like a homeless person.  So the temporary housing was okay for the 1st week, but has gotten old really quick.  I'm living out of a suitcase and I feel so scattered.  I want to feel like this is my new home, I really do, but until I navigate and get through this RIDICULOUS New York City housing market, it's hard for me to feel that way.  What the hell is up with this broker's fee?  Really.  There should be a law agains that mess.  Yes, you've guessed it.  I'm anti-broker, that is unless they can find me a no fee apartment.  I'll take getting lost on the subway (which I've seemed to have mastered) instead of paying a broker's fee for an apartment.  It makes no sense at all. 

So before Penn station becomes my new home, I have a few places on my list that I'm going to look at tomorrow then going back to Chicago to pick up Max.  I hope this will be my last weekend in Chicago so I can spend some time in New York.  I mean, it is my new home and yet I still feel like a visitor.

Hello World, It's me, Keyani.....I'm here!

At only 1 day old, I looked at her face and knew that, without a doubt, she would be a beautiful girl.  Now, I'm one that believes that most babies are not so cute when they are born.  I mean usually their heads are smashed and shaped liked a football, their eyes and lips are swollen and even after the nurses clean them of the stuff they picked up coming through the birth canal, they still never look quite right.  I've said it about my family and friends' babies time after time.  Well, it only takes one to pull at your heart in that special way. 

Keyani Skylar Mosley was that one.  Born six weeks early to my best friend, with one look at her, I knew I would no longer classify babies as not so cute at birth.  As I watched her reaction to the nurses poking and prodding at her as they cared for her pre-mature body, I knew she would develop a unique personality.  They poked, she cried and squirmed.  They stopped and so did she.  They rolled her on her side, she cried.  They stopped and so did she.  They picked her up and rubbed the back of her head, she cried.  They stopped and so did she.  I guess she figured what else do I need to do to get these people to leave me alone so I can sleep.  When it was time for her feeding, they tried to insert the nipple of the bottle into her mouth, she cried.  Not even food was enough for her to want to wake up from that sleep. 

There would be 48 hours of constant test, temperature checks, blood sugar tests, feedings to get her weight up and much more before she would be allowed to go home.  They say she was pre-mature.  What I saw was a baby who was telling the world, "No, I'm not pre-mature.  It was just my time to be here."  Strong, healthy and beautiful, Keyani looked ready to take on the world.  Not one thing in her 4lbs, 11oz and 17.5 inch long body showed any signs of a baby that was born six weeks early. 

Much like Keyara, her big sister, Keyani is going to be something special, something big, someone that will be that spark to change the world.  I feel honored and blessed to be a part of their lives.  Get ready world, because here they come! 

I dare not show my best friend's face.  Though I thought she still looked her normal, cute self, I know she'd kill me for posting pictures of her the same day she gave birth!

Top 10 Natural Ingredients for Your Hair

At some point we all want to have healthy, beautiful hair. I've spent so much time on natural hair care forums, you tube and lately I've read quite a few books to educate myself on what I think my needs to grow strong and stay healthy. Surprisingly most of the things I've come across I can buy myself and use them, without mixing them with the extra ingredients that manufacturers often use in their products. Take a look at naturallycurly.com list of Top 10 Natural Ingredients for Your Hair. I must admit, all of these ingredients are regulars in my natural hair care.

To Brooklyn, with love

As I stood there looking at it, I was thinking, "You must be crazy.  And it's raining too." I had always promised myself I'd do it.  But at this moment,I stood frozen. Frozen with fear, frozen with thoughts of the unknown, frozen because I didn't know how long it would take and frozen because I didn't know what would happen along the way.  Anyway, I took a deep breath, pullled the belt around my coat a little tighter, put on my gloves and began my journey.  This journey would take me across the Brooklyn Bridge.

Like many parts of my life, my journey across the Brooklyn Bridge was not without its challenges.  On this particular day, the day I had planned to walk across the bridge, it was raining and extremely cold.  But since I was only going to be in New York for three days, I figured it was now or never.  I try to visit New York at least twice a year.  And everytime I take that trip I promise myself that I will walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.  So how is it that seven years have passed and once again I was sitting in my hotel room, in Tribecca, blaming the weather as the reason why I would not walk to Brooklyn.  However, this time as I stared out of my hotel room window, I could here my mother's voice saying, "Cheney, life doesn't always happen the way you plan.  These setbacks should not stop you from accomplishing the things you want to accomplish.  Now get an umbrella and get your butt across that bridge."

 A few blocks from my hotel, was the entrance to the bridge.  The night before I made my journey, I had attempted to cross the bridge.  However, since it was dark and I couldn't see the path ahead of me, I decided it was not a good idea to make my journey when I wasn't sure what was ahead of me.  Life sometimes happens in the same way.  I've hesitated in making decisions because I didn't know what was waiting for me.  It's said, "the journey of a million miles begins with one step."  Well, in this case I don't know about a million miles, but I took that first step.  About 10 minutes into the walk, the winds and ran started to pick up and I wanted to turn around.  I figured this would be easier than continuing across because it was so cold.  But I could hear my mother's voice and my determination wouldn't let me quit, so I continued on.  Half way across, I got some extra shelter and was able to get a few photos of......the foggy sky.  It was so foggy outside, I couldn't see anything for miles.  So after catching my breath and arranging my umbrella and purse I continued on to Brooklyn. 

 

Twenty-seven minutes later, cold and wet with soaked trouser socks, (and the hem of my trouser pants) I walked 2 blocks to a restaurant where I would stand at the counter and joke with the Italian guys behind the counter about why Chicago's pizza is better than the pizza in New York.  Next, I would spend twenty-five minutes talking to a man, about 80 years old, who loved my hat because it reminded him of one he'd had for 50+ years.  He reminded me of my grandfather and I guess he noticed something, as he looked at my teary eyes because he asked, "What are you thinking about?"  "You remind me of my grandfather," I would tell him.  "Well I'm sure he's thinking and loving you wherever he is," the eldery man said to me.  I told him that my grandfather had been killed when I was five years old so just sitting and talking to him made me think about how I'd wish for moments like this with my grandfather.  "Well he can still love you from heaven, can't he."  Smiling, I sat thinking if I'd never taken that journey across the Brooklyn Bridge, I would've missing hearing my grandfather telling me he loves me.  And even though I already knew that, it felt really good to hear it anyway.