2007: Thinking of a Master Plan

So on this New Year's Eve you know I gotta reflect on another monumental year in my life. But first, please let me digress, my mojo has made a return with a vengence for like the last two weeks.

Back to reflecting, so

 these last few years have been action-packed. 2005 was my roughest year yet, followed by what is in the running for one of my best years so far. If 

I had to name 2006 (I love to name anything . ..speaking of that my mom let my plant Christophe wilt away. He is now on life support.), but if I had to name o6 it would be my Year of Chocolate Beyonce. 

I felt I became completely comfortable in my skin.

My 2007: The Year of Reflection and Vision

Since the new year began I have become much more critical of life and asking myself and others more questions than ever. Overall this has been a great year. Where 06 I bec

ame comfortable being me, 2007 was about getting to  know exactly who that was and becoming a young adult. Unfortunately with that maturity and accepting more of the realities of life

, I have become a little harder. I have always been optimistic but I do think a little light in my eyes has probably dimmed though I am still very much positive, or at least try my hardest to be.

Another big think for me this year has been realizing the power of vision. Man

y things in my life that have happened, I had already opened my mind and heart to.

07 Milestones . . .

My 22nd Birthday

I partied like a rock star with my bestest

Graduation

Oprah, my classmate. A culmination of an amazing four year experience.

My first job

*no link to that. Keeping job blogging to a minimum.  I am so fortunate to be working and

 doing exactly what I envisioned I would a year ago.

My first apartment

Craigslist rocks! Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. I was optimistic about finding a place when I got here (and needed to asap since I wasnt feeling so welcomed at my cousins). Well, the same day I flew to New York, the Wednesday after graduation and the day before my first day on the job, I checked out the first apartment on my list, and have been living here every since. Divine order indeed 

My first real blunder

I dropped the ball bad with something this year, a first for an overachiever like me. Taught me the importance of saying no and taking on what you can handle

My first retirement account

*Even sexier then jamming to Get Me Bodied on my bday and rent keeping the lights on. I'm going to be a fly retiree one day:)

Lost ones . . .

This year two people I looked up to a lot passed away, Crystal Harris and Mikel Husband. Both from health problems and in their 30s making me even more aware of the frailty of the flesh.

2007 forced me to grow up a whole lot and really taught me the power of vision. When I was home tearing up my room looking for my checkbooks I came across an assignment from School of C orientation freshman year with Dr. Byrd where we had to write our goals. 

I had put down to be a journalist, author, magazine editor and politician.

Continuing to think of a master plan.

Happy New Year!

08 is Great! We've already claimed it:) 

I wouldn't do that . . .

So don't know where my head was at with the last post. It was just a thought as Cee lo, excuse me, Gnarls Barkley, would say.  I thought about taking it down but it's already out there and in that moment my mind was really trying to wrap itself around wartime and what that meant for soldiers, families and countries, and this young Black man risky his life for_______.  

Nothing indeed. 

Alan Greenspan didnt beat around the bush in his book saying this was a war about oil. 

I'm guilty of being socialized in oversexed America and a society that looks to sex as a release. That's wack. Real wack. As I would have belted if me and C had performed at the office Christmas party: RESPECT YOURSELF!

l do.

And speaking of the holiday party, it's why I have been able to relax this holiday  and not stress about January's bills.

As a freelancer, not only will I tell you to be sure not to fall at my place because my minimal insurance won't cover it, that also means when I don't work, Im not getting paid for the time missed. So that holiday bonus was truly a blessing from God as I haven't worked for a week. Here's the picture from the party. Btw, did I miss the memo that bright printed clothes are out? Doing my soul searching over the break I also think it may be time for a style makeover. I won't be buying new clothes, but just reshuffling the ones I have. Let you know how that goes.

Sympathy Loving

It's a given you feel a certain way when a little kid is crying uncontrollably or a family is out in the cold.

But have you felt a little sorry for someone's situation, and wanted to give them something a little more special than money?
Like all stories, this one starts the same . . .

So, there's this guy. Yes he has a great back, but that is besides the point. We have been friends for years after he tried to holler at me at a club my sophomore year. He is in the military and has been in an out of the country since then. He was a great shoulder when I was going through hard times and I have tried to be the same.

The last few months he has been stationed in Iraq and is now home for the holidays for a few weeks. And I had to laugh out loud at myself for entertaining the thought of sympathy loving. Gives a whole new meaning to serving your country . . .

Merry Belated!

I am having a wonderful holiday. Sorry for the delay in posting. And I have been fighting it, but it seems I am officially a New Yorker. Or at least that's one my friends. family, church and anybody else Ive known most of my life have deemed me. Came home to Atlanta last Thursday. Friday I went to meet with my mom's financial advisor, who I am proud to say is now my financial advisor. So I now have an IRA and have started on the road of saving for retirement. I'll thank myself in 30 years:) He began the New Yorker talk letting his office know of my clip.
After that I headed to my mom's high school and spoke to their journalism class. I officially felt grown. Not old. Grown. the kids were cool and a few of the guys hitting on me was kinda hilarious, and ok, I admit, kind of flattering. The rest of the weekend I caught up with old friends and managed to make a few new ones, and was told I LOOKED like a new yorker.
At church Sunday I felt like a rock star and that feeling continued. Me and my mom then headed to South Carolina to see my family and grandmom on my dad's side, and boy did I get my fill of family drama stories. This pic of me in the red shirt is pre-new york days summer of '06. My lil cousin was a part of that family drama. sigh. But Christmas night watching Oprah's special with my little sister Deja put things in perspective real quick when she asked what AIDS was and why they weren't treating this little girl's mom.
Today my dad and her headed back to Atlanta and stopped a second at my mom's mom. Here is the street sign . .. Named for my grandfather. And with this being the least gifts I have gotten and most content I have felt at Christmas in year's past, I really feel grown. Hope you had a great holiday!

Afterwork Drinks

So last night I went to Tillmans and had a ball.
During that networking I mentioned I was doing at the Rush event, I met a guy who was cool and we exchanged cards. The next day he emails and invites me to go for drinks as some folks meet for one of his friend's birthday.
After i got caught up at work, found out my friends went to dinner without even a courtesy text and it freezing outside and the person I want to call not calling me like they said while others get through perfectly letting me know there is nothing wrong with my phone, Im feeling I wore my cute dress for nothing because all I want to do is crawl under the covers and sleep without setting the alarm.
And thats exactly what I planned to do until as Im walking out the office the guy at the front desk ask if Im heading out. Im too embarrassed to say I am 22 living in the capitol of the world and going straight home on a Friday night. So I say Im heading to drinks with friends. And that's exactly what I do - and boy am I glad I do. Since I had only met this guy once and he was the only person in the group I would know, I was happy my friend Gary was also heading to Tilman's with some work folks so I could always hang with him if the other crowd was a bust.
Well bust it was not. As Im walking in the door trying to remember what the guy looks like, Tia from In Touch taps my arm. I first met her when my magazine group visited Teen People years ago and she was the fly Howard grad who spoke to us. Since then she has been at Life & Style and now is senior editor at In Touch - and a regular on VH1. I saw her on the Cougar special a few weeks ago when I was on sweating on the elliptical machine (sigh, when was the last time I've been to the gym?) Anywho, we chat, she says she's here for a friend's bday and I mention the guy, and we are indeed heading to the same get together.
We head deeper into the restaurant and I realize this an actual sit down affair. I am feeling a bit out of place but the birthday girl quickly calms my nerves. She is so cool and as her and Tia catch up chat, gives me quick backgrounds on each of the character so I dont feel left out. We then all play 6 degrees and its scary how the circles overlap. She knows one of my editors from Vibe days and she is now at Lucky.
More cool folks join the table and I notice Gary's booth is right next to the one I am at. Me and Najwa are rolling the whole night and I remembered seeing her at Zandile's party, and the Black blogs that came down on her hard. The guy who invited me comes like two hours later:) Good think the world is so small.
Funny guy with the big coat joins our table and has me rolling the rest of the night. And six degrees is really one as he tells how he works in radio promotion at a music label, the same label my co-worker's niece works at and you know they know each other.
Make me laugh and I love you forever and this guy had me cheesing. I guess I was feeling good from the great convo and potent drinks. Somehow I go "You might win some, but you just lost one, like Jay Z" He hangs me up to dry for my fragmented thoughts.
Asking everybody at the table, "yo, who said you might win some but you just lost one?" They all say Lauryn Hill.
Im laughing too hard to defend how I wasn't saying Jay Z said that, just lost one made me think Lost Ones, you feel me?
Just dont butcher Lauryn Hill to a guy who works at the label she use to be signed to.
I give him my card.
Me and Gary ride back uptown together.
I get drunk dialed. Twice.
Afterwork drinks.

Miss a day, Miss a lot

That's how I feel about life, and yes I stole that from Wendy Williams. In the last week I have been on an emotional roller coaster. I'm still hanging out at the top of the hill for now and loving it!
Blame Whitney for the lack of posts as she came to town Sunday once and for all forcing me to deal with the mess I called a room.
This weekend I had lunch Saturday with my buddy Kristin. Check her shout out in the December Editor's Letter of Real Simple. Teacake Julee also did a fab write up on animal prints in the issue, pg 203.
Sunday I had brunch with Truc and Stephanie, my Conde' buddies. All the talk with fellow mag buddies had me feeling excited all over again to live in NY and work in magazines (though folks it's work, HARD work).
Monday was a great day. My article with Jaheim posted. My first work holiday party was a blast - and I even got called up with the 30 dates in 30 days group when they did special shout outs. I was so proud of Cynthia too. For a second we had planned to participate in the staff talent show with the prize being a $1,000 cash. Well, work didn't give me time to learn Salt N Pepa's 'Respect Yourself' so I pulled out. Things work out the way they are suppose to because we both ended up with a little bonus sans office embarrassment:) Watching my superiors and colleagues dirty wind and soulja boy was a sight for my tired eyes.

Last night I went to this Christmas party for the Rush foundation. I am interviewing Danny Simmons in this small dressing room and in comes his brother, Russell. I interview him as his pretty young thing sits on the arm of the chair and am really feeling some of the things he is saying. His nephew Diggy definitely is charismatic and those little girls were so cute screaming for the youngins. Fat Man Scoop hits the stage in a Santa suit and his wife Shanda hooked up this pseudo Ms.Claus get up. I was a lot better at networking then I have been at past events.

Today it was back to the dentist and continuing to keep my tentacles connected. Got some freelance work I have to finish and am finishing up my Christmas cards. Email me your addy if you want to be added to the list.

And oh yeah, Check page 77 in the latest Essence to see my byline for What Men Think. Gotta love approaching Black men to ask them about women!!

You're Gonna Love Me!

Love this look! I admit I was getting a bit nervous with those set pics from SATC of JHud and her red carpet choices haven't been as flattering as we know the curvy girls can do. But when I saw this my hope returned.

Much like many areas of my life.

Went to Madison Square Garden for the first time Saturday for the Big Apple Classic. Howard got SPANKED but is was so good to see so many familar faces. And I'll have you know I was most proud of how I conducted myself when face to face with an ex-friend. I'm talking old high school drama that you don't even remember all the details but you do know they are NOT your friend.
Well, sis was determined we speak (and I'm sure she probably reads the blog). No hard feelings but let's let sleeping dogs lie.
After the game me and Anna hit Canal Room (like I told one of my friends before I had even gone to the place, it was indeed small) I don't know when was the last time I partied that hard, we both sweat out our hair and didn't care. What really had us letting loose was . ..
. . . .Follow Me (the House Music CLASSIC . . .I'm hopinggg, to see that dayyyyyyy:)
.....Hey Ya, my baby 3000
......Cupid Shuffle
........Poision

Our HU NY Alum chapter Prez Chris was killing it at the dj booth.

Relativity

Everything in our lives is relative.

Sometimes we (me) get caught up in the small things that we miss the beauty of just being. I had a dream of my great grandmother Katie (where I got my middle name) last night and she was as alive as ever even though she passed away almost ten years ago. And yes she is who my family credits my stubborn streak to.

Was it something extra deep that sparked me to start to think a little bigger and reflect on how big this universe is? Not at all.

While I was south for Thanksgiving I hit up Walmart and its cheap Black DVD rack. One of the ones I scored this time was Mahogany (Waiting to Exhale was out yet again). As I opened the package to watch my new dvd for the first time I noticed the film was rated PG.

They show Diana Ross' nipples in the film and it's PG?? wasn't Shrek and some of these other animated films rated PG13? Well that got me to thinking sign of the times and yeah, I'm that weird.

But it's no surprise I'm weird living in a society that is more oversexed than ever yet is as prudish as they come in the light of day.

Black remains the new Black

So Wednesday I got to see all the episodes of this season's Project Runway. And no I didn't laugh at the big guy being the last one to get to the tent fabrics on the first episode. 

I know how that feels, and am proud to report I moved up from the worst person in cardio kickboxing. Last Sunday I was the second worst! Yay:)

But back to Project Runway, the Black girl on there Carmen wasn't doing it for me and when she broke down crying I wanted to give her a serious shake Chris Rock style. She just made me miss Mychael Knight even more. At the HU

Homecoming fashion show this year (you know my Yasmine put it down like the A-town's finest do:)

It was great to be registered as press and Shani and Arion made me use my power after the show to speak to Mychael and I did a lil interview. He had clothes featured in the show and I was just loving how Yaz kept Atlanta in the mix with him designing and my beloved Janelle Monae performed. Afterwards when me and Janelle were catching up she said how she had been sick all week and still feeling it. I let her know if that was her sick running all across the stage, I didn't think we were ready to see her well. All my friends thought I was holding out but I could have sworn I told everybody I know she rocks!

But back to Mychael. He's so Atlanta and has like a boyish quality that is adorable.

I even forgave him for saying Decatur people are weird.

He told us about some of his upcoming projects including a cologne called Magic and a lingerie line and performance band called Kitty and Dick. Yeah, uhm, guess being subtle is out this season:)

As I tried to call him on going Hollywood with changing the 'i' to 'y' in his name, he quickly schooled me that Mychael is actually how his name is spelled and the show switched it up. Learn something new everyday.

Black is still the new black:)

CJ