Pay it Forward . . .Charter Day Weekend

Man, what a weekend.
From a Secretary of State and new perfume to funerals and meeting my new boss (as I claimed in my prayers:)
So Thursday night I find out I indeed have a ticket to Charter Day Dinner ($250 a freaking plate), hands down the swankiest event the University has of the year. I haven't missed one yet. This year I went with the honors program. I feel obligated to go to the convocation Friday morning and man am I glad I went. Even if it just to wave the freakin program during the Alma Mater,Howard Ceremonies are always fun. Well, true to my style I get there right when it starts and have to wait outside a minute as the president and trustees walk by and make their processional. Who I didn't notice was with him until I sit in my seat is former Secretary of State Colin Powell. The speaker Ike Leggit, Montgomery County Executive was interesting . . and had a GREAT voice:). General Powell said a few words and I truly felt inspired and glad I go to HU!
So the event is over and now for the important part . . .I have to get a dress for Saturday's gala. Last year this girl had a gorgeous white dress I LOVED and I knew I wanted to wear white. I lucked out and found a dress . . .then felt self-conscious about wearing white so early so I got these black and white earrings I thought would keep it from being too spring-y. Driving back my dad calls to say he's in the city as he and his brother and sisters came up for a funeral of a cousin - his 2nd cousin I never met. I felt weird, but after some persuasion from him I decide to go to the funeral the next day since I do know his mom and other family.

So Saturday morning I have to cut my cousin's trip a little short who goes to Hampton and was in town for spring break as I get ready for the service. I start in this charcoal dress, then feel weird to look like I am in mourning for someone I never had the pleasure to meet. I end up in this green and white dress - one of my faves and feel comfortable. The service was not nearly as weird as I thought and was a straight 1960's deep south funeral in downtown DC in 2007.
Long.
lots of soul singing.
His mother, my aunt lula bell, a pastor, even did a hallelujah dance as she's giving the eulogy.
Absoulutely amazing . . . and beautiful. *Pic= the dress I wore to the funeral. Well right there Im at the Color Purple which I have to see when Fantasia starts and I also want to see Rent on Broadway before Frenchie leaves in May. Im thinking rush tickets Saturday after next. Wanna go? my bad . . .I digress.
So, Saturday Night .
I get dressed and hit the Hilton. The decorations and everything seems to be upgraded as the stage is set up like Founder's library. It was great seeing friends and it took each of us like 5 seconds to recognize each other because everyone has cleaned up so nicely. After losing 30 minutes looking for parking I finally relaxed as I sip some red wine and check the star studded program and enjoy the moment.
President swygert, who ironically was on the front page of Metro section in the Post has this sick black tux with like slivers of silver pin stripes.
A company donates $1 million.
They announce the university has surpassed its goal to raise $250 million in five years over 9 months before schedule.
Dinner is served.
One of my mentors on campus Mikel Husband, who runs University Communications and does the alumni magazine stops by. We chat, he confirms he saw Danyel last week like Brad had said and says something else that still makes me smile.
Now, I didn't get Time Inc Edit, this internship I wanted and what I had planned to be my Plan B to finding a job, and honestly It didn't bother me one bit. It truly wasn't for me and I'm not questioning God when I have been soooooooo blessed.
So anywho, as that door closed Mikel Husband tells me how Danyel mentioned me to him and I am trying to be on my best behavior at this swanky event but am grinning from ear to ear. I then tell him of my deep admiration of Richard Parsons, Time Warner CEO, who is on stage and the official planner of the night's events. He says I should go say hello. I know there is no way Im going up there, smile and take a pic with him and he moves on.
I enjoy the first two courses and then go speak to my surrogate magazine mommy Prof Lamb and we chat. She tells me she just took some students up to meet Isabel Wilkerson - Pulitzer Prize Winning former Hilltop editor and Im so sad she didnt see me to ask to join them because Isabel is another one of my idols. And she's so gorgeous!
Mikel/Mr. Husband (not sure what i am suppose to call him:) comes back and says Mr. Parsons is up there and not surrounded by people and I should go speak.
I do my best doe-eyes and beg/ask Prof Lamb to come with. She agrees and we head to the head tables on the stage.
We get there.
Im cheesing.
She introduces herself and me. I'm on.
He has these kind eyes so I feel comfortable saying how I use to work at one of his magazines and how much I am enjoying this event he put on.
He ask what magazine I tell him and ironically I had just emailed Angela the day before and tell him that. He is like the Time Inc God and he's talking to ME!!! He says how great she is and then in the most casual way, "Yeah, you should go back. Tell her I said so." He could have been kidding but i'm still on a high just to meet him and those 2 minutes were grand. And you know I'd absolutely LOVE to take him up on that advice and told him so:) Now let's just all keep praying a position reveals itself. by the way, seen the new issue of Essence with Terrence Howard on it?
So me and Professor Lamb keep moving down the table and get to Ms. Isabel Wilkerson and my admiration for her grows ten times! She is so nice and interested as we talk and makes me really excited that if you work hard enough your dreams will come true. I then am so glad I read her bio in the convocation program the day before as she is totally surprised I know she was on the Hilltop staff as a freshman.
So I head back to the table for the last course and dessert which was this sinful espresso truffle which really was a warm chocolate brownie with ice cream drizzled in mango and raspberry sauce that is in no way in my kanye workout plan!!!!!!
I'm already on a natural high, then that chocolate one when Bebe Winans tears it up followed by the hilarious and amazing Yolanda Adams.
The night's honorees were all amazing, especially DC mayor Adrian Fenty. I know I'm late, but who knew he was THAT sexy? I need to go hang out at the law school! He was funny and charismatic and gave me a little hope as he found his wife when they were both at the school.
After a fabulous and looooong night i head home with a car full and fulfill my duty as chauffeur.

I'm wound up and wide awake.
I get on the computer and am reminded I am blessed to have absolutely wonderful people in my life.
First D. Chedwick Bryant offers to send me Paloma's perfume that I was dying to smell! How nice was that? I'm excited as I'm told it's perfect for formals so next time I'm ready:)
Then I head to my soul sister Darby's blog and she shouted me out. I was already feeling a little like a wannabe rockstar and that just added to my high.
So with so much feeling right with my world I felt a feeling I have been feeling lately, and what Yolanda Adams made a point of reminding us all to do, GIVE BACK! I may be perceived as flighty at times but Im not a flake. That's why I was so embarrassed of falling off as a mentor in Big Sister/Big Brother last year.
Waking up this morning, I decided to stop wallowing in the guilt and emailed the program director and even if he doesn't want me back I'll find another way to donate my time in a way that helps somebody other than spoiled me.
Well, I know this post was WAAYY long. Thanks for the release.

-Queen Wanna-be who had-a blast at the-ball

iMAGine That!

Ok. Ok. So I have REALLY been trying to post before the magazine conference on Saturday because I knew once it happened I would have a lot to talk about. Well after writing two full posts and having them malfunction before posting i guess it wasn't meant to be to tell you I yelled when J-Hud won and thought Ellen was great, loved how Beyonce was acting like Jay-Z in the Upgrade video, decided Im going to Miami/ATL/NY for spring break. But it was meant for me to let ya know the conference was BANANAS(sp.:)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I mean, absolutely great. Cover to Cover's 4th Annual Magazine Conference. iMAGine:Dream. Believe. Achieve.

Friday night we had this sexy MAGtini Mix & Mingle on Ust that was so hot! Our 13 friends from UNC Chapel Hill made it and it was great to see the Ed2010 network at work. I felt cute . . .even I was a little overdressed. Probably just excited for the upcoming trip to Miami where my dress season officially begins again!
Remember last summer how it was one of my goals to meet Mitzi Miller, who made me want to go into magazines? Well, we met and somehow I finagled my way into her life and she is my homie/mentor/friend!
And I wasn't even extra greedy to try and keep her to myself and was so psyched she was able to accept my offer come to the conference. Now my friends keep talking about her and saying how cool she is and I'm loving it. So, her mentor (and mine too) Joyce E. Davis was able to come too from Atlanta! Mitzi interned for her at Honey and I interned for her at Upscale . . .and her mentor is my closest professor Yanick Rice Lamb.
If that didn't remind you to be pleasant at all times because EVERYONE knows EVERYONE, our lovely keynote speaker Danyel Smith of Vibe was sooo cool and her husband Elliot came too, the EIC of XXL. He was so funny and chill. Like, absolutely hilarious and actually got my jokes.

But just imagined if all you wanted to do was cover hip hop and you messed up with her . . .you really think you got a shot at XXL?

You would think them being at two magazines whose readers overlap would be an issue or something juicy, but he really broke it down and its really a beautiful thing. My main regret of the conference - I didn't take a pic of Danyel with her shoes or me with the two of them for the conference to have next year, I was on my 'I'm not a groupie" tip and didn't think about it till they left, which felt so presidential as I escorted them to their chauffeured car out front with the wind blowing through me and Danyel's hair.. .i know, way too much:).
Joyce had forewarned me Danyel gave a good speech and would have people eating out of her hand. Well, she was sooo right.
Danyel had people who weren't interested in writing or editing re-thinking their career goals. And she did it all while wearing these sick patent leather 3 1/2 inch red pumps.
Even with people who wouldn't know what hard work is if it bit them in their pompous ass tried to play like Im just the dictator from hell, my good mood and that feeling of job well done was there to stay. Im a compromiser. So if we are going to argue over whether a book signing or career booth should be at a round table or rectangular, I'll just sweetly ask the people who are using the table what they would prefer. Each said rectangle. Have you ever been to a book signing at a round cafeteria table? Anywho, I digress . ..but while Im at it. If you scream on me about you being in charge of something, than damnit, see it through and not slink into a corner proving my point of how you dont follow through . . .

Back to Danyel and Elliot and Mitzi and Joyce, yeah, it was great. And all the attendees were so fly all the speakers kept saying how they were keeping in touch with this bright bunch. And I'm all like me too.

Mitzi's freaking working on a screenplay with Malcom Lee, who did my beloved Best Man. Hot right?
Corynne Corbett, the executive editor at Real Simple, came and was great! Even cooler my summer buddy is her new EA and sent the comp. issues of the magazine to us. Yasmin Shiraz donated her sexy novel where the main character is what-a magazine journalist. I've probably already said this to you as I do everyone, but please please get up on myspace! It's a great networking spot and in a field like magazine journalism who you know has a lot to do with even knowing a job is open, let alone being considered.

That pic in the tan dress is from Friday with me and my Johns Hopkins homie Jan who interned at Vixen last summer in beauty. We are both Mean Girls/Andre 3000 lovers. Weird, right? She is so . ..me. It's so much more I could tell but I actually have to get back into school mode and do actual work:(
Well, we did get great press for the event and will be in the Washington Post later this week. Miss YBF herself was in the building, who my BFF absolutely loves and quotes on the regular, and was a panelist and even shouted us out on the blog! Yep, alls well that ends well and this ended FANTASTICALLY!

My last year as president, something I was the first of for this newly formed group when I was a freshman, has really come full circle. The closest thing I ever have had to a kid after my little sister is this club. I did my thing and am ready to move out the way for the next bunch and take all of the speakers and friends up on their offer to "stay in touch"!

Best,
CJ

All the Windows in the House

Not to be a complete sap, but that's what I really feel like. Its one thing to be blessed. Its another to be really blessed - and know it. I feel like that after a GREAT weekend. Like a door was closed, but instead of one window opening ALL the ones in the house are open.

No,nothing spectacular happened and I cant pay you any money right now if I owe ya cuz I didnt hit the lotto. Im actually $10 short after having to catch a cab in SoHo because the F train decided it didnt want to run in the middle of a Saturday. Im just really feeling myself get close again to God and my faith because I was doing some serious back sliding (and Davinci Code didnt help!:). I finally found a church that does it for me in DC yesterday (thanks Amanda) and even joined...and you know going to NY always makes a sister feel "real good" (once again in the Like Dat voice) I dont know why but that keeps popping up.

So in the city Friday you know I had to go by Auntie Essence's. You know it was GREAT. I definitely miss working there and really felt the love. I also got the JHud issue and it really is HOT! Thandie Newton's in there too:) And you guys know ALL six of the couples in the "will you marry me?" package got the South African trip. A good moment for them and a great one for the magazine as 16 million people voted online!

But probably the best thing I left there with was a calm I needed. No, I dont have a job. but I have something so much better. The peace of mind that what's mine, well is still mine. So Im not gonna overstress this job search.

My bosses/summer family Cori and Naz werent there . . .they were sort of busy in Vegas doing the NBA All Star blog . Gosh, the life, right:)? But they really work so hard. Its not a game running from the Grammys to Vegas, the Oscars coming up and still working on the next issue. I'd be glad to help ease their load:)

I think I might have come off as stalker intern just a little after telling the truth why I was there - to see their Black Style Now exhibit before it closed today.

It was great and me and miss Lynecia went (oops am I allowed to put your name out here .. . I meant fly girl Elle) went. Technology is so cool. We meet through blogging and its like we've been friends forever.

my favorite dress in the collection!!!!------->

I love my dresses and would fly to Miami right now in this bad boy. . . BTW. what cha doing for spring break?

<----doesn't the chic on top look just like Rhianna?

--------->

House of Dereon . . .Cant u tell?

And u know I found the Magazines!

Black Style Now was fun. Im doing a post later about my girl Madame C.J. Walker. . . parents born slaves and you become a self-made millionaire. Dream big people!

*I usually keep this to myself but real life is SO MUCH STRANGER and INTERESTING than fiction. After my beautiful pep talk with the gorgeous Zulaika to make me relax and know what's mine is mine, the Black Style Now Exhibit and joining my new spirit-filled church, I am walking out the room where they have us handing out brochures and letting us know how to join the church, I try and go back in the sanctuary to find my friend. I look up on the wall and see the pastor and his wife on a plaque ...from Essence. They were featured in the Essence book "making it happen." I'm just like 'wow' and the usher then let me knows I cant go in that way. I know I already had gotten what I came down that hallway for - to see God stay anonymous with that coincidence. Cool right?

CJ

*Oh yeah. It's also BOTH my parents birthdays. Happy Birthday my oldie but goodie mom and pop!

Vixens Come Home!!!!

Click it ladies!

http://www.vibevixen.com/

The Vibe Vixen site is here and it is fab!

Shamless plug but if you want to meet the lady in charge, Vibe and Vibe Vixen's EIC Danyel, be sure to be at our 4th Annual Cover to Cover Conference March 3rd at Howard!

It's Official.

Jennifer Hudson looks FABULOUS on the cover of Essence, doesn't she? I mean look at those colors and her skin and that necklace. It all just flows together and POPS! I can't wait to read it!

If that weren't enough to make her March grand and busy from dusting her Oscar and recording her album . . . .It's official, Jennifer Hudson is on the cover of Vogue!!!!! Sounds great doesn't it?


Are you calm?
Now look at these damn pictures. As my mentor Mitzi said "A Hot Ass
Mess"















I refuse to believe this is the best they could do. It's freaking Vogue! She has looked better in paparazzi pictures and dare I say, American Idol. Ok. so not that bad. but still. Anna what's up with this?
It's like they chose the worst pictures on purpose and said "Which picture makes her look like a horse the most?" Now through all this fussing you know I still will be picking it up asap. It just sucks that women who won't see how fly she is on GIANT or ESSENCE will think this is J.Hud on "their" magazine.




It is also official Barack is running for president!

Now I won a freaking Hearst Award for an editorial called "Barack Needs a Speed Bump" but I've had a change of heart and am feeling he should move full speed ahead. People saying America isn't ready, well they weren't ready to free the slaves either. Sometimes you have to make people realize they can handle something. My theory of him announcing on Oprah was wrong, but a good one since he did say she would be the first person he would tell.

But way more exciting than Barack running, is the fact that his wife Michelle Obama could be the first lady!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!








I freaking love her. You can just look at her and tell she is has it together and is strong. I am just inspired by a woman who can stand by her man and still holds her own. She is educated and fly, and smart enough to hold on to a guy like Obama.











So if some knuckle head I'm supervising tries to holler, I will think of Michelle and Barack and maybe give him a chance.

Queen, officially speaking.