{|A Day In The Life|}

So, these past few months have been chock full of adventure. Not quite sure where to begin. You know I like to chronicle things with photos. So, I guess I'll start with the LF fashion show. Cousin Jin is an excellent makeup artist, but a budding photographer as well - and we had the honor of photographing the fashion show at Pangaea at the Hard Rock. This was so difficult. The DJ kept playing all these awesome songs, so we couldn't help but be distracted with dancing, not to mention the dancers that were on little podiums in the club. I would have taken pictures of them, but they seemed pretty focused on their dance moves, lol Anywhoo, the show went off without a hitch (besides being an hour behind). The girls looked awesome, the outfits were well executed, Sonia did a kickass job of putting them together. I stole the pic montage from Jin so you guys can see what was going on in there. It may not be my main section of expertise, but I enjoy fashion and the dynamics that go into it. It's always interesting to see how things work, and a fashion show is no different. The setting was awesome, because it gave everyone a chance to vibe, enjoy the music (and some drinks), and expose the people of Fort Lauderdale to the quality of clothing LF has to offer. It was upscale and classy, and I love that. Gotta throw some class in the hood mix sometimes, lol.

But then, it's back to the hood again, heheh.

I wish I had a shot of my pants and shoes I wore. I had on a pair of harem pants - I dunno if they are appropriate for people with butts, but I loved them. They were super comfortable. I foolishly wore my new Steven by Steve Madden heels, which were extremely high, but I'd like to think I looked pretty good. Had to be fashionable at a fashion show, right? All in all, it was a good night.

Last month, We also celebrated the 31st year of birth for my mother - Rema. She is so awesome, I won't even go on a tangent about how cool she is. So, we did our best to get her everything she wanted - and we dragged her to dinner, where she promptly got zooted on a restaraunt drink (which we all know is two percent alcohol, ninety-eight percent juice, lol). First dinner was simply just to get her out the house. Lou and I forced her to go to the Chinese Buffet, where she definitely had her fill ((smile))... Keep in mind, she's a special one - so don't judge her based on these pics. She's a little on the strange side - but I love her.Of course, she tried to get me to touch the creepy statue. We all know how I feel about that. Hmph.

The second dinner was at Bahama Breeze, which I must say is - effin delicious! If I could find an excuse to go there every weekend, I would. The appetizers were off the chain. That dinner was a family thing, Pops and Steve actually came along - that very rarely happens. It seems that as we get older nowadays, we get busier, and we just don't find the time to spend together like we used to. So it was nice, kinda sentimental. But I ain't gonna get all mushy on y'all.


We also celebrated my best friend - slash - wife's birthday, JazzeRonee aka My Tender Ronee... Finally hit the big 21. Those pics will not be televised, lol - but we did spend the weekend in NYC in her honor. It always feels good to be with the people you love and enjoy. I had my best friends all in the same place - and it was wonderful.















Cousin Candace also made an appearance, and we managed to leave the kids at home and hit the club - which was awesome. Any time we can get all the cousins together is a good time - we even managed to get Tanya out. It was a celebration for Sutania, too - she's a college graduate! Motivation for the rest of us who are still slummin it through the Universities...




This month is my born day, and my brother's, and my two cousins, and my aunt's - so there will be a lot of pics to go along with these events. I just have to thank God every day for blessing me with such an awesome life. Sometimes we look around, and we think about all the burdens and stresses and drama that we encounter on our daily journeys, but if we look at the big picture - nine out of ten times we'll find that life could be so much worse. So much worse.

Enjoy your day, peeps - I'll be back with Sneaker Pimps pics - after this shower. I definitely came in from my workout and started blogging. Shame on me {{spanks hand}}...

{{Infectious Infatuation}}

||As I sit under the Dryer||


||Zune Says: Tank - Kill For You||

So, the question was asked to me yesterday,
"have you ever been stalked before?"

This being asked by a potential stalker.

People think I should be used to this, because I have been told I have inviting qualities about myself, some that I may not notice. I am in fact, not used to the fact that people want to stalk me. I don't think I ever will be.

My first stalker knows exactly who he is. I would be surprised if he read this blog, but then again - I wouldn't put it past him to find it. He used to show up at the most random times. I'd be walking to the bus stop, or to someone's house - and he'd be rolling behind me in his quiet car, and I'd be none the wiser. Sometimes, I'd turn around - and realizing he was spotted - he'd speed off nonchalantly. This would happen in broad daylight, at night, afternoon - any time. He would casually walk past as I stood in front of my building, even though I saw him peeking around the corner from across the street ten minutes before. After a while, I stopped being surprised when I'd see him looking at me at the movie theater. My heart stopped jumping when his car would cruise past me on the block at night. It didn't even surprise me when he did a hit-and-run on Louis' car. I never confirmed that, but the evidence pretty much did it for me.

The odd thing is, he's a cool person on a regular basis. When he wasn't watching me in the hallways at school, or staring at me from the back of the classroom. He'd actually speak to me when in public or in school. It was kind of like he had a secret life when the sun went down. I still haven't asked him why he used to follow me. I honestly don't think I want to know.

This other person, though - doesn't know me at all. He has seen me a few times. I won't say where, cuz then his identity will be obvious. I've danced with him once at a party - and that's it. He aquired my phone number somehow, and decided he wanted to call me yesterday. I answered, and had the oddest conversation known to man. I think I may chronicle these conversations, should they ever happen again - because he does creep me out, and he exhibits the qualities of a stalker. He knows where I live, where I hang out, my family. What he doesn't know is that I'm stronger and smarter than he may truly understand. If he decides to get crazy, I will, too.

I just don't understand the concept of stalking. You follow someone who has shown no interest in you, or doesn't even know you exist. You try to become a part of their life from a distance, regardless of whether they want you in their world or not. I don't think my life is really that interesting, well - maybe a little - but not enough to follow around. But, we'll see how this goes. I've saved his texts and he's in my call log. This will not spin out of control.

||FinePix|| - Go Long Range...

Sooo - more pixxx - on some experimental ish. I have no clue what I'm doing, but I love it! I really should watermark them - but why would you guys steal these? lol - I'll do it later. I don't trust that Michael character... I'm starting to get a hang of choosing the right lighting and stuff. Good lighting can make a picture perfect.

I feel all tingly inside when my pics come out with that airbrushed look - like with little Ms. Madi - she looks perfect!

Anywhoo - more to come next week. Pics from Sneaker Pimps, too - yayy! Hope you enjoy.

|| Shut Up and Drive - Just a Thought ||

{{Zune Says - Paul Wall & Kanye West - Drive Slow}}

Sometimes, I feel the urge to be alone. I think it's a part of working in the Customer Service/Retail industry. You spend so much time smiling and solving people's problems - when it's time to wind down, you have nothing left. When I have that feeling, I fill up my tank, jump in the Civic and drive. It's the most therapeutic thing I can think of when I'm stressed. The cloak of darkness that late night provides is easy to understand. There's something sexy about being unseen, I think - especially when you're cruising with the window cracked just so.

The most interesting things happen to me when I'm driving at night. Most of the time it includes people trying to race me. Just 30 minutes ago, a 97 Mazda MX-6 jumped behind me and started riding my ass (pause). Of course, once he put his hazards on, I jumped out the lane and zoomed off. The exhilaration of the challenge is mostly making sure the cops don't appear out of nowhere. For a brief moment, we're in a race - but once one of us loses, it's back to the solace of my empty car. I love that feeling. No one to tell me to slow down, no one to egg me on. Just me, my thoughts, and the purr of my engine. Perfect.

These moments have been happening more often than not, lately. I find that I am jumping behind the wheel to escape just about everything. Life does that, sometimes. It's my guilty pleasure, but without the guilt. I love the feeling of control when I'm taking the on-ramp at 50mph. I love taking the long way home. Give me a good playlist and a tank full of gas - and I'll come home with a smile on my face.

Now, where are my keys?

Last Night A DJ Saved My Life

"So - when did you fall in love with HipHop?"

It's my favorite line from Brown Sugar. For obvious reasons, of course. My house was definitely multi-ethnic growing up. We listened to anything from Blues Traveler, Celia Cruz, Bunny and the Wailers, Sheryl Crow, to Anita Baker. One thing you very rarely heard though, was HipHop or Rap music. My parents just weren't into that.

It's funny, cuz we lived in the hood (4th Street) - and when I got to school, I didn't know any of the new rap songs. Everybody was gettin into Biggie and Ice Cube and all that, and I was humming Melissa Etheridge songs under my breath. Kids used to laugh at me, cuz I was so out of the loop. I didn't really want to know any of the lyrics - until one day.

After school program at the YMCA - 1996 - we had an African Dance instructor who looked like Debbie Allen. She had a change of plans that day, and we wouldn't be learning any new dances. Instead, she had us sit in a circle, and she sang Roberta Flack's "Killing Me Softly", a capella. She explained the lyrics, talked about the mood - then she brought out her tape player. Mentioned something about young people doing covers of older songs, something about a rap group - and pressed play.

The song filled my ears, and I instantly wanted to hear more. I was one of the few kids actually listening to the words. Y'all know I'm super emo - so it hit a chord with me. The last set of notes Lauryn hit sent tingles through me for some reason. That weekend Mom took me to The Wiz (what y'all know bout that? Throwback, lol) and bought me the album on cassette. Played that tape until it popped.

Now - I can't get enough of HipHop. I find myself constantly searching for new artists, new songs to bump on my way to work. Music is my life, and HipHop is the artery leading to my heart, lol. Lauryn Hill got me interested in Erykah Badu, she put me on to Common Sense - who got me listening to Mos Def. Mos Def got me into The Roots - and the vein continues. The years go by, the beats change - but our relationship stays the same. I can't sleep without HipHop, there's always music in my head. No matter what type of music I choose this week, Hip Hop is the guy I always run to in the end. I love him.

So - what's you're type? What gets you in the mood? What soothes you? What hypes you up?
Most importantly - when did you fall in love?

{{Life}} In HD.

I've been playing with photography for a few months now. Nothing serious, but I realize the therapeutic properties it has. Focusing on angles, lighting, colors - it takes my mind off the things I'm trying not to think about. I've been compiling my pictures in a little folder, and I'm plotting on making a portfolio - just for my own pleasure. It'll be nice to look back on later in life.

Anywhoo - here's some of it so far. I've come a long way from my 6megapixel camera from years ago...














I think I'm gonna start throwing these up here every week. I take so many pictures and reject so many snapshots - I'm actually starting to get self-conscious when it comes to them. Maybe I'm getting too attached...

Financial Woahs

||Zune Says - Vybz Kartel - Dolla Sign||

After deciding to allow my job to schedule me four days a week instead of five, someone looked at me and said, "Oh, you can do that because you're rich."

Me? Rich? Seriously?

Have you looked at my car lately? If I were a rich girl - nanananananananananananana!!
I wouldn't have a suped up 93 Civic as a dream car. Yeah, I bought it cuz I wanted it - I could have gotten something else, but times didn't call for a brand new whip - so I didn't get one. I let my job cut my hours, because it increases our labor budget, and I get paid for it in our bonuses. I'm no fool - and I need my money.

Have you seen my list of hustles? I won't even bother to list them, cuz if you know me - you know all the things I do in my spare time. Which is exactly why I have no spare time. If I'm not doing your hair, I'm watching your kids or typing up those documents you never got around to. I'm your neighborhood Ms. Fix It. That's what I do.

I'm not rich, I just think I'm smart. I may have nice things, and go places, and do stuff that most people don't do - but it's because God has blessed me with the ability to do so. If I can't do it - I won't. I'm not gonna break bank to get that, or to go there - because I'm not about impressing people. Trust and believe, the people you impress today - won't be impressed when you can't afford it tomorrow. I can't live my life for everyone's entertainment.

My family's not rich, either. Okay, so we're not poor - but I've never had a silver spoon in my mouth. I've been working since I was nine - and people look at me like I'm crazy when I say that. "Your Mom had you working so young?" Uhh, no. I asked my Mom for something one day - she told me she couldn't afford to buy it for me. I got up the following Saturday, planned some ish with my little brother - and that weekend we were cleaning people's houses for money. At nine years-old, I was under your couch - sweeping out dust mites and ish. By the next weekend, I had what I wanted. Didn't need Mom to make up the difference, or anything. When I was twelve, I wanted my first pair of cool sneakers. Mom definitely wasn't payin for that - so I watched someone's toddler for a night - and had fifty bucks (yeah, Nike's were a bit cheaper back then). I realized how good the money was, and by the time I was 14, the whole hood had me watching their kids.

What part of that sounds like I'm rich?

I just like to work. I like to know that my bank account isn't empty. And don't get it twisted - sometimes my checking account is extremely dry. I mean, right above my email alert dry. And my email alert is at $25. That's the point where I skip the party, I fill up the Civic and stop eating the expensive ish like sushi for lunch (sushi's $8.00). I make sure my essentials are present, I have enough money to eat with - and I keep pushin.

I'm not like a lot of these females out here. I dont' waste money on certain things, like fake eyelashes and big hair and stuff you have to maintain every week. I get my nails done, and sometimes when money's tight - I do my own toes. Woah! Crazy, right? Nobody can tell the difference. Cuz I've mastered the art of spending less. That way I can afford to spend more a little later.

And let me tell you - I am exhausted. Working like this takes a toll on my body, my mind - everything. Which is why I take it to heart when people make comments about my finances. "You always look nice, look at your clothes, your jewelry - stop sayin you're broke." I deserve to look this way - cuz if I didn't keep it up, I'd be run down. You don't know what my life is like - so don't judge me.

I keep my money right so I can help the people in my life who need it. If you short on rent, if you need gas money - I got you. Not for everyone, though. Those people know who they are. If I got it - you got it. Even when I don't got it. That doesn't make me rich - that makes me a decent human being.

People Watching - Fort Lauderdale Int'l Airport

So - I've been stranded here since 10am, so naturally, I have been people watching. It's been quite interesting so far. Three people with surgical masks, all unrelated, all found throughout the airport. I had to get security checked for my bag, which was interesting, cuz dude definitely sifted through my skivvies - just to find out that it was my big tub of cocoa butter. He let me through with it, but I had to switch airline carriers, and go through security again. The lady was nice, but she wasn't lettin me through with it.

Both times, though - I got through with my stun gun.

This week seems to be "Kim Attracts All the Strange White Guys" week. I first had a redneck dude blow kisses and follow me in his van yesterday. I caught an older white man stealing some glances earlier, and an old white guy straight up stared me down as I sat down with my laptop. Very interesting.

Now, I am propping my phone charger up with my back, cuz the outlet is too big for my charger, and my phone is dying. I need to fly to ATL and then to NY - I am jetlagged and I haven't set foot on an aircraft yet. Needless to say, I am excited.

Be right back - bout to board.