Product Reviews Oyin Handmade! :)

http://oyinhandmade.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=14_15&products_id=34&zenid=jio5uoh4krohfr33lnf59gt926

Loved, loved, LOVED the scent of this product! It was a great refresher for my 2 strand twists and helped the products absorb a little better. :) A fan for life of this product. used this on both myself and Poops!

http://oyinhandmade.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=14&products_id=28

This right here is the truth for winter weather hair. My twists were hydrated and when I untwisted my hair, it was so soft, manageable and hydrated. this product is a bit on the heavy side so wouldn't probably use this in the Summer time but the other seasons when your hair is begging for moisture/oil, this will be my go-to product.

"Burnt Sugar contains: castor oil, soy wax, organic virgin coconut oil, mango seed oil, olive oil, unrefined hempseed oil, cocoa butter, broccoli seed oil, and fragrance."

http://oyinhandmade.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=14&products_id=14

Kept my edges at bay fa real fa real! and mine are hard to tame! I also loved how this defined my curls and cut down on the frizzy/dry look. Worked wonders on Poops' soft curly hair.

http://oyinhandmade.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_reviews_info&products_id=3&reviews_id=2

I love the smell. Like coffee and vanilla combined. I have also used it on dry hands, ankles and lips. Works wonders as a hair and body moisturizer.

Thoughts!!

So today was a pretty good day. I ran some errands with Poops this a.m. Straightened up around the house and had some real talk with Liam's future mother-in-law lol (Shavonne). I also began to reflect on the state of my life currently. I feel almost satisfied with the things I've accomplished, but I want more. I began to wonder if I'm on the right path and what exactly I have to do to get the things I want to in life. I want so much and wonder if sometimes it's too much? Is it REALLY possible to be a successful plus size model while balancing a career in law while still pursuing my interest in makeup while still being a great mother while being able to be a wife?! Mon Dieu, it's tiring just to think about it.

I always think about decisions I have made in my life and how they have led me to where I am today. I don't regret anything I have or haven't done, but I think the next steps I make in my life right now are crucial. I am really disappointed with how people are in the world in general. I have realized I can only look out for ME and for Poops. We are a family unit and everything I do has to benefit US, nothing more, nothing less. I cant even truly entertain the thought of dating or getting into a serious relationship b/c right now I am too selfish, too hungry. I am hungry for success and accomplishment and I am selfish because at this point I refuse to put a relationship among the list of my top priorities.
I am focused on what I want in life and I refuse to stop and settle for anything less.

Dia de Gracias! Orig. written Thrs, Nov 25,2010

I had a really good day today. Chris, Liam and I enjoyed Thanksgiving. What was on the menu u ask?: Turkey wings, Ham, baked mac n cheese, broccoli, west indian style corn, chitlins (umm my brother ate that nasty ish NOT me), biscuits and pumpkin pie with vanilla ice cream. I can mos def say we were eatin' good in the hood TODAY!! :)

I work tomorrow on the ever-famous Black Friday from 10am-6pm, I'm actually glad because I literally don't have money to shop anyways! So with all the crowd and holiday traffic, the day should go by hella fast.

Can't believe we are only one month shy of Christmas! WOW! Then, the year will be over.

Received a job offer for the counter manager, they are only offering an amount I have previously made...can't do it, won't do it for that amount of money. I need at LEAST $2 more an hour to survive with Poops. Tomorrow begins operation salary negotiation people!

Bedtime!

G'night!

Future Lawyer and the LSAT

So I have fallen off the wagon a bit in my LSAT study. NOT good. I am going to commence the studying TODAY and begin to read my Powerscore books again. I have researched and I will A) take the powerscore online course and/or B) find private individual to tutor me on the LSAT. I want a 170 damnit and that's what I am going to get. As some of you know, my undergrad GPA left much to be desired. In retrospect, working fT hours while taking  15+ credit hours is NEVER a good idea, but in NYC it's what I had to do to survive. I want the schools I'm applying to to see me for the mature, WOMAN that I am and not the 18 y.o. girl who began college as a naive Freshman.

L-school to do:
1) get one more rec from Professor Harden
2) work on personal statement
3) work on addendum
4) STUDY - 1 hr per day for LSAT
5) research schools in depth
6) research grant/fellowship/scholarship options

My Almost Old Hollywood Glam Look

Products on: Stila liquid concealer (in silver tube), Smashbox tinted moisturizer in Deep, MAC bronzer in Sunset, Anastacia Brow Powder, Revlon Matte lipstick in "Wine Not", Mac eyeshadow and some others from my pallette, false lashes $2 from beauty supply store and L'Oreal HIP cream eyeliner in Navy

Product Review: Iman 2nd to None Luxury Radiance Liquid & Sheer Finish Bronzing Powder

So first of all. I love the texture of the 2nd to None Liquid foundation. It is weightless. I feel like I have nothing on...con: entirely too yellow for my Cool undertone. I used the match finder on Iman's website and it pointed me in the direction of the color Earth 1. This was supposed to be the conversion from my MAC NC50...hmm not so much! For the price point: about $14, I will make it work.

http://imancosmetics.com/face/liquid_makeup.php


The Sheer Finish Bronzer I actually got in the wrong shade. I purchased Clay and I should have gotten Earth, for that I think I will stick to my MAC Sunset Bronzer. It hasn't done me wrong in o ver a year. Overall, these products are great in quality and a good go-to when you have budget constraints!

http://imancosmetics.com/face/bronzers.php

Above: me wearing the products

My Review of Makeup Artist Brush Belt

Originally submitted at EyesLipsFace.com

The e.l.f. Makeup Artist Brush Belt is made of an easy to clean faux leather material. The belt has an array of interior nylon pockets varying in size to accommodate all brush sizes. The center pockets are also designed to hold mascara, eye pencils, lip glosses or any other slender makeup product...

Makeup Artist Brush Belt

Great Price for great product

By Cici Makeup Queen from NYC on 11/22/2010

5out of 5

Pros: One size fits most, Compact, Functional, Easy To Use, Great Design
Best Uses: Travel, Freelance MUA
Describe Yourself: Trendy Style

I am a freelancer who works for Benefit cosmetics and do work on the side myself and needed a professional belt that was cost effective, sleek, durable and easy to use. This belt fits all of the above! I am truly happy with my purchase and may order another as a backup! I was previously keeping my brushes in a roll which is great for home, but now when I go on jobs, this will be my go to!

(legalese)

More Pix after the jump:

Llego el Lunes

Wow! Monday again! So no word from Bank of America. Which is actually ok by me! I am applying for jobs in other arenas now: PR/marketing, beauty account exec, admin assistant, legal assistant. Anything that will be profitable and have normal hours!
I had an emotional breakthrough this weekend. I am so glad that I did. It brought me closer to someone and i think it's for the better. It is amazing how much sh!t a person can carry around with them for a lifetime or at least a major part of 22 years. Im ready to stop being a slave to my feelings and move on to a more emotionally sound and stable existence!
Freelancing is just going ok. I'm not happ with my sales, I don't think i have even hit goal yet :/ damn! I have been working hard, but i think i just need to change my approach around. next weekend I'm gonna bust my ass and hit that goal!
Hoepfully me and Poops can get to BK Children's Museum on Wednesday? I hope so!!!
Thanksgiving is Thursday! Wow! Where did this year go?

***Updates to come!

Mama the MUA goes to work!

Hey guys! So Poops and I didn't make it to the museum this week. We had some ridiculous apartment issues @ the beginning of the week that prevented us from doing so. Today I am working in HSQ @ Benefit and also next Fri and Saturday for the Black Friday rush/sales @ Macy's. I'm actually glad. Kinda sucks it's a weekend but oh well! There is money to be made and Mama needs to bring in the dough! :) Today's theme is old hollywood glam...i have the perfect look for that :) Liam is going to Gma #2 today!

Next week is Thanksgiving and I think me, Poops and Chris will all spend it together. I don't feel like really traveling around and making a big to-do about it! I will bake a cream pie, get a Rotisserie chicken, make sum fixins (lol) and call it a day.

Bought some awesome new hair stuff from Oyin Handmade for me and Poops. Very reasonable prices and $ well spent. I ordered a makeup brush belt from ELF Cosmetics and it will probably arrive today or tomorrow - but of course I won't be home if today! I also decided to finally try Iman cosmetics b/c I am in need of a new foundation...we'll see how it goes. I like the tones and texture (seemingly) of her products.

Xmas is right around the corner. I'm planning on buying Poops some clothes and a few books. For myself...I'm gettin diva'd out and treating myself to a new do' and maybe a pair of shoes :)

Poops & Mom Vs. World :)

Mua..bored strikes again! lol

Here is me in what I like to call "Enchanted Forest Smokey" :)

Cicely the MUA does Smokey

With all the free time I have been enjoying, here are the fruits of my intensive makeup artist labor:

my 1st professional attempt at classic black/grey smokey eye

midnight blue smokey

left eye

eyes primed with concealer and brows shaped

finished product: brows shaped, shadow/liner/mascara, lipgloss, foundation and bronzer

turqs and blue smokey-ish

Feeling Much Better Today!

Well I am much less frustrated than yesterday. I have plans for me and Poops to go to a museum next week. The 3 I have in mind first are all in Brooklyn: NY Transit, BK Children's and NY Aquarium. That's in order from least to most expensive :) But with all this free time, I need to take advantage of all the cultural stuff there is to do in NYC! Who knows when else I will get the time to enjoy things like this with Poops? So I am hoping to get to the Transit museum by next Wednesday and take lots of pics and post them here and facebook!

Fashion show is now slated for Fri, Dec 17 @ 8pm. Location to be announced. I'm excited. We have the music that we're walking to and we saw the materials for our dresses/outfits. Mama's excited!! :)

Job hunt has flatlined. No interviews or anything lined up. Waiting to hear final word from BOA.

Can't believe we move in about 3 months! Nuts! Liam's circumcision surgery is Dec 9! Coming up soon!

Keep you guys updated with anything else that is going on with us!

Annoyed & Overwhelmed

This is actually Thrs, November 11, 2010 :)

I will admit it...sometimes I look @ my life and wonder what the hell I got myself into?
#1 Being a single mother is NOT something I would EVER repeat. You could say I "knowingly" agreed to the situation, but I honestly used to think that people can change and do the right thing - yeah only if they want to. To each their own, but the stress especially at this point in my life is overwhelming. I don't even feel like myself anymore...I feel like the 20 year older version of...that has less to do with Liam and more to do with the fact that his father is a piece of s%*!, but that is another post for another day. I don't feel comfortable leaving Poops overnight and I don't think I can compromise that comfort to go out for a night on the town :/ So pretty much, since I havent been working, he and I are together ALL day and ALL night. And then I start to feel bad because I NEED a break. Just 1 day a week alone to think, do some soul searching and be myself - or at least try to figure out who the hell i am anymore. I wonder for other people is it hard to find the balance between who u used to be and now being someone's mom too? It's not as simple as I thought at the beginning :(

#2 I must have been smokin' crack - obvs not LITERALLY - when i REALLY thought that I could see where things could/would go with the guy mentioned wtf was I thinking? I'm leaving NYC in 3 months? Who knows if I ever will come back? I'd like to, I'm planning to, but who knows what will happen between now and  2012?!? Maybe I was just tired of being alone and not having someone to talk to and someone to relate to in a romantic way..idk...that's the strange part about me that is truly an Aquarian trait. I am an extrovert but I also need alone time. But I don't like to always be alone and when I feel a certain way, I feel it all the way. Example: When I am frustrated, i'm just outdone! When i'm angry, I am truly pissed. Sadness becomes almost like depression. So my emotions run pretty deep. But then again, i do know what I was thinking: I am almost 23 years old and I have a 13 month old baby, I have solid plans for my career and have a very clear sense of the direction I'd like my life to go in...maybe, just maybe I can be all the happy. Maybe I can have everything all at once. Great kid, great life and great relationship...apparently I asked for too much :/
--> i began to think deeper about this issue and get pissed off when having a conversation with dude and because we are not "together" and admittedly like each other, he called me his "special friend". i was offended because that just sounds sleazy imho. we're not sleeping together and this is not a friends with benefit situation....so im confused as to why that wld b the appropriate lingo? i told him look i'm not your SPECIAL friend, I'm just your friend, plain and simple. so no, we r not in a rela
--> then, right on the coattails of that conversation, we begin to talk about February - which is our birthday month,Valentine's day and the month I leave NYC...jokingly i told him i wanted something nice for V-day and it turns into him thinking i want something elaborate (i.e. $$$$) and i just got pissed b/c REALLY??!? REALLY? No asshole, let's try the good ol' i wld like to feel appreciated! ugggh bugger off!  if i was gonna date a guy for $, i wldnt b involved with the broke ass bastards i go for!!!

lmmfao i guess i will just find me a man in law school! hahahaha

Goals for 2011!

So with all this free time on my hands, I've really been able to sit down and sort things out in my oft-jumbled brain. I wrote my first poem at the tender age of 9 and when I turned about 14 began to get serious and write in my journal diligently and get more into poetry. My favorite subject in school has always been English and now with a Creative Writing degree, things along those lines seem to have fallen into place.

Currently I am working on my first manuscript of poetry to hopefully be published next year under a model buddy of mine' and her husband's company Bravin Publishing LLC. I like the message behind the company and what she and her husband stand for and I believe that their company is the appropriate channel in which to market my work.

So now adding another task to complete to my list...the goals for the end of 2010 and all of 2011 are looking like this:

1) study for LSAT independently --> take Powerscore course --> 170+ on LSAT
2) work on getting my first book of poetry published! :)
3) save $ & pay off c.c. debt
4) hit the gym and get into plus model shape! (goal = lose 75lb)
5) do freelance makeup work - but don't become an LLC - yet
6) apply for and get into l-school!

I have got my work cut out for me, but I ain't skurred! Bring it on!

Future Lawyer: My Law School List Revised

So I swear I am having deja vu writing this post...I think I posted it a week ago and then deleted it? yo no se! Anywho, here is the list of the propsective schools I am applying to. Yes, I won't be applying for another 10 months, but it is necessary for me to know my choices as thoroughly as I can down to programs offered, prices, distance from my family etc. Either way, I am going to be spending big bucks here.These are in no particular order:

Duke - would really like to go here. From what I read, they have great family services, on campus housing, cost of living is cheap and it seems to be a real sense of community. About 6-7 hours from KY.

Vanderbilt - another top choice. 4 hour drive from KY, but has a hefty price tag. Dubbed "Harvard" of the south.

UNC - Chapel Hill - imo opinion a great alternative to Duke

Harvard - A definite REACH, but I figured what the hell?! - would be awesome, but maybe not practical even if i got in! high cost of living and rent and who would watch Poops? i didnt read about on-site daycare facilities

Brooklyn Law - I'm still on the fence about this one. #1 PT or FT? - there is the option to go FT for the second yr and still finish in 3 yrs. This is a T2 school and while in NYC, in a great neighborhood, tuition price tag is around what you would expect but again the daunting cost of living in NYC...if only I could get one of those Summer jobs @ an NYC law firm paying $30,000!
          
NYU Law - wld be nice to get in and they have great dual program options, although I don't really think they have what I would like in a dual program
Fordham - Fordham  is #3 school in NYC, but doesnt fare so well nationally in rankings. It's another T2 close in rankings with the Univ of KY. I do like that the school is located near 59th street. They also have a great English M.A. program which is right up my writer's alley! So a dual degree is what I would do here. As we all know living in nyc is expensive enough without adding $50,000/yr + in law school debt!

UK Law - it's a good enough school, I just don't know if I can stomach KY living again! They don't have a dual M.A. program in what I would want (an MFA that is) - cheapest option

U of Cincinnati - great choice b/c it's close to family, but not in KY AND i can get in state tuition, not sure how i feel about their program overall - 2nd cheapest option

This is going to be a difficult decision no matter what. Let's just pray I get into a variety of schools so that my options are more open. I have to blow the LSAT out of the water! ALL the way! If I get to stay in NYC, it looks like Fordham & NYU are my top choices. Otherwise I would love Duke and Vandy. We shall see where I get in and let the fun begin!

Annoyed and Ready to Get My @$$ On to L-school

The prospects of me getting a job anytime soon are looking REALLY slim. My plan was to have landed a much better job back in August, be caught up with all my bills and breeze outta here in February...WOMP!WOMP! not gonna happen that way. It looks like I'm gonna have to use my hard earned tax return $ to pay off not only the remainder of my rent balance, but also my utilities, and the cost to move back to KY. This roughly translate to half of my tax $ gone :/. So I will have to put my Freelance makeup business on hold and look for a new job imme-jiat-ly upon arriving home, actually for like the whole month of January! :/

I am still glad I am waiting til Fall 2012 to commence law school, but I almost wish I could be starting next year. But I have to get my debt down or completely gone and I have to save $!!!! I'm just feeling really bummed lately :( Like wow I spent 4 years in college, through pregnancy, depression and the birth of my son and after all THAT, STILL can't find a job worthwhile that can sustain me and my son! This is why I have to work 10x harder. I will get 2 jobs to save the $ I need to and to pay off my debt. I want to be in the position where I can stop worrying about how the next bill is going to get paid or how I'm going to be able to afford to buy something I really need. :? Welcome to Adulthood...f--k this I wanna be a child again lol

Made my first Youtube Video Starring Me!!!

Happy, Healthy Liam!

Hey.

we had Poops' 1 Yr check up today. Everything is in good order. He is still in the 90th %tile for height and weight which is where he has always been lol. 30.5 inches tall, 27 lb. His eyesight is great, development is on track. He now has a new tooth. the 9th one and it's a top molar :) He didnt tell me about the new addition to his mouth lol. Circumcision surgery is scheduled for Dec 9. Around Dec 1/2, he goes back for 2nd series flu shot and MMR vaccine! :)

Maybe My Pimp Hand Ain't So Strong? & Unemployment Blues

So...I kinda like someone, but it's really not the right time for all that. He is a good person, but something in me fears that while I get my shit together/when I have my shit together, his still won't be...I honestly need a man that is on my level or already at the level I aspire to be! Is it so much to ask??? So maybe I won't be a hot shit lawyer lol for another 4-5 years, but by everything in me, I WILL get there. Hmm IDK, i guess que sera, sera and all that jazz!!! I want to be married BEFORE I'm 30, maybe have another kid or 2 and a career! Can i REALLY have it all?!?

Job news - Waiting to hear back from Bank of America for the PT Teller position - they are apprehensive about my long list of jobs ...well wtf? we live in NY muthafuckin city! lol I had to pay my own rent and bills and buy my own food through college and in order to finish in 4 years I had to find a job that accommodated ME, not the other way around...we shall see.
Benefit Cosmetics @ Queens center mall - Interview for Counter Manager position Wednesday @ 3pm...hoping to kick some ass and land it!It would be a FT position too.

Another month of rent creepin' up on me, I will soon owe for Oct AND Nov. Light bill needs to be paid and cable bill is looming...blah!