a bit of a hiatus.

... but i'll be back! wait for me.

blogger erased my follow list.

i was following a gazillion blogs and now i'm not. thanks a lot, blogger. %$*#!

i'll re-follow you. eventually.

rihanna gets waxed.

when i first peeped the picture of rihanna and her wax statue at madame tussauds in washington, dc, i thought it was a derek blanks alter ego shot. her statue just may be the cutest one yet. agree?

and why haven't i visited this wax museum yet? there's really no excuse being as though i'm only about 15 minutes away.

Share

photo source

istanbul's grand bazaar.

i'm now fixated on figuring out how me and the hubby can escape to istanbul. and soon. i read a post about the bargaining at the bazaar on fashionista and have been googling it ever since. i want to go!

wiki tells me that istanbul's grand bazaar is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world. it opened in 1461 and crosses 58 covered streets. it holds over 1,200 shops and attracts up to 400,000 visitors daily. (mental note: i've got to work on my patience in big crowds.) they sell jewelry, leather, pottery and spices - all organized by type.

almost every article i've read warns of the bargaining at the market. i'd definitely get some tips from hubby, he's got that down pact. vendors may give you a hard time if you don't like their price. one person's advice: ask for half the asking price. if they don't bite, walk away. they will follow you. maybe that's why i didn't do so well selling at a flea market a couple years ago. my books sold like hotcakes but when it came to some of the nicer stuff - it was like selling salt to a slug. i had a pair of almost brand new shoes of tye's. i was only selling them for 12. this guy walks over and wants then for 2. heck no! he walked away and those shoes ended up in the village thrift store.

so yes, istanbul has been added to the places to go list. what exotic geographic spots are on your list?

Share

slacking.

go on. issue me my citation for blog slacking. i plead guilty for light blog posts and an unannounced vacation from her steeze.

truth is although i've been neglecting my blog duties, i'm super busy on some initiatives outside of the blog. i've been working, working, working and of course sliding in a little play time, too. just a little. one thing for sure, hard work does pay off.

i will very soon return to my blogger responsibilities and you'll still see a few lazy posts until i do so. to my 30 something followers and those who drop in every now and then, hang in there with me. i shall return.

later.

a little monday motivation.

can't stand cats but i've always liked this image ... happy monday!

Share

i survived my first zumba class!

that's it. that's all.

oh, how do i feel? accomplished. total body workout. if you've been thinking about trying it - go for it.

"you like me ... right now ... you like me."

... in my sally field voice.

carmen from carmen's closet has blessed me with my first blog award - the sunshine award. i'd like to thank God, my momma ... no, but seriously, this made me smile. just yesterday, i was thinking about wrapping this blog up for good. wasn't sure if this thing was on *taps imaginary mic, exits left*. but i don't know, maybe i'll stick around a little longer.

thanks carmen. be sure to check her blog out; i've been following for quite some time now.

so there's rules to this. and i will oblige. here we go:

rules:
-put the logo on your blog in your post.
-pass the award onto 12 bloggers.
-link the nominees within your post.
-let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blogs.
-share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

i pass the sunshine onto:

1.alee from alee's perspective; 2.kim from black style central; 3.savonne from stylish curves; 4.god gives us strength; 5.amandita from done n done; 6.felicia from da lipstick bandit; 7.country girl; 8.janique from her goody bag; 9.la dolce vita; 10.design scene; 11.dirty flaws; and 12. felisha from gardening in stilettos.

be sure to check out their blogs.

our little bar.

complete with a tip jar ... tips appreciated.

no doubt, me and hubby's favorite happy hour spot

is in the comfort of our own home.

cheers!

size matters.

do you know your measurements? you should. last week i was ordering a bathing suit from an online shop that i'd never shopped at before. i'm typically an 8 but wasn't sure if their 8 was a normal 8, a small 8 or a big 8. so i took my measurements and added a note in my phone so i wouldn't forget.

use this handy dandy measurement guide to help you determine your numbers.

the most common measurements are bust, waist, & hips. pick up a measuring tape (you can get one pretty cheap at a fabric store), make sure the tape remains flat and measure (snug but not tight) as follows:

bust – measure around the fullest part of your bust while wearing a bra
waist – measure the narrowest part of your waist (a little above your belly button)
hips – measure the fullest part of your hips

you can also measure some of your best fitting clothes to get a sense of your appropriate measurements.

Share

i see vintage in a new house.

the move to the new house is coming, yawl. i'm claiming it. and at least once a day i daydream of how i will sprinkle vintage touches throughout the new construction. a pretty blend of vintage and contemporary ... well of course.

here are just a few vintage pieces on my wish list:

without a doubt, there will be a clawfoot tub somewhere in the new home. i absolutely love clawfoot tubs. my nana had one - i loved it then and i love it now.

a splash of color and an old school rotary phone. i've already copped about 2 of these.

yessirrr. i've been looking for one for a while now; i'll probably take it further back than the one pictured. complete with some classic albums.

nope, can't sew even a little bit. but that won't stop me from sitting one of these bad boys in the work room.

a vintage fan was not on my original list but i came across this photo from jollytimeone's etsy page and loved it.

and how sweet would it be to have one of these parked outside in the garage. vintage maserati ... so sweet i caught a cavity just looking at it. i wouldn't be able to stand myself with one of these! sigh. one can dream, right?

gone skiing.

today's my birthday. and we're off to the mountains to hit the snowy slopes. do some tricks on the skiis and all that. aww man, let me stop playing. yawl know i'm gonna be prancing around in a cute ski suit, sipping on some adult beverages and stuffing my face. and maybe spend a little time tubing and mobiling. no skiis for me. we're gonna have a blast.

it's hubby's b-day week too!

"rev his engine."

according to the winter 2010 issue of the nest, these 9 scents are sure to turn your boo on, or as they say "rev his engine." lol. their words, not mine.

popcorn

lavendar

vanilla

cinnamon

black licorice

pumpkin pie

orange

frankincense

donut

so there you have it, ladies. thank goodness for yankee candle, huh?

reader wants to know: re-gift a no or yes?

i don't get too many reader questions but every time i do i get hype. tish from out of dallas (what's up tish!) sent me an email simply asking:

it's the holidays. a sista's on a budget. is re-gifting acceptable?

well tish. first, thanks for your note. thanks for reading the blog. my answer for you is a firm:

hell yes.

yeh folks. don't let folks tell you otherwise. why be wasteful? if you can't do anything with it, why not pass it on to someone who can. times are hard on the boulevard. save a dollar and pass it on.

that's my opinion and i'm sticking to it.

amerie does honey mag.

check out amerie's interview and more of her fabulous pix over at honeymag.com:

z gallerie bottle stoppers.

cheers! crystal wine bottle stoppers.

thank me later for all these cute, inexpensive christmas gift ideas i'm giving you.

$16.95, zgallerie.com

zoe kravitz teams up with vera wang.

look who's the new face for vera wang's princess perfume:

kanyeezy's glow in the dark tour book.

necole bitchie posted some pretty cool pix out of kanye's new book: glow in the dark tour book. the book features raw pix of kanye and his celebrity friends and details his life on and off stage.

i fool with kanye. that's my boy.

here are a few:

oh rocsi.

honeymag.com interviewed your girl rocsi.

slide on over there to see the rest of the pix. rocsi irks me to the point where i usually have to switch the channel. but the spread is cute and the interview is pretty interesting. and of course i'm loving the acid washed shirt she has on in the above picture.

i miss you.

no, really, i do. and you'll never believe it. i'm having more problems with my laptop.

and i'm putting them on blast. toshiba! don't buy a toshiba laptop.

first my keyboard abruptly stops working. now my laptop just won't charge. cord looks fine but the thing won't charge. so last night, i realize my laptop's been plugged up but not charging. i have about 20 minutes of juice left so i decide to google "toshiba laptops charging problems." and look what we have here. several other folks complaining about the same thing.

i'm too through. they'll send me another one. yeh, but in 7-10 business days. bite me.

anyway, why am i sharing this long story with you? you guessed it. i'll be down for the next "7-10 business days" until they send me a new cord.

i'll then return. miss me. cause i'll miss you.

bisous.