Adele for Vogue UK

Adele is beautiful, not only beautiful but talented. Because she's not a size 4 she will never grace the fashion magazines like the other talent(less) singers and celebs....sigh...I had the pleasure of seeing her live back in 2008 and I will never be the same.

image source

Shine!!!!!!!

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." -Marianne Williamson

via Moptop Maven

I'm No Longer A Fraud

Last night, I had the pleasure of hearing a word that rocked me to my core. It was by Jesse Peterson, my pastor at Village Vespers (associate pastor at Neighborhood Church of Greenwich Village). I can't even put into words how it spoke to me. In the business that I work in (fashion) it is soooo easy to try to be someone else, to fit the ideas that people want to have of you or to even fit the mold for the job that you do. That was my main problem when I first started working in fashion: trying to be someone I was not. I can't even begin to imagine how much it grieved God that I was not happy with the person He made me to be and that I was trying to be someone else. It was like me telling God that He made a mistake when He created me this way. My new job has allowed me to be more like myself. I'm surrounded by people who love their job and love self-expression (did I mention that I work at my dream label?). I have to say that the one thing about realizing you're a fraud when you're a Christian is knowing that there is Someone that take over and handle it for you. I could say I don't know where I would be if I wasn't in the Lord, but that's not true: I would be dead, literally. But now I have someone who takes on my burdens, stress, pain, etc. and gives me strength, patience, love, peace, joy, etc. And believe me, in this business I need it. So, now that I'm no longer a fraud I have the freedom and the joy that comes with discovering who God intended me to be: and that's awesome. Be blessed.

I Am Not My Hair......I Am Not My Hair.........I Am Not My Hair.............

I found myself saying that over and over recently. It's been something I have been trying to avoid, but since I cut my hair off you can't really avoid a topic like that. Lol. I decided a couple of days before my birthday that I shouldn't have to try so hard, I should be me and make no apologies for it. I love dressing up, make-up, fashion etc. but I wanted to start wearing my hair natural. It was too much work keep my hair short and straight at the same time.....so a couple of days before my birthday I walked into my cousins' barber and told him to cut my pixie off.....it has taken me awhile to get used to it, but there's a freedom in having my hair cut off and natural. I can't wait until it starts to grow out. I'm still me (in love with fashion gowns, 1940's, Jane Austen, Katharine Hepburn, etc.) but I have grown into me.....if that makes sense. I think that when we try to fit into a mold of a type that has been accepted for years, we lose ourselves. I just want to me, and wake up every morning with no regrets but new plans because I lived my old ones yesterday. I want to look into the mirror and be grateful that God has made me this way instead of trying to find new ways to change myself so I can blend in more.....Sure, I stand out ( you can't miss the girl with the honey blond buzz cut, lol) but I now I make no apologies for it....Be blessed.

Be You.............

Quote Book

Crazy/Beautiful

"Everybody’s been there everyone’s the same

but mostly we don’t care isn’t that a shame
We bring us down face after face
the inside is beautiful but the outside we want to change.
We want to change.
Whoa you’re oh so beautiful, you don’t need anyone’s approval
You’ve got to believe in your self you know you are
You’re crazy beautiful"
-Crazy Beautiful, Chasen

I couldn't figure out what part of the song I wanted to quote so I quoted most of the song. I am seeing that this a constant issue: trying to be someone we're not; fitting the mold instead of being who God has intended us to be. It  must hurt God for us to tell Him you made a mistake when you made me. In the modeling business, I was a mess. I tried to lose weight, grow my hair out or cut it off, do this and do that and all it did was leave my empty and confused. I didn't find myself attractive when I reached a healthy size 4 and I wanted to be anyone but me. But when I hit 23 I realized that I couldn't change what was in me: a free spirited, fashion loving, curvy, Jane Austen addict, who wishes she was born in the 1940's. I like my gamine haircut and won't grow my hair out because that's what people want. I like funky things and different things; and if that makes me stand out so what? I won't blend in or fit the cookie cutter mold.  I am me; and I won't change for anyone..........

That being said, I absolutely love Jenna Lyons. She's the Creative Director for my guilty pleasure also know as J.Crew. She was snapped in Aspen by Garance Dore. She looked so effortlessly chic that it should be a crime, lol. Loving the Chanel bag.

images source: garance dore

My Very Own Doppelganger!

What is a doppelganger you ask? A doppelganger is a double or a look alike. That brings me to today. Today I saw a young lady dressed very similar to me. That happens right? Yeah, but it has come to the point when the situation is funny but not quite. The young lady wears her hair short like I do and I find that we have too much in common to the point where I don’t want to hang out with her because it wouldn’t be interesting. No offense. I like people who are unique; weird even. When you remind me of myself and it’s not a coincidence; we have a serious, serious problem. I won’t say where I see her, since I don’t want to hurt someone or make them uncomfortable but I don’t like when people can’t be themselves. If you keep following people and trends all your life you are letting other people and situations dictate yourself. I will say this quote again: “BE YOURSELF, EVERYONE ELSE IS TAKEN.” SMH. Be blessed.

I Am Me!

I realize that in my current situation I find it very easy to find fault in myself and think “I’m not pretty enough” or “I’m not good enough” but in this situation I remind myself that I am ME. I can’t be what people want me to be only who God made me to be. I will admit there are times when I wish I could change certain things about me but would I still be the same? Probably not. That’s why I have become happy and amazed that God has made me the nutsy, sarcastic, book worm that I am and I wouldn’t change it if I could.

The Ultimate Architect

My cousin was talking about a friend of ours and it dawned on me: Our friend is totally off! Lol, I am just joking but he was doing a lot of things that we couldn’t figure out what was his motivation. I started to think about me and how EVERYONE tells me that I’m a little off kilter; and my excuse is God made me so only He knows how I work. He has the blue prints. When we really think about it, God made each of us a certain way for His reason. God equipped each one of us with a particular ability to reach out and to accomplish His will in a way that no one else can. If we all could do the same thing how much fun would that be? God knew what He was doing when He made you YOU, so stop trying to be someone else.