#BlackGirlMagic

I'm not "pretty for a black girl," I'm just pretty, period.

Check out this article from one of my friends:

What a Black Girl Wants. Pretty or Just Pretty for a Black Girl: Why We're Tired.

“Essentially, the people giving out these 'compliments' are implying that black or dark girls on whole are typically unattractive and that the women whom they are attracted to are only beautiful because they have somehow managed to beat those odds of ugliness that come with having darker skin... It is more about the baggage we have had to carry in regards to being compared to and represented as hideous beasts. It is about the degradation we have faced and continue to face for the skin color that we were born with that has all these negative stigmas attached to it. It is about how this baggage is still evident in the 'compliments' littered throughout this article... 

I’m not ashamed of being black. In fact, being a black girl is pretty lit. We are not beautiful in spite of our blackness. We are beautiful period. The melanin is just an added bonus, an extra drop of sweetness if you will. Last time I checked, an extra dose of honey never hurt anybody."

In the words of Beyoncé, "I slay... all day."

Have a little time to read something else? Check out: There is Nothing Wrong With Black Girl Magic.

Music Friday~~~

HAPPY FRIDAYYYYYYYYY~~~

Get in your feels with Sia. Her album is great. Definitely different than her past works, but I still get the Sia chills. I love love love "Unstoppable."

Release your inner bad gyal with Rihanna. I am OBSESSED with "Work", but I think I'm going to have to go with "Desperado" for this week's song.

Celebrate yourself (and love #BlackGirlMagic and #BlackLivesMatter) with some Beyoncé and "Formation."

Y'all probably have been jamming out to these 3 wonderful women, so here's a more inconspicuous list of songs you totally need to check out:

1. "Figure Me Out" The Summer Set
2. "Hundred Miles" Yall
3. "History" One Direction
4. "Once Upon a Time" Mariahlynn
5. "I Wanna Get Better" Bleachers

The Artist(s) of the Week... Sia, Rihanna, and Beyoncé because I'm feeling #GirlPower today!

I Love Myself: Don't Judge Me By My Exterior

Being black in a historically white sorority (NPC) is no walk through the park.

Pretty much missing the whole junior class and absent seniors, nbd.

"Why did you even rush one of those?" "Why didn't you choose a historically black sorority (NPHC)?" "Do you like white people more than black people?" "Is there no love for your brothas and sistas?" "How can you be around that lifestyle all the time?" "Don't you feel weird being the only black?" "Do they make you answer questions on behalf of the whole black population?" "Aren't they racist?" "Do the white guys only talk to you because you're black?"

............ What? ............

I usually brush off the questions because, in my opinion, they are silly questions because the people asking me these questions do not know me nor do they deserve an explanation of my choices. I'm not saying your questions aren't valid, because they definitely are, but so are my feelings and choices.

"Don't you feel weird being the only black?" No, obviously not, or I wouldn't have joined or I would have dropped. That's an obvious answer. By asking me questions like that (in a critical and judgmental tone as opposed to general curiosity), I feel as if you are attacking not only my personal identity but my commitment to my own race.

But the other day, I got rattled when asked a question along those lines by someone who I had considered a friend. The tone was not friendly. The tone was not curious. The tone was so judgmental, critical, and negative that I truly had to fight back tears. I was especially hurt because he and I work together in leadership positions in a black organization on campus.

The insinuations made by this friend made me feel like a bad black, especially in the face of all that has been happening. I was just so distraught. I wanted to sit my friend down and explain my life choices as to how I decided to go NPC instead of NPHC. The main reason? A personal sexual assault from a member in NPHC and then the response/"advice" I had gotten from other female members in NPHC and the black community. I understand the need to protect each other, but a crime is a crime. I wanted to press charges but the older members made me feel guilty for possibly sending one of our own to jail. (Side note: I have so many feelings about this that it warrants a separate post.)

I did not want to be in an organization like that. Now, this is not to say that all black communities are like this or even the people that compose of it, but this experience that happened to me on my campus was the main reason I decided to not seek out more about being in NPHC and the black community on my campus.

On this note, I'm not saying the NPC and IFC (historically white fraternities) are better, but I had not been personally victimized and all of my closest friends from freshman year were rushing. Also, it just seemed like the thing to do. Growing up affluent, a lot of people went NPC and IFC, even some of the black men and women who came back to talk to us about their college careers. A couple also went NPHC. I was open minded when I first started school, but things happen... Anyways, I decided to give it a try and found a home in my diverse and inclusive sorority in NPC. Sure, it was a gamble, but the conversations I had with the people I talked to went past the superficial and I really enjoyed the honest and open dialogue. Small talk is not my thing.

Just a couple of the people I call my sorority sisters in my pledge class.

And yes, I pointed out diverse and inclusive because I really think it is. We are the melting pot sorority and I love it. I'm not going to say that we are all perfect, but the ones I've gotten to know are amazing. They write open letters talking about what it means to be inclusive and diverse within a sorority. They go to protests for #BlackLivesMatter and they understand the need for it over #AllLivesMatter. They come over when I make my Haitian food. They ask questions about the difference between black and African American. These people whom I call my sisters are open-minded and progressive.

They are future political scientists, economists, psychologists, doctors, lawyers, and human rights activists (this is a non-exhaustive list because these people are so cool) who understand the black struggle and try their hardest to integrate that mindset before they speak. I'm not saying all sororities are like this (because if they were, would people still attack me for my choices?) but mine is--and that is why I joined. 

I love myself. I am pro-black. I might not "look" as pro-black as Malcolm X or a couple of the people on campus, but I know that I am pro-black. Just because I go around wearing hair extensions and the letters of a historically white sorority does not mean that I am not pro-black and it definitely does not mean I wish I were white. Just because I am not a part of the overarching black community does not mean that I am not pro-black. I joined a small subsection because I felt as if their objectives and my needs meshed better. Just because I do not fit your vision of what it means to be pro-black does not mean that I am not pro-black. I love myself. I love my skin. I love my Caribbeans, my Africans, my Americans, my darker-skin friends and my lighter skin friends, my Afro-Latinas... I love my blacks. 

SOCA (Students of the Caribbean Association) Executive Board

But I digress... I just cannot wrap my head around the accusations that my "friend" had said to me. See how we went from friend to "friend"? If my "friend" had really known me, would this person have attacked me in this way? 

Before I felt as if it wasn't my place to explain my choices and maybe that's part of the problem. Maybe the dialogue has to go both ways. If you attack my beliefs and my personal identity, then I will gladly inform you on why you're wrong about me.

2016 is not the year for me to sit back and let people make assumptions while I keep my mouth closed.

Although, if you are my "friend" and think these things about me, then we really aren't friends and I would just be wasting my time trying to change it otherwise. But as long as you're inquiring, I'll happily answer.

Back to Reality

But do you want to know what they don't tell you?

Let's say you shoot for the moon and you land among the stars... Good for you! You reached so high, past where you thought you can go. And even if you didn't reach the moon, you still made a goal that was out of this world. Seriously, good for you.

Now let's just say you shoot for the moon and you don't land among the stars... Yeah. That fall back to earth? Good luck. It happens, it really does. Not everybody lands among the stars.

The point here is to not dissuade you from reaching higher than what you believe your potential to be, rather it is to breathe a little bit of reality into you. The higher you reach, the bigger the fall (unless you have that extraterrestrial safety net.)

I'm a romantic. I'm quixotic. I'm a dreamer. Realism is not my thing. Practicality is not what I'm known for.

This whole law school application game has got me feeling lower than I ever have. Being dosed with a splash of reality is like being launched into the deep end of a freezing ocean.

I'm scared. I'm drowning. I feel as if I'm alone with no help line.

I'm just wondering where I went wrong and whether or not I'll be able to swim...

Or sink.

Music Monday!

Don't get your hopes up and don't hold your breath. I know I am very on top of my posting game as of recent, but what's a second semester senior supposed to do instead of obsessing over law schools?

Also, snow days. My ass and couch have been getting to know each other quite intimately over the past couple of days. No need to get up except for food and water.

Side bar: Have you seen The Following? It's so damn good. Unfortunately, it's horror (but not in a slasher type way, more so thriller) and a little bit psychological and filled with a lot of crime. It's amazing. Good job, Kevin Bacon and James Purefoy. The acting is phenomenal, in addition to the cinematic elements and storyline.

Anyways, I added some new songs to #MusicMonday!!!

So how the Music Monday tab will go, I will probably just keep on listing my favorite songs and videos, leaving you to explore the full playlist on your own.

1. "Fire Meets Gasoline" Sia
2. "Hold Back The River" James Bay
3. "Nothing But Space" Keys N Krates

Artist of The Week: Sia. 

Sorry, damn blogger won't let me properly embed videos that aren't YouTube hosted........ So I couldn't put the official music video, that is hosted by Vevo. So, here's the audio.

On a positive ending: God, bless her vocals. I need them to sing at my weddings, for reals. 

Law Schools, Flaw Schools

I'm ripping my hair out... And I literally can, seeing as I am wearing hair extensions. That would actually suck, so I am not literally ripping my hair out.

But I am going crazy. Extremely.

If you can guess the topic of this post, it's about law schools!!! Now I have no idea whether or not they are flawed since I am not on the law school side, but I can still make broad assumptions via my experiences and thorough stalking on law school forum boards.

I'm not here to point out law school flaws, per se, but I am here to complain about my experiences, thus far.

Actually, not even really.

I just wanted to complain about law schools. Can somebody please decrypt the whole law school admissions process? That'd be so clutch. And why can't they tell you what part of your application wasn't strong enough when they reject you? That shouldn't be too hard if they truly, even if they do have internal number cut offs.

I'm a little bitter because got rejected at my ED school, but life goes on.

So, I'm currently waiting for the stream of rejections to roll in.

I sent in my applications early. If you don't want me, save me the despair and reject me now.

If you do want me, save me the despair and accept me now.

If you're confused about me, hey--I have an idea: offer me an interview!

It's truly not that hard, in my head.

But, alas, I am the one clacking away on my keyboard while they are the ones who are actually reading thousands of applications--so who am I to judge?

Maybe, if I ever get accepted to law school, I'll become a judge after I become a lawyer so that way when somebody is like "Who are you to judge?" I'll just be like "Well, I am a judge and that is my job."

In the meanwhile, enjoy this picture of my dog. She's living the life, while I'm not-so-awkwardly snowed in with 3 inches of snow... Southern schools confuse me. She's actually snowed in because at home, there is almost 3 feet of snow. That's a reason to cancel stuff.

Stay warm, Chessie, stay warm.

About Me!

If you've ever checked out the "About Me" tab, you know how much I enjoy those Tumblr/MySpace type surveys. For the site I write for, I have to go on 7 dates from 7 different dating apps, so I mastered the "About me" in a couple of sentences. I'm listing some of the things I put on the different apps. I pretty much used the same fun facts and pictures across the different apps, but I was pretty creative for the first two apps.

Here are some of the fun facts I used (obviously I didn't disclose all of this information)...:

1. I'm obsessed with my dog. Like seriously.
2. I call myself a poser paleo eater because I eat goat cheese, gluten free pizza crust, and potato chips.
3. I like fantasy RPG games.
4. I'm a Political Science major.
5. If you ask me what I'm doing next year, I will yell internally. 
6. I like planned spontaneity. I like to be surprised from a list of options that I have already pre-approved. Every now and then I enjoy true surprises, but rarely.
7. I have 30 or so unpublished and unfinished stories sitting on my computer.
8. I will probably never, ever finish them.
9. I have a weak spot for tater tots.
10. I really want to start a Green Smoothie Cult. Please message me for details.
11. I really wish I can answer "Glitter and sequins" when people ask me to list my favorite colors.
12. I aspire to own a hospital.
13. I also want to be a US Senator.
14. I genuinely enjoy water as a drink.
15. I prefer high quality 1-ply toilet paper.
16. I like to pretend I model and I have impeccable taste in fashion.
17. I waist train occasionally. I got bruises from it.
18. I've never had a sober kiss before. 
19. Or a sober sexual interaction.
20. I really want twins.
21. If kids are coming out of my body, it's happening before 32, with or without a man.

Here are my three favorite pictures that I used:

When the article is published, I'll make sure to upload it here and give you guys the behind the scene details :).

Music Monday, Remastered

So I have officially switched over to Apple Music and I love it. Mostly because my dad is paying for it. Unfortunately everybody and their father is using Spotify, just like everybody and their mother all have FitBits while I just got the Apple Watch.

Greaaaatttttt.........

I'm really not sure how Apple Music works with shareable playlists, but I'll still be sharing it.

I'm probably ditching the weekly 15 songs, because that's just a lot of commitment and for anybody who gets my notifications, you know how I am when it comes to commitment. But at least once a month, I'll update you with some of my favorites and I'll add the playlist link. I also probably won't have a new playlist once a month but I also won't be adding like 15 or so songs a week.

As you already know, I've been binge listening to Børns, especially his acoustic stuff. I can't even apologize for an overload of his music, but for the sake of expanding both of our musical horizons, I'll limit him and other artists in my playlist.

The first playlist is up: #MusicMonday

These are my Top 3 songs:

1. "10,000 Emerald Pools" Børns 
2. "Free ft. Emeli Sandé" Rudimental
3. "Foreigner's God" Hozier

I really truly cannot wait to see him live. My day will be made.

Happy (Belated!) New Year!

Let's push past the "I'm so sorry for never posting!" crap because I feel like I start every prolonged post with that.

I made my New Year's Resolutions though!

Can you guess them?

If you guessed that I would force myself to post to this blog, you're half right! Let me explain...

I'm going to write this year. Write, write, write, write, write, write! What am I going to do? WRITE! My blog, random reflections, for HerCampus, stories... I want to set aside at least thirty minutes a day to writing while there is no TV in the background.

My other resolutions though...

• Running. I should get back to that. I have the clothes, the sneakers, and the Apple Watch. I am going to go running.
• Dynamic Cardio. Like zumba. At least once a week.
• Toning. Pilates. I'm taking a class for that for credit. But I need to make sure to upkeep it during the summer and next year! I already took a class. My obliques were ON FIRE. I loved it.
• Cooking. Two new recipes per month. That's my goal.

Well, yeah, that's really it. I hesitate to call them "Resolutions" because they're things I already do, I just want to hold myself accountable to them.

I should probably do better on my money spending habit.

Eh.

In the meanwhile, please listen to this. I'm seeing Børns next month. I liked him but then I started LOVING him. Now I'm slightly obsessed with him. I have listened to these 2 songs about 20 times each just today.

Seriously obsessed... Actually, all I did today was listen to acoustic music from a couple of my favorite bands and artists: Walk the Moon, Hozier, Sam Smith, Adele, Imagine Dragons, and Børns obviously. Hope you like the two songs!

7 Things I Want To Do Before I Graduate

I'm over New Year's Resolutions. I never do them anyways. So I decided to think of a couple of things I want to personally do before I leave my wonderful university! Because if I don't do it in college... when will I ever do them? Summer? HAH RIGHT. I am currently a living, breathing example of trying to be proactive during the summer: I DID NOTHING.

I seriously told myself that I would be productive. I guess I finished Netflix shows and I lost some weight and I did healthy things, but let me be productive to society. My couch has seen enough of my butt for years to come.

1) Get Into Law School
Because the Lord and I both know that if I get rejected this time around, I'm just calling quits forever. Although this one has lots of many mini sections like taking the LSAT, writing my personal statement, and filling out my damn applications. But I'll lump them into one.

2) Visit Multiple Local Eateries
Chains do not count (unless they're only pertinent to this location!) I'm in a place with lots of cute food places. Let me check them out! Seriously, if I don't do these while I'm here in college... I have no idea when the next time I'll be back. Homecoming? Sure but will I really be up to eating at new places? Probably not.

3) Go Adventuring
Because my butt and my couch need a break... Let my cute butt visit a quarry or some mountains. Or, we can start small and go visit the gardens first. Baby steps.

4) Say Yes More
Not like "Yes Man" the movie. But I'm just going to be more open to different possibilities. Dinner? YES. Lunch? YES. You're paying? Double triple YES. Girl I rarely remember from freshman year wants to reconnect? YES. Tinder date? YES. Party? YES. Adventuring? YES. Mountain climbing? ........... YES *but actually crying.* If I'm not doing anything, then why not? Like I said, my butt and my couch need a break.

5) Be More Simple
I threw away like 75% of my clothes. I want to downsize and play with basics. I'm pretty. Let my face do the talking and let my clothes and makeup complement it. Also, who has time for drama? Not me. Who has time to get angry and over analyze things? I apparently do all the time, but I don't want to anymore. Let's strike that.

6) Publish Something
iBooks, Kindle, Amazon Books, Google Books, whatever. I just want to publish one of the stories I am trying to write. I've published articles but now I want to upgrade.

7) Lose Weight and Do Me
I'm getting there, guys, I'm getting there. Goal weight is like another 30 pounds by graduation! (And 40 pounds by law school next year.) It's tough, but I'm getting there!

Music Monday

Well, lookie here... I'm trying to think of the most effective way to lay out my Music Mondays. I can't redirect you to my Spotify playlists anymore, but that doesn't mean Music Mondays are over! I think for now I'll just do the same format for my Monday posts (top 3 songs), but on the Main Tab, I'll just keep on adding to make a larger list of all of the songs.

So without further ado...

1. "All My Love (ft Ariana Grande & Machel Montano) [Remix]" Major Lazer.

Oh. My. God. As much as I do not particularly enjoy Ariana, THIS SONG IS SO GOOD. I cannot sit still whenever I play it. It's crack.

2. "Cool for the Summer" Demi Lovato

DON'T BE SCARED CUZ I'M YOUR BODY TYYYYYYYYPPPPPEEEEEE 

3. "Mercy" Muse

This whole album is just soooooooo good. Plus this song is 100 when you're driving with the windows down. *so badass.*

MIA Update

As I'm sitting at my internship, freaking out on some caffeine, I thought to myself "WOAH I STILL HAVE A BLOG." I have semi-valid reasons for not updating it, I really do.

• Music Monday: So I started Apple Music and it's wonderful but I'm *so lazy* that I haven't really been keeping track of what I've been listening to except my Of Monsters and Men, Mumford and Sons, AWOLNation, and Years & Years radio. 

• Paleo Kitchen: I swear I'm still paleo. I just haven't made anything pretty yet. But I made three awesome recipes: Coconut Craisin cookies and Goat Cheese Avocado Pasta Sauce and Dip. I'll make them really pretty and take pictures and tell you how I made them and all will be right with the world.

• Life: So I started NCIS on Netflix and I'm sure you'd love to hear ALL ABOUT IT, right? No. I swear all I do is sit on my couch and watch Netflix and make food. I would love to tell you about the packing I've done, the self-actualization I've been doing, and the studying for my LSAT, but I haven't started those. 

But then I realized, I created this blog for me and to express myself and to be me. And I've been neglecting that. So, let's try a Looking Forward for the week...

• Working Out! I haven't done physical activity in like a week. I blame my period but also that's a lame excuse for me since I only have slight cramps and muscle aches which I know can be alleviated with some exercise if I ever feel like I want to get up and do it.

• Noveling: The art of writing a novel. So I have commitment issues. I can never commit and finish a story I start. So, I decided to start smaller and write a short story. I'm on chapter 3/7. I can do this. Thanks, Shia.

• Packing: I am leaving home IN A WEEK (to go to the beach.) I have not yet packed. I am getting rid of all clothes that I have not worn in a year. This will be painful. I found a skirt I had from the NINTH GRADE. Yellow plaid double buckle drop waist pleated skirt, straight out of the "How To Be Emo 101 In High School" guide book.

• Discipline: I will work out and I will train myself to do it everyday.

• LSAT: At least 30 minutes a day. I can do this, right? My test is October 3rd... Actually, send help. I can't do this.

• Music Monday: I'm going to find cool tunes. It won't be via Spotify anymore since I've switched to Apple Music, but if I make the switch back to Spotify,  I'll definitely let you know!

• Writing: I AM AN AWESOME WRITER. I'm going to start hyperlinking to some of the articles I've written. They're about Beauty but still. They're awesome. 

• Me: There is nothing wrong with watching Netflix.

• Friends: I made so many plans to hang out with people this week. I'm laughing because I hate making plans to hang out with people. I'll commit to them and be friendly and stuff. 

Like I said though, I have commitment issues, so we'll see, we'll see.

My First (College) Love

Being in love SUCKS. Unrequited loved SUCKS MORE. And being thrown off of a cliff would probably SUCK THE MOST. So, let's start this post with some optimism: At least I have never been thrown off a cliff before :).

I try to do the "tough girl" act as if I don't have feelings. Some people believe it until they get to know me and they know how much of a softy I really am. I love puppies, babies, my puppy, my future babies, wine, cooking, and making stuff. This is in addition to my love of makeup, beauty, and clothes.

I swear I wasn't always tough. Some assholes and ex-friends had to go and break my heart. So then, I get upset and I fix myself back together with the intent of not letting anybody break my heart again. Guess what happens? Yeah, yeah, yeah, please I'll take the tissue you're about to offer me *sniffle sniffle.*

So I get to college and I think "Not this time, I swear."

Logically, it happens.

I met this guy... thinking about our history makes me want to cry and throw my laptop at his head. We never dated, which is probably what makes things worse, but I considered him one of my best friends. I'm wary on posting this because I'd probably rip my heart out if he saw this, but I also just need to talk about it because I'm about to go "let me watch horror movies, anti love movies, eat all the food in the world, and cry about boys" mode and for the love of all the body progress I've been making (and the fact that this would not be healthy for anybody I would manage to rope in,) I decided to write about it.

I really want to write about every single memory I can remember, but I think I've tortured myself enough by replaying them countless times.

I don't know, guys, he was kinda perfect for me, or at least I thought so. We had comfortable silences, I loved just watching him, he was there when I needed him, he was (disturbingly) funny (in his own ways,) and he was just a good person. And when we hugged, OH MY GOD, it was as satisfying as placing the missing puzzle piece in an almost finished masterpiece. Such a lame analogy, but that's how I felt.

Then, something happened. I don't know what. I have my guesses and theories, but I just don't know. We stopped being friends. To me, it felt extremely abrupt, as if somebody (him) just snapped our connection, not even in half, but just on his side, leaving me with all these painful memories. And do you know what's funny? The minute I felt our friendship die, his twitter profile picture (it was us, the cutest picture of us EVER) was changed to one of just himself. LAME.

I should show you the Twitter picture because it was really the cutest picture ever (he even said it was one of his favorites AND HE HAD IT SAVED ON HIS DESKTOP)... But for the sake of his privacy, let's not.

So, I really don't know what went wrong. Was it me? Was it him? Was it an outside force? I know I could just ask him but let's be real about how the convo will go.

Me: "Hey... So... Why did we stop being friends?"
Him: "I was busy. We should catch up."
Me: "Awesome, okay."

And then we catch up and that's the extent of our conversation. I mean, I could always be like "I LOVED YOU WHAT HAPPENED!" But in what world has that ever turned out okay for anybody?

Yeah, thought so.

I can assure you... After him, nobody has entered my heart as he did. I keep guys away at arm's length, like back at my middle school Catholic school dances. I barely even give friends a chance. I'm all messed up but I made a promise to myself to be more open this upcoming school year, so we will see how that goes.

Paleo Kitchen: Trail Mix

I don't know why I felt the need to make a post on this, but I really did feel obliged to do so. When I created this, I could have sworn I discovered fire (or somebody's mixtape hahaha.) Like, who knew trail mix was so easy to make? NOT I. Actually, I was never a big fan of trail mix anyways soooooo...

I was starving at my friend's house and she had trail mix and I was like "I CAN ONLY EAT THE CASHEWS AND RAISINS." And she was like "Why don't you make your own?" And I was like ":O."

So I did. I made some trail mix and I put it in a bowl so that I can snack on it during the work day! I'll give you a place to begin, but it's so much fun to experiment!

Trail Mix

Ingredients

• 1 ounce cashews (~16 pieces)
• 2 ounces almonds (~32 pieces)
• 1 ounce organic unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1/2 ounce 100% cacao chips

Instructions

• Mix them together
• Eat over the course of a day
• :D

Like, this looks goooooooodddd. Next time, I'm going to add some raisins or dried cranberries. Maybe some other dried fruits. It needs some sugar to pick me up. But I make this for work 1-2 times a week and I'll eat a little every 30 minutes or so to keep me not hungry :).

Lost Connections: Mystery Man

I brought along my laptop to vacation because I was determined that I was going to keep you guys updated about my time in Europe.

Then I got there and yeah, well, no. It's not that I didn't want to, but my day to day was not nearly as exciting as I thought it would be.

Unfortunately I did not meet an international popstar in Italy or my doppelgänger. Plus, nobody gave me a hunkin' huge piece of cheese.

Nor did I want to constantly complain about my parents and talk about the history I do not know about the monuments we visited, so I decided to scrap the project.

But then I met a guy... I'm laughing because if you personally know me, my greatest/weirdest/most WTF stories usually involve one of two elements: boys or alcohol. Some stories involve both and it is just too much to handle, for reals.

So I met a guy. HE WAS PERFECT (for a short term fling while on vacation.) He said he graduated from Columbia University in NYC on a basketball scholarship. Then he said he was going to Columbia Law to study international and maritime law. Normally, I don't usually question what people tell me unless they have a reason to lie. I really don't think I'm a person who looks like I need to be impressed by big names: heck, people still think I'm in high school! And it's not like where I told him where I go to school, so it's not like he needed to up me. I guess you can be whoever you want to be on vacation, but if you're going to be somebody else, you should do some research.

First rule of tall tales: make sure it can't be easily falsified. Easy google search of his name, Columbia, basketball roster turned up nothing. Like, absolutely nothing. I don't normally stalk guys on Google unless I want something more than a one week fling, but his story just wasn't adding up. I go to a school that incites some serious reactions from people. I don't know why, it just does. So when I eventually told him where I went, he was like "Oh. Where's that? Oh. Okay......?"

Yeah, no, huge red flag right there.

For the sake of his attractiveness, the fact that (some) intellectual things actually came out of his mouth, and his hips moving in a godly way, I ignored this first red flag and continued pursuing him. Nothing happened between us (because I'm lame and do a thing where I avidly avoid people.) But then after our second encounter and another red flag (the fact that he said he studied political science but didn't know Obama was in his second term... dude) I made my friends investigate. When they turned up nothing, I became rly 'spicious.

Part of me was like "HE SKETCHY HE A SERIAL KILLER HE SHADY SHIT" but the other part of me was like "This guy who looks extremely attractive with a body of 8/10 and amazing dance moves is talking to ME." So I pushed things away because a hot guy was talking to me.

You know, I should really work on my self-confidence. What if he preys on girls who think less of themselves like me and then kills them? If I had died, I would have wanted Keke Palmer or Gabrielle Union to play me in the Lifetime movie.

Even with all these red flags, I was still kinda infatuated by him. At the moment, I was not 100% sure he was lying. It wasn't until I did my own research (because my friends didn't know what he looked him) that I was like "THAT DIRTY LIAR." Yet, still, he continues to be on my mind, as made evident by the fact that I am writing a blog entry about him.

So, if you know this man, please let me know. I have a few words I'd like to tell him.

Paleo Kitchen: Fried Cauliflower Rice

This shit ain't pretty, but it's yummy, so that's truly all that matters in this case.

I have HATED cauliflower up until I went paleo. Now, I tolerate it, but I can only do so if it is prepared well. So, I decided to make some fried rice with it. It was a little bit soft, but I'll work on that. If you decide to make this and you have tips, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. Kk, thanks.

Cauliflower Fried Rice 

Ingredients (for 3-4 people)

• 6 ounces of organic mixed veggies (mine have corn, peas, beans, carrots, but you can usually whatever you want. My mother likes it with lima beans and broccoli. Low-key, I'd rather starve than eat those. YUCK.)
• 1 cup uncooked cauliflower rice (made by shredding a cauliflower)
• 1 chicken breast, cooked, cut into small cubes
• 1 chicken sausage link, cooked, cut into small pieces
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1 ounce onions
• Sea Salt
• 1-2 tbsp tamari sauce
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp olive oil 

Instructions 

• Heat up 1 tbsp of olive oil in a wok on medium heat
• Add the garlic and the onions and let cook for 3-4 minutes
• Add the mixed veggies and let cook for 3 minutes.
• Then add the chicken breast and sausage. 
• Sprinkle some salt.
• Push to one side of the wok and scramble your eggs on the other side. You want your eggs to be cooked and then cut into smaller pieces before mixing it with your stir fry.
• Add a tablespoon of the tamari sauce and then remove the stir fry mixture and place on a plate or in a bowl.
• Heat up another tbsp of olive oil before adding the cauliflower rice. Add some salt. Cook for 4-5 minutes.
• On high heat, add a tbsp of tamari sauce and mix until the rice is a light brown.
• Add the stir fry and mix until it looks even.
• Cook over high heat for another minute or two, making sure to keep on mixing it every now and then.

Look. Yum. It's comfort food,  but it's made out of organic food and cauliflower.

:D

Paleo Kitchen: Avocado Egg Basket

Ask anybody... I am NOT partial to avocados. I usually skip the guac unless it is just filled with parsley, cilantro, tomatillos, and onions. Also, I need like 500 chips for an ounce of guac. And I just don't eat avocados. And that was just because I didn't know how to eat them.

Did you know that they taste good with eggs? I didn't. Good for you if you did. I stumbled upon a recipe where you crack an egg into the avocado and bake it. I tried that. It failed miserably. I won't even entertain you with pictures of the horrid attempt. So I scratched that and tried something else (because for some reason I was gung ho on eating an avocado.)

I scrambled the eggs and avocado together and it turned out PERFFFFFect.

This recipe is great for doing things on the run. Mix it, pop it in, go do something else, come back to it, and eat it.

 Avocado Egg Basket 

Ingredients (for 2 people)

• 1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp goat*, almond, or coconut milk
• Sea salt
• Parsley

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
• Scrape out the avocado meat (do we call it meat?) into a bowl. You don't have to fully scrape it out. I find that leaving a thin layer makes the dish very good.
• Mix in the eggs, milk, salt, and parsley (and whatever spices/meats you like!)
• Make sure the mixture is not too chunky (I usually use an electric blender)
• Then pour the mixture back into the avocado shell. You will notice that you have leftover... At this point, I usually transfer it to a tiny oven safe dish or a cupcake tinfoil (great way to make portable egg muffins!)
• I put the avocado in a bread loaf pan because it allows the avocado to stand up well without falling over. And then you can place the tinfoil in there too!
• Then I let it bake for 15-20 minutes.
• After removing it, I topped mine with shredded ham and shredded goat* cheese.
• Enjoy ;).

I'll usually take a shower in those 15-20 minutes and then come down and eat my breakfast. Yum. I say 2 people because 1 avocado basket and then part of the egg muffin with a glass of coconut milk and a side of fruits usually does the trick for me. Other times I just eat both baskets and give the extra eggs to my brother who eats it with his gluten-free bread and milk. It's up to you and your appetite!

I wonder what else I can bake my eggs in...

*Goat milk isn't paleo but it is primal and I use raw, organic, grass-fed goat milk. It has a strong taste but it complements eggs so wonderfully in my opinion! My brother drinks it regularly, but I'll only use it in my eggs. I found unflavored almond or coconut milk works well to give the eggs a good milky flavor :).

#TBT: The Time I Had Clubbing Withdrawals

I kind of miss the #TBT Thursday series, but I never updated them anyways, so definitely not worth it. If I can get enough #TBT posts, maybe I'll restart the tab :).

So this past weekend, I went to see The Maccabees in concert and then went to UltraBar with my friends.

It was "disgustingly fun." That is the word I've been using to describe my night to anybody who asked (or didn't ask. I like to keep people updated on my life whether they ask or not.)

First off, I was looking fleekish AS HELL (do you think people will still say on fleek, fleeky, fleekish, etc in the future? Probably not.)

Like, I was looking gooooddddd. Black short sleeve crop top from Wet Seal and white floral skort from Kohl's. Y'all didn't know me in my less toned days, but I came a long way from starting paleo and doing cardio at least 3 times a week a month ago! I fucked up my lashes when I first put them on (as evident in the left eye), but I fixed them and added some lipstick.

Like, I kinda look sweaty, but I still look 100%. That red lipstick is life. I wear it with everything. I call it my neutral lip. It's NARS Audacious Lipstick in Charlotte ($32.) I've never used a lipstick more lavish and amazing before in my life. End of story. If you get anything from this post, get the lipstick.

So my friend and I ventured out to DC to go see The Maccabee's, a British rock/alternative band. We left late but we caught half their set.

The bassist to the far right is super cute in a tall, dark, classic way. The drummer (not pictured, sorry baby) is also super cute in a blonde, blue-eyed, tall, preppy but I wear straight skinny jeans instead of khakis and chinos, way. They were goooooddd. But then the set ended at like 9:30.

We were in DC at 9:30 pm. The Pride Parade was going on that day so there were a bunch of people in the streets. We still had no idea what to do. So, I texted my friends who were in DC to see what they were up to. THEY WANTED TO GO CLUBBING #YES.

Now if you know me, you know I frequent Shooters a lot. If you don't know me, you have no idea what I just said. I like to go to Shooters, a Western style club/bar. It's "disgustingly fun." I'm telling you, this is a great adjective to use all the time. Now, I like to say that I dislike Shooters, but deep down, there's a place in my heart for it. One thing I knew to be true, I need to get my fix of dancing and sweating with friends and guys trying to buy me drinks. I never realized I missed it until I missed it.

SOOOO We went clubbing #YOLO.

Look, my girls and I are fleekish. ALSO LET'S TAKE THIS TIME TO LOOK AT MY BODY. IT's shaping up and I am so happy *tear face happy face*. I am wearing a CROP TOP because my abs are on 90%. They aren't 100 yet, but they look good in a crop top, so that's all that matters now. Plus, my boobs are looking 100. Like I don't know what happened but they're kinda very awesome.

I used my fake to get in (even though I wasn't going to buy drinks.) The amount of guys who have asked to buy me drinks and dance with me. Dude, I felt so hot. These weren't ugly guys too. They reeked of desperation, but they weren't ugly. But I just wanted to dance with my fleeky girls and have fun. I let guys dance on me for the heck of it, but wasn't feeling dancing with them.

At one point, one of my friends and I got onto a bar to start dancing. Ah... Just like Shooters <3.

There was this one guy who was actually like "WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR YOU TO DANCE WITH ME? YOU'RE SO BEAUTIFUL!" And I was like "No." And he was like "What do you want? A bottle of champagne? I'll buy you one!" And I was like "Naaahhhh." But he never understood what "NO!" meant. I felt a bit stalked on the dance floor because he was ALWAYS THERE. At one point, he was making out with a girl, made eye contact with me, and then left her to try to talk to me again.

Bruh. Nah.

The worst part is... As I'm trying to escape him, there are even cuter and hotter guys who are making eye contact with me and we smile across the dance floor. I SHIT YOU NOT THIS HAPPENS IN REAL LIFE. But because of the creep, they'd smile and then they'd walk away. Is there anyway to send a distress signal without crying?

I had to convince myself that it was OKAY that I was MISSING OUT ON HOT GUYS because I just wanted to dance with my friends. I'm still trying to convince myself. I'll get over it soon, maybe.

Overall, it was "disgustingly fun." Fun but hella sweaty :).

Well, that was a super fun Saturday night <3.

Paleo Kitchen: Chardonnay Shrimp Scampi

There are actually no words to describe my love of shrimp scampi and Chardonnay. So, I decided to put them together because why not? It's paleo... right? (Maybe not 100% the wine, but... it's wine. Isn't it essential to life? I think Cavemen and cavewomen alike would make multiple exceptions.)

Can I just complain for a quick second? I LOVE SHRIMP! WHY DO THEY HAVE TO BE CALORIE FILLED? Damn things. I mean like... 6 large/extra large pieces for 140 calories. I can low-key easily eat like 18 pieces of shrimp soooooooo.... Stackin' up them caloriessssss. I try to only eat shrimp like 4 times a month (aka every other week and then the next day for leftovers, yum.)

Also... It is just SO TEMPTING to snack on the shrimp as you're making them. The best chef always tastes her own food from time to time ;). But these tasty little morsels are just... Well, gotta taste them all, right?

JUST LOOK AT HOW APPETIZING THEY ARE #YUM.

Okay, let me give y'all the recipe because that's why you're probably reading this hahaha.

Chardonnay Shrimp Scampi

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of thawed, raw, unshelled shrimp (any size shrimp works, but I personally love the large/extra large ones)
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 2 tbsp garlic oil
• 1/2 diced tomato
• 6 ounces of Chardonnay (cheap is fine, the world will continue. I use Oak Leaf. They're like $3-5/bottle!!!)
• 3 tbsp coconut oil (or ghee, but the coconut oil is just as good)
• 1 diced jalapeno
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp parsley (I love parsley, so I'm never parse on it, hehe)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice or the juice from 1 lemon
• Lemon zest from 1 lemon

Instructions 

• Heat up the olive oil in a large sauce pan on medium heat.
• Throw in the garlic and jalapenos for 3-4 minutes (If the smell of jalapenos bother you, then wait to throw them in!)
• Throw in the tomatoes. (Then throw in the jalapenos if you didn't put them initially!)
• Add the coconut oil (or ghee)
• Throw in the shrimp and cook for about 1-2 minutes.
• Add the salt and parsley.
• Add the lemon juice.
• Throw in the Chardonnay. Then cover and let sit for 4-5 minutes.
• Uncover and then add the lemon zest. Mix.
• Lower the heat until it simmers and let it simmer for about 10 minutes with the cover half on.

Salad 

Okay, this was boring, but it photographs so beautifully. I only used romaine lettuce, carrots (which I peeled to make small ribbons), and raw onions. Then I used the sauce from the shrimp as my dressing. And then topped it off with shrimp (and extra parsley!) 

The whole thing was yummy! Not all too filling, so make sure to add a side of veggies! I had baby carrots and green beans on the side that were tossed in the sauce :).

So, these instructions and ingredients might not work for you, but that's fine. I'm not one to stick to recipes and neither should you. Cooking is so much more fun when you are inspired by something and then free hand the rest! I don't even actually use measuring utensils, so everything listed is a rough estimate, hehehe. I hope you enjoy it though :D!

Friday Reflections: 6/15/15

Yes yes, I know today is not Friday but let's ignore that for now and let's pretend today is Friday.

Once again, another uneventful and peaceful week. So let's rewind back to last week's "Looking Ahead":

Looking ahead: Italy and the cruise (read places where I cannot escape pasta and grains) is in T minus 16 days. We leave on Sunday the 21st. On the 20th, I'll be doing Fitness Fest hopefully and getting a much deserved mani-pedi and threading for my face. On the 19th, I have a photoshoot as part of my internship! How cool is that? So in these next two weeks, I will be all about the fitness and the health and the toning and the running.

And let's see...

LEAVING FOR ITALY ON SUNDAY YAYAYAYAYAYA! I'm still waiting on my dad to prescribe me some Xanax so that I cannot have a freaking cardiac arrest on the plane.

I will NOT be doing Fitness Fest on Saturday, but I think I'll be doing Jazz in the Gardens :).

Mani-Pedi and threading will be Thursday instead of Saturday.

And photoshoot is still on, I believe :).

I unfortunately worked out 0 times this past week. I started working out this Saturday. Let's remember this: I did 2 miles in 28 minutes. My goal is 3 miles in 35 minutes by the end of summer.

Let's see what else...

I hung out with some Chi O friends this weekend. We went to UltraBar and it was disgustingly entertaining. Sweaty people and pushy guys, but I still had fun and I enjoyed the music :).

ANDDDD I asked a Tinder guy out to hang out with me in the Gardens on Friday. So we will see how that goes. I'll definitely do a "Friday Reflection" on that same day ;).

So, Looking ahead: Definitely working out everyday until Sunday. That will happen. I will make it happen. Packing light (for me that is 2 outfits a day instead of 3.) And hopefully going out to the Gardens on Friday and hanging out with Tinder guy.

I want to start a Tinder tab of all my Tinder adventures, but I don't have any soooooooo. Oh well. Maybe if this goes well, I'll adventure some more.

#cool cool