Sometimes you think you know someone, then you see them in a different light and you get a whole new perspective of that person. You identify with them, empathize with them, you might even disagree with them or wonder what the heck were they thinking??? lol But in any event, you get insight.
My life is crazy...fun...some days? yawn! lol...but definitely BLESSED!
Take this journey with me...and again Welcome to MYYYYY world! ;)
This is a beautiful excerpt from a book I'm currently reading: "Handle With Care" by Jodi Picoult.
"Things break all the time. Glass, and dishes, and fingernails. Cars and contracts and potato chips. You can break a record, a horse, a dollar. You can break the ice. There are coffee breaks and lunch breaks and prison breaks. Day breaks, waves break, voices break. Chains can be broken. So can silence, and fever....
I tried a new spot that I found via LivingSocial, French Nails.
They did a fantastic job, not only with the care they put into the mani/pedi, but also the massages!! They massaged my calves and feet until I almost fell asleep! The hot stone and warm towel too?! They even massage your shoulders while your nails dry! RE-LAX-ING! (And all for $25! SHUT UP! I know right?)
With the holidays and all (and also a change from my typical "french") I opted for this glittery purple. I like that it's festive. The lady looked a bit surprised when I said I wanted the color on my feet too (I guess nobody over the age of twelve does that) but hey, they're my nails and I'll sparkle if I want to!
Thanksgiving met me chilling with one of my cousins in the wee hours of the morning. I should've been resting in preparations for the feast du jour, but I would trade sleep anyday for moments like those! (What life is all about!)
I thoroughly enjoyed the time with my family.
Here are a few pics from our weekend:
So how'd I spend my weekend? Cooking, eating, drinking (lots of Moscato), laughing, having fun, very grateful...I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday as well.
There was once a time when Thanksgiving for me looked like this...
LITERALLY!!!
I could barely cook and was the least interested, but I wanted to prepare a traditional Thanksgiving for my husband. With no idea how to start, I headed to the grocery and that's when I discovered Thanksgiving in a can: GLORY! (Glory Hallelujah is more like it!)
I picked up everything I could along the lines of Thanksgiving: mustard greens (which I had never had before; when I did ? "bleh" - didn't taste right to me), candied yams (which was a little soggy but reminded me of sweet potatoes so I could work with it -- later I found out that here in the US it's pretty much the same thing), baked beans, instant mashed potatoes, stuffing...honey you couldn't tell me nuthin'! I baked a chicken and voila! (Yes everything, except the chicken, was out of a can or a box).
(1) Open cans/ packages
(2) Follow directions (which was pretty much heating everything up).
(3) Done!
All this prepping the night before and waking up before God did, just to cook? Crazy talk!!
Of course my meal didn't compare to his mother's and grandmother's cooking but he was a good sport about it - rest his soul (and in case you're wondering, no he did not pass away from my cooking :)
His family is from "down South" so you KNOW eeeeeverything was not only good but made from scratch):
The glazed ham with pineapples
The turkey with the "real" stuffing (yes giblets and all - I thought I would barf when I found out giblets were in there though)
The collard greens (which were cleaned and seasoned and you have to know exaaaaaaactly how to cook them so they don't taste bitter?)
The mac and cheese (with about 5 cheeses!)
Sweet potato pies that everyone was asking grandma to make (what did she put in there? CRACK?)
Food that made my arteries cringe but sooooooooooo yummy!!
Fast forward a few years later and guess who is prepping the night before and waking up in the wee hours of the morning to prepare this Feast?
I still don't know how to cook Collard Greens (I haven't tried), and I ain't messin' with giblets but I LOVE that my son REQUESTS my lamb, and my sweet potato casserole as some of his faves for T/giving. I love that I now really COOK for my family and friends, and I'm not dumping everything out of a can. (Hey I'm not knocking it if YOU do, we all gotta start somewhere! lol)
Have a Happy Safe Thanksgiving and I wish you plenty of food and wine!
Mandy
Thanksgiving is a few days away and this year I'm the chef! :) I'm SO looking forward to family time and sharing the day with friends as well.
Recently I went to a PRE-Thanksgiving dinner, hosted by my friend, Sheila (owner of Cakes Galore by Sheila). The food was delish as usual but the highlight for me was the cake.
Yes, this is cake!
(the "stuffing/croutons" is cake and other candy)
I already know Sheila is beyond talented with her creations, never failing to wow us time and again with unbelievable cakes and cookies and all sorts of goodies...but THIS literally "takes the cake" for me.
And because I know you're probably still doubting this is cake, here it is sliced...
(And she just haaaaaaad to slice it like an actual turkey...)
Still shaking your head?
Here's the cake (red velvet at the bottom and vanilla on top) cut for you to see.
Cool right? (If you'd like to place an order with Sheila, call Cakes Galore: 732-675-2132).
Anyway, I'm off to find a "kiss the cook" apron....hey any excuse to get some kisses!
Recently People Magazine generated some buzz when they named Bradley Cooper "Sexiest Man Alive 2011". Now Bradley certainlyis sexy, but many women, myself included, don't regard him the sexiEST!
For my "under a rock dwellers", this is Bradley Cooper:
Yummm I know...
Gulp!..he has SOMETHING going for him, but I can't quite put my finger on it...hmmm
So I wanted to know what other people thought and here are the candidates WE came up with (in no particular order):
1. IDRIS "the only chocolate bar I wanna o.d. on" ELBA (this is a personal fave but other people mentioned him too so he tops our list.
Those lips and that hot accent?
(Hey boo, call me!)
2. Next up we have Portuguese hottie: Cristiano Ronaldo
Incentive for watching soccer
3. Laz "make-you-wanna-jump-more-than-the-broom" Alonso
I LOVE Paula Patton, but show of hands...
who else wanted to push her little preppy ass off that bridge (Jumping the Broom) ?
Poof Be Gone Paula!
4. Pooch "Derwin" Hall
When you look like this, you're forgiven for a name like Pooch
5. Jason"transport me anywhere you want" Statham
Sorry one pic just wouldn't do
6. My friend, Erica, said ANY ONE OF THEM from the movie "Fast Five"
I totally agree...
(Dwayne Johnson, Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Tyrese)
...and we did not forget Luda was in that movie too...
with his fine movie star rapping rude self
7. Keston Karter: the model from Long Island via Trinidad. When I posted this pic on my facebook page, women went "CRAY" lol...I fear for his life if those savages were to ever meet him...he DEFINITELY gets a shout-out on this list!
8. Denzel: you don't need to even mention a last name. He was actually People Magazine's choice for "Sexiest Man Alive 1996" but many women still swoon after him so he makes our list today.
And last but certainly not least, Trey "I wanna lick ice-cream off your abs" Songz!! I've seen this man in concert a few times and LET ME TELL YOU!!!! With that voice, and them abs ???? When he rips off that t-shirt in one fell swoop?? (it has to be a cheap and probably perforated t-shirt because he rips it off with too much ease) but anyway, "Mr Riffs and Rips" KNOWS what he is doing cause lawwwwwdddd PPD right huurrrrrrrr (Personal Pannie Droppa).
On that note this concludes our list for today. (Ladies, I know most of you have to now get yourselves a roll of papertowels) but if you think of other sexy men we can always have another list...we KNOW there are plenty of them out there!
My cousin, Bklyn J'Nell, recently recorded the Braxtons being interviewed by Egypt.
SO LUV the Braxtons and so proud of my cousin and her work!
Check it out:
I've been looking for a RED lipstick for some time now. One that would suit my complexion and be a little vampy at the same time. I finally found it!
"Love That Red" by Revlon is my new make-up must have. It's creamy and the color pops. It's a bit daring for the daytime but just what I need for my late night pout.
One of my fave reality shows is back: Braxton Family Values. I've always loved Toni Braxton but my new fave is her sister, Tamar. Full of drama, full of life and can dress her a** off! I luv it!
Already the second season started with a little drama. Not the Kardashian kind of drama but intriguing all the same.
This one is mainly for the ladies but fellas you are more than welcome to read.
Recently I was having car problems. My car is in good working condition, I ALWAYS take it for the regular service maintenance and it is not that old nor does it have a lot of mileage.
Ever since I've had the car, I've taken it to the dealership to be serviced (yes I can hear you now with the disappointed "ooooooh") but I'll tell you why. Like most women, I want security. I didn't have my own mechanic and after all the horror stories I'd heard I just didn't want to be bothered. I liked the comfort in going to the dealership; knowing they'd have the parts, the fast turn-around time, all that. Yes I was aware that I would pay more but I'd rather pay and have the work completed, than having shoddy work done and paying more in the long run for the same repair.
However, a friend of mine put me on to something I did NOT know: the service people work on commission!! WHAT??? Not just the sales people, note I said SERVICE.
No wonder they were always so glad to see me! They saw a SUCKA walking through their doors (fully equipped with coffee and donuts I might add when they had "major" work to do on my car); no wonder the Customer Service was always so top of the line and I was "VIP".
In their defense they ARE a great group of people and like I said I was aware that I would pay more, but hindsight is 20/20.
I thought of all the times my car needed repairs, what was necessary and what wasn't and how much MORE $$ did I simply give them all this time?
During the convo with my friend, I began to feel like I'd been getting screwed without getting kissed first. (She actually said they "are RAPING you Mandy!!" and just the thought of that alone made me nauseous.) I might as well had walked in with a wad of cash and said "here take this...oh and while you're having your way with me, here's some coffee and donuts too...have a great day!"
So I started to think and I actually KNOW a very trust-worthy auto-shop where I can take my car. (It's amazing how you get the answers when you ask the Universe :) That abruptly ended the sordid affair with my dealership (at least for repairs). Who's to say I might not buy another car from them in the future?
The moral of the story ladies is be aware. It IS a little sexist to say that they prey on us women because we don't know much about cars but sometimes sadly they do. Their reactions ARE different sometimes when dealing with men. Again sad but true. (Note: Not all "prey on women" so don't jump down my throat, and not all women are clueless about cars).
Do your research! Get referrals, do price checks to see if what you're being charged is in the ball park of what you should actually be paying. Take control.
We always have options.
(I'd be happy to recommend mine as well. If you're interested, e-mail me at mandy_joseph@hotmail.com)
I am primarily speaking for the ladies here (although in some cases the same applies for men) but what is it about men sometimes? They have a good thing "at home" (a good relationship, a good marriage, a good woman in their lives) but they still have to go out there looking?
Is it just human nature to want more?
Is it because they FEEL they are lacking SOMETHING even though they know what they have is good?
Are they confused? Do they have the "dog-and-the-bone" syndrome?
Scared of committment? Scared that someone they love might genuinely love them in return simply for who they are?
What???
I have seen so many instances (and experienced it myself) where a man is in a wholesome relationship (I say wholesome because nobody / relationship is PERFECT), but they still go "out there" looking for....? WHAT???
Most times these men will even admit to being in love with their partners, and everything is there in terms of a "good" relationship...YET they have a plan B, or jump ship....even before the ship is sinking lol
...and ladies, don't whip out the church fans and start saying "mmhhmmm" just yet...because we are guilty too! Sometimes we have a great guy in our corner but sabotage the relationship anyway...
So it always make me wonder WHY?
One factor I know for sure is FEAR!
It IS scary to be completely in love with someone...it's even scarier sometimes to be loved in return and for reasons we cannot justify.
At the back of our minds, we're always wondering
"what is it that they want?" (ulterior motive)
"this can't be for real!"
....and the mind wanders and wonders...
and we become more and more paranoid until we talk ourselves out of probably the best thing that's ever happened to us (children not inclusive lol).
After all the years of allowing negative influences to affect your life: naysayers, being hurt, broken-hearted, bad relationships...yes it's difficult sometimes to accept it for what it is "THIS IS GREAT! I DESERVE THIS! I AM THANKFUL FOR (insert person here)!"
Love is a beautiful thing...when it's real...and when you allow it...
I hope if you're lucky enough to find someone you love, and they love you in return, that you love with reckless abandon...and don't sabotage it...savor every moment!
Yes, you deserve it!
This is a funny interesting article. A friend sent me the article (from a local newspaper in Trinidad).
I shared it with my co-workers and now with you...
Ladies: take notes! lol
(I tried to find the link but no luck...please print, enlarge, zoom....you gotta read ! lol
At the Davis' wedding I attended this weekend, we (the bridal party) marched in to "4evermore" by Anthony David...it's such a beautiful song and Anthony has a rich voice that I absolutely love...
BUT the song I fell in love with AND his voice is "Words" with him and India Arie (another soulful voice and fab musician). When I first heard that song I wondered "Oh my goodness, who IS that singing with India?" and to this day is a favorite of mine...hope it's one of yours as well...
Just to attest to the blogposts "There are No Good Black Men" (by The Massage Mogul) and Black Love (my blogpost) topics briefly...yesterday I shared a very special day with my friend, Ayesha, and her husband, Will...they are now newlyweds! But what was extra special about this wedding was the groom's vows. He had written his own vows (murmurs of surprise suffused the church) and whilst he read them to his bride, there was not a dry eye amongst the guests.
He spoke about his heart being her shelter and his arms being her home...(tear)...it was a truly beautiful moment. (His groomsmen joked and said "if you weren't getting married, you'd get a lot of a** for that speech!" lol)
Throughout the ceremony, the couple cried and laughed...you could really feel the love between those two.
There ARE black men who love hard, who are passionate about their girlfriends, or their wives (or both...just kidding lol); black men who work hard for their families, are good husbands and fathers, and lovers, and do whatever it takes to make their relationships/ family life work...even on the days when they feel like copping out...but don't!
I wish Ayesha and Will all the best in their shared life as husband and wife.
I once read a blogpost by the Massage Mogul "There are No Good Black Men" where people wanted to date outside their race because they had the grass-is-greener-on-the-other-side syndrome. The blog concluded by stating basically that:
Yes, there are good black men!
No, the grass is NOT greener on the other side (every relationship has its highlights and downsides)
and it is ok to date outside your race if love is the reason and not color.
I was raised in a family where color/ race was not important. Love is love and people are people.
Last night I had the pleasure of attending a wedding rehearsal for my dear friend, Ayesha, and when the groom thanked us for coming out and being a part of this special moment in their lives, he said "noone here is a friend, y'all are really brothers and sisters from another mother".
We ate, drank, told jokes (it's a fun bunch of characters...that wedding is going to be off da chain! lol) we partied into the wee hours of the morning, and as I looked at the couple, not only are they perfectly suited for each other, but they are also a shining example of "Black Love". They work hard, they party harder lol, they love hard...they take care of their family. Everyday is not perfect but they make it work; through the bills, the schedules with the kids, through life...and they are happy!
SO to all the naysayers, or those who've been so severely hurt that you think dating outside your race is the answer, Black Love exists!!!...but focus on love...love has no color, no race, no exceptions, no boundaries...Love is Love.
Stevie was on to something looooong before texting existed.
Great song and relevant in these times we're living in...(read the lyrics below...
By the way, on the recording Prince was on guitar and En Vogue on background vocals...epic!)
"If I'm caught at a dance party without my dancin shoes
And everybody dances on my bare feet
Shame on me
If I'm mindin my business just doin the right thing
And you try to front me off in the street
Shame on you
If a family's waiting for that special blessing to come their way
But they ain't tryin to get on their knees and pray
Shame on them
And if we live in a time where every nation's fightin
'round the world
Yet we can't all agree that peace is the way
Shame on us
Shame on me, Shame on you, Shame on them, Shame on us
[repeat]
So what the fuss
If I gotta get up early in the morning for a job interview
And I forget to set the stupid alarm
Shame on me
If my children are playin outside like little children do
And you come 'round there tryin to bring them some harm
Shame on you
Should I be drivin thru a klantown, find a restaurant to get me some food
And someone says "hey boy, we don't serve your kind"
Shame on them
And if we live in a democracy and you don't use your power to vote
Knowin some would like to turn back the hands of time
Shame on us
Shame on me, Shame on you, Shame on them, Shame on us
[repeat]
So what the fuss
If I'm hooked on a habit knowin damn well it could cost me my life
Yet I keep doin what I should do without
Shame on me
If you're locked in a marriage and your other half
just gives you abuse
Yet you've convinced yourself that there's no way out
Shame on you
If we're jammin the music and somebody's got the audacity
To say that they can jam it better than us
Shame on them
And should there be just a handful that believe that we are totally free
And there's no need to fight for equality
Shame on us
Shame on me, Shame on you, Shame on them, Shame on us
[repeat]
So what the fuss"
This weekend I received some really sad news: a friend died.
I met Vanessa at a Learning Annex seminar in the city. She was so full of spunk and life, and through the years we maintained a friendship; mostly via e-mail in this busy of world of schedules and "things" to do. She was fiery and funny, and always sent me the latest schedules of events around town before they were published so I got "the scoop" :)
We made plans every year to meet in the MTV building to watch the Macy's Day parade but everytime we thought of the crowd we would change our minds "maybe next year" lol.
When I received the news, I instantly felt sick to my stomach. It was sudden (to me)...I had no idea she was ill. She was always so cheerful and full of life...who knew?
My condolences go out to her life partner, Imhotep Byrd, her family and friends, and anyone who was affected by such a great person.
RIP Vanessa!
I tried this new spot called "Stuffed Cupcakes". They have amazing creations like "Cool Runnings" (a vanilla cupcake stuffed with mango amaretto mousse, topped with mango whipped cream; my fave so far!!), "French Vanilla", "Peach Cobbler" and "Instant Carma" (pictured above).
They've been featured in Oprah's Magazine, in the NY Times and on the Today Show....and I see why...they are sooooo goood!!!!
