What's Your Fav Jackson Name?

The legendary Jackson family has extraordinary names in its family tree. With so many to choose from, who has your favorite Jackson name? I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours!

My Top 10
10) Tito (2nd oldest son)
9) Rebbie (oldest sis)
8) Yashi (daughter of Rebbie)
7) Siggy (son of Jackie - oldest son)
6) Royalty (grandson of Tito - 2nd oldest son)
5) Jaffar (son of Jermaine - 3rd oldest son)
4) Prince Michael I
3) Prince Michael II AKA Blanket
2) London Blue (granddaughter of Rebbie)
1) Jermajesty!!!! (another son of Jermaine)

(Image via JideSaluDiary)

In and Out of Time - Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou read this poem in Madea's Family Reunion and I just love it! The poem is one thing to read, but a whole other beauty to watch/hear her read it.

The sun has come

The mists have gone

We see in the distance our long way home

I was always yours to have

You were always mine

We have loved each other in and out of time

When the first stone looked up at the blazing sun

And the first tree struggled up from the forest floor

I have always loved you more

You freed your braids, gave your hair to the breeze

It hung like a hive of honey bees

I reached in the mass for the sweet honeycomb there

God, how I loved your hair

You saw me bludgeoned by circumstance

Lost, injured, hurt by chance

I screamed to the heavens

Loudly screamed

Trying to change our nightmares into dreams

The sun has come

The mists have gone

We see in the distance our long home

I was always yours to have

You were always mine

We loved each other in and out,

in and out, in and out of time.

(Found on onlydarknesswithin)

Outdoor Shower Heaven

When I grow up, I want an outdoor shower just like Uncle Richard and Aunt Lynn's house in East Hampton. Yep, that lovely shower is hidden beneath some gorgeous greenery. Now that's what I call a staycation!

Atanas' Book Club

My friend Atanas is in a local book club with his friends where one of them chooses a book for the month, they all read it, and then they get together for food, drinks, and discussion of the book. There are some books he loathes and some he loves. After he reads the good ones, he passes them to me to read (this way I have a review of the book before I put time into reading it). I will say that he has yet to disappoint me.

Here are the books he has passed me thus far:
- Belle De Jour by Joseph Kessel
- Thinking Straight by Robin Reardon
- Middlesex by JefferyEugenides
- She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb

Good Stuff Maya

Maya Angelou was asked on an Oprah Show appearance on her thoughts about growing older, and this is what she said (another inspirational email from m aunty)....

"I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow."

"I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights."

"I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life."

"I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as 'making a life.'"

"I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance."

"I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher 's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back."

"I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision."

"I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one."

"I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back."

"I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

Why Women Cry

My aunt always sends me little inspirational quotes or stories. This particular story makes me appreciate my mother even more. I cannot wait to see her this weekend!

A little boy asked his mother, "Why are you crying?" "Because I'm a woman", she told him.

"I don't understand", he said. His Mom just hugged him and said, "And you never will."

Later the little boy asked his father, "Why does mother seem to cry for no reason?"

"All women cry for no reason," was all his dad could say.

The little boy grew up and became a man , still wondering why women cry.

Finally he put in a call to God. When God got on the phone , he asked , "God, why do women cry so easily?"

God said:
"When I made the woman she had to be special.

I made her shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world, yet gentle enough to give comfort .

I gave her an inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection that many times comes from her children.

I gave her a hardness that allows her to keep going when everyone else gives up, and take care of her family through sickness and fatigue with out complaining.

I gave her the sensitivity to love her children under any and all circumstances, even when her child has hurt her very badly.

I gave her strength to carry her husband through his faults and fashioned her from his rib to protect his heart.

I gave her wisdom to know that a good husband never hurts his wife, but sometimes tests her strengths and her resolve to stand beside him unfaltering.

And finally, I gave her a tear to shed. This is hers exclusively to use whenever it is needed."

"You see my son,said God, the beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart - the place where love resides."

Love The World

You never know when you will run into inspiration. I stepped on this little piece of love while walking home one day.

What's Growin' On?

I just love this card from Egg Press!

Advice from DVF

On a recent episode of "The City", Diane Von Furstenberg (DVF) gave Whitney a very good piece of advice on long distance relationships saying...

"Absence is to love what the wind is to fire, When it’s a small fire the wind kills it, but when it’s a real fire it intensifies it."

What a wise woman you are DVF!

(Image via bagsnob)

"Cap-a-tilla...You mean caterpillar?"

This was the Google title for today, the first day of Spring (AKA the Vernal Equinox), which I love because it's the caterpillar from The Very Hungry Caterpillar (one of my fav books as a child).

Although we were greeted with snow flurries and cold winds, we are officially one step closer to warm weather. So I guess I don't mind this last day (hopefully) of cold weather for a long time.

Lunch Box

In attempt to be more green, I have primarily stopped using plastic ziplock baggies and other throw-away items to store my food. With that said, I have been bringing my lunch to work over the past year in random tupperwares I have laying around the kitchen. I was getting annoyed with bringing one or two of these containers a day, that I decided to seek out a better solution. I found it in the Fit n Fresh brand of food containers made especially to carry lunches, drinks, salads, or storing food at home.

I purchased the "Lunch on the Go" container and I LOVE it! It has one large container to hold my entree, an ice pack to keep it chilled, then 2 smaller containers to hold side items. It's nicely organized and easy to carry to work. It's also freezer, dishwasher, and microwave safe. This my attempt to reduce my carbon footprint on this Earth, and boy does it feel nice.

Yard Sale Chic: Alice + Olivia for Payless

I'm a proponent for looking chic on a budget. Duh! I live in NYC. I have to put on a proper outfit even when I run to the bodega for a pack of gum. No more sweatpants to the grocery store or rubber flip flops to go shopping. When I first moved here, my friends and I were going to brunch on a Sunday in SoHo and I wore (dare I say) a Juicy velour outfit. NEVER AGAIN! I felt like I was running around in my underwear!

Anywho....my point to this is that you don't have to pay a lot of money to look great! Not only do I shop thrift and vintage stores, but I don't mind a good designer knock-off (and I don't mean purses). However, I have purchased a perfect marriage of branding and designer chic....Alice + Olivia for Payless. I bought this pair of HOT platform-slingback-booties for $38! Not to mention they are comfortable!!! Put a point up for Tasha!

P.S. They run a bit big, so I suggest going a half size down.

To Harem or not to Harem?

A big trend this Spring is the harem pant (AKA Aladdin pants), which was seen all over the runways in New York, Milan, Paris, and L.A. Although a bit hard to wear, with the right top and shoes, this look could be quite fierce (and still comfortable). I've never been afraid to wear a trendy item, so I think I will be on the lookout for the perfect pair.

(Image via girlawhirl)

A Smile A Day

It's always been my philosophy to look on the bright side of things. Being positive automatically attracts that same energy to you; therefore, you will be in a constant state of "feel-goodness"
(I like to make up my own phrases and words sometimes).

(Image via lcdlove)

Wouldn't It Be Cool?

I always wondered if this would be possible...but I dare not try.

(Image via shootthesundown)

Good Idea: Mac n Cheese Crawl (SQUASHED into tiny little pieces)

So my friends and I aren't innovative thinkers after-all. I mean I know a mac n cheese crawl isn't a spankin' new idea, but we thought it would be fun. Then again, this person took 2 weeks and we were planning on making it a weekend event; so we could beat him at his own game.... mooo-ha-ha-ha (evil laugh).

Mac n Cheese Crawl-Stealer's blog

Good Idea: Mac n Cheese Crawl

My friends and I have a sick obsession with mac n cheese, and while chatting at work, we decided to start the first annual Mac n Cheese Crawl. This will be a journey around Manhattan in search of the perfect ooey-gooey mac. We will start at the obvious places such as SuperMac, S'Mac, and Cafeteria then go to the lesser known places. With some many types of mac around these days, we will only compare the originals....nothing fancy. What a yummy idea!

Thievery

I never want to claim that many of the photos on my blog were taken or made by me. I am a "stealer" of good photos and ideas, but I will add my own interpretation of this work and credit the originator.

(Image via en*do*sym*bi*ot*ic)