busy.

I told my friend the other night that I feel like all I do is work, read, watch Law & Order & go to happy hour. She said that sounded like perfection, minus the whole being single part. Parts of me agree with that, but then there is always that underlying feeling of loneliness. Idle time usually sends my mind racing into the unknown. My biggest fears reside in the unknown. The wondering, the second-guessing, it all lives in those moments of quiet solitude. I guess staying busy is my coping mechanism. But I'm tired. I don't think I can continue running myself ragged simply because I don't want to feel the loneliness. I promised myself I would continue to keep a positive outlook on life, but does that mean that I'm not allowed to have moments of vulnerability? I can try to fill my time with busy... I can keep going, and going & going, but eventually won't I crash? I find myself feeling guilty for wanting more. Why can't I just be content, with contentment? Maybe the grass just looks greener on the other side, or maybe I'm just feeling extra emotional tonight... I'm not really sure, I just hope this moment passes as quickly as it came upon me. Until then, I'll remain busy...

And with that being said, busy...the definition of these last few days of my life.

Last Thursday, my book club had a meeting wherein we discussed The Husband's Secret, by Liane Moriarty. The book started out slow, and there were quite a few characters to keep up with. Once the story picked up a bit, it all began to make sense how all the characters lives were woven together & it was revealed just how big of a secret that husband was keeping. It was a great read, and led to a lot of discussion by the group as to whether it should be made into a movie or not. We chose The Fault in Our Stars by John Green for our February read....

After the meeting was over, we made a detour for The Chocolate Bar. Not really sure why, but after the frozen maitai's I guess it just felt like a good idea. We bought chocolate, and marveled over all of the novelty chocolate items inside...

For some reason I cannot remember Friday....And I didn't take any pictures to evidence it ever existing, but I'm sure it did.

I woke up late Saturday, and spent the daytime hours celebrating my sister's birthday and the evening hours catching up with my friend who had just made it into town. He was tired from driving, and I was just tired from all the busy so there was more sleeping than catching up.

The weather was terrible Sunday. It was super cold & rainy. My friend and I ran around for a few hours, before I met up with my girlfriends for dinner/Super Bowl half-time show watching... The food was amazing, the game not-so-much.

We spent the majority of our time eating, listening to music, trying to remember the choreography to the Bunny Hop & just laughing. I was falling asleep on the floor before 10, so I knew it was time for me to officially head home to retire for the evening. I feel like I was asleep before my head hit my pillow...

The majority of my day today was spent working, over-analyzing & over-thinking... oh, and creating the mood that I've been in since I left my office & currently still reside in. Maybe blame it on the rain, or maybe I should cue up my favorite episode of Saved By the Bell and just ravish in my Jessi Spano moment...please reference YouTube if you don't remember that episode, "I'm so excited, I'm so excited, I'm so excited" or maybe I've just been too busy....

Showers, Mimosas & Brunch...Oh my!!!!

This past weekend was super busy. After being "snowed/iced" in Friday, I was ecstatic that the weather decided to cooperate for the remainder of the weekend.

On Saturday, I co-hosted a bridal shower for a girlfriend of mine who is getting married Valentine's Day weekend. The shower was held at Nouveau Antique Art Bar, which has become one of my favorite venues in the city. The entire bar is filled with vintage lamps and other antiques. It is truly a sight to see! Since I was busy doing hostess duties, I didn't get too many pictures...BUT, I was able to snatch a few candid shots from various Facebook uploads.

I did however have time to snap this selfie before I headed over to get set up for the shower... It's rare that I actually smile in pictures with my teeth showing. Ehhh, I guess even though I'm not necessary insecure about too many things, the smile is one. But, that's a story for another day.....

I am so happy my co-hostess with the mostest decided on this venue, and agreed to go with a Carnival/Mardi Gras theme. Mardi Gras is super big in Louisiana, but it is also a huge cultural fixture in the Houston/Galveston area. We have our own Mardi Gras on the beach that is similar to the major celebration in New Orleans, so pretty much every party during the month of February will have a touch of Mardi Gras until the rodeo season takes over in March. The bride is a native of Louisiana, and lived in New Orleans during her undergrad years so we knew she would appreciate the masks, beads, and ESPECIALLY the authentic King Cake we ordered and had delivered from Louisiana by her mom. I'm so happy everything came together & all the ladies (especially the bride) had a great time. We took advantage of the bar at the venue, and had plenty to eat while we chatted, played games and enjoyed the DJ. It was a great time had by all.....

The next morning, I literally felt like I had been up all night. I guess I shouldn't have worn my BCBG booties with the 4.5 inch heel, and thought I could run all around the venue making sure things were running smoothly. Whoops. I was super sore. But fortunately the agenda for my Sunday didn't start until noonish, so I was able to watch church online & tune in to my friend's mother with her radio ministry before I headed out to a birthday brunch at Backstreet Cafe.

It was absolutely gorgeous yesterday! We literally sat outside on the patio for 4 hours, sipping on pitchers of mimosas, devouring the delicious food & enjoying girl time. I'm glad my friend enjoyed herself since her party had to be cancelled last Friday due to the winter storm. You would have never guessed by looking at the scenery that the entire city would be preparing to shut down tomorrow due to ANOTHER winter storm... Our weather has been insane. Hot, cold, warm, rain, ice, hot, hot, flood, hurricane, hot, freezing...and that is all in one week. Welcome to Texas I guess!

My weekend was amazing... Today, not so much...but I am still keeping a positive outlook & I'm sure tomorrow will be better..especially since I will be at home all day bundled up, reading & enjoying myself while it blizzards ices over outside.

And exhale....

The majority of my day has consisted of icy road conditions, gumbo, pajamas, Law & Order SVU, Insurgent, leopard slippers and a head scarf. 

I woke up this morning anticipating a productive day at work. I was stopped in my tracks by the news saying the majority of the major freeways in the city were either shut down or experiencing extremely dangerous road conditions, due to freezing temperatures and rain creating ice everywhere. Surprisingly I was sort of disappointed. I had a lot of things to get accomplished but fortunately my assistant was able to scan & email some things I needed, so all was not lost for the day. It appears everyone who lives close to the office made it in, but with my thirty minute drive on a regular day, I did not want to take any risks. Especially since I've never driven on ice. Ever. And apparently neither has the majority of Houston, because there were hundreds of wrecks today. 

I'm thankful for my lazy Friday. 

This week is a blur. I can't remember what I did Monday or Tuesday. I had court both days, but I have no recollection of any of the space fillers between now and then really. 

One thing I can remember is my Wednesday night...the day not so much, but definitely my night. I heard about an organization called Writers in the Schools from a friend, and she invited me to attend a quarterly event they have called Night Writers. Night Writers is pretty much a happy hour with wine & light bites, where writing enthusiast get the chance to write with other like minded individuals. There was a spoken word poetry performance by a highly talented pre-teen, then a local performer lead everyone through a writing exercise utilizing hyperbole. Between the wine and the brainstorming of table mates everyone was able to come up with their own verse and presented it to the audience. The event was so much fun and it felt great to be inspired and use the creative side of my brain for once. 

After the event ended, a few of us sat down for dinner and libations at the host restaurant and enjoyed lively discussions well past my bedtime. It was a great time and it definitely ignited a spark in me that needed to be lit. I'm passionate about what the organization stands for and I definitely look forward to participating in more of their initiatives and activities. 

And then it was Thursday, and I was up at the crack of dawn for court and back to my regularly scheduled programming. Only with moreso of a glimmer of hope that I can be more inspired towards creativity than I have been as of late. It's funny how you can find inspiration in the simple things. Like a conversation with a stranger, a provocative scent you catch a whiff of in a crowded elevator, or even just an unsolicited compliment that validates some insecurity underlying in your day. Some days have more purpose in them than meets the eye. 

Tonight my girlfriend was supposed to be celebrating her birthday, but cancelled her party due to the crazy ice and freezing temperatures. The remainder of my weekend will consist of a bridal shower for a friend getting married next month, and a birthday brunch for the friend who had to cancel part one of her celebrating tonight due to the weather. 

There are only a few days left in January. So hard to believe! One month down into the new year. I can honestly say that my month has been enjoyable. I've rolled with the punches, stayed positive and made progress in my journey to have a happier approach to life. I foresee the upcoming weeks to be equally as enjoyable, and hopefully filled with some new adventures and opportunities to grow. It's so much easier to try to see the good in everything. Looking for the negatives is exhausting. 

The weekend is finally here, and now I can exhale....

24.

I love a three day weekend. Even though I'm already in my pajamas, I enjoy the fact that I have the option of going out later & not feeling guilty about it in the morning. Ahhhh, the weekend. The fact that I can barely remember what I did yesterday is definitely a reflection on how my weekend went.

It started off with my girlfriend and I meeting a few other friends at Grooves Restaurant & Lounge. The last time we came here it literally took us days to recover, so we planned on being well-behaved this go round. We were, for the most part. After devouring our food, and indulging in a few adult beverages we were able to get wild loosen up a bit. We danced, laughed and mingled with the growing crowd. And then it happened. A conversation I am becoming oh too familiar with whenever I am approached by anyone, how old are you..... My friends and I all spotted him when he came in. I assumed he was younger, because it appears these days all of the men in our age group are at home with their wives on the weekends. Not that I am by any means old, but this is the South. If you are over the age of 25 you are either married, in a serious relationship or a man-whore single for a reason. It is very rare that I run into men out and about who are 30 and above, and unattached. But I digress.

So, of course I strategically position myself in an easily approachable position because of course no guy is going to come over to say hello if you're hidden on the couch nestled in between three of your girlfriends, in most instances. Anyways... We began to talk, and he asks how old I am. I respond back with how old do I look? He says 23, 24. I laugh and tell him to add about 8 years. Insert look of dismay. I ask how old he is, and then he says "24." Literally every man I have met since my ex and I broke up has been under the age of 25. It appears during my trip to Alabama last January, I sipped from the fountain of youth. Either I came back looking younger, or something made the younger guys all of a sudden want to approach me. I'm not sure how I feel about this, but I guess such is life. I don't think at 32 I'm old enough to be a cougar. Puma maybe? Jaguar? I dunno, but moving along........

After we left Grooves, we headed waaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyy across town to attend a party hosted by a trail-riding club called the Wolfpack. It was everything I imagined it to be. Cowboy boots, liquor, and good times. The party was BYOB, and they had a Zydeco band playing. It was a lot of fun, but being the old lady at heart that I am I was ready to head home around midnight.

I seriously can't remember my Saturday, and I slept in this morning. I probably would have slept all day had my friend not sent me a text message around 10 am. We decided to try out a new spot for brunch, and it was great! They had 99 cent mimosas, and super delicious Belgian waffles with almond butter & applewood bacon. The venue was really nice, and it was not crowded at all like the majority of other popular brunch spots in the city. The prices were also very reasonable!

After brunch, we went thrift shopping at Buffalo Exchange & found a few cute items. We tried to go watch football at a local sports bar but it was entirely too crowded, so we decided to just call it a day... I enjoyed my Sunday Funday and I have no problem spending the remainder of my night with Olivia Benson, Elliott Stabler & company. I'm off work tomorrow, but plan to spend the day being productive.

What age determines cougar status? How young is too young? I say as long as you are older than my nephew then it's fair game... But then again, do twenty-somethings have much in common with professional women my age? I guess if it works for Gabrielle Union (well, that's another story) could it work for my friends and I as well?

This week.

Random. The best description I can think of to describe these last few days. The work week has flown by. I've been busy, yet I can't quite put my finger on what exactly I've been doing. 

Yesterday, I got some unexpected news. Well expected, but I guess I didn't expect it to happen in real life. I met someone exactly a year ago this weekend when I went to visit my friend for her birthday last January. I've been saying, gosh I wished you lived in Houston for literally a year to the date. Yesterday they got offered a job here. 

I guess I need to start making more wishes.

Tonight my friends and I are going out to the most randomest of events. A trail ride party. Yes. As in cowboys, cattle, trail riding. This is Texas after all and the rodeo is a mere few weeks away. This should be interesting to say the least. 

The remainder of the month is an assortment of birthdays, bridal showers and Super Bowl-ing. 

And why the picture? Because I like stones. Random. Indeed. 

Loyalty....& other weekend happenings.

Loyalty is extremely important to me. But it can be a gift and a curse. I attempt to keep people around merely because they have always been around. I give second, and third and sometimes fortieth chances. Loyalty has created a lot of hurt feelings and shed tears over the years. Fortunately, I have come to the realization that I should not sacrifice my happiness based off of my wanting to be loyal. People grow up, and sometimes grow apart. I've had to learn that growing apart is normal. Relationships & friendships can sometimes run their course, and once that occurs it is so much easier to just move on rather than to hold on to something that no longer benefits your happiness.

I've learned to be loyal to those relationships that bring happiness to me, that enrich me and that are a positive aspect of my life. This year has been coined the year of staying positive, and I will not be loyal to anything or anyone that brings negativity to my life.

This was already the second weekend of 2014. January appears to be moving super fast.

My Friday was supposed to consist of a happy hour outing with a friend, but ended up being a relaxing evening at home with a slight buzz, Netflix, good food and a cupcake. Also known as perfection.

Saturday, a friend celebrated her birthday with a masquerade themed pub crawl. I've never been on a pub crawl, nor did I have a mask to wear! I discovered a new to me store called World Market, and actually found more than one mask that I loved...and an entire cart filled with other items. But that's a story for another day....

We pre-gamed for a while and took pictures before heading out to our first stop for the night, The Drinkery.
Everyone looked so pretty in their masks!

We sat and chatted at our first stop and enjoyed drinks, before walking down the street to another bar called Dogwood. This venue is open, and despite the temperatures rising above normal this week it still got a tad chilly that night so we did not stay here that long...

After shivering for about thirty minutes or so, we walked across the street to Shot Bar. This place is exactly what the name says, a bar with every possible shot imaginable. It was super hype and kind of small inside, so we walked upstairs to the dance floor. Things were fun until the shots started kicking in, and the other patrons of the bar got a little too wild for my comfort...which meant that I had to phone a friend to pick me up and take me back to my car so as to not interrupt the flow of the birthday crowd :) I'm such an old lady, but I embrace it. I can't do the rowdy frat boy thing anymore. Just, cannot. But I had a blast at the spots I went to, and the crowd continued on to a few more venues. Most importantly, the birthday girl had a wonderful evening.

I really like the idea of a Masquerade party, and I hope I get another opportunity to wear my mask again! Makes me want to head out to New Orleans for Mardi Gras.

Hmm....

2014

We all were blessed to see the beginning of another year. Thank God for that. I feel refreshed after my break from work, and ready to face the year with a positive outlook on life.

I decided not to go out for New Year's Eve, and went to the 7pm service at my church. The sermon was right on time, and I spent the remainder of my 2013 in prayer before I fell asleep (well before midnight, whoops) to the sounds of fireworks outside my window.

I woke up early on New Year's Day, and spent the majority of my morning working on a vision board. This was my first time making one, and I wanted it to become a fixture in my space so I prettied it up & put it in a frame.

I forgot how hard cutting and pasting was...but I digress.

I appreciate having a visual reminder of the things I want in my life.... The remainder of my New Year's Day was spent looking at apartments & later shoe shopping... Then I began preparations to return to the real world....

Fortunately, I didn't return to too many unanswered emails & voice mail. Things were calm on the work front. Thank goodness....

I feel really positive about the next few weeks & months. A lot of exciting plans in the making, and as my pastor said in church New Year's Eve, "We are all to imagine a life beyond human perception" because The Lord wants us to dream big, and ask for things beyond the normal. He is able to do miraculous things in our lives, and it only takes us to have faith.

"Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession." Psalm 2:8

In the midst of my New Year's reflecting, I did find the time to squeeze in a few social outings with my friends.

Cheers to 2014....

--Meanwhile, I am completely in love with my Thug 4 Life t-shirt. It has Tupac on it, and when I saw it I swooned.... Yes that's me. A bit oxymoron-ish, but Thug for Life. Indeed.