A to Z: 2013

Tuesday, 31 December 2013

WRITING: Leave It All Behind

It's a couple more hours to new year over here. To those who've already crossed over, happy new year. I'm waiting on a friend to come get me but before that my plan before was pretty much a bust. It wasn't that bad though. It was quite enjoyable actually. So, I figured I'd fit in a little post in the meantime. This, I think will be my last post of 2013.

This will be a short post. Uhm, basically I'll be talking about leaving your 2013 baggage behind. If stuff didn't work out for you this year, you have a whole new year ahead of you. You know what that means, new opportunities are available for you. If at all you're in a fix, you can always start again. It's not easy but it is possible.

Before this, I was actually on YouTube. I still am actually. I've been listening to rap in particular, 2 Chains. This has got me hyped up and I'd say it inspired this post. The energy in the songs made me feel like leaving all of the stress from 2013 behind. So, you just clear out everything that's not making sense in your life right now. I sure am going to do that. Think of it as a "New Year's" cleaning. You know, like Spring Cleaning.

Anyway, I said this post would be short and I'll keep to my word. Happy new year. Cheers!

Monday, 30 December 2013

WRITING: Money Matters

I'm a huge fan of memes-they're so hilarious. Believe me when I say I almost always have a few of them saved in my phone. So the eve is tomorrow and after that new year....hello 2014. It's been a long time coming. Boy, just two years ago I was in high school, now here I am.

So today's post is about money. Yes that leafy thing you have in your wallet or purse. One of my favourite quotes is, "You need money to make money". I believe this a 110%. It's pretty hard to get things done when you have no money. I hate it when I get broke. Someone I know once said being broke humbles him. I found it funny though. It was funny but the again, there was some truth to it. When you have no money on you, you tend to lay low. You know, keep things on the down-low.

I know Christmas has passed but is it too late to ask Santa for a money tree. It wouldn't hurt to have one around. My month holiday is coming up in a bit and I sure could use a good vaycay. Some me time. I wonder if there are any sunny places at the moment? I'm tired of winter. If there are, I'd probably go there for some me time. Give myself a little tlc. Treating myself to a few fine things wouldn't hurt. Oh! How I wish it was so.

Basically, I wish I had more money. I know for certain I'm not the only one feeling this way. I know money can't by you happiness but it can take you to fine places ;)

FASHION: Earrings!

I only ever got round to piercing my ears when I was in the ninth grade. That was five years ago. Before that, I wasn't into earrings really. I think I must had had about pair or two of magnetic earrings and clips-ons. November 2008, I finally pierced my ears. It was a spontaneous decision actually. I had gone to the salon to do my hair and I said I wanted to get my ears pierced. Before you know it, there I was with my first ever pair of studded earrings in my newly pierced ears.

Pair of earrings I got today.

And then you have my smaller pairs.

Currently, I have an earring collection that I would say is growing steadily. It's not big but I have a decent collection going on. The picture above is of earrings I got today. They looked pretty cool and my friend convinced me to get them. Colourful, aren't they. I've mentioned that I have an afro going on so I prefer to were big earrings. These included hoops and dangly earrings. Any naturals with a TWA (teeny weeny afro) going on? My advice on earrings is big, bold and colourful :)

Sunday, 29 December 2013

BEAUTY & SKINCARE: The Eyebrow Struggle

Eyebrows, who knew those little bushes of hair above your eyes played a huge role. This post is for women and men that groom there eyebrows. If you haven't yet touched those little boogers and are planning to do so, this post might be of help to you.

Picking an eyebrow shape is very important. By this I mean be careful not to take out too much hair. This might either leave you looking surprised or scared...possible even a combination of the two.

These are pictures I got off the net. You could use them as a guide on how to shape up your brows. You can tweeze, wax or thread them. I've never had my eyebrows waxed or threaded. I tweeze them myself but before that I'd go to the salon and get them done. I'm still trying to get it right but they are a decent shape. Looking at the second picture, I'd say they are rounded.

If you want to do your eyebrows and are not certain of your handiwork, put the tweezers down. I suggest you go to a professional. They help you determine the right shaper for you.

HEALTH & FITNESS: Abs Workout Post

Aloha. Guess who's back with yet another workout post? So, this will focus on your abdominal area. Ladies, you can do this in the comfort of your home. You'll have the privacy you'll need. So, it's a 24 day challenge. I must say, it gets pretty hectic but it wouldn't hurt to give it a try.

REMEMBER TO HAVE YOUR WORKOUT PLAYLIST

PHOTOGRAPHY: My Favourite Photo Editing Apps

God bless technology. Really, all these apps have me feeling like a professional photographer. Come on, I know you've edited a few pictures here and there. The picture below was actually edited by yours truly, me. This was a picture I took a couple of days ago. Sleep had failed me and I figured I'd try my luck at abstract photography. So, I got my phone, took a the picture, edited it and the rest is history. I think I used Camera360 and Instagram for this edit.

I happen to have my fair share of these editing apps. I'll list them down for you in order of preference with the first being my favourite.

Camera360
PS Express
Instagram
Colour Effects
BeFunky
Sketch
CamWowPro

HAIR: My Take On Hair

Hair. I guess to many guys hair isn't as big as a deal as it is to women. Today, I'll blog about my own personal experiences regarding my hair. I don't want to say I've tried it all but I've had my fair share of hairstyles. My hair was relaxed at a tender age. I can't even remember how old I was. Growing up I only ever braided my hair or relaxed it. When I was in the seventh grade, my hair had gotten severely damaged so I had to cut it much to my dismay. That was the first ever time I had natural hair that I could remember.

I think about a year and a half later my hair had grown and guess what I did. I had it relaxed. I had no idea of natural hair care at the time so I opted for a relaxer hoping managing my hair would be easier and it was. Fastforward to December 2012 and there I am, again, getting my hair cut. Thus, my natural hair journey had began. Later in the year, I should think around July, I got yet another haircut.

It's funny because many times you hear people saying, "I am not my hair" or "I am not defined by my hair". I've said that too. I've come to notice that a lot of people have enough to say about what's going on on your head. When I got my big chop last December, I got my fair share of unwanted attention. With that attention, came comments-some good and others down right rude. It's hard not to take some of these comments to heart. There were times when I felt low about my hair. I'm gaining more confidence now.

In my natural hair post (http://osinop95.blogspot.com/2013/11/natural-hair-post.html) I had mentioned that I have a little fro going on. I like to switch my hair up occasionally. I'll have braids one time, a weave the next and rock my little afro. Point is, shade will almost always be thrown at you on how you wear your hair. I guess you just have to do you. What you have on your head is your business. Just think of it as your "Hair Game".

Saturday, 28 December 2013

RELATIONSHIPS & DATING: Are You Selling Yourself Short?

Ladies, ladies, ladies. Don't we have a lot to learn. I've read a few posts on valuing yourself in a relationship and whatnot. Today, I want to add my two cents to the jar. Funny thing is I realised I was in that position. Yes, I sold myself short. Actually, it hit me. I thought to myself, I don't need to stress about my relationship. School's enough stress for me already. If a guy doesn't appreciate you, let him go. Will it hurt? Yes it will. Thing is, it's likely that you'll remember the good times that you had with your partner but don't let that cloud your judgement and get back with him. However, that's not to say that issues can't be resolved but it's difficult to change a person. If he won't appreciate you, leave him and don't look back. Here are a few questions to ask yourself. They'll help you determine whether or not you're selling yourself short in your relationship.

DOES HE NEGLECT YOU? We are women and yes we want attention, even though we may not always make it clear that we do. If he stays for days or at times weeks or at times weeks without reaching you then that alarm in your head should start ringing. Often times the excuse used is that he was busy, but there's only so long somebody can be busy. If this is the case in your relationship, speak up. Make the effort to let him know how you feel. If he won't listen to you, he's just not worth it. You deserve much better than to be ignored.
DO YOU UNDERVALUE YOURSELF? Do you ever feel like you are not good enough for your partner? Do you wonder why he chose you? Come on, be honest here. If I were to play around with numbers I'd say four out of five women feel this way. I've felt this way too, trust me. Once you undervalue yourself, you pave way for your partner to do the same to you. Eventually, he might just take you for granted. If you are in this situation, you better step up. That's right, step up. Encourage yourself. Build up your self esteem. This will help you become a stronger person in your relationship.
DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR RELATIONSHIP IS ONE-SIDED? Does it feel like you're the one putting in all the effort in trying to make your relationship work? Does he seem nonchalant to you? I'm not an expert at relationships but this might be because he has lost interest in the relationship. I've heard and read about people falling out of love and this might just be the case. If this has been long going then chances are things are not likely to change and staying in a relationship like this would be unfulling. This inturn would lead to you selling yourself short in trying to please your partner as much as you can.

WRITING: Flashback!

FLASHBACK

Helloooo there. Happy weekend everybody. I take it you're planning for the new year. Anywho, today's post is a flashback! It's funny though, the idea just hit me about ten minutes ago. So, I've had two sets of braces so far. Uhm, I really didn't know what made me think of that. Does a teenage girl with braces ring any bell to you? You know, a cartoon perhaps. Let me make it easy for you and just spit it out- it's Braceface! Anyone remember it? My oh my, that was one of the best cartoons ever. I must have been a preteen at the time.

So, my flashback didn't just end there. Guess which other cartoon came to my mind? As Told By Ginger. I must say, we used to watch some pretty cool cartoons back in the day. Cartoons on T.V. now suck....that's not to say I watch cartoons ;) Really, I don't but I am quite the SpongeBob fan. I'll make a list of my favourite cartoons and T.V. shows from "back in the day". You can drop a couple of your favourites in the comment box.

P.S. If you want to watch any of them, I think full episodes for most of them are available on YouTube.

Braceface
As Told By Ginger
All Grown Up
Cousin Skeeter
Kenan and Kel
The Amanda Show
Saved By The Bell
Boy Meets World
That's So Raven
Smart Guy

Thursday, 26 December 2013

WRITING: Then and Now

"New year, new me". It's almost that time of the year again. Yes, 31/12/13 is the day will see the annual cycle repeat itself. Social networks will be filled with status updates of people changing in the year2014. Resolutions, as the call them. I have nothing against new year's resolutions though. It's just funny because it's always the same old story. I graduated from high school two years ago. Looking back, it's been two years since I wore that high school graduation gown. What does that mean? I've had two years since the me of 2011 graduated from high school.

Have I achieved any of my resolutions in the past two years? Honestly, I don't know. I've never really been one to focus on that anyway. What exactly is the point of this post? Well, it's me saying you don't need resolutions to be a better you. You don't have to plaster your social media with the changes people will expect to see from you in the new year. I like to think change is inevitable and there's definitely no way you can stop it. Thing is, if you're meant to change you will. When you do, believe me it will be noticed. Don't forget, change can either be good or bad. That's up to you. In as much as we can't resist change, you can choose the path you want to walk on-hypothetically speaking. I think you catch my drift.

Basically, I don't believe the whole "then and now" hype. The only difference is that you get older and possibly wiser but it's still the same person underneath. To sum it up, simply LIVE life. You don't need to refer to a piece of paper to see how far you've come along the way. I know it's early, but you have yourselves a blessed 2014.

Tuesday, 24 December 2013

MOVIES: Movies to look out for January, 2014.

Are you a movie fanatic? Do you like to stay updated with the latest movies on the big screen? Here's a list of movies to look out for in the month of January 2014.

Friday, January 17

Friday, January 2

I, Frankenstein Horror3D/2D
Run & Jump Drama
Enemies Closer Thriller
24 Exposures Thriller
Gimme Shelter Drama

Friday, January 31

Labor Day Drama
That Awkward Moment Romantic Comedy
Best Night Ever Comedy
Brightest Star Drama
At Middleton
Tim's Vermeer Documentary

Movie list obtained from Movie Insider: http://www.movieinsider.com/movies/january/2014/

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