One Bad Apple

I happen to catch an interview Countess Vaugh gave pertaining to some of her self esteem issues. It was disturbing to say the least. This woman is uber-talented and has been a celebrity public-figure since she was like eight years old or so. She says that she never felt good enough or beautiful enough growing up in the entertainment business. Granted, I get it. In the entertainment business you are in deed a product. You are no longer an individual that can make decisions about your appearsnce AND you are judged according to your appearance. 

In one breathe she said while working on the set of the popular sitcom 227 Marla Gibbs was great. "She told me I was beautiful everyday." In the same breathe she says, "There was an older lady on set that just didn't like me. She thought I was big, black, and ugly. I heard her. She was just brought up in a time where beauty was defined as something else and I wasn't it. That stuck with me." She said as she began to tear up. 

My thing is: you had someone telling you that you were beautiful everyday, but she allowed one statement an ignorant cast member made, not even in her face or directly to her to scar her esteem and essentially she's held on to that "feeling" those words for over twenty years! Really? How could you allow someone to take your energy, steal your joy in that way, especially when you have someone daily telling you that you're beautiful?

Parents talk to your kids! Build them up before others tear them down! Then listen: if you hadn't heard it today; you are brilliant, beautiful and blessed to be one of God's children! Be successful! Live life and enjoy your successes!

Control Your Destiny

We make time for who, what, and anything we want so it's pertinent to make time for your success! Make time to be great! Make time to perfect your craft, skills, and talents. If you want something bad enough you'll do whatever it takes. It'll seem effortless once the initial set-up is complete. Make time to be the best you. If you want success, then you will make (create) the time for it.

Maybe it will require less idle time. Perhaps it will require less of this and more or that. Whatever it is; it will be well worth your sacrifice now to enjoy the fruits of your labor later. 

Blessings to you,

xoxo

Face Value

There comes a time when you must take things at face value. If a person tells you something believe it. When they show you something trust it. Too many times we try and "read" into what is said or done instead of taking it all for face value right away. 

There is no science to it. There's no method to the madness. It's pure logic. There's nothing to debate or ponder. It is what it is...and what it will always be.

Face value=Truth and reality 

Hour Dish Khrystianized off Pinterest

Ingredients:

Garlic Powder

Black Pepper

Italian Seasoning

Tony's

Half stick of unsalted butter

Italian dressing

Chicken breast

New potatoes

Green beans 

Bell pepper, red, yellow, orange, jalapeño pepper

Onion

Directions:

Cut new potatoes in fours, and place on one side of pan. Can or fresh green beans on the opposite side of the pan. Chicken breast in the center of the pan. Season all in pan with ingredients. Place in oven uncovered for 30 minutes then cover with foil for another 30 minutes. 

Try it!

Here's before:

Here's after:

PassPort Life Radio

Interview October 18, 2014

I'm so happy to be live with PassPort Live Radio! Thank you for having me! 

I was inspired to write single girl gems by life: plain and simple. The fabulous, the dreadful, and everything in between. It's been a pleasure sharing my experiences with everyone and receiving feedback. Family pushed me, friends, anyone that's doing exactly what I want to be doing inspires me, you Karla have inspired me!

You are definitely Gucci! I don't know what it means, but I'll use my context clues for that one! Lol! 

Gems are rare. Great women that hold it down for, not only themselves, but for their families all while standing for God now a days are rare as well so it was fitting to name my book Single Girl Gems after such rare and precious tid bits, if you will that I could share whether I've experienced the advice or been a witness to it. 

I've always written. As a little girl I wrote, as a young woman I wrote and as I was writing my blog everyone encouraged me to pen my work in a book. My family constantly pushed me to publish so my inspiration came from them as well as within. I've always wanted to be a published author it's off my bucket list now. That's one check down an infinite number to go. 

My steps included writing and writing and writing. Then I inquired everywhere and from everyone. I read a lot so I did tons of research before deciding the best fit for longevity of my career and maintain my creativity.

Single Girl Gems are just Khrystian tid bits of treasure I use and pass along to other single women/girls/females/ladies...you get the point. A single girl gem is a precious and polished declaration for the highly prized woman that's Fantabulous inside and out. Gems are statements for everyone.

The book, or gems, are indeed for everyone! Men there's an entire chapter devoted to gems for you. I've penned an open letter to men. Listen; I'm an advocate of healthy relationships. I'm in a relationship, so my book is designed to instigate and develop conversation between men and women. I wrote the blog to add value to all relationships through discussion and conversation so my book mirrors my blog which is I created the conversation tour. Whether is cupcakes and conversation or cocktails and conversation....we will hold a conversation.

Saturday, October 25th I'll be in Galveston at the Women Respect your Gifts hat tea and lunch following a private event that evening 

November 22 I'll be at Barnes and Noble Westhiemer...so I'm excited for all that's in store. 

It's been exhilarating. I've loved every minute of doing something I absolutely love! Writing is really the only time I don't feel like I should be doing something else. I can get lost in it...and the publishing world has certainly taken me back to my original field which is communications radio/television. I've met some amazing people and gotten even more inspiration. 

As a child I loved Ann M. Martin, the entire Babysitters Club series, which I still have. Beverly Clearly's Ramona and Beezus. As an adult my favorite authors have been Sheneska Jackson, Omar Tyree and Michael Baisden, but there are so many it's hard to just stop there. I'm a reader.

If I could offer one gem right now to anyone it would be: Be an assest not a liabiltity!

Time in and time out I say it on my blog-LEARN something!  Never stop and just do it! Get it done, whatever it is! Be a better you; be the best you and not for anyone, but yourself!!  Have something positive to offer to any relationship: personal or professional

My next book will be coming out for the holidays! I'm excited to share it! It's a juvenile fiction book for elementary and middle grades so stay tuned for that. 

Thank you again, Passport Life Radio, I've definitely had a great time calling in! I'll call in anytime! I love all you single girls out there if no one has told you they love you today...I love you! Thanks to all my family and friends, Facebook friends, twitter followers, everyone that's bought the book or supported me on this journey thank you all!

Sore Losers

Hurt people, hurt people. 

Simple as that; and don't let them get in their feelings. They become dangerous. They can't stand to see anyone else happy.

Social media has definitely given a new set of defining characteristics to some people that may not have had, balls, for a lack of a better words....and yet it's the perfect word. 

Now, all of a sudden people, places, and things are at our finger tips like never before. Text, emails, posts, and status updates enable "some" people to speak things that aren't as though they were! 

They get their feelings hurt in the present and attempt to dim the light of their personal misery by reaching into the past to bring up things they think will hurt someone else. Never understanding in their stupidity that there is and never was cause for embarrassment or shame when it comes to a person strong-minded and confident. 

They are sore losers! 

Misery loves company. You've heard that before. I've blogged it before. It's the same difference as hurt people, hurt people. It's hard for a person, sometimes, not all the time, to turn their back on people when they're going through their "dark time" in their life. You kind of want to be there for them, help in some menial way. At the very least; be a friend. However, a miserable, sore loser, can't handle that friendship. They use and abuse it. (Lesson learned) Just as needy as they were throughout their dark time is as needy as they will be to bring you down to their dark pit as well. Not all people that go through dark times do this only the sore loser!

Most of their hurt feelings come from sheer embarrassment. That's where sore comes from. Hurt. You don't succeed at your intended purpose. Trying to live up to the sham of a life you've created. I love the phrase fake it until you make it, but that doesn't imply being a sore loser behind the things you've faked being exposed, right? It's okay to have vulnerability, insecurity, and defeat! <--Oh this message is strictly for the sore loser--> Just don't remain in misery. Don't remain in drama. Don't remain in your insecurities. Get out of your funk! One game you may win, another you may lose. Better luck next time. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start again. Reshuffle the cards, it's time for a new hand! Oh, and when you get a hand you're proud of- you don't have to show it. Play your moves, play that grand hand. Your eventual success will speak for ITSELF. At least it should (side-eye) No need to boast. No need to be conniving. The game will play in your favor...eventually. Don't be sore, be super! 

Good luck in life, 

Fishing...

Most people love fishing. They love fishing for sport. And by fishing...I don't mean the sport. I mean fishing for information! Fishing for details. Fishing for clarity. Fishing for news and entertainment. Fishing for compliments. Fishing as a fixation!

Why don't we be fisherman of men? Lead and guide people to what's right: Good decisions, life gems, opportunities, access, aspirations, other positive and uplifting etceteras! 

Imagine how much more productive people could be! Great catches all around there would be.

Join in, Tune in, Call in

Book Trailer

http://youtu.be/mHthQc-QRgM

What's in a Name?

So...my book is titled, Single Girl Gems. I've had tons of people say, "I'm not single any more but I'll read it," or "I'm married but I can buy it for my single girl friends," or even, "I'm not single, but I'll support you and just get the book." I've had a dozen men say, "That's a book just for single girls, that's what the title says," 

I have no real problem with the above mentioned however, when did the title of a book, or film, even a song on the radio, for that matter, dictate what you read, watch or listen to? I'm just asking for clarity!

When the book Color Purple came out; I don't recall people saying, "I've never liked the color purple, so I can't read the book or watch the movie." When the Sex and the City phenom began; I don't recall anyone commenting, "I don't have sex and the city." No one was offended at the mere mention of having sex...and with the entire city. Zane wrote books with titles, Addicted and Nervous, but no one ever says they won't be reading them because they have no addiction or they're not nervous. In fact when the film, Addicted came out, everyone flocked to purchase advance tickets and set up groups to go see the film together and I know they weren't apart of support groups. If you've read, How Stella Got Her Groove Back; I'm quite certain your name isn't Stella! I could count on one hand how many actual Stella's I personally know in the world. Same thing goes for Harry Potter, is your name Harry Potter or did you get any type of stone? Have you been Gone Girl, pretty sure you didn't care Why the Caged Bird Sings, not everyone eats Chicken Soup, most people don't have Stars to find Faults, and if I'm not mistaken; if you're not inhaling but constantly Waiting to Exhale, you'd be dead! I'm positive you're not Sleepless in Seattle, nor Killing Mockinbirds, writing Memoirs because you're a Geisha, or a Girl With a Dragon Tattoo!

We watch housewives of every city and there's no mention of biases against cities you don't live in. Scandal happens to be one of the most watched series on ABC and before that it was Grey's Anatomy. If I came to you and asked you what scandals you've got going on in your life because you enjoy watching the "show" I'm sure you'd be offended. 

So I ask; why is there a discussion or issue concerning why you can't or shouldn't read Single Girl Gems based on your "marital status". It's the same concept and principal as every other book or film or song you've read, watched or listened to. Please explain, por favor.

Life Gem 54: What's Your Super Power?

Teaching uber-pubescent 5th graders rigorous and relevant science by morning, meetings on top of meeting by mid-day, musical theatre direction and choreography by afternoon, rehearsal for performances in the evening defying Houston rush hour traffic, Master's course work by night, writing/scheduling in the late hours! Can't stop and won't stop, like hustle man, Diddy says; and ain't nobody mad about it. You can't convince me I don't have the super power of Invincibility. I won't be overcome by exhaustion... I'm invincible! Define your super power. Think of all the things you do in a day, a single day; big or small. You have a super power.  We ALL have them! At least ONE, right? There may be dozens but I'm just asking you to define ONE! Remember it's always, all about making the ONE count! 

Life gem #54

xoxo

Protect Your Inner Circle

Not everyone is for you in this life. There will be decisions, choices, and statements you'll have to make, with no one on your side or with your best interest at heart BUT God. 

After you've asked for discernment from God, prayed upon an answer...don't allow other people's fears and boxed in judgements, perceptions, or notions deter you from what you feel is right for YOU. 

No one cares for you or wants the best for you more than yourself! 

Once you've gotten out of your own way and leapt...FLY! SOAR! 

If someone comes offering negative vibes about what you should have, could have, or what they would be doing quiet that spirit from your mind. (Place that one finger over your lips for a visual if need be) PRAY! Not everyone sees your vision and listening to bash-talk, worry, concern, or doubtful conversation could leave you pinioned (wing-clipped). Stay positive. Be optimistic. If the world were full of successful people making their own way there would be no measures of success, productivity, or greatness. You don't need validation from anyone but God so once you get the Word from Him, move forward with the motivation of excellence and stellar conviction. Protect your inner circle. No one has a right to deter you from what gives you PEACE beyond understanding and unspeakable JOY! Don't just think outside the box, kick that box over!

xoxo,

Dream Chaser 2014

Sickle Cell Awareness Month

September was all about bringing awareness to Sickle Cell Anemia!