If you're here from the Top 10 Products link list ...

Please be advised that I have moved to Typepad. Unfortunately, my blog address was listed incorrectly. Please join me at http://lifeofaladybug.typepad.com to see my list and, hopefully, to become a regular reader! See you there!

I'm moving!

Hey, y'all! I'm moving to Typepad! I've gotten Joy to help me with a funky-fresh new logo and header, which will be uploaded soon. Anyway, I hope you'll keep reading and, for those of you who have me in your links (thanks!), please update to my new blog address! Check me out at: http://lifeofaladybug.typepad.com. See ya there, my lovelies!

4 More Things ...

1. I cannot stand it when women are referred to as "females". A "female" is what you call an animal, not a person. If you must refer to me in a gender-specific way, call me a woman. Better yet ... try calling me Toya. That would work. That's what names are for, after all ... identifying a person. 2. Even though Beyoncé's BET Awards costume looked like it was made out of aluminum foil, I have to say that "Deja Vu" is my JAM! 3. I am already disappointed in this season of Big Brother. Particularly in my beloved Kaysar. Please, GOD, don't let him become Lex. I couldn't stand my Mack from Iraq becoming someone I don't recognize. If he becomes a jerk, I will so hate him. But still secretly lust after him. Okay ... the lust won't be secret, at all, as I will be broadcasting it weekly from this very blog, complete with entire photo entries filled with my love for him. 4. My entire lunch today consisted of macaroni and cheese. And no, I don't feel guilty.

My latest DeLush review ...

... is up! Give it a look-see! www.delush.com

4 more things ...

1. I've always wanted to be able to lope. You know how tall, lanky people "lope" when they walk? I've always wanted to do that. As it is, the best I can do is a healthy sashay. 2. Nobody should be allowed to wear those hideous things called water shoes. Unless, that is, said person is a toddler. In which case, 9 times out of 10, s/he should be allowed to wear whatever s/he wants. Sarai throws a conniption just about every time I tell her that she cannot wear her bright purple Crocs, which, of course, don't really match most of her wardrobe because most of her wardrobe isn't neon purple! Each time I gently say, "Mumma, the Crocs don't match this outfit", she looks at me like I'm extra stupid and says, "But, Mommy ... Pop-Pop bought them", as if this, alone, means they match every piece of clothing in the world. At this point, she can wear the darn Crocs every day if it means that she will get off my nerves ... because, for real? There is nothing like a toddler for being nerve-wracking. Wear the darn Crocs. Wear them. Every day. All day. With orange and blue if you want. Wanna look like Rainbow Brite? Go right ahead. 3. I will not wear open-toed shoes of any sort if my toenails aren't painted. I think it looks unfinished and, even worse, unpretty. And my life is about nothing if not about prettiness. 4. Do not talk to me with your mouth full. First of all, if you start smacking or popping whatever's in your mouth - gum, candy, or what-have-you - I will refuse to talk to you. Secondly, if I can see what you're eating, I will be grossed out immediately and will refuse to talk to you. Either way, the conversation will not continue, so you should have just chewed and swallowed whatever that garbage is before you ever even walked up to me. Nasty dog.

Happy birthday, Vic!!!

My husband (He of the Many Nicknames) is 33 years old today! Old to death!!!! Happy birthday, Bump!

Pomegranate lemonade ...

... is yummy!

Birthday Weekend Recap

It was pandalerium, y'all! (If you've never seen Jeff Foxworthy's "You Might Be a Redneck" skits, you won't get the significance of "pandalerium" ... carry on.) I had the most eventful, exhausting weekend EVER! Of course, it all started Friday. After I left work, I picked up Sarai and took her home to hang out with me for a bit. I showered and washed my hair and got dressed - when Vic got home from work he showered and changed, then we dropped off Sarai and headed to Federal Hill. It took quite a bit of time to find a parking space - thankfully, we discovered a garage a few blocks up and around the corner. As we walked toward Three Kings we passed the place where I used to get my nails done (Light Street Nails) back when I was in high school and thought having long, drag queen acrylic nails was the move! We also passed Cross Street Market, which has the best donuts in all of Charm City. I have to remind myself to do downtown with Sarai one day - take her to see the sights like the Science Center and the Aquarium and take a ride on the carousel and make sure that we get Cross Street Market donuts before we go home. When we got to Three Kings, the only folks there were Tonyette and Crystal (who was rockin' the red 'fro, BTW - you go, Crystal!), but others came quite quickly. It was a good crowd of us - a mixture of the various aspects of my life: the Kallisti girls, friends from church, friends from school (middle and high), family (Hi, Poopie!) and new friends. At one point, the party was quite segregated - all the Black folks were sitting at one table and all those of a lighter hue sitting at another. You know that didn't work with me - I demanded that the party be integrated, posthaste! Thanks to Brookie for being the first one to wade in the deeper side of the color pool! Once we got all cafe au lait, the fun really began! Lucy was freakin' awesome, of course. She wore 3 (or 4?) fabulous costumes that I drooled over and now covet, particularly this dark blue one with a diaphanous scarf thingy that draped from it. Crystal cried while watching Lucy dance, which proves that I am not the only crybaby who does that. Vic actually enjoyed himself (!) and was only too happy to watch me dance with the Egyptian cooks, since he had no intention of dancing himself. Even Ericka got into the dance action for a bit! It was fun to improvise with Brooke and watch Nora shake a tail feather. We stayed 'til the wee hours and had an absolute blast! The lovely Lucy will be dancing there again on the 15th and we will be back! And if you go ... try the schwarma, it's divine! Saturday, I was barely able to crawl out of bed, but finally made it to the family picnic around 2 PM (it started at noon). Everything went well all day, 'til the men decided that it would be a good idea to play softball. I just knew that wasn't going to end well ... it didn't. My cousin and his father wound up running into each other head-first. My uncle's eight front teeth were knocked out, he split his tongue, and bit a hole in his lip. My cousin had a head wound. My aunt fell to her knees upon seeing her husband and son laying on the ground, in the middle of a puddle of blood, sprinkled with teeth. The youngest son took off running and crying because he was so distraught. Once again, it was pandalerium ... and not the fun kind. Here come the paramedics. The son goes to one hospital, the father to another. Thankfully, my cousin was tested and treated and released after a couple of hours. His father had to go to shock trauma and get a CAT scan and have his tongue stitched. I saw them both yesterday and they're doing fine. My uncle's tongue is swollen and he has a massive headache, of course, but it could have been much worse. He's a man who never believed in GOD, but when the chaplain came to his hospital bed and asked him if he wanted her to pray for him, he said "yes". Hmm ... why is it that folks suddenly "find GOD" when they're in trouble? Anyway, I went back to their house and helped cart all the leftover food and then stayed around, waiting for updates on their conditions. When we got the final word that all was well, we left, but not before my Aunt Lynette decided there were intruders in the house and had armed three of us with baseball bats, one with a golf club, and one with an unopened bottle of wine, in case we needed to whup somebody's ass. Sunday, I could not get out of bed for church, needless to say. I lolled around, doing much of nothing, until 2 PM, when I had to go to a photo shoot for the LIFE Ministry. It was hot in that house! It was fun, though. Sarai was really good and very patient and got rewarded with her own picture, which made her quite happy. We just hung out as a family for the rest of the day. Monday, we all had breakfast together. Vic left for work and Sarai and I took a nap together. My father called and let me know that he wanted to pick Sarai up to hang out with him and his two stepgranddaughters, so I packed a bag for her and dropped her off at my mom's. Then, I went to the spa for my day of beauty ... ahhh!!! I tell you, should you ever decide to go to Spa in the Valley, please ask for Shelly. That girl gives a massage, body polish and facial like you have never seen, do you hear me??? Then, I had a luxurious mani and pedi in the company of my dear Poopie, followed by a yummy dinner at Noodles and Company. Daddy called to tell me that Sarai decided she didn't want to come home, so she spent the night there and I went home to Vic. I was hoping for some "We have no child in the house!" nookie, but we wound up having an argument instead ... boo. Yesterday, I went to Columbia Mall and headed to the Bobbi Brown counter in Nordstrom to try out the new Chocolate Collection. Delectable. Then off to Sephora to spend my birthday GC - got two POP Beauty Ribbon Glosses and an Urban Decay glittery body powder that smells and tastes like honey ... yummy! I went to pick up Sarai and hung out with my dad, stepmother and nieces for a bit, then we went to my aunt's and hung out there. I got to see both my uncle and my cousin and they're doing fine. My cousin was out and about and my uncle was up and talking, but clearly in a lot of pain. So now ... here I am. Back at work. Oh, the joy. I can't believe it ... for the first time, I was actually looking forward to coming to work ... so I could get some rest!

4 More Things ...

1. When I say "You're in my prayers" or "I'll pray for you", that doesn't mean that I stop that minute and send up a 20-minute fervent plea on your behalf. I believe that a Christian's life should be a prayer. I believe that I am in communication with GOD, 24/7. I don't have to stop and take a particular moment to pray on anyone's behalf, though I have and do. But, if I'm in the middle of the workday when I get an e-mail about a tragedy in someone's family or a request for a job or something and my reply is "You're in my prayers" or "I'll pray for you", 9 times out of 10, I'm not stopping work and getting on my knees right that second. I know that GOD reads and understands the desires of my heart - if, in my heart, I desire only goodness and blessings for you and I know that you need healing, favor, prosperity, or whatnot - then you are constantly in my prayers. 2. I'm anal about appropriate undergarments. If you're wearing a cream-colored shirt, you shouldn't be wearing a red bra. Do I even have to say that??? 3. I would like to wear some form of headcovering every day. Not a hijab or anything. I'm thinking more along the lines of a gelé ... or a tiara. 4. I've had a seismic shift from wearing and loving only silver to having a preference for gold or bronze. Which is weird ... back in the day (namely, college), I thought it made me kind of cool and rebellious to do only silver and/or white gold, but now, I realize that yellow gold, copper and bronze look better with my skintone. But my wedding rings are platinum. A style conundrum! (I'm pretty sure that Vic isn't going to buy me new rings.)