I stare at the thickness
of the skin underneath your nose
wanting to taste the essence of you
you speak and I see the movement of your mouth
wondering what it would feel like on mine
I want to feel your skin
the warmth of your body
want to feel your tongue on my collarbone
as it slides up the side of my neck
licking until you reach my earlobe
slight bite
grab the back of my head
straddle the line between
rough and soft
and kiss me.
until my knees weaken
you are my pillar of strength
until the world melts away and
it is just you and I together
I stare at you as you speak to me
at the thickness of the skin underneath your nose
and I get hungry for you
I want to kiss you
sweetly
aggressively
forcefully
gently
sliding my fingers on your head
on your face
in your beard
along the broadness of your shoulders
I think of you.
when you are not around.
and I envision
the thickness of the skin
underneath your nose.
Poetry| pieces
i am the porcelain
doll that has been broken
I glued myself together
the ceramic edge of my cracks are sharp
and I remember the fall
from grace
into love
that turned to hate
and I see the fault lines
in the mirror that is your face
and I want
to smooth both of us
sand and shape your heart
and feel the strength of your hand as it holds mine
be mine
I am already yours
what can be ours?
I was told they could never put humpty dumpty back together again
and I am still missing small pieces of myself
wanting to be loved whole
complete
wanting you to want me to want you
wanting you
completely
without question
love is a complete statement
hoping for more than fairytales
I weave the story of us in my mind
like rumple
turning straw into gold
turning no into yes
turning my heart warm from cold.
there are pieces of my heart that have not seen the Sun
bits of the iceberg that needs chipping
and I just wonder.
doll that has been broken
I glued myself together
the ceramic edge of my cracks are sharp
and I remember the fall
from grace
into love
that turned to hate
and I see the fault lines
in the mirror that is your face
and I want
to smooth both of us
sand and shape your heart
and feel the strength of your hand as it holds mine
be mine
I am already yours
what can be ours?
I was told they could never put humpty dumpty back together again
and I am still missing small pieces of myself
wanting to be loved whole
complete
wanting you to want me to want you
wanting you
completely
without question
love is a complete statement
hoping for more than fairytales
I weave the story of us in my mind
like rumple
turning straw into gold
turning no into yes
turning my heart warm from cold.
there are pieces of my heart that have not seen the Sun
bits of the iceberg that needs chipping
and I just wonder.
Food| Crossroads
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To be vegan or not to be vegan; that is the question that I'm asking myself at this particular junction in my life.
To say that the decision to become vegan for a 3-month trial basis was flippant and not-well-thought-out is an understatement. But when I commit to something, the deal is done and set in stone. To say that I thought I would fall on my face is also an understatement. I had plastic surgeons saved in my favorites. (I kid)
Food is such a personal thing. What we eat - what nourishes us - what we choose to put into our bodies should never be something that is judged by others. It should wholly be judged by ourselves before we decide to chow down. This is the main thing that I've learned throughout this process.
I've stalked more labels, googled more 5 syllable ingredients and have opened Pandora's Box on many of my past favorite foods than I care to mention. Think: do you really know what's in McDonald's French fries? A good piece of advice that I learned from another blogger was that the best way to look at your food is to make sure that there are as few ingredients as possible. Also, be sure that you can pronounce each ingredient listed. With that piece of advice, I felt that I was adequately armed to go out and eat responsibly.
Once you start to realize that food in America is gross and that half the food we eat is banned in other countries, you begin to see the world in a new light. Also, once you realize that the same company that produces the same cereal (for example) in the US uses GMO ingredients but doesn't use them in let's say Europe, you start to get angry. (Looking at you, Honey Nut Cheerios) Why does my government think it is okay for me to eat GMO cereal while the European government says that it is not okay.
I live in an urban (read: black) neighborhood in Brooklyn. In order to get fresh food, vegan food or something that wasn't fried, slathered in oil or remotely healthy, I had to venture out at least 30 minutes away from home. Is that fair? No. Why is it that people in Crown Heights don't get access to affordable healthy food but the people in Park Slope do? When I go to Park Slope, I see my people (read: black) there eating well. Also, have you noticed the amount of Kennedy Fried Chicken (fake chicken mongers) in urban neighborhoods but never are they found outside. Why is that?
I also learned how to dial back the crazy because really? What can I do? I'm only one person. Before 3 months ago, I loved me a beef patty with cheese and pepperoni from the fake chicken mongers. I had to want better for myself. In this day and age, the information we seek on any topic is literally right at our fingertips. It took a serious medical condition (ugly eczema) for me to be at the end of my rope for my eyes to be opened and to really examine what I eat and where it comes from and what I eat eats and where that come from.
So, I'm doing what I can...sharing my story with whomever will read it. I urge anyone reading this to really examine what you're eating and why? Does what you eat really give you nutrition? Is it helping your body run better? Why do you eat what you eat? What the next chapter of it holds, I'm still unsure. I know that it won't include McDonald's French fries.
Stay tuned for more...
Books|Updated Trailer
This is the update trailer for my book, Counter Girls:
View more at www.counter-girls.webs.com or on Twitter/IG @counter_girls.
View more at www.counter-girls.webs.com or on Twitter/IG @counter_girls.
News| Genetically Modified...Babies
Researchers in New Jersey claim that 30 human babies might have been born with genes from three people: their mother, their father — and a third person, whose genes were added in the laboratory.
The researchers call their experiment "the first case of human … genetic modification resulting in normal healthy children."
The team at the Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Science of St. Barnabas in West Orange, N.J. was trying to help infertile women become pregnant.
In each of the 30 cases, something in the mother's egg had prevented her from conceiving naturally. So St. Barnabas researchers extracted material from cells donated by a third woman.
This additional material from the donor's cell somehow allowed the egg to become fertile.
A number of scientists question the ethics of the experiment. For the first time, they say, it has been confirmed that children have been born with genetic alterations.
via ABC News
Other articles on this topic:
Home| Padma Lakshmi's Dinnerware
As I get older, I sort of want to settle in and have some real china. Not something fine that I'd be afraid to break. Don't ask me HOW MANY glasses and plates I've dropped and shattered in the years I've lived in my apartment. I will say it is enough for me to only dine on Target clearance plates and cups. Sad. I'm almost 30. Padma's collection seems grown up, feminine, yet approachable. With prices between $13-$50, I think I can afford to have an at-home dinner party. Only available at Bloomingdale's.
Home| Soho Meets 1830's British Decor
I'm usually a modernist kind of girl when it comes to home decor. I like sleek, clean, minimal. This art curator's home is anything but that but I kinda like it. Read full article here.
Bibliophile| Deadly Sexy by Beverly Jenkins
When I came across Beverly Jenkins' work, it was like a lightbulb went off. I was desperately searching for an intelligent black romance novel. I'm tired of all the ghetto novels that have the baby mama drama or some 'round the way girl falling in love with the neighborhood drug dealer. That is not my reality by any means.
Granted, JT Blake and her busted Lexus meeting trucker millionaire Reese Anthony is not my reality either but a girl can dream.
As a writer myself, I love to see the way other writers introduce their characters and seduce us with the complexities of their personality, jobs and conflict. This book was in no way rushed but it made me want more. I loved that Jenkins' characters come from all walks of life. Yes, there is some baby mama drama but it's written from a standpoint that the reader can understand. There's the gangbanger, the ambitious rags to riches slime ball and even grandparents that have been together 40 years.
And of course, the sex scenes were enough to make me giggle and blush on a crowded train home. I was able to completely lose myself in the story which is the mark of an awesome writer.
My rating: 5 lipsticks.
Purchase here: Amazon
Eats|M.O.B. Brooklyn
As many of you guys know, I'm vegan...or at least I am for the next 90 days to 6 months.
My version of veganism means - no meat, dairy, wheat, gluten, corn or artificial flavors.
I stumbled on to M.O.B. Brooklyn after getting off of work, hungry and tired. They are in walking distance from my job and so, I and a coworker (meat-eater) stopped in for some fare.
pics above courtesy of their website.
The french fries are fried in olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt which leave them light and soft.
sorry...crappy phone pics.
This is a mushroom burger topped with caramelized onions, cashew cheese and of course...avocado. I liked the burger a lot. The consistency was of a normal meat burger. I did not like the cashew cheese. I know it's weird to want a non-dairy cheese to taste like regular cheese but...meh. The burger alone didn't fill me. I had to eat all of the fries to satisfy my hunger. My coworker said the same thing. Don't look to gorge yourself.
Overall:
Ambiance: 5 stars. Super cool and trendy.
Service: 5 Stars. Friendly staff, patient and knowledgeable.
Food: 3 stars. I wanted more
Price 2 stars: Pricey joint but most vegan restaurants are super pricey. Our meal together was around $40 which is a lot for burger, fries and 2 small drinks.
I do want to go back and sample their pancakes but a stack of 3 pancakes for $11 ....I don't know.
Check them out here.
My version of veganism means - no meat, dairy, wheat, gluten, corn or artificial flavors.
I stumbled on to M.O.B. Brooklyn after getting off of work, hungry and tired. They are in walking distance from my job and so, I and a coworker (meat-eater) stopped in for some fare.
pics above courtesy of their website.
The french fries are fried in olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt which leave them light and soft.
Overall:
Ambiance: 5 stars. Super cool and trendy.
Service: 5 Stars. Friendly staff, patient and knowledgeable.
Food: 3 stars. I wanted more
Price 2 stars: Pricey joint but most vegan restaurants are super pricey. Our meal together was around $40 which is a lot for burger, fries and 2 small drinks.
I do want to go back and sample their pancakes but a stack of 3 pancakes for $11 ....I don't know.
Check them out here.
Bibliophile|When She Woke by Hillary Jordan
**Spoiler Alert**
I was super interested in reading this book because the concept was very intriguing.
The protagonist wakes up red after having an abortion. In the narrator's dystopic reality, abortion is illegal. While reading further, we find out that the red girl comes from a deeply religious family. In fact, the entire story is steeped with heavy religious references, passages and words.
I liked the style of writing Jordan demonstrates in this work. She unfolds each character like a napkin and reveals things about their personality/life in a way that is almost poetic. I thought her re-imagining of the Scarlet Letter was brilliant. The book makes you question your concept of right/wrong, freedom and how far you would go to protect the one you love.
My overall rating:
Four lipsticks. I think this is a great read for anyone who is Christian because it allows you to see how extreme faith can be. I also recommend this book for anyone who is comfortable with their spirituality. This book made me uncomfortable at time which I think good fiction should but if you are not open-minded, you will not like this novel at all.
Other reviews here.
Buy the book here.
Eats| No-Mayo Tuna Recipe
I don't know if tuna is apart of a typical vegan diet but I needed to eat some type of meat-like substance and I had this in the house. A lot of what I cook is basically what I have lying around. Being a bachelorette, it's not much usually.
Ingredients:
1 can of white albacore in water
Olive oil.
1 Tomato (diced)
1 bunch of spinach
1/2 avocado
1/2 red onion (diced)
1/2 cucumber (diced)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 bunch of romaine lettuce
A lot of the no-mayo recipes wanted me to use the avocado as the congealing factor aka as the mayo. Instead, I drained the tuna and used a cap full of oil in a bowl with all the diced ingredients mixed.
I layed the romaine lettuce down first and the bunch of spinach. I placed the tuna in the middle of the plate and placed sliced avocado around it. I sprinkled a dash of pepper and a dash of salt on top and ate as a salad.
Life| Eczema Diaries V.1. C.1
Itching, scratching, being uncomfortable and more....I've felt it everyday for the past three years.
My arms are black. My face is brown and I've tried my best to fix it. Just fix it. I want my old skin back. The smooth chocolate that used to spread itself over shoulders and arms.
I have eczema and it's a pain in the neck, shoulders, and arms.
Gone are those velvety smooth days. Instead, I'm left with black scales that are rough to the touch and skin that flakes if you try to caress it.
I've tried quick fixes: creams, serums and pills. Nothing works...so, I'm going STRICT VEGETARIAN/PSEUDO-VEGAN which sounds crazy because of all that it means....
NO MILK/DAIRY PRODUCTS
NO CHEESE (mmm) NO CHOCOLATE NO EGGS
NO CHICKEN BEEF PORK (I am eating fish - just in moderation)
NO GLUTEN/WHEAT/CORN PRODUCTS (Soy in moderation)
NO OVERLY ACIDIC FRUITS
There's a lot of reasons why which I won't list here. The best site which details the main reasons is here.
If you have any tips/trick/words of encouragement, feel free to comment.
My arms are black. My face is brown and I've tried my best to fix it. Just fix it. I want my old skin back. The smooth chocolate that used to spread itself over shoulders and arms.
I have eczema and it's a pain in the neck, shoulders, and arms.
Gone are those velvety smooth days. Instead, I'm left with black scales that are rough to the touch and skin that flakes if you try to caress it.
I've tried quick fixes: creams, serums and pills. Nothing works...so, I'm going STRICT VEGETARIAN/PSEUDO-VEGAN which sounds crazy because of all that it means....
NO MILK/DAIRY PRODUCTS
NO CHEESE (mmm) NO CHOCOLATE NO EGGS
NO CHICKEN BEEF PORK (I am eating fish - just in moderation)
NO GLUTEN/WHEAT/CORN PRODUCTS (Soy in moderation)
NO OVERLY ACIDIC FRUITS
There's a lot of reasons why which I won't list here. The best site which details the main reasons is here.
If you have any tips/trick/words of encouragement, feel free to comment.
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