Adventures on the CTA - Blue Line Edition

Fat People Squeezing into the Seat Next to You:

Anyone that uses the CTA knows the horror of having an empty seat next to you and seeing someone larger than life (literally) approach it. Yesterday on my way to work I was thrilled when a seat opened up and I was able to relax. The lady next to me was quite petite so I enjoyed a comfortable ride... that was until her stop came up and I was faced with having a really fat chick sit next to me. Now, I'm not one to get aggravated over fat people because I know that THEY know that they're fat. However, as she wiggled and squeezed her plump ass into the seat next to me I couldn't help rolling my eyes because I was SMOOSHED!!! I mean, seriously! I know she wanted to sit down too but what made her think she could fit in that seat. So annoying... On top of that she insisted on texting on her old school flip phone the entire trip which required her to hit a key a trillion times to send a simple message. Throw into the mix that she was one of the few that hadn't figured out how to silence her key tone and I was ready to throat chop her.

Creepy, Old Guys:

Yesterday as I was waiting on the blueline platform to head home I was completely freaked out by this grown ass man that approached me. Clearly trying to avoid any unnecessary conversation, I had my headphones in and was blasting some Lady Gaga. Out of the corner of my eye I could see this guy walking towards me but was hoping he wouldn't say anything. The next thing I know he's asking me if I'm on facebook. I wish I could've sent a twitpic of my puzzled face. I replied "yes" ( For some reason I couldn't think to say "fuck off" quick enough) when he responded by saying that he knew he had recognized be from there before walking away.

Ummm.... *insert blank stare here* That was the oddest moment I've experienced in a while and it really made me want to remove some of the 1000+ pics I have online (as well as untag myself in a few). I guess living in Chicago you're bound to see people that you recognize from facebook but very rarely do you approach them. On top of that, grown men shouldn't just be walking up on you talking about how they've seen you online. I'm not a celeb.... you're creeping me out so please keep it moving. I think if he would've followed up his statement with something relevant I would've felt a bit better but nope... he was just being creepy. So, my advice to everyone (though it goes w/o needing to really be said) be careful about the amount of information you have readily available to people online... Keep your profiles private... and just be aware of anything that seems to be weird.

The Good Life

The holiday season is upon us and most pet owners will be faced with the decision of where to leave their pets while they travel. Known for its extravagance, D Pet Hotels Hollywood is leading the way in 5 star pet resorts. Situated in Hollywood, California, this high end resort rolls out the red carpet for your pet giving them the star treatment... but be careful because you just may want to stay too.

Dingy pet hotels and kennels are a thing of the past. This resort boasts a variety of luxury suites complete with beds, flat screen TVs and artwork sure to remind your pet of all the comforts of home. In addition to the rooms (which make a few hotels look shabby) 3 indoor dogs parks, a spa and boutique will be at your dog's disposal.

For a great place a bit closer to home, Urban Tailz provides Chicago area dogs with an above average pet sitting experience. A highlight of their site is being able to read the bio for all of their walkers, ensuring your pet will be left in great hands. This has also been a favorite on YELP, yielding a 4.5 out of 5 rating.

Urban Tailz
2177 W. Shakespeare Ave. #1
Chicago, IL 60647
773.510.1812
info@urbantailz.com

Homemade Stories #1

Shannon Cason, blogger and creative writer extraordinaire, has released his first podcast! In First Warm Day, Cason introduces listeners to the story of two young school kids in Chicago on the first warm day of the year. In addition to wonderful short stories, his blog (Born Unknown) offers a humorous peek into the sometimes intricate male mind. I thoroughly enjoy reading his work, but think it's a treat to hear the author read it himself... the way he intended for it to be heard.

N♥tural Hair: Polished Perm Rods

Last week I tried my first style with the perm rods but wanted to see if I could get a more polished look. After washing and blow drying my hair, I used the Cantu Shea Butter Grow Strong Strengthening Treatment to provide moisture and protection before I flat ironed. While this product was at times too heavy for my relaxed hair, it works great on my natural hair. I was really pleased with the results and enjoyed the amount of curls that my hair held. This is a style that I could probably stretch our for 2 days (some may have better luck with it lasting longer) and as my hair fell it looked better. I've been having so much fun experimenting with different styles and products. If anyone has any tips/suggestions for products or styles please let me know!.

Rolled, Wrapped and Ready for bed

The next morning with the perm rods out


Fluffed out

McDonald's Fail

Mickey D's hits the spot for millions of people around the world. My personal favorite is the Filet 'o Fish sandwich. This thing is so scrumptious and hits the spot every time. I was craving it last week and decided to head downstairs from my job and grab the fishy delight. However, I was thoroughly disappointed to receive this poor excuse for a sandwich. On top of having a baby slice of cheese it was basically nuked onto the bread. I was pretty grossed out. Are times so rough that we can't even get a full slice of cheese? I mean damn! It's safe to say this was the last time I ate at McDonald's. File this one under #EpicFail.

Adventures on the CTA - Blue Line Edition

I've been hearing for a while now that I needed to make the switch from the standard CTA fare card to the Chicago Card Plus. It took some time (over a year) but I finally made the change and let me just say that it's made a world of difference.

No longer do I have to fumble around with my fare card, hoping I insert it correctly and don't hold up the line. With a simple tap I'm able to enjoy all of the perks of having the CTA chauffeur me around the city. Another highlight is having my 30 day pass automatically reloaded every month!! I'm looking forward to not hustling to get a pass every week. Geez, I really wish I would have done this sooner. I'd urge everyone to definitely get the Chicago Card Plus if you haven't done so already. It's an amazing feature that the CTA offers.

A world of great guys hiding behind bad hair and outdated clothes...

Thursday's episode of the Oprah show featured husbands that seemed to be stuck in a time warp full of bad hair and clothes and in need of a fashion intervention. I was astonished at how tragic some of these men looked before Tim Gunn was able to get his hands on them and show them the light, fashion wise. Be it ill-fitting jeans, old Bill Cosby sweaters, or hair that looked more biblical than 2009, these men all had issues and needed help.

During the course of the show I noticed that once cleaned up these men all looked pretty good. It became a running joke when Oprah pointed out how excited the wives seemed and how everyone would be having a "good night" later on. Judging by the transformations these guys underwent the panties were for sure going to be getting thrown their way.

Another thing that stood out in my mind was how easy it was to clean up a guy. I hear tons of women complaining about the lack of decent men out there and I think they aren't completely tapping into all of the resources we have. If you meet a great guy give him a chance... the core is what's important. You can always polish a man and get him to wear what you feel accentuates his assets. It's kind of like reupholstering your favorite piece of a furniture or refinishing kitchen cabinets... the surface is easy to change. You can work with a sweet guy that wears lame clothes but you can't change a wack personality. In all honesty though, there are so many amazing guys out there and we hold ourselves back from possibly meeting the man of our dreams because of trivial stuff.

On a different note, after the makeovers I could see the personality overhaul these guys encountered... they all had their swag turned on high! I couldn't help but to eye their wives and think that all of the husbands looked WAY better. Hopefully their makeover would encourage the women in their lives to step their game up too. In relationships it's easy for both people to get stuck in a rut.

Before and Afters:

Josh



Larry


Adam


Aaron


Jason

Daniel


Russell originally received a makeover from Oprah in 1990 which admittedly was awful. In an attempt to make it up to Russell 19 years later, Oprah did a redo.

Gingerbread Yogis

Want to thank your favorite yoga instructor for helping to keep you lean and fit throughout the year? Patti Paige has put a fresh twist on an old favorite with her Gingerbread Yogis. This tasty treat features 10 gingerbread cookies in various yoga poses. New to yoga? Don't fret! Every box comes complete with a cookie chart so you can point out your down dog, warrior and tree poses like a pro. For more information visit Patti's site.



Box of all 10 poses
Original Gingerbread - $35
Vegan Gingerbread - $45

N♥tural Hair Update: Playing w/ Perm Rods

Wednesday night I decided to experiment with the perm rods I had bought from Sally's a few weeks ago. Thru trial and error I had realized I couldn't put my wet hair in the rods since I didn't have a hooded dryer to sit under... nor could I try and sleep with them on b/c it resulted in a hot ass mess lol. Getting creative, I tried blowing out my hair and then using the rods and ended up liking the results. I must say that I wasn't trying to achieve a super straight look with my roots so I didn't flat iron before using the rods. I was aiming for something similar to what Tracee Ellis Ross rocks... full, slightly puffy curls. In my world the bigger the hair the better! It took me about 20 mins to roll my hair and I ended up sleeping with a silk scarf over my pillow. I actually think this will be a go-to winter style for me since I can achieve the volume and fullness I crave without my wet hair having to battle the cold.

I used different sized perm rods throughout my hair

The Results: Big hair with some curls. I didn't want perfection, but to have fluffy, slightly puffy curls! Big hair gives me life. This was my first time trying this style so I'm looking forward to perfecting it...

Tracee Ellis Ross was my inspiration and of the many styles she wears, I had the one pictured below in mind.

Abortion: Always a Woman's Choice

A minor rant:

Abortion, politics and religion are topics that people rarely change their stance on, therefore we end up debating for the sake of hearing our own voice or trying to prove a point. This is just my little rant.

Whether the result of rape, failed birth control or just not wanting to be a parent, I think that at the end of the day abortion is a woman's choice. I don't feel anyone has the authority to dictate what someone can and cannot do with their body. People have numerous reasons for having an abortion and the idea that a man can put into effect laws that govern how a woman can and cannot handle matters that are exclusive to her... it baffles me.

I think that people should invest money into sex education and parents should actually have conversations with their kids about sex instead of being delusional to the fact that their teens, younger and younger nowadays are spreading their legs and dropping their pants to experience something they may or may not be ready for. I feel everyone can do their part to educate those around them to not be in the unfortunate position of having to choose because it's not an easy choice... but I believe 100% in not bringing an unwanted child into the world. It's not the 1700s...we have options.

He got knocked the F*CK out...

I was watching MTV's "The Ruins" last night and witnessed the fight between Darrell and Brad. I actually like both of these guys and was surprised that they fought... definitely the result of drinking too much alcohol and being in closed quarters. Anyways, I was SHOCKED at the aftermath of the fight. I mean, Darrell probably hit Brad about 4 times tops... and when you see the end result... my GOD!!! I didn't think someone's face could swell up that fast!

His eye was insanely swollen! He looked like a freak of nature

Then the producers cleaned him up a bit for his exit interview

Darrell's face was spotless. Brad didn't manage to lay a finger on him

Dream Jobs

While my friends were working normal mall jobs in high school, I wasn't allowed to do anything. As a working adult in my mid 20s I can now appreciate being able to have a childhood void of clocking in and out for a measly few bucks... but I can't lie...I always thought it would be cool to be a cashier. I don't know if it's the little "beep" or handling money, but the idea of being a cashier always made me smile. Not that I would ever quit my job to do price checks in aisle 3, but I do scratch the itch by opting to hit the self checkout line every time I'm in Jewel. As a matter of fact, if I have the option of checking myself out anywhere I do it.

Some days I find my mind wandering and thinking about what I'd do with my days in a "perfect world". I think splitting my time between MAC Cosmetics and an animal shelter, with some lifestyle writing/blogging would be my ideal gig. Those are the things that never get old or boring to me and that I'm passionate about.

I'm curious to know what everyone else would love to do with their days, if $ wasn't a priority.

Podcast #407 Activating Faith Instead of Fear

For the past few years I haven't had a church home but instead opted to watch Joel Osteen. Based out of Houston, Texas, his messages are full of positivity and uplift and I really enjoy watching his sermons and downloading the podcasts. I find him inspirational and think you should subscribe to his free podcasts. They really do help minister to your soul on a daily basis.

Today I was listening to podcast #407 "Activating Faith instead of Fear". Here are a few of the notes I took while listening...



- Don't put your faith in your fears

- Don't let people talk you into settling for mediocrity

- Don't use your energy to worry, use your energy to believe. It takes the same amount of energy to believe and worry. Expect God's favor

- Don't use your faith in reverse (i.e. believing that bad things will happen, life will be hard, etc)

- Stay in faith that when one door closes, another will open

- What we meditate on is what will take root

- When you act on fear, you draw in the negative

- Fear will steal your joy, steal your enthusiasm and keep you awake at night

- Worry, fear, and wrong thinking is not just a bad habit, it's allowing the negative to come to pass

- If we're gonna stay in faith we have to be careful who our friends are. Be careful who you associate with. Fear is contagious. Worry is contagious. Negativity is contagious. If you're around people that are always complaining and discouraged, that spirit can get off on you. We can catch other people's emotions, just like a cold.

- Don't let your imagination run wild in the wrong direction

- God has brought you through the past and he'll bring you through the future

N♥tural Hair Art

Since entering into nesting mode I've been on the hunt for vibrant, unique artwork to make my white walls pop. Yesterday I came across these funky prints by Andrea Pippins and it was love at first sight. At $30 each, these 11.75" x 15.75" prints fit perfectly into IKEA Ribba frames and are an awesome way to liven up your home.

As someone that's embracing their curly hair, these prints send a strong message and are the perfect gift idea for any natural friends you may have.

Andrea runs FlyGirls Blog and recently launched her site, I love My Hair, where all of her artwork can be purchased.

The Only Regret - $30

Kinky Coily Curly - $30

Self Love - $30

Champagne Wishes, Rolex Dreams

From previous posts everyone could tell that I was stoked about getting the Michael Kors "rolex in training" gold on gold watch. After venturing into Macy's and seeing it up close and personal, I felt crushed that it was nothing like the pictures. Online the watch seemed sleek and sophisticated and in person it was just big and awkward... more like a clunker than a classic. Always able to save the day with some good advice, sexyandthechi was able to point me in the direction of Citizen's watches. I combed thru their site & came across 3 new contenders in hopes of making my dreams of having a "baby rolex" a bit closer to coming true.

1. Eco-Drive WR100
Model: EW1242-52P
$295

2. Silhouette Sport
Model: EW1262-55P
$225

3. Eco-Drive
Model: EW3152-95P
$175