To Be In Love

(This is the perfect first response to the Google search: "To be in love")

To be in love

Is to touch with a lighter hand.

In yourself you stretch, you are well.

You look at things

Through his eyes.

A cardinal is red.

A sky is blue.

Suddenly you know he knows too.

He is not there but

You know you are tasting together

The winter, or a light spring weather.

His hand to take your hand is overmuch.

Too much to bear.

You cannot look in his eyes

Because your pulse must not say

What must not be said.

When he

Shuts a door

Is not there

Your arms are water.

And you are free

With a ghastly freedom.

You are the beautiful half

Of a golden hurt.

You remember and covet his mouth

To touch, to whisper on.

Oh when to declare

Is certain Death!

Oh when to apprize

Is to mesmerize,

To see fall down, the Column of Gold,

Into the commonest ash.

By: Gwendolyn Brooks

We've all been here...

And I can remember when I felt like this...

Jill Scott- "Hear My Call"

[Verse 1]

Here I am again asking questions,

Waiting to be moved.

I am so unsure of my perception,

What I thought I knew I don't seem to

Where is the turn so I can get back to what I believe in?

Back to the old me and



[Chorus]

God, please hear my call.

I am afraid for me.

Love has burned me raw

I need your healing

Please, please, please.



[Verse 2]

I am such a fool

How did I get here?

Played by all the rules

Then they changed

I am but a child to your vision

Standing in the cold and the rain

Lost here in the dark

I can't see my foot to take a step,

What is happening?

Oh, this hurts so bad. I can hardly breathe.

I just want to leave so...



[Chorus]

God, please hear my call.

I am afraid for me.

Love has burned me raw

I need your healing

Please,

God, please hear my call.

I am afraid for me.

Love has burned me raw

I need your healing

Please, please, oh, please, please.



God please hear my call.

I am afraid.

Love has turned me cold,

I need your healing.

Please, please, please, please, please, please.

Fashion Finds: Philadelphia Flea Market

c/o philafleamarkets.org

The Philadelphia Flea Market is a gem I stumbled upon after following a slew of my favorite fashion bloggers and being jealous of their thifty finds.  After doing a quick Google search, I found the Philadelphia Flea Market at http://philafleamarkets.org/.  They have a few different locations, and their flea markets are all summer and fall long!

The particular flea market I attended was on Saturday, September 10th, at 22nd and Fairmount surrouding the Eastern State Penitentiary.  Boy, were there a ton of vendors!  I walked up to 22nd Street basically in awe of the number of vendors that participated.  The local community also joined in and were selling a few of their own pieces in front of their homes.

I stopped by a bunch of cool places and learned a ton of interesting historical facts.  I looked out for a ton of great items like genuine leather handbags and envelope clutches and even some funky jewelry!

After a long, long, long walk around 3 blocks of vendors (and that wasn't even all of them), I decided on these items.


A couple of gorgeous scarves that were only $1 a piece...

Can't wait to do some turbans with these!

And 3 funky pairs of earrings that were also $1 a pair.

The ones on the far left are such a gem, I know no one else will have them!

I also had my eye on a leather crossbody satchel, which I didn't end up getting, and some really cute clip-ons, that I was too tired to walk back for.

After I grabbed a bite at Little Pete's Diner and had a delicious chicken burger (yummmm) with all the fixings!


A cozy dining experience at Little Pete's (c/o Yelp!)

If I were you, I'd definitely plan to make a journey to the Philadelphia Flea when you get a chance.  They have a ton of dates planned and they even have an indoor market for the winter!  Maybe I'll see you there! :)

Guess Who's Picked Up Their Hook for the Winter...

Hope my cousin likes it...shhh it's a surprise!

Get your own at anjcrochet.ecrater.com.

A Curly Girl's: Follow Up on the Brazilian Blow-Out

c/o Curly Nikki via naturallycurly.com. Check it out!

My Dream Birthday Cake

Simple and pretty :)

Three petit fours (Or small cakes so there are seconds...and thirds...and fourths lol):

1. The first, would be a vanilla bean cheesecake with Oreo crust and a delightfully fluffy chocolate mousse topping.
2. The second, a strawberry shortcake with light fluffy layers of yellow cake, offset by layers of vanilla scented whipped cream topped with more whipped cream and strawberries.
3. And the third, a chocolate and vanilla marble pound cake with fluffy chocolatey whipped icing and the number "25" ablaze on top.

Yes, I'm dreaming, and yes I'm hinting, but a girl only turns quarter of a century once!

Hair.

Don't talk to me about nappy hair.
Because when you compare it to Brilo pads, and broken combs,
I think you need to know the other half of this.

Don't tell me I can "train it", or just "slap a perm in it"
Because that's complete bullsh*t.

Take the same time you'd take to sit in the hair salon,
To figure out the sh*t that grows out of your own head.

And after you come to some type of understanding,
Still try to tell me it's harder than paying $300 to install a weave of hair
That cost $150 to own, but was never truly yours.

I ain't knocking it,
But don't try and tell me something derived from Eureopean heritage
And adopted by us,
Is the only way to live.

Let me breathe and be my own me.
Don't act like we only have one option,
Which is to accept the traditions of days past.

We all should have the freedom to choose,
By putting down our pressing combs and relaxer kits.
Because natural hair should not be losing.

Random...

I love my boyfriend because he makes even the simplest dreams come true...I would say my wildest, but I really don't ask for much.