5 must-haves for my bag

Godisable Jacob
 

I know that everyone more or less has certain things that they must have in their bag everyday.

Here’s a list of mine.

Water bottle

If I don’t have my water bottle with me, it will be a hassle for me to drink water. My mom knows how much water I try to drink in a day. Honestly, water is the only thing that I drink. She bought me a Corkcicle bottle 32 oz that can keep hot beverages hot for 9+ hours and cold beverages cold for 3+ hours. I use this bottle everyday and it’s amazing and I don’t go anywhere without it.

Notebook

My big head is full of ideas and when I need to get them out I definitely need to write them down. Yes, sometimes I write them down in my notes on my phone, but eventually they go in the notebook.

Lip gloss

Carmex is all good and well, to keep these lips moisturized. However, if I want to spice it up a bit, I need to have my Fenty lipgloss in my bag. If I want to feel cute, I’m going out after work or if I have a work meeting then I’ll put the lipgloss on and go about my business.

Lotion

Who wants to be ashy? Not me. I always have to have lotion in my bag. I’ve noticed that a lot of the soap that they have in public restrooms is extremely drying. I can’t write on paper or even type with dry hands. It makes me feel icky. I carry a Jergens bottle of lotion and my Alien by Thierry Mugler lotion because I love how it smells.

Sunglasses

“You’re so bougie for wearing sunglasses in the winter.” How dumb do you sound when even though it’s 8 degrees, the sun is still shining. My eyes are extremely sensitive so having sunglasses is very important for me. You never know when the sun is going to shine. This NYC sun really gets to beaming so it’s essential for me.

What are some things that you must have in your bag? Comment below and let me know.

How to deal with creative dryness.

energepic.com

I’m sure that every creative goes through a period of “creative dryness”. This can be extremely frustrating and might lead you to want to give up.

I’ve gone through these periods several times and trust me I’ve wanted to quit so many times, but here are some steps that I’ve taken that’s led me to keep going.

Take a break

Yes, that’s right. Taking a break to calm your mind down and understand what creative direction you want to go in is very important. Many times, I’ve had to take a step back from writing because I knew my content sucked and I wasn’t giving my best. For me it’s better to have quality content than to have 14 posts a month.

Get inspiration

If you’re a writer, reading books, articles, other blogs, etc. might give you ideas and the edge that you need. For me, reading really gets my mind flowing and ideas start to come in. Artists might want to go to a museum or an art show. Musicians might want to spend hours listening to music. Etc.

Make your workspace fun

This is something that I am still working on. My workspace at home is literally my bed. Sometimes I sit on my couch and sometimes I even write while I have downtime at work. I do have a dream workspace and I know exactly how I want it to look, what my color scheme would be, etc. (I will write another post about that). If my workspace is cluttered or there isn’t enough light or I have distractions around me, I will not work to the best of my ability.

These are some ways that I have dealt with “creative dryness”. What are some of the ways that you’ve combatted this problem?

Dear future me…

photo by: pixabay.com

Dear Future Me,

I’m talking to you five years in the future. You’re 29 going on 30 how does that feel? Girl, I hope you are okay. Right now it’s looking VERY shaky, but I hope you made it out okay. I hope you are excelling in every aspect of your life. I am writing this letter as a very focused 24-year-old with tons of ideas on how I want her life to be, but I am afraid. I don’t want to be stuck in a dead end job where I’m not being fulfilled, I want to eventually work for myself, but having those doubts about money is scaring me.

Right now, there is a lot of planning going on. I’m taking this year one month at a time and focusing on one goal at a time because I’ve realized that’s what’s better for me. I hope you’re still implementing that way of reaching your goals. I know you’ve wanted to work for yourself for a very long time and I hope that you’ve had the chance to do so and that you are very successful. I hope you’re still being frugal and saving that coin for rainy days.

Are you married? Did you have a baby yet? Did you finally move out of the city? Are you happy? How’s mom and grandma? Have you taken time to visit your dad yet?  Did you finish writing that third book? I just really hope you are happy, paid and healthy.

Love you girl,

Me

You know what they say about assumptions…

“Girl, when I first met you I thought you were mean, but you’re mad cool.”

Okay, listen. You can thank my resting bitch face for that. Don’t mind me. I’m just a Brooklyn girl with this face so nobody undesirable will approach me.

“I’m very impressed by how much experience you have at such a young age.”

Yes, I wasn’t playing around in college and graduate school. I knew that I needed to have some sort of experience to get a job. My experience has shaped me, so please hire me so I can drive your company forward too.

“You’re so young you really have a Master’s Degree?”

My mom tells me that a lot of her friends are surprised and shocked about me having a Master’s at 23. Get used to it. There are a lot of people my age who have advanced degrees.

What are some assumptions that people make about you?

Why do I write?

Writing is everything to me. I was never someone who talked a lot so as a result I took to writing.

My favorite classes were always my English and Creative Writing classes and my grades reflected that. Once I knew that I excelled in writing, I thought that I was going to be an author (I published a book, more on that later). When I got to college, I first studied History and Africana Studies. Both subjects were writing intensive and I was happy.

I didn’t want to stop there, I wanted my writing to have purpose. I wanted to tell my stories and I wanted to tell the stories of others, more importantly, people who couldn’t tell their own stories.

I continue to write because I THOROUGHLY enjoy it. Once I’m in the zone, I’m really there and I can’t be stopped. I write to encourage other people and to encourage myself. I write because, it’s simply what I want to do.

Real life attempts at bringing a Pinterest DIY to life

The Pinterest versions….

My versions…

I tried…what do you think?

V-Day on a budget

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. If you don’t have $100 to spend  and you still want to celebrate, let me tell you how.

Flowers, Candy and a Card

Make the person you love feel special. This trio does not cost too much money, but your partner is sure to feel special.

Eat In Dinner

If you live with your significant other or you are able to have them over, why not cook for them. A candle-lit dinner at a restaurant can set you back if you are on a budget. Make their favorite meal, light some candles, pour your favorite wine, lay a white table cloth and make it look nice.

Make a Scrapbook

If you’re creative, gather photos, draw and write how you feel about your partner. This shows that you are thoughtful and it comes from the heart.

Go on a Museum Date

Not everyone wants to celebrate by eating, but if you and your partner love museums, why not go on a museum date. You’re spending time with the one you love, doing something that you both like to do.

Movie Date

There are some good movies out right now, use this opportunity to go to the movies with the one you love. Depending on the weather where you live, you could also take nice walk in the park or on the street before or after the movie.

What are some ways that you spend Valentine’s Day on a budget?

Spending time alone

photo by:
Oleksandr Pidvalnyi

Having alone time is very important to me. I am somewhat of an introvert so I definitely need to recharge if I was interacting with people all day. There are several ways that I like to spend my alone time.

Going to the mall

I have no problem going to the mall by myself. There’s actually a cute little mall near my apartment and I love going there. It has most of my favorite stores and it’s really a chill atmosphere. Usually when I’m in there I do overspend, but that’s a different story.

Painting

I like to paint. One day I went to Michael’s and there was a sale on canvases. I had to take advantage of that. I also purchased some paints and when I got home I made a couple of masterpieces. It calms me and I feel like I’m in another world when I’m painting.

Writing

I like to curl up in my bed and write. Sometimes I write in my notebook other times I whip out the laptop and get to work. My favorite is when I’m not dealing with writer’s block.

Social Media Surfing

It’s not good, but I can sit by myself for hours and scroll Twitter and Instagram. My feeds are pretty awesome and there is never a dull moment on either. So why not spend my time that way.

Reading

There is no better feeling that curling up in bed with your favorite read and some tea or wine. Hello! This is probably my favorite thing to do when I’m alone.

What are your favorite ways to spend time with yourself? Comment below

December Faves

Hello my beautiful people. I hope this new year is treating you all well.

This post is a little late, sorry. Here is a list of my favorite things from December.

ColourPop Double Entendre Shadow Palette

Hello!! If you know anything about me, you’ll know that I do like wearing makeup however I am the queen of neutral looks. This shadow palette has browns, tans, golds and one orange shadow in it. It’s perfect for me!

Juvia’s Place : The Warrior by Juvia’s Palette

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Funny story, I went into Ulta to get some face masks for myself and makeup for my mom’s Christmas gift. When I saw this palette I was originally going to get it for her, however, after I went home and started looking at it I realized that I wanted to keep it for myself. Fast forward to Christmas, and her friend had gotten her the same palette. Funny how life works out right? Similar to the ColourPop palette, The Warrior is also a simple nude palette. Juvia’s palettes are also very pigmented. A little goes a long way. Go get one girl!

DevaCurl It’s That Good SuperCream (Coconut Curl Styler)

My mom is subscribed to about 3 beauty boxes and she gets a lot of goodies every month. I went over to her house one day and she decided to give me this DevaCurl product. I am currently in the process of growing my hair back out and one day my curls were looking dull. I was rushing and I didn’t have time to use my usual Mielle product. The minute I applied this product, I was in love. My hair was curled in an instant and my curls stayed for the remainder of the day. I’m definitely going to purchase this in the future.

Kara Marie Lashes (Eye Call the Shots)

I already have long eyelashes, but I love adding strip lashes to my makeup looks. I came across Kara Marie’s Instagram page and I knew instantly that I HAD to purchase a set of lashes. I ended up purchasing 3 sets, but I’ve only worn Eye Call the Shots so far. These lashes definitely amplified my look and I will continue to wear them.

Fenty Beauty Fu$$y

Everything that Rihanna does is golden. From her makeup line, Fenty Beauty, to her lingerie line Savage X. She is the total package. I was already in love with Fenty Glow, so when she came out with this pink gloss, I just had to get it.

Caudalíe Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet

Y’all, I was fed up with looking in the mirror and seeing sebaceous film on my nose and around my mouth. I went to Sephora and did my research and it brought me to this wonderful product. I purchased the smaller size because I wasn’t sure if it was truly going to work for me. I’m so glad I purchased it, and I will be getting the full size. I hardly see any sebaceous film and I feel moisturized throughout the day.

Fenty Beauty Stunna Lip Paint in Unveil

I love a brown lip. I decided that I wanted to purchase this lip paint because like I’ve mentioned before, I LOVE everything that Rihanna does. I also saw some great reviews for this product on YouTube. It does rub off a bit after eating and drinking, but I don’t mind reapplying.