Louisiana Zydeco...

This is my "this is what I am into now because I have a myriad of interests" blog:
 I recently attended the Long Beach Blues and Bayou Fest and I realized that my Southern Louisiana roots run deep. I may have been born and raised in Los Angeles but, I do declare that a lil' bit of country life is quite appealing...I love Zydeco Music and Dance!http://youtu.be/xB9SJ3kH3Fw

This is soooo me!!!!

I could just live here..the end!

What are THEY saying about you?

“A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.” Coco Chanel

I am not talking about people here...Believe me people will say all sorts of things. The They I am referring to are your clothes, your attitude, your persona....what the urban dictionary may call your swagger. 
Personal style, your walk, your talk, your dress....
I love this pic of Ms. Coco, from the arched brow to the crimson lips...GLAMOUROUS. But, it's what she is saying with this photo. The placement of the pearls and even her cigarette..present..not obvious. But, what moves me is the look in her eyes..Confidence with a bit of mischievousness. I think I'll go to the mirror and practice.

Finding Your JoY!!

We all know the sayings, the quotes and the verses. We all know what to say to ourselves, to others, to our family and even a well meaning stranger on the street. Yes, you know the perfect answer to the everyday question...How are you doing? Let's say it together "FINE"!!! Now, granted there are a few scrooges otherwise known as pessimist who always seem to find the worst possible answer to conjure up. But tonight I am referring to the average person. 

Somewhere, along the timeline of our life we traded our unspoiled childhood wonderment for Adulthood, for lack of a better word. Thinking back to Land of the Lost, Pop Rocks and metal wheel roller skates, life seemed so simple. Whatevever the moment, I was in it. Feeling each scraped knee, the sound of a soda can in the spokes of a bike tire and the sweetness of a watermelon Now and Later! Oh Joy...simple, pure and unadulterated. 

In a world, so advanced yet so backwards in many ways, I encourage you to return to joy. Some of you may feel that the bills are too overwhelming, the death of a loved one or the pain of divorce have created so much distance from that place in your spirit. But it's still there under all of that stuff.

Don't be afraid to be alone with yourself. Get quiet, yes, that means no Ipod, phone, TV, Facebook, email etc. And just listen. You are listening to your own thoughts, your own dreams and that child within who still finds joy in the simple things!

On my journey

"If you build it they will come"..I have always loved this line from Field Of Dreams. It took going through a divorce, meeting my sister girlfriend Michelle and opening my heart....And now here I am nearly a decade later..a traveler. My parents started taking us on vacations at an early age but, my immaturity did not allow me to appreciate it at the time. But now, in this moment, I am fully aware. Aware that the world is out there ready and waiting for discovery. Lands rich with culture, beauty, struggle, sacrifice and promise. Cities, mountains, beaches, deserts and forests some man made all inspired by the Creator.

Places so beautiful that they appear to be a backdrop or postcard. However, it's real. The sunset, the moonlight on the waves, the smell of evergreens all placed here for our enjoyment. Yet, they elude most of us like the stars in the sky. We make excuses as to why now is not the time to take that trip. There's work, the kids, the bills, not enough time, must lose 20 pounds first..so we wait..wait...wait. We wait for the prime opportunity to make that move. Move- To change in position from one point to another. The lyrics to the song say...Do you know where you're going to? Do you like the things that life is showing you? Where are you going to? Do you know?

Lobby of the Fairmont Hotel-Copley Square

What are your field of dreams? If you build it....


Fenway Park

Jamaica Night @ Dos Lagos

Bedsides all things Creole..well I'm not particularly fond of crawfish...I love the Caribbean. I remember the first time I landed in Jamaica. The entire sky was a rainbow. No you're not feeling me...I don't mean I saw a rainbow. I mean the horizon, the sky was a blend of purple, reds and oranges. Stunning. Breathtaking..seriously! Once again (if I believed in past lives), I must have been a Jamaican Queen! Ev'ry t'ing is Irie Mon!

Tonight I went to an end of the Summer bash at Dos Lagos. Jamaican dancers, reggae, calypso, fire eaters...incredibly fun. Those girls were gettin' dey groove on mon! LOVE IT!!! Makes me want to plan a trip???!!

So many things I love..hearts a flutter...But first...

In celebration of my Creole Heritage, I named my new blog "Lagniappe". It is pronounced Lan-yap and it simply means a bonus...think baker's dozen. Thrown in for good measure. My primary blog became sort of an online journal of my dating life and self-discovery. This will simply represent all the lovely little aspects of me.

If you are not yet familiar with Melody Gardot..get to know her! Her music is timeless. Transports me to Paris 50 or 60 years ago. If I believed in past lives I would certainly imagine that I lived there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SthisoeSjBM
 This would have been my soundtrack!

 I came across the pic of Lena Horne and the Tuskegee Airmen..love it

This is a pic of my Nana, Zenobia. It was a gift for my grandfather while he was on a US Navy Sub! Simply glamorous......