May The Force Be With Me

Five months in everybody! Just yesterday it feels like we were turning up and screaming "Happy New Year!" as the ball dropped. It's hard to believe that May has come and gone. We endured April showers, we saw a couple of  May flowers, and we are headed into the official summer months! Thank God for all that has happened in 2018 thus far. I'm going to take a moment now to recap the month of May and all of the joys and pains that came with it.  What I can say about this month is that it challenged me. Although my stress levels were high, I faced life head on and conquered all that was thrown at me. I challenged myself to smile more and to care a little less about things that weren't working in my favor. I challenged myself to be less self conscious and more accepting of my flaws. I challenged myself to practice mindfulness and to be happier all around.

via GIPHY

Hostage takes Over The Hard Rock

@Djryry is probably one of the coolest and most loving people that I know. This month, I was honored to be in attendance as his band, Hostage, DID THEIR THING at the Hard Rock Cafe in Atlanta. It was their first show in a while, but they rocked. Myself and a number of my Kiddos coworkers showed up to support. We had dinner and were front and center stage as Ryan, my favorite drummer, took on the crowd. Hostage is animated, lively, fun and most importantly, they sound amazing! As a unit, they play well together and are an awesome team. I was so happy I was able to be there.

Mother's Day

There are a million things that I could say about my mother, and none of them would suffice. I could go on and on about how much she has done for me and what an influence she has been on my life, but nothing I say can do her justice. My mother, like all of the special mothers in my life, is a blessing. She has raised me well enough to be honored and to be uplifted for a job well done. I am who I am because of the women in my life who have mothering roles and who have been there for me. 

This year, I celebrated Mother's day with my parents and my grandparents. We went to church and then we had a BBQ. It was simple and full of love. I bought WAY too much food, but is that really a bad thing? Mother's Day, to me, is really a time to say "thank you" and to remind the women in our lives that they are appreciated. 

To see my full Mother's Day tribute, click the button below!

Dear MAma

Cole & Gambino For The Win

Bruh, I LOVE J.COLE! Although he did it wrong and I won't be able to catch the next tour, he blessed us with a new album, KOD. The lyrical genius has done it again and has used his platform to open up and express feelings about the drug lifestyle. My favorite song on the album is Kevin's Heart. Cole uses metaphors, exaggerations and double entendres to depict personas and lifestyles that too many of us understand all too well. Open up your mind.

"Kevin's Heart" finds J. Cole taking on the persona of someone who can't get away from using drugs. He relates his use of Xanax and blunts to the temptation of cheating on his girl. (Songfacts.com, 2018)

On another note, Childish Gambino released a controversial and exciting track called This is America. The director of this music video is onto something big. The song and video combo showcases the trials and tribulations of being Black in America, where our white counterparts can get away with murder while we must fend for our lives at every moment. Gambino uses satire and metaphors to show how we are so wrapped up in the hip hop culture that we oftentimes ignore the important and deadly matters at hand. Facial representations of Jim Crow and black face, white horses representing the coming of revelations, popular dance moves, sad but true depictions of America's news and a SZA cameo; THAT IS WHAT GAMBINO GAVE US!

Teacher Appreciation Week

It is honestly one of life's greatest blessings to be able to teach, influence and mold children into positive members of society. Children are full of energy and life and they test us in ways that we didn't know that we could be tested. Though I do not have kids of my own just yet, I have the privilege of going to work every day and watching today's youth learn and grow. 

My favorite part about teaching is growing. I have grown and matured in a way that only a child could induce. My heart is full and I am blessed for this opportunity to make a difference and to impact change.

Rising Above with Kiddos

Speaking of teaching, Becca and I had the opportunity to teach installation art classes to some of our world renown Kiddos. We taught three classes which focused on anti bullying, community service and inorganic art. Over the three weeks of class, we covered painting techniques, recycled art, abstract and installation art, and dimensional work. The proceeds for the classes were raised to donate to mission efforts in Haiti. I get as many people as I can involved with Haiti whenever I can. My life's purpose right now is directed at impacting lives. Our kids were engaged and excited to not only stay late at school and to do art, but to give back to their community.

My LAst Day at SES

Two and a half years with this company and my time here is over. When I first moved to Georgia, it was unplanned and off whim. I had no job, no money and no real "home." I stayed with my cousin for a couple of months and with my aunt for a couple more. Since then, I've moved three more times. Even though I grew tired of the office setting, my job has been the most stable thing in my life since I've moved here. Work has been the only thing in my life that has been guaranteed, and even that was shaky from time to time. Permalancing is not a promised gig. However, none the less, in the last two and a half years, I have learned so much with this company. I grew as a designer and as a production artist. 

I learned and mastered Adobe programming and have created awesome content nationally. So thank you SES, for being there when I needed stability and for pushing me to do more when I had overstayed my welcome. I needed all of the bad just as much as the good and I can honestly say that I am better because of my time here.

---

A week With Moni

My sister came to town and if you know Monica, you know she pushes boundaries, but knows how to have fun. She is careless and spontaneous. We ate at Harold's, TDH and Six Feet Under, she volunteered at my school, she gave me a photoshoot, I assisted on a professional shoot, we had a lot of great drinks, we went to see K.Dot with Ziaa, we shopped, we went to a jazz festival, had a cookout, got my car booted, spent time with Curtis, hooked up with some Hampton friends and we laughed until we cried... literally. This time with her was much needed because soon I will be in Haiti and it on't be as easy to check in. I genuinely enjoyed her even though she irks my soul. Thank you Stoopid, for making my week so much better!

via GIPHY

Bye 439!

via GIPHY

Finally, Titziana and I moved out of our home. For the past year, my best friend and I have shared a space and been able to check each other on life moves and have been able to support each other in a special way. Now, I cannot go crawl into her bed when I'm lonely and we can't yell through the doorways and laugh at Twitter jokes. We can't have dinner together every night and fight about dumb stuff. I guess there's no more stealing each other's clothes, shoes and face wash. I am proud of her for this step she is taking in life. I'm not even a little bit sad to get out of our house, but I will miss living with my best friend. There's nothing like having your sister around all the time. Her new place is dope though. We moved her in and got her all set up. I moved my blow up mattress into her spare room so she knows I'm still around. Love you baby <3

Among a couple of other notable encounters, this month has made me feel blessed and excited for what is to come. Some things I have to keep to myself though lol, but I'll talk to you all in June. :*

Thank You MAy, For Showing ME so Much Love!