New Year, New ME?  Not really.  I’ve just had NO desire to blog. But now I do.  This year, I’m going to start making money using my camera. I love to take pictures, other people love my pictures. I’ve been racking my brain for years, trying to find another source of income, but nothing appealed to me. Nothing but taking pictures.  So I’ve been researching how to go about this for quite a while. I’ve made a list of the equipment I want, read all kinds of forums, articles, etc., and I think I’m ready to start.

One of the things I want is a new lens for my camera. A Canon 85mm 1.2 to be exact.  And lo and behold, I came across a giveaway that I would SO like to win!  Crave Photography is giving away that very lens, in addition to some other great things. You can read about that here. I’ve entered, and now I just need to PRAY!

So, what makes me think I can do this?

I got my dream camera in March 2010. Shortly after that, I took some pictures of Sweetpea, and I liked them so much, I thought I should send them to a modeling agency. So I did.  Six months later, I get an email saying that they want to meet my child!  WHOA!  Short story: They met him. They liked him. They chose him.  Sweetpea is now represented by a modeling agency!  After they accepted him, they required more pictures, and I had to take them.  I LOVED those pictures.  LOVED.  So did the agency. So did everyone else.  If I can take great shots of him, I can take great shots of anybody.

So here I am.  Right now I’m creating my business logo. A sista has to do this herself, because paying someone is out of the question. Then to work on business cards and website.  And of course, finding willing participants to shoot so I can build a portfolio.

I’m excited!  I’ll be posting more pictures here just so everyone can see what I’m doing.  Here are a few:

OK. I’m a diabetical and I have no business eating sweets. But I LOVE THEM. I have a sweet tooth FOR REAL. I would rather bake than cook real food, which works in my house since my husband likes to cook. So when one of my online friends started her bakery business and posted pictures of all the treats she makes, my mouth started watering. I pretty much promised her a review if she’d send me some goodies. And she did. Mmmhmm, she did.

PhatSnax is the business, and she sho did pick the right name! I got a big ole batch of her Phat Monster Cookies. I swear she put a little of everything good in this batch. I tasted peanut butter, cinnamon, oatmeal, M&M’s, chocolate chips. Each cookie was a party for my taste buds. The cookies were soft and chewy, and a nice size also.

I’m a bad reviewer. When I got home and saw that box, I opened it and began snacking. I wasn’t thinking about pictures! Luckily , Ms. Phatsnax took a picture of my batch fresh out of the oven!

I managed to hide them from the boys, but Mr. Day gave them a big thumbs up.  What? Great bakery goods are wasted on boys who pretty much eat anything. I kept my stash of cookies, and I made them brownies from a mix. They don’t know the difference.

We have good bakeries here in Pittsburgh, but I have never had cookies like this from them.  NEVER.  Now I want to try more!  But…

I’m a diabetical and I have no business eating sweets.

I’ll order more and just take a small bite every other day or so.  I gotta have PhatSnax!

Dark Girls: Preview from Bradinn French on Vimeo.

Watching this reminds me of middle school. I never knew I had big lips until the BLACK kids teased me about them. It’s ashame that we raise our children to denigrate other black people. I don’t mean that we purposely teach them to say the things that they say, but by our behavior we do! We say these things in front of them, and they learn that it is acceptable to treat others in such a way. I really wanted to cry at a lot of the things these ladies were saying. How do you go through life feeling that you’re ugly, dirty, unattractive and unacceptable EVERY DAY?

We have to do better!

Anash! Congratulations! I’ll be sending the gift card by the end of the week! Thanks to everyone for reading and following.

Yesterday was moving day, and I’m beat! I’ll post more when I get my internet at home together.

When I got home from work yesterday, Sweet Pea presented me with a little booklet, folded over with a diagrammed cross-section of the male anatomy. I was wondering where in the world he found this thing!  He was just ticked by the “naughty” picture.  I looked at the cover of the booklet. It was a tiny little guide for boys on what to expect when puberty begins.

Puberty?  Da puff does my baby need a book about puberty for?

Apparently, puberty begins somewhere around age 10 and can last until age 17.  Sweet Pea will be 11 next month.

Wait. What? My baby is going to be 11 and I have to worry about how he handles puberty?

I read the booklet and I am SO not ready.

I told him to read the booklet and to come to me if there is anything he doesn’t understand.  A few hours later, he pops up.

“Mommy!  Am I gonna get acne on my BACK??”

I reassured him that given our family history, back acne was unlikely and that if he had any acne at all, I would help him take care of it.  That gave him some relief. I think.

Shortly after that, I was getting the shower ready for him. He walks into the bathroom, naked as  he wants to be.

“Mother.”

“Yes, Sweet Pea?”

“That book said puberty is supposed to start at 10 and go until 17, right?”

“Yes, Sweet Pea.”

*points to private parts* “Then why isn’t it getting BIGGER?” *TYPICAL MALE ISSUES!*  LOL!

I thought I would pass out laughing, but I had to hold it together. Don’t worry, Sweet Pea. You have plenty of time.”

*He smiles.* “Will it be fifty feet?”

Couldn’t help myself. I laughed long and loud.  Then I told him that wouldn’t be a good thing.  He just laughed and danced away, little eyes twinkling.  He likes to make me laugh.

I am SO not ready for my baby to hit puberty.  I need a brake,or  a stop light or something. I’m NOT READY!!  He was just a baby yesterday!

One thing I do know: Sweet Pea will take this in stride and keep me laughing all the time.

Some blogs do a FOTD a few times a week. I am not that organized, so ya’ll might get it on Saturdays. Notice I said might.

This is how I did my face today:

Foundation:  StudioFix in NC55 by MAC.

Eyes: Pink Venus Eyeshadow by MAC, Blackberry Eyeshadow by MAC, Nocturnelle Eyeshadow by MAC, Beauty Marked Eyeshadow by MAC, Black Onyx Eyeliner by Cover Girl Queen Collection, Lash Blast Volume Mascara by Maybelline.

Blush: Hushabye by MAC.

Lips: Platinum Pink Lipgloss by Cover Girl Queen Collection.

Pinks and Purples are at the top of my list of favorite makeup colors.  This is pretty much my standard look, except that I used more eyeshadow colors than normal. The overall look, to me, is just fresh and clean with no bold colors.  What do you think?

{mrsday}