White Ain't right (especially when its supposed to be black)

I always joke with my white friends that "white ain't right and black don't crack".  I am far from the "soul sista with the fist raised" when it comes to being a black woman and I try not to take to heart the blatant preference for lighter skin over darker skin, however, I can not let this slide.

Do you remember this adorable clip from sesame street about the little black girl that loved her hair in all different fashions?  Please watch!

It was cute and adorable, and black women everywhere were proud to be recognized in such a way and especially if they had daughters who could see it.  So of course, this wonderful pride had to be capitalized on.  This would not be a problem except for the fact that this is how FOREVER 21 chose to present her.

The original

Forever 21's shirt

WHAT THE HELL????  Do you notice a problem here?

The girl in the video that so many people identified with has been bleached to be more mainstream and TO LOOK MORE WHITE!  Its my damn blog and I do NOT have to be politically correct!  WTF is this shit?  High yellow girl with blue eye shadow is NOT how she was presented.  I would have been first in line to buy this shirt if it was actually a BLACK girl.  DARK SKIN!  CAN WE HAVE ANYTHING?  And look at the person modeling it!  Can you expect me to believe that SHE is rocking a frock of curly locks?  No ma'am.

If you know me, you know that race is not an issue for me.  Even as I have always been the token in my honors classes, deans lists, college classes, and professionally, I like black jokes, white jokes, gay jokes, straight jokes, (all except Christian jokes...leave my Jesus out of this) and anything else that you can dish out, but I hate feeling like I am not being represented in the world.  Fashion statements and boldness are two things I pride myself on and I would have loved to have this shirt to jazz up with heels and jewelry.  They ruined it for me.  Maybe I am over reacting and it isn't that serious but I am truly disappointed.

What do you think about this?  I would love to hear from all races about this.  Am I overreacting?

Vintage Photo Jars I LOVE! (Wedding centerpiece or home decor)

This is such an awesome Idea that I plan on implementing later.

This couple decided to make their own table center pieces for their wedding reception.  Plan on making some of these to go around the house and def as a wedding decoration in the future.  

What you need:

•Quart sized mason jar with lid (70's old school jar)

•Black and white 4x6 picture trimmed to fit
•Vegetable oil
•Dried flowers (optional)

1.) Insert your picture into the mason jar and pour enough vegetable oil to cover completely.

2.) Put some dried flowers on the opposite side of the picture. I will use lavender like she did

3.) Tighten the lid up and it's done! The vegetable oil will suspend the picture inside the jar without penetrating it, causing it to look aged and slightly transparent. A total vintage look of old yellowed pictures from the past.

Looks Beautiful and I cant wait to try it in my new home.  Original Post can be found here.

My Style Costs Too Much

I hate not being rich.  I think of all the fly clothes I could have and travelling that I want to do and I feel like I will never be able to afford the lifestyle I want.  Then I remember that I am only 25, with 6 years of college, 2 degrees, and a year overseas under my belt.  Not bad for a poor black girl from the Bronx.

My tastes have always surpassed my income, even from an early age.  So it comes as no surprise that just as I am able to afford what I liked before, my taste and style is changing.  Way to go Shaina.

*Sigh*  This is what I like now...

10.03.2010 by desdeportugal featuring denim skinny jeans

26.06.2010 by desdeportugal featuring striped handbags

21.07.2010 by desdeportugal featuring a cuff bracelet

If you click and check the prices you will be just as disappointed as I am.

But if you know anything about me, you know I am quite frugal when it comes to my number one habit...

COMMENCE COPY CATTING~~~

Never fear---DISCOUNT SHAINA IS HERE!  I am sure to find o so similar things in much less expensive stores.  Yes sir.  And it gives me even more motivation to get rid of all of my old crap and to keep at the working out!  EVERYTHING MUST GO!  Packing! Packing!

I realize that I have the greatest desire for the following things:

1. Travelling
2. New experiences
3. Being Fab at all times
4. Flat toned stomach
5. Enough money to have 1-4 and not worry about the bank

Yep. There it is.  And I realize that I have to have all these things even if I have to do them alone.

Step 1:  Find a Job...

23.07.2010 by desdeportugal featuring wide brim hats

Aye Que Lindo

A New Low and a Cheat

A New Low--
Today when I got on the scale I was elated to see that I had reached a new low!!!  Today's weight was 94.9 kg which is 208 lbs.  From 284 to 208 is 76 pounds down.  HELL EFFIN YEA!!!  I have done 20 miles this week and plan to do more once my hair is done!!!  So happy to have joined "The daily mile" as well.  It helps me see what other people do, and since I always want to kick people's asses and be better than them, its a great motivation.  Join here.  It kicks ass.  I am officially out of the teens and into the single digits.  YAY ME!!!  8 more pounds to go before I hit the first goal.  I can taste it!!!  Then 15 after that!  So excited!  I can't wait to amp it up next week!  A new low indeed

Cheat--
I planned my cheat in advance this week.  No random binge cheat.  After I finished my workout, I found that I didnt want to cheat anymore.  However, I think it is imperative to get it out of your system at least once a week.  I went to Pearl Jam to get my favorite philly cheese steak and fries but they were closed.  FAIL.  So then I went to BUZZ and had a Quesadilla and fries instead.  I can honestly say that I was about 67% satisfied.  I was glad that I got it out of my system and also glad that I realized that it tasted much better in my thoughts than it did in my mouth.  Makes me see that I'm not missing much.  I'm glad I was able to schedule a cheat rather than just have an accidental binge.  Even my favorite food lost some of its flare... and that is saying A LOT! Perhaps I am becoming disenchanted with my favorite food... I HOPE SO! Good night everyone!!

Weight loss rules to live by

If you had to choose between diet and exercise, diet would have far more influence on your weight than exercise, but for a truly healthy diet you should incorporate both.  With that said, this is my biggest issue, or was.  Once I got a grip on healthier eating, I realized that there were other things that I needed to tackle, and over time, I found out a number of RULES TO LIVE BY:

Nutrition—

Some people (and I used to belong to this group) believe that if you work out regularly, you can eat whatever you want… NOT SO MUCH.  If you want to lose weight it is very important to ELIMINATE sugar from your diet.  Sugars relate to carbs.  I know how people are all like “Oooo carbs are not the enemy and you should eat them”  Blah blah bullshit.  Carbs break down into sugar and will contribute to insulin resistance, which is one of the major reasons people are unable to lose weight.  Most people don’t lose weight if they consume large amounts of carbs like rise, pasta, and potatoes.  This may sound like no fun, but this is the way I lost a lot of weight.  I gets redundant and I always wanted to cheat, but the results were uncanny.  I loaded up on chicken, fish, and veggies and I was never lacking energy.  This may not work for everyone, but its one of the things I live by.

Vitamins---

As women, it is imperative that have the proper nutrients on a daily basis.  It sucks big time that men barely have to do anything to uphold their bodies, but as soon as we start getting older sh*t starts dangling, getting hairy, and sagging.  NOT OK!  So to avoid this as much as possible, I take vitamins.  Daily, I take B12 and B6 (for metabolism and brain function), multivitamin, Biotin, and Omega 3’s. 

Working out---

Don’t believe the hype of fad’s.  I have tried like a gazillion things in the past; recent past to be exact.  If you read my last blog I talked about how I was going to go with P90x.  While it sounded great and definitely worked me, it was not the kind of exercise my body needs at this time.  Our bodies change so much as time progresses and through different stages of our weight loss journeys, and we have to accommodate for that change.  Once upon a time I could get away with just 30 minutes of cardio, and cutting down a few calories.  Nowadays, I have to go hard in the paint.  I have to bust sufficient ass on the treadmill and eat nothing I want for days on end.  P90 is great in theory, but it not the kind of cardio that I need on a daily basis.  Back to the treadmill I go.  Do what works.  And yes… include lifting. 

Sleeping and stress---

Lack of sleep increases Leptin and Ghrelin which are two hormones linked with appetite and eating behavior.  When you don’t sleep, your body decreases production of Leptin , the “full” hormone, and increases Ghrelin, the “hunger” trigger.  Not to mention, No sleep just makes you feel like sh*t.  Along the same line, stress also influences your weight loss because of the hormone Cortisol.  Aptly named the “stress hormone”, Cortisol levels spike when the body is in an elevated emotional state.  The biggest thing to know about the negative effects of prolonged stress levels is increase abdominal fat. So stop stressing about that guy who flipped you off in traffic and "WOO--SAH-ing"

Be sexy and Window shop---

Sounds dumb huh?  When it comes down to it, I feel much better when I am wearing form-fitting clothes and sexy shoes.  But taking it even further, I feel like making more healthy choices when I give myself facials, paint my nails, do my hair, wear some sexy lingerie pj’s (even when I’m by myself), put on some perfume and lie down to relax in my bed.  When I maintain “sexy” all the time, I make better choices.  And its quite hard to be fly all the time, but even underneath your baggy chill clothes, sexy underwear is good too.  I also do a lot of online window shopping.  Looking at things I want makes me watch what I do on a day to day basis.  So maintain the sexy as much as you can, and look for things to treat yourself with. 

So those are just a few of my RULE TO LIVE BY when it comes to weight loss and trying to get to my goals.  It’s not just about weight loss, but about being healthier all around. 

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR RULES TO LIVE BY WHEN IT COMES TO A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE?

My New Hobby

My little at home gym that means so much to me

It's been exactly a year since I started this weight loss thing up.  I know this for sure because on Valentines day last year I received the Tiffany Necklace from Robert and I was wearing it the weekend at a Quinceanera while eating my heart out.  I was also going through a major fall out with some "friends" and trying to move to another country.  Can you say stressed.  But through all of that I realized that I just wasn't where I wanted to be.  So I developed some new habits and over time I even found some new friends!

Running shoes, weights, jump rope, yoga mat, treadmill, and the bicycle are just a few of my newly developed relationships.  Working out has become such a monumental part of my life that my body and mind feel crappy when I skip too many.  I never thought I would be the person to say that I look forward to working out everyday, but it definitely is something that I can't live without, especially running.  For the longest, I hated running.  I felt like it was pointless (still kinda do, not going to lie) to just run for the hell of it and I didnt really understand how it was supposed to yield such great results.  After a month of consistent running I find myself getting faster, better, and stronger (cue Kanye West in the mother effer!!!!)

I love the sound of my feet hitting the treadmill, and when it gets warmer, I am going to hit some trails.  I love the way my body looks when I look at my reflection in the glass window (and I always look! haha).  My legs look strong as hell and my overall profile keeps getting smaller and smaller.  I am confident when I am on the treadmill whereas before I felt like I was flailing all over the damn place.  I really am kicking ass and I am SO PROUD OF MYSELF!  The biggest loser challenge started as a motivational way for me to get to my goal weight because that was my focus, but now, my goals are so varied.  I want to run faster, I want to be able to get through more squats before I feel the burn.  I want to kick out more and more sit ups everyday.  I want some sick muscles in my arms (Michelle Obama status out here).  Most importantly, I want to keep up this healthy lifestyle way beyond February.  I don't feel deprived, I don't feel tired, I don't feel like I'm on a "diet" because I still have what I want.  I am loving me right now.  And whenever I am feeling down on myself, or lose the motivation, because lets face it, life happens, I will come back to this and remember how I have been feeling for the past two weeks. 

And it makes me feel so good when my honey notices it and comments on how I good I look.  He has been by my side motivating me and supporting me through all of this.  I can honestly say that when it comes to being my partner through everything good and bad, he definitely took my weight struggle to heart and helped me get to where I am right now.  Even when I get down on myself and start the "I'm fat" conversation lol he cheers me up.  I hope he knows how much that all means to me.  It def feels good when other people notice as well.  Like last night one of my oldest friends (and my middle school crush lol) told me that not only am I going to be bad as hell when I get to my goal, but I'm already bad right now.  Heeeeeeeeeeeey lol.  Shout out to Corey.   And definitely Brian, who makes me feel like one of the hottest women on the planet on a daily basis!!  I am surrounded by such wonderful people.  Shaina is on it!  I feel it and everyone sees it, and it feels so good.  74 lbs down and 26 to go!!!

Going Curly

 After almost a year, I am finally going to rock the curls.  I am not a fan of that "I'm natural" bullshit that people say.  In fact, I hate it.  But we will get to that later.

Sometimes I get random feeling to just change something and that happened on Wednesday when I randomly took all of my braids out while sitting at work knowing I had no intention to get my hair done any time soon.  As I sat at work with a huge Afro, I began to wonder what the hell I was going to do, and eventually said what the hell and decided to rock the curls!  Whooooo. 

I got super nervous and self conscious when I washed it on Wednesday night and it shrunk into a tiny poof!  OMG I'M BALD!!! NOOOOOO!! And it was making me crazy.  So Thursday night I set off to try to make myself look and feel better.  In truth, you can be the flyest bitch on the planet but if YOU don't think you look good, then it doesn't matter!

Half way through!! Taking forever!

 Anyway, I set out with my new products and my youtube videos ready to go and tried to make something happen.  After blow drying my hair I found that I wasn't bald after all lol!  Here are some photos from this 4 hour journey.  I started off small but I was sooo tired, that somehow they started to get bigger lol.  Of course, this was my first attempt at doing my own curls so I think I did a pretty good job, going to take some getting used to though!  I'm used to long hair, my own, and fake!

Now, why I dont like "Natural".  I feel there is this newly created battle of permed hair vs. "natural hair, with people on both side judging the other.  I hate the conversations about how black women perm their hair to look like white women, or to fit into some white stereotype.  As you can see, my hair is thick as shit and even after only a few months of growing non permed hair, and a major cut last month, its gotten pretty long.  Image what my hair was like at age 9... THICK, LONG, and I was tender-headed which made life hard for me and everyone else in my life!  So my mom permed  my hair and I loved it for years!  I STILL love it... but once I got a glimpse of those curls after a few months of braids, I wanted to try something new...

I didn't stop perming my hair to break away from some stereotype, nor did I want to "get back to my roots" or "join the sisterhood" (all that cheesy sista shit makes me want to vomit glass), I simply wanted to take another path of flyness.  So I will never refer to myself as natural, hell I'm natural even when I have a perm.  My hair is curly, I'm curly.  Still me with a perm or not.  This year is all about reinvention for me and I am liking my new CURLY hair. 

Damn that is a sexy back!

The finished product... I love it, but its definitely going to take getting used to

Stuff I want...MOTIVATION

Here are some of the things that I want and plan to have when I'm done with te biggest loser challenge.  The list goes on and on, but these are the most important! (Disclaimer:  If I see anyone I know with these things I will beat that ass)

Canvas Coach bag

UBER PINK C coach wallet for my new bag, also canvas

Cute cover up

If I'm not in heels, I still have to be uber fly

Can't you just see me in this...Commence 2 piece obsession... NOW

Really want to rock the backless shirt

Very Sexy Crochet Dress from Vicky

February Biggest Loser Korea Edition

If you know me at all, you know that I am quite obsessed with eating healthy, exercise and ultimately being in the best shape I can possibly be in.  It should come as no surprise that during the month that I am on vacation, I am only concentrating on just those things.  I developed a whole plan of consistent cardio exercises along with both legs, arms, and abs exercises.  I have drastically cut down my caloric intake.  Point:  I'm kicking ass and not even stopping to take names!  To hell with names.  I have a one track mind right now and its on the number 1.  that number one means several things and I love it!  READY...SET...THIN.

So the goals are:
Drop 13 lbs in February
Work out 6 days a week
Keep focus on WORK!!
KICK ASS!

So here it is and at the end of the month I will return with my kick ass progress!!

Shoe number1

Shoe number2

Special treat for my success:  My baby is buying me these shoes... I cant decide which ones are the best. God I love that he supports my needs.  He said I've been a good girl... OOO dirty dirty!  I've been good, but I'm def gonna be a BAD girl in these shoes! 

Please vote on the best shoes!!!  I need help!

25 so far... I like it!

Sexy??? I know lol

Ajumma Hats from Nick!

So I have literally been 25 for 2 weeks now and I've got to say that I have brought it in pretty well.  I had the best weekend with my buddies that included much laughing, drinking, eating, and half naked debauchery on the pole between me and my Robert lol.  The korean men didnt know what the hell to do with what was going on between us in Frog Rain this time.  And I was a mess as was to be expected.

Everyone

Dinner was awesome and everyone was there except a few people so I was sooooo happy because for me, dinner was the most important part of the night.  Anyone can go to the bars afterward.  The dinner was the part that I felt was really for ME.  ANNNND they had free beer so everyone was happy (except me).

The Bars were great and the club was NASTY (like I like it) and the company was awesome.  The next day Rob and I just stayed in the bed except to get a Kabob from Shinnae.  It was a lovely weekend!

Work is awesome and working out is kicking ass... Last weekend I ventured off to the land of gunsan once again where Rob and I spent another weekend wrapped up in eachothers arms making jokes, having laughs, and watching movies.  AND THANK CARL FOR THAT! LOL!

This weekend will be spent in Seoul getting my hair done and taking myself out to dinner before my VACATION!!! WHOOOO!!!  Such a wonderful life I have! 

I have Reappeared

So I realize that I have disappeared for some time so I am back for a moment. Let's see, whats new with me.

Went out this past weekend with Rob for his friends birthday and it was pretty interesting. the whole thing was badly thrown together and every time we arrived somewhere it seemed like there was something else wrong. Not to mention it was raining. There were some Bright sides here though:

BRIGHT SIDE 1. I didn't say one damn thing. I despise when there is no plan. Like I want to stab someone. But this weekend was not about me so I tried my hardest to shut the hell up. Do you have any idea how hard that was for me? But I think I did very well. Even when they sent us to a town with no place to meet in the pouring rain which ended up getting us into quite the heated argument with the taxi driver. Still... nothing from Shaina. Luckily, Rob was just as pissed off and it was his decision to leave early (although the look on my face had to tell him that that was definitely what we needed to do)

BRIGHT SIDE 2. We looked good. Like fresh off the red carpet good. My dress was a hot topic to me. I'd never quite worn a dress like that so I was a bit nervous about what it was going to look like. I even thought people were bullshitting me when they said it was going to look great. Paranoia. But it did in fact look awesome and I was real happy that I chose to wear it. We even matched by accident. And Robs suit looked great.


And all was well that night when we got back into our suite and sat up talking for like 2 hours.


The weekend before found me on the pole at a local Korean Dance club called FROG RAIN, even though keep calling it FROG DANCE lo.. Me and rob ventured off and had hookah and Calmegi before we went to that little spot. Very nice indeed. Right up until aKorean girl thought I was gay and tried to attack me and rob. WTF. Always a funny story though.

Work has been interesting and since we are doing the intensive program. it has been pretty intensive. I'm not a fan of teaching history in a foreign language because history is boring to kids no matter what the language. Bastards! I can't wait until I am just teaching library once again.

I feel so disconnected from my friends and family back home. There is so much to say all the time, that I just end up saying nothing at all. "hey whats new" is always my question, but when the question is asked of me there is always so much. I wish I had a BFF of my very own in Korea. I have a lot of friends, but not a BFF, like Keyonna, that I could always roll with and complain to all the time. I miss my Saturday morning tea and shit talk. I miss my late night couch sessions, and I miss our flyer than life outtings to the movies (AKA "fly for no reason" as we liked to call it"). I miss driving and I miss NOT sweating. I'm not sad, just a little nostalgic. I need someone that I can just be myself around all the time. But I can still honestly say I love it here.

This weekend I will probably go out all night once again. Rob is ditching me this weekend for some dorm clean up which actually sounds like bullshit but whatever. I will spring clean my house, even though it isnt spring, and maybe do a little redecorating. I also have some scrapbooking that needs to be DONE because I have more pictures now lol. Hmmm other than that, I think that is all for this glorious update!!! Adios