making moves

now is a good time to start grinding to make major moves. why? because tomorrow marks the halfway point for this year. that's right. as of tomorrow, 2011 is halfway over! can't believe it's june already. i promise time is flying by. honestly, i'm kind of happy because this has been a rough year so far and i'm anxious for things to turn around. not losing sleep anxious, but definitely moving forward with extreme anticipation.

god has already started showing out with a few areas of my life. now i've got to be serious about doing my part. i'm not sure what i can do at work. i don't have enough to stay busy because they just really don't want to unleash me and the fullness of my creativity. it's hard being held back for no good reason. but it is what it is. this is not my company and all i can do is what i'm told and try to slip in some awesomeness when they aren't paying attention. but that's not how i want to live.

i'm a very creative person. highly creative even. and i feel so stifled at work. it's not like i know everything but man there are so many options to try and it's like we're scared to be innovative. the only failure is refusing to try. it crushes my spirit and it's time for change. so, i'm looking forward to having a good time at the hulu upfront tomorrow and hopefully making some awesome connections that can open doors. i know i can plan my way but it's god who makes me succeed. my plan is to be ready to shine, so when he throws the spotlight on me, i don't cave under the weight of it all. i'm ready. it's time to make some moves.

aliens and hope

as this three day weekend comes to an end i am exhausted and worn out after thoroughly enjoying myself! i hung out with many good people and ate good. i went out and danced and laughed and got schooled on the art of seduction and had a good talk with a good friend. it was truly a wonderful weekend and i have much to be thankful for.

for a few days i was going down a woe is my path acting like i was alone in seattle. and as soon as i cast that thought down, i got a ton of invites to spend time with some good people. it was a blast. and a great reminder that i'm never alone. and the icing on the cake was hearing someone very dear to me say something i really wanted to hear. lol. it might not happen. but it gives me hope where there might not have been any. actually, there is a stubborn resolve in me that makes it hard to relinquish all hope. i hold on to hope like my life depends on it. there is more than a glimmer here. oh to know what god is up to. lol.

anyway, it's beyond past my bedtime and where i was swiftly falling asleep a few hours ago, i am now wide awake. probably because i just got off the phone with my friend. and also because i'm all caught up in this show about ancient aliens on netflix. it's crazy but that stuff is so fascinating to me.

back on the wagon

my girl set a challenge for the month of may to get fit and get back on track for the summer. i failed miserably. due to staying up late at night, i failed to get up for the gym each and every time. i know better because fitness is very important to me. i've even picked up a few pounds in the last month. that's definitely moving in the right direction.

so, while i failed the month of may, i vow to do better in june. gonna get back on my bed time so i wake up in the morning. gonna take my lunch walks and afternoon break walks. and i'm going to return to my healthier eating because i like how my body looks when i take care of it.

if he asked, i'd say yes

this is an interesting post today because i have been in a mood today. my friend and i were talking about our desires and expectations and the things we want out of life. she was feeling some kind of way about being single. and i was feeling some kind of way about being single in seattle!

the thing is that i met someone who means the world to me and who gets me. he gets me like no one ever has before. and it means a lot to me. things didn't quite work out for us. i mean, i love that man. i really do. and if asked today, i'd say yes without a second thought. and that's knowing he has things to work out. but i accept that he is who he is and i love him that way too.

it all kind of sucks. the timing just wasn't right for us. i want to believe that we can have a second chance. i want to believe that there is a plan for us, a place and time where we will be together. i want to believe that he can see a future with me the way i see a future with him. why? because if he asked, i'd say yes.

let's be clear

it's bedtime so i'm going to make this one quick. i have got to get back on my bedtime schedule. i'm all out of sync and my body is paying a price for that. but this isn't about me complaining about my sleep deprivation. i'm actually gonna talk briefly about the importance of clarity.

it is hard to make major life decisions when you don't have enough information, but sometimes you can't wait for all the information to present it self before you act. it's a catch 22. damned if you do damned if you don't. or is it? clarity of purpose makes it easier to make decisions. even when you lack all the information you have an idea of the end goal. and if you're in touch with god's plan for your life, you have the added gift of discernment or intuition. your gut always tells you what to do. we have to have clarity to trust our gut. we usually know what's right because it's the driving force in us.

i pray that those i care about learn to trust their intuition, be courageous in trusting god to bring the absolute best outcome and be fearless and pursuing their purpose and destiny. knowing who you are, who you're called to be - having clarity in your identity - changes how you act and see the world. clarity is important.

onward and upward

sometimes you just have to cut the strings that are attached to you and pulling you in all kinds of directions and break free. that's what i realized today. i have too many strings attached to me forcing me to dance and move on command. i'm not a puppet and i have to stop letting people treat me like one. i have feelings. and maybe i have been placing other people's feelings ahead of my own. it is truly my desire to not hurt others and i believe we're called to walk in love that says we are to prefer others before ourselves. well, at least when it comes to a spouse! but i guess i've placed that same standard on all relationships and that's not wise.

what i want is to be true to who i am and be around people who accept and love that about me. because i seek relationships with those who are also authentic. somehow i've fallen into the trap of trying to please people and that's no bueno! so with god as my compass, i'm seeking to restore balance to things. i'm planning to move onward and upward with wisdom and understanding. and i do want to say the right thing when i do speak. so for now i'm just going to be silent. i had a dream that every time i tried to speak i was cut off. not sure what that means just yet, so again, i'll say nothing. just cutting the strings and as the kids say, pleasing god and doing me.

proceed with caution

last night i went to see lauryn hill with a few of my seattle peeps and boy was our expectation high. we are all lauryn fans and were happy to spend the night bonding over our favorite tunes. the problem is it didn't quite turn out that way. in fact, it was kind of a nightmare. lauryn kept us waiting so long that out of our group seven people, only two lasted the night to actually see her take stage! disaster!

it was so unprofessional and showed a total disregard for her fans and their pocket books. thankfully, we were blessed with our tickets but still. it got me to thinking about how easy it is to be let down when you have expectations for people. i was so anticipating this concert. i mean, i was ready for miseducation and mtv unplugged as well as fugee lauryn. whatever she was bringing, i was buying. until i realized she might not even appear on stage. it was crazy!

when we expect things from people, it is easy to be let down and disappointed. sure, it is normal and logical to expect a good performance from someone when you're paying good money to see them, but at the end of the day they are still people and people can always disappoint.

i was talking to my friend today about expectations. i've been completing a cleansing process to prepare me for my future husband. it's been mostly good but i'm near the end and growing weary of the finish line. i realize it's right around the bend but it feels so far away. anyway, we were discussing my expectations for my love life once i cross the finish line. my friend said i should go forward with no expectations. i get what she's saying but i don't live life without expectation. the truth is i fully expect to be ready to enter a relationship and i'm expecting that to happen. to not expect that makes the process seem pointless. but i recognize that i don't have the answers. i have no idea how that relationship will come about or with whom. but i expect that it will. so, to balance out my expectation with my friend's desire that i proceed with no expectation, i decided i'd proceed with caution. i won't put conditions on god. i'll allow him to be god and pray that in my submission, i'm not signing up for another lengthy waiting period. i'm definitely weary of waiting for love.

it doesn't seem too much to ask. i want to be loved. i want to have someone to love. and i want to start a family. so, i'm proceeding with caution toward the finish line, but proceeding nonetheless.

you can't take back the words you never said

i've thought a lot about relationships lately. family, friend, romantic, professional. you name it, it has been on my mind. relationships are so integral to who were are. when they are good, things are usually good in our lives. when they are bad, they completely throw our lives into disarray. and when they are bad, we often say things we later regret. we all know that when pushed by emotion, we can say things that cause serious damage to people we care about. but what about the times when we fail to say something that should be said. we can't take those words back either. that got me thinking about the times i've never said to some people. is it time to change that?

my friends know i love them. they are like family to me. but lately my family has been feeling neglected by me. in particular, my mom. she feels like i've left the nest and extinguished communication. i've changed how we communicate because i want our relationship to move past her thinking i need my mommy. i'm not a kid. i'm very much a grown woman. but i feel my mother still wants to communicate with me as a child. the change has been hard on her. but i realize that i could have made it easier by telling her that i was changing the plan. she might still have a hard time with it but at least she wouldn't have been in the dark. sometimes, it's the words you don't say that are important. we've since talked and i hope the redefinition of our adult relationship is nurturing for both of us.

people can't read minds

today was one of those interesting days where it was a mix of awesome with sunshine, warmth and me scoring a huge collection of music, movies and videos from a friends hard drive; and somberness as i finally had a conversation with my friend about our strained relationship. at the end of this day, i can say that the good vastly outweighs the bad.

what i learned is that it's always best to address things from the very beginning because when left to your own devices, you will create your own narrative. for better or worse, we cannot read minds. and if you don't know what's going on it's always best to just ask. hopefully, both parties are willing to talk. we're told in the bible to seek reconciliation immediately because if you go to your brother one on one and address the issue, you've won your brother. god has been telling me to walk that out. in the past, i've not been so gracious when relationships have gone awry. it was something god wanted to perfect in me. and in this situation, i was obedient. i won my sister and the connecting relationships will be saved as a result.

that doesn't make me superior in this situation. my friend has a perspective in this as well and her perspective is not wrong. we just saw things differently. but me saying yes to god and doing what he told me to do rather playing out my emotions left the door open for healing and path for moving forward. for that i'm glad. and thankful.

i can't speak for other people (i can't read their minds, after all!) but i can say that i'll sleep well tonight because i know restoration is not only possible, it's happening. we'll be alright. and next time i'm in a situation where i feel hurt, betrayed or whatever, i'll be faster in divorcing myself from my emotions so i can hear from god and obey him. he knows what he's doing. it's time i act like i know that for a fact!

to be all there

a few days ago my mom asked me a question and i have yet to answer her. i have no idea what to say. she asked me what it meant to me for her to be all there for me. it caught me off guard. first she sent the text at 4 something in the morning. i was definitely not awake and it startled me from my sleep way too early. second, it was out the blue. there was no prior conversation to hint this was on the way. lastly, i have no idea what that would look like because i've never thought about it.

my mom and i have an interesting relationship. probably more common than not. we love each other but we fight. we could never live together as adults at all. and we disagree on many things - mostly her belief that she has a say in things going on in my life. but she's my mother and she's made so many sacrifices for me to achieve my goals. i want to honor my mother. she is deserving of that honor. but i want there to be boundaries. i feel like we wouldn't have many of our issues if i were married. because i'm single, it seems like my mom still sees me as her baby who needs her mom. i'm 32. i don't need my mom. and i'm far from being a baby. i've lived successfully on my own for a while. lol. i'm the head of my household. i call the shots. i make the decisions. i live with the consequences. i want my mom to accept that and respect me as an adult. i want her to seek happiness independent of my life choices. i want her to pursue her goals and desires with reckless abandon to make up for all the sacrifices she had to make as a single mother with three kids. i know she was overwhelmed. but now is her time. i don't understand why she's not focusing on enjoying it.

that's honestly what i want for my mom. to know she's living her life to the fullest and going after what she wants. i want her blessed and provided for and walking in fullness of joy. i don't want her over concerned about me. i'm going to have to answer her question soon and i'm still not sure what to say. i want my mom to understand how much i love her. but that doesn't mean we have to be each others whole life. how do you say that to the woman that gave you life?

you are the sunshine of my life

today marked the first in a series of sunny days in seattle. this is big news. you know what they say about seattle. it's gray and rainy all the time. sunny summers are our best kept secret, our most precious commodity, and lately a luxury we've been denied. oh but today! the sun was out. the weather was warm. the gloom faded. and my heart rejoiced. i'm still working through some things. i wish i could say that on day three the pain was less sharp, but i find myself thinking about it and it all comes back.

i listen to joyce meyers every morning and today i swear she was reading my mail! no for real. she spoke to me like i had told her exactly what was going on and she was providing sound, godly and wise advise. it was as if we were having a private counseling session. and i listened.

we all have the power to decide how we are going to react to situations. they will knock us down but what is important is the way we rise. we can get up swinging and go eye for eye. we can get up retreating and never face the situation. we can choose not to get up and be defeated forever. or we can rise and reach out a hand to bless those who hurt us. yep, it's revolutionary. yep, it defies logic. yep, it's counter to everything our natural instincts tell us. but it's what god asks of us. love the lord your god with all your heart with all your soul and with all your wind. and love your neighbor as yourself. that doesn't mean stay in a position where you can continue to be abused. but it means recognizing that most times, people who hurt you didn't mean to hurt you. and even when they meant to hurt you, they didn't realize the full scope of damage done. they are merely instruments of evil. it kind of sucks when you think about it. some one hurts me and i'm supposed to forgive them and bless them? are you crazy??? that sounds foolish.

kind of, yeah. god chose the the foolish things to confound the wise. i can't pretend to have all the answers but i know i'd rather walk in forgiveness and love than walk around bitter and angry. been there done that, wanted a refund!!!!! so, it's not easy when i think about how hurt i am and how angry that made me. but i'm going to keep it simple and say this -- i like to smile. smiling's my favorite. and when i'm in a position where my smile is gone, i've given the enemy power over me. and that ain't right. he's defeated, not me! and this confusion and strife and contention, that's how he rolls. not me! i'm taking my joy and peace back and i'm walking in my authority to have control over my emotions and my actions. as often as i need to give myself a pep talk i will. why? because peace and joy are the sunshine of my life.

a day late and a friend short

what a crazy 24 hours. i learned that my sister circle isn't very sisterly. i got sold out by one for a social life and the other, i honestly have no idea what ails her. things where fine and then all of a sudden i noticed that they weren't. and when i asked about it i was pretty much dismissed. and now all these months later, i find out that my closet friend here knew something was wrong and decided to do nothing. switzlerland's choice to be neutral didn't make them honorable, it made them cowards. to stand by and allow someone to intentionally hurt your friend and not say anything makes you just as guilty. and you knew it was wrong because you felt bad about lying about it. how am i supposed to trust you now? how am i supposed to move on like everything is okay between us when you betrayed me? and for what? so you can get invited to social events? it should grieve you that their are broken relationships in the circle. especially when it starts affecting the relationships of other people in the circle. what a complete lack of respect, loyalty and honesty.

i said i was going to seek reconciliation. i said i was going to walk in love but right now all i want to do is walk away. i certainly can't look at you the same. and really, there is nothing we have to discuss if you can't admit to wrong doing. sigh. god this will take a miracle from you. i know you can do what seems impossible to us so i'm asking for your wisdom on how to proceed. right now i have no desire to continue a relationship. and i know that can't be your will. so i'm asking you to help me make the right decision. help me to be the friend you called me to be despite how i've been treated by people i considered to be my friend.

you blessed me with some truly amazing sisters back in 97 and i'm so glad i have them to lean on. i'm glad i have them to cover me in prayer so i do what's right and not what feels good. and i'm glad they understand the virtues of friendship and place it in the same regard that i do.

i feel like a lot of things are about to change for me. i already knew the transition was taking place but to see how things unfold, i honestly didn't think it would end up like this. and i don't really understand what is to come. and sadly, i'll be facing that in seattle without the people i truly considered to be my friends. how's that for a fraked up way to start your week?

in all your getting …

*this post is from a few days ago but blogger was having issues so i couldn't post it and thanks to blogger, i'm really behind on my daily blogging. gonna try to make up for it!*

today i attended a seminar on content management and it was informational. first, it was more than just what i was expecting. i manage web communications but i know that content management includes more than just our front facing website. it’s also our internal content, our customer relationship management and our sales force. today i learned about using various enterprise systems to accomplish our goals of efficiency, cost-effectiveness and optimal customer service.

my head was ready to explode at times because there really is so much that goes into finding a solution that addresses all of your business needs, fits your budget and makes the best use of your man power. i’m not completely qualified to be the expert but i do know that i’m instructed that in all my getting i am to get knowledge. school house rock said it best. as your body grows bigger your mind grows flowers it’s great to learn cuz knowledge is power. that’s right. knowledge expands your world and increases your chances of success. i’m all about finding success. hopefully i can serve as a consultant when the time comes. i’m getting my knowledge because i have something greater to do.

i would never ever know you this way

today, was a very challenging day. as i type this i am fighting back tears that i don't feel like shedding. i feel so betrayed by someone i considered a friend. i can't pretend that i'm not hurt. it hurts bad actually. i live in this city with no family. all i have are my friends. and when you don't even have that, it's not a good feeling. do you know how bad it sucks to be in a place where you feel alone? okay, let me stop being melodramatic. i'm not alone. i have other friends. but it was the ones closets to me that hurt me. and i guess that makes sense because only people close to your heart can break it. but i'm thankful that i'm not alone.

i called my best friends to talk to them about what just happened and rather than get me amped up they prayed with me. you have no idea how much i appreciated that. god called me to walk in love and i understand that some people will never understand that but i'm determined to do it. i can't let other people's actions change who i am. and at the core, i'm a loyal, loving friend and i don't ever want a day to come when that's not true. so no matter what happens, i'm going to be true to myself and who god called me to be. i wish i knew why he insisted on testing me in this love walk area. i wish i knew fully what he had in store for me. whatever it is, it requires a lot of walking in love and extending grace. i don't want to fail in that area.

it's kind of funny though. for my ministry to be about love when i grew up feeling unloved. god has a serious sense of humor. i had a crazy childhood and escaped with some serious scars. but if it weren't for those wounds needing to be healed, i'd never know god to be a healer and father and provider and friend. he lifts my head when i don't have the will or strength to do it. and he defines me. no one else. i am who he says i am. so as i hurt as i am right now, i refuse to let anyone else's actions change who i am. my destiny is too important for that.

falling short

i made a commitment to write every day because i'm a writer. sadly, i've not been as consistent as i've wanted to be. it's not terrible as i write most days. but i want to write everyday. i have to do better.

isn't it funny how no matter how hard we try we still manage to fall short? that's not to say there aren't victories, but let's face it, perfection is unachievable. i still try for perfection because i really want to be a great writer. i want to be published. i want to be a successful writer. and this is the way to make that happen.

so, though i fall short, the thing that separates me from a quitter is that i get back up. and i've been successful so far, but there is always room for improvement.

i can grow my own food, i rock

the plants are in the ground! i'm so excited to finally have all my plants in the ground except for the tomatoes. the gardening season is in full effect! yay!

i grow my own food. my great grandmother florida hayes is the reason i garden. she taught me how to grow stuff and helped me to develop my green thumb. now i can pretty much grow anything. there are some things i need to bone up on but for the most part i can grow anything.

growing my own food makes me feel liberated. nothing like knowing when the rubber hits the road, you can truly take care of yourself. i fish and garden. but i'm down for learning to hunt too! should the zombie apocalypse or the nuclear apocalypse or the chemical apocalypse happens, i'm going to be ready!

team work makes the dream work

i am beside myself with joy right now because i just found out that i might at long last have a mentor in seattle. exhale. i have always had a mentor for my personal/spiritual life and my professional life. since moving to seattle, that area has been completely neglected. i've met women who seem to be doing awesome things professionally but don't really seem available for coaching. on top of that, everyone wants to be a life coach these days and what used to pass for normal mentoring/relationship building is now a session that requires a fee. it's so disheartening. because those women didn't get where they are today alone. someone mentored them and groomed them for success.

i'm not a lost cause. i have vision and passion and motivation. i simply need someone to glean from as i chart my course in this life. and i need someone to counsel and advise me to stay on track. sometimes i need an ear to talk through my plan, other times i need assistance with making the right connections and other times i just need to see an example of someone who has advanced to where i desire to be someday. it's pretty simple. yet, for the last three years, it has been mia. that truly explains why i feel so lost from a career perspective. i have a plan but i'm flailing in the sea - not quite sinking, not quite staying afloat - of career success. my upward mobility has gotten stuck in neutral so i'm coasting alone rather than moving full speed ahead. it's a horrible feeling.

today i celebrate because finding a mentor is one of the many things on my vision board for this year of my life. i'm trying to achieve some things that so far, no one has had a desire to assist with. it's okay because i know timing is everything and as i've said a few times before, this season of transition is birthing major growing

i'm so tired right now i'm not sure i can actually write anything coherent. it's midnight so technically it's thursday but that doesn't mean a lot to me. i haven't gone to bed yet and therefore thursday isn't here yet. lol. but honestly, i'm too tired to write and therefore i'm going to be a huge disappointment and write jibberish.

oh heck, i'll write tomorrow. when i can form clear and complete sentences. now is not that day. or time. good night.

tick toc

my friends and family often accuse me of being married to my timelines. i can't argue with them. i'm a trained journalist. i thrive on deadlines. i prefer deadlines and to be honest, when i don't have deadlines, things go unfinished. to say that i fall apart and drop the ball in the absence of deadlines is somewhat of an understatement. so, yes, i guess i'm hardcore about my deadlines.

the problem is life doesn't operate on my deadlines. sometimes things just don't come together like i plan. i know there are thousands of people who can look at the sum of their life and admit things didn't work out how they planned. there is a saying that if you want to make God laugh tell him your plans. i'm not sure i agree with that statement since the word says a man's heart plans his way but the lord directs his steps. god makes our way prosperous but he does allow us to dream and plan and "write the vision" so to speak. but that doesn't say anything about deadlines and there in lies my problem.

i want what i want when i want it. i know, you do too. it's hard for me to accept that things don't happen in my desired time. i know i don't have a choice really but it just sucks when some things don't seem to ever work in my favor. so i am learning to be patient while continuing to move forward in my journey. i'm accepting that some parts of my story -- love and family in particular -- have yet to be written and though i hear the constant tick toc of my biological clock, i do serve a god who exists outside of time. and he says that he holds my times. i have to trust that though the deadline is not my choosing, he'll make sure i won't miss it.

i can say without any doubt that i can't wait to be a wife and eventually a mother. but what choice do i have but to wait? and pray that the sound of the ticks and tocs are drowned out by the other amazing things going on in my life. some days are harder than others.

pretty inside, pretty outside

i did something i rarely do. i ironed, no scratch that, pressed my slacks. i know that's something that normal people do but i've always hated ironing. i usually take my clothes to the cleaners but since i'm working on paying off my car and then my student loans, i've cut out unnecessary extras. i take the coast to the cleaners but everything else can be taken care of at home. so, i had some free time tonight and decided to get my slacks work ready.

i have to dress up for work even though it doesn't really make sense that we have a dress code. we can wear jeans on fridays and to be perfectly honest, there is nothing different about monday thru thursday that requires slacks and blouses. but it's not my company so it's not my rule. and i like to follow the rules. can't help it. my mom struck the fear of authority in my heart. lol. as a result, i tend to look better than most of the employees at our company. my clothes are actually business professional while most get away with business casual. oh how i miss the days of jeans and tees!

work has been a major source of discontent for me in the last 12 months and i'm more than ecstatic to see improvement in that area. i used to always say dressing up would make me feel better. i would get up and do the makeup, put on the nice clothes, throw on my heels and make sure i was put together. looking good on the outside makes you feel good on the inside. but the truth is you have to groom the inside so it radiates on the outside. so, yes, look your best. it's important to actually care about your appearance. although, i'm very quick to point out that looks different for everyone so be true to yourself!!!!!! but make sure you're taking care of your character as well. man looks at the outward appearance but god looks at the heart. it should also be said that whatever is going on, on the inside, is bound to spill out to the outside. so, take a holistic approach to beauty and work on it from the inside out.

tangent, i know. it's past my bedtime. i need to do this blogging thing earlier in the night. i might sound a little more profound. but at the end of the day, what you see is what you get. lol.

misery loves company

i'm watching the celebrity apprentice right now and i can't believe how immature and messy nene leak is. that is a woman who needs to take a long hard look in the mirror. and she's not alone. we all do. i can personally attest to days of being immature in my thoughts/actions and letting that carry over into messy action. and i'm not just talking about my teen years.

when we are hurt, we act out of our hurt. we do and say things designed to dish out what we're feeling on the inside. it has consequences and sometimes the damage is irreversible. as i watch her go at starr jones and the other women on the team with no respect for their humanity and no regard for the environment, i'm reminded that misery loves company.

it doesn't take long for me to think of a time when i was absolutely miserable in the situation i was in. and to be honest, much of the environmental conditions were related to my reaction to what was going on around me. i was miserable and i know i made others miserable around me. i see that in nene. she can't stand to be around a strong woman who knows who she is. nene likes weak people who will bend under her powerful, overbearing personality. insecure people need others to validate them. secure people receive their validation from God. plain and simple.

that being said, we have the power to determine our attitudes and control our feelings. we alone decide to give in to misery and bitterness. and when we allow those feelings to rule our lives, we bring death to our situations and relationships. take back your power. if misery loves company, stop inviting it in and entertaining it! take a long look in the mirror and realize you are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of god. you're not garbage, you're not junk. you are precious and powerful and of great worth. accept your authority and give misery the boot!

sushi party

i hosted a fabulous sushi party last night. about 12 ladies showed up in the end. i made egg rolls, potstickers, chicken fried rice, miso soup and of course sushi! we had a great time, although i didn't get to be in the conversation as much as i was busy in the kitchen. but i had such a good time. i really love hosting parties because i really like cooking for people!

yesterday was the first day i ever made fried rice and i was completely shocked by how easy it was. i can't wait to make it again. my favorite is shrimp fried rice but i made chicken because the shrimp hadn't arrived yet. every lady brought a sushi quality meat and we made rolls and ate until we were full. it was a good time.

i woke up this morning completely worn out. but the sun is shining and i'm gonna head out to the beach if i can! yay!