Within the past year, I have gotten into the habit of putting on lipstick. I'm one of those experimental junkies that love to try anything and everything. Most people just look at something and say, "ew, I would NEVER wear that." Well, here is the thing, I would. I've always felt this sense of respect for those people who could pull off the most exotic and "out-of-this-world" type looks. Therefore, when I see makeup that catches my eye, I buy it.

Lipstick is one of my weaknesses. When I see a color I don't have, I HAVE to buy it; and yes, that includes, but is not limited to: blue, orange, brown, and purple. I honestly love the different colors that highlight the features of your face in the most unusual way!

Well, today I'm going to be talking about Urban Decay. I LOVE love love, their products. They are one of those top-of-the-line brands that I find an enjoyable treat whenever I can snag something on sale. They are a little more on the pricier side, but so worth it. My mother recently purchased a few lipsticks from Urban Decay for an "I love you" treat. I had never actually tried lipsticks from Urban Decay prior to this, so I gave it a whirl, and let me tell you, it was an AMAZING experience to say the least. The lipstick glides on so smoothly, and the color looks great! It's a pleasant contrast in relation to the whiteness of my face, and when worn with dark makeup, it makes the eyes seem bigger, and doe-like.

I would highly recommend anyone buy this brand of lipstick. It stays on ALL day! I went out, had dinner, and even danced a little, and still it stayed on.

My current love affair is with the "Maniac" color. It can be described as a dark kind of maroon color. It looks great on people with dark hair. I've seen it on a couple of other people, and I think it makes them have a mysterious air to their look.



 It has an estimated cost of $22 per bottle, but I honestly think you get your worth out of the bottle. If you're a lipstick addict like I am, try it out! You can always go to places like Sephora and try it out before buying. I promise, you won't be disappointed. What other brands or colors do you like?

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Here we go again; paying tribute to yet another important person in my life. Now, you might have read something about a certain cousin in previous blogs. In all honesty, she's mentioned in a lot more than I can count, whether in passing or in detail. You might have also seen her in my YouTube post doing a duet to the song, Rather Be by Clean Bandit.
Well people, this cousin of mine is literally one of my best friends. I was there when she was born; I babysat her, and was a mother figure to her when we were both younger. True story: she used to call me "momma Alhana." It was quite endearing, well, years ago it was annoying, but now I find it a cherished memory of the past. I then went from being an adult figure to a friend, and as her and I both matured and got older, we became the closest of sisters.
Kaitlyn (my cousin) has been my friend and confidant, and I to her. We Skype and call on a daily basis, we go to all types of concerts together, and we have our random rant sessions. Sure, she can get annoying at times, but what little sister isn't?
My mom's side of the family is whom I have always been closet with growing up, and since Kaitlyn and I are in a semi-close age, we always hang out. She is my person who I see being with me throughout my whole life. I see us raising kids together, living in close proximity, and playing bridge when we're old with our husbands, on our patio. Ever since I could remember, when I pictured my future wedding, I also pictured her standing next to me as my maid-of-honor.
We've had some serious downs to our relationship, but also the most epic ups as well. She is the peanut butter to my jelly. We get each other in ways that is incomprehensible, and I am lucky to have her in my life. We are sisters to the end, and I will love her always and forever. Thanks Kaitlyn for always being the glue to my glitter.

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Greetings Comrades,

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Care Package: dry shampoo, chocolate, nail polish, nail polish remover, Tylenol, A wall poster calendar, highlighters, pens, markers, lotion, soap, a loofa, eye liner, cotton swabs, Band-Aids, cute duct tape, Tide to Go, gum, and a pixie stick.

But first, lemme take a selfie

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You can always pick out the middle child from the other children in a family. They think, act, and may even look a bit different. Now, I'm not an expert, but through experience, and through the eyes of others, I have come to conclusion that a middle child is most likely to experience this:

• You are the quietest in the family, and therefore, can worm your way in and out of everything. 
• You hear EVERYTHING that happens in your household without anyone knowing how you got that information.
• You are close to both your younger and older sibling (s).
• You are the peacekeeper when your family seems to be going through a tough patch.
• Most of the time, you get the least attention. Your parents already went through the worry and joy with a first child, and the youngest is the one that is spoiled and coddled the most. Since both parents know they won't be having children anytime soon, they always feel this nostalgia, and make it so they give the youngest sibling the most attention. 
• The middle child just stands there thinking: "Uh, hello! I'm right here! What about me?"
• You'll be lucky if your parents throw you a bone, and show you some love and affection when something happens with one of your other siblings. 
• When you're younger you feel very left out, and have low self-esteem, but as you get older you see how awesome it is, and that self-esteem of yours skyrockets. Obviously you see that being a middle child has so many more advantages when you're older. 
• You are usually an easygoing type of person. Your older sibling has a Type A personality, you have a Type B personality, and the younger sibling (s) is a toss in the air (they could go either way).
• You are usually more flexible with your schedule, and are willing to go with unplanned events. 
• You always know that when times get rough, your siblings have your back. 
• You are the glue that holds the whole family together, and if were ever removed from the equation, they wouldn't know how to survive without you. 

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You always need that one person to tell you "no, you can't," or "no, you're not" in order for you to tell yourself "yes, I can." You can have the best support system ever, but for me, when someone tells me something that is opposite to what I think I can do, I take it as more of a challenge. That is what gives me all the more motivation to accomplish the goals I set for myself.

Ever since I could remember, I've always had the best confidence in my abilities; it was like I could carry the world on my shoulders and do what I wanted. But you know, as well as I do that that is NOT the case in the world we live in. There is always going to be someone there to knock you down. It's up to you as to whether or not you stay down, or you get yourself back up, dust yourself off, and try again.  Sometimes, I'll admit, it's hard. It feels like the world you are carrying on your shoulders is crushing you down, and you can't breathe. Though, what you don't realize is that there is always an escape hatch.

 Now, the escape I'm talking about isn't so much of a fight-or-flight type of response, but an increase in sense of self. At this point, you're probably thinking: what in the world is she talking about?? Well world, I am talking about an escape of reality. Just take a step back, and get back to those dreams you once had while lying on your back on a warm summer's day and looking at the clouds above. Didn't you ever find a sense of peace from the different shapes? Did not those shapes turn into thoughts, which in turn became dreams; dreams of the past, dreams of the present, and dreams of the future?

Well what can you remember from those dreams about yourself? Did you think they were possible at that time? Well, if the answer is yes, then go for it! Why are people in charge of your life? It's yours, and NOT for them to take. That escape I was talking about is the escape from opinions of thick-brained, closed-minded people. If you are surrounded by those types of people, such as I have described, then drop them! You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.

In my years of experience, I have tuned out all those nasty chirping birds from my ears, and gone for the impossible, because even in the word "impossible," it's telling me I'M possible. I do what I believe I can do. I don't wait for everyone else to tell me my place in the world.

As a young girl, when I was told that I could not read 100 books in the summer, I did it! Sure, they were Dr. Seuss books, but hey, they count! When I decided to go to an all girl's school, all my middle school friends made fun of me, and told me I would turn into a whore, or a lesbian, or that I wouldn't achieve anything. Well, guess what? I was none of the above. I turned out to be president of 4-5 different clubs, did musical, and had very exceptional grades. What's more is that I was a somebody. When I get told that my voice is awful, I sing louder, in hopes that someday, someone will listen and maybe have a life altering epiphany.

I have a dream. A dream that one day I will find life's purpose, and reach my full potential. And for all those people who have put their two cents into my business, I would like to say thank you. I don't think I would be where I am today were it not for your incessant, unconstructive criticism. But next time you open your mouths, you should probably think about what you say. Not everyone is the same, and words can be hurtful. If you are one of those awful people, change your ways. Also, just remember, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. In the long run, you'll feel a lot better about yourself once you stop being a jerk, I'm sure.

So, lesson of the day: Make the best out of a bad situation. Never give up, and always believe in yourself. It will come in handy in the future; for you know not what life has in store for you.

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Yesterday was a big day for my younger brother, Antoine, and a tiring one for me! I, being the best sister that I am, threw him a surprise graduation party, with the help of his best friend, Lauren. Now my brother isn't one to like to make a big production of things, but I being the person that I am, LOVE it.





After he was done with school, My mother and I started pestering him about his grad party, but he kept telling us he didn't want one. He would get mad when we told him we would throw him one, so my mom and I decided to stop annoying him.

However, about two weeks ago, his friend, Lauren, messaged me on Facebook, and told me that she wanted to have one for him because, "he deserves it." I told her that it was a splendid idea, and went over her house the very next day to start planning.

Since it is the end of the summer, we only had a limited amount of time to set the date in order to get all of his friends to show up. We gave ourselves 10 days to plan, call, and craft. We sent Facebook messages, texts, and calls. We pestered anyone and everyone relentlessly.

We went to the dollar store, and crafted until obscene hours of the night. We had to reserve an area at the park, and make sure everyone cleared out of that area on the day of the grad party (which wasn't very easy). Let's just say, for the past week, I had gotten NO sleep whatsoever, what with trying to balance work and planning.

When the day finally came, I went over to his friend's house, put the finishing touches on his party and headed out to the state park. We had an hour and a half to decorate and get everything in order. His friends arrived a half an hour early, and my mother had arrived just in time with the food (she cooked).


Now all we needed was Antoine to get there. Previously that week, I had to think of some way to get him to the park without making him suspicious. How, you ask? Well, I told him that I'd never been to the state park and really wanted to go, and then bribed him with Barnes and Noble after we got done. He at first said yes, but I had a bumpy week that week, and the idiot kept trying to change plans. First, he said he had to work out; then the water got contaminated so he didn't think the state park would be such a great idea; then he wanted to make other plans; the possibilities of disaster were endless. But I overcame every obstacle he put in my way and made sure his booty got there. I had Lauren go and pick him up, and told him to make sure she drives since she had the pass to get into the park for free.

Finally, we saw him pull up, and I held a poster saying "Welcome to your Surprise Party!" and he came out of the car with a huge grin and disbelieving eyes. I went up to him and said "gotcha" and gave him a kiss on the cheek and a big hug.



He was ecstatic, because even though he kept saying he really didn't want one, he was very appreciative that he got one. He had a pretty decent turn out too--what with the 7-day notice we gave everyone! After we saw what a huge success the party was, Lauren and I both took a seat at the same time and gave a big sigh calling an end to our festivity planning and finally enjoying the party.

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Why is it we always want what we can't have? It's human nature to feel a sense of need once something becomes a rare commodity. Today, water is the commodity that everyone is searching for. Early this morning, a water crisis went into effect in my area, and the areas within a 60-mile radius south of my hometown. Due to the algae in the lake, people cannot shower, consume, or use the water in any way (which includes, but is not limited to cooking). I mean, I guess you could take the risk, and do what you want, but then you would have to endure a bout of diarrhea, vomiting, dizziness, abnormal liver function, nausea, and numbness.

I went to work today expecting it to be rather slow since it was raining pretty hard. But that definitely was not the case when I pulled up to my parking lot and saw 3 cars waiting for the store to open. My family owns a few small businesses, and today, the market was booming because of what we had to offer. I hadn't even opened the store fully before a line running out the door started forming at the cash register.

 Everyone scurried in a fast paced motion, getting water like their life depended on it! Some people complained about the prices of a case of water, but I am a convenience store, NOT a Walmart, so obviously water is going to be expensive! Even Walmart and Sam's Club went up in water! A few customers even came in and told me that the big bulk of water that is usually $21.00 at Sam's Club went up to $38.00 within the hour. I will admit, however, that that is a load of crock. I understand the concept of supply and demand, but a $17.00 price raise is just ridiculous!


Within the first 10 minutes of opening, all the water had been sold out. People have since been pooping their head in, and leaving disappointed when told their is no water available. All the water supplies have been wiped clean within a 80 mile radius. People were coming across the Michigan border to see if anyone would be willing to let them fill up their buckets with well water that many people possess in the country.

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