Where is my destiny taking me?

Writing is a strange process. Often times we think that we need to begin with a topic, a specific strand or theme. An orientation to the piece, a path, or at least a verbal destiny. I beg to differ. The best advice that I’ve recieved about writing has been to just do it, start writing and see where your spirit takes you.

I recently applied to a program called Tounges Afire, a lesbian of color writing project based out of the Audre Lorde Project in Brooklyn, NY. I didn’t make it, competition was stiff and I was a bit disheartened but it hasn’t affected my need to write. There are many things going on in the world of The Brown Skin Lady and I can only process them through writing.

Originally this blog was personal but not too personal, but at this point I am sick of the blog controlling me and I am regaining control by posting whatever it is that I need to post, that said.

Sometimes, at nearly 25, I have this unsetteling feeling that I have absolutely no idea who I am or what I am here (aka my life’s purpose) I saw a performance last night by this gender performer named Dred and at the end of the performance with a brillant smile lined with chocolate lipstick she said, “I am so happy to be living my purpose.”

It made me wonder if I knew my purpose and I can honestly say I’m not positive but I have some ideas. Something to do with women’s equality and justice, lesbians in particular, women of color in particular, and mental health rights and policy and above all else love.

So for now this blog is going to take a personal turn as I work to discover who I am at 25, my birthday is less than a month away. I am living in NYC learning to navigate love, life, and acquiring all the wisdom I can along the way.  Thanks for listening to my tidbits and have a great day.

-Simone Nicole

I’m not the type of person who obsesses about a celebrate or considers themselves a big fan of any particular musician but I will say that right now I am really feelin’ this new Beyonce song. I have some songs off of her I Am Sasha Fierce album but Sweet Dreams was never my favorite until this music video. This video just speaks to me and I don’t know exactly why.  Maybe it’s because she’s doing dance moves that I can do. Maybe because it’s simple and just fun and reminds me of old school vidoes that basically were just lighting and camera tricks, maybe it’s because I respect her swagga I don’t know but whatever it is I want to share it with ya’ll, I give you, Beyonce “Sweet Dreams.” Enjoy.

Balanced Soul Tip of the Week: Rock some Confidence

Maybe you can’t afford the trendiest clothes. Maybe you don’t have a job right now. Maybe you’ve had to move back home. Whatever your scenario remember that when you leave your house, leave your house with your confidence. It is the most confident people in our society that are successful and happy. Walk tall, shoulders back, no matter what remember you are someone special.

HAPPY MONDAY!

-Simone Nicole

What used to be fun for me when I was 21 is not fun for me now that I’m 25 and I sometimes wonder to myself if I’m boring now or if I just am romanticizing my early twenties.  As we get older it’s ok to evolve and that’s what this past year o f my life has been all about. It has been about learning who I am as a true blue adult and my conclusion is that I rock so for this installment of Friday Night Fun I’d like to share The Brown Skin Lady’s Top 3 Friday Night Activities.

The Brown Skin Lady’s Top 3 Fun Friday Night Activities

1. Hanging Out With My Lady

2. Rollerskating

3. Crafting

I have figured this list out over the course of the last 365 days and I realize that I do not do #2 and #3 as often as I would like to so as I move forward I am going to re-dedicate myself to pursuing rollerskating and crafting.  Hanging out with my lady requires no explanation, if you have a significant other or ever have had one you know that there is nothing like spending time with the one you love and I don’t know about you but my gf makes everything fun. I discovered the joy of rollerskating back when I was living in the small upstate suburb that I grew up in. In Latham there wasn’t much to do besides go to Guptills, the local rollerskating rink and so during the winter when I was lonely and looking to stay fit I took up rollerskating and was amazing at how much fun I had and how much weight I lost. In terms of crafting, I’ve been crafting since I was a child but as an adult I’d like to purchase Martha Stewart’s Encyclopedia of Crafts and kick my crafting up to the next level.

GET READY WORLD HERE COMES FUN!

-Simone Nicole

*image courtesy of http://brownvboard.org/actvtybk/fun-1.gif

Hooray! So for today’s Love Jones Thursday Post I want to take a moment and talk about love because this Sunday, August 23, 2009 is my 1 Year Anniversary with my girlfriend. So much has changed this past year. I am very happy to say that I am more in love with her than ever. My girlfriend and I have a cute story about how we met. I met her when I was 16 and she was 19. We were both going to SUNY Albany and I was a freshman and she was a  junior. I remember I saw her and thought she was the most attractive woman on the face of the planet. Her fresh Ceasar hair cut, Ralph Lauren T-Shirt, baggy jeans, and the warmest smile on earth. Her spirit spoke to me and in the first few months of our friendship I told her I was in love with her. I remember she laughed and told me that at my age I was in love with everyone. I let it go and we remained friends over the years, not necessarily close but friends, we talked on and the occasional phone call. A little over a year ago she contact facebook ed me and said that she was going to be in my area and we arranged to see each other and on that Saturday, August 23, 2008 we made a genuine love connection and have been together everyday since. True love does exist. I’ve found it, and it’s heaven. This post is dedicated to the woman I love, I LOVE YOU!

-Simone Nicole

So ,it was my gf’s birthday the other day, Happy Birthday Honey! And I wanted to make something special for breakfast, most days we have egg sandwiches with fruit but for her birthday I wanted to do something I hadn’t made before. My parents live and die by the South Beach Diet which is how I was introduced to breakfast frittatas. Basically this breakfast casserole is delicious, simple, and a great way to make a breakfast meal that you can eat more than one day in a row. The recipe that follows is easy and feeds between 6-8 people. Good luck and enjoy!

Ingredients:

8 eggs

1/4 cup half & half

1/2 cup broccoli florets

1/4 cup diced tomatoes

1/4 cup diced peppers (any color)

1/4 cup shredded spinach leaves

(you can use any vegetables or meat of your choosing, these were mine)

Dash of Lowry’s, Salt, Pepper, Garlic

1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Whisk eggs and half and half. Fold in vegetables. Add seasoning and cheese. Stir until well mixed. Grease 8×8 pan. Pour mixture into pan. Cook in the oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until cooked through. Pull from oven, cool and serve. If you like extra cheese like my lady does, sprinkle a generous amount of shredded cheddar on top and allow to melt before serving. Voila, Birthday Breakfast!

-Simone Nicole

*image courtesy of http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/05/53/19/breakfast-frittata.jpg