Birthday Presents

I'm feeling a bit lazy today, but just had to post my birthday presents.  So I got: a kindle, Princess Tiana doll, and a new wig!  Love em all!  The wig is seen in the pics from my bro's bball tourney.

Ja's Basketball Tournament!

Yesterday, the whole family went to my brother's basketball tournament!  We had so much fun!  However, my sister was a bit of a nut job and was yelling at everyone! lol.  In the end it turned out to be  a good day, with my brother's team--the Franklin Heat--taking home bronze.

TWA: What I'm having a hard time with right now.

They said it would happened.  At some point during one's natural hair journey, they would run into a bump in the road.  One will feel discouraged, or just so over it--and I have hit that point.  For me, that hardship is coming in the form of how short my hair is.  I am not having an issue with my hair's texture--in fact I love it, and could never imagine straightening it again.  It is simple to detangle, just run water over it and wala, detangled.  Its thick, soft, fun to touch, and fluffy.  What I can't stand, however, is how short it is.  I am not a fan of short hair!  It was cute and a novelty at first, something different; yet, now I am so over it!  I look like a boy!  I don't have traditionally feminine features, and every stitch of makeup I can put on my face really goes a long ways--however not far enough.   So for now I have turned to wearing wigs, not because I long for silky, straight, European hair, but because I just long for long hair!  Does this make me a traitor to the natural me?  I don't think so.  I naturally don't have short hair.  Natural does not equate to short, it equates to texture for me.  The good of going natural is that I feel so comfortable with myself that rocking a wig does not take away from my confidence (where before you would never have caught me wearing a wig or weave!)  So hip hip hooray! for keeping it natural and real all at the same time; and growing a 'fro so big that I block out the sun! P.S. I actually love my hair in this picture!

What I am reading now: Crystal Rain

Currently, I am reading a book entitled Crystal Rain by Tobias S. Buckell.  It is the first book in a series, which I've already read two of the subsequent books--Sly Mongoose and Ragamuffin.  I read Sly Mongoose first--which is at least the third installation in the series--and it is my favorite so far.  All three of the books more or less revolve around a man named Pepper.  We follow Pepper, and any other character, through their trials to free and keep free humanity.  What I really like about this series is that it involves a diverse character cast---with the main character often being brown/black.  I love this!  It is no secret that brown/black characters are often not represented in scifi/fantasy novels--and I for one have always struggled with this.  While I love these genre's, I always wished that they included a more diverse cast--brown, black, and even yellow.  Tobias Buckell, who appears to be white but raised in the Caribbean, has done this.  I recommend this series for anyone who is looking for a new and refreshing take on the scifi genre.

My "Dear John" letter to Final Fantasy.

As I sit here in my chair at my Auntie's house, I am seriously wondering "What happened to the Final Fantasy series?"  As anyone within a hundred yard radius of me may know, I love (or loved) the Final Fantasy series.  Like many, I was a late bloomer; I didn't start playing the series until FF7--one of the greatest rpg's and games of all time!  I could not get enough of Cloud or Sephiroth (both of who I had major crushes on); and I cried when Aerith died.  Then FF8 came out, and I adored it just as well.  Then FF9, which I also loved, but most people underrate; and FF10 everyone agrees was epic!  But after that, everything went down hill.  FFX-2 was horrible, and I never finished it; although, I tried to twice.  Squarsoft effed up by putting FF11 on pc (in my opinion, although people played it like crazy so I guess it was a good move even if it did alienate me a bit.)  After all this failure, imagine my enthusiasm when I learned about FF12 coming back to the PS2!  I needed it more than I needed air; however, when I played it, it was more like sulfuric acid.  The game was a snore.  My main gripe being the way that one traveled through the land.  I didn't feel connected to it.  I felt alienated, again.  But did I loose all hope?  NO!!!  I waited for FF13 with open arms, feeling that Squaresoft had finally gotten it right, especially with a woman as the lead character!  And how did it turn out?! Waah wahhh.....a joke.  I can't get through this game.  I give.  I feel like FF has run out of steam.  It feels like giving up on a boyfriend that you have dated forever, but the love is no longer there.  And with these words I may regrettably be saying good-bye to FF.  However, one cannot say that I won't be coming back for a fling or even a marriage later on.  It's just for now we need our time apart.

Fashion Icon: Kimora Lee Simmons.

Never afraid to wear a weave or photoshop her head on a body that is obviously not hers; Kimora is absolutely FABULOUS!

Jadia's Cookies

Jadia's cookies are delicious but have lots of sugar!  She got the recipe from a magazine.  They were super messy to make, but worth it!  I can't wait for her to bake some more!