Tentative CIAA 2010 Events

The CIAA Tournament pops off from February 23 - February 27. Unfortunately, a lot of make it to the events in the city and not the actual tournament. Any hoot, for those looking for events, check out this website: http://www.ciaatournament.org/page/ciaa-schedule-of-events More info to come later as I receive it.

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday! I am soooo glad it's Friday! I have nothing planned for the weekend, but to read up on my two Black Enterprise magazines (that I recently received in the mail as a Christmas gift) and to research some new ideas for the blog. If you have any ideas or things you want to see, feel free to share. Ideas can be sent to my email address at omarble@gmail.com. Just as a reminder, February 7th is the National Black AIDS/HIV Awareness day! Be sure to check around for activities in your area. I'll try to find some information and post it. In the meantime, here's a link that you can check out: http://www.fighthivindc.org/2010/01/national-black-hivaids-awareness-day-2010.html.

In other news Essence Magazine honors Mary J. Blidge for their "Black Women In Music celebration in Hollywood. Check it here: http://www.essence.com/entertainment/hot_topics/essence_grammy_party_coverage_1.php?xid=012910-ENews-Friday-ESSENCEsBlackWomenIn-mainstory-imglink

That's all folks! Have a FABULOUS weekend!

Living The Life

Are you living the life that you have chosen? Are you in a profession that you truly enjoy? We should all be able to answer "yes" to both of these questions. Unfortunately, many of us aren't. I am truly blessed. I love my life, but if I could chose a profession or a career, I would probably be doing somehthing that fufills my spirit and not for the money (if I could afford to). To be completely honest with you, I would own an upscale consignment shop in the "NoDa" neighborhood of Charlotte, N.C. I love thrift and consignment shopping and this has been a dream of mine for quite some time. I would also sharpen my writing skills and probably do some journalism. Hmmmm, some good ideas. Someone's got some soul searching to do and some dreams to chase. What dreams are you chasing? Share them in comments.

NOTE: Please be sure to check out the article in the sidenote titled "Reclaim Your Finances." This is some valueable information on repairing your finances.

Charlotte Restraunt Week

Sorry I'm late on this, but Charlotte's Restraunt week was from January 22-31. Anyone looking for a list the participating upscale restraunts? Click here http://www.charlotterestaurantweek.com/restaurants.html  Okay, fabbies, this is your time to dine like royalty. All dinners (at each restraunt) runs for $30!

Rachel Roy Giveaway!

Hey Fabbies!

I almost forgot to share my good news! I am the proud winner of a fashion giveaway by the Designer, Rachel Roy. On December 15, I entered the giveaway on a blog called Afrobella. I didn't expect to win, but guess what? I WON!! I received my packaged last week. My prize included a nice fitted black dress, a pair of peep-toe pumps, a pair of earrings and a very unique ring (all products from Rachel Roy's line.) Be sure to check out Afrobella's blog at http://www.afrobella.com/ . This is a really cool site. For more information on the giveway that I entered, check it here: http://www.afrobella.com/2009/12/23/rachel-roy-giveaway-winner/ I'll be sure to share pics later.

The Importance of Coverletters

Looking for employment/career change? You'll need more than just your resume! Nowadays its very important to include a cover letter with your resume when applying for a job. Most companies actually prefer a cover letter. The cover letter is the icing on the cake. It allows you to thouroughly introduce yourself to the interviewer in ways that the resume can not. Below are some Q&A facts on the purpose and the importance of cover letters. Be sure to share this with anyone you know that may be looking for employment.

http://www.cover-letters.com/Cover-Letters/About-Cover-Letters/How-To-Write-A-Great-Letter/FAQ-About-Cover-Letters.aspx

Happy Tuesday!

I'm looking forward to a positive day today. Trying to stay focused on the good things. Anything or anyone negative will just ride itself on out!! Hope you all have a blessed day. Be sure to show love to those close to you. Be nice to those who aren't nice to you. It will help you feel better about yourself. Don't let people change you or your actions! That's a hard lesson for me but I know I have to do it. Lesson learned: if something is bothering you, be sure to share it with the person that is causing that pain. Holding the pain inside does you no good. I had a much needed conversation with a loved one last night. It was painful, but I felt liberated when it was over.

National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

Did you know that in the United States a woman tests positive for HIV every 35 minutes?
Did you know that about 1 in 4 Americans living with HIV are women?

Ladies, this is a serious issue and we MUST educate and protect ourselves as well as each other.

March 10th is the National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day!

Let's get involved in learning and spreading awareness about this issue.

For more information on how to get involved in events on AIDS awareness or to find testing centers near you, click this click: http://www.womenshealth.gov/NWGHAAD/index.cfm. You can also access http://www.theredpumpproject.com/ for additional information. The Red Pump Project is a really cool website. Be sure to check this out.

Stay tuned for additional information on events taking place on this day. Also, if you have any information on events, please feel free to share in comments.

Useless Information! How popular is your name?

I know this useless information, but I found it interesting. My name is the 198,810th most popular name in the United States! Ha! Like seriously, how many people do you know with the name Otissa? If you know someone other than me, please reply in comments and tell them I said "hi". Wanna know how popular your name is? Click this clink http://names.whitepages.com/

Please share your ranking in comments.

Checking In!

Good morning,

I hope everyone is doing well. I haven't posted in almost a week! What's happening out here in the world? I must get better at posting! I am making a committment right now, right here on this page to post more frequently. I've been quite busy this past few weeks (hmmm....wonder why?), but things are settling down a bit. I get back up and running soon. If anyone has any important topics that they would like for me to discuss or research, please let me know. You can post a comment on this page or submit an email to omarble@gmail.com.

Thanks,
Fab mom!

This Was Just A Year Ago. Amazing!

TODAY: in 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 makes an emergency landing into the Hudson River shortly after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport in New Your City - the flight was bound for Charlotte. All passengers and crew members survive thanks to the captain - Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger.  Wow, what a blessing!

Happy Birthday Martin Luther King, Jr!

Today Martin Luther King, Jr would be 81 years old! Please take time today to celebrate the life, the work and the legacy of Martin Luther King, for if it were not for his work, his diligence and his dream, the WORLD would struggle far more than we do today!

For those in Charlotte, N.C., I plan to list some MLK celebratory activities that will be taking place this weekend.

Be Happy For Others

I think it's very important to be happy for others when they receive blessings! I have a friend who has received a number of blessings today; good medical news, financial assistance and a much deserved opportunity at work! I am so happy for my friend that it makes me feel good inside. Real friends are able to celebrate the successes, achievements and blessings of others. Opportunities are not afforded to everyone at the same time, but that doesn't mean we can't always be happy for eachother. I'm super excited for my friend and I celebrate the moment!

I Am Not Perfect!

One of my personal goals is to stop being a perfectionist! I talked about procrastination a few months ago and how it can affect your life. Well procrasitnation; in many cases, stems from being a perfectionist. People who expect everything to be perfect tend to stall or procrastinate in taking action for fear of not doing it perfectly. We often have a hard time making simple decisions because we pay too much attention to the small details. This is ME all the way. My life seems to be an unorganized mess right now! I'm realizing that in order to be effective in any area of my life, I have to stop expecting absoulte perfection and just get out there and do what I need to do. If I fail, I'll just get up and try again!! Are you a perfectionist? How does it affect your life?

I am officially in love with Victoria Secret's Beauty Rush body mist. I guess I'm late, but I'm just learning about these. Any hoot. I recently purchased the Plumdrop Body Double Mist and I must admit that I love it! The Body Mist itself is a mixutre of a fragrance and a skin conditioner. It is kind of oily, so I suggest spraying it directly onto the skin (duh it's a conditioner) and not on your clothes. The plumdrop scent had a sweet smell to it, but not too much. It smells kind of "cleanish" smelling to me. Try it out. You can get them 3 for $25 right now! The bottle is 8.4 oz.

Have you tried any of the Beatuy Rush Body Mists? What do you think of them? Which scents have you tried?

Good morning folks!

I hope that everyone has a blessed day. Guess I'll take my lil' fabulous self out here in this fabulous world and make fabulous things happen! I plan to make this a positive day. No drama my way! Don't need it!

Free HIV Testing In Charlotte, NC

So this is not my favorite discussion topic, but it is very serious and necessary. Millions of people die each year from AIDS. We should all protect ourselves and each other by being tested. Looking for free AIDS or other STD testing in the Charlotte, NC area? Call these numbers below to schedule an appointment:

10512 PARK RD STE 107
CHARLOTTE, NC 28210
(800) 639-6773
Markets: Charlotte, NC Metro
 
 
Mecklenburg County Heatlh Department. Call (704) 336-6500 for appoinments at any of the following locations: 2845 Beatties Ford Rd.,  249 Billingsley Rd., or  251 Eastway Dr.,
 
 
M.U.S.E. - 704.432.TEST (8378). Click here to view the testing calendar for January. http://www.charmeck.org/NR/rdonlyres/eadir47pfsoogmjk7oqflthdzdoslluvdilkxswqkd4dcfnygl7xds77qshngtgj7dlhkchkzo2674f3tncpcwxounc/January2010.pdf
 
Click the link below for affordable testing centers.
 http://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=CFiTXr7BCS4rDEMyXlQfvhuCTBObryTeCh5zFAubR8skICAAQAyDtit8GKANQkoepqfr_____AWDJzqOKpKSYEKABpb2G_wPIAQGqBCFP0C-5CP34Cg8xJbJzgWX6JkzlDvnpNt4iM6BthsCOGbc&sig=AGiWqtymPjnXpG_6yB9fRUEL04YDrcdA6g&q=http://www.local.com/results.aspx%3Fkeyword%3Dstd%2Btesting%26cid%3D1243%26location%3DCharlotte%2BNC
 
Looking for other testing sites within the United States? Go to http://www.aids.gov/.

Scroll below to see upcoming events related to AIDS awareness.
 
 
 
 
 

Happy New Year!

WELCOME TO 2010!

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year! I pray that this year is prosperous for everyone! Remember to challenge yourselves to do better and strive for excellence! Most importantly, I encourage everyone to be good servants and to help those in need. I won't make any resolutions, but I will do my best to become a better person overall. I definitely have some changes to make and I'm up for the challenge!

Fabulous mom signing out! :0)