Enjoy your flowers mommies! My friend at work brought up a great point. Pregnant women, future mommies, and women who have cared for someone (adult and young a like) at one point of their lives should be considered and included. Hence, she said it best, this day should be renamed Women’s Day. Now where my flowers?! lol.
Corny yes….hehehe….but effective maybe? Surprisingly, we had only one snowfall that actually stuck to the ground in Washington DC. Crazy! No missed days of work, I was actually looking forward to that. Oh well, such is life. Spring is around the corner, so here are some tulip dresses to bring the season in right.
If you’re anything like me and have uneven waistline and hips, tulip dresses are great way to bring those areas back into balance. These dresses usually cinch at the waist and flare out around the hip area, lending you the convenience of concealing and creating that illusion of a smaller waist. For those who wear braces, if I were you, I would probably go for fabrics that are thicker, yet breathable. Thicker materials usually have built-in structure and will help “soften” the harsh lines of the brace against your skin. Dresses made out of thinner materials are still a viable option. For example, #5, even though this dress has extra material around the hips, it drapes around the form hiding that “problem area”. Prints are another good option for brace wearers as prints disrupt those brace lines and help draw people’s eyes to the rest of your gorgeous-ness. If you’re already hippy, tulip dresses can help bring balance to your hips. Tulip dresses are feminine and can be worn to any occasion. Yeah, for multi-function! Tulips Part 2: Skirts!
$399 for this? Please.....since when did bikes became so expensive. Banging colors, though.
Yesterday, I had a chat with one of my good friends. As usual, we bounced to one topic to the other until we settled into the topic of this blog post. She told me her boyfriend was having back issues, something called a herniated disk. While I have never experienced a herniated disk, the people I’ve seen go through it, surprisingly all young, have described it as being very painful. I’ve read some people don’t even experience anything. Usually, herniated disks occur between the ages of 35-45, but a person can also get it if she/he does a lot out of the ordinary movements, like bending, twisting, occupation based, and/ or also carrying excess body weight. Anyway, since the dude is in the military, young dude is actually in shape, and running is part of his regime, his doctor told him not to run anymore, at least for a while anyway. As a result, dude decides to bust out his mountain bike. To keep up with her boyfriend, she decides to invest in a bike of her own, complete with a red vintage paint job and a basket in the front. She bought hers from Amazon.com. Apparently, it has a bell on it, too. =_=;
Like swimming, biking while seated is considered a non-weight bearing activity (If you don’t know how to swim, this is another good activity for us curved folks). Standing up on a bike, though, transfers the body weight into legs, where it should be while working out. Remember the ol’ phrase, don’t lift with your back, lift with you legs. Well, most of your weight is supported by your lower back. Whenever you bend over or lift an object without the help of your legs, you’re placing more force
on your back, particularly on the spongy discs between your spinal vertebra. These discs eventually wear out, like a worn out pair of jeans, can tear or become herniated. Bending with your knees helps absorb the force, as your muscles in your legs are usually stronger than those in your lower back. Truth be told, while I was researching on Wiki and few other sites, I was surprised a bicyclist can get hurt other than getting into a vehicular accident. Improper posture, feet, improper set up of the bike and so forth…..
Not only are bikes a great way to get from Point A to Point B and everything in between, it promotes fitness and cardiovascular health. It’s not just your legs that get a work out; it’s your core abs too!
I rather take the scenic route, actually. I can’t do stationary bikes. Stationary bikes are good for rehabilitation and staring at walls or maybe the back of someone’s head. I’ve been to those at the
gyms where they have classes built around stationary bikes. Music can’t save these classes. I find it hard as a beginner to hop on a bike and turn the resistance dial to what feels like a “7” uphill. If
you never been up a hill on a bike or have experience going up many hills, the perspective is just not there and the description of the “feel of the hill” sitting on those hard uncomfortable butt slivers of some bike seats can get lost in translation. I will give cycling classes credit though; these classes will make you sweat.
Once every so often, I go to Brookland in District of Columbia, where Catholic University of America (CUA) is and I rent a bike from Capitol BikeShare on 12th Street. Yes, those bulky red & black bikes. Sometimes I just want to enjoy the “fresh” air. Last time I rented a bike from them, I pedaled 10 miles in the four hours I was out there. The good thing about DC is that the city is trying to make riding safer for cyclist by drawing dedicated bike lanes. It’s cheaper than all the bike share programs in the District, but you need a debit/credit card to rent the bike out. I chalaqued those handle bars and anything that I would have to put my hands on with hand sanitizer. I should of blasted them with Lysol disinfectant, who knows where those bikes been. I remember it was kinda hard to get the bike out, but to put it back in was so much easier. After the first thirty minutes (those min. are free), you are charged $1.50 every 30 minutes. The stations are all over the district, mostly can be found near the Metro Train stops. I’m not sure if you can find them in Virginia, but I know they will be expanding this service to Maryland, the cities that are located near the DC lines.
Good night.
Against my better judgement, I walked into New York & Company and window shopped. Here’s what I came up with.
Pictures taken with HTC EVO Shift
The Red Hearts Front Tie blouse retails for $39.99 Word? :::mad face::: That price is inflated, honestly speaking. I feel you can probably find something like this at Forever21. The magenta pants is $59.99, I’m willing to play the wait game for these pants. It’s not the greatest quality, though. I found a hole on the pant leg seam. Looks like someone tried to stuff themselves in them…..but the jeans are in color!!!! I forgot to tell the sales associate about the hole. I wasn’t about paying them if they tried to blame it on me though. I mean, would they have believed me if I told them that the hole was there before I tried them on? My hat’s from forever21, I got it for $6.99 and the gray shoes are Dr. Scholls. They were on sale, mark down to $29.99 or something like that at DSW. Super Comfy!!! I thought the outfit was sweet and cute. It’s loud in the color department, but if you don’t care, rock it! Simple accessories would finish off the look, like earring studs.
Sales are my thang!!!
Oh yeah, New York & Company is probably still having the sale today. Buy one, get the other half off in stores. Also, I saw the same sale at Nine West. I bought a pair shoes there yesterday. They were $30.00!!! I’m not sure if these are national campaigns or is happening online, but if you live in the District, Maryland, Virginia (DMV) area, capitalize on these sales if you can! :D
http://nyandcompany.com
With no health insurance and a crappy credit score, getting corrective scoliosis surgery is a very steep climb, probably a nearly impossible feat. Obviously, this feat is nulled if a person is making mucho dinero and has the ability to save or is amazingly blessed to have the cost of the surgery donated. Unfortunately for me, I am the former, thus I often put these thoughts on the back burner. I can’t spend the mental energy on something I can’t have. Though, even if I had the money, would I go for the surgery? I teeter tott on this very issue. I don’t hurt, I don’t experience any pain from it. I’m one of the lucky ones, I guess. I’m older (Out of the Teens). I can still do most things. I play adult dodgeball, for pete’s sake. Surprisingly, you gotta have some flexibility for that game. Anyway, surgery for older people’s experiences, before, during, and after, are variant at best. Lord only knows if something horrible would to happen? Paralysis!!! Who would take care of me? Right now, I’m flying solo at this point in my life, no hubbie, no kids, no parents.
Everyone has their own special brand of scoliosis and life, so experiences would differ. :/ I wouldn’t have to work so hard to keep myself from walking around like Egor. People have told me I already have a funny walk. :( It all comes down to fear! Am I brave enough to face the uncertainity of surgery and what complications, if any, it would bring to my life or to continue to live in possibility my curve may just get worse. Scary stuff.
1) Be brave and bold ——-> ( I am shy)
2) Stay positive/smile more ——-> ( I mean mug like a champ)
3) Update blog regularly. ——-> (I is a slacker!!!!)
4) Scale down ———-> ( I’m somewhat of a pack-rat)
2011 was ok….honestly, the year felt like the usual. I had my ups and downs, but no real movement in my life except for turning a year older. That’s probably the pessimistic side talking there. So yes, I’m excited for 2012. Hopefully I can keep that pessimism back where it belongs, in the past. New adventures await!
Confession time, ie. my 3rd point. I’ve slacked off. Even at the gym, I haven’t gone in over a month now maybe it’s approaching two. I plan to go this Thursday. It’s harder in the winter time to get in there and……I’m still sick. Now, I don’t think what I have is a cold. It’s ALLERGIES!!!. Yes, I’m part of year round A-team. It’s a small inconvenience. :| On that note, I’m going to take a nap before getting ready for work this morning.
What are you bringing new into the new year?
Joan Smalls is a 22 year old black & latina Puerto Rican who has modeled for the likes of Gucci, Estee Lauder, and Victoria’s Secret. Despite having scoliosis, she steamrolled through modeling industry, ranking #4 on Models.com’s Top 50. Identified too late to have her spine corrected by a back brace, Smalls adopted an intense lower back routine to help alleviate the pain and to stay in shape. It has strengthen her muscles in her lower back and glutes as well as reshaped her booty. She stands at 5’10.5.
I’ve always wanted to model. When I was little, I hoped I would be tall and skinny. I got there alright…..with a curved spine. My dad was 5’9 while my mom was 5’5. I am 5’7ish now. Tallness of 5’7 is relative. I’m not exactly skinny, either. lol. Now that I’m older, my chances of modeling have slimmed. I’m still trying, though. Apparently, it’s not your age, it’s how you look. I’m a big fan of working out. I love that she’s doing it, too. It really helps, not only in pain managment but self-esteem too. Now, I wonder what she does…..I want a butt like that!
I’m a sickee. I’ve been a sickee for the past couple of days now, battling the common cold. As a person who loves being active, I can say I can’t stay in bed. I get too bored and antsy. For some strange reason, I try to put my best foot forward when I go outside. My make up and my attire are on point, yet my voice always betrays me. I try to protray that nothing is wrong with me even though I sound like death. Like the other day, I figured I could use some fresh air, so I decided to hop in my car and drive for few miles as I am on sick leave from work. I walked into my friend’s establishment and before I can get a “hi” out my mouth, she goes:
“Why is your face swollen?”
Huh? My face is not swollen! My eyebrows knit and she points at the side.
“Go look in the mirror and you’ll see what I’m talking about,”
I go look in the mirror and my confused look turns into a slight mortified one. My right side of my face is swollen. How do I fix this? ******TMI alert: My snot is sitting on my right side of my face which may explain why my face looked swollen.******** It did look slightly swollen. Hmmmm……There was nothing to do about it, just be a deciated snot blower in hopes of deflating that one side.
I asked a random person in CVS about my face after leaving my friend’s place, not just any random person, one of the CVS pharmacetuical personnel. He couldn’t tell. Hmmm……moving on. I got home and bummed out. No one else was to see me with my inflated face.
Do you love fall/winter because you can wear jackets and not look like an overheated weirdo? Do you carry a big bag to conceal your curve? I unconsciously kinda do both. I realized this a couple of hours ago. I’m not going to lie, I love my jackets, almost as much as I love shoes. As a grown woman, I’m going to say this about my jackets: they’re almost like a security blankie for me, lol. Now, as we mature, we eventually grow out self-damaging ways. Some people sucked their thumbs, bit their nails, I wear jackets, hopefully wear becomes wore….obviously, not now considering the days are getting colder. Anyway, I wasn’t like this before I noticed the developing curve. I remember in high school, someone asked me why I wore sweatshirts and jackets all the time. She thought I had an issue with my arms. I didn’t tell her the real reason I was so attached to them. The next day, to prove her wrong, I went without and continued for a long time. She said my arms looked fine and went on her merry way. No mention of the fact my hip was sticking out more than usual. I think I’ve regressed, a bit though. I don’t wear shapeless stuff, I wear jackets that are sewn to give the wearer a cinched waist, or which also can be achieved by wearing belted jackets. 
Excuse the uneven shoulders as I have a “S” curve, the shirt is really a shirt dress…..I didn’t walk outside without any pants on.
Jackets that hit right above my waist makes my already compacted torso look shorter. 
I’m going for length to balance out my legs.
I’m not a bag lady, but I do own one large business-y bag. I try not to put more than a pound of stuff at any given moment because I do sometimes walk around with it a lot. I don’t use it to hide my curve. Like a scale, I like to feel centered. With my big bag, I tend to carry it on my right side where my hip flattens out. For me, it helps counteract the big hippy curve on my left side. No more gansta leanin’ for me!
Okay, so I got my camera!!!!! The ol’ Kodak Easyshare pooped out on me, so as a replacement, I now have the Sony DSC-HX9. This piece of technology is amazing, especially at night. The flash is blazing strong and the video quality is almost film quality. Well worth the money! Yeah, I may do videos, but we will see. My first intended subjects were the Zombie Walkers as I bought the camera on the day of the Zombie Walk. The walk happened at night and I wanted to test the real rigors of my new camera. Perfect: Nighttime shooting. I said I was going to go as a Zombie Slayer Ninja, well…that didn’t happen. I fell witness to the whole event. Honestly, I was lazy, I didn’t make my ninja tools, ie. ninja stars & katanas. To make myself look less conspicuous and less random, I walked into my favorite “french” fry joint in plain non gory clothing. Some zombies were catered to, chilling, and chatting up a storm. Clearly, I was the dime of the dozen. I wanted whip out the camera and take pictures, but I was a girl on a mission. And mission failed. Once outside, I just watched Zombies limped, dragged, swing haphazardly in the streets of Silver Spring in awe. The Zombie Walk was pivotal on jamming traffic for twenty minutes, it was worthy of Montgomery County Police’s presence. The way that the cops were moving, you’d think they were securing a murder scene…..which technically it was. At least one thousand + of the Walking Dead. I would have been miffed if I was in a car that was sitting on one of the branching streets. Strategically, I wasn’t in that mess. After living in an area for a while, you will learn how to get around these hurdles.
The day before Halloween, my friends and I went down to the Field of Screams in Olney, MD. There were three parts to the area: 1) The Hayride, 2) Wood Trail, and 3) The Haunted Manor. Come to think of it, the Manor wasn’t a manor at all. It was just a huge storage container. I wanted troll a house, not a storage bin. That scare was a warm up. Since we were working with a limited amount of funds and the ground was soaking wet, we opted out of the trail. Out of my friends, I was the only one in full costume. I went as regular ol’ ninja. I dressed up in all black (Yea for UnderArmour!!!), black sneakers, and wrapped a t-shirt over my face for a mask. I wanted to play up my eyes, so I did contacts and used eyeliner to frame my eyes. It was freezing cold outside, my UnderArmour set (A shirt & pants) did a great job keeping my body heat from escaping into the cold air. Eventhough it was tight, the color black is slimming and hard to see against a black night sky. It concealed my curvy spine well. The green money bag was there to carry my stuff. My hands and feet however, were a different story. We went on the hayride, the cheapest out all three of them, and it freaked me out. That hayride was probably the scariest but “funninest” hayride that I have ever been on. I’m one of those “laughter after scared” moments. All on all, it was a good way to celebrate Halloween. We’ve made plans to go to the Field of Screams again tomorrow, but will definetely be doing the Woods Trail. Pictures are below, taken with the Sony. 
