But seriously America please don’t fuck up the election. It effects the whole world and I’d rather not raise my baby in a dystopian Mad Max wasteland okay thank you.
7. Hot showers or cold showers?
Scalding. Unless I’ve just come from the gym then cold as ice.
9. What age were you given “the talk?”
By my parents? Never. We had sex ed in school. We were in the middle of a move when I was 14 and my dad was packing up books and he gruffly handed me a copy of “Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Sex But Were Afraid To Ask”. It was really informative
12. Blue jeans, skinny jeans, leggings, shorts, or no pants at all?
I used to be an all blue jeans girl but I generally find them too hot now. At home I wear leggings/yoga pants most of the time. When I go out it’s usually skinny jeans or leggings. When I’m home and not working, no pants man… who needs em?
8. Breakfast or no breakfast?
Breakfast usually. I don’t often have a desire to eat first thing in the morning but I try to get something in.
14. Could you ever be a vegetarian?
12 was already answered so I picked this.
I think I could for a while but I don’t see myself permanently giving up meat. I’d have to at least be able to eat poultry and fish.
18. What’s the first app you check when you wake up?
Hm. Good question. I’m not sure. It would most likely be Facebook or Tumblr unless some really interesting news headline popped up in my notifications.
I got Chris one of those genealogy DNA tests for his birthday. It was something we’d both always been interested in doing so I thought it would make a nice gift.
He got his results back today. I think we were most surprised to see a tiny percentage of Native American blood. But when I thought about it, it just meant that he probably had some Carib or Arawak blood way back (the natives of our part of the Caribbean). Also he had a drop of Chinese or something from that general area that was weird.
He had a match show up that they said was a second or third cousin who he actually knew (she’s his third cousin) so that was pretty cool and I guess confirmed the accuracy of the test.
We ordered one for me today and I can’t wait til I get it. I know my ethnic makeup quite well but I’m more interested to see how much African vs. Asian vs. European I am. I’m sure there will be some surprises too. I’ve been wanting to do this for such a long time, I’m really excited that I’m finally going to get some insight into my origins.
I subscribe to a lot of travel websites because I’m always looking for deals. Our family Christmas vacation is in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico this year, too. So I’m always getting really amazing airfare deals for places that I long to go to.
Of course they’re all from cities in the U.S., and it means we’d have to pay another ticket just to get off this damn island first. But considering how many cheap tickets are available I’m surprised that Americans don’t travel more. When I lived there, even on a college student’s budget, I managed to travel quite a lot. Yes it was within the States but I mean honestly there’s so much to see… I even made it to Hawaii one spring break.
Truth is I have no problem travelling on a budget. Between us, Chris’s family and my family have about four timeshares (one that is ours alone) so accommodation isn’t an issue. I’m hoping that after this year we can start doing a little more travelling just the two of us and not have to just do the annual family vacation. Now if only his sister would stop hogging the timeshare we share with her and my MIL then maybe we can do something nice next year, like Europe. On a budget, of course.
This was a birthday present for someone special. I hope she enjoyed her day 🎁🎉🎈#goldfilled #name #wirebending #necklace #jewelry #handmade #buylocal #trinidad #caribbean
Dear Strong Women: You aren’t intimidating, he is intimidated. There’s a difference.
I was always told that most people (aka dudes) who were attracted to me in my younger years were intimidated by me. I never understood it. And for a while I didn’t realize that that made me feel like there was something wrong with me.
Agate slab wrap bracelet with leather tie, part of my new collection for @theshop_normandie #bracelet #choker #wrapbracelet #leather #suede #trinidad #caribbean #jewelry
okay but this is brilliant, not only if you’re on a foreign country and don’t speak the language, but imagine someone who’s deaf and can’t talk and communicate and someone wants to help and doesn’t know sign language, if the deaf person gets the bracelet, is actually pretty useful!
This is much better than that ridiculous ‘universal translator’ doodad that was floating around here a while back. AND it actually works, unlike aforementioned doodad.
For my mental health I’ve been staying away from the news. I really can’t deal with it right now.
Someone on fb reblogged a link to an article about the riots today and I was surprised because they are a rich white Trinidadian who does not usually comment on things like this.
Then I saw his comment and it was full of condemnation for the protesters AND a lovely personal anecdote about how much he loves North Carolina as it is his favourite state.
I had to scroll on by before I bitch slapped him through cyberspace.
Had nothing to say when they gunning down innocent people in the street but now you want to criticize their protest, right?
In other news I finally found a replacement headlight for my car. So maybe we can repair it sometime before the end of the year. I feel like such a pleb driving around in a banged up car.
We went out liming last night and I guess I overdid a little because I slept half the day away and woke up parched and a little hungoverish. And I’m so pissed because I was on such a roll in the studio yesterday but today my brain and body were mush and I barely got any work done. I also had to skip the gym cause I was feeling like such shit and that upset me too.
It’s all fucking Learie’s fault.
Rock and roll by its nature is sexual. So girls playing rock and roll is saying to the world, “We own our sexuality.” I think that pop music is sort of about “you can do what you want to me” kind of energy, while rock and roll is “I’m going to do what I want to you” kind of energy.
Either the mirror in my bedroom is a skinny mirror or the mirror at the bar is a fat mirror cause I left my house feeling hot and I got there feeling fat and that shit is just unacceptable.
Working on some new prices to restock my collection at @theshop_normandie. Leather wrap bracelet with jasper. Can be worn on the wrist or as a choker. #jewelry #bracelet #wrapbracelet #leather #jasper #artisanal #choker #handmade #trinidad #caribbean
When I recently updated the OS for my phone it changed a bunch of settings, which is why I was able to hear an Instagram message that just woke me out of my slumber and now I’m fucking pissed and cannot go back to sleep.
– I’m watching my body changing since I started working out again and my shape looks weird to me. Not in a bad way. Maybe I’m just losing inches in my hips before everywhere else cause they seem to be disappearing. My waist still has that bump on one side from my scoliosis. Steups.
– I’m trying to buy all my Christmas jewelry supplies now and it’s taking some creative financial juggling.
– I bought some really expensive chain today that I’ve been coveting for over a year. I’m ridiculously excited about it. Chain. Yeah.
– I got the entire Odd Thomas audiobook collection. I love Dean Koontz and especially Odd Thomas. But right now I am taking in Americanah. It’s my first audiobook experience ever.
– It’s nice to still have firsts. They become increasingly rare as one gets older.
I really can’t deal with getting up every morning to the news that yet another Black person who was minding their own business was killed by the police.
Do they not teach contractions in schools anymore?
they’re, you’re…
I keep seeing people writing their and your instead and I can’t figure out if it’s a typo or they just don’t know the difference but it really bugs me man.
I was dodging work today and decided to paint 🎨 instead with my new #drphmartinswatercolor set. Really enjoying the ease of liquid watercolors. So one of my creations today was this lovely #mermaid. #art #painting #watercolor #swimming #underwater #blue #green #trinidad
Why are straight girls allowed to experiment with other girls, but lesbians aren’t allowed to experiment with guys?
If you’re a lesbian and you’re questioning your sexuality, it’s totally okay to experiment with a guy to see if you like it. You are 100% valid and you are loved.
If you’re a lesbian and you’ve been with guys in the past, you are still a lesbian. Your past does not define your present, nor does it define your future. You are 100% valid and you are loved.
I played around with my new paints today. I was waiting on some new supplies (that is my excuse for not working on jewelry stuff) so I did this instead.
I went out into the country to this estate that houses an animal sanctuary. I got to pet a burro, hold a cayman, hold hands with a monkey, befriend a horse, listened to a grumpy ocelot growl and got honked at by a mother goose.
I also had guava sauce pizza baked in a mud oven. It was a nice day today.
I used to not put my phone number on my tattooing business cards. Email address only. Because I’ve had tattoo clients give my number to friends, who would message me seriously at 2AM wanting information on piercings, etc. I’m a wife and mom, FGS. I do sleep sometimes.
I don’t know if people feel that when you are self employed you don’t have work hours (which of course you have to or you will cut a bitch). But from my past experience as a freelancer I decided that having email, facebook and instagram was good enough. I have lost business because people have insisted that they talk to me on the phone but I’m ok with that. Small sacrifice for having a life.
I found out that 15 wanted to buy my elephant painting for his girlfriend (aw!) and I figured she’d much prefer the one I did today with all the colour so I had Chris send him a picture of it.
I did two paintings today. The other one sucks because I can’t paint leaves (again) so I decided to do something easy and fun. I really like this guy. And I was too lazy to find another picture of an animal I liked. He’s going on the studio wall 😊
My stepsons where just over and I guess they went into my studio and saw some of the paintings I was working on and basically couldn’t believe I had done them. One of them took several pictures with his phone.
After they left he messaged me on Chris’s phone asking me how much I would sell him the elephant ink painting I did the other day. I told him I would make him a copy of it. And that he didn’t have to pay me for it. He thanked me and asked me to tell Chris when it was ready.
I thought that was so sweet that he wanted to buy it. It’s nice to know they have an appreciation for art.
Ok thanks lol. Growing up in a bilingual environment, you sort of use a lot of words weirdly or the wrong way and you don’t realise it until you go out into the world and realise that’s not how people speak normally. I don’t question it as much as I used to but every now and then things sound odd to me and I’m not sure if that’s why.
Last night I was hanging out with these two Venezuelan guys and aside from the fact that they were super fun to hang out with, I had such a great time speaking spanish and throwing out Venezuelan slang and amusing them with my use of Spanglish. They gave me such a wonderful compliment. I told them that after so many years being out of a Spanish speaking environment that I didn’t feel very confident in my Spanish as much as I used to. And they told me my Spanish was excellent and that I still sound like a native. I don’t know if I agree but I was really happy to hear it.
Not staying at the gym turned out to be the right choice. I had a delivery to do after and about five minutes after I got home she called early and told me she was at the site. If I’d stayed at the gym I’d have missed her call. Heh. I feel better about skipping my workout now.
I went to the gym just now and then realised I forgot my phone. I tried to work out without it and that was just downright impossible. Treadmill or bikes, the only thing that gets me through it fast enough is reading.
I looked at my time left and it said 28:49.
Two minutes later I looked at it and it said 28:15
lol it’s a long story… I reconnected with someone from a million years ago on FB last night and I guess I remembered one or two mean girl moments I had with her in my youth. She clearly either didn’t remember them or they didn’t happen the way I think… honestly it probably was mostly in my head. But I was glad that she was happy to hear from me. And relieved that she remembered me so fondly.
There was a kid I went to school with that was always dirty and smelly and most people avoided. As an adult, I see how abused and neglected he was and it breaks my heart. He showed up on FB and I sent him a message, apologizing for not treating him well when we were children. You know what? He said he didn’t remember me treating him poorly, but that he didn’t have time to worry about that kind of stuff, he was busy having a full life!!
It’s funny how we all have different perceptions of the same events!!
She was that girl to us… not neglected per se but she stuck out for all the wrong reasons. And last night she reminded me of some things I did back then that were very kind. And I think maybe my thoughts were not always nice, but perhaps my actions were, because she was overjoyed to reconnect and had only love for me. Totally different perceptions.
lol it’s a long story… I reconnected with someone from a million years ago on FB last night and I guess I remembered one or two mean girl moments I had with her in my youth. She clearly either didn’t remember them or they didn’t happen the way I think… honestly it probably was mostly in my head. But I was glad that she was happy to hear from me. And relieved that she remembered me so fondly.
Here is some video of the bracelet that @soulsistrin / @sundara-jewelry jewelry made. It’s so gorgeous. I’ve just been sitting here looking at it sparkle.
The last time I was at Upmarket I was standing very close to a Chinese-mixed person who had dreadlocks, and I became fascinated with how they felt, and for the first time in my life I understood how white people feel sometimes when in the presence of natural black hair.
I kept my hands to myself however, and lived with the burning curiosity.
One of my childhood classmates from Caracas left a comment on one of my photos on Facebook today which lead to a long discussion of who we were in touch with and she mentioned that she had found another classmate, Jackie, on Facebook.
I went to her profile and sent her a friend request and looked over whatever information was available. Undergrad at Stanford, graduate degree from Yale… I wasn’t surprised.
Jackie was the daughter of the Grenadian ambassador in Caracas. Our parents were close friends so consequently we spent a lot of time together, usually at her residence. She was brilliant at everything she did, sports, academics, everything. But she was also a lot of fun to hang out with and I have incredibly fond memories of the time we spent together in our pre-teen years.
When the U.S. invaded Grenada and the government changed hands, her father was recalled. We lost touch, but I would hear of her accomplishments every so often from my father who kept in contact with her dad. She’s now a lecturer at UWI Cave Hill (Barbados). It’s hard to believe that she’s so close by after all this time. I’m looking forward to catching up and finding out how her parents (and much less brilliant but fun) brother are doing. Those early years were difficult on me, but being around her family definitely helped make my time there a lot easier.
My god this sums it up perfectly. So many years of this there were. So happy I made it out.
My ex husband used to do this to me. I thought I was going mad. I had to start taking note of everything that was said. The worst part was having to come to terms with the fact that someone I loved would manipulate and lie to me that way.
I keep drawing this guy. It’s more for practice than anything else, since I’m using a brush pen and they’re a bit difficult to control. I’m gonna throw some watercolours on this one.
Goldfilled lariat double feather necklace. Part of a new collection of layering necklaces coming soon! #jewelry #handmade #necklace #feather #goldfilled #trinidad #caribbean #supportlocal
I love long, dangly earrings. These are made from lapis with gold filled chain. Blue and gold… Always a beautiful combination. #jewelry #earrings #goldfilled #lapislazuli #lapis #trinidad #caribbean #handmade #supportlocal #blueandgold
Female staffers adopted a meeting strategy they called “amplification”: When a woman made a key point, other women would repeat it, giving credit to its author. This forced the men in the room to recognize the contribution — and denied them the chance to claim the idea as their own.
“We just started doing it, and made a purpose of doing it. It was an everyday thing,” said one former Obama aide who requested anonymity to speak frankly. Obama noticed, she and others said, and began calling more often on women and junior aides.
I put some frozen veggies in a pan and next thing you know WHOOSH right up to the ceiling. It quickly died down but stayed lit for a little while longer. I kind of just looked at it in amusement knowing it would disappear shortly.
The second was when I put some half thawed cassava in a pot of oil. This one was tiny and brief but I wasn’t that amused the second time I was more like wtf.
In case you’re wondering, no I’ve never started a fire in the kitchen before.
I’m going to go wrap myself in bubble wrap and sit in the corner wearing a helmet hugging my fire extinguisher.
Delaney Robinson, a sophomore at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill alleged Tuesday that a football player at the school raped her in February and that UNC has done nothing about it. In a powerful personal statement she explained how “she did everything a rape victim is supposed to do.”
soulsistrin 