Sorry I have been M.I.A. I must admit it’s been a mixture of auditions, self-tapes, writer’s block and going on a hardcore fitness journey. I made time to see Aladdin yesterday since its obviously my favorite Disney movie.
We all know adapting a film from animation to live action is incredibly challenging, but Aladdin did a wonderful job. Will Smith managed to keep Genies light-hearted essence while infusing his personality into his character. I felt like we got a little bit of Fresh Prince of Bel Air and an all-knowing, sassy Genie in one. Dalia (Jasmine’s friend and handmaiden) was also added to the film. Played by Nasim Padrad, who has been on Saturday Night Live, Gigi from Scream Queens and Aly on New Girl. Ms. Padrad adds depth to Jasmine’s character by bringing out her softer side with girl chats and quick-witted comments. Don’t worry Abu and Raja make their appearances throughout the film as well.
A Whole New World was sung in a lower register but was still enchanting and beautiful since we got to experience the various dips and dives of the magic carpet ride in reality instead of animation. I love that the costume designer Michael Wilkinson took the various colors from Jasmine’s animated outfits, but kept her costume modern and modest. Instead of having Jasmine run around in a crop top and Harlem pants she made her corsets with tulip pants and occasionally a sheer cape moment. The influence of peacock feathers was a nice nod to the original animation while still making it modern. The various beautiful earrings and matching necklaces added the classic princess touch. Fun fact: Naomi Scott who plays Jasmine, was in the movie Disney movie Lemonade Mouth and she played the Pink Power Ranger in the Power Rangers.
The addition of the song Speechless, sang by Naomi Scott brought this film into the 21st century. In a time when women are quite literally still fighting for the right to make their own decisions about their bodies, Speechless was right on time. Scott belts out, “I won’t be silenced you won’t keep me quiet, won’t tremble when you try it all I know is I won’t go speechless.” You can watch here, 5 million views and counting I might add. I for one am proud that Jasmine continues to be the intelligent, strong, badass Disney princess we have always loved. She is determined to take Jaffar down and run her country for the sake of doing what is right for her people.
While I know the casting is not one hundred percent historically accurate, the dancing in some people’s opinions could have been filmed better, I loved it. I think Guy Ritchie did a great job of making Aladdin modern while honoring the classic without making it cheesy.
The film is a circular narrative and ends in a beautiful way that leaves the audience feeling satisfied. Have you seen Aladdin? What did you think?
First and foremost Happy Valentine’s Day darlings! I think Valentine’s Day is a beautiful reminder to appreciate the ones you love. Even if that means just calling them to say two things you love about them.
I picked up this fabulous off the shoulder side tie red dress from Abercrombie and Fitch. Which is on sale btw! This looks completely different than the Abercrombie and Fitch I worked at eight years ago, so shout out to their new buyer this linen dress is so beautiful!
I recently finished reading a book called The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo and it made me rethink my perspective on love. At one point in life I thought love was very black and white. Now I know there are tons of gray areas with love. Times where you are so drawn to someone that it is entirely magnetic and other times when you just get butterflies. Then just complete admiration for another person. You can read some of the reviews here to get a good summary. By nature I am a complete hopeless romantic. I love nothing more than great conversation, when a guy plans out a unique date and remembers the little things I even forgot I said. This always shocks my friends, because I’m often single and dating longer than I am in a relationship. I’ll be honest with you all, it’s because I have been afraid of commitment. Why? When I am in a relationship I am one hundred percent invested in my person. I use every spare minute I have to do what my guy wants, shop for the perfect birthday gift for him, plan a party, hang out with his friends and sometimes his family. The thing is in the past this has not been reciprocated. My ex’s have often been insecure due to rumors their “friends” made up, comments about me being out of their league or allowed their families to dictate who they can date and make racist remarks to me. The only thing I wanted was quality time with my man, who loves and trust me unconditionally and would stick up for me with his family/friends.
This past year I have taken the time to completely fall head over heels in love with myself. I have planned trips, taken acting classes, laughed with old friends over lunch, gone to viewing parties for my fellow actors, had drinks with some interesting people and honestly loved every minute of it. Ironically I had a four-hour conversation with a stranger about love, life, and marketing. Our conversation basically reminded me that through everything, I still completely believe in love. The kind that is patient, magnetic, passionate, selfless and comes when you are completely happy with where you are in life.
This year my Valentine is my fur baby who loves me unconditionally and I am completely fine with that! Do you think there are different types of love?
I know I have been away way to long. I just wanted to say Merry Christmas!
To me, Christmas has always been about the joy of spreading kindness to others. Whether that is buying gifts for Christmas Angels through the Salvation Army, holding open the door for others or tipping your fabulous server 50 percent of the bill. This time of year so many people get caught up in the gifts I think its important to reflect on doing something kind for others. Two scriptures to remember this time of year.
A reminder of unconditional love and sacrifice
John 3:16
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
A reminder that patience and kindness is free, something we should all aim to practice year round.
1 Timothy 1:15-16
“15Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.
16But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.”
So I hope your Christmas was filled with love, joy and laughter!
This past Monday I left for a three day work conference. I have been working for this company officially since February, but finally received training at the Annual meeting this week. (The guys I work with have been great about explaining things when they have the time, but mostly I have just figured things out through trial and error). I was incredibly nervous about going on this trip, since it is a very conservative company and this is our corporate headquarters. I come from an incredibly liberal background, love the arts, I’m not big on most sports, I am not married and do not have kids. In my experience these are deal breakers in the South. So I prayed for guidance. I prayed that I would find some common ground with everyone and that I would learn a lot. So now that you have the backstory let’s look at what to pack!
For the plane to the reception: 1 pair of coral colored dress pants. 1 white top 1 statement necklace 1 blanket sweater 1 pair of sparkly flats 1 neutral/nude bra
Tip: I always bring one pair of socks to wear when you have to take your shoes off for TSA then I take them off and put them in a ziplock so I do not transfer athletes foot and God knows what else to my feet/shoes. Then, grab my extra pair of socks to put on and head to the plane! I knew I would have to go from the airplane to a work reception/dinner the first day. The next day is a full day of events, meetings, networking,then dinner at a country club. The last day is a half day ending with us heading to the airport after lunch. Now what should I wear for one full day of events and two half days? While you want to be comfortable you also want to look professional. I am a huge fan of color, unlike most people who opt for black and grey. So I thought I would put together a few looks that would work for the short period of time, but fit in a carry on.
Do not be afraid of color! Even in a conservative office people still love to wear color, whether it is a bright colored tie on guys or a bright shirt or lip color on ladies. Think of J.Crew and Lily Pulitzer, these two brands love to use color.
To sleep in:
1 long sleeve top
1 pair of shorts
I always think about the unexpected. You never know when an unexpected fire alarm may go off and you don’t want to risk running past your boss in a nightie.
Necessities:
1 toiletries bag for liquids
-face wash
-make up remover
-perfume roll-on
-deodorant
1 make up bag
-powder foundation
-liquid black liner
-black mascara
-a neutral shimmer eyeshadow
-blush
-pink lipgloss/stick
-mauve/nude lipstick
(Toothbrush and toothpaste of course).
To work out in: 1 sports bra 1 pair of work out pants 1 work out top 1 pair of sneakers
Bring work out clothes! Even if you don’t think you will have time to workout you’ll be thankful you brought the clothes to change into. Every time I bring a sports bra and sneakers I think okay, I can take at least thirty minutes to workout between events and dinner. It’s rare that hotels do not have a gym and even if yours does not you can walk around the area site seeing.
The Capital hotel we stayed in is owned by the same company that has the building across the street. There is a full rooftop gym with rowing machines, kettle balls, free weights, stair master, elliptical, oblique machine, balance balls, weighted ropes and nine arm machines. I made it a point to work out in between the check in time and dinner reception the first night. The view from the top was beautiful and if I wasn’t so tired from networking the next night I would have went back Wednesday morning!
1 bright high-neck dress 1 light colored cardigan 1 strapless bra (The same pair of sparkly flats)
The second day I planned to wear a nice dress since we planned on heading to the Country Club after the day of training. I knew we would probably have thirty minutes until we needed to head to our dinner location so it’s better to be dressed up for the day. I always make sure to try on the clothes I am packing at home to make sure I have the proper bra for each piece of clothing. That way you do not have to worry about your straps showing and having someone adjust your clothing. I always pack a nice cardigan that I can wear over sleeveless dresses and stay warm in air-conditioned buildings.
1 red top 1 pair of black pants 1 blanket sweater (The same pair of sparkly flats)
The third day I chose to wear the standard black pants and a red V-neck. This would be corporate enough and comfortable for the plane.
Above you will see some photos of the Capital hotel. The elevator of the Capital hotel is huge. The rumor is Ulysses S. Grant rode his horse into the hotel and needed the elevator to be big enough for his horse to ride up. I guess he parked his horse in the hallway when he went into his room.
Overall my trip went really well. I enjoyed learning more about my bosses and the Company we work for. The CEO is incredibly charismatic and enjoys taking the time to make everyone feel important. The other admins are fabulous older ladies who want to share their knowledge and uplift one another. (We’ve even started a share drive to help each other with new programs and tasks). I had a really great discussion with multiple people about enjoying this time in my life. As people asked me if I was married, had kids or how old I was I felt a little hesitant to share. (Most people in my company have been married for a minimum of 7 years and are in their late 30’s or 40’s). While I actually am very happy at this point in my life, I find people often try to shame you for being a single woman. Personally I think this is a short window of time where I am allowed to be selfish. I can take the time to travel anywhere I want without asking my man for permission. I can spend $300.00 on a purse I liked, because it is my money and I do not have to explain that to anyone. I’m also taking my time to seriously think about my deal breakers and needs in a husband. It is not a long list, but there are certain qualities I know he needs to have. Just like I expect him to have a list of qualities he is looking for. While I have literally been told by “loved ones” you need to lower your expectations no one is perfect. My response is, “I’m not looking for the perfect person, I am looking for the perfect person for me”. As far as I am concerned we meet when we are meant to, in the meantime I am enjoying this time spoiling myself.
