10/52: Morning

I know I'm a week off but today's sunrise was beautiful! I'm looking forward to this warm weather!

Happy Friday

Torrie

The Invisible Man

When I was growing up, stuff would come up missing in the house, moved, broken, etc. When this happened, my mom always asked "Who did it?" Jessica (my lil sis) and I would always say "Not me!". So my mom would be sarcastic and say "Oh, I guess the Invisible Man did it!?. Jess and I would make jokes about it, laugh and keep it moving. (If I did it, I always fessed up...I think ;) Anywho. I just want to let the world know he is real....The Invisible Man.

He is living in my house, eating food, moving stuff around and I believe he taking our things and selling them to make money at yard sales on Saturdays. He needs to be paying rent. It would be easier on me and Branden if the rent was split 3 ways with the cost of gas. By the way, that's Branden's housecoat he has on!!!! Let me tell you what he has done.

• He moved my towel everyday this weekend. Everytime I went to bathe, I couldn't find it.
• He took my black sports bra and I know he let his girlfriend, The Invisible Woman, wear it before he returned it.
• My Just Wright dvd went missing....oh that was Branden. He didn't want me looking at Common too much lol!
• Ok....my pink hand weights have disappeared. Now I'm mad about them because I really use them. Give me my weights back PUNK!!!
• Branden's cross color shirt that I despise...um yeah... that wasn't The Invisible Man
• Those plastic bowls and forks B has had since freshaman year...personally, he can have those
• Towels that have clorox stains on them that Branden claims his grandma gave him...
• The charger for my Nook is gone toO and he eats my yogurt

  And he has done much more@! Branden claims he doesn't know where half of my stuff is and is always saying I have too much of everything...I think they are in cahoots with each other...

Date Night!

We typically have date night on the weekends. They range from movies to painting :) Tonight I didn't have to dress up. I got to wear one of my Alabama t-shirts and my Sperrys.

I am a book junkie. Reading is my crack. I could read all day and not touch my remote. Honey made a good choice!

I gathered my books and settled in a chair with my Green Tea Latte. It was yummy!

I usually go to Books A Million because it's closer to the house. I like them too because I read alot of christian fiction and they have a section just for African American fiction. (makes the books easier to find)  I was walking around aimlessly and found this book. I only got to read for an hour but it was a great book. "God grant me the Serenity" by Adrienne Fox. Guess what?! She is a graduate of the University of Alabama! Roll Tide!

This was a simple yet fun date. Oh and we ate at Purple Onion afterwards.

What are some of the things you like to do on date night?

Project 52

I saw this on a blog I read and I thought it was cool. Basically, you take a picture for every week of the year. Yes you got!.... hence Project 52. Each week has a theme. Mine are coming soon. I know, I am so late.

Here are the themes for the 52 weeks of 2011

Week 1 - Black & White
Week 2 - Food
Week 3 - Self Portrait
Week 4 - Reflection
Week 5 - Ennui
Week 6 - Red
Week 7 - Time
Week 8 - Pink
Week 9 - Patterns
Week 10 - Morning
Week 11 - Round
Week 12 - Hands
Week 13 - Shine
Week 14 - Envy
Week 15 - Soft
Week 16 - Perspective
Week 17 - Love
Week 18 - Start
Week 19 - Free
Week 20 - Texture
Week 21 - Toys
Week 22 - Downtown
Week 23 - SummerWeek 24 - Heat
Week 25 - Fantasy
Week 26 - Water
Week 27 - Shadows
Week 28 - Light
Week 29 - Night
Week 30 - Macro
Week 31 - Nature
Week 32 - Clothes
Week 33 - Green
Week 34 - Map
Week 35 - Laughter
Week 36 - Child(ren)
Week 37 - Yellow
Week 38 - Candy
Week 39 - Pets
Week 40 - Never Ending
Week 41 - Sports
Week 42 - Books
Week 43 - Blue
Week 44 - Letter of the Alphabet
Week 45 - Innocence
Week 46 - Most Important Thing in Life
Week 47 - Heaps
Week 48 - Family
Week 49 - Favorite Spot
Week 50 - Metal
Week 51 - Three
Week 52 - Fun

a WeDDing, bAbY shOWER, and bIRF'day party!!!

This is what I've been up to....

My sand Kristen married Mr Steele on January 15th. She looked gorgeous and I'm so happy for them!

So pretty!

All of Radiance with the bride

Stuck between 2 Jolly Green Giants...they are cute though!

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My cousin Ray and his wife Shelly are having a baby. Little Asher should be here soon. If Mommy gets her wish, he'll be here next week

I'm squatting so Asher can be seen

Mom and I

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Our friend Kandis just turned the Big 3-0! Which really means she's fifteen if 40 is the new twenty:)  We had a ball at The Wine Loft!

The bIrF'day girl is in the purple

Jay looked like he was from Bad Boy records so I had to be trill wit him...

"Take that, Take that!"

*Kisses*



How do men know?

I have friends that are contemplating marriage. They are darn near on the brink of preparation to propose. These are good guys. They love their women, and they can be trusted to do the right thing in most* situations. I'm 28, and love being married. If you know my wife, you also know there is never a dull moment in our household.
However, these guys are asking me, "how did you know it was time"? Here is a secret ladies, we contemplate the possibilities at first sight. Some guys play very aggressive, and some sit back and observe. However, here is the order:

• Visual
• Communication
• Personality

First we look at your appearance and how you carry yourself. Second, a five minute conversation is usually all that it takes to gain interest. From there, we gage compatibility based on personalities.

Here is a another secret, it doesn't take a man long to make his interest known. He may not show it in the way that you desire. He may not know your love language yet. However, he will make his interest known. At week 2, he knows how far he wants to take the relationship. This may be shocking information, but it's not brain surgery. That doesn't mean that you wait two weeks and ask the man what he is thinking. In his way, he starts treating you the way HE thinks his woman should be treated. At this point, wheels are in motion and future possibilities are being discovered mentally.

My turning point for know that Torrie was the one came very quickly. After about 4 weeks, I couldn't wait to talk to her on the phone. I would wait for her free nights and weekends to hit so I could call and stay on the phone with her until 3 in the morning. It felt like I was in middle school, and my girlfriend went to another school. We only saw each other on the weekend. I was upset when Sunday left, and Friday didn't come fast enough. I realized once she moved to Birmingham, that I didn't remember life before her. That's deep because it had not been a long courtship. However, the turnaround was right in line with God's timing and the purity of the relationship was evident by the smell of spring in the air.

Women, he will come to you. If he wants you, he will do what is necessary to obtain you. Be smart. Don't fall for ignorance, however recognize sincerity.

The Love Guru

Choosy

At the beginning of every year, my church does a 21 day fast. It's the Daniel Fast; no meat, bread, etc. Basically you alot of veggies, grains and fruit. The first 5 or so days, I'm pretty angry. Mad because I'm hongry!!! (Yes, I meant to spell it that way). We pray for the city, other churches, family and friends, the nations, and yourself. Afterwards, my mind is clearer, I can hear God's voice clearly and I'm skinner.
At the beginning of 2009, I decided I was tired of the dating game and I was ready to settle down. During the fast, I prayed for my husband. I told him that I loved him and that I missed him and I couldn't wait to spend forever with him :) Remember, I had not met Branden face to face yet. I told everybody close to me that I my husband was about to find me. What I didn't know was 50 miles away during the same fast, Branden was praying for me. We were praying for each other. We had the same vision, same hope and dream... a family. By the end of the year, Branden and I were engaged. I am blessed that even before Branden and I shared a meal together, he was getting himself ready for me and being faithful to God.
All that brings me to the topic. A friend I grew up with has been dating a guy for 3 years. For two of those years, things were basically on his terms. When he was angry, they were angry. When he didn't want to talk, they did not talk, etc. She got tired and broke up with him. Eight months later, he's ready to be together. He's open-minded, willing to sacrifice and ready to settle down. It's been four months since he got his mind right and is ready to come back. Yet, she doesn't know if it's enough. She was ready to be with him forever years ago and now that they have and sometime apart she's not sure if he's "The One". Also, some of her family and friends are in her ear telling her 'He's a great guy now! Get over the past!"
Readers: What does this situation say about our male and female counterparts? ..Do you get the choice to choose or you do you have to be chosen?