The Quest for Clear Skin

Recently while browsing around in Target, I found myself in the skin care aisle. My face has been breaking out lately, and I figured there was no time like the present to take care of it. Just the day before I had asked someone with seemingly perfect skin for her secret. She told me that the key was a really good cleanser, toner and moisturizer. Embarrassingly enough, I had none of those.

So now I'm in Target, staring at all of the choices and I'm confused. What brand do I go with? Am I a dry skin type, oily or combo? What's the difference between a toner and an astringent?

Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back!

Well, hello there. Long time, no new posts. It's been quite some time since I've updated this blog. While I wish I could say that I was out, living a whirlwind busy life. Unfortunately, the truth is far less glamourous: my four year old laptop kicked the bucket; and I couldn't afford a new one. Thankfully, my dad came through in the clutch and got a new one for me. So, here we are again...

During my six month impromptu hiatus, I had a LOT of time to think about what it is that I wanted from this blog. I realized that turning it into an online, no holds barred journal isn't the most feasible thing. A rant about a guy I'm dating coming back to haunt me on job interviews? No thanks. I'm much too self involved to be seriously into celebrity blogging. Those who know me know that I am no style expert. Jeans and a tee are my daily uniform; and you can pretty much count on me having my hair pulled back into a bun (Don't judge me, its a protective hairstyle!). So if I can't rant & rave, or brag about my personal style, or spare a crap to devote my life to celeb gossip... Well, what other blogging niches are there for the childless?

That's the question I keep running back into. Maybe I just don't fit into a niche. One day I can talk about my new fave eyeshadow, and the next post will be about my favorite flat iron. Maybe as I get more focused and settled into it, I'll develop and evolve a personal style. Maybe this blog will be your guilty pleasure because you'll like looking at my vacation pics. I don't have the answers right now, and there's a very good chance that I won't ever get them. Perhaps that for the best, ensuring they'll always be something new.

I promise you this though: I'm a ton of fun, and this blog will be too ;-)

Cheers,
Cinnamon Swirl

FAITH in the Universe

"Say to yourself, ‘I’m here on purpose, I can accomplish anything I desire, and I do it by being in harmony with the all-pervading creative force in the universe."-- Wayne Dyer

Recently on her website, Necole Bitchie posted a series of tweets from BET's 106 & Park’s host Terrence  J:

 Today is a new day. A new opportunity to follow your dreams. Take advantage of this blessing. Take that leap. Whatever your dream is, you have to step towards it. The more steps you take the more the universe will conspire to assist you...

If you want to run a label, quit your job at the bank & intern at a label. If you want to be a doctor, apply to school today, etc. I wanted to act, so every week I go to acting school for 14 hours, study film &  actors, read about projects, etc. Once I took the steps, roles came.

A girl replied, how can I pay my bills if I quit my job, to follow my dreams? - when following your dreams you will be temporarily inconvenienced. Tyler Perry was HOMELESS years before becoming a MILLIONAIRE. Only you can determine the amount of sacrifice your dreams are worth.

Love is in the air...

It seemed like as soon as the Christmas and New Year's Eve decorations came down, most stores had strung out their Valentine's Day decor. I was among the single people rolling my eyes at the tacky cupid signs; announcing the sale of gaudy paper hearts. However, I'm gonna get past my own snobbery to help you lovebugs find the perfect  gift for your boo, and without killing your pockets.

Had to let ya know that I got a 'Crush on You'

We're almost an entire month into 2011, and I'm still in total disbelief. I remember when I was a little girl, planning out my entire life (told y'all I was precocious). I knew that this year I'd graduate from college, and it felt that day would never come. Now it's just a few months away, and I've been reminiscing about my childhood every day. The carefree ease seems like another lifetime. But sometimes, you hear a song that brings back all of the memories.

That song this week? 'Crush on You' by Lil' Kim featuring Lil' Cease and Biggie Smalls. 

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Welcome to the year of the double deuce

Last week was my 22nd birthday. It felt a little strange to be in a celebratory mood, considering we'd just lost our cat the week prior, and my birthday was the one year anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Haiti.

Still, my family and friends thought it was important that I got out and enjoyed myself. So, that's exactly what I did. For an entire week I reveled in all my birthday glory. On the Saturday before my birthday, I hung out with some friends, old and new:

Tasha and I

Janelle, myself and Karen
(No idea why my mouth is open that wide btw. Caught mid laugh? )

On Monday, I had a family "girls day" with my mom and grandmother.

Red Lobster with the family

R.I.P. Mickey...

Well, 2011 has been… a strange year so far. It started off wonderfully. My New Year’s Eve was filled with music and laughter. Literally. Unfortunately, that lightness didn’t last  through the first week. One day my family came home to find our youngest kitten, Mickey,  in severe pain. His hind legs didn't move, and were completely unresponsive. He wasn’t interested in food, and unable to use the litter box. The next morning, we rushed him to a vet.  She took Mickey’s temperature and said it was significantly lower than it should be, and noted that he was lethargic. She also used clamps to pinch the pads of Mickey’s hind paws… which got no response from him. After doing a few more tests, she concluded that Mickey had a blood clot that had cut off circulation to the lower half of his body.

Mickey as a mischievous kitten