May Vacation 2013 - Jazz Fest

WOOT WOOT ... May 25th at 6 pm began my 1st vacation of 2013!! It just happens to fall during the week of the Memorial Day holiday AND the weekend of the Jacksonville Jazz Fest! I couldn't have planned this more perfect, there's so much going on!

When I left work Saturday I went directly to the Jazz Fest, landed in Hemming Plaza where Euge Groove was going IN on stage performing one of their most known hits to date (for me anyway) ...

I strolled to the music as I made my way to the main stage where the lovely Rachelle Ferrell was doing what she absolutely does best ... ENTERTAIN! Her facial expressions make what she does all the more FANTABULOUS! I wish Will Downing could have been on hand for this one ...

As I walked and moved my body to the sounds of Ms Ferrell I found a few friends which led me to the Landing where THE KATZ DOWNSTAIRZ were performing. This was my first time seeing my good friend Christopher White AKA The Professor and the band DO THEIR THANG and that is INDEED what they did!!

... Yep, that's The PROFESSOR killing that saxophone solo! GO CHRIS, GO CHRIS ... they played this at the Landing. Oh what a great time I had listening to them. PHENOMANOL JOB KATZ!!!

Left the Landing and headed back to Hemming Plaza where I enjoyed time and photo ops with good folk ...

And THIS is how I ended the beginning of my May 2013 vacation! So ready for tomorrow!!

Summer Body is coming along JUST fine!!

Today was a WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY!! It was a 'PAMPER ME' kind of day! After an EARLY morning work out, one quite different from the norm, I was ready to start my day ... ... Why was it different you ask? Normally I am either on the bridges OR WALKING AT HOME with Leslie Sansone but today I chose to devote my entire workout to my core. I have to say that 45-60 minutes which included stretching, jumping rope, use of the body ball and hand weights as well as the ab challenge of which I did an extra 20 for the day ... ... HAD ME TIRED but I'm a super trooper so I kept it moving!! NOW to get the real fun started ... here's my outfit of the day This little black and white asymmetric BCX halter dress was given to me by my grand-daughters, Daysha, other nana Danielle who is a size 0. It's a size SMALL, never thought I'd see that letter on a clothing tag that belonged to me. *UBER PROUD*

First stop of the day, SALON NAILS for my manicure and pedicure ... so I thought. It'd been a month of moons so they had some work to put in but before I could make it to the nail shop I passed by a Rainbow. Now usually that is NOT where I shop but a few items caught my eye as I passed by, they knew how to get us in there! Put all the extra cute items to the front. I'd seen this awesome black and white 2 split, high neck maxi that I just HAD to try on ... what do you think? I'd love it if it were just a little bit longer so I could wear it with heels but if push came to shove I'd wear some cut flat sandals as I did today.

Second outfit, black and white one side high cut out/split that I simply adored and I added a little splash of color to give a POP! I simply LOVED the fit and look of this entire outfit BUT once again, the struggle of the taller than average chick, the length of the skirt was a turn off. There is NOTHING like a skirt or dress that sweeps or flows across the feet when in heels! SO sexy!

Last outfit, I decided to be a referee! Black and white striped peplum top and cotton leggings. This is SO form fitting and shaping! It worked every curve I had and I loved it! You don't truly appreciate your new body and the hard work it took to get there until you put on something that you'd never wear in your old body. Keep in mind I will be 43 years old next month.

I absolutely LOVED my self today and was motivated even the more to keep on with my work out regimen. I want to push myself even harder for the next 20 days as I will be returning home to VA for my 43rd birthday and 25th class reunion. I have to be ON POINT!

Loving life and loving yourself is the best thing you could ever do, that starts with taking care of yourself. You only have 1 life to live and 1 body to do it in ... TAKE CARE OF IT!! I challenge you, are you up for it?

AWESOME WEEKEND!

So this past weekend was the absolute BEST weekend I'd had in FOREVER!!! I've not been out with old friends in quite a while, especially not since losing my 50 lbs. Saturday, I enjoyed time at the 1st Annual Poetry vs Hip Hop Basketball game where Team Hip Hop took home the GOLDEN MICROPHONE TROPHY!!

**there are a few Team Poetry mixed in the pictures**

I was able to spend some moments with my beautiful sister, Love Reigns (she is SO much more than just a poet ... get to know her)

And some folk I'd not shared space with in forever ...

The sun was high, the gym was HOT but it didn't stop the fun which ended up transitioning to a warehouse party a few hours later...

OH ME OH MY ... this was a MUCH needed outing! I hadn't had a real reason to put on heels and SHOW MY NEW FORM but here it was!! Time to get out, mingle, dance and enjoy life ... that's what I did too! I had such an awesome time doing so ...

... I was FINALLY able to take touching Mal's beard off of my bucket list ... YES! (laughs)

BIG UPS TO MR/DJ AL PETE ON A WELL PUT TOGETHER, GROWN FOLK GATHERING!! TO THE TOP!!

Now as usual, I have to spot light my cute AFFORDABLE outfit: $19 skinny jeans from Old Navy, $14.99 sheer crop top with open back from Rainbow and $34.99 wedges from Olive Ole' in VA. Did I think I was cute? NO ... I KNEW IT but it wasn't even about that to be honest. Well just a little but once we arrived to the warehouse and I saw all the people "I" went out the window and "WE" having a great night came in! Yes I get into myself sometimes, can you blame me though? I've shed 50 lbs and maintained a healthy lifestyle for over a year now with no weight gain. I am more than proud of the blood, sweat and tears I shed and continue to shed so every now and again to feel myself is warranted I think but ANYWAY, that warehouse party was the perfect ending to my Saturday followed by a Sunday that was just as great ...

VITALITY IN VIAMI (MIAMI) - DAY 3

So we are up early heading back to the arena for the final day of VITALITY! We head out but had to make a pit stop for vittles since we had weren't going through today what we went through Saturday (long lines for food, vendors running out of food, leaving and having to find lunch, etc). We spot a Publix ... a 2 story Publix!!

Yes there was plenty of clowning during THIS store visit but we were all able to complete our missions. Here's my lunch and YES we still ate healthy, what did you think??

Its warm in Miami, for those of you who've never been so to dress lightly is an understatement. Here is my OUTFIT OF THE DAY ...

Nothing fancy but something colorful and cool ... just like me! NOW it's off to the arena! Time to learn!!

The HEAT just won the championship in this building ... WOW ... and we are here! I could only imagine how TURNED UP it was during that game but I promise it wasn't as TURNED UP as these thousands of ViSalians inside have been, self included!

Do you see this??? I think the VI community packed out the arena way more than the NBA did! We are a proud community of people helping people while helping ourselves. You might want to get on board, this train is moving at the speed of light! My girl Dominique and I are on board! *throw up your VI LIFE sign*

Here is a quick wrap up of the day: the founders announced the NEW BODY BY VI CHALLENGE (they've stepped it up back time), issued I TOLD YOU SO plates for the BMW qualifiers and passed out millions of dollars in bonus checks. We had a TRS team meeting with 5 Star Ambassador Kevin Merriweather and a vivid, amped up speech by Ambassador Tim Sox (he is ALWAYS above the rim) ... our team is ready to run!!

And here, of course, our beloved DDT team members acting a fool but aye this is what family does! LOVE THESE FOLK!!

I have to say this was a very educational and enlightening trip. I want to succeed in this business SO BAD!!! It's not ALL about the money, the free car, etc but the looks on peoples faces when they lose the weight they've so desperately been trying to lose but had no success. When I hear how they are no longer on Diabetic, Hypertensive or Cholesterol medication as a result of starting the program it makes me even happier. If you want to lose weight, gain weight, lean and sculpt your muscles or just have a meal or 2 with optimal nutrition daily and provide your body with ALL it needs on a regular basis this is the program for you. Let me help you and your loved ones attain better health after all that's what VITALITY is all about.

When you just can't get up - PUSH YOURSELF!!

Hey great folk! I have to say I had a GREAT fitness Friday but have to admit, the starts of my Wednesday (05/15) and Friday (05/17) were SLOW AND LAZY and as a result I paid for it! I usually walk/jog early in the morning and by 10:30 I'm good and done but not on the above mentioned days. I laid in my bed and enjoyed PBS! Yes I sure did and NO children were in my presence. DON'T JUDGE ME!

I just could not get out of the bed for some reason. My body was up at 6:30 ready to roll but my mind was like

... You done tried me!! *sigh* Folk just do NOT understand how POWERFUL the mind is! It controls EVERYTHING and one things for sure

If that ain't the truth right there!! Any way, I finally moved ... both days it was after 10 when the sun was high in the sky and on the tops of those bridges 70 degrees feels like 100!! Wednesday I did 2 full laps of the Acosta bridge, both sides and 1 side is higher than the other but the other side is much longer! I tell you what, if you can not motivate and inspire yourself YOU WON'T MAKE IT!! YES I MADE IT ... it was a struggle but I made it. The sun was determined to win the race but I refused! I was hydrated and on a mission!!

I took my first walk/jog shirtless over the Acosta on Wednesday ...

This was my 2nd time walking shirtless BUT 1st time on the bridges .... way more traffic. WOO SAH ... I was truly nervous. Why? I am still very self conscious about my body but I have to tell myself it's not where we want to be but FAR from where we used to be. It's crazy how I thought it was a struggle to lose those 50 lbs in 2012 but I'm slowly finding out maintaining and continued firming is the real struggle!

I had started a new bridge routine, walking the Acosta bridge only ... both sides. I didn't do that Friday, I took my old route ... Main St and Acosta with 60 incline push ups. I did 30 minutes and was DONE! The sun was too much for a sister and it won the race. I know now that my body has to learn to fight back when we get up at 6:30 to "get er done" and my mind say NO NO NO because we can't beat the sun!

Sports bras and boy shorts ... The ONLY way to work out for me!

I've always worked out at home, I'm not big on gym life at all. I've walked the wonderful Main St and Acosta bridges, 2 of Jacksonville's finest FREE incline work outs and use Leslie Sansone's WALK AT HOME work outs for the past 16 months. I've had great success with the addition of hand weights, weight ball, body ball, thigh toner, waist line belt and jump rope. Life's been pretty good over this way in terms of fitness.

As the weather changes my work out apparel does as well. I don't like JEA so my a/c does not come on for ANYTHING which means if I don't want to over heat I have to come out of some clothing!

YES INDEED ... this is how I do it now! Sports bras and boy shorts! It gets NO better than this! Boy shorts move when you move and they are SO comfortable! It makes working out at home so much fun as you watch parts of your body move that you don't want to move ... it makes you work even harder! I know it does for me.

FITNESS AND PRAISE ... There IS a correlation!

Today was the first time EVER walk/jogging shirtless! I've always kept my midriff covered. I'm so self conscious about my body still, even after losing 50 lbs I still see a big me when I am unclothed. *sigh* I took this walk/jog today in an attempt to get pass the FEAR of showing my body. If I truly want to be a part of Team 2 Piece and lay out on the beach with out a cover up this summer I had to do it!! IT WAS SO SERIOUS ... so serious, in fact, that I had what felt like an anxiety or panic attack when I walked through my apartment complex and on to the street!

The first 5-10 minutes of my walk/jog I felt like I was on display. I thought EVERY car that passed was staring at me and making remarks about my imperfect body.

Although I'm working on my abs (see the frame work? PROUD), the slimming down of excess fat and ridding my body of those back and side creases show there is still SO much to be done to this body. *REWIND* Ok, lets go back about 16 months ago ...

Yes, that was me ... 50 lbs heavier. I am ever so thankful for a healthier lifestyle. So you see, this is where I came from and I have yet to truly embrace the "new" me.

I know by now you're wondering WHAT is the correlation between FITNESS AND PRAISE! Well, I remember when I was a 'Babe in Christ' ... my early 20's to be exact, how I would limit my praise for fear of people staring at me. I didn't want them to say I was faking or ridicule how I praised so I kept to the bare minimum (Thank You Father for not keeping to the bare minimum with me). Then one Sunday, while singing with the Choir of Joy, the Spirit hit me and moved through me in such a way that I'd never be the same again! It was that day, in my late 20's, that I realized my praise is to please my Father NOT man! It was what GOD thought and felt about my praise and worship that would bring me favor, grace and mercy NOT what man thought or felt. This is the mind set I had to use while I was walking shirtless today.

So after I listened to my BIBLE APP, the Book of John, and spoke to my Father ALL WAS WELL! YES my body is imperfect but it's a lot better than where it was 16 months ago. YES I still have work to do but look at the progress I've made thus far. This healthy lifestyle change is for me, those I love and who love me. I want to be here as long as I possibly can, making a health issue less of a factor in my earth leaving event. I want to show my Father how grateful I am for this temple He has graciously provided me by taking the best care that I can.

I have to admit, it was the BEST walk ever! Since my abs were out I had to keep my core extremely tight to prevent looking flabby as I walked. I wanted it to be over quickly so my pace was hurried and that put fire to my quads, hamstrings and gluts. After the first 30 minutes my muscles were ON FIRE, they were letting me know they were not happy with me but all I could think about was we were ALL unhappy at that moment. That didn't last much longer, thank goodness! When everything you do is done to please the Father nothing else really matters! My FITNESS AND MY PRAISE are to glorify all GOD has done for me and in return what I will do in HIS honor.