Christmas.

Hope everyone is enjoying their holidays. Spend time with the ones that you love and cherish the memories you create!.

Top 5 Favorite Christmas Songs!

3 days away from my second favorite holiday of the year (my birthdays first DUH!) and I'm honestly ready for it to come and GO! lol. I just thought I'd share some of my favorite Christmas songs... while I'm still in the holiday spirit and Scrooge hasn't taken over.

5. Destiny's Child - Opera of the Bells - I'm pretty sure Destiny's Child is the reason I've known the words to Carol of the Bell's for so long... especially because in my mind I sing amazingly and it's a fun song to sing.



4. NSync - Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays - LOL in all the time that I've loved this song... it's actually my first time seeing this extremely corny video. HAHA... This was also way before me and Justin Timberlake's love affair (in case you didn't know.. its real... he loves me)... =)



3. Boyz II Men - Let it Snow - I love love love Boyz II Men!! Thinking about this song made me actually wanna do a top list of their songs that I love. LOL. I used this clip from the Fresh Prince because it also happens to be one of my favorite episodes! lol.



2. Chris Brown - This Christmas - Oh Christopher, what's happened to you?! This was the pre-cray cray Chris that my teenage heart and raging hormones loved to loved! Despite him losing his friggin' marbles, I still adore him and this song! We can spend Christmas together Chris  *winks... blows kisses*



1. Mariah Carey - All I Want for Christmas - I'm not going to lie, for a good amount of time I had this song in my regular iTunes playlist, and I was listening to it no matter what time of year it was. All I Want for Christmas, in July..... No shame... Didn't care... LOL... I'm pretty sure Mariah is the one who took me passed Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and made me love Xmas music like I haven't before. I don't think I'll ever get tired of this song!!

 
 (and for any Beliebers... or closeted Beliebers.. there's a more recent version with Justin's ever so classy self! LOL)

What are your favorite Christmas Songs? Give me some more YouTube video's to watch! LOL

xXTanay

Reflection.

Straight from under the dryer! lol

Sitting in the hair salon typing this post from my phone as usual LOL. I've actually become pretty accustomed to the idea of typing from my phone... I know I won't be hardly ever publishing from my phone without editing first but there's nothing wrong with getting the initial ideas out right away when they come to mind. That's how I have to begin to discipline myself. I'm determined to grow as a blogger #ByAnyMeansNecessary and that pretty much means if I gotta do the phone thing.... The ideas have to be drafted SOMEWHERE.

My post last night was random. I'm super emotional. One of my biggest flaws is I'm a people pleaser. I'm happy and I so desperately want people to be happy.. And to be happy with me. So when multiple people in a day throw their unhappiness at me... *cue meltdown*. I wanted to be alone. I wanted to curl up and never come out of bed and not be forced to deal with people who I felt were ungrateful and could not appreciate the fact that I was working to please them. 

And some of my post last night was true. There is a lot of people/things/places that I need to separate myself from. When people are not depositing positive energy into you they are withdrawing the happiness you've saved up for yourself. I can't keep allowing people to make such drastic transactions. I work hard on my happiness. 

xXTanay 

A Break.

Mentally and emotionally going through a lot right now. I've removed all social media from my phone for a while and I'm contemplating what I want to do as far as blogging before the new year. Part of me wants nothing more than to write. Reading and writing are my safe haven. A part of me wants to stay in isolation. There's a lot I need to separate myself from. I just need to go about it effectively. Blog-wise though. I expect 2014 to be great for me. Thanks for being amazing whoever has still stuck around.

xXTanay

Sunshine Award =)

I am super excited that I was nominated earlier this week for the Sunshine award from one of my fellow bloggers Chanity. Her blog is cute and I enjoy reading it so you guys should definitely pop in and give her a visit =). It was really important for me to complete this post because when I first began blogging, I was nominated for the Liebster award twice and I never completed those posts due to me being lazy and just not taking blogging seriously back them. Therefore, when I was notified about being nominated I was really excited to make sure I completed this post, and I tried to do it in as timely a manner as possible!

The Sunshine Award Rules

1. Acknowledge the nominating blogger.
2. Share 11 random facts about yourself. 
3. Answer 11 questions the nominating blogger has created for you. 
4. List 11 bloggers. They should be bloggers you believe deserve some recognition and a little blogging love! 
5. Post 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate to answer and let all the bloggers know they’ve been nominated. (You cannot nominate the blogger that nominated you.)  

11 Random Facts About Me

1. My favorite color is purple. It hasn't always been, but now I love everything about it. 
2. I still suck my thumb sometimes. I know its disgusting, I can't stop doing it. 
3. I am extremely blind, but I almost never wear my contacts. I am constantly squinting. 
4. I like cooking, but I never want to do it. It's mostly because I dont want to clean up ever. 
5. I hate the smell of eggs. 
6. On top of that, I hate cooked carrots. I don't like the texture. 
7. I'm a really visual eater. If something looks strange I can't do it. 
8. I love The Hunger Games. I've watched the movie a million times. I'm going to be really sad when it's off Netflix
9. I am the oldest of 6 kids (biological) and I have two step sisters. My older stepsister is one day older than me. 
10. My grandma is my biggest supporter even though she gets on my nerves the most lol 
11. It was really hard for me to think of 11 random things about me and I used this last space basically as a cop out so I didn't have to keep tryna figure it out. 

The 11 Questions Given to Me

1. What are 3 of your biggest pet peeves? People saying "whatever" to me... it's incredibly rude I hate it so much! People taking advantage of others.... I'm a nice girl =). Talking loud on your phone early in the morning! WHO could you possibly be screaming at, at 7am?!
2. Where is your favorite place to vacation? I am such a sheltered child LOL. I haven't been that many places. I really want to go to the Carribean, somewhere with clear water. I definitely need to travel more. 
3. What was your favorite childhood book? I have always loved reading so it's hard for me to single out favorite books. Maybe Harry Potter cause I was pretty young when the books first started to come out and my mom used to read them to me and my younger brother. 
4. If your house is burning down and every human and animal is safely out, other than photographs or your cell phone.. what would you make sure to save? My hair stuff! LOL. I'm going to be homeless now, at least my hair can be LAID!
5. What is your favorite household chore? People have favorites of those? I guess if I have to choose then I don't mind doing laundry. 
6. Name a celebrity that you would like to trade places with for one day. For ONE day I'd LOVE to trade places with ... (you guessed it) ... Beyonce! I could honestly only do it for a day though because as big of a celebrity as she is, I couldn't imagine not being able to have a REGULAR day. 
7. What is your favorite charity to support? I don't have a favorite, but I do like to support charities that involve children. I always wanted to become involved in Big Brother, Big Sister because I think it's really important to make a difference in childrens lives who may not have anyone else to look up to. 
8. What is the best advice someone has ever given you? My grandma reminds me constantly, to stay happy and to follow my dreams. If I'm not happy then there's no point in doing what I'm doing. 
9. What is your favorite Christmas movie? The Nightmare Before Christmas! I love that movie. LOVE LOVE LOVE.
10. What is your most used phrase? Thank you, Sir. LMAO. I call EVERYONE sir. It's hilarious to me LOL. 
11. How many times (if any) do you proofread your blog posts before publishing? Maybe once. I'm bad with that kinda stuff. I go back and read them sometimes after they're published and then if I see an error I correct it. 

Im actually going to break the rules a little bit. And not because I believe that no one else deserves recognition but the bloggers that I interact with most frequently are more "established" in their blogging and I dont believe they would participate in the post. I did really enjoy answering Chanity's questions though! A great way for me to start the last month of the year!

Tell Later Loves,
xxTanay

#SCANDAL - OOOOOH LIVIE!

*This post most definitely contains spoilers so if you haven't watched last nights episode... please do skip*

Yea soooo... about that. Every time I watch Scandal I feel like I need heart medication after. I have never ever been this emotionally involved in a television show and I have to say I feel like Ms. Shonda Rhimes writes her script with me in mind every time!

All that being said last nights episode KILLED me. I can go on and on about all the characters and try to decipher what the hell is going on in everyone's heads (B6-13 Quinn! REALLY?!!) but I'm most frustrated with none other than the Gladiator herself.

I get it... Maybe they're trying to portray Olivia in the most human light possible. But her character is actually starting to irritate me now. You wont be summoned? Yet you get this photo and off into the helicopter you go. Fitz (who btw I do not see the hype over, I'm much more of a Huck/Jake typa girl) tells you this was supposed to be "your" house and within a matter of seconds... drawers are dropped and the strong Olivia Pope that I love is gone.

She just gives in so easily. Is love that real?! HOW do you know that house **** wasn't made up? LOL. I need proof and details before I'm gonna get all re-emotionally invested in this married man! Good grief. I love me some Scandal, but I actually find that I'm not even interested in Olivia/Fitz's story anymore. It's wearing on my patience. I could not be Mellie #thatisall

xxTanay 

Product Review // SheaMoisture Organic African Black Soap Purification Masque

MY SCALP IS DRY!

&& when I say dry, I mean like Sahara Desert dry. When I started transitioning in July I decided that I was going to begin with cowashing and I was going to do it once a week because I know for a fact my hair needs the moisture and if I leave it much longer I'll be patting away at my head like nobody's business!

Sooooo it began, and really cowashing and deep conditioning weekly (or week and a half-ly LOL) hasn't been that bad.. it works for me personally. BUT MY FRICKEN SCALP! At first I thought it was only because of the perms... I was one of those girls who come hell or high water was going to get her touch-up every two months faithfully! && I would be scratching at my scalp the night before KNOWING that I'd be picking scabs out after my grandma permed my hair the next day. I thought that's where the itchiness came from. NOPE. I guess I just have dry scalp. I don't really know the cause of it. What I do know is when I first started this whole process... It would be only a couple days after my wash day and I'd be looking like King Bey up there ^^ (and head patting has to be one of my boyfriends biggest pet peeves LOL... he HATES when I do it).

But oh SheaMoisture.... =D

... I picked this up from Duane Reade when it was on sale for $5.99 (I think its regularly double that price but I don't really know cause I'm unfortunately not THAT conscious of price when I really want something) and it has changed my life! From my first use I was hooked!

1. It definitely gives your scalp that tingly feeling while it soaks into your hair (I think that's the tea tree oil?) which in my book, tingly = working!
2. It smells super yummy.

And most importantly I went a full week without feeling like I wanted to dig my brains out, which is what I NEED! Something in this wonderful concoction is definitely doing my scalp justice and it left my hair feeling moisturized too. That's all I need in life. I'll definitely be keeping this around, otherwise I'll go bald from the scratching! SheaMoisture never seems to fail me =)


* All opinions stated in this post are mine, and as previously stated are an OPINION. I am not a professional in any way, just merely sharing what works for me and products that I enjoy. I was not compensated in any way, nor did the company reach out to me to share my opinions in this post.*

Would You Rather: Makeup Tag

First, lemme start off by saying I have been a sucky blogger this past week. I'm really just soaking in some of the advice I've been reading and trying to plan out ways to become better at what I enjoy doing. So stick around, thank you to those who have been here, you guys are amazing and I love how patient you've all been with me! *kisses*

My blog baby Miya tagged me in the Makeup Tag! Go check out some of her answers (and here are mine)

1. Would you rather lose all of your mascaras, eyeliners, lipsticks, and lip glosses or lose all of your palettes and eye shadows?

 I rarely wear eye shadow LOL. so those could go and I wouldn't blink twice.

2. Would you rather chop off all your hair or never be able to cut it again?

At this moment, I'd love to chop off all my hair. It'd grow back! Plus I'm dying to be fully natural lol so this relaxed hair could GO!

3. Would you rather have a coral cheek or a pink cheek?

Coral usually looks better. 

4. If you had £1000 to spend, would you rather buy clothes or makeup?

Clothes. Even though I could use more makeup I am a true clothes girl! I have enough clothes to not do laundry for a couple months. (I tried that once, that was the laundry trip from HELL)

5. Would you rather apply lipstick as eyeliner, or eyeliner as lipstick?

Eyeliner as a lipstick, they make some pretty colored eyeliner. 

6. Would you rather only shop at Mac or Sephora?

Mac. Even though its more expensive I actually get more useful help from the people there.

7. Would you rather only use one eye shadow color or one lip color for the rest of your life?

One eyeshadow color. I don't care about eye shadow  I could do fine with a neutral eye shadow  (same answer as Miya)

8. Would you rather wear winter clothes in the summer, or summer clothes in the winter?

Summer clothes in the winter! U can layer up and get warm but if I had over sized sweaters on with this NYC heat!!! LAWD I cant even imagine lol. 

9. Would you rather have dark nails or bright nails all year round?

Bright nails, Bright purple too probably =). I like purple nail polish LOL

10. Would you rather give up your favorite lip product or your favorite eye product?

My favorite eye product! I'd die if I couldn't wear lipgloss my lips get TOO dry lol.

11. Would you rather only be able to wear your hair in a ponytail or a messy bun?

Messy bun. Ppl feel inclined to touch my hair when its in a ponytail since its long LOL. 

12. Would you rather never be able to paint your nails again or never use lip gloss?

Yea, refer to 10. Dry lips are a definite NO for me. 

13. Would you rather shave your eyebrows and have none at all or sharpie them in everyday?

OH GOD. I guess id rather have none at all lol. I couldn't imagine drawing my eyebrows in with sharpie LOL super dark eyebrows look weird on my face. 

14. Would you rather live without makeup or nail polish?

Nail polish!!

I'm a simple girl when it comes to makeup, most days I only wear foundation and gloss. I have no desire to get super pretty for the people at my place of work LOL. I usually only do more if I'm going out with friends/bf and even then its still not THAT much work. I try to still look like the same person so I dont scare anyone when the makeup is actually off =P LOL

I'm honestly not sure who to tag cause I dont know whos still around these days LOL. but please feel free to answer on your own and Link in the comment box to let me know that you answered as well =)

xxTanay

Definitely Rambling

I haven't felt motivated enough to write this week. Which is strange considering I just told my boyfriend I needed to promote my blog more. Wednesday night I had someone tell me for a good 15 minutes how great my writing was, and I was all HEY, I write all the time on my blog! That's why I need to make something out of it! And my boyfriend just looked at me all knowingly like he tends to do. He's annoying *eye roll* lmao.

I realized my last few post have all been about hair. And I also realized there's a very good possibility that some of my other readers could give a crap about my transitioning hair... and it's making me question the direction of where I want my blog to go. I definitely want my personality to still show through all my posts. That's super important to me. There are hundreds of other natural hair blogs and I don't want to get lost in the mix. SOOO definitely finding my way when it comes to that.

What else can I ramble about?? Hmmmmm....
That's all that comes to mind right now LOL.

I do have a product review that should be up sometime over the weekend. Definitely a SheaMoisture girl for sure =).

Til' next time loves.

xxTanay

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Stay Inspired [[Natural Hair that I Love]]

From Top Left// HairCrush, NaturallyTash, Biancaalexa, MahoganyCurls

They are giving me hair life!!!! If I could wake up and have any of this hair on my head tomorrow it'd be amazeballs!.

Transitioning Advice: Find someone to keep you inspired. I know it's highly possible that my hair wont ever look like any of them.. but they're too amazing for me to not drool over. I want to be half as hair-amazing as them!

Hey Sooo..... When are you going to do your hair?

I'm not gonna lie.... I had a horrible hair week last week! When I say horrible I mean... Tuesday when I washed my hair... it all went DOWNHILL.. it was dry.. it was crazy looking... It was... a mess... FA REAL! I never said I was going to be a pro at this transitioning thing.. I actually warned some of my friends that I was transitioning and that I've always pretty much SUCKED at doing my own hair and so that while I'm getting the hang of it there WILL be some bad hair days... and I wont care. So about mid-week when I decided that I was going to stop allowing myself to look like someones homeless child... I moisturized that hair up.. grabbed my Shea butter... and did two flat twists into a bun... HAIR SUCCESS... I was not going to touch my hair for the next 4 days at least and it was "protective styling" right? I went to work satisfied..

Funny when I got to work one of my male coworkers asked me.. (half joking but completely serious)... Soooooo...... When are you just going to do your hair??

.....................................*record scratches*.............................................

*internal thoughts*... Now I KNOW this [expletive] didn't just ask me when imma do my hair on the one day I've made a conscious motha[expletive] effort to look like a normal person and not like I've had my finger in a socket all morning. My hair looks well [beep]ing groomed today! Is he forreal with life? Am I being punked? CAN I SLAP HIM PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!

And just that soon... 3 1/2 months into my transition I realized that a series of people throughout the course of this transition are not going to understand what's going on at all! And I honestly could care less... I've never been one to get all in a huff about what people think.. My appearance isn't to please you and certainly my hair is NOT going to make everyone happy... but I've spent a long time being a people pleaser... Tanay is about herself right now... My hair is about ME.

xx- Tanay

[[Transitioning Hair Problems]] - Snagged Nails

The title itself probably makes absolutely no sense... but seriously... this is an issue for me.

So I used to get acrylic on my nails ALL the time! I was in the nail salon every 2 weeks faithfully getting my nails filled in or redone... no one could tell me anything!.. Before I decided to go natural I decided that I wanted my nails to be more healthy. My own nails! Because for those of you who don't know.. acrylic is crap on your nails. It makes them brittle, it was turning my nails yellow... and it was just not doing me any good... So I took off the acrylic and started to take care of my own nails. But of course this means taking care of the dry brittle nails until my nail grows out from my salon overuse..

Its driving me crazy!!!!!!!!!

And really only because my hair keeps getting caught in my snagged nails. The nails are cracking and breaking which I don't mind because 1. I knew it was going to happen and 2. I can just file it down when I'm home and be on my merry way... BUT when its time to wash my hair and strands get caught in those cracks or snags... up-FRIGGEN-setting... Im already going to have shedding and breaking... just because of what my hair is going through.. but now I have to deal with my hair getting stuck in my nails too?! Give me a break... I don't want to have to wash my hair with gloves because in my weird brain I cant tell what I'm doing with gloves on.. but forreal though... it makes me want to cut off a finger when my hair gets caught up in there...

Rant Over
xx Tanay

Seven Deadly Sins - Link Up

I have been waiting to do this link-up for days until I had a nice amount of time to use my computer and to actual think and give meaningful answers and not just random fluff coming out of my brain lol. Halloween is in two days... Here's my Seven Deadly Sins Link-Up.

 

 

Pride
seven great things in your life.

 

1. My boyfriend <3. He's my rock.

2. School. I'm fully embracing what I want to do and working hard to achieve my dreams.

 

3. My personal drive. I am proud of myself and the way I continuously motivate myself in different aspects of my life.

4. My consistency with blogging. I'm getting better, and figuring out the direction that I want my blog to go.

5. My family. They drive me insane, but I couldn't trade them for anything.

6. Health. Because if I wasn't healthy, I wouldn't be able to do anything that I'm doing right now. And I'm learning not to take that for granted.

7.  My ability to keep dreaming despite reality. ;)

Envy

seven things you lack and covet.

1. Money (which I don't really lack.. I just always want more)

2. A relationship with God (took this answer from someone else but it applies)

3. Patience

4. Fully natural hair (hurry up! LOL)

5. Perfect teeth.

6. A better relationship with some of my family members. 

7. The ability to express myself openly.

Wrath
seven things that make you angry.

1. Stupidity

2. People who take advantage of others.

3. Bad driving

4. Loud people on public transportation.

5.  People who hear but don't listen

6. My A&P professor (she really sucks *eye roll*)

7.  Not being able to help everyone.

Sloth

seven things that you neglect to do.

1. Clean my room

2. Stop procrastinating

3. Drink enough water

4. Reply to texts (but sometimes that's on purpose)

5.  Keep in touch with my grandparents

6. Keep in touch with my siblings

 

7. Read for enjoyment.

Greed

seven worldly material desires.

1. A Car.

2.  To travel without worrying about expenses

 

3.  A puppy... I really want another dog =(

4.  A bigger shoe collection

5.  A black Michael Kors watch

 

I cant think of anything for 6&7.

 

Gluttony

seven guilty pleasures.

 

1. Reality tv

2. Sleeping in without having to set an alarm.

3. Cheesecake (I cant seriously eat a whole cheesecake, I know that's disgusting)

4. Pepsi, It's so so so bad for you. Someone help me stop drinking it!

5. Starbucks

6. Instagram

7. Facebook

Lust

seven things you love about love.

1. Having an amazing best friend

 

2. Never feeling alone

3. Having someone to keep my grounded

   4. Sharing dreams

5. The chemisty, even after years.

6. The passion.

7. Growing up together.


Join the Link-Up Here, and leave comments below telling me some of your answers! =)

Real Quick!

I figured out how to change my url for Bloglovin' so that should be reflected here. Follow me on Bloglovin' beauties!

Also... my boo Miya is hosting a giveaway on her blog! So you should definitely check that out here ... but only if free stuff makes your heart flutter the way it does mine!

Just wanted to tell you guys that real quick. Night Night!

xo - Tanay

Hair Update: What My Hair Loves Right Now! (&& updated navi bar)

**So its really common for girls (and maybe guys too!) that are transitioning to natural hair to spend a lot of time searching blogs/google/YouTube for methods that work for other people and to just have someone to relate to during their transition.... at least im praying that's normal cause that's what I spend half my free internet time doing now LOL. that being said I've updated my navi bar so that anyone who stumbles upon this lovely blog can take a peek at my hair posts if that's all they'd like to read =)**

I am officially three months relaxer free (as of two days ago lol)! It's getting harder... I'm not even gonna lie.. Ive already had my "OK tanay, are you on drugs?" moment... that moment where you just want to go to the closest store and pick up that beautiful box that made your hair so easy to comb through but so lifelessly straight... yea I wanted to do it... but I knew sooo much that after my hair was straight... I'd hate it.. and I'd be very very upset. so I'm sticking it out. I spend half my life touching my new growth... begging bf to touch it... or looking at hair on my laptop/ipad.. so much so that whenever I'm on the computer at home my grandma asks me if I'm looking at "big hair" again lol. I'm also itching to cut it already but I can already tell how real my shrinkage is going to be so I'm sticking with my initial goal which is to cut either at 1yr, dec 2014, or feb 2015 right before my 25th birthday depending all on my hair growth but I'm so sure I wont make it passed a year lol.

Top 6 things making my hair(life) easier right now:



 

[1 My Sock Bun] I am almost positive it'd be impossible for me to live without it! It helps me on my roughest of rough hair days.

[2 Goody Ouchless Detangling Comb] There is no such thing as ouchless detangling.. I promise you that! But prior to growing out my relaxer I combed my hair with a small rat-tail comb and that would definitely be a no-go around here now!

[3 Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie] When I first tried this I hated it! I didn't understand the hype.. I thought everyone was crazy.. then the other day I took a shower without covering my hair which ended with me looking crazy lol.. my boyfriend has this in his house (don't ask me why he's a weirdo) and I applied less than before.. to my damp hair.. and it was amazeballs! The first time in a long time I didn't feel extremely dry. He wont let me take it home so I have to have some extra for when I'm doing my hair here.

[4 Neutrogena Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Hair Mask] This is great for me because my hair is dry dry dry! But I am a true lazy girl (not as bad now actually) so when it comes to doing my hair the fact that I can get a good DC and only wait 15 minutes?! Score for me! (my roots love it the relaxed ends aren't much of a fan)

[5 Coconut Oil] I honestly don't even know if this is the brand of coconut oil I have because it was given to me by a friend and its not in the original container anymore but my hair likes it! It's definitely helping to keep it moisturized and shiny and it doesn't weight the hair down.

[6 GNC Ultra Nourish-Hair] There's a good possibility that this isn't even making my hair life easier but I felt like I should include it since I just started taking them. I've only been taking them for a week now so its impossible for me to know the effects thus far but I have hopes that I'll see some hair progress from this.

 

xo - Tanay

 



Random Date Night: Noodles & Company disaster

Soooo unfortunately (but luckily) I work and go to school like my entire life so bf and I rarely have time for date nights. We were trying to have them at least twice a month cause with both of us working it gets to a point where we both see each other only when we're going to sleep... anyway I digress, yesterday was an opportunity where we both felt semi-energetic enough to actually go out & since I can eat pasta for daaaayyyssssss without complaint I figured itd be a good time to try Noodles & Company which is also right by my job.

I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER!

This was actually our second time at noodles... on the first occassion after a very very long work day for me we attempted to go there for takeout... the restaurant wasnt busy at all however when we got to the counter none of the staff even acknowledged us standing there. They were literally playing laughing and joking around and no one so much as budged to ask if we needed any kind of help. After like 5 minutes of standing there with no one saying anything... I stormed out.. and promised myself I wouldnt go back. This is why I dont break promises *eye roll*

We got service this time. We were both torn between two things on the menu so after a quick *eeny meeny miney moe* at the big menu on the wall we proceeded to the counter to order, and then sat to wait for our food.

I'll give it to them for presentation. The food looked really good. Buuuuut as soon as I put the fork to my mouth I was disappointed. It wasnt BAD but it was definitely cold. BUMMER. I love pesto and I'm always looking forward to food but this was a let down. Bf had bbq pork mac and I could tell from the way that he was eating that it was NO GOOD. He is an extremely slow eater when he enjoys his food and he was literally shoving this food down his throat in hopes it'd be over LOL. It was hilarious to watch and we always make the best out of any situation but I dont think we'll be back for a 3rd visit. Sorry Noodles =/

xo -Tanay

Whats In A Name??

Switched the blog up... and it took me forever but I am a STUBBORN child by all means... I was determined to install the template myself and though it took me forever I was not going to give up. Just wasn't happening. LOL... im satisfied for now... I think its amazing for my first time... and its simple... I like simple.. =)

My post today though is about names... sounds weird but play along......

My Name

When I was younger I HAAATTTEEEEDDDD my name.... so much to the point where I used my cousins name in first grade on all my assignments until the teacher realized that none of my assignments were being handed in and for some reason there were assignments with the name Christina and no one had that name in my class... I asked all the time where the name "Tanay" came from... why did I get a "made up" name?? who was I named after?? Why wasn't my name "normal". I had identity issues clearly... But now... my name IS pretty much my identity. I wouldn't change my first or middle name for ANYTHING (last name I can get rid of... *hint hint babe!*). Who would I be if I wasn't Tanay Michele? I use my first and middle name everywhere... facebook/instagram/the twitter account that I never use but plan to start using... I love my name... I love who I am... I couldn't imagine it any other way.

Blog Name

I switched my blog (&& url) from "&& she can conquer the world..." to "this girl & the world." simply because... I wasn't happy with the name anymore. I honestly feel like I'm not by any means "conquering" anything or you guys would have MUCH more interesting posts to read... but I do feel like the world and my surroundings have a large impact on how I feel from a day to day basis and thus the type of blogs that develop from that. I am simply living in the world.. and not overcoming it. And I'm fine with that for now... one day I'll take the world by storm and then you'll be watching it on tv and I wont have to change the blog name again ;)

Grow Baby Grow!!

excuse my emotionless facial expression! LOL

Blogging from the iPad again :D. I love my iPad lol (Thanks again baby!). Soooooo my hair is the longest it's been in a loooooooooong time. I don't even remember since I started cutting my bangs (like 6 years ago at least) when the last time the front of my hair was this long. It's growing. I'm freaking ecstatic. My boyfriend is excited (only because I am and he'll pretend to be excited about anything for me lol) ... And I just want it to grow so I can cut it all off LOL. This is the first real time I'm taking my own hair seriously. As you can see its long but when it's permed its really thin. So I have no problems retaining length I'm looking for fullness. I'm excited to keep transitioning even though it's been less than 3 months but I am a little nervous about what it's gonna look like once I have more new growth.. Especially since I plan on starting hair vitamins next week *fingers crossed for some good hair things happening*. How exactly am I going to manage the different textures?? It's gonna b crazy.... But I'm looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to long huge healthy hair!!!! 

Let It Go...

I am a BIG dweller.. I want things to always be beautiful and perfect... and I get upset when I feel like my dreams are not unfolding when I want them to. All of this makes for a very UNNECESSARILY stressed me. But I'm learning to let things go. I'm learning that the people who don't want to be in my life I cant force to stay... and that I shouldn't try to hold on... there is no point in having people around just for the sake of not being alone if you're not absorbing anything positive from them.. and if you're not instilling anything positive in them either... I'm learning to remove myself from the negative people, drama and to not be SO BUSY... because that was one of my flaws... I was always everywhere into everything.. I'm way more withdrawn now... and I don't see it as a bad thing... I don't think there's anything wrong with a person changing as long as their change isn't harming anyone. I'm constantly changing for the better. I'm looking for ways to surround myself with positive energy and be as stress free as possible.. because honestly I'm too young for stress. It makes no sense at all to be stressed out about things that are out of my control.  Eventually it will become easier. Because I want to live life the best for me.

xoNay

Randoms // Things that Drive My Boyfriend Crazy

First blog post from my ipad! Whoop whoop! =)

My grandma bought a case for me that has the bluetooth keyboard and so far its almost impossible for me to type without having to delete a million times LMAO. Such a small space because its the ipad mini so its even smaller than a netbook keyboard... in my opinion anyway.. But i figure our fingers get used to texting so this is nothing I cant get used to.

My boyfriend and I are in like a weird in between phase in our relationship. I only say weird becuse theres like no organization to it and we're pretty much just winging it but it happens to work for us for the moment so I have no complaints thus far. But anyway I know some people are opposed to couples living together before marriage, but I think its really important. At this point I stay at his place a couple days a week and I think its giving me ample time to get used to things that had I not known, would've probably driven me bat shit crazy if I were thrown into them and couldnt look back. And vice versa, Im learning things that I do that annoy him for example....

• He has this extreme opposition to me air-drying. I like to come out of the shower, and just walk around... I use a towel LOL but the toilet is really only used for decoration cause I wipe like no parts of my body with it. 
• Also shower related, closing the door when I leave the bathroom after I've gotten out the shower. Because the steam never leaves the bathroom *rolls eyes* ... how do you know I wasnt going for the sauna feeling?? I like it toasty in there!
• Getting in bed.. walking right passed the light.. and then asking him to turn the light off... LMAO.. I dont know WHY I do that but his face is priceless EVERY TIME hahaha. (Oops.. sorry baby!! *kisses*)
• And not really house related... but he hates when I turn the light on in the car. He likes to live his life in darkness LOL jk... but the big tree outside his house attracts a lot of bugs... and hes always hot so he always has the friggen window down, thus when I always turn the light on, they cant help but to swarm lol

And these are just things that I've taken a real notice to... or things he's mentioned more than once cause its really driving him crazy LOL... But I have to live with the fact that

• No matter how many times I tell him.. putting the toilet seat down is not a priority lol... He actually said to me one time "You're the one that needs to sit on it so you can put it down"... which is fine during the day but I take many a night pees and I just KNOW im going to fall in one day lol
• HE refrigerates EVERYTHING! Seriously babe.... why is the cinnamon toast crunch in the fridge?? That's just weird
• He'll get in the bed with the same tshirt on that hes had on all day... *shivers*... he drives a lot more than I do but I just shiver to think about all the life that you've touched all day and how its now INSIDE the sheets... stay on your side dirty boy =P
• And... hes just a male in general LOL... so cleanliness is next to... everything... hes pretty clean but kinda disorganized so it makes it look messier than what it actually should.

That boy is my best friend though. I'll still cuddle up next time him in his all day tshirt, eat the cold cereal, and drive him crazy any chance I can. Loves weird like that..... 

Let's Talk..... Life Update

Hey blog beauties!!

So much is always going on. It's so easy to get caught up in the whirlwind that is LIFE! I know I owe you guys a hair post but honestly this is another post coming from my cellphone and  I cant seem to get into a consistent schedule to have time to sit in front of the computer.

Currently I work full-time but only 4 days a week.. That means every shift I work is between 10-12 hours. It's a lot for me. By the end of those days the only thing I feel motivated enough to do is sleep. I haven't opened the computer in so long that I even do my homework assignments on my cell phone! This is another reason I reaaallllllyyyy want an iPad. At least I'll have bigger screen space to type and I can organize my thoughts a little better. That's what I keep telling myself anyway.  I'm trying to get it as a gift *hint hint* LOL.

As far as hair... I'm transitioning to natural. I wanted to write this long elaborate post about what it really meant for me but time is not on my side right now. So the short and sweet version... I want healthier hair.... I want my hair to grow.. && as much as I love  my extensions... They aren't doing anything for the thickening of my hair... So I'm giving them a rest. I already have moments where I'm like... Hmmm maybe I should rethink this... But I know the end result will make me feel better... So I'm sticking it out!!

P.S. I've recently had the pleasure of getting to know the beautiful Miya a little more.. && it's nice to make new blog friends! Give her a visit... She has big things coming soon that could interest a lot of people.

Catch up soon! Promise it won't be long.
xXNay

Psssst

So I've wanted to blog about my hair for forever.... but I know it's gonna be a long post and I don't have it in me to type it all on my phone... its too much work... I want to get an ipad but some grumpy pants (boyfriend) is saying I don't need one. Then he holds me hostage at his house for days and I'm laptop-less and can't type much of anything.  *sigh*.. so yea... hair post coming soon. Better posts coming soon. And please forgive the typos if there are many because I'm currently posting this from my cell phone at his house.. be back soon loves!!!

xxNay

Falling for Fall...

I LOVE SHOPPING!!!

As every other woman on this planet does. But I'm honestly just now finding myself fashion-wise. I'm beginning to develop my own ideas of wants and dislikes.. and putting together outfits in my head when i see pieces that I like. Prior to this..... my boyfriend dressed me!... No seriously... Not all the time but most of the time. He has a pretty good sense of fashion and he can put together an outfit!!!! LOL.

All that being said... Over the passed few years Fall has become my favorite season. I love it because of the endless possibilities with layering... I love scarves... And honestly its the beginning of the holiday season which I just love in general.. ESPECIALLY in NYC. && even though spring is big on layering... I love fall colors more. 

Soooo some of my fall basics this year...


Scarves - I used to HATE wearing scarves.... but now the fashion aspect of them appeals to me... they're more of an accessory for me honestly.. than thinking about the suffocating warmth aspect of it... LOL

I am definitely like an elementary school kid when it comes to fall/winter accessories... im constantly losing scarves... Forever 21 has plenty of cute ones for under $15 bucks though that helps to ease the pain (slightly) when the scarf monster (relative of the sock monster) swoops in and steals from me. 

 
 Cardigans - Because is it even possible to layer without them??

I love all kinds of sweaters but this Boyfriend Cardigan (left) and "Cozy" Cardigan both grabbed my attention when I was doing some (not needed) online shopping... Courtesy of Forever 21.com

Jackets - Its not cold enough (hopefully) for a full blown coat but you might need that extra layer. 

*FYI*.. every year I suffer the leather jacket struggle.. I can never find one cute (read:cheap) enough that I want to spend the money on and that fits comfortably.... sooo any ideas would be helpful in that department!!!

Admittedly... Im a big under-dresser when it comes to outerwear so this peacoat (Left- Victoria Secret) is probably something I'd wear all throughout winter also... I'd just add more layers underneath for pretend warm! Both of these utility jackets (Center - Forever 21, Right - BCBGeneration) are super cute too. 

And Shoes simply because I'm a woman.. and we all need endless endless pairs of shoes.... =)

Cowboy Boots (left- Justfab.com 'Roca'), Moccassins (Top Middle- Minnetonka) and Combat Boots (Top Right - Steve Madden 'Troopa') have all been my go to shoes in the past. I just took an interest in wedge sneakers (bottom right - Steve Madden 'Hilight') recently and im excited to see how well I pull them off with different outfits this coming season.

SOOOOOO .... what are some of your fall necessities/favorite places to shop for fall basic pieces?? 

xx Tanay.