I Heart My Sister

I took a ton of pictures over the weekend but these are by far my favorite pictures from the weekend. Pictures with my sister ^_^

 Dixie and Georgia at an 80's Party. 

Headed to PJ Morton's Concert

I'm gonna miss The Girl when she leaves. Gonna have to find me a new roll dawg. 

Live. Love. Smile. Enjoy.

8 Things I Learned Over The Weekend

I have not blogged in ages! I think of it often. I like blogging although it requires time and effort.

1. There is a part of me that still feels somewhere between 12 & 20. Whenever I'm with my friends, especially the ones I've known for years I feel like it's still the first day we met, just kids running around having fun that happen to have real jobs and responsibilities. It's only when I really think about it that I realize how old we are and great the things we are achieving. Recently, I was looking at list of friends ages and it hit me how everyone was in their late 20's to early 30's.... it was mind blowing. At 15 I couldn't think of my life past 25.

2. Every now and then you look at a picture of yourself and realize that although you look like yourself.... obviously.... there are elements that have changed. I looked at a picture of my self last week and realized that although I look the same, my features have matured.

It was sorta crazy looking at this pic realizing

 I've matured. I see myself as 29 in this pic. 

3. I'm not here for Ethiopian food.

I had to go with a 7 item plate because I wanted to try a variety. 

4. I am here for PJ Morton.

Waiting for the PJ Morton concert to start

5. I believe I'm growing as a person. Certain situations, people or things I see don't effect me and control my mood like it once did.

6. I LOVE shorts, short things and legs, but I need to work on this thing called modesty. Its a struggle and I need deliverance. Sometimes I just need to be snatched from my foolery smh.

waiting 

7. I've got good friends who love legitimately love me and who mean the world to me.

8. I was once again reminded that I have a LOW tolerance for dumb stuff. I can't take it. It literally annoys my spirit.



Live. Love. Smile. Enjoy

Beneath Your Beautiful

I just like their voices, the song and the music video.... I guess I like it all huh...

Labrinth feat. Emeli Sandé - Beneath Your Beautiful

She makes me want to cut my hair. Her cut is so great. 

Live. Love. Smile. Enjoy.

Another Year of Life...

Twenty and nine....... wow.... who would have thought that I'd see this day but I'm thankful to have seen another year of life. I don't always deserve it, but God continues to bless and keep me around. Part of me still feels like I'm 20 ripping and running around in these streets and the other part.... yea... the other part realizes I'm getting older. This past weekend was my birthday and I had my annual Birthday Dinner. I was so glad to see everyone that came out.

The Family 

 

My Brother Adam

My Twin who lets me invade her 

house year after year with all my guest. Thanks!

My gorgeous youngest sister ^_^ 

 Good food, good friends, good laughs and a good time.... that's all I'm here for.

So thanks to everyone that came out and made my birthday special. As well as to everyone that called, texted and everything else. I'm truly blessed to have each and every one of you in my life. Love you, KP


P.S. Can I just say I ABSOLUTELY love my dress?! I've been waiting to wear this dress for a minute. It has this grown woman feel to it, its so great. Ok.... I'm done now ^_^.

Live. Love. Smile. Enjoy

NYE 2012

I spent NYE in Toronto with my roommates and friends. We kept it pretty low key, just inviting over a few friends. You know me... friends + food and I'm good to go!

One thing I absolutely love about my girls is that we have a good time just by ourselves. We got fully dressed in hair, makeup and jewelry and never left the house. Truthfully.... I barely left the couch. I was sick and wrapped in a blanket most of the night,you just can't tell from the pics. Honestly.... I only got up to take pics o_o. 

My roommates.

I absolutely love these girls!!

The girls

Me and Anto

Sam! 

Love her 

You gotta love Dwight. 

Strike a pose

New friends!

Happy New Year

Live. Love. Smile. Enjoy.

If Love Could Have Saved You

This past weekend at my mom's church they had men's day, as part of their service they wanted to take a few moments to remember my dad. One of the elders said a few words about my father and what he meant, the men sang one of his favorite songs and since it was men's day they asked my brother to say a few words. So the night before my brother came up with the following poem.

Listen..... If love could have saved you, you wouldn't have died.


Live. Love. Smile. Enjoy.

7 Random Musings From the Weekend

(Its clearly Wednesday.... But I wrote this all out on Monday lol)

1. I really enjoy having people over for dinner and hosting. I wish I could do it more often.

2. Be confident. Sometimes you just gotta take a chance and go with it.

3. I actually really like skating. I don't know why I don't go more often. I secretly wish I could dance on
skates. I don't dance in real life how I'm gonna dance on skates is just... beyond me... but whatever.

4. I'm growing as a person. The loss of material things doesn't bend me out of shape like it used to. ( I broke the screen on my phone over the weekend...I was blown but shrugged it off and went about my day)

5.  Sometimes you just don't want to do anything, cook, plan, organize...etc. Everything is a down right chore!

6. Winter is coming! do you know how sad I am that its getting cold?!

7. The feeling you get when you have read a book in its entirety is great. Its almost a feeling of accomplishment.

 Tasha, Me, and the god bro out skating

and also my dinner guest :) 

 Skating

Live. Love. Smile. Enjoy

Sheléa - Seeing You (Official Video)

The Cold Is Coming....

I'm pretty sure that last Friday I wore my last summer outfit ( Last time wearing shorts) for the season. I abhor the cold. I'm a January baby born in the Windy City and can't stand the cold! Summer and spring are by far my favorite seasons. I live for summer dresses, short skirts...well...skirts period, shorts, tank tops, sandals and open toe shoes! You can miss me with layering, stocking and tights, jeans, boots, jackets and coats, socks and closed toe shoes... I'm growing weary and depressed just thinking about it! I'm trying to free them legs and be free! But y'all don't hear me....

A fedora and side braid is such a summer look to me. 

Free them legs!!! 

Goodbye shorts *sigh*  till next summer.

Have I mentioned I love off the shoulder tops?

Summer I'm gonna miss you and your hot weather and warm nights. Winter is coming *SIGH* but I'll see you in a couple months ~ KP

Live. Love. Smile. Enjoy

The Bow

I woke up Saturday morning and decided I was gonna put my hair in a bow. I don't remember where I originally ran across this style but it was some years ago.  Recently, while perusing instagram, a friend created a huge bow with a scarf and I was like "I'm gonna do that with my hair". So I did! *shrugs*. My serious side was like "why is there a bow sitting on top your head?! are you 8?!" but sometimes you just gotta roll with something different.

Below are a couple of pics from the weekend and a video on how I did my hair. 

Me and the kid

 

Hi 

 

The total look 

 I don't know what I was doing. 

I look like I have half a leg.

-____________- 

 

Out here looking like Minni Mouse 

*adjusts bow*

One thing I forgot to mention in the video is that I

 recommend doing this style on hair that's a couple of days old. 

Older hair will give more structured bows.

I don't think most people I encountered on Saturday had ever seen anything like it (I could hear the confusion and awe in their voices LOL) but they seemed to like it. This look was definitely new and different... but I had fun wearing lol.

Live. Love. Smile. Enjoy.

Too Black

Changes...

I am Kanetha, and as "simple" as I like to think I am.... there are many sides and a complexity to me. I am by no means a perfect person. I realize my faults and that I still have areas that need extreme growth. God continues to work on and refine me even when I don't realize or always readily see the change. There are people that find fault with me, my behavior, attitude, think I need to smile and be more pleasant or need to have a gentler spirit. Its not to say that these individuals don't have good points, or that I shouldn't take some comments into consideration & shouldn't disregard everything they have said. Some observations are quite valid.  However, one of my first thoughts (whither good or bad, I don't know) is... you don't know from whence I came. Yea... you don't think I smile now and you don't care for my attitude or behavior (unfriend me...please) ... but you didn't know the Kanetha from 18 years ago who did not smile... AT ALL! A man from church used to call me Smiley in an attempt to get me to smile. I used to look at folks with a straight face like "you aint funny. Stop.".  And my attitude was on a hundred trillion. Thats the girl most have no clue about. Yes.... I have a long way to go..... but I have come a LONG way by the grace of God.

One thing I can say about my mid to late 20's is that I do a lot of thinking and reflexion over my life, past, current and future. I'm currently in NC at this... I guess you would call it a women's retreat. Just today.... I said to myself. I'm not the same person I was 10 years ago. I'm in a whole other mindset about life. You might not be able to tell it by just looking at me, my appearance or from my tweets, I don't know.... but its so close to the things my mother tried to instill in my as a child that its not even funny. Its so crazy when I think about because when I was younger and my mom tried to tell me stuff I was like "No.... I'm not doing that *insert KP face*".

Anyway, this evening a very special lady in my life and I caught up over dinner. I've known this lady for the past nine years. She and her husband have seen a side and place within me that few people have ever seen or ever will see. She turned to me and said "Kanetha, you're lighter. You aren't the same girl I knew all those years ago at MVTP. Are aren't so angry. I can feel it. You let it go. You're presence is more inviting, its not just your beauty, its the inner you. That why they love you". I was blown away. The fact she could see a change in me was so refreshing. I felt myself getting emotional as I listened to her words, but I'm a thug and and my thug status refused to let me cry unnecessarily in a room full of strangers. She blessed my heart today.  I don't know.... there is just something to be said when people can notice a change in you...  it sort of lets you know you are moving in the right direction.

From time to time... my mom says "I see a change in you Kanetha" which (in my head) I'm like "yea... ok of u say so". But I never feel like there is a change occurring in my life. Yea... I can see change when I look back over the course of my life... but never in the here and now. Once again I'm not perfect.... I still need improvement. Yea my attitude is on one hundred , half the time I don't want to be bothered especially with people and their stupidity, I feel I still dont look all that pleasant lol, and I'm not always happy or nice. But I'm thankful for the changes that have taken place within me... and that others can SEE a change. I'm thankful I'm not where I used to be. And I'm thankful for the future chances that will take place in my life. Yea... I have a long what to go, but what some of you don't realize is... I've also come a long way. I'm not here to make excuses over the things I do/don't do or set up a tent in the land of complacency. I'm here to say thank you Jesus for making me who I am today, for that change that is constantly taking place and for the fact a change can be seen in me.


Live. Love. Smile. Enjoy. 

Sick, Bibimbop, & Karoake For a Birthday Celebration

This past weekend I was sick. My face hurt, I couldn't breath, my nose was running, I was tired and my hair was a total wreck. I don't know about you... but whenever I'm sick my hair is wild and doing the most, its probably because I can't be bothered with it because I'm just trying to breathe and worry about all my ailments I have as I lay upon my death sick bed. I didn't go to church and there was no food (talk about a struggle meal smh).

Anyway, it was my close friend and twin's birthday celebration and I couldn't miss that so I got off my sick bed, got ready and descended my mountain early Saturday evening for a night with friends, Korean food and activities. 

Me in my new favorite shirt. 

Is navy polka dot, sheer and feminine. 

I mean.... whats not to like?!

 

 The crew outside the Honey Pig Restaurant 

waiting to be seated

Me and the birthday girl!

(Being sick shouldn't stop you from dressing up *shrugs*)

Getting ready to eat 

Cran Apple Juice 

Bibimbap.

Listen... who would have thought I'd be in America 

eating Bibimbap?! Surely not I! I thought I had left that 

behind me in Korea... evidently not lol 

Karaoke.

(always entertaining) 

*rolls eyes* Jesus be a fence. 

I don't karaoke. I sit back, watch, and get 

entertained. But Fireworks came on and that was 

our them song in Korea... So I got a little excited 

and grabbed a mic. I almost died -_-  

My sis. 

 It was a good night despite not feeling my best. I always enjoy seeing my friends and the people I love.

Happy Birthday Twin I hope you enjoyed your night!! 

Live. Love. Smile. Enjoy.

Camping With The Fam

This past weekend The Fam went on a camping trip to Deep Creek Park. I have not been camping in ages. In all honestly I had absolutely no interest in going camping (it's too hot for all that!). I wanted to go to the beach however those plans fell threw so I was like I'm just gonna take one for the team. I just knew I was gonna be annoyed and miserable with these extreme weather conditions but it turned out to be a really nice weekend.

This was the first time we have all time to been camping together since pathfinders. We watched the guys build a camp fire, looked for fire wood, cooked over a camp fire, had a worship services, took a 5 mile 3 hour hike throw the woods mid day (maaaan.... it was hot), swam in the lake (I could only stand in the lake to the middle of my thighs....all those people had the water looking brown and me and my germaphoic self couldn't handle it, germs and all o_O), and played bible games older siblings vs younger siblings. It was a very pleasant weekend. I only wish I had a boat so I could have ridden out on the lake....

Camping Pics

 Jon and Jered working on building a fire

 I wasn't trying to get dirty lol 

 Tasha cutting wood

 Gin Chillin 

 Sup guys

The god sibs 

  

 Chillin out reading 

 Singing 

 Hi ;)

 If this isn't the best tent/cot ever! 

 A map of our journey: 

We took the blue trail to the white trail then back to the camp site

 Hikers

Rest and shade! 

 The crew 

 oh....

 Cooking beans and potatoes 

 Camp

Jon making something to check his potatoes lol 

 

 Haystacks 

The lake

 

 It was hot but the weather was actually pretty nice, the company was great of course, the laughs plenty and the memories forever. I'm definitely glad I went.


Live. Love. Life. Enjoy.