Happy Valentine's Day... a little late

Valentine's Day just passed this week and I got into it more than I normally do. I saw a great cookie recipe on one of my favorite recipe blogs, Pink of Perfection, and decided it'd be nice to make a batch for my friends and colleagues. 3 hours later and I remember why I never bake cookies. Too much work and it only made a dozen cookies! Oh well, they did taste good :).

Thanks Daddy and Jon for the flowers!


On an editorial note, my good friend Crystyn asked me to write a review of my favorite Black love film for her magazine, NeoBlack Cinema. So, I'm published! Or will be soon :). Read on...

Hav Plenty by Christopher Scott Cherot: a Review

That time, that place where you realize that you have a good man. The thoughts and daydreams of what could be begin. That is all said in the look Havilland Savage (Chenoa Maxwell) gives Lee Plenty (Christopher Scott Cherot) as they drive home after New Year’s. It is a look anyone who’s been in love will recognize. It is the realization of something changing, a closeness blooming inside and budding in your eyes as you look at your lover.

Hav Plenty has a way of articulating your heart in moments like that. It is a simple movie that shows the slow and flawed progression as two people try to make their way into a relationship. The insecurity, the pride, the doubt, the vulnerability; it’s all there. The fact that Christopher Scott Cherot wrote the screenplay based on his own relationship is the key to what makes this film so believable and so familiar. Equally impressive as writing this film is that he directed and starred in it as well. The film begins with one weekend which culminates in Lee finally revealing his true intentions to Havilland.

Havilland reminds you of the difficulty of making a decision when you have to choose between what’s right versus what’s convenient. Lee reminds you of the dignity you try and save by hiding your true feelings because the recipient either cannot or will not appreciate them. You remember the feeling of breaking down from the weight of your unspoken emotions; fighting for what you love with the truth of your heart. You remember the terror of leaving it completely open for harm. You recognize and watch the all-or-nothing gamble Lee plays to win Havilland’s heart.

Lee and Havilland are what we hope will happen when we take that bet.

**

A poetic rendition for those die-hard romantics:

That time you realize the wealth of your man

The thoughts and daydreams of what could begin

The turning point

The look, the realization, the change.

Hide yourself from the one who won’t get it

Cling to your dignity

Maintain composure at all costs

Till the geyser cracks the surface from the inside

Break down from the weight of what’s untapped

Fight for love with the truth of your heart

Leaving it unprotected

Damn the wall

Embrace the terror of your naked heart

The Gamble: all or nothing

Halfway won’t work

Havilland Plenty

What we hope will happen when the bet is taken.

Lee Savage

Blurring the truth of the gamble with the lie of Hollywood

***

TV, not Me

So far, the TV and I have been enjoying a long, extended break from each other. No, I haven’t cut it out of my life entirely and the Internet-fix is much harder to break, but I have managed to find time to start exploring my own creativity. I started to paint. I’ve got two paintings under my belt. And no, they’re not works of art but I’m proud of them. It’s even helped me make something positive out of the times when I’m feeling otherwise. So far, change is good :).

On the other hand, I’ve also been shopping a lot more lately. I found this new clothing site, www.modcloth.com, which is feeding my latest interest to update my wardrobe with unique and interesting pieces. I haven’t totally lost my frugality though. I put myself on a strict budget per month. Thanks to Inna for validating my choices :). Here are some of the latest choices. Some worked and some didn’t.

Even Roxie was looking at me like "Nawww not gonna work." Refund!

Cute baby doll dress meant for the summer. Unfortunately, in WI, you make do with a jacket & tights and brave the cold anyway. Again, Roxie makes her cameo...

I love linen dresses and this will replace my favorite black linen dress that is forever faded. It's a little too big on the top but all that takes is a good tailor to fix it.

Love this dress except for the slight material budge on one side. Makes me anxious for the summer!

Finally, I decided to really treat myself and purchase my own bedroom furniture. Most of the furniture in my home is a hand-me-down. While I’m thankful for it, I’ve had it for the past 5 years and it was time for me to at least have my own bedroom set that reflected my style. Luckily, I came to that decision during the same weekend of the furniture sales in the area. After 2 days of scouting and hours of long deliberation and thought, I finally bought it and I love it. It's a cherry wood platform bed. It's simple but has a unique flavor to it that fits me. Plus I love to prop my feet up on the side of the bed. The picture doesn’t do it justice, but it’ll have to do until your next visit.

The beautiful headboard. Yes, I know the sheets and the haphazard pillows detract from the beauty. But I dress my bed for warmth & comfort, not style. For reals, getting a stylish & warm bedspread is next on the list.

If you know me, you know I don't make my bed. But here is what it looks like in the natural light.

TV and Me

We’ve been snowed in with a major blizzard for the last 2 days. I love when this happens. It’s a reminder from God for us to slow down. We rush, we plan, we push to get things done; and then God has a gentle way of reminding us who’s the boss with 20 inches of snow and 35 mph winds.

Since I could work from home, I took a nap during the time I’d normally be on my commute home or running an errand somewhere. It was really really nice. I dread the cleared streets that I will have to drive tomorrow morning. However, something interesting happened when I woke up this evening from my nap. My eyes veered directly towards the television in anticipation of the entertainment it was about to give me. It made me wonder when we became so reliant on television or the internet (I check my email/facebook constantly throughout the day) to occupy our day with entertainment. It’s easy but I think we lose something. We lose the ability to entertain ourselves, to be content with our thoughts, to explore ourselves. Think about it. How many times in a day do you have nothing to do but think? It’s kind of scary when you do come across those times, isn’t it? You’re out of practice of what to do with those unfiltered, unedited thoughts. So, more than I like, I just turn on the TV or a movie or the computer. I take the easy way out of fast entertainment instead of reveling in those quiet times to discover myself. Television tries to tell us what to find amusing, what to laugh at, what is important, what is bad, what is good, etc… Our reliance on television robs us of the ability to define ourselves, our thoughts, and our own sense of creativity. How can you discover yourself when you have all that noise coming in?

Television is not evil, by any means. It’s similar to money. The objects themselves aren’t evil but the way in which we use it can turn poisonous. My goal is to keep television in its place. I want to enjoy those quiet times when I settle in from a long day instead of wondering what day it is and what TV show is broadcasting. I want to become more content with myself even in my loneliness instead of allowing TV to help me forget. I want to be fine with being bored. And, I want to learn how to entertain myself with my own creativity instead of borrowing it from the television.

In short, I’m going to learn to paint. Thanks for tuning in, good night.