Hello darlings,

I decided against posting poetry today because I wanted to speak directly to you guys, whoever you are reading this blog.  Thank you, first of all, for checking me out and vibing on my inspirations and my writing. It means so much more than you know to have your support.

As we approach this New Year, it has me thinking alot about change and progress. This new year is not just an end of one year, but the end of a decade. There have been some amazing moments and some poignantly painful moments….and in this decade, all of us have grown and matured (though some more than others) and all of us have struggled. But, before the ball drops  you should ask yourself this, what would you have changed….was there more good than bad? But most of all, what can you change now?  What needs to be done today?

For a long time, I worried about the things I have not done in my life. The loves I lost, the long gone chances and missed opportunites, the spilled milk.  I was filled with regret. I hoped so much for the future to be different, but was so enveloped in my disappointments that I lost out on the beauty of that hope. But, over time something in my heart changed….I changed. I can see now that I was born to be something, to create something, to love, to live and to survive.  Even if all I ever am is a blogger…even if I never quite reach the heights my past self hoped for…I will have become the person I was meant to be…I will have lived…and that alone is extraordinary. 

Someone close to me once told me that no matter what, when the dust settles, you are where you are meant to be.  Nothing lasts forever, not pain, not sadness… and not regret.

I am where I am supposed to be. And so are you. *Hugs* Even if this time for you is painful….breathe…. sit back and figure out the lesson that needs to be learned. Because the only good thing about heartache and pain is the thicker skin and the lessons learned. *Tighter Hugs*

In saying that, what we need to remember is this…..change and time are the two things in this life that remain constant and inevitable. Changes happen whether we want them to or not…time goes on whether we wish to stand still or run. The worries about the future or the dwellings on the past mean nothing at the end. What matters most of all is this moment, this precious second where you FEEL it…this little tiny fraction of  life that is tangible.  Take it, relish it, savor it… enjoy it. You can’t relive these moments…. there is no do-over in life. Only now. Only today.

So, today, as the ball drops, look around you, hug the person next to you, smile and cry and laugh at the new year. Welcome the change…welcome the new…welcome life.

And have a drink….here…the first beer is on me.

And remember, you are not alone. There is someone that loves you. Always. You all are in my prayers every day… I wish you all blessings, happiness, health, love, wealth, and progress in this new year and all the years you are on this Earth.

Happy New Years, darlings!!!

Love,

AIR (@Imani_Sublime on Twitter)

I adore Lady Gaga…she is so unique and distinct and unforgettable. Here she is in a photo spread done by the world-renowned photographer David LaChapelle. Amazing work…my favorite is the first and second one… so unbelievably fresh.

Amber Rose, once known as just Kanye West’s girlfriend, has taken over the fashion world by storm. Her mother is of Cape Verdean descent and her father Italian…her features are very pretty, though her style and figure catch her the most looks.  Former exotic dancer and now becoming a fashion muse  and socialite over night….she looks great in this photo spread for Vibe magazine’s relaunch issue which hit newsstands December 15th, 2009.

Styled by Bernardo Siagotong/ Photographed by Chiun-Kai Shih on location at NYC’s Night Hotel

 [Narrating:]

“Sometimes the past is something you just can’t let go of. And sometimes the past is something we’ll do anything to forget.  And sometimes we learn something new about the past that changes everything we know about the present.”

  Season 6, Episode 9: “New History“

“Love is like the sea
Leaves you on your knees
Then it pulls you in
Then it takes you, takes you
Over, over
Love is like the sea
Leaves you on your knees
First you’re floating high
Then takes you takes you
Under under…”

I work on 56th street and Fifth Avenue, and every day on my way to work, my bus passes by the designer department store Bergdorf Goodman. I constantly admire the visual displays they put up and was in awe at the spectacular displays they put up for the Holiday 2009 season.

Designed by David Hoey, with the theme “Curiouser and Curiouser,” the windows are based on the Lewis Carroll novels “Alice in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking Glass.” 

All I can say is bravo to the creativity and the elegance in which David Hoey and his team created these extravagant windows. Absolutely divine. The first photo below is my fave…so beautiful. <3

Alicia Keys, despite her recent controversy invloving Swizz Beatz, is one of the most talented and beautiful female performers out there. I respect her swagger mainly because she has never tried to be Beyonce or changed up her style a la Rihanna. She has always been about good music and class.

Her she is in the FINAL print issue of Giant magazine, that hit stands on December 15, 2009. She looks great, luminous…I love these pics.

Photographed by Yu Tsai/ Photos retrieved from www.aliciakeysdaily.com

[Closing voiceover:]

“We spend our whole lives worrying about the future, planning for the future, trying to predict the future, as if figuring it out will cushion the blow. But the future is always changing. The future is the home of our deepest fears and wildest hopes. But one thing is certain when it finally reveals itself. The future is never the way we imagined it.”

Season 5, Episode 23: “Here’s to the Future“

I have always thought Rachel Weisz had this unique film noir look about her…. like she was the beautiful woman strolling in to the private eye office on a stormy night.  LoL. She has acted in 40 movies, best known for “Constantine,” “The Mummy,” and “The Mummy returns,” as well as “The Constant Gardener.”  She will soon be playing in the film adaptation of one of my favorite books “The Lovely Bones.” 

Here she is in the December 2009 issue of GQ magazine looking sultry and beautiful. I love these photos.

Photographed by Glen Luchford

JLo has not been in the limelight alot recently after having her twins…but in this photo spread for the January 2010 issue of “Allure,” she looks very high fashion and her makeup is glowing. I likes.

Photographed by Michael Thompson / Photos retrieved from www.JustJared.com

(“When You’re Gone”-by MultiCurious—www.deviantart.com)

Your love is a wave
that returns to shore
and pulls back with the force of it’s own self.

My heart cannot compete with the tides of yours.

I no longer feel the desire to swim with butterflies
to ride the crests of blue-gray that never quite catch the sun.
I have exhausted my energy
in trying to reach your horizons…
pushed against the hurricanes…
and allowed my eyes to be blinded
by the whirlpool of blame you cast me in.

I am no longer to blame for what you see in your reflection.

My arguments are echoes against brick walls,
meaningless against the stubborn disregard
that has engrained itself underneath your fingernails….

This was never really about me.

Epiphanies of a lost love fall like pearls of rain…
I am standing in the shadows…
watching the rainbows of your true colors paint the sky.

I cannot escape it.

I can’t do this anymore.

Drained of energy…
my heart beats slow for you now…
I give up on this love denied me for so long.
Arms bruised from tug of wars with you…

I can’t make up your mind.

I have my own answers….
I can not look for yours.

I was ready to follow the currents of passion…
only to be tossed to the winds…
and pulled back by your regrets.

I give up on this love.

I am no longer your pawn…
your joke…
your indecision…

I loved what I thought could be
and not what was….

Ripped at the seams
I tore myself to shreds,
burned what was left
and tossed it back onto your tumultuous waves…

I am no longer…
I can no longer…

I am gone.

*Jaw Drops* Holy Moly! This is probably one os the most risque photo spreads I have ever posted, but take a look, all of these models are deemed past their prime, too old for modeling….yeah aight. They look sexy as hell in this photo spread for i-D magazine’s Winter 2009 issue.

You go women! Show ‘em whatcha got!

Photographed by Kayt Jones/ Styled by Pippa Vosper

“Baby, we were killing them
They couldn’t handle the millionth degree
We were criminalsAs we were burning,the world called the police
Fire department, ambulance
You can call me crazy ’cause I believe
The only move for me and you
Is to go out blazing”

There are a number of women that for some reason I always seem to find these amazing photo spreads of them. Amerie is one of them.  Here she is in a photo spread for the  11/23/2009 posting on www.honeymag.com …she looks awesome and the photos are so fierce…love the chunky necklaces and the red lips with black leather….. and that streak of fhot blue on her lids? Me loves!

Photographed by Cameron Krone/ Styled by Charles Wade

Best known for her roles in the film version of “Phantom of the Opera” and in “The Day After Tomorrow,” Emmy Rossum is quite lovely in this spread for 2 Magazine’s December 2009 issue.  I love the mask she wears in the first photo….fierce!

Photographed by Mitchell Nguyen- McCormack

Photos taken from www.JustJared.com

I don’t really like Taylor Swift’s music. I think she’ s absolutely gorgeous and I agree with everyone’s opinions on Kanye’s VMA interruption. *LOL* I found these pics of her for T magazine’s Holiday 2009 issue and my jaw dropped. Sooooo 1960′s mod Barbie…so not expected of her style. I LOVE this spread.

Photography by Raymond Meier

(“The Star Tarot”–by Sanja—www.deviantart.com)

Taking on your world…
with both hands
but losing my grip on the ground.
I float in space….
surrounded by black holes
that swallow galaxies of my thoughts.

teach me through feeling…
teach me through the senses….

I wash myself in your sins.

Make believe I am to blame
for the ugliness you carved
into the walls of my heart…

I am an empty moment…
a cored apple…

I no longer smile at your brilliance…
I only long for the darkness of my own mind.

Done…
Gone.

I have left your world
and now streak diamonds across your sky…
so you can finally notice my radiance…
as it fades….

a shooting star.

“We’re all susceptible to it, the dread and anxiety of not knowing what’s coming.  It’s pointless in the end, because all the worrying and the making of plans for things that could or could not happen, it only makes things worse.  So walk your dog or take a nap.  Just whatever you do, stop worrying.  Because the only cure for paranoia is to be here, just as you are.”

-Season 6, Episode 3 “I Always Feel Like Somebody’s Watching Me”

I wasn’t a huge fan of Lady Gaga when she first came out and often times I felt as if she was basically beyond nuts. However, I caught a glimpse of her music video for “Bad Romance” and I was absolutely entranced. She is so avant garde, so unique and once you know the lyrics of her songs, it’s much more than some pop fluff. I adore her, her risk-taking in music and fashion. I am officially a fan now.

Check out the photos of her featured in the January 2010 issue of Elle Magazine, photographed by Tom Munro. Dope.

And here is the video that made me a fan… “Bad Romance”…awesome.

I have always thought Kate Beckinsale was one of those old glamour types, very classically Grace Kelly gorgeous. Here she is photographed by Ellen Von Unwerth for the newest 2010 Absolut Vodka ad campaign. I have a LONG history with Absolut vodka (LoL)…and I think she looks amazing. My fave is the first one, very reminiscent of “The 50-foot Woman” vintage movie poster. The second one, Kate is blonde and in a very mod green and white striped setting.  The last photo is very Phantom of the Opera beautiful.  I love it! Check it out.

“Sometimes we are all so afraid to be honest with ourselves because we know that honesty will lead us somewhere off the path of the life we’ve mapped out in our minds. Today, I challenge us to ask ourselves this…What if we allow our fear to provoke us into action? Can facing our fear be what walks us to somewhere better? I do not have your answers, but in the quest to find my own, I’ve discovered somewhere worth traveling to…In my life, I ignore my fears too often, but then I’m left with nothing to challenge the best of me. I just remain cowering from my true identity. There is no discovery.”