New Year Resolutions Are For Suckers

Erin Wasson photographed by Santiago Esteban for Elle Spain January 2011

The year is almost over and I feel like I should have some big farewell post, but I don't. I'll just deliver you some words of wisdom off the top of my dome.

We all use the New Year as an excuse to start new and create a clean slate, when in reality, it's just another date, another day, but a different year. However, if you need to use January 1, 2011 as a marker to try something different in your life, do it. You've been putting it off long enough, don't cha think? You see, there's one piece of wisdom I have gained from 2010 and it's that you need to stop procrastinating your life. Do what makes you happy. Do what's good for you. Stop waiting and chase after that dream, that goal your heart has been desiring. You need to live your life to the fullest; oh-so-cliché, but it's the freakin' truth.

What am I trying to say? Scroll up and read the title: New Year Resolutions Are For Suckers. I've never met a person who has stuck to a resolution. Let's face it, you're all amped up about said resolution and by the time December rolls around, you don't even remember what promise you kept to yourself. I'm not saying resolutions are total fails. I just think that you don't need to grasp onto the new year as a reason to make a change in your life.

"Don't wait to take what's there and make it what you want. All that you need to have is right there inside your heart. You'll find it."
-- Lyrics from Don't Wait by Kaskade

Lastly, I'm glad that the new year is going to grace us with its presence in about 48 hours because 2010 has been exhausting. This year alone tested all of my fiber being that allows me to keep going everyday in order to thrive, prosper and ultimately come out on top doing what my heart desires. I've seen too much struggle, sadness and strife. I'm sure I will still see some of that in 2011, but here's to hoping for a smoother take off in the new decade: *raises champagne glass*

See you in 2011!

Merry Christmas You Filthy Animals & A Happy New Year!

Despite the upsets I have in my life, I am fortunate to have great friends and family and all the little other trinkets in my life I take for granted. If there's anything I've learned this holiday season this year, it's that this consumeristic lifestyle that we have here in the United States isn't all that it's cracked up to be. We get cloudy-eyed by all our possessions and forget about what really matters: the inanimate stuff. A conversation with a friend yesterday made me realize that we don't need one day or one occasion to gift each other. We should be giving to each other throughout the year, just because. So in the words of Mariah Carey, I don't want a lot for Christmas, I just want you to be happy, healthy and humble.

Chelsea says women should always try to be the best

"Women should be feminine and charming and flirty, but not take shit from anyone and always, ALWAYS try to be the best."

- Chelsea Rae Simmons

I'm very fortunate to have wise friends in my life. Chelsea, is one of them!

Pinstripe Nails Make Me Go ROAR!

To your left you will see this week's manicure. I've got poor cuticles and ill-drawned white stripes. Either way, I love it! I love it so much I've been making the universal sign for roar to show off my nails.

1. Factory Grey by American Apparel

2. Sally Hansen white Nail Art Pen

3. Today Was A Fairytale by Deborah Lippmann

All my ladies who have fresh manicures say ROAR!

Recent Purchase: Faux Fur Cap from @Target - Yay or Nay?

I think it's a yay!! My recently chopped of locks makes it super easy to wear the cap. I also feel confident that when I take the cap off, my hair won't look a mess. I want to purchase a floor-length wool coat, so I look like I stepped right out of the 1920s!

What are your thoughts?

Mama says Lubriderm is for white people

While I was home yesterday, my mother looked down at my legs (I was wearing shorts). She made note of how ashy my legs were.

Mom: "What's up with your legs?"

Me: "Trying out Lubriderm. I took it from work."

Mom: [shakes head] "Don't use it. That's for white people skin."

Me: [uncontrollable laughter]

Mom: "What? It's true. It's for their skin type."

Me: "Have you used it before?" [my mom is part white w/ mocha skin]

Mom: "Yeah, and it didn't work."

The truth is, my mom might be right. She validated my suspicions.

I started using Lubriderm because I got it for free and was too cheap to buy my normal lotion of choice: Cetaphil. I began using Lubriderm at the beginning of December and noticed that my skin would get dry after only wearing it for a couple hours. I thought that it was the cold weather and ignored my ashy state of being. You see, everyday after I shower, I lather my body with lotion. It's how mama raised me. After you shower, the next step is to put on lotion, not to get dressed. In 2000, my dermatologist at the time noticed that I had sensitive skin and suggested I start using Cetaphil everyday. 10 years later and I am still using it. Well, except for the past three weeks.

I don't know why I thought any other lotion could compare to Cetaphil. For the past 10 years people have been asking me how and why my skin is so soft. I have always raved about Cetaphil. It really is the best lotion on the market. It's 100% fragrance free, hypoallergenic and non-greasy. With consistent use, your skin will be buttery soft. The only problem I have with it is that it's kind of expensive. A $10 bottle will last me only 3 or 4 months!

My friends on Facebook and Twitter suggested that I use cocoa butter. You know, what every black person is using for their skin nowadays. I've tried cocoa butter, but I hate the smell. I know, weird. I think it smells like burnt skin when rubbed in.

Bottom line, I'm sticking to Cetaphil.

I like to buy CDs! Do you?

On a recent trip to Target, I bought the contents pictured above:

1. Mossimo faux fur cap
2. Merona faux leather gloves
3. Nicki Minaj CD

I'm really excited about the last item. For the past two weeks, I have been listening to Nicki Minaj's songs online for free (thanks YouTube). I was waiting for ample time in my schedule to actually go out and purchase a physical copy of her CD. Needless to say, I found time... after the semester ended.

You see, I actually really enjoy buying CDs. No, I'm not caught in the past with my Walkman (I still have mine), but I find sentimental value in CDs. I've bought three CDs digitally via Amazon, but felt bad that I didn't have a copy of the artist's CD in my possession. Instead, I had burned copies. Dislike.

CDs to me are what old-school records are to my parents. In my living room, there are multiple shelves filled with records from past musicians that brought the funk! I want to be able to one day have shelves of CDs so that my children will be able to know what good music sounds like. Who knows what music will sound like in 20 years. One thing for sure is that it'll be an emulation of the past aka the time we are in now.

The reason I picked up Nicki Minaj's CD--other than the fact it got me through finals week--is that I've sort of become obsessed with her music. I'm a sucker for lyrics. She plays with words very well and is an artist that doesn't feel like she needs to fit a mold. Nicki does, what Nicki wants. And that, I respect.

Here's what I learned from the fall 2010 semester...

So happy the semester is over!!

The semester is over and I couldn't be happier!

I am 5 months away from graduating. Awaiting my time to walk across the stage, get that diploma, and say C YA Hofstra [and Long Island] is nail biting! So much that lurks ahead of me is unknown...

Either way, I am ready for the next chapter in my life.

This time reminds of my senior year of high school, where I was ready for college. I couldn't wait to get out of my hometown in Jersey and meet new people and explore different things. It's safe to say that I've met a lot of new people and broadened my mind a little bit. This semester, in particularly, seemed to teach me a lot about myself.

Here's what I learned from the fall 2010 semester:

1. I'm over my sleepless nights; I pride myself on being a night owl because it allows me to do what I need to do during the day (which is 324324732 different things) and get all my work done at night (my creative juices flow as I burn the midnight oil). But enough is enough. I need sleep. Getting an average of 3 hours of sleep a night, 5 days a week and crashing on the weekends is not a lifestyle I am fond of anymore. It's like I'm living a Rock & Roll life without the drugs, sex or alcohol. Instead, I'm living the Dara Do-it-all lifestyle with lots of carbs, cups of tea and no sleep.

2. I'm more of a tech geek than I thought; A couple things happened this fall semester that showed me that I love gadgets and the internet A LOT. If Google was a man, we'd be married. If my Android phone Andy was a man as well, we'd be married with lots of babies. I really love the way the internet is going--Mhm. Judge me.--because I feel like we're entering an age of 2.0 that allows everyone and their mama to be involved in the change that is happening in society. Our voices can be heard quicker than ever before.

3. I have a strong interest in beauty; Well, my nail polish addiction isn't going anywhere, but specifics about this one will reveal itself soon. Stay tuned!

4. It's time I valued the ones I love a little more; I've seen one too many people I love go through struggle these past couple of months and it has made me appreciate life and appreciate them. Sometimes, we all get caught in reaching our destination and forget that the joy is in the journey.

5. I'm over college; Self-explanatory.

It's all in the hood with Olsenboye!

It's all good, in the hood!

A couple weeks ago, it got really cold over here on the east coast. I mean REALLY cold. It was unexpected. I felt like mother nature had been leading me on. I thought that the manageable cool weather we had days prior to the sudden chill would last for--I don't know--EVER?! While the 20MPH wind was not easing my transition into the cold frigid weather, I pulled the hood from my Olsenboye sweater through my peacoat and felt warmth move from my head to my toes.

For those who don't know (if you don't, you should be slapped), Olsenboye is the lovechild fashion line for teens by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. The Olsen Twins and I go way back. I mean waaaaay back. Our friendship (in my head) popped off with "Brother for sale... Only 15 cents." That song was my anthem. I have an actual older brother that I want to sell, except this time I'm charging more than 15 cents. Ha, juuust kidding. Sort of.

Anyway, I digress. Before wearing the sweater, I knew that I would probably love it because my two child heroes created it. Simply put, I love it... for good reasons!

What sold me on the sweater was the deep hood. Nothing is better than a hood that covers your entire head! The photo to the left is me freezing my butt off waiting for the train into the city, while wearing the hood from my Olsenboye sweater. I was actually surprised the hood covered my whole head because I have a HUGE head. Seriously. Look at that thing. Anyway, the hood is so deep that I had to fold over the fuzzy front so I could see through my space-age shades.

Thanks for sending the sweater and keeping my head warm Olsenboye!

HELP: My nail polish bowl broke!

My nail polish bowl broke a couple days ago. I tossed (probably shouldn't have done that) one of my nail lacquer bottles into the bowl and I heard a crack, looked at the bowl and saw the oblong shaped hole. I am slightly baffled as to why this happened because the bowl is two layers of glass!

Now I need a new way to stock my increasing number of nail polish bottles and Minx packets. Any suggestions? PLEASE. HELP!

No Nail Polish November is OVER!

No Nail Polish November is OVER. It ended quicker than I thought it would, but I think this is a little movement I'd like to start with girls across the nation (ha, I can dream big right?). Just like men have No Shave November, I think it is important/fun for us girls to relinquish our polish use for one month because our nails need to breathe!

I must say I am happy to see my nails colorful again. Plain nails freak me out. I like looking down at my hands and seeing art.

I decided to use Big Red Apple from OPI as my base. Once it dried, I used Sally Hansen's white nail art pen in an attempt to make snowflakes. Let's just say I failed. I forgot I'm not left-handed and drawing snowflakes on my right nails didn't go over too well. It actually didn't happen. I ended up just making white polka dots. I then put a glittery top coat via OPI for Sephora Gold For Me.

Glitter always fixes any nail polish blunder. That's a fact!