David has made it safely to A-Town

 

Let the countdown begin! My love has left for his 9-month deployment in Afghanistan, (which will be referred to as “A-Town” from here on out). The days leading up to this deployment were very difficult. The thoughts of not being able to see him, come home and give every detail of my work day, fight him when he tickles me and beat him every night in Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, really made me sad. Luckily, my job has been very supportive and let me work from home the Friday before he left, in efforts to soak in as much quality time as possible. So, when the departure day came it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. The hardest part was when the bus left and hearing the children scream and watching the pregnant wives cry. God always finds a way to show you things could be worse.

In my extra time I plan to focus on community outreach. I haven’t quite decided what that all means yet but I have a few plans. I have already committed to my first outreach project; I am a cheerleading coach for a local rec squad. I am very excited about this opportunity! I went last week and became stunt certified and next week is Parent Night! 

I just want to thank everyone for their thoughts, prayers, text, calls and emails. I have always been blessed with a strong support system and I happy to share that blessing with David, especially in his time of need for a few extra prayers. Also, I have his mailing address to share to anyone that may want to send him a little pick-me-up!

xoxo

All Settled In

Ok, I am really going to work on updating my blog more frequently. But, a positive from my neglect is- I have been having such a great time in my new home! David and I have really worked together to make our house a home and get everything set up just the way we want it. We have organized the house, rearranged furniture, purchased a storage for extra space AND hired a landscaping company to nurture our front lawn. I would say the best accomplishment thus far was David traveling with my two flat screen TVs as luggage. I had to leave them behind when I moved because I couldn’t find a shipping company to pack and ship them without the original boxes. Welp, my fiancé found a way around it and both TVs made it here unharmed!

My favorite part of the house- my closet!

Princess is getting cozy in the house, too!

Besides doing housework, we have had a chance to enjoy SeaTown! David and I went to a murder mystery dinner near University of
Washington. So much fun! The actors were disguised as dinner guests and you only found out who they were when they unexpectedly died. There were clues passed around all night in the form of emails, letters and notes found on the dead bodies. The detectives that lead the show were hilarious, the food and drinks were great, but the only downside is we didn’t guess the correct killer. No prize for us, oh well!

 

 

My job has been going really well. My coworkers are awesome and I am really enjoying my role and responsibilities. I have even gotten acquainted with the Foundation Director and been invited to a charity gala. David and I went to the United Negro College Fund’s Annual Benefit Gala at the EMP building and had a blast!

 

 

 

Another highlight of the past couple weeks was our very short (but jam-packed) weekend home! David and I were able to take our engagement photos and have a dinner with immediate family and our bridal party in one weekend in DC. Such a great time, I will share photos in a separate blog post!

Lastly, one of my absolute favs came to visit me this week, my Michelle! In honor of her birthday, Michelle came to the rainy city to hang out and celebrate! We went to the Rihanna concert and a nightclub in Belltown.  It was so great to have her here and to experience the city together. With some recent requests I may need to start a “visitors’ calendar” to manage all of my summer guests!  Not such a bad problem to have at all 🙂

Bringing Sunshine to Rain City

Hello my wonderful family and friends. I have decided to reinstate my blog and use this as a way to keep you updated on my new West Coast life. I am not the best person to pick up a phone and call so I just wanted to use this as a way to keep in touch and stay updated. This blog was previously used for my social media class in grad school so disregard the previous posts. I am hoping to have monthly updates on here so please feel free to subscribe (button on the right) so you will know when I have created a new post. I love you all and I hope one day you can come visit David, Princess, and me!

My Seattle journey began with my wonderful brother, Travis, coming out to help me get settled. Our big focus of his visit was to find David and me a place to stay closer to Seattle. My job is right in the heart of Seattle and David works on the Army base about 35 miles south of Seattle. Currently we live in a house 60 miles south of Seattle, and let me just tell you the traffic is BRUTAL to work. Travis had me up before 7am every morning, contacting realtors, searching housing websites and riding ALL around the Seattle area. We would not return home until after 7pm each night. Our hard work paid off and we found a swwweettt San Francisco style rowhouse in the (very hip) West Seattle area.

Through our adventures around Seattle, Travis and I found a little “beach” about 4 miles from the new house.

After Travis left I had a few days before I began work, so I spent that time getting acclimated to the area. I was able to get my vehicle registration and WA license.

Princess is getting real cozy in our new WA state residence

Time flew by and it was time to begin work. I started work on Jan 21^st at Safeco Insurance Company. Safeco is a national insurance company owned by the insurance giant, Liberty Mutual. I am in the role of Sr. Marketing Communications Specialist, and loving it!

First day of work

My new co-workers gave me this pretty protea flower to welcome me to the office 🙂

We are partners of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia and had a celebration at work for it.

So far the entire time I was in WA David had been in Afghanistan for a site visit. I was so happy when he returned home for a few days. We went out to dinner to celebrate my first week of work at Etta’s Seafood in the Seattle neighborhood, Belltown.

The calamari is ammaazziinggg and there’s a great view of Pike’s Place

Unfortunately, by the end of the weekend I had to say goodbye to David again. He left for pre-deployment training in the deserts of WA for a month

I am so thankful for my new job and how busy it keeps me. Week two of work they sent me to Boston for a couple of days for a kick-off marketing meeting at Liberty Mutual. Princess had her first stay in a local pet hotel. She didn’t want to leave…

While in Boston I ran into an old GEICO buddy, Katie. We had a chance to hang out for a few in the airport…great seeing her!

Everyone asks me how is the weather in Seattle. I think this picture sums it up…

Yes, rain is in our forecast often however we do have consistent weather. I hear you guys on the East Coast have been hit hard. And honestly the rain has not been very bad…a few sprinkles here and there. The other frequently asked question is what am I doing with my hair. Don’t worry I have not given into the creamy crack…I am still a year and half strong free of relaxers and starting to embrace my fro…

Madam CJ Walker is probably turning in her grave for this picture lol

I am in love with Seattle so far, but there are many things I miss about home. I have not found a church here yet so I have been live streaming Alfred Street every Sunday morning.

To make the 8 o’clock service I have to get up at 5am!!!

I also miss having my family and friends so close but been fortunate to FaceTime with many of them.

Of course Mom has FaceTime with Princess and me almost everyday!

We have many great things to look forward to. David and I move into the new house tomorrow! Because of the move David was able to come home for a couple of days.

I think Princess was just as excited as me to see David!

Unfortunately David will be going back to training before my birthday on the 17^th, but it gives me a chance to get the house all set up before his return.

I am so blessed to have had such a smooth transition to Seattle and I thank you all for your encouraging words and prayers. Please continue to read my blog and call/text me anytime. Miss you much…until next post…smooches!

Happy Halloween from my Niece and Nephew!

(I know I’m a day late… But they are just so cute I had to share)

Concerts at the Fillmore

I had the pleasure of going to see Rap’s up-and-comer, J.Cole, at the Fillmore on Wednesday night. He performed so well and really engaged the crowd. You can’t help but love him, he is oh-so adorable, and puts out really great music. Also, you gotta love the fact he is a college grad and really seems to be a humble person.

J.Cole’s performance was not the only thing that impressed me Wednesday. The Fillmore in Silver Spring was a pleasant surprise. It reminded me of the music hall, the Norva in Norfolk, where I went to see a many concerts in college. The venue was IDEAL for a small concert with an intimate feel. Some of the features of the venue are; standing room only, numerous bars, great acoustics and lighting, and it boasts FREE coat check. Awesome right?!

I would love to catch another show at the Fillmore. Below is a list of their upcoming shows…who should I go see?

Yonder Mountain String Band
tonight- 8:00 PM

Wale “Ambition Tour”
Oct. 22- 7:00 PM

Lewis Black
Oct. 23- 8:00 PM

Red Bull EMSEE featuring: Big K.R.I.T., Joe Budden and Devin the Dude
Oct. 24- 7:00 PM

Moby
Oct. 26- 7:00 PM

LG Ones To Watch Presents: Sound Tribe Sector 9
Oct. 27- 7:00 PM

SAINTS & SINNERS TOUR featuring: Between The Buried and Me
Oct. 28- 7:00 PM

LG Ones To Watch Presents: Chromeo
Oct. 29- 8:00 PM

Ziggy Marley
Oct. 30- 7:00 PM

I ate in excess at XS!

O-M-G…I was in Baltimore this weekend running the Bmore 5k (holla!) and I discovered an amazing restaurant. I have already acknowledged that I am a self-proclaimed fatty, and absolutely love to find new eats. I must give credit to my friend Ron who put me on. XS is a neighborhood gem of Baltimore, and as quoted on the website, specializes in coffee, sushi, and cocktails. As random as that sounds, this really is a restaurant that specializes in a wide variety of foods. Check out their menu

After knocking my socks off with their amazing turkey breakfast meats and chicken sausage…they still didn’t cease to amaze me with their SUSHI! mmm mmm the specialty rolls were the best!

Their FOUR floors of seating, multiple bars, and great music are just some of the highlights. This is definitely a must-try place….take it from me…the girl who tried it four times in one weekend 🙂

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday y’all!!! We made it through another work week. Just for fun I have added my favorite song at the moment…Beyonce-Love on Top. Check out her performance from the VMAs (below). I just love the baby bump exposure at the end…so presh! Have a great weekend everyone, smooches!

Couple’s Advice

Communication is the key to a healthy relationship. But, sometimes it’s hard to think of all the questions you want to ask your mate. Well, this card game; Table Topics for Couples, is AMAZING! It will provoke conversations that typically you may not have with your significant other, but in turn is very valuable information. I purchased this game a couple of weeks ago, and my boyfriend and I do about 5-10 questions a night. There are about 130 cards in the deck, so it can keep you busy for a while. Some of my favorite questions so far are; “How much money do we need to feel financially secure”, “what is your favorite body part on your mate”, “if you could throw away something of your mate’s what would it be”, “Describe our dream house”. There are so many great questions…I suggest this game to everyone. You can find it at a Papyrus store near you for about $25. Enjoy!

Rainy Weekend Must-Do’s

Rain has been in the forecast since the beginning of this week, and has no plans of leaving until after the weekend. If you are as “over it” as I am, Don’t fret! In such a Fabulous city there is always something to do…rain or shine! There are a few activities on my to-do list that I will be considering for this rainy weekend.

After a hard work week, the ideal thing would be to sit back and relax at the spa. When you think it doesn’t get better than the spa…wait till you try the spa that serves FREE mimosas…holla!!! At Mimosa Salon and Spa when you get a massage on Sundays they also offer free mimosas if you choose. The spa is centrally located near Dupont Circle on Connecticut Ave. It appears to be a one-stop shop for hair, nails, waxing, and massage services. This is the ideal form of relaxation on a rainy weekend.

Rainy weekend date nights are the best! And, what better way to spend an evening out, than going to a FREE and entertaining event. At the Shakespeare Theater Company they offer free shows…I repeat FREE shows to watch their classic theater performances. The “free-for-all” performances are during various times throughout the week and open to the public. Being conveniently located at the Gallery Place/Chinatown metro stop is just the icing on the cake!

Last but certainly not least, for a gut-busting time you have to catch the Drag Show at Perry’s during Sunday Brunch. Perry’s began as the “new wave sushi bar” and now it has progressed to being well-known for its sushi and traditional American cuisine. Despite the fact, eating any day at Perry’s is a great experience, Sunday is considered the best! There is a Drag Show during their brunch buffet from 10am-3pm, and is a guaranteed good time. I have been advised come early and be prepared to stay late.

I will not let this rain stop me from enjoying another Fabulous weekend in the city. I have my weekend plans set…now what are yours?

5.9 Magnitude huh?!

We were evacuated longer for fire alarms and that anthrax scare….

Around 1:50pm the DC area had an earthquake hit…and it was a doozy! I appreciate the 12 texts, 2 bbms, and 3 voicemails I received from people checking on me, but I just can’t seem to take this seriously. Maybe because my job forced us back in the building within 15 mins of the shake…and back to “business as usual.”

So since I am so traumatized…I decided to do a little “DC earthquake research.” Here’s some shocking facts:

* There has, in fact, been no historical earthquake that has been centered within the District of Columbia

* The earliest shock that may have affected some sections of Washington occurred on April 24, 1758

* A “violent” earthquake was reported in the DC area in March 1828

* A tremor in May 1897 caused old brick houses and chimneys to crack, bricks to be thrown from chimney tops, and slight ground fissures were noted. This was the strongest earthquake in Virginia’s history at a 5.8 magnitude.

So, I guess today’s 5.9 was pretty historic!

(http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/states/district/history.php)

One thing is for sure…twitter was QUITE entertaining after the quake. Check out this link for the funniest tweets: http://www.businessinsider.com/earthquake-tweets-2011-8#nobodys-working-3 (here is an example below)