Fashion

Categories: Academia, Faith, Fashion, Fitness

Summer/Fall 2024 Catch – up!

Hello! Let’s catch up since my last post. The summer seemed to fly by. It was filled with time with family, work, and sports.

Here are some highlights in the areas of faith, fitness, fashion, and academia.

Faith

There is so much I can say in this category, but I will limit it to saying I am spending more time with God and working to filter all of my thoughts and actions through him. I have created a better routine with having my devotion in the morning before my family wakes up, and I have been praying more throughout the day. I have also started writing scriptures in my planner and seeking guidance from God about my to do lists. I put them before him and whatever I do not accomplish, I try not to feel bad about it.

Fitness

My fitness routine was up and down over the past couple of months. I am proud to say that I did lose 10 lbs. Woop! Woop! However, I am not at my goal weight or physique. I started the 75 hard challenge on Monday with some modifications. If you are not familiar with it, you can do a quick Google search. There is tons of information out there. I like both fiction and non-fiction books, so as long as I am reading, I am counting it. I haven’t settled on a diet, but I am leaning towards a higher protein, more fruits and veggies type of diet. So far, I’ve done well with getting in the 90 minutes of exercise. Some days I do more outdoor than indoor. Again, I am fine with this. I am getting my water in. I am not to a gallon a day yet, but I will get there. You have to give your body time to adjust to changes. Finally, I am taking the progress photos. I think I saw somewhere you are supposed to take them daily. I can’t remember. If I take them weekly, I feel like that should count. As you can see, I am doing the challenge, but I am also being realistic with my body and what works for me.

Fashion

My fashion is still a work in progress! I am trying not to buy too many pieces until I reach my fitness goals. I am trying to be more budget friendly and conscious of the clothing I buy. However, my hair has grown since my photo from August 2023. I am proud of that progress. My nails are becoming stronger. I’ve been using the Keratin 3 day Growth by Nail-aid, and it works. I just need to stop nervously picking at my hands and biting them.

Academia

This year I will submit my 5th year tenure packet. Another woop! woop! My packet is due October 1. This year I am trying to pace myself and not overwhelm myself with the process. I have been saving documents along the way to support my dossier. I just need to make sure I take the time to create the required items and everything in its appropriate place. My teaching scores have been great! I have been productive in my research; however, I can definitely see where I can do better. My service has been on point as well. I remember saying in one of my earlier posts that my words for the year were wisdom and authenticity, and I’ve been guided by those this academic year. I have still made mistakes, but I am not allowing myself to be stuck too long. For more details on academia or if you are needing academic support, please check out fromanurse2anurse.com.

Other

I have some other great things that have been happening, but they do not fit within the other categories. I mentioned earlier how I need to stop picking at my hands when I am nervous. I picked back up my childhood hobby of crocheting. I have been using it as my go to when I have that feeling of nervousness. My goal is to make afghans for my family members.

I have also been gardening. When you see my photos below, I need you to keep your commentary to a minimum. Lol! I am proud of the progress I have made with my garden. My kiddos and I built the raised garden beds. I started out with collards and lettuce. In the other, I had strawberries, tomatoes, and bell peppers. I planted some flowers and herbs from seed hoping they would grow in time to deter pests. I tried to plant pollinator flowers too. I planted Zinnias, Basil, from seed. I also planted marigold plants from Lowes. I had some petunias in pots around my raised beds. Oh, I also bought a blackberry plant. See how we started below!

The strawberries, peppers, lettuce, collards, blackberries did not do well. I removed the strawberries, lettuce, collards, and blackberry plant. I added pollinator plants instead to the bin that contained the collards and lettuce. I filled them with lantanas and marigolds but then moved the marigolds to their own pot. I am still learning all I can about zones, watering, etc. I know that I live in zone 8b. I am also learning more about different pollinator plants that are native to my state. I bought my vegetables and fruits as plants from Lowes and Walmart. I do not think I will do that again. I also bought my lantanas and marigolds from Lowes. I think I will grow my vegetables from seed the next time. The zinnias and basil that I initially planted are now doing well. The tomatoes are still trying to hang in there. I do not know what to say about those petunias.

Check out the pictures below to see an updated view of the garden. I separated the zinnias into their own planter. Now the marigolds, lantanas, zinnias, and petunias are all in their own planters. I read somewhere that lantanas can impact other plants.

That’s it for now! Chat soon!

Categories: Academia, Faith, Fashion, Fitness

The Latest and the Greatest

Oh my gosh! It has been an entire year since I have posted to my blog. I have posted recently to my IG account, but overall, my writing has significantly decreased. Life has been lifing. I know you what I mean when I say that. However, at the end of the day, life is still good. I cannot complain. We are going to pick up where we left off.

First, on IG I posted about my words for the year. They are wisdom and authenticity. For me, it is not a “me” thing anymore. It is a spiritual thing. I have this innate feeling that I am meant for more. My life has transitioned more to one of purpose, and I know that in order to achieve that purpose has to be ground in being my authentic self and making decisions based on wisdom. I am still human, so at the end of the day, I still have my many days of procrastination, sadness, overwhelm, etc. However, I am choosing to react to those kind of days in a more proactive way or better yet in more of a God led way.

So, my latest includes:

1) reading my Bible and talking to the Lord daily

2) praying more often throughout the day

3) pushing myself physically in a good way through exercise

4) trusting myself more in my decision making

5) being appreciative of the season that I am in

6) working to build a legacy for my family

7) working to show my kids a different way of living

8) working towards becoming an associate professor

9) reading more library books

10) working on getting adequate sleep

Check out a few of my greatest since my last post.

As always, I get this feeling of excitement when I post to my blog. The feeling of possibilities. I won’t make any promises. We will just see how it goes. Until next time!

Categories: Academia, Fashion, Fitness

Life Update!

Oh wow! It has been a minute since my last blog post. Life has definitely been lifing, but I can also say I have been constantly growing. I want to give some major life updates.

Update #1

I had a hysterectomy in August. I have had issues with my cycle and premenstrual syndrome (PMS) for years. One of the major issues with my cycle was the pain. It had come to a point that I was only have two good weeks out of a month. I was starting to see a pattern in my cycle, my mental health, and my lack of productivity. Thank God I was able to find a great Black ob/gyn with a great practice that listened to my concerns. We talked about my concerns and my options. I spoke with my husband, mother, grandmother, sisters, and friends about my concerns and decided a hysterectomy was the best route for me. The surgery went great. I also had a great recovery. One thing I did not prepare myself for was the waiting period to resume physical activity. I started back increasing my activity pre-hysterectomy. However, post-hysterectomy I was advised not to do any strenuous levels of physical activity because my body needed time to heal. I am glad I took it slow with my recovery and easing back into physical activity with walking and some yoga. However, during the months of November and December my weight increased significantly. I now weigh more than I did when I had my daughter. My last weight check was 181 lbs. With my 5’3” frame, that weight has had some negative impacts especially as it relates to my joints and range of motion. I will not discuss it in this post, but I do have plans on how I plan to lose the weight. I will share those details in a later post.

Update #2

I completed Dr. Kemi Doll’s “Get that Grant” program. It was indeed a God send to find out about that program. Make sure to check it out if you are not familiar with the program. Initially, I was hesitant to apply for the program due to the price. However, I remembered that I had research start-up funds from when I was promoted to Assistant Professor, so I took a big leap of faith and asked my dean if I could use some of those funds to cover the program, and she said yes. The program started in July 2022 and ended December 2022. The program was phenomenal. I was able to complete a robust program that provided me with strategies for success when it comes to grant and manuscript writing. In addition, I was able to meet many amazing doctorally-prepared women of color in allied fields. I am still applying the strategies I learned in the program. Some days are better than others because I tend to let that perfectionist mindset get in the way, but I continue to take it one day at a time. I am ultimately proud of myself for having the confidence to ask my dean for that amount of money and for taking that chance on myself.

Update#3

I cut off my hair! It was time. I was feeling antsy and in need of something different. I was busy navigating academia, being a wife and a mom, so a haircut was the easiest thing to do. I love it, but I also know at some point I will grow it back out.

Yay to life, growth, and the blessings of each day.

Categories: Academia, Fashion

Academic Travels- NBNA

National Black Nurses Association 50th Annual Institute and Conference

Ok, so my trip to Chicago for the 50th annual National Black Nurses Association conference is over, and I am ready to share how it went.

To recap, the primary purpose of this trip was to present a podium presentation on my research that focused on health disparities in college students and bridging the gap through research. I mentioned in my last post that I have not done a podium presentation since 2019. I have been doing lectures in front of my students for years now, but a podium presentation at a conference is different. It is different at a conference because I am in front of students, fellow academics, and other professionals, so the standard is higher. I was concerned that the presentation would not be completed in time to practice. I love to practice my presentations before I give them because I don’t want to be dependent on my notes. I had some concerns about my presentation because it was based on a study I had conducted previously, and I had some concerns about the preliminary results. After speaking with my therapist and grant coach, I revised my presentation. I received great feedback. I also realized that notes are not necessarily a bad thing. Several of the presenters used notes, even some of the keynote speakers.

After going on this trip, some primary tips I would give for preparing a presentation would be:

Start early. Use the abstract you submitted to create an outline and fill in the outline with your notes.
Know your audience. This will help you prepare your notes.
Practice, practice, practice. Once you have finalized your notes, start to practice. You do not want to depend on your notes because you will miss the engagement with your audience. Practice in the mirror. Practice in front of an audience. Just make sure you practice so you know your presentation.
Find an outfit that makes you feel confident. Presentations can often cause feelings of anxiety. This can be a good or bad thing depending on the individual. Looking great contributes to my confidence, so I would encourage you to find an outfit that makes you feel great.

Now, I want to share how I prepared to travel for this trip. I have a history of overpacking. As a mom, I always want to make sure I have more than enough for my children when I travel. That habit trickles into my travels without my kids as well. I knew I needed to do something different for this trip. I did an inventory of the luggage I had and determined the items I would need to make my travel a success. I wanted a travel makeup bag, a bag for my chargers, and some luggage packing organizers. I did an Amazon search, and you already know there were so many options to choose from. I decided on the options below (links included).

Links:

Makeup bag

Charger bag

Luggage organizer

I based my decisions on the reviews and the price. These pieces were game changers for my trip. The travel makeup bag allowed me to keep my necessities organized, and it also included a hook, which allowed me to hang my bag in the bathroom for easy access. I was skeptical of my luggage organizers at first because they looked small. However, when I started packing them, they ended up having a good amount of space. I am type A all the way, so it was so exciting to have my clothes organized in these compartments. I was also skeptical of my tech bag because the compartments for storage seemed small, but I was able to pack my cell phone, apple watch, iPad, and mac book charges in my tech bag. I packed this bag in my carry on so having this little bag put me at ease.

The final thing I purchased before my trip was some dresses from Amazon. I ordered these dresses a few days before my trip. I knew I wanted something with more of a tailored look and Amazon did not disappoint in price or product. I was able to find four dresses that had your girl’s confidence on ten. I ordered a large in all of the dresses. During these photos, I was 5’3″ and 175 lbs. I did not wear the solid navy or red dress that I ordered. I do plan to wear them in the future. See the pictures below.

Links:

Polka dot dress

Burgundy dress

Navy and red dresses

I have to mention that my confidence kind of tanked because I broke a nail while traveling to Chicago. My nail split, and I tried my best to keep it intact. It did not work. Once we arrived to Chicago, I bought some glue-on nails from the local Walgreens. The brand I used was the Kiss Bare but Better Sculpted TruNude Fake Nails. This was a total win for me. They were the subtle color and length that I wanted. My confidence was back on 10. The bad part about these nails were the removal when I returned home. I did not look up directions on how to correctly remove nails with glue. You should have guessed it by now that I ended up with damaged nails. That’s ok though because I have the products I need to nurse them back to health.

Link:

Nails

Overall, the trip was a success. My husband was able to travel with me. We had an opportunity to experience great food and drinks, time with one of my old colleagues, and explore Chicago. Professionally, I received inspiration to keep doing the work and growing my professional network.

Categories: Academia, Fashion, Outfits, Research

Upcoming Conference Prep

I have a conference approaching, and I have two goals: complete my presentation and not overpack.

Ahhhh!!!! I have not done a podium presentation since the summer of 2019. I have been lecturing in the classroom since then, but this time, I will be in front of fellow academics, nurses, students, etc. I am nervous, but I know I can do it! My goal is to knock the presentation out by the end of the week to provide me with adequate time to practice, practice, practice. I will create another post to provide tips for creating a presentation after the conference.

I will also share what I did to prep for traveling after the conference. The conference will be in Chicago, IL. I’ve traveled there before for another conference, and I loved it. My goal is to bring a carry-on and a tote bag. I have a habit of overpacking, so this will be the ideal opportunity for me to practice downsizing. I know that I want to purchase a toiletry bag and an organizer bag for my chargers.

I cannot wait to provide an update on my presentation and travels.

Categories: Fashion

Nails of the Week

Polish – L.A. Colors Color Craze Gel Polish in Rockin’ It

I’m still using the Nail-aid collagen polish as a base coat and the Nail-aid gel xtreme shine top coat. I have seen a difference in my nails after using these products. They feel stronger and grow so fast. Regarding the actual polish, I love the color, but the polish seemed thick when applying it to my nails. This color is after using two coats of polish.

Categories: Fashion

Nails of the Week

Polish – L.A. Colors Color Craze Gel Polish in Flashy

I did it again! I got my nails done at the salon. My husband bought me a gift card to the nail salon celebrating Nurse’s Week, so I decided to get dip powder nails and a pedicure. Big mistake! I was disappointed in the results of both, and I didn’t have the patience to have the issues corrected. I decided to wait for about two weeks before I took the dip powder off. This gave me time to research how to properly remove the powder and buy products to nurse my nails back to health. I was able to find a great video by Sylvia Jade on Youtube. Please check out the link for a quick way to remove dip powder nails. I’ve also heard great things about Nail-aid collagen maximum builder. I was able to find it on Amazon in a set with a keratin growth polish and gel extreme topcoat.

I followed the steps by Sylvia Jade. See the before and after below.

I then followed this by painting my nails with the keratin growth polish as a base coat followed by a pink gel polish. I cannot remember the brandname for that polish. I followed my gel polish application with my favorite Seche Vite fast dry topcoat. I am so proud of the results! I was able to maintain my nail length and not overly damage my nails. I cannot wait to paint my nails again.

Categories: Fashion, Makeup

Momcation, Skincare, and Makeup

This mom took a much needed momcation. If you are not sure of what a momcation is, my defintion of it is a solo mom vacation to the location and hotel of your choice for rest, relaxation or whatever you need it to be. This can tend to be a new concept to men/husbands/dads, so you may have to ease them into it. I know I had to with my lovely husband. As mentioned on IG, I had all these preconceived plans to rest, knock out work, etc., and it did not happen. What did happen is that I had some much-needed alone time, and I took some time to explore different skin care products, makeup brands, tips, etc. I accomplished my goal to get my skincare and makeup routine together. I still need to work on contouring, but I am happy with my products and my beginning look. Just an fyi I have sensitive skin, so I have to be mindful of that when selecting skincare and makeup products. Check out the deets of my products below.

Makeup remover – Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water Makeup Remover

Facewash – Cerave Hydrating Facial Cleanser

Retinol – Cerave Resurfacing Retinol Serum

Vitamin C – Cerave Vitamin C Serum

Moisturizer – Cerave AM and PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion

Primer – NYX The Marshmallow Smoothing Primer

Brows – Maybelline Xpress Brow in Black Brown

Foundation – The Lip Bar Just a Tint in Caramel Delight

Concealer – The Lip Bar Caffeine Concealer in Caramel

Powder – The Lip Bar Powder in Golden Girl

Contour/blush – Maybelline Master Contour Pallet in Medium to Deep

Setting Spray – NYX Dewy Finish

Lashes – Almay Thickening Mascara in Blackest Black and Maybelline the Falsies Lash Lift in Brownish Black

Lips – Loreal Glow Paradise in Mulberry Bliss

Categories: Fashion, Nails

Nails of the Week

My nail journey continues. These were my nails without an overlay, painted with a purple color from OPI. I chose to go bold this time with my color choice to give me an extra pep in my step. Plus, purple is my grandmother’s favorite color, and she told me it represents royalty.

I loved the look, but my nails are super weak. Please be mindful of the nail salons you pick. I will not be going back to the one that did my overlay with the pink polish. I had an intuition about that place, and I should have listened. I went to another salon this time, and the service was great. After taking this photo, I had to cut them all down because they kept breaking and splitting. The color is still super cute, but I have to nurse them back to health.

Categories: Fashion

Happy New Year!

As I reflect on this year, I can say it has truly been one of life, lessons, and love. I can’t thank God enough for his continued blessings, the doors he has opened, and the doors he has closed. I let fear become bigger than my faith in some areas of my life this year, and I cannot take that same mindset into next year. I started taking steps to change that. God has already started blessing me and my family in the new year, and it hasn’t even started. In 2022, I am bringing CRAZY FAITH (read the book by Pastor Michael Todd if you haven’t already), COURAGE, and CELEBRATION.

Looking forward to 2022!!!!!!! Happy New Year!!!

Photo: @_andreafoster_ on IG

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