Authentically Nita

Jael Custom Designs has spotlighted my blog! Whoo hoo! Jael Custom Designs is an awesome blog. Not only does she do custom designs, but you'll find resources you can use for editing & customizing if you want to do it yourself. There are also some good recipes and articles! Check out the Spotlight here: Sunday Blogger Spotlight

I cannot wait for this movie to come out! PRECIOUS - Trailer This movie has an awesome cast of some of my favorite people & I am counting down the days! Mo'nique Mariah Carey (we'll just forget about that Glitter thing since she was willing to ditch the Diva act when she took this role.) Paula Patton and Gabourey Sidibe as Precious Lenny Kravitz also plays in this movie.

Great news: I have just received my 3rd Blog Award! This award was given by Nanny Dee at New England Blogger . On New England Blogger you can find some really informative advice on infants and children. There are several wonderful posts about parenting so please stop by Nanny Dee's blog to check it out! Exceedingly Charming Award: This award is bestowed on to blogs that are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated.

The challenge for this week was to capture a contemplative photo. I couldn't get a good shot from the kids, so I used this one of me. I took this by using the timer & doing an auto-shot. This little darling is our new kitten, Lion.

I've been kind of MIA from the usual activities that go on here at my Blog. Preparing for the children to start school, preparing for myself to start school & planning my cousin's baby shower, had me pretty busy. I don't know when I'll get the chance to do the I Heart Faces posts again, (but hopeful tomorrow). I would just like to express , that I have no idea how I am going to juggle, a full time work at home position, two classes a week, helping the children with their homework, dinner, shopping, & Blogging! I'm freaking out here! I have no intentions on leaving the Blogosphere, but I guess I won't be blogging as much. With that said, I may (small chance) be adding two other authors to this lovely blog of mine.... More about that later.

Is it just me, or is Back to School shopping extra-expensive this year???? I think it's a combination of my pay check not going as far as it used to and the fact that all of my children are in school now. I only have to buy uniforms for three of them this year, but that doesn't really matter. Looking on the bright side: At least I don't have to buy one of those expensive calculators this year.

The photo I'm using this week takes me back to my days as a little girl when my dad was able to fix any problem I had. My father bought me these two Cabbage Patch Dolls when I was 3 years old. I had lost my first & only Cabbage Patch at the park one day. I cried for days, because she was my favorite doll. Not long after this happened, I received a package in the mail from Germany. It was from dad & he had mailed me these twin Cabbage Patch Dolls to make me feel better. Every time I pull out these dolls, I reminisce. It takes me back to when there was no problem too big or too small for my daddy to fix. There’s nothing like being a little girl and having a wonderful father there to fix your problems and stop your tears. Even when he was in another country, he was still right there when I needed him.

"If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten" ~. Anthony Robbins I'm a pretty routine person. I usually fall into a routine and stick with it for years. Lately my life has been shaken up with all kinds of new changes that are making me step away from the normal routine of my everyday life. Some changes were not preventable, some are decisions I've made. I am trying to take it all in stride and think positive. The changes I'm making, although new and sometimes scary, they are for the better and for my future. "A man practices the art of adventure when he breaks the chain of routine and renews his life through reading new books, travelling to new places, making new friends, taking up new hobbies and adopting new viewpoints." ~ Wilfred Peterson

Academy-Award winning actress and singer Jennifer Hudson gave birth to a baby boy, David Daniel Otunga, who weighed in at 7 lbs., 14 oz. Congratulations to the new mommy! ....& daddy too!

The Edgar Allan Poe House is a National Historical Site located on 532 North Seventh Street in Philadelphia.  This is right off of 7th & Spring Garden. Admission is free.  I visited the Edgar Allan Poe house when they had the Grand Re-Opening on January of 2009.   If you don't know who Edgar Allan Poe is, Google him. Haha! Just kidding.  Edgar Allan Poe was a poet, writer & critic. He lived in the 1800s & this house was his home during his time in Philadelphia.  Poe was one of the first (well-known) Americans to try and live off of writing alone.  You know, like make a career out of it. "The Raven" is one of Poe's most famous poems and has become a favorite to many people including myself.  Outside of the Poe House there is a Raven statue (shown below). It is believed that Edgar lived in this house at around Age 23.  I was told that this entrance on the side of the house, was actually the main entrance back then. When Poe lived in Philadelphia, he lived

I've been trying to find some new Peace sign pieces to add to my wardrobe. I usually just find stuff here in the city, but I was searching online and found a few things. Of everything I saw, these are my favs. (In no particular order). PEACE SIGN MOM Tee Sterling Silver Peace Earrings (dangle) Rolling Peace Tee Cultivate Peace Hologram Flip Flops White Peace sign bag Purse White Hobo handbag Obvious Clothing peace sign burnout hoodie Gold Peace Sign Tee True Religion Peace Sign V-Neck Flower Peace Sign Tank Floral Peace Sign Tank GUESS Peace Flare Jeans Minnetonka Peace Sign Women's Sandals