Don’t forget to check out #Buffalo’s #TasteofDiversity this Sat., June 2. Visit www.TasteofDiversity.org for more information. It looks like it’s going to be great! #BuffaloSummers

Seriously just came across this ADORABLE Christmas card that my Godmother gave me last year. It’s supposed to be the two of us walking together in the snow. Man, do I miss her! Oh well, it looks like I’m going back to #Houston.

lovequotesrus:

Photo Courtesy: observando

I think I just found my new motto on life. #LiveLife #LoveAlways

#HappyMemorialDay #heroes 

“Your story is never over, until you say it’s over.” –Anonymous

You meet a boy; you date, fall hopelessly in love and then make the decision to get married. This is, for all intents and purposes, supposed to be the happiest (and, I do mean happiest) time of your life.

Your friends know, your family is elated and you, as the blushing bride-to-be plunge head first into the world of weddings. Bridesmaid dresses, flowers, photos, cakes, venues, colors, location, and date, oh yeah, the date – everything needs to be decided quickly. The list is endless, but it’s a real rush.

The fiancé, your oh so charming, soon to be hubby is truly elated – elated knowing that all he has to do is literally show up on the day of the wedding and stand at the alter. (Now ladies, and gents, for that matter, don’t be surprised by this, I am sure that your fiancé is thrilled to be marrying the “woman of his dreams,” but let’s keep it real. He doesn’t really care about the details.) 

But, the work doesn’t end there. Once you’ve locked down the date and venue and finally selected the colors, you – the glowing bride-to-be – move full steam ahead into finding the perfect dress.

Everything is falling into place. You’ve finally found the dress that will turn you into a princess rock star and the rest of the planning is, well, cake. Since you found the dress, locked down a venue and theme, everything else is pretty much done.

As a treat, you decide to go out for coffee at that favorite little café you love so much. Book in hand, you order yourself a latte, find a table and throw yourself into finding out what new adventure awaits Grey and Ana in the second installment of James’ “Fifty Shades” trilogy. 

And, then it happens.

Your world shifts – just a little. You don’t realize it at first, but it does. He asks you what you are reading and off you go. It’s harmless, you tell him about the book and why he should read it; then your telling him what you do for a living and the next thing you know your talking about food, sports, books, your travels, his travels – life.  Hours have gone by and you realize that you just spent the entire day talking to another guy.

Before you leave you give him your e-mail address and tell him to contact you if he remembers the name of that book he was telling you about.

You tell yourself not to freak out. I mean shit like this happens to everyone. You didn’t do anything wrong. Someone asked you a question, you answered and that was that. How often does your friend Sally tell you about how she was at some store and randomly stroked up a conversation with someone? ALL THE TIME!

He was a nice guy – a new friend. Nothing more, nothing less. And besides, it’s not like you will ever see or hear from him again. He seriously was just some random guy you met at the café who asked you about the book you were reading.

The next day, it’s back to business: work, wedding planning, hanging out with the fiancé, and more work.

Then, life gets crazy. You’ve been so swamped at work that you haven’t had any more time to think about your upcoming wedding. But, you and your fiancé are okay with this. I mean, after all, all of the “heavy lifting” is done. You can take a break from all of the planning.

Days turn into weeks, weeks turn into months and the next thing you know it’s been almost a year since you – and your fiancé – have had time to think about your wedding, much less sort out the planning details. He’s working, you’re working, there is never time. Plus, your family is getting on your nerves, asking you for wedding updates every five minutes.

Things start to slow down. You finally have some time to think things over. You tell yourself that you are going to firm up a few more wedding details this weekend. So, you grab your purse, your wedding magazines and you head to the one place where you know you can concentrate: the bookstore.

Once again things start to fall in place. You have made a list and are slowly checking things off one-by-one. Your fiancé (and family) will be thrilled. Inside you are jumping for joy, your inner princess rock star is back on top; everything is right in the world.

And then, it happens…again. You look up from your table and there he is. Standing a few feet in front of you smiling, waving and walking directly towards you.

Shit, I mean yes – I think, NOOOO…Crap, what do I say, shit, shit, shit.

He’s bewildered, you’re completely dumbfounded, but yet here he is, in the flesh, standing at your table, exactly the way he looked when you two first met. You smile, make light of the fact he’s here in your bookstore and ask him how he is doing.

The door, the one you thought you closed a while ago, is wide open. Hell, the more you think about it, it was never really closed in the first place…and there were those e-mail conversations…

You spend the rest of the day talking. It’s like no time has pasted between the two of you. He asks you how work is going, what’s new in your life and have you seen that new play that opened up a month ago. You smile, blush a little, because you realize that he paid attention and that he remembered what you like and where you work.

It. Is. Great.

You don’t want to admit it, but it is. And it feels this way because you can’t remember the last time your fiancé asked you these questions or even talked to you this way.

Flushed, you tell him that you have to go. You have a fiancé to get home to and while it was great to see him, this cannot happen again. You tell him that he needs to stop contacting you. You apologize for leading him on in any way, but it’s the “right thing” to do.

As you drive home you think about what happened. You think about what he said, how he said it and, most importantly, how it made you feel. Your inner voice, the one that you have been ignoring for the last few years, is finally coming in loud and clear. You know what you need to do, what you have to do.

A few more months go by and you still haven’t dropped your bomb. Your wedding plans are on permanent hold. Your fiancé has no idea, he thinks your just really busy at work, but you know, deep down in your heart, that he is not the one for you. He isn’t the one.

Your life has become routine, you get up in the morning, make coffee, shower, head to work, go home, make dinner and go to bed. The highlight of your week is waking up Saturday mornings to mop your floor.

You’re 25. You want to travel, you want to go out with your friends, you want to finish grad school, you want to go out on a random Tuesday night because you can and it’s allowed. You have no obligations, no kids, no mortgage, no car payment; it’s just you and your fiancé. The world should be yours for the taking.

Your fiancé thinks everything is great. He loves you. He thinks you love him. What more could we, I mean he, possible need.

But, the thought of breaking your fiancé’s heart is unbearable. So, you take the day to figure things out. You go shopping, you grab a coffee and as you grab a bite to eat at that cute little diner you’ve always wanted to try, he walks in.

Your world shifts and this time you feel it. You stand up and take note of what’s finally been going on around you. 

You smile. He smiles. You know what you need to do. It’s going to hurt like hell, but you have to do it; you can’t keep doing what’s expected. You realize in that instant that you haven’t been living these last five years. You realize, that you have to start living your life.

You invite him to join you for lunch. You don’t know what’s going to happen or what life has in store, but you do know that in this minute you are exactly where you need, where you should, be.

You worry about what’s to come. You know your fiancé is going to be hurt, but you find peace because you know, at the end of the day, that you’re doing the right thing.

Life is journey and we never really know how that journey is going to turn out. All you can do, all any of us can do, is take hold of our storybook, open to page one and begin reading.

Everyone knows someone, who knows someone who knows someone who should start a blog. They are super funny, they say such meaningful things, they are great writers, the list is endless. But, how many of us actually believe it?

I mean sure, we are all funny, say meaningful things and are great writers (at least we all think that we are)! But, every once in a while, we come across someone in our lives who has that star quality that we all see and secretly wish we had.

Well, for me that person is my friend Q. Despite his craziness, he truly has one of the biggest hearts I know…and the crazy thing?…You really wouldn’t expect it. Q was that guy - you know the one that everyone adored; the one we all had a secret crush on, who was smart, funny, super athletic, bold, and honest to a fault.

So, when he came to me a few months back and told me that he was going to start a blog, I thought, “Hell yes!.” I mean, I would totally read that blog. And thus, The Odyssey of QB was born.

Check out a blurb from his latest post below (and don’t forget to check him out - and follow - him online):

I was asked “What do you want out of this, fame?”

My reply, the total opposite. I’m repulsed by fame. In fact I don’t care if people even know my name. I just hope to inspire people, children, to grow up with a broader view of the world by forcing them to burst the bubble that they live in…I want to teach children not to spend a lifetime looking for answers that can be found internally.

…I just want the world to know what I stand for and that even if one day I am able to influence great numbers, that I’ll continue to teach people to think for themselves.

When all is said and done I would be content if people at least have begun to rebuke judgement and welcome understanding…What I want out of this is to lead people toward new ways of thinking; I want to inspire people to be the change they seek in the world.

This is BEYOND cool.

designaemporter:

miles donovan

Absolutely breathtaking.

man-and-camera:

Knox Mtn.

Just came across these photos from my trip to #Vegas last year. #VegasMemories