Now I was able to link up with Keratin Complex for my latest transformation hosted at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Definitely good times.. so much fashion & style to awe over and stimulate the senses, from head to toe. Gotta love the beauty industry for keeping life interesting, our minds & eyes interested and inspiring people to try new things.

Big thanks to my stylist Michael Perez Here are some pics -

Mind you, I did this “parts” modeling job a while back for CocaCola, and they did say they were going to use it for World Cup advertising, but I never dreamed they would slap an Ad on a billboard here locally! I seriously thought they were only going to use the Ads in South America, lol. But whataya know, that’s pretty cool. If my hand can make it on a billboard, maybe I can someday Oh,and btw, if the billboard is still there, they kinda lowered it to the ground a bit since it was blocking the new Best Western’s sign.

Clothes courtesy of UrbanOutFitters.  Photography By J.Aristotle.  Styling by mwuah

.. so I continue aspiring to inspire.

Maybe I could’ve pulled it off with a few minor tweeks here and there…but I came damn close!

Image by EK Captures

As a client, consumer of these services myself, in this economy, I’ll admit…. I’m getting stingy with the tip portion. Whether it be a pedicure, getting a coffee at an outdoor cafe, a haircut & blowdry, or valeting my car at an event, tipping adds up! It is my choice where I want it to add up (in my wallet or in someone elses).

But there’s always the tug-of-war within each of us – you don’t want to look cheap – or you know if you don’t tip, you can never show your face in that salon again ( I know they talk crap, been on that side of the table). I can rightfully assume that in the old days, a “tip” was given as a courtesy, nowadays its expected, even borderline mandatory.

Ok yeah, I can understand the waitress at Denny’s or at a bar that makes below minimum wage, fine. But nail and hair stylists make 40-60% commission from the cost of service, which at most places is $40+ , so what the hell, you want more?! As consumers, we are loyal, but God forbid when we decide to get a color service without a blowdry. They snuff us. I say, its ok to rethink certain tips in this economy.

You know who you are – we need a break! Stop being freaking greedy and get over yourself !

They lined us up, I was second in line. And there he was. He just popped out of the bus in a Mr.Peanut stance. I don’t know a lot about him, other than he was part of the Beatles, and he was knighted. He seemed to be in a really good mood and was actually really nice to me!  Sir Paul is officially the only famous person I have EVER met. Not bad for my first huh? It all happened so fast. Great experience though, I’ll never forget it.

Whoever said Craigslist is a waste of time…buddy, you’re missing out.

It kind of sucks…certain things that are important to me now as an Adult, I didn’t prioritize and educate myself about them sooner. I’d feel better prepared to handle them in the future i.e. now the present.

Sure, my mom laid the foundations for good character, integrity, diligence, etc. She never forced me to go to college, but did force the Bible down my throat. I say that lovingly of course. I thank her for it now, and I see why she did certain things the way she did. Its like someone once told me, “We’re a product of our environment.” Most of the time..others break the mold..for the better,some for the worst.

My hope for the next generation of young people is this:

1) that they would see the importance of taking care of our Earth, 2) realize how important local AND state elections are (not just presidential), 3) make an effort to be active in their communities, 4) take a stand for justice and peace, 5) and to not become consumed & lose themselves in any material possesion/thing, person/relationship, or the pursuit of a desired status/position/career.

We have to realize that our lives are not our own..that each of us is just a vessel in which we need to let God use for good. We are more then the things we have, or the car we drive, or the clothes on our back, or the house we own, or the city we live in, or the last name we have, or the people we know.

Let’s change our world. It takes a simple baby step, as simple as finally introducing yourself to the neighbor you’ve lived next to for the past 5 years, or a simple daily act of kindness. Have we all become so jaded that we can’t step out in faith in ways like these?

So, contemplating jumping back into the rat race, maybe some can relate to these obstacles.. at first, you only apply to jobs in your “field”. Forty-five days go by, then you start applying to jobs requiring any skills you have at all. Four or five months later, you apply to every kind of job, if its work and it pays, you will do it, within reason. At that point, you realize you gotta start getting creative.  Nobody seems to be throwing you a bone, you’re not sure what approach to take…

After awhile, you’ve applied to so many types of jobs, with no response, no results, you start to wonder… can I still even perform the tasks and skills I used 8 months ago?  You may even avoid applying to jobs that may seem too hard, you’ve stopped believing in your abilities THAT much. You feel like you may need Continuing Ed in the simplest of things. When so much time passes by, and finally, you get that call for an interview. Let’s say for a simple receptionist position. Why do you feel stomach knots of anticipation??

You forget about the experience you may have, or whether you used to be high payed or held a management position in the past, you’re just in a fluster over this receptionist interview. Its a crazy crazy feeling. Eight months may not seem like a long time to be out of work, but in the end, it messes with your head. Big time.

You question your abilities and yourself…am I really a tiger? Katt Williams made a pretty interesting analogy about taking a tiger out of the wild and putting him in captivity, after awhile, the tiger even starts to question himself. Take a listen -> American Zoo