A Brief Pause

My goodness, it sure has been a long time since I last spoke with you :-) Due to a variety of reasons (I won't bore you the details), blogging at YIR will be on hold for a while. Maybe I'll be gone a month, maybe longer. But fret not dear readers, I won't be gone forever. And when I do return, I intend to have made well worth the wait!!! As always, thanks for your continued support and patience.

Wednesday's Woman: Jayme L. Alilaw

I'm super excited to bring you today's Wednesday's Woman because I know that you will be as equally impressed by this young dynamo as I am!!! She is a talented vocalist, Masters degree candidate, veteran, volunteer, and if all of that wasn't enough, she's a mother as well. And I'd say all of this even if we didn't share (phonetically speaking - I spell mine differently) the same middle name LOL! I can get tired just thinking of what her schedule must look like.

Today's leading lady sat down to answer a few questions for the YIR audience about her influences, vision, role as a mother and legacy maker, and a servicewoman to her country. I'm pleased to introduce to you the uber talented mezzo-soprano and California State University graduate student Jayme L. Alilaw!!

Continue ruminating...

Stop Trying

Last year while watching a Joyce Meyer podcast, I realized I needed to stop trying to do things in my life. I'll explain.

Whenever there was a task to be done wherein I either didn't know whether or not I'd be successful or I simply didn't want to be bothered with it at that moment, I'd say, "I'll try." This left plenty of wiggle room and a shelter from accountability. Watching Joyce instruct her audience to "just stop trying and just do it" seemed extremely empowering.

However, learning something and thinking it makes sense, still doesn't make it a personal conviction. I literally told myself, "I'm going to try to stop trying and just do it!" I'm fully aware of the oxymoronic logic there. But, at the time that seemed reasonable enough.

Continue ruminating...

Tribeca Film Festival 2010

The Tribeca Film Festival is well underway at various venues throughout the city. I was fortunate enough to attend premiere screenings for two interesting character driven movies.

On Sunday, I checked out "Cairo Time" starring Patricia Clarkson. Although we've all seen Ms. Clarkson in countless movies, this one marks the first time she has played the romantic lead (I was stunned when I first learned this as well). Patricia plays the part of Juliette, a woman who goes to Egypt to visit her United Nations employed husband for a long-awaited vacation. When he is unable to join her, he sends his former security advisor Tareq, a charming and handsome Egyptian who provides protection, guidance, and assistance in this isolating foreign land. There is crazy chemistry brewing between the two and a too-close-for-comfort friendship develops.

Glamazon and TT strolling the red carpet before the movie

The scene inside the BMCC Tribeca PAC theater before the start of the movie

The director, Ruba Nadda, introducing the film's stars and producers

Next up, was last night's premiere of "Legacy" starring Idris Elba, Eamonn Walker, and Monique Gabriela Curnen.

"Legacy" is about a former Black Ops soldier, played by Idris, who is sent on a mission to capture an arms dealer, but finds himself beaten and tortured. When he learns that the operation was a mission in fultility, he returns to the U.S. to with plans to rectify the situation.

The singular setting of a dingy Brooklyn hotel room sets the backdrop for one of the most riveting performances I've seen from Idris. As a man deeply wounded, (emotionally, mentally, and physically) he fully embodies the character and transforms into something other than the cocky and swaggerific Brit we've come to love.

Idris Elba and Thomas Ikimi

After the movie, the cast and director answered some audience questions. The Nigerian born director, Thomas Ikimi, is smart, funny, and passionate about filmmaking. His desire to bring back the fundamentals of good cinema is to be applauded because, unfortunately, it's not all that common these days.

If I had to describe this movie in one phrase, I would say, "I Am Legend meets the direction of Alfred Hitchcock."

The Tribeca Film Festival runs through May 2. If you are in the NYC area, do yourself a favor and check out a screening or two. For all others, the festival is an annual affair so, be prepared to be here next year:-)

The Quads and Yale

This brilliant set of African-American quads from Danbury, CT have made history by being the first set of quadruplets to be admitted to Yale. The siblings (Martina, Ray, Carol, and Kenny Crouch) had their pick of Ivy League and top tier schools including Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Duke, Tufts, Wesleyan, and NYU, but ultimately settled on Yale because of its "down to earth" atmosphere and a generous financial aid packet.

These kids should be celebrated for their hard work and the example they'll be setting for thousands of other minority students. Instead of desiring to be rappers, video vixens, or pro atheletes, these four have set their sights higher.

With the cost of tuition steadily rising, they weren't dismayed and neither did they tell themselves to dream smaller. In general, there is nothing wrong with applying to local state schools or going to a community college. However, too many of our Ivy League ready students do so because they become overwhelmed by the prospects of the college application process and the exhorbant costs.

We have a responsiblity as parents, aunts, uncles, mentors, friends, and even neighbors to help out those coming after us. And if that includes helping them navigate the college admissions process so they can soar among the elite minds of this nation, then so be it!!!

A friend of mine, The Chi-Town Stepper, has come up with ways to teach kids to "dream out loud, often, and together". I'd also add to dream BIG, WAY BIG!!!! Let's make the Crouch story the rule and not the exception!!!

Read more about them at The New York Times.

Cupcake Heaven

I really believe my life might be complete if I purchase this t-shirt. It's being sold on Etsy in the Dressing On the Side shop.

These cupcakes are topped with edible butterflies. Need I say more?!?!

**All cupcake items were originally found on one of my regular blog reads, The Kitchn.