The Special Places in my Home

Both of these pictures are in the first level of my house. When we first moved in, my mother set then up to show all company that entered our house how proud she was of her parents and children. The first picture is dedicated to my grandparents. On our mantle, when have the flag that we got when my grandfather passed. He was a WWII veteran, so they gave him the proper burial complete with a 21-gun salute and flag for the family. Since that day, we’ve kept his flag in its case as a sign of respect and remembrance for my Pop-Pop. In front of the flag is my grandmother’s urn. She died when I was a sophomore in high school. She requested to be cremated and buried in Jamaica with her mother. My mother followed her wishes and took her ashes to be buried in Jamaica next to her mother. But because she didn’t want to let her mother go completely, she kept just a little bit of her and placed it next to her husband’s flag. So while in our home, my Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop will remain next to each other. The mantle also has other touches of remembrance for my grandparents. Gifts, a grandpa and granddaughter in a rocking chair figurine, native Jamaican wood sculptures, etc., that we bought our grandparents for special holidays are up there, as well as grandma and grandpa Chinese figurines that match our Chinese chest in the Family room. To give the feel of being in at my grandparents’ old house in Florida, my mom puts up pictures from special events in our lives like they used to do (hence why my prom picture and my sister’s, Mayne, high school graduation picture are there).

 The second picture is in my Living room. This is the first room you see when you enter my house. My mother changes this special place in the house every time there is a graduation. No matter who graduates, both Mayne and my picture stay up on the sides of the table; they only change if a new picture is taken. My mom decorates the center of the table with our diploma, graduation program, and any other mementos from that day. Usually, there is a vase of flowers and a lot of glitter on the table (both my sister and I like glitter!). She does this primarily for the party that comes after the graduation; the table remains set up this way until the next graduation. This is my mom’s way of celebrating our accomplishments and appreciating our efforts.

These are pictures of Mayne’s and my room. When we first moved, my mom allowed us to set up our own rooms. We both wanted to celebrate the accomplishments that we had achieved throughout our young lives. We asked our mother to get us bookcases that we could fill with our trophies from track & field, cheerleading, dance, and scholastic honors. As the years went on, we added more trophies and medals from high school. Eventually, we were able to put our varsity letters and graduation caps on display. Mayne’s senior year, our poms team won 3^rd place in short pom and 1^st place in hip-hop at state competition. Since Mayne was our captain, she got to take home the trophies so they sit on the floor by her bed since they were so huge. We look at our trophy cases as a way to celebrate ourselves. Something to show our children of all the honors that we have been awarded.  

Nailed it !: Nail Art

One of my favorite hobbies is painting my nails. It all started so long ago; as a child, I always wanted to be just as pretty as Mommy. She was always made up with jewelry, purses, perfume, and freshly painted nails. I always loved how there were so many colors to choose from. It seemed like you could never wear the same color twice, but you could sport every shade of pink that there is for 3 months straight. My fascination grew so much that I turned my 10th birthday party into a nail social. My mom bought about 20 new colors for the party and that marked the start of my collection (which now has expanded to 189). Over the 10 years after my party, I have perfected my nail polishing skill. I look to the internet for inspiration for new designs from people who have created blogs in dedication to nails (this means I'm not alone in my obsession, lol). It takes a lot to execute a perfect manicure, even without designs. Making sure all of the brush strokes are in the same direction and stay within the lines makes me feel like Michelangelo painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. I try layering glitter coats on top of creme colors to see the polish in new ways. When I really want to be expressive, I try my hand at designs. It's a way of painting a picture on 10 tiny canvases. Honestly, painting my nails is like a release for me. Just the same as when I paint pictures or pottery, painting my nails is a rush of artistic freedom that puts a smile on my face and others.

My nails

Designs I found on the internet

 

How I Met Your Mother: Season 6

How I Met Your Mother is a sitcom set in 2030 when the main character, Ted Mosby is telling his 2 kids the story of how he met their other. The majority of the show's action takes place from 2005 to the present. The season that I most recently watched from start to finish was season 6. It was set in 2010/2011 and was centered around the gang's, Ted, Barney, Lily, Marshall, and Robin, personal lives. Ted gets in a relationship but for once, chooses work over love. Barney meets his father and considers settling down with one of Robin's co-workers. Lily finally gets pregnant but has to help husband Marshall cope with the loss of his father. Robin quits her on-air job to take on a researcher job at a more respectable news channel. The season ends the way it began, at a wedding, which is revealed to be Barney's wedding, and the best man Ted is needed for assistance.

I like the show How I Met Your Mother because of its plot. It's full of mystery because the main character, Ted, dates so many women so it's a guessing game as to which one he actually ends up with. I love how they weave common elements from the story line into all of the episodes, yet, there is always something new going on. Another reason I like this show is because it is quite allegorical. They always make reference to later episodes so it just keeps me wondering how that part of the story will play out.

I love the way the characters relate to each other in this show. The chemistry on screen, although it is scripted, seems so genuine. My favorite character is Barney, who is played by Neil Patrick Harris. The reason I like him is because he commits to his character. In the show, he portrays a womanizer who is interested in sex and money. Love and marriage do not exist to him, that is at least up until the sixth season. But in real life, Harris is an openly gay man who lives with his domestic partner and their children. I love how he can make his character so believable without losing himself in the show.