CBC + DC Friends & Fam ♥

Congressional Black Caucus + Hoodrat Stuff w/ My Friends!

Professional as mos by day, ratchet by night.

Teach for America + CBC + My BFF's *sigh* what a week. Yo, I adore traveling which is weird because I L-O-V-E being at home too. Anywhoo, here are some pics from the week. I was half delirious (due to lack of sleep), tipsy (due to my hoodrat friends), or fuller than full the majority of the trip. Yep, I had a ball. Check out the photo's!

Tuesday: I hit the city & my BFF (Farrah) suggested Liv on U-Street http://livdc.com/for dinner + drinks + entertainment. Sadly, a storm threat kept it from being poppin', but we ordered the most bomb food. See this table? This was for the two of us alone (steamed veggies, 2 orders of catfish, chicken wings, sweet potato fries, 4 Sangria's). It.Went.Down!

Wednesday: Woke up uber early to help facilitate ILEADEx which dug deep into how to actualize Black leadership within Teach For America. We reflected, met other phenomenal leaders, action planned, & began to imagine ourselves as the leaders we admire + more.  It was an awesome time. Our medium-large group took a beautiful walk to Thurgoood Marshall Center <photo below> & spent the entire day there! Cool spot w/ an awesome history http://www.thurgoodmarshallcenter.org/.

Wednesday Night: My fellow co-chairs & I hosted a Teach For America African American Managers of TLD dinner at Eatonville, DC on U Street http://www.eatonvillerestaurant.com/ which happens to be one of my FAV spots! Mainly b/c I love Zora Neale Hurston + Their Eyes Were Watching God, but the food is pretty freaking tasty too. I had the fried chicken, greens, & mac n cheese w/ a Gingery drink. Check out the crew that showed up <below>. The co-chairs (myself, Helen, & Adam) really, really appreciated the love y'all! Shout-out to my most fav guest + roomie my little sister Crissy Rogers, yes, she's my real sister y'all. ♥

Thursday: Woke up bright & early uhhh-kinda to attend the Congressional Black Conference! Saw my sister-friend-boo-love Jamie + her James Baldwin pic during breakfast <photo below> & eventually linked up (again) w/ my Ace-boon 'Nessa. We jumped from CBC forum to forum. We heard about everything from Black male achievement (I fell in-love w/ Jabali Sawicki), women's health, to political rights! We also ran up on Congressman/civil rights legend John Lewis by mistake, but it was awesome nevertheless. He's so down to earth! On another note, don't 'Nessa & I look cute as hell? It's because we are! Enjoy this pics + videos from the day.

Thursday Night: Jamie, Joy, 'Ness, Toussaint, & I frolicked to Park http://park14.com/. We quickly found Hollins & Britt in the party for some ratchet fun. I reunited w/ my ex of 3 yrs., danced (kinda), & well...stayed up reminiscing until 6 a.m.! *sigh*   No pictures y'all. No.Freaking.Pictures.Y'all. This song tho *ahem* it was that kind of night.

Friday: Friday morning my co-workers/sister-friends (Joy, 'Nessa, & Jamie) set out to find some good breakfast! We approached a Omega man (Roo to the Bruhs) that told us we were less than a block away from Paradise, literally. He suggested Saints Paradise Cafeteria & it did not disappoint! 2 pieces of chicken, home fries, baked apples, & a grapefruit juice for $7.00? The service was awesome too! Look how happy I look <below> I'll mos def hit it up again.

After breakfast we (ladies + Toussaint) spent the day in forums, but I eventually linked w/ my big bro AB & the homey Tia to peep my last forum of the day. 'Nessa & Toussaint came along for the ride! The documentary, Hoodwinked <clip below> was well put together & super informative. It pushed me even harder to start putting together my plan for a Black girl's mentorship program here in NOLA. Afterwards we decided to go to Vapiano's http://www.vapianointernational.com/vapiano/, but not before a pit-stop (per my request) at a gorgeous local garden shop. I got super inspired to start my small garden from my 30 before 30 list! Check out the homie's AB & Tia + that bomb dish from Vap's <below>. After all that...I ain't even gon' lie, it wasn't a Fri. night. My girl Kristen picked me up, drove me to Bowie, MD & I knocked out.

Saturday + Saturday Night: I woke up "turned up" from a good night's sleep! Me & my girls <Farrah & Kristen> hit the city w/ late lunch at Lauriol Plaza http://www.lauriolplaza.com/. I always have the best salmon at the spot! It's so freaking good I could eat that joint everyday. I ain't lying! We followed our dining w/ drinks (Matrimony) at Alero http://www.alerorestaurant.com/. Feelin' good, feelin' great we boogied ourselves to JoJo's http://www.jojorestandbar.com/ which was AWESOME SAUCE! Loved the live music. Loved the drinks. Loved Moses. Loved time w/ my girls.

Sunday: I attended church (via live web) at The First Baptist Church of Glenarden http://www.fbcglenarden.org/broadcast.html! I worshiped, watched Kristen sing in the choir, heard a helpful service about prayer, & I packed my things to return to NOLA. This was followed by brunch at the TAP & Parlour, Bohemian Taverns http://tapandparlour.blogspot.com/ . Kristen & I met up w/ a larger group (Mu, Shay, Jay, Earl, & Fa-Fa) in "The Cave" & this is when things got a wee hazy for ya girl. My BFF Farrah knows I can't have cheap champagne, but told me to "TURN UP". Sooooo in addition to Chicken & Waffles (which was delicious) I drunk some Mimosa's that had your girl tow up from the flo up. LMAO! Poor Kristen had to babysit me afterwards! All in the airport turkey lurkey due to "Hoodrat stuff w/ my friends". I ain't shamed tho! YOLO! Ha! 

Farrah thinks I'll move to DC. I might. I dig it. ♥

- Peace & Light, S. Elem 

Skydiving = Done. ♥

Jamie + Stevie = Top 3 Awesome Weekends of My Life! 

We took on the sky #1 Skydiving = Done & the jazzy streets of NOLA. 

Scratching dreams off my 30 before 30 list this past weekend & God was doing some serious speaking to me/us. I heard Him loud & clear! Check out the details below. 

1.) Jamie & I went skydiving at GoldCoast Skydivers in Lumberton, MS (a little over an hour from NOLA) http://www.goldcoastskydivers.com/. I couldn't breathe & was super nervous. True story. Here's my dive video. Please, ignore my weird voices. Clearly, I get super proper & goofy when I'm nervous. Peep my faces while in flight *sigh* I told y'all I couldn't breathe! LMAO! Then he pulled the parachute & it was the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen, seriously. Y'all gotta do it.  

1.) Jamie & I decided we would celebrate our dive by going to Tempt @ The Saint Hotel http://www.thesainthotelneworleans.com/ here in NOLA for a fancy meal 3 course meal + wine. While there this man named "Doc" approaches us, chats for awhile, & pays for our entire meal. I'm talking several glasses of wine, pricey appetizers, & 25-33 dollar entree's y'all. Not the 2 for 20 at ya local Apple-bees. He mysteriously disappeared, never asked for our numbers, & we we're both like we deserve this life ALL.THE.TIME. I see you God! 

3.) I discovered that Jamie had never been to Bourbon so of course we frolicked! I L-O-V-E- Royal Sonesta's Irvin Mayfields Jazz Playhouse (off Bourbon). They always have the best music + ambiance http://www.sonesta.com/royalneworleans/. So we rolled in that thang to jam, but not before a bathroom encounter w/ an Afro-Latino Angel. We met a woman & asked about her fab hair. She gave us a product run down & proceeds to tell us, "You two are gorgeous & need to wait until your 30's to get married + have kids. Go live life, go on dates, f*#%!" She was bomb & gorgeous! So feelin' good, feelin' great, lookin' even better we boogied into the spot to the sounds of Brassaholics http://www.brass-a-holics.com/main.html & I see my ex + his "new whatever". Wait, wait, here's the kicker, it didn't even phase me! I felt too good & full of life to be concerned. I just kept dancing, kept living. Yo, I even spoke to the "new whatever". Look at God. LMAO! Once again, my heavenly father placed someone in my life at just the right time. After a night of non-stop dancing/celebrating w/ my love Romell (the most fun man on earth) Jamie & I decided to take it on in around 4:00 a.m. 

4.) Sunday morning we attended my church home New Home Ministries (1616 Carondelet Street, New Orleans, LA) + brunch. The pastor's lesson was about growing closer to God so his shadow can cover/protect us <Psalms 94:1>. He talked about relationship-a-holics & how they go from one to another, but never seek the most important relationship w/ God. I knew that God was talking to me. It was solidified when I remembered my guardian angel Montre Walker's beautifully haunting "religious views" on Facebook, "Moving closer to GOD so his shadow can cover my world." Jamie & I followed church up w/ crazy "One Day" sign sightings (y'all TFA teachers ain't slick) & brunch at Cafe Rani http://caferanimagazine.com/ . Romell joined us again & Kenny C. who I adore. Yo, this spot has super good Mango Mimosas. Yum! 

5.) Later Sunday night a good friend L. Kasimu Harris who happens to be a renown journalist/photographer http://www.oxfordamerican.org/articles/2012/mar/02/parish-chic/ invited us to Saints player Jabari Greer's shindig at Eiffel Society on St. Charles http://eiffelsociety.com/. Jamie & I were a bit tired, but we were determined to make the most out of life. The benefit/party had yummy food, cool people, & a stylish Black woman w/ the most awesome jazz voice I've heard in awhile graced the stage. I wish I knew her name. Anywhoo we couldn't complain! However, we called it a night fairly early. 

6.) Jamie had a 6:00 a.m. flight. We said our goodbyes & I came back home to the sweetest card. I love that woman. AND I noticed that my African Violet *OO-OOP* that I thought was dead finally grew new petals! I'm pretty sure she brought the sunshine. 

- Peace & Light, S. Elem