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esskay
Digital storyteller, Photographic narrator, Hogwarts alum. In real life, I write things. I speak fluent sarcasm. I'm unintentionally funny. My favorite thing is food. Guac is life. I'm a fountain of the most random information. I'm pretty, only because it's weird to call oneself beautiful. I'm weird in all the good ways. I live in the greatest city on Earth. I was Sasha before Beyonce was schizophrenic. My life is stranger than fiction. But please, don't take my word for it. My pen is mightier than my sword. Instagram
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Monday, September 21, 2015 || 9:54 PM
"I know you gon' miss me. For we been together like Nike Airs and crisp tees"Another one has come and gone and once again, it felt entirely too short. I know I shouldn't complain. I'm more fortunate than a lot of people and I get opportunities to go places and experience things that most people don't but I always feel like I could've crammed just one more thing into my Summer if I only had a little more time. Now, Fall is upon us and as much as I can appreciate sweater weather, I just miss short shorts and sundresses. I guess my love of Summer just guarantees that I'll never be satisfied with these three short months. Also, I'm sure the fact that I live in New York has a lot to do with it. It wouldn't be so bad if we actually had the four seasons we're supposed to instead of one month of Fall, six and a half months of Winter, three weeks of Spring and then what feels like five minutes of Summer. Still, I try to make the most of it and this year was no exception. So here is a snapshot of my Summer shenanigans. I miss them already. 1. The unofficial start of Summer No, I'm not talking about Memorial Day. I usually like to kick my summer off around my birthday which is a week before Memorial Day. So I usually get together with some friends, and have a mellow turn up. This year's was pretty memorable and I had a great time. 2. Becoming one with nature So this Summer, I took a few trips to Prospect Park with my sis and her son and it turned out to be an interesting adventure. We fed ducks, took a ride on a surrey, had ice cream, ran through the sprinklers and even had some delicious #DRAAAAANKS. Plus, the view of the lake is beautiful.  3. Went to the Ball And no, I didn't lose a glass slipper. I went to the Governor's Ball, this really great music festival on Randall's Island. Three days straight of good music, good food and good beer. I finally got to see Florence + the Machine perform which was the highlight of that experience for me. Drake was also amazing and the silent disco was pretty cool too but the #EEEEEATS are what really stole the show. 4. Took a trip to the 'burg And that would be Williamsburg. For Smorgasburg. Because the only thing better than a music festival is a food festival and it's not Summer in New York without Smorgasburg. I actually took more than one trip this Summer because the fat girl within just couldn't stay away. The Ramen Burger was reason enough to go back but then I discovered the Dough donuts and I was hooked. As always, The Good Batch, Milk Truck and Home Frite did not disappoint. 5. A milestone and a first So my chunky monkey celebrated his first birthday this Summer. I always say I don't think I have a maternal bone in my body and that kid makes me believe it more and more everyday. I love him but I kinda suck as a Godmother. Which is fitting because I, too have a sucky Godparent. My Godfather is the worst. Whenever you really need him, he's super clutch but other than that, forget a happy birthday or a Merry Christmas unless you send him a written reminder because he never answers his phone. So maybe that'll be me. Sucky but clutch. I'm okay with that. As long as he knows he can come to me if he ever needs anything, I think I've fulfilled my duties.  6. Restaurant week So New York Restaurant Week Started the week I was leaving for vacation. But I owed a friend a lunch date before I left So I finished shopping and packing and picked a place off of the very extensive list of restaurant participants. I decided to play it safe with one I had heard good things about so we went to Tao. It left something to be desired for him but I had a moment with the Spicy Tuna Roll and really, that was all I needed. That said, I owe him a Steak for Winter Restaurant Week but the company and the drinks were good so no complaints here. 7. Vacation, all I ever wanted At the end of July, I packed my bags and headed to a little island in the West Indies called Grenada. It's where my parents are originally from and it's beautiful. Admittedly, I haven't posted those vacation pics because it was such a mellow and relaxing vacation, I didn't do much to show. But mostly because posting them would solidify that Summer is over. However, now that Summer actually is over, what the hell?           In any event, I enjoyed myself. 8. Went Greek When I got back to the city, A friend of mine introduced me to this amazing Greek restaurant in Chinatown of all places. I had never tried Greek before but it was sooooooo good. So, so good. So good that I went back the next weekend, paid it forward and passed on the secret of the amazing Greek place in Chinatown. It's not so secret now that my favorite food blog has let the cat out of the bag but still definitely worth a trip. I still have dreams about the Baklava. Totally worth it. 9. Partied with The Row This Summer, I got to see my favorite group of poets, The Strivers Row. And even though my favorite poet is no longer with the group, they were as phenomenal as always. After the show, we got to hang out and party with the poets which I thought was pretty dope. The DJ left much to be desired but the drinks were good and the poetry was bomb.   
10. Went blonde
So earlier this year, I got the blonde bug and I said that I wouldn't let 2015 end without trying on blonde. I mean...I guess blondes have fun? I have just as much fun if not more with my real, brownish black hair so meh. I was also a dread head for a few weeks. It's been an interesting hair year thus far and it's not even over yet so I'll be doing another post about that soon. If you missed the first one, check it out here.This was just kind of a highlight reel of my Summer. There were a lot of great times in between. Awesome parties, good drinks, even better food, random shenanigans and I was fortunate enough to enjoy it all with good friends. Now that it's hoodie season, I guess I'll turn down for cold weather. Until next year, keep warm folks! Labels: friends and fam, fun times, good eats, in real life, listy, personals, pop of culture, vacation Wednesday, September 2, 2015 || 11:58 PM
There comes a point in every young woman's life when she realizes that her mother was right. About basically everything. Now, you don't get there overnight. Mothers and daughters have complicated and sometimes delicate relationships. No, there is a process. First it's one thing. Maybe coming to a realization and having a nagging sensation that you've come to it before. And then you'll think about an experience, something you've gone through. You'll think about how a situation ended exactly as she predicted it would or how making certain choices, however small and irrelevant they may have seemed, made your life that much easier. And then you grapple with the horrifying thought that your worst nightmare has come true: you have become her. Because although you love her and would do anything for her, the woman is batshit crazy and you swore this would never happen. And then you dial down the drama and chalk it up to old age. Women get older, wiser, and then get along with their mothers. Because although you tried to deny it, your mother, in all of her infinite wisdom, was right. You cut your own bangs and learned the hard way that it's not the wisest choice. You dated that guy who was impossible to relate to because it was something to do. You trusted people who turned out to be more foe than friend. And you wore those shoes that were too high with that dress that was too short and got some very inappropriate propositions that night. So now that I'm older and hopefully wiser, I'll share some things. For those of you who haven't dealt with the reality that mother does indeed know best, maybe it'll be easier taking it from a daughter. The salon will always give you a better trim. I don't even know why this is a question. Dating a guy with similar (or even the same) cultural and/or religious background will make your life so much easier. There's so much you'll never have to explain, so much that you'll just get about each other. So many things that won't stress you out, including wondering whether your parents like him. That friend who doesn't act like your friend, isn't your friend. You're better than this. You deserve better than this. Move on, and let them watch you be great without them. And lastly, don't wear 4 inch heels with a dress that hits anywhere above the knee, you'll look like a prostitute. And depending on the dress, maybe not even a high paying one. The point is this: one day, your bangs will grow out, you'll date a gentleman and you'll make smarter choices and those choices will come from the far removed part of your brain that was accidentally listening while your mother lectured you about your hemline. And when that happens, you will be so very grateful for her.To my mother, to all of the mothers, especially mothers to little women who are not quite women yet, I'm sorry. I know how frustrating it is to want someone to be smarter for their own good and they just refuse. Adolescence is no excuse. I feel for you. Probably a good time to mention that I doubt I have a maternal bone in my body but we'll see. However, I also want to thank you for everything you are and everything you do. It can't be easy always being right and being the only one to know it but you guys didn't sign up for the easy job and I respect it. Labels: babble and rant, in real life, personals Saturday, July 25, 2015 || 1:56 PM
I remember a simpler time, when my makeup collection consisted of a chapstick in my back pocket. Those were the days....After years of fighting it, I have a makeup "collection" (I'm using that word very loosely).  What's more, it slightly resembles that of a grown woman. Which I'm actually kinda proud of. So I figured I'd tell you all what's in this collection/my makeup routine (and by "routine" I mean what I use the once-ish a month that I actually wear makeup) because even though I'm not about to do a Youtube tutorial or a "what's in my makeup drawer" video, people are into this stuff. Right? RIGHT?? Anyway.... Stuff in this "collection": EYES Urban Decay Book of Shadows 4 -includes 16 shadows, liquid eyeliner, mascara and the eyeshadow primer potion BH Cosmetics 120 color palette Estee Lauder Deluxe Eyeshadow Compact Clinique all about shadow quad Clinique lash building primer Clinique lash doubling mascara Clinique high impact mascara Clinique quickliner (cream) -intense ebony, intense plum and intense ivy Benefit They're Real mascara Givenchy Phenomen' Eyes mascara Estee Lauder Intense Kajal eyeliner in Blackened Black (pencil) Sephora retractable eyeliner in shimmer bronze (crayon) Sephora Classic Line 24hr felt liner (liquid) Kiko automatic precision eyeliner in 705/blue-ish (crayon) LIPS Maybelline Baby Lips (that time chapstick almost made a comeback) -plum, pink and nude Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Unapologetic Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Fleshtone Makeover Essentials lip gloss -coral, bright pink, soft pink and champagne Kiko matte precision lip pencil in 306/bright red Kat Von D Everlasting Love Liquid Lipstick in Berlin Buxom Full-On Lipstick in Las Vegas Bare Minerals Pretty Amazing Lipstick in Strength BH Cosmetics Color Lock Long Lasting Matte Lipstick in Passionate Sephora Cream Lip Stain -Always Red, Endless Purple, Forever Fuchsia and Mandarin Muse MAC Lipstick -Cyber (satin), Diva (matte) Clinique Chubby Stick intense moisturizing lip color balm -Mightiest Maraschino, Broadest Berry Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella Nars Satin Lip Pencil in Rikugien FACE Bare Minerals Prime Time foundation primer Bare Minerals Original Foundation in Warm Tan Bare Minerals All-Over Face Color in Warmth Bare Minerals Original Mineral Vail Estee Lauder Deluxe All-Over Face Compact -includes three blush shades and a bronzer Makeover Essentials Shimmer Powder Brush in Bronze Benefit Watt's Up Highlighter Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream in Deep Chanel Powderlights in Rose Dusk tl;dr I have a lot of shit. So now, onto my "routine" Foundation intimidates me. Which is why I use the Clinique CC Cream because I don't need a primer, a moisturizer or even a brush. I just rub it all over my face and it's everything in one. I don't even need a concealer because it blurs everything. What I love about it is that it's super subtle. It doesn't look or feel like I'm wearing makeup but it's like putting a very subtle filter on your face. Eyeshadow is my favorite because even though I don't wear it often, there's so much you can do with it. Urban Decay has some really great, super pigmented colors but I've really been loving the BH Cosmetics 120 palette lately because there are so many color combos and looks you can create. I'm pretty hopeless with eyeliner but once I put on mascara, it's a little easier to make a straight line. I usually use the Clinique liners because they're the easiest and they don't smudge. Lipstick is kind of an obsession of mine because even if I don't do anything else to my face, I can always put a color on my lips and look like I tried. This is probably the laziest lazy girl makeup routine you've ever heard of. That's fine. I've always felt like I'm not girly enough to put in more effort than I do. It's a miracle I've even gotten this far. I've accepted it though. God blessed me with really good looks so it's all good. I saw this woman putting on her makeup on the train the other day and wanted to give her a round of applause. I can barely get mascara on in my bright ass bathroom without smudging some on my nose. So for the women who do put in the effort, especially the ones who don't need to because God also blessed you with extremely good looks, I salute you. Labels: anomaly, babble and rant, listy Friday, June 26, 2015 || 4:57 PM
I know there are some people who will judge me for this. In fact I'm sure some of you can't wait to judge me so I'll try to make this short and sweet so you can get to it. I am here for marriage equality for three very simple reasons. First, I feel like there are certain freedoms in life that should be afforded everyone. I guess that comes from the perspective of being a black woman in America. For the people who would say it's wrong for the LGBT community to have this right, I always think of what things must have been like when slavery was abolished and people were furious that we had basic human rights. And I feel like marriage is pretty basic as far as rights go. Second, I keep thinking about what it must be like for a homosexual person who actually wants to commit themselves to one person for the rest of their life and not be able to do that, all the while watching men and women everywhere make a mockery of the institution of marriage. From Kim Kardashian and her 72 day marriage to people who get shitfaced in Vegas and run off to a chapel only to have it annulled when the aftereffects of all that booze wears off. I mean, it has to suck. The third, last and probably most important reason that I am here for this is that a persons sexual orientation is no one's business except their significant other. I feel like my sexual orientation is like my teeth. It isn't relevant to anyone except the person I plan to spend my life with. My teeth (and whatever cavities I may have) aren't relevant to anyone except my dentist. If we're friends, all I need to know is that you're a dope ass person. Who you share your bed with and what they have between their legs isn't any of my business because it really doesn't affect me one way or another.I am a Christian and I do have my personal beliefs. But that's just it. They're personal and it really isn't my place to shove them down other people's throats. In fact, I could tell you from experience that that is the least effective way to get people to see your point of view. I guess my point is that I won't hate something that has nothing to do with me. It doesn't affect me or apply to me. If you are a heterosexual person who doesn't support gay marriage, my only advice is this: don't get gay married. A friend of mine put it a bit more eloquently. Everyone has the right to execute his or her decision in life whether they believe it's sinful or not, wrong or right. That's how fair and loving My God is. We were created with the ability to dictate our choices in life. As a Christian however, I also have the right to execute my decisions in regards to my choices, lifestyle, and belief systems and to stand firm on them. Am I going to give my homosexual friends the cold shoulder and condemn them to hell? Of course not. The love of Christ won't allow me to. I can however share my views and beliefs in a loving manner if the need arises. It doesn't mean you have to accept it, and I'm totally 100% okay with that.Moral of this story: live and let live #LoveWins Labels: babble and rant, pop of culture Saturday, June 20, 2015 || 1:27 PM
So the Governor's Ball Music Festival happened. Three weeks ago, to be exact. My only defense is that I didn't have time to blog those shenanigans because I was enjoying other shenanigans. Also, I still don't have all of the pictures but it's been three weeks so those will just have to come later.
When I first heard about the Governor's Ball, I thought it was just that. You know, fancy party, important people in formalwear. Then I realized it's like New York's version of Coachella. And it was awesome. I went with a friend that I grew up with (who's actually always been more like a big brother) and his girlfriend and we had a really great time. We had 3-day passes but we were all busy on Saturday so we went on Friday and Sunday. I guess it's a sign of old age creeping up on me because those two days were more than enough. I don't know how people do Coachella. After two days, I was ready to tap out and climb into bed. Nonetheless, I had a really great time and it was an awesome experience.
Day one: Friday
We got there late in the afternoon and it was pretty much a zoo. I'm guessing the first day is always the craziest as there were people as far as the eye could see in every direction. But the food (curated by the good folks over at the infatuation) was definitely on point. After procuring a few corn dogs and some funnel cake and beer, we found a nice spot on the grass to enjoy the show.
     
Highlights:
The people watching was superb. Pictured above is a group of friends carrying a big ass slice of inflatable pizza through the crowd. Where else? Seeing Drake and Florence + the machine perform was also pretty dope.
Day three: Sunday
This time, we got to the island pretty early. The ferry ride over was beautiful. Once we got there, there was lots more to see and do. We hit up Asia Dog for some eats and then took a trip over to the lounge for some drinks before we did a little exploring.
         
Highlights:
It was pretty cool to see Weird Al perform. The hot dogs from Asia dog were well worth the wait. The silent disco was a new and interesting experience. We got to take a bunch of pictures all over the place (that natural sunlight filter is everything). We also got to make a gif, so that was fun.
Overall, I'd say this was one of those really awesome, unforgettable experiences and I'm glad that I got to share it with some dope people. It was also a really great way to kick off the Summer and I'm looking forward to more awesome experiences and making more memories with dope people along the way. Since tomorrow is officially the first day of Summer, I hope you all have a great one!
Labels: entertainment, friends and fam, fun times, good eats, in real life, pop of culture Thursday, May 28, 2015 || 11:31 PM
Yesterday, I posted the following series of clips to my Snap Story.
Labels: anomaly, babble and rant, in real life, personals Thursday, May 21, 2015 || 10:17 AM
It always takes me a minute to collect myself enough to blog about my birthday. This year, I'm only a week late so...progress! This birthday was a strange one for strange reasons that I won't go into here but also a really good one. I had a great time with a good (if random) bunch of people, I felt good and there was cake. It wasn't the multiple day adventure it has been in recent years because reasons but it was exactly what I planned on it being: nothing special. It may sound weird but I think it's a sign of my impending old age. I've always been an old soul but old soul or not, there are just things you feel the need to do when you're young. For my 23rd birthday, I went to Miami and celebrated for 5 days straight. And now I'm perfectly content to have cake and drinks with a bunch of randos. Because lets face it, they're my randos and life would be pretty dull without them. Anywho, we went to this cool little spot in (where else?) Williamsburg called Sweet Science. I loved it because it was so chill and the menu was mostly comfort food things but it was SO good. Also, the drinks were top notch and not overpriced. Overall, it was a really good night.    
We had a few drinks in the back room (which was pretty cool in and of itself) before the rest of the folks showed up.
    
This cake was EVERYTHING. Usually, I'd tag the bakery I got this from but I almost wanna keep this a secret. I've mentioned it before though.... So good.
    
This also happened...
My friends are bad people...
Highlights of my night:
1. A pretty awesome, very specifically mixed to my liking drink made by a handsome bartender with a beard of epic proportions at Featherweight.
2. The staff in general. They were so cool and extremely accommodating to everything we needed. That, and the fact that the food and drinks were so amazing.
3. Cake!
4. That time Brad and Krys randomly surprised me and showed up after what I'm sure was their own version of a crazy night. Also with Kevin (another surprise as he's NEVER in the country for very long) and a lovely young lady whose name I unfortunately can't remember because...
5. Brad decided to play a game where I would take a shot and before I finished it, there would be another sitting on the table in front of me. It was kinda like that episode of Spongebob where Patrick ate his lollipop and then went crazy looking everywhere for it except this was the opposite because I'd do a shot and then look down and think 'I thought I just drank this!' which I'm sure was entertaining for my friends because then Krys and Kev and even our server Caprice decided to participate.
6. Caprice was cool as shit.
I had a really great time though and to everyone that was there, thanks for making it what it was. Love you guys! And of course, thank you to everyone who took the time out to send some birthday love my way. I know I'm a whole entire week late but I definitely appreciate it.
Labels: friends and fam, fun times, good eats, in real life, personals |