Trip to Orlando: WINNING Presentation!

I didn't get much sleep the night before my presentation. It was a combination of nerves, procrastination and adrenaline. I had this fear that I would oversleep and would miss the whole thing! So I set the hotel clock and two different times on my cell phone, just in case I didn't hear the first time (yeah, I know).

The next morning arrived and I was excited! I was as excited about my outfit as I was about my presentation! :)

Remember this?

Here is my version

Skirt: K&G; Denim Shirt: Wal-Mart; Shoes: Rack Room; Necklace: Arthur's (ATL)



I was scheduled to present at 8:30 AM!!!! I'm not a morning person, there was not a Starbucks nearby and I only had about 3 hours sleep. You would think that's a recipe for disaster...but I surprised myself and did relatively well! Yay me!

I ended up having 45 people attend my session entitled, "Branding Yourself as an Event Professional." At 8:25 there were about 4 people in the room, so I was a bit nervous. But people began to trickle in, then pour in...next thing I know the room was loosely full. There were only about 10 empty seats in the room. For a novice, I thought this was great! WINNING!

The evaluation feedback was really good and people kept coming up to me throughout the day and the following day telling me how much they enjoyed my presentation. WINNING!

Needless to say, I was exhausted at the end of the day. I returned to my hotel and crashed. It rained the entire day and I did not feel like venturing out. So dinner was Pizza Hut because they were adjacent to the hotel (yeah, I know, I broke my own rule).

Tuesday was the last day of the conference. I spent the day in sessions and then returned to the hotel. Quite frankly I have not felt much like shopping the entire time I've been here. So although it was a beautiful day out (sunny and warm again), I decided to spend some time lounging by the pool at the hotel.

 

Lounging poolside will definitely be my summer pasttime.

As the sun set, I changed clothes and decided to go to dinner. I ended up at the Orlando Ale House. I had a tasty apple walnut salad with flank steak on top and raspberry vinagarette dressing.

Luckily, I finished my dinner before a couple set down in front of me (we were at bar tables) and my eyes were assaulted with this...

This is why men need to pull their pants up...

By the time you read this, I will be back in NC and probably at work (UGH)! Hopefully you enjoyed my trip to Orlando as much as I did. Although I did not do much at all, the rest and relaxation was welcomed!

Trip to Orlando: My Stay in the City

I arrived in Orlando Saturday afternoon to a balmy 85 degrees and nothing but sunshine. I checked in to the hotel and the first thing I did was check the view from the balcony.

After relaxing for a while, I decided to grab some grub. I did not rent a car while in Orlando, but luckily there were a ton of eating places near my hotel. I went to Joe's Crab Shack for dinner and had the classic steampot...my favorite. We do not have a Joe's near me, so this was a good choice. I try to make a point to not eat at restaurants and chains that I have at home.

I pretty much spent the rest of the evening relaxing and getting settled.

Sunday, I slept in but ventured out in the early afternoon to pick up my registration materials for the conference. This is what greeted me on my way to the hotel...

Yay!

One of the things the conference participants received was a "Fun in the Sun" kit. I thought this was too cute!

 It included sunscreen, lip balm, first aid kit, etc. This will definitely be in my beach tote this summer!

After leaving the hotel I was starving! Once again, I did not want to go to a chain to eat, so I used Google Places on my phone to see if there was anything interesting nearby. The 2nd restaurant listed was a Cuban restaurant, Havana's Cafe, about 10 minutes from the hotel (walking). OMG! The best food EVER!

I had Camaguey which was skirt steak, chicken and pork, with yellow rice, plantains, red beans and cuban bread.

I was so full after that meal all I wanted to do was take a nap! But I needed to work on my presentation for the next morning. I set up shop on the balcony to work.

I worked late into the night...but I think it was worth it! Stay tuned to the next post to see how my presentation turned out... 

My First Braidout Yay!

I have never tried a full braidout because I didn't think I would like the texture of it. I've done a braidout in the front of my hair for a style, but that's it.

When I did a braidout for a semi-protective style, I like the texture a lot better. I decided to try a full braidout. I was super pleased with the results.

These are days 1 and 2 of a braid out. I rebraid at night. I have a feeling I'll wear this style a lot in the coming weeks.

Trip to Orlando Part 2: Traveling

I left Greenville around 10 AM on Saturday morning. I learned this tip from a co-worker. I do not wear any jewelry until after I go through airport security. I place my jewelry in a plastic baggie and put it in my purse or carryon.

Plane was supposed to leave at 9:25, but we ended up sitting on the runway for about 30 minutes waiting for some group called the ABCDEFG group (names have been changed to protect the insane LOL) to give us clearance for takeoff.

Speaking of airports and planes, our airport has gone through some serious upgrades. It's a regional airport, so everyone had to walk outside to reach the plane. But now we are just like other airports! Way to upgrade Greenville!

I do not wear makeup while flying. Instead, I put on sunglasses and lipgloss. Rain, sun, sleet, snow...this is what I wear.

I keep Evian and Pond's wipes in my carryon to use before I deplane. If I need to apply makeup, then I do so as soon as I deplane before my adoring public sees me LOL.

I did not take a picture of my outfit because frankly it wasn't that spectacular. My infamous skinnys from JCP, gray blousy tank and black boyfriend jacket from Target and black flats. I try not to wear sweats or anything while traveling, but I must remain comfy.

I'm writing this on my last night here, but the best post is coming up...stay tuned!

Trip to Orlando Part 1: Packing

Greetings from Orlando, FL!


I am in the area for a few days for a conference. I've been to this conference before, but this year is different, I am one of the presenters. I decided to step outside of my box and share my experiences with others.


But that's not what this post is about. This post is about packing. Which I tend to overdo. Yes, I overpack. And I really did not want to do that this time. Last summer MsVaughn of YouTube fame did a video on packing efficiently for a vacation. I was determined the next time I had to take a trip where I would fly, I would use this method.

One of the first decisions I made was to loosely use a color scheme. Doing this would reduce the number of shoes and other accessories required. And when you have to weigh bags, every ounce counts.

I decided for a neutral palate of brown, gray, denim and chambray blue.

Here are the outfits layed out...

The best thing to do is to lay out the outfits including shoes, hats (if applicable) and accessories. This will avoid forgetting anything.

Here are the accessories:

I bag my accessories in plastic bags. This prevents them from tangling in transit.

Clothes folded and accessories packed (in black bag)

Now on to toiletries...

This includes hair and hair products, makeup, toiletries (cleansers, lotions, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc.) and other products.

Once toiletries are packed, now it's time to pack!

In the checked bag, I put all of the toiletries and liquids. This ensures that none of my toiletries are tossed by TSA (I had this happen on a trip to ATL...NO BUENO!). Belts, shoes and underwear are also packed in the checked bag.

In the top lid of the suitcase I packed my hair (lol), satin pillowcase, laundry bag and the tote bag I will carry while at the conference (ooo-ooop!).

Next I pack clothes in my carryon. There is also a small umbrella in the carryon because rain was forecasted.

I put a couple of the clothes (PJs, swimwear and a couple of skirts) in my checked bag because I did have some room left in the bag. Here is the checked bag with everything packed.

That's it. Here are my bags packed and ready to go!

Checked bag, carryon, laptop bag

Because this was a business trip, I had to take my laptop. I didn't show you what was in the laptop bag, but I put some magazines in there and all of the electrical cords for laptop, iPod and my phone. I also recommend putting all of the cords in a large, plastic bag that you can take out at security. I was searched because my cord looked suspicious. Since I started packing my cords in clear plastic and putting them in the bins while going through security, I have had no issues.

I took a crossbody bag that fit in the top of my carryon, which I removed and wore once I went through security.

You can check out Ms. Vaughn's packing video below

I feel really good about my packing....stay tuned for more from my Orlando trip!

Extend the Life of Your Tights

Saw this in First Magazine...if you are like me, you don't want to purchase another winter item. In order to extend the life of your tights another few weeks, try this...

Rub the rights with a fabric softener sheet. The lubricating agent polydimethylsiloxane in the dryer sheet will make the fibers more pliant and take you through the end of the season.

25 Songs 25 Days: Songs for My Parents

I am breaking the rules for today's 25 Songs, 25 days...


Day 3 is a song that reminds you of one or both of your parents. Have you ever seen my 'rents?!?!?! Here they are...

Yes, I look just like my Daddy....LOL

My mom is a pastor, so this song, "Beautiful Feet" by Donald Lawrence, always reminds me of her and her ministry...



My dad has always been a great provider and is well respected in our home, church and community. This song, "Daddy" by Beyonce, reminds me of our relationship. I do want my future husband and son to have almost all of my dad's qualities (except for that stubbornness gene he passed on to me as well LOL).

What song reminds you of one or both of your parents? Want to participate? Here is the list below...

25 Songs, 25 Days A Song for My Ex...

*insert eye roll here*


My ex is a huge Lalah Hathaway fan (Donnie Hathaway's daughter). And now hearing her music makes me roll my eyes...and I love Lalah's voice.


So for this 25 Songs, 25 Days, I chose "Something" by Lalah Hathaway. My ex played this song for me in the heyday of our romance. He said the song reminded him of our relationship *insert more eye rolling here*.



Speaking of Ex's, I saw my ex-ex boyfriend 2 days in a row last week. Um, didn't he get the memo that when we broke up that he was supposed to be swallowed up in the Earth never to be seen again!?!?!?! UGH...

What song reminds you of your most recent ex? Feel free to insert plenty of eye rolling as necessary...

25 Songs, 25 Days...A Song from my Childhood

I saw this on Afrobella's Facebook page...I am going to try to entertain the masses with my song selections. Music is a huge part of my life and I love certain songs and they bring back  memories (some fond, some not).


Today's song is to pic a song from your childhood. I chose Diana Ross's "I'm Coming Out." This was the first 45-record my parents bought me when I was about 6 (yes I am telling my age). I played that song non-stop for about 5 hours; until my parents threatened to break it in half.



If you want to participate here is the list of the 25 song selections below. Stay tuned in the days to come...

Update on Mae's "Sweet Shine" Spritz

Of course I had to run out and gather ingredients for Mae's from Natural Chica "Sweet Shine" Spritz. You can see yesterday's post here.

For once, I couldn't wait to get home and braid my hair so I could try the product out this morning. I usually do not like the nighttime hair ritual; but I hate bad hair days worse--so what are you gonna do? *Kanye shrug*

Instead of putting mine in a spritz bottle, I put it in a 3 oz. pour bottle like this...

I moisturized, sealed and braided my hair in slightly smaller sections.

This morning, I followed Mae's instructions and here are my results...

 

My hair is soft (it's 5 PM as I write this post) and still looks somewhat defined. I think it will work and look much better on freshly washed hair. So I look forward to using this spritz (which I now call oil mix) this weekend when I wash and try a braidout (for the first time in my over 1.5 years of being natural).

I have LOVED this semi-protective style for the past week. I am going to wear a braidout this weekend and into next week. I will get my hair rebraided hopefully next Thursday prior to a trip to Orlando, Florida for a conference. Stay tuned for posts regarding my packing process for this trip. I am bound and determined NOT to overpack!

Keep your fingers crossed, I'm hoping to meet Prissy from Rush Our Fashion while in the area.