I am inspired by faith, motherhood, self-discovery, marketing, sports and most things that challenge my thinking.

So I'm sitting in Fuddrucker's eating with my daughter and we have the following conversation after she received her order of chicken fingers:

Lil 1: Mom, do they really use the fingers of a chicken to make these chicken fingers?

Me: No, they use chicken breasts.

Lil 1: Well...do they remove the nipples???

Me: Speechless first...laughing fit. Still laughing!

My daughter..hmmm.

While walking through the foodcourt in the mall, my daughter made the following comment about Dippin' Dots with a concerned look on her face:

Lil 1: Mom, is that REALLY the ice cream of the future?

Me: What are you talking about?

Lil 1: Dippin Dots. Is it true???

Me: Umm, I don't think so. It's just the brand's slogan.

Lil 1: Oh, good! (with a sigh of relief)

Her concern caused me to put on my marketing hat and contemplate if Dippin' Dots really could be the ice cream of the future - and more importantly, why did the powers-that-be in marketing at this company choose this statement as the brand promise?

As a marketer, I believe that its imperative that a brand deliver on the expectations of its promise - a promise which should differentiate the brand from its competitors, be distinctive, induce action from consumers, and most of all - be believable!

In the case of Dippin' Dots, the believability is questionable. The more I think about it, I can't conceive that this brand is the ice cream of the future - by any stretch of the imagination! My daughter falls into the target market (kids ages 8-18) and she has tried the product a few times. Needless to say, she has not taken a liking to the product and was quite relieved that we would still have regular ice cream in the future. I mean honestly, do we need a new type of ice cream for the future? What's wrong with our current form of ice cream?

Also, I'm a little confused as to how the brand's promise relates to its brand identity. The font treatment, web/collateral design elements and the distribution channel(s) all give the brand an 'old-timey' feel. There's nothing 'futuristic' about it. I do have to say that I'm intrigued by the cryogenic encapsulation technology used in the product development to supposedly lock in flavor and freshness. However, I believe that the brand could do a better job at highlighting its functional benefits by finding a creative way to communicate those benefits to the target.

As we continue our study of the Book of James, we are now focusing on Getting Back to the Biblical Basics of Taming the Tongue.

The big idea for today centered on speaking with care. But in order to do so, we have to control our tongues. But in order to do THAT, we have to learn to control our thoughts!Speak with care, control your tongue, control your thoughts If we speak bitterness and anger or hatred, those things are hidden deep in our hearts.

The pastor taught from James 3:1-12 highlighting that the tongue has the power to direct, to defile, and can be poisonous and destructive. There are numerous scriptures throughout the Bible which tell us to use restraint when it comes to the tongue. Psalms 141:3 illustrates David's concern and prayer to God to guard his tongue. Our mouths can get us into soooo much trouble!

I tell my daughter all the time, "Women are better seen than heard." She takes it to the extreme and sometimes states her annoyance if she encounters a loud-mouthed female. LOL.

Sometimes its better to listen, show a KWYit KUNfaDINSe!

My daughter likes music from the New Jack Swing era! It's probably my fault for popping my Ipod in the truck and playing the songs over and over again!

On the way home, she asked me to play the song that goes...."And just let me sleep, don't wake me up til my dream is complete. I'm dreamin...!"

I was a little shocked that she knew the words!



I love Christopher Williams! Always have.

I think he'll be in town doing some stage play next week. Never been to one of those plays, I'm thinking I may go to see it just to see him!

This is my smile from earlier today.



So I was on my way to this awesome Super Bowl party in Mckinney and I stopped by Sprouts to pick up my weekly refill of Metromint bottled water and a bottle of Funf 5 German Riesling - because I just CAN'T go to a party at someone's home empty-handed.

I was at the check out counter and I handed my ID to the cashier, a cute rosy-cheeked guy around 22 or 23 years old. He looked at it and immediately did a double take. I thought something was wrong. With a sheepish grin he told me, "Wow, you're a lot older than you look!"

The highlight of my day...Plus I had lots of sweets at the party. I'm still smiling!!!

Today is a wonderful day in History!

Today I learned that the key to responding to trials and resisting temptation is resting in God's Word by:


1) Receiving the Word
2) Responding to the Word
3) Representing - having a lifestyle characterized by character and self-control

What a powerful lesson from James 1:19-27!

So we're all excited about the new puppy and the breeder is throwing me some curveballs.


1 - At first she told me that the puppy would be AKC certified...now she's asking if I'm OK with her obtaining a CKC certification because AKC is too expensive in this economy.

2 - A few days later, she tells me that the puppy I chose (the bigger of the two) has been sold to another family and that I would have to get the smaller puppy.

3 - A couple of days later, she tells me that the small puppy has FLUID on its lungs and it won't be available for another two weeks, but the good thing is that he has been to the vet several times and he will have another set of shots that I won't have to worry about...

WOW...I'm starting to wonder if this lady is operating a puppy mill. My daughter is crushed.

The search is on for a new puppy.

Don't you just LOVE it when you get great customer service??? Rarely do I answer my cell phone when I don't recognize the number, but I answered this morning and I received a call from the Children's Ministry at the church I've been attending. The nice lady was calling to ask my about my daughter's experience during Sunday services and she also asked for and feedback for improvement of their services. I was highly impressed - the highlight of my day!

I think I like this church. One thing I didn't mention previously is that they have an awesome Children's Ministry and Children's Church that your child can attend while you are in the adult service. My daughter was so excited to tell me what she learnd - she even had homework! I have to say that she was most impressed that they offered snacks and juice...she's 8, what can I say?

This week, the pastor dug deeper into the Book of James, Chapter 1:12-18. He talked about character:

Character: the collection of thoughts and habits that either define or discredit who you are

When God tests us or when we are faced with temptation, it is our character that determines how we handle the issue. As people, we have to PLAN not to sin. The pastor drove home the fact that we all have a place in which we are for sale and that we have to work to build our character to overcome temptation. We should practice saying 'NO.'

The pastor made a comment about people who are 'spouting the Word' vs. 'living the Word.' I chuckled - I know a few people like that.

I'd also like to think that I'm a good judge of character...sometimes not!

Somehow I fell in love - with a puppy! This all started because my daughter loves animals and has been pleading with me to get a puppy. So we went to the pet store to look around and a sweet little maltese male puppy captured my heart. Mind you, I have NEVER felt this way about an animal before! He nestled comfortable in my lap and I nearly melted...ok, back to the story.

I started looking for breeders and I found one about 100 miles west of Ft. Worth. She will have two male puppies which will be available in about 2 weeks. Here they are:



Before we saw the photos we thought we wanted the smaller puppy, however the larger one looks healthier. We want the big one!

Have you ever been in church and felt that the sermon was customized specifically for you and your current situation??? I felt that way today, on this first Sunday of the New Year. Since the back half of last year, I've been visiting churches in the area in an attempt to find a church home. I think that the church I attended today may be a good fit. The pastor is an amazing expositor of the Bible and he's more of a teacher as opposed to a 'hooping and hollering' preacher! I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with 'hooping and hollering' because it brings some much needed entertainment at times!

At any rate, the pastor based his sermon (the first of a new series) on James 1:1-4 and it focused on "Getting Back to Biblical Basics" by learning to handle trouble. He explained the differences between being tested vs. tempted. He also spoke about the Greek word 'peirasmos' which refers to trials and temptations that all people are faced with.

Moral of the story: Whether tested or tempted, we are responsible for our conduct. Simple, right? No so much! When we are tested, God shows us our limitations, its not always easy to do the right thing!

I'm looking forward to further Biblical exegesis of the Book of James.

Some people still get pimples at 30 - I happen to be one of them! I finally found a daily skin care regimen that works for me. People have been asking me what I use on my skin so I guess I will share it:



I start out by washing my face with Tom's of Maine Moisturizing Body Bar. I like this brand because its all natural, the company focuses on environmental sustainability and their product are not tested on animals. The product is great for my sensitive skin and I never suffer from redness, skin irritation or residue. I use the tips of my fingers to make small circular motions to release the oil before thoroughly rinsing.

Next, I use Noxzema Anti-blemish pads to provide a deep cleansing for my pores and remove old skin. My face feels tingly and refreshed after using these. (giggle)

Depending on whats going on with my skin at the moment, I'll use a either 10% benzoyl peroxide gel or Mederma gel for scars. I'll use the former if I feel a breakout coming and most times it will prevent it. I don't recommend that people use this daily because it may cause severe dryness! I'll use the Mederma if I have a blemish that needs clearing. This solution has helped me tremendously! As an African-American, my blemishes tend to be much darker than my skin tone and this gel has helped to clear my skin in a fraction of the normal time!

And to top it off, I use Origins Precipitation Extra as a daily facial moisturizer. This cream is light, replenishing, has an amazing scent and has shea butter and other natural ingredients. I actually use this all over during the winter months because of my dry winter skin. Let me explain something - I absolutely love Origins products, I swear by them!

So there you have it. Thats my skin care regimen and I'm stickin' to it for now!

I would like to start this blog with a few New Year's Resolutions:


1) Drink more water.
2) Get on a regular work-out schedule.
3) Be a better steward of the blessings God has given me.
4) Become a part of a church that I feel good about and attend services and Bible Study regularly.
5) Take salsa classes with my daughter.
6) Sport a natural look (hair) for a year.
7) Start my own business.
8) Eat healthier.
9) Get more organized.
10) Update this blog regularly.

I went through the telephone numbers in my phone yesterday and deleted nearly half of all of the names and numbers of individuals that I no longer want communicate with - if you don't add value, I don't want to talk to you!

Again, Happy New Year!