Grandma's Party Part 2!

Grandma's Birthday Party~

My Grandmother's Birthday Party!!

Black History Month!!

Today, I woke up to a call from my mother informing me that my father was robbed at gunpoint. It hasn't sat well with me at all. I decided to do a post on Black on Black Crime because even though we are celebrating Black History this month, we are still killing one another. I am so bothered by the fact that we are taught about the hardship our ancestors have endured so that we may have a better life and some of us take it for granted. We have come a long way since our ancestors were brought here as slaves and treated like dogs. We forget the Civil Rights era when so many of our people marched for our freedom and equality. Our generation is dealing with so many factors of drug-abuse, self-failure and blaming the economy for our poor choices. We have forgotten that we have life and that life can be more abundant only through Jesus. We have to stop the Black on Black crime and harming one another. We are a people who should support one another, not harm one another. We should encourage one another, not put each other down. We have come so far as a people to allow this generation to keep us held back because of greed. Some of our people are too lazy to work hard or to try to have something for themselves. I was looking up some of the prisoners in the State of Georgia and it was so many black men in prison for assault, burglary, manslaughter and other harsh criminal behaviors. I feel for my people because some of us do not even care. I noticed how many of some of our women are not working, on State Programs, and living off of other people because we are too lazy to work, get motivated to go back to school and make themselves better people for ourselves and our children. Another thing that hasn't sat well with me is the fact that during this income tax season, so many of our sisters are spending their money on an expensive hair weave and getting our nails done rather than making sure that their kids have food to eat, a better education or getting their lives in order. As soon as the tax season come around, so many of our people are buying things they don't need and not doing what they need to do. Some of our people are lost and we need to help them to see that life is so much more than crime to one another or having the best hair weave in Atlanta. People we need to get beyond the materialistic stuff and get our lives together, our future as a people is at stake!!!!

Love One Another,

Carmen~

A Tribute to A Legend-Whitney Houston!!

Whitney Houston, a legend, dies at 48. Whitney's music will always be a fixture in our lives. She will always be remembered for her wonderful voice and touching melodies. I grew up listening to this Legend and I loved her from the time she begin her solo career and will forever love her!! I was so shocked when hearing about her death last night. I was taking a bath when I got a call that she passed away! I did not believe it until I watched CNN and they announced her untimely death. Fans will always remember this Treasure and we will never forget her or her beautiful music.

With love and we are praying for her family,

Carmen~

My Niece and Nephew!!

Miss Lithia Springs Senior!! Here is a photo of my niece and Nephew. I love them so much and I spoil them a lot too-including my baby brother Che'!!

I got a New Baby!!

Briana and Christina, my two sweet nieces. Cody and my new baby!! I love spending time with the kidds in my family. They keep me on my toes and they are so silly and spoiled rotten. I am so proud of them all that I can't wait till this Summer when we all go to Orlando for Christina's Graduation Celebration. Wow-I sure hope that my niece has overcome her fear of rides before we get there. With the prices to get in these theme parks, she better ride every single ride.

Love you guys,

My Bowling Birthday Party Part #2!!

My 33rd Birthday Party was at a Bowling Alley. I had the people who meant most to me there (you know who you are even if you are not in the photos.) We had a blast. I can't wait to go back to bowl with my niece and her boyfriend. Everyone in the photos are my sister-Nichole Bailey, my niece-Christina Bailey, her boyfriend Ryan"GB" Bigby and my mom-Audrey Stinchcomb. Oh and me-Carmen Bailey!!

My Bowling Birthday Party!!

Spring is Almost Here!!!

Spring is here!! I can't believe we are already experiencing Spring Weather in Atlanta in February. I don't think we will have any more Winter weather. It has been refreshing to have warm days and calm evenings. I enjoy Spring time because everything begins to bloom and Atlanta is beautiful in Spring! I am looking forward to the New Season. New Season, New Year, New Attitude!! I am taking advantage of this lovely weather and I hope you are too!! I hope you are motivated this Season to do great things. Take out the time to be courteous to one another. I have been surrounded by so many fake people who are trying to accumulate so type of social status that they can often be so rude and unkind to other people. I am not one of those people who think I am better than the next person, I am one of those people who likes to encourage others. I like to express kind words and encouraging words to help people along their journey. I have been blessed with so phony people in my life in the past. Yes- I said blessed!! If I never had these people in my life, I would not have the passion to encourage others the way that I do. I had a Best Friend who I really trusted and hoped that our friendship would last, but it didn't and that's OK. She changed after she got married. She has never really been honest with herself, her husband or with me!! I think she has changed to get some type of status, but isolating "real" friends for that little piece of recognition is not worth it to me. She has always been the type of person who needed to be "somebody" and I have never been that type of person. She really is a Country Bomkin trying her best to be a well-cultured person. Good Luck to you~ I surely hope the best for her and I wish her and her family many blessings. I also hope that she starts being honest with herself and her husband. It's too late to be honest with me because I already know the type of person that she is and has been since we were young. I hope that all of you reading this Blog stays honest with the people in your life and with yourself. Be who you want to be, but don't be a fraud and try to make other people look bad so that you can look good. That's what I dealt with from my past friend, she would throw me under the bus to appear to be a Saint in front of her mom and husband. Just keep in mind-what you do in the dark, will come out in the light. Be a Kind person and a Honest one as well.

Until Next Time,

Carmen

Enjoying Life!!

My mom and I are going to Vegas in March and she has booked us at the Venetian and we will be in the Bella Suite. The above photos are what the Suite looks like. I am so excited and looking forward to this getaway. We deserve it!! My sister is also tagging along and this will be her very first visit to Las Vegas. My mom and I are working on our second visit. The first time we went to Vegas, we stayed in the Treasure Island and it was beautiful. Each time we go, we are trying to stay in a different hotel so that we can have different experiences. My mom and I are travellers-we like to get up and go!! I often wish my friends would get up a go, but there is always something going on to prevent them from going. I do not wait around on people to decide what they are going to do when it's vacation time. Either you in or out! That's my motto-I don't care about all the excuses on why someone can't go and have fun!! I hope that this year everyone takes some time to spend with the people they care about and venture out into some new. Staying in the house and being a couch potato is so dull. Life is too short not to enjoy. I make sure to make each moment of my life to do things I want to do and I hope that you do the same. Plan a trip somewhere and get out of your comfort zone and have fun. In 2012, make this your year to HAVE FUN!!!

Carmen~

Change Yourself!!!

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." Gandhi~

Most of the time, we find fault in other people and we want them to change to our liking. The world doesn't work that way and the only way for someone around you to change is if you change within yourself. I am dealing with that now as I grow in my spiritual walk. I want people around me that are positive and meaningful. I have attracted some crazies in my life and before I point the finger at them to change, I have to change myself first. I have to be accountable for allowing them in my space. I have a friend who likes to call when they need something. They never call to see how I am doing or to see what's new in my life. I have decided to look within myself and find that trait within me and make changes to eliminate people and friends like this person who has been in my life for years. I have a new friend who doesn't retain information. This friend makes me think that they are not listening when we conversate nor are they paying attention. It is both annoying and frustrating because I cannot carry on a conversation with this person because I know that I will be asked the same question a dozen of times. I am not sure that this person is even aware that they are doing it. It frustrates me because I am not the kind of person who like to repeat myself when I am having a conversation. I am not going to confront these people in my life, I am just going to change myself and maybe this will eliminate them from my life or it will help them to see what I see in them. I don't want to be the person who bosses these people to do what I think they should do because what may be frustrating and annoying to me, may be a part of their personality. If that's the case, then that person may not be the "friend" I want or need in my life. I want meaningful friendships and relationships in my life, not these phony ones that people tend to give you. So before I go changing other people, let me look within myself and change me!!

Carmen~