Day 1: Introducing....

It's Day 1 of my 30 day blogging challenge and I'm already making new discoveries. I decided to ask my mother the correct pronunciation of my name and guess what? I apparently "changed" the it when I was around 6 because I "didn't like it"... and my mother being the wonderful mom she is let me! Talk about living a lie lol...

So, I'd like to introduce myself - - my name is Ishea... (pronounced I-She-Uh) and I'm kind of relieved to discover that my name DOES make sense and is pronounced the same way it's spelled!! Yay for having a mother than didn't throw unnecessary letters in my name.

I'm a 26yo vivaciously random motor mouth from the suburbs of Chicago. People still feel a need to point out that I "speak proper" and some friends say I sound funny when I curse. I have a weakness for Chicago-style hot dogs and cheese fries (Portillo's cries out for me on a daily basis) but I've put those cravings on pause. I have a new found love for boxing and love having a personal trainer. I'm finishing up my BS in Communications (it's been a work in progress but I'm determined to finish school without any loans). I married my best friend and soul mate earlier this year and have been living a dream, though the US Air Force likes to keep us on our toes lol.

I work in publishing but sometimes feel like Tommy because nobody really understands what I do... especially since I work from home now. I'm 5'2" and therefore a self-confessed stiletto addict and can always be found with my camera in hand. I love dogs, am slowly warming up to cats, and hate bugs. Secretly I'd love to own a farm but don't think I could find a pair of stilettos that would work lol. My TV is always tuned to HGTV and I fall asleep to CNN every night.

Still hanging in there?

Writing is really an outlet for me and I love having a blog where I can share the many thoughts that cross my mind. I'm looking forward to this 30 day blogging challenge... I think I'm off to a great start.

Sidebar: I'm not sure if I should erase the last 26 years of my life and now start going by my correct name. I think friends/family will end up calling me whatever they want and have been doing for years, but for all of my new friends -- feel free to call be I-She-Uh!!

N♥il Art: Funky Spots

I was online a while back and stumbled across this nail design ---->

It was bright, different and fun... all the things I look for in nail art. I wasn't sure how I'd recreate it (as there were no instructions on how to do the look), but I put my thinking cap on and gave it a try!

Colors Used:
-China Glaze "Lemon Fizz"
-O.P.I "Monsooner or Later"
- Essie "Good to Go" top coat

Application:
1 coat of "lemon fizz" to serve as base coat and saturate nail with all over color. I let this dry completely and then added a 2nd coat. While this was still wet, I applied "monsooner or later" in a random pattern over the nail. Now the tricky part... you must let this dry COMPLETELY before putting on your top coat... and this will take a while to dry. I'm not a patient person and it was driving me crazy sitting here literally watching paint dry lol. I jumped the gun a few times thinking I could put on my top coat and it cause the red color to bleed out a bit. This is a good design to do while you're reading a magazine or watching tv.


Finished Product: Not exactly like my inspiration photo but this was my first time trying this design. I'll tweak it a bit the next go round...

Bring it On!

My girlfriend SexyandtheChi announced she'd be participating in a 30 day blogging challenge and I've hopped on board as well.

While I typically have stuff posting everyday, I don't always write every day (thank God for being able to schedule posts) so this will really challenge me to write about something personal on a daily basis.

If you're someone that's been curious about starting a blog and not sure where to begin, this could be great for you. Here's what you do:

• Day 01 – Introduce yourself
• Day 02 – Your first love
• Day 03 – Your parents
• Day 04 – What you ate today
• Day 05 – Your definition of love
• Day 06 – Your day
• Day 07 – Your best friend
• Day 08 – A moment
• Day 09 – Your beliefs
• Day 10 – What you wore today
• Day 11 – Your siblings
• Day 12 – What’s in your bag
• Day 13 – This week
• Day 14 – What you wore today
• Day 15 – Your dreams
• Day 16 – Your first kiss
• Day 17 – Your favorite memory
• Day 18 – Your favorite birthday
• Day 19 – Something you regret
• Day 20 – This month
• Day 21 – Another moment
• Day 22 – Something that upsets you
• Day 23 – Something that makes you feel better
• Day 24 – Something that makes you cry
• Day 25 – A first
• Day 26 – Your fears
• Day 27 – Your favorite place
• Day 28 – Something that you miss
• Day 29 – Your aspirations
• Day 30 – One last moment

Fashion Fix: Throwing some Shade

<----- The best purchase I've made all summer has no doubt been my Ray Ban aviators. I was reluctant to spend the $140 on these shades but after shelling out 10s of 50s of dollars on Forever21 knockoffs that barely lasted a few weeks, it was time to make the investment.

Verdict? I couldn't be happier! These shades are my absolute favorite and I'm going to rock them for life. I love that an aviator style flatters most faces and this style (RB 3025) comes in over 20 lens/frame combos.

Have you invested in a quality pair of shades? If so, what brand/style?

Blessing in Disguise: Antoine Dodson

Sometimes God sees it fit to bless us with little miracles. This week it came in the form of Antoine Dodson.

The Alabama native swooped into action after an intruder broke into his sister's home (he was asleep on the couch) and helped to scare the man off. Now, that seems like a heroic story in and of itself but there's a catch - - Antoine and his sister are the epitome of a hood ass tragic mess!





I feel slightly torn because their intense level of hoodness took the attention off the fact that she was a victim of breaking and entering and almost rape which is a very serious issue. Instead all we can focus on is how comedic these folks are. I mean, I've watched the interview at least 8 times - - letting out multiple belly laughs. Yet, it's a running joke that news cameras make their way to the hood only to find the most suspect person to interview. I don't know whether to shake my head in shame, or thank them for unearthing this gem of a personality!

On another note, if you're curious as to how Dodson is handling becoming an overnight sensation:



and my favorite remix (I feel guilty for loving this so much lol)

Support our Troops

This photo serves as a grim reminder that our country is still at war and whether the media is covering it or not, troops are still dying overseas every day!

In July alone 66 lives were lost, making it the deadliest month for US troops in Afghanistan since the war began in 9 years ago.

My husband is currently deployed and I'd like to remind everyone to keep him and the thousands of US soldiers that are at war in your thoughts and prayers. You may not agree with the war, but we should be supporting our troops. The bravery they show on a daily basis often goes unnoticed and unappreciated.

Whether you're doing something nice for a vet, volunteering your time with the children of those currently deployed, donating $ for care packages, or just saying "thank you", know that there IS something that we could all do to show our support.

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