I'm still alive!

I just wanted to let you guys know that I'm still alive and care about this blog...lol! I promise! One of my new year resolutions is to spend more time here. I just don't know where people find the time to update everyday and still have a life! No offense to those that do but its a lot of work :) I hope everyone had a great holiday. You will see me soon! I promise!

France Friday!

We spoke about all things Paris in the previous France Fridays, today we are going to start the next leg of our trip which is a train ride to the south of France......Nice and Monaco! I've always wanted to go especially since {my BFF in my head} Beyonce goes all the time. The south of France is just so breathtaking. Take a look at these marvelous photos:

Since I began researching, I've read many recommendations about how to get to Nice. Some people say fly because it is quick and less expensive. Some say take the 6hr train ride because the scenery is just so beautiful. A flight from Paris to Nice would cost us around $90 one-way each. That's not bad! For the train ride, its a little more complicated. Some say stay away from EuroRail because its so expensive. A train ride from Paris to Nice can easily cost Euro 150 ($210) each {Ouch!}. It gets pretty confusing for me because there are sooooo many rail road companies to choose from. We will eventually be traveling from Nice to Italy {which will definitely be discussed in future France Fridays}, so some say to get a rail pass. Has anyone traveled by train in Europe before? Any advice or help I would REALLY appreciate!

Would you buy this for your child?

While listening to the Bert Show this morning they talked about this doll being sold on etsy. I understand educating your children about childbirth, but does it have to be this graphic? People are really crazy now-a-days! What are your thoughts?

Natual Hair

Most of you don't know this but.......wait for it.......wait.......I am an addict. Yes I have an addiction. What am I addicted to? HAIR. I'm obsessed with hair. I love all different types of hair. It is fascinating to me. Everyone in this world are alike in many ways, but one difference that no one can argue is hair. The Good Lord blessed us all with different types of hair. I've worn wigs, weaves, hair pieces {you name it; I've worn it}. I view my hair as if it is an accessory. I like to change it up from time to time. My real hair is about shoulder length and its natural. Some of my white brethren may ask well what does natural mean? It means that I don't chemically alter my hair's curl pattern. Just like a perm for Caucasian hair makes it curly, a perm for African-American hair makes it straight.

OK well that was just a quick history lesson in hair, on to the real reason I started this post. I stumbled upon this photo:

Her name is Emerald Angel-Young, she stars in the movie Law Abiding Citizen with Jamie Foxx. She is 10 years old and her hair is ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS! It looks so healthy and thick. One thing about natural hair is that you have so many options on how you want to wear it. You can wear it curly like above or straight. I'll have more posts and videos to share about hair in the future. Until then, holla!

Rihanna on 20/20

On Friday night, I went to dinner with my fantastic hubby {His B-day was last Monday, and he catered to me in bed because I was still sick with the flu}. Anyways, as we were on our way to Carrabba's {I could slice someone for their fresh bread}, I completely forgot to set the tivo to watch the interview.

The blogoshere was buzzin' about this interview, stating that she wasn't going to go into detail about what happened that night with Chris Beat-Her-Down Brown. So this morning, I watched the entire interview on YouTube. I was surprisingly shocked about how open she was. I was just so proud of her. She seemed strong, open, and confident. I really hope it wasn't just a front. I thought she was going to sugar coat the situation and lessen the seriousness of the situation. I was happy to see that she realized the power of her stardom and even stated that she would not be able to live with herself if a young girl decided to go back to an abuser because of her selfish decision to go back to Beat-Her-down Brown { don't you just love that nickname}. After seeing the photo below, I can't see how anyone could feel sorry or empathize with him.

There are NO EXCUSES for this type of behavior. In case you missed the interview, you can see it in its entirety here.

France Friday!

Sorry for the delay, but France Friday is back jack! {Yeah I took it back to the early 90's with that one}. Let's see....we've talked about Paris and the attractions it has to offer, where to stay, eat, and play. Now lets talk about how we are going to get there. Obviously we will be flying and since Delta is the airport hub for Atlanta, we will most likely be flying with them.

I have been closely monitoring Delta flight prices to Paris in May for the last couple of months. I must say.....they don't budge. Not.even.a.little. They have been consistently coming in at between $980-$1100.00 each round trip. That is a big bullet to swallow, but I don't want to wait too late before we purchase them. It's a pretty big gamble because the prices can go either way. We are ready to purchase them, whenever we see a good deal. Thankfully we have already saved up the cash for the trip.

Delta offers two types of planes that fly over. They typically leave in the evening. The Delta Boeing 767-300ER and the Boeing 777-200ER. The 767 is the smaller of the planes and the one that I'm more leaning towards. The 767 looks like this:

It's 2 rows, 3 rows, then another 2 rows. I'm a little crazy and don't like it when I have to sit next to someone I don't know on a plane. I have been lucky in this area, but you never know if someone who is extremely sick, or has a small infant, or needs 3 seat belt extensions will be seated next to you. I would just like to sit next to my husband.

The Delta 777 looks like this:

See how it has 3 rows across 3 aisles? Its a bigger plane and it actually gets you to Paris 20 minutes faster. I can deal with the extra 20 minutes as long as we don't have to sit next to someone random. The flight to Paris is 8 hrs and 40min. This will be the longest flight I've ever been on. I know one thing that will make this flight be smooth.....my best friend named benadryl. Don't judge me. A girl has got to do what a girl has got to do. And if sleep is what I want, sleep is what I'll get......lol!

I found a really cool site called seat expert. You basically go to the site, type in your airlines, flight number, and departure date, and wooo-laaaa! It tells you what seats are the best and worst on the plane. Isn't that cool? I love it. It looks like the second row exit seats would work best for us.

We want to spend around 11-12 days on our European excursion. Does anyone have any suggestions on what day to fly out? I've heard Tues and Weds, but the price doesn't seem to change much. I'm not sure. I will definitely keep you posted on what we end up doing. Until later, have a great weekend!

Giveaway, giveaway, giveaway

Check out my sister's blog. She is having her first giveaway. There are some cool, handmade cards that anyone can use. Click here to check it out!

Guess what I caught?

THE FLU!

And this is how I felt....

Pretty crappy! Five whole days in the bed. There are only so many Oprahs, Tyra's, and Wendy's I can watch. I'm actually happy to be back at work today!

Where the eff have I been??

Let me first start by saying SORRY, SORRY, SORRY!!! There has been so much going on in my life for the past month that I haven't had time to blog lately :( Let me give you a few quick updates. First, I was VERY busy at work for the past month. It is budgeting/forecast season so I couldn't blog at work. I can't make any mistakes during this time, because it can cost my company millions, hence I work extra long hours and have to go over everything with a fine tooth comb. Then, I got news that my Grandpa was sick, so my family and I went up there to visit him for a weekend. It lifted his spirits tremendously. He gets a lot of energy form his kids, grandkids, and great grans. My father is his favorite child (I know that sounds biased but he really is). He is so proud of him and I think its cute the way he talks about him. So please keep my family in your prayers. God is very Good and I trust his plan for us.

Ok on to some more positive things, the hubbs and I went on a mini-moon to Vegas. We had a REALLY good time and I'll give a review a little later. I'm still researching our European trip called France Fridays! I'll be giving an update about that this week. My sister nominated me for a blog award. She got her first award and it is well deserved! If you haven't checked out her blog, click on over. She puts a lot of time and effort into it and it definitely shows!

Well, I COMPLETELY fell of my weightloss wagon. I mean I didn't even have a toe on it. I'm going to make a video about this, which reminds me.....I will be turning this blog into a vlog...kind of! I won't always make videos but I feel as though I have a ton to offer when it comes to weightloss and hair. Hair is a whole other story I have yet to share with you guys.

Thanks for hanging in there with me and I'll will be posting regularly from now on.

Too-Da-Loo!

Wedding Teaser

I have a busy day ahead of me but on the agenda for today is France Friday and my big sis. But for right now I leave you with a wedding pic teaser. Our professional photographer took some awesome pics that I will post soon, but I wanted to post this pic my cousin-in-law took.

Oh how I loved that day!

Ok, Ok, Ok.....I'll post one more of myself since you insist.

Photo credit Art Pinney

Reason #175,379 why I love Beyonce!

Dear Blog,

I'm a slacker. I know. But I promise I will be back to post on a regular schedule as soon as this busy time at work is over. I have bills to pay (you know how it is)! I have so many things that I want to talk to you about like: our mini-moon(hubbs and I are planning a trip for next month), baby names (people are starting to get REAL creative now-a-days), and of course France Friday! Don't give up hope on me. I will be back soon!

Love Always,

Jiavanna Dyann

How clean is the soda you drink?

The other day at work, I was thirsty and decided to get some coke zero from the drink fountain. {I actually am a Pepsi fan but we aren't "supposed" to drink Pepsi in the building. If we do, then it needs to be covered in a bag. Yes I am serious and no I don't work for Coke} This is what the drink fountain looks like:

What most people don't know is that this fountain is a bacteria magnet. Most people at my job think I'm a germ freak. {I'm seriously NOTHING compared to my father and sister. They make me look like I love germs} I find it disturbing how dirty this thing gets. One day when I got a cup of water, some brown stuff was floating in it. I immediately threw the water out and tried to throw up the water that I drank {It didn't work}. I felt sick to my stomach all day. By the end of the day, EVERYONE knew what happened to me. Ok enough with the back story. So this is what I do to clean it. I take the valve [the little thing the water or soda comes out of] and dipped it in hot water.

Do you see the floating particles? That is what I was talking about the day I got sick. Gross right? Well brace yourselves for this last picture.

When I wiped the inside, above is what I got. Can you imagine what a restaurant's would look like? This is just for the use of our floor, which is probably about 150 people. Its just sickening! I do this ritual every day. Make sure to look down before you drink!

I'll be back (in my best terminator voice)!

Sorry posts have been sporadic lately. I promise to get back on the ball next week :) Tomorrow I'll be discussing germs and of course France Friday!

Get Embodied!

We we all know about my obsession with Beyonce and how I vow to work out until my body looks like this {or at least my version of this}.

::Although my appetite over the weekend would beg to differ. I fell off MAY-JAW-LY [in my best British accent]. Yeah brownies, soda, pasta and all!::

Luckily, I only gained a pound with my weekend fiasco. This week I'm going to work extra hard on meeting my goals. I'm trying the lose 1.5 lb's per week. So far so good (except for last week). While perusing another site, I came across some info on what Beyonce does to loose weight. She goes up and down like me. This is one of many reasons why we connect so much.

According to In Touch Weekly, Beyonce's trainer revealed her workout regimen:

“She is performing the best shows of her life and her
body looks amazing,” her trainer and author of Power Moves, Marco Borges, tells
In Touch. “She feels really good about herself, and she’s got a ton of
energy.”Borges reveals the secret to achieving Beyoncé’s incredible physique is
training with health in mind, as opposed to looks. “If you think about being as
healthy as you possibly can, there is no way you’re not going to look like a
million bucks. And that’s what Beyoncé did,” he tells In Touch. Their goal was
to make sure she could run around for two hours onstage without feeling winded
every night. So before the tour, Beyoncé, 28, did interval training — 45 minutes
of alternating between sprinting and running on the treadmill, followed by
body-resistance work. Now, Beyoncé does yoga and Pilates for an hour on show
days and body-resistance exercises on days when she’s not performing. Borges
also tells In Touch that the star eats a sensible 1,600-calorie diet of lean
proteins with healthy carbs. “The truth is, it’s a lot of sacrifice. You have to
push yourself,” Beyoncé has said.

Bey is absolutely right! Pushing yourself is key. This article definitely gives me the inspiration I need {although the pic above is pretty convincing}. Stay motivated peoples! Do you have a work-out plan? I would love to hear it! Leave a comment.

Happy Birthday Bey! Love ya!

Bridal Shower 4.4.09 ~ Duece

One of my favorite photos that were taken for the day is this Sex in the City type pose that me and my bridesmaids {minus 2} took in the front of the venue. We all looked so beautiful. Well, actually, I have several photos that I love. I can't post all of them, but take a look at these lovely ladies.

Prim and Proper

Classy and Elegant

Haute Couture

Gossip, gossip, gossip

{I can't go into detail about what we were gossipping about. Let's just say it was "VERY

INTERESTING".

Me, Momma, Sis

My mother and MIL

I love this pic. So retro chic.


Lets just say mimosa's were flowing most of the day, which led to some very comical comments. I think everyone was feeling good that afternoon. So in conclusion, I had a blast and wish we can all get together like that more often. Not just for a special occasion, just cause.

France Friday!

Don't worry lovely ladies! I haven't forgotten about the rest of the bridal shower pictures, but I couldn't miss my France Friday! As you've previously read, every Friday we chat about our anniversary trip. We are still on the first leg of our trip which is Paris, France. This week lets chat about one of my favorite things to do......EATING!

I stumbled upon this link that lists Paris' top 10 budget friendly eateries. This will be a long vacation for us, so we need to stretch the dollar as far as we can. Anyone have any recommendations?

:::switching gears:::

Have you ever heard of a pro-creation vacation? Yeah me either until I saw this blog.

{Disclaimer: I'm not TTC nor is this trip a pro-creation vacation}

I just think its funny that people will come up with all types of names of a vacation...lol!

Bridal Shower 4.4.09 ~ Uno

When I tell you God has blessed me {and continues to} beyond measures, it is a complete understatement. My Mom, BFF, and sister threw me an absolutely GORGEOUS bridal shower! It was classy, elegant, fun, and YUUUMMMMYYYYY! I can't begin to tell you how good the food was. My shower was held at Le Clos at Chateau Elan, a stunning location at a prestigious winery in Braselton, Ga. I'll let the pictures do the talking!

Above I told you how good the food was. Well take a look at these:

Guests had a choice between chicken or crab cakes. I chose the crab cakes and they were divine.

And for dessert:

Sidenote: I have to RAVE about this cake {Karima, from Sweet Brown Suga Cakes}. She really out did herself. Honey, after months of sugar deprivation, that cake literally melted in my mouth. Besides looking good, it was one of the best cakes I've ever had. No, SERIOUSLY! That lemonade cake made me want to dance and sing. Ok, that is all.

My favors were these monogrammed butter cookies that everyone LOVED! Ly from DayLyGrahm Catering hooked me up with these. They are cute and gave a touch of personalization, which I love.

Up next, I will be sharing the pictures of the beautiful ladies that were in attendance. So stay tuned!

[Please do not steal any of my photos without my permission. If you need to contact me, leave a comment. I don't bite (all the time...haha...it was a joke]

*Photos courtesy of Andrea Taylor Photography

Bridal Shower Pics and Review

Better late than never right? So who cares if my bridal shower was 4 months ago? It was still a beautiful day filled with beautiful people. I will be back shortly to post. Its a busy time for me at work {which is where I usually do my posting....hehe} I''ll be back soon!

Datenight Spotlight

See what my BFF Beyone and Jay are doing in the pics below. That is exactly what the hubbs and I did on Fri night. We enjoyed our night on the town exactly like the pictures describe. We went to a restaurant called "Thai me up" in downtown Decatur. It was seriously the best panang curry we've ever had.

So after dinner, we took a romantic stroll (I know, you threw up a little in your mouth) through downtown Decatur and it made me feel as though I was in a new city. I like having that feeling to break up the monotony. It was really cute and I enjoyed myself. So I was chatting with Bey (in my head) about being married and the importance of dating. As you can see below, her and I both agree. Have a happy Monday!

France Friday!

Last week we spoke about the first part of our European extravaganza, which is Paris. Today lets talk about accommodations for our three night stay. One of my favorite travel websites is Tripadvisor.com. They offer some amazing free travel guides to answer any questions you may have. While I was perusing through the site, I came across a few recommendations for where to stay. Right now the USD is extremely weak in comparison to the EURO (Euro 1 = $1.40). Lets hope it will strengthen in time for our trip. Take a look at these:

Hotel Royal Magda Etoile

Euro112 p/night

Hotel de la Porte Dorée

EURO65 p/night

Hotel Terminus-Orlean

from 90 € to 110 € p/ night

As you can see, we have so much to choose from. Paris has soooo much to offer. Up next for France Friday is FOOD! I'm a "foodie" so this is what I'm looking forward to the most!

All information was taken from here.

Birht Control - Life Threatening?

I was chatting with one of my co-workers and she mentioned a good friend of hers was in the hospital. I asked her why and she said because of her birth control. I immediately asked her what kind she was on and she said the NuvaRing.

After doing a little investigative research, several birth controls are under investigation right now, including the one I am on (Ocella). Ocella is the generic version of Yaz or Yazmin. There is a major law suit occurring right now between the loved ones of former users and current users. Apparently,

During the brief time that Yasmin and Yaz have been sold in the United States, hundreds of reports of injury and death have been filed with the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in association with the use of these products. In fact, in less than a five year period, from the first quarter of 2004 through the third quarter of 2008, well over 50 reports of death among users of Yasmin and Yaz have been filed with FDA. These include numerous deaths with reported cardiac arrhythmia, cardiac arrest, intracardiac thrombus (blood clots in the heart), pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lungs) and stroke in women in their child bearing years. Some of the deaths occurred in women as young as 17 years old. Significantly, reports of elevated potassium levels are frequently included among the symptoms of those suffering fatalities while using Yasmin or Yaz.

Info quoted from this link.

Now, I'm faced with a tough decision. Do I change the method that I'm currently using? That would be a "Hell Yeah". I know all birth controls pose a risk, but at that cost? This type of risk is not worth it to me. My health is VERY important. I take pride in taking care of myself. Now I need to search for a new birth control. Any rec's?

Reality Show Recap

It was a fun and exciting for reality shows last week. Am I the only Big Brother fan out there? The hubbs and I LOVE Big Brother. Its one of the few reality shows he likes to watch with me. We really get into it. I mean to the point where I follow another blog that tells you what happens before the show is even aired ( I know, I know....crazy).

Project Runway all-stars was great! Although I do feel Korto was robbed this time. I think she deserved to win, but Project Runway gave the prize to Daniel Vosovic (Did you just ask who is that? Well, he was the Season 2 runner-up). I haven't watched the new season premiere yet. It's waiting for me on tivo.

Real Housewives of Atlanta-No comment. It is a guilty pleasure of mine but I really don't want people who don't live in Atlanta to think that is how it really is. (No, really. Not all African-American weathly women act like that).

Did I forget to mention Daddy's Little Girls, Guiliana & Bill, Kourtney & Khloe take Miami, etc.... The list goes on and on. My tivo stays 90% full. Watching tivo is definitely what I do in my spare time. More on those shows later! Have a positive day.

Exercise, Exercise, Exercise

Well its that time again. Time for me to lose a few LB's. I have to be honest with you. I really get off on losing weight. Its like I become addicted to it. I get a sick thrill out of losing weight, then gaining a little back, then working hard to lose it again ( I know I'm nutty). I've been like this for years. Its like I have a cycle. Three months of hardcore dieting (counting calories, carbs, and everything in between) and then 3 months off of eating whatever I want, whenever I want (typically I go to the gym once a week). I'm not talking about major weight, like over 50 lbs. Its more like 20 lbs here and there.

I've gained 8lbs since our honeymoon in May. Now I'm ready to lose that, plus 10 more for a grand total of 18lbs. I'm so excited about it. I will reveal in detail how I plan on losing it. I get really excited to go to the gym and on the agenda today is kickboxing!

Its truly all about motivation and how much you want it. I believe weight loss is 90% mental and 10% physical. Why? Because it all starts with the decisions you make. Deciding on what you put in your mouth and when to go to the gym. If you make the wrong decision, you definitely DO NOT get results.

I currently go to LA Fitness three times a week and work out for approximately 60 minutes. One of my goals over the next few months is to increase that to 4-5 times a week. I really want to look like this:

She is beautiful (no homo!) and she is my best friend in my head. In my head Beyonce and I go way back. We drink Riesling together and talk about our husbands. She is my weight idol. I know I can get there, but it will take a LOT of hard work. It will definitely be worth it to look like that!

Stay tuned!

Family time

This is how I spent my Friday night. Doing my play niece's hair. Sometimes I feel I missed my calling and should have went to hair school.....lol!

Here is the finished product. They were too enthralled with Nintendo DS to smile for the picture.

France Friday!

The hubbs and I are planning an exciting trip to Europe for our first anniversary. Every week I plan to have France Friday! Although France will not be our only stop, France Friday (doesn't it sound cute) will reveal every aspect of our trip plus I'll be asking advice when needed. I cannot explain to you how amped up we are for our excursion. Our first stop on this adventure is Paris and Versailles, France. We will be staying for 3 nights. Paris looks like such a beautiful city. It has much to offer with respect to history, art, food (yummy!), and culture. Our list of things to see/do in Paris include:

The Louvre

From its beginnings as a royal fortress to the public institution we see today, discover the Musée du Louvre: its role, its aims, and the expertise of the people who make it work.

Info taken from here.

The Eiffel Tower

Date of birth: March 31, 1889 (hoisting the flag to the top), built for the Universal Exhibition in celebration of the French Revolution.

Info taken from here.


Arc de Triomphe

The Arc de Triomphe is one of the most famous monuments in Paris. It forms the backdrop for an impressive urban ensemble in Paris. The monument surmounts the hill of Chaillot at the center of a star-shaped configuration of 12 radiating avenues.

Info taken from here.

Notre Dame de Paris

Notre Dame de Paris is widely considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture in the world. Notre Dame de Paris was one of the first Gothic cathedrals, and its construction spanned the Gothic period. Its sculptures and stained glass show the heavy influence of naturalism unlike that of earlier Romanesque architecture.

Info taken from here.

Versailles

For centuries, the name of the Parisian suburb of Versailles resounded through the consciousness of every aristocratic family in France. The palace here out-dazzled every other kingly residence in Europe.

Info taken from here.

As you can see, we have a jam packed 3 days. We are super excited and ready for the adventure. Happy Friday Everyone!