I LOVE PAPER

I started scrapbooking in January 2005 after my last girlfriend in NYC moved to North Carolina and my then-husband told me that I needed to get a hobby because he wasnt going to keep me company. Yeah, wow! Despite the insensitivity, it was the best thing he could have said to me because I now have my artistic ventures and he was sent to his momma's house with what he came with, a plastic bag!!! (Kick Rocks Loser!!)

Anyway, thus began my love of paper. Scrapbooking papers are simply delicious! You just can't get enough of the colors, the designs, the textures, the countless coordinating combinations! I love it all! My first love was Basic Grey paper and I continue to love their unusual combinations and layers of color and pattern on each page. I also love old letter-type papers, like weathered advertisements and long lost love letters. There is a paper for each person out there, for each particular style a person may love.

My new love is Graphic 45's Fashionista and Communique lines. I love the bold colors and the vintage images! They are so vibrant and yummy! Me and Sassy Sasha got it bad! I ordered only one sheet of the Fashionista paper to see how good the color would be and I am stuck! They are so delicious! So now, I have to buy more!

Just wanted to let you all know just a little bit more about my hobbies, although with this one, I should be called more of a scrap paper hoarder than a scrapbooker!

LOL
Charisse

I Cried and So Did He...

I forgot to tell y'all that I did finally get to my mother's grave. I didnt take the kids because it was on the way back from Delaware. I went down to sign papers so the Diva could get her driver's permit. They have driver's ed down there.

Anywho, The Diva is now speaking to me which is a blessing to my heart. My Love, aka My Best Friend's Brother, drove down with me so I had company. On the way back to NY, I told him that I wanted to visit my mom's grave. I had to call my sister to ask her to look up the directions for me since I havent been in the longest time. She told me the directions and we were on our way!

After getting off the highway, we go down the road to Rose Hill Cemetery in NJ. One thing I do remember is the section my mom is buried in so I direct Love that way. Once we get over there though, I don't know which headstone is hers. I wander around in the general vicinity and feel very ashamed that I don't remember where she is and I start to walk back to the car. Love is sitting there watching me, but not judging me as I was embarrassed enough. I decide to turn back around though, and look once more, and there she is, Ms. Bernice, waiting for me to come to Mommy. I stand there for a minute in a kind of shock, reading the headstone over and over again. I had forgotten what was written on it, even though I was the one who provided it. I reached down and touched her headstone and then picked up the dried out, dead flowers that I know my youngest sister left there on her visit a month ago.

Then I start telling Mommy that I'm sorry, apologizing to her and asking her to forgive me for being such a terrible daughter and that I have done a really bad job with the kids and how I wish she was there to help me and tell me what to do, with the tears and boogers flowing. Then I ask her to forgive me one last time and I hear in my heart that she already has because that is what mommies do. ((Sigh)) So I tell her that I miss her so much. Then I feel something near me and turn to see Love standing to the right, behind me, crying too. I walk over to him, wipe his tears away, look back at Mommy and tell her with my heart that I love her and that I will come back with the kids soon, and Love and I hug-walk back to the car.

A weight was lifted that day that was on my heart for a while. I feel more free and open since and it is a good thing.

I will bring the kids out there soon, when the weather is better and warmer. Now wouldnt not be good because I am scared the Mommy Mobile might give out on the New Jersey Turnpike.

I told you I make stuff..

Find more videos like this on Mixed Media With Suzi Blu


I couldnt upload this to Youtube because it is too long so I uploaded it to my page on Suzi Blu's Ning Network! I hope you all like it. It ain't drunk painting like Adrienne gets to do ('cause I didnt go in the kitchen LOL) but it is fun!

Enjoy!
Charisse

Some Random Shots

The first three pictures are from being in Harlem, on the way to the Studio Museum in Harlem where you CANNOT take pictures. Oh well, there was life to be seen anyway. The last picture is of me and Donna Downey, scrapbooking artist.






Later
Charisse

Shorty Wop, Mr. Spinks & The Camel

So I got 3 Baby Daddies, right and they all have their own individual, personalized nicknames, but collectively they are know as "THE THREE STOOGES"!! Each actually personifies Moe, Larry and Curly too so it is kind of funny!

Like most girls, I never imagined I would have more than one father for my children but you know what, GOD's plan is what you follow when have all the facts!!! I know that now! I was in a long term relationship with two out of the three of them and so it wasnt one of those "mistakes" when I got pregnant. Each is happy for their child but Lord knows, you wouldn't know from their actions sometimes.

Mr. Spinks/Curly is the oldest one's father and he is quite the character. We met in '87 and had a tumultuous relationship that produced the Ms. Diva. Now, let me tell you, this man is not the best looking man. I mean, I thought he was good looking in his own way, but he was Far from "FINE". For example, when we were young, he got mistaken for Michael Spinks at a restaurant, and we got free food! Yeah, Spinks, as in the professional boxer, as in ugly! At the time he was very fit and muscular but now, he looks just like Curly (round and fat). LOL Anyway, Mr. Spinks was physically abusive and a serious cheater. Good combination, right? The man gave me a black eye when I was 6 months pregnant and was cheating on me with my co-worker. Uh, yeah, I made bad choices. Rihanna, can we talk? However, when Ms. Diva came, that was the ultimate catalyst for the end of our relationship. He decided to put his hands on me after I had warned him that it better not happen again. He even hit me while I was holding 5 month old Ms. Diva in my arms. I just took the hits and whispered in her ears that we wouldnt have to deal with it much longer. Ugghhh, yeah, just got a flashback but you know what? Once he left that day, he never came back! He has taken me to court over and over for visitation that he didnt show up for and currently owes me over $32K in back child support. But Ms. Diva is almost 17, beautiful and loved and that is all that matters.

The Camel/Larry was really good looking (6'3" tall, honey toned, about 210 pounds at the time), and we had one of those "in and out" relationships where he is into me for a few weeks, then disappears for a month and then shows up like no time passed. Yeah, craziness. I found out that he was out hustling, travelling state to state selling pharmaceuticals. Stupid ass! We had (and still have) this authentic and very real connection to each other, like we were meant to be in each other's lives, no matter what. We did the back and forth and I didnt really worry about him with other women but not spending real time together and him disappearing was really frustrating to me and I broke up with him at least twice that I remember. I ended up pregnant though and was going to get an abortion. I told The Camel and he came rushing to my momma's house and cried and begged me not to get rid of his baby! He promised to be there for me, not to disappear, to take care of me and like an ass, I believed him!!! Yeah, I believed him and our Poppa is going on 14 years old! The Camel is in and out of our lives as usual, but there is no doubt that he loves and adores his son (and holds an extra sweet spot for me). He is just as dense as Larry but his heart is in the right place, when he gets past the drama with his wifey! LOL Poor thing! Should have stuck around with me!

Shorty Wop/Moe was the one I ended up marrying and am getting ready to divorce. Why? Well the facade of leadership and strong personality was convincing for a while and I believed wholeheartedly. At the end though, he was dumber and denser than the other two but put up a really good front. He cheated, he lied, he manipulated, and together we created Little Momma, the baby. Our relationship was filled with all his other baby mamas and all the darned kids, and his BS but while he was with me, everyone was taken care of and he doted on all of the kids. Now that he is gone and still in denial about how bad things were, he does NOTHING for the kids and hasnt given me a dime in almost 2 years. His money was contingent on us being together, so nothing! That's alright though, 'cause Little Momma doesnt even ask about going to see him as much as she used to and is coming into her own. His loss, my gain!

So that's the story of Charisse and the Three Stooges for today and maybe one day, I will tell you about my life with Shemp aka My Best Friend's Brother aka The Man I am with now!

Peace and love!
Charisse

I got a PARKING TICKET in my OWN Parking Lot

Some stupid officer was trolling the parking lot last night, during the last minutes of the SuperBowl and gave me a parking ticket for not having a permit. Um, Hello, I live there! I would punch him in the mouth straight away if I didnt deserve the ticket, but still, I LIVE THERE!!!

OK, OK, let me explain more. I live in the PJs and my complex has ample parking for residents, which is great. The spots aren't assigned either, which is cool. The downside is that the lot isnt gated, or monitored regularly, and poorly lit. The parking permit was $25 up until 2 years ago, which is a good price for a year of not parking on the street. One big problem was that instead of getting the stickers in January like we were supposed to, we would get them in March or April! UM, ok, there is a problem here. We would get tickets, and then fight them so much that the cops STOPPED ticketing us because it wasnt the fault of the tenants. Add to that, the fact that the snow and ice removal was half-assed, and you see potential for not getting a permit, but still $25 is not much.

Well, 2 years ago, they raised the price of the permit to $75. Yeah, $75 for the same half-assed service in snow removal, lighting, sticker problem, everything. I flat out refused to pay for the permit and have been parking in the lot free for the past 2 years! (I told you the cops stopped ticketing people!) So imagine my surprise this morning when my youngest pointed out the ticket sitting in my window as we headed out for the day! I was pissed!

HOW DARE THEY TICKET ME??? I LIVE HERE!!!
WHAT WAS A COP DOING PATROLLING A PARKING LOT AT 9:28PM INSTEAD OF OUT FINDING WHO KILLED SO AND SO'S SON, COUSIN, NEPHEW, ETC???
DON'T Y'ALL HAVE OTHER STUFF TO BE DOING, LIKE EATING DONUTS?
DON'T BE MAD 'CAUSE YOU HAD TO WORK WHILE EVERYONE ELSE GOT TO WATCH THE SUPERBOWL! WHY I OUGHTA...!

Yeah, all of that came to mind, and some out of my mouth, but at the end of the day, here it is....

I have a $60 parking ticket to pay because I now have out of state plates and am unable to get the parking permit that would allow me to park there hassle free.

I will park on the street because I know this dude is gonna be stalking my plates now!

Whatever!! :)
Charisse

Barack Obama is NOT the Messiah!!!

That is what the young intern pastor said at Sunday's 11:00am service.

(I've actually been to church two times this year, more than I have been in the past 2 YEARS, but that's another story for another day!)

This young man got to stand in because the senior pastor was in Washington DC with the big choir to speak and perform at the African American Church Inaugural Ball and the Democratic Ball, celebrating Barack Obama becoming our 44th President.

This young pastor-in-training (Yale) drove in the snow on Sunday from Connecticut in order to deliver his wonderful sermon to stress to black folk that in Jesus Christ alone do we have a helper, advocate, counselor and comforter, not Barack Obama. President Obama is a helper in the White House for those who want help, advocate for those things that will be important for all Americans, counselor in those political arenas where he is Commander in Chief and comforter for his children and family. However, Barack Obama is NOT the Messiah!!

This young man will become better and better with time! I am very proud of his message!

Jesus Christ does not pick and choose who He loves! He does not require letters and politics and many many channels in order to be reached! Our Savior just needs you to call His Name and He will respond AT ONCE!!! Shoot, you don't even have to tell Jesus what you want, He already knows and will give it to you once you take Him into your heart and soul!

So my friends, Barack Hussein Obama is NOT the Messiah come to save the black folks and change the way whitey done treated us after all of these years!

My friends, President Obama is the prime example of what ALL of our parents have been saying to us for years and years and years and what we say to our children now and more so every day from now on!

"Look how far education and perserverence can get you! Stay focused and keep striving to be better than me! You can do ANYTHING if you set your mind to do it!"

The Dream is realized and will only stay that way with work from EVERYONE wanting to do what is necessary! Lazy will not longer be tolerated!

Peace and love,
Charisse