Independence-noun- freedom from the control, influence, support, aid, or the like, of others

Yesterday was the 4th of July also known as Independence Day. It was the day in which America gained its independence from Great Britain. Yesterday in church we sang a song that’s simply states “I surrender all.” When I think about that song and independence day, I think about all of the things I was set free from. No one is totally free, but we do not have to be in bondage things like pessimism, apathy, selfishness, fear, low self-esteem, etc. We can be set free if we just surrender all of our past hurts, pain, negativity, to God.

Independence is not only for countries, it is for anyone who wants a fresh new start. Whatever is holding you captive and keeping you bound spiritually, mentally, or emotionally, surrender it all. As the saying goes “Let  Go and Let God” then you will experience true freedom.

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Thank you to Mrs. Halimah and the Sui Generis Boutique Family. Check out their blog! Sui Generis Boutique

• Floral Print dress- Forever 21
• Cobalt blue bodycon skirt- Forever21
• Neon print sundress- H&M

We found this cute little accessories shop also. I believe it was called “Live, Love, Laugh” I’m not sure (sorry) but they had a great selection of rings ranging from $2 to about $10. I purchased the following

• Turquoise circle ring
• Turquoise multi shape ring
• Snake ring
• Amethyst, amber, ruby, and emerald geometric shaped ring (my favorite)

This is me graduation night. I went to this restaurant in the city called Choice (review coming soon) with a few of my friends..

I wore a beige strong shoulder blazer with a white top, statement necklace from Traci Lynn (photos of Traci Lynn Jewelry will be up next week), boy friend jeans from NY & Co., a burgundy vintage clutch, and Aldo platform heels.

I recently did a Spring/Summer must have post on Tie Dye jeans (click here) and I said I would post pics when I wear mine. I wore these memorial day weekend, to a friends bbq.

I wore them with a white tank from Target. I must say that this tank top is the best tank top ever created. They are soft and they are just the right length. They are the perfect fit, I have a bout 4 (I need some more). I wore them with some white flat sandals from ALDO, a silver link chain, and a Taupe bag from NY & Co.

I should start posting these more often huh? I’ll try

Ok so here at HerGoodyBag we try to keep things positive. We keep the trash talkin to a minimum, but what I am about to say needs to be said:

Sassy City Chicks Fashion Bash was definitely a waste of time.

I have been to quite a few events like Fashion Bash and this by far was the absolute worse.

1. The “Goody Bags” (if that is what you want to call it) were pointless. I was on the elevator with my friend Kim (check out her blog) and these two girls said “this is an embarrassment! Shecky’s is way better.” If you want to compete with an event like Shecky’s or Tribeca Retail Club you must come correct! The bags consisted of either some false eyelashes, lipgloss (that dries out your lips, where is the shine?) ,or if you were lucky you got a bag with a pair of Fredericks of Hollywood boy shorts (not my size) and a french tip nail pen. Every bag had colgate wisps and some organic chips (best thing in the bag) or a luna bar. So my goody bag had about four things in it along with a coupon for 1800-Flowers. I ended up swapping with my cousin.
2. There was a limited variety of vendors. Most of the vendors either had attitudes or their merchandise was overpriced. I am not spending $45 on a dress that I can get at Forever21 for $12.80. I am not buying a $30 ring that I can get for $7 (the same exact ring). Everything was over priced except for like a few booths, but the quality of the merchandise was sub par.
3. The vendors did not cater to a variety of styles. Most of the vendors had the same over priced merchandise and the styles were very limited. Everything was either too big or too small as far as accessories. There were some nice pieces that I did see, but the price was outrageous. There were only a few people selling handbags and most of the bags looked like grandma would carry them now.
4. The “cocktails” were more like experiments. I am all for “going green” but some of the drinks served tasted like they were still in the lab kitchen.
5. On a more positive note, cosmetic company Eve Pearl was there and they were doing free make overs so that was a plus. Rani Spa was also giving free facials, but the line was too long and I didn’t feel like waiting #kanyeshrug

Overall, it was just a bad experience. My mom also went and she left after 2o minutes. It was too funny! I did end up buying a tunic (Kim and I thought it could be a dress, but its a lot shorter than it looks lol) for $10 which isn’t bad, but I am pretty upset that I paid for the event. I can see why they were giving out free tickets, because it is not worth it. They must definitely try again. Especially with the goody bag because that is what will attract customers. They had good intentions, but they need another game plan to make this event successful.

Did anyone else go to the event? What was your experience like?

Yesterday’s service was so inspiring. I know I say that a lot, but it truly was. First we were blessed by the musical talent of the Escobar Brothers from Queens also known as Nuttin’ But Stringz. They finished 3rd on America’s Got Talent a few years ago. That was my 2nd time seeing them live and those brothers are TALENTED!!! Their gift is truly amazing. One of the brother’s (Damien) talked about how he broke his neck last summer and the doctor’s said he would never play violin or speak again, and there he was yesterday standing on stage in front of the CCC congregation at 8:30am blessing us with his musical talent. All I can say is that God is truly amazing.

Pastor Bernard’s message was about determination. It was so powerful! Here are a few of my notes:

• Successful people take risks, in other words, they have faith. Faith is taking a risk with enthusiasm and passions while putting your trust in God.
• Successful people know how to accept failure. Failure is the wound for success. If they fail they keep trying and that takes determination.
• Many of life’s greatest victories are born out of failure. If you fail don’t whine or cry about it. Go back to the drawing board and find a way to accomplish your goals.
• God would rather see the cluttered pages of your trying rather than the blank pages of you giving up. (This is what got me moving)
• If you are afraid of failure and rejection you will  never experience success. You have to get beyond rejection
• There will be mountains (0bstacles) in your way and sometimes God may not move those mountains and so you have to CLIMB your way to the top. The bottom of the mountain or ladder is crowded with people who do not try and are not determined enough to succeed. Be a CLIMBER and start heading to the top.

Wow! I left so inspired! There are many things that I want to accomplish, but I have just been sitting around waiting for an opportunity to fall in my  lap rather than me trying to do something to change my situation. What I learned yesterday is that I need to increase my faith and work. Faith is an action word so I can’t just sit around and expect what I want to happen without putting the work in.

Persistence + Determination = Omnipotence. With persistence and determination you have the power to accomplish all of your hopes, dreams, and desires. Remember: If God be for you, who can be against you? Have faith and be determined. Don’t only wish, hope, and want things to change, but put in the work to make the change.

I hope this inspires someone to move forward.

 I had the most amazing Fish Tacos. So this Tasty Tuesday is dedicated to the fish taco…yummo

Ingredients

• 4 pieces fresh halibut, steak or filets, 6 to 8 ounces each
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• Salt and pepper
• 1 lime, juiced
• 3 small to medium ripe Haas avocados, pitted and scooped from skins with a large spoon
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, eyeball it
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt, eyeball it
• 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle
• 1 heart Romaine lettuce
• 12 soft (6-inch) flour tortillas

Directions

Via Wisdom Commons

“Resilience is the ability to work with adversity in such a way that one comes through it unharmed or even better for the experience. Resilience means facing life’s difficulties with courage and patience – refusing to give up. It is the quality of character that allows a person or group of people to rebound from misfortune, hardships and traumas.

Resilience is rooted in a tenacity of spirit—a determination to embrace all that makes life worth living even in the face of overwhelming odds. When we have a clear sense of identity and purpose, we are more resilient, because we can hold fast to our vision of a better future.

Much of our resilience comes from community—from the relationships that allow us to lean on each other for support when we need it.”

We will face hardships, we will face adversity, we will face many other trials, but we must remain resilient. We cannot let one or even multiple setbacks deter us from achieving our goals. We CANNOT GIVE UP! Find or build great support system so that if you do have a setback, someone is there to help you through. Resilience is a quality that we should all have.y It is during the toughest times that we need to be the strongest and bounce back.

The Cast (Top Row: Gabriel, Bono Bottom Row: Cory, Rose, Raynell, Troy, Lyons)

Here are a few famous faces who showed up opening night

Estelle

Sherri Shepherd

Michael Jai White and wife Dr. Courtenay Chatman (I hope she’s not like Angela lol)

Ruby Dee

I will be checking out “Fences” next week so look out for my review!

“Order is foundational for peace, and peace is the central organizing factor of life” Pastor A.R. Bernard

We all know the opposite of order is chaos and some of us are probably experiencing some type of chaos in our lives as I type this post. When areas of our lives are not in order it disrupts our inner peace and therefore keeps us off balance. In order to maintain and live a healthy lifestyle we must have balance and therefore have order.

A lot of problems that we see in our lives, our friends lives, our communities, cities and beyond is due to the lack of order. As Confucius said in order to bring order to the world it starts with us and what is in our hearts. Ask yourself these questions…

1. Do you like working under pressure and your back is against the wall?
2. Do you like feeling overwhelmed?
3. Do you like feeling discombobulated or confused?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, I honestly do not know what to say, but to those of us who answered know then our next step is to get the areas of our lives that are chaotic in order. Whether it is social, financial, emotional, spiritual or any other aspect of life we need to take steps to getting organized. With order, things are not going to be perfect, but they will be a bit easier to manage. Let us start by getting our spiritual lives in order. God established order therefore only He can bring peace. Then let us get our inner being in order meaning our attitude and mindset, we can’t always be cynical, negative and pessimistic.

So let today be the day we take control and bring order to our lives. Remember with order comes peace.