tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61866114335677458702024-02-08T04:40:24.401-08:00But wait... there's more!The random ramblings of yvette nicole brownyvette nicole brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06808614113713548739noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186611433567745870.post-89806486164001574012011-10-03T16:36:00.000-07:002011-10-03T16:39:53.088-07:00Advice for new actors! :)<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size:small;"><h1 style="display: block; line-height: 28px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; font-size:26px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">So you wanna be an actor?! :)</span></span></span></h1><div id="previewbody" style=" margin-left: 0.2em; display: block; font-size:17px;"><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Bumping this up to the TOP!</span></span></span></em></div><div id="previewbody" style=" margin-left: 0.2em; display: block; font-size:17px;"><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></em></div><div id="previewbody" style=" margin-left: 0.2em; display: block; font-size:17px;"><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Originally posted on Myspace</span></span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><br /></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Hey Everybody,</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">I've been promising to post this blog FOREVER. And after I saw the wonderful detailed blog my friend Tanjareen posted about "breaking in" I decided that it was time for me to make good on my promise. If you'd like to see how Tanj broke it down, the link to her blog is:</span></span></span><a href="http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=59041313&blogID=96943963" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=59041313&blogID=96943963</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">And here's my take on it all:</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">1) RESEARCH is key!!! God bless the child who has his own and all that. Find out about this business for yourself. Information is everywhere. And not just in the brains of folks who are where you want to be. Other folks in the business can be a wealth of information. But you should want to "learn to fish" for yourself. Researching the answer from various sources is how you learn to feed yourself. Other folks should only be used to confirm what you already found out through your own research. Trust me, you'll appreciate what you learn more. And to that end...</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">2) READ everything you can on the business. Make amazon.com your BEST friend. There are books in print on every aspect of the business... acting, directing, producing, modeling, writing. You name it. It's there. If you live in Los Angeles, there's a great bookstore out here called: Samuel French. There's one on Ventura Blvd. in the Valley and another on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood. Do a google search to get the addresses. Samuel French is a wonderful place. I would spend HOURS in there when I first started out. Shoot, from time to time, I still do! And the bonus is that Sam French expects entertainment folks to "browse"... they even provide chairs for your browsing comfort. Their only rule is that you can't copy stuff out of the books. Which I think is fair. :) If you can't get to Samuel French or you're a little low on funds. Might I suggest your local bookstore (they have comfy chairs for reading too,) your local library or the Internet. There is SO much information out there. There is simply NO excuse not to research the basics for yourself.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">3) BE WARY. If it sounds too good to be true... it is! Steer clear of the "modeling" agencies that promise you work. I won't mention them by name, but you know the places I'm talking about. They usually advertise in papers and hold huge cattle calls and miraculously EVERYONE who shows up is perfect for their "agency" and destined for stardom. And all it costs is $1000 for classes and pictures. Um, one word: RUN! Also steer clear of anyone who calls YOU that you haven't submitted to. No reputable agency is going to cold call an actor. They get too many submissions to ever need to do that. And if an agency is in the market for actors to the extent that they are calling you, they are either not a real player in the industry or are scam-a-licious. Simply put... agents and managers make money when YOU do. Not a second before. Anyone who wants you to pay them to represent you is a scam. Anyone who will represent you if, and only if, you go to their photographer or take their classes is a scam. Reputable agents may suggest a list (the operative word is LIST) of approved photographers. But they will never insist you go to one in particular. Same for any acting teachers or managers they recommend. Be wary of such foolishness. </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">4) STUDY your craft. Take classes. If you wanted to be a doctor you would study medicine. This is your career. Be professional about it. Now don't get me wrong, some folks are "born" with the gift. But even they may someday need the help of a teacher or coach to get them to the next level or through a difficult audition that requires a different skill set than they have naturally. So classes are helpful. Plus, when you're starting out, classes are a great way to meet and be around other actors... who happen to be a wealth of information when it comes to headshot photographers and agents... you know, should you have a question about the ones you've already researched? :) The actors you meet in class will also prove to be invaluable friends as you navigate your way through the business. Some of my best friends to this day are folks I met in the acting class at my church YEARS ago. We still support each other and applaud each other's successes. You will need those friends in this business. Friends who "knew you when" are the best kind! :)</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">5) SMILE for the camera! Or scowl, if that's your thing. (Gosh, this blog is getting cheesier and cheesier!) Ignore my cheese, heed my advice... This is of course all about headshots. Headshots are your calling card. Make sure you get great ones that look like you. You on your best day. But still, YOU! Glamour shots or ones that are retouched within an inch of their lives will not serve you when you get in the room with a casting director. You are cast from that shot. They want to meet THAT person. Not that person AFTER the 12 hours of hair and makeup it took to look like that person... um, did you follow that? :) Now, if you wear a FULL face of makeup every day and are prepared to recreate that look for EVERY audition. By all means, take that shot. But I don't know if there are lots of roles for folks like that. Most of the folk on TV look naturally beautiful/handsome. You wanna be in that number. Moving on. Pick your photographer carefully. Interview them first. And to get to the picking and interviewing part, look at lots of headshot galleries. There are lots online and sidebar: in LA and NY there is a place called Reproductions that does great duplication work once you get your final pics. But more importantly, they also have a headshot gallery in their stores... and even online, I believe. It's a great place to start when trying to pick a photographer. Other actors are a great resource in this area as well. If you're out and you see someone with a great headshot, ask them who took it. And then interview with that photographer. Expect to pay about $150 on the low end and up to $600 on the high end for photos. Although with the advent of digital photography, anything over $250 is really highway robbery. Anything more than that will probably produce a pic worthy of the cover of Essence or InStyle and again, you don't want that look for your basic headshot. There is a lot more detailed info available in regards to headshots... so refer back to my advice in item 1 and get to it! :)</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">6) REPRESENTATION. Ya gotta have it. No doubt about it. But don't get wrapped up in the size of your agency. Especially when you're starting out. The goal in the beginning and throughout your career is to have someone representing you who believes in you. Someone who thinks you are the BUSINESS! That one person believing in you wholeheartedly can get you into any door in this town. Remember that. So as you interview with agents. If they are lukewarm about you, keep on looking. You'll eventually find the one who "gets" you and is dying to work with and for you. That's the agent you want. As for basic submission etiquette. A nice cover letter... addressed to an actual person, none of that "to whom it may concern" or "dear sir or madam" nonsense... along with your headshot and resume will do the trick. Make the cover letter uniquely you whatever that is. Quirky, fun, cerebral. You, glorious you! Mention all the good things you've read or heard about their agency. And you should have heard good things otherwise why are you submitting to them? As for who to submit to, your research will lead you to the ones that are a good match. You can find agency lists online. And Samuel French has a booklet called "The Agencies" that breaks down each agency, as well. A magazine called The Ross Report also lists agencies and what they're looking for each month. There's also a great set of industry books by a writer/actress named K.Callan. She has a couple on Agent searches in LA and NYC. In the back she lists all the reputable agencies... well, and a few who aren't. But if you read between the lines you'll be able to figure out which is which. I would suggest submitting to about 7 or so at a time. You're not trying to blanket the city. It's about quality, not quantity. The next step is a meeting... which THEY will request. Don't drop by the office or call excessively asking if they've made a decision about you. As in romance, if they want you, you will know. At the meeting, be yourself... as long as you are bubbly and fun. :) The interview is really a test to see if you're someone they'd like to send out into the world with their name attached. Are you personable? Fun? Interesting? Intelligent? Well groomed? Articulate? These are all things they will be sizing up about you. There are long days on set. No one wants to spend 14 hours with a jerk. Don't be the jerk. And as a sidebar, you can be serious about your acting career and still be fun in an interview. The two aren't mutually exclusive. Find your smile and take it with you in the room!</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">7) DEMO REELS. Don't panic. No one is expecting you to have hours of film of you and Meryl Streep. They really just want to see what you look like on film. Just put together what you have and if you don't have anything...</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">8) INDEPENDENT AND GRAD SCHOOL PROJECTS. These will be invaluable in the beginning of your career. Take part in as many as you can. Consider projects for the Internet, creating content for youtube (but keep it classy folks, you don't want something going viral that you will regret later, there IS such a thing as bad publicity, I don't care what anybody says,) Independent films. Do whatever you can. Create whatever you can that will present you professionally and get you some tape for your reel.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">9) FAITH. I'm a Christian. Most of you reading this already know that. So, you already know that I feel that faith, in some form, will be invaluable as you pursue a career in this business. But that said, I'm not trying to force my beliefs on anyone... though my beliefs are pretty cool. HA! What I'm speaking about most of all is "keeping the faith". Believing in yourself and your abilities. Positivity. Good juju and all that. This business is full of folks who list all the reasons you can't and won't make it. Your job is to not listen to them. Granted, not everyone who wants to have a career in TV and film will have one. But I do believe that everyone who wants to act will have the chance to act. Eventually everyone gets a turn. It may not be at the level they're expecting or when they expect it. But it will be a turn. Hang in there for yours and protect your spirit until it comes. Oh, one more thing... Haters suck! :)</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">10) UNIONS. To be a professional actor, you need to be in one or more of the professional actors unions. But join too soon, at your own peril. Once you are union you can no longer work non-union. That may sound like a "Duh!" to you, but I don't know if most folk really think about it. You will get most of your early experience from non-union projects. The pay is low... okay, non-existent... and the set will be perk-free. But you will get to see first-hand what it's like to be on a set. And acting, well the technical part of it... is really something you learn by doing. It's not as easy as you think to hit a mark and remember lines. I know it all seems ridiculously simple. But when your adrenaline starts pumping and you are star-struck by your co-star and your line comes in after a long tracking shot, you will be surprised how quickly your line shoots right out of your head and at how you can't seem to stop by the coffee table where the director told you to. It's muscle memory really. The more you get used to talking and walking and stopping and starting while under pressure, the better. And non-union projects allow LOTS of opportunities to do that. And demo reel tape at that! :) And lastly... at least for now, I may add more to this if I realize I forgot something...</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">11) EXTRA, EXTRA!!! Wow, that was corny. And I think it's called "background work" now. So I was corny AND politically incorrect. But you know what this one is about. I think background work is a great way to get experience on a set without any of the pressure being on you. I highly recommend it. No, you won't make a lot of money. And yes, you may be treated like a herd of cattle. But the food is usually good and you get to see first-hand what a set is like. And you may even get bumped up and get a line. Hey, it could happen! Hope springs eternal!!!</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Okay, those are my tips for now. I will update if I feel that something is missing. Please feel free to comment and chime in with your tips on breaking in... those of you who have broken in... and those of you who are working on breaking in, feel free to share what you've learned in all your research and reading!</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">May God bless you guys in your careers!!!~yvette nicole :)</span></span></span></div></span>yvette nicole brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06808614113713548739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186611433567745870.post-52912445985370438482011-02-25T20:44:00.000-08:002011-02-25T20:46:55.976-08:00Whatever happened to LOVE SONGS (Part II)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(38, 38, 38); font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; "><h2 class="post-title" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 1.5em; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">What EVER happened to Love Songs?! (Part II)</span></h2><article class="post-body" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; display: block; line-height: 18px; "><p class="mood" style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Originally posted on MYSPACE (March 16, 2008)</span></i></p><p class="mood" style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Hey Guys!</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">This installment features the fabulous L.T.D. (which stands for Love. Togetherness. Devotion)L.T.D. featured the Super-Awesome Jeffrey Osborne. He was the lead singer of L.T.D. before he went solo. My mom played the following song until the grooves of the record were GONE. In honor of my mom and her amazing taste in music, allow me to bless you with the lyrics to:</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></p><span style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 16px; font-size:130%;"><span style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 14px; font-size:100%;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">"Share My Love"</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">by L.T.D.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">From the album: Devotion</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Won’t you share my love?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Won’t you share my love?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">I’m so tired of being lonely</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">I want to be loving you only</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">So many girls have crossed my path</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">But I could not last</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">I needed you</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">You pick me up when the world’s down on me</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">You ease my mind when I’m feeling shaky</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">I can do no wrong with you by my side</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Welcome to my life</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Come on and share my love</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Be a part of my tomorrow</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Put an end to all my sorrow and pain</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Come on and share my love</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Won’t you share my love?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Won’t you share my love?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">And now you’ve given me new inspiration</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Without you in my live I have no direction</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Together we can build a world full of joy</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">I promise you we will if you just share my love</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Till the stars fall from heaven</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Oh, my darling, stay right here with me</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">So you can share my love</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">I don’t want to leave you ever</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Let’s spend our lives together always</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Stay and share my love</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Does it get better than that? I don’t think so!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">As always, please chime in with your comments and favorite lyrics. Not just the song titles folks. Bless everybody with the actual lyrics, could ya?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Until then...</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br />God Bless,</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">~yvette nicole :)</span></p></span></span></article></span>yvette nicole brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06808614113713548739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186611433567745870.post-51915465263164319462011-02-25T20:37:00.000-08:002011-02-25T20:42:12.271-08:00What EVER happened to Love Songs? (Part I)<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(38, 38, 38); line-height: 16px; font-family:georgia;font-size:11px;"><h4 class="post-title" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 1.2em; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; "><a href="http://www.myspace.com/yvettenicolebrown/blog/362132834" title="Read What EVER happened to Love Songs? (Part I)" rel="bookmark" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; display: block; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Originally posted on MYSPACE (February 27, 2008)</span></a></h4><article class="post-body" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; display: block; line-height: 18px; "><p class="mood" style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Hey Everybody,</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Okay, so I've been thinking about the sad state of music lately... primarily the demise of love songs.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Some of you youngin's might be thinking, "What are you talking about Miss Yvette? (don't you love how younger people put a Miss in front of a woman's name? tee hee... but I digress) There's lots of love songs!" And I would say, "No, young grasshopper, sadly, what you guys consider love songs are just lust songs or worse, sex songs."</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">FYI: Songs where the singer asks when he can "get it" or ones detailing what he'd like to do once he does have nothing to do with love. I hate to sound like I'm 500 years old, but this generation is missing it. You've totally missed out on what those of us who came of age in the 80's know... love songs are the bomb. </span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">To school you, youngsters... and to remind you twenty and thirty-somethings who may have forgotten... I'm going to be digging up lyrics from some of the songs my mama used to play when I was a kid. This is the good stuff I grew up listening to. That's right, young whipper-snappers, I'm talking about REAL music!</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">This will be a multi-part series of blogs... so pace yourself. I present Part I of: What EVER happened to LOVE SONGS?!This installment features: </span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">THE O'JAYS</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">(That's right, Gerald LeVert's daddy and 'em) and their CLASSIC... "Darlin', Darlin', Baby..."</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">You're my darlin', darlin' baby<br />You're my darlin', darlin' love<br />You're my darlin', darlin' baby<br />I said you're everything I ever hoped for in a woman<br />And as long as I may live<br /><br />Ooh, you're my darlin', darlin' baby<br />You're my sweet and tender love<br />You're a very special lady<br />I said you're the one that I always dreamed of in a woman</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">I'll give all that I can give<br /><br />I'll give you plenty love<br />Because you deserve the best<br />You should have everything a queen sittin' on a throne should have<br />You deserve to have it all<br />And I'm gonna do my best to give it to you, to give it to you, to give it to you<br /><br />Ooh, you're my darlin', darlin' baby<br />You're my sweet and tender love<br />You're a very special lady<br />I said you're everything I ever hoped for in a woman<br />And as long as we may live<br /><br />I'll give you plenty love<br />Because you deserve the best<br />'Cause you're better than the rest<br />You're my queen on a throne, the one that I want to own<br />And all the things that you desire<br />I'll do my best to give it to you, to give it to you, to give it to you<br /><br />Ooh, you're my darlin', darlin' baby<br />You're my sweet and tender love<br />You're a very special lady</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">*****<br />Okay, so that, "one that I wanna own" part is a little outdated, but everything else is on point! And not because he's talking about all the things he wants to give her. This isn't about "Gold-digger" love.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">The beauty of this song is that this man loves this woman SO much that he dreams of giving her everything she desires (it doesn't matter if he actually can or even if she's the kind of woman who'd want him to give her things... not all women are like that, by the way.) It's the thought that, "Ooh, if I could, I'd give you the world, baby! That's how much I love you!"</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">It's like in "It's A Wonderful Life" George Bailey tells Mary that if she wanted it, he'd lasso the moon for her. Mary didn't want the moon. Mary wanted George. But it had to be nice for her to know that George wanted to give her the moon. Ya gotta love that! That's love!</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">In the song, the point is that he loves her so much that he wants her to have the best. He says that,"she should have everything a queen sitting on a throne should have!"</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Say what, now?</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">He's saying she's a Queen!</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">And again, I say, it's not about things. Who cares about things. It's not about treasure. It's about being treasured! He treasures HER! That's what I'm talking about. That's love!</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Okay, that's it for part one. Chime in with your thoughts about it all, would ya? And share some "vintage" love songs that you love as well!<br /><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">God Bless,</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Yvette Nicole :)</span></p></article></span>yvette nicole brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06808614113713548739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186611433567745870.post-51715095391185660462011-02-25T20:33:00.000-08:002011-02-25T20:34:47.746-08:00A little Sunday Morning Encouragement...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(38, 38, 38); font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; "><h4 class="post-title" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 1.2em; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; "><a href="http://www.myspace.com/yvettenicolebrown/blog/382241668" title="Read A little Sunday Morning Encouragement..." rel="bookmark" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; display: block; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Originally posted on MYSPACE (April 20, 2008)</span></a></h4><article class="post-body" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; display: block; line-height: 18px; "><p class="mood" style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Hey Everybody,<br /><br />As you all know, I LOVE quotes.<br /><br />Consider this blog the: "Why so glum, chum? You're fabulous!" edition of my favorite quotes. :) There's a great song by Fred Hammond featuring a singer named Pam Kenyon called, "I Anoint Myself" and it's all about telling yourself what God thinks about you. Reminding yourself that all will be well on those days, at those times, when you just don't feel it.<br /><br />So my friends, on those days when you're feeling a little "less than" may these simple yet profound thoughts encourage you! Use them to "Remind" yourself! There's also some great inspirational quotes about following your dreams.<br /><br />It's all good stuff, but this post is a little long, so pace yourself.<br /><br />God Bless,<br />Yvette<br /><br />***********<br /><br />"There is more inside you than you dare to think" - David Brower<br /><br />"You are an unrepeatable miracle" - Diane Roger<br /><br />"We know what we are, but know not what we may be." - William Shakespeare<br /><br />"Great hopes make great lives" - Dan Zadra<br /><br />"Dreams are illustrations... from the book your soul is writing about you." -Marsha Norman<br /><br />"Your heart often knows things before your mind does." -Polly Adler<br /><br />"Make your own trail!" - Katharine Hepburn<br /><br />"Life is too short and too wonderful to waste time doing things you really don't want to be doing." - Bruce Isaacs<br /><br />"What do you pack to pursue a dream? And what do you leave behind?" -Sandra Sharpe<br /><br />"When you were born, God said, 'Yes!' " - Unknown<br /><br />"Nature never made a nobody..." - Melvin Chapman<br /><br />"Everyone has a unique role to fill in the world. Everyone, including you and perhaps especially you, is indispensable." - Nathaniel Hawthorne<br /><br />"There are many wonderful things that will never be done if you do not do them." - Charles D. Gill<br /><br />"Talents, small or large, are God-given. They are a sacred trust." - Paul Robeson<br /><br />"One of the marks of a gift is to have the courage to fulfill it." - Katherine Ann Porter<br /><br />"What you do matters. All you need is to do it." - Judy Grahn<br /><br />"What great thing would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?" - Dr. Robert H. Schuller<br /><br />"A great goal in life is the only fortune worth finding." - Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis<br /><br />"Let me listen to me and not to them." - Gertrude Stein<br /><br />"They'll tell you, 'Quit now, you'll never make it.' If you disregard that advice, you'll be halfway there." - David Zucker<br /><br />"As a dreamer, you will be laughed at... Thank them!" - Unknown<br /><br />"What great achievement has been performed by the one who told you it couldn't be done?" - Melvin Chapman<br /><br />"Most people see what is, and never see what can be." - Albert Einstein<br /><br />"If people don't agree with you, so what? If people agree with you, so what?" - Dr. Robert Anthony<br /><br />"Don't let other people tell you who you are." - Diane Sawyer<br /><br />"There is only one you. God wanted you to be you. Don't you dare change just because you're outnumbered!" - Charles Swindoll<br /><br />"Talk back to your internal critic." - Robert McKain<br /><br />"The greatest gift you will ever receive is the gift of loving and believing in yourself. Guard this gift with your life. It is the only thing that will ever truly be yours." - Tiffany Loren Rowe<br /><br />"Hell would be if God were to show me the things I could have accomplished if only I had believed in myself." - Unknown<br /><br />"Think for yourself. No one else is qualified." - Frank Vizarre<br /><br />"Listen to the mustn'ts, child, listen to the don'ts--listen to the shouldn'ts, impossibles,the won'ts--listen to the never haves, then listen close to me--anything can happen, child. ANYTHING can be." - Shel Silverstein<br /><br />"You must take your chance." - William Shakespeare<br /><br />"Ain't no chance if you don't take it." - Guy Clark<br /><br />"Every day you sit back and wait for something to happen is another day lost." - Jennifer Flavin<br /><br />"There is the risk you cannot afford to take, and there is the risk you cannot afford not to take." - Peter Drucker<br /><br />"The real moment of success is not the moment apparent to the crowd." - George Bernard Shaw<br /><br />"No trumpets sound when the important decisions of our lives are made." - Agnes De Mille<br /><br />"Be assured that any worthwhile action will create change and attract support." - Philip Marvin<br /><br />"What convinces is conviction." - Lyndon Baines Johnson<br /><br />"Bad things don't happen because you care, they happen when you don't care." - Elizabeth Matthews<br /><br />"We're not sent into this world to do anything into which we cannot put our hearts." - John Ruskin<br /><br />"The five happiest people I have ever met had this strange little quirk of referring to their jobs as a 'calling.' " - Eric Sevareid<br /><br />"If it doesn't absorb you, if you don't love it, don't do it." - D.H. Lawrence<br /><br />"Do not fear mistakes. There are none." - Miles Davis<br /><br />"I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot... and missed. I have failed over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." - Michael Jordan<br /><br />"Never mistake a clear view for a short distance." - Mark Spain<br /><br />"There are no shortcuts to any place worth going." - Beverly Sills<br /><br />"No calling on earth is insignificant if it is accomplished with pride and artistry." - Gil Atkinson<br /><br />"We are not here merely to make a living. We are here to enrich the world with a finer spirit of hope and achievement--and we impoverish ourselves if we forget the errand." - Woodrow Wilson<br /><br />"Believe that there's light at the end of the tunnel. Believe that you may be that light for someone else." - Kobi Yamada<br /><br />"We relish the news of our heroes, forgetting that we are special to someone, too." - Marva Collins<br /><br />"If you don't look out for others, who will look out for you?" - Whoopi Goldberg<br /><br />"To love a person is to learn the song that is in their heart, and to sing it to them when they have forgotten." - Thomas Chandler<br /><br />"Treasure the one who is thinking of you when all others are thinking of themselves." - James Gunn<br /><br />"We are the ones we've been waiting for." - June Gordon<br /><br />"Everyone has an opportunity to be great because everyone has an opportunity to serve." - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.<br /><br />"We are here to add what we can to, not to get what we can, from life." - Sir William Osler<br /><br />"Realize how good you really are." - Og Mandino<br /><br />"Assume that people are good until you actually and specifically learn differently. And even then, know that they have potential for change and that you can help them out." - Leo Buscaglia<br /><br />"We can't move ahead if we're trying to get even." - Frank Tyger<br /><br />"The most powerful agent of change is a change of heart." - B.J. Marshal<br /><br />"Let no one come to you without leaving better." - Mother Teresa<br /><br />"The whole idea of living is to believe the best is yet to come." - Peter Ustinov<br /><br />"If you're going through hell, keep going." - Rob Estes<br /><br />"In the face of uncertainty, there is nothing wrong with hope." - Bernie Siegel<br /><br />"In times of difficulty, you may feel that your problems will go on and on, but they won't. Every mountain has a top. Every problem has a life span. The question is, who is going to give in first, the frustration, or you?" - Dr. Robert H. Schuller<br /><br />"Don't ever lose hope. It works." - Jewel<br /><br />"You are never powerless." - Jane Seymour<br /><br />"Most people don't know how brave they really are." - R.E. Chambers<br /><br />"A bad attitude is the only true handicap." - Scott Hamilton<br /><br />"There is no such thing as no chance." - Henry Ford<br /><br />"The bible says, 'All things are possible.' I believe that." - Dolly Parton<br /><br />"Never give up. This may be your moment of miracle." - Greg Anderson<br /><br />"If you're going to doubt something, doubt your limits." - Don Ward<br /><br />"It gets dark sometimes, but morning comes... keep hope alive." - Jesse Jackson<br /><br />"Still I am learning." - Michelangelo<br /><br />"Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are." - Mary Jean Irion<br /><br />"By being yourself, you put something wonderful in the world that was not there before." - Edwin Elliot<br /><br />"At the end of life, our questions are very simple. Did I live fully? Did I love well?" - Jack Kornfield<br /><br />"Each day silently affirm that you are the type of person with whom you would want to spend the rest of your life." - Bob Moawad</span></article></span>yvette nicole brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06808614113713548739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186611433567745870.post-68946870410011685662011-02-25T20:27:00.000-08:002011-02-25T20:30:32.601-08:00Life is too short... yet it’s too long...<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(38, 38, 38); line-height: 16px; font-family:georgia;font-size:11px;"><h4 class="post-title" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; font-family:inherit;font-size:1.2em;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 18px; font-size:11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Originally posted on MYSPACE (July 18, 2008)</span></span></h4><h4 class="post-title" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; font-family:inherit;font-size:1.2em;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 18px; font-size:11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></span></h4><h4 class="post-title" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; font-family:inherit;font-size:1.2em;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 18px; font-size:11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">I get reflective whenever folks leave. I'm talking about leaving the world, not just my life... though I get reflective when folks leave my life too, but I digress... Death, and the finality of it, gets me to thinkin' about life. How short it is. And yet, how long it can feel. All that thinkin' led me to this insomnia fueled blog. (Durn, Insomnia!)</span></span></h4><article class="post-body" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; display: block; line-height: 18px; "><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:11px;color:initial;"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Sidebar:</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span><em style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: italic; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">what's with all the "thinkin's" and "gets me to's". Am I a Southern Belle all of a sudden? Jeez! I blame the insomnia.</span></em></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Allow me to present to you two simple top 10 lists about the "too shorts" and the "too longs" of it all...</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 16px; font-family:inherit;font-size:130%;"><strong style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:14px;color:initial;"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Life is too </span><span style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">short </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">to:</span></u></strong></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">1) prioritize those who don't prioritize you.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">2) hold on to grudges.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">3) hold back on saying "</span><span style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">I love you</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">" to those you do.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">4) put up with bad treatment, even from "friends".</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">5) not follow every dream you have... as long as it's legal. ;)</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">6) not honor your "truth".</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">7) hold on to those who've let you go... literally and figuratively.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">8) lie to yourself about what your heart is telling you... the good and the bad.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">9) not count your blessings.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">10) not know God for yourself.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Conversely...</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 16px; font-family:inherit;font-size:130%;"><strong style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:14px;color:initial;"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Life is too </span><span style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">long</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> to:</span></u></strong></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">1) not floss... I'm talking teeth. The other "flossing" you SHOULD let go of.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">2) stay in a job that doesn't feed your spirit.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">3) stay in a relationship that steals your joy.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">4) not eat right and exercise.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">5) not be safe... I mean this in EVERY way.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">6) choose a mate solely based on looks, weight, age or one of the other "shallows".</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">7) walk away from someone you "click" with.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">8) not fight for what you believe in.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">9) cast a vote without being completely informed.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">10) give up on love... and the possibility of it "finding" you.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Your thoughts? Your lists? Your remedies for insomnia? I'm open to whatever you got! Let's dialogue! :)</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">~yvette</span></p></article></span>yvette nicole brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06808614113713548739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186611433567745870.post-37513761372405028162011-02-25T10:28:00.000-08:002011-02-25T10:32:20.531-08:00Maybe...<span style="font-style:italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Originally posted on MYSPACE (July 1, 2008)</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /><br />Hey Everybody,<br /><br />My friend Traci sent this to me. She doesn't know who wrote it, neither do I. But it was such a blessing to both of us that she emailed it to me and I'm posting it in this blog. May it be a blessing to you. And if anyone knows who originally wrote it... please let me know, I'd love to give credit to the person who deserves it!<br /><br />Have a blessed day, you guys!<br />~yvette<br /><br />PS... my favorite is: "Find the one who makes your heart smile"... isn't that just the BOMB?!<br /><br />*************************************************<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Maybe...</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-style:italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Maybe </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">. . We were supposed to meet the wrong people before meeting the right one so that, when we finally meet the right person, we will know how to be grateful for that gift.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style:italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Maybe</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> . . When the door of happiness closes, another opens; but, often times, we look so long at the closed door that we don't even see the new one which has been opened for us.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style:italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Maybe</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> . . It is true that we don't know what we have until we lose it, but it is also true that we don't know what we have been missing until it arrives.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style:italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Maybe</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> . . The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style:italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Maybe</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> . . the brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; after all, you can't go on successfully in life until you let go of your past mistakes, failures, and heartaches.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style:italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Maybe</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> . . You should dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go, be what you want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you dream of, and want to do.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style:italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Maybe</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> . . There are moments in life when you miss someone -- a parent, a spouse, a friend, a child, your girlfriend/boyfriend -- so much that you just want to pick them from your dreams and hug them for real, so that once they are around again you appreciate them more.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style:italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Maybe</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> . . The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch and swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style:italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Maybe</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> . . You should always try to put yourself in others' shoes. If you feel that something could hurt you, it probably will hurt the other person, too.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style:italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Maybe</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> . . You should do something nice for someone every single day, even if it is simply to leave them alone.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style:italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Maybe</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> . . Giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they will love you back. Don't expect love in return; just wait for it to grow in their heart; but if it doesn't, be content that it grew in yours.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style:italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Maybe</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> . . Happiness waits for all those who cry, all those who hurt, all those who have searched, and all those who have tried, for only they can appreciate the importance of all the people who have touched their lives.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style:italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Maybe</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> . . You shouldn't go for looks; they can deceive; don't go for wealth; even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile, because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright. Find the one who makes your heart smile.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style:italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Maybe</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> . . You should hope for enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, and enough hope to make you happy.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style:italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Maybe</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> . . You should try to live your life to the fullest because when you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling, but when you die, you can be the one who is smiling when everyone around you is crying.</span>yvette nicole brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06808614113713548739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186611433567745870.post-42955668720632272242011-02-25T09:34:00.000-08:002011-02-25T10:33:07.845-08:00Love...<span style="font-style:italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Originally posted on MYSPACE (July 13, 2008)<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /><br />Love is patient<br />Love is kind<br />Love does not envy<br />Love is not proud<br />Love behaves<br />Love is not selfish or easily provoked<br />Love shares truth instead of spreading lies<br />Love bears all<br />Love believes all<br />Love endures all<br />Love hopes for all<br />Love never fails<br />:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::<br />This was just a refresher course... for me. I've got so much to learn. But thankfully, God is patient, God is kind, God is forgiving...<br /><br />If you guys need a refresher too, the verses from I Corinthians 13 are below.<br />Keep striving everybody. We'll get there yet.<br /><br />~yvette nicole<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">1 Corinthians 13</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span><span style="font-style:italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">-The Way of Love-</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-style:italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.</span></span>yvette nicole brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06808614113713548739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186611433567745870.post-17513459184320086102011-02-25T09:31:00.000-08:002011-02-25T09:34:19.201-08:00My new favorite quote...Originally posted on MYSPACE (November 5, 2008)<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">"Cowardice asks, "Is it safe?" Vanity asks, "Is it popular?" Experience asks, "Is it politic?" But conscience asks, "Is it right?" There comes a time when a person must do something, not because it is safe or popular or politic; they must do it because it is right." - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.<br /></span><br /><br />Tavis Smiley shared this quote during the MSNBC coverage of the election results last night. It really made me think. Tavis talked about growing up in Indiana and how he never thought, growing up in that state as a black kid, that he'd ever see a day where folks in that state would vote for a black man.<br /><br />I'm from Ohio. And though I've been (thankfully!) spared from seeing most of the venomous hatred that lives in the hearts of some folks from my homestate (um, have you seen the videos?!) if I'm honest, I must admit that I never thought Ohio would vote for a black man either... at least not in my lifetime.<br /><br />I say this and I'm still relatively young! I wasn't around for the civil rights movement. I don't know anything about separate bathrooms and lunch counter sit-ins. Dr. King has always been a great man in a history book to me. I say this and I was shielded from most of the rough stuff growing up because of the wonderful example set by a strong single mom and the blessing of Affirmative Action. Maybe I was in a bubble...correction, I know I was...but I grew up --even in Ohio -- with a strong belief that I could do and be whatever I set my mind to do and be. Praise God!<br /><br />But even with all that said... if I'm honest, I never thought I'd live to see the day that we'd have a black man as President. Wow. A black man is our new President! I'm sorta getting off point right now, I know. But my mind is all over the place this morning and I'm trying to process it all.<br /><br />Back to Dr. King's quote. I think it details what true integrity is. Ever since I've heard it, I haven't been able to shake it. Conscience is the thing.<br /><br />Throughout this election season a lot of decisions were made, important ones (President) and well, others... like Prop R in San Francisco which asked voters to decide if a sewage plant should be named after George W. Bush. (tee, hee, hee... that makes me laugh. Sadly, it didn't pass. But I digress...) I wonder how many of those decisions were made because they were the right thing to do? Just because they were right?<br /><br />Without conscience, making a decision solely because folks will think you're "cool" makes you a victim of peer pressure. Making one solely because it's what everyone else is doing, makes you a "lemming". Making one solely because it will allow you to advance, makes you opportunistic. Making one solely because it allows you to "figuratively" stay alive, makes you a sell-out. <br />Making a decision solely because it's right... no matter the tide of public opinion, no matter the consequence, no matter the fallout, makes you heroic. <br /><br />The nation made a huge decision last night. One that I never thought I'd live to see. Many would say that President-elect Obama was "called" for such a time as this. My prayer is that he is able to continue to walk worthy of the call. I will be praying that he is the hero this country desperately needs.<br /><br />God Bless...<br /><br />~yvette nicoleyvette nicole brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06808614113713548739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186611433567745870.post-81965406461831445572011-02-25T08:21:00.000-08:002011-02-25T08:22:00.713-08:00Just a bit of "Felicity"Okay, as a lot of you know, I'm a HUGE fan of "Felicity". The writing on that show was just BEYOND and it was perfectly cast! Please allow me a "nerd moment" as I share one of my favorite bits of dialogue from the show. It's between Felicity and Ben...<br /><br />********************<br /><br />Felicity: "I'm an emotional person I feel things and I need to be able to get upset and to talk about how I'm feeling. That's just who I am and I can't change it. I mean... I don't want to. And the thing is, you knew that. You knew it and you still pursued me because you want something with me... you're just not strong enough to have it. Which, in a way, makes you a coward. And the saddest part is one day you're gonna wake up and you're gonna realize what you missed and it's going to be too late."<br /><br />Ben: "I don't know what to say."<br /><br />Felicity: "I know. It's okay."<br /><br />********************<br /><br />Simply GENIUS! Okay, my "nerd moment" is over now... :)yvette nicole brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06808614113713548739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186611433567745870.post-23802511005640056032011-02-25T08:20:00.000-08:002011-02-25T08:21:09.430-08:00Link to Yvette's Interview on "Atlanta & Company" Tuesday, January 19, 2010Hey Guys,<br /><br />I was on and NBC show in Atlanta called "Atlanta & Company" on Tuesday and here's the link... hopefully this one works (lol!) the host, Christine Pullara was a sweetie pie! Enjoy!<br /><br />http://www.11alive.com/video/default.aspx?bctid=62337503001yvette nicole brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06808614113713548739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186611433567745870.post-17070241729251425082011-02-25T08:19:00.000-08:002011-02-25T08:20:05.613-08:00Lyrics I LOVE... part 1: "Inconsolable" by Jonatha BrookeI had my iPod on shuffle and perfect little gems I had long forgotten started to play. I came across this beautiful song by singer/songwriter Jonatha Brooke. Her voice is beautiful. Her lyrics are deep...this one in particular. A bad break-up has never been more poetic. ;)<br /><br />If you happen to check out the actual song be advised that she's a little folksy sounding so you young hipsters weened on auto-tune and beats may not feel her; but for a season of my life her CD's were ALL I played. Some folks had Sarah Mclachlan, I had Jonatha Brooke. :) The lyrics to this song (especially the third verse!) are some of my favorites. Enjoy!<br /><br />"Inconsolable"<br />Written and sung by: Jonatha Brooke<br /><br />I never knew what enough was <br />until I'd had more than my share<br />I let the darkness in<br />and it was then I lost the dare<br />It was then I lost the day<br /><br />There will be no prayers on your return<br />And there will be no party thrown<br />And you will find your inheritance <br />is the silence that's grown<br />It is the seed that you've sown<br /><br />'Cause you were the one sure thing<br />The one sure thing<br />Maybe I'm not crazy...just inconsolable<br />Inconsolable<br /><br />There is no mystery to be revealed<br />And so we tell the truth and then run<br />I love you because I love you<br />And I did think that you were the one<br />But now I see who you've become<br /><br />'Cause you were the one sure thing<br />The one sure thing<br />Maybe I'm not crazy... just inconsolable<br />Inconsolableyvette nicole brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06808614113713548739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186611433567745870.post-48971237573074889352009-02-16T12:59:00.000-08:002009-12-04T19:36:29.340-08:00So you wanna be an actor?! :)<span style="color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>Originally posted on Myspace</em></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Hey Everybody,</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I've been promising to post this blog FOREVER. And after I saw the wonderful detailed blog my friend Tanjareen posted about "breaking in" I decided that it was time for me to make good on my promise. If you'd like to see how Tanj broke it down, the link to her blog is: </span></span><a onmousedown="'UntrustedLink.bootstrap($(this)," href="http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=59041313&blogID=96943963" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#ffffff;">http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=59041313&blogID=96943963</span></a><span style="color:#ffffff;"><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">And here's my take on it all:</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">1) RESEARCH is key!!! God bless the child who has his own and all that. Find out about this business for yourself. Information is everywhere. And not just in the brains of folks who are where you want to be. Other folks in the business can be a wealth of information. But you should want to "learn to fish" for yourself. Researching the answer from various sources is how you learn to feed yourself. Other folks should only be used to confirm what you already found out through your own research. Trust me, you'll appreciate what you learn more. And to that end...</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">2) READ everything you can on the business. Make amazon.com your BEST friend. There are books in print on every aspect of the business... acting, directing, producing, modeling, writing. You name it. It's there. If you live in Los Angeles, there's a great bookstore out here called: Samuel French. There's one on Ventura Blvd. in the Valley and another on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood. Do a google search to get the addresses. Samuel French is a wonderful place. I would spend HOURS in there when I first started out. Shoot, from time to time, I still do! And the bonus is that Sam French expects entertainment folks to "browse"... they even provide chairs for your browsing comfort. Their only rule is that you can't copy stuff out of the books. Which I think is fair. :) If you can't get to Samuel French or you're a little low on funds. Might I suggest your local bookstore (they have comfy chairs for reading too,) your local library or the Internet. There is SO much information out there. There is simply NO excuse not to research the basics for yourself.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">3) BE WARY. If it sounds too good to be true... it is! Steer clear of the "modeling" agencies that promise you work. I won't mention them by name, but you know the places I'm talking about. They usually advertise in papers and hold huge cattle calls and miraculously EVERYONE who shows up is perfect for their "agency" and destined for stardom. And all it costs is $1000 for classes and pictures. Um, one word: RUN! Also steer clear of anyone who calls YOU that you haven't submitted to. No reputable agency is going to cold call an actor. They get too many submissions to ever need to do that. And if an agency is in the market for actors to the extent that they are calling you, they are either not a real player in the industry or are scam-a-licious. Simply put... agents and managers make money when YOU do. Not a second before. Anyone who wants you to pay them to represent you is a scam. Anyone who will represent you if, and only if, you go to their photographer or take their classes is a scam. Reputable agents may suggest a list (the operative word is LIST) of approved photographers. But they will never insist you go to one in particular. Same for any acting teachers or managers they recommend. Be wary of such foolishness. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">4) STUDY your craft. Take classes. If you wanted to be a doctor you would study medicine. This is your career. Be professional about it. Now don't get me wrong, some folks are "born" with the gift. But even they may someday need the help of a teacher or coach to get them to the next level or through a difficult audition that requires a different skill set than they have naturally. So classes are helpful. Plus, when you're starting out, classes are a great way to meet and be around other actors... who happen to be a wealth of information when it comes to headshot photographers and agents... you know, should you have a question about the ones you've already researched? :) The actors you meet in class will also prove to be invaluable friends as you navigate your way through the business. Some of my best friends to this day are folks I met in the acting class at my church YEARS ago. We still support each other and applaud each other's successes. You will need those friends in this business. Friends who "knew you when" are the best kind! :)</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">5) SMILE for the camera! Or scowl, if that's your thing. (Gosh, this blog is getting cheesier and cheesier!) Ignore my cheese, heed my advice... This is of course all about headshots. Headshots are your calling card. Make sure you get great ones that look like you. You on your best day. But still, YOU! Glamour shots or ones that are retouched within an inch of their lives will not serve you when you get in the room with a casting director. You are cast from that shot. They want to meet THAT person. Not that person AFTER the 12 hours of hair and makeup it took to look like that person... um, did you follow that? :) Now, if you wear a FULL face of makeup every day and are prepared to recreate that look for EVERY audition. By all means, take that shot. But I don't know if there are lots of roles for folks like that. Most of the folk on TV look naturally beautiful/handsome. You wanna be in that number. Moving on. Pick your photographer carefully. Interview them first. And to get to the picking and interviewing part, look at lots of headshot galleries. There are lots online and sidebar: in LA and NY there is a place called Reproductions that does great duplication work once you get your final pics. But more importantly, they also have a headshot gallery in their stores... and even online, I believe. It's a great place to start when trying to pick a photographer. Other actors are a great resource in this area as well. If you're out and you see someone with a great headshot, ask them who took it. And then interview with that photographer. Expect to pay about $150 on the low end and up to $600 on the high end for photos. Although with the advent of digital photography, anything over $250 is really highway robbery. Anything more than that will probably produce a pic worthy of the cover of Essence or InStyle and again, you don't want that look for your basic headshot. There is a lot more detailed info available in regards to headshots... so refer back to my advice in item 1 and get to it! :)</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">6) REPRESENTATION. Ya gotta have it. No doubt about it. But don't get wrapped up in the size of your agency. Especially when you're starting out. The goal in the beginning and throughout your career is to have someone representing you who believes in you. Someone who thinks you are the BUSINESS! That one person believing in you wholeheartedly can get you into any door in this town. Remember that. So as you interview with agents. If they are lukewarm about you, keep on looking. You'll eventually find the one who "gets" you and is dying to work with and for you. That's the agent you want. As for basic submission etiquette. A nice cover letter... addressed to an actual person, none of that "to whom it may concern" or "dear sir or madam" nonsense... along with your headshot and resume will do the trick. Make the cover letter uniquely you whatever that is. Quirky, fun, cerebral. You, glorious you! Mention all the good things you've read or heard about their agency. And you should have heard good things otherwise why are you submitting to them? As for who to submit to, your research will lead you to the ones that are a good match. You can find agency lists online. And Samuel French has a booklet called "The Agencies" that breaks down each agency, as well. A magazine called The Ross Report also lists agencies and what they're looking for each month. There's also a great set of industry books by a writer/actress named K.Callan. She has a couple on Agent searches in LA and NYC. In the back she lists all the reputable agencies... well, and a few who aren't. But if you read between the lines you'll be able to figure out which is which. I would suggest submitting to about 7 or so at a time. You're not trying to blanket the city. It's about quality, not quantity. The next step is a meeting... which THEY will request. Don't drop by the office or call excessively asking if they've made a decision about you. As in romance, if they want you, you will know. At the meeting, be yourself... as long as you are bubbly and fun. :) The interview is really a test to see if you're someone they'd like to send out into the world with their name attached. Are you personable? Fun? Interesting? Intelligent? Well groomed? Articulate? These are all things they will be sizing up about you. There are long days on set. No one wants to spend 14 hours with a jerk. Don't be the jerk. And as a sidebar, you can be serious about your acting career and still be fun in an interview. The two aren't mutually exclusive. Find your smile and take it with you in the room!</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">7) DEMO REELS. Don't panic. No one is expecting you to have hours of film of you and Meryl Streep. They really just want to see what you look like on film. Just put together what you have and if you don't have anything...</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">8) INDEPENDENT AND GRAD SCHOOL PROJECTS. These will be invaluable in the beginning of your career. Take part in as many as you can. Consider projects for the Internet, creating content for youtube (but keep it classy folks, you don't want something going viral that you will regret later, there IS such a thing as bad publicity, I don't care what anybody says,) Independent films. Do whatever you can. Create whatever you can that will present you professionally and get you some tape for your reel.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">9) FAITH. I'm a Christian. Most of you reading this already know that. So, you already know that I feel that faith, in some form, will be invaluable as you pursue a career in this business. But that said, I'm not trying to force my beliefs on anyone... though my beliefs are pretty cool. HA! What I'm speaking about most of all is "keeping the faith". Believing in yourself and your abilities. Positivity. Good juju and all that. This business is full of folks who list all the reasons you can't and won't make it. Your job is to not listen to them. Granted, not everyone who wants to have a career in TV and film will have one. But I do believe that everyone who wants to act will have the chance to act. Eventually everyone gets a turn. It may not be at the level they're expecting or when they expect it. But it will be a turn. Hang in there for yours and protect your spirit until it comes. Oh, one more thing... Haters suck! :)</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">10) UNIONS. To be a professional actor, you need to be in one or more of the professional actors unions. But join too soon, at your own peril. Once you are union you can no longer work non-union. That may sound like a "Duh!" to you, but I don't know if most folk really think about it. You will get most of your early experience from non-union projects. The pay is low... okay, non-existent... and the set will be perk-free. But you will get to see first-hand what it's like to be on a set. And acting, well the technical part of it... is really something you learn by doing. It's not as easy as you think to hit a mark and remember lines. I know it all seems ridiculously simple. But when your adrenaline starts pumping and you are star-struck by your co-star and your line comes in after a long tracking shot, you will be surprised how quickly your line shoots right out of your head and at how you can't seem to stop by the coffee table where the director told you to. It's muscle memory really. The more you get used to talking and walking and stopping and starting while under pressure, the better. And non-union projects allow LOTS of opportunities to do that. And demo reel tape at that! :) And lastly... at least for now, I may add more to this if I realize I forgot something...</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">11) EXTRA, EXTRA!!! Wow, that was corny. And I think it's called "background work" now. So I was corny AND politically incorrect. But you know what this one is about. I think background work is a great way to get experience on a set without any of the pressure being on you. I highly recommend it. No, you won't make a lot of money. And yes, you may be treated like a herd of cattle. But the food is usually good and you get to see first-hand what a set is like. And you may even get bumped up and get a line. Hey, it could happen! Hope springs eternal!!!</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Okay, those are my tips for now. I will update if I feel that something is missing. Please feel free to comment and chime in with your tips on breaking in... those of you who have broken in... and those of you who are working on breaking in, feel free to share what you've learned in all your research and reading!</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">May God bless you guys in your careers!!!~yvette nicole :)</span></span>yvette nicole brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06808614113713548739noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186611433567745870.post-73899935792447107642009-02-12T07:51:00.000-08:002009-02-16T12:59:20.457-08:00Questions about my hair...<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><div align="center"><br /><em><span style="color:#cccccc;">This blog was originally posted on myspace on Dec. 17, 2006. </span></em></span></div><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#cccccc;">Hey Everybody! :)</span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#cccccc;">Okay, so I get a lot of questions about my hair and I've been replying to everybody individually and then I thought, well shoot girl, just write a blog! </span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#cccccc;">So I... wrote a blog about it, here it go... :) (Forgive me, it's early!)<br /><br /><strong>Question 1:</strong> Is it a weave?<br /><br /><strong>Answer:</strong> Nope, this is all my hair. We Browns are a thick headed bunch. :)<br /><br />* </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#cccccc;"><em>Amendment... I still don't have a weave, but I HAVE become a new fan of the clip in extensions. So if you see me with rapunzel length "tresses"... know that a sister has clipped in some herr! LOL!<br /></em><br /><strong>Question 2:</strong> How'd you get it like that? Is it a straw set?<br /><br /><strong>Answer:</strong> Although I believe you can get your hair like this with a straw set, mine is not. I'm going to tell you guys exactly how I get my hair like this in a second, but first, if you will indulge me, I present:<br /><br />My theory about black girls and our hair... :)<br /><br />I think most of us have no idea what texture of hair we have because we've spent most of our lives braided, pressed, jheri curled (don't act like you didn't have one!) weaved and relaxed. How could we really know what we're working with? I had no idea my hair was naturally curly until I stopped relaxing it about 7 years ago. I think every sister should go natural at some point in her life just to figure out what's really going on.<br /><br />Now a word of caution... the first six-eight months will not be easy (or pretty!) Remember, your hair has been used to being chemically straightened or pressed. The first bit of new growth will look like the motherland, for real. (Don't get me wrong, I love the motherland... it's just that a natural curly/kinky texture right next to a relaxed texture is going to look a bit strange. I think the kinky/curly is more beautiful, but I'm biased. LOL!) That said, the two textures fighting it out on your head for domination may not be the prettiest sight, but if you give it time to grow out, your natural curl pattern will emerge and outshine that funky old relaxed part. (HA!) And I bet it's nicer than you're expecting. Mine was.<br /><br />The first year or so is spent trying to figure out what products work best for you. It will be tedious but worth it. No two curly heads of hair are the same. You have to find the exact mix of products that work for you... but once you do? WHOO-HOO, it's Christmas morning every day! :)<br /><br />If during the growing out phase your new growth is hurting your feelings, you can use a texturizer on it just so it's not such a drastic switch from relaxed to natural. But if you do this, you're prolonging the time it takes for you to be completely natural because you have to wait for the relaxer and then the texturizer to completely grow out.<br /><br />After awhile, once you hair grows out and you continue to trim your ends (or have them trimmed at the salon) you will have a full head of natural hair... and hopefully it's manageable.<br />Now, here's my process...<br /><br />I wash my hair with Aphogee evening primrose shampoo (white bottle, green writing) or Motions critical repair shampoo. I heard Pantene has a great line for relaxed and natural hair as well. I then use any conditioner I can get my hands on and comb it through while my hair is wet. I rinse the conditioner out and then I towel dry a bit (you want your hair still a little damp) and then I saturate (and I mean SATURATE!) it with an aloe vera leave in conditioner by ic Fantasia. It's in a brown bottle with green and white writing. (All these products can be found at Sally's or any other beauty supply, by the way)<br /><br />Once the leave-in is throughout my hair I scrunch (ball your fists up with your hair in your hands) all over. This encourages my hair to curl up. I then put a little bit of oil (what kind doesn't matter) on my ends and then I sit under a hooded dryer for about 30 minutes. You can also air dry but the dripping drives me crazy, so I just sit under the dryer.<br /><br />That's it. That's my process. If your hair hasn't been "trained" to curl up yet, you can always put the leave-in in and do double strand twists and then sit under the dryer.<br /><br />It's a long journey if you're switching from straight to natural, but once you train your hair to curl, it will. At least I've found that to be true for mine.<br /><br />And one more thing... I am NOT a licensed beautician and I can't 100% stand behind anything I wrote in this blog... besides that, it's 5am! Who knows if I'm even coherent at this unGodly hour. :) Forgive me this little disclaimer, but my legal secretarial roots won't let me not explain that if you choose to try any of this stuff, please don't hold me responsible if it goes terribly awry. Everybody's hair is different. I'm just sharing with you guys what worked for me. I hope it works for you, but I can't guarantee that it will. Fair? :)<br /><br />If it does work for you, please write back/post and let me know, will ya?<br /><br />Peace and hair grease!<br /><br />Yvette :)<br /><br />PS... you don't have to go natural to try the leave-in scrunching thing or even the twists thing. If you have a relaxer scrunching or twisting your hair and sitting under a dryer should produce some sort of wavy hair pattern, it just won't be all that curly.<br /><br />PSS... I've been asked recently about how I can get all this hair to lay down when I pull it back into a ponytail. It's simple, water and LOTS gel... oh and prayer. :) If I'm going to wear it slicked back I usually decide right after I wash it. And instead of doing the towel dry then "saturate with aloe vera leave-in" routine, I just brush it back while it's still damp and COAT it with gobs of gel. Like almost "helmet head" levels of gel. I'm talking every layer of hair slicked down. The gel you use doesn't matter. I usually use one that's thick and doesn't flake. I think ic Fantasia makes a couple of versions. There's the clear gel with "sparkle-lites" that works by them and a brown gel that comes in a jar with a yellow top with black folks on it by them. (Gosh, this is turning into commercial for icFantasia. LOL! That isn't intentional, I promise. Their products just work on my hair for some reason.) But I've also used Pro-styl gel . Again, which brand doesn't matter as long as it's thick, doesn't flake and holds your hair down.<br /><br />PSSS... I've just heard some not so good stuff about ionic hair dryers and black hair. So be careful using those, you guys. I've heard that they dry black hair too fast and breakage can be the result. Just a friendly FYI.<br /><br />PSSSS... I know, how long winded can I be?! I just wanted to list a few more products that work for me: Mixed Chicks (love their leave in conditioner), Kinky Curly (great products to lay down unruly curls) and I'm a new fan of the shampoo and conditioner by Ion for curly hair. You can get Ion products at Sally's and the curly line is in white bottles with green writing and tops.<br /><br />Okay, now I'm truly done. :)</span></span></span></p>yvette nicole brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06808614113713548739noreply@blogger.com10