Wanna Wanna Wednesdays...Ashley Stewart's Batik Swing Tank

How adorable is this sweet little top ($24.15, Ashley Stewart)? I could definitely see myself rocking this with a skirt for these dog days of summer... or pairing it with a blue blazer and jeans for the fall.

How would YOU rock the Batik Swing Tank?!? Leave a comment with your outfit suggestions!!

Music Therapy with Miss Moon

"I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles."
~ Audrey Hepburn

"Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself: I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it."
~ Groucho Marx

" Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life."
~ Omar Khayyam

In May, what was intended to be a routine check up with my new doctor turned into months of fear, worry, and anxiety. He called me and said that there was something wrong with my blood tests, and that my white blood cell count was unusually high. He couldn't say why, but that further tests was needed. In subsequent visits the doctor did very little to assure me or give me some idea what could be the problem. I did what most people (FOOLISHLY!) would do in that situation, and took to the internet to look into what could cause this abnormality. And I ended up scaring the hell out of myself in the process.

So for these past few months, I lived with this fear not far from my thoughts: Am I sick? Am I dying? What would my family do? Will I be a burden on them? And with the stress I gained twelve pounds, upped my cigarette smoking to a pack a day, and discovered two new gray hairs rest comfortably on Miss Mooch.

All of this worry was immediately alleviated when I went to see the Hematologist. He saw my fear, he saw the tension and spoke to me like I mattered. He said I did not have Leukemia (Which was the biggest fear, as I have a family history!) and whatever the cause... it was not life threatening! I wept with relief when I heard those words.

This journey is not over... there are still test results to look into, and I still have to figure out how I can get this resolved and fast. But in the meantime, I am going to express gratitude for each breath that I take, and each step that I make each day.

For this week's song choice for Music Therapy with Miss Moon, I wanted to pick a happy, upbeat song that reflects the state of mind I am in... I am ready to get my life back on track! I am ready to get back to everything I had set out to do on my path before I got stuck in this fog of fear! With the lyrics included in the video, I hope you all will celebrate with me to "Coolin' in the Streets" by Andra Day with a bit of help by Ziggy Marley!!

A Little [CHENNAI EXPRESS] for a Saturday Night

In honor of the utter excitement I feel at going to see the new Rohit Shetty film, "Chennai Express" (Starring Deepika Padukone and Shah Rukh Khan), I thought that I would share one of the songs from the film tonight!! With Tamil Film Superstar Priyamani joining the fun, I hope you all will enjoy "1234.. Get On the Dance Floor"!

Miss Moon Gets Healthy.... And Starts Over (Again!)

Ugh! I hate that I am writing this post, y'all! The past few months have been difficult, and I admit that I used it as an excuse to slack off on my "Get Healthy" routine. And as a result... I've gained four pounds.

Now four pounds may not seem like a lot, but those four pounds felt like such a failure to me. It was the motivation I needed to cut the crap, stop making excuses and get back on the treadmill, literally!!

So I started again last week, and I discovered I felt really great about it. Despite that areas of my life that are not quite as savory, I drag myself to the gym after work, I sweat and push myself and walk away feeling like a rock star!!!!!

I am going to try to keep this momentum up. Last year I dropped two sizes and now that its August... I have less time to match (if not exceed that!). But I resolve to do it!!!

Wanna Wanna Wednesdays... ASOS CURVE Tribal Print Beach Dress

 This week's Wanna Wanna Wednesday item is one that is so fly as hell, I feel like I should just be posting the picture and not saying a damn thing about why I want it. Because, honestly, it should be obvious! LOL

It wasn't until I saw this dress that I completely understood what Kenya Moore meant when she twirled and said she was "'Gone with the Wind' fabulous"... I have the feeling that if I bought this dress ($42.43, Asos), I would have the same opinion of myself!!

Another reason I love this dress is because it introduced me to my new favorite gym song and also the song choice for this past Saturday night. That alone is worth scoring it for my closet!!

Music Therapy with Miss Moon

"You are you. Now, isn't that pleasant?"
~ Dr. Seuss

"All the knowledge I possess everyone else can acquire, but my heart is all my own."
~ Johann von Goethe

"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."
~ Oscar Wilde

"A girl should be two things: who and what she wants."
~ Coco Chanel

Working in a super fashion-conscious neighborhood in Manhattan is great for fashion inspiration and people watching. It's not so great for the self esteem when you aren't 5'11 and built like a supermodel.

I admit to days where I feel horribly out of place walking the streets of NoHo. And believe me, some of the inhabitants contribute to that feeling with their utter disbelief that I'm dare to breathe within 5 feet of them.  Me being so.... not them. Days like that, I just want to stick a paper bag over my head and find a bell tower somewhere to dwell permanently in. I hate days like that.

So I am going to change the way I think about myself on those days. I am going to believe that I am just as fly and fabulous as they are... there is just MORE fabulous me to behold. And I think we all should feel that way about ourselves. Short, tall, fat, thin, big nose, small nose, whoever and however we are. We should strut.

And today's song choice for Music Therapy with Miss Moon is a strutting song that celebrates everything that we are, despite what the haters may say! I hope you all will feel a little bit more fabulous today with Janelle Monae and Erykah Badu's "Q.U.E.E.N."



Girl, this is crazy... let me tell you

I can't believe all of the things they say about me
Walk in the room they throwing shade left to right
They be like, "Ooh, she serving face"
And I just tell 'em cut me up and get down
They call us dirty cause we break all your rules down
And we just came to act a fool, is that all right? (Girl, that's alright)
They be like, "Ooh, let them eat cake."
But we eat wings and throw them bones on the ground

Am I a freak for dancing around?
Am I a freak for getting down?
I'm cutting up, don't cut me down
Yeah I wanna be, wanna be Queen

Is it peculiar that she twerk in the mirror?
And am I weird to dance alone late at night?
And is it true we're all insane?
And I just tell 'em, "No we ain't" and get down
I heard this life is just a play with no rehearsal
I wonder will this be my final act tonight
And tell me what's the price of fame?
Am I a sinner with my skirt on the ground??

Am I a freak for dancing around?
Am I a freak for getting down?
I'm cutting up, don't cut me down
Yeah I wanna be, wanna be Queen

Hey brother can you save my soul from the devil?
Say is it weird to like the way she wear her tights?
And is it rude to wear my shades?
Am I a freak because I love watching Mary? (Maybe)
Hey sister am I good enough for your heaven?
Say will your God accept me in my black and white?
Will he approve the way I'm made?
Or should I reprogram, deprogram and get down?

Am I a freak for dancing around?
Am I a freak for getting down?
I'm cutting up, don't cut me down
Yeah I wanna be, wanna be Queen

Even if it makes others uncomfortable
I will love who I am
Even if it makes others uncomfortable
I will love who I am

Ohh, shake 'til the break of dawn
Don't mean to sing so tough, I can't take it no more
Baby, me and tuxedo crew; pharaohs, it ain't my tomb
Crazy in the black and white; we got the drums so tight
Baby, here comes the freedom song, too strong we moving on
Baby this melody will show you another way
Been 'droids for far too long - come home and sing your song
But you gotta testify because the booty don't lie
No, no, the booty don't lie, oh no, the booty don't lie

Yeah.. yeah, let's flip it
I don't think they understand what I'm trying to say
Haha, yeah, uh, I asked a question like this

Are we a lost generation of our people?
Add us to equations but they'll never make us equal
She who writes the movie owns the script and the sequel
So why ain't the stealing of my rights made illegal?
They keep us underground working hard for the greedy
But when it's time pay they turn around and call us needy
My crown too heavy like the Queen Nefertiti
Gimme back my pyramid, I'm trying to free Kansas City
Mixing masterminds like your name Bernie Grundman
Well I'm-a keep leading like a young Harriet Tubman
You can take my wings but I'm still goin' fly
And even when you edit me the booty don't lie
Yeah keep singing, I'm-a keep writing songs
I'm tired of Marvin asking me What's Going On?
March to the streets 'cuz I'm willing and I'm able
Categorize me, I defy every label
And while you're selling dope, we're gonna keep selling hope
We rising up now, you gotta deal you gotta cope
Will you be electric sheep? Electric ladies, will you sleep?
Or will you preach?

A Little [AMPLIFY DOT] for a Saturday Night

I'm a little late with this week's song choice for a Saturday Night, but I am hoping your will dig the song all the same.

This past week was HARD!!! And to be honest, in the midst of it, I didn't think I would get to tonight, where I am relaxed, happy, peaceful and I NEVER EVER thought I would say I'm good. And to celebrate that fact, here's Amplify Dot (with a little help from Busta Rhymes) with "I'm Good"!!