Miss Moon Gets Healthy: And Keeps Motivated...

I've been continuing on this path to getting healthy for the past few months, and over the last few weeks, I've felt very unmotivated. A lot of it comes from the fact with such a dramatic change to my overall diet and lifestyle, I anticipated dramatic (and immediate!) results... but that isn't the case. And honestly, it will most likely not be the case. It's taken me 34 years to get to this size, and it's going to take more than a few months to see changes. I know and understand this now, but for a while, I had really felt defeated and to be honest, I gave up. I continued to eat a lot better than I have in years, but I didn't go on my walks. And I felt.. awful about it. But all in all, I learned that it will happen: you will lose steam and you will feel like not doing moving.

If you choose not to do it, allow yourself the time off without beating yourself up. That's what I did eventually, and in the time off, something amazing happened. I ran into people I haven't seen in months and they all greeted me the same way: "You've lost weight!!!!", which felt amazing to me!! And suddenly I started noticing it too. I looked in the mirror, and suddenly my face was thinner... my double chin isn't nearly as double-chiny (yes, I made up a new word) as it was before... and I was filled with MOTIVATION!!!! I celebrated by buying myself some proper workout gear (Which I will be reviewing soon!), and I started April committed to getting off my arse and walking twice a day... and I've been doing it, y'all!!! And it feels great!!

This post is a reminder that when you are prompted to stop doing something WONDERFUL for yourself... start up again. If not immediately, soon!! Look for the changes in unexpected places, and know that you will achieve all the goals you set out for yourself, with every step, and every great choice you make. You can do it! I can do it! WE CAN DO IT!!!

I Heart Her Hair: Rain Pryor...

When my good friend Jamillah of Jay the Bohemian Diva asked me if I had did an I Heart Her Hair Post on Rain Pryor, I immediately said to myself, "Oh yeah!!! Her hair is awesome!!!", so thank you Jay for the inspiration!!!

:::drools::: Alicia Keys-style for Plus Size Fashionistas

When I spotted this photograph of Alicia Keys attending Stella McCartney's fashion show earlier this year, I knew that I had to recreate it for plus size fashionistas. And something that doesn't often happen to me, I knew IMMEDIATELY what dress I wanted to start with!!

I decided that while I wanted to recreate her look as faithfully as I possibly could, but I also wanted to bring a little splash of spring color into the outfit, so I opted to use Alicia's sweet coral lip shade as inspiration! Here's what I came up with!

Dress: Bespoke Monochrome Silhouette Dress ($119.00, Simply Be)
Clutch: BCBGeneration Julia Clutch 2 ($88.00, Zappos)
Shoes: Cape Coral Pumps in Black Miscellaneous ($59.95, Aldo Shoes)

Music Therapy with Miss Moon

“ Sometimes you've got to let everything go - purge yourself. If you are unhappy with anything... whatever is bringing you down, get rid of it. Because you'll find that when you're free, your true creativity, your true self comes out.”
~ Tina Turner

" By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond the winning."
~ Lao Tzu

“ Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our mind.”
~ Bob Marley

I was born in the year 1977. In Chinese Astrology, that means I was born in the Year of The Snake. What's crazy about this is that for many many years, I was deathly afraid of snakes.

When I was a little girl, I lived for a few years with my Grandparents in St. Petersburg, Florida. One night, I was sitting outside in the back patio of our home when I heard this crazy sound I've never heard before (Remember, I was born here in Brooklyn!), I look around me and inches away from me were TWO HUGE ASS black snakes! Before this, I never thought it was humanly possible to do the running-in-place-before-taking-off à la Scooby Doo, but I definitely proved it was possible that night! LOL From then, I couldn't even watch a snake on the television without the hairs on the back of my neck going up.

In my twenties, I remember having a conversation with someone about my fear of snakes and the irony considering my Chinese Astrological sign. My friend advised me that it wasn't only the snakes I feared, but what they signify. She said that snakes represent my power to roll with the punches, to bounce back, and to regenerate after failure. She said that like a snake, I have to ability to shed my skin and be reborn. She urged me to reconsider my position of snakes, as she thought my embracing them would be ultimately helpful to me spiritually.

Shortly after our conversation, I had the opportunity to interact with a snake. A BIG ONE. I was riding on the subway and there was a gentleman riding the F train with a boa constrictor around his neck. He sensed my fascination/fear and he kindly asked me if I would like to touch it. Normally when a man asks if I'd like to "touch his snake" on the train, he would get promptly cursed out, as only a Brooklyn girl can do. But this time, I said yes, and I began to pet the snake. I guess it liked my touch caused it put its head over to my hand and I swear when its tongue touched me, I almost wet 'em right there on the train! But I held my ground, as he explained that's how he "smells" me. It ended up being a very good experience. And since then I can walk past the snake section of Petland Discounts without hyperventilating! So that's good.

There's a point to this ramblefest, actually. Spring is the perfect time to "shed our skins", like a snake, to get rid of what no longer serves any purpose in our lives. Whether its clutter (which I'm presently in the process of shedding!), or attitudes and beliefs from the past that hold us back... now is the time when we are given ample opportunity to do some internal Spring Cleaning as well as the external. Let it go, give it up... it's holding you down. Believe me, I know!

So this week's song choice for Music Therapy is "Let It Go", by the beautiful Jazzyfatnastees. Let it inspire you to shed yourself of all the excess crap weighing you down and slowing your stride!



Crying, tortured
Wishing on some four leaf clover
To free you from the chains that bind you
Fleeing from yourself

In time you’ll figure out
We search our whole lives
To seek what’s inside
We run but can’t hide
Begging strangers to try
To shield us from pain
Hoping we’ll change
But it stays the same

Why do you defeat you?
Let the past mistreat you?
You don’t wanna let it go
No one else can help you
Only you can free you
But you gotta let it go.
Let it go!

Vicious Circle
Frozen by the fears that lurk
You’ll wind up in the place you run to
Find you’ve lost your way

But in time you’ll figure out
We search our whole lives
To seek what’s inside
We run but can’t hide
Begging strangers to try
To shield us from pain
Hoping we’ll change
But we remain in the hame

Why do you defeat you
Let the past mistreat you
You don’t wanna let it go
No one else can help you
Only you can free you
But you gotta let it go.
Let it go!