VernetteOutLoud

♪ Haaaapy Biiiirthdayyy to Meeee ♪‏

My Intention for this new year.

My intention for this new year.


Be careful what you wish for!

Earlier this year, I made some decisions about the path my life was going to take. And I remember saying to a girlfriend that those decisions should set in motion a series of events that will have a domino effect in my life for the rest of the year!

Man…sometimes I need to hush! Long story short, for the first time in my life I actually worked on my birthday! And guess what? I did not die!

In fact the opposite happened, I felt so alive and so full of gratitude for the blessing of another year of life. For making it to this birthday in good health – give or take a few pounds. I have a family who loves me. Friends (the real kind…not the FB friends who post once a year on your birthday) who take time out of their equally busy days to wish me a happy one.

I welcomed my birthday with my sister…we stayed up to have a drink and reminisce as one year slipped into the next. It was simple. It was perfect. I felt loved…and then the rains came…the perfect goodbye and hello. The promise of a fresh, albeit slightly damp start.

Here’s to a year filled with
Gratitude.
Really good coffee.
Drinks with my sister.
Tiramisu with friends.
Sun on my skin.
Trust.
Slow mornings.
Rainy Sundays.
Avocado toast.
Red eye sunrises.
Writing my own permission slip.
Sauna on “me-days”.
Family dinners.
Belly-laughs.
Loving with my whole heart.

…and most of all
Abundance.
Adventure.
And Infinite Possibilities!

I’m ready. Let’s do this!

Why I Suck At Dating

I’ve been on three dates in the last year and five months. Yup, I know…clearly I don’t care about ticking biological clocks as someone indignantly said to me recently.

It didn’t help that I laughed in their face either. I’m at the age my mother was when she had me…and I’m the eldest. So I’m not worried folks, no need to be on my behalf. OKAY?

Right…so why do I suck at dating?

I don’t date. Ergo, I lack the skill set required or rather, I never developed the skills required to navigate these interviews for *cough* sex.

I’m lazy – I’d much rather stay at home snuggled up in my comfy bed, watching Netflix or reading a book than getting dressed up to go out with some guy and to then watch the same movie only with popcorn involved. Oh the effort!

Ugh. Small talk. I am not good at it. I will tell you pretty much everything about my day with one “how was your day”… then the guy goes all MEGO on me (you know…My Eyes Glaze Over) and I’m left thinking I’m so gauche. Awkward silence follows.

Then there is the “Oh my God…what the hell do I wear?” Too casual and I don’t care enough…dressed up…and I care too much. Where are we going? What’s appropriate? Why did I agree to this? Is it too late to cancel? Maybe. How interested am I? How much effort should I put into this outfit? Grrrr…. This line of questioning almost always brings me to…geez Vernette you need new clothes! To which, lazy Vernette whispers “you wouldn’t need new clothes if you were staying at home with your body pillow and Netflix…who BOTH love you just as you are in underwear even!” Lazy Vernette wins. Every.Single.Time.

Men People are stupid. I’m the chick who will be “set-up” on a date with a guy because we both like hiking. Then the guy is mostly silent for the duration of the “date” not even to talk about this fantastic thing that made my friend think this would be a match made in heaven. However, at the end of the night…says some crap like he’s the strong, silent type and I’m all…hmmph too late buddy! I’m already so bored and my body pillow is waiting. I mean…really? This is what I showered and used my Victoria Secret lotion for? True story by the way.

Best Behaviour Business. Have you ever been on a “first date” and felt like you were holding in a gargantuan fart the whole time? No? Just me then? Shee-it! Okay. I really do suck at this.

Holding in a fart? Most probably!

Holding in a fart? Most probably!

*******
This post was originally published on May 18th, 2013.
Vernette still sucks at dating
but she has decided it is in her best interest…
that she farts freely going forward.

Quote of the Day

Whatever comes, let it come, what stays

7 for SEVEN

7 for (1)

Hello Loves!!!

July is winding down and we’re getting closer and closer to the most fantastic day of the year – my birthday!!! Whoo hoo.

As it happens every year around this time, I get all reflective about the last 12 months and the experiences that have brought me to this very moment.

My 7 for this week is a (very small) compilation of few of my favourite things over the last 12 months:

Family. I am who I am today because of the support and encouragement of my family. If not for them I cannot say where I would be today. I don’t even want to think about it.

Friends. A friend of mine said to me recently that there is no such thing as an independent person. We all need something or someone – whether it is family, friends or a significant other. We all need that intimacy that comes with knowing someone you can be who you are 100%…no judgment. I am so blessed to have cultivated authentic relationships – especially over the last couple years – where I am me and that is enough. My Cohort of Awesome has been my safe place and I am grateful for all of you.

YOU. My dear reader. Jeff Goins said, “Most writers struggle with the same thing, one thought that threatens to destroy their message before it ever leaves their fingertips: what I say doesn’t matter.” This is a major fear of mine – who am I to have a blog? What do I really have to say? I struggle to even call myself a writer. But you continue to read. You continue to support. And I am grateful. Thank you.

Travel. NYC x2, London, Bristol, Miami, Washington D.C. – the travel bug bit me hard in 2015. It is has been a fantastic year for new experiences and lots and lots of good coffee. The downside is that now I crave more new experiences.

Love. One of my favourite quotes came from a Nayyirah Waheed poem,
“i am mine.
before i am ever anyone else’s.”
I am reminded every day that at the top of the list of those who Love me…is my own name.

Prayer. I thank my mother for introducing me to God and ensuring that the relationship I would eventually foster has a strong foundation. My faith has helped me through some tough moments this year.

Red Eye Sunrise. I love travelling on red eye flights. The airport is quieter. Not a lot of babies on the flight. And there is just something about starting a new day in a whole new place that is hella’ appealing to me. The absolute best part is being able to see the sun rise from the vantage point of the clouds. It is freaking amazing. I have been blessed this year to experience a few red eye sunrises. Seeing the clouds awash in the rays of the sun, heralding the dawn of a brand new day…maaan I cannot help but feel rejuvenated and ready to move forward enthusiastically toward everything the new day, another birthday and this new year has to offer.

And it is with this sentiment I greet this new year of life. I hope that by continuing to pay attention to the little things, the mundane details that make up all the blessings in my life and by sowing the seeds of faith and gratitude, I can truly carry with me and reap the rewards of “positivity + balance + bliss” throughout the days ahead and well into this new year of life.

Thank you for reading, I appreciate you! This is me blowing some glitter and confetti on you because you’re super blessed to have received the gift of another 86,400 seconds today, to spend any way you desire.

Make those seconds count!

I love hearing from you…what are you grateful today? What made you smile? Feel free to share below!

____________________________________________________________
Instagram_like

Instagram is my favourite place to connect.
FOLLOW ME there and say HI!!!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Close Up

IMG_20150715_131342

“When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs.”
– Ansel Adams

Today’s post is all about the ebb and flow around us. I captured this blossom, walking through the Highline Garden on a rainy Wednesday afternoon. Vibrant fuchsia drenched in rain…seemed so melancholic yet full of promise. It feels right to share this with you today; just like the wisdom of photographer Ansel Adams, who captured the wild beauty that is nature.