Project 52 - SEPTEMBER

01. | I spent about three days in a meditative reflective state before I head of to work in the first week of my return to work this term. Just me and my God, appreciating what He's done in me, with me and for me. This includes this beautiful earth! I felt so lucky!! I also was reminded of this blessing by an old tag I was saving in my planner for future scrapbooking.

02.| Back to work the next week, early mornings of sitting in solitude at the school house trying to do my uni assignments as I wait for the moment I will be called miss,

03.| Nothing like a full arsenal of pens to make you feel ready for the new term!

04.| At the end of the week I went off to my usual writers meeting and though my mood began to slow I was also able to slow down in the midst of the city and notice that even on this island the city is beautiful too. Also, almost made it a month with my nails done while working...almost.Bah.


How did September treat you?

Peace. Love. Beautiful Commitments.

For more of my project 52 2015 click here!

2015 Completed Reading

I finally killed my reading list for 2015. I was a little worried as I did come close the last two years but I noticed that in the last semester of the calendar year my reading always slows down. Likely, I speculate, as it's the first semester of the school year as a teacher and first term of the school year as a student, both things I am doing that cause my time to not be my own and throw me in the middle of various commitments to deadlines.

So this year, I was more strategic and just kept reading earlier in the year and over the summer, letting myself indulge in the temptation to never slow down.

I must admit that I started Emma in December of 2014 back when I read a tone of other classics like Little Women, Sense and Sensibility and my dear sweet Pride and Prejudice but I didn't finish it because I was not liking it at all. Therefore, with about six chapters to go I stopped. I was better able to get my head in the game this year though and read it and came to have a real appreciation for the literature. I still dislike the character though that is sure.

I've already begun compiling my list for 2016 believe it or not and I'm fighting with myself not to start it. Usually, I would just charge ahead because December break from uni is nice and long enough for a good rest but this year, I'm working hard on a plan I have for that month...say a prayer for me guys! I really want it to work out...

Either way, I did read another book not on this list but it was a #SheReadsTruth bible plan so I guess goodreads wont count it though I do. I am also reading another book now too but it's not yet published....so exciting!

So that's what's up with Liz the reader in 2015! Feel free to follow me on goodreads if you want to keep up a little more with my reading habits.


How is your reading list going for this year, a disappointment or full of surprises?

Peace. Love. Achievement.
Linking up with Blogtember 2015!

Thank God It's Thursday TELEVISION!

It's premier week y'all!!! I'm SO happy! haha the episode here and there keeps me from calling my teachers unnecessary names in the dark of the night when everyone is asleep and I'm up writing essay after essay and reading note after note... WOO I done been delivert!

Oh I forgot Empire in the colleague, how?!



What's everybody watching? Indulge my silliness haha

Peace. Love. Deliverance from the Grind!

What's In My BEACH Bag!

I'll tell you what, I love the beach but I also love efficency. So when I heard a friend of mine talk about the fact that she always keeps beach things in a bag in her car I decided to do the same. Who says I need a car to work this to my advantage?

So what's in my ready to grab and go any time beach bag?

• Sunblock.
• A Towel
• Shorts.
• A Loose fitted beach easy drying shirt ( much like those sheer things)
• Bathing Suit
• A beach wrap
• A hair wrap/shower cap.
• Change

Things I need to add:

• A hat
• Sunnies/shades
• Flip flops
•  Lipstick (a girls gotta reapply yo)

It was great packing this bag and it feels great any time someone says to me 'I'm going to the beach you coming?' I can not only say yes but can grab my pre-packed bag and just slip in my daily necessities (the what I call what's in my purse) we'll get into what's in my actual purse (wallet) some other time or maybe never cause ick.

I honestly wanted to show you but alas the photos just wouldn't cooperate (seriously I've been trying to post this up since Tuesday) hope you enjoyed reading this list anyway though!

Do you have any kind of grab and go bag and if not, what event would you consider making on for?

Peace. Love. Be Prepared.

linking up with Brave Love Blog's Blogtember  2015

50 Things on my Bucket List

I started writing a bucket list when I was 20 I haven't looked back at it for some time so I thought this would be a good opportunity to have a look back at the things I used to want, clean it up and evaluate. So this should be a fun read for us both. Prepare yourself, this is going to be long.


Travel 

• Visit England
• Visit South Korea
• Visit/shop in Italy
• Visit Paris
• Visit/shop in Japan
• Tour the Caribbean islands
• Take a cruise with my mom (or just take one on a whole)

Education & Professional Development

• Obtain my bachelors in Literature and English with education
• Become an English literature and creative writing teacher
• Teach English for a term in Korea
• Take part in a giant, world recognized spoken word poetry event like DefJam Poetry

Security

• Own a house

Writing

• Publish my novels 
• Publish a compilation of my poetry
• Script a Movie
• Make a movie scripted by myself
• Write a song
• Be in a movie

Hobbies

• Move to a first world country for a while
• Be on the Oprah show either as a guest or part of the audience I'm not too pickie lol
• See a score of Broadway plays!
• See Rent the play performed on Broadway
• Avenue Q the play performed on Broadway
• Cats (which they're not doing any more...) performed on Broadway
• Chicago(which they're not doing anymore I know) performed on Broadway
• Learn to Tango like a professional
• Own a high end DSLR camera
• Take a photography course
• Learn the native folk dances of my culture.
• See P!NK in Concert
• See Linkin Park in concert
• See Nickleback in concert

Religion

• Be settled and feel safe in my Christianity (done but ever on going isn't it?) 
• Go on a mission trip with Lets Start Talking

Other

• Have a bedroom I'm satisfied with
• Replace my school ring
• Go to a big classy party dressed in a tuxedo 
• Dye my hair pink
• Learn to play the piano 
• Learn to swim
• Live in scarves, big hats and vintage dresses for at least a year.
• Attend NOAHCon

Fitness: 

• Get fit/toned/healthy
• Do yoga
• Learn Tai Chi

Done:

•  Own a fluffy little short dog (only for a year but i did happen, R.I.P Missi)
• Find friends that will last a lifetime
• Complete my Disney music collection
• Visit Sandy Island. 
• Learn to skip rope 
• Take pictures dressed up in a changing room of a store 12.04.11 and recently in August 2015
• See the turtles come up to nest

Removed

• Obtain my masters in Psychology 
• Come a licensed counselling/clinical or school psychologist
• Own a Parrot
• Learn to speak Spanish
• Learn to speak Japanese
• Learn to knit and or crochet
• Become an actress for a while

I'm just a tiny bit embarrassed at just how long this list is but I'm honestly impressed when I look back at how much I've changed, the things I have finished and the things I've set into motion and am continuing to do. I haven't pin pointed exactly which ones are actually happening right now because honestly it's most if not all of them. So few of them I intend to do not as a one off.

So many of them have so many steps attached to them and honestly? Looking at this long list I am encouraged because obviously, from the experiences I have had in my life working towards all of these goals, it becomes obvious that it's really not so much about the destination as the journey. What a journey it has been! Also do you see that rejects list?! Oh how we change!


What are some of the things you want to do before you die??

Peace. Love. Wildly Exciting Rides.
Linking up with blogtember 2015

15 Things that make for the Perfect Cozy Fall Day

On an ideal day in Fall/Autumn/The Rainy Season I would wake up to a picture of dark grey clouds heavy in a gloomy moody sky. They would give birth to rain, a little thunder and maybe even a little lightening. It would be cold, so cold, cold like a one sided love; painful but making you desperate for a tight embrace. I would sink deeper into the arms of my own warm lining and smile my way back to a late morning sleep.

I would wake up before it was light and hop silently on checkerboard tile down the white hallway into the bathroom for refreshing. Pyjamas would rule the day just as they had the night, long pyjamas, the kind we don't get to wear often enough because it's just too hot most days.

Home and warm again I would spend time in devotional worship, write some, edit some, dance some snuggling with a pup some.

I would spend the mid day eating calaloo soup only grandmother has been able to master or pumpkin soup only mother has been able to master. I would brave the muddy puddles and the crystal clear with equal care and a rain water filled holes and make my way to the roadside to catch a bus to the ocean.

Umbrellas of all shapes, sizes and colours would litter the streets and light frost would cover vehicle windows, tempting me to regress into drawing hearts or words on them and peeking through those spaces to see the clearer picture on the other side. I would give in that day and watch the flash of greenery amidst a the various shades of grey backdrop slide past me on my trip.

The ocean would be that perfect chill for getting in and staying in longer than on most days, its greens and blues would pop against the contrast of the sky.

There would be so much laughing.

Upon returning home there would be wine and laughter and roasted corn with my mother, aunt and grandmother in the cool of the setting sun. I would remain in slack jeans because there is something about wearing them at home that is so comfortable! Maybe add a dash of my favourite long socks to complete the satisfaction of a wardrobe appropriate to the feel of the day; covered, warm, close...

To end it off I would brew cocoa tea so hot that even I can see the steam rising from it and spend the rest of the day, from dusk till late into the night on the front porch sipping tea and reading fine literature in the blanket of quiet only such a time can share.

I would fall asleep to loud rain again that night.

Things to love about Fall

Rainy days

Cloudy skies

warm sheets

Clare puddles

Deserted streets

Bright umbrellas

Warm soup

Cool ocean baths
Laughter
Matriarchy
Wine
Warmth
Knee high socks

Hot cocoa tea 

Fine literature

I could have wrote about 'the perfect day' but if I'm honest that would be full of a lot more travelling and in the words of Scarlett O'hara 'I wont think of that now, I'll think of it later. There are too many other things to think about...'


What does the perfect Fall day look like on your side of the world?

Peace. Lover. Things to love.
This post was written in connection with the second day of the blogtember 2015 link up

The Reading Habits Tag

 I saw this tag over at Vanilla Crush and then again on another blog and I've been trying to resist doing it because I only recently did a tag but then I figured why not?

1. Do you have a certain place at home to read?

In my room, always in my room once there is someone home. If not I might read a bit on the coach. Unless it's an audiobook then all bets are off and I'm at the sink doing dishes, on a bus, dusting down furniture, folding clothes, everything!

2. Bookmark or random piece of paper?

Since I do a lot more e-reading now because of my sight it's digital book marking haha but when I am reading a tangible book I am one of those terrible people who dog ears the page.

3. Can you just stop reading or do you have to stop after a chapter or number of pages?

I can generally stop on any page if I have to just at the end of a paragraph or at the button or top of the page or even the middle really,  somewhere that I can generally remember the place to find it again easily. Ideally though, the end of a chapter is perfect.

4. Do you eat or drink while reading?

Rarely as I was taught not to from an early age, bad for your health, causes weight gain and over eating and the list goes on. Also I can never truly appreciate the food when I do that so if I do I'm literally just shovelling the food into my mouth so I can get back to giving the book my full attention!

5. Do you watch TV or listen to music while reading?

Absolutely not.

6. One book at a time or several at once?

One book please.  I don't like dividing my attention.

7. Reading at home or everywhere?

At home where I can get the lighting right and do all those crazy book reader poses.

8. Reading aloud or silently in your head?

Silently.

9. Do you ever read ahead or skip pages?

Never

10. Do you ever write in books?

If I'm studying it for a class yes. I've started writing in my books for that reason and I'm warming up to it as a literature student but I always feel like such a betrayer doing it.

If you do this tag, link me! I love it and would love to hear about your reading habits, lets be nerdy together <3 

If you like I'm tagging:

Helen of I Will Bloom

Charlotte of Inside Chalotte's Head

Shellon of Don't Play With It

Kiki of In It's Time

Hayley of Charidabelle

because you are all awesome and readers and I want to know how you do it.

GIVEAWAY WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

Congratulations to the winners! I did promise I would make a video for the announcement but alas my technology wont have it...I did make an attempt so do accept this swift time lapse as my mike doesn't work any more. At your own risk though because I swear it's like look at me from beneath the ocean....

 If the embedded video doesn't show up click here.

First place winner Tawni S. I will be contacting you soon to receive these goodies.

Second place winner Nancy D. I will be contacting you soon to receive these wonderful goodies!

I will be contacting you both soon for your addresses. Do don't be scared if you find this package is taking a while in the mail, it's coming from far away...Thank you all for following me and commenting as you always do, it is encouraging and heartening and I am so grateful!

I wish I could give you better pictures but ah...too many struggles at the moment. See you soon my dears.



edit: I also wanted to say a very special thank you to fellow artists and friends Shellon Eleazser for the unframed print you see above, (you may not recognise the place but I'm sure the magic of it isn't lost on you) and Janetta Thornhill for the double sides book mark which is the surprise item for the second winner (check the video for a glance at it, oh it's so fun!) You can't see it well here because of my horrid photos but it's one of my favourite pieces and dreadfully difficult not to steal for myself ;)

Peace. Love. Thank you!!

The Wordy Phoenix : My spoken word poetry persona

 Picture by Josiah Bayne

~

The Wordy Phoenix is a Caribbean born and bred writer in her 20s who currently resides on the spice island of Grenada. A writer of poetry as well as prose fiction who is currently pursuing her degree in the field of English, Literature and Education. Her interests extend to numerous creative endeavours including photography, spoken word poetry, blogging. public speaking, acting and advocacy in the areas of Environmental Awareness, Albinism Awareness, and the field of educational accessibility for the Blind and Visual Impaired.

A past President of the Writers Association of Grenada (2009-2011) as well as current Vice President (2011-Present)  she believes that art is everywhere and surrounds herself with it by way of creative, positive and motivating people who also love to express themselves through fashion, photography, drama, music and various art forms.

Believing that lines and labels are a social ill she enjoys crossing them so that she often sports a punk prep-chic style.

Some of her hobbies include: laughing, playing with puppies, enjoying Asian culture with a concentration on South Korean and Japanese and proving the subjectivity of normal with every breath.

She is currently working on the publication of a self authored anthology of poetry and of her first novel.

~

Common local appearances include:

Annual Grenada Spice Word Festival.

Monthly Jazz and Poetry Night at the Grenada National Museum.

Monthly meetings of the Writers Association of Grenada 

~

I figured it was time to introduce you to my poetry persona after mentioning it before hand. :)

Peace. Love & Laughter <3
Linking up with blogtember 2016