Tonight I'm Gonna Dance For You ;)

It's here readers! It's here! Beyonce has unveiled the video to her hit song "Dance For You" off of her 4 album. For months, we women have sat in seats or stood in front of our mirrors creating sultry dance numbers to this song and when we unleashed the moves on our men, they were either happy or disappointed. Either way, that didn't stop us from attempting to move like Ms. Beyonce. Well, we now have the official source to polishing up our moves and all I have to say is fellas...beware because tonight we're gonna dance for you...oh oh oh...tonight we're gonna dance for you...oh oh oh. Ok, enough of that. Check out the video. Enjoy!:



XOXO,
Whitney

Top 10 Things I'm Thankful For This Thanksgiving

As the year approaches its end, there are two things besides New Years Eve that we folks get all warm and fuzzy about: Thanksgiving and Christmas. Today is Thanksgiving and if God, Allah, Buddha, Krishna, or the Universe has allowed you to partake in the festivities, please take a moment and express your thanks. It doesn't take much to walk away from the noise, look up to the sky, and sincerely utter "thank you"therefore, find the energy and make it happen. Now I know we all want to get back to our families and stuffing our faces so here are the Top 10 things I'm more than grateful for this holiday season: (Disclaimer: There are a few things that I am thankful that many of you have seen before. It was too good not to use again)

10. Laughter - There's no greater feeling than to find something extremely funny and chuckling loudly until your stomach hurts. If you're fortunate enough to have a variety of sources to make your stomach hurt such as television, radio, and friends, then you are in my book a winner. I enjoy the moments where those in my life can change my mood from sullen to ecstatic. It it those moments that I live for and look forward to everyday. If you haven't found your means of laughter, please do so because having frown lines around your lips from laughter says a lot.

9. Positivity- We can all agree that the ability to find the silver lining in every situation is a job within itself and while there have been times when pessimism occupied my life, I couldn't help but muster up the strength to thing happy thoughts. You'd be surprised to see how your whole outlook and day changes when you alter the way you look at your life and find solutions to your problems.

8. Wisdom- I've seen a lot and have encountered life changing moments and while the majority of what I've seen and encountered were because of what you all may call "mistakes", I call them unnecessary/necessary events. What made them unnecessary was their timing but what made them essential was that I was able to see past the event and analyze it for what it really was.

7. Unlimited Opportunities - I am blessed with the opportunity to love, be loved by many, and share what I have to the world. I will continue to exhaust all the energy that I have to give back and enable someone to half half of the opportunities I have.

6. Health- No list would be complete without being thankful for good health. In this crisis that we continue to weather through everyday simple necessities such as food, shelter, clothing, and health have been sacrificed for millions. I am thankful to have great coverage with my health insurance plan and I'm grateful for the 2 colds that Ive had this year. It would seem odd that I'm thankful for colds but to treat my colds with NyQuil and sleep vs extended hospital stays and surgeries.

5. Knowledge - When it comes to proper education for all, you all know that I will effortlessly fight to ensure that all children have the means to great education. I was fortunate enough to attend great schools throughout my journey of learning and when I think about the corrupt systems in place that seek to destroy the basic right of education, it makes my blood boil. We all have to do better in ensuring that our children have bright futures so let's get the ground running!

4. Consistency - I know many people whose lives have gone from close to perfection to earth shattering chaos. I am grateful that for the past year, there have been some things that have remained constant and they are: family, friends, love, health, and employment. While everything else has shifted and the time has gone by, these things have either been constant or slightly improved but never depreciated or have left.

3. Employment - Oh readers, this right here is the mother load. With the recession and the unemployment rate increasing, disgruntled and fed up citizens have taken to the streets and "Occupied Wall Street".  Demanding that regulation be reinstated, the CAMELS system enforced, and economic equality for all, folks have decided to camp out in the city to voice their frustrations. I am thankful for having a job and income coming in. To see people that I know grapple with unemployment is disheartening but also eye opening. Before you decide to complain about your boss and the extra work he/she gave you, think about those having to decide between paying their rent or putting food on the table because they're a week away from being laid off.

2. Family- I'm certainly not a one dimensional woman, there are definitely many angles that make up who I am. I attribute that to my family. I'm thankful for their loving, caring, blunt, outrageous, and downright sincere nature. Without that array of qualities to choose from, I would be bland and boring...eww those words are nasty.

1. Love- There's no way I could have the ability to reflect on anything if I didn't reserve a huge chunk of heart for love. The ability to love and in turn be loved back is indescribable. You truly have to experience it to begin to help me define it. There's no greater feeling than telling someone "I love you" and having them saying it back and hearing the genuine emotion. I wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world.

Well readers, there you have it, the 10 things I'm grateful for this Thanksgiving. May you all enjoy this holiday and stop to give genuine thanks for things in your life.

XOXO,

Whitney

Vanilla Sky & No It Ain't The Movie ;)

Readers, what I'm about to write will mark many milestones. There comes a time in a blogger's life where you look at your posts, page views, and comments, and think to yourself "should I still be writing? Should I switch it up a bit? Am I boring my audience? What can I do to make things different?" Well fortunately for me, I've been blessed with readers from all of the world and support for my blog unlike any other. Therefore, I am proud to announce that this is my 100th post, 1st milestone, and it's going to focus on music...hip hop music, 2nd milestone.

A very good friend of mine, Mark Lopez, is a very talented artist and just like everyone out here, he's using his positivity, networking skills, and attributes to make it big and change the world. Recently, he released a mixtape entitled Vanilla Sky and it's definitely worth listening to. So, without further delay, I give you music for your listening pleasure:

 Madison - Vanilla Sky by TheRealMadison

XOXO,
Whitney

903 Is Fine With Me :)

Well readers, where do I begin? How do I even write this post without getting emotional? If you know me well, then you know my hands are rapidly shaking as I type this post. I believe I have the hyperventilation & palpitations down to a minimum but my excitement is on high nonetheless. Ok, I'm now ready to write the following statement: COACH MIKE KRZYZEWSKI HAS PASSED BOB KNIGHT ON THE ALL-TIME MEN'S D1 LIST WITH 903 WINS!

Yes! Coach K is sitting on the highest throne as we, his beloved fans, celebrate his accomplishments. What an honor it has been to watch him coach since 2000. I may have stumbled upon my fandom late, but because of amazing footage I was always aware of what power the Duke Blue Devils possessed and the captain at the helm steering them to immortality. A bit much? Maybe, but there's no other way to describe how I feel. I'm a happy Cameron Crazie and what I wouldn't give to be celebrating with my fellow Crazies here & in Duhram.

To cap off Duke's 74- 69 win, Coach K and mentor, friend, and father figure Bob Knight shared a hug that brought the house down with a range of emotions. Friendships like theirs are hard to come by and this victory sealed their bonds further. We should all be so lucky to have people like that in our lives.

Are you guys still celebrating like I am? If so, I hope your energy lasts for days because the feeling that I'm feeling won't die for a lonnnnggg time. Congratulations Coach K on another wonderful feat. I'll continue to watch until the casket drops ;)

XOXO,
Whitney

902 Reasons To Be Proud of Coach K!

Oh readers, it's the most wonderful time of the year. Now, I know what you're thinking, "Isn't that song usually reserved for Christmas?" and while it usually is, I'm dedicating this song to the return of college basketball. We college basketball fans are as diverse as we are passionate and we are more than thrilled. Every year, we believe that "this will be the year when my team wins it all!" and that sentiment hasn't changed....especially if you're a Duke Blue Devils fan.

This past spring, while we didn't repeat as champions, we did leave on great terms, Coach K had 900 victories and was two away from tying the record with mentor and friend Bob Knight. Fast forward to last night, 11-11-11, Duke garnered their first win of the season against Belmont and Coach K collected his 901st victory. We fans celebrated and prepared our game plan for the next game. We were more than ready.

Well, how do I say this without coming off like a psycho? I don't think there's another way therefore, COACH MIKE KRZYZEWSKI HAS TIED BOB KNIGHT ON THE ALL-TIME D1 MEN'S WINS LIST WITH 902 VICTORIES!  That's right, with Duke defeating Presbyterian 95-55, this feat was accomplished. As usual, whenever my one of my life-long favorite teams or people accomplish anything great, my hands begin to shake, I get shortness of breath, and I need to be sedated to calm down my excitement. Today, nothing about my ritual will change.

As the season continues to blossom, I can be assured that Duke and Coach K will not rest on their laurels and continue to provide its fans with quality basketball. Congratulations to Coach K on 902 victories and I cannot wait until Tuesday, 11-15-11, as you take your place upon the throne with 903 victories. I am a Cameron Crazie and damn proud of it :)

XOXO,

Whitney