From a dream to reality

We all have a dream in our hearts and a vision in our head, something that drives our passion! But how many of us actually take the time out to put this vision into reality?

After 12 years working on Capitol Hill Janice Wallace stepped out on faith….She quit her “good” government job to make HER dream come true.. an online magazine. After years of ups and downs… doubts and tribulations..situations and battles on November 25, 2011 Façon Magazinewas born!

Façon Magazine is the new voice of emerging fashion designers! There is so many talented designers, at times they dont get there fair chance but with Facon Magazine they finally have a place to call home.

When I met with Janice the first time I was so amused. The intimidation I feared went away as I listened to her story I found myself empowered and made realized the recent changes I was making in my life were right… for ME! Our situations are so parallel and its truly a blessing for me to be apart of HER dream.

Dont let age, time, situations, people… ANYTHING stop YOU from being who YOU want to be! We were all put here for a purpose… you can sit and be blind to the fact or you can put your running shoes on and chase your dream until its yours….

Thank you for having me apart of your team Janice and congrats again!

Make sure you follow @Faconmagazine and check out the website Faconmagazine.com.If you are or know any wonderful emerging designers please send an email to editor@faconmagazine.com

Beating or spanking?

On twitter today one of my followers posed the issue of child abuse. At first I was not sure why but then I started seeing other tweets about Child Abuse Judge stepping down after video. So me being me I goggled “child abuse judge” and the story immediately popped up about Judge William Adams. Adams was a Judge in Texas who recently stepped down two weeks ago after a video circulated of him “beating” his daughter.

I read over the story and searched for the video. Though the video was taped in 2004, to know that behind closed doors a man who made decisions on others that abused children was doing the same thing angers me on so many levels!

After viewing the 8 minute video, especially with knowing he was/is a Child Abuse Judge, my heart dropped! I almost felt like he got enjoyment out of this. When her mom came in just by the way she was talking I could tell that she was brainwashed or physically/mentally abused by him. At a point she (the mother) seemed scared as if he was going to turn around and beat her with the belt. “Pleading” with how she agreed with him and she told her, Hilary, not to do it and it was the girls choice not hers….

“Judge” William Adams to his Daughter while “beating” her with a belt:

1:20- “Bend over the fucking bed damnit”

1:43- “Lay down or I’ll spank you in your fucking face”

The mother took the belt and told her daughter to lay on her stomach and also hit her with the belt. She wouldn’t give the belt back to William (at this point I felt like she was trying to “protect” her daughter, hoping he would just back down if she stepped in). He leaves to get another belt, when he comes back:

3:06- “I never got my lick in on her. Get on your fucking stomach.

3:29- “I’m going to beat you into submission”

4:50- “I ought to keep beating you”

5:29- “If you even look at me fucking wrong I’m gonna take you in there and ware your fucking ass out with this belt.”

The girl getting beaten in the video is his, then 16 years old, daughter Hilary Adams. Apparently this was going on for a while but it was not until now she decided to speak out about it.

A portion of the CNN article

“Waiting this long to publish it has enabled me to look at it with hindsight and not be so caught up in the passion of the moment,” Hillary Adams said. “I think we do, my mother and I, we do need to try to move on past the anger and just concentrate on getting counseling and help.”
Receiving an outpouring of support after posting the video has been like a form of therapy, she told KRIS, which is based in Corpus Christi, Texas.

“People are believing us now, instead of calling us liars like they have in the past,” she said.

Reading over the CNN Article Williams doesnt see that what he did was a big deal. He says that he lost his temper because she stole the car but in the video you can hear that this particular beating was pertaining to a computer. Just with the contradiction we can see that this has been an ongoing matter.

A quote from Williams taken from the CNN Article:

“She’s mad because I’ve ordered her to bring the car back, in a nutshell, but yeah, that’s me. I lost my temper,” Adams told the TV station. “Her mother was there, she wasn’t hurt … it was a long time ago … I really don’t want to get into this right now because as you can see my life’s been made very difficult over this child.”

Adams continued: “In my mind I have not done anything wrong other than discipline my child when she was caught stealing. I did lose my temper, I’ve apologized. It looks worse than it is.”

.

There is a difference between abuse and spankings… a huge difference!

To me abuse in when you act inferior toward your child (or spouse, mom, brother…etc) with your fist, hand, leg, head, mouth or an object to get to them to submit or obey you. Abuse comes in so many forms that sometimes people dont realized when they are being abused. The most identifiable is physical but emotional and mental have the same effects and maybe even worse.

Spanking my be a slap to the hand or behind when the child has done something wrong.

What we also have to understand, depending on what era you grew up in, a spanking was the most effective way to teach the rights and wrongs…and it worked. But with times changing we have to find more “delicate’ or appropriate ways to reach to our children. Cursing and beating them is not the answer.

Honestly I have gotten one spanking in my 25 years of existence. I personally dont see the reasoning for “beating” your child with an object as a means of discipline. However I do believe in slapping hands and pinching as a tool when kids are in the phase of touching everything.

In the video William uses the word spanking a lot… Was he spanking or beating his daughter?

View the video via YouTube

The power of Photoshop!

A few days ago I saw this picture retweeted on twitter. I first saw the shirt on Chris Brown a few weeks ago and thought it was pretty cool shirt with a bold positive statement!

Me being the Beyonce’ fan (or stan as some call me) when I saw the picture I said “this looks familiar”. I couldn’t quite figure it out but during a random evening at home my light bulb went off! This picture was sent to me from Ralph Lauren after the earthquake in Haiti!! In 2010!

This is the original shirt:

So was Chris Brown’s shirt photoshopped too??

If you said yes then you were…… RIGHT! This picture originally comes from Chris promoting his fame album!

11/1/11

sigh* in exactly 2 months it will be a new year. I must say that this year FLEW by, it seems as we get older the time just seems to fly.

Its a new day. New Month. New goals. New accomplishments! My main goal for this month is to lose some (a lot) of weight! I am trying to find a diet that will fit me! So right now I am just incorporating a lot more fruit, veggies, and water into my diet. I have to get my mind together and get up in the morning and hit the gym!!! It will be a challenge but it will and can be done.

I want to lose weight for ME! And that’s something to remember. If you are happy with yourself, and your health is up to par, dont do ANYTHING anyone else wants or think you should do! Trying to please everyone else will leave you lifeless. People look at me and say “You dont need to lose weight” but I am not use to this weight so it seems like its too much. However I do have a love/hate relationship with it..lol.

Some other goals for this month….. I cant share because they are business related and personal! Key of advice: Everyone doesnt need to know everything. Most things are fine kept between you and yourself! But no worries once the goal is complete I will be sharing you all!

Did you make any wishes today??

In the music world Wale’s Ambition album came out. I have not fully listened to it but I am truly proud of him. It seems that the area he comes from are the main ones constantly trying to pull him/down! Being from the DMV I can see what this area lacks.. support! I am not saying go out an buy every album, if you don’t genuinely like his music, but kill the negativity! There’s so much talent in the area but before we congratulate someone for making it we throw stones because we didn’t have the balls to do it!

I am trying to get the link for Trey Songsz… heard some good stuff about Anticipation II!!!!!!!!!!

Breast Cancer Awareness…. (Around the world)… A story through pictures…

30 Day Challenge: Exercise Regiment/Diet

Like I told you before I am committing myself to 30 days of something every month! This month its find an exercise regiment and cook more/diet!

I don’t plan on working out for 30 days straight (yikes!) my schedule right now is so hectic I don’t think I could find the time… (but I do want to try that!). I just want to get these pounds off of me and get healthier before the new year. 2012 is looking very promising and I want to go in with a Fresh Fit Healthy Me!

Soooo legoooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What’s your 30 day challenge???

PS.. I will share with you guys in a few days 🙂

 

October 1!

Well ladies and gents it’s that time again! The first of the month! You know the what that means…. NEW goals. NEW achievements. NEW accomplishments. a NEW YOU!

Take every opportunity to start fresh!

October:

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Halloween

Fall fashions

Fresh cool crisp air!

I hope all of you are ready… because I am!

I am Troy Davis….

Last night at 11:08pm after a 3 hour and 30 min delay Troy Anthony Davis was put to death by lethal injection.

I watched the coverage from 7pm to 11:08…. I never changed the channel or left the room. I prayed… I kept it optimistic…I thought.. I wondered…During that time I just could not imagine being his sister… his friend.. or him. His physical fate laid in the hands of humans but through it all he kept his faith. Through it all he still believed. Through it all he kept his head up. Supporters of the death penalty even question whether this was the right thing to do.. TOO MUCH DOUBT and not enough answers.

My issue is that our justice system is flawed, not the color of his skin but we also have to be realistic! I know that nothing is perfect but to have students say “one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for ALL” and allow things like this to continue is crazy to me. When it comes to the justice system its about race and class. CNN reporter said in our justice system you are more likely to be executed for killing a White man vs.. any other race. I have been saying this from day one, if he was white living in a trailer park there is no doubt in my mind he wouldn’t be going through the same thing (Class). Its Blue vs.. White vs.. Black and Rich vs.. “Poor” when it comes to our system, remember Sean Bell??? I don’t want to make this about race because that’s NOT the bigger picture. (Lawrence Russel Brewer http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2094322,00.html was also executed yesterday but not it was talked about much).

This has been happening for years! And will continue to happen, there are thousands sitting on death row at this minute with their fate in the hands of a HUMAN not their maker. There are thousands sitting on death row because they weren’t heard. There are thousands sitting on death row for crimes they didn’t commit…. We need to give them a voice! A chance…. What if your ____________ was sitting on death row and to be executed tomorrow? What if you sent someone to death row but couldn’t prove they committed the crime? My question is: Is it about revenge or justice when it comes to the death penalty?

It seems more like revenge (with the death penalty in general), especially after hearing Officer Mark MacPhails mother talk last night and the reactions from the family “smiles and laughter” at 11:08 pm.I have not, thank the lord, had to go through what officer MacPhails family went through but I don’t think in any scenario is the best answer for “justice” the death penalty. Don’t give me “a killer is off the street” he’s been off the street for 20 years! What more can you ask for… you want to play his maker and that’s not right! An eye for an eye is not justice in my notebook.

My best friend said something good on twitter last night “The officers mom sounds insensitive but how many moms out there say everyday ‘if someone hurts my child I will kill them’…and “Lets be real how understanding or sensitive would you be if your child was gunned down raped ect…Be honest” Very true! And those are question many of us cant answer. Of course we would want that person punished, no doubt about that… but how far would you go in putting your “justice” in your hands and becoming his maker?

Now we fall back into race:

During a a twitter debate someone said “its too late… black people have no hope” when I read that… my heart dropped! How can you say that?? The thing is back during the civil rights era WE STUCK TOGETHER! And everyone saw that fight in us so they put drugs and guns in our neighborhoods and like an experiment watch(ed) us destroy each other. But on the contrary we took these things and put them to use… upon ourselves! We spend too much time hating one another than helping and growing. We are only concerned with ourselves which keeps us stuck! Like Harriet Tubman said “I freed a thousand slaves I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves.” That quote is very evident in our thinking today! If you don’t see or realize something, how can you change it? Answer: You cant!

We don’t see how we are destroying one another. We don’t see how we have set limitations upon ourselves. We don’t see the hate we have amongst ourselves….Stop blaming everyone else and look at YOU! What can YOU do? How can YOU change? Then remember that YOU is really US! When you change.. you teach your kids… who teach their kids… and it WILL get done. No YOU personally may not see it but your blood will. Why would you want your kids to continue to walk down the path, we created, only to get worse? I am terrified to have a child because of the times that are ahead… I fear for my unborn child but I HAVE to take a stand, raise and teach them differently! You saying you don’t care about what’s going on and thinking you cant change is basically saying you could care less what happens to your kids…. they are up next!

Whether I followed the case for 20 years, which means I would have been 4, or if I just learned about it yesterday, which I didn’t, I have EVERY right to stand up and advocate for MY beliefs! I keep hearing “it was too late” “Yall didn’t know him” but my question is WHY does that matter? It does not matter when you start just make sure you finish! We place time limits on everything that though of “its too late” will keep you delayed. Its 2011 not 1943 there are so many other ways to get heard besides marching, so for someone to say that the only ones who truly care are those out marching and protesting baffles me. STOP using your twitter/facebook for finding hoes and use them as a tool! A voice! A positive outlet!

If you are a HUMAN you are Troy Davis. If you have been a victim to the system you are Troy Davis. If you are a Brother you are Troy Davis. If you are a Sister you are Troy Davis. If you are a Mother you are Troy Davis. If you are a father you are Troy Davis…..

Troy’s mother last wish was to see her son free… so we fought! Troy’s last wish was that we continue to fight… SO LETS NOT STOP!

If you don’t know about this case PLEASE go read it (http://troyanthonydavis.org/) PLEASE and after you do… TAKE A STAND… whether it be a petition… a letter.. a protest…a trending topic.. let your VOICE and opinion be heard! Yes he is gone but there are so many others wearing his shoes!!! Remember violence is not the answer and for justice we have to remember that!

Read his letter:

I want to thank all of you for your efforts and dedication to Human Rights and Human Kindness, in the past year I have experienced such emotion, joy, sadness and never ending faith. It is because of all of you that I am alive today, as I look at my sister Martina I am marveled by the love she has for me and of course I worry about her and her health, but as she tells me she is the eldest and she will not back down from this fight to save my life and prove to the world that I am innocent of this terrible crime.
As I look at my mail from across the globe, from places I have never ever dreamed I would know about and people speaking languages and expressing cultures and religions I could only hope to one day see first hand. I am humbled by the emotion that fills my heart with overwhelming, overflowing Joy. I can’t even explain the insurgence of emotion I feel when I try to express the strength I draw from you all, it compounds my faith and it shows me yet again that this is not a case about the death penalty, this is not a case about Troy Davis, this is a case about Justice and the Human Spirit to see Justice prevail.

I cannot answer all of your letters but I do read them all, I cannot see you all but I can imagine your faces, I cannot hear you speak but your letters take me to the far reaches of the world, I cannot touch you physically but I feel your warmth everyday I exist.

So Thank you and remember I am in a place where execution can only destroy your physical form but because of my faith in God, my family and all of you I have been spiritually free for some time and no matter what happens in the days, weeks to come, this Movement to end the death penalty, to seek true justice, to expose a system that fails to protect the innocent must be accelerated. There are so many more Troy Davis’. This fight to end the death penalty is not won or lost through me but through our strength to move forward and save every innocent person in captivity around the globe. We need to dismantle this Unjust system city by city, state by state and country by country.

I can’t wait to Stand with you, no matter if that is in physical or spiritual form, I will one day be announcing,

“I AM TROY DAVIS, and I AM FREE!”

Never Stop Fighting for Justice and We will Win!

Miss Universe 2011…..

25 year old Leila Lopes was crowned Miss Universe (Angola). Leila will be the first Angolan and fourth African woman to hold the title. She has hopes to help Angola escape a history of war and impoverishment and plans to focus on fighting HIV around the world.

Seeing this made me think back to A Brown Girl’s Tale, a time when I didn’t think I was [as] beautiful. This makes me so happy to see someone who looks like me on that stage. To see someone who speaks like my ancestors on that stage. She was asked if she could change a physical trait about herself, what would it be and why she responded:

“I’m very satisfied with the way God created me and I wouldn’t change a thing.”

I hope that all the young girls out there was watching this and realizing what she is saying! KNOW you are beautiful, you were created that way… dont let anyone tell you, you are would look better like this or you should try that… You are perfect just the way you are!

They are saying this is the answer that got her the “win”! Though I believe she truly feels this way about herself I think it will probably become a trend for next and future years pageants!

Shes a beautiful girl!

Strangers to Friends to Lovers to Strangers….

We lived two separate lives..Searching for something
What?
We have had no clue.
It wasn’t until passing it made a little sense.
We talked all the time and found our commonalities.
We told each other secrets
Shared inside jokes and secret code words.
We Laughed all night at the silly things we’ve done, past and present.
Talked about our dreams and growing up
Then we kissed….
Our hearts touched …
And our bodies connected.
Our nights ended with each others sleepy breathing.
Our days didn’t start until start until a sweet “good morning”
We held hands in public, stared in each other’s eyes and kissed passionately for no reason.
Talked about OUR future….
Then we argued.
The long stares turned to eye rolls.
Passion turned to a quick satisfaction.
The need the… the want to be around each other suddenly seemed rushed and like a waste of time.
The connection fizzled.
The phone calls stopped.
Whenever we talked the awkward silence took over our words.
We are no longer comfortable with each other.
We are asking questions that we use to know the answers to .
We sit right next to one another and feel so alone.
We are now two people searching for something…
What….?
Something we had and…
Lost….