SICKA THAN AVERAGE

Oh me, oh my! Yesterday, I was having one of those mornings when you just want to wear a T-shirt that says "Bring it on dooooown!" like Kandi on Real Housewives of Atlanta. And then, I got a message from Dana at The Art of Accessories (whose site is a must read!), telling me she'd gifted me with a Kreativ Blogger award. I was so excited to have a fellow blogger, one whom I respect so much, show me this type of support, that it literally changed my whole day around. Thanks, girl!

So here's the deal: Whenever a blogger receives the Kreativ Blogger award, he/she must do the following:

1. List 7 things that you (the audience) don’t already know about him/her (the blogger)
2. Name 7 other blogs to receive this award
3. Leave a comment on each of the blogs nominated
4. Thank the person who gave him/her the award

So first, the 7 things you may not know about me:

1. I find pickles absolutely revolting. I think it all started when I was pregnant with my son. I went to visit his future aunt and she lived in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. At that time, they were holding a pickle festival that spanned almost four city blocks. And, of course, since my sense of smell was heightened due to the pregnancy, I felt like the pickle smell was consuming me, enveloping me, smothering my clothes, and making me terribly nauseous. Anyhow, five years later, I still can't even stand the sight of a pickle. I won't go anywhere near 'em. Yes, I realize I'm a weirdo, but that's the scoop with the pickle phobia.

2. I won the spelling bee at my elementary school three years in a row. Take that, Akeelah!

3. I've got six butterfly tattoos — one on my foot, one on my wrist, one on my lower back, one on my pelvis, one below my right clavicle, and one on my back, right by my left shoulder. And for the record: back when I got my first butterfly tat, Mariah Carey had yet to entertain her butterfly obsession.

4. I lived on a sailboat for a year. And no, it wasn't exactly glamorous or adventurous. I was a pre-teen at the time, still living in Puerto Rico (where I was born and where I lived up until age 14). My father, an avid sailor, kept his sailboat docked at the San Juan Marina. Following my parents' divorce, he holed up there and made it his new home. I wound up living with him and, hence, I also called the sailboat home. Of course, this meant no phone service, cable, no real bedroom, and absolutely no privacy, so I was not thrilled. Looking back though, I giggle when I remember the sight of my pops trying to fish my favorite skirt out of the water (he'd dropped it in the ocean while trying to climb on board).

5. I think Sade and Maxwell have made some of the sexiest music ever. Maxwell's "A Woman's Work"? C'mon, now!

6. My look changes every few months. I get bored really easily, so I constantly dye my hair (I've had it dyed jet black, auburn, bright red, golden blonde), cut it, and experiment with different styles.

7. I was in the step team at Harvard. It was tradition for the students of color in the freshman class to step  at Eleganza, a much-anticipated talent show, and I was part of the original group of 8 girls that performed. We tore down the house and people soon started asking us to perform all the time — the group eventually grew to include over 20 people, both males and females, and we had quite a run. One day soon, I'll share some pictures with you!

NOW, the 7 other bloggers that I’m passing this on to are (drumroll, please):

Brittany at ClumpsofMascara.com (@clumpsofmascara)

Jamie at DenimDebutante.com (@denimdebutante)

Thembi at WhatWouldThembiDo.com (@thembithembi)

Roselyn at Tempt'd (@roselyn)

Lakish at BlaqVixenBeauty.com (@BlaqVixenBeauty)

Toma at LipstickMasala.com (@lipstickmasala)

Jasmine at FashionGrail.com (@FashionGrail)

And, of course, THANK YOU FOR THE NOMINATION, DANA!!!