Who is Keisha Nicole? ( 20 Insane Facts about me)

Hey there!  So its my Birthday today and I am feeling Blessed and oh so Grateful for...just LIFE!!!!!!! To commemorate the event i decided to do one of those 20 Facts about me tags but with my own little spin on it. I love reading these because i get to see if the general perception i have of a person is accurate compared to traits in the trivia they share. Fun! I enjoy sharing my stories but often feel like they are such heavy topics. I thought doing a post like this could be a lighthearted way to share some unique and interesting things about me that i don't mind talking and laughing about. Its a  side to me i don't often show. Leggo!

โ— First off, I don't like the name Keisha. Idk, i just don't feel like a "Keisha". Sometimes when a person calls my name to get my attention there's a delayed response. Like huh? You talking to me? I've always felt like this, but it wasn't until today that i finally figured out how to articulate why i dislike my name. I was on instagram a couple days ago and saw a post saying " The Mayor or ATL name is Keisha y'all!" and it hit me. Having a name like that precedes you, and often gives off the impression that someone named Keisha is not expected to make it to high places. It's usually decided at birth to give a child a name that will help him/her get a good job. On the contrary, Keisha is the name used for ratchet characters referenced in every song you can think of ๐Ÿ™„

โ— I was in a Jenny Craig commercial with Mariah Carey. Thee single worst experience of my life ๐Ÿ˜ฉ. It took me two years to be able to tell this story without tears and snot bubbles. Let me know if you'd like to hear the details of this story. Of course there was a grand lesson i learned from the experience that has proved to be invaluable. 

โ— In Junior Highschool i painted my nails every day.  I would choose colors  to match my clothes, and do simple and geometric designs using whatever tool i would find around the house ( toothpick to make polka dots, cotton swaps to give a cloudy overlay effect to the polish). I now know that it was my Anxiety about fitting into my new school ( I was new to the country) that gave me Insomnia. So to pass the time i would paint my long natural nails with  intricate freestyle designs on both hands  to coordinate with my outfits. I got so good people thought they were stencils done by a professional.  So now you know the origin of #hicopaintjob. Which brings me to the next fact

โ— A rollerblading accident left me ambidextrous. I was probably about 10 years old when i tried rollerblading for the first time. It took all of 5 seconds to bust my ass on the freshly waxed laundry room floor of my grandmother's building. I broke my right wrist. I wore the cast for what felt like forever (was actually about  three  to four weeks) while on vacation in New York, but couldn't bear the itching once i returned to the tropical weather in Belize. While my mom was busy in her Shop doing a client's hair i snuck away with a bucket to go fill it with water. I soaked the cast to soften up the mold then proceeded to beat my arm against the concrete wall to deepen the cracks till i was able to rip it apart and pull my arm out. Needless to say my wrist wasn't completely healed and my right arm hurt so badly when i tried to use it. To avoid getting into trouble i hid the pain from my parents and caretakers and taught myself to write with my left hand instead. It had to be neat and undetectable cause my godmother didn't play when it came to proper homework. 

โ— My favorite color is Chartreuse. I fell in love with the vibrant color and became obsessed with it once i realized how the color commands your attention. When you see it you're left trying to decide if its more green than yellow or if its a dull neon shade. Upon first time hearing the name, a request to repeat the pronunciation almost always follows ๐Ÿ˜„ and if the spelling wasn't provided above you'd have a hard time asking google. This color is me in a nutshell! Not to mention whenever i recognize the color anywhere a flood of endorphins rush my system and perks up my mood immediately๐Ÿค—

โ— Growing up my mother allowed us to have any pet we asked for. At different times we had rabbits, a duck who acted as a guard dog and wouldn't let strangers enter our yard ( often times even me), a parrot who only spoke to us in spanish, several dogs, and even a crocodile tied up in the back yard. I don't remember how she acquired a crocodile but i remember her threatening to get one to scare my little brother. He was a terror growing up and nothing scared him. The strategy backfired on her and having a croc only made us cooler in our friends ' eyes. I took no parts in caring for any of these animals since i was terrified of all of them and only visited on the weekends.

โ— I don't like Bananas. Well not so much that i dislike them, more so i avoid them. They taste good but the texture is a trigger for me. I was only given healthy snacks as a kid. Always a banana or raisins ๐Ÿ™„. I grew bored of eating bananas so i would leave them in my backpack till i was able to throw them away on my way home. One time i forgot to throw it out. After a week of being squished in my backpack it quickly got brown and moldy and disgusting. For years i would gag at the site of a banana, the trauma is still vivid in my memory. ๐Ÿคข๐Ÿคฎ

โ— I don't have any tattoos, but I've always had piercings. First piercing was my tongue ring my freshman year of high school. I did it without my mom's knowledge and it was quite out of character for someone like me that was very conservative. Once my mom found out it wasn't a big deal. I had it for two years though, and no one outside my household knew i had it unless i told them. Not even my little boyfriend at the time ๐ŸŒพ ๐Ÿ‘€๐ŸŒพ

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โ— I went to 4 different high schools in 3 different boroughs before i graduated. Twas a struggle...( read Social Anxiety overload) but i was determined to finish and get my diploma. By my junior year of high school i had like 9 credits. The high school i attended last was an alternative one that held classes at night and didn't offer electives. I was able to double up on classes and go to summer school, do extra credit term papers to make up my 40 credits? i needed to graduate. When i completed my requirements i was so done with school i didn't attend graduation and didn't pick up my diplomat till like 5 years after. School is super triggering for me ๐Ÿคช

โ— I was the runner up in a beauty pageant. I was in Infant 2 in Belize, which i guess is like kindergarten or 1st grade here in the states, when i decided i wanted to participate in my school pageant. When i initially asked my godmother Genny for permission, she agreed. However the date of the pageant conflicted with an upcoming trip to the states she was taking. I exploited her original approval and got my aunt to sign off on my permission slip when Genny, my godmother, was out of the country. I lied to my mom, dad, and teachers to keep my cover. My mom was a beautician so i got her to do my hairstyle in shirley temple curls for the pageant without any question. The dresses i used for the different segments were all custom made and extravagant, curtesy of my mother for easter and birthdays. Only thing missing was my talent segment. I wanted to sing, but i also wanted to win; so i opted to dance punta as my talent instead. The contestant before me danced punta as well, but i got so energized by the applause she received i went up after her and killed ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿพthat๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿพ stage๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿพ! I danced till my sides ached and did an encore. My lies got found out and i had to leave before i was given my sash. But it still counts in my book. 

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Lordt was i a sneaky child ๐Ÿ˜‡. My mom called me earlier today to wish me a happy birthday. To verify some of these stories  i asked her if she remembered some of events. She did not and thought i was telling Anancy Stories . Those of you of carribbean decent knows that those are folklore stories and she thought i was making these up. I have quite a few more but i decided to put the rest in a video. Let me know if these stories support any assumptions you've made about me. Be sure to subscribe to my youtube channel here if you aren't already and hit the bell so you're notified when i upload the rest of these insane facts about me! hahahaha

Thanks for spending a little time with me on my birthday. I appreciate you 

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Dress| Here

Shoes| Here

Fishnets| Here

         Clutch| Similar Here

So...This Happened

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Somewhere along the way we decided to hide who we really are as a way to protect ourselves. I didnโ€™t account for what i would miss out on if I lived my life in disappointment instead of feeling disappointed when situations didnโ€™t meet expectations.  So Fundamentally different! My #hicoselfcare journey is my effort  to convince myself it is safe to come out, show my truest colors, and just live my best life! In a recent Youtube video I shared my experience with Social Anxiety and how I prevent it from holding me back.  I laid out my strategy to tackle these mental setbacks head on. Watch that video here

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The latest chapter was to tackle my fear of having my photo taken, it is by far one of the most anxiety ridden experiences for me! I donโ€™t have many photos of me growing up. Especially during my teens years, i avoided the camera just the same. I have albums full of photos with me covering my face. It became a game at family functions to catch me slipping and take a picture of me. Iโ€™ve been mentally unpacking this issue of mine for years and was going about it all wrong. Until i learned that...

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โ€œThe future cannot free you of the past. Only the present can free you of the pastโ€*

So once again i turned to my process, the one that gets me through 100% of the situations i thought i couldnโ€™t handle. I had to push myself to just get familiar with the experience of getting my picture taken by simply doing it! I had to show some compassion for myself. I had to allow myself to take in the experience and let it be a precedent for the next time someone pulls out a camera to capture candid moments! 

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On the day of the shoot i avoided my thoughts! I Trusted that things would work out exactly as intended and didnโ€™t set a standard for the day other than to take 1 non selfie full body picture. I entrusted the task to my blogger boo Staci aka CocoandClick. I am always impressed with her self portraits and i just needed to borrow a pinch of her magic. I asked and she agreed. When i got in front of her lens it started to happen again!

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The anxiety started to kick in. I felt a total disconnect with my mind from my face and  body. I started judging myself and there is no where to retreat when posing for a picture. Whenever i get lost in my thoughts worrying about all my insecurities the results are so unlike me or what i think i look like that i often feel like i catfished myself. I had to be present in the moment. I was transparent with Staci about how i was feeling. She knows first hand what its like and talks about it here. I laughed at myself outloud and just trusted her guidance fully. The results are these dope shots!

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I feel so proud of the fact that i showed up for myself! I didnโ€™t reschedule the shoot despite the anxious feelings.The experience reassured me  that i am someone that can be counted on. In hindsight it was an amazing experience! I am also proud of the fact that i have successfully networked and collaborated with a fellow blogger! I touched on some of my issues with anxiety and meeting new people a recent YouTube video. So to meet and actually work with someone who understands my hangups first hand and gently guided me through each and every shot! I feel so much more enthusiastic about the next time we shoot together! 

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Now that we've gotten the heavy stuff out of the way. Lets talk about these shoes!!! #hiimcurrentlyobsessed with Sock Booties ๐Ÿ˜ฉ and this pair is perfect in so many ways!!! I gave you guys the deeds on these babies in my last Fall Style Haul video. If you missed it, watch it here

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I am so into wearing fancy socks with...just about any pair of shoes! It takes me back to my adolescent days! Isn't it funny how the things we loved to wear as a kid can still be your go to? That stands true for the socks and definitely the skirt. Skater skirts aka " Lambada Skirt", as i used to call them named after this popular song in my country during the 80's. I wore them every chance i got and would twirl around the place, unapologetically! Thats the version of myself id like to continue to be!

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Outfit Details

Sweater|here

Skirt| old, similar here

Booties| here

Clutch| here

Socks| similar here

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* Quote found in the book The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. Amazing book! Changed my life!!!!๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿพ

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Break Out Of A Style Rut | 3 Simple Tips

                                                                      &nbsโ€ฆ

                                                                                                 (All ๐Ÿ“ธ  taken by Jaleesa)

Hi-Imcurrently... in a Style rut! Been in one for so long. I'm embarrassed to say how long (check the date of my last style post). So many things in my life has changed, i feel like i lost my sense of Style; which is strongly associated with WHO i am! I've been struggling with making the most out of my good mental health days, and not putting so much pressure on myself to stay "on" and I've made some progress. So its not a complete loss. However, i feel like i still have a ways to go before i recognize myself again. 

Depression is actually so rude! You can work so hard and have everything you want to be happy and these chemicals in your brain are like Nah Fam
— Unknown

This outfit was an attempt at reconnecting to that well put together person I've always prided myself to be. The strategy is always so simple! Its my go to move and i don't know why i ever doubted it's powers! It's how I've always managed to camouflage my seasons of depression and NOT look like how i feel!

If you follow trends you can drive yourself crazy trying to figure out what to buy and if they are actually going to work for your body type. A lot of times we don't have money for a new outfit. But, we can always find a few extra coins to pick up a necklace  or a pair of shoes! Paired with an All White ensemble or a Classic Denim on Denim look you can't go wrong!

In this case I went with these Sunglasses. The color, shape, and style of them make it a statement piece. It adds the perfect accent to a simple outfit! 

Focus your outfit on highlighting the parts of your body you enjoy showing off instead of making it about hiding your flaws
— #hicostyletip

Say Yes to a dress! It's a no brainer, honestly! No worries about matching a top and a bottom, and if the pieces work well with each other! A dress can be fancy or casual depending on the shoe! Make it your mission to figure out what style of dress flatters you best! Focus on highlighting the parts of your body you enjoy showing off  instead of making it about hiding your flaws!

I have great legs that I always like to show off so my go to dress is always a Skater dress! In this case however, I've gone for the drop hem style Striped Mini Dress. I love these two styles of dresses because they add volume to the lower part of my body and you can always find them in a trendy style. In this case the "Bare Shoulder" trend! Anyone else  #Currentlyobsessed?

Since this dress is very neutral and feminine I made it edgy by adding a Moto Jacket (#foreverobsessed with Moto Jackets) and a cutout bootie style sandal with matching hardware! 

And my third go to power move is always a Matte Red Lip! Listen I could be wearing sweats or workout gear and I throw on a red lippy and automatically my posture improves (*sings Waaaay up! I Feel blessed)

Something about a red lip gives you a certain air of confidence! You can never loose with a bold red lip! My favorite matte red lip is by Coloured Raine Cosmetics in Cherry Blossom. (Which happens to be a Black Owned Business). It has long replaced my first love Ruby Woo by M.A.C. and Stila Besos, which are great alternatives!

My favorite matte red lip is by Coloured Raine Cosmetics in Cherry Blossom. (Which happens to be a Black Owned Business). It has long replaced my first love Ruby Woo by M.A.C. and Stila Besos, which are great alternatives!

Hair is the ULTIMATE accessory
— unknown

My hair is a Washngo done using the DevaCurl Decadence Super Curly Kit, which i have a review and demo on my Youtube Channel. Click HERE to watch the video

This was a real impromptu post that i kinda made myself get dressed and get out of the house trying to shake this funk! Thank you so much for checking out my spot! And don't be a stranger, leave me a comment and let me know you were here 

P.S. Thank you to my Blogger Boo Jaleesa for taking these dope pics! You don't now how much i appreciate your support!