Help! I'm So Disorganised!!

I have searched and searched and searched for tips on how to be organised because I know that I HAVE to be this academic year. I have way too much on my plate for me not to be organised. Here are a few tips that I have compiled that I think will work for me. The post acts as a reminder for me also as to what I can do if I feel like I'm falling off the barrel.

1. Separate bras and undies with drawer dividers. Home and lifestyle editor Wendy Manwarren uses velvet dividers ($8 for six; organize.com) to sort her lingerie into sections according to type (bras, undies, and camisoles) and function (everyday garments stay up front; strapless bras are tucked in the back).

2. Once or twice a year, host a shop-my-castoffs party. Turn on the tunes, open a bottle of wine, and let friends take what they like — from purses and baubles to frocks and shoes.

3. Get a clutter buddy. "You're a better editor with someone else's stuff," says stylist Christine Cameron, of mystylepill.com, who regularly helps one friend clean out her closet. "I insist she let go of that when-I-lose-five-pounds skirt, and she reminds me that a girl doesn't need 10 pairs of black pants."

4. Dangle necklaces and baubles from pushpins on fabric-covered bulletin boards, as REDBOOK editor-in-chief Stacy Morrison did here. She hung boards on a wall between two windows and now can always find the perfect accessory. (When the curtains are in place, the treasures are out of sight.)

5. Paint-Can Cubbies

Don't let your desktop disappear under piles of paperwork. Inexpensive, unused cans can be purchased at paint stores; lined up on a shelf and anchored in place with Velcro, they become organizing cubbyholes with a modern flair. Assign cans as storage spaces for bills, catalogs, and personal mail, or one for each member of the family. Label the shelf beneath to make sorting easy.

Tools and Materials

Paint cans, without handles
Self-adhesive Velcro strips
Scissors
Labels

Paint Can Cubbies How-To

Line up as many cans as will fit on the shelf. Working from one end of the row, attach them one by one: Cut Velcro strips slightly shorter than the length of the cans. Peel backing from one side and apply strip to a can; remove backing from other side and affix to shelf in desired spot. Center and adhere labels to front edge of shelf beneath cans.

6. Categorize your clothes by purpose, such as work, casual, and formal.

Those are just a few to get you creative and clutter free. Try them out and let me know what works for you, or suggest things that you do that keeps your life clutter free and organised to the T :)

The Dance With The Pap

A friend recently told me she had her first pap smear and at first she was petrified but it turned out a lot less worrisome as she thought. Having had my own done some time a back, I figured I would share some things that my doctor did that helped to make the experience easier.

1. Be calm and relax. Yes it's true that the doctor is sticking a metal machine that open your vaginal walls, but really, if you're having sex a penis does the same...maybe not to the same width but it's a flexible muscle :P
2. Ask your doctor to keep simple conversation with you, to help you not think about what s/he is doing.
3. Ask the doctor to run the instrument (who's name I can't remember) under some warm water.
4. Breath in when the doctor is inserting the instrument and exhale when it is being removed. You can ask your doctor to give you a heads up when s/he is doing it.

Some tips from online about things not to do 2 days before having a pap smear done:
*douching
*using tampons (on that note, you won't get a pap smear done while on your period and you should give yourself a little break before you get the pap smear done if your period just ended)
*using vaginal creams, suppositories, and medicines
*using vaginal deodorant sprays and powders
*having sex.

It's your health and it is your doctor. If you're gonna be paying so much money you might as well get your moneys worth with quality service not only with medical advice but personality and interpersonal skills. Pap smears aren't that bad...jussayin

The Shuttlecock Gets Technical

Okay my lovelies, today is Friday and yes I did go to my badminton session :) T'was a lot of fun although I did not really play any matches. Was more of a practice at hitting lol. My two rules for today have to deal with the court.

This may be a little difficult for me to explain but I will try. So when serving, not only do you serve to the opposite side of the court, you must also serve into the smaller rectangle. After the service the shuttlecock can go anywhere within the larger rectangle.

I hope that's right lol. And those are my badminton rules of the week :)

Side note: I finally went back to the gym to exercise and let me tell you it felt great! I shall be continuing this and getting my body back to the way I like it. Gotta love it!!

The Real Colour of Green

I am glad I am at school. I am glad that I have chosen Environmental and Resource Science as my degree. If I had not chosen this I would not be able to make the following statement:

The first change we, as people, need to make to stop environmental degradation, to stop or make a positive impact on climate change is to stop being consumers. Consumerism governs our lives. Stop and think "Do I need this?" "Why?" "Can I live without this?" We buy and we buy and we buy, and the media makes us believe that by buying some more we are going to save the planet. No. Stop buying for a moment and see what happens.

So from this day on I am going to try my best to truly live the life I believe in. Live to reduce my waste, buy when necessary, and as my mother has raised me - make do with what I have. I believe this will definitely encourage me to be frugal, thrifty and creative. Hmmm should lead to an interesting turn on my blog The Spotted Fashionista. Anywhos. I urge you to make the change too. It's going to be difficult, yes, I don't doubt it. But it will be worth it.

Junior Kelly Smile

I just needed to hear this song. Haven't heard it in years. Smile folks. Smile :)

Going Back To Our Roots?

I understand that not everyone has a "green thumb." My mother pretty much hates dirt. Does not like to be in it, plant, garden or anything of that sort. I, on the other hand, love it! Love getting my hands in there and watching the wonders of the tiny as they hustle and bustle about their business.

I'm taking this course called Waste Management and I'm required to do a research project. Having my little green thumb I have decided (once my profs give me the thumbs up...I'm just using a lot of thumb references tonight lol) to do my project on composting and creating a composting model for secondary schools with agricultural programmes, back in St. Lucia of course. It's due next semester but I really want to try and get everything done ahead of time or at least started as soon as possible. I shall share with you some information about composting as I get it and maybe, you too can get into the groove and use your food and other materials to the fullest.

100!!

I'm super happy to have made it to my hundredth post :D woohooo. Pop some champagne, or if you're like me and don't really like champagne, some wine, or just grab a drink and let's toast to this monumental occasion. I have been thinking about this hundredth post for some time and I've decided to do two things: first, is to thank every one who has ever read my blog especially those who have commented. I really appreciate it. And secondly I want to go through my blog and pick out my favourite pieces. Now favourite does not always mean it's nice and happy, I know I have some deeply opinionated pieces in the blog and I can assure you that at least one is going to make the cut. I'm going to link them so you can read this post and click on them to read them if they sound interesting enough, or you haven't read them as yet.

They are in no special order, just randomly picking while going through the blog.

http://empress-v.blogspot.com/2010/05/7-ways-to-jump-start-your-savings.html
http://empress-v.blogspot.com/2010/05/religion-vs-spirituality.html
http://empress-v.blogspot.com/2010/06/inspirational-quote.html
http://empress-v.blogspot.com/2010/07/red-sunrise.html
http://empress-v.blogspot.com/2010/08/all-men-are-dogs.html
http://empress-v.blogspot.com/2010/08/whos-really-in-control.html
http://empress-v.blogspot.com/2010/09/be-change-you-wish-to-see-in-world.html
http://empress-v.blogspot.com/2010/09/things-that-humour-me.html
http://empress-v.blogspot.com/2010/09/where-is-love.html

I hope you enjoy and feel free to comment on any one of them. Thanks for reading pieces of the works of my mind, heart and soul :)

Dancing with Frustration

I am dancing with my life and we're stepping on each others toes. I feel so lost and confused right now and I'm not even sure why. I just feel so out of it. I'm trying to clean my room because I'm frustrated with it being dirty and I feel stuck. I have no space to put my clothes away. Where am I going to put them? What should I do? I just feel out of it. Then I decide okay, I'm going to leave the room and try doing some school work. Try reading, my eyes can't even focus to see the words on the screen. Scrap that. Next option is working on a lab. I'm trying source articles related to the lab and I'm totally lost. Not even sure I know what I'm supposed to be looking for in the lab or anything. I am confused, lost, sad, in a daze, just totally out of it. Sigh. I hope I get over this soon. I really want to get back to being myself, and a good student.

Nomadic Massive @ Trent!

I must say I'm not one to go to concerts or things of that sort at the school; well it depends on what the concert is about to be honest. Anywhos. I'm involved with the World Affairs Colloquium at Trent and our first event was hosting a workshop with some of the members of the band Nomadic Massive.

Now if you haven't heard of them, google and youtube them lol. They are a group based in Montreal and they promote social justice through hip hop. Say word...word! lol. The workshop wasn't as interactive as probably the members would have liked and possibly the audience as well, but that was because of time constraints. I swear they needed to come for about 5 hours or so. It was quite interesting and refreshing to listen to people talk about real life and the real side of hip hop. It's refreshing and inspiring to hear someone say the same thing you've been thinking even though it's related to a different topic. One of the band members, Meduza, said something which I totally agree with and find that Saint Lucians are not doing. There is a vast difference in just sitting and complaining about what is going on and the situation you're in as compared to acknowledging it and moving forward from there. The stories of the work that each member does, how they came together and their very own upbringing is truly amazing and worthy of the hours spent with them. Friendships have possibly been formed through this interaction.

This workshop and concert has reminded me that I should not be living to merely get by or to satisfy the beliefs and desires of others, but to use this life I have to bring about the change I really want to see in this world. It also reminds me that I have the power and there must be people who share the same passion as I do, so I don't have to do it alone. I urge you to find out more info about Nomadic Massive and what they do. Google them ;)

Be The Change You Wish To See In The World

Nomadic Massive is coming to my university this Friday. The World Affairs Colloquium (WAC) is facilitating this event and I am really excited about it. From what I have heard about Nomadic Massive they use hip hop music to promote and raise awareness about social justice. There is going to be a workshop with some of the members in the afternoon and then a concert in the evening, so not only do you get to listen to their music produced by the band, you also get to meet the band members and find out all the nitty gritty details about why and how they got involved with such a cause.

I think the world needs more of this: more people who are not afraid to speak out and let the world know hey this is what's going on and this is what we can do. I know quite a few people who believe they're rappers and singers and I want to challenge them and you too to let your heard voice or seen movements or expressed emotion to make a difference. If there is an issue that affects you, that really gets you riled up write about it, speak about, sing about, dance about it, paint, sculpt about it. Don't sit in the corner and complain or cry about it. Use the skills and resources you have to raise awareness and make a difference. And if for some reason you don't feel that you can, encourage others to do the same, explore avenues that are already present and get information about a wide array of things.

Challenge yourself to be the change you wish to see in the world. After all, it is yours and you do live in it. It should be what you want it to be.