House of Cramel

A few months ago I felt really deprived of time. I was trying to figure out how to make time to do all the things necessary to keep up with a healthier and more productive lifestyle. I felt like I didn't have the capacity for an-y-thing. So I decided I need to make changes to my daily routine. I evaluated what I could change and what I could not. It was after that that I discovered it'd be beneficial for me to become a morning person! I was trying to cram grocery shopping, meal prep, working out, keeping up with my shows, talking to loved ones, and other activities all after work. Not to mention I have a commute that's between an hour and hour and a half. Something had to give. So I decided to to try working out in the morning before I go to work. I knew it would be a challenge because I really like sleep. But my goals had become a little more important to me than sleeping later because I could. Now you can use the morning to do whatever you want, hence the space in the title. I chose to use that time to workout. Here are the steps I took to do it.

1. GO TO BED

I know I function much better as a human when I get 7-8 hours of sleep per night (6 hours is possible but it's not the best for me). So knowing I still needed to get that much sleep I decided to move my bedtime up. I had to sacrifice staying up to watch my shows on the nights they first aired and any other unnecessary things and start going to sleep earlier than I was at the time. You will have ZERO desire to get up if you are tired. There's a difference between just wanting to sleep and being tired. So set yourself up for success by making sure you go to bed the night before. Catch up on your shows on a Friday night or over the weekend. Personally I multitask at the gym and watch my shows LOL

2. MAKE THE CHANGE GRADUAL

It's not very comfortable getting up super early when your already not that type of person. So don't feel like you need to jump out the gate and get up two hours earlier than you normally do on your first try. I suggest working in 30 minute increments. Start the first two days off waking up 30 minutes earlier than you already do. Everyday going forward get up 30 minutes earlier than the next until you reach goal waking hour.

3. REMAIN CONSISTENT

4. REMEMBER YOUR WHY

Gown worn by Taylor Swift

Back in October I had the pleasure of being among the first people to view one of the most exciting fashions exhibitions. Savannah College of Art and Design, affectionately known as SCAD, opened it's newest museum at its Atlanta campus called SCAD FASH. SCAD FASH debuted with a phenomenal exhibition of the works of the late Oscar de la Renta.

The museum was filled with some of the designers most infamous designs, many worn by prominent public figures and celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Beyonce!

Gown worn by Sarah Jessica Parker

SCAD FASH will transform it's new museum at year's end. Don't miss out on viewing this fantastic exhibit.

Gown worn by Beyonce Knowles-Carter

Worn by Oprah Winfrey

                 

Okay, So I'm single. It's not a secret, it's been about a year. Of course it was a struggle for me in the beginning, but the days have gotten much brighter and there are so many things that I've learned being in this phase of my life. One of the biggest things that I learned about myself is how dependent I became on someone else to make me happy. This was evident in the degree of turmoil I experienced after the break-up. And it's interesting because I would have never admitted or realized that while in the relationship. While I understand there is a level of heartache that I would experience after this happened, I felt so lost, so lost it was sort of irrational. And everything I'd accomplished up to that point felt like it was for nothing, because I no longer had anyone to share it with. This was a serious problem. Why did I feel like this? The desire for companionship is natural, but needing damn near complete validation? That's not okay.

For the majority of my high school, college, and post college years I was in relationships. There's was maybe a little over a year of time where I was actually single, but that a lot of time to always be "with someone". Being single as an adult has allowed a lot more time for growth. I know a hell of a lot more about what I want, what I expect, and most of all more about myself. I'm actually a pretty dope individual with or without a man LOL, seriously I am!

I listened to an interview that Keke Palmer gave on The Breakfast Club, she addressed being single. I couldn't have summed it up better myself. Basically she states being single is fun because you find yourself. And you develop a self love that so great that you don't depend on another individual for happiness. And once you do find yourself in another relationship you able to give love without expecting the other person to fill certain voids. Do I think she saying you shouldn't expect love from anyone else your in a relationship with? No, but what she is saying is that someone else's love for you shouldn't validate your happiness. Listen to the interview here,

To sum this up, and get to the title of this post, get to know yourself. Whether your single or not it's important to know who you are, as a single human being. Learning who you are, accepting yourself, and most of all loving yourself are essential and creating the healthiest relationships with others. You won't just have happiness, but you'll have something even greater: Joy. So get to know yourself before you lose yourself in someone else.

Happy Monday everyone! This Monday's motivation came from the monthly newsletter sent out by my job. At the end of every issue is an inspirational quote and I really liked this one. I mean it's hard to argue with Coco Chanel!

Ms. Chanel says be different, to me this means be you. Last time I checked everyone was born as their own unique being. I also really like the quote "Be you, everyone else is taken". You won't stand out in the world mimicking everyone else. Being inspired is great, but at the end of the day make sure you are still true to yourself.

Hello everyone!


So I've been on a journey to become a better me lately. A lot has changed in the last couple months. In this particular blog I want to focus on my health. I've been a quest to lose weight. My doctor actually told about the South Beach Diet about a year ago. But when she told me what it entailed I say "Oh no!". Then a little earlier in this year the scale went in a scale that I'd never imagine. So desperate times caused for desperate measures. Here are seven things I learned while doing this diet (Ten sounded good when I started to write this post, but I ended up with seven lol!)

Photo from BlackBride.com

Happy Black History Month guys! I'm starting the month off by enlightening you guys on some little known Black History, and guess what it's also Fashion History! Contrary to popular belief June Ambrose was not the first Black Fashion Icon, I'm kidding! But if one asked you guys who are some noteworthy characters in fashion who are black we'd run off Naomi Campbell, Tyra Banks, June Ambrose, and we'd probably struggle to to think of others. Well I'm here to help widen your repertoires, and mines! I was strolling through my Instagram feed and ran across a picture similar to the one above by @harlemsfashionrow telling me to get the deets on the pic from @tallglassofstyle . Here I learned about Anne Cole Lowe, the not so famed African American designer. Her MAJ moment was designing Jacqueline Kennedy's wedding dress AND her ten bridesmaids' dresses!

It doesn't stop there, two days before the wedding a water line burst and it completely ruined the dresses. Lowe remade all the dresses in RECORD TIME!!! Can you image, we're talking one dress that used 50 yards of silk taffeta. Take that Dior!!! Lowe also designed dresses for the likes of the Vanderbilts and the Rockefellers. She was know has high society's "best kept secret" because she was a black woman. Google her! Happy Black History Month! I'll be scouring my sources to uncover more like Anne Cole Lowe.