Urbane Chic Part Deux

A Day Experience at Select Lounge, 415 N. Paca St. 3pm-8pm! Proceeds benefit Greater Baltimore Leadership Association! 

Hosted by Sonje’ Productions, LV Promotions, and Bmore Fab!

LV Promotions, Bmore Fab, and Sonje' Productions

Biz Markie and the Fabulous Bunch!

Thank you to our sponsors: State Farm, Safeway, Enterprise, Pepsi, Sullivans, Coors Light, Grant Capital Management, Mahogany Inc., Coca-Cola, Giant, Bahama Breeze, Mano Scwartz, Clark Construction, Gian Marco and Ciroc!

Thanks Coca Cola!

Coors Light Golf Bag WinnerState Farm

Southwest TIckets WInner

Thanks Coors Light!

Event Chair Bill Bamonto and State Farm Crew

Ciroc Vodka Winner

Clark Construction and Coors Girls

Best Dressed Male Award Sponsored by Gian Marco

Enterprise Hole in One

1st Place Winners- Clark Construction

Prize Table- Thank you to everyone!

Best Dressed Female Award- Sponsored by Mano Scwartz!

It’s Not Them, It’s You……

May 26^th

Every time I feel myself obsessing about someone or something, I pause. My unease is usually coming from somewhere within myself rather than the situation that has me bound. It took years to realize because I was dedicated in placing my focus on my obsession at the moment. We are so blinded about our own insecurities and fears that we cast our inner anguish on anyone or thing. It took time for me to take whole of that anguish and analyze what the root of the problem really was. Once I was able to do that, and for me it’s usually my ego, I put it in check. I listened to the signs that were blatantly being shown to me, but I chose to ignore. If something wasn’t for me, then I had to learn to let it go, whether it is a relationship, a job, or a memory.  Memories can often hold us hostage. We clinch to a few good memories and ignore the others that say, “Run, girl”.  It could be a memory of our youth that we can’t mature from, a memory of a once good relationship, or a memory of a moment in our life which hinders our evolution.

A friend of mine is currently battling with himself. His world around him is crumbling; his relationship is a mess. However, all he can do is focus on a new girl who can’t even hold a torch to his current partner. The fling causes him drama and more headaches than it’s worth. (i.e. twitter stalking, arguments, etc.) Still, he finds more solace in this fling than he finds in his household; instead of working to make his relationship better, he chooses to use other escapisms. He claims the young girl gives him excitement from his monotonous life. Him not dealing with the issues at home has to do with him, but the fear and hard work deter him from addressing them.  I told him to pause and to stop chasing empty obsessions because it will never truly fulfill him. It would fade and he would end up emptier in the end, finding himself down a spiraling staircase.

Emptiness and the need to fill that void we are scared to confront can lead to a lot of problems.  The issues are usually not them, but us. The courage to realize that is beyond priceless. Nothing should have that much power over your emotions. You need to be in control of you.

-Take a moment, sit, and breathe for 5 minutes.

-Think about what you are obsessing about and ask yourself, “Is it you or them?”

-Then be honest with yourself about what issue is and take control of it.

-Stop stalking on facebook, twitter, your phone, etc. Stop crying over a rejection or an empty situation. Take the necessary steps to detach yourself from the obsession.

Bring your own Sunshine….

 May 25th

My mom called me her “little sunshine”, because no matter what was going on I always arrived with a smile on my face. Being optimistic has always gotten me through the storm; always knowing if there is an end, there will be a beginning; if there is a down, there will always be an up. Life is cyclical and change is inevitable.

I once dated a guy who hardly ever smiled. His stern face was his armor against the world. To him, it showed strength not weakness. However when he smiled, it was beautiful and it showed a warm loving side of him. Not smiling is not a sign of strength, but more of a sign of fear-a fear of love and a fear of pain. Let no one in and I won’t get hurt. You’ll see tons of young women and men who don’t want to smile because of the same reason. Especially if you come from a hostile community, a person walking down the street smiling means easy prey. So, many young people are scared to be happy; their sunshine masked by pseudo-clouds. Then those young people turn into adults, who believe that the clouds are forever present because they’ve been living with them for so long. Pessimism has prevailed and whatever sunshine in their lives is now considered phony and short-lived.

Being happy is one of life’s pursuits that should not be shunned because of the fear of feeling. We will all go through good and go through bad, but light will always be victorious over darkness. Your sunshine is yours and it is to be basked in.

-Wherever you are, look to the sky. Is it cloudy? How long do those clouds last before the sun comes back to make the day brighter?

-Is it nighttime? How beautiful are the stars and moon compared to the darkness of the night?

-When you feel unhappy, think about whatever/whomever your sunshine maybe. Is it your family, your home, your child, your spouse, yourself? Take a few moments and reflect on when your sunshine made you smile.

May 24th

“Sometimes you have to speak the word over yourself…”

-Donald Lawrence and the Tri-City Singers

I’m not a huge secular music fan but when I heard this song Encourage Yourself, by Donald Lawrence and the Tri-City Singers, in a church I was attending, it struck a chord. We go through so many trial and tribulations in every day life we lose faith in our dreams and ourselves. We lose our way. The thought of getting up and having to fight makes us depressed and sad.  The will to win is buried under our burdens.

Currently, I have a friend who has had an unexpected pregnancy occur. Her dreams of becoming a doctor is temporarily put on the back burner so she can provide for her child. The father is semi-supportive, and the only person she can really depend on is herself. At the end of the day, it is up to you. You are your own strength during tough times of turmoil. Your vision may be blurred, but your endurance will not be tainted. Get out from under the covers and look in the mirror! A new day is upon you and opportunities await. Life changes in an instant, but you have to believe in yourself before anyone else does. So speak over yourself and your dreams will begin to speak back to you.

-Take some time and write down 5 things you see for your future.

-Pick two that will be achieved this year. Repeat to yourself those goals and begin to envision yourself achieving them.

-Think of someone you know who survived great anguish. Write their name down.

-Now think of their journey and then believe that your pain will heal also.

To hear the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y6BHfaUUYo

On April 16, 2011, Ray Rice Charitable fund and Sonje’ Productions had Ray Rice Community Day. Our mission was to feed over 300 homeless individuals and provide them with different health resources; plus encourage young adults to give back to the less fortunate. Everyone should have a sense of responsibility to give back, and we hope to instill that concept in the youth, so they can carry that into their adulthood. We thank Wal-mart, Mcdonalds, Red Cross, Pepsi, Kathryn’s Kloset, New Psalmist Baptist Church, Our Daily Bread, Lake Trout, City of Baltimore, Homeless Resources, and Baltimore City Police Department for making this day special. Special thanks to Khalid, Muhammed, Keith, Ms. Linda, Akil, Ashley, and Nicolas for all your help and dedication. We can not forget North Bend, Bay Brook, and City High School for being selfless that day and helping others. Hats off!

Line around the corner....

Happy to see Ray

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake stopped through...

Thanking our sponsors

Time to feed

Thanks to all the kids you helped...

#27

Even Momma Rice came out...

New Psalmist and Mcdonalds

The Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo

Two things about me-I am a very spiritual person and I’m a romantic. I’m one of the those people who is always talking about the energy of a situation or a person. I base a lot of my decisions and interactions on positive vibes and intuition, so when I picked up The Book of Awakening, it resonated with me. Mark Nepo, who is a philosopher and a Cancer survivor, writes this day-by-day book to nourish and enlighten the souls of his readers. In every excerpt, he focuses on taking in our surroundings and reminiscing about times in our childhood, or moments in our past that brought us happiness. He encourages us to meditate on those moments, and forget whatever hardships we may currently be dealing with. His strength from being a survivor is felt on every page; looking beyond his immediate circumstance and finding a sense of happiness is what he tries to evoke to all his readers. This book is a definite read. I’m a fan of daily affirmation books because it helps you start your day on a positive note, so you are capable of dealing with whatever curve ball you may endure that day.

Portraits of Love- The Great Romances of the 20th Century

I’ve had this coffee table book for a few years now, but every time I think of it, I smile. I fell in love with it when I saw it in a Bethesda store window, and I begged my friend, Tamara, to pick it up for me because she lived close by. From Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor to JFK and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, this book outlines the whirlwind romances of the 20th Century. Their love may not have been perfect but it shows how it endured and kept some of these couples together for years. A great coffee book for guests to browse.

Technology-a gift and a curse to many relationships. Many arguments have ensued because of a Twitter or Facebook post. I bet no one predicted how many relationships would be destroyed because of the rise of social networking. Girlfriends, boyfriends, husbands and wives across the world are stalking their significant other’s pages to see if there are any indiscretions; or worse, to see if their significant others are using their social networks to do unscrupulous things. It has shed light on an inconspicuous way to cheat, without even sometimes touching another person. I have friends who love the fact that they can send their “love interest” a secret message without their significant other ever catching on. The taboo of blatantly

This digital explosion is causing a divide within relationships.People are using texting, bbm’ing, Twitter, Facebook, etc. to express frustrations, philander, and substantiate their doubts and insecurities with their partners. Old-fashioned communication is becoming less common. Break-ups are occurring via text because people are too cowardly to express their feelings face-to-face. Our relations have become impersonal blurbs across a device to avoid the real emotional impact we may have on someone; that is where the disconnect