Quote of the Day:

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month I thought of one of my personal favorite quotes.

“Women are like teabags. You don't know how strong they are until you put them in hot water!” -Eleanor Roosevelt

How To Support Breast Cancer

For those of you who don't know, October is the month of Breast Cancer Awareness. If you wondering how you can support the movement there are so many ways you can, besides just wearing pink or a pink ribbon. Here are somethings you can purchase to support the PINK MOVEMENT:

Essie’s We Can Do It Pink! Nail Polish – $8 (I think I'm purchase this!)

For each bottle of this limited edition nail polish sold, 10% of the proceeds goes to Living Beyond Breast Cancer, which helps women affected by breast cancer live the best possible life.

Ann Taylor Necklace – $38 Ann Taylor will donate 70% of the price of each charm necklace to the BCRF.
Shiseido Lip Gloss from Sephora- $22

$5 from every tube of this lip gloss sold goes to Women’s Cancer and Careers, an organization dedicated to supporting women in the workforce who are battling cancer.
Sonia Kashuk’s “Circle Around A Cause” Makeup Brush Set -19.99

For each makeup brush set sold, 15% goes to the BCRF. You can also checkout other items from Sonia Kashuck’s Breast Cancer Awareness collection, which are available here.

Lacoste Croc Tote – $60

10% of the proceeds from the sale of each pink Lacoste tote will go to BCRF.

“Coach for a Cure” Keyring- $58 Coach will donate 20% of the proceeds of this keyring and other “Coach for a Cure” products to the BCRF.

As for designers like Ralph Lauren, there are several choices with a collection just targeted to Breast Cancer Awareness. For example, this Pink Pony cap for $40:

To checkout more of Ralph Lauren Pink Pony Collection click the banner below. 10% of all Pink Pony products will go to Cancer Care and Prevention throughout the year!
There so many other ways to support breast cancer this is just a few.

Ambitious Song of The Day: Wake Up Everybody

The irony of me waking up to this video the other day, but I love it!

Good Reads

Lately, I have been trying to read again more as a hobby. I don't really listen to my ipod no more on the train for several reasons, so reading keeps me occupied and even right before I go to bed usually. Anyways last week, I read two great books that I feel I should share with you guys.

The first book I read was a book many of you guys may heard of by Steve Harvey Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man. This book is based on relationships and was actually No. 1 on New York Times Hardcover Advice Best-Seller. It's somewhat of a fast read and probably won't take you forever to read. It was actually good and some parts actually made me laughed.

Another great book I read last week was called The Shawl by Cynthia Ozick. This was a good book my kind Jewish friend lend to me. It's a fiction short story about a woman who survived the Holocaust but who has no life in the present because her existence was stolen away from her in a past that does not end. This book is short, but in the very beginning it's important to read each word carefully. Overall, this was a great read!

What's New?

Hey my ambitious ones! How are you guys? What's new? Well, I know for me the newest thing for me is finally purchasing a new charger, which allows me to blog again!

Hope all is well with you guys. I know I have been heavily busy and grinding trying to stay ambitious, hoping you guys doing the same!

Quote of the Day:

"Action may not always bring happiness ... but there is no happiness without action." -Benjamin Disraeli

eHarmony.com Free Labor Day Communication Weekend

Today I received a message from a friend that made me laugh and confused me. Anyways, to conclude our conversation the person was excited to inform me that eHarmony.com will be having a promotion this Labor Day Weekend. The promotion is a Free Communication Weekend from September 3rd through the 6th.

I did a little research on the information this person gave to me (who I won't mention lol), but the promotion is true. You can sign-up for FREE this weekend and try to find a love match. Word is this promotion was recently offered in the beginning of August and had greater success than anticipated. The person who sent me the message was very enthused about the promotion and plan on signing up, so who knows maybe you meet them if you sign up too.

Hey, you never know technology has built plenty of relationships......In my case, I'll just stick to LinkedIn (ha).

Happy Birthday Michael!!!!!

You were truly BAD!!!

Back to School Deals

It's time to take advantage of them "Back to School" deals. Here's some help I can offer:

• College students or a faculty or staff member at any grade level can purchase a new Mac with Apple education pricing from May 25 through September 7, 2010, and you can get a free 8GB iPod touch
• Chegg.com is the best for my college students. Don't want to purchase a book, well how about renting them for a semester or even half a semester?? This site saved me throughout college. The prices may be a little high now because they are becoming more popular and the timing for books in high demand.
• Best Buy have great deals for back to school, so be sure to checkout they're site as well.

There are plenty of more great deals for back to school. I suggest you surf the net and remember to NEVER ORDER ANYTHING ONLINE WITHOUT GOOGLING "PROMO CODE." Promo codes will save you so much money to free shipping to percentages off your order. Good luck this year students!

Junior's Cheescake is Better with This

So, I bought a friend a strawberry cheesecake from Junior's recently. I happened to visit the website before purchasing the cake and I came across this:
This coupon is valid for the rest of the year (December 31, 2010), which I find to be very good. I also find the options of using the coupon for $4 off a whole cake or receiving a free slice of cheesecake with your lunch/dinner entree to be very good as well. My overall suggestion is to never enter Junior's for the rest of the year without this COUPON!

Quote of the Day:

"Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking."
-William B. Sprague

Ambitious Song of the Day: Power

I got my POWER back! Anyways, the remix is better...

9-1-1

I MISS YOU GUYS!!!!! So much has been going on and I will like to share. Let's see....life is picking up I recently started a new job, but real estate and marketing will always remain with me. This new job is a little more work intensive so my blogging has went downhill sadly, but checkout my Tumblr I update it more often through my Blackberry.

As for the personal life, just say a lot...good and bad. Good that I'm starting to embrace more of what should be embraced about life, bad as in people will be people. I feel like the more God gives me the more I have to watch my back. I'm starting to realize people will use you and back-stab you, BUT if you prepared like I am through experiences....You learn how to protect yourself. I learned to watch what I say around people and I recognize people will always TALK. Knowing that people love to talk I learn to always give people something to talk about because they going to talk anyways...and that my friends my mother taught me.

On the career and goals side of things......I shake my head as I type this. Why? Because the pressure is on at this point in my life. Many may have heard me say "The most intense pressure is what I call my own," simply because I feel like no one has ever put as much pressure on me compared to the pressure I put on myself. Tonight on my way home I tweeted something very interesting, as well as something I've learned to take some pressure off my back. I tweeted: Sometimes to take the pressure off...I have to remind myself....I'm only 22 and I have already done things people will not do in a lifetime. Then a Twitter follower responded saying how they also have to do the same at times, in which I responded back by tweeting: People try to remind us we have our whole life in front of us, but then they also say tomorrow isn't promise....

I'm started to realize it's how you want to live your life. People are going to say a lot things in life, but understand you have one life to live...If you listen to people you may regret many of your life decisions. Yeah, you may regret somethings in your life because of choices you personally made, but I will feel more comfortable blaming myself than someone else for where I end up in life.

I love you guys for continuing to check-in I wish I was more consistent with my blogging. I'm not making no promises, but I will post when I can...So to keep up with me more make sure you checkout my Tumblr more often....

Stay up and Stay Ambitious...Peace. Love. Respect.

Quote of the Day:

"All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him" -Buddha

Happy Birthday Mr. President!

Happy Birthday to President Obama!!! His Leo sign fits his leadership position...I must say.

Ambitious Song of The Day: Gotta Make It

Throwback! I used to love seeing this video in the morning getting ready for school (high school).

Park Avenue Shut Down Traffic Free Event

My New York City people get ready for three Saturdays( August 7 – August 21, 2010) this month. Park Avenue and connecting streets will be closed to traffic and open to the PUBLIC! From 7am to 1pm the public can do anything on the streets of Park Avenue, from bike riding to strolling to dancing.

BUT WAIT! Word is that you will also be able to swim. This year includes clean, unused shipping containers that have been transformed into three swimming pools, which will be located near Grand Central Terminal. The pool is free to the public as well, but admissions bracelets will be handed out on a first-come, first-served basis.

So, if you happen to be on Park Avenue and seem to hear less noise from the traffic....don't say I didn't warn you!

QiQi's Corner: Lil Wayne Interview From Rikers Island

Lil Wayne had his first interview from Rikers Island with Funkmaster Flex. He stated some interested things in the interview. For one, he mentioned how Nicki Minaj and Drake picks up his calls about 1 out of 4 times he calls a week. While some excited news for his fans is that his new album The Carter IV will be release in November.

For more check the audio below:

Quote of the Day:

"I'm tough, I'm ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay." -Madonna

Ambitious Song of The Day: Imma Do It

Note

Please don't feel neglected my Ambitious Ones. I'm just trying to maintain life like the rest of you guys. So, when I don't post in awhile please understand I'm just in this real world trying to maintain and balance life.

I have been trying to balance a lot lately from personal things to work to a few projects. Hopefully, I will share these things with you guys soon.

Ambitious Song of The Day: Touch The Sky

Happy Birthday Nelson Mandela

Happy 92nd Birthday to one of the greatest still alive...Nelson Mandela!

QiQi's Corner: Mashonda Tells It All to Vibe

Mashonda finally expresses in-depth about her feelings about her situation with her ex-husband Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys, who is now his fiance'. She explains where she stands now with the situation, the process of moving on and dealing with the divorce, and much more is explained to Vibe Magazine from her.

Here's a few things she expressed to the magazine:

You’ve mentioned in the past that Swizz repeatedly denied having an affair with Alicia. Did he ever fully come out and admit to it?

My husband admitted to having his affair on Mothers Day 2008, six months after I found out. I didn't sleep for a whole year. I had to take pills to sleep because I'd wake up in the middle of the night crying. I couldn't even look at my son some days because I didn't have the strength and I never wanted him to feel my bad energy. It was a battle. They are just now going public, but this has been going on for a very long time. I refused to really break it down for people to understand because there was no way I could go around not making [Swizz and Alicia] look extra crazy and I didn't want to put that out there for my son. I didn't want him to see his father as a monster. But the shit is deep.

What was the last thing you remember doing to keep the marriage in tact?

I did everything I could do, but I knew there was no working it out when he admitted his affair to me… he was happy about it. After lying about it for so long and finally admitting it I was like ‘I can't take it no more!’ In the back of my mind I was like, ‘I have to fight for my family, this is my son's father. We were supposed to grow old together, we were supposed to raise this baby together, we were supposed to do all these things, I'm fighting for my fucking husband. I don't care who he's dating, I don't care how much money she's got, I'm fighting for my husband.’ And then I realized… I can't fight for him… he doesn't want to be with me. I'm not going to win this one.
How do you fight for a husband?I fought more for the family than I did for my husband. It wasn't ‘I love you, don't leave me.’ It was never that because that’s not even me. It was, ‘Let’s work it out for this baby. You can't leave. I can't be a single mom. Let’s go to counseling, we are a family.’
Did you ever get a response?

None… none.

Were these conversations mainly over the phone?

Phone. Person. He lived here for a long time after he left to go be with her. He was back and forth.
Did you guys sleep in the same bed?

No, I put him in a different room. I know my worth. I don't have to beg anybody to want to be with me. I wouldn't torture myself with that.

For more of the interview click here.
*Keep in mind this is the middle of the interview, you can trace it back to the beginning.

Quote of the Day:

"Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going." -Jim Ryun

Ambitious Song of The Day: Breakaway

I used like this song a lot in high school.

Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival

This past weekend it was a celebration of Hip-Hop in Brooklyn. The festivities and the culture of Hip Hop was all celebrated by many Hip-Hop lovers from all ages to all races. This happened to be the 6th annual Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival, in which Brooklyn Bodega continues to bring to Dumbo, Brooklyn every year so far.

There were great performances from new artists like Curren$y and Fashawn, to performances from Hip Hop legends like Pete Rock and CL Smooth. While time had wined down, the crowd was ready to see the headliners of the show De La Soul who put on a GREAT PERFORMANCE!
Although, I worked with a friend Rhonesha (who you guys probably heard of by now) throughout the festival doing some press I enjoyed myself. I think this added to the experience because not only did I learn how work the camera, as if I was a NBC cameraman (haha), but I got a chance to interact and hear from Hip Hop fans, along with Hip Hop legends and upcoming artists. Oh yea, I have a bigger respect for journalist, as well as others who are part of the press because of this experience. If I told y'all what we went through to get some interviews or just to get backstage....you would too! I think our best achievement was finally getting backstage and getting Uncle Ralph off the stage for a interview, which had wrapped up our long day!Despite the rain and humidity throughout the day, the festival was great! I look forward to next year and the year after. This event is a classic event that screams Hip Hop, but shows the true Brooklyn beauty as it is held underneath the Brooklyn Bridge!
To see part of Rhonesha's project checkout: NBC Blog. I will keep you guys updated when the video is released.

Quote of the Day:

"There comes a time when the world gets quiet and the only thing left is your own heart. So you'd better learn the sound of it. Otherwise you'll never understand what it's saying." — Sarah Dessen (Just Listen)

QiQi's Corner: Amber Rose Sends Message to Kim Kardashian About Her Reggie

Amber Rose and Reggie Bush pictures has been spreading all over the net from hanging out at AXE Lounge in the South Hamptons. Since twitter is always the place people seem to vent their feelings the entertainment between Ms. Kardashian and Ms. Rose has been funny.

Apparently, Kim tweeted "who cares?" after the the pictures and talk about the two (Reggie and Amber) been circulating all over the internet. Ha, but we know Ms. Rose is a little more feisty...so what's her come back?????Wow, it hasn't been confirmed from Reggie or Amber if the two is actually dating, but the pictures just show the beginning stage of dating....So, only time will tell......

Ambitious Song of The Day: Hero

QiQi's Corner: Alicia Keys Falls Onstage Pregnant

Unfortunately, 5-months pregnant Alicia Keys has fell while performing at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans this week. Word is Alicia Keys was wearing high heels and had trouble keeping her balance. Many say the heels were around 4-inches.

Lucky she did not fall hard. While singing "Love is Blind," Keys stumbled backwards and fell landing on her behind, but Keys bounced back-up. Thankfully, her and her unborn child by her new fiancé Swizz Beatz were okay. Checkout the video below:

Ambitious Song of The Day: Satisfaction

Used to love this song, album used to be in my cd player all the time.

Brooklyn's Wingate & Coney Island Free Summer Concerts

The summer is here and we know in Brooklyn that means FREE CONCERTS AT WINGATE PARK! It's the 28th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Concert Series performances, which are held Monday nights at 7:30 pm. For more information visit 2010 Martin Luther King Jr. Concert Series. Here's the schedule of the artists that are planned to hit the stage:

July 12- George Clinton & Parliament/Funkadelic The Ohio Player
July 19- An Evening with Toni Braxton
July 26- Musiq Soulchild, Crisette Michele
August 2- Old School Night Salt-N-Pepa, Naughty By Nature, Slick Rick
August 9- An Evening with Aretha Franklin
August 16- Gospel Night Bebe & Cece Winans. Fred Hammond
August 23- Carribean Night Sean Paul, The Mighty Sparrow

For Coney Island 32nd Annual Seaside Summer Concert Series performances are held Thursday nights at 7:30 pm. As for additional information, visit 2010 Seaside Summer Concert Series. Here's a diverse set of artists that are planned to perform in the Coney Island area:

July 15- Neil Sedaka Brenda Lee
July 22- The Beach Boys The Happy Together Tour
July 29- George Thorogood & The Destroyers Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes
August 5- An Evening with John Legend
August 12- An Evening with Aretha Franklin
August 19 -TBA Belinda Carlisle
August 26- TBA Latino Music by the Sea

*Remember to arrive early especially if the artist is known for having a very large fan base.

Quote of the Day:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." -Marianne Williamson (A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of a Course in Miracles)

Vote For The New Oprah Show

Vote for this AmbitiousOne, Rhonesha Byng to get her own show with the Oprah Network. You can checkout her journey through the process at CanOprahHearMe.com, you can also just go directly to the voting site by just clicking VOTE.

Both links will give you the idea, details, and purpose of Rhonesha's, also known as N.E.S.H.A show. This AmbitiousOne uses the acronym N.E.S.H.A to her name to express her drive and how ambitious she is by allowing it to mean, No one Ever Slows Her Agenda. I am pretty sure after visiting both of these links you will see her motivation and drive for succeeding in life. So, why not support??? As ambitious individuals we all need to support one another as we continue to climb to the top.....Support and go Vote!

DON'T FORGET TO SPREAD THE WORD!

They Say It's A Man's World

I placed this situation on my Twitter....I placed it on my Facebook and I received a lot of feedback. Here's the situation.....

Isn't it funny how no man likes seeing a woman in his family hurt by a man. Yet, many will hurt so many other women....Just something to think about!

Ambitious Song of The Day: The Voice Within

R.I.P Michael Jackson

Today is the one year anniversary of Michael Jackson's death. We lost a great man who had an amazing impact on music as a whole. R.I.P Michael Jackson you are truly missed.

Some of my favorites are below:

Quote of the Day:

Here's a quote that I just made up. I come to realize people really like my quotes...I need to work on that book!

"A fool can call it a rock...when it's a jewel. Just because they don't know the worth doesn't means it's worthless."

Beginning with Children Foundation Gala Event

Summer time + heat + life= hard to update regularly. Please forgive me.

Anyways, last week I was invited to a gala to celebrate something that has influenced me to be the young woman I am today. The gala was for the celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Beginning with Children Foundation and the founders, Joe and Carol Reich.

Joe and Carol Reich were two successful individuals who decided one day to make an investment in education. To do this they created a partnership with New York City Board of Education, the United Federation of Teachers, and Pfizer Inc, as well as received help from sponsors throughout the years. As the school continue to gr0w (might I add I was the third class to graduate and was the first biggest class to graduate, which was around 48 students), it was converted to a charter school requested by the Chancellor of the City of New York. This made Beginning with Children one of the first K-8 public charter schools in New York State.

Beginning with Children Charter School or B.W.C as many of the alumni and students would call it, played...well still plays an important role in my life. Yes, they used to spoiled us as children to parties at Pfizer, to having our own little private park in the middle of Bed-Stuy/Williamsburg area, to family picnics, to trips to Cornell University to Washington D.C., and I can go on but I'll leave it at etc. Although, I have become an alumni to B.W.C I am not forgotten and so are many other alumni because to this day they still spoil us with opportunities. Great opportunities like college preparation and tours, workshops, paid internships/jobs, and again I can go on.

I had a lovely time at the gala. I met some great important people and I seen some old teachers, along with seeing some great old friends. One of B.W.C. first graduates, Omar Lopez hosted the event. He's a Harvard graduate who is already on his road to success, but he has also shown a obvious love to giving back to his community and where he came from. Omar is currently teaching at a charter high school, but did announce he will be teaching next year at B.W.C new sister school Community Partnership Charter School.
Wow!!! Beginning with Children has come a long way, but I can't forget one of my mentors and the woman who helped kept the foundation of B.W.C together, Sonia Oritz-Gulardo. She has done so much for me and many of the students of B.W.C. She was my first principal who told me when I was wrong, but she was also one of the first individuals to see something in me. I remember I had a conflict that needed to be discussed in the principal's office, which was her office. I spoke and expressed myself so well about the situation, and I knew this because Ms. G (as we call her) expressed this to me. It was good hearing this from someone who knew me as a shy little girl who have watched me grow into a more outspoken young girl. Haha, now those who know me today know I am very outspoken!

Overall, this event brought back so many memories that I had to try my best to hold back so many tears, especially when Ms. G shed a few tears as she shared a wonderful speech about B.W.C with us.

Ambitious Song of The Day: Hero

This used to be many people graduation song....I guess it's only right. Besides, I need to hear something uplifting right about now....

Quote of the Day:

"When a man points a finger at someone else, he should remember that four of his fingers are pointing at himself." -Louis Nizer

QiQi's Corner: Wonder Why Brandy's Daughter is Not On Current Reality Show?

Recently, a few people and I had a conversation about why Brandy's daughter, Sy'rai, is not on her current reality show "Family Business." I think I was more confuse because her daughter was seen on the "Love of Ray J," but not her current family reality show.

Well after doing some research or googling...I found the answer! Brandy supposedly does not want her daughter to be in the public eye or cameras anywhere near her daughter. She explains in details to Parade Magazine:

'"That’s strictly because her father and I felt it was best for her to have as much of a normal life as possible. Of course, you’ve seen her on one episode on ‘For the Love of Ray J,’ but it wasn’t every day. You didn’t see her going to school, me combing her hair, or any aspect of our private, intimate moments, which sort of sucks because our relationship is so beautiful. I love being a mom and I’m raising her in a different way than how I was raised. Some things that my mom did with me, I do with my daughter — it’s just a different dynamic. I would love for people to see how I’m doing it because I think I could be a good example of a young, single mom.

A lot of mothers feel like they’re the mom first, with that authority. But for me, I’m a friend first. I believe that just being there for my daughter as a friend more than ‘I’m in charge…’ causes her to be more open with me as a person. That’s just what our relationship is. Of course, there are times when I have to discipline her — I’m mom. But there’s still that nurturing and love there that we have. I know I’ll probably get flack for being a friend first, but it really works. She’s really honest with me. I’m just teaching her how to trust herself. I tell her all the time that my life is not your life — you have your own life.

At the end of the day we’re going to be friends. When she grows up, it’ll be about that friendship that we’ll have. She’ll come to me for any problems that she has. If I have an authoritative wall up, she’s going to rebel and not come to me and I don’t want that.”

I guess that explains it all......

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all the great fathers, but a special Happy Father's Day to great black fathers...like my daddy!