Workin' 9-5,
What a way to make a livin'.
Granted, my work hours are more like 6am-230pm. But you get the drift.
There's been an uptick of friends or folks who know me thinking I blog full time. And I'm like, um, where did you get that idea from? Cause I've been pretty vocal about having a full time job while my blog is my side hustle/business.
Well, I'm here to proclaim to YOU, my readers, that your girl has a full time job which is the complete opposite of this blog. I realized pretty quickly becoming a full time blogger wasn't for me. I went down this path during a period of unemployment when time was on my side and I was bored applying for jobs, so I put my whole focus on my blog; I was miserable. Heart Print & Style started off as a hobby and quickly grew to become a passion. It's just recently I started to take my blog more seriously by treating it as a brand, a business. For now, I truly don't mind working for a steady paycheck while having supplemental income from this side hustle/business of mine. I like the balance. Blame my Libra side.
The dress code at my workplace is casual. Not come-in-pajamas-pants casual (even though I've worked in that kind of environment before) but more like jeans-every-day casual. I don't roll that way and never have at any of the places I've worked. I mostly wear dresses (and skirts), reserving jeans for Fridays and sometimes the day before a holiday or something. I like for my dresses/skirts to have some interest without coming off too stuffy. Take for example the dress I'm wearing in this post: Yes, it's navy blue with 3/4 sleeves and hits right at the knee. But peer closely to see subtle pinstripes, double ruffle detailing on the sleeves, and open shoulder slits. Great design elements that takes a standard work dress to the next level.
Mood: Still processing...
Aaliyah
John Ritter
The above deaths rocked me to my core (Aaliyah because she died so young in my worst fear of dying plus we were around the same age; John Ritter because I just adored the guy and thought he'd live for a very long time. The manner in which he died stunned me, too).
There's another name to add to this list: Kobe Bryant.
When I tell you I've been living in a daze these past few days. I had dude living to be, at least, 80 or so. The way he passed away is just heartbreaking...and stunning. The night before the tragedy, he was congratulating LeBron for surpassing him on the NBA's all-time scoring list. On the day of the tragedy, he was escorting his daughter, a couple of her teammates and their various family members, and their assistant coach to his sports facility for a planned game. His mode of transportation to avoid LA's crazy ass traffic is a helicopter ride. Apparently, he's been doing so for ages (I learned about this 'fun fact' on the day of his death). The ride turned into a crash...with no survivors.
It's weird because Kobe wasn't my favorite player. In fact, throughout his 20 years in the NBA league, I've rooted against him. Had jokes for days on his ball hogging skills, his facial expressions, his cockiness, him mirroring Michael Jordan to a stan-ish degree, the 'Black Mamba' nickname, and so much more. But there was no denying his talent and insane worth ethic and his intelligence. He has a great smile, too. (Hey, I have a shallow side.) Because of those traits, I had an underlying respect for the guy. Kobe was just getting his 2nd wind in his life during retirement with winning an Oscar for his short animated film, Dear Basketball, and being a basketball dad with his daughter, Gianna, coaching her and her team. His basketball sports academy named Mamba (because, of course) was where he was molding his daughter's inevitable basketball career. And now both lives - along with 7 others - were cut way too short.
Their deaths coincides with two wake keeping/homegoing services I'll be attending this weekend for my godmother and my friend's mom, respectively. And just last month, I returned from burying my grandmother in Nigeria. As I get older, this will become the norm, huh? Because I'm already over it.
Life.
