Butterflies in the City

Yay I finally made it. When I arrived in Newark, I headed down to baggage claim, only to find out that my luggage wasn't there. They had told me that this possibly could happen but it was unlikely. I wasn't sure what to do. I had never experienced this before. So I went to the claims desk to file for it. Once I handled that I made my journey into the city. It was some what scary taking the trains so late at night, but I was kind of familiar from being in the city just over a month ago.

 Although nervous, I was still excited. I had finally made it and even though it was later than when I thought I would be arriving it was still before Trae :) Well Brad met me when I arrived to the hotel, we went to grab me a few necessary items since I didn't have luggage. And then it was time for bed. I was so exhausted from traveling but I couldn't seem to fall asleep. All I could think about was Trae and how after 20 days I was finally going to be able to see his face smile at me, smell his cologne, feel his arms wrap around me as he kissed me.

I missed all these things so much. I missed him. I woke the next morning early, Brad and I grabbed some coffee and headed to SoHo so that I could find something to wear for when Trae arrived. All morning I was so nervous, and excited like a little kid on Christmas morning. I bonded with Brad that morning, showing him some of the city, having breakfast and eagerly waiting for Trae's arrival. It was really nice that he helped me surprise Trae. As we waited in the lobby I was constantly looking at every door that opened hoping that it would be the man I so desperately couldn't wait to see, until there he was...he turned the corner and I felt a rush flow over me. I had missed him so much, and there he finally was in front of me.

The surprise was great, my heart was racing and I could feel the love melt me away as he kissed me. This was what I had been missing on my days spent traveling. We took Trae up to the room to get settled. Once he unpacked and settled in we headed down to see if my luggage had arrived to hotel yet and NO it didn't.

SO we then left for lunch at Justin Timberlake's restaurant Southern Hospitality in the upper eastside... it was pretty good. After lunch we headed out to Times Square where we went up to a bar that over looked the square and had a few cocktails.

It was nice to see the city from there since it was raining. Later that afternoon we went to visit with some of their family that lived in the city. Their place was so awesome. We spent the evening with them and had a wonderful Italian dinner, after dinner we headed back to our hotel to get some shut eye. When I got there I checked to see if my luggage had arrived and YES!! it did!!

I was so relieved and ready for bed after a long amazing day!! I remember laying down next to Trae and feeling him wrap his warm arms around me, I was the happiest girl in the world, I just drifted away in peaceful dreams.

The next day I got up to do a quick photo shoot and met the guys for lunch and shopping down in SoHo it was such a fun day. The shopping in New York is like NO other. All of the little vendors with such unique stuff and crowds of people. I really enjoyed spending that day with them. That evening Brad wanted to take me to Harlem for a little soul food dining experience. We had dinner at Sylvia's.

The menu was full of savory mouthwatering dishes, it was hard to choose. I ended up having the bbq salmon with mac & cheese and mashed potatoes. The best thing though about soul food restaurants is the sharing! We all ordered different things so we could taste as much as possible!! After dinner I was so full, but we walked around Harlem and went by the famous Apollo Theatre, then headed back to the hotel. I wasnt quite ready to call it a night, so Trae and I walked down to the Hardrock on Times Square for a couple drinks, it was so amazing to spend time with him in the city.

The next morning we went shopping some more and just walked the city. Later that evening we headed back over to visit with their family and have dinner. It was so delicious and also very enjoyable learning some of the families history. It was the perfect way to end the weekend.

I have to say that I have been to NYC a couple times but this one was the best. I really truly got to bond with Brad and to see Trae after 20 days was a wonderful rendezvous in the city before coming home. I couldn't have had a better time. But I was ready to come home, living out of a suitcase for almost a month was getting old.

xoxo .:TMarie:.

.:Model Behavior:.

Well as my weekend came to a close, so did my job. I was no longer happy with it, and I was ready to leave. It was hard to say goodbye to everyone in my office but I was focused on other things and just couldn't seem to keep my mind focused somewhere that it didn't want to be. I went the whole month of June booking modeling stuff and preparing for my month on the road in July.

My last weekend before I left was Independence Day. The night before we went to a party to hang out with some of Trae's friends. It was so much fun, my favorite part of that night was singing to 80's music. LOL Trae really gets in to that. I love just goofing off and letting loose with him. He melts my heart. The next day we went to the lake. I was super excited because this time we could bring Bentley. He was so cute with his little life jacket on.

The poor thing didn't know what to expect. He was terrified of the water. So he mostly chilled on the boat. We didn't get to see any fireworks that 4th of July because it rained. Which ended up being OK, since we were all so exhausted from the lake. The next 20 days in 3 different cities were gonna be so busy for me. I started in Atlanta working for Americasmart Gift & Home Furnishings Market for 10 days. It was fun to visit and stay with my friend/ model Ashley. She is always so fun to hangout with. We mostly stayed in with a glass of wine, shared recipes and cooked some yummy dinners while I was there. She also took me out one night to go with some friends of hers.

It was the only night I could actually get out, because I worked so early everyday I was down there. I also went to see my girl Alexis one night while she was working. It went by so fast and before I knew it I was boarding my flight to Miami for fashion week and the swim show. After a couple days of fittings I got booked to model for Blue Glue swimwear. The line was based out of LA, and it was their initial launch on the east coast. It was a lot of fun, I got to meet some great people that week. Amanda was one of the girls I met that I am still friends with. She was so much fun to hang out with. The ladies I worked with were also amazing! I stayed with my mom's friends Debbie & Larry once my fittings were over and I started to work. It was a relief to have them there. They were so welcoming, I felt like I was home away from home. I was having a blast, but I was really missing Trae. I had decided to surprise him in New York City. We had originally planned to go there with his Dad, but there was a problem with me getting a flight. I ended up getting it all worked out, and didn't tell him that I would be joining them after all.

With Brad and I scheduled to arrive the evening before Trae, it was the perfect plan to surprise him :) I was so excited to leave for New York City. That day Debbie took me to get my nails and toes done at this cute little place she liked on the way to the airport. I was full of butterflies, I couldn't wait to see Trae and to feel his arms around me. Nothing could bring me down from the clouds, EXCEPT for a delayed flight!!!  I was flying out of Ft. Lauderdale when I boarded the plane and sat at the gate for 2 hours. They couldn't figure out what was wrong. So they then proceeded to deboard the plane. At this point, I was freaking out that I would miss my connecting flight into Charlotte.

So I made my way to the desk where they were rerouting passengers. Fortunately I was one of the first people in line. After sitting on the plane that long my phone was starting to die. I luckily got a direct flight to Newark, but I had to walk to a totally different terminal and go through security again. Once I was at my gate, I plugged in my phone and made some phone calls. And waited to board my new flight. It was smooth sailing until I landed in Newark.

xoxo .:TMarie:.

Walking in Memphis

Once I got back in Tennessee, I realized that I wasn't very happy with my job. New York gave me inspiration to pursue other things that held my interest more. I made it back in time for my baby's birthday! His brother flew out from LA to visit during the week. Once he arrived, a bunch of us got together and took him to a great pizza place in Nashville called Mafiaoza's on Tuesday night. Where they have 2 for 1 specials. Its always nice to visit with Troy. He brings out this spark in Trae that I love. Working wasn't an option the next day, I for some reason couldn't make myself do it anymore.

But I went in anyways, and it was my week to plan our Wednesday night gathering for the office, but with family in town and it being Trae and Troy's Birthday, it was hard for me to decide. So I ended up having a cookout at our house, for their birthday party. It was a great success. Everyone had a great time, and the food turned out perfect. There was lots of laughter, jokes, and music. Troy had to leave to head back home for work that weekend. But Trae's father was coming in town to visit. So needless to say we had our hands full with company all week. I hadn't had time to really relax since my previous trip up north.

 So we planned to take Brad to Memphis for the first time. We got up early and headed out to the Delta Blues. He was excited to spend time with us. The first thing we did was lunch on Beale Street, with some delicious southern style BBQ. It was such a beautiful day. The sun was shining, there was a soft gentle breeze, you could smell the aroma lingering in the air from the smokers cooking the bbq. After lunch we walked along Beale street and over to the Civil Rights Museum. We took the tour through the museum so that he could see it. I had only been through this

exhibit once before, which was a long time ago, when I came to Memphis for the first time. Although, I always seem to find myself coming back there each time I visit. It is something that everyone must see for themselves one day. To walk through the history and struggles that our nation has gone through to get to where we are now, is heart breaking, but spirit lifting at the same time. That people believed in the freedom and equality that we have today. 

We also took him to Graceland, to walk through the house.  Which is another place I always visit or at least drive by to show people when I am in town. After we finished walking the grounds, we got ready to drive out to Tunica. Of course we couldn't leave with out going to the casinos so the men could play some poker!! At this point in time I had just began learning to play a little bit online so I wasn't in to gambling to much at the casinos. I just played the slots while I waited on them to finish.

Later that night we loaded up to drive home. It was definitely an interesting ride back. We got a flat tire!! Little did we know how serious it was til the next weekend, when I tried to get it replaced. I find out that Trae had ran over something that not only punctured the tire but also the wheel that caused a half dollar size hole!! It was something that I have never seen before. But it was a great little day trip to Memphis, and definitely worth it. Spending time and getting to know Brad was great. All in All I feel that Trae had a great birthday.

xoxo.:TMarie:.

Concrete Jungle

That morning we woke up eyes wide open and all we could see in the future was the BIG APPLE! New York City! We couldn't wait to walk the busy streets. It was only a couple hours away. We got to our hotel and checked in that morning. We stayed in Jersey just across the river from Manhattan. This was the second time I had ever visited NYC and we only had a few days to see everything! So we quickly unloaded all of our stuff and headed to the train station.

Hahaha That was sight, as Andrea and I tried to navigate our way through the city Erika and Tiegs followed behind laughing as our two dominating personalities collided. But hey I can at least say it was pretty funny. Andrea was on a mission... "Operation Find Benji" I can't say that I blame her. LOL when we finally made it to SoHo and found Benji, it was time to eat and shop!

First place we went was a little eatery to grab some lunch before we hit Broadway and Canal St. Once we finished up eating, Andrea left to visit with her man and we hit the shops! It was so much fun just walking to overly crowed streets and window shopping. Just spending silly time with the girls was a very much deserved reward from the previous week in Pittsburgh. I absolutely LOVE New york City. The culturally diverse city has something for all walks of life. As you walk by the massive concrete structure buildings or hop on the subways you feel this sense of ambition, like you can achieve your wildest dreams here. 

After walking the streets of Pittsburgh last week and now making our way through the city, our poor feet we need of some attention. So we decided to go get a manicure and pedicure before we left to head back to our hotel for the evening. It felt so good to sit back and just relax while getting pampered. I picked up a few cute things that day and so did the other girls. SoHo is one of my favorite neighborhoods to visit in NYC. Well after being so exhausted from our adventurous day we hopped on the train back to Jersey. Andrea went to watch Benji play that night in the City, but we were all too tired to join her, so we stayed in.

The next morning we got up bright and early, went to a little coffee shop and grabbed a latte and pastry (New York style) and made our way into the city to sight see. We headed up to 5th Ave. and Central park, where we dropped off Tiegs so she could visit with family over brunch, and met up with Andrea for lunch. When we finally all reunited, we set out on a tour of the city by foot. We saw Rockefeller center, Empire State Building, Times Square, South Street Seaport, Brooklyn Bridge, Battery Park, and the Statue of Liberty from across the Hudson Bay. 

The city was amazing and just as beautiful as I remembered. South Street was so much fun, we shopped at the mall there, and had famous New York Style Hotdogs on the pier. Then made our way back uptown to SoHo to get ready to go out that night in the City. We got ready at Benji's friends loft, which was so chic...I LOVED IT! The decor, the floor plan, the little cubby hole beds in the walls for guests, it was really really cool.

After we finished getting dolled up we headed to the rooftop to snap a few photos. The weather couldnt have been more perfect for this evening. Our plans were to have dinner in Little Italy at Pomodoro Resturant and Pizzeria on Mulberry St. It was so yummy after eating we walked Mulberry Street where they had a small carnival that night. The festivities brought great vibes and character to the neighborhood that evening.

After we left went spent the next few hours partying in NYC for Memorial Day. It was a great way to end our trip! The next morning we got up after only a few hours of sleep and made at our long 14 hour journey back to Tennessee. We did a lot of bonding on this trip, passed through a lot of states, and lost alot of sleep, but I can say this, IT WAS TOTALLY WORTH EVERY LOST HOUR OF SLEEP!!! I sure do miss these girls!   

xoxo .:TMarie:.