Since I've Been Gone

***Please be warned, mushy as hell***

My last post was titled 'not searching' and while that's correct, I've somehow floundered into what I wasn't looking for... love. In this ever evolving universe of mine, I found love right between my toes or was it a tender whisper in my ear... In whatever way it made itself apparent, it was love. No need to bring out your   scrolls and quills, no lecture here.

Between July and now:

• I discovered I love my friends. Like this choking, air-sapping kind of love... It's a little more than the warm, fuzzy feeling kind of love and less than I don't know. Things happen and your eyes are torn open, yes torn open and you realise what you live for and that you've been wasting time all this while. Stop wasting time on people that don't matter, people that you have to work your ass off to get in their good books. Forget those people. Worry about the people that really count, those that know you for you and not for what they can get off you.
• I learnt the trouble with love. It tears you up inside and makes your heart believe a lie (thanks Kelly Clarkson for the lyrics, whose new album rocks btw). I learnt this the hard way with Adele, Al Green and other forlorn love torn artists out there. Thank you. Music is definitely food to the soul.
• I now know that Adele has the most amazing voice and will definitely be an amazing friend. Watched her in concert, no props or gimmicks, pouring her heart out as the soulful songbird that she is. She is also dead funny and has the most unladylike laugh in all the land. That's the kind of friend I love.
• Gaddafi was killed and Amanda Knox set free.
• Britney Spears music still sucks ass. I'll dance to it regardless.
• I became a year older.
• Smoked a cigarette. Bitter stuff. My ex never let me try it. Yes he was a smoker. Curiosity got the best of me. Not trying it again no matter how cool the cancer stick between my elegant fingers looked. Come hell or high water!!! (just felt like using that)
• Beyonce's "I miss you" was the story of my life for a while.
• My sister is the fluffiest fluff in all the land but still wobbled through those feathers and kicked premasters in engineering's ass to the curb.
• My weight is still where I last left it. On me.
• Starting to talk to some guys and well... Well!
• I'm still not 100% certain what I want to do with myself but I know what I don't want.
• Got my first designer bag ever!

Now that's out of the way. I can tell you one thing, the name of the guy I love... Common!

Love,

BubblyBliss

Not Searching

Sometimes the people you love lie to you in a bid to protect you. I know I have done that. I have lied or hidden the truth to protect someone, a loved one. How foolish of me!

But the truth that you need to hear will come to you even when you're not searching for it.

Things that Make Me Happy

Something that makes me happy is cooking. I'm free to experiment with whatever and however. It's just me, my kitchen and my belly that pays the consequences sometimes. I love stir fry and cooking quick meals. Here's a random dish I came up with when I was hungry and kinda broke. Had peppers, onions and shrimp at home and voila! It was half way through the preparation I thought to blog about this so pardon me that I didn't take photos of the ingredients and all.I want to share this with you:

Shrimp Pepper Sauce
Ingredients
1 large onion
2 scotch bonnets (na pepper oh)
3 bell peppers (preferably different colours)
2 packets of peeled and cooked shrimps
2 cooking spoonfuls olive oil
2 tbs flour
Salt
Mixed herbs
2 double cooking cubes

• Chop up your onions and peppers into long slices.

• Heat your oil in a wok pan at medium temperature and fry your onions and pepper together.

• Sprinkle in your seasonings (salt, cooking cubes and mixed herbs) and stir.

• Add your bell peppers and stir. Then cover the pan and leave to simmer for 2-3 minutes. No longer so the peppers still have crunchy.

• Add your shrimps, and leave to simmer.

• Drain the sauce from the pan and mix with the corn flour to thicken the sauce. Dribble it over the stir fry and stir till it thickens.

And there you have it, shrimp pepper sauce. You can have it with rice or as a side dish or with indomie noodles (student's daily bread), however you like, as long as you like it. Hope you enjoy it when you try it.

Remain bubbly and blessed.

xoxo,

BubblyBliss

How?

How do you get over an ex-boyfriend?

The Cusp

I'll have you know that I only just learnt the word 'cusp' today. Such a simple word but hey, that's life. Everyday you learn something new. Yesterday, I learnt no matter how poor your diction, you can become a nation's beauty queen. Moving on...

cusp (kʌsp) n.

1. A point or pointed end.
2. A transitional point or time, as between two astrological signs.

Well these are the two meanings that are relevant to me. It has mathematical and analytical meanings too. And in what context was this word used? A deep discussion about sun and moon signs. The astrological signs you're used to are the sun sign. Google moon signs and get your answers. I, apparently, am a cross between Cancer and Gemini in moon signs and a Libra in sun signs i.e my regular signs. I have only learnt about this thanks to my 'ever curious constantly seeking a deeper sense of self' friend. It's interesting how accurate these signs can be.... This isn't even what I want to talk ab-boooout! Herein begins an almost emotional banter...

Well I'm at a cusp... Ending an fabulous era and the beginning of great times ahead. A wonderful friend told me that he prays for me all the time and God told Him that I need to stop worrying that even though I am not where I want to be and sometimes feel like a failure, the victory will only be greater. So I no longer worry about tomorrow and when people ask me what's next for me, I really don't owe them an answer... I am just looking forward to my amazing future. So I'm holding on to this scripture:

Matthew 6:25-34

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

So if you too are at a cusp and the future is too bleak to be visualised, hold on to the above scripture. It will be alright.

Remain Bubbly and Blessed.

xoxo

BubblyBliss

Guilty

... is something I will no longer feel when I am tempted to read a novel, write a blog post, watch TV, browse the internet aimlessly, enjoy myself... because I have faced the giant that is CFA and I have won (Amen!!!). How has life been in the blogging world?!

Obviously not much has happened to me since I last came here. I have just been studying, studying, cramming, praying, studying, studying... There is one thing that is worthy of mention though. I met up with the ex-boyfriend... We had a moment, the a couple of awkward ones and then everything was okay. So much time has passed though... I was like 'wow!' Moving on swiftly(with this write up I mean)...

I've been wondering how I am going to spend my time until I get a great job...

• Driving Lessons. It's about time I learnt how to drive. Well, I did learn, did a driving test and passed and had no car. Never drove after that. Four years on and I still haven't driven a car. I need to do this all over again and when I'm done I'll steal daddy's car keys to his most precious car and drive into the sunset! Until then, I'm off to get a provisional license.
• Learn French. Je parle un peu francais et je peux lire et ecrire le langue mais je voudrais amelorier... Use google translate to decipher what I just wrote though it's pretty obvious. So I dream of going to Paris to learn French though mon pere is not forthcoming. See how French comes naturally to me, I don't know why I can't magically speak the language just yet. I switch between French and English like J'habite en France.Le sigh!
• Job hunting. Yes to get that great job I have to search for it even though I find this a very tedious and tiresome affair. I guess I will have change that mindset to keep myself motivation. On the count of 3, I will shout 'mindset change': 1,2,3.... 'MINDSET CHANGE!' *waiting... waiting... waiting...* No fairy dust or sparkles. No difference. I can't feel a change... Will get back to you on that. (rummaging through mindset manual)
• Reading and writing. Just that.

I told God that I wanted to do more for Him and this is what He did: gave me a leadership position in the choir and I now lead praise and worship. Today will be the first day I lead a service... Exciting stuff! I will let you know how it goes. Here are the songs I'm singing. Wish me luck!

• Lord You Are Welcome
• You Are Good
• Only You Are Holy
• Beautiful Exchange

Time to go shower!

Ooooh! Wait! News on my weight loss. I currently weigh 85kg (as of last weekend) and I took a break from the protein diet. I fell ill you see, right after my exam and the doctor claimed it was a viral infection + exhaustion. I needed to rest and get more energy. I blame the exam. I didn't work out for a week (doctor's recommendations... ugh!) but I resumed today after a week of feeling fat, bloated, underachieved, etc. I didn't have my usual exercise high. I have written this post on that high. Can you tell?! Well, I resume all things protein today. I just had lunch of moin-moin, grilled chicken in a tomato marinade (home made) and some random stew/sauce thingy. My blender packed up so I made stew with bits in it, something I like to call bachelor's stew.

Okay bye!

Oh! One more thing! Selfridges sale! The sale started at 8am and I got the 8:37am. The queue at Gucci was ridiculous. No designer bag for me. I had a budget of £100-150. So I got a watch, perfume and shoes. Total spent: £128.50. I'm proud of myself.

Bisous (French for kisses, I'm sure you knew that),

BubblyBliss

God's Emergency Numbers

"When in sorrow - call John 14
When you are lonely or fearful - call Psalm 23
When you want to be fruitful - call John 15
When you have sinned - call Psalm 51
When you grow bitter and critical - call I Corinthians 13
When you worry - call Matthew 6: 19-34
When you feel down and out - call Romans 8: 31-39
When your prayers grow selfish - call Psalm 67
When you are in danger - call Psalm 91
When your faith needs stirring - call Hebrews 11
When God seems far away - call Psalm 139
When others fail you - call Psalm 27
When you leave home to labor or travel - call Psalm 121
When you want assurance - call Romans 1: 1-30
For Paul's secret of happiness - call Colossians 3: 12-17
When the word seems bigger than God - call Psalm 70 and Jeremiah 33: 3
If you believe in Jesus Christ call Him up"
-Author Unknown

Away...

I will be away from my blog for a little while but fear not! I shall return and grace you with my fabulousness some time in June.

I have the CFA program to prepare for. I write my exam in June and I need to focus. After that, I will start ticking all the wonderful things iI have to accomplish on my to do list between now and September. I hoping and praying to move back to Nigeria to resume an amazing job later in the year. So... time to fulfil dreams of travel, wishful thinking, etc.

This will be great!

À bientôt! For now...

Remain Bubbly and blessed,

BubblyBliss

Weigh In - Week 3

Well, this week went well until my weigh in. I didn't add weight, don't worry. My scale has gone bonkers. I weighed myself today and it read 83.5kg. From 87 last week. Impossible! I know I should be super excited but it's just impossible for one week. So I weighed again and it showed 86.8kg, then 88, 86, 85.8, 87,etc.... You get the point. In summary, I don't know what I gained or lost this week. So it's not until next that I find out after I have bought a regular and efficient scale that doesn't pick a weight for you at random.

I also have to confess, I ate a little bread today not because I was indulging rather, had dinner with friends at Byron... a nice burger place. That's about it. I have been good this week. Here's to a better week ahead.

The Outnet

Just a mini rant. Last year the Outnet had a fabulous 1st birthday sale and everything cost just £1. I missed it because i was in Nigeria with crappy internet access and when i finally got online the site was down. Too much traffic It's their 2nd birthday this week, and yes you guessed right, everything costs £2; but this time it's exclusive you have to have an invite and there are only 2,000 invites worldwide. Talk about rationing. I have registered for the draw and I check my spam everyday just in case my invite goes there... Nothing!!!!!

Like where else will I get such a good deal. I remember someone tweeting on my timeline that they got a £355 designer bag for £1. I sulked the entire day... Okay no I didn't but you can tell it pained me for me to still remember the price. Anyway here's hoping I get an invite. And if you are interested, leave your email in the comment or just let me know so I can give more details. I have tweeted it, blabbed on facebook, bombarded my email contacts, and now im blogging about it. I really want an invite, can you tell? In fact, go to the site yourself for more details (don't care about referring anyone, I have done my part)... Theoutnet