Category Archives: Uncategorized

Back To Living Life?!

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Hello Y’all! It’s been a moment since my last post. I hope you are doing well in your part of the world. I feel like every day that goes by brings me a step closer to living life as it was before the pandemic hit. Texas has been great in getting people back out and into some semblance of life as we knew it before the corona virus and I am so grateful for that. My heart goes out to my friends and Starr readers in Asia, most especially those in India who are having it really rough with a new ‘variant’ of the virus. I am sending you good wishes and prayers and I hope this passes and we can all get back to living as we once did.

A lot has changed in the past 12 months. I’m still working my way back to how it was pre-pandemic. Simple things like going to the gym or swimming. I know a lot of folks who haven’t gone back to the gym and prefer to workout outdoors, in small groups or virtually. How we stay active doesn’t really matter just as long as we keep fit and stay healthy is our defense against getting sick. I recently started walking again after almost a year and it was so freeing to be back on the trail, enjoying the scenery, the sounds, the smell of nature all around and see some of the regulars I’ve come to know over the years. It felt so invigorating and inspired me to write this post about not giving up…no matter what. Sharing is caring and we can all learn from each other so here goes…

The Spiel!

Life Happens…To Everyone. It doesn’t matter if you’re rich, poor, handsome, pretty, unattractive, skinny…..you get the gist; we all have to go through life. A lot of times I don’t understand why especially when I’m in the middle of something, but sometimes, I get a clearer picture at the end of the tunnel or when I’m out on the other side. There’s no escape, we all have to go through things and I’m not trying to be a Debbie-downer but just want you to have a realistic outlook on life in general. We have to be braced, ready and open enough to find the silver lining…in everything.

Be Consistent. Whether its working hard on yourself to be a better version of you; or committing to eating healthy, exercising, or taking ownership of the kinds of people you surround yourself with, or just being mindful of the vibes or energy you put out into the world or absorb from your immediate environment. Be consistent.

Never Loose Sight of the Prize. Whether it’s your dreams, goals or vision for whatever you want to attain in life, never loose sight of it. I had the radio on the other day and heard this phrase that struck a cord with me. It said, ‘Never make a permanent decision based on a temporary situation’, or something along those lines. No condition is permanent and although some situations may be rough right now, it won’t always be that way. Keeping your eyes on your goal takes your focus off your current situation and gives you something to hope for, something to strive towards, and something worth living for.

Always Err On the Right Side. Always do the right thing whether anyone’s watching you or not because, what goes around boomerangs back around. It’s very easy to get caught up in instant gain but the after taste isn’t always pleasant. The best way to live a successful life is to be able to lay down on your bed at night with a clear conscience and have a peaceful nights rest. As easy as this may sound, it is not very common.

Kindness and Patience Go A Long Way. We live in a fast paced world. We want things now…and waiting is almost physically painful. But all in all, we need to remember to be patient and kind to the people we meet in our daily life. So when you’re waiting in line, waiting on the phone or just plain waiting. Curb the urge to start tapping your feet, tapping your fingers, pacing or getting worked up…periodt. Take a deep breath, relax and look for a way to focus your energy, count to 50, do something instead.

A couple of views from my fav trail.

Coming out of the pandemic and into life as we have always known it has given us (myself included) time to think, process and reflect on our way forward. So until I come your way again feel free to share your reflections as we ease into life once more. Please like, comment and follow for more from…

Periwinkle Starr

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Snowflakes In My Hair, Stars In My Eyes!

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Hello Y’all! I hope you are doing well in your part of the world. It’s a winter wonderland in most of Texas. This reminds me so much of the Midwest. As a Ohioan transplant to the south, I actually feel like I brought the cold weather with me. Oh and by the way, I hope you had a wonderful Valentine Day celebration? The storm hit us hard in North Texas. Several lost power, others suffered burst pipes and flooding but Texans are resilient and are going to come through this in the end. So stay strong and be optimistic because this too shall pass.

On the up side, we had a winter wonderland of sorts. If you were blind folded and put on a plane and dropped off somewhere in Texas, I can guarantee, you would not realize where you are. But on a positive note, I’m going to share some of the fun things I did during the snow lockdown (I guess lockdowns are the norm these days) to bid time, but also to remain positive and ward off the blues are below.

Surviving The Texan Snow Storm!!

I baked healthy Oatmeal/Toffee-bit Muffins, I tried my hands at a couple of soup recipes I found online and drank a ton of tea…literally.

I organized a bit

Got caught up on some shows, watched a Diners, Drive in and Dives marathon and a few housewife reunions…haha! I know I surrendered a couple of braincells to the waste bin, but it was worth it. I gained nothing!

Got some shut eye…since we were all trapped at home. Naps were a good way to rest and pass the time.

Journaling came in handy because of the peace and quiet.

I swept the snow off my patio….and literally became one with the snow. Couldn’t feel my face, hands and toes afterwards.

The weather is warming up in the next couple of days. Remember to stay layered up and not expose yourself. COVID is still alive and well the last time I checked and we don’t want to guess if we’ve caught it or just experiencing flu symptoms. A lot of people had it rough during this time and my heart goes out to them. We ought to be thankful for life, love and family. I’m going to hold unto the memory of having snowflakes in my hair and stars in my eyes…in Texas!! Please like, comment and share. Until I come your way again, I remain

Periwinkle Starr

Looking Back And Moving Forward

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Hello Y’all!! Happy New Month! I hope you are doing well in your part of the world? Its been pleasant so far and I’m waiting on more consistent weather to set out on new adventures for 2019. It just dawned on me that the last adrenaline adventure I was on was when I went kayaking on Lake Grapevine, so me and some friends are getting warmed up for that…hopefully the weather in north Texas cooperates.

I love quiet moments every now and then because I get to relax and ponder on a lot of things – which involve amazing everyday experiences, stressful situations or not so pretty moments; and yes, we ALL have experienced these situations at some point in our lives or the other.  With growing up, it’s very easy to look at life through a lens of items to be accomplished that sometimes we can get too busy and never take time off to process the journey so far. This is no ones fault by any long shot…I’ll blame it on technology and having a million and two things vying for my attention 24/7.

Sometimes its good to take time just to process your journey through life and how far you’ve come, how much you’ve grown, what you’ve learned and how you can do better.  I was hanging out with a bunch of friends a few days ago, and Jordan (not his real name) told us that every year on his birthday, he goes on an adventure to a different location. His goal is to find a place that is peaceful and quiet where he can relax, unwind and think clearly on what he’s accomplished the past year and what he wants to do for the coming year.

Wow! I found it interesting – coming from a guy because us ladies tend to do that more often than just once a year especially when you get those hormonal dips and spikes in continuous tandem…ha ha. No matter your ethnicity, whether you’re rich or poor, or where you were raised, there is something that happens to us all, and it’s called LIFE!  Often times, it’s so easy to forget how far we’ve come and the things we endured or worked hard to achieve in order to get to where we are now. We can very easily begrudge ourselves any kudos because of the goals we have not yet attained instead of looking at how far we have come and just being plain-ole thankful.

Reminiscing On The Past…

♣   Makes me thankful…I’m still here if not anything else.

♣  To be a bit more empathetic to the people I meet in every day life.

♣  To learn to be firm – you know what works and what doesn’t.

♣  Learning to dig my heels in when facing tough situations.

♣   Learning to sharpen my instinct and trust my gut.

♣   I’ve learned to pick my battles.

♣  I can laugh heartily at myself!

♣   Wisdom! There’s just something about someone whose been there and done that.

♣  Finding a way to process and make peace with all and any…

I read something that had a profound impact on me the other day, it said “Unharmed prosperity cannot endure a single blow” says Seneca, but a man/woman who has gone through countless misfortunes “acquires a skin calloused by suffering”. This man fights to the ground and carries on the fight even on his knees. He will never give up!

I hope you feel pumped, encouraged and fired up after reading this post but better still, I hope you take time for yourself to look back at how amazing your journey has been and how you want to move forward – in the best direction possible! Do like, comment and follow this blog for more posts from…

 

Periwinkle Starr!

 

Time Awaits No One.

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Hello Y’all! I hope you are doing well in your part of the world? Its that time in the year that we get to layer on and feel like we belong with our mid-western cousins who are duking it out in the snow.  Speaking of snow, it snowed this past weekend in Dallas but it melted before we could see it talk less of getting a few snapshots of it. :/ Growing up, there were a lot of proverbs I learned in primary school. One of them is ‘a stitch in time saves nine’. It was something always quoted by my teachers at school and all my childhood mind could decipher as to it’s meaning was to get my homework done on time so I don’t get disciplined.

My Definition of Time

I love to look at time in a different light than just the two hands of a clock or a number on a calendar. To me, ‘Time is a silent witness that stays with us all of our days on this planet’. We think we have it in abundance until we wake up one day and find out that we have little of it left. We can embrace it for what it is or we can be trapped in it. I do not consider it to be a fair donor in the sense that every one of us is allocated a different portion of it all through our lives.

Being an avid listener, I am used to hearing people I speak with tell the same story multiple times. These stories are almost imprinted in my memory that I can mimic the dates and facial expressions when they start with, ‘In 1964, it was a cold Sunday…’. I see the way the eyes light up in animation and how they stare wistfully into space as they re-live the moment. They’re bodily present but absent in the mind. Its almost like pieces of their lives are trapped in moments of time where even their sense of smell is rekindled. Some get a taste on their lips just by reliving old memories of eating certain meals – that my friends, is the power of the human mind.

The Downside

Just the same way we remember pleasant events, we can also be trapped in unpleasant or distasteful events. A lot of times, we can get stuck in events – some of our doing and others we have no control over. The sad part is that sometimes we aren’t even aware that we’re stuck, we’re trapped in certain events without realizing that the world has moved on all around us. I was watching an episode of Ghost Adventures, this time they were investigating an orphanage that was closed down due to the abuse and mistreatment of the children during that time. One of the kids, who was now an old man was brought in and he talked about how he was beaten by the warden for no apparent reason on many occasions. In my opinion, he was a grown man but in his mind he was still a small boy trapped in that orphanage.

It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way

The truth is this: Time waits for no one and YOU/I are not going to waste another second of another day trapped in a situation or frozen in time from an event that no longer matters. Here’s how to be unstuck!

♥Acknowledge the event for what it is – good or bad.

♥Think deeply about it.

♥Make Peace With It

♥Force yourself to grow beyond the situation.

♥Get up. Get back into the game of life and LIVE!!

So until I come your way next time, like, comment and follow my blog. I remain,

 

 

Periwinkle Starr♥

 

 

 

Sweet and Savory!

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Hello Y’all!! I hope you’re doing great in your part of the world. We are finally at ‘The Most Wonderful Time of The Year’, and it’s going to be busy and festive from now till the end of 2018. Its time to bring out those baking pans, but for those of you who sneak in treats that you magically spent the night baking; I say it’s time to figure out a new strategy or just flat out try your hands at making something this season…ha ha!  Yours truly will be doing a lot of baking as well as tasting.

Today is one of those chilly, cold Sundays with icy cold winds accompanied by the soft sound of rustling leaves. Looking out at the vast greenery from our porch is something I like to do on the weekends. Just watching as the leaves fade slowly from green to orange is so very calming.  There’s a shy squirrel that loves coming over whenever I’m outside; but it disappears the moment there’s sudden movement or large sounds which I think is pretty interesting to watch but not today because it’s so cold. Therefore, ‘the door is closed’, according to Ne-Ne Leaks. My love of nature and all things natural make it impossible for me to consider living in one of those high-rise towers. Misery would be an understatement but hey…to each their own right?

Lets Bake!!

It’s that time of the year for potlucks, parties, festivities and all things worth celebrating. I have been baking a lot lately and so has my sister, from box cake mixes to bread and banana muffins made from scratch. We swap pictures of our latest creations and try to savor as best we can …even if only virtually. There are a lot of sweet and savory treats to choose from and I just cannot wait.

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Thanksgiving is around the corner and I wish you a wonderful celebration. Take the time to enjoy all things sweet and savory until I come your way again with another new and exciting post. A Shout out to KayPee for the lovely photos. I look forward to tasting those goodies soon.

 

Periwinkle Starr

 

 

 

 

 

Anthony Bourdain: A Friend in my Mind

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Friday morning was a mad dash. I was off to two different offsite meetings before heading back to work. At almost mid-day was when I looked up my twitter feed. In that moment, I felt like my heart skipped a beat. It read “Anthony Bourdain was found dead by suicide”. I didn’t really understand what it meant; I had just watched the last episode  of Parts Unknown on sunday so he was still pretty fresh in my mind. This week was awful for the entertainment industry, first Kate Spade and now Anthony. I was puzzled, sad, wondering, afraid, questioning all at the same time. Lets take a walk back to how he became a friend – in my mind.

An Authentic Human Being

Anthony Bourdain was a real and authentic human being. He had money, success, fame but he knew those things did not exempt him from life – the daily struggles of anyone alive on this planet. He was who he was and he wasn’t ashamed of it. His love of travel and of food took him all over the globe. He was curious about cultures different from his, intrigued about how people lived, their values and the things that set them apart from other groups. There had to be more to a person or groups of people and Bourdain understood that.

There was a humility about him; he was willing to travel to remote parts of the world to sit with total strangers, share a meal and just listen. He gave others a chance to paint their own pictures, an opportunity to tell their own story – not the scripts written by people outside their experience. He ate any where from the best restaurants in world to eating on street corners and in back alleys; on many occasions trying things from menu’s that some of us wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole. This part of him I could so relate to because I have gotten sick so many times from tasting and trying different cuisines in the past that I made up my mind to live vicariously by watching Parts Unknown and the Travel Channel.

He had things that he struggled with, that was no secret. It was said that he ran from his demons but not fast enough. Could it be that if he had taken time to acknowledge the things he was struggling with instead of painting a different picture to the world, he might still be here. I remember his last visit to a remote village in Asia where he made an eerie comment saying ‘it would be the last time he would be back there’, – I cannot help but wonder if he already knew what he was going to do. So sad, sad indeed.

We can’t keep losing people like this.  Something as simple as talking to someone else can go a long way to being free. Diet, exercise and a healthy lifestyle coupled with rest help re-center and refresh the body. Being in close contact with family, friends and loved ones keep us emotionally balanced. Mental illness is no respecter of persons. An icon was lost and we pray for peace for his family at this time.

 

Periwinkle Starr

 

Going Back to the 80’s?…Hope Not!

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Hello Y’all! I hope your weekend has been fun aside from the cold front we have coming our way here in North Texas. 😑 New York Fashion Week is here and the frenzy and excitement accompanied with this years show is on!! So far, the trend with some designers this year has been focused on bags and there’s been some interesting pieces I’ve see so far; some of which I will share below…so excited!!😁😎

So we recently had the 2018 Grammy’s which was fun for those who watched it from the beginning till the end. I watched the performances of some of the stars I felt would make it worth my time and Bruno Mars was one of them. I couldn’t help but notice the blatant 80’s theme in that performance. Everything from the garb, dance moves, video-graphy and accessories screamed 1980’s. It almost felt like I was in a time capsule all of a sudden and I could hear that annoying voice saying ‘I’m taking you back…way back’! 😐

Now….In My Mind

The 80’s was P-E-R-F-E-C-T in its own way; we do not need to recreate it. All the color riot/patch patterns that we called clothing back then coupled with those huge clanky earrings (that still surprise me till this day that people ‘still’ had ear holes) and outlandish accessories that scream ‘LOOK AT ME’ make me cringe just reliving those memories.

I liken the 1980’s era to my first time at a shooting range. It was loud, exciting and adrenaline pumping. But if you ask me if I would do it again, my answer would be ‘hell to the naw’ in my best Ohioan/Kentucky accent. 😂 And I’ll tell you why:

  • The brightness of those prints…no wonder some of us have flashbacks that lead to momentary visual impairedness when we see extremely bedazzling colors.
  • Almost every one had a pair of those army boots. Its like they all shopped in the same store. I would never know why.😕
  • The dance moves though…If you know how to do the running man,… ‘You is Old’! But come to think of it looking back, people were more fit then and I’m pretty sure it was because they danced a whole lot.
  • The obsession with hair for both guys AND girls was perplexing. Everyone walking around with Jerry curls and fried hair dripping with oil or really big hair back then. That’s not going to work since we have global warming now; all the hairspray in the world won’t keep that birds nest longer than a few hours.😂
  • The jewelry and accessories were big, bold and screamed ‘notice me’. No one ever tells you that you get caught in everything from trees, bushes, clothes, hair…with those huge earrings 😱

Anyways guys, If you were born in the 1980’s, you know exactly what i’m talking about because you lived through that era. But if you weren’t and you think all this is new…sorry to disappoint you but it isn’t. We did the 80’s once, we don’t need to go back there again. Wishing you a happy valentines day celebration in advance! Until I come your way again, I remain

 

Periwinkle Starr😘

 

 

 

culled from 2018 New York Fashion Week
Culled from 2018 New York Fashion week.
Culled from 2018 New York Fashion Week!
Culled from 2018 New York fashion Week!

 

 

 

No More Resolutions…Just Aspirations Please!!

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Hello Y’all!! Welcome to a fabulous new week! The freeze is still on and I’m still trying to wrap my mind around how Houston can be getting snow this time of the year and not Dallas; not that I care but it’s just odd. :/ Can you believe it’s mid January already? The zip-line has begun…ha ha!

My neighbor has a 50 pound bulldog puppy that runs out to me every time I put my keys in the door. Today will be our 6th screaming episode…where i’m screaming in fright and the pup is super excited to say hello. 😐 This gets me E-V-E-R-Y-T-I-M-E. I still don’t understand how a dog that size can move so stealthily; I just see something out of the corner of my eye and flashbacks of ALL the horror movies of mauling sessions combined into this one moment become a reality – in my mind. This is not a one time episode though. I get jumped by dogs all the time and most recently by a clients poodle. Everyone was like ‘it absolutely loves you’ :/ Now, I am not averse to dogs because growing up, my family always had dogs and as much as I didn’t really fuss and kiss on them (yuck), I was their primary caregiver and did right by them. So I guess its inevitable, I will probably end up with a few… eventually 😀 :/

No More Resolutions – Just Aspirations Please.

If you’re like the rest of us, by the month of March, those resolutions are dead and forgotten; And by December, we pledge to do better the next year. Like a wheel, the cycle repeats itself.  I made up my mind to switch things up and change my lingo this time around. I decided to set out with things I would love to accomplish in the year but with no definite timeline. The reason being that ‘life happens’ and ‘we don’t really have complete control over everything’. Knowing and accepting these simple facts take the pressure off of you.

  • So instead of resolving to loose ‘x’ pounds or kilograms this year, I aspire to keep making healthy choices through out the year that will get me closer to the desired weight I want. So in essence, you’ve set your sights on the goal that you WILL accomplish without your brain scrambling to fit that into an almost impossible  time frame.

  • When I get caught in traffic with bad drivers, I will picture myself running through a peaceful field full of soft lilies and dandelions – instead of reacting by saying all those ‘bad words’…ha ha!

So guys, I hope you have an amazing week and your resolutions for the year are transformed into aspirations without any of the extra pressure we tend to place on ourselves. Feel free to share your thoughts and views with me on this post and if you haven’t already checked out my sister site, please do!! It’s:

https://www.periwinklestarr-glamfest.com/

Until I come your way again, I remain

 

Periwinkle Starr

 

“Periwinkle Starr-Glam Fest” is Here!!!

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GlamFest baby

Happy New Year Y’all!!! 😘😍 If you are reading this post, you are alive and you’re one of the fabulous and lucky ones who made it into 2018. The last couple of days leading up to the new year, I felt like I was holding my breath. In my own way, I felt I was doing my part in ensuring I made it in. I wasn’t alone in this. I noticed that traffic wasn’t as intense as it usually is. I guess no one wanted to be ‘that’ person who almost did but didn’t see the new year…LOL😂😂 Anyways, I hope you got to spend time with family, friends and just kickback and relax. I most certainly did and it’s time to get back into the flow of things again…Yay!! :/

A Quick Recap of 2017!

The year was hectic to say the least but equally rewarding. At different points, I felt that I was doing a balancing act and needed an extra pair of hands to handle everything on my plate…but at the same time, it was one of the most peaceful years I have ever experienced. I also learned to sit still, listen to quiet music and just enjoy short moments of peace…I don’t like to use the word ‘tranquility’ because the picture that comes to mind is of a wild bear that needs to be tasered. 😀 😀

circus

The Birth of Periwinkle Starr-Glam Fest!!

There’s no denying it….I love clothes and have always had an eye for fashion and the fun of putting together items of clothing for different occasions. A lot of times, I’ve been stopped at random places and asked where I shopped; where I bought a particular item or just complimented on outfits, even on days where no effort was involved. And being an avid enthusiast, I’ve  always been happy to oblige.

If you’re like myself and millions of other people, you’re busy and on the go almost 24/7. You (like myself) do not always have the time to shop much less scroll through a hundred items on one website only to find one or two pieces that are chic, elegant, practical or fairly decent. 😣😥

Periwinkle Starr-Glam Fest is a site that offers trendy items of clothing and accessories from different vendors that have been hand picked by a team of fashion lovers and trendsetters like myself 😁. We find the needle in the haystack so you don’t have to!! If I won’t wear it, we won’t advertise it. So take some time and check out the website below and let me know your thoughts. Your feedback is golden! We have literally hit the ground running and will keep at it for the long haul.

https://www.periwinklestarr-glamfest.com

Until I come your way again; Be safe and relax your mind because 2018 will be awesome-tastic!!

Periwinkle Starr

 

 

 

 

Are We There Yet?!!

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Hello Starr readers!! The countdown has begun. I hope you’ve got a game plan for the holiday season which begins with the stress of getting everything done, figuring out a plan to see E-V-E-R-Y-O-N-E and getting in extra hours at the gym to offset all the excesses. 😀 Its been very busy lately juggling what almost looks like 10,000 things at once that it feels like I haven’t had as much real estate in  my head to write a new post lately.😌

Most bloggers every now and then tend to have this ‘blank space’ where there isn’t much to write about…’just living every day life’; and I kind of understand what they meant now.

This year has been scandalous to say the least😨 – An example would be the sexual harassment/assault saga that just keeps on giving. From those who use coercion or stimulants to those who have buttons under their desk to trap their desired victims. Now I always thought those buttons were supposed to be alarms in case of danger or robbery 😒😱 …these days you never know what lengths people are willing to go to get to their desired end.

As we wind down to the end of 2017, there are a few things I have taken away from this year as a whole and I’m going to share some of them with you:

  • To not be afraid of change. The people who succeed aren’t necessarily the bravest, they’re just the ones who put one foot in front of the other in spite of how they feel.

 

  • Positive energy is essential to long term success – keep your circle of friends and close associates positive. 

  • When you make good things happen for others, it comes back to you. The universe never forgets.  🙂

 

  • When going after your dreams; sometimes, riding with your blinders on is the only way to get through to the other side.

 

  • Sometimes, its toughest before a big break; hold the line and don’t give up!

Until I come your way again which will be right before the Christmas holiday, have a wonderful time with your family, loved ones and friends. Tell me what your takeaway from the year is in the comment section below. I would love to hear your own version of 2017. I have started on my decor but still have some ways to go, here are a few pics of my tree 😀

 

Periwinkle Starr

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