25 More Facts About Nia Langley

I thought it was time for another Personal post. I think it's important for my readers to have somewhat of an idea of who Nia Langley is...beyond the blog. These are facts you won't find in the "About Nia" section.

1. I have a poster of my favorite dancer, Linda Celeste Sims, in my room. I really, REALLY want to meet her someday. If you can make that happen, please make that happen. I'm seeing her dance with Ailey tomorrow. I'm super excited!

2. Unless I misunderstood, my doctor said I had better than 20/20 vision. I went to an opthamologist, and I could read the 20/10 line. Yeah.

3. I wear NONprescription glasses for fun. I have about 7 pairs.

Photo by Ken, II, the iPhone

4. Yes. My iPhone's name is Ken, II. My first one's name was just Ken.

5. My Macbook's name is Alex Mac, II. My first one's name was Alex Mac.

4. I love reading, but reading makes me so terribly tired (even if I'm reading something I enjoy).

5. When I watched the series finales of The Nanny and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, I cried. I did more so for The Nanny, because they were playing "The Way We Were" by Barbra Streisand. Crying like a baby. If it helps, it was like 2:00 in the morning on both occasions. Okay. This is embarrassing. Moving on...

6. I want to meet Fran Drescher.

7. I NEED to meet Oprah Winfrey.

8. I'd also like to meet Tyra Banks. I remember loving her since I was a little girl.

9. I want to travel and move around a lot. I want to see the world. It's a good thing that international law helps with that! =)

10. I get easily annoyed with anything that has to do with math.

11. On my iPhone, I have a list of songs that I want in the soundtrack for the documentary of my life.

12. I wish I knew how to play the piano.

13. I don't understand Twitter. It seems like a bunch of status updates to me. As of right now, I don't plan on getting one. I just don't get it.

14. If I trip, I keep walking as if nothing happened. I don't fall. I attack the floor. If I happen to attack the floor, I keep walking as if nothing happened.

15. I want to dine at Noma, a restaurant that has been named the world's best restaurant, in Denmark.

16. I drive a stick-shift. His name is Wesley, a Honda CRV.

17. I rarely leave anywhere without my mobile, my chap-stick, my wallet, water, and mints.

18. The color of my belt always is the exact same color of my shoes. Always. If I don't have a belt that matches the shoes, no belt is worn. Plain and simple.

20. I'm learning Spanish right now. Blah. I just want to be fluent already.

21. I do not enjoy standing in lines...for anything. I hate it.

22. I used to work as a filing clerk in a sleep disorders clinic. The job itself was dry, but it's the coolest place I've worked in so far because there were a bunch of bedrooms. Amazingly tempting.

23. I love sleep. It's such a beautiful thing.

24. January 28, 2010 marks the first time I ever did my own nails. Prior to that, I always went to the nail salon. Always. I still love the nail salon.

25. I enjoy learning random things.

That's it! Hopefully, this post was comical, informational, or at least entertaining enough to read.

Read the last 25.

See you soon!

Have an iPhone? Follow me on Instagram at NiaDevereux.

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Burberry Spring/Summer 2012 Main Campaign

I really, REALLY like these ensembles! Do you have any FAVORITES from here?

Have a great day!

Have an iPhone? Follow me on Instagram at NiaDevereux.

Photos' citation: burberry.com

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Beautiful People. Beautiful Things. (Segment 4)

Greetings, beautiful people! Guess what! No, really. Guess. This is NIA SPEAKS' 100th post! Yay!

I still vaguely remember writing up my first post on a Monday not very much like this one.

Thanks for all of the support. To celebrate, I'm posting the fourth installment of "Beautiful People. Beautiful Things."

For those of you who aren't familiar with this feature, these posts are simple. I'll have photographs of beautiful people and beautiful things, obviously. They are mainly photos that inspire me, make me laugh...or think. They are pretty much photos that I like. l try my best to give credit where credit is due, but if I don't, you'll see that little disclaimer at the bottom.

Here are the next ten! Feel free to click on the pictures to make them bigger.

Matthew Rushing and Linda Celeste Sims, from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, in Alvin Ailey's PAS DE DUKE. Photo by Lois Greenfield.

Baby Polar Bear

Marilyn Monroe

Tyra Banks

iPhone apps in the form of cupcakes

A. Douthit, Y. Lebrun, and K. Boyd, from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, in the "Sinner Man" section of REVELATIONS. Photo by Andrew Eccles. 

Alvin Ailey and Crystine Lawson. Photo by James O. Mitchell

bridgetfossedal.blogspot.com

The company of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Photo by Andrew Eccles.

Here's to 100 more posts!

Have an iPhone? Follow me on Instagram at NiaDevereux.

Photos: No copyright infringement intended.

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The Optimist Creed: Article 1

Greetings, fellow humans! Today, I'm gonna start the first of ten posts of me breaking down The Optimist Creed. If you've been reading NIA SPEAKS for a while, you may know that I did a post on this creed back in December of 2010, as a challenge to live by it in 2011.

Well, we all know that it's 2012 now, and I've come to realize that I've kind of strayed from the creed. Now, I'm trying to get back on track, because I think that living by the creed can truly make me and you all happier people. The Optimist Creed is as follows; and today, I'm tackling the first article.

Promise yourself...
To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

Now, how can one be so strong that nothing can disturb his or her peace of mind? Better yet, what does that even mean?

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 4:6+7

The above verse is one of my favorite passages of Scripture, and the answer to my question.

The way of keeping one's peace of mind is by not worrying, I suppose. I guess that means we should be strong enough not to give into fear...or at least petty worries, if you know what I'm saying.

According to some stats...

40% of the things people worry about about are about things that would never happen.

30% of the things people worry about are about things that have already happened.

12% of the things people worry about are about others' opinions; and criticisms are often made by those that are jealous or insecure. Therefore, unjust criticism is a disguised compliment.

10% of the things people worry about are needless health worries.

8% of the things people worried about are "legitimate."

So, most of the things you worry about aren't even worth the trouble! No wonder why peace of mind can seem so scarce.

I challenge you to chill out on that worry stuff. I'll hit more on it later on the last article of this creed.

Any thoughts?

Until next time...

Have an iPhone? Follow me on Instagram at NiaDevereux.

Picture citation: eoptimist.org

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