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So 'over' terrorism!

Are you exhausted from hearing all the reports of terrorism sprinkled with racism and topped with #notmyPOTUS Donald Trump? People of the world...c'mon! All of the dishonesty and hate is disgusting and every American should be ashamed. And to the racists and terrorists of the day? God sits HIGH and looks low...your day is coming (if it hasn't arrived already). I am disgusted with the amount of violence permeating this world. The lack of value for another human's life is a huge decay in the fiber of our modern day society. What are we all fighting for again? What are we all fighting about? My prayers to London. I was in London on leisure in February and I remain in shock this happened. I am all for the "if you see something, say something" motto. We have to be vigilant and cognizant at all times now, in a way that just wasn't necessary in the 70's while I was growing up or the 80's while I was partying. Take the time and get involved in race relation discussions, take your children to visit a mosque or synagogue in your area so that they see that everyone has the human right to 'worship' safely, peacefully. The terror that our children are witnessing is heartbreaking. What hope can we hope to pass on to them when we're all at war?!? Change.

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How familiar are you with ASMR?

I can just imagine the confusion on some faces. Not very familiar, huh? Allow me. ASMR is otherwise the acronym for Autonomous sensory meridian response. Many cannot articulate exactly what ASMR is but the best way to describe the phenomena is that some of us can experience sensory triggers that help to further relax or place us in a meditative state.

For many years as a flight attendant I suffered with insomnia. Working odd hours or long days completely placed my internal clock out of sync. I relied on over the counter aides like Unisom to help me sleep. But one night while watching a documentary a woman began to whisper in one scene and I fell asleep (fast asleep). The next morning after a good night’s rest I was shocked at how I was able to relax. I experienced the tingle sensation that is commonly associated with ASMR and was able to doze off.

I felt compelled to find out what ‘triggered’ the sleep. I did a small experiment, I Googled a question asking why people may fall asleep to whispering or soft speech and all of these links appeared on ASMR. I’d never heard of it so, I went to You Tube and found any number of artists that created skits around the ASMR ‘triggers’ but more importantly, I found artist that whispered their way through segments. I watched a little and listened a lot and began to discover different artist that put me to sleep every night for a full week. I was ecstatic. For years, I had suffered now, I think I may have found a healthy solution.

That was 3 years ago, but nothing has changed. Now, I record skits if I fly for leisure internationally and it works! I doze off every time. I don’t get the tingles as much but I am able to relax my way into sleep. To pay it forward, I now produce my own ASMR skits on You Tube. Quite naturally I can’t fall asleep to my own voice but, I hope it can help others.

Test your own sensory and see if your mind responds to ASMR. Perhaps you like to see someone getting their hair brushed, or a makeup artist making up their or someone else’s face. Maybe you can relax when someone is twisting off jar tops (softly). We are all different and therefore will have different triggers/responses. If nothing works or it seems too weird you may not respond to ASMR.

I am proud to be apart of the ASMR community and although ASMR is not widely known; but for those that think they may respond, please go to You Tube. You will find many talented artist's there that will help you relax if you suffer from insomnia as so many of us do.

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When you know better; do better!

Ladies:

As we are getting underway this Women’s History Month and while celebrating here is an idea. Begin to think about the “things” you purchase. True story, I enjoy watching Bravo TV and I recall a segment of RHONY’s #Jules Wainstein sporting a pretty chic piece of jewelry. I love jewelry, the more unique the piece, the better. #Jules Wainstein had been sporting a bracelet that was attached by a ring. The piece was ‘dainty’ and pretty enough to catch my eye and I searched to find one and initially I couldn’t find it. Finally, I #googled something that included ‘chain ring’ (I can’t recall) but #Etsy popped up and there was the bracelet! I was so excited that is until I clicked the provided link and saw the words ‘Slave Bracelet’. I assure you, you are reading correctly. I was floored! First came the anger, then disappointment, now I feel compelled to write because it’s just turned to sadness. What gall?

After further curiosity I began to research. I learned the bracelet has origins tracing it back to the West African slave trade. It is also known that women of Indian descent wear the infamous bracelets as well. The bracelet in Indian culture has 2 or 3 different names such as the Harem and Hath Panja which translates to 'Give me a Hand’.

Had I not taking the time to properly research I could have blindly made a purchase that would offend some nationalities, particularly my own, and women in general. Let this be a lesson, if you cannot make a purchase that you believe in, it’s best you don’t. The decision is yours, my advice? Skip this piece of [not] jewelry for something really worth your purchase. ❤️

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Saluting beautiful women that have made contributions to fashion and music!

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Ladies! Are you celebrating Women's History Month?

March marks the month to celebrate women and that's exactly what I have been doing! So many remarkable women make contributions to our society beginning with our mother's. There are plenty of celebrity women to celebrate but just the same, there are women in your local communities that deserve praise and accolades. Before you post your next #selfie, do better and pay it forward by saluting another beautiful woman.

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Remember, it's Women's History Month!

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My Sunday

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Ladies that Travel Alone.....

I am a huge believer that one need not have a huge party to travel. It may sound lonely but for all of my international travel with the exception of one trip, I was alone. I remember my first trip. I wanted to visit Rome. I wanted to see the Vatican and the Colosseum. I was never a History buff, but for some reason, I wanted to experience Italy.

The main thing to remember whenever you are traveling alone is to plan, plan, plan! Before you embark on your journey take notes about mass transit, take notes on the countries language and most of all know your way to your hotel/hostel.

Hostel living for short-term stays can prove the most economic and fun. I have met some great people visiting hostels. HostelWorld.com is a brilliant website that has an arsenal of hostels in countries all over the world. Make a budget. To avoid over-spending while on your trip, make a budget. Decide which sites are worth seeing and check online for entry prices. Remember to convert monies. Knowing currency rates is essential.

Pack light. There is nothing more cumbersome than being bogged down with bags or luggage. If you are traveling alone pack like a camper. Literally roll your clothes into neatness and pack light. Only bring 3 oz essentials. Leave room in your bag for souvenirs.

Don’t be afraid to ask for directions! You are not in Kansas “Toto” trust me, you may need to ask for help. In the case of being in Italy their main greeting is “Buongiorno” (can be used in AM or PM). Never be afraid to ask a local for directions. Most will know you are American and will help. And what someone won’t do….someone else may.

Be sure to cruise places to eat before leaving the US. This has saved me loads of time. I love authentic food from any country so, I plan according to the “dishes” I want to sample. If you are on a budget, just Google inexpensive places to eat either in the city or by the hotel or hostel where you will be staying.

Remain alert!

No matter where or who you are you must be vigilant about your own safety. Always pay attention to those around you. Should you see a crowd sometimes it’s best to go in the opposite direction. I never blindly enter into a crowd, it’s just not safe. Be sure to have a purse that can be worn as a cross bag and tuck documents in a safe place. Be sure to leave a copy of your passport and drivers license in a safety deposit box at the hotel. Most provide one for free.

If you have questions about how to travel safe please email me on Skydoll7@hotmail.com or itgirl007@yahoo.com

See the world, safely.

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Hong Kong 🇭🇰 2014

A delightful city for tourism. Hong Kong boasts a city-life that is quite reminiscent of New York City. Of course, there is and can only be 1 ‘Big Apple’ but Hong Kong has a lot to offer. I visited Hong Kong in 2014, November to be precise and the weather was glorious. Hong Kong’s airport is like your standard airport and most signs are in Chinese and underneath….English. You cannot really get lost in the airport. My opinion is exchange your currency in the airport and receive a better rate. I traveled United Airlines into Hong Kong and like most international flights my flight arrived in the morning. Outside of the airport there are busses that will take you straight to downtown Hong Kong. The ride was an hour or so and the bus makes small stops along the route but it’s not a local bus ride. The stops are made in Chinese but then translated into English. Remember your stop! I recall while visiting Frankfurt, Germany I missed my stop on the train and a friend and I were forced to reroute. Once downtown Hong Kong you will know. The city of Hong Kong has fashion houses and luxury stores and lights just like NYC. The city bustles! Even at night, it gets quite busy. Landau Island: The highlight of my trip was visiting Big Buddha. Big Buddha requires a tram on the Victoria Peak Tram and then a cable ride across to get to the mountain where the sacred grounds where Big Buddha is housed. It was once dubbed the largest seated bronze Buddha in the world. I believe there is another. The grounds were beautiful and a sure homage for Buddhists from all over the world. Here, there is incense burning and beautiful small temples. In order to access Big Buddha one must climb hundreds of steps. I didn’t make the trek…but just seeing the statue was amazing from below. This is a tourist site that gets crowded very quickly. The tram ride queue was 2 hours! But, it was worth it. Food: Hong Kong is not the cleanest city. I didn’t trust smaller restaurants for fear of getting sick. There were local Seven Eleven’s that sold tuna sandwiches and chips. I ate this way for 2 days until I stumbled upon a great Vietnamese restaurant Pho Hoi. The restaurant’s prices were on par and the food came hot and delicious. The good thing about Hong Kong is their mass transportation system. The train (underground) was the best. Here again, know your stop! What Hong Kong lacked was customer service (sadly). It was hard to find a friendly face or help. They 'snatch’ your money and give not as much as a glance let alone, a thank-you. This left me feeling a little disheartened. What they lack in customer service if you are an autonomous type like I am, as long as you know how to get around, you’re good. But I stress being independent. Thanks to Hong Kong for the small welcome but for BIG tourist attractions. Please plan & visit Hong Kong 🇭🇰 4 out of 5 airplanes: ✈️✈️✈️✈️

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Celebrate Life--Celebrate London ❤️

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Beautiful jacket

Another gorgeous shot of my Rachel Zoe collection featuring one of my favorite jackets ever..thank u Amazon Fashion! XoRZ

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Leaving Manchester, England '17

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Yes, this pretty much sums ME up. xx

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Skydoll: England 2017

Before ever visiting England I always imagined lots of greenery like Ireland. Big hills. Country-side. Natural beauty. I am here to let you know my imagination was spot on! England was absolutely breath-taking. I arrived in Manchester quite early in the morning. I arrived to sun which was a blessing. Having traveled in February, I feel blessed because most of Europe is quite cold during February and in England I could have been greeted by snow or rain for that matter. United Airlines was my carrier of choice and they arrive in terminal 2 at Manchester's Airport. The airport itself is rather small but gets busy (I will get back to this). With a morning arrival there were very few coffee shops open in the airport. What is convenient about the airport is that you can catch the train out of terminal 1 (downstairs) and get to all points of Manchester. In my case, I was traveling to the center of Manchester and the train ride was only 20 mins. No transfers. You must purchase a ticket before boarding the train. There is a manned ticket booth before heading to tracks and someone will greet you and check your ticket for validation. Manchester boasts of some free sites and landmarks (mostly libraries) and there are stores like Primark which is equivalent to the US' H&M. Cute, affordable, not lavish. My idea was to save on taxes and not fly into London's Heathrow Airport. And it worked. It was cheaper to fly into Manchester. London: London is approximately 4-5 hours from Manchester, England. I found the most cost efficient way to get into London was by coach. The Mega-Bus is a coach bus line like a coach one night take from Connecticut to Atlantic City, NJ. The ride costs 33 BP (British Pounds) and that was round/trip. The ride during the day was exquisite as you had the chance to see farms and countryside. Great if you enjoy photography of nature. The city of London was quite nice but can be quite confusing if not familiar with round-abouts and jug-handle-like streets. It is your quint essential metropolis with a lot of people. I arrived in the Victoria Station and decided I wanted Harrods to be my first stop as I needed to purchase the infamous Harrods tote. Harrods is HUGE, I don't even know how many blocks the store spans, just gigantic. You are greeted with that great British stuff-upper-lipped smile. The sales people were very polite and very helpful. The store smelled wonderful. The Harrods totes and mugs span 2 floors. So much to choose from! Beautiful. Buckingham Palace: Here is another must see in London. Buckingham Palace has its own Road and before even entering the gates you are greeted by Buckingham Palace gift shops. Of course, dedicated to the Queen. Her face and the British flag is plastered on everything from tea mugs to tee-shirts. Yes, there were guards outside of the Palace and if you turned abound and looked in the distance you could spot the Eye of London. Fish and Chips: Leaving Buckingham I decided I worked up quite the appetite since I opted to walk to Harrods and the Palace. I wanted fish and chips (French fries). I went into one establishment but they were closing so I walked up a little further and found a nice restaurant bar and boy was I happy. The fish and chips at the bar was delicious. It also was served with a side of peas. Just delicious! London overall has sections that are quite 'posh' and there are some parts that are not as upscale. It was still a great day. I spent a total of 5 hours in London. I wanted to visit Camden to see where the late (Gre8t) Amy Winehouse lived but I simply didn't have enough time. Camden would have required the 'tube' (London's subway) and it would have been close to a 1/2 hour ride. London is so big, you will have to visit twice. And I will! Thank you "England" for hosting me and to all of the great Brit's that helped me during my stay. I give London: ✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️ (5 out of 5 airplanes)