Happy Love Day...

Just wanted to say Happy Love Day to you all! Love is absolutely THE greatest and most amazing gift that we can give and receive! May this day be a reminder to love one another through your words and your actions! I think that Valentine's Day has got to be my favorite Holiday to celebrate because although you should show love at all times, it's great that we actually have a Holiday to serve as a gentle reminder. Love isn't just limited to romantic love, but sisterly/brotherly, friendships, family etc. Let's do ou part to spread love!

Tonight, I will be having dinner with my sister-friends and it should prove to be a great night!!

"What the world needs now is love, sweet love, it's the only thing that there's just too little of,

What the world needs now is love, sweet love, No, not just for some but for everyone."-Burt Bacharach

{photo courtesy of "We Heart It }

Happy Birthday...

to my favorite gal..My mom!

Her day started off with breakfast from the grand-fur child and I, and was topped off with an amazing dinner from Founding Farmers! The meal was delicious but I was well into it before I realized that I should have snapped a photo! BUT I did manage to capture the most AWESOME carrot cake these taste to say the least. My mom had the Low Country Shrimp & Grits and I had the Meatloaf (which I rarely if ever eat), with Mashed Potatoes and greens!! buds have ever had the pleasure of enjoying! The cake was very moist and the cream cheese frosting..like I literally could have eaten a vat of it...needless to say it was mmmm mmmm good!

The birthday girl was pleased and I can honestly say that I thank the Lord that He allowed her to celebrate another year of life ad I'm praying that His grace and mercy will allow her to see many many more!

Happy Birthday Mom!!!!

Guess Who's Back?

Moi! Well Penelope Toop {Darling to be exact and/or precise}!!!!!

TA-DA! The blog re-vamping has been completed and I'm beyond EXCITED. I love the new look and feel of PTD and it's been looooooooooooong, way long overdue. I was looking at a number of my past posts and it made me really think about how much I enjoyed blogging, but then also looking at how one day of not doing so turned into two, which turned into days, weeks and even months!

I look forward to great things springing forth from PTD in the upcoming year (let's start off slowly ok?)! New friends/people to connect with and support, creative and inspirational findings, solidifying my blog voice and just having a great time!

Man right about now I wish I were a rapper so I could spit out a dope beat/rhyme!

A special, special heartfelt thanks to Marie! She was awesome and the blog design process with her at the helm was AMAZING!

New Year, New Blog Design..

Happy New Year (well, Happy 8th day of the New Year)! It's been waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too long but in an effort to be more consistent and execute more ideas and plans that have been put off for far too long, a new blog design is in order!

I've contacted an amazing graphic designer, Merely Marie Blog Designs to help give Penelope Toop {Darling}, a small but much needed facelift. I can't wait to start re-blogging again. I started out with such a zest and zeal for it and overtime my time spent went from daily to weekly to monthly. Oh for shame!

Life does have a way of getting hectic or your time being consumed with other things. BUT if you truly love something and want it to grow, be successful etc. you have to put the time into it and learn how to incorporate/balance it with your life. Something as simple as this train of thought can sometimes get so complicated but the reality is that its necessary, we need to prioritize and learn how to successfully balance.

So here's to a New Year and a New Beginning (cliché I know, but it's true). May we set out to accomplish all that we've aspired to, commit to things that need our attention, flush out ideas and move to make them happen, be determined and undeterred, and live life to fulfill your desires.

Oh Happy Day Paris!

Though I haven't blogged since the top of the year with hopes of "sprucing up the place" and adding more exciting content, this little beaut of a giveaway lit the fire under my fannie.

Jordan Ferney of one of the most delightful (and one of my all time favorite blogs),Oh Happy Day is sponsoring a wonderful and unbelievably magnificent giveaway...A TRIP TO PARIS! Like can I fall out or burst into happy confetti quicker than NOW! Those near and dear to me KNOW my incessant love for Paris, the language, the culture and the beauty that lies therein. This would be so wonderfully amazing if I won and got to take my favorite gal pal (Mom) with me!

Her rules/ways to enter are here! I'm just so excited that in celebration of her 5th year blogging, she's decided to "gift" her readers with this amazing opportunity. One of my positive affirmations is, "positive thoughts bring forth positive outcomes"! I'm filling my brain with wonderful thoughts of going to a Parisian flea market, seeing great landmarks and hidden treasurers and crossing this off of my list of things to do/places to go! I'm soooo excited!

It also helps that I just saw Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris and read Daring Chloe where the characters took a trip to Paris. I mean I'm ready to go, really I am!

{photo via Oh Happy Day}

Healthy Hair, I'll Take It..

In an effort to improve in a number of areas in my life this year (you know the normals: finances (savings, spending, investing etc.), self improvement, upstarting my business, health (body,mind, spirit and even hair, yep hair) and any other goals that pop in my mind), my friend and I decided to participate in one of my favorite bloggers Moptop Maven's, 2011 Hair Challenge!! (and the crowd goes wild). As a natural gal, its both liberating yet challenging to maintain healthy hair practices but with anything that you do in life, you have to be consistent and motivated to improve.

The challenge isn't just about achieving long hair, but tailoring your goal(s) to suit your need(s). Length retention isn't really my top priority (but I welcome it, ha ha) but rather just having healthy strong hair. I believe that I'm on the right track but I'm just challenging myself to see what I can do better to obtain greater results. And boy OH boy are there multiple regimens out there in hair land. I'm leaning towards incorporating the Ayurvedic regimen into my challenge (I've tried one item thus far like using the Vatika Oil, I like it but not so much the smell but it gives your hair an incredible sheen)!

My friend and I are so excited and we're committed to the MTM Hair Challenge!!!

I'l keep you posted on how things go!!

{photo via hi-imcurrentlyobsessed}

Desk Inspiration...

I've been inspired to purchase a new desk and gussy it up a bit! This is the desk that I've been eyeing for while and I think that I should finally go ahead take the plunge and get it!

Thanks Cupcakes and Cashmere!

Oooooh Cake Prints...

I'm thinking that it would only be right if I purchased one of these prints (don't worry they are tons more) courtesy of Jordan & Paul! They are such a fantastic duo (painting by Paul and art direction by Jordan)!

You can see/purchase prints here!

{photo courtesy of Oh Happy Day}