JUST MY THINKING

IMAGES by D'ANNA D'SIGNS

2009-10-15T14:04:00.005-04:00

THE ALL IMPORTANT EVENT: THE WEDDING KISS!

2009-09-10T11:28:00.002-04:00

THE WEDDING KISS

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

2009-09-09T09:56:00.003-04:00

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2009

HEINZ FIELD, STEELER NATION!

MY BLACK AND WHITE GALLERY

2009-08-29T12:38:00.002-04:00

BLACK & WHITE GALLERY

MICHAEL JOSEPH JACKSON

2009-08-29T12:35:00.002-04:00

Today, August 29 is Michael Jackson. His music has meant a lot to me and I always felt that we grew up together. So this is my tribute to him. Enjoy!

MICHAEL JOSEPH JACKSON

WATCHING MY DAD GROW UP!

2009-08-24T09:29:00.002-04:00

WATCHING MY DAD GROW ...

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

2009-08-23T17:44:00.007-04:00

SUNDAY, AUGUST 23, 2009

IMAGES BY D'ANNA D'SIGNS

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

2009-08-16T04:50:00.003-04:00

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2009

THE USX (UNITED STEEL BUILDING), PITTSBURGH, PA

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF LOVE!

2009-08-10T09:51:00.004-04:00

Rosetta and William Harris renewed their vows May 10, 2008 on their 50th wedding anniversary. A love that survives all of life's adversity over many years should be celebrated. I watched this seventy year old couple hold hands and whisper into each other's ear. They looked at each other as if they were the same love sick teenagers who fell in love and got married in 1958. It was truly and honor to photograph them. Oh Please Please don't forget to sign my guestbook.

ROSETTA & WILLIAM HARRIS
WEDDING SLIDESHOW

Much love and many blessings

Lady Deanna

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

2009-08-10T09:46:00.002-04:00

Sorry Folks, I didn't upload a photo of the week yesterday. But here it is:

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2009

2009-08-08T08:30:00.002-04:00

I have been working hard at getting my web site up. Check out my Black and White Gallery, don't forget to sign my guestbook.

Much love,

Lady Deanna

IMAGES BY D'ANNA D'SIGNS

2009-08-07T15:00:00.005-04:00

Weddings are the second most beautiful things to witness. You need a photographer who will capture those memorable moments. If you like what you see Email Images by D'Anna D'Signs or sign my guestbook.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

2009-08-02T03:10:00.003-04:00

SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2009
IMAGES OF D'ANNA D'SIGNS

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

2009-07-26T16:51:00.006-04:00

SUNDAY, JULY 26, 2009

MY WEB SITE!

2009-07-24T03:00:00.005-04:00

Hello everyone, please check out my website. It's my photography site with all of the weddings, events and portraits I have done. It's a beautiful site, if you need a photographer and live in the Pittsburgh area email me.

http://www.imagesofdannadsign.com/

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

2009-07-19T12:25:00.004-04:00

SUNDAY, JULY 19, 2009

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

2009-07-17T13:44:00.003-04:00

SUNDAY, JULY 12, 2009

Wedding Photographer

2009-07-17T12:52:00.002-04:00

Need an affordable wedding photographer check out http://www.imagesofdannadsign.com/.

SISTAHS...WE NEED TO TALK!

2009-07-15T22:42:00.017-04:00

I read this blog on myspace friend Nikki Woods, she has a radio talk show out of Chicago. I read a lot of her blogs and sometimes they are deep. When you get the chance to check her out. She is on my top friend list on my space account www.myspace.com/theladydeanna

The blog below is what I have been feeling for so long. After seeing the Tyler Perry movie lead me to believe, that our community is suffering because we as black (not leaving the white women out) refuse to get along with each other. We don't fellowship enough. The lady hit on every topic and writes it so eloquently, something I could not do without expressing my anger. Read it and send me your comments.

Much Peace & Many Blessings
Lady Deanna

I don't often post emails that I receive but I thought the following had some merit and/or made me laugh. The first is as follows:

It's become the silent emotional killer among women. Women who are downright mean, malicious and disrespectful with each other. This trend is creating havoc in our relationships with each other, for it strikes the core of sisterhood. Real sisterhood can only exist when respect and trust stand unshakable. In this particular, most men are quite opposite to us. For a man, a brother is a brother is a brother. However, what is most disturbing about our malicious ways is that we are passing on legacy of a broken sisterhood to our daughters. Girls that are mean and catty are usually this way because their understanding is that this is a normal part of femaleness. They grow up to become mean and catty women who perpetuate a diseased sisterhood. To break this cycle we each need to make a conscious effort to validate all women. Be they our friends or not. Otherwise, we will continue to find ourselves moving within circles of female hostility, suspicion, and pain. Here is my list of the most detestable practices that we need to discontinue in order to heal our sisterhood:

1. Talking about each other - You are really not her friend if what you have to say about her is so bad you can't say it in front of her. If you are a real friend you should be able to tell her your concerns for her life to her face. If you have the need to tell others, but you haven't found the time to tell her - red lights should be flashing. Believe it or not, gossiping is not an intrinsic part of being female. Women who gossip do it not because it's a woman-thing, but because they want to elevate themselves and put other women in a place of inferiority. Gossiping is just another symptom of deeper insecurities.

2. Fighting for men - One of the most undignified things that any woman can do is to fight, argue, or curse another woman over a man. It's a disgusting trend that used to be a school girl thing, but today adult women are doing it too. If both of you are in conflict - because his choice is not clear - then that means that he's really not into any of you. He's probably playing both of you. That man really does not deserve love or attention from either one of you. Let him go.

3. Joining female gangs - Women who make you feel unwelcome and unwanted within their circle of friends are not to be trusted. Women cliques have become common in the workplace, at church, in the neighborhood. Cliques are the dwelling place of insecure women. Women who join cliques are seeking refuge from their own lack of confidence by cocooning themselves within this circle of supposed exclusivity. Again, the need to belong to, or be part of a clique is also a sign of deeper insecurities. Beware, cliques are usually encouraged and thrive on a type of gang mentality.

4. Undermining each other - Beware of any woman who can never celebrate your accomplishments with you. It could be a new boyfriend, a promotion, an award, a new job, a new acquisition, weight loss. If she has nothing positive to say to you about it, does not show emotional support, or chooses to remain silent she is not a true friend. Real friends know how to recognize and genuinely rejoice for our successes with pride.

5. Competing against each other - You need to get this straight. There will always be another woman with nicer hair, a more caring husband or boyfriend, better behaved children, a better paying job, a bigger house, a more fashionable wardrobe - there will always be some woman with more of what you don't have. Consequently, the only person that you need to compete against is yourself. Strive to be the best that you can be - for you. Competing against other women to prove yourself superior is a financial and emotional drainer. Because of this mindless competition we become mean, envious and hypocritical. It is pointless.

6. Disrespecting boundaries - To survive peacefully every relationship and every friendship must have clear boundaries. Good relationships operate within margins of respect. Within this level of respect, privacy and intimacy are keywords. Yes, you are my friend, but that doesn't give me the right to walk into your bedroom or your kitchen, unbeknownst to you, and help myself to your stuff. I don't do this not because you won't allow me to, but because I respect your privacy and your things. Consequently, we both need to know and respect each other's levels of privacy and intimacy.

7. Crossing boundaries - This is similar to the above, the only difference is that my respect of your boundaries should never depend on my friendship with you. We need to respect women for the simple fact that they are women. If she is a woman she is a sister. Period. Therefore, from that understanding I will have the utmost respect for her children, her man, her opinions, her choices, and for her as a person. It amazes me how women are quick to disrespect another sister's boundaries, but feel offended if another woman does to them the same exact thing. Honestly, that type of inconsistent behavior can only be credited to some form of mental illness.

8. Exploiting our friendships - This is a major one. Why are you friends? Do you only remember her being around whenever she could get something from you? It doesn't even have to be material. It could just be your time or your positive energy. Does she happen to be always on the receiving side, with you dishing out ton loads of yourself or your stuff? Or is she your friend because of what you represent? It could be that your husband's position or yours, your possessions, your talent,whatever, represents some form of achievement. Is she a friend because that link to you places her on a higher platform? In a real friendship appreciation, support, and loyalty must be reciprocal.

Me, on the right, with my Best friend Shenda for nearly 40 years. We have been friends since childhood, we have been through thick and thin, good and bad, the ups and downs and the sorrows and the joys. We never felt we had to sugar coat our feelings or opinions when discussing any subject. We respect each others honesty, knowing that we have each others best interest at heart. Because we are so close, I believe we were identical twins in a past life. I read in a the Reader's Digest that if you have one good friend, then you're totally blessed. I would not trade this friendship for anything.

Much Love, Peace and Many Blessings

Lady Deanna

EVERY WOMAN by MAYA ANGELOU

2009-07-15T21:39:00.003-04:00

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ... enough money within her control to move out and rent a place of her own even if she never wants to or needs to...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...something perfect to wear if the employer or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...a youth she's content to leave behind....
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age....
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...one friend who always makes her laugh... and one who lets her cry...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems and a recipe for a meal that will make her guests feel honored...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....a feeling of control over her destiny...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...how to fall in love without losing herself..
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...How to quit a job,Break up with a lover,And confront a friend without ruining the friendship...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...when to try harder... and when to walk away...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...that she can't change the length of her calves, the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...that her childhood may not have been perfect...but its over...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...whom she can trust,whom she can't,and why she shouldn't take it personally...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...where to go...be it to her best friend's kitchen table...or a charming inn in the woods...when her soul needs soothing...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...what she can and can't accomplish in a day...a month...and a year...

MY BLONDE AMBITION PART II

2009-07-14T06:15:00.007-04:00

Well here is part II of my blonde ambition. As you all may already know is I stripped the color out of my hair and got platinum blonde kinky twist. I did not like my hair turning gray. Anyway, I recently attended my nephew's high school graduation. Graduations and Education is a really big thing with our family, we show up in the bus loads to support each other. Well this is the first time my DC/MD/VA family has seen me with the platinum blonde braids. When everyone got there I didn't get to say my hellos and give hugs and kisses until after the ceremony. My sister had me running all over the place to get the right shots of her son. This is her fourth child that has graduated, she is down to one child left.

When I finally got a minute to chat with some of the family members they of course complimented my hair and how the color looks good on me. Well my Uncle Rah and Aunt Deb (my mom's baby brother and his wife) were debating on the blonde being my natural color. When they approach me and asked I said no Yanna (my daughter) stripped the color out. LOL, my uncle said he thought it was my natural hair color because my great grandparents hair was white, they didn't grow gray or silver like everyone else has grown. I laughed and told him that I wanted the platinum because of them. I told him that whenever I looked at their photos, I felt that the white hair looked regal, like royalty, crowning glory. Anyway I love it and so does everyone else.

Much Peace, Love and Many Blessings

Lady Deanna

MY BLONDE AMBITION

2009-07-14T05:15:00.019-04:00

I have made a drastic change in my appearance. Yes, I went blonde, platinum blonde to be exact. My decision to go blonde was decided a few years ago. I started graying after I turned forty like most people do and of course with just a few strands it really wasn't that big of a deal. As time progressed, and more gray grew in I notice that I didn't like the color gray as my permanent hair color. It doesn't compliment my red toned skinned and alluring eyes...LOL!

Now my Mom, starting graying in her teens, premature gray runs on her father side of the family. By the time she was thirty she was completely gray. She started dying it various colors to cover the gray and to no avail she became every color of the rainbow. By the time she was thirty-five she gave in and let a stylist work with her hair. My Mom has beautiful thick soft hair, so the stylist began stripping her hair of all of that dye and her real hair color came through, a beautiful shiny silver. Her hair is like a regal crown on her head, it is so shiny that it sparkles in certain light, I love the color on her and she gets lots of compliments on it. Some people even thinks she dyed her hair that color because she looks so young.

But unfortunately for me, my hair is not silvery shiny, it is a dull, very dull gray, like thunderstorm gray. Now that I am 48, I have a head full of dull gray, and I don't like it, I keep expecting to hear thunder claps when I look in the mirror. I am far from a dull person, nor am I old looking, so I decided to go platinum. My great grandfathers had pure white hair and I always thought how handsome, wise and distinguished they appeared with their white hair. Eventually, I am going to go white, but for now I will settle for the platinum.

Since my hair transformation, I have gotten remarkable responses on my hair color. Now, don't get me wrong, I have no problem turning a head or two on my worse day, but for whatever reason, my hair color has drawn a lot of attention. The funny thing is I get more attention from black men that I never gotten in the past. I am enjoying the attention, for sure, but why now? Most of the men that have made passes were usually white men, some Hispanics and Asians, but mostly young white guys. Not that I have a problem dating outside of my race, I just have a weakness for tall very dark men. I can count on my fingers how many black men that have approached me, I assumed that I was not their type. Although they may stare, check me out, make comments they never make a pass or attempt a conversation. (Oh, I know it is the new millennium and that we can approach men now, but that is another blog for another day.)

The response to my blonde two strand braids have been overwhelming, the attention I get now from black men, not only do they check me out, but they actually speak to me, ask me my name and number...LOL What is that about? Is it the blonde, If so, then it should have been my ambition years ago...LMAO! My blonde ambition is to get a black man! LMAO some more!

But fellas, holla at a sista, let me know whats up? Do blondes really have fun?

Much Love and Many Blessings

Lady D

A NEW SPIN ON A NEGATIVE WORD

2009-07-11T01:11:00.010-04:00

I was reading this article "10 WAYS TO HONOR THYSELF" about how to love and honor yourself better. I thought I should share this bit of information with you. We (most women) have been raised not to be "sel-fish" that everyone and everything is suppose to come before our needs. We have GOD, our spouse/mate, our children, our parents, our jobs, our families, our friends, our communities, then and maybe then we are allowed think of ourselves. Have you ever did something for yourself and just because you haven't done anything in months, you felt you didn't deserved it? And then have someone say "what did you do for your man or what did you do for your kids"? Have you found yourself explaining to family and friends why you bought those shoes or that shirt? Has someone called sel-fish, because you have done something for yourself and not others? Are you tired of feeling guilty for loving you?

I am a divorce mother of 2 adult children, that I am very proud of. I raised them alone and without any child support or any support from their father or his family for that matter. If I bought a book, a dress or a pair of shoes, someone would always ask what did you get your kids? I will feel guilty, return the items and buy something for my kids. But the fact was, I did everything for my kids, rent/mortgage was never late, always had the utilities on, they always had latest clothing or shoes, and summer vacations. They had video games, phones, stereos, TVs with VCRs. They never went hungry and they got more than just oodles and noodles or beans & franks for dinner although I am not much of a cook. My daughter got her hair done and my son got his hair cut on a regular bases. When they graduated I went all out for proms and grad parties, assisted as best I could with their college education.

I say all of this to point out that I did not do a lot for myself back then, except for a occasional bubble bath, shoes every six months, etc. My family saw the sacrifice I made for them and was as supportive as best as they could. I went for two years of not buying anything except paying off all my debts and save money to buy our home. I wanted them to grow up in a house with a yard, just like I did as a child. We have been in our home for 12 years, although, my son now lives another state, he knows where home is.

Well, while reading this article, the author put a new spin on the word SELFISH. Instead of saying "sel-fish" say "SELF-ISH"!

S Nurture your SPIRIT.
E ENJOY moments alone.
L LOVE yourself.
F Keep FIT and FEEL good.
I Make your needs IMPORTANT.
S SHOWER yourself with gifts.
H Be HAPPY and open-HEARTED.

This will be part of my affirmations from this point forward. I needed to read that is article, I am finally taking my life back, my babygirl gave me a hug and high five when I told how I finally stood up for me. I will no longer feel guilty for doing me first. I am the only person that can do me right. If my job is making me feel unhappy, then it is time to move on. If the relationship I am in is not meeting my needs, it is time to move on. If my family is causing all kinds of drama, it is time to move on. If my friends expect more than I can give, it is time to move on. If GOD loves me for who I am, then I will love me more.

Much Love and Many Blessing
Lady Deanna