Around this time in 2020, I, Cherise, wrote of feeling weary. Having dealt with six months of a global pandemic that entailed isolation, collective loss, and traumatic images playing across multiple media outlets… I was tired… weary. Well, 2022 has been another heavy year. This time the yuck hit closer to home. Since late February,…
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13 Ways Dallas Humidity Changed My Skincare & Beauty Routines
I left Las Vegas and moved to the Dallas area in mid-January, days before the city decided to freeze and revolt. Roads were unusable. Businesses closed. The snow went from pretty to pretty inconvenient overnight. In all the ways a person could not be ready, I was not ready for Texas weather. Not only was…
Go Green with Pelindaba Lavender Dallas’ Organic Lavender Hydrosol
Since leaving Instagram in late April, I have relied on my mom to keep me up on all the fun things in my city. When she told me about a store at Galleria Dallas selling all things lavender, I knew I had to check it out. Pelindaba Lavender is an all-things lavender franchise store and…
Blooming Beautifully at The Plant Project Dallas
Dwelling on both sides of a duplex in the heart of Dallas’ Uptown district is a beautiful space called The Plant Project. Touted as the first black-owned plant store in Dallas, The Plant Project was conceptualized and set on its way within seven days by Houston native, owner, and founder Bree Iman Clarke. While one…
Keeping the Pests Away with Pure Aroma Essential Oils
Now that I’ve clocked over 4,000 hours in Texas, I’ve had my fair share of run-ins with creepy crawlies and flying pests. I’m unsure if everything is bigger in Texas, but I’m convinced the bugs are. Since moving here from Las Vegas in January, I’ve had the immense pleasure of meeting flying roaches, mosquitos, spiders, earwigs, biscuit…
If I Stay
There’s so much beauty here. Right here. I’ve experienced the beauty of newness. I’ve experienced the beauty of letting go. I’ve experienced the beauty of detachment. I’ve experienced the beauty of surrender. My bones know what it feels like to go. I know what it means to run. I want to experience the beauty of watching a new thing wither. …
Purposefully Pausing at Historic Downtown McKinney
I hope you’re well. I had an interesting discussion with my mom today. We discussed purpose and passion and the pursuit of happiness — all topics that I think evoke way more stress than they should. The chat came a day after I found myself spiraling. I was so close to running again. Weather, bugs,…
Self-Sabotage: It’s an Inside Job
It wasn’t until recently that when I, Cherise, really began to look at the notion of self-sabotage, that I realized I may not know as much as I thought I did. In a Facebook group discussion, we were attempting to determine why we felt stuck and not achieving our dreams. The question was asked if…
Reframing Eve’s Transgression
I’m learning that lies sometimes hide in the way we tell the truth. Fun fact: I started therapy last week. I’m not sure what I was expecting, or if I was expecting much of anything, but I was there and a therapist was there and I already feel like I don’t need to continue. But…
Embracing Imperfection at Frisco Square
On Saturday, Aevrie and I visited Frisco Square, a multi-generational, master-planned development home to 147 acres of office, retail, multi-family, and municipal space. Exploring Frisco Square Roughly 30 minutes from Dallas, Frisco Square is an extremely walkable area that gave me all the feels at the pace I love. Slow. We walked past Cinemark Next…
At 61, I’m Yet Alive!
Mental Health and Aging Hi there. Cherise here. Just eight months shy of reaching her 100th birthday, my grandmother made her transition from this life to her eternal rest. Months later, I still find myself saying, “She really did die.” Not that I thought she would live forever, but I did think she would live…
Pacha Soap Co French Lavender Bar Soap
Happy Earth Day, lovelies. I’m excited to share a recent Whole Foods purchase from a brand doing so many wonderful things for the environment and for humankind. Pacha Soap Co. describes itself as a purpose-driven company of artisans who handcraft natural soaps to delight the senses and enhance well-being. Pacha prides itself on creating long-term,…
Candace Aliké Smith 