Latosha Clark

Hey all! I know it has been a while. Let me give my update on my kitchen remodel. I am all but DONE!! YAY! I still have to finish putting handles on these last 9 doors but they are hung and all. Below are a couple of progress pics. It was def worth all the labor. I am the type of lady who has no issue learning how to do things with my hands when I want to SAVE money….lol! I also got new chandelier put up. I had the old gold cheap looking one from when I moved in 4 years ago. Yuck!

I work from home on Wednesday(well that is put on hold the next couple of weeks due to work) but I needed a new heat pump so I got that installed this past week while it was still in cool weather cause I know if I would have waited a few more weeks it would have been about $1,000 – $1,500 more! My family is coming to visit next week so I want to be sure I have air because my house is in direct sunlight meaning it gets HOT!!! I have about 6-7 more things to upgrade in my house as far as fixtures and other items. I will get new fridge by end of May hopefully and new Dishwasher right after that. Just doing some upgrades cause I give it 5 more years and I will sell probably.

I have races for the rest of the year lined up. The MCM sold out super quick but luckily I can join a team and raise money to do race so be on the lookout all I will be sending emails…LOL! If you are in the ATL area and want to workout or go for a run HIT ME UP! I love doing physical activities and about to get into crossfit!! #TeamFineBody

At church I joined the Young Adult Ushers Ministry. I said in 2013 I would be much more involved in church and work would have to wait and I am making good on that promise. God has been so good to me and my family that I have to make sure I give me him time and worship! #GraceAndMercy! I just started reading Joyce Myers new book about breaking bad habits. I have some I want to break so time to start.

I am looking as doing a Greek Fitness App so I will keep you updated!!
Well that is all for now! Have a great night everyone and keep striving for your goals!
Latosha

Well let me first say sorry…..I know it has been way to long. So 2012 was a wonderful blessed year! I was able to do a lot of things on my vision board. There were somethings I did not get accomplished. I been working so much lately that the work/life balance turned into just WORK! Well now I am back on it. Goals for 2013:
1. GOD – This year I have decided that it is time to get a closer relationship with my LORD and savior. I have not been as active in my church as I have wanted to be. I want to continue to tithe and give the Lord my praises! Speaking of GOD….my mom has told me she will be doing her FIRST SERMON in March! I am so HAPPY for her. If you knew my mom growing up you would like WOW look at GOD! Daily meditation on the word to get my day started is a must!

2. Financially Fit – I have a variety of ways to save my pennies. I am doing the money savings challenge where you put money away for 52 weeks. Each week you put in the dollar amount of the week. Example: Week 3 I will put in $3, week 10 $10 and so on and so on. At the end you will have over $1300 saved. I am excited about that one. I have fitness jars as well so each time I workout I put $1 in. This will be great when spring/summer rolls around cause if I need something I can get it from the money I saved.

3. Health – I have 15lbs I want to drop before may. Time to get serious and get it in again. With work I have not been focusing on my eating healthy and I can tell a difference. No I didn’t put on 20lbs or anything like that but my body doesn’t feel the way it use to. Plus I was in a car accident the week of Christmas and my back has been giving me issues so I can’t do what I use to. I have a race schedule I AM sticking to. I missed two important ones due to work last year and I can’t do that anymore. I am happy to say I am getting one of my BFF’s on board with healthy eating. Like I tell her just because it is healthy does not mean it has to be taste gross. Healthy taste great! Plus my mom is trying to do better also. She doesn’t cook much but she needs to cook more often to ensure the food she is putting in her body will help her long life. She has medical issues but I believe she CAN do it! I have to stay on her.

4. Relationships – Well I have been so busy with work, work, and oh yeah work that I have NO social life anymore. This year I am going to get out more and manage my time better to be able to do things and have fun. Only thing is most of the time folks wanna go eat somewhere. I only eat out at certain places and I don’t like to drink anymore. Oh yeah I am going on a all girls trip to St. Lucia and am SOOOOO excited. I miss my girls ! I miss being able to travel and see all my friends and family. I have plans this year though…WHOOP WHOOP! Lets also see how dating goes *WINK*

5. Business – I joined some Tech groups in ATL and back on my mobile app reading. I want to get back into developing apps on the side.

WHEW…ALRIGHT! Lets make 2013 a Successful and prosperous one!!!!!!!!!!!

It has been a long time since I have posted what anything. Things going on:
1. Been so busy with work. I have goals at work and putting in the time and work to ensure I achieve what I want.
2. Back training for marathon in Little Rock, AR. I am so excited to get that BLING! It is sooooo big! Most important though is me finishing in a better time than Savannah.
3. Dropping these last 15lbs soon. I am on Phase 2 of a new workout program and my body is slowly changing. I love eating healthy and the way my body looks and feels! I will never go back to being over 242lbs!!!
4. Girls trip to St. Lucia! I am super excited!
5. I won’t say who this is but she is going into MINISTRY! I am so proud of her!
6. Falling in love with fashion all over again. Clothes looking better and better on this new body!
7. I am back on developing apps again….I know I know! I got so busy with everything else that I let this fall to back burner. Time to be the successful blessed app developer I am meant to be!

Well we left for savannah saturday morning. We get there in no time…thanks @Angie…lol!
Check in to hotel make sure everything is all good. Then off to get some FOOD real quick. Well didn’t end up being quick at all…we seemed to be having issues with food service all weekend…LOL!!
We head to downtown savannah to park and get on the ferry. I can’t swim so ideas began to go through my mind as I looked at the water. Line was very long to ferry but was moving very quickly. We get on ferry chat with some folks and I was talking to lady beside me. We discuss how nice the ride is and the river. I mention I can’t swim and just want to get to the other side. She looks at me and ask “I know it is a sterotype but why is that?” I say “Why what?” Her response “Why do black people not swim?” I say “There are plenty of black people who can swim I just can’t” Her response “Yes but that is a sterotype so why is that?” Now I will not say what I was going to say but I just shrug and say “I’m not sure why it is a sterotype”.

We get to expo check in get our packets, take pics, do some shopping(I need to get a stick) and see some fellow runners bgr/nwlb/runningNerds. We ended up shutting DOWN the expo..lol! They started cutting up the carpet by the the time we left! We catch a ride with Janelle(thanks) instead of catching ferry back.
Time to grab something quickly…so we thought! I have a gift card I got from my bday(yes I know it was back in April) so we place order and run to publix to grab a few items. We run into other bgr/nwlb ladies and wish each other luck! Now back to FOOD….lol! We go to pick up order and lets just say it took them about 45mins to get our food.

Back to the hotel to prep for AM and I get tracker info together so I can have friends and family track me during this history making weekend! Up at 4:50 then gone by 5:30.

Parked in parking deck and sat in car for a lil while then we headed out. We see a line for the bathroom and we see a few fellow BGR ladies(Stephanie and Nicole). After using the potty I head to gear check and I see some more fellow BGR/NWLB ladies. We chat a second and take a few pics. Then off to my corral. At packet pickup I moved up corrals from 20 to 17. I am standing there getting my mind together and who do I see again Stephanie…lol! We chit chat with another BGR lady for a few and get ready.

We take off around 8:20am and I signed up for pace team so I was determined to keep up as much as possible.
The first 5k, then 10k then 10miles! I was feeling good!
Then I started feeling not so good and stephanie turns to me to check on me and give me the ok thumbs up but I shake my head no…lol
Lets just say my monthly visitor decided to drop by and give me some pain(S#*%). I am considering just doing the HALF at this point but then I text my homie who tracking me and he alerts me that my pace is what I normally do for a 10k. At that point I am like dang it I should have been slower in order to save energy for end.

I get to the split of the half and full folks. I promise I was so tempted to stay in the half lane then I remember how hard I had trained and the back of a girls shirt “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”. So I said loudly “Jesus” and moved over to full side.

Mile 13-16 I was like HECK naw. No more marathons for me.. Then We ran on SSU campus 16-18(I think..lol). They have a very pretty campus so I made sure to take it in.

I really did appreciate the water and med stations along the route. I stopped around mile 19 I think and iced my knee for a bit. Then back to pavement.

Around mile 22 I got some energy but that didn’t last long. Mile 23 I was going back and forth with a girl who was running her first marathon also. She would pass me and be like come on I would pick up my heavy feet and keep it moving. We both were like this is our SLOWEST 5k ever…lol!

I think around mile 24 is where the ramp was and I was like why lord why! So ran up the ramp and kept pushing forward. A minute later there goes Nicole pumping them arms right on pass me. At this point there is no more shade just SUN. We on the hwy.

We begin to get closer to finish line and I can feel it…THANK YOU JESUS! I start to tear up because I didn’t give up! I fight back tears because there are plenty of camera’s so I just smile and give thumbs up as I pass them.

I come up to finish line and I see Angie(THANKS!), Tes, Volunteers and I am so happy to cross the finish line. I get to end and I bend over and my eyes swell up with tears and again I fight them back cause my friends can tell ya I am not a cute crier…LMBO! I get my medal, take a pic and then head down the line to get some goodies…FOOD!

As we were driving home I began to think of were my next Marathon would be. Yeah I know crazy but hey whether full crazy or half crazy it’s ALL CRAZY! So either Full in Jackson, TN or Little Rock, AR in march.

Recap…I will be better prepped on on clothing because I should have worn sleeves or a thin jacket over a short sleeve shirt. That way I could have wrapped jacket around waste and kept it moving. The camelbak was great to have.
Well that is all for now until next time!

Well I did the Peachtree Road Race and it was soooo much fun. Even though it was my slowest 10k so far I had a blast. My IPOD didn’t work and I got water thrown on me by some folks and it was all good. This is a great race to be apart of if you get the chance. I will do again next year.

I did my kitchen counter tops this weekend with the help of a friend and helpful tips from another friend. What do you think? We went for the Absolute Black look of granite and it turned out FAB!! The hardware is new and I painted the trim white and ordered new door fronts. Love my DIY projects!

Well I am about 10lbs from where I need to be. After going to doc I had a good feedback and a few new goals. She gave the tools I needed to succeed. I went to H&M yesterday and bought a size 6 blazer!! Anybody who knows me know what that this is huge!! I am so proud of myself I did eat way to much this weekend and not stick to my regular food since I had company. I do NOT do this often and know that my body if very food sensitive. The scale told me so this morning….soooo maybe I have a lil more than 10lbs to go…LMBO! Its all good!

Did I mention I planted watermelon in the back of my house…OH YEAH!!!

Well I ran my second half mary a couple weekends ago. I shaved 33 mins off my first time but not where I wanted to be. The last mile we slowed up to long and then the legs started feeling the tiredness. I have another one in August. I plan on shaving atleast 50mins off my first half mary. PR on DECK!! I am in process of training for marathon!

Me and my partner are now working building apps for android. It has been a nice journey.

So I found a great idea from my favorite site PINTEREST.COM!!! If you have not been to that site then you so missing out on the greatness! Anything you are looking for and ideas you would have never thought about are there. Here is the new towel holder I made out of a old wine rack. I don’t really drink anymore and didn’t want to waste this……..

So since my bday is coming up I went to store looking for a great deal and something cute. I love looking for that unique item for a great price. So anywho…..I bought me a new Nine West purse! I have been looking for a spring/summer bag! What do you think?

Well as you can tell from title I am turning big 30 this month. I am super excited and so thankful. I am having friends come in town and we gonna celebrate! I look back at what I have done thus far in my life and give all the glory to GOD! I come from a background of being poor and can even remember putting my clothes in trash bags and moving in with family because we were homeless. I look now at how GOD has brought me through some tough times and it has made me the WOMAN I am today.

I am working on my Kitchen. I ordered a few new door fronts to try out what I want to do and see how it will look. I got some new hardware and drill bits. Countertops will be worked on next weekend also. EXCITED!!! Yeah ya girl is trying to do it all!!!

Pinterest.com if you have not signed up then you have not idea the great FABULOUSNESSSSSSS you are missing!! Yes I know that is not a word but hey I can say what I want….LOL!

Racing is in full effect this weekend. I have a 7k with a friend and super excited. Next month I am going home……..I know I know. I go home normally once a year…lol! We doing family stuff for Mothers Day. So I am super exicted to see some family I havne’t seen in years. The weekend after I am heading to Myrtle Beach for a halfmary(Half Marathon) with a college friend Lady E and my Aunt. I am super excited!

I am working on doing a newsletter for my Sorority and revamp the site…www.PhiChiZeta.com! Super excited for this new venture. We just opened our Storks Nest and continuing our great community servce. Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc!!!

Well I have been going back and forth between ANDROID and APPLE. I know this has been talked about a million times. Well after looking at what other things I have going on I have decided to stick with Android. So the next thing I will get is Google TV.

Racing………….So I have another race next weekend and excited about it. I am running once race a month for a year. These last 8 lbs are so stubborn. But I am determined to get rid of them. Last weekend my trainer gave me a weightloss makeover and a photoshot.

Well until next time………….

Well it is race season for me again. Tomorrow I will be in BHAM for Mercedes Half Marathon. I am running with relay team. I think I will be ok. We are all nervous about it though. Seeing I have never run on a team before this is all new to me but the Team Smooth as SiLLK is AWESOME! The publix one is next and my trainer keeps asking me to do the full. I will do the half not the full…lol! In May I am doing one with my aunt and college friend. It will be awesome. I will update yall on how the race goes tomorrow. Remember to Keep It Moving! NWLB!!