all the small things 📏
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#WednesdayWisdom
"Some journeys don’t have finish lines, only milestones." — @aleyarion
Morning Musings
There's no doubt life is full of big moments. Birthdays. Graduations. Promotions. Weddings. Babies. All of which have likely been canceled, postponed or held virtually these days. Basically, we're all BBC dad right now.

But I like to think like is made of the little moments. And I'm finding it's those moments I'm missing the most during these quarantine times.Little moments like:
Walking the lakefront
Trying new restaurants with husbae
Family vacations
(Bottomless) brunch with my besties
Actually going to church on Sunday (although Soul City's livestream services are undefeated)
Smelling J.B. Alberto's walking off the train stop
Waiting for the train
Taking the express bus and watching the lake to decompress
Reading during my commute (anyone else's regular reading time being cut because of corona?)
Laughing (very) out loud with the #BlackGirlMagic crew at work
Hugging my friends (especially Pam and Martrice -- they give the BEST hugs)
Double dates with the Davises
Twerking in public
Actual movie theater popcorn
Leisurely strolls through Target
Checking out and returning books at the library
Conversations with my favorite baristas
Getting my nails done at Ezza
What are the little things that you miss? Hit "reply" and let me know. And what are you looking forward to post-quarantine? I don't know about you, but I need a full-on spa day complete with mani, pedi and a 90-minute massage. Please and thank you.
Love,
L'Oreal
Virtual Happenings
April 18: Publishing In Your Pajamas. Join me literary agent Dawn Michelle Hardy for a virtual writers conference about positioning your book for success.
Links I Love
1. The Coronavirus is Killing Black Americans in Alarming Numbers. People keep knocking Teen Vogue, but they've got some of the most comprehensive COVID content out there. (Teen Vogue)
2. By Us, For Us: Why WOC-Owned Bookstores Must Survive. I love books. I love books by WOC. And I also love bookstores owned by WOC, specifically Black women. So when this is all said and done, one of my post-quarantine goals is to visit Semicolon Bookstore & Gallery here in Chicago. (Catapult)
3. Meet One of the People Behind the Shedd's Viral Penguin Posts. Carly Hill deserves a raise. (WBEZ)
My Latest Obsession

In college, my roommate Irene routinely gave herself manicures that were #SalonFresh. I'd watch in pure amazement as she filed, buffed and polished her nails to perfection. I, however, never unlocked that level of beauty school and have thus relied on nail salons for most of my adult life (but only for special occasions until recently).
Now, like many of you I'm finding myself in charge of my own manis. Unfortunately (or fortunately), my nails were bare before quarantine because my calendar was out of control so I didn't have to worry about removing gels or powders, etc.
But I knew that when it time to give my nails some TLC, I knew I'd rather support a small biz than purchase supplies off Amazon. Enter Ezza. I've been a longtime fan of the Chicago-based salon, which prides itself on empowering women on both sides of the table, so I was happy when they announced their Toughen Up At-Home Kit with everything you need to tend to your nails on your own. It's become a new part of my #SelfCareSunday routine.
Now Hiring
Various Openings for Black Girls Code
Communications Manager for Asian Americans Advancing Justice
Chief of Staff for The Trevor Project
Senior Social Media Editor for EW.com
Audience Engagement Editor for Frontline
Account Manager for TikTok
Communications Coordinator for POLITICO
Special Education Teacher for Noble Network of Charter Schools
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