In good times and bad times, never comprise who you are.Collection: Good
Parenting is a sensitive, controversial subject, so I say to all the mommas and the daddies of the world God bless and good luck!Collection: Parenting
I moved from Huntsville, Alabama to New York City right out of high school. I was alone, scared, and had very little money.Collection: Alone
If you put twenty parents in a room together, they will all have different parenting styles due to how they were raised and how they choose to raise their children. To each their own!Collection: Parenting
I have so much to be thankful for, and I take nothing for granted. This includes life itself.Collection: Thankful
In life, it is important to not be afraid to put yourself out there, win or lose. It is all about the spirit of challenging yourself to be open to realizing your highest potential.Collection: Life
At 46 years old, I can no longer afford take my health for granted.
Apparently, dirt eating is really a 'real thing,' and you can actually buy it in some stores and online.
Any fool can talk, but not everyone can listen, receive, and process information.
I grew up in rural Alabama, and some of my older family members used to eat red clay dirt. As a kid, I was introduced to it.
I am strong, confident, and fearless!
I know I am not for everyone, but I also know my story has touched and inspired many.
Ladies, you know when you are really into a man, it is hard to see any red flags because you choose to ignore them. Yes, love is truly blind. Sometimes it takes an outside person to observe the situation.
There is nothing like being in love and finding the man you want to spend the rest of your life with.
In 1985 I graduated from Deshler High School in Tuscumbia, Alabama, and I was their first African American homecoming queen. You would have thought I won Miss America or Miss U.S.A. (wink), because of my excitement.
There are no words to describe the eternal bond that I share with my daughter. Everything in my life is more special because she is a part of my life. Noelle motivates me daily to push myself to my highest standard, and to be the best person that I can be.
I have to get out of the habit of jumping into relationships with new friends before I really get to know them.
There is nothing like getting paid to do a job that you love to do.
I worked every day and lived an incredible life.
The best thing about being a model was traveling. I had traveled the world by the time I was thirty. France, England, Austria, South Africa, Italy, Australia, Japan, Seychelle Islands, and all over the Caribbean.
I had Noelle when I was 32 years old, and she is my only child by birth.
I am very close to my daughter, and I have always encouraged her to talk to me about anything and everything. I believe that as long as I keep the lines of communication open with her, I will always be able to give her proper direction, protection, and guidance.
You have to protect your kids, but you also have to slowly allow them to grow up.
I can't go to parties with my child, and I cannot control whom my child associates with at school. I have to trust and believe that she is capable of making smart choices and will come to me when she needs me.
It's not always easy to take the high road when you are hurting, but in the long run at least you still have your integrity and dignity.
I don't pretend to have all the answers on raising children (and outside of taking care of my own that I was in labor with for 16 hours), I say do what works for you and your child.
Regardless of age, no one knows our children better than we do. So with having a child comes the responsibility of making every effort to support, protect, and give them the education they need to make good life choices.
I encourage my daughter to feel comfortable coming to me about anything and everything. I am her mother, and that's what I am here for.
As blessed as I am, I clearly was not born with the twerking gene. It's safe to say that I won't be winning a twerking contest anytime soon. The robot on the other hand is a different story.
I am rarely late, and if I am I always call to let everyone know.
I respect my time and others'.
I don't condone violence, period.
Being a mom is one of the most difficult, challenging, and amazing jobs that a woman can have.
One of the things that I share with most of the women in my circle is the gift of motherhood.
I love my daughter Noelle. She means the absolute world to me. I never truly understood what unconditional love meant until I gave birth to her. It's a love like no other.
Although we all have our individual power, we are so much more powerful together.
I will always be grateful to my parents for trusting and believing in me to find my own way and follow my dreams.
There should be limits morally and legally as to how far you are willing to go to try to hurt someone and their family.
Marriage is not easy, especially when it's a very public marriage. I know firsthand.
I'm always here for a theme party, and I love to dance.
The '70s are my favorite era; I'm obsessed with the fashion, hair, and music from that time.
When I rock my signature afro look, I feel like I'm channeling my inner '70s Cynthia.
I never say never!
I thought it was crazy for people to eat dirt until I actually tasted it. I really liked it!
I decided to open up The Bailey Wine Cellar because after visiting Napa and touring the wineries there, I genuinely became interested in and more curious about the wine culture.
I love the experience and history that comes with selecting and enjoying a great bottle of wine.
Wine is smart, sexy, and classy.
Seriously, I think every neighborhood can appreciate a cute little specialty wine shop.
I knew that the moment I found out that I was pregnant by Leon, he was the kind of man that I could parent and co-parent with regardless of whether or not we stayed together in a relationship. We share similar morals and values on how to raise a child.
I may not know everything, but one thing that I do know is that as long as we are in the 'land of the living,' we are going to get older!