A Diva State of Mind

Source: Clutch Magazine

Asia and Ashley Matthew had mentally prepared to be separated for the first time after graduating from Xavier University.  Asia was accepted into the University of Massachusetts Medical School Program, an eight year program plus residency where students can earn both a MD and PhD.   This is a very tough program that only accepts seven to ten students every year.

But Asia wasn’t the only one accepted into the program.  Her twin sister Ashley was also accepted, so this fall the Matthew sisters will be studying biomedical research together.   They continued to beat the odds by earning a FULL scholarship for the eight year program!! #WINNING

“I was ecstatic. I was really happy” said Ashley. “My sister and I were jumping up and down.  We fell over and ended up tripping each other because we were so happy. We didn’t think it would happen and it did.”

Upon completion of the program, the ladies plan to give back to their community. They hope to one day own and operate a hospital for low-income residents.

“There are people who don’t have adequate health care. So just to open a hospital dedicated towards that…that should be anybody’s goal who wants to be a MD. To serve for a greater purpose,” says Asia.

Congratulations Asia and Ashley! Good luck on your journey to earn a MD and PhD.  There is no doubt they’ll excel in this program and one day open a hospital.  I have a feeling this won’t be the last time we hear of the Matthew sisters.

Do you know  a Diva that should be highlighted in the Diva Spotlight? Email me at keri{at}adivastateofmind.com

Whitney Houston graced the music scene in the 1980s with her amazing voice and has been one of the best in the industry ever since.   While I can’t list all of her accomplishments, I thought we’d honor her by highlighting a few.

Her list of musical accomplishments include 2 Emmy Awards, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among a total of 415 career awards (geesh!).  She has sold over 170 million albums, singles and videos worldwide.  Along with creating a number of records on the Billboard 200 charts, her videos premiering on MTV opened the doors for African American female artists to follow in her footsteps.  In 2000, Whitney Houston was named Female Artist of the Decade at the Soul Train Awards.

We can’t talk about Whitney Houston without mentioning The Bodyguard. That soundtrack is amazing!  I think we all have that album because of “I Will Always Love You.” I’m convinced that’s one song EVERYONE knows along with her rendition of the National Anthem! That woman knows she can sang!!!   She also appeared in Waiting to Exhale and The Preacher’s Wife, two movies that also have GREAT soundtracks.

Seriously, I can’t believe that she died at the young age of 48!! I like so many of you, I grew up listening to her. Not only was she an amazing artist, she was a daughter, mother, niece and friend to so many.  Let us celebrate her life and remember her for her talents.

Please keep her family and friends in your prayers. Whitney Houston, may you rest in peace.

Live, laugh and love as if you were to die tomorrow.  Life is too short!!!

I hadn’t thought about mentioning my feature in Because I Am Fabulous until a friend asked this weekend “when are you posting the feature on your site?”  I thought emailing the link to a few friends and sharing via twitter was enough. So please forgive me for not sharing this with all of you sooner! 

Three weeks ago, the fabulous folks at Because I Am Fabulous (s/o to the Editor-in-Chief Sai Sankoh) featured me for this month’s blogger shine. Because I Am Fabulous is great site on all things fashion, beauty, street and celebrity style.

Check out a few excerpts from the feature:

What inspired you to start blogging?

When I started my blog, I was working retail and off two weekdays per week .I was bored because all of my friends were at working during the day while I was home.  A friend suggested I start blogging.  I didn’t think I had much to blog about, but I decided to give it a try anyway.

Who do you think is the most influential personality in fashion world and why? 

I don’t think there is one personality that is the most influential in the fashion world. I think there is enough room in the industry for everyone to make their own individual impact.

If you could give one piece of style advice, what would it be?

Great style begins with confidence! It’s important that women are comfortable in their own bodies.

Where do you see your blog headed in a few years?

I see the blog shifting in the direction of providing more styling advice. In the past year, I have used the site to launch my personal styling business.  In a few years, people will not only think of A Diva State of Mind as a lifestyle blog but a place they can go to for personal styling services.

Read the full feature at Because I Am Fabulous

Shonda Rhimes is killing the television game right now!  You may not be familiar with her, but I’m sure you have heard of her very popular television shows!

Rhimes is the creator of one my favorite Thursday night TV lineup, Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice.  And she is not slowing down!   She recently sold three shows to various networks.  Her new show Scandal, which will premiere next year, is the one I’m looking forward to the most.  The show stars Kerry Washington and is based around a crisis management firm in Washington, DC.  After looking at the trailer, the show looks like it’s going to be another success for Rhimes!

Along with being named Time Magazine’s 100 Top 100 people who help shape the world in 2007, Rhimes has received a number of awards including:

• Won four NAACP Image Awards
• Rhimes was nominated for an Emmy in 2006 and 2007 for a dramatic series and writing a dramatic series.
• Rhimes was nominated by PGA awards for the “Television Producer of the Year Award in Episodic” for Drama in Grey’s Anatomy in 2006, 2007 and 2008; she won in 2007.
• Rhimes and fellow co-workers were nominated in 2006 and 2007 by the Writers Guild of America, USA for the WGA Award (TV); she won in 2006.
• In 2007, Rhimes, along with the cast of Grey’s Anatomy, was awarded the Women in Film Lucy Award in recognition of her excellence and innovation in her creative works that have enhanced the perception of women through the medium of television.

 Source: Clutch Magazine & Wikipedia

Photo by Vmiramontes

Today marks the two year anniversary of my blog! That’s right, on this day in 2009, I wrote my first blog post, Diva Must Haves.  Since then, A Diva State of Mind has come a LONG way!

What started out as something to do just for fun and to keep me entertained while I worked an unstable retail schedule has turned into not only a great blog site (2011 Black Weblog Award Best Lifestyle Blog Winner) but also a business.   I have you, the readers, to thank for the success of my site and the brand.

I wanted to thank everyone who has ever read a post, especially those of you who have been here since the beginning. If it wasn’t for my friend, Stephanie Allen, who encouraged me to start blogging, A Diva State of Mind would not be where it is today.

As many of you know, this is not what I had planned two years ago. While I had shifted my interest from sports marketing to fashion marketing, I didn’t have blogging on my radar. I had entertained the idea of styling, even researched a few training opportunities but never pursued them. And to think that now, A Diva State of Mind, is slowly but surely becoming more recognized and I am now able to use that as a platform to pursue a styling career is a true test that we do not know what God has in store for us.  What I do know is that when you feel called to do something, just do it! You never know what will happen.

I know you’re wondering, “what are you doing to celebrate?” Surprisingly, I am not doing much.   I know it’s a shock considering I love to attend a great happy hour after work or a party.  I’ll be at The Park at Fourteenth tonight to see Musiq Soulchild perform, so if you’re there, hit me up via phone or twitter! But other than that, I’m keeping the celebration to a minimum. Instead, I will reflect on the past two years, be thankful for how far the blog has come and develop a plan for the future.  I am quite anxious to see how the brand will continue to grow over the next few years.

So again, I want to say thank you for your continuous support of the site. Thank you for supporting me as I continue to work to use the blog as a great platform to build a styling business.  Remember, if you or anyone you know is seeking styling services, check out the services page and contact me (did you really think I was going to end the post without promoting the business?!).

I have also expanded the media platform of A Diva State of Mind. Not only can you follow on Facebook & Twitter, but you can find me on Tumblr and on Instagram under the name divastatemind. Tumblr and Instagram will feature various pictures and quotes I come across that I absolutely love and think others will enjoy too!

Each month I highlight an amazing woman or women and up until now, all of the women featured have been chosen by me. So this time I thought I’d try something different; I want to hear from YOU!!  Who would you like to see highlighted in this month’s Diva Spotlight??

Please submit your Diva Spotlight post to adivastateofmind {at} gmail.com. Yes, your submission will be the guest Diva Spotlight post for this month!!  Make sure you also include your twitter handle and website name and link if you have one so I can include that in your post.

Check out previous posts (the link is located under the categories section in the right sidebar) for an idea of what the Diva Spotlight looks like. 

I look forward to reading your submissions!

Only Oprah could surprise 300 of her ultimate fans with a trip to Australia and have John Travolta as the pilot!  Talk about leaving a final impression! The Queen of talk shows out did herself with this episode!

The Farewell Season of The Oprah Winfrey Show began Monday, September 13^th. Only a Diva like Oprah could make plans to leave daytime television after 25 years and move on to start OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network).

This media mogul has built an empire: talk show, O Magazine, Dr. Phil Show, Dr. Oz Show, Nate Berkus Show (I don’t know if she started these shows, but all have been frequent guest on her show before getting their own show so you know her company has something to do with them getting started on other networks), and now OWN.  She also has the “Oprah Effect.”  Anything she decides she loves from books to gadgets on Amazon becomes an instant hit.

Not only is she a media mogul but she’s also a philanthropist. She started her own schools in Africa and creating Oprah’s Angel Network, a network that strives to inspire people to use their lives and help others in need. She is a true example of what it means to “live a meaningful life by living beyond you.” 

In 2011, Oprah steps down from her daytime television thrown and moves on to focus on OWN.  There will be a huge void from 4-5pm on ABC.  Who will take her place for the next 25 years?  Whoever it is, they have some huge shoes to fill!

Congratulations Oprah on 25 years!!

Check out Oprah’s surprise during her season premiere of the Farewell Season:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJrQIsqvoCM