A while back, when I was going through a rough patch—before I knew…everything—I was talking to my Dad & lamenting about what was going on, and he goes, “Ya know, it’s like I always say. You’re driving down the highway. You’re going along your merry way and then boom, a bug smacks itself against your windshield. You didn’t purposely hit the bug, and the bug didn’t purposely fly into your path. It was going along its way too. But in life, sometimes you’re the bug. Sometimes you’re the windshield.”

Wise words from the father. But it’s true, right? There will be times in life you’re going about your own business and then, bam! Someone or some thing gets in your way and you have to adjust. This is where conscious awareness plays a part in discerning whether this interference is intentional or merely two ships passing in the night. Ego will have you saying, “This person did this on purpose!” or “I’ll show them who’s boss!” when in reality, most people weren’t even thinking about you. Heck, most people are barely thinking about themselves when you get right on down to it, so you have to understand that not every battle is really a battle and not every fight is yours to fight. And yes, sometimes you are the bug, and people are bigger & stronger, have more means, and more reach than you so the best you can do is just lay there lifeless on the glass, praying the force of impact wasn’t enough to break you. And other times, you will be the windshield, powering down the road of your life’s journey with sheer, unstoppable, force.

There have been people I've hurt in life, both knowingly & unknowingly. Hey, I am part human. Cut me slack here. But I can blame youthful ignorance to my past faux pas of human decency towards another. And, again because I am part human, I have been known to be a petty queen a time or two in adult years. But when you know better you do better. For people of understanding, you recognize that true wisdom comes from embodiment. Walking the path and living it— moving through daily life knowing that people are only meeting you as deeply as they’ve met themselves. Some things may feel personal, and some let’s be honest, some things are purposely done to make you feel that way. Therefore not everything deserves your attention. Not everything warrants a response. And not everyone is going to keep pace walking with you because having this wisdom automatically separates you from the rest.

And when you’re separated from the rest there’s inevitably the idle chatter, the subtle (but not so subtle) shade, the snarky comments, etc, that comes with it. But having this inner wisdom also lets you know that this behavior from them is an unconscious manifestation of their inner response to your vibrational reflection. They literally can’t help themselves. So you learn to save your energy because engaging in these energetic confrontations is like trying to jumpstart a dead car battery. Until you replace it with a brand new one, you’re going to have to keep going back to jump it—depleting all your juice (swag, aura) while only serving as a temporary fix for their lack of any. So silence becomes your weapon, not your weakness. They want a reaction from you to literally harvest your energy. So you mind your business and keep on your merry way. Go girl. Give them nothing.

My Rich Lovuuhhh wanted to take me on an escapade to Vegas so of course I had to oblige. First we had a secret rendezvous to shop luxury cars, which, how sweet of him, amirite? Only a man who wants to see little ol’ me living in the lap of luxury is the man I need, ok baybee? A luxurious kinda love. Totally and completely. But all the rich know the key to staying rich is to mix a little bit of the expensive with a little bit of the not so much. So, after we put in a custom order complete with bespoke color, we stopped over to Foodie Land, I think it was called? A food festival taking place at the speedway. Now you know my rule, if there’s somewhere I go that I don’t particularly enjoy, I do my best to avoid ever writing about them. I don’t write to drag people. I write to uplift them! That being said, the experience as a whole wasn’t my issue, it was a really good size festival with food (obviously), music—good music at that!—games, prizes, merch, vendors, all the things you would expect, which was great. Love that! But being a food festival specifically, I was shocked that they literally had no vegan options for food. Like zilch. Zero. Zucchini.

And don’t hit me with the, “It wasn’t a vegan food festival,” load a bologna. The term “food” is all encompassing of all types, styles, varieties, and cultures of cuisine. And in 2026, not having a vegan—not vegetarian—option is really not an option anymore. Every restaurant should have one on the menu. And I clarify vegan from vegetarian because they are different although they are often confused. This is why I made my original vegan tee. Vegetarians can eat vegan food. Vegans can’t eat vegetarian food. Because, while I’ve personally had to eat non vegan options out of necessity (or greed in the case of my favorite coffee ice cream on distinct occasion, and yes, my skin pays for it every time 🥴), my diet, the one I transitioned to 10 years ago—and subsequently dedicated my time, energy, and effort into mastering the art of homemade from scratch plant-based vegan cuisine—is plant-based.

What do you guys think? Should we bring it back? Vegan options‍ *only*, if you so please.

My only saving grace was this matcha place! And the matcha was so rich and defined. Earthy. Savory. Dare I say, sultry? I should’ve ordered two! I literally slurped it down in milliseconds.

Is anyBuddy gonna matcha my peace? A true matcha masterpiece!

And suddenly all was right in the world…

But the fun didn’t stop there! I could drink matcha all day tbh, but because I needed actual food for sustenance, Rich Lovuuhhh—we’ll call him RL for short— RL let me pick out the restaurant I wanted to eat at so of course I had to go with a middle eastern cuisine because the vegetables always slap and the hummus. It just does that! Especially when it’s a good place. The more authentic the better it usually is.

I picked this place called Zaytinya. They had good reviews, but moreso than that, the menu was exactly what I was looking for. So we hopped in the whip and before I knew it, we were in the Las Vegas strip and all the shiny flashing lights and the people and the city suddenly just popped out at me and I said, “Yessssss. This is what I been waiting for!” Baby’s first trip inside the city limits. And the cherry on top was that it was inside Caesar’s Palace which I had no idea! What a fun time I had. Omigoodness. First of all, the place is frickin massive. The architecture is insane. The fountain was breathtaking. Gosh, the fountain. The ceiling! I’m literally walking through, stopping every five seconds, gasping at all the detail. So good. So fun. So needed to set my eyes on something new. Remember that battery analogy I used earlier? 1, 2, 1, 2, 3 REPLACE ‘EM!

Back to the food! Zaytinya Mezze Restaurant is a Chef José Andrés Group production. José Andrés, founder of World Food Kitchen. And let’s just start off by saying it was a 10 outta 10 because, let’s be honest, if it wasn’t, would I really be writing about it? Ok so boom, lemme set the scene.

After walking through the monument of structure that is Caesar’s Palace, the painted sky ceilings that immediately put you in a state of serenity to spend all your RL’s money, the space opened up and we turned a corner and then descended down the escalators to this gorgeous promenade that lead us straight to Zaytinya.

Immediately warm. Immediately welcoming. Immediately knew this was going to be a pleasant experience. The cuisine here is actually Turkish. It instantly took me back to my time in London when my Turkish boyfriend took me his favorite spot. Ugh. Immediately yes. You can just tell when something is made with love and the people making it legitimately enjoy what they do. That’s not to say that there won’t be times in your life where you have to do what you have to do until you can do what you want to be, but that is to say that while you are doing what you have to do, you can still enjoy what you’re doing. But y’all not ready for that conversation. Anyways, Turkish Bae, if you’re reading this, teşekkürler. For everything.

Flashing back to present day and RL is like, “Get whatever you want.” And I’m like, “Obviously.” I started off with my cuppuh earl grey tea.

And before we eat we say Bismillah & Bonappetit!

Then came our shmorgous board, whateva y’all call it.

Baba ghannoush with pomegranate seed garnish & hummus with green (baby) chickpeas. Both served with fluffy, steamy pita bread

From top to bottom: 1) **Horta Salata** - Dino kale, smoked olives (!), fave Santorini, ladolemono, pistachios; 2) **M’hamsa Couscous** -hand rolled couscous, radish, tomato, feta, sugar snap pea, pickled yellow peppers, & red wine vinaigrette; 3) **Za’atar Pide** - Turkish flatbread with za’atar, karat cheese, and egg; 4) You already saw the baba ghannoush 😋

A little commotion for the salads. I had him take the feta off. I used to love feta so much…

I would go back just to eat this again. The fava Santorini, the yellow puree underneath, was the most delicious thing i’ve had in I can’t even remember how long. And combined with the smoked olives and pistachios was truly chef’s kiss. Like, seriously, José, pucker up babe!

I love couscous too. The hand rolled style has a more substantial mouth feel.

While I didn’t love the pide, it wasn’t for me anyway. I only wanted to taste the za’atar. As you know I’m a za’atar snob…I would still give this place a 10 outta 10 high key recommend. Especially if you want a nice little tranquil escape from the noise of the strip, this is the place for you.

The only thing I would change is have this sign say, ***Don’t*** Mezze the Moment. Like, *Don’t miss the moment.* Get it? Anyway, I wasn't consulted on this prior, but next time I will be more than happy to consult on my design savoire fare. But until then, do give them a try, and tell them your Darling SweethaHt sent you there!

After that we did some shopping. You know just a few stacks to make for an easy digestion. RL, bless his heart, loves to see me shining, so the blingier, the better in his eyes. God bless him for that. But you know me, I’m a little country girl, so I like to keep it a little more demure. A little more lowkey, but still highkey me. Anywho, we settled on only 2 of the watches out of the 3, a pair of earrings with matching necklace, and some vintage style lingerie. No you can’t see pics! A little privacy if you please!

Anyways, My Gorgeous Pretties, some things are best kept out of the public eye for your own amusement and pleasure, and for the personal freedom to partake in what you want when you are at your leisure. So. This is where I must bid you adieu. Did I even ask this loveletter how are you? How are you this week, my sweet, sweet dear? You know that I love you right? Do you feel me? Do you hear? No matter where you are, what you’re doing, how far or how near, you are always in my heart, for you bring me great cheer. Do something nice for yourself ok? Maybe surprise yourself with hot solo date! Get all dolled up and take some cute pics and then show me on our next escapade, yea? I’ma be like, yeaaaaa! Das my mans dem! Yuhhhhh.

Anywho, I love you. Toodle-loo and sweet dreams. Have an amazing rest of your week. I know I’ll be seeing you real soon, but as ever and as always, stay blessed EveryBuddy, and God speed.

Love Always (and besitos!),

Something borrowed, something blue

the bug & the windshield

the scenic route