Tracee on Top!

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I don't know why but I love glossy magazine covers. Especially when beautiful ladies like Tracee Ellis Ross grace the front page. In the September edition of Essence mag, she will be discussing her new BET sitcom, Reed Between the Lines. I like her as an actress and she seems like a really down to earth person. I remember seeing her on one of the last episodes of Oprah and she had such a nice energy. Of course her style is amazing and her hair is simply gorgeous! Will you check out her new show?

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Reed Between the Lines, starring Tracee Ellis Ross (Girlfriends) and Malcolm-Jamal Warner (The Cosby Show), pictured above. The show follows Alex, an English professor, and Carla, a psychologist, as they navigate life’s ups and downs with wit and humor. (Excerpt from bet.com)

Natural Recipe {Skin & Hair}: Homemade Scrub & Hair Mask

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Today natural recipe comes from one Naturally Leslie reader and features two delightful mixes. One is for skin and the second is for hair. If you try them out, shoot me an email (naturallyleslie@gmail.com) and tell me about your experience!

Olive Oil/Sugar Exfoliating Mix
Ingredients Needed:

Sugar, EVOO or other oil

Directions:

1. Mix 2 to 3 tablespoons of sugar with about 1/4 cup of natural extra virgin olive oil or if you prefer another type of natural oil that is fine too.

2. Apply to face or skin and let it stand for 15-20 minutes.

3. Rinse with cool water.

Moisturizing Hair Mask

Ingredients Needed:

Raw Honey, Buttermilk, olive oil

Directions:
1. Mix raw pure natural honey, buttermilk, olive oil.

2. Put it on your hair...let it sit.

3. Rinse

Natural Hair Highlights at the Bronner Bros. Show

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CNN features a story about natural hair at the Bronner Bro.s show in ATL...

Atlanta, Georgia -- There were plenty of Crayola-colored wigs and long, silky extensions displayed at the 64th annual Bronner Bros. International Hair Show, which drew more than 60,000 stylists, hair enthusiasts and exhibitors who work with black hair this past weekend.

Yet against the backdrop of energetic hip-hop music and among the booths stocked with glossy tubs of chemical relaxers, some black women went back to basics: They wore their own natural hair. ( excerpt from www.cnn.com)

To continue reading this story, click here.

You Tubetorial:How To Bantu Knot Out Natural Hair Style

Check out Naptural85's vid on how she bantu knots her beautiful natural hair.

Essence Features Natural Hair at NY's Fashion Week 2011

Check out just some of the lovely natural heads spotted at this years New York Fashion Week. Simply haute! Click here to see more styles from Essence.

All images are from Essence.com

The 2011 Grammy Awards

Big Winner: Esperanza Spalding shows off herGrammy for Best New Artistin the press room at the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards on February 13 in Los Angeles.- Latina.com

Esperanza upsets Bieber!!!!

Rising jazz star Esperanza Spalding was named best new artist at the 53rd Grammy Awards, besting a group of more mainstream and well-known artists. Spalding, who in 2010 released her third album, “Chamber Music Society,” has rapidly become something of a crossover star in the jazz community, having performed at the White House as well as at major pop festivals such as Austin City Limits. Source

My favorite look so far...... The SMITH Family!

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Check Jada's mane! Get it girrrrrrl. ;-)

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Lovely Natural Bride: Besangie

NL: Tell us about your wedding day look (attire, decor, hair)

B: The idea for our wedding was fun. We wanted bright vibrant colors that radiated how excited we were to get married. The base color was orange, however everything else was random and beautiful. The mothers chose their own dresses. My mother wore a beautiful pink dress with high collar and belt, and my mother-in-law wore a couture green one-shoulder dress with flowers and side split.

Bride Besangie with her mother

The guys wore gray tuxes with orange ties. The florist knocked it out the park with multi-color gladiolas and roses, and orange and yellow calla lilies at the ceremony and reception. I even had my shoes airbrushed the color of the bridesmaids dresses (with our names and the wedding date on the back!).

I had my dress made in Pittsburgh. I wanted dupioni silk, pockets, and a simple but classic design (that didn't make me look like a sex kitten or cinderella). While in the stores, dupioni silk was extra expensive, I found a seamstress that could buy the fabric and make the dress for a reasonable fee. The woman did an outstanding job for $600, and the shoulder had potato pearls and swarovski crystals. It took about 6 months to make, but worth it.

My hair was a whole 'nother story! I am natural, so I had a ton of options but each had a "worst case scenario". A press was ruled out because I like to dance and when I dance I sweat. A lot. So that just would have been a waste of money. I could have done two strand twists, but I wear those on a regular basis, and wanted something different. Cornrows were out of the question as I didn't think they were formal enough. A nicely sculpted twist-out could have been done, but I wasn't sure I wanted to wear that either as I often rock the twist out. Also, with the sweat, I wasn't sure what my twist-out hair would do and I didn't want any surprises. I have never worn weave, and I didn't want to start then, so that was out too. I finally decided on the flat twists (the single roll, not two strand). I wanted my hair up, so I told my stylist. For my consultation, I brought the hair accessory I found at Clair's for about $5 and the veil I made out of mesh fabric, 2 hair combs and hot glue. It all worked out! The day was beautiful, and we had tons of fun! My dress stayed on, my hair was in place, and I danced til I was sweaty and my feet hurt!

NL: Have you always been natural? Tell me about your hair history.

B: The best way to tell this story is by age...
0-16: Natural
-My mom was natural, and my friends either were natural or had presses so in my mind it wasn't a huge deal to be natural. My mom and I went to the salon together (if she didn't do mine at home), and we had a good time watching movies together and learning about hair.

16-22: Cut it short, permed
-I was ready to do something different and wear it straight and short. So I went to the salon after talking with my mom (who lovingly told me, "its just hair babe, do what you want.") and cut it off. The style was flattering and I sometimes let it grow out to a bob. The maintenance was tough, my scalp got burnt, but I thought it was worth it for the look. Also, during college I didn't really want to transition to natural, as it seemed like a lot of work. I learned that my hair wasn't really strong enough for relaxers so I often had breakage, even though it looked healthy.

22-26: did a big chop, back to natural
-I cut off my relaxed hair my first year of graduate school. I figured I would be there for 5 years, so this was the time to do it. I grew it out for about 3 months, and then went to a salon and had him cut it off. It was a little shocking to see just my head with no hair, so he gave me tiny comb twists for free to make me leave (as I was glued to the chair from shock about what to do next). It grew out and I loved it. I wore two strand twists, cornrows, flat twists, the twist out, presses, and afro-puffs. Then one day I went for a trim, and she cut it too low...

26-28: cut it short, permed
-After the bad trim, I said to myself, "since it is as short as when I first cut it off 4 years ago, I might as well get a relaxer and wear my short style again". I wore the style and loved it again for another 2 years. During that time, I became more aware of the chemical issues of relaxers and how they really were unhealthy. I started reading the labels of products and paying attention to when my hair would break off. I tried to maintain it for as long as I could until it just got to be too much work. I wanted my natural hair back.

28-30: did a big chop, back to natural
-I had recently moved to Pittsburgh and decided it would be a good time to cut my hair off again after being there only 4 months. The stress of moving had caused major breakage to my lovely relaxed quaff, and I was trying to refine my budget. I decided I didn't want to go to the salon every 6 weeks. Not that natural hair doesn't need salon care, but I didn't want to have to be dependent on salon care. I went to my stylist who was caring for my relaxed hair and had her cut it all off. Again. She gave me a cool afro that she left long at the top and shorter on the sides. I have been growing it out natural ever since!

NL: What styles do you typically wear now? What is your routine?

B: I usually wear two-strand twists or twist-outs. I love the soft look that they give and the versatility with the styles. On occasion, I will go and have it two-strand flat twisted as well. My routine is pretty simple: I wash it every 1-2 weeks (usually closer to 2) with Aubrey's Organics shampoo and conditioner (I really like the White Cameillia). While it's still wet, I spray on Talia Waajid Mist Bodifier along with raw unrefined coconut oil, unrefined sweet almond oil, and raw shea butter. Depending on how I feel, I will either twist it, dry it into an afro, or put it in balls so that it can dry and I can style it later. I also use curlformers from time to time, but the look never lasts. Every 3-4 months, I trim my hair by two strand twisting it very small and dusting off the ends. I used to get it pressed to get a trim, but the press would frizz after going to the gym, and even worse, some parts would stay straight even after I washed my hair a few times, making it hard to twist.

NL: What does you hubby think of your hair? How did he feel about the style you chose for your wedding day?

B: When I did the first big chop to being natural, he was a little worried and was rooting for it to grow out. After about 3 months, he could feel how soft it was and see how fast it was growing and he became natural hair's biggest fan. When I returned to permed hair, he liked it because it was very flattering and more of what he saw on other women/the norm, but he agreed it wasn't as soft and healthy. When I did my second big chop, he was all for it! Now he loves my hair, and often says he is going to learn to twist so he can play in it. He is learning more about healthy living and realizing that relaxers are full of harmful chemicals, so he is all the way in with the natural hair.
As for my wedding style, he loved it. It was different than what I normally wear, and I didn't have to mess with it/be in a mirror all the time. He could touch it freely and it was out of my face (which he likes), so it was perfect!!

NL: What is the best thing about being natural?

B: The cost and the freedom! I love being able to do my own hair from start to finish, and not have to worry about whether or not my stylist is available or if I can get to the shop! I know my hair is healthier, and I enjoy changing it up. Also, I love having my mom do my hair again like when I was a kid! She gives the BEST scalp massages.

NL: Is there anything else you would like to share with Naturally Leslie readers?

B: Hmmm...I am feeling inspirational, so here it goes. Give yourself a chance to see yourself. Cut off your hair, wear the two-piece swimsuit, go without make-up. Discover the beauty of your baseline before you decide to cover it up. Everyone is different, so don't compare your hair (or any other) journey with someone elses. Be the lovely person you are. Be physically, emotionally, spiritually and mentally healthy so you can be confident in what God gave you, and work it!!

Looks like it was a glorious occasion. Thank you Besangie for sharing your day with us!

For those of you out there planning your own nuptials, check out Besangie's blog Guerilla Brides for cool tips!

A Birth Story: Afrikan Latina

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This image is not from the reader mentioned below. Just a lovely mother-baby bonding moment I found online.

After this post from a few weeks ago, I received the following email and wanted to share with all of you. As I inch near my due date, March 10th, I have been trying to mentally prepare myself for the transformation that lies ahead. I went to the doctor last Friday and I am already 1 centimeter dilated and 60% effaced! So baby boy is well on his way to arrival and I expect him to make his debut within the next few weeks.

In my family there are three kids. It is a tradition that on our birthdays, somewhere after dinner and during the cake and ice cream, my mom tells the birth story. Each year she recounts the day she had us, depending on whose birthday it is. We all know each story by heart but we love hearing it again nonetheless. It is a tradition I hope to pass down to my little one and I hope I capture it as vividly as my mom always does!

This reader's birth story is so beautiful and encourages me as I gear up for the big day. I am so grateful that she shared it with me and has allowed me to share it with all of you. If anybody else has a birth story they would like to share here, please send it to me and I will post. You can also include a pic of your little one if you'd like! Thanks Afrikan Latina!

Enjoy...

Hi Leslie,

I first want to say congratulations on the new baby you and hubby will soon be welcoming into this world.I had a homebirth that was attended by 2 midwives and my husband. There were supposed to be 3 midwives but the 3rd made it right after our son was born. :) Anyway, I am a huge advocate for homebirth, breastfeeding, cloth diapering...lol all that good stuff and love talking about pregnancy (we are currently expecting our 2nd child in May) and birth and all things babies so if there are any questions that you might want to ask please feel free. I'm also seriously thinking about getting certified as a doula. Anyway, here is my birth story. :)


BIRTH STORY

I went to bed on Wednesday not feeling any different than I had felt in previous days. The spotting had stopped and I had reconciled that our little one was on his own time and any superstition that may have applied before went out the window. I woke up at 4:40am with what I thought could’ve just been some cramping but noticed that it was a pain that wasn’t constant. It came and went, came and went, and after a few of these I started to time them. They were about 7 minutes apart. I decide that maybe NOW would be a good time to take a shower because they definitely weren’t cramps and within the next however many hours we would have a baby!! The shower felt heavenly and I figured that I would be able to endure for a while before we needed to call our midwife. After getting out the shower I wake my snoozing hunny and let him know that I am having contractions. He gets up and starts to rub my back which worked wonders. The constant pressure on my lower back was nice. I call my sister and let her know that I am having what I think are contractions because I wanted at least one person in my family to know that our baby would be here soon. My hunny jumped in the shower so he could wash out the tub for me to labor in. Our tub is big enough that I didn’t find it necessary to rent one or buy a pool.

The contractions are still coming and my sister calls back around 6:20am to see how I’m doing. She asked how far apart my contractions were and I tell her 5 minutes. She’s like, “You should probably go ahead and call your midwife.” I hear her husband in the back ground say, “5 minutes!!!!” So my hunny calls one of our midwives who says she’s on the way. While we wait for her to arrive I am laboring both in the bed and on the toilet. That toilet was working wonders!! My babe is rubbing my back constantly. Cortney(one of our midwives) finally arrives and asks me the usual questions. She listens to the babys heartbeat and begins to time several of my contractions to see if they are constant because they began to become irregular going from 7 minutes, to 5 minutes, to 3 minutes. After she timed a few contractions I decided that it was time to get my butt in the water. The contractions instantly felt better after I got in the water. After being in the bathtub for quite some time my hunny comes in with the camcorder and ONLY because the contractions aren’t kicking my butt do I let him film me. So Cortney listens to the babys heartbeat again while I’m in the water and he’s still doing well. She sits on the bathroom floor and times some more contractions. I’ve avoided having her check to see how far dilated I am up until this point because I didn’t want to be disappointed if I was still in the same place an hour later.

After I get out the tub I’m again laboring back and forth between the toilet and our bed. I found that leaning over the side of the bed and having my hunny rub my back felt good. I was starting to feel quite tired and I hadn’t even done much work in the sense that it hadn’t been a hard labor. I wanted to try to lay down in the bed and labor but it didn’t feel comfortable at all. So more time passes and the contractions are getting closer together and more intense. We decide its finally time to check to see how dilated I am. This was pretty damn uncomfortable to say the least and caused the one of the WORST contractions that I had. She says, “You’re 5cm dilated.” I say, “YES!” and raise my hand to the maternal GODDESSES watching over me. I had no way of knowing how fast I would get to 10cm but 5cm sure sounded nice right then.

Within the hour it was time to migrate to the bed in our guest bedroom where all the stuff was setup. Cortney had previously told me to let her know when it felt like I had to poop but couldn’t and I’ll be damned if that’s not exactly what it felt like. I was back in the water when that urge to poop hit me so I lifted my butt up and leaned over the side of the tub. I said, “Baby go tell Cortney I feel like I have to go the bathroom.” She comes in and smiles and tells me I can get out of the tub after the current contraction stops. I get out of the tub and go to our bed where I have another contraction before going to the guest room.

Here is where the magic happens!! Lol I continue to get hit with contractions and still feel like I have to poop. My water has yet to break and I’m pushing. First push, my water bag makes an appearance. Second push, my water bag makes an even bigger appearance and you can see the baby as well. Third push, my water bag bursts (it got on my hunny) and out comes our baby’s head. With one more immediate push my baby is here and his cry was music to my ears. He was born at 11:07 weighing 6lbs 3 oz. and measuring at 19 inches.

I went from 5cm to 10cm within a hour! (Apparently that’s not expected of a first timer) I went through the motions of labor as if I were on my second child according to all 3 of my midwives. The 3rd midwife to arrive who was actually the “main” midwife got to our house as soon as Taj made his appearance. She was in awe. They didn’t expect that I would deliver so quickly. My perineum stayed in tact. YES!! I did have 2 small labia tears but no stitching or anything was necessary. They are healing nicely. Our baby is growing beautifully. Mommy and Daddy are beaming with excitement!!

You Tubetorial: How To Style a Toddler's Natural Hair

Haha this is so cute from You Tube's Chocolatetresses! I love the serenade at around 3:50. He's singing a throwback!

Whew this takes patience but hopefully it will inspire those of you with little curly fellas out there.

Guest Blogger Piece: What About our Kinky Curly Boys?

Hello everyone! I got the following email from one Naturally Leslie reader who wanted to share her perspective on natural hair for boys. It hit home with me because, as I already shared a short while back, I am expecting a little boy myself! I appreciated reading her piece and was glad to share it with all of you.

by Monica- Hair & Heart

There are a ton of blogs and youtube channels devoted to girls and their curls. How to style them, dress them up, keep them healthy etc. There is almost no information online devoted to young boys with highly textured hair. What about those of us with little princes who don’t want to chuck up the deuces to that beautiful hair and “just get a fade”? Its not often you see a young boy with long hair and if you do they probably have that “good grade” of hair (as my grandmother calls it). Every now and then I may see a prince with locs or cornrows but almost never free flowing a la Jaden Smith. Its frowned upon to have your son rock his curls after learning how to talk, as the old wives tale goes.

My son, Kai, is 2 ½ and I decided that I am not going to cut his hair (again…this will be explained later) to conform to the norms of African American society. My son has a beautiful head of hair. His curls have tightened up a bit since he was born, but they are still gorgeous. He has always been mistaken for a girl since he was born as well. Even while wearing a blue outfit, with airplanes and tiny chuck taylors. I began to think that maybe it was his hair, which I used to keep in box braids. I began to see that most people think that having long hair was more of a feminine aesthetic. My thoughts were confirmed by my BF’s mother when she stressed that he really should get his hair cut. Her reasons were that “he needs to feel like a boy” *side eye on deck*. After much thought, I lopped off a few of his braids. I gave in ya’ll, I cut my baby’s hair . We took him to the barber to complete the job I started and he cut Kai’s hair to this <> long. It was literally 1 ½” long and lop sided. The “barber” cut his hair with industrial scissors so I had to go back and cut even more to get rid of any split ends that may have emerged from the butchering of his tiny head.

I cried….and cried….and cried. For a week straight. I don’t know if it was because his hair was gone or the fact that I gave into pressure and did something I didn’t want to do in the first place. After that I vowed to never cut his hair again. That was about 8 months ago. His hair is almost as long as it was pre-cut. I started my own blog that focused on natural hair kids especially boys to help other mothers in this predicament. What to do with their hair to not appear girly? Does long hair really equal feminine? Doesn’t boy hair require just as much care and attention as a girl’s does? All these questions have been on my mind. His journey is just beginning but I do not want him to feel like he has to look a certain way to fit into the “boy” mold, especially when it comes to his hair.

To see more from Monica (including some ridiculously adorable pics of her little guy Kai, check out her blog here.

A "Long & Kinky Hair" Fotki Feast!

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If you like browsing hair albums as much as I do, you might enjoy carousing your way through this list that I just stumbled onto at Nappturology 101 (one of my favorite blogs btw). This particular list showcases naturals with bra-strap length and beyond hair. Nice collection to get inspired!

A Beautiful Side Note

I found this post about model Miranda Kerr to be so beautiful and I wanted to share...

On the 6th of January I gave birth to our beautiful little son Flynn. He weighed 9lb 12 ounces (a very healthy and big baby boy). I gave birth to him naturally; without any pain medication and it was a long, arduous and difficult labour, but Orlando was with me the whole time supporting and guiding me through it. I could not have done it without him.~Miranda Kerr via her blog: www.koraorganics.com

This process of becoming a mother has been both a whirlwind and a long 8 months at the same time! We just took birthing classes a week or so ago and since then, I have been scouring the internet for information and videos about birthing naturally. Through the classes I realized that childbirth does not have to be the scary, impossible, terrifying process I once thought it would inevitably be, what society always tells us it will be. Yes, pain is a factor and it is, well, labor. But I realize now that this is what our bodies were made to do and we have everything inside of us that we need to do it. It has been amazing to learn about what birth can be and to allow myself to discard the untruths of what it is not.

I realized too far into this pregnancy that I would rather deliver at a birthing center than at a hospital. I would prefer to have a midwife and a doula and I plan to have a water birth if I have another child. Not to knock hospitals, though. I toured mine and I think I will like the experience as well. I just saw some of the most beautiful images of women bringing forth life as they used the water to help soothe the transition and it looked like something I want to experience in my journey through motherhood.

(The following video is one that I found in my search. It seemed very peaceful, yet powerful. If you don't want to see a natural childbirth, don't watch!)

In addition to birth, I can't wait to breastfeed! Well, at least I hope I am able to. I know so many women who struggle and simply are not able. I feel like I have a good foundation of knowledge from the courses I took and I have dreamed about it on several occasions. I'll have to keep my fingers crossed on that one!

Lastly, I know many of you are also mothers. I want to hear your birth experiences, if you care to share. Tell me what it was like for you to bring forth life and to nourish your little one. What were the highs, the lows, the unexpected moments?

Hairspiration! Pretty Natural Styles

Essence is featuring some of the hottest hairstyles going on right now. Their gallery features designs on all types of Black hair but my interest was especially piqued with their array of natural coifs. I love all the textures, colors, and designs. Here are a few of my favorites!

All photos are from Essence.com

Great stuff huh? To see the rest, click here. Then, report back and tell me what you think!

Dry Winter Hair? Fix it with these natural homemade recipes!

The weather outside is frightful...but no reason your hair can't still look and feel delightful! If you're experiencing dryness due to the cold winter air, take a look around your kitchen and try some of these homemade winter hair recipes to get your hair back to moist!

***Avocado and mayonnaise

It may seem a bit strange to apply mayonnaise to your hair all the way to the hair tips, but it is a really good conditioner!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 ripe avocado
• 1 small jar of real mayonnaise

Do this:

Mash the avocado and mix with the mayonnaise. Apply to your clean hair and leave it on for 15-20 minutes. You'll get the best effect if you use a shower cap, plastic wrap or warm towel to add some body heat to the process. Rinse off.

Avocado and coconut milk

If you don't like the idea of using mayonnaise, try mixing the avocado with coconut milk.

Ingredients:

• 1 avocado
• Coconut milk

Do this:

Mash the avocado and mix with enough coconut milk to make the conditioner smooth and the right consistency for a hair treatment. Tip: Add the milk slowly so that the conditioner does not become too loose.)Apply it to your hair and leave for some 20 minutes. Rinse off. (Again, it is good to somehow seal the body heat in by using a shower cap or towel for example.)

Avocado and egg yolk

Finally, avocado and egg yolk is also a great conditioner!

Ingredients:

• 1 avocado
• 1 egg yolk

Do this:

Mash the avocado and mix the egg yolk. Apply it to your hair and leave for some 20 minutes. Rinse off.

*** Recipes from HERE

Natural in the News

I just saw this video over at BGLH and wanted to repost it here in case you missed it. I think aside from the media and all that, the biggest influence over our children's self esteem and self-perception comes from the people closest to them. That goes for weight, skin color, and hair. Take a look and share your thoughts.

Reader Email: A Big Chop!

Last week I received a very sweet email from one reader. Here is what she had to say:

Ok your blog was one of my GREATEST inspirations...I had literally stressed about my hair for a year and on Sunday I decided I was ready to chop it! I attached a before and after!

Thanks for providing such motivational content!

She attached a few pics to showcase her new do. I was inspired by her chop and thought you all might be too. So, I invited her to share with us all for the good of the group and share she did! Take a look at these shots and read her thoughts on going natural.

Choosing to go natural was stressful, primarily because I am a bit anxious when it comes to decision making. I had so many worries: What will my hair look like? What will people think? Can I look pretty with short hair? Nevertheless, I had my last relaxer on October 22, 2009. After transitioning for a year, I finally mustered the courage to do the BIG CHOP on October 10, 2010. The breaking point: my hair was unmanageable! The two textures were literally at war and I couldn’t handle it. Plus, I am at a place where I feel confident regardless of my hairstyle. Perhaps, the confidence is due to maturity. Maybe it’s because I lived without a relaxer for a year and was forced to manage unconventional hair. Either way, I feel great in my own skin. Throughout the transition, I had an excellent source of encouragement. My closest friend went natural a year ago and her hair is amazing. She is obsessed with natural hair products, styles, etc. She reminded me that I lead a healthy life, so I should have healthy hair. The notion that “nice looking hair” is achieved by damaging chemical treatment is oxymoronic. For inspiration, I searched natural hair blogs, like Naturally Leslie. The beauty of natural women overwhelms me. Long kinks, short afros, tight coils, loose curls, it doesn’t matter; everyone looks absolutely gorgeous with their natural hair. It’s only natural that women glow with their natural hair, because that’s the way we are born and how we are meant to look. I look forward to another rewarding journey as my natural hair takes it course. I am beyond excited.

Thanks for sharing with the NL community!

Corinne at the House of Blues in New Orleans

Photo Credit

Singer Corinne Bailey Rae looks heavenly here at the House of Blues in New Orleans. I am really loving the longer, fluffier hair on her.

Find Your Inner (& Outer) Goddess!

Happy Friday ladies and gents! I wanted to leave this vid from naturalnana with you to inspire you as we enter the weekend. Whatever you choose to do or wear or however you choose to style yourself, remember that you are a magnificent being and you deserve happiness...happiness that comes from within and does not depend on anything or anybody else. It is so powerful to realize that no matter what is going on around you or who you encounter, your happiness is in YOUR hands.

I hope these images inspire!

Jilly at the Essence Music Festival

Images from Essence.com

Curly Cuteness!

I am loving these wild and free ringlets on Heidi and Seal's little one. Had to share ;-)~ How precious!

Pic from people.com