Have a Lovely Weekend...

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IT"S FRRRIIIIIIIIIIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! My Friday was off to a slow start considering that I didn't get much sleep (a mere 4 hours), but it was pepped up when my good friend Sonia decided to meet me to have lunch. We decided to go the Food Truck route and had great tasty vittles from Goodes Mobile Kitchen. I had the Jerk Shrimp, Rice and Plantains & Sonia opted for the Jerk Salmon, Cabbage & Plantains. Let me tell you a little something...that was some gooooood eating!
This weekend should make for a busy yet pleasant one. My grandmother is heading into town tomorrow from the Windy City so our little household is excited and buzzing! I have a jam packed Saturday but I'm looking forward to it!
I'm not sure what it's been about this week but I have been off by one day, maybe it's been the fact that I know that my grandmother was coming in and I couldn't wait for the weekend to arrive or it could be that I've been a bit sleep deprived and I just couldn't get it together, either way the weekend is here!
It's great having family in town and being a little hostess which means that I can try to persuade my guest to try a few restaurants with me and take in this "wonderfully summer sauna" like weather.
Whatever your plans for this weekend, be sure to have a great time, enjoy the ones you're with., make it memorable & worth telling stories about.

Have a Lovely Weekend!

FANCY FEET | Needs Glitter & Shine...

I just HUBBA HUBBA DING DONGED over these glittery beauts!

I believe that this heels belong/need to be in my closet, hold on a second, YEP that insistent, you need to get them going on in my head is confirmation that they need to be mine.

The wonderful thing that is making me not feel to bad about getting them is the price! Now what can be more awesome than that!

NORA ROSE | Tam Sease...

Margaret Bowland "Flower Girl"

I love what I call my "Friend Cornucopia", it's a treasure trove of beautifully talented creatives, academics, musicians, artists, parents, free spirits, fashion aficionados, poets, executives and the list is truly endless.

One of my Corni's is my fellow Hamptonian/sister/friend Tam Sease (hey Tamsie). Today on Instagram, she tagged me in a post, from her site, Nora Rose, entitled Tragedies in Target. Please be sure to read her entry as it talks about the negative images of Black Women being portrayed in media (mainly reality show outlets)/society vs. the positive media images that have been portrayed in times past (Clare Huxtable, Whitley Gilbert, Vivien Banks, etc.) and the fact that our young women don't seem to have enough positive images to look up to, become, emulate or to even create their own positive image.

Being an 80s baby, I can def attest to the fact that times are extremely different from when I was growing up compared to now, from simple courtesies and etiquette of young people, entertainment/music/tv programming to the galvanizing of people for passionate causes/beliefs  and though I do enjoy some "reality TV shows", I would agree that our youth/young women and men need more people, causes and passions that will spark their intellect and fuel their desires to do more and not simple rely soley on what is projected in videos/tv shows etc.

I think Tam's article not only allows us to look at our youth and the impact that society has on them, but also to question what we're doing to set good examples, be encouraging, challenging and even push them to regard themselves highly and create a better society for themselves and those that come after them.

{Thank you Tam for including me/PTD in your post, let's hope that we can continue to shine brightly!!}

HEALTH | Happy & Healthy Skin...

Afrocentric Miss

As I become older I’ve been trying to be a bit more mindful of what I eat, how much rest I get, getting my daily vitamin supplements etc. Often times I realize that one week I’m doing great but the next I forget to take my vitamins, eat whatever I want, sleep less than 8 hous per night and the list goes on and on and on.

I can proudly say that I am one of those gals that loves body products or as I call them "Smell Goods". I have body butters, oils (which has become my preference), lotions, body sprays, perfumes but it doesn't mean diddly squat if my skin isn't happy and/or healthy.

After reading and earmarking numerous magazine articles, blog posts etc. I found myself truly wanting to do better and become more consistent with maintaining good health and developing even better habits that will help me achieve a properly functioning internal system and beautiful, healthy skin and hair. An in order to ahieve this, you have to start with what goes INTO our bodies. So how can you try to achieve Happy & Healthy skin, you ask, Try: Wheat Germ, Flaxseed and Cod Liver Oil.


“About 2 tablespoons of Wheat Germ contains 20 % of your daily allowance of Folic Acid & Vitamin E [Vitamin E helps to protect your skin cells against UV radiation from the sun, and also protects cell membranes], and two tablespoons of Flax Seeds is the equivalent of eating about 25-30 cups of Broccoli. Flax Seeds contain a high amount of Omega 3 & Omega 6 Fatty Acids (Cod Liver Oil) which are essential in the role of maintaining healthy skin/hair as well as preventing and/or clearing up skin disorders such as Acne, Psoriasis, and Eczema. Flax Seeds also help keep your pores open, thus preventing the build-up of sebum, that nasty little culprit behind Acne. Fatty acids also help your skin to remain soft, supple, and smooth, and it also regulates what goes in and out of your skin cells. In other words, they allow nutrients and water in, and keep toxins out". (Quoted from The Moptop Maven) Well hallelujah, this is good news right?!

The only rememberances I have regarding Cod Liver Oil is being made to take a HUGE silver spoonful of it by my grandmother and/or mother so that I wouldn’t get sick and the smell and taste are all too real. Even though I didn’t have a choice as a child as to whether or not I wanted to take it, now that I'm an adult and make my own choices, all the while understanding that there are a few more benefits of taking it I maturely choose YES! My favorite brand of choice is Carlson Labs (Lemon Flavor). Though it may be psychological, I really believe that the slight lemon taste helps me out significantly and holds back flashbacks of my youth.
Though I haven't tried Wheat Germ, I have purchased Ground Flaxseed and in the past I’ve tried to sprinkle it into my yogurt but that didn’t fair too well so taking a tablespoon or two of the oil daily faired better for me. My favorite brand is Barleans. Be sure to keep it refrigerated and shake very well before you take it. Flax Oil has a very strong nutty taste so I usually try to drink a bit of juice before and after the spoonful so I won't really taste it.

So now that we're armed with a bit more knowledge, let's all try to do a wee bit better so that we feel better and look better and let's aim to be consistent, hear hear!

FOOD | Baked Tofu & Rice Medley...

Baked Tofu & Rice Medley (Trader Joes)
When I finally get home after work, I'm pooped from the day and the commute, so often times when I think about dinner, I want something that doesn't require a lot of time in the kitchen to prepare a meal.

Tonight happened to be one of those times when I needed food quickly, so after a quick trip to Trader Joes, I decided to create a dish with their Organic Baked Tofu (Savory) and Rice Medley (Brown Rice, Red Rice and Black Barley). 

Side Note: For some reason tofu gets a bad wrap for not tasting like much of anything but if you get "flavored" tofu, it'll give you a burst of tofu flavory goodness. I personally like baked tofu because it has a firmer texture so it holds up a bit better when I cook it and I always get one with a flavor (savory or lemon pepper)

Once I opened the Tofu, I cut it into small cubes, placed in a skillet, drizzled a little grapeseed oil and browned until it was a bit golden (about 3-5 minutes). The Rice Medley only takes three minutes in the microwave and voila, steaming hot rice. I decided to add a slice of lime to the dish so it can add a little umph and pizzaz to my meal. 

Overall dinner was light, seasoned yet filling and a quick dish that I can keep in my cooking back pocket. 

MUSIC | Lianne La Havas...

Lianne La Havas
The other day while perusing Concrete Loop, they mentioned an artist that I've never heard of before so of course, I decided to take a listen to one of her songs...heavenly sigh...let's just say that I've found yet another artist whose music I absolutely LOVE.

British artist, Lianne La Havas is categorically amazing! Her voice is distinctive and evokes a sultry, raspy and  heartfelt appeal amongst other things. She also plays a number of instruments, so singer AND musician, hot dang! She's another artist that just pulls you into what she's singing and gives your emotions permission to express themselves when you listen to songs in which you can relate. I cannot wait for her album "Is Your Love Big Enough" to hit the U.S. (iTunes)

In the meantime, I've listened to her daily to my heart's content via Youtube. Be sure to check her out and add her to your music collection, once the album becomes available, you'll be so GLAD that you did!

         

FOOD STOP | Bayou Bakery...

Photos courtesy of PTD

A few weeks ago my mother and I headed to Bayou Bakery after Sunday after church and it was wonderful. I opted for the Sausage Biscuit and Hibiscus Tea (cold)..yum yum yum. It was my second time going and it didn't disappoint. Bayou Bakery has a New Orleans flair to it and reminded me of the city when I visited a few months ago. One of the many things that I love about New Orleans is the food, upon food, upon food that you feel compelled to eat, so Bayou Bakery was a nice bit of Louisiana on a Sunday morning.

Also, if you head there you MUST try the New Orleans Sno-Ball which has been described on their website as follows: "These ain’t your ordinary snow cones, with layers of thinly shaved ice, just like fallen snow, generous pours of perfectly sweetened syrups, and best of all, the final streak of Condensed Milk that has you reaching for a spoon and straw to get every last drop". (I had one on my first visit and let me just say...HUBBA HUBBA.

MUSIC | Jade Novah...

Jade Novah
Every now and again you come across an artist that just pulls you right in and makes you appreciate the artistry of music! A few weeks ago via Instagram, a friend of mine recommended one particular artist named Jade Novah. After listening a snippet of one of her songs, I immediately downloaded her mixtape Shades of Jade (which is FREE might I add) and BOY WAS I GLAD I did! She has an AMAZING voice, is a wonderful artist and she definitely needs to be added to your playlists!!

Hop, jump, run, sprint, skip on over to her website, or however you can get there and support her music, gift and talent. It's so refreshing and I honestly have played her mixtape repeatedly for days on end:)

Check out Jade below!

ICKY | Onset of a Summer Cold...

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Unfortunately, I think that I'm coming down with a slight summer cold..bummer. Last week was wonderful and absolutely feels like a blur and I was feeling quite fine and dandy. Well... I had a few sneezes here and there but when you continuously sneeze and your voice sounds dramatically different, I think it's a safe assumption that a cold is upon you.

I'm going to nurse myself tonight, get some food in my tum, drink some tea, head to bed and prayerfully tomorrow, I'll feel like sunshine & rainbows!

Have a Lovely Weekend...

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The weekend is almost upon us! Honestly this week has ZOOMED by. It could have been that my office was closed for the majority of the week and I've been a little busy bee.

Tonight, I'm heading out to see Beasts of the Southern Wild, tomorrow my friend is hosting a small get together and Sunday I plan on devoting time to PT Darling. 

I hope that you have an extraordinary weekend filled with great plans, wonderful company and even better weather. I still can't believe that its Summer but I'm enjoying every minute of it. There are tons of festivals, concerts, and just great things happening in the city!!

As always, have a wonderful weekend and see ya Monday!

Your Work...

Creative Mornings
One of my favorite bloggers, Andrea Pippins of Fly, who I had the pleasure of meeting last year and making a party hat for (worn here) at Fly's 5th Anniversary Event in DC, is not only an amazingly talented, creative person, and professor, but just an all around great person. Her background is in graphic design and she's accomplished so much (just peek around her blog!). One of the things that I like about Andrea, is that she's willing to give/share good information that she deems will be helpful to other people. 

Since officially becoming a business owner as of last Friday (yay Penelope Toop Darling, look for more information in the upcoming weeks), I found her posts about "Presenting Your Design Work" and "Designing Your Portfolio," (here and here), extremely helpful to say the least. It's important that you're able to capture the essence of your work in a way that those you present it to have a clear and concise understanding of what you do (your talents/gifts).

Your work is a reflection of what you're able to do and the talents/gifts that you have so it's viably important that you're able to convey that to the rest of the world. Each day I'm amazed at how may truly  creative/gifted/talented young people there are who are making their marks on the world daily! It's truly amazing and encouraging!


FABRIC | Headboard...

Catilin Wilson Textlies


Over the years I have discovered that I have a love/penchant/admiration for the color salmon/coral especially when it comes to home (bedroom) decor.  No matter how many times I try to switch up my bedroom colors, my eyes inevitably swoon over something salmon/coral. Currently my bedding is a watercolor mixture of purple, salmon and mint and in the effort to satisfy my color need, I'm thinking that the above headboard pattern or the T-shaped pattern by Caitlin Wilson would be an awesome & welcomed addition to my bedroom!


What color(s) are you seemingly always drawn to?

Beasts of the Southern Wild...

Beasts of the Southern Wild
I recall walking by a poster a few weeks ago at one of my favorite theaters and seeing Beasts of the Southern Wild but not really thinking too much of it until I started hearing some buzzing/murmurings about it. In this movie, a six year old heroine Hushpuppy (played by a wonderful little star, Quvenzhane' Wallis), deals with the colliding of worlds, of mythical/magical/imaginary and reality in a secluded bayou area in Louisiana. As a mammoth storm and the matter of her father's ill health approaches, Hushpuppy must rely on the impact of her world to help her endure.

I simply love independent films especially when they pull you into the story/plot, and characters and allows you as a viewer to connect with all of your emotions. I'm so excited to see this when it opens in DC this Friday. And from what I've been hearing, it's simply amazing. View the trailer below and plan to what many are calling "beautiful and captivating".


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