Sittin' Up In My Room

"Sittin' Up In My Room" aside from being one of pop singer Brandy's last hits is exactly what your "home girl" did today. I am also in for the night. I am also hungry, that's beside the point though.

See this little beauty below. I made it today. I only need to stitch the edges and decide if it will be a pillow case or part of a quilt. I don't know.I like to make "cloth" to borrow from Jude but I do not feel the need to actually make something with it after I'm done.

Thanksgiving 2009

I visited my aunt Audrey in Missouri for thanks giving. I learned that Missouri is a big beef state. I saw many Angus cows, hay, and farmland.

"Out to Pasture"

My aunt has a 15 year old Cocker Spaniel named "Mad Dog" by me her real name starts with a D, sounds like Daisy but isn't. I call her "Mad Dog" just because I've heard about some of her exploits. She does not care to be outside, begs relentlessly, will eat anything edible, and is not the best guard dog. I say all these things with a huge amount of affection.

"Mad Dog"

I found a relic from my Childhood which just so happens to have Audrey's name in it written by my grandma. It's a Golden Book copy of Cinderella. The copyright date is 1950 so I think it was most likely my aunt Susan's or my mom's as they were both born around this time and Audrey is only around 40.

Cover

Before the bad news.

After she marries the Prince

My Aunt has some interesting opinions concerning Cinderella. I have 1 more picture to share from this book. I will share it in a post I plan to write concerning Audrey's opinion regarding Cinderella.

Sham: Pillow Sham That Is

I went to Bed Bath &Beyond today to procure (lol) a set of Bodum glasses for my aunt whom I will be spending ThanksGiving with. I did not have my coupon and the glasses cost almost $40.00 so I left them.

On my way to Whole Foods after leaving BB& I stopped into West Elm and fell in love with the print in the above picture. I did not want the duvet or the coordinating pillows just the pillow sham. There are times that I know that if I do not get something I will keep thinking about it and this was one of those purchases. So, I paid the $32.00 for 1 Sham.

I could have just bought the damn glasses. I will get them before I leave Wednesday.

Peace.

Hair Care

Ok. I bought Kinky Curly Knot Today because I thought it was a moisturizer like the Neutrogena Triple Moisture Leave in Cream. Turns out it's a conditioner to be used alone or in conjunction with their other products. I have only used it a few times. The Verdict: It's lite which makes it a good leave in. It allows your oils to work better. Almost like a conduit. I would not want to use it to detangle. When I washed my hair I applied this after rinsing my deep conditioner and then added my Shea Mix. After adding the Shea Mix my hair was ready to be detangled.

Selection: Song Of Myself by Walt Whitman

2
Houses and rooms are full of perfumes, the shelves are crowded with
perfumes,
I breathe the fragrance myself and know it and like it,
The distillation would intoxicate me also, but I shall not let it.
The atmosphere is not a perfume, it has no taste of the
distillation, it is odorless,
It is for my mouth forever, I am in love with it,
I will go to the bank by the wood and become undisguised and naked,
I am mad for it to be in contact with me.

Mmmn........Where do I begin?

Mmmn........Where do I begin?

So, I want to see what the hype surrounding castor oil is all about. However, As far as the best oils for your hair interms of penetrating to the cortex, I have read that coconut oil and avocado oil are the best. I combined all 3.

I do not like liquid oils so I will order some beeswax to make this a solid. I am shooting for ointment consistency.

WARNING: Do not touch your eyes after handling this. Wash hands thoroughly.

MOLESKINE: my first love II

Here is my notebook collection. I am proud of them. I do not know why. The reporter I use as an everyday type thing. The Woodstock ones are unused. The composition is for recipes. I am starting a new compostion notebook for skincare and make-up tips I get from magazines.

Clockwise rom top right: moleskine large ruled reporter,

moleskine limited edition woodstock large ruled notebook,

moleskine limited edition woodstock large sketch book,

old school composition book, large sketch book.

A page out of moleskine large ruled reporter

of an idea I had for a cosmetic case.

A page out of the large sketch book I did of Lotus blossoms.

Actually it's not that large. I mostly use it for inspiration

"boards" (I use boards loosely here)

I am really getting into the whole notebook keepingthing. See below post. Maybe you will want to start to keep one too!

MOLESKINE: my first love

Are you a Moleskine fan? I am. there's something about writing in them that just makes me feel good. I never considered myself a notebook or diary person. However, I have been using them for a few years now. It takes me a long time to use one so I've changed them when I became bored or haven't used one in a while.

I bought my first moleskine in 2007. It's just now becoming used up. I use it to monitor bills and money. I've written stuff for work. There's things about how I feel about a certain boy I keep in my life for unknown reasons. I have written down the things I want for my life. Ideas for designs are in there as well as notes for school. You can basically see what I've been doing, feeling, spending money and time on, and other tidbits about me.

This first moleskine is the first notebook I have used up. I have 4 others I plan to use for creative things that I do purposefully. I will use them only because I spent good money on them.

Moleskine is my first love. I only like to use gel rollers in it. Only the best pens will do for my Moleskine.Recently I bought 2 limited edition Woodstock Moleskines. A large lined journal, and a large sketch book. I don't want to use them but, I must.

Hair Care

I belong to K.I.S.S. which is a haircare networking site for women of color. There is a section for you to post your hair care regimen. I thought it would be a good idea to post it over here to as this is where I really hang and for the people who come here after reading a comment I made somewhere else.

Brand Image Part II

I work 9-5 doing the thing I do to make a living. However, I am more than my 9-5 and would like to have a personal card that illustrates this.

Does the above sentiment apply to you? If it does then I have advice for you. Let's start with how you view yourself. Spend 20 minutes alone and think about you and the image that you believe you project.

In Graphic Design you use images and words to project an idea. Words take on a new meaning with the font chosen.
See how my name takes on different connotations based on font chose.

Another component is color. We see colors everyday that communicate what to do. The topic is too broad to go into here. I would give you the task of deciding which colors you like, why, and how you would like to use them. I I do not have any books on the subject because I have been reading about and using color in a very specific way for over 15 years. I recently came across a book while reading this post on Crafty Hues. The book is called Color Mixing Bible by Ian Sidaway. This book is aimed at artists, which I am not, but also has basic information for beginners.

This information is not just for a business card. It is also for your website, blog, gift wrap, stationary, or anything else that you will give or show that is a representation of you. A good blog to read about graphic design is Design Observer. Here is a link to archived branding articles on the Design Observer website.

Hair After The Gym..........weight loss

Let me preface this by saying that my hair is less than 6" long.

After the gym: At home I co-wash, add my shea butter mix, and do 2-strand twists going all the way back. I get 7 twists in. Tie up in a scarf and go to bed. My hair is usually dry the next morning. I then pick the twists out.

I usually sleep without a scarf and co-wash in the morning, add shea butter mix, pick out and go. I do not do anything special to my hair. I co-wash daily. I shampoo and deep condition 1x per week.

On another note I must say that your "home girl" is in the gym. I went 3x last week. I weighed myself Monday morning and saw a number I had not seen in a while. I am proud of myself and feel like keeping it up. The down side is that I spend a lot of my free time cooking or grocery shopping.

Brand Image

I have a friend who is completing a Image Consulting Certificate offered by FIT. This friend ahs long been interested in fashion. I myself wear khaki's and a t-shirt everyday but, I know a thing or two about fashion myself. So I'm gonna put my two cents in.

Are you Branded or do you look like everyone else in your herd? I love scarves I wear one with jackets all the time. However my scarf is not one of those middle eastern inspired jobs. Yes these are no longer in fashion but you get the idea. This friend can put a lot of looks together because she has been buying clothes for much longer than most of us and puts away the things she no longer wants to wear because of style, Silhouette or because she no longer wants to wear it for whatever reason. She mentioned that the "Image Consulting" has her confused about her Brand. My response was yes you do have many looks but your makeup is consistent in style, your hair cut has been relatively the same for a while now. So yes she does have an image that is unique to her. I could spot her in a crowd & know who she is.

This image is not in focus.

I say all that to say how does a person decide what to wear? How can you decide what to wear? I have some pointers.

1. Look to see who's look you admire.
2. Think about what you already have in your "closet".
3. Look in catalogs or visit the stores you like and look in your favorite magazines fashion and others.
4. Decide what pieces you would like to buy based on what you already have and budget.
5. Think about what you want your look to be in he upcoming season

Now here is the fun part.......Go buy the things you thought of from #4. You most likely will not buy everything because it's a work in progress and you will be tweaking this as you go along. Also, do not buy a bunch of different colors. If you are not pulling in six figures then you need to choose 2-3 colors aside from the basic colors so that you can mix and match.

My next advice is to go alone. Yes ALONE. Why? You shop with the herd, you look like the herd. As a person who worked retail for her entire college career I can attest that your friends do not want you to look good on a subconscious level. They believe what they say comes from a genuine place and on the surface it does.

But I like shopping with my friends? Well too bad for you.

They help me! Go back and read my last paragraph.

Did your BFF buy that dress while she was out with you. Nope! Why? Cause you can be negative.

My BFF and I go shopping all the time. In fact she is telling me that I need to buy some clothes because my shit is looking raggedy. She also said ahe wants to come. I did not say yes or no. The answer of course is no. I know what I want and do not want her 2 cents either. I know what I need and what I want to say. I buy things when I'm out with her. We know what the other likes and I will occasionally see something and buy it. My BFF makes purchases of a few things sometimes without me too because she doesn't want me telling her that her cold blooded ass will not wear a mini wool boucle suit in the winter. See negative not supportive.

Here is when to turn to ONE of your "home girls". You bought something and are not quite sure; ask her what she thinks. you will most likely get a fair response.

I say all this to say separate from the herd and dare to define your style on your terms. Don't get too crazy though. These rules apply to all remodels, men, car purchases, hair cuts, and anything else you want to be happy with.

So here are some links I find inspiring:

Que Jimenez
Apricot Tea
Jubella
Wardrobe Remix
Fly

My Shea Butter Mix

About 2.5 cups Shea Butter, 1 cup Olive Oil, a .25 cup each of the following Coconut Oil, Almond Oil, Avocado Oil, and Essential oils of your choosing. You can add 10-20 drops per ounce.

I use Essential Oils for fragrance. There are EOs that are good for your hair. Life Tea Tree Oil (I do not know what it's good for). You can also add Vitamin E to the mix. Remember that the higher the IU the purer the product and that If the Vitamin E is in a Carrier oil those oils are going into your hair too. So, read the ingredients.

The Going Ons of the Obamas

These are some pictures from the Official White House Photostream on flickr. In case you did not know you can use these pictures within certain guidelines which are posted under each photo on flickr.

Is it me or do they really look like children. Though I do suppose that the view of the pyramids as you descend into Cairo is breath taking. Even for the President.

"Students at Cairo University listen to President Barack Obama during his speech there on June 4, 2009. In his speech, President Obama called for a 'new beginning between the United States and Muslims', declaring that 'this cycle of suspicion and discord must end'. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)" (The Official White House Photo Stream on Flickr caption)

Now check out home girl's head wrap. I will definitely be copying this.

I just love little Sasha. This was taken at Notre Dame. You know they were given privilege to areas you & I wouldn't. This is a beautiful picture btw.

The Centre Pompidou Museum Paris

The Centre Pompidou Museum Paris

I have never been to The Centre Pompidou. However, these pictures make me want to go for a visit.

I think the following pic is adorable. Some people are in an uproar. I think that's their issue. The son of a White House staff member wanted to touch the President's hair to see if it felt like his.

Alma: My Grandma

I called my grandma today and spoke to her for the first time in years. I asked her if she was doing any gardening and she said she has a small 1. This doesn't sound small to me: Collards, turnip, eggplant, tomatoes, okra, squash, green beans. I was like that doesn't sound small.

Here is some photographic stimulation that will hopefully inspire both you the reader and myself to partake in Spring's last dance.

I am going to write a note to myself to visit the Farmer's market this weekend because this pic is from last year and I need some real food in my belly.

Brookly Botanical Gardens

I have been taking a photography course. For my final project I chose the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens emphasizing the Cherry blossoms. Here are some pics for your viewing pleasure:

"Shinto Temple"


"Cherry Blossoms"


"Cherry Blossoms: I used the flash to hi-lite"

It is my plan to visit the Gardens during other times of year. I saw some from the 1920's that were taken after snow had fallen of the Japanese Gardens. Beautiful.

UP-dates!!!!

So, I fell off the wagon but I am going to get back on. The said wagon is losing weight. I'm going to keep trying and when I fall off, instead of stopping, I'll just keep going. Weight is an everyday struggle. I made it a proper noun because in my world it's a real thing.

Also, I made some headbands at M&J Trimming a few weeks ago with a friend from work(Mechelle). They are cool I guess. I will take and post pictures at a later date. For now you just have to take my word for it.

I just had an idea for my giveaway. It will entail some creative mojo on the part of those who are going to want to be included. I am still going to have it. Some things will come from my stash and some I will acquire specifically for the give away.

It was really warm in the city this past weekend. I was walking around in a t-shirt and pants which alludes to my first paragraph. I want to dress in cute (smaller) clothes this Spring/Summer. I also have a case of athletes foot that I need to get in order. I ran out of cream and it came back a little. It your feet are really dry and cracked it may be athletes foot. I know it's a little yucky but it's real.

Mmmmm. What else!. I have a little afro now. This is going to be the first summer in years that I have had hair. Positive: head is protected from the sun because of my hair. Negative: I sweat in my hair(it's one of my extreme sweat areas).

Peace Out!!!

Paloma Faith

I went to the Free People blog and came across this video by Petra Storrs.

I went to youtube and found the actress in the video. Her name: Paloma Faith. My first thought was Amy Winehouse but different and I came across an interview on the VMP site and that was one of their comparisons as well.

I then saw that Ms. Faith is in a movie called St Trinians. Colin Firth is in this movie. It's British and Netflix doesn't have it. It's about the worse girl's school in England. It looks like a fun watch. You can read all about the illustrious St Trinian's School here. Here's the trailer:

Posting

So.....I do not post very often here. Well that is going to change. I like to have visual stimulation in my posts but do not always have the time to do it. However, I will post even if I do not have pictures to go along with it.

I want to do a giveaway this Summer. I need to work that out. I want to attract more traffic and see who is actually out there reading. It will involve everyone who has commented on my little place in the "blogosphere" because I will contact them in some way. So be on the look out for that. It will most likely be in July. Cause June is filling up a bit.

Peace. Out.

Totally Omarly

I've been taking pictures for a photography class I'm taking. The project is a photojournal and as part of said journal there must be at least 1 self portrait. I decided to take a picture of my feet. Good thing I was wearing my favorite socks ever. The O Marled.

These socks are the best. I like them so much that I need to have a pair on reserve for when I need to replace the color I'm wearing. For Instance Sock Dreams(The company that produces them) no longer has Black & Charcoal listed I have only 1 pair of each of these colors so they can only be worn on occasion.

It snowed overnight on Sunday. We usually get at least 1 snow storm in March. As I did not know if this were it or not I decided to go to Bryant Park and take some photos. Here are a few for your viewing pleasure.

The above photo is where the tents go during Fashion week. The building in the background is the Library. I think it's the main branch.

A Change Gone Come

Do you know this song. Seal remade it and while it's good it lacks the weight of the original version.

I have 2 friends. One of which has wanted to be a teacher since we met back in the 5th Grade. Well she is a teacher and texted me last week that she was bored and if the economy were better she would quit and do something else. Friend #2 will be out of work in May. She will be forced to do something different as textile design is drying up.

As for me well I need a change in my life and do not know what that change will be at this point. I need to lose weight, stop sleeping my life away, further my education, and get some direction. I have been floating through life with no direction, purpose, or meaning.

Moving In Reverse

I am tired and I want more. I tend to be LAZY. I do not know if it's pure laziness, depression, the feeling of being beaten down, the feeling that I do not like any of the few options I think I have, or just the fact that I have given up.

People who have unsuccessfully committed suicide have all said that their problems seemed in surmountable but that they now see that it was something that could be overcome. Well I feel as though my problems (while not that big), are so deeply entrenched that I cannot possibly climb out. It's like being in a deep hole that has standing room only. I see the sky, but the thought of climbing out tires me out before I can even start.