MyTube

So this is just a silly post sharing some of my favorite YouTube Videos as of late! I just like to share some of the little golden nuggets I come across that bring happiness to my life! I'll probably share YouTube obsessions from time to time! Enjoy! :)

How is it possible NOT to adore this hilarious woman?!?! I heart Tracee Ellis Ross...deeply!

This song & music video is the inspiration for a branding project I'm working on. FUN FUN FUN! :)

MyNaturalSistas is my newest fave for natural hair! These sisters are so pretty and relatable! I love all their styles a lot!!

That is all :) 

I'm a baby entrepreneur. I am learning the ropes of developing business plans, marketing strategies, campaigns and all that jazz. It's exciting and challenging. When "they" (whoever they is) say it's not easy owning your own business, they're not kidding. I'm really overwhelmed with everything but I'm sure that it will all work out. Below is a video sharing the aftermath of a disastrous day and the lesson I learned. All in all, put your business first. You can't really help anyone else if you don't have your house in order first :) Lesson learned!

Twists, Ties, Protective Styles- Oh My!

When dealing with natural hair, one of the tips that I've learned is that moisture is ESSENTIAL. Many of you may say, "Duh! I knew that!" Sure! But how many of you actually implement that into your DAILY routine? When I first moved back to Maryland from Atlanta, I found that my hair was super dry. I even went to a hair dresser and she couldn't stop talking about how dry my hair was. Her recommendation was to deep condition with heat. So I started to deep condition with a heated bonnet on a weekly basis. It's def. helped. However, I've found that the daily routine of moisturizing and sealing has proven to be beneficial in terms of keeping my hair soft, nice and moisturized. So what's the process? I'm so glad you asked! :)

1. I moisturize my hair with a water-based moisturizer. It's okay to just use water too. I switch between water, African Pride Braid spray, and a homemade aloe vera mix. The key is to make sure the hair gets some type of water in it. 

2. I also use a leave-in moisturizer after I put int a water-based mix. I really like the leave-in conditioner by African Pride. It's on the watery side and I prefer it because it's not super heavy. 

3. I seal my hair and pay close attention to the ends. I usually seal the hair with Vatika Coconut Oil. It's my absolute favorite. It's infused with a bunch of aryuvedic herbs and I really love it. I buy it at my local Indian grocer but I'm sure you can also buy it online. 

4. Once I finish sealing, my hair is usually twisted into 8 large twists. I have been wearing a lot of twist-outs lately so to style them, I've been using a little bit of Shea Moisture's Curl Enhancing Smoothie mixed with Eco Styler gel. I really like that combo. However, if you want to be a good naturalista, you might want to wear more protective styles like twists. Twists really keep the ends protected and can really help keep the moisture in. Protective styles are also key for length retention. Here are a few pics below with the products in addition to one of my protective styles :) 

 

I'm Grateful and You Should Be TOoOoOoO!!!!!!

A Flowery Hello to August & 2012!!

Who would've guessed that my very first post for the new year would be on Aug.8th? We're more than halfway finished with 2012 and I'm just now gettting around to this blog!!! What can I say? SMH.
2012 has definitely been interesting and fun. It's a shame that the first seven months weren't documented but hey, you live and learn! So...Happy New Year and Happy August!!! :)

There were a few challenges that I gave myself this year and one of them was to make sure that I have fresh flowers in my apartment once a month. I got the idea from this article in Apartment Therapy (one of my favorite shelter blogs). I LOVE flowers. I don't know why I didn't put them on my grocery list in the past. Ever since I changed that, my apartment has been a happier place!

Last night, I picked up a small bunch of hydrangeas and a bouquet of orange roses. I separated the hydrangeas and put one stem in the bathroom and the other on my desk. I LOVE seeing flowers in different spots of my house. It really helps brighten the day! Yay for fresh pretty flowers.

"Christians practicing Yoga": an oxymoron???

**Update 8/8/2012- I am still extremely torn on this topic. I don't want to do demon worship but I've become more acquainted with BodyRock TV on Youtube and the yoga poses are so strengthening and amazing. What is the alternative? I understand Mark Driscoll's point but ugh!! What gives? 
I was introduced to Mark Driscoll not too long ago via YouTube. This guy goes hard! You never have to wonder where he stands on an issue. I appreciate his fervor and his confidence in what God has taught him. However, the clip I saw today made me feel a little sad. I really like going to yoga. I feel longer and more relaxed by the end of each session. It really helps to relax me after a long day.  I've heard Christians say that it's demonic and that I shouldn't do it. I never understood that argument because I just thought, "God has way more power than the devil! Why give the devil so much power over something that feels so great for me physically?" Mark Driscoll has been the only one to effectively make the argument to the point where I'm ready to research more on yoga and not just evaluate it based on how I feel by the end of the session. If it's really as bad as he says it is, I've got to stop.  Meanwhile, I will now also do a background check on Pilates. I really love the feeling of control and strength that Pilates brings. I hope it's okay!!! Either way, here's the video. Check it out below:

mon{diy}day: Custom Dry Erase Board

I haven't done a DIY project in a while and honestly, I've been making things but I've been totally forgetting to post them on here. I found this dry erase board idea on another blog. I can't remember the name but I was so impressed with how simple it was that I decided I would do it myself one day! Well, the day has come and gone. I made this board maybe two months ago?!? It's been a while. However, I had a blast doing it. 

I went to Michaels and purchased a picture frame (you can def. get them cheaper elsewhere. I was just being lazy). I used a scrapbooking frame in this instance but you don't need all that. I purchased an interesting piece of scrapbooking paper, dry erase markers, as well as sticky letters & numbers.

This project took me all of five minutes to make. It's really really easy to stick the letters on, snap the newly designed scrapbooking paper back into the glass frame and actually use it. I love that instant gratification! :)

Here are pics of the finished product:

Can't forget those dry erase markers :)

Nice project! Lots of fun to personalize the background so easily and have such a jazzy dry erase board! Fun! Fun! Fun!