I really, REALLY don't want to...

Yeah so, I've been having a couple of bad hair days...okay, weeks....Alright ! Months! I'm just gonna put it out there, I hate to do my own hair. Ever since I was about 17 I have always went to the salon on consistent basis. I was the faithful client, never missing an appointment and doing whatever I needed to (legally) pay for the service. Come Hook or Crook, I got my hair "did."

Well these days I cry a different story. I still go to the salon...just not as often as before. The bad part is that I am so accustomed to getting it done, that it has made me lazy. I will go as lonnnnng as I can before I break down and commit to doing my loc maintenance ( tightening or twisting of the new growth from my dread locks). To make matters worse, I am not the best at preventive care for my hair. I know, shame on me. I do know better, I mean how hard can it be to put on a little Castor oil or Shea butter and put a silk scarf on my head before bedtime? Obviously for me it is on the high end of the difficulty scale.

Fast forward to my current visit for my daughter to our salon of choice Honeecomb natural hair . While my daughter is getting her hair washed, conditioned and interlocked I can feel the disapproving eyes of my stylist. Although we are chit-chatting away, picking up where we left off from the previous visit...Yeah, she's checking it all out with the sharp eye of a professional who is serious about her *stuff*. Just when I thought I was gonna walk away unscathed, she let me have it! Ever so gently... As she gave me my goodbye hug, she felt my locks. DRY, BREAKING, & IN GROWTH LIMBO. Oh what shame. *smh* I tried to go home and ignore the nagging thoughts of what she said, but it wouldn't go away.

Aaaarrrrggghhhh! I wanna scream, shout, even kick something. I. don't. wanna. do. THIS.

The nagging thoughts won. The bad thing about nagging thoughts though, is that you never know when you may have to give in to them. My time happened to be the very inconvenient time of 4 a.m. . I couldn't take it any more. I did what I had to do, washed, conditioned and maintained.

After all of that emotional turmoil, I have to admit....I do look kinda cute. ;)

It was a fat chance

Today I played hooky from school, yep I did. I went to bed with every intention of getting up at 5:30 am, leaving my house by 6:30, fight the traffic and sit at my desk at 8.
That's what my body was planning to do. My mind had other ideas. So it just did not happen.

I feel bad about it....well kinda. I just wanted one more day to lay around and do nothing. Actually I was doing somethings like; checking my humongous pile of emails, doing my follow up calls, and adjusting my calenders. I even found a little bit of time to study. I wanted to be doing stuff, I just didn't want to leave the house to do it. I wish there was a way to skype with my class on days like this. Although that may make it just toooooo easy. Habitual line steppers like myself just may take advantage.

This whole going to school 5 days a week thing is getting to be hard on a sista. Gotta stay focused. I promise I will be a better student tomorrow. Can't make any promises for next month.

... Featuring Norah Jones

Okay, I hate to admit it but I cannot say that I was a Norah Jones fan prior to now. I know, some of you might be staring blankly at the screen right now wondering "what's my deal. " Really I don't know why I never liked to listen to her sing I Don't Know Why...Go figure.

Fast forward to 2010 with the release of her newest CD featuring cameos, duets and collaborations with many other artists that I absolutely love. Her work with artists such as Herbie Hancock, Talib Kweli, Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson has me scratching my head and wondering where I went wrong with this woman. Obviously I had a misconception, and closed minded view of her talent. I allowed my opinion of one song to over shadow all of her other work. Shame on me.

When given the chance to review her CD I went for it, looking for a chance to try something new and was pleasantly surprised. I could not get enough of it! I am playing this CD daily hearing her renditions of certain songs I was already familiar with such as ; Baby It's Cold Outside & Here We Go Again. I have even been turned on to other songs and artists that I have not heard of before such as ; the Dirty Dozen Band (Ruler of my heart) , The Little Willies (Love Me) and Sasha Dobson (Bull Rider).

The musical selections span over a period of 9 years. Obviously 9 years that I have missed out on. Excuse me while I hit the repeat button...

The Cd is available in stores now. Go to Norah Jones Official website for more info. You can also check out her YouTube channel for interviews and behind the scene scoops on her collaborations.
*No money was given for the review of this CD. However through my affiliation with One 2 One network, I was provided the CD to give my honest opinion*

Hidden lessons from dear aunt Shirley

Lately, I have been in heavy thought about my dear, great aunt Shirley. She always held a special place in my heart since as long as I can remember. Perhaps it was her stylish ways that just kept me captivated. She was full of color, and had a very engaging smile and a LA-DEE-DA way about herself. She was such the diva in our family, and she gladly let it be known too! That is sort of the joke among some family members, when we begin to act in "high society"ways that are reminiscent of Shirley. Each of us secretly wanting to have some characteristics of her apart of us.....I mean, it's in our DNA to have a little bit of diva in us right? Only Natural.

*I pause in recollection, with a smile*

Well lately, I have been feeling so close to her although she is passed on. I feel close to her in the sense that I am finding myself drawn to some of the things that was so "classic" of her, putting her in my thoughts almost daily. Feeling like I can understand her reasoning on somethings, and wondering if this was the age of which she began to "be" the certain way that we all came to love about her. It makes me smile, when I see her reflected in me as I am more and more doing small things like her.

There were two things that she always did; 1) She always drank champagne and 2) she always wore sexy satiny lounge wear. In my memory of her, she did not have a special occasion to do these things. It was her routine. She was fancy and glamorous. Up until recently I just used to laugh it off, and think that was just her being "extra". But I have to realize lately that she was on to something and we just needed to catch up to her level. *side eye, sly grin*
It is in my understanding that her doing these things signified that she celebrated each day. She did not need anything special to sip champagne or wear her satiny pj's....she was worth it all the time. What a lesson! How often do I, do we live our life like it is a celebration? When do we take the time to appreciate our selves, and the small blessings that we have? My aunt Shirley was not a wealthy woman , but she appreciated the fine things, and according to her standards she had the best and she basked in it.

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone, enjoy the blessings in your life today. Share them with your family & friends. Don't wait for the special occasion to use your good china, or your nice tea set. I plan to Be like Aunt Shirley the Diva and pull out the champagne glass, pour myself some bubbly and relax in my satin pj's & robes....remembering that life in itself should be a celebration. The fact that I have yet another day to be my best self is a joyous occasion all it's own.

A valuable lesson indeed. Thanks Aunt Shirley....

Wordless Wed: Beauty on a cloud

*image from imagefave.com