Can we get em back?! The good ole days..

As i sit here inside my home on a sunny afternoon, looking out my window noticing there are no kids around to play, i began to reminisce on my own childhood.

I remember getting up early Saturday mornings, throwing on some clothes and watching a few minutes of cartoons while i kill a bowl of Captain Crunch. All of this in a matter of 47 minutes before darting out the door to meet up with my friends.

Man, i remember playing games like hop scotch, some sort of patty cake games(down by the river, all hands up for 85, slide, baby one...one, etc.), playing hide and go seek but not without choosing a seeker first by tapping each persons foot reciting, "bubble gum, bubble gum in a dish, how many pieces do you wish...?" I remember all the girls coming together making up cheers and dances for the boys who prouded themselves on impressing them with their great football skills that they [thought] they possessed. They recreated an open field into a football field using anything they could find as the touchdown zone. I mean, we did everything. Ghetto olypmics, which consisted of a wall and a couple of mattresses that someone threw out. Yup....i said it! We would stand on a wall that stood about 3 or 4 feet high and do a back flip or front flip off of it onto a dirty old mattress. LOL! We were fearless. Thinking of it now, i cringe of the thought of why the mattresses were thrown out, but as a kid just wanting to have fun, we thought nothing of it.

Not to mention all the other games like, double dutch, hoola hoop, red light-green light, Freeze Tag, O-U-T Out, Dodge Ball, N*cca Knockin (don't ask. LOL), kick ball, four square and slip and slide with a litte dish detergent to make it a little more slippery.

And of course we had to have some penny candy to go with it all. Big blow candied gum, blow pops, Pixie Sticks, tootsie rolls, now-n-laters, lemon heads, boston baked beans, candy cigarettes, mary janes, wax candy with a sweet liquid inside, jaw breakers, fireballs and bazooka gum. For a few cents more, you could get Big Hunk gum, Sugar Daddy, Sugar Babies, Fun Dip or maybe even a Nutty Buddy. All we needed was 50 cents to stock up on enough candy to have a belly ache at the end of the day.

Being from the south, we ate a little bit of everything from the corner store along with the penny candy like the jumbo sized pickles in a bag, pickled sausage that was usually handed to you in aluminum foil so it doesnt stain your hands red, moon pies, pickled eggs and if you think that is bad, we ate pickled pig feet too. Ewwwhhhh!!!!

My grandmother was the candy lady in our neighborhood, but what she was most famous for was her flips! Some may not know what that is but basically all it is is kool aid frozen into a paper cup and then once purchased, its flipped upside down in the cup and eaten from the bottom since that is where all the sugar goes when frozen. What made my grandmothers flips special was she put fruit in hers! Pineapple was my favorite. She knew the perfect time to drop the pineapples in the almost frozen Kool Aid so that you would be sure to get a piece of fruit at every bite of your flip until you were finished! Can you say YUUUMMM!?!?!

We would stay outside in that summer heat until our parents called us in the house in the wee hours of the night. With the street lights on, we would group together and sang the most popular songs at that time. I mean, it would be a group of at least 30 kids or more. All the neighborhood kids looked out for each other. What happened to those days?

WHERE ARE THE KIDS?!?! I mean really, do kids even know how to play outside anymore? It really saddens me. Technology has taken over our babies. Cable tv, Wii, Playstation, XBOX, Nintendo DS, all of these console games have taken over the next generation, leaving our kids socially disabled and overweight. More at fault is the parents. Back in the day, our parents and grand parents sent us flying outside to play and would give you hell coming in and out of the house. My grandma would say, "Are you trying to air condition the whole neighborhood? In or out and it better be out!" LOL! I think parents now let the child do whatever they want as long as the child is out of their way and naturally most kids will choose the "in thing" because their friends are doing the same.

Granted, nowadays arent as safe as they were back in the 80's. You have pedifiles everywhere and its very unfortunate. But with that in mind, be smart about sending your child outside. I honestly think that i will still go outside with my daughter until she is a teenager and when she does become a teenager, please believe i will still be keeping my eyes on her nearby.

I miss the good ole days, and i will make sure my daughter has a full life and not miss out on what being a kid is all about! Please do the same when or if you have a child or children. One child at a time, and no child left behind.

Sincerelyniah! xoxoxo!

Friends...how many of us have them?!

Yes, that is a famous song from old school Hip Hop Rap artist Whodini, but i'm seriously beginning to wonder, how many real friends do we have and what is your definition of a friend???

First there was...

Then there was...

Trailing not far behind was...

And then of course...

And finally, the infamous "follow me" on...

Don't get me wrong...finding ways to stay in touch with friends is one thing, but when they replace your connection of a friendship is another. What happened to the times when you would actually pick up a phone to call and ask your girlfriend how she was doing and what was going on new in her life. Facebook and Twitter has totally replaced the need for you to do that.

If you want to know if your friend is in a relationship or recently broke up with her boyfriend, is engaged, has a birthday coming up, or some drama on the job, in her relationship or with family, you will find this information within the first half of the page on her Facebook wall. This leaves you with no need to pick up the phone. Next thing you know, you are communicating through Facebook only and eventually not at all. And we all know what happens after you havent talked in months on Facebook. Phone call finally you say?! Nope...DELETE off of friends list with the assumption that friend could care less what is going on in your life since they havent reached out and wrote on your wall lately. Crazy right?! Sad more like, but true in most cases.

Is friendship even real these days outside of the friends you grew up with and managed to hold on to or is it about how many people you can friend on Facebook or how many people you can follow or have follow you on Twitter? Seems to me its more about quantity then quality. Seriously, how many times do you look at your Facebook friendlist and say, "Who the heck is that and how or why did i even friend them? Like do we have mutual friends or something?" Without even thinking a second time, you are letting a total stranger into your life...literally. The pictures you post, the statuses you write, your deepest feelings....do they really deserve to know all of this?

I have to admit, i have been somewhat guilty of this, but i recognized it immediately and decided to call a friend at the first thought of them. Life is too short and friendships are important to have when your family isn't there, when your relationship falls apart, when the walls of your world seem to fall down around you, and when typing instead of talking just isnt enough.

In conclusion, i don't think social networking is a bad thing at all. I think it's great. I have found many friends that i thought i would never see again because of it. However, don't allow it to replace human contact.

Sincerelyniah xoxoxo!

My name is Niah and I'm a product junkie!

For a natural newbie, you can turn into a product junkie as myself before you know it. I was excited to see my hair grow into its baby 'fro shape. At the first sign of a curls, i was off to the store buying any and everything that i thought would help enhance my curl , bring out the shine and make my hair super soft and easy to manage. Its the fun part at the beginning of your journey but it can become very pricey. At some point in your journey (atleast within 6 months), you should be able to determine which products work best for your hair.

Well, trying to purchase a house, i am deteremined to put myself on a budget. With that being said, i have limited myself to the basics. They consist of :

•Moisturizing shampoo - Suave (Coconut scented)

•Clarifying shampoo (if you have product build-up)- baking soda does the trick

•Emulsifying conditioner - Carol's Daughters 'Tui Hair Smoothie'

•Styling cream or gel - Paul Mitchell sculpting foam and foam pommade (courtesy of my girl Camille! Woot Woot!)
•Natural hair oil - Carol's Daughters 'Lisa's Hair Elixir'

•Leave-in-conditioner - Aveda Elixir (which is discontinued, so i'm using a little at a time trying to hold on to it) or Cantu Shea Butter cream.

I am absolutely in love with Carols daughter moisturizing products. They can be pricey but they can go a long way. Once you get to learn your hair more, you will be able to create your own smoothies that work best for your hair. This is all the fun part about being napptural. Have fun and PLAY WIT IT! Heehee!!!

p.s. pictures of my growth coming to a blog near you. ;-)

Sincerelyniah xoxoxo!

Powerful Song, Powerful SiStars!

I know i am super late, but i just recently had the opportunity to see the 5th Annual Black Girls Rock Awards, which was hosted by my girl, Nia Long. It was originally aired on BET late fall of 2010.

I must say, this is the best awards show that i have seen in a very long time. It was not your average awards show. This show was powerful and had so much meaning. Empowering and honoring women of color for every generation and different genres. From Missy Elliott, to KeKe Palmer and Major General Marcelite J. Harris, amongst the many. Listening to the words of wisdom from Ilyana Vanzant and Ruby Dee, gave me chills all through my body. "The word 'Legendary' beginning with the word Leg. We are the Legs. If given the opportunity, we are the legs that will hold up the next generation." we're the words from Ruby Dee. "Black girls rock because we have to. So that our grandmothers know they didnt die for no reason, we will rock." Were the powerful words of Ilyana Vanzant.

The hightlight of the night for me was the Nina Simone “four women” song by Kelly price, Marsha ambrosius, Jill scott and Ledisi, which all happen to be my favorites. A song with poignant words that pierce the skin of black women with many shades, Nina’s song was an analysis of the status of women during her time (nina was born in 1933 and died in 2003)and to me, a song that is still clearly relevant today. It reaffirms our struggle against the idea that black women are anti-woman, anti-feminine, our exploitation and objectivity and fierce defiance at times.

Til this day, Nina is able to paint the pain of heartache through her songs often always saving the most dramatic stroke for the climax as she did with the last version of "Four Women" that depicts a woman by the name of Peaches who has been done so wrong in her life. On the surface, which is the wrong way to listen to such a song, you just see someone named “Peaches”, an “angry black woman”, but look deeper and you’ll see the meaning behind such a genius verse.

my skin is black
my arms are long
my hair is woolly
my back is strong
strong enough to take the pain
inflicted again and again
what do they call me
my name is AUNT SARAH
my name is Aunt Sarah

my skin is yellow
my hair is long
between two worlds
i do belong
my father was rich and white
he forced my mother late one night
what do they call me
my name is SAFFRONIA
my name is Saffronia

my skin is tan
my hair is fine
my hips invite you
my mouth like wine
whose little girl am I?
anyone who has money to buy
what do they call me
my name is SWEET THING
my name is Sweet Thing

my skin is brown
my manner is tough
i’ll kill the first mother I see
my life has been too rough
i’m awfully bitter these days
because my parents were slaves
what do they call me
my name is PEACHES

You know who you are...

To my glow worm!

Yours truly and truly yours,

sincerelyniah xoxoxo!

Nappturality done right!

As some of you may already know from reading my blogs or knowing me personally, i have recently shaved my hair off in efforts to go back to the way i came into this world. All of a sudden, it seems to be the buzz nowadays with African-American woman. I initially had my big chop back on 02/07/2007, but impatience only allowed me to stay napptural for almost 2 years. I was so anxious to run my fingers through my hair again, so i did the inevitable...permed it! Bad choice, but i dont regret it. I had fun with my hair, doing all the things i had never done...getting bangs, doing blunt shoulder length cuts, short sharp rihanna cuts, sow in weaves...i mean, i did pretty much everything to it but color it. Now i am back to being my napptural self again where i belong (for now) and love. One of my favorite R&B singers felt the same way.

“I was tired of black sista’s feeling subject to having their hair pressed and straightened, and damaged, with relaxers, and heat. I wanted to make short and nappy hair fashionable, and let the industry know that there is nothing wrong with the texture that we have been born with. So I plan to grow it out to the big beautiful nappy hair that I have.”
-Chrisette Michele

I'll be honest, my first reaction to this bold move caught me off guard. Its very rare you see anyone in the industry do something like this, and with meaning. Yeah, you have the Rihanna's and Cassie's shaving half of their heads off to be a part of "the now", and to be what is considered hip to set a trend, but to do something with meaning that is so much deeper than the surface, i can appreciate that.

I was my first inspiration to shave my hair off the first time, but of course, my fellow pisces and other favorite R&B singer Erykah Badu did the darn thing too, but way before shaving your head as a woman was cool. But that is what i love about her. She has that "I dont care what people think about me" attitude. And when i tell you homegirl rocked the heck out of that cut, it is not a game. Her beauty magnified.

Most people ask me, why did you just shave it all off instead of getting braids first to allow the new growth to grow out first? Well, i'll tell you why. I believe, to fully appreciate what you are doing, its a must to start from scratch and to not half step it. I must say, it's a bold move to shave your hair off, but when you do it, it is by far the most liberating experience for a woman. To walk around with your head held high knowing that you are beautiful in your natural state and don't have to conform to what society and mainstream considers acceptable, is a huge statement to make without saying a word. Its so powerful.

So although some trends are cute for the moment, like shaving your hair off on the side like La La Vasquez who is said to have mocked Cassie and Cassie who is said to have mocked Rihanna and Rihanna who is believed to have mocked...., well, you get the idea, be original.

Do what feels right for you but don't cheat yourself.

More of my favorite bald beautiful bold bombshells below!!!! :-)

And of course (saving the best for last)....ME!!!

Sincerelyniah xoxoxo!!!

A Pair for a Pair

Support a great cause and still be cute with a fresh pair of TOMS.

One for One

TOMS Shoes was founded on a simple premise: With every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. One for One. Using the purchasing power of individuals to benefit the greater good is what we're all about. The TOMS mission transforms our customers into benefactors, which allows us to grow a truly sustainable business rather than depending on fundraising for support.

Giving Is Catching On...

The TOMS mission of giving shoes has attracted other brands, resulting in unique and successful collaborations. Ralph Lauren sold co-branded Polo Rugby TOMS, giving a matched pair with every pair sold. Element Skateboards has issued limited edition TOMS + Element shoes as well as a One for One skateboard. With every skateboard purchased, one will be given to a child at the Indigo Skate Camp in Durban, South Africa. It is TOMS’ hope that as our One for One movement continues to grow, more and more companies will look to incorporate giving into what they do.

The TOMS Story
In 2006, American traveler Blake Mycoskie befriended children in Argentina and found they had no shoes to protect their feet. Wanting to help, he created TOMS Shoes, a company that would match every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need. One for One. Blake returned to Argentina with a group of family, friends and staff later that year with 10,000 pairs of shoes made possible by TOMS customers.

As of September 2010, TOMS has given over one million pairs of new shoes to children in need through Giving Partners around the world.

http://www.toms.com/our-movement/movement-one-for-one

True Story!

“Love is a meeting of two souls, fully accepting the dark & the light within each other bound by the courage to grow through struggle into bliss”
- The Daily Love

Vintage at its best

Spring is FINALLY here (well, still feels like winter), but technically it is Spring. It's my favorite time of year. The sun is out, the flowers are blooming, the birds are singing and it all makes me want to shop!!!

I'm not your typical shopping girl that runs to the mall and gets excited about running from store to store. Nope...not me at all. I'm a pisces, which consists of me being creative, so i like to mix it up a bit and make it WERRRKKK!!! LOL! When it's time to shop, i go straight for vintage.

Normally, i keep it local and try to find vintage shops in the DC, MD, VA area, but not this year. I plan to venture out. I hear Philly is the next best thing to sliced bread when it comes to vintage shops, so i think i'm going to give it a go.

I look back on all the fantastic outfits my mother wore back in the day and i think to myself, "Sheesh, i wish my mother kept all of her clothes from when she was younger." From high waisted fitted jeans and high waisted pencil skirts, to the gorgeous hats with the short mesh veils in the front. i just LOVE IT!!! It's all so funny to me because my daughter begs me now to keep all of my clothes so that she can wear them when she gets older. I take that as a compliment, so i must oblige!!!

I must say, one of my favorite things to shop for when it comes to vintage is the accessories. More along the lines of handbags, the oversized clutches, sunglasses and the jewelry. I guess this is why i favor star actress Tracee Ellis Ross from the hit tv show 'Girlfriends' and also the daughter of Diana Ross.

Tracee Ross' style is so beautiful to me. In my opinion, she defines elegance, classic, chic, edgy and vintage. No matter what she wears, honey is fierce!!! From baggy pants and a blazer, to a dress that can make the red carpet blush, honey is always on point with elegance!

This is a woman who embraces her curves, her nappturality, simplicity, her sense of being bold.....in short, she exudes confidence and to me, that is what every woman should do. I don't care if you are full figured, hour glass shaped or skinny as a twig, be fearless honey!!! WERKKK!!!

On a vintage note, its all about doing and wearing what feels good to you. If you wear it with confidence, than that is what shows. Vintage isnt for everyone for sure, but i dare you to give it a twirl.

sincerelyniah...xoxoxo!