My goals for the Year 2012

     Every year around this time you get the question "are you making any new years resolutions?/ what are your new years resolutions?" I hate new years resolution, honestly I think they are a bit pathetic, especially when you have a really god memory like I do and you are aware that this person has been making the same resolution for the last 3,4,5 years running. Lets not forget the one person who wants to be healthy and starts a diet that doesn't even last til the end of January. 

    

      I prefer goals, they are easier to attack and you wont get the feeling of being over whelmed since you can put them in a list and break them down into categories and subsections. Last year I only had 1 goal which was to be consistent with my Hair Regimen which by now most of you can see that I have been quite successful with. For 2012 I have decided to make a list of goals that I would like to achieve for the year. 

my 6 month Goal - Learn to swim by June 2012


Hair - Wash my hair every 10 days, ie the 10th, 20th, 30th of every month.
       - Grow my hair out to full armpit length
       - Relax hair only 4 times in 2012 march 31st, July 31st (or thereabouts) October 31st and December         31st


Finances - Save 25 from each paycheque
              - Place 25 into my credit union account every quarter in 2012


Spiritually -  Keep a still tongue in 2012


Education - Attend 3 academic workshops this term
                - Graduate in July 2012 




xx

BlogMas Day 19

     Ok ok ok I have been missing in action (somewhat) but I have not forsaken you my loyal readers. I had two assignment deadlines to meet last week and some job interviews, in the end sleep deprivation got the best of me. Also I did a deep treatment on my hair last friday (I am currently 10 weeks post relaxer right this minute) then I blow dried it straight with my heat setting on 0, and the speed setting on 2.  a post about that will come later. 

   BlogMas day 19 was wet, rainy and freezing cold. For some reason an Arctic front  has descended upon the UK and it is freeeeeeeeezing cold on so many different levels. I ventured out to the supermarket yesterday to pick up a few essentials (bread, milk, toilet paper) and I was dressed like the abominable snowman. I had on my  long coat which reaches mid way down my shin, a fleece under that and my knee high Wellington boots. Days like yesterday make me just wish I had a Harry Potter teleportation device because a beach, a bikini and a Antiguan Smile is sounding would be so good right now. Now I am off to play my Christmas music playlist on my itouch.

Hang low the mistletoe, I'm going to get to know you better, this christmas

xx

The State of the Union

We get so consumed with our elected leaders and all the things we think they should be doing. Sometimes I think we get sidetracked and subconsciously handicap ourselves. With a little collective effort we can get as much done as what we want our elective leaders to accomplish.  Do not wait for leaders:do it alone, person to person. - Mother Teresa 

My Winter Beauty Essentials

     Hello there I thought with the weather turning you guys would be interested to see what items I think are vital to me at the moment. It is a mixture of products some skincare, others are bodycare and some makeup. 

Nivea Essential Care lip balm  (the one with the dark blue cover) - the first item on the list is a lip product, with the weather so dry at the moment, lips are so easy to get chapped. I have been purchasing this for over 10 years. It is an oldie but a goodie, plus it's recession proof (aka very affordable). It is such a good product for me to quickly put on my lips to keep them moisturized and it is small so I can easily put in it in my handbag or my cosmetics case/makeup bag.

Palmers Shea Body Butter - this is another product which is very winter proof and recession proof, with the central heating and the cold air outside, I have been using this to keep my skin supple and away from  *the ash*.

Purell Hygienic Hand Rub - winter is the feeding ground for colds and flu, I have been using this hand sanitiser to keep myself germ free.what I love about the Purell sanitiser compared to others on the market, is the fact that it does not dry out your hands. 

Lotus Olbas oil Vapour Release Tissues - *whatyouknowaboutthat* yes its winter so runny noses come with the territory. I have been using these tissues to keep my nose dry, but also to keep my sinus passage clear. These tissues have been sprayed with tiny capsules of Olbas oil, so when I am going to use them I just crush the tissues up to release the oil vapour. Then I breathe in the vapours as I blow my nose.

 Boots Anti -Viral Tissues -  they claim to kill 99% of the cold and flu virus, cannot hurt I use them interchangeably with the Olbas oil tissues. Essential for the random runny nose.

Wet ones Be zingy Antibacterial Wipes - these are great, the original wet wipes, I use them on my hands, face or body as needed, and the citrus scent is great for the winter when everything is so blah. 

Shower Creams -  now I know that there is a great debate going on regarding shower gel and if it gets your body as clean as soap does. However I love shower gels/body washes.  For the winter I have been loving shower creams, shower creams are like shower gels/body washes but they have in more moisturizers and less sulphates ( the ingredient that causes the bubbles/lather). Products which contain less or no sulphates are less drying on the skin. The ones that I have been using are Original source Shea Butter and Honey shower cream (I have gone through 2 bottles already), Original source Vanilla and Raspberry shower cream ( this smells good enough to eat, reminds me of cupcake toppings), The Body Shop Shea shower cream, and The Body Shop Coconut shower cream.

Soap and Glory Some like it hot body softening Thermal Scrub - its an exfoliator, with all these layers upon layers, I make sure to keep my skin smooth by exfoliating twice a week. 

 Cowshed Cowslip soothing hand cream - Got to keep away the ash, I use this hand cream to keep my hands moisturized. As you know the hands are the first to show signs of aging , I am keeping them looking as young as possible for as long as possible. lol

xx

Miss Mai

The Story behind the Glory.

    Depression and many other mental illnesses affect many people of colour. However these illnesses often go untreated because of the stigma attached to mental illnesses within the black community. Read and share my friend Ritas' poignant Post about her battle with Depression. 

http://12images.wordpress.com/2011/12/13/being-a-loner/#comment-238 

Beauty Tag: Whats your fragrance?

Hey everyone this is a tag that has been going around the beauty community, so I decided to jump in and liven things up a bit. enjoy 

1. Floral, Fruity, Warm, Spicy or Food smell?

I love Floral scents, there is something about them, that is so feminine which I am just drawn to. 

2. Body spray or Perfume?

Perfume, for the longevity, body splash for versatility and portability. They both have their uses. (no to body spray)

3. What is your all time favorite perfume?

Gucci 2 by Gucci , though Ralph Lauren Romance comes a close second. 

4. What is your favorite Body spray? (splash)

Go Fresh by Dove green tea and cucumber body /splash, it is such a refreshing scent. 

5. What fragrance are you wearing right now? 

Go Fresh by Dove green tea and cucumber body splash

Hope you enjoyed the post, 

xx

BlogMas Day 12

    Woke up to rain, rain rain, went to uni, for a quick visit, that took me 1.5 hours walking to and from, so basically that was my workout for the day. Went over to a friends house to catch up with her after her trip. Came home  gathered some books and started making a reference list for my assignments. Christmas Day is on a Sunday this year, for some reason I don't think Christmas is as sweet when it falls on the weekend. 

xx

BlogMas Day 11

BlogMas day 11 was a chill day, finished folding more clothes, tidied up my room some more and rested up for the week ahead. Still not feeling the Christmas Spirit though. 

Words from another... T.I

"I do not know how to deal with boys, and the federal government has taken all my guns." T.I. 

Three Rules for Living

For the Lord gives wisdom Proverbs 2:6
To succeed in life you must do these three things 
1. Decide what is IMPORTANT.
2. PRIORITIZE your time.
3. Learn to MOTIVATE yourself.  "David encouraged himself in the Lord" Samuel 30:6
 To succeed in life you must learn to encourage yourself, pray and build yourself up.

Words from another ... Warren buffet

Have a dream and back it up with Faith. 

If you have a dream in life you must pursue it. It's your vision for what your life should be. What's important is that you must first have the vision then back it up with an unbelievable amount of faith. 

Hair Update

      My last relaxer was in September after a 3 month stretch, I am exactly 8 weeks post relaxer. Stretching my relaxer for 3 months instead of 2 months definitely  worked in my favour hair wise. I was able to see more clearly,  how much length I had retained when I took length check pictures. So I have decided to stretch my relaxers for 3 months at a time from now on. In 2012 I will only be relaxing my hair 4 times, compared to the present where I  relax my hair 6 times (every 2 months/8weeks) a year. At the moment I am in university, so I do not know how this might change later on when I get a full time job, but with everything in life we change and adjust. I have been wearing my hair in protective styles roughly 80% of the time. I did try bunning but combing my hair every day to put it in a bun is not the one for me, most days my hair is in two plaits and pinned up. I am 8 weeks post relaxer with alot of new growth, my hair is really thick. I have not seen anyone with hair as thick as mine on youtube or any hair blogs, For these persons whom I have seen their hair types and textures might be conducive to bunning every day, but  for my hair type it cannot work. Also after week 6 in my next stretch I wont be using coconut oil to moisturize my scalp/new growth anymore, instead I will be using Hairveda's Almond Glaze. I have a sample that I am using at the moment and this stuff is great. it keeps my new growth moisturized and helps it to lay down flat. I am going to try it a few more times though to make sure that it is not a fluke. If it works then I will be purchasing a full sized jar of it. I wont be using it on my freshly relaxed hair, because it is slightly thick and would just weigh my hair down, also it would be a waste of the product. I will begin using it from roughly week 6 to week 12 when the new growth is prevalent. I haven't had much shedding during this stretch, I am experiencing slight  breakage you know the little drabs from the ends, but that should be sorted out with a protein treatment, so I am not panicking or worried. My shower comb has been great during this time, along with my 2 other wide toothed combs.  

     I am undecided when to relax my hair lol, at first I wanted to relax my hair on the 31st December so that I would be fresh for the new year. However we don't have classes til the 16th January, and I don't want to show up the first day of class, which is a Monday with my head looking stale. Exams are from the 2nd January til the 14th of January so everybody usually looks a hot mess inCORporated during those two weeks.  Next problem is that My birthday is the 25th of January, and I usually get my hair done fresh for my birthday, that would mean me relaxing around the 21/21nd January. I have narrowed  it down to next relaxer being anytime between the 16th -22nd January.

BlogMas Day 10

     BlogMas Day 10 was a good day. My mommy came to see me (cheers to that), she stocked me up on some groceries, snacks and even brought some food that she had already cooked (the woman even brought seasoning). The cooked food came in handy after a a whirlwind 2 hours folding clothes and cleaning my room, for her arrival. It got me to thinking, though everyone's relationship with their parents are different. There is just something about my relationship with my mother that is different, maybe its because we are so much alike or the fact that I am her first born. I tell her I want to move to another country halfway around the world and she says "ok, you will be fine." While everybody else is being uber negative, she is just cool with the idea, she already knows that I am going to be fine. 

     I remember when Jennifer Lopez was speaking about starting her career and she had one time called her mother crying, saying she couldn't make it etc etc and her mother told her this is what you want to do, so go be successful at it. I just think no matter what you Goals/targets/ambitions you have in this world if your mother is supporting you, you have already made it half the way. 


xx 
Miss Mai

A mans view on helping men to understand the transition from relaxed to natural hair.

     I'm still laughing so there isn't much of a summary to go with this. This video is a has some good points on how to get your partner to understand, what you are doing to your hair and how it will benefit the overall, texture and appearance of your coif. Alot of people think relaxed hair all you need to do is put in some relaxer  and then it's da dun dun, similarly alot of persons believe that just because they are natural they can be running around looking  ashy headed  or they put lots of hair colour in their hair, or flat iron it all the time without heat protectant. Hair both relaxed and natural requires care and attention in order to maintain optimum health. Plus there is nothing wrong with educating your brother/father/man/husband about black hair care, it could be a way to increase intimacy or just build up some communication. Also it would stop you getting the looks like you are speaking spanish when you are talking about trying something new to moisturize and seal.      
     I have found that men do appreciate the effort that is put into maintenance be it hair, fitness or health even more so when they understand what the different processes are, and how different products work. Type 4 hair in the building. lol lol watch the video guys.

xx

Miss Mai

BlogMas Day 9

BlogMas day 9 aka Friday aka the beginning of the weekend.  Before the weekend arrives  there was work to do. I hit up the library again, did some stuff, (Economic Issues in International Business is a great class) went home and had a nap. After I woke up I caught up with my tv shows that I has missed during the week. 

xx

BlogMas Day 8

BlogMas day 8 was a bust. I went to work and got caught in a torrential downpour on my way home. 45 minute walk home in hard rain, equals me looking like a wet fowl. Lots of sneezing coughing and blowing of the nose ensued. The end

xx

Products I am using right now: Hair

Products that I am currently using at the moment in my Winter Hair Care Regimen

Washing
Elasta QP Shampoo for Relaxed hair 
Elasta QP Intense fortifying Conditioner (deep Treatment)
Ojon Damage Reverse Restorative Conditioner (deep treatment)

After washing - Leave ins
Infusium 23 Maximum Body Formula Pro-Vitamin leave in conditioner
Aphogee Green tea and Keratin Reconstructor (protein spray)
Matrix Biolage Iron smoother (heat protectant)
IC fantasia heat protection Serum (heat protectant) ------> if I am going to blow dry my hair and then flat iron it I will use this then blow dry, after blow drying I will apply the ic fantasia heat protection serum comb that throughout my hair to distribute evenly and then flat iron my hair.
IC Fantasia heat protection serum (heat protectant) ---> If I am going to blow dry my hair alone I will apply this after my leave in conditioner and protein spray in place of the iron smoother,  comb it through then blow dry my hair. This is also very good if you are air drying, it helps to keep the hair tangle free.   

Moisturizers/Sealants 
Coconut oil for scalp
Elasta QP Olive/Mango Butter (moisturize)
Organic Root Stimulator hair moisturizing lotion(moisturize)
Olive oil (seal)

Triple kick (sample of lush R&B hair moisturizer + sample of Hairveda whipped creme ends hair moisturiser + some Elasta QP mango butter + 1 spoonful olive oil + a little bit of ors hair lotion = Triple kick.  I did this because I had a sample of the Lush R&B moisturizer and though it smelled lovely and the shop attendants had told me of the great value of it, the sample was tiny, I would have needed 3-4 more samples to be able to moisturize my entire head. So I just threw  few things together and mixed them up. 

BlogMas Day 7

    BlogMas day 7 was one of those days where it was so cold I could not even think. There was a outside and turn around and go back to bed that ensued. It was freezing cold and I was not going anywhere, dreams of sunshine and short shorts floated in the air as I drank some Twinings Lemon and Ginger tea. All was not lost, I read a few chapters and looked up some information for one of my assignments, drank some more tea. Did some research and generally stayed warm. The Christmas spirit hasn't hit yet in a major way, only one house has decorations up on my street which is kinda sad, but on the other hand I understand why. Most electricity providers in the UK are going to increase the prices they charge by 20% in the new year, so people are trying to keep costs low. 

xx

The State of the Union

The State of the Union "Live your life like a Mission, not an Intermission" there is no Act 1 Scene 2 cut to the second part, you are the main character  act like it. K.L.S

BlogMas Day 6

     Today the stress has really started to pile up in terms of these assignments, the typing up and the double checking. Tuesday is my long day at uni so I go awol since I literally have classes from 9am -5pm. I took packed lunch with me roasted chicken & potatoes, some carrots thrown in for good measure. Of course being outside in the British countryside (my university is in the middle of nowhere and borders a highway) means that since I walk to uni, I am usually  at the mercy of the elements, needless to say I got to class looking a bit windswept. Trying to decide if windswept is better than "surfer girl"  which is how one of my roomates describes my everyday look.  lol I took some product photos after I got home, so I will be doing some product reviews soon. In the evening there was a little get together with a few friends and some Long Island iced teas -----------> You cannot go wrong with girl talk and happy hour. lol 

xx

Miss Mai

BlogMas Day 5

BlogMas Day 5 was very uneventful, I went to uni  since I had Lectures. After lectures I went to the library for a while to do some reading for assignments. This is the second to last week of the term so the lecture was lacking a few bodies, but the library was packed. It will be even more packed next week since deadlines are coming up. Then I went to Sainsburys to get a few bits and bobs. For those who don't know Sainsburys is a supermarket in the UK. I walked home after my trip to the supermarket. Put some chicken to defrost to cook later and at the moment I am eating some crackers with cream cheese and smoked salmon. 

BlogMas Day 4

December is here, yippieeee. For those of you who know I asboluetly love Christmas, I'm already playing my hristmas songs, and playlists disturbing the peace, but I don't care its Christmas. This year I am doing #BlogMas it started on you tube with several beauty gurus doing videos every single day til Christmas day aka December 25th.  Yes I am 4 days late but better late than never right? So since I am a Blogger (who knew) I will be  doing a blog every day til Christmas.

   To start BlogMas I will just let you know what I am doing. At the moment I am laying in bed tired as hell. Yesterday was a marathon day of standing up. I did a relaxer, deep treatment, colour and full head weave on a friend. We started about 1 in the afternoon and didn't finish til after 10 at night. So now I am bone tired and in bed with my cup of  tea. Twas a hard day lovelies.

Happy sunday to all

xx

Miss Mai

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People is a book written by Stephen Covey. In this book he presents an approach to being effective in attaining goals by aligning yourself with principles of character, these principles he describes as "The True North." Covey coined the idea of what he calls the abundance mindset/ abundance mentality, this concept feeds on the idea that there is enough to go around. All the success and resources are there to be shared with others, similar to the  ideals of the Eastern world  where everything done is for the gain of the collective. Covey compares this mindset to the scarcity mindset which he believes is based in destructive and unnecessary competition, this is founded on the idea that if someone wins then automatically everyone else has lost. Here the mentality is very western individualistic ( me, me, me, mentality nothing is done for the greater good). According to Covey individuals who suffer from a scarcity mindset never consider the fact that everyone may have a positive outcome from a situation. 

Independence or Self-Mastery

The first three Habits surround moving from dependence to independence (independence being the state of self mastery)

Habit 1: Be Proactive

Summary: Take initiative in life by realizing that your decisions (and how they align with lifes principles) are the best primary determining factor for effectiveness in your life. take responsibility for your choices and the subsequent consequences that follow. 

Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind

Summary: self discover and clarify your deeply important character values and life goals. Envision the ideal characteristics of your various roles and relationships in life. 

Habit 3: Put First Things First 

Summary: Plan Prioritize and execute your weeks tasks on importance rather than urgency. Evaluate whether your efforts exemplify your desired character values,propel you towards your goals and enrich the roles and relationships that were elaborated in in Habit 2. 

Interdependence

The second set of principles are concerning interdependence, how you work and communicate with others.

Habit 4: Think Win-Win

Summary : Genuinely strive for mutally beneficial solutions or agreements in your relationships. Value and respect others by understanding that a "win" for all is ultimately a better long term resolution than if only one person in the situation had gotten their own way. 

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood

Summary: Use empathetic listening to be genuinely influenced by a person, which compels them to to reciprocate the listening and take an open mind to being influenced by you. this creates an atmosphere on caring respect and positive problem solving. 

Habit 6: Synergize

Summary: Combine the strengths of people through positive teamwork (good section for managers, supervisors and team leaders to read) in turn this helps to achieve goals no one person could have done alone. Get the best performance out of a group of people through encouraging meaningful contribution, and modelling inspirational and supportive leadership. 

Self Renewal 

The last habit refers to self renewal:

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw

Balance and constantly renew your resources, energy, (spirit) and health yo create a sustainable, long term, effective lifestyle. 

Overall this book was an excellent read and definitely an eye opener, The principles are very easy to understand and implement in everyday life,with a bit of practice I should be on my way to being a highly effective person. 

Sigh

I get tired of fighting by myself, sometimes I want someone to fight for me. I pray and keep the faith, but sometimes I want someone here with me on the battlefield. Holding my hand, or even going before me as the first line of defense, leading the charge. I want you to fight for me, because I get tired of fighting by myself.

xx

Review: Organic Root Stimulator Olive oil, Oil moisturizing Hair Lotion (hair fave)

Wheew well that was a mouthful and yes that is actually the name of a single product, lol Here is a photograph. 

     I love love love this stuff. I definitely recommend it to all my girlies both relaxed and natural. The first two ingredients are water and coconut oil so this is a product which is def up there in the moisturizer category. It is very thick and rich which is especially good for cold/freezing climates when thicker conditioners and moisturizers are needed. This is also great for persons who live in hot or humid climates, all you have to do is use it in small amounts ---> a little goes a long way. 

     Also you could thin out the formula by squeezing approximately 1/2 the bottle into a container and adding 2  large tablespoons (the big one) of olive oil yes that same olive oil you have in your kitchen cooking with. Store in a cool space out of direct sunlight) This thinned out formula works great in the summer time for my relaxed hair, when I want my hair moisturized but not clumped down with products. This hair lotion is fairly CHEAP so this is what I call a recession proof product. Unless your hair absolutely HATES this there is no way you can go wrong. 

Lipstick Faves for Autumn/Winter

   Hey guys and gals long time no blog. This is just a quick list to tell you my Lipsticks that I will be wearing for the winter months. Now even though not all of my readers are in a cold climate like I am they will be sure to take away something from this post. 

Avon - A kiss of pink , this is a hybrid between a lipstick and a lipglos, it goes on smoothly and gives a great finish.

Sleek True colour  - Majestic, this is a gorgeous deep berry/plum shade it gives a matte finish, so you may want to pair with a gloss. 

Pics of my wearing Sleek Stiletto lipstick to a prohibition party....xx

Sleek True Colour - Stiletto, this is a lovely red matte lipstick with a tiny hint of an orange undertone, but not garish. You may pair with a gloss.

M.A.C. - Ruby woo this is a red liptick with blue undertones, it  also has a matte finish. This is the holy holy holy grail of red lipsticks, it looks great on every skin tone under the sun. I have it on good authority that it tends to be very drying so please make sure lips are well moist to prevent chapping, pairs well with Cherry lipliner also from MAC.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waDA_WaU6TA&feature=channel_video_title M.A.C Artist Caroline D. Creating a look that is as much red carpet glamorous as rock and roll rebel, she demonstrates the secrets to achieving an iconic red mouth. She is using RubyWoo lipstick from M.A.C.

Estee Lauder Pure Colour - Red apple, this is another berry lipstick it is a lighter berry, and has a lustre finish.

Rimmel London Lasting finish by Kate Lipstick - #01 this is a gorgeous true red lipstick which has a lustre finish. It is not too bright nor too dark, it is just perfect and at £5.49. with this baby you are guaranteed to turn heads and stop a few roads of traffic. 

Here they are  Red Apple, Kate Moss #01, Ruby Woo, and Majestic, Stiletto has pulled a disappearing act on me at the moment. 

Special mentions :

Sleek tinted lip conditioner in Scandal which is a delicious blood red lip conditioner.

Revlon superloustrous lipgloss in Firecracker.

I believe in manicures. I believe in overdressing. I believe in primping at leisure and wearing lipstick. I believe in pink. I believe happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and... I believe in miracles.

Audrey Hepburn 

words from another...Courtney from Most Eligible Dallas

"If you can't tone it you tan it" -Courtney from Most Eligible Dallas

Why you cut your hair?

It's back don't pretend you do not know what I am speaking about America's Next Top Model *All Stars*. Now most people know that Black women have an obsession with their hair. Always up in there doing something to the hair, changing something about the hair, buying products for the hair, or straight up buying some hair. Fried, dyed, laid to the side, chopped, popped, teased, weaved, gelled (hey hey we gave the world slicking down your baby hair with a toothbrush) its all about the hair.  We love everything about hair ----->Except cutting now on a good day a hairlista in training will but a 14 inch premium too 1b/40 and cut that up to impersonate Halle Berrys' latest hairdo. But her OWN hair now that is a no no. This is a combination of two things, 1. SCISSOR HAPPY STYLIST aka you go to the hairdresser for a trim and you leave with 3 inches shorter hair. 2. Black girls/women just like long hair and whether its scraggly, limp and barely hanging on ( yup you have seen the 1 strand ponytails) or nice and healthy. We don't embrace cutting of our own hair, because lets face it that hair takes long to grow back. On last nights episode of ANTM Nicki Minaj asked Cycle 5 favourite Bre Scullark "Why did you cut your hair?"  to which Bre promptly replied "The cheque looked good enough." I thought to myself good on you Bre, if the job requires short hair go hustle the money.

Don't Quit

Don't Quit 

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And when you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.


Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow,
you may succeed with another blow. 


Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victors cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.


Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit,
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.


Author Unknown

Have a listen....

Sometimes we as human bring are not fearless, and we pysch ourselves out of things. Love, relationships, opportunities because we dwell on all the things that can happen, the negative things, instead of jumping in and then letting the chips fall where they may. I'm here to say we have to take the risks, toooo be happy.

I will wait for you.....

My cousin popped up in fb chat with the link for this video, and said "this is to make you feel better, to let you know that God will send you Mr Right. So you will wait on him for him."
This video is not new to me, I have seen it before on blogs and around the internet, but who it came from and the message it came with touched me. Listen and enjoy.

The youth and the Church

     If you attend Mass on any continuous 6 week period you will observe something. The same people always participate in the liturgy they might serve, read, conduct the proceedings, or pick up the collection. There are some persons who attend Mass and arrive just before it starts and leave just after it ends. Others come week in week out yet never participate in any liturgical activity. Then there are the rest you know the people who only attend "High Mass" ie, Christmas, Easter, New Years. Why is this so? When the pope came to Hyde Park last summer he said that it is time for the youth to become more involved in the church, the older people should not stop performing duties but they should make space for the youth to take up the mantle as well. Sorry to say but I think this has fallen on very deaf ears.
     I attended Mass conducted by Bishop Donald Reece of St John's - Basseterre when I around 13/14 and during his homily he stated " If you want to get rid of all the young people in the church baptiste them and confirm them and you will never see them again."  This statement came to mind as Pope Benedict expressed the need during these times where morals are easily questioned, and family structures are shaky to make way for the youth in the affairs of the church. The church is not the building where Mass takes place, it is the relationship that we as a community have with each other, the invested interest that we take in each others lives, whether it be for spiritual, mental, familial purposes. If we invite the youth to participate in the liturgical activities, as well as the various fairs, fetes and other events put on by the church they may become invested beyond the point of just showing up. I am not saying that we should be turning out droves of young people who are flocking to the cloth. However we need to do better so that excuses like -------> I am tired today, or I don't have any "church" shoes are not common place.
     The bible says teach a child the way he should grow and when he is old he will not depart from it. "Why is is so easy  for the youth to depart from the church?" Is it that the church is not welcoming, or unforgiving? Yes people/persons grow up and develop new interests but what about their spiritual development? Is that an interest that no longer needs to be nurtured?

"Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there Among them." 

A picture of yourself with 10 facts.

#1- I am 5'4.

#2- I've never had a broken bone.

#3- For my future career I would like to be a UN Financier or create world peace.

#4- I have seen every episode of sex in the city.

#5- I have never stood inlove.

#6- I love writing --> hence this blog.

#7- I have 1 tattoo and my ears are pierced twice.

#8- I love carnival, mas, soca, and feteing.

#9- I love travelling.

#10- I am the oldest of 7 children and the youngest of 6, (but I am not a middle child).

words from another... Liz (Eat,Pray,Love)

"I don't need to love you to prove I love myself." 


"Being balanced is not letting anyone love you less than you love yourself."  


Sometimes you just need to be selfish, it your life so bottom line it is all about you. 

words from another... Jessica White

“Women nowadays, we connect physically too soon without actually getting to know the person. If you don’t actually give this person your body and then they let you down, there really isn’t a great disappointment; not like it would be if you have already connected physically. I started going on that journey, and I thought to myself, you know what, the next man that I give my body to will be the man that God brought into my life.” 

My great love...

Love is the opposite of fear." "Fear is the catalyst behind many of the ugly things in our world like jealousy, oppression and outright hatred." Erykah Badu

Most times when one refers to love they mean in a romantic way towards another person. However it is possible to have a great love which has nothing to do with a man. My great love is learning, whether its how to operate a follow spot, change a car tire, bake cakes from scratch, paint a wall or operate a power saw. I want to learn how to do that. I will never tire of learning new things, for that is my great love.

I have found the sweet honey that is learning
xx 

Hair-iversary

     In between Biffy Clyro and Beyonce I realised that it has been a year since I have been on my hair journey August 28th 2010, "confetti in the air". I haven't posted any pics all summer because I wanted to take a break so I could really check the length against my last set of pics which I have uploaded. It wasn't always smooth sailing, at first it was a real chore to deal with my hair and get the routine going. The products I had to throw away/stop using,  stuff I had to buy.  It was a real investment I had to make going in, not only financially (£10 on a shampoo whew) but time wise, and knowledge wise. I really wanted my hair to grow and grow as long as it possibly grow, go the distance so to speak. I know so much about hair now, my attitude towards hair care has completely changed. Not only relaxed hair but natural hair as well. My roomate has been on her hair care journey as well at this time and she is natural. So it has been good being able to bounce ideas off of her and get advice etc. Mishaps have happened my hair completely reverted whilst I was home on summer vacation. Humidity tried my patience no end, leave in conditioner is my "best hair friend" lol.

Second half of the 2010 -2012 hair journey starts in 33 minutes (its currently 11:27gmt).

For this second year I will be embracing more protective styles. I am not totally going to be wearing my hair in protective styles 100% of the time but I am aiming for 90%. The first 2 weeks after a relaxer I tend to wear my hair down, but I am going to be wearing it up more. Also I will be using different products during this leg of the journey. I think that the Matrix products that I was using in the past my hair has benefited, but now I am able to try new products since my hair is in a really healthy state. When I started this journey I was a year into recovering from damaged hair, in terms of dryness, and slight breakage. The Matrix products were lovely full of Argan oil and avocado oil. However I think that I am at a stage now where I can use other things. Going in for the next leg of my healthy hair journey I will be using Elasta QP products on my hair.

Elasta QP stop action shampoo

Elasta QP shampoo for relaxed hair

Elasta QP Intense fortifying shampoo

Elasta QP olive and mango butter moisturiser (3tblspoons of olive oil added and mixed in thoroughly, or 2tblsppoons olive oil + 1tblspoon of castor oil)

These are the products which will make up the base of my regimen. I will continue  using my coconut oil to moisturise my scalp, my olive oil to seal my ends (spray my hair occasionally), Infusium 23 leave in conditioner, Matrix sleek heat protectant. Will continue to wash my hair and deep condition every 2 weeks, moisturising and sealing every week minimum 2 days a week (possibly every other day during the winter). Also I will be stretching my relaxers from 8 to 12 weeks  (3months) at a time.

Thank you for all the support, questions, suggestions over the last year and thanks in advance for all of them to come in the future.

xx

1 +1 = 2

"Make love to me, so when the world at war, let our love heal us all, help me let down my guard,ohhh, ohhh, ohhh" I've never been in love but WHEN I do this song sums up how I want it to feel. 

words from another... Donatella Versace

"Be bold, be brave and have faith in your abilities. Never be afraid to try new things, whatever other people might say."

Donatella Versace
xx 

words from another... Dolly Parton

"Anything hanging, dragging, or lagging, I'mma nip it, tuck it, and suck it." Dolly Parton 

words from another... Paul Carrick Bronson

"It's funny how many things that make you smile, do not cost money."


xx 

words from another... Beyonce

"Yes I am crying, I am an artist and I am sensitive about my shyt." 

words from another... Rochelle

"You see alot when you are quiet and just be still."

silence is golden
xx

The Orgasm Diet

So you know typical morning I got up stumbled to the bathroom half awake located my toothbrush and was brushing my teeth. There is always a magazine in the bathroom at my house so I skinned back the cover and I thought I saw THE ORGASM DIET. Anyways I skimmed over this and about 2 minutes later when the brain started working it registered, I went and looked again and sure enough that is what I saw. So I thought interestingggggggggggggggg I must share this with my readers.

Introducing the Orgasm Diet by Liz Frost for Glamour Magazine.

Can what you put in your mouth really affect how much fun you have between the sheets? Liz Frost reports on the new diet that could mean better faster and more orgasms for you. 

     When couples have sex in a hollywood movie, it usually goes something like this: two perfectly toned people fall into a neatly made up bed and indulge in a few minutes of sweat free love making before climaxing in perfect unison. If only it were that easy in real life! In fact, research suggests 75% of women in the UK don't orgasm through intercourse and 12% never climax. Well, how would you feel if we told you that you could train your body to orgasm more easily just by changing your diet. That's what "The Orgasmic Diet", a new book by  Marrena Lindberg, is claiming. It's the first ever scientifically supported nutritional and exercise method to increase  women's libido and is taking the US by storm. 

"If you've never had a vaginal orgasm, this diet will change that" says Lindberg. "if you're already having them, you'll have them faster and stronger. You can  also increase the ease and intensity of your clitoral orgasm."

      So what is this magical diet  and where do we sign up? Lindberg says her approach involves 4 main components:

*A diet low in carbohydrates that's free from orgasm killers  such as refined sugar and caffeine.

*High doses of fish oil capsules

*Regular Kegel exercises 

*maintenance of the levels of serotonin and dopamine  - which are the chemicals in your brain that regulate  your libido, as well as improving  blood flow to your genitals. 

A typical week on the diet ...

Daily

25 Kegel exercises - you will find these muscles by stopping the flow of urine mid stream. Once you have located these muscles, tighten and relax.

* half on ounce of dark chocolate

*1 multivitiamin

* 1 vitamin c tablet ( a small glass of orange juice will do )

*Morning fish oil pills (1,400 -1,700mg depending on your weight)

*777mg calcium

*270mg Magnesium

*4-7mg zinc

In every meal you should aim to have 

30% protein (meat, diary, vegetables and fish), 30% fats (monosaturated fasts, such as olive oil and saturated fats such as dairy , meat and poultry), 40% or less carbohydrates, avoiding starchy ones ( white bread,  potatoes). Every few days, you will need to take 27mg of iron (as a tablet).

Monday Menu

Breakfast - Yogurt or cottage cheese, blueberries, strawberries and muesli

Lunch - Chicken Caesar salad

        - grilled shredded chicken, romaine lettuce, grated Parmesan cheese and Caesar dressing

Dinner - Steak Fajitas with peppers and avocado

Tuesday Menu

Breakfast - Omelette with tomatoes, onions and peppers

Lunch - Vegetable Quiche and fresh fruit

Dinner - Chinese stir fry in peanut oil with lean beef strips, broccoli, onions, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots with a small portion of white rice.

Wednesday Menu 

Breakfast - Two slices of bacon, one or two eggs and a piece of toast

Lunch -  Cheeseburger (without the bun)  and a big salad with everything but no dressing

Dinner - Greek chicken pittas with Greek yogurt sauce made with cucumber, onion and garlic and a salad of tomato, peppers, cucumbers, olives, feta cheese and olive oil.

Thursday Menu 

Breakfast - Yogurt topped with muesli and fruit of your choice

Lunch - Ham and Swiss cheese on grainy bread  with mayonnaise or mustard, pepper strips and carrot sticks.

Dinner - Roasted chicken with mixed broccoli and a mixed salad  with olive oil dressing

Friday Menu

Breakfast - Omelette with onions, peppers and cheese

Lunch - Tuna Nicoise salad

         - pan seared tuna over greens, black olives, capers, hard boiled egg and crumbled blue cheese

Dinner - Baked Aubergine with melted cheese and bean salad

Nutritional therapist Tim Taylor says "the fish oil is probably the most relevant part of this diet. High doses are used to alleviate conditions such as depression , which could in turn affect the way we feel about sex. Fish oils can also dramatically thin the blood - its possible that improved flow in the peripheral blood vessels could  contributed to easier orgasms. The diet encourages balanced blood sugar levels  by making you steer clear of refined  carbohydrates such as  whit flour and rice, as well as restricting alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine. This can have an affect on our stress and sex hormones. We know that chocolate can affect  responses  in the brain and affect dopamine levels  and while that alone may not be enough, in conjunction with  all the other parts of the plan this may help to unleash the orgasm."

** though this diet was created with a specific purpose in mind, this eating plan is really good especially if you are interested in healthy eating/lifestlye.** 

So break out the bottle of cod liver oil boys and girls.

xx