I'm Walking

Just heard Mary Mary’s new single called 'I'm Walking' and these women are speaking some serious truth. The song is about how most of us are rushing through life wanting everything today; trying to prove to ourselves that we’re worth something through achievements and acquisitions. We’re blindly reaching for the greatness that we already are when instead we should simply be certain of it and enjoying it. I’ve been so busy chasing after things to make me happy when the core of me is happiness; I just had to be still enough to realize it. This is one beautiful illusion, the game called life. It’s not as serious as we make it out to be. I’m not gonna rush through it anymore. I’m taking my sweet time. I’m walking. My destination is experiencing the grandest, highest version of the love that I already am and I’m enjoying every moment it. Here’s to a beautiful journey, no rush.

Jewel by Lisa

I know for certain, this is one of the designers I'm gonna rep on the red carpet someday =) Afro - chic vibes

Sunshine and la-la-laz

PHENOMENAL WOMAN

Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelo

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms,
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
the swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
what they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them,
They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Now you understand
just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing,
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
the need for my care.
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Stone Cherry

Nkhensani, feel free to open a store in Kenya! I LOVE YOUR CLOTHES!!! Stone Cherry rocks,I love her rich colours, fabrics and beadwork!!! Africa is the future. The end.

NAPPILY EVER AFTER

Oh Em Geee...you cut your hair??? Why on earth did you cut it, it was soooo long????
If I had a penny for every time I’ve heard that since I did the big chop!! Well, surprisingly, my only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner. Oh the freedom of natural hair, my goodness!

One day I was chilling in my room, dreaming of having long locks like Goapelle (you know, the singer)...and picturing how I’d style them! Then it hit me hard, those locks wouldn’t just emerge and I was done dreaming about them.I walked up to the mirror and like some fugitive on the run, chopped off my relaxed hair. Well, that may not be very accurate because fugitives usually just dye their hair another colour...Hmmmm....

Nevertheless, with determination and the frustration brought on by my relaxed tresses, I snipped and chopped away like Edward Scissor hands. (Ever wondered why he never took the time to give himself a haircut...always disturbed me how he had all those scissors and still had crazy hair.) Anywho....where was I? Oh yes, if you’re thinking of going au naturel and are still having your doubts, take it from me...SO WORTH IT! The random swimming plots that could not be done post re-touch, the walking in the rain without fears of a set being destroyed and not to mention the showering WITHOUT A SHOWER CAP...bliss!

There seems to be a nappy revolution going on. More women of African descent are falling in love with their natural God given hair and letting go of the ‘creamy crack.’ It’s beautiful to see, from Hollywood to Africa, the happy nappy sisters embracing their locks and their fros. Every other day I see the big facebook reveal of a chick whose decided to go natural and it makes me so proud. I know I’m in good company. Here are a few pics of some super duper fly napstars =)

The lovely Zolani (watched her perform live...IN THE RAIN!!!) Memories =)

Lira, the South African songstress (also watched her live 2yrs ago)
Fun times

Soulful Esperanza Spalding

Is Kelis just funky or what?

Solange looking too cute

Loving Thandiswa's do' African diva in the house

Does Zamajobe look a bit like Sanaipei Tande? Beautiful!

Bree from Top Model looking fierce as ever.

Last but not least, the gorgeous Chrisette Michelle

Ode To Happiness

I read this poem at the back of an Essence magazine sometime last year and have been itching to share it. I love it so much because it just describes so many things that have made me happy for all of my 22 years on this planet....one or two are waaaaay out of my African context, like playing etch-a-sketch (had to google that one!)but most of it is pretty much what every one of us has done! It's a treat, enjoy!

Ode to Happiness
Ode to Happiness by Jazminia C. Griffith

This is my ode to happ-i-ness
This is my ode to being blessed
This is my toe tapping,
Hand clapping,
Finger snapping,
Playing outside on a stormy afternoon,
This my ode to singin loud in the shower
even when I'm out of tune
This is my wind song,
my "glad to be your friend" song
My love song too
This is my "I'm so glad to be alive,
and I'm so glad that God blessed you"

This is my screaming at the top of my
lungs, just tryin to have fun poem,
This is my no need to fight, make everything
right poem
This is my "I'm gonna love you, until you
feel it to the bone" poem,
This is my "I just want your company, don't
want to be alone" poem
This is my ode to happ-i-ness, this is my
ode to being blessed

This is my lucky seven, my lil piece of
heaven, right here on Earth
This is my delivery to you all as though
I'm giving birth
This is my self-esteem, my candy dream,
my peaches and cream
This is my tear jerking, silly smirking,
ear curling scream

This is my harlem shake, my heel-toe,
my rocking the reebok, this is my snake
swerving, hip curving, freak while
I'm doing the "whop"

This is my hopscotch, etch-a-sketch,
playing jacks on the sidewalk ode
This is to trying hard not to laugh too loud
when your mama told you not to be
on the phone

This is my ode to having a crush that
makes you blush and makes your
stomach start to flutter,
This is that rhyme that clears your mind so
that it's no longer cluttered

This is my piece of art right from the heart
as though I'm painting on a canvas,
This is my girls' night out, so I can scream
and shout, and just dance and go bananas

This is that gaze in your eyes that can
hypnotize you when you're on that first date
This is that first kiss, that moment of bliss
and feeling like that person
is your soul mate

This is my ode to happiness,
my ode to being blessed
No more pain, no more drama, no more
shame, and no more stress
This is my peace,
my love,
my joy and nothing less
Aaaaahhh, yesss ...... ode to happiness
COPYRIGHT 2005 Essence Communications, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group

Plus signs in my eyes

              I love how in cartoons when someone (yes, cartoons are people too) has the chance to make money, huge dollar signs flash across their eyes. That’s me, except I’m not a cartoon, there is no grand money making scheme and instead of dollar signs I’ve got plus signs flooding my vision. No, I’m not a math geek or a colorful personality with a thing for swallowing crucifixes while dressed up as a nun – wonder who that could beJ I’m just seeing the world through the filter that is positivity +

              Optimism is said to be the thing of fools, only I’m not very sure who said it or even where I heard it said! Either way, what I’m sure of is this; many of us feel that positive thinking is some lame starry eyed fairy in the sky gimmick sold to us on the Oprah Show (no offense Oprah, I know how much you love reading my blog). At least that’s what I thought up until about a few months ago and then I read an interesting statement…Whatsoever a man thinketh so is he. Expounding that statement, what kind of a person are my thoughts making me? If I’m always afraid, always doubtful, if I’m negative all the time; what’s the end result? In my case, a pessimistic scaredy cat with tonnes of self doubt, at least that’s who I was for a very long time. Whatever you think you are, you are! If you think you’re life sucks and nothing good ever happens to you, then that’s what you’ll end up with. If you think you’ve got what it takes and you’re life is an amazing gift, then you’ve got what it takes and you’re life will be lived out with gratitude! If you think you’re an evil villain and harbor narcissistic tendencies and mass delusions of grandeur with regards to taking over the world, then….maybe you’re crazy and are in need of psychiatric helpJ

               It’s simple really, your thoughts have a big part to play in your present reality. Any negative thoughts you’ve been carrying around? Let me tell you how to relieve that unnecessary burden and its nasty outcomes. This is where the plus signs come in and it’s about looking for the good in every situation and giving thanks for whatever you have. I try to be thankful for everything: the trees, the sky, my hands, my stinky feet, the water and soap that wash my stinky fit, the bathtub, and the tub of Nestle Blue Berry Cheesecake ice-cream in the supermarket that will one day sit in my fridge (feel free to make this happen.)  Anyway, you get the idea and may I suggest that you try out the Attitude of Gratitude challenge for one week. Look for a reason to give thanks wherever you are and whatever you’re doing throughout your day and see how it works. Be grateful for the traffic that gives you time to daydream or read a novel, give thanks for your moody boss who will someday give you a big raise (we’re being positive here.) So now you ask, is that really realistic? Allow me to ask….What good has ‘realistic thinking’ done for us so far anyway? Feel free to differ, but ‘out of this world’ things do happen, it’s only that more often than not they frequent the lives of people who believe they can. SO…I dare you to give gratitude and plus signs a try. Heck, take a pair of sunglasses and draw plus signs on the inside with a marker if you have to remind yourself to look at the world differently. Of course you might look a bit strange at first, but who knows- we just might start a trend! HAPPY THANKSGIVING – yes, I don’t have to be American to say that, I checked! J   May your eyes be filled with plus signs!!    + + + STAY POSITIVE + + +