trying to beat this emptiness, but i'm running out of time...

[this is an open letter to any one who may be going through a tough time right now. i just want to encourage you that things will get better and that after the storm, there is always a beautiful sunshine.] <3


my dearest sister,

it seems like when one of us is hurting we all hurt,  and at this particular moment in time it seems that we are all trying to find our way through this dark space.

i can stand as a witness to say that much is demanded of us on a daily basis. from lousy professors to boastful family members to stupid pressures of society, you are pulled in a number of directions and you feel like 24 hours is never enough time to do it all. but as the good word says, "to whom much is given, much is expected" (luke 12:48).

God has blessed you as a woman to be care giving, hard working, and a lover of and for all. you've been blessed to be this fierce, multi-tasking beauty for the world to marvel and while it may not seem like it, you are appreciated.

whatever the problem may be, trust and believe that you and i will get through it together. that's where our friendship have comes into play. we have to support each other no matter what the circumstance, and i want you to know that i've got your back.

you are a strong individual who is able to conquer and face anything. sure, it may take sometime to readjust and gain composure, but once you've taken that time out you have to get back in the game. like free bird lil wayne has stated, "i know the process is so much stress, but it's progress that feels the best", so keep it movin' forward girl.

as i close, i leave you with a line from a movie that was a staple of our childhood:

"you've got troubles, i've got 'em too. there isn't anything i wouldn't do for you. we'll stick together to see it through, cause you've got a friend in me." :-)

☮ and ♥, 

-*csc.

naturalista update:: my first twist out!

happy monday loves!


so i decided to do something a little different after washing my hair last night, and that was twist my hair and let it set over night. and let me telll you, the results were FAB!

after i washed and conditioned my hair (shampoo: elucence moisture benefits shampoo; conditioners: elucence moisture balancing conditioner and rosemary purifying conditioner by carol's daughter) i toweled dried it and added a little bit of cantu shea butter leave-in-conditioner to it. to give my hair shine, i also use coconut milk by organix. 

the finished twists :)

to twist it, i simply just part a small section with my fingers and two-strand twist it, sealing the ends with raw undefined shea butter. easy, right? once i was done (this took about an hour and some change) i just moisturized my scalp with more shea butter and put my silk cap on. 

right after the twist out - so curly!

this morning, i untwisted my hair to find these amazingly bouncy curlies on top of my head! it was simply terrific. again, i moisturized my scalp with shea butter and added the coconut milk to my hair for shine. to add a little pizzaz to my curls, i used a little bit of eco styler gel (the pink kind) and i was on my way. 

the added hair flower for freshness ;)

i loved the results from my twist-out, and i think it's great way to re-define my curls and make them look fuller. yay for natural hair! *lol*


what are some of your favorite styles for your hair, natural or not? 

☮ and ♥, 

-*csc.

apparel : the upperclassmen collection

in case you didn't know, the start of classes is just around the corner! (hard to believe right?) but don't fret! i thought that i would be smart to put together a mini-manual of classic looks that we ladies could rock to class on the daily. now that i am an upperclassmen, (shout-out to  the class of 2011, i see you!) i feel that it's important to look the part in addition to walking the walk and talking the talk. below are just a few selections that you can add to your personal collection from target, francesca's collections, modcloth.com and charlotte russe. i know that we college women are on a budget, but some of these pieces can not only last you all season, but even into the winter months. from cute tops to dressy skirts and cardigans, this mini-collection can give you a few ideas for your fall wardrobe. check it out and let me know what you think!

shoe love : my birthday, christmas & graduation presents

so i came across this picture today and i just thought that it was a great example of what i want for the number of celebrations and holidays that will be rapidly approaching. not these EXACT pairs of shoes, but an assortment of such would be absolutely perfect.

let's just say that now i am going into my senior year of college, it's time for my style to grow up just a tad bit. oh, and just WAIT til i share with you my wish list for my fall wardrobe. =)

☮ and ♥, 

-*csc.

ain't no feeling like being free - going natural :)

so i did it! i finally had the BC (big chop) and i couldn't more in love with the look. of course, before making the decision, i had been transitioning from having relaxers every six weeks to just going cold turkey.

i didn't even see the chris rock documentary "good hair", but going natural had been a though in my mind since fall 2009. i just wanted to take time to make sure that i was really ready to take the next step.

i've gotten such a positive response for my hair, and i'm sure that there will be some nay-sayers, but so what! i took this step for me, and i couldn't be happier. i know that this journey is going to have some ups and downs, but i'm ready for it.

this is more than just a physical appearance change for me, but i feel like i've let so much go by cutting off my hair *cue free by destiny's child* but seriously...there is something about going natural that makes a female become so much more in tune with her inner and outer beauty. i believe that india.arie said it best in the hit song "i am not my hair" that it's about the soul that lives within =]

there is such a large community on the internet of young women that have natural hair, and i've already got a number of fave blogs and youtube channels that support the go natural movement. i think that i chose the perfect time to make the choice of going natural, and i can't wait to see the evolution of my hair. as always, i will be sharing with you all my progress as i take this journey.

☮ and ♥, 

-*csc.

A Dedication to the Black Brotha

i tossed and turned all night trying to find the words to explain how i felt, but ms. angie stone seems to describe it so eloquently.


so to all of my hard working black men out there--the fathers, sons, uncles, cousins and friends...i salute you for simply being you. don't let the media with all of their so-called statistics day in and day out tear you down. keep doing your thing and continue to elevate yourselves, one another and our communities. you've got the power and potential to do great and amazing things, and i just wanted to let you know that i've got nothing by love for you.

☮ and ♥, 

-*csc.

public displays of affection: the madrid edition

 [aww, how cute.]

***

so i'm going on my fourth week here in madrid and one thing that i constantly notice every time that i'm out and about it the heavy displays of public affection. and i'm not just talking about holding hands or cuddling while walking down the boulevard, i mean intense make out sessions right in the middle of sol or on the metro. and it's not that i'm staring, you just can't help but notice it when you're walking down the street. now personally, i've never been the biggest fan of p.d.a., but after learning why there is such a huge desire to show love here in madrid, i think it's awfully cute and romantic.

according to my tour guide when i first got here, madrid was under the very strict dictatorship of francisco franco from 1939 to 1975.  

***

el ley de vagos y maleantes (the vagrancy act) of 1954, franco outlawed homosexuality, pedophilia and prostitution, making them criminal offenses. so that meant no caking, no boo-loving, no nothing for Spainards. this also meant that women in madrid had to play the "traditional" role of housewife/mom/caretaker and really didn't have any rights to testify in court, be university professors or even have their own bank accounts. once franco died in 1975, it was like the citizens of madrid and in surrounding cities were liberated and so ecstatic to break away from the many restrictions they had under franco's dictatorship, thus explaining the culture of today.

***

it just goes to show that we shouldn't be afraid to show love to one another and that something as simply as walking down the street with your boyfriend/girlfriend shouldn't be taken for granted. now, i know that in the united states, whenever we may see a couple showing massive p.d.a., we always encourage to "get them a room", but here in madrid, they really don't care and would probably feel some type of way if you told them that. being over here in spain has allowed me to be more open-minded and observant. in the united states, we can sometimes be so one-sided about things, but once you step outside of the country, you definitely see things a lot differently. so to my american folk, don't be afraid to show a little love every now and then.

"sometimes it's better when it's publicly..." ;-)

☮ and  ♥, 

-*csc. 

shoe-gasm double feature: nicholas kirkwood & christian louboutin

so as you may have discovered, i'm obsessed with shoes - specifically heels.


both pairs of these shoes make me say OMG (word to usher) and i want a pair of knock-offs as soon as possible (that is until i can afford the real ones)

the first feature is from my fave shoe designer, christian louboutin. ciara was spotted rocking these "let me tell you" ankle boots (retail $2195) while she was out to dinner with the bffers kim kardashian. aren't the just FAB?!

the second pair comes from a new name to me, nicholas kirkwood. kimmy k. was spotted wearing these rodarte corroded brass pumps (retail over $2100) on that same dinner date. check 'em out....

so in conclusion, *and usually i wouldn't say this* but having a "sponsor" would be beneficial at this point and time in order to rock these fierce felines on my feet. fellas, i'll wait...not too long of course ;-)


-*csc.

fashionably aware : terrell owens

thanks to you mr. owens, i will probably be rocking your t-shirt design permanently.

check out the adorable flick people of T.O. with his baby girl heading to the nuggets/lakers game.

 

precious. 

-*csc.

"i'm boss-ay!" - oh really?

 "you don't have to love me, you don't even have to like me--but you will respect me...you know why? cuz i'm a boss!" - kelis

My girls and I used to blast this song while crusin' down the boulevard back in high school and we thought that we had finally found our anthem for all the haters of there. that was four years ago, and now that I look back, I find  the song so trivial and juvenile. While I may still groove to it every now and then, in recent months it has been pretty big in the media how the number of single women, specifically black women is ridiculously high. And it's not just any type of black woman, but the "go-getter", the bread-winner, the "Miss Independent" that Ne-Yo sings to eloquently about. Is it wrong to be too "independent" or bossy now days? Does that really turn men off from wanting to date we women who are "always on our grind"?

As I was aimlessly floating around the Twitterverse yesterday, I came across a tweet that led me to the Facebook page and blog of Paul Carrick Brunson, the Modern Day Matchmaker. Ladies, have you ever wondered WHY after that amazing date the next day he didn't call us back? Well, Paul may be answer our questions and give us a few tips at why we didn't get that call, text or email the next day....






Even as a college student, I can honestly say that I fall in maybe one or two of those catagories - and it's so true! Sometimes those of us who are go-getters may be so focused and determined at aiming for the top that we lose sight of the simple things that make us feminine and sexy. Now, I'm not saying to completely deactivate the "go-getter" mentality, but we've gotta be able to play it up with our femininity and sexiness, and a hefty teaspoon of sass.

You can check out other episodes of Paul's "The Modern Day Matchmaker" at his website http://blog.onedegreefrom.me/; he's also on Facebook and Twitter http://www.twitter.com/OneDegreeFromMe. Check the brotha out ladies, he may be on to something ;-)

-*csc.

it just keeps getting better : dell presents OPI colored laptops

the dell inspiron 15 in OPI's "princesses rule!"

ladies, remember when we were younger and how much we loved to play in your mom's nail polishes? painting each of our tiny little nails a different color because we were so fascinated with how sparkly each shade was. now, we've got the chance to bring that dream to life.

dell has teamed up with OPI (the nail polish giant) to create a line of beauty-inspired laptop designs. i must say, i am a little jelly because i have a mac and i would love to have my computer be the same color as my nails - that's super freshness ^ infinity. with 26 different designs, all colors are traditional OPI nail shades, like green-wich village, teal the cows come home, big apple red, and my personal fave, princesses rule!

it's so cool that technology is advancing so much that companies like dell are allowing customers to personally characterize their appliances, and the collabo with OPI just shows that companies now days are starting to venture outside of their own realms, and initiating expansion for their own repertoire.

log onto http://www.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/design_studio/en/us/design_studio?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs to check out the many different cool colors that are offered. it's an additional $65 to specific OPI color of your choice. this just goes to show that our lives truly to revolve around technological advances, and it's only going to continue from here.

-*csc.