Say HEEEEEY to Ja'Myya!!

Ja'Myya is one of my newfound favorite persons. I haven't known her for that long, but I feel like she's been in my life for eons. Myya is married to my best friend, so by default, she's my best friend lol. She is one of those people that you just automatically click with, ya know? Her way of joking, her open mind, her smile, her love for herself, her passion for truly living. She's a one of a kind that fits in by standing out. Her vibrations keep you lifted. She takes a lane and turns it completely into her own. 

While we still have yet to 'meet' in person (*ehem*), I am blessed to have been able to call her my friend. She's more than demonstrated how loyal she is. When she says something, she means it with her whole heart. Her peaceful semblance resonates with who she actually is. Not a show, or just a pretty photo. Ja' Myya is also a bomb mother, hair stylist, henna artist, photographer, the list goes on. I know as time goes on, my mission of stealing her from my best friend will be accomplished lol! 

When I asked Myya what makes her most proud to be a woman, she said:

What makes me proud to be a woman.

I am able to set a positive example for young black girls. Especially in the world we live in today where we are born into self-hate. A lot of pressure is put on all women to be so much while still being ourselves. For years I lost who I was. I was Lisa's daughter. Alicia's little sister. Khayce's mom. I was everything to other people other than ME. And it took a lot of strength and self-evaluation to find Ja'Myya. But those tough times are what helped make me who I am today. Losing myself in other people's happiness helped me find me. 

Life is precious and as a woman, I am proud that I am able to assist in the creation of life, and carry that life for 9 months and then give birth to a beautiful life that has the potential to make an impact on the world. I'm proud to be a wife. I'm his peace in the middle of chaos, his nurse when he's sick, a masseuse when he's sore, and cosmetologist when his locs need to be retwisted, a cook when he's hungry. I'm proud to be a mother. For my children I am a source of nurture, a bridge throughout life as they figure out their own paths and a shoulder to cry on as they make mistakes. 

I'm proud to be a woman because of the beautiful people God put in my life.

Well put don't you agree? Keep being YOU Ja'Myya and the rest will follow. Today, I honor you boo! 

Women Making History Series: Catherine

Y'all say Heeeey to Catherine!!!

Catherine and I have known one another since the fourth grade. THE. FOURTH. GRADE. We're reaching 30, so you guys do the math. This woman is without a doubt a diamond. The smile you see in the photo above is how I've ALWAYS known Catherine- positive, cheerful. Even when I've seen her sad that smile was always right behind it. She has NEVER switched up her personality for anyone or anything. She has always stayed true to herself, she's NEVER passed judgment on others, and she's so loving y'all. Catherine is really one of those people you always want to hang with. Her spirit is contagious!! You can't help but be in a good mood around her because she won't let you be sad for too long. 

When I had my 2 oldest daughters, Catherine (and her mama) came to see me both times. I never told her how much that meant to me. She's been a consistent friend in my life and we don't have to speak daily to know that the love is there. I'm so proud of her, literally, I'm proud of her entire life. She never quit on her goals, she's an excellent mother, and now she's married!! I just love her so much and I'm getting emotional writing this. 

When I asked her what makes her most proud to be a woman, she said:

Okay. I'm proud to be the first one in my family to get a Bachelors Degree. Proud to be a mother of 2 smart young black boys. Proud of having the strength to work for all I have. Proud of being with my husband for 10 years and (now) married to him. Proud to come from a strong black woman who has raised her kids to be strong black individuals of society.

Catherine is a light. If you ever meet her, you'll see what I mean. I'm so blessed to know her. Today, I honor you girl!

Women Making History Series: Kim (Isis)

This is Kim. She also goes by Isis. Either way, say HEEEEY!!! 

Kim is the BOMB! The b-o-m-b! This woman is the one that will get you allllll the way togeva (yes, with a v), doing so with love. Isis and I "met" on Periscope lol. One day around the time Periscope had just started to pop, her scope came up in my feed so I decided to watch. It was herself and her crazy roommate/business partner Alton talking about relationships. After that, I followed her on every social media platform she had and made sure I interacted with her whenever she was on. Later on that year, Isis and her crew came to Houston to be apart of the Nzuri Natural Hair Expo. Meeting her was beyond everything!! Her spirit was and still is very contagious, it was warm, it was nurturing, it was a blessing.

When she speaks to you, be ready to change your life and your current state of mind because when she's done...you will NEVA be the same. She'll have you questioning yourself like 'Why didn't I think about it this way before??' You may cry too so just have some tissue on standby. Isis is extremely pro-black & pro-woman; from shopping with and shouting out black businesses to speaking to women at events all over, to writing and releasing her own book (find it here) to aid women in finding their inner peace. Isis is really the total package and doesn't bend, fold, flip-flop, or phony in anything she's ever done. It has been an honor to get to know someone like her.

I asked her what makes her most proud to be a woman. Her response: 

"I believe that our ability to cultivate vision makes me most proud to be a woman. Woman by nature can see the possibility and potential in others.  We take this ability and nurture it to help bring out the best in that being.  This is a strength that most women are unaware they even possess.  I call it the "Eve Effect".  Once you become aware of it, you understand its value.  Unfortunately, many sisters are expending this precious gift on people who are unworthy of our cultivation.  In my book, I discuss this in detail... basically Ladies, "put your chisel down!"  Stop giving so much of yourselves to build a man for someone else.  The man that requires that cultivating spirit will be YOUR Man, husband, someone who has proved their worth."

*Snap, Snap.* Today, I honor you!

Women Making History Series: DeNeka

Y'all say heeeeeeeey to DeNeka! She's one of those extremely RARE and RAW people that you just have to hold on to once you find them. I really believe her heart is made of pure gold, as cliche as it sounds. She's a gem, a good luck charm, an encyclopedia, and a shot of tequila all wrapped together. She's a fighter, trust me when I say she comes out on top with EVERYTHING she does. Anything she touches turns into a masterpiece. She's a perfectionist, and I say that with the utmost respect. She does not let any negativity or any defeats define who she is as an individual, but most importantly as a woman.

The most important thing in DeNeka's life is her daughter Jazmin. She makes sure that her baby girl is shown daily how to take life by the horns and still keep it classy. That's one of the many things I admire about her. When I found out I was pregnant with my youngest daughter, I asked her to be her Godmother. Not only did she accept, she also took on my other 2 daughters as her God babies! If that ain't love then I don't know what love is! She's physically seen me and been there for me in some of my darkest hours, it's more than fitting that I'm there for her just as much. We've only known one another for 3 years, but it feels so so much longer. That's my dawg. Period. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

When I asked her what makes her most proud to be a woman, this was her reply:

"What makes me most proud to be a woman is our ability to be flexible. We get pulled in so many directions and juggle everything we have our hands in be it relationships, work, children, community, etc. We bend and try not to break until we are overwhelmed and overloaded. As women, we bare the weight of the world on our shoulders and bring life to everything we are needed in. "

That statement is truly the essence of DeNeka. Today, I honor you 💜

Premiere Week!!! Bluemercury & Sprout Tv's New Series Floogals

Last week I got the chance to attend two great events. The 1st one was for the grand opening of Bluemercury, which is a luxury beauty shop-in-store located inside of Houston's Memorial City Mall (in Macy's). This was my first time attending an event like this so I was really pumped up about it. Seeing as how I'm trying to do a tad bit more on the makeup side and explore different brands and colors, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to do so. There were two areas that caught my eye, the Lune + Aster bar and the Clinique Pencil Bar ::

So many gorgeous colors, so little time to choose!! The CEO's were in attendance and made sure they went around the shop to personally speak with everyone to let us know a bit about how it all began. 

Myself & the adorable Brittainy Perry of Styl'd Grace speaking with CEO Barry Beck

The company Bumble & Bumble were in the building, and the company Educator, Erin Armstrong, was showcasing their new line BB Curl which caters to curls...ALL curls! Pretty exciting since I'm a naturalista. She saw my hair and fell in love! Of course she tried a sample of the Primer and the Defining Creme on my puff!

I can honestly say the end result was given 5 thumbs up! This will be a product that I will invest in, in the near future! The Bumble & Bumble website website is hyperlinked above. And yes the line is alcohol, paraben, and sulfate free!! Make sure to go check them out! There were so many other awesome product lines, makeups, and smell good in one space so I made sure to take all the pics I could... and here's a collage to showcase the greatness of Bluemercury! Enjoy!

The 2nd event I attended was a luncheon for Sprout Tv's new original series Floogals (pronounced like Google but with an 's'). We got to sit and have group conversations with Lisa O'Brien, Sprout's Vice President of Original Programming & Development, Cady Meshnick, the Communications Coordinator, and a host of other individuals including fellow bloggers. I cannot even begin to explain how excited I was for this event simply because I'm a mom!

 With the age range being geared towards 2-6 year olds, this show is perfect for my 2 minis because it's about exploring life from their viewpoint...alien like if you will. Children see objects and places in a totally different light then adults, and this show portrays that very well. There are 3 main characters: Flo who is the only girl of the group. She also seems to be the smartest as she is the experimental, inquisitive one. Her character is a huge image for female scientists and I love that. There's Boomer who is the leader of the pack. He's the one that acts as the enthusiast. Then we have Fleeker- the klutz of the group that makes the show humorous.  Sprout sent us home with two sneak peaks of the show, which premiered January 23rd and airs daily at 8pm ET/ 7pm CST. I had my minis and my 'niece' watch it...they were glued to the screen. They absolutely loved it! 

Oh yeah, the location of the luncheon was a restaurant called Benjy's- "a modern American dining experience with warm Texas hospitality". Beautiful decor and even better menu selections!!! I will be dining there again! And as always I took photos for your viewing pleasures...happy looking lol. 

Top row: Sneak peak of an episode of Floogals,my babies and niece enjoying the show
Middle: A main entree of shrimp & grits, dessert from Benjy's
Bottom: Lisa O'Brien speking with us about the background of Sprout and Floogals

Thanks for reading, I hope you guys enjoyed. Be sure to check out all the good stuff mentioned here today! Have a great day and remember