Chocolate Chat Atlanta

I attended my very first and most definitely not last Chocolate Chat event this past Sunday and I had a fantastic time!!  This event was hosted by Joined Forces of Atlanta.  "Swarthy Daisy" was our MC. It was held at a trendy space in the Historic Edgewood area.  When I imagine it in my mind, this is what conscious black Atlanta looks like.  There were members of the Art Community in the house, (Musicians, Singers & Poets) The Health Community, (Doctors, Nutritionists, & refloxologists) and Vendors (Jewelry, Skin Care, Make Up, etc,).  There were decadent desserts which included a chocolate fountain.  Wine flowed as well.  The energy was astoundingly positive and could be felt from the moment you entered. I just love meeting new people. Mingling.  Learning.  If you ever see events that involve any of the people or groups mentioned above, do yourself a favor and check them out, you wont be dissapponted.  Hope you enjoy the pics.  Peace.

You can check out the video for this event here Welcome to Chocolate Chat Atlanta

You can also check out more pics on our FaceBook Page

The SistahChick & Our Natural Kids

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Thanks for reading!

SummerTime Natural Hair Style for Kids!

Summertime is here and with it comes many fun activities. For kids with Natural Hair it's important to find a style that will work for YOUR child. Whether your child is active or not, it should be closely maintained in the summertime.  In the South temps are above 90 nearly everyday in the Spring and Summer. My LittleChick has gorgeous super thick 4a/4b hair.  Her hair is very dense and therefore it holds heat. It can be very uncomfortable for her if not styled correctly.  Here are the things that we had to consider for her.

#1.  A protective style
#2.  A hairstyle that would fit under a bike helmet.
#3.  A hairstyle that will fit under a swim cap
#4.  A hairstyle that can be easily covered with a scarf for gardening
#5.  A cute hairstyle.

What we came up with was good old fashioned "plaits".  Plaits are big braided sections of hair, plain and simple.  The style has been around forever.  Just as i wore my hair like this as a child, so will my daughter.  This style fits perfectly under a bike helmet without making her neck hot.  Swimcap?  No problem, because the hair is fairly flat and the ends of the braids can simply be tucked.  Moisturizing and braiding prevents breakage and preserves the ends from drying out, so the style is protective.  Plus its super cute!
After her hair has been washed and air dryed (in plaits) ...I resectioned it in 5 big pieces.  I used Uncle Funky's Extra Butter to add moisture the hair and I applied Lil Better Butter directly to her scalp. I braided each section down to the ends.  I also really like that this style can be redone or touched up fairly quickly in between washes.  Who wants time consuming hair days during the summer?  This is easy as 1, 2, 3!!

How will your kids wear their hair this summer and why?

Thanks for reading.

Peace :-)

Container Gardening

YES! I am giving it a try.  There is this real conscious sistah that I follow on twitter, @RaquelDog.  She has been tweeting a lot lately about her garden, as well as sharing pics.  She takes so much pride in what she does and her blooms are so beautiful.  Everything happens for a reason... I was looking for something educational to do with my LittleChick for the summer. So I looked into it. With container gardening, we can do it right out on our sunny deck and who doesnt want to grow and eat their own food, right?  So there you have it.  I checked out a few websites first, then we hit up Home Depot on Saturday night and I got what I thought we needed. 
Here is what we decided to grow:

Cilantro
Thyme
Basil

Oregano 
Parsley
Chamomile
Onion
Green Bell Peppers
Cucumber
Chives

At first I was headed for the established plants, but then i thought what's the fun in that, so we hit up the seeds.  Lucky for me we found some window kits, that had the containers, the seeds, and the dirt all together, so i got a few varieties of those. Then we swapped out the seeds that came with our own selections. I also got some bigger planters & moisture control soil for later when we move the seedlings.

My LittleChick was very excited about getting this going!  She wanted to start immediately.  Luckily, it was a bright & beautiful day on Sunday.  We sat together, we read all of the directions, we planned out our seeds, labeled the containers, activated the dirt pellets (yeah i said dirt pellets, give me a break ok?!)  and we sowed our seeds.

  ...As I watched her running her fingers through that fresh dirt, and smelling it, and laughing...  And I watched her amazement at the tinyness of the seeds and listened to her inquiries about how will it grow and why?  I knew that we were creating memories.  I truly enjoyed our time together and I cant wait to see what will be produced.  I will definately keep you posted!

Thanks for reading.
Peace :-)

Why I Write.

I was recently tagged by @LolasGreenHair, a Twitter friend of mine.  For those of you who dont know when you are tagged it usually involves a request for you and other "Taggees" to perform a task.  Whether it be responding with a YouTube video or a blogpost etc.  You have to do what they ask as well as tag others when you are finished.  That being said, I have been asked to blog about, "Why I Write."  An excerpt from Lola's post...
"...I had no earthly idea that I would gain so much from blogging! That said, I’m asking you (tag, you’re it!): NaturalbyL, TheSistahChick, HGKWW, OnyxxRose, and AisForAlex—Why do you write? Let us know in a post and tag 5 more bloggers. And while you’re at it, share 3 pearls of wisdom for other current or aspiring bloggers. "

hmmm?  That's a good question.  Why do I write?  I dont necessarily consider myself to be a writer.  I do like to talk.  To me writing is like talking.  I like to tell stories.  I think I have a lot of interesting things to say.  If you follow me on Twitter then know that this is true.  Like me, my stories don't give everything, but just enough to entertain you.  But its really just me talking. 

3 pearls of wisdom...
*Always be true to yourself.
*Don't ever do it for the money
*Respond to your comments

Thank you @Lola'sGreenHair for tagging me :-)  Ya'll please check her out http://www.lolasgreenhair.com/

and with that I tag @CurlHue @1984Lips4daze @willufight4life @KeeKeeAllNatural @AJCiti . (tag! you are it!)  Ladies please tell us in a post, Why You Write?  Please also tag 5 others and offer them 3 pearls of wisdom for other writers/bloggers :-)

Thanks for reading

Peace.

Ebony HBCU Campus Queens!

I am so very proud to announce that my niece, Lateia Taylor, has graduated from AND was voted Miss Tougaloo College 2010 -2011.  She is now in the running to be featured in Ebony Magazine's HBCU Campus Queens September 2011 issue.  My niece is super intelligent and is on her way to med school to be a neonatologist.  She is an athlete (she played basketball for Tougaloo 2007-2008) She is also very beautiful and an all around wonderful person.  We need YOUR help to make her dream of appearing in Ebony Magazine possible. 
Below you will find her promo video as well as a link to vote for her to appear in the magazine.  VOTING BEGINS 5/23 through 5/29.  EVERY VOTE counts, so please help me out by helping my niece.  She is so deserving.
(Remember to pause the Music Player (at the bottom of this page) before reviewing the vid :-))




THIS IS THE LINK TO VOTE on 5/23 - 5/29!!!
http://www.ebonyjet.com/campusqueens/cq_details.php?id=39

I thank you in advance for helping this wonderful girl achieve her dream :-)

Thanks again as always for reading.

Peace:-)

Natural Hair Cruisin 2011!

Wow!  Natural Hair ladies sure do know how to kick it!  There are 3 Natural Hair cruises going on in October 2011!!  They sound like they are gonna be SO much fun, maybe I'll get on one, maybe not, but I definately wanted to bring the info to you!

Atlanta Naturals Presents...A Natural Voyage.  5 Day Caribbean Cruise ~ October 17th - 22nd (This Cruise leaves from Tampa, FL)

go to http://anaturalvoyage.eventbrite.com/ for more info!

Showing My Roots Natural Hair Presents...North American Naturals Cruise ~ 5 Day Baja Mexico Cruise ~ October 10th - 14th (This cruise leaves from Long Beach, CA)

My Hairitage Holistic Hair Care Presents... 3rd Annual The Hairitage Holistic Hair & Wellness Cruise ~ October 15th - 19th, 2011 (This cruise leaves from Baltimore, Md.)

Go to http://myhairitage.com/press/?page_id=10 for more info!

Ladies, no matter where you are in the U.S. there is a CRUISE for you!!  If you go Please come back and tell me about it!  Who knows you MIGHT just see me on one!
Have a GREAT Summer!

Thanks as always, for reading :-)

Curly Girls Rock & World Natural Hair Show HAULs!!

It goes with out saying that I had a BALL this year at Atlanta's "Natural Hair Weekend" April 29th & 30th.  I kicked it off Friday night at The Curly Girls Rock soiree at Harlem Nights and I finished it with a fun filled visit to The World Natural Hair Health & Beauty Show on Saturday, April 30th.  You can view my videos for BOTH events on my You tube Channel:  The SistahChick's Spot. 

The SistahChick Attends Curly Girls Rock
The SistahChick & The LittleChick Attend the World Natural Hair Show

My documention of the weekend's events would not be complete without a "HAUL" report.  Don't you just love a good haul?  A "Haul" if you dont know, is the end sum of all items obtained in abundance from events, expos, shopping trips, etc.  It doesnt matter if the items are freebies or purchases, if you love them, you got them and you brought them home... its a haul! 

Curly Girls Rock sent EVERYbody home with something!  I mean they were giving away SO much stuff it was crazy!  They had door prizes, gift bags, samples, raffles, you name it.  We were presented with a NaturallyCurly.com bag at the door.  Inside the bag was:  A water bottle from Harlem Nights, and Samples from Mixed Chicks, Oyin Handmade, Darcy's Botanicals, Hair Rules, SofNfree & Pooka Pure & Simple.  African Pride was there giving out samples, I saw Miss Jessie's gift bags too and there was MUCH more!

I even won a raffle!  I was so excited when they called my ticket # and ESPECIALLY since my prize was a Sage Naturalceuticals Gift Set.  It included:  Full size bottles of Oyin Handmade's Greg Juice & Honey Hemp Conditioner, A coupon for 10% off and a gift card for $25!!!  What a night! 

I Just LOVE a good giveaway!!

The next day we went to the World Natural Hair show.  I must say that I was disappointed that I could not get the Jane Carter items that I wanted.  I had planned to try a few new things as well as stock up on some stuff.  Unfortunately, about 20 thousand people beat me to it.  Oh well, since i couldn't get that stuff I moved on to other things.



Just a few things

 

...other bangles and baubles



I love, love, love my Uncle Funky's Extra Butter.  Lucky for me they were there and fully stocked!

I was already a fan of Pura Body Naturals products, so i picked up some Sapote Hair Lotion & Capuacu Hair Butter.  I also saw Afroveda there and decided to pick a couple of their products to try.  I wonder if my hair will agree with their Moisture Milk Herbal Hair Conditioner and/or the Curl Define Hair Butter Cream.  I will be sure to let you know! 

The JessiCurl products looked interesting and smelled great.  The lady at the booth was so nice I had to get some Too Shea Extra Moisturizing Conditioner.  I cant wait to try it! 

Since the hair show I have given Taliah Waajid's Curls, Waves, & Naturals line a try.  I picked up the Curly Curl Cream, Curl Sealer and The Great Detangler.  Stay tuned for the review!  In addition, I picked up a few sets of TW's Kinky Wavy Natural Kids line to be used for giveaways.  Each set includes:  Berry Clean, Style & Shine, and Herbal Comb Out.

Can you say, "Happy Camper"??  I am gonna have so much fun trying out and reporting everything to you!  Stay tuned!

Thanks as always for reading

Peace :-)



Pretty Girl Rocks! Jewelry Making Parties

Pretty Girl Rocks Parties by Ayana Glaze, LLC are jewelry making parties for girls age 5 to 17. Girls get to design and make a custom bracelet with gemstones, glass, wood and other beads and embellishments.

I had the pleasure of hosting my very 1st Pretty Girl Rocks party for my daughter and I cannot begin to express the fun we had!  Ms. Ayana was punctual and very patient and engaging with the children. 

There were 6 girls gathered in my home for my daughters 9th Birthday Slumber Party. 

The jewelry making party lasted for approx 2 hours.  It was a fantastic way to break the ice for some of the girls that didnt know one another.  Ms. Ayana came in with all of her supplies and set up the table before we brought the girls in.

When they came in and saw all of the shiny baubles their faces lit up! 

I KNEW we were gonna have a good time!!!

Ms. Ayana started by introducing herself and followed by explaining what we would be doing. 

She then allowed each girl to choose between a pink or purple satin bag.  She explained to them the importance of storing jewelry to preserve it. 






The PGR jewelry making party was also very educational.  We learned about stones and minerals and how they are colored and formed.  It was very hands on.  The girls enjoyed being able to touch everything. 

We designed our own jewelry. 

At the end we got to keep our bracelets!

If you are looking for something fun and different to do, check out Pretty Girl Rocks ~ Jewelry Making Parties for Girls & Women.

Links:
PGR Website
PGR on FaceBook

Thanks for reading!

Sistah's Top 5 Leave In Conditioners

I consider myself to be the Queen of Wash N Go's.  Its my signature style.  Why? Oh I dont know.  Its quick, its easy.  No muss no fuss.  Right?  Well it wasnt always that way.  When I 1st went Natural it was the only style I knew.  The products that I was using back then were not condusive to a healthy WnG style.  The main reason is because they failed to keep my hair moisturized through out a day, which caused frizzy inconsistancies with my hair.   This issue is very important. If you want to rock a GREAT WnG you'll need to find a GREAT Leave In.  I look for products that will  assist my hair in retaining moisture, while remaining soft and touchable.  I also like it to smell good. I like flowery and/or fruity scented products.  When MY hair gets moisture it spirals and shines.  If can find a product that can make this last for a week, then I feel like its a good product.  I believe that my hair is thin type 4a/4b. It enjoys a thick, creamy, leave in conditioner. 

 5 Leave~ Ins that I LOVE and Why!

Oyin Handmade Honey Hemp Conditioner ~ This is my absolute favorite.  It smells AMAZING!  thats first.  Its marketed as a Conditioner that can also be used as a leave in.  Its organic.  I use this condish after every Wash/CoWash and under any other Leave In that I might be using.  Its the first thing that I apply to my damp hair. No special method, just a quarter size sized amount smoothed thru my hair from root to ends. I usually follow with another favorite. It seems to immediately seal in moisture by stopping my hair from dripping once applied.  Its not super thick.  I also use it to enhance some not so favorite products, if they are not doing what I want them to do.

Giovanni Direct Leave In Conditioner ~ I love, love, love this stuff.  I found this product when I was looking for an organic alternative to Mixed Chicks.  It works great alone, but also plays friendly with other products.  A little goes a long way with this product.  I usually shingle this in AFTER i have applied my Honey Hemp Condish and let my hair air dry.  I also use this to twist my lil Chicks hair (I add jojoba oil to it for her)  I love the way this leave in clings to my hair, it smells really good and seems to dry quicker than the rest.  Its nice and thick.  This product is certified organic and is sold at Whole Foods. 

Ohm Body Sweet Hair Pudding ~ I am so glad that I was recently introduced to this product!  (This is where my product Junkyism pays off!!!) Its a very thick strawberry yogurt looking cream. It comes in a jar and It smells divine. Not only does this product smell like a treat, its like a decadent treat for my hair.  It seems to grab and absorb into my hair, holding onto it while it dries. Leaving it super curly & soft to the touch.   (I have also used this product for a Bantu Knot out and got EXCELLENT results)

Kinky Kurly Knot Today Leave in/Detangler ~ I got this Leave In along with the Kinky Kurly Curling Custard.  Although the Custard did nothing for my hair, I found a gem in the Knot Today.  I am not sure if this one is organic or not.  I use it as a leave in. It smells great, it comes in a bottle so its not super thick, but very effective.  It dries leaving my hair soft and touchable, just the way I like.  Its not necessary to add anything to this conditioner, it works just fine all by itself.  You can get it at Whole Foods and Target.

EO Lavender & Aloe Conditioner ~  I was introduced to this conditioner by a friend on YouTube.  This product is not marketed as a Leave In.  Its an organic condtioner that smells absolutely heavenly, that is if you are a fan of Lavender like I am.  It works great for detangling, and I use it as a Leave-In also.  (I have never experienced and residue or build up from doing this).  This product plays very well with other products (especially Giovanni) Of course since I fell in love with this conditioner, they have reformulated it and its no longer being sold as "Lavender & Aloe".  Luckily, I was able to hit up EO's web warehouse special when they were getting rid of the old formula.  I wont tell you how much i got, but I will be using it for awhile (smiles).  While in TJ Maxx recently I was able to find some of their new formulation so I picked up bottles of Citrus & Vanilla Shampoo & Conditioner.  I'll have to let you know how it turns out!

What are some of your favs?

Thanks for Reading!

Peace :-)