Sweet Georgia's Juke Joint ~ Atlanta

Do you believe in love at first sight?  I hope so that you can understand what I felt when I happened into Sweet Georgia's Juke Joint last night!  I immediately fell IN LOVE with this poppin spot located on the corner of Peachtree & Ellis St (Midtown).  When I think of a "Juke Joint" I think about The Color Purple and that raggedy place they built in the swamp that was packed EVERY weekend, because they had the best music and food.  It was the place to be!  When the doors popped open we were met with wonderful sounds & mashup stylings of the band Gritz & Jelly Butter.  As we waited and were seated, we listened to these guys cover many favs from R & B, hip hop, rock... you name it.  I heard a lil Ye, little OutKast, some Phil Collins, Jilly...the list goes on.  Atmosphere is everything in this open concept dinner club...
A beautiful 3d mural graced the entire wall on one side with a small stage to the North.

Flat screen tv's flashed throughout with the performances of many well  known hit makers from the past like Gladys Knight and the Pips, Diana Ross and The Supremes and the Jackson 5 to name a few.  The bar was behind us and packed with patrons ordering drinks such as one of the house specials, Cat Daddy Moonshine and snacking on those Juke Joint Wings.  This place was hustling and bustling, but not over crowded or rowdy.  ya know? Grown Folks.
The wait staff was impeccable in my opinion.  How hard it must be to deliver hot and delicious food while navigating through crowds who are dancing and grooving to a fabulous band.  Our server was friendly, courteous, knowledgeable about all of the dishes and very prompt with our every request.
I LOVE southern cuisine.  The menu had everything from Shrimp & Grits to Seared Duck.  I had the Catfish and Grits.

 If ya'll follow me on Twitter then you know I always have this ongoing back and forth with my friend @BeRealBlack4Me on the proper way grits should be prepared and eaten. (Mainly with or without sugar. I'll save that argument for another post!!) But when I tell you that I had an experience when these fabulous Parmesan Cheese Grits hit my tongue...mmmmYumm!  and served with coleslaw and sweet apple corn relish. As you can see it was a generous portion.  The catfish was piping hot with a nice perfectly seasoned flavor and a crunchy coating that melted in my mouth.
My friend had the Peach Glazed Alaskan Grilled Salmon served over Mashed Potatoes.  I snuck a bite and it was was to die for!

Ok what else... I dont know what else.  If you like great atmosphere, good food, excellent service, and fantastic music... go there.  I'll definitely be back.
http://www.sweetgeorgiasjukejoint.com/about.html

This is my first restaurant review!
Thanks for reading!

Natural Hair Meet Up at Urban Grind - Atlanta

You know what I miss?  I miss good old fashion natural hair meet ups where you can just get together and talk.  Call me old school, but I love it when we get back to basics...CANDID face to face discussions about natural hair.  I met up with some other Atlanta Naturals at Urban Grind, a trendy little coffee shop in Atlanta.  Hosted by my girl @SwarthyDaisy we really had a wonderful evening.  It was a small gathering.  We sipped caramel machiattos, munched on paninis and enjoyed the eclectic atmosphere of Urban Grind as we discussed natural hair and what it means for us individually.  We discussed whether the "natural hair movement" was a fad. We talked about texture acceptance and we shared best tips and practices with one another and much, much more.

Our Host
Ericka aka @SwarthyDaisy

Naturals from all over Metro Atlanta

 

Natural Beauty

Ericka also introduced her newest baby, "Fro-Fi Collective".  It's a group whose "...goal is to talk about technology and ways to make our online lives better." I am looking forward to watching this latest project develop.  For more pics from The Urban Grind Natural Hair Meetup....

Click Here  ~~> Urban Grind Natural Hair Meet Up Pics!!

     
Thanks for reading!

Fro Fashion Week Fall 2012 - Lead Press Supporter

I am so so excited to have once again been selected as a Lead Press Supporter for Fro Fashion Week Fall 2012!!  The Spring 2012 edition of this bi annual conference that celebrates the beauty of the natural black woman was nothing short of fantastic.  They Are Doing It Again!! For an entire week (September 24 - 30) Fro Fashion Week brainchild Tarin Boone and her crew are bringing us all things Glitzy & Glamorous and I cannot wait to bring you front row access to ALL of the events.

"...Fro Fashion Week...is the ultimate celebration of the natural woman. With consumer and professional workshops, natural beauty care bloggers, the stylish drama of the Fro Fashion Show, the penthouse party, and unique onsite activations by leading brands in this space, Fro Fashion Week elevates the conversation above the level of trade shows and expos and makes it intimate, intellectual and attentive to the expectations of the sophisticated woman..."
                                                                                         www.FroFashionWeek.com

In case you haven't had the pleasure of attending one of these events, below are links to ALL previous coverage including posts, pics and vids!!  Go ahead click the links and see what you have been missing!!

Fro Fashion Week Spring 2012
Bloggers, Brands & Brunch (post)

I Love Me & I Have a Right to Remain Curly (post)

A Day of Events (pics)

Penthouse Party 2012 (pics)

Fro Fashion Show 2012 (pics)

The SistahChick Attends Fro Fashion Week Penthouse Party!!


Fro Fashion Week Fall 2011
Fro Fashion Show (pics)

Penthouse Party (pics)


The SistahChick Attends Fro Fashion Show! 



I am SO looking forward to this event!  I hope to see you all there.  Thank you Ms. Boone for this opportunity!

Peace

Recipe ~ Apple Dump Cake

This is the only cake that I know how to make.  I do not remember where I got the recipe from, but I have been making this for at least 15 years.  This is a no fail, always perfect, cobbler like dessert that ANYbody can make.  It is especially fun to have the kids get involved.  Its called a "Dump" cake for a reason.  You are literally going to dump the ingredients into a pan and bake!

Apple Dump Cake

Ingredients:
1 box of yellow cake mix
2 cans of your favorite pie filling (we use apple)
1 stick of margarine

Preheat the oven to 350
In an average size rectangle cake pan or any oven safe dish thats deep enough...

Dump in the 2 cans of pie filling.  (spread it evenly)
Dump the contents of the cake mix box on top of the pie filling (yes the dry cake mix)
Slice the margarine and place the slices on top of the cake mix.  Try to cover it as much as possible.
Bake in the oven for 30-45 minutes or until its bubbling.

Cool or serve warm with scoops of ice cream for a wonderful summer treat!

Remember:  You can use ANY pie filling you want for this recipe OR crushed pineapples. Try using 1 can of crushed pineapples and 1 can of cherry pie filling.  Its yummy. Experiment and have fun!

Thanks for reading :-)

Simple Summers ~ Learning AND Fun

Kids love nothing more than being out of school and summer time.  Sometimes it can be a challenge finding things for them to do that will keep them both interested AND busy.  Today we kept it simple and just got out the hose.

We intend to continue to keep it simple for the rest of the summer.


We will work in our container garden.
We will play OUTSIDE

We will visit the local library.
We will visit museums
We will attend cultural festivals/expo
...and more

These are just a few of the things that are planned for my LittleChick this summer.  I must add that I will not be accomplishing all of these things with my daughter on my own.  I do have a job.  My village (My husband, mother, sister, and neighbor) will all help.

What do you have planned for your kids this summer?

Thanks for reading.

Peace :-)

Sistah SpotLight! Mahogany Babies

On behalf of Our Natural Kids, I am so excited to tell you all about Mahogany Babies!  Mahogany Babies is a California based program that helps to educate parents about healthy hair and scalp care as well as healthy self esteem.  They achieve this through educational "hands on" seminars developed by Trichologist, natural hair stylist and salon owner, Dr. Kari Williams.  I just love the mission of this program:
"...to inform and train parents on how to nurture their child's hair and self esteem by providing education that teaches how to recognize common scalp disorders and avoid unhealthy hair care practices that can lead to permanent hair loss in children."

Dr. Kari believes in encouraging healthy techniques for styling hair at home to ensure that children will actually have a head full of healthy hair as they grow.

If you are in the Los Angeles, CA area, you are in luck because the next seminar  is set for Saturday, May 19th, 2012.  This particular installment will teach parents how to detangle, braid, twist,  and cornrow! In addition to education there will also be entertainment in the form of music, art, spoken word, stories that inspire, AND MORE!!  (A buffet style lunch is included in the price of a ticket.)

Go to http://mahoganybabies.eventbrite.com/ for more information and as a special offer for our Cali readers enter coupon code MAHOGANY to save $10 on your ticket!

Sign Up on www.OurNaturalKids.Ning.com to learn about how you can win a FREE ticket to this event.

Education is key!  Check out Dr. Kari's other sites also:

http://www.drkariwilliams.com/

http://www.mahoganyrevolution.com/

Thanks for reading!

Container Garden 2012

My LittleChick and I are at again!  At the beginning of April we started our beloved container garden.  We had such success with last years venture that it this year was a no brainer.   One thing that we didn't know is that some of the things that we planted before actually come back from year to year.  We now know the difference between Perennials (Life cycle 3+ years), Annuals (1 year) and Biennials (2 years).
  

Romaine

On April 1st we planted:  Cucumbers, Spinach, Onions, Lavender, Lemon Balm, Lettuce, Romaine, Carrots, Kale, and Collards.
On April 14th we planted: Oregano, Thyme, Basil, Cilantro
On May 5th we planted: Bell Peppers

Kale

Collards

We are having so much fun with this.  My daughter rushes home from school everyday and immediately goes out to check on her plants.  She really nurtures her crop.   Watering daily and notifying me of any differences that she sees.  

Spinach

Starting a container garden is easy.  Here is what we did to get started.  We logged on to one of the popular seed websites to find out what "zone" we are in.  This tells you what can be planted and when based on the climate that you live in.  Once that was determined we decided on what we would grow and we purchased the seeds, premium potting soil and pots.  We simply followed the planting instructions on the seed packets and stood back to watch it all grow.  Container gardens are EASY.  No bugs.  No muss.  No fuss.  There is NOTHING like stepping right outside your house and grabbing everything you need to make a fresh salad.  I cant wait  until we can do that.

Lettuce

Do you have a garden or container garden?  What are you growing?

Thanks for reading.

Peace

World Natural Hair Show ~ Spring 2012

Pierre & Jamyla Bennu
Oyin Handmade

I LOVE Natural Hair Events.  There.  I said it!  I attended the 15th Annual World Natural Hair Health and Beauty Show presented by Taliah Waajid on Sunday (29th) .  I am telling you, every year this show gets better and better.  The weather was just perfect and so was the venue (Georgia International Convention Center). This bi annual event brings together the BEST in natural hair styles, fashion, health, etc. and a bevvy of celebrities from the local natural hair community plus SO much more.  I had an amazing time as always.

Catherine of Hair Kitty Kitty( luvhairkittykitty.blogspot.com )
Master Barber Will Williams of Sof N Free
The SistahChick

Thea (@gblsales)
representing Shea Radiance

Gorgeous Natural Hair

The beautiful ladies of LodieLocks
http://www.lodielocks.com/

Check out The SistahChick & Our NaturalKids Facebook page for more pics!  See ya in the Fall!

Thanks for reading.

Peace

Coco Curls & Conversation

Jeanelle Darden, Creator, Coco Curls
Fro Fashion Week Spring 

Atlanta is the place to be if you are a blogger with a passion for all things natural hair related.  I happen to be in love with a new-to-me product called Coco Curls Moisturizing Styling Cream.  I was introduced to Coco Curls and its lovely creator, Jeannell Darden during Fro Fashion Spring 2012.

Lucky for me i received a generous sample of Coco Curls and I have been hooked ever since!  After trying the product I couldn't wait to attend my very first Coco Curls & Conversation event.  It was a lovely afternoon spent at Celebrity Hair Salon in the Castleberry Hills area of downtown Atlanta with Jeannell and friends.  We learned about healthy living, styling tips, and of course Coco Curls.  There were also Live product demonstrations, vegan food samplings and more.

The venue was the hip and trendy Celebrity Hair Salon

There were many beautiful natural haired beauties in the house

Including some of my favorite fellow bloggers

Nikka Shae & @PGRDresses
www.OhNikka.com
www.PrettyGirlsRockDresses.com

@VirtuousStyls
www.virtuousstyls.com

The SistahChick & Oh Nikka

@Cocoa Report
www.CocoaReport.com

www.TheSmileyEffect.com

I loved that co-host DeShonca of D'Essence Hair Studios tied health and fitness into natural hair care and maintenance.  She did a good job explaining the uses of different vitamins and the importance of exercise for overall health.  She also took questions and gave styling tips and advice

DeShonca of D'essence Hair Studio

Live product demonstrations went on through out the event

We also learned a little about raw vegan living

Tassili's Raw Reality

It didn't stop there.  We played healthy trivia games.  DeShonca helped many to identify their curl patterns.  There were many giveaways courtesy of Sweet Honey Child and more.  

I got a cool tshirt, a jar of one of my new favorite products, Coco Curls Moisturizing Styling Cream AND I got to chat with the creator, Jeannell Darden!!  This day was a good day.

Click here to read my review of  Coco Curls Moisturizing Styling Cream

Click here to see the rest of the pictures from this event Coco Curls & Conversation

Thanks for reading, Peace

  

Coco Curls Moisturizing Styling Cream ~ Product Review

The great thing about being a natural hair blogger in Atlanta, is that there is ALWAYs something to do.  Always a natural hair related meetup.  Always a hairshow.  Always a gathering of some kind where like minded sistahs can get together and discuss our passion.  During Fro Fashion Week, I had the wonderful pleasure of meeting the beautiful Jeannell Darden, Creator of Coco Curls. Once I met her and touched and smelled the product I was very anxious to try it out.  During my month long product testing process I heard about Coco Curls & Conversation, an event hosted by Jeanelle.  I could not wait to attend. My experience with Coco Curls was with out a doubt "love at first use" for me.   I decided that not only would I show up, but that I would show up with Coco Curls in my hair. I consider myself to be fortunate to meet this product maker face to face before she blows up!! This would be my second time using the product.  I wanted to show  Jeannell  and whoever else was in attendance how beautifully it worked for me.

Two days prior to the event, I washed and conditioned my hair.  While it was dripping wet I sectioned my hair into 5 parts and smoothed CocoCurls (A nickel sized amount or a "finger full") on each section from root to tip using my fingers to comb it through.  Then I let it air dry.  Thats it.

Freshly applied Coco Curls

It does not dry white

It took a few hours to air dry...

Dry

That evening I swooped all of my hair up into a single bun on top, tied with a scarf and went to sleep.  The next morning I gave my hair a hard shake separated a little with shea butter coated fingers and this was the end result...

I really, really love the smell of this product. It smells a little coconutty.  Maybe a little butterscotchy..Its good that it says "not for consumption" on the labeling! YUM! It has a smooth creamy but heavy texture when rubbed between your fingers.  A little goes a long way with this product.  I used about a finger full for each section that i mentioned earlier.  Once dried my hair was shiny, it felt and non greasy to the touch.  It felt soft and not crunchy and it made for a gorgeous Wash N Go style. (Pic above) My husband could not keep his nose out of my hair!  It smells fantastic! This product will find itself in my "Must haves" rotation very soon.  I love it!  

The SistahChick & Jeannell Darden, Creator of Coco Curls

Have you ever tried Coco Curls?

Click here to read about the event ~ Coco Curls & Conversation!

Thanks for reading.

Peace