Entrevistas!

I've decided who my next few pieces will be about, now I just need to work on my angle, conduct the actual interviews/write the stories, edit them and hopefully you will be looking at some brand spanking new pieces on some uber interesting and talented people soon...stay tuned:)

Progress

Wow....I BC'd (big chopped) on March 12th of this year...meaning I cut off all of my hair until it was only 1 inch long all over. My natural journey began a little before that, but it really went into high gear after the BC. I've had amazing growth and healthy hair since then and I couldn't be happier!

I've got to give a shout out to a blog that really inspires me (OK, I stalk it every single day and have read every single post, archived post and have viewed every pic they have...lol!) It's called Black Girl with Long Hair (blackgirllonghair.blogspot.com) and it's definitely my #1 favorite natural hair blog. I consider them my go-to source for general info on how to care for my natural hair, as well as style tips and everything else under the sun concerning natural hair. It's beautifully and intelligently written by lovely natural chicks for lovely natural chicks and I wish them continued growth and success. You should check them out ASAP.

In the meantime, here are some pics of my hair:)

The Choice is Yours

It's not always easy to see things on the sunny side, especially when the current weather is nothing but rain, thunderstorms, scattered showers and even more rain. But it's like this: happiness, positivity, optimism, they're all CHOICES. Our realities are products of our thoughts...our mental perception. As you think it, so it will be. It's as simple as that and as profound as that.

The last thing that I want to share with you on the subject is from Beowulf...no, not the movie with Angelina Jolie, but the classic, epic tale on which the movie is based. The knight in the story is facing the fight of his life with a dragon...not just any dragon....an angry mother dragon, who happens to be the fiercest and most feared dragon in the land. In the midst of the fight, the knight loses his will to go on and receives these words of encouragement from his female companion, Lady Una: "Now, now, Sir Knight, show what you are! Add faith unto your force, and be not faint! Kill her, or else she will surely kill you."

That's my whole point, guys. No matter what you're up against, you've got to remember who you are. You are an overcomer, a fighter, strong and resilient (if you weren't, you wouldn't have made it this far). It's easy and comfortable to sink into a funk, but that's not who you are. You are a mover and a shaker, a creative thinker, resourceful and talented, able to rise above any and every obstacle in your path. You've got to have some faith. Not in what you see, but in what you can't see. You've got to believe that whatever you're going through, this too shall pass. The sun will rise again and tomorrow will be a new day and this thing you're dealing with cannot and will not destroy you. You have to see past your current, temporary circumstances and know that there will be a day when all of this is history, and on that day, you don't want to look back at this and remember how you crumbled.

No, that's not the legacy you want to leave behind. You want to look back at this time and remember how you made it through and refused to give up, no matter what it looked or felt like. And finally, you have to know that if you don't make the conscious CHOICE right now to fight your way out of this and do all that you can to see your change come, then you will lose. If you accept defeat and decide to be broken and angry, then you lose. If you decide that this problem is bigger than you are and that you are powerless to defeat it, then you lose. You lose before the battle even begins. How? If you THINK you will lose, then you already have. As you think in your heart, so you are. If you think you're at a point of no return, then that's exactly where you are. Guys, if you don't kill the negativity that's trying to oppose you, it will kill you.

Maybe you are overwhelmed by the sadness, pain or anger you are feeling and you're not sure how to combat it....well, you have to force yourself to....it's that crucial. If you can think of nothing else, pull out a pen and a paper and list every single thing in your life that you do have. Anything over nothing is a blessing. Don't focus on what you don't have or what you want. Focus on what you do have...not just material things. List the names of the people in your life that you love and who love you. You're alive and someone else didn't wake up today...life is a blessing. Write that down. After you write down everything on your list look at it, study it, be thankful for those things. Carry that piece of paper with you everywhere you go and when you start to feel down, pull it out, read it. Get another piece of paper and at the top, write down what you want. For each thing you write down, map out specific steps you can take to see those things into reality. No situation will ever change by sitting around and being angry or sad. You say you want change in your life? Use that anger or sadness to fuel your plan. As fiercely as you are upset about your current situation, you should go after the things you want. Pursue them completely with all that you have. Go after your goals. Make a plan with tangible steps that you can begin immediately. Keep your list close by at all times so you can mark things off of it. Be resourceful. Anytime you feel negative energy, find a way to turn it around and make something positive out of it. These things are not easy, but its like this: would you rather do it this way, or sit around and wallow in your sorrow forever and never change your situation? This is radical thinking and radical action which is required for radical results. If you want something you've never had before, you want to go somewhere you've never been, then you have to do something you've never done before. Figure out what you want and what it takes and choose that path today. You are not your current circumstance, unless you choose to be....

Out and About: Jim. 'Nuff Said.

Just before my trip home the other week, I had a surprise visit from a hometown friend of mine, Jim. There's no possible way I can describe Jim to you other than that those television commercials about the "Most Interesting Man in the World" should be about him instead of that other dude. Jim is a character, indeed, and knows so much about any and everything in the world. Great guy. He decided to take a few days off (30 to be exact) because it's really hot in Houston right now and, well, that's just no fun. So he flew to Reno, hung out there for awhile, then rented a Harley in Reno and rode it to Seattle. After a couple of days in Seattle, he rode down to Cali and scooped me. We ended up riding 298 miles through Northern California, stopping in every little town along the way. It was so much fun! Great ride, great company...it was so good to see a face from home:) Here are a few pics, hopefully I'll have more to post soon because Scott let me borrow his camera for the ride. Thanks for the memories, Jim.

THE GREATEST BAND EVER IN THE HISTORY OF MUSIC

OK, so maybe I'm a little biased, but I was super stoked to catch Peekaboo Theory live when I went home to visit a couple of weeks ago. They are an amazing band...you should definitely check them out immediately...do not pass go, do not collect $200.00....just find their music and get it in your life! Whew! Sorry for yelling, guys:) Did I mention they recently KILLED it at the 2009 AfroPunk Festival in Brooklyn, NY...these guys are not just the next big thing...they are THE REAL THING! Anywho, here's a couple of pics from the show:

And here's where you can find out more about Peekaboo Theory:

Peekaboo Theory on the Web: http://www.peekabootheory.com

iTunes: http://www.apple.com/search/ipoditunes/?q=peekaboo+theory

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/peekabootheory

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/peekabootheory

Recent Press: http://blogs.houstonpress.com/rocks/2009/07/hpma_aftermath_peekaboo_theory.php

http://blogs.houstonpress.com/rocks/2009/07/hpma_aftermath_melovine_the_sn.php

http://blogs.houstonpress.com/rocks/2009/05/best_local_cdlp_nominees_b.php

Or you could just check out the piece I wrote on their newest album:) http://withanamelikesierra.blogspot.com/2009/04/leave-your-genre-at-door_08.html

HAPPY BORN DAY TO ME!!!!!

My born day was a few days ago...yay!!! I'm another year older....thanks be to God! So happy to be here...happy to be alive:) Life is a blessing...don't ever take it for granted. So how old do I look?

Out and About: The Marina

The weather was amazing yesterday, so we went out to the Marina to soak up the sun (and also to slightly freeze because of the wind, but hey...it's summer in San Fran, so we appreciate any sun I can get). It was absolutely beautiful out there. I snapped some cell phone cam pics, that (of course) don't do the scenery justice. Enjoy! Here are some pics from our trip to the Marina yesterday. The last pic is of Alcatraz...sorry folks, my cell phone camera won't zoom in, so this is the best I could do:) The Bay is absolutely GORGEOUS!