Braids..Braids..Braids...

For the last two summer braids have been on the come up!!!

R&B singer, Solange Knowles, played a large role in bringing back the "poetic justice"/Patra braids style and there's been no looking back.From stars like Solange and sister Beyonce, celebs have indulged in braids and now they can be spotted on everyone from your favorite "it girl" to the regular girl on the block.

I indulged and got my hair braided last month for my 23rd birthday and I absolutely love them. Although they are long as I don't know what, and kind of heavy, they can be worn in so many different styles that I can't complain. Shoot, the fact that one of my childhood friends took 10 hours out of her day to braid my hair for $50 has me without a complaint! 

Braids can be used as a protective style and can aid in hair growth. I've been dying to try something new with my natural hair and honestly, I felt like I needed to put it away. I've been natural for two years and I've never had a protective style last longer than 2 months at a time. Lately I've been rocking my waist length Patra braids in a high bun because its so convenient and it keeps all that heavy hair off of my back in this NYC heat. 

Take a look at some of my favorite braided do's.

That's me sporting my high bun!

In my mind she's one of my closets friends!

ahhh take away the hair and this is just a gorg pic all together!

Finding My Way Back...

Hello there, wherever, whoever you are. It's been about three months since my last post and for some reason my blog traffic has been crazy. There's been over 200 views in my three month absence so I'm completely astounded. I had no idea people still looked at this neglected blog of mine. But since you're out there somewhere, I might as well fill you in on what my life has been like over the last three months!

The last time you heard from me, I was one defeated soul! I legit felt like things were on a downward spiral and I saw no possibly end in sight. Luckily for me, I couldn't have been more wrong! I went to church one of the last sundays in May and the overall message was "Your release will come." The pastor spoke of having faith in the Lord's abilities and to never get so overcome with doubt that you forget that God's plan for your life will pan out the way he wants it to as long as you are faithful and believe. I left church that Sunday with some pep in my step. I knew that no matter what happened from that day forward I would continue to have faith in the Lord that I so desperately believed in so there was no room for me to wallow in my temporary sorrows.

The next day I was shocked to see that I had an email from Juicy magazine asking little ole me to come in for an interview!!! I was so thrilled but I tried to play it cool! My boyfriend's college graduation was the day before my interview so I tried to be positive for the both of us!

For those who are unfamiliar, Juicy is a fairly small publication(but its still poppin! lol) that's distributed by the same publishing company as King, Rides, and XXL Magazines. 

I got there a good 10 mins early and before I knew it I was meeting with the Web Editor of Juicy's  online website. The interview was amazing! We instantly clicked. She was so cool and relaxed and we had a regular conversation. All the usual tension that comes from an interview quickly disappeared and I felt like I was in a regular conversation with someone about all of my favorite things: writing, fashion, beauty, hair, and celeb news! As my interview concluded, I knew that I had the internship in the bag but on the unlikely event that I didn't get the internship, I felt a surge of confidence in myself that I'd never noticed before.

A week after my interview, I had yet to hear back from Juicy so I decided to be a little proactive and send a thank you note. Unbeknownst to me Juicy's web editor was out of the office as the result of a death in her family and she was excited to inform me that I got the internship and that she'd want me to start as soon as possible!!!

My experience at Juicy has been absolutely amazing. Located in the heart of NYC, across the stress from the beautiful Madison Square Park, and right next door to the 40/40 Club, stood my new home for the summer. At first it was a big transition from writing long drawn out fluff filled posts, like the ones I write here. I had to learn to get my point across in three quick, clever, and concise sentences. I had to challenge myself to write in a way that would be suitable for a site like Juicy. Even though I'm still fairly new, I've created a good rapport with the staff at Juicy and I made a really good friend in my sister soul aka the other Juicy intern.

My Web Editor took a brief vacay and entrusted my sister soul and I with posting on the site with little to no error and when she came back she commended us on how well we'd done. I was asked to go to a Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta screening and given the opportunity to interview four members of the cast. Even though these are little steps to some people, these experiences have meant the world to me.


The first time I actually looked around and took it all in, I was a little overwhelmed. Like wow, all the things that I want to do are being accomplished right before my eyes and that's so weird. Seeing your dreams come true is something that a lot of people never get the chance to experience and although I know this is just merely an internship I am eternally grateful for this opportunity. With my feelings as down as they were before I got accepted as an intern at Juicy who knows how low my confidence in my abilities would've tanked.

I guess this whole experience of applying and getting denied was preparing for the fact that in life there will probably be more times like this, although I pray there aren't. I suppose this is all about building my character and stamina. Testing my faith in the Lord and my confidence in myself. Whatever happens from here I know that I'm never going to feel as low as I felt in my previous posts, if for no other reason then the fact that I spent the last 2 months at the internship of my dreams.

Another Day, Another Breakup, Another Blogpost

Break Ups!!!!!! We all go through them. Its a natural part of life, love, and relationships. Unfortunately I'm currently going through the "breakup phase" with my beau. We've been in an "on again off again" relationship for the last two years but we've been back on since June 23, 2011. The thing that bothers me the most about this breakup is that it was so unexpected. I was genuinely happy and so deeply in love that I honestly didn't see it coming. To be honest the reason he broke up with me is so trivial and small that I am pretty shocked things happened that way. He broke up with me because I fell asleep during a Facebook conversation at 3 in the morning. LOL sad right? but whatever.

It happens to the best of us. I'm trying to see the good in his decision and not hold any anger or hostility towards him because I'm so not the type of person to be bitter or have resentment towards anyone. I just think its pointless. I'm obviously a little hurt by what happened but I'm not going to let it make me sad or anything. I'm just going to use this time to work on me. I've been in and out of relationships since I was 15 years old so I just think its time for me to use this as a chance to get myself together. I want to dedicate my new single status to improve myself from the inside out. I just feel like there's so many things that I want to do by myself and for myself so I might as well take advantage of the opportunity this unfortunate situation has created.

Whenever I go through any situation, I always use music as my medicine to make me feel better. The songs that I've been using through this breakup are Deniece Williams Silly, Chrisette Michele Best of me, and Brandy's Brokenhearted. The three of these songs explain my current feelings and what I need to do to make things better during this difficult time. Hopefully things work out for me and if not I've got these songs to express my feelings and give me some kind of comfort and encouragement.

Have you gone through any breakups recently? If so what have you used to get through it?

The one that stands alone

In a room filled with smiles and happy faces, she stands alone, tired of being complacent.While the world around her quickly advances, she stands alone praying for 2nd and third chances. As she see the one's she loves move forward, she stands alone anxiously awaiting her moment.

Standing alone is something new and unfamiliar, for there once was a time where being alone was peculiar. Caps and gowns, degrees and tassels, she stood proudly amongst the crowd as she celebrated commencement. Her day of standing amongst the crowd ended just as quickly as it came. 365 days have gone by and the girl who stands alone has only herself to blame.

No career, no job, no chance at professional and financial advancement, the girl who stands alone feels like she's run out of chances. Smiles and words of comfort are said to the face of the girl who stands alone but behind her back those words turn into stone-As the one's she holds closets talk about bad about the overachieving girl who excelled all her life then graduated college and got lost on her plight.

She's been picked up only to be knocked right back to the ground. The girl who stands alone is a young queen merely in search of her crown.The more time passes by, the girl standing alone no longer asks why. Convinced that today's sorrows will be tomorrows testimony, the girl who stands alone takes pride in the fact that one day she'll find her way to her glory. Until that day comes, the girl who stands alone has a heart filled with peace, humility, and solace with the life everyone was too critical of to acknowledge.

Signed,

The lonely girl that's still standing.

My so called life.

As this week comes to an end, its a stiff reminder of the unfortunate circumstances that surround me. The end of this week means I've gone another 7 whole days without receiving a single job offer or a reply about an internship. The end of this week means the 30+ resumes I've sent out and the ONE job interview I've gone on this week was to no avail. I'm so confused and a few steps away from being depressed. I looked at my resume and started from scratch, because I felt like there may have been some sort of error or stiffness within my resume that made potential employers uninterested. I did research on the retail company I recently applied to before the interview just to make sure I was on my "A game" at the interview. I showed up 15 minutes early and was dressed very appropriately. I smiled, answered questions honestly, and the person interviewing me seemed very impressed. I'm trying to stay optimistic, with hopes that since it's only been a few days since my interview that maybe they'll call, but I just have this gut feeling that they won't.

 I'm not sure what all this rejection that I've been receiving lately means but whatever it is I pray to God that I never have to experience it again. I just want to go back to my normal, overachieving, goal accomplishing ways.  Some people get content with mediocrity but not me! I'm dying of infulfilment(I'm not even sure if that's a word) and I've only been unemployed for a month (but technically I've been on the "job hunt" since my college graduation in May 2011)...

This is sooo not the life I envisioned for my 22 year old self. I always dreamed that I'd be in graduate school or that I'd have a entry level job in my field, financially independent and stable without a care in the world but unfortunately that's not who I am today. The woman I see staring back at me everyday when I look in the mirror is someone I never thought I would ever be. I just always knew that things would be different for me but they are the way they are.

As much as I want to progress in life right now I have to realize that maybe its not me. Maybe its because of the fact that, although the economy is slowly picking up its pace, there are tons of people, many of whom have years of experience, that are applying for the same positions that I am. People with Master degrees and PHD's are willing to take pay cuts just to have a job in their field. Or maybe it is me. Maybe its in the way I've written my resume, or the manner in which I answer questions at an interview. Maybe its my talent, or lack-thereof. Whatever the case I genuinely hope I come to some resolution because I don't know how much more of this stagnant, boring, and miserable period I can handle. I have so many responsibilities now and not being able to fulfill them drive me crazy. I just wish I knew what to do or where to start... Hopefully I figure it out sooner than later or anytime before I lose my sanity.

 

What happens when over-achievers stop achieving?

I come to you today a defeated soul. After receiving another rejection email for a job position that I recently applied to, I am completely clueless about where to turn to next. I keep trying to be optimistic and look on the bright side. I'm 22 years old, a recent college graduate, I have good health, a wonderful support system but the one thing, the biggest thing that's missing in my life is a JOB! When I say job I mean JOB! I'm not expecting or looking for my dream job that comes with a six figure salary, I've been applying to all types of places from retail to administrative and it seems to always have the same end result. Everyday I check my email there's another email praising me for my qualifications but telling me  that I'm not good enough to hire. I've been on this job hunting journey for almost a year and it is really starting to tear down every single piece of self confidence I have in my body! I was always the over achiever in school. From pre-K throughout college I was that kid at the awards ceremony getting acknowledged for something and now its like I'm not achieving anything.((hence the title))

A lot of people around me are very critical of the fact that I'm unemployed and they make a mockery of it. So many times people say "Well what did you go to college for?" "A degree in American Studies & you want to be a journalist? They don't make any money." "You have to try harder to find a job. You're so lazy you only rely on the internet to find jobs." Like really I can go on for days and days about the criticisms people give me for my degree choices and being unemployed but no one really knows what its like to be here, in this uncomfortable, situation. Everyone and their grandmother has some sort of advice for what I'm not doing and what I should be doing but I really have tried just about everything. I'm like two seconds from applying to McDonalds but I learned from my undergrad experience from applying there that I'm "over qualified." Its funny and disheartening at the same time. All the jobs I genuinely want reject me because I am "under qualified." All of the jobs that I apply to out of desperation reject me because I am "over qualified."

Tuhhh Its hard out here for us college grads and I just wish people would cut me some slack. I spend hours a day trying to revamp my resume and applying to jobs on craigslist, careerbuilder, and google but its not coming up with any worthwhile results. I swore to myself that after college I would be in a completely different place that I am in now. I had my mind set that retail was out of the question for me in a completely different way then it is right now. While I was in school, I thought retail after graduation was out of the question because I'd find my ideal job but in reality retail is out of the question for me because of this crappy economy and the fact that no one's really hiring any more.

Whatever diligence and resilience I thought I had is leaving me with every rejection letter I receive. My faith in myself is like non existent at this point. I swear I've never been so insecure in my life. I pray and pray and pray that God shows me the way to whatever he has in store for me. I ask God to give me the strength to get through this very unfortunate phase in my life because without it I know I'm doomed. Its just so hard to keep a positive attitude when things are going so wrong. I've said all this to say what? IDK. I'm just here venting. I've been going through a lot these last couple of weeks, hence my absence. I just figured that I come and update my blog and possibly make myself feel a little bit better but ultimately the only thing that will make me better is a goddamn JOB! lol!

Thanks for sitting through my emotional rant,
Jas

A sneak peek into the Juniverse

Today is a wonderful day! Besides the lovely Spring weather we're experiencing in New York, celebrity stylist June Ambrose's show premiers tonight on Vh1! I absolutely adore June Ambrose! She's beautiful, fashion forward, and has an amazing personality! June Ambrose is responsible for styling celebs like Jay-Z, Diddy, Mariah Carey. She even styled Missy Elliot in her classic "I can't stand the rain" video. Ambrose has had an extremely successful styling career and is also renown author.

Vh1 was generous enough to release the first episode of Styled by June and of course I had to catch it!! Instead of summarizing what happens throughout the episode, I'll give you a chance to see it for yourself!!!! Just click the link below and you'll be able to get a sneak peak into June Ambrose's new show!!! Ahhh don't you just love technology! Sit back, relax, and enjoy as you prepare to enter the JUNIVERSE!!! :)

http://www.vh1.com/video/styled-by-june/full-episodes/mischa-barton/1681001/playlist.jhtml

America, the brave. Willing to fight for everyone but their own.

I come to you today confused and quite disgusted. I just want to know why is it that when there is a big spectacle going on in foreign countries, American citizens rush to their aid when there are similar situations occurring on their home soil? Case in point, the unfortunate murder of Trayvon Martin.On February 26, 2012, 17 year old Trayvon Martin was shot and killed as he walked through his father's gated community in Florida. Martin was shot and killed by 28 year old George Zimmerman. Zimmerman told police officials that Martin looked suspicious and used self defense as an explanation for the shooting. I would normally agree with someone choosing self defense as a plea but there's something a little off here. Martin was dressed in a hoodie and sneakers and carried a bag of skittles candy and Iced Tea. What exactly is suspicious and life threatening about that? To make matters worse, Zimmerman has yet to be charged or arrested with any crime. What's driven me completely crazy about this whole situation is that, there has been very little media coverage regarding the incident.

Last week a documentary hit the web about a long time war brewing in Africa at the hands of Joseph Kony and it became an over night sensation. Hundreds of people rushed to purchase bracelets and tee-shirts, and made donations to support the cause and raise awareness. Almost every Facebook update and twitter status I saw had some opinion about the whole "STOP KONY" phenomena and it bother's me! Although I am completely against what's going on in Africa, I am more concerned about what's going on domestically. A 17 year old child was murdered for carrying candy and tea and that's okay but what's going on a million miles away is what has our attention. Call me shallow but I think we all need to pay close attention to what's going on here in the United States because we're all more likely to experience some level of "racial profiling" than we are to experience the war going on in Africa. Rodney King? Sean Bell? Abner Louima? Amadou Diallo? Trayvon Martin? They've all gone with out documentaries being made, trending topics on twitter, and seem like an unforgotten piece of American History. While we're fighting so hard to protect the rights of thousands of Africans, we need to fight to protect our brothers, sons, husbands, cousins, and friends from being gunned down for being "suspicious."

Another issue I have with the way "we've" been supporting the KONY movement is the fact that children being armed with guns is something that is so alarming to us. Hundreds of teens are murdered everyday in the United States. Six year old Aliyah Shell was shot and killed while she played on her porch with her mother in Chicago. I haven't seen any news about that. Over the weekend there were several more shootings in Chicago, where 10 people were murdered and 39 people were injured. Over a 2 day span at least 49 people were shot! That should be a movement in itself, but in typical American fashion we'll turn the other cheek and worry about what's going on in another country UNTIL we receive the call that one of our loved ones has become another tragic victim and then we'll hope for change.

Don't get me wrong, I think the things that are going on in Africa are terrible BUT I do believe that the atrocities in the country I call home are equally important and deserve the same amount of support and awareness. Loss of life is loss of life, regardless of where it occurs, so that's not my issue. My issue is that people have become so willing to turn their back on their own neighbors to assist someone a million miles away. It's always been acceptable in American society to overlook its own problems while meddling in another countries issues. It doesn't have to be this way. We can make a change at home. We just have to want to.

Ambitious Man

Anybody who knows me knows I love music. Good music can be a catalyst for thought provoking conversation, an inspiration for change, or in this case motivation to write. I absolutely love Wale. If you're unfamiliar, Wale is a rapper from our nations capital, who was once signed to Jay-Z's Roc Nation but is now with Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group. His music is and has always been creative and poetic. && I'm a sucker for some good poetry! Last winter I heard his song Ambitious Girl for the first time and I was hooked. He was basically shouting out all women out their that were in college doing their thing and as a college senior I was like "Hell Yea..it's about time we get some recognition from somebody!" So I automatically fell in love with the song! To my surprise, Wale released a "sequel" to Ambitious Girl entitled Ambitious Girl II featuring R&B singer and fellow Washington D.C. native J.Holiday. Once again Mr. Folarin had me hooked! I was just so thrilled to see a rapper supporting and encouraging women in college because we're often overlooked. One day I was listening to both versions of Ambitious Girls as I was on the phone w/ my beau and he was expressing how he felt overwhelmed with school and all the pressure he went through maintaining good grades and working and I had an epiphany, a bright light bulb moment. I decided to create an ode to all the Ambitious Men out there, because as much as "college girls" are bypassed, African American college educated men are like a figment of someone's imagination, hardly ever acknowledged by the media. So here I am, I decided to share my little poem with you guys. By no means do I consider myself a talented poet, I'm just a girl who found inspiration in a song and tried to do something nice SO be easy with the criticisms. LOL In the words of Erykah Badu, "Keep in mind, I'm an artist and I'm sensitive about my shit!" Sit back, relax, and hopefully enjoy... Here goes....((oh yea videos to both versions of Ambitious Girl will follow))

Ambitious Man....

Look at that man. That ambitious black man. Educated and highly motivated, ambitious man this corrupted world could never leave you jaded. Raised on the mean streets of Brooklyn NY or the West Side of the Chi, ambitious man, you know their plan, you know the only way out. They say you have to sell rock or have a wicked jump shot but you know those means usually come to one end. See most dudes around the way can ball and the one's who sell rock end up in the pen. Ambitious man you have the livest jump shot and never had a desire to sell rock. Your need to succeed resembles the dream of Dr. Martin King. Walking with your head held high, so fresh and so clean, ambitious man, your aura beams confidence and self esteem. Sure of your skills on the court and in the class, Lord knows how much kitten you're passed or pass up because every queen knows an educated African American king, with no kids, never been to jail, and never spit a 16 is something far from reality. Dedicated to furthering your career, ambitious man, I understand those early nights when you say "baby you know I love you, you know I care but between school and work I just can't be there."  We may put up a fight, roll our eyes, and suck our teeth but ambitious man, we admire the man you aspire to be. When the pressures of midterms and finals come around, excelling in school never makes you lose your cool. Mr. President of SGA, Mr. King, Mr. Junior.-- Mr. Que Psi Phi, Mr. Phi Nu Pi, Mr too cool to pledge a frat but you know that scholarship, community service and brotherhood is where its at. Mr. A phi A, Mr Royal Blue and Pure White, Student Teacher, Mr. Intern who stays up studying late at night. Mr. Advertising, Mr Graphic Design, I just wanted to take the time to let you know that your ambition blows my mind.

Love Jones celebrates its 15th anniversary

If you're a hopeless romantic, like myself, Love Jones should definitely be on your top ten favorite movies. If you're unfamiliar with Love Jones, I suggest you rush to NetFlix or YouTube and hunt it down because its that good of a movie! Nina Mosley, a newly single photographer, meets and has a whirlwind relationship with Darius Lovehall, a poet and writer. A modern fairytale set in 1990's Chicago, Love Jones shows the plight of young African Americans striving to attain their career goals as they unexpectedly fall in love in the process. Both Darius and Nina share a passion for art, photography, and poetry. Despite the twists and turns between Mosley and Lovehall, nothing different than things that many relationships go through, the electric "Jones" between the two is undeniable. With realistic issues that face the two, it is impossible for anyone to say they could not relate to SOMETHING that occurred in their relationship. They say "love prevails" and that's exactly why Love Jones was, and 15 years later still remains, a prevalent piece in African American culture.

 Even though I was 7 years old when this movie was released, I remember sneaking to watch it on VHS when my parents weren't around and playing it on DVD when I got older over and over. During my undergraduate experience in college, so many of my new friends, who had never seen the movie before, grew to love it then hate it because the frequency in which I watched it. I love this movie so much, my beau decided to recreate the cover with our faces as a cute little surprise for me. (if I can find it on my new pc I'll post a pic but don't tell him).

So here's a toast to my favorite movie as it celebrates 15 years since its release. With talks in the air of a sequel, I am completely thrilled  but hopefully that if a sequel does happen it stays true to the Love Jones I knew and fell in love with.

How you gon' win when you ain't right within?

This is a different kind of blog post. A quick, more personal and intimate look into the random thoughts and ramblings of me, Jasmine! I know I've been kind of MIA lately but I'll be back with posts galore this week to make up for my absence.

 I want to take the time to briefly discuss the state of women, African American in particular. The idea for this post stems from a night of listening to Lauryn Hill's Doo-Wop(that thing) and closely dissecting the lyrics. Here are some of the lyrics that inspired this post.

"Showing off your ass cause' you're thinking its a trend, girl friend let me break it down for you again."

"You know I only say it cause' I'm truly genuine, don't be a hard rock when you really are a gem."

"Baby girl respect is just the minimum." 

"It's silly when girls sell their souls because its in."

In a time where women are made famous for who they date (Basketball Wives, Love & Hip Hop), releasing sex tapes (Kim Kardashian), or detailing their sexual exploits with celebrities (Karrian Superhead Steffans, Kat Stacks), its hard to find any female role models who have not "sold their soul" for 15 minutes of fame. Because these women have garnered so much attention for their loud, ghetto, and sometimes promiscuous ways, it is no surprise that women and young girls a like try to emulate these Reality TV Stars. Studies report that "mean girls" on television breed "mean girls" in reality. Women and young girls are observing the behaviors and characteristics of these reality television stars, musicians, models, and actresses and try to become them. Half naked pictures of girls of all ages are surfacing on the web as they try to exude the same sexiness that they've seen in all their favorite television shows, music videos, and magazine covers. In another post I discussed the issues regarding sexting and its unfortunate effects, so there's no need to go into detail about that BUT the fact that the trend of sexting became popular as celebrities began having their pictures and videos leaked is a little bit ironic.

Women are going to new extremes and sometimes life threatening options to get an "Ass like Kim K or Nicki Minaj." Some women have gone as far as getting cement filled butt injections to enhance the size of their bottoms. With people taking these extreme measures to fit society's standards, I have to wonder who's to blame for this new culture? Is it the media for its portrayal and depictions of women? Are women responsible for succumbing to the pressures that is "forced" upon them by the media? Could it be men for pressuring women to have a body like Kim K and look like Beyonce'? Or is it little girls who want to be considered beautiful so they decide to dress in trashy clothes, wear a face full of caked up make up and send nude pix of themselves?

 Often times we get so caught up on the women who have fallen victim to the whole wanna be celebrity and reality t.v. star that we overlook the women who have chosen a different way. Women who uphold a certain level of class, dignity, and respect for themselves, like Lauryn Hill, usually go overlooked. Think about it. A woman who is dressed, well barely dressed, will receive more attention, good or bad, than a woman that is neatly dressed from head to toe. If you're on line at a club, the girls with the least clothes, most makeup, and biggest ASSETS will get in without a question, they'll probably be able cut the entire line and end up in VIP just because of their looks.

 "How you gon' win when you ain't right within?"  How will we continue to progress as a society if put so much emphasis on material things? What will we do with all of the young girls and foolish women who think that dressing scandalously and behaving wild is acceptable? What will happen to all these women when they are no longer able to use their Nicki Minaj booties to get what they want out of life? What happens when the wrinkles start to come in and skin starts to sag? What becomes of these women then?

Trey Songz in March 2012 Issue of GQ

Singer, song writer, Roca-Wear spokesman, and actor Trey Songz, took a break from his Anticipation 2our and recording his latest album Chapter 5 to grace the pages of GQ Magazine's March 2012 issue. Songz got his "grown man on" as he rocked the latest Spring 2012 trends from designers like J.Crew to Prada. I completely fell in love with each and every one of the looks and I can't wait to recreate them on my beau this spring!!!

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Trend Alert: Turbans

Over the last few seasons, there has been a great increase in lovely ladies and gents wearing Turbans. While most people we notice wearing turbans do so for religious purposes, the trend of turban wearing is purely fashion forward. A turban can be used to throw add a splash of color or print to an outfit or for a lazy hair day! Celebrity style guru, June Ambrose, was featured in Essence Magazine listing her favorite ways to 'rock' a turban and I was completely smitten!!! I am a June Ambrose STAN and I honestly believe anything she touches turns to gold. Once I saw her fashion stamp of approval of turbans, I knew it was something worth trying.With endless variations in which turbans can be worn and styled, the question of how to rock a turban quickly arises. Like many others I took my question to YouTube and found dozens of videos made for the sole purpose of assisting the clueless turban wanna-be-wearers, like myself. After watching several videos I got the gist of it and decided to give it a try & to my surprise it came out pretty well!


What's your opinion on turbans? Have you ever had the itch to throw one on and if so how'd it go? Are you interested in seeing some video tutorials on how to style a turban? Feel free to check out the pics and videos below.

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My first attempt at a turban..What do you think?

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Jeffrey Campbell has done it again!!!

Just when I thought the excitement over Jeffrey Campbell's Lita could not get any bigger, he released Cleata(Clear Lita)!!!! Fashionistas have been working hard to get these Cleatas, as online shoe stores, like solestruck, have already sold out of the shoe in each of the three colors in which they were released: Black, Silver, and Nude. Here are a few pix of the lucky ladies were lucky enough to get their hands on Cleata!!!

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Better late than never!

As I made my daily trip to celebrity blog concreteloop, I stumbled across a hidden treasure! A song entitiled Boomerang(Come Back) by a soft soulful R&B singer named Jazzy was one of the sites recent posts and I was immediately hooked! After googling a little background info on the singer, I found that Jazmine Jazzy Bailey is a California native who has released two previous mixtapes: Oh Jazzy (2006) and Beauty and the Beat(2010). I was so upset that I'd gone the last 6 years without hearing anything from this amazing voice! Although I'm a few years late, I'm totally glad that I stumbled across Jazzy. With a sweet voice and lyrics that just about anyone can relate to I'm completely surprised at the lack of exposure she's gotten! Hopefully with the release of her debut album this summer, she'll obtain the acknowledgment she deserves because the girl can BLOW! Feel free to check her out on her site IAMJAZZY and if you're feeling her enough download her mixtapes!

Source iamjazzy

The art of Mix and Match

Like a zebra in the wild, Michael Cole becomes a piece of art, as fashion is the masterpiece that stands out on the busy streets of New York. While mixing a little boy next door with eccentric New York City street style and topping it all of with a little bad boy swagger, he successfully mix matches several styles and combines them as one. Sporting a gray beanie and reading glasses, Cole gives off the demeanor of a wholesome school boy. Dressed in an acid wash denim jacket, he pays homage to the retro 1980's style that has been recently showing its head in contemporary fashion. The black, red, and white harem pants Cole wears look like they could be gorgeous pieces of graffiti found on buildings and subway cars throughout the "city that never sleeps". Donning a pair of Doc Marten’s, black fingerless gloves, and holding a cigarette, Cole isn’t afraid to add a little bad boy swag to his image. This amazing ensemble combined with the white building behind gives the illusion of a walking piece of art waiting to be painted on its bare canvas. Success in pulling off an outfit with so many styles is hard to find in the big city but Cole does this with so much skill almost like an effortless finesse.

It's not even my birthday!!!!

Twitter went crazy last night as Rihanna and Chris Brown released the highly anticipated remix to Rihanna's Birthday Cake and Brown's Turn up the music. After wishing Rihanna a happy birthday via twitter hours earlier, fans of the pair were glued to both of the singers twitter pages in hopes to catch the songs as soon as they were released.

Birthday Cake remix was filled with sexual content that raised eyebrows in question of the relationship of the two singers. Brown rapped:

Girl, I wanna f-ck you right now.
Been a long time. I been missin your body.
Lemme lemme turn the lights down.
When I, when I go down it’s a private party.
Ooh ooh, it’s not even her birthday,
but I wanna lick the icing off.
Give it to her in the worst way.
Can’t wait to blow her candles off.

Rihanna quickly came back with an equally sexual charged rap verse:

Remember how you did it, remember how you did it
If you still wanna kiss it, come come and get it
Put a candle on my muthaf-ckin back, baby blow it..
Daddy make a wish, put this cake in your face..

It's nice to see the pair get past their horrific past, where Chris Brown was arrested after assaulting Rihanna. While many blogs are criticizing the two for their decision to work together again, I personally think it's a good idea to show that people who have had issues in their past can deal with the hurt and pain that came from their previous encounters, move past it and work together for the greater good. Regardless of their personal situations, it's clear that Rihanna and Chris Brown make very interesting music together. 

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