Summer is almost here!

Well it's mid May and the 2014-15 school year is slowly coming to a halt. The last day for students is May 27th, and the teaching staff the 29th. I'll still be on through June because of summer school but the whole month of July will be MINE!!

On a happier note I can say I completed and passed with a B my Managerial Accounting class aka The Devil's math. Yet I would not have been successful if it was not for the help of an awesome friend who tutored me throughout the whole semester. Melissa I can't thank you enough!!! I also found out that I received enough credits to and pulled my gpa back up to transfer back to a 4 year college. I don't know I feel the progress slow as it feels but it still is somewhat scary.

This summer I am hoping to take a film photography class and in the fall I plan on taking a digital photography class. I really want to learn about photography but I also have an interest in mass media in general as well. How do people make documentaries?  Which is why I also decided do a trial run on Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. I also want to learn about Graphic Design.

There are so many things I want to do. I just recently had my blog revamped to make it more eye appealing. Lord knows it was an eye sore since I've had it. This is the first major change I've done to it since I began my blog almost ten years ago. Since I enjoy pictures I wanted to make sure my blog had more of a visual appeal yet still kept it refined. I love the new layout:)

Next changes I want is to revamp my business website, I have ideas just struggling to in regards to how to bring them into fruition. My photography is part of that vision in regards to updating my website with better pictures. Also I have two other sites I want to start working on as well. Both also connected to photography. I've been reading various books and even am apart of a photography club here in Saint Louis, I just recently became involved with.

My weight, I can't even harp enough on that. I need to get myself together. I'm at a point I'm slowly not recognizing myself anymore. I so need to find a MMA gym or maybe even a cross-fit gym. I've been asking about cross-fit gyms for a while and a coworker informed me of the one she goes to and apparently there are some around my job. Yet I'm not sure given my present lack of fitness if this would be a safe route to try.

My hair, ugh well I'll save that for my anniversary post that when I celebrate being natural 3 years, that will be coming up in about one week. The trials and tribulations......I tell ya.

Sometimes......you know what?? All the time, I wish I could hit the lottery then I could have all the time in the world so I could make my dreams come true. I guess until that happens (if it happens) I'll just keep trying to keep my eyes on the prize.

Saint Louis Vintage Market - Spring 2015

 
 This past weekend the Saint Louis Vintage Market was in town and I had the opportunity to enjoy myself along with two of my coworkers. I found some great items that I will use in my product photography of my whipped shea butters. I saw some pretty colorful mason jars and a vintage looking clipboard (which I forgot to take pictures of!!!!). Also throughout my wondering I found a BEAUTIFUL frame that I wish I could have used someplace, the price on it was a steal. I kept envisioning if I owned a business it would have been perfect to showcase my pricing and fragrance options on my items.

The beauty of Vintage Fairs is that you never know what you might find and I definitely did find some other unique items.

After we did our walk through we enjoyed lunch and then made our way to one more tent before we left and had someone take our picture. I'm already looking forward to the Gypsy Caravan on May 25th.

Until the next episode....

 All That MsJazz

R.I.P. Keisha Powell

Today I went to the funeral of one of my best friend's siblings. Keisha was an amazing person, but I'm not surprised. She comes from an extraordinary family who I'm blessed to consider an extension of my own family. One of her sisters, Kamina, is one of my best friends since I have known from Kindergarten. I consider Mr. and Mrs. Ballard additional parents to my own and her siblings as special family members as well. It's been a while since I had seen Keisha but when I had heard of her passing last week. All I could think about was how her family was coping. How her children were dealing with the sudden loss of their mother. How my best friend and her siblings were handling their oldest sister being taken from them. How her parents could deal with the loss of another child.  

When I heard the news of her death, I found out through Facebook. Social Media with all it's advantages, does have it disadvantages. Nothing can prepare you for such a shock. To make sure my eyes weren't deceiving me I immediately called my best friend and she confirmed the news. I couldn't believe it and was just in shock. Ever since then and up until the funeral I just kept thinking about one story regarding Keisha.

Back when Keisha was battling breast cancer, which was also around the same time my own mother was dealing with the same battle, I remember going to a haunted house in Soulard with Kamina, Keisha, and some other people. We were waiting in line to go through the "haunted" warehouse and we were just having a ball cracking up and joking with some other people in line. We were talking about how warm it was and why they didn't have any fans or something circulating the air. Around this time Keisha was dealing with chemo and one of the side effects was hair loss. Now I'm not sure if Keisha had on a wig or a scarf at the time, but all of a sudden without any warning, she whips off whatever she had on her head and the reactions around us were in different levels of array. They went from shock to straight up hysterical laughter. I was definitely in the range of laughter. She looked around at everyone and was just acting as calm as can be and just said, "What?, it's hot up in here and I'm trying to cool down." 

THAT was the Keisha I remember who could make you laugh regardless if she was going through something. At the funeral today I wanted to tell that story but I was just so sad and I couldn't bring myself to talk. She had accomplished so much in her life and none of the trials she went through in her life were easy, but she had a strong foundation of a family that she knew she could lean on if needed. Watching the church fill up with the people who loved her just showed me a glimpse of how special of a woman she was. 

A daughter who loved her parents. A mother who cherished her kids. A sister who adored her siblings. A friend and coworker who definitely left an impression on countless people. A phenomenal woman is what she was and how she will be remembered.

R.I.P. Keisha

*Update* - There were some links I forgot to share with my original post.

A story that the Saint Louis Post Dispatch did on Keisha back in 2004 --> Click Here

A Go Fund Me account was also set up to help support her children's education --> Click Here

Until the next episode....

 All That MsJazz

Natural Hair Product Review: Design Essentials coconut and monoi Line

So I know it's been a long ass time since I've done a Natural Hair product review. Like....a long ass time, especially since I'm still using the same products from last time. Well my beautician had hit me up to say that she had the new line from Design Essentials which features Coconut and Monoi in their ingredients. So I made an appointment for March 20th. While I was waiting to be next in Daisha's chair she had me check out the products and I can say they smelled very nice.

So after I'm shampooed, been under the steamer, then conditioned, my hair is done in flat twists.

After being under dryer, I go back to Daisha's chair and she starts to unravel the twists. Now I can tell you as I've stated before about my hair texture, it might look thick when I have it in an afro but my texture feels like cotton. So when Daisha starts to unravel my hair I can tell it didn't come out the way she had hoped. At the base of my scalp the twist had a defined curl but as it was unraveled to the end, there wasn't any definition, it was as though I had a small afro it was really strange.

Daisha wondered if the creme she had used on my hair was too heavy and wanted me to come back on March 25th to redo my hair.

So fast forward to the 25th, I'm back at the salon and my style was curls. This time around she didn't use the creme to finish my style, she used a product in a spray bottle, which she had concocted.

I don't know why I didn't take a picture of the end result. It was better than the first time but it still wasn't the best. Again nothing wrong with Daisha, but my hair wants to just do its own thing. The curls looked great but at the end of my curls around the last inch or so, they were unraveled and again no definition. Yet this was happening as she was seperating my curls to give my hair a fuller look. So I had curls with mini afros at the end. Super strange.

So in the end I will have to say that for me these products didn't do so well in my hair except for the finishing spray. The Coconut and Monoi line are probably more geared towards those with thicker hair who can really get definition out of their styles, especially a two strand twist. I'll just stick to what I know which is my various afro styles.

One of the styles I know, updo from March 10th

 


Until the next episode....

 All That MsJazz

A mini vacation to Florida

This past weekend my sister and I went to Florida to just hang and chill out. Plans were made originally in January and I couldn't believe when I purchased my ticket that I was going to be enjoying myself in FLORIDAAAAAA in the first week of March. I was anticipating it like a little child and I just couldn't wait for the big day. Even though I waited until the night before to do my packing. We left Friday morning and after 2 flights made our way to Jacksonville, FL by noon. What greeted us was 40 degree weather with a rainy disposition.

We make our way to our rental and shortly thereafter we make it to our hotel. We stayed at the Marriot Sawgrass which is known to the PGA pros. We were there for a previous family reunion and since we enjoyed the accommodations my sister made reservations for our stay to be there again. What is great about this hotel is that there is an option to stay within the hotel or on the grounds in a villa. So this time around we decided on the villa. After making our way to our particular villa we find out that the electricity is turned off in the main part of the room. So after the engineers come through and rectify that issue we make our way to St. Augustine and take in an outlet mall and then to the historic part of St. Augustine to take in some dinner at a location called Harry's Seafood Bar and Grill. This restaurant had a great ambiance and the food was wonderful. I enjoyed some Voodoo Shrimp as an appetizer followed by Pasta Chicken Louisianne. Which I can only describe as a Creole version of a Feteccine Alfredo with some kick to it. It was AMAZING!!! Now the funny thing is that I normally can't handle spicy food, but THIS was well worth it. After our dinner we made our way back to our hotel where one of my best friends was going to meet up with me.

My girlfriend Kai picked me up that evening along with her family and we made the two hour trek back to her home in Deltona that night. I was so excited to see my girl you have NO IDEA!!! That night we just stayed up and enjoyed ourselves. Talking and just reminiscing about the times. The next day we made our way to my god-daughter's dance performance. She is truly an amazing and exceptional child. Her mannerisms remind me so much of myself. Her younger sister reminds me of my younger sister, she is definitely a little diva, I LOVE IT and their little brother has an imagination out of this world!!!

After her performance we check out (I think) every Homegoods and Marshall in Florida. LOL Which I had a blast doing because I was able to find my dream gold leaf that I wanted to update for my vendor table with my shea butter products. I packed it in my suitcase and I'm proud to say it made it's way back to Saint Louis without any issue. I also was able to visit my first IKEA store and I have to say it is everything plus a bag of CHIPS!!!!

OMG this place is HEAVEN ON EARTH!!!! We did the complete walk through so I could check out everything and I now I can't WAIT for the IKEA to open here in Chesterfield. 

We also hit up a Burlington Coat factory where I found a church outfit to wear the next day. After checking a few more Homegoods we make our way back to their home and enjoy some really great pizza, Krispy Kreme doughnuts and a few glasses of wine. The kiddies go to bed and Kai, James (her husband) and I are just sitting on the couch talking, enjoying our wine and just having a great conversation. 

The next morning we get ready for church and I was ready to go and then unfortunately I stubbed my toe. It was bleeding like crazy for about 15 minutes and couldn't get it to stop until I was able to get some heavy gauze around it and Kai was able to put some medical tape around it.

Church service was great and I really felt as though the sermon was speaking specifically for me. His sermon was bout how you can feel like you are sinking without drowning. It actually brought tears to my eyes because I can relate so strongly to the words he was preaching. Afterwards I was invited to a room where they had refreshments and was able to meet with the pastor briefly. I can definitely see why Kai and James fellowship there. It was definitely a place of warmth.

Afterwards we went and picked up some items for lunch and made our way back to their home to take a few pictures and settle down before it was time for them to drop me back off at the airport. 

I arrive back to the airport and say my goodbyes to Kai, James and the children. My sister texts me to let me know she already at the airport and we make our way to our terminal. After a two hour flight we make our way to Houston, Texas where the last leg of our trip will have us back to Saint Louis. We finally make it back home around 11:45pm. I had work this morning so I had to be up by 6am. I had a wonderful time and I can't wait to go back.

Until the next episode....

 All That MsJazz