Test drive your paint color choices at http://www.colorjive.com/home.action and try some color n your home 4 less. Follow our bathroom gut/reno job, see if we complete it by Easter at www.sonyamacdesigns.blogspot.com/ -- this bath renovation job was and is inspired by http://www.younghouselove.com/ Think spring, Think refresh.

Over the years I have designed many logos for companies.
I enjoy this process and the final outcome is always of great interest. There are of
course some basic rules to keep in mind and the number one rule is to test the
final logo n blk/wht. Number two...make sure the mark is scale-able or size-able.
Number three...make sure the mark can be reduced for your business card and enlarged for your car magnet.

Dear Creativity,

I have done so much harm to you. I haven't created the right environment so that you may live on and be fruitful. I have stripped you of your rawness by forcing you to be what others want you to be. I haven't let you take over me and instead I've tried to make overly rational decisions to the point that it has dried you up. I AM SORRY. I want to feed you because you are beautiful and I feel in my gut your potential and it is overwhelming to the point that you leave me astonished. I have always tried to put you down with my humbleness and not let you be praised like you should. It is not right and doesn't show that I LOVE YOU. I do, I want you to know that and more importantly I want to understand you. Let me know what I can do so that I be the best body for you to inhabit. Let me understand what you need. What sort of environment do you need? I love you for your beauty and I vow to care for you and seek to understand you because YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL.

Ariel

Hey everyone

I have returned back to myself. Last year I vowed to be a different person. That I would be better to myself and promised to nurture myself holistically. Unfortunately the devil gains hold of you when he sees that you are progressing. That is what happened to me. I had bought raw food and began to follow Queen Afua's book " Sacred Woman". I felt good at the end of the first month and that's when I fell off. I began to stress about college and finances ( I was a senior in high school at the time) and also stressed about my boyfriend who was in his first year of college. There were other issues along with these stresses of getting into school and trying to nurture a long distance relationship. That summer I returned back to eating meat ( chicken and seafood) because I figured that I wouldn't be able to afford the vegetarian diet in school ( moved from New Orleans to New York). I began to feel the side effect.

I can’t believe the time of New Moon is already upon us! This month the fresh, renewing, and regenerating energy of the New Moon is in the dreamy, imaginative, and compassionate sign of Pisces.

The New Moon is a wonderful time to refocus our energy towards what we want in life. If you have been feeling scattered like I have beeen feeling lately, this is a great time to un-scatter your energy and bring it back to the center. The New Moon is the time of beginnings; it’s energy is much like the spring time or dawn, full of possibilities and wonder.

I have gone into detail about the energy of Pisces before but to recap, Pisces is a water sign, meaning that it corresponds to the emotional and subconscious realm. As a mutable, flexible, and sometimes nebulous sign Pisces is considered to be the most psychic of all of the signs. It is considered the realm of the subconscious mind that easily filters energy and information to us the collective consciousness. It is a sign of much depth which is why it is very much connected to the ocean and the orisa Olokun, the orisa of the ocean depths.

To read more please visit: http://riverofhoney.wordpress.com/

When studying astrology, many astrologers focus on the 8 planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto) and the 2 luminaries (the Sun and the Moon) collective referred to as “the planets.” These 10 planets are considered the different urges and desires within our psyches that we are seeking to fulfill during this lifetime. Focus on the these 10 planets and where they are found in the natal chart usually results in a well-rounded and detailed understanding of the personality.

However, I have found that a look at where some of the asteroids fall in the chart is also helpful. This is the case particularly for women as the asteroids have been associated with feminine personas from Greek and Roman mythology which of course, as we know, is an adaptation of African spiritual science.

A smile really goes a long way. When Monique won an Oscar for playing the most horrible mother of the year I cringed. Phylicia Rashad never won any awards for her role as Claire Huxtable on TV. Many times society and Hollywood never praises the mother who is intelligent, beautiful, and most of all happy. Many mothers cannot keep a smile on their face that displays pure joy when acting or just simply being. Phlycia Rashad showed the side of the black woman that we rarely get to see. Even, when there were challenges with her children and family there still was a joy. She loved Black men and she adored her husband. She didnt resort to conflict to resolve issues. She was sexy and she wasnt needy. She could hold her own. A lot of people felt the Cosby show was just too happy. It wasn’t real. Families and children need “too happy” in their lives. We need to recognize and celebrate happy women.

And the blessings keep coming!!! ButtaflyMovement Tees, my newest addition to this empowering journey....Custom Designed Tees for women, sizes Sm to 2xl, personalized buttafly color and word/wisdom on back, Check out the album or visit the marketplace online.Spread the word! Support!.....Operation Overflow 2010! You in?!

Last spring I found this nest, a lost dog created. I posted a birds nest on my blog www.sonyamacdesigns.blogspot.com, please ck it out and count on HIM to supply all your needs......It is so nice to know what we mean to our FATHER, no questions, many answers...HIS word, HIS promises, consult with HIM and HE will confirm you. Luke was a doctor, a physician of his day.

http://consciouschicknyc.blogspot.com

Just like much of the country, I'm living life on a budget.  I used to love going to spas for a quick massage, the salon to get my hair did and occasionally, I would travel to a retreat for a full weekend of wellness. Well, my budget now dictates that I go no further than my apartment for beauty treatments   So, this weekend I indulged at Spa Conscious Chick.   

First up was the pre-conditioning of my hair.  Instead of looking for recipes, I created my own based on my knowledge of moisturizing properties.

Avocado
Coconut Milk
Sesame Oil 
Apple Cider Vinegar
Egg Yolk

I remember years ago when I studied aikido that I would always get a little freaked when the sensei would train us to fight more than one person at a time. I hated it. I always wanted to go last, because it was never two-on-one, it was always like FIVE-on-one. He’d laugh as my eyes got big like saucers, but he’d make me do it anyway. The thing he taught me was that as long as you’re standing, you’re never, ever going to fight 5 guys at once. What you will do is fight 5 guys one at a time…repeatedly.

That’s kind of how I look at weight loss. You don’t need to lose 50 pounds.

You need to lose 1 pound….50 times.

Get it?

Think about how much better your day would go if instead of thinking “Oh I can’t eat anything. I have to lose, like, 50 pounds.” you said “I’ll have one cookie. Just one. Because well, all I gotta do this week is lose 1 pound”. Statistics show when it comes to weight loss, slow and steady wins the race. So sit down and think about one thing you could do everyday to lose just ONE pound.

Here’s a list of a few I’ve come up with:
1. Put skim milk or 2% in your coffee instead of whole milk

A MESSAGE FROM MY LITTLE BROTHER TO THE WORLD...

its funny when time comes back and bites you...if u fill ur life with black then theres nothin your light can shine thru.. darkness creates barriers over your heart blocking the carriers of internal happiness into the time dimesion of a simple smile.. see it only takes a little while for someone to inhale the deadly smell of what the world believes life is all about. but it takes longer for its true meaning to seep thru the cracks and crevances of the flesh thru each and every vessel and vein of you body and flowing to your heart and rocking the foundation of your world which in time will make the presence of your understanding felt threw each and every person you speak to.The World as we know it is slowly moving at the same pace of Gods wrist watch... but people what we have to realize is time running out and God is continuosly trying wake us up with the alarm clock of life with the earthquakes in haiti and chile with the massive increasing numbers of lives taken each day by time...please my people do not press the snooze button. -JOSHUA CLEVELAND

(What can i say...it runs in the family :-) ! )

Greetings Sisters
Here is an event that you may be interested in.
MADE IN AFRIKAH EXHIBITION 2010 which is due to to be held in Cape Coast Ghana 15th-21st September 2010.
From the organisers website:
We are looking for groups from all over the world to attend this exhibition. This is the platform for Africa / Caribbean Diaspora to unite with economics and progression in mind.
We are providing a platform for skills exchange and business with people on the continent of Africa. We are working with the people at the grass root of the
magnificent continent of Africa to bring forth the opportunity to invest
in small to medium scale businesses.
We welcome speakers and exhibitors and visitors from everywhere. Our goal is to provide a vehicle to investment on a scale that means that things actually get
done because organizations and groups will become aware of each other
and join forces with a common goal in mind. To rebuild, resettle and
re-establish Magnificent Africa.
Below are some of the criteria that need to be met. Your establishment should meet at least one of these, but we do hope that you will match more, especially the last one:

I'm on the phone with this guy I used to date right now and we separted almost a year ago because I couldn't be devoted to him. We saw the relationship wasn't going anywhere. Anyway, I'm married now and with a baby on the way and he contacts me out of the blue (which i think is a test from GOD) and ask me to come see him. I could tell he was thinking sexual things. I told him I was pregnant AND married and he still wants to see me. I explained to him that it would be cool to kick it but I know he's going to flirt. He's still on the phone right now as I'm typing and all i hear is blah blah blah because he's talking about how he wants a girl from another country. Which isn't the first time I heard this from a brotha. This is like the 8th guy who told me he's giving up on black women. It's frustrating and I'm almost in tears because we are BEAUTIFUL and I'm looking at the women on this site and my friends and all I see is inspiration.

Lately my sister and I have spent countless hours n the driveway, n her car, simply talking about this and that. Thank you God for bring n her safely back to me. In my heart, I just knew she was gone and I am so happy to be wrong.
March is Women's history month and I have scoured the Internet to bring you some links of note, but the one from Duke, you just must read.

http://www.graphic-design.com/bookshelf/women-design
http://news.mnstate.edu/2010/03/march-is-womens-history-month/
http://www.bet.com/News/Features/WHM08_AfricanAmericanWomenofFirstEntert...
http://www.nwhp.org/resourcecenter/linksaawomen.php
http://library.duke.edu/specialcollections/collections/digitized/african...
http://www.theroot.com/multimedia/roots-favorite-female-anthems?auto=tru...
http://events.yahoo.com/womensday/2010/index.php
http://www.thefrisky.com/post/246-the-women-of-black-history-entertainer...

No. this is not a post about chickens that do yoga.

It’s about me.

And my fear of doing yoga in public.

It’s not a debilitating fear. Its’ more like a strong aversion to having anyone behind me while I’m doing downward facing dog. Outside of martial arts, I’ve always worked out alone…with headphones. I’ve done yoga before, but it’s either been at home alone or in a really big class (think YogaZone). I’m aware of yoga’s myriad of benefits, but I admit that I’ve been slacking off lately in the exercise department. So at the beginning of the week, I made a promise to myself to face my fear and go to a yoga class with my friend Anna. She’s invited me before, but I’ve never gone for the reasons previously mentioned.

Well yesterday I dove into the deep end of the pool folks.

I took a yoga class… in Soho.

My blog redesign is somewhat complete with the addition of a new header and some buttons on the right side...I would say that the spring clena n has begun..
Please check it out at www.sonyamacdesigns.blogspot.com

Today at 4:33 am EST the planet Venus entered the fiery and enthusiastic sign of Aries, giving us the perfect recipe for a fiery romance!

Venus, the planet of attraction, harmony, refinement, beauty, and sensuality brings all of these attributes into any sign that she enters. Sometimes, her energy will be more cautious and practical, like when she is in Virgo. At other times she will be sensitive and nurturing, like when she is in Cancer. But in Aries, she is bold and daring, not at all fearful of going after what she wants and expressing her deep affection, attraction, and desires.

To read more please go to http://riverofhoney.wordpress.com/.

Indie Artisan Giveaway-2010!

It is with immeasurable bliss, innumerable praised to Oshun, Obatala, Egun Mi & Ori Mi that I announce the opening of my new website...

http://www.osheturainstitute.com/

I offer readings, a monthly Pan Afrikan home school curriculum, monthly orisha classes for adults & my two books on West Afrikan spirituality
please go ck it if interested and share with a friend or three
YEYE

Would you create if...your wheel chair would only go so far
Would you create if...you needed help to bathe
Would you create if...your med always need adjusting
Would you create if...you were bed bound
Would you create if...you had no home
Would you create if...you were all alone
Would you create if...you lost one arm
Would you create if...you know your gonna loss one leg

Create n is live n....................................and my friend Bob creates to live...

See more photos of Bob's story at http://www.mongocreates.blogspot.com/ and you may want to read my weekly confession........... this week title is Computer Confession....read it here http://www.sonyamacdesigns.blogspot.com.

Content is Still King and the future of blogging....read the full article here
http://webworkerdaily.com/2010/03/03/the-future-of-blogging/

I’m not suggesting that glitz and glamor are better than substance and message. On the contrary, I firmly believe content will always remain the most important aspect of any blog, newspaper or magazine. I’m just saying that we cannot ignore the obvious truth of today’s readers and viewers. We cannot stick our heads in the sand and hope that the quality of our content alone will win the day. We need to deliver our best work (be it blog post, article, movie, book, etc.) in the best packaging available if we want to give it a chance to be consumed/digested and, ultimately, appreciated.

Don't forget March is Women's History Month. That You President Carter. A link of note is http://womenshistorymonth.gov/ .
You can find another awesome link for Women's History Month at my blog
www.sonyamacdesigns.blogspot.com

I recently found out about an opportunity to be on Grill It with Bobby Flay on the Food Network. The network is currently looking for guests to appear on the show for its 3rd season and asking for recipes and 3-minute video clips of contenders doing their thing on the grill. While getting on TV or having a cooking show had never been a particular aim or objective of mine since I began my journey into food blogging, when this opportunity arose, I thought, why not?
(Read the full post and watch video)

Orange (color) was big last spring, but trends don't make it to the south for least a year, so that's why we are n luv with orange. Check out this blog post about orange
http://www.skimbacolifestyle.com/2009/01/orange-decorating-idea.html. You may also check out my new blog page at www.sonyamacdesigns.blogspot.com under the Food section (Blogger now has pages!) called On the Table Tuesday....join me and mine while we try to eat better and live better.

work n to get my blog (www.sonyamacdesigns.blogspot.com) tight n up and over the week end I designed a simple static page for my website(www.sonyamacdesigns.com). I am not happy with this design at all..............
so a redesign is in order already) but it is so much more than I had before (I have owned this domain for at least 2 years). Still work n hard to get ready for the blogger mash up, over at http://www.sfgirlbybay.com/blog-it-forward/ ....please
plan on ck n out my post on Wednesday March 10th. I really need your support. My business website is www.eastwindproductions.net and my portrait photography site is www.ursobeautiful2me.com.

When I discovered that body scrub is so ridiculously easy and cheap to make, I was tempted to walk into to Sephora and smack the nearest salesgirl. ($22 for some body scrub?! I don't think so).

• raw brown sugar ( NOT the "Brownulated" kind)
• white sugar (you're trying to be healthy right? So you shouldn't be eating this stuff anyway)
• 1/2 cup sweet almond oil
• 1/2 cup  grape seed oil
• spoon (or something to stir with)
• vanilla oil (or vanilla extract)
• peppermint oil
• anise oil
• spoon, tongue depressor or pop-sickle stick
• empty plastic jar (any size will do, I recycled an old body scrub container)

Current mood: Dancing as if no one is watching

Moon currently in Virgo and the song that best describe my mood be Vogue by Madonna. FYI Madonna’s Sun is in Leo and her Moon in Virgo, and I love listening to this song because it reminds me of a super great time I enjoyed at a club in Germany during the early 1990’s. Back then this song was hot like fish grease and everyone including me was taking a jab at Vouging!

Picture this, you are in Europe, and the party scene is diverse, wild like Gwen Stefani’s Banana’s! The music is loud like a bullhorn and the bass climatic in beat; the dance floor is crowded, arms are squaring and swaying and there is a healthy hint of competitiveness in the air –Time stands still and I feel light like a dandelion parachute, the floor clears and all eyes are on me as I vogue – my moment in the spotlight and applause!

Last week, I set aside some time to walk in the woods to observe my surroundings and note the signals of spring’s arrival. The gateway below has triggered a sequence of eye opening events!

Is anyone here interested in changing their appearance?

Peace and prosperity everyone, this blog post is for anyone interested in purchasing an Ardyss Body Magic garment. Its a phenomenon thats allowing men and women to drop hooks on those belt loops whithin actual minutes.

How does it work?
Its a garment created by a team of orthopedic surgeons to lift and sculpt by redistributing body fat from undesirable areas to more desirable areas. It provides tremendous support to the lower back which through my own personal research reveals is a sensitive place in our bodies responsible for supporting the functioning of the entire upper body. This explains why everyone who has purchased a garment from me has reported better breath. Once the garment is purchased and becomes exclusively yours, it functions in a similar way to dental braces, eventually reshaping your undesirable's into highly desirables.

Does it work?
Meaning are women and men actually dropping sizes in minutes? I'll let you see for self.

Yesterday, at 4:40 pm, the moon reached its fullness in the Earth Sign of Virgo. As an Earth sign, Virgo corresponds to the physical/material realm and asserts itself cautiously, as it as not as moved by inspiration (like the fire signs), emotions (like the water signs), or ideas or theories (like the air signs) as much as it moved by practicality. Earth signs (the other two are Taurus and Capricorn) concern themselves with practical needs, not possibilities.

The night before I go on a trip, I check the weather for the destination’s forecast, and plan my outfits for the whole week. I narrow down my footwear to what I’m going to wear on the plane, a pair of sneakers, 1 pair of heels, and a 1 pair of black flats. I decide what size suitcase and what carry on to bring, and what will go into each. I stay up late planning, and prepping, and funneling various oils, creams and conditioners into travel-size containers with the precision of a chemist. I try to get cash and packets of oatmeal ahead of time, so I won’t have to deal with the high prices of food and $5 ATM fees at the terminal, and I reserve a parking space near the airport. This process usually works out pretty well, and I get to my destination ready to relax or work or whatever. Pretty savvy right?

BUT…