Who We Love: Gorgeous Black Women

Why We Love It: Gorgeous Black Women is a super portal to find inspiration from women of color. From jet black skin, to creamy tones, to kinky locs, straight tresses, supermodels, athletes, celebrities, politicians, and all of those in between. This blog is the ultimate tribute to some of the most beautiful and inspiring Nubian women, and as you scroll along, you are bound to learn something new! This is why we love Gorgeous Black Women!

Our Top 5 Favorite Posts:

20 Sexiest Black Women Over 40!.

All Black Vogue Italia.

We love all of her “Lovely Locs" posts”!

Paula Lima

Waris Dirie

What caught my eye from the Spa Goddess body care line was their packaging and presentation! I think it is so important to make your product look enticing and beautiful. When I decide whether or not to buy something (especially something handmade) I usually always consider the packaging and presentation first...before the product. What I like about theirs is that it is clean, simple, pretty, and fresh! Nevertheless, I really like this body care line and they offer up some pretty special and unique items to adorn your body with after a long day!

Just to highlight a few, some of my favorites are their: Lavender Shea butter, the Adzuki & Green Tea Facial Cleanser, Rock Star Detox, and their Shower Steamers!

There is a lot to choose from and they would make perfect gifts for both yourself and a special friend or family member!

Every time I see this magazine, I cannot resist picking it up and flipping through the pages, and I can seem to always find something that offers up some great inspiration! Whether fashion, politics, society, beauty, or everyday life, Muslim Girl Magazine is a fresh editorial that celebrates the beauty of the Muslim Girl. I am not Muslim myself, but I absolutely love this magazine & I highly recommend it to those who have young women as well, especially if you are Muslim. The imagery and topic structures are much more in tact with what I feel a teen/young womans magazine should be all about. I really do love their direction, and I think almost any aged woman can appreciate it. You can also subscribe to the magazine digitally for just $19.95 for 6 issues!

I love when I see magazines and websites, whether online or off, that re defines what beauty is, and those who re define what inspires the woman of color. We are not just all about stilettos, makeup, and celebrity gossip! This is what I am hoping comes across in ymib, and it definitely comes across in this wonderful mag, so be sure to check it out if you have not already! I plan to subscribe soon! YAY!

PS: isn't the cover girl for their April/May Spring issue gorgeous! See the first video for behind the scenes footage!

It's Friday... YAY!!! Hi everybody..Oh, I can't believe how quickly Friday came around...where does the time go! Anyhow you know those days when it seems like money is just sparse...and you can't seem to get a break? Or those days when you want to just splurge and the budget is shaking it's head and screaming 'no, no, no". I get those days and every time those thoughts come along I can't help but to think of these two songs for some odd reason. I use to love this song "Just Got Paid" by Johnny Kemp, and "I Wanna Be Rich" was a big hit back in the day.

Well, I hope you all have a great weekend!, You all are so FABULOUS, I love it here...such a talented, beautiful, and wise group of women...You really do Make It Beautiful!

Better Get To Livin Ladies! Oh, I love this song by Dolly Parton. The lyrics are fantastic and a great anthem for any woman who is going through those tough times or just having a bad day or suffering from low self esteem. Inspiration can be found in so many different mediums and I love when I run across those songs that are from the least expected places that offer up so many good feelings. So, please do listen to the lyrics and you can also read them below!

Better Get To Livin' Lyrics

People always comin' up to me and askin'

"Dolly, what's your secret?

With all you do, your attitude

Just seems to be so good

How do you keep it?"

Well I'm not the Dalai Lama, but I'll try

To offer up a few words of advice

Chorus:

You better get to livin', givin'

Don't forget to throw in a little forgivin'

And lovin' on the way

You better get to knowin', showin'

A little bit more concerned about where you're goin'

Just a word unto the wise

You better get to livin'

A girlfriend came to my house

Started cryin' on my shoulder Sunday evening

She was spinnin' such a sad tale

I could not believe the yarn that she was weavin'

So negative the words she had to say

I said if I had a violin I'd play

I said you'd better get to livin', givin'

Be willing and forgivin'

Cause all healing has to start with you

You better stop whining, pining

Get your dreams in line

And then just shine, design, refine

Until they come true

And you better get to livin'

Your life's a wreck, your house is mess

And your wardrobe way outdated

All your plans just keep on falling through

Overweight and under paid, under appreciated

I'm no guru, but I'll tell you

This I know is true

You better get to livin', givin'

A little more thought about bein'

A little more willin' to make a better way

Don't sweat the small stuff

Keep your chin up

Just hang tough

And if it gets too rough

Fall on your knees and pray

And do that everyday

The day we're born we start to die

Don't waste one minute of this life

Get to livin'

Share your dreams and share your laughter

Make some points for the great hereafter

Better start carin'

Better start sharin'

Better start tryin'

Better start smiling

And you better get to livin'

I also blogged about this over at JuBella & I thought you all would be inspired by it as well. I just love Designer Trina Turk. Her style is always classy, feminine, and filled with beautiful colors and fantastic patterns...don't ya think?

I love these prints and cuts from La Lesso! I also thought this post would be quite inspirational to all the ladies out there who sew. These lines are super easy to reproduce on the sewing machine, especially the "handkerchief" cut!

“Traders in the 19th Century originally brought the spotted kerchief known as 'lesso" to the East African coast from India. They were sold in joint units of 6 that were two kerchiefs wide and 3 kerchiefs in length. These six pieces soon adapted to become one large sarong. They were then produced in matching pairs, one was wrapped around the body and the other over the head and shoulders."

"Many other uses ensued; table cloth, baby carry, sheets, and curtains. The similarity between the spotted pattern of the 'lesso' and those of a geuinea fowl, as well as the chitter chatter of the women that wore them and the bird gave the cloth the nickname 'khanga”, the Swahili word for guinea fowl.” The Khanga became became such an integral part of traditional African costume that they developed the concept of printing each design with an unique Swahili proverb. These captions became extremely meaningful and were commonly used when giving gifts where the message could wish the receiver the appropriate salutations.” - lalesso.com

I absolutely love these little shorts with the African trim! It's fantastic, and I wanted to post this pic because you could easily make your own pair either from scratch or by embellishing a pair from the store; and the towel bag also offers up more creative inspiration for those who sew...carrying your towels to the beach can be oh so stylish...Love It!

What makes a woman?
 
Womanhood is not defined from the outside, but from within.
 
It is how we choose to express ourselves from our creative cores.
 
It is our innate capacity to nurture seeds of potential into the miraculous.
 
It is…
 
the blending of strength with warmth,
 
the balance of hope and knowing,
 
the union of dignity and grace,
 
the merger of radiance with humility,
 
the fusion of femininity and brilliance.
 
the mélange of wisdom and wonder.
 
Womanhood is an amalgamation of all that is and will ever be.
 
Womanhood is a gift that desires cultivation…a perpetual work of art.
 
Respect who you are.  Nurture who you are. Be who you are.
 
Trust that it is more than enough.

I think we missed a couple of Remember That Fridays, but just so you know, they do still exist! Happy Friday ladies! So, what do you all have planned for this weekend? Do you ever feel like there is so much to do and so little time...rushed, and dazed along the way? I catch myself feeling that way often, so I try to slow down and realize that nothing is as big as it seems or what I am making it to be.

Nevertheless...do you all remember Sybil? She was very popular around the late 80's early 90's era. I loved her songs and her songs "Walk on By" and "Don't Make Me Over" were hot then and are hot now! I don't think that they will ever go out of style...as good music should never do! A good song should be able to withstand time, fads, and trends. i remember wearing my hair like she has it in the walk On By Video...fanned out ponytails were it back then, especially with the bangs fluffed up as high as they would go and held in place with tons of hairspray (preferably Aquanet or Soft & Beautiful...LOL). Now I can't talk about Sybil without bringing up Soul II Soul! OMG...I love this group & after listening to their song "Keep On Movin"(2nd video) at an older age, I can appreciate it even more! I Love it!

So Sisters I hope your weekend is filled with heat waves of joy, family, friends, memories in the making, candid photos, iced tea and lemonade, Sunday naps, and gentle summer rain. Keep On Movin Sisters...we have a lot to do! Take care & See you Monday!

This bite was inspired by Circle Sister detroitmelody

"I will be moving, one-day, to a studio because that's all I can afford. I was thinking about using a sit down on the floor dining area-like a round wooden platform or slab and pillows for the seats, instead of the traditional dining set. Got any suggestions, is that functional?" -detroitmelody

I think floor seating is practical depending on the age of your company. If you have older company then you might reconsider this or maybe just make a little eating nook on the floor that is more for your personal lounging and small meals and snacks. But if most of your company are younger in age then I say go for it! The biggest inspiration for floor seating would definitely be that of Morocco and India. I have selected a mere few images below to offer up some inspiration.

One thing you might consider is using inexpensive coffee tables and side tables as seating (something like this). Just make some cushions in your favorite fabrics/patchwork and place them on the seats for cushioning. This way you do not have to get all the way down on the floor but it still offers a very quaint and intimate feel. For the table you can use a slab of wood, but be sure that it is supported well(because the last thing you would want is to start putting food on the table and it all falls down..LOL).

For your cushions, I would highly suggest you go to the local thrift stores and just recover those, because the pillow forms out of Jo-anns and any other craft/fabric store can get a bit expensive when you need a lot of them for this style of dining. Many times you can find thrifted pillows for as little as 50 cents! YAY! You may even find a nice coffee table to use for your dining table as well! Designer stores charge way too much most of the times especially for floor cushions and pouffes.

Here is a great pouffe pattern from one of my favorite textile designers Amy Butler. Just click on the image below for the pattern.

(floor cushions and pouffe from Crate & Barrel)

I love the 2nd room in the left hand column. That seating area up against the wall would make the perfect dining by just pulling up a table to it!

A more pricier idea is to place a very simple futon or chic sofa up against the wall and cover it with printed fabric and cushions and place a low coffee/dining table in front of it (this could be versatile and worth paying more for, as you could use it for both dining and overnight guests if you won't have a guest bedroom).

OK, well, I hope this gives you some ideas! For those of you who don't know, I also blog about creative living ideas and inspiration over at my new blog: Jubella.com | Get Your Creative Dose! Detroitmelody described JuBellas style perfectly: "feminine, delicate, and girly", and I would add very eclectic!. Sometimes when I post there, I think to myself "the sisters in the Circle would like this too", so from now on if I think that you all will like a certain post, I will be sure to post it here in the Circle as well! Live Creatively!

Sometimes his love hurts...it cuts you deep, leaves you with wounds and scars, and sometimes his love is reconciled beyond the hurt, and sometimes it's not. One thing is true...his love is an emotion that can change in a heartbeat and unfortunately for your emotions, your heart has to reform with it. His love sometimes grows to fast and sometimes it leaves in a haste...leaving stretchmarks upon your hearts that carried his love for months and years. Sometimes his love makes you smile and many times it makes you cry, but one thing is true...his love is a cycle, sometimes long, and many times short; and while you might not feel the warmth and comfort of his love caressing your spirit now, know that you still have a love reserved...and SHE LIVES WITHIN.

I dedicate this post above and these songs to the Sisters who know that sometimes love just simply hurts. Please do listen to the lyrics...these songs are not only beautiful but sung with so much passion(especially Lauryn, Denice Williams(above), and Aretha)! Stay beautiful and optimistic ladies...we're here for ya!

I am in love with Cameroon Songstress Delphine "Queen" Eteme! Her music is elegant and divine! Parisian jazz at it's best. "In late 2003, Queen released her first album “Soki”, meaning “what if” in Lingala. “What if” a song truly had the power to make a difference, “what if” a soulful voice and a positive outlook could infuse hope throughout a continent in need." She is so beautiful and her voice is just immaculate. She reminds me of the beauty of Susana Baca and Miriam Makeba! Check out her myspace page to hear more of her lovely music!

These baby bonnets from joyceclaire are so adorable! These would be so cute on your favorite baby girl along with a sweet bright and summery sundress! It can be quite hard sometimes to find baby clothing that is culturally inspired and stylish as well, that is if you do not sew, so for all those with little tots, please do share your favorite shops when shopping for the little ones!

One of my favorite models right now is French (African & Algerian) beauty Jessi M'Bengue. Her natural free flowing curls are very inspiring and she takes some of the cutest and etherical like photos! You might recall seeing her fashion spreads in Trace and Oyster Magazine, as well as on the Urban Outfitters website! You can view more of her portfolio here.