This song will forever be a classic and purely makes the statement of what we need more of in our universe...right along with Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes "Wake Up Everybody".
Daily Bites
Video Love: We Are The World: Haiti
Posted February 13th, 2010By soulliving
Tutorial Found: Flower & Open Weave Crocheted Headscarf
Posted January 27th, 2010By soulliving
As you all know, YMIB is a big supporter of Erika and Monika Simmons aka The Double Stitch Twins! I love their tutorial videos and thought that this headscarf was super cute! You can find their videos Here and on Youtube. You can click the picture to the left for the flower tutorial and the two videos embedded at the bottom shows you how to go about doing the actual scarf. I tried to link to the actual pdf pattern but it links to the wrong one, so of I get the proper link I will be sure to post it here!
Fashion Spread: African Mosaiques
Posted January 27th, 2010By soulliving
It is not often that I come across a line that really exemplifies my kind of style, but I love these pieces from the 2009 collection of African Mosaiques. The dresses are my absolute favorites...aaah. can't you hear spring and summer calling you!
Color Theory: Haiti
Posted January 22nd, 2010By soulliving
This post also featured on JuBella.com: Get Your Creative Dose!
I wanted to post this earlier this week, but as you all know, with so much going on, I never know how my days will pan out. Nevertheless, there is so much being siad and debated about the disaterous incidents in Haiti. Most of the imagery that we see of Haiti, even before the earthquakes, have been filled with poverty and distruction, which does exist, but by no means is that the only side of Haiti. So, with that said, I wanted to take a moment to show the beauty of design/decor within Haiti amidst so many spectrums of heartache. Even in the smallest of homes, you will find bright and spicy colors that I am sure brings joy to their families, even when times are bad. It just goes to show that home really is where the heart is and no matter what type of abode you are given, you should always make it beautiful for yourself and for those who live within it...true thankfulness at it's best!
The images within this post are form Marie-Louise Fouchard's and Roberto Stephenson's book: "Interieurs d'Haiti. I immediately noticed a common color palette used within the larger and smaller homes, and thought it would be fun to celebrate the colors of Haiti's design for this post. Most of the homes here were adorned with: rust orange, mustard/golden yellow, cobalt, turquoise blue, seafoam green, rose, brown, and of course green! I am in love with not only the colors but with so many of the elements that are used within these rooms, and the art and textiles are fabulous!
I have been posting a bit about the beauty of Haiti on my other blogs as well. This past weekend I made a Haitian Tea Cake, which I enhanced with warm spices that you would find in chai. If you get the chance, do try out the recipe: Haitian Tea Cake Recipe.
Photography Classics: Malick Sidibe: Vintage Africa
Posted January 19th, 2010By soulliving
Who: Malick Sidibe: Malick Sidibé is Malian photographer noted for his black-and-white studies of popular culture in the 1960s in Bamako, Mali. He completed his studies in design and jewelry at what is now the Institut National des Arts). In 1958, he opened his own studio (Studio Malick) in Bamako that specialized in documentary photography, focusing particularly on the youth culture of the Malian capital. In the 1970s, he turned towards the making of studio portraits. Sidibé was able to increase his reputation through the first meetings on African photography in Mali in 1994. His work is now exhibited in Europe (for example, the Fondation Cartier in Paris), the United States and Japan. ~wikipedia
These vintage photos taken by Malick Sidibe during the 60's and 70's are so fantastic. Real...simple...and quite fashionable! If you are a lover of photography then you simply must pick up his books: Here, Here, and Here!
The Creative Library: A Resource for Inspiration
Posted January 18th, 2010By soulliving
Creative inspiration can come in all shapes and forms. In this case I want to talk about creating a creative reading and media library. Many of us have collections of books that include biographies, fiction, non-fiction, and movies that we have deemed classics in our own eyes. But, in this case I want to focus on creating a resource at home that focuses on nothing but creative inspiration.
One of the first steps to creating your “Creative Library” is to decide which categories you plan to have. For instance: Artists, Designers, Fashion, Photographers, Music, Actors/Actress, Poets, etc. The idea is not to focus much on how-to books but biographies and movies about actual people within your industries of interests and having a space to go to in order to be inspired by all of their challenges and ways of moving up to success. Here are a few links to movies & books on women that have personally inspired me that I plan to include in my “Creative Library”, and that may inspire your own collection. Feel free to leave a comment on the women that you would include within your creative library!
Fashion Spread: Cote Minou
Posted January 18th, 2010By soulliving
Totally in love with these designs from Designers Maryanne and Stephanie of Cote Minou! The colors, the patterns, the cuts...so fabulous!
Recipe: Avocado Cocktail {the cooking diva}
Posted January 11th, 2010By soulliving
Oh how healthy, yummy, and refreshing this little cocktail looks! I recently stumbled upon Panamanian chefs Melissa De Leon's blog and found this great recipe for what she calls the "Emerald Cocktail". It's made with fresh avocados, honey, milk, and ice cream. This can EASILY be "veganized" by substituting the whole milk and ice cream with soy/almond milk and soy based ice cream, and if you prefer not to use honey, I would highly suggest Agave Nectar. I love this stuff..it's sweet like sugar, yet totally natural!
Avocado Cocktail:
Ingredients:
1 avocado, ripe
2 tablespoons honey
4 oz. whole milk
4 tablespoons vanilla ice cream
a pinch of cinnamon (optional)
Directions: Remove skin and seeds from avocados, chop roughly. Blend the avocados, honey, milk and ice cream in a blender for 15 seconds or until becomes smooth. Serve in tall glasses with ice and dust cinnamon on top.
Read a Book: Blog Your Passion!
Posted November 17th, 2009By soulliving
"Blog Your Passion doesn’t sell you fairy dust on how to quit your day job or how to work from home in your pajamas but it shortens the journey and saves time for the writer/blogger who wants to better understand the ins and outs of successful “stick to it” blogging." ~Melinda Lewis, Blog Your Passion
Ok, so how many times have we wanted to ask our favorite bloggers and freelance writers for some tips on making our writing and blogging careers fun, profitable, and successful? I know there are many that I would love to sit down and interview to capture some insightful information to make my blogging career better! So, with that said, I wanted to immediately share the latest from Melinda Lewis of the fabulous creative living & culture blog Get Togetha. Melinda has just launched her first e-book (which is uber affordable at just $4.95) which is lovingly called "Blog Your Passion":
"Have you ever wondered how your favorite bloggers earn a living and become known for what they do? Have you ever considered quitting your day job to blog? Have you started countless blogs only to serially abandon them? First thing’s first: Stop reading outdated conventional wisdom. Blog Your Passion is the difference between owning your blog and renting one. You’ve read the entry-level articles and posts on blogging that take you on a curiously addictive trip around redundancy but in Blog Your Passion the timeless blog secrets, tips, links, and ideas are shared, and the blogger myths are dispelled. Whether you want to start a new career, own your own business, or establishing your own voice after reading Blog Your Passion you will be better equipped in the art of authentic blogging. Don’t wait. The time is now to live your passion.
Click HERE TO ORDER & CLICK HERE TO READ MELINDAS YMIB INTERVIEW!
BIG CONGRATS to Melinda on a job well done, we can't wait to read your next publication!
Launch Alert: I Love My Hair!
Posted November 16th, 2009By soulliving
“It started out as a thesis project in grad school as a campaign to encourage African-American women to love and embrace their naturally coily hair.” ~Andrea Pippins, ilovemyhair.com
Hi there ladies! I am so excited to share this bit of news with you all! Many of you who have been in the Circle for some time now knows that all of us here finds a great amount of inspiration from creative and motivated women; with that said, I am excited to announce the launch of I Love My Hair! It is a brand developed by the super fly and fabulous Blogger and Designer Andrea Pippins of Fly Girls.
I Love My Hair is a collection of prints that Andrea initially created as her thesis project in grad school. Her pieces embrace positive affirmations of loving our natural beauty along with beautiful colors, compositions, and patterns. Needless to say, as she began sharing the poster designs and her design process on Fly she was overwhelmed with emails and requests for prints to be made of the posters. So she quickly began working on setting up shop so that people would be able to purchase her beautiful pieces!
“I Love My Hair is all about appreciating natural coils and conveying a message of beauty and healthy self-esteem through art and design.” ~Andrea Pippins, ilovemyhair.com
So please do hop on over and show some artistic love for your hair and check out her lovely and best of all affordable pieces. These would make excellent gifts for the upcoming holidays or even as a little gift for your own home, office, or salon!
The Creative Guide to Women of Color: Bloggers Edition
Posted November 10th, 2009By soulliving
Check It Out: This Article Compliments Finding The Creativity You Never Lost
Oh me oh my..look at what we have here! How many of you have been frustrated with the creative blogosphere when it comes to finding women of color that shares a passion for creative living as you do? I know that I have been there and felt quite lost for quite some time, thinking to myself “am I the only woman of color who like décor and crafty pretty things”...lol. Well, since I began blogging in 2005, the creative times have changed in blog world, and there are more women of color blogging creatively than ever before. Here I have a fabulous list of 50 women bloggers of color who blog about beautiful things within their beautiful lives. I was beyond inspired while gathering these links and I am more than sure that you will be even more inspired as you dive into these links. I am so thankful to have found and to have befriended many of the following women and I hope you all connect with each other as well! The more we know and create with each other the better our creative lives will be!
***Please note that while I have categorized the following blogs, many of them include bits of creativity from every category!
Artists, Arts & Culture
Issa: Blank.Bare.Clean
Marissa: Black Butterfly
Michele: Digital Dissonance
Pam: Oh That's So Cute
Tabitha: Cover that Mother
Arts, Crafts, & Textiles & More
Brandy: Brandy B. Wine
Crystal: Crystal J. Silk
Dawn: A Peek Behind Lark Studio
Erica: Erica B's. D.I.Y. Style
Ericka: Crafty Hues
Kiandra: Que Jiminez
Lisa: Celebrate Creativity
Nina: Super Foxy Mama
Shannon: Riffe Raff
Shevon: Pots & Dishes
Cooking, Baking, & Gardening
Asata: Life Chef
Courtney: Coco Cooks
Ericka: Bohemian Plates
Ericka: Copper Sweets
Kiva: Farmstead Lady
Kristina: Three Layer Cake
Nicci: The Zaftig Life
Tesia: Flavor Diva
Yoli: Yoli Ouiya
Mari: Mevrouw Cupcakes
Décor & Design
Andrea: Fly Girls
Derilyn: Treat
Donna: Soul Pretty
Ericka: JuBella
Jeanine: Aphro Chic
Jennae: Green Your Décor
Jessica: Design Wonderland
Karen: Hammocks & High Tea
Melanie: Lucky & Lovely
Melinda: Get Togetha
Myisha: The Hotness
Petergaye: Yahgie
Tina: Laidback Home
Doll Making
Sherry: Sankofa Doll Journal
Jewelry Designers
Myisha: Brace Yourself Boutique
Rebecca: Not Rachel
Smadar : Smadar Treasure
Scrapbooking
Essense: Essense Vibez
Lisa: Ethnic Scrapbooking
Sasha: Sassy Sasha
Tanisha: Girl Lemme Tell You
Terrie: Scrap Evangel
Vee: Creative Blessing
Sewing, Knitting, & Crochet
Adrienne: Adriennes Little World
Dee: Tifi Blogs
Harlem Purls: Harlem Purls
Jeanee: Handmade Dirty Laundry
Nikki: Nik Knits
Rashida: I Heart Linen
Shameka: Shameka Knits
Tanya: Indigo Muse
Valerie: Insatiable Needs
Veronica: A Knitter In Queens
Poetic Lyrics: The Fact Is
Posted November 10th, 2009By soulliving
For the times when you just don't know how to say it yourself...
"The Fact Is (I Need You)"
I can pay my own light bill baby
Pump my own gas in my own car
I can buy my own shoe collection
I've been blessed thus far
I can kill the spider above my bed
Although it's hard because I'm scared
I can even stain and polyurethane
But some things just don't change
I need you yeah
Sometimes so hard to say oh
I need you
Some things remain
I could buy my own groceries baby
Get my hair tight, my nails right
I can floss my own bling bling
Write the words to the songs I sing
I can even raise the child we'll make
Make sure he's loved and knows what God gave us
I can teach him how to walk and stand
But he needs you to help him be a man
We need you
So hard to say
We need you
Some things don't change
I could be congresswoman
Or a garbage woman or
Police officer, or a carpenter
I could be a doctor and a lawyer and a mother and a good girl
God what you've done to me
Kind of lover I could be
I could be a computer analyst, the Queen with the nappy hair raising her fist
Or I could be much more and a myriad of this
Hot as the summer, sweet as the first kiss
And even though I can do all these things
I need you
And even though I can do all these things
We need you
We need you
We need you
And even though I can do all these things by my damn self
I need you
I do, I do, I do, I do
And even though I can do all these things
I need you
We need you
We do
We need you yeah
We need you
Purple Reigns: Modern Royalty of Decor
Posted November 10th, 2009By gettogetha
The lovely Melinda Lewis of the oh so fabulous décor, design, and lifestyle inspiration blog Get Togetha stopped by to share a few of her favorite purple inspired décor goodies!
Purple: It was Cleopatra's favorite color. Nuff Said. The color purple's got range: upbeat, electric, edgy, noble, mysterious, calming and funky to name a few. Because of it's warm and cool tones purple can be whatever you dare it to be. Add a little Crown Royal, a touch of sensual Mauve, or channel your inner Pop Princes with electric purple. These modern accessories give your space that unexpected kick, deliver high on style and gives your Pad Style a chance to get sexy like that....
Get the Look: Caroline Glass Table Lamp, $100. Goldfish Coasters, Set of Four, $16. Grape TearDrop Vase, $34.99. Noriko Purple Vase, $43.95. Carmen (Crate & Barrell, not available online) Plumb Pillow , $49.95. Kartell Thyla Chair, $293. Callum Pillow, $50. Purple Mongolian Lamb Pillow, $100. iitala Aalto Votive, $29.75.
Don't Be Afraid: To Be A Travelista!
Posted September 29th, 2009By soulliving
Where would you like to travel to?, what would you like to learn?, how will it make you feel?
I would like to dedicate this post to my cousin Mozella Ademiluyi. She is my favorite travelista and inspires me so much as far as my dreams to travel abroad and near. She has been to Hong Kong, India, Africa, Brazil, Sweden, London, Belgium, the Islands, and most recently to Incan trails of Machu Picchu of Peru (that's her pictured below overlooking the Incan mountains...isn't it amazing), just to name a few.
Her experiences keep me motivated and her cultural energy is beyond admirable. Not too long ago she recently traveled to Tanzania with her two sisters to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. She accomplished this goal and came back with a new thought...the thought that “Love is A Mountain.” She took that one experience and developed an inspiration for everyone with her new website and book of poetry and poetic cd affectionately called Love Is A Mountain So be sure to pick up a copy and be inspired!
We all have so many things going on within our lives that we forget to take a moment to breathe, to step outside of the original and the mundane to explore something new. Traveling not only can broaden your mind to new cultures and rituals, but it can also open your eyes to new dreams, new realities, and new energy. Now traveling can cost a pretty penny, especially if you are planning to go abroad, but even if you cannot afford to travel to far away destinations, take some time to travel somewhere new within the country.
Travelista Tip: Get Creative: Recreate your favorite meals from your favorite destinations and keep them in a “traveling recipe book”, which is a recipe book that you can create that reflect your journeys. Include photocopies of your photos as well!
Essentials To Travel With:
passport and proper I.D's
journal and pen
lightweight camera/video camera
lightly packed suitcase (who needs lots of luggage getting lost in Rome and such)
pocket dictionaries
travelers checks / credit cards / currency calculations
Travelista Inspiration: Travelistas Andrea & Teri of Travelista T.V travels to some of the most fabulous destinations! Check them out and explore the world with them!
So, I say all of this to simply say: Take a road trip, go camping, go shopping in a new city...the sky is the limit..no pun intended. The world is an open journal..write in it. Live in It. Learn in It. And most importantly...Grow In It! Happy Traveling!
Video Love: Paloma Faith: New York
Posted September 29th, 2009By soulliving
Sometimes New York can give, and sometimes it can taketh away..LOL. This is dedicated to those who have had their love move away from them!
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