The Jacaranda

Sunday mornings are especially difficult style-wise. On the one hand I always want to look my best at church. On the other, we go to 8am service, which means waking up at a ridiculously early hour.  Therefore, every Sunday I am faced with a fashion dilemna: take the time to try and look nice, or savor those extra minutes in bed? Yesterday, I kind of did a combination of both, and this is what I came up with. :)

PS. I almost didn’t post these. I have drastic double chin syndrome! :O

wordsareinfectious:

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE FOLLOWING ME.

Two months old, very good condition.

WILL INCLUDE a Nikon strap, USB cord, Three lenses, Quick Charger, Body cap, Two rechargeable batteries, and charger.

Reblogs only please. The winner will be determined by a random number generator.

CONTEST ENDS JULY 1ST. 

The reason why I decided to give it away was because I am getting a Nikon D5000 when I get out of school. If you have any questions, go head and ask.

WILL SHIP ANYWHERE.

I recently read an article  about a black woman who dared to take a trip to a tanning salon. She talked all about colorism issues in the black community and how many of us can be scared of the sun. Like the author of the article, I have one deep chocolaty parent, and one light bright, so I could have come out any shade in between.  I am closer to the chocolate shade of my father, while my brother would be considered light skinned.  Although I don’t think I’ll be heading to a tanning salon anytime soon, I’m not “scared of the sun” and I love the summer months when my darker complexion is rich and vibrant.  I have never been ashamed of my skin color nor have I felt it has had any negative effects on my social relationships. Until I got to college. Ironically, (or perhaps not), now that I am surrounded my mostly African Americans and other people of color this colorism issue has come into play in my life. And while I’m still not ashamed of my color, now I am much more aware of it.  College is the first time I have heard people in my social circle, unfortunately including some friends, talk about darker skin in a negative way.  And as I have researched this issue, I realize this negative talk is a constant in many dark skinned women’s lives.  Luckily, I am blessed enough to have a mother who has never made me feel less-than because I am dark and she is light: but I know many women do not have this same reality.  Now that I have started to think about this dark/light issue seriously, so many thoughts are flooding my head. How will it affect my ability to compete with my peers for jobs/internships/scholarships? Has it already affected my chances? What does it say about me that many of my close friends in high school and college are significantly lighter than me? Does it say anything about them? In my pursuits to study abroad during college, I have also wondered how my skin will be perceived overseas. I know there are extremely complex colorism issues in other countries, and after hearing some experiences of other black students I admit I worry about how my dark skin will affect my experience.  Colorism is a complex issue everywhere.  It hurts that people de-value dark skin, but what hurts worse is when I hear people with darker skin internalize the hatred, and talk about themselves in a negative way. 

What are your thoughts on the issue? 

Strawberry and Walnut salad. Is that really what it’s called? I don’t know. But I made it today and it’s GOOD.

I just got through reading my second, Barbara Kingsolver novel, Prodigal Summer.  It was both similar and completely different from Poisonwood Bible. There was the added element of romance (this book was unexpectedly steamy), and the three separate stories that spectacularly came together at the end.  Although this book was not at all what I was expecting, I have to say, it is the ultimate example of a stereotypical summer read.  Between the romance, the family controversy, and the nature-y Southern setting, it had all the makings of a sit-on-your-front-porch-with-a-glass-of-sweet-tea novel.  And in classic Kingsolver style, it carried a broader social message.  I never knew I could learn so much about farming, insects and trees in one novel.  I think the overall message was along the lines of appreciating nature and all living things, while understanding the balance of life.  It brings up a VERY interesting view on hunting, and on vegetarian lifestyles versus meat eating ones.  It also deals  with the (extremely) complex lifestyles of farmers and other confusing ecological concepts.  I loved every minute of this novel. It makes me wish I wasn’t scared of the majority of creatures that dwell outdoors. Oh, and it also renewed my passion in finding wild romance with a Southern boy with a raspy voice and a country twang. ;)

I am currently ten months into the process of growing out my relaxer. I still have a loooong way to go, but now that I am in almost a year in, I’m really starting to understand the difficulties of transitioning to natural hair. With a good flat iron, my hair still gets as straight as it did when it was relaxed; but I am from Tennessee. The humidity is out of this world. So whereas, before, my straight hair would look cute for two weeks without any problems, now, after about two days, it’s done. I’ve found the whole process even more frustrating, because I have absolutely NO ability to do my own hair. So you can imagine my delight when I came across this New York Times’s article all about natural hair.  It’s great that a mainstream media source is highlighting this problem that has so many implications for black women, especially in the corporate world.  The article also touched on something particularly important to me, which is that many women have not seen their natural hair since childhood. I literally cannot remember what my full natural hair looks like.  My hair has been relaxed for as long as I remember. Unlike alot of women, I’m not going natural to “rebel” against mainstream society.  I just really want to know what it feels like (and looks like) to have my hair completely chemical free.  I also love that the article features women who have YouTube channels devoted to natural hair because lord knows, I need all the help I can get.  I have a long way to go in this process of transitioning, but I look forward to experimenting with my hair along the way (insert: braids for the summer. Not sure how I feel about them yet), and I CANNOT wait too see the end result. 

 

I always seem to be coming up with long wish lists. I think I’m just too greedy! But nevertheless, I have another wish list, this time for books. I know I’ve already talked about my summer reading, but many of those were books I already have, but have neglected to read.  This list, however, is full of books I’ve yet to buy but will be searching for this summer! I hope I can finish them all :)

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I’ve heard only great things about this book.  And now that Harry Potter (sadly) is coming to a close, I need another series to be obsessed with. haha

2. Everday Icon: Michelle Obama and the Power of Style by Kate Betts. This has been on my radar for awhile and I’ve heard its THE coffee table book of the season. I can only imagine!

3. The Grace of Silence by Michele Norris. This one has also been on my radar for awhile.  Thinking of Michele Norris always takes me back to high school when my dad and I listened to her on All Things Considered on the way home. I imagine her memoir is amaaaazing I can’t wait to get my hands on it. 

4. Any Pearl Cleage book.  I read about her somewhere and ever since I’ve wanted to read one of her novels. They all seem interesting, but I think I Wish I Had a Red Dress will be first on the list.  

5. The Wedding by Dorothy West.  A novel about a white man and a black woman in the 1950’s……what else do I need to say?

6. The Salt Eaters by Toni Cade Barbara.  I read about this book in Essence and it sounds great!

7. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler.  Another Essence find.  I don’t think I’ve ever read a sci-fi book with black characters…should be interesting.  

8. The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver. Ever since I got a taste of Barbara Kingsolver in Poinsonwood Bible I’ve been HOOKED. I’m currently reading Prodigal Summer, but can’t wait to get to The Lacuna and get her take on another foreign country. 

I have the HARDEST time finding a pretty shade for my lips. Most of the time I just go sans lip color because I am never satisfied with the way anything looks.  But after cleaning out my bathroom drawers (yikes), luckily I found some old colors that my mom picked out for me a while ago. And surprise, surprise, I actually like some of them! I still haven’t found the perfect color for my lips but I am definitely taking steps in the right direction :)

1. Sephora Ultra Vinyl Lip Pencil in Strawberry delish

2. Avon Ultra Color Rich Lipstick in Sparkling Mauve

3. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Blackberry

4. Loreal Color Riche Lipstick in Pure Burgundy 

Sunrise tantalize, evil eyes hypnotize: that is the morning, Congo pink.