Semester From HELL 2016/2017

So I have officially completed drowning in COB Fall 2016.  I swallowed gallons of salty water as I doggy paddled through treacherous seaweed filled seas.  It is through God and a sawlid support system that I was able to come out alive.

I haven't written for the year...I have done my two readers a disservice because I recovered from the COB madness only to be thrown into the belly of the UB shark.  Pray for me guys.  I have not forsaken you!

I AM NOT INTIMIDATED

I have a classmate, sad misguided soul, that said one class "I feel intimidated talking to white people". And when I asked in amazement, "What did you say?" She continued, "Yea, man white people...." and some other non-sense I blocked out because I refused to believe this child was actually talking these rot .

What in the entire (insert bad word here) does that mess mean??

So, you're telling me a young woman currently obtaining a college education (not first year I might add) and you state that you are intimidated speaking to someone, not because of their level of education....not because of understanding of a topic....but you are intimidated because of a person's color.

Help me understand Father!!
Where it is broken help them fix it.
Be a fence and be a wall...cause I really couldn't understand it at all.

In that one statement she captured part of the problem with our people. We can not realize our power. We do not see that we all are powerful, especially if we stop allowing doubt and the standards of others to dictate to us what we should be and how to go about doing things.

I believe that perhaps some black people may sometimes feel as she described intimidated by white people because that is the discourse white people have created for us.  But it is UNTRUE. It is a LIE. We are not inferior. College or no college we are NOT inferior. Our color does not automatically tie us down to failure. Color does not dictate your greatness. Stand tall and speak to whoever with confidence because they are no better than you.

I'm sure I'll be back to expand on these thoughts.

Think about this until I'm back...If humans would learn to stop racing against each other we can all rise to unprecedented heights.
Go be great people.

#blackoutbahamas

Electric

I laid in bed...the stillness of the night all around me. I thought it was too quiet, the neighbours generator must be out of gas. You see, hurricane Matthew just passed devastating my country and since then, this has been the norm.

I tossed and turned for a while.  Luckily the cold front provided some comfort.  As the sweet breeze kissed my skin, I draped my body with a thin floral sheet - just enough protection to keep away the mosquitoes, knowing that before long one leg would be thrust from beneath the covers.

Little did I know, that soon I'd have the most erotic dream of my life.

I pitched up...the night so dark I couldn't see my hands before me.  I walked with arms outstretched, finally my palm reached a hard surface.  OH YEA, I thought as I glided my soft hands up the rippled surface and finally there it was, sticking out before me.  By this time the air was still and the heat had risen immensely.  I continued my exploration. I slid my hand....pushed it up and BAM...

THERE WAS LIGHT!

"My word!" I shouted, "Tings awreddy betta" I continued as I danced with the warm light hitting cheeks. I ran through the house clicking on all the light switches, all the fans, all the TVs.  My dog gazed at me with wonder.  He could not understand my excitement. On day 13, I finally had electricity.

That dream was serious. I woke up drenched in sweat, what a wet dream.

#prayforallaffectedbymatthew #justforlaughs

Fabric Softner

cotton panties

entangled in satin sheets

leather stilettos
lodged in cracks of wooden floors

silk blouse
slung over a Lasko fan

gold earring
missing one of its kind

pink scarf
binds us together

blue boxer briefs
set him free

brown belt
looped through more than pants

buttons missing shirts
heels missing shoes
out turned pockets
change scattered on the floor
laundry

the morning before

©Tia Clarke 2009

Tia Turns Thirty

My birthday was magnificent:

I want to thank EVERYONE that made it memorable and amazing. I'm forever thankful!

Tia Turned 

and looked dang good doing so...

Wait...It's Coming

In the age of consumerism and social media life broadcasts we've been led to believe that we need more and we need more now.

We may start to think: We should be over there doing what classmates are doing. We should have what this one has. Why am I not there yet? Why don't I have this?

Wait....

Remember those good ole sayings:

1. Nothing before it's time.
2. What's for you is for you.
3. Slow and steady wins the race.

They are all true.
When you don't get something exactly when you want it there's many possible reasons why, but I'd say: God knows you weren't to have it - or he says that's not for you to have at all.  Sometimes that road you feel has too many bumps was designed to keep you back from the oncoming collision.

As I approach a major milestone in my life I am reflective, I am happy, I am celebrating. I will not allow society to put an expiration date on my blessings. I am embracing where I am! Progression is my goal and God keeps me moving toward it!

So don't rush for anything; just wait...it's coming!

Jessica Reedy - Keep It Moving

Keep Moving...

Nailed It: Pirates Edition

I went to cover my first video release party on the weekend (BIG SHOUT OUTS TO MY BOY TONASH) and I was really excited, sleepy, tired...but excited. It's so inspiring when people can follow their passions fearlessly.  And us in this small country (The Bahamas) should continue to support each other in positive movements.  You can read more about the party on http://www.elife242.com/tenacious-tonash-bahama-mama-video-release-party/.

Nowwwwwwww.....during the festivities I wandered upstairs to find a mini museum. There were photos of all sorts of pirates they taught me about in school that I completely blocked out of my memory database. I'm sure one was Anne Bonny...sighs, anyway, I took this opportunity to play with the pirates a bit and I totally NAILED IT!

The M.V.P

Woooooooosssssaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh
I am slightly disturbed in this very moment...(actually posted late :D)

How the hell you gonna bench your most valuable player and expect to win the game?
People have a hard time appreciating how great you are in the game until you're benched.  Or you're playing injured and they don't even notice! If you ride your star player but don't treat them as deserved and to add insult to injury, put them out the game to let subpar merely mediocre people play, expect your results to be unfavourable.  Of course I'm not wishing you evil or anything bad at all, but it's fair to say - I'll save my wishes!

As it stands, I have declared myself the MVP of friendships and eff what you thought. However, due to continually getting my wholeeeeeeeeeeeeeee stick lodged in a deep pile of doodoo. At some point in time you realize that your talents need a better support system and you just switch teams.

So here's a few steps to

Build a PRODUCTIVE team that supports and promotes each others goals and needs.
REMEMBER all the things your former team was lacking, the minute you sniff out that spirit, fire that player.
Most importantly refuse to be accept being benched - people do not have the right to drop you and pick you up when it is convenient to them. You are high PRIORITY- You are the Most Valuable Player.

Here to present with a token of my appreciate is none other than....

My Hair "Angie": Flex-It-Out Tutorial

I have to start making videos, as soon as I muster up the courage, but currently me and my camera will take you on whatever journeys Angie and I have. The details on this style was requested by a lovely lady on Instagram @hair_by_kia and I'm sorry I didn't take much more pictures but I will be as detailed as I can in this mini Flex It Out Tutorial.

The reason I coined it my Flex-It-Out tutorial is simple:
1. it sounds cool! I'm cool! Be like me!
2. only rods used were flexi-rods
3. I took them out - certainly no rocket science (i before e, except after c, had to make sure)

So for about 2 weeks I wore my hair semi straight. I washed it with my niece's 2 in 1 shampoo conditioner. Oiled it real well with Organix coconut oil serum, then flat twisted it so it could air dry and have some stretch.

 there's two bobby pins holding the ends of the twists securely on opposite sides; it's not pulled so tight it hurts but it was pulled so Angie didn't curl up at the ends.

A day or two later I took them out and flat ironed my hair (the name tag sticker on my phone; funny story...sex party lol) 

I'm not leaving any of these processes out because it's important to understand the texture of my hair at the time of this style.  (For those interested: I've been told I have 4/b hair - I don't follow that stuff up)       

Now down to the good stuff...after about 2 weeks, Angie and I got tired of that semi straight nonsense that was going on (it was never bone straight)

Soooooooo dreading wash day, I said my hair smelled good enough to go another week. LOL don't judge me. 

I cleared it out with my Denman (every naturalista new and old probably heard about this brush) I have two of them, the black red and white one seems to be much better than my all black but that's my opinion because it's like the grip changed and the bristles slide out of place more often with the black which is highly annoying.

  

I then moisturized again with the coconut oil serum (pictured further up), followed up with the shea moisture hibiscus smoothie I absolutely loveeeeeeeeee this. I've had a jar for about a year now and I still have a little less than half left because you don't need a lot of it, it's thick and smells delish. (side note) I've read on forums and comments that the formula has changed and it's not as good but I'll have to wait to see.

I wanted a lot of moisture because it did have direct heat from my flat iron and I wanted to make sure it didn't suffer from being wore out hair frequently. I used eco styler gelto set it. Eco styler is another natural favorite. 

Then I started sectioning - fairly large sections and added products to the sections; twisted and rolled on blue flexi rods straight to the scalp.

sorry for the bad photos

The next morning I took out the rods undid the twists and fluffed AND..

...here was the look

Better Than a Disney Princess

The debate over little black girls having their own Disney princesses to look up to has been hot. For so long our chocolate cuties have been enamoured by roles of Cinderella, Snow White, Belle and Arial to name a few. When the movie "Princess and the Frog" came out in 2009 little black girls of this time could lean a little closer to the screen as Princess Tiana, Disney's first black princess emerged. (I believe the closest we got was Pochantas, released 1995 - another great movieplease listen to my Poca jam https://youtu.be/diQgSDWJL7o) And I could go on for hours about what could have been changed but I won't...I'll just say it was a step in the right direction! 

In 2013, "Frozen" was released and the popularity of this movie was overwhelming and soon shifted Elsa & Anna into children's favourite princesses.  It was easy to fall in love with the icy Elsa and her long flowing braid (Anna's my fav tho) but my youngest niece ------}(this lil puddin pop) touched me deeply when she wanted her hair like Elsa's and her mother did a similar style to appease her but in her eyes, it was too far from Elsa's. It made me upset to know that she was unhappy with her hairstyle. My sis in law explained very well to her though that she can't be just like Elsa, and it's okay to be different. Later I told her I loved her hair, that she was beautiful, and looked wayyyyyy better than Elsa.

All this to say, I was inspired by my honey to be my own version of Elsa, I'm a princess my way. Hopefully every little girl is encouraged to love what she was blessed with. You're unique...enjoy it. You're better than a Disney Princess.

#blackgirlmagic

Straight Talk with Angie

Recently, Angie has been a good girl. She has been allowing me to do top knots, flat twists and low ponies all with little coaxing. So I had an idea, let's go straight for a while.

WHAT??!!! Straighten stubborn Angie???

What was I thinking?

The last time I flat ironed my hair it was straight long enough for me to get out the chair.  LOL it's funny when I think about it cause I was just as excited this time.  See below:

Pictured below; left: natural ponytail with plait; right: flat iron pony after I chopped it off

The thing about straightening my hair is, she does NOT want to be straight. I'm convinced of it.  But I reallyyyyyy wanted to wear this cool new floppy hat ------}
and thought, cool weather in Ohio is perfect to test out my new Remington flat iron. My mistake was though, waiting until the day before my travels to flat iron Angie. I think I should have worn it straight the whole trip.  Anyway, went through the process....

 Pictured here thinking, "boy this ga be RIGHT!"

More contrast...

I pinned curled it after I got it as close to bone straight as I could. (which may not have been that straight considering I wasn't getting close to my scalp.) Woke up and it was in tack ( no photos because I was feeling ill).
Fast forward a bit after feeling illl most of the day, a day of traveling and meeting Nassau humidity and heat - my hair had frizzed --------}

Either way, I'm dealing with it because either way, I gotta be straight with ya, I love Angie wavy, kinky, curly or frizzy straight - cause she's all mine.

I Think I Love My Life

I was minding my own beeswax when a lady mouths to me, "OMG is that..? OMG! OMG!"






I wasn't too sure when the person passed me. I saw two beautiful girls. No security. So I'm like wait a minute, YES, YES it is. I completely forgot about all the nervous energy I was having.








I'm totally not groupie (as my babe joked and called me) but as he stood in front of me I was like, well this makes for a pretty interesting story. Of course I'm sure he didn't want to be bothered but I thought, how could I deprive my few readers of sharing this moment with me.






Soooooooooooooooooooooooo Happy Holidays from me and Chris freakin' Rock!


Everybody Hates Loves Chris (Kind enough to take a selfie with me and my festive antlers)