Natural Hair: As Compared To...

When I first began my natural hair journey, I compared it to losing weight. It was no longer a habit. It was something I had to turn into a lifestyle. And everyday my mom saw me carting in a few more bottles of oils to try on my hair, was the more she understood that I was no longer turning back. And it was the same with my weight loss. Now I kow I haven't lost a drastic amount of weight, but I haven't gained any either.

When I left High School, I was a whopping 192lbs. Not my best look and definitely not my best feeling. But I got into college and without really putting into perspectiv the hills I had to literally climb everyday to get to class, I slowly dropped weight. Yes ladies and gents. I wasn't one of those girls who gained their freshmen 15. I, in fact lost it, and kept it off throughout school because I eventually (though late) made it a secondhand lifestyle. I say secondhand because though I want it to be a first priority, my healthy has still taken the back burner amongst other things in my life. Anyway, let me stop ranting.

I got inspired to write this blogpost because of a recent video I saw on my YouTube subscriptions list entitled "Natural Hair: It's A Sport". This vlogger has a thing with the [natural] ladies in the YT community but he also spits a lot of truth. And I thought I would share. You can watch his video below or click the link in the line above.

Nevertheless, I completely understood where he was coming from! Just like a lot of Natural sistahs see it, he was able to grasp the concept of having natural hair and what it partially means. A sport you may ponder?... hmmm... I know. But what's the diff? He calls it a sport, I call it a lifestyle.

Enjoy!

It's All About: E.L.F. Products!

Night out with the Besty!

So about a week ago, I sent off for some make-up products, seeing as how I am trying to become better versed in using make-up. Not saying I'm going to using it on a regular basis but it is always good for a woman to know a few tips & tricks up her sleeve when it's time to really get down to it. I must say I am still new at this whole world of make up. I have done a few looks, like the one to the right (I'm wearing the leopard scarf). However, that "smokey eye" didn't turn out as smokey as I wanted it to... and I realized that my finger was obviously not the only tool I should be using when I apply makeup. So I began my search!

 NC 45 Concealer

First I went to MAC with my girl Netchem and splurged (or what I call "splurge") on their "NC 45" Concealer and their "Spiked" eyebrow pencil. These can be seen to the right and below. All together, I paid a whopping $40 for just these two trinkets but I am happy to announce that I definitely didn't have any buyers regret when it came to MAC! Anyway, the next task at hand was to find good tools. At first I was all focused on a brush that would jazz up my eyebrows--the one asset on your face that makes AND breaks your look depending on how you treat them. However, after being realistic about 1) my money flow and 2) my skills, I settled for a brand we all know about.  I went over to the Eyes. Lips. Face. website, surfed their site for brushes that they have in stock and went nuts when I realized E.L.F was a God send!!! Their brushes--almost all of them range in price from just $1 and can go up to $5-$8.

"Spiked" Pencil

When you think and compare, yes the other brands may use real fibers and hair, or wrap their strands more securely to prevent shedding but that's nothing a bit of Shampoo and conditioner can't take care of! So my main goal! Find a good Angled brush to use on my eyebrows ...even if it happened to be at their top price of $8 and that was an easy fix! Then I added a few more brushes, a pencil or two, a $10 100-pallet eye shadow kit, a powder to the bag and I was ready to check out. Now, I know myself better than anyone. Looking at the checkout price of $40, I was very impressed with myself but I KNEW I could find a way to get that bag lower.

So what did I do? ...

I went to trusty GOOGLE and found a site that housed E.L.F. coupon codes. Many didn't work but one did give me like $5 off of any purchase $25 and up. Just when I thought I was set and ready to go, my brain told me to take another look through at the coupon codes and out of nowhere up popped one link that would give me 12 free BRUSHES with my $20 or more purchase! I instantly plugged the code into my shopping cart and when I found out it worked, I knew it was time to adjust. First I searched for the free model that the code was giving you. Yes they turned out to be the cheaper set but who cares! Like I said, I am NO professional. So I went back to my cart, removed all the individual brushes I had added and then went back to boost my cart up to the $20 amount so I could get the 12 free brushes! Along with what I kept, I just had to add one more kit to the bag and what better than an eyebrow-ready kit.

*sigh*

I have NEVER been more proud of myself! And I believe I did very well. For now, I guess my advice to new make-up"ers" out there would be:

• Identify what you would like to enhance on your face, like how I wanted to enhance my brows and play down my blemishes
• Focus on ONE thing at a time. If you try to get EVERYTHING, you'll most likely lose a good bargain!
• You also want to start little. Don't feel like you have to get all the best brands out there. What's the point in paying for them if you'll end up using them only once a year, or at all at that!

...Pics are below to check out! And I hope this inspires all the ladies like me that are trying her best to show UP and show OUT!!

Packaging really does matter!

My 100-pallet eye shadow kit

The colors!!


MY 12, FREE BRUSHES

My eyebrow kit

My Pressed Powder

My Angled Brush (for my brows)

My turquoise shimmer pencil

Trouble Sleeping?...

I arrive to work at 12pm and by 12:45, I already feel like I'm going to fall face first into the keyboard. So what do I do? I open up my email and prepare for a massive cleaning. Lets put aside the fact that I only have 4 unread emails and I'm OCD when it comes to organizing my account. Everything has it's own label, folder, and importance. Much ado that did *pssh*. Anyway, I come across an update from the blog, A Black Girl's Guide to Weight Loss--Yes! there is a blog out there for everyone--andf I notice they actually have a post up for people who have trouble sleeping. Can my self-appointed arrows shine any brighter?

If you have Trouble sleeping, I feel like this is an awesome Guide to keep you in the know. It's also filled with cool animation so that you're not just reading someone's boring thesis or script! Check it out and tell me what you think!

So far, I approve! You can click here to be directed to the post.

My Pride and Joy

Meet my gorgeous niece. Born at Methodist Hospital on March 28th, 2009 in Brooklyn, Ny, Yasenia Nevaeh Cameron James weighed 6lbs 4oz and measured at 19inches long. I love her with every fiber of my being and although I can't see her as much as i'd like, she seems to be growing up well. So fast they say. She's already trying to walk which is weird because she has yet to crawl. I try my best to see as ften as I can but times collide so much in my life and right now, I need to work it out.

She said her first word before the year ended. But i remember those days when sh'ed lay in the middle of my couch with a pillow on either side and she'd just scream!! Scream till se sounded hoarse. and you'd run in like "are you okay mama!!" and then she'd smile and grab your hair and scream even louderin your ear when she was close enough to the ear drum.

I remember the nights she'd wake up for milk. All you'd hear was a faint whimper. Like she'd had a bad dream. Then when her grandfather died in the summer my mother, her grandmother, adorned her in red. She found a red scrunchie i'd put in my hair and put it on her tiny wrist. Or she'd clip a red bow in her hair. The last thing I saw my mother do, is tape salt crystals abouve every doorway in the house. Hmm. You ask why? Because she--my mother--was afraid her dead grandfather would haunt her at night, being that he never got to see her before he past away. A opule of weeks later, when I returned from an internship up at Yale U, I noticed a fretful look on her face.

Yasenia James was christened July 5th, 2009. Just two days after her grandfather, on her mother's side, passed away. There was a small funeral the following days in which I was not able to attend but i heard she cried for him. Just like her mother did. Yasenia was a copy cat. Doing what her elders would whenever she got the chance. But now a few monthslater, she has he own show. Her own playbill. I strive to see her grow up to be successful. Even if, and when I have my own kids, i know she'll share that smile with me! Here's a pic of her now. At ten months, 2wks, and four days old. Her first birthay is coming up and i have a feeling she'll be a princess!! LOL

Signed Off: ~*CourtyJ*~ 12:03pm

PROPOSITION! by Sophie Johnson

In stolen fantasies

of a ghost world

See my mortal wound

pressed shut beneath

its gauzy veil

Low and deep,

it whispers

to be opened

PROPOSITION by Sophie Johnson (PRATT aquaintance)

R.I.P. ~*Sexii Shannon*~

MAN!!! The last two weeks of my life have been so _______....You fill in the blank! Just whatever you can get out of this rant!
It all started on September 30th when I stayed in the house and was paid a visit from an old HS friend.....too weird because he looked like he was still suffering through hormonally ruptured puberty!
Lol! he looked good though...not weird.... Just fuerte! But anyway! We chilled then I woke up the next morning to a phone call from mi amiga Netchem! and What she had to tell me was no news to start off a morning with.... From then on I think my body was drained of all the zeal and fervor I had that day!
It just so happens that one of our own "children" at the Brooklyn Children's Museum was murdered by her own cousin. I wont emphasize the details so research it if u want on your own! I was just so distraught. In all the years that I participated in the Museum Team program, I never imagined any such misfortune could come to our family in this form.
It just shows how the great can be snatched from your hands faster than the bad! The next few days hard for us all but never in my life have I seen so many teenagers band together to find the good in life. It shows how even adolescents can have a deeply evolved mental knowledge of cooping with situations. Even though we are marked as irresponsible, we find ways to make up for the nonsense!
So I just thought I should add in this note that I love you all so much! I love you Netchem, I love you Delissa, I love you Keon, I love you Carlos, I love you all within my heart! and how could I forgot the bosses of our furthered success Miriam, Ebon, Aiesha, Ahmed, and Roz! LOL!
I have lost family members and have never shed a tear but losing someone as genuine as Shannon has broken down my shallow mind into something that think Karpe Diem should b taken way more seriously these days. Not in a careless way though!
One thing I noticed about Shannon was that each day I saw her at the museum, she always had a new goal for the Day and she always had a song in her heart.... LITERALLY! lol. If she didn't see one day, the next day she'd give me a big hug and chat for a while! She was so focused so I just don't know how I can't miss her!
However, Just to let everyone know, if anyone close to me in the museum or my life period, died I would not hesitate to show part two of this sadness! The only reason why I can say I'm peaceful now is because I know deep within that Shannon is in a MUCH better place than I am!
To end off, this is what I can express to her soul now and forever!

• "R.I.P Ms. Shannon B!! and I promise the tears I shed for u from now on will only be of joy because i know within my heart that your in a MUCH better place now!!"

My first Rant....to KDOGG!

Since your always telling me to just go ahead and start a blog I figured I'd dedicate this structurally well though tout rant to u!

SINCE only you (kdogg) can decipher my locomotive antics I thought i would just record the crazy wall-to-wall conversation i had with myself on 10/11/08 at night...HERE IT IS!!
Courtney James: 11:11pm yesterday:

• hahaha 11:11pm....make a wish girly!

Courtney James 11:12pm yesterday:

• THIS IS A RANT! Anyway...I had to post that comment before the time turned to 11:12pm! So here I am! Chillaxing, scratching my neck, AND typing like 900 words per minute all at the same time when I suddenly realize how freaking available my life has become!!! lol....
• Whoa Baby! Just wrote that because I wanted to but no... uh yeah! I just realized--while I was in the shower--that I need confusion in my life! I had the mean convulsion that almost made my turb-a-lard behind slip and slide out of the the bathtub. Probably causing a chain reaction of unfortunate events like the shower curtain popping from its prongs or I dont know! a possible earthquake due to my 180 lb structure!
• HA HA HA!...Yo Son! I have intensely addicted to Janelle Monae all week and Im tired of obsessing! I need to find out more about the world of Afro punk.... And oh man! She got me hooked like drug addicts to crack flavored chalk!...Does this rant make ANY sense at all??

Courtney James 11:29pm yesterday:

• .... So0o I've been laughing so much lately because even though I am peaceful at heart, I now know that my life is chaotic for a reason and I'm not talking about these guys in our lives! I'm talking about the generality (if thats even una palabra) of me surviving in this topsy-turvy-filtered-free-cuz-we're-so-fucked-up-with-pollution-world!!! WHAT THE HELL!
• I mean come on! if there was no action of unorganized talent i ALL of our lives, then we'd all be bored dried up casava loving he'she's with turkey necks strung to our belts! GET ME!! I need confusion, OR as I'd like to call it "DRAMA"--....NOT uniformity to reign at least 30% of the time in my life porque thats the only way i'll be able to look forward to tomorrow. The only way I strive....and don't deny it my dears.... I done put this in my blogspot SHAWTY!! Comment cdbmjrants.blogger.com