Cheap AND Healthy is not a fantasy...

I always say that it costs more to have less things in your food. Organic stuff is more expensive than highly processed foods. That's pretty sad. Our society wants us to be healthy and thin and beautiful, but they want us to be all of that on a diet of Krispy Kreme and McDonalds (don't forget to wash it all down with an extra large Coke!).

I know we're in a recession, and I know organic stuff is pricey, but that's not an excuse to eat unhealthily (is that even a word??? You know what I mean dammit lol) All I'm trying to say is that you can eat healthy and not break the bank.

I have an example of how I did that today, or I should say how I am doing it, since I am eating as I type this. I already told you guys about my random chicken craving. Well, we bought a whole chicken, already cut, cooked, seasoned and baked for $6. That same evening, we also bought a bag of coleslaw. Now I am not a big mayo fan so I tend to shy away from coleslaw. But this was the bag in the salad section, and all it is is cabbage and carrots shredded up. We got that for 79 cents. I took some of the coleslaw and put it in a plastic container, popped it in the microwave for about 2 minutes to steam it. So I have baked chicken with a side of cabbage for under $7. What's even better is that the chicken lasted for 3 days. So really it is possible to spend about 7 bucks and eat for 3 days. I think that's pretty affordable.

Another thing...make sure to see what sales your local grocery store has going on. And don't be discouraged if you can't do all of your shopping at one store. Meghan and I go to 3 stores: our neighborhood, hole in the wall store (Piggly Wiggly) Kroger, and Wal Mart. We go to Pig Wig for produce, because we know when they first bring it in and it's always priced just right. We go to Kroger for pretty much everything else. We only go to Wal Mart for toiletries, and we might get food items if their price is lower than Kroger's.

Another thing that helps save money is portion control. When I make dinner, I usually eat while keeping in mind that I want to have food left over to take to work the next day.

I'll end on this not: DON'T UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF H2O!!! I was starving earlier, but I wasn't in a place to eat so I just drank water. It really did help. I'm not saying it took my hunger away completely, but it took the edge off. Did you know that most people are chronically dehydrated, so they confuse thirst with hunger? I will devote anther post to water later.

Eat right, live right.

Eat More Chikn?

OMG. I have been on this protein kick lately. I've been randomly craving chicken and fish. Maybe my body is ready to follow my mind and make some changes. I need to make some changes. I have allowed myself to slip back into old habits and pick up a dew pounds. I do NOT like it. I refuse to put my health on hold, so I am starting today. It's not just about health though. I don't want to keep reminiscing on the body I used to have. I want to have an even better version of that body. It's not going to be easy. I need to lose at least 15 pounds, probably more like 20. But I'm ready and willing to do it, because I want to see results. Anyway, back to chicken. Meghan and I went to Kroger last night at 11pm cause I was craving chicken. I really wanted pulled chicken from this BBQ joint, but it was too late for that. We bought some baked chicken. As soon as we got settled into the car I started tearing into that chicken. I felt like a straight carnivore. I better enjoy it now cause I can't have chicken or any other meat next month.

Photos by Tamara Natalie Madden

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THESE. I can't wait to see more of these lovely photos. Natural hair is versatile as hell. For this shoot, I four strand twisted my hair then bantu knotted the twists. It resulted in tight coils that I LOVE. I like how it looks, so I have been wearing my hair like this since the shoot. I think I will lock my hair using this method, because the coils look a lot like starter locks. Anyway, I don't have a bunch of pictures yet, so I will post more as I get them. Stay tuned!

Recap of shoot with Tamara Madden

The shoot was great! Tamara is multitalented: first and foremost, she is an artist and her paintings are amazing! She does photography as a means to inspire her art. She also does hair and makeup. All I had to do was show up and she took care of the rest! I will admit she is far from me and it was quite a drive, but my boo was very patient with me and drove out there with no complaints. I love my fee ants :)

Anyway, the shoot was funky. We shot outside and Tamara truly maximized nature's potential in the area we were in. It was a beautiful day and we took advantage of it.

Basically, today was pretty awesome. I can't wait to work with her again.
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Tired of this jelly

Bootylicious just popped in my head.

:singing: I don't think you ready for this jelly...

I am tired of this jelly.

I am not pleased with my body. I miss my smaller waist and slimmer arms. I miss the definition I once had.

I had to admit that to myself. I have been going through this cycle of admitting that I want to lose weight, then reassuring myself that I'm ok.

The problem is that I'm not ok. I am overweight and I know it. I want to lose weight, but I'm not particularly motivated to stop being lazy. I put off exercising. I internally make excuses. I say I am going to do something, then I don't.

I said I was going to start getting up early in the morning and working out for 30 minutes, then walking for at least 30 minutes in the evening.

I need to get it together. I don't just want to lose weight... I want to be healthy.

Today I watched videos of people who lost a lot of weight, but in a healthy weight. Most of these people lost 50+ pounds! Now, I don't feel like I need to lose 50 pounds, but I'm pretty sure I could stand to lose 30. I don't know how much I weigh; honestly I don't want to know. I do know my measurements though, so I will track my progress that way.

I am ready. I am so ready. I am BEYOND ready. I'm tired of complaining about my weight. Time to do something about it. A lot of issues run in my family: high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack... I certainly don't need to add to my risk.

Let the lifestyle change begin. I hope you come along for the ride.
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Coffee- part 1

This is old but I'm currently working on part two, so I decided to post part one.

You sit there, consumed in your thoughts. You always sit in that chair, the one closest to the window. It's like you want to be ready to escape at any moment. I always see you sitting there and I want to say something, but I never do. I’m scared that if I say something I’ll disrupt that perfect calm you’ve created and you'll fly out of that window.

Every day as I wait in line for my coffee I glance at you. I memorize the curve of your spine as you sit, hunched over whatever book you're reading, your hands pulling your hair back to keep your locs off of the precious pages.

I always keep a single black band around my wrist. Not for my hair, but for yours. I wonder why you never wear a headband; you just hold your hair back with your hands.

If I were you I wouldn't wear a headband either. I'd always want to feel that hair.

You are black. Your eyes and teeth are stars on a dark chocolate sky. I take a quick look at you, then let my eyes drop back down into my cup. I look deep into the dark liquid.

I’m trying to see if my coffee is the same color as you.

Each day before I walk out of the house I take one last look in my full length mirror and say:

"Today is the day." Today is the day when I'll say hello. Today is that day that I’ll offer you the rubber band around my wrist. Today is the day when I'll get close enough to you to see if you match my mocha cappuccino.

I walk into the coffee shop. There you are, right by the window, reclining in that same chair, eyes closed, locs spilling over your cheeks and down past your shoulders, headphones on, cassete player in hand, tapes spread all over your lap.

You are beautiful.

I look at my wrist, making sure the band is still there. It is. I walk up to the counter and order my usual. As I wait I twist the black band around my wrist. The cashier gives me my coffee and I turn to leave, head down, eyes drowning in my cup. I walk, trying to hurry and leave because I don't know what to say to you. I am mad at myself once again for not having the courage to speak. I’m almost at the door when

Everything is in slow motion. I hear tapes clatter onto the tile floor. I feel coffee spill on my coat. I see two pairs of brown hands, grabbing at tapes as they hit the floor. I hear voices, first emitting curses then frantically whispering apologies. I feel hands wiping my coat.

There is one more tape on the floor. I pick it up and place it in those brown hands. Then, I look up.

You look back at me. You open your mouth and words spill out like the coffee that stained my coat.

"I'mreallysorryforbumpingintoyou. I'm Siam by the way."

But I’m already out the door.

Part two comign soon.

Poetry: Carmex (oldie but goodie)

I'm kinda jealous of your Carmex

You want to know why?

Cause it's always in your pocket

Ready to be reapplied

Your lips are addicted to it

Always wanting more

As soon as you run out

You rush to the store

Cause you can't live without your Carmex

See, that's what I mean

I want your lips to be

That addicted to me

If I was Carmex

Would I stay on your lips

Make you smile

Provoke you to kiss

If I was Carmex

Would it be me your lips craved

Essentially making

Your mouth my slave

If I was Carmexv Would I have your lips hypnotized

Cause every time I glide over them

They're instantly moisturized

Well then call me Carmex

If that's what i must be

To have your lips

Covered in me

My Hairstory

Going natural wasn't a big deal to me. I honestly just didn't want to perm my hair anymore. I didn't see the point; whenever I permed my hair it would eventually break off. I figured it couldn't get any worse, so I just stopped perming it. I didn't really know what to do with it. I didn't know any thing about transitioning. So I kept it in afro twists or braids.

One day I stood in the mirror and chopped my permed hair off. I didn't do that great of a job, so I went to a salon and let a stylist cut the permed hair off that I didn't quite get to. When I stopped perming my hair, I was in 10th or 11th grade. When I went to the salon, I was a senior. So I have been perm free for over 4 years.

Now, having natural hair means more to me than simply not having a perm. It's about embracing my wonderful nappy hair. Most of the time that i've been natural I spent wearing twists and braids with weave for the most part. I hadn't worn my fro out for more than a week at a time. Recently, I have been wearing my hair out. I have good and bad days, but I love my hair, and it's hard for me to keep my hands out of it. It's soft, thick, and unique.

The next step in my hair journey is to GET LOCKED UP! I'm so excited about locking my hair. And of course I will be documenting my journey. I hope you decide to follow me!

Hair isn't the only thing I write about... I am primarily a poet. So check out my blog! You never know what you may find...
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I think they do it 3 or 4 times a week...

I'm talking about cutting the grass. I think the grass here at Agnes Scott is cut like every other day. It's fucking ridiculous. Soooo I took a math test, no studying, no calculator and I'm still pretty confident that I did well on it. I'll keep my fingers crossed. I have a shit load of work to do. My boo is sick so that sucks. Ok so my dilemma is...I don't know whether to buy a high end point and shoot camera, or a low end dslr. I am looking at the Canon Rebel XS. It's kinda calling my name. If I get a point and shoot, it will probably be a Sony or a Nikon. I will elaborate on this later.

Update since my last blog post

Went to the Black Cat Formal. Music sucked, but still had a good time with my boo. Everyone looked really nice. Junior Production was pretty awesome. I had two photo shoots this past weekend; both were quick and both went well. I got to spend a lot of time with Meghan this weekend, so that was nice. My phone has been acting really ridiculous lately; so I'm not too pleased with the CrackBerry right now. I'm excited about posting pictures of beautiful women with natural hair. Ok, that's it for now. I have a lot of work to do so I'm not feeling particularly chatty today.

Random thoughts about natural hair and other stuff

* Isn't it annoying when random people come up to you and say "ooh, can I touch it?" as if my hair is a pet, or a figment of their imagination. Well guess what? No, you can't touch it! I don't know where your hands have been!

*if you dye your hair with chemicals, is it still natural? What does natural really mean?

* is it just me, or does it seem a bit trendy to be natural these days? Does someone's reason for going natural really matter?

* what does natural mean to you? I think that natural ness is a spectrum. Really, natural is in the eye of the beholder.

* has anyone ever called you dread? I get called that all the time when I wear twists.

* do you get approached by random dudes with dreads more frequently since you have natural hair? I know I do. Two random dudes JUST walked up to me, trying to talk to me even though I'm clearly on the phone and uninterested in what they're saying.

* do you notice natural hair more now that you're natural? I have always noticed natural hair, even when I had a perm. I love the diversity and uniqueness of it.
* it's annoys me when someone has on headphones and I can still hear their music loud and clear.

* I hate when people stare at me. After staring at me for more than 3 minutes, you might as well say hello. You've obviously committed my face to memory, the least you can do is greet me.

TO BE CONTINUED...
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S.I.S. Barbie's New Fashion Forward Black Dolls Hit Stores

Finally there are dolls for us by us.Thanks to Stacey McBride-Irby, a 12-year veteran and African-American mother of two wanted her four-year-old baby girl to be able to play with dolls that were more in her likeness, So In Style dolls by Barbie was born. The collection reflects the spectrum of the Black community and are available at nationwide today."I am so proud and excited to finally share The So In Style dolls with girls of all ages", Stacey McBride-Irby told ESSENCE.com. "I want my new So In Style dolls to not only be an authentic representation of my community and culture, but to also encourage girls to be inspired and dream big."Unlike Black Barbies of yesterday that appeared to have more Anglo facial features and hair texture, S.I.S. vary in complexion, coiffs and physical attributes with fuller lips, distinct cheek bones and wider noses.The dolls which range in price from about $8 to $25 features fashion forward BFFs Grace, Kara and Trichelle who are all about having a good time, but not before sharing their wisdom with the next generation. In the spirit of mentorship, McBride-Irby created a "little sister" for each of the dolls with diverse interests including music, math and science. Each doll's hair can be styled with the help of new Aqua curl technology which allows them to go from straight to curly with a spritz of a water bottle and hairstyling tools."I believe that a happy inspired childhood creates happy, inspired, powerful women," said McBride-Irby. "I want my new So In Style dolls to not only be an authentic representation of my community and culture, but to also encourage girls to be inspired and dream big."*For more info visit BarbieCollector.com. --KNB
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An Ode To My First Love

I can't stop thinking about her I

See her in my dreams and

Lately every night she's been

Waking me out of my sleep

Begging baby please

Just one kiss, just one touch

But I know it's a trap cause

One is never enough

But I fall into the trap anyway

The two of us imprisoned in sheets

Every time our souls meet

Potential turns into kinetic energy

And we battle each other

Cause we just have to compete

But I never win so

I've gotten used to defeat

And we argue like we can't stand each other

Two forces opposing

But she never stays mad for long cause

I am the one she's chosen

And sometimes I neglect her

Cause I don't want her to see

My jealousy...insecurity

Vulnerability

But somehow she sees it anyway

Even though I wear my defenses like clothes

She has X ray vision so

To her I'm aways exposed

And if I don't drop my guard

She'll tear that shit down

She said “Get used to being completely naked

Whenever I'm around”

She wants me to be a nudist so

Eventually I give in

We make love then make war then

Do it all over again

And her love is perfect

There's no reason for me to cheat

Cause no one does me like she does

Always leaving me with soaked sheets

Always leaving me satisfied

While simultaneously wanting more

And she willingly grants my wishes

Always having something new in store

Willing to try new positions

If that's what I ask her for

And regardless of my intentions

She never walks out that door

Sometimes I use her. And she knows it

But she still sticks around

Don't deserve her. So I serve her

And I worship her ground

And she damn sure ain't perfect

But she's just right for me

She's my first true love

And her name is Poetry.

This weekend's hairstyle

I am really diggin my hair! It is a collaborative effort between me and my mom. What do you all think? I figure I may as well play around with it before I start locks.
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Yahoo! News Story - A world first: Vaccine helps prevent HIV infection - Yahoo! News

Jhavia Nicole (jetheridge@agnesscott.edu) has sent you a news article.
(Email address has not been verified.)
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Personal message:

A world first: Vaccine helps prevent HIV infection - Yahoo! News

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090924/ap_on_re_as/med_aids_vaccine

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What we've been reduced to

So this is what we've been reduced to.

No talking

No smiling

No fucking

No reconciling

I remember when we used to talk all the time
Your words my sustenance
The way you manipulated vowels and consonants made no sense
Your tongue wrapped around each letter and I would follow suit
I wrapped around you
And we talked.
For hours on end
The time that existed between conversations was irrelevant
All that mattered was your words
My words
Our words
Our world...
Came crashing down
And this is what we've been reduced to

No talking

No smiling

No fucking

No reconciling

I remember when we used to smile all the time
As constant as the rising and setting of the sun
Grins spread across our faces like jam on toast
Making life sweet
Your smile, illuminating, has a domino effect
Causing my mouth to follow suit and smile
But now teeth remain imprisoned behind cold lips
This is what we've been reduced to

No talking

No smiling

No fucking

No reconciling

I remember when we used to fuck all the time
Couldn't keep our hands.lips.mouths.bodies off each other
I mean to the point where our skin touched so much that our
complexions mixed and we became the same color
But bodies in heat are no longer intertwined between sheets It's like
the fire that used to provide warmth just burns now
And this is what we've been reduced to

No talking

No smiling

No fucking

No reconciling

I remember when we used to talk and make up
Smile and make up
Fuck up and make up
But now apologies are few and far between
Neither of us want to admit we're wrong
And neither of us want to admit that something ain't right so...

This is what we've been reduced to.

Does length really matter?

As much as I love natural hair blogs and sites, today I am annoyed. I
was reading this blog, and the blogger mentioned APL. Now this was
like the 10th time I have seen that acronym, but I didn't know its
meaning. Every time I see it I think: what the hell does THAT mean???
So I eventually found it through Google and it means ARM PIT LENGTH.
WTF? All these acronyms are annoying me. Bsl for bra strap length, twa
for teeny weeny afro, the list goes on. I mean I get it, but it kinda
bugs me that there is like an acronym for every hair length
imaginable.
What's the big deal about hair length? It's seems like length is more
important than health. It's not like I never wanted long hair, cause I
did. But once I realized the maintenance it would entail, I began
consistently cutting my hair to keep it at this medium length that I
often complain about. Now I'm not as concerned about the length of my
hair. I'm just glad that it's the healthiest that it's been in years,
and its so soft that I want to touch it all the time and not put weave
in it. And the best thing is: I don't have a dandruff problem anymore.
My head doesn't itch as much, my scalp feels clean. I started using
all natural stuff on my hair (coconut oil, glycerin, Shea butter, aloe
gel, essential and carrier oils, and WATER) and the dandruff POOF!
disappeared.
Anyway I just want the focus to be on the health of the hair, not the
length of it. Besides, healthy hair will grow.

--
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Nfinite Dream
Dream forever.

You Are Not Your Hair

Saw this on Naturally Leslie's blog and decided to post it on mine.

You Are Not Your
Hair,http://www.essence.com/fashion_beauty/hair/articles/hairstylist_edris_nicholls_on_the_natural_hair_revolution

--
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Nfinite Dream
Dream forever.

Check out the Scotties

Practicing their rowing technique for the Dragon Boat Race
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14th Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival

More pictures! The first is a picture of Asian shaved ice cream and fruit. It was really good! The other one is a Laotian band.
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