CAA -->Carnival Addicts Anonymous

Hi, my name is Nelly and I am a carnivalholic!

Cropover 2011 pic--I haven't uploaded all my pics from Trini yet, sadly. It hurts to much to look at them. : (

No, I am not exaggerating. Yes, I have a problem, I am addicted to CARNIVAL. I am not even sure when my addiction got to this level.  I have always loved every aspect of carnival. I have loved Soca music as long as I can remember. I can remember my dad playing calypso in the car as we drove long distances and I would sing the lyrics to "Boots", "Teaser", "Nani Wine"and "Tiney Winey" in my head happily ( I did not discover the world of hip hop until I was in middle school).  I loved visiting my Mother and Father's birth places (Trinidad and Barbados) and I can vividly remember how sad I was the year I could not go to Trinidad for the summer because of the Coup. I have always loved playing Mas. Picking costumes. Touching the beads and feathers, wearing the elaborate headpieces. But I have no idea when it got to the point where I felt like I would simply not survive the year if I did not participate in A carnival. This year I went to Trinidad  for carnival and I had the TIME of my LIFE,  I was not disappointed and for some people that is enough. NOT me! So far I  plan to attend 4 Carnivals this summer and participate in at least 1. I know:

Nelly is going H.A.M.

Honestly, sometimes I feel guilty. Shouldn't I have other interests? Shouldn't I save more money? Shouldn't I try to visit Europe, Fiji, Africa,  or Australia this year instead (I would like to visit these places, honestly)? As the people say, LOVE IS BLIND (Ok, that saying may not make total sense, but you get my point). When I hear soca playing, and I am surrounded by hundreds of other people singing along. When I am in the midst of a crowd all waving flags in the same direction. When I am surrounded by my Caribbean people, eating a roti, drinking sorrel, and having a time. I feel at peace. I feel at home. I feel happy.  And I guess that's all that matters. ; )

So look out for plenty of posts and updates as I prepare and plan for Barbados' Crop Over (Yes, I am going again this year), Atlantic City's first attempt at carnival (we will see how that goes), St. Lucia's Carnival (Thanks to Nyree of thesweet7 who convinced me that this is a must do) , and Brooklyn's Labor Day Parade (hey, I live here)!

I apologize in advance...

; )

Nelly

Btw...If you plan on attending any of these carnivals PLEASE contact me! I would love to meet other carnival addicts .... 

The Naturalista's High Bun

Hey peeps! I feel like it has been so long since I have blogged and even longer since I blogged about hair. Recently I received a few comments on my Hair Style of the Week posts (thank you all for reading and commenting) as well as some questions about hair styles which made me realize that I need to find some more quick and easy hair styles! Speaking of hair, I should also let you all know that I have took my kinky twists out this past weekend.  The end result? My hair ( mainly the back) was SUPER dry which was a bit disheartening.  I plan on sitting under my hair  steamer with some olive oil in an attempt to moisturize my strands sometime this week. In the mean time I am rocking mini twists which I pin up daily.  After taking my kinky twists out I swore that I wouldn't put synthetic hair back in my head anytime soon. That is until yesterday when my sister walked out of the house with a fabulous high bun with a sweep bang that she created with "Marley hair".

There are a thousand brands that make Marley Hair, this is just one!

Yes, the same type of hair I used for my kinky twists. It looked great. My cousin (another naturalista) even had to stop and ask my sis if she made the bun from an old twist out. I regret not taking pictures of it but I did find some similar styles on google (I love google, btw).

Click here for more pics of the style from blogger Jenell of KinkycoilyCurlyMe

Source

Source

Source (picture and video tutorial)

I hate to be a natural hair style bandwagonist BUT I'm impressed! Who knew five dollars worth of synthetic hair could give you so many style options. I can't wait until I wash my hair to try this style out! Interested in giving the Marley Bun a whirl? Try looking at these YT videos from Miss Vaughn, KinkyCoilyCurlyMe, and MissGlamourGirl1992. for some assistance:

Send me a pic if you try it!

-Nelly

!?!? Skin Care Has Gone Natural Too....

The term "certified organic" has moved from grocery stores, to hair care products, and recently has become a staple in skin care aisles of pharmacies. Recently I went to Walmart t in desperate need of  a new facial cleanser to replace my African Black soap (temporarily) and came across these gems:

Check out the review here.

Check out the review here.

I ended up walking out with the Burt's Bees Acne Solutions Pore Scrub, Alba Acne Dote Oil Control Lotion and Deep Cleansing Astringent, as well as Nuetrogena Naturals Gentle Cleanser and Makeup Remover. Yes, I guess I went in! I have been using the products for a couple of days and although I didn't  see a dramatic difference in my skin, I can say the oil control lotion has helped contain my skins greasy (yes, greasy...lol)  nature. More importantly, it feels good just knowing that the products I am using on my face are free of harsh chemicals.  Have you tried any of these products? What did you think?

The Hair Care Guru E-Zine!

So today as I was sorting through my emails (my futile attempt at freeing my inbox of junk mail) I came across an interesting email from Jane Carter:

A Jane Carter E-Zine appropriately titled, The Hair Care Guru. I've taken a look through it and was pleased to see it talked about a few different aspects of natural hair and was not solely a platform to advertise Jane Carter products. The articles range from an interview with Nikki Mae, a discussion about food and nutrients that can help you on your journey to hair health, a listing of events where Jane Carter will be present, as well as a few reflective pieces on the natural hair movement. I was a little disappointed that within a few clicks the e-zine had come to an end.


Feel free to check it out here.

Also feel free to use or share this month's coupon code:

Take 25% off your Natural & Curly Hair Care Essential Kit 

when you purchase online. 

Use Coupon Code: HAIRKIT25

Offer valid until 4/15

NYC Natural Hair Diva's --July is your month!

July seems to be the moth to be a Natural in New York City. Although I plan to spend the majority of July out of the country these two events seem worth checking out!

I Love My Fro and IMENA presents Show Up Show Out on July 28th from 7pm-Midnight.  Tickets cost $55 before May 31st, $65 after, and $70 at the door. Tickets include:

 - 1.5  hour Open Bar
- Appetizers and Desserts
-Swag Bag filled with goodies
- LIVE Performances
- Mini Manicures for men and women
- Makeup Makeovers
- Chair Massage for men and women
- Live DJ
- Dance party
- Professional Photos
- Fashion / Hair Show
- Red Carpet Treatment
- 6 free chances to win raffle prizes

For more details click here....ShowUpShowOut!

Jenell Stewart and Kim Coles present Supernatural: The Event on July 21st from 11am-7pm.  Tickets are $40 before June 21st and $45 after. There is also a VIP ticket option that includes front row seats and a private cocktail hour with Kim Coles ($75)! For more info click here.