A Golden Life...

Hello World...

I had such a great day yesterday that I forgot to blog about it.  Oh man! It started with a wonderful breakfast and then I hit an AMC movie theater to see "Good Deeds".  This is the first movie that I have just really wanted to see, i noticed that "Safe House" was there which i'd forgotten about so I'll head back to see that as well.  Yeah, so the movie is emotional.  I went through a true emotional rollercoaster. I cried, I laughed, laughed and cried, i got angry, I got sad and reflected on personal matters and then laughed and cried some more.  And THEN i noticed one of the young ladies that I got a chance to see grow from high school to Miss Texas and Miss USA 2008 (Crystle Stewart) was on the screen that I was looking at!  That is the craziest thing moment in time.  This was the second time I've had that moment, I hung out with Romany, Sqeak and Curtis aka RMG aka The College Boyz back in the days and then I look up and Rom is on "40 year old Virgin" and now he's going to be in "Think Like A Man".  Do you know how motivational that is?  To see people you really know up on the big screen and then live everyday around people that are movers and shakers here in the big city?  "Good Deeds" has the storyline of all storylines and then I headed over to the Nine West store because I bought some boots that I love but my feet, well my left foot, didn't like at all.  So I was prepared to just take a store credit and so I couldn't find another shoe in there that day but when the associate rang it up to do the store credit, the funds went back to my debit card!  I was like YES!!!!  I got $50 I wasn't expecting! And so then i went to a Jenny Craig weigh-in (yep Jenny Craig) and it showed that i went up 1 pound but I know that's not right because my clothes are fitting correctly.  What I'm going to start doing again is measuring myself.  Whenever I go through a weight loss phase, I don't use a scale, I use measurements AND look at the way my clothes fit.  Yeah that's what I'll do.  Oh yeah, AND I'm on Spring Break so this week is just feeling like a big sigh of relief.  I am so serious because even though I am all about walking in my destiny but having to go from work mode to student mode and then sitting in a classroom full of youngsters and going through the thought pattern of "i shoulda done this when I was their age" mantra and then back to reality is hard on the mental.  SOOOO  being on spring break right now is great!!

The title says A Golden Life and right now, I truly am living life like it's golden (in the words of my girl Jill Scott).  I'm taking life by the horns and riding it like the country girl I am..taking the bull by the horns so to speak and I won't stop until I take my last breath.  By the time I leave this earth (forget just the neighbors) the world will know my name.  I was rambling up top because i'm trying not to forget anything. Actions, thoughts, emotions that happened yesterday and I think i got it all.

Thank you for sharing...
*Peace and Blessings*

GoGo Gadget Fro - Update

So I've used part of the Ovation treatment (http://www.ovationhair.com/) and it's easy enough.  The challenge is to keep up the the consistent treatment so that I can get the results I need.  I will definitely keep you updated.  I'm thinking of doing an image update as well.  Yes I think that'll do nicely.  Shouts out to all of the companies out there doing the research to keep us naturalistas healthy!

Make sure to be a part of the 15th Annual Taliah Waajid World Natural Hair Health and Beauty Show, this April 28th and 29th (http://www.naturalhairshow.org/).  You will connect with vendors of ALL areas and get a chance to enjoy an awesome fashion show and excellent entertainment.  See you there!

*peace and blessings*

Did I miss Ash Wednesday??

I had no idea that yesterday was Ash Wednesday and the beginning of a 40-day fast until Good Friday (or Spring Holiday as my job calls it.)  So even though i technically missed it, my fast is all meats and alchoholic beverages.  Truly a sacrifice due to my love for shrimp, chicken and libations. LOL!  I looked up some additional information on Ash Wednesday, please click on this link for more details if you've never heard of it.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ash_Wednesday

I think it's a great way to keep your mind and body disciplined.  If you're doing it with me, I'm praying with and for you.

*peace and blessings*

Go Go Gadget Fro: Update

Well...the Ovation Hair products (ovationhair.com) arrived today...i'll start Friday.  I need some more Jane Carter (http://janecartersolution/) leave-in conditioner and some Miss Jessie's (http://www.missjessies.com/) Buttercreme before I do the shampoo/conditioner thing.  I can get both at "Che" Target. Yaaaay!!

I'll keep you updated.

I'm Normal...

World! Hello...

Just wanted to send a quick note to you at the end of the day.  In this blog, You will read motivational stuff that may create the perception that I see the world through rose colored glasses and everything is happy happy joy joy (shout out to ren and stimpy) and I just want you to be aware that this is not true at all!  I'm normal with my normal ups and downs like everybody else. But don't we hear enough negativity? Don't we read enough in the news? Heck my own mental negativity that I fight daily would depress the happiest human being on the earth..seriously.  So what I have to do to combat that is speak calmness, happiness into the universe to others and it also helps me.  So just in case you EVER should get the impression that I'm not living in the real world, I am living in the real world which is why I know that we ALL need inspiration whether we show it or not.

Ok take your left arm and wrap to the right and your right arm and wrap it to the left and hug yourself and have a lovely evening!
*peace and blessings*

Motivated Motivated Hard Core!

The title of this blog today is one of the chants that my USAF bootcamp flight used to chant as we did our daily march on base.  We were all female and ended up with a reputation of being the loudest, hardest marchers, meaning as we marched up the street, we dug our boots in the concrete so hard you could hear us coming!  Which made our two (male TIs) very proud. LOL (shout out to TSGT Dunsen & the other two!)  But this weekend was a hard one for a lot of us that are Whitney Houston fans.  The homegoing service was excellent! God was in that place!  Pastor Winans gave us a true Word, a Word for the living!  Whitney trusted and believed in God and the best and only way to end her celebration of life was to give the people there a Word and that he did! Three things I was left with is to "Prioritize" that "I'm Significant" and "God got me".   So Whitney's homegoing service touched a part of me that is just devastated by all of the people leaving us at an early age due to stuff that was pretty much self-inflicted, whether it be drugs, alcohol or bad eating habits.  It's preventable and it makes me angry to a certain extent because it's selfish.  If you know due to family DNA that you are susceptible to diabetes and high blood pressure which are controllable by proper food intake and alleviating certain habits from your lifestyle but you still do it and then end up either paralyzed or dead shame on you! Shame shame on you! You did this to yourself and it's a shame!  If you are headed in that direction and are a youngster like the DJ Screws of the world, thinking it's cool to sip "Sizurp" and feel like you're talking and moving slow but then you stroke out and end up dead or paralyzed...Shame on You!!

I know what my family medical history is I'm already dealing with an inherited auto-immune disease (Rhuematoid Arthritis) which is like the other evil twin sister to Lupus.  It causes the body to turn against itself, bones, joints as well as internal organs and guess what i have to do.  Keep my immune system boosted at aLL times by eating right, by at least minimal exercise and vitamin supplements and you know why i'm going to do it? Because I like walking around without hurting, I like using the bathroom and taking a bath without help.  And I will do everything in my power to NEVER be a burden to anyone else.  I am even more motivated to get up and move around, to use the gifts I've been given to do what I need to do to be a giver to society and NOT a taker.

So, my recycled mantra is "MOTIVATED, MOTIVATED, HARD CORE"!
*peace and blessings*

I will not stand for...

I'm taking a bite from the apple of the "I will not stand for" commercial where the people sit down and have different issues printed on their t-shirts.  Well I will not stand for...
Natural Hair Ignorance!!!!!!

Ok, let me give you a little history.  Growing up during the time of you have to "good hair and be light skinned" to be automatically liked (or hated),all other hair textures and skin color had to prove themselves.  Crazy right? Well guess what, the skin color part is s-a-l-o-w-l-y tapering but the hair thing is front and center.  I remember, i fell into the trap of "i like light skinned dudes with good hair" for a short time but then i kept seeing these dark-skinned beautiful brothers and soon fell out of that but THEY were into light so that kinda dampened my self-esteem a tad.  However, the first time I saw one of my cousin's cousin...a beautiful dark skinned girl with long, coal black curly hair.  I was like ok, i'm good! And then I saw Whitney Houston with her brown skinny self on the front of 17 magazine (one of my faves) with a short natural looking 'do AND sanging (something else i did back then) and I was really "Good".  But I'd still get the "you look cute to be dark-skinned". WTF???? What the heck does that mean???? Ok ok ok ok sorry I need to digress...

Ok back on topic, even today in 2012 I was in a group conversation and this lady was saying she was natural and said that she loved my hair (i'd just taken it down from a two-strand and had a scarf wrapped around it).  So one lady says "oh you got that good hair".  Those words are like finger nails on a chalk board to me!! What in the heck is "good hair" except the fact that you have hair on your head...well good!  The reason this statement was said is that she'd had her hair pressed and it was straight, beautiful length and i have other natural friends that do the same thing and i admit it's beautiful and stuff but with my 4b/4c (kinky/curly) stuff, once the elements hit it i'd have something like half straight/half curly..nah, I'll just stick with curly. LOL!  So anyway, the lady continued to talk and say well everybody can't wear that natural, we need it straight.  I got those beady beads so I can't do it like you and annissa.  I said well I have the type of hair that is referred to as how did you just describe it "beady beads" and it's no problem.  It's all in the product.  I will no longer stand for natural hair ignorance!  It's too many real salons available now that can give you a professional consultation without you still acting like you are a part of the salon scene in Spike Lee's "School Daze". Ugh!

Which brings me to my next soap box..  Products

I will not stand for all of these products that do NOT work and you know they don't work.  But you shady manufacturers are trying to ride the naturalista wave and you know a few somebodies will buy it just to see if it works on their hair.  Or how about this...if it's meant for only a certain type (see the hair type list goes from 2-4; 4 being the kinky curly) then say that!  Don't have ppl wasting money!!!  Nobody wants a bathroom full of shit that doesn't work! Period!  One website I will promote is curlynikki.com! They have reviews from real people on different products that let you know right off the top if the product does what it claims it will do.  Thanks Curly Nikki!!

I give a standing ovation to the PR person that setup the "I will not stand for" commercials because it allows one to vent about so many topics!!  Thank you and have fun spending that bonus! You deserve it!

Everyone one have a great weekend!  *peace and blessings*

Go-Go Gadget Fro!

 Good merning, good merning, good merning...govern yourselves accordingly! (in the words/voice of Sis Bernice Jenkins)
(if you're not familiar, you need to check out ricky smiley on youtube)

So I grew up in the 70s during a time when having long straight, thick hair was the thing to have on your head and in that same spirit every Saturday night, my granny would wash my, then, thick hair and press it.  Now if anybody got their hair pressed, you heard the sizzle in your mind and you flinched as soon as I said that..i know you did.  I have a permanent mark on my right ear where my granny was trying to "get my edges".  So at the age of 6, my mom decided to put a "Kiddie Kit" on my hair.  That name rang a bell didn't it? I know it did.  My granny was pissed! She immediately washed my hair with egg to strip the relaxer.  yes that actually works, it's the raw protein of the egg, it stripped that relaxer right out and she went back to pressing it. LOL!!  So anyway eventually i ended up with a relaxer and that started the hair breakage.  I have this one spot that's normally called a "stress spot" in the middle in the back of my head that grows to a certain length and breaks no matter what the rest of my hair is doing. 

I found out by watching my older relatives that at a certain age, our DNA structure activates this thinning thing that happens in the front and the top of our heads. Our=females.  I made my decision to go natural back in 1997(ish) and had the last piece of relaxed strand clipped out of my head in 2000 and have been natural ever since.  I have and still will wear braids, either hidden braids which is a braid style that uses hair extenions and the extensions and the natural hair is braided in a corn row style leaving the natural hair totally braided and available for conditioning and only the extension or weave hair is styled.  This style was created by Alice Burnom of Houston Texas-Certified Cosmetology Instructor at San Jacinto College/Master Stylist/Owner of Ebony Persuasions- http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlsalons/view/3672/ebony-persuasion-houston-texas-united-states and also I've worn the Tree Braids which are similar to Hidden Braids.  I discovered the Tree Braids when I moved to Atlanta in 2004. 

So my hair is o-kay right now.  I wear my fro, i've figured out how to do my own two-strand twists and coils.  I have had a professional consultation and for the most part I know what products to use to make my combo 4b/4c kinky hair look its best. (shout out to Miss Jessies's Baby Buttercreme, Jane Carter's Daily spray leave-in conditioner and Design Essentials's Daily Lotion and Creme Gel).  But here is where my hair and I differ, I love color (i'm red right now) and my hair follicles do not like it. *sigh* so, it will grow and then break and then grow.

All of this to say that after hearing constant commercials for Ovations Hair Treatment and after speaking with someone that actually uses it and seeing her beautiful hair, I have finally ordered the treatment system.  It's on the way and you can check out the information http://www.ovationshair.com/ and read the specifics but I'm hopeful that this will give me the extra oomph that I need in my head to encourage my strands to move beyond the length they are used to growing.  So going forward from this day, along with all of the other topics that pop in my head, I am going to take you on my fro growing journey.  Hence my title "Go-Go Gadget Fro".  For my 70s babies we had a cartoon called "Inspector Gadget" and that was his code word for either his mechanical arms or legs or his other mechanical devices to activate. 

So Ovations Hair Treatment...let's see what we can do.

*Peace and Blessings*

Hello World...

This is my first blog!!! Yaaaaay!!! I broke the silence, finally! (whew!) I haven't journaled, diaried (new word) or anything in years!  Ok, this is my first blog and also the title of my blog inside NissaKaye's world.  So my first stuff to talk about is the fact that for 2012 I vowed to step back onto my path and quit taking the tiny trail/path that ran parallel to it.  yep that is possible.  I started out early in life in the gospel world, singing and playing not professional but once upon a time, I wanted to build up my skills to that level in both areas  However, I got frustrated and depressed about some other life stuff and gave up. I got tired of fighting what felt like an uphill battle.  I did write about it on Helium (http://www.helium.com/items/740095-unique-challenges-faced-by-children-raised-in-single-parent-homes).  I touched on my pain a tad bit and now i'm finally coming full circle and I'm glad about it.  You can also check out my ReverbNation.com/annissakelliott page and keep up with what i'm doing on my FB pages (Nissa K Elliott and Nissa K).  Moving to Atlanta has been the best thing I could have done with my life, I'm surrounded by beautiful spirits and I have no other option but to move forward.  And I love it!  So that's it for now.  Now that I'm starting I'm hoping to be a beast about it! LOL!! *peace and blessings*