SF SHECKYS MY FAV FINDS PT. 1

SF Shecky's Part 1

Every year myself and my girlfriends head out for FUN at Sheckys Girls Night Out. This event is our guaranteed annual fun. Free cocktails, beauty, makeovers, shopping, fashion, jewelry and GIRLFRIENDS!! How could you go wrong? Now, compared with last years Girls Night Out this Shecky's event was smaller, however, I met awesome local vendors. I am a huge fan of local business. (I am a true San Franciscan.) This year it was really cool to see so many local vendors out. Amongst the many vendor I met... I must tell you about these two ladies in the picture below.

I met 2 beautiful, local Bay Area ladies, Mary of Gratitude Gourmet and Rita of Rita Chung Designs (Rita's Designs can be found at a store called California Luxury). Mary (on the right) has a business called Gratitude Gourmet! Mary creates VEGAN treats! Yummy Truffles, chocolate, and Vin Pate de Fruit (Wine). Everyone knows my business partner, Marna Armstead and myself are bakers/owners of SassyCakes by Sassy Girl Tees and our desserts are made with real sugar and butter BUT we always wonder about vegan style sweet treats. NOW we have can partake!! I must share with you, Gratitude Gourment is hosting a contest Like Gratitude Gourmet on Facebook & You May Win Vegan Chocolate Pralines! YES you can win Vegan Chocolate Pralines! I hope I win!! LIKE Gratitude Gourmet on Facebook today. I'm sitting here thinking of the Vegan Chocolate Pralines... mmmmm... Make sure to also check out the website http://www.gratitudegourmet.com/ Mary is absolutely awesome! Please visit her site. She is all about HEALTH! and I love that.

"Mary also writes about sustainable food systems as the Editor and Publisher of the Gratitude Gourmet News and Health Pages, as a San Francisco Food Examiner, Clean Tech and Green Business News and Clean Technology Facebook Group, and speaks globally on Green IT, Clean Tech, Sustainable Food Systems, Green Business, and Environmental Entrepreneurship." Mary is FAB! So glad I met her in person.

I also met Rita (on the left side of the picture). Rita's Jewelry really stood out to me. The alluring colors and design were absolutely beautiful! Gorgeous shades of quartz, crystal, jade and fresh water pearls just called my name! All items were absolutely divine! and perfect for the Fall season or better yet any season. I also fell in love with her clutches! They are HOT! I am a huge fan! I love Rita and Rita's Designs. While talking to Rita she mentioned that everything is made in California (WOOT WOOT!!). Rita is phenomenal! Rita's jewelry can be found at California Luxury. Make sure you visit and LIKE the Facebook page also https://www.facebook.com/californialuxury

FYI!!

California Luxury Black Friday Sale is coming soon... (ends midnight Nov 25 EST)

SHOPPERS DO NOT FORGET TO CHECK THEM OUT! Visit the site! Everything is beautiful http://www.californialuxury.biz/index.html

Needless to say I had a great time at this event with my friends BUT I also enjoyed speaking to both Mary Vincent and Rita Chung. Beautiful Bay Area Treasures! I am grateful to have met them both.

BEAUTY, HEALTH & PUMPKINS

Hello World, Pumpkins are everywhere!! Time to chat about Beauty! Health and the PUMPKIN! The word pumpkin originated from the Greek word Pepõn which means large melon. Although pumpkins are known to be a part of the squash family it is technically a fruit. The good ol' jack o lantern may have some real benefits afterall. Pumpkin's just aren't good for making pumpkin pie or pumpkin bread. Pumpkins are actually a good source of vitamin A and carotenes. Vitamin A is great anti-oxidant. Vitamin A is needed for maintaining healthy eyes, bones and skin. Research says, foods rich in Vitamin A helps body protect against lung and oral cancers. Gotta love that! Vitamin A is normally found in foods that are rich in color.

Everyone knows ORANGE is my favorite color and the bright orange color of the pumpkin is PROOF that it's full of beta-carotene and we need beta-carotene in our lives. Research shows that people who eat a diet rich in beta-carotene are less likely to develop certain cancers... like lung cancer, breast cancer and even skin cancer. Gotta love that also!! I realize pumpkins really do deserve more credit than what I gave them.

Now that we've gone over the HEALTH part TIS TIME FOR BEAUTY! Check out these natural beauty recipes involving a fruit called the PUMPKIN.

Au Natural Pumpkin Mask Time! I checked out this recipe by Erica Katz, beauty guru and author of Bonding Over Beauty. 'Who knew pumpkins can keep your face smooth and wrinkle-free.' Try the pumpkin mask recipe (check out the recipe and make sure you're not allergic to any of this)

• 2 tsp canned pureed pumpkin
• 1/2 tsp honey
• 1/4 tsp heavy whipping cream
• Mix all ingredients and apply to face.
• Leave on for 10 min and rinse!

Thank you Refinery 29 for sharing http://www.refinery29.com/a-pumpkin-face-mask

Next one on the list is a Pumpkin Hair Conditioner Recipe!! I love this one... I'm a naturall- coily girl and man oh man the shine this recipe gives my hair is oh so lovely AND chemical free! Thank you Cassidy of the Natural Selection blog for sharing this one!! She is the best!!

THE RECIPE

• 1/2 cup of pumpkin – you can either use puree from the innards of your soon-to-be tossed Jack-o-Lantern, a can of pumpkin puree, or baby food.
• 1/4 cup of yogurt
• 2 tbsp of honey

THE HOW TO

• Put all ingredients in to bowl and mix well
• Separate hair in sections and smooth from root to tip throughout entire head
• Once entire head has been pumpkin-ified, put on a showercap and leave on hair for about 20-30 minutes
• Rinse
• Continue with your normal hair regimen

See the Natural Selection blog for more info. Thank you Cassidy!! http://naturalselectionblog.com/2010/11/03/tis-the-season-diy-pumpkin-goodness-for-your-hair/

The next time you're in the store smile at that gorgeous fruit called PUMPKIN! AND Smile at the canned PUMPKIN too... It can be your best friend.

Picture of Pumpkin courtesty of http://www.countryliving.com/crafts/projects/pumpkin-decorating-1009

Limitless Lip Stain by Smashbox I love you!

Limitless Lip Stain by Smashbox I love you!

Hello World I cannot explain the excitement I have right now enough! Everyone who knows me... KNOWS!!! I love lipstick and lipgloss. I purchase unnecessary shades of lipstick/lipgloss all the time (not the best move financial move). However, there is one color lipstick I

search out constantly. I always purchase it with the high hopes. I am talking about the all mighty RED lipstick/lipgloss. You're probably thinking to yourself, I should have no problem that! Red lipstick is everywhere! Well let me explain... I'm a chocolate covered chick and I have problems picking out and purchasing the perfect red lipstick until today! Yes! Mission complete! (doing the happy dance) The color I purchased today is called Cinnamon... Now I

love cinnamon for many reasons... But today I have fallen in love with the Cinnamon Limitless Lip Stain that shows up on my pretty brown skin just perfectly. (confetti is falling from the sky)

This lip stain is a 2 in 1 deal.

One end you apply the lip stain to your lips and let it dry.

After it dries apply the

soft balm to your lips.

(The balm can be found on the other end of the product.)

Now smile.

It is now official, my right hand is up... I'm officially ready for fall now!

If you're a chocolate chick like myself and you're having issues finding that perfect red lip I invite you to try Cinnamon Limitless Lip Stain

Cinnamon is my official spice for this Fall 2011 season! Smooches

Thank you Blinging Beauty, Smashbox MUAs and Dreamgirl Makeup Institute for inviting me to the VIP Smashbox Holiday event in San Francisco

(That's where I found my perfect red lip color)

Check out Limitless Lip Stain here http://www.smashbox.com/product/6124/18517/index.tmp
l

Kelly Rowland

Tonight dare I say Kelly Rowland tapped into her inner
Janet Jackson... I get so lonely on the BET AWARD SHOW! Kelly!






Whatcha think?!


Kelly Rowland - Motivation - Bet Awards - 2011 found on Rap


Source http://www.youclubvideo.com/video/183839/kelly-rowland-motivation-bet-awards-2011

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TUPAC SHAKUR - GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

Happy Birthday Tupac A. Shakur
You are still an inspiration

~* And Tomorrow *~

By Tupac Shakur

Today is filled with anger, fueled with hidden hate.
Scared of being outkast, afraid of common fate.
Today is built on tragedies which no one wants to face.
Nightmares to humanity and morally disgraced.
Tonight is filled with rage, violence in the air.
Children bred with ruthlessness cause no one at home cares.
Tonight I lay my head down but the pressure never stops,
knawing at my sanity, content when I'm dropped.
But tomorrow I see a change, a chance to build anew,
built on Spirit, intent of heart, and ideas based on truth.
Tomorrow I wake with second wind and strong ideas of pride.
I know I fought with all my heart to keep the dream alive.
I found this poem on http://www.seadeeper.com/poems/tupac.html

Reality is wrong. Dreams are for real. - Tupac Shakur

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/t/tupacshaku100941.html#ixzz1PPzxtM00

Rest In Peace Pac

Summer Time is here GET YOUR CHERRIES

Hello World! Summer is here! and I am so excited! Summer time is my favorite season. I love the sunshine, beautiful weather and yummy summer time fruits like the tiny but mighty CHERRY! Of course cherries can be a pain to eat due to the seed BUT would you believe cherries can actually help your body out. You're probably wondering how? Not that lil red thing with the seed in the middle... YES the cherry is tiny but mighty

Everyone needs proper rest in order to function properly. Unfortunately everyone is not able to rest... WELL would you believe the tiny but mighty cherry is actually one of the only fruits that have natural sources of a substance named melatonin.

What is melatonin? (Per WebMD) Melatonin is a hormone made by the pineal gland , a small gland in the brain. Melatonin helps control your sleep and wake cycles
And we all know how important proper rest.

Cherries are also well known for specific anti-oxidants! What are anti-oxidants? Antioxidants are nutrients (vitamins and minerals) as well as enzymes (proteins in your body that assist in chemical reactions). They are believed to play a role in preventing the development of such chronic diseases as cancer, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, Rheumatoid arthritis, and cataracts.

I think everyone can agree WE ALL LOVE ANTIOXIDANT filled foods and according to livestrong.com, cherries are loaded with a specific antioxidant, called anthocyanins, which gives cherries their bright red color. Cherries have the highest levels of the antioxidants anthocyanins 1 and 2 (compared to any other fruit) which have been shown to relieve the pain associated with inflammation.
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/71065-choose-cherries-health/#ixzz1PDms0vgx

Many of us prefer the sweet taste of cherries BUT the tart cherries are actually the cherries with the highest levels of antioxidants so don't pass up the dried tart cherries for the sweet ones. The tart cherries are very good especially if you're suffering from Gout. If you don't like to eat dried tart cherries try drinking tart cherry juice. Your body will thank you.

As I said the tiny but mighty cherry is more than a pretty red fruit but it actually has health benefits that everyone can use. The next time you're in the store or the farmers market pickup some cherries. They're a nice snack, easy to put in a bag and head out the door. YES that's right grab some cherries world! Don't mind the seeds... get your antioxidants and melatonin via a sweet/tart tiny but mighty lil cherry.

Here are some other links you may enjoy reading
http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/7-health-benefits-of-cherries.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/476-smart-shopping-cherries/
http://www.choosecherries.com/health/main.aspx


(Thank you to the sources http://health.howstuffworks.com; http://www.livestrong.com; www.webmd.com; http://www.choosecherries.com/health/main.aspx)

Thank You Daily Curlz

Hello World, I had a wonderful weekend! Graduations! Celebrations! Lots of family LOVE & FUN! And... I received the wonderful items from Daily Curlz Opening Give-away! (Yes I WON)
I am very excited to share with everyone my prize! Here are the items!! WOOHOO!!

Items in the picture above: Reshma Henna, 4oz DailyCurlz 100 % natural hair oil, one satin scarf 36 x 36, pair of feather hair pins, & cloth broach
YOU MUST FOLLOW DAILY CURLZ!

In particular today I want to share with you my thoughts and feelings about one particular item and that is the DailyCurlz 100 % natural hair oil.

Recently Daily Curlz wrote an article titled How the oil work in the moisture process/ como trabajan los aceites en el proceso de humectacion.
Talk about perfect timing! The articles speaks on how oil alone is not moisturizer BUT its important to add water to your hair.
And that's exactly what I do. I am a huge fan of the WASH-N-GO look for myself so this works out perfectly for me.
Normally I wet my hair in the shower and then I add oil to my hair. BUT according to Daily Curlz what I'm actually doing is sealing the moisture in my hair. (Daily Curlz explains this in her blog.) Her entry was perfect for me.

DailyCurlz Oil mix is a great natural oil. Please click the link below & read more about it.
http://www.dailycurlz.com/p/dailycurlz-oil-mix.html

Here is what's in the Daily Curlz Oil
LINSEED OR FLAXSEED OIL
SHEA BUTTER
AVOCADO OIL
COCONUT OIL
ALMOND OIL
OLIVE OIL
JOJOBA OIL
GRAPESEED OIL
SAPUYULO (SAPOTE)
You can purchase your oil from Daily Curlz on her page. Please click the link below to purchase your 4oz oil mix for $12 + shipping.
http://www.dailycurlz.com/p/dailycurlz-oil-mix.html

I have to end this blog entry because I have a date with my 100% Natural Oil from Daily Curlz
Until next time... Everyone stay moisturized

Source - http://www.dailycurlz.com/

Crunch Crunch Crunch... I love Carrots

Hello World! Spring is here! and Summer is approaching! (although this SF Cali weather is confused) All those who know me well... KNOW I LOVE THE COLOR ORANGE! I am drawn to ORANGE! No matter what it is. If I see ORANGE! I've got to have it! While cruising the veggie aisle I find these ORANGE stick like objects calling my name, QianaQiana... I find myself purchasing bags of carrots!! MMmmmm the smile that graces my face is ridiculuos (really it is). It's spring time and carrots are becoming my friend. Not quite sure why suddenly I'm feeling a need for carrots almost everyday BUT I am enjoying my munchy crunchy sweet carrots. My mother always said carrots are good for your vision well apparently they are good for more than that. 

Carrots are rich in anti-oxidants, vitamins and carotenes
Carrots have a lot of beta carotene, which may help reduce cancer
What is beta carotene you maybe wondering? (I wondered-so I had to look it up)
What is

beta-carotene? I looked at this site and thought WOW look at all of this info http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=125
(be sure to check out the entire page - Thank you to the source http://www.whfood.com/)
Beta-carotene is probably the most well known of the carotenoids, a phytonutrients family that represents of the one most widespread groups of naturally occurring pigments. It is one of the most abundant carotenoids in the North American diet as well as one of approximately 50 carotenoids known as "provitamin A"compounds, able to be converted in the body into retinol, an active form of vitamin A.

While beta-carotene produces colors in the orange and yellow range, beta-carotene rich foods may be other colors besides from these two. That is because other phytonutrients pigments blend together with the beta-carotene to give the plant food its unique hue that, in addition to orange or yellow, could be other colors including pink, red or white.

How beta-carotene functions - What are the functions of beta-carotene?

Preventing Vitamin A Deficiency - Until late in the 20th Century, the functions of carotenoids, including beta-carotene, were discussed only in terms of their potential vitamin A activity. Beta-carotene is one of approximately 50 carotenoids of the known 600, that are called "provitamin A" compounds because the body can convert them into retinol, an active form of vitamin A.

As a result, foods that contain beta-carotene can help prevent vitamin A deficiency. In addition to alpha-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin, beta-carotene is among the most commonly consumed provitamin A carotenoids in the North American diet.

If youre anything like me you NOW want to learn about vitamin AAccording to this site http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=106
vitamin A does a lot of things like...Preserve and improve your eyesight
Help you fight off viral infections

Then I read, What events can indicate a need for more high-vitamin A foods?Frequent viral infections
Night blindness
Goose bump-like appearance of the skin

As I read the entire article provided by http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=106 This part really caught my attention
What health conditions require special emphasis on vitamin A?
Vitamin A may play a role in the prevention and/or treatment of the following health conditions:Acne
AIDS
Alcoholism
Atopic dermatitis
Cataracts
Cervical dysplasia
Diabetes
Dry Eyes
Fibrocycstic breast disease
Hyperkeratosis
Inflammaotory bowel disease
Kaposi's sarcoma
Leukoplakia
Osteoarthritis
Otitis media (ear infection)
Poor vision
Psoriasis
Thyroid disorders
Ulcers
Vaginitis
Varicose veins
Viral infections

I'll never look at carrots the same

Another great link to read regarding carrots is http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/nutrition.html
(Source - Thank you www.whfood.com)

Hooked on Sweet Almond Oil

Hello World... Yes I Am Hooked on Sweet Almond Oil

The San Francisco Bay Area weather has been a ball of confusion lately(all 4 seasons in one day)... but that doesn't stop me from glowing! What do I mean... I mean Sweet Almond Oil. I'm hooked! I've been using Sweet Almond Oil every day and let me tell you the results I am receiving have been great! After my shower/bath I just pour this lovely sweet smelling oil on me and I am left with a glow! My skin is reacting wonderfully to it. Did I mention the sweet smell... Yes I smell like a sweet treat (smiling)

Here are some facts about Sweet Almond Oil It's a rich source of vitamin E
Apart from vitamin E it also contains vitamin A
It soothes and softens the skin
Helps to relieve skin irritation
It's a great moisturizer YES it can treat dry skin by balancing the skin's moisture level
Almond oil does not leave you with a oily skin (which I love) - It's a lightweight oil
It's great for aromatherapy and for massages
Speaking of massages... I also massage my scalp with the Sweet Almond Oil
Yes it can be used for your hair also

(Natural Hair Soul Clap)
Almond oil is rich in protein, which can strengthen your hair

Below is an informative article provided by Ehow on Almond Oilhttp://www.ehow.com/about_4609148_benefits-almond-oil.htmla

Feeling Naturally Jazzy

Feeling Naturally Jazzy

To start things off... here is one of my hair envys... Esperanza Spaulding
If you don't know who she is... (yes she's the one who beat Justin B! She deserved to win in my eyes) Please check out the video below and an article by Curly Nikki titled - Natural Hair Celebrity - Esperanza Spaulding AND if you're not following Curly Nikki... you should follow her! She's awesome!







Cassandra Wilson... Naturally Jazzy
I love everything about her and who could forget that song on the Love Jones Soundtrack! Cassandra Wilson one of my favs!




Chrisette Michele... Naturally Jazzy! Her voice is one that I just fell in love with. I love everything about her! and this is one my favorite songs by her!

(Where's my hairbrush AKA the mic!)

Thank you Youtube & thanks to whoever posted these lovely songs :) AND THANK YOU Cassandra Wilson, Chrisette Michele & Esperanza Spaulding!

OPENING GIVEAWAY via DAILYCURLZ & I WON!

Hello World, I must share how excited I am to won a give-a-way!!
Daily Curlz is one of many blogs I read and I absolutely love this blog!!

DailyCurlz had an Opening Giveaway and would you believe!? I won!! WOOHOO!

I want to take this time out to say Thank you!

This is what the WINNER will receive:

1. Reshema Henna
2. One bottle of DailyCurlz 100% natural hair oil
3. One Satin Scarf
4. Pne pair feather hair pins
5. One cloth brooch

See My Smiling Face!!

DailyCurlz can be found on Facebook, Twitter and at dailycurlz.com