This is the official last full weekend before the holiday ensues, and even though I’ve yet to cross anything….I mean ANYTHING off the list, I’m trying not to stress. Thankfully, it’s been easy, especially after uploading the ‘ol music player with good music that will carry me through.

Been jammin to this all day in between cleaning the apartment and blog work. I’ve been known to wear out my Roots collection, and play their work at any time during the day. Seriously, no words for how awesome their talent is. But…do I really need to tell you that? Their latest work dropped last week & the reviews have been amazing.

It really was only a matter of time before those on the US side became more involved in the sheer awesomeness that is Robyn, and thanks to her recent appearance on SNL the love will no doubt pour in.  Show Me Love was an instant Pop classic many years ago, but even with the new shift in sounds (for the absolute better!), Robyn has managed to amass a fan base that will follow her and her fancy dance moves anywhere. Start with Body Talk Part 1…work your way on to #2 (because you really would want to…trust) and tidy things up with Part 3. There’s a ton to explore in her catalog so keep digging. I dare you not to open the blinds and initiate the Dance Break. 

This one is premature because good music waits for no one! Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings are out with their new collection this coming Tuesday, December 20th & things are sounding amazing! Preview the goodness on Amazon, then mark your calendars for initial download.

It seriously takes a lot of talent for me to spend $$ on artists today, yet music that keeps me moving, nodding, shaking tail feathers up & down my small BK hallway is alright in my book.

Have a Great Weekend, All!!

It’s been forever and a day since I updated you guys on the weekly hair shenanigans (remember those?!). Now, if I were to be honest…I’d have to divulge a bit of truth & say that FRO & I have been winging it as far as when we get down to wash & even what we’ve been using. I won’t even try to blame it on the hustle & bustle of the holiday season. Nope. I’ve simply been chalking it up to ‘bad blogger syndrome,’ & kept it moving. But this week I realized that FRO has really made some significant progress in terms of length & just overall appearance. There were …more than a handful of grey hairs found a few weeks ago on the eve of the big 3-0 (which are sooooo very amusing!), as well as an impromptu length check (bra strap length…!!!). So what have I been doing? 

Products Used:

• Scalp pre-treat: Jane Carter’s Scalp Renew
• Scalp Cleanse: Thera Neem Scalp Therape Shampoo
• Hair Cleanse:  Carol’s Daughter Black Vanilla Shampoo
• Deep Condition: Darcy’s Botanicals Pumpkin Condish
• Style: EO Moisture Rich Condish + KBB’s Sweet Ambrosia

There haven’t been major change made to the routine, except the yearly switch to more winter friendly products that won’t leave FRO parched. The scalp is still numero 1 priority, and adjusting the routine by using a scalp friendly treatment has done wonders. Traditionally I apply the serum in sections, issue a 2-3 minute scalp massage & sit under a heated cap for 15 minutes. Once rinsed, I follow the rest of the Process accordingly.

Last week found me at a holiday party where I did don the twist-out, something I’ve rarely done lately. Definitely one of those gals who does not mind keeping the natural hair under wraps until the occasion calls for it.

I’ve also been battling a pretty nasty cold which grossly morphed into a bad case of bronchitis this week, just the worst. Incubating my life over the past week has been annoying at best. But hopefully back on the mend & should have a couple posts up next week. Lord knows I’v been trying to do a length check vid/post for the longest evah!! But will have to get down to it, because this past week I finally measured in at bra-strap length. That little voice in the  mirror hinted that this might be epic…so here’s to bringing you guys actual proof in a non-clutzy maner.

I’ll be updating the FB page with a few more pics this weekend as well, & would love to know how you’re rockin the do this Holiday? Let me know in the comments below or share a pic on the FB Fan Page! Next months marks Back To Curly’s 3 year anniversary & there will be special treats for my FB peeps;)

Happy Weekend, All!! I really couldn’t wrap up this week without bringing you the awesomeness that was the Curl Crush event here in NYC this past week! Put on by the immensely inspiring team behind Curly Girl Collective, THIS really was just the start as to how natural hair femmes get down in the Big Apple! The amount of love, inspiration, SMILES, admiration, positivity that was filling up the beautiful space was pretty remarkable. The who’s how in the blogoshpere were all present & accounted for, as were many of the amazing natural hair brands and names we follow, including Dickey from Hair Rules & my favorite peeps behind Essence Streetstyle!

There’s nothing but fierceness amongst these ladies, all of whom I admire

I’m always in awe of a yummy treat and had the pleasure of sampling thee most decadent velvet cupcakes I think I’ve ever had from bakery Sydney’s Sweets. The vanilla buttercreme was…!!!

…Had fun hangin & catching up with the girls after a long day at work

Finally had the pleasure of catching up with BK Maven and blogging friend Miss Moon!

There were a ton of games and prizes to win, including the night’s themed event…speed dating!! I must admit, I was NERVOUS, lol!! Thankfully, the ladies did provide ‘cheat’ sheets to break the ice, and everyone managed to have the best time.

Dickey made it more fun by participating and answering all our questions, LOVE!!

I really didn’t get through half the night before my camera died, yet it’s safe to say I’d love nothing more than to attend another event like this one!! The benefits of attending a well put together event to celebrate the dopeness of natural hair can only be measured once you attend and experience that high level of inspiration. No. joke.

For even more pics from the event, check out Nicole’s awesome spread over at Essence Online. 

If you haven’t made plans to attend a natural meetup in the near future…do it NOW!! Do it once…but just do it!! There’s nothing like being in a room filled with enough women to keep you motivated along your natural hair journey. Huge thanks to the incredible team behind Curly Girl Collective...but most of all, besos to all the women who came out in the pouring rain to mingle, date, cheese and be each other’s source of inspiration!

I always have a tough time widdling down the Christmas list each year, and I’m beginning to believe its just gotten even longer considering the amount of time spent on the internets browsing, bookmarking and adding to wish-lists. Few weeks ago I discovered Evernote a nifty online app that’s pretty much been a saving grace helping me keep track of all the crazy lists, links and notes that tend to pile up. Yes, I’m a link hoarder…but goodness, so are sooooo many other folks! Seriously, if you’re like me and misplace your keys along with a million different sticky notes, give this a go. The fact that you can access your lists via your smart phone is just…!

And yeah….I know I’m probably late to the game, but I’m in lurv with this thing, lol. In my downtime I finally started to pull together something that resembles a holiday wish list.

1. The Oyin crew have decided to KEEP the super popular Sugar Berry Pomade that up till now was a limited release goodie. I’ve yet to do a review on this….but if you need a refresher course on my complete adoration for this product, click here. It’s epic. (Sugar Berry Pomade, $12)
2. This one’s a guilty pleasure…or maybe just an ode to my childhood…? At any rate, if you’ve yet to meet a thirty-something woman who still loves to color within the lines….literally. *Waves*. I’ve had this book in the get-list for some time, and think it’s absolutely gorgeous! Coloring for me is often therapeutic and tends to put my mind at ease when there’s ultimately one too many distractions in the air. I’ve scored some beautiful ones in the past & would love to add to the collection. (The Matta Indian Coloring Book, $12)
3. It’s always hard to pick a favorite print from this shop, but Ellie is rocking that up-do somethin proper! I’ve long since put a halt on decorating my BK pad, but there are some great new prints in the Pairabirds collection. Tabitha Brown has not only made beautiful portraits that would look snazzy on any wall…but they are easily affordable. (Yearbook Ellie, $20)
4. My accessory game has fallen off lately, and the hunt is officially on for something new. While rocking mostly twists & protective styles in the colder months, there’s a tendency to spruce things up with a cute scarf like this one. Traditional headbands often leave me with headaches and can sometimes rip the baby hairs at the base of my neck (no joke…), so I’ve always been a head/wrap/band kind of natural. (Retro Chic, $7)

I’ve come to think of this as the ‘preliminary list’ just to get the ball rolling, but also made promises not to go overboard! Still haven’t added books to the list;). Have you guys started shopping? What’s made it to your Holiday Lists so far?

So this week marks the beginning of a new series here on the blog that I’m really excited to get started! “SELF-DEFINED” will bring about the minds of some of the most creative, daring, inspiring women accomplishing amazing things in their lives. And to kick things off I decided to re-introduce a woman that I’ve come to know through yummy brunches, inspiring natural hair meetups and…. none other than Twitter several months back. Meet Sheena.

Introduce us to Sheena in one sentence

“I am a being; a spirit; a soul…manifesting in many forms, usually via creative, sensual & spirited ways.”

Tell us how you came upon your natural hair journey

“I came upon my journey out of curiosity, frustration and a desire to try something else. I felt as if I was putting too much energy into maintaining straight hair and I wanted a more authentic, natural approach. It took me awhile to start wearing my hair natural but eventually I did. This year marks my 7th year natural after that initial BC.”

How would you describe your relationship with your hair today compared to when you first BC’d?

“When I first BC’d the connection I had with my hair was one of trepidation. I was scared. I was curious but I was very nervous. Natural hair was all new to me and I didn’t fully understand what was going on. These days, I know my hair. I know what works and doesn’t work. I know exactly what to give. It can be similar to having a relationship with a person. When you first meet, it’s a new discovery and you kind of approach it carefully. But after 7 years of knowing someone or something, you get it, you understand it and it’s much easier to relate to. Even still, 7 years later…I make new discoveries and that’s fun as well.”

What sets this BC apart for your other experiences so far

“This BC was different for a number of reasons. One, I filmed the whole thing. (There is a 4 part mini series on my youtube channel) I have no record of the two BC’s before. Two, I was emotionally in a different place. With my first BC, it was mainly out of frustration. With my second BC it was out of anger. With this BC, it was just because. I was ready for something different. I wanted to try a short cut. I wanted some of my time back.”

Has rockin a natural/short cut influenced other aspects in your life (friends, loved ones…etc.)

“I have more time for friends & loved ones because I’m not in the bathroom doing a 3 hour two strand twist. LOL. The only thing I noticed and this may be TMI for your audience is that it influences my sex life. Its one less thing a man can grab in the moment and I do miss that little tug. OH…and it has changed the way I pole dance. A lot of emphasis is put on hair…playing in it, flipping it, hiding behind it and I can’t do that. So I move differently. I’m a more in your face dancer and rather than my hair, I let other parts of my body take the lead.”

Let’s talk hair products! what are you currently using, loving for your Fro?

“I use nature’s gate shampoo & conditioner most times. I’ve also been making my way through the little bottles I’ve collected from hotels during my travels. Since my hair is short, I feel as if I can experiment more. So I’ve been using a lot of those random but really good smelling shampoo/conditioners that come from hotels. (Takes up less space in my bathroom too!) The only other thing I use is a diy leave in conditioner that I spray on daily.”

What does it love now, compared to it’s longer days…

“I think my hair loves the independence of not being micro-managed. I joke but perhaps that’s true. When my hair was longer I had to take extreme care of it. Detangling took FOREVER. Twisting it took a long time. I needed to wear a bonnet at night. All these things were taking up time and energy. Whereas now, I really don’t think about my hair and on most days I spend two minutes or less in it. I LOVE THAT and I think if my hair could talk, it would cosign on that.”

Any creative projects you’re currently working on?

“I think the question is more…what am I NOT working on. I am one of the guides of The Goddess Life Community launching in January where my focus will be Feminine Empowerment and Sensuality. I was just selected as one of the 17 performers for the 1st New York Pole Showcase happening in January.  I’m working with one of my creative muse friends on launching a new blog all about the wonderful world of powerful siren women! I’m studying & researching so as to launch an ecourse & workshop series on sexuality, sensuality & spirituality. I’m supposed to be a contributing guest editor to CrazyDopeTastic.com via The Art Initiative but I’m having challenges getting the artist to meet deadlines.  I’ve started planning C.R.E.A.T.E. 2011. It will be the second “artist retreat” that I’ve done. (The one this year ROCKED!) I’m also in the middle of working on a viral marketing campaign with a MAJOR company with my friend Hanksterchen & Denactor on youtube.  Any who, we have five cities under our belt and the project is being pitched to other markets. I can’t wait till its live and I can actually tell everyone the full details.”

What matters to you most in life right now?

“Authenticity matters most to me. Freedom, expression, and creativity rank up there too. But above all else, authenticity is of the utmost importance to me.”

Describe your beauty perspective today and what that means to you / how that ties into your daily living practices.

“I adhere to the dictionary’s definition of beauty and not our many cultural definitions of it. Beauty is a quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind via sensory manifestations, meaningful designs or something else. I don’t focus on beauty. If something pleases me, then it pleases me. I don’t attach much meaning to it but I appreciate what gives me pleasure. Beauty isn’t tied to other qualities that mean more to me such as wisdom, intellect, understanding, open mindedness and such. Beauty ties into my daily living practice in the sense that I like to experience what pleases me. So if I think a flower is beautiful, then I want to see it. Its really that simple to me. It may not be what our cultural understanding focuses on but it is what it is for me.”

Where can our readers find you on the web?

“You can find me at sheenalashay.com , TWITTER or on YOUTUBE. I use those three most often.”

Yesterday I came across an article on CNN.com  lamenting the loss of  L.O.V.E. in most R&B songs on the radio. It’s an awesome read, and definitely worth the time…though a part of me did feel defeated once done. It also brought back a recent conversation with a colleague at work while discussing favorite artists and music. These days I’m less likely to rattle off names if asked, and think it’s mostly due to the gist of this article. What I love to hear playing in my home on a Sunday morning vs. what the majority of stations and general public love to hear…vary so much, it’s frankly not even worth mentioning any more.

Anyhoot….it’s not as sad as it may seem if you understand that there IS still great music being produced & written by talented artists today. I’m about to commence the weekly hair washing ritual & thought I’d put together just a few random picks that have either been floating in my collection for a few years, along with new gems that deserve a mention. Feel free to tell me what you’re listening to these days, would love to discover new artists!

Click on image above or find me over at 8tracks under Chai_Tee. Happy Sunday, All!!