Hides ya kids, hide ya wife 'cuz there's gonna be a flood tonight

Okay so today is the day that Noah's Ark needs to be assembled because it is raining in the DMV...HARD! There's a storm system that was supposed to be Tropical Storm Julia coming from the Bahamas (blows on conch shell), and it's hitting the eastern seaboard. So, for fear of my baby girl turning into Dorothy on her way to school today we're turning it into an all girls day in the house. Mommy's off,  enjoying my "high" of getting a 90 on my e-marketing case analysis paper, and I say what the heck let's make today about her and I. We haven't had days like that since July, which is a year in Mommy time lol. Her and I will be 1) deep conditioning and dancing (a good way for me to use that body heat of hers); 2) Princess and the Frog braiding hour; and 3) of course *pause to kiss a boo-boo since she ran into a door* cookies and pizza!!! *pause again to do the Hot Dog Dance* LOL

The result of our last Girls Day in a happy little toddler on her way to her first day of school.

To press or not to press...*shrugs*

I'm not a natural "nazi" as some people call them. You know the one's who shun fellow naturals from hiding their hair under wigs, weaves and extensions saying that you're ashamed of your hair. To me having natural hair is all about the versatility of doing whatever you feel like doing. Well this post is inspired  from Essence's "blog" posting by Anthony Dickey, which he used to promote his new product line for women trying to maintain the health and texture of their hair. Who Do You Want to Be Today?

I for one didn't find it as informative as I expected, but hey it did help with me wanting to at least add on to it. I would try to trust a stylist, but some of these stylist will singe the living daylights out of your hair since some are not trained to properly handle natural hair. Believe me I have had to tell certain beauticians not to just straight up use the blow dryer, and place me under the dryer to pre-dry (love my high school stylist for teaching me this). This way I don't have the dryer from Hades burning my scalp and my hair. Nothing like feeling like you have flames on your scalp to make you feel insecure about the person handling your hair.

Here are some tools a person would need to press their hair (I personally like the roller set and then running a flat iron over it to smooth the roots). Remember to ALWAYS start with clean hair!:

 A good heat protectant...like that should be a given. You could either use this product, its Sally's "cousin" made by GVP, or good ol' coconut oil. Use sparingly!

A good Ionic blow dryer...This prevents you from using half of the heat required to dry the hair, and makes the process quicker eliminating frizz and heat damage. Try air drying the hair in sections instead of applying heat to soaking wet hair, and plus to also cut back on the drying time.

Next you'll need a good brush to help along with the smoothing/straightening process. I pick this one because I lost mine, and now haven't been able to find a replacement at my local Wal-mart and Tarjay (with the exception of looking on Amazon of course).

A ceramic flat iron, that has a controllable heat setting. Nothing like messing up all of that good prep work just for you to singe your hair on an iron that is too hot. My suggestion is to do a check on the iron by using a damp washcloth. If it turns brown, you just might want to turn it down a notch. Better to be safe than sorry.

Hope this little bit of information helps with safely straightening your hair.

R&D's Entrepreneur Spotlight...Meet Michael Avon

I join a lot of random groups on Facebook, and that mainly comes from me having an interest in the topic. Some people stick to just one group of a different category, but that's just not my style. I like seeing the same topic from different angles and points of view. So, on one day I joined a group on "the Book" geared toward aspiring photographers, models, and make-up artists. That's where I met Mr. Avon, and saw some of his great artwork (photography to me is one of the best mediums out there). Every now and then Mr. Avon and I would talk about current events, his artwork and pretty much like we've been associates (guess that's the Capricorn in us). R&D readers allow me to introduce Michael Avon...

What type of service do you offer?
I do portraits. I also do music recording, and video directing/editing.

How long have you been in your field?
Photography 6years.
Music 17 years.

What drew you into wanting to provide such a service?
After my motorcycle accident and becoming disabled I had to focus on a career.

What most do you enjoy about your service?
Photography...Making people look good.
Music. Making people sound like a star.

What is the expected turn around time?
1 to 2 weeks. I seem to have the fastest turn around.

What is the range of your prices (consulting, milelage, extra fees if they want express services, etc.)?
That can be seen on my website: www.michaelavon.com

Where can you be reached (facebook, website, email or all of the above, please give out links to such sites/ pages)?

www.michaelavon.com
(571) 275-7629
www.facebook.com/michaelavon
michaelavonart@yahoo.com

The Downside of Grad School (at a non-liberal arts school)

I swear I was so amped to be in graduate school, mainly because I was going into a field opposite of my History background. Now it's like blah there's nothing really fun to go along with these topics that are supposed to get me ready for the "real world." I was browsing other school sites, and got Liberal Arts School envy. Case in point, on College of Norte Dame's list for courses in Contemporary Communication you actually have electives i.e. Culture and Its Philosophical Context. Here's there site for more information, MA in Contemporary Communication. I was literally like this is what the class structure should be similar too because at least you can put this into a real life perspective. So, I continue to look on other schools (grant it I'm not planning on transfering just yet, but I'm "window" shopping haha) not far from me, and Trinity's MA in Communication is actually a good program.
Maybe it's just that I like to have variety in the classroom instead of someone making write about scenarios, with no real topic of discussion in the classroom. Grant it I am in school for MSIT, but dangit I need variety before I scream. Oh well, I guess I'll get that variety when I go on these open university sites, and look up random philosophy lectures on "Sex and Relationships with Animals." (LOL no that lecture does not exist). If you're interested in "attending" these free lectures, you can either http://www.ocw.mit.edu -Click here, or go to openculture.com- free ebooks, lectures, etc..

It's my favorite time of the year...FALL

What's not to like about Autumn? You get to see the beautiful palette that has been given to us by Mother Nature. I'm one who loves the beautiful weather that she gives us, and believe me one who is not a big fan of humidity and snow Fall is the best way to get the best of both worlds. I will say it can keep the ragweed/hay, but I'll take that over just sweating while breathing lol. It is also time to step my game up when it comes to my wardrobe. Since I have been transitioning to finally get myself out there, it's time to bring out the sweaters for the corporate world (the world I have no choice but to get involved in because hey I need the experience lol), and that also means finding a way to layer my summer dresses with Fall friendly, mild Winter pieces. I am a fan of the sweater trench coat. It can be used over a sleeveless dress, it can be used to wear as an outercoat in general for those office's that refuse to let go of the summer a/c, and it's also fun. Rich fall colors like cranberry, pumpkin orange, and even chocolate take this basic closet object up a notch. 
Oh and these boots that are coming out for the Fall from Lane Bryant, I just might have to break down and get me a couple of pair. I love how they range from flats to 3 inch pumps that can go from day to night with no problems. I don't usually go to clubs, but if that means I can wear them to a casual and fun happy hour I'm there.
I'm not a big fan of gray jeans, but I have noticed that some people are getting away with wearing them as "business" slacks instead of casual. I for one am about versatility, and if you can get away with wearing them with a with your suit jacket and dress blouse then so be it. I might venture into the gray denim territory, but mainly on the casual aspect since I don't do jeggings or skin tight jeans anymore (blame it on me not wanting anything tight on my stomach since pregnancy lol).
Are there any fall pieces that you think should be mentioned? Sound off! :-)

I keep my promises...R&D's 1st Entrepreneur Spotlight AM Photography

Good Happy Football Sunday everyone! Allow me to introduce a dear friend, Arminta McKinney, who I have know for well over 13 years. Her and I even went to rival schools in High School and College (Go ERHS Raiders! and Go MSU Bears! lol). Here is the interview that was conducted a couple of weeks ago, and I apologize for my delay since I'm trying to adjust my schedule with school, work, and my little Princess getting adjusted to school.

What type of service do you offer?

I’m a professional photographer specializing in Wedding’s and Portraiture

How long have you been in your field?

I’ve owned and operated my own business for the past 6 years.

What drew you into wanting to provide such a service?

I’ve always loved photography, but my passion for it begin at the age of 16 on vacation with my family.  (First cruise with Joi, lol) sb Joi is our mutual friend and how we met in high school. :-)

What most do you enjoy about your service?

I love to watch peoples faces as they look at this little piece of time in their lives that I’ve captured.  That’s priceless to me!

What is the expected turn around time?

One to two weeks for portraits.  A little longer for weddings depending on the package.

What is the range of your prices (consulting, milelage, how soon shall they receive the product, etc.)?

I don’t charge for consulting or for mileage in the DMV area.  If outside of this area, it can be negotiated. 

Where can you be reached (facebook, website, email or all of the above, please give out links to such sites/ pages)?  
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/?sk=messages&tid=1465298846039#!/pages/FMA-Photography/59921437929

Twitter: armintam

Website: www.armintamckinney.com

Email: armintamckinney@gmail.com

*Note that these photographs are copyrighted with Mrs. McKinney's logo. Please contact her if you wish to use her work.*
If you are an entrepreneur please do not hesitate to contact me to add your business to our Entrepreneur Spotlight Roster.

I think I might be adding a business spotlight section

I have for a minute...okay I lie for almost the entire year thought of a plan to promote other bloggers who might actually be online retailers, and then I thought that I needed to stretch out that idea a little more. Due to this current economy I know several people who are starting side businesses in order to have an emergency fund, or to make sure that they can get by without living check to check. So, I feel that in order to help my fellow entrepreneurs I decided to open up the blog for those who are interested in being featured on my blog. We can do a mini interview via e-mail so we can make sure to give the important details to your clientele, especially if you are involved in handcrafts. If you are someone who does artwork/products/apparel/etc. please PLEASE please make sure that you have quality pictures that can be displayed. Please do not post your business information in the comments because 1) I'm trying to keep this business casual, as in I want it to be formal enough that customers will take you seriously, but also laid back, and 2) I also want to make it so each product/service gets a chance to shine. That's just improper etiquette honestly, and hopefully that won't have to be mentioned again. In return for my promotion of your business, please either donate a little change i.e. finders fee, or we can work a discount on your product/service. Sounds fair right?
Okay well.... let the fun begin!!! :-)