Quincy Jones: Honey, we have no music industry

Let Go of Your Chains

Forgiving others who have wronged you can be difficult. But if you’re anything like me, forgiving yourself for past mistakes can feel downright impossible. But the well being of you mind, body and spirit depend on it. This article by Natural Holistic Life does a great job of explaining why.

Let Go of Your Chains.

My Go-To Carrot Juice Recipe

Did you know that drinking carrot juice is one of the best favors you can do for your skin? Carrots are an excellent source of vitamin A and antioxidants, which benefit your immune system and help prevent premature aging. And as an esthetician, skin health is key to me. But I’m not the type who will walk around munching on carrots all day, so I prefer juicing them. Here’s one of my favorite carrot juice recipes:

4-5 large organic carrots, peeled (peeling cuts down on the “earthy” taste)

1/2 cucumber

1 apple

a small slice of beet (be careful; a little bit goes a long way!)

1/4 of a lemon, peeled

(Feel free to adjust the ingredients to your taste)

When I first started drinking carrot juice, I noticed softer, smoother skin after only a couple of weeks. Try it and let me know if you see and feel a difference in your skin. Cheers!

The Happy Soul Diva 🙂

The Curious Case of Lupe Fiasco

Can I like the music, and not the person performing it?

Black Millennials

When rap mogul Jay Z called Lupe Fiasco “a breath of fresh air,” I couldn’t agree more. The year was 2006 when he released Lupe Fiasco’s Food and Liquor. The transition of hip hop as a lyrical haven to a pop culture fixture, was well underway. Gone were the days when stellar rap music was measured by lyrical content and impassioned delivery. Now, the “best” rap songs were weighted on catchy beats and concise hooks and choruses, so as to be repeated easily. Rap was no longer a labor of love, it was a corporate chop-shop.

Lupe entered the mainstream as hip hop was changing from a lyrical exercise to a constant headbanger. At the time, I was proud of Lupe. As hip hop crippled with every Yung Something, Lupe stood strong. His spirit, bold. His content, deep. His musical prowess laid unchallenged in a wave of one-liners. The…

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Life’s Essential with Ruby Dee – Documentary

Like many of you today, I’ve been reading all about the extraordinary life and career of the late Ruby Dee, who died Wednesday at the age of 91. Well one of the things I learned is that there’s a new documentary coming out about the life of the legendary actor and activist, along her equally accomplished husband Ossie Davis, called Life’s Essentials with Ruby Dee. It’s the first ever feature-length film documenting the couple’s extraordinary life together, and was directed by their grandson, Muta’Ali Muhammad. The documentary raised over $53,000 on Kickstarter two years ago, and it’s now set to premier June 22nd in New York City. I’m really looking forward to seeing it. Here’s a teaser:

 

Pain In The Boot!

I’ve been in a spring cleaning/organizing mood lately, and this little life hack just made my day! Now that spring has finally sprung, it’s time to put away the boots until next fall. I have to admit
I’m a little addicted to boots… not shoes like a lot of women. Yes, a pair of red bottom pumps are pretty to look at,

Do Something To Make “You” Smile

While driving home today, I noticed my neighbor working on the giant snow head in front of his house. Yes, a giant snow head! It started off about as tall as his house when he created it over a month ago. Each time I pass by, I look with childish anticipation to see if it’s survived to see another day.

Simply Delicious Kale Juice

Ingredients. I forgot to include the cucumber in this photo.

The final result! Deliciously refreshing and good for you.

Anyone who knows me well knows I love to juice! I first tried it back in the early 90’s, but it got old real quick. I got tired of all the time it took, and the expense. It seemed like it took a grocery bag full of produce to make one or two glasses of juice! As the mother of two small children at the time, I felt I just didn’t have the time or energy to bother. But as with anything else, the more you do it, the easier it gets. And the reality is it isn’t expensive either. Looking back, I really regret not sticking with it. That’s because I’ve seen so many benefits since I started juicing again last April; I have more energy, I’ve lost weight (without any dieting), my skin has gotten softer… just to name a few.

Simply Delicious Kale Juice Recipe

This kale juice recipe is one of my favorites. It’s delicious and refreshing, and I feel more energetic after drinking a glass. In fact, I make this more than any other juice. A couple of tips about using kale that I’ve learned from trial and error: Make sure the kale is FRESH! Once it starts wilting, it tastes bitter; Another tip is to cut off the stems, which also tend to taste bitter.

• 3-4 kale leaves, stems removed
• 1 cucumber
• 1 apple
• 1 half lemon, peeled
• a very small slice of ginger

If you like your drink a little sweeter, add another half apple. This is my typical weekday breakfast, and it keeps me satisfied all morning long.

So for anyone who’s on the fence about juicing, I’m here to tell you, it’s worth it. If you try this recipe, let me know what you think. Or if you have a favorite juice recipe of your own, please share!

My First Post!

So I’ve decided to start a blog for a number of reasons: as a type of therapy; as a discipline exercise; because my dear husband suggested it; out of boredom; but mainly to have a place to collect and organize my thoughts and share my passions! So what are these passions I speak of?

I am a music lover and believe music feeds the soul, so I’ll be sharing new artists I’ve discovered, great songs that don’t get played on the radio, and anything else music-related that I find interesting. Look out for posts on cooking and juicing recipes I’ve tried or plan to try. I am new to drinking wine, but I’m enjoying the learning curve, and would love to share as I go. And finally, I’ll write and share posts about art pieces and artists themselves. All while I work up the courage to once again put brush to canvas. Such a scary thought considering that I haven’t painted anything since I started having kids 16 years ago. So those of you that follow this blog will be witness to the rebirth of my inner artist, for better or for worse!

I love to share things I’m passionate about, and I love to receive input and learn from others.  So I hope you’ll follow my blog and motivate me to keep sharing.