8 Ways to Know You Are a Person of Character

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Shila Iris

I dig this.

Words of Balance

8 Ways to Know You Are a Person of Character

1. You Are Honest

When no one is watching

2. You Push Yourself

Harder than your boss pushes you

3. You Stand Up

For what you know is right, when it really matters

4. You Believe

You have the ability to make a difference

5. You Care

About the well being of others ahead of yourself

6. You Tell the Truth

No matter how painful

7. You Forgive

With an open heart

8. Kindness

Is more important than your reputation

This post was written by Aaron Aslin. Aaron is an entrepreneur, amateur philosopher, and blogger. He uses his background in marketing to bring people to ideas that inspire, motivate, and create purpose in their lives. You can follow him @aaronaslin and facebook.com/aaronaslin

Photography Source

View original post

Baby It’s Spring & It Might Rain Outfits!

Image

It’s still a little cold in the Midwest, but it’s getting warmer! Hopefully the stockings season will be over soon! Enough with the April showers! This week, it should reach the upper 60s and believe me, we are all soooo happy! Tune in later this week for my style ideas for our warmer weather.

The last of the stockings…

THE STYLE: The stockings are from Target’s clearance bin.They were only about $5 for 2 pairs; the skirt is from Forever21 because I love their cheap skirts; $6; the shirt is from TJMaxx for $10; the legwarmers are from Claire’s for $7; the boots are from Kohl’s and have been featured on my blog several times for $21; the earrings are from Glitter for of course $1; the hat is from Spencer’s for maybe $15; the jacket was from Sears on an out-of-season sale and hopefully we won’t need that anymore! It was $10.

N
E
X
T

Long dresses that are made of a light-weight fabric are great for the Spring. You can lighten up dark colors with bolder colors. Check it out.

THE STYLE: The headwrap fabric is from JoAnns (like $3 by the yard); the leggings which were just back up because the dress is s bit see-through were $10 at Kohls; the dress is from H&M on clearance it was $7; the necklace– I was getting my hair twisted and a guy came in the salon selling jewelry! Yes, I gave him $15 for it (lol); the belt is from the Body Shop for $10; the sweater is from TJMaxx for $11.

Queen Duafe for African Essence

P.S. Need a book to read? Check this out: Egyptian Yoga Volume 1: The Philosophy of Enlightenment by Muata Ashby

Wait a minute! Need some music? Sade liberated me this afternoon with music from her 2011 tour!

The 60 Degree Spring Queen – Identity Solutions

Image

Blog of the Day – revolucionno.wordpress.com

Jambo! Welcome. I am Queen & I come to you in the spirit of DUAFE, an african adinkra symbol that symbolizes beauty, cleanliness & desirable feminine qualities. I represent the women of the world who fight to control their own destinies and avoid being characterized as VICTIMS. We are not victims. We are the Mothers of Civilization who hold WISDOM and TRUTH.

I intend to reach into the past to reclaim visual images and rhetoric of revolution. I am here to raise the consciousness and reject attempts to control the powerful identity of woman through stereotypes. WE are more than what you see. I take the past for guidance because it allows me to take a closer look at feminism and female empowerment. We are living in a time where the identity of the woman has become highly-sexualized. Women really believe that they do not look “good” unless their bodies are exposed. Self-esteem is at an all time low, and large companies are making so much money off of bringing the image of the WOMAN down.

Women seem to gladly give away their money to purchase hair, make-up, and name-brand BS that just makes them blend in. I am not opposed to any of these things when bought and used in moderation. Sometimes you might see something that you just love and it just so happens it is name brand. A little make-up is cool, but a lot is not. You have to understand that you should not RELY on these superficial elements. They should ONLY be used as ADORNMENT.

Sometimes it seems like everyone is trying to be someone else. The light women want the brown girl features and the brown girls want the light girl features. Why can’t we just be happy as we are? We can love each other and be friends without wanting to be the other woman. I am trying to break the notion that we have to be exposed to look good; and that we have to lighten or exaggerate our features to be accepted. You do not have to be this way because, guess what? You are beautiful without all the glam. So check this out…

It’s springtime in the Midwest and we can expect varying temperatures. Dressing for the weather is important. Don’t get caught standing in the shade freezing or standing in the sun burning up! It may not be the best idea to pull out the shorts just yet, so try some colorful jeans and light weight fabrics that will give you just enough protection to enjoy the weather. Since it is still Spring, 60 degrees means that you still need to carry a jacket with you. If it was 60 degrees in the Summer, you would not need the jacket, but Spring is fickle so stay on the safe side.

A colorful springtime idea…

THE STYLE:

Earrings, $2, on sale at Icing by Claire’s

Shirt, $4 end of season sale at Sears

Pants, $20 at Forever21

Red Wedge shoes, Payless BOGO $10 ( I do not suggest buying these shoes- they are cheaply made and make a noise when I walk. They do not feel great)

Red Wedge sandals, Nine West Outlet, $20 (these shoes are all leather upper and they feel great- bought at least 4 years ago)

Brown Fornili Shoe by Aldo, $95

Queen Duafe for African Essence

P.S. Don’t forget to follow my blog by clicking on the FOLLOW button up top! Let’s keep in touch and be sure to let me know, if you have a blog you want me to check out.

Don’t forget to check out this blog!

revolucionno.wordpress.com

Need a book to read? Iconic: Decoding Images of the Revolutionary Black Woman by Lakesia D. Johnson

Midwest Styles – Do You Remember Bell Bottoms?

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Shila Iris

I live in Midwestern United Sates where the weather changes day-to-day. Yesterday it was very nice out- sunny and warm. Today it is rainy and chilly! Here we go!

I think I’ll try bell bottoms today. Actually, many people are in to skinny pants, which are fine in some cases, but I am a flare-pant girl. I like my pants to fit on the top and flare at the bottom to compliment my shoes. Check it out. Click on the pictures to enlarge them. Haven’t quite decided on my shoes, but it will probably be the Aldo Fornili.

(Note: the photos may appear different depending on the browser speed you have)

I also like bell sleeve shirts and sweaters! They are great. This is not the greatest pic (the rugs from my car in the background), but I got this bell sleeve sweater from JCPenny’s and underneath, I am actually wearing a bell sleeve tunic/dress that I got from venus.com.

Those stockings are really cool now that I think about it! Look below.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

THE STYLE ABOVE:

(bell bottoms with mustard-colored shirt)

The shirt is made of viscose from Dillards, $17 on sale; The pants are from Forever21, I think they were $25 or cheaper; the Fornili shoe that I will wear is of course from Aldo, $95. Don’t spend that, though!

Queen Duafe for African Essence
P.S. Do you need a book to read? Check out: Writing the Black Revolutionary Diva: Women’s Subjectivity and the Decolonizing Text by Kimberly Nichele Brown

Living in the Midwest – Spring Queens

Image

I live in Midwestern United States where the weather can swing drastically, hitting above 100 in the summer and below zero in the winter. The Springs are cold and warm, and hot, and cold again! It’s nothing to fear, you just have to be prepared and accept the reality of varying temperatures.

Living in the Midwest allows me to get super cReaTiVe with my wardrobe. I can be laid back, conservative, athletic, but most of all JAZZY! My attire is most often referred to as Jazzy. People ask, “where did you get that?” If I can remember, I tell them, but I shop all over. Mostly in thrift stores and specialty-clothing boutiques. I do not discriminate! Anywhere I go from, TJMaxx to Steinmart, I can always find the most “jazzy-ethnic” attire they carry. That’s my thing, that’s my style. My favorite stores are thrift stores, but like I said, I go all over.

I love being able to create my own style!

Many people enjoy living in the Midwest, although it can be depressing sometimes! Nine months of cold weather can have you visiting a psychoanalyst! No need to complain, just get with the program. When its cold, love it, when it’s hot love it even more! Our seasons seem to be all over the place and are highly unpredictable at the present time.
So I keep my closet fully equipped with all types of light and heavy clothing. Every morning I put my foot out the door to see what the weather feels like and I go from there…

THE STYLE… The shirt I am wearing above is one of my favorite pieces. It is a very light fabric and I normally wear a camisole underneath it. I got it from an African Boutique years ago named SeneAfrique, $25. It closed down. The shirt has gold accents so I wore gold jewelry to match. It’s a gold cuff bracelet which you can get from anywhere these days. The necklace is a beaded brown and gold layered style and I have no idea where I got it (maybe Dillard’s on clearance years ago?). The earrings are a costume-like gold from Glitter (in malls), $1. The jeans are from Charlotte Russe, $10. I like flare jeans. The shoes are from Aldo, $95. They are leather inside and out, that is why they are pricier. They are called the Fornili shoe and date back at least two years. I won’t spend that much anymore, but there was something about these shoes that made them awesome. I like them a lot and they don’t hurt. Of course I wouldn’t do crazy amounts of walking in them either.

HOPE THIS HELPS YOU CHOOSE SOME COMFORTABLE ATTIRE THAT FITS YOU.

Peace and love,

Queen Duafe for African Essence

P.S. Need a book to read? Check this out…

Afrocentricity and the Academy: Essays on Theory and Practice edited by James L. Conyers, Jr.

Revisiting Chrisette Michele – Vocalist, Pianist

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Shila Iris

Chrisette Michele is looking pretty fly these days. I like that she explores hair color. I’m feeling colorful too!

I am not sure what happened with her music. I purchased her very first CD and it was really good. Ever since, I haven’t been able to get into her lyrics. Her voice is amazing, though. It’s mature and sophisticated. The songs she did with Jay Z and Nas were the best collaborations I heard from her. On her debut album, Love is You was my favorite song and Let’s Rock which had a Wu-Tang beat was nice as well.

All of her looks are pretty hot. I assume she has a wonderful stylist. Hope to hear some good music from her soon.

Poetry in Music- Vocalist ASA (pronounced ASHA)

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Shila Iris

“I’m in chains, you’re in chains too

I wear uniforms and you wear uniforms too

I’m a prisoner, you’re a prisoner too, Mr Jailer”

Asa is a Nigerian- born singer who is currently performing all over the world. Her music is a feel good, conscious protest to modern day slavery. She explains concepts such as love, oppression, peace, and dreaming. Of course I have some songs that I play over and over because the messages speak to what I am, but all of her music has a sharp angle of awareness that we don’t hear a lot these days.

Vocalist Asa, click on the image to be directed to her website

Asa represents a new breed of artist largely indebted to beautiful poets like Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, and MeShell Ndegeocello. Her lyrics are far from cookie-cutter, lacking the repetitive, hypnotic trance that modern artists get over using. Asa allows you to think and to get involved spiritually with the rhythms. If there is a parent out there looking for some good music for his/her young teenage daughter to listen to, please try ASA.

Queen Style

My heart leaps when she speaks in her native tongue on songs such as So Beautiful, Bi ban ke, and Bimpe. On her album Beautiful Imperfection, my favorite song is The Way I Feel. It is reminiscent of Nina Simone’s efforts in addressing the struggles of Black expression. While Nina Simone was more direct with her messages of demur, Asa is still powerful, especially since people are seemingly trying to force the world to forget the crimes of colonization endured by people of African descent. It won’t help to forget, or brush these issues under the rug. It’s better to address them and learn about the real history of the mother land.

“I’m talking to you jailer

Stop calling me a prisoner

Let he who is without sin-

be the first to cast the stone

Mr Jailer

You suppress all my strategy

You oppress every part of me

What you don’t know,

you’re a victim too

Mr Jailer”

These are lyrics from her song Jailer, the first song on her debut album. Just wonderful! Check out ASA in all her efforts to spread a different kind of message, not driven by money. Her music is linked on her website. Check out your local library if you want to borrow her CDs to try them out first. The video below is cool, however, I normally like music more without having viewed the videos. I like to hear the message before seeing it.

Queen Faces- Poetic Images of My Favorite Artists

Posted on April 13, 2013 by Shila Iris

Queen Faces- Beautifully Poetic

QUEEN ERYKAH

POETIC FACES IN APRIL – My favorite picture of the “mos-eccentric” Erykah Badu… really love the simplicity in this photo.

POETIC FACES IN APRIL- Erykah Badu is lovely, not just because of her wonderfully HomemadeVINTAGE&eccentric look, but because she is an exceptional artist with some of the best lyrics I’ve ever heard. Every single album is greatness!

Chaka Khan & Erykah are great!

BEAUTIFULLY POETIC – NNEKA

Nneka is a very hot artist! I admire that she is not contemporary and she has a very distinct voice. She can sing, rap, and do poetry- I'm all on board the Nneka train! I love her album cover for SOul Is HEaVy

Nneka is a very hot artist! Her lyrics are expressive and socially relevant. I admire that she is not “contemporary- sounding” and she has a very distinct voice. She can sing, rap, and do poetry- I’m all on board the Nneka train! I love her album cover for SOul Is HEaVy

She’s got a lot of FLAVA!

Nneka is deep.

BEAUTIFULLY POETIC – THE FLOACIST

The amazing voice of NATALIE STEWART

The Floacist- I really follow Natalie because she is on of the most successful female performing poets I know of. Her lyrics mean a lot and I really appreciate her level of consciousness. She always looks so comfortable no matter what look she takes on. You can tell moeny doesn't drive her- the art does. Peace to this QUEEN.

The Floacist- I follow Natalie because she is one of the most successful female recording and performing poets I know of. Her lyrics mean a lot and I really appreciate her level of consciousness. She always looks so comfortable, no matter what look she takes on. Money doesn’t seem to drive her- the art does. Peace to this QUEEN. I dig. (I’ll have to blog about her body art later on- very nice!)

POETIC FACES IN APRIL- These are great photos of Natalie. Have you listened to her CD? It’s really nice.

BEAUTIFULLY POETIC – LIANN LA HAVAS

POETIC FACES IN APRIL- I am lovin' this chick right now! Her name is LiAnn La Havas and her voice is extremely and soothingly POETIC! My favorite pic of her.

POETIC FACES IN APRIL- I am lovin’ this chick right now! Her LYRICS ARE awesome as is her voice- Extremely and soothingly POETIC! My favorite pic of her.

BEAUTIFULLY POETIC – the LES NUBIANS will never die!

Have you seen them? I remember going to their concert and being completely amazed by their voices and their movement. I felt like I was in a cyclone of culture! It was such a HIGH. If you can ever catch them in concert, please go. They give a great show.

The Les Nubians have so much style and flava. Amazing looks.

BEAUTIFULLY POETIC FACES

BEAUTIFULLY POETIC

JANET’S POWERFUL VELVET ROPE YEARS& THE DESIGN OF A DECADE

How can we ever forget the wonderful Velvet Rope years of Ms. Jackson. She was at her peak during this time. Her movement brought the world to tears.

How can we ever forget the wonderful Velvet Rope years of Ms. Jackson? She was at her peak during this time. Her movement and vintage beauty brought the world to tears.

BEAUTIFULLY POETIC – L. HILL

Yesterday and Today

Lauryn Hill broke records with her lyrics that no female rapper has yet to come close to. I don't mean, grammy's and such- I mean she had the power to get into your heart because she was so REAL.

POETIC FACES IN APRIL. The misunderstood Lauryn will forever move me. The MisEducation was awesome! Every word and every song. I have yet to hear an album like this. I even loved loved loved her MTV Unplugged. She was so beautiful and humble. We remember you Queen!

BEAUTIFULLY POETIC – GOAPELE

Goapele’s music continues to be wonderful. I even enjoyed her last album which she added a bit of a “neo-pop” twist to a few of the songs. She is powerfully POETIC.

BEAUTIFULLY POETIC – JANELLE MONAE

POETIC FACES IN APRIL- She is extremely expressive/animated and I love every bit of it! Her lyrics are amazing as well.

POETIC FACES IN APRIL- She is extremely expressive and animated and I love every bit of it! Her lyrics are amazing as well.

I use NATIONAL POETRY MONTH to teach people about poets and writers who have influenced and ARE changing culture. I practice different forms of poetry and study vocabulary words and expressions that will help me in storytelling. I find things that are “poetic” in nature and I try to help young people understand what it means 2BaPoEt. I define poetic as having the power to be persuasive, and get people to support your messages.

These are the FACES of the wonderful women who have influenced me artistically.

It is National Poetry Month and as a verbal artist, I love it!

Queen Things – Poetic Riding Boots

Posted on April 13, 2013 by Shila Iris

These boots are amazing! I would wear them in the summer with shorts! Yes, I sure would. What do you think?

I love these amazing riding boots!

They were posted on Etsy, but sold. Do you know of any boots that are similar? I would love to have them. I cannot seem to find anything like them anywhere.

Rain Boots in the Spring- Transitioning from Cold to Warm with Color

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Shila Iris

It’s that time of the year where the weather is turning from cold to warm. I typically choose to wear rain boots during this season. If I want my feet to stay extra warm on those days where it is cold and rainy, I add leg warmers to this style. I love these boots! I got them for under $25 at Kohl’s in 2011. However, I recently saw them there, so in many cities you may still be able to get them. Actually they were cheaper. These beautiful purple rain boots were originally $59.99. However, remember, I rarely pay full price for anything! Now why would I do that? If it matters any to you, I receive tons of compliments about these boots because the color is so vibrant. I do not mind telling people where I got them- from older ladies with gray hair to gentlemen, they all seem to like these ones.

You can cuff your jeans and wear them this way.

I have not had any problems with these boots falling apart or being made cheaply. The quality seems to be ok, with only the label on the back of the boot peeling (bottom heel). Actually, I can do without the label. If it comes off, so be it. They are durable and I would give them a 5 out of 5 stars.

… wear them with leg warmers…

Outfit elements: Purple rain boots by Aqua Stop (Kohl’s); Different Colours All Beautiful Say No to Racism sweatshirt by H&M (on clearance $5); Nail polish: Green With Envy by Orly ($6); Watch by Fossil (shops normally in malls); sterling silver jewelry from Passport to Peru and Red Geranium; leg warmers (check stores like Claire’s or DSW)

Peace and Love,

Queen Duafe for African Essence

POETRY IN APRIL – How FELA the Musical Blew My Mind!

Posted on April 6, 2013 by Shila Iris

Last night I was hungry and thirsty for a concrete live depiction of Fela Kuti’s life story. I had received this once before when his son, Femi Kuti performed live in Cleveland, Ohio at the Beachland Ballroom. Femi did an excellent job of bringing forth the style of Afrobeat that his father had so carefully and wonderfully created. Combining Yoruba tribal music (which involves advanced drumming, mainly using the dundun), jazz, highlife, funk, and chanted vocals, he brought us a ravishing upbeat style of music that we let loose and danced to! I especially loved the chanting and the dancers. You have to see it to know what I mean. It is like poetry- exciting, igniting, and hypnotizing.

Every single time I watch a video of Fela, I get so excited! It is some of the best free-flow dancing you’ll ever see- performed only by authentic dance Queens! This past summer I had gone to the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit, Michigan and seen the exhibit on Fela Kuti. It too, was awesome. It isn’t there anymore, but if you can see it, please try to find it! Since then, I have been following the musician.

Seeing his son perform live,
seeing the exhibit,
watching videos of him,
listening to his musicians CDs (especially Fela’s drummer),
and now seeing the musical, I am officially FELA crazy!

Fela, the musical was excellent! Although it was not advertised well in Cleveland, it still drew the most diverse crowds of people that the city has to offer. I saw so many of my wonderful Elder Sistahs and Queens, even some coming from Columbus, which is two hours away. It was worth every penny!

The acting was good. I loved DUAIN RICHMOND, who played Fela,

He was awesome and his lines were comical in all the right places. I was more than happy to get up and dance when he requested that the audience stand up and take instruction from the dancers. We danced in clock positions, moving our rear ends in 12 o’clock, 6 o’clock, up and down motions! You do yoga, while I do the Fela workout!

I appreciated the storyline, which was simple and told without “fillers.” Michelle Williams, the singer from Destiny’s Child did a good job. I think she has potential to excel on Broadway. She wasn’t the best dancer, but I wasn’t really expecting that. She did what she could. Overall I give her a 6.5 out of 10.

I loved that Fela’s mother, Funmilayo (played by MELANIE MARSHALL) was a central part of the story. The large screen displayed on the right hand side of the stage revealing her picture added so much definition to the play. The lighting, sound, projection, and graphic parts of the performance were on point. The costumes were inspiring (if you are looking for style ideas).

The singer playing Fela’s mother and the dancers brought the musical home!

The Afrobeat band, the Antibalas, were flawless. THE VIBRATIONS THAT THIS PLAY SET OFF made it hard to leave the theater after the 2.5 hours. I wished it would go on! Honestly, I live for these moments where culture gets so real! The movement of the women was spiritually inviting, not sexual at all. It forced the audience to become part of the Fela experience. There was one dancer who I could not stop watching, her name is ONEIKA PHILLIPS- gotta say she was powerful!