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Queen Esperanza Spalding- Black Gold insert Nneka

Have you seen her? Better yet, have you heard the voice of this charming young queen? Her spirit is so fly, this I cannot deny. I’ve seen some interviews and I have a few of her CDs. She has grown so much over the years. Practice, practice, practice.

She is the new thing in JAZZ music and is actually the one keeping it alive. This is 2012 jazz at its best! Her concerts sell out! She is at all the festivals. She plays the double bass and the bass guitar and she does it well. I have seen her playing what seemed to be some very difficult chords, while carrying a tune in voice. Amazing talent. I really hope she passes it on and inspires children to love art in music. The video below is awesome, I don’t know who the lady singing with her is, but they are both Black Gold.

As it pertains to your African Essence, this is an example of women being beautiful in their own skin. No globs of make-up, weave, tight clothes, none of that ridiculous mess. These sisters are truly inspirational and they look absolutely gorgeous. Definitely a style to take home. In the spirit of finding the true you, enjoy.

Peace & love,

Queen Duafe for African Essence

Check out this bonus video. This girl is just wonderful! When I start to see myself in these women, I know we are great. I know we can ALL be great in what we do and pass positive messages of true identity on to one another. Let’s change the world through art queens! Peace.

Mud Cloth is one of the greatest fashion statements

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Otherwise known as bogolanfini or bokolanfini, mud cloth is one the greatest designs a queen can wear to show her status. The queen is you. Although it may be too warm in the season to wear right now, you can always pick some up at festivals from vendors who sale ethnic clothing. Since summer is festival time, you are more likely to get mud cloth designs now.

Shila Iris digital designs…

Nothing makes a fashion statement better than mudcloth. Traditional mudcloth sheets are handwoven and made one at a time. No two pieces are exactly alike, so the colors shown are available, but the exact patterns vary from one piece to the next. They’re great for clothing, home decoration, crafts and other creative endeavors. African artisans hand-dye symbols into these fabrics in order to tell stories of their villages and African proverbs. Mudcloth has a long tradition of being used by West African warriors and hunters to camouflage themselves. Nowadays, people across the globe are wearing them to stand out and celebrate their connection to the African continent.

History of the cloth

The word bogolan means something made by using mud, while fini means cloth. The dyes and fabric used in mud cloth can be traced back to the 12th century AD. Due to the perishable nature of fabric and the humid climate of tropical sub-Saharan Africa, it is very difficult to do research on and document African textiles such as these.

Found this pic on internet…

How it is made

♦ Locally produced cotton is combed and spun into yarn by women
♦ The yarn is woven on a double-heddle loom into a narrow strip of about 15 cm in width. This is called strip weaving and is very labor-intensive but is very popular due to the fact that the loom can easily be dismantled and transported, and that it requires a very small capital investment.
♦ The strip is cut into shorter pieces, the length of the required final cloth. These strips are then joined selvedge to selvedge with a whipstitch.
♦ The cloth is washed (mainly to preshrink it) and dried in the sun. This white cloth is called finimougou and is used extensively for clothing in this undecorated state.

♦ The leaves and branches of two different trees, N’Galaman (Anogeissus leiocarpus) and N’Tjankara (Combretum glutinosum), are pounded and soaked in water for 24 hours or boiled in water for a few minutes. This forms a brownish tea, rich in tannic acid.

♦ The cloth is soaked in this solution and takes on a deep yellow colour. The yellow substance acts as a mordant. The cloth is spread out to dry in the sun.
♦ The painting is done with mud that has been collected from ponds the previous season and left to ferment. The artist outlines the designs with a piece of bamboo or metal tool dipped in the mud. The background surrounding the designs is also
filled in with the mud.
♦ As the cloth is left to dry, the dark black turns grey. The cloth is then washed to remove excess mud.
♦ The process of soaking in the leaf tea, painting with mud, washing and drying is repeated a second and sometimes a third time. With each application the mud painted areas become darker.
♦ The yellow areas are then painted with bleach made from boiled, ground peanuts, water, caustic soda and millet bran. This turns the yellow patterns brown.
♦ The cloth is placed in the sun for a week, after which the bleach solution is washed off with water. This leaves the characteristic white patterns on the
dark background.

This whole process can take several weeks to complete. The yellow, although it cannot be seen in the final product, forms a very important part of the whole
process. The iron oxide in the mud is converted to iron tannate by the tannic acid in the leaf tea. The tannic oxide forms a fast dye, which will lighten only slightly with subsequent washing.

Traditionally, the whole painting process was only done by women. Young women were taught by their mothers during a long-term apprenticeship. As with most West-African textile production, all the different activities in the making of mud cloth (spinning, weaving and decoration) have always been clearly gender defined. Lately young men have also taken up the task of painting cloths, most of it aimed at the tourist market.

More Mud Cloth in Designs

Use art to nurture your soul…

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I recently had the honor and pleasure of visiting the James E. Lewis Museum of Art in Baltimore, MD. The museum is located on Morgan State University’s campus. I actually went down to share some knowledge via a poetic performance with an organization called My Brother, My Sister, and was offered a tour of the campus. It is absolutely amazing what Morgan is developing into, and I enjoyed being in the atmosphere of aspiring scholars. It had been a while since I last stepped foot on a HBCU campus. Talk about exciting! I myself, studied at Fisk University and the art museum there had been going through some hard times due to a very expensive collection of wonderful art that has been there for years. The school was facing financial difficulty and wanted to use the art to sort of “save” the campus. Having been a connoisseur of the fine collection after writing a paper or two about it, I personally did not want to see the collection go. Seeing Morgan’s museum gave me hope!

James E. Lewis

It is everything an art museum on a HBCU campus should be! It had a warm energy that penetrated my soul. There was color everywhere! Not the pastels of a normal art museums, but the deep earthy tones of Afrikan, Asian, & Latin American cultures. My radar immediately zoomed in on the ceremonial masks, the fertility statues, the mud cloths, the cubism paintings reminiscent of Jacob Lawrence who was inspired by the Harlem Renaissance- it was all so breath-taking. I enjoyed the recognition of Afrikan cultures the most as it spoke more to who and what I am. Where I live, there is no African American Museum of Art so when I am in a city that has one, I go for it!

I enjoy that a lot of African American artists are still painting from within. In a world where mixed-medium art is the trend, I find it quite refreshing to see painting and the mixing of colors and stroking of brushes. Art is in layers, just like the heart. Paint from the heart and not for money.

The museum features both established and emerging artists so that says something for itself! You don’t have to die to get your art in a museum. I enjoyed that it was multicultural and found it important to include art from around the world because students should have a taste of many cultures. This can create a more well-rounded person with a more stable identity, something that African American students are in great need [of].

Speaking of identity.

As this pertains to your African Essence, it’s all about choosing your identity. Identity comes from within. Seeing this art exhibit spoke to something inside of me. The colors reminded me of something I had seen in a past life. I seek culture. I cannot live without knowing Afrika. I know that I descend from this continent and honestly it hurts sometimes to know you are from a place where you don’t even have real access to. Forever stolen, I try to cope. Without knowledge and acknowledgement of where you are from, your spirit will be constantly torn and confused and you will constantly self-hate. I heard an African American say the other day “I can’t stand Black people.” Sadly this is not the first time I heard this. Every time I hear it, I am in awe. I ask, how can you make a blanket comment like that and claim to love yourself? I know there are a lot of mistakes being made by the African American community, with the whole buying into the media and ignoring our own identities, selling material and verbal bulls*#@ to our youth, etc., but this is not reason to hate. Especially going around saying this in front of whomever! That’s nonsense.

Let’s live with the mindset, “if you are not part of the solution, than you are part of the problem.” People who hate like this are obviously part of the problem. It’s like those African and African American people who aren’t attracted to their own race, who actually say this out loud. No one says that you cannot cross cultures when dating but to say that you aren’t attracted to someone who looks like you is worthy of much shame. When one makes uncalculated comments like this, there is reason to believe that that person is having an identity crisis. Self-hate is so prevalent in our culture.

The museum on Morgan States campus is definitely something to visit. In addition to having a great art museum, they also have a great new library. It is what we call “state of the art.” It is still in its new phases, still in the process of acquiring a real collection, but I am sure it will get there. After seeing all this, getting a $30 ticket for parking on the street in front of the campus didn’t feel so bad!

Peace & Love,

Queen Duafe for African Essence

Juneteenth Celebration in Cleveland, Ohio

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Hello my PEOPLE!

Happy African American Music Appreciation Month

Words connect and music unites us! Check me out on

Saturday, June 16 from 12-5 p.m. performing poetry with The Griot Project and Umojah Nation Reggae Band

@ the Art & Soul of Buckeye Community Park located on Buckeye Road @ East 118 Street, Cleveland, Ohio.

Peace & Love,

Queen Duafe for African Essence

Africare Glycerin

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Glycerin has totally transformed my skin in less than a week. I purchased a bottle last week and added it to my raw shea butter. Stirred it up just a bit and applied it to my very very (alligator scaly) dry skin. This week, no scales to be found! I had been having trouble for years with my skin, and this has definitely helped. I live in a city with more cold months than warm so my skin gets really dry very often making it where I have to exfoliate during cold seasons at least every other day. Even when I do this, I still have scales. This was a particularly dry winter for some reason. My skin was so dry, it was painful to lay in my Egyptian cotton sheets! How about that?

I would try to stretch the skin out with my fingers and then rub oils in this way, but it was too much work. I almost went back to lotion! I do not care for lotion because of the many many ingredients. I prefer not using any product that has too many ingredients. It seems poisonous (I’ve done research). So normally I just use shea butter and coconut, olive, castor, & jojoba oils mixed together (sort of expensive) but I like the natural feel of them. However, my skin was not taking anything until now.

PRICE

HOW DOES IT FEEL?

It felt sort of thin and WET when I applied it by itself. When I mix it w/ shea, it feels less wet, and my skin is extremely smooth. My skin looks and feels wonderful. No visible cracking dryness.

WHERE DO I PURCHASE GLYCERIN?

You should be able to get it at the drugstore. Maybe some hair & beauty stores, but I am not a fan of so-called “hair & beauty stores” because they are normally owned and operated by people who have no real interest in hair & beauty, only profit, and will sell you anything to make a dollar- so may I suggest the drugstore? At least there’s no facade or stereotypes.

WHERE DO I GET SHEA?

Hopefully you have an Afrikan store in your city. If not, you can order it from the internet from africaimports.com.

HOW OFTEN DO I APPLY?

I am applying it once a day before bed or whenever I bathe (afterwards). I rub it on my body, excluding my face. However, the product that I use on my face is primarily composed of glycerin (it’s the #2 ingredient).

African Holistic Healing Arts -Ethnomedicine

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TIMELESS BOOK

African Holistic Health by Llaila O. Afrika

About the cover: The shape of Afrika you are witnessing on the cover is the correct shape. It is very rare to see a correct depiction of the shape of the continent. In the top left corner, the statuesque figure you see is Imhotep- the Father of Medicine. Slightly underneath Afrika, you see the Caduceus which is the symbol for health practitioners.

What’s in the book?

Herbs, vitamins, minerals, aminos, glandular and food
Recipes
Sexual Personality Types
Foods to Avoid
Self Diagnosis Charts (so important)
Male Cycles
Anthrax, Aids, & Cocaine Addiction Remedies (yes, you can deal with these issues wholistically)

BOOK

AUTHOR

So I read this book- actually, it’s not a book you would read straight through. I have been thumbing through it for some time.

It’s excellent. Honestly, I don’t have A+ health insurance so my options are normally holistic (wholistic) remedies. Even if I had wonderful healthcare, I probably would not want to run to the doctor every time I was feeling ill. I have respect for doctors, but I don’t always get the results I need when I go. I believe that we should explore preventative health measures so that we don’t have to rely on another man or woman to tell us things about our bodies that we should already be aware of.

The last time I saw a physician, I told her that I was experiencing severe pain in a part of my body and her response was, “awe, I’ll take a look at it. You are very young and it’s probably nothing.” She took a look, but did not do any X-rays which may have been the better option (glad she didn’t, though- too much radiation). That was 2 years ago. I still have pain in that area once in a while. I deal with it in holistic ways. I had seen another doctor right before I saw her. This doctor was very young and good. I told her about it and she actually said that she couldn’t find anything wrong and advised me to take a mild sedative when I felt the pain. At least she tried to help. She called me on the phone with test results and sent me brochures and made suggestions on things I could do to keep the area of body that was in pain healthy. It’s sort of hit or miss with doctors. They are only human just like us and they do not have all the answers. This is why holistic health is important.

I keep a thorough health log. This is a calendar that I make daily notations in. I like keeping track of the supplements I take, any ailments or changes I notice. I also record any activities that I take part in that may affect my health- this includes exercise, etc. It has been very helpful for me.

DEFINITION

Wholistic and holistic can be used interchangeably. When you hear these terms, it means that you are dealing w/ remedies that are representative of the spirit, mind and body.

Dis-ease: When the body is not at-ease, it is dis-eased. That means that the spirit, mind and body are ill. In orthodox medicine, disease usually means that you are physically ill. In Afrikan and holistic medicine, it means spirit mind body are ill. With that in mind, how many sick people do you know? The book is great because it addresses European methods of dealing with health which aren’t necessarily bad, they just don’t promote prevention and continued healthiness. They are geared more towards chemical solutions and such. The author defines European as: a mixture of Caucasian ethnic groups that are called French, Spanish, Scandinavian, English, Dutch, Italians, Mongolians, Goks, Barbarians, Franks, Russians, Portuguese. Prussians, Bravians, etc. The ethnic groups have common rituals and ceremonies and a common ethnic. This definition will suffice and I believe it to be accurate.

I encourage all people who care about this topic to purchase this book. Although Afrikan holistics are too vast a science to be covered in one book, this is a start and a great reference. Definitely check it out at your library or on Google books where it is cheapest. $13.

Honestly, this SIMPLE fact is true: EUROPEAN MEDICINE IS FOR PEOPLE OF EURO DESCENT, AFRIKAN MEDICINE IS FOR PEOPLE OF AFRIKAN DESCENT. Maybe some things can be interchanged, but I would trust wholistic care over radiation and chemicals any day.

For each disease that the doctor deals with, he suggests supplements, amino acids, herbs, foods, homeopathic care, and tissue salts to take. I will list only the herbs, which I am most prone to taking.

Here are some remedies that I found interesting:

ABSCESS burdock root, dandelion root, echinacea, yellow greens

ACNE burdock root, echinacea, english walnut, marigold, wild strawberry

ADRENAL STRESS AND DISEASE black cohosh, cleavers, ergot, garden violet, garlic, hawthorn, onion, parsley, wild black cherry

AIDS burdock, chaparral, dandelion root, gingko, ginseng, milk thistle, red clover, st. john’s wart, saw palmetto,

AGING alfalfa, bilberry, burdock, echinacea, fo-ti, ginseng, goldenseal, milk thistle, st. john’s wart

OTHER diseases the doctor addressed:

ALCOHOLISM, ALLERGIES, ALZHEIMER’S, ANEMIA, APPETITE, ARTERIOSCLEROSIS, ARTHRITIS, ASTHMA, ATHLETE’S FOOT, AUTISM, BACKACHE, BAD BREATH, BED-WETTING, BLADDER INFECTION, BOIL, BREAST CANCER, BREAST SELF-EXAMS (MEN/WOMEN), BROKEN BONES, BRONCHITIS, BRUISING, BRUXISM (TOOTH GRINDING), BURNS, BURSITIS, CANCER, CANDIDA, CHICKEN POX, CHLAMYDIA, CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME, CHOLESTEROL, CIRCULATION, COCAINE ADDICTION DETOX, COLDS/FLU, COLITIS, COMPUTER RADIATION, CONSTIPATION, CROHN’S DISEASE, CROUP, DIABETES, ENEMA, EYE PROBLEMS, GOUT, HAIR (LOSS OF), HEART DIS-EASE, HEMORRHOIDS, HERBAL ABORTION, HYPERTENSION, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE & STRESS, HYPOGLYCEMIA, KIDNEY DISEASE & GALL BLADDER DIS-EASE, MARIJUANA (CANNIBIS SATIVA), MENOPAUSE, MUSCLE & MENSTRUAL CRAMPS, OBESITY, PREGNANCY & CHILDBIRTH, PROSTATE PROBLEMS, SICKLE CELL ANEMIA, STOMACH ULCERS, TOOTH DECAY, VARICOSE VEINS, VITILIGO, WATER RETENTION (EDEMA), WOMEN’S SEX ORGAN RELATED DIS-EASES (HERPES, VD, ETC.), WORMS, YEAST INFECTION

The list is great. All common issues.

The herbs that I am most familiar with and have used with great results are:

burdock root
dandelion root
echinacea
ginger
ginseng
garlic
myrrh
milk thistle!
red raspberry
aloe vera
chamomile

Many of these seem to be used for a lot of the different health issues. Some of the most popular herbs (outside of those above):

anise
st. john’s wart
alfalfa
goldenseal
gingko
hawthorn
chaparral
devil’s claw
feverfew
ragwort
rosemary
cat’s claw
red clover
chickweed
cayenne
white oak bark
fo-ti
cloves
thuja

Herbs I will be purchasing:

bennet
cloves
feverfew
goldenseal
marigold
lungwort
catnip (I’ll be sure to take it when my cat’s aren’t around!)
red clover
grape seed oil
uva ursi
fo-ti
saffron
tansy
black cohosh

The author ends section 1 with this fact:

The Caucasian junk foods are destroying African Americans. At the current rate of dying, African Americans could be near extinct in 100 years or less.

I will pray for strength from eating these foods. I can do it! Actually, I did it in 2006- no junk food, no microwaved food. Sadly, I started consuming these products again because I had adopted a fast- paced lifestyle and they were easily accessible. However, it’s time I gave them up for good. It’s really nothing. There are plenty of other things WE can eat to satisfy cravings, sweet tooth, etc.

Let me know what you think.

Peace & Love,

Queen Duafe for African Essence

www.warriorspulse.com

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This is some advertising I am doing for this great website www.warriorspulse.com.

The creator is a native of Memphis, TN who is now residing in Cleveland, OH. He is an “acting” community activist, aspiring philanthropist, professional librarian specializing in community advocacy, digital archiving, and library management and collection management, a fun-loving and entertaining dad, a professional drummer of over 20 years currently jamming with Umojah Nation Reggae Band and a djembe player with Passport Project. He plays drums, djembe, and percussion for The Griot Project and is a writer and scholar always growing and always mentoring and advocating for the youth as well as men.

The symbols you see are african adinkra. These symbols are wonderful and if you would like to learn more about them, click above. This is a great book you can order if you really want to learn:

Product Details

The Adinkra Dictionary by W. Bruce Willis

In the ad, I am bowing down to the warrior. I believe in submitting to great men. It does not mean you become weak, it means you become stronger, knowing what your natural role as a woman is. It’s a level of respect that I strongly follow. I want my man to be strong. In the words of the late great Amy Winehouse:

“You should be stronger than me.”

Tell me what you think.

Peace,

Queen Duafe for African Essence

African Head Wrapping

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I love the art of African head wrapping and I will take some pics of myself in the near future because I do it quite often. Today I brought these fabrics on sale at JoAnns Fabrics for the sole purpose of head wrapping:

Silky

Multi Color Fabric- Sort of a sweater material

Animal Print Fabric, Silky Feeling

What do you think?

This is the head wrap I will be trying this upcoming week. I like this video. Check it out.

What is African Art? Politically correct or not?

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Recently I read the book Natural Fashion: Tribal Decoration from Africa by Hans Silvester.

Actually, there wasn’t much to read, it was more a visual exploration of the Surma and Mursi tribes of East Africa. I am not sure how to feel about the book. As much as I would like to say that it was a great book, I think it is just an exploitation of culture. I recognize that this culture is special and unknown to many Americans, but what makes it so artistic and fashionable? It is the everyday lifestyles and traditions of people in the Omo valley. The author says that Kenya and Sudan are two of the “wildest” places in in Africa. Really? Wild? So, because they have been able to hold on to their original traditions and heritage, they are wild? Because they think of the body as a temple and adorn it as such, rather than glorifying it as a sex symbol, they are wild? One thing he was right about is that their way of living is threatened by conflict and tourism. They know that their era and days of independence is coming to an end. I believe that Eurocentricity will find its way to their lands if it hasn’t already.

Moreover, Hans, deficient of a definition of what he means by wild, I have to assume that he was referring to the manners and actions that he photographed the people. There are pictures of them in the nude, bodies draped in leaves, painted with the excretions of plants and berries, and mud. They live from the land, taking advantage of the elements that surround them. Is this what you mean by wild?

Playing devil’s advocate and I do mean devil’s advocate, I can appreciate that he visually recorded a culture that may be lost. Without record, the civilization will be lost forever. However, I’m sure it doesn’t have to be lost if it weren’t for people exploiting it, and trying to steal the resources of the land. So overall I repeat, it doesn’t have to be lost, but I am sure covetous explorers will attempt to steal it. What Hans does is tell a pictorial story of a tribe whose culture is about to be raped. The idea of “African art” fascinates me because it’s only categorized this way because it has become something “special” in the West because they have stolen the idea of it. It is just people’s everyday traditions!

As a female who sports ethnic attire, I am too, categorized as Afrocentric, having the inclination to wear things that speak more to my roots. This is who I am, nothing special! It’s what I feel in my spirit. I don’t do it for fashion purposes or to be recognized. I wake up feeling like a part of me has been lost, stolen, and naturally my spirit try’s to find what vanished from my heritage generations ago. So when I wear mud or kenti cloth, paint my face with black and white dots just to have dinner, it’s just me being what I was meant to be. No, I do not want to be a model for it. One thing, I want children to know that there was a culture before this Eurocentric culture that we live every day. At the rate of the decline of the American education system, we cannot rely on it to teach our children who they are and where they come from. That’s my goal. I just couldn’t enjoy this book because I’ve already seen these pictures in my dreams. Please understand that this is only truth. I travel to many different countries in my dreams. Ethiopia, Sudan, & Kenya were among them.

Peace & Love,

Your African Essence, Musik for the Soul

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Yo, check this very wonderful song out. Sanitgold is mos def doing her thing with the lyrics. I really dig her style. She is super eccentric and unapologetic about it.

Our dreams must carry us! Please wake up people.

Chlorophyll is great! … and yes, I drink it from the bottle!

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HERB YOU MUST ADOPT

CHLOROPHYLL: INTERNAL DEODORANT

Chlorophyll is a green pigment found in almost all plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. It is an extremely important biomolecule, critical in photosynthesis, which allows plants to absorb energy from light.

Buy it from Whole Foods or most health food stores. It is a liquid with a naturally minty taste. Drink it twice a day. You can drink it right from the bottle or you can use a tablespoon to limit the spread of bacteria. The brand I use is pictured below. I purchased it at Whole Foods and it lasts about 2 months if you use it everyday.

Price: 13.00

Why do I love chlorophyll? I like it because it really gives me more energy. This is not an illusion. This summer, I am adopting a junk free diet based on more natural foods with less ingredients. I don’t want to eat anything with more than 5 ingredients. When you go over this number, it gets harmful to the natural flow of the blood. It promotes disease and chemicals in the body. I read all food labels, being sure that I get those with ingredients that I can pronounce and with no sugars. This is my new theme. It is not easy. Adopting a diet that is majority green. Many non-meat eaters can have a tendency to eat french fries and pizza which can still be bad for you because of the excessive amounts of greases and fats. I want to steer clear of this type of diet as well.

Chlorophyll is miraculous. It has a lot of health benefits and I encourage you all to look them up. It contains numerous vitamins, is antioxidant and anti inflammatory, an antiseptic, and treats bad breath! This was the original reason for me buying it. I had a root canal that went bad (be sure to get a great dentist) only after one year. Bacteria began to accumulate in the pockets of the tooth that were not sealed, causing a rancid odor to come from only that tooth. I was petrified. I went to the dentist twice and he kept telling me that the tooth was OK. Actually, I had two root canals. both done by the same dentists that only lasted a year before the crown came off one and the other has the odor. I stopped going to that dentist and decided to find someone else. Meanwhile, I am treating my own mouth. I brush and floss as necessary. I sometimes have to put alcohol on a swab and blot the area around the tooth to get rid of the odor. It works, but is a lot of work for a root canal that I paid nearly $1800 for. Multiply that times two and you have total disappointment.

The chlorophyll alleviates this odor. People tell me that they never could smell it, but I can. It’s better since I drink this everyday.

Two people talk about their green diets.

Her name is Santigold and the song is called Disparate Youth

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SONG OF THE WEEK

I really dig this chick!

CHECK OUT THE LYRIC CARD

Things I Like… you can like them too

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Beautiful!

I like this… strong pic.

An old couch I have in my friends basement! I need to get it out. Do you want to buy it? It will go swell in my coffee shop. I’m going to “pimp” it.

www.griotproject.com

The Griot crew…

I like face paint and ear cuffs, dark red lip gloss, kinky hair, and I like to order from the Victoria Secret catalog once a year.

My favorite shoe…

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I went and got these a while back, in the summer actually. They are just lovely.

I love this pair of shoes and think that it was a great decision for me to purchase them. It’s my 1st pair of really hot shoes that look sort of afrocentric to me. I love “ethnic” clothing. I don’t even feel right in some clothing because it has no ethnic or cultural detail. I appreciate kente and mud cloths. Very beautiful things that a girl like Shila must have. I bought these shoes because they reminded me of kente cloth.

Funny, whenever I wear these shoes, people asks if I made them. I wish! I wait until the weather lets up to wear them and I am sure I will be wearing them for many seasons to come. They are not in stores anymore. They are actually the most expensive pair of shoes I have. I don’t think I’ll ever go over this amount. I see a lot of companies are trying to imitate this shoe for much cheaper, but I am one who is very sensitive about my feet and I will opt out for the softer materials when I can…

Imitation

Bumper Zena-84 Striped Peep Toe Wedge Bootie

www.urbanog.com

While I have gotten several pairs of really hot shoes from urbanog for super cheap, I know my limits. However, it is a great site and you should take advantage of the DEAL OF THE DAY. Normally these deals feature shoes for under $15. However, the shipping is $10 if you don’t spend $50 so get a few things if possible or the deal is not so much a deal.