The Life and Times..."Wale Album Release Party"

On Monday night some of my girls and I found our way over to W.I.P, courtesy of the one and only MunaMoon :). I rarely party on a work night...it's the party pooper in me, lol...but I couldn't pass up a chance to hang out when summer is just so young and fresh. I want to make the most of my days and nights during the season! We listened and danced to great music and were entertained by a few lady dancers who unexpectedly were performing in the club. It was way more than what we had bargained  for, but still an amazing time. Wale made his way into the club in the wee hours of the morning, but I couldn't get a pic due to the huge amount of people in the club :(...Here are a few pics of the night:

In living color...

and Black and White..

Crazy Crowd

Hey Jenn!! 

Nicole, MunaMoon and I

Peeped some amazing pictures/paintings of the one and only late great Aaliyah and had to snap pics:

Back and Forth era

Truly one in a million...love her!! 

It's Only Natural..."The Fear of Handling Natural Hair"

photo: various sources

I'm literally venting right now, but a couple of days ago...I received a call from one of my friends that struck a chord with me. She was waiting to get her transitioning/natural hair styled at a Dominican salon and when she asked for a roller set, they refused to touch her hair. No real reasoning behind it, just a simple no and that they can't roller set her type of hair and mentioned that a blow dry would be much better. My friend was beyond puzzled since she has had a roller set done before and mostly because they didn't even assess her hair type.

 To her dismay, next to her was a woman with natural hair that they were tending to. She pointed out the fact that they were handling someone else with natural hair, but the hairdresser just shrugged it off by saying that the client didn't have her type of hair. My friend was completely insulted that they just looked at her, a dark skinned female and assumed her hair was unmanageable (the woman getting tended to was of a fairer complexion). 

photo: naturalchica.com

She quickly told the salon that she would no longer set foot in their establishment and paid for the washing of her hair, that they had no problem handling prior and walked out. I felt so hurt by the situation...to have to leave a salon, run by women of color, just because they refused to handle her "type" of hair. My friend, who happens to be a lawyer, basically said this kind of discriminatory behavior will run them out of business.

photo: various sources

More and more women of color are going natural, yet there is still such a hesitation at handling natural hair. It bothers me when having natural hair is seen as a problem in salons. Yes it may take some more care and time to handle, but if you take that time, the results will be well worth it for you and your client. Natural hair shouldn't be looked upon as a burden. It's as natural as the variation in our skin tones. I'm not saying for everyone to jump on the natural hair bandwagon, but just to be tolerant and welcoming to all women with natural hair. It shouldn't be about picking and choosing who's hair you would prefer to handle.  

If you have natural/curly hair...have you ever had a salon not want to handle your hair?

Something New...

New shoes always make my day. The minute I saw these two...I had to get them! I was in search of a cute stack heeled sandal and a cute bright pair of flats just keeps me in summer mode...which I love :)

Flats: Zara

Sandals: Forever21

Some Hairspiration..." Summer 'Fro's, Twists and Braids"

Summer is a great time to experiment with your hair and try different styles. With warm weather comes a little bit of freedom and changing up your hair is a great way to represent your mood. Wearing your hair out and about and in twists or braids are summer favs. Here are a few pics of some great hairstyles to get inspired by!

You know I had to add Solange, lol

all photos: via hi-imcurrentlyobsessed.tumblr.com

What I Wore..."Island Hopping"

During my stay in the Dominican Republic...my friends and I took a little excursion to a nearby island called Saona (pronounced Saw-ooo-na). It was a little getaway on our getaway that was well worth the traveling by speedboat to get there. The view was absolutely breathtaking as we passed by miles and miles of ocean and land to get to our destination. We even stopped by a shallow area in the ocean for a little dip before reaching Saona Island. It was a nice little way to cool off and enjoy the journey!

Dress: H&M; Belt: vintage; Hat: Forver21; Sunglasses: H&M

View of the Dominican Republic National Park

Fishies!! 

Saona Island 

After taking a quick dip in the ocean, I changed into a cover-up that was perfect for the hot weather and relaxed on the beach

Cover-up and bikini: H&M

Island life

The Life And Times..."Sight-Seeing In Santo Domingo"

During my visit to the Dominican Republic, I knew that I had to make a day trip to Santo Domingo to see the old colonial area of the city. I had heard it was beautiful...so my friends and I were excited to see for ourselves. From visiting a seaside restaurant called Adrian Tropical to walking around the city's colonial area and taking in the history and architecture, it was a day trip well spent!

View from Adrian Tropical Restaurant

Inside the restaurant 

Emapanadas and fish croquettes

Stewed Goat

Shrimp Mofongo

Cod Fish

Chicken Stew 

 After an amazing lunch, we took in the sights of the Old Colonial Area, visiting the capital's town square and mausoleum: