Beautiful Tears

Have you ever cried? Of course you have, you're only human! If you're like me, you cry all the time. It doesn't matter the reason, happy, sad, afraid, angry,or overjoyed, you cry. But if you're like me you also don't like for others to see you cry. In some ways crying can be viewed as undignified. Some see it as a sign of weakness (unless of course there is a tragedy). Some even believe that crying is just for babies and children. It can seem socially unacceptable for people to shed tears. I struggled with this until very recently I felt as if I were set free! 

I was at a Bible study where I was filled with emotion. I couldn't help but cry and even though I was already crying, I still tried to fight my tears. I hate, I mean HATE for people to see me cry. It doesn't matter what the reason is for my tears, I would really not like for others to view me as a "punk." In the midst of my battle with my tears, a woman name Linda released me. She told me something that I had never heard before. She told me that my tears were beautiful, that they show my ability to feel,  no matter what the feelings were. Linda said that we were not meant to be chameleons. God put our tear ducts in our eyes and not under our arms so that we and our feelings would be transparent to others. She also challenged me to think back to see why I felt so strongly about not allowing others to see me cry. And you know what? I can't really think of any reason, at least a good reason, why I should be ashamed of my tears. The ability to feel is a wonderful thing. What is more amazing is the ability to express those feelings. 

Now don't get me wrong… There is a difference between having tears due to emotion and throwing yourself a pity party. Going on and on about your "woe is me" isn't serving anyone and it sure isn't helping you if you aren't taking any action. However, to communicate with someone and be open in sharing your feelings can be a great thing. 

Colin Raye said "I laugh, I love, I hope, I try, I hurt, I need, I fear, I cry. And I know you do the same things too, So we're really not that different, me and you." Don't be afraid of your tears. When you allow others to see your true emotions, it frees them to open up and be themselves too. It also gives them the opportunity to see you. And let's face it, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL! 

JC

Naturally Beautiful

The Freedom Hair Movement has been going on for quite a while now but just recently I have taken a good look around… I must say, I'm loving what I see! Short afros, big afros, tiny curly locks and huge ones too… the best part, its ALL NATURAL!

For those of you who have ditched the relaxers, ditched the perms, quit with the curl reformations… GOOD FOR YOU! By having natural hair, you are actually able to be more versatile in your look. You can expose those crazy, kinky, curly locks or you can where it straight, or even somewhere in between. If you're looking for a few ways to change it up every now and again, check these out...

If you want to go for the in-between look (you know, not straight but not super curly), you should try the two strand twist. After you shampoo your hair, section it. For each section, grab two strands (not single strands literally) of hair and twist from base to end. You can either do single twist or twist them back cornrow style. Use some type of setting foam or lotion when you do this for the best end result. After your twist are complete, you want to sit under the dryer. Or if you're like me (sometimes lazy), do it before bedtime and let it dry overnight. Once your hair is completely dry take out your twist and check out your new ringlets! For a fuller look, gently separate your curls. GENTLY - this helps you avoid frizzies! This also works well if you choose to braid instead of twist.

Tired of your fro? Need a change from the curly curls? Thinking about going straight? Well look no further than the (da da daaaaa) BLOWOUT! Yes, the blowout. Not the flat iron. Flat irons are great but, keep in mind, too much exposure to direct heat can and will damage your hair. It is for this reason, I recommend the blowout. In my world, there are three types of blowouts - the Standard, the Dominican, and the Brazilian.

The Standard  Blowout is simply and round brush and a blow dryer with a concentrator attachment. I love the standard because of fast, easy and leaves my hair feeling super soft and full or movement.

The Dominican Blowout is awesome! However, this does take a little longer to complete. During this process, you will actually get a roller set before the round brushing and blow drying. Once your roller set is complete and your hair is fully dry, your stylist will use the round brush to hold your hair rather than pull (as with the standard) while he/she continues down your hair shaft with a concentrated blow dryer. This leaves your hair straight but full of volume and plenty of whip action!

Finally the Brazilian Blowout… This blowout is much like a standard blowout but is unique because it uses a keratin formula and last a lot longer. During this treatment, your hair will be shampooed, the solutions will be applied, your hair is dried then flat ironed to seal the formula. After this, your hair is rinsed, conditioner is applied and then blown out. The Brazilian blowout leaves your hair shiny, frizz free and can last up to 12 weeks.

Let me say again I love to see all this natural hair everywhere. No more running back every 6-8weeks for the creamy crack. Just pure, unadulterated hair! These are all great ways to change your look with out changing the integrity of your beautiful natural locks. Just remember curly, wavy, kinky, or straight YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL.

JC

Apologies/ New Direction

This week I've been so tied up in taking care of my home that I was unable to create a blog that was worthy of publishing! For that, i apologize. But I will say to you that I am changing the direction of this blog. 

Originally I wanted to have a beauty blog- you know hair, makeup, hair mostly. However, as I continue, I'm realizing that I have been more inspired by beautiful things in general. So while there will still be posts with tips on hair and makeup, etc, there will be more in just exploring the beauty of/in life and all it has to offer. 

I hope that you continue to read and support me. The feedback that I have received so far has been amazing and greatly appreciated. If you enjoy it, follow my blog and tell your friends! Oh! I am also open to suggestions for topics! I would love to hear from you.

Thank you and remember YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!

JC

Beautiful Words

I want you to think about your favorite songs or poems. Think about how they make you feel. Sometimes they have the power to evoke emotions from things past, make you run faster and exercise harder. They can even motivate you and make you feel as though you can take on the world. Well guess what? You have that same kind of power too! You and your words have the ability to influence, make a difference and even change the world!

Look at these words: you, go, for, I, can, love, it, can't, do, hate, ugly, beautiful, believe, in.

Alone, they are just words but together they can move mountains.

I love you

I hate you

You're ugly

You're beautiful

You can do it

You can't do it

I believe in you

Go for it

Its probably safe to say that at some time or another someone has said something awful to you - something that made you angry, frightened or even made you cry. You may not even remember exactly what it was, but you remember exactly how it made you feel. Is that the kind of person you want to be? One that criticizes, tears down, angers or frightens. I think not! Do you want to make others feel how that someone made you feel? I think not again. Do you want to be that person who never has anything good to say? Always negative? Definitely not! Those are the kinds of things that can turn the most beautiful people into very ugly ducklings.

 Listen to this short story…

I remember like it was yesterday. I was in middle school and I had an awful day. It must have shown on my face too! I was walking home when I ran into the postman. He wasn't our everyday postman, Mr. Roper, but a random stand-in and perfect stranger. He saw me and he said "Smile, Jesus loves you." It put the hugest smile on my face and when I turned around he was gone. I'm still convinced to this day that it was an angel sent with those simple words that changed my entire mood. Every now and again I still think about the postman with wings and I still smile.

The point of that story is that you have the ability to make a difference and you can do that by the things you say. You never know what a person is going through, even if you see them everyday. You can change their entire outlook, make them smile or even save their life! And you never want the last words you say to someone be awful. So the next time you're with family and friends, give them a hug, tell them you love them. If you have a child or know someone struggling with a task,  take the time to say something encouraging. See a stranger? Tell them to have a great day! Tell a knock knock joke. Make someone smile. 

They say "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me." Well whoever "they" are, "they" were wrong! So use nice words! :)

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL, let your words reflect that! Please and Thank you.

JC