My First Twist-n-Curl!!!

Doing the curl at the bottom of my twist was a random act of "let me see what it'll look like." But unfortunately I didn't think about how it would feel like sleeping with all those dang rollers in my head. I was extra geeked the next morning to take my hair down.

The results........

Side and back view

So yeah my hair looked good until the rain and the humidity got a hold of it -___- I was too upset to take a picture for the aftermath. But I've decided that the next time I try it I won't do the banding method. I think that stretching my hair and doing a twist and curl  didn't hold as good as just twisting and curling after washing. So I hope the next time it would be way better.

5 Cheap Items You Should Stop Purchasing

1.) Jeans
Okay so a while back I thought I was doing good by not spending so much money on certain items but to my  I that bargaining spirit went right out the door. I really needed a new pair of jeans since I had torn the new pair that I bought about a month ago. I really needed some jeans so I went to the mall and brought a pair of jeans for $20, yeah I thought my granny would be proud of me for a second but when I brought them home and washed them I was so disappointed with the fit. And as we all know that the fit of jeans can make or break a female figure. Jean buying is a science, you have to know what jeans fit right for your body type and height and you also need to know what kind of style you want. These styles range from skinny to flare to boot-cut  But be very careful when buying jeans because they can look like a pair of Levi's or Gap Jeans but fit like some Rainbow or Wet Seal jeans. I'm so done buying cheap jeans.

2.) Cheap phone cases -__- you may have thought you got a good deal on a phone case at Ford City but think again.

3.) Fingernail Polish
Yea that beauty supply fingernail polish is not what's up you may have thought your fingernail grew that fast. No that fingernail polish is weak!

4.) Jewelry
I do buy jewelry from places like Forever 21, Charlotte Russe, and Claire's but the fading jewelry is annoying. You can probably wear the pieces like 3 or 4 times before they turn into pennies. Yes pennies, because that's how they look, cheap.

And last but not least.......

5.) Weave
Yea that speaks for it's self and when I see a bad weave it looks like it has a whole lot to say.

(I could not find a picture for this because no pic would suffice the for the "ratchagony" I've seen)
"ratchagony" is a made up word that combines ratchet and agony

My 90s inspired updo

So all last week I was trying to decide what I was going to style my hair like for a "90's" party I was going to this past weekend. Because I rarely do updo's I thought that it would be a good time to do so anyway since the cold weather is slowly approaching. So after watching "House Party" checking out some music videos and even watching some episodes of "A Different World" I realized that in the early 90's women were kind of  wearing their hair like women of the 50's but with a twist. Not including the "dooky braids" that was 90's at it's finest. But I basically just did what I thought was 90's era-ish. Hope you like it!

Action Packed Weekend

So two weekends ago was the first time I've actually had something to do Friday, Saturday, and Sunday it felt good to feel like I had a job for a change. Friday started off with a launch party for a male skin care line called "Solo Noir" check it out here www.solonoir.com

@ the Solo Noir Event with my cousin Alicia

Saturday Curly Nikki came to town!!! I was so very excited for this event. I just loved being around so many Chicago Curlies in a beautiful place with free products, a complimentary drink and light refreshments, on it was bomb. But I had so much fun meeting new people, discussing hair products and regimen's it was just awesome. Not to mention I met Myleik, the CEO of Curlbox as well as Curly Nikki's mom, who was loving on my hair.

Curly Nikki & I

Myleik of Curlbox & I

Me and my mom

Curly Nikki's Mom and I (she's very sweet)

And on Sunday I went to a high tea which just so happened to be on the most gorgeous Sunday of the
Fall season. It was hosted by Lori Brown of Taylor Made Invites and Papaterie Belle, celebrating friendship and honoring her late friend who recently passed away of Brain Cancer. It was a lovely event that included a fashion show by local designers, as well as raffle giveaways and tea of course.

Check me out at the end. Do you see that calf muscle though..lol

Reveal=Revelation

(Google Images)

I never want to live two different lives. So many people are okay with acting one way at home and then another way in church and it scares me. I don't want to be spit out by God because I'm lukewarm. That's why I ask God daily to cleanse my spirit and allow people to see His light shine through me. Because you never know whose watching you.  The closest one's to you that see that you're really trying to live for God and see that God has favor over you, will be the first one's to say, "oh, I thought you were a Christian?" And, "see that's why I don't go to church!"  My pastor always says to ask God to reveal yourself to you because it's better to be revealed to you first before other's around you that aren't saved begin to fault you on what you need to get delivered from. Which can also turn them away from God. There is a song by Johnathan McReynolds that's called, "No Shades of Gray,"this song has definitely blessed me because after God revealed some things to me about myself it reminds me daily that I can't be both black and white. I have to choose a side. I don't want to go around speaking to people I don't even know but then go home and not speak to my own family (that ain't God).

(Google Images)

 I want to be consistent in my walk with God no matter how my situation is, I want consistency. I want to be forgiving, even if people hurt me in the past.  I have no shame in saying that I complain like nobody's business if things are not to my standards, even though God revealed this to me before I asked Him but at the time I wasn't ready to receive the truth. He also revealed to me that I am also a moody person, but even through my ways I will give God all the glory for His revelation. Not His revelation of my faults but His revelation of what I am to become. He knows in my heart that I want to be pure and that more than anything I want to be the woman of God that He designed me to be. With all my mess ups and faults I am a Christian woman who has a relationship with the Lord and with God's help I am working through. I am not covering up my sins, I know I'm "oc" at times but God know's I don't want to block my blessings nor do I want to block people that need to get to me to seek God's promise for them. So I end this entry on the notion of,  if you really want to be a faithful and worthy child of God, you have to be mindful of your ways. Ask God to reveal you to you and to be open when He does so that you hear it, receive it, and work on it to get through it. 

With Love,

Danni

Branding Yourself Without Knowing Your God-Given Purpose

Understanding your purpose can take time and dedication. Dedication in the Lord's word and your relationship with Him. Even those who hold a degree or five degrees can come out of college still not knowing who they are nor their God-given purposes. I decided to blog about this, not because I haven't blogged in a while but because this is  a subject I am currently struggling with. As a recent graduate my life has definitely changed. The stress of trying to enter the job market and the demands of making a name for myself has caused me to reevaluate the path that I have taken.

Not to mention that my degree is in communications and public relations which puts even more stress on developing my brand. And for the past month and a half I have spent countless hours trying to find a job that "sounds" like something I would be interested in pursuing. I've also read many article on finding my niche in the pr industry. Going back and forth with myself on what is my brand? What sets me apart from others? Why should employers hire me? And to be honest I couldn't come up with anything. I may have a degree under my belt but that doesn't mean anything when you don't know what God's purpose for your life.

In Proverbs 19:21 it says that "Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." Meaning that you can have all the degrees in the world, and have the vision of your life laid out for the next five years but your plans have nothing on God's genuine purpose for your life. As I sit here right now I realize that I will not go any further in my quest trying to find my "niche" because many people can create a brand for themselves but with that, there is still no satisfaction. And I want to be satisfied. I want to wake up each day excited to go to work and to be at peace with the path God has given me. So with that being said stop spending long nights trying to figure you out. You are already figured out by God just allow Him to build you up and set you apart.


Thank you Lord for revelation.

I'm still here!

So it's been three weeks since I've graduated and I haven't written a post! Well, I wish I would have sooner but you know, life happens. My life has done a complete 180 from graduating, moving, job searching and more job searching. I'm kind of out of my comfort zone right now, however I know God already has a plan for me and that the situation I'm in right now is only temporary. I don't have too much to say today,just wanted to let you all know that I haven't dissed my blog. But pics coming soon!

Graduation: Dress Dilemma

So I knew that when I found a dress I liked for graduation I would soon after find a dress that I really, really liked. I can't tell you how much time I spent searching for the perfect dress. And how many countless hours I spent "sole searching" for the perfect shoe. I can only imagine the frustruation I will have when trying to finding the perfect wedding dress, if I ever decide to get married. But the point is, it takes hard work and long hours to look good and after only three days of purchasing the first dress, I found the dress that I've been longing for. After purchasing the new dress the old one totally slipped my mind and I couldn't wait until it got here to send it right back! But before I sent it back I wanted to try the dress on to see if the size I ordered was the correct size so I would know for future purchases. Luckily I purchased a new dress becasue the old dress was way to big for me, it could definitely fit a very skinny chick in the rest of the dress. I'm not a small girl nor am I huge, I'm in that between large and extra-large stage so its very frustruating finding a dress that actually fits perfectly. But I guess I'm kind of overthinking my size just a little bit but you know its too many women out here who don't really think before they put things on and I refuse to be a part of that group. I haven't received the second dress yet but I'm hoping it fits and that it looks as good as it did in the picture because graduation in next Saturday and the dress was ordered from the UK so yeah I don't have time for screw-ups.

Countdown With Psalms

So it is day 23 of my countdown until graduation and so far I feel good! I started this Psalms countdown because this semester has had it's ups and downs. I will admit that this has to be the busiest and most stressful semester of my college career. So to stay encouraged and positive about the remainder of it, I read a Psalms verse everyday. Plus I know that throughout the day I can sometimes forget to just stop and give God some glory. Which, I hope that I am not the only one who will admit to the fact that when you got so much to do in such a short amount of time you sometimes forget to acknowledge God for covering you throughout your busy day. And because of this countdown it has encouraged me to be strong and fear no evil because "He guides me along the right paths," and with that being said, time to get back to work.

Peace,

Danni <3



Photo(Google Images)

Thank you, Halls.

I was dreading this time of year, where I'm sneezing, crying, and scared to sit in warm temperature classrooms. I thought Spring was suppose to be a beautiful time of the year but for many its worst than winter, especially in Kansas. A lot has changed since coming to Kansas, I developed road rage, adopted purple as one of my favorite colors, and most of all I discovered I had allergies. The first time I experienced an allergic reaction it was terrible. My throat, ears, and eyes made me look like Will Smith in the movie Hitch. I mean it was just tragic and that was just 2 years ago. But lately It hasn't been that bad, however now I can't tell if I have a cold or allergies. But on Friday I developed a sore throat which I quickly tried to diffuse the situation before it got worse. So most of my weekend consisted of me , Nyquil, Dayquil, the old school salt and hot water method, and some Halls. Oh and Words With Friends.

As you all may know I'm in my final stretch of senior year and with graduation around the corner I really haven't had time to dwell on it as much as I would like because there is so much stuff I have to do before the celebration begins. I haven't been in the best mood lately,  the devil has been very busy trying to push me off my square but thanks to these awesome little inspiring quotes on the wrapping paper of my Halls cough drops I have gotten hope to not only get better physically but also mentally. Things like, "don't give up on yourself," "take charge and mean it," and "you've survived tougher," has encouraged me to push through and get to the finish line. It made me notice that God can speak to you in so many different ways that It doesn't have to be through another person, or the bible, but on a piece of candy, which is very clever. God knows how to speak into a situation oh so well and I just want to thank Him for blessing the people who came up this idea because its brilliant. Some of you may think I'm weird but I consider myself as a spiritual-being and I like to think deeply about things like this especially when you need to hear a word of encouragement at a specific moment. So whenever you're sick and need a pick me up get you some Halls and some Jesus cause they work both hand-in-hand to heal the sick...(lol)

Trayvon Martin:No Justice, No Peace

I know I shared with you all about the march for Trayvon in my Spring Break post but I wanted to talk about the adrenaline I felt while marching in downtown Chicago on that rainy and gloomy Wednesday afternoon. This was the first time ever that I have experienced something as empowering as this. I mean just to see people come out in the pouring rain to stand up for someone who didn't have a chance to speak for himself was profound and it spoke volumes. And as everyone knows, Chicago isn't the best place in the world especially not the safest but just to know that when something goes wrong within the world or the community, there are still people out there who will stand and fight for what is right. I mean I was so proud and so empowered that day that I didn't care who seen me with my clenched fist screaming, "No justice, no peace" or "Justice for Trayvon!" I was black and proud, and loving it, not too mention I had my afro puff out. Man, it was just awesome too do that and even more awesome that young kids were out there doing it too. As far as justice for Trayvon I know that justice will be served and if it may not be done by the court, it will be done by the Judge Himself, Jesus Christ. So with that being said, I'm just going to continue to pray and hope that everything will work out and also that we don't have to something else like this happen again.

Some pictures that I took..

 

My Last Spring Break :(

Although I'm not your average spring breaker I can say that just going home and visiting friends was even as exciting as going to Cancun or South Padre Island. This Spring Break was basically the best one I've ever had throughout my college career. This Spring Break, I went to Chicago, hung out with my family, went to a graduate school open house, went to a play, marched for Trayvon Martin, did a lot of graduation stuff, and for the last part of Spring Break I went to visit my bestfriend at her school. Seeing as how she has been to mine twice I had to make a visit to check her out before graduation. This visit was very interesting to say the least, being in Kansas so long I was pretty shocked to see so many black folks all in one place, it kind of made me feel like I've missed out on fun throughout my college experience but hey that's for another post. However, overall my Spring Break was pretty busy but, relaxing and fun as well. Now it's crunch time, there is only 5 more weeks to shift my gears into grind mode. Some one please hand me a 5 hour energy and Jesus because I'm going to need both.

Oh Todd...

I honestly don't know where to start. The reason why I began blogging more was because I had to for my Media Relations class which I liked because I started to read more about PR, business and many other things that people should be known to stay aware of what's changing in PR. But if it wasn't for my PRSSA advisor and professor Todd Simon I wouldn't of taken this class at all. Todd told me that taking his Media Relations course would be very beneficial for me, seeing as how I wanted to go into sports, and in this field, media relations is very important. I was done with all my credits to graduate but because he believed in me and told me that I would be okay I decided to go for it. Todd encouraged me a lot because I didn't have the experience that my peers had and because I jumped quickly into the JMC school I wasn't that confident in my abilities but Todd gave me hope.

 But last Tuesday morning around 10:15 a.m. I received the most shocking news that no one saw coming. On Monday night  news broke that Todd died of a massive Heart Attack, late Monday afternoon. It was just so shocking and unreal because Monday afternoon he sent an email out to the class about what readings we were going to discuss the following day. I just couldn't believe what was going on. I thought to myself that this had to be a joke and I'm just going to go to class and he will walk in with a stack of papers with coffee in hand. Todd made everyone laugh although sometimes it was at him but, all of us had a soft spot for Todd and the things he did and said will never be forgotten. "Todd-isms" will forever remain within those who knew him well enough to know that he printed all his notes for classes, that he was allergic to Latex paint and that he always said "well" before everything and drove a Buick which he always tried to use it as a reference for something related to PR and most of all his love for Caribou Coffee.

Todd you will forever remain in our thoughts and hearts.
R.I.P. Toddy

It's All About Interviews

Since graduation is right around the corner I look for articles like these. I feel more at ease when I learn something before the time comes for me to apply for jobs and so forth. But please read this and jot down your stories so it won't make you look too cocky.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2012/03/01/how-to-ace-your-job-interview/

Dear Spring Break, Hurry Up!

So I have been very busy this past couple of weeks, with midterms and appyling for jobs I haven't had time to post as often as I would like but I'm here now and ready for a new post!

Faux Hawk Twist Galore

Very, very, late on posting this. But, I have to say this is one of my favorite styles I've ever done! Although it took up a lot of time and electricity from using the heating pad to heal my sore arms. I am quite impressed with myself for having the patience and the strength to stand up the whole time to complete this look. However, I had to finish the top the next morning This style will be done more often, not anytime soon though.  Hope you like the style because I definitely think its a good look and my Granny would be proud ;)

I Love Linkedin!

http://www.imgrind.com/how-to-best-use-linkedin/

How to Brand Yourself The Real College Guide: Authentic Advice for New College Students from Real College Students

This article may be a year old but it has some up-to-date points.

How to Brand Yourself The Real College Guide: Authentic Advice for New College Students from Real College Students

Brand Underconstruction

Hey everyone, in a couple of weeks my blog will be having a face-lift. I've been reading alot of articles about branding and on how important it is to brand yourself so I've decided that its time for me to do that, you know find my niche. So please stay tuned there are great things to come! :)

New App, Yay Me!!

You know, everyday I fall in love with my Ipad more and more. Reason being is because today I found a new app, thanks to Oprah! I was on Oprah's OWN Network website and one of the advertisements was an downloadable app called Flipboard. Flipboard is an interactive online news board that features many different news outlets from Bloomberg News to Elle magazine. Its so cool that you can just tweet it or post it on Facebook without all the hassle of logging in every time you find something interesting. To some it up, its kind of like the Pinterest of articles. But anyway tonight I found a very interesting article about getting your company to transition to social media. Being that I consider myself a little old school, and not really into all the technological stuff of today getting with the times for business purposes is a must, check out the article!

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/5-ways-to-get-your-entire-company-on-board-with-social-media/

(Pictures from Google)

Chipotle On The Rise!

 I just bet that over this past week Chipotle has gotten a lot of new customers.  Ever since they aired that commercial the night of the Grammy's, Chipotle has gotten more reviews than the Grammy's itself. When I saw the commercial I was like "wow what just happened?" Kind of in awe at first but after getting my thoughts together I was proud of Chipotle and their efforts to inform the community of the issues we face dealing with processed foods and the unfair treatment of animals. In the article below Sahil Patel informs us that McDonald's is now trying to step their game up as far as "gestational stalls." My question is, why does it take one commercial to give McDonald's a wake-up call on how terrible their food is? Morgan Spurlock made the documentary "Super Size Me" and they did not jump up and change a thing!  From my own personal view, McDonald's can make all the changes they want, I'm still not eating a burger or a nugget ever again! Two words, Chipotle wins!

Sahil Patel's articlehttp://www.prnewsonline.com/watercooler/Keeping-in-Step-With-Chipotle-McDonalds-Says-it-Cares-Too_16043.html:

Scared to Graduate? Well not me.

Well it's about that time to start applying for jobs/internships and I only have about 4 more months to have something set in stone so when I do graduate I have a job lined up. Lately people have been asking me if I'm scared of graduating and I am quick to tell them "Uh heck no, I've been here long enough !" I don't know maybe I'll get to that "cold feet" point soon but right now I am remaining positive about everything that will happen for me. I know something great will come into play just have to be patient and aware of what needs to be done. Sometimes I can be too laid back about certain situations but for this one I rather not stress myself out about the unknown. It says in the bible to not worry about tomorrow because it will worry about itself. Each day has a problem of its own. And with that being said I'm just going to take one day at a time, you should to!

God Bless!
 

Women In PR: How to assemble a press kit

Very good article.

http://www.linkedin.com/share?viewLink=&sid=s877315016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomeninpr.wordpress.com%2F2012%2F02%2F08%2Fhow-to-assemble-a-press-kit%2F&urlhash=466Q&pk=member-home&pp=5&poster=127722243&uid=5573051190725320704&trk=NUS_UNIU_SHARE-title

Want to Work in Sports PR? Elevate Your Skill Set, Develop Your Personal Brand

Of Course I got excited when I seen this article! Seeing as how one day I plan to go into Sports PR getting tips in this specific area helps me feel more confident in my decision into going into this male dominated field. Thank you WomeninPR for this article.

 http://wp.me/p1LURR-hy


 womeninpr.wordpress.com

How to land the PR internship of your dreams!

Great article to read. I am so excited to start applying for internships thanks to articles such as this one. Articles on how to do and what to do prepares me and keeps me up-to-date about things that I need to know before applying for internships and jobs.

http://www.ragan.com/Main/Articles/44292.aspx

Finding A Better Me In God

 

Okay it's a new year which gives me an opportunity to start off with a clean slate. This year I am really trying to focus on growing spiritually. I've told some of my closest friends that my season has yet to come and I am starting to realize why.  I have concluded that it may be because my prayers for better days has not been consistent. I sometimes find myself thinking things haven't happened for me because its something earthly like not getting many of the opportunities that I hoped to have but I now realize that it definitely has to do with my relationship with God and how consistency in prayer and worship have a lot to do with how things play out. I'm not one to sugar coat or to pretend that everything is peachy. So what I would like to do from time to time is just express my thoughts on finding a better me in God. I will do some blog post on my journey to understand God's word, but specifically on peace, joy, and finding happiness within myself through God. I am not where I would like to be in Christ so this is where I will start. I never want to get to a point in my life where I'm comfortable and content with my life, I want to go to where God see's fit. All of the visions and ideas that have been placed in my mind I know that I have to work very hard for those visions to actually come true.  I don't want to miss out on God's grace and the wonderful plan He has for me so whatever I have to do I will do it.