30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 24

Day 24: Cute animals.

Check out my explanation here: 30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 24

Source: youtube.com via Michelle on Pinterest

I love y'all for free,
nNb ♥

30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 23

Day 23: Flash mobs.

Check out my explanation here: 30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 23

Source: youtube.com via Michelle on Pinterest

I love y'all for free,
nNb ♥

30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 22

Day 22: Kim Brooks.

Check out my explanation here: 30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 22

Source: youtube.com via Michelle on Pinterest

I love y'all for free,
nNb ♥

30 Days of Pinspiration: Days 20 & 21

nNb: I forgot to post one yesterday, so y'all get a two-fer today! Enjoy!

Day 20: David Tutera.

Check out my explanation here: 30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 20

Source: davidtutera.com via Michelle on Pinterest

Day 21: Beauty Picture.

Check out my explanation here: 30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 21

Source: Uploaded by user via Michelle on Pinterest

I love y'all for free,

nNb ♥

30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 19

Day 19: Water.

Check out my explanation here: 30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 19

Source: google.com via Michelle on Pinterest

I love y'all for free,
nNb ♥

30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 18

Day 18: Snowball Fights.

Check out my explanation here: 30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 18

Source: blog.georgetownvoice.com via Michelle on Pinterest

I love y'all for free,
nNb ♥

30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 17

Day 17: Robert Griffin III

Check out my explanation here: 30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 17

Source: washingtonpost.com via Michelle on Pinterest

P.S. I caught back up on the posts...we'll have a fresh one tomorrow :)


I love y'all for free,
nNb ♥

30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 16

Day 16: Forever Jones - "Every Moment"

Check out my explanation here: 30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 16

Source: youtube.com via Michelle on Pinterest

I love y'all for free,
nNb ♥

30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 15

Day 15: Bronzegoddess01's Strawberry Letters

Check out my explanation here: 30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 15

Source: youtube.com via Michelle on Pinterest

I love y'all for free,
nNb ♥

Hawaiian BBQ Salmon Recipe

Hey lovelies!!

With finals time in full swing, it's easy to get bogged down and start ordering fast food and eating unhealthily. Although I want meals right now, it's important to make sure that you take some time out for yourself and you health (oooh, that rhymed!). With that said, I decided to try my hand at cooking tutorials again. I did one wayyyyy back in the day with my friend Julia during our short-lived Dynamic Divas segment, but I've decided to start again while in my lovely new Maryland apartment. I thought about posting the step by step pictures and descriptions, but I thought it would be more fun to do it in video form. So without further ado, here is my first official recipe tutorial:

naturalNaijabeauty can burrrn! Watch out dere na! lol!

I love y'all for free,
nNb ♥

30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 14

Day 14: UBUNTU.

Check out my explanation here: 30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 14

Source: en.wikipedia.org via Michelle on Pinterest

I love y'all for free,
nNb ♥

30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 13

Day 13: Black women that rock BRIGHT RED lipstick.

Check out my explanation here: 30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 13

Source: ivillage.com via Michelle on Pinterest

I love y'all for free,
nNb ♥

30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 12

Day 12: Smokie Norful - I Understand

Check out the explanation here: 30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 12

Source: youtube.com via Michelle on Pinterest

I love y'all for free,
nNb ♥

30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 11

Day 11: My friends.

Check out my explanation here: 30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 11

Source: communityjournal.net via Michelle on Pinterest

I love y'all for free,
nNb ♥

30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 10

Day 10: The Pursuit of Happyness.

Check out my explanation here: 30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 10

Source: en.wikipedia.org via Michelle on Pinterest

I love y'all for free!

nNb ♥

30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 9

Day 9: The City of Detroit.

Check out my explanation here: 30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 9

Source: google.com via Michelle on Pinterest

I love y'all for free,
nNb ♥

30 Day of Pinspiration: Day 8

Day 8: Babies.

Check out my explanation here: 30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 8

Source: thegrio.com via Michelle on Pinterest

I love y'all for free,
nNb ♥

30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 7

Day 7: Orchids

Check out my explanation here: 30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 7

Source: free-extras.com via Michelle on Pinterest

I love y'all for free,

nNb ♥

30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 6

Day 6: Janelle Monáe

Check out my explanation here: 30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 6

Also, I posted an *Artist Spotlight* on here not too long ago...Check it out here:

 *Artist Spotlight*: Janelle Monáe

Source: colorlines.com via Michelle on Pinterest

I love y'all for free,

nNb ♥

30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 5

Day 5: Starfish

Check out my explanation here: 30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 5

Source: 123rf.com via Michelle on Pinterest

I love y'all for free,

nNb ♥

30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 4

Day 4: Natural Women Who Big Chop TWICE!

Check out my explanation here: 30 Days of Pinterest: Day 4

Source: sheisdiva.com via Michelle on Pinterest

I love y'all for free,

nNb ♥

30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 3

Day 3: Outdoor Tree Lighting

Check out my explanation here: 30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 3

Source: houstononthecheap.com via Michelle on Pinterest

I love ya'll for free,

nNb ♥

30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 2

Day 2: Denard "Shoelace" Robinson

Check out my explanation here: 30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 2

Source: en.wikipedia.org via Michelle on Pinterest

I love y'all for free!

nNb ♥

30 Days of Pinspiration Introduction/Day 1

"Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Louis Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson and Albert Einstein."

~H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Hey everyone!!

First and foremost, I want to wish everyone a happy Post-Thanksgiving and I really hope that you were able to enjoy it with loved ones.

With finals seasons quickly approaching, I've realized that I've been very stressed out lately. Even with prayer and mediating on the Word, I've still managed to find myself in a very stressed out state. After thinking about this for a while and wondering why I am much more stressed now than I was within the last 2 years, I finally got clarity. Although I have recently started grad school (which is a large stressor of it's own, lol!), I realized that my life is also lacking in one other department: INSPIRATION!

During the previous 2 years, I was a Corps Member in City Year Detroit. Despite the fact that both years were hard and emotionally taxing, I was constantly surrounded by inspiring quotes, people and children. Whenever times were hard, there was always a quote, speech, video, person or event that picked my spirits up. To top it off, I worked with some fantastic kids that eventually helped me discover the path that God wanted me to pursue. In those times, I was surrounded by what I like to call "tangible" inspiration! Now, as I look at my current position, I've realized that in order for me to get my "happy" back, I need to start surrounding myself around these positive things again. The bible says

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

~Philippians 4:8 (ESV)

As Christians, we already know that we have the victory, now what we need to do is make sure that we stay encouraged! Satan knows what God has in store for us, and he's freaking out! He doesn't want us to succeed, but instead he wants us DEAD! This is why it's important to keep yourself encouraged! (Whew! God really ministered to me through that one...). To help keep myself inspired as well making sure that you all are encouraged, I've decided to join others in the 30 Days of Pinspiration activity on Pinterest. Every day, I will be posting a picture of something that inspires me, and giving a description about why I chose it (those descriptions will only be on Pinterest, so make sure that you click the link above the picture to see them). If you plan on participating as well, follow my board and I will follow yours. It is my sincere hope that posting every day will force us to inject some positivity into each day ON PURPOSE. While looking at the description for the picture of the day, please make sure to check out other boards that are participating as well. I pray that this activity ministers to you all as it will for me. 

So, without further ado, here is my first 'pin':

Day 1: Barack and Michelle Obama. 

Check out my explanation here: 30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 1

Source: flickr.com via Michelle on Pinterest

T-Minus 7 Days and Counting...

"If a man insisted always on being serious, and never allowed himself a bit of fun and relaxation, he would go mad or become unstable without knowing it."

~Herodotus

Hey everyone!!

We are at the halfway point of the the month of November! Praise the Lord! As I look at my calendar and stare in disbelief at all of the assignments that must be completed before Dec 20th, I've realized that it is important to take a step back and relax to prevent yourself from being overwhelmed. My form of relaxation....VISITING FAMILY AND FRIENDS FOR A MINI TURKEY DAY VACAY!!!

For those that know me well, they know how homesick I have truly been. Although I really do like living in Maryland and all that it has to offer, there is always a part of me that will always be a Michigan girl! There is something about being with loved ones and smashing delicious home-cooked food... I'm getting excited just thinking about it! lol! I'm super thankful for cancellations in both my Tuesday and Wednesday classes next week, so that I can spend the most amount of time home. So to all of my friends and family, I will be home Nov 20th-25th (so hit me up now so I can visit you, lol!).

On another note, if you are unable to go home, make sure that you still take time to relax during the Turkey Day break. Take yourself out on a date, plan a dinner with some friends, go and get a massage (lots of great Groupons online to help you get a great deal on these), just make sure that you take out some time for yourself. Take this time to rejuvenate yourself so that you/we can finish off this semester/year strong!

I love y'all for free!
nNb ♥

It's Election Day! God's Commandment...PRAY!

In Him we also were made [God’s] heritage (portion) and we obtained an inheritance; for we had been foreordained (chosen and appointed beforehand) in accordance with His purpose, Who works out everything in agreement with the counsel and design of His [own] will.

~Ephesians 1:11, Amplified

Hey everyone, 

Well, the big day is finally here! It's ELECTION DAY! After all of the television ads that we have been bombarded with, the day is finally her where we can cast our votes. While today is an exciting day, it is also filled with anxiety because the results draw closer to being finalized every hour. For those that follow me on both Twitter and Facebook, you already know where I stand on many issues and candidates (OBAMA 2012, lol!), but it is important to realize that by the end of today, one group of people will be rejoicing, while another group is mourning. While everyone wants a particular issue to go in their favor, or want their particular candidate to be elected, the reality is that there will be people that will be disappointed with today's election outcome.

We have to remember that God is in control of EVERYTHING! No matter what our rational minds come up with, He is in control. When our issue or candidate is not chosen, we have to remember that God KNOWS what He is doing! Period, point blank. One of the things that I was worried about when God called me to pursue a Masters in Education was that if a certain candidate wins, potential jobs that would be designated for my field would disappear. There were even times where I even cried out to God and complained about what the future could hold. It took a while for me to realize that God would NOT lead me to do anything that wouldn't be fruitful and thus not give Him glory. Understand that God is sovereign and even if YOUR candidate does not win, God allowed it to happen for a reason. Have faith and know that we will not understand everything that He does, but ALL of it is designed to bring Him glory. He is still the ruler of this earth and His plan is being fulfilled, whether you understand it or not!

God's command in times like these is very simple: PRAY! Pray before you vote. Pray after you vote. Pray if your candidate or issue wins. Pray is your candidate or issues loses. Pray for our leaders. Pray for a spirit of love. Pray for your neighbors. Pray for God's will to be manifested. Pray for peace. Shoooot, pray for TV anchors. Just pray! God listens to the prayers of his people and we need to make sure that we are communing with Him. 

Also remember that God loves us too much to harm us and is far more concerned about our welfare than we are. So we may THINK that we know better, but we don't! He does not fail and everything happens for a reason... God loves and has plans to prosper us, so please remain faithful and pray!

I love y'all for free,

nNb ♥

**Updates --> 10/31/12**

And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure.

I Corinthians 4:12 (NKJV)

Hey everyone!

I know it's been a LONGGG while since I have done an update, but I've finally taken out some time to share what's been going on in my life so far. Where to start...

As some of you might know, I'm currently attending the University of Maryland pursuing a masters in Minority and Urban Education. This transition has (up until recently) been completely Jesus led. Moving all the way from Detroit to Maryland has been a huge leap of faith, and although I am happy and excited for some of the things God is doing in my life, I'm also super worried about the future.

To describe my situation in a nutshell, God led me here, but once I got here my relationship with him waned because I started slacking. Although I am doing well in my classes, my anxiety has kicked up full force due to the fact that I was not talking to Jesus like I once had. At one point, I had a mini-breakdown because I didn't think that I was good enough to finish the program. I have a lot of trouble with reading a large amount of text in a short time frame because it takes me forever to comprehend the material. That stress really took its toll on me and started to effect my physical health.

In my infinite wisdom I decided to try alleviate my loneliness by seeking out potential male suitors online...needless to say, that did not go so well... I will say that God has really done a great work in me in that my preferences for men have DRASTICALLY changed in the last few years. After some really bad situations (some VERY recent...), the #1 priority is now to only date a man loves Jesus and puts Him first! Over the past couple of months, I have really been slacking when it comes to listening to God's instructions, and I have definitely paid the price. I have since shifted my focus back to following the Lord because I am truly lost without Him.

In these next couple of weeks, I will certainly be tested like never before. Midterms are beginning and I am now starting to throw together some of my abstract interests to some how formulate my masters thesis. I still have a long way to go, but I can say that for the first time in a LONG time, I am happy. Although I am stressed out and frustrated with the seemingly endless readings for class, I am in a place right now of sheer happiness. Despite all that I have gone through, God has really been revealing some important things to me. He has shown me that I have some very supportive friends that I love dearly. No matter what I am going through, I am grateful that I have so many God-fearing women praying for me and ministering to me (thanks ladies!!). I am truly blessed to have them in my life!

For the most part, I am really enjoying Maryland, despite the fact that there are cops EVERYWHERE and they seem to be gunning for the girl with the Michigan license plate (still need to switch over my registration). I am still a little homesick, but things are getting a lot better.

Before I go, there are some things that I would love for you all to join me in prayer for:

1. Jesus-led Masters degree pursuit
2. Spiritual & physical health
3. Celibacy
4. Finding a spirit-led church home

I hope to update you all soon with a praise report!

I love y'all for free,

nNb :)

naturalNaijabeauty does Havana Twists!

It is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves - in finding themselves.  

~André Gide

Hey everyone!!

After seeing this GORGEOUS hairstyle from the Afrogenix hair salon in NY, I decided to break down and try the hairstyle.

Here is the final product:

In this video, I talk about my braiding technique and other things:

Peace & Love,

nNb :)

The World's Reaction to Faithful Christians...

 "God makes everything happen at the right time. Yet none of us can ever fully understand all he has done, and he puts questions in our minds about the past and the future. (CEV)"

~Ecc 3:11

Hey everyone!

I know that it has been a LONGGG while since I've last posted...and I truly apologize. I will be posting an update blog post/video (haven't decided yet, lol!) soon.

The topic that I want to focus on today is the World's reaction to faithful Christians...
-------

When I woke up this morning, I took some time and went through my twitter feed and looked at some posts from my friends. As I was scrolling down, I came across a retweeted post from Paul C. Brunson directing people to a recent blog post of his entitled "His Timing Is Always Perfect". I took some time to read the post and was very inspired. To give a synopsis, Brunson was rushing in the morning to prepare himself for a meeting and came across every obstacle that he could imagine (including searching for toilet paper, which he so candidly shared, lol!). After he stepped out of the door, he realized that he was going to be late for his meeting because he still had to make one more stop at the dry cleaners to pick up his clothing and change, so he called to notify his appointment that he would be late. Mad at himself for being late, he starting beating himself up for not being a better judgment of time. As he was walking down the street to the cleaners, he was stopped by a police officer and told that he was lucky that he hadn't been walking down that street 15 min. earlier, or else he could have been shot. Brunson had just escaped being a victim in the Empire State Building Shooting.

The only thing that he had to say after that is that God's timing is PERFECT. That it truly is...All of his fumbling and obstacles that he faced during his morning routine, occurred for a reason, to keep him away from the disaster taking place at the Empire State Building. As I scrolled down to read the comments to his post, one in particular stood out. "You religious freaks have no sense of shame. It is all about you and HIM huh? F**k those victims who got shot.". You religious freaks? No sense of shame? Brunson is simply thanking God and sharing his revelation with the world. What upsets me most is that we are labeled as  "religious freaks" for trusting in God and sharing our faith.

This post might upset some people, but I don't really care. Christianity is NOT a religion, it is a RELATIONSHIP. Communion with the Almighty, All-knowing, All-Powerful God that I serve. I'm thankful for life as it has been given to me, because I didn't have to be here. God saw fit to keep me! God has a master plan, and EVERYTHING is designed to bring Him glory. Even if we as mere humans don't understand it. Period! Yes, there were victims of the shooting, but he was acknowledging that God protected  him from being one. He realized the severity of the situation and understood that he could have been another person shot if he had left at the time he originally planned for. We as Christians are not being selfish when we bring glory to God, we are praising Him anyway through the good and the bad!

Remember that our minds and thoughts don't even being to parallel those of God's! There are things that we don't and NEVER WILL understand about God and the things that He allows to happen in our lives, community, nation and world. We can rationalize it all we want to, but we will NEVER fully understand the workings of the Lord. All we can do is have faith and trust that every event that takes place happens for a reason. God knows what He is doing. Period.

Peace & blessings,
nNb :)

Frugal Fashion Tip #1: Multi-Purposing Old Skirts

"People seldom notice old clothes if you wear a big smile"

~Lee Mildon

Hey everyone!

As you all know, I love to save money (and sometimes pay nothing at all, lol!) on new outfits. In the past, I spent so much on new clothes not realizing that with some creativity, I could create my own stunning looks for a fraction of the cost. It is for this reason that I had decided to start a new segment on my site. Introducing *insert drumroll here*...

FRUGAL FASHION TIPS

*insert roaring crowd applause here* These tips will offer nice little tidbits about looking runway chic on a minuscule budget. The first edition of this series involves me taking some old school dresses, and converting them into beautiful summer dresses. This method works out well and definitely reduces the stress that women that with the "more to love" body type have to deal with when finding nice summer attire.  In true naturalNaijabeauty fashion, I've decided to introduce this segment with a video:

Tips for finding the perfect skirts:

• Belts are completely optional for these dresses, but since I have such a large chest, they help give the dresses a nice shape (skirts with elastic waists are the cash cow for women with larger chests). 
• Go to your local Goodwill, Salvation Army or consignment shop and look around for creative print skirts for great prices. 
• Make sure to wear a pair of heels and bring a couple of belts (different colors) so that you can test out the dresses before you buy them. 
• Be as creative as possible with these dresses and don't shy away from a particular pattern because it "doesn't look flattering". Step outside of your comfort zone because you never know what gems you'll find while out and about. 

Peace & blessings,

nNb :)

A Sista That Can Cook...

“There is no spectacle on earth more appealing than that of a beautiful woman in the act of cooking dinner for someone she loves.” 

~ Thomas Wolfe

Hey lovelies!

This time last year, I was eating McDonald's and junk food pretty much twice a week. Then later on in the month, I wondered why I didn't have any extra money in my bank account. The lack of nutrition in my diet along with disinterest in exercising was bringing me closer to sickness. The saddening part was that I KNEW that my dad's side of the family has a lot of people dealing with diabetes, but I just wanted to eat whatever I wanted, even after REPEATED warnings from my father about the dangers of what I was doing to my body.

A few months ago, God allowed my eyes to be opened to the damage that I was doing to myself. Hallelujah! I realized that I would save a lot more money if I started cooking at home. Armed with my newly crafted and highly detailed grocery list, I set out for my local grocery store. I'm proud to say that after some successfully planning, I was able to make $40 of groceries stretch for 3 WEEKS! I'll go into more detail about the grocery shopping extravaganza later, but for now, I just wanted to share a couple of photos of some of the delicious meals that I have made over the past few weeks:

Black Bean Quesadillas w/ a Side Garden Salad and Italian Dressing

Fried Chicken and Cilantro Lime Basmati Rice
(I didn't cook the chicken, it was leftovers from an event I attended)  

Chicken Parmigiana w/ Penne Pasta 

Curry Chicken Stir-Fry with Basmati Rice

The quote that I posted above summarizes exactly how I feel when I prepare myself healthier foods. I now understand that I am a beautiful woman who loves herself enough to take charge of her health and prepare more nutritious meals on a regular basis, and I will continue to do so by the grace of God!

peace,

nNb :)

Enjoying the Little Things (Compilation Video)

Me at my cousin's graduation party. (Ignore the bra strap, lol!)

"Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were big things."

~Robert Brault

Hey everyone!

I'm coming off an incredible high this weekend from the 4 F's--food, fun, family and fellowship! This weekend, laced with its own ups and downs was truly inspiring. First and foremost, my cousin, who I admire very much, graduated from law school and received her J.D. on Sunday! Praise the Lord! She set out to fulfill her dream and accomplished it! I'm so proud of her. My whole family came to the Detroit-area to celebrate her achievement in true Naija fashion, with partying and praising God! I took a couple of videos during the weekend and created a simple compilation video of the weekend's events. I would have more content on the video, but I didn't think to capture anything until 1am on Sunday morning (I know, I'm slackin right??). While simplistic in nature, the video indirectly makes one crucial point, summarized in 4 words: ENJOY THE SMALL THINGS! A lot of times, we get bogged down with the stressors of work and life and forget to take time to thank God for the little things in life. One thing that I am truly thankful for is that I got to rest and enjoy the company of my family that I don't get to see often. It is truly a blessing that we were able to convene for a joyous occasion and not for a tragic one.

Take some time and appreciate the small things that God allows in your life to bring you joy! It is those same things, often overlooked, that get you through the rough times.

My compilation video:

peace,
nNb :)

The Exceptional Lady...

Viola Davis: She exudes poise and confidence. She is the
perfect example of a LADY.

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." 

~Leonardo da Vinci

Hey lovelies,

For the past few months, I've been thinking about the characteristics of a lady. No only have I been doing research regarding the topic, but I have also been observing the youth that I am currently working with. There is a misconception among them that being a woman AUTOMATICALLY qualifies you to be a lady. While this startles me a little bit, I've come to realize that the perception is not uncommon. Most young black females, when asked if they consider themselves to be a lady, respond with "Yes". The same girls that respond in the affirmative are later caught in the hallway screaming and cursing out their peers and teachers...certainly not ladylike behavior.

For the last couple of months, God has been laying on my heart the unction to do something about the behavior. The problem was that I didn't know what that something should be. After thinking about it for what seems to be an eternity, God gave me confirmation by showing me that some of the girls wanted me to do a seminar on how to be a lady. God is so faithful, because He has shown me that I truly have passion for teaching young girls the characteristics of being a lady. So I've decided to so a two-part luncheon series entitled: (Miss)understood: Qualities of the Exceptional Lady. My hope is that this will help teach the girls how to be exceptional ladies.

Earlier today, I came across a blog post on CurlyNikki entitled "Taneica's Inner Beauty Mask" where the blogger came up with an inner beauty mask. I'm definitely going to be sharing this with the girls that I work with. Here is her recipe:

I think I will use this to help teach my students in the importance of being ladies in ALL aspects of their lives. If you can think of any other ingredients to this beauty mask, please let me know! Please pray for me as I begin to formulate the curriculum for the (Miss)understood series, that I might have understanding, clarity and most importantly that I will be in alignment with God's will and that His purpose for the program is fulfilled.

peace,

nNb :)

Retaining Hair Length

Hair style is the final tip-off whether or not a woman really knows herself.  

~Hubert de Givenchy, Vogue, July 1985

Hey y'all!


For the last couple of years, I have had a difficult time in retaining my hair length. It seems as if my hair is the same length as it was in the past. My lack of length retention has really been discouraging me as I am looking through pictures of my hair...luckily, I have come across a great blog post on one of my favorite sites CurlyNikki. In the post, one of the curlies divulges her secrets of healthy hair and length retention. Check it out here. There are also some other forum and blogs out there on the subject. As I learn more, I will share.

I'm going to take some time to read up on other blogs and and forums and take better care of my hair. Long hair here I come! :)

Peace,
nNb :)

Life Changing Updates! :)

Me in front of the White House in D.C.

 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (NIV)

~Jeremiah 29:11

Hey lovelies!

It feels so good to come to you all with great news. God has really been blessing me during these past few months! From the little things to the larger things, He has really been raining blessings all over me! Let me elaborate a little bit...

For those that know me well, you know that from early September to late April, I was stressing out over graduate school applications. Not only did I not know what schools I was interested in, I also didn't know what degree/program I wanted to pursue. Not having a clue what direction that I wanted to go into  caused me large amounts of stress and anguish. After petitioning God for months for direction on whether I should go into social work or teaching I felt like I was really at a stalemate. One day, however, God revealed to me that I need to release the reins and give Him FULL control...abandoning my ideas and trusting that He will provide the right path...A few days later, I was awaken out of my sleep and I randomly started doing graduate school searches and 'Minority and Urban Education' popped up and my heart started beating super quickly! I cannot even begin to describe how I felt when I found that, it was then that I knew that that was the direction that God wanted me to go in...


By the world's standards, I didn't qualify to gain admission into any of the schools that I applied to. I won't go into specifics, but I was depressed for quite a while thinking that I wasn't good enough to apply let alone gain admission to any of the schools. Through trusting God and reading the story of David (2Samuel), I applied to 4 schools with similar education master's degree  programs. This leads me to a big praise report: I'm happy to say that I gained admission to 3 out of 4 of the schools! Praise God! My first choice, was the program that I found that fateful night when God woke me up and had me researching schools, the University of Maryland--College Park's Minority and Urban Education Program!!

Yes, that's right! In the fall I will be moving to College Park, MD.!!
(FYI: I had been researching grad programs for MONTHS before this was revealed to me, and not once did this program stand out until that night...)

I was blessed with the opportunity to visit the University of Maryland last week and I simply loved it! There was sooo much foliage and the campus and surrounding areas were beautiful. I also got the chance to see Washington D.C. in all of its splendor (See above picture...more pictures coming soon). I just wanted to take this time to share my joy and testimony with you all, as you have been with me since I was in undergrad.

 I want to say this for the record: 
None of this would have taken place without God! Absolutely nothing! I am devoting both my degree AND my life to Him. I don't know where I will be after graduate school, but I know that God has got great things in store for me!

"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."

~1 Corinthians 2:9

Thanks to everyone out there that was praying for me! I love you all!

Peace,

nNb :)

Finding the Perfect Condish... :)

Hey everyone!

I know that it's been a minute since my last post...I've got so much to update y'all on, as so much has taken place within the last few months... Look for an update post within the next few days :)

Meanwhile, I came across an AWESOME article on finding the perfect conditioner (we curlies sometimes struggle with finding conditioners with good slip) on one of my favorite blogs, CurlyNikki. The link is posted below:

http://www.curlynikki.com/2012/05/secret-to-super-slippery-conditioners.html

Enjoy!

nNb <3

DIY Fashion Tips for the Frugal Fashionista!!!!

"Fashion is an art. You express who you are through what you're wearing."

~Daniele Donato

Hey ladies!

During my favorite pasttime of watching YouTube videos, I came across a few videos with some great Do-It-Yourself tips for the fashionista on a super tight budget. All of these tips are super quick and involves NO SEWING OR CUTTING (added plus for me, because I can't sew because I don't want to ruin any of my clothes, lol!). All you need are some rubber bands, safety pins, a little time and you create a gorgeous outfit for pennies or less!

Take a look y'all!

Create a fashionable handbag using a tank top:

Making a skirt out of a long sleeve shirt:

Turning pajama pants into shorts (too cute!)

Create a dress out of an oversized tank top:

Turn a long sleeve shirt into a tank top:

16 ways to wear a sweater:

Enjoy divas!

nNb <3

Great Blog for Grocery Shopping on a Tight Budget...

"Ain't nothin' wrong with being frugal..."

~naturalNaijabeauty ;)

Hey everyone,

Recently, I have been having a lot of trouble with my finances...so much so that I have not been able to spend money on groceries
like I used to. Although I have found great ways to save money on groceries, I am still having difficulty with budgeting properly for groceries for all of my meals...

Enter --> Poor Girl Eats Well (http://www.poorgirleatswell.com/)

This website provides great recipes, tips and tricks for divas on a tight budget. My favorite feature on the blog is the $25 Shopping Cart (as my finances put in this grocery shopping range). She lives in a big city but is still able to stock her home with enough food to last her a couple of weeks (absolutely amazing!). For each shopping trip, she places and itemized list of everything that she purchases along with their prices, afterwards including some of the meals she created with the items! She even breaks down each meal to show its cost per serving, which is an added bonus for me because I often spend large amounts of money for one meal (i'm talking $30 for ONE meal y'all!!!).

This blog is a great edition to my ever increasing survival encyclopedia, yes, SURVIVAL ENCYCLOPEDIA (don't judge me y'all, lol!). I know that I have difficulty with budgeting effectively and saving money, and this website provides me with so many tips and tricks that I know in a month's time, I can be a budget shopping guru!

Check out the website and enjoy!
nNb :)

naturalNaijabeauty's 1st Thrifting Haul!

"Fashions fade, style is eternal."

~ Yves St. Laurent

Hey everyone! 


I got the opportunity to go thrift store shopping with one of my good friends last Sunday. Check out the gems that I cam home with! :)

Peace & love,

nNb <3