Highly Textured

One of my main reasons for starting Blessed and Highly Textured was to find and share fun and funky hairstyles for natural chicks. And I've been experimenting a LOT lately, finding some great styles that have become my new favorites. But here's why I'm super wack -- I've been so excited about running around the city with my hair that I haven't taken any pictures!

I know, I know. "Shame on you, V! SHAME!"

Luckily, my friends are camera-ready, so my "styling for the blog" efforts have not been in vain.


This was an afternoon outing to the National Museum of American History. Inspired by this style, I made a single flat twist in the front and pulled the rest back into a puff, decorating it with a metallic silver double headband (which had slid back a bit when the pic was taken).

And below is a vid of me goofing off with my boy Chris at a random Saturday basketball game, featuring another new favorite style.



It's a 'fro with two flat-twists in the front. If you can't make it out on the video, I made the little police composite sketch over here on the right to illustrate more clearly.

(Admit it, you love my lined notebook paper. You know you do.)


So there, I've atoned for my negligent blogger sins. :o) What styles have you tried lately? Have you found a new favorite?

I don't want to paint myself as a saint or anything, but one thing I do pride myself on is actively affirming people. Cute hairstyle? I'll tell you. Banging earrings? I ask where you got them from. Hot shoes? I'll give you two snaps and a twist.

I do it mostly because I know how uplifting it feels to get a compliment from another woman (or, in the very best-case scenario, a gay man). But I also do it because I've noticed, as illustrated by makeup artist Todra Payne, we hate on each other waaaay too much.

Todra describes the time she spent a day with a gorgeous model with striking features -- and the women that very openly insulted her as they made their way through a department store.

"Well damn," I thought. "These chicks didn't have anything nice to say?" It was sad, really.

In college, I used to get teased for my optimism. "You just have to say something good about everyone, don't you, Veronica?" Being snarky and critical was in, and I, feeling persecuted, would shut up and sheepishly remove myself from the discussion. But now when I think about how much sneering, smearing and snickering we do as women, and how uncomfortable it still makes me feel, I figure it's only right to say something good. Shoot, someone needs to.

Tearing other folks down just has never been my style. And even if I may think evil thoughts (I'm no saint, remember?), I try not to speak them, because chances that they'll come right back at me, threefold. But more importantly than all of that -- there's a genuine joy in giving another woman a genuine compliment. And I don't think we do it enough.

And to that end, friends, I challenge you... if you don't do it already, this week, try giving someone at least one compliment a day. It could be your mom, your roommate, or even woman you've never even met as you pass her on the street. Whoever it is, simply make sure you affirm something that you find absolutely fly about them -- and make sure it's genuine too.

Oh, and if you feel like being nice just isn't your cup of tea, that's cool. Just remember...

Hating her won't make you more pretty.

Y'all, I am SO proud of myself!

On Monday, after coming home from the grocery store, I realized that my purchases often -- if not always -- go unused. I rely on delis, take-outs and drive-thrus so much that I've ended up with a stockpile of food in my freezer, refrigerator and pantry. (Which would come in handy if, say, a freak snowstorm hits DC with 15 feet of snow... but yeah. Unlikely.) So this week, I resolved to finally use all this food I have, and cook a meal every day in my very own kitchen, while taking the leftovers for lunch.

Now it's Friday and I can fully say that it's been a success! (Granted, I work Wednesday through Sunday, but I cooked on Monday and Tuesday too, so that counts.) And in the span of one short week, I've become absolutely thrilled about cooking again! (The dishes, not so much... but that's minor.)

My choices ranged from the trusted standbys (baked tilapia with salad), to the gourmet (grilled lemon butter chicken with gnocchi in a white cream sauce), to the simple and comforting (grilled cheese and veggie soup.)

Seriously, I'm looking at that list and having a hard time believing that's what I ate this week. Me, who subsists of off usually hamburgers, chicken nuggets and meatball subs, with the occasional fried rice from my favorite Thai joint.

I know, I know. Shame. Shame on me.

But this is change I can believe in. Whereas I used to look at cooking as a chore, now I spend a good amount of each day pondering over what I'll whip up in my kitchen that night. It's a fun creative process. It's even funner now (yes, I said "funner"), since I stumbled on this great blog called Flavor Diva. (Couscous... I'm comin' for ya.) And the suggestions on a recent post by Afrobella provide even more help. On top of that, it's comforting knowing where my food is coming from, how healthy it is and how well it was made.

Suffice it to say, I'm excited.

Now... where's my cutting board...?

Well lookie here... Glamour calls natural hair one of the ten best beauty looks ever. :o)

From Glamour.com's 10 Best Hair & Makeup Looks. Period....

Few things are more beautiful than hair that isn’t fussed with. “I tell women of all textures, ‘Stay true to your ‘do, and stay true to you,’” says Linda Jones, author of Nappyisms (a book about African American hair). “It’s about being confident with yourself—that’s more important than a blowout!”

It's a promising move for Glamour, considering the brouhaha that erupted a few summers ago when a then-editor said Afros and locs were "no-no's" as corporate hairstyles. (I believe the quote was, "'No offense, but those 'political' hairstyles really have to go." Endearing.) Glamour has since gotten rid of the editor, issued a mea culpa and facilitated a roundtable discussion on race and beauty. Granted, not everybody found it to be a success, but I figure, small steps in the right direction, right?

All told, seeing a Fro'd sista as a Glamour "do" gave me a little something to smile about today.

What say you?

Browsing old album covers for work reasons today (seriously, I was!) and sighed at the sight of this....


Gorgeous, right?