"What Now?" Part 1: Let's Go Shopping!

"There are people who have money and people who are rich." -- Coco Chanel

In this post-election Christmas season of non-stop shopping, Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales and endless pop culture distractions, there are simple effective ways to use your money to make your voice heard politically. Because buying things -- whether you're shopping for a blouse at Lord & Taylor or eating a hamburger at McDonalds -- is a political act.

If you are anti alt-right, anti-white supremacy, anti white nationalism, anti-hate or anti-Trump, here are a few suggestions on how to put your money where your politics are.

1.  #GrabYourWallet

This campaign, initiated by Shannon Coulter and Sue Atencio, has a pretty straightforward missive: If you'd like to hit the Trumps where it hurts them the most, boycott the retailers that carry their merchandise.  Their comprehensive list includes contact information to retailers, so you can call and/or email the reasons why you won't be shopping there.  Because if people won't buy, they won't sell.

Frankly, if I see something I really like at Nordstrom's, I can usually go online and find it someplace else at a fraction of the cost. This ain't the 80s. We have the internet. So there's that.

2.  Donate to anti-hate groups in a hateful person's name.



Are you related to any Trump supporters who vote Republican no matter who's on the ticket? Do you know any bigots? Is your co-worker a racist?  Take a tip from John Oliver, host of Last Week Tonight and donate to an anti-hate group in their name.  What a wonderful Christmas present for that uncle that hates gay people or that white supremacist cousin you grew up with that just joined the Klan.

Here's John Oliver's short list:

Planned Parenthood
Center for Reproductive Rights
National Resources Defense Council
International Refugee Assistance Project
NAACP Legal Defense Fund
The Trevor Project
Mexican-American Legal Defense and Educational Fund

3.   RageDonate! 

I love this one.  It takes quotes from Trump and matches it with the appropriate charity in a revolving, ever spinning, never-ending roulette of hate speech. With one click, you give $10 and your rage subsides -- until he makes another inflammatory racist remark.

BONUS: Buycott

This is an app that let's you vote with your wallet by scanning barcodes while you shop. With one swipe, you can trace a product's corporate family tree and make a more informed consumer decision. And yes, it's free.

Start over, every single day...

I'm goal oriented and I work to keep my priorities in order so my only real New Year's resolution is the one I tell myself everyday --  don't give up.  Still and all, that monthly assessment is in order. Here's what shook loose, off the cuff.

1. I have to physically wear myself out everyday or I'll go nuts.   It can't be any one thing, with the exception of boxing, which makes me very happy.  ClassPass could be the answer to my prayers.
2. I've made a lot of progress physically but I hit a wall after Thanksgiving. To climb over it, I'm going to combine RealAge and the Eat Clean Program as a birthday present to myself.
3. If I don't practice guitar every single day for a few hours, I'll forget everything I've learned in a matter of minutes. At least, that's the way it feels, so far.  I can't even talk about my banjo.  I'm getting a grip on all this by taking voice/piano/theory lessons with Nancy Marano, starting at the end of the month.
   

There are some habits I'm glad I never picked up, like smoking cigarettes (or anything else), recreational drugs or drinking copious amounts of alcohol.  There are other habits I'm glad I started way early, like slathering my entire body with sunscreen and moisturizer everyday. Monthly spa visits and a gym membership didn't hurt, either. Now it's time to surrender the rest of whatever it is that I'm holding onto for dear life -- but for the moment, I'll start with processed sugar, salt and corn, soy and wheat gluten.

Starting today, I've got 21 days to eat clean. Let the games begin. 

Random thoughts...

There's no theme for this month's NaBloPoMo -- which means its probably going to be a long month. I'll be wrapping it up for the end of the year. It's a bad reflex but I can't help it. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I'm working hard already to figure out what happened over the past 12 months.  Did I make any progress or not? 

I'm off to assemble this month's mailing. Until I plaster it all over social media, here's a few random thoughts.



1. Today is my great-grandmother's birthday. I am named after her.  She was a powerful influence on me.

2. It's also my brother Damon's birthday.

3. My brother Moniah's birthday is in 8 days. His birthday is etched in my heart because there was a massive countdown in our household to the moment when he was born. Usually when I took care of him, I was pretending that he was mine. Needless to say, I tried very hard to spoil him to death.

I wouldn't hesitate to bash anyone's head in if they tried to hurt him, then or now. And he's a gigantic tree, at this point. He's ginormous. He's been to Iraq and back -- but that means nothing to the police. Real talk, folks. If some cop hurt him, I would find out where dude lived and I would torpedo his house. I am not lying.

4. I love love love living out of a suitcase.  I love living in hotels.  I love being on tour. 

5. I am 40% fluent in German, according to Duolingo. It was kind of a kick, to walk the streets in Berlin and understand any of what was being said around me. It's going to take some work to get conversational but for some strange reason, I"m committed.

Inquiring minds want to KNOW...!

The answer is yes. Apparently, it got hot and she passed out.  At least, that's what it looks like from here. Everybody can't take this heat.  Especially Snow White.

Now that summer is in full effect, everything feels like its coming together and falling apart at the same time.  All I can do is pray, work through rewrites, practice my guitar and stay out of the sun. At any given moment, I am glistening with the sweat that happens when you walk or ride your bike everywhere. (Not a good look.) A beauty day is a weekly requirement, an absolute must. My moments of relative calm happen in day spas -- the place where I do all this necessary stuff that used to be for everyone else, like getting manicures.  I feel some small slight shame in saying this but it's true: I leave my favorite hotspot and I think, If I can keep my hands and feet clean and pretty in this filthy little town, I can do anything. 

Here's my Random Top Five of Whatever that's getting me through this summer. (You're welcome.)

1. Amp and Guitar Wellness Center 
   I seriously love this place.  The name sounds like a spa and it kind of is. They do way more than sell and fix guitars. The atmosphere is super relaxed -- probably the only guitar spot I've ever wandered into where I felt like I could hang out, ask stupid questions and chill out -- and they know way too much about sound equipment and all kinds of gear.  I can even put stuff on layaway...!  And strangely, it's kind of a bonus that they're not in Manhattan.  I left there with a new Art and Lutherie acoustic guitar, feeling like I had my guitar guy -- the one who would fix my junk and set aside a cool amp for me and all that stuff people do when they look out for you. And what could be more special than that?
   
2. Ben and Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk Ice Cream
   Seriously, this is the best flavor on the planet: chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, chocolate covered almonds, pecans and walnuts in a surprisingly rich chocolatey ice cream. When I first came to the city, I couldn't open a pint without eating the whole thing, so I gave it up cold turkey when I started blowing out of my clothes sideways.  I've come crawling back as of this summer -- and now that portion control is my friend, I'll never leave again.
   
3. Marc Cary's Harlem Sessions 
   Simply put, this is a beautiful hang that has turned into a happening.  Unlike other jam sessions, there's a list of songs to perform. Every week, Marc gives everyone the creative space and freedom to do whatever they want. 
   
   
4.  Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 45
   Newsflash: Sun exposure causes wrinkles. Yes, so does alcohol and smoking cigarettes/pot -- but the sun does more damage than any of them.  (For more on that from me, click here.) I figured this out as a teenager and have been double dunking myself in a gigantic vat of sunscreen religiously every day before I leave the house. Even in the dead of winter. Even when it rains.  I have no intentions of damaging this good brown skin. The scrapes I got from being a kid were enough.
   
   
5. The Raines Law Room at The William Hotel
   This place is named after an 1896 law that was meant to keep New Yorkers from drinking.  (Fat chance.) It has all the things I love about speakeasies: a quiet, beautiful setting that's dark and rich; semi-private nooks; strong, well-crafted drinks; and -- last but not least -- food.  Not surprisingly, one of the bartenders is my friend and thankfully, he knows exactly what I like.
   This is a cocktail culture. Everyone should have a bartender.

I'm in The Red Sea...!

If I weren't flying the Japanese flag tonight, I'd be at Gin Fizz Lounge for @MarcCaryMusic's The Harlem Sessions. Instead, I'm at home -- watching Blazing Saddles and riding the cotton pony.

Yes, that's right.

I'm in The Red Sea.

I'm dropping an egg.

I'm entertaining the general.

I've got red sails in the sunset.

I'm chasing the cotton mouse.

I'm surfing the crimson tide.

My hammock is swinging.

I have a visitor from Red Bank.

The tide is high.

The infantry has landed.

My Granny's here.

I'm percolating.

No gym this week.

I'm off duty.

I'm indisposed.

I've been hit.

The only thing that going to fix this is a deep tissue massage and a nice long soak, a plate of Mongolian BBQ and a five mile run -- preferably one after the other, and not necessarily in that order. This is a job for K-Town. Or Spa Castle. Either way, I'm not leaving my apartment tonight.  This movie is right on time. When I'm in this much pain, I really need to laugh. A lot.



Why do I love Blazing Saddles so much? 

My Blackgrrl Spring Bucket List - 2015!

Now that the winter chill is no longer in the air, it's time to get moving all over again, wake all the way up and get the lead out.  This is my personal top ten (in no particular order): stuff that will make my spring time swing into high gear, no matter how everything else is falling together.

New York City has over 100 museums, with many seasonal exhibits that will only happen here.  Sure, most museums are filled with dusty, Eurocentric masterpieces. And I know plenty of people of color who don't go to museums because they're convinced that there's nothing there for them.  But that's changing.  More curators are realizing that if they want a younger, more diverse audience for their art, they have to be more inclusive.  All it takes is a great, grand idea  - and it's a refreshing surprise that this season offers several options. There is something for absolutely everyone this spring.

My brother Emmett who's married with two kids and lives in the ATL, has fallen into the habit of humoring me by going to museums with me when he visits the city.  Strangely, he always enjoys it -- much to his genuine surprise.

This gigantic Jeff Wall photo After "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison, the Prologue totally blew him away.  I can remember standing in front of it with him, listening to him find the words to explain why he liked it. Then I read from the passage of the book that this photo illustrates.

If Kehinde Wiley doesn't blow him away, I'll eat my favorite pumps.  And that goes double for the Jacob Lawrence exhibit at MoMA.

Here's my list. Enjoy!

1. Get my 15 speed bike tuned up -- and yes, get a helmet.  Once the weather is good, I'm going to toss my Metrocard for a month or two.  If that doesn't wake up my thighs and my butt, I don't know what will.
2. An entire afternoon of relatively cheap insider beauty treats in K-Town, followed by Mongolian BBQ -- preferrably with my friend Jane, who lives to eat and shop. No one can appreciate a hardcore, no-frills, three hour scrub down more than her.  Except me, of course.
3. A Ladies Tea Social is in order, where me and a few of Those Who Know dress up in our vintage finery and nosh -- preferrably at The Pembroke. Or The Pierre. Or The Mandarin Oriental.
4. That Kehinde Wiley exhibit at The Brooklyn Museum. I'm not a fan but still, I can't miss it.
5. Curlbox BODY -- from Myliek Teele, the founder of Curlbox, comes a monthly non-subscription skincare package that should make anyone's skin glow.
6. Harlem Jazz Shrines -- don't miss it!
7. ...that Jacob Lawrence exhibit at MoMA, tho...
8.  The Black Girl Swap -- wherein a bunch of us blacktresses convene over dinner and wine at our fearless leader's apartment with our beautiful elegant slightly used clothing, mix it up and donate whatever is left over to a great cause.
9. The Frieda Kahlo exhibit at the New York Botanical Gardens must be seen to be believed -- preferrably when the all-female mariachi band La Flor de Toloache is performing...! (I love them!)
   ...and last but certainly not least...
10. Pool my savings and purchase what guitarist Kelvyn Bell considers to be a real guitar. (I'd like a Fender Strat.)

My Travel Essentials -- The Top Five

Of course, there are certain things that live in anyone's carry on bag when traveling internationally -- passport, wallet, a very smartphone, housekeys.  And there's the well-stocked girly bag that always lives in just about any purse -- hand cream, hand sanitizer, lip balm, tissue, etc.  These are a few of the other things that are coming with me when I fly the friendly skies next week.

1. Bose Quiet Comfort Acoustic Noise-Cancelling Headphones -- When it's time to make the world go away, accept no substitutes. 
   
   


2. A fully loaded iPad Air 2 -- With this handy ultra lightweight tablet, I'll be able to make videos, write and record songs, watch movies, practice the piano and work on my music theory, Skype my pals and a lot of other things I haven't even thought of yet. 
   
   
   
3. A Satechi bottle top portable humidifier -- Nothing has the capacity to minimize my vocal mojo quite like a dry hotel room.  If nothing's wrong, that dryness can make things problematic. And if there's a problem, it can make things worse. The steam from a hot shower helps in a small room -- but not for long. This portable device is a great solution.  Its simple, fits on just about any water bottle and will last up to 8 hours.
   
   
   
4. I hate to sound like Howard Hughes but the tap water on airplanes is notoriously filthy and everything else is suspect.  Thanks to Britta, I've fallen out of the habit of buying a bottle of water whenever I'm thirsty.  And when it's this easy to drink water, I tend to avoid everything else.
   
   
   
5. ...and because I'm turning into a boy scout, I'll need a portable charger.

That Gratitude List

Someone encouraged me to create a gratitude list instead of making pithy resolutions for the new year.  To be honest, there's no room for resolutions in my life. I'm constantly chipping away at my goals and priorities, and something usually comes along and turns everything upside down when I least expect it. That forces an overhaul, of sorts. And then I start all over again, in the middle of everything.  I'm so used to getting the rug pulled out from under me in some way or another that I'm not so sure I'd know any other way to live.  It's kept me hungry.  So there's that.

Here it is, before it changes into something else. 

1. I am so grateful to be alive -- right here, right now. Period.
2. God's presence in my life is a beautiful thing. 
3. I'm grateful to my younger self for taking such good care of my body and I'm grateful to who I am now, for the drive to maintain it.
4. MPB makes me want to be a better man and every day, there is more love.
5. I'm grateful for my family: the ones who raised me, the ones that God sent to me and the ones who are growing me up as an artist, who inspire me and compel me to get better at all of this.
6. I'm grateful for my "mentor" James "Blood" Ulmer.  Then again, he's not my mentor at all. I don't know what he is to me.  There's too much in there to say any one thing. I love him more than he will ever know.  That's what he is -- the one who is dear.
7. To feel inspiration move through me and change me as it does so is a privilege.  I'm eternally grateful for my life as an artist.
8. Here's another debt I owe to my younger self: I'm grateful for my tenacity. I didn't give up on my talent or myself.   I developed what I had and then I came to NYC. Once I took root here, I didn't quit. I stuck with it and I kept growing. God help me, I'm still growing. God help me. The bottom line is, I am responsible for the talent that God has given me. What could be worse than having talent and doing nothing with it?
9. I'm grateful that I make my art, my way.  The songs on my latest album sound as good as they did the first time I heard them in my head.  That's nothing short of a miracle.
10. And last but not least, I'm grateful that I'm still in New York City and that I'm still in an increasingly gentrified Harlem.

100 Pieces Of Very Good Advice

Spring Bucket List 2014 -- The Harlem Edition

I like bucket lists but I don't see any that accommodate me: a dazzling urbanite that's highly creative and still curious enough hope for the kind of fun that I can only have in New York City -- and yes, preferably Harlem.  Even though this place feels like an elegant gentrified corpse most of the time, there is a heart that still beats somewhere in these mean streets.  In a way it doesn't matter because I know how to make my own fun.  On the other hand, it matters a lot because this is New York City -- the one place in the world where I shouldn't have to work this hard to find things that are unique to this city.

Here's what I'll be up to this spring.

1. The Clean Program -- because nothing recalibrates me from the inside out like this does.
2. Africa Now! Festival, April 2 - 6
3. The FREE 30-Day Yoga Challenge
4. Keith Faison Presents An Easter Show, April 19th at The Apollo Theater
5. The Annual Easter Parade of Hats, April 20
6. La Casa Day Spa Detoxification Package
7. Harlem Jazz Shrines, May 4 - 10
8. Radiant Light: Stained Glass from Canterbury Cathedral at The Cloisters, February 25 - May 18
9. Gauguin: Metamorphoses, March 8 - June 8
10. Carrie Mae Weems: The Museum Series, January 30 - June 29

A List of Events for Black History Month: The NYC Version

"Pride of race is the antidote to prejudice." -- Arthur Schomburg

I don't have to wait for February to get lifted.  I'm aware of what's out there for me, whether the government/society/the powers that be says its my designated time of the year or not.  For some (black) folk, this is the only real moment in their (school) year/lives when African-American accomplishments of any kind are ever mentioned.  If they'd teach history without deliberately omitting us, we probably wouldn't need black history classes.

The documentary More Than A Month has an interesting premise -- Do we really need Black History Month anymore? -- but unfortunately it brings up more questions than it answers.  I suppose the director has a point.  Then again, there's got to be a way to take bigots to the woodshed on a regular basis. 


For those of you in the tri-state area, this is just a small fun-filled slice of what's available within Gotham's five boroughs.  Please note: Many of these exhibits extend into the summer months and are free and open to the public.

1. Louis Armstrong House's latest exhibit -- Senor Satchmo: Louis Armstrong in South America --  looks fascinating. AND you get a collectible, as supplies will allow.
2. Black Artstory Month -- This month-long celebration makes Brooklyn's Myrtle Avenue its main street and includes an array of activities including spoken word, live music, lectures, food and an eclectic discussion about the African diaspora's influence on fashion. 
3. Funky Turns 40: Black Character Revolution at The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture -- This delves into the shift away from Hollywood stereotypes that happened with black characters in cartoons in the 70s.
4. The Apollo Theater Open House Weekend: An 80th Anniversary Celebration. If you miss the family-friendly fun on Saturday, February 8th, don't miss a performance by the Rev. Shirley Caesar on Sunday, February 9th. And yes, it's free.
5. Black Dress: Ten Contemporary Fashion Designers at Pratt Manhattan Gallery focuses on the business of design, features two of my faves (Byron Lars and Tracey Reese) and includes a short video made especially for the exhibit by 2013 MacArthur Fellow Carrie Mae Weems. 
6. Go see The Loving Story (A Valentine's Day special!) at Harlem's Mayles Cinema
7. ...and then return for Blacks in Experimental Film (Part 2)
8. Central Park Tour: Seneca Village -- Seneca Village (which eventually became a part of Central Park) was the city's first known community of African-American property owners.
9. Motown: The Truth Is A Hit at The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture -- This is a music history lesson about the Motown sound and its origins, with beautiful visuals.
10. Where this list ends is where you should start, really -- The NYC Five Borough Tour.  You'll hit nine sites on this self-guided tour, including Woodlawn Conservancy, the organization that's dedicated to maintaining and caring for Woodlawn Cemetery (the Valley of the Jazz Greats is a must) and the African Burial Ground National Monument.

Your "Must Read" MLK Posts of the Day

 

In the past few years, I've written quite a bit about Martin Luther King, Jr.  Instead of writing more stuff this year, I'm posting the top five. Enjoy!

Oh -- and that snapshot above is Dr. King playing pool in Chicago with local civil rights leader Al Raby.  I love how well-dressed everyone is. Even in this casual, relaxed atmosphere, most of them are wearing hats.

1. The Dr. King Interview You (Probably) Haven't Seen -- This is MLK on The Mike Douglas Show.  (I know, right?)  The tension is so thick with the interviewer and his guest (virtual unknowns now), you can feel it coming at you through your laptop.
2. The Dr. King You (Probably) Don't Know -- This is the completely unsanitized MLK. And yes, he sounds a lot like Malcolm X.
3. "Martin Luther King Jr Day" and Me -- Yet another rant about the state of things as they are.
4. Telling It Like It Is -- White entitlement, anyone?
5. Where Are Our Black Leaders? -- They were murdered by the FBI, the state and local police, and of course, homegrown terrorists like the KKK.  This features a video clip of the young, brilliant revolutionary/undergrad, Fred Hampton.

Dear Black Santa -- The Short List

This is what I want from Black Santa -- and no, it's not in order.  Will I get it by December 25th?  Everything is happening all at once and Christmas is always on its way, so the short answer is no and yes. 

1. A lean, strong, healthy body -- with smooth, clear, wrinkle-free skin and a clean bill of health.
2. Yes, I want to win the pie contest again at the Jazz Age Lawn Party. (There, I said it.)
3. It would be nice to run a mile in less than 9 minutes without feeling like I'm about to have a heart attack. 
4. Millinery classes galore -- because it's high time. 
5. A virtual album release party every other month via Concert Window, starting in February.
6. Weekly all day scrub it down/soak it up visits to Spa Castle. Or at least K-Town.
7. Regular visits to see our twin God-daughters in Charleston, SC.
8. A powerful left hook and a much improved right cross.
9. A lengthy stay -- all by myself! -- at Bikini Bootcamp in Tulum, Mexico.
10. A European tour -- with my music! --  in the spring.

The important thing is, I've still got my foot on the gas.  Selah.

Pithy Thought of the Day

13 reasons you're not as successful as you should be.

unbelievable but true: most people don't have goals. i can't imagine living in new york city without them. because of the pace and the pressure and the high cost of living here financially and mentally,  i've always had to have a good reason to stay. i mean a really good reason -- because i like it here or i feel like it was somehow never good enough. 

make no mistake: this place can be hell on earth.  trying and trying and trying and trying and not getting anywhere -- living through that, time and again, has got to be some subset of hell. and for some of us, for a time, that is exactly what it's like to be an artist in new york city. the thing is, you have to put your time in. you have to keep going. or not. i knew a lot of people who hit that wall and went home. i hit that wall and climbed right over it. i just couldn't live with myself if i quit. i'd never know what could have happened. so i kept going.

having time-based goals anchored me. failures made me rethink things and try something new. accomplishing things every day gave me little victories that compelled me to stay the course. and then something gigantic would happen and there would be so much success, even daddy stopped hassling me. and then all of that would die down, and eventually daddy would crank right back up again, which brought me back to square one. 

as it turns out, i had a mindset for success -- and i really had no idea.  i was just trying to survive new york city.

i work extremely hard, sure. hard work is what's required -- and i'm certainly not afraid of it. and yes, i'm highly creative. i'm an artist and i'm harmelodic, so it comes with the territory. creativity helps when it's time to find a new way to unravel an old problem, when i've run out of options, when i need to turn on a dime and make a quick decision. i'm always having to learn new things, usually right when i'm comfortable with what i already know.  sometimes i'm eager to learn but more often than not, it's something that 's foisted on me out of nowhere and i'm freaking out, because i have so much catching up to do. and then i catch up and there's something else to learn, right now. running around with highly creative people who have to change and adapt in a snap helps a great deal. 

the impossibilities start rushing in when i have ideas and no real way to develop them -- no money, no time, no equipment, no nothing.  i don't care. i keep strategizing and thinking my way through it. i keep going. i keep waiting for a crack in the ice. and somehow, that crack happens and i get all the way in there.  success! another victory erupts. and then it's on to the next.

and as if all of that weren't enough, i never, ever, ever give up.

that's the real reason why i'm still in the city. it's not about auditioning and getting the part and doing eight shows a week for months or years on end. it is but it's not. not exactly. i'm not finished with everything that i want to do here, not yet.

this is how new york city infects you. when will i ever not think like this. how can i stop. 

Uh-Oh -- Mercury is in retrograde...!

According to astrologists everywhere, Mercury will be in retrograde in Scorpio from 10/21 to 11/10. Everything will be wonky for the next three weeks -- eight weeks for the whole thing, according to some. That means the entire month of November is a bust, if you're enough of a hippie to follow that sort of thing.  And let's face it: isn't there a little bit of a hippie in all of us?

How wonky will things get? I suppose that depends on who you ask -- and which planet rests in your sign.  I think it feels like my world is still turning and yet everything is on pause.  This gives me a moment to assess and reassess, and get my proverbial house in order.

Here's a few highlights. (You've heard this stuff before, right?)

• Expect lots of missed calls, missed appointments, wrong messages, computer glitches, your smartphone on the fritz, misleading information, weird misunderstandings, slower connections and the like -- because Mercury rules communication.
• It also affects all modes of travel, so expect traffic jams, delays, holdups, etc.
• Commitments made during this period are most often not kept, so don't make any binding agreements of any kind (ie marriages, contracts)
• No medical appointments. No surgery.  (Mercury rules the hands, apparently.)
• Don't start anything new -- no relationships, no jobs, no splashy career moves -- because according to lore, they won't last. 
• Don't buy anything major.  Like a house.

Here's another way to look at Mercury in retrograde.

•  This moment is all about ordering your inner world.  (Sounds like a spa visit is in order.)
• 'Tis the season to trim the fat from your life in every way imaginable, whatever that means. Let go of excess. Tie up loose ends. Finish whatever you started -- whatever it is.
• This is a good time to clear the decks -- edit your closets, clear out that pesky junk room, get organized.
• It's also a good time to deal with anything that's lingering, whether it's spiritual (forgive that idiot), emotional (the ex you're still in love with), work-related (finish that frackin' project) or physical (drop that last 10 lbs already)
• Rewrites are favored -- so, there's my silver lining. 

And I thought I was having a spring cleaning fit.



This nice white robot lady explains Mercury in retrograde in fairly clear terms. Enjoy!

my latest (skin) favorites

Don't get it twisted: my skin doesn't look this good because I'm black. Not exactly.  My skin looks this good because I have always worked at it religiously, with clean living -- no smoking, no alcohol, a minimal amount of sun -- and clean eating, and great products.  I love to experiment and try new things. Here's my top three products that I am embracing at the moment.

1. Algenist with Alguronic Acid: Regenerative Anti-Aging Moisturizer  Right now, every extra nickel I've got is going towards dental work. Once I get my teeth fixed, though (by next summer, I hope), this will be my new moisturizer.

I got a sample from my Beautyfix box subscription a few months ago and I seriously can't believe how wonderful it is. Alguronic Acid is incredible stuff, available only in Algenist products -- and you can only get those at Sephora.

 *sigh* Too bad this is so expensive. It's worth it, though.

2. La Roche-Posay Anthelios 60 Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid  This product is hands down, far and away the best sunscreen for your face that's out there, bar none, in my humble opinion  -- and at $29.99 it's actually affordable.  Leave it to the French, I guess. La Roche-Posay is no joke.

 

3. Shea Moisture  I use all of these products faithfully on my hair and body because simply put, this stuff works.  The ingredients are all natural and certified organic, they're affordable and accessible (available at Target!), they do wonderful things for my skin and hair, and all of it smells amazing.  Here's the real kicker: they're one of the only independently black owned and operated companies that manufacture, package and ship their own products. That's why all of it is so inexpensive.

It's going to take a lot to get me to stop using any of this.

If these products ever got to black folk of the entire diaspora -- Paris, Nairobi, Moscow! -- the owners of Shea Moisture would be billionaires.

the cool list

this is the stuff i think is cool at the moment, in no order whatsoever.

1. avon naturals chocolate ice cream scrub (this comes in vanilla and strawberry, too) -- if you can find this product, grab it. it's incredible. i can't believe they've discontinued this stuff. thank goodness i stocked up this summer...
2. seychelles footwear -- beautiful vintage looking heels (because nothing screams amateur like a lovely vintage frock and contemporary shoes), remarkably comfortable to dance in and since i can write them off on my taxes, totally affordable.
3. my martin ukulele -- probably because playing it is so easy, even i can do it.
4. scaletrainer.com -- thanks to neil santos (and yes, a LOT of practice), i'm finally learning how to play guitar. (his book the guitar simplified is pretty dope, too.)   
5. hot jazz at mona's -- this is the best kept secret in new york city: a slew of traditional/hot jazz players are squeezing themselves into a little bar on avenue b every tuesday (until 4am!) and ripping through some of the best music in the 20th century.  sitting at the bar and letting it wash over you is an absolute blast. sitting in with mona's hot four is kind of epic.

Ten things you must give up to move forward.

I'll bet you a dollar and a Twinkie that this stuff isn't anything you haven't heard already.  These are microwave-ready, self-help truisms that are floating around in the miasma of our everyday, ordinary lives, like clouds in the sky. We've all seen them. We all know them. So why isn't everyone doing them?

Everyone grows into or out of whatever it is whenever they're ready, willing and able.  My blazing epiphany of the day happened when I realized I'd crossed all ten of these bridges a long time ago. All of a sudden, I grew up and moved forward. I don't know when that happened -- or how! -- but I'm quite relieved that it did. 

Right. Well! Off I go, to box/play guitar/have tea/run a mile in 10 minutes/get a facial/make cool art -- not necessarily in that order. Enjoy!

Future Gratitude

H

Here's the top ten things I did today that the future me feels truly grateful. (The truth is, I do most of this stuff every day.)

1. I did my morning pages. I don't know why/how that sets everything right creatively but it does.
2. I used exceptional products on my skin, as usual. I've been borderline obsessive about my skin since college and the payoff has been nothing short of immeasurable. More on that later.
3. I used plenty of excellent sunscreen.
4. I used exceptional products on my hair -- an argan oil 7-in-1 leave-in conditioner, to be specific -- which is growing like crazy.  (Gotta love Curlbox.)
5. I gobbled down my daily supplements: biotin, collagen, calcium and a powerhouse 
6. I didn't eat any garbage.
7. I pulled out my guitar and wrote a pretty cool rock and roll song.
8. I had a great consultation with my periodontist. After two years of x-rays, cleanings, implants and bone graftings, Invisalign, here I come! (Finally.)
9. I put in ten miles on my bike. I know that doesn't sound like much but it's way more than the mileage I would have clocked from my couch.
10. I worked on rewrites.