Till the End of Time

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This has got to be one of the most beautiful songs I have heard in a while and the video is simple, artistic beauty in itself. Presenting Timothy Bloom and V.Bozeman in 'Til the End of Time. Let's get back to the love in the music.

Remembering W.E.B. Du Bois

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Oftentimes touted as the father of the Pan-African movement and originator of the concept of the talented tenth, 1st African American to obtain a PhD from Harvard and co-founder of the NAACP, W.E.B Du Bois' contributions to the diaspora must never be forgotten. If you have never read his works, please get a copy of "The Souls of Black Folk" and get educated. While I don't agree with everything he espoused, I respect and am grateful for his profound intellectual contributions as well as his activism both in the US and around the world. Happy Birthday Dr Du Bois.

Publications by Du Bois

• 1896   The Suppression of the Slave Trade to the United States of America,
• 1898   The Study of the Negro Problems
• 1899   The Philadelphia Negro: A Social Study
• 1903   The Souls of Black Folk: Essays and Sketches
• 1909   John Brown
• 1934   Editor of NAACP magazine the Crisis
• 1915   The Negro
• 1935   Black Reconstruction in America, 1860-1880
• 1940   Dusk of Dawn: An Essay toward an Autobiography of a Race Concept
• 1944   Founds Phylon magazine
• 1945   Encyclopedia of the Negro: Preparatory Volume with Reference Lists and Reports
• 1955   The World and Africa: An Inquiry into the Part which Africa Has Played in World History
• 1968   The Autobiography of W. E. B. Du Bois

Update from Moptopmaven

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Our dear Moptop has finally updated her blog, putting to rest the question I'm sure lots of us who follow her blog were asking: "where is Moptopmaven?". I have been concerned because she hadn't posted anything for a minute and then someone mentioned she was ill. She posted yesterday sharing that she has in fact been seriously ill for a while now and is dealing with Wilson Disease. You can check out the full update here. I am hoping and praying she has a speedy recovery with this bout and that she can manage her disease and maintain some quality of life in the years to come. Help me send thoughts, prayers and positive energy her way!

Happy Birthday Nina Simone!

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One of my favorite artists of all time was the beautiful Nina Simone. She was fearless, she was beautiful, she was conscious, she was intelligent, she was so many things. Today would have been this Pan-African hero's 78th birthday. Today I spare a thought to reflect on her legacy and her lioness contribution to the diaspora and the world as a whole. I aspire to be woman like her.

It's so hard to choose because I love so many of her performances but my top five Nina Simone pieces

Four Women

Mississippi Goddamn

Why (the King of love is dead)

Black is the color of my true love's hair

Ain't Got No

One of my sis's favorites
See Line Woman

RIP beautiful Queen! gone but never ever forgotten.

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Mini Two Strand Twists - the verdict

So, will I stick to month long mini two strand twists as my new protective style? Look at the picture and tell me what you think I decided

Left bag - this weeks shed hair, right bag - shed hair from the week I put in my twists. Granted the left is 4 weeks of shed hair compared to one week, that is still a lot! Lots of that is broken hair as opposed to truly shed hair.

Determination: HELLLL NAH! 

Man, look at how much hair I lost! lol. It took me a full 2.5 hrs to detangle and style my hair post deep condition and ACV rinse, a process that usually takes an hour. there were so many disturbing tangles, I even had to cut two because I just couldn't. lol so yeah. I will def rock mini twists again because they are stylish, easily styled and the resulting twist out is phenomenal but I am NOT leaving these babies in my hair this long again ever or washing with them in. I think that's the main problem. Once my hair gets in water, it gets freaky and wants to flirt with other strands resulting in tangles, locs and general detangling disaster.

Hair post Deep Condition and ACV Rinse

This week I put my hair in about 22 box braids to recoup. I'm going to try to leave them in for 2 weeks and not wash for two weeks. I won't be surprised if I had a length and health set back because of those mini twists. So much breakage yall. And look at the size of that hair ball! (tear) 

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For this week's leave-in mixture I used Hollywood beauty's carrot creme instead of Cantu and I like it a lot. It gives my mixture a thicker consistency and is much easier to use with less wastage. Depending on how my hair responds I might permanently replace the Cantu with this. As of right now my hair is nice and shiny and breathing a sigh of relief.

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I think the next purchase I make is going to be a tangle teezer. I have to try that thing out because as my hair is getting longer my comb is just not doing it for me as it used to. Especially last night, I had to take most of those tangles out by hand because my comb was ripping my hair out. 

I'm also contemplating getting my hair straightened and possibly getting a trim. I think I need a break from the curlies for a while, not deal with tangles (do I sound traumatized or what) lol. I also noticed a lot of fairy (single strand) knots last night so I think I should probably deal with that situation. My plan is to let these braids sit for two weeks, do another coconut pre-poo treatment, do some medium braids/two strand twists for another two weeks then do my monthly shampoo, a protein treatment and the rest of the works and go get my hair straightened to see what I'm dealing with.

Stay Tuned! lol

Today's leave in Mixture 

• 3 tbs Hollywood Beauty Carrot Creme
• 2 tbs Redken Extreme Antisnap
• 2 tbs Aloe vera juice
• 2 tsp jojoba oil
• 2 tsp tea tree oil
• 2 tsp grapeseed oil