Jessiker Bakes!

Check out this vlog done by guest blogger  Jessiker Bakes here on Candid Cinni

Perfect for the holiday season!

produced by Struck x Gold.

SN: Try the Biscotti flavor of Baileys in the recipe.

Daily Fix of Hair

Its Me on Christmas Day

Artiste Spotlight - Chloe & Halle

WHY AM I JUST FINDING OUT ABOUT THESE GIRLS??!

No seriously... dem baaaaaaadddd!!!
Their voices are so mature for their age & they're so gorge! I know they're gonna go far in life

Merry Christmas!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful day surrounded by their loved ones :)

Straight Road Ahead

So its Winter time and I want to straighten my hair.
Nothing new or out of the ordinary for that.. many naturals get the itch to around this time. The cool weather just sends some message to us that says... "let it be pressed".
Now since I've cut off my relaxed ends I haven't straightened my hair. I haven't even done a blow out.

*insert gasp*

I pretty much treated Heat like the ugly stepchild and did away with it. Hardly even used it for deep conditioning treatments, diffusing, nada. Why? Well simply because 

1. I was scared of heat damage & 2. I just couldn't be bothered to do it especially since I was living in Florida. I didn't want to spend time into getting it all smooth and flat only to have it revert in no time. No sir, No ma'am.

Now that my hair is longer I want to give it a go. I think I've watched enough Youtube tutorials and read up on heat damage preventative measures to have a go at it. I'm also very curious as to what it would look like. My only thing is, I'm currently in Florida.. one of the reasons why I didn't attempt it sooner lol. I'm still gonna try.. I've put in my head that its ok if it fuzzes up.. I'll just work around it.

Toya's twitpic of her natural hair flat ironed. All hers!

I bought the Carol's Daughter Chocolat Smoothing Collection to do it. Figured why not treat my tresses since its the first time I'm straightening it since I've gone natural. Cause for celebration!
Check out KisforKinky's post here on it & Elle of QuestForThePerfectCurl review on it here.

Now all I need to do is buy a flat iron.. I loaned it to someone last year and never got it back...
Another reason I didn't attempt to straighten it. I entertained the idea of doing a roller set then silk wrap to get it straight buuttttt I suck tremendously at roller sets. Even when I was relaxed, could never get the hang of it.

So flat ironed hair is on my to do list for the holidays.  How about you guys? Thinking of taking the plunge into the heat pool and emerging with swing swang hair?

Hoppin' Cross Di Pond

Hello Lovelies :) Hope all is well with each and every one of you!

I'm so happy, I've reached South FL!!! Took so much to get here. Left the snow for sunshine even though I was enjoying the snow.

My "IT SNOWED!" Face

View from a window of the snow

Hopped a bus then train to Manchester.. stayed the night with family friends and then off to the airport early in the morn.. around 8 am.

Poor guy, totally exhausted at Manchester Airport.

Caught a flight to Heathrow then a 10 hr flight to Miami. 10 bloody hours. When I was going to to the UK, it only took 8 hours.. My day was entirely too long.. didn't get to bed until after 1 am FL time which was after 6 am UK time. I haven't got much sleep yet but its probably because I'm so excited to be here that I want to take it all in.

Waiting to depart from Heathrow

Somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean

Will be updating you guys on my adventures.. stay tuned!

Worn Free?

I was on Concreteloop and I saw a story about a t-shirt company called Worn Free producing tees with designs first worn by Bob Marley.

Y'all know I love me some Bob Marley and I think the idea is great but then I saw this pic

Spartan Health Club is a gym in Jamaica and I'm just wondering if they are getting any of the proceeds from this particular t-shirt being sold or if they even agreed to it.
I just found it a little hilarious that they were making a tee with that design on it because people are going to be snatching that up for $45 because Bob had a tee like it when someone in JA has one stored in their "yaad clothes" pile.

Community Carol

For the past couple of days, I've been watching Community from Season 1 right up to Season 3.
I've never been the type of person who has "shows" - the one who tunes in every week to a specific scripted series and then waits patiently (or impatiently) for the upcoming epi the following week.
It has been of late that I'm getting into certain shows and Community is one of them.

Totally love it. LOOOVVEEE. Yeah, late sue me.

Just watched the latest and what could possibly be the last (NOOO! #saveCommunity) and the end credits bit had me cracking up so I thought I'd share :)

Happy haPPY mERRY Ding

Hello all!

town square of where I reside

Tis the season to be Jolly :) I hope you all are well and that the holiday season isn't stressing you out. I know finals are either drawing to a close or done for some people while others are wondering what to get the loved ones in their lives.

I'm right there in that boat with you all. My first term in the UK is officially over and now I'm in the prep stages to go home to FL for Christmas. I can't wait!

I love me some Christmas.. celebrating the birth of Christ with loved ones all around is just wonderful & with all the commercialism of the holiday, one can lose sight of what it's about. In one of my devotionals, it speaks on the gifts we can give this holiday and not necessarily ones that speak financial volumes.

So drawing from that, I thought I would put together some ideas for gifts that is easy on the pocket but means so much.
Ideas after the jump

Daily Fix of Hair

Today's fix is of myself 

*cues streamers*

lol this is of a failed W'n'G I did last week.

Hair ended up feeling all dry and bleh the next day 

but looked nice initially

not the best pic I know but I like playing around with instagram.

I can assure pics will improve in quality & a lot more personal pics will be on the blog in a couple of weeks

Texture shot

MANE-ly Speaking

Who are you?

WELL!!! I am Amanyea Shadea Milagros Stines (love my full name :))  :) I dance with L'Acadco - A United Caribbean Dance Force and I am studying Aerospace Engineering and Dance at Penn State University. I love cars, shoes, clothes, chemistry and ballet :)

3 words you would use to describe yourself.

Eclectic, Random and ADHD (not an adjective but! lol definitely me )

Why did you go natural?

I have been natural almost all my life, I've been rocking short cuts since I was 13 (when I decided to go completely bald :)) ONE DAY! -_- I decided to put a relaxer in, that was almost the worst decision in my entire life, SO! last year, I cut all my hair off! to start again!. I am currently trying to achieve a long mane.

Was it difficult or easy to go natural?

Wasn't very difficult for me, since that is what I was use to, I didn't know how to manage my new found relaxed hair, it was a lot more work for me. My mother also didn't believe in relaxers or anything chemical, not even gel. I've been putting olive oil, shea butter and mayonnaise treatments in my hair from an early age, :)! THANK GOD for the mother I have. 

4 words to describe your mane.

unruly:)!, bipolar, GORGEOUS!, and loyal!

Tell us a little about your regimen.

In all honesty, I love my hair but I always NEED a different look. So my regimen is purely strategies to keep the hair "on my head" lol. I highlight, low light, streak, and bleach my hair almost every month, and I cut it almost 4 to 5 times a year. This is my first year attempting to grow my hair out. I shampoo once a week and co wash every other day :).  I deep condition my hair every other week, and do oil treatments the weeks I don't deep condition. I use anything that smells good and feels good to me, I trust my hair to tell me what it likes and it definitely likes Herbal Essence's Hydration conditioner, and Yes to cucumbers shampoo. I usually make my own deep conditioner with anything that is left in my refrigerator. 

Yogurt

Mayonnaise

Avocados

Eggs :)!

and I mix it with MY FAVOURITE OIL IN THE WORLD, coconut oil! 100% coconut oil :)

What have you learned on your natural hair journey?

To listen to my hair. I've realized my hair is my hair & although you can listen to other opinions, you have to just follow what makes you! feel good. I've realized Giovanni didn't work for me nor Kinky-Curly and that Shea Moisture and Herbal Essence did. It all depends on you.  Do not be afraid to experiment :)

Candidly speaking.. (anything else you would like to add)

I love designing swimsuits, I actually can't even remember the last time I've worn a swimsuit that wasn't my design! 

also, I secretly want to be a performing artiste

:)

Daily Fix of Hair

Today's fix is of Abenah Gonzalez

Muzik Mondays

P-P-P-P-PULL UP DA CHUNE DEH SELECTA!

That goes to show how much I love this song "Call fi Mi Cure" by Tessanne Chin produced by Washroom Entertainment.

Tessanne can never do me wrong. Her voice.. my goodness. So bloody rich! 

Her + Washroom & their wicked beats = earful of bliss. 

WARNING: Your hips may move upon hearing.

Heard the song & I would wheel an come again with it bout 10 time. Yeah that good.

The song is on the Bubble Gum Riddim which you can get on iTunes.

Enjoy =)

TWA Tales - Styling

Hello my gentle people out there!

Ok so as the post says TWA Tales. No I do not have a TWA (not anymore) but I've been on the hunt for easy TWA styles for my sister. She's like me - likes no fuss hair. She likes elaborate styles but rather have someone else do it for her.

& now I'm looking for easy styles for her. Oh the joys of being the younger sibling -.- (which would be me if You didn't catch that)
The search for the styles took me back to the times I had a TWA and it kinda made me want to do it all over again... kinda.

That is a whole 'nother post.
Anyhoo I found this vid on CurlyNikki. I remember really digging this style.. I think I attempted it too.

Enjoy =)

Daily Fix of Hair

Today's fix is Anonymous.

I saw the pic & loved it.

Daily Fix of Hair

Today's fix is of Canadian pop singer Kreesha Turner.

(not sure if her hair is natural or not but who cares?! its lovely :)

Clean an Out!

Weekly post done by Shonique D. Thomas of caughtupinmyreverie.tumblr.com. She is a student at the University of Florida currently studying Marketing. Shonique has a passion for fashion so her weekly posts will be fashion oriented. 

HAREM PANTS? OFF THAT! 

WIDE-LEGGED PANTS? ON IT!

Disclaimer: Before I even get into the topic at hand, I want to apologize for failing to commit to my weekly fashion posts promise! I swear, I am not a flake, but I have been absolutely overwhelmed with school, especially with exams right around the corner! I am so sorry and I feel absolutely horrible!

I want to begin by first saying that when the harem pants trend first surfaced, I was a major fan! I quickly realized that it would be one of those love/hate trends – no neutral feelings. Initially, I only liked it on others – a lot of celebrities rocked it so effortlessly.

 Over a time, I started to wonder if I could pull it off and this curiosity encouraged me to shift outside of my comfort zone and venture further into the realms of fashion. 

Above is a picture of my first attempt at the harem pant trend (left)! Unfortunately, I don’t have any individual pictures, because interestingly enough, I’m always the one behind the camera. I always regret it the next day when I have nothing to show for last night’s attire!

Now on to the next issue!

I am tired of the harem pant trend! I am completely over it! Possibly, because it is no longer unique – everyone is in it! Also, I am constantly seeing it so badly worn that I’m turned off! So, where I’m at right now is that I’m leaving the harem pant trend to those just catching up and moving on to something new!

So, what exactly have I moved on to? Can you keep a secret? Promise? Wide-legged pants!

Now, wide-legged pants is not for everyone, as are most trends. The trend first started resurfacing around January of this year, and as you can see it still is not well-represented on the streets. Personally, I like that. I like being the odd girl, wearing the odd item of clothing, and standing out – be it good or bad!

 

I don’t want to make this post too long, so we’re going to wrap up with couple tips on how to wear wide-legged pants, in my opinion of course:

• With heels! Flats just don’t complete the look for me.
• With a slim-fitting top to balance out the volume of the bottom half. A soft, flowy blouse can also work, but I would advise one to break up the look by wearing a waist-cinching belt.
• You can also go completely 70s and wear it with a pair of platform shoes.

With love, Shonique D. Thomas.

Daily Fix of Hair

Todays fix is of Terry Lynn - Jamaican artiste.

Shot by Peter Dean Rickards

Candidly Speaking

Had the pleasure of interviewing mastermind behind the visually stimulating That GOOD GOOD Blog

Enjoy =)

Tell us a little about yourself.

Hello world! My name is Dami Oyelola. I am a 20 year old girl from Nigeria, currently residing in peaceful Pennsylvania. I attend Penn State University where I am a third year student studying Food Science. I love Christ, people, hip-hop, vintage clothes, poetry, and apple pie.

When & why did you decide to start blogging?

I started blogging a little over a year ago (July 14, 2010). The reason I started this blog is because I had been seriously longing for a creative outlet at that point in my life. I've always loved writing and I have a strong affinity for fashion, music, and art. I realized that a blog would be a great way to combine all of these interests. Being completely new to blogging, I didn't have any major plans or goals for the blog; it was purely just going to be something for me to do during the summer in my free time. Now, as I think about how far the blog has come between then and now, I am beyond speechless.  I never, ever, ever, EVER thought that so many people would be interested in the things I have to say! I find it terrifying, to be honest. But when that fear settles, all that is left is excitement and hope. I'm excited because I can't wait to see where this blog is going to take me & I'm hopeful because I know that there is a good reason I have been given this unique opportunity to share my interests and the people/things that inspire me with other people.

How has your blog affected you?

It's amazing because I have been asking myself this question a lot lately. I find that the periods in which I am not able to blog, I get a little sad. I didn't realize how big of stress reliever blogging is for me, it truly is therapeutic. Especially when my schoolwork is becoming too much, it's so nice to have something to take my mind off of organic chemistry and agribusiness management every once in a while. Also, my blog has really giving me a renewed sense of conviction in my opinions. I've always been a bit quirky and into things that not too many other people were into (specifically music) and I would get some flack from my sisters and some of my friends about it. However, knowing now that there are over a thousand people around the world who share the same interests as me is liberating. Also, being able to put hundreds of people onto things they didn't know about is awesome as well.

What do you hope to achieve with your blog?

The main thing I wish to achieve with my blog is to inspire other people to chase their dreams, whatever those dreams may be. Like I always say, our generation is full of really determined individuals who refuse to wait to chase their dreams. So many people my age already have established businesses and are indulging themselves in their crafts. It's so inspiring and I want my blog to serve as a resource for such.

So let's talk about hair.. are you natural and if so why did you go natural?

YES! I have been natural since I was in the 7th grade (13 years old). In all honesty. I went natural because my hair was badly broken from perms. However, I have remained natural for so long because I am truly in love with my curls, kinks, and coils.

4 words to describe your mane.

thick, unpredictable, beautiful, & mine :)

5 things you're loving at the moment.

1. film photography

2. vinyl records

3. cherry red Dr. Martens

4. really, really, really big knit scarves

5. cocoa butter chapstick (my favorite thing in the world)

Candidly speaking.. (anything else you would like to add.. quote, mantra you live by etc)

"Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you." -Marianne Williamson, "Our Deepest Fear"

Foodie Wednesdays: Guest Post by Jessica from Jessiker Bakes {Pumpkin Pie}

Hello Candid Cinni followers! My name is Jessica of Jessiker Bakes and this is my guest post on Candid Cinni's blog. Every Wednesday we will be doing a foodie themed blog post to satisfy your sweet (and sometimes savoury) cravings! Everyone does love to eat, right? Great. So it's almost December (wow) but here's one last Fall themed dessert - pumpkin pie!

Give us your feedback so I can cater these guest posts to your desires!

Happy reading and even happier eating! 

- Jessica @ Jessiker Bakes

________________________________________________________________________________

What better way to end Thanksgiving season/Fall with Pumpkin Pie? I made some for the Thanksgiving holidays and just wanted to share this delicious recipe with you! It's a delicious Graham Crusted Pumpkin Pie straight from the genius Rachel Ray! So you know it's good! I topped it with some whipped cream and it's a delightful treat!

Graham Cracker Crusted Pumpkin Pie
P.S. the original recipe calls for granola bars but I didn't have any on hand so I just used Graham Crackers and loved it! I used about 1 1/2 cups of crumbs.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 box (8.9 oz.) crunchy granola bars, broken into chunks
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. packed light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten, plus 1 egg white
• 1 can (15 oz.) pure pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°. Grease a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan. Using a food processor, grind the granola bars with 2 tbsp. brown sugar. Add the butter and egg white and pulse until the crumbs are moistened. Pat the mixture evenly onto the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake until the edge is crisp and lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar, the pumpkin puree, eggs, cream, maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Pour into the piecrust. Bake the pie until the center is almost set, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Daily Fix of Hair

Todays fix is of Jordenlee Mendez

shot by Rendel Gonzales.

Fashion Editorial featuring PILAR - clothing line by Anya Ayoung-Chee 

Project Runway Season 9 Winner

Soundtrack to Life

I know I'm not the only person who thinks that life should be a musical.
Let's all prance about and break out into a choreographed dance number.
Anything profound we have to say which is every 12 minutes, it's a catchy song.

A lot of songs would be in the film entitled "My Life" for it is still being written.
Right off the bat.. anything from Shirley Bassey.

Maybe because I was introduced to her way back when through James Bond movies & I've always wanted parts of my life to play out like Jamesy.
Yes I call him Jamesy. Only his friends call him Jamesy.

What would be included on the soundtrack of your life?

MANE-ly Speaking

Who are you?

My name is Shamar Chin. I am 21 years old and I am currently a junior at Wesleyan University studying Earth & Environmental Sciences.

3 words you would use to describe yourself.

Driven, bubbly and quirky

Why did you go natural?

I was 8 years old when my hair was first relaxed (long time ago).  Clearly at this age I did not appreciate my mane, instead, I was caught up with crying about how thick my hair was.  As I got older I grew tired of the maintaining relaxed hair. No matter what I did, I was never satisfied with the state of my hair. The brittleness, constant breakage and my lack of patience made the process painful and tiring. I have attempted to go natural a few times, this time being my third try and my second big chop. Each time I had a different experience and this time around I feel like I am more prepared to take care of my hair. All in all, I was killing my hair and it was time for me to stop. 

Was it difficult or easy to go natural?

Going natural has definitely been difficult for me despite the fact that this is my third attempt.  I tried to transition once and I gave up after 5 month, so once I made the decision to go natural again I knew I had to big chop. Both times I big chopped I did it myself and it was quite impulsive. Chopping my hair off was the easy part.  This journey has been difficult for me because I am in the awkward phase. My hair is not short enough to slick it back and go and it is not long enough to pin it up. I feel like I am at a standstill point and it is very frustrating because I like to change the style of my hair on a regular basis. Another difficult thing is learning how to take care of my hair because what works for someone else won’t necessarily work for you. It is also hard being in this climate because it is cold and dry for most of the school year which is quite harsh on my hair.

4 words to describe your mane.

Thick, coily, big and sponge-like

Tell us a little about your regimen.

For my protein treatment, I use an egg and mayo and allow it to dry on my hair for about 2 hours. 

I deep condition my hair every other week with some coconut oil, mayo, jojoba oil, a conditioner and olive oil. 

After I wash out this deep conditioner I apply avocado oil to my hair.  For shampooing, I use a sulfate free shampoo (Organix is one of my favorites).

Everyday Regimen:

• I wet my hair using a spritz bottle. 
• I apply mane n’ tale as a leave in conditioner. 
• If it is humid, I apply vegetable glycerin to my hair because it is a humectant.
• I apply some cantu shea butter and seal in the moisture with castor oil. 

What have you learned on your natural hair journey?

I am learning to be patient. I have a long way to go before I reach my ultimate goal and I know that it won’t happen overnight therefore I constantly remind myself that patience is key. I am also learning to love myself and appreciate my natural hair.  I have also become a stronger person during this journey because there are days when I feel like giving up but I have to tell myself to keep it together and be strong. 

MANE-ly speaking.. (anything else you would like to add)

Everyone is beautiful in their own way. I have made the decision to go natural but I am not against straightening your hair because at the end of the day it’s your happiness that matters. Whatever you do, do it for the right reasons. Also, if you are thinking about going natural, give it some thought because it is not easy. Do some research about how to take care of your hair, decide if you want to transition or big chop and figure out if you would want to use extensions to make your journey easier. 




Follow Shamar on Twitter @Sham_Cee

Daily Fix of Hair

Todays fix is close to home.. it's my sister Shivonne =) 

SHE DID THE BC! She chopped off her locs yesterday & surprised me by sending me a pic.

I just had to share.

my sister in May 2011

Lil difficult for me to find a headshot of my sis & her locs recently *shrug*

the locs all gone!