I Have A Crush on A Woman

By: Mashaka Williams

I have been listening to this woman speak for the last 4 years more frequently and find myself being moved by her words and eloquence. I often seek to hear her speeches on You Tube and it never fails that sense of pride comes over me.

Michelle Obama is an example of what a true woman should be like. From her catchy phrase, “When they go low we go high.” To her appearance and manner in which she speaks. Everything about her exemplifies what a woman should stand for and look like. Her control and intelligence is beyond me.

As a mother of two I aim to be a good example of what a good woman should be, how a lady should behave, but every now and then when I fall short I will summon the Michelle Obama energy and regroup, because she is what a lady should look like but more importantly how a lady should conduct herself. I find myself expressing what I have to with passion and dignity. Trust me guys in the world we live in there are some choice words that I want to use to express myself to the ignorant people I encounter. However that phrase rings strong and I choose to go high.

Don’t for one second think that my mother and father did not raise me right. They raised me to be just like Michelle however we lose sight of that when dealing with the plights of being a black women in America. However seeing her lets me know what they intended for us to look and be like. It’s a true visual and a good one.

So yes I have a for real woman crush on the First Lady of the United Stated of America Mrs. Michelle Obama, because she is what I think every woman should aim to be. Elegant and eloquent.

 

Have a great day,

Shak

To Make-up or Not to Make-up

By: Mashaka Williams

A make-up day

It is so funny how certain things become such a must discuss topic. Should we have natural hair or should we relax it. Should we wear make-up or should we go without.

So in true blogger style I have to give my take. Who cares! If you are comfortable in your skin you can do whatever you want.

I remember in high school I had a really good friend named Francine and she never relaxed her hair and wore no make-up only good old fashion Vaseline. And she was the picture of what a natural black woman should look like. No one had better braid ups than her. But the truth is you did not hear the guys saying wow look at that beauty. She never made that her deciding factor on how she should carry herself. I see pictures of her now and every now and then she has on make-up. She is still as beautiful with it on as she is with it off. Make-up does not make you any less or more pretty.

So you wear it great, you don’t that is great too. It is a choice. That is the wonderful thing about being a woman we can change our hairstyles and appearances. Let’s embrace it and move on.

I read some comments on Alicia Keys not wearing make-up. That is a great thing. It shows women that they are beautiful as they are. As a You tube fan and a person who has just started making videos, she helped me realize that I can do these videos without make- up and be proud.

The point is there are so many things that we have to worry about on a daily basis, let’s not make a big deal out of make-up or no make-up, let’s embrace the fact that we have the choice.

By the way let’s also accept that are skin is not flawless. That’s part of being human. J

 

Have a great day,

Shak

My Favorite Things in April

By Mashaka Williams

From left to right: Urban Decay Lipstick, Lush Lip Scrub, Rosebud Salves, Tea container

 I realized that the closer I get to being 40 years old the more I am discovering about myself. It is fun and scary at the same time. I am not changing overly drastically, but I am changing and paying close attention to the things I like and want. Today I am going to share some of my favorite things with you.

Tea has always been something that I loved. Growing up in a Caribbean household it is something that we have to have in the morning as well as at night. To this day my uncle makes tea for my aunt every morning and every night. In recent years I have grown a true appreciation for loose leaf tea. I find myself frequenting Teavana to get my fix. Currently I am drinking Blueberry Bliss and Pineapple Kona Pop together. However my favorite is Dragonfruit Devotion. I just love this stuff. I even have a small travel container for my tea. I am serious about having the good stuff.

As I am getting older I realize that I never really learned how to apply make-up properly, so I went to Sephora for a lesson on how to do a No Make-up Make-up application. That was awesome. It was here that I realized I love lippies. So I went hunting for my signature red lipstick and the lucky winner was Urban Decay matte revolution lipstick in color Bad Blood. Even though I am calling it my signature color I know I will be on the hunt for many more signature colors…lol. I have always loved lip gloss and recently found Rosebud Perfume Company Rosebud Salves. This feels so amazing on the lips.

Finally but I am certain not last. I love LUSH. Seeing as I told you about my love for lippies I am so into the mint julep lip scrub. This stuff is amazing.

It’s easy to see that my lips are important to me..lol. I hope you all get a chance to explore some new things that can become your favorite thing.

Have a wonderful day,

Shak

Perfume Crazy

By Mashaka Williams

 

So as you all know I have many addictions. I have already exposed my Ipsy addiction. And now I am going to share another one.

I am obsessed with fragrances in any form. May it be hand lotion, body butter, bath soaps or shower gels, body spray and perfumes. So let me explain the extent of this.

Lately I find myself going to Sephora to get samples of the latest fragrances. However I just found out that I could get samples of lotions and I found myself feeling elated at the thought. It was at this point that I realized I may have a little problem.

They say the first step to getting over a problem is admitting that you have one. So I am openly admitting that I may have a problem, however it is not one that I want to fix yet because it cost me no money or any harm.

This all started with a mission to find a signature fragrance, which is still my aim. And I will blog about that venture a little more in the coming month as I need to find one before my birthday in May.

So for those of you who enjoy a free sample of product, go to Sephora and get you sample of perfume they can be used for so many things. You can use them in your bath, travelling and of course what is created for is spraying.

Happy fragrancing,

 

Shak

Easter Fun with the Girls

By Mashaka Williams

My Babies dying eggs

Easter was so much fun this year that I wanted talk about some of my traditions and why I continue to do them.

For those of you who are new to knowing me I love doing arts and craft projects as well as planning an event or dinner. I take holidays as an opportunity to do both of these things. So this year was particularly special because we invited another close family to join us for dinner that day.

As a Christian it has always been important to remember the purpose of Easter. We sometimes get caught up in the commercial aspect of it and not stay focused on the true meaning. Don’t get me wrong I still give my girls and their friends candy baskets, have an Easter egg hunt and die eggs. I also go to Church during the Lenten period more regularly and only eat fish on Fridays. I want them to have a true understanding of this holiday so it was important for me to make certain that there was true balance in the holiday.

As always we had a great time and I used this as an opportunity to bond with my children and have some quality family time. We talked about Jesus and his resurrection, we talked about fasting and new beginnings. And as an adult the concept is pretty daunting sometimes, because of that I feel that this is something that needs to be imbedded in my children as a norm. That way the tradition is embedded in them.

We invited another family that we hold near and dear to our hearts and it is at these times that we gift our children with memories and experiences. I love being able to do that for my girls and know that I am blessed with the ability to not only do it but enjoy it also.

Hope everyone Enjoyed there Easter as much as we enjoyed ours.

Missed Photo Opps

By Mashaka Williams

Coming out of the slump

 

In planning my 40^th birthday celebration and looking for pictures of myself, I realized that there was a period of time that I did not take any pictures of myself. And I thought to myself if it is just me or are there other women out there that did not like how they looked and refused to take pictures.

I think that it is sad to know that the reason I did not take any pictures was because I felt chubby and did not want my old school mates to see me looking a little plumper than they probably remembered me. But the more I thought about it the more I had to be honest. I did not want to think about people saying that about me because I have done it.

Society is as such that we look at pictures of the people we knew and comment on them. We would say both good and bad. It is not always done in a malicious way, but it was done. And it is because of my own self I hid the reality of how I felt about myself.

The funny thing is now when I look pictures of people who gained weight I look at the picture to observe if they are happy. Rather than if they are skinny, fat, or the same. I think we need to really enjoy ourselves at each stage. So I am upset that I don’t have those chubby pictures of myself because I missed out on some photo opportunities with my kids.

So if you are doing what I did, don’t feel bad you’re not alone. However I do encourage you do take those pics and be happy. At the end of the day we only have one life and there are greater struggles in life than being a little fatter (there I said it) than we want to be.

 

Have a great day,

Shak

A Father's Answers

By: Mashaka Williams

In a society that is so driven by all that the fathers don’t do. Let’s talk about the ones that do and why they do.

I am lucky enough to have some male friends who make a point in being a part of their children’s life. In an attempt to not change his words I will simply post the questions and responses. Thank you for your honest answers. Just so you know these are his answers, not every male has the mother issues. In this case he does and yet he is there.

Hardest part of being a single dad? You can give me more than one example.

Initially it’s trying to explain to the kid(s) why they are no longer going to be living with both parents.

Dealing with the mother.
The finances (if you’re paying child support)
Getting involved in their emotional and academic development
Being in a serious relationship with someone other than their mother and making sure their needs remain 1^st and foremost.
Lastly not killing the mom (LMAO)!!!!!

What drives you to do this- lots of guys just say to hell with it? If you say my kids elaborate. I know your kids give me more.

My faith

Being raised by a single mother
Realizing it’s not their fault. I created them it’s my job to take care of them.
I enjoy them.

What would you tell someone that is about to be in your situations and just don’t want to deal with the fight? Give me an answer from however you want to interpret the question.

It’s what you make it like everything else in life. If you see it as an inconvenience then it will be. Make the most out of the limited time you have with them because the quality outweighs the quantity (though that is important also). If you can get along with the mother great but if not then become more involved with every aspect of their life school, extracurricular sports, and the days you don’t see them then call. A phone call goes a long way. 

Have a great day,

Shak