If you're like me, you like to read. And if you're even more like me, you hardly have time to do so, with all the school work, regular work and other life happenings that you have to deal with. Summer time is my time to get caught up on my "leisure" reading. There are so many books out there by so many amazing writers that it's hard to stuff them all into one summer. I love fiction books by African American authors and fiction books about shopping and fashion. If you haven't already, check out your local library. This is an awesome and cheap way to get in your literature fix this summer and for the rest of the year. The public library has pretty much any book you can ever possibly want...for the free free. And if you have an electronic reader, most libraries allow you to "rent" the books with your digital reader. You just download the soft wear on your computer and then "check out" the books on your reader. Its amazing. But if you're old fashioned like me, go a head and check out the books at your local library. Here is a list of books that I have my heart set on reading this summer.

All books by Toni Morrison- I love Toni Morrison and so I plan on getting through all of her books by the end of the summer. Morrison captures almost every aspect of African-American life in her books and brings to light many of the issues that we as a people have and continue to struggle with today. She is amazing. Last summer I read The Bluest Eye and this summer I'm starting with Sula. I've read Song of Solomon and Love in undergrad but I plan on re-reading them. Here is a list of all her novels if you want to check them out.

The Bluest Eye
Sula
Tar Baby
Song of Solomon
Beloved
Jazz
Paradise
Love
A Mercy


The Known World by Edward Jones- this novel creates a vivid depiction of slave-owning blacks before the Civil War.

Miracle at St. Anna by James McBride- This book was made into a movie and I never actually got a chance to see it. But I am extremely interested in the book. The book is set in World WarII and focuses on a group of black soldiers in Tuscany, Italy.

The Sweet Hearts of Soul by Evelyn Lambright- this is a story of 4 women, former members of a 60s R & B group, and their amazing bond.

The Bondwomans Narrative by Hannah Craft- this novel focuses on Hannah, house slave, as she narrates her life experiences.

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingslover- This novel is about a family embroiled in the political turmoil of postcolonial Africa.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Cane Rive by Lalita Tademy- this piece of fiction follows a down-home creole family and explores the intricate relationships between slaves and slave owners, and provocative issues of class and racism within the black community.

Shopaholic series by Sophie Khisella- This series follows Beckey Bloomwood through her antics and love of fashion, You surly will fall in love with this fashion obsessed misfit.

I am going to start with The Known World by Edward Jones and report back to you on my thoughts and feelings. What books do you have on your book list? Please share.-azureDizzle

** UPDATE** I tried reading The Known World by Edward Jones and I almost cut myself. So I quit...Ill try to revisit later. But I'm moving on to Nappily Ever After by Trisha R. Thomas. It is a fiction novel surrounding the fictional character of Venus, who like many of us, is trapped in the world of the beauty salon and the idea of "good" hair. She finally gives it up and cuts off her hair...which sends her boyfriend packing. Check it out.

Hey all. I finally tried the Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding. And I must say I really liked it. I have heard a lot of mixed reviews about this product. Some people love it, some hate, hate, hate it. But I am glad that I tried it for myself. I did a twist out the curly pudding and it turned out great. Here are a couple comments that I have about the product.

I used a creamy leave-in conditioner under the Miss Jessie's via the Mop Top Maven. I also used a very small amount of Miss Jessie's for each twist and I mean not even covering my index finger. My twists and curls came out uber soft. It was amazing. But I would say my curls were a little too soft. When I took out my twists, they were defined but a little frizzy in some places. Next time I am going to use a little more of the product and see how it turns out. Over all, I think Miss Jessie's is a keeper.

Rating: * * * *

Sidebar...I left my camera cord in Houston like a dummy...so I'll update with the pictures I took as soon as I can.- azureDizzle

Hey all. A while ago I stumbled upon a post by the Mop Top Maven and she was blogging about M.A.C eye shadow and make up brush "dupes". If you don't know, a "dupe" is like a "knock-off". Looks and works the same as the real thing, but isn't. The make-up artist in the videos below is EnKore. He has is own youtube channel where he explains how to apply all types of make up. His videos are amazing. The eye shadows and brushes are great alternatives to the real thing. If you're like me and like to look fly on a budget, you should definitely check out these videos.

Make-up Brush "dubes": Lowel Cornell (available at Micheal's Craft)
Eye Shadow "dubes": Coastal Scents (available online at www.coastalscents.com)






Here are a couple of pics of the brushes and eye shadow palettes that I purchased after watching EnKore's videos.





Enjoy!!!-azureDizzle

Hello All!! I have some new tips and tricks to share with you. I tried my first Co-Wash this past weekend. I have read a lot about other naturals "co-washing", which is a method of cleansing hair without using shampoo. The conditioner gently cleanses the scalp while adding moisture to the hair. I tried the co-wash after wearing my hair in a poof for a couple days. I used VO5 Peaches and Cream Moisture Milk Conditioner. I used this conditioner because it is cheap ( $1.00 a bottle!!!) and I can use a lot of it without hurting my pockets. The conditioner really softened my strands and after my natural curls were extra defined. Im calling this method the "Co-Wash and Go". After I co-washed I added Oyin's Juices and Berries Leave-in Herbal conditioner and did a small hump in the front. I think that I will be doing co-washes more often. They are easy and quick and leave my hair soft and manageable. Here are some pics!





I know a lot of you have heard of Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding. It's been all the rave. But I have heard a lot of bad reviews about it. So I was kind of scared to try it...plus I didn't want to fork out $30 for a jar. However, I was watching a couple videos from The Mop Top Maven, who uses Miss Jessie's for her twist outs and braid outs. I have never uses a "butter" or "pudding" type product for my twist outs. I tend to be apprehensive also because I don't know if these types of products will work with my hair "type". But I think I'm going to give it try. Nikole of The Mop Top Maven has also used Bee Mine Bee Hold Curly Butter and Komazza Care Curl Coconut Hair Pudding. She used these products by first using a leave-in conditioner on the hair and then adding Oyin's Burnt Sugar Pomade before adding the butter based products. I'm going to try these products soon and report back to you. Mean while here are a couple tutorial videos from The Mop Top Maven, showing how she uses the Miss Jessie's and Bee Mine Bee Hold Curly Butter. - azureDizzle

Hello all!! oh how I've missed thee. I was a little under the weather last week and I have now entered the world of "comps", our end of the year law school exams...which is 50% of our entire grade. Scary I know. But I have not forgotten about you all. Check back on sidebar soon for some knew posts about life, style, hair and other juicy topics. Holla!