CURLY GIRL DIARIES- 0039, DC Edition

So I decided that for the rest of the summer, I'm rocking protective styles during the week and out on the weekends. These fairy knots are annoying so I'm trying to keep them at bay, plus, I can keep a style for about a week at a time which is cool. I rocked a braid out while in DC. The humidity had its way with Cottontop, but here's how she began.

CITY BOPPIN' : CHOCOLATE CITY

I was looong overdue for a trip to DC and I finally made my way down. The only way to describe this past weekend is, love + insanity.

The club played on their huge screens the song as the DJs bumped it. The vids even scratched and mixed accordingly. DOPE!

My little BIG sis!

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You guys are about 3 hairstyles behind, so let me catch you up.

At Heatwave, I had the top of my head two-strand twisted. I kept it twisted for about a week. Here's my look when I unraveled them.

With Bilal at the MetroTech concert. He was uh-may-zing-a!

I AM MALCOLM X

Love him.Love this shot.

You can't separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom.

CITY BOPPIN: Heatwave 2010

Fun was had. No point in yapping...just look at the pics and pretend you were there.

JESUS + SANRIO ARE PLAYING JOKES ON ME

::drooling::

INTRODUCTION: Le Chat

Ok...I gave you a glimpse of my lovely before, but here is the official introduction....

This, my fair readers is my powderpuff, Lé Chat. I've been her mom for an exact week today and I am so happy to have her! I adopted her from the NY Care & Control, which is like a cat's last stop before the death chambers. She is super sweet and calm. She loves being rubbed and gives me a kiss on my cheek every morning. I've become overly attentive and don't even sleep out much anymore because I feel bad when I'm not home with her. Yes, I've become THAT person. Gosh, I love this little thing already! ::melting::

My faaaaaave!!! How can you not love this??

To celebrate a week of being mama & baby, I dedicate this to Lé Cha.

CITY BOPPIN: R&B FESTIVAL AT METROTECH

Sorry to you 9-5ers, but at noon today, I'll be enjoying the sounds of my fave contemporary male singer...BILAL!!!!

He will be another awesome performer at the free outdoor summer music series in downtown Brooklyn! I've been seeing him in concert religiously since BEFORE the album dropped in 2001. I'm sure you guys can hear the squeals from miles away.

SHINE ON

We are unusual and tragic and alive. We walk into the throng of parents and children. We are disadvantaged but young and virile. We walk into the halls and the playground, and we are taller, we radiate. We are orphans. As orphans, we are celebrities. We are foreign exchange people, from a place where there are still orphans. Russia? Romania? Somewhere raw and exotic. We are the bright new stars born of a screaming black hole, the nascent sun burst from the darkness, from the grasping void of space that folds and swallows—a darkness that would devour anyone not as strong as we. We are oddities, sideshows, talk show subjects. We capture everyone's imagination.

-Dave Eggers

A Heartbreaking Work From a Staggering Genius

One of my fave quotes. Rox and I decided to get some of this in permanent ink. It is soooo us. Will pick up the book soon!

BE STILL MY HEART...

I was strolling to Bar 1849 to cop some 20c wings and then my life was changed forever....

I WALKED PAST LENNY KRAVITZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My womb immediately did the dougie. I love that man! Check out the song I want him to sing as I birth our future child.

The subtitles thing blows that that the person who made the vid posted...but you guys NEEDED to see the vid!

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Sunday was Heatwave , I was going to brunch and my twist-out needed to be spruced up so I re-twisted my hair at the top. I worked in a dime size of Hello Hydration to each section before twisting with my EcoStyler and olive oil homemade custard and sealing with Vatika oil. Here are the results:

Off to brunch I go...this was def crop top weekend!

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Some hair pics from the weekend. I took the twists out and rocked a pompadour with a swoop bang.

Summerstage: Raphael Saddiq

I went to summerstage yesterday to see my love Raphael Saadiq with a boy...yes, a boy!

Anywhos, Corey and Leah bought me tix on my 23rd BDay to see RayRay and the show was AWESOME!! I love him! He has aged like fine wine. He also has the bestest back-up singer ever!!! When we saw them for my BDay, we indoctrinated her as our aunt.

Here is RayRay performing one of my faves, "Be Here" yesterday. The girl w/ the natural pincurls and the other w/ the blue mohawk are my homegirls. Of course they were in the front! HaHa!

He performed this as well. "Skyy, Can You Feel Me" is sooooo perfect live!!

P.S. He gave his piano player the mic.....it turned into a Pentecostal Holiness church! That young man saaaaaang!

LOOK WHO HAS BECOME A CAT LADY...

EVERYBODY MEET LE CHAT!!!!!

I'SE YOUR WOMAN NOW

Just like I said I would, I listened to Billie Holiday allll day today. Looking for actual footage of Billie, I stumbled upon three different versions of " I Loves You Porgy". I started life as a theater kid, so this a major song and all three nailed it!

Billie makes melancholy so beautiful...

Nina is....just perfect

I have this performance on VHS. Think its the 1992 American Music Awards. I would sing this in my room for hooooouuuuurrssss!! I can still sing it perfectly...mannerisms included!

NEW YORK....TAKE IT ALL IN

Shot by the awesome,amazing,fantasical, CHARLOW! <--click it!

The girls and I walking across the BK Bridge after watching "Annie Hall" in the park. Friends, wine, fresh mozzarella, bread, and Brooklyn. Perfect night.

::exhale::

Tis Life...

Its still raining here in Brooklyn. I woke up at 7am and watched "The Way We Were". Classic, classic story. I absolutely LOVE Barbara Streisand! I am a total Katie and I am attracted to Hubbles. Hippies and suits can never be... ::le sigh::

I just finished it a few minutes ago and I'm now emotionally distraught. Think I should throw on some Billie Holiday, clean and cry for the rest of the day.

TUNEAGE: LazerProof

You guys already know how much I love the Major Lazer boys...but add La Roux and its magic!

We saw her at Coachella too, and the beats had us rockin'!! Check out their collab mixtape here and enjoy my faves below!

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How was your weekend errbody??

I had a blast at the OkayAfrica event, so my weekend was quite epic. I washed my hair on Sunday. I was being lazy so I DC'd with my detangler, Pantene Natural Fusion, and some EVOO. I put in some Cherokee cornrows, adding Hello Hydration as I braided, and headed out of the door.

This is my hair this morning when I took the braids out. It was sooooo soft!

I rebraided it this morning because I had an interview. (I made the decision to no longer wear my hair pressed in interviews.) Here it is right after finishing the braids. I two-strand twisted the top to add a little wave to my pompadour.

Fin.

TUNEAGE: BLITZ THE AMBASSADOR

I mentioned him in the OkayAfrica post, but Blitz the Ambassador has been making his rounds around NYC! Ghanaian born, Blitz performs with a dope! dope! dope! band. I thought I posted this video before featuring John Forte. Sooooo beautiful!

Face your fears/ Get in front of them/ Life comes down to few brief moments/ this is one of them

PROSPECT PARK'N : OkayAFRICA

Two of my favorite things are coming together today for a special event.

The good folks over at OkayPlayer (Philly!!!!) will be having a concert for the freeski today in Prospect Park (Brooooklyyyyyyn!!!) to launch their new site, OkayAfrica.com. Performers include Sahr Ngaujah (lead from FELA! ), DJ Dhundee, Blitz the Ambassador, Talib Kweli, and The Roots.

Be there....its not to be missed!

TUNEAGE: The Roots

Eve told you guys eons ago that don't no corny sh*t come from Philly. If you didn't believe her then, listen to this, and repent. I have yet to listen to the new Roots Crew album, "How I Got Over" in its entirety, but the songs I heard are INSANE! Get into my current faves...

Quite possibly my favorite Roots moment. I actually have this on VHS.

Sorry For Posting So Late Buuuuut....

You should realize by now that Summer = Brooklyn. Its Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival Week! I was supposed to go to movie night last night...but this heat got the best of the girls and I. Check here for the rest of the week's events.