Preserving Family Heritage

I am so into old black and white pictures of people, they inspire me ( this is a new found love). This picture is of my husbands great grandmother and it's a reminder of my own black history. Just looking at other peoples collections has now motivated me to start collecting photos of my own family. I've started asking all my relatives for any old black and white photos they may have so that I can make a copy of them to add to my small but growing personal collection.

The quilt above even with the tattered areas is a wonderfully peiced together part of family history. It is quilted with cotton fabrics in different florals, small plaids and some large solids. It is the work of my husbands great grandmother, Mary Madea Brooks ( pictured here). We had the 5ft by 7 ft quilt framed and the photograph of her restored and framed also.

What old family items do you hold dear, why?

Beautiful LOVE

As my friends know, I believe in taking time out to "Date My Spouse." I advocate this because it's easy to start taking one another for granted. The things we did to attract our spouses can easily be put on the list that’s titled “Not Important, once we have said, ‘‘I do.” But I say to you put your spouse on your daily “To Do List, just like a garden needs tending in order to grow and produce beautiful yummy fruit , nurture your relationship and fortify it with lot’s of love, tender kisses and care-full-ness. Don’t allow our jobs and or children to be the excuse to do nothing special for our spouses. We say things like, "I'm just to tired after work," or "My children need me," etc, etc. and these excuses just may be true but I know that if
you want a long and HAPPY marriage, “work –it” continually.
I had the pleasure of meeting a great person a few weeks ago, online her name is Itiel McVay, of Smell Good Spa. She is "Dating Her Spouse" and loving it, she posted one of her many dates on her blog at "Still Dating My Spouse" and another date recommendation that answered the question, “Is it important to actually go out to have a date?”
Itiel said, “No. Just last weekend my husband and I had date nights! On Friday, we went out and had a great time. You can read about that on Still Dating My Spouse ning. However, on Saturday we had date night at home. Our daughters (8 & 7) love seeing mommy and daddy date, so they are willing to get out of the way and go to bed. A few days leading up to our weekend, we planned to have our very own spa night on Saturday. We planned our menu for the scrub, and he went shopping. We did a pineapple and mango scrub with turbinado sugar. Blend the fruit in a blender and use about 1/2 cup of sugar. I mixed us a tropical mango and papaya fragrance massage oil. We had candles, incense, and soft music;We massaged each other with the scrub (shower off before massage with oil);We massaged each other with warm oil. Very relaxing and romantic.I make spa products for my business and I go to the spa, but my spa time with my husband was oo la la.”
Tell me about a Great date you and your spouse had, and or any suggestions for a date at home, products, or services we can purchase to aide us with this romantic date and why?
Happy Marriage
B. beautiful, mind, body, spirit

The Beauty Balance

Yes I am what you would call a mixer and matcher, I know, I know, to some of you out there, this is a definate no-no. But hear me out. From personal experience I found that it was easier for me to buy new skin care in separates, as they are needed, I just don't feel comfortable buying just because it's the latest line out or someone says I should buy everything (this is the budget conscious part of me shining through LOL:-)). I buy when I run out and find this to be the best time for me to try something new. On the pictures above you will find my skin care regemin to be strictly drug store at the moment, with a off-brand "Oil of Olay" want-a-be....It turns out to have been a valued investment (even though my husband bought me some MAC facial cleanser, I can't seem to through it away, but I don't care for it at all...it's going today). I'm running out of pretty much everything for my facial skin care regimen, the timing seems to be perfect...Date Night is approaching and I will be going to see my makeup artist at our local MAC counter (Mayumi, she's the best)to get all dolled up and to see what's new. Again I'm not stuck on Name Brand anything.... I just like what works for me. I happen to love beautiful vibrant colors and MAC seems to draw my attention because in the color department it delivers exactly what you see. I will let you know how the MAC visit worked out in a future post.
I also had the pleasure to meet the owner of a new cosmetics line, Onamia Chun of "Fugly Lab" and will be trying out some of her make-up (coming soon).

What beauty products do you use and why?
"B. beautiful, mind, body, spirit.

Moms' In Business

I thank you for visiting my blog, I have had a pleasure of meeting some “up and coming” entrepreneurs and I will be featuring one today and I’d like you to visit her site,
Nana’s Baby , where you can purchase Great things for baby and read more about the lady, Angela Solomon, CEO/ mompreneur.


Where did you get the idea to start your business?

What made me start Nana's Baby was a concept for toys and clothes after my daughter Madison Mabel was born. I felt that there is a need for both multicultural toys and clothes on the market. Toys and clothes that speak to US as fashion forward moms; socially, politically aware moms.


Why did you choose baby industry?

I chose the baby industry b/c that's where I could make the greatest impact. In our clothes, i think babies/toddler are cutie pies, who are a style staple for fashion. Why not put cute hip hop inspired art meets baby on them? My shirts are light, playful and not to mention as soft as a baby's bottom.

How long have you been in business?

I have been in business since Summer 2006.


For, all the moms out there that are thinking about start their own business, what do you think would be helpful for them to know?

I would like mompreneurs to know that starting a business can be trying at times but its very much worth it if what u do is your passion! I really believe in the clothes I have on the market and toys I will be bringing to market.


What was a fond memory of your grandma, since you said she inspired the name of your company?

I have so many fond memories of my Nana Mabel. I spent summers with her and my grandpa. They were old fashioned, strict but very loving. It was refreshing to look at the slow-ness but pure happiness through their eyes. I remember my Nana telling me stories about her grandfather, who was a freed slave who started a cesspool business in VA so the entrepreneurial spirit is in my blood. I also remember a lot of hugs, kisses, reading stories, holding hands. My grandma was one of the strongest people I ever met, who never bit her tongue. Her famous saying was 'there's nothing to it but to do it.

I thought I was the only one who thought that the clothing available for children now, are styles that are to grown up especially for girls, what's your opinion?


I fully agree with you that the clothes of today for girls look like corner fashion. I really have to go through the racks to pick and choose what is appropriate and what isn't. I have a 12 year old, who is developing and I try to buy things that won't draw looks and stares at her body and really the same for my 4 year old. I want to great clothes that are indicative of yesterday fashion but with today's flair and hip-ness. I really think it's possible!!


Can we get a little peak at what the future holds for us (customers), in the Nana’s baby design world?

I really think global when I think of Nana's Baby. I will have our toys on the markets and evolved into learning toys for older children. I would also like shirts, pants, dresses etc.. that add that "remix on tradition."

Thanks for talking to us here at "B. beautiful, mind, body, spirit.

We Hope for continued success in your business.

Be Blessed.

Are you a WAHM or do you know one the is in the business of Beauty or Fashion, email me at brooks_unlimited@hotmail.com.

My Own Little Garden Fairies

My Girls love to dress up and I think these are great springtime pictures......Happy Easter.

The Adventures Of Kel and Rhyn

PAINTING LESSONS

My little imaginative, actresses, artists, adventurous ladies in training. My world is never boring.....it can get hectic but never boring, LOL. I've been giving the girls painting lessons and they are learning more about patients because of the drying time in between colors- they love to mix every color in one big blob. I know that can also be artistic but I want them to see the difference in their work when they don't blend all the colors together. And after this lesson if they still choose to blend all the colors, then that will be fine. After explaining to them over and over that in order for them to not end up with a picture that is a solid mass of grey swirls, I decided to take charge of the creative process by only allowing them a few colors to paint with to start. I made sure they understood how to clean their brushes in between paint colors.I painted with them so they would see that a painting does not have to be finished in 5 minutes. I plan to give them more colors each session, once the girls understand the basics. And I find that when we talked about what they were wanting to paint before hand that they seemed more focused.

Class is in session :-)

Is there any craft that you enjoyed teaching your child and if so what was the extra lesson your child learned?

I love Flowers

It's funny because although I really love many different types of flowers. I find that I don't choose to purchase roses for myself and my husband says he doesn't buy roses for me either ( he buys flowers for me, but mostly a variety of other lovely gifts) he says, every husband tends to buy roses when they purchase flowers for their wives, he always wants to be different- Thank God (smile). Well I was shopping at Super Target and these red roses just seem to be calling my name, they are now placed in a small round vase by my bed. I had watched something on Fine Living or one of those networks, about how to make roses open up and it worked. I think I want a rose bush, because these turned out to be so beautiful. I once heard someone say, "Give me my flowers while I live." And I so agree. I guess since spring has now sprung that is why I've took the time to smell the roses, LOL.

ENJOY EVERY DAY & B. beautiful, mind, body, spirit.

It's Our Anniversary

My husband is my inspiration, he encourages me to grow through doing what I enjoy and helps me when I need it.

He's a hard worker, last spring we laid sod. But I must admit he did most, all of the heavy lifting- he's a gentleman.

We are growing in a new way together and I'm excited for the years to come. Each of us brings to our marriage more of what the other was in need of. This year we are in the mist of learning how to work with each others strengths and helping the other strengthen their weakness. I always have appreciated him but have now learned to express it, outwardly.

We aren't going out to celebrate tonight, but we will celebrate with dinner at home with our children.

Here's to all the wonderful, inspiring and generous husbands out there.

The Beauty Balance

I love being a woman. I am a girly-girl and my three daughters are also. But I no longer have to wear make-up and be fabulous every day, in my early years of makeup and fashion, I would never be caught dead (or alive LOL) without makeup on and the latest brand name clothes on. I think back and I now realize that time period was actually be burdensome, feeling like I have to be all made up, all the time. Back then I felt like I wasn’t me, without all that. Thanks be to God for releasing me, now I look in the mirror and I’m not worried about what others may think, I have widen my view of the world and I now know that there is more to me than what’s on the outside. I have matured, Thank God. Not to say that I don’t wake up and say today is Glam day and make up and dress up. Date night I may put in little weave (being a cosmetologist) and the dramatic makeup (for a change from the more natural make up used for business trips). I love to discover new colors of eye shadow, blush, eye liners etc. Color is my thing but I personally don’t wear dramatic makeup, except on dates, or to beauty networking events.

Marriage Is Worthy Of Caring Work

After you’ve been through a rough period ( no matter the length) you can choose to turn it around even if your partner hasn’t caught the recommitment bug. Let you partner know your true feelings and let them know what you want for the future of your marriage. Talk about the positives of the other and cover the negatives in a way that will inspire the changes that you both desire. Remembering things don’t change overnight and be willing to change your behavior in the mist of disagreements, remembering that change starts with you individual commitment to make it work. For some inspiration for the ultimate goal an article titled, "Dating my husband"
I found a very encouraging article that I believe you will also find helpful to know that even with the divorce rates still high there are still people who want to, not just get married to have a wedding but are also committed to having a loving, inspiring and long lasting marriage.