Friday, March 31, 2017

Women's Empowerment is Needed in Our Community

In a World that is trying to paint us Queens as ratchet, unsuccessful, angry and less than human, it is important now than ever that we unite, befriend and uplift each other. 

            March 25th, 2017, my sister and I attended a BEAUTIFUL brunch hosted by one of our friends, Jasmine Diane.  (There is a video on my YouTube channel capturing some of the event, click the link if you’d like to check it out! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQ8rJE0TodM)  I met Jasmine when I was a freshman in college participating in my first fashion show.  She congratulated me after the show & handed me her business card; I have been following her fashion/lifestyle blog ever since. 

The brunch took place at a restaurant called Brio's on the plaza.  The tables were set, the bar was ready, and the ladies began to file in.  Though it was dreary outside, all of the guests were in very bright moods.  While we waited for everyone to arrive, we just fellowshipped with one another.  We talked about our occupations, dreams, goals and how disrespectful our natural hair can be sometimes.  (Joking....kind of.)  I was shocked to meet so many ladies who attended the same University as me.  Once the tables were filled, we went around the room and introduced ourselves.  I was one of the last to speak and as I looked around the room, I saw a room full of beautiful black Queens that I could look up to.  After all, I believe I was the youngest lady in attendance, and I watched as countless women talked about not being afraid to go after your dreams, which was important to me because I am on the career path that many people don't have faith in.  These ladies were living what they preached and doing what they are destined to do.  It is admirable to see a room full of young women who are working in the field that they chose, whether that is where they want to be forever or not.  Attending events like this is what I enjoy.  Getting to dress up, put on some makeup and hang out with people who you just met, but feels like you've known them your whole life.  I want to be surrounded by people who build each other up, network and have a great time.  I took a look at all the people who showed up to this event and not one person had a negative bone in their body and no one was in competition with one another because everyone was confident in WHO they are.  We need circles like this in our community because when we all join forces, we are un-freakin-stoppable!  Look at all the success that was in this one room; imagine if everyone outside of that room came together to build each other up, support each other, EMPOWER each other, the world would never be the same.  It was such an honor to meet so many wonderful ladies who are doing great things for our community and I hope that they know that their hard work does NOT go unnoticed.
  
So now that I got the mushy gushy stuff out of the way, let’s talk about my first love, FOOD!  As soon as I walked into the room, I immediately wanted a cupcake.  Like bad, it was all I could talk about for 5 minutes.   (Y’all know I was first in line when it was finally time to take one, right?)  The Cupcakes were provided by Cia's tastebud creations.  (https://www.facebook.com/ctbcreations/)  We were served Chicken and Artichoke Crostini, Roasted Garlic, Spinach & Artichoke Dip with these huge triangular crackers, Crab Cakes, Crab Stuffed Mushrooms and salad.  And as you know, I tried one of everything.  The crab cakes were my absolute favorite!  I've been thinking about them since the day of the brunch.  I also had a fresh Raspberry Mojito from the bar to go with my brunch.  I'd say the food was good but that, my friends, would be an understatement.  It was BOMB!  The lady behind me and I were filling our plates and made a mutual agreement that we would not feel guilty for trying everything if the other didn’t.

I did not get to connect with everyone in attendance but here are a few local businesses that I would like to shout out.  Please check out their pages and see that they have to offer!

I got a chance to meet the owner of House of Rena, LLC.  She owns an online boutique and she makes everything by hand, so please feel free to connect with her on all of her social media outlets and support her business:
Instagram: @House_Of_Rena
Facebook: House of Rena, LLC https://www.facebook.com/HouseofRena/          





I also met Noelle Anais, who is also a fellow YouTuber and films a lot of hair videos.  I immediately subscribed to her because of her sweet, upbeat personality.  So feel free to check out her channel as well.  

The founder of Show Me Shoes, Shi'von Bullock, was also in attendance.  She and a team of volunteers put on an annual event called The Prom Project to ensure that every girl receives a beautiful dress for prom as well has hair and makeup.  FOR FREE!  It is currently branching out to many other cities.  Check out their link as well to see what they are all about!
https://www.facebook.com/ShowMeShoes/        

Last but not least, I want to give a huge thank you to Jasmine.  She is an inspiration to many young girls and she has been so positive throughout her journey in life after college.  One thing everyone who attended brunch had in common was a dislike for drama.  What a treat it was to be surrounded by so many like minded people who just want to have fun and make a positive impact in the world.  Jasmine should be very proud of herself for helping all of us build these connections with one another.  Please follow her blog and social media outlets to stay up to date on what she is doing, and also to be inspired by the things that she posts.  She is amazing at what she does and has a ton of fashion tips (and lifestyle tips) to share.


Don’t forget to checkout the video associated with this post.


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