SOMETHING BIG... and FRIENDSHIP

Mary Mary... two sisters singing about starting something... BIG.  Their new album 'Something Big' is out today, meanwhile they offer nice advice on friendship, how to keep one, how to be one.. below.

VIDEO: Mary Mary talking about 'Something Big'

Friends can be a source of strength or a source of stress, a source of motivation or a source of mess! We've been blessed with good friends who we love and who love us; Friends that we laugh and cry with, friends that we're accountable to, friend that we can get advice from and give advice to. Our friends are the best!
We've all known each other since elementary school or high school. Most of us grew up on the same block and at the same church. We've been through hell and high water together. Boyfriends, babies, husbands, cancer, college, divorces, fights, you name it we've been through it....always together! We believe in friendship. We couldn't imagine growing old, not having any friends who knew us way back when. We have the feisty ones, the peacemakers, the complainers, the jokers, the serious ones, the friend who's always late. We don't judge each other, we accept each other's faults and all.
I refuse to lose a GOOD friend because I don't wanna do the work and have the conversations that are hard to have. I'm willing to say the uncomfortable stuff and speak my truth, always in honesty and in love for the sake of the friendship. And I'm willing to receive my friends truth, even when it's not what I wanna hear. Its an honor to have someone trust you with the issues of their life. Treat it with the same respect you'd want them to treat your private stuff with. Be an honorable friend but, first, be an honorable person. I'm definitely not saying that we've been perfect friends but our friends know we love them and that we value their friendship by the way we treat them, rather our times together are frequent or infrequent.
Now if your friends are raggedy, conniving, thieving, messy, back stabbers, by all means, let them go! Don't subject yourself to being treated bad just to say you have a friend because that's not a real friend! But don't lose someone that you've shared great life experiences with because there was a conflict or challenge along the way. Do everything within you to talk about it, deal with it, and resolve it.
Establish some reasonable friendship requirements such as: we must be able to tell each other the truth no matter what, we must be OK with each other's personal decisions that don't directly affect our friendship, we must have realistic expectations of each other because we have lives outside of our friendship, we must be able to celebrate and support each other no matter who's doing well in life or who isn't. Perhaps some boundaries need to be set as well, because sometimes friends can confuse themselves with being our parents, our financial or spiritual advisor, our schedule planners, or life coach. If you need something or someone to control, start your own business, buy a pet or have some kids, lol. Remember, being a friend does not mean you get to run someone's life because you don't want them running yours.
If your core values are the same, work through the challenges and keep on laughing and crying and growing together.

Sometimes it takes just a moment to lose a friend but most often it takes years to gain a real one. So make sure you're a good friend, a real friend, an honorable friend. Be there for them the way you'd like them to be there for you. Protect them the way you'd want them to protect. Stop trying to run their life because you don't want them to try and run yours. Have some expectation but don't be needy, we all want a friend, not a liability. The bottom line is, be the friend that you would want to have. Now somebody say amen.
Live Big ~ Love Big ~ Give Big ....Do Something Big!!!

More More More Wig Love

Loving this photo collection of over-the-top creations.  Only with a wig people.
We love Nicki Minaj -- and not just for her saucy songs and crazy fashion sense. That girl knows how to wear a wig! But she didn't start this hair-raising trend. In honor of Nicki's dynamic 'dos, we decided to take a look back at the evolution of over-the-top wigs.
From Etta James and the Supremes to Pattie LaBelle and RuPaul, here are our favorite big wigs in history.

-Thank you Essence!

Looking for wig styles? Connect with the best selection here!

View the full range of human hair wigs here

Bob Love

If you're looking to change up your look for Spring - and why not? - consider The Bob...

Not only is the bob one of the most timeless, classic hairstyles of all time, it's also one of the most versatile! With all the different shapes and incarnations of the style (think bangs, waves, layers, shaggy pieces - whether your adding hair to your look or not), virtually every woman in the world can rock a bob.
So, if we had to pick just one hairstyle to live with on a desert island it would have to be The Bob. 
It's the style every woman can rock because it is kind to all face shapes and types.  It also favors every hair type and is particularly well suited to extensions of any texture.  Check out the selection of celebrity looks from Essence, below (keep scrolling there are some great shots), to witness just how versitile this timeless hairstyle is!

Everyday Icon: New Book Chronicles Michelle Obama's Style

In Celebration: Tuesday March 8th, 2011 the 100th Anniversary of International Women's Day

Just can't get enough of our First Lady Of Style? Then you're going to want to pick up your copy of "Everyday Icon: Michelle Obama and the Power of Style", and find out just what's behind Ms. Obama's unique approach to residing in the White House with so much uber-presence, style, and grace. We all know that she is embracing her tenure in the White House as a ground-breaking role model: as an educator and advocate, not to mention - a fierce style mavin! And we totally *heart* that... now let's find out how she does it!

First Lady Michelle Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stepped out to the International Women of Courage Awards on Tuesday Marich 8, the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, where they feted female leaders in style. Michelle opted for a plum-colored sheath with full collar and a zipper at the shoulder, while Hillary went for a white-and-gray textured blazer paired with black trousers. Take a look. They're posing with Hungary Member of Parliament Agnes Osztolykan.



From StyleList:
Whether she's wearing an easy J.Crew shift and cardigan or a bright Thakoon dress, Michelle Obama is known for her unique, truly fashionable fashion statements. A new book that's now out, "Everyday Icon: Michelle Obama and the Power of Style," looks into the first lady's look, what it represents and how it sets her apart from predecessors in the White House.  StyleList caught up with the book's author, fashion journalist Kate Betts, about what makes Mrs. Obama a stand-out.


StyleList: What made you decide to write about Michelle Obama and her sense of style?
K.B: I always like to look at fashion against a broader cultural context -- this seemed like an incredible opportunity to do that. I thought this was a great story to tell because I had wanted to talk about the difference between style and fashion and why style matters. I needed a lens, and she was the perfect lens.


StyleList: How has her style evolved since she's been in the public eye?
K.B: When she started on the campaign trail, her image was much different. She was a corporate success story: She wore pinstriped pantsuits and was kind of hard-edged in her appearance. You could see a definite change -- a very calculated, conscious change -- from the corporate mother to the mom in chief.
That was the Jay Leno moment: the J.Crew outfit and the whole idea of how little it costs, against the backdrop of Sarah Palin. It was interesting to see how much appearance plays a role in politics.

StyleList: It's ironic that the "calculated" look, with comfy cardigans and breezy dresses, looks so effortless.
K.B: It was totally effortless, and totally effortless on purpose. I think part of that is her style -- she knew what she had to do. She also tapped into something in herself that was much more about being a mother and a wife than being a successful career woman.


StyleList: Wearing accessible brands like J. Crew and Talbots has become one of her trademarks. Why do you think that's been so impactful?
K.B: That shows the power of her style. People don't have access to the first lady or the president --- they communicate with the people (and I mean the greater public) through their image. That Inauguration Day when she held up her hand to wave and she was wearing the green J.Crew glove -- anybody in America can go to J.Crew. It's everywhere, everybody knows what it is: It's not some researched thing that is only special to the first lady. It really brought her into everybody's world in a very concrete way.

StyleList: It made her seem real, like someone you'd know.
K.B: Yes, exactly. And it's in those little details the message is conveyed. It's easy to say, I'm real, I'm a mom. Nancy Reagan was a mom too; so was Jackie (Kennedy). This was a very different message. Michelle is really the postfeminist icon. She's the one who says, I'm not going to struggle anymore -- I'm just going to throw up my hands and say, You can't have it all, all of the time. She's revisiting this idea that women have to live up to the standard of having it all. She has a much more relaxed place, in a way, in our minds when it comes to our projections of what we think she should be as a woman.


StyleList: Mrs. Obama has also championed designers like Thakoon, Jason Wu and Isabel Toledo. Why has that been important?
K.B: That's very symbolic. It's like, Here we are in an administration that is promising new faces, change and a whole new approach to governing. She's mirroring that message with her appearance and her images. And that makes perfect sense when you think about it. Why would she be dressed by one exclusive designer, and why would that designer be somebody that has nothing do with her generation?

StyleList: There's a great quote in the book from Michael Kors: "She's letting women know that the word appropriate has changed." How has Michelle Obama changed it?
K.B: The fact of the matter is, in many ways Michelle Obama is challenging the rules and rewriting them. She is changing protocol. You would think as the first African-American first lady, she would probably tread more carefully and be somebody that wants to stay in the background and fit in, but she's taking the counter-intuitive approach. She's standing out more than she already does stand out. I think that's an incredibly bold and very effective move on her part.

Thank you to StyleList

Trend To Try: Feather Hair Extensions

click here to learn how to put feather extensions in your hair

click here to order your feather extensions

Here's a quick way to hop on top of the latest trend: put feathers in your hair! In case you haven't heard about this hot new fashion twist, you did read that right: this is the 2011 trend they're talking about; adding color and flare to your 'do with feathers.  Find yours at Hair Factory where the feathers are premium quality, sourcesd responsibly, come in beautiful colors, and we're excited to say that not only are these rad accessories totally NOW, the cost to put them in is only $25.00 - how's that for a fun weekend activity?  The whole process takes no more than 10 minutes, plus you can still wash or blow dry your hair, and the extensions last for over a month. It's shear genius.

click here to watch a short instructional video and learn how to install feather extensions in your hair

Seven Tips For Dry and Brittle Hair

While Spring is just around the corner and winter is on the wane, the end of winter is often the most frustrating time for women when it comes to their hair.  We've had months of exposure to temperature extremes, and dry heat that are just part of the winter conundrum.  While we can not control the harsh elements of any season, the good news is that the most common reasons for dry and brittle hair can usually be found within your hair care regimen, and this is something you can actually do something about. Overprocessing with chemicals, excessive use of heat, lack of moisture, and using the wrong hair products are just a few. So what can you do to solve it?

1. Increase your deep conditioning sessions. Opt for at least once a week.

2. Moisturize your hair and ends daily.

3. Cut back on the heat. If you’re using heat daily, try to at least reduce it to once a week.

4. Protect your hair with satin/silk scarves and pillowcases at night.

5. Let go of the dead weight. If your hair is damaged, just cut it and get it over with.

6. Try protective hairstyling. Buns, braids, wigs , hair pieces, clip-in extensions, or anything that will shield your hair and ends from the elements.

7. Use chemical-free products in your hair, and if you are wearing a weave, this pertains as well. Try Hair factory's PURE Remi line for 100% human hair that is totally natural, luxurious, and has never been touched by harsh chemicals in any way.  The fewer chemicals your hair comes into contact with, the healthier, shinier and more youthful it will be in the long run.