Today at 4:33 am EST the planet Venus entered the fiery and enthusiastic sign of Aries, giving us the perfect recipe for a fiery romance!

Venus, the planet of attraction, harmony, refinement, beauty, and sensuality brings all of these attributes into any sign that she enters. Sometimes, her energy will be more cautious and practical, like when she is in Virgo. At other times she will be sensitive and nurturing, like when she is in Cancer. But in Aries, she is bold and daring, not at all fearful of going after what she wants and expressing her deep affection, attraction, and desires.

To read more please go to http://riverofhoney.wordpress.com/.

Indie Artisan Giveaway-2010!

It is with immeasurable bliss, innumerable praised to Oshun, Obatala, Egun Mi & Ori Mi that I announce the opening of my new website...

http://www.osheturainstitute.com/

I offer readings, a monthly Pan Afrikan home school curriculum, monthly orisha classes for adults & my two books on West Afrikan spirituality
please go ck it if interested and share with a friend or three
YEYE

Would you create if...your wheel chair would only go so far
Would you create if...you needed help to bathe
Would you create if...your med always need adjusting
Would you create if...you were bed bound
Would you create if...you had no home
Would you create if...you were all alone
Would you create if...you lost one arm
Would you create if...you know your gonna loss one leg

Create n is live n....................................and my friend Bob creates to live...

See more photos of Bob's story at http://www.mongocreates.blogspot.com/ and you may want to read my weekly confession........... this week title is Computer Confession....read it here http://www.sonyamacdesigns.blogspot.com.

Content is Still King and the future of blogging....read the full article here
http://webworkerdaily.com/2010/03/03/the-future-of-blogging/

I’m not suggesting that glitz and glamor are better than substance and message. On the contrary, I firmly believe content will always remain the most important aspect of any blog, newspaper or magazine. I’m just saying that we cannot ignore the obvious truth of today’s readers and viewers. We cannot stick our heads in the sand and hope that the quality of our content alone will win the day. We need to deliver our best work (be it blog post, article, movie, book, etc.) in the best packaging available if we want to give it a chance to be consumed/digested and, ultimately, appreciated.

Don't forget March is Women's History Month. That You President Carter. A link of note is http://womenshistorymonth.gov/ .
You can find another awesome link for Women's History Month at my blog
www.sonyamacdesigns.blogspot.com

I recently found out about an opportunity to be on Grill It with Bobby Flay on the Food Network. The network is currently looking for guests to appear on the show for its 3rd season and asking for recipes and 3-minute video clips of contenders doing their thing on the grill. While getting on TV or having a cooking show had never been a particular aim or objective of mine since I began my journey into food blogging, when this opportunity arose, I thought, why not?
(Read the full post and watch video)

Orange (color) was big last spring, but trends don't make it to the south for least a year, so that's why we are n luv with orange. Check out this blog post about orange
http://www.skimbacolifestyle.com/2009/01/orange-decorating-idea.html. You may also check out my new blog page at www.sonyamacdesigns.blogspot.com under the Food section (Blogger now has pages!) called On the Table Tuesday....join me and mine while we try to eat better and live better.

work n to get my blog (www.sonyamacdesigns.blogspot.com) tight n up and over the week end I designed a simple static page for my website(www.sonyamacdesigns.com). I am not happy with this design at all..............
so a redesign is in order already) but it is so much more than I had before (I have owned this domain for at least 2 years). Still work n hard to get ready for the blogger mash up, over at http://www.sfgirlbybay.com/blog-it-forward/ ....please
plan on ck n out my post on Wednesday March 10th. I really need your support. My business website is www.eastwindproductions.net and my portrait photography site is www.ursobeautiful2me.com.

When I discovered that body scrub is so ridiculously easy and cheap to make, I was tempted to walk into to Sephora and smack the nearest salesgirl. ($22 for some body scrub?! I don't think so).

• raw brown sugar ( NOT the "Brownulated" kind)
• white sugar (you're trying to be healthy right? So you shouldn't be eating this stuff anyway)
• 1/2 cup sweet almond oil
• 1/2 cup  grape seed oil
• spoon (or something to stir with)
• vanilla oil (or vanilla extract)
• peppermint oil
• anise oil
• spoon, tongue depressor or pop-sickle stick
• empty plastic jar (any size will do, I recycled an old body scrub container)

Current mood: Dancing as if no one is watching

Moon currently in Virgo and the song that best describe my mood be Vogue by Madonna. FYI Madonna’s Sun is in Leo and her Moon in Virgo, and I love listening to this song because it reminds me of a super great time I enjoyed at a club in Germany during the early 1990’s. Back then this song was hot like fish grease and everyone including me was taking a jab at Vouging!

Picture this, you are in Europe, and the party scene is diverse, wild like Gwen Stefani’s Banana’s! The music is loud like a bullhorn and the bass climatic in beat; the dance floor is crowded, arms are squaring and swaying and there is a healthy hint of competitiveness in the air –Time stands still and I feel light like a dandelion parachute, the floor clears and all eyes are on me as I vogue – my moment in the spotlight and applause!

Last week, I set aside some time to walk in the woods to observe my surroundings and note the signals of spring’s arrival. The gateway below has triggered a sequence of eye opening events!

Is anyone here interested in changing their appearance?

Peace and prosperity everyone, this blog post is for anyone interested in purchasing an Ardyss Body Magic garment. Its a phenomenon thats allowing men and women to drop hooks on those belt loops whithin actual minutes.

How does it work?
Its a garment created by a team of orthopedic surgeons to lift and sculpt by redistributing body fat from undesirable areas to more desirable areas. It provides tremendous support to the lower back which through my own personal research reveals is a sensitive place in our bodies responsible for supporting the functioning of the entire upper body. This explains why everyone who has purchased a garment from me has reported better breath. Once the garment is purchased and becomes exclusively yours, it functions in a similar way to dental braces, eventually reshaping your undesirable's into highly desirables.

Does it work?
Meaning are women and men actually dropping sizes in minutes? I'll let you see for self.

Yesterday, at 4:40 pm, the moon reached its fullness in the Earth Sign of Virgo. As an Earth sign, Virgo corresponds to the physical/material realm and asserts itself cautiously, as it as not as moved by inspiration (like the fire signs), emotions (like the water signs), or ideas or theories (like the air signs) as much as it moved by practicality. Earth signs (the other two are Taurus and Capricorn) concern themselves with practical needs, not possibilities.

The night before I go on a trip, I check the weather for the destination’s forecast, and plan my outfits for the whole week. I narrow down my footwear to what I’m going to wear on the plane, a pair of sneakers, 1 pair of heels, and a 1 pair of black flats. I decide what size suitcase and what carry on to bring, and what will go into each. I stay up late planning, and prepping, and funneling various oils, creams and conditioners into travel-size containers with the precision of a chemist. I try to get cash and packets of oatmeal ahead of time, so I won’t have to deal with the high prices of food and $5 ATM fees at the terminal, and I reserve a parking space near the airport. This process usually works out pretty well, and I get to my destination ready to relax or work or whatever. Pretty savvy right?

BUT…

After suffering with fibroids of varying shapes and sizes and their symptoms for the past 6 or 7 years, (I'll go into detail about fibroids in a future post), I had myomectomy surgery to remove 12 of them and...they came back. My doctor told me that African-American women over 30 who eat a diet high in fat, dairy and meat have a high-risk of developing them.Well, I don't fit that last category, I've been vegetarian and pretty much lactose-intolerant for years. I've read about them, talked to other women about them and every woman who's suffering with them seems to have different symptoms. And there is no cure.

There is a real fear out there, (as well there should be) that many of the products that we clean our homes with are making us sick. Unfortunately, home cleaning products don't have to list their ingredients like food manufacturers do. After doing a bunch of research for myself, I've stopped using bleach, ammonia, store-bought laundry detergent, fabric softener, and dishwashing detergent. This is shocking to most people I know and confusing to others because most people don't know what they would do without those products.

So then I went a little "green" crazy and ended up a little broke.

There is a growing trend of overpriced products out there that play into our toxicity fears and will charge you upwards of $25 a bottle for a so-called "green" laundry detergent. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with many of the new green products out there, but there is talk of harmful ingredients being present in some of these products, and there is no way of knowing, because green products don't have to list their ingredients either. And if they do, what's stopping them from leaving the objectionable items off the list?

I’m always looking for ways to save money, look good, keep my house clean, and keep my weight down. But I’ve decided to challenge myself by minimizing the use of anything unhealthy in or on my body, or in my house. Even if I have to make it myself.

So I ask the questions...
Isn't it possible to save ourselves AND the planet?
Isn't it possible to have great looking natural hair without chemicals and minimal heat?
Isn't it possible to clean your house without using harmful chemicals or pesticides?
Isn't it possible to to do all of the above on a budget?

The answer is YES! (I've done it).

I am not a doctor, hairdresser or nutritionist. I'm a wife and a homeowner with a full-time job, a crazy cat and not enough hours in the day...who thinks there MUST be a better way.

So I invite you to take this journey with me, to become more healthy, smart and of course...SAVVY!

http://consciouschicknyc.blogspot.com

New York Fashion Week just wrapped and that inspired me to write an entry on eco-fashion and shed some light on what it means to be a Conscious fashionista.

Images that come to mind when one thinks of the term eco-fashion are baggy hemp pants and faded t-shirts.  In other words, I expect the look to be kinda cheap.  Stella McCartney, changed all of that with her high fashion designs which illuminated the concept of Conscious fashion.

Sustainable, Green or Eco-Fashion- whatever you want to call it- basically means creating fashion that uses the least amount if the earth's resources as possible and no chemicals. 

For example, plenty of cotton crops are sprayed with harmful pesticides but clothes made with organic cotton are pesticide-free. Organic refers to any material that is naturally derived and doesn't use genetically modified organisms.

OK, I can't wait until I can paint this place white, every wall, every baseboard, every piece of trim....I may need to paint away some pain, so much sadness, so much heart ache and YES so much joy. I want the JOY to stand out n the light, that's why, I'm think n white. A little spring clean n or A lot of spring cleaning like on my blog page www.sonyamacdesigns.blogspot.com. Oh, I just remembered I need to add a well designed static page to my website www.sonyamacdesigns.com. Maybe I need to make a list and number it. What a great idea! I will keep you posted on all my design related activities and the list, and if you see me slack n....just let a sister know.

As I consciously grow and develop myself spiritually one area that I do not want to neglect is my physical body. It can be very easy, especially for someone like me who has no Earth in her natal chart (the earth element corresponds to the physical body and environment as well as the ability to be practical and grounded. I have no planets in the Earth signs, which makes these areas and attributes difficult for me) to neglect my physical health and well-being.

But not only do I want to take care of my body, I want to cultivate my relationship to the earth. I not only want to make good choices for my body but I want to make eating choices that are good for Her body as well.

To read more please visit http://riverofhoney.wordpress.com/.

On Wednesday nights (while my children are at church) I sneak in a little studio time, to work on this and that, last night I created this journal for a sister friend.

On February 18, the Sun entered the sign of Pisces…meaning that for those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere, spring is just around the corner!

Pisces is one of the three water signs (the others are Cancer and Scorpio), meaning that it corresponds to the realm of the emotions, feelings, and the subconsciousness. I like to think of the water element as relating to the soul, the part of ourselves that relates to that which lies deep within and holds every memory, those from this life and from past lives. Pisces is also a mutable sign (along with Gemini, Virgo, and Sagittarius) which means that it is constantly adapting itself so that it can learn and absorb more information. Pisces wants to learn and become more effective in the spiritual realms.

To read more please visit: http://riverofhoney.wordpress.com/

Blogger has added pages to it's blogs. Yes, you can have as many as 10 pages plus your Home (post) page. I just used this feature on a custom blog set up job and it was simple.

Passion Party

Being educated and having a blast with your friends, in the privacy of your own home, while receiving tips on improving your sex life and building a stronger relationship with your partner.

Passion Parties Consultants inform and educate women through tasteful in-home presentations where women can experience sensual products designed to enhance your sexual relationships.

Sensual aids and toys are more popular than ever. Yet many people need or want to be discreet about purchasing such products. Through in-home parties, they bring the value of product knowledge, education, and confidentiality simply not found in the retail environment.

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Urbanna Shoulder Bag - Red Scooters by nicoleleedesigns

It's no wonder, I am who I am, It's no wonder I was so unhappy, so unfulfilled, when I look back...It's only clear to me today, when I look at this innocent photo of sweetness. Now I understand why I always keep it so close....so not to forget. Momma made the dress, Daddy captured the moment on film in a room she decorated, redesigned by him....What a life...I get it now!

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Martin Luther King, Jr.

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6 (KJ V)

Entering a new era of concious fashion with a sneak preview of Cocobean's Spring Summer collection.

The Cocobean head-quarters has been an experience of excitement and exhaustion as we have unleashed our creative forces, bringing you our Goddess range for Spring Summer 2010.

With inspiration coming from my daughters paint box. I went looking for fabric that reminded me of these vibrant colours. This was not hard to do as i had a constant reminder of these colours. My home was tainted, it became my precious daughters blank canvas for her work of art.

The fabric shop was my playground, a delightful mouth watering experience. The colours had a promise of a cool spring and a sizzling summer.

For more details go to http://www.cocobean.co.uk/pages.php?pageid=17

Peace everyone!

I sometimes get questions about how to set up an altar. For me, creating an altar is based on two things: 1- the spiritual work you are doing and 2 – personal preference.

For instance, if you are intending to attract love in your life, then you would want to decorate your altar with colors that reflect love: pinks and reds (though red can mean intense passion so be careful) would be ideal. However, if you can also decorate the altar with personal symbols or objects that correspond with the love principle, like a ring or a heart-shaped charm. So really, it’s up to you.

To read more and see a pic, please visit: http://riverofhoney.wordpress.com/.

Yesterday was my husband's grandfather's/father's birthday. I felt moved to pour libation in honor of him. I didn't know how to do it, but I did what I felt. I know it probably wasn't the proper way, so I am interested in learning how to do it properly. I was so moved once I came back inside because of the decision to pour libation, and also by the fact that it was the first thing that I have done that connected me to my culture and that I did on my own free will in connection with the Creator and Ancestors. I also included my husband and children of course and that is a big step because I know I just started a fight. I say that because it will soon get back to my Christian family that this was done. My husband said that for the first time since his grandfather's death he felt like he was present. That meant a lot. I am glad that I have been able to find the strength the make such a big step, but I want to do it correctly. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Where thou goest,
thy steps shall not be straitened;
and when thou runnest,
thou shalt not stumble.

Proverbs 4:12
(KJV)