Friday, December 31, 2010

Happy New Year!!

Profile Graphics
Happy New Year Graphics

Happy New Year to all of my wonderful readers!! Stay tuned, 2011 will be even better!!

The difference a belt can make...

AFTER
BEFORE
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I'm working on my NYE outfit and pulled out this Vintage dress that I thrifted a while back...I love how good it feels on but I felt frumpy because it just draped over me...I looked like a supersized square. So I decided to add this yellow belt and BAM, I have a smokin' hot outfit to wear tonight!!! Accessories and a pop of color always does the trick!!

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Wordless Wednesday

JUST.SAY.NO!!! LOL!

NEW (old) ARRIVALS!!!! Have you joined the Eco-Centric Vintage Boutique fan page yet???



Ujamaa (oo-jah-MAH): Collective economics


To build, maintain, and support our own stores, establishments, and businesses.




Maybe Amber Rose might like this one... (LOL)



This one is so fly, remember wearing crests on the pocket of your clothes in the 80's? If this was my size I'd wear this with a big chunky belt and slouch boots.





This one is the show-stopper!! It belonged to a boutique owner back in the 1970's... The orginal sale tag is still attached!! It reads, " 6-20-70" $17....How cool is that???? Too bad its only a Size 4 which means I can't SQUEEZE into it!!





CLICK LINK TO SEE THE OTHER ITEMS:::::




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SHOP LOCAL TODAY!! Visit the mom and pop stores and show your support for the struggling business owner. Keep your money in our comminities!!

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Habari Gani!!! Happy Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa is a holiday that celebrates family, community and culture. December 26-Jan 1



Umoja (oo-MOH-jah): Unity
Success starts with Unity. Unity of family, community, nation and race.
Kujichagulia (koo-jee-chah-goo-LEE-ah): Self-Determination
To be responsible for ourselves. To create your own destiny.

Ujima (oo-JEE-mah): Collective work and responsibility
To build and maintain your community together. To work together to help one another within your community.

Ujamaa (oo-jah-MAH): Collective economics
To build, maintain, and support our own stores, establishments, and businesses.

Nia (NEE-ah): Purpose
To restore African American people to their traditional greatness. To be responsible to Those Who Came Before (our ancestors) and to Those Who Will Follow (our descendants).

Kuumba (koo-OOM-bah): Creativity
Using creativity and imagination to make your communities better than what you inherited.
Imani (ee-MAH-nee): Faith
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The Story of Kwanzaa by Donna L. Washington and Stephen Taylor, ages 6-10
Kwanzaa by Trudi Strain Truit and Ceceilia Mindin Cupp, ages 6-7
Horrible Harry and the Holidaze by Suzy Kline, ages 7-10
Kwanzaa Crafts by Carol Gnojewski, ages 8-9
A Kwanzaa Story, or How One Gentleman Found His Way by Nancy Guthorn Harrison, young adults
Kwanzaa Fun, Great Things to Make and Do by Linda Robertson, ages 5-8
My First Kwanzaa by Karen Katz, ages 3-6
Seven Spools of Thread a Kwanzaa Story by Angela Shelf Medearis, ages 7-10

If you have stories and ideas you're willing to share about how your family celebrates Kwanzaa in an eco-friendly way, Contact Celebrate Green.

SOURCE::: http://www.celebrategreen.net/

Teena Marie - Square Biz



http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/12/26/singer-teena-marie-dead-at-54/?hpt=T2

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Merry Christmas!!


Wishing all of my awesome readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Well, lookey lookey...

Did 'Tasia make the Big Chop?

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Coming Soon::::Eco-Centric Vintage Boutique!!!


This dress inspired my decision to sell Vintage pieces like this one featured above online. Initially I purchased this dress from a high-end consignment shop for my daughter. I don't know what I was thinking, since its sheer my hubz said ABSOLUTELY NOT! I guess I figured she could wear a cami and/or a slip under it but he said no among other dresses like this one. The other dresses sold on eBay super fast so I decided to start selling vintage pieces on the side. So far business is booming on eBay....It was an older Caucasian lady that encouraged me to do this. We are both regulars at this particular consignment shop and met at an Estate Sale. She said, "Honey you have an eye to be such a young thing..people will pay you to do what you love." I love finding a diamond among rubbage..I ordered my mannequins and my plan is in motion. I will start a Facebook fan page where I will announce each new listing so stay tuned for that. Everything will be listed on eBay and payed via PayPal for secure transactions. I always wanted to have my own little boutique that served wine, fancy tea, coffees, gourmet danish and biscotti to my shoppers...You never know what the future holds. I may be able to parlay this vision into a nice little side-gig situation!! LOL!!

(This dress is available for purchase)

scarlet takes a tumble (best version)



LMBO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Monday, December 20, 2010

Another episode of :: What's in the Shopping Cart?


I managed to get out the store without cakes, cookies, pies, and chips!! YAY ME!! :::baby steps::: If I eat before grocery shopping I don't end up with Little Debbie snacks in my cart. Fruits, veggies, lean meats, and whole grains. I am still a thick'n but my body thanks me for making healthier choices.

Can you guess who?














Recently I was flipping channels and Cadillac Records was on, I went to see this movie at the theatre when it came out but I decided to watch it again since nothing else was on...I was very curious as to what the actual characters looked like. Who were the people that inspired this film? If you follow this blog you already know how fascinated I am with OLD pictures. Can you guess who is who?

Friday, December 17, 2010

The first lady, Michelle Obama is "THRIFTY" too!!



Turns out the first lady is again making fashion news as she will be rocking a thrift store dress on the special.

The "couture" black-lace overlay frock, featuring a high, square neckline and a full skirt was plucked from New York Vintage in Chelsea, a trendy neighborhood in NYC.

The NY Post reports, "The secondhand 1950s piece -- believed to be the first vintage dress worn by a first lady to a public event -- was made by American designer Norman Norelli, who died in 1972 and was among the most influential designers of his time."

The store's owners would not say how much the first lady paid for the dress, but one estimate for this hand-me-down was $2,500.

Vintage owners know there's a difference between vintage and "thrift". But the media of course took the "thrift" edge and ran with it.

Regardless, we now all have permission to raid our grandparents' closets as vintage clothing is now even more the "new" new. (www.ybf.com)

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Wordless Wednesday


Christmas colors and a Vintage Coat fresh from the cleaners ...Me::: Eco-Centric :)

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

What Are You Reading?


Peekaboo Bedtime is a bedtime favorite! After seeing the cover of this book I just had to buy it!! Great book for the kiddos...







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—The adorable tot from Isadora's Peekaboo Morning (Putnam, 2002) is back in this getting-ready-for-bed story. As in the previous book, the child exclaims in big, bold letters, "Peekaboo! I see…," leading readers to turn the page to find the person or object of the game. Bright pictures, done with pastels, add to the fun as the child spies grandparents, parents, pets, a rubber duck, "my blankie," and finally, from atop the bed, "you!" Youngsters will enjoy searching for visual clues as they play along with the familiar toddler activity.—Martha Simpson, Stratford Library Association, CT Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
A companion book to Isadora’s Peekaboo Morning (2002), this upbeat picture book follows an African-American toddler through an evening at home. After going outside to spot the moon with family members, the child comes back indoors to have a snack, a bath, and a story. As in the previous book, each right-hand page carries a picture accompanied by the words “Peekaboo! I see . . . ,” while the following page identifies what the child saw, such as “my daddy,” “my puppy,” or “my slippers.” After the first few pages, the book’s audience can use visual clues to guess what the child is seeing. Heavily applied pastels create a warm, colorful family setting for the story. This pleasant book is well designed to engage young children in talking about the illustrations as well as playing their own peekaboo games. Preschool. --Carolyn Phelan
See all Editorial Reviews From School Library Journal


Friday, December 3, 2010

I Ain't Thru!!!



This is my new anthem!! I Ain't Thru...Bolder and Better in 2011!!



Eye Candy, Idris Elba can spit? This song is so hot...has a nice neo-soul/hip hop vibe. I can dig it.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Special Report - 'Going Natural'

Mellow Out:: Jamz


































This is music from one of my favorite playlists...You can describe this music as smooth Hip-Hop, eccentric, eclectic, electric, CENTRIC mellow tunes...Don't sleep. Open your mind. (Pardon any profanity)

Friday, November 26, 2010

Hair Update November 2010






I took these pix last week...this is my current style...small two strand twists. (BC 8/2008)

Product Review: Carol's Daughter- SweetHoneyDip ChocolateBrownSugah Scrub!!

Chocolate, Honey and Vanilla Bean-Scented Natural Exfoliant

SweetHoneyDip ChocolateBrownSugah HONEY CHILE!!!! This product rocks on so many glorious levels!!! My beautiful cousin Mary bought me this for my birthday, it came in a cute little draw string satchel thingy. I remember when Carol's Daughter first hit the scene, I read that Jay-Z loved the 'Ocean" scent sugar scrub so I ran out to buy it!! LOVED IT...so I couldn't wait to use this scent because I had never smelled it before. Yall know I am super EXTRA but believe me when I say this product is the biz-O! OMG...My skin was so soft and moisturized, not to mention I smelled like a big ole' Tootsie Roll. The scent is DREAMY!! The brown sugar crystals exfoliate and with this WINTER weather, my skin needed some TLC. Shout out to my cuzzo for such a great gift. I love it!! Thank you again!!
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WARNING:::
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* I am not responsible for anybody getting knocked up after using this product. You will feel and smell like some yummy chocolate goodness so just BEWARE!! LOL! You have been warned.. *wink*
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* I am also not responsible for you slipping in the shower and busting your butt...this product has natural oils and you will be slippery, shiny and moisturized!! You won't need to add any lotion after your shower/bath because your skin will be moisturized to the fullest.
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ENJOY Lovelies!
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This product is Paraben-free. No petroleum, mineral oil, or artificial color. ALL NATURAL!!!

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Charlie Brown Thanksgiving!



Happy Thanksgiving Yall!!

Henna and Indigo for your hair.



http://www.hennaforhair.com/indigo/index.html

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Pre-measured Spices & Recipe for less than $2 bucks!!

Pre-measured spices w/ recipe for less than $2 bucks!!


I split a whole chicken in half so I could season it thoroughly...



I baked the chicken in a bag so it could be super tender and moist...when the chicken was done I cut it into separate pieces, added onions, bell peppers and whole mushrooms. I served with brown rice and sauteed spinach.


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I am blogging this dish for a certain someone who shall remain nameless. I'm a foodie as you can tell by my thighs (LOL) I love finding new, quick and healthy recipes. I'm on the go pretty much all day so I usually start cooking dinner sometime after 5pm. I don't have alot of time and energy to whip up some fancy feast but just because I'm pressed for time doesn't mean we can't have a flavorful, balanced dinner. I have pretty much every type of seasoning there is...The Farmers Market in Dallas is where I stock up. They are sold in resealable baggies which keeps them fresh and dry. I was giving my buddy a hard time for not cooking for her new hubby and since she gave me 109 excuses this blog post is for you homie!! *giggling*
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Spices can make even the most boring meal taste yum-0!

Beauty in the Dark (Groove with You) - Mos Def



I heard this smooth groove while rollin down the highway listening to Pandora. As soon as I got home I had to download this bad boy!! I love me some Mos Def and he is swag sangin' to a classic Isley Brother joint!! Are you serious? Oh Em Gee!! EAR CANDY at its finest!!! N-Joy cuties!!!

Friday, November 19, 2010

I See Black People

It's never too early to teach your kids to be eco-friendly!!









My little 5 year old loves recycling...Its so cute when she collects our newspaper's and magazines lying around the house and car. She even wants to recycle before we have even read them yet! LOL! We are taking several bags of plastics to recycle next week...I will snap pixxies. Happy Recycling!

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Me....Naturally!! B. Natural Apparel Tee



A few friends asked me where I bought these shirts from so I thought I'd share the website with you ladies also. These shirts are great quality!! I love them...I plan on making another order soon. They even except Paypal...GROOVY!!

www.bnaturalapparel.com

Nike has a new look!

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Nappy Novels!!

"Be proud of your nappily status. Live your life in 3D"
Thomas portrays a believable young family tested by real-life concerns and enhanced by the shiny celebrity angle, but it's her wry humor that keeps this delightful series blooming." --Publisher's Weekly for Un-Nappily In Love


Venus and Jake live Nappily Married in Atlanta

"This is a riveting story about Venus and Jake, her movie-star husband. It's a hairy ride to see if love and trust can survive one scandal and surprise after another. Thomas does it again with a fantastic read." -Romantic Times

"Thomas once again lets her characters tell their stories in lively and distinctive voices. Smartly paced, fast and funny."--Kirkus Reviews




"Brilliantly funny, black-girl power chick lit."--Hype Hair"This latest novel proves that Thomas has few peers when spinning a cliffhanger."--Essence Magazine

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"Nappily Ever After. It's beautiful, funny, but has a deep message about women. Women slave for their hair! It's all about how we compare ourselves to other women, how we size ourselves up. It's a look at this one woman's life, and she goes through this metamorphosis when she gets rid of her hair. Not only does she feel different, but people treat her differently. She's now more like an alien than the hottest chick on the block. She's got to reboot and discover who she really is."-- Halle Berry(Harpers Bazaar)
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Trisha Thomas
Author of Best Selling Nappily Series. NAACP Image Award Finalist for Outstanding Literature. Soon to be a film starring Oscar Winner, Halle Berry View her complete profile
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Friday, November 5, 2010

Riddle Me This????!?!??! Random Rant!

Hello!!! *waving* (side eye)
A fellow blogger and I were venting earlier about the highs and lows of blogging. I had very few lows to vent about because for me blogging is a hobby so I enjoy it. For her its like a thorn in her side because she has about 100, 000 more followers than I do. For me blogging is therapy and ways to share info with friends and fam. For her she is constantly wondering what content is relevant and appropriate for her huge audience of followers.

One thing we both have in common is, dare I say it...LURKERS!!! Oh Em Gee!! For those of you who don't know what a lurker is...lemme dumb it down for you. Its the people who frequent your blog, profile, online journal or whatever simply just to read what you say and BOUNCE!! They don't click "like" or "recommend" they just read your every word and look at your content from the sidelines and roll out. Some lurkers frequent your blog more often than those who actually comment.
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User participation often more or less follows a 90-9-1 rule:
90% of users are lurkers (i.e., read or observe, but don't contribute).
9% of users contribute from time to time, but other priorities dominate their time.
1% of users participate a lot and account for most contributions: it can seem as if they don't have lives because they often post just minutes after whatever event they're commenting on occurs.
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One of my homies was bragging to the crew how much she loved my blog but I had to stop her to say, "you read my blog???" she was like...yeah girl, I follow you on Google Reader!! I was like oh heck naw, NOT YOU TOO! To me Google Reader is just a fancy way of lurking. Half the time the writer of the blog has no idea that you are even following them. After giving her blues about not supporting my "movement" she now follows me on twitter!! LOL!! She is probably lurking right now so, "Hey K.W"!!!





We are all guilty of "browsing" the net...I am a reformed lurker, to me lurking was wack because I wanted to add my two cents in the comments! If the website is interesting enough for me to read on a daily basis why not just "JOIN" or "FOLLOW"???


If I am all up on your site you are gonna know I've been there. I won't comment on every blog post or entry because I can't always co-sign or relate but I will contribute here and there. If you don't see me pop up every once in a while then I'm not lurking!! Being nosey 24/7- 365 is not a good look!


I know certain people are shy and don't have much to say...I get that, I'm not talking to the introverted people. I have shy anti-social moments myself but C'Mon Son!! Come out of hiding...I added a hit counter a month ago and so far almost 9,000 hits so I know yall are looking and watching!! I have some who write me on michelle@curvyecocentric.com to add comments and I thank you for showing love!!


A year or so ago one of my favorite bloggers shut down her blog because she felt like she was talking to herself...I really miss her contribution to the world wide web...she was so positive and refreshing but like so many before her she stopped blogging because she didn't feel the support from the community of people who "followed" her.


Bloggers do alot of research and preparation to offer us information, insight and their perspectives. At least you can "like" something every once in a while. SHeeSH!!


For those of you who offer a comment or a retweet I THANK YOU SO MUCH!! Your feedback is priceless. I love blogging so you can join me for the ride if you wish..but yall need to stop lurking so much and come out of hiding. If you are reading this then you are on this site for a reason. I don't bite!! LOL!


Support your local blog TODAY!! <--- super cheesey, I know!! LOL!