The SASSY NATION

Sassy Style Files: FriYAY

So, about all this rain on the east coast...  I’m just not that into it. I’m thinking it’s about time to head back to the west for a bit. Every day I wake up and try to to figure out a new way to tie my headwrap to protect my hair (which is currently straight) from all this rachet moisture. This snake print scarf is one of my faves but I have at least twenty other scarves I could use, if only I can find and dig them out of my storage. #TheStruggle!

Until then... I’ll be documenting my efforts here and on IG @TheSassyNation. Stop by and let me know how I’m doing! At least my silk press is still poppin’! Ayyyye!!! Here’s a tutorial I did a while back on one of my favorite scarf tying styles... check the technique!

A Creative Workshop Social

                      {Download AVAILABLE HERE NOW}.

LinkedIn and creative entrepreneurs aren’t exactly mentioned synonymously with each other. However, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be. This past week some #SmartAndSassy friends and I collaborated to bring Atlanta’s creative professionals a new type of workshop-- one with a chill vibe and loaded with info that can be put to use immediately. LinkedIn is the most powerful professional network online and the perfect place for creatives to generate new connections, build a powerful network that can be leveraged on and offline, plus potentially help generate new streams of income.

I walked our guests through the basics of setting up a profile in 10 easy steps, plus gave out some best practices to keep in mind while navigating the site, including how to maximize their presence and use LinkedIn as a prospecting tool to vet new connections. Hosted by @Sydiab, in conjunction with the style maven, @TheMannerCo-- LinkedIn To Get LinkedUp is just the first of many #SmartAndSassy events to come.

In case you missed it, be on the lookout for the 3-part Periscope rebroadcast and downloadable list on how to set up your LinkedIn profile for success, {AVAILABLE HERE NOW}. In the meantime, check out some pics captured by our talented photographer, @KelleyRaye.

See you at the next event!

Summer Solstice just arrived! I know I, for one, will be spending mucho time at the pool (working of course!). Here is one of my fave bathing suits styled two different ways for those days when there are still errands to run.  Unless you live someplace where there’s sand and an ocean nearby (I know I don’t), strangers might be giving some serious side-eye for coming into the store with just a sarong and bikini top on. So here is my solution and attempt at dresscode formality in the face of extreme summer sizzling temps. Y’all will deal!! Lol.

It's National Iced Tea Day and this isn't your granny's sweet tea! Chill out this summer with tall glass of Lemony #Turmeric Iced Yerba #Maté. Turmeric, the bright yellow spice, has long been used as a powerful Eastern medicinal herb. It's known to have excellent#antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. 

Amongst many other things, it can help with: Weight management #Digestion Cholesterol reduction #Immunity support As if that weren't enough, drinking Yerba Maté will not only help keep you alert with it's high biocaffeine (that means #natural) content, but it's give green #tea a run for the money when comes to #nutritional properties. It's what I drink daily. 

Benefits include: Enhanced ability to focus Supports cardiovascular #health #Weight control Enhanced physical endurance Boosts immunity Detoxifies blood High anti-aging antioxidants 

Give this sweet alternative a try!

A video posted by Sassy Nation (@thesassynation) on Jun 10, 2015 at 5:12pm PDT

Recipe

What you’ll need:

12 ozs. Hot water

2 Tbsp. Loose Yerba Mate

1/2 Tsp. Turmeric

1/4 Slice of Lemon

Honey to Desired Sweetness

What you’ll do:

1. Boil water

2. Add  yerba mate to a french press (or other tea strainer)

3. Stir in Turmeric and honey. Let tea seep as long as desired

4. Press/Strain tea and pour over ice.

5. Squeeze and add lemon

Before You Put on Another Sandal ...

You Must Try Baby Foot

Summertime is upon us and that means it’s time for bare feet, and pedicures-- oh, and sandals-- you know if you’re into that sort of thing. Personally, I prefer to be barefoot as much as possible during the summer. This is why Baby Foot (my affiliate link) is quite possibly the best thing that could’ve happened to my feet.

It’s literally magic in two plastic booties. Although it takes about 5-10 days to really see progress. And by progress, I mean skin that peels like an anaconda. It’s literally a glycolic peel for your feet. Genius!

The process was really quite simple. First you soak your feet in warm water

Next, put on and secure the plastic booties that come in the kit. Get comfy with some wine and Netflix and rest your heels for about an hour. Not too much wine though, or you’ll fall asleep on the couch like I did for two solid hours (YIKES), and wake up terrified that your feet have melted off.

Finally, head back to the tub to completely rinse off the product (I used a mild soap after rinsing), and wait for the magic to happen. In my case that meant going to bed. Yay for sleep!

And then you wait. And you wait. And days later you start to wonder WTH is happening and say to your feet, skin, why you no peel?

I was so anxious the first few days; I couldn’t figure why it seemed to be taking so long for the shedding to start. I realized, you have to give the new skin time to regenerate below the surface of the old. And boy oh boy, once it started, my skin was flaking off day and night. Of course, I helped the process along, picking at and peeling off skin at every available opportunity. 

{Warning: not cute, but oddly fascinating picture below}

Much to my amusement, it was an Elmer’s glue lover’s childhood dream (yet way cooler-- flicking and leaving evidence of my DNA everywhere). Also, the box doesn’t mention this, but it was suggested to me to soak my feet nightly once the peeling commenced to help loosen the skin. I found myself looking forward to my nightly ritual of showering, grabbing a glass of vino, then soaking and peeling skin in my tub. However, towards the end of the process the peeling on the tops of my feet seemed to take forever to come off.

It didn’t help that my nails are pretty long so I couldn’t really get a grip on the thinner, top flaking skin, which of course annoyed me. Not to be deterred, every evening I went after the rogue skin with a washcloth. I didn’t want to use anything too abrasive that might’ve damaged the precious new skin underneath (which, no lie, was actually turning out to be baby soft). That worked okay. In the end I finally pretty much gave up and let nature do it’s thing. I let the rest slough off naturally. Also, you’re not supposed to use lotion during the process. That allegedly delays the regeneration process. This was a point that I had serious concerns about. Ashy and peeling feet was not something I was looking forward to. Luckily, my concerns were unfounded. There wasn’t a patch of ash in sight the whole time. In fact, my feet haven’t been very ashy ever since. Of course I’ve resumed moisturizing them. And they’re still pretty darn soft like a baby.

In all, I’d say it took a full two weeks for all of the dead skin to go away. That includes the 4-5 day incubation period before the shedding actually started.

Overall, I enjoyed the after effect of using Baby Foot (which they have NOT paid me to say-- I purchased and used the product on my own and you can too with my link here). However, I’m not a very patient person, so waiting it out for two weeks-- especially right around Memorial Day-- was probably not ideal. I would definitely use this product again, maybe once per season. Until then, I’ll be frolicking around in the grass with my flower crown and spreading the good word to those I think need it most. I know some guys who could DEFINITELY benefit from some baby love on those toes.

Leave a comment below. Have you or would you try a peel for your feet or some other exotic treatment like a fish pedicure?

“May all your blues be 

the ocean and the sky.”

I finally got around to posting this highly, highly requested recipe for you guys and dolls. I’m so happy that the Mediterranean Dip has been received so well and that you all love it so much. If you make some for your next get together, please tag @TheSassyNation in your post on FB ,IG or Twitter! Thanks for the love, y’all. 

XOXO,

Tea   

 What You'll Need:

Any flavor of 8 ozs. hummus that you like

8 ozs. Softened Cream Cheese

6 ozs. Greek yogurt

1-2 tablespoons Greek Seasoning

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 chopped Roma tomatoes

1/2 cup black kalamata olives

1/2 cucumber, diced

1/3 cup Italian flat leafed parsley, chopped

 What You'll do:

1. Mix the softened cream cheese, Greek yogurt, seasoning and garlic until creamy and spread onto serving plate.

2. Add layer of hummus

3. Top with layer of chopped veggies, serve cold with plain pita chips*.

*I like the plain version because the flavors of the dip are very strong and will compete with other chips. I’ve also tried it with a Parmesan chip, that works as well.

Sassy Appetit Does Foster Space!

Last weekend I had the pleasure to curate a tasty Mediterranean-inspired menu for Sawubona, Boo’s Cultivating Your Creativity series at the beautiful Foster Space in Atlanta.

Curated by Sydia Bell, guests were treated to a DIY crafting session by Mia Selph, spring closet organization by Wintter Alex of The Manner Co., perused beautiful jewelry from online retailer SLATE, and gorgeous head shots by Sam Yancy.

Of course Sassy Appetit was there and curated a menu of Mediterranean-inspired dishes. We talked about the season’s bounty of fresh produce and how it can be used to prepare fare that is light and healthy, yet so very delicious.

Everyone had their favorite picks, but the clear winner among the entire spread was the layered hummus dip, which we will feature in a later post. Stay tuned for it...

We enjoyed each of our guests and are looking forward to the next event later this spring.

                                 {Menu designed by @MarzKingCole}

                                {Photos by ispysammi​ & @Nita_Penn}

                           {Kale & Cabbage Salad + Spicy Red Lentil Soup}

                               {Above: Grilled Veggie & Hummus Wraps}

          {Below: Rose Berry Lime Sparkling Water + Layered Hummus Dip}

A good time was had by all--everyone left with full bellies and full hearts on that glorious, sunny Sunday afternoon.

xo,

The first seven days of the fitfluential Eat Clean 30-Day Challenge are behind me and I’ve come up with a solid plan to keep myself on track with my goals.

Primarily, I want to eat more fresh fruit and veggies. More specifically, I’m planning to eat vegetables that I don’t normally gravitate towards. If you’re like me, then you probably eat the same things over and over. So I feel it’s past time to give some new vegetables a try. I strongly believe that with the right flavor profile and preparation any vegetable can be delicious. 

Check out my first impression of my experience with red spinach from last week here, plus why I’m choosing to give it another go again this week.

Here are my plans going forward for the rest of the challenge:

Week 2: Eat more red spinach, also incorporate brussel sprouts

Week 3: Incorporate squash, zucchini and broccoli rabe 

Week 4: Revisit green peas (my childhood nemesis) and green tomatoes 

I think breaking down what I plan to experiment with will help me stay organized and plan my meals and shopping for the week.

I am also challenging myself to drink at least a gallon of water everyday, plus one green drink-- which can be a juice, smoothie or my chlorophyll water, and of course all the new veggies.

FitFluential 30-Day Challenge: Day 3

So today is Day 3 of my participation in the fitfluential 30-Day Eat Clean Challenge. I am happy to announce that FitFluential recently selected me as a brand ambassador for the next year. Since this is my first time working with the brand, I'll be sharing some of my small victories here and on social media over the course of the challenge. I have a goal of drinking at least one green drink, whether that be a juice, a smoothie, or my chlorophyll water everyday. Additionally, I will make an effort to cut back on seafood and make more plant-based food choices. And... I'm definitely planning to venture outside my comfort zone with my vegetables this month. So when I saw red spinach at my local Trader Joes I said, let me give it a try since I love me some greens!

I'll admit the red spinach was a little different and more rustic than I'm used to. I love my green spinach raw or barely wilted. I didn't really enjoy the red spinach raw, but in a spicy pepper jack grilled cheese-- ahh-mazing! And here's one happy surprise that happened to my lunch... the red spinach turned my pasta into a really pretty pink! How cool is that? I'm a nerd, don't judge me. It get my kicks where I can.

Anyhoo, follow me on social to for real time updates on the 30-Day Challenge. See you around!

@TheSassyNation IG

@TheSassynation Twitter

::: Tipsy Tuesday :::

Why #meditation? While I’ve always enjoyed yoga, probably for many of the same reasons why I love meditation, I only recently started practicing regularly. It never occurred to me that I should until after a particularly tumultuous 2014, I made the a decision that this year was going to be the year that I proactively do something and take an active role to make sh!t happen for myself. I thought, well yoga has always served me well, why not toss in some meditation for good measure. I decided to create an environment that was conducive to tuning out the noise of the exterior world and to spend all of my spare time aligning myself with my internal guide. I ate more nutritiously, I read, I listened, I breathed, I got quiet.

After the first 30 days of doing all of my new things every day I was pretty impressed. The second month into the year I decreased my yoga and meditation practice significantly and I could really tell the difference in what I felt internally and how I moved through the day, externally. By the third month, I’d resumed my daily habit and ritual of meditating (at the very least) and doing yoga every day that I could. And now I’m totally convinced that the benefits of dedicating time to my practice and rituals are no fluke. 

What’s funny is that before I even had a loose meditation practice, I started to look around at my life and the evidence that something was off was clear to me. But for the longest time I couldn’t quite put my finger on what to do about it. At the end of last year I’d been reading about the power of gratitude and the laws of attraction, just feeling like I needed to learn and absorb more if I was going to get out of what felt like a rut. A couple of days before New Years Eve, I had an epiphany that I needed to look within myself to figure out why it seemed things in my life— relationships, finances, progress towards my goals— were in a disarray. Note that I say that it only SEEMED that way. The confusion was purely an illusion that I’d projected into the universe. So, I also knew that if I was going to “fix” what was going on, the answers were also within. 

While I don’t think meditation  benefits are one size fits all in terms of “results,” I do believe that whatever it is that you personally need to connect with in your #spirit is what you will find. There’s a saying, “What you seek is seeking you.” Based on the effect that meditation has had on my life within a short, short span of time, I have definitely found that to be true. Everytime I get still and tune in to the quiet, which is always there, I feel renewed from the inside out. It’s like mentally hitting reset everyday— it cuts through the BS of life and helps me focus on what’s important in the moment. 

Here’s my top 10 benefits describing what meditation has done for me: 

 1. Increased focus & clarity of thought 

 2. Increased productivity 

 3. Increased sense of connectivity with others 

 4. Increased compassion for others 

 5. Increased self-awareness 

 6. Better sleep 

 7. Heightened intuition and discernment 

 8. Better ability to balance emotions and re-center self as needed 

 9. Increased capacity to use my will and direct the current of the law of attraction favorably 

10. Increased sense of positivity from day to day 

This is a non exhaustive list, by far. I’m sure if you hook up my brain or body to some fancy medical devices there’s sure to be something amazing going on in there. But I think you kinda get the point, right? Meditation is awesome in more ways than one.

In Love With the Cocoa

Drop that bag of powdery what ever that is that you were thinking of stirring up and get ready to heat up your winter nights with the most epic SPICY hot chocolate ever. 

It's freezing out, and obviously no one wants to go out into the streets where it's frightful. Instead, have a cuppa this yum to warm up your days and nights. 

Bella Sassy Hair

Did you or someone you know go to Curls & Cocktails ATL, this past weekend? If so, check out our Facebook page to see pics of all the flyy ladies from the event. Be sure to tag a friend! Our hostess, Kenya ( halfietruths ) was so gracious and warm. 

Can't wait until her next STRUT dance class. Space usually sells out fast, so if she comes to your city be sure to snatch up your tix immediately! 

::: Tipsy Tuesday :::

Tough as Nails: How to Winter Proof And Grow Your Nails Long When Its Cold Outside

Is winter being a basic bish? Give it the finger. Albeit, a perfectly manicured one using my tried and true tips to grow longer, stronger nails. As many of you already know, I'm a fan of Julep nail polish. It is undeniable that my nails tend to grow longer, harder and faster when I use their polish in combination with my go-to gel nail polish, Gelous (which I've raved about at length here). 

So, when the opportunity came to try Julep's Oxygen Nail Treatment I was all over it. I used my extra Julep points I'd accumulated over the past several months to do two add-ons to my regular monthly order. The oxygen treatments are available are the original light pinkish hue and ivory, so of course I had to get both. There was a time when I almost always solely used very pale nudes, whites and translucent pinks, so these options for a barely there look were right up my ally.

                                  {My February Julep Maven Box}

The first go-round was pre-Valentine's day week when I'd carelessly broken several nails in one week. I decided to follow the directions which stated that the polish was best used alone. As far as staying power went, the polish lasted, but I didn't notice any significant difference in the strength of my nails, which was disappointing. I went back to polishing and designing my nails as usual for two weeks, then decided to give the Oxygen Treatment another try, this time using my gel method. And hot damn, my nails were winning once again.

Some of the reviews I'd read previously complained that the Oxygen Treatment never seemed to dry, but that was not an issue in either case for me. With and without my gel polish and fast-drying top coat my nails set and dried just fine. The difference the gel polish made was that my nails were as hard as ever and growing rapidly.

I was so happy with the results that I decided to do a basic design using the negative space concept of white-lined half-moons with my barely-there pink Oxygen Treatment polish on my tips. This nude look gives the feel of having bare nails with just a subtle hint of a design aesthetic.

So if you're trying to grow out your nails like I am, here are my top 4 tips:

Tip #1

Find a shape that works best with your lifestyle. For me that shape is oval-- especially in the grow out stage. Once they get to a desirable length, I file them to a nice almond shape. (refer to the chart below).

Tip #2

Gently push back and moisturize your cuticles regularly-- at least once a day. I'm not a huge fan of clipping my cuticles. I will if I have to just to keep them from growing too long. But for the most part, cuticle clipping is only done out of necessity for me. Hang nails, on the other hand are another story. I search, clip and destroy hang nails on the regular without hesitation. 

Tip #3

Buff nails before polishing. This not only ensures a smooth surface for polish application, but ideally keeps nail polish from lifting and flaking off.

Tip #4

Invest in a good nail hardener to use as a base and top coat. Sally Hansen's Diamond Strength Nails was my number one until I caught onto the proper way to use gel polish (the kind without the harmful UV light, of course.) 

Sassy Hair

It's been about a week since I wanded my hair for the V-Day, 'Sexy is the New Sassy' video series. I've been feeling really adventurous lately, so I decided to go ahead and get real crazy with some temporary spray-in color. I've been wanting to dye my hair forever, but I'm way too much of a coward. I had hi-lights once. And while they were beautiful, they really badly damaged my hair. So, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to try something new without the commitment or the scary chemical damage. The color is Ruthless Red from Beyond The Zone. 

 After dry twisting my hair I let it set for about an hour or so then unraveled it and sprayed in the color. I found the color a little difficult to work with because it was getting everywhere (I mean, it is an aerosol). The transfer from my hair onto my clothes, jacket and hands was pretty substantial, even after my hair was dry. I'd definitely recommend waiting until the color is completely dried in before getting dressed and maybe opting for wearing darker colors if the hair is down like mines is in the last pic. 

::: Tipsy Tuesday ::: 

"My 6 Habits to Stay Healthy & Happy During Winter" 

From its blustery cold days, to the snot slinging, to the bouts of dry skin and hair, now that the holidays have passed I’m pretty much over wintertime and ready for the first blooms of spring. Although I work from home and am not as exposed to the elements as most people, winter is still my all-time least favorite season. I’m naturally an introvert, and can easily go days without leaving my house. However, to keep me from morphing into a recluse, I created a pleasurable routine that not only elevates my energy level, but also helps me to stay healthy and relatively happy in spite of the doom and gloom of winter. 

1. Every morning I start my day off with a tall glass of lemon water — sometimes hot, sometimes cold — to prepare me for a good sweat at the gym. I read that hot lemon water has a number of awesome health benefits. I’ll admit that I didn’t really jam with it at first because I normally drink tea every morning. However, the more I drink it, the more it’s beginning to grow on me. 

 2. To heat up the icy winter mornings, I hit the gym for some power cardio. Depending on how much time I have to spare, I try to at least get in a 20-45 minute run on the treadmill. After I shower, no matter how cold it is, I feel flushed and hot from the inside out. 

 3. Before starting my actual workday, I make sure to take my vitamins with a healthy breakfast. I’ve recently become obsessed with kale and mozzarella egg white omelets with Italian seasoning. By the time I finally sit down at my computer with my cup of yerba mate to answer the first email or post my first update for the day, I’ve already done three awesome things for myself.