Happy New Year Darlings,
A new year is here. We are blessed with another chance to start anew. Wishing you all much Success, Peace and Prosperity. Whatever was holding you back in 2015, it’s time to LET IT GO! Promise yourself one thing this year… Don’t live in the past! You have the power to make 2016 AMAZING!
I simply love books which inspire and motivate. I’m on a major spiritual journey, and I’m absorbing as much as I can in order to succeed on my path to greatness. I must be able to help others as well as myself. Growing and becoming the best woman I can be is a constant and daily goal, I must strive for and be better than I was yesterday. My current daily read is Destiny Daily Readings, inspirations for Your life’s Journey by T.D. Jakes.
This little gem is a companion to Bishop Jakes new book Destiny, which I will start reading soon. It’s a book of affirmations, meditations and scripture with suggested action steps on fulfilling your God-given role day by day. It’s definitely food for thought. If you’re on a spiritual journey like I am, this book is for you. Purchase yours here.
Happy reading.
Wow!!
I can’t believe it’s been 3 months since my last blog post! My life has been an absolute whirlwind, beautiful new home, new contract, new hair (if you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know what I’m talking about! scroll down the page to my IG feed), growing spiritually and tuning into my faith more than I ever have in my life! God has been good to me! The last 3 months have been trying, joyful, painful, disappointing, frustrating, enlightening, every adjective you can think of; but you know what? The beautiful thing is, I’m still here, stronger, more joyful and happier than I’ve truly been in the last couple of years.
I’m ready to return to blogging, because my mind, body and spirit are in a wonderful place and I’m finally ready to really grow my brand and take it into the stratosphere. the grand heights, which I envisioned 5 years ago when I started Maylana’s Closet, Maylana’s Chronicles and now Style1963, more on that last one in the coming months. To be honest, my dreams are even bigger, than they were before!
If you’re wondering what the image above represents, it’s the number of my new home. 212 means a lot to me, because when I first moved to NY from London, 212 was my area code, so it seems fitting that I’ve come full circle and am now living at 212 in Washington, DC!
I’ve missed you all, I’ve missed blogging, sitting at my computer composing my blog posts, communicating with my fellow bloggers, and all the extra stuff which goes with being a blogger and building a brand. I’m so happy to say… I’M BACK!!! And what better way, than to make a fabulous return at the beginning of a brand new month.
I’ll see you all very soon!
Love, Life and Creativity
Maylana!
Happy Sunday Darlings! Well today it’s a cold 43 degrees on this 4th day of spring. Yesterday, we got to a whopping 67 degrees in Washington DC, and I must say quite a few people felt the need to take all their clothes off. Not me!!! I was dressed in lovable layers.
Until I see a constant 75 degrees, I’m not removing too much. This was me yesterday, browsing in Marshall’s, who had one of the best selfie taking mirrors.
And remember…
I hope you’re having a beautiful and relaxed Sunday. Wishing you a Blissfully Blessed week!
Oscar Nominee Lupita Nyong’o has taken Hollywood by storm and in my opinion by complete surprise. Lupita is either gracing a magazine cover, complete with beautiful layouts, adorning gorgeous designer dresses. She is winning every award, and deservedly so. This Yale educated, beautiful and talented actress, is doing for black women, what Alek Wek did back in the early 90’s. It is beautiful to see a beautiful, chocolate hued woman representing me in Hollywood. It’s beautiful to see a woman whose hair is as short as mine, representing all black women who have chosen not to go the weave or wig route.
There is nothing wrong if you choose to wear weaves or wigs, but those of us with cropped, short or baldies tend to be shunned and not seen as beautiful. Luckily I’ve always been very confident, therefore my short hair {sometimes baldie, depending on my mood} does not dictate who I am, though it is part of who I am as a woman. I’ve just listened to Lupita’s graceful and moving speech on black beauty at the annual Essence Black Women in Hollywood event; for me it was extremely soul-stirring, moving and timely, I felt her speech deep down inside my soul.
Thank you Lupita, for your grace, your elegance and your extraordinary talent. Thank you for sharing your own personal journey with your skin tone, and letting the world know, that you don’t have to be a light-skinned black woman, with a long flowing weave {or naturally long hair} to make it in this world.
Let’s wish Lupita the very best of luck at tonight’s Academy Awards Ceremony, she deserves every accolade.
Listen to Lupita’s Essence speech here
What I’ll be doing during Super Bowl
I’m really not into the Super Bowl, every news, and talk show program this past week has made a reference or dedicated an entire show to this event. The only thing about the Super Bowl that entertains me, are the commercials, and to see which player is more handsome than the other, for me that’s the full extent of the Super Bowl. So this evening is going to be a night of pampering, book reading, journal writing, watching Downton Abby and catching up on all those shows that have been sitting in my DVR since last year.
I was given a gift at Christmas, of this beautiful little book, which I’m reading right now; it’s Susie Larson’s “Blessing’s for the Evening“. This is such an elegant little book, which is quite heavy for its size, with a beautiful padded cover, complete with gorgeous photography and inspirational quotes to help you wind down your evening on a positive note. The premise is to read a devotional each night, but it’s so beautifully written, and feels so lovely in your hands, you can’t help but read a few pages at a time. You can see Susie’s beautiful quotes on Pinterest.
For those of you who are football fans… Enjoy! May your team win! I’ll be sipping a glass of red.
Images via Google Images & Pinterest
It’s been a hectic and extremely demanding last couple of weeks {my blog post about the Pink concert two weeks ago is still in draft!}. I hope you had a beautiful and blessed Thanksgiving day, and since you’re probably completely stuffed from all that food, you’re now detoxing until Christmas, where we’ll do it all over again!
I was talking to a girl friend of mine, and she introduced me to the song “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, which is from the Despicable Me 2 soundtrack. My friend has been listening to this song to start and end her day and swears it keeps her in a good mood. I have to say when I first heard it, I repeated it about 4 or 5 times, there is just something so catchy and “happy” about it, it makes you want to dance around the house like I did when I heard it. Plus it doesn’t hurt, that I think Pharrell’s quite handsome to boot!
So if you’re feeling a little low, here’s Pharrell’s Happy to perk you up!
Be Happy, Be Passionate, Be Creative, Just Be!
Pharrell Williams photo courtesy of Google Images
This beautiful and inspirational poem by Ernest Holmes was posted on my Facebook timeline a few days ago, and it truly moved me; it moved me to the point where I felt I had to share it with you. This poem beautifully illustrates the art of letting go. Sometimes you just have to “LET GO” What did you let go of today?
She let go. Without a thought or a word, she let go.
She let go of the fear. She let go of the judgments.
She let go of the confluence of opinions swarming around her head.
She let go of the committee of indecision within her.
She let go of all the ‘right’ reasons.
Wholly and completely, without hesitation or worry, she just let go.
She didn’t ask anyone for advice. She didn’t read a book on how to let go.
She didn’t search the scriptures. She just let go.
She let go of all of the memories that held her back.
She let go of all of the anxiety that kept her from moving forward.
She let go of the planning and all of the calculations about how to do it just right.
She didn’t promise to let go. She didn’t journal about it.
She didn’t write the projected date in her Day-Timer.
She made no public announcement and put no ad in the paper.
She didn’t check the weather report or read her daily horoscope. She just let go.
She didn’t analyze whether she should let go.
She didn’t call her friends to discuss the matter.
She didn’t do a five-step Spiritual Mind Treatment.
She didn’t call the prayer line. She didn’t utter one word. She just let go.
No one was around when it happened.
There was no applause or congratulations.
No one thanked her or praised her.
No one noticed a thing. Like a leaf falling from a tree, she just let go.
There was no effort. There was no struggle.
It wasn’t good and it wasn’t bad. It was what it was, and it is just that.
In the space of letting go, she let it all be.
A small smile came over her face. A light breeze blew through her.
And the sun and the moon shone forevermore.
“Everything will change when your desire to move on exceeds your desire to hold on.” ~ Alan H. Cohen
Well Dahhlings, another Monday is upon us. I hope you enjoyed your weekend and also Fashion Night Out on Thursday. I saw no reason to do a major blog post on FNO as every “fashion” blog in the blogosphere was writing about it.
For those of you who attending New York Fashion Week, I know it’s as fabulous as all those photos I’ve been seeing on Instagram and Tumblr. I hope to attend Fashion Week in London or New York with my sister in either Febuary or September 2013 {Watch this space!}
There are some absolutely gorgeous peices for next S/S 2013, I already can’t wait; though we haven’t even gotten thru winter 2012 yet! I’ll feature my favourites over the next few months, to cheer you up when the weather gets gloomy.
If you’re still looking for Fashion Week info for 2012 as well as dates for 2013 click here
I want to wish all of you an amazing week; I’ll leave you with a few little tidbits to ponder until next time…
Remember…
And always…
Good morning darlings! This Monday is a bit of a dreary one, with drizzling rain here in DC; after 2 glorious days of sunshine. Above are your tasks for this week. Let’s try (myself included) to apply some, if not all of them to our lives. Read through it pick out the ones that really speak to you and apply them. I’m sure we’ll all feel better for it. Have yourselves a positive, blessed and productive week.
Also, make sure to tune in to Maylana’s Closet on Wednesday, I have a little something in store for you… You don’t want to miss it!
Happy Monday Dahhlings!
This captures exactly how I’m feeling this Monday morning!
Maylana's Chronicles 