Ladies, I started a Tumblr at http://maneandchic.tumblr.com/. It’s a much easier way for you to view Curl Spotter” and all the “Curls To Know” features. Check it out.

I read this book a couple of years ago. It was helpful.

So the other day, I had this idea to start a website for crowdfunding student loan debt? Kai, you have a lot of ideas. I can’t keep up every week it’s something new. Yeah, I know, but just listen. I’m sorry. I get a lot of ideas.

Ok so I have a lot of student loans. Why? I don’t know. I knew a lot about money and investing before I took out the loans, yet I still managed to do the dumbest thing I’ve ever done in my life: take out more student loans than I needed. Reading all these books that I’m reading has made me see that all of this happened for a reason. I put myself in this situation for whatever reason. I think it’s to make sure other people don’t make the same mistakes and for people that already have, I want to help them. Don’t you need to help yourself first? Yeah, I do. I’m doing that.

So have you heard of the Website Kickstarter.com? It’s a cool crowdfunding website that allows normal people like you and me to broadcast their dreams and ask for funding from other normal everyday people. People donate the money. Yes, just totally give it away, no loans, no grants, just giving. I’m always on there. It’s one of my favorite sites — ever! I love knowing that my little $1 or $10 donation is helping to make someone’s dream come true. It’s all kinds of cool exploring new coffee table books, new lingerie designers, new dress designers and the list goes on. Russell Simmons said, “If you are a good giver, you will be great getter”. I so believe that. My grandmother always taught me that whatever you give will come back to you… maybe not from the same person you gave it to, but you get it back.

So, inspired by KickStarter, I came up with this idea for crowdfunding student loan debt? I said on Twitter this weekend that so many young people are plagued by student loans and it sucks because if we didn’t have student loans to pay off we could better contribute to society and the economy. What if there were a Website where hundreds of thousands of people (maybe even millions of people could go to help other normal people to pay down their student loans? Would you donate? Would it have to be tax-deductible for you to want to help?

Did you know that Americans have accumulated well over $900 billion in student loan debt? That’s higher than the total amount of credit card debt in the United States. It’s really ridiculous and there really is no help for middle class educated people. There’s so many resources for the poor and of course we need that, but if these normal, educated middle class people were free of their educational debt, there would be more people willing and able to help the truly less fortunate. Right? Yes, you have your own student loans to pay off, but what if you knew that $10 you donated to help someone else along with the $10 donations of 9900 other people could help pay off someone’s $100,000 student loan in one day. What if you knew that that person was so grateful for no longer being strapped with debt, that they began to donate 10% of their income back into the Website to help others, thus causing a domino effect.

There are so many amazing organizations to help children, animals, the poor, the arts and libraries, but what about normal middle class people that are really struggling to make ends meet or working at jobs they hate just to pay back student loans?

So, my questions to you is…

(please participate in the poll)

Looking for a way to hide your tv shame? Check out this cool space, the tv is hidden in a faux fireplace. source: Kelly G Design

I recently heard an observation from Dr. Elon Bomani where she explained that when she visited the homes of the wealthy and successful, she saw vast libraries. In contrast, when she visited poor homes, she observed big screen televisions. Have you observed this phenomenon firsthand?

There was a time in my life when I moved into my first apartment and I didn’t have a television at all for several months, it was the most productive time of my life. I was more creative, more busy, more social and I read a lot more. Now, I’ve limited my television watching to less than an hour a day and on most days, I don’t watch at all. I’d like to get to a point where I can go weeks and eventually months without watching it. I can hardly ever just sit in front of the television and not do anything at all. If I’m watching television, it’s usually when I’m cleaning or doing layouts or something else.

What about you? Please participate in the poll.

Show off your books with this unique revolving bookcase from PBTeen.

Are you participating in Mane and Chic’s Spring Cleaning Challenge? I hope you are. It’s very liberating and freeing to let go of old stuff to make room for incredible new things and new energy in your life. Just a reminder, the goal is to get rid of 50 things. You can read the book Throw Out Fifty Things: Clear the Clutter, Find Your Life like I did and you can also download the free workbook on ThrowOutFiftyThings.com. There are two versions, one you can print out if you want to write your responses: ThrowOutFiftyThingsWorkbook.pdf or there is a Word document for typing in your responses: ThrowOutFiftyThingsWorkbook.doc.

The Pink Cart

The major rules:

• If it no longer serves you, throw it out.
• Groups of things just count as 1 item.
• Negative thoughts, beliefs and people count. They say we are the average of the five people we associate with the most. If people are no longer serving you, it might be time to let go. Get rid of those negative thoughts and beliefs too. You can write them out and tear them up as part of the letting go process.

The deadline for this Spring Cleaning Challenge is June 20, 2011, the first day of summer.

Have you seen The Pink Cart (pictured above)? Five dollars from the purchase of every Pink Cart goes to support the American Cancer Society’s breast cancer awareness programs.

Is there a specific area of your life that you’re focusing on now? Where do you need the most help or inspiration? Please participate in the poll.

Please participate in the poll. You are welcome to write in your own answers.

source: Apartment Therapy

Nothing gives power to an idea like sharing. I’ve always been really into home design and interior decorating. In my early 20s, I contemplated a career in furniture design. I’ve always dreamed of renovating old homes and making them girly and chic. I was so lucky to grow up in New Orleans with all the amazing historical architecture. I love the old Uptown mansions in New Orleans that many of you probably haven’t been exposed to in the media.

My idea is to take you on the journey with me. From the purchase to choosing paint colors, picking out the furniture and more. I want to acquire maybe a blighted property or just a fixer-upper. I’d want it to be in an area with potential, but not yet gentrified. I’d want it to have glamourous curb appeal and make it inspire both neighbors to step their game up and investors to buy property and raise the bar. The ultimate plan would be to someday have designed an entire neighborhood so it is something I’d want to do multiple times probably for the rest of my life. I find it thrilling and it’s always been a dream of mine. I’d want to make these homes available for people that work hard but can’t afford million dollar mansions especially single mothers, grad students and families that are working hard and just want a nice place to call home.

So, that’s the plan. What do you think? Please participate in the poll or leave comments.

There are quite a few things that I have strong interests in that have changed my life drastically. One of those things is the Law of Attraction. If you don’t know, The Law of Attraction is a metaphysical New Thought belief that “like attracts like”. Positive thoughts and feelings bring about positive physical results and negative thoughts and feelings result in negative results. I’ve seen the Law of Attraction work in all facets of my life. I attract what I want in my life through journaling, visualizing, meditating and conscious positive thinking. The things that have resulted from my knowledge of this powerful law have been nothing less than magic. I use it in all areas of my life and I try to share what I’ve learned with every one that is willing to listen and I’m always amazed at the results that other people are getting.

So, I’m curious… (please participate in the poll below)

One of my goals for 2010 was to publish 1000 posts to Mane and Chic in 2010. This is officially the 1001th post. Tough, it meant posting an average of 3 times a day, 7 days per week. Yeah, it was insane. I don’t think I’ll be doing that again. I love hair, fashion and personal growth, but I will admit I was getting a little burnt out doing it by myself. I am happy that I stuck with it and equally happy that it’s done. I don’t know why I chose 1000. I have no idea what I was thinking, but I became more disciplined in all areas of my life by following through on this goal I set.

Another goal was to have 5000 Facebook fans (or likes or whatever they are calling it now) and thanks to you, that happened too. So thank you for making that happen and helping me to exceed that goal.

I think I can confidently say that I have conquered most, if not all of my goals for 2010. It’s kind of crazy reading the goals I wrote last year around this time and to see nearly all of them come to fruition. Not just my goals for Mane and Chic, but personal, financial, spiritual and emotional goals I had for myself. Let’s just say I am living proof that positivity, goal-setting and choosing happiness is the key to everything.

In 2011, I just want you to love the new Mane and Chic e-shop. I’m so excited about it.

Did you reach any big goals in 2010? Have bigger plans for 2011?
I’d love to hear it. E-mail me or leave a comment below.

Cheers,

Ladies, if you plan on shopping Mane and Chic’s e-shop/e-boutique when it opens this spring/summer, please, participate in the survey by clicking below. Some subscribers may need to logon to participate.

If you participate in this survey, you will be the first to know when new merchandise hits the e-shop. I know the clothes are going to be dope and sell out quickly, so this will be a great advantage. Also, I haven’t figured it all out yet, but I plan to offer the first 25 buyers a discount code. I don’t know how much yet, but it’s a thank you for all of your support.