30 Days of Turquoise – Live In Color

30 Days of Turquoise – Live In Color

by | Sep 2, 2024 | 2024, 30 Days of Turquoise, Celebrating Milestones

As promised, I’m excited to share the images that Nichole Beatty and I collaborated on for my 49th Birthday shoot! Since I’m kicking off this celebration with color, I wanted to share a few of my favorites from my turquoise fringe look. This is the first of four unique styles I’ll be sharing, each one in its own collection, week by week.

When approaching the creative vision for my personal shoots, I always create an avatar or a “moment” to bring to life, incorporating my signature colors and symbolism. This year, I’m celebrating what I may have missed last year and looking forward to the future. And as always, when I create multiple looks, I pay homage to African culture—a way for me to express the beauty and power of living an African-centered lifestyle.

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For this look, I’m channeling the Masquerade, honoring the vibrant traditions across Africa where masquerades bring communities together for various reasons. I’m endlessly inspired by the breathtaking costumes and the dynamic energy of masqueraders moving through the streets. My vision here was rooted in thoughts of the #Egungun, the ancestral spirits who continue to influence and guide us. This turquoise tapestry is a tribute to the ancestors—egun—who walk with me, clear my path, and support me on this journey.

Details:
    • Styling and Makeup: By me
    • Catsuit: Yitty
    • Shades: Orijin Culture
    • Fringe Collar & Cowrie Shell Earrings: TrufacebyGrace (modified with a mirrored cowrie shell trim)
    • Cowrie Shell Bracelet: African Stars
    • Fertility Fan: Afrohemien (I believe)
    • Lighting & Photography: Nichole Beatty of Katherine Costello Photography
    • Image Editing: Nichole Beatty and myself

#30DaysOfTurquoise #Emerge #LiveInColor #LaVieArtfroheme #AfricanCentered

Africa Day 2024

Africa Day 2024

by | May 25, 2024 | African-Centered, Lifestyle

TODAY IS AFRICA DAY!

If you have not already figured this out about me, I revel in being a descendant of the Mother Continent – Africa. While I am not continent-born, I have traced my DNA ancestry to Guinea-Bissau (Fula), Sierra Leone (Mende and Temne) and Liberia (Kpelle) on my mother’s maternal side and Sierra Leone (Mende) on my father’s maternal side.

This year’s theme for Africa Day is Education Fit for the 21st Century. Read more here: https://au.int/…/celebrating-africa-day-theme-education…

Although I am now an entrepreneur, I have had the pleasure of working with and for companies such as Step Afrika! and African Ancestry that has EXPANDED my view of Africa immensely.

I have people in my life who are continent-born that allow me to ask all of the questions that I want about their country and their culture and have educated me about misconceptions that I may have had. Shout out to Adaora Nwigwe, Oluwaseun Asade and Elizabeth Yillah(there are more but these are the folks on the top of my head.)

Rita Lassiter will tell you that if you are riding in an Uber with me and if I detect that the driver is continent-born, I make an inquiry and ask them to let me guess what country and ethnic group they are from…and it often leads to a great conversation.

Many of us Diasporans (Diafricans – thanks Liv Lyvs for the term) have a flat and distorted view of the continent. Many of us look at Africa as one thing (some of us think it is a country) but it is a CONTINENT of 54 countries, thousands of ethnic groups (tribes) that contain over 25% of the world’s languages. It is RICH in minerals that have made various countries WEALTHY (without those same countries paying back into the economics of the country of their pilages).

Africa is the CRADLE OF CIVILIZATION and it is the man and woman of AFRICAN DESCENT that unlock every genetic code that exists on the planet (Research “Lucy”). So while today, we celebrate African Liberation, I use this day to celebrate the expansion of my African lens and everyday I fall more and more in love with the ENTIRE CONTINENT. Do bad things happen? Is there corruption in some spaces? Yes. But people can not throw stones that live in glass houses (Check your prejudices).

Lastly, I believe that it is a misnomer that continent-born Africans have a general dislike of diasporic Africans (and vice versa). Both sides of the coin have misconceptions and have said very hurtful things about the other. I believe that it is the fault of those who had sown seeds of discord. It has been my experience that most (and I mean almost all) continent-born Africans have opened their arms to me and have poured into me especially when I have come to them with respect and a healthy curiosity. I suggest that those of you who are curious to do the same.

#AfricaDay #liveincolor #africancentered #AIturquoise

National Body Care Day 2024

National Body Care Day 2024

by | Apr 5, 2024 | Lifestyle, Self Discovery, Spirituality, Turquoise School of Magick & Conjure

TODAY IS #NationalBodyCareDay…so allow me to put on my hat as Madame Turquo!se – Tantric Shaman Practitioner. Do you have a habit or practice of listening to and honoring your body? Many times, we respond to the things that are going on with our minds but it is also important to learn how to listen to our bodies.

Days like this make me think of The Mediativist – Jerome Paige as he often reminds us to “note what comes up” and “note the noter”. While my teacher – Shamanic Mystic Maisha Najuma Aza reminds us to note what comes up in your body and take action from there (I am paraphasing both because it more involved but the main idea is PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR BODY). So today, I implore you to do something for your body…something that restores and replenishes you or something that teaches you something you did not know.

I would also be remiss if I did not mention that we are in the energy of planetary retrogrades (Mercury is definitely in retrograde as well as a host of other planets) and have a solar eclipse approaching. Whether you subscribe to these ideals or not, you are affected so treat yourself with grace.

Wishing you the best. I love you all and wish you the best.

Vision Planning for 2024

Vision Planning for 2024

by | Oct 26, 2023 | 2024, Lifestyle, Vision Planning

In 2023, my theme was #METAMORPHOSIS and, wow, how it manifested in many ways. In 2024, my theme is #EMERGENCE. While ai live out loud in many ways, there is apart of myself that I do not share as freely although some are aware. Now is my time to emerge using both my creative and spiritual gifts. It’s time to put on my big girl shoes being the Tantric Shaman Practitioner, Reiki Master, Chakra Balancing, Crystal Loving, African-Centered being that my ancestors have called me to be. I am Madame Turquoise, High Priestess of tge Cs – Creativity, culture, color, cubes and conjure. See y’all in this 2024 streets. Wishing you the best year ever. It is an 8 Universal Year.

#emergence #8UniversalYear #MadameTurquoise #liveincolor #africancentered

30 Years Since High School…Wow!

30 Years Since High School…Wow!

by | Apr 4, 2023 | Celebrating Milestones, Lifestyle, Uncategorized

This year marks a monumental milestone—the Suitland High School Class of 1993 is celebrating its 30th reunion! It feels surreal, doesn’t it? Thirty years since we walked those halls, laughed in those classrooms, and shared moments that shaped who we are today. Looking back, it’s clear that we truly were the BEST CLASS to EVER DO THE THANG. I am beyond honored to be a part of this legendary class, forever connected not only to our fellow classmates but also to the school and all the incredible classes that were part of that era.

Suitland High School gave us more than just an education—it gave us lifelong memories, friendships, and a community that still resonates with us all these years later. For me, and I’m sure many of you, the spirit of those times feels just as alive today as it did back then. There was a special energy in the air during our time at Suitland, a unique vibe that made our class stand out. We were bold, confident, and unapologetically ourselves. And of course, how could we forget the class color orange? It was vibrant, full of life, and a perfect representation of who we were—bright, passionate, and always making a statement.

And then there was our class song, “I’m A 93 Senior,” set to the unforgettable tune of Arrested Development’s “People Everyday.” Every time I hear that beat drop, I’m instantly transported back to senior year, where the excitement of being on the cusp of adulthood mixed with the bittersweet realization that we were leaving high school behind. That song was more than just a senior anthem; it was our collective heartbeat, a rhythm that carried us through that final year and beyond. It was the perfect soundtrack for a class that was as dynamic and diverse as we were.

As we approach this 30-year mark, it’s not just about reflecting on the past but also about celebrating the journey we’ve all been on since we left those high school days behind. Some of us have traveled far and wide, pursued different careers, started families, or found new passions. But no matter where life has taken us, the bond we share as members of the Suitland Class of 1993 remains unbreakable.

So here’s to Suitland Class of 1993, to our unforgettable memories, our bold color, our iconic class song, and to all the experiences that have brought us to this moment. Let’s celebrate 30 years of friendship, growth, and community. We were, are, and will always be the best to ever do it!

#SuitlandClassOf93 #30YearsStrong #Orange #ImA93Senior #ReunionVibes #BestClassEver

See You Later, Dear Friend!

See You Later, Dear Friend!

by | Jan 4, 2023 | Lifestyle

Today, we lost a living angel, and my heart is shattered into pieces. Kelly, I don’t even have the words to fully express what you’ve meant to me. It feels impossible to capture the depth of our connection, the love, and the memories that we’ve shared. But know this—you will forever be a part of me, woven into the fabric of my soul. Your spirit, your light, and your presence will remain with me always.

I am overcome with a deep sadness. There’s a weight in my chest that feels like it may never lift, and alongside that grief is anger. Anger because life feels so unfair right now, and I wish with everything in me that we had more time—more time to laugh, to talk, to share in each other’s lives. But in my heart, I know this is the circle of life. As much as it hurts, as much as I want to scream at the universe for taking you too soon, I understand that transitions like this are part of the larger journey.

Still, I can’t help but feel like we were supposed to have more time together. More time to make memories, to lift each other up, to support one another through the highs and lows. You’ve been such a special part of my life, and now that you’re gone, it feels like there’s this gaping hole where your laughter, your energy, and your love used to be.

In your honor, I will place a special crystal on my ancestor altar, a symbol of the strength and beauty that you embodied. I will also offer 20 purple cowrie shells, each one a tribute to the ways you’ve touched my life and the lives of so many others. The cowrie shells represent the richness of our connection and the spiritual wisdom you shared with the world. Purple—because it’s a color of royalty, spirituality, and transformation, which you embodied so gracefully. I hope that in doing this, I’m able to honor you in a way that feels as powerful and sacred as your presence always was.

Kelly, you were more than a co-worker.  You were my girlfriend. You showed me the ropes at African Ancestry and you were instruction to the way I operate in that space until today. I miss you already, and I will carry your memory with me in every step I take from here forward. Your legacy will live on, not only in my heart but in the hearts of all those who were fortunate enough to know you.

#MyCoworker #MyFriend #RestInPower #HonoringYou #ForeverInMyHeart #CircleOfLife