On Channeling Frida

I used to think I was the strangest person in the world, but then I thought, there are so many people in the world, there must be someone just like me who feels bizarre and flawed in the same ways I do.\

- Frida

I've always been an odd child. I've always loved art and creating, but it wasn't until I happened upon Frida Kahlo that I discovered how wonderful it truly is to be myself. Frida's spirit was one of tenacity, strength, and success. Thats why so many "art girls" love her so much. Frida mirrored the divine mother in her ability to grow herself. She examined her agony in a way that was not egotistical. She expirienced life. She loved life. She understood that there would be a time she would leave this place, so she enjoyed herself. I want to be like her.

Everyone you see is simply a reflection of yourself that you either have or have yet to become. Channel your inspirations. When I dressed like Frida I gained a Frida-esc persona. My confidence had shone through in ways the it does't usually.

Viva la Vida.

VEGAN PESTO PASTA RECIPE

Vegan Pesto Pasta Recipe:

Hey ya'll! I'm so happy that you guys asked for this recipe. I used to love pesto so much and I hadn't had it in a year until I decided to improvise today!

What you need:

2 handfuls of spinach

1/2 cup of olive oil

1/4 cup cashews (I didn't have pine nuts)

The juice of 1 large lemon

1 tbs minced garlic

1 tbs dried basil

Sea salt to taste

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

Whole grain ritoni pasta

sundried tomatoes

Directions:

Boil pasta

Blend pesto ingredients until smooth (not the pasta.,, that would be weird)

Remove pasta from water and pat w/ paper towel

Pour pesto onto pasta

top with sun-dried tomatoes

Eat!

I hope you love it!

My 4 All-Natural Skincare Must Haves

For the past few years I've been trying different stuff for my skin. I've tried things from low end classics like Cetaphil to $32 fancy-shmancy moisturizers. Non of them have worked as well as my current routine. I think my body likes things that come from the earth...

Everything on this list is inexpensive, eco-friendly, and FULL of benefits...

Coconut Oil is an oil that we all should have on hand. In this instance I use it as a makeup remover. The oil works as a makeup melter... yes, a make up melter, dude. I swear this is THE best.

Plus, it's ANTI-BACTERIAL and ANTI-FUNGAL

To Use: Get a little on your finger tips, warm it up, then rub it all over your face.


REAL African Black Soap, and I'm not talking about the kind you can get at Target. That's not the right kind. You get this from the Flea Market or from small scale vendors. Real black soap is not black, contrary to what the name leads you to believe. The product is a brown and black speckled mixture that has been used for generations by some of the most beautiful and health people on the planet.

The soap cleanses gently, so it's ideal for people with rosacea, rashes, dryness and other skin conditions. African black soap contains plantain extract, which has

 antibacterial properties that may help treat acne breakouts.

- LIVESTRONG.COM

To Use: Lather a little in your hands with some water and, again rub it all over your face. Just wash your face, lol.

Bentonite Clay, is the sh*t. Shout out to Britney and Josh for putting me on. I use it as a post-cleansing mask. The mask in my opinion, is a bit uncomfortable. I keep it on long enough to brush my teeth, moisturize, and comb out the fuzz on top of my head.

It creates a charge when it comes into contact with water and helps to draw out impurities. And don't get me wrong, when i remove the mask... MY FACE IS SUPER SMOOTH!

To Use: Mix a bit with water. Keep adding water and mixing until you reach your desired consistency. then apply in layers until it looks like you have a grey, opaque, terrifying looking mask on. Use a washcloth and warm water to remove the paste.

Shea Butter is my tried and true all-time favorite skin care item. Use a little in the day befor makeup and a lot at night for glowing skin in the morning. When I think about shae butter I swoon.

Here's why love the stuff so much:
1. It's fatty acids and vitamins help to moisturize skin better than ANY other
2. It has this stuff called  lupeol cinnamate which helps to reduce inflammation
3. It helps your skin produce collagen naturally... No wonder black don't crack. 

Check out this article for more information. 

To Use: This oil is a vastly different texture from the coconut oil I mentioned. It also has a higher melting temperature, so either heat it or REALLY work it with your hands before... rubbing it all over your face. I like to give myself a Lisa Eldridge-style massage.

If you were to go out and buy these things it would run you lees than $35 maximum, $25 if you're smart. I really love this routine because I feel that Mama Earth has already given us what we need to flourish. All we need to do is use it.

#25forthecollective Love your skin.

My Simple DIY Toothpaste Recipe

I was inspired and enlightened by Britney! Here's MY shot at the DIY toothpaste. I'll link Britney's blog here, and the video YouTube video that inspired me here.

INGREDIENTS:

2 PARTS Coconut Oil
1 PART Baking Soda
1 TSP Bentonite Clay
1 PINCH Sea Salt
10 DROPS Peppermint Essential Oil

This toothpaste pulls out impurities, cleans teeth, and freshens breath. It ALSO has ingredients that have been proven to reverse gum disease. I'll be talking more about these ingredients in my upcoming YouTube video! And don't worry, I filmed the making of this recipe. It's super simple!

I'm really trying to become more healthy and natural. #25forthecollective

Britney's All Natural Toothpaste Recipe

As a contribution to the movement, my friend and fellow blogger Britney has given us the recipe to an all natural toothpaste! 

Not only is this healthier than store bought toothpastes, it's more fun too! Look for this recipe in my upcoming YouTube video! 

1/3 cup bentonite clay (remineralizing x draws out impurities)

2 tbs turmeric (whitening)

coconut oil for desired consistancy (antibacterial)

Himalayan pink salt (expholiation)

10 drops tea tree oil (rids teeth of plaque and helps to reverse gum disease)

10 drops cinnamon essential oil (antibacterial x taste)

CHECK OUT BRITTNEY'S BLOG, SIERRA SPEAKS HERE
FIND ME ON YT BY FOLLOWING THE TAB ON THIS BLOG!

XOXO #25FORTHECOLLECTIVE

Why Smile? Do it for the Energy

In the car, on the way to my friend Kenyan's house with a best friend I had found in college, I sat and listened to Crane. 

Crane's this new band me and my friends found on my birthday. They were doing a Sublime cover tribute at a club called Zydeco, down town. That night was when I had decided that I needed to finalize what I wanted to do for the first lesson. 

We walked into the club, and the crowd was pitiful. There was a bouncer, a bartender, a visibly drunk couple, and a random guy standing next to the bathroom... and then there was us. We were 4 bodies strong (2 girls, 2 guys).  There was Waysha and her boyfriend, Kenyan. Then there was Ben, Kenyan's friend, and me. 

We stood there for a minute. We just listened and there was no one on the dance floor. Some time passed and I just thought, "it's going to be up to us to make this night not suck." So, I asked WaYSha to dance and she greeted me with a smile. We got up from our seats that we had taken 30 minutes in. 

I'm usually very shy when it comes to dancing, but I swear smiling helped me enjoy the experience more. When Waysha and I danced it felt like the air was electric. I swear our smiles mad all the difference... I kind of believe we raised the vibration of the entire set, because after us a whole flock of intoxicated 18-20 somethings filled the dance floor.

The next day I decided to look into the true power of smiles and I found out about a phenomenon THAT EXPLAINED MY EXPERIENCE WITH Waysha.. "According to neuroscientist Marco Iacoboni, we all posses something called mirror neurons, cells in the pre-moter cortex and inferior parietal cortex that are activated when we perform a given action as well as when we witness someone else performing it. And when it comes to smiling, mirror neurons respond to the acts of both seeing and doing."  Apart from this, I looked into a lot more that I'll link in this blog post. But, to be honest, I don't really need  all the scienticistuff to make me see the power of smiling.

I KNOW that smiling makes a difference. 

Here's a Huff Post Article that's worth a read:: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/08/smiling-benefits_n_6598840.html

And... a Forbes article on how fake smiles are just as good as the real ones: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/08/smiling-benefits_n_6598840.html

A peer reviewed article on the effects of smiling:  https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1G1-107759752/the-effect-of-smiling-on-helping-behavior-smiling

The effects of smiling obn the body: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cutting-edge-leadership/201206/there-s-magic-in-your-smile

Lesson 1: Learning to Love Our Smiles

I called you ugly, because I don't like the way my nose scrunches when I show you. I covered you up because I didn’t see why anyone would want to see you, being that you were so rigid. I hated you; because, back then, you had always been forced and ingenuine. You were a reminder of my sadness. You were the epitome of a divine paradox. I’m sorry.

You were the joy of my mother and her mother. You were sweet and powerful. You brightened so many days. You have the power to heal, to encourage, and to comfort. I’m tired of being at war with you. You’re the first and most important thing I need to embark on this journey.

To my beautiful smile, please accept my apologies. Please forgive my for being ashamed of you. Forgive me for not accepting you as one of the best parts of me. I will learn how to accept you., and From this point forward I will embrace and love youj.

25 lessons for the collective::