Category: Natural

...About Wednesday Lunch with Your's Truly

6/10/2014

It was an absolute perfectly magical day for this first 'Wednesday Lunch' with yours truly! The temperature was warm and the sky was clear, crisp and blue. The Cowrie Shell Center's newly landscaped backyard garden was the scene...eyes, palettes, and bellies were quite full and pleased with everything presented...from the pale blue, cherry blossom dishes (a gift from a sweet client a few yrs ago) to the mini terracotta pots holding sweet, yellow, honey and ginger candles; the fresh minty, African Rooibos, boosted the lemonade to perfection and of course the delicious, heavenly meal did not go without compliments with each forkful. Also on the menu was a slightly spicy, veggie rice on a bed of kale, baby spinach and handful of arugula. I served that with a homemade avocado, corn, salsa, cilantro and hummus blend (as the dressing and also dip) with white corn chips on the side. Our conversation flowed from our plates to our families. We paused several times to just take it ALL in... the red cardinals, stopping by, the grass and the divinity of each others company! oh, some uninvited mosquitoes tried to crash our luncheon..but I was ready for them! LOL
We planned to put our creative spirits together for future ventures. one comment was "this event must be shared!"

For many years now, I wear yellow on Wednesdays. ( observing my Khametic spiritual path) So trying to figure out what to wear to my Wednesday Lunches won't be an issue (unless I didn't get to the laundry). I can totally focus my energies toward balancing my self with the proper rest, preparing the meals, teas and juices also on being of divine service to my guest. It's really easy for me, being a hostess and all, I just really love it. I'm passionate about nurturing, especially when it's appreciated. MUAAAH!

My Ancient Blends LemonTeade will be a hit this summer, well, as quiet as it's kept...it's a well kept secret hit most summers for those who already know! I love that the decorative pieces are already in-house. I simple pick up what I want to use as I flow through the indoor/outdoor spaces...I love colors, I feel like colors are an important aspect to the meal which I'm serving that day; color is an important aspect in assisting digestion, color therapy for emotion balance and inspiration and just offering my quest and over-all sense of well being...mind, body and spirit transforming.
I'd love to offer a Wednesday Lunch with Yendys invitation to new moms...especially! Come, let me serve you! I'm also the mother of two daughters ages twenty eight and twenty five. I have some gems I can share on mothering as well wink, wink...
I'm currently in the process of creating a link to add here on my blog in order for you to easily RSVP for this event...stay tuned!

Goddess Blessings.

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October Expo In Connecticut

10/14/2013

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Here's a little peek at yesterdays trip to Bridgeport Conn for the WOMEN OF POWER, INC EVENT...

Yesterday morning my sistahfriend Elsie and I took a nice ride out to Connecticut on the Metro. My other sistahfriend Rhoena (of Red Feather Wellness) invited me to present my Ancient Blends products and expand my brand at the Women Of Power, Inc event she's affiliated with. The ride wasn't bad at all, we got a chance to appreciated some Fall foliage along the route. After the train ride, we arrived at The Trumbull Marriott on Merritt Pkwy a few hours before the event was due to start. Having to travel from Bedstuy Brooklyn, with two suitcases and a shoulder tote of products is no easy task. My husband is super supportive and he usually make sure that my travel plans go as smooth as can be. As a vendor, it's always best to be arrive earlier than later. If the event offers first come pick of space to set up, that's most favorable. We checked in and had ample time to snap a few pics, sit outside and enjoy the warm afternoon sun kissing our faces. I loved the inside of the hotel, walking through the lobby reminded me of a scene in several movies I've seen and it just made me smile inside...ready to share Ancient Blends Natural Hair Care & Body Care products!

THE EVENT AND THE MISSION
http://www.wopninc.com/
WOPN's mission is to inform, inspire and empower women and girls to address issues affecting their educational, health and wellness, financial and social well-being. We aim to develop the unique talents of public high school girls by providing academic and professional development resources, to recruit professional women to use their expertise to aid in the development of students to promote excellence for generations to come.

So excited!!! Later this room was well attended with lots of supportive people, with inspiration, warm acknowledgements, presentations and talent galore!...at Women Of Power, Inc Expo (I'll add another image of the event in full swing as it becomes avail)

Setting up my table is always different each time I present my products at an event. I simply feel the energy in the space and that gives me guidance as to which one of my products should be featured...
Yes, Ancient Blends 'Morning Glory' was a winner last night! This blend has been my personal daily moisturizer for many, many years. At every event, folks always compliment my youthful skin. I have to admit that along with using this as my morning regime, practicing healthy living and stress management is my secret.
http://www.cowrieshell.com/products

Also, I've reformatted an old tried and true product...Ancient Blends 'NEW' Herbal Hair Tea Rinse was a winner at this event as well! This is the very same formula made from the same 17 dried herbal blend I have been using as a leave-in treatment (a service in my Cowrie Shell Center salon) and offering on my etsy.com store for many years...the difference is, now I've steeped the blend and bottled it for your convenience. Since it is a NATURAL tea, IT'S BEST REFRIGERATED. It smells AMAZING too! http://www.cowrieshell.com/products

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NYC 1st Annual Loc Appreciation Day Celebration 7/22/13

6/27/2013

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CONGRATULATIONS to the creators and innovators of Locs Revolution! I'm so happy to have been invited to participate in this inspiring event...I gave a head wrap demo, shared my Ancient Blends natural hair and body care product line (shop www.cowrieshell.com for my products). It was a fun event, very informative, lots of beautiful locs, a much needed celebration and truly it looks like the beginning of something beautiful for The Locs Revolution. LIKE their page on FB. Thanks and s/o to the photographer Jay L.A. Bastien for capturing these awesome photos of the event also...(visit www.JayALbastien.com to see more images of this event). SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!!!

Ancient Blends natural gel

Ancient Blends Hair Hydrating Moisturizing Mist

Ancient Blends 'SACRED' body butters...use for hair and body

Follow Niyya Teneé @ LOCS REVOLUTION ON FB

Niyya Teneé...She's the creatress of this fabulous event...http://locsrevolution.tumblr.com

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Coral Reef Goddess By The Sea

4/21/2013

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A divine memory stands out in my mind from my journey home to Barbados last October, 2012...My sistah/friend Elsiana and I were walking along the beach, doing a little exploring. We were beginning to feel hungry. So, we thought we would leave the beach to look for a market or a place to get some breakfast. On the path to the road, that's the moment when I saw the coral reef figure from the sea sitting in the sand, just a few feet from the edge of the water. I was in total awe of the shape of it. It instantly reminded me of an ancient goddess statue. I stopped to take pictures of it~of course! I wouldn't have been myself if I didn't nudge it a little to see if I could move it. I thought about bringing it back home with me...(imagine the look on their faces as I tried getting through customs with that big piece of coral reef rock...ahahahaa).

After I stared at the water and sand sculpted divinity from the sea for a few more moments, I started noticing a few sacred symbols around her; like the two sticks making the image of a cross close by, then the coconut that sat reverently in front of her, her ample breast, her slender waistline, her wide hips and her opened womb. I also noticed that she sat in lotus position. I knew that these symbols were like gateways into a deeper reality about this coral reef goddess figure. Tuning into the symbols helped me begin to see beyond just the thing that I saw before me.

I was able to see the image of Divine Herself. She rose up out of the waters of the ocean. The sea is the Womb of the Earth Mother. The sea is the symbol of the Mother's sacred and magical blood. It is the primordial womb that gave birth to the universe when there was only the darkness of Chaos. From Her womb, was born night, and water, and eternity. From these were born light, and earth, and time. All life comes from the sea. Life on Earth began in the sea.
When we moved onto land, the sea came with us. It travels in our cells. The sea is the fluid which runs in our veins. The saltwater of the sea lives in our sweat, flows in our tears and bathes our sexuality. Mother sea purifies and rebirths everything that enters her. I felt so blessed to have found this sacredness on the beach that morning. It put a forever smile in my heart and in my womb.

When I was finally able to pull myself physically away from this auspicious find, we continue looking for food. That turned out to be fruitless as the market seemed like it was real far in the distance. The noon sun was starting to really beam down and kiss the island and we were much too hungry to walk any further...lol. So, we decided to head back to the villa to seek nourishment there. Throughout the rest of our few days on the island, I never really stopped thinking about the the coral reef goddess. I think about the statue often and yes, I still wished that I was able to bring her home with me. Hmmm...I did bring her home with me! I'm very happy that I took these photos. The memory of her divinity rests in the depths of my soul. I can always visit her there whenever I feel the need to reconnect.

Coral Reef Goddess and Yendys Nefer-Atum

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We Are The Hands Of The Goddess.

4/17/2013

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We are the hands of the Goddess
And to Her we offer healing...
Touch made sacred
by the spirit in our hearts

We are people of the Goddess
in Her honor we celebrate...
Joining together in community
Spirit peoples of the Earth

We are the hands of the Goddess
And to Her we offer our prayers...
Our thoughts made sacred
by the spirit in our hearts

We honor Her in Asia,
We honor Her in Africa,
We honor Her in Europe,
We honor Her in Australia,
We honor Her in Scandinavia.
We honor Her in South America
We honor Her in North America,

We are the Children
of the Goddess.
Growing in numbers
Every day

We are the hands of the Goddess
And to Her we offer Love...
Hearts and minds made sacred
by the spirit in our hearts...

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#Instaphotooftheday #Afrosthebook #yendysnef

4/17/2013

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I woke up and reached for my cell. I saw that I had one message. It was from my friend and longtime client Michael July, author of Afros: A Celebration Of Natural Hair (#Afrosthebook on Instagram). I saw this Instagram photo and before I could even read what he wrote, I noticed the number in the upper left hand corner...the amount of <3 that this photo had received so far...I think I saw about 886 likes! WOW!!!

Then I read his message to me:

naturalhairdoescare Michael July, Author of @afrosthebook, has the serious locbraid going on! #naturalhairdoescare #anuessentials #springhairaffair #tameyourtresstuesday #locstar #NHDCMen #NHDCHomme
" This photo was taken around 9pm tonight at Khamit Kinks. Someone just sent it to me and said I'm an Instagram hit. Lol"

I'd say you're an Instagram hit also Michael July aka Mayor of Brooklyn LOL!!!
After reading his text, I opened up my Instagram #yendysnef to see who posted the image. I found the #naturalhairdoescare Instagram site. I clicked the tab to follow the page of course, I <3 the photo, then added my comments .
I love that pic! I remember the first time I actually gave Michael that 'fishtail.' He liked it right away. We always do a 'hat check' after I'm finished just to make sure that his hat sits just right! Then we do a high five LOL. It's been his signature style since that day...
I'm sooo excited to see all the love that this style and image has received!

Read Michael's comment on that photo:
Via naturalhairdoescare: afrosthebook Thanks for digging the fishtail. It was created 6 weeks ago by Yendys Nefer-Atum of The Cowrie Shell Center For Natural Hair Care & Holistic Wellness. Yendys is an amazing loctician & afro-ologist who this month expanded into a new space that will offer even more services & products. Check out her site here: http://www.cowrieshell.com You will be beyond inspired! 

He's an awesome guy and his coffee table book Afros: A Celebration Of Natural Hair is now available at my place 'The Cowrie Shell Center For Natural Hair Care & Holistic Wellness' in Bedstuy, Brooklyn, New York. 718-221-2051

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A sneak peek inside: The NEW Cowrie Shell Natural Hair Care & Wellness Center

4/12/2013

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Learn About Foraging With Naturalist "Wildman"Steve Brill

3/7/2013

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The 4-hour walking tour in Prospect Park begins at 11:45 AM, Saturday, March 16, at Prospect Park's Grand Army Plaza entrance. Call (914) 835-2153 at least 24 hours ahead to reserve a place.
For more insight visit: http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/

Prospect Park is a great place for foragers to celebrate the approach of spring. Like Central Park, this Olmstead-designed park features a variety of habitats filled with native and exotic plants. Cold-weather greens abound throughout the park. We'll find goutweed, which tastes like parsley, celery, and carrots; andchickweed, which tastes like corn-on-the-cob. Both sweet-sharpdaylily shoots, and chive-like field garlic, will be producing bumper crops in partially sunny areas throughout the park.

Field Garlic (In the photo)
Field garlic leaves are best from September through April, before they get tough and coarse. The bulbs are mild in the winter and early spring, and especially most spicy from mid-spring through summer

We'll also be finding garlic mustard galore. This foreign invasive species produces garlic-flavored leaves and horseradish-flavored taproots. It also contains nutrients that reduce the risk of both heart disease and cancer.

The first tiny leaves of wild parsnips, growing alongside the skating rink, will clue us in to the location of the large, sweet roots. The same species as commercial parsnips, the wild version of this European biennial adds way more flavor to soups and stews than its domestic forerunner.

And the abundant, green, fragrant twigs of sassafras saplings will let us locate roots you can use to make your own wild root beer, or a sweet seasoning.

The first shoots of Japanese knotweed will also be up. This invasive plant tastes sour, like its relative, rhubarb, so it's great to make bland ingredients more exciting, or to contrast sweet fruit.

On the first tour of Prospect Park in 1982, I got lucky and discovered a huge stand of curly (yellow) dock growing along the lake. The same plants are still alive and well in the same location 3 decades later! The sour leaves, full of vitamin A and iron, are delicious raw or cooked, and the root is a major liver detoxifier and tonic. Its relative, bitter dock, grows throughout the park. It's as delicious cooked as it's awful raw!

In an area of loose, recently overturned soil dwells a wonderful stand of burdock, with roots that taste like a combination of potatoes and artichokes. Usually very difficult to weed, the deep taproots grow in unusually soft, rock-free soil here.

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HOW TO USE MY ANCIENT BLENDS HERBAL HAIR TEA

3/2/2013

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Herbal infusions have been used for centuries to naturally soften hair, increase manageability, and restore luster, body and bounce. This recipe is designed with specific herbs that have been found helpful in achieving a particular result. Herbal hair rinses can provide a deep cleansing, lighten, darken or enrich your natural hair color, soothe irritation, prevent dandruff or stimulate the scalp to increase growth.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/59875485/herbal-deep-treatment-hair-rinse-3ozs

If you have no desire to strain herbs, make your own “tea bag.” Bundle the herbs into a piece of cheesecloth or cotton muslin and secure with natural cotton string. I include a muslin bag with each of my hair teas.

The directions are the same, just fill the tea bag with the amount of herbs indicated on the label. Add your bundled herbs to the hot water. Do not pack the bundle with too many herbs , you want the herbs to be loose so their essences can be infuse completely. If you are making larger recipes with lots of herbs you may want to use more than one bag or just use the loose tea. If you are using the muslin bags, when finished empty and rinse the bag and allow to dry.

Simple Herbal Tea Hair Rinse
Directions: Pour 2 cups of boiling water over 3 or more tablespoons of herbs. Steep for at least 30 minutes covered. Strain herbs from the tea and make sure it’s not too hot. As you slowly pour the tea over your wet head, massage the infusion into your hair and scalp. Keep a large bowl under your head to catch the liquid and reapply several times. For extra deep conditioning benefits, just leave it in and towel dry hair.

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