Serena & Olympia

By Erickka Sy Savané
For many, the days can seem long and staying UP can be an uphill battle. From #45 to police brutality to the snow storms that keep slamming the East Coast like a pro-wrestler, sometimes we need a diversion. Serena's IG page is a good start. There we can find enough photos of her now 7-month-old sweet-faced baby Olympia to bring a smile to the gloomiest face. Don't believe me, sift through this post and I guarantee you'll be smiling too! You may even try to make a baby....

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Adut Akech

By Erickka Sy Savané

There's a saying that goes, 'don't miss your entrance.' Well, S. Sudanese model Adut Akech, who grew up in a Kenyan refugee camp before making her way to Australia as a kid, and just graduated high school last year, did not miss hers. When Vogue.com released a series of videos from New York Fashion Week starring Paris Jackson, model Ashley Graham and Cardi B., lip sinking to the song 'You're So Vain,' it was Adut's rendition that stuck out like a white person in Black Panther. Why? Because we haven't been worked by a model like this since George Michael flipped the script with his classic 'Freedom' video or Michael Jackson and Naomi fired up the screen in 'Keep It in the Closet.' So exactly who is Adut Akech? Let's find out!

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Oprah & Tiffany on the Ellen DeGeneres Show

Danai Gurira By Erickka Sy Savané One thing we can say about the film Black Panther (now the #1 movie in the WORLD) is that it's bridging a long over-due gap between Africans and African Americans. To see the movie is to be proud of where we come from and that's just facts. As an African American woman who grew up with an affinity for the continent, and is raising two little girls with my hubby from Cote D'Ivoire, it's a world that has always held interest for me. So when I stumbled across an article in this month's Glamour magazine where Black Panther star Danai Gurira talks about what it means to be "Zimerican" (she was born in Grinnel, Iowa to Zimbabwean parents and moved to Zimbabwe when she was around 6 or 7 years old), I was all ears. Here are a few things that stuck out from her essay that old fans (Walking Dead is still her day gig) and new fans, will enjoy!

Actress Keesha Sharp & Husband Brad Sharp via IG

By Erickka Sy Savané

You may have seen beautiful, Brooklyn-born actress Keesha Sharp lighting up your television screen on shows like 'Are We There Yet,' 'American Crime Story,' and currently 'Lethal Weapon,' since early 2000. But you may not know that when she's not doing her acting thang, she's spending time with her Boo thang doing this!

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Isan Elba

By Erickka Sy Savané

Ain't nothing like an adoring dad, and when that dad is none other than sexy ass Idris Elba, well, we all gotta stand up and cheer- Go Daddy! Idris's oldest daughter Isan, who has been a staple with dad on the red carpet since she was a little-itty-bitty-thang, recently turned 16 and dad posted her the sweetest instagram note EVER, and reminded us why they are one of the cutest daddy-daughter pairs we've seen in ages! Click the link for more photos of the two. You're welcome:-)

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By Erickka Sy Savané

It was supposed to be a quick trim before an event. My husband had been cutting my hair for the past few years and was largely responsible for my hard fought independence from hair. Obviously, I still had hair, but I'm talking about my freedom from twisting, curling, ironing, and curl defining. I’d finally embraced a pick out, which I love for its easy manageability. Pick, pat and go. Some days I don't even do that, I just wake up, mold it around with my hands, and I'm out. That said, I was now suddenly thrust back into the lion’s den when my hubby/barber accidentally cut a plug out of my hair.

“Oh sh*t,” he said, as the clippers grazed my neck so close I thought I saw blood. “I forgot to put the guide on."

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By Erickka Sy Savané

Your husband turns his back on you and goes to sleep. In less than five minutes the room is engulfed by the steady sounds of his snoring while your mind is still fixated on the argument you just had. How can he sleep with so much hanging in the balance? He knows you’re not supposed to go to bed angry. It’s one of the first things you hear when you get married. But here you are playing with fire, having another brush with relationship death, even after ten years of marriage. Really? Why can’t you resolve your issues by bedtime like your best friend? Every time this happens you can’t help wondering if it’s a sign that your relationship is ultimately doomed. Perhaps it’s time you answer the question once and for all:

Will going to bed angry ruin your relationship?

By Erickka Sy Savané

I'm sitting in a chair in the middle of the living room while my husband holds some electric clippers. The buzzing sound is deafening because they are as old as Methuselah.

“Do you really wanna do it?” he asks.

Man. The truth is, as sure as I was a few minutes ago that I wanted him to break out the clippers and do whatever he wants to my hair, now I'm not so sure. The fact that he’s never cut anyone’s hair a day in his life is starting to make me feel a little cuckoo because what are the chances that this will end well? Even he’s questioning whether he should do it. But at the same time, this hair has me oppressed like the police. It’s disrupting my whole life. If I can do this now I might actually break free. But can I let this hair go though?

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Photo via nbcnews.com

By Erickka Sy Savané

By Erickka Sy Savané

“When am I going to start dance lessons?” my 6-year-old daughter asks me at the park, soon after discovering that her new friend just came from ballet class.
“We’ll see,” I tell her.
“That’s what you said the last time.”
“I know,” I reply.

“We’ll see.” I heard that so many times growing up and it always meant the same thing. “We can’t afford it.” Now I’m saying it, sounding just like my mom who didn’t want to make me a promise that she couldn’t keep. But it sucks because as parents we strive to give our kids the things we didn’t have, and when we can’t it can feel like a failure.

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Model Naomi Campbell

By Erickka Sy Savane

There was a moment a few months ago when I was getting ready for an event, standing in the mirror with a tube of lipstick, wondering why I was about to paint my face. I’d done it a zillion times without question, but this time, I just felt silly. What I really wanted was to go completely as I am. Now, I don’t mean butt-naked, but naked-face. Is this what it means to get older? Still, I went ahead and did it, and when I got to the event and posed the question to a few friends they looked at me like I was smoking crack. Wanna clear a room? Start talking about age. My bad.

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By Erickka Sy Savané

Back in the day, naming your son after his father was an honored family tradition. You’d have Eddie and Lil’ Eddie. No one questioned whether it was a good idea, and when you spent 20 minutes on the phone talking to Bobby Sr. instead of Junior you laughed and kept on going.
Today, however, people are breaking with tradition and stepping out on their own for many reasons. In fact, some people love nothing better than giving a son his own unique name. Had you ever heard of the name Shemar before actor Shemar Moore? Probably not, since his name is a combo of his mom and dad. Now boys named Shemar are common…
But really, there are pros and cons to naming a son after his dad, so if you're currently struggling with what to do, hopefully this list can help!

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Call Dionne Phillips many things: Eyelash expert, celebrity eyelash extension guru, entrepreneur, wife, but stingy with her information? Never. Since launching ‘D’Lashes’ her Beverly Hills-based studio in 2005, prior to that she worked at a top Los Angeles salon, and before that, she was servicing African American and Asian clients in New York City, pre-social media, Dionne has firmly established herself as the queen of eyelashes. Shows like The Doctors, Good Morning America and Extra TV all consult with Dionne, and clients as diverse as Naomi Campbell, Victoria Beckham, Mindy Kaling, and even Steven Tyler, clamor to get an appointment, which you wanna make at least 2-3 weeks in advance. Dionne is in business!

The great thing about this former actress and Toledo native is she wants you to be in business too. Sharing what she knows, better yet, the things no one shared with her, is a part of her higher purpose. So if you’re planning on starting your own business, or you’re already a company owner in need of a few tips, pull out your notebooks for 7 Things No One Tells You About Starting Your Own Business from Dionne Phillips!

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By Erickka Sy Savané

It’s a few months into motherhood and I’m looking into the eyes of a baby that is nothing like I envisioned. I mean, she’s beautiful, healthy and a human being, like I wanted, but aside from that, I’m wondering if aliens dropped her down from another planet because this bundle of joy ain’t got time for me. I mean, I try to amuse her by making goo-goo faces that would send most babies into a giggling frenzy and this child just stares at me like I'm crazy. My husband and I have gotten so used to this icy gaze that we now call it ‘The Stare Down’ because she tries to use it as a form of intimidation. Seriously, little girl, if I wanted this type of independence and attitude I would have gotten a cat. At least they let you pet them once in a while. At my wit’s end, I call my mom for advice because I seem to recall her telling me that I wasn’t exactly the baby she signed up for either. 

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Erickka Sy Savané  Styled by Dani G.  With the changing of seasons comes an opportunity to reinvent ourselves! But it doesn't have to be costly or overly complicated. We can start where we are, using what we already have. That means sifting through our accessories and wardrobe to mix and match pieces to create looks that surprise and inspire even us! It helps to go through this process with a friend because we're already conditioned to see our clothes a certain way. This is what happened when my bff, Dani G., who also happens to be a stylist, came over and showed me that I have what it takes to be fun and fabulous this Fall! What do you have in your wardrobe? Continue