Sneak Peek!!

Here is a sneak peek from the M. Daniels Textiles Serengeti Collection. So excited! 

Messy Hair, Don't Care

Some would call it a movement and I'm not sure what it is. I know for myself, over the past five years, I have embraced my natural hair as many other curly headed people have.  It didn't start out as some profound statement or public declaration. I was pregnant with my first child and was very conscious about what I put into my body, even by way of my scalp. Perming or relaxing my hair had been my way of life for 15 years, but the idea that somehow continuing to do so could harm my baby in any way was enough to get me to stop. 

So I began to let my perm grow out. My transition was anything but easy, however I stuck with it.  I got my hair washed and blown out instead and I began to fall in love with my natural hair. I loved the texture when it was wet. The curly frizzy strands seduced me. And when my hair was blown straight it had so much more body.  It was beautiful. My routine became to get it blown out every two weeks but I longed to wear it natural. No heat natural. Wild and free natural. This was much harder to achieve. 

Once again, my choice to go no heat natural wasn't very planned or deliberate. I was happy with my blowouts and not very hopeful about achieving natural styles sans heat. Quite content with my hair blown straight I continued that routine until one humid and brutal summer. Every time I got my hair blown out it would shrink or revert in a couple days because of the heat and humidity. And paying $40 for my hair, every week at this point, was more than I wanted to spend. So I began to explore no heat styles. 

This is where ish got real. I had many days of epic hair fails. Days I looked like a 12 year old and not 30. I had to learn my hair all over again. What products to use, which ones would work, and what hair regimen was going to work for me. Any natural will go through the product junkie phase. She has too. She's searching for the magic potion that's going to make her hair do what she wants. I can't say that I have found that but I think me and my hair have an understanding. There are days when it performs how I'd like but then there are days that I don't know what's going on up there. And I've come to accept that THIS IS JUST MY HAIR. It's a natural hair characteristic. It is versatile, unpredictable, temperamental, vulnerable, susceptible to change, easily impacted by climate, and mine. 

Regardless of what my hair is doing, I own it! (Some days more than others-lol) But I accept my hair which is part of accepting myself. I am black and  I have black hair. Whoever doesn't like it doesn't matter. For so long I was conditioned to believe that unkempt hair was unprofessional or even offensive. It should be tamed, controlled, straight, and neat. And those characteristics are fine if they are my choice and not imposed or implied. But the idea that anything outside of that is unacceptable is, well unacceptable. 

Now that I have a daughter, I want her to embrace her hair too. She's a toddler and I recently cut her hair into an Afro. Once again, not because I was making some grand statement. It started as a trim to even out her hair that had broken and become uneven due to a scalp condition. After cutting it, I just thought she looked absolutely adorable. I threw a bow or a headband in her curly frizzies and let her rock and I loved it! I even started questioning why I had pulled and styled her hair so vehemently up to this point. Because even though I embraced my hair, I was still trapped in the mindset that her hair must be neat, styled and controlled. It's the "must" that's the problem. 

I enjoy the fact that we share a mother and daughter bond that extends to our hair. She can learn to love herself, her hair, as is, because she can relate to her mommy. Mommy wears twists and braids and Afros too. If I was all weaved out I think it would be harder for her to embrace (not saying there is anything wrong with straight or faux tresses). It's like do as I say,not as I do. If mommy says my hair is beautiful as is, and she believes it, why doesn't she wear her hair that way. It's about credibility I suppose. 

So do I get offended when someone says,"when you gonna do her hair?" Yes! This whole hair obsession with Blue Ivy is infuriating. She is a baby. A black baby. With black hair. Period! It's like badgering someone about not covering their freckles or encouraging a visit to the tanning salon because their paleness is too off-putting. It's ridiculous. 

Today I embrace me and I EMBRACE MESSY HAIR. 

New Release!!!

Hello My Design Peoples!!

I have exciting news! The M. Daniels Textile Collection is now available for purchase! My Serengeti Collection draws from traditional African shapes and themes but the palette is unconventional. It's fresh in grey, white, and frothy red. 

I'm teaming up with another wonderful creative, Siobhan Munro, to do some great things with this line. Stay tuned...

In the meantime, you can view this line on my website, MDanielsstudio.com (access not available via mobile only via PC) or on my Pinterest board "My Style".

Isn't She Lovely...

I know the summer is winding down. But there is time for at least one more soirée or get together before we start hunkering down for fall and winter. Maybe a brunch or a baby shower, who knows. 

Regardless, these bottle vases are sure to make a statement whatever you're doing.  They are great center pieces that your guests can even take home as favors. And they're super simple to make. 

Here's what you'll need:

1. Glass bottles or jars

2. Scrap booking paper or printed vellum

3. Organza ribbon

4. Raffia

5. Glue gun or glue stick

Instructions:

Cut paper in thickness desired and wrap around jar. Trim excess. 

Make sure paper slightly overlaps itself and apply glue to seal. 

Cut organza ribbon to desired length and tie around jar. 

Tie raffia around the jar. 

That's all folks! Easy peasy right?! Now all you need is water and flowers and you're ready to go!

Hope you enjoyed this one and Happy Decorating!

DIY or DIFM

Sometimes there is a fine line between a project that is a DIY or a DIFM (do it for me). If you aren't quite sure which category your project falls into, hopefully this article will help. 

So you were watching HGTV and you were inspired to attempt some project they beautifully executed, which is admirable. However, there are a few basic questions you should ask yourself before you get started because while for some it may be a DIY for you it may not be. For instance, there are some people who can DIY a house extension, like physically build an extension onto their houses (gasp). For me, that would be a DIFM, which leads me to our first question:

1. What's my skill level/expertise?

If you have no experience with what you are attempting, start small. Don't try to upholster an entire sofa if you have no sewing or upholstery experience. Maybe start with a dining room chair seat or an ottoman and as you become aware of the challenges with smaller projects you will be better prepared and more knowledgable for the larger ones. 

The second question is:

2. Do I have the time required to Do It Myself?

Often people will set unrealistic completion goals in the name of saving a buck. Sure you can save on the labor costs of demolishing your own kitchen and reinstalling it yourself, but how long will it take you to complete when you have to go to work for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week? Doing it on evenings and weekends is certainly possible but not very likely. If it takes you twice or even three times as long to complete with the added cost of eating out and rental equipment, it may just pay to hire a professional. 

The final question to ask yourself is:

3. Is it really less expensive to DIY?

We've all been there right? You come across this great project only to find that it requires a million materials and or tools that you need to purchase. So now that you've purchased $150 worth of materials, maybe it would've been worth it to buy that silver leaf table for the $180 it costs online. And God forbid if you make a mistake and have to pour in more money to correct it. 

These are just some guidelines for determining whether you should do it yourself or hire some help. Happy decorating!

Dream Sequence

Have you always wanted that designer bedding look? Well it isn't all that complicated. Here is an easy way to achieve that look. Choose a single color and for each layer of bedding (sheets, quilt, shams, throw) use a different texture. For example: sheets = smooth, quilt = linear pattern, shams = boucle type texture. Mix and match! There is no wrong answer. Play with different combinations. Your inner designer won't lie to you. Sweet dreams!