Looking for affordable Box Braids / Poetic Justice Braids in Atlanta? Look no further!

Hey loves! I'm off today and for the first time in a long time, I don't have much to do! I usually spend my off days working in other ways - either fulfilling PynkLayce Accessories orders or doing someone's hair. This weekend was spent installing long Box Braids and if I must say so myself, they came out awesome.


Summer is on our heels and it's time for high skirts and low maintenance! Who wants to deal with styling all that natural hair with this beautiful weather screaming our names? I know I don't (hence Big Chop #2), and I'm pretty sure most of you can relate as well. Can I make a suggestion? Box Braids! Also called Poetic Justice, Brandy, or Solange Braids, Box Braids are a great way to switch it up for Spring / Summer while giving your natural hair a little break to grow. They're gorgeous, timeless, and the styling possibilities are endless...


If you're in the Atlanta area and in need of high-quality, yet affordable Box Braids or Genie Locs (I do those too!), feel free to email me at MeeMahrii@gmail.com for an appointment! I offer my services at a fraction of what Atlanta salons are charging and you can be confident that you'll love your results!

Read more »

Back to Mee.

Well hello my loves! How you doin'? [In my best Wendy Williams voice]. It's been like forever and 2 years since I've posted here, but I have not given up on my natural hair journey, nor did I abandon my promise to my followers and subscribers to keep you all informed along the way. I did, however, let real life and it's circumstances prevent me from putting forth as much effort as I'd like. But that, my friends, is about to change.
I'm getting back to Mee! I've renewed my focus on myself and my brand and I have so much in store for my followers that I'm overflowing with excitement! At almost 2 years natural, I've shifted my focus from growth to overall healthy and naturally beautiful hair. With that being said, look forward to more tutorials, product reviews, and posts on all other things natural hair! Thanks for growing with me loves!

Read more »

Natural Hair Recap [Months 1 - 6]

It's officially been 6 months since my Big Chop last August and I couldn't be more happy with my progress!! I'm still in the process of getting settled in ATL, so this update will be a quick pictorial... nonetheless, even in pictures the growth is apparent and amazing!



I get a lot of questions about the products I use to make my hair grow... honestly, I don't do anything special! I don't even twist the fro every night as I should... I just love and take care of my hair! I co-wash and deep condition weekly and I don't overwhelm my hair with products. Quarterly trims (it's about time for one now) and keeping my hair stretched and free through twist-outs may be contributing to the growth, but it's nothing I'm doing on purpose, I promise!

I've gotten a few updated regimen requests from my YouTube subbies, so I'll whip that up and post soon (:

Where are you on your natural hair journey? Comment below!

Read more »

Baby Let Mee [Update] Ya..

Hello my loves! I know it's been like forever since my last real post, and I must apologize to my faithful followers! I'm sorry I had to sacrifice some time and attention, but your girl is back and in full effect!! Hair is getting biig too [=

This little spur-of-the-moment hiatus of mine was not in vain... A lot has happened over the last couple of weeks that has placed me in a totally different lane in my life and I'm looking forward to this new journey that I've embarked upon.

Last Friday, February 17, 2012, marked my last day of employment. I am now 100% self-employed now and as frightening as that sounds, it is also quite liberating. I feel like the world is mine and now it's really up to me to go after what I want... no excuses! Now that I'm no longer wasting my time away at a desk in somebody else's office, I can fully focus my creative energies on PynkLayce, Naturally Mee, and my other endeavers. I've been like a kid ready to bust out of the classroom to get to recess!

So, yes - I've quit my job and I'm ready to skip lunch and head straight to recess. And I've decided to play in a totally different schoolyard... Atlanta, GA! I'm packing it up and heading to ATL to expand my horizons and my business there... March 1st, I'll be an official NOLA Peach [=

Words can't describe how happy I am about this transition I'm making in life... I've been wanting to move to Atlanta for the past year now, but I've surprised everyone (boss included) and just decided to snatch up the reigns on my life. I'd been working at the same job for the past 6 years, and although I've been truly blessed, I also know that God has more in store for me. Going to the same office, seeing the same negative people, doing the same things for 6 years of my life had become stagnant. Without being challenged constantly, I became lazy and absent-minded. I just didn't care about what I was doing and that showed in my performance these past few months... I had to make a change.

I found myself at a cross-roads - I could either stay working that monotonous job and living this stagnant lifestyle, or I could take a step out on faith toward my dream. Welp, I'm stepping out [=

I just ask that you keep me in your prayers... pray that I remain focused and favored! I'm doing this for all of my sistahs (and brothers, too!) out there who have a dream of a better life! Eff what America is feeding us, this can't be life! This WON'T be life... I have to show my daughter that in life, nobody gives you a chance. You gotta TAKE chances! No matter how it goes down, life goes on... and I'd rather have the upper hand on life and do things my way! With direction from & my faith in God, I know I'll succeed [=

Make the most of your day loves!

Read more »

When the week[end]s...

Happy Monday my loves! I hope you all enjoyed your weekend as much as I did mine [=

I participated in my first art showcase at the Inner Recess Recording Studio here in New Orleans last Friday... I was sooo nervous; I really just didn't know what to expect! Now, don't get me wrong - I am confident in my jewelry line and the pieces I've created, but as an artist I am still sensitive about my shit [in my Erykah Badu voice lol].

Mee in my Fire and Desire feather earlaces [=

This was a new experience for me (as well as the hosts) considering the fact that the once-monthly Friday Night Mash events usually showcase still, visual art pieces like portraits and paintings. With PynkLayce being one of the featured artists this month, I was able to incorporate a sense of art in motion... free flowing pieces that held their own and definitely made a statement among the other artwork [:

Just a few pieces of PynkLayce [=

 

The ever-popular 'Phenom' Basketball Wives Inspired peacock feather earrings

Varied 'ButtonDown' fabric button earrings

One of my personal fav pieces, 'Lillies' (left) and 'Free Spirit' (right)

As you can see, PynkLayce was definitely in the building! There was a pretty decent crowd and I was able to snag a few sales, so I can check this event off as a success! It was great to get positive feedback from an audience I may have never reached had I not decided to participate in this show and for that alone, I am thankful [=

With my weekend starting off so great, I had no choice but to be motivated to continue striving to make my dreams a reality! So with that said, do something productive with this beautiful Monday! One of my co-workers sent me a message this morning that is just too appropriate for this post:

There are natural consequences that accompany every choice we make in life. Some opportunities inevitably pass us by, but we can take advantage of others. Many people feel powerless, but this is rarely the case--some opportunities just require a little thinking outside the box. Today, reflect on the doors you are opening in your world and which ones are closing. You have the power to create the life you want if you are willing to set goals and take steps toward them. Rarely does fulfilling our hopes and dreams happen overnight, but you can take one tiny move towards them each day.

Thoughts?

Read more »

5 Month Natural Hair Update

Yep yep, it's update time! I'm actually like a week late and I didn't get a chance to shoot a video, but I couldn't let this month go by without dropping an update.

1.12.2012 marked the 5th month since my Big Chop and Mee & my fro have been through quite a lot... I'm talking more than just styles or products. It's like every day I'm falling deeper and deeper in love with my hair (and myself); even when it doesn't want to do what I want it to, I still totally DIG my hair. That's such a great feeling...

Alright, so let's get down to it. If you've seen any of my other natural hair updates, you know I usually do a comparison of progress... this time let's compare a Month 1 Wash and Go (left) to a Month 5 Wash and Go (right):

Crazy right? You probably can't tell because my hair was wet and shrunken when I took those pics, but it has grown a lot. If it wasn't my own hair I probably wouldn't believe that such growth has occured in less than 6 months... it's wonderful. You can really see the progress just by the new growth under the honey blonde color I did just before the BC.

I'm finding that the longer it gets, the more curly it is so even my blown-out stretched twist-outs have fallen victim to shrinkage. And if I thought I did before, I'm definitely having a problem keeping my hands out of my hair now more than ever [=

Thanks for growing with Mee my loves... I appreciate all the support I've received through your visits and comments here on the site, kinds words and Re-Tweets of my links on Twitter, purchasing my PynkLayce jewelry, or whatever you may have done in support of my endeavors. The natural hair community is a great community to be a part of [=

And if your natural (or considering taking the plunge), hang in there! It's challenging at times, but it's so worth it! I'm pretty sure you've heard that famous natural hair statement: my only regret is that I hadn't done it sooner [;

Happy Friday loves.

Read more »

[OOTD]: Red Skirt.Cheetah Cardi.Ankle Boots

Another boring Tuesday at the place of employment, so you know what that means... today is an 'Outfit of the Day' day (= [click pics to enlarge]

The Deets. .:Cheetah Print Cardigan ~ Victoria's Secret $20:.  .:Red Pencil Skirt ~ Forever XXI $12:.  .:Brown Ankle Booties: Rue 21 $30:.  .:Earrings: Abalone Shells purchased in Cozumel $15:. 

I originally planned to wear my nude pumps with this outfit, but it's kinda rainy and nasty outside so I opted for the ankle boots instead. I've never worn them with a skirt before so I was a bit skeptical, but I really am pleased with the overall look! Tied a brown belt (AKA ribbon) around my waist to keep the cardi in place and voila! Hope you like (:

Read more »

[OOTD]: Thrifted Blazer.Stone Washed Jeans.Boots

Bored at work and I'm kinda feeling my outfit today so I had to share! I had to sneak and take these pictures on my webcam at work, so the quality isn't all that great =/  [click pics to enlarge]


 The Deets.
 .:Blazer ~ Thrifted! $4.99:.

 .:Jeans ~ Forever XXI $19.80:.
 .:Necklace ~ GoFavor.com $4.99:. 
.:Earring ~ PynkLayce.Etsy.com $15:.

.:Boots ~ Decree (brand) $90:.
Overall Look: $45 (minus the boots of course)  
We're really not supposed to wear jeans to work Mon - Fri, but I didn't prepare an outfit last night so I just grabbed the first thing I saw that made sense. Since I am breaking the law here, I decided to dress the jeans up a bit with a blue blazer I got on one of my many thrifting ventures! I absolutely LOVE this blazer... it's one of my favs! Wouldn't be Mee if I didn't add a little edge to it, so I threw on my favorite pair of combat-ish boots and my PynkLayce Peacock Feather Onesie and headed out the door. Hope you like :)

Read more »

New Year, New Mee?

Happy New Year my loves! We have officially rolled into the year of 2012 and I can't escape this intense feeling of optimism! I don't know about you, but I'm really excited about this new year and all of the possibilities ahead.

As New Year's Eve approached, I found myself thinking a lot about resolutions. Browsed through my social networks and it seemed like everyone was making personal promises to change things for the incoming year, including my personal favorite "New Year, New Me."

So I pondered the idea... New Year, New Mee? In the year of 2012 do I want to change the person that I am? Or better yet, CAN I change the person that I am? And if so, why should I wait until Jan 1st to do it?

So this year I've resolved to refrain from making New Year's resolutions. I have, however, decided to change my outlook on things this year. I've been on a positive kick these last couple of days and I wouldn't mind keeping things this way (=

I have big plans for you 2012... I hope you're ready because I am!!

So tell Mee... what are your New Year's resolutions?

Read more »

4 Month Natural Hair Update

December 12, 2011 marked my 4 month natural mark and I couldn't be more pleased with the growth and health of my hair so far! I've definitely come a long way in a short period of time:

I swear it seems like my hair magically grows overnight... The picture on the right was taken during my wash & twist routine this past weekend. I did a blow out (as usual) and almost cried when I was done! The amount of hair that has grown in 4 months is nothing short of amazing to me... I've truly been blessed.

I hadn't done an update since the 1 month mark, so of course I had to do a new video for my YouTube subbies (=



It's definitely been a challenge, but I've already learned so much about my hair and myself that I would do it all again without changing a thing. 4 months in and I refuse to look back... no lye (;

Read more »

Find Mee on YouTube!!

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I also have a YouTube channel that focuses on natural hair, as well as makeup and fashion. If you're a YouTube junkie like Mee, click below to check out my channel [& sub, it's free!]...

XxKissandMakeupxX

Read more »

My [BIG] Chop

Before I share my Big Chop story, I must first admit that I was one of those 'I'll NEVER go natural' girls... *giggles* silly Mee!

I'm not going to go into the full story of my hair just yet (mostly because I'm strapped for time right now), but it's important to note that this was not my first Big Chop. Although this is my first experience being natural, due to damage I had to cut my hair from very long to very short about 2 years ago and I've been rocking a short cut since. Back then, I lost a lot of hair, but I gained a lot of courage (& confidence).

Before 'Big Chop' #1

After 'Big Chop' #1

I've enjoyed my short hair for these last few years. My mother was blessed with long, beautiful hair that I only got to see in pictures because she cut her hair before I was born and kept it short for the remainder of her life. I could never understand why she wouldn't let her hair grow long again! Until I went down that very road myself...

Fast forward 2 years and my decision to go natural was just as much a surprise to me as it was to everyone else. Although I've always been a fan of natural hair and LOVE to see my black sistas loving their natural selves, I never saw myself embarking upon that journey. So I'd been rocking with my short, permed, over-processed hair. I've worn all sorts of styles with my short hair, but I became bored with it and quite frankly, wasn't taking care of my hair AT ALL. I decided it was time for change.

But what would I do next? Go shorter? Maybe try weaves for a while? Asymmetrical bob anyone?

Still undecided, one day I logged on to Facebook and saw that one of my co-workers had just done the Big Chop and gone natural and she looked simply AMAZING. She'd posted a video on YouTube showing the process she followed to style her natural hair and define her curls and from there I immersed myself in YouTube videos, blogs, forums, and anything else I could find focusing on natural hair. I became entranced by the idea of staring fresh with my hair and redefining myself. Within about 2 or 3 weeks of doing constant research, as well as subscribing to all the natural hair guru's I could find on YouTube, I finally decided to stop playing games and just go for it! I figured my hair was already short, if being natural didn't work out I could always slap a perm in and go back to what I've done in the past.

But then I really started thinking... Isn't going natural really about accepting and loving your hair and all it's kinky, coily, curly, or nappy-ness? Isn't it about embracing who you are, naturally? I hadn't had a perm in about 3 months so on August 12, 2011 I made the concious decision to accept, embrace, and love my hair... no matter what it's natural texture. SO I JUST CUT IT ALL OFF! [=

I commend those who have the patience for transitioning, but I feel that going natural is a journey! Why not start at the [beginning]?

Read more »

Allow Mee to [ReIntroduce] Myself

Hey loves! Welcome to my new blog NaturallyMee♥ I've been blogging for about 3 years now, but my work has mostly centered around the lives, events, and contributions of others. Today I decided that it's time I began highlighting my own life, goals, and accomplishments... beginning with my natural hair journey [=

Soooo... who am I and why should you follow me?

I am Mee Mahrii and I was born to create. I'm a very artistic individual, so I'm always looking for some form of creative expression, whether its writing, music, drawing, sewing, or designing my jewelry, I'm always into something.

At 24 years old, I'm sorta at that point where I've realized that I'm not your average chick. I mean it's not like I haven't known that my entire life, but recent events have served as confirmation that I'm the type of girl that needs more out of life. Complacency is a bitch and will get the best of you if you allow it. Well, I refuse. This can't be life...

So this blog is basically going to focus on MEE! And whatever I decide to do with my life for as long as I decide to keep this site running. What I can promise is a lot of updates, product reviews, and tales of my natural hair experiences from now on...

I'm ultra excited about what's in store [=

Read more »