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!

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Stretching My 5 Year Old's Natural Hair [Blow-out / Flat Twist-out]

Since cutting my hair again, I've began to focus more on styling than actual growth. My hair would definitely have reached twist-out length by now, but I'm just not really interested in having much length. So what about all of you who have grown with me since day one? Don't fret! I will still have plenty of information, tutorials, product reviews, and more for natural hair of all lengths!

For my naturals with mid-length to long hair, this one's for you:


My daughter St. Charles is always up for making videos, so of course she jumped at the chance to star in her own! Here we share our method for stretching and flat-twisting her natural hair. She is 5 years old and her hair is 100% virgin - it's never been chemically processed, ever. If I had to define her hair type, I'd say she's somewhere in the 3a - 3c category with very tight curls that carry major shrinkage. Because of this, her hair can look a lot shorter than it actually is and people are amazed at the results after I stretch and twist it:



Products Used:


Herbal Essences 'Hello Hydration' Conditioner


Pure African Shea Butter 

Elasta QP's Olive Oil & Mango Butter

After sleeping overnight with her bonnet on, we removed her flat twists and enjoyed the gorgeous results :)

We had so much fun doing this and I hope this helps someone out there! All questions / comments are welcomed below! Thanks for growing with me loves,

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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!

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Update | 18 Months Natural!

It's hard to believe it's been a year and a half since I made one of the biggest decisions of my life and rejoined Team Natural. I say rejoin because I've realized that when we decide to rid our hair of chemical processing and hindrances, we're not 'going' natural. We're returning to our natural state; We're reclaiming our own perceptions of beauty and basking in what makes us unique. I'm so proud to be a part of this team! When I started this journey, I was scared out of my mind. Here, in the spur of the moment I'd just chopped all of my hair off and could not turn back - even if I wanted to. But as scared as I was, I'd never felt so fearless! This big head and it's little hair felt worthy of whatever I set my eyes on, and it must have shown because others began to notice a change in my attitude towards myself and others. You know that saying, 'when you look good, you feel good'? That, my friends, is the truth. Fast forward 18 months later and I've definitely come a long way! Check out this video where I update you on my natural hair journey, as well as what's in store for The Natural Mee!

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Updated | Twist-Out Routine [7 Months Natural]

Hey loves! Through all of the trials, tribulations, and cameras and laptops that are no longer with us (R.I.P.), I FINALLY got around to shooting an updated twist-out routine video. Things have certainly changed since my first twist-out tutorial at 3 months, specifically my hair's length & thickness. So, I had to switch up the products I'd been using becuase they seemed to weigh my hair down and made it almost sticky to touch. Having similar issues? Check out the video below to see my updated product regimen and twist-out routine at 7 months natural [=

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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!

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[OOTD]: Don't Sweat My Dress!

Happy Friday loves! I uploaded a little Outfit of The Day quickie to my YouTube channel last week and totally forgot to share with my blog readers! It's nothing much, just something I threw together and thought was kinda cute [; Hope you like!

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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!

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And the PynkLayce 'Be Mine' Giveaway Winners are...

Hey my loves! It's been weeks, I know smh - but the wait is ova [Rihanna voice].

This contest was a fairly easy one since there were only 2 successful entries this time around.

Congratulations to Natural Hair Latina and Queen! You lovely ladies each get a pair of the earrings you wanted as well as a discount on your next PynkLayce purchase!

Please send mail your mailing info to pynklayce@gmail.com by 11:59pm CST Wednesday, February 22, 2012 to claim your prize. Prizes will be shipped out on Thursday morning :)

Be on the lookout for more contests / giveaways soon...

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The PynkLayce ‘Be Mine’ Giveaway! [CLOSED]

Yep, yep… it’s giveaway time!! Today marks the 2nd day of the month of love and because I LOVE my followers sooo much, I’ve been secretly planning to give away a pair of PynkLayce earrings for quite some time now hehehee [=

If you follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube, I’m more than sure you’ve heard about my PynkLayce Accessories line. My passion is creating beautiful, custom jewelry pieces that SCREAM exclusivity without breaking your budget.

I have received so much love and support from the natural hair community that I feel compelled to give something back. Interested in entering super easy this giveaway? Here are the rules:

• You MUST be a registered member of this blog site… If you haven’t done so yet, be sure to hit the ‘Join This Site’ button at the top right corner to register.
• You MUST ‘Like’ the PynkLayce page on Facebook!
• You MUST follow the PynkLayce page on Twitter (don’t worry, I’ll follow back).
• Once all of the above is done, please leave a comment below (along with your FB and Twitter usernames) explaining which PynkLayce piece you would like to be yours and why. You will find more pictures and the names of available earrings through the Facebook, Twitter, or Etsy sites.
**Example: I’d love for the Fire and Desire Earlaces to Be Mine because they’re the perfect combination of my favorite fall colors! (Twitter:Mee_SoBadd, FB:MeeMahrii)

This isn’t required, but anyone who follows the giveaway rules above AND ALSO subscribes to my YouTube channel will receive 1 BONUS entry. .. this means you’ll be assigned 2 different numbers, which increases your odds at winning! Sweeeet.

Super easy right?! Please be sure to leave your Facebook and Twitter names as they’ll be my way of confirming that you’ve completed the required steps. Each person who completely follows through with the rules will be assigned a number and the winner will be chosen by a site that generates random numbers. What does this mean? You’ve got a GREAT chance of winning if you just follow those few simple rules.

This contest is now [OPEN] until 11:59pm CST Monday, February 13th. The winners will be announced here on my blog by 6:00pm CST Tuesday, February 14th. Be sure to check back on Valentine’s Day to see if you’re a winner!! [=

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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?

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Head Over [Heels].

OH. EM. GEE! I saw these shoes and damn near had a heart attack! I absolutely adore them [=

The Iris van Herpen X United Nude product is a glamorous ankle bootie with smooth round lines and golden leather detailing on the front and back of the shoe, with three-dimensional characteristics. Transparency, reflections and movements create the effect of visual estrangement. The construction of the shoe is so complicated and precise that each pair is 100% hand-made with the highest grade Italian calf Nappa available.

With an almost 6 inch heel, the shoe is a collab of designers Iris van Herpen and United Nude. It is currently available in black nappa with chains (pictured), as well as plain black, off-white, and tan nappa. Kyla Pratt rocked the chained daddies posing for pic with some of her Let's Stay Together crew mates.

I'd seen the pic a few weeks ago and FINALLY ran across the designer today on FBD. As much as I love these shoes, I couldn't see myself paying almost $1000 for em. A girl can dream though, right? [=

Happy Wednesday.

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Bring that Bush Back!

Happy Tuesday my loves! I hope everyone is having a productive day... I fell asleep last night pondering new ideas for blog topics and woke up with the answer staring me directly in the face:

Yep, I did it again... another night of falling asleep without re-twisting my hair AND without Bonnie (my satin bonnet). I know I'm messing up big time and it's a slowly-forming habit I'm determined to break.

Anyway, of course I woke up to a flat, misshapen, wiry mess that I had to sprucen up with the quickness if I planned on making it to work on time (or at all). What did I do? I broke out the old faithfuls!

Coconut Oil

Taliah Waajid Curly Curl Creme

Water

I started by spritzing my hair with a little water... I didn't want to get it soaking wet; just a little damp to add some moisture. I then took a little cococut oil on my finger tips and massaged it through chunky sections of hair preparing to two-strand twist. After twisting each chunky section, I sealed the ends with Taliah Waajid Curly Curl Creme by twisting (twirling) around my index finger.

Once this process was done over my entire head, I tied my hair down with a silk scarf and continued on with my normal morning duties. I think it's important to highlight that I tied my hair tighly with a silk scarf, not my normal loose-fitting satin bonnet... it somehow makes a huge difference. Fast-forward about 30-45 min later and I'm pulling out of my drive way looking like this:

It's kinda hard to break the habit of sleeping without re-twisting my hair when I know I can get results like this in under an hour... It's just awesome! I've tried this method a few times using different product combinations and I think this just may be the perfect one. Using just a little bit of the Curly Curl Creme just to seal the ends of the twists really pays off in curl definition! I got so many compliments before I could even make it to my office this morning... not a bad way to start your day off huh? :)

With that being said, it's time to make this day work! Hope you make the best out of the rest of your day! Comments or tips? Leave 'em below!!

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