November 28, 2024
Vanity Fair Magazine released its International Best Dressed List for 2013 yesterday and for the first time, Django Unchained and Scandal actress Kerry Washington was the top honoree. Washington was in good company, as the list also included perennial style icon and new mom Princess Kate of England, pop mavens Beyoncé and Justin Timberlake and NBA Champion and MVP LeBron James, among others. To see the full list and more photos, click here.
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson
Marketplace.org recently posted a podcast about African-American hair salons and the entrepreneurial environment that exists within and around them. Check it out below:
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/102465676″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson
I have always had a passion for mentoring people. I have a long list of mentees that are placed all over the industry who are doing quite well. I wanted to think of how to formalize it. One of the reasons I thought I should start with teenagers was because I thought, “What would have happened if I had known as a teenager that this industry existed?” I knew about beauty–my grandmother was a hair stylist–so I knew that part of the business. I knew that you could sell makeup at a counter, but that’s all I knew. But that I could be a decision-maker or create a product? That’s something I didn’t know, and most young women don’t know that.
On what she expects young girls to gain from her camp:
“I love beauty and I’m really glad that I’ve found a way to use my talent differently. As publishing and all these things change, people should start thinking about what kind of legacy they want to leave. What do you want to be known for? And is it different from what someone else is doing? What I love about beauty is it’s so collegial across the board. I thought I was going to be a fashion editor when I went to school but I’ve never regretted a day in the beauty industry. This might not be the career for the [girls who come to camp], but the whole notion of being beautiful for themselves and to understand they have power by saying what [they think] is beautiful, is important.”
Her thoughts on diversity in the beauty industry:
“I think the beauty industry is challenged because there is not enough representation at the [decision-making] table. Instead of complaining about it, I need people to do something about it. They say we can’t find the people [to fill those jobs], so then let’s equip people to do the jobs.”
Read the entire interview at Fashionista.com. The beauty camp is open to everyone and there are still some scholarships available. Go here for information.
article by Ty Alexander via blackamericaweb.com
Everyone knows that exercise is good for your health, integral to keeping your risks of conditions like heart attack, diabetes and stroke low. Now, a new study shows that at least for stroke, the key to reaping those benefits is to work out to the point where you break a sweat.
Researchers from the University of South Australia found that stroke risk is 20 percent higher for inactive people compared with those who regularly work out at a moderate to vigorous level — a level that would cause a person to break a sweat.
The study, published in the journal Stroke, included 27,000 Americans ages 45 and older who were part of the Reasons for Geographic and Ethnic Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study. The researchers noted that there were about equal numbers of male and female, white and black participants in the study; many of the pariticipants were part of the “Stroke Belt” in the south.
Researchers followed them for 5.7 years on average to gauge how many would go on to experience a stroke, as well as their self-reported regular exercise habits. They found that about one third of the participants were considered “inactive,” meaning they exercise fewer than one time a week.
Longing for a long-distance getaway but don’t have a passport? No problem! We’ve found five faraway places overseas where, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, you won’t need to bring a passport.
Puerto Rico
The island of Puerto Rico (officially an unincorporated territory of the United States) has long been a favorite of travelers from the contiguous 48. Inexpensive airfare from Spirit, Southwest, and JetBlue makes Puerto Rico an economical option for East Coasters. And its Isla de Vieques, a TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice 2013 winner for best island in the Caribbean, offers visitors a bioluminescent bay to kayak and unspoiled beaches to explore. In a 2012 referendum on the territory’s political status, a record 61% of Puerto Rico’s voters were in favor of eventual statehood, so we may one day welcome the island as the 51st. Even so, right now, you can explore its wonders without a U.S. passport.
United States Virgin Islands
The U.S. Virgin Islands lie mere minutes away from Puerto Rico by plane. Made up of three main islands—St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John—plus a scattering of smaller isles, the U.S.V.I. see some 2.6 million visitors each year. In fact, tourism and rum (things we think go very well together) make up the majority of the islands’ economy. Each island has its own unique appeal. St. John, with its national parkland and legendary diving, will charm true escapists. St. Thomas is a shopper’s dream, with countless boutiques and jewelers, as well as two bustling cruise terminals. And Dutch-flavored and diverse St. Croix is a favorite of luxury-seeking honeymooners. Find accommodations of every stripe, from St. Thomas’ smart Ritz-Carlton to the luxe and immersive Caneel Bay resort on St. John.
Note: Travelers will need to have a passport to visit the neighboring British Virgin Islands.
The process of obtaining, renewing, or updating a passport is exactly what one would expect when working with a government agency: tedious, mind-numbing, and overly complex. While you’ll find everything you need to know about the often befuddling process on the U.S. State Department website, we’ve made things a little simpler for you by breaking down the basics—from forms to fees to IDs—and providing helpful links to the appropriate forms and websites.
Getting your first passport
To get your first passport, you’ll have to show up in person. Make an appointment at an acceptance facility or passport agency; search for the one closest to you here. You likely live near a facility where you can get a passport. Many post offices and even some public libraries can accept passport applications. Arrive at your passport agency with:
• Your filled-in DS-11 application form.
• Evidence of U.S. citizenship. Find a list of acceptable documents here.
• Valid identification. Find a list of acceptable ID here.
• A photocopy of the front and back of the identification you’re bringing on clean, white 8½” x 11″ paper.
• Your application fee. For a first-time adult passport, the total fee is $135.
• Passport photos. You can read more about the specifications for passport photos here. But most major drug stores, such as Walgreens or CVS, will sell appropriately sized passport photos that comply with government standards; this makes things a little easier.
Renewing a passport
You have two options here: Either you have your old passport or you don’t. If the former’s true, you can apply through the mail as long as your most recent passport is undamaged, was issued when you were at least 16 years old, and isn’t more than 15 years old. If you are nodding “yes” to all of that, simply mail in your old passport with the required documents and photos, and you’ll receive a new one in the mail in roughly four to six weeks. (Don’t worry. You’ll get your old passport back.) Here’s what you need: Form DS-82, your renewal fee ($110 for an adult), passport photos, and your old passport. Get more information about renewing a passport through the mail here.
Keep in mind that if you’ve changed your name since your last passport was issued, include an original certificate or court order that documents this; those without such papers must apply for a renewal in person.
Don’t have your old passport? Then you can’t get a passport renewed by mail. Head to a passport agency in person.
And the competition was stiff. The Models 1+ Instagram Competition was conducted specifically for Models 1+, the plus-size section of the agency, after a similar model search was done last year for the “straight-size” girls. But this year, the agency was flooded with entries: 5,600 entries (in the form of selfies) were posted on Instagram, 3,000 more entries than the straight-size competition in 2012.
And Charles, a 20-year-old model, came out on top. At 5 feet 10 inches tall and a size 16, Charles previously won Ms. Curvaceous UK in 2012, another plus-size modeling competition, and has reportedly worked for smaller designers. But her win, which comes with major agency representation, should put her on the map, hopefully gaining her recognition similar to Robyn Lawley (who became Ralph Lauren’s first-ever plus-size model this year).
“My dream is to be the face of clothing brand with a high reputation which is respected worldwide. Someone like Gucci or Prada,” said Charles. She might just make it, especially with the power of social media. It’s fitting that Charles’ win came via Instagram — Charles, like many younger models today, is all over Twitter and Instagram.
article via huffingtonpost.com
Flori Roberts Cosmetics makeup artist demonstrating products to women, Los Angeles, 1970. Source: Los Angeles Times Photographic Archive, UCLA Library. (http://blackhistoryalbum.tumblr.com)
First lady Michelle Obama just got a little personal on Instagram, not to mention retro. In a photo published for “Throwback Thursday,” the first lady posted a black-and-white picture of her and the president in their earlier years.
The first lady is looking straight into the camera, her arms wrapped around her husband’s waist, her head tucked into his neck. The president is looking down, squinting from the sun, one hand on his hip, the other wrapped closely around his wife’s shoulder.
“Barack and Michelle. #ThrowbackThursday #TBT #NoFilter,” she writes in the photo’s caption.
article by Eun Kyung Kim, TODAY contributor via thegrio.com
WASHINGTON (AP) — Michelle Obama says fifty-four kids who earned a trip to the White House by winning a nationwide recipe contest are showing how talented, creative and brilliant young people can be. It’s the second year the first lady has hosted the kids’ “state dinner.”
The contest for 8-to 12-year-olds is sponsored by the Epicurious food website and the departments of Agriculture and Education. It drew a batch of more than 1,300 entries that were whittled to 54 winners — one from each of the 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia.
Mrs. Obama singled out a few of the champion culinary creations during Tuesday’s meal, including Confetti Peanut Ginger Party Pasta from Missouri, Pan-seared Mississippi Catfish on a Bed of River Rice and Slam Dunk Veggie Burger from Texas. President Barack Obama also made an unannounced appearance at the dinner in the White House East Room. He told the junior chefs they are showing that food can be both healthy and fun.
Copyright 2013 article by Darlene Superville, The Associated Press via thegrio.com