Los Angeles STATE OF THE NATURAL UNION - Nappywood™ - 3rd Annual LA Natural Hair & Lifestyle EXPO 2015 Wrap UP!(Part 1 of 2)

There were Greeters at the door that said,
"Welcome to Nappywood™ " when you arrived at the two-day #NaturalLifestylesMatter event.
 The Greeters made everyone feel at home as they directed everyone to The Reef.

L to R., Regina Kimbell, Co-Founder, Nappywood™, Co-Founder of Los Angeles NATURAL Hair & 

Lifestyle EXPO (LANX*),

Guy Walker, President, Wealth Management Strategies, as well as the moderator
for the "State of the Natural Union" and

 Renee Morris, Owner of Uncle Funky's Daughter hair care.

The Two-Day Nappywood™ LA
Event had great products like Miss Jessie's,
Design Essentials, Cream of Nature, Uncle Funky's Daughter to name a few!

Standing with the microphones,
L. to R., Visionaries Gwen Allen, Co-Founder,Los Angeles NATURAL Hair &Lifestyle EXPO (LANX*) and
Regina Kimbell,
Co-Founder, Nappywood™  and  Los Angeles NATURAL Hair &Lifestyle EXPO (LANX*),  

Sitting panelist from L to R - STATE OF THE NATURAL UNION 
Juwana Todd, Co-Owner, Jojuda's Salon and Day Spa, Design Essentials Educator,
Lead Educator @ Design Essentials,
Dr. Kari Williams, Owner, Mahogany Hair Revolution Salon & Trichology Clinic,
as well as
 President, California Cosmetology Association, Los Angeles,

  Renee Morris, Founder/CEO,

Uncle Funky's Daughter,

Houston, TX,

Miko Branch, Co-Founder, CEO, Miss Jessie's  Hair Salon, NYC., and Cheryl Morrow PhD, Founder,
 Curl Academy-San Diego, CA

Regina Kimbell, Co-Founder,Nappywood™, and Co-Founder, Los Angeles NATURAL Hair &Lifestyle EXPO (LANX*),   
Renee Morris, Founder, Uncle Funky's Daughter, Sandi Cook, 
Team Nappywood™, Community Organizer LA. 

 It was truly an all inclusive hair care affair. This was an inclusive event.The #NaturalLifestylesMatter,  2 Day #Nappywood Event had something for all hair grades, whether you were transitioning from perm to natural hair- there was a product/treatment
 in the house for you!
 Do you know what we talked about? Our hair, and how to treasure what we have, no matter how thin or thick your hair is, be it grades 1-4,
there was something for you!

There were so many talented, qualified #Hair-educators on hand, helping all to learn more about how to love their Natural #Hairdos at this awesome
#InternationalBlackHairtage Event -  and it was FUN!
We learned first hand, from the experts at the  event
 how to moisturize and add shine and bounce to what you have. 

Philanthropist Regina Kimbell and Gwen Allen are Visionaries on a Mission to educate women and men around the globe about how to care for WE - with Soul.
The #Nappywood Team, helped support #SpecialOlympics 2015 Team from Tanzania, providing hair care products for the Team!  

A "Must READ" book - Miko Branch & Titi Branch, Co-Founders of Miss Jessie's Hair Care Salon, NYC.
(We love you always, #TITIBranch)

 A beautiful Model having a conversation with the lovely Miko Branch, Co-Founder of Miss Jessie's Hair Care and
  Dr. Kari Williams, Owner, Mahogany Hair Revolution Salon & Trichology Clinic, 
as well as
 President, California Cosmetology Association, Los Angeles

Just pay attention to the next time you step off a plane, train, automobile, curb and are traveling through LA, NYC, DC, Atlanta, Florida, Mississippi, Arkansas,Texas, Alabama, Louisiana-
even Globally,
Ghana, Kenya, Capetown, South Africa, Côte d'Ivoire, The Congo, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Eritrea, Tanzania to name a few places - women are taking the time to love their hair.

How awesome is that?...more to come!

Love & light,
Carla

P.S. Thank you Gwen Allen and Regina Kimbell & #Nappywood Volunteers, for the generous donation gift bags with tons of hair care products that was given to the
#Special Olympics Team from Tanzania, that took home the GOLD
 here in Los Angeles, CA in 2015!

*Gwen Allen, Co-Founder, Los Angeles Natural Hair & Lifestyle EXPO,   
 and LANX* Weekend
Regina Kimbell, Co-Founder, Nappywood™ and  Los Angeles Natural Hair & Lifestyle EXPO Weekend (LANX*)
Please join our Meet Up group - #HappyInNappywood

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - A Legacy

I got up first thing this morning and made note of all of the things that I am grateful for:
 1. Waking up this morning 2. Having my health and strength
3. Knowing the true God Jehovah 4. Knowing thy-Self 5. Staying conscious 6. Having a great support system i.e. family and friends
7. Being capable of loving 8. Helping others
9. Being able to laugh, sing and dance and love!
10. Knowing what is real and what isn't.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Stood for something. He rocked the world with his greater since of mutual respect for all of humanity. He lived his life, making conscious choices, working towards "the greater good" of mankind. He preached the importance of judging one by the "content of their character" - not their skin type. That is deep.

Thank you, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and those that marched with you, and those that existed before you,  that paved the way so that I can try and make this place a better space for the generations that follow...

I got up this morning,  April 4, got all dressed up and listened to some Stevie Wonder and had a glow and an inner smile in my heart. Reflecting on a day, not so long ago, that my friend Debbie came by my office and we went to lunch - Italian food. Debbie is conscious of the ugliness that has plagued this nation for generations, racism, a disease that has caused the demise of so many people. So, my friend Debbie, brought me a flower, to celebrate MLK's B-Day. We, as friends, are living the  MLK Jr. Dream. She and I smiled and reflected on the fact that not so long ago, 30 years ago or so, we could not have shared the same table. Why? Because she is a blond hair blue eyed white
(Anglo-Saxon descent) American, and I am an black (West African descent) American.
Today it was not even an issue as we entered the restaurant in Beverly Hills, CA.,  and sat down to
"break bread". Now, that's progress!

Today, due to the many sacrifices of so many black, white, red, yellow and brown Americans -
we can sit down to a meal and not get arrested. We can live together as neighbors and not harm one another. You see, as fellow human beings, we have more in common then we have differences.
Let's think about how we can come together and let go of the hatred that is being stirred up like embers from a flame that burns in a low undertone here in the USA, and just when it looks like the flames have died, someone waves the flames, hoping to re-ignite the fire. Enough.
Let's reflect on the life one man, that died in the name of progress, so that you and I can live and work, shoulder to shoulder, helping one another, not trying to destroy each other.

Let's have more respect for one another, be patient with one another, feed one another kindness - shall we?

Love & light, C
(updated/edited/from a 2/ 09, 2/12 post | no intentional copyright infringement.)