A Little [SANTIGOLD] for a Saturday Night

I'm back with a smooth tune to enhance your Saturday night. Tonight's pick comes from the incomparable Santigold. I hope you all will join me in vibing out to "The Keepers".

maniCURATIVE: June Manicure

I haven't done a maniCURATIVE post in ages, because I've been sticking to the same routine for the past eight months or so: Once a month, I head over to Mary's Nail Salon (1457 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY 11216), where the fabulous Annie gives me a gel manicure.

I am so happy to have found a place steps away from my home where I can get a gel manicure that literally lasts me over a month!!

This month I opted for Annie to hook me up with Gelish's Sea Foam, which is one of the two go-to colors I always get.  For July, I am thinking of being more adventurous and I want to try something new. What color do you think I should try? Pink? Red? Purple?

For those of you in the NYC, making the trip to Mary's is definitely worth the train ride. Be sure to ask for Annie!

Wanna Wanna Wednesdays: Silver Spike Hoop Earrings by Amrapali

A few weeks ago, I spotted a photograph of Hindi film actress Deepika Padukone at the trailer launch of her upcoming film with Shah Rukh Khan, "Chennai Express". And for once, Shah Rukh was not the focus of my attention.... because my life got MADE with the absolutely stunning earrings Deepika was wearing at the event.

I did a bit of digging and discovered her earrings were made by Amrapali and I thought to myself, "Welp.. I need to wait for someone to make some look alikes, because there is NO WAY I will be rocking Amrapali anytime soon!" LOL

Out of morbid (you could say masochistic) curiosity, I decided to take a look at the Amrapali online store, just to see what the prices are like. And I am shocked to say that my hair didn't turn gray as a result! And I managed to find what is going to be my 36th Birthday present to myself (Though I don't think I can wait until November! lol)

These chunky embellished earrings (Rs. 5,800 - About $150 USD, Amrapali) are SOOO me, and I can see myself rocking them 24/7/365.

Music Therapy with Miss Moon

" To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

" Be what you are.  This is the first step toward becoming better than you are."
~ Julius Charles Hare

" Let the world know you as you are, not as you think you should be, because sooner or later, if you are posing, you will forget the pose, and then where are you? "
~ Fanny Brice

I am never going to be an effortless beauty, like the women walking around SoHo everyday. Outfits I just throw together do not look like they could grace the cover of a magazine. They look like I just threw them together! LOL

This was a startling realization I made years ago that gave me a serious case of the bummers. While I have grown to accept the fact that I will always be a little too sophistiratchet to be considered polished, I can honestly say that until recently, I never embraced the fact or attempted to love it. And what's not to love? It's who I am.

It's easy to floss and strut about the things that ROCK about you: Your killer sense of humor, your dimples, your dance skills, etc. But the herp derp things about yourself are somewhat hard to embrace! LOL

For this week's song choice for Music Therapy with Miss Moon, I hope that Ani Difranco's "Pick Yer Nose" will inspire you to embrace all that you are, the glamorous and the geeky.



How come I can pick my ears
but not my nose
who made up that rule anyway
how can you say that's the way it is
that's just the way it goes
why don't you decide for yourself
what you can do
and what you can say

how come I can pick my friends
but not my enemies
what is it about me that offends
what is it about me
'cause you know I'm only five foot two
and I'm giggly wiggly
tell me again, what did I do
why are you scared of me
I fight with love
and I laugh with rage
you've gotta live light enough
to see the humour
and long enough to see some change

I think shy is boring
I think depressed is too
I think pretty is nice
but I'd rather see something new
all these plastic people
got their plastic surgery
but we got a big big beautiful
we got it for free
who you gonna be
if you can't be yourself
you can't get it from t.v.
you can't force it on
anybody else

you know they come to clear cut
they come to strip mine
they come for some of my big butt
my big brain
or just a little time
they wanna take me out to dinner
think I'm a bitch if I don't go
seems like the people who actually like me
won't allow me to say no
your idea of a conversation
is the third degree
but I don't really know you
and I don't really want to talk about me

'cause I'm not going to pretend
that I don't pick my nose
that's just the way it is, my friends
that's just the way it goes
this is who I am
what I do
and what I say
if you like it, let it be
if you don't, please do the same
I fight with love
I laugh with rage
you gotta live light enough to see the humour
and long enough to see some change

A Little [PANJABI MC feat. JAY-Z] for a Saturday Night

Happy Saturday Night, all!!!! I'm back with a song that will sure to get you moving and a-grooving all over the place. This song is a surefire cure for the doldrums, and will definitely give some strut in your walk if you need it!! I hope you all will enjoy Panjabi MC (featuring Jay-Z) and "Beware (Mundian To Bach Ke)"

I SWEAR I'm not Obsessed (But I AM a Little Dorky) About....

My fabulous facial regimen, courtesy of Brown Butter Beauty!!

Summers in NYC can be tough on my face. I talked a bit about the horrible prickly heat I experienced last year, which turned my face into an itchy, scaly, dry as the Sahara mess.

Nothing I purchased in the drug stores worked, super expensive facial treatments (which put a serious dent in my then-unemployed wallet) did squat diddly damn, too. I decided to pursue a more natural approach, and thought that I would give Brown Butter Beauty's facial products a try.

One year later, these adorable brown bottles are all that adorn my sink! Wow... what a difference! It's June, I sweat up a storm roaming the streets and at the gym, and (knocks wood) I've had no signs of prickly heat! And I've noticed that my skin has fewer breakouts and looks much much healthier. And though I am a fairly young 35, I also like the fact that my face has a much more youthful glow to it!

I start each morning by washing my face with the Botanical Cleansing Cream ($12.00). Just 2-3 pumps will be more than enough to get your face clean, fresh, and feeling fabulous. I was admittedly leery about using a cream cleanser, but I did not know what I was missing!

After cleansing, I apply a bit of the Fresh Face Cream Moisturizer ($12.00). A little definitely goes a long way with this stuff. I gently put a bit on my finger tip and dot my face and neck before smoothing into my skin. My skin is normally very dry, and my face is not exception. I love that my face feels just as soft and full of moisture hours later than it does after I just apply it.

In the evening, I repeat the process before going to bed. Twice a day, everyday, these 2 ounce jars give me about 3 months of healthy, happy skin!! You couldn't ask for better!

Wash.... Moisturize... Finished Product
(We are going to ignore my 30+ day old gel manicure and my desperate need of an eyebrow waxing... Agreed? )

If you haven't tried these fabulous face duo from Brown Butter Beauty, what are you waiting for? Check em out!

Wanna Wanna Wednesdays: Mixed Print Bomber by ASOS Curve

 The Mixed Print Bomber ($76.36, ASOS) is need a jacket I need in my life!!! STAT!!

I can totally see myself rocking it with a white tee and skinny jeans like the model! Or how fabulous on top of a black maxi dress and a fly pair of sandals? Or accompanying a pencil skirt and a graphic tee with a pair of Chucks? The options are limitless!!

Music Therapy with Miss Moon

" You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream."
~ C. S. Lewis

" The secret to a rich life is to have more beginnings than endings."
~ Dave Weinbaum

" Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it, begin it now."
~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Confession time: About a month ago, I was seriously contemplating deleting Miss Moon's Musings. I knew I wouldn't give up blogging entirely (I still blogged on my Hindi film blog, Black Girl Digs Bollywood), but I felt like I had nothing else to write about here. I wasn't excited about it anymore. No excitement, no inspiration, nothing to share... I thought perhaps the blog had run its course.

Instead of doing something rash like deleting the blog, I decided to step away. No announcements, no "I'll be back...", I just put the blog on an invisible shelf. And I felt HORRIBLY irresponsible about it. But I put aside  the negative feelings I had associated with turning away, convinced that if my relationship with Miss Moon's Musings were to persist, I would be back. There is no shame in starting over after taking time to step back and reflect. There is no shame in making a much-needed redirection, but I was heaping tons of shame on myself or wanting to take a break. I realize the fatal flaw in my thinking, that has been holding me back in terms of this blog, and a lot of things.

I was thinking I was too old (at 35!) to make any type of changes in plans, but that's a crock. I'm old enough to make wise choices from the heart, and young enough to be able to see the journey to completion. There is still ample time!

So for today's song choice for the return of Music Therapy with Miss Moon is from Clare and the Reasons. I hope that "You Got Time" serves as a very important reminder that it is never over until it's over.



Even if you said something so cold
even though you have lies that you told

you got time to turn around and make things right
you got time to turn around and make things right

even if you manipulate us
even if you just caused a big fuss

you got time to turn around and make things right
you got time to turn around and make things right

you got time
you got time
you got time
you got time

even though you just told them goodbye
even though they’re still wondering why

you got time to turn around and make things right
you got time to turn around and make things right

even if you feel badder than bad
even if you got madder than mad

you got time to turn around and make things right
you got time to turn around and make things right

you got time
you got time
you got time
you got time

you got time
you got time
you got time
you got time

Even if you said something so cold
even if you’ve got lies that you told

you’ve got time to turn around and make things right
you’ve got time to turn around and make things right

Even if you feel badder than bad
even if you got madder than mad

you’ve got time to turn around and make things right
you’ve got time to turn around and make things right

you’ve got time
you’ve got time
you’ve got time
you’ve got time

you’ve got time
you’ve got time
you’ve got time
you’ve got time

Even though you made all of them cry