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Showing posts with label blog love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blog love. Show all posts

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Bad-ass Bloggers (BaBs): Meet Cheris of Chocolate Orchid

I decided to reach out to one of my favorite Bloggers to see if she'd consent to be Bad-ass Blogger for March. I was tickled pink when she agreed, and I couldn't wait to introduce y'all because like her blog, Chocolate Orchid...she is multifaceted, unique, beautiful and DOPE!!



Cheris, your blog has the tagline, "the intersection of healthy eating, natural hair, and thoughts on life in general.". A lot of bloggers feel that not sticking to a particular box is a hindrance (I've never quite gotten that belief, between you, me and everyone who reads this!). Have you found it difficult to blog about a eclectic mix of subjects and still engage your readers?

Great questions. I've meditated on this often and continue to come up with the same answer. "I have to do me." And "me" would find that a bit constricting. Let me explain: I can remember when I first went natural, I was so gong-ho about "natural hair". It was a major topic online and in-person. Since then, I still love my hair and natural hair but I've grown weary talking about it as often.

Simply speaking, life is not just about natural hair. It's not just about healthy eating. Its about a multitude of things and balancing them, understanding and accepting them. And then living your best life with all of that.

Miss Moon, I honestly just go with what's in my spirit, put it out there and hopefully people will connect with it. And surprisingly they still do. I doubt that I will stay in a particular box. Lol.

One of my favorite features of your blog is your Monday “Good News” Affirmations. How important have affirmations been to your spiritual development?

Oh gosh. Extremely. I strongly believe that what you think and speak is a conduit of what your life will be and is. For me, the affirmations and quotes help drill in this fact. And keeps me centered & focused on thinking and speaking positive things because that's what I want out of life.

Your hair is absolutely gorgeous!!!! What are you present product staples?

Thanks Hon! Loaded question. I am currently working on using up all the products that I've purchased and quite probably will purchase some carefully picked products from new (to me) product lines to try. Oh, my present product staples?... Lol. Yes, I still can get side-tracked and sometimes caught up in pj-ism. Lol.

Leave in: MOP Organice leave-in conditioner. Love this stuff. It has never let me down.
Butters: Qhemet Biologics Burdock Root Buttercreme.
Oil/sealant: any good oil or oil mix.
Shampoo: love Jane Carter Solutions Hydrating Invigorating Shampoo.
Co-wash conditioners: Herbal Essences Totally Twisted.

The following are favorites that I always come back to in the midst of trying other things. Not sure if they qualify as staples or not. Deep conditioner: Hairveda SitriNillah Moisturizing Deep conditioner. Styling products: Darcy's Botanicals Madigascar Vanilla styling creme, Jane Carter's Twist and Lock.

Another favorite of Chocolate Orchid is your vast array of healthy recipes. I am presently working very hard to get smaller and ultimately be healthier. From smoothies to sammies everything to share with your readers are super yummy and healthy. What's a new favorite recipe of yours? What advice would you share will me and the readers of Miss Moon's Musings on how to implement more healthful foods in our lives?

Definitely my new fav is my Avocado Port Sammich. It's basically mashed up avocado used as a spread on top of a slice of sprouted bread like, Ezekiel brand. Next comes the baby spinach. Then I top that with some portabello mushrooms, red onions, bell peppers(red/green) that's been sauteed in Olive oil with 2 to 3 cloves of garlic. What can I say? I love garlic. I usually finish it with some Sun Fire salt. Himalyan Pink salt is another favorite of mine, but I believe Sea salt may be just as fine.



As far as implementing more healthy foods, I think the best thing to do is to add and gradually take away. Maybe start by adding salads, fruits and/or green smoothies. Be open to experiment with veggie or vegan dishes. Then take away or reduce the not-so-good, like coffee, cigarettes, pizza, chips or any other processed foods.

By the way, I'm not a full-fledged vegetarian or vegan. I practice being a vegan but I'm definitely not 100%. At this present moment, I can't foresee me ever becoming 100% but you never know. And I do remain open to the idea. What I do do is, mostly eat a vegan, non-processed diet. If I do have some processed food, I don't beat myself up about it. I accept it and move on. And yes, I do still enjoy lamb and a few other meats every once in a while. But I always buy grassfed, humanely treated, minimally processed, no hormones, antibiotics or other added crap. And am super-elated when I find a restaurant who does the same.

I do believe that you have to listen to your body and do and take note of what makes "your" body feel its absolute best. We are all individuals, uniquely crafted by God. I would never expect anyone or everyone to be exactly the same as me and would never want that.

Didn't I tell you Cheris was AWESOME!?!?!?

Be sure to visit Cheris at:

If you'd like to featured in a future BaBs posting, or want to suggest a BaB for me to profile, please click here to contact Miss Moon's Musings.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Bad-ass Bloggers (BaBs): Meet Michelle of Photography by Michelle Etwaroo

Michelle and I are former schoolmates from good ole P.S. 135 in Brooklyn who have reconnected through the medium that is FaceBook. It's been a blast catching up on her life through her amazing blog, Photography by Michelle Etwaroo.  Imagine my joy to discover that she is a Bad-ass Blogger on top of everything! I just knew that I had to feature her as the first BaBs for 2011!!



Michelle, you've had your amazing photography blog for about two years now. I've noticed that many photographers use a blog to showcase their art to a broader community. Was this the motivation for this blog?

Totally! I respect many of my peers and today's industry leaders. What do they all have in common? A blog(site). Most blog platforms are free and allow photographers, designers, etc. to display work, make announcements to subscribers, and communicate with clients. And let's not forget about Facebook! I have my blog feed into my Facebook notes, which is another way to stay connected to people. When I go on a group shoot I can tag my partners, clients/subjects, venues/fan pages; Subsequently, they can share it on their walls...it's just a wonderful thing to have a blog these days. It's like free advertisement [considering you are updating it regularly].

I love so many of your photographs for different reasons: a couple silhouetted by a tropical sunset, a community rally, and a sultry, seductive photo for a very special (and lucky!) man. You capture all of these very different images with the same passion and focus. What most often goes on in your mind when taking these pictures?

Really, every time i go out, I am trying to outdo my last photo shoot, I am my own worst critic. I also try to capture and focus on elements of the frame most would overlook, i.e.: the lashes on a little girl or the hands of an elated grandmother while she stuffs a pinata at her grandson's 1st birthday. I consider myself a "detail" photographer. Anyone can take a front and center frame of someone. I try to up the ante by giving the client another dimension.




While in the moment, do you see the mechanics of how to orchestrate the picture ("Move your head to the left.." etc.), do you see THE (with a capital T*H*E) photo in the moment and say "Yes!" or it sometimes a combination of both?

I feel like I have always had an eye for photography. And then I took up theory and photojournalism ... over 13 years ago during the film era. Literally, I took classes in a darkroom while in college. As i'm sure you can imagine, there was no room for error with film and obviously there was no "review" feature. If you screwed up a shoot, you found out as you developed your film and prints. Versus digital, if you overexpose your subject or the composition is not the best, you can see and remedy that right away. So as corny as it may sound, I feel that everyday has the potential to be an album and everyday i have my camera, something will take place where I "see" a photo about to happen. On the flip, If I am working a shoot, I try not to "pose" my subjects, that's not my type of photography. If needed, however, I'll give them a role to play and some direction to capture them effectively. Most people have never modeled so they don't know their angles or where the mark is. So I guess speak for most photogs and would have to say, BOTH!




One of your most recent blog posts highlights a massive, gorgeous vision board you created for 2011. Can you discuss your motivation for creating this vision board?

My motivation for creating the board was just a want for change, and making a conscience decision to take matters into my own hands. If you read the blog post, you'll see a number of reasons why I had to step up and re-claim my life. This past December, I shared a revelation with a friend of mine, "I am not living my own life. This person you see before you...I don't know who she is". The more I thought about it, i began to remember the last time I felt truly happy and sadly that was over 10 years ago. The irony is that in 2000, unknowingly, I made my first vision board...at the time I didn't know what a vision board was. It was just a collage I put together in an art class in college. On it I had diamonds, an SUV, a puppy, an image symbolizing travel, etc. Everything I put together came true within a year, minus the puppy, instead I got a kitten :)
A few years back, a group of women shared the vision board theory with me and I felt compelled to share it with all of you.




What's up next for the blog? What new projects will you be sharing with us in the near future?

Well, for starters i'd like to facilitate giveaways (prints mainly). I'd also like to feature more bikes and the motorcycle sub-culture (I'm a rider!) There was a huge response to the shots from the NYC Motorcycle Show at The Javits Center. A niche I hope to feature more would be, Boudoir Photography. A woman's body is a work of art and I love empowering women with photos representing their confidence and sensuality.




Be sure to visit Michelle at:

If you'd like to featured in a future BaBs posting, or want to suggest a BaB for me to profile, please click here to contact Miss Moon's Musings.