Photo by: Photographs by Jackie
Photo by: Photographs by Jackie
THE ILLUSTRIOUS MELBA MOORE By: Vanessa Burgess
On Thursday, February 17, 2011 the legendary Melba Moore took a moment out of her busy schedule to lend time to Diamond Diva Magazine for this uplifting and inspiring interview. We began the interview with me asking Melba to tell me a little about herself, “Tell me about Melba. Let's talk about the little lady behind the big voice.” She laughed as she expressed, “I love that comment” and stated that she finally realized that she is a petite woman, “I'm really a Mini me.” Melba admits that her voice started out being very small and rough then shared how she vocally and physically worked out using various techniques to develop and strengthen her vocals. March marks the month of 'Women in History.' With that in mind, Melba and I discussed her work as an activist. She discussed the African American National Anthem, 'Lift Every Voice and Sing' which is a song that derived from our struggle to become first class citizens. She pushed to have this song placed in the Library of Congress. Melba has also worked with organizations which focused on assisting children who were born addicted to crack, carriers of HIV/AIDS -3-
and were ultimately abused or abandoned. These human issues help to identify our political views as they are an important part of our society and it is imperative that we, as human beings, continue to focus on them. Melba learned a great deal while working with the National Council of Negro Women, founded by Dr. Dorothy Height, as an advocate for women of color. She met Dr. C. Delores Tucker, the founder of the National Council for Negro Women, working alongside her and developing a strong relationship; as Dr. Tucker was an inspirational mentor for her. Through these organizations Melba was able to combine her political role with the Democratic Convention along with her singing. Melba served on the Board of Directors with the Hale House which concentrated on neglected and abused children. Inspired by Mother Hale she later developed the Melba Moore Foundation for Children which focused on the same needs for children of the fore-mentioned organizations. Unfortunately, Melba was not able to continue her strive to keep this organization going because of the fulltime requirements of this type of business. However, she continues to loan her assistance to other organizations which provide services and assistance to children. We can
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safely say that in the area of entertainment Melba has cornered the arts as her talents cornered the charts many hits years ago. During this time she was strongly involved in musical theater, concerts, a well-known R&B recording artist and successful actress both on Broadway and in movies. She is known for her three time Grammy award nominations and Tony award as a dynamic actress. We can look back at her accomplishments beginning in 1970 with the musical written by Ozzie Davis called Purlie. In the R&B arena she had great hits like 'Lean on Me' from her album in 1976 classified from fans as 'the greatest song ever sung', will always be a classic that displays the true meaning of a love song and "I Don't Know No One Else to Turn To" (1977), 'Living For Your Love (1983). Melba burst into the mid-nineties leaving behind her legacy with great hits like; 'Love Coming at You' and 'You Stepped into My Life', 'Falling,' changing the lives of both men and women with those passionate love songs. We don't hear songs like those anymore. Melba's entertainment career was started with the help of her friend Valerie Simpson years ago doing backup and jingles. When asked about her feelings and level of excitement when she was first introduced to mainstream television and performed on major shows like Johnnie Carson; with intensified laughter Ms. Moore stated that as she look back at some of the footage from those days she can see the fear on her face. She reflects on 'how she had a lot of guts to do that back then.' She is then reminded of the quote, 'May your faith be stronger than your fears.' Today she is returning to the studio and managed by her daughter, (whom she refers as her boss) Executive Producer/Charli Huggins. Charli along with her uncle Beau Huggins, Executive Producer, are in the process of preparing Melba for her newest CD release this Spring. Lately Melba has been singing gospel songs so I asked if her current project will be R&B or Gospel, Ms. Moore replied, “I like to holla and scream and go all over my brains and be very dynamic and very emotional; being very inspirational but this project is not gospel.� However, the current single, 'Love Is,' written by Rahni Song has already hit number one on the R&B billboard charts for four weeks. Check out her debut performance at: http://www.topix.com/video/detail/who/melba-moore/cs-2244722. Melba states continued on page 9
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DIAMOND DIVA Joining Diamond Diva and being kept in the know is now easier than ever. We've made it easy for you to join our Diamond Diva family.
Photo by: Photographs by Jackie
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Dear Coffee
Join Dear Coffee as she spills the tea on relationships, love, lust and the things you want to say but just can’t! Have a question, comment or concern you want her to speak on, email: coffee@diamonddivamag.com
Dear Coffee, Okay, my boyfriend and I just recently moved in together. Well last week he follows me upstairs as I am headed to the bathroom and he just stands there in the doorway and continues talking to me. Well this was the week I was on my “monthly massacre” so I warned him and that I am about to “go to the bathroom”, hell he was in my personal space and decided not to get behind a closed door to finish his conversation. So, I went on and changed my thingy and his eyes grew in size at least 3 times. We both laughed it off saying our relationship just went to another level. Well, here it is the two days after I'm off and I get in bed and begin to let him know that I want to have sex with him. At first he starts in rubbing my breast, then he panics and scoots all the way on the other side of the bed and says, “Hey is your thing off?” I told him yeah but I guess that wasn't good enough because he kept asking me was I sure and how long has it been off and then he just turned over and went to sleep. I have never felt so embarrassed, unwanted, dirty, humiliated and nasty. I would never “trick” him into having sex with me, I don't have to. I always give myself an extra “maintenance” day once I go off so I knew I had the green light to give up the goods. Needless to say I didn't talk to him for about two days after that and he couldn't understand why, but am I wrong for my feelings after such rejection? Signed, Dirty Diana
Dear Dirty Diana, First of all tell his a** to get over it. You are a woman, just like his mother and we have a monthly cycle. I'm sure he was fine with you having one before now and he never turned down your goodies before but chile sometimes men lose it with the visual. So don't be surprised if you are use to having him give you a little “lip service” during sex but he stays above the belly button for a while. Funny thing though, they will look at you funny if you don't want to give them any “lip service” right after they come from a trip to the potty! Who knows if all the pee was shaken off, then you have a lemon flavored tip…PLEASE! You have feelings too. I think you should have immediately addressed how you felt as opposed to letting it fester for days. He probably had no idea that he hurt your feelings, trust me, he thinks he hasn't done anything wrong. You probably even took the time to dress her up with bath and body works because you knew we are hot and bothered and needed him; right after your “monthly massacre”! Hell, he just blew my high on the thought with his insensitive a**. I would tell you to hold out but girl…when he does come back for it per his “green light” put it on his a** so good and right after he reaches his climax, tell him your stupid a** could have had that last week, but your mind and your mouth messed that up! Then you scoot to the edge of the bed, turn over and get you some sleep and think about how you just threw down on his a**. Holla at your girl~ Coffee
THE ILLUSTRIOUS MELBA MOORE Continued
that God has given her favor with her music and classifies herself as a 'Broadway/Gospel' person. The most challenging thing for her over the years is learning the business aspect of music, becoming interested in the logics of the industry and remaining focused on the basic faucets of it. She is a Catholic and worship as a Born Again Christian. Melba states that when it comes to the type of music that she performs there are but two choices (good or evil). She focuses on music which is good and pleasing to God. Melba has a book, co-written by Former New York Times writer Mel Watkins that will be headed to the bookshelves very soon which will openly discuss her life. She recently performed in the stage play, Crowns, written by Regina Taylor at the Carnival Studio Theater at Miami's Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. “As Mother Shaw, Moore employs a sweet, subdued voice and another one that packs a rough-edged wallop, all the while remaining the dignified elder presence at the center of each Sunday's service. Her first solo, I Believe, summons tears; her second, Lean on Me, inspires. Looking church-chic in a rhinestone-kissed suit, glittering hat and matching shoes, Moore is clearly the show's star, but she isn't a selfish one. She blends into the ensemble or surrenders the spotlight to her costars when it is their turn to shine.” (The Miami Herald, 2011) She will be returning back to the stage for stage plays and concerts as early as Spring 2011. You will also be able to find her work in music sections and on bookshelves this year. I found Melba to be a Diamond Diva herself; as she is a very open, pleasant and personable woman. She is a really interesting lady displaying a high level of energy while remaining down to earth. Past, current and future fans should expect a dynamic return from this beautiful and inspirational singer as she hit the radio airwaves. Catch Melba as she's Rejuvenated, Revitalized and Renewed into a future that reigns victory. Watch Melba Moore as she Leaps, Launches & Leans Towards an Immeasurable Future…
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DIAMOND DIVA’S
Photo by: Photographs by Jackie
Hunk of the h t n o M
Anthony Leathers Sarasota, FL
can no longer identify truthfully with A GUARANTEED what we are doing. We may look in a mirror and are not able to recognize our own selves. While in that looking LOVE glass, we cannot veil what we are truly By: LaToya’ Eaddy-Jenkins
feeling. The reflection that peers back at us tells a painful story. Our expedition plays through our eyes as a journey that began with the purest intentions: to love and to be loved. Somewhere along the way our intentions became compromised and distorted. We possibly gave too much or held back too little of ourselves in certain situations. By compromising what we are and who we are when feeling forced to make certain decisions. Often finding our souls caught between Selflessness vs. Selfishness. We come to realize that it is not easy loving a man and it is not easy for man to love us. Yet we continue our search in worldly love looking for a resolution to our heartache.
It seems we are always on a search for love. Throughout all of the ages it has been the clearest driving force in people's lives. The journey for real love is a continuous and never-ending cycle. As human beings gifted with souls, it is our innate nature to desire real love. We were formatted in the perfect love; God's love. Created in His image, we With a magnetic force we our drawn to each carry within us the ability to love discover and acquire a love unlike any other love we have ever known. A love deeply and need deep love. that is so powerfully strong we know it The paths that we may take may not was made for us to receive and rejoice always lead us to our desires. We in. Like that very special love that 1 search high and low looking for a Corinthians 13:4 teaches us. Knowing connection with another human being that a love like that is possible we who in truth understands us. Then continue to seek and to search when we cannot find this sought after relentlessly, wondering where the love we turn to other sources. That is search will end and the love will begin. where we find ourselves entangled in painful situations. Combating for ourselves to be loved by engaging in disruptive distractions like sexual affairs, drugs, power, abuse, alcohol, money and other worldly possessions.
Isaiah 26:9 explains the driving force that is within us. God embedded it into our spirit when he formed us in our mother's womb even before our birth. That overwhelmingly compelling longing to have all the love that we We habitually come to a place where we need is simply God reminding us “Over -11-
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here my child, look towards me.” Matthew 6:33 tells is to 'seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and everything else will come to us.' God let us know on many occasions that we are to worry not, because he would be the one to take care of all of our needs. God's love is the most real love that there is and we keep running from it. For all the work that we put into other aspects of our lives while looking for love 1 Timothy 6:3 lets us know that we can have all of that if we make our business our salvation first. It may be hard to fathom that we deserve God's love. We quote off John 3:16 as a faucet running water because we do believe that the Son of Man is the way to the Father. Still we believe that we are not worthy of the Fathers care and concern. We lose sleep and forget to eat worrying almost constantly over our fleshly sins. Finding ourselves drawing the conclusion that what we have done, who we are and where we have been separated and makes us unlovable to God. So we become complacent in our current situations as we decide that God doesn't need a sinner like me and can't love me through my mistakes. The truth of the matter is God does love us and we are so deserving of His love. Yes! Even through our sinful ways and our faulty hearts, He loves us. We must know and believe that God is a God that does not lie. We must accept that every word He has left us to learn, ponder upon and apply it to our lives is real. If we can believe that then we will get the love that we search for in so many wrong places from God alone. Romans 8:38-39 states it most eloquently that 'nothing separates us from the love of God.' That love we keep searching for, that is as no other is God's love. God's love is strictly unconditional in the purest form and always guaranteed. We can stop roaming through the world for love with our hearts wide open and our eyes closed shut. God's love is surely real, never ending and one of a kind. Paul said it best in Ephesians 3:14-21 “This is the reason I kneel in the presence of the Father from whom all the family in heaven and on earth receives its name. I'm asking God to give you a gift from the wealth of his glory. I pray that he would give you inner strength and power through his Spirit. Then Christ will live in you through faith. I also pray that love may be the ground into which you sink your roots and on which you have your foundation. This way, with all of God's people you will be able to understand how wide, long, high, and deep his love is. You will know Christ's love, which goes far beyond any knowledge. I am praying this so that you may be completely filled with God. Glory belongs to God, whose power is at work in us. By this power he can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Glory belongs to God in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time and eternity! Amen.”
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From a Males Perspective Ok Ladies, we all have tried to figure out, "What was HE Thinking".Well, now here's your chance to find out. Have a burning question, that needs a male’s touch, or you just want to know why men do what they do, then get it from A Males Perspective. Send all questions, comments and even your concerns to info@diamonddivamag.com, subject “Male’s Perspective” and let's find out what indeed he was really thinking.
HOW THE OTHER HALF THINKS The answer to how the other half thinks has escaped women for centuries. The question is discussed in coffee shops, living rooms, on twitter, and over chat. Genuine curiosity pushes women to ask it again and again. What is he thinking? What was his motivation, his intent, and his purpose? Does he even know? We hear time and time again that men and women act and think so differently. The only real way to find out what is really going on in someone's head is to ask them. The hope is that you'll get an honest and straightforward answer. We won't get into how often that happens. Just know that this is not one of those times. I'm going to answer any question you ask, and I'm going to tell it straight. Now if you had the opportunity to ask a man anything and know he's going to answer, what would you ask? Would the question rival the debate over existentialism or be as intricate as quantum physics? Or would it be that nagging question left over from your last relationship. I was given a list of questions to answer. My first response was why are we still talking about these things. Then it occurred to me that if men and women really understood how to be open and honest with each other we wouldn't have to keep having some of these conversations. So I decided to do my part. The question I chose is one that seems to always cause controversy. It has been the subject of song, poem, and Tyler Perry play. Why is it that men feel like they are man enough to make a baby, but they feel like they don't have to take care of it? Well first off, I think too often we assume that if a man chooses to have sex with a woman without protection he is ready to handle the consequences of his actions. Have you been around any men lately? I appreciate being given the credit for that level of analytical thinking, but let's not be too generous. Men like sex. If the opportunity presents itself, do you think men are considering consequences? When thinking about this question I wonder if responsibility and accountability is something that is held up as a standard for men in this society? I don't think so, not enough. My father used to joke that he could look at a woman and she would get pregnant. I'm the oldest of 8 children, none of whom he has a healthy relationship with or provides support for. Did he ever have a conversation with me about my responsibility as a man and the value of family? Nope. Too often I find that men are not really talking to continued on page 15
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men about how to accept and handle responsibility. You will get told not to go make any babies, but where is the conversation about what happens if you do? A lot of men do everything they can to not conceive a child. You would be amazed at the effort they put in. Let me help you out. If after intimacy he disappears for ten minutes, then he's in the bathroom making sure there were no issues. Why? Because he didn't give a lot of thought to whether or not he could really have a child with the woman he is sleeping with. Some do, but even those men will roll the dice anyway. We live in a society of instant gratification, one that privileges men. The game is to do what you can to get what you want when you want it. Where are the models of appropriate behavior? How often do we hold up the stories of the men who do step up, are willing to be accountable for their actions, and are responsible and caring fathers regardless of the situation? Not as much as we should. Sensationalism and conflict sells, so instead we get a steady dose of drama everyday. Literature, movies, TV, and radio are filled with it. Where is the filter that distinguishes the fantasy from the reality? I will be the first to admit that men aren't doing their part in filtering the madness and conveying the right message. Now, I also have to admit some women need to do a little more investigation and, a little more analysis. I don't expect it to be a CSI level inquiry, but a little more conversation might help. I'm not talking background checks or credit checks. I'm talking about a personality assessment. What is the character of the person you are planning to be intimate with? Please don't pull out a questionnaire after you stop kissing and before you take your clothes off. That's sort of a mood kill. I think having some real conversations about perspectives and beliefs prior to the candles and mood music would help. You have to be willing to scare some men off with that. The ones willing to have that talk are either in a good place or seasoned liars. Either way you at least scared off the bums. Making a baby will always be tied to being a man. The rhetoric of manhood says you are supposed to reproduce. Look at the views of impotency and erectile dysfunction. Tell a brother he has a low sperm count. You'll see him question his self worth. Taking care of a baby is about fatherhood. Unfortunately, that's not as glorified of an ideal. I think the answer is to not ask why a man can make a baby and not take care of it. Instead, ask him some questions before you give him some. If he says the wrong thing don't give him any. No matter how sexy he is. If he says the right thing, ask him a few more questions. That brother has been practicing that answer. If he stumbles, but is willing to be open and honest have the conversation with him. Smile at his sincerity. Then make it do what it do. You just might've found a good one. Dasan Ahanu is a public speaker, organizer, workshop facilitator, poet, spoken word performer, songwriter, writer, emcee, and loyal Hip Hop head born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina. He is currently a teacher at Duke University's Young Writer's Camp, creative consultant and resident artist at the Hayti Heritage Center in Durham, NC and an artist-in-residence at Saint Augustine's College in Raleigh, NC.
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Monthly Hair Tip: Melony Mangum Owner/Sylist of Salon 360 in Apex When shampooing your hair, it is important to remember that you should use a shampoo that has the ability to bring your hair to a PH Factor of 7. This is equally important when condtioning your hair as well. Remember to always seek a professional when in doubt when it comes to what products to use on your hair!
SHE’S KEEPING IT MOVING way,
Schelle Holloway
TOTALLY EMPOWERED! By: Renee’ Smith
Having the opportunity to sit down and talk with Ms. Schelle Holloway, I have found that she is quite a very interesting and power driven young lady. Curious and wanting to know exactly who Schelle was and what was the driving force behind her, I found out that it was quite simple. A down home country girl from Gulfport, MS, she carries many titles, mom, daughter, sister, friend, a Christian, a Leader, a human-full of flaws, a Lover as she began to blush when thinking of her new love, but most of all a dedicated and determined woman! Although she has learned to appreciate EVERYTHING that God sends her
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she still recognizes that sometimes He does stuff to get her attention and make sure she knows He is who He says he is. So then I get back on track she says so freely. When asked what her driving force was, she said her family. “I love them more than words can express. I want to be able to pay for medical school for my oldest daughter and when my other two decide, I want to be able to help them with their futures as well. I want to be able to send my parent's on trips when they retire and enjoy the rest of their lives worry free. I want to also leave a mark for other young ladies who may have started out like me, a teen mom, working in high school, trying to graduate, finish college and make it when people say you can't.'' Wanting to know what inspired Schelle to write her first novel I must say gave me a whole new respect for her. Trying to follow God's words and be faithful to Him, she made the decision to abstain from premarital sex! So that effort to abstain from sex, she took to her computer and her imagination just ran wild. She began to laugh when she said, “Don't mix Moscato with a fireplace, a blanket and weeks of no sex, the outcome is just wild!!!” Looks like it turned out to be a great start though! The novel is a HIT! Although she may have to find another strategy to push out another great book, seeing that she won't have that problem, because she will be getting married in
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September. I have had the opportunity to attend Schelle's stage plays on numerous occasions and I've often wondered when she knew that she was truly a writer. She told me after being approached by a mother of a young girl who attended her first stage play “Before the Bell Rings” in 2007 and having her thank her for opening her daughter's eyes and showing her that she is different, but it was okay, she knew then that God had given her a talent that she had to develop to its full potential, so she began to write and write some more. She says that she is quite pleased with what she has found within herself. “It's scary sometimes because going back and reading something that I have written, I say, Wow where did that come from?” After attending her stage plays and then reading about the book that was so different from what I was use to coming from her, I had to find out who or what had influenced her to go this direction. Asking her just that, she was so innocent in saying, “It was Me! I told myself, I have two girls; I am VERY particular about people being around them. I'm speaking from a dating perspective. So there were movies, dinners, trips and what not but it wasn't enough. In the middle of the night if I had a bad dream, there was no one there to wake up to tell about it. When I got “good news” about something, I wanted to tell MY significant other. Of course there is
your family, best friend, best buddy, associates and co-workers but that one person who could give you that look of “I'm proud of you, now give me some sugar”, I wanted that. So I took my body back and said, I'm going to wait on God because He knows the desires of my heart and has delivered so much in the past, why would he fail me now? And look at God….September 24, 2011; I'm heading home to Gulfport to marry my soul mate”. She say's now the next book ain't no telling what you may read because when God delivers, He DELIVERS! (blushing and laughing). Deciding to cross the barriers to an erotica novel was terrifying for her to say the least. She said she often thought about her religion, the effect it would have on her daughters, her family and her Pastor. She jokingly said, “Lord please don't let them put me out of the church.” But then she was like “God blessed me with a gift without limitations, so yes, I can write that kind of play to touch your spirit and that kind of book to touch your….. (Laughing).” It was so cute when she told us that her oldest daughter said, “Momma, it's just work to me, as long as you pay your tithes with that money too, I think you will be just fine. If someone doesn't want to read it, don't buy it, and the people that know you as Schelle Holloway will always be able to separate you from the work.” Out of the mouth of a child….priceless! In writing anything there is always a favorite part as well as a hard continued on page 20
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SHE’S KEEPING IT MOVING
continued.....
part to express you. When asked which was her favorite, she had this to say, “The acknowledgment and dedication page. Buy the book and read them. And there is no refund after you do so either”. As for the hardest, she said it would have to be the sex scenes. “So many sounds and words we say and make during sex. I had to close my eyes and literally visualize and type. And when I opened my eyes I'd read it back and it would be the sex I wanted her/him/them to have”. Crazy huh? When asked was there a message in her novel that she wanted her readers to grasp she said, “Don't be a closed minded person. Use your imagination to its fullest potential. Close your eyes and let it take you to places you would only dream of. No one can judge you in your mind because you can control how you want it to go; it's in YOUR mind. When you've satisfied yourself, open your eyes, smile and keep it moving”. Seeing a project to full flourision is a wonderful feeling, and it was no different for Schelle. Knowing for the first time that her novel was real was shown through a conversation with a publishing company in New Jersey after offering her a contract to publisher her book and remembering the words that rang out from the Founder/President of the company that played over in her head for days. It was at that time she knew she could do it. But nothing was more exciting than the day that she pulled the proof out of the envelope. She said her jaws ached because she smiled so long and hard. After taking it all in she began taking pictures of herself holding “her” book and sending them to her family and friends, it was at that moment that it became real to her. One question that continued to ring in the back of my mind was, what does your family think of your writings. Aside from her saying that her oldest daughter has always been her biggest fan, she also had to add, “Well, my dad thinks I need counseling but he always says it with love. My mom just smiles, my sister said, something is wrong with you, where do you get this stuff from, my brother never knew and my Ma J says, just “gifted”, others say, we always knew you were crazy! I love them all”. After asking Schelle to leave some lasting words to my readers, this is what she had to say after giving shout outs to, Rick at the printing company, Editor Dean and her publisher, Nikki Coffield, “ I just want to say to people, be careful not to judge too quickly. You never know when you are going to need someone that you have “trashed”. Life if so funny sometimes and karma is crazy. If you don't have anything nice to say, hush! Remove negative people Raleigh, NC and things out of your life by any means necessary. It may hurt but those people and things will block what God may have in store for you. Don't be afraid to trust Him, He has the plan. That's why I am not afraid to step out; my Heavenly Daddy has my back”!
Schelle & Shon
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SPRING INTO LOVE
By: Kimberly Knight
Spring is that time of year where the flowers are blooming, warm weather begins, and love is in the air. It's a time of new beginnings after the winter and it is when people are more into socializing. So, let's jump into some great dating tips for Spring time! First, make sure you are ready to date. I say this because Valentine's Day was just a few weeks ago and depending on your situation it may be best to reflect. If you are still daydreaming about your Valentine- a spring romance may not be in the cards for you just yet or if you are ready for a fresh start, now is your time. Second, how about a new look for a fresh start. I know I love shopping for a new outfit, getting a new hairstyle, or having fun just getting all glamed up for a date! So check out your favorite local stores for new, hot spring apparel and revamp your style. Another great tip is to be open minded to all the options of today's dating world. In the past dating was pretty limited to just meeting by chance but in 2011 there -23-
are so many options so let's talk about them. One is attending local mingling events in your area such Papa Mojo's Live Music on Wednesdays, Beyu Café's live jazz on Fridays, or if you prefer a more dance themed environment Solas of Glenwood Ave. is a hot spot in Raleigh. Being “me” present in the social scene can definitely get you noticed. If you are looking for a more reserved approach to dating then try the option of online dating. A few tips for online dating are to be sure to create an accurate profile description. Do not include detailed personal information such as your address, phone number, or employer but make sure it's an accurate description of your personality. Next, make sure you have a current photo! There is nothing worse than viewing a person's profile picture and once you meet in person they look the opposite. So be sure your photo reflects your appearance at its best and be selective on the profiles you are interested in. If you decide to meet for a blind date make sure you are in a public place and get to know the person prior to dating seriously. The beauty of love is that it could be right around the corner, at your fingertips, or someone you already know. It's a mystery game full of surprises that keeps you wondering every time. Last spring I found love in a reunion with my high school sweetheart! So what are your dating goals for Spring? Please send your questions or comments to bmoorebride@gmail.com and your thoughts could be featured in the next edition!
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11FASHION &
STYLE RESOLUTIONS By: Crystal McCullers Looking back at 2010, all I can say is, “Wow, how can one year bring so many changes?” Now looking forward in 2011, I can say, “Continue to bring them on!” At the start of every year we have our list of “Resolutions” that we hold dear and close to our heart. With the best intentions we mean to stick by them but, we all know how that scenario goes. Truth of the matter is we need help to stick to any resolution so, I've decided to shed some light and much needed support to my sisters. I've compiled some Fashion & Style Resolutions for 2011 that will lend major support like your favorite girdle or that most talked about and interesting “Body Magic” contraption that ladies are running and jumping into.... So speaking of “girdles”, that brings me to OUR 1st Resolution... 1.PROPER UNDERGARMENTS: If you have not heard this rule before, you are reading it now. From this moment forward.....NO MORE EXCUSES! PROPER undergarments are the staple and foundation of every savvy ladies' wardrobe. If you have not paid much attention to the importance of undergarments in the past, consider it a must in 2011. Why? Because having the right bra, panties, support hose (if you still wear them), or shape wear underneath your clothing will not only allow your clothing to fit better; it will also make you look pulled together at all times. Ever wonder why Jennifer
Hudson always looks so flawless and pulled together? It's because homegirl (or at least the right person in her camp) understands the importance and necessity of getting it right with the foundation underneath the clothing. So sisters, lets make it our business to revisit our little panty and bra drawers and add pieces that not only accentuate but flatter the figures we have. And if by chance there are items that should be thrown out...Please Let Go and Let God! Speaking of “letting go”,that brings me to OUR 2nd Resolution... 2. STOP BEING A HOARDER: One of the few shows I make a point to record and actually watch is, Hoarders on A&E. Brief synopsis, the show focuses on the most horrific c a s e s o f hoarding since the days of Fred G. Sanford on Sanford & Son. They go in and expose, in d e t a i l , extremely filthy uninhabitable homes. Next, they clean up and often times will provide the hoarders with some form of psychiatric help. I literally sit and watch the whole show with my mouth wide open. I'm not sure but I think the show gives me some type of guilt release when I go without making my bed for more than one day. I say all that to say although I'm sure 90% of us are not ready for A&E to intervene, we do tend to hold on to clothing way too long. We need to let it go! Go to your closets, dressers, trunks, under the bed, overrunning closets, and that bag continued on page27
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2011 FASHION & STYLE RESOLUTION continued..... of “I'll Wear This When...”and take an honest inventory of what you actually wear. Rule of thumb, if you haven't worn it at least ONCE within 6 months, LET IT GO! A savvy wardrobe is not about Quantity, it is about Quality. Having 6 little black dresses does not make your wardrobe complete but instead it makes your closet full, cramped, and out of hangers when you really need one! While taking inventory, throw out those items that were trends and focus on classic stylish pieces that transcend from season to season. Now speaking of “Classic Stylish Pieces”, that brings me to OUR final fashion & style resolution for 2011… 3. “Fashion fades, only Style remains the same”: Oooh the words of Coco Chanel, I couldn't have said it better myself - but I'll try. No, Im not contradicting myself as you know my focus will always be FASHION. But the truth of the matter is, Fashion synonymous with Trends will always fade but, Style synonymous with Class, will remain the same. That tid bit of advice is what you need when choosing the items for your wardrobe in 2010 and forward. Pieces that can go from season to season and in colors that complement your complexion are key to a stylish wardrobe. How do I choose those pieces or know what classic pieces are, you ask? Well take a trip back down memory lane, pull some old photos or magazines out. Look at the clothing, look at the style. Look for items that could be worn today and still be fashionable. Those my friend are classic stylish pieces, they transcend. They may not always scream out at you in the store or get the most attention (leave that to the trends, that's their job) but, they are plain and simple...Classics. These along with proper undergarments are staples in your wardrobe to build upon, then accentuate and enhance them with trends. Real talk here, I have a beautiful red cardigan that I constantly get complements on every time I wear it! I was “reminiscing” through some photos the other day and noticed that I had on the same sweater in the picture! Whats fascinating about that was that the picture was 9 years old (I knew that because I was holding my son as a baby). Now before you submit my sweater to the Hoarders show know this; that sweater was one of the smartest buys ever. Why? Because it was a classic and stylish piece that transcended from season to season, year to year (and it had a bit of spandex as I'm not the same size as 9 years ago). But it still works and still turns heads! (smile) So ladies there you go. I didn't want to overwhelm and add too much to your already demanding resolution list for 2010, but these are truly achievable, attainable, and worth sticking to resolutions. As a true sister, I'm here to support you and I've got your back.
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