Curvy. Courageous. Curly. Couture. Cutie of the Month: Annisa LiMara

Last September I received a text from one of my line sisters.  I expected the usual, "Hey, just checking in... How have you been?" text that I receive once a week from at least one of my line sisters... But this one was different.  It was a text that asked me if I watched youtube videos and if so, what did I like about them? Of course I started listing: hair and makeup tutorials, vlogs, etc.  She then replied, well I'm starting a YouTube channel soon and would like to know if I have your support.  "OF COURSE!" I replied.

Fast forward to today, Annisa's youtube channel, AnnisaLiMara, is reaching almost 5000 subscribers with a little over 25 videos!  Check out her most watched video below reaching over 20000 views!!!!  

Not only have I had the opportunity to have this young lady as a sister, but I have also had the opportunity to work under her in the launching of her first Swim/Resort Wear Line. She is not only a sweet and wonderful person, but she is also very passionate about everything she touches.  Everything she touches turns to gold... just like her golden hair!  If you haven't already definitely subscribe to her YouTube channel , like her Facebook Page and follow her on Instagram. I imagine great things coming from this girl in the future!  

Want more information about Annisa's hair, future plans, and what inspires her?  Keep scrolling to read what she had to say during our interview.  

Annisa LiMara

1.    How long have you been natural?  Who/What pushed you to give up the creamy crack?

I have been natural since 2005 and gave up “creamy crack” because of major hair breakage and thinning from too many relaxers and permanent hair color from my senior year in high school. Looking back I had no idea it was “going natural”, I just considered myself going cold turkey because my hair had gone from being thick and medium/long length to thin and unhealthy. Almost a decade later, I’ve now transitioned AND big chopped so going back to my natural hair texture was a long process but well worth it.

2.    How do you keep your hair looking so fabulous? What’s your regimen?

Deep condition and moisturize! I wash and deep condition my hair every week (or every other week) and by deep conditioning for the past 6 months intensively, I’ve been able to retain moisture which really helps the upkeep of any hairstyle. I now can go two or three days without doing much to my hair and other days I just add water or leave conditioner and use my Peppermint Hair Butter for extra moisture.  My hair is also a mixture between curly and kinky so I can play up each part which makes styling my hair fun and versatile.

3.    What inspired you to start a YouTube channel?  What would you say to somebody who wants to start a channel of her own?

I initially began my channel because I wanted to share my experiences and thought it would be really a fun and challenging project. Watching Taren Guy, Andrea’s Choice and a ton of other channels really inspired me to be fearless in going after my goals. I also have a really big following on Instagram so I wanted to answer all of their questions through my channel and to connect with other natural hair and fashion lovers.

4.    What was the hardest part of starting your channel and how did you overcome that?

The hardest part was the technical issues such as editing, uploading, etc….not as easy as one may think. I’m a perfectionist so I used a plethora of resources for advice (other YouTube channels, videographers, friends) and did hours of research until I understood the process. Even though it is still challenging, I’m learning so much and have come up with a formula to create quality videos for my subscribers for which there is still room to grow.

5.    What are some of your favorite CURLY girl products?

This is a hard question because there are so many! I absolutely love Carol’s Daughter especially their Hair Milk and Tui Leave in Conditioner. I also love the Yes To line, specifically Yes To Carrots, Olive Oil Eco Styler Gel (a must!), and Wen Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner! Of course, I also love my Peppermint Hair Butter which is a mixture of all my favorite hair butters and oils, especially peppermint oil which stimulates the scalp and promotes growth.

6.    Did you ever expect to see yourself featured on hair blogs all over the world?   How does the natural hair fame make you feel?

Absolutely not! I never expected any of the recognition I’m getting and it feels so surreal because it is hair! Of course hair is important to us as women but I didn’t realize it could generate this much “natural hair fame”, however, I don’t consider myself famous at all but count myself as blessed and extremely humbled that I’m able to reach so many people and be a leader in this movement.

7.    What can you say that will inspire others to follow their dreams?

Designer Tracy Reese once said that designs can be inspired by “a piece of music, a painting, a book, a vacation spot or a particular city”….every persons’ dream is developed from inspiration and discovering what you love can ignite hope and conquer fear. As I get older, I am finding that the common factor that hinders anyone from achieving their goals is fear. Fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of succeeding and the responsibility that comes with success…fear of self. I am now striving to step out of all of my fears and becoming brave. My prayer is that everyone can see past their own fear into the bravery and courage that God has given us through Him. I am still learning and growing, therefore, I say this prayer every day to gain the faith to be brave and let that light shine to encourage others.

8.    So now that you have shared your hair with the world, when will you share your fashion?

I’ve actually already launched my first Swim/Resort wear collection March 2012 which introduced everyone to the A’LiMara (a-lai-mar-rah) brand. I took a hiatus after that to complete my Masters and to also refocus on what I want to accomplish with my brand. Therefore, I decided to do an exclusive collection of ‘Natural’ wear this year at my Natural Hair Forum & Fashion show titled Curls, Kinks & Fashion which included crop tops, fitted v-necks and high-low dresses. My goal now is to incorporate more of my style and fashion knowledge into my brand and hopefully produce another Swim/Resort wear collection in the near future.

9.    How can people follow you? Facebook? IG? YouTube? Purchase your homemade hair butter?

You can follow me on IG, Twitter & Tumblr as well as like my Facebook page at ilovealimara. My hair butter plus my exclusive collection of ‘Natural’ wear t shirts and dresses at www.ilovealimara.net

10. So what’s the next step for A’LiMara?

Growing and improving my YouTube channel, launching my next swim/resort wear collection (hopefully next summer), fulfilling my new position as fashion editor for Natural Hair Mag, and just expanding the A’LiMara brand…there are no limits!

Natural Hair Freedom MeetUp Vlog and Product Review

This past Sunday I went to my first Natural Hair Meet Up.  If you're unfamiliar with MeetUp, it is a website that helps groups of people with shared interests plan meetings and form offline clubs in local communities around the world.  It was one of the first tools I used when I moved to Atlanta to connect with people who shared the same interest as me.  The first MeetUp group I joined was Natural Hair Freedom,  the leading resource for supporting naturals, educating naturals and building camaraderie within the Natural Hair Community.  Check out my VLOG experience to see how my first meet up went! 

Top Left: Kinky Kashmere Founder  Top Right: CoCo Curls Founder
Botton Left: Event Coordinator and NHF Founder +Carnella Harvey Bottom Right: Cute As A Button Founder 

My sister and I snagging a few products from the Product Swap  

Atlanta Bloggers Crystal and Reese 

LINKS!!!

CoCo Curls

Kinky Kashmere

Chevelure by MiMi

Cute As A Button

Crystal's Blog

Reese's Blog

Comfy Chic... Again

Spring Break 2014 was a success!!! It definitely was great to take a break from pharmacy school and let my hair down for Mardi Gras in New Orleans, La.  If you've ever been to Mardi Gras you can understand that by the end of the week you are extremely exhausted!  

On our last day my friend and I decided to have a chill day... We went to Emeril's Restaurant for lunch and rode the trolley to the French Market afterwards.  On this particular day I opted for a more comfy look--a sweater I'd just purchased from +H&M , a t-shirt from Torrid and comfy jeans from +Forever 21 .  On our way to the flea market we passed a lot buildings with very rustic facades.  Of course I just couldn't pass by without snapping a few pictures.  I posted a few pictures on IG and received a lot of feedback about my outfit.  Everybody loved it and wanted to know where I purchased the pieces.  Skorch Magazine even reposted my pic stating that they loved the style.  So... Guess What? Now you too can have my outfit.  I've included the links to where I purchased each item below.  If you decide to purchase anything tag your pictures rocking your new fit on IG @lalatmr89 !!! :) 

Purse Jeans Shirt Sweater Shoes 

Breaking All The Rules!!!! Mixing Prints

Last Year +Alissa Wilson posted a blog entitled Breaking All The Rules. In the blog she urged curvy girls to break down the fashion barriers and wear clothes that we've been told our whole lives didn't look right on our shape--horizontal stripes, crop tops, tutu’s, bikini’s, mini skirts, and even skinny jeans.  Now, I've never been the type to feel insecure about what I wore, but as I read the post I began to realize that subconsciously I also believed that those items just didn't suite my curvy frame.

The other day while searching Facebook, I came across a picture of From The Rez to the City.  Her outfit was literally drop dead gorgeous!!! It took me back to the days when I believed that curvy women couldn't wear patterns--let alone mix multiple patterns.  Unfortunately, the first thing I said was, "I wish I could pull that look off."  At that moment I instantly recalled Stylish Curves blog.  Why did I believe I couldn't pull it off? I rushed to my nearest +Lane Bryant  to find the items she had in her picture.  At first I just wanted to try the outfit on...It was only supposed to stay in the dressing room, but to my surprise the outfit was EVERYTHING! It looked amazing on me as well.  It was at that moment that I realized Curvy Girls can wear anything... even mixed prints.

Top and Bottom: +Lane Bryant 

Top: Lane Bryant Skirt: +Old Navy Shoes: +Steve Madden 

Curvy. Courageous. Curly. Couture. Cutie of the Month: April Fitzpatrick

Sometimes we forget to follow our dreams because we are so caught up in what others will say.  We slowly die inside letting others dictate our next move.   While researching topics about today's blog, I came across this quote, "The secret of living is giving, if you follow your dreams then you will have something worth sharing with others, hope, inspiration and a meaning to live, and that to me, is a great contribution."

The young lady I am featuring for the month of February is such an inspiration to me.  I have known her since my freshman year in college and never knew she could draw... let alone create a masterpiece.  She decided one day to be happy and follow her dreams of becoming an artist.  Her talent is truly "something worth sharing with others, hope, inspiration and a meaning to live" 

Today I challenge you to only focus on you and your dreams. 

April Fitzpatrick 

1. What got you interested in art? Have you taken any art classes?

My interest in art began as I child. Being the only child those were one of the many ways to keep me occupied. As time went on, i stopped due to lack of support and being trained to achieve only in the academic arena. So, I did! Blah! I have taken a couple of courses in college, just a couple. My creative mind and expressive spirit was born through gifted courses while in elementary and middle school.

2. What was the hardest part of pursuing your career as an artist? How did you overcome it?

The hardest part was going against society. I would get asked what I did or what I wanted to become and I would say I paint or I'm am artist. Even when I would speak to other artist, I would often get a discouraging eye or the "surviving artist" story. I overcame it by praying and producing. The more I said--God maybe this is just a hobby, the more I grew, the more I painted, then people took me serious. I spoke life over what I felt I had been called to do.

3. Where do you find inspiration for your paintings?

Most of my paintings are inspired by the African American experience. Taking those negatives and using color to create positives. I also study other artist and the themes they capture. And sometimes I just get up and paint.

4. Can you remember one of the first things you painted? What makes it memorable?

I painted elephants in the mist of a sunset represented by time and color. It was memorable because it was at this point that I knew I could inspire and reach people. My line sister was complaining about grad school and sleep and I decided to paint it for a little inspiration.

5. Why the name Hopeful Kreations?

H.O.P.E.ful Kreations. It came from my slogan while competing for Miss Tougaloo which was initially Catch the H.O.P.E. I had experienced troubling times during my tenure in college, that I had not faced, only suppressed. As a senior I decided to face them. I had also gone to Africa. So a mixture of old and new, failure and success, love and hate, I knew that after it was all said and done i needed hope. Although I didn't win a crown, my crown came from serving the people through words. Several people had come to me afterwards expressing how I had inspire them with my courageous spirit. So that acronym stands for Helping Out People Everywhere. Once I started to paint I just added the ful and Kreations serving as a mission to inspire.

6. I’ve noticed a lot of your paintings feature women with natural hair. Your hair is AMAZING!!! How long have you been natural and what are your favorite CURLY girl products?

I have been natural since 2010. To be honest I have no favorite! I'm still learning and trying to see what fits my hair best. 

7. Where can somebody reach you if interested in purchasing a painting?

They can email me afitxpatrick@bellsouth.net Call 601-572-4053 Follow on Instagram @hopefulkreations

8. What, in your opinion, is the hardest step in creating a masterpiece?

My hardest step would be capturing an event/expression/ theme and actually deciding which I will do and how I will express it. So much runs through my head on a daily.

9. What would you say to somebody who wants to pursue their career as an artist but is discouraged by everybody telling them to “Get a regular job.”?

You have to start first, believe, be obedient, be willing to sacrifice, invest in yourself, have patience, and never stop. All things I struggled with and still have to examine. The world will sell you things because that's what it is suppose to do. But dreamers must take a step out in faith and truly question your purpose in life and what mark will you leave behind. These are the things that keep me going.

10. And finally, I would like to give you this opportunity to share 4 paintings and tell us a little about what each means to you.

Take a Bite Out of Love (Love is a scary thing for me for several reasons, so I just make fun with it until it bites me)

The African experience. ( I am proud of my heritage! Those 5 weeks in Africa made an impact on my life that I'm forever grateful for.)

The piece is rarely new, a commissioned piece. ( I never cease to amaze myself. When I feel the most afraid and overwhelmed, I produce awesome pieces. And this in particular captures the life of someone, their likes, interest, and fields of study. I think it's important to remind people how great and purposeful they are.)

I'm Afraid, Don't Be (living in a fast lane...trying to understand life...and making the best of it)