Where to Stay in NYC

it's summer and i'm sure all you tourist will be invading us again. but where to stay you ask? and at prices that won't break your bank? check out these hotels and hostels:

$119+ http://www.thepodhotel.com/

The Pod is super cute!!! They have 2 locations and they're both located on the east side! You're close to the 6 train which makes travel convenient. Minutes away from Times Square and a train ride away from Union Square.

$100+ http://thejanenyc.com/

The Jane Hotel is located right in the heart of the Meat Packing District. This means you have the beautiful view of the High Line and if you like clubbing you're surrounded by them.

$50+ http://www.airbnb.com/

The cool thing with Air BnB is individuals are putting their homes up. You can rent a couch, bed, or bedroom depending on your budget. The great thing is this can allow for versatility around the city. Stay a couple nights in Manhattan, then head out to Brooklyn.

$50+ http://www.westendstudios.com/

This was the first hostel I stayed at years ago. Located on the Upper West Side by Columbia University. You literally only have a bed. The bathrooms are communal and there's an option of shared "dorm" room style or your own private room. I suggest private.

now that you have options for stay here in NYC, come out and visit me!!!

Curly Girls Run the World!

or at least the internet and hair care!

I make one video on curly hair and my inbox has been exploding with followers everywhere! too bad i didn't make a career as a curly hair expert! Thanks guys for all the support. My YouTube channel however isn't a curly hair channel nor is this blog. For extensive, in-depth knowledge I recommend Long Hair Don't Care, Around the Way Curls, Hey Fran Hey, and La Coco Bella to name a few. It's always good to see what others are doing but most importantly it's key to listen to your hair. And what works for one may not work for you, so continue to experiment and listen to your curls.
As with every other curly I've gone through great lengths to find out what works for me and I'm still on the search. But yes I am a recent convert and love the Shea Moisture line although I'm opening to looking for another conditioner. I found the one I used doesn't have as much slip as I'd like. BUT I LOVE that Parnevu deep conditioner. So far, that's the only deep treatment I've used that leaves my hair feeling soft and moisturized and I've been using it for the last 3 years!
But to answer your questions...
1) When I go to bed I put my hair in either a pineapple ponytail much like this photo here but not so "wide":

 

OR 

if it's later in the week and my curls are all over the place i'll do a brush out and sleep with my hair in a high bun and wear it out all frizzy Diana Ross styles the following morning and thereafter. frizzy, unruly curls can work if you WERK-it-out! and yes, i do sleep with a satin pillow case as well.

OR

If I have the time and my hair is really hurting with split ends and dryness as it is now (i need to trim asap!) I'll twist my hair and sleep with a cap. 

i feel sorry for men married to curlies that take care...this cap is so not hot. marry someone who loves you cap and all :) thanks boo bear!

now if i do twist it overnight i use a leave-in conditioner, which of late has been Shea Moisture's Curl Enhancing Smoothy. I have in the past used the line Olive Oil which was my swear by product that you can read all about here in this blog entry. this Shea stuff is perfect for "style". the next day you simply unravel and rock the twist out as is or separate the curls for a more natural look .

now when i plan to wash my hair, the night before i'll use Vatika. this is super oily and greasy! so beware. this isn't the type of oil i'd just put in my hair and go. it's purpose for me is to moisturize my hair before i strip it the next day with shampoo. the thing about most oils is it usually just sits on top of the hair shaft not moisturizing . i think the exception is Moroccan oil, however it's pricey! you really need something to soften the hair cuticle before you use an oil, which i didn't discuss in my video because i only do this other extra step if i have time and i try to keep my videos short, BUT i use  IC Leave-in Hair & Scalp treatment, and then the Vatika so the hair can absorb the nutrients of the great oils fused in with Vatika. 

empty! gotta get me more :)

"did you untwist your hair before diffusing?" NO!i did not twist my hair only to untwist it before drying...leave your hair alone...the first twist i did naturally unravelled when i was diffusing. the second, 2 strand twist will need to be "untwisted" once dry. this method will leave you with looser curls. i used large sections when twisting my hair simply because i want the process to be over and done with, but if you want that "perfect" curl then use smaller sections. the smaller the section the more defined the curls :)

this is what my hair looks like when i DON'T twist and simply put styling product and air dry...not very special and rather flat looking

my hair unravelled on a 2 strand twist out...DEFINITION FOR DAYS!!!

2) Products Used if you didn't catch me name dropping:

i live in NY and buy them on 125th and you can find the Shea Moisture line at Duane Reade and Target to name a few...for other countries i have no clue. you can call or email them to find out: http://www.sheamoisture.com/ or even buy online :)
i bought Parnevu here on 125th and i have no idea where else you can find it besides online. and Vatika i bought in Little India out in Queens, NY. again, i don't know where else to buy it so Google.

read the ingredients in your cosmetics and hair products and do your homework here: 

http://www.cosmeticscop.com/cosmetic-ingredient-dictionary/E.aspx

to read more about my hair journey, in the search bar enter "curly". it gets interesting :)

I LOVE YOU SOUND CLOUD!

have i been hiding under a rock? i guess so cause i just discovered the awesomeness that is sound cloud. since making these YouTube videos i've been scouring the net for original, royalty free music and was on cloud 9 when i found some of these ridiculously talented producers. the best part of this is it's either free or like $1-2 per track! AND you're helping artist get their work heard! and there are dope peeps here! i most recently featured the amazing sounds of Viral Groove in my Ultimate Curly Hair Tutorial and love these other track right here:
  i've worked with the chill vibes of Clear Blue... and of course my first find Tinush who has that fun, quirky quality similar to my persona: and this play list right here is great when i edit photos for hours and days on end...2hrs and this dude mixes everything i love, hiphop, orchestra, electronica, jazz...not originally produced but definitely wicked skills and brilliance in mixing

peep these tracks and get on sound cloud!!!

The Ultimate Curly Hair Tutorial

UPDATED CURLY POST HERE
and where exactly have you been missy?! hummmm?
excuses aside, sometimes i just don't wanna blog.  but yeah....
what i love about this #shameless challenge is that i'm forcing myself to learn and do things i'd rather not do. me and final cut pro aka fcpx are getting close these days and we're understanding one another more. i'm really excited to start working on my documentary now that i've learned all these cute tricks AND i have a better understanding for quick vids which will really help out when i start to edit my teaser trailer :) but yeah...more on that soon!
NOW for all you curlies...Maya present's: The Ultimate Curly Hair Tutorial!!! i keep getting harassed about my hair and apparently if you have curly hair and a YouTube channel you better make at least one video address the most noticeable thing in the shot. i went through great lengths to bring this to you so appreciate :)

some photos from instagram :)

and the video uploaded:

Portrait of a Painter

not only was i celebrating my birthday in tdot last week, but i scheduled a few shoots with some talented peeps. one shoot in particular was with the brilliant painter John Viljoen. i met John YEARS back as a model for his painting classes. and no i was not nude :) this time around however the roles were reversed and he was my model in this series, Portrait of a Painter. Oh! and his lovely model would be Mina :) gorge!!!

thanks to wedding photography, i've learned the art of documentary photography. yes you can go for that one epic shot, but it's also quite interesting to communicate a story through several shots. John wanted me to do the latter with our session. an image by itself may say very little but the minute you pair it beside another a story begins to develop. it usually takes me some time to choose images that best communicate a story...it'll evolve but here it is so far:

my fav photoshop actions are these by Red Leaf Boutique. i learned photography on an old skool Nikon FE film slr, which is why i'm in LOVE with these actions...they give it that film quality i oh so miss.

with RL actions above, and without below

these actions are a pretty penny for someone as "frugal" as me but they're well worth it. i only wish they had them for Light Room. sad face :(

Vintage Shopping in Brooklyn

finally some time! i spent my memorial day yesterday sleeping in and biking around the city. i took my under developed muscles and hubby and biked down to Williamsburg.

this bike weighs a ton! great for getting a winter body back into shape :)

we biked through Times Square...gross i know but this was beautiful. i think this was at Toys R Us

i finally checked out Beacon's Closet...i've never been there until yesterday. the place is massive but i couldn't really get into my shopping zone knowing that David was sitting there waiting for me.

i died when i spotted these. mint condition reebok hightops for $10 never been worn!!! size 10 and i'm an 8...BOOOOOO!!! 

shopping with a straight man is just mean...poor him :) David escorted me to Buffalo Exchange (i'm so lucky to have a patient husband) and i scored the cutest sweater ever!!! YAA!!! (i know it's summer but still! too cute) and it was $9 bucks!

and i scored these uber cute glasses...tres tetris-slash-lego. i had spotted them here in the city from the street vendors but passed...i saw them again and had to buy them. $8.50!

i spent under $20 on this kiddy, cute, fun look! woot woot!

the real progress report

wowzers! i'm gonna fall back some. uploading that last video made me realize i need to prioritize my life. making videos every week is killing my personal and work life.  i'm gonna stick to a video every other week as i stated in my very first video, which will allow me to blog more, create stuff, and hopefully i can catch up. since i'll be making a video every other week i hope i can invest more time in filming and editing and delivery fun, quality videos :) so for those that want regular updates in between...ya'll gotta visit me hur! editing and uploading videos when i really should be spending time with family or editing my photography...um yeah...i'm still #shameless :)

maybe i'll even get some sleep

i have equated being on the road to being on my laptop...geesh!

lots of fun stuff coming!!! i'm trying really hard to get that video up today but it may be late :(

working on immigration stuff...