We all heart showing our outfit of the day and who doesn’t try to snag a good selfie every now and then?? We all do! Take a quick peek at looks from a comedienne & singer Skye Townsend!

“For it is in giving that we receive.” ― St. Francis of Assisi

This is the time of year when everyone starts to reflect on the things for which they are thankful. I hear people mention all sorts of things, but most of them revolve around friends, family, personal growth and occasionally material possessions. I think it’s great to be appreciative of all the things and people we have in our lives, but we often overlook being grateful for the things that we’re able to give to enhance the lives of others. Basically, say THANKS for the gift of GIVING.

There are a few aspects to giving that make me see it as a gift. The first is simple. I believe it’s a blessing. Knowing that God chose me to be a vessel to bless someone else is a source of pride and experiencing their unbridled gratitude is one of great humility. Being able to give something to someone else means  that you had to be blessed to have it in the first place. You can’t give something that you don’t have. And this isn’t only about material things; I’m talking about sharing a piece of you. Maybe you’re funny and can make someone laugh on a bad day. You could be a good listener and your listening ear helped ease the feeling of loneliness for a friend. The final and most satisfying aspect of giving that I enjoy is being able to make someone happy. It makes me happy. It kills two birds with one stone. Things can’t get much better than that.

The more I think about it, I believe that being able to do for others is the thing that I’m most thankful for. Besides my family and friends, I haven’t experienced a greater joy than bringing joy to someone else. So if you’re taking some time to reflect on the things in your life that you appreciate most, consider the feeling you get when you think about all of the things that bring you joy. Then consider what it will feel like to give that same feeling to someone else.

-Tiffany Vicks

Good morning fly girls!

Get your brain juices flowing this morning with hot girl group Little Mix —->Move!

Happy Monday, lovelies!

Hey Fly girls!

Time to get into one our fave cool girls of all time for Throwback Thursday. From her humble steez to her natural talent & beauty, Aaliyah was one of the ultimate fresh girls.

Good morning dope girls!

Dive into the hot song from 17 year old Lorde—>Royals

Sometimes you have this feeling and you are overwhelmed with emotions. One minute you’re happy and the very next you could punch a hole in the wall. How did this happen? How can you go from one emotional extreme to another? You think you are in control, but from the highs and lows you continue to experience, it is clear your emotions have a mind of their own.

At the age of 15 I was a hormonal nightmare. If being rude and crude were on the agenda, I had them both mastered. Everyone kept talking about this “hormonal change” teenagers experienced and looking back, I heard them but I had no idea what they were talking about.  I associated hormonal changes with three (3) things: sex, menstruation, and bigger boobs. My culture didn’t advocate psychological counseling to growing teens; it advocated condoms and birth control. The message I received was, “You are going through puberty and your sex drive has increased. Protect yourself from sexually transmitted diseases by using condoms. Oh and because you’ve started you’re cycle, you’ll need to get on some sort of birth control- it’s free at the health department.” While all of this is very true, trust me when I say, the puberty roller coaster does not stop there. The surcharge in hormones generates a lot of different and heightened emotions.

Most teenagers experience brief bouts of chemical imbalances.  A lot of teens are able to deal with the influx of hormones, but some have a very hard time adjusting and slip into a deep depression. As someone who has been diagnosed with depression and treated, it is sometimes hard to know when you need to seek medical attention.  Studies suggest that if it is hard for you to get along with others or if you are experimenting with drugs and/or alcohol, you could be experiencing depression. It is also suggested that if you have difficulty getting motivated for school or classroom assignments you might be in a state of depression. Unfortunately, this information isn’t entirely helpful to a teenager. Hello studies?? What teenager doesn’t find it hard to get along with at least one person? What teenager doesn’t experiment with drugs or alcohol? And who in the hell wants to go to school?? In my opinion, this is what makes it hard for a teenager to know what depression looks or feels like. Are you just being a “teenager” or are you on the verge of a mental breakdown? The reality is: the things that categorize depression (the warning signs) are symptoms every teenager experiences. But as common as the symptoms might be, they are not to be ignored.

I experienced depression when I was 19 years old. Because the disease runs in my family, I was very familiar with the symptoms and able to know when I needed to seek help. For me, I knew something was different when I no longer wanted to be around my friends and family. I am a very socially involved person and when my bed sounded better than a Friday night bonfire, I knew something was wrong. If you do not feel like yourself, do not simply account it puberty. Seek professional help and get treatment. When I say treatment your initial thought is probably something like Cymbalta or Abilify. While some forms of depression do require medications, not all treatments end with prescription drugs. I treated my depression with counseling and by journalism about my feelings. I did spend a few months on an anti-depressant, but as I quickly regained control of my emotions the anti-depressant became unnecessary. Even though I knew the symptoms associated with depression, I would have never known how to treat my depression. This condition is an illness, and as with any illness, it is best to have the disease treated by a licensed medical professional.  According to online reporting site Health line, women are twice as likely as men to experience depression and approximately 80% of people who have symptoms [of depression] do not receive any sort of medical attention. The statistics for mental health are alarming. Hundreds of people experience mental instability and go untreated every day.

You cannot see your brain or your feelings, but you know they are there. They are intricate parts of who you are that can’t be ignored. As a teen you aren’t really sure what is going on with your mind, your emotions, or your body- and that is okay. But when you are in serious doubt, seek help! Talk to a mentor who has been where you are; ask her what puberty was like for her. It is normal to be uncomfortable talking about your feelings, but that does not mean they are to be ignored. As important as it is to maintain a healthy body, it is just as important to maintain a healthy mind.

Remember it all comes back to being in touch with yourself and knowing who you are. You have a long road of emotional changes ahead ladies, welcome it with grace.

Until next time peace, love, mental health and beauty.

-Heidi Thomas

“I am God’s idea and heaven’s dream. I am somebody of value. Therefore, I put value in my work, value in my play, value in my living, and value in my loving. I have infinite value.”

That’s something that I learned and had to recite often during my time as an engineering student at Tennessee State University. I’m not sure where it came from, but as I reflect on these words today, I have a deep appreciation for them and the fact that the dean required us to learn them. Those three sentences are so powerful because they remind us of how special and unique we are, affirm the fact that each of us are precious jewels, and challenges us to live our lives in a way that reflects our worth. That can be a tall order, but trying to conduct oneself as someone of infinite value might prevent a lot of the mistakes we make. It could also put us on the path to greatness a lot sooner than someone who is struggling with their self-worth.

When I think about a lot of the mistakes that I’ve made in life, quite a few of them can be traced back to making a decision not befitting someone who has infinite value. Many problems with relationships, friendships, and my career have been rooted in selling myself short. I didn’t see or acknowledge my value, so I let others treat me like something frivolous when I should have been requiring the treatment of someone who is priceless. Honestly, I can’t just put that mistreatment strictly on others; there were many occasions where I mistreated myself.

To be God’s idea means that I am of divine design, someone so special that even heaven sees my potential and has high hopes for me. My worth is beyond measure, so how dare I not work, play, live and love like someone who is priceless? And since this statement pertains to all of us, how dare you not do the same?

-Tiffany Vicks