Hello C.O.R.E readers!

My name is Ashleigh Thornton, and I am so excited to be contributing to such a positive and empowering magazine! Just to give you a bit of background information on myself, my name is Ashleigh Thornton… I’m 21-years-old… I’m a full-time college student… and I am also the Owner and Creator of NoireNaturals™! NoireNaturals™ is an all-natural line of hair products that I developed after “going natural,” so it will probably come as no surprise to see that health and beauty will be two major topics for the NoireNotes 😉

For my first contribution, I wanted to tackle an issue that many of us tend to overlook, and that is the fact that beauty is an “inside job.” When people ask me what it takes to have beautiful skin, hair, and nails, they are often shocked to hear that product changes aren’t the only things I recommend—I also suggest making changes in eating habits! Using top-of-the-line cosmetics can become very expensive, and chances are you will still not achieve the desired results! Drinking plenty of water and eating vitamin-packed fruits and vegetables are a major part of maintaining happier/healthier hair, skin, and nails; check out my own personal list of beauty boosters!

BEVERAGES

-Green tea

-Water

MEATS

-Salmon

FRUITS

-Granny Smith apples

-Pineapples

-Strawberries

VEGGIES

-Carrots

-Broccoli with cheese

-Baby corn

BREADS

-Whole grain EVERYTHING!

SNACKS

-Salt-less almonds

-Yogurt

Many of these items have an “organic” or “all-natural” option, so go for it when you can! And don’t forget to keep your daily food groups in mind when preparing meals: 2-3 servings of dairy, 2-3 servings of meats, 3-5 servings of veggies, 2-4 servings of fruit, and 6-11 servings of breads. Hopefully this information has been helpful to you ladies; please feel free to comment and let me know what beauty topics you would like to discuss next!

Peace and Blessings,

A ♥

I made a list of twenty things I wanted to do before I died recently. One thing about teenagers our ages is that, we rarely ever think about death as a plausible occurrence. When we are young, we feel as if we can live forever. I don’t like to think of not being on this Earth, I rather think of an idea worth living for. After I read my “things before I die” to my mother she told me her list. Her list, I might add, is AWESOME!! However, you can decide that for yourself…

 1. Go to Wimbledon Tennis Tournament

2. Go to the Cannes and Sundace Film Festival

3. Go to Australia

4. See the Grand Canyon

5. See Old Faithful

6. Take a Cruise to an Island

7. Go to Brazil (preferably for Carnival)

8. Swim in Lake Tahoe

9. Stay in a hotel that cost $1000 a night

10. Visit the 7 Wonders of the world

11. Eat at the most famous restaurant in 10 major cities around the world

12. Meet Barack Obama

13. Take a train tour of Eastern Europe

14. Take a road trip across the US and Canada

15. Take a helicopter ride over Alaska

16. Take a bike ride through Ireland

17. Go to Bucking Ham Palace

18. Visit every island on the planet

19. See a live volcano

20. See all your children accomplish their dreams in life

My list, I suppose, happened to be pretty juvenile. It might have been my mother and I’s age difference. Most of the things I want to do, she had already done. The list above, are twenty things MOST people on this planet will never accomplish. My goal is to try to let my mother experience these things before she dies of either cancer or old age.

What are your top twenty???

Iyanna James

Check out actress and singer, Skye Townsend’s Fresh Style!

Non-Negotiables– Not only in dating you should have your non-negotiables but in finances too! Now, when you first receive your check you should have a list with the breakdowns of departments you need to pay. For example it can be easy Your list can be…1. Tithes 2. Savings. 3. Phone Bill. Now you know that every month that these are your non-negotiables. No matter what, these items need to be paid. From here you can base your budget of what you need.

Time to Take Inventory!– Yeah,yeah you might be what we would call a “Repeat Offender.” The one who goes out and buys 5 more items that almost look identical to the ones you have in you r closet. No one’s pointing fingers because I stand here GUILTY. But you would be surprised how much money you would save if you take inventory before going shopping. There is nothing worse than wasting money on replicas.

No Impulse Buys– So every time you head out to the stores set a plan before you head out the door. If you just need to buy a pair of jeans or a cd, that is what you should come back with. Or even if you give yourself a total amount that you’re going to spend, stick to the amount. This way you can have the freedom to buy what you want to  and even indulge in that sale but still stick to the amount you want to spend. Trust me, the best feeling is going out shopping and coming back knowing you stuck to your budget and bought something you wanted! Score!

“I have to go 150 percent or nothing at all” -Patti LaBelle

“So if diva means giving your best, then yes, I guess I am a diva.” -Patti LaBelle

“I don’t feel as though I have to prove anything to anybody.”-Patti LaBelle

Happy Labor Day!!!

Good Morning Fly Girls!

Check out Naomi as she covers “Adorn” and “Empire State of Mind”

Enjoy!!

Good Morning Beautiful Ladies!

I know at times in your life you feel like you are the ONLY one going through tough times in middle and high school. It  almost feels as if you’re the only one in the entire world being picked on or bullied. Well, please remember that you are NOT the only one and you would be surprised of the all the other girls who go through the same issues in school.

Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas who was the  first African American to win the individual all-around competition  and the first American to win both the individual and team competition, admits to being a victim to bullying.

Even though she overcame the torment by succeeding, it wasn’t an easy road to walk down.

In her upcoming interview with Oprah, Gabby opens up about the bullying and racism she experienced while training at a gym in Virginia. A fellow gymnast routinely referred to Douglas as her “slave.”

From the Huffington Post:

“But it hasn’t been an easy road. Douglas opened up about her time training at a gym in Virginia, where she was met with racism and ridicule. She told a story how at one point she was actually referred to by another gymnast as their ‘slave.’

‘I definitely felt isolated. I felt, why am I deserving this?’ she said. ‘Is it because I’m black? Like, those thoughts would go through my mind.’

Douglas felt so unwelcome in Virginia that she moved to the gym in Iowa where she blossomed into the gold medalist who wowed the world in London.”

Read more at HuffingtonPost.com

It can be difficult to stand up for what you truly believe in  at times but Hannah Spivey is a perfect example of making her voice heard. Not only is she a strong advocate against domestic violence but she is the  author of “Ebony the Beloved” which discusses the trials of domestic violence abuse as well.The main character, Ebony is a young girl who endures phases of abuse and just wants to be loved.

This talented writer and woman empowerment supporter  is originally from south Florida. Overcoming bullying at a young age, Hannah found comfort in writing. She currently works as a ghost writer and freelance writer. And is also working on 2nd novel and 4th ebook!

Let’s get to know Hannah Spivey a little better…

What originally motivated you to step out on your dreams and become an author?

When I lost my job as a student worker at a University I never graduated from, I discovered my real niche in writing. In addition to that, my love for fiction and reading also prompted me to become a professional writer.

Pursuing the path of a writer comes with many triumphs and some trials as well, what has been the biggest challenge you’ve overcome so far in your career?

Finding a publisher was hard, because I didn’t know much about the publishing industry at the time, and I had no money to publish my book. Once I found a publisher to invest in my book, I had to wait a year for the book to be published. Then after the book was published, I was querying people about interviews and everything. It has been a very tough journey, especially while not having any money. These triumphs have taught me so much about being an author and how to market, research, promote, and sell myself.

Your book “Ebony the Beloved” discusses domestic violence, what made you want to tackle this topic?

We constantly hear about women being battered, but of their stories go unheard of. I wrote Ebony as a way to cleanse my soul and give more women the inspiration and courage to become a voice in the domestic violence community.

What advice would you tell a young lady who is dealing with domestic violence?

I’d tell her seek help and advice and RUN for the hills. But she’d have to be serious about escaping her abusive relationship. Unfortunately, many abused women who leave their abusers end up running back to them. If these women are serious about leaving their abuses, I’d give them a plethora of resources.

Being a teen can be tough when you’re growing up, what was the most vital lesson as a teen you learned that carried into your adult life?

I was taught how to manage my money wisely. I can’t say I always followed the money management advice, but I can say it still works wonders. And the second most vital lesson I learned is never envy what a person has because you don’t know what they could have done to obtain it.

Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

I see myself as prosperous author and speaker.

We’re all about EMPOWERMENT at C.O.R.E Mag, what does empowerment mean to you?

Empowerment means self-sufficiency, diligence, resilience, self-respect, and humility.

Fun Faves!!- Food? Song? Artist?Celeb Crush?

Lol, my favorite food is Cheese Pizza, Turkey and Roast Beef Sandwiches, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Pistachio Ice Cream, and grapes. I have too many favorite songs and I have too many favorite artists. Umm…my most favorite artists would be Jackie Wilson, Bobby Womack, and Lloyd. My celebrity crush is Lloyd, of course. Lol

Check out  more Hannah Spivey here..

Twitter

Ebony the Beloved

Be Inspired!

It isn’t a hoax or a myth that one changes when they go to school. The transition of college to “casa” is even harder than the college transition itself.

With transitioning into college for example, you are from one stagnant location. The culture, people, and ways of life aren’t greatly changing at a rapid pace. You can visit Miami, Baltimore, Chicago, and Oakland and in 30 years you can feel as though nothing has changed. Yes, people may have grown taller and a neighborhood may have grown wider but those cities did not progress to the extent in which an active, young, mind can expand to. Because of this fact, when learning at a college out-of-town and especially out-of-state, you will exceed your hometown, or rather, the people in it.

Once you’ve gotten into college, you will begin to be yourself; you find people who look like you, think like you, share more than one interest, or simply are attracted to you just for being different! All out-cast find an in-crowd in college… too often are we subdued or perceived to be or act a certain way with hometown friends and fam. We are expected to always do something or take care of something that has been made routine for your life even if you haven’t felt that it was right for you to take on this responsibility. Someone may have always been the “mother figure” while at home but preferred to be the college student once they’ve gotten back. Some dynamics of the household totally change! Someone may also dislike the over-protective parent(s) who act the same way after their daughter has come back home. After we have lashed out in a suitable manner, partied hard, hung out late nights, stayed up till early mornings, slept over at a friends dorm or house, we don’t want to circum to the same boundaries, curfews, and restrictions we respected back in high school. Our parents are NOT understanding, NOT willing, and NOT RIGHT!

So you know what you do? You run way!

Ok, not literally, but you engage yourself into projects. If staying at home for any lengthy amount of time seems detrimental to your emotional, physical, and psychological well-being, you have the ability to stay away completely. Finding an internship with an organization, company, union or old high school allows you to stay busy and active. Simply studying abroad or going to your best friend’s house in another state can give new experiences, fun, and a big break from your fam. Do something to stay sane and satisfied.

9 times out of 10 if you do these things, including getting involved with sports in order to travel, compete, and stay fit you will A) gather the emotion you need in order to miss your friends and family at home or B) stay busy and leave maybe a cleared week where you spend time in your home town before going back to your internship or job and increase the power of your absence; allowing people to spend time with you which they will essentially value more. People love high maintenance.

Even if your situation is like mine: you get to leave the house at any time, drive, club, party, sleep over your friend’s house, speak freely, and date freely, college will still alter the connection you have with your friends, siblings, and parents.

If you’ve taken a course on “African Appreciation” with a friend, for example, you can come home, tell your mom, sisters and brothers and they will never learn to truly appreciate the class as you have. The connection between the people you love and your new friends for life, then, fall under the category of understanding. Your friend who has taken the class with you has partially gotten the same experience and digested the same concept of the classroom that you received. Therefore, they are more likely to connect with you as you both work towards intellectual progression. While our parents, siblings, and friends may grasp all you can tell them about a certain subject, at the end of the day they haven’t experienced your learning, trips, and environment for themselves.

The lack of experience is what tears all of us apart; jealousy, boastfulness, rude comments, advice, hate, joy, acceptance, denial, all come from specific experiences in our lives. The one’s who don’t go through the same thing or recognition of the same journey will ultimately grow apart from you out of disconnection.

This change and  expansion is something we all must respect to be true and real.
College to Casa can be a challenge, but always remember, home is where your heart is.

Iyanna James-Stephenson