2015! Can you believe it’s the end of the year already? Well, while you celebrate all of your ups, downs and the in between moments of 2014 we have your NYE playlist all geared up to welcome the n NEW year. Check out some of our fave songs from 2014 that kept us motivated while feeling fly, fresh +  ready to take over the world. I mean we’re just sayin’…

Check out our vid picks of 2014….

Janelle Monae- Electric Lady

Beyonce- Flawless

Kendrick Lamar – I

Azaelia Banks- Chasing Time

Clean Bandit- Rather Be

Lion Babe – Jump Hi

Childish Gambino -3005

Kiesza- Hideaway

Elle Varner -Don’t Wanna Dance

Pharrell – Marilyn Monroe

We’re wishing you a BEAUTIFUL Happy New Year full of love + joy, dolls!

What if  every young woman fulfills her potential? What if every young woman is set on the right path today? What if every young woman in Washington finishes high school, goes to a college or vocational school, gets a job and gives back to her community?  Well, this is exactly what Project Girl Mentoring is on the road of accomplishing with their empowering organization!

Founded by Olympia Edwards, Project Girl Mentoring Program envisions a community in which every young female is empowered to make confident decisions and be self-sufficient allowing them to develop into their full potential.

The non profit organization provides mentoring, educational and social activities to young women throughout Snohomish County and its surrounding area. The overall goal of the program is to support girls as they develop positive choices while learning new life skills and help them transition into womanhood. They focus on the Positive Youth Development (PYD) approach to help girls acquire the skills and knowledge to become healthy and productive women.

Let’s get to know more about Project Girl Mentoring…

Olympia Edwards, Founder of Project Girl Mentoring

Project Girl Mentoring Program was created to encourage young women to make positive life choices and to maximize their natural potential! How + why did you feel the need to launch this empowering program?

Project Girl Mentoring Program was developed because I felt the need to take an active role in shaping the lives of young women in my community. I was tired of seeing systematic stereotypes and disparities hold back women of color in my neighborhood. So I started the Project Girl Mentoring Program, as a prevention program to prepare them to overcome these life challenges. They need a place where they could learn how to be empowered to make confident decisions, envision themselves as leaders and recognize their power and recognize their self-worth.

Project Girl Mentoring has a variety of programs! Can you tell us about the Emerge, Inspire (HER) + STEAM Connect programs?

The Emerge is our core program where we provide mentorship to schools, community centers, faith based and other nonprofit programs. We focused our curriculum around modules of developing inner strength, leadership, healthy choices and life skills. Each curriculum module is designed to be 8-10 weeks. Sometimes, we address hard issues and break down major barriers, other times we have entertaining conversation about life in general.

Inspire (Her) is about taking mentoring to the next level and exposing young women of color to the community and actively involving them in events that affect their lives. Over the past year, we participated in lectures and empowering series with Dr. Joy DeGruy and Cornell West, attended conferences such as “How to Become a Successful Student Leader” and “Building Confidence within Understanding” and “Appreciation your Identity.”

Picture of Two Mentees/Program Coordinator with Dr. Joy DeGruy

S.T.E.A.M. Connect is designed to give young women of color meaningful access to science, technology, engineering, arts and math learning opportunities. We collaborate with several organization and schools throughout Washington that specialize in exposing girls to S.T.E.A.M. and integrated our mentoring program with their community projects. In addition, we get to meet professional women of color who are involved S.T.E.A.M. careers and is passionate about the work they get to do every day.

All of our programs are modeled behind national girl-serving organizations that have pointed to the need for gender and culturally relevant programs that allow young women to voice their experience, develop positive connections and gain the necessary skills to pursue their goals in education, career and relationships.

Working with youth both parties learn from each other, what’s one trait you have learned from working with girls?

One trait that I have learned from working with girls is that every girl, young woman, and woman is that we are continually develop ourselves as we understand our identity as women. Every day, like many women, I wake up wondering “Who am I as a woman of color” and “How can I make today different for me.” On the surface, we are all definitely different; we have different hair types, skin color and cultural traditions; however under everything that makes us different we are all truly seeking the same understanding “who are we.”

If you had to give one piece of advice to young ladies out there who are struggling with being comfortable in their own skin, what would it be?

The advice I would give is honestly, no one is comfortable 100% of the time with the way they look and its hard to love yourself if you don’t know how but you can learn and continue working on self-love. I would also give them this little acronym: (AEC)

A – Accepted every blemish, mark, and scar.

E – Embrace your distinctive beauty, love your complexion regardless who tells you otherwise.

C – Celebrate what makes you different from anyone else. Remember, that everyone is beautiful and true beauty lies within your own definition.

We tend to pull characteristics from others in our lives or from people we admire, who inspires you and why?

Currently right now, I am inspired by my niece who is such a brilliant young woman. She is very adventurous and creative. She reminds me that all young women are on the road of self-discovery and looking for support and guidance. My niece keeps me on my toes, always questioning life and looking for understanding. As I work with other young women, I ask myself “how would my niece react to the advice I am delivering to their young lives and how does it really shape their viewpoints.” This keeps me present to the experiences that young women are facing every single day.

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

To me, empowerment means to claim my voice as a leader in my community by using my talents, values and passion to influence the lives of young women of color. In Project Girl, empowerment means equipping young women of color with the necessary tools needed to succeed in life. We help them focus on the journey of self-fulfillment, learning and guidance.

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

My favorite song is Strength, Courage and Wisdom by India Arie, it talks about finding the strength inside and behind everything that you are and everything that you are not. My favorite food is French Fries with a little ketchup on the side. Since I like to paint, my favorite artist is Frida Kahlo, she is a Mexican painter who is known for her self-portraits. I am not as skilled but I do love the imagery she brings to her artwork. Here is an example of some of the artwork I do in my free time on 4*8 wood boards. (Picture of Abstract Art)

Check out more Project Girl Mentoring here…

Project Girl Mentoring

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There is no shortage of talent when it comes to LA based actress Tanjareen Thomas! This ambitious beauty is not only taking over TV, film, &  radio but is the proud owner of her own production company (Citric Cinema) too!

Tanjareen currently plays the role of ‘Rachel’ on the hit show on Bounce TV’s popular urban sitcom, FAMILY TIME. The show includes celebrity guest stars  of Lynn Whitfield, Miguel Nuñez, Lawrence Hilton Jacobs, Jackee, plus comedians Rodney Perry, Al “Hitz” Shearer, and Clayton Thomas!

Tanjareen is thrilled to be part of the successful sitcom, adding; “I can’t believe my mom is Lynn Whitfield! And I’m so excited to be a part of the history on this new network.  We’re making a good quality TV series that shows a family of color in a fun relatable way, without being stereotypical…And being a diverse actress is great.”

She has also been featured in popular  films & shows such as  Johnson Family Vacation,  Without A Trace, Days of Our Lives, &
Girlfriends, just to name a few!  As a radio personality, Tanjareen has co-hosted numerous episodes of Speedy’s Comedy Corner at Jamie Foxx’s Foxxhole on Sirius-XM, Chopping It Up Live on DherbsRadio.com and many weekly talk shows for AfterBuzzTV.

Recently released on November 11th, Tanjareen was featured in Bill Duke’s new coffee table book, “DARK GIRLS,” alongside celebrities such as Lupita Nyong’o, Vanessa Williams and Karli Harvey, all sharing intimate insights on embracing their skin tone. The book offers a full-color companion volume to the acclaimed NAACP Award–nominated documentary “Dark Girls.”

Tanjareen  launched her career at California State University Northridge receiving a BA degree in TV and Film.

Let’s get to know Tanjareen Thomas a little better!

You currently star as the sassy sister on the first-ever African-American broadcast network Bounce TV’s popular sitcom, FAMILY TIME! How did you first launch your acting career + how do you get into the mindset of playing your character?

I knew I wanted to be an actor since my 1st school play at the age of 6, so when it was time for college, I majored in Media Management & Production. I did a college internship at Paramount Pictures, and one of the producers there got me a speaking part on an MTV sketch comedy show. (Isn’t nepotism great?) Then I modeled bikinis on one of the talk shows at Paramount and that got me my SAG card. After being in the union, I booked a recurring role on NBC’s CITY GUYS and I was on my way! My sister is my best friend, so playing a close sister on FAMILY TIME comes naturally. To get into the mindset of playing a lipstick lesbian, I think about the lesbian friends I have and how they carry themselves. They’re bold and witty fashionistas who are a lot of fun to be around. And at their core, they’re nurturing and generous. When I’m in my wardrobe fittings and before I portray “Rachel”, I reflect on those women and I think it makes my character really likable.

You were featured in Bill Duke’s Dark Girls, how did you connect with the overall message of the book of embracing your skin color?

Growing up brown-skinned, I learned to be funny and smart at an early age so I could get the same attention I noticed the lighter skinned girls getting. The DARK GIRLS book experience let me know that there were others who knew my struggle. After years of spiritual work, I have learned to truly love my dark skin and I was hoping the book would encourage others to do the same. Unfortunately, after seeing the finished product, I don’t think Mr. Duke chose the best photos to show us in a flattering way. Oh well. His intentions were good :-/

We tend to pull characteristics from others in our lives or from people we admire, who inspires you and why?

I’m inspired by so many actresses; Taraji P Henson, Jennifer Garner, Angelina Jolie, Regina King, and Kerry Washington (even way before Scandal), all show how to be fierce, funny, sexy, kick-ass, and excellent at their craft. They can portray comedy and drama equally well and convincingly embody each of their roles.

Living out your dreams can sometimes get to be a bit overwhelming, how do you regroup and motivate yourself when you’re feeling a little defeated?

I keep a Gratitude Journal and I write one page per day of all the things I’m thankful for. It keeps me focused on the wonderful things that I’m blessed with, so I have no time or energy to feel bad about things. If I don’t book an audition or sell a show, I know a better opportunity is coming!

Where do you see your career in acting taking you in the next 5 years?

With a BA degree in Media Production, I’m also a producer. I have 3 TV show ideas in development that I plan on having sold and on the air soon. So hopefully, I’ll be a Black Whitney Cummings with multiple shows on the air that I’m Executive Producing, and I’ll be acting in 1 or 2 of them. (Oh, I guess I’m also inspired by Whitney Cummings and Tina Fey 🙂 ) And in my spare time I’ll co-star in blockbuster films. Hopefully, I’ll get a hot fight scene in one of ’em.

We’re all about empowerment! What does EMPOWERMENT mean to you?

Empowerment, to me, means taking your life into your own hands and being responsible for your own happiness. God allows us to co-create whatever we want in life. So there’s never a reason to moan and complain. If you don’t like your school/your job/your mate, go get a new one. If I’m not happy with the acting roles I’m booking, I can produce by own projects. “The only thing stopping me, is me when I stop!” That’s power.

What are 3 pieces of advice you would give to girls who want to pursue their dreams but are too nervous to start?

1) Ask yourself what you’re actually afraid of…then go for it anyway!

2) Close your eyes and imagine yourself actually doing the thing you dream about. Visualize it, feel it, smile about it. Next imagine yourself 10 years from now, never having tried to reach that dream. What would your job, friends, social life, neighborhood look like without that dream? Visualize and feel that. Now imagine living the rest of your life without ever experiencing that thing that just made you feel good. You owe it toyourself to at least give it a shot.

3) Man the hell up!! It won’t be an easy journey, but if you focus on all the mini triumphs and keep striving, you won’t live your life in “What ifs”.

Time for the Faves! Celeb Crush? Artist? Food? Movie?

I don’t think I have a Celeb Crush, but I love following OchoCinco on Twitter ‘cuz he has a nice chocolatey physique and his tweets are filled with Love and Hilarity.

Artist – I’m embarrassed at how huge of a Lil Wayne’s fan I am. There’s something about ratchet music that just gets me pumped!

Food – vegan soul food (yes, it exists)

Movie – I watch about 9 movies per month, many are excellent. There’s no way I can choose a fave.

Check out more Tanjareen Thomas here!

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Happy Weekend, babes!

So you’re stumped on what to pull from your closet this winter? Hmm no sweat!  We’re here and showing you what comfy + cute pieces  you can pull from your closet. Not only can you pull these items from your closet but from your parents drawers too.  It’s all about  remixing and making them your own.  Check it out!

Chunky Sweaters- Who doesn’t love a thick + cozy sweater when there’s a blizzard outside? Ummm everyone! Pair up an over sized sweater with skinny jeans, leggings, tights or skirt and rock it out this season!

Faux Fur- Yes, we love the animals! So go ahead and pull out your fake furry pieces and doll them up. Either casually with denim or an extra piece of flare with a dress, faux fur is classic for winter!

http://www.samio.co.uk/1940s-style/

Top It Off- This is the perfect accent to any outfit + will have you looking top-notch this winter! Whether it’s a wide-brimmed hat or beanie, keeping your head warm is not just a necessity but a style statement. Choose well!

Glitter Girl- A glitter girl in a digital world! Aren’t we all? Get a splash of glitter! Not only is it great to shine bright for New Year’s Eve but for the rest of your life.

Flannel Fresh-  You can never go wrong with flannels in the wintertime …at least we don’t think so. Matching up combat boots or booties with them can effortlessly remix your style in one move!

Happy Weekend, loves! 

We love to spotlight empowering girls achieving  their dreams  and we’re delighted to share  that one of our past featured females is on her way to the top!

Last August we featured talented songstress Karen McCormick on C.O.R.E Mag.  Her beautiful voice grabbed the attention of our ears as well as her growing fan base who can’t  get enough of her amazing gift she continues to share with the world!

Since we’ve  featured her she’s opened up for  for Terry McDermott’s of NBC’s “The Voice” as well as being invited to sing in Nashville!  We’re excited to announce that her acoustic version of her original song “A Better Man” will be available TODAY exclusively through signing up for her newsletter on at KarenMccormickMusic.com. So head over and sign up, loves!

Take a peek at her beautiful covers for Meghan Trainor’s new single “Lips Are Movin'” + “The Heart  Wants What It Wants” by Selena Gomez.

Website: www.karenmccormickmusic.com

Twitter:
@KarenLMcCormick

Interview: Karen McCormick

Happy Monday!

Ok, so it’s Monday and Thanksgiving break is creeping up. Well, while you wait here’s a dose of motivation.

Kendrick Lamar – I Love Myself