It is incredibly important to maintain a sense of independence and self-worth in a relationship. I've noticed that it is so easy to fall captive to the identity of the other person or the relationship itself, easily losing oneself in the name of love. I have had friends disappear into relationships, never to be seen again (or very rare sightings), and I can speak for…

I missed coming on the site!! Graduation project took everything out of me and I was so tired and stressed BUT I'M BACK!!!

College Apps:

I've been applying to a lot of schools since about September and I got back letters from all of the important ones already.  East Carolina University accepted me and I didn't know what to do.. I honestly wasn't expecting it.  I'm super excited because ECU is a great school but now I…

December 29, 2010: 

I woke up this morning with my hair feeling really weighed down and stiff from the use of Wave Nouveau and KeraCare's Edge Tamer (another product that I put in my hair to just specifically smooth my edges). Wasn't thrilled at all. I was nervous about possible breakage, so I couldn't wait to wash my hair with Joico. This time, I didn't air dry it. I went through the process of carefully blow drying and flat ironing my hair (using…

Do you feel gorgeous today? How about every single day of the week? Well, it may be a silly question to ask, but if I had to answer on your behalf, I would answer with a resounding YES.



It's not egotistical to love yourself, and to appreciate your beauty.…

I'm going to be honest and say that it is hard to get motivated to go out to the gym when my area just went through a snow blizzard with 15-17 inches worth of snow. Yikes! But I am brainstorming about ways that I can work out at home. I don't want to purchase any intense video work out programs (I already have the Winsor Pilates DVD series that I used to use years ago and helped me keep a tight and toned physique). Will probably get some sets of dumbbells and some arm workout…

December 28, 2010: 

So I've been on a search for a set of protective styles that I like that are not only wearable in a professional setting, but also protect my hair as well with no heat necessary (I heat-style my bangs - that's it). Well, I found one! When I took down my wrap this morning, my hair felt silky and a bit wavy. The roots were especially flat and wavy. I moisturized my hair with MoroccanOil. My ends were a bit dry, so I added some…

Even though it is wintertime, it’s not too early to start thinking about Spring 2011 fashions! On Café Belle, we’re going to showcase certain trends that are about to blast off in the new year.

New trend on the way: the “Biker” look…

December 27, 2010: 

Overall: My hair felt a bit oily when I woke up this morning, so putting any more MoroccanOil (MO) in it at this point would be futile. I needed to wash/condition today it to get it back into shape. A co-wash is out of the question in such a situation, since a co-wash doesn't actually "cleanse" the scalp or hair (especially if you moisturize your hair with oil). 

Technique/products: I used Joico's Moisture…

Even though it is wintertime, it’s not too early to start thinking about Spring 2011 fashions! On Café Belle, we’re going to showcase certain trends that are about to blast off in the new year.

New trend on the way: the “Biker” look…

So, I realized that it makes so much more sense to actually post pictures of myself throughout the weight loss challenge. Here is what I look like now:…

December 25, 2010: 

Hair styling: Forgot to wrap my hair last night. Luckily, my hair pretty much looked just like it did yesterday, but I had to style my bangs and flatten the roots on the top of my head with a blow dryer to keep the style in check overall. Moisturized my hair with MO both morning and night (as usual). Noticed that my hair was a bit dry during the day so I added some Nigelle Cream Leave In Treatment to the ends for a bit more…

December 24, 2010: 

Overall: My hair feels incredibly silky today.

Hair styling: Did the usual moisturization with MoroccanOil (MO) and gently twisted hair up into a butterfly clip. Blew my full bangs out a little bit with a blow dryer to get them flat after wearing a curler in them overnight. 

Vitamins: I've already taken 2 out of the 3 daily "Hair, Skin and Nail" vitamins for the day. The brand: "Spring…

YESSS, I got my first acceptance!!! Humboldt University!  Now I just have to wait for  a couple more to come in.

YESSSS! I'm sooo excited!!

December 23, 2010: 

Unwrapped hair this morning and my hair felt slick, strong and moisturized from last night's Joico products. Not really a big need to do any intense moisturization on my hair with MoroccanOil, so just lightly moisturized my hair instead. 

During the day: Moisturized the ends a little bit with Nigelle'sCream Leave In Treatment. Figured it was necessary since I spent a little bit of time outside in the cold and…

Written By: Kris

When I ask "what's your oreo status?," I'm not asking if you have a package of Oreo cookies in your kitchen cupboard. Nope - I'm going deeper on this one. When I ask this question, I'm asking: To what degree are you "black" on the outside and "white" on the…

Let me preface this post by stating that I have absolutely nothing against the Pantene brand in and of itself. I love their advertisements, and the brand definitely puts itself out there for the purpose of raising awareness for different causes, which I think is an excellent move. On a personal level however, I don't care for Pantene, based…

December 22, 2010: Bought Joico's Moisture Recovery Shampoo and Conditioner after doing a lot of research re: reviews on this particular line as well as the ingredients in the shampoo and conditioner. When I bought the products, I was thrilled that the products were marketed to intensely moisturize the hair and increase strength and elasticity in the hair. Not thrilled about the fact that the ingredients list included certain items (e.g., "Quadramine Complex") that…

By: Cafe Belle's Barista

As much as I…

                       One night I dreamed I was

 walking along the beach with the Lord.

                        Many scenes from my life

                         Flashed across the sky.

                           In each scene I noticed

                            …