You Go Girl! Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton Speak at DNC

This ain't your grandmomma's politics... Or is it. For years, nay, decades we have been bombarded by men's politics in the highest office in our land. We've had some great ones, we've had (have) some not so great ones. But look out Joe, there's a new sheriff in town, and she's wearing a cocktail dress and three-inch heels. (Or is part of the 'Sisterhood of the Traveling Pantsuit!') Michelle Obama and Hillary Clintons speeches at the DNC proved that there is a reason why our nation is electrified for change. These two phenomenal woman gave speeches that called the cows home and hopefully will call you to action. Enjoy!

Femme Fabulous - Lolo Jones

Much to my chagrin, the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games is coming to an end. Atleast I can get back to a 10:30pm bedtime instead of my Olympic-viewing induced insomnia. The stories, the dreams, the triumphs, the heartbreak, the hotties; The Olympics was a drug and I was addicted. I knew the names of all of the competitors, I craved Shaun Johnsons smile, I wondered if Michael Phelps would get his 8 golds, I watched Usain Bolt beat Michael Johnson 200m record (which I remember Johnson setting.) My heart smiled every time the underdog excelled (mens gymnastic), the jilted-veteran (61-year-old Ian Miller, equestrian) made good or the shiny ingénue surprised (Shelley-Anne Frasier).

All of a sudden sports I never paid two-hoots of attention to became the center of my evening! I cheered as athletes I never heard of became American Heroes. In a world where our relationship with our millionaire professional athletes is often love/hate, these men and woman seemed to represent something else, something larger. What was it? As I sat glued to the T.V. getting my 2am fix, I pondered that question. It was answered in the form of Lolo Jones.

Who is Lolo Jones you may ask. Well, a week ago I didn't know either. But I would soon find out as I watched the Womens 100 meter hurdles. The first thing that caught my attention was how beautiful the gold-medal favorite was and she was from the U.S.A. Turns out she was the World Champion from Des Moines, Iowa.

I watched the race and Lolo took off. She was doing marvelously until she hit the ninth hurdle. Losing momentum she ended up fourth. Its what Lolo did next that impressed me. She didn't huff off the field or dodge the media (which would have been well within her right after such a disappointment) She immediately took repeated interviews, maintaining the utmost poise and class, and not once giving any excuse to why she hit the hurdle. During her interview she congratulated her teammates who were passing by. Curious, I googled Lolo Jones and what I found touched my heart and answered my question.

Maybe the Olympics is so addictive because the trials and success of these men and woman represent that dream within ourselves that we hope to birth forth and into the world. Our private gold-medal finish that may have nothing to do with scoring or time clocks, but is the juice that keep us believing in ourselves and our lives. Hearing what the athletes have overcome remind us of the goal that we have yet to achieve and have considered abandoning. Well for all of you gold-medal dreamers please read the following article by Bryce Miller, Gannett News Service about how my Femme Fabulous, Lolo Jones overcame poverty and homelessness to become a role model and Olympian and be encouraged!

To see video of Lolo Jones click here or on any image.

By Bryce Miller, Gannett News Service
BEIJING — Every morning, when the kids showed up for the church summer camp at the Salvation Army building in Des Moines, Lolo Jones, her sister and brothers were already there.
Day after day, Jones bounced around the gymnasium as others walked in.

She owned boundless energy, an infectious smile, but also a guarded secret. The woman picked by some to win the gold medal in the 100-meter women's hurdles at the 2008 Summer Olympics lived in the basement.

"I remember we had to wake up earlier than when the kids started arriving, so they wouldn't tease us," she said. "Me and my brothers would get up and we'd be in the gym before the other kids got there.

"So it kind of looked like our parents were the first to drop us off at the camp."

These Olympics are positioned to be a global introduction for Jones, a 26-year-old graduate of Des Moines Roosevelt High School.

Oakley launched a campaign for its "Enduring" sunglasses line that features Jones, the Olympic Trials winner and reigning world champ in the 60-meter indoor hurdles.

The United States Olympic Committee will bring three women's track stars to a Thursday press conference with international media: Olympic gold medalist Sanya Richards, Olympic silver medalist and world champion Allyson Felix — and Jones.

A life that included homelessness now resonates with world-stage possibility.
"This is not like a Dream Team basketball person that has a multi-million dollar contract," said Kim Carson, another Roosevelt track star who helped Jones since junior high on and off the track and traveled to Beijing. "This is a kid who had nothing."

Growing up, Jones attended eight different schools in eight years as her single mother bounced between Texas and Iowa, often holding down two jobs to support her children. Jones' father, who spent time in the Air Force and jail, "wasn't really in the picture much," she said.

While in third grade, Jones estimated, the family ended up in the basement of the church.
All the moving and all the change eventually became too much for Jones, who decided against a move to Forest City, telling her mother, " 'Mom, I can't go to a city that doesn't have a track. I'm trying to pursue my dream.' "

The decision began a stretch where Jones lived with three families, including the family of Randy Essex, a former assistant managing editor of The Des Moines Register who now works at the Detroit Free Press.

Essex noticed at youth track events his son participated in that no one seemed to be in the stands cheering Jones, a blossoming star.

"It was a really family-oriented club," Essex said. "I asked (the club organizer) after practice why there were no parents or adults around Lolo."

That conversation eventually led to Jones moving in with Essex and his family for about 16 months, beginning in August 1998.

"When she moved in with us, it was obviously a difficult situation for her," Essex said. "We were almost strangers."

Essex watched, impressed, as Jones quietly focused on decision after decision. She worked at track. She worked at track. She worked at her job at the Iowa Bagel Bakery near 42nd Street and University in Des Moines.

"Just a hard-working, dependable kid," he said.

Jones also lived with Kim Walker, a Des Moines attorney, and his wife, Jean.
Walker watched proudly as Jones returned to Roosevelt recently to hand over new track shoes to her former high school and a $12,000 check to Renee Trout, a flood victim and single mother from Cedar Rapids.

"That's as good a role model as we can ask for, don't you think?" Walker said.
When high school ended, Jones landed a spot on the track team at Louisiana State University — a national powerhouse. At LSU, Jones understood the uniqueness of her situation for the first time.

Other LSU students packed up belongings to go home for the holidays.
"I was like, 'Wait, I don't have a bedroom to go (to) back home,' " Jones said.
LSU coach Dennis Shaver knew the family faced financial challenges, but "she never complained."

When Jones graduated, she worked minimum-wage jobs to keep chasing an Olympic track dream — an experience she said was more difficult than being temporarily homeless.
"It was more hard for me to swallow my pride and take out garbage at a gym when I had an economics degree and Spanish minor," she said.

"I had people come up to me like, 'Didn't you graduate? What are you doing working at this gym?' I was like, 'I'm trying to do this track thing. If I get a 9-to-5 (job), I won't have flexibility to leave the country and go to these competitions."

When Jones missed a spot in Athens after falling during the 2004 Olympic Trials, Shaver became a salesman for Jones.

Shaver told the big-time track sponsors, "Her day will come if given the opportunity."
That day did come.

Jones remembers walking to school during brutal Iowa winters because the family didn't own a car. Now, she's sponsored by Oakley and Asics — and has the ability to focus on track full time.
"My life changed," Jones said. "I went from eating ramen noodles to steak, fish and chicken — what an athlete should be eating."

Sponsorships allowed her routine access to massages, chiropractors and the tools other elite athletes used to maintain peak condition.

"It just helped me get the things an athlete needs to be successful," Jones said of the sponsors. "A businessman needs a laptop. Athletes need massages and the right diet."
Jones talks freely about the struggles that led her to China, where she begins competition on Sunday in the opening day of the 100-meter hurdles.

"A lot of it is, she's not ashamed of it," Carson said. "Her mom's been honest with her. She understands the struggle of a single parent."

In the end, Jones continued to push, balked at chances to quit and traveled from a basement to the ultimate sports stage in Beijing.

"Lolo Jones is a great American story," Essex said. "You don't get that many anymore, with people who grew up poor and seize every opportunity. And she really did."

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Product Shout-Out: Alaffia Sustainable Skincare

I am trying my very best to go green. Seriously. Slowly I have been replacing all my household products with green products, I wash my clothes in 100% Phosphate-free Certified Biodegradable laundry detergent. I'm in the market for a hybrid vehicle (and this is saying a lot ya'll, because I am a big-haired-big-eyed-bonified-Texas-SUV-girl. Just like I like my men, I like my cars oversized!) So, naturally, I have been searching for the perfect 100% organic, paraben-free, chemical-free face and hair-care products. And this search has not been cheap.

Alas, a solution: On a photoshoot for Jungle Gurl (off the chain re-designed one-of-a-kind vintage swimwear. Holla if ya hear me, my Jungle Gurl suit is my new obsession. I mean it's literally making me move to the beach, among others things, but that's a blog for another day) when another model was complaining about her eczema. One of the make-up artist suggested Palm Oil barsoap. Taking notes, as soon as the shoot was over I high-tailed it to Whole Foods looking for Palm Oil Soap. Bingo - Alaffia Shea Butter Face Soap with Goats Milk, Roobios and Vanilla Ylang, Ylang. Well that's an antioxidant power punch. $4.00! I'll take it. Because I had money to spare I went ahead and tried out their Roobios and Shea Face Cream.
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Ya'll, I have never gotten so many compliments on my skin. And this coming from a girl who has had acne, eczema, and skin sensitivity issues that have left me covered head to toe in a reaction. And it smells super yummy! Their power ingredient is pure, unrefined, 100% natural Shea Butter which has 'been carefully handcrafted using centuries old techniques that maximize the moisturizing and protective properties.' Here's another tid bit: 'Shea Butter's unique fatty acid profile and high content of vitamins E and A contribute to its protective and hydrating properties.' Well heck,we could all use a little protection and hydration.

My new regimen:

1) Cleanser - Alaffia Shea Butter Face Soap

2) Toner - Apple Cider Vinegar (100% Organic Unfiltered. I use Braggs)

3) Moisterize - Alaffia moisterizer.

I am super impressed with their products and just bought their toner. I love the Organic Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar for night, but when you use it in the morning, you smell it on your face all day. Not really a good look.

And the best thing about Allafia is that it is Pure for a Purpose!

"The Alaffia/Agbanga Shea Butter Cooperative is an important part of the greater Sokode community in Togo, West Africa. We provide stable, fair incomes to over 80 families. The Cooperative also provides medical care and other assistance when needed. Our members are proud to be able to use their indigenous knowledge to feed and cloth their families. One of our goals is for the cooperative to be a model for other groups and individuals in Togo and other West African nations to follow. 10% of our sales go directly to fund community enhancement projects in Togo."

Well, community growth is what Cause Fabulous is all about!

So if your looking for a mild and magnificent natural cleanser, try them out. I wouldn't do you dirty, trust.

SMOOCHES! Netta

Sista Fabulous - Lorielle Broussard

I know that sometimes this blog may be all over the place. I mean, I go from Sex and the City to Hottest Summer Sports Athletes to Support Pediatric Cancer. But please understand that my main little goal is to inspire you readers to take responsibility for enhancing your life and the life of your community in a creative way. Pick a Cause and be Fabulous about promoting and supporting it! Change the world 10% at a time! I support different causes in different ways, but anybody close to me will tell you that I love encouraging, supporting, and watching woman living life with exuberance and vivacity. So today I am going to highlight a Sista Girlfriend who is doing just that Lorielle Broussard - Barackawear.

Cause: Promoting awareness and assisting in the election of the first African-American Democratic Nominee, Barack Obama, the candidate for Change!

Fabulous way in which she is accomplishing this: She along with her brother Brandon are the owners of Barackawear Inc. whose slogan "Barack the Vote" can be found on the backs of models, actors and musicians alike. Lorielle's background is in fashion and has toured as stylist to Ciara and Celebrity DJ Sky Nellor (you can tell by the fly way she's rockin her Barack the Vote wife beater and pearls - go 'head girl.) Their popular T-shirt company sells gear promoting the first African-American presidential nominee. And they don't stop there... To support their CAUSE 25% of all monies raised go toward the Obama campaign.

Lorielle and Brandon’s goal is to sell 100,000 t-shirts by Election Day and they are well on their way! Aside from selling on their website http://www.barackthevote.com/ they are now in Against All Odds clothing stores across the nation!

And in true Cause Fabulous fashion aside from supporting their candidate, Lorielle and Brandon are active supporters of their community, often donating T-shirts and gift certificates to support the Cause Fabulous of others including my non-profit CLAASS, Inc.

To purchase a Barack the Vote T-shirt click here or on any of the pictures above.

Until next time, Be Fabulous!

XOXO,
Netta!

Pucker for a Purpose: ROCK THE VOTE

Campaign season is in full force - complaining, bickering, blaming and all. But even with all the antics of the school yard (view McCain's Video Obama Love) We all must recognize our call to duty: TO VOTE! The environment, gas prices, healthcare, education - Our country is going through some major growing pains and we need to choose a qualified professional to guide us along the way. Stila cosmetics seems to agree! Teaming with Rock the Vote, the make-up company has launched Rock the Vote Red a Cause Fabulous that is causing me to pucker for a purpose! 1 - You can register to vote directly from the page and 2 - A percentage of the proceeds of each lipstick sale goes to Rock the Vote.

"Rock the Vote’s mission is to engage and build the political power of young people in order to achieve progressive change in our country. Using music, popular culture and new technologies Rock the Vote seeks to engage and incite young people to register and vote in every election. And we give young people the
tools to identify, learn about, and take action on the issues that affect their
lives, and leverage their power in the political process."

Well, Rock On! For more information on Stila's Rock the Vote Red or Rock the Vote, please click on the icons above.

XOXO,

Netta

When the Going Gets Tough, The Tough... Get a Massage!

"Better keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world. George Bernard Shaw "

So, I am a die-hard optimist. Really, I believe that any and everything is possible and stand by my favorite Flashdance quote "When you give up on your dreams... you die" (Boy Michael Nouri was a handsome young man. Anywho...) But even I, the eternal optimist floating through life on a hot-pink-tinted-silver-lined cloud, have my bad days.

As I have stated before, I am an actress and writer, living out here in Los Angeles a city where anything can happen any day. At 2pm you can call a number of friends or associates and grab an early afternoon martini. The home of sandy haired surfers and $25 Brazilian bikini waxes. One day a girl is walking the streets of Hollywood the next she's riding shotgun in a silver Lotus shopping til she drops on Rodeo Drive. Multi-cultured, environmentally friendly, vegetarian, 80-degrees and clear...My kind of city! But even in the City of Angels, sometimes fighting the good fight of your hopes and dreams can leave a girl a bit battered and bruised. Especially when you haven't had a paying calltime in several weeks (and I won't go into what several is.)

I mean, how the hell am I supposed to pay for my happy-hour-martini-induced-brazilian-bikini-wax and make it to the beach in time to ogle at the sandy-haired surfers on my three night a week comedy club waitress salary and a three month passed due cellphone bill? Times like this it is easy for one to have a perfectly timed meltdown. We all know that sometimes the best thing for your soul is to have an all out cry-fest. I mean snot-dripping, chin-quivering, can't catch your breath for the life of you, cry yourself into a sorrow induced ball at the bottom of your shower. Other times it is best to hit the ground harder, work extra long hours, push yourself to the limit and then two steps farther! But I have learned that their is also another option. Take your overworked-under-paid hiney to the spa. Yeah I said it.

It is time for woman around the world to take better care of themselves. And I for one am starting a trend! Treating myself like I would like a man to treat me: with love, adoration, and the occasion indulgence, make that over-indulgence. Maybe not everyday, but every once in a while for sure. So, after a particularly stressful week of hard work to seemingly disappointing results I checked myself into the Pasadena Burke Williams for a spa day, cellphone bill be damned!

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Ladies, I know, it sounds abit immature. How dare a woman who hasn't paid her bills go out and treat herself so excessively. And what do I say to that? Bah Humbug. If you let us, woman will take care of absolutely everything and everyone else until fibroids, breast-cancer, or a nervous breakdown forces us to take care of ourselves. By then it will take much more than a $55 calming-detox wrap to get back in order. So many women lose years of life to making sure that everything and everyone else is in line. Well, I for one don't want to look up 20 years from now rough and ragged, because I'll tell you a secret that I am learning: If you ain't together, the appearance of everything around you running like clockwork is just a facade, and it will all come crumbling down with you when you finally break.

"Not I," said the fly.

Let me calm myself down before I scare you away. It's easy for me to get all Malcolm on this issue, but realize that this here is a peace movement. I am not suggesting that anybody spend the rent on a weekend in Ocho Rios, Jamaica having your feet rubbed by a half-naked Mandingo while you sip Sangria on a white sands beach. What I am suggesting is that you put yourself first at least once a month - ahead of bills, ahead of the job, ahead of the stress. Take a day to refocus on your purpose, your goals and your dreams for yourself. A simple pedicure, manicure, or lunch at your favorite spot could be enough. It's time to burn the 'good' candles for yourself! I promise, If you take the time to focus on what the big picture of your life is, you'll figure out the small issue like paying your cellphone bill. Trust.

As for me, I didn't leave my spa day to a voicemail full of bookings from my agency, but I did leave feeling refreshed, regenerated and refocused feeling like my mind and body had returned to complete harmony. And according to Sallust, "Harmony makes small things grow, lack of it makes great things decay.” Like sanity.

In honor of making ourselves the Queen of our lives for one day, and to put it all into a little perspective my Cause Fabulous for this week is: Queen for a Day® a 501 (c)(3) non-profit. This beautiful organization takes pediatric cancer patients and takes their mind off of there day-to-day trials by offering them quality of life services. They pamper girls with make-overs, manicures, and a 'coronation ceremony' where each girl is crowned as a champion over her illness with a tiara donated by a pageant titleholder. They also treat the boys with hero-themed gifts, reinforcing bravery and courage through police officers and firefighters. That is fabulous on a whole 'nother level ya'll.

To donate to this fantastic organization please click here, or go to: http://www.qfad.org/home.htm

The End of an Era: Sex and the City

Disclaimer – If you have not seen Sex and the City, please do not read this weeks blog – cause I give it ALL away!

There are certain things that I have been able to count on: Jay Z and Beyonce refusing to answer questions about their relationship, Tupac releasing top charting albums postmortem; and Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte. Even after Sex and the City came to a celebrated end on HBO five years ago the ladies lived on in DVD, syndication, and the internet. These four fabulous girlfriends guided woman around the world through issues of love, loss, and labels. Even though my DVDs never disappoint, imagine my excitement when earlier this year New Line Cinema released that there would be a Sex and the City Movie!

Immediately the count down went on my Myspace page and I went into heavy study. Hours were spent at the tube watching and re-watching the girls go through the trials of single life in the city. I applauded triumphs and supported flaws, all the while becoming giddy at the idea of a sensational ending for Sex and the City (and therefore Womenkind) materializing on the big screen! Mazeltoph!

Finally, on May 31st I, six girlfriends and 200 other fantastically dressed fans crowded into the movie theatre. The second the theme music began we erupted in applause. It was the Super Bowl of Fabulosity and I had 50-yard-line tickets.

The entire first scene was like attending a Fashionista Festival with Carrie as the main event dripping in Vintage and fabulously flashing back on her life! Then came Samantha, Miranda, Charlotte, oh my! My heart was actually racing from excitement.

Everything was going great until Carrie presented the suit that she would be wearing to marry Mr. Big. Excuse me, a plain St. John-esque white suit? Not that there is anything wrong with St. John, as a matter of fact St. John is a staple amongst the ladies who lunch, it’s just that’s not Carrie! It’s like when Big got her the jeweled bird Judith Lieber bag (Season2-Ep. 22), cute, but not Carrie! I cringed. Then faux pas number 2: Carrie hesitates when Vogue asks her to represent 40 something brides. Not the Carrie I know whose religion is fashion, God is Gucci and bible is Vogue.

Finally someone slapped some sense into my girl when she decided to do the photo shoot and accept a glorious dress from uber-designer Vivienne Westwood. She even wore a whimsical little bird on her perfectly coiffed little head, Carrie to the C!

We all know what happens next, Big leaves Carrie at the alter like a little pussy and she spirals into depression for a year. Meanwhile My Steve cheats on My Miranda, My Samantha allows herself to waste away in Los Angeles, and My Charlotte gets pregnant and spends an hour thanking God that her life wasn’t as screwed up as her friends. What is happening? This isn’t the racy-romantic-sassy-sexfest-fashion-friendly-fairytale that I imagined. And where the hell is Carries CARRIE necklace! She can’t live without it, it personifies her (Season 6 episode 94 and 95!) Quick, get me a pair of Louboutins, I need to stand up!

I left the movie with mixed emotions. I wasn’t quite sure if my girls would truly be okay (especially after Carrie did actually marry Big in the St. John-esque-sin.) Somebody hum a spiritual, this situation needs a revival!

Then, the most interesting thing happened to me. I had a conversation with a girlfriend of mine. She’s smart, beautiful and sweet, but about five years behind me in maturity. The things that were important to her were boring the hell out of me, though I remembered at one time being just as interested in those catty dramas as she is now. I couldn’t get out of the conversation quick enough… boy have I grown. Then it donned on me, so had my girls.

All of my studying and excitement for the movie, I hadn’t left room for my girls to be at a space in there life that I didn’t agree with. I wanted them to be the same confused single women stumbling through life in sensational shoes and beautiful bags.

Yes, Carrie is still the fearless fashionista, but fashion is not her life. Her fashion now accessorizes her personality, not defines it. This could be why, after 10 years, she chose to retire the CARRIE necklace, no longer needing an object to remind her of who she is.

And Steve is a wonderful man, not a perfect one. It is possible that he and Miranda's life does have it’s own situations that need to be handled in an adult way, as apposed to an on-going joke (Miranda has chlymidia Season 3 episode 36; Steve has one ball season 4 Episode 58.)

If Samantha represents every woman’s inner she-roe, it is great to show that sometimes the best way to save yourself is to try what is right for everyone else, and then be brave enough to say that it’s wrong for you.

And what the hell is so wrong with Charlotte finally finding the happiness that she has been searching for for so long! (Trey is impotent season 3 episode 42, Charlotte has 25% chance of getting pregnant season 4 episode 59, Charlotte gets a divorce season 4 episode 62, Original birth parents from Charlotte, South Carolina decided not to give baby up for adoption season 6 episode 94. Charlotte has a baby Sex and the City- The movie, YAY!)

So though it didn’t end like I would have written it, it did end, and along with it an era. But I can’t write the lives of our Sex and the City sirens any more than they can write mine. So in honor of the Fabulous Ladies of Sex and the City, this week's Cause Fabulous is to honor your girlfriends, sisters, mothers, aunts, and all of the fabulous she-roes in your own life stepping out in style in Manolos and Military Boots, fighting and winning our own battles of personal growth and self-acceptance, and writing our own fairytale endings.

And if you are still uncomfortable with the end of Sex and the City…Rest assured that Tupac still has a hit in him, and Beyonce and Jay-Z will probably never release the pictures of that wedding dress.