Our Sistar Circle

Sunday the 8th I, along side my beautiful sisters Zoë and Jasmine hosted an intimate sister circle event at a beautiful yoga studio in the city. The event was amazing, the studio was filled with so much love and light, those that joined us shared pieces of their stories and listened to ours. The moments we shared in that room will forever by cherished. Time stood still for us as we unraveled the many layers of trauma and pain we caused and endured from others and we were there for each other through it all. 

Now to take a step back.

I believe that sisterhood should be the foundation within the black wombman community, but unfortunately these days it seems that it is a foreign idea. I wanted to break that stigma because healing can truly come from sisterhood. Throughout my self-love journey, I have found that journeying together with my sisters who care for my well-being, motives me to keep pushing and reminds me that I am never alone no matter how lonely I may feel. This is what made me want to create this safe space for us. 

For the past 2 years I have been planning this event in silence. Not very sure of myself and my purpose, but everything began to align for me this year and the Universe sent many signs my way to confirm that I was on the right path. After much sacrifice, planning, crying, excitement and disappointment I was able to manifest a beautiful evening with beautiful wombman and I am so proud of myself. 

All of us had similar stories and all of us had similar traumas. Coming into the room you would see a group of beautiful black wombman unsure of themselves, but sure that they were in the right place at the right time. We all participated in a relaxing and grounding guided meditation with sound healing led by Jasmine, an intimate discussion about self-care, acknowledgement and acceptance led by Zoë, and a self-love activity led by yours truly. 

The evening ended with everyone chatting uncontrollably with one another, basking in all the glory that just took place and everyone receiving a self-care bag to take home with them. The self-care bag included daily reminders, sage, palo santo and a rose quartz crystal to help with the healing of their heart chakras.

 I am thankful for all of the beautiful wombman who came to this incredible event and allowed us to be apart of your healing. If you missed this event, don't worry. There will be more to come.

-Patience Tamarra

Releasing and Refilling

They say when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. For those not familiar with this saying, it pretty much notes the strength in turning any bad situation into a good one. What the old folks screaming this saying don't tell you is that to embody this mindset you have to ache and be uncomfortable for a while before being able to reap the rewards. I think that the saying should definitely come with a disclaimer of sort.

Anyway, since the beginning of 2016 I have been trying my hardest to live my life by this saying everyday. I have been trying to see the positive in every situation/ experience that comes my way but it is damn hard. Being 21 feels like being trapped in a cave/ tunnel and walking toward what you think is an exit where there is light, to only find a candle sitting on the floor and you still surrounded by the cave. You feel like you've found a way out, you feel like you've accomplished a great goal, but you still have a long way to go before you get to that light at the end of the tunnel. I guess this is what comes with "adulting".

So since we can't escape these negative and draining situations/ experiences, we have to find ways to keep our spirits high as we go through them.

I've found that affirmations/ mantras are the easiest and most revitalizing way for me to get through any uncomfortable situation/ experience and thoughts. Your affirmations can be anything you feel in your heart. I like to turn the things working against me into my affirmations which again goes back to the saying "when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade". There is power in affirming statements. You manifest things, people, experiences, goals, etc into your reality through your thoughts subconsciously. By saying affirmations out loud, you are literally speaking to your subconscious mind and it is listening and taking in all of this information in order to move you through life in such a way so that you can receive the things you need and desire most.

My affirmation from above came to me in the wake of me realizing that a new month has sprung. I automatically began to think about all the things I have yet to accomplish and the fact that this year is more than half way over. I began to sink into bad self-talk and feelings of unworthiness. Thankfully, I snapped out of it after realizing that every moment counts and that it is never too late to go after what you want most and to stand in your life's purpose. Instead of allowing my thoughts to get the best of me, I silenced all the negativity and decided to take hold of it and change it to something positive.

Affirmations are a great tool to start, but they are not the only key to a purposeful and joyful life. Actions will always speak louder than words. If your actions do not match up with your affirming statements and mantras, you are confusing not only yourself, but also the Universe and your subconscious mind.

Your reality will not change unless you do.

My words of advice to you:
Begin looking within and listening to your inner guide as it will never steer you wrong. Once you have a clearer idea of what you must change/ release. Begin the journey to healing through affirming statements and actions that match.

Sending you love.

2017 Life Update on YouTube

Hi beautiful friends. In case you don't live on the East Coast, we are currently having a nice relaxing snow day! Needless to say, I have been super productive today. I filmed my first YouTube video of the year and unintentionally edited it all in the same day. With that being said, I now have a new chit-chat/life update video on my channel that I would love all of you to watch. The video is a great way for us to reconnect/connect with one another. It is my way of extending my hand and leading you through a new journey that is sure to change your life for the better. 

Please watch, like and comment on the video if you are curious about the new changes that I have coming for the new year and subscribe to my channel to follow along with the journey. 

https://youtu.be/AdmhoueYuWE

A Simple and Refreshed You

 Hi beautiful people! Thank you for stopping by Broke City Grl today. I have a great announcement to share with you all. My YouTube Channel will begin in September 2015! Only a few weeks away so I am super excited to share that with you guys. You all have been so patient with me and I truly appreciate you! With all of that being said, I wanted to share an intimate post with you all for this beautiful Sunday. Over the past few weeks, I have been constantly battling with issues of self love. Our flaws can truly bring us down if we let them consume us. Today I am here to tell you all that your flaws--every stretch-mark, scar and pimple is beautiful. Know that and live by it.

Now some of you may know that I have battled with acne and stretch-marks since middle school and they still are apart of who I am today. I am learning different ways to control my acne breakouts and stretch-marks and I think I have found what I have been waiting for. Thanks to Vanity Planet, I found an excellent skincare tool that truly makes a difference in my skin care regimen. Their spin brush is absolutely amazing. I purchased my spin brush a few months ago and I use it everyday. The spin brush comes with 4 brushes (a body exfoliate brush, face exfoliate brush, daily cleanse brush and pumice stone brush) that you put onto the tool when ready to use. All of which are in rotation on a daily basis for me. My new morning and night time routine (which I will share in detail on YouTube) consist mainly of the daily cleanse brush, the Shea Moisture African Black Soap bar and my Vanity Planet spin brush. This regimen leaves my skin super smooth and full of life.

Another great product I have been using is the Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes. These wipes are very gentle on the skin. After a long work day or day of play I am ready to remove my makeup without much fuss and head to bed. These wipes remove my makeup with ease. It leaves my skin moisturized and clean which is great if I'm too lazy to follow up with my night time routine. We all know it happens! The Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes are affordable and easy to find. I purchased my wipes at my local Target and Walgreens.

I would suggest all these products for people battling with acne or any skin issues for that matter. The use of these products will make you feel refreshed and comfortable which is what we all want for our skin.

P.S. I am wearing no makeup in the photos above, only mascara.

Be you, the simple and refreshed you. 

When Life Happens...

Hi everyone! It's been a long time. I am tremendously sorry for being away most of the summer. Life has taken me in so many different directions so far this year that I have become more than overwhelmed. I wanted to give you all a quick update of what's going on in my life and why I have been so busy and stressed.

To start off, I am so happy to say that I will be attending Marymount University this fall to finish my Bachelor's Degree in Fashion Merchandising. Some of you may know that I attended VCU my freshmen year and decided to come home because of several different factors. My goal in coming back home was to save up some money, get my own place and my own car. I succeeded by working full time and going to school at NOVA. Now I am headed into my junior year in college at the age of 19.

Life happens and we must go with the punches and keep pushing forward. I am unaware of what God has in store for me but I am always thankful for the blessings I receive. Being at such a young age, living on your own and trying to succeed your goals is a hard thing to fathom. You have to prioritize. You have to constantly remind yourself the reasoning behind your determination. You have to have motivation. You have to smile when you want to cry. You have to laugh when you want to scream. You have to think positive. Most importantly you have to believe in yourself. For quite some time I was lacking that belief in myself. I felt like I took on more than I could handle. I still feel like this today but I know I will be just fine.

With all that being said, I have been planning a few things for Broke City Grl. I do not want to announce anything for sure at this point because everything is still in the works. Some of you may know that I have been talking about a YouTube Channel. I am still trying my very best to get this up and running. My plan is to introduce my channel in September in time for fall and winter fashion lookbooks. My fingers crossed that everything goes as planned. I will be setting up a small studio inside my home to film and photograph better content for you all. Although my life is hectic at the moment, Broke City Grl is apart of me and I will not neglect it. I appreciate all of you who continue to support and understand me. You guys truly keep me going! Stay tuned for what's in store.

With love,

Patience

Embracing Black Women: Lejonhjärta

Hi beautiful people! I hope all is well this sunny day. I felt inspired today to try something new. I came up with a great idea which I feel will be very helpful and exciting for some. I have always been one to embrace the beauty of women and uplift those around me. In my years of observation I have realized that women bring each other down and judge each other more than they embrace one another. This is very true for black women, to be exact. I hate that this happens so often which is why I felt the need to start these daily post. Every week I will be dedicating a post to a women of color. It may be an Instagram follower, a stranger on the street, a celebrity, a community advocate, etc. I want these post to have meaning. I want them to make a difference. My main goal is to teach us all that embracing another woman's beauty is perfectly normal. To encourage our black Queens rather than shooting them down. This is important in our black community as we already have outside sources telling us we are lesser. We most encourage from within our culture and with that we will continue to grow and continue to define ourselves as being more. 

With all of that being said, I would like to introduce my first Queens for the Embracing Black Women postings. These young ladies are immaculate. I have been watching them for quite some time on social media and on many different blogger sites. I have become very interested in their lifestyle, their words and their beauty. Their names are Elizabeth and Victoria Lejonhjärta. They were born and raised in Sweden but their roots go beyond just that. I will not say much about their lifestyle or background. You can find that information on Urban Bush Babes. The Lejonhjärta twins did a very personal interview with them back in December that is worthy of the quick read. With natural hair and beautiful melanin, I embrace these ladies with much respect and love. You should do the same.

Lejonhjärta Instagram: https://instagram.com/lejonhjerta/

Embracing Black Women