African Pride's A Mother's Love Event

It Girl Fam,

I recently attended African Pride’s Ultimate Beauty Social held at Art Revolution in Chicago  – high ceilings, amazing art work, open loft space, dark wood, floor-to-ceiling windows, and exposed brick. Beautiful!  It was a fun, engaging, and intimate gathering of beauty, style, and hair bloggers in the Chicago area.  Camila Crews, African Pride’s Content Manager, moderated a discussion with bloggers Vaughn Monroe and Rachel Odem.  We laughed, shared our hair challenges and victories, and talked about what’s new with African Pride. 

I don’t remember my mother using African Pride on my hair, but I do remember seeing the brand as a child.  African Pride seems to be refreshing the brand and the product line with options for both relaxed and naturals.  Another major selling point is that each product is priced at $3.99 or less.

Immediately following the social, African Pride kicked off “A Mother’s Love” event – a celebration of mothers and daughters as a nod to Mother’s Day.  It was a fully integrated experience for women of all ages and open to the public – including face painting for the little girls, beauty makeovers for the big girls, and product giveaways for everyone.  The light bites provided were delicious.  And I can’t say enough about the candy station…it was a blast from the past. Who remembers Lemon Heads? 

But the real draw of the evening was Mary Mary! Yes yes y’all!  Mrs. Tina and Erica Campbell stopped by to bless us with their wisdom and challenges related to business, marriage, family, and motherhood.  It was an inspirational session nicely moderated by Sonya Blakey.   

Rachel Odem, thank you for the invitation!

Below are pix and a video from the event.

Enjoy!

Tamika
itgirlrules.com

Ultimate Beauty Social Video

Rachel Odem!

Vlogger Vaughn Monroe

Product giveaways from African Pride. Very nice!

The dress made out of Skittles & Skittles wrappers 

took the candy station to another level. 

A 'Mock' Face beat by Big Girl Cosmetics!

 I'm a big kid. I couldn't pass up the face paint. What do you think?

Sista-friend Dr. Renee

Crowd enjoying the atmosphere and anxiously awaiting Mary Mary.

  

 Social media guru Lindsey Adams & natural hair blogger Michelle B.

 DJ Protege kept the music hot all night.

He's haute as well...dressed to the 9's. Love his style.

Mary Mary being interviewed by Sonya Blakey. 

(Picture will be replaced with a better one. I promise!)

###

To stay connected and receive real time updates, you can subscribe to my blog at the top/right of this page. 

© It Girl Industries 2013

Giving Back at Mott Hall IV Middle School

It Girl Fam, 

You know that I’m from Brooklyn and that I love my community.  So I was excited and humbled to be asked to participate in Mott Hall IV Middle School's Career Day this month.  The school has supported It Girl Industries from the beginning - purchasing many copies of The It Girl Rules for their students, so I hopped at the opportunity.

I completely enjoyed speaking to the 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th grade students about my professional and entrepreneurial career paths.  I also reminded them that they have no limits and can do whatever they set out to do.  They were so engaging and asked great questions.  

Below are some pix from the Career Day.

Enjoy!

Tamika
itgirlrules.com

Mott Hall IV students

Principal Dr. Thomas McBryde Jr. 

(I'm holding my Mott Hall IV mug)

My new friend Briana of Ear Candy by Bree, fellow presenter, and 8th grade student. 

Only 13 and doing it big!

More wonderful Mott Hall IV students...

Restaurant Review: Little Goat

It Girl Fam,

I recently found myself in the West Loop of Chicago around 10pm on a school night STARVED and wasn’t sure where to go.  I stopped by a popular sports bar on Randolph, but my heart sank when I was told that the kitchen was closed.  The bartender was nice enough to recommend Little Goat, which was just a few blocks away.  I had not heard of it, but my friend did.  Apparently, it's Stephanie Izard's latest venture. She is Executive Chef of the well-known Girl and The Goat restaurant. 

There’s nothing little about this place. The diner-style restaurant sits on the corner of Randolph and Green and seems to take over most of the block.  Then there’s this enormous spinning neon goat sign at the very top of the restaurant. You literally couldn't miss Little Goat if you tried. 

Thankfully, we arrived after the dinner rush and got seated at a cozy booth right away.  The layout reminded me of the diners that I frequented when I lived in the northeast, but was way more pristine and sophisticated.  The prices are super-reasonable also.  The BBQ Pork Sammich (sandwich) was calling me y’all, so I ordered it and completely enjoyed it.  My friend ordered a Korean inspired dish called Kimchee & Bacon & Eggs & Pancakes Asian Style Breakfast Tasty Thing.  It was a mouthful literally and figuratively.  There were only crumbs left on my friend’s plate, so I have to assume it was great also.

We had a very pleasant experience at Little Goat.  I will absolutely be back.  The food and service were outstanding, but I would be remiss if I didn't shout out the soundscaping.  No, there wasn't a deejay but the background music took our experience to the next level.  The playlist included hits from Ginuwine, Dre & Snoop, Joe, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Busta Rhymes, Montell Jordan, and A Tribe Called Quest, just to name a few.

If you’re looking for a late-night bite or an upscale diner experience, then definitely check out Little Goat.

Below are a few photos.

Enjoy!

Tamika
itgirlrules.com

My BBQ Pork Sammich was crazy. 

View of main dining area

 Dining counter with a view directly into the kitchen

Julie, the coolest waitress ever

Full bar in the back

A full bakery was back there too. 

They supply treats for both Little Goat and Girl and The Goat.

Rubs and spices for sale - across from the bar

 Looking forward to coming back for breakfast!

© It Girl Industries 2013