ELAUNDRA.COM ©️2008

It was inevitable.

It was the epiphany.

That could only be experienced with an open mind and heart.

His heart.

My heart.

Oh this love…

That to complete, two must come together.

Must work together. Must be together,

It should have…

NO.

It could have…

NO.

It will be…

YES.

Say yes…

Let those 3 letters come out of your mouth.

Yes to the idea.

Yes to the love.

My love.

Your love.

This love.

He was like a good book that I refused to put down.

The undeniable attraction, looks of passion and the silence that could deafen the world.

Given that this was our first encounter in person, I felt like we were onto something.

Maybe it’s a mutual feeling and possibly to blame for my lack of reservation.

We woke up wrapped in passion.

I was the ribbon and he was the post.

Naturally, I prepared breakfast with sentiment.

Hungry for more, yet still hungry for food; the plate was empty in a matter of minutes.

Usually what ensues after a well proportioned meal is sleep.

And so he did.

Note (12/29/24): This poem was written and submitted as a project for my graphic design class in 2012 at OCC in Syracuse NY. I will find the images and upload. It was a photograph background with my poem written on the image graphically. I remember writing this poem in 2012/2013 timeframe.

I have begun.

To look at myself.

Without the glasses of judgement.

I have love for myself.

Within myself.

And the best way to see that.

Is through my own eyes.

Without the assistance.

Of visual aids.

This is a memoir of what my senses.

And every molecule of my being.

Experience.

And recollection.

Wait…wait for my love dear pretty.

Once the wait is over, my love will be good and plenty.

Plenty of good…Hard, long love for you.

And a passion known as unbelievably true.

Let me stroke you with the feather of desire.

Let me build a ladder with which from the cloud 9 you’re on.

You can only go higher.

Scream once for the way my heart yearns for your emotion.

Scream ten times if in this love making, you feel my devotion…oh this ocean…wait…

Baby wait for my love.

You couldn’t tell me anything back then. Especially if it had to do with him. But as time grew on my perception of him grew to be exceedingly thin. Through empty promises, and meaningless gifts; was how my heart allowed me to feel like this. Like a bagel with a corner chewed off in preparation to be consumed; my remaining heart was-as a result of his hunger for selfishness-left nothing but doomed. (Adapted from my poem called ‘Ace’)

If you’re as big a Rihanna fan as I am, you have been wishing for this moment. And you know in your heart that it’s gonna be big. When Beyonce’s perfume came out, I thought it was ok; but it doesn’t smell that good for that long. And when Kim Kardashian’s perfume came out, I knew I had smelled it before but I just didn’t know what. And with Rihanna’s notes being a fruity chypre, with these floral notes: tuberose, violet and hibiscus – with a splash of coconut water; I just know this is going to be amazing. Tuberose is such and amazing scent!

The scent was just introduced at the TWFA World Exhibition in Cannes, France. Next year is when it comes out in the US and Internationally. I love the idea that she had for the bottle. I love that you wouldn’t necessarily think that it’s representative of a heel. The bottle glows from within. It is decorated with a gold ring, and silk ribbons. The box is quite nice. But if I was Rihanna, I would have done a black box with that gold decoration on it and white writing. Can’t wait until it comes out. Are there any perfumes that you just can’t live without or are awaiting their release? One of my all-time favorites is Shi by Alfred Sung…it’s amazing.

Do you recognize this gorgeous woman?

What about now?

No? Well let me help you.

I think Chrisette Michele is gorgeous. Even more so, I think she has an amazing voice. There is a quick interview that she did with Necole Bitchie.

You revealed your new hairstyle at a show at Albany State University, right?
I didn’t really plan to reveal it. I was at a show and I had a hat on so when I went backstage there was a bunch of kids with cameras. They saw the front of my head and since it was so light blond and close to my skin complexion they made headlines that I had shaved my head bald. I was a bit disappointed. I did cut my hair off. It’s a quarter inch. It’s not shaven but I was so over the hair damage and everything I was dealing with having the other hair style so I said that I was going to go back natural.

When I posted your photos, one comment in particular said that “Women who have natural hair look down on women who prefer to relax their hair because they secretly hate their own hair.” It was like a battle between those who prefer natural hair and those who prefer relaxed hair.
It’s so interesting to me because my thing is I always want to bring unity. For me it’ll never be a battle between a natural sister and a relaxed sister. It’ll always be what’s best for you and what’s best for me is having the healthiest hair possible. I’m a girl who has always had healthy hair and getting into the music industry has ruined my hair care regimen because you have to be on 10 all the time. So the easiest way for me to be on 10 is to be on 10 naturally.

Someone made the comment that shaving her hair off was the most liberating experience she has had as a woman. Do you feel the same way?
It definitely was liberating because people told me that my style; who I am as a musician, who I am as a person, and who I am as a body type would never fly in this industry. 1) because I’m too thick 2) because my hair was nappy 3) because I wasn’t singing about what everyone else was singing about. I am not interested in really selling sex, that’s not really my brand so I’ve faced a lot of challenges so far and wanting to go natural for 6-7 months now was a challenge. People that I asked (not from my label) was like “You can’t do that. That doesn’t match fashion. You can’t be high-fashion with nappy hair.”

I feel at times we use our hair as a security blanket. The longer my hair is or the “bigger” I wear it, the more I hide my insecurities. And then sometimes I just feel like India Arie’s “I Am Not My Hair.”
But the truth of the matter is, everyone keeps saying to me “I am not my hair.” I AM my hair. Whether I wear long tresses on my head or short naps, that’s me. And when you say something crazy about it or disrespect it, you hurt my feelings. Artists like to make believe that nothing effects them and that they love haters and haters make them stronger. That’s a load of bullcrap. I think that haters are mean and that’s all that’s to it. So…I am my hair.

I was told you have photos of your new hairstyle. When do you plan to reveal them?
Me and Derek Blanks did a photo shoot titled “For Freedom, Not For Beauty” because the main reason for this is not about being beautiful. It’s about being free from the status quo and from being in the box and from being what everybody thinks one person should be. And really just liberating oneself and becoming what that person wants to be. I also wrote a poem that goes with it.

♥ Do you feel that sometimes as women, we use our hair as security blankets? What kind of scrutiny do you think all women face with their hair? Why is your hair important to you?

Sometimes I think the best I can do is more for myself. I am thinking about this in a selfish way. I don’t mean to make you feel some typr of way. But I know that I know I need to feel the feeling I have felt before where I did not care about what a man thought about me. I was more concerned with pleasing myself. Because knowing that pleasing him was not going to get me anywhere and it was going to be something that was going to fulfill him for the long run. But will it fulfill me for this time that we are in now. I want to be able to trust you. Bit I have been burnt so many times before and I don’t like the fact that so many people have made me into something that I don’t have to be. I am not something for myself to look back and regret being. But in some ways I do, And I think it sometime is because i regret the things that someone had me go through. I don’t have to go through that and you made me feel so bad about myself I didn’t feel like I could trust you. You were something that made me feel so insecure and unloved it made me look for love and security elsewhere.

Artichokes:

They have only 60 calories. They contain phytochemicals that may lower cholesterol.

Lemon H2O:

Lemon peels contain pectin- a soluble fiber proven to help immensely with weight loss. Lemon water helps you feel fuller. Just add lemon juice to your water!!

Red Grapefruit:

I read about a study where a woman ate half a grapefruit with each meal and lost 3.6 pounds over 12 weeks. While those who drank it 3 times a day lost 3.3 pounds. The red kind has more of the cancer protecting antioxidant lycopene.


*make your skin glow!*

Figs:

They have been shown to perk up your looks and slow the aging process. Eating a handful of dried figs increases the number of antioxidants in your blood for four hours. Which is much longer than many other foods. 

Red Bell Peppers:

These have large amounts of Vitamins A, C & E. Which makes it a superfood. 

Watermelon:

This also has the cancer fighting antioxidant lycopene. And it provides 33% more protection against sunburn than other fruits.


*bolster that body*

Blueberries: 

The neural pathways in our brains are growing and improving all the time. Eat the right foods and you’ll be able to concentrate better, remember more and feel calmer. Blueberries may improve memory, cognition, and balance. Researchers believe that blueberries reduce inflammation and help us overcome the normal effects of brain aging.

Cinnamon: 

Researchers believe that cinnamon may inhibit certain Alzheimer’s disease cells.

Plums:

These fruits decrease anxiety-related behaviors, and researchers think they protect against depression. A perfect lift me up for a gloomy day!!!

Fashion Surveillance is something new I’ve started. It is 8 different looks (red carpet & candid) from 1 celebrity. Here goes to the first one: Rachel McAdams…

Rachel at 2008 Toronto International Film Festival

Rachel in New York City July 2009 Filming Morning Glory

Rachel at 2009 Premiere of Sherlock Holmes

Rachel in 2009 at the Opening Ceremony of the 35th Annual American Film Festival.

Rachel in 2009 with boyfriend Josh Lucas in NYC

Rachel in 2009 at Time Traveler’s Wife Premiere

Rachel at the Oscars 2010

Rachel at 2009 Comic-Con International Convention in San Diego

So what look do you like the most? Are you a fan of Rachel? I personally love her. She is such a great actress and has so much poise.

I have a unique name. And I was blessed with the opportunity to carry that name stemming from my grandmother’s first & middle name. It was so very difficult for me to write my name in kindergarten. And it was even more difficult for the teachers to attempt to pronounce it correctly. Once middle school came around, I was pretty used to the…


 “Is El-on…here?”
 “El’Aundra” I’d interrupt, “And yes I am here” 


How annoying it became. But patience came in the form of me realizing that they were new to my name, and I was lucky to not have a name like everyone else. Or was I? Once high school came around, I was pretty much wishing I was Marie on Wednesdays, Cynthia on Thursdays, and Brooke on Sundays. Why, I don’t know. But I wanted something easier. Something much simpler. Something that could not be manipulated. As much as my name was ripped to shreds by the time it came out of most people’s mouths, I was still quite thankful for such a clever name. But what was it that made me want another name? Why wasn’t I satisfied with my own? Who was to say that if my name was something else that I would have been satisfied with it? The guarantee came when I got away from those who saw me everyday and met new people. And they liked my name. They thought that it was beautiful, unique, pretty, interesting, different and one of a kind. Unbeknown to me, it was becoming something that I was proud of. And understanding that even though my name was hard to pronounce, it was beautiful in it’s own special way. Growing and maturing has allowed me to become interested in making my name a [dot com]. When I had first started blogging, the idea had crossed my mind; but I wasn’t too serious about it at the time. And now that I see a great amount of potential in my blog, I am pleased to announce that my blog is no longer titled “EDK.DOLCE”, and the blog is no longer at “www.edkdolce.blogspot.com” The blog is not titled “El’Aundra” and located at “www.elaundra.com”


How amazing is that? Pretty darn amazing. EDK.DOLCE is still a part of my website and my MUA work. It’s on my business cards because it’s a great business title. And it’s still professional. 


Have any of you ever disliked your name at one point or another? What name did you dream of having? What do you think makes some of us unsatisfied with our names?