The last time I wrote for Cinnamon Spirit was January 2019. I’ve been trying to figure out how to sum up the seven and a half years since and I am going to struggle to be concise and thoughtful.

Some of it is easy to report. Covid reshaped the world. I started a technology company called Serendip and we built a couple of products. I joined the board of Grace Girls Home, an orphanage in Trinco. More and more people are celebrating the beauty of dark skin, which I love to see. And all of us got quietly pulled into the anxious churn of social media, unpredictable global economics, wars and pointless busywork.

Some of it isn’t easy to report at all. My mother’s dementia progressed to where she no longer recognizes any of us. I can’t pretend the impact of that has slowly ground me down like the constant sound of dripping water in a torture chamber.

The one gift buried inside that has helped me cope has been the flexible schedule that allows me to show up, more than I ever had before, for her, for my husband and kids and in-laws,  for my siblings,  my friends from around the world and my local community.

I got the time with Mom and Mom got a version of me she can’t quite place.

And then there’s the thing I’m still working out. Somewhere in these years an abundance mindset unleashed me, and I mean that in both directions. It’s the engine behind the company and the board seat and the showing up. It’s also why I can’t seem to sit still long enough to feel content.

I’m worried about not doing enough. Not making a few dreams the reality and yet, I consume more content in the form of podcasts, reels, shows and movies than I have ever done before. How do I balance things out?  We help clients build new digital experiences every single day, and I still feel a lack when it comes to making something of my own. Maybe it’s AI, and how much I lean on it to sharpen my thinking. Could it be cramping my style?

So why re-up Cinnamon Spirit? I was listening to the ten-year anniversary episode of Scott Galloway’s No Mercy / No Malice, and he nudged me back toward the written word. Here I am, taking the nudge.

Today, this is what I sit with. I am grateful for this life, for our health, my family, the wealth, the access to knowledge. All of it is real and I don’t take it lightly. And yet the gratitude and the restlessness live side by side, and most days I can’t tell if they’re fighting or helping each other. Maybe that’s what I’ll write about first.

If you are like me… you want to find those unique treasures that aren’t commonly found everywhere. When it comes to clothing, it is especially true. So when I was searching for Indian clothing, my niece introduced me to UDD.

As a supporter of vibrant colors and textures, I find Yuti Shah’s creations fascinating.

Her ability to bring her original fine art to life in every day wear that brings a smile to the  people wearing it is contagious. I guess that is what I admire the most.

Her depiction of animals in the forest …. wonder what this would look like as a mural.

And then … the jewelry.

For more information … follow them on Facebook or Pinterest.

Written by : I. Ella Noor

Happy Wednesday everyone! If you haven’t seen 12 Years a Slave yet, consider it your homework assignment for the week. Whether you watch it to immerse yourself in some American history or for the heart-touching story of a black man’s kidnapping into slavery, there’s one character who will undoubtedly captivate you. Lupita Nyong’o, the radiant woman whom this post is about, plays Patsey, a 23 year old slave who becomes subject to her master’s disgusting commands. Patsey endures whipping, sexual misconduct, and some of the worst forms of degradation by her master and remains in the hearts of the audience long after the ending credits. Lupita’s performance as Patsey was so commendable that it earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress! This breakout film has earned her more than just a few awards (about 30 in fact); the spotlight is on this brown-beauty all over Hollywood and here at Cinnamon Spirit.

Lupita Nyong’o (now 30 years old) graduated Yale Drama School only after playing Patsey in 12 Years a Slave. She was cast three weeks before graduation and insists she had “imposter’s syndrome” until she actually landed in Louisiana. She and her parents are of Kenyan descent although she was born in Mexico City, Mexico in 1983.  At the time of Lupita’s birth, her parents were politically exiled and unable to return to Kenya. Therefore, her parents paved their own way – her mother became a leader of the Africa Cancer Foundation! Before Yale, she attended Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts and earned her bachelors degree in film in 2003.

In an interview with Ellen Degeneres (2/21/14) Lupita enters wearing a fabulous minimalist, all white double breasted vest and shorts outfit and subtle earrings. She is immediately greeted by the host and the audience; and her humble personality shines right on through. She says she had never even seen her face on The New Yorker or any other of the numerous magazines she’s been featured in. Lupita is thrilled to be kick starting her acting career as she looks forward to the Oscar Awards coming up.

Some fun facts about Lupita Nyong’o:
1. She loves Scandal – Lupita even says that some of her style is copied from fellow dark-skinned darling, Kerry Washington.
2. She wanted to be an actress after watching Stephen Spielberg’s The Color Purple.
3. She once had a horrible braiding experience in New York – therefore she learned how to do it herself. She can cornrow, box braid, and more!

Below is a photo of Lupita Nyong is in a stunning gown by Gucci at the annual SAG Awards (1/18). Her eye make-up speaks for itself. I am personally obsessed with the gold and blue making her features pop.

Get the look for less!

My Mother always said yellow was the color for dark skin and I believe it now. It requires a certain confidence to pull off but man does it generate cynosure.

Lakshmi Menon combines her dusky beauty with ease on the runway.  Her skin makes the red and orange look so good!