Saturday, August 16th was a big day for the natural hair community in Tampa. It was time for a natural expo!
J and I arrived, not knowing what to expect since it was our first natural event/expo. Admission was $20 on the day of, and since we opted out of the extra $5 for food, that meant I had to come stocked with snacks and smoothies, in addition to J’s food and toys and my DSLR camera. *Plays “Bag Lady” by Erykah Badu here*. Word to the wise: Always take the food package.
I must say, I was impressed by the amount of information I was able to obtain despite having a busy baby and slight headache working against me.
The Healthy Sexy Natural You event focused not only on natural hair, but an overall healthy lifestyle. A few of the featured brands were Younique, Taliah Waajid, Power Strips, and Simply Natural Organicals. If you know me, you can bet I went straight to the accessories and hair goodies … and my oh my was I in heaven.
Before visiting the booths, we were serenaded, informed, we listened to poetry/spoken word, and even got a front row seat to hair styling and product demonstrations.(Later in the day there was a fashion show as well.) J yelled, talked, and sang through the entire entertainment portion of the event so capturing pictures and jotting down notes was out of the question, but we definitely enjoyed ourselves.
After purchasing a necklace/earring combo for $6 (right!) I visited a table with a natural by the name of Phyllis who spoke to me about her hair care brand she created with her husband, Simply Natural Organicals. If her gorgeous hair is indicative of the products she produces, we definitely have a gem among us. She gave a product demonstration and shared a wealth of knowledge with clients; it was interesting to watch.
After chatting with Phyllis, I was back on the prowl for awesome accessories, and I couldn’t help but stop at a booth that had caught my eye when I initially walked in the room. Beautiful button earrings! (I know, bad right. I went for hair researching purposes, and here I go again with this accessories obsession of mine.)
When I visited the table, I met a natural with beautiful red hair named Ophelia that said she recently started making her own earrings. Every set of button earrings is custom made from colorful fabric she chooses, and I’m kicking myself for not bringing more money to purchase a pair or two. I seriously felt like I was leaving a family member behind by walking away from that table empty handed.
Although this wasn’t officially a “natural hair event”, I enjoyed myself. I walked away with a goodie bag filled with samples, flyers and business cards, and a better sense of community in this city. I’m happy I got the opportunity to connect with some great people and it gave me the confidence to attend more events and network, explore, and build relationships. Although I had a few setbacks with having a cranky muffin with me, I’m actually happy my baby girl was with me through it all.
XOxo,
Jen and J.