Sometimes, You Need A Little Extra Help

This post does contain affiliate links where applicable. When used, I receive a small commission for the sale that allows me to continue bringing you content just like this. Thanks for the support!

Sis, so many people don’t realize how amazing roller sets can be for your hair. I know I didn’t!

It wasn’t until I began growing out my big chop, and was DESPERATE to get through that “awkward grow out phase” when I rediscovered roller sets. Back in the day, women got a relaxer and a wet set and were rockin’ beautiful healthy hair! (Relaxed hair CAN be healthy, another conversation for another day LOL) .

For those of us who have let go of the creamy crack but have been tempted to go back because “life was just EASIER” back then – hear me out!

Today, there are so many options to keeping your hair in a straightened style without a ton of chemical or heat damage.

If you’re into treatments to help make your roller sets last, look into Design Essentials STS collection! It’s only available at salons but whew chile, that stuff WORKS. It’s an amino-protein treatment that lasts 10-12 weeks. I got them a couple of years ago regularly and loved it.

While  I don’t use the system anymore ( get the Hydra Silk Treatment instead, it’s a hydrating deep treatment that lasts 4 weeks!) the fall/winter is the perfect time to try out a safe smoothing treatment or invest in monthly visits to your hairstyling for a good salon-level treatment if you know you’re going to be roller setting or pressing your hair frequently.

+ Helpful Content

Before you get a relaxer… HEAR ME OUT!

+ Must Have Product

Treatment hair mask for definition and curl elongation

+ What To Watch Next

Does getting my hair done count as therapy?

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  • “Isn’t She ONEderful” 1st Birthday Daisy Themed Party For Girls!

    This post contains affiliate links*

    My fourth baby, sweet Emory Grace, turned one last month, and I can’t begin to explain how much joy it brought me to plan her birthday celebration! I blended two adorable themes I found online — “Isn’t She Lovely, Isn’t She ONEderful” and the ever-charming daisy motif — into one cohesive vision. The result was a bright, cheerful, and heart-meltingly sweet day that felt just as special as our little girl. It was the perfect mix of trendy and timeless for our ONEderful baby!

    Here are all the details on the items you can pick up to make your next birthday party one that is a core memory for all!

    BIRTHDAY OUTFITS

    To really lean into the daisy theme, we all dressed in yellow and white gingham outfits. The soft, playful tones made everything feel extra sunny and sweet — perfect for an early summer birthday. Emory Grace, of course, was the star in a daisy dress, and the rest of us coordinated in matching accents to tie the whole family look together. It made for some of the cutest photos ever!


    THEME DECOR

    Etsy came through for me in a big way for the party décor. I found a darling customizable banner and coordinating invitation that really set the tone. I also grabbed matching cupcake toppers that tied everything together effortlessly. It was such a fun way to create a unified look without going overboard on time or budget.

    TABLE SET UP

    The table setup was one of my favorite parts to pull together. I layered a beige linen tablecloth with a cheerful yellow runner, then added a yellow and white gingham accent runner for that pop of pattern. Dried daisies dotted the tablescape and added the perfect whimsical touch. I used wooden cake stands and sourced affordable serving pieces from Walmart and Amazon to keep things beautiful yet budget-friendly.


    FOOD

    When it came to food, I knew I wanted to be present and enjoy the party without being stuck in the kitchen — so we outsourced! Our local bakery did an amazing job with a daisy-themed cake, cupcakes, and cookies that were not only beautiful but delicious. For savory bites, we picked up charcuterie boards from H-E-B, which were both easy and elegant crowd-pleasers.


    KID’S PARTY FAVORS

    To send our little guests home with a smile, I put together the sweetest kids’ party favors. Each one had daisy-themed goodies and small surprises that tied back to the theme. Not only were they a hit with the kiddos, but they also doubled as charming table accents during the party.


    PARTY ACTIVITIES

    To keep the little ones entertained, we set up a few sweet and simple activities that turned out to be total crowd-pleasers. I created a small ball pit just for the babies — Emory Grace absolutely loved it! For the bigger kids, we decorated our King Swings Cottage playset with daisy garlands so it felt like a magical little clubhouse. And of course, we had a bubble machine going throughout the party — it added such a fun, whimsical vibe and kept the kids dancing, chasing, and giggling all afternoon.


    Watch Emory’s 1st Birthday Party Vlog

  • | |

    How To Host A Tea & Skincare Outdoor Party

    *This post does contain affiliate links that if clicked, I will make a small commission from.

    I have always loved hosting get togethers and gatherings and ever since watching “With Love, Meghan” on Netflix, I have not been able to shake wanting to host something special for my girlfriends!

    Hosting Basics & Essential Things To Keep in Mind

    First, we have to decide who we are putting on the gathering for. This time, I had a hosted few of my dear sister friends and their families on a large group trip where we stayed in a beautiful home hosted by Wander. I saw the property online and knew I had to do something just for the ladies!

    Edited in Tezza with: Vintage & HSL

    The Need

    Whether exhausted from running after kids, running up the corporate ladder, or running a business – we all needed some TLC and relaxation. As a content creator and influencer of almost 15 years, I have been to my fair share of cute brand events where different activations and group activities took place. One of my recent favorites was a Tata Harper event at The Joule in Dallas, TX. Tata Harper HERSELF walked us through her skincare routine. We chatted and did every step she does on herself every morning and it was such a time!! When I was thinking about how to level up an afternoon tea party, I knew adding something like this would be just the thing my girls needed.

    The Preparation

    I started off by budgeting how much I wanted to spend on each person and gave myself a little room depending on if I could find all of the items I’d like to gift everyone. Of course, I did go a tad bit over budget but this was okay because when you’re planning to host for the first time, it can be difficult to determine exactly what you need so be ready for the budget to shift some. I then created a Google Sheet of the items I wanted to include in the skincare activity.

    Then, I went on the hunt of the best quality yet cost effective items to fit our needs. I landed on this list and was shocked where I ended up finding most of the items!!

    The Shopping List

    My first idea was to go to five below or maybe hobby lobby to find items but since I wanted to be able to review pricing easily, I started with Amazon and randomly, Tiktok Shop. Now I had not seen people ordering party items from tiktok shop before but oh my goodness, I found SO MUCH ON THERE! But, there is a caveat. The shipping.

    This is where planning about a month in advance was clutch for me. As I began ordering everything, the shipping estimates were all over the place. By the grace of God, every single item made it to my door the day before we left for our trip!

    Edited in Tezza with: Vintage & HSL
    Edited in Tezza with: Vintage & HSL

    The Location & Set Up

    Initially I had planned on having the party inside because the dining room on the property overlooked the pool and I knew I wanted an outside element to the event. But once we arrived on site, I realized that the outdoor seating area was an even better spot! First, we have to set the mood. I put on this berlioz playlist to get the vibes going. Then, I started setting up my tablescape.

    The Tablescape

    Here’s everything I used to create this cute table set up!

    • (2) 3-Tier Porcelian Cupcake Stand $25
    • Porcelain 22-Piece Tea Set $58
    • Faux Flowers $25
    • Wood framed Desk Mirror $8 each
    • Glass candlestick holders set of 6 $16
    • 13ft 2pc Cheesecloth Table Runners $12
    • Taupe Table Placemats set of 6, $22
    • Clean Skin Club Clean Towels XL 50 count $17
    • Beeswax 12 inch Candle stick 4 pack $15

    The Tea & Food Items

    Originally, I wanted to go full out for the food. You know, assorted pastries and quiches and cucumber sammies. But then reality set in that I was going to have a very limited time for set up in the middle of a group trip of 17! So, cute assorted cookies from a local grocery store was it! And guess what, NO one was mad about it! Sometimes simple and minimal works in everyones favor. Plus, I ordered a yummy loose leaf tea and tea sugar from Amazon for less than $30.

    • Hibiscus Ginger Loose Leaf Tea $12
    • Assorted Cookies $9  
    • Dehydrated Lemon Slices $12
    • Tea Amber Rock Sugar $16

    The Skincare Gift Bag & Set Up

    I wanted to gift everyone items that they could use for the activity but also after they left! I got everyone the following:

    • 3-Piece Makeup Bag $9
    • Psalm 46:5 pin $1.35
    • “Love them anyway Pin” Less than $1
    • Flower Shoe Pin Less than $1
    • Initial Keychain $1.57
    • Face Ice Roller $5 (2-pack)
    • Kitsch Dermaplaning Tools $7 (12 count)
    • 3-piece Spa headband & wristband set $2.50
    • Clean Skin Club Clean Towels XL 50 count $17
    • Facial sponges $8 (50 count)  
    • Ribbon Bow Slippers $10

    I then threw in a few travel-sized items that I had been collecting from PR packages I get from brands. This included:

    • Summer Fridays Jet Lag Eye Patches $24 (6-pack)
    • Josie Maran Travel Sized Body Butter $16
    • Josie Maran Travel Sized Body Scrub $14
    • Touchland Power Essence Hydrating Body & Hair Fragrance $17
    • Biodance Radiant Vita Niacinamide Real Deep Mask $19(4 pack)  

    The Skincare Routine: Group Activity

    I got to play skincare expert this day and take my girlfriends through a step by step skincare routine that I do a variation of on a regular basis. I first chatted with them about what we were going to do and then I facilitated the activity by passing out products at each step, sharing how much, how to and when to use each product. I was there to bring them whatever they needed to journey through the full skincare routine.

    Sometimes we forget how restful taking care of ourselves can be and this was a great reminder to us all.

    It brought me so much joy to witness and care for my girls in this way. As someone who gets to have experiences like this for work, being able to gift this experience to women I love was a gift to my soul. My goal was to show them how much God loves each and every one of them and based on the feedback they shared, I believe the mission was accomplished.

    So, if you needed a sign to host your sisterfriends over for something this spring/summer – this is your sign to DO IT! If this post helped spark some ideas for your next gathering, please give me a like or comment! And even better, share this post with a sister or friend who you want to host a tea & skincare party with.

    Happy Hosting,

    XO Jade

  • The Best Way to Get Your Hair Straight WITHOUT the Heat Damage

    This post does contain affiliate links where applicable. When used, I receive a small commission for the sale that allows me to continue bringing you content just like this. Thanks for the support!

    Don’t Be Scurred, Sis!

    The use of heat on our natural hair has become SO taboo LOL God forbid we actually CHOOSE heat because it’s what we like and it’s easier than constantly manipulating our natural hair! 

    Also, I personally can’t stand the “if you wear your hair in a straightened state, that means you hate your natural hair” narrative. It’s so tired and also – how accusatory and assuming?! 

    What if the whole point of us going natural was so we can be FREE?! Free to choose? Free to use heat or wear our natural texture, or do both?!

    We’ve all had the battle of figuring out “How much heat is TOO much heat?” And that is definitely an individual question. (And even better if you can answer it with the support of a trusted hairstylist!) 

    Everyone’s hair is different but here are a few rules I live by that might help you answer that question better for yourself!

    1. Flat iron only when necessary and only once within a week (no matter what!)

    2. Use indirect heat (like hooded dryers) to reset a hairstyle if heat is needed within the same week.

    3. Incorporate bond or strengthening products at every step of your hair care routine.

    4. Heat protectant before EVERY heat tool. No exceptions!

    5. Deep treatment with protein and moisture before EVERY roller set / blow out / silk press.

    What did I miss?! Shoot me an email so I can add to this list of heat-styling rules to live by!

    + Helpful Content

    Wash Day Routine For Straight Naturals

    Minimize heat damage + Hair Growth Tips

    + Must Have Product

    Acidic Bonding Concentrate

    5-min liquid mask

    + What To Watch Next

    Can I Save This Roller Set?!

    And answering your frequently asked questions!

  • The Straight Natural Starter Kit is HERE!

    This post does contain affiliate links where applicable. When used, I receive a small commission for the sale that allows me to continue bringing you content just like this. Thanks for the support!

    Ya know, I just don’t know how to do things basically lol 

    What initially started as a video idea to help you organize your hair plan for silk press / roller set/ blow out season – turned into a whole thing! Lol I ended up diving pretty deep into research and pulling together product recommendations that I felt were worthy of your beautiful hair!

    I am so excited to hear what you think of this video, please like, share and leave a comment on the video so more people can get into this straight natural hair journey!

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    The Straight Natural Starter Kit

  • Direct or Indirect Heat, THAT is the question

    This post does contain affiliate links where applicable. When used, I receive a small commission for the sale that allows me to continue bringing you content just like this. Thanks for the support!

    Okay sis, here’s the deal. We know flat irons on high heat due damage, but did you know that blow dryer can do damage, too?!

    The foundation of a goooood silk press requires a gooood blow dry, and often that required the use of tension & high heat. Combine that with the flat iron on high too – bye, bye curl pattern!

    When it comes to roller sets – we are in a new era! The roller set isn’t just a styling method, it’s a stretching method. If you think about it this way, it essentially removes the high heat & tension of the blow dry process AND the need for the flat iron to be on high heat (with multiple passes) on the flat iron (if you even choose to do that step! You can always skip it with a good roller set) because when you sit under a hooded dryer – the heat is not directly hitting your hair. Plus, the rollers sustain consistent tension all around so your hair isn’t prone to breakage. Yes, it takes a little longer BUT your hair will love you for it!l 

    Pro tip: when purchasing a hooded dryer, get one that is at least. 1875 watts or higher! 

    + Helpful Content

    Got Silk Press Trauma? Try Roller Set Instead

    + Must Have Product

    Ionic Hooded Hair Dryer

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    + What To Watch Next

    Can I Save This Roller Set?! And answering your frequently asked questions

  • | |

    A Bougie Mother’s Day Gift For The Mom Who Gives Her All | Carats & Caviar Event Vlog

    Revealing A Mommy & Me Collection You or Your Mom Would LOVE!

    I had the pleasure of cohosting a beautiful mother’s day event for an intimate group of some of my favorite mama’s with my twin sister and CEO of Wove, Simone!

    During the event, we:

    • Designed our own Mommy & Me bracelet set, launching exclusively for Mother’s Day.
    • Collaborated on the details and our guests left with a hand-drawn sketches of their final bracelets.
    • And our guests got their beautiful bracelet sets in the mail a short time after the event!

    Alongside delicious bites of sushi and caviar we had yummy mocktails and cocktails! As we chatted the afternoon away, we offered complimentary jewelry cleaning, had a quick & fun lab-grown vs. natural diamond session, and had on-site designers ready to bring any other custom jewelry ideas to life.

    We had a wonderful time and I hope this vlog helps you feel like you got to attend, too!

    Shop Wove’s Petals Collection launching 5/12! SHOP HERE

    • Location: Lounge 31 – Champagne Room, Dallas, TX