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Earth Month – Making A Difference
For Earth Month, The Vine Events interviewed Tiffani Davis, owner of Tiffy’s Corner. It is time to move beyond awareness to acceptance. It is time to accept and act upon our responsibility to replenish the earth. We believe Tiffy’s Corner has made this transition and is doing their part by providing healthy products.
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Q&A Interview With Tiffani Davis
What’s the name of your company and what inspired you to start it?
The name of my company is Tiffy’s Corner. I was inspired to start Tiffy’s Corner because we live in a fast paced synthetic world. I wanted to provide people with inexpensive healthy products.
What type of products do your company provide?
Tiffy’s Corner provides many affordable healthy products. In today’s world, our food and body care products are loaded with ingredients that are extremely toxic to our bodies. Both inside and out.
I provide healthy baked goods that are as natural as can be. No preservatives or artificial ingredients of any kind. “You are what you eat” and I wouldn’t want anyone to be a lab created synthetic science experiment.
I am a firm believer that if you can’t digest it, don’t put it on your skin. This became my concern when we had children. As a parent, you want to protect your child from as much as possible. Well when you really read what is in these products, it really makes you wonder. All of the major company products are dangerous if ingested…Why would you make such a product for an infant or child? Infants and children constantly have their hands in their mouths; it’s natural for a child to be oral. Even though they may not bring that lotion bottle to their mouths and drink it (well my daughter did), the product is still on their skin. Not only are they ingesting harmful chemicals when the hands do go in the mouth, but it is getting absorbed through the skin. I felt it was time to provide us all with healthier options for our skin.
What do you find most rewarding in what you do?
I have to say that the most rewarding part of Tiffy’s Corner is the fact that I provide healthy organic products that are in reach for all walks of life; no matter what your financial situation. It breaks my heart to see how expensive organic products can be. Not everyone can afford the majority of what is out there today, but everyone should be able to afford and live an organic healthy life.
Our theme for Earth Month is “Replenish The Earth”. Why do you think it’s important to replenish the earth?
“Replenish The Earth”?… Ahhh, I could go on for days on this subject! I don’t think I could stress enough the impact humans have on this planet. We have become a cancer to our planet and need to provide a cure ASAP! If you do just a little research on the global changes occurring, it should light a fire under some of us to make the appropriate changes needed to sustain our planet. Unfortunately, people don’t want the truth…why? Because its inconvenient, the thought of making a change in their everyday life is scary and God forbid it just might slow them down! I believe that as soon as humans felt the need to speed everything up (transportation, building, growing, curing, etc) is when we began destroying Mother Earth .
It’s time to slow down. It’s time to step back and take a look at our water supply, take a look at the forest and the lack of trees, take a look at the amount of trash we accumulate, take a look at the mutations of animals, insects, and yes humans. It’s time to give back to this planet . Because we are only guest here. The trees, plants, animals, and insects can do just fine without us. We have become an unwanted house guest!
There are so many ways to make a difference. Plant a tree. It doesn’t have to cost much. Save a few seeds from an apple or orange and go for it! Start it on your widow sill and know that as soon as it begins to sprout, you have already began to make a difference . Be aware of your water use. No need to use more than you actually need. In our home we have a few grey water lines that irrigate plants outside. This reduces water use greatly. I barely turn on the outside hose in the spring or summer. But you don’t have to go through the great lengths of installing a grey water system. Catch rain water for your garden and indoor plants. When you wash those fruits and veggies, don’t just let that water go down the drain, catch it in a bowl and use for plants as well.
If we don’t take these steps and reverse the damage we have done, we will have no future. I urge us all to sit quiet, join hands, listen to Mother Earth, and begin the rebirth of our planet. It’s time for change.
You can visit Tiffy’s Corner online store at www.tiffyscorner.weebly.com.
Replenish The Earth
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth…Genesis 1:28
Purpose is the reason for which something or someone exist. In the above biblical passage, we see a list of purpose for mankind. As we celebrate Earth Month, our theme is “Replenish The Earth”. For us, replenishing the earth means to refresh the earth. Simply, what ever you take and/or use you should restore back.
When considering ways to replenish the earth, think of the Three R’s – Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.
Reduce – To cut back. Ex. You can save water by cutting down on the time you spend in the shower and not leaving water running in sink while brushing your teeth.
Reuse – To use again. Ex. Reusable water bottles are more eco-friendly and less expensive than purchasing traditional plastic water bottles.
Recycle – To undergo a process of renewal. Ex. You can save a tree by recycling paper products such as newspapers, magazines, and telephone directories.
This Earth Month, become more conscious about how your actions are affecting our planet. Think about what you can do to fulfill your purpose of replenishing the earth and reverse damages that have already been done. Happy Earth Month!
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One Couple’s Introduction to Shadeism
We gave our Facebook fans an opportunity to share their experiences with shadeism. We selected two articles to post on our blog page. Our second article, written by Tiffani Davis, illustrates a biracial family’s experience with shadeism. It’s a great read and please leave a reply with your thoughts about her experiences.
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My Experience With Shadeism
When I first heard of shadeism, I honestly had never heard of the term before. But after investigating it, I can say that shadeism is alive and well! In some cases, even more so then racism. I personally have had many experiences where my skin tone stood out in some way; negative and positive.
We are a biracial family. My husband being Hispanic and White, and I myself being Black, West Indian decent. We have four beautiful children. Color, tone, race…Is never emphasized in our home, but we sure do experience it a lot in the outside world!
When I had my first born, she was fairly lighter then me, and when out in public many people would ask me who’s child she was or if I was babysitting! It was insulting and scary to say the least. Although my daughter favors her father, she does have many of my facial features. The fact that people could not see past the tone of our skin threw me back. I mean what year was this?? Are people still stuck on color??
When my husband and I got together at the age of 15, his family (Hispanic side) was very unhappy with whom he brought home (me). This was the first time I experienced racism. It confused the hell out me! Here we were young, in love and color blind, had no idea that this was going to be a problem. My confusion was to the fact that I was a “minority” and so was his family…What was the problem? I was not light enough, I was not what they wanted for him. I had no idea the color of my skin could cause such disrespect.
Today we still get second looks when we are all out together. We laugh, we smile and wave. We are not bothered anymore by the ignorance of others.
We teach our children to see past color, to embrace the beauty and difference of us all. When people ask our children what race they are they say “human”!
http://www.tiffyscorner.weebly.com
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You’re Our Favorite
Showing some love to our fans, followers, and members. You’re Our Favorite!
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No Color Barriers
We gave our Facebook fans an opportunity to share their experiences with shadeism. We selected two articles to post on our blog page. The first article, written by Brandy Hudson Morton, exposes that shadeism has no color barriers. It’s a great read and please leave a reply with your thoughts about her experiences.
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No Color Barriers
The urban dictionary defines shadeism as “to judge or be against a person because of their skin tone rather than their race”. A lot of people think of shadeism as an issue amongst people of color. I would challenge that thought and say that shadeism is a form of discrimination that exists in all races of all nations. A review of history will show that fair or pale skin has long been judged as the more beautiful or sought after pigmentation. However, my experience has not been quite the same in my own race. My whole life I have dealt with issues of racism, beginning as far back as I can remember learning to talk. While racism was always a form of shadeism in the fact that many people within my race viewed our race as somehow superior than others; my experiences solely with shadeism did not begin until I was in middle school. In middle school, it was like a reverse of history. The people of my own race, the people who looked most like me, suddenly wanted to be darker and spent a lot of money to get tan. I have always had a fair complexion, even compared to my family members. In fact when my children first started talking about skin color they both wanted to know why I was peach and everyone else was tan. In the seventh grade, I felt pressured to try to fry my skin to become tan as well. Red headed freckled girls do not tan well, in case you were wondering. I would burn, peel and be in pain only to try again. I even covered myself in baby oil and laid in the sun until I had sun poisoning and became sick. It wasn’t until I was older that I realized I would forever be pale. Even now, after so many years, people still tell me I need a tan.
My more serious experiences with shadeism though occurred when I had children. My children are of mixed race and even among mixed people; which we all are mixed people in one form or another, shadeism runs deep. My first child was dark. As she got older, she had trouble with her identity. People of color did not accept her because she was not dark enough. White people did not accept her because she was a person of color. I, as her mother, according to her, could not possibly understand because I wasn’t like her. Even today, she is divided because she felt she had to choose a side of the spectrum to relate more to, even though neither side accepts who she is. My son is lighter and most people assume he is white or Mexican, yet he still can’t be mine because he is not like me either. The three of us together are quite the spectrum or spectacle depending on who you ask. It is odd how different their skin tones are, yet even ten years apart, they ask the same questions about their friends and skin color. When my daughter was in first grade, she never before considered (at least not out loud) that she was different from her parents or her friends. I will never forget the day she came home crying because her favorite friend wasn’t allowed to play with her anymore because she was brown and her friend was not. My son was in the third grade. It was 12 years after my daughter’s first incident when he started asking me why his friends didn’t think I was his mother. I picked him up from school and one little boy told me I couldn’t be my son’s mother because my son was tan and I was not. Then there is always the story of how my children wanted to connect my freckles so I would be the same color as them. There are so many more stories, but I think you can see my point.
My prayer for us all is that not only will we realize that color and shade does not make a person any less valuable, but that we realize that no matter what our color or shade, we all have similar struggles. The sooner we stop judging each other and segregating ourselves, and start helping each other, the more freedom we will obtain. We may have different skin tones, but we don’t have different hearts. God called us to love one another, he didn’t say “love one another based on skin tones”.
Brandy Morton Hudson – Guest Blogger
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Women’s History Month – Who Has Inspired You?
This month, The Vine Events, is commemorating Women’s History Month. National Women’s History Project (NWHP) theme for 2013 is “Women Inspiring Innovation Through Imagination”. We will highlight a fan/follower each day on our social network pages. Leave a reply below with one sentence about how a woman in your life has inspired you. We ONLY have 30 spots available so, we need to hear from you soon!
For more information about Women’s History Month and NWHP click here.
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We’re Growing – New Google + Community
We want to invite you to join our Google + Community at The Vine Events Chat Cafe. This is a new community where we discuss social issues with the intent of moving forward personally and collectively on the issues. Our current discussion topic is shadeism. Shadeism (also known as colorism) is discrimination based on skin tones among members of the same community. We hosted a screening dialogue of documentary short “Shadeism” on February 16th and we’re giving those who couldn’t attend an opportunity to contribute to the discussion. So, click here and join the conversation!
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View “Shadeism” new documentary extension trailer below. Click here to contribute to their current production campaign.
Shadeism Screening Dialogue
Join us for dinner and a movie on Saturday, February 16th at 6:30pm in Salisbury, NC. The Vine Events Chat Cafe will be hosting a screening dialogue of “Shadeism”.
“Shadeism” is a documentary short film that introduces the issue of shadeism (also known as colorism); discrimination based on skin tones among members of the same community. The documentary explores shadeism origins and its affects within various cultures around the globe. It also introduces how we can foster collective and personal healing through dialogue and discussion.
The cost of this event is $10/person. To reserve your seat click on “Donate” button below. Directions to event location will be emailed to those who RSVP so, please enter your email address on PayPal payment page. **Note: You don’t need a Paypal Account to make payment.**
We want to hear from you. Have you ever experienced shadeism? What contributes to this aspect within your community/culture? Please leave your reply below. Thanks
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Black History In The Making…
For the month of February, The Vine Events is celebrating Black History Month and we will highlight African American entrepreneurs on our social network pages. Our theme is “Black History In The Making” and our focus is “Community”. We’re kicking off our celebration with an article about high fashion designer Avnah Davis-Long written by guest blogger Desere’ Cross. We chose Mrs. Davis-Long because her life experiences parallel the story of struggle and triumph of African American people.
“Although my whole life was rough, God kept me and brought me out a new person with no limitation. He has instilled in my heart that everything that ever happened to me is my history, not my destiny, and I have seen Him work amazing things out in my life.” – Avnah Davis-Long.
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Our specialty is informative events such as, Q&A parties, screening dialogues, interpersonal workshops, and community forums. We offer both face-to-face and online event designs. Contact us today for a “free” consultation for your next meeting/event.
Black History In The Making – Avnah Davis-Long, High Fashion Designer
What does Kelly Rowland, high fashion, and Salisbury, NC all have in common? They have all come into contact with Avnah Davis-Long, a high fashion designer who has humble beginnings in Salisbury, NC.
Davis-Long moved from Ohio to Salisbury at age 12 and attended Knox Middle School, Salisbury High School, and Rowan Cabarrus Community College. At age 20, she moved to Atlanta, GA and opened a hair salon. From there, she grew her salon business. Inside of her salon, she would dress mannequins in her clothing designs. After receiving inquiries from salon clients about where they could buy the clothes draped on the mannequins, Davis-Long began to invest her income from her salon into fabric for her designs. The success of her fashion design business soon exceeded that of her hair salon, and she had to decide which passion to pursue; fashion designer or hair stylist? She chose fashion.
Davis-Long began crocheting when she was young. It was something her mom thought would be good for her to learn. This hobby that Davis-Long describes as something she was “forced” into doing, ended up jump-starting her career. Davis-Long’s first fashion line was a crochet swimwear collection, which resulted in her entering the fashion world as a notable crochet designer. In 2003, she trademarked the fashion line Avnah Couture and incorporated sewing into her line in 2006. In 2012, “Couture” was dropped from the original name, and the line was rebranded as AVNAH. AVNAH has been described as edgy, futuristic, and unique and has been featured at the New York Fashion Week, Atlanta International Fashion Week, and CIAA Fashion Week. Grammy award winner, Kelly Rowland, was the first celebrity to wear AVNAH. The collection is now being sold on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, CA and has been worn by Sasha Pieterse from ABC Family’s Pretty Little Liars, Cynthia Bailey from The Real Housewives of Atlanta, and many more.
Being the owner of a high fashion boutique requires wearing many hats, and according to Davis-Long, this is one of many obstacles to being an entrepreneur.
“I do everything, from sewing to administrative tasks,” Davis-Long said. However, during 2013, she plans to have her fashion line mass produced in a manufacturing plant. This will allow her to focus on personal aspects of the design process, such as creativity. When asked if she had any advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, Davis-Long said “you have to have thick skin…sometimes, when you take criticism the wrong way, it hinders you.” She also encouraged entrepreneurs to persevere even after being told “no.”
Although Davis-Long moved to Atlanta because it provided her with opportunities for what she wanted to do, she has not forgotten Salisbury. In the past, Davis-Long has had several speaking engagements in Salisbury, including one at Salisbury High School. Ultimately, Davis-Long said she wants her brand to have meaning behind it. By giving back to those in her community who need help and guidance, Davis-Long is able to exemplify philanthropy. In Georgia, she has worked with the Boys and Girls Club on different events and projects, such as sponsoring sewing workshops. She has also provided free demos for cosmetology schools in Georgia.
If you’d like to find out more about AVNAH or shop at their online store visit http://www.avnah.com.
Desere’ S. Cross
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Journalism and Communications Studies Major
Class of 2014
Designs By AVNAH




