Erama

Assignment 1

2011-08-31T10:46:00.001-07:00

Sukari's reactions after a swift splash in the face from the hose.
EXIF Data: .........................

Massage Special in Novemer

2009-11-08T12:46:00.000-08:00

TeeWork
Massage that Moves your Spirit.

Here in Los Angeles, we are offering a special deal this month to keep you balanced and keep your spirit moving and in charge. Book a full hour massage during the month of November for only $50. If you begin your massage journey this month, you can also lock in the rate of $50 for the entire year of 2010.

Simply send an email to eramacustoms@gmail.com with phone number, time preference and date, and we will call to confirm your appointment. In the meantime, read on to understand why it is so important to take care of bodies during this season.

They call the season from October to February Flu Season. But it isn't about calculated sickness. It is about the changes that take place in our bodies. Starting with October and Halloween, we overdose on toxic sugars that leave our bodies fatigued, defenseless, and full of acidic waste prime for viral attacks. The month of November is a wonderful time of family, friends, and holidays, but is also a source of great stress. Some of us have unwanted visitors, we stress about purchasing gifts for the holidays to come, we worry about how dinner will turn out. We also over stuff ourselves and cause undue stress and toxic ailments within our bodies. December brings even more than November, and we end it all by partying too hard for News Years. This isn't flu season, it is weaken your bodies' immune systems and leave yourself defenseless season. Flu viruses move around everyday. But when we are better able to defend ourselves against them, the viral infections don't thrive.

Now more than ever is the time to think about taking care of our bodies, staying in tune with the spirit, and destressing and detoxifying our lives from the outside in, and inside out. At Erama we want to remind you to leave the stress behind. Get back to what holidays are really about, being with people you love. Don't stress over money, visitors, bills, or issues that are merely circumstantial. Remember that life is only 10% what happens to you, but 90% how you react to it. React with patience, knowing that everything will turn out more than fine. We want to remind you to eat healthy foods. Eat as many raw vegetables as possible and avoid foods high in sugar, dairy, oil, and processed ingredients. We tend to hibernate in the winter, and work out in the spring in preparation for summer. At Erama, we want to remind you to take time to dance, play with your children or nieces and nephews, or anyone young in your life. Drink alkaline water and balance your body. Invest in your body by stretching, going to a yoga class, or just simply sitting down and concentrating on your breath. Remember that oxygen is the source of life and we have an unlimited supply.

With Love, Patience, and Gratitude,

Tyus & The Erama Family

PS- Please feel free to forward this email to everyone you know will benefit from its content. Blessings.

Metanoia| Casa Benefit for Advo Kids

2009-04-24T10:47:00.000-07:00

Erama owner and designer Amber Johnson is a featured artist for the Metanoia | Casa Benefit May 14-17th. Check out the website and our bio!

http://www.metanoia-arts.com/
http://www.metanoia-arts.com/artists/amytillman.html

"It feels great do be able to produce art in the name of charity and children!"

Spring is Adding up!

2009-04-24T08:38:00.000-07:00

Erama is going nuts scheduling Springshows! So far:

Pasadena Mission West Street Festival, APril25-26th in South Pasadena. www.mission-west.com
Afro Funke, April 30th
Brea Jewelry Show, May 2nd
CASA Art Gallery Fundraiser, Atlanta Georgia, May 14-17th
UCLA Jazz & Reggae Festival, May 24-25
Hermosa Beach Festival, May 22-24
Handmade Brigade, Cerritos, June 6th

We are adding more everyday!

For more info on any of these shows, send me an email eramacustoms@gmail.com

Amber

2009-03-30T12:12:00.001-07:00

Erama in the house!
We had a huge show this weekend at the Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival.

www.lawtf.com

For any women out there who perform, please check out the festival. It is a wonderful enterprise! They feature five different shows, with four different female, solo performers each. The shows were ALL amazing! There are also vendors, which is where we come in. We support the arts and the festival, so we decided to donate money to vend, and we donated items to the raffle.

So, once I made the decision to support, we started getting ready, and learned a lot in the process. I stepped my jewelry making game up, we bought a bunch of stuff for packing, and we packed everything up in little boxes. Some key things we should have had but didn't think about, a stapler, tape, an email list, custom order forms, things like that.
We arrived on Friday, set up our stuff, and we were ready to mingle and network. Our goals was to sell more than what we donated to the festival, we got so much more than that. We made some amazing friends, shout out to Barbara, Janette, Adilah, Toni, Laura, Tanya, Andrea, Gayle, Donny, Priscilla, and Joyce! You ladies are so wonderful!

I have several women wanting some style and stone therapy, (which I need to blog about in and of itself), and several custom orders. One special order was for a special dancer named Laura. She wanted something in coral and silver. She ordered on Friday, I shopped Saturday morning for coral, found some really cool pieces, and started putting it together during her performance. There was something magical about watching her perform and making her piece at the same time. I really felt her energy, and maybe that is why the piece turned out so perfectly for her!
I started putting it together and came up with a wire-wrapped flat slab of coral, chain linked with coral nuggets and coral coins. I made her one large, chain-linked piece, a smaller pendant, which she can add to a simple silver chain for a simpler look, and a pair of matching earrings. I was secretly hoping she would hate it so I could keep it for myself ;) No such luck! She bought the whole set!

Now, the raffle, or opportunity drawing :), is a reason in and of itself to attend. Tickets are 3 for $5, 8 for $10. The give-a-ways are amazing and included acupuncture light therapy, a $100 hand and foot treatment at a spa, wine, glasses, CD's, tickets to future performances, etc. I had my heart set on a trip to the Writer's Well in Georgia, an exclusive retreat for women writers. I need that sooooo bad!!! So I told Adilah Barnes, owner of the Writer's Well and board member and co-founder of the festival, that I was coming to Georgia! That trip was mine! And guess what, I WON!!!! I jumped up for joy. So after that trip, expect some amazing work from Erama. Clarity equals production! I am stoked! I also won a CD, a bottle of Chardonnay, and two wine glasses, Hayyyyyy!

Overall, the energy, the creativity, and the love was so great it was almost overwhelming. I cannot wait for next year! Writing this blog makes me wish I had hundreds of followers just so they can hear about the festival! Forward to anyone you know! It's truly a wonderful experience! Our display looked pretty cool and people loved the stuff! You know someone is especially pleased when they put it on as soon as they finish purchasing. I remember doing that as a child when ever I bought new shoes. I was walking into stuff because I couldn't take my eyes off of my new shoes every step I took. Now, I am reminded of the joy when I create that same feeling for others. Check out these two very happy customers!

I will be sure to let everyone know about the next show well in advance!

Until next time,

Amber & The Erama Team (aka, my husband too)

How the Hair Tie Works!

2009-03-11T22:40:00.000-07:00

The hair tie is comprised of a hairpipe (The long bone shape) on one end, and a pendant on the other. Elastic cord holds the two together. You take the pendant and place it where you want it to stay put on your head. While holding the pendant in place with one hand, you take the free hand and wrap the cord around the hair you want in the ponytail.

You can wrap it around a small patch of hair for a half up, half down effect, the entire head for a head band effect, around all of the hair for one ponytail, or you can experiment and come up with new ways. Once you have the cord wrapped around and achieve the desired tightness and location, take the hair pipe and stick it through the hole on the pendant. This secures the hair tie in place. Now you are all ready to go!

Recent Feedback:
"Mrs. Tillman i love the hairtie head band. I was wearing the pony tail holder, but just wore it headband style today, im in love, it doesnt slide off. im gonna get a bunch more for the family cant wait till you blow up! lol"

"I love these hair ties! I have about 4 or 5 of them.I wear mine kinda hairband style. I am actually wearing one in my pix that I posted to the group. They are well made ( my 4 year old couldn't break it, and it wasn't for a lack of trying on his part). The hair ties do not pinch or pull hair and it doesn't give you a headache. The customer service is wonderful and shipping was fast (gave me the tracking number and everything). I just looked at the new pieces at etsy website and they are just too cute. Once you see them you will have to have one."

Good Writer or Catchy Writer?

2008-12-12T09:49:00.000-08:00

What classifies someone as a good writer? Is it substance or catchiness? Is it content or delivery? This is an age old debate between ancient philosophers and sophists. The sophists taught delivery was more important. The philosophers taught that content and invention in the rhetoric was more important. I want to hear from the people. What is more important? Content or delivery?

Case Study: Is T-Pain the best hook writer alive? Or is he the catchiest hook writer alive? if you believe he is the catchiest hook writer alive, then tell me who you think makes a great hook writer and why. IF you beleive he is the best, then tell me why.

Goal Setting

2008-12-11T23:14:00.000-08:00

So, today my husband, cousin, good friend, and myself went to a goal setting workshop. It was held at lululemon in Santa Monica. It was a truly wonderful experience. I left feeling motivated, inspired, and just more energetic and happier than normal. For a recap, we mingled, talked about why people don't set goals, then talked about our own. Here are a few things you can do to start seeing changes in your lives.

1. Acknowledge the reasons why people don't set goals and then let them go. Some of those reasons are fear of failure, fear of success, ignorance and simply not knowing that one should set goals, fear of "doing it wrong" or someone judging you, indecisiveness, not knowing what one wants, and anything else you can imagine under the sun.

2. Answer the following questions to gain clarity in terms of what you want subconsciously.
a. what are three of your goals you want to accomplish in the next year?
b. if you had 10,000,000 dollars, what would you do?
c. if you had 6 months to live, what would you do?
d. what write down as many goals as you can in 1 minute.

3. Free writing. After reviewing your answers to the previous questions, write down as many goals as you can for about ten to fifteen minutes.

4. Follow these three steps daily
a. look at your goals and read them out loud three times every day.
b. think about achieving your goals. think about where you are, how you feel, what you smell, what you see, what you hear,. Think in as much detail as possible. The more details, the more the universe will respond.
c. don't tell a lot of people your goals at first. Your inner critic should not meet the outer skeptic of your peers. When these two collide, you have an onset of doubt and your goals shred to bits and pieces. Keep visualizing your goals and you will know who you should share them with eventually.

5. The final step, so you can keep in the groove, is to write yourself a note. Tell yourself the things that you remember most from doing these exercises and put it in a sealed envelope with your address and a stamp. Mail it to yourself. When it arrives, wait for one month and open it. Continue to do this throughout the year, every month.

Share with me your thoughts, experiences, etc!

With Love!

Amber Jaye

Single Ladies, Put Your Own Damn Rings on it!

2008-12-10T09:14:00.000-08:00

I wanted to title this post the "Dumb B* Anthem" but I thought that would be inappropriate and offensive. However, I have to be real about my feelings. First, a preface.

I am Professor of Communication at Loyola Marymount University. My line of research merges language, rhetoric, identity, and the intersection of race, class, and sexuality. In short, I look at how people use language to excite change, or to perpetuate dominant ideologies that have caused women and minorities to struggle everyday. Now, the first time I heard the song, I just listened, then I saw the video, I was and still am Livid!!!

ALL MY SINGLE LADIES by Beyonce!

A list of reasons why this is no good:

#1 It perpetuates the ideology that if you want to keep me around, all you have to do is put a ring on it. I am for sale. The price, a ring. The product, me.

No no no and more no. We are not products, ladies. Rings don't keep me idle somewhere, waiting for you to come home, be my savior. No. Do you want to know what keeps me around, good conversation, mental stimulation, intimacy, creativity in bed and at play. A good time where we are both equals and mutually interdependent. MUTUALLY INTERDEPENDENT!

#2 It perpetuates the myth that as long as I can shake my hips "hella" good on the dance floor, someone will "like" me, cuz after all, that is all "he" needs to do to want to put a ring on it, "Like" me. Hence the line, "If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it"

What the hell happened to "Love."

#3 It further degrades women to the position of product, sexual object, and accessory by alluding to the fact that women only go to the clubs and dance to excite men. We are literally there for their enjoyment and pleasure.

No, I go to clubs because I like to wind down from a long week of work, because I love to dance, because I love to listen to music really loud. Because I love to meet new people and socialize. I did go to clubs to meet men too, but not my husband nor did that take up the entire reason why I was there.

#4 In a failing economy, it puts even more pressure on the desire to have a rock, ice, bling, diamonds, etc.

Since when did a diamond mean you actually love me and want to spend the rest of your life with me? We have been so worried as a country about the sanctity of marriage, so much that we won't allow gay marriage. What killed the sanctity of marriage is divorce and the ideology that rings actually carry value. THEY DON'T. Just because he bought you a ring doesn't mean he loves you. Just because he asks you to marry him doesn't mean you should. Just because he loves you doesn't mean you are meant to be together. Deciding to marry someone entails so much more than love and jewelry. Or for Beyonce, LIKE and Jewelry. It is about the sharing of two lives in their complete state. My husband and I have been married for 1.5 years, known each other for over 10. We are best friends, partners, lovers, intellectual stimulants, motivators, all of that and more. We went dutch on our rings and neither of us even wear them anymore. I am allergic to mine and I ended up making him a new one that looks way better than the pricey ones we bought. (Side bar, anybody want to buy a 1.5 carat diamond ring... I have no use for it)

The point is, rings don't mean anything. They are symbols. But you have to decide what they symbolize, don't let consumer America do that for you.

#5 The video is awful.

First of all, there are moments where you can see the VULVA! Children are watching this. What woman dances around in a leotard and heels and thinks that is normal. Gyrating in a leotard and heels is not normal. It is degrading. Put some damn clothes on. If you are in the privacy of your own home, then you can gyrate but ass naked all you want. But I don't want my sons growing up watching that on TV and thinking that that is what women are supposed to look and behave like. Let's teach our sons to respect the female body, to adore it, to fantasize about it. If we don't leave much room for the imagination, what's the point of fantasy? Where is the respect? Get it together!

Here is an idea. Let's love ourselves enough to put our own rings on it. It doesn't need to be a tangible ring, do things to take care of yourself and respect yourself so much so that you feel loved, energized, and cared for all of the time. Let us not wait for anyone to boost our self-esteem and make us feel proud, happy, alive. Let's take care of ourselves everyday so we feel good everyday. We don't have to look like Beyonce or have the same mentality. We just have to be ourselves and pay tribute to the beauty that already exist within. Let the rings we do buy symbolize something much greater than the institution of marriage, the institution of heteronormativity, the ideology of sexism. Be you and do it well, with our without a partner.

Hair Ties

2008-12-08T12:46:00.000-08:00

I am finally completely unpacked and enjoying my house so much that I got out the hair tie equiptment and went to work! I have a new ETSY and new hairties, and everyday we are posting more hair ties! I really branched out this time and found things to suit all tastes versus just mine! So, check them out www.erama.etsy.com
They make great gifts, especially for yourself! Happy Shopping!!!

Confessions

2008-11-03T13:29:00.000-08:00

So, I have a confession to make. I am so thankful for all of the wonderful feedback, but I have no idea how to respond directly to questions, etc. I feel like such a jerk, like the whole world is watching me read the wonderful comments and lift my chin in snooty pomposity to walk away because I am too good to respond.

NOOOOOO! That is not the case. I just don't get it. Can anyone help? I promise to respond with many thanks! :)

And to answer some quetions, I went to a salon to have my hair colored, so I have no idea what she did. I just asked for a dark red. It is a random orange fru fru mess right now. I am long over do for a touch up! Going as soon as the boxes are lifted. Speaking of boxes, I would love to climb up from under them and respond to my tag, but I don't know how....to do either....lol.

Anywho, I am here, and wanting to engage the people. Just give me a minute and a spark of advice for good luck!

What a weekend!

2008-10-20T09:58:00.000-07:00

Well this was one great weekend for my family and I. We are STILL waiting for the bank to close on our 1st house, we are STILL waiting for the black bone hair pipes (so frustrating), annnnd we are under boxes. I guess this is the life, its fun, and I love it. Wouldn't change it for the world.

During all this waiting my family and I decided to attend the "Taste of Soul" this Saturday on Crenshaw Blvd. It was so much fun!!!!! My husband said we should ride our bikes, and bring some Hair Jewelery with us. I thought that was a great idea. Both ideas were a hit! We were able to avoid the parking situation and also there were a ton of people with LOCKS!!!!!! We were able to get the word out about the hair ties and many people were interested.

For those of you who came out, let the world known as my little blog know! And for those of you that I met, so happy you came to view my page!!!

Until the next one! Be love!

Fotki, Facebook, MySpace, Blogger Who knew?

2008-10-10T19:42:00.000-07:00

Who knew there was a world out there full of beautiful women with natural hair. I love being part of this community, seeing growth of each person's hair. With that said, here is something new I have done. I have been really into making jewelery this past week even though my family is in the mist of packing (Bought a house!) and I am working under several boxes. So in my downtime I have created a Fotki (http://members.fotki.com/dramberjohnson/) Where you can see some Erama Custom Jewelry, and soon, my photographs I have taken. I have a facebook(Amber Tillman)and of course MySpace ( http://www.myspace.com/amberjaye). And of course, you are able to purchase Erama Custom Jewelry from dramberjohnson.etsy.com there is a link on the bottom of the page. Thank you for reading this and enjoy your hair.

Sisterlocks

2008-10-06T10:49:00.000-07:00

So that hairstyle I flaunt is called Sisterlocks. I get asked about my hair a lot. What is it? is it permanent? Can I wash it? What color is that? How do you get them? I get asked all types of questions. Here is a bunch if FAQ about sisterlocks and why I love them.

Sisterlocks is a technique of locking the hair with a natural tool. The hair is literally tied into itself, much like braiding backwards from the tips to the roots. It can be done on all types of hair (permed, color treated, etc), but works best with kinky and curly hair.

I had sisterlocks for over 6 years. When I got pregnant, I cut them off and started over. I wanted a fresh start. The slideshow depicts my hair changes from sisterlocks the first time around, to short hair, to sisterlocks again, to red sisterlocks.

I absolutely love my hair! Wouldn't change it for the world again! I welcome any questions you may have!

In the meantime, if you have sisterlocks, or thick hair, or curly hair that is difficult to fit into standard hair ties, I have a solution! ERAMA Hair Ties!

I am on etsy at www.drambrjohnson.etsy.com
I am also on facebook, myspace, and will be on ebay shortly!
Please feel free to email me with any questions or comments, suggestions, whatever!

Welcome to Me!

2008-10-06T10:48:00.001-07:00

So, I am welcoming myself to blogspot! Introduction: I am a partner, mother, friend, professor, and mentor. I encourage living life to the fullest, loving yourself, and learning as much as you can. My brain never turns off, it just keeps swimming, swimming, swimming! I make jewelry, I paint, I dance, I write poetry, I am a photographer. I love love love board games, dominoes, and LAUGHING OUT LOUD! I am fun... or at least I think I am fun :) Come on over and be my friend! Meet me in the halls of LMU, on the dance floor, or in a lecture. I will be there when the time is right.

Enough!

I occasionally sell paintings, photographs. I always sell jewelry and hair ties. I have an etsy page, www.dramberjohnson.etsy.com

I write about poop and children a lot. That is what happens when you have two sons.

Now down to the chow!

Design Your Life is a concept I came up with when I was about 9. A business endeavor of sorts, sort of. A space where people could come and literally draw their lives and we help them learn how to live that drawing out to the fullest. Well, I never lost that idea between becoming a professor, mom, adult, etc. It lingered in the back of my head, happily taking a sub par role to all of my other endeavors, until now. IT IS BACK! I have been gifted with insights regarding visualization, the secret, science of mind, SUCCESS, life of acheivement, etc. I now know that deisgned living is more than just designing, it is believing and knowing. My husband and I have started this business and we are taking on the role of life coach, showing people the power in visualization and being one with the universe. So, if you want to talk, let's talk!

WELCOME!