A "Brotherly Love Weekend"

Brotherly LOVE IN THEATERS NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"

LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION!

Hey guys. I wanted to share a little of my journey with all you new and aspiring actors. I'm hoping I can inspire and help you along your journey. Alright, here we go. In order to to be an actor, I believe you have to be crazy. You must have a true passion for the craft. Please do not do it for money because you will not make any right away, of course there are some exceptions to this rule. You embark on this journey because you love the craft. In this business you actually have to look forward to the disappointments and get accusomted to hearing the word NO. And then you learn not to take any of it personally because it's just business. Oh, patience and faith you'll need a little of that!

Ok let's get back to being crazy. You have to take a two hour bus ride from Philly to NY for a 5 min audition a few times out of the week. You have to walk away from a full time job (with great benefits) to pursue your dreams. At times you have to sacrifice shopping sprees and vacations with your friends. And of course you have to move 3,000 miles to Hollywood away from your family and friends to be closer to your dreams. These are some of the crazy things I did to make my dreams a reality.

With that being said, the universe will respond and open doors for you. It's called the Law of Attraction. When I understood the law of attraction after reading the Secret, I knew I was on to something. For every action, there is a reaction. I promised myself that everyday I would do something that would help my dreams manifest. After countless bus rides back and forth from Philly to NY, I decided to move to Brooklyn so I could be closer to my acting environment, I was only there for a few months before booking a contract role on the soap operaOne Life to Live. One Life to Live was the start of my career and gave me confidence that I could book again.  See how it works, God made a move in my career because I was bold enough to make the move to NY.


I wanted to share a few pointers that has helped me along my journey.

• Commit to the craft, it will pay you back
• Loose your pride. I won't serve you
• Humble yourself. This will serve you
• Surround yourself with other actors, directors, casting directors, etc.
• Surround yourself with positive people and fellow dream chasers, you will need them on this journey
• Know your type and the roles you wanna play. Get head shots to represent that
• Professionalism is key and it will take you far
• Find an acting class. Study! Study! Study!
• Network. Networking is just as important as being in class and going on auditions 
• Image: Make sure you are always clean cut. Know your type and dress the part for every audition you go on.
• Be pleasant and easy to work with, It's easy to replace you
• Know your brand. Don't do anything your uncomfortable with
• Don't compare yourself with anyone else. Everyone's journey is different and unique. When you truly understand this, you know there's enough room for all of us
• Be patient. A great career won't happen over night

Birthday Weekend: Sex in the City Inspired!!!!!!

On December 4th I celebrated another year of life! I took a road trip to Vegas with a few of my close girlfriends, and we got dressed up everyday as if we were on set shooting an episode of Sex in the City! I thought it would be cool to go to Vegas and celebrate my bday but be fashionably forward while doing so. I called my girls who love dressing up as much as I do and we brought our furs, our leather and our favorite shoes and ran Vegas the entire weekend. I gotta say all four of us getting dressed and out the door on time was a little struggle but we made it happen, keeping our minds fixed on two things; Fun and Fashion! Lol! All I asked of my girls for my bday weekend was fashion and positive vibes...and they came through! We had a beautiful weekend. We prayed, laughed,  loved and made so many memories. It was actually one of my favorite celebrations so far. With that being said, I am grateful for another year to live, love and follow my dreams. 

I was asked  a lot questions regarding my outfit deets throughout the weekend, and of course I couldn't wait to share. Take a look below:

Outfit 1: Everything that glitters is Green

Jacket: Pop Culture Chic

Jeans: J Brand

Ankle Boot: Top Shop

Outfit 2:  Beads are Better

Coat: Forever 21

Top: Forever 21

Skirt: Forerver 21

Shoes: TopShop

Outfit 3: The Fearless Fur

Ombre Fur: Urban Outfitters

Belt: Pop Culture Chic

Dress: Pnk Elephant

Ankle Boot: TopShop

Outfit 4: The Goddess

Headpiece: American Vintage

Dress: Urban Outfitters

Shorts: Urban Outfitters

Shoes: Steve Madden

Outfit 5: The Flirt

Top: Bliss

Skirt: Michael Marie

Shoes: Top Shop

I hope you guys enjoyed my bday looks as much as I did. All of my looks were very affordable and if you saw something you like...hurry and go get it! I made all of my purchases within the last week or so. My favorite fashion friend helped me put my outfits together. If you ever need her styling assistance you can find her on instagram at: @shellystyles.

Until next time...

Xoxo, Fessa:)

YOUR HAIR IS YOUR CROWN!!!!

Hi ladies!!! So I'm always getting questions regarding my hair and how I manage keeping it healthy. First let me say I was a shampoo assistant from the age of 15 until I graduated college, so I know a lot about hair. The salon I worked at specialized in natural hair care. And second I've had the same hair stylist for 12 years. Yup I still follow my mother's rule of not allowing just anybody to play in my hair. LOL. My good friend Annajgid "Kee" Taylor is the only stylist I trust in my hair. It's simple...she knows my hair and it's been healthy ever since she became my stylist so why switch it up. Not to mention I'm always sastified with the outcome. Hey, if it ain't broke...dont fix it. I believe having too many stylist can get complicated and it can be damaging to your hair. So my advice is, find a stylist you love and stick with her. 

Alright, let's talk about maintenance. I treat my hair with all Deeper Than Hair products. The Shear Genius Collection (Omg..the packaging is so cute and feminine). All the products are paraben and sulfate free. I wash my hair twice a month. I try not to get my hair done more than twice a month...too much heat on the hair is no good. I get  a trim every 6-8 weeks. I know we don't like cutting our hair ladies but it's actually the only way for it to grow in healthy. And last, I wrap my hair every night with a silk or satin scarf. 

Make sure to take care of your hair even if your wearing clips or extensions. It's your crown so you should treat it as such. I hope these tips are helpful. For more hair tips follow my hair stylist on instagram: @sosheargenius

FAITH TO FASHION!!!!

Hello Fashionistas!!! Yup you guessed right..I'm a fashion girl. I love playing dress up and piecing outfits together. It's been my favorite thing to do since I was 4 years old. Yes I had the clear and pink high heels when I was a little girl from the toy store. Lol. I express myself through my fashion. My style says a lot about who I am. I'm bold, I love brights and I'm not afraid to take a risk. I'm that girl that tries on her entire outfit the night before..hair, jewelry, shoes and all. I have to know exactly how my outfit will look the next day and it saves me a lot of time in the morning. My friends always laugh at me, but it's a must I do it. My style varies depending on how I feel and how I wanna look that day. Either way I'm trying it on the night before. Lol.

Soooo...I'm also that girl who knows how to be stylish on a budget. I believe that style and confidence comes from within. A true fashionista can make anything look hot. It's all about how you wear it. I'll shop anywhere from Saks to TJ Maxx. I love mixing and matching high end with low end pieces.  I'm always open to a good find and if it's on sale that's even better. 

For all my fashionistas who are in college, just starting a new career or an artist on a budget, pop in Forever 21 and find you an affordable fit! It's one of my fav stores, it has saved my life so many times. Also, Urban Outfitters always has great pieces on their sale rack. Always keep a few statements pieces in your closet and in your jewelry box. OMG, I am a sucker for a necklace that makes a statement:) A fun belt, necklace or head piece can take a simple look and spice it up. And don't be afraid to try a pop of color, or something unique to make your outfit stand out! 

Below are the details to a few of my favorite looks listed above..

Look 1. 

Shades: Shades R Us

Necklace: Forever 21

Shirt: Forever 21

Shorts: American Eagle

Sneakers: Converse

Look 2

Top: Loehmanns

Pants: Urban Outfitters

Bag: Zara

Belt: Vintage Thrift Shop

Look 3

Romper: TopShop

Necklace: TopShop

Shoes: Giuseppe Zanotti

Look 4

Top: TopShop

Necklace: TopShop

Pants: TopShop

Shoes: Zara

Stay tuned as I'll be posting more looks from my closet!!!! XOXO

Brotherly Love The Movie!!!!

Soooo on this same day a year ago, I started filming "Brotherly Love" in my hometown Philadelphia.   I mean literally in the neighborhood I grew up in...West Philly. As a kid I never imagined something like this would ever happen. I felt so blessed to be a part of this film. To move across the country to LA and book a job shooting in my hometown...what an amazing feeling! Also to be back on set with Jamal Hill (writer and director) who also wrote and directed my first feature "Streets" was so dope. 

Brotherly Love is set on the backdrop of Philadelphia's famed Overbrook High School,  tracking the life of the nations number one high school basketball player Sergio Taylor as he deals with the early pressures of hood fame. The film stars Keke Palmer, Cory Hardrict, Macy Gray and Malik Yoba. I believe Jamal Hill captured the authenticity of Philadelphia and the pressures teenagers face growing up in the inner city. If you love "Boyz N The Hood", " Cooley High", and "Menace II Society" your gonna love "Brotherly Love". It's that film for our generation. 

I wanted to share my experience filming "Brotherly Love" to encourage all you dreamers out there. Keep working hard...keep making those dreams come true. You never know one day you may be cast in a film shooting in your hometown. I have to tell you shooting "Brotherly Love" was so much fun and I was honored to work with so many actors I grew up watching. I'll never forget the memories:) Look out for "Brotherly Love" coming to a theater near you. Below is a pic of myself some of my cast mates...

One Day Closer.....

Dear Dreamers, today you are one day closer...so you better not give up. Focus on today. Don't worry about tomorrow or the day after. For one it's not promised and for two it robs you of enjoying the now. Your time is now...your time is today! God planted those dreams and desires in your heart and you have to believe he has helped you overcome every obstacle and road block along the way. Faith without works is dead, so I hope you jotted down those goals of everything you wanted to accomplish  today because God is waiting to meet you half way:) Make sure you are surrounding yourself with other dreamers and believers, those who won't even let you think about slowing down. Sending you guys love and positive energy. Have a great day! And remember you already won!