Lameka Weeks is TALL. And proud of it. That’s why the Dallas entrepreneur founded Height Goddess, a clothing company for women 5’9” and taller. Although Weeks does not have formal fashion training, she knew a need existed in the market. Growing up in Alabama, Weeks had a difficult time finding clothing that fit her tall frame and often borrowed items from her father’s closet. “Both of my parents worked in retail,” she said. “My mother was a buyer for the department store Belk and my father was a manager of a retail chain called Martin’s. Because my mom was a buyer, she knew certain brands that came longer. Extra length could be gained by taking out the hems. I was able to get by through college, but then had to start shopping for business clothes. That’s when finding things really became challenging.” The Height Goddess Name Weeks played basketball at Auburn University at Montgomery and graduated with a communications major. Successful in the corporate world at companies such as Black & Decker, Johnson & Johnson and General Electric Company, she was constantly reminded of how few professional pieces were in her closet when dressing for meetings. Weeks wanted more clothing choices for taller women that were both stylish and timeless, much like what exists in the market for petites. She began doodling name ideas for such a business. One day Weeks drove by a sign that said Goddess Boutique. Inspiration struck with Weeks suddenly envisioning the words Height Goddess together. She immediately pulled the car …

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to read one book about women in music per month. And goodness are there are some excellent candidates! Below are 60 books. The list does not rank these books, rather the collection is to give you tons of choices for your reading pleasure. This post contains affiliate links via Bookshop, whose mission is to financially support local, independent bookstores. Women in Music: 60 Books Women in Music Books 1 – 10 Face It: A Memoir: Debbie Harry with Blondie has sold millions of albums worldwide and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. Girl in a Band: A Memoir: Kim Gordon, founding member of Sonic Youth, fashion icon, and role model for a generation of women, now tells her story-a memoir of life as an artist, of music, marriage, motherhood, independence, and as one of the first women of rock and roll. I Put a Spell on You: The Autobiography of Nina Simone: Simone changed the face of both music and race relations in America. Good Booty: Love and Sex, Black and White, Body and Soul in American Music: Ann Powers, NPR’s acclaimed music critic examines how popular music shapes fundamental American ideas and beliefs, allowing us to communicate difficult emotions and truths about our most fraught social issues, most notably sex and race. All I Ever Wanted: A Rock ‘n’ Roll Memoir: Kathy Valentine, Go-Go’s bassist Valentine’s story is a roller coaster of sex, drugs, and of course, music. It’s also a story …

Megan Taylor Morrison has studied local dance forms in 16 countries on six different continents. Embracing the title of dance adventurer, Morrison has also designed and co-led international dance retreats and is a certified life and business coach. She recently released her new book Dance Adventures: True Stories About Dancing Abroad. In it, Morrison demonstrates that dance can forge connections between people from different backgrounds, as well as lead to cross-cultural experiences that promote greater understanding of another culture. Dance can also engender tremendous personal growth for travelers. Morrison corresponded with Girls That Create about her book via email. Q&A With Megan Taylor Morrison Have you always been dance-obsessed? What are your earliest memories of dance and the joy it brought you? All throughout my youth, I played soccer. The only real exposure I had to dance was taking some ballet and jazz classes when I was five and learning a couple of East Coast swing dance moves from my brother. When I got to college in 2004, I decided swing dancing would be a great hobby and set out to learn it. Little did I know that Seattle had one of the best scenes in the world for Lindy Hop (the original swing dance created by members of the African American community in Harlem in the late 1920s) at that time. My first experience of true, unbridled passion was the first time I saw talented lindy hoppers social dancing at a holiday party. After the song finished, I went over to the man who …

Whether you love it or hate it, Christmas music is here again. Readers loved the last Girls That Create post on holiday songs by women, so here are 10 more for your playlist. Once again we’ve thrown in some soul, rock and other numbers with all the feels (Spotify link below). Enjoy and Happy Holidays! 10 More Christmas Songs Where Women Rock It 1) Christmas, Baby Please Come Home:  Darlene Love If you’ve seen the 2013 documentary 20 Feet from Stardom, you’ll recall Darlene Love (if you haven’t seen it, please do, the film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 86th Academy Awards). Love grew up listening to gospel music and began singing in her church choir at age 10. She is also an actress. For years Love brought the house down on the Late Show with David Letterman singing Christmas, Baby Please Come Home. 2) Winter Wonderland: Eurythmics British pop duo Eurythmics gifted us this beautiful version of Winter Wonderland. Member Annie Lennox’s vocal range is contralto. She has earned the distinction of “most successful female British artist in UK music history”. Enjoy Lennox’s talents. 3) Joy: Tracey Thorn Tracey Thorn began her musical career in the punk-pop hybrid group Stern Bops playing guitar and providing some vocal backing. She is best known as being one half of the duo Everything but the Girl. Joy is on Thorn’s fourth solo album entitled Tinsel and Lights. Listen and watch this moving video. 4) I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas: Kacey Musgraves  At age eight …

2020 has had us all on an emotional roller coaster, kids included. Many children have experienced feelings of sadness, loneliness, fearfulness, anxiousness, and disappointment. Chicago-based writer Fern Schumer Chapman shared the following guest post on why books are an ideal tool to help children identify and express their feelings. Chapman recently wrote Happy Harper Thursdays, a picture book that explains to young kids why we can’t be with the people we love during COVID-19. Give Children Books This Holiday to Help Them Understand Their Confusing Emotions Many children have wrestled with powerful emotions this past year, as they have had to adjust to the pandemic’s required changes at school, at home, and with friends. Many young people are sad, lonely, fearful, anxious, and disappointed, and they don’t understand their own feelings. Now, the pandemic will disrupt upcoming holiday gatherings and traditions as extended families won’t be able to celebrate together. These disruptions are likely to intensify a child’s feelings of confusion and loss. Books, always a wonderful holiday gift, may be even more appreciated this year; books can be an ideal tool to help young children identify and express their feelings. Picture books are especially engaging and helpful for young readers; the images and words work together to evoke powerful emotions. For children, reading is like role playing, where they can see the world through someone else’s eyes. Through reading, young people gain new perspectives, and learn, for example, how to negotiate friendships and handle conflicts on the playground. In addition, books build empathy in children. The …