The Open Palms

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Henna Photography inspiration

Spring is almost here and that means henna season will be in full swing soon! Parties, weddings, and festivals galore!

Here's some henna inspired photography to get you in the henna mood!

(Note: Charlotte Henna does not take credit for any of the following photography or designs)

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Charlotte Henna is giving back!

Monday, April 5, 2010

We're Famous! :)

Charlotte Henna was recently featured in the Charlotte Observer. It was an article about the Middle Eastern Festival at Queens College Next weekend.

Check it out! :)

Middle East Fest brings henna, baklava and live entertainment

Enjoy diverse Middle Eastern music, food, dance - and temporary henna tattoos - at all- day cultural event.

By Karen Sullivan
ksullivan@charlotteobserver.com
Posted: Sunday, Apr. 04, 2010

Not everyone is ready for the lifelong commitment that a permanent tattoo demands.

Yet, Suzanne Hamid is providing ample doses of fleeting passion - temporary tattoos of henna, an ancient vegetable dye. Henna fades in about a week.

Hamid learned the art from her mother as a Girl Scout trying raising money for Charlotte's Muslim troop, No. 1101.

Now she and two friends - Ruhi Brelvi and Kawthar Suleiman - are all grown up and have a year-old business creating henna body art for special occasions and festivals.

Their company, Charlotte Henna, will be among a about a seven exhibitors Saturday at this year's Middle East Festival at Queens University of Charlotte.

The festival is a showcase of Middle Eastern culture and brings art, performances, food and games.

Simple henna tattoos will sell for $5 to $10. Last year, Charlotte Henna's booth drew roughly 75 customers.

"It's fun and very creative," said Hamid, 22. "I can go to a kid's birthday party or a retirement party. They'll love it for different reasons."

If the festival seems unfamiliar, that's not surprising. The Middle East Council of the Carolinas first organized the event just two years ago.

The Middle East Council is itself a fledgling. It was formed in 2006 through Charlotte's nonprofit International House, which promotes international culture through programs and events and is among the festival's sponsors.

The council's first festival was intentionally small. Last year, its board decided to make the festival a community event. It drew about 700 people, said Stephen Christopher George, the organization's president.

This year's festival returns with a program similar to the last: a free program during the day and an evening program of live entertainment.

The festival will present traditions of Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and Turkey. The evening concert includes two acts at Dana Auditorium at Queens.

Students from the College of William & Mary's Middle Eastern Music Ensemble will perform Arab, Turkish, Persian, Armenian and Greek traditional music. The London-based Naghmeh Ensemble will perform classical Persian music.

"It's a great opportunity to be exposed to the variety of cultures from the Middle East," George said.

Charlotte Henna Upcoming Events:
April 10 - Middle Eastern Festival(Charlotte)
April 16 & 17 - Turkish Festival (Raleigh)
April 24 & 25- Lebanese Festival(Raleigh)
May 1 - Lexington Multicultual Festival (Lexington)

Friday, February 12, 2010

Happy 2010!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

New Mooooon!!

So Charlotte Henna was asked to do a promotional event at the New Moon premiere at Regal Stonecrest in Charlotte. Of course we said yes, and offered Freeeeee henna Twilight-themed henna tatoos to the movie-goers. It was quite the experience.

We got there around 8:30 and the movie wasn't starting until 12:01. There were people already lined up! The theater got really crowded after a while and the line for popcorn was almost out the door.

Some people got really into quotes as henna designs. Our most popular one by far was a quote that said

... And so the lion fell in love with the lamb...