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Need some gift ideas but not trying to break the bank? Here are a few things that have caught my eye...
For the reader...
For the person on the go...
The Sharper Image Travel Charging Valet
For the Eco- Friendly lover...
The Bedol Eco-Friendly Water Drop Clock
For the girlie girl...
Bare Escentuals bareMinerals Pure Luxuries Collection and the Tarte Three Carats Mini Cheek Stain Set. Both sets are available at www.sephora.com
Today, in my parallel universe, I am a deadly, dangerous, desirable assassin sent to destroy a master manipulator.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone
I'm thankful for all of my family and friends that show me so much love and support. My life is always full and it's great to feel your love everywhere I go.
I'm also thankful for this gargantuan sweet potato from a family members garden that has made the best sweet potato casserole ever!
Thankfully Rae
Guess where i'll be. Under the covers nice and cozy. I'm not one to get up super early on the day after thanksgiving. I'll still be recovering from my food coma and rum punch.Here are some online deals for those like me who like to stay home.
Apple is having a secret black friday sale. The ribbon and wrapping doesn't come off until Friday morning. I'll be curious to see what they pull out of their bag.
Leap Frog has Leapster gifts, accessories, and books on sale. Some are under $5.
Lane Bryant is having a 40% off sale online until midnight on 11/29. It does not include Spanx or intimates.
Rosa Mexicano Restaurants is offering a 30% bonus when you purchase a $100 gift card. So if you make it out to the stores and don't feel like going to home to heat up thanksgiving leftovers, split the gift card with friends and have some guac and pomegranate margaritas for me!
Red Envelope is offering 15% Off Store-wide. They have the BEST gifts.
Sephora is offering the above bag, free with a $25 purchase. The code offer is TOTE09. It Begins on Friday.
New York & Company's black friday sale is going on NOW online. It doesn't start in stores until friday
Sony is offering a free Blu-Ray player or PS3 player. This sale is going on NOW.
Gap is offering 50% off of Mens and Womens Sweaters and Kids and Baby Fleece styles.
OK, so I don't know if you caught the AMA's last night but I saw just enough to decide that it was awful with a couple exceptions. I enjoyed Alicia Keys and Jay-Z's performance and Green Day's performance, but someone please tell JLO that it is time for her to stop it. "It" being the madness, her madness. I don't care that she tried to come out like Hillary Swank in Million Dollar Baby. I do care that she busted her behind and that she is too old to be dancing around in sneakers on stage.
Oh LJo.
Hosting Thanksgiving Dinner or taking a dish to your host or hostess this year? I have found a few recipes that are sure to be crowd pleasers. Stay tuned this week for more holiday recipes.
HOME MADE CRANBERRY SAUCE
INGREDIENTS:
12 oz bag fresh cranberries
3/4 cup orange juice
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
Optional: 2 oz gold rum
DIRECTIONS:
Place all the ingredients in a sauce pan and cook on medium-high for 15-20 minutes or until most of the liquid has reduced – stirring occasional. You’ll hear the cranberries popping – don’t worry, that’s what you want them to do. Remove from heat and serve. Cranberry sauce can be made days ahead and brought to room temperature or slightly heated before serving. Makes approximately 2 cups. (Recipe credit goes to www.savorysweetlife.com)
SWEET POTATO SOUP
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup onion (chopped)
2 stalks celery (chopped)
1 leek (chopped, white and pale green parts only)
1 clove garlic (chopped)
3 sweet potatoes (peeled and cut unto 1 inch cubes)
4 cups chicken stock (or vegetable broth)
1 stick cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons maple syrup
salt and pepper to tasteDIRECTIONS:
Melt the butter in a large sauce pan. Add the onions and saute for 5 minutes. Add the celery and leek and saute for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the sweet potatoes, chicken stock, cinnamon and nutmeg and bring to a boil. Reduce the head and simmer until the sweet potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick. Puree the soup with a hand blender or in a blender or food processor in batches. Add the milk and maple syrup and heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (Recipe credit goes to www.closetcooking.com)
INGREDIENTS:
.5 oz Sylk Cream Liqueur
2 oz Vanilla vodka
.5 oz Pumpkin liqueur (or pumpkin spice syrup)
1 tsp Whipped cream
Garnish: cinnamon stick
DIRECTIONS:
Pour the Sylk Liqueur and vodka into a shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Add the pumpkin liqueur or syrup. Shake again. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Top with a teaspoon of whipped cream. Garnish with a cinnamon stick. (Recipe credit goes to www.hostesswiththemostess.com)
MAN OF THE WEEK
Jesse Williams is an up and coming actor. Not only is this man gorgeous he is also intelligent and focused on his focus. The 28 year old actor graduated from Temple University with a degree in African American Studies and Film Arts. Jesse has stared in Grey's Anatomy and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants II. We have also seen him play Rihanna's leading man in her new "Russian Roulette" video.
Jesse is engaged to a Brooklyn real estate agent. Ladies, if you bring you super tight game, maybe you can steal him before he ruins it for us. Congrats to the happy couple. Welcome to our lives, Jesse.
Earlier in the year, I made a pledge to communicate more with my friends and family. It has worked for most, but not for all (click the link to read the post). Some people are just happier not talking about certain things. They would rather just feel how they're going to feel and have you feel how you're going to feel. And that's it. There's no in-between.
In the post I stated that my brother thought that it was a bad idea to be so open to my mom because i'd never bring her to my mode of thinking. I'll think that i'm doing a good thing by sharing everything and saying oh, so and so is having a birthday, so i'll be at her house next weekend. My mom will say ok. That sounds nice. Have fun. But then she'll sit down with the rest of the family about how I completely ignored her that weekend and I never see her. Completely skipping over all of my other attempts and the fact that I told her about it months ago.
It's what I call the NAATT mode. Many of you parents go through it with your toddlers and teens. I'm sure that I had it back in the day. So maybe this is get back for me.
NAATT mode is never/always/all the time. In a pre-teen it's when everything angers them. They can't give you a specific example, but there's no way for you to make them happy.
Child: Why can't I go back outside, you never let me do anything. You're so mean to me.
Parent: When are we mean to you
Child: Always.
Parent: Like when
Child: All the time
And then he'll go into the time when he was 5 and his parents bought him one pokemon game instead of two. He'll skip the last 7 years where he's gotten to go to basketball camp, gotten two game systems, gone to nba games that he wanted, etc.
Again, I know I had it. Who knows, although I work hard at not getting it, maybe it'll slip in again. It would be nice if we left this in childhood, but we often don't. Sometimes we go through periods where there's no pleasing us. So I have to recognize when that moment hits my loved ones and I have to leave people alone. My trying to work through it and communicate isn't going to help the situation and when my efforts aren't appreciated, I get frustrated. So in the end, we're both fuming.
So I'm rethinking my pledge of communication. Just because I think that it's better to communicate, does that mean that it's best for everyone? Communication will always be the first thing that I try but I have to learn not to force it on people. I'll always be closer to those who I can be open with, but I don't have to be super close to everyone.
I guess i'm just more bothered when people don't talk and spread skewed stories. It's like finding out that your best friend is telling lies about you behind your back. You don't want to care, but you know that you do. As a result, I try not to do the same. Everyone needs to vent. I keep my venting circle very small. This includes all of you :). While certain people anger me, I don't want others to pass judgment on them and see them in a negative light, so I tend not to share with everyone. There are things that bother me about my brother, cousins, parents, etc, but if someone else says something about them. It's gonna be on. So why should I contribute to the madness.
It's such a cliche' but I have to keep the serenity prayer running through my head because you can't change people and you probably shouldn't try:
"Lord grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
I'm learning the difference.
That's the mantra that you hear when you call the W hotel in Washington DC.
I recently came up with the ultimate plan for my birthday this year. I'd get a few of my friends together and host a "cocktail party." I wanted to learn how to make cocktails as well. I wanted a place with knowledgeable bartenders and and a beautiful vibe. Of course, the Wwas at the top of my list. They have a great lounge on the top floor called the POV-Rooftop Lounge and Terrace.
I didn't see the service offered on their website, but gave them a call to see if they could accommodate. They instantly accommodated and it was one of the best experiences ever! The lounge is super sexy. The bartenders aren't your typical cutie airheads. They could probably explain the history of a cherry and then tie it with their tongue.
Our bartender/hosts were Logan and Joe. They were great to learn from. They answered all of our questions and kept us entertained. And most importantly, they were scrumptious eye candy. Oh, and apparently, Logan likes yellow pants, so if you want to get his attention, wear em.
I've never liked typical martinis. Mine always had to be dirty. I always thought that regular vodka martinis tasted like gasoline. Even with premium vodka. They tasted like shots, which I can take out of a shot glass, but not drink a whole martini glass of. Plus, I don't do shots anymore...in public...often..ok, I do. But after talking with the bartenders at the W, I learned that I didn't like them because they were being made wrong.
We were going to learn the difference between two vodka martinis, one shaken and one stirred. They said that they tasted different. So typical me is thinking, yeah right. One taste like premium and the other, unleaded. They prepared the martinis, one shaken and one stirred, and i'll be hot damned. They tasted completely different and they were both great! They didn't have the gasoline taste at all. I've now learned that I'm a stirred martini drinker. I liked it a little better than shaken.
We also learned that the cosmos that we were drinking were basically cranberry and lemon juice on ice. The bartenders at the W make them the way that the originator intended. It should taste light and airy. Not like fruit juice. They'll tell you the history behind that too.
I'd originally planned for a lesson with 10 of us, due to people being late and catching us at dinner, there were only 4 (gotta love my friends). But I think that it worked out better with four of us. We got to ask more questions and get more info. With 10, it may have been a little hard to hear and all to follow.
Here are some things that I learned and if you go to the W early, before they get too busy, I'm sure that you can learn a lot more.
I can't say enough how much I enjoyed this lounge and the staff. Even the bar backs were on it. They were there with stirrers before we knew that we needed them. I could've sworn that they wiped up water from the ice before it even melted. But that could've been that cosmo.
Happy Friday Eve!
So I was lying in bed this morning trying to convince myself to get up, hit the shower, and hustle to work, when I caught an interesting segment on the Today Show.
My friends and I have been talking about this Sammy Sosa thing since it hit the news last week. I'm sure that everyone has seen the picture of his new "lightened" appearance. His official statement was that "It's a cream that I have, that I use to soften [my skin], but has bleached me some. I'm not a racist, I live my life happily." He also said, "What happened was that I had been using the cream for a long time and that, combined with the bright TV lights, made my face look whiter than it really is. I don't think I look like Michael Jackson."
Now. To each it's own. I've learned from friends of various ethnic backgrounds that skin bleaching in both indian and latin cultures is very common. The U.S. isn't the only place that has had color issues.
While talking about this at work a few points were brought up that I had to think about. How is this any different than women who wear foundation or false lashes to enhance certain features on their face? Or women who wear Spanx and Body Miracle suits to appear thinner? As a sidebar, it was a man who said this and he doesn't practice nor understand why we go through any of it. When it comes to Spanx and other foundation garments, I'm a fan for life! But I guess he has a point.
My biggest issue is why he doesn't just admit it and bring the issue to light. I mean really. To say that you use a cream to soften your skin and it just "happens" to have a bleaching agent in it. Give me a break. I can hook him up with some great estheticians that can make his skin look like butta. He can talk to Halle and Diddy. Their skin is always smooth.
It always reminds me of one of my favorite movies, Imitation of Life. It has to be a horrible feeling, not being comfortable in your own skin. I can't imagine what that feels like. I wonder what his family thinks. If it's a culture thing, maybe they are all for it. But I wonder if there are some that feel like he's ashamed of them. I don't think that it makes him a racist. Just insecure.
I love my caramel skin and am often amused when people of different shades or ethnicities walk up and put their arm next to mine to compare and say "wow, i'm almost your complexion." Yeah, ok. Get back in the sun.
I think that these people need better PR reps. Haven't they learned that the public can't easily be fooled. Things go away a lot quicker when you just own what you do. Or just say "It's none of your d**n business." In my opinion, it's not even the actual bleaching that makes him seem weak and insecure. It's his need to hide it and offer such a lame explanation. Again, either tell me the truth, tell me it's none of my business, or work on a great lie. Don't give me a lame one that just popped in your head. Put some effort into it. Show me you care.
What do you think?
In other news, the dress his wife wore below was fabulous!
Of course I had to seek out black lace looks that I love. Take a peek
Image: Storm of X-Men from Fan Pop
Life brings adversity. At some point or points during your days on this earth you will be faced with misfortune, and as misfortune would have it, that tribulation will manifest when you are not prepared for it.
Budget cuts, poor sales, loss of clients, reorganization, restructuring and/or any other factor that results in employee layoffs have touched every industry. Many believe that only the private sector has contributed to the jobless numbers but the local governments have contributed to those numbers as well. IT professionals, consultants, lawyers, and teachers are just a few of those who have been laid off at the private and government sectors. In both sectors, I have friends who have been bequeathed with the henchman-like duty of laying off coworkers. They have felt guilt at being the one that handed down the bad news and relief that they survived another round of the companies lay offs. Now they work with one eye on their backs to be on the other end of those job cuts. As would be expected, the anxiety and panic of hoping to keep their jobs and hustling to send out resumes is taking its toll.
As for my friends who have been laid off, stress does not begin to describe their emotions. As a contract employee who has had significant employment obstacles this year, I share that stress. Once abundant contract opportunities have become scarce. While life has dealt much tougher realities, lay offs can be uniquely daunting when you have a mortgage and kids who rely on your to provide. So, now what? What do you do when you have been laid off? Easy. You look for another job. What do you do when jobs are few and far between or you are just one of hundreds or thousands applying for a single position? What do you do when employers are offering salaries that are significantly less than your skill set previously demanded? Well, you take it or try your luck and hold out for another opportunity. However, there are many that have not had the fortune of being offered a position.
Whether you are the designated henchman who now waits for your own ax to fall or a laid off employee, perhaps the time has come for you to reinvent yours. This, like most things, is easier said than done. First and foremost, you have to determine your goals, access your skills, and evaluate the means you have to reinvent. Are you going to go back to school? Are you going to switch professions? Do you need to rework your resume? Are you going to start your own business? Are you going to downsize your lifestyle and start again? No matter what you choose make the choice because it is something that you are legitimately interested in and not something that you think you should do. Success should always include happiness. This is an opportunity to do some soul searching. Whatever your situation, try not to internalize and be too critical of yourself. Sometimes things are what they are. There will be times when you are on top of the world and other times when the world is on top of you. Regroup and push forward. To keep things in perspective, be sure to continue to engage in the things that bring you joy.
Because these are stressful times, please be aware of symptoms of depression. The symptoms include, but are not limited to, the following...
On a lighter note... Here is my Fashion Fantasy Look of the Day
Today, in my parallel universe I am a bouncer at a Hollywood Awards Show.
Women are as complex as men proclaim but from that complexity come the most beautiful things. From the technique of the smoky eye, to the perfect lip, to having nothing to wear, to a never ending range of emotions, women are bold, sensitive, sweet and sour.
The spirit and intent of this blog is to offer and share with women around the world insight into our vast complexities – whether beautiful or scarred.
