Very Uncharateristic

As I revealed on the main blog, I love egg nog! YAY!!

BUT... I don't really like it with liquor.

I KNOW!!

The whole point of egg nog is for it to be thick. When you thin it out with liquor, it loses some of its fight. I did find a recipe for egg nog french toast which looks both easy and delightful! Can't wait to try it out. Mmmm. Egg nog. That will be the eggiest meal ever since the recipe is egg, egg nog, and bread (powdered sugar for sprinkling), and I can't eat breakfast (the best meal of the day all day everyday!!) without a meat... and of course eggs. Lolol. I'm such an egg fiend. Eggs, I love you. SHOUT OUT TO EGGS!

Do the Polka (Dot)!

I just read Joy's post about a black halter dress with red polka dots and that inspired this post.

I can count on ONE hand how many things I own that AREN'T solid (one color). I picked up somewhere that monochromatic is the way to go if you're petite cause one color elongates... whatever the case, I have a cashmere button down sweater that's horizontal stripes, that gray dress I bought for my cousin's wedding a month ago, and a black , knee-length halter with pastel polka dots all over.

Out of allllllllllllll the clothes in my closet, can you guess which piece is my favorite to wear?

If you guess my polka dot dress, you guessed correct!

I don't know what it is about the dress, no matter how my hair is, my face is feeling, what shoes I'm wearing... you can't tell me NOTHIN'!! I call it my freakum dress, my jazzy dress, my EVERYTHING dress! Being knee-length, its PERFECT for my short stature. being halter, it shows off my arms and back. being polka-dot, it adds whimsy to the ordinary LBD. Which brings me to the post.

Polka-dot. Like red lip-stick, every woman should have a type of polka-dot something in her wardrobe. Whether its multi colored, tiny, ginormous, one color, medium, varying sizes... EVERY.WOMAN.SHOULD.OWN.SOMETHING.WITH.POLKA.DOTS.

Polka-dots break up an mono look without being loud.
No matter the color combination, polka-dots never clash.

WAIT.

PLEASE DON'T WEAR MORE THAT ONE SET OF POLKA-DOTS AT THE SAME TIME. WHAT I MEANT BY THE AFOREMENTIONED COMMENT WAS THAT YOUR SHIRT CAN BE BROWN AND THE DOTS CAN BE RED AND IT'LL STILL WORK.

Polka-dots are the pattern to wear if you're not sure what pattern to wear!! Think you're too big for horizontal stripes? Too skinny for vertical? Hate leopard with a passion? Can't do plaid? Do polka-dots!

There is something about polka-dots that adds an air of classic femininity to whatever you're wearing. Kinda like that red lipstick, polka-dots takes us back to the days when women were women. Please don't get mad when I say this, its okay to be a career woman but, there was something about that Donna Reed era when women took care of house and home, kids came home to a body and not the TV, dad brought home the bacon and families were just that.


On another tip, when a guy has on a solid shirt and jacket, and throws on a polka-dot tie, you pay that much more attention to him cause:

1. you're trying to see if he's really wearing polka-dot
2. you can't believe a guy is wearing polka-dot so you're REALLY trying to see what he's about.

Anyhoo, go out and get some dots in your life!

Controooooool!

(Skip to 3:29 if you only want to hear the song, not watch the entire video short)

My dad brought home Chocolate Lovers Almonds double dipped in dark chocolate. My dad ate half the can in a day which is 1/2 your total fat for the day!! Yesterday I had 2. Ahhh. So good I am. (Mostly because I don't love chocolate like that, but still!) Today I had 4. Ooh. Bad girl. Lol.

Ceviche in, Sushi out

Let me start this with: I hope you're not pregnant. Consuming of raw fish during pregnancy is a no-no.

It's going to be a long nine months when my time comes.

Anyhoo, sushi has been around for THOUSANDS of years. I tried it my sophomore year in high school and wasn't impressed. A shoulder shrug + "eh, it's aight". In the past calendar year, I must have eaten enough sushi to match a japanese emperor. OMG, I HEART SUSHI! Any chance I get, I'm eating it.

The dish that can be raw or cooked, hot or cold, has made a phenomenal impact in the south florida community. Considering that the main cultures in S. Florida are of the Carribean descent, the only asian food we eat here is chinese. Enter the art of Hibachi. With hibachi restaurants entertaining families for the past 20 years in West Palm Beach and i'm sure all over south florida, the Japanese got their foot in the door to intoduce us to sushi. All the "it" people have been doing it for the past year; sashimi and sushi alike. Enter South AMERICA.

Ceviche is a traditional Peruvian dish in which fish is chemically cooked in citrus juices. The temperature of the fish and accompanying veggies (see: onions, bell peppers, hot peppers if you dare, cilantro) never reach 40 degrees. What fish is used? Whatever you like. Yesterday, I had shrimp ceviche that had lime juice, small red and orange bell peppers, onions, cilantro, and bean sprouts in it. DEE-LISH-US. The first time, it was conch cooked in lemon juice; ice cold and scrum-diddley-umshus.

Next time you're in the mood for raw fish, pass on the sushi and ask for the ceviche :-)

Project Runway Recap: Episode 2

(Is this really season 4? Time flies in fashion fun!! All notes taken during the show. Running recap!)

The challenge for this show is to create a two-piece outfit for SJP's new Bitten line at Steve & Barry's.

Did Chris March really just start crying over SJP??? LMAO!! And him sweating and unable to articulate really words of any kind is HILARITY!! Get it together!! And RICKY!! I cannot, I repeat, CANNOT watch you boo hooing this entire season. STOP!! And what's up with that see-thru mesh, gay man's club shirt hat you wear in the confessionals? It makes me vomit.

Of COURSE SJP (Sarah Jessica Parker... please tell me you already knew this.) chooses the cape. Of course she does. Sigh.

I hope the winning design is gorge because I would so love to own this stuff without having to bid online for designs for a European size 2 when I'm an American 2 or even 4, and at least 6 inches too short.

OOOH!! Ricky, Rami or Christian please! (picture me jumping up and down and clapping giddily right now like SJP in that witch movie when she's saying "Amok! Amok! Amok! So funny). I don't do leggings, but Rami dahling, yessss.

Please. Someone tell me, what is a fitted cape?!?! Never heard of such a thing.

Marion's leaving. I just feel it.

ELYSA!!! SPIT MARKER!! SPIT MARKER!?!? She marks clothing with spit. Everyone else uses I don't know, needles, pins, a strand of baby buffalo hair... you... use... SPIT!! You want to "IMBIBE" it with your energy. Look. I can get energy from lots of places. Redbull, Rockstar, Starbucks' crack-like coffee. I can't. BTW that usage of imbibe is considered archaic. Leave it there!! When you use it in that context it makes me think you were drunk when you thought it up. Enough Miss "Haiku of a cut"!

Sweet P. I kind of like her. She started a comment with "apparently working with Elysa, both being from different planets..." HILARITY!! Seriously. What IS the name of your planet, E? I can't believe I like her outfit. I just can't.

Stop it with the leggings!!

Nevermind. I am not at all a fan of Ricky's execution. I want more structure. And I can't stand that belt. Also not feeling Christian's. Ew. The design was ugly now that I have a closer look. Crap jacket and turtleneck dress I already have in black.

HEIDI ASKED ABOUT THE PLANET!!! LOVE IT!! Even better? E's response, "I'm coming to your planet, but with gifts." LOOOOVE. ITTTTTTTT!!

Rami's is ok. I don't like the color. I'm thinking more fitted.

Carmen. Why are you up here CRYING!?! So lame. I can't. I really can't abide by all the tears. Bia bia!! Partner challenge. The designer goes. That's how it works. You can't send someone home for someone else's design. Yeah right. Dry it up!

"Homeless Pocohantas" and "It was melting" for the same 'fit? (BTW LMAO!!) Outta there! Honey you don't have a chance.

Victorya wins. SJP didn't want to hurt feelings. Awww... honey. That's sweet but this is a competition. Somebody's gotta go. MARION! Auf wiedersehen! (duh)

Oh Feta

I thought I liked it. Turns out I only like it when it comes on a Greek dish. I tried to have a "hummus sandwich" as my line sister called it. Hummus, artichokes, and feta on a whole wheat pita. We would've been all good w/o the feta. I'm thinking maybe only on a greek salad but I'm not sure. The feta was really grossing me out on that sandwich. It's hard for me because I rarely meet a cheese I don't like. Cheese platters at weddings and catered events? I'm so there. Stackin up the pepper jack. Lovin it hard. Sigh. Oh feta.

DROOL!!

My dad just walked in w/a fish sandwich on this fabulous crusty bread w/julienned lettuce, tomato and hot sauce-- bangin!! If you want a good fish sammich (yep, I said sammich), get one in a predominately Catholic town. You know, with their whole Lent fish thing. YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMYYYYYYYYYYY!! And apparently there's this place in the Strip District I still need to hit up. He also brought home... a case of Yuengling!! WOOOOOOOOO!! Now if I could just get a Panthers win... UGH!!!! 4-6?!?!

Accessorize Your Clothes!

I know you've seen them everywhere... they are the GINORMOUS faux diamonds that are on everything! I knew they were going to blow the fcuk up when jameil and I came across them in an InStyle two issues ago. I knew that it was going to be the look for the holidays when my mom pulled out her dress for the night wedding and the top of her bodice was adorned with them. I went shopping for a dress for the wedding and would've been remiss if I left this jewel (pun intended) of a dress behind.
(it looks 200% better off the hanger and on a body)

INC made gray look good.


i think gray its relatives are going to be what jewel tones were the past two years. Holiday event? Wear silver, slate, cadet, graphite, almost black, pewter, etc. want to make it pop? get the outfit in silk or satin whenever possible. Have those humongous stones along the neckline and a big cocktail ring, and you're done. Since the gray look connotes 'modern', make sure you have a skinny/sleek clutch; preferably in satin and is in the same family color-wise. The flap can have some goliath stones on it.

Now be careful with this trend. What I advise against are the mammoth stones in color. That looks tacky and contrived. now of course the clear ones aren't real diamonds or even CZ but please don't have what looks like an iced out fruit salad on your clothes.

Swim Time!!

I know this is odd. Especially considering the fact that it's snowing right now. Just flurries, but white stuff is falling from the sky.... but I'm so obsessed with swimsuits right now! I can't help it! Ever since I started really working out on the regular and bought my Victoria's Secret and Rosa Cha bikinis, I can't stop obsessing. I now love bathing suits!!! BIKINIS FOR ALL!! WHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEE!!

Hot & Cold

I just got done eating this salsa. For me, salsa isn't good unless my nose is running and my lips are tingling for a little while after. My sinuses aren't going? This isn't hot! My friends dragged me to Hooters homecoming weekend this year. They have like 6 levels of wing heat from mild to whatever. I think I only picked level 2. It may as well have been mild. So that told me if there are that many levels, the lowest 2 probably aren't hot enough.

My fellow record disher, Stace, is the complete opposite. My homie needs extra mild. EXTRA MILD!! What is that? Can you even consider that salsa? I loooove Mexican food and that means jalepenos and/or chipotles! YUMM!! I tried to find a post about how much I love Mexican food, but there are so many, just go to my main blog and read for days. Know this, I love Mexican food so much I think I should marry a Mexican, in Mexico on Cinco de Mayo and make his mother cook for the reception. Except you know how Latin cultures are. She'll love cooking. Yessss!!

Stace also likes lukewarm beverages. I like mine super cold. Like brain freeze cold. I can drink lukewarm water and that's about it. If you give me some ice cold water, a margarita and some good Mexican, we'll be allll good!!

Perfect Party PJs!!

I got this email from Vickie's Secret today about buying the "Perfect Party PJs!!" What. in. the. bloody. blue. hades??? No indeed. We don't do pajama parties as grown ups. Thanks for asking. And if we were so inclined, guess what, not dressing up for it! I'm not buying special pajamas for a bunch of girls. Thanks Vick! But no thanks. Hampton Alum t-shirt and shorts. Holla at a playa.

most wonderful time of the year

ladies and gents, the cold air is here and its not going anywhere. that doesn't mean your style should!

first and foremost, something i feeel is verrrrrry important: you can't be flashy and fly if you're ashy and dry. bomb shoes with a cracked heel? nice mani with hands that look like you're an old school teacher? (chalk reference). Stop whatever you're using and switch.

*i do realize if you're up north, you shouldn't be wearing shoes that show your heel. i'm really trying to step outside my paradigm*

your whole beauty regime should switch to something that's heavier in the moisturizing sect. Your body wash that was transparent turquoise? switch to the pearlescent or straight up opaque one. Same thing with shampoos. Clear = detergent. pearl or NOT see thru = moisture.

still using that light lotion that smells good? gon head and pack up the summer sh... Lubriderm just came out with intensive lotion that's not water based like their other ones. my pops swears by Lube and everything they come out with. he says they use it in the hospitals and it used to be prescription only. Another good line is Nivea. My GRANDFATHER used and still uses nivea products since the days Niv was in Europe.


now onto the clothes. the modern girls guide to life once said the easy way to look fashionable is with your accessories. It is waaaaaaay cheaper than clothes (sometimes) and versatile. Say you have two peacoats: navy for every day and peach for church. You know how many scarves/mitten combos you can do with those two coats? cute-sy up an ontherwise drab outfit with some colorful earmuffs and gloves to match. Imagine the whole dark look (dark peacoat, pants and boots) popping with dark pink gloves and scarf! Spring up your winter!

SKKKKKKKKKRRRRRRR!!

Did he just say "pair-a-dig-em?" I swear in this MTV commercial Common just pronounced the word paradigm like that. Oh honey. The last syllable is pronounced "dime." Like the currency.

the new manicure

i'm calling it. you know the cover girl nail polish that comes out for halloween? its black crackle and what you do is apply it as a top coat to whatever color you already have on. (it usually comes with orange) What happens as it dries is that is shrinks and the base color peeks thru; it actually looks something like a wall with ivy on it. seeing how dark nail polish is coming back for the fall, flip the script and put some crackle on it.

another thing to do with your nails is use black nail polish (or a very dark purple/maroon) and have the manicurist paint a small semi-circle at the base of your nail with white/cream. almost like a reverse french. i forgot what this particular manicure is called but its very dramatic and 17th century boo-szwah-zee (can't spell the real word).

oh yeah, NO-ONE can go wrong with red nail polish. I have my nails in classic high gloss red and my toes in candy-apple red. like the kind that's on chevys... it has a luster and sheen to it that I'm not wearing closed toe shoes for another month. rain or shine. FCUK HURRICANE NOEL!

Sandwiches

I know, I know. You're wondering if ever I can post about something other than a sandwich.


The answer is no.


Hahahahaha. But seriously, whoever invented the sandwich, and I'm sure it's a much-disputed "fact", this person or these people should be applauded daily. I like to buy sandwich ingredients and go all out. Yesterday for lunch, I made myself a maple ham, honey turkey, swiss and spicy mustard on a whole wheat bun. I know you're saying to yourself, all that sugar! But it was so delicious that I first admired my handiwork (because I can't stand a messy sandwich. I always lovingly place my meats in a way that resembles a sandwich on a commercial.), then took a bite, closed my eyes, moaned, nodded and smiled in wonder, acceptance, and joy. Sheer, unadulterated joy.

Supergroup???

So T.ank had a song... drawing a blank on the title right now... whatever the case, the remix consists of the latest (only?) r&b supergroup. Introducing to all, TG.T bka Tyr.ese, Ginu.wine, & Tan.k.

I'm sorry, did someone send a bat-signal saying we need a group of... super... singers?? Not one of the aformentioned men, I'd consider a "super" singer. They each did alright on their own, in their own time. I'll give Ginuwine's hey day the late 90's. I'm remembering singing "My Po.ny" at the lunch table my freshman year in HIGH SCHOOL! Not quite the musical of today but I digress.

Tyre.se, I can't tell if he's a better actor or singer. He's not all that at either. We'll go with... damn. I can't tell. I do like Tyre.se the most out of this latest compadres. Shouldn't the name of the group be BTGT? I thought he was Bla.ck Ty?

Tan.k, the best singer, the least famous. he conjures up thoughts of the movie 'Almost Fam.ous' cause that's what he is. Okay, okay... freshman year at the Illustrious Ham.pton University... no sophomore year when he was talking about "Take of your clothes, close the door" and yelling other commands for us ladies to do should we be in the same room as him. Yeah...

When was the last time we had a "supergroup"? Ooooh, LS.G!!!! Now them?? I could fux with!!! Ger.ald LeVert (R.I.P), Keith Sw.eat (who I have a love/hate relationship with) and John.ny Gill! Them dudes can/could SANG!! Remember 'My Body'?? How old was I when that came out?? They could come out RIGHT NOW and I'd be excited. Each of them DEF held their own and when they got together it was actually good. and this is coming from a girl who's not too big on r&b dudes. OMG, speaking of headaches, remember when the "Best Man" came out and there was that HORRENDOUS song with RL, Tyrese, and bout 6 other guys?? I wrote about it bout a year and a half ago... no thanks.

the point of this blog is to let you know that people don't form groups anymore. New Edition, Backstreet Boys, Pretty Ricky and the like are all gone with the wind.

P.S. the internet has the best commercial free music!! I'm listening to project vibe which I told y'all about and this awesome 80s station!!

Food Budget

It's no secret I love food. Who doesn't?!!? I actually read this insane article somewhere (I was so appalled I blocked out where I read this; plus I read a bit too much to remember the source of every bad quote, or even every good one.) that said there is a gym that only does strength training and doesn't believe in cardio. Fine. The reasoning for one person, "I believe cardio makes you hungry." (I feel like this was in the ATL JournalConstitution).

HUH!?!?!

We're people... it's natural to get hungry. AND IT'S OKAY!!

Regardless, every once in a while I realize (again) the ridiculous amount of money I spend eating out and decide to bring it to a halt. This week, I said I wouldn't spend any money on food outside the house. I eat sooo much fast food and vending machine food and restaurant food that this exercise was SO HARD!! I ate breakfast at Panera Bread (delish artichoke and spinach souffle and water) on Sunday, and that was the last bit of eating out I did. Tonight I will break out the Tyler's Ultimate cookbook I've never used and go to work! Hopefully I'll have something good to report!

The Real Egg Muffin

When I was in Florida, I had a homemade egg, swiss and veggie sausage on an english muffin. DELISH!! So yummy that when I saw english muffins in the store yesterday, I said to myself, I already have eggs and sweet italian sausage, I'll buy some pepper jack cheese and go to work. I made it this morning and let me tell you, LOVE!! Well worth the 20 minute effort, despite the fact I don't like to spend more than 10 minutes on breakfast. I may make it again tomorrow.

"I want you to hurry up now cuz I can't wait much longer"

Um....

IS IT SEPTEMBER 11TH YET?!?!?!

I'm like fiendin for this Kanye West album. I've enjoyed all the releases thus far. I've heard its bangin from the people who've gotten sneak previews. I heard several of the songs in the club in Miami and EVERYONE gets crunk when it's on! LET'S GET IT!! Just three more days. I know it will be no contest to put 50 out of commission... unfortunately he will stay around. BOOOOOOO!! But I'm buying Kanye's album on the first day anyway.

Fruit & Yogurt Parfait

After my homie Wynel made it for me for breakfast, I decided to use it to impress my coworkers for yet another pot luck. I used cranberry pecan granola, vanilla yogurt, raspberries and blueberries. I don't like blueberries and am not the biggest fan of raspberries. I also do not like nuts in my food. So I didn't like it too much, but I hear it was divine. So! You should give it a try. Just layer each ingredient to make it gorgeous and serve in clear glasses. I used small plastic cups but martini glasses are better for smaller, more intimate settings.

Par example: voila.

michael didn't teach you a lesson??

please look at lil kim

http://movies.msn.com/movies/undressed?photoidx=7

less is more

i think it started in middle school. i mean, my ears have been pierced since i was 4 weeks old and i don't remember choosing what to adorn my lobes with but middle school strikes a fashion chord in my heart... yeah. you start getting extra conscious of everything you wear, accessories have to match perfectly and on and on. whatever the case, i started wearing silver hoops in middle school and they got bigger and bigger each year. by the time i reached my senior year at FAMU, i had thin hoops that were way too big to be bracelets (thanks aldo). it was an ordeal finding the perfect pair of hoops to start out the new school year; i didn't want the ones with a post and a back to it, i didn't want the ones that clasped closed; i wanted the ones that you snap closed, on a hinge. i always found my pair, whether diamond accented, laser cut, polished or smooth, my hoops were bomb. why hoops? i think i thought my head was too big for anything else. no drops, studs, chandeliers, nothing but my hoops.

i had a job interview a couple weeks ago. i knew my ginormous hoops would not be appro-pro so i bought some silver studs. just some balls the size of my pinkie nail. i looked... pretty. like a lady. not saying i was anything less before but just goes to show that less is more wasn't said for no reason.

Portion control?? But why??

Can I tell you how sick I am of the portions. Just because I eat (a lot of) fast food doesn't mean I want to die a slow, fat, painful death. It also does not mean I want the largest possible portion. Arby's doesn't offer small drinks or small fries or small popcorn chicken or small milkshakes. (Arby's is the only thing on the way to my house so I eat there a ridiculous amount and can just about recite the menu including items that have been removed in the last 2 years). I think Wendy's is worse. Do you know they consider a 20 oz. drink a small?!?!? WHAT?!?! I get annoyed when people get on the McDonald's menu and start talking about the movie "Super Size Me." Trust and believe if you eat a high fat, sugar-filled diet ANYWHERE, even if it's at your home, you will end up overweight. At least McD's and Burger King offer a small. And it's an ACTUAL small. Sometimes I want some yummy fries without eating a 2 lb. bag of potatoes. Is that so much to ask!?!?! This is one of my favorite questions because I think I make a lot of very reasonable requests that should just be commonplace. Come on!! Who gets rid of small?!!? And McD's needs to add a baked potato to their menu. They all want us fat. I'm convinced.

Something to Love

i'm at my new place with andrew and he got on his mac book right? under itunes, you can get a constant stream of music that rivals satellite quality for free! i swear, apple/mac came back from the 80s with a vengance!! anyhoo, he clicked on the rnb link and about 50 links came up. we tried this hip-hop meets rnb and reggae link and akon was singing, "but it don't matter, nooooo!" drew despises convict music so he clicked on projectvibe.

can i have this station, like constantly playing in my life??!?!!?!? no commercials, just mix-tape smoothness and great vibes!!! the music is obscure enough for me to constantly click the itunes page to see who's playing and i haven't heard the same thing twice yet! that's DEFINATELY something you can't say for regular radio! at the same time, its not too out there; i've heard amy winehouse, omar, corrine, toni tony, tone, and the wonderful list goes on and on.

so there's a chick i heard on dj jamad's latest mixtape (identity) who just came on this station. kim hill is amel larrieux meets res. check her out. www.myspace.com/iamkimhill

now they are playing d'angelo feat femi kuti and macy gray!!! AWESOME!!

Chipotle Pepper Burgers

grill seasoning
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (found in Mexican section)
1 lb. ground turkey
1 small diced onion

Combine all ingredients (make sure some of the adobo sauce is in your meat). Score the meat (press it in 4 even sections to give you burgers all the same size). Cook on medium high heat about 5 minutes on each side. And deelish!

This is another Rachael Ray recipe and let me tell you. It's spicy but so yumm-o, to quote my girl. Fantastic. The second it hits the pan your nose starts begging to taste. I topped mine with swiss cheese and put them on whole wheat buns. Can't wait to have another tomorrow. Very worth the runny nose and fire scalp! :) If you're wary of spicy, try it with just one pepper and scrape out most of the seeds (which is where the heat lives) and you'll be fine. The smoky flavor is fantastic. I left all the seeds in my peppers. I probably could've scrapped some but I didn't want to lose an ounce of flavor.

Barefoot Contessa

I like what you do. I was a little thrown by your name because seriously who would call themselves that? It's such a Jameil thing to do. THEN your real name is Ina Garten. Huh? I had to figure out whether that was some tongue in cheek reference to your house in the Hamptons. But... it's not. It turns out, I like your food. You are competing with Giada for my 2nd fave woman chef. Obviously Rachael Ray is the first. I only separate my fave chefs/cooks by sex because it's too hard to rank them if I don't. My fave male chefs are Bobby Flay and Tyler Florence. Ty Ty takes the top spot. YOU ARE FANTASTIC!! :)

Accessorize

My fave combo from my trip home THAT I NEVER GOT TO WEAR!! Didn't go to the planned wine and cheese. So much for that. But it was a long strand of pearls, a quilted patent leather clutch, and square-toed patent leather 3-inch heels. Helloooooooo beautiful! :)

What I've Peeped

big watches for chicks are in. Like, men-sized faces on a female-sized wrist. gone are the days of dainty and feminine watches. here are the days of a big man face watch that has feminine attributes like pink mother of pearl dial or tiny pearls as hour markers. i so want and big watch and PLEASE...



not the gaudy and big ass jacob the jeweler watch. those are distastefully too big for ANYBODY'S wrist.



next.

steve madden is making dresses.




who is excited? I AM!!!! I LOVE Steve Madden!!! All his shoes that i own are my favorites! and i have a LOT!! Dreezy, who doesn't "know ANYTHING about girl shoes" noticed my black and white boucle d'orsay peep-toe pumps (daaaaam! that was a lot of description for ONE pair of shoes!). he said, "those shoes look good. i never notice girl shoes cause they all look the same..."

GASP!!! they all look the same!??!?!

"...those must be your boy. you'd leave me for Steve Madden wouldn't you?"

"in a heartbeat! hold my steve madden purse while i try on these icy flip flops. thanks boo, i love u"

LOL

Music Makes Me HIGH!!

So I was frequenting my FAVORITE DJ's site (www.djjamad.com) and decided to go to his myspace page to hear what's been up. I got an AUTOGRAPHED mixtape of his last cut, Afromentals 24: Identity for my b-day and I'm STILL rocking that joint! Yo, if you haven't peeped DJ Jamad, out of the ATL Shawty, you have no idea what you're missing!

So I'm on his page when I scrolled down to see who he has as friends. i literally say, "oh my gosh, who is this FINE specimen of a man?? DJ Rasta Root?? He needs to be my friend. I just want his face to be on my page." So i requested him as a friend and then I chill for a min to listen to his tracks.


FIRE.


Plain and simple. Okay, maybe not fire but defintely right up my alley which may not constiture FIRE to some but to me, its FIRE. He has the old school loops that Jamad won me over by but he's more like ATCQ. He has people flowing over the tracks where Jamad mixes old school with new school. So Rasta has former member of Slum Village, Baatin on a couple of tracks, these chicks named Slick and Rose (I think... out of the A) with Phife Dawg (my FAVE old school MC) of A Tribe Called Quest fame and some other things I'm not familar with but will DEFINATELY get to know in the near future. and I got an iPod shuffle??? its bout to be on!!

Amy Winehouse. I mentioned her in a previous post and I'll mention her again cause her US album came out yesterday for $7.99 at Best Buy. Try improting that ish from UK and be prepared to drop $30 ITS BOMB! SHE'S BOMB! Lauryn meets Motown in it's heyday, that's so the sound!! Check her out on myspace as well!

Paula Deen for Arby's

My dad is forever bringing home this chicken salad sandwich from Arby's. The ingredient list if you will: grilled chicken, apples, grapes, celery, pecans and smothered in mayo. I mean smothered. Do you see that picture? VOMIT!!! That looks like something Paula Deen would make. You know everything is smothered in mayo or butter. Sometimes both. Or a whole lot of ingredients that don't go together. Vomit.

Artichokes

I'd never had one until about 6 months ago. Now it seems everytime I go out I have to have one somewhere in my dish!! I love these things!! GIMME MORE!! WOW! Too deelish. Mmmmm mmmmm!! Thank God for being a foodie. How else would I know about these culinary delights?

Today's artichoke wonder? Turkey artichoke panini on basil pesto foccacia from Panera Bread. It took all the self control of my LIFE not to eat the whole thing instead of saving half for lunch tomorrow AND buy another. Wow.

YIKES! I just read the "nutrition" info. 107% of my daily sodium, 38 grams of fat, 840 calories!! DAMN!! Good thing I hate half of it and went to the gym! Good gracious! That is oooookay. I still love me some sandwiches.

less is more

i'm sick again. sudafed PE, zicam dissolving tabs, advil cold and sinus, vicks sinex... what else can i take? is less really more when you have a cold? and they say as a teacher, i'm going to have a 9 month cold that lasts about 30 years. at least mommy buys the good tissues with lotion on them :-)

now onto the real post.

i went to bed at 7pm last night. i woke up at 11 and did nothing. dreezy called me to let me know that thicke was on letterman performing the song we love so much. robin thicke was singing 'lost without you' with a drummer, keys, bass and acoustic guitar. guys, it was soooooooooooooo beautiful!!!!! i love that song and love it even more seeing it live. he has the whispering/singing thing that has to grow on me but it was still presh. no dancers or singers, just his voice and minimalist instrumentation. now on leno, fergie was performing her latest. famous? luxurious? obnoxious? fabulous?

i know, its glamorous. how many songs are we going to have like that? must gwen (who's not been getting it for me lately) do everything and WGs follow?

whatever the case, she had hella musicians, singers, and dancers who doubled as assistants bring her props like cell phones, things to sign, hair brushes and a coat (like she's james brown) BUSY!! her set was busy as hell and with ALL THAT, it STILL didn't disguise the fact she CAN'T SING!!! I was disgusted with her performance and what honestly made me 'madder' was all the fluff. as the fashion world states time and time again,

less is more

i believe coco chanel said, "before you leave the house, take two things off"

how bout we take fergie off?

Stress Reducing Food

a la Dreezy cause he knows
1. i'm a teacher
2. i have a MM

1. Berries, any berries
Eat them one by one instead of M&Ms when the pressure's on. For those tough times when tension tightens your jaw, try rolling a frozen berry around in your mouth. And then another, and another. Since the carbs in berries turn to sugar very slowly, you won't have a blood sugar crash. The bonus: They're a good source of vitamin C, which helps fight a jump in the stress hormone cortisol

2. Guacamole
If you're craving something creamy, look no further. Avocados are loaded with B vitamins, which stress quickly depletes and which your body needs to maintain nerves and brain cells. Plus their creaminess comes from healthy fat. Scoop up the stuff with whole-grain baked chips-crunching keeps you from gritting your teeth.

3. Mixed nuts
Just an ounce will help replace those stress-depleted Bs (walnuts), give you a whopping amount of zinc (Brazil nuts)-it's also drained by high anxiety-and boost your E (almonds), which helps fight cellular damage linked to chronic stress. Buy nuts in the shell and think of it as multi-tasking: With every squeeze of the Nutcracker, you're releasing a little bit of tension.

4. Oranges
People who take a 1,000 mg of C before giving a speech have lower levels of cortisol and lower blood pressure than those who don't. So lean back, take a deep breath, and concentrate on peeling a large orange. The 5-minute mindfulness break will ease your mind and you'll get a bunch of C as well.

5. Asparagus
Each tender stalk is a source of folic acid, a natural mood-lightener. Dip the spears in fat-free yogurt or sour cream for a hit of calcium with each bite.

6. Chai tea
A warm drink is a super soother, and curling up with a cup of aromatic decaf chai tea (Tazo makes ready-to-brew bags) can make the whole evil day go away.

7. Dark chocolate
Okay, there's nothing in it that relieves stress, but when only chocolate will do, reach for the dark, sultry kind that's at least 70% cocoa. You figure if the antioxidant flavonoids in it are potent enough to fight cancer and heart disease, they've got to be able to temper tension's effects.

Luda, Sit Down

Know what? I hate that he wants to bitch and moan about Oprah. I really do. Don't try to be hard and then get mad because you say she doesn't care about hip hop. But why should she though? She's a 55-year-old BILLIONAIRE. Hip hop is not her core audience. You don't watch her show, do you? Would you even know if she had hip hop people on there? And Oprah will call you out WHICH YOU ALREADY KNOW so I really doubt you want to appear on there. Her white audience will be stomping and cheering and you'll really get pissed.

Remember when she said you should stop calling women bitches and hoes and you said women should stop calling each other bitches and hoes. True indeed. But that DOES NOT give you license to further perpetuate it and go all out to call women bitches and hoes and talk about all the area codes your hoes are in and how you have the red light district and on and on and on you go about your hoes. Why don't you actually give uplifting a shot.

Oh, "Runaway Love"? Yeah that's alright but it rings kind of hollow when your preceeding single was "Shake Your Moneymaker" complete with half-naked girls, snakes and piles of money they're rolling around in. Yeah.. real uplifting.

So I'm sure you heard about his Grammy appearance. He called out OPRAH AND BILL O'REILLY IN THE SAME SENTENCE. You should be shot. Let's not talk about how much Oprah has done for the black community. Maybe you do stuff Luda, but she has mobilized MILLIONS to not only commend her for what she's done but to MOVE. Stop smellin yourself and recognize. Fool. Clay Cane thinks you're stupid, too.

Grilled Cheese Chef

You should be ashamed to come on Food Network and call yourself that. So you went to culinary school and perfected the grilled cheese? The best ways to slice the cheese and the bread? Any julienning involved? Get out of here. This dude is like the cheese can't be to thin. Thick enough and its just right. Just about any bread works. We like to switch it up with provolone cheese. The best side dish is tomato soup...

I hate that you have made money off of crap I wouldn't even eat as a child. I hated grilled cheese unless it had ham on it (it is nearly impossible to get me to eat a meatless meal and a sandwich? as a child, then answer would have been hell no. no wish sandwiches, sugar sandwiches or mayonnaise sandwiches for me. you may have been cut for even suggesting it.) and tomato soup is disgusting.

I'm JUST starting to eat tomatoes and they have to be firm and ripe. If they are soggy, prepare to incur my wrath. I don't want your leftover, throwaway tomatoes. I've always loved ketchup and Italian food (spaghetti must have meat sauce of course) but I really cannot see myself ever eating the pureed tomato crap that is soup. EW!

If you're gonna call yourself a chef, at least be a real sandwich chef. Seriously. I'm a sandwich connoisseur (stop hatin, that page made me drool) and I know a good one when I see one. Cheese (no matter what kind) and bread ain't it.

Cashmere Socks

I have two pair. Got them from the gap. They are adorable and fabulous. They were on sale. Who has cashmere socks? *cups mouth and tilts back* "PIMP TIGHT!" Hilarious.

This Weekend's list

I saw and heard some things and thought only of the Record Dish whose name I thought was going to be changed...

I saw Smokin Aces on Saturday. Good idea, bad execution. The plot was a mob boss wants this key witness killed and literally wants his heart. Killers for hire hear the word on the street and the games begin.

1. ben affleck and his two man crew (a baldwin bro and someone else) were wack. the whole movie could've done without their parts. their boss (jason bateman) played his part well
2. the tremor brothers were good (no names)
3. Alicia Keys was surprisingly good as was her partner in crime, Taraji Henson
4. this spanish torture dude was good/sexy
5. this eastern european master of disguise was good and creepy
6. Andy Garcia was an FBI director; straight
7. Ray Liotta played his FBI agent part well!
8. I wish Jeremy Pivens (Ace) part was developed WAAAAAAAY more
9. so and still in love with Ryan Reynolds who played a serious role for the 1st time really well
10. Common's part was extra as hell. superfluous. and he had this whole soliloquy at the end that made me mad. not everyone can be mos def and act and rap. it was common in a movie as opposed to whoever his character was.
11. the ending/movie was thrown together and had too many unanswered questions. i would wake up in the middle of the night to ask Drew about the characters and their specific plot. i thought I missed something but nothing was there to be missing.

so yeah, this movie had hella people in it. reduce it by 50% and let quentin taratino direct it, i bet it would've been AWESOME!

that was viewing. as for listening, who here misses L. Boogie? well, the dude who developed her on the low has this chick named amy winehouse who when i heard, thought Lauryn had a new album coming out. british chick who sounds like lauryn HANDS DOWN!

Shrimp with Roasted Red Pepper Cream

i think i'm turning vegetarian...






i'm not. i love my hamburgers too much and still haven't gotten to that 16oz joint at Cheeseburger Cheeseburger

serves 6

1 (7oz.) package vermicelli
1 (12oz) jar roasted red bell peppers, drained
1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup vegetable broth
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
2 lb. peeled cooked shrimp
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1. prepare pasta according to package directions, omiting salt and oil. keep pasta warm

2. process red peppers and next 4 ingrediant i nbender or food processor until smooth, scraping down the sides. pour mixture into a large skillet

3. cook over medium heat, stiffing often, 5 inutes or until throuoghly heated. add shrimp and cook, stirring occassionally, 2-3 min or just until shrimp turn pink. remove from heat. serve over hot cooked pasta. sprinkle with basil

I Know I'm Not Wrong

My fellow managers here have a similar outerwear fetish, though obviously Stace doesn't need it. So today I was saying I've decided I'm going to become the stylist for new Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin's wife. She's adorable and I liked her outfit for the occasion (black and gold wrap dress with black knee high boots), but she had on a green pea coat and was carrying a brown bag. I said, her clothing should match her outerwear.



**crickets**



My director looked at me like I was nuts. What?

No one else does this? It's like do the shades match the drapes? You wouldn't dye your hair without dyeing your... just kidding... but I always match my outerwear to my clothing. That's why I have I think 5 jackets, 4 scarves (need more), had 3 pairs of earmuffs but one pair broke. Ash hates on me but its my thing. I love earmuffs. I think they're adorable. Maybe that's why the other day the waiter asked me if I'd just turned 21. It could also have something to do with the fact that I had on these bright green, pink, yellow and blue striped rain boots and turquoise leather gloves. I know it sounds horrid, but Stace and I have discussed in painstaking detail how you cannot describe anything, no matter how gorgeous with more than 2 colors or it sounds hideous and overdone. Best to leave it to the imagination or show pictures, right? I know. But I don't have a digital camera yet... I know. I said I have to buy one before the next time I see Kyle. So in about 2 weeks!

Back to the point. My outerwear. I was like, I only have 5 coats. A brown/black wool tweed, a black/white wool herringbone, a short beige cotton pea coat, a pink/white long wool pea coat, a gold/red/green flower-embroidered pea coat (don't start. we've already talked about naming multiple colors), a black hooded wool car coat (which I never wear anymore), and a short black snorkel (you know the coats with the fur-trimmed hood). Oops. I guess I lied to her. I have 7. But I only wear 6 AND I look damn fly doin it. Haters are gonna hate. Hahahahaha.

Furthermore, I still need a red coat and a cream one. They both must be wool pea coats in the appropriate color and style. I don't do double-breasted and am very picky about my reds. I found a perfect cream one at the end of last season but they didn't have my size. I've been on the hunt for the perfect red coat for at least 3 years and I'm not giving up. Ever. *maniacal laughter*

Men at Work

I'm not sure if what the deal is... maybe cause i've been watching more t.v. than usual or maybe cause I have a BF... i've been paying a lot more attention to men's clothing.

nah. i've always paid attention to what a guy wears. the t.v. part comes in because its apparently when i see the most men. what are they wearing? PIN-STRIPES!

OMG, everybody who is a somebody is wearing pin-stripes. as with everything else men wear, do it with parent/girlfriend/female supervision. Watching MSNBC with Mom Dukes showed me that Olberman canNOT rock the pinstripes correctly. he reminded me of the black and white cartoon rivals from MAD... in the same person! His suit was gray, his stripes were black and too thick and they were too far apart. Wrong. Now Brian Williams, Colbert, and (what's the Irish guy's name? hannerty?) were rocking their DARK suit with a thin gray stripe VERY well.

I'm telling you, pin stripe is the CRAZE! I LOVE it! if its done well.

Another thing I've noticed about men who are somebodys is their tie.

1. the color that is in and looks good on all complexions is BRIGHT BLUE. OMG, love it with a pin-stripe suit and a stark white shirt. i've seen a pale blue and that looked good too.

2. the knot. don't want no obnoxiously fat knot but you look anal retentive when you knot is too tight/small. i forget the names of the various knots but no loose or tight booty ones

3. not a friend of patterns... damn sure hate those ones that remind me of holiday sweaters. what are they called, whimsical? save whimsy for a bedtime story. there is no reason your tie should light up, sing, move, or have attachments. so you like to bowl? don't want to know that on your tie. NO UGLY TIES!

My last point abt men at work is this:

DO NOT FOLLOW THE LEAD OF THE MEN ON ESPN!!!! ESPECIALLY NOT SAL PAOLANTONIO and Miami Boy MICHAEL ERVING!! OMG, i know the women on that channel don't dress them cause they could use some help too but DAMN!!! Don't they have wives, mistresses, girlfriends, sisters, cut buddies, etc. to say, "babe, that brown and gray pinstripe you wore with the blue and puprle plaid shirt wasn't getting it. especially when you threw in that velvet orange and red tie...that was polka dot."

okay so they aren't that bad but Michael did have a velvet suit on one day and Sal be rocking them doo-doo brown suits with some clashing colors all dee time! don't do it to yourself.

class dismissed.

Cupcakes

Me and my sister have been practicing our cupcaking. Every weekend until March 10 we will be trying a new recipe. She wants a cupcake tree for her baby shower. Normally I don't think the mother-to-be participates in putting the shower together, but this heffa is nosy as hell so nothing is a surprise. So she gets to make her own cupcakes. She makes a really good pound cake (no i'm not sharing the recipe, cuz i don't know it), so we've been experimenting with different flavors of that one cake recipe. So far its been regular pound cake and chocolate. I'm on the decorating committee. I make the frosting and decorate the cakes. Her shower colors are: brown, pink, teal and lime.

First batch was ok. Buttercup Bakeshop has a Cookbook. They have really good cupcakes. So I made a golden cake with buttercream frosting. Cake was too dense, and frosting was too thin. Didn't have cupcake liners to fit in the large cupcake pan. So once i finished decorating, i put the cupcakes in the fridge without an airtight container. Next day they were rock hard.

Second batch was tasty but ugly. We didn't use liners because when she makes her cakes she sugars the pan, giving the cake a nice sweet & sugary crust. No luck with that in a cupcake pan. We filled the cups to high, the tops overflowed creating a pancake effect on top of the pan that we forgot to grease. The tops were to heavy so when it came time to take the cupcakes out of the pan the tops fell off. So we ended up with flat square top sandwich cupcakes. I had to use the frosting as a glue in order to keep the top and the bottoms together. I also didn't have a large enough cake decorating tip, so my frosting designs were not how I envisioned. However I found a better buttercream frosting recipe that had a better consistency and tasted really good. All in all the cupcakes were banging they just didn't look professional. My father suggested going to Sam's and ordering 60 cupcakes.

Third batch was banging. Used the pound cake recipe but added cocoa powder. Used bright pink cupcake liners that dyed the pan pink from the cooking spray. We only filled the cups 3/4 of the way and sprayed the top of the pan. These came out perfect. I added chocolate syrup to my frosting and had the right decorating tip. I sprinkled a little pink edible glitter and we were good to go. These cupcakes looked like they came from a bake shop.

Next week either carrot cake, pink velvet or keylime.

Adventures in Food

A can of cream of chicken, a can of cream of mushroom, some white rice, some pepper, water, then diced onions added as an afterthought.

Voila.

Dad's get well soup creation. He implored me to taste it. I passed. Not because it didn't smell good, and not because he wasn't ranting and raving over it through hacking coughs. I just wasn't hungry. I said I'd take some for lunch the next day. I went upstairs and went to sleep shortly thereafter.

The next day I come downstairs, open the container and am stumped. What is that? There are some brown masses in there. At first I think mushed beans or congealed beef fat or something, but the consistency is not right in the mostly yellow soup. Hmmmm.. I was going to take some, but I was too disturbed by the brown mystery. It's usually not a good thing in the refrigerator.

I erred on the side of caution and put that bad boy back where I got it from.

Later that day....

"Dad."

"Yes?"

"What was that brown stuff in the soup?"

"Oh I put a little bit of everything I could find in there."

"But what was the brown stuff."

"Roast beef from Arby's."

WTH.

"Oh. I didn't know what that was."

"You need to be more adventurous with food."

Oh hell no. You put some mystery meat in a bowl and I'm just supposed to eat it? Pass. Adventurous with food is me trying polenta, capers or lentils for the first time just because I've seen them on the Food Network. Adventurous is me being willing to try an Indian buffet though I've never had Indian before. ADVENTUROUS is me buying anchovy paste even though I've never eaten an anchovy to my knowledge, JUST because Rachael Ray said I should try it even if I think I don't like anchovies because when it cooks down it tastes nutty and not at all fishy. Please don't try me like that ever again.


Thanks.