Happy New Years!!!!

I hope you're all enjoying your evening. Be safe and I'll speak to you all in the new year.
2016 is going to be full of ACTION, SUCCESS, LOVE and PROSPERITY... so to sum it all up...
IT'S GOING TO BE LIT!

Time to Reflect

Exactly 1 year ago I posted on a few other things that I came across including a book and a little video by Oprah. I've posted about meditation and the benefits of taking the time to listen in a previous post (here:laying the seeds for a new you). It happens every year during the time of reflection on the past year that we open ourselves up to trying to improve upon self. It's called resolutions when in actuality it's just a plan to try to find your happy place. Those of you with small "resolutions" should be happy. It actually means that you're right on track and content. For those of us who seek improvement and use the new year as the starting point for fresh beginnings, there is nothing wrong with improvement. It's great to seek out ways to enrich your life.

On that list of improving it should also include how you plan to enrich those around you. You should always strive to be a better you but don't forget that you impact others and your  improvement can be a benefit to those around you. There are 3 traits that not only help you to be a happier person, these traits also help your friends and family to be better themselves.

Get your money right!

I admit when I have faults and financial management is a tool that I look forward to fine tuning in 2016. We all work to achieve better lifestyles and to support our families but little actually know how to make your money really stretch and grow. Money management is not taught in schools and beyond the basics of paying for bills and necessities, most don't really know how to make our money work for us. I'll be the first to admit that I need lots of help here but I have a hard time paying someone thousands of dollars to dictate to me what I should do with my money (maybe that's part of my problem LOL). So to save a bit we look for financially savvy individuals who offer morsels of wisdom for free.

I came across this woman's story of financial independence at the right time so I decided to share with my favorite group of internet friends. I was reading and doing research on another topic for a post and the story of Tiffany Aliche popped up for me in my feed (read here: huffingtonpost). She recalls her past of great hardship and struggle which ultimately led her to her calling of helping other women lay out a better financial road map. Luckily for Tiffany she has found her calling in life that serves a purpose and helps others which is what we're all here to do. I don't think it's ironic at all that she lost her job and relationships only to discover her life's work. The universe is always working to show us our true purpose and path but you have to idle and humble yourself to really hear what the universe has to say. The universe helps us at times by forcing us to slow down and take it in. It's up to us to listen. I took the pledge to get my finances in order with Tiffany in 2016. I figured I could get some advice (hopefully the free advise helps because I love FREE)  and what better way then with a group. I'm always open to learning new things and benefiting from those who provide guidance. I'll follow up in 2016 with post on what I get from the group. For those who join then I guess we'll be learning at the same time.

Another Year... Another day to re-invent yourself

As we begin to close out another year it's a must to reflect on what you've learned this past year. Everyday is a chance to learn something new and experience new things. Have you filled your days with new things? Do you feel that you're living to your fullest potential? If you do then you're extremely blessed. But for those who are still seeking new experiences or looking to find your passion then today is a new day to move in the right direction.

So that leads us to the how's.  How do you break out of the pattern that you've set for yourself? How do we break out of our individual norms? The trick is not to try one big thing expecting a big bang change but to do little subtle changes that lead to a big change over time. Like a Humming bird.

Take a listen as Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of Eat, Pray, Love explain the difference.

R. Kelly and Anthony Cumia... WTF moments

If you think that what you do in your personal life doesn't impact your professional life than think again.  With social media blurring the lines between personal and professional images, it's easier for those watching to tie the two together which can alter perception of you collectively. In our society today people actually make a living off of their online social presence and personalities so it shouldn't be hard to connect the dots when thinking in terms of the average person either. Companies use it to scout out potential talented new hires and people use it to leverage friendships so if something is out there on the internet about you, then people will use it to judge you. That includes any charges brought against you in the legal world. Those charges depicts your negative choices and highlights those issues for the world to scrutinize and if you're a celebrity your personal decisions are amplified and will be used against you. In the world of celebrity, your personal life choices aren't so personal and nothings off limits. It's basically part of the package deal when you have a public persona and need the approval of your audience. That leads me to two separate stories today where two celebrity men became upset when their personal choice were being discussed or in one case, documented during a domestic abuse.

R. Kelly recently sat with Huffington Post and the interviewer asked him about his previous issues with underage girls and he became upset and walked off camera, cutting the interview short. He was clearly upset but tried his best to remain semi-calm (btw... do you like the picture choices?  Did you catch what I did there? LOL). When asked about how his  actions impact his music sales he said one topic didn't have anything to do with the other and that's where I disagree. You're a entertainer and he's made his living off of overtly sexual music leading fans to be extremely interested in his sex life. The problem becomes up for ethical debate when finding out his interests are young teenage girls. Ohhh and not to mention that during all of this he was married with kids of his own so to me he shouldn't get upset when asked questions about his personal preference when it's been widely documented. Yes... people still may like his music but you can't just wish personal indiscretions away. It doesn't work like that for any of us. Watch for yourself as he clearly becomes annoyed and then tries to defuse the situation by giving the interviewer a compliment on her looks. 

Little acts of kindness

It's the season for being thankful for all that we have especially in a world where so many have very little. With the holiday season upon us, we often think of things we want and we teach those values to our children at a very early age it's no wonder we're a world of consumers. We aren't trained to think of what we can do for the next person or how we can better someone day.

Here are little tips that you can use to give back this holiday season.

Nothing to Wear???

How many of you have ever felt like this? Don't you hate it when you look in your closet full of clothes but you still feel like you have nothing to wear.  This starts the cycle of buying more crap you don't really need only to still feel like you have nothing to wear. Well I'm going to help you out with this. Hint: It's not necessarily the clothes that's the issue.

No Meat Monday

I haven't posted a recipe in a while so it's beyond due and I made a delicious fish dish that I just had to share. I have made the decision to have 2 days out of the week where I eliminate red meat so this worked out perfectly for dinner and it was great! I advise making enough for 2 days so that you can really take advantage of the recipe because I guarantee you'll love it! It's definitely restaurant quality in the comfort of you own home so if you enjoy a good Netflix and chill night then you'll definitely appreciate this recipe. I promise it's worth it!

Now that I've teased you for a while here is the recipe for one outstanding meal including sides.
My entire dish suggestion is Cilantro and lime fish with rice pilaf and asparagus drizzled with the cilantro lime sauce.  You can also use this same recipe to make a great fish taco and use the sauce to moisten up your taco dish.

Boost Your Metabolism

Every year around the holidays I get this urge to be more health conscious. But it seems I'm not alone because most of us worry more about our waistline during this time of year due to the heavy consumption of food and drinks with the holiday and holiday parties. I know I've made an effort to hit the gym harder not only due to the holiday heavy foods but because my ass is getting older and gravity is running its course. I'm starting to notice more lumps and bumps than usual and I'm trying to fit it one step at time (on the Stair Master). One day I looked in the full length mirror and noticed I had middle aged mommy legs and my teenager agreed. OHHHH NOOOOO!!!! Then I saw the picture of Christie Brinkley at 61 in a bikini (see below) and thought no maam. I'm not going to sit by and let this happen so now it's on in the gym.

Raising black boys in a white family

Raising adopted children is hard. I know this personally because my family went through the process of adopting 2 relatives of mine that were not strangers and didn't have to go through the adjustment process of getting to know me or my kids because they were family. The dynamics of raising a blended family is difficult and add into that the complexity of race and our society and it surpasses my experience entirely. Yahoo Parenting did a piece on a family living in California who has adopted two boys into their family which include the parents who are white and two biological daughters. Although they spoke on the struggles of raising boys who are black they didn't really touch on the difficulties of a blended family and she strictly spoke on the issues that they have in a society that can be racist while raising two black boys and some of the topics that come up for them. I'm sure it's not easy for them or the children at times but you can see that the love is there and I thought this was interesting.

What's your thoughts?

Ayesha Curry said

So Ayesha Curry posted her opinion on Twitter about her own personal choices in what she wears and the some took it extremely left and it hasn't lost it's traction yet. Basically she was reading a magazine and posted her opinion on the styles she saw in the magazine and people got it super twisted. What people fail to realize is that Ayesha is a happily married woman and mother of two small children so the appeal of wearing more revealing clothes may not be what's best for her life these days. She's caught her man! No need to keep fishing. I don't see the offense in the statement at all. What I found most hilarious about all of this were the comments that I've read. One comment said that she and her husband look like brother and sister to suggest their relationship is incestuous which was funny to me. They do look like they're from the same gene pool. I still don't feel that the comment warded so many attacks because everyone is in different places in life and we all have different likes and dislikes. This is the type of thing you read... and then keep it moving.

Great Seasonal Bargains

Are you finished with your holiday shopping yet? If not then let me share with you some great finds that I've found online. Since it's the season for giving it's best when you find a great deal., Also I never forget myself in the mix during this time of year because who knows what I want more than me? Even though I'm usually not looking for myself, I always seem to find me a little something nice.

Aviator shades

I love these blue hued reflective aviator shades. Last year I brought some for my daughter in purple and this year I found them in blue for me. It will go perfectly with denim and just about all your summer wardrobe and the reflective style definitely on trend! Although they cost $125 you can find them cheaper online. 

Kobe Bryant retiring and Russell Wilson's best game yet

Kobe Bryant has decided to retire from basketball after a series of injuries and aging and he did so in a touching sincere letter to the game. You can tell that basketball has been a real sense of comfort and passion for him and when you're not able to live your passion, it's common that a little depression sets in but from the sound of the letter, he'll adjust. I believe that writing is a powerful tool to release energy and penning an open letter to the sport and for the fans to see is definitely a gracious and mature way to show gratitude.

Dear Basketball,

From the moment

I started rolling my dad’s tube socks

And shooting imaginary

Game-winning shots

In the Great Western Forum

I knew one thing was real:

I fell in love with you.

A love so deep I gave you my all —

From my mind & body

To my spirit & soul.

As a six-year-old boy

Deeply in love with you

I never saw the end of the tunnel.

I only saw myself

Running out of one.

Soul Train Awards

Did you catch the Soul Train Awards??? Well the highlight from the night was when Erykah Badu called out Iggy for not really rapping.

They honored our girl Jill Scott from Philly. Love IT! By the way if you haven't seen Creed then you're missing out. Philly was on fire this weekend!

Why we love Family Guy

Skits like this is why we like Family Guy

Change your boss, Change your life!

If you have a serious disdain for your job, it's most likely related to your dislike for you boss than for

the job itself. Millions of people find themselves hating their jobs and for the most part they cannot really pinpoint why they became disengaged in the first place. If this is you then it may not be the job but your boss who is the problem. There's no secret that the people we work with daily can actually make or break our on the job happiness and if your boss sucks then it's kind of hard to justify spending 8+ hours with that person let alone being scrutinized by that person. So if you're in the market to change jobs or interviewing, make sure you make it a priority to find out as much as you can about your potential supervisor. Your boss really does impact your mood and should be an ally to you. They should be your biggest supporter and you shouldn't ever feel like you're in competition with your boss. Your potential for growth is highly correlated with your managers ability to lead therefore it's critical to make sure that you not only consider compensation but also gauge if your manager will be aligned with your goals. If you happen to be in the interviewing process now is the time to make sure that you use the interview to find out little things about your potential boss and take notice if they seem on edge or if the initial chemistry is off. There are red flags to consider during an interview but they're subtle so you need to be looking for them.

AMA fashion winners

You guys know I love the fashion that comes with award shows and last night was good from a fashion prospective. My only complaint is of the men who attended. These guys need to invest in great stylist and some of the women too but at least a few gowns were fashion winners but I have no men who made the list.

One of the highlights was Jennifer Lopez who always brings a great fashion moment. She hosted the AMA's and really came through with the wardrobe changes but the best outfit to me was her teams costumes and the matching jackets... Perfect!!!! Hit the flip to see the rest of the best. 

Music Review Justin Bieber

OMG... Love Justin's latest CD PURPOSE. I'm not even a Justin fan but the CD is definitely good and my favorite song is No Sense which sounds like an Usher song in my opinion which is probably why I like it. The CD is also very visual with the release of the videos. Justin wanted to give exposure to artist by eliminating himself and just using the visual to give artist such as dancers, the full attention of the viewer. Noble gesture of Justin!

Bloated Puffy face? There's help

Lately I've been feeling as though my face has been bloated more than usual. I normally have a very
round face because I have high cheekbones but lately I've been feeling that my face has been increasingly bloated. I especially notice first thing in the morning and I try to make it a habit of sleeping on my back so that blood doesn't pool around my face and eyes causing advanced aging. Did you even know that sleeping on your stomach could age you skin? I know I didn't until I did a bit of research but it does in fact cause wrinkles and puffiness if you sleep on your side or or your stomach.

Hey there... so what do you do?

How often have you been in this scenario? You first meet someone and as an ice breaker one of you ask "so... what do you do?" as a way to begin a conversation. I'm sure we've all been there and done that but to be honest it's often spoken out of lack of real context.  What we're asking about is a persons profession but the problem with that particular question is that we're so much more than what we actual "DO" professionally. Although our work does consume a lot of our waking hours it's not really a defining characteristic of our true selves because it's been documented that millions of people don't even like their professions. We've been trained to get a job, preferable a job that pays lots of money so that we can become successful consumers but this doesn't make us happy in the long run to leaving too many people defined by what they do and not really discovering who they are and their true passions in life. When you begin to totally consume yourself with work and have no real outside interest you are doing a disservice to yourself and I'll explain to you why.

Tricks to beat the odds for your body type

My birthday past last week and naturally I began to think about how old I'm getting and my waistline. I swear I notice a difference in my shape each month damn near. I used to to just feel me gaining weight, now I not only feel when I gain weight but I see the weight that been there fall slightly differently. It used to be compact fat! Now it's getting lose and giggly and jello thighs is not the move. That's a birthday gift I don't need so I've been looking into if it's possible for your body type to change and as I suspected it can change over time!

I can no longer eat some of my favorite foods nor can I neglect some sort of activity if I just want to maintain the body I see in the mirror. It really is a conscious effort and I never paid this much attention to what use to be simply eating what I wanted when I wanted to stay the same or a salad to drop a few. Now there are rules and all sorts of trickery to try to keep you in shape. So I found a chart that really does spell it out for you and it's quite accurate. I tried it along with my usual spurts in the gym and I actually lost a few pounds.

How to spot fake friends

If I like you, you know. I'm the type of person who can't really hide my feelings because my expressions won't allow me to conceal it. I'm also very selective about who I allow into my small circle because if you're in my circle then I value you. The only problem with that is sometime it's the people closest to you that turn out to be the most conniving and the most jealous so you have to beware and weed out the soul suckers from those that uplift and add peace of mind. The problem is how do you spot the soul suckers from the rest when you're increasingly around the negative?  You're around people all day that don't really add benefit to your life and who are just like fillers so it's hard to know and really appreciate those who have substance. I'm going to give you a few pointers on how to spot a fucked up friend so that you can appreciate those who are real and add benefit to your life.

1.  Real friends really do want the best for you. Everyones life does not move at the same pace yet still it's only natural to be slightly envious when you see those closest to you excelling. A true friend may experience some of these same jealous tendencies but they push those thoughts aside so that they can genuinely help you celebrate and share in your special moment. The problem is that it's a two sided coin and you'll have to return the favor with grace. A friendship like any relationship must be give and take so knowing that we have our own separate road map for achievements is critical to a friendship.

What would you do if you found 600 Million?

What would you do if you found $600 Million dollars?

Well we now know what 65 year old farmer Jose Cartolos would do because he actually found several big blue tubs containing $600 million when he was digging around on his family farm. He turned the money over to the government and it was later determined that the money belonged to Pablo Escobar who has been dead for 22 years now.
Jose is better than me because I know exactly what I would have done but that's another story. After a while if they haven't come back for it then they aren't coming back. I'm sure he could tell if the land was recently dug up or irritated (he is a farmer). Anyway for Jose's act of kindness in surrendering the money he has received absolutely nothing in return. The money was confiscated by the Columbian government.

Frugal life hack... fix that rotten banana

Have you ever purchased bananas to only have them ripen too quickly? Well I found a hack online that may save you a few pennies and preserve those bananas so you aren't wasting good food and money. Take a look

Weekly Recap... NYC Halloween Parade and Balmain H&M Fashion

Happy Friday beautiful people! I'm in the NYC area and the weather for this time of the year couldn't be any better because it's been really mild temperatures for November. Yesterday and today were in the mid 70's and that's amazing for this area in November especially being that my birthday was on Monday. I celebrated by catching the remnants of the Halloween parade in the village. The costumes are amazing!!! I found a few pictures for you to sample. If you're ever in the city during late October then I highly recommend catching the parade.

Zola... the new internet buzz!

I'm sure you've heard about the internet sensational story of a girl and her hoe-tales which document how she went to Florida with some strangers she met a day prior to "dance" (we use the word dance loosely). Let me back up some... my daughter (if you read this often then you know I'm talking about the teen-aged one) get's up the same time that I do in the mornings. She prepares for school and me to leave for work but yesterday she was already awake. This is at 6 am might I add and she has been awake for an hour reading some story she's been reading on Twitter that's super long giving me a play by play. As she's eagerly breaking it down for me I said to myself 'sounds like normal early 20's slut-tales' but I let her finish because she always finds interesting stuff to tell me. Fast forward to today a full 36 hours later and I read the story myself online (you can read it here: ZOLA'S TALE) and I see for myself why she was captivated. Honestly I wish my baby wasn't reading stuff like this online but she is almost 18 and shame on me for letting her read and providing modern technology (joking) but anyway the story is good but not because it's an amazing tale. It's a good read because of the way the author breathes life into the story. It flows like you're talking to a friend and she's telling you a story that you'll later use to pass judgement.  If you look at it purely on face value you'll see it's a depiction of where we are in 2015. Young girls feel the need to degrade themselves for a quick buck and the wolves feed on sheep so they take advantage of these girls.

Drugs and Sex and memory loss

Today there is a popular scandal circulating about the ex-boxer (Yusaf Mack) who claims he was drugged and basically raped. Well it's not that simple... he said he was a willing participant in a porn but to loosen himself up he took a pill (that someone gave him) and some liquor and that was the last thing he remembers but what he said he consented to was heterosexual sex. He later discovered that he had participated in homosexual sex with two men but has no recollection of the event until he saw it for himself. You can read the full story here: NYDailynews

Now to the story I'm concerned about. He says he is engaged to be married and as a woman I couldn't proceed with my plans to marry a man whom I cannot trust. This entire story is sad but it's also suspicious. Could I really believe that he had no memory of the ordeal and if so why wouldn't he mention his initial plans to me? He also has 10 children!!! Now he says he's left having to explain this to his kids. Now it is possible that he really doesn't recall this occurring to him but ladies... could you still marry a man who has gone through this??? Also as a boxer doesn't it go against what they practice to willingly take drugs?? Would you believe him? It's all too much for me... I honestly could not.

You're so F*cking Awesome!!!

We all believe that we love ourselves but how do you really know? We show love through our actions and sometime our actions aren't aligned with what we say we believe. I read a quote recently that said self-esteem comes from esteem-able acts and you teach yourself how to love yourself by how you treat yourself, how you talk to yourself and having a loving individuals who show you regularly the reflections of your love.  Self love needs to be practiced everyday and there are a few easy techniques that you can do that you're most likely already aware of but never practice so I've compiled the list for you. One thing I've noticed throughout the years is that when you've become accustomed to loving yourself properly and someone tries to enter your circle who doesn't honor that love you have for yourself, it's so much easier to detect it and to cut ties. You may stumble upon a relationship that you think is a good fit but there is something that just isn't clicking. This is normal and happens often. You meet people and at first you may think you really like this person but over time your radar goes off and you notice little things that show you they really aren't aligned with your value system and if you truly love yourself, you will cut them off. You'll have no choice in the matter because your brain will tell you nope, this will not work and you just cannot do it no matter how much you may think you like an individual.

Here are some methods to help you fully transform or fine tune your self love.

Up Next... Jeans and New Solar Energy Technology

Solar panel windows has finally had the break through it's been seeking when a group of researchers from Michigan State University were able to create a fully transparent solar cell. This is revolutionary as it transforms how we can potentially use everything to generate power including the screen of your mobile device. 

Marty McFly... today! 10/21/15

I thought this was cute and a bit sad at the same time. It is 2015 and what real progress have we made? Well today is Back to the Future day because it's the day from the movie where McFly arrives to the future on Oct. 21, 2015. Your local movie theater may be showing the movie too if you check.

 


This is what the future (2015) looked like in the movie.

Matthew Knowles on The Breakfast Club

You know I like to talk about the interviews I hear in the morning driving in and today The Breakfast

Club interviewed Matthew Knowles so you know we have to discuss. We all know Matthew for his
contributions to his daughters success but there were things he discussed that I was shocked to learn like he once managed Nas. Who knew??? Then there were things that he didn't share or discuss that were the most interesting like him fathering kids outside of his marriage. He refused to talk about his personal life and took little jabs a Charlamagne for bringing up the topics but let's be honest those are the topics we really want to hear. Now don't get me wrong, we all have our faults and Matthew is no different but it's those juicy tidbits that make people really interested in you. No one likes a squeaky clean image because the scandal is good for the gossip mill and we are a society who loves our gossip so let's get to it.

Full interview inside.

Catching a movie tonight??? Try Sicario

It's officially the weekend. Are you planning on kicking back and catching a movie? If so then I strongly suggest Sicario. To be honest I hadn't even heard of Sicario until my husband kept mentioning that he wanted to catch it as soon as it came out and I'm glad that I listened because it was indeed a good movie. Although I wish it had been more action packed it was still a very good movie that made you think about it after it was over. Well at least that's how I judge if I've seen a great movie.

Amazon wants a piece of the Etsy pie!

Amazon has launched Handmade which is set up similarly to the Etsy concept of selling hand crafted goods to the mass market consumers and I for one love the idea. I love Etsy and if you're familiar with the our blog then you know that I often scour Etsy for good products to share with you here like this one: Etsy Love and the more the merrier in my opinion. I personally shop Amazon often and having more of an authentic often times eclectic mix, is a great thing.

We should all get in touch with our creative sides and start side businesses where you can sell products that are more personal to people. It's increases your overall happiness by giving you a hobby and gives you a few extra bucks so it's definitely a win-win. Also having hobbies are extremely rewarding.  I also read about how these projects which often start out as simple hobbies have transitioned into multi-million dollar businesses and creating entrepreneurs in this market is always good. Jobs are fickle and I honestly believe that we as a society will soon transition out of the traditional 9-5 mindset. How many of us sit at a job we hate for hours looking at the clock wishing to be other places and doing other things? Becoming an entrepreneur allows for you to be free. You may work more hours but you'll be working for what's most important and that's yourself. Try it! Create something and keep creating... because you never know. The trick is to get in the game early and establish yourself. The iron for this one is hot right now so make sure you strike! Just be sure to fill me in on your story. I love it when you share!

Messy Barnes and the Coach... SCANDAL

Apparently Matt Barnes was upset that his former teammate is dating his ex-wife and was "in his feelings" so much so that he drove a good hour and a half to lay hands on!!! Listening to The Breakfast Club this morning and yesterday, they feel as though people don't make decisions or shouldn't make decisions based on emotions but excuse me but most rash decisions are emotionally based. I do agree that at times you shouldn't let your emotions get the best of you to the point where you make a stupid decision such as in the workplace but when it comes to lovers emotional decisions are usually all emotionally tied.

Lenny Kravitz's Home Designs

We all know Lenny Kravitz is a well put together man who preserves his sexy style and stage presence but many, including myself would have never imagined that one of his passions would be interior design! I was surprised to find out that he's actually been dabbling in interior design for some time now with a few large scale projects under his belt such as Paramount Bay in Miami and for his latest project Lenny has partnered with CB2 to create some eclectic pieces that will be released in just 2 more days on Oct. 1st which you can preview here prior to it's release date.  His CB2 collection has a lot of accessory pieces such as rugs and throw pillows. His use of metallic adds so edginess with a bit of funk that seems to fit right in with the vibe that is Lenny. I for sure love the rugs and the brass metallic square end table.

Banana Republic men's fall ready to wear isn't that special in my opinion but because I love my men, I couldn't neglect you. It seems my men love the fashion more then the ladies especially when it comes to styling the looks we see in the stores. Styling weighs heavily in how the look comes together. The correct styling can take a look from an nothing special, average look to a sharply dressed hottie that commands a second once over. Believe me, when you've styled the look correctly you'll notice the ladies looking a bit longer in their glare than usual. We definitely notice!

Fall Fashion RTW Mall Edition

For all my fashion lovers out there, this ready-to-wear line is a staple in most malls and a definite go to for most white collar professionals. Typically I'm able to spot an outfit from this retailer but I was a bit surprised when I saw their women's line mostly because of the details. However most of the styling in this runway show was more layered than their usual presentation but the staples and basic remain. Can you guess which retailer this is?

Ryan Reynolds blast friend

It's tough to be a celebrity at times. At least that's what I gather from stories like Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds recently experience. Ryan said that he recently had to cut ties with a close friend of 25 years because the 'friend' tried to sell personal pictures of his daughter with Blake Lively and he said that he suspects the friend took this route because he cut him off financially. If that's true it's really horrible to think that once you reach a certain status you need to financially support your friends. You either cut ties or find alternative means for the friendship. He said that he suspected this person because the pictures were those that only close relatives received.

Well I'm sure that it hurt to finally put the nail in the coffin of that friendship but a soon as he started supporting the friend, the writing was on the wall in my opinion. Either way... I'm sure it hurt and there is a bit of resentment there and that's why he's speaking out on the situation.

 

Toronto's new eatery courtesy of Drake

Toronto's own has been on a winning streak. Earlier this week he dropped a new mixtape with Future that had the internet buzzing and yesterday he opened a new eatery, a joint venture with chef Susur Lee in Toronto named Fring's. Susur Lee is most widely known from Food Networks Iron Chef and Bravo's Top Chef Master but he's not new to the culinary industry as he currently owns 3 other Toronto restaurants.

Jada and Jaden came out to support Drake's latest accomplishment as well as his boo thing Serena. Drake is really on a roll and you have to respect his hustle. Get that money!!!

He posted a nice little artsy Vine in honor of the endeavor.

Men's Fall Fashion

As you know we love a well dressed man and from the fall fashions from Dean and Dan Caten of Dsquared, so do they!!! The dual definitely didn't disappoint with their fall fashion for men and again they absolutely killed the coat!!! These coats are by far the best that I've seen for men and women for Fall 2015.

Here we have both Dean and Dan Caten with Mary J. at their fall show. 

Women Fall Fashion COATS!!!

Fall fashion season has arrived! You all know I love a good fashion show and Dean and Dan Caten didn't disappoint with their Dsquared  fall show. Take a look at the highlights from the fashion show and hear what their inspirational view on this seasons FIRE below.

Hot coats inside....



Layer up with a fur vest that can go over a poncho, sweater or even a thin coat. If added correctly it will definitely take your entire outfit and presence from blending in to fashion slayer in 0.6 seconds. Try it out... go into a store with a thin coat or basic that you already have and throw on a fur vest or fur shawl with it. You'll be shocked how adding an accessories drastically transforms what you already have. Have fun with building on!

Fur isn't for everyone but it definitely adds texture and character to a coat. These coats are absolutely superb and I'm loving them!!!! Since coats are what a persons see's first during the winter months make sure your coat is on point! Spend a few extra dollars on your coat because a good will become a classic and will be re-used more than one season as coats rarely change much so a well crafted coat can easily last a few years. I still have a coat from a few years ago that is among one of my favorites. 

I absolutely LOVE a hot poncho. So far this season I have 3. You can find ponchos cheap everywhere but the color story on this poncho... PERFECT!!!

Hilarious Hillary

Finally Hillary Clinton is getting some press. She's been relatively quiet which I believe to be a bad thing but I'm sure her advisers have a strategy. I just believe that in a time where Donald Trump is keeping a buzz the opposing side should generate a buzz as well. This is exactly what I gather Hillary's camp did with this funny little skit. They've got Donald pegged!!!

Love IT!!!!

Nothing to say other than I LOVE THIS!!!! So cute!!!!

TIP interview on The Breakfast Club

TIP aka TI recently interviewed with The Breakfast Club and he had some interesting views on parenting, artistry and drug use. I for one appreciate TIP. I think he's very intelligent but in some aspects I had to disagree with his views like when he mentioned drug addicts having profound moments of wisdom while being high.

Fashion Report... Catch the Runway show for Serena Williams

Fashion Week started last week on the 9th but it's continuing full steam ahead with all the shows and hype associated with big names and whose who list. Yesterday you may have heard that Serena Williams fresh off her tennis tournament circuit jumped head first into the fashion arena with her own fashion show for HSN. I've seen tons of pictures related to the gossip around Drake attending the show but little about the actual fashion and for those who visit the site often know that the fashion is the main course for us so I've uploaded her full fashion show here for you.

Wendy said what???

We're going to start a new segment here at UrShadybff and it chatting about the Wendy topics. Now I've been a Wendy Williams fan since forever! I loved Wendy on the radio in the 90's! I've actually had a fight with my ex over Wendy (lol). We were driving to Virginia and I had to listen to Wendy and he hated her show. Isn't that normally how it goes??? Either you love Wendy or you hate her but anyway... I loved her. However I haven't really gravitated to her talk show because lately I tend to disagree with her on many topics but instead of tuning out completely, we'll have our own internal debates here.
(more on the flip)

Cuddle Time means sexy lingerie!!!

The weather hasn't changed just yet here in NJ but it's inevitable that we are bound to see cooler days real soon ushering the 2015 stay inside and cuddle weather (aka cuffing season). Well you know I had to make sure your sexy for your bae or for yourself. You know staying cute is a must even if it's to stay inside. Cooler weather tends to increase the need for the lounge wear, special under wear sets and cutesy pj's and you know a Scorpio's tend to specialize in keeping a few naughty pieces on deck therefore I had to share! I found a few brands that are minority owned that are truly bringing the sexy and for the most part these brands are under the radar so let the power of the internet and word of mouth carry these treasures forward.  Let's show these brands some love and get cute while doing so.

Monday funny

I saw this a few days ago and thought it was hilarious! I can watch it and chuckle every time. I've never lost my kids in the supermarket but I have hid from them to see how they would react when trying to run around after I've told them to stop. Then when they're scared I hop out on them. My little sick twisted way of teaching them a lesson.

The Perfect Guy

In preparation for the movie the Breakfast Club radio show were discussing the movie concept of the Perfect Guy and asked callers for their stories. Although I have some reservations airing out my history on the radio I would definitely tell you guys here about all my wacky stories and I surely have one of those crazy stalker ex-boyfriend stories. I dated a guy who was beyond bat shit crazy. I was young and he was a bit older than me but he was cute so I talked to him. Despite the fact that I was young, I still realized early on that he was not playing with a full deck.  He would give my mother roses for me and her and that was really nice but he would also watch my bedroom window to see what time I went to sleep. He would call me the next day and say things like 'why were you up so late last night?' which was creepy as hell and eventually I stopped talking to him and he grew worse. The final straw was one day when I happen to be with a girlfriend walking to the store and he jumped out the bushes and started swinging a belt hitting my friend screaming at me! He was totally craZy and although some girls find crazy appealing, I am definitely not one of them. It definitely didn't take long for him to go from 0-100 and within a few months it was over. He just disappeared and I never heard from him again. Actually after I cursed him out a few times over his craziness and stayed firm on it, he backed off.

Do you have any crazy ex stories and will you be hitting the theaters to check out the new movie??? I will definitely hit the theaters to check it out and I'll follow up with a report to this post on if it was worth it.