Friday Funny!

How to leave work on Friday!

Kendall Jenner - Model Behavior

Say what you want about the talent or lack thereof, the rest of the family but it's clear to me that Kendall Jenner found her niche in modeling. I don't really get the fascination with tracking the clan because in my opinion they are famous for being in the mix with other famous people but Kendall has a true talent. She slaughtered the runways of NYC fashion week and even in her personal pictures on "The Gram", she gives off the "model" vibe. She's young, found her niche and she's working it! As she should. Let's take a look at her impressive work from this season 2015 and you be the judge... does she prove to be a "real" model? In my opinion, she may have gotten her start for being one of the kids from KUWTK, but she has honestly proven she has what it takes to be a model and she's clearly on the rise.

Here doing the Dolce & Gabbana show next to all the models she clearly holds her own.

Hit the flip for more Kendall!

Addicted to Empire

I cannot be the only one addicted to Empire. The show is full of drama and so extra but I LOVE it! I don't necessarily find that it's telling of the music industry itself but it does touch on topics that are extremely relatable to real life issues and scenarios that impact us all. Favoritism and sibling jealousy, the need to be loved and fully accepted by your parents, love issues, and health issues are all things that impact us all in some way or another so it's no wonder there is a huge Twitter dialog occurring during the airing of this show. That's comical too... think about it. You're watching a show and sharing in your experiences in real time with total strangers. It's amazing how technology connects us to people. Anyway... that's another topic but back to the show. I think it's safe to say the most loved character of the show is Cookie. WE all know a Cookie to some degree and we all have a bit of Cookie within ourselves. Let's get into it shall we?

YES... read me? 

Zendaya vs Giuliana?

If you're not a mother of a Disney watching kid then most likely you're unfamiliar with upcoming star Zendaya Coleman. She stars on the hit Disney show K.C. Undercover which is always on in my house thanks to my 5 year old. She like other celebrities made appearances at this years Oscars and I so loved her look. In my opinion, she was the best dressed there and had a serious glow to her. In teenage terms "she done glowed up"! LOL That little jewel is one of the terms I learned from my 16 year old who constantly shows me pictures which transition her progress from 13-16 which should be a highly concentrated "GLOW" phase! But believe me... she's glowing and so was Zendaya on that day in that dress and with that hair. Take a look for yourself.

Color Hair Naturally

Happy Tuesday!!! I'm not sure if the weather is adding to it but I swear I feel like this Office Space Gif. Anyway you guys make me happy when we chat so let's get our chat on. 

I recently colored my hair  so I decided to share how to color your hair without all the damage if you're a color junkie like me. I so LOVE color but when you visit a salon the first thing they tend to say is "ohhh you have some breakage due to this coloring" and that is not always the case. I personally have a week spot in the crown of my hair which I've seen countless dermatologist for and they've always said the same thing "it's hereditary". My mother has it as well as my two daughters. It's a spot that I tend to scratch and pick so it gets weak in that spot so I keep a layered cut to camouflage the spot in my hair. This doesn't bother me though because I'm obsessed with a Bob cut! I've loved Bobs since high school and I've also loved color. There are ways to naturally lighten your hair which can be used without damaging the hair. Let's explore shall we?

This about sums up this Monday morning!

Off to a rough start like most Monday's but it is what it is!

Rihanna and Leonardo

So Rihanna celebrated her birthday and was thrown a surprise party by people close to her. One of which was Leonardo Dicaprio. Well it seems as though the rumors are true of their love tryst but I'm not mad at it in the least. They're both rich and successful but it's the little things such as age that makes me wonder if this would really work out. He's 40 and she just turned 27 which makes him 13 years older than her and that's a huge difference. Usually, people with that much difference in their age don't have much in common outside of the bedroom but I guess that may change due to their lifestyles. They may better suited for each other because they can understand and appreciate each others hectic schedules. They were also rumored to have spent Valentine's Day together. Well again... I like the two of them together.I think they're both HOT!  What's your opinion?

Oscar de La Renta NYFW show!

Who needs a ticket when you can be front row with UrShadyBff.
Watch Oscar's entire show below.

I LOVE DVF!!!

One of my favorite brands is Diane von Furstenberg. I love the how the cut of her designs play on a woman's femininity and hugs the silhouette. She also does a great job at redefining classic staples such as the LBD and skirts. Here is her latest show pieces that didn't disappoint. I could go on and on outlining how this brand flawlessly executes a statement but I'll let the pictures speak for itself.

One of the best ready to wear brands there is in my opinion. Your thoughts? Also catch a real treat... watch the full show here on the next page.

Great Eats!!!

You already know that I like to share recipes with you when I feel that they're beneficial and usually it's a healthy recipe. Well this recipe isn't that healthy but it sure is great tasting. I added a few fresh herbs to really punch up the taste too so it's really a good weekend meal although I made it today, which for me is a snowy and cold Tuesday. Besides my horrible weather, it's still great indoors for us food wise and if you're a seafood lover then you'll definitely be happy. Let me get to the recipe... I made Crab Alfredo from scratch and let me show you some pictures.

This is your sauce. 

NY Fashion Week Runway Hits!

You guys know I love the fashion. Well it's fashion week here in NYC so I'm here to bring it to you. There is a lot to see so I'll cover this over several post and I'll add tons of pictures to the Urban Black Village community so make sure you check there too for your full fix and pictures of the shows.

Let's start with my favorite so far Altuzarra. Absolutely love!!!!

Faces of the Future

I am not good at applying eye shadow but I love how it can transform the face. I've even tried the step by step tutorials but it came out very different from the pictures and I don't have the time to try to perfect the craft so if needed I will pay for it. That's why we have make-up artist right? To give us those exceptional looks at those times when needed in life. If you're like me then you stick with the basic colors and eyeliner but what can we expect in the future for make-up? If you think it's hard applying the basic colors then you're going to really need a make-up artist in the future because make-up is going neon! Although it's going to take some time to perfect for the average girl, it doesn't hurt to get inspiration from those who are doing it now.

This is the future of makeup! And although its not for everyday use, it definitely make a powerful statement. Let's explore more...

Artist have used the trend subtly to make a statement during videos and photo shoots like Kelly and Rihanna.  

Friday funny!

Do you have hair loss, acne or brittle nails?

We all hear about being deficient in vitamins but many rarely hear about their deficiency in mineral levels which can lead to a host of health concern. Actually if you regularly take vitamins you may be missing the key component to receive the benefit from those vitamins because the minerals and vitamins work hand in hand.  The minerals we consume assist in the integration process allowing our bodies to absorb the nutrients from the vitamin and without minerals we don't receive the full benefits which can lead to other health issues. Many things can be linked to our deficiency in minerals and our body displays outwards signs that shouldn't be ignored. 

There are 5 major minerals the body needs for optimal performance. 

1.   Iron    2. Magnesium  3. Potassium   4. Zinc   5. Calcium

Want to be a Self Made Millionaire?

"We're all self made but only the successful admit it!"

The validity of this statement should resonate with us all but truth is very little of us realize how we impact our own lives and our own achievements. Self enrichment is a constant goal of many and it's normally not even perceived and an attempt to enhance ourselves. How many times have you said you would attempt to eat healthier or attempted to start an exercise regime but fell short of those goals? Even during the end of the year we set new goals and label them resolutions but very few of us stick with our attempts to make ourselves even slightly better than our current selves and we continue the path we're currently on fully aware that we're not living up to our best potential.

I'm here to tell you that we cannot continue doing the same thing and thinking we'll achieve better results. It just isn't going to happen. 2+2 will always equal 4 and you doing the same thing will always produce the same output. So what can you do to make minor shifts that can potentially lead to a better even richer you? I have a list that we must adhere to in our daily lives and it's incredibly simple. It doesn't require much to achieve phenomenal results. We see people everyday who have made these same subtle changes and some, like the designers that I featured in the earlier post are no different than you. They just had a different goal and they choose to take steps to realize them.

Fashion Gems!!!!

Do you ever grow tired of the basic fashion that is in my opinion forced on you and flooded on the floors of your big box retailers? I know that I often find myself thinking that I want something different. But the question is where do I find different?   So that got me thinking about the names we don't see on a regular basis. There are plenty of talented designers who aren't given their just due and aren't featured in every big name fashion magazine because let's face facts... big designers have fatter pockets and magazines are in it for the money. For a fresh take on things we have to take measures into our own hands, the fashion lovers of the world to help spread the word.

Close to my heart is the NYC fashion scene. I love it! I especially love finding out about home grown talent and seeing the creativity of the small fish in the big pond. It's like finding a gem among rocks.
Let's check out a few of these "gems" and hopefully you like them too.

Carly Cushnie and Michelle Ochs- These ladies burst on the scene in 2008 and have been burning a blaze in the fashion world ever since.

The designers

2015 Collection

Grammy 2015 Fashion

As promised we've compiled the list of some of the best and worst dressed at the 2015 Grammy awards. There was definitely plenty see and chat about in the fashion game and with the night being one of the biggest for artist we were expecting more glam but I wasn't feeling it this year.

Make sure you check out Urban Black Village our Google+ community tomorrow for all the fashion from the evening for both men and women. Now lets begin.


Kim K. - I actually loved this sexy look. Definitely my favorite from the night.

Rihanna - SMH... sorry.... I didn't like this look at all and I was banking on Rhi to kill it at the Grammys but nope! This is actually the worst dress to me. It's alright Rhi... you win some and you lose some.

Grammy 2015 anticipation

Hi loves. So tonight is Grammy 2015 and as we speak all of your favorite stars are prepping and primping for their camera time which leads me to ask you guys.. will you be watching? I generally like watching the red-carpet event but I tend to skip the entire show because award shows are normally to long and filled with so much fluff. Besides, the internet will be flooded the following day with recaps of all the good performances and I have Youtube for all the highlights. But the one thing you'll be sure to see from me tomorrow is a recap of all the fashion winners (at least in my opinion). I cannot pass on a flawless fashion execution so I'm excited to see all the fashion hits and misses. Make sure you tune back in tomorrow so we can dissect it all together. I'll just do a quick recap here on the site but I'll try to feature all the fashion on the Urban Black Village Google+ Community be sure to check them both. 

One person who's excited I see is Sam Smith well at least according to his Instagram. I feel him though.. who wouldn't be excited to be seated near Rihanna. I'm sure she'll be one of our fashion features as she always aims to please and usually can do no wrong in my eyes with her fashion game.

Musically too! She's keeps it all fun and from the looks of it Sam cannot wait for them to have fun together with an enjoyable night of laughs I'm sure. See you all tomorrow!

Fifty Shades of Grey...

Let me start off saying that I've read all three books in the series and I loved them! To be honest, I didn't think that I would find an erotic novel entertaining due to my own idea of WHO I envisioned exotic novel readers to be but I read that damn book in like a week! I even tried to hide it from my family out of shame.  LOL  Then I had a co-worker who had the other 2 remaining books and she sent them to me inter-office and I read those books too... QUICK! I wasn't really impressed with the second but the last book was really good. I'm not going to spoil it for you if you haven't read them.

Fast forward to present day and they're releasing a movie on Valentine's Day (ohhhh) and I must say I will not be in line to watch this. To be honest, it will ruin my own visualization of who I envision the characters to be in my head and how the hell are they going to play out those scenes without it being a full blown porn? Really??? That book was salacious to say the least and really detailed.  I don't think that the movie will do the book justice. Then there's the question of do I want to commit to seeing all 3 movies because I know they plan to draw it out from the whole trilogy angle.

Adaptions of books to movies don't always work well especially if it's an erotic novel. I saw the movie Addicted by Zane and I wasn't impressed at all! Now I must admit that I didn't read the book first but still I was expecting more. I brought the book prior to going to the theater but I was only into the books first few chapters when I actually saw the movie and after seeing it, I didn't complete the book because I had no interest. I didn't like the movie.

There was another movie based off of a book (not an erotic because I do enjoy other genres lol) that I actually did enjoy  and that was Gone Girl.  So will you be watching the movie this February 14th? Here's the trailer for those who haven't seen it. If you go out to see this in the theaters, make sure you share your thoughts on it with the rest of us.

Best Natural Skin Mask

The winter weather months have been brutal on my skin which is prone to acne. With the winter months come harsh dry air which can increase the loss of moisture from the skin therefore I have my go to recipes that save me tons of money and keep my skin dewy, revived and moisturized so you know I had to share it. Hope you love it too and if you have a great at home recipe for your skin, please share.

Face scrub that make my skin dewy and bright while exfoliating my pores. This can be done once every week as long as you're applying excessive pressure during the exfoliation process.

Relationships stuck???

It seems like I've been having a conversation that keeps reoccurring related to relationships and why we do some of the things we do as individuals. People really aren't that unpredictable. You make predictions on how people will react or act all the time. Perfect examples of this is when driving, if you drive, you sense when someone will try to move over into your lane and most of the time you're correct on your prediction because you later notice the car has in fact switched lanes and no one told you about the potential move but you knew. You picked up on cues but we tend to turn these senses off when interacting directly with people.  So if you're naturally inclined to pick up signals of others then why are so many people single? Shouldn't you notice when there are people who show signs of interest and vice versa?  Well of course you do but the problem is that we disregard them and most likely that you block the interaction due to your own preconceived idea of who you should date. You know... "the list".

So back to my initial conversation topic. I was discussing a person who we both knew and I mentioned that this person was now married and my friend said that all "sluts" tend to get married and I thought about it and that statement seemed to be accurate. Disregarding that she called her a slut but that's a whole different story. So why is it that all the people who we consider fast or "loose" find love but others are not so successful? It's a basic answer to this and it's because they don't limit their options to a ideal of who they think they should be with. Now... don't get me wrong because there is nothing wrong with having standards. Standards being those requirements such as no drugs, or they must have an income or must have good sense of family. Those types of things are great but when you start adding things to the list like he must be over six foot tall and he must love parties and wine then you're limiting yourself and limiting your options.

Did you watch the Super Bowl for the Commercial?

Did you only watch the Super Bowl for the commercials and the halftime show? I know I did! I was back and forth with it but there were a few commercials that were good especially the techie ads.

Take a look at a few of the ads here and thanks www.GoSolarMobile.com (GSM Blog) for the tip. Make sure you visit Go Solar Mobile for your tech merchandise.

Do you love the matte nail look?

Happy Monday ladies. There has been a recent trend of matte nails and although I've tried it, I'm not necessarily "in love" with the look. I personally used the matte top coat by Essie and I feel that my manicure didn't last as long as it normally would but I do like the look. I tried both the black look and the burgundy and I will try to blue when the weather warms a little.

As usual I have to share a few pictures for you ladies to try. Let me know how it works for you and if you used the top coat to make your nails matte or if you use matte nail polish.

Katy Perry's Super Bowl halftime performance

Although I'm not a football fan, I liked Katy Perry's performance and thought it was very entertaining! For those who missed it, check it out below. I especially liked the intro on the Lion and the digital screen stage.