Happy Friday!!!!

It's Friday beautiful people!!! Couldn't get here fast enough for me. What are your plans for the weekend? I'm not sure of what I'm doing exactly but it will definitely include a margarita or two. Preferably starting today around 4pm.

Then I'll end it tired like this because drinks make me tired as all hell. Little nap then back at it.

Music Review. Trey and the Weeknd

I'm checking out the latest music and listened to a recent releases and I'm not impressed.

Listening to Trey Songz new release titled 'Intermission' and I really don't like it. All the tracks kind of sound similar and one in particular (FWYB) sounds like a Drake knock off. I had to check online to see if Drake produced it. There are a few songs that I like on it and it's rather raunchy but it is Trey Songz we're talking about so I'm not surprising considering that's his thing. He always plays into the sex appeal factor he has going on with the ladies but to me it's becoming rather redundant. On the contrary I instantly liked most of his last album though Trigga and I purchased the entire CD. I have to feel the beat like most ladies but with this release I'm unimpressed. Take a listen for yourself and you decide. I may purchase a few tracks but they'll have to grow on me. Nothing purchased yet.

music after the break

Good Eats! Breakfast Edition

You guys know I like to share my recipes with you from time to time and this past weekend I make whole grain waffles for the family and they were awesome! There weren't grainy at all and they were extra light and fluffy. My 5 year old normally only eats half a waffle and they must always be freshly prepared but she ate a whole waffle when I made this whole grain version and actually asked for more. It's definitely a keeper in my recipe selection. They were totally the opposite of how I thought they would turn out because I've had whole wheat waffles before and they weren't the light fluffy consistency that I prefer so if you're like me and you like the light and fluffy then you'll love these and the bonus is that their healthier for you. Hopefully you'll  love this healthier alternative as much as my family did and if so make sure you let me know.

To start I use Bob's 10 Grain Pancake Whole Grain Mix. It totally depends on how many people you're preparing for as to how much flour you should use. Let's start out with 1 whole cup for 3 people but if you prepare pancakes or waffles then you'll know how to measure based on how many people your feeding.

Recipe inside..

How did you spend your long weekend?

Memorial Day is a national holiday in the U.S. and symbolically marks the official start of the summer season. Along the coast beaches are a big part of the summer and are typical hot spots for locals and tourist. NJ beaches have become a hot tourist destination with the long lasting MTV show the Jersey Shore which only aired for 4 seasons but had a long lasting impact with the teen generation.

For my official start of the season I decided to stay local and visit the shore myself and it was packed! Take a look at the video I took of a line waiting to get into a local drinking hot spot called the Tiki Bar. The line wrapped around twice outside and that doesn't include the people who were on the line inside the building and the patrons inside the bar. Didn't eat here though because of the crowds but if you're ever able to visit during the summer, the shore is definitely a must. You'll find things to do for the entire family and the food is definitely spectacular! 

My favorite summer fatty desserts from the shore would be funnel cakes and waffle ice cream sandwiches. The hot waffles plus the ice cream makes it messy and great!

Ciara partners with Roberto Cavalli for Fall 2015

So Ciara seems to have bounced back really nicely after having her son almost a year ago May 19, 2014. She landed herself a contract with Roberto Cavalli to be the ambassador for the Fall/Winter 2015 season. Not bad for staying low key in the current state of the industry where less clothes is more press. Glad to see that she's not letting her lower than expected album sells deter her from making a living. She has a great athletic build and she should have always considered getting into modeling for brands. She's definitely model material and she stays classy about her professional image. With the current buzz around this partnership, I'm sure we'll being seeing a lot more of Ciara in fashion ads.

Fashion Beats

Hi beautiful people. I hope you're fully enjoying your weekend. I've spoken on finding fashion choices that don't break the bank I decided to try something new with you guys and you can let me know if you like the feature and if we should keep it. I always speak of how I try to find great priced fashion with character that tells how I feel at any given day so I decided to showcase to you all what I mean exactly with some personal shots of my own.

Since the weather was nice I headed out with my kids to give you guys two different looks today. Both are fun weekend looks for nice weather and I wanted you guys to see the versatility in the choices.

Remember I said I keep my J Crew tote with me at all time in a neutral color? Wanted to incorporate the bag so that you can see first hand. I mentioned in an earlier post that I always accessorize and I purchase pieces that are distinctive so my shirt is very bold yet still casual and I paired with the red lips for accent. I accessorize my bag with two paisley handkerchiefs as well.
Shirt: Piperlime (unfortunately closed now) $90.00
Jeans: Levi's $30.00
Shoes: $90.00
Bag: J Crew tote can be purchased on sale for $130.00

another on the flip...

Shoe and Bag debate

Happy Friday beautiful people!!!! Memorial Day weekend has finally arrived but I wish the weather would cooperate a bit more here in NJ. Despite that I'm still happy for the extended weekend. So scrolling through my timeline I stumbled upon a discussion where a guy said he hates to see a woman with bad shoes and a cheap bag and to my surprise many man agreed with him on the topic. Now I'll be honest with you, I do agree that shoes should be decent and generally for me it's the most costly component of my outfit but by no means do I break the bank on shoes and I totally disagree on the bag subject. At this very moment my bag is from J Crew and it's a leather tote (below) that I can throw anything in which includes my laptop. My bag has to serve me 10 fold because I'm a techie and I have a 5 year old so it has to be a mommy bag on steroids. I also have another black large hobo bag that had two sides that I carry a lot but my bag must carry a laptop or a tablet, then my wallet, hand wipes, sunglasses, tissues, hand lotion, lip gloss, and most importantly snacks. Today I even have gym clothes in my bag. These are my necessities any given day so I need a large bag and my color preference is always neutral. My bags always have a neutral color pallet. Like the Mackage satchel that is also neutral yet stylish shown on the side... it's also one of the pieces I own and wear regularly when I don't need a laptop. 

More on the flip...

Solange fashion Hit or Miss?

Happy hump day people! Only 2 more days until Memorial Day and here in the northern east coast it feels more like the beginning of fall so if you happen to turn up some place warm this weekend please enjoy for me too. I really do feel like I'll be breaking out the sweaters real soon. This weather is throwing off my internal clock and I'm in desperate need of some sun!

Back to the fashion talk. Yesterday Martell Cognac celebrated it's 300th anniversary at the historic Palace of Versailles in France and Solange attended slaying it in this Stephane Rolland black and white piece. What are your thoughts on it? I personally think it's a hit!!! I tend to like most of Solange's fashion choices though. She's eclectic and different and she definitely knows how to play with fashion. I've said it before and I'll say it again... fashion is a tool and it's meant to be used as a form of expression to deliver a message to the world about who you are and how you feel at the moment. You definitely get fun and fearless from her fashion choices. 

More from Stephane Rolland...

Balmain for H&M??? Dreams come true!

I cannot wait for the debut of the Balmain / H&M collection! I love fashion but fashion that's reasonably priced is more my speed. I'm not the girl who splurges on big ticket brand name items simply for the sake of saying I have that brand in my closet. Sorry but keeping up with the Jones is not my thing. I love fashion and what it does to transform and I firmly believe that you can make an impact with fashion simply by playing with pieces, color and textures. 

Billboard Music Awards Review

Happy Monday!!! Did you get a chance to watch the Billboard Music Awards last night? If you're like me, then you were back and forth because overall most awards shows are boring with the exceptions of who wore what.


Mariah Carey found her voice again. For a moment I thought she had lost it when she had a few bad performances.



Also the network bleeped out so much of Kanye's performance that I thought there was something wrong with my television. If he knew that they would sensor him then why choose those songs? It was overkill!


more on the flip...

Morning Funny

Cute!!!

Your Success and How To Achieve It

Good day BFFers. This post is a continuation of my previous post but about finding your passion but this touches more on how to convert your passion into a craft that others find useful with hopes that you can make a profit providing a service to others from your passion. That's the hardest part about living your destiny to the fullest. Most of us have a sense of joy with a hobby that makes us feel inspired and at ease. It could be multiple sources such as cooking or gardening etc. because we're all very complex individuals and are capable of enjoying so much but what tends to happen in life is we're told at a very young age that we must make a living and we're funneled through a system that isn't very kind to the arts because it's not viewed as lucrative fields therefore we're breed to serve mass industries so that others can line their pockets. During the process of trying to "earn a living" we loose our creative selves by not feeding our passions and as a consequence we "live" our lives feeling unfulfilled and unhappy for the most part.

Find your passion

I know this has been a topic that I struggled with regularly throughout my life and I'm sure I'm not alone. I've been asking myself since high school what I really want to do and I've always heard the same thing in terms of advice. People always say do what makes you happy but doesn't this evolve as you grow older? Do you really know at 18 years old what will make you happy when you're 36? It's not so clear cut and for many we get lost along the way with life. I thought this Ted talk was a really great simplified way of looking at and digesting the same ole advise. The meanings are the same but how you discuss it with yourself changes. Well at least I know that it did for me. I'm constantly working toward my goals and finding new things that make me happy. I continue to try to align my work life with my personal life so I can be more content with the way I spend my days. Hope you are too and I hope this little video helps you as much as it did me.  

Diet Fail

OMG.... I've been hitting the gym (on and off) but I swear my occasional "treats" are mistreating me. LOL... I'm getting motivated again today but this is how I feel.

Rough few days

It's been a rough few days for me. I took a road trip from New Jersey to North Carolina which is an 8+ hour drive and I did it in one day! My family and I went to celebrate my niece graduating from UNC and I was beat and tired after that drive. My intentions were to stay there overnight but most of the hotels were booked for Mother's Day and graduation and I'm petrified of bed bugs so I didn't want to take any chances so we drove back home after the festivities. Never again! 

Then my husband didn't get me anything for Mother's Day. Okay... I know I say every year not to buy me anything but I don't really mean it. LOL  Even my teenagers know that I secretly get upset when they actually have nothing! I know it's crazy and if I want something then I should just say it but shouldn't they know me enough to know my taste and what I like??? Shouldn't the closest people to you know you enough to gauge your taste? I do it for them all the time. I was discussing this with another friend of mine and she said she's the same way and here I am thinking I'm the only crazy one. The thing is I don't want to know what I'm getting as a gift. It diminishes the surprise appeal of the gift and then when asked what I want, I don't want to seem like I NEED anything but the gift is suppose to show acknowledgement for the contribution I add to their lives. I don't need anything but it's nice to feel appreciated and yes... the gift doesn't symbolize the gratitude but it does show that you went out of your way to think about what I would like and therefore attempted to do it on your own. It's the symbolism of the act that means the most and not the actual gift and me telling you what to get takes away from the act. It's not crazy... it's just how women think.  Do you agree? 

Bueller... Bueller (80's movie joke reference here for those not up on it LOL)

 

Work/Life Balance... do you see it?

I read an article that said that despite what companies promote to perspective employees, work/life balance is becoming harder and harder to attain. I honestly agree with those findings and it's a bit disturbing when considering how much time is spent in the office in comparison with other countries around the world. I happen to work closely with people from France and they all seem to have the entire month of August off in that country in addition to their other holidays and vacation time. It's a beautiful thing to have those consecutive days off to get a break and enjoy life. Also with country wide participation, it's not frowned upon when you're off. 

I never hear of my counterparts in different areas of the world prolonging having children due to work related topics. For me my kids provide the most joyous of memories and my time with them are the best. I honestly live for them and my time at work is spent so that we can all do things to enjoy ourselves with the money that I make and for the necessities of course but primarily so that we can make more fond memories. 

MET Gala fashion run through

The 2015 MET Gala is tonight and I must report that I have mixed feelings about the theme which is China... through the looking glass. My teenage daughter was the first to point out that theme was a bit tasteless and can be conceived as cultural appropriation. Couldn't we honor those in the fashion industry who are of Asian decent and pay homage to the contributions of Asian designers with a bit more decorum than putting cherry blossom tattoos on? But I'll leave the politics of evening alone and I'll let you guys judge for yourselves while I get to the fashion. 

I won't list them all but I will show some of the nights most interestingly dressed people. Notice I didn't say best dressed because to me very few were spectacularly dressed but it's a costume ball sooooooo.... OKay. Some will get a pass even though some were clearly unaware of what a costume means.  

My absolute favorite was KK. I don't really care for the girl but she definitely has some fashion hits. 

Also Zendaya looked stunning in her choice. I'm really starting to like this young lady. She needs to make sure she keeps her stylist because she has been looking beautiful at these events on the red carpet. 

Friday Funny!

What's up with babies and rap music??? It's funny but it's weird. Has to be something to it. LOL

The Shade in Boxing! Tyson on Floyd

I'm not really a sports fan but I am a fan of boxing. I think it was ingrained in me while growing up because my father was a professional heavyweight boxer and he would watch countless hours of fights. He still does. I remember my mother showing me an autograph of Mohammad Ali every year saying he signed this for you so I'm going to save it for you. I couldn't tell you where that autograph is now but my mother probably still holds on to it. Anyway I have a love - hate relationship with the sport. I truly believe that boxers are half crazy. It's a trait that I don't think they realize they have themselves. Maybe it's their overly aggressive nature but the only way that I can explain it is they're rationalization of thinking is just "different" and I've known a few boxers. Now though what I thought of as crazy when I was a kid, comes off to my children as comical in my father. Due to his age it's diluted a bit but my kids and those who visit my house think my father is FUNNY! He's not trying to be comical though, it's just his outspoken and very candid nature. He tends to have no filter or very little filter because coming up he was very "yea I said it... now WTF can you do about it?". When I was little visiting boxing gyms, they were all very much like my father in this way. It's best described as loud and very masculine. I think this is why you always see boxers with a crowd of men. I'm sure those circles are hilarious.