Buying Black Monthly- August Edition

I decided to add a segment which highlights a few black owned brands that I've purchased from. This month I found sooo many things that I wanted to buy from my melaninated brothers and sisters... but, the way that my bank account is set up lol.

The first company that I shopped with is Coloring Pins. I was introduced to Coloring Pins when I attended the 2nd Anniversary of Ujamaa Box back in November. I briefly met the owner when I asked about a melanin pin that she had on. Although this is my first purchase from Coloring Pins, it definitely won't be my last; I actually have my eye on this and this. However, when they announced that they would be collaborating with By Ms James for the Story of OJ, I knew I had to turn on my notifications to make sure that I didn't miss out. Now I'm not much of a 'patch girl' but I just LOVE the 'black panther' vibe of this patch as well as the meaning. The front of my denim jacket has pins and I was thinking of putting the patch on the back, but once its there... its there. If you can think of any other cute ways to style patches let me know.

The next business I shopped at was Cute as a Button. Now I knew Tiffany because she's a fellow graduate of my Alma Mata, Albany State University. I remember Tiffany's business was exclusive to button earrings but since then she's began to take on the custom apparel market. When I saw that she'd created a 'Reclaiming My Time' t-shirt, I knew I had to have one customized in pink and green; you already know. The shipping was fast and the shirt ended up being a perfect fit. If you are looking to have customized shirts made for any occasion, please reach out to her as she does an amazing job.

Sooo this kicks off August edition and my pockets are burning for September's edition as sooo many things are already on the radar. Let me know if you'll be 'buying black' this month and if so, what are some dope businesses to check out?

Yelp's Paint Party at Pinots' Palette

Last night I had a chance to hang with my Elite Yelp family at Pinot's Palette in Merrifield, Va. I was super happy when I was notified that I was on the 'in list' because it has been a while since I've attended a Yelp event.

I've only attended one paint class in the past so I had a pretty good idea of what was in store for the night. However, this class exceeded my expectations, the studio was very bright and inviting,  my type of place. Upon arrival, my I.D was checked and I was given two drink tickets yes two, and an apron t protect my clothing. After I was checked into the event by a Yelp staffer, I made my way to the food. Us Yelpers LOVE our food and over stand the notion, food first, then pleasantries!!! The food was provided by Blackfinn Ameripub and the spread consisted of Pretzels & Cheese, Cheese Fries, Shrimp, and Tuna. I grabbed a bite to eat and headed to the bar for my libation. I was super stoked when I saw they had Rose' since that's my FAV summer drink. Luckily for me I was able to snag the last pour!!!

This way Rose'

As I headed to my seat I was able to see the picture we'd be painting for the night which was super cute. In all honesty, I don't attend a lot of painting classes because I'm not interested in painting horses, cats, or horizons lol. I'd much rather paint something that I can hang which represents me than paint something that I'll send to the Goodwill Boutique.

Throughout the class I really enjoyed the fact that the Pinot's Palette team was very motivated. You could tell they enjoyed what they were doing because of their willingness to help us create our individual vision coupled with theirs. They were also able to share a few interesting facts (where the company started, how many classes they've taught overall) and had trivia intermissions throughout; shoutout to team one for winning lol!!!

During the class I didn't know if my painting measured up because I changed my colors and was a bit behind task; but in the end, what I had was a masterpiece perfect for me. If you're interested in Pinot's Palette, be sure to check Yelp for the nearest location, you're definitely in for a treat or two.

We were gifted this cute glass

I LOVED this pic!!!