December 25, 2019

Happy Holidays!!!

Super cute tree I added in my room
Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, and Happy Holidays!!! I hope everyone is enjoying today in the manner which makes you feel loved. For about 3-4 years I’ve started my own tradition which includes going out to dinner at a nice restaurant. Its easy and stress-free, because drama doesn’t pair well with the Holidays. This year was a bit different because my chill mode was turned all the way up. I was totally ok with staying in my house. I wanted to do a crab boil at first, but remembered I’d never done one and didn’t want to mess up seafood.



Views from my couch...

I ended up making reservations at the last minute today. My dinner consisted of my favorite burgers and a few Happy Hour drinks.

Holiday Cutie



Pimento Cheese Burger with bacon Jam... My FAV

Afterwards, I went back home and had a night cap which included champagne. All in all, Christmas 2019 was pretty good. As for gifts, I did pretty good in that department gifting myself with a few items below:

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How did you all spend your day?



December 20, 2019

Shopping Party at Macy's Metro Center Story





You have approximately 5 days to finish your holiday shopping and I have just the place for you, Macy’s. Yes, you read correctly... Macy’s has pretty much everything and Story is your home for the holidays! I honestly had no idea what was in store for me when I received the invite to attend a holiday shopping party, but I hopped on it. Who could resist doing two of my favorite things: shopping and partying. I made sure that I left work 5 minutes early so that I could be one of the first 50 to receive a $25 gift card to shop with, and guess what, I made it on time.



What exactly is Story? Story is a small business which has changed over 40 times, it’s a living magazine and they bring a new theme to life every couple of months. Story combines shopping along with hosting classes curating their favorite products. Story has recently joined the Macy’s family and is currently located in 36 Macy’s stores across the country.

This event was super cute, Story and Macy’s really laid it all out for us. We were welcomed by staff that were knowledgeable about the product and in tune with the brand. Story has something for everyone, it is the ultimate gift guide for book lovers, foodies, or anyone that loves technology and so much more.










The shop is a lot to take in (in a good way). I was like a kid in a candy shop, I wanted to see and touch everything!!! I took a quick glance around and the foodie in me headed for the spread of treats. There was a huge spread that had something for everyone. I absolutely loved the different types of cheese and crackers #Cheesehead. Aside from that they had a lovely array of desserts, which included macaroons, but my FAV was the tiramisu. There was even a signature drink, a Vodka Celebration which added a little extra pep to my shopping.







Although Story arrived just in time for the holiday season, this is also the perfect place to pick up Birthday Gifts, etc. there is literally something for everyone. Have you visited Story this season? If not, what are you waiting for?






December 15, 2019

My Top 5 Black Christmas Movies of 2019


Every year, I wait, and I wait, and I wait for Christmas movies to start airing. It is honestly my guilty pleasure where I enjoy countless hours watching Hallmark or Lifetime Christmas movies where hardly anyone looks like me. Out of all the cities these people travel to, are stuck in and never a community of black folk. Oh, but this year was different. While I still enjoyed a Hallmark or Lifetime Christmas movie here and there, this was the year of the #StrongBlackLead (and Directors). Networks like BET, OWN, and TV One stepped it all the way up for the culture. I found myself tweeting my excitement a time or two as I watched. I even shared several calls between my co-workers, friends, cousins, and grandma reminding them to tune in and watch with me. Since this is the season to give, I’m sharing with you my top 5 Black Christmas movies of 2019. There are 10 days until Christmas, so trust me you have time to watch, record and share your excitement too.

 

#1 Christmas Belles- BET
 
This was my FAVORITE movie of the season. I think this movie resonated with me because the plot included 30-something BFF’s that were basically tired of being single and ready for Mr. Right. With a new, young, handsome, and single Pastor taking over their church; the games began to as they tried to rule the other out for his attention. This movie was absolutely hilarious, gave me The best part of this movie as the impromptu song from actress Raven Goodwin to actress Dominique Perry chiming “don’t be mad cause you’re cute, and you got the juice”. That song and that moment is something that I could see happening between my friends and me. It was also good to see the original Aunt Viv, Janet Hubert as well as James Evans (I am a HUGE Good Times fan) John Amos. This movie was also directed by Terri J. Vaughn AKA Lovita Alizay Jenkins-Robinson.




#2 ‘Twas the Chaos Before Christmas-BET

I absolutely LOVED this movie and was a little bit partial because it was set in DC, I saw a few monuments, the Blackstonian, and I believe I even heard a little go-go music in the background (your girl LOVES go-go music). The plot includes two families looking to rent a house in DC for a Christmas vacation. Turns out, the exact same house was booked on the same dates for two families and of course this is where the chaos begins when they opt to celebrate individually under one roof.
I enjoyed watching both Sherri Shepard and Affion Crockett bring their humor to the screen. This movie was also directed by Terri J. Vaughn, sis has been working all season!


#3 Baking Christmas- OWN
This movie warmed my heart because it was all about family and passing down a family business. The premise was a mother that was ready to retire and travel but didn’t know what to do with the family’s bakery. An idea of a bake off came about after all three kids expressed interest in the business. This movie really showed what can happen when a family comes together. I was excited to see actress Khalilah Joi from Wendy & Julian, one of my favorite scripted series at Black and Sexy TV.


#4 Radio Christmas- Lifetime

This was the only movie that really reminded me of a classic Hallmark Christmas movie. The premise was a radio host forced to move to Bethlehem to begin broadcasting. Of course, girl meets boy and town is saved in some sort of way. There was a bit of a spin on this movie though. And the main character was played by none other than Keshia Knight Pulliam. Her love interest Michael Xavier was quite the eye candy.





#5 Merry Liddle Christmas-Lifetime


Two words... Kelly Rowland. That’s the MAIN reason why I checked this movie out. What I loved most was the soundtrack, which should totally be released because Kelly did an amazing job on the songs. This premise of this movie included a successful woman who decided to host Christmas for the first time at her dream home. Everything that could go wrong, went wrong. Aside from Kelly Rowland, I was happy to see actress Bresha Webb playing a totally different character from what she usually plays and killing it. Also, the main love interest Thomas Cadrot is the new Edris Elba for me; someone cue My Type by Saweetie.



Since this year was full of culture filled Christmas movies, below are my honorable mentions:
- Hip Hop Christmas- BET
-Dear Santa I Need A Date- TV One
-Holiday Rush- Netflix