 I used to look forward to long weekends as a time to book a vacation and hang out with friends on a beach. But now, as my 30s have set in, I’m finding myself truly enjoying the much earned holiday for what it is. Airports are hectic, the highways are jammed with traffic, and my bank account is like “Guess again! You know rent is due!” Gotta love “adulting” lol. To ease the what to do questions for this day, I’ve compiled a list of Netflix movies to watch while taking a break from labor! Also, this list is great for a Friday night at home. NYC nightlife can get a bit expensive and bar hopping can leave you with a sad face Saturday morning when reviewing your debit transactions. Sit back, enjoy your favorite meal (and drink) and just allow your $9.99 subscription to entertain you for the day.
 Paris is Burning (1991) Just a damn good film. With the rise of the hit series "Pose" New York ballroom culture is on the minds of many. This movie goes underground into the scene during the time period of the height of ballroom. This documentary focuses on drag queens living in New York City and their "house" culture, which provides a sense of community and support for the flamboyant and often socially shunned performers. 
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 Sharing the Shade...Lipsticks! I always find out about the National “internet appointed” holidays on the day of and sometimes after. (Usually through a hashtag on IG). Luckily, I caught this one in time to participate and share my favorite lipstick shades on the gram. Although National Lipstick Day is now over, there’s never a wrong day to talk about lipstick! History of the Day According to NationalDayCalendar.com, National Lipstick Day started before a day was declared in its honor. However, in 2016, Huda Kattan (Beauty Blogger/Entrepreneur/International Businesswoman), founded National Lipstick Day and its now registered as a National Day. Beauty lovers aren't the only ones who partake in the day. Cosmetic brands from NYX, Mac, Colourpop, and Bite Beauty (just to name a few); offered specials and even free "lippies" on lipstick's special day. Yea...I missed out on that too.  Matte or Glossy? Matte is my favorite style. It gives me a fuller lip look and displays my color just right. However, depending on the brand I have to add a little gloss to keep from getting the “cracked-dry lip”. My favorite brand of Mattes is Nicka K New York.  Photo Credit: Joe Miles (NYC) The Shade I like variety on my lips. All colors ranging from a light nude/pink to a deep gray. Many times, my mood determines the shade of choice. In the fall, I lean towards darker colors. In the daytime, I paint my lips in a deep burgundy shade and at night, I tend to go darker with a grey/black. My “go-to” shade for work or a run to the store, is Maroon by Nicka K New York. Lipstick Collection Starters With any lipstick collection, every girl must have these in their make up kit:
Lipstick Selfies  Mixed Color: Latte (Absolute New York) & Violet Red (Nicka K New York) Mix ‘til You Find “the One” If I don’t see the color I want at the store, I like to mix colors to create a new and fun look for my lips. Mixing Latte (Absolute New York) & Violet Red (Nicka K New York) gives me the perfect shade of “Rose” for the days I’m out exploring NYC or even bar hopping. I also mix my hot pinks with a nude color to tone the volume down while keeping a vibrant shade. Playing with lipsticks is something I love to do when I'm hanging around the house or getting ready to go out. I even schedule days to visit my favorite Beauty Supply store to go Lipstick shopping to restock and discover a new shade to add to the collection! Be sure to mark your calendar for next year’s National Lipstick Day to take advantage of the sales and giveaways.  Nicka K New York Collection In the meantime, share your lipstick secrets below! I want to know your favorite brands, shades, and what’s currently in your collection!
Snippets from the "7-Day Guide to Forget About Your Heartbreak"This guide breaks down 7-Days of activities to get your mind refocused and help ease the frustrations of a heartbreak. Learn how to get back to YOU! Take care of you by refueling so that you can rejoin the world refreshed. Now go get over the heartbreak! You deserve it!  "Why Do I Need This Again?" Heartbreaks are unexpected and such a pain to get over. But it happens. It’s what you during the times of losing someone special that sets the tone of allowing the experience to make you better or bitter. Whether coming out of a dating situation or long-term relationship, adjustments are needed to get out of the mind frame of thinking like a couple to being okay with going about your days and nights…alone.  Meditation Monday. Free Your Mind! Mondays are deemed to be a drag. But they don’t have to be. Set your week in a new tone by starting a routine with taking care of the mind. As they say, wherever the head goes, the body will follow. By clearing your mind and regaining focus on what’s important, you make room for the positive vibes to freely flow. Giving in to the Monday blues will only allow the thoughts/feelings of your broken heart to make its way into your head.  Tacos and Talk Tuesday. Eat Your Heart Out with a Friend! Heartbreaks can make you become reclusive. You don’t want to talk to anyone, see anyone, the world is shut out, and all you want to do is sit at home in bed, listening to your sad love song playlist. SNAP OUT OF THAT! Create an evening event where you catch up with a friend(s) over tacos. Because hey, who doesn’t like tacos? (If your friend isn’t excited about Taco Tuesday, let them go. You don’t need that type of negativity in your life! j/k).  Wisdom Wednesday. Elevate Your Knowledge! You gotta keep your mind sharp. Why not devote a Wednesday evening to quenching that thirst for knowledge. Spend some alone time learning. Refuel our mind with knowledge and new conversation pieces with stepping outside of your normal gossip blog trolling. If you like trolling blogs, troll blogs that will help build your business OR blogs that will help you on your mediation Mondays. Anything that will feed you spiritually and/or intellectually.  Throw it Out Thursday. Delete and Delete! Now it’s time to PURGE your phone! Along with social media, you can get caught up in scrolling through past photos of dates nights, random selfies, and those candid shots of him you took when he wasn’t looking. All of it is a recipe for reminiscing and wondering what could have been. You can’t move on with your life revisiting the past. It’s time to move those “souvenirs” out of sight. You gotta put away any reminders of “him” that will try to control your emotions. You can’t even find that funny meme you screenshot weeks ago because pictures of you and him are in the way. Free up that phone data!  Fearless Friday. Time to Go For It! We all have a road not taken or something that we’ve always wanted to do, but afraid to take that first step. Today is the day you move forward with courage. JUST START IT ALREADY! Take on the challenge of being fearless and do what you’ve been scared to do.  Sweat it Out Saturday. Weekend Work! Yep, you knew it was coming. Time to work out! Sweat out the pain, bad memories, and heartbreak with a 30 mins to an hour session moving and challenging the body. Give your heart a break and go to bed with aching limbs instead. Saturdays are great for running errands, catching up on shows, and sleeping in. But you have to spend time working on your body. No pain, no gain right?  Self Care Sunday. Get Your Glow Back! Wind down your week with pampering yourself. From head to toe, give your body some much-needed nourishment with beauty regimens often skipped due to work, daily life, and other stuff that gets in the way. Sunday is about filling your body with the nutrients needed to provide you with a glow on the inside and out. Ending the week on a relaxing note can get your mind ready for meditation and moving on.
Learn self-building ways to forget about past relationships by starting healthy new routines for the mind and the body! The full guide is FREE for email subscribers! Sign up Here.   May is here and of course New York didn’t get the memo that the season has changed. I still have to pull out my big coat on some days, but I’ve enjoyed about a week of warm weather. Nothing wrong with a little tease for what’s to come. As I organize this apartment to put up these big sweaters…hoping one day for good, I’m finding more favs that are a must have for me to get into the Spring Season, while we wait for the weather to catch up. So, here’s my list to continue the #mood of Spring! Perfume Paint (Tease). You can’t pass up on beauty products. Especially the ones that make you feel…SEXXY! That’s where my first item comes in. Strolling through Victoria’s Secret, I run across this brush on perfume. I’ve never seen a product like this before so I HAD to get it (AND it was on sale!). Getting it home and giving it a try, I was immediately impressed with the soft brush painting on this smooth, sensual fragrance by the name of Tease. A few pumps, then painting on those sacred areas, and I’m ready to own the night!
A Memorable Vacation. Spring season means its time to cash in on those flyer miles or collect a stamp or two on the passport. A good vacay can ease you into a new season by purging the woes of winter. To kick of spring, me and my girls took a trip to Cuba! YES, Cuba! We spent three days in Havana enjoying back to back sight-seeing and activities like horseback riding, salsa lesson, a tour through a tobacco and coffee farm. Even got a history lesson by visiting a coffee plantation. The restaurants had great menu choices with free fish and tasty pleasures that can only be found in Cuba.
The last leg of the trip was spent at Varadero Beach, soaking up the sun, and taking in views of gorgeous blue water. So many good memories and a great disconnect from the daily routine of work, train commutes, and social media. I returned with new inspiration and a relaxed mind. Thank you Cuba!
Chocolate Beer. In the bar scene, I love trying new things. Venturing in midtown, I ran into a bar (The Ginger Man) and found a unique treat on the menu. Chocolate Beer! Otherwise known as Boulevard Chocolate Ale. Two of my favorite things mixed into one. Who knew chocolate could serve many purposes?  Boulevard Chocolate Ale from The Ginger Man Spring is still in full effect and I’m ready to take on the new adventures of this season.
Be sure to share YOUR favorite things to get you through Springtime!  I want to share a few gifts. Sharing is caring right? Everyone has their own list of “must haves”, new discoveries, and trinkets for sentimental reasons. I’d like to expose a few of mine :). Hopefully these will give you new ideas, inspos, or even a confirmation that there’s another addict in your section ;). Ready? Here goes…  Photo Credit: Chris Bowdrie (STAR45) Anything That Sparkles. I LOVE to shimmer! Who doesn’t. Whether it’s glitter or sequins, I NEED IT!. Clothes, shoes, and accessories with sparkle is automatically on my list (usually ending up in my shopping cart). Any and every occasion requires a hint of shine. A regular day strolling through the city or a night out in Manhattan, looking for Sex and the City vibes. I have my fav pair of sparkle boots. Found them on sale at Forever 21. They were the last pair, just my size and when I took them to the register, they were half off of the sale price! I knew it was meant to be! More sparkles in my collection includes an iridescent sparkle purse I mix with a cute outfit along with my go to black sequin purse I throw on with casual wear OR date night. For New Years 2019 Celebration, I found another gem at Forever 21, these gold sequin pants. (I like to call them my disco pants). Bringing in the New Year with a sassy shine, hitting the town in ATL. Give me sparkle; give me a shine and I know I’m in for a great time!
Faux Fur. Something cute that goes great with my sparkle-fits or a warm greeting to my feet in the mornings as I get out of bed...Faux fur makes the list. I look forward to cold weather as I get to pull out my coats to strut around in the low temperatures of NYC. Cozying up to my stylish faux fur, while hitting the town only adds to the excitement of taking on the night. At home, my faux fur serves me well. Decorating my floors with an accent rug to keep my feet warm, along with adding a little spice to the New York living.
Body Suits. Got body?...Suits I mean. Leaving my legs to put on a show, body suits are a sensual given when wanting to look cute around the house, or add to your fav pants or skirt. Photo shoot time and can’t figure out what to wear, my first “go-to” is a body suit and a pair of thigh high socks, then the “fit” comes together around that. I like a variety of body suits that includes lace, sheer material, patterns, or just a plain cotton solid color to give a pop to a pair of fitted jeans. This gem is a good alternative to wearing shirts that you’d like to tuck in. No worries of it coming un-tucked of spending time in the mirror, tucking and un-tucking for that perfect look. Just put on the go! Being lazy around the house and I wanna feel cute? I go to my stash of body suits to have a Friday night chill time with wine and catching up on my shows. Who says you have to look “bummy” for a solo evening at home!?!
 Chrome Book (Beasley). My old laptop houses all of my creative works, BRASH! Magazine, my books, other writing work, pictures, and everything else that I need to save for business and personal. With the years of wear and tear, my poor laptop decided to show its age and slowly fall apart. In addition, it's a bit big and too much to carry around with me. As a birthday day gift to myself, I bought an HP Chrome Book. All white, touch screen, with the capabilities to turn into a tablet should I choose to use it that way. This Chrome Book was such a life saver, I decided to name him “Beasely”. (And he’s also my temp boyfriend since we spend a lot of time together). It’s small, convenient and I can do everything on this contraption as I did with my laptop. Now I can grab my “boo” and spend time at a coffee shop, laundry mat, plane ride, or anywhere to create and stay up to date with my projects.  Manhattan Martini. We all have our “regular” drinks when we can’t think of anything else on the menu. Mine is the usual Rum and Coke. However, some nights I want to sip sexy. That’s when the Manhattan Martini comes into play. One of my fav martinis 🍸 the “Manhattan”. Made with whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters. Rye whiskey is my fav with this drink. This special one is from STK Midtown in NYC, “Not Your Daddy’s Manhattan” (George sickle rye, zinfandel port, carpano antics sweet vermouth and bitters.) very tasty and a nice complement to a Sex and the City style dinner with your girl! You’re welcome! 😉.  Lemon Water. To detox the libations, and to cool down, I LOVE making lemon water. It helps me to cut back on sodas and sugary drinks. This refreshing beverage also helps with clearing up your skin, acts as a good source of Vitamin C to protect your immune system, AND it’s a great digestive agent. Quick and easy to make so it is always available to go with a good meal or a parched moment. ;) So there you go, a few of my favorite things. Of course there's more to the list but I won't bore you with my long list of "can't go withouts".
Tell me, what are YOUR favorite things and why? Let me know in the comments below! |
Photo Credit: Joe Miles
"I just like to write and create stuff. These are the diaries of how I'm living in NYC with sprinkles of life lessons I've learned along the way!"
- The Blakk Dahlia Archives
September 2019
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