ISPY Glam Bag December 2017

I have been receiving Ipsy Glam Bags since April but I have yet to write a review about them. 
Until now...

     Ipsy Glam Bags are a subscription service that sends 5 beauty samples to your home once a month for 9.99. You get to try samples of a variety of products, review each one and buy the full sizes if you choose from the Ispy website. The products come in a neatly designed pouch, called a Glam Bag, that is designed with a theme each month.

     The main reason I subscribed to Ipsy was because of the bags: These zip pouches are perfect for stashing your makeup in your purse, or even as a mini purse if you want to minimize clutter on a night out. Since LA Live does not permit backpack purses on the property, I was glad I had my Ipsy Bag handy in which to place my essentials; I was able to walk around safely, yet had everything I needed at my fingertips...including great makeup!

      I also like the variety of products that come in the bag, and the company pays close attention to your profile, which ensures that most items will match your preferences.  Even though Ipsy targets a younger demographic market, I still find that what I receive is never too "young" for me to wear.

   

     I believe the caveat with Ipsy comes with reviewing the products once they arrive in the bag.  The prices for the products are not available in the packaging, so you must visit the website to find out how much everything costs. The website is a well-oiled social media machine, with every review linked directly to Twitter or Facebook. If you do not wish your Facebook or Twitter feeds to be crowded with Ipsy posts, you have to remember to click the button to "off" before you submit your review. You are rewarded with Ipsy points, however, for each review you post, to use toward purchasing full size products. 

     What was my favorite item this month? I has to be the City Color Cosmetics eyeshadow in "It's a Girl". This deep pink shade has a sparkly shimmer that I can brush on my lids or use with other shades for a glamorous evening look. Of course, the M.A.C In Extreme Dimension 3D Blacklash Mascara is an all-time favorite, with its detailed brush that grabs and coats each lash to build and lengthen. Ultimately, all of the samples were amazing. There was not one thing I did not like! 

     For my full review, click on my YouTube video below, or visit my AlvinVision channel for more great tips and tricks!

What makeup tips have you practiced this season to bring that holiday sparkle and glow? Leave a comment below!

Alvin's Christmas: Unlikely Holiday Reflections

How does Christmas always turn out to be the best day of the year? 

Alvin's DIY Summer

When it comes to Summer, DIYs make the days fill with fun and creativity!

Summer days are a great opportunity for restyling and repurposing old pieces of furniture. 

Most times, people in the neighborhood are having garage sales to sell things from the rooms of their now-college-aged children who now live on campus or have changed their space at home to a more mature environment. It is a great opportunity to find things that can easily be recreated into something that has a new use! 

My daughter is now a young adult attending college; when she decided to put her beautiful desk up for sale, I was heartbroken. Partly because it meant that soon, it would be time for her to officially find her own dwellings, making her father and I very close to empty-nesters. The other thing was that this desk represented a grand effort 15 years ago to create the perfect bedroom for a little girl who loved pretty flowers and ballerinas; we spent a boat load of money on her furniture, of which the desk was one of the most expensive pieces. I shuttered at the fact that someone could very possibly walk away with this investment for pennies. So, I kept the desk to repurpose and keep in the family.

I always wanted a gardening bench. I would peruse through Pinterest, looking at pins of the many beautiful potters' benches and the different ideas for turning dressers, tables, bookshelves and other pieces of furniture into useful gardening areas. When the desk became available, I could not wait to turn it into something amazing that I could enjoy in the backyard!

I used paint from previous home projects we have worked on over the years, which made putting this bench together relatively inexpensive. The only cost I had was the 60.00 I spent to buy the trellis I used to create a back wall in order to hang tools, gloves and hats. 

So far, I have repotted several plants in and around the house, as well as planted sunflowers for the upcoming fall season. I enjoy waking up and going out into the yard in the cool of the morning, putting my hands in the dirt, listening to the rush of the water from the garden hose, and planning my day with a cup of tea on the small table next to the bench. It is a wonderful time to be alone and at peace! 

When the surfaces are wiped clean of dirt and the gardening tools are put away, this potters' bench can also be used as a beautiful outdoor bar area to serve beverages and light snacks. The colorful, whimsical designs can brighten any backyard event any time of year!

To watch the transformation of this beautiful creation, visit my YouTube Channel, or click on the video below! 

I truly enjoyed working on this project and giving something old a new life again. ! What DIYs have you done lately? Share in the comments below!

What's Good | June 2017

Five Things I'm Excited About This Week

Go Here! 

Awesome Discount Store

Imagine a cross between a .99 cents store, Target, TJ Maxx and ... Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory! That is what Five Below is like. This wonderland of a discount store has everything you need from summer fun to school supplies, all for 5.00 and below. Visit fivebelow.com for a store near you!

Eat This!

Summer Berry and Chicken Salad

When you are eating clean, being inventive is key to keeping your meals tasty and exciting. We created this salad for lunch, and I just had to share it! Loaded with blueberries, mixed greens and chicken, you get plenty of protein and antioxidants to get you through the warm summer day. Top it with raspberry vinaigrette dressing and goat cheese for more tangy flavor! Delicious!

Recipe:
Mixed greens (Romaine Lettuce, Spinach, Arugula)
Sliced organic strawberries
Organic blueberries
Sliced almonds
Sliced red onions
Shredded chicken breast
              ----------
Himalayan sea salt, to taste
Fresh ground pepper
Balsamic Vinegar Dressing or Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing
Goat Cheese (Optional)

Drink This!!

Flower-infused Lemonade

 This is summer in a bottle. Belvoir Lemonade is infused with elderflower and rose essence and delivers a crisp, fragrant sip that will refresh your palate. Enjoy chilled in a wine glass to experience the heady aroma and delicate fruity flavor. Just say "Aaaahhhh"!

Experience This!!!

Summer Cherry Picking

The last few days of cherry picking are at hand! You can still get plenty from a handful of farms in the argricultural areas of Central California where the recent rains blessed many with a bumper crop, while leaving others with damaged fruit due to the January frost. Nonetheless, cherry season will soon be coming to a close. Make plans to visit Villa del Sol, a family-owned cherry farm in Leona Valley, CA where their are juicy, sweet Bings and Raniers waiting to go home in a basket. At 6.00 per pound, know that you are paying not only for the delicious cherries, but also the experience and opportunity to select and pick your own rub red gems from the many trees. Open until June 18th!

Wear This!!!

Summer White

Aside from keeping you cool, white clothing also enhances the golden tones of sun-kissed skin. Why not go all white, with a pair of capris, sneakers and a sleeveless top? A woven bag with a color-popping tassle pull the look together! Classic, crisp and confident!

What are YOU excited about this week? Leave comments to share below!

Return to the Orchard: Cherry Picking 2017

Summer brings a colorful abundance of flavorful fruits and vegetables with none more beautiful and delicious than the cherry. Gathering these garnet gems is a celebration of the season, but only lasts a very short time!

    Once again, I took a drive to visit one of the many cherry farms in Leona Valley, California to pick a few pounds of my favorite fruit. Before I went, I decided to look up the place I went to last year, Copeland's Cherry Ranch. I enjoyed the surroundings of this small, intimate farm and looked forward to conversation about the Cherry Festival and the beautiful cherry cupcakes made by a local bakery.

Beautiful Raniers

Unfortunately, I quickly learned from a post on the page that the farm was closed this season due to the frost we had in the region earlier this year. Copeland lost their entire crop, and had no cherries on the farm.

    I continued my online search to find Villa del Sol, a family-owned farm, which I had actually passed the previous year because it was packed with people. Since I remembered that, I planned my trip to take place early in the morning to avoid the crowd and enjoy the quiet of the morning in the orchard. I took my son and daughter with me, and we enjoyed the drive, listening to music and sharing funny stories. When we arrived at Villa del Sol, people were already filling the dirt lot as the sun rose into midmorning.

     Many families unloaded mini vans filled with children and grandparents, loaded with cameras and sunscreen. Most of these travelers had driven for two hours to come here, and they approached the entrance with the same enthusiasm as people entering Disneyland; stopping to take photos at the entrance, expressing joy at the sight of the throng of cherry trees loaded with giant red and golden fruit, and listening intently to simple instructions on how to pick from the trees:

1. Do not eat until you pay.
2. Leave the stems on the branches and pick the cherry carefully
3. You pay for what you pick.

Ruby red Bings...hard to resist eating, but don't eat until you pay!

The staff at Villa del Sol is comprised mostly of family and close friends, and they treated us like we were a close relative. They were kind, and patient, and wanted you to enjoy your stay and get the best fruit they had to offer, assisting by pulling the branches down close to help you pick the sweetest, ripest cherries. As we filled our baskets, we chatted among the shade of the trees with Ty, Austin, Dylan and Travis to only discover we had more in common than we realized. That is what happens when you stop and say, "Hello" at Villa del Sol. You find friends among the cherry trees.

Enjoying a day under the shade with cherry-kissed lips by Stila My Lips Are Sealed Matte Lipstick!

Sweet. Tasty. Juicy. Organic. 

Red Lipstick and Me

Red Lipstick can be worn by women of all shades and colors, because there is a shade and color for every woman!

    There was a time I did not believe that.

  In my youth, wearing red lipstick was a point of debate in some circles of Black culture.  White women could wear red lipstick, but if dark women wore it, there was a negative connotation to this cosmetic choice because of all of the racist images and caricatures that existed back then. However, this controversy resonates in social media to this very day: Models with dark skin are harshly criticized for sporting red lipstick by other black women. 

                       

We avoided wearing red lipstick because of racist depictions in media. Image from museumofuncutfunk.com. 

In addition, red was considered a racy, loose color. If you weren't wearing it as a costume, then it was not considered acceptable.

But then, I saw Dorothy Dandridge. She wore red lipstick. Red, matte lipstick and her brown skin was like mine. This film icon exuded tremendous elegance, beauty and class. So I thought maybe I should give it a try!

       

It took a few try-ons to find the right one, but when I started getting samples from my Birchbox every month, sometimes there has been a red lipstick sample inside. It was one of those samples that really did it for me; the Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick was matte, and it lasted all day long. I felt like a glamorous movie star! I immediately ordered the red in the sample and I've been hooked ever since. 

I don't wear it all of the time, but when I do, it's because it is planned; the eyes, lips, hair and outfit all frame the lips.

 

I have learned that there are many shades of red to enjoy, from deep reds that resemble rich wine to bright rubies that scream Hollywood starlet. I now own several to match any mood or occasion. The interesting thing is, wearing the color red has also made me open to experimenting with many other colors that I had once considered risqué or too much for my age and complexion. I have rocked everything from blue to light pink; it all depends on how you wear it and how confident you are to sport any look!

So, I am no longer afraid of wearing this timeless lip paint that creates as much controversy as it does conversation. It is a powerful, sexy shade that, if matched correctly, is attractive on women of all skin colors! What is your favorite shade of red? Leave a comment below!

  

                          

                                          

What's Good! | February 20, 2017

What I'm Excited About This Week

See This! 
Alvin Ailey Dance Company - When this extraordinary company of dancers comes to town, I do not miss a performance. The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, now in its 59th year, is designated as " a vital American cultural ambassador to the world" by a U.S. congressional resolution; this vibrant, energetic group of artists is a spectacle to behold, with soul-stirring choreography from the late Alvin Ailey in modern dance. Additional pieces from Ailey contemporaries also fill out the repertoire. When they come to your city, be sure to get a ticket, a bring along a friend!

Read This!
The History of Wine in 100 Bottles - While it stands to reason wine has been around forever - archaeologists date wine making as early as Ancient Mesopotamia - it is also interesting to know the many implications for wine usage throughout history. Author OZ Clarke explores the history and significance of wine while examining 100 bottles that represent wine and winemaking as it relates to its social, economic, religious and cultural impact through time. This book is a great accessory for any bar cart or coffee table, available on Amazon.

Wear This!
 Capsule Wardrobe Essentials - I recently purchased an anorak jacket to go with my brown leather backpack, and since then, it has been the only jacket I reach for when I go out in the cold, windy, rainy weather we have had of late. This jacket goes with most things in a standard capsule wardrobe: Wear it over jeans and a striped T with sneakers, or go chic with a black turtleneck and matching cigarette pants. Whatever the look, this jacket is light enough for effortless layering and will keep you warm and cozy. The best thing is, I purchased mine on Groupon for less than 20.00! Get the Groupon app, or check out the cool jacket above at Amazon. For more on putting together a fabulous capsule wardrobe, click here!

Get This! 
Market Basket Backpack - With all of the new policies on bringing your own bags to the grocery store, why not be sustainably stylish with this beautiful woven market backpack (80.00) from Food 52? Handmade in Morocco, this back pack is made from palm leaves and leather and is sourced from Medina Mercantile. Roomy enough for your groceries, or super finds from your local farmer's market. I want it!

Listen to This!
Dinah Washington -    One day as I was driving and listening to my favorite jazz station, I was pleasantly surprised to hear a song from Dinah Washington that just made me swoon; "That Sunday, That Summer" has been covered by other jazz greats, such as Nat King Cole, but Dinah's version lilts and tickles your ears, making you float into nostalgic memories. It can be found on The Complete Roulette Dinah Washington Sessions; hear this song and many of her other wonderful hits on Spotify, or purchase the single in iTunes. Exquisite!

So that's WHAT'S GOOD! What are YOU excited about this week? Share below! 

5 Things Creative People Want You to Know

           We are in awe of the things artists, dancers and musicians can do. People stand in line to buy tickets to be amazed by our right-brained-dominant counterparts, a community of which I am proud to be a part. The world would not flow or connect without the creative mind; Creatives are able to not only recognize patterns, but understand the nuances of such and add additional layers that shape human culture. 

           Yet, somehow, being a creative is often trivialized and overlooked. The contributions of Creatives are not considered as important as those who use their brains in the analytical way. Math, science, business, technology and law yield professions that have high earning potential, while the "starving artist" is always, well...starving. 

         

The shift towards 21st Century workplace standards has made space for the right-brainers, however. The employee of today must meet criteria that allows for flexibility, innovation, and a global mindset. Individuals of today's workplace must be creative, be able to communicate effectively with others through collaborative efforts, and exercise a natural sense of critical thinking. These attributes are known as the "Four Cs" and are benchmarks corporations now use to seek potential employees. 

         

It is believed by some that creativity can be learned, while we Creatives disagree: Born creativity comes from someplace deep within, maybe even far beyond. As we live each day, we look for what is new, we are in a constant state of wonder, and curiosity runs through our blood. If you know anyone who is Right-Brained, and they add color to your life, they may want you to know 5 things that are important to the way they see the world:

 1. The creative process is a spiritual flow. We are created beings, formed by The Creator in His likeness. Therefore, it is within us to create.

2.     Artistry comes from places within. Sometimes that energy is very intense. We tap into a source originating from experiences; emotions that are sometimes good and other times bad. Creatives use joy and pain, humor and anger as a conduit to produce beautiful work, and it takes time. Artistry is an outward expression that reflects what is within, and they never allow self-doubt to dictate how far they go in their creative process. 

3.     Creatives are not wind-up toys. We do not perform at your convenience. Saying, “We just want you to play a little song”, or “Can you do a little dance number?” is an insult to us. We put in hours of practice and labor hard to do what you see as “little”. Our worth is known by us, but needs to be understood and respected by non-creatives.

4.     Our work is of value. We deserve to be paid when you ask us to give and share our gifts. If you could do what we do, you wouldn't need us. For many of us, our talent helps us to make a living.

     5.     We love to give. We perform and create as a way of giving and expressing ourselves. It is how we communicate with the world around us. We also love appreciation and to know that what we share is worthwhile to you, that it has touched your heart and filled your soul. So the next time you see a painting or photo, stop and look. The next time you hear a song, a poem, an instrument being played, stop and listen. The next time you are mesmerized by the actor or dancer on stage, stop and take notice.

Then, put your hands together and say “thank you”.

“The applause is a celebration not only of the actors but also of the audience. It constitutes a shared moment of delight.”

John Charles Polanyi