HOME EC

im thinking about making my own sushi, this video makes it look super easy.... so wish me luck. this reminds me of that scene from the sex and the city movie when samantha made sushi for smith and then laid on the table to wait for him dressed only in sushi and heels [embellished with crystal fishbones, of course]. later she remarked "i got wasabi in places where one should never get wasabi" haha...i dunno about all that but i will need a taste-tester!

BONTÉ

living in downtown philly has introduced me to sorts of fun cuisine so i'm gonna share one of my favorites with you; bonté waffles.

with an authentic recepie straight from brussels and specific ingredients imported weekly from overseas, their waffles are a little piece of heaven.  worth the sometimes fifteen minute wait, the waffles are served hot and perfectly prepared with crisp edges and flavorful throughout.  in addition to the traditional waffle, add blueberry, pecan, banana, chocolate, or strawberry (my favorite) for more zest.  add ice cream (my favorite is the butterscotch) for an experience that is truly divine.  you can taste the savory sugar and chosen fruit grilled within each bite.  bonté also serves an array of appealing sandwiches and salads when you're craving something less sweet.

bonté is usually buzzing with the typical coffeehouse scene - people sipping cappuccino, talking, reading a newspaper or simply relaxing.  the decor softens the commotion in tones of sky blue and chocolate brown.  muted miles davis jazz can be heard playing off the black and white photos adorning the walls.  

the idea for bonté was inspired by a trip overseas and i truly appreciate bringing another culture's traditional favorites back to the city...almost as much as i love their waffles (which is a lot)

J

DIY

here is a little project that stems from my belief in the power of visualizing what's really important to you. i think seeing these things everyday can inspire you to stay focused on reaching your goals. it's pretty simple, you just need the items above: a ribbon, some mini clothespins [you could also use paper clips], and a few items that mean something to you. my items are small representations of the things i love [faith, family, friends, pets, career]. just clip your inspiration pieces to the ribbon and hang it somewhere you will see it everyday.

RECIPE FOR PERFECTION

if you've ever had an extremely trying day at work or school or whatever you do, this is the best thing ever:

1) smoke half the blunt or drink a glass of your favorite wine, whatever your pleasure

2) take a hot, steamy shower (with or without your lover)

      a.  avoid harsh bathroom lighting, instead add candles

      b.  can also mix in melodic tunes that soothe

3) lie down for a nap wrapped in your soft egyptian cotton sheets until whenever

4) wake up with a smile on your face

J

CARE PACKAGE

my sister sent me a bunch of goodies from fresh direct: my favorite organic chocolate milk, granola, and these awesome readymade meals. you just pop them in the microwave for 4 minutes and they are ready to go. she sent me the parmesan risotto with porcini mushrooms, asparagus, and peas, the chicken with pancetta, sage, and gnocchi, the lemon dill salmon with fingerling potatoes, and the chicken nuggets with rice and veggies [im 3]. try fresh direct, it is so convenient and it brightened my day!

PIZZA PARLOR

on friday i went with some family and friends to watch my aunt honey perform a monologue at her church in harlem. afterwards we hit up the original patsy's pizza. it was soooo good and i recommend it to anyone who is willing to take a trip way uptown. you might even see a celebrity [matt dillon was there when we went] because patsy's has such a following.

HORNETS

                         kova&t oxy leggings and stephen venezia heels

later thursday night i met up with some family friends. rasual butler is from philadelphia and went to "lasual university" [lasalle university] with my sister. he came to new york to play the knicks so adonis lined up some club appearances and i came along to have a good time in the vip. we went to stratta first [a hot mess, never go there] and then to mansion to meet up with some of his teammates [no chris paul, tears]. sual looked out for me as his "lil sis" and we had a ball. 

p.s. dont worry peta my vest is faux

INTRODUCING....J

i've gotten tired of reading blogs and feeling like my ideas are being proached upon, so i decided that until i have the time and dedication to make my own, i will be guest writing fun chunks of text and pictures on lil bits' blog. 

lil bits is one of my best friends and one of the funniest and coolest girls around.  during the week we text a bunch and every now and then we proach about together ending up in various situations and locations.  if you've ever been lucky enough to catch our old black man impressions (vis-à-vis 88 keys and kanye but way funnier and cooler) then you catch our drift and know what we're about.  

peace and love

jjjjjjj

p.s. the flash did too much in this passport photo i got taken the other day

THE LAST EMPEROR

on thursday i went to the 10 o'clock showing of the last emperor at film forum. i was happily surprised to learn that andre leon talley [editor at large for vogue, i love him] and matt tyrnauer [the film's director] were going to introduce the film. mr. talley, who is featured in a couple scenes from the film, gave a very  funny and candid introduction followed by a short q&a with the director. The documentary chronicles the extraordinary life of fashion designer and icon valentino garavani. "the film is an intimate, engaging, and very funny fly-on-the-wall exploration of the singular world of one of italy's richest and most famous men". here is the trailer, go see it! 

AFTER SCHOOL SPECIAL

i went to the rocawear "roc4life" website launch party at greenhouse last night. we skipped the line [thanks to lance] and got a booth. there was free grey goose all night and the dj was all that [in more ways than one]. i ran into a bunch of people [including adonis!] which is always fun. they had a photo booth which we commandeered and they gave out gift bags: two rocawear tees, a kidrobot toy, a grey goose shaker, free itunes download cards, foot bath, and nail polish. afterwards, we stumbled into mcdonald's for a snack. sooo much fun 

NEXT BUY

remember the glitter jelly sandals you had in the summer of '94? these are the grown up version of those and they come in just as many colors.

MY SISSIE

i couldnt resist posting this picture of my sister, she looks like a toddler haha i love her!!!!!!

SOLD OUT

anyone that knows me knows i have a soft spot for toys because im 4 years old at heart. i saw these keychains in the billionaire boys club/ice cream store and decided against them but now i kinda regret it. my keys are lonely [tears]

LUNCH

i went to the mercer hotel's restaurant [the mercer kitchen] today for lunch [on the corner of prince and mercer]. it's one of my favorite spots in soho, they have normal tables or you can eat in the lobby of the hotel on the sofas. they serve their french fries in a terra cotta pot which is cute. check it out!

ADORABLE

this is one of diddy's, for lack of a better term, "baby moms" and her daughter chance. they were photographed at ti's kid's birthday party [slash im going to jail soon party]. chance and her mom look adorable: hello kitty shirt, tutu, louis v scarf, birkin...looks like diddy's support is on time.

BS

i was gone for a little [spring break] but now, as philadelphia freeway would say, "im right back like i left something". the title stands for britney spears because i really like her new song "if you seek amy" which turns into f-u-c-k me when sung by miss spears, ha ha he he ha ha ho. 

ART

we are talking about jacob lawrence in one of my classes, i really like this piece so i thought id share it.

FREEBIES

last night i went to the chrisette michelle listening party to hear selections from her first album "i am chrisette michelle" and songs from her new album "epiphany". admission, liq, and hors d'oeuvres [crab cakes etc.] were free so the place was packed. me and the 3 goons i went with nestled ourselves comfortably against the dj's table and waited to hear her sing. after a flattering intro from la reid [shouts to pebbles] chrisette took the stage and wowed us with her vocals. we took pictures and left drunk, so id say a good time was had by all.

FOR MIDTERMS

to combat sleepiness: red bull [as of right now im two 12oz cans in] or starbucks [iced grande 1% triple shot caramel macchiato] 

to combat looking sleepy: garnier nutritioniste skin renew anti-puff eye roller [drugstore.com]

if you study all night long, roll this under your eyes in the morning and you'll look refreshed [even if you feel like a zombie]. 

SEIZURES

my sister came to visit me this weekend and, even though sharing a bed with her is ridiculous because she steals the covers, we had sooo much fun. saturday morning, after stopping a le pain quotidien for pear apple turnovers, we made our way over to the meat packing district. i went into dvf to try on the coat: a knee length coat made of vintage inspired floral fabric covered in clear sequins [for the perfect subtle shimmer] with a hidden drawstring to cinch the back....i think i had a seizure and died a little as we left without it [the picture does it no justice].

ASK YOURSELF

                         "who you lovin who you wanna be huggin"

FAIRY PRINCESS

i dont know about you but i am constantly searching for statement pieces [i firmly believe accessories can make an outfit]. i recently stumbled across a website and found the perfect floral adornment for my head. it's on the expensive side but im willing to pay for whimsy [cost per wear baby].

SKINNY MINI

lindsay lohan, seen here with designer matthew willamson and celebrity stylist rachel zoe [bananas, i die] is looking rather thin but it's nothing a few cinnabons/chicken nuggets [my guilty pleasures] wont fix! anyway i love the jeweled detail on the pockets of her dress, glamour can sometimes be found in subtleties.  

CHANGE OF PACE

i usually get my hairdresser [shouts to nyesha] to curl my hair and usually, during the colder months, i stick to dark polish [essie "sole mate" or "wicked"] but today i switched it up: i got my hair bone straight and i got a bright cheerful yellow on my nails, i never want to be too predictable! 

[peep the dr. dre tee]

NOSTALGIA

the brian dawkins' weapon x video, eagles fans remember. 

"we gon wild out, partyyy", we'll miss you buddy.

BUY UP

a few gentlemen close to my heart are involved in the making and selling of clothing so im showing love:

chit which is an acronym for creativity helps innovate trends, was started by one of my close friends from philly. chit quickly became a metaphor for a particular lifestyle that involves cash, clothes, shoes, fine women, fine dining, vacations, and paradoxically the appreciation of the simpler pleasures of the hood, namely, the quarter hug [a juice found in corner stores]. their merchandise has been showing up on the well dressed youth ever since. shouts to todd [boog] and joe [cookie]. 

true face was started by another close friend of mine and has not yet hit the markets. there is an artist behind the designs so be ready for hand painted images silkscreened onto shirts, sweatshirts, and the like. above is the artwork from my first true face t-shirt. shouts to ace [face].

it's always good to let your friends know their endeavors are important to you. 

AWW

this is a postcard from postsecret, one of my favorite blogs. people anonymously mail in their secrets on postcards and some of them are posted on the blog. this one plays on my desires to be a domestic housewife/goddess [nigella lawson] someday. 

OBAMA SUSHI

i love japan.

FALL 2009 RTW

my favorite shows from new york fashion week fall 2009:

3.1 phillip lim

alexander wang

derek lam

tory burch

adam

proenza schouler

and of course dvf who flawlessly took those adorable spring '09 rtw floral headpieces, made them fall appropriate, and then put one on chanel iman [i die]

HARLOW x 2

i mean look at that little yummy face ^
it's a little late but i have to dedicate a post [and a toast] to nicole richie and joel madden who are expecting another cutie. hooray for harlow winter being a big sister!!!!! big sisters are the best [im a little sister...hence the nickname lil bits]