God is Love

The best thing about this blog is we get to see si many, great things especially for the summer, here are dôme table top items we love. Create and Barrel has awesome retro picnic baskets,  retro milk bottles you can put your adult beverages in, there are paper  boxes, you can put bbq lunches and salads, you always need a floral arrangement, Thanks to Michaels craft store. I am all into retro, so for my soirees, ils grilled beef wellingtons, lobster and bean salad,  wines and chocolate cake. Cheers to retro glam.

In honor of the Derby this weekend, we thought what would go well with that smoked brisket? Pecan Bourbon Brownie Pie This is real simple all you have to do is pick up some praline brownie mix at Create and Barrel. Also pick up a bag of pecans toast them in butter and bourbon and add to the brownie mix, then spread in a shallow cake pan and bake according to directions. Prépare the whipped cream with one shot of Bourbon. Cheers to an awesome Derby!

Flats are in season this summer and I am so glad. However, what flats should a person choose? We looked all over and Nine West had the most, comfortable and stylish and the store manager was a darling. These are our finds... Cheers to comfort and style!

I was in the local mall in my parents neighborhood. I noticed that the Ashley Stewart store  was going out of business, this was shocking to me. Growing up there was a was between who was the most stylish and there were times the girls from Ashley Stewart wore the best clothing. The store manager told me that more main stream or straight size stores were selling more fashionable plus size clothing and they can keep up, so they were forced to close. I am happy that more straight size are recognizing the 20 billion dollar market and are expanding their products. Everyone should have access to look and feel their best. Cheers to everyone looking and feeling their Best!

The temps are rising and we all want that nice ice pop to cool us down. Homemade slushes and ice pops are great because we control the sugar content. Here are my favorite fruits for ice pops: 1. Watermelon- It is a diuretic 2. Myer Lemon Juice- Freshly Squeezed 3. Peaches and Lime. But wait you need some awesome supplies and thanks to our friends at Create and Barrel Madison Ave store you can get all what you need. Cheers to summertime slushes and ice pops!

Easter is this Sunday! Here is my variation on Strawberry Shortcake that is so good! 1. Box of Vanilla Cake Mix 2. 1 Pint of Freshly Washed Strawberries 3. Chocolate Frosting 4. Vanilla Pudding 5. Buttercream Frosting Prepare the cake as you would per box, in two seperate pans. Slice the strawberries in half set aside with lemon juice Prepare Vanilla Pudding as per instructions, mix in 1/4 cup of chocolate frosting. In a plate spread the vanilla pudding and chocolate frosting mixture on one side of the cake. Put the strawberries on the side of the mixture with vanilla pudding and chocolate frosting mixture. Put the plain cake on top of the one with strawberry and chocolate mixture. Frost the cake with the Butter cream frosting. With the leftover strawberries decorate the cake after frosting. This is really a delite!! It is so GOOD!! Cheers to a Easter Strawberry Shortcake!

We got out of our rut and went outside to "LOOK" at the beauty that NYC had to offer and this what we found: As Billy Joel would say this egg puts you in NYC State of Mind Bright Colors and Prints put anyone in a festive mood. Great Light Mosaic of Metallic Colors Yes we found the "Fountain of Youth" even if it's outside 30 Rock. Cheers to getting out and about SPRING has FINALLY SPRUNG in NYC!!!!

Ever had that burning business idea or watched Shark Tank and thought, hey I could do that? Well why don't you ? Here is a partial listing of all accelerators and business incubators that are currently accepting applications for the summer. 1. Kaplan Ventures- Have an idea to improve national educational then apply. 2. Disney Accelerator- Into Animation or think you can contribute creatively to entertainment business, apply through  techstars.com 3. Think you have a cutting business in the healthcare space, then apply to  blueprinthealth.org 4. If you have a great business but it doesn't fit the criteria then check out 500startups.com . 5. The best business education program is the Kaufman Foundation check out their website. 6. I here Fashion is your calling the CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund is now accepting applications to their program at  cfda.com . Cheers, we hoped you did our reading assignments a couple of weeks ago on what makes a great business. Good L...

Your daughter is finally getting OUT of your house and going off to college. But, next to sending her off to college is PROM!! Tickets, hair, makeup and the dress can cost the equivalent of a small wedding, however here are some savings that we thought you should know about. 1. The Red Door Spa has 20 percent off spa services when your daughter presents her High School ID and is accompanied by an adult. 2. If you are in NYC Rogue NYC which is founded by a makeup artists prices vary from 40.00 to 60.00 for all out glam. 3. Prom dresses can be very expensive as well, we found great amazing deals on clearance at Sears.com. Don't laugh when I wore one of these dresses, everyone thought I paid an obscene amount of money for the dress. 4. One last tip which is a safety tip make certain, you turn on the GPS function of her phone unbeknownst to her before she leaves for night out. 5.OK, another safety tip make certain the drivers of party buses, limos' Suburbans all have ...

Friday was Mrs. Paul's fish sticks in the cafeteria, Anyway, here is a great and tasty way to get your Omega 3's into your diet. Depending on your company: 1. Buy 4 lbs. of fresh flounder 2. 2 packages of Italian Seasoning  with Cheese and Bread Crumbs 3. 5 Egg Whites 4. Saute peppers, onions, and garlic in a pan with olive oil. Preparation: First bake the fish with olive oil and black pepper. Have the fish cool for 30 min. and prep the veggies. In a blender combine fish, egg whites, cheese and bread crumbs with the cooled sauted vegetables. The consistency should be of a firm paste. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees In a baking pan with olive oil, using a Ice Cream Scoop, dredge again in Bread Crumbs and place in a pan. Do this until the baking pan is filled with the cakes and bake for 20 min. and cakes are crispy. While cakes are cooling on a paper towel, prep the salad/ Using a bed of watercress and argula toss the greens in olive oil and vinegar (...

During the 2010 Season of the Oprah Show, she featured a man by the name of Tom Shadyac, who is a filmmaker, and who had a life changing experience and made a documentary "I AM." I AM is a film that shows how we are all connected in this world, when major life altering events occur such as 9-11, or the major Tsunami in Indonesia scientist measured how the world reacted. What relevance does this have to you and me? Ever wondered if you what you are going through a divorce, challenges with an elderly parent was unique to you, no it's not. Everything human emotion that you have ever felt or will feel someone on this Earth has felt it before. A friend of mine was discussing the fact that she thought for so long she was adopted because the way on of parents treated her and finally decided to confront her parents and let them know it was OK, she knew that she was adopted and accepted their treatment. They both looked at her and laughed, and assured her that they were ...

I know you are thinking? How can Reality TV teach you anything? Trust me it can, I had the Spring Bug, so I was home bound for a week on antibiotics, OJ, and chicken soup. I decided to watch some TV, any way after marathons of RHONY, Married to Medicine, and Naked in the Jungle (No, it's not porn) Here are the lessons that I learned: 1. People no matter what age or income bracket want to liked and loved by everyone. 2. Don't ever tell people your personal secrets, certain are best to be kept between you and God. 3. Back to number one, not everyone is going like or respect you. I once heard someone say if you go into a room and assume that 20 percent of the people there are not going to like you then you eliminated the hurt from rejection. 4. There are better and safer ways to earn a living than going into a jungle with a stranger naked. The show is on the National Geographic Channel. 5. Lastly, know when to leave the party, some story lines and p...

What are the essentials of a budget? It is a plan a list of goals to help you achieve financial solvency and wealth. How do I stick to a budget, when there are terrific sales all around me and I really NEED to go to that conference? Delay gratification, if you are a hard worker opportunities will present themselves where you wouldn't have to pay to go an event. Before, you need to go to that sample sale, etc., take inventory of your closet nine times out of ten you really don't need another purchase. By using delayed gratification you are simply trusting the universe to bring you everything you need at the right time. It also instills discipline, no I am not going to buy another piece of clothing, go out to eat, or to a paid event, or order a subscription box. Trust me when you wait on divine timing everything begins to line up. Cheers to trusting and delayed gratification!

We are going to Savannah, GA and it is all about the pecans in that region. So we created a De-Vine Praline Brunch. Menu: Buttermilk Waffles with Butter Pecan Ice Cream and Warm Maple Syrup Scrambled Eggs Hash Browns with Onions and Peppers Mimosas Chickory Coffee Prep: Waffles make them with regular pancake mix. Use a single waffle maker that you turn for the waffles. Add Butter Pecan Ice-Cream when served and add one small scoop and warm maple syrup. Southerners love eggs, make the eggs light and fluffy and add just a little cheddar cheese. Hash Browns, you can't have a Southern Brunch without the potato's. I leave the skins of potato's on and toss them in olive oil with diced onions and peppers, until veggies are well cooked. You can do turkey bacon or I love Morningstar Spicy Sausage for meat substitute. Add champagne and your favorite O.J. add aromatic bitters as a splash to top the drink. Cheers to a filling and De-Vine Southern and Praline Brunch...

We are all looking to get bikini ready so, we should try to lighten up our foods to reach our goals. Vegan Pad Thai 1. One Package of Buckwheat Soba Noodles 2. 3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil 3. 3 Tablespoons of Fresh Ground Peanut Butter (Whole Foods) 4. 5 Tablespoons of Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce 5. 3 Tablespoons of Chili Powder 6. 3 Tablespoons of Apple Cider 7. Fresh Veggies of Peas, Diced Carrots, Diced Cabbage, Diced Onions, Diced Garlic, Asparagus, Broccoli. In a steam pot boil the soba noodles according to directions and drain Take all the wet ingredients olive oil, peanut butter, soy sauce, chili powder and apple cider and blend till smooth. In a sauté pan add some more olive oil and add fresh vegetables till cooked, but not soggy then add soba noodles and stir. Serve with the sauce on the side you can add as your taste desires. Cheers to a delicious yet slimming meal.

We now we talk about sprucing up our wardrobe before; however there were some essentials that we forgot. 1. Make sure you have cat eyes sunglasses. 2. Wide brim hats are so essentials for sun protection--Eugenia Kim hats are great. 3. Peter Som is the latest DesigNation for Kohl's, it is based on St. Bart's I love his striped maxi dresses. 4. If you have a great summer soirees to go to the check out prom dresses. 5. White jeans fade from season to season, so time to get new white jeans. 6. Neutral colors for nails are pastel blue, light yellow, pinks, and honeydew melon green. 7. Everyday clothing in bright colors are so essential. 8. For summer weddings it is blush lace dresses, pastel blue tea length dresses, and coral midi skirts, with appropriate mid rifts.