What to Know Before You Go to the Essence Festival: My Essence Festival/NOLA Love Affair Part I

So earlier this month I had the great pleasure of making my first trip to the Essence Festival in New Orleans! I had high expectations of how great it would be, but the excellent people at Essence FAR EXCEEDED my expectations! I had been thinking about going to Essence for the past three years and I finally made it this year. Although this trip was my first time going to the Festival, I know for a fact and God willing, it WILL NOT be my last!

Because I have so much to talk about with my experience of the 3-day event and my 5 days spent in New Orleans during the trip, I have decided to create three separate parts to share these experiences. This, being the first, I thought it would be a great idea to share my tips for anyone considering going to the Essence Festival next year or in the future.

I know that the recent release of the film, Girls Trip, (which is excellent by the way) has a lot of people interested in making the trip to NOLA to go to Essence. Hopefully this list will help you get your plans together.

The Pre-Planning

• The Earlier You Start Planning, the Better!

New Orleans has a lot of hotels to choose from, which charge a vast array of prices. From personal experience, do yourself a favor and start planning your hotel booking as early as possible. I first started looking at hotel/flight packages for the July adventure last November (2016). There were tons of hotels available and the prices weren't terribly outrageous at that time. Of course, hotels in the French Quarter, Business District, and Garden District all had the higher prices.

As time wore on and I still had not booked my hotel, I constantly saw hotels charge higher prices, as well as become all booked up. The hotel prices can seriously change by the day, which happened to be what happened to my cousin and I when we finally booked our hotel and flight package at the end of March. 

• Don't Wait Til April to Book your Hotel

Sure, there'll be hotels available in March, April, and later, but the prices will keep increasing and availability will continuously diminish. In the end, because of our budget and the availability of accommodations, we ended up staying at the Ramada Airport Metairie. 

This hotel was about 15 minutes away from the Airport and about 19 minutes away from the French Quarter and Business District. While this hotel wasn't the worst option ever, but I'd like to see how staying closer to the action, in a nicer hotel will be the next time I go to Essence.

• Consider Doing Uber/Lyft/Cabs Instead of a Rental Car

New Orleans is a walking city, especially in the French Quarter. The traffic during Essence was insane, especially at night for the concerts at the Superdome.

We opted for going without a rental car, and used Uber, which the cost was about $14 each ride between the French Quarter, Convention Center, and Superdome. Just budget that into your vacation costs.

Also consider the cost of parking at the Convention Center and the Superdome. The total price and aggravation that you'll spend doing the rental car may come out being way more than doing ride sharing or cabs.

• Early-bird 3-Day Essence Concert Passes are a Good Value

Because I liked so many of the artists on the lineup for all three days of the concerts, we bought 3-day Concert Passes in advance. it came out to being much cheaper than buying individual tickets.

I will say though that the fees for buying from Ticketmaster (which is the only way you can buy the tickets in advance if you're not in New Orleans) are OUTRAGEOUS! It was seriously like $40 in fees! Consider yourself warned.

• Research After-Parties, Boat Parties, etc Before Your Trip!

I didn't think about looking up after-parties, celebrity parties, and boat excursions for the trip until about two weeks in advance. By that time there were a few high-profile boat parties that were sold out. However, fortunately we still were able to purchase advance RSVP passes to some of the hottest celebrity parties in town that weekend. 

While we paid around $15 by RSVPing in advance, one of the parties we attended was charging over $50 at the door!

Packing for the Trip

• Forget Your Heels! Bring Flats!!!!!

Leading up to the trip, different people consistently told me to not wear heels when going to the French Quarter. Once I arrived in NOLA, every Uber driver we encountered on the first couple days while we were there, told us "don't wear heels!" They even went a step further telling us not to wear heels to the concerts either.

Well, I brought two pairs of heels with me for the trip. NEITHER PAIR WERE EVER PULLED OUT OF MY SUITCASE! I wore flats, chucks, and flat sandals the entire trip! Everyone everywhere there was wearing flats and tennis shoes. Seriously! The entire weekend you'll do a ton of walking. Walking at the Convention Center. Walking at the concerts at the Superdome. And everywhere in between.

Forget being cute ladies. No one was wearing heels during Essence. Not at the concerts. Not at the Convention Center. Not on Bourbon Street. Nowhere! 

• Bring Big Luggage and Plan to Check a Bag

Aside from the conveniences and peace of mind of checking your luggage on the airplane, keep in mind that you're going to a convention. What happens at conventions? FREEBIES!!!!! And man, oh man, will you get freebies at Essence! There's also many vendors where you can purchase goods, that of course have to make it back home with you.

By the end of the trip, we each had about 4 huge bags full of things that we had collected during the weekend. Each of us struggled, and I mean STRUGGLED to fit everything in our suitcases and carry-ons. Make sure you have some room for everything that you'll get while there.

• Download the Essence Festival App

This year, prior to Fourth of July Weekend, people were encouraged to download the Essence Festival App. The app is free and gives you a map (which could have been a bit better), and full schedule of all the events, activities, panelists, speakers, and concerts being held during the entire weekend! It was a great tool and was very necessary in keeping us all informed about all the happenings throughout the weekend.

Also, when you download the app, you are automatically given a unique QR bar code which when scanned at the Convention Center entered you into drawings for free things throughout the weekend. No, I won nothing, FYI....

When You Arrive

• Review the Schedule and Make a Plan!!!!!

There's so much to do at the Convention Center, especially on Saturday, which is when all the high-profile speakers and panels are held. You really need to have a plan on what/who is most important to you and the time of each activity that you'd like to participate in.

Although it's hard to do everything that you'll want to do because certain events overlap on the schedule, it definitely doesn't hurt to plan out your day to make the most of the Festival!

• Get to the Convention Center Early on Friday In Order to get all the Freebies Out of the Way!

Big brands like AT&T, Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Ford, etc all have HUUUUUUUGE, interactive spaces inside the Convention Center, with super long lines of people waiting to get their hands on freebies. And I was one of 'em! And you will be too!

There's tons of freebies and activities to be had at the Convention Center each day of the festival, but the lines can be a bit much. For example, for two straight days (Saturday and Sunday), we stood in line for over 45 minutes each day waiting to get a personalized Coke can. Sadly, the line was so slow and long that we gave up both days! Now, had we just gotten all of our freebie scouting out of the way on the first day, Friday, we would have gotten that Coke can and other vendors. 

The lightest attendance at the Convention Center was on Friday, when compared to that of the rest of the weekend. So do yourself a big favor and get there early on Friday to get all the freebies you can while the lines aren't as long. Trust me, those lines the rest of the weekend are nothing to play with.

• Have Lunch at the Convention Center

In case you didn't know, I'm a major Foodie and also an avid Yelper, so scouting excellent restaurants is one of my favorite past times. Of course being in NOLA, how could I not want to try all of the excellent local fare that there is to enjoy while in the city. That being said, there's a lot of local restaurants that have booths with large meals available for purchase at the Convention Center. 

As much as I loved leaving the Convention Center to go try different restaurants that I had put on my list to try, sometimes grabbing a snack or full meal at the Convention Center was a major time saver! And the food was really good as well!

• Use Your Free Time to Enjoy the City and Get as Much Rest as You Can!

New Orleans is known for many great things, from its food, its architecture, its music, its culture, and its nightlife! While you're in town for Essence Festival, make sure that you take the time to take in all that the city as to offer!

Keep in mind though that the bars there don't close. Every Uber driver and server we met while in town, informed us that the bars don't close in N'Awlins. With that much freedom for pleasure, make sure you enjoy yourself while in town and check out the French Quarter, Bourbon Street, and Frenchmen Street for a great night of fun! Be careful of your surroundings and enjoy!

I hope that these tips help you in your Essence Festival planning. Stay tuned to my next two posts with more info about my experience at Essence and NOLA! Ciao and laissez bon temps roule!

Black Bloggers United Brunch Meetup

*In Woody voice (Toy Story)* Howdy, howdy, howdy! So this past weekend was awesome, as I attended the Black Bloggers United St. Louis Chapter's Blogger Photography Brunch, as well as the CWE 2nd Annual Cocktail Party! Both outtings were much fun and I had to share the pics that our fabulous photographer, John Harris took.

Please be sure to follow John and contact him for all of your photography needs. 

Facebook: @JHPhotography314

Twitter: @Jah_Bless314

Instagram: @jharris_photography

Some of the bloggers and influencers in attendance were our wonderful hostesses, AK and Diamond from We're Just Bloggers, Nikki with STLNightOut, Fluffy Grl Movement's Ebbi Nicole, Finesse Curves' Jeanne, and more!

My Look: Top by "Elle" for Kohl's, pants by Cynthia Rowley, available at a steal for $20 at Marshall's, and Nude T-strap heels from ShoeDazzle

Also! Please stay tuned for AK's new Eyewear line! I am wearing them in these pictures, and huuuney, they are FAAAAABULOUS!

Opera Theatre St. Louis is in Full Effect! The Grapes of Wrath and Madame Butterfly Reviews

Over the past two weeks, I've had the great pleasure of being invited by the Opera Theatre of St. Louis to live tweet two of their highly anticipated' productions for the 2017 Season, "Madame Butterfly" and a premier of a shortened version of "The Grapes of Wrath." Both productions were performed and executed beautifully!

Madame Butterfly

The timeless, tragic story that is Madame Butterfly, written by Puccini, tells the story of a young Japanese woman named Butterfly who falls in love with and marries an American military man in the early 20th Century, only to be abandoned by him and long for the day of his return. Don't worry, I didn't spoil it for you. The set design and music of this performance was beautiful. And the costumes were beyond beautiful and made it easy to transport the audience to this time and place.

The acting was also excellent, especially the performances of Rena Harms, who portrayed Butterfly, and Suzuki, who played Butterfly's servant Renee Rapier. Bravo!

Although this is a tragedy, not-to-mention the same one that the musical Miss Saigon is based on, it is still a raw and beautiful depiction of the beauty of a young woman in love and the depths of desperation that she endures to hold on to her dream. Definitely worth checking out!

The Grapes of Wrath

Now for the piece de resistance! This theatre's production of The Grapes of Wrath will easily go down as not only the best operatic performance I have ever witnessed live, but also one of the greatest live performances that I've ever seen! I had never read the classic 1939 Steinbeck novel that this was based on, or the 1940 Henry Fonda movie film of the same name, so I came to this opera having no prior knowledge of the story. I'm really glad that was the case as I got to enjoy every moment for the first time, without the anticipation of scenes to come.

The story of the opera is that of the Joad family, who are farmers from Oklahoma that were affected by the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression and made the decision to migrate to California after being evicted from their home. Their journey is far from perfect as they encounter many losses of loved ones, homelessness, unemployment, violence, and setback after setback. Still, in spite of these hardships, the family's matriarch Ma Joad, played superbly by Katherine Goeldner, keeps the family together and does her best to keep their hope alive during a time when it seems like all hope is gone.

From what I've gathered from various synopses of the novel, the opera follows the book very closely, and unlike the film, also depicts the poignant final scene in which Rosasharn selflessly offers to nurse a stranger dying of starvation. It is truly an EPIC and BEAUTIFUL work! The entire cast did a phenomenal job. And the orchestration, staging, direction, music, and choreography (wonderfully executed by Sean Curran) all were perfection! Special kudos go to Geoffrey Agpalo, who played the role of Jim Casy, Deanna Breiwick, who played Rosasharn, and Tobias Greenhalgh, who portrayed Tom Joad.

This production made me not only want to buy the cast recording on CD, but also made me want to watch the film AND read the book! It was just that good. I am seriously considering going to see it again. I've been a fan of Steinbeck's since reading a few of his novels in high school, but after seeing The Grapes of Wrath, I can't help but admire his work and genius even more!

While watching this performance, I couldn't help but see the similarities between the hatred that the Californians had against the Okies during this migration, and how certain groups of people in the US  have the same type of hatred toward immigrants and Muslims today. The parallels were deep and I couldn't help but be saddened by the desperation of certain people just trying to survive and the unkindness dealt to them by others.

Aside from this revelation, before seeing this opera, I had never really seen the effects of the Dust Bowl, or the true impact of The Great Depression. After watching this, I truly don't believe that I could have survived those kinds of conditions. I'm not built for it Lawd! Seeing what the Joads went through made me think of my grandparents and what their lives might have been like during those trying times. I'm grateful for their perseverance to get through those times, and to all who survived that time in our nation's history.

Getting back to Opera Theatre of St. Louis, you should definitely check an opera there, if you haven't already. All of the performances are sung in English and there are also subtitles in English on the walls so you have no excuse not to go there! They also serve refreshments, boxed lunches, desserts, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, which can all be enjoyed in the garden prior to showtime. You can also bring your own food and drink there as well!

Opera Theatre of St. Louis is performed at the Loretto-Hilton Center at Webster University's campus, at 130 Edgar Rd, St. Louis, MO. For tickets, schedules, and more information, go to www.opera-stl.org.

Professional photos courtesy of Opera Theatre of St. Louis.

REQUIRED READING: "Men Don't Love Women Like You"; Book Review

So my goal for 2017 was all about self-realization, self-improvement, and action! So far I've achieved a lot of the steps to achieving many of my personal goals, from losing over 20 pounds by changing my eating habits, to paying off my student loan debt this year (Thank you Jesus!), and sitting down with my Financial Advisor about getting my butt in gear on getting my finances in check, just to name a few.

Another thing that I wanted to work on this year was getting my mind in the right place to date with purpose. My dating and relationship resume is admittedly pretty terrible, and over the last two years I came to the reality that as often as I've just blamed all the men I've dated for our relationship/situationship/dating failures, I am the common denominator. Now, the question at that point was, 'if I'm doing something wrong to ruin these relationships, then what it is it that I'm doing wrong?' It's been quite the quandary. I've bugged many friends and family, read lots of dating advice books, and even sought a professional counselor trying to get insight on what I've been doing. Sadly, I still had no idea what I was doing wrong. I decided to stop dating and put myself in time out while figuring these things out. It led me to a journey of self-discovery which got into high gear at the end of last year. At the point when I was ready, and God thought that I was ready, I stumbled upon a blog post on my Facebook timeline advertising the book, Men Don't Love Women Like You by GL Lambert. After reading a few paragraphs of the blog post on the website www.solvingsingle.com, I knew that this book was going to be the swift kick in the ass that I had been looking for! And boy, was it!

If you have ever had trouble communicating with men, been unsure if a guy is worth dating or not, wondered if a guy is playing you, questioned if you should have sex with a guy you're dating or if you should wait longer, if you've had trouble attracting men, or if you've struggled with getting a commitment from a guy past the dating stage, THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU! I repeat, this is REQUIRED READING.

I don't know who GL Lambert is, but somehow this man knows my life! I mean, my WHOLE life! I don't know how this total stranger knew so much about my past, my thoughts, my behavior, my insecurities, and everything else, but somehow Mr. Lambert (which I'm sure is a pseudonym) knew me! Instead of "Tina Typical", he might as well had said "Caprice."  *insert embarrassed emoji here*

First of all, this book is not for the faint of heart. Lambert is not here to save your feelings honey! There's a lot of harsh TRUE accusations in this book about who you are and have been, and what you need to do to change your way of thinking about men, dating, relationships, and YOURSELF! There's lots of cursing in the book, from the b-word, p-word, the f-bomb, and everything in between. But there's also a wealth of great insight in this book, fantastic analogies and examples, and clever and current pop culture references, which make for an amazing read!

While reading MDLWLY, I found myself overcome with a ton of emotions, everything from happiness and hopefulness about my future love life with this great expert advice, to embarrassment and guilt regarding all of the many, many mistakes that I've made in my dating life in the past which made me feel like an idiot looking back now. However, the guidance and advice that's in this book has given me endless amounts of wisdom into my past mistakes and things I should watch out for in the future, so that when a man even thinks he can run a game on me, I can counteract. I now don't have to just sit and watch it happen, waiting for the air to blow out of my relationship tires as I've been doing.

The book also is as much a book about dating advice as it is about empowering women. The whole point of the book is to prove to women that you are stronger than you think you are, and that you can take control over yourself, your dating life, what you will and won't tolerate from a man. This book is like "Think Like a Man Act Like a Lady" on steroids and a molly! It's 371 pages of pure FACT!

I told a friend about this book last week and she's already bought it, and is almost half way through it! She also can't believe how much it's helped her in realizing the mistakes that she's made in her love life, and how right on the money this book is!

 I needed severe help, and I can't express to you how much this book has helped me! It has seriously changed my life. This book is like a textbook that you can always go back and refer to when you get in certain situations. It's similar to a handbook with step-by-step instructions, and outlines everything from your first conversation with a man to how to behave during your first date, to how to communicate with your boyfriend during situations when you have gotten into a committed relationship. It is truly the FINAL WORD in dating advice books! Don't wait to go read this book! I promise you, you will NOT be disappointed!

The Best Scary Movie I Have Ever Witnessed! "GET OUT" Movie Review

Ever since the preview first came out last fall for a strange film that seemed to depict an interesting take on the experience that all black people face when in an unfamiliar all-white environment, that was astonishingly written and directed by Jordan Peele, I knew I HAD to see this movie! And how convenient was it that the movie was titled, "Get Out." So simple, yet so powerful. Quickly the trailer was spread like viral wildfire all across the Interwebs.

The Plot: Imagine, you are a black man who is about to meet his white girlfriend's parents for the first time. You already feel slightly uncomfortable because you're not sure how you'll be perceived by the white parents and don't know what you're getting into. You arrive and notice strange occurrences and not only feel uncomfortable by being the "only chip in the cookie" so-to-speak, but feel like something is going on here that you you know isn't right and your safety is in danger. It's time to "Get Out." *pa-dum-ching*

Well, now I've seen "Get Out" and it DID NOT disappoint! The acting was excellent, the cinematography and pacing of the film were great, and the plot was superb! A thriller with just enough funny lines to keep it interesting and not too scary. The audience participation that we, the audience, enjoyed at the end also added to the experience of course. The suspense of the film had us all entranced throughout the entire film. Will this brotha make it out of this crazy place alive, or will he fall victim to this twilight zone in the 'burbs? That was the question throughout the entire film.

All of the actors did a great job, and did a fine job of making the audience experience this slightly "off" suburb where things are just not right, and there's far too many white people, and the few black people there are a little too odd for comfort. I especially was fond of Mr.TSA himself, Chris's best friend Rod, played Lil Rel Howery. He was the comic relief and dose of black horror audience realness that the audience needed and deserved! Well done sir, well done.

If I had any complalint, it was sometimes hard to understand what was being said at different parts by the film's leading man portrayed by Daniel Kaluuya. Granted, many of his lines were said under his breath, in the way that many of us speak about people who we find to be crazy or while in awkward situations. So again, still not bad.

Now I'm not a fan of horror movies at all, but "Get Out" was really exciting, thrilling, and entertaining experience that you really must see! Even if you hate scary movies as much as I do, I promise you'll enjoy this one and won't be up at night thinking about it with the nightlight on.

Even though I know that Jordan Peele is biracial and is married to a white woman, I can't help but wonder how this film may make black men dating white women feel about meeting the parents for the first time... Things that make you go hmmmmm.

Excellent job Jordan Peele! This was the type of fresh, out-of-the-box thinking that Hollywood needs. We're tired of remakes! We've seen every possible variation of ghosts and slasher flicks that we can stand! Give us something fresh and different please! "Get Out" delivered in all aspects.

Go see "Get Out" in theaters everywhere Friday, February 24, 2017. The 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes is completely legit! You won't be disappointed!

Photos Courtesy of Universal Pictures.

Valentine's Day OOTD

Here we are a week ahead of the most romantic day of the year and we need to figure out what we're going to wear.  Whether you're boo'd up or a lady in waiting, you need to have the perfect look to celebrate.  In case you need some inspiration, here's an outfit idea.

This dress is by New York & Company and features 3/4 sleeves, a good zipper in the back,  and red faux leather panel down the middle for some edginess.

It hugs all the right curves while still being modest which is a plus! And the best part is that this dress comes in straight and plus sizes, AND comes in tall (which I'm sporting).

For my accessories,  I kept it simple with chunky, gold hoop earrings from H&M ($5), sheer black tights with small polka dots for fun,  and sleek black leather ankle boots.

No matter how you spend your Valentine's Day, I hope you enjoy yourself and remember, YOU should be your own valentine first!

Happy Valentine's Day!

The Results Are In! End of January Check-In

Roughly two weeks ago, I wrote in my last post about how I was taking new steps toward a new lifestyle change in 2017. I mentioned in the post that I was looking to improve my physical health, mental health, and financial health. Well here we are on January 31st and I am here with an update.

Since I weighed myself on January 2, 2017, I have lost...*drum roll please* 

11 POUNDS!!!!!!!

Again keep in mind that this month I have only changed my diet and eating habits. I have NOT EXERCISED ONE TIME THIS MONTH! When I tell you, that you are what you eat... Man, that is the truth! I have cut back on sugary drinks, alcoholic beverages, carbs, fast food, and sweets. Now, please note that I said that I have "cut back" on these things. I haven't given them up completely. I've just been doing things in moderation, and the results don't lie, it's made a world of difference. I've also been drinking more water during the day, and have consistently done meal prepping, which is easier than you think. Stores like Aldi and Trader Joe's have been my go-to places for staples and fresh produce at affordable prices. You seriously can't beat it!

Of course there's been temptations. In my department at work, we celebrate birthdays with cake and ice cream. This month I stuck to my goals and didn't partake, even when everyone was commenting on how good the cake was, I still didn't have any of it. (It was rough!)

As for my mental health, I've been doing some reading, specifically with self-help books. The latest one that I finished was titled "Manifesting: The Secret behind the Law of Attraction" by Alexander Janzer. It's an easy and helpful read about manifestation and how it relates to the Law of Attraction, and ways that you can incorporate daily routines in your life to help you attract positive outcomes from the universe. This book can help anyone adjust their way of thinking to get themselves out of a rut and into a more rewarding life. For only $5 on Amazon, you really can't beat it!

My financial health has also improved this month, primarily because I've been doing the meal prepping for lunch every day. It has kept me from getting fast food and eating out as much, which in turn has helped me not spend as much money as I have in the past. Also I've been practicing moderation in all aspects of my life. I've been avoiding going shopping this month. I used to live at the mall, but not anymore. I've got a gift card to one of my favorite stores, Charming Charlie, that I've had since Christmas and still haven't been sweating about using it, as I have done in the past. 

It's amazing how the power of positive thinking, determination, moderation, and faith can really change your life. I used to laugh when people used the term "lifestyle change" around me, now here I am in the middle of a lifestyle change and enjoying its rewards!

Stay Tuned!