I Had A Fantastic Thanksgiving In Connecticut With My Family How About You

img_5366Happy Thanksgiving To My Social Media Family! I hope everyone had a fabulous day with your loved ones. I was blessed to have everyone home, mama got her wish and was able to love on them all day.

I started cooking at 10am and by 3pm dinner was served. This year I did something a little different. I figure the kids were old enough to now learn the recipes. I invited them into my kitchen to assist me with preparing the dishes for Thanksgiving.

After dinner and sitting around the table enjoying each other we always get into great conversation about everything. We go deep, I really should tape us for a podcast or something.

So what was your highlight for Thanksgiving? Was it the family time, the food, the mini concerts.

img_5360

img_5325

New Orleans Makeup Artist Brandy Gomez-Duplessis has 22 years of experience in the Beauty & Entertainment industry. Gomez-Duplessis is a wife and a mother of 2 adult kids. She also has a home in Candlewood Lake in Connecticut. In 2014, Brandy was diagnosed with Lupus, Lyme & RA. She uses her platform to help bring awareness about her health.

 

Heading To New Orleans On InterNational Champagne Day

img_3418-1
Wearing Entitled Beauty Cosmetics

YAASS, It’s about to be on….I made it to New Orleans and I’m about to be LIT! Isn’t that how the kids say it. Beautiful weather, great food, the best champagne…EVER. So, I’m in New Orleans because two of my clients from New Orleans are getting married on the same day so they flew me out to do makeup on their special day.

My flight was very early, 5:30am but it’s ok because Nancy booked me First Class on United Airlines so I was able to enjoy great seating and unlimited mimosas. My Girl Pal, Jamielyn picked me up from the airport and we had reservation at one of the best NOLA restaurants, Brennan’s. Guess what, it’s also International Champagne Day so you know it’s going to be a fancy day.

 

img_3539

 

Ended my fabulous day by witnessing a second line…only in New Orleans.

My makeup is from Entitled Beauty Cosmetics:

  • Eyes “Broke A$$” Social Class Eyeshadow
  • Cheeks “Resting Bitch Face” + “Pretentious” Spotlight Highlighter
  • Lips “Anastasia” All Nighter Liquid Lipstick

 

Entitled Beauty Cosmetics

“Resting Bitch Face” Spotlight Highlighter

$24.00

 

Entitled Beauty Cosmetics

"Pretentious" Spotlight Highlighter

$24.00

Entitled Beauty Cosmetics

“Anastasia” All Nighter Liquid Lipstick

$19.00

 

New Orleans Makeup Artist Brandy Gomez-Duplessis has 22 years of experience in the Beauty & Entertainment industry. Gomez-Duplessis is a wife and a mother of 2 adult kids. She also has a home in Candlewood Lake in Connecticut. In 2014, Brandy was diagnosed with Lupus, Lyme & RA. She uses her platform to help bring awareness about her health.

 

I Always Enjoy Happy Hour At Terra Of Danbury

img_3699
Brandy Gomez-Duplessis & Johnny Luoma, Co-Founders of Entitled Beauty Cosmetics

Such a beautiful day it was yesterday here in Danbury, Connecticut that Johnny and I decided to meet up at Terra Of Danbury for what you asked, Happy Hour, of course! Got a chance to talk with one of my girls at Hotel Zero Degrees about some upcoming things we’re working on. So once I got business out the way let the drinking begin!

Both Hotel Zero Degrees and Terra of Danbury restaurant are two of my favorites spots here in Danbury. Normally, I only enjoy my time in New York but these two spots are stylish, it’s bright and very glam without being gaudy…so ME!

Both Johnny and I needed to get some ME TIME in because we never really have time together to just let our hair down. It’s always WORK Work Work Work Work Work. We have been really good at keeping everything separate, Friendship, Business and Mentor-ship. So today it was nice to just enjoy each other company. Randy met us after he wrapped up at work so he also managed to make it before Happy Hour was over.

My drink during Happy Hour was the Lavender Spa Lemonade until the bartender said they were out of the Lavender so we ended up getting a bottle of red wine. Of course, their Truffle Fries was going to be order followed by their Certified Angus beef carpaccio. We go hard for those two dishes, it’s always going to be ordered.

img_3657

What a way to end a great evening in Danbury, Connecticut… Terra Of Danbury

Happy Thanksgiving To My Friends & Followers

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!

Another grateful day with my family. I got up around 8:30am to get dress and do hair & makeup on myself. I pour myself a mimosa, turn of my playlist and then I start cooking. At 2pm we were ready to sit down to eat.

This year menu was: Ham, Gumbo, Lamb, Baked Macaroni, Cornbread Dressing, Sweet Potato Casserole, Potato Salad, and a Caramel Pound Cake.

The table theme this year was a glam rustic garden.

 

This is why I work hard….FAMILY

This year table setting was about a glam garden

2 dishes I was proud of was my ham & lamb

Going to watch one movie with the family then rest of the evening is about WORK WORK WORK….being an entrepreneur and owner of a small business never stop. If you ladies are looking for a new liquid lipstick check out Entitled Beauty online store. On Black Friday & Small Business Saturday we will offer FREE shipping. Use the code: ENTITLED

Hotel Review On A Quick Summer Getaway in Downtown Baltimore Inner Harbor

img_4779

Here is my hotel review for a new hotel in Baltimore.

While in Baltimore for the day with hubby I managed to get my work done while we enjoyed a quick couple’s afternoon. It’s been over 20 years that I’ve been anywhere near Maryland. For a short time I resided in Silver Springs and Wheaton, Maryland so when the opportunity came about to go to Baltimore it was a definite yes. I love how Downtown Baltimore Inner Harbor flirts with the downtown New Orleans scene around Poydras, Canal Street, South Peters and The Warehouse District. Lots of exposed bricks and beautiful buildings. The night life, the food, hotels and the eclectic vibe of the people gave such an experience. I always love visiting cities where I can walk amongst tourist and locals and enjoy the scene and the lifestyle of that city.

Our stay was at the trendy The Delta Hotel by Marriott Baltimore Inner Harbor. As many of you know I travel a lot because of my career, so where I stay can make or break my trip. It can determine how my energy goes if my stay is not pleasant. Because of my private celebrity clients, I’m always doing makeup in their luxurious hotel rooms. I have had my share of experiencing over the top accommodations from hotel staff and from being in hotels like The Plaza Hotel in New York, Windsor Court in New Orleans, The Four Seasons in South Beach, Wheatleigh in Massachusetts, The Villa Casa Casuarina in Miami, and The Auberge du Soleil in Napa Valley.

Upon arriving at 9:30am to The Delta Hotel By Marriott Baltimore Inner Harbor I was greeted by two valet guys who was very pleasant and helpful with getting my luggage out of the car. When I walked into the lobby it was nice and bright, I was welcomed with a joyful “Good Morning” by the front desk associate named Kenya. I always remember a name when given to me. I was a little fatigued because I awake this morning at 4am and I was hoping that my early check in was going to be honored. When Kenya asked me for my name to look up my reservation I completely forgot that my husband Michael had the confirmation number and was already headed to his 10am GM Meeting. Let the panic begin but Kenya was very fast on her feet and advised me that everything was going to be okay and had me call Michael to get the confirmation number and to put my name on the reservation. Kenya was so helpful and put out that little spark right away all while keeping a smile. As she moved forward with getting me checked in and sharing with me great information about the hotel, Angela Wedemeyer the GM walked in, another face with a genuine smile. I’m thinking to myself my hair or makeup must look crazy because this is not normal behavior nowadays of establishments. Friendly employee’s in the morning smiling looking like they love their jobs. Angela started up a conversation right away engaging with me as a great host wanting to know about her guest. Like a great host Angela offered me a complimentary appetizer for lunch at the Tell-Tale Restaurant later today. Upon finishing up at the front desk here comes another friendly person, Stephanie Mervine, Director Of Sales. She stopped to chat with me about my visit to Baltimore and gifted me with a complimentary coffee from Zeke Restaurant inside the hotel. Each conversation I had with these ladies made me feel like I was among friends and I was staying over at their home. They were all happy about me being at their hotel. They shared any information with me that would make my stay exceptional and accommodated me with genuine professionalism. The way they treated me was effortless it wasn’t forced and this is what all businesses should take note in. Because I’m in the customer services field myself, I understand the importance of GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICES. Now granted if it was regular rush check in time maybe they each could not engage with me for that long but the acknowledgement I received upon checking in would make any guest feel special. As I headed up to my room even the lady in housekeeping smiled and welcomed me. Whoever does the training for this hotel did an excellent job because everyone made some type of a friendly gesture.

img_4834I made it up to my floor on the third floor and as I walked the hallway it gave the feeling of an art gallery with colorful light fixtures, stylish and bold paintings and pictures that were both beautiful and captivating. As I entered my room, I instantly luved everything about it as my eyes glanced every inch of the modern décor. I wanted to take in the feeling of the room and the selection I made for my hotel stay. I’ve been bamboozled before with hotel rooms not looking like the pictures they advertise on their websites. But I was very pleased with what I’ve seen so far. It was a perfect room for our stay and right away I wanted to capture pictures of the room.

 

 

After unpacking, and getting work done, Michael and I met up at 2pm for lunch downstairs at Tell Tale restaurant.  It wasn’t busy, I think we saw two other people there. A couple at the bar and 3 ladies at a table. Wasn’t sure about where to sit we sat ourselves before the waitress could seat us. The bartender Anna was assisting a customer with her food. Anna came over and apologized for not being able to seat us upon arriving. She got us a menus and took our drink order right away. Because my husband is a beer connoisseur he had questions about their beer selection. Anna wasn’t to knowledgeable about the beer so they walked over towards the bar together to see exactly what they offered. I just ordered one of my signature, a margarita on the rocks with no salt. Michael also managed to find him a beer of his liking. We accepted Angela’s complimentary appetizer and selected the Crab Stack which was DELICIOUS, it was crab meat, mangoes, and avocado. I should have order two of those because it was so good. She took our order which was the Crab Cake Sandwich and Michael order the Steak Panni both dishes again were DELICIOUS. The food came out hot, fresh and plated very well. Anna was a good waitress/bartender. She made a spectacular margarita just the way I like it without asking.  If I was a local who frequently the restaurant I would like to be seated at her table every time because of how she stayed engaging with us and how she checked in with us the entire time all while keeping that smile.

We then decided to enjoy the city of Baltimore which is a couple friendly city. Everything is in walking distance to whatever your needs are from malls, the pier, bars, restaurants. The weather was perfect, it was a bright hot summer day. After all that walking and taking in the city we headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. We were greeted by Anthony from the Front Desk, it’s nice when hotels employees check on you when they see you. Such a nice guy he seemed to care about how I’ll stay has been thus far.

For dinner we selected Captain James Crab House because CRABS are a must have when you come to Maryland. When I lived in MD, blue crabs was something that we always ate. I was so excited about dinner and when we arrived it was busy but not to busy that we couldn’t get a seat. We were able to pick where we wanted to be seated. As I looked around everyone looked happy enjoying their stacks of season crabs. We found a table right by the water. As soon as we sat someone came over to prep our table. A gentlemen name Jacob came over to take our order. A very nice guy, who joked right away with me about me taking pictures. I’m a blogger I can’t help myself. We did 1 tray of blue crabs and an order of calamari. Jacob brought over two sweet ears of corn and two bowl of soups. The crabs came out right away, they were nice and hot, the music was good and we just went in. Jacob checked in plenty of times and we were happy, relaxed, and enjoying the food and atmosphere. We are already planning on returning to Captain James with the kids so they could experience what we did, great crabs and relaxed ambiance.

It’s nice when your away and you get a comfortable hotel bed and pillows. Great mattress selection because it was heaven. I slept like a baby. For breakfast…down to Poe’s Coffee Bar. They offer locally roasted small batch ZEKE’s coffee with small bites to go. A perfect stop for anyone that works in the downtown area. You can get a Poe’s Avocado Toast or a tantalizing Cheddar & Bacon Waffle for breakfast.

Our day was perfect starting out with a great hotel, food, and weather. We enjoyed everything about Downtown Baltimore Inner Harbor. A perfect place to visit if you don’t have a schedule and want a getaway that’s not too far. Baltimore offers so many things and the energy reminded us of New Orleans and New York. If your looking for a new city to explore definitely add Baltimore to your list. You will be pleasantly surprised cuz I know we were.

If you like for me to come do a hotel review on your hotel let me know.

How to Host a Summer Soirée

I’m so elated to share this great article written by my bestie Beauty & Lifestyle Influencer Ilse with Live Learn Luxe It blog. Hope you enjoy cuz I know I did!

—————————————————————————————————————————————–

Last week I invited some of my best girlfriends over to see our new place and have ourselves a little summer soirée! (Can we all agree adding “soirée” to anything makes it sound super fancy?) Our guest of honor was Notable Wines because when my friends and I get together it’s all about good conversation and even better wine!

Any time I know I’m having friends over I tend to go a little overboard with preparations. I clean with a good three days in advance and I love making the event extra special for them. Trust me when I say every little detail is thought out and I’m pretty particular about my menu.

With that said, I have 3 Tips on How to Host a Summer Soirée I ALWAYS follow:

To Read The Full Article On How to Host a Summer Soirée click here

My Fourth Of July Was So Relaxing

img_3365

Started my day really late, my body was so exhausted from the day before that I stayed in bed as long as my body wanted. I have learned with having an auto immune that you have to let the body rest.

Plus, the kids were not coming home until 7pm so I had all day to go food shopping at Stew Leonards, pick flowers, while getting the deck ready because we had dinner outside. The food was left for Michael so I had an easy job.

So here are pictures of my Fourth Of July. What was your day like?

img_3486

A Lovely Evening At Terra Of Danbury Restaurant

After spending a glamxurious day in New York with some of the most sophisticated women at The Plaza Hotel eating, enjoying an eclectic playlist of music while sipping on champagne and playing with makeup I ended my evening in Connecticut.  I met up with my besties makeup artist Johnny Luoma and Business Sales Specialist at Microsoft Randy for dinner at our favorite restaurant in Danbury, Terra of Danbury inside Hotel Zero Degrees. I luv that they scratch cook their food and the Old & New World Northern Italian dishes is why I enjoy this restaurant. Of course the ambiance and top customer service is always top notch.

img_3029

American Kobe Beef carpaccio

Truffle Fries-missing

Tomato Sauce Pizza

Stuffed Jumbo Shrimp

Certified Angus Beef 8 oz filet

CRÈME BRULEE

Saturday Night Family Night In Norwalk

Ladies, is it a production after you get ready? I know it’s suppose to be family night but I had to try out my new Lumee phone case.

After work I managed to get the family together after 15 texts to everyone while at the salon. It’s a lot of work nowadays to get everyone together. But as soon as I said we need FAMILY TIME everything shut down and they were all mine. So I found this spot one day on my Instagram timeline somehow. What caught my attention was the word CRABS. I’m always looking for a casual setting place that serve seafood, let me correct myself fresh quality seafood. So when B.J. Ryan’s B.AN.C House BBQ & Crab popped up I knew this would be the next restaurant for us to visit for family night in Norwalk. I’m always looking for the perfect place in Connecticut because I hate always having to take that drive to New York to eat quality food. With Michael being a GM in the food industry, I’m picky not just about the food but the ambience and customer service then the kids are picky about food portions. So the restaurant we visit have to pass all four of our test. Being from New Orleans we are all use to great seafood, I must say B.J.Ryan’s B.AN.C House BBQ & Crab passed the test on everything; quality, decor, customer service and food portion. My only challenge was the way they fix their frozen margarita. A little watery not really a frozen drink but the taste was good.  It’s definitely worth more visits to Norwalk.

While in the car I had to test out my Lumee case girls I’m obsessed!

OK, ​​back to the food…We started out with the Giant Nug Crab Cocktail, Deviled Eggs, Tempura Fried Broccoli Crowns (dip them in the sweet chili sauce).

Hubby ordered the ​Smoked Meat Sampler

I ordered the ​B.AN.C House Crab Fest

Friday In NYC With My Girlfriend Chef Jamielyn

Thanks Absolute New York for my Lip Mousse in Royals

Ladies, have you ever been so excited about a girls night with a girlfriend that lives in another state? Well, last week that was me. One of my favorite girls, Jamielyn or should I now say Chef Jamielyn & business owner was coming in town (New York) for a photo shoot. She needed new head-shots for her business and she wanted me to do her makeup. I always enjoy doing her makeup she was like my muse back in the day. This is how we actually met about 9 years ago on a crazy set, at a photo shoot in New Orleans. Jamielyn use to be really busy back in New Orleans in the modeling and fashion scene. We luv to talk about fashion, makeup, family, careers, food, and we luv taking pics of our every step. Jamielyn is the girl who doesn’t mind talking selfies. She’s the friend who will take her time to take great pics of you from the right angle. Lord, I know I sound vain but you know what that’s who I am and I don’t apologize for my self-love and I know I’m not for everyone and I’m OK with that. So when I find girlfriends that mirror me, chillld my day is going to be fanciful when we get together with no husband & kids around.

I took the train into the city that afternoon and headed over to SOHO. We stayed at Arlo Hotel SoHo a very modern style hotel with micro rooms but so many different spaces inside the hotel that you will get lost in it almost forgetting that you’re at a hotel. And if you’re a blogger & influencer you will luv this hotel. So many places for great pics and content. I look forward to visiting this hotel again for materials. Once I put my suitcase up we hit up The Good Story, it’s their rooftop bar with an amazing view of the Hudson River. Originally, when we were going to attend the Annual Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic on Saturday but we could not reschedule the photo-shoot so we attended a Veuve Clicquot party on the rooftop. Jamielyn started right away with Veuve Clicquot new Rose and I needed a frozen margarita because I was a little parched. Then the rest of the evening it was Veuve Clicquot Rose…we luv us some champagne. Weather was perfect, music was on point, drinks flowing and the conversation never stopped.

Next stop, The Dutch Restaurant for dinner also in SoHo. We were catching up so much that we almost missed our reservations but we didn’t. We didn’t get all fancy we went straight from the rooftop bar straight to dinner. The only thing we freshen up was our makeup, of course. Restaurant was busy and every plate I saw as I walked to my table looked delicious. We wanted American food that had that New York feel with a flare of New Orleans. Let me tell you we got just that. We continued the Rose champagne going so Jamielyn goes let’s just do a bottle. I have to return to The Dutch for that New Engand Lobster, it was exquisite!  

I’m so glad I rocked my VANS…I wear black almost everyday and if I could make this my signature shoe I would. These slip on’s are so comfortable on my feet and by the end of the day my feet never get swollen when I wear them. We wanted to walk off the drinks so we walked back to the hotel just enjoying our conversation, while stopping to take pics. It was still early so we went to the Arlo Liquor Bar order more champagne, sat in the courtyard and just enjoyed the beautiful weather. By midnight we were ready to head upstairs because the photo-shoot was scheduled for 8am. We both needed to sleep, we may look young but we’re not. Don’t you luv when you get with your girlfriend who you don’t see everyday because you both live in different states and life happens. But when you catch up it just flows.

*My lip color is Absolute New York for my Lip Mousse in Royals