Much can be said about the efforts many have made to make fashion affordable during these hard economic times. Target has proven to spearhead this wonderful effort by partnering with some of fashion’s A-list designers to create economical, fashionable clothing lines for their consumers. Through Target, customers are able to wear labels they would not normally have been able to afford.

What able shoes? Most, if not all, women have a shoe fetish, but not all women are not able to afford the designer shoes that can cost hundreds of dollars. Does that mean that they must resort to wearing shoes that look worse than the boxes they are packaged in? Certainly not! Michael Antonio is a trendy shoe line that encompasses inspiration from all over the world. The shoes are affordable and fashion forward. Women can buy these shoes with the confidence that they are putting their most fashionable foot forward without having to break their wallets.

The key to being a fashionista on a budget, is being willing to be creative and look for fashion in places you normally would not. Boutiques and malls are becoming more and more outdated in my opinion. I haven’t shopped in an actual store in lord knows how long. Where do I shop? ONLINE! There are some great shopping opportunities on the World Wide Web. You just have to find them. From websites like Ebay, Hautelook, and BeyondtheRack, finding affordable designer duds is not hard to do. Hautelook and BeyondtheRack are great for those who are looking to find designer clothes that you may find in the malls, but for discounted prices. Also, for fashion divas, like myself, who wish to wear clothing that cannot readily be found in the local shopping center, these websites offer another way to put a different spin on your look.

The hard part of true fashion that is affordable, is actually finding it. I think I may be able to help. Stay tuned…

I know I’m late jumping on The Millionaire Matchmaker bandwagon, but I feel that it is necessary to say that I LOVE this show. Patti Stanger is a genius and a genuine peddler of love. Love is so underrated nowadays. It’s refreshing to see that there are indeed people who still believe in its undeniable power.

Patti serves a bit of tough love as she strenuously searches for love for her millionaires. Sounds like an amazing business plan to me! Who would have ever have thought that the art of hooking up your friends could be lucrative. I need platinum  idea like that. Patti is a straight shooter, leaving nothing to assume when she tells her millionaires and the women and/or men what they must do/change to find Mr./Mrs. Right.

The Millionaire Matchmaker also teaches us social lessons. Cockiness is unattractive no matter how much money you make and good personal hygiene is a must to land a mate. When it comes to the women in Patti’s club, independence is brandished while gold-diggers are branded. Even though men want women who let them take the lead, they still want their women to be able to think independently. So watching the show not only provides entertainment, but a bit of education as well.

Last night’s season finale of Bravo’s Real Housewives of Atlanta was pretty good. Here’s the breakdown:

NeNe Leakes is dealing with the emotions of finding the man who she feels is her real biological father. I really feel that this season NeNe found herself suffering from uncontrollable emotions as a result of her family issues. She was writing a book that no doubt pushed and drained her emotionally and she took her emotional frustrations out on those around her. The fact that her husband was not in support of her finding out if this Alan person was her real father hurt her. All of this explains to me why NeNe was so angry about the “Tardy For The Party” disappointment. Kim not wanting her on the track didn’t really seem like a big deal to me. Maybe NeNe knew something that we didn’t, but I feel that NeNe was so upset because this was another letdown at a time when she was being disappointed by so many people who she cared for. Her natural reaction is rage. I truly hope she finds her emotional center.

Lisa Wu Hartwell and her husband Ed have being dealing with some issues themselves. Ed has had to come up against his biggest fear…no longer being able to play professional football. I was actually rooting for Ed. I hoped that he was able to continue to pursue his dream career. Oh well!  That didn’t happen. Ed was told, and acknowledged himself, that professional football was not possible because of his knee injury. During the finale, Ed and Lisa had a talk about making some lifestyle changes. As a result of the loss of his football money, he decided it would be best to downsize their home. Lisa did seem a bit taken aback at the thought of moving from their current home to a measly little house sitting on 9 acres. How dare Ed even suggest it! Back to reality, they decided to make some improvements to Ed’s bachelor pad and move in there. Lisa, no one wants to go backwards, but you better wake up and smell the economy!

Kim Zolciak pretty much made a 360 degree life turn this season. At the beginning of the season, I thought Kim had learned the importance of independence. I thought she had began to prize the thought of earning a living and supporting her daughters. Clearly not. As soon as “Big Papa” came back into the picture, it seemed that she got caught back up in the same spoiled, bratty, whirlwind and managed to get engaged in the process. I have to agree with NeNe that Kim is ridiculous to be going around bragging about being engaged to a married man. Whatever. The season finale informed us that “Big Papa” still hasn’t set a wedding date or gotten a divorce. Surprise there. Kim also proved to be a bit selfish this season. She took NeNe off of the song and she missed Kandi’s concert, something that was very important to her new bff, Kandi. I’m interested to see what happens between Kim and NeNe on the reunion show. They had a physical altercation and I’m sure the crap is going to hit the fan next week. The reunion show wouldn’t be right if there wasn’t a brawl between the two of them.

Sheree Whitfield did her thang this season. Even though the season started a little shaky for her, she found her way. We got to see another side of the prim and proper Sheree. She showed us that she can get a little ig-nant when she needs to. She snapped on Kim and the event planner who was supposed to plan her independence party. Sheree proved that she is no pushover. She also continued to work on her fashion line this season. After missing Lisa’s fashion show, Sheree knew she was going to have to really “bring it on” when time came for her own. The season finale was her fashion premiere. FINALLY! With Dwight in the driver’s seat, the show had to be perfect, right? Well, I’m happy to share that the show seemed really nice. I wish we could have seen more of the fashions, but it is what it is. Sheree seemed pleased and I guess that’s all that really matters.

We really got to see into the life of Kandi Burruss this season. We knew that she was a singer and a songwriter, but she has done a great job of keeping her personal life private. That has changed. We were able to walk with her in her journey to unite her then fiance, AJ, and her mother. Her mother was totally against Kandi and AJ’s relationship, but during the season finale we saw Kandi’s mother make her peace with AJ and their relationship. I was personally happy to see that, since we all know that AJ was killed a few weeks ago. My heart goes out to Kandi and AJ’s family. What a terrible loss. I wonder if she’s going to return to the show next season. Despite her loss, I really hope she does. There is something really brewing between Kandi and NeNe, so it would be interesting to see what happens. NeNe feels that Kandi owes her an apology. I don’t understand why, but I am looking forward to see what happens next.

I can’t wait for the Reunion Show! Stay tuned!

With the demise of Bennigan’s here in Chicago, one is left to wonder what will pop up in the old restaurant’s spaces. One space in particular, located at Michigan Avenue and South Water Street, has really caught my attention. With the death of Bennigan’s, that space has witnessed the birth of Sweetwater. I must say that I love it! It has the feel of a contemporary sports restaurant/lounge. There are many large flat screens that broadcast different sports games, don’t let that deter you non-sports loving patrons because the atmosphere is not sports obtrusive. Sweetwater is a great alternative for those couples who have halves who want to go to dinner, but the other half does not want to miss the game. With the great view of Michigan Avenue and the many sports-broadcasting flat screens, both halves are sure to have a great evening. On top of that, the food and the drinks are delightful as well. They have an excellent Riesling wine.

Don’t just take my word for it…check it out for yourself. Feel free to stop back by and let me know what you think.

Today, Mike Tyson appeared on Oprah. He exhibited a child-like innocence during this interview. I appreciated his candid honesty. He could have made excuses for his past, but he was truthful. He expressed why he did what he did at the time he did it, and how he felt about those instances now.

I have always thought of Mike Tyson as an aggressive crazy person and I was half right. He was and still is an aggressive person, but I can no longer describe him as being crazy. He is an emotional man and I strongly feel that there is nothing more dangerous than an emotional man who cannot control his emotions. Mike Tyson WAS an emotional man whose only outlet for his emotions seemed to be RAGE. That’s why he WAS the way he WAS. Now, he seems altogether different. He is able to recognize the mistakes he made in his past and symbolically pummel himself to refrain from making those same kind of mistakes. I think that a man who cries in public has more strength than a man who feels he shouldn’t. One must outpour emotion somehow and shedding tears is definitely a healthy and safe way to do so.

I was touched by his response about not wanting to know what happened to his little girl. He didn’t want to know, not because he was a father who couldn’t deal with it, but because he is a man who knows himself well enough to know that the whole truth might identify someone to blame. And he knew what he would do to someone who could be blamed for what happened. It takes a strong person to know oneself that well. A strong person to truly know his or her breaking point and keep oneself from it. The fact that he is now focusing on being a different man, a better man is really impressive to me. I take my hat off to Mr. Mike Tyson.

Christina Milian and The Dream-Concrete Loop

What the heck is going on with Christina Milian lately?! I know she’s pregnant, but The Dream should have enough money to keep her looking like she has a mirror somewhere in the house, to say the very least. I have always thought of Christina as a beautiful young lady, but she has definitely fell off her square since marrying The Dream. Some have felt that she started looking bad when they went public with their relationship, but I didn’t think so. Now, she is a mess! What was with the 80′s, Madonna outfit-gone-wrong she was rocking at the BET Hip-Hop Awards?! Why is it that so many pregnant celebs manage to look stylish and tasteful, but Christina is looking like an unpleasantly plump can of biscuits? I hope she fires her stylist, better yet her stylist needs to kick rocks and Christina needs to kick herself for this atrocious fashion “UH…NO.”

Monica at the BET Hip-Hop Awards

This fall and winter seasons will be the platform for over-the-knee boots. It seems that these boots are no longer for hookers, but are for the fashionista. Celebs are embracing this boot trend and I must say that I’m diggin’ them too! These boots can be easily paired with some skinny jeans, leggings, short skirts, and even shorts. Be careful not to overdo the outfit though. The over-the-knee boot is always going to be the main attraction!

“This Is It” was Michael Jackson’s comeback tour, one that had been anticipated and sold out for months.  The footage for the theatre release is being taken from the over 100 hours of rehearsal footage filmed while Michael worked tirelessly to make this show one that was the best to ever be seen.  I heard rumors of part of the show being in 3-D. Whatever the case, we will learn of all that Michael Jackson had planned.

For more information, visit Michael Jackson’s official website at www.MichaelJackson.com.

Stay tuned…

Real Housewives of Atlanta-Examiner.com

It’s official. Season two of Bravo TV’s hit “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” has begun. And what a way to jump start the season! I must say that I was happy with the season premiere. The ladies are handling business this season, unfinished business that is.

Kim has managed to push not only NeNe away, but she has burned bridges with Lisa and now Sheree as well. I’m definitely ready for the ladies to confront her. Sheree informed NeNe that Kim had went as far as talking about her husband Gregg, who has done nothing but attempt to keep the peace between the ladies. That, of course, pissed NeNe off, and she made it clear that she will have to get at Kim about it. Lisa also informed us that Kim had been spreading untruths about her. She said that Kim had told people that she had a drug problem, which I must agree, is bad for business. I want to see if Lisa is going to flip Kim over a couch this season. That would be good reality TV if you ask me.

On a brighter note, Kim is trying to spread her independence this season. It seems that she and her mysterious and married boyfriend, “Big Papa,” have called it quits and since he was paying all of her bills, the time has come for her to get a JOB! She wants to start a wig line, but she has the attention span of a gnat, so we’ll see how far she goes with that. Honestly, I wish her the best. The only scary thing that came out of this episode with Kim was her psychic telling her that she is soon to have another child, a boy to be exact. I hope not…

Speaking of babies, Lisa and Ed are talking about having another baby. I think that is so sweet. Lisa claims that she is hesitant because of her age and not having the energy to keep up with two little ones, but I think she is also worried about how having another baby would slow her down professionally. Every working mother has to deal with that issue. Of course, the mother instinct draws women to want to have babies, but when you taste the sweet taste of success, that instinct can be dulled. Lisa would be lying to herself if she didn’t admit that her career is another reason she’s hesitant. All and all, she seemed to decide to go ahead and work on having her second child. There ain’t nothing wrong with trying, especially if your husband is Ed Hartwell.

NeNe and Sheree both moved into new homes since the end of last season. It’s sad to see that Sheree has had to deal with what seems to be an idiot of an ex-husband. I hope Bob Whitfield is better at football player then he is at being a father because he surely seems to lack in the fatherhood department. Sheree stated that her old house went into foreclosure due to her ex-husband not paying the mortgage. She said that there was a court order for him to pay, but he did not. Worse than that, she said that he didn’t seem to care when she received the 30-day notice to vacate the premises. I understand not caring about your ex-wife, but this fool could show a little concern about his children. Now I know that there are two sides to every story, but at this point Bob Whitfield can shove his side of the story where the sun don’t shine!

Khandi Burruss made her debut and so far her story is not all that interesting. She’s working on her solo album after what seems like forever. I don’t doubt this woman’s talent as a songwriter and I am actually looking forward to seeing how the album turns out. One thing that this episode reminded of was Khandi’s odd singing voice. I only hope that her voice has improved since her Xscape days. I’m sure it has, but we’ll see. Her singing was a bit “hit or miss” during this episode so I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. Most importantly, it was 100% better than Kim’s, but I don’t know if that’s saying much. The most interesting thing about Khandi’s story, at this point, is her being engaged to man who has six kids. Wow! The interesting thing is that his six kids are around all of the time. She said she loves kids, but I wonder if she really realizes what she’s getting herself into.

Sheree was pretty much the star of this episode. I am happy that she and NeNe were able to have a sitdown and try to mend broken fences. I would like to see how things pan out with those two being friends. Sheree proved that she isn’t just the diva she portrayed herself to be last season though. With her recent divorce, she decided to have an “Indepenence Party.” She hired two party planners to plan what sounds like an over-the-top “Queen of the Night” party to celebrate her independence from her marriage. Anthony was one of the planners who was working on the party. Sheree called him inquiring about the party and he got an attitude. When she went to his office to meet with him, things got very ugly. They started arguing and it ended up being a cursing match with Anthony calling both Sheree and her mother bees with itches. Other members of the staff had to come in and pull Anthony out. Who is this guy? A JOKE, that’s who! Did this FOOL not realize that Bravo TV cameras were in the room? Did this FOOL not realize that those Bravo TV cameras were filming for a nationally sindicated reality show, of which Sheree was a co-star? Did this FOOL not realize that he more than likely ended his career with his unprofessional, ignorant, childish tantrum that he had? I don’t know what company he was a top executive for, but that company may need to sever ties with this idiot.

I found season 2, episode 1 to be on point! I missed the Atlanta housewives and it sure seems that my waiting has not been in vain. With a season premiere like this one, the drama this season can only get better!

Stay tuned…

Michelle Williams Performs At G-A-Y in London - Concrete Loop

Have you seen photos of Michelle Williams lately? She looks downright terrible! I can’t knock her for her size, since I too have a skinny frame, but clearly her stylist is retarded. What is with the short hair? Michelle has a very slim frame. Short hair does absolutely NOTHING for her. The banged bob is cute in itself, but someone should alert her that it’s really not working for her.

She recently performed in London and she looked a hot mess.  I think what pissed me off more than anything else was those shoes on top of the black stockings. Don’t get me wrong, the sequins shorts and satin top irritated me too. The top looked liked it didn’t fit. Why did it look as those her breasts were in the wrong place?! Horrible.

Being skinny is not as simple as most tend to feel, especially when it comes to fashion. There is a definite difference between skinny Victoria’s Secret model sexy and what Michelle endeavored to pull off. Skinny women can surely dress sexy, but what Michelle’s stylist did to her was just mean.