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Wednesday, September 29, 2010

:::drools::: Cha Cha Shoes (and what to wear with them!)

Andiamo Woman's Stunning Bootie 


My Mum is the Catalog Queen.... I know I have mentioned in a previous post that she's the Avon Queen... but she reigns over both kingdoms equally. LOL

My favorite pair of boots from Torrid (Seen here worn by me) has gone to shoe heaven (in a remarkably short time - major side eye to Torrid), so with fall here and the temperature dropping, I need to get a new pair of boots. Stat.

On the train ride home tonight, Mizz Lennid pulls out the Massey catalog, and I feast my eyes on a gorgeous pair of boots that I will be ordering this weekend. I also felt an immediate adoration for a pair of booties that are SO NOT my normal style.

I call these types of shoes Cha Cha Shoes, after Cha Cha Digregorio from "Grease", primarily because they look like the type of shoes she would wear, in my mind.



Cha Cha is sexy, alluring, bold and daring. In the "Grease" universe, I'd most likely be  "Brusha Brusha Brusha", Jan.... But I really wanna let a bit more Cha Cha into my life, and these shoes are a reflection of this.

So I pointed the shoes out to my Mum she looked at me like I had three eyeballs. Without going into everything I just wrote here, I said I liked them and thought they were fun. She asked, "What would you wear those with?", which inspired me to come home and put together at least three outfits: one for work, one for the weekend, and one for a special occasion.


Women's Plus Pleated Jersey Tops - $19.50, Old Navy
Black Multi Seam Pencil Skirt - $29.99, Torrid
Ponte Knit Jacket - $79.50, Lane Bryant


Peacock Feathered Top - $19.80, Forever 21
Stretch Denim Jegging - $25.90, Avenue
Brixton Gain Cap - $48.00, Urban Outfitters


Midnight Dream Dress - $48.00, Alight
Linear Diamond Pointelle Tights - $9.90, Avenue
Red White and Black Hair Flower - $10.00, Bohemian Soul
Yvette Clutch by Melie Bianco - $55.00, LuLu's

Of course I may chicken out when it comes to rocking these Cha Cha shoes, but if I do decide... at least I know that I will have a few ideas on what to wear with them. What do you guys think? Should I splurge?!?

Monday, September 27, 2010

Music Therapy with Miss Moon

Today is a super-dreary, rainy Monday in New York City. Aren't they the worst? Especially after a weekend that went by entirely too quickly!

Picture from my office window... Bleh, right?
I don't know about you, but I could definitely use a sweet escape right about now. Heard this song for the first time this weekend and fell promptly in love. I thought it would be a great Music Therapy with Miss Moon song for a day like today.





I hope you all will think so, too!. Here is Corinne Bailey Rae's "Paris Nights/New York Mornings".



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Saturday, September 25, 2010

A Little [I-THREES] for a Saturday Night

You will never, ever know how much I wanted to be one of the I-Threes when I was younger! They were absolutely gorgeous women, and they had the voices of seraphim.



Of course I wouldn't dare try to replace Rita Marley, Judy Mowatt and Marcia Griffiths, so a girl can enjoy the music and sing a long (at the top of her lungs.. which I do!!!)I discovered this song recently and have fallen in love with it. I think it's a beautiful song for a Saturday Night. I hope you all will think so, too!! Please enjoy, Many Are Called, by the I-Threes.



Friday, September 24, 2010

And Now...A Makeup Moment: M.A.C's Venomous Villains Collection!! (Pt. 2)


Picture courtesy of Jay the Bohemian Diva

So Tuesday night, I was super duper exhausted when typing about my first visit at the MAC store to check out the Venomous Villians Collection, so I decided to create a two-part blog to cover the event. As I wrote in Part One, this was my first time ever visiting a MAC store, and looking around at all the goodies MAC had to offer was ker-ay-zee!!!



One cool, fun part of the event is that we had the opportunity to dress up like our favorite Venomous Villain!!!!

Me with the Evil Queen from Snow White. She's throwing shade and I'm throwing it right back at her! LMAO


Here's Jay, dressed up like Cruella.... doesn't she looks totally Diva-licious!?!?!? From some odd reason, Cruella's costume translated into Old Black Church Lady the moment I put it on!! LMAO


"And now Sister Moon will read from First Corinthians......" Hahahahahahahahahahahahaaaa!!

So after Jay and I had our fill of everything the MAC store had to offer, we parted ways and I headed back to Brooklyn with my lovely black bag full of goodies. Here's what I got:



Violetta (Amplified) Lipstick - Maleficent
Hot House Lipglass - Evil Queen
Magenta Lip Crayon (For lining! Not part of the Venomous Villians Collection)


This is Violetta Lipstick. It's a cute tube, but I am thinking in hindsight that I should have taken a picture of the ACTUAL color!!!


Here's the Hot House Lipglass.... I actually took a picture that shows the color this time around! LOL



So that's what I purchased. And I am really enjoying the colors and like Jay said in her post about the event, Girly Girl Time: M.A.C.'s preview of the "Venomous Villians Collection", I am a convert. LOL

Thursday, September 23, 2010

:::drools::: Lilakoi Moon-style for Plus Size Fashionistas

Lilakoi Moon (The artist formerly known as Lisa Bonet!) has a style that is all her own. A lot of negative sentiments have been uttered, but her style has greatly influenced my own, and she remains one of the top five celebrities that I would love to spend the afternoon shopping with, especially for her killer hats!!



I spotted this picture of Lilakoi online this weekend and began working on creating an outfit (In my opinion... this has been my best recreation to date!!!). Imagine my surprise when the hubby-to-be comes in and tells me that the TRUE Miss Moon has been told about my blog and maybe checking it out one day. If she does happen to visit and should scan these words one day, I sincerely hopes she likes Miss Moon's Musings and enjoys how I recreated her look for my plus sized sistren out there! You're awesome, Madame!

Let's begin with her dress. I have been stalking the Navy Ruffle Shirt Dress with Braided Belt ($58.00, Torrid) for weeks and when I saw this picture of Lilakoi, I knew that this dress would be the best place to begin.



For her awesome boots, I selected the Madden Girl Zoiiee Boots ($79.95, Zappos). They're not an exact match, but I thought they were a similar look and as a bonus, they look like they would really look dope with the dress.



My first pick choice for her hat was the Christys' Crown Series Fat Tony Fedora ($52.00, Village Hat Shop). This hat is D-O-P-E, dope!!!



I decided to go a different route for the sunglasses, and instead of the super black shades that Lilakoi is rockin', I picked the Oversized Geometric Square Sunglasses ($38.00, Nine West)



And there you have it! As always, if there is a picture of a celeb you'd like me to take a crack at recreating for  plus-size fashionistas, be sure to drop me a line!!!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Bad-ass Bloggers (BaBs): Meet Simone of In This Moment Blog

Simone is one of my Pirate Sistren, so I am a bit biased about how bad-ass she actually is (And I will add it to the record today that when it comes to my Pirate Sistahs being bad-ass... I am an authority!). She is also an amazing human being, one who's wisdom I have benefited from for many years. When she began In This Moment Blog I was so happy to be able to share her vision and her thoughts and I couldn't think of a better fit for this month's BaBs: Bad-ass Bloggers.



What is the significance of the title of your blog In This Moment Blog?

As long as we experience having a body, there is the opportunity for deeper, greater, expanded insight. Even if it is the SAME insight over and over again, it is always fresh, because the truth of who we are is eternally fresh and present, in this moment! That is why I named my blog and my coaching, In This Moment, because that is where insight
lives.

What can visitors not familiar with your blog expect when they visit?

Insight - I have a passion for insight! I love busting the lies that we believe about ourselves in the form of judgments, limitations, self-hatred, as well as, self-aggrandizement. Seeing through the veil of those lies is INSIGHT into the truth of who we really are. When we see who we are, or more of who we are, we are blessed, healed and grateful. These are all ingredients of happiness.



In addition to blogging with conscious, you also are an exceptional singer/songwriter and Spiritual Life Coach Extraordinaire. Is there anything new you'd love to share on either fronts?

Thank you! People have responded really positively to my song, 'Recovery'. I'm working to shoot a video for it. So stay tuned for that! Regarding spiritual life coaching, I work with spiritual people who are looking to discover what their next steps in life are. It's a joy to connect with people in that way!

The tagline for your site is "Discover Peace & Love Within". Can you share with us any tips on how to be open to such discoveries?


Yes. Peace and Love is who we are in every moment. Be willing to find out how you have convinced yourself that you are other than, or separate from Peace and Love in any way. Be honest with yourself. Then, once you discover this false identity, be willing to let it go. Letting go can be quite a challenge. So the key is your willingness!

What has given you immense joy lately?

Wow - immense joy! I listened to the song, 'Optimistic' by Sounds of Blackness of full blast over and over last night. It made me SO happy!! Brilliant song.



Be sure to check out Simone at:

If you'd like to featured in a future BaBs posting, or want to suggest a BaB for me to profile, please click here to contact Miss Moon's Musings.

And Now...A Makeup Moment: M.A.C's Venomous Villains Collection!! (Pt. 1)



Receiving an invite to view a new collection from M.A.C is an invitation that a cosmetics newbie like me couldn't resist. So after work, I was on the 6 (Like J-Lo) Spring Street bound to meet up with my good friend and Pirate Sistah, Jay (Badass Blogger of Jay the Bohemian Diva) to check out the line, inspired by Disney's Baddest Villains.







This occasion was also auspicious because it was my first ever visit to a M.A.C store... I must admit, between the crowd of makeup lovers and the huge selection of makeup to look over, I was a bit overwhelmed, but very very excited to check out the collection!!



The line features new shades inspired by The Evil Queen (Snow White), Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty), Cruella Deville (101 Dalmatians) and one of the newest villains, Dr. Facilier (The Princess and the Frog). Guests were invited to sample the collection, while handsome waiters brought trays filled with alcoholic goodies and snacks for all to enjoy!





This waiter in particular was told that he looks like a Ken Doll... it was meant as a compliment! LMAO





These little brownies had a cayenne pepper frosting that was actually delicious... and this waiter was especially cute and very sweet!!

I was immediately drawn to the makeup inspired by Maleficent and The Evil Queen, and was very lucky enough to have the fantastic people at M.A.C hook me up with a sample





This is me after the application of the "Revenge is Sweet" (Maleficent) Lipglass.I went back and had it redone using the Violetta (Maleficent also) lipstick with the Magenta Lip Pencil.



Jay had her make up done was well. Be sure to check out her blog in a few days for more pictures and her take on the night!



It's after midnight and I have to go to work in the A.M., so I will end part one of this blog with this ADORABLE butterfly ring I was wearing to the event. It's unfortunately not available online, but I picked it up at my local Lane Bryant store.

Be on the look out for Part Two in the next few days to see more fun at the M.A.C store, and to find out what I snatched up!!

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Music Therapy with Miss Moon

"As you are feeling positive emotion - such as love, peace, happiness, joy, excitement, exhilaration ... it is your Inner Being communicating to you in that moment that you are feeling the emotion - that your thoughts are in harmony with that which you are wanting, As you are experiencing negative emotion - such as fear or doubt, anger, hatred, jealousy, stress, guilt, anxiety .. it is a communication from your Inner Being telling you that in that moment - that which you are focused upon is not in harmony with what you are wanting." - Abraham

I've unfortunately gotten good at hiding my unhappiness. I have been very unhappy lately, and haven't expressed it, instead keeping a smile on my face. Internally, sadness consumed me. All I thought about was everything I wanted to change, and felt horrifically powerless in my inability to change it. As I focused on everything that made me unhappy, I noticed that my life became more and more miserable. The catalyst came and went, as they are known to do... I faced and expressed everything I was feeling and I came to the decision that I need to (To paraphrase Terry McMillan) get back to happy.

Music Therapy is not just a catchy name for my music posts, it's something I strongly believe in and something that has helped me immensely in the past. This week's song selection is one that I have recently adopted as a theme song, because it makes me feel beautiful, magical, blossoming and full of possibilities. That's a feeling I need to feel right now. I need to wrap it around me and carry it with me at all times.

Written for Cree Summer by Esthero, this week's Music Therapy with Miss Moon song is "Black Mermaid". Enjoy!!





Black Mermaid

i’m a black mermaid
from the bottom of the sea
i will teach you how to love me
into greatness i will lead you
’cause i’m a black mermaid
nothing rarer you will find
i am here for you to love me
i’ve been here for all o’ time
and i will wait for you to see me and to understand
that a woman can restore the soul of any broken man
if you can look beyond the waves and just believe in me…..
i am the lighthouse standing strong atop the rocks and sand
’cause i’m a black mermaid
from the bottom of the sea
i will teach you how to love me
into greatness i will lead you
and i’ve spent most of my life deep down inside myself
i’ve dreamt about the possibility of someone else
who could see the things i’ve seen and steal away with me
into the darkness we could fade because we know ourselves
and i’m his black mermaid
from the bottom of the sea
i will teach you how to love me
into greatness i will lead you
yeah i’m a black mermaid
from the bottom of the sea
i will teach you how to love me
into greatness i will lead you
and i’ve spent most of my life deep down inside myself
i’ve dreamt about the possibility of someone else
who could see the things i’ve seen and steal away with me
into the darkness we could fade because we LOVE ourselves
and i’m his black mermaid
he thinks i’m beautiful
yeah i’m his black mermaid
he thinks i’m beautiful
i am beautiful
(All the dark horses and all the good men,
won’t you come put me back together again?)
i am beautiful.

Yummm! Frightfully Festive Halloween Party Recipes for Grown-Ups!

Most of us attended a Halloween Party or two as kids. The Halloween Parties I remember were catered with hot dogs-a-plenty, puffy cheese doodles, potato chips, blood red kool-aid and all the candy required to have me and the other guests bouncing off the walls! And I loved every moment of it! LOL

I am a bit older, and I'd love to throw a Halloween Bash for friends and family sometime. However, the hot dogs and candy menu seems a bit..... meh. So I took to the internet to look for the makings of a Posh, Chic, and FUN AS HELL Halloween Party Menu.




Photos courtesy of HostesswiththeMostess.com - this site is DOPE, y'all!!

Steak Bites with Bloody Mary Dipping Sauce

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray, Food Network

Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup vodka
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
1 cup tomato sauce
1 rounded tablespoon prepared horseradish
Salt and pepper
1 1/3 pounds beef sirloin cut into large bite-sized pieces, 1 by 2 inches
Steak seasoning blend or coarse salt and black pepper
6 to 8 inch bamboo skewers

Directions
Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add oil and onions and saute 5 minutes. Add vodka and reduce by 1/2. Add Worcestershire, hot sauce, tomato sauce and horseradish. Stir to combine the dipping sauce and return the sauce to a bubble. Add salt and pepper and adjust seasonings.

Heat nonstick skillet over high heat. Coat meat bites lightly in oil. Season with steak seasoning blend or salt and pepper, to taste. Cook the meat until caramelized all over, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer dipping sauce to a small dish and place at the center of a serving platter. Surround the dip with meat bites and set several bamboo "stakes" or skewers along side meat.

Crispy Cheese Chips

Recipe Courtesy of Yum Sugar

Ingredients
30 wonton wrappers
Nonstick cooking spray
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Directions
Use a sharp knife to cut wonton wrappers diagonally in half to make 60 triangles.
Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Arrange one-third of the triangles in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. If desired, for ruffled chips, line baking sheet with foil. Shape foil to make ridges. Lightly coat foil with cooking spray. Place wonton triangles on foil, draping over foil ridges.
In a small bowl stir together the olive oil, garlic, and basil. Lightly brush the wonton triangles with one-third of the oil mixture; sprinkle with one-third of the cheese.
Bake in a 350 degree F oven about 8 minutes or until golden. Cool completely on a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining wonton triangles, oil mixture, and cheese.

Makes 60 chips.

Cauldron Curry

Recipe Courtesy of Martha Stewart

Ingredients

Serves 4 to 6

FOR THE CURRY PASTE (MAKES 1 CUP)

1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds, toasted
2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds, toasted
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns, toasted
1 teaspoon coarse salt
3 serrano chiles, sliced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
2 stalks fresh lemongrass, trimmed and chopped (1/2 cup)
8 garlic cloves, minced (1/4 cup)
2 scallions, chopped (1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons chopped peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lime zest (from 2 limes)

FOR THE STEW

2 ounces spinach (1 cup)
1 can (14 ounces) unsweetened regular coconut milk
1 can (14 ounces) unsweetened light coconut milk
1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced 1 inch thick (21/4 cups)
12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup fresh basil
Serrano chiles, thinly sliced, for garnish
Lime wedges, for serving

Directions
Make the curry paste: Grind coriander, cumin, peppercorns, and salt with a mortar and pestle, or with the bottom of a heavy skillet. Add remaining ingredients, and grind until a paste forms. (Curry paste can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 3 months.)
Make the stew: Puree 5 tablespoons curry paste, the spinach, and 1 cup regular coconut milk in a blender until smooth. Reserve remaining curry paste for another use.
Bring remaining regular coconut milk and the light coconut milk to a boil in a medium Dutch oven or heavy stockpot. Reduce heat, stir in curry-spinach mixture, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add zucchini, and cook until slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Add chicken, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until zucchini is tender and chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add basil, and garnish with serrano chiles. Serve with lime wedges.

Pumpkin-Pie Parfaits

Recipe Courtesy of Food Network Magazine

Ingredients
13 gingersnaps, chocolate wafers or graham crackers
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup canned pure pumpkin
2 1/2 teaspoons bourbon
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
2 cups cold heavy cream

Directions
Put 7 cookies in a resealable plastic bag and crush into crumbs with a heavy pan. Brush the bottoms and about 1 inch up the sides of 6 parfait glasses with the butter. Add a spoonful of crumbs to each and roll them around the insides of the glasses; pour out the excess crumbs and reserve for topping. Refrigerate the prepared glasses.

Put 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, the pumpkin, 1 1/2 teaspoons bourbon and the nutmeg in a food processor. Pulse until smooth, about 1 minute.

Put the white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave at 50% power until melted, about 1 minute, stirring halfway. Add to the pumpkin mixture and process until combined. Transfer to a large bowl.

Beat 1 /12 cups cream in a bowl with a mixer until soft peaks form; fold into the pumpkin mixture until smooth. Divide among the prepared glasses and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Beat the remaining 1/2 cup cream with a mixer until foamy. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon bourbon and beat until soft peaks form. Top the parfaits with the whipped cream, reserved cookie crumbs and the remaining 6 cookies.

Photograph by Andrew Mccaul

Okay, it looks like the reigning Queen of Entertaining is the go-to girl for this! Suffice to say, the next few Drink recipes are all courtesy of Martha Stewart's Halloween Central! LMAO

Almond Brownie Coffins

Recipe Courtesy of You-Know-Who

Ingredients

Makes 12 coffins

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1 teaspoon coarse salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for pan
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, plus more for marbling
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
8 ounces dark-chocolate-covered almonds, chopped
3 ounces marzipan
Royal Icing and Fleurs-de-lis

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square pan, and line it with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides. Butter and flour parchment, tapping out excess.
Combine flour and salt in a small bowl. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Sift cocoa powder on top of butter, and whisk to combine. Let cool 3 minutes. Gently whisk in vanilla and eggs, then stir in sugars and flour mixture until just combined. Fold in almonds, then spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
Bake until the top is firm and set, about 30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack, and let cool for 20 minutes. Remove brownies from pan using parchment overhang, and let cool on wire rack. (Brownies will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.)
Using the large coffin template, cut out brownies. Dust marzipan lightly with cocoa powder, and mix until marbled dark brown. Roll out marzipan to 1/4-inch thickness. Using the small coffin template, cut out 1 marzipan coffin for each brownie. Gently press a coffin on top of each brownie.
Fill a pastry bag fitted with the smallest plain round tip with royal icing. Decorate marzipan with small dots around the edges, and apply 1 fleur-de-lis to each coffin with a small offset spatula, securing each with a dot of royal icing.

Pina Ghoulada

Recipe Courtesy of You-Know-Who

Ingredients

Serves 10 to 12

FOR THE "BLOOD"
3 tablespoons corn syrup
1/4 teaspoons red food coloring
FOR THE DRINK
20 ounces pineapple juice
1 can (15 ounces) cream of coconut
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup orange juice
10 ounces good-quality rum

Directions
Pour the corn syrup in a shallow bowl. Dip a toothpick into the food coloring, and stir a very small amount into the syrup to combine. Hold a glass by the stem, dip rim into the syrup mixture, and turn glass, coating entire rim. Turn the glass upright, allowing mixture to drip down sides. Dip the remaining glasses. Set aside.
Whisk together drink ingredients. Place 2 1/2 cups ice in a blender, and add 1 cup drink mixture. Blend until smooth; add more pineapple juice if mixture is too thick. Repeat with remaining ice and mixture. Carefully pour into prepared glasses; serve.

Sinister Cider Cocktail

Recipe Courtesy of What's-Her-Name

Ingredients

Makes 1 cocktail

Fine black sanding sugar
1 lady apple, chopped
1/2 lime, cut into wedges
1 ounce maple syrup
1 ounce apple cider
2 ounces vodka
Ice
Club soda
1 thin crosswise slice lady apple, for garnish

Directions
Moisten the rim of a martini glass with water. Place sanding sugar in a saucer and dip rim of glass in sanding sugar to coat; set aside.
In a cocktail shaker, muddle together apple cubes and lime wedges. Add syrup, cider, and vodka; fill with ice. Cover and shake until well combined. Strain into prepared martini glass; top with club soda. Garnish with apple slice and serve.