Been There/Done That: Cody ChesnuTT at the Weeksville Heritage Center, BK

I am ashamed to admit that this was my first venture to the Weeksville Heritage Center, despite living in Brooklyn... FOREVER! Truth be told, I wasn't aware of this historical section of Brooklyn until a few short years ago.

From Wikipedia:

The Weeksville Heritage Center is a historic site in the New York City borough of Brooklyn that was an important 19th century free black community, whose residents established schools, churches and benevolent associations and were active in the abolitionist movement.
Weeksville is a historic settlement of national significance and one of the few remaining historical sites of post-Civil War African-American communities. The Heritage Center focuses on tours, arts and crafts, literacy and historical preservation programs for public-school students. The site is managed by the Weeksville Society, a historical society that maintains the 12,400-square-foot (1,150 m2) site comprising the historic Hunterfly Houses and an open grassy area.

The Heritage Center is located at 1698 Bergen Street between Buffalo and Rochester Avenues in Bedford-Stuyvesant.









The lovely Natasha, my BFF!!



Visiting these houses gave me such an amazing sense of pride... it's a reminder of what can be accomplished. The owners of these houses were former slaves... they saved their money and was able to buy land and build their homes for themselves and their families. It really inspired me to be more mindful of my budgeting so that one day I too will own my home!

The concert was spectacular. We didn't have the best seats, so we couldn't always get a good look at Cody, but I was happy and content to listen to his new music and do one of my favorite things to do: people watch!



This woman's locs were completely beautiful. The photo really doesn't do it justice, but isn't she simply gorgeous?!?!

The audience in full effect... I saw so much drool-worthy natural hair looks and dope fashion... check out that sistah with the beautiful fro hawk in the back there!!



This picture was taken after I had my first Belgium Waffle from Waffle and Dinges ... Suffice to say most of my makeup was GONE after I grubbed on this beauty:



I had the WMD with Dulce de Lece, Vanilla Ice Cream, Whipped Cream, Chocolate and powdered sugar...... (delicious but once and awhile!)


My Honey coasting on a sugar high!!!


(Photo Courtesy of Brian Pace)

What can I say about Cody Chesnutt's performance? No words can truly do it justice! His band was fantastic... all really talented and full of energy and love for their craft.

We were also blessed with an opportunity to meet Cody and take a few pictures .. He was very kind and generous with his time and the event was beautiful!!


(Photo Courtesy of Brian Pace)



I've been such a homebody the last few months, I've been promising myself to get out more often, so expect to see more installments of "Been There/Done That".

A Little [CORINNE BAILEY RAE] for a Saturday Night

Every once and awhile... I have to play a little grown folks music on a Saturday night... I heard this song for the first time this week and knew instantly that this was the song I am going to play!!!

Had a fabulous day seeing Cody ChesnuTT live at Weeksville Heritage Center here in Brooklyn (blog to come), hanging out with my honey, my BFF and her honey... after the show we headed over to Frank's Lounge in Ft. Greene for a couple of drinks... so I am nice and mellow... and groovin' big time on this jam by Corinne Bailey Rae, "Closer"... enjoy your Saturday night, folks!!

Bad-ass Bloggers (BaBs): Meet Tracy of Everything She Wants

I love reading blogs... this is one of the main inspirations for me starting Miss Moon's Musings. I decided that I would share a few dope blogs and introduce to the people behind them... I call them BaBs: Bad-ass Bloggers*.

The very first BaB to be featured is actually someone I've written about before. When I discovered her blog, I knew I had to reach out to her and I am so grateful that she accepted my offer for an interview! Thank you so much, Tracy! And I hope you all will enjoy getting to know her!

I love the title of your blog, Tracy, “Everything She Wants”. What’s the inspiration behind the name?

For a year and a half I wrote a daily beauty and style blog called Hot Mama Daily for b5media. When that blog folded, I decided to start my own beauty and style blog. Over a weekend I brainstormed names with my husband and came up with Everything She Wants, which is the title of my favorite Wham! song. For those too young to remember Wham, it was an '80s pop duo that included George Michael. The name also signifies what the blog's content includes -- everything she wants in beauty, style, fitness, fashion, etc. What makes my blog different, however, is that I make an effort to spotlight products, designers, and trends that have a self-esteem or charitable benefit.

In addition to your blog, you’ve written for Essence, Upscale, The NY Daily News, and AM New York on fashion, travel, health and a myriad of other subjects. Is there one subject in particular that you are really passionate about?

I'm passionate about all those subjects. I love to shop. I love to travel. And I'm conscious about my health. The thread is all of my work is providing serviceable information to the reader and capturing a story whether I'm interviewing a fashion designer, health expert, or recording artist.

You are amazingly knowledgeable about fashion, and your blog definitely reflects this. What recent trends are you most excited about?

I'm excited about the African/ethnic/tribal trend that was hot this spring and is carrying over to the summer. I recently did a post on three African-and-African-inspired lines that have a charitable benefit.

My readers were first introduced to you when I posted the story of your 2008 wedding. Are many people astonished (as I admittedly was) that you managed to pull off such a beautiful wedding in N.Y.C for under $5000? Why do you think that there aren’t more budget brides out there?

I think most women have literally bought into the wedding industry hoopla about how much you have to spend on your dress and your wedding. I'm a budget shopper by nature, so that's how I approached my wedding. I know you don't have to spend a lot to look like you did. I went to several bridal events and the energy was so frenzied and geared towards selling brides an expensive and generic experience. I wanted an intimate, eclectic wedding that reflected my taste, and a sterile catering hall and a $2500 dress is not my style. I don't mean to knock other women if that's the experience they want. But once I decided that wasn't the type of wedding I wanted, I was able to create the wedding I did want.

We picked the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Japanese Pond because of the sheer natural beauty, the minimal donation, and it's tucked away and private. Luckily we had a clear, sunny morning for the ceremony.

After going to the Running of the Brides sale at Filene's and a few other bridal boutiques, I didn't find a dress that I loved and wasn't willing to pay $250 or more for what I'd tried on. So with only two months left before the wedding, I decided to do a Google search for what I wanted. I'm on the computer all day but I'd forgotten how useful the internet can be in terms of shopping. From my search I found my dress on Ebay. I was the only bidder and I got it for $27. The seller had planned to wear the dress, which she bought at Saks Off the Rack, but couldn't fit it. So I got the dress brand new. Luckily it fit perfectly and I only had to make one slight alteration.

For the reception, I'd visited several catering halls and other outdoor venues where the catering cost would be separate. I wasn't sold on any of the food I'd tasted and the bill for catering alone would have been more than $5k. So after I talked to a co-worker who had her wedding reception at a restaurant, my wheels started turning. We picked Madiba, a South African restaurant in Fort Greene because of the open, light-filled space and the cultural atmosphere. The owner is also very personable and accommodating. I think it was the first wedding reception he'd hosted at the restaurant and he and his staff exceeded our expectations. By having the reception during brunch time, we saved money and Madiba was able to open for their regular dinner service.

What advice would you give to brides-to-be who want to plan a wedding without selling breaking the bank?

Do your wedding your way. Don't give into pressure from the wedding industry or even family and friends. You know best what you want. Be creative and find a way to execute the wedding you want without going into debt. It takes a little more thought, but you'll be happier with the outcome.

What’s next for you? Any scoop on what you are working on now?

I'm working on boosting readership for Everything She Wants and working on freelance articles for Juicy Magazine (a new beauty and hair magazine), amNewYork, and SheKnows.com. I'm also drafting a book proposal for a budget bride book. Other than that, I'm always in the market for lifestyle, fashion, and entertainment writing assignments and blogging opportunities. So if there are any editors out there reading this, I'd love to hear from you.

Be sure to visit Tracy at http://www.everythingshewants.net

*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.

DOPE: "Sometimes Silence Is The Loudest Kind Of Noise" by Bassey Ikpi

This poem by Bassey Ikpi just evokes all of the wonderful moments about being a child: the safety, the excitement, the hopefulness. Enjoy!!!



Sometimes silence is the loudest kind of noise
Like sometimes it was best when
Girls were girls and boys were boys.
Like back when freeze tag was a mating dance.
Like back when "Do Over" meant you got another chance.
Like back when anxiety was worrying if Wonder Woman would make it out alive.
Like back when freedom was sliding backwards on a slide.
Like back when success was jumping off a swing and
Landing on your feet, then
Doing it all over again.
Like new shoes made you run faster.
Like getting Ms. Gross again for math was a disaster.
Like failure was a word we hadn't even learned to spell yet.
Like promises were sealed and kept with pinky bets.
Like a challenge was a double dare.
Like ugly was a cock-eyed stare.

And you liked it...
Like when you flipped your eyelids inside out
To impress that boy across the room,
'Cause that's all it took.
And there was no such thing as too soon,
As long as you checked the right box in that note from across the room,
The one that he...passed her.
Back when, "I don't know, maybe" was a legitimate answer.
Back when, "I need space" meant he needed more elbow room to draw,
So he got on the floor and he colored outside the lines.
Like the lines of color were on the floor,

So we just existed in sandboxes and playgrounds.
And we hop-scotched and dodgeballed
And everything I needed to know, I learned in a shopping mall.
Like don't wander off on your own,
Like know who you are,
Like know where you came from,
Like never let go of your mother's hand no matter what you do,
Like if you get lost, just stand there until someone finds you,
And someone will always look for you
Because someone will always miss you
And someone will always find you
And when you cry, someone will always remind you
In that quiet, quiet lullaby voice,
That sometimes silence is the loudest kind of noise.