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a-okTo celebrate reaching 64 followers, Nail Addicts Anonymous is hosting an awesome nail polish giveaway.
rushedAs longer days and warmer weather brings us closesr to renewal of Spring, lets not forgot that our brothers and sisters in Chile and Haiti are still suffering from the devastating affects of their recent earthquakes. As you get you get ready to buy that latest video game or nail polish or see that summer blockbuster, please donate a few dollars to the cause. Every little bit helps.Thank you. --Kiki
Haitian women, young girls and youth are in need of:
•Text Your Support for Chile: Text a donation to Chile through one of several organizations via the Mobile Giving Foundation.
a-ok
YGN is giving away a bottle of nail polish from the hot new brand Illamasqua. The product? An unopened bottle of Illamasqua's Obsess. Along with that, she is adding a trio of 3 cutely packaged nail polishes from Korea--The Face Shop. The giveaway is open to international readers, so head on over and try your luck!
a-okAfter reaching 200+ followers, Ms. P. is showing her love and appreciation witih a giveaway! She wants to let all her followers know that the love, motivation, support, feedback and friendship she has received in the past 3 months has a lot to her.
Here's the prizes:
Sonia Kashuk Limited Edition Glitz & Glam Travel Brush Set with Case (1 blusher brush, 1 eyeshadow brush, 1 angled eye shadow brush, 1 crease brush and 1 black zippered case)
Revlon Fantasy Length Lashes in "Flirty"
NARS Duo Lip Gloss in Boogie Nights/Giza
MAC Eye Shadow in "Straw Harvest" from the 2010 MAC Spring Colour 2 Forecast Collection ("Straw Harvest" is a gorgeous shade of warm peachy gold in a pearl finish)
Maybelline Eye Studio Eye Shadow in Ivy Icon
a-okI've severely been neglecting this blog, because of life--my kids, my hubby, my job, and my sanity! lol. However, I don't want to abandon it in total so I've decided to do a monthly post called "What I'm Digging This Month." I ripped off the idea from a blog I'm totally digging called "Manolo for the Big Girl." (The weekly feature is called What Plumcake Is....)
Make-up/Beauty Product: In December, I won a trio of eye colors from Orglamix. Orglamix is a cosmetic company whereas the creator, Cheri, makes all the products with 100 percent pure minerals. According to the product card I received in my prize package, Orglamix "has built up a cult following as mineral specialist...." I can attest this is true for I have read testimonies in some of the beauty blogs I follow. In my prize package, which was beautifully and lightly scented (talk about awesome presentation), were five eye shadows in subtly shimmery yet vibrant colors--Cherry Blossom; Pomegranate; Mandarin; Lilly Pilly; and my fav of the quintet, Geranium. Geranium is beautiful and rich violet pink mix. (I'm such a fan of purple-y eye shadows.) See my attempt of a pic below of the color on my eyelid with black Senna cream eyeshadow. With prices starting as low as $3.99, I'm definitely going to go back for me as I am a huge fan of bright shimmery shadows! Don't let the loose powder scare you off, it comes in a sifter and a gentle tap gives you enough color for both eyes.
Movie/TV Show: You know, I had been really made at James Cameron for a really long time since he came out with that bloated, too long, huge money maker called Titanic. He gave permission to movie makers and movies companies to start turning out huge, most times boring, and overly long movies that weren't very good but garnered tons of press and award coverage (i.e.: The Lord of the Rings trilogy; The Curious Case of Benjamin Button). With all of the hoopla over his latest flick, Avatar, I was prepared more than over to dis Cameron and not see his movie on GP although he is the creator of one of my favorite sci-fi movie and flim series (The Terminator) of all time. James Cameron earned back my respect with Avatar, which is a visually beautiful, stunning, breathtaking, awe-inspiring science fiction movie. Although it was a little too long, I'm at a loss to say where it could have been edited and kept the story in tact. As an African-American woman, I didn't find anything offensive or racist about the movie although there was a mini controversy that it was. The plot was slightly cliched as it explored colonialism through history's and Hollywood's apologetic eyes, but it draw you in emotionally. As the world recovers from natural disaster after natural disaster and the affects of global warming, Avatar really is a beautiful and vibrant love letter to nature. See it on the big screen. I don't think it is Oscar-worthy but it is good.
Food: My final thing I'm digging this month was spawned by my rejoining Weight Watchers per doctor's orders. (For more on that, check out my Fat Chick blog http://brooklynshoebabe.weheartthis.com.) Although a little expensive at nearly $1.80 a can, I've become a fan of Campell's Soup At Hand--a microwavable soup that comes in a portable hot cup. Of the varieties I've tried, even the New England Clam Chowder, they don't eat up more than 2 WW points. Add five Ritz Whole Wheat crackers (5 crackers equal 1 WW point) and you have nice light dinner or a very filling snack!
So, check out these things and let me know what you think. If you write Campbell and tell them how much you loved the product like I did, you might get some coupons. If you order from Orgalmix, please tell them that KikiShoes sent you!
See you next month! 
chillin'
As we are about to finish off the penultimate year of the first decade of the new millennium (wrap your mind around that sentence, lol), I thought it only appropiate that I throw in my two cents about some of the biggest pop culture stories of 2009. What did I miss? What would you add? Let moi know. ~~Kiki
1. The Death That Stopped the World: Michael Jackson’s death stunned the world and froze the internet. The world forgot about the freak show 
that the paparazzi and the tabloids created, and remembered Michael as the consummate performer he was. He gave us nearly four decades of music, and touched people from many generations, races, and creeds. He was the greatest entertainer of our lifetime, and you can see his influences in every boy band member and solo male artist who dared to combine song and dance on stage.
2. Chris Brown v. Rihanna: R&B singer Chris Brown beats the shit out of 
Rihanna. They get back together, and then they break up. Chris Brown gets parole and community service, and does a half-hearted apology tour. Rihanna waits for 9-months, and answers all questions on 20/20—the fear still real in eyes as she describes the night’s events. Surprising reaction? Young women polled in several surveys across the country side with Chris Brown by saying that Rihanna provoked the beating.
3. The Academy Awards Take A Chance: A charming and charismatic Hugh Jackman helps shake up the awards ceremony with tongue-in-cheek dance routines. Previous Oscar winners present the names of the nominees. Even with the changes, the show still drags pass the 3 hour point. On the positive side, Heath Ledger receives a posthumous Oscar for his role as the Joker in The Dark Knight Returns, and Slumdog Millionaire brings color and life the show as they take home the best picture statuette.
4. The Good Song About Being Bad: The surprising song of the year was Blame It by Jamie Foxx and T-Pain, which encouraged women to act out their hidden desires and then to "Blame It" on the alcohol. It was a catchy, danceable, and made everyone want to go to the club and throw back a shot. Not to mention, having Ron Howard in the video popping bottles of champagne with video girls was priceless.
5. Celebrity Deaths Took Their Tolls on Us: They made us laugh, cry, swoon, dance, sing, chuckle or think. They made us reach for a dictionary, a guitar, a camera, microphone, a paintbrush or a book. This year gave the world some of the most shocking celebrity/notable deaths. Some were expected, and some were unexpected. Here, in no particular order, are some of those who passed away in 2009: Farrah Fawcett, Edward “Ted” Kennedy, John Hughes, Ed McMahon, Brittany Murphy, Walter Cronkite, Patrick McGoohan, Ricardo Montalban, Patrick Swayze, Bea Arthur, David Carradine, Natasha Richardson, Stephen Gately, Andrew Wyeth, William Safire, Mary Travers, Robert Novak, Les Paul, Frank McCourt, Karl Malden, Soupy Sales, Chris Henry, Steve McNair, Eunice Shriver, John Hope Franklin, Claude Levi-Strauss, and Chuck Daly.
6. Kanye, He So Crazy: *Sigh* What can we say about Kanye West? Kanye, drunk and probably a little nutso, interrupted Taylor Swift’s speech on the MTV Video Music Awards. There were a whole lot of racial undertones in the criticism he received, but I won’t delve into it. Let’s just say to Kanye: “Everyone has seen you, Mr. West. Now, it’s time for you to just sit your ass down.”
7. Black, African or White, He’s Our President: President Barak Obama becomes the United States’ first African-American president, and immediately the world starts to think of us favorably again. He delivers an economic stimulus plan within his first few months, and is currently trying to get a health reform bill pushed through the end of 2009. Love him or hate him, he’s trying to get things done. His lovely wife, Michelle Obama, is hailed for her egalitarian high-low fashion tastes; her intellect; and bringing new duties to the title of First Lady.
8. Pulling the Wool off Women’s Eyes: Comedian and radio personality 
Steve Harvey becomes the latest relationship guru with his runaway hit book “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man.” Harvey starts to appear on The Oprah Show, Good Morning America, and the View to give women love life advice. He's also earned a relationship advice column in Essence magazine.
9. Can I Have A Sidepiece with This Wife: South Carolina governor Mark Sanford, David Letterman, and Eldrick "Tiger" Woods admit to unsavory sexual affairs. Mark Sanford ran off to Argentina with his lady love, while everyone thought he was in the Appalachian mountains. (His wife filed for divorce, but he avoided impeachment and is still governor.) Letterman admitted to his wrong doings on the air to foil a blackmail plot. Finally, there’s Tiger, who just has lovers falling out of the tree. Reportedly, right now, the number stands at 13.
10. The Year of the Comebacks: Whitney Houston, Maxwell, Eminem, Michael Vick, Mickey Rourke, and brown bag lunches. 
caffeinatedSparklemidori's Beauty Blog is having a great giveaway that ends on January 15, 2010 and is open to International readers!
Head on over for a chance to win the following:
Sparklemidori's Beauty Blog: Happy New Year Giveaway http://bit.ly/5UZmzE
hungry
caffeinated
cheeky
I am a movie enthusiast. Simply, I love movies. I love the experience of watching a new or an old beloved movie whether it be on television, a DVD, or at the theater. Don’t mistake my self-proclamation of being an enthusiast as my being a movie snob. I enjoy all levels of movie. I love great movies made with care and passion—those are my favorites that I can watch over and over again. I loathe movies that are badly written; badly edited; badly acted; badly executed; sloppy; and just made with little or not thought.
Then there are those fair-to-middling movies which get slapped with descriptors such as “guilty pleasures” or “just okay.” Those movies are usually made with some care, maybe a bit of passion, and delivers what the audience wants. These flicks don’t win Oscars. They piss off most of the higher browed critics and viewers. They cause some film elitists and sociologists to write off the current generation, and decry how stupid culture consumers have gotten. They keep B-list actors employed ad infinitum. Lol. And, you know what? I like some of them. They’re comfort food for my brain. Sure, I can appreciate Liam Neeson playing Oskar Schindler, the businessman who saved many Jews during the Holocaust. But I also loved him as the vengeful father in the shoot ‘em up Taken. This is where The Twilight Saga: New Moon falls.
I enjoyed New Moon probably more than I should have. I had refused to read the novels, because I knew there were better young adult novels out there worth my time. Once I started reading reviews and analysis of it, I definitely knew I wasn’t going to like it. I was too much of a teenage feminist to like protagonist Bella Swan—klutzy, clueless, and always in need of some male to save her. And perhaps I was too much of a traditionalist, because I like my vampires to die in the sunlight! I was overtaken by curiosity, and my lips hovered over the glass of Twilight Kool-Aid. Pleasing many of teen Twi-fans, I hosted a DVD viewing of the first movie at my library. I prepared to watch it with a sardonic smirk on my face, but, at the end, I found myself a wee bit smitten.
My husband likes to joke that I’m secretly a thirteen old girl, because of my like of tweeny Nintendo DS games and the desire to get a cell phone charm. Well, he can also add because of my like of the movies Twilight and New Moon. The palatable virgin teen sexual tension took me back to my awkward adolescence and young adulthood, where I longed to be desired by two hot dudes. Admittedly, I am (and would have been as a teen) on Team Jacob—the hunky werewolf. Edward Cullen’s lanky bod and paleness leave me a bit cold. (No pun intended.) New Moon was filled with killing, hunting, mysteries, and ancient lore. The forbidden romantic triangle put it over the top as prime guilty pleasure fodder.
In the second installment of Stephenie Meyer’s series, Bella (human girl) is dumped by her vampire boyfriend Edward so she is no longer in harm's way. Except, this causes her to spiral into an angst-ridden depression where she can only see Edward when she is danger (which is often). Now a bon a fide adrenaline junkie, she starts to refurbish a pair of motorbikes with her long time friend Jacob. Jacob is a Native American teen hiding some supernatural issues of his own. Blah, blah, blah…shirtless buff boy-men standing in rain…long passionate kisses…werewolves and vampires face off. Bella chooses to be with Edward who promises to turn her into a vampire when she’s 21, and Jacob threatens Edward. But danger still lurks in the air as dangerous red-headed vamp named Victoria wants to kill Bella. It all sounds corny, right? But I was all in and I can’t wait for the sequel. (Three-quel?) Plus, Dakota Fanning's small role was awesome and there was promise of more of her deadly vampire in Eclipse.
Yes, it dragged in some parts. Yes, some of the dialogue was a bit schmaltzy. But, there was some subtle jokes and sarcasm that only a wizened adult could spot and laugh at. If you know that this movie was made for soft-hearted teens rooting for their generation’s star-crossed lovers, you will not be disappointed. Enjoy the fluff today, go see the Oscar-bait tomorrow. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give New Moon 2.75 stars.
If you want to check out a grown folks’ fantasy/adventure/love story, peep the 1981 King Arthur tale Excalibur. It stars a younger Liam Neeson, Helen Mirren, and Patrick Stewart.
hungry
Enter to win now!
on fireLately, one of my fav things has been tinkering around with all of the web 2.0 components out there from Twittering to Youtube, which is probably why I haven't been blogging here much myself. There is just too much stuff out there to look at instead of creating my own. 
While reading one of my favorite blogs, The Fashionable Gal, I came across a tutorial from Glam.com on how to wear high-heeled shoes. Since becoming a mom and a children's librarian, most of my shoes have been of the flat and/or comfortable variety. However, there might be a time when I'll feel brave enough to wear a heel again and this video will certainly help. (And speaking of heels, check out some of the shoes I've been covetting in my next post.)
Here are some sweet products I discovered at ThisNext. Check them out!
a-okMyOrganizedChoas is having an awesome contest, where you could win a pair of shoes from the online shoe store MustHaveShoes.com. According to this busy mom of twins plus a single, MustHaveShoes.com has "designed their online shopping to match asking your salesperson which [shoe] would would suit your own size or want in design." Hey, who doesn't want that kind of customized help on the internet? So hustle your little self over to MyOrganizedChoas and enter!
a-okThere's nothing I love more than entering contests except for winning contests. lol. In order to increase my chances of winning a Konad set from Painted Lady Fingers' blog, I'm going to hip you to the contest as well.
Check it out:
OC Nail Art and Painted Lady Finger have partnered to give us the chance to win an assortment of Konad items perfect for Halloween festivities: Konad Sponge Nail Art Kit 2, Image Plate M13, and Princess Polish in gold black. (See pic):
Why don't you jump on over and enter! Good luck to you and (mostly) to me. 