Fabulous!

A Passion for Purple!

I've never seen Mindy Kaling's television show or read any of her books, but when I saw this InStyle Magazine cover I had to buy it.  It's rare that you see anyone brown and round on the cover of a magazine and representation matters.  Plus, she's wearing my favorite color. Here is a list of other purple things that make me happy!

1. MAC Lipstick in Heroine: This is a bright berry colored lipstick.  Save it for when you are feeling super confident.

2. OPI Push and Purple Nail Polish: Push and Purple is an intensely pigmented plum shade that is also really shiny.  It's great for Spring/Summer pedicures.

3. Beets: Beets are rich in B-Vitamins and folate but I eat them because they taste good!  I had this salad of beets, marinated mushrooms, asparagus, and feta at Wave Hill and it was so good!

4.  Banana Republic Geo Link Necklace in Fuchsia: This necklace is exactly my style; I'm just waiting for it to go on sale!

5. Prince Sign O' the Times: I can't talk about the color purple without mentioning Prince. 

Sign O' the Times is definitely one of my favorite Prince albums. "Adore" "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker," "Starfish and Coffee" and "Forever in My Life" are some of the best songs ever written. Period. 

Free Nature!

In New York City everything has its price- even trees and flowers.  In the five boroughs there is expensive nature and free nature.  Expensive nature is The New York Botanical Gardens which can cost up to $25 dollars per person for an All Access Pass (and that doesn't take food, drinks, or trips to the gift shop into account).  Luckily there are places that are equally beautiful that you can visit for free or (close to free).

The admission to Wave Hill is $8.00 for adults, $4.00 for seniors, and $2.00 for children.  I got a free membership with my IDNYC card which will give me free admission for a year! At Wave Hill there's something for everyone: hiking, wine, and ample opportunity for scenic photos-shoots.

Another oasis of free nature is the Central Park Conservatory Garden on 105th and 5th Avenue. In my quest to lose weight I have been trying to walk 10,000 steps per day several times a week.  I have been replacing walks to my favorite restaurant or Happy Hour spot with walks to this place. It is amazing how there are such pockets of peace and beauty in the city. 

The Story of an Hour

I'm not sure how I got through Columbia Prep and Princeton without learning more about white people.  I'm going to chalk it up to the fact that it was the 90's and diversity/multi-culturalism was very much in vogue.  

This year I have had to play catch up in order to teach my overwhelmingly "traditional" curriculum. Although, at times it has been hard to connect to the material, I have discovered some gems.  I found "The Story of An Hour," by Kate Chopin by flipping through an anthology of short stories for Middle-School students.  I used it in my 6th grade class to review literary elements for their Language and Literature final exam.  Initially, students had to read the story and find one example of foreshadowing and one example of irony.  We ended up having a competition in which students read the story multiple times in an effort to to figure out why the main character died.  We had a really interesting discussion about why Chopin had to kill her main character in order to get her story published.

"The Story of an Hour" is a good tool for teaching plot, irony, foreshadowing, symbolism, and theme to Middle and High-School students- but it is also a great story for any woman in search of herself.

Read it here.

Serafina Comes to Harlem!

This week Serafina opened it's eighth location in the 5 boroughs.  Serafina Harlem is conveniently located on 122nd and Amsterdam, and it serves great food in a relaxed atmosphere.

We started dinner with a glass of Riesling that was a little on the sweet side, which is exactly how I like it.  For appetizers we shared calamari, tuna tartare, and tomato and mozzarella.  Our food came out right away and was tasty and perfectly portioned.  For dinner we had the Ravioli "Degli Innamorati" (heart shaped lobster ravioli in a lobster bisque sauce) and the Ravioli Ai Porcini (mushroom ravioli).

Our servers were knowledgeable, friendly, and attentive; and the food was fresh and deliciously prepared.  We left dinner feeling satisfied, but without the food hangover that sometimes comes with a large meal at an Italian restaurant. We will definitely be back.

Throwback Thursday

6th grade class picture, 8th grade graduation, May 2015

Happy Birthday Ms. Hansberry!

"Don't get up.  Just sit a while and think.  Never be afraid to sit a while and think."-Asagai, A Raisin in the Sun.

Photo: Jenny K.

The Man Who Was Almost a Man

I don't like sports, but I stumbled upon this Showtime documentary about former NBA star Allen Iverson and found it absolutely riveting.  In many ways, Iverson's life can be seen as a series of blessings and curses that played out on a grand scale.  On one hand, he was lucky enough to attract coaches and teachers who acted as parental figures when poverty prevented his biological parents from being effective guides into adulthood.  On the other hand, these adults couldn't prevent him from being unfairly convicted of three counts of "maiming by mob" connected to a racially motivated fight in a bowling alley. (Ironically the "maiming by mob" statute was originally intended to combat lynching).

Iverson was lucky enough to attract the attention of NBC's Tom Brokaw who did a story on him that highlighted his athletic potential, the harshness of his felony conviction and the resulting five year prison sentence.  Eventually his sentence was commuted by Virginia Governor Douglass Wilder, and his conviction was overturned.  Nevertheless, Iverson spent time in a prison work camp at the height of his career as a dual-sport athlete for a crime that video evidence proves that he did not commit.  Perhaps what looked like a chip on his shoulder or resistance to authority was PSTD.  He was 17 years old and authority had failed him.

Despite his criminal conviction, Iverson was able to earn an athletic scholarship to Georgetown University, and while there, he developed a nurturing relationship with coach John Thompson.  Unfortunately, he left Georgetown without a college degree in order to join the NBA.  How would Iverson been different if he had two additional years under Thompson's guidance to develop as a man?

Despite his prodigious talent,  Iverson  was never able to win a championship.  During his time in the NBA he seemed to be looking for a father figure who would provide unconditional support, yet he challenged those who would have offered it to him.  It was as if he was asking coaches and fans, "If I show you my worst would you still care about me?"  The answer was defiantly "no" and Iverson had to learn the hard way that the NBA is a business and not a family. The last quarter of the documentary is heartbreaking as it details Iverson's being shuttled from team to team looking for a home.   The film glosses over his divorce, financial issues, and struggles with alcohol but it is definitely insightful, emotionally engaging, and worth watching.

Iverson is available on Showtime on Demand.

IDNYC Obsessed!

After waiting by the mailbox for over a month, I’m finally taking advantage of my IDNYC card.  I have already applied for membership at The Brooklyn Museum, The Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, and The Studio Museum in Harlem.  Today after Chloe’s dental appointment (no cavities!) we walked across the park and visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art.   We skipped the long line of people waiting to make the “suggested donation” of $25 and walked right up to The Membership Desk.  We got our card right away (no temporary card, or waiting for membership materials that take weeks to arrive). Since there is no cost for children under 12, Chloe and I got into the museum for free!  

Since I love African-American art, our first stop was the Lila Acheson Wallace Wing for Modern and Contemporary Art to see Aaron Douglas’s painting “Let My People Go,” which was recently acquired by the MET.  

"Let My People Go," Aaron Douglas 

Next, Chloe and I headed to the Rooftop Garden to see this year’s comission by Pierre Huyghe.  I didn’t think that the installation was as interesting as in years past, but Chloe was enthralled.  The focal point of the exhibit is a large fish-tank like structure with a rock and several small creatures inside of it.  The glass of the tank periodically becomes frosted and opaque which surprised and delighted her.

For lunch, we shared a delicious turkey sandwich with cheddar cheese, apple, and spicy mustard.  There is a Rooftop Bar that offers virgin ($6) and alcoholic ($15) cocktails.  I had an Aqueduct which was a combination of Watermelon, Ginger, and Lime.  I look forward to trying the Cypress, which is described as a blend of Blackberry, Lime-Shrub, and Pomegranate, and the  Anubis, which is Jasmine Tea, Lemongrass, and Mint.  There is also a selection of wine and beer.  I should have asked if there was a member discount at the bar!

Unbeweaveable: How to Get a Good Weave for Less Than $150

A full head sew-in weave is a great option when I want to give my real hair a rest from chemicals, heat, and everyday manipulation.  Unfortunately, the fear of looking like Britney Spears has led me to spend way too much on my hair.  Here are some tips that I have picked up on how to get an affordable, realistic-looking weave.

No Ma'am

       Start With the Right Hair: According to Mikita, the authority on all things hair related,  having a good weave is 80% about the hair.  It is best to use 100% human hair that comes from one donor and has not been chemically altered.  Unfortunately human hair can be ridiculously expensive, sometimes over $300.00 a bundle.  I like Indique Hair's lower priced Sea Collection which is marketed as South East Asian hair, rather than Indian hair.  I use the 10 inch Tahitian Wave, which costs $85 dollars for 3.2 ounces.  My real hair is relaxed, but it blends perfectly with this texture.  It also can be worn curly or straight.

      Only Buy As Much As You Need: Most hair- dressers say that you need a least 2  bundles of hair for a full head sew-in.  However, the women that I know who have the best looking  weaves only use one bundle.  I have a HUGE head and I only have a little more than a bundle in my hair.  If you buy good hair, you can use the same tracks for multiple installations.  Therefore, once you have made the initial investment all you have to pay for is getting it put in.  Make sure that your stylist washes, conditions, and detangles the hair before she installs it.

      Find the Right Stylist:  Installation can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be.  A few weeks ago I discovered Wicked Weaves on Adam Clayton Blvd (between 138th and 139th).  They use the double-track method in which they sew two tracks of hair per braid.  The weave took a little over two hours and only cost $50!  It looks exactly the same as when I paid five times that amount getting it put in. 

      Keep it Clean: Wash and condition your weave at least once a week, making sure to rinse all of the conditioner out in the shower.  Don’t use too much product or your hair will look dull.  I use a little Aveda Brilliant Finishing Gloss on my real hair (around my part and hairline) and that’s it!