The French Pantry (Jacksonville, FL)

Hi Dolls,

I have been hearing so many great things about                            The French Pantry, a bakery/cozy restaurant known for  providing bread to several local restaurants and fabulous food for its patrons. Unfortunately they are only open from 11am-2pm Monday through Friday and if you're going to go you'd better get there early to avoid waiting in a never-ending line.  This was my last Monday off for a little while so I thought today would be a perfect day to give it a go! 

Do you see that line???  Luckily this picture was taken after we ate.  We got there right at 11am and only had to wait in line a few minutes.  (Yes, there was already a line before the doors opened!)

Really Quick....here's what I was wearing:

Nothing Special:

• 
  Pink Collared Shirt:  JC Penny
  
  


• 
  Belt: H&M
  
  


• 
  Shorts: Old Navy
  
  


• 
  Shoes:  Fergie "Break-Up" Wedges
  
  

Just wanted to show you the line again! Crazy I know, and it's like this from 11-2 non-stop!

Good Eats!!!

 For starters we were given  fresh, hot, crusty, chewy french bread and olive oil infused with balsamic vinegar and tasty herbs!

Let me just tell you this is hands down, the BEST Bruschetta I have ever eaten in my life!!!  It was made with their yummy crusty bread, goat cheese, succulent shrimp, and artichokes on top of a bed of fresh greens and tomatoes!

 The French Dip Sandwich was made with tender slices of well-seasoned beef and gooey mozarella cheese!  The Au Jus was perfectly savory....made you wanna dip the entire sandwich to the bottom!  LOL!

The Chicken Panini looked amazing!  It has chicken, mozarella, tomatoes, greens, and proscuitto!  YUMM!!!

And last but not least the assortment of desserts range from cookies, to eclairs, to carrot cake, and much more.  We shared on slice of the "Wedding Cake" which was a decadent white cake with cream cheese frosting infused with fresh strawberries on a strawberry puree!  It was very good!!!

The French Pantry gets 2 thumbs up from me!!!  Everything I tasted was phenomenal and the prices were more than reasonable!!!  Hope everyone has a FABULOUS week!!!

~Trice

Natural Hair: New Site for Coupons and Online Deals

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I received this email in my inbox and wanted to pass it along. I am not affiliated with this site or company in any way, simply wanted to share in case it interests you. Let me know how it works if you end up using it.

Naturally Me! Media, LLC announces the launch of the first and only website that features coupon codes and offers from curly hair product and natural hair product brands on NaturalHairProductDeals.com.

Due to the increasing amount of women going natural and purchasing natural hair care products online,Naturally Me! Media realized the need for an one-stop website that offers women a simple and organized way to share and use these codes for their purchases. NaturalHairProductDeals.com allows their users to submit coupon codes and offers that they may receive on a daily basis from their favorite hair care companies to save money on their favorite products.



"In these uncertain economic times people have to prioritize their purchases. NaturalHairProductDeals.com allows women the access to get their hair care and styling products at a discount instead of completely cutting them out of their budget. The purpose is to create a community of sharing in order to pass the savings along to their fellow curlfriends.", Tarin Boone, CEO of Naturally Me! Media, explained.



The main features of NaturalHairProductDeals.com are:

• database of current hair care product sales, online coupon codes, printable coupons, and free shipping offers.
• easy user friendly interface to submit coupons in 5 minutes or less.
• coupons categorized for natural hair products, dreadlocks products, and children's products.
• ability for users to review coupons and sales.
• new coupons and offers added daily
• natural hair and curly hair product makers to submit their sales and promotions to an extended network for free.

The combination of the user friendliness, customer savings, and the power of sharing will surely makeNaturalHairProductDeals.com the first choice for naturalistas to search and find their best bargain natural hair product coupon codes and deals.

Captured Curls: Chelsi

Please, introduce yourself!

My Name is Chelsi Hilton I am an inspiring model, designer, and actor. I have a daughter named London who is Four years old and I am a college student as well.

What is your current hair care regimen?

My current regimen is that I take some pills that help my hair grow at the first of every month. I wash my hair also once a week. My hair has been growing pretty good as well. It comes almost down to the middle of my back.

What is your hair type and what works best for your texture?

My hair type right now is straightened style that is flat iron and it’s kind of bouncy. What works best my texture is natural oils and a good natural shampoo it does the trick. Since I have been doing this going on for 2-3 years I truly haven’t had a bad time with my hair at all.

What reaction did you get when you first decided to go natural?

 The reaction was great, a lot of people around me wanted to eventually go natural. I have inspired a lot of people as well; everywhere I go people always love the natural look and want to try it for themselves.

Did you BC or transition, if so when or for how long?

 I didn’t do a big chop, I just made the transition. Just trying new ways and always researching online about better ways to keep my hair healthy and making sure it gets the right vitamins as well. I keep transition all the time, and staying on top making sure my hair gets all the correct attention it needs.

What makes you love your kinks, curls and coils?

What makes me love my kinks, curls and coils is that my style is very versatile. Weather I wear it curly or flat iron it straight I look like a total new person every time. I have had an amazing journey with my hair and I'm always trying new ways and doing more research to keep it natural and healthy.

Where can we find you on the web?

 You can find me on www.facebook.com/ChelsiHilton and on twitter at www.twitter.com/Twinkiebee_

Anything EXTRA you want us to know?

Yes check out my blog which is all about fashion, music, and the latest trends.www.TheYoungNTalented.com. I also have a modeling page you can view which is www.modelmayhem.com/JaneceEvon. Last but not least I have my own online boutique opening pretty soon which is www.JaneceEvon.bigcartel.com. Love.Focus.Dont Give Up!

July 2011 Favorites

+ Sugarpill Sweet Heart Palette $34 at sugarpill.net
I've really been loving this palette ever since I got it from IMATS in June! The colors are super bright and it really was a steal considering how pigmented the colors are and how huge the eyeshadows are! The packaging is cardboard, which a lot of people might see as a negative but I find it really sturdy for cardboard. I'm just a little worried that the flap might start to get flimsy after a while. My favorite color from this palette is Midori (the green) it looks gorgeous on the lid or smoked out!

+ Sugarpill Hysteric Loose Eyeshadow $12 at sugarpill.net
I really love the way this shadow looks on my outer v. It's dark enough to be used alone but light enough to be a nice lid color. I don't know why but I like how the packaging reminds me of the older MAC pigment packaging.

+ Bobbi Brown Gel Liner in Black Ink $21 at Sephora
After my fluidline collection video a lot of people recommended Bobbi Brown gel liner so I snatched up this one at IMATS since it was at a discount. The price kinda puts me off since it's $21 a pop! (Fluidlines are only around $16?) But I do like how smooth these apply. AND I just heard that you can use these on the waterline! I haven't tried it yet but that definitely is a +1 in my book.

+ NYX Retractable Liners in Purple & Aqua Green ~$4
Drugstore liners are generally miss for me but I love how smooth these apply and the best thing is it actually goes on my waterline! I've yet to find a drugstore liner that will apply to my water line so this one totally tripped me out. The fact that it's only around $4 makes me wanna go out and buy all the colors!

+ NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams $5-6 @ cherryculture.com
I don't own too many matte lip products because my lips are always super dry and it makes it end up looking kinda weird so I was kind of skeptical about these at first but they're not completely matte. Their the most moisturizing matte lip products I've tried. I still have to put on lip balm before I apply but I like the way it looks on. I like the smell too, it kind of reminds me of cinnamon with something else. I want all the colors of these, too!

Sunday's Best!

Hi Everyone,


I pray that everyone had a wonderful weekend!  My weekend was great!  It started off with my sweetie taking me to dinner at the fabulous Ruth's Chris.  The service and food there is pretty amazing.  Sorry I don't have any pics of the wonderful food but I was too wrapped up in the lovely evening I was having to remember.  When I got home, my BF told me he'd take some of me so all of my makeup's gone and the first picture is blurry...bless his heart! lol! :)

My weekend ended, ofcourse with an AWESOME word at church!

The word came from Ephesians 4:22-32.  The scriptures that stuck with me the most were verses 31-32, "Let all bitterness, and wrath and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice. And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Our pastor spoke about bitterness and anger and how besides the obvious, these two negative emotions can adversely affect your health and well-being.  It's funny how people are quick to say "Oh I'll forgive you, but I won't forget"  Well then did you really forgive that person?  We have to forgive people and LET IT GO! 

Anywho, the word is always awesome! Here is what I was wearing today:

• Beaded Top: Ross
• High-waisted Trousers:  Dillards
• Heels: LAMB

Smile!  Jesus Loves You! :)

Have a blessed week everyone!!!

~Trice

D.I.Y: Sweet Citrus Hair and Body "Buttah"

I hope all you mixtresses enjoy this super easy and quick DIY video! All of the ingredients used can be found here or here. Enjoy!

xoxo,

Alex

Arm Party (BDIB) & Town (Jacksonviile, FL)

Hi Dolls,

I decided to participate in the Arm Party  in the  Bloggers Do It Better Challenge created by the lovely Kristina over at Pretty Shiny Sparkly!  Well......I'm a day late but I had a fun time loading all these bracelets onto my arm anyways! :)

• Bracelets: H&M and Body Central
• Watch: Coach

• Ring:  Forever 21
• Purse: Michael Kors

Earrings: Body Central

Heels:  Coach

Dress:  Ross

One of my really good friends is going to be moving to LONDON soon to attend graduate school!!!  Im so excited for them and I definitely have to go visit!  I hear the shopping and food there is AMAZING!!!  Ofcourse, I couldn't let my friend leave before going out to dinner one more time!  We went to a modern American spot called "Town".  They are well known for using local farm products for the majority of their ingredients!

It's located in Avondale which is near 5 points where most of our city's boutiques are. 

The decor is very contemporary and the ambiance is very serene. 

You can watch and smell your food being cooked from your table which adds to your anticipation to grubb!!!

And the food......pretttttyy goood!

Complimentary Herb Sour Dough Bread with a Cranberry Butter

Appetizer:  Black Truffle Tater Tots in Carmelized Onion Fondue and White Truffle Oil...great flavor!

 (Best Tater Tots I've ever eaten)

I had the shrimp and grits which was topped with fried green onions and smoked tasso... SO YUMMY!

My friend had the fried oysters and okra over a corn and butterbean relish and black pepper aioli.  It was also quite tasty.

Instead of dessert we both went with a nice pot of Peppermint Japanese Green Tea! ( I love tea :))

That's all for now beauties!  I hope everyone has a BLAST this weekend!

~Trice

Brush Embroidery (Part II)

The finished product.


Available in my Etsy Shop!



Also available as minis.

Natural Hair: Homemade Mix & A Cornrow Twistout Style

A few days ago I decided to combine some of my favorite oils together with some shea butter. In the past I've combined coconut oil with shea butter and used that to seal my ends. This time, I added a few other oils to the mix.

Here's what I did and what you'll need if you want to try:

Ingredients:

Shea Butter (5+ tablespoons)

Vatika Coconut Oil (2 tablespoons)

Grapeseed Oil ( 1 tablespoon)

Castor Oil (2 tablespoons)

Vitamin E Oil (1 tablespoon)

Steps:

1. Heat shea butter so it is slightly, but not totally, melted.

2. Warm the Vatika oil (or any coconut oil) if it is solid. Measure 2 tablespoons and add to the shea butter.

3. Measure 1 tablespoon of grapeseed oil and add to the shea butter.

4. Measure 2 tablespoons of castor oil and add to the shea.

5. Add 1 tablespoon of vitamin E oil to the shea.

6. Blend the oils and shea butter together with a hand-held mixer, whipping until everything is evenly combined.

7. Cover and place into the refrigerator for about a half hour or until the mix has cooled and stiffened.

I like this mix because it melts easily into the skin and the hair. It also made my hair super shiny, defined, not weighed down, and it sealed my ends beautifully. The shots below are from a twistout that I just did two days ago on dry, stretched hair. I left the twists in until I unravelled this morning.

For this style I parted my hair horizontally from ear to ear. I twisted the back using water and the shea-oil mix. I tested my braiding skills and cornrowed the front. It is tough to braid your own hair but I think I did ok. I did not braid tightly and I parted in a way that accommodated for my recovering edges. We'll see how long they last before they get frizzy!

The humidity is out of control right now so I will probably have to re-twist at night to maintain definition. To do that, I will simply re-mist with water and twist, adding more of the shea-oil mix only if needed.

And voila, there you have it! What new mixes have you tried lately?

Tracee on Top!

{Photo Source}

I don't know why but I love glossy magazine covers. Especially when beautiful ladies like Tracee Ellis Ross grace the front page. In the September edition of Essence mag, she will be discussing her new BET sitcom, Reed Between the Lines. I like her as an actress and she seems like a really down to earth person. I remember seeing her on one of the last episodes of Oprah and she had such a nice energy. Of course her style is amazing and her hair is simply gorgeous! Will you check out her new show?

{Photo Source}

Reed Between the Lines, starring Tracee Ellis Ross (Girlfriends) and Malcolm-Jamal Warner (The Cosby Show), pictured above. The show follows Alex, an English professor, and Carla, a psychologist, as they navigate life’s ups and downs with wit and humor. (Excerpt from bet.com)

China Glaze Swatches: Sneaker Head, Sexy Lady, & Ruby Pumps

Sexy Lady, Sneaker Head, & Ruby Pumps

I bought these China Glaze polishes a week ago from a store called Natural here at the mall in Guam. I don't really do much shopping whenever I come out here because either I can't find anything OR the prices are really expensive! All the China Glaze polishes were $8 each and they don't charge taxes here! So I grabbed these 3. I really wanted some of the OPI polishes, too, but they were $10 each! o.O I tried to get some good swatches of them but I'm pretty bad at swatches in general so don't mind if my fingers are all in awkward positions and whatnot! I picked the pictures with the truest color which all happened to be the weirdest posed one! LOL

Sexy Lady


Sneaker Head


Ruby Pumps

I can't pick a favorite of the three but I think that Sneaker Head was my least favorite. Don't get me wrong I love the color! It's a mix between hot pink and red, but in the bottle it's more hot pink but on my nails it pulls more red. I really wish the hot pink showed a lot more and it's slightly less opaque than the other two - I can still kind of see my nails underneath. I really like Sexy Lady, but the color isn't really unique. (There are TONS of other hot pink polishes out there!) Ruby Pumps is really pretty, but comes out a little lighter than in the bottle. The glitter kinda sticks to your fingers/nails when you take it off, but since the glitter is pretty fine it's not that bad. Some of it still sticks to your nails afterwards, but after I washed my hands it was almost completely gone except for a few specks. I LOVE China Glaze polishes, so I'm really pleased with what I got.