I’ve partnered with The Naked Winery to remind you that December is the month where friends and family who haven’t seen each other for a while reconnect and celebrate with food and booze. However, why not take a brief break from family time and dedicate a day to your girls? Grab a bottle of  The Naked Winery’s Vixen Syrah and head out to a private pole party, take a burlesque lesson or host a passion party so that you can show off your skills and/or goodies for that special someone, even if that someone is you!

Lose your inhibitions and tap into another side of yourself as you try something new in your sexy red lingerie and 6 inch heels. Vixen Syrah is described as red wine with an attitude. It’s characterized by a rich dark beautiful color and its smoky, red raspberry and early season black cherry flavor. Earthy tones with light tannins on the palate with toast and coffee bean on a medium long finish are all that you need for merriment to remember. And don’t forget to nibble on some bites so that the wine doesn’t take too much control over your inner vixen. The folks at The Naked Winery say that Syrah is paired best with white cheddar or parmigiano reggiano with slices of Italian salami.

The Naked Winery is offering a 30% discount on all purchases of the Vixen Syrah product for those who dare to taste. Use the discount code, “single,” upon check out.

P.S. This is a sponsored post but I actually cosign this product. I’d never post about something that I didn’t think was a good idea. By the way, I’m a red wine lover (the sweeter/woodsier the better) and Vixen Syrah is delicious!

Last week I was invited to attend Kitty Bradshaw’s Meet ‘N Tweet, which was a gifting suite where bloggers were treated to product galore and got to mingle with other bloggers and brands. The gift bags were insane! I got so much good stuff that I didn’t want to post everything at once because that would be sensory overload, so I chose my favorite products first.

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The title of this post is ironic considering that my name is “GangStarr Girl” and that I originally started this blog as a way to showcase female talent, particularly in hip-hop. But it’s true. I’m over music. I don’t want to be but it is what it is right now. I’ve been in the entertainment industry long enough to be effectively jaded. Growing up, I was a music hoarder. I loved listening to different genres and finding tunes that made my ears swoon. I loved listening to music as I leisurely created collages filled with pictures that inspired me (they’re called vision boards these days, thanks to Oprah). I grew up when CD’s were hot in these streets and I amassed a huge collection, like, ridiculously huge. Back in high school, a performing arts high school (the Fame school) where I was a vocal major, my good friends and I couldn’t wait to go to Disc-O-Rama, Tower Records or Coconuts after school to get new music for cheap. We bought music by artists we loved, of course, but we weren’t too good to browse other sections, even the world music section to see what else was hot or what had potential.

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Come out this Saturday (December 10) to party with RARE by F.S. Charlie for their one year anniversary and TOYS FOR TOTS
toy drive campaign. That’s a two in one deal! You get to party and help some children have a good holiday.

Door Entry is a new and unwrapped toy or donation of $10.00

The studio will be transformed for the night with specialty lighting and decor, artwork by ART OFF PAPER. Get your dose of
classic, jazzy house & world beats provided by DJs ZEUS & LUCAS FABLE of OneSound Label and REKHA.Treat yourself to a sponsored open bar all night featuring specialty cocktails and anti-oxident drinks by BAI BEVERAGES.

There will also be gourmet cupcakes made by BAKED BY AILIA available as well as his and hers gift basket raffles and giveaways courtesy Art Off Paper, Beauty & The Street, Haus Of Belle, Tough Love, Melis & Keo, OneSound & the original
frozen chocolate Serendipity.

PARTY DETAILS (in case you can’t see the flyer):

DATE: Saturday, December 10th
TIME: Begins 9:30PM
LOCATION: RARE by F.S. Charlie | 317 Church Street, 10012
ATTIRE: Casual Chic & Stylish

RSVP: YOU MUST CONFIRM ATTENDANCE BY DECEMBER 8th.
Email: RSVP@RAWTHENTIX.COM (Please advise if bringing guests & amount)

I blogged about how much I like Sally Hansen’s Salon Effects Polish strips here. They’re a convenient way to keep your nails looking good. Now that it’s holiday time you can take your pick of these limited edition designs for that office party or end of the year shindig. These special prints include Plaid About You (red and black plaid), Peppermint Twist (red and white candy stripe), Snow Bunny (white with red snowflakes), Prep’s Cool (black and silver argyle), and Winter Funderland (black, silver and blue glitter). They are available at local beauty and drug stores. Enjoy!

Dashira Harris, my friend and fellow journalist, is producing an informative documentary entitled Negro, which is about Latino identity. So far she has traveled to Colombia, Brazil and the Dominican Republic but she has a long road ahead of her in order to complete her journey exploring this complex subject matter. However, in the meantime check out part one where she interviews various people (shouts to Dee Vazquez at 12:11) about racism, colorism and the social consequences of colonialism on the Latino community. Dash drops some serious historical facts about the connection between the African slave trade and the development of Latin America.

I love her for this! I got chills because I had no idea about that African community in Colombia. I’ve blogged a couple of times about my own experiences with Latinos who have called me ugly or “mona” (monkey) based on their own ignorant self-hate and denial but I digress. If you like what you saw then help Dash keep this going. Support her at Go Fund Me and “Like” them on Facebook.

This is a short horror flick by my homegirl Tiffany D. Jackson. She’s a horror buff like me, which I love because it’s hard to find other people who appreciate the genre. Check this out:

Interesting twist, right?

Seriously! Fat Joe shed more than 100 lbs by eating smaller portions, better food and working out. He said he was inspired to start being living a healthier life by losing several of his friends to heart attacks. CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports…

It’s dope to see rappers take initiative, especially those who represent communities where wellness through diet isn’t always a priority.

I’m super late but come out tonight if you can, I’ll be moderating a talk back following the play. See below for info:

Last month I attended an editor’s round table for Ambi, where they explained the brand’s mission, products and presented skincare facts for women of color. Ambi was founded in 1966 in Africa. For 45 years they have been known for fade creams and soaps. Today, the brand is globally known for several skincare solutions for brown girls but they still need help spreading the word.

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