Most of you know that I host a weekly Podcast, Social Media Sunday with the Delaware Blogger, which is live every Sunday at 6 PM EST on Blog Talk Radio for AAU Teen Talk Radio/TV/Magazine. The last live broadcast for the year was on Sunday and the topic was Social Media and the Church, it was my 15th Podcast and I must admit that when I first started I was unbelievably nervous. The shows on the 26th of December and 1st of January will be encore programs so if you missed them, make sure to log on to listen.
The show’s Executive Producers are Roger and Chevrona Johnson and they are also the CEO’s of the Whitney E. Johnson Foundation. I am very appreciative to both of them for giving me an opportunity to host my own Podcast, but was even more so when offered the opportunity to take the show on the road and host it live on cable at Madhouse TV Studio in Long Island, NY.
With everything scheduled for last Thursday, hubby and I drove from Middletown, DE to Long Island, NY which by the way was definitely not an easy trip, but that’s another story for a different day. However, I was able to drive the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Ultimate AWD which I was reviewing for Hyundai via Drive Shop USA so it wasn’t a bad ride.
Arriving at the studio a little past noon, my guest, Nikki Valentine, owner of N.V.Me Designs and her models were already inside busy preparing for the 2:00 show. Check out my Instagram page to see pictures of everyone getting ready as well as some great memorabilia inside the studio owned by Tommy Maher, aka The Woodstock Guru on Facebook.
Nikki and I were able to run through our script which we had previously written when she came to “shop my closet” the week before which you can see on my YouTube Channel. The topic of our segment was “Balling on a Budget – Outfits from the Office to Party Fab” and she and her models did a great job in featuring these outfits.
The link to the broadcast is below, so check it out and then come back and leave a comment as I am anxious to know how you liked the show. I hope Chevrona liked it as well as I would love to go back for another segment.
This is also going to be the last blog post of the year as I shut down DeDivahDeals and transfer it to DelBlogger and when I come back in the New Year, there will be great reviews and giveaways – so enjoy the holidays and be safe!!!
Don’t forget to leave a comment with your review of the show and let me know if you would like to see me back on Cable TV!
Disclosure: I was provided a sample of the Luis The Marinero Sangria to facilitate this review, however, all opinions are 100% my own. Drink Responsibly. #luisthemarinero #sangriasummer #ad
Hello Summer!!!
Family fun in the sun with backyard pool parties and lots of food on the grill are great ways to kick off this year’s summer season. So why not make the days even sweeter with a Summer Sangria Slush and enter for a chance to win an authentic Sangria pitcher from Spain.
Luis The Marinero Sangria wine was recently introduced exclusively in Delaware, New York and New Jersey and when my friends over at Regal Wine asked if I’d like to toast in the summer with a sample, you know me…I had to say, “sí”
I checked online and found several Sangria Slush recipes but decided to make a simple three ingredient slush using the Red Sangria, Ice and Watermelon.
Ingredients:
1 Cup Red Sangria
1 Cup Ice
1/3 Cup of Watermelon
Combine Sangria Red wine, ice cubes, and watermelon in a blender; process until smooth. Serve immediately or freeze. This quick and naturally sweet (sans sugar) summer slush got me in and out of the kitchen in a jiffy.
Enjoy a Sangria Summer
This authentic Spanish sangria is the perfect beverage for a sunny afternoon. Infused with citrus and cinnamon, Luis the Marinero is light on alcohol and refreshing in taste. Try it in red, white, and rosé.
Sangria Summer Promotion
Win a Sangria Pitcher from Spain! Simply upload a photo of yourself enjoying a sangria summer to www.regalwine.com/sangriasummer for a chance to win.
Regal Wine will select one winning photograph each week, from June through August, and post winners on Facebook and Instagram.
About the Wine:
White Sangria
Alcohol level 6%
Infused with citrus and tropical aromas, this crisp white wine offers a clean, fruity taste and a refreshing finish.
Red Sangria
Alcohol level 6%
Ruby red wine mingles with blueberries, cherries, and a hint of citrus and cinnamon. This rich sangria has a sweet and satisfying aftertaste.
Rose Sangria
Alcohol level 6%
A fresh pink wine blends with strawberry, raspberry, and citrus flavors. Sparkling and sweet, the rose sangria has an effervescent finish.
About the Winery:
Regal Wine is the exclusive American importer of Luis The Marinero. Bottled by the Spanish winery Bodegas Valdepablo, this authentic sangria celebrates wine-based drinks passed down from generation to generation since 1928. Luis The Marinero sangria pays tribute to the winery’s history, summer, and the sparkling Mediterranean Sea.
Last week I was thankful for the opportunity to have met the beautiful and “blessed with success” owner of Lai Renise Boutique, Nadira Alston. Lai Renise Boutique is located on the 2nd floor of 11 West Main Street in Middletown.
Nadria and her family relocated from Philadelphia where she started and still operates a successful online boutique with clients from New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia and Delaware. She moved to Delaware and on the 3rd of May opened Lai Renise which is partially named after her daughter.
Lai Renise is a high end yet affordable shop for women looking for something special or a one of a kind outfit. Nadira offers a personal shopping experience and hosts Trunk Shows in which family and friends gather for wonderful evening of shopping and styling.
Nadira had always dreamed of operating a brick and mortar shop and was blessed to have found this location which was previously a dance studio. The mirrored walls were already in place so she just added the shelving to showcase the beautiful handbags and accessories with brands like Big Buddah Bags, Betsy Johnson, Vieta and Russ Jewelry.
Nadira also runs a full time Ministry and enjoys working with young women in empowerment and positive transformation. On Saturday from 4:30 to 8:30 she is hosting “Daughter’s of Excellence Annual Dessert Cafe” a fellowship featuring an Open-Mic, Singing, Poetry and Storytelling at 14 West Main Street. For more information please send an email to daughters@trclive.org.
In honor of #ShopSmall Saturday I treated myself to a Big Buddah Handbag – it was a tough decision but I purchased the black one.
Now it’s your turn – what are you thankful for this week?
In Delaware it is officially Autumn, the temps have dropped considerably (in the 50’s) and hubby even turned on the heat which I am definitely not happy about!
This sleeveless top was thrifted from GW Boutique (Goodwill) and the slacks were purchase a few seasons ago at Boscov’s. Asymmetrical sweater was purchased either at TJMaxx or Marshall’s also a few seasons ago.
Put on a sweater if you are cold – “don’t turn on the ding dang dong heat – man!” Can you tell that I am a miser – heck you can even call me Scrooge!
Pour little tomato, it waited too late in the season to ripen so now it’s a “half and half” tomato – do you have a recipe for Fried Green Tomatoes?
I love the fact that Avon has really “stepped up” their shoe game because not only are they cute but they are also extremely comfortable!
Have you started wearing your Autumn Attire?
It snowed in upstate New York and Ohio so soon I will be wearing sweaters, hats, scarves and gloves – I am so not ready but maybe this year, hubby will be able to use his snow blower!
Last weekend I had an opportunity to attend the Ray of Sunshine Dance Recital presented and performed by dancers from the Encore Dance Academy. To say that this was no ordinary recital would be an understatement. First of all, the recital was the Senior Class Project of Kayla Green, a dancer and student at Middletown High School. Secondly it was held to benefit and bring awareness to Autism Delaware and lastly because it was an absolutely flawless Broadway-like performance by some very talented young dancers!
For two hours the audience was treated to over thirty wonderfully choreographed dances with music from every genre and decade from the 50’s to the present. The Grand Finale performance of Grease included all of the dancers and was a colorful and exciting rendition. Costume changes accompanied each of the performances and it was obvious that they had trained long and hard and had given it their best.
Three young children affected by Autism, one of which was Kayla’s young cousin and the inspiration for the project was given an opportunity to perform on stage. It was truly heart warming to watch them, so confident in themselves and enjoying the audience’s applause. Another student who is also affected by Autism gave the Closing Remarks which was also well received by an enthusiastic crowd. To watch these kids participate in the recital who after birth wasn’t supposed to be able to walk, further emphasized the need to support Autism Awareness in the state of Delaware.
During a brief intermission packaged snacks, soda and water was available for purchase in the lobby. A Silent Auction was also held with bidding on items such as a Wine Basket, Door Wreath, Cleaning Service, and Dance Lessons, all donated by parents of Encore Dance Academy students. All proceeds raised from this as well as from ticket sales were donated to Autism Delaware, totaling over $2000.00.
Kudos to all the dancers from the Encore Dance Academy, I fully expect one day to see your names in lights on Broadway because you definitely were Middletown Made For Manhattan last Saturday night!
What happens when it’s Friday night and you don’t feel like cooking, ordering pizza or going out and a bowl of cereal just won’t cut it? In our house when that happens we head straight to the garage and to the freezer. There is where I try to keep microwavable meals and snacks specifically for those occasions and last Friday night it was Lean Pockets Pretzel Bread Sandwiches.
I am not a big proponent of frozen meals & snacks because of the excessive sodium some of them contain but these Lean Pockets brand sandwiches are only 250 calories with 650 mg of sodium which isn’t a lot compared to others that contain well over 1000 mg of sodium.
The Lean Pockets Sandwiches were filled with Spinach and 3 Cheeses, Fontina, Romano and reduced Fat Mozzarella. I zapped one in the microwave for 2 minutes 30 seconds in the crisping sleeve then cut it in half. It didn’t seem like it had a lot of filling and could have had more spinach, but to my surprise it was quite good and hit the spot. The soft pretzel bread encased a flavorful mix of spinach and cheeses that paired well with my glass of Friday night wine!
Speaking of wine, I want to reintroduce my “play cousin” Cook E doe Face. She is a down to earth YouTube Vlogger who will have you in stitches as you watch her create some delicious dishes and “knock you on your butt cocktails”.
Cook E de Face is from Philly and I fell in love with her atty-tud (Philly slang) from the very first video I watched. In today’s world it is so easy to get caught up in the negativity but you know me, I like to keep it light. Cook E doe Face has me laughing out loud and reminds me of my own New York cousins. If it were left up to me she would definitely have a show on the Food or OWN Network!
Inspired by some awesome photos I’ve seen taken by you guys I decided to upgrade my camera from a Canon PowerShot SX150 to a Nikon CoolPix. Not that a camera will make me a better photographer, it will however, (I hope) make my photos pop with less of a need to rely on editing software.
My husband recommended that I go to Cameras etc and take a look at their selection of used cameras of which was extensive, but I was more interested in the Nikon Coolpix P100 on sale that I had seen in the newspaper.
Armed with the advertisement I drove into Newark, to Main Street on the campus of the University of Delaware and fed 4 quarters into the parking meter. Entering the store I was immediately greeted by Imaging Consultant Todd. I explained what I wanted, showed him the ad and stated that I had “Liked” them on Facebook hoping for a discount.
Unfortunately, they didn’t have the advertised model in stock but Todd did show me a higher priced model the P520, but before you scream, “bait and switch”, he didn’t try to push me into purchasing it. He called their Wilmington store and asked to have one shipped for arrival the next day.
Todd explained all the features on the P520 and how it compared to the P100 so that I would be familiar and comfortable before making the purchase. He also took time to show me some used Nikon cameras in the same price range but after I took the camera outside, snapped a few pictures I decided then to buy it.
The time and patience that Todd spent in explaining all the features was awesome, I even had to feed two additional quarters into the meter, I see why they have been a successful business since 1977.
This camera is an early birthday present to myself and I am looking forward to using it this weekend as we celebrate our 23rd Wedding Anniversary and at the BLMGirls event in DC on the 31st.
Thank you friends for your inspiration and thank you Todd for your patience!
A few months ago two lovely ladies nominated me for a Liebster Award, I apologize for just getting around to accepting and thanking them properly.
Thank you Kittehluvs and A Mom’s Point of View, I was truly honored and am humbled that you chose me as a recipient (please accept my apology for the delay in accepting)
I officially accept both nominations and have combined my answers from each of you and am abiding by the following rules:
Post eleven facts about yourself
Answer the questions posed by your nominator
Pass the award on to eleven new recipients
Post eleven new questions to your bloggers
Upon completion, post the Liebster Award badge to your blog, notify your nominees, and link them to the post, as well as linking the person who nominated you.
Eleven Facts about Me
I live in the 2nd smallest state, Delaware – home of VP Joe Biden
I am NOT a sports enthusiast nor can I play any sport
I love old school horror flicks – Night of the Living Dead, 1968 version is my all time favorite
I have a soft and loving heart, I look for the good in everyone
I can’t relax – must always be doing something, even while sleeping, my mind is racing
I hate to sweat when exercising but it doesn’t bother me when sunbathing – I know, hubby doesn’t understand that either
I hate driving because I have a 3 hour daily commute to work
Eleven Questions from Kittehluvs
What is your favorite pair of shoes – Polka Dot Pumps
What perfume/scent do you wear – Asan Avon Rep I have many but my favorite is Bijan
Do you like vintage or modern style? Explain – Both, and when mixed the vintage becomes the new modern
What is your favorite piece of furniture – My Bed – I love to sleep!
Do you collect something? What is it? – I used to collect African American Santas and Angels – but have since stopped buying – time to start downsizing
Favorite Things? Least Favorite Things? Use your imagination – A positive balance in my checkbook – a negative balance in my checkbook!
What is one piece of advice you’d like to give to your readers? “Don’t Stress The Small Stuff – Life is Too Short”
Thinking about how and when you grew up, where do you think your style inspiration came from? – Born in the 60’s, and raised in New York – no explanation needed
If you could do anything crazy for 1 day and be assured that nothing harmful could happen, what would it be? – Wow…that’s definitely a hard one…hmmm hack the system to wipe my credit report clean, zero balance out everything!
Where do you see yourself in 5 years? In 10 years? – semi-retired and debt free/retired and debt free
What is your best asset? Could be physical or not – Positive Attitude
Eleven Questions from A Mom’s Point of View
What made you decide to start blogging? – After the death of my grandmother, I needed someone to share my bargains and deals with
How often to you write a blog post? – Daily
Do you have children and how many? 2 sons, ages 17 and 20
What is your favorite book? – Everything written by the late E. Lynn Harris
Do you read eBooks or paper books? – both but neither often
How long could you live without electricity? – a week maybe
One word to describe your personality? – Positive
Dog or Cat person? Cat but don’t have either
Have you bought a tablet yet? – I won one from a contest sponsored by WPHL17
Apple or Android? – Both, Apple iPad, Android “not-so-smart” Phone
Hello Friends and Happy Hump Day Wednesday, we’re on the down stroke to the weekend!
Yesterday after work I stopped for gas, paid $3.67/gallon, getting just enough to get home or to a cheaper station. This morning it was $3.69! It’s times like these that I miss living in New York and taking public transportation. Delaware has DART Bus service but I would rather drive than risk being hit over the head with a gun for a bite of sandwich – don’t believe me…it happened on Monday, read the article here
Do you ever drive around burning gas looking for cheaper gas – crazy right! If I did commute to work on public transportation this Merona tote would be perfect to carry. It’s not as though I have a lot but if I did, it’s very roomy. It could also be used an an overnight bag, what do you think?
Animal Print booties were purchased last year on clearance at Deb Shop and the pantsuit is from the back of the closet – the shoulder pads dates it. Worthington scoop neck top was $4 from JC Penney and Merona tote was part of my shoe haul from Target.
Ring – SamsBeauty.com // Scarf – Beauty Supply Store // Earrings – forgot where purchased
I am doing this review for eShakti, an international fashion design company in India that sells ready-to-wear and customized women’s clothing. eShakti specializes in affordable custom made clothing for women in sizes 0-36W. They have been featured in Vogue, Glamour and O Magazines and now include design teams in New York and California. In an effort to reach a wider audience they have contacted several bloggers including myself to review an item of clothing from their stock.
I chose this ready-to-wear blue stripe dress and am not only in love with the color but also in how it fits my body frame. It is an all-season knit dress, so today I added a thrifted denim bolero jacket and black patent leather pumps.
The scoop neck, cap sleeves and side zipper has it fitting me to a “T”, it’s a very nice cut. After wearing, I machine washed on delicate and hung to dry with no problems, it kept it’s shape and only needs a cool iron to remove the wrinkles.
eShakti has a large selection of clothing and their shipping is 7-9 business days including custom clothing, however, certain styles sell out quickly including this one.
For a limited time, you can register and save $25 on your first offer or use coupon code 31BLA778
Thank you Mark & Cleo, owners of The Java House Cafe in Middletown, DE location of this photo shoot.
Product Review Disclosure:
Any products which have been gifted or provided free to me for review will be mentioned in the post and are posted only if it is a good fit for De Divah Deals’ aesthetics and content. Any sponsored giveaways or posts will also be noted as such.
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