Luxetips Travel! Packing for a 4 Day Trip in a Weekend Bag

Hello Divas!

P.U.S.H...Pray Until Something Happens.  It works!

I am not super organized in my general life, but when it comes to packing for a trip, I have it down to a science.  You see when I was a new young attorney living in New York, I traveled a lot and I always checked my bags.  After a certain airline lost my luggage about 3 times, I decided if I could not put all of my things in a carry-on, it had to stay home.

Well for my Essence trip, I packed two outfits per day (my standard rule) and packed enough shoes and accessories that were interchangeable and complimented every outfit.  EVERYTHING fit into my shoulder weekend bag and I was elated.  Take a look at what I packed:

Traveling Outfit Day 1:

This is what I wore on the airplane.  The shirt is from Forever 21.  The white linen pants are from Target.  I have these pants in tan and black.  They are lined and awesome!  The wedges are Guess and I purchased them for only $24.99 from Ross.  The authentic vintage python bag is a gift from my adopted Aunt.  Her style is timeless.  I love that python bag.

Night Out Outfit Day 1:

This is the DVF dress I purchased from The Lucky Exchange for only $35.  I paired it with my Chinese Laundry platforms and silver accessories.  After walking in the wedges all night and dancing in the Superdome, I wore a pair of silver Chinese Laundry flats that were a life saver.  The Chinese Laundry platforms and silver flats are from Ross and were $20 and $12 respectively.

Day Outfit Day 2:

I knew Day 2 would be packed with Ford activities such as test driving vehicles and hanging out at the Ford booth, so I wanted to be casual but really cute.  The striped dress is from my favorite boutique, K-La.  It was only $35.  The earrings were gratis via K-La boutique.  I purchased the dress on my birthday during Mother's Day weekend.  They were giving away free earrings with purchase.  Score!  I paired this outfit with the python bag and wedges.

Night Outfit Day 2:

I knew I was in for a treat with Kanye performing, so I went for a comfortable but sexy look.  This 100% silk Kimchi Blue dress was only $30 at The Lucky Exchange and it is in mint condition.  It was perfect for a night of concerts.  It is lightweight, comfy and gorgeous! I decided to ditch the platforms that night and simply wear my silver flats.  Good idea considering how much I was jumping around when Kanye performed.

Day Outfit Day 3:

This day I wanted to be a little bit more casual but stylish of course because we were going to a BBQ restaurant.  I purchased the skirt from Target for $20 and it is the cutest skirt ever!  It is has pleats in the fronts and pockets.  The striped shirt is light and loose and I purchased it from Ross for only $8.  I wore my silver flats and chilled that day.  This is now my favorite outfit!

Night Outfit Day 3:

Well on the last night I decided to glam it up a bit and rocked my black romper, black platforms and gold accessories.  I also styled my hair in a Farrah Fawcett feather style and if I must say, I was looking pretty hot! LOL!  However, after watching Kem, Trey Songz, New Edition, and MJB, the platforms had did me in.  But I ALWAYS carry my flats, so I changed into my gold flats and was back in business!

Day 4: Traveling Home!

I always try my best to look comfortable and well put together when traveling by air.  So I wore my gorgeous $7 on clearance, Target print dress and my wedges.  I also carried my white eyelet jacket by Willi Smith.  Planes get cold and it is always nice to have something to throw over your shoulders.  I purchased this jacket from The Lucky Exchange for only $18! Classic.  I paired the outfit with dark brown wood earrings.  They are on the shoes in the pic.

So how did I get all of this in my weekend bag with my makeup case?  Well I balled up the dresses, skirt, and shirt and lined them on either side of the bag. I put all of the shoes in the middle.  I placed my make-up case on top of the shoes and I stuffed my undies and things in the inside pockets of the bag.  Done.

As you can see, you can always travel light and still live the luxe life!


Toodles!

Luxetips Events! The Essence Music Festival Day 3: MJB, Laz Alonso, and New Edition

Hello Divas!

Don't take everything so personally.  Sometimes it is just not about you.

My last day of Essence Activities and time spent in New Orleans was laid back but still a load of fun.

I slept in a bit and eventually made my way over to the New Orleans Convention Center to check out the vendors and see what Ford had in store at the Ford Booth.

I love visiting vendors at conventions, so I took a leisurely stroll around the vendor section.  I was particularly impressed with some of the artwork.  I loved Sidney Creations.  Sidney had beautiful artwork and he was creating right there on the spot!

Here is another piece that caught my eye.

Mardi Gras headdress! Wowzer!

Of course I had to hop over to the Ford Booth.  Ford did not disappoint.  Ford was giving away more gas cards and iPods.  The host engaged the audience in various contests to win these prizes.  One such contest was a hula hoop contest.  Classic.  The winner was able to hula hoop while turning around in a circle and dropping to the ground without the hula hoop dropping. LOL!

I was lucky to get an invite from Rolling Out Magazine to sit in on a meet and greet with Laz Alonso.  It was at The Republic, a private and intimate club, in the French Quarter.  Laz was going deep on Blacks in Hollywood, relationships, and my favorite topic HBCUs.  Go FAMU!!!!

His take on Blacks Hollywood:  He was proud to be part of the majority African-American and Latino cast of Avatar.  He was grateful James Cameron gave so many African-American actors/actresses the opportunity to be a part of a 300 million plus budget film.  What an honor!

His take on relationships:  He discussed his role in "This Christmas."  He explained although his character was not a good person, he hoped that the audience really went beyond the "infidelity" and attempted to understood the complexities of that marital relationship and why the character cheated. Interesting.

His take on HBCUs.  He went to Howard.  His best friend went to Morehouse.  He raved about his HBCU education and how important they are for our African-American community.  He received an excellent education and when he graduated from Howard University, he worked as an analyst on Wall Street at Merril Lynch! Who knew! He stressed there is a bevy of talent at HBCUs and companies should recruit the best and brightest African-Americans at these schools first. Amen!

And ladies I have to say he was more complex and deep than I would have thought.  He is smart, gorgeous, and humble.  But most importantly, he is single, never been married, no kids, and he REALLY wants to get married and have a tribe of kids! His words exactly! LOL!

Next Ford treated us to a delicious Pre-Fourth of July meal at Voodoo BBQ.  We had smoked chicken, greens, cornbread pudding (the bomb!), mac and cheese and baked beans.  I thought that was so nice of Ford to celebrate the Fourth with us with BBQ.  I love BBQ!

I went back to the hotel and did some writing.  Afterwards it was time for the Ford Explorer to take us to the Superdome for the last night of concerts.  Of course Essence saved the best for last.

Kem was first up.  Kem is simply amazing.  He has beautiful songs and a powerful voice.  And he knows how to work the crowd.  He took an audience member's cell phone and sang into her video recorder.  I am sure she will never erase that video footage.

He also brought Ledisi on stage.  Ledisi has an amazing voice.  Watch out for Ledisi because her star is on the rise.

Trey Songz sang his classics such as "Say Ahhh" and "Neighbors Know My Name".  The ladies were eating it up.

Of course, we were all waiting for New Edition.  And guess what? Bobby and Johnny Gill were there.  What a treat!! Popcorn Love, Candy Girl, and Mr. Telephone Man were sung with New Edition's signature moves.  They still got it.  Plus of course Bobby sang Tenderoni. Classic. Tenderoni never goes out of style.

Mary J. Blige closed out the show and she SHUT.IT.DOWN. Seriously.  Mary was singing with so much passion and emotion.  Of course she looked incredible.  When she sang "No More Drama" everyone could just feel the emotion in that song.  Love her. Her earrings were INSANE! I just kept staring at them.

The next morning, the Ford Explorer, took us to the airport.  I was sad to go, but reality beckoned.  This trip was beyond anything I expected.  Ford treated us like royalty and everything was First Class.  It was an amazing opportunity!  Thank you Ford!

Toodles!

Essence Music Festival 2011: Celebrities in The Belvedere VIP Lounge

Hello Divas!

The Essence Music Festival attracts lots of celebrities.  Celebrities were there promoting their movies, television shows, and music.  Some celebrities participated in informative panel discussions during the Empowerment Summit at the New Orleans Convention center.  And other celebrities came to the festival to have a good time!  Who would not love good music, awesome food, culture, and education all rolled up into one?

Belvedere was the exclusive spirit sponsor of the 2011 Essence Music Festival and sponsored the uber exclusive VIP Lounge located backstage.  The Lounge had two full service bars, comfy couches, and flat screen TVs so the "VIP" crowd could enjoy the show while sipping a Belvedere Intense cocktail.

I was fortunate enough to have access to this Lounge and I spotted some of my favorite celebrities.  Here are some pics:

Garcelle Beauvais

Boris Kudjoe

Letoya Luckett

Letoya Luckett who is currently starring in HBO's "Treme", participated in the Belvedere Charity Celeb Bartending Challenge with Belvedere Ambassador Bevy Smith.  I follow Bevy Smith on Twitter and she is simply fabulous!  Celebrities participating in this challenge created the official drink of the 2011 Essence Music Festival , "The Belve Peach Essence."  Donations from the challenge go directly to The Red Cross of New Orleans.

I tried "The Belve Peach Essence" cocktail and it is a very fruity and refreshing drink.  It consists of:

1 1/2 oz of Belvedere Intense Vodka
3 oz fresh brewed sweetened iced tea
1 oz peach schnapps, and
1/2 oz lemon juice.

Simply shake the ingredients together and pour over ice!

Believe me when I tell you the Belvedere VIP Lounge was the place to be!  People were enjoying "The Belve Peach Essence," socializing, and meeting and greeting their favorite celebs.  And of course, the celebs were having fun too!  I also spotted:


Ledisi (awesome performer!)

Kem

Hosea Chancez, who was also a Belvedere Celeb bartender during the 2nd night of performances.

Tika Supter another Belvedere Celeb bartender.

Lance Gross and Rosci were Celeb bartenders too!

Good times.  Check back tomorrow to get the scoop on my last day in New Orleans!

Toodles!

Luxetips Events! Essence Music Festival Day 2

Hello Divas!

Strive to be courteous and kind to others.  It just might make their day.

Day 2 of the Essence Music Festival was a whirlwind.  On this day, I had the opportunity to test drive the new 2011 Ford Explorer.  The new Ford Explorer has a lot to offer!

The Ford Driver allowed me to take a 10-15 minute drive in the 2011 Ford Explorer and it was a good one.   The first thing I noticed was that the ride was so smooth and quiet. The streets in New Orleans are very very bumpy.  However the suspension on the 2011 Ford Explorer is awesome!  As I went over bumps, it was like going over little air bubbles.  The next thing I loved about the Ford Explorer is that it felt very sturdy, i.e., the handling was superb.  I have driven a few SUVs in my lifetime and some of them feel off balance and a driver can experience a tipping sensation. I did not have this sensation in the 2011 Ford Explorer.  I felt very comfortable and safe driving it.  And of course Ford's MyFord Touch™ technology is awesome.  With the touch of a finger or with simple voice commands, you can find restaurants; listen to tunes on your Ipod; and make calls.  Lastly, the new 2011 Ford Explorer has a beautiful new design and it is very spacious.  It has three rows and the seats in the 2nd and 3rd rows easily fold down and slide.  If you have two active kids like me, then you know this feature is valuable when transporting groceries, soccer gear, and friends on play dates!

After the test drive we went to the Ford Booth.  Ford had the best booth at the New Orleans Convention Center.  The DJ was beyond amazing!  Festival attendees were rocking and getting low.  Roland Martin from CNN got on stage and did a New Orleans dance called the Wobble. LOL!  Also Ford gave away Ipads, Ipods, and gas cards to attendees.  Go Ford!

Ford then treated us to a delicious brunch at Calcasieu.  Calcasieu is a private dining restaurant.  We received 5 star service.  I had a delicious meal of catfish, seafood gumbo, and chocolate chip bread pudding for dessert.  The bread pudding was divine!

Of course we are here for the Essence Music Festival so there were performances to see.

El Debarge performed classics such as "I Call Your Name" and "Rhythm of the Night".

Chaka Khan was my favorite.  She performed all of her classic hits but what really impressed me was her voice is pitch perfect.  Chaka has a God-given talent and she was meant to sing.  Plus she is simply beautiful.

Of course they saved the best for last and Kanye West did not disappoint.  He really puts on a fantastic show.  The production was amazing.  Plus Kanye gives a lot of energy.  He performed and moved all over the stage without missing a beat.  I had never seen Kanye West in concert, so this was a real treat for me.

Also during the second day of performances Ford Motor Company gave away a new 2012 Ford Focus! The person who had the lucky key and winner of the new Ford Focus was Deborah Inniss of South Carolina.   Here are some pics of her winning.  She was super excited and gracious!

Ms. Inniss and and Ford’s Multicultural Marketing Manager Shawn Lollie. 


I have one more day of Essence Music Festival Activities to share.  I will also give you the scoop on celebrity sightings in the Belvedere VIP lounge.


Toodles!

Luxetips Events!: 2011 Essence Music Festival Day One

Hello Divas!

Life is beautiful. Enjoy it!

Day one of the 2011 Essence Music Festival has been packed full of activities and entertainment.

When I landed in New Orleans a Ford driver greeted us in baggage claim and whisked us into a brand new white 2011 Ford Explorer.  Initially I thought the vehicle was the Ford Edge because of the body style and design.  I was pleasantly surprised to discover it was an Explorer.  Ford totally changed the look of the Explorer.  This Explorer had leather seats, a third seat, and power outlets for back seat passengers.  I was thrilled to find a plug because of course, my cell phone needed charging.

We arrived at our hotel and was immediately greeted by Ford representatives who sent our bags up to our rooms and escorted us to a cocktail reception already taking place.  There are media representatives from Concrete Loop, Global Grind, Sister 2 Sister Magazine, Rolling Out Magazine, and Hello Beautiful on this trip.

After cocktail hour the Ford team chauffeured us to THE Emeril's restaurant.  There we were treated to a delicious meal and we learned more about our schedule for this weekend.  We learned we will get an opportunity to actually test drive several vehicles from Ford's new 2012 fleet.  I am looking forward to seeing how Ford's SYNC^® technology works up close and personal.

After dinner we were escorted to the Superdome to enjoy the concerts.  We stopped by the Belvedere Lounge to celebrity watch and sample the Essence/Belvedere signature drink the "Belve Peach Essence". At the Belvedere lounge I spotted Boris Kudjoe, Ford Spokesperson, and Garcelle Beauvais.  Garcelle is absolutely stunning in person and here is a pic of us together.

Afterwards I enjoyed performances by Jennifer Hudson and Usher.  Usher gave a pretty awesome performance.  He started the concert suspended in air and he still has the energy and moves to give fans their money's worth.

Stay tuned for more updates from the Essence Music Festival.

Toodles!