Nichelle Newsletter

Deacon Blues

I got links. hot links...I would love a sausage right now.

Radio:  Pictures and a recap of the Cupcakes Take The Cake Bloggers' appearance on The Frank DeCaro show. Vote today for Best Food Blog, so we can win a Bloggie!

Offline:  Met the wonderful Lauren and Scott from ThisNext at the Mandarin Oriental last night.
Check out my This Next recommendations: Nichelle Picks list, Cupcakes list and  Keeping Nickels list.

Swap:  I may or may not be going since I may go to Austin for some conference, but there's a clothing swap in Greenpoint on March 9.

Conference:  Speaking of conferences, I highly recommend the PSFK conference.  I am volunteering again this year. It's March 27.

Mansard Roof

Even though I am not in school or taking a class, I learn something new everyday.

Black Turtlenecks are often worn by cult leaders.

The Root just launched this week, but calling it "The Black Slate" is redundant and wrong.

I am not afraid to be on the bandwagon and say I like Vampire Weekend, but I feel like wearing Sperry  Topsiders when I listen to them.

Everything is next week:  Super Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Fashion Week, Chinese New Year.   I have to vote,  show my tits, look skinny, and celebrate the rat.   Busy!

West End Girls

Nichelle on her way to Jacques Torres, originally uploaded by Rachel from Cupcakes Take the Cake.

RKB took this photo of me two weeks ago on Hudson Street.

Rachel, Allison and I will be on the Frank DeCaro show this Tuesday talking about cupcakes.

I may be in Family Circle in March, I think.  If  I make it, it will in the front of the book talking about quitting my corporate job in 2005.

Chicks and Giggles has a fan page on Facebook.  Be a fan! Read the recap from last week's show on the blog.

Never Gonna Give You Up

Toffee Cupcake At Charbonnel Et Walker, originally uploaded by candiedyams.

Read : You've heard of the Six Million Dollar Man, but check out my review on NewYorkology of the $6 dollar cupcake.

Vote:  Cupcakes Take The Cake has been nominated for a Bloggie.  Vote for us by Jan 31st.

Tip:  A cheap non-date on the Lower East Side is $1 Blue Point Oysters  (only on Thursdays) at Essex Bar and then Piggy Puddin' for dessert at Sugar Sweet Sunshine. 

Wrapped Around Your Finger

There are two super cool shows coming up with some of my favorite women performing:

January 31: Rage of Aquarius IV is a comedy show/birthday party and fundraiser for the Hysterical Festival. Desiree Burch, Pat Candaras, Livia Scott and Miss Saturn are just some of the performers.

Sundays in February: Bridget Everett and Kenny Mellman team up again for a raunchy new show, "Sexercise Live!  A Tribute to the Potty Mouthed and Profound Millie Jackson" at Joe's Pub.

Gimme Some More

S'Mores and Stout, originally uploaded by candiedyams.

I stopped by Ditch Plains for dessert last night and had S'mores and a Murphy Stout.

Tonight, there's Chicks and Giggles and I will be performing a wee bit in a sock puppet skit about schmbortion.

Read Keeping Nickels, since you have a little more than a week to issue 1099 MISC forms.

Dreaming

When I was a kid, I remember having the Martin Luther King day off as a school holiday in Birmingham even before it was a national holiday.  My family and I would attend a parade downtown and  go to a  church service.

Ten years ago when my uncle introduced me to the great Lionel Hampton,  he told Lionel that I was an accountant working for big retail company, Federated Macy Department Stores.  Mr Hampton said that was proud of me.  I guess it was because he considered it to be was great advancement of Black people for me to have a corporate job traveling around the country.  Back then  I was so in awe of meeting a legendary jazz musician that what he said did not fully sink in.  Now I appreciate it so much more. 

Today I work.  I am doing bookkeeping because I am self-employed and I need the money.  However, it is very cool that I can support myself  independently and still be involve with creative projects.  I am proud.

Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This

banana pudding and champagne, originally uploaded by candiedyams.

Friday night, I attended a sneak preview opening  of  the new Magnolia Bakery in the Upper West Side.  Although I had some yummy cupcakes, I also enjoyed banana pudding and champagne.

Read Rachel's recap on Cupcakes Take The Cake.

Talk Dirty To Me

Group shot from Blogger Sex Night at In The Flesh January 17, 2008, originally uploaded by rkb1. Photo by Stacie Joy.

Picture from last night's reading...I don't have the stories that I told written since it's all in my head, but there will be video up on YouTube soon.

Love Me In A Special Way

Reading Dirty:  I am reading something sexy and funny tonight at In The Flesh.  I go up early in the lineup, so come early...and often.

No swap:   I am not doing one this weekend.  Check out the clothing swap meetup group to get your swap fix, since it is fun to swap.

Cleaning House:  Everyone is Tumbling.  I have been too in secret for a few months.  It's not different from blogging, so I think the only difference is that is more off the cuff and random.  Plus, you can easily pull quotes from websites.  I am still blogging here, but added my Tumblr below my recent posts.  Then I got to tinkering with the blog,  and I  switched to an one column layout on Nichelle Newsletter,  killed my sidebar and changed the header to green.  There are still links to my other three main blogs, and my archives below so please scroll down!  BTW, if you read this via  RSS reader, then ignore most of what I just wrote and just add my Tumblr feed: http://nichelle.tumblr.com/rss

Hold My Hand

Now that it is really winter weather again, I had to go and buy another pair of gloves since I have already lost two gloves since November. Luckily I found a pair plus one at Anthropologie on sale for $19.95, which is such a great idea.   Hopefully I won't lose more than one glove before April. If you live in Pittsburgh and missing a glove, then you probably know about One Cold Hand which is like a "Missed Connections" for glovers. [Groan if you want to]

The Banana Song

Banana Pudding fixings, originally uploaded by candiedyams.

In between  cupcake meetup and bookkeeping work on Sunday, I made banana pudding for a friend's birthday.

I used Jumpcut and my digital camera to make a little video.  Saturday's spring weather allowed for me to wear a yellow coat to match the bananas.

Ice Cream Castles

Ice, Ice, Baby:   I visited Blue Marble Ice Cream and wrote about it for NewYorkology.

Crave:  Cookthink, a website that find recipes based on what you crave. (via Springwise)

Get Your Fit On:    It is a proven fact that it is easier to reach weight loss goals when you have a community to support.  Check out the National Body Challenge on Discovery Health.

Creator

January/February cover of Fader, originally uploaded by candiedyams.<

It's not everyday that you scan a magazine rack and you actually know the person on the cover of a magazine.  Today, I saw Santi White AKA Santogold on the cover of the January/February issue of Fader. Editor Alex Wagner proclaims that this is the YEAR OF THE WOMAN, as evidenced by Santi and R & B artist Keri Hilson on the covers of this issue.

Also in the magazine, there is a bit about Harlem's Teyana Taylor who is on the Neptune's Star Trak label, and in the style section, beautiful suede and beaded necklaces by Alicia Piller is featured. Oh, and in case you didn't know, Black Girls Rock.

Home Sweet Home

Pretty:  Sunset Park's version of Red Velvet cake.  The frosting is bright pink with neither buttercream or cream cheese frosting and I didn't taste much cocoa.  Despite all that, it was a tasty experiment.

Scary/Cute:  Monsterhoodies!

Funny/Quaint:  A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keiller is coming to New York City in April. Tickets go on sale next week.

Danceable: Brit Estelle's disco-inspired tune with Kanye, "American Boy".

Who's That Girl?

Amnesia:  If you enjoy ABC's "Samantha Who?" like I do, then you will love Sophie Kinsella's newest book, Remember Me? which is about a woman with amnesia who finds out that her old self was a bitch.  I just read an advance copy this weekend and it is great!

Bedridden:  Em & Lo's sex advice/culture blog, Daily Bedpost.

Dance:  Take a Hustle Workshop this Saturday for Beginners at Your Should Be Dancing.

Odd Couple: Ultimate Fighting Champ Matt Hughes  and my neighbor Michael Malice are hitting the road for their book tour promoting Made In America: The Most Dominant Champion in UFC History. 

This Is It

Watch: Vimby (Video In My Backyard), is a video content site devoted to capturing young lifestyle and culture all over the nation.  It's kind of a Outside.in + MySpace thing.  Local is the new global, you know.

Rent:  Flyrig is a New York apartment rental website with listing and a Google map showing the closest subways.

Date: C is for Cupid is a free dating site for cancer survivors. I read about it in The Brooklyn Paper yesterday.  BTW, The Connecticut Muffin at the Southwest corner of Prospect Park is like Grand Central Station on Saturday mornings.

Look:  As far as makeover reality shows, I am a fan.  Lifetime's How To Look Good Naked is more than entertaining; it is pretty therapeutic as women deal with their body issues with the lovable Carson Kressley.

Out of the loop: Who is Flo Rida?

A Different Corner

         

Blog: Keeping Nickels is in busy season mode with good information about accounting for freelancers and making business resolutions.

Vote:  Iowa! New Hampshire! New York's primary is February 5, 2008.

Personal:  I will be living austerely in 2008.  I am actually not sure what it all means, but going out less, thrifting, cooking at home are definitely some of the tenets.  See me at Chicks weekly or when I read at In The Flesh.

True Colors

Color:  I am new fan to Colourlovers, where you can peruse colors, palettes and patterns.

Palette:  I found Colourlovers via Wear Palettes which is a mash-up blog of The Sartorialist.

Off The Wall

Insidery: Ok, I have been offline most of the day and loved it. One resolution is the read less on the blogs, and Gawker's changes has made it super easy. First, they killed the Tionna column, then they added the Julia Allison into the fray. From the comments, it looks like a disaster and I guess Gawker can be even meaner that Vanessa or n+1 thought.

Coincidentally, earlier today I think spotted Emily Gould at Brooklyn Bean & Tea Company on Atlantic Avenue before going thrifting at Salvation Army with a friend. I almost didn't recognize her, but maybe because she's happier now.

Tiny Bubbles

Bubbly, originally uploaded by TowerGirl.

Slow:  I am going to slow down the pace. I do resolve  to stay in  two nights per week. 

Space:  I want to have a clothing swap on Sunday, January 20 and I need a free public space (office, dance studio, yoga studio) to have it .  This will be my first and LAST swap of the year 2008, so please help!

Showcase: Chicks and Giggles ECNY's showcase is next week, Tuesday, January 8. Come see the funny! The show is listed in this week's Time Out New York.

Happy New Year!
I wish you the best in 2008.