The Brown Girl Does Etsy- Vintage Lucky Brown

As you all know, I absolutely love thrift shopping and have been scouring thrift stores in NY, GA, DC and on the West Coast for great vintage finds. I seriously get a rush when I discover a vintage GUCCI blazer from the 80s or a pair of vintage Yves Saint Laurent pumps. Over the years, I’ve collected tons of unique vintage jewelry, clothing items and shoes and decided to create Vintage Lucky Brown, an online vintage store to sell these great finds with other vintage lovers and fashionistas!

It is my mission to make sure each consumer feels LUCKY once they find these one-of-a-kind vintage pieces at such reasonable prices.

Follow VLB on Twitter (http://twitter.com/vintageluckybrn) to be the first to know about when new items are added and when there is a secret sale going on!

So, I leave you with this one question: Are you feeling lucky?

WWW.VINTAGELUCKYBROWN.ETSY.COM

Muah!

-VLB

YumYumYou Product Review

I want to send a big THANK YOU out to the executive team over at YumYum You! who sent over the wonderful product basket. I’m getting ready to share with you all some of the best products that I’ve tried this year!!!

Love Bath Salt Soak- After pounding the NYC pavement in heels all day, this soak is the perfect treat for my tootsies! The smell of pomegranate oil is refreshing and the added bonus of dried organic roses makes me feel like a princess.

Opulence Whipped Cream Soap- This soap is divine!!! It has a very light scent and nearly melts in your hands. I like to cradle a quarter-sized amount in the palm of my hands and give myself a good old fashioned hand wash ;)

YumYumYou!, Body Butter and Body Cream- Pairing either of these two products after using the opulence whipped cream soap kept my skin moisturized all day long. These products are made with all natural ingredients: Safflower Oil, Jojoba oil, Grapeseed oil,Coffee Butter, Cupuacu Butter, Pistachio Butter, Avocado Butter,Kokum Butter, Macadamia Oil, and Mango Butter. The culmination of all of these wonderful ingredients creates this really light scent that smells yummy! Maybe that’s why the product line is called YumYumYou! Hmmm… I think I’m catching on ;)

YumYumYou! also has other unique product offerings such as massage bath bars, body lotion, massage oils, and lip balms that made from 100 percent pure ingredients and are suitable for women and men.

GET YOUR FREE SAMPLE!
Just email admin@yumyumyouonline.com and mention that The Brown Girl Journal sent you, and the sales team will send you a free sample before the line even hits shelves! You can also request their consumer catalog that will guide you through their quick and easy ordering process online, on the phone or by mail. Please don't forget to include your name and address.
Muah!

Count Me In- Pt II

NATIONAL BLACK THEATRE IN HARLEM
2031 5th Ave bet 124th & 125th Streets
212-340-1874

Film Screenings:
American Violet
(Alfre Woodard, Charles Dutton, Xzibit and Nicole Beharie)
July 28 at 7PM
War Child
(Story of hip hop star Emmanuel Jal’s return to Sudan where he was separated from his family and served as a child soldier)
August 11 at 7PM

Count Me In- Pt I

I've heard about some interesting events going on this summer in NY and wanted to share them with you all. So over the next few days, I will be posting about them. Up first, the off-Broadway Castillo Theater:

Castillo Theatre - 2009 Summer Events
543 West 42nd Street bet 10th & 11th Avenues
POETRY SNAP- TRAIN OF THOUGHT
Saturdays at 6PM
July 25, August 1 & August 8

CASTILLO FRIENDS FILM SERIES THURSDAYS AT 7PM:
We Want A J-O-B So We Can E-A-T
Directed by Carolyn Kresky
July 23 at 7PM

Nothing Really Happens
(Memories of Aging Strippers)
Directed by Fred Newman
July 30 at 7PM

Theater of War
Directed by John Walter
August 6 at 7PM

POLITICAL PLAY READINGS SERIES MONDAYS AT 7PM (Winners of the 2009 Mario Fratti-Fred Newman Political Play Writing Contest):

A Far Shore
By Douglass Huff
August 3 at 7PM

Fire in the Garden
By Ken Weitzman
August 10 at 7PM

Inside the Coma of Wayne Morse
By Steven A. Lyons
August 17 at 7PM

The Own Girl
By Monica Raymond
August 24 at 7PM
*Check the website for specific info: www.castillo.org

I'm on Twitter!!!

I feel the same way about Twitter that I felt about Facebook a year ago- addicted! I enjoy chatting with my fellow twits about random things and my guilty pleasure is following celeb tweets (I heart Solange Knowles!!). "Tweet" me nice and follow me on twitter: sheenaneal!!! You'll get a glimpse into my day-to-day life and keep up with me while I'm not blogging. I may surprise you ;)

VOLUNTEER!

Above: Michelle Obama and Jill Biden volunteering with Feeding America
(Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images North America)
I was once told that people make time for things that are important to them and I completely agree. After I moved to New York, I knew that I wanted to become active in my community, but I was unsure of how to go about picking an organization to partner up with. I learned about a web site called VOLUNTEER MATCH and it made my search a billion times easier. With over 58,609 active volunteer opportunities and 68,307 participating organizations, you can’t go wrong with signing up with VOLUNTEER MATCH. The site makes it simple for users to search for volunteer opportunities based on their interests, zip code, keywords, or specific organizations.

Finding my volunteer organization, the All Stars Project has been one of the highlights of my summer. I know we’re all very busy and more interested in traveling or hanging out with friends all summer, but the gratification that I’ve gotten out of my volunteer experience has been wonderful. Just by signing up with an organization and devoting one Saturday a month or one weekday a month is a huge contribution, so don’t be fooled into thinking that you would become a summer slave to volunteering. The beautiful thing about volunteering is that you get to set your own schedule and availability. Below are a few of my top reasons why we should all volunteer:

-Develop new skills
-Make new friends
-Improve your community
-Share your skills with others
-To make a difference
-To have fun!

Muah!

Exploring the District (DC)- Ben’s Chili Bowl

I recently visited Washington, DC to celebrate Independence Day. While I was in the District, I had plans to shop, party, and eat at some DC hotspots. After a couple of days of hanging out with the girls and shopping in Georgetown, my cousin insisted that NO ONE visits DC without eating at Ben’s Chili Bowl. I immediately said, “Gross! I don’t eat pork or beef so I’m absolutely not going- count me out.” My cousin then schooled me on the historical roots of the restaurant. Since its founding in 1958, it has been one of the only businesses on the popular U Street (known as “Black Broadway” back in the day) to survive the 1968 riots and the construction phase of their Metro Green Line. I wouldn’t dare contest that history, plus I’m a sucker for trying new things so I obliged. (If you remember during the campaign trail, then president-elect Barack Obama was photo'd eating at Ben’s; one of Bill Cosby’s favorite spots)

I was more than thrilled to learn that Ben’s Chili Bowl offered vegan-friendly food items!!! Say it together folks, “Veggie Chili Cheese Fries!”

I think the picture below says it all:

Ben’s Chili Bowl= PEACE & LOVE!

This was after a long night, lol! Muah!

Lifebooker.com

During this harsh economic climate, I think we’re all searching for ways that we can cut back on our expenses. After I moved to New York City and realized first hand that I was living in the second most expensive city, I cut back on all frills. I started saving money by eliminating most of my beauty expenses. This meant that I was doing my own low grade mani/pedi’s; washing, setting and trimming my own ends; and giving myself less than pleasurable facials with random concoction recipes that I found online.

Let’s just say that I’ve been saved by www.lifebooker.com! Lifebooker caters to beauty fiends in LA and NYC who are searching for top notch beauty services at discounted prices. The site offers a hassle-free way to electronically book appointments for hair needs, face & body treatments, waxing, nails, and laser services. Most of the services are offered below regular price and every time an appointment is booked through Lifebooker.com, you earn points (dollars) toward your next appointment! There’s even a special section dedicated to the fellas. I think it’s a fab idea!

I just booked an appointment for a microdermabrasion to kick off my weekend ;)

Muah!

(By the way, there are no costs involved with signing up or booking appointments.)