Rantings of a Creole Princess

Williams Sonoma Mulling Spices

Honest gave us these mulling spices and they've been in the cabinet.  I was looking up some adult beverage recipes for the Halloween party and saw a list which included mulled wine so I bought wine and made some using the exact directions on the bottle times 3.  

12 cups Cabernet Sauvignon

1.5 cups sugar

6 tablespoons mulling spices

Warm in pot and simmer for 20 minutes.

DEEEEEEEEEEELICIOUS!

Yall know we love the kids around here but it was even easier to love them after a glass or two of warm, spiced wine.

Have you ever had mulled wine?  It was super good!  

Halloween Costumes 2013

All Black Everything

What say YOU?

Local woman to launch ad campaign … to find a husband

Best Hairstylists 2013

We haven't done this in a while even though I see people searching for a good listing of hairstylists in my search results often.

Please give the details of a good hairstylist in your area:

Sylist's Name:

City/State:

Phone Number:

Wash/Style Cost:

Are you relaxed, natural or White?

What advice would YOU give her?

Dear Prudence,
A few months ago at work a young, handsome intern started talking to me. He was flirtatious and would act thrilled to see me. He would do this when other people were around, even other supervisors. I admit that I was flattered, but I’m a divorced woman 20 years his senior and in a relationship, so I didn't take it seriously. All I did to respond to him was smile and exchange small talk. I recently found out that he isn't flirting, he is making a joke of me. I was told by a friend that he was talking about me at an event in front of other employees, including a supervisor, and they were all having a laugh at my expense. This also explains the times when I would walk into the cafeteria and this intern and some co-workers would start smirking at me and cracking up. I am a bit overweight and not all that attractive, so perhaps this makes me a good target. He’s continuing his overtures and I simply respond “Hello” with a flat smile and go on my way. My friend told me to beware because she was afraid that this young man might get me into trouble. I am concerned that he could file a complaint against me and I don't know what to do. How should I handle this situation?

—Not a Sexual Harasser

What advice would YOU give?

Go see what Prudence had to say:  Prudence's Advice

Locked out MY House? - Scenario from real life...

Your husband tells you to be home by midnight.

You're out with your girlfriends, having a good time.

You get home after midnight.

He has locked you out.

What do you do?

 

Gluten-Free Halloween Candy!

Where do you hide the Halloween candy?

1969 keeps hers in the trunk of the car.

Shelly puts hers in the bottom of the laundry basket and covers it with clean clothes she knows she's not about to fold.

I wait until day of to buy.

Darn shame huh?  LOL!

Where do YOU hide your Halloween candy from yourself and your family? When you put your secret stash together...what do you grab?  LOL!

No

Trick Or Treat, Yall!

I LOVE HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are you dressing up today?  As what?

What are your kids dressing as?  Did they dress up for school?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Store Tomato Paste In Mason Jar

What do you store in mason jars?  

Solve It!

Bethenny sent for Omarosa...and she came...

They both had points.  

But now it has started folks up racially, of course,  asking can White women and Black women be friends?

Bethenny Vs. Omarosa

Scenario from real life...

You're standing in an extremely long line at Marshall's.
They appear to be short staffed.
A woman walks all the way up to the front and asks another woman could she get in line in front of her because she only has one thing (a candy bar) and is paying cash.
You good?
Would you say something?
If she asked you, would you say yes?

Love?

I just read some crazy ish about what a woman is dealing with.  And then...the comments were even crazier.  More women were telling her how to accept the behavior than not...and it DROVE ME.

I think my husband is exceptional.  For me.  He's so loving and considerate and yes...he takes his job of taking care of me too seriously sometimes...but I couldn't imagine having the opposite as my husband.  I think I'm an exceptional wife.  For him.  He's spoiled rotten and knows and appreciates it.

Monnie and Robby against the world.

We've all had bad relationships and, hopefully, we used them to grow from.  To learn who we are as women.  We know what we want and don't want and we know that we shouldn't settle.

Or at least I hope that's what happens for most.

When did it become okay to believe that being treated like crap is the norm?  When did it become the norm to not see anything better no matter what direction you looked so you can't imagine it being better?

To that same token...you have to know and EMBRACE giving and taking.  You have to want to CHERISH each other.  You and your spouse against the world.

Indeed.

I am so frustrated with what appears to be disguised as a relationship for some.  

But hell...what am I supposed to do?  If you say something to them...then you're hating right?

Right.

Carry on...I didn't want nuttin...

 

Bethenny Vs. Omarosa

 

Well Damn, Omarosa!

Do you trust your Momstincts?

A New Perspective For Moms from Elevation Church on Vimeo.

You probably should. :)

Tell the truth and shame the devil!

Would you date someone who was celibate?

Disinfecting Your Soaking Tub

Once a week I fill the tub up with hot water, add a lot of bleach and run the jets for 20 minutes.

Keeps my tub clean combined with the daily use cleaning.

Today...I realized I was out of bleach so I poured some Fabuloso in there.

Yeah...don't do that.

Question...

Do your kids have a fave celebrity?

Convo at 13700

Question:  What is that box?

Answer:  A hat box.

Question:  What do you keep in it?

Answer:  Hats.

 

SIP:  *HARD.STARE*

Aging Idol

Who are YOUR aging beautiful idols?

Mateo - "How Good Is Your Love"

I just saw this video and to let you know how dumb I am...I am currently wiping tears from my eyes because all I could think during the amp up at the end...was that I know he was spitting all over old girl. LOL! No sessy. No sessy at all. LOL! But I do like the song.

Only Slim Trick or Treaters Allowed

Woman Handing Out Letters, Not Halloween Candy

If this woman lived in your neighborhood and your kids weren't overweight...would you let them Trick or Treat at her house?  Or would you give her a WIDE berth?  

If your kid was overweight...how would YOU handle Halloween?  The same?

Wide Calf Boots

I have a girlfriend who says, every.single.year...that this is going to be the year she finds some boots which fit over her calves. I've been shopping with her for boots and I just get comfy while she tries all the supposedly wide calf boots on.

A couple of months ago she called me out of breath.  "MONNIE!  I FOUND THEM!  I FOUND THEM!"

I was confused until she told me what she was talking about.  She'd finally found her boots and she loved, loved, loved them!  Where did she find them?  Naturalizer!  WHO KNEW???????

I think she now owns two new pair of Naturalizer boots and BAAAAAAAAAABY!  SHE.BE.STRUTTIN!  LOL!    

Do you have wide calves?  Where do you get your boots?  Have you ever had them altered to fit?  Did that work well?

 

Cellphone Case

What kind of cellphone are you using?  Do you have a case for it?    I just read something where people prefer to not put a case on their iPhone because it's a sexy piece of art and they are okay with the possibility of it breaking.

That made me *BLINK* even though I do prefer the look of my phone without the case but I'm clumsy so that's not an option for me.  LOL!

Good Movie?

What was the last good movie you saw?

Crazy Azzes

“React how you want. Any energy you got is good energy. You know the confederate flag represented slavery in a way -- that's my abstract take on what I know about it. So I made the song ‘New Slaves.’ So I took the Confederate flag and made it my flag. It's my flag now. Now what are you going to do?”

“I just think people look cool in it. They look nice. And it’s colorless also," Kanye told Los Angeles 97.1 AMP. "It’s super hood and super white boy approved at the same time. That’s really what my style has always been." ~ Kanye West

~ Chris Brown heads to rehab to work on his anger.

I just read about Kanye saying his girl is more influential than the First Lady.  

*BLINK*

I rolled my eyes and then I thought about it and didn't like the way my thoughts roamed.  What do YOU think?  He might have a damn point huh?  In a randomly, generic, crazy as hell, like a fox way.

The Get Over

NOTHING...and I do mean NOTHING, annoys me more than someone who tries to get over on someone.  It truly makes me teeth itch.  Why does it simply seem to be too difficult to just do the right damn thing?  Why do you have to continue being a boil on the butt of society trying to get over in life covering your tracks for your poor choices, time management, and decisions?

I CAN'T STAND NASTY, RUDE, MEAN PEOPLE ALWAYS TRYING TO GET SOME ISH FOR FREE OR TRYING TO GET OVER ON PEOPLE!  UGH!

It amazes me that some people have not realized there is a direct connect between the reality of their life and the energy they put out there into the world.  It's been a long, long time since I've been this annoyed with someone but BAAAAAAAAAAAABY...I'm annoyed.

When's the last time YOU came in contact with someone who was trying to get over?  Do you know anyone who is CONSTANTLY trying to get over on people and/or businesses?  UGH!

Prayers for Jilli, Please!

This most perfect 5 year old Princess started complaining of headaches.  Two weeks ago her parents took her to the hospital after a seizure and it was found that she had a brain tumor.  

They removed it and she went home last week.  She was such a strong baby during the process and stayed in good spirits surrounded by her family.  At one point, there was a mini family reunion going on in the hospital filled with love and a praying, faith-filled family.

The pathology report just came back.  Jilli had a malignant tumor.  

Her parents are asking for her to be put on prayer lists far and wide.  We call her Jilli, lovingly, but please ask God to heal her by her full name, Jillian-Rae Catherine Williams.

Our request is that this child be healed in the name of God.

Amen.

Miss Dior

Which perfume are you wearing mostly these days?

Bookin' It: Long Division by Kiese Laymon

Long Division

What are YOU reading?  Anything you've read recently that was really good?  Anybody ready Terry McMillan's latest, Who Asked You?,  yet?

Scenario from real life...

You walk up on your 13 year old daughter and while she's watching a video on YouTube.

She jumps suspiciously so you tell her to show you what she's looking at.

It's a video of some girls your daughter's age that you know go to school with her dancing super suggestively at a slumber party.

Do you contact their parents or are you just glad it's not a video of YOUR daughter?

What's your FAVORITE...

...Toni Braxton song?

Coffee Consumption

How much coffee do you drink per day?  I drink two 8oz cups and I'm thinking of cutting back to one.

Scenario from real life...

You have a blog which isn't connected to your real name in any way.

You write about something totally cute that your child did on your blog.

You're laughing about the same cute thing your child did with a co-worker who is a friend.

Another co-worker walks into the breakroom and overhears the story and laughs saying she'd read the same thing on one of her favorite blogs earlier that week.

You don't write about work at all on your blog.

You don't blog while you're at work.

Do you fess up that you're the owner of that blog or do you keep it moving?

Randoms of a Creole Princess

I don't plan on leaving my house until Thursday.

Yes I know it's only Tuesday.

Me so achy and cranky.

VERY cranky.

We still haven't put the curtains back up that Jaru tore down and the window is mighty bright as the sun comes up.

I love sleeping when it's cold.

BEST.THING.EVER.

I hate getting out of the bed when it's cold.

WORST.THING.EVER.

I went to the hot shot stylist on Saturday and got a MUCH needed 3 inch trim.  

That's how badly I'd jacked up my hair by not taking care of it.

I trust my instincts because I've learned to.

I have squirrel tails above my eyes again.  

Need to get my brows threaded soon.

I'm thinking about giving up coffee.

I don't know why I would though.

It's not like I drink a lot of it.

Maybe I'll just cut back.

I'm going to try to NOT pull my hair back anymore for the rest of the year.

Dammit...it's pulled back now.

STARTING TOMORROW I'm going to try to NOT pull my hair back anymore for the rest of the year.

I need a small watering can for inside the house.

The one I have is big and gets too heavy to do all my plants up and down the stairs.

I would wear my monkey fleece pants every.single.day if I could.

What's going on random with you?

How often do you pull YOUR hair back?

 

Chris Koo

SIP: *BLINK*

"It's gon' rain on yo' head..."

About a month ago we had serious rain every day for about 8 days or so.  I'm talking major rain.  I got a call from a neighbor who needed a ride somewhere and I took them where they needed to go.  On my way back, I was passing through a shopping area in front of a Best Buy.  I watched a young man put a back pack on that was wrapped tightly with a clear garbage bag, presumably given to him by the people at Best Buy.  He didn't have an umbrella and he had on canvas sneakers.  He looked to be around 19 years old or so and the first thing I thought was...he has a laptop in his backpack that he's trying to protect from the rain.

He started walking in the rain and I pulled up next to him and asked him where he was going.  He told me he was trying to get to the transportation center in our area.  Since I'd pass it on my way home...I told the kid to hop in.

He got in and I could tell his Converse were already soaked through.  Turns out he was picking up his laptop from Best Buy.  They'd had it for 2 days fixing it and he needed it to finish a project for school.  He was doing his prerequisites for Nursing School at Montgomery College.  I asked him how he got there and he said the bus...cool.  Then he told me he was going to try and go home to change before he had to catch the bus to work.  He works at the hospital as one of the people who change out bed pans and whatnot.

When I asked him how long would it take him to get home from the transit center...he told me the next bus would come in about 30 minutes but it wasn't that far to the street he lived on.  When he said the name of the street and well...it was less than a 10 minute drive from where we were so I told him I'd take him there.

The young man was staying with family friends in the area so he'd be closer to school since he didn't have a car.  He caught the bus to school, to work, to places he could study.  He put in the work.  It was obvious that it took a lot to do what he needed to do but he did it.

Yall ready for this?

He'd just received his citizenship a year ago and he was DAMN proud to be an American.

I dropped the young man off and watched him sprint through the rain to where he was staying and I drove off thinking of the young people I know who can't even be where the hell you tell them to be to be picked up on time.  Or the young people I know who have to be reminded to eat.  Or the young people I know who walk around with their head in the clouds la-di-da-di-dahing...

They ain't got nothing on that kid and from where he's standing...they were born with everything.

Laudromat Blues

On Sunday I decided to go to the laundromat to wash a doggie bed that's too big for my washer.  I asked Mr. Google to tell me where one was and was surprised to find there wasn't one in our city.  No biggie...the next city isn't that far away.  

So I went.

I was STUNNED at how busy it was.  I thought I'd run in and run out but that wasn't the case.  I had to wait for one of the large machines.  When it was my turn I put in the bed and went to put my $3.50 in quarters in.  Well...it was $6.00.  I was short.  I thought I could start it washing and run out and get some additional quarters for drying.  I went to the ATM at the front and there was a $3.50 fee to use it.

Um...no.  It's the principality of the sitch-i-ation.

So I left and went to a store, bought something and got $10 over in quarters.

Back I went.

I sat in my truck and listened to NPR while it washed and watched the people going in and out.  Families.  People who just want clean clothes.  People just coming from church still in their church clothes.  I even saw one young lady decked out Quinceanera style.  Father's in steel toe working boots with their kids.  I imagined they were giving mom a break and she was home alone relaxing.  Good people just making it do what it do.  Many of them probably have to make this trip weekly.

It made me feel guilty for the gripes I had about my washer not being big enough to wash the bed.  I felt like donkey doo-doo and it made me grateful for the little things I sometimes forget are blessings.

When was the last time YOU had to visit a laundromat?

What say YOU?

12 Years A Slave: Rage, Privilege, Black Women and White Women

Putting up a GOOD fight!

I swear I think every.single.time I go to the mall on a weekend...I get sick.  I'm totally going to have to stop doing that.  

Currently I'm posted up on the sofa in fleece from head-to-toe and two blankets with a space heater not even a foot away from me and I'm freezing.

I have body aches like crazy, a headache and a tummy that just doesn't feel right.

I need to fight whatever is coming off BIG.TIME!

What do YOU do when you feel something coming?

White Plates

I was a tad bit annoyed recently when I realized we only had 2 of our normal everyday plates left.  Somehow...6 have been broken in the past few years.  What made me REALLY annoyed, however, was the fact that I couldn't find replacements for them.

UGH!

So I decided to do all white plates and I wanted to buy them individually from somewhere I knew would always have them.

Hence...the Crate & Barrel Essential Dinner Plate.

I bought the set of 8 for $27.96 and got free shipping (they are currently on sale).  At only $3.96 (on sale) per plate, I can always replace a broken one without much effort.  I'm actually pretty proud of myself.  I feel all brainy smart and whatnot.  GO ME!

What color are YOUR everday plates?  Are they easy to replace when one gets broken?

JHud's New Do: HotNESS or HotMESS? (SM)

Soup / Gumbo

Have you made some soup or gumbo yet this season?  What kind of soup?

Disco Africa Party: Respect Or Disrespect?

Disrespectful?  Can you pay homage this way and it ever be received as respectful?  Can only Black people do this?  What about the last picture?  The guy didn't paint his face...but he put on an afro wig.  You good?

Lisa Kudrow and Plastic Surgery

I met Lisa Kudrow a year or so ago and  I was struck by how lovely she was inside and out.  She had on minimal makeup and wow...her skin was simply gorgeous!  Did yall know Lisa is 50 years old?

I saw her last night on Scandal and then again on the late night talk show that comes on after and I was, once again, struck by how amazing her skin looks.  She hasn't done a thing "Hollywood style" to her face and it shows in her natural beauty.  Totally makes me wonder why so many others don't or didn't do the same.  

Really makes you wonder what some of these celebrities could have looked like today had they left well enough alone huh?  Especially Meg Ryan.  She used to be so cute to me and Madonna?  I love me some Madonna...but Baaaaaaaaby...No.

With all of the examples  you've seen...what plastic surgery would you be comfortable with on your face?

Sleepytime

How much sleep did you get last night?

Do you have any wind down routines or do you just get in the bed and go to sleep?

Sleep Interrupted

Around 4:00am this morning we all jumped up to the sound of a loud thump.

We turned on lights and Scooby Doo Jaru was trying to detangle himself from the damn curtains which USED TO hang around the window behind him.

Seriously.

Turns out dude got into his sleep so tough...he got wrapped up somehow in the curtains.