#ILIVEDIn2012

Hey everybody!! I had to give you all one more post before the end of the year.  This has been a good year for me and the blog.  I was published in the Sync, a weekly newsletter in central Arkansas, and started doing videos.  There has been some setbacks (my horrible internet connection making interviews over oovoo impossible) but I know in 2013 I plan to continue to take the blog to a next level.  In this post I want to talk about some random things that gave me life in 2012:

1. Got 2B Real If you have never seen this Youtube series you are seriously missing out. Patti LaHelle is the creator of this hilarious shady reality show. Ms. LaHelle has copied and paste interviews of Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, Beyonce, Dionne Warrick, and the late-great Whitney Houston and turned them into Divas who come at each other with much force. The shade in these videos will have you in tears. You will find lines like "Aretha, I know you single and ready for a pringle" and "Ooooo na na, what's your name?" Unfortunately, this series will be coming to an end but you can always watch the videos of on Youtube. Be sure to tune in and try to catch the shade.
2. The Skorpion Show This past year I have fallen in love with another Youtube show called The Skorpion Show. This show is hosted by the hilarious Kevin Simmons and Makael Mclendon. If you are looking for funny commentary on movies, music, and current movies you need to tune into these guys weekly. I truly get my life when I hear these guys go in on rappers, singers, and especially the ladies of reality TV. I do not understand why they have not been picked up by a major network yet. I mean these guys are really funny. If you want to hear the latest about Beyonce or who has the number one album be sure to search The Skorpion Show on Youtube and subscribe.
3. Glamour This has become one of my fav magazines. Glamour is not just another magazine to get make-up tips, but a magazine that makes you proud to be a woman. I started reading Glamour last year but I really started make sure I got each month's issue this year. What I like most about the magazine is that is not just about showcasing skinny white women but they explore the lives of all women of various backgrounds. I enjoy their Women of Year issue where they highlighted women around the country that are doing awesome things. This year they highlighted athletes from the U.S. Olympics team, clothing designers, and architecs. Another thing that nailed it for me was when Glamour said they are going to calm down on their photoshopping of the models in their magazine. Glamour has gained a faithful reader in me.
4. Pinterest Like everyone else, I have become obsessed with arts & craft, unique recipes, and making my own home decor. If you have ever been on this website you know that you can easily spend hours on this site pinning for multiple boards. What I like about Pinterest is that it brings out the creativity in a person. What I do not like about this site is that some of projects are misleading and have you think that they can be easily done. Believe me, that is not the case. I did a project where I had to melt crayons on a canvas and lets just say that I had melted crayon all over the kitchen counter and little of it on the canvas.
5. My mom Unfortunately, my mom's cancer took a turn for the worse this year. She has become weak but her faith is stronger than ever. I was really afraid that my mom would not make it through the year but she is still holding on. Even though she cannot always get out the bed she finds enough energy to talk to her loved ones each day. I am always told that I am handling her condition well. But it is because she taught me not to be depressed about her cancer but to enjoy the time that I have left with her. She has taught me to be strong in the darkest situations and hope to carry that lesson into 2013.

I hope I have brought something interesting to you this year. And I want you to know that I have enjoyed bringing you my twist on different subjects with each post. I want to continue to bring you interesting subjects and grow this blog. Thank you to the readers that RT my tweets and like my post on Facebook. It is all appreciated. Do not be afraid to give me feedback on the blog and tell me things you would like to see. Again, I thank you and hope you have a great 2013!!!

#ChrisetteMichele:FlawlessTalent

Hey everybody!! I know it has been a long time since I have blogged but there has been a lot of things going on in my life personally.  But after last Friday night, I had to post about an amazing artist I had the honor to see. Honestly, underestimated artists have a special place in my heart.  They are the artists that do not get the radio play.  You do not see them on the cover of the major magazines.  And you do not see them performing at the VMAs or the American Music Awards.  Unfortunately, these artists are left in the shadows of the bigger pop stars.

By the name of this post you already know who I am talking about, yes, Ms. Chrisette Michele. I absolutely adore this artist.  Her talent is so unique.  I believe every word that she sings.  I have had the opportunity to see her twice in concert.  Even when she performs live I believe she is reliving what she is singing and from that you get a genuine performance.   I love artists that can put their life experiences in beautiful melodies.  And Chrisette does this amazingly.    For me the year 2010 was the year of Chrisette Michele.  I listened to her CD for a year straight.  I could connect with every word of every song.  When I saw her this time last time in concert all I kept thinking about was how one person can possess that much talent.  Like, why isn't this girl killing on the charts when she drops a single?

Then I have to remember the majority of music buyers are not into real music.  Now I, too, listen to my fair share of pop tunes but I would like to think that I give all artists of all genres a chance and I wish other music listeners would too.  Chrisette Michele is a part of a genre that is in desperate need of CPR (I am proud of that metaphor): R&B and Jazz.  With that being said, I feel Ms. Michele is breathing (pun intended) new life into these genres.  I got a chance to listen to some songs off her latest mixtape Audrey Hepburn: An Audiovisual Presentation and yes, she is bringing it! 

Chrisette Michele performing at Montego Cafe in Little Rock, AR. She shut it down!

Chrisette Michele is a flawless talent.  Her voice is special and stands out from the other voices on the radio.  If for some strange reason you have not listened to her music, after you finish reading this post YouTube her music and start listening to real music. 

#SoooooooulTrainAwards2012

Hey everybody!! I know I fell off my award show review grind but I wasn’t paying too much attention to the American Music Awards enough to write on it.  But I am back to review the Soooooooooooul Train Awards 2012.  The show this year was pretty good.  The funny teddy bear Cedric the Entertainer was the host.  Because the show was not presented live you didn’t get those crazy out-of-nowhere moments but still had some great moments.  As  I try to do with my award show reviews I will only hit what I thought were the highlights.

The Show Opener: I had the opportunity to be raised by older parents so I grew a love for Motown music as a young child.  With that said, I truly enjoyed the opener.  You had artists like Anthony Hamilton, Fantasia, and Marcus Canty giving tributes to artists of yesteryear.  And before I go any further, let me just say that Fantasia not only looked great but sounded great too!  She did a tribute to Aretha Franklin and it was stellar.  The producers hit the nail on the spot with opening this show with this tribute.  In a way, it was a tribute to Soul Train that helped get these acts out to the main stream.

The Awards: If you follow me on Twitter, you might have read my rant on pop acts being nominated in R&B categories (i.e. Rhianna).  What I liked about this show is that you saw R&B acts (Miguel, Tyrese, and Trey Songz) in R&B categories.  Award shows like the VMAs, Grammys, and even the BET awards put pop artists in R&B categories basically because they are black and popular and that’s not cool.  Last night, you saw the real faces of R&B.  The Soul Train Awards highlighted artists that do not get a lot of radio play but are doing different things in the music scene.  It is refreshing to see an award show that is not all about the mainstream performers.  It most definitely makes me want to look up the different artists and find some new music. 

N-E for Lifers: Bobby, Ricky, Ralph, Mike, Ronnie, and Johnny did their thing last night.  Soul Train presented New Edition with the well deserved Lifetime Achievement Award.  Ronnie bought out a good point when he said that he is glad that they are getting their accolades while they are still here.  I totally agree with this comment.  Too many times we see artists being awarded long after they are dead.  At first I was disappointed because I thought they were not going to perform but then they came back at the end to perform some of their biggest hits.  Even though I was not born when they first came out, I found myself singing along with them.  That just goes to show how their music has reached younger generations. 

As far as I am concerned, this award show put some life back into the R&B genre.  Other award shows give more light to Rock and Pop and R&B gets lost in the shuffle.  It was good to see some old school artists as well seeing the new faces of the genre.  I also enjoyed the seeing the flashback episodes of Soul Train (I’m still pressed that the show went off the air before I could become a Soul Train dancer).  I also want to give shoutouts to BET for showing the award show on BET and not only on Centric (I don’t have the Centric channel and to be completely honest we just got BET a week ago).  If you missed it last night, I am pretty sure that BET will be showing an encore presentation. 

#StraigthHairDontCare:Shampoo

Hey everybody!! I know you are stuffing your face but since I had some down time today I thought I would tell you about a new shampoo you might want to try.  Tarjay (also known as Target) has stepped up their ethnic hair supply game.  They have begun to carry a variety of shampoos for natural hair.  The brand I got was Shea Moisture.  I think it was particularly made for natural hair but I like the way it makes my hair feel.  There is Shea Moisture shampoo and conditioner for itchy scalp, damaged hair, and even for thickening your hair. 

First of all, it smells great! Like I haven't had a shampoo smelled this good in a long time.  And the smell continues to linger in your hair long after you wash it.  Something else I like about it is how clean it gets my hair.  When I wash my hair I like to have that feeling that I got all the products and pollutants from the week out of my strands..  This shampoo gives me that feeling.  I also like the conditioner.  It is very thick. Like other conditioners, I put a good amount of product on my hair and put on a shower cap.  I let it sit on my hair for 30 minutes to an hour.  I wash it out and style as usual.  It leaves my hair soft and shiny.  Also, all the ingredients in Shea Moisture are natural.  I have been reading that you should limit your use of shampoos that contain sulfates (sulfates can cause your hair to be dry).  Well, Shea Moisture doesn't carry sulfates, phthalates, or propylene.  Instead, the shampoos and conditioners contain Shea butter, argan oil, sea kelp which help moisturize the hair, restore shine and rebuilds hair elasticity, and detoxifies hair follicles of impurities and residue

Shea Moisture also has other products like a deep conditioner masque.  I haven't tried it yet but I give a try later on.  This product will run you about $10 a bottle.  Not too bad and like I said it is a good product.  If you are going to be at Target this Black Friday be sure to pick up a bottle.  You will not be disappointed. 

#RHOA:KenyaIsCrazy

Hey everybody!!  Atlanta Housewives was crazy this week and as  I told you in the last post, Ms. Moore would give me plenty to write about.  Well, Ms. Moore showed the side of her that needs to be medicated.  Ms. Moore meets with Kandi and Pheadra for lunch (is it just me or do these realty show ladies eat out for all their main meals?).  At the lunch, Kenya tells the girls about the little fiasco at the Jet Beauty auditions that took place at Cynthia's model agency. But the mess didn't end there.  Later on, we see Ms. Moore on a date with Walter (who reminds you of Frank from Moesha).  Walter tells Ms. Moore that he tried to date Kandi.  Then Ms. Moore gets upset that Kandi rejected Walter.  She throws this little fit and then goes to the bathroom.  When she comes back Walter gives her some compliments and she does a 180.  She's all giggles and smiles.  I mean it was really bipolar-ish. 

But the ratchetness continued.  Cynthia throws a women's success party for Nene and invite other successful women in Atlanta to the event.  Two guests in particular on the list confuse me: Kim and Sweety.  What exactly is Kim and Sweety successful at? Marrying a half-way known football player and being an assistant?  But I digress.  Towards the end of the party Cynthia gives a speech about how proud of Nene she was and Ms. Moore mocks her the whole time.  Then out of nowhere Ms. Bipolar, oops I mean Ms. Moore, grabs the mic and starts t give her own little speech.  I admit it was a bit tacky.  Then she has a side conversation with Nene about wanting them to have a clean slate with one another. Apparently, Cynthia has a back bone this season and interrupts this conversation to throw shade at Ms. Moore and her Miss USA title (from the previews a lot of the wives are going to throw shade at that title). 

In other news, the gays love Nene, Kandi is moving in with her man, Pheadra is obsessed with her booty, and Kim is still homeless.  Stay tuned, next week we meet the other new wife, Porsha. 

#RHOAisBACK

Hey everybody!! For those of you that did not know or did not care, Real Housewives of Atlanta is back!! Believe it or not, I found out a couple of days before the new episode came on that the new season was starting.  So Sunday I watched the new episode and the wives left me wanting more. 

Now I knew there were going to be two new wives: Kenya Moore and Porsha Williams Stewart. Apparently, Porsha Williams is the granddaughter of Hosea Williams, a civil rights leader.  I have a feeling that maybe some of Porsha’s actions might set the civil rights movement back a few years, but I digress.  But before I go any further with this review, I have to talk about Kenya Moore.  First of all, the only thing I know about Ms. Moore is when she was on one episode of Martin back in the mid 90’s.  This girl acting like she is a Hollywood legend.  Then she wants to bring up that she won Ms. USA.   Honey, nobody even talks about Ms. USA.  What really turned me off from Ms. Moore was when she talking bad to the girls at the Jet Beauty auditions.  Cynthia held these auditions at her model agency and invited Ms. Moore to be a judge.  Finally, Cynthia was fed up with her remarks and finally said something to her.  But if it was me I would have said something after she said something about to the first girl.  Yea, this is not going to be the last time I type something about Ms. Moore.

I need this to be Kim’s last season.  I am about tired of Kim’s materialistic behind.  On episode one, we find out that Kim is about to be homeless.  Her lease is up on their home and they are not going to buy it and it is going to cost them $100,000 to move.  I am pretty sure that Cory is not balling out of control like that because I do not even hear his name on the ESPN highlights.  So Kim goes to Kandi’s house and starts critiquing everything.  Her remarks included that it was a bad neighborhood (according to Kandi the governor or mayor lived around the corner) and how much work Kandi had to do on the house.  As I mentioned before, Kim is technically homeless.  Then the comment that took the cake was when Kim said it is a good thing they have an indoor pool because Kandi does not need to get any blacker.  Now as soon as someone calls her racist, she wants to get in her feelings.  Yep, I am pretty much bored with her and I need this to be her last season.

As for the rest of the cast, Pheadra wants to start doing doggy funerals, Kandi has a new man, we haven't met Porsha yet, and Nene has a role on every upcoming series and she [Nene] is dating her ex-husband.  In a nutshell, that was the first episode of the new season of the Real Housewives of Atlanta. 

#SecondThoughts

Lately, a lot of posts have been about controversies, movies, award shows, crazy celebrities, and so on and so forth.  But sometimes I feel like when I just write about those things my readers don’t get to know me.  For the past year and a half I have been blogging and it has become therapeutic for me.  It is my time to escape and figure out how I am going to put words together to get a point across.  I do not care if I get 9 views or 99 views on a post.  For me it’s about publishing something that could possibly help someone or maybe give them a laugh.  At the end of the day it is an accomplishment. 

But for a minute I thought about shutting my blog down because I felt like it was not going anywhere and who cares anyways?  I mean who cares about Chris Brown latest antic or my opinion on this year’s VMAs.  People can go to the YBF or Bossip for their celebrity gossip.  Why would someone come to me to find out about healthy hair tips?  I mean you can just ask your beautician.  I, maybe, get an average of 20 views per page.  And to be totally honest, I am not sure if these are regular readers or people who have just stumbled upon my page.  I have a feeling that my friends on Facebook and Twitter are probably tired of me blowing up their newsfeeds and timelines with my blogs posts.  But then I realized that I could not shut down my blog.

There are 3 main reasons why I cannot shut down my blog down:

1.       Creativity Anybody that runs a blog will tell you that you can be as creative on a blog as you want to.  I can take my blog in any direction I feel.  This was the main reason I chose to not shut it down.  For me this is my creative outlet.  I can be having a conversation with a friend and then I will be like “Hey, this would make a great post.”  When I want more information on something (i.e. tips for healthy relaxed hair) I can just be the one to feel a void. 

2.       Somebody is reading it As I brought out earlier I get an average of 20 views per post.  Now this is nothing compared to popular blog sites but somebody continues to keep coming back to my blog.  Last year I wrote a post about not being picked by a sorority and it got a lot of views.  I had a friend/reader tell me that she was glad that I wrote that post.  I also wrote a post on thick girl issues and it too got a lot of views.  I would like to believe that that post helped someone who was dealing with weight issues to overcome their perception of their weight.  Whatever the reason, someone is reading it and I should at least keep writing for them as long as I have access to a keyboard.

3.       An Accomplishment I said earlier that my blog is an accomplishment for me.  I have never stuck to anything as long as I have stuck with my blog.  I am proud of myself to say the least.  I have had a chance to even expand to doing videos and being published in the local paper.  Hopefully, I will be able to expand even further to doing interviews. 

When I think about the possibilities of my blog, I realize that I cannot shut EBONY Eyes down.  She is my baby and I want to continue see her grow.  So friends you will have to continue to see my blogs posts on your newsfeed and timelines.  I do not know where EBONY Eyes will be in a year from now but I hope that she will still be here J

#StraightHairDontCare

Hey Everybody!!   My last post about hair, #BlackWomenLoveHair, surprisingly got a lot of views.  Well, since that post I have been thinking there are few blogs or websites that give tips on how to have healthy relaxed hair.  If you think about it, there are hundreds of blogs and websites for women with natural hair.  I think I speak for all women with relaxed hair when I say that we want to make sure that we know how to take care of our hair too.  Relaxer along with color and heat can be torture on the black woman's hair.  It is safe to say that we, creamy crackheads, want to make sure that we are using the best products and doing what we can to take the best care of our hair.

At least once a month, I will try to post about a product or tips for healthy relaxed hair.  Also, if there is anything you would like me to do a review on concerning relaxed hair, please feel free to leave your suggestions in the comment box.  You can also tweet me at @EbonyMarieRe with any ideas on healthy relaxed hair.  Also, if you know of any blogs that discuss how to have healthy relaxed hair please let me know so I can share with others.  One that I found while doing this post is Just Grow Already!  Hope to hear from you all soon!

By the way, for all my readers on the east coast please stay safe!

#SteelMagnoliasGoesBlack

Lifetime Channel premiered the tear jerker movie Steel Magnolias but with a twist…an all black cast. When I first heard about the cast change, I was excited mainly because it is one of my fav movies.  I can remember watching Steel Magnolias as a little girl not always understanding the little jokes but still being able to understand that this was a great movie.  All the performers which included Sally Field, Julia Roberts, Dolly Parton, and Shirley MacLaine gave stellar performances.  So when I heard that this movie was being redone with an all black cast including strong performers Queen Latifah, Jill Scott, Phylicia Rashad, and Alfre Woodard I knew it was going to be good.  Well at least made-for-TV good. 

Honestly, I am always a little leery of any remakes and sequels regardless of who is in the cast, especially if the original was already an outstanding movie.  Most of the time the remake is nowhere near as good as the original. And unfortunately, the newest version of Steel Magnolias fell short of the original.  First, I felt like Condola Rashad (who by the way is the daughter of Phylicia Rashad AKA Claire Huxtable) played the role of Shelby a little too aggressive for me.  Now yes the character of Shelby is a strong minded women but she wasn’t that aggressive. 

I was not a fan of certain scenes being cut including the Christmas carnival, Clairee and Ouiser in the football locker room, and the Easter scene at the end.  I know that they were trying to make this version its own but these scenes are what made the very sad movie upbeat.  I am not going to bash the acting because truthfully it was not that bad but the southern accents were a bit annoying.  I have lived in the south pretty much my whole life so I know I have become immune to the dialect down here.  But when people who do not have a natural southern drawl try to sound like they have one the results most of the time are tragic.  In the case of some of the actresses  that was the case.  The accents were coming in and out or some were trying too hard.  It came to a point where I just wanted them to give up and talk in their regular voices. 

I give the Black Steel Magnolias a B+, mostly because of effort.  Like the original, the movie captured how strong we as women have to be during the most difficult situations.  But where it lacked was moving the  story way too fast.  We didn’t really get to see the characters develop like we did in the original.  If you saw the original, you remember Annelle and getting to see her grow into her own person.  The remake mostly concentrated on M’Lynn and Shelby.  Again I’m not knocking it but felt it could have been better.  If you have not seen it check out your Lifetime, I'm sure they will be playing it again. 

If you have not seen it, please check out the latest video of Through EBONY Eyes.  I have a special cohost in this video. 

#2012VMAs

Hey everybody!! Check out my latest video where I discuss this year's VMAs!

I am also going to include the other videos of Through EBONY Eyes. Enjoy!!

#ChavisCarter:TragedyInMyHomeState

Hey everybody!! Let me start off by saying that I hope that you enjoyed my last video. Make sure that you leave me a comment and give me some feedback.

Chavis Carter

Have you ever heard a snippet of a news story and said to yourself “Well, that was a sad incident.”  but then you keep going with your day.  Well, not too long ago that happened to me.  I first heard about Chavis Carter about a week ago.  When I first heard the story of a handcuffed man shooting himself in the back of a police car it made me raise an eyebrow.   Then I eventually forgot about the story.  While having a conversation with a friend about the bizarre mishap it made me want to do more reading on the story.

The long short of it is that Chavis Carter and two other passengers were pulled over in Jonesboro, AR for driving suspiciously.  During the first search, marijuana and small plastic bags were found on Carter. Carter was put in the back of the police car.  Carter was not handcuffed at this point.  The other passengers were questioned and let go.  The police searched the car and found other drug paraphernalia in the car.  The police did a second body search and then put Carter in the police car this time handcuffed. 

Even though the policemen were about a car’s  length from the car, they do not know when the fatal shot was fired.  One of the policemen smelled smoke and noticed that Carter was slumped over and bloodied.

For me there are a lot of unanswered questions. First, how is that you are a car's length away and you could not hear a gun go off?  A gun shot is is not the quietest sound, yet it wasn't until one of the cops smelled smoke that made the cop go to the car.  Second, another part of this story is that the cops' cars were parked trunk to trunk so none of this was caught on the dashboard cameras.  As many times as I have seen two or more cops pulled over on the side of the street I have never seen police cars parked this way.  The whole point of these cameras is to protect the cop from being accused of something criminal but none of this is on camera.  Lastly, the mother of Chavis said that he was left handed but the shot on the right side of his head.  This would have been difficult for him to do if his left hand is his dominate hand.

Without all these other facts, the main question is how can someone shoot themselves handcuffed?  The Jonesboro Police Department has made a reenactment video showing how this is possible.  The police chief admits that this is bizzare but also says that the average person might think this is impossible.  Even with this video, I still can't understand why this young man would shoot himself over weed possession. 

This case leaves us with more questions than answers.  I will be following this story and will provide updates as this story unfolds. 

Through EBONY Eyes Ep 2 Meek Mill and Aretha Franklin

Hey everybody!! If you have not watched it yet below is my views on a couple of medium size controversies including Meek Mill's song "Amen" and Kathy Lee Gifford come the Queen of Soul Feel free to leave a comment and give me some feedback.  Check out the video below:

#BlackWomenLoveHair

My quick weave!!

Hey everyone!! I hope this post finds you in a cool spot (especially if you live in the south)  considering how crazy hot it has been.  As much as I love summer (the swimming, BBQs, and just overall being outdoors)  I cannot say that my hair will say the same about the hot season.  Considering the fact that I have frizzy hair and sweat profusely in my head, I am constantly trying to figure out what to do with my thick hair.  So I have decided to try to put in my own quick weave.  As I was doing my hair it made me think of all the cool (and sometimes crazy) things black women can do with their hair.

The Natural: I am always hearing about someone taking the BIG CHOP.  For any Caucasian, Asian, or Latina women that might read my blog, this is when a black woman cuts all the straight hair off to the curl or natural part of the hair.  Women who are tired of getting the creamy crack (relaxer) take this route.  This style has actually caused a lot of debate in the black women community.  Those who choose to take the clippers to their head might berate us who choose to continue to use the creamy crack because of how much damage it causes the scalp.  I agree the natural might be whole lot healthier but for the time being I like my hair straight and will continue to take the risk.  Regardless of my stance on the natural, I think this hair style can be very pretty.  I love to see women with different braid styles with it or just wear picked out. 

Such a pretty natural look

The Weave: This is actually a style I am working right now (the quick weave).  Black women have gotten the weave down to a science.  There is the sew-in, quick weave, clip-ins, microbraids, twists, lacefronts, and many other styles.  The thing about the weave is that it can go one of two ways: very nice or very bad.  I believe that if you are not a performer of some sort then leave the lacefronts alone.  I also believe that you should not go to every one's kitchen to get your hair done.  I can understand not wanting to pay hundreds of dollars to get a weave but still use caution when picking a kitchen beautician.  Even though black women get teased a lot for wearing weaves I believe that if done correctly it can actually be healthy for the hair.  I like not constantly putting heat on my hair.

Tyra always has a pretty weave

This is a no no

The Famous Body Wrap: This is the first grown lady style every black woman learns as young teen.  It is very simple actually.  After getting a relaxer, the stylist will with put rollers in the hair or straighten it and then you literally wrap the hair around your head to keep the look sleek.  This style is very easy to keep up and also easy to sleep on.  I rock this style on a regular. 

Rihanna use to rock the body wrap before she became a red head

I love how creative we can get with our hair.  I also love how we can switch up our styles on a daily.  Monday we can have hair to our hips and Wednesday we can have short curly style.  Whatever the style, it all inspires me. 

#BETAWARDS2012

If you missed the BET Awards 2012 this past Sunday because you thought it was going to be ratchet, you actually missed a good show (Honestly, I do not blame you for your assumptions).  But this year the BET Awards redeemed themselves 100 fold! Like any award show, there were highs and lows but there were more highs than lows.  Kanye gave us freestyle, Chaka Khan showed us that you can still rock it at 60, Mindless Behavior dissed a legend, and even Mr. Al Sharpton gave us some freestyle (“This election is not about Obama, it’s about yo mama.” Lol, I guess). 

To start this review off, I am going to start with my fav performance: Melanie Fiona.  If you follow me on Twitter my last few tweets have been about how amazing Melanie Fiona is.  Everyone describes Melanie Fiona as the most underrated artist and last night Melanie showed everyone why to underrate her is a BIG mistake.  She killed on her performance.  She sang “Wrong Side of a Love Song” and it left me speechless.  She sang the song like the person that it was about was sitting on the first row.  Sidenote: I stan for any artist that can just stand in front of a mic and slay.  Melanie, girl, you have a fan for life.  And if you have not picked it up yet, get Melanie Fiona’s second album The MF Life. You will not be disappointed.

Another part of the show that I really enjoyed was Kevin Hart’s funny spoof of the Real Housewives series, The Real Husbands of Hollywood.  I freakin’ love Kevin Hart and the spoofs shows why.  This year he had Samuel L. Jackson, Anthony Anderson, Fabolous, and Faizon Love in his miniseries and it was just as funny as last year.  My fav part was when Samuel L. Jackson called Soul Plane a “slave” movie.  Seriously, I was cracking up through each spoof.

Depending on your choice of sense of humor depends on if your think this was a low point.  When Mindless Behavior and Mike Epps were presenting the Best R&B category, Mindless Behavior said that Mike Epps singing was as bad as Lauryn Hill’s tax accountant.  After the comment a gasp could be heard from the audience.  Beyonce won the award and did a shoutout to Lauryn Hill in her acceptance speech.  Rumor has it that Beyonce vented backstage about how disrespectful the joke was but not quite sure how true it is.  Honestly, award shows always take jabs at celebrities.  I cannot say that I think this is the most disrespectful comment I have ever heard on an award show (Russel Brand and Ricky Gervais have said a lot worse about celebrities). 

I cannot end this post without talking about the Whitney Houston tribute.  BET Awards get an A+ for that tribute.  I was not looking forward to hearing another artist sing “I Will Always Love You”.  I understand that it was the main song that Whitney is known for but she had a slew of  other unforgettable hits.  Monica did a beautiful job.  And Brandy…wow, I am proud of you.  Brandy helped us remember that Whitney was not just a ballad singer.  Ms. Cissy Houston gave an emotional tribute to her baby girl that almost had me in tears.  And then Chaka Khan came out singing “I Am Every Woman” to show us how the legends do it. 

I could probably write 2 or 3 more paragraphs on this awards show but I am going to end it here.  If you missed it, I am pretty sure that BET is going to rerun it like 200 times before next year’s show.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @EbonyMarieRe

#ImInspiredBy...

This past weekend I finally finished my vision board.  Mind you, I bought the poster board and supplies for this project back in January.  The original idea was to make a vision board for 2012 but since we are almost half way through this year, I made a vision board of the things I want to do by the end of the year and other things that inspire me.

While going through Ebony and Glamour magazines to find pictures to cut out, I found a picture of Maya Angelou and I immediately cut it out.  She had to go on my vision board.  The summer of 2008 included an exlusive summer reading list of Maya Angelou books.  Her autobiography impressed me.  The life she led was amazing and she is also why I have started writing again.  Now I know that my writing will probably never amount to what she has done but she inspires me to find a way to put some of my deepest feelings into words in a way that most people can relate to.  I am not sure if it will happen before the end of 2012 but I hope to meet and ask her advice for someone that is serious about writing and pick her brain about how she feels about the present state of women. 

Something else I am inspired by is fashion.  I cannot tell you what was on this past spring's fashion runway but I do love fashion.  Basically because this is the utmost way to show off your personality.  This is a way to introduce yourself to someone before ever opening your mouth.  And I cannot get enought of bright colors, belts, big earrings, and wedges.  I have seriously enjoyed putting together outfits that express who I am.  I like to think I am upbeat, unique, and out going.  I want my wardrobe to say the same thing. 

Last but most certainly not least, I am inspired by my spirituality.  Some of you may know that I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses.  This past April 15, 2012 I was baptized and it will not be a day that I will forget.  It was the day that disowned myself and said that I would live my life for Jehovah God.  It is not always easy but it is most certainly worth it.  My spiritual beliefs have inspired the rest of my life including who I date (1 Corthians 7:39), how I spend my money (Matthew 6:19-21), and who I choose as close associates (1Corthians 15:33).  I am greatful to have Jehovah guiding my life. 

If you have not, create a vision board.  It is relaxing and it reminds you about things that maybe you have forgotten about yourself

If you have not already follow me on Twitter @EbonyMarieRe

My vision board!!!

#ChrisBrownShowingOutAGAIN

Just in case you have not heard about the latest beef Chris Brown is involved in, let me give you the tea.  He has gotten himself into a brawl with Meek Mill and Drake, supposedly over a champagne bottle being sent to Drake’s table at a night club.  I cannot give specific details because there have been so many conflicting stories.  But at the end of the champagne bottle tossing, Chris Brown has a chunk of meat from his chin missing, a girl who was visiting our country has been hit with a bottle, and one of Chris’ body guards was laid up in a hospital bed bleeding everywhere.  Drake has made a statement claiming he was not involved in the beef. 

Regardless of what the true story is, I am really tired of these celebrities showing their behind.  There are people who do not know how they are going to pay their rent this month.  There are people who do not know where their next meal is going to come from; there are people who are jobless and unemployment is about to come to an end.  Then you got Chris Brown and Meek Mill throwing champagne bottles, probably the equivalent of my bi-weekly paycheck.  I have never understood why rich people are the pettiest people.  If I was a millionaire I would be somewhere chilling on a beach, not attacking people in the club with broken glass.  But I guess the old saying is true: Money cannot buy class.

And to the girl that got cut with a bottle here is some advice to you: Get you a good lawyer and get paid.  If Chris Brown and Meek Mil got money to throw around the club in shears of glass, they got money to pay you for your pain and suffering.  If it was me they would for not only pay for the stitches but the hairdo that got messed up, the outfit that was ruin because of champagne and blood, the embarrassment, my plane ticket back home to my country, and whatever else I could think of.  When I was done suing Chris Brown, he would have to rename his album Fame to Famine. 

Now do not get me wrong, I am a huge fan of Chris Brown.  I do believe that he is one of the talented performers of our generation, but every time you turn around he is in the middle of some beef.  Just a couple of weeks ago, him and Brian McKnight were going at it on Twitter.  The day Chris Brown learns that he does not have to respond to every negative thing that is thrown his way is the day his life will become a lot less stressful.  And by the way, where is his publicist, his spiritual advisor, his momma?! Like for real, I need someone to intercede quickly before Chris Brown ultimately ruins his career. 

Okay guys and gals, that is all the tea I got for you for right now.  If you haven’t already follow me on twitter, @EbonyMarieRe.

#DontBullySherriShepherd

I want to start this post off by saying I apologize about being away for so long.  And I want to thank you if you watched the first episode of Through EBONY Eyes on YouTube.  Because of technical difficulties we have not been able to put up another episode but will be posting another episode hopefully soon. 

With that said, on to the main point of this post.  Sherri Shepherd, co-host on The View, was bullied on Twitter.  After someone tweeted Ms. Sherri that she should be dragged in a back alley and raped, she tweeted that she would be pressing charges against this person.  She then talked about online bullying and taking a stand.  Even though some have expressed on Twitter that she is blowing it out of proportion, I support Ms. Sherri Shepherd for standing up against online bullying.

Bullying has certainly been taken to another level since bullies (cowards) have taken their antics to the web.  Growing up in the 90’s and early 2000’s, bullying took place at school on the playground.  Even though this was not right, at least the child was able to go home and escape it.  Now with Facebook and Twitter, children and teens continue to be bully long after the last school bell has rung.  We now frequently hear stories in the news about bullied victims committing suicide or victims taking vengeance into their own hand which at time results in homicie.  Some states have even taken steps to change the laws concerning on-line bullying.  But regardless of the laws, we must take a stand against online bullying and this is what Sherri Shepherd doing.

There is a saying that goes “You don’t believe fat meat is greasy.”  Well, Sherri is showing the grease.  By taking a stand and getting the law involved she is making an example out of this person that you cannot just tweet people whatever and not suffer consequences.  When it comes to posting statuses and tweets, people always think of freedom of speech.  But freedom of speech does not include making threats or repeatedly attacking any one person. 

If this person is charged I think it will make people think twice before threatening someone online.  In order to show that online bullying is a problem, we cannot just keep ignoring it.  Sherri, I salute you for taking this step.

Remember to follow me on Twitter, @EbonyMarieRe

#EBONYEyesGoesViral

I am excited to announce that EBONY Eyes will be taking on a new venture: YouTube!  This is something that I have wanted to do for awhile.  My blog has been a creative outlet for me and I am ready to take it to another level.  Lately, I have been watching a popular YouTube show and it has inspired to do more than just write. This show will talk about entertainment, music, and other current events. 

I am also going to have co-hosts to help me discuss different topics.  The co-hosts will be Alton Young, Morgan Dickerson, and Billy Cordell Pigge.  I met them in college and they all will bring something different to the table.  I picked them because I knew they would give their honest opinions about whatever topic we are talking about and there will be laughs along the way. 

Before the first episode I want to introduce you to the co-hosts of Through EBONY Eyes:

Ebony Marie-Re  You have learned a lot about me through my posts.  I’m obsessed with Real Housewives of Atlanta and all other things entertainment.  I am also a huge advocate for women having healthy, positive body images regardless of shape, size, or color.  Through my blog and new YouTube show I hope to continue to be a spokesperson for the thicker women and the love we need to have for ourselves.  I am originally from Jacksonville, AR and now currently living in Maumelle, AR.  A dream of mine is to one day open my own catering business that will specialize in catering small, intimate events. 

Alton Young  Alton is a native of  Oceola, AR and relocated to Conway, AR about 6 years ago.  He is a lover of music and manages a contemporary gospel group by the name of Extol.  Management of Extol is one of many things that he does under the umbrella of YellaDuck Entertainment, a business he started in 2009.  Alton also loves to laugh, cook/grill, and take road trips. 

Morgan Dickerson Morgan is 26 from Crossett, AR.  She graduated from the University of Central Arkansas with a BS in Sociology and is currently working on her Masters of Arts in Teaching.  She loves all things entertainment-music, movies, television, fashion, and more. "I should be running an entertainment blog but I rather teach the future of tomorrow about American History!" says Morgan. 
Billy Cordell Pigge  Cordell was born and raised in Little Rock, AR.  He is the youngest of five kids and 2012 graduate from the University of Central Arkansas.  He keeps it real at all times and loves to express his feelings.  Cordell says that he has learned to find the good in everyone and everything and one thing he is not is judgmental.

I will continue to write posts and post episodes to my blog.  Thank you to all who have followed and read my blog this past year.  I truly appreciate all of you and hope you stay tuned for the YouTube series!   Remember to follow me on twitter, @EbonyMarieRe

#ILoveYoutube

Outside of improving my writing skills and watching the Real Housewives of Atlanta, another past time for me is Youtube videos.  Some of my fondest college memories had to do with watching Youtube videos.  I can remember times being in the living room with my girls and watching some of the most hilarious videos on the web.    For this post I thought that I would share my favorite videos on Youtube.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. 

5. Single Ladies Gone Wrong

Not only is this song a classic but the video is too! Home girl had the moves down but probably should have done the dance in a more open area.  I know she needed a BC after this dance number.

4. Surprise Your Man

You all know that I am a huge supporter of the big girls (check out last post).  Unfortunately, the pole was not a supporter of  Ms. Lady in this video. 

3. Ebony Jenkins Singing

As funny as I think this video is, I hate the fact that me and her share the same name. 

2.  HeeHeeHooHoo

This guy has to be the sweetest/funniest expecting father ever

And the number 1 video goes to Antoine Dawson.  This guy right here is a Youtube legend.  When his news interview about his sister almost rape encounter got autotuned, this young man became a household name.  I have to admit that I bought the song off Itunes.  For your viewing pleasure, I present to you Antoine Dawson.

I hope you enjoyed these videos!  Before you leave follow my blog and me on twitter at @EbonyMarieRe

#MyWeightMyIssue

I recently went on a tangent on Twitter about how others who have never had a weight issue feel obligated to suggest to others what they need to do about their weight.  Some “smaller” people think that losing weight can happen overnight.  “All you have to do is eat right and exercise and then you will see the weight fade away” says the skinny girl with high metabolism who has never in her life had a roll (the ones on your back, not on your plate).  On this post, I dub myself as the unofficial spokeswoman for the thicker girls who have had a constant battle with their weight.  Here are just a few tips that will help you talk (or not talk) to a thicker woman about her weight:

1.       If you are not a doctor, do not start jumping on people about their weight.  Sometimes people that do this are not always sensitive about their approach.  You could really be hurting somebody’s feelings if you do not watch how your words come out.

2.       Big people know they are big; we do not need anybody to make this known to us.  We do not need your “Girl, when did you pick up all that weight? Did you have a baby?” Believe me when I say we are reminded that we are a little on the heavy side every time we suck in to button up a pair of jeans.

3.       Most of us are trying to make an effort.  Rather you know this or not, most of us are trying to do better with our health.  As a family and consumer science major, I took a lot of nutritious classes and I know you have to make lifestyle changes.  Losing weight is more than just taking a pill or drinking some special shake (both of which I do not trust).  Losing weight means making a pattern of preparing a meal at home versus eating out and exercising most days of the week.  These changes for some take awhile to make permanent. 

4.       We are allowed a treat every now and again.  “Smaller” folks believe that all bigger people can eat is rice cakes and carrot sticks.  And when these “smaller” people see bigger people eating anything else, they start to judge.  I believe that anything is okay in moderation.  It is important that fruits and vegetables make up a huge part of the diet but it is okay to have a cupcake every once in awhile. 

5.       We should not be stressed out about our weight.  My weight has been something I have battled with all my life.  I have come to the decision that I will lose weight at my own pace.  I will only lose weight for myself and no one else and that includes family, friends, or a man.  Since it is my weight, I will deal with it as I see fit.  When you stress a woman out about her weight it does not help her but hinders her.  In some cases, it could affect her self-esteem.

I do not believe all “smaller” people mean to hurt thick people but some just do not care.  Encouragement is fine but be aware of what you say.  What you find as words of encouragement could be words of destruction.

Also if you are not already follow me on twitter, @EbonyMarieRe.  I might have some other tangents in the future. 

#TrayvonMartinProsecuteAsHateCrime?

The tragic case of Trayvon Martin has been getting more attention by the day.  Celebrities and new outlets are bringing attention to this story.  Users on Facebook and Twitter have been reposting stories and news updates on the case of the unarmed 17-year-old black teen that was shot by a self appointed neighborhood watch leader.  A lot of people are looking at the case from a racial point of view.  Black teen wearing a hoodie, jeans, and sneakers is shot down by a white man.  Of course, there must have been a racial motive.  But the fact is that this was not a white man but a Hispanic man who shot this young man.  And as his father told reporters that he [George Zimmerman] is not a racist because he grew up in a multicultural family and apparently mentors black youth in his neighborhood.  And that is why I feel the prosecution should not focus on racism but focus that this man’s careless, irrational actions are the cause of the death of Trayvon Martin.

After being told by 911 not to follow the young man, Zimmerman left the safety of his vehicle to follow Martin.  Zimmerman did not have any reasonable cause or authority to confront Martin.  Zimmerman is not even a part of the national organization for Neighborhood Watch which in their bylaws has specified that watch leaders are not to carry weapons.  Trayvon was not in any way on Zimmerman’s personal property.  This information alone should debunk Zimmerman’s self defense claim.  Not to mention the fact that Martin is 140 pounds and Zimmerman is 250 pounds.  When the police arrived, all that was found on Martin was a bag of Skittles and a bottle of ice tea.  There was no need for this type of deadly force to be used by Zimmerman.

On the 911 calls you can hear Martin yelling for help.  Anybody who is attacking someone and possibly winning is not yelling for help.  After the cries for help you hear gun shots on the 911 calls.  Trayvon was also on the phone moments before he was shot and describing to the caller that he was being followed.  It is obvious that Martin knew he was in trouble and not trying to attack anyone but maybe was trying to defend his self.  Martin had the reputation of being a cheerful A and B honor roll student and did not have a history of getting in trouble with the law.  I do not suppose that he chose this night to engage in a life of crime. 

I feel the prosecution can build a better case by focusing on the fact that an innocent young man was murdered by an overly zealous vigilante.  All the evidence is there: calls, witnesses, and past histories (Zimmerman has called 911 46 times since January 2012).  Do not get me wrong, I do believe that this man is a very ignorant man and it is possible he thought Martin looked “suspicious” because he was black, but when it comes to this particular case race should not be the focus.  All in all, I hope justice is served.