SHE'S THE BOMB WITH A BEAUTIFUL SMILE!

She's a talented, beautiful dark-skin, actress AND she has a smile that can light up a room. Do you know who I'm talking about?  

DID YOU KNOW... Lupita was inspired to become an actress by watching the movie Color Purple! (YES THE COLOR PURPLE) Lupita said, "When I saw Whoopi Goldberg and she looked like me, I was like, 'Oh, I can do this!'" WHOOPI INSPIRED LUPITA!! It seems so rare that you ever hear anyone mention Whoopi Goldberg for inspiration BUT why not? 

Now for my Whoopi rant! Throughout my life people have said, Qi you have a big smile like Whoopi Goldberg! (Some people think this is a horrible thing and that it's not accurate.) Quite naturally I say thank you and THEN I say... I wish I had Whoopi's money! I'd really smile like WHOOPI THEN! (I am cracking up... but I am so serious)

We all know... no one is perfect but we cannot deny the many accomplishments Mz. Goldberg has achieved... to name a few... She is one of the few persons to win an Oscar, a Grammy, a Tony, and an Emmy. She has been seen in over 150 films, and she was once the highest-paid actress of all time. Her humanitarian efforts are more than a notion and she is an activist (Power to the people). 

Of course we all know...she is (MY FAVORITE) a moderator and co-host of The View, Whoopi actually replaced Rosie O'Donnell (I totally forgot Rosie was on The View).

NOW FOR THE NEWS YOU MAY NOT KNOW! DID YOU KNOW! 

Whoopi Goldberg & Ben Silverman sold an Interracial Romantic Comedy to ABC called Iman and Andy! I KNOW RIGHT?! YES I AM SERIOUS!  

Here's the scoop (Courtesy of the Hollywood Reporter) "Iman & Andy is a thirty minute comedy about two 20-something interracial coworkers at an online magazine who have been secretly dating. They are forced to work on a relationship advice blog when thenew editor-in-chief exposes their relationship." ( I cannot wait to see this one) 

LONG STORY SHORT! WHOOPI is actually BEYOND inspiring! BUT what I LOVE the most about her is the fact that she is happy with who she is! despite what people may say. WHOOPI! YOU ARE THE BOMB!! ROCK ON!  AND LUPITA YOU HAVE IT RIGHT!! 

Who Is The Choqolate Chiq?

Who is the Choqolate Chiq? 

I am the following: 

I am a mother, wife, big sister, and a daughter. I am dark skinned, African-American woman from San Francisco, California. I have an awkward sense of fashion (I believe ugly items can be cute), I have super coily #naturalhair and I cannot live without music.

I am best known for...

My big smile, awesome sense of humor (this opinion may vary), and my red lipstick addiction. 

Why do I call myself the Choqolate (pronounced chocolate) Chiq (pronounced chick)?

I am the sweetest, dark choqolate, brown skin chiq you'll ever know!! 

Did you know... 

I grew up thinking my dark skin was deemed as ugly and undesirable (sad face).

Unfortunately, I remember what it felt like to hear someone say, "dark skin is ugly" and I remember being treated badly because of my dark skin tone. I will admit these things were very hurtful to my self-esteem. (Don't worry this did not ruin my life. This experience taught me a lesson.)  

As I grew older, I began to realize my skin was really beautiful. My dark brown skin was not a curse or some thing to hate. My complexion looked like #Choqolate. I learned to love and embrace the skin that I am in.

Random fact about me:
I love celebrating womanhood no matter the skin tone, ethnicity, size or shape. 

Random fact about the blog post called Choqolate Chiq :
This page is meant to encourage all women, while paying attention to darker skin women who need that extra encouragement. 

I want women everywhere to be proud of who they are. Whether you are white choqolate, light choqolate, milk choqolate or dark choqolate... OR no choqolate. 

It's important for you to know that true beauty comes from within and shines on the outside. 

This Choqolate Chiq is all about #InsideOutBeauty.

BEY'S 2014 CALENDAR IS HAUTE!!

SHE IS... Flashing bits of skin, rocking sexy black latex boots and sporting a hat like she runs the world! 

SHE ALSO... Never ceases to amaze the world with her sultry, stylish, sex appeal.

SHE IS... BEY BABY!! 

BEYONCE IS THE "NEW" BOSS (Diana Ross is still THEE BOSS in my book BUT Beyonce is right behind her!)! Here are a couple of my favorite shots in black and white accompanied with my thoughts if I were BEY! 

 I RUN THIS!! 

 Yeah... You love my style

 You coming over or what!?!

I am a DIVA BOSS! Now take the picture!! 

Check out the behind the scenes video below! AND I'm sure you want your own copy of Beyonce's 1st Calendar right?! Here's the link >> shop.beyonce.com.

HandiBac Anti-bacterial Moisturizing Hand-lotion I Love You!

I have a love hate relationship with Bath and Body Works. 

What is a love– hate relationship - It's an interpersonal relationship involving simultaneous or alternating emotions of love and hate. 

Now to explain, Bath and Body Works is known for having cute and sweet smelling  products that fit perfectly into a purse. My teenage daughter magically disappears into this store EVERY TIME we are in the mall. The fun and friendly scents accompanied with the tentative staff get the both of us every time. While my daughter runs from tester to tester... I head to the back of the store to find what new, little, budget-friendly treats are on display. Whether it’s hand soap, lip balm, lotion or fuzzy socks... I tend to always find a little something there. 

One day, (last year) I stumbled upon Bath and Body Work’s HandiBac Anti-bacterial Moisturizing Hand-lotion. This hand lotion is absolutely perfect especially due to the new season (the official welcoming of colds, flus and other viruses). Let's be honest, hand washing should be something everyone does BUT sometimes you are not near water or soap.  I find that this happens quite often and when this happens everyone runs to the nearest container of hand sanitizer! Often times the antibacterial hand sanitizer gels and constant hand washing can cause your hands to be more dry than usual. 

Hence my excitement when I realized the HandiBac Anti-bacterial was was also a Moisturizing Hand-lotion. As I applied the White Citrus - HandiBac Anti-bacterial Moisturizing Hand-lotion onto my hands, I  was greeted with a clean and fresh scent. I rubbed the anti-bacterial lotion all over my hands AND my hands felt moisturized! YES!! Germ free & moisturized!! My hands were not left dried out at all! Needless to say, I bought every scent they had. I thought these would be great for the holiday season.

Germ fighting, hand moisturizing lotion in my purse is like a loaded weapon of goodness (I know you're thinking the word weapon and goodness don't mix BUT in this case it does!).  This light and smooth hand-lotion has a special place in my heart. I adore double duty compact products. 

Here is where the dismay arrives... Quite naturally I realized I need to purchase more germ free lotions to give away as gifts! SO I hopped online to purchase more... the Bath and Body Work's website said the following:

THIS PRODUCT IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE (psycho music theme is playing right now) NOW HERE COMES THE HATE!! 

NO!!!! Bath and Body Works!!!! WHY?!! I really hate the phrase NO LONGER AVAILABLE, especially when it's a product I love!! 

I took it a step further and asked the staff at Bath and Body Works if this product would return and no one had an answer. (violin is playing). With a deep breath I went back online, did a general search and found this lotion is only being sold on Ebay and amazon.com. In the meantime I'll hold on to my HandiBac Anti-bacterial Moisturizing Hand-lotion as if it were a precious piece of gold. 

Tea Time Tuesday - Peppermint Tea (Pinky Finger Up)

While I’ve learned to appreciate most herbal teas, I must admit, I absolutely live and die for the AMAZING!!! Peppermint Tea (also known as Mint Tea). If you're looking to soothe your insides, Peppermint Tea is the answer. This tea is great for digestive issues such as, Irritable Bowel Syndrome or just basic stomach aches and pains. If you suffer from nausea, headaches, menstrual cramps or muscles spasms. Peppermint Tea is a sweet way to ease your soul.  The soothing effects of this mint infused tea plus the refreshing taste, makes for a great kitchen #musthave item. Relax your mind, tame the beast within, and show your digestive tract a little TLC... by having a cup of Peppermint Tea. #PinkyFingerUp

 

HERE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE STORE BRAND TEAS:
Twinings Pure Peppermint Tea
Stash Herbal Tea, Peppermint
Celestial Seasonings Herb Tea, Peppermint


Easy Fresh Mint Tea Recipe:
Homemade Mint Infusion Tea
Ingredients: (makes 2 cups)2 cups of water1½ tbsp fresh mint leaves
Squeeze of lemon juice (optional)OR 2 cups water1 tbsp dried mint
Squeeze of lemon juice (optional)tbsp = tablespoon
Directions:
Fresh: Chop the leaves and boil the water
Add them to 2 cups and pour on some just boiled waterLet steep (sit) for 5-10 minutes before serving. If you like your drinks a little citrusy add the lemon.
Dried: Add the dried mint to a teapot and boil the waterPour in the boiled water.
Let steep for a few minutes before straining and servingAdd the lemon if you like - See more at: http://www.bespokespices.com/mint-tea-recipe.html#sthash.uuAIs67G.dpuf

picture credit: http://www.goodmorningsms.co/2013_05_01_archive.html
recipe credit www.bespokespices.com

Love and Marriage BUT He's Cheating On YOU...

I must admit, I watched bits and pieces of Basketball Wives (Please don't judge me LOL). I was hesitant to watch last night's episode of Basketball Wives due to the unnecessary fussing and fighting. The last couple of seasons of this show were just over the top for me. I honestly do not enjoy watching women tear each other down every chance they get. Needless to say, I did tune in for a little while (like many others) and in that short frame of  time I realized... the views on love and marriage seem sort of distorted. 

 

When is it ever acceptable to marry a man who happens to sleep around with other women from time to time?

 

WHY get married?

 

If you are dealing with that sort of guy... this simply means he is not ready to commit to you (I can hear the round of applause now). Now don't get me wrong, I do realize Basketball Wives is a TV show and the drama makes for "good entertainment" (or so they say). The realization that many women in our everyday livese actually find themselves in this similar situation.

Marrying a man who is not faithful to you has to be one of the craziest things a person could do... unless it's an "open marriage" (I personally don't get that situation also BUT that's another blog post. #IJS)
 I find it heartbreaking to know women will accept "knowing" about the other woman before anyone else knows. I understand things happen BUT if you know your guy is cheating on you BEFORE you walk down the aisle and say "I do", THEN WHY GET MARRIED!? Situations like the one I just described, reminds me of "self torture". No one wants a broken-heart. REMEMBER to always protect your heart ladies, you only get one. 

AND not to bring another reality show into this, BUT during an episode of R&B Divas LA, Diva - Chante Moore had the other Divas re-commit to themselves. Each lady walked down the aisle, dressed in their gowns and recited their vows to themselves in front of each other. This was a very emotional moment for these women. I instantly thought of myself. What would I say? What do I vow to myself? You should do the same.

What do you vow to yourself?

 

As for me I vowed to do the following:

I vow to forgive myself for my short comings. 

I vow to accept my random craziness. 

I vow to embrace my big smile. 

I vow to unconditionally love myself. 

It is my hope and prayer that if anyone is in a relationship, it's a healthy relationship. A relationship that brings you true joy. If you're not in a relationship, learn to be your own best friend (a phrase my mother uses quite often). Treat yourself right. Be good to yourself. Vow to love yourself because you are worthy. 

NOW TIME FOR THE BOUQUET TOSS (smile)

images courtesy of TVOne

Did Beyonce copy Ciara?

Does Beyonce seems to be rocking everyone's hair style these days or what? 

This picture courtesy of wblk.com says exactly what I thought when I saw Beyonce's pixie hair cut pics... I thought to myself is 
Beyonce is rocking a blonde Rih Rih hair-do!?!

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the change Bey is going for. GO HEAD BEY! Do yo thang! No shade thrown here. 
(yes spelled and said just that way)

After a couple of days of the pixie cut, I suddenly saw BEY rocking a blond bob. Of course I screamed out loud... BEY!!! BEY ARE YOU REALLY ROCKING A CIARA HAIR-DO!! 

I wonder which celebrity hair style will be next?

 

I would love to see Bey ROCK a curly hair-do.

Often times it seems that she is forced to wear her hair blond and straight.