We’re Moving!

Tags

blogging, blogs, lifestyle blog, lifestyle blogs, The High Life

So by now you may be asking, “Uhhh, what happened to this week’s Wedding Wednesday post??” Or possibly, “Where is today’s post!?”.

Well, The High Life is moving! That’s right. As sort of a 1st birthday present to ourselves, as of March 1st we will no longer be using WordPress as our main host, we’re moving on up to the big league and will officially be TheHighLifeSuite.com!! How exciting is that??

We want to thank you for your patience and for continuing to stick with us! See you soon!

~ Dyanna

@DyannaLynn

@HighLifeSuite

 

DIY Wall-Mounted Jewelry Post!

Tags

blogging, Cooking With Whitney B, decor diy, DIY, diy blog, DIY project, home decor, lifestyle blog, Spelman

Hey Everybody! Today we’ve got a special guest post for you! Our Spelman sister Whitney B, author of Cooking With Whitney B is here to offer up a DIY project that’s sure to get you in the mood for some pre-spring cleaning! Enjoy!!

Recently, I had to call a truce with my jewelry and my dresser…SOMETHING HAD TO GIVE! Outside of my expensive pieces like my authentic pearls and diamonds, all of my everyday jewelry was always thrown about on my dresser. Well, I have had enough! I pulled all of my pieces from dresser and stared at the them for a long time.

I was going to go out and thrift for something to hang all my jewelry on when I looked up and saw I already had this bare lady on my wall! The only additional thing I had to buy were clear push pins. I also had these small jewelry bags which were leftover from beads I’d ordered from the beaded jewelry line, Kill Pink before they went under to revamp. The bags came in handy for those jewelry items that couldn’t be secured using the push pins. Since you most likely won’t have these things readily available to you, I suggest going to your local Goodwill, Salvation Army or any other great thrifting spot to find your centerpiece to hang your jewelry. Though I hung all of this without a ruler, I’d suggest that you use one to be on the safe side.

Once you’ve found your centerpiece, grab your clear push pins, your ruler, mini mesh bags and you’re ready to go!

When placing my jewelry on my centerpiece, there was no rhyme nor reason. I hung pieces as I was lead. I put all of my beads and necklaces on the centerpiece because I knew I wanted my watches and African bracelets to appear as if they were floating. Once I finished hanging my pieces, I grabbed my push pins to hang my watches and wooden bracelets. I placed each pin inside of the the first hole of each watch with about an inch and a half apart and 3 inches below each other. Of course, this is all dependent on the types and amount of watches & bracelets you have. So feel free to do what works best for you! Inside of my bags, I put my pins, rings and earrings to create easy access.  To hang my bracelets and watches, I placed them on the wall and then put the push pin inside to secure placement. Once you’re finished hanging your pieces, you have a beautiful arrangement before you! Be sure to check me out at Cooking With Whitney B! Hope you enjoy 🙂

Thank you Whitney!!

~Dyanna

@DyannaLynn

@HighLifeSuite

Oscars 2013: Best & Worst Dressed

Tags

2013 Oscars, Amy Adams, Anne Hathaway, Armani Prive, Charlize Theron, Christian Dior Couture, fashion, Gucci, Halle Berry, Jane Fonda, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Garner, Jennifer Lawrence, Kelly Rowland, lifestyle blogs, Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts, Oscar red carpet, Oscars fashion, Valentino, Versace

While everyone else watched last night’s Oscars to see who would get to twalk away with one of the coveted golden statues, I couldn’t wait to feast my eyes on more red carpet fashion! Pastels and metallics seemed to reign supreme with very few bursts of color. Here are my picks for the best, the worst and those who almost made it!

The Best

Charlize Theron wow’d me with her look. It wasn’t just the dress, which complemented her body perfectly even though I got a bride-to-be vibe with all the white, but the whole package. Her hair cut which she admitted is a result of a buzz cut for an upcoming film, made me miss my short ‘do! They always say some people have a face for short hair and luvs, she’s got it!

Naomi Watts, I.died! I l-o-v-e the unique neckline here and her Armani Prive dress was one of the only ones that made my eyes pop open in delight. The dress? The hair?? Love & love!

Jane Fonda completely slaaaaayed in this yellow number! Love the color and gold detailing here, and did you see the back cutout!? She’s just way to fierce to be 75! Halle stunned me in this Versace number! You all can’t tell me that this dress isn’t perfect for her. The color, the fit, everything; I love it! And I’m SO glad that Halle is maintaining the short hair!

Amy Adams’ Oscar de la Renta dress was absolutely stunning! I don’t think I need to say anything else here, so I won’t. Amaze!

Kelly Rowland once again caught my eye in this black & white stunner! She may not be an actress but she definitely left her mark on last night’s red carpet. This dress has the perfect balance of classiness and sex appeal and I love it!

The Worst

Oh Anne. Anne, Anne, Anne. I love Anne Hathaway, but I hate this choice. From the color, to the 1999 neckline a la She’s All Thatthis choice was just all wrong. Anne, who made a last minute choice to go with this frock from Dior instead of her original selection, said this dress spoke to her. I just wonder what it said.

It isn’t even the dress that I hate in the case of actress Melissa McCarthy(I actually think it’s a great choice on her). It’s all about that tragic hair! Too much teasing and too much hairspray left the hilarious Melissa looking like the butt of one of her own jokes.

It’s not that I don’t like Jennifer’s Valentino dress; I do like it very much as a matter of fact, but she totally bored me. Her hair was limp and added nothing here. It’s like she refuses to stun us. Come on Jennifer, give us more!

The Almost There

Can I just say that the color on Jennifer Garner’s custom Gucci gown is absolutely stunning! I’ve got a secret obsession with purple, and this hue is just the perfect pop! The long train of ruffles on the other hand did this look in for me. Maybe if they didn’t start so high up, they would have been less overwhelming.

Who doesn’t love Jennifer Lawrence?? Young Hollywood’s latest “it girl” is witty, cute and one hell of an actress. I loved the baby pink color on her Christian Dior Couture dress but she honestly looks like she’s sitting on top of a cupcake. There was just a little too much volume at the bottom for me and apparently for her as she tripped up the steps on her way to collect her first Oscar. Oops!

Who were your picks for best & worst dressed from last night’s ceremony?

~Dyanna

@DyannaLynn

@HighLifeSuite

DC Happenings

Tags

930 Club, Africa Underground, Corcoran Gallery of Art, DC, go-go music, National Museum of African Art, Oscar watching party in DC, party in your pjs, Smithsonian, Snuggle with the Stars, The Oscars, things to do in DC

Every once in a while, we inform you about some cool things taking place in the city. Here’s a rundown of things taking place in DC this weekend.

The Corcoran Gallery of Art opens there new exhibit, Pump Me Up, tonight at 8pm. The exhibit focuses on the subculture of DC in the 1980s and is described as:

“tracing the history of graffiti in Washington while emphasizing its inextricable ties to the burgeoning forms of local music. The exhibition highlights the vibrant scene that sprang up around Go-Go, a local form of funk pioneered by Chuck Brown and others, including the stripped-down “Go-Go graffiti” style. Started by neighborhood “crews,” this style became a hallmark of the D.C. style of graffiti writing.”

(9:30 Club)

The opening also include a party at the 9:30 Club tonight, where there will be a mix of go-go and punk bands. (Click the links above for more information.)

(National Museum of African Art)

The National Museum of African Art is hosting an after hours party called Africa Underground, tonight from 7pm to 11pm. The party is expected to be filled with lots of art (of course), live bands, refreshments and drinks. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased here.

The Oscars are this weekend and there are a few options for you to enjoy the festivities around them.

• This Saturday, a few local AMC theaters will offer the opportunity to watch five of the movies nominated for Best Picture and it will only cost you $40. Click here for more information.
• If you prefer to see all nine of the movie nominated for Best Picture and spend your Saturday doing so, some AMC movie locations will have the 2013 Best Picture 24 Hour Marathon. All nine films will be played back-to-back and can be viewed for $60. Click here for more details.
• While I have heard of a few Oscars watching parties, I believe this one sounds the most fun — Snuggle with the Stars.

(DC Shorts)

Taking place at the Burke Theater in DC, this party offers you a chance to watch the Oscars in your PJs! Starting Sunday at 6pm, attendees will enjoy soda creations from Gina Chersevani of Buffalo & Bergen and gourmet snacks from Whole Foods. For $50, general admission passes include open bar, buffet and a swag bag. (Purchase tickets here.) Perhaps it’s just me, but a party in your PJs always sounds like a good time!

Anything else going on in the city we need to know about? Let us know!

– G
@seekyourbliss
@highlifesuite

Beauty Blast!: The Perfect Purple Pout

Tags

beauty, beauty blast, beauty blog, lifestyle blog, lipstick, M.A.C., M.A.C. Cyber, M.A.C. Nightmoth, make up, purple lipstick, Revlon, Revlon lipstick

I liiiiiive for a bold statement lip! So when I chanced upon M.A.C.’s super vampy Cyber, I just had to have it!

But my new found budget had other plans

I love M.A.C. lipstick but at $15 a pop(which doesn’t seem like much until you’re buying 3 & 4 at a time), I had to pump my breaks. While still moping over passing up on Cyber, I spotted Revlon’s Va Va Violet for $7.99!

Had my prayers to the beauty gods been answered? Had I found my perfect purple pout??

The Revlon shades aren’t as hyper-pigmented as M.A.C.’s so I used my M.A.C. Nightmoth lip pencil to give the hue a fuller look.

Here’s a shot with just the lipstick: And now with the liner: What do we think?I think I love it!
~ Dyanna
@DyannaLynn
@HighLifeSuite

DC Living: Bayou Bakery

Tags

Bayou Bakery, beignets, biscuits, cajun, creole, DC area restaurants, Louisiana, New Orleans, New Orleans cuisine, New Orleans food, NOLA, pepper jelly, places to eat in the DC area, restaurants in VA, southern food

One thing that my friends can tell you about me is that I love New Orleans. So anytime there is a restaurant that serves New Orleans style food, I have to try it out. I recently went to Bayou Bakery and had the best foodie time!

I enjoyed this experience with my godchild and her parents. We all left pleased and full. What more could you ask for?

So I loved the decor here. It made you feel warm and cozy and welcomed. I could feel southern hospitality vibes throughout. If you order your food to dine in, you are given these cards (bottom right of the pic) with Louisiana locations. There is also a sticky station in case you need more cane syrup, red pepper jelly, etc.

The food was tasty and had good flavor. While I felt some of the dishes could have used a little extra salt or hot sauce, I feel like Bayou Bakery is aware as on each table is hot sauce and salt, no pepper. Some may look at this as the food not tasting well, but that’s not the case in my opinion. I’m going to assume that Bayou Bakery is aware of the times, people’s health issues and don’t want to load people up with salt. Thank you for that!

I was really excited about dining here and I ended up ordering a lot of food, as did my friends. We enjoyed greens (good flavor and loaded with bacon), andouille sausage, gumbo and their creole pilgrim sandwich that comes with shaved, blackened, all natural local turkey, baby arugula, smoked gouda, dijonaise (yummy). I will say that the gumbo was lacking something for us. I’m pretty sure it was seafood… and a little hot sauce…LOL.

My two favorite things I ate were the beignets and the biscuits. The texture of the beignets was a little different than Cafe du Monde, but they were still delicious and of course, loaded with powdered sugar.

But the biscuits… oh the biscuits. Yes, they were warm and tasty, but the true highlight for me was the pepper jelly and creole cream cheese. Have you ever had cream cheese that taste like butter? Me either… so when I had it from Bayou Bakery, I was so smitten. And you may not think that pepper jelly would be delicious… but it is amazing! I think I’m going to have to find it in the stores.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my Bayou Bakery experience (Menu here). It’s located in Arlington, Virginia near the courthouse and not too far from a metro. I will definitely be back to dine and partake in some of their daily specials. This little trip to VA (VA can be far to a DC/MD girl…LOL), filled my NOLA void until I go back this summer.

Have you been to Bayou Bakery? What did you think?

– G
@seekyourbliss
@highlifesuite

DIY Revamped Chest of Drawers

Tags

Anthropologie, blog, blogging, custom furniture, DIY, DIY furniture, furniture, Life style blog, painting furniture, The High Life

Some times I get struck with ideas and I have to make them happen ASAP. That’s exactly what happened while browsing the sale section of Anthropologie and chanced upon a bin of wayward knobs on sale for $2.99. All of a sudden I remembered I had never properly put the knobs on my chest of drawers and could create a fun custom piece with these little gems.

Naturally it wasn’t enough to stop at the knobs so I decided to paint the drawer fronts as well. After taking a trip to Strosnider’s, I decided on a navy paint for the drawers and picked up a sanding sponge to score the drawer fronts.

I started by removing the old knobs and using the sanding sponge to sand the drawer fronts. 

After wiping the drawers clean, I applied 3 coats of the navy paint. I allowed the paint to dry and then applied the new knobs. After looking at the finished product, I decided that the navy paint wasn’t enough so I got my white and gold acrylic paints out that were left over from ym bangle project and decided to do a sponge effect.

The finished product??

This project was much easier than I thought it would be and it was fun to turn an average piece of furniture into a creative custom piece!

~ Dyanna

@DyannaLynn

@TheHighLife

 

 

DC Living: Point Chaud & Lincoln

Tags

American cuisine, crepes, DC Restaurant Week, DC restaurants, dining, dining in DC, food, Lincoln Restaurant, places to eat in DC, Point Chaud, restaurants in dc

DC continues to have more and more to offer on the food scene. Of course, this is great for foodies like myself. Today, I’m sharing with you two of my recent dining experiences.

First, a crepe from Point Chaud (12th & G Sts NW). I have walked by this place many times from work and decided to give it a try. I ordered the turkey, cheese and egg crepe. I also had them add spinach. To my surprise when I ordered, they asked if I wanted white or wheat. Naturally, I went with wheat.

The crepe was very tasty. I would have liked the spinach to have been cooked or at least warmed. But it was also blistery cold that morning and I took my crepe to go, so I’m sure that had something to do with the spinach not being warm. But I just put in it the microwave for a free seconds and I was good to go. I will definitely be trying Point Chaud again. I just hope they offer something with bacon soon. 🙂

I also dine for restaurant week at Lincoln. I really enjoyed my dining experience. The food was good, the service was good and I liked the decor. Lincoln serves an American cuisine, small plates style. Many offerings, I would say, are comfort food staples.

My girls and I tried everything on the restaurant week menu. There was pork belly, cheesy broccoli, salmon, lamb and more.

I tried brussels sprouts for the first time. And I was pretty impressed. They were sauteed in olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. We also ordered fries, which were yummy and served with three dipping sauces.

I will definitely be going back to Lincoln. Their brunch menu seems delicious and they serve punch bowls…I’m there!

What place do you want to hear about? Think we should try it out? Let us know!

– G
@seekyourbliss
@highlifesuite

A Collaboration with Cooking With Whitney B!

Tags

baking, chocolate cupcake recipes, chocolate cupcakes, chocolate dipped strawberries, Cooking With Whitney B, cupcake recipes, cupcakes, food, Foodie, recipes, The High Life, Valentine's Day

At The High Life we’re all about supporting fellow bloggers and entrepreneurs. Today in honor of Valentine’s Day we had the honor of being featured over at Cooking With Whitney B!

Dyanna created a sinfully delicious chocolate-chocolate cupcake with hazelnut filling, topped with a white chocolate dipped strawberry!

Want to check out the recipe? Head over to the blog and check it out!

Sinful ChocoHazeBerry Cupcake!

 

For The Love of Brunch!

Tags

arugula salad, blogging, brunch, brunch ideas, DIY, food, lifestyle blog, recipes, Salad recipes, salads with feta cheese, The High Life, watermelon salad, Watermelon salad with arugula & feta

Happy Valentine’s Day folks!

This past weekend I hosted a pre-Valentine’s Day brunch for a few of my favorite ladies! Gina and I have hosted plenty of dinner parties over the past year and with brunch being our absolute favorite meal of the day, it only seemed appropriate to finally hold a brunch gathering!

I kept the table decor plenty simple with a navy, gold & cream theme centered around a fun floral tablecloth I rescued for $25 from the Anthropologie sale bin. I also purchased a bouquet of bright yellow tulips to use as the centerpiece of the table.

Per usual, there was pleeeenty of food!

The menu included:

a fruit salad

crab & shrimp quiche homemade cinnamon rolls turkey sausage with onions & bellpeppers cheese grits watermelon salad with arugula & feta and of course mimosas 🙂With so many awesome ladies in attendance there were tons of laughs and great conversation! Me, the hostess with the mostest!
I think I may need to make this a monthly thing! Nothing beats getting together with those you love for good food & fun.

I couldn’t leave you all without offering up a recipe for my favorite dish from the brunch, the watermelon salad with arugula & feta.

What you need:

2 5oz bags of arugula

2 cups of diced watermelon

1/2 cup of feta

1 tbsp chopped mint

The dressing

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup orange juice

juice from 1 lemon

1 shallot, diced

salt

pepper

What to do:

For the vinaigrette, combine the orange juice, lemon juice, honey, salt, pepper and diced shallot. Whisk together. Pour in the olive oil while whisking. Set vinaigrette aside while you prepare the rest of the salad. 

For the salad, rinse and dry your arugula. Add in the feta, mint and watermelon and toss. Just like that you’ve got a fresh & yummy salad that’s also healthy for you!~ Dyanna

@DyannaLynn

@HighLifeSuite