LIFESTYLES

2024 Holiday Gift Guide: Perfect Picks for Everyone on Your List
The holidays are here, and we’ve curated the ultimate gift guide to inspire your giving spirit! Whether you’re shopping for foodies, fashionistas, or heartfelt causes, there’s something for everyone on this list.

Calling all Atlanta locals! Ready to cap off your summer with an unforgettable staycation? Booking.com and Atlanta’s very own Ludacris have teamed up to bring you the ultimate Atlanta experience that’s straight out of a music video. Introducing the Ludacris Welcome To Atlanta Summer Send-Off, a one-of-a-kind family-friendly getaway at Ludacris’ spectacular mansion, right here in ATL, bookable for just $4.04!  Imagine living it up at Luda’s 22-acre estate, with a VIP itinerary that’s packed with family fun and luxury amenities. Here’s what’s included: 

• Get up close and personal with the rapper for a special meet and greet with Ludacris himself 
• Bask in the Atlanta sun, enjoy paddleboating on the lake, and savor a BBQ catered and grilled by a local chef
• Watch some of Ludacris’ most iconic movies, at a private screening in his lavish indoor theater
• Shoot hoops or serve aces on Ludacris’ private basketball and tennis courts for a friendly game of family competition. 
• Feel like a star by getting chauffeured in a luxury ride for the duration of the stay the experience 
• Dinner at Le Bilboquet, one of Ludacris’ favorite French restaurants in Buckhead, with a menu fit for a star
• Signed copies of Ludacris’ chart-topping albums, Word Of Mouf, Chicken-N-Beer and other favorite goodies to take home as keepsakes

Nearly a quarter of American travelers want to stay at a celebrity’s home, and 62% of families* are all about quality time together. This experience is the perfect way to bond with your loved ones right here in your city. Don’t miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime chance to live it up Ludacris-style. For more details on this one-time only bookable stay, head to Booking.com startingAugust 28, 2024, at noon ET. The two-night stay is bookable on a first-come, first-served basis for just $4.04, a special nod to ATL’s beloved area code. To book, visit: https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/the-ludacris-welcome-to-atlanta-summer-send-off.html *Photos courtesy of Booking.com  

2x Convicted Felon, Lana Hampton sits down with previously incarcerated individuals to discuss what lead them to imprisonment, their experience with the legal system, and prison reform. Free Game With Lana Hampton EP 1. Feat. Sakeya Donaldosn – LIVE on @thelanahampton & N’Style Atlanta

https://youtu.be/DKVHzDdV8UM

ABOUT SAKEYA DONALDSON

Fashion, like life, is presented in seasons and those that elevate to become style masters often collect the most
intricate and exquisite pieces of each season to build a timeless collection. As a storied wardrobe designer and
respected fashion enthusiast, the civic and professional gems Sakeya Donaldson has accumulated has positioned the
southern-bred activist, educator and entrepreneur to use her platform to educate, empower and engage in the name
of evolution.

A proud alumni of Atlanta’s historic Clark Atlanta University, Donaldson’s well-heeled feet hit have carried her through a career, spanning multi-decades, that’s included credits from luxury retail coordination to key costuming on sets. After conquering the immediate items on her career checklist, Sakeya decided to level up and matriculated at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City. Along with her new educational focus came a coveted internship at Jeffrey in NYC, becoming the first African American intern in the company’s history.

With great experiences and newly gained knowledge in fashion, Sakeya returned to Atlanta and accepted the position of styling assistant with celebrity stylist, Tameka Raymond. During her tenure with Raymond, Donaldson outfitted industry paramount including Outkast, Patti Labelle, Ciara, TI, Young Jeezy and Nicki Minaj. Sakeya was also a quick-change stylist on R&B Superstar Usher’s high successful ‘Confessions’ tour, a costuming regular for Real Housewives of Atlanta, over 20 music videos, countless articles, photo shoots and a world tour.

After releasing her first book, Fly Girl Approved, in the fall of 2019, Donaldson’s entered a challenging, yet redemptive season as unfortunate associations led the former boutique owner to face incarceration. While serving the time, Donaldson began to engage women who’d all but checked out of life. With that, she began to amass inspirational vitamins and quotes that would debunk feelings of limited hope, tarnishing branding as felons and non- redemptive transitions back into society.

Upon release, Sakeya immediately begins to pen accounts of her incarceration, including the quotes, to become her second published work. Now, while committing her time to registering former inmates to vote, Donaldson also assists women with makeovers to welcome them back into society to take their rightful place among upwardly mobile citizens.

In classic style, Donaldson’s aura radiates resilience beyond! She states, “My personal style inspiration comes from within. I go with what I feel. My instinct rarely fails me, and once I’ve made a fashion or life choice, I own it and make you understand the importance of the individually and the personal promise that comes with any decision you decide to outfit yourself with, as well.” Donaldson has yet to even scratch the surface of her overall purpose. As fashion and life continues to evolve, so will Sakeya Donaldson and the work she’s committed to presenting in grand fashion.

With unlimited ways to celebrate America’s official love day, Southern Hospitality Event Group introduced ‘Marry We’, a mass wedding ceremony created to offer a unique experience for statement making couples; engaged or married, who are straying away from conventional nuptials or vow renewals. The unique celebration included a mass wedding officiated by Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, a reception with entertainment and dancing, dinner, an open bar, and dessert. The cost of the marriage license was included in the package and each couple received an official wedding portrait and gift compliments of the event organizer.

Entertainers for the evening (IG name included):
Cellist – Okorie “OkCello” Johnson (@okcello)
Violinist – Joya Bravo (@joyabravo)
DJ – Lillie Smalls (@djlilliesmalls)

Photo Credit: Antoine Stephenson

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport partnered with a company called PS, formerly known as The Private Suite, to open a private luxury airport terminal for A-list passengers like Hollywood stars to the world’s busiest airport.

The private luxury airport terminal will target V.I.P. passengers will to pay for access to the new private terminal starting this fall. The luxury terminal will offer private security screening, Customs clearance, chauffeured transportation, and food services. To access the luxury terminal it will cost you. As reported by the AJC, an all-access annual membership costs $4,850. Using the membership to travel costs $3,450 for a private suite for members or $4,650 for non-members.

DARK & LOVELY AND STORM REID HOST

BUILDING BEAUTIFUL FUTURES MASTERCLASS:

“A BLACK GIRL’S GUIDE TO MENTORSHIP”

First Installment of Virtual Mentorship Masterclass Series on April 25^th

Brings Actionable Tools & Tactics for Young Black Women

to Achieve Academic and Early Career Success

New York, NY (April 21, 2022) — Dark & Lovely, a leader in Black beauty for the last 50 years, is hosting their first-ever Building Beautiful Futures Mentoring Masterclass: A Black Girl’s Guide to Mentorship on Monday, Apr 25, 2022 at 5:30PM ET. As part of the event, Dark & Lovely’s Brand ambassador, actress, producer and “artivist,” Storm Reid will discuss the power of mentorship and offer key advice and takeaways for young Black women navigating their academic and career journeys.  The virtual event, the first in the Building Beautiful Futures Mentorship Masterclass series, will be hosted by Symone Sanders, author, advocate and host of upcoming show, SYMONE on MSNBC and MSNBC’s streaming platform, Peacock. The Masterclass will also feature NAACP Chief Strategy Officer, Yumeka Rushing, and a musical set by DJ Kiss.  The event is open to everyone and free of charge. To register please visit: https://hopin.com/events/buildingbeautifulfutures.

“Throughout my life, I have been lucky enough to have mentors that have guided me and been a consistently present support to help me get to where I am today,” said Storm Reid. “I’m so excited to join Dark & Lovely in hosting this event to help share the importance and ability to create a shared community and support system for all of our journeys, especially as young Black females.”

A Black Girl’s Guide to Mentorship will address topics such as: “how to get a mentor,” “how to be a great mentee,” “goal setting,” “time management,” “intention setting” and more, while creating space for attendees to share their experiences and connect. Participants will also enjoy surprise giveaways throughout the session courtesy of Dark & Lovely.

“With the Building Beautiful Futures mentorship masterclass series, we aim to inspire and uplift the next generation of Black female leaders,” commented Erica Culpepper, General Manager, Dark & Lovely. “Now more than ever, young Black women are in need of actionable support that can propel them forward.”

Launched in January 2022, the Building Beautiful Futures initiative was developed to help bring educational and career equity to Black, female college students and young professionals through scholarships, mentorship and career coaching opportunities. As part of this initiative, Dark & Lovely has partnered with The NAACP Youth & College Division to provide four-year scholarships of $10,000 per year for young Black women pursuing four-year degrees.  Applications for the Building Beautiful Futures scholarships are now open through May 20, 2022. Apply at: https://naacp.org/find-resources/scholarships-awards-internships/scholarships/building-beautiful-futures-scholarship

“The NAACP prides itself in supporting the enhancement of the lives of the Black community,” saidRushing. “Recent events highlighted in public, such as the confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, further push the necessity for higher education among young Black women. Through our partnership with Dark & Lovely, the NAACP Youth and College Division takes pride in aiding the achievements of our scholarship recipients throughout their undergraduate matriculation. I’m honored to be a part of such monumental influence for the betterment of Black women’s success.”

Be The Change

Join Dark & Lovely in the fight to Close the Opportunity Gap by visiting:  https://softsheen-carson.com/buildingbeautifulfutures

Also, follow @darkandlovely and @NAACP on Instagram for real-time program announcements and information.

 About Dark & Lovely

Dark & Lovely, founded in 1972, was created to help Black women express and embrace their individual styles. As one of the first brands to celebrate the Black consumer, for 50 years Dark & Lovely has been known for offering innovative products and technology made exclusively for Black Women to address their specific beauty needs.  As a subsidiary of L’Oréal USA, Dark & Lovely continues to unveil breakthrough hair innovations for women of color. For more information, visit www.darkandlovely.com.

About NAACP

Founded in 1909 in response to the ongoing violence against Black people around the country, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) is the largest and most pre-eminent civil rights organization in the nation. We have over 2,200 units and branches across the nation, along with well over 2M activists. Our mission is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons. Learn More:  https://naacp.org/

About Storm Reid

Storm Reid is an actress, producer, artivist and current freshman at USC. She is best known for starring as ‘Meg’ in Disney’s live action adaptation of the acclaimed children’s novel A WRINKLE IN TIME, which was directed by multi-award winner Ava DuVernay. The film also starred Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling.

Reid landed her first feature film role opposite Brad Pitt, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Michael Fassbender in the Academy Award winning film TWELVE YEARS A SLAVE directed by Steve McQueen and continued in Judy Greer’s directorial debut A HAPPENING OF MONUMENTAL PROPORTIONS, and SLEIGHT which premiered at Sundance and was picked up by Blumhouse.

Reid was seen in the 2021 DC Comics film THE SUICIDE SQUAD and in 2020 was seen in Blumhouse’s INVISIBLE MAN alongside Elizabeth Moss. She also appeared in the Blumhouse thriller DON’T LET GO, opposite David Oyelowo – the film premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and was released on August 30, 2019. On the small screen, Reid can be seen in Ava DuVernay’s Netflix limited series WHEN THEY SEE US, based on the Central Park Five – the series launched on May 31, 2019. The series racked up 16 Emmy Nominations and garnered two wins. She also stars alongside Zendaya in HBO’s EUPHORIA. Storm plays Gia Bennett, Rue’s (Zendaya) younger sister. The story follows a group of high school students navigating issues of drugs, sex, and violence. The all-star cast also includes Jacob Elordi, Algee Smith and Sydney Sweeney. This gritty drama premiered on June 9, 2019 and is just finished airing its second season. Reid also voiced ‘Nia’ in Hulu’s animated children’s series THE BRAVEST KNIGHT. The series received a 2020 GLAAD Media Award nomination for Outstanding Kids & Family Programming.

In 2021, Reid starred in Facebook Watch’s “Chop it Up,” a conversation series by way of cooking. The series was created and produced by Reid and her mother, Robyn Simpson, through their production company “A Seed and Wings.” Each episode, viewers watched Reid and one of her friends discuss topics from dating to ethics, all while preparing a meal together.

HOLLYWOOD PRODUCER AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR DEVON FRANKLIN RELEASES HIS FIRST AUDIBLE ORIGINAL AUDIO-ONLY MEMOIR, “IT TAKES A WOMAN” ON THURSDAY, APRIL 21

In this riveting and soul-stirring Audible Original, author and Hollywood insider DeVon Franklin introduces us to the women who raised him—a “village of love” that selflessly came together to shape him into the man he is today in the wake of his father’s tragic death. With this heartfelt memoir, Franklin inspires listeners to celebrate the universal power of women and embrace his village as their own.

HOLLYWOOD — Hollywood producer and bestselling author DeVon Franklin offers a personal twist on the African proverb that says “It takes a village to raise a child” — It Takes a Woman. In this riveting and soul-stirring Audible Original, Franklin’s first audio-only memoir, he introduces us to the women who raised him: a “village of love” that selflessly came together to shape DeVon into the man he is today. It Takes A Woman is available on Thursday, April 21 at Audible.com.

For the first time publicly, Franklin and his family discuss the aftermath of his father’s untimely death and the despair that could have destroyed their future. It Takes a Woman offers listeners an emotional journey of tragedy, triumph, and healing as Franklin, his mother, and his five living great-aunts recall how the women heeded the call to help raise him and his two brothers. The candid conversation—covering everything from marriage, death, divorce, and regret to colorfully frank advice about dating, sex, and money—uncovers old wounds that are still fresh and pain that is still piercing, as well as a family bond that is unbreakable.

The women’s willingness to open their hearts and souls elevates this listen beyond simple memoir. Guided by their faith, they share decades of hard-earned life experiences and inspiring lessons. It’s the foundation of love and communication that nurtured Franklin and his brothers, and one that will inspire listeners to embrace this village as their own.

It Takes a Woman, one family’s true story of hope, faith, and resilience, honors the sacrifices of a remarkable village of Black women as experienced through the eyes of a Black man. It’s also a universal celebration of the power of women to alter and enrich the lives they touch. For more information, visit audible.com.

About The Author DeVon Franklin

Named by Variety as one of the “Top 10 Producers to Watch” and by Oprah as “a different kind of Spiritual Teacher,” DeVon Franklin is a Hollywood Producer and New York Times bestselling author blazing his own unique trail with an unwavering commitment to uplifting the human spirit through entertainment.

DeVon serves as President and CEO of Franklin Entertainment, a dynamic production company in conjunction with Paramount Pictures and CBS TV Studios. He’s the driving force behind some of Hollywood’s most successful inspirational films including BREAKTHROUGH and MIRACLES FROM HEAVEN, as well as the soon to be released movie FLAMIN’ HOT for Disney and KINGDOM BUSINESS television series for BET.

In addition to his work as a producer, DeVon is also the author of multiple bestselling books such as THE SUCCESS COMMANDMENTS and his new Audible Original IT TAKES A WOMAN, which is a deeply personal look into the tragedy that transformed his family’s life forever.

DeVon serves the greater Hollywood community at large as Vice-President of the Board of Governors for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences. De

Shayla Raye caught up with the Host of OWN’S newest reality series “MARRY ME NOW” Rebecca Lynn Pope on “Celebri-Tea” to discuss trending topics like media’s negative influence on relationships, men and women’s expectations, the “relationship revolution”, gender roles, and of course how this successful relationship coach became the Host of a reality tv show.

“Marry Me Now” follows eight women from Houston, TX, who are in long-term relationships, but are ready to stop waiting for their significant other. Each week, Rebecca guides one woman as she takes the reins in her relationship, secretly constructing all of the elements for a surprise wedding and culminating with a surprise public proposal to her significant other. All this in just three days. From finding the perfect dress, to breaking the news to both families, the bride-to-be concludes by ultimately shocking her partner with the proposal, and (hopefully) exchanging vows. Whether or not they make it down the aisle, these women will finally get the clarity they need to move forward and live happily ever after.

Check out our exclusive clip from tomorrow’s episode about Shana and Brandon who have been together for seven years, and they have never talked about marriage. That’s about to change. Will Shana’s surprise proposal and wedding be too much for Brandon? And, will Shana heal the rift with her mother before the big day? Tune in Saturday, March 26 (9 p.m. – 10 p.m. ET/PT)

About Rebecca Lynn Pope

Rebecca Lynn Pope is a life coach who specializes in relationship coaching, spiritual healing, confidence coaching, business coaching and leadership development. She is also a published author and a motivational speaker. Along with her husband, she is the co-owner of Abundant Life Path, where she trains other spirit-led coaches. As a woman of faith, she provides heart healing and spiritual advising to women around the world.

Miss J. attended CheMinistry, a relationship platform created and founded by Chanel Scott and two time NBA Champion, Josh Powell. This past weekend, the platform made its first stop of the “2.0 The Rebirth” tour in Atlanta. The panelists featured Relationship Expert and Pastor Dwight Buckner, Jr. , Reality Star and CEO of Hollywood Unlocked, Jason Lee, and member of Xscape, Tamika Scott.

The event was hosted by Christal Jordan and the topic for this event was Church Hurt vs. Relationships. With the versatility of the panel and input from the founders, the discussion allowed attendees to reflect and most importantly heal from past church traumas.

 

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Some of the key takeaways were:
– [ ] Forgive the individual who hurt you in the institution, but forgive yourself first
– [ ] Be committed to your happiness
– [ ] Self love is important. If you can’t love yourself, then you can’t love anyone else.
– [ ] Faith over fear.

The show is going on the road with a 7 city tour with the next stop in Charlotte. Be sure to get your tickets as this is a discussion you don’t want to miss.

 

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About CheMinistry 2.0: The Rebirth Tour

CheMinistry is a relationship platform created to bridge the gap between purpose-driven men and women who desire to progressively move their love life to the next level.

CheMinistry is where the challenging work starts… we create a space free of judgment and absolute love where transparent and candid dialogue is moderated by CHANEL SCOTT, creator of CheMinistry, and JOSH POWELL, 2x NBA Champion and co-creator of CheMinistry. Our panelists are represented by some of pop culture’s most prominent celebrities and influencers who possess the ability to articulate the male and female perspectives in the context of romantic relationships.

Global music superstar and icon also to serve as Founding Creative Director of Playboy’s new creator-led platform CENTERFOLD

Fashion and Sexual Wellness Product Collaborations to Be Released

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 02, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Playboy, the globally-recognized, iconic lifestyle brand owned by leading pleasure and leisure lifestyle company PLBY Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: PLBY), announced today an expansive collaboration with multi-platinum music superstar, entrepreneur, and social activist Cardi B. In her new role as Playboy’s first-ever Creative Director In Residence, Cardi will provide artistic direction across co-branded fashion and sexual wellness merchandise collections, digital editorial, experiential activations and more. In addition, Cardi B will serve as the Founding Creative Director and a founding member of Playboy’s upcoming creator-led platform, CENTERFOLD.

“It is a dream come true to officially join the Playboy family. I can’t believe this is real,” said Cardi B. “For as long as I can remember, I’ve felt connected to Playboy. It’s truly the original platform for uncensored creativity and I’m inspired by its incredible legacy of fighting for personal freedoms. I have so many ideas already – I can’t wait!” Cardi B continued, “I’m also excited to launch our new creator-led platform, CENTERFOLD. Creators today deserve to express themselves freely and unfiltered. They deserve to feel safe in their creativity and sexuality. And they deserve to own their future. This is what CENTERFOLD is all about. For all those creators out there doing bold, revolutionary, truly culture-shifting things, come join me.”

“Cardi B is a creative genius and we are absolutely thrilled and honored to bring her immense talent and creative vision to Playboy,” said Ben Kohn, Chief Executive Officer of PLBY Group. “Through her unapologetic commitment to free expression, her dedication to lifting up artistic voices and her celebration of sex and body positivity, Cardi is the embodiment of the Playboy brand. I can’t wait to see what Cardi and our team develop together with our merchandise design, development and distribution capabilities and our best-in-class content production. I also can’t think of a better creative visionary to partner with us on the launch of CENTERFOLD. CENTERFOLD will revolutionize the creator economy just as PLAYBOY magazine shook up the publishing industry nearly 70 years ago – and Cardi is the perfect shepherd into this new era.”

Playboy and Cardi B’s co-branded merchandise collections will continue to expand Playboy and PLBY Group’s rapidly growing direct-to-consumer fashion and sexual wellness businesses around the world.

CENTERFOLD – the new home for the world’s top creators to interact directly with their fans, expand their communities and build their own personal content and commerce businesses – is expected to launch in December 2021. From music and fashion to art and activism to adult entertainment, CENTERFOLD will leverage Playboy’s decades-long experience sitting at the intersection of culture and sex and be a lasting, safe home for the platform’s creators and their respective fan communities.

About PLBY Group, Inc.

PLBY Group, Inc. (“PLBY Group” or the “Company”) connects consumers around the world with products, services, and experiences to help them look good, feel good, and have fun. PLBY Group serves consumers in four major categories: Sexual Wellness, Style & Apparel, Gaming & Lifestyle, and Beauty & Grooming. PLBY Group’s flagship consumer brand, Playboy, is one of the most recognizable, iconic brands in the world, driving billions of dollars in global consumer spend annually across approximately 180 countries. Learn more at http://www.plbygroup.com.

About Cardi B

Cardi B’s rambunctious spirit and brave tongue garnered instant online popularity, rapidly increasing her fan base. She has evolved into an entertainer, actress and a renowned rapper in just a short time. Cardi rose to rap success and fame, releasing her debut studio album Invasion of Privacy in 2018. Cardi continues to be at the top of her game as the first woman with five simultaneous Top 10 hits on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart as well as the first female rapper with five Billboard Hot 100 #1s. Now a GRAMMY AWARD WINNING rap superstar, Cardi’s 3x Platinum selling debut album Invasion of Privacy debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album includes the RIAA Diamond certified classic “Bodak Yellow,” and all 13 tracks on Invasion of Privacy have been RIAA certified Gold or higher – making Cardi the first female artist to achieve this feat. Cardi’s single “Money” is now RIAA 4x Platinum certified, and her recent single “Press” is RIAA certified Platinum. “WAP (Feat. Megan Thee Stallion)” proved an immediate blockbuster with a record-shattering debut that earned RIAA Gold certification on its first day, and became one of the top three hip-hop streaming debuts of all time along with breaking various other records. Cardi returned with the now 2X RIAA Platinum certified “Up,” and most recently appeared on the highly-anticipated “Rumors” with Lizzo.

Photo Source: Getty Images North America

Monday Barbadian, Robyn Rihanna Fenty was honored during Barbados Presidential inauguration as the National Hero for extraordinary commitment to the land of her birth. The event also marks the date for Barbados becoming a republic. Check out the ceremony clips below.

 

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Google Presents: Normani + T-Pain for “Black Owned Friday”

Google just released a shoppable film with chart-topping artists T-Pain (I Like Dat) and Normani (Wild Side) who wrote and performed the original track in the film. It features 100 products from more than 50 Black-owned businesses and you can shop and explore all the businesses at g.co/blackownedfriday.

Additionally, T-Pain has penned a personal blog describing his passion behind Nappy Boy Entertainment. To read the blog post in full click here

🚦Google Maps Holiday Helpfulness Trends

Ahead of the holiday season, Google Maps has shared fun and festive U.S. trends — from popular activities to what foods Americans are ordering most — to help you make your list, check it twice and get through the holiday season safely, efficiently and joyfully. You can also find all this and more, including popular times to visit places like grocery stores, restaurants, post offices and more, in our blog post here.

🛍 Google Shopping Holiday 100

To help you zip through your holiday shopping this year, we’re sharing the Google Shopping Holiday 100 — a list of what we predict will be the 100 most popular categories and products in the U.S. for the holiday season, according to Google searches. Spanning ages and interests, the 2021 trending categories include tech, gaming, kitchen gear, sports and fitness, health and beauty, fragrances, and toys and games.

🎨 Shoppable murals with Google and AmEx

Starting on Monday, November 22nd, Google and American Express will be unveiling shoppable murals in New York, LA, Boston and Chicago, to give passersby a unique and interactive way to discover and support local small businesses.  Each mural was created in partnership with a local artist and features products created and sold by local small businesses. The murals are shoppable using Google Lens from Android or iOS devices – all you need to do is hold your camera up to the mural and tap on an item to find it online. Murals in NYC and Boston will feature products from Black-owned businesses – you can see more details below:

• NYC: Artist: Kitkat Pecson; Mural location: Bogart St & Grattan St ; Featured Black-owned business:  Trade Street Jam Co

  • About Trade Street Jam Co: Trade Street Jam Co., founded by chef Ashley Rouse, is an online-based business that sells low sugar vegan jams. During the height of the  pandemic, Ashley pivoted to focus all of her efforts to selling online. She went from making 2,000 jars every two months to making 2,000 jars every two weeks, increasing sales by 400% year-on-year. To fuel this growth, Ashley used Google Ads to help people searching for “jam” or “jelly” find her brand.

• Boston: Artist: Julia Emiliani; Mural location: Brighton Ave & Chester St; Featured Black-owned business: Playa Society

  • About Playa Society: Playa Society is an online-only brand that sells women’s sportswear. Esther Wallace, former basketball player, founded the company with the  mission to sell clothes that reflect core social values, like gender equality and social justice.  Since Playa Society began using Google Ads in 2019, the merchant’s website traffic has increased by 50% and sales have increased by 30% by using a combination of paid and free listings on Google Shopping.

Attorney Gives Alternative Counsel Through Spiritually,

Releases New Book

Atlanta-based attorney Misty Oaks Paxton, owner of The Oaks Firm, recently released her first book “Focus: Redirect The Magnifying Glass of Your Life to Live The Life Of Your Dreams”. The book highlights 20 specific areas that will help people move forward in the direction that will yield the best results.

“We are a society that does not practice focus, instead we practice distraction,” Paxton said. From the time we open our eyes in the morning to the time we close them at night, we are inundated with countless events, all requiring, at the very least, a moment of our attention.”

“This book reminds you of how transforming the power of focus can be in your life and drives home one very important point:  you can multitask, but you cannot multi-focus.”

While Paxton is a trained and licensed attorney, she’s dubbed herself as the spiritual attorney, to symbolize the work that she does helping people spiritually.

“The same thing that you would seek a regular attorney for to help navigate man-made, societal law, is the same thing you would seek a spiritual attorney for, to help you navigate and learn how to work within spiritual universal laws. I am a real estate attorney by profession but my passion and purpose is the spiritual realm, helping people to connect to the most high spirit within each of them,” Paxton said.

A graduate of North Carolina Central University School of Law, Paxton helps homeowners and consumers with loan modifications, foreclosure defense, bankruptcy and short sales through her law firm.

However, while her legal business was thriving, she suffered from stress and the pressure of her business. She ultimately turned to spirituality, metaphysics, readings, and energy healing full force.

With certifications in  Meditation and Mindfulness Coach, Spiritual Life Coaching, Paxton began helping countless clients get in tune with their higher selves and callings. She has provided guidance and confirmation through her readings, she has provided knowledge and insight through her teachings, and she has helped hundreds take back control of their minds, their lives, and their destinies.

She also practices EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique/Tapping) to remove subconscious blockages and guide her clients towards success, Tuning forks, crystals, Tarot Cards, Birth Cards, Love Cards, and Destiny Cards to give her clients guidance and confirmation.

Paxton says she wrote her first book “Focus,” after realizing that a lot of people in society lacked focus.

“Before we even get out of bed, a lot of us are on our phones scrolling through social media. We’re digesting the thoughts of other people before we are still and get in tune with our own spirit and energy,” Paxton said.

“This book is really about being intentional with the things that you are serious about. The things that you are looking to accomplish in this lifetime. The focus part is about aligning with your spirit, where you feel that you’re being led to where you need to go. If you have a lot of noise going on, you really can’t tap into that still voice, where there’s answers.”

Paxton continues, “We’re super busy. We’re moving all the time but we’re not very productive. We’re spinning our wheels and not really getting anywhere because we have not focused on one intention, one path, one direction.”

“You can multitask, but you cannot multifocus. And it takes practice and recommitment to gain that focus.”

Misty Oaks Paxton’s latest book “Focus” can be found on her website www.thespiritualattorney.com, where further information on herself and services can also be found.

Music industry notables Mr. Hanky, DeeJay RootsQueen, and Stix Malone join N’Style Atlanta Host Jett Blakk and Skyebutterfli for a roundtable discussion about why we may be seeing an increase in violence in Hip Hop. Check out the full episode below.