As you might imagine, we read a lot of children's books. A lot. So it's pretty difficult to show us something we haven't seen before. I think Steve Ouch's Steampotville may have come close. This book has become an internet sensation, selling hundreds of copies almost completely through word-of-mouth online. Ouch wrote, illustrated, and published SteamPotVille himself. I've read this book to my son several times since we received our copy a few weeks ago and he absolutely loves it. And what's not to like? The swirling pictures, highly-costumed pet and colorful characters are a toddler's delight. But here's a quick admission?: I'm not entirely sure what this book is about. 
One day the cow was "moo-ing" in the pasture and the cat was "meowing" indoors, but one strange dream later everything went topsy-turvy with all of the town's animals behaving out of character. Do we ever find out who did it? Or why? Or if it was all part of the dream? Will there be a sequel? I. Just. Don't. Know. But it's rip-rollicking fun as we're literally turned sideways and upside down through the pages of this glorious and glossy adventure. And that was what was most important to my son. He had a literally fantastic time in Steampotville.
So while it's true I don't really know what to make of Steve Ouch's debut book, my almost 3-year-old totally gets it. The illustrations are amazing and, let's face it, there's something brilliant about art that goes over the parent's head. I may not know precisely what I'm recommending, but I recommend it. The book will be officially released in brick-and-mortar stores in spring of 2010. But SteamPotVille
may also be ordered from Amazon.com
The Fanciful World of Steampotville
Naturally Chic: The Handbag
We are falling hard for this sumptuous little number from Mod Cloth.
It's called the Naturally Chic Bag and it's made from soft re-purposed leather. It also has multiple pockets for tucking away your keys, cellphone, and MP3 player. If you're a Lucky Magazine reader, you'll see this handbag featured in the August issue.
Weekend Cocktails: The Divinitini
Ahhhh. Did you think bartenders had run out of -"tini's"? If so, you would be WRONG. We haven't personally tried this week's chocolate-laden concoction (we WILL this weekend), but those who have say it's simple divine. Maybe that's why it's called the Divinitini. 
We're told it was created by the barman at the Sanderson Hotel in London's West End. The recipe we like best is below and was taken from CocktailAtlas.com:
For Each Cocktail:
4 squares of chocolate, melted
1 fl oz orange vodka
1 fl oz vodka
A dash of Grand Marnier
A dash of Creme de Cocoa
1 slice orange
Garnish with a purple pansy
Put the melted chocolate, orange vodka, pure vodka, Grand Marnier, Crème de Cocoa into a cocktail shaker. Crush the orange slice and add. Shake well and then pour into a chilled glass, decorated with a pansy on the side, and sip.
If you can't find a purple pansy, don't worry about it. ;)
A Stitch In Time
Quick! Who wore the most photographed wedding dress in history? As some of you already know, it was Jacqueline Bouvier when she married John F. Kennedy. But did you know that the the person who made that world-famous gown was African-American designer Ann Lowe? Lowe (pictured on the left) was born in Alabama in 1898. Her mother designed clothes for the wife of the Governor of Alabama. Ann followed in her footsteps by designing for other wealthy ladies in the area. But in the early 1900's she enrolled in beauty school in New York. Later, she worked on commission for upscale stores and designed for several upper-crust New Yorkers. In 1946 she designed the dress that actress Olivia de Havilland wore when she accepted her Academy Award. But she's best known for this ivory, silk, and taffeta creation:
It's the gown Miss Bouvier chose for her 1953 nuptials to the future president. Toast and Strawberries has a fantastic description of the dress and the wedding. 
Now, more than a half century later, the dress is housed in the Kennedy Library in Boston, MA. So, now you know the story. Keep an eye out for our upcoming series on today's African and African-American wedding gown designers.
Happily Ever After: The Movie
Didn't I admit breathlessly that I was hearing about more new projects from our social media friends almost faster than I could post them? I featured @lamartyler on BlackTwitterati.com back in February. Now his latest project is ready to be released and along with his wife they are set to prove that Black love lives.
The founders of the popular site BlackandMarriedWithKids.com have created a documentary called "Happily Ever After" that goes inside real black marriages to show positive images of marriage and parenting in the black community. As Lamar told us, "We didn't like the images that portrayed us so we created our own."
Topics discussed in the film include the portrayal of marriage and parenting in the black community, the Obama effect and the importance of parenting. The documentary will be released straight to DVD on August 4th 2009 but will premiere in Washington, DC "One Night Only" on Thursday, July 30th at the historic Avalon Theatre. Find more information about the premiere HERE and check out the trailer below:
Film Site: http://www.happilyeverafterthemovie.com
FB Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/happilyeverafterthemovie
Cetaphil Cleanser: I Still Don't Get It
If one more beauty editor crowns this stuff "Best -" anything, I'm gonna- I don't know - blog about it. Or something. For years now, people have been pushing this goop as the low-cost alternative to... what? Cleanliness? Everyone, from Paula Begoun to Glamour Magazine, continues to tout Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser as good option for people with average skin. Best P.R. job ever.
The ingredients are - let's see now: Water, Cetyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Stearyl Alcohol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben. None of those things are horrible. But which of them is good? The product description on Drugstore.com reads, "This unique, low lathering formula..." Can we stop the tape there? Rewind? OK, zoom in. Is someone out there getting this stuff to actually "lather"?
Look, I'm not an unreasonable person. I love that mod, the-doctor-gave-me-this packaging and I would love to sit it on my counter. I'll buy that it doesn't strip the skin of moisture (that's supposedly the big selling point). But that's only because, in my experience, it doesn't get rid of anything at all. I can conceivably see someone with ultra-sensitive-and-dry, immune-to-acne, or newborn skin skirting by with using Cetaphil - although I have a sneaky suspicion they would still need to "clarify" at some point. Heck, it might even work as a morning cleanser, as long as you use something else at night. So I'm not saying it's rubbish or has no practical use. I just don't understand the rave reviews. But, could someone please explain to me what is really so great about this stuff so I can hop aboard the bandwagon.
Sweet Beauty, Sweet Baby
We haven't done a lot of product reviews so far and that's mostly because we like to review what we're genuinely interested in. I've tried to avoid commercial baby/toddler products since Kai was born, although we've held onto a few mainstream faves, but eco-friendly, all-naturally kiddie products are always right up my alley. So when I was recently given a chance to try out a couple of Sweet Beauty Spa's "Sweet Baby" products, I jumped at it. And I'm really glad I did, for a few reasons.
Baby Cleanse
As always, I checked out the ingredients before using the two new products on my 2 year old. Not quite a baby, he has sensitive toddler skin and we generally stick to gentle bath and body products. So I loved seeing simple familiar ingredients in the "Baby Cleanse", like organic castile soap, coconut oil, organic cocoa butter, vitamin E, and Glycerin.
Pouring a little of the Baby Cleanse on a towel at bath-time, I caught the faintest scent of sweet orange. Extremely light and not at all overwhelming. As I soaped-up my little one, I noticed that the product didn't make a lot of bubbles, but did have a nice foam. (You're totally used to this if you've spent any time avoiding SLS and other detergent agents.) Now here's what I liked the most: When I lifted my son out of the bath and dried him off, his skin was nicely moisturized because - ta da!- the cleanser was mild enough that it hadn't stripped his skin of its natural defenses. That, I like. Even so, we moved on to product number 2.
Baby Massage Oil
As you might expect, the Baby Massage Oil had a very softening effect. I rubbed it into my son's limbs and found that it didn't sit on the skin, but was easily absorbed. I really enjoy being able to moisturize the kiddo at night so I don't have to do it as I'm scrambling to get out of the house the next morning. The main ingredients in the Baby Massage Oil are sweet cherry oil, babassu seed oil, cocoa butter and natural extracts. Again, there was only the faint scent of the oils natural ingredients.
This entire line is free of artificial fragrances, parabens, and nuts. So it's specially formed for babies and children, whose little systems are especially sensitive to allergens. But here's my confession: Since we've first tried the products, I have to admit I've been using them on myself. I don't know if that's recommended or not, but I think Baby Cleanse makes a really gentle, non-drying face wash for mommies! In any case, if you're the least bit interested in natural skincare or going green, Sweet Beauty is a line to check out. The Baby Cleanse in particular is now one of my top-five baby/toddler products. I recommend it far and above most things you'd find in the grocery store. (I do have a soft spot for Burt's Bees.) And that's the truth.
Ziggy Marley Doubles The Fun
We like to think we're on the cutting edge of music that parents and kids can truly enjoy together. We've done it all- indie, kindie, kid hop, toddler rock, you name it. But we're actually behind on Ziggy Marley's latest creations. Months ago, we were pleasantly surprised to hear that the four-time Grammy winner was working on his first children's album. Since then, he has released a second album for the tykes.
Family Time
is a very lively recording of sing-alongs, narrated stories, and kid-friendly jams. Children 10 and under will love it. It also features appearances by musicians Jack Johnson, Willie Nelson, Toots Hibbert, and Paul Simon.
Ziggy released the second album B Is for Bob
last month. It's a re-imagining of several of his father's (Bob Marley's) classic tunes. The material was arranged to be geared for little ones, but with just enough pluck for adults.
Here's Ziggy Marley at this year's Easter Egg Roll at the White House:
Vibe Magazine: It's a Wrap
As a former journalist, it's tough for me to watch the newspaper and magazine industries go up in flames. Today Vibe, one of the country's last urban music and entertainment publications, became more kindling on the fire. The magazine announced it is closing its doors, a move which we're told was a surprise to some Vibe staffers. More information here.
Vibe was started in 1992 by Quincy Jones, who later sold the magazine. Since then, many talented writers and editors have passed through its doors. We wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see several of the latest staff members doing big things in the near future.
The photo in the top left corner shows Vibe's premier issue, featuring Treach of Naughty by Nature.
Michael Jackson Tributes Via The Web
Stars have been paying homage to music icon Michael Jackson since his sudden death last week. Thanks to the internet, people around the world are seeing those tributes are turning them viral. And some of them are really very heartwarming. We thought we'd forgo our usual weekly activities to show you just a sampling of the most popular ones.
Stevie Wonder remembered Michael Jackson with two touching tributes over the weekend. The second one included singer John Legend.
The BET Awards show on Sunday night is receiving mixed reviews. (Be sure to read PittsIndeed's Dear BET: What the F^@k Was That? ) But it also gave us a very classy tribute from Maxwell and personal stories from the O'Jays.
Swimsuits for Gorgeous Grown-Ups
I see so many women in public who don't know yet to carry themselves with confidence. They're just hoping they've followed the right advice about covering up this, de-emphasizing that, balancing the top half with the bottom half, minimizing and so on. But, guess what? The people who tell you what you should and shouldn't wear DON'T KNOW YOU and they don't know your body. Take it all with a grain of salt because the big secret is this: some people want you to be as uptight as they are. Don't be. Be fabulous. Wear what you love, work it, and strut. Blow someone's mind. If you're happy and comfortable in it, throw your shoulders back and rock it.
Now, today we're talking about swimsuits. I don't really care where you get your swimsuit from as long as you feel GREAT in it. (Maybe you already have a super swimsuit at home!) Some of the Brickhouse sponsors have good ideas, but inspiration is everywhere so don't limit yourself. Take what you need from this post to go out and be you to the 10th power.
Always For Me Chic Natal Swim Dress - a top pick in this month's Essence magazine.
Tankini from Lane Bryant
Kiyonna Swimsuit
Old Navy Metallic Faux Tankini
I.F. Floral from Macy's
Catherine's
Now, you tell us! More ideas???? Great! Please share all your thoughts with us (swimsuit related or not) in comments.
Lucky Paperie: A Candy Colored Delight
If you could create your dream wedding stationery, what would it look like? Melanie Carter gets to answer that question everyday as the owner of Lucky Paperie. For her boutique she chooses modern, hand-crafted letterpress designs for keepsakes like invitations, placecards, menus, and ceremony programs. Those creations can then be customized with a variety of materials such as satin ribbon, monograms, and sparkles.
Even though the Georgia-based boutique is making a splash in the wedding industry, Lucky Paperie actually offers paper goods for all occasions. See more online.
How Do I Wear These Pants?
I don't mean that literally. I know that the only way to put pants on is "one leg at a time". But I could use some help figuring out how to wear my first ever pair of rock-chick leopard pants without looking like Peg Bundy.
Here's what happened: Recently, I've been buying basic pieces to support my work wardrobe. So I haven't been buying things that emphasize my wild side - and as many of you already know, I do have one! Well, yesterday, on a whim I purchased these Tripp leopard print pants from Torrid, WHICH I LURVE: 
Don't laugh! I really like these. But have you ever bought something and then realized afterwards that you have nowhere to wear that particular item? That might be what happened here. So I'm asking for help. How would you rock these pants? (And I know some of you just wouldn't.) I've been able to pull off much wilder things that this in the past, but I could use some tips this time. How would you wear them? And is it at all possible to wear them to work? Help!
Nuttin' But Stringz
I wish I could say "I knew these guys way back when...", but I can't. Instead, I discovered Nuttin But Stringz the way many other people did- through Jack's big Music Show on Noggin. NBS consists of two brothers, Damien and Tourie Escobar, from Queens, NY. They're formally-trained violinists who combine classical music with jazz and hip hop. My 2-year-old loves this song, called "Thunder".
Find out more about Nuttin But Stringz on the group's Web site and on the wikipedia page.
