i HEART atlanta: A Taste of Florida Seafood

My seafood game got upgraded today. While I'm normally more of a Spondivits, Oceanaire type of girl, I'm still savoring my taste of Florida. Its a low low spot on Camp Creek, but the taste is super fab. The special sauce is to die for and the fried lobster tail and fried tilapia are must haves. The prices are reasonable and the people that work there are very friendly. Tell em love's a peach sent ya and be sure to ask for the "saffron infused rice."

ATL Celebrilove: He's A King

ATL's Bonnie and Clyde celebrated the birthday of their son, King, this week at TI's Henry County mansion. No party would be complete without live boxing and performances. Looks like the Grand Hustle family stepped into the ring and little King's half sister Zonnique may have performed with her girl group.

Tiny and her daughter Zonnique (far right) w/ Nique's friends.

King and his auntie, TI's sister.

CRod (of PSC--far left), Peanut (middle), Unknown guy (far right) and King


TI and Tiny

Pictures courtesy of YBF/S2s.

Lesson Learned: Embrace Your In the Meantime

You've probably heard of author and mogul Bre Dennis by now (if you haven't you've been living under a rock). When we get the chance to catch up she's always quick to offer candid and valuable advice. I love her for that! Yesterday she reminded me of a great lesson. While I can't express it as eloquently as she can (Exclusive Interview with her coming soon), I want to remind you ladies out there to "Embrace Your In the Meantime."

We all have a tendency to rush into situations because we are not comfortable nor confident enough to simply embrace the in the meantime. Often times we jump into what we think is love with men who truly don't deserve us out of a fear of being alone. Let's remember that its ok to be alone. Sometimes solitude is good for the soul. If that man is not the man you dreamed of spending your life with...Don't settle. Love you until someone else worthy of your love comes along. Enjoy your career, your home, your family, your girlfriends--enjoy you. Embrace your "in the meantime" and make it work for you!

As Bre says, "When the man of your dreams comes knocking, he won't be able to get in if you've got a security guard standing at your door." Learn It. Love It. Live It.

Off My Chest: You Modelin' Ma???

Because I'd never want people to think this is a male bashing site, its time for me to put the ladies in check. Yesterday we talked about the wanna be producers and not quite there real estate agents that are everywhere in Atlanta. Well, with Labor Day weekend upon us, if there is one person you are sure to meet this weekend, its "a model." Lets get a few things straight. Posing nude for sidekick pictures does not make you a model. Passing out fliers at a party does not make you a model. Putting up X rated pics on myspace does not make you a model. Getting modeling gigs off of craigslist, does not make you a model. Pop, lockin, and droppin in the latest Huey video surely does not make you a model. Until you win ANTM, you are NOT a model. Until you have a lucrative contract with a REPUTABLE modeling agency, you are NOT a model. Until you are featured in a spread in Seventeen, Teen, Elle, or Vogue, you are NOT a model. You may enjoy the art of photography, you may get $2 an hour to wear a baby tee around a party, and you may even be a video ho, but you are not a model. Your false claims of top model status mess it up for those ladies out there in town who really are making a living off of modeling. You make them look really bad. Be proud of who you really are. I surely am. I can say with my head held high...

NO, I'M NOT A MODEL---I JUST LOOK LIKE ONE.


Sorry, I just had to get that off my chest.

Notable and Quotable

"Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies."
--Aristotle

Upcoming Events: How U Doin?

Love's A Peach attempts to be an equal opportunity, non discriminatory blog, so tonight kicks off Black Gay Pride weekend in Atlanta. The weekend focuses on AIDS awareness and includes performances by DJ Unk, Jennifer Hudson, a parade, parties and drag shows.

Check out http://www.inthelifeatl.com/ and http://www.accessatlanta.com/events/content/events/stories/2007/08/29/pridehighlights_0830.html for more information.

Notable and Quotable

"Falling in love consists merely in uncorking the imagination and bottling the common-sense."
-Helen Rowland

Off My Chest: Producing and Real Estate...ATL's Sought After Professions

The two most popular industries in Atlanta are by far entertainment and real estate. With that being said, not everyone actually makes a sustainable living from those industries. If you do not make at least 40% of your income from these fields, then I beg of you, when you run into me on the streets, DO NOT TELL ME THAT YOU ARE "A PRODUCER" or "IN REAL ESTATE." No. You are not!

Having Fruity Loops downloaded on your computer, does not make you a producer. Having a demo cd with some wack a** tracks, does not make you a producer. Until you have beats that are in heavy rotation on both V 103 and 107.9, you are not a producer. Until Polow da Don, JD and Lil Jon know you by name, you are not a producer. Get over yourself. Maybe you are an ASPIRING producer, maybe music is your hobby, but I repeat, you are not a producer.

Similarly, just because you purchased a cheap a** house in the hood and "flipped it." You are not "in real estate." Being a part of an inflated appraisals scheme does not legitimately place you "in real estate." And surely, renting a condo at Twelve does not place you "in real estate." Do you have a broker's license? Have you attended a real estate course? Ever been to a closing? Know what the Fulton county property tax rate is? I think not.

Fellas, those lines do not impress us. In fact, for a chick like me, it turns me off. You say, "yea, I'm a producer" or "you know, I'm in real estate." I hear. "I'm broke, with no job, and I push a lil weed to survive." Please. Stop the madness. You are so not the business.

Sorry, I just had to get that off my chest.

ATL Celebrilove: Pregnant Women and Custody Battles

JD hosted the grand opening of his new club in Tucker last night, Studio 72 (modeled after NY's Studio 54, but named after his birth year). The mamis were in the house. Literally.

Pregnant Tameka Foster and hubby Usher, no comment.

Pregnant Monica (and before the rumors get started, no Nelly is not the daddy. Her fiance Rock is. Nelly has other pregnant women to worry about ie. the chick from strokers...see earlier post).
In other news:

Despite a semi recent outing to Joes Crab Shack, Bobby and Whitney are fighting it out thru court documents these days. Bobby is claiming that Whitney is keeping him from seeing and spending time with their daughter Bobby Kristina. Whitney basically says, get a job and stop trying to get spousal support out of me, and then we'll talk.


Read more at people.com (http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20053820,00.html)

Off My Chest: Hypothetically, of course.

Taking a stroll down ipod lane I came across one of my favorite Lyfe tracks. Although I've listened to the song dozens of times, I've never actually answered the question he asks. It's a tough one--and I still can't.

Can you?

What if he broke your monogamous agreement? What if he told you he lied lied but didn't mean it? What if he personally vowed to never do it again? Should he cover his tracks and shield you from the pain or would his lies hurt you more?

He says maybe some wars aren't worth fighting--maybe some of your tears really aren't worth crying.

I say, while there does seem to be some temporary comfort in the dark, deep down there's freedom in the truth.

Would you wanna know?

ATL Celebrilove: Janet and JD Marriage--False Alarm

Many gossip folks were reporting that JD and Janet had married in front of close family and friends about 2 weeks ago. I doubted it. JD told usmagazine recently that: "When Janet and I get married, everybody will know. It's not something I want to keep a secret. I'm going to promote it like a party!" For some reason, I know he will.

Off My Chest/Lesson Learned: Procrastination

Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday, the grave in which opportunity is buried, the largest form of self sabotage, suicide on the installment plan, the thief of time. (See thinkexist.com) Wikipedia defines it as "a type of avoidance behavior which is characterized by deferment of actions or tasks to a later time. It is often cited by psychologists as a mechanism for coping with the anxiety associated with starting or completing any task or decision."

Procrastination is, in a word, bad. Why put off for tomorrow what you could do today? In fact, since we aren't even promised tomorrow, life is too short to defer your actions...for in reality, you may never reap the joy that comes from them. If in fact you procrastinate because you don't want to do something then just don't do it--and make that clear to the person who's requested it. To make a decision to do something but then procrastinate in doing it makes absolutely no sense and irks a go getter like myself. Don't wait for your mood or attitude to change. Your attitude doesn't run you, you run it. So make up in your mind that you are going to commit to your decisions, take ownership, and then get down to business. There will never be a more fruitful season than now, there will never be a more convenient time than today, you will never have any more time than you have right now. Do today in your love lives and relationships that which you keep putting off for later times. If not, you'll wake up and wonder how your whole life got off track and behind schedule? It will have gotten that way one day at a time.

Notable and Quotable

"You attract people by the qualities you display. You keep them by the qualities you possess."

-Unknown

i HEART atlanta's NSEYA SALON AND SPA

Introducing a new column entitled i HEART atlanta. This column tips you off to some of the hottest places in town (restaurants, boutiques, salons, etc.). By no means am I a paid endorser. These places just keep me fly and fresh 2 death--and my boo happy--so I figured I should share the knowledge.

I'm a huge fan of Nseya Salon and Spa (pronounded Say-ya). As the name suggests, they are a full service salon and spa with convenient locations in both Sandy Springs and Midtown. In one spot you can get a wash, set, sew-in, whatever your pleasure and then go upstairs for manis, pedis and massages. I love one stop shopping. Its an upscale vibe, so you may feel like a bit of an outsider on your first visit. The receptionists though do a pretty good job of making you feel like part of the in-crowd. Prices are what you would expect for an upscale Atlanta salon. Besides, you get what you pay for. If you want a relaxer for $20 bucks then go to Ms. Jenkins's Hair Shack off Bankhead where its hot, musty and there's a screen door. If you care about the health of your hair, and wellness inside and out then you need to call Nseya asap!

Standing appointments go fast. My absolute favs are Latrice and Jason at the Sandy Springs location.

Visit www.nseyasalonspa.com for more info.

Featured Articles: Blogsvertise

To my fellow bloggers, be sure to check out http://blogsvertise.com. It seems to be a great website for members of the blogosphere looking to keep your fingers on the pulse of your area of expertise.

Lesson Learned: The List, Part II

No, not the list of your dating requirements (That was Sunday), but the list of people you've slept with. A few rules to manage that sensitive topic. 1) Like your sorority's sacred motto, THE LIST should never be written down or reduced to an electronic format. From what I hear, it can only lead to trouble. Think about it, how do you explain to your boyfriend what exactly he and his homeboy (that you are rumored to have slept with) have in common? Why are both of their names (and a few more) on a list in your bedroom nightstand? Trust me, its a road you don't wanna go down. 2) Think long and hard about disclosure. Its a question all boyfriends will ask. "So, how many people have you been with?" Is it any of their business? The number could surprise you and the names may haunt you. As long as you disclose any past/present STDs, maybe they have all the information they need. Besides, I do not want to know his head count! Whether or not you are honest depends on the level of commitment between you and your boo. If he's "the one" then I'm an advocate for full disclosure (if he loves you, then he'll love you despite your past). If he's not so important, then leave him in the dark. If you decide to conceal the truth, then number three becomes extremely important. 3) Commit your sleep number to memory. There's nothing worse than saying in August that your beau is number 2 for him to hear from you in December that he's number 5. That slip up could result in a white lie induced fade to black. Since many of the ladies in the world are picking "safe" numbers to throw out, lets attempt to vary it a bit my darlings. We can't all use the number 3. Now, no man will ever believe it because he's heard that line before. It messes it up for those who really have been with 3 people pre the current boyfriend! So, some of you should start taking the 7-10 range, while others play it safe with 1 or 2.

Whatever your story, I hope that you're stickin' to it!

Featured Articles: The Kissing Game

There are 2 types of people in the world: those who like to kiss, and those who don't. For those of you against the lip locking, tongue wrestling exercise, here are a few reasons to make yourself pucker up:

1. Kissing stabilizes cardiovascular activity, decreases high blood pressure, and lowers cholesterol.


2. Kissing prevents cavities and plaque build-up by stimulating saliva production while preventing gingivitis through the calcium present in saliva.


3. Kissing stimulates over 30 facial muscles which smooths out skin and increases blood circulation to the face.


4. Kissing burns 12 calories per five-second episode and three passionate kisses a day will help you lose one pound!


5. Kissing prevents the formation of the stress hormone glucocorticoids which causes high blood pressure, muscle weakening and insomnia.


6. Kissing does its part to vaccinate people from new germs. Saliva contains bacteria, 80% of them are common to all people with 20% unique to each person. By sharing saliva with a partner, you are stimulating your immune system to respond to the different bacteria you are being exposed to. The result is that your immune system creates certain anti-bodies to these new bacteria, which in effect vaccinates you against these germs. This process is called cross-immunotherapy.


7. Kissing cures hiccups.


8. Finally, you may not be surprised to know that kissing offers an express analysis of genetic compatibility. While you are kissing, your brain conducts instant chemical analysis of your partner's saliva and issues a "verdict" of your genetic compatibility. Think about it. Don't you know much more about what you like or don't like in a person after one kiss? And kissing is much more fun than taking a relationship inventory!

For more, read Larry James's book: LoveNotes for Lovers: Words that Make Music for Two Hearts Dancing.

ATL Celebrilove: Makin' it rain, every month on schedule.

Well, well, well...an Atlanta "dancer" is allegedly pregnant by Mr. Tip Drill himself---Nelly. The former Strokers dancer is supposed to be 4 months pregnant by the rapper. If mediatakeout's reports are true then it looks like with his 3 kids by 2 bm's Nelly will be tippin' for life and makin' it rain every month on schedule.

Notable and Quotable

"If you had one phone call to make before you died, who would you call and what would you say...more importantly, why are you WAITING?!"

-Unknown

Featured Articles: Perfumania

MSN has taken a closer look at what scents are guaranteed to stimulate your man in more ways than one. Topping the list are (to name a few):

Pumpkin Pie

Lavender

Cheese Pizza

Cinnamon Buns

Doughnuts

I doubt if Sephora has most of these smell goods on the shelf, but at least you know what to throw in the dinner mix. The article actually takes an interesting look at how we associate smells with certain experiences and emotions. Read up.

http://health.msn.com/centers/mensexualhealth/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100167992&page=1

ATL Celebrilove: Ciara and 50???

Ciara was recently interviewed by the AJC's Buzz column. Buzz was up front about the 50 rumors, Ciara...not so much.

"Buzz: Are you dating 50 Cent, yes or no?
Ciara: [with the biggest, probably most adorable smile to come out of Riverdale High] We’re good friends.
Buzz: C’mon, Ciara, that was a yes or no question. We’re trying to break some news here.
Ciara: [after a hearty laugh] We’re just good friends.
Buzz: OK, so who would you like to date past or present if not 50 Cent?
Ciara: Oh! Tupac … he was soooo fine!"

Read the article here: http://www.accessatlanta.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/accessatlanta/peachbuzz/entries/2007/08/27/ciara_plays_coy.html

Featured Articles: Jungle Fever

Atlanta producer Polow da Don was recently interviewed by AllHipHop.com. He calls himself the "King of White Girls." Here's a recap of that part of the convo:

AllHipHop.com: Now, you call yourself the "King of All White Girls." Elaborate on that for me.

Polow Da Don: Just the “King of the White Girls.” I ain't self proclaimed but I run with it. [Laughs] There was a stage in my life where I went crazy with dating white women. I have nothing against black women, but they’re raised differently. White women are raised to respect and serve their men. Black women are taught to question [their men]. Black women look at submission as being weak. White women look at submission as being a woman. And anyone who has a problem with this statement is ignorant. Just look at the divine order; it goes man, woman, child.

To read the article, visit: http://allhiphop.com/blogs/djsproducers/archive/2007/08/27/18438140.aspx

I commend him for at least having thought about the issue (by the way, he went to Morehouse). And, in my opinion, he makes a decent point. Black women and white women are typically raised differently. He should, however, be careful with making sweeping generalizations because I know many submissive Black women and just as many questioning white women. In all, his answer could have been much worse. Hit up the comments section and let me know your thoughts!

Notable and Quotable

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

-Comfort.

Lesson Learned: The List

We all have them--the list. No, not the list of people you've slept with. (That's a topic for another day). But the list of criteria that a man must meet before you consider dating him. This may look familiar:

He must be 6'6'' tall.
He must have a six pack.
He must be employed by one of 3 organizations (the NFL, the NBA, or the MLB).
He must have a degree.
He must have a salary that ends in at least 5 zeros.
He must own a nice house.
He must drive one of the Bs (a benz, a beamer or a bentley)
He must have never been married.
He must not have any kids.

Ladies, its time to let the "he musts" go. You must be crazy to think that a man with every quality on your list actually exists. Its not about settling, its about common sense. You may be missing out on the person that was born to love you because you adhere so strictly to your list that you never give him the time of day. Maybe he's a little shorter than you planned. Maybe he's still working on his six pack (lets not fool ourselves, we are too). Maybe instead of the letters NFL behind his name, its Esq. Its time to break out those sharpies and mark those superficial requirements off the list. Think long and hard about what's important to you in life--or what should be important to you in life. Your list should be full of criteria that demonstrate quality and character. So what if he's a father, is he a good one? Does he treat his mom like a queen? Is he ambitious? Does he make you laugh?

Don't fall into the trap of holding a man to a higher standard than you hold yourself to. Maybe by revising your list, you'll receive some love. Some of us would've never believed that trading in our need for a million dollar celebrity athlete could've been the best thing we've ever done. For those that have found their 9-5 working man with a heart of gold...well, we couldn't be happier.

Lesson Learned: There's A Promise Over Your Life

In all things, relationships included, know that God has a promise over your life. Once he makes that promise he will provide for you and protect you until your promotion. My pastor put it best as comparing your situation to sitting on the runway at the airport. Your plane may be 5th in line for takeoff. Slowly you inch closer and closer to the front of the line. At that point the pilot comes over the speaker to say prepare the cabin for takeoff. God is preparing us for our takeoffs in love, work, relationships, etc. Don't hate on those flights that are taking off before yours, be patient and be prepared for your blessing--whether that blessing is a man, woman, job, or better health-- its coming. We go through bad times because there is someone coming along after us that needs to know our blessing--that needs to know they can make it through a divorce or an abusive relationship. Don't be discouraged by doors that are closed in your face, people that walk out of your life, sometimes God tells us no because that thing that we thought we needed really isn't good for us after all. Many times our anointing comes in our time of affliction. Rejoice now, because there is a promise over your life.