I’m convinced this app was set up to show people how crazy I really am. I can’t get enough of it.

Quick facts:

Vine is a mobile app that enables its users to create and post video clips.

Vine video clips have a maximum of 6 seconds, but you can actually do a lot with those six seconds. It allows the user to post a few quick seconds of different clips together to make for a very entertaining video. It also loops the video.

Vine clips can be shared and embedded on social media and blog sites.

Twitter acquired the app in October 2012.

Follow me: @necolebitchie

Want to eat sweets without the guilt?  These bite-sized cupcakes will do the trick.

I have no idea how I’ve lived in New York this long without knowing about Baked By Melissa’s.  The bakery, which has locations all over the city, sells these little mini cupcakes that are super moist and super good.  Not to mention, they are sooo tiny. You literally just pop them in your mouth.  Yummy!!!

Flavors include Red Velvet, Cookie Dough, Cookies and Cream, Tie-dye, Mint Chocolate Chip, Cinnamon, Peanut Butter Fluff, Birthday Cake, Coconut Cream and more. They also make custom cupcakes and they deliver or ship nationwide.

The pricing may be a little steep with a 3 pack of cupcakes running about $3.00,  but the price comes down a bit as the quantity goes up: 6 pack of cupcakes = $5.50, 12 pack = $10.00 25 pack = $20.00,  50 pack = $40.00 and 100 cupcakes = $80.00.

They also have a 6.5 foot gumball machine that holds over 2000 cupcakes that you can rent for parties.  How cute!

The shop was opened by a lady name Melissa in 2009, a year after she was fired from her job in Advertising.  She now has over 10 locations in the New York City area.

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I’m an impatient shopper. The type that will put everything that I carefully picked out in a store back on the racks if the line for the fitting room or check out line is too long. Because of this, I do almost 90% of my shopping online.

Most recently, while browsing some of my favorite sites, I came across overalls and I was thrilled! The 9-year-old in me came back and I wanted to splurge! They truly make me feel like a kid again when I’m wearing sneakers or an up do, however, you can throw on a cute pump to add some sexy sophistication.

Catch some of my overall picks below: Read More

My friends and I have some deep conversations over email and text and sometimes I share them through a series I’ve titled, Conversations with Friends. The latest installment is from an email exchange I had early last year with a friend just moments after I watched a video called ‘Inspiring Words from Oprah‘ on YouTube.

Just a little back story: I normally spend my entire Sunday watching speeches or reading books from people I look up to, and this particular Sunday was “Oprah Sunday.” My friends do the same so we normally hit each other up over email and talk about what we just watched or read and it turns into a full on discussion.

______________________Beginning of exchange

Necole: So you know I love Oprah right? I’ve been watching her interviews all day and I just found this video. Amazing!

Friend: I can watch that clip and apply it to so much that I want to accomplish in life but I know there are so many people that just can’t relate to Oprah’s story. They don’t remember her background. In watching those clips, all you see is this lady crying and having God felt revelations about a movie role. Rich people problems. It takes a lot to see that it took time for Oprah to overcome Read More

Last night I hosted a special screening of The Great Gatsby in New York City and finding an outfit last minute was a challenge.  I had a black ensemble all picked out and when I walked out of the room, my sister Shy and makeup artist Porsche immediately said, ‘that ain’t gonna work’ so it was back to the drawing board with just 10 minutes to run out the door.

Back in January, I reached out to a Kentucky-based designer named Fhonia Ellis and asked her if she could design a dress for me, that included a bow tie, just in case I went to the Grammy Awards.  After sending her a few inspiration shots, she drafted up a design of how the dress would look (it had one sleeve originally) and after a few tweaks, my dress was stitched up and Fedex to me.  When I received it, I was so amazed at how perfect the fit was but I fell ill Grammy weekend and never left my hotel room.

Fast forward to yesterday, I needed something to wear, and that handy dandy, specially made-for-me dress was screaming, “Pick me! Pick me!”

It was so perfect. I really love the detail on the bow tie.

Catch a few pics: Read More

You gotta love dogs!

This past weekend, some friends and I were down in West Village scouting a location for a photo shoot when I came across the most adorable puppy ever.  His name is Martin and he’s a labradoodle (labrador retreiver and poodle mix).  He’s only 8 months old but he literally was so big that he ended up dragging me all up and down Hudson Street.  My shoes definitely will need a heel replacement after playing with that lil booger.

I was trying to get him to pose for some shots but he definitely wasn’t having it. He’s so photogenic.

Catch some candids below: Read More

On Tuesday night, my homegirl Aura over at Epic Records asked me to swing through Germanos Studio for Ciara’s listening session, and I felt it would be a nice little event to mingle, sip cocktails and listen to some new music.  I’ve been to quite a few listening events since I’ve been back in New York and the atmosphere normally consists of a room full of industry folks, sipping on the sponsored liquor of the night while networking and pretending to be listening to the album of the hour.

This definitely wasn’t that type of party.  First, I was a half-hour late and boy was it noticeable when I opened the door and caught Ciara mid-sentence talking about her album in front of an intimate room of maybe 15 journalists and bloggers. WHOOPS!  My bad. Ciara greeted me with a smile and I nervously shook Future’s hand (who was standing in front of the door) before scurrying across the room and promising myself that I would be at least 20 minutes early to the next event.

At any rate, the session began and Read More