franchesca.net - blog

if it wasn’t for “hurricane” fay, i...

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:08:00 -0400

if it wasn’t for “hurricane” fay, i wouldn’t have had the day off, nor the time to work on the above invite. after spending 4 hours slaving over every tiny detail i’m pretty darn proud of the finished result. whaddya think? as always, click the image to see the full size.

Yay!! My cards finally came!! please excuse my nappy roots....

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:51:00 -0400

Yay!! My cards finally came!! please excuse my nappy roots. geeez.

My incredibly beautiful, amazing, and extremely well connected...

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:39:00 -0400

My incredibly beautiful, amazing, and extremely well connected friend Amber is working on organizing a launch party for me at the fantastic club pictured above to kick off the Red Carpet Reporter contest this weekend! (woa, run on sentence. woops)

We’re meeting with the general manager this afternoon to go over all the details, including having laptop stations set up for people to vote for me. you love it!! Why do I have such amazing friends?!?!

need a reminder to vote for me this Friday?

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:03:42 -0400

Click the button below to add a reminder to your gmail calendar!! nifty!

I take back any bad thing I’ve ever said about Nancy...

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:36:00 -0400

I take back any bad thing I’ve ever said about Nancy Botwin. Only because she agreed to adopt me. Move over Zahara!

Today’s outfit yellow Old Navy v-neck black high waisted...

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 11:49:00 -0400

Today’s outfit
yellow Old Navy v-neck
black high waisted American Apparel pencil skirt
black 9 west oxford pumps

today i’m a bumble bee!
so i didn’t take any big risks involving color today, BUT i am sporting a pencil skirt due in part to the recommendation of my personal stylist/blog reader. i considered wearing a fushia skirt, but the color combo was burning my eyes, so i just couldn’t do it. also, please notice my extremely ripped calf muscle. holy crap, i’m a beast.

Here’s my video for round 2 of the Red Carpet Reporter...

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 09:59:04 -0400

Here’s my video for round 2 of the Red Carpet Reporter contest. Don’t forget to vote for me once a day August 15 - 25th at youtube.com/redcarpetreporter

today’s outfit is exciting to me mainly because i...

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 11:21:00 -0400

today’s outfit is exciting to me mainly because i haven’t been able to fit into these pants since my senior year of high school when i was going to the gym twice a day like a maniac. so go me.

originally i had planned on pairing the pants with brown heels and a brown polka dot scarf but i resisted the urge to be boring and predictable. instead, i opted for this great yellow vintage scarf and some yellow wedges. the background is a close up of the scarf’s maaarvolus pattern. i also decided to tuck in the tank top since i’m really feeling the high waisted look right now.

i’m really enjoying this color challenge a lot and i feel like i’m discovering a whole new wardrobe right in my own closet!

"2008, i’m a reporter at the Emmy’s. 2009, i’m a nominee at the Emmy’s."

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:10:17 -0400

“2008, i’m a reporter at the Emmy’s.
2009, i’m a nominee at the Emmy’s.”

- my new daily mantra

Concept art from Disney's 'The Princess and the Frog'

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 12:58:21 -0400

when i was about 10 or so i remember writing a letter to Disney and asking them to cast me as the voice of one of their Disney princesses. i hated the fact that they never had a black princess (and no, lion king DOES NOT count) and i was certain they’d get my letter and cast me immediately. well, i’m pretty sure you know how that story ended BUT, Disney has FINALLY taken heed to my letter and the first black Disney princess is set to hit theaters December 2009. Seeing as i partly inspired this film, i’m hoping it’s a success and that as a result my residual check will be in the mail.

The gorgeous concept art for the film is below. Click the images for the full size

a blog reader who’s opinion i greatly respect, suggested i...

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 11:37:00 -0400

a blog reader who’s opinion i greatly respect, suggested i add more color to my wardrobe. i’d normally pair this red skirt with a black top and some black heels which is INCREDIBLY predictable and safe. (love ya camille)

so today was my first attempt at playing with color and doing something different. i thought the red and purple made an interesting color combo, and the white shoes are kind of a nice surprise as opposed to gold or brown.
thoughts?

so in the middle of the night i got this great idea. well,...

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 13:06:00 -0400

so in the middle of the night i got this great idea. well, technically someone else inspired the idea but, whatever. sooo, in an effort to promote the contest, i’m getting these nifty little business cards printed! cool huh?

send me your email address if you’d like to be added to my email list so i can spam you about the contest next week. :)

so i finally got to watch a video of my dreaded performance in...

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 10:18:00 -0400

so i finally got to watch a video of my dreaded performance in chicago (sorry, i can’t upload it…nbc says no mam’) and it wasn’t NEARLY as horrible as i had convinced myself it was. hell, i thought i killed it! i just don’t think the chicago audience got me. but it’s all good. after seeing it i actually feel sooo much better about my performance. good stuff.

yaaaay!

Sat, 09 Aug 2008 17:42:36 -0400

yaaaay!

It pays to be a star! Revlon sent me a goodie basket full of...

Sat, 09 Aug 2008 13:00:36 -0400

It pays to be a star! Revlon sent me a goodie basket full of makeup for being a finalist in the red carpet reporter contest. I could get used to this!!

youtube viewer email

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:03:00 -0400

I got a great email yesterday from one of my youtube viewers and I thought I’d share it and my response with you.

Hi Franchesca
I was looking for information about hairdos for locs and I found you. I have 3 1/2 year daughter who I adopted at birth. Her hair has been a learning process for me. She is African American I am a white Jewish girl from WEST PALM BEACH. We have made some progress as she becomes more tolerant and I become more knowledgeable but I would really like to eliminate the constant tension and struggle of maintaining her hair. Anyway I found you and she watched some of your hair vlogs with me. We are inspired (more me than her). What do you think? Should we loc up her hair? Any advice you could offer would thrill and delight me.

first, thanks so much for your message. i’m very flattered that you would ask for my advice. personally, i think 3 is a little young to start locks. while it’s a great style, the first year requires a lot of patience and maintenance. i’d say wait till she’s older and let her decide if it’s a style she’s interested in. in the meantime, there are a lot of cute and easy styles that she can wear.

as opposed to locking her hair, why don’t you look at doing 2 strand twists? All you do is part her hair into sections (you can decide the size of the sections), secure with a rubber band and then twist two pieces of hair and fasten with another rubbber band. here’s an examples of the style

you can leave the twists in for about a week, or as long as they look fresh and not too fuzzy. also, if you twist her hair while it’s wet, you can undo them after they’ve dried and her hair will be really curly, which is another hairstyle option. here’s an example of the style which is called a twist-out

There are also a lot of great books and websites on natural hair care for children. Take a look at http://naturalhaircareguide.com/childrens-hair.html

Also check out, It’s All Good Hair: The Guide to Styling and Grooming Black Children’s Hair

my last suggestion would be to find a local black hair salon and perhaps get her hair braided in cornrows (depending on how much hair she has this may or may not be an option)

just be careful that they don’t braid her hair too tight, which can be really painful. the salon can also give you product and maintenance suggestions. but pleeease, i implore you, do not perm/relax her hair. at her age adding chemicals to her hair is a big no no and can ruin her hair and not to mention, burn her scalp! i would say wait till she’s a teenager before entertaining the idea of perming, even though i don’t recommend it.

i hope my reply wasn’t too lengthy and was helpful. best of luck, and thanks again for your email. take care.

this is from last week when i hosted at the improv. please look...

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 10:54:35 -0400

this is from last week when i hosted at the improv. please look at how cute my mom is.

Life is good!

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 10:33:00 -0400

5 good things!

1. I’m one of the 10 finalist in the People.com/Youtube Red Carpet Reporter Contest. Holler! Voting for round 2 starts next Friday (the 15th) so get ready!
2. I got an email asking me if I’d be interested in doing an all expense paid mini college tour in New York. Of course I said yes. More details to come.
3. I’ve been really sticking to my diet this week and working really hard in the gym. and I’m happy to report that I’m down another pound and feeling stronger than ever!
4. My 16 year old cousin is in town for the month and last weekend we had a really great time hanging out and playing wii. he’s the closest thing I’ve ever had to a sibling, and I’m really enjoying his company. he’s the sweetest.
5. Patrick is wonderful as always. I’m so lucky.

Paradise much?

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:38:26 -0400

Paradise much?

Perfection

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:38:22 -0400

Perfection