Twenty four books read is my 2024 reading challenge goal. In 2022, I read 17 books, surpassing my goal of 12. In 2023, I didn’t come close to my goal of 24 total read books, at only 13. Last month, I decided to push myself and be very intentional on not only hitting my goal of 24 books, but beating the goal by adding one additional book per month! That’s a lot of math, I know, but the point is, I’m hoping to beat my goal, and if I continue on this path, I will definitely do that! I’m still…
Who remember the days of being awaken at 7am on Saturday mornings to Luther Vandross blasting from the speakers and your mom busting in your room with a broom and mop in hand?? Saturday mornings were dsignated to cleaning the ENTIRE house before you even thought of going outside to play. For years into adulthood, I followed that same recipe until I realized that I was wasting my Saturdays with tasks that I can easily knock out during the week. When I could be out enjoying my day or sleeping in and catching up on SVU, I was spending hours…
It’s not lost on me that some people aren’t huge fans of wines because of the acidity and the dry tastes; That is what makes people lean towards the sweeter lesser quality options. It’s also not lost on me that price point matters. As mentioned in previous posts, I’m on a mission to find a decent bottle of wine that’s available to the masses and doesn’t break the bank. This Sweet Shiraz from Jam Jar helped me to transistion to red wines in my early wine drinking days. Shiraz is a dessert wine, so it’s sweeter than most and not…
New Month. New books to read. This month’s list explores different genres, writing styles, and emotional requirements. The Rebel King by Kennedy Ryan is part 2 of a 3 book series. I read the Kingmaker in February, and I loved the story line. Tiffany Jackson has a way of pulling on and not letting go of your heart strings. If Grown is anything close to Allegedly, I’m not sure if I’m ready, but I do know that I will have to read something a little lighter afterwards. Which leads me to THE Terry McMillan. You can never go wrong with…
I’m still on a mission to find wine alternatives that are of decent quality, accessible to the masses, and are reasonably priced. Trader Joe’s has a great wine section with a number of wine varieties and at every price point. Finding the best wine at TJ’s isn’t easy, but I’m determined to do so. I decided to stop in to my local TJ’s and grab this bottle of Zinfandel to try out for y’all and well uummm, I’m not a fan. At all. However, just because I didn’t enjoy it (I took 3 sips and aborted the mission, ASAP) doesn’t…
One thing about me is that I’m going to create a meal that doesn’t take up too much time. ESPECIALLY during the week! This margherita pizza took me approximately 20 minutes, total, to prepare and have on my plate ready to eat. I poured a glass of Zinfandel from Trader Joe’s ( was not my favorite) ate a few slices, and that was dinner! INGREDIENTS: INSTRUCTIONS: xoxo,Starr
The entire topic and discourse around wine can be classist, but it doesn’t have to be. Enjoying a decent bottle of wine doesn’t have to cost a ton of money but neither should it compromise on quality. You can grab a pretty nice bottle of wine from your local grocery store, or even a gas station (that’s a perk of living in Northern California) that’s not garbage. I have a few wine brands that I grab from the grocery store and sometimes Seven Eleven, when I’m in a rush or don’t want to spend a ton of money. Let’s get…
Hair has always been an accessory to me. I change the style quite often, and in January of 2023 I cut it in to this cute pixie cut! The original cut was giving me 1990s HBCU vibes and I loved it. Unforutnately, the cut got shorter and we just couldn’t get that vibe back. I started to feel like the cut made me look older. Fast forward a few short months later and I was on a mission to grow my hair back out and I’m still on that mission. I’m not sure of the ultimate goal, but I do…
We are finally starting to get full days of sunshine and warmer weather and it’s forced me to face the fact that I haven’t finished my Spring wardrobe. Eek! So, I took some time this weekend to do an inventory of my closet and make a quick list of a few staple items I need to add to my Spring wardrobe. There is nothing flashy about any of these items which makes them perfect staple pieces. I have linke all items below except the watch. I’m actually looking for a vintage version shop the post xoxo,Starr
New Month. New books to read. I’m excited about this month’s list and can’t wait to dive nose deep into each of them. To be completely honest, I started Nightcrawling in January, but it started too slow for me. I’m picking it back up to finish it this month because I’ve heard so many good reviews. Plus, it’s based right here in Oakland. Kennedy Ryan has quickly become one of my favorite authors. She is such a great storyteller and her characters are uniquely relatable. I just finished “The Kingmaker” and will probably read the second part in April. I’m…
