Serana Glamping Retreat

Posted on March 24, 2021March 31, 2021 by Alyse Nicole

21+ Glamping Retreat in Central Texas

We recently had the opportunity to visit the new Serana Glamping Retreat, which is a 21+ glamping experience located in Paige, TX. That’s about 30 minutes from both Bastrop and Smithville, TX, and about an hour from Austin. Here’s what went down and everything you can expect.

Accommodations

There’s three options for accommodations, one of three kampinas (small cabins), the Little Bluestem (luxury tent), and the Big Bluestem (bigger luxury tent).

The kampinas now have full electricity and provide heat/AC, electrical outlets, etc. The Bluestems do not have electricity, but Serana provides a portable charger for you to use during your stay, and each tent has a wood burning stove for those colder nights.

We stayed in the Little Bluestem, and it was beautiful! It felt like we were in an upscale hotel. Walking up to the tent, you first arrive at the gravel patio with 2 separate sitting areas and a gas firepit. The view from both sitting areas is a pond that was breathtaking at sunset. The front of the tent has a netted enclosure. So you can leave the tent open in the day (and night if you choose) to enjoy the views of the property while keeping a bit of privacy and stopping critters from getting in. There are also 3 windows that you can zip closed if you’d like.

There is a queen sized bed with a memory foam mattress (very comfortable), plush white bedding and sheets, a coat rack, just enough decor to make you feel at home, and another sitting area inside the tent, as well as the aforementioned wood burning stove. They also provide Turkish bath towels, and boy were we naïve. We thought it was an extra throw lol. Firewood is also provided for the stove, but I advise you to bring your own kindling to easier light the fire. Maybe watch a few Youtube tutorials like this one also.

wood burning stove inside the Little Bluestem

Amenities

Since this is a true glamping retreat, several amenities are provided for your comfort, such as an outdoor kitchen and bath house. In the kitchen you’ll find a refrigerator, a cooktop, sink, coffee and tea makers, cookware, dishes, flatware, a barbecue grill, and a Traeger grill.

The bath house has 2 bath stalls and a sink right outside them. There are also 2 outdoor showers with rain shower heads. Toiletries were also available in the showers.

Lastly in the communal section are a big firepit for lounging and a Quonset hut for dining. We loved the rustic yet modern look of the common areas. It really made you feel like you were having an elevated retreat experience.

Around the Property

Serana is set on a 53 acre property with 4 ponds, chickens, ducks, coming soon, an outdoor gym, and wide open spaces to roam and explore. I was literally frolicking through the fields at one point!

Serana also does something very cool. They have mobile chicken coops that they move periodically. This allows the chickens to naturally fertilize and turn the soil, resulting in beautiful, bright green grass. We unfortunately couldn’t find the ducks while we were there.

The property itself is full of photo ops, but you may get too caught up in enjoying it so much that you forget to “do it for the Gram”. All in all, this was a very enjoyable stay, and I would definitely do it again. If you’d like the best of both worlds, the great outdoors and being in town, read my previous blog post here, giving tips on things to do in downtown Bastrop.

Visit www.seranatx.com to book your stay and get away from it all for a few days. For even more pictures of our stay, click here to see my Instagram post. Thank you Serana Glamping Retreat for the awesome experience!

Things to Do in Downtown Bastrop

Posted on March 17, 2021March 23, 2021 by Alyse Nicole

Things to Do in Downtown Bastrop, TX

We were recently able to visit Serana, a new 21+ glamping destination in Paige, TX (blog post coming soon), which is about 30 minutes away from Bastrop. So, we decided to take a day trip to Bastrop and see what all it had to offer. Spoiler alert, the answer is EVERYTHING!

Where to Eat

My number 1 question when traveling is “Where are we eating?” So, of course, that was the first thing I checked when we decided to head to downtown Bastrop.

First, before we even get to the food, let me just say how beautiful it is downtown! We were in the historic district. So all the buildings are preserved from waaay back in the day! Then downtown sits on the banks of the Colorado River. So, you can take a nice stroll along the riverbanks on the way to your next destination. ( I love these kinds of things.)

Neighbor’s Kitchen & Yard

Now, back to the food! We were glamping Saturday night, then spent all day Sunday in Bastrop. Saturday evening, however, we also went into town for dinner at Neighbor’s Kitchen & Yard. This restaurant sits right on the Colorado River bank with a huge multi-level patio overlooking the river and a stage downstairs in “The Yard” for live performances (which, by the way, just started back).

the Brooklynite calzone, the Comeback Dip, and the Hot Li’l Honey calzone

For a starter, we tried the Comeback Dip, which is rightfully named because it’ll definitely have you coming back to order more! We both ordered calzones.. I had the current featured flavor, The Brooklynite. William had the Hot Li’l Honey. We traded half of our calzones with each other, and I loved them both. The Brooklynite was more traditional with red sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, mushroom, and oregano.

The Hot Li’l Honey contains olive oil, mozzarella, tomato, salami, and cherry peppers. Then the calzone is drizzled with habanero infused hot honey. The sweet, spicy, and savory flavor combo was perfect!

Lastly, for drinks, I had the moonshine margarita, and William had the Geometric Rye-No by Iron Bridge Icehouse, which is located right next door to Neighbor’s! We thoroughly enjoyed our food and time at Neighbor’s and will definitely be back!

After our awesome dining experience, we headed back to our campsite to relax and rest up for the next day.

Paw-Paw’s Catfish House

For dinner on Sunday, we visited Paw-Paw’s Catfish House located on Main Street. This restaurant, which was started by Cheri Rice in honor of her grandparents, already pulled at our heartstrings before stepping foot inside the restaurant because it made us think of our Paw Paw (William’s grandpa). Both of my grandfathers were gone before I was born. So, I never had the chance to experience a grandfather’s love. Upon meeting William’s grandpa, lovingly called Paw Paw, he immediately took me in as one of his own. He passed away in 2019, and we love and miss him dearly.

So with that backstory, of course when we saw a catfish house with that name, we had to go! I’m happy to say they did not disappoint. William and I agreed it’s some of the best catfish we’ve had since moving to Texas in 2013.

At Paw-Paw’s, we started with a basket of onion rings, which were THE BEST onion rings I’ve ever had anywhere! That says a lot, by the way, because I consider myself an onion ring connoisseur. I also had the sweet tea, which is served in a mason jar and is refilled regularly. It was perfect, with just the right amount of sugar.

handbreaded onion rings, fried catfish platter, and Paw-Paw’s platter

For our main courses, William had the fried catfish platter, which came with 6 pieces of fish, fries, pinto beans, coleslaw, hushpuppies, and tarter sauce or cocktail sauce. Then I had Paw Paw’s platter, which came 3 pieces of catfish, 3 HUGE jumbo shrimp, and all the sides from the catfish platter. I had the tarter sauce and cocktail sauce though.

We were both stuffed and had to get to-go boxes. I wanted to try the banana pudding couldn’t bring myself to order it. So, that’s on my list next time because believe me, there will be a next time.

Things To Do

Now, you may be thinking, “She told about dinner Saturday night then skipped to dinner Sunday. What happened in between?” Don’t worry! We’re getting to that right now. So, Sunday, we got up relatively early to enjoy the campsite more before leaving. Then, we headed downtown around 11am. We were supposed to get breakfast at Maxine’s Café but ended up eating before leaving Serana. So we didn’t have an appetite quite yet. Because of this, we started our downtown adventure a bit early.

We got there as church was letting out, but businesses weren’t open just yet. So we walked around for a while taking in the views. That’s when we were able to see the Colorado River in all its glory. It looks a lot different in the daytime. We walked up and down the riverbank, taking in the sights and seeing what we could see. William spotted a log with what we thought were 3 turtles, but upon further investigating, ended up being 7! They’re pictured below in the slide.

So now, it was noon, and downtown was open for business. So we made our way to Astro Record Store. This store was previously a saloon and is really cool to see. They also had a really good selection of records. We left with 3 new records for our collection. After Astro, we wondered around a bit more, stopping at Colorado River Winery as well as Cripple Creek Wine & Gifts. We then headed to Copper Shot Distillery. Here, we each had a flight, trying 2 of their infused moonshines and 2 whiskeys. Let me just say, those infused moonshines are DANGEROUS! They’re so good, you may forget you’re drinking alcohol. The whiskeys were smooth, but they will definitely make sure you take your time drinking them. We also discovered Copper Shot has a Bloody Mary bar on Sunday’s that are pretty popular.

After our flights, we decided to walk them off a bit. So we headed back to the river to walk the other direction. After some time, we realized we still had time to spare before our dinner reservation (due to our changed schedule). So, we ventured off to Walmart. On our way, though, we ran into a Goodwill. So we had to stop. There were some great furniture pieces for amazing prices. (I think our neighborhood Goodwill jacks up the prices some.) We found a classic movie that we needed in our lives, The Adventures of Babysitting. So, we got that. Then, we were again off to Walmart. Once that store trip was over, it was time for dinner. So, we headed back to Downtown Bastrop for our Paw-Paw’s fix.

Big Iron Bridge
Stairs to and from the Colorado River
family of turtles
Astro Record Store
historic church in Downtown Bastrop
The Yard at Neighbor’s
decor in Paw-Paw’s
flights at Copper Shot

Everywhere we visited followed COVID protocol, requiring masks, unless you were eating or drinking, and we didn’t witness anyone trying to defy the rules.

All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves in Downtown Bastrop and are already making plans to return, this time with friends. There’s plenty to see and do, such as the museum and visitor’s center, a movie theater (not quite downtown), plenty of restaurants and bars, and a lot of history to learn. I’d highly recommend taking a day trip to visit, and next time we’ll venture out from downtown to experience even more of the city.

Peach Cobbler Pound Cake

Posted on March 11, 2021November 28, 2022 by Alyse Nicole

Peach Cobbler Pound Cake

Some time last year (I think it was in the summer), we had the most delicious cake I’ve ever tasted, a peach cobbler pound cake! I’ve been trying to chase that high ever since. So, last Thanksgiving, I decided to try my hand at making it since we had basically all the ingredients because I already planned on making a regular pound cake. After a quick web/Pinterest search, I came up with this recipe.

I’m not big on the blogs that have an entire autobiography before getting to the recipe. So, I’ll save you the five minutes of scrolling lol. The recipe is right below.

Peach Cobbler Pound Cake

Alyse Nicole

This is a fun and delicious twist on two classic desserts, a peach cobbler and a pound cake. There's a few extra steps for this, but it's definitely worth it in the end!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 30

Total Time 1 45

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 16 servings

Equipment

1 mixing bowl set (2 small, 1 medium, and 2 large bowls)
1 10 in. Bundt cake pan
1 stand mixer or hand mixer

Ingredients

Cake

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
3 tbsp brown sugar
4 eggs yolks separated
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup whole milk
3 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 can (15 oz) sliced peaches in syrup separated from syrup
3/4 cup syrup from the peaches
1/4 cup whiskey optional

Glaze

2 cups sifted powdered sugar
water, milk, or liqueur*
1 tsp vanilla extract or any flavor you want

Instructions

Geez! That was a lot, but now we can start.

Cake

Preheat the oven to 325°. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon.
Butter the Bundt pan, and coat it with the brown sugar mixture. This will give the outside of your cake the flavor and texture of a cobbler crust.
In the medium bowl, add the peaches, 2 tsp of cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp of nutmeg. Mix it together, covering the peaches, and save for later.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and the rest of the cinnamon and nutmeg.
In the second small bowl, beat the egg whites until firm. Now place all these bowls to the side.
In the second large bowl, mix the butter and granulated sugar at medium speed until creamy and fluffy.
Beat the egg yolks into the sugar mixture one at a time. Then mix in the vanilla extract and 3/4 cups of the peach syrup. (Alternatively, you can add just 1/2 cup of the syrup and 1/4 cup of the whiskey of your choice.)
Slowly add the dry mixture into the wet mixture. Once it's mixed well, fold in the milk and egg whites.
Pour half the batter into the Bundt pan. Then add half the peach mixture. Next, fill the Bundt pan with the rest of the batter.
Bake for 1 1/2 hour, checking with a toothpick at about an hour. Once the cake is done, remove it from the oven and let it cool in the Bundt pan for 10-20 minutes. Remember that the cake will continue to cook after it's removed from the oven. So don't leave it in longer than the recommended time.
Once the cake is cool, remove it from the pan and place on a wire rack (a plate will also do) to continue cooling. Finally, place as many of the remaining peach slices that you'd like on top of the cake.

Glaze

Place the sifted powdered sugar in the now empty and cleaned medium bowl from earlier.
Whisk in whichever liquid (water, milk, liqueur) you choose, one tbsp at a time, until you reach the desired thickness.
Whisk in 1 tsp of the extract.
Take the glaze, and slowly drizzle it over the cake to your preferred liking.

Notes

*If you use a liqueur, you can skip the extract.

Keyword fruit, fruit dessert, glaze, peach cobbler, pound cake

The Glaze

Here’s the thing, I didn’t have on of the ingredients to make the glaze, the powdered sugar! So, I put regular granulated sugar in the blender to make something similar to powdered sugar. Remember that if you ever find yourself in the same situation!

Well, that’s it! You now have yourself a homemade peach cobbler pound cake! Would you change/substitute anything? What did you use for your glaze? Let me know below!

Find more recipes here!

Your Biker Gang

Posted on March 3, 2021March 3, 2021 by Alyse Nicole

Your Biker Gang: Austin, TX

We recently had the pleasure of experiencing e-bikes for the first time through Your Biker Gang, located near downtown Austin. They also have a location in Panama City, FL. I had heard of e-bikes before but had never been on one. The rest of the crew hadn’t even heard of them. So we were all in for a real treat!

We started at the Your Biker Gang clubhouse off Cesar Chavez, took a beginner driver’s ed course (which was sooo fun), and we hit the road. Word to the wise naturalistas! You will be wearing the helmets pictured. So don’t show up with your hair in a high puff and headwrap like I did lol. I will also admit that crossing the first street kind of scared me, even though we had the light and the right of way. I’ve just always been afraid to cross streets lol. Our first stop was near the Lamar and 15th St. intersection.

We got off, checked out the amazing murals on both sides of the street, and had our first photo op. Since the bikes are motorized and you ride them in the street, no mobile device usage is allowed while operating them. We took a group pic in front of a mural on the side of a building. Then we did some individual exploring. The mural below is by Rex Hamilton. Click his name to check out his amazing work on Instagram.

After our photo op, we were back on the road. We made our way to Auditorium Shores and Butler Park, where we learned some architectural history about downtown. We also learned that the sidewalk path near the Stevie Ray Vaughan statue creates the shape pf a guitar.. I don’t want to give away too much in case you take the same tour path as us. That way you’ll still be surprised at all the hidden gems and history in good ole Austin.

After learning more about downtown, we headed to 2nd and Brazos to check out the Tau Ceti mural by Josef Kristofoletti. I actually had a photoshoot last year on the roof of the garage this mural is painted on, but that’s neither here nor there. By the time we made it to the Tau Ceti mural, we were a full blown biker gang. We had the e-biker skills locked down and were thoroughly enjoying the ride!

At the mural, we learned that Tau Ceti is a star in the constellation Cetus, about 12 light years away. The star is very similar to our sun, but is only 78% of the sun’s mass. The mural imitates what it would be like if the sunlight reflected off the windows downtown during sunset was refracted into a spectrum. If you’re there right at sunset in the Spring, you can experience just that!

So, upon leaving the Tau Ceti mural, we made the trek back towards the clubhouse, but now before making a couple more stops. We stopped in front of the Austin Proper hotel to view this pretty neat art installation down below. It was so cool seeing them in action! Thank you to the homie Derrick for the demonstration. You can see it in action on my Instagram page. (The video wouldn’t upload here for me.)

Our final stop before making it back to the clubhouse was at the Treaty Oak. This is a HUGE live oak tree said to be 500 years old. It’s the last of the Council Oaks, which was a grove of trees that served as a meeting place for the Comanche and Tonkawa tribes

Tribes would meet at places like these as neutral grounds. It’s said they would each bury a weapon to show they were done fighting, which is where the term “bury the hatchet” comes from. There’s A LOT more history behind this tree, but again, I don’t want to give too much away. So if you’d like to learn more, take the bike tour!

Thank you so much to Sweet John of Your Biker Gang for this awesome experience! We can’t wait to come back to ride and learn more about this historic city.

If you’re in the Austin, TX, or Panama City, FL, area, definitely book a tour, and use code ALYSENICOLE for 20% off your ride! Have any of you been e-biking before? Let me know if you have or if you’d try it.

Tailored Made Career Solutions, LLC

Posted on February 26, 2021February 25, 2021 by Alyse Nicole

10 Questions with Tailored Made Career Solutions, LLC

I can’t believe this month has gone by so fast and we’re already to the final interview of my 10 Questions series, where I ask Black owned businesses at different stages in their career the same 10 questions. The final interview is with LaTasha Dale, owner of Tailored Made Career Solutions, LLC. I, of course, asked her the same 10 questions. Below are her answers.

Tailored Made Career Solutions, LLC

1. What is your business, and how did it come to be?

Tailored Made Career Solutions is a business that provides and prepares jobseekers with career strategies for a modern day workforce. Whether they are looking to optimize a resume, cover letter, or strategize for a successful job interview, we have tailored made solutions to support their workforce needs.

I’ve always had a passion for guiding and aiding others to reach their career goals and full potential but before I officially launched Tailored Made Career Solutions, I would always be the go to person that would review friends and family resumes or provide them with strategies to consider when interviewing.

In 2020, I decided to launch Tailored Made Career Solutions to assist those professionals with tips and tricks to consider when applying for a job. As a certified career services provider with a state agency and working with adult learners; I felt compelled to specifically target the African American population due to the lack of knowledge of strategically preparing for a job, what to do before an interview, during an interview, and after an interview. The need was very prominent

2. What’s your proudest moment so far?

My proudest moment is having 4 clients to land careers in their desired career field utilizing my career strategies.

3. Do you notice any specific struggles or issues due to your business being Black owned?

As of now I have not noticed any specific struggles or issues due to my business being Black owned. In my opinion, I have not encountered this experience yet due to being a new business who is continually trying to build clientele.

4. Who would benefit most from your business?

The individuals who would benefit the most from Tailored Made Career Solutions are high school students, college students, entry level to mid- level professionals.

5. Do you have someone you could look up to in the professional world? If so, who and why?

I have my high school teacher, Bonita Williams, who I continue to look up to, because her drive and ambition pushed me to become the person I am today. She did not give up on pursuing her dreams and goals but PIVOTED when she had obstacles.

6. Since it’s Black History Month, what Black icon do you relate to most, be it a civil rights leader, celebrity, etc.?

I admire Oprah Winfrey. She’s the epitome of overcoming adversity. I also admire Former First Lady Michelle Obama.

7. What’s your next goal for your business?

My next business goal is to start offering college prep workshops for rural areas in Arkansas.

8. What’s your most popular service/item?

My most popular service items are Resume Revisions and Resume Critique.

9. What’s one non-monetary way someone could support your business right now?

The non-monetary way someone could support Tailored Made is to follow and like on Facebook and Instagram, spread the word about Tailored Made Career Solutions, or make a referral.

10. How can we reach you to work with you?

I can be reached at my website: www.tailoredmadeconsulting.com

Email: tasha@tailoredmadeconsulting.com

Phone: 501-510-0670

Facebook: Tailored Made Career Solutions,LLC

Instagram: Tailored Career Solutions

Thank you!

I would like to thank LaTasha for being my last interview in this series. She was very quick to respond with her answers and did an amazing job!

Since March is Women’s History Month, I think I’ll keep this going. Thank you all for joining in each time to read about these awesome business owners and hopefully showing them some support as well!

Stay tuned for my Women’s History interviews, and if you’d like to be one of the women featured email me at alyse@itslysenicole.com. Happy Black History Month!

Ashley Savage

Posted on February 22, 2021February 22, 2021 by Alyse Nicole

10 Questions with Entrepreneur Ashley Savage

We’re a little over half way through the month and almost done with my 10 Questions series, where I interview Back owned businesses at different stages in their career, asking them the same questions. Today, I’m interviewing entrepreneur Ashley Savage, owner of CoverdNCrochet and P.O.U.T. Lip Lacquer. These are her answers.

1. What is your business, and how did it come to be?

I currently have 2 businesses: CoverdNCrochet, where I make crochet garments, accessories and some home decor items; and P.O.U.T. Lip Lacquer.

I learned to crochet when I was 13yrs old from a nice lady, friend of the family. Then years later I picked it back up as a means of therapy after a near fatal car accident.

I also just dipped a toe in the cosmetics business and launched a line of lip gloss called P.O.U.T. Lip Lacquer. The acronym P.O.U.T. stands for Perfecting Our Unique Talents. I was making lip gloss and lip scrubs with my nieces (I have 8 of them), and I just so happened to run across some videos on YouTube and saw that people actually sell the lip gloss they make. So I said to myself, “Ash you can do that.” So I wrote down a check list and for 60 days I went through the list, checking everything off, and I launched Jan. 15th.

2. What’s your proudest moment so far?

Just having the courage to take the leap with both businesses. When you want to start something of your own, there are a lot of people that’ll try to discourage you from doing so because they only see what could go wrong. Most people say, “What if you fail?” And I always ask myself, “What if I fly?” Then I get right to work on my written plans.

3. Do you notice any specific struggles or issues due to your business being Black owned?

I’ve noticed that a lot of people have some sort of stigma with Black-owned businesses, and unlike our white counterparts, people that have been successful in the same field or market are not willing to help anyone else. They have this terrible mindset and they think that if they help the next person, I’ll take away from their business.

4. Who would benefit most from your business?

My children. The pandemic has hit a lot of families pretty hard and no matter how bad this thing gets, the landlord still wants the rent, and I have to keep the lights on and the bellies full. I work for the State of Arkansas, barely making ends meet. So the rest has to come from somewhere. I’d do anything for my kids. So why not work for them too if I’m going to work everyday for somebody else?

5. Do you have someone you look up to in the professional world? If so, who and why?

Yes and no.

No because I actually look up to my parents. They have always been hard-working people and no matter what the odds were against them, they made sure that we didn’t go without.

Yes, I look up to Raynell Stewart, aka Supa Cent. I started following her long before the multimillion dollar cosmetic line. I followed her on YouTube and watched crazy story time videos. She started her business with just a plan and now look at it.

6. Since it’s Black History Month, what Black icon do you relate to most, be it a civil rights leader, celebrity, etc.?

I really can’t pick one individual. I have the determination so many people had before me. The drive to keep going when someone tells you or makes you feel undeserving.

7. What’s your next goal for your business?

I’m currently working on Spring/Summer swimwear for my crochet business and I have a gloss collection in the works for Women’s History Month In March as well as selling other items donning my logos.

8. What’s your most popular item?

Right now my most popular crochet item is leg warmers and my most popular gloss is actually my signature gloss called Perfect POUT.

9. What’s one non-monetary way someone could support your business right now?

Just like and or share the posts pertaining to my business on Facebook here and here. The more exposure I can get the better..

10. How can we shop with you?

I have a shop on Etsy, www.etsy.com/shop/CoverdNCrochet, and you can purchase my vegan, cruelty free lip lacquer at www.poutliplacquer20.com.

Thank you!

Thank you so much Ashley for participating in this series! Thank you all for reading and getting to know Ashley and her story. Please go to both of her sites to show your support!

Stewart and Daughters Global

Posted on February 20, 2021February 20, 2021 by Alyse Nicole

10 Questions with Stewart and Daughters Global

We’re at the third interview from my 10 Questions series, where I ask Black owned businesses at different stages in their career the same 10 questions. Today, I’m interviewing Alexander Stewart, of Stewart and Daughters Global. These are his answers.

1. What is your business, and how did it come to be?

Ecommerce holistic business that gives the customer the ability to shop for wellness products, skincare, and home cleaning products at one stop. It came to be for me because I only like to offer products that I believe in and that will offer what is a need in your life.

2. What’s your proudest moment so far?

My proudest moment so far is knowing that I have products that truly are a need for my customers at this point and I can direct my customers to products that are safe and that I believe in.

3. Do you notice any specific struggles or issues due to your business being Black owned?

I have not noticed any specific struggles mainly because my business is Ecommerce and not a storefront.

4. Who would benefit most from your business?

Anyone looking for all natural organic vitamins, weight loss supplements, or sports nutrition. Also anyone looking for all natural organic skincare systems or organic and biodegradable cleaning products. I believe I have what anyone needs.

5. Do you have someone you look up to in the professional world? If so, who and why?

I would say I look up to Lebron James because he is doing what I always dreamed of doing which is giving back into his community and giving kids who do not have the support needed a chance to achieve their goals in life.

6. Since it’s Black History Month, what Black icon do you relate to most, be it a civil rights leader, celebrity, etc.?

My black icon is Kobe Bryant simply because he expected and pursued excellence in everything he did.

7. What’s your next goal for your business?

My next goal for my business is to earn more customer business and increase my customer sales by 15% heading into the summer.

8. What’s your most popular service?

My most popular item is the N* by Nutrilite which is basically saying (put more nutrition in you).

9. What’s one non-monetary way someone could support your business right now?

Simply by sharing the business with friends and family or anyone who wants the ability to shop for natural and organic nutrition, skincare, and homecare from a one stop shop.

10. How can we reach you to shop with you?

I can be reached 4 different ways: Email (stewartanddaughtersglobal@gmail.com), Phone number (469-600-9196), and Websites (www.amway.com/myshop/DailyHealthBeauty)(www.amway.com/myshop/CleanFreshHouse)

Thank you!

Thank you Alexander for participating in this series! Thank you all for reading and getting to know Alexander. Please be sure to visit his sites and support his family’s business.

Majestic Adult Living Home Agency

Posted on February 11, 2021February 11, 2021 by Alyse Nicole

10 Questions with Majestic Adult Living Home Agency

Welcome back to the next interview from my 10 Questions series, where I interview Back owned businesses at different stages in their career. Today, I’m asking Aries Maxwell, owner of Majestic Adult Living Home Agency the same 10 questions. These are her answers.

1. What is your business, and how did it come to be?

my business name is Majestic Adult Living Home Agency. We are a residential in-home care, adult family home agency provider that provides 24 hour supervision, medication, administration, transportation service, respite care, etc, in Milwaukee, WI.

My business was inspired by my grandmother and mother, brother, and niece. My grandmother passed in 2015. She has always been known as a person to put a smile on someone’s face while dealing with her own challenges. When I was growing up, as a teenager, my grandmother lived with us. We used to see her talking to herself, but didn’t fully understand what was wrong with her, but we loved her anyway. Later we found out that she had schizophrenia and dementia, a mental health disorder. We didn’t know what mental illness was or even talk about it in our home. We just lived with it and loved on her despite her condition, and she loved on us back.

Another person who inspired me was my brother, who was born with cerebral palsy and a developmental disability, and his fight to not allow his disability determine his limits to living his best life. Lastly was learning my niece was born with a hearing impairment and watching her grow up as she excelled in school and listening to her plan her future. She has inspired me to understand how important it is to develop an environment where people need to feel love and acceptance from others whether it’s a mental illness, a developmental, or physical disability. They are still people who have learned to do things differently.

2. What’s your proudest moment so far?

My proudest moment when one of my resident thank me for being apart her life.

3. Do you notice any specific struggles or issues due to your business being Black owned?

Yes, financing and resources.

4. Who would benefit most from your business?

Families who are looking for a place for their grandmother, brother, aunt, uncle or child, also a Social Worker or Case manager who is looking to place someone into a good home.

5. Do you have someone you look up to in the professional world? If so, who and why?

Tyra Banks, because of her poise and business savvy and modeling. Also, Oprah Winfrey because of her heart for philanthropy.

6. Since it’s Black History Month, what Black icon do you relate to most, be it a civil rights leader, celebrity, etc.?

I want to say Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama.

7. What’s your next goal for your business?

Our next goal is to open 3 more homes within the next year to service more residents. Our long-term goal is to expand to other states, like Texas, Michigan, Georgia just to name a few. Our ultimate goal is to expand across the border to Ghana, Africa, where we plan on building our school and homes for women and children.

8. What’s your most popular service?

Personal Care Service and Pet therapy

9. What’s one non-monetary way someone could support your business right now?

Send referrals or like our social media pages on facebook and instagram to stay updated on what we are doing.

10. How can we reach you to work with you?

You can reach me at 414-253-6355 or you can visit us at our website www.majesticlivinghomeagency.com

Thank you!

I would like to thank Aries for participating in this series and for the great work she does. Thank you all for reading and getting to know Aries and her story. If you’re in the Milwaukee area and are in need of her services, please contact her.

PrettyGirl Miinks

Posted on February 1, 2021February 1, 2021 by Alyse Nicole

10 Questions with PrettyGirl Miinks

Hey y’all! Welcome back to the blog! For Black History Month, I’m asking Black owned business owners, from newly established to industry veterans, the same 10 questions to document the differences and similarities in answers. Follow along to read the various responses and to discover new (to you) businesses to support.

Today I’m interviewing LaQuisha Evans, owner of PrettyGirl Miinks and Creations. I asked her 10 questions. Here are her answers.

PrettyGirl Miinks

1. What is your business, and how did it come to be?

My business is PrettyGirl Miinks. It originally came from my desire to help ladies feel pretty. It later expanded to my new desire of ladies’ safety.

2. What’s your proudest moment so far?

I would have to say it was getting my first out of country order! I was more than excited to ship my products to Canada!

3. Do you notice any specific struggles or issues due to your business being Black owned?

Thus far in my business venture, I have not had any issues.

4. Who would benefit most from your business?

My products are mostly geared towards the ladies. However, I do offer versatile products as well.

5. Do you have someone you could look up to in the professional world? If so, who and why?

Rihanna because she has her hands in many different things. She makes music, is an actor, sells makeup, and lingerie. I do have a goal of being into multiple things at one time.

6. Since it’s Black History Month, what Black icon do you relate to most, be it a civil rights leader, celebrity, etc.?

Madame CJ Walker. I can relate to her struggle of perfecting her products to be worthy of her customers. Even though there were other products on the market, she put out her own products.

7. What’s your next goal for your business?

My next goal is to grow my audience and product list.

8. What’s your most popular service/item?

My most popular item, I would have to say, is our safety keychain. The first version contains a window breaker, mini flashlight, lip gloss, wristlet, a fur ball, and lip gloss holder. The second version has the same items as version one with pepper spray added.

9. What’s one non-monetary way someone could support your business right now?

Non-monetary support I could use the most right now would be to promote business on a social media platform with a large following in order for me to gain more exposure.

10. How can we reach you to shop with you?

I can be reached via email at prettygirlmiinks@gmail.com, Instagram at @prettygirlmiinks, Facebook at PrettyGirl Minks, and Etsy at PrettyGirlMiinks.

Thank you!

I would like to thank LaQuisha for being my first interview in this series. I sent her the questions, and she sent the answers and pictures back no more than 30 minutes later.

I would also like to thank you for reading and hope you stay tuned for all the other interviews to come!

First Time in Denver

Posted on January 30, 2021January 30, 2021 by Alyse Nicole

First Time in Denver

I had planned on going to Denver, CO for my birthday. It was originally a couple trip for William and me, but once “you know what” hit, that counted William out because he’s considered high risk due to his asthma. So it turned into a family affair, with the addition of my friend Jennifer. Here’s the story.

How it Started

So, we planned the trip for months, as one does. For our first day, since we were all arriving at different times, I decided to hire a private chef for that evening so we could rest up and wind down from traveling. The first chef completely ghosted me. We were conversing. All she had to do was send the invoice. Then she was nowhere to be found. So, I found her on Instagram and asked her if we were still on. I didn’t hear back from her until we were back from our trip. Luckily, I went ahead and moved on. So, I found another chef, and he tried to overprice the meal for whatever reason. So, I cancelled our agreement as well.

The first day of the trip was my actual birthday, and since we were celebrating my 35th birthday, which is a milestone birthday to me, Jennifer and I flew in first class. It was my first time, and let me say, I’m in love! Click here to see how that went lol. We arrived in Denver first, but my niece, Kayla, arrived shortly after. So we waited for her so we could all drive to the Airbnb together. On the way to the house, we stopped by a dispensary. This was also a first for me, and what an experience it was! Once my sisters and other niece made it in, we had also partaken and were under the influence. So this is what happened with the food. smh

Since we were without a private chef, I just found a local restaurant that delivered and had family size dishes. Now, here’s where I messed up. I ordered the food after taking the edible! So, the evening was going on, and I knew the food shouldn’t have taken that long. Eventually, I decided to check the status, only to find that I had ordered it as pickup instead of delivery. Mind you, we didn’t have a car, and the restaurant doesn’t deliver themselves. It’s actually through Doordash. So, I’m freaking out now. I called the restaurant and let them know, and together we came up with a solution. Uber has a new service called Uber Pickup, where they literally pick things up and bring them to you. So, we finally received the food, and it was surprisingly still hot! Night saved! As far as the rest of the night, I ended up crashing around 8pm. Happy birthday to me. lol

Hitting the Town

Now, it’s Friday, day 2, and we’re starting our activities. We headed downtown to Larimer Square, but sadly it was closed. So we walked over to 16th Street to check out the 16th Street Mall. I’m not sure if Larimer Square was closed because we were too early, because of the snow, or due to the lockdown that started back the week of our trip. All during our trek, there was a slight blizzard (to us) taking place. We couldn’t wait to get to Denver and experience the snow until we got to Denver and experienced the snow. It was basically like walking in the rain. lol

So, during our journey, we made it to Angelo’s Taverna, where we had lunch in a greenhouse. The greenhouses are part of their solution to outdoor dining due to COVID restrictions. It was a really cool experience, besides it being pretty cold inside. We started with oysters. Then I ordered a huge calzone with sausage and bell peppers. After dinner, our server brought me a cannoli for my birthday. Everything was delicious!

We had so many plans, like visiting Miracle at Larimer Square, a Christmas themed pop up bar. There’s one in Austin during the holidays too, but we never make it. We were also supposed to go ice skating downtown. While neither of those happened, we did ride the free 16th Street shuttle to the State Capitol and stumbled upon a German Christmas market in the Civic Center Park called the Christkindl Market. Each vendor was set up in a cedar booth that resembled a log cabin. We had some delicious hot chocolate and Russian style crepes from Blinchiki, one of the food vendors on site. If you’re in Denver in December, please visit this market. It’s like you’re in another place and time.

The last details given were from Friday and Saturday. At this point, the whole trip has become one big day because Saturday evening, my niece received some news that would completely change and outweigh everything. At around 5pm, mountain time, my niece received a call that her daughter was in a terrible car accident and had to have emergency surgery, among other things. Of course, this meant we spent the rest of the trip making sure she’d be ok. It was a long night, but our baby girl pulled through. Two months later, she’s still on the road to recovery, but she’s doing so good!

I’m sorry to end the story this way, but that’s how the trip ended. Everyone else’s flights left early in the morning. So, when I got up, they were already gone. I cleaned up, took a few pics (that were all later deleted), and headed to the airport. I did treat myself to some expensive airport restaurant food since I got there early. Then I met up with Jennifer, and we came back home. I will say that I plan to return to Denver when it’s safer and warmer so I can get a better experience of the Mile High City. Have you ever been there? If so, do you have any recommendations for when I revisit?