It's THAT Time of the Month...To Go Car Shopping Silly!

Auto analyst & editor of JEFFCARS.COM tells ESSENCE MAG that the best time to go shopping for a new whip is the last week of the month when dealers & manufacturers are under pressure to meet sales quotas. Here are a few other car buying tips:

*Get last year's model - There's always a surplus & you may be able to save $5k & up. Hey it depreciates as soon as you drive it off the lot anyway so what's the point in getting an '09?

*Bring cash - Show up with your own financing. Usually credit unions give the best interest rates. Be mindful that due to current economic conditions although prices are low you will need a bigger down payment.

* Ask for extras - You never know what you can get until you ask. Free oil changes, extended warranties, complimentary car washes, customized headrests (j/k)...Hey you might surprise yourself.

These tips coupled with the desperate state of the auto industry should guarantee you to drive away with LOTs of money left in the bank for a new wardrobe to match your new wheels!

Avoiding Restricted Calls Like the Plague?

Does your heart skip a beat every time "Unknown" pops up on your caller ID? Are you tired of dealing with harassing phone calls from bill collectors? Don't be embarrassed - it happens to the best of us at one time or another. As a matter of fact, I just got a crazy call in my office over a debt MY EX stuck me with (but I'm not bitter - LOL!). What you need to know is that YOU have rights! The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) was passed to protect customers from being shaken down by collection companies. These losers do NOT have the right to harass you, threaten you or embarrass you by calling your friends, family OR even worse - your employer. *Cue Confessions of a Shopaholic DVD*



CLICK HERE to get money-guru SUZE ORMAN'S advice regarding bill collectors.

Turn My Swag On!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok I'll be the 1st one to tell you that I was NOT feelin Soulja Boy & his little "Superman" dance when it took over the world last year BUT his latest jam Turn My Swag On is the perfect Urban Heiress anthem. Check out the original version & for you rocker urbanistas peep the Mike DaSilva rock version:





*singing* I got a question - Why they hatin' on me? (repeat) LOL. Fun times!

P.S. On his official Twitter Soulja Boy says his album sales rose 56% last week! So much for a one hit wonder.

Fab from Head to Fingertips: How to Upgrade your Nail Fashion

Have you been wondering how celebs are getting all these funky graphics, designer logos, metallic bling & even the POTUS Barack Obama on their nails? I know I have b/c I need that in my life! Well I finally figured out the secret behind new trend (thanks urbanista Lisa!!!). It's a new technique taking the mani/pedi world by storm called MINX NAILS. Nails salons everywhere are quickly learning this innovative process which allows customers to put everything from your fave photo to bold patterns like houndstooth on their nails. FAB! Also, Minx is not a liquid and no hazardous chemicals are used in its application. Even better! To find a Minx specialist near you CLICK HERE. Just remember: LESS = MORE!



And for yall who are JUST beginning your 12-Step Urban Addiction Recovery you already know that there is no way I'm going to cosign on you spending $$$ on Minx, but don't pout b/c I have an alternative for you that will deliver the same "WOW" reaction. After you get a mani/pedi at one of these locations then you can jazz it up with the Sally Hansen Nail Art Pen! It comes in vibrant colors like hot pink, gold & many more. It's mistake proof so you can go crazy then fix any mistakes with a moist cotton swab w/o messing up your nail polish. This nifty tool retails for under 10 bucks & is available at your local drug store, Target or Wal-Mart!

Pharrell Goes (B)APE Sh*t for a Happy Meal?

At least Pharrell will be relieved to hear that McDonalds actually got a decent grade when it comes to America's healthy vs. unhealthy restaurants. I personally still refuse to touch the stuff! Although that $1 menu is awfully tempting during this recession-depression. You know there are whole families surviving off that stuff right about now.

These Restaurants Could Kill You!

Ok, maybe the title is a little dramatic BUT if you frequently dine at unhealthy restaurants it's sure to lead to your demise and quite possibly a lot sooner than it should. Check out THIS very interesting article about America's unhealthiest restaurants. You might be surprised to find out which places top the list including the following:

1. Baja Fresh ( This one shocked me the most since they pride themselves on fresh, healthier food)
2. Romano's Macaroni Grill
3. UNO Chicago
4. Chevy's
5. Chili's

And guess who got the worst grade?

Applebee's, IHOP, Outback & T.G.I.Fridays who all refuse to give nutritional info for their menus!

But astonishingly the golden arch, McDonalds bka "Mac Donalds" scored a B+!

Burn Calories While Sitting on Your A**!

By now you know that I LOVE me some OPRAH! The latest thing I want to share with you is DR. OZ'S LIFE EXTENSION TIPS. I was surprised to learn that you can burn up to 700 calories just by sitting in an INFRARED sauna (different from a regular sauna). So get on the phone w/ your local YMCA and/or gym and see if they've got one! If they don't, then simply point out that they should get one ASAP! I know I'm on the prowl to find one.

Amanda Seyfried's DIY Exfoliating

America's fave "mean girl" & star of last year's big box office film Mamma Mia, Amanda Seyfried revealed one of her secret beauty tips to LUCKY MAG during her covershoot for the Feb. '09 issue:

"Dab moisturizer on flaky dry spots - like your lips - then rub vigorously with a towel. It exfoliates & softens."

There you have it! It's like dermabraison on the go.

Reading List: Steve Harvey is Teaching Us How to Think Like a Man!

Funnyman & national radio show host, Steve Harvey's new book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man is quickly becoming the single ladies bible. I have learned a lot from listening to the frank advice Steve gives female listeners who call his radio show with questions about love & relationships. And I'm very happy that he has penned this book which offers women an intimate look at how men think when it comes to relationships. Let's face it many of us are clueless regardless of your current status - single, married or divorced. Who better to get advice from than a man? I've always wondered why women are so quick to listen to each others' warped advice instead of going straight to the source - a man! Harvey even appeared on OPRAH yesterday to offer advice. The following are 5 questions Harvey said women should always start asking a man as soon as you meet him:

1.What are your short-term goals?
Steve says this is a question you need to ask on the first date. "That's important. You want to know what a guy's working on," he says. "You listen very intently. You use your investigative skills. You be smart."

2. What are your long-term goals?
Every man needs to have a plan, Steve says. "They have to be different from the short-term goals," he says. "If they're not different, you have a guy that's not really planning."

Once you're armed with this information, Steve says you can decide whether you want to attach yourself to his plan and take the relationship to the next level.

3. What are your views on relationships?
Family, friends, God…find out if these bonds are strong. Steve says a man's relationship with his mother is the most critical. "If it's nonexistent, that's a red flag. If that bond has been tainted or broken, please know he has no problem tainting or breaking yours," he says. "If you can't love your mother, please know he is incapable of loving you."

If you're spiritual—and he's not—Steve says you probably won't be able to change him. "Your cookie is not that good to make him go to church. He's had cookie before," he says. "He still ain't with the church."

4. What do you think about me?
Steve says women should listen carefully to how a man answers this question. It may reveal a lot about the impression you're making.

"He'll gladly tell you this. 'I think that you're great. I think you would make a great mother. I think you would be a terrific homemaker. I think you're very independent. I think you're very worthy,'" Steve says. "He's going to tell you all of this stuff."

5. What do you feel about me?
Once you have the answer to the fourth question, immediately ask the last one on Steve's list. In most cases, how a man feels about you will be very different from what he thinks of you.

"A man that has been thinking about you seriously has an answer for that," Steve says. "[He might say:] 'How do I feel about you? I feel like when I'm not with you, I ain't going to make it. I feel like you're the one for me. I feel like finally I've met somebody who I can share my hopes and dreams with.' … You may even find these words: 'You know what? I'm in love with you.' Which is what you're all looking for."
Source

Sounds pretty logical but are you asking these questions? Too many times my girlfriends are driving themselves & ME crazy b/c they aren't sure how this man they've been "dating" for a year or more feels about them. They don't hold back while talking to me, but in front of this man they have marbles in their mouth. Ladies, for the sake of all the BFFs out there & your own please learn how to communicate directly with your boo. Because even though we pretend that we don't mind listening to you go on & on about Mr. Wrong we really DO!

I recommend that you get this book for yourself & all the important urbanistas in your life. It retails for only $13.19 on Amazon! To buy the book CLICK HERE. If you're like me & too nice to tell your girlfriend that the man she is dating is a L-O-S-E-R, this will be the perfect gift to give her a gentle nudge & help get the message across AND it will save you some daytime/rollover minutes. To read an excerpt of Harvey's book CLICK HERE.

Want to Be in the Next Issue of Lucky Mag?

One of my fave mags to peruse & "window shop" every month is Lucky Magazine. If you read it too then you know that the mag likes to highlight everyday style of urbanistas w/ a good eye for fashion & unique flair. If you would like to submit yourself or someone you know who has a funky fashion forward style go to their FACEBOOK PAGE & submit a photo under fan photos. You never know, you just might make your editorial debut! Get your shine on lovelies!

March Madness!!! Alexander McQueen + Target = Fashion Utopia

Ok urbanistas, don't say I didn't remind you. Uber-fab designer Alexander McQueen has a special Target line called McQ that is now available but FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY! If you haven't already taken advantage of this very rare opportunity I suggest you set the DVR, get off Twitter, put the latte down & get your booty to Target. OR you can just SHOP ONLINE (LOL!). This is just the beginning of Target's initiative to collab with top fashion designers. For more info on that CLICK HERE. Happy shopping!

Food for Thought

Greetings from the west coast urbanistas! This is the last week of my vacay before I return to work & I'm savoring every moment. So forgive me for not posting as much as I normally do b/c I'm busy running the streets of L.A. I will post details about my trip & how I incorporated the sacred Urban Addiction Commandments next week. Anywho, while working out in the hotel gym I caught an episode of "The City" which for some reason I'm into although I've never been able to get into its predecessor "The Hills." On this particular episode famed designer, Diane von Furstenberg shared the following quote with Whitney Port:

"Absence is to love what the wind is to fire."

Just thought I'd share this with you as we each confront various challenges in our personal relationships. Def food for thought especially if you're in a long distance situation.



A DVF piece is always a good wardrobe investment BUT remember paying full price is a NO, NO! Instead find all the latest spring & summer DVF must-haves @ discounted prices BLUEFLY.

Who Is Mr. Fico & How Does He Come Up with Your Credit Score?

What's the difference between credit score, credit rating & FICO score - nothing much really. Do you know what FICO stands for? It refers to the Fair Issac Corporation which is the company that first developed a scoring system related to an individual's credit history. (Just a lil something, something for the water cooler to make you look smart.)

Anywho as we know there are 3 major credit reporting agencies: TRANSUNION, EXPERIAN & EQUIFAX which each report their own credit score. Transunion computes the Empirica Score, Experian computes the Plus Score & Equifax computes the Beacon Score. From there lenders basically determine your "credit worthiness."

Now how are these scores calculated? They are broken down as follows:

35% = PAYMENT HISTORY - Paying your bills on time. The last 6 months have the most impact with your highest monthly bill carrying the most weight when your score is calculated.

30% = BALANCES CARRIED - Debt vs. Credit ratio. In other words the relationship between the actual dollar amount you owe (ie. credit cards, loans, lines of credit) to the amount of credit you still have available.

15% = CREDIT HISTORY - Looks at the big picture of how your behavior with credit. Paying on time helps with this, but do not, I REPEAT, do not make the mistake of paying off a debt & then closing the account. Why? This erases all of the credit history for that account which could decrease your score.

10% = MIX OF ACCOUNTS - Credit bureaus expect to see mortgage & auto loans and 3-5 credit cards per person, but beyond this any other revolving accounts tend to bring your score down.

10% = INQUIRIES - Each inquiry by lenders will take points off your credit score. But multiple inquiries for a mortgage or car within 45 days will only count as ONE inquiry. Inquiries regarding a job, your own personal review or a promotion (those annoying pre-approval offers you get in the mail) WILL NOT hurt your credit score.

There are also a few surefire ways to significantly hurt your score that you need to know about:

· Being 30 days late on a payment can damage your credit score by at least 50 or more points
· Being 60 or 90 days late, or a 30-day late payment on multiple accounts can drop your score by 100+ points
· Having credit card balances more than 40% of your credit limit affects your score by as much as 100 points
· If multiple credit cards are maxed out or approaching maximum balances, your credit score will be diminished by at least 80+ points

Any questions?

Poking, Tagging, Tweeting & Linking: What Exactly is TMI?

So now that social networking sites such as Facebook, Myspace, Linked In & newcomer Twitter have proven to be integral parts of the daily lives of millions, what are the rules of order? What would Emily Post say if she could read some of the borderline inappropriate wall comments? Or are you tired of people tagging you in unflattering photos? Think maybe they are doing it on purpose??? Even more disturbing, what do you do when your boss sends you a friend request & you really don't want them knowing that side of you. Or is some bugaboo stalking you in cyberspace but you have mutual friends & now you don't know what to do? (Sorry that one is my own personal problem). Anywho, check out THIS MSNBC ARTICLE about social netiquette. Then speak on it...

30% off Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy & Piperlime ALL WEEKEND!

It's after midnight on a Friday & what am I up to? No not getting my party on. I've been shopping online! It's one of my fave times of year known as Friends & Family discount weekend for Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy & Piperlime. Between now & Sunday night you can save each time you shop at any in-store location. They do have discount codes, but if you don't have one just ask the sales rep in the store about it. Given the decline in retail sales I'm sure they'll be more than happy to oblige. I know for a fact they keep several discount cards on their person at all times throughout this weekend. Tell them to cough 'em up & get some for your friends.

Once you have your discount card you're good to go. Now to shop online is a little trickier. You can only make one online purchase with the discount code so you've gotta make it a good one! PIPERLIME is one of my FAVE sites for shoes & accessories. After a short-lived relapse of contemplating a purchase of some $300 Marc Jacobs loafers from 11pm - 11:40pm, I quickly came back to my senses after watching a segment on the economy on CNN. Anywho, I found these FAB Enzo platform sandals already marked down from $130 to $79.99.

Then with my 30% discount & FREE shipping!!!! I only spent around $55 after taxes. Hot diggity! My shoe fetish is satisfied (for now) AND I can still afford to eat next week. I LOVE IT! Happy shopping! Remember commandment #7 - NEVER PAY FULL PRICE! It IS very doable if you're smart and not impulsive.

P.S. The icing on the cake is that 5% of what you spend will be donated to a non-profit. Who said shopping isn't for a good cause?

Gettin' Jazzy With It: Weekend Edition

Howdy urbanistas! If you're in the Dirty South (more specifically in TN or TX) this weekend check out these events:



The Frist Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville, TN will feature the sounds of the legendary Billie Holiday this Sunday @ 3pm. The event is FREE!!! Let me repeat that, FREEEEEEEEE!!!! BTW - for all of you out there looking for Mr. Right - he might just be there instead of Mr. Right Now who is guaranteed to be at the club you're probably planning to go to! LOL - I'm guilty of it too. For more on the event GO HERE.

Ok now for my other home, if you're in Houston or Dallas don't miss The Warehouse Sale where you can get up to 80% off designer denim. Hello! Spring is coming so it's time to stock up. Especially if your True Religions are holding on by a few threads like mine. For more info GO HERE.

Step #3: Hobby Hustlin'

So now we're on Step 3 of my 12-Step Urban Addiction Recovery Program. Experts will tell you that one way to become a happier person is to get a hobby! Take a moment to think about what you do with your time (minus work). Now go a step further and write it down. What's on your list? Eating out? Watching TV? Shopping? Is there anything on the list that enhances your life or is helping you realize your lifelong dream??? If not, you need to get a good hobby ASAP! Some of you may not know where to start. Think about things that interest you. Do you like to write? Or maybe you like to dance?

Or maybe you already have something that you know you want to begin to master. Have you been telling yourself you want to learn another language. What's stopping you? Here's the answer: NOTHING! but yourself. There's no time like the present. All it takes is a little research to find out what resources are available in your area. You can take a class on absolutely anything these days: sewing, knitting, creative writing, dance, pottery, sculpture, singing, trapeze, cooking, hairstyling and on & on.

Now once you find a hobby you love you can then use your new passion to start your own biz & bring in extra cash. Forget about a part-time job, invest in yourself! That's the key to independent wealth. Any hobby can be turned into a marketable commodity. I personally LOVE fashion & creating. I always wanted to learn how to sew so last year I had a light-bulb moment to pursue my dream. It took me literally five mins on Google to find a fantastic sewing school. Now a year later I have expanded my growing fashion apparel line, HEIRESS APPAREL to include handmade, one-of-a-kind pieces. The talent was lying dormant within, but imagine if I had never tapped into it.

What is it that you have always had the desire to do? In future posts I will feature popular classes in various metropolises that might interest you. If you are looking for a specific topic email me at shelbyrenee@blackheiress.com & I'll find it for you! Or if you're already hobby hustlin' send me an email so we can feature your talent.

$$$Cash$$$ Moneeey

Ok my fellow urbanistas, I'm sharing my latest clothes selling expedition with you to let you know that I practice everything I preach. I've been making my rounds to my fave clothing re-sale shops with the same two shopping bags for the last month. I hit up a CROSSROADS, a BUFFALO EXCHANGE & two different locations for PLATO'S CLOSET. All in all I've collected a lil under $100 and it took very minimal effort on my part. Each store visit takes about 15 mins, but can vary depending on how busy the store is. Since the stores buy clothes all day, everyday you can keep the bags in the trunk of your car until you're in the area & have time to stop in. What do you have to lose? Or you can just let it all continue to sit in your closet & get more outdated for nothing. You choose!

Barbara Millicent Rogers aka "Barbie" is One Lucky B*tch!

To celebrate Barbie's 50th b'day, top interior designer Jonathan Adler brought Barbie's Malibu Dream House to life.



The house was outfitted a 3,500 square foot Malibu mansion in the most decadent Barbie style including a closet filled with 50 pairs of Christian Louboutin peep-toe heels & a mirror adorned with 65 Barbie dolls.





Barbie is stepping into the new style millennium with her very own STYLE SITE, TWITTER PROFILE & FACEBOOK PAGE. Who said Barbie is only for little girls! For more on Barbie's fabulous @ 50 party CLICK HERE.

Jetsetting Deals

One bright side to the current financial downturn is major travel discounts! CLICK HERE to check out 5 dynamite deals including deeply discounted rates on luxe hotels in NY, 55% off Broadway show tix & specials on cruises and resorts. Happy trails!!!

Hobnobbing in the Big Apple: Girlfriends Getting Together

Urban Heiresses in NY check out these fab GGT events. There are also several vendor opportunities available for those of you who are hobby hustlin' like myself:

Thursday -- March 19, 2009
Cocktails & Conversations
6:00PM - 8:00PM
The Hill, 416 3rd Avenue (btwn 29th & 30th St)

Hangout and socialize with like-minded girlfriends at the GGT little afterwork mixer. We'll have $6 Key Lime, Watermelon, & other fun martini specials.

Saturday -- April 11, 2009
GGT Empowerment Brunch Series
11:00am - 2:00pm
Location: TBD

April will kick off this quarterly series. If you, or your client, are interested in being a speaker, please send your press kit, and a video/audio clip of your speaking to ggt@tinaleemedia.com. If you would like to be a vendor, send your request to the same email address.

Girlfriend's Beauty Bag
Saturday -- June 13, 2009

Calling all makeup artists, manicurists, masseuses, beauty vendors, health & wellness practitioners, and anyone who is in the industry to make women beautiful... We are now accepting applications for vendors to participate in Girlfriend's Beauty Bag -- a beauty expo for women of color. All interested parties should email ggt@tinaleemedia.com for an application or sponsorship packet. If you have any questions, please contact Bettina Lee at (347) 621-1336 or ggt@tinaleemedia.com.

3 C's of Getting Your Dream Home...

With the sharp decrease in home prices, if you're like me then you're thinking of a way to benefit from the situation - either by buying your first home or if you already own maybe you want to purchase an investment property. But before you take on that mortgage, please consider the following 3 C's as outlined by CNBC's "On the Money" host, Carmen Wong Ulrich:

1) Collateral - You need to have an emergency stash of AT LEAST $10,000 in addition to a 10%-20% cash down payment.

2) Capability - You need to make sure that you have enough secure income coming in each month to pay your mortgage without struggle. In other words, if you're already planning to live off the McDonald's $1 menu in order to meet mortgage payments then you're in trouble.

3) Credit - Absolutely the most important C b/c without it you won't even get past "GO!" Especially given the mortgage crisis now. Many lenders are denying people with a credit score of 720 which is the nation's avg. Now you must come extra correct with a score of at least 780 or better or they won't even give you the time of day.

If you don't meet ALL 3 C's then you might need to defer your dream home for the time being until you can meet the prerequisites. For more from Carmen CLICK HERE

Hobnobbing: Bay Area Soul Live

If you will be in Northern California or know someone who lives in Northern California please feel free to pass this information along. It will be a phenomenal event to attend and benefit the youth at the same time.

A Networking Entertainment Mixer To Benefit Kids
Avid Exposure Presents Bay Area SouLive “ENdustry Night”
Thursday, March 12, 2009

Doors Open 9PM

Show Starts at 9:30PM -11:30PM

HOSTED BY ACTOR BRIAN WHITE(Stomp The Yard, CSI, Family Stone)

Live Performance by 2009 American Idol Contestant, Ashley Mendez

Live Jazz, R&B, and Blues Music provided by Arlington Houston and Band.

MC – Antoine Davis from 102.9 FM KBLX

Tommy T’s Steakhouse
5104 Hopyard Road
Pleasanton CA 94588

FREE BEFORE 9:30PM

Ticket Donations $10, VIP $20

Tickets Benefit Warm2Kids Non-Profit Organization

RSVP: info@BayAreaSouLive.com

-Surprise Music Performances and Celebrity Guests

-For Dinner Reservations please call 510-786-6075

-Door Prizes including Warrior Game Tickets

-Seating is Limited; RSVP A Must

-Dress To Impress

Burn Baby Burn...

Ok so many of us count our calories, but do you ever wonder how many calories you're actually burning. Check THIS great lil tool out. You simply input your current weight, the activity & the length of time & this nifty feature on Shape.com will let you know how many calories you burned. Bookmark the site so you can quickly get there.

Oprah's "What Can You Live Without Experiment"

On today's Oprah, several different families took on Oprah's challenge of giving up bad habits of frivolous spending & wastefulness. Oprah asked each family to adhere to following rules just for one week:

1. No Internet or TV

2. No spending except for $25 for food

3. Limit or better yet eliminate driving. Walk or use public transportation.

4. No eating out!!! (Does this sound familiar??? This was our "Trimming the Fat" challenge for February.

5. Think about what you have that others don't & how you could change their situation in an instant. (i.e. one mom discovered that their were 10 disadvantaged families sharing ONE vacuum when she has FOUR!!!)

6. Box up everything in your closet that you haven't worn in 2 months. This includes shoes, accessories, etc. (My suggestion is after the week is up figure out what you haven't used in 6 months and get rid of it! EDIT, EDIT, EDIT!!!)

The story that stood out to me most was of Candice.



FROM OPRAH.COM "Candice is a widowed mom who lives in California with her sons, Derek and Darrien, in a seven-bedroom home. Their closets are full of clothes they don't wear, and Candice has $500 Jimmy Choo shoes she has never worn. She even refinanced their home so she could pay off her car…so she could purchase a new truck.

While Candice and her sons eat out almost every night, she still spends $400 a week on groceries. Much of that food ends up wasted, thrown away after it expires on the shelf or in the refrigerator."

During the experiment Candice becomes emotional when she is asked to pack up clothes & shoes she hasn't worn in months. Turns out it accounts for HALF of her closet. Candice has a light bulb moment that these inanimate things were connected to the loss of her husband. She still has unresolved emotions & feelings that instead of dealing with she just keeps buying new designer things. But buying all of these pretty, expensive things do nothing to help improve how Candice feels about herself.

In addition to trying Oprah's challenge outlined above for just one week if you're in debt and working on curing your urban addiction, one way to see what it's like to live with less is to take Suze Orman's three-step money pledge:

* Don't spend any money for a day.
* Don't use your credit card for a week.
* Don't eat out in restaurants for a month.

You'll notice that the elements of Oprah's challenge & Suze Orman's three-step money pledge coincide with our 12-Step Urban Addiction Recovery Program so your best bet if you haven't done so already is to join us on the 12-step journey. If you need baby steps then start with the pledge and/or Oprah challenge. For more info please visit Oprah's website.

Email me @ shelbyrenee@blackheiress.com & let us know how your experiment goes.