Confessions From A Black Rose

I arrived in London with empty pockets and low spirits. Not my wisest decision since the city is soul crushing expensive. I was anxious about my time there since I had only figured out where I was going to be staying for the first four days. I was on a mission, to make the most of my time there and finally see Adele. After one night at a hostel in Tottenham, I made my way to West Green for my next accommodation.  That night, I learnt some devastating news- Adele had cancelled her last two shows. My fantasies of drowning in my tears as I sang along to "Rolling in the Deep" while confetti kissed my hair was vanquished. After swallowing my self pity, I wanted to make my next day as memorable as possible. This would not be a day I sulk in bed because Adele lost her voice. I was going to be as touristic as possible. I decided to head down to the London Bridge.  I will admit I was a bit gobsmacked when I saw the bridge. It was not how I...

After completing an internship from hell  and spending a weekend realizing that camping is not my specialty. I jetted off to the British Isles. It would have been great if I booked a direct flight from Newark to Dublin.  Unfortunately, my budget had me purchase tickets for a ridiculous route. I started off in Newark, stopped in Montreal and Toronto before I had a long layover in Dublin. Besides learning I am not cut out for camping, I learnt that sometimes it pays to just book a direct flight.  I arrived in Dublin around 10 in the morning and I was devastated to learn that my bag did not make the journey. I was anxious because I was flying out to London the next morning. For the record, my bag did not get to me until a week in my stay in London.  Once, I got over the initial shock I took a Dublin Bus to O'Connell Street( the stop for my hostel). Public transportation from the airport to the City Centre is convenient and reasonably priced. When I got ...

Welcome everyone to the month of love. I hope this year has been especially good to you and that the weather has not been getting you down. For all of us suffering through this ungodly winter, I have something to keep us warm. Yes, the time to unveil the list to end all lists has arrived. You will not believe how difficult it was to dwindle the list down to fifty. Obviously, I had to leave out some favorites but please let me know your list. Andy Samberg Brad Pitt Brandon Flowers Bruno Mars Channing Tatum Chris Evans Chris Hemsworth Chris Messina Colin Firth Dan Reynolds David Beckham Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson Gabriel Igelesias Garrett Hedlund George Clooney Harry Connick Jr. Hugh Jackman Jason Mraz Jimmy Fallon Joe Manganiello John Kransinski John Mayer Joseph Morgan Josh Holloway Josh Peck Keanu Reeves Kit Harington Liam Hemsworth Mark Ruffalo Matthew McConaughey Michael Pitt Miles Teller Nico Mirallegro Ronan Farrow Sasha Roiz She...

Book Title: A Discovery of Witches Author: Deborah Harkness Rating: 4.5/5 All Stars Diana Bishop may hail from a long lineage of witches but she chooses to live an ordinary and magic free life in Oxford, England. She spends the majority of her days conducting her research in Oxford's Bodleian Library.Her ordinary life turns upside down when she requests a manuscript called Ashmole 782 . Unbeknownst to Diana, Ashmole 782 is a manuscript believed to contain important clues about the past and the future of several supernatural creatures. Soon Diana's discovery leads hordes of witches, vampires and daemons to descend upon the Bodeleian's reading rooms. Among these creatures is the sexy Matthew Clairmont, a dark and mysterious geneticist who happens to be a vampire. Diana and Matthew embark on a journey to understand the secrets of the manuscript but their newfound friendship begins to unravel the long existing peace between humans and creatures. This is how a w...

The second annual  Rosie Awards continue today as we celebrate all the wonders of the year 2013. This is the time we acknowledge the very best in music. Looking back on the year 2013, popular music left a really terrible taste in my mouth. There is still great music being made but the majority of good music is really underground. The genres that continue to excel are alternative, R&B and EDM. I am happy that EDM and alternative music are being played on popular radio but R&B needs to be more popular. Right now country and pop radio need to be rescued. Please feel free to tell me what were your favorite records this year. I am always looking for new artists to listen to. Album of the Year: The Civil Wars by The Civil Wars Runner Up:  Beyonc é  by  Beyonc é  and Because the Internet by Childish Gambino Record of the Year: Let Her Go by Passenger Artist of the Year: Beyonc é Female Artist of the Year : P!nk Male Artist of the Year:...

Followers of my blog know that I'm loyal viewer of American Idol and a huge fan of season 12 runner-up Kree Harrison. When I am a fan of someone I like to keep up to date on their various activities. I'm not  a stan for anyone, it takes too much energy. Do you really need to know every aspect of their personal life? Do you really have to know what hotel they are staying at? I just want to know when your next film or record is coming out. I was even accused of being a terrible Backstreet Boys fan because I did not know everything about them. Out of the "so called" fans I am the only one that has all of their records and supported them non stop for 16 years. I am not here to talk about my love for Backstreet Boys, that would take a lifetime. I am here to keep you updated on the lovely Ms. Harrison.  I don't really listen to country music but I would buy her album in a heartbeat. Yesterday it was announced that Universal Music Group( Idol's affiliated label) o...

This is a continuation of my previous post . We are down to the final two, Candice and Kree. This has been my dream finale since the Vegas rounds. Candice's voice is like a musical instrument. She plays with it like it's a saxophone. She has great musicality,  her performance of Lovesong and You've Changed are standouts. I never once doubted she would be in the top 2. If she wins on Thursday it will be a well deserved win. I hope she releases a jazz infused album. You do not understand how much I need that album in my life. I hope this is the direction she takes her talent. She is too talented to not be successful. If anyone questions whether she deserves to be in the top 2, they need to have their ears cleaned. Kree is such an interesting story for me. I don't remember her before the Vegas rounds. In my defense her audition never aired, she was not a main focus during the group rounds and I missed her solo performance during Hollywood week. When she was introd...

It is becoming a little bit of a tradition here on Confessions that during the month of love I unveil my list of men that continue to rock my world. Considering how successful my last list was the only responsible thing for me to do is officially declare that this tradition will live on. If you are curious to see how last year's list differed from this year here it is  My Little Valentines . This year my list is a little different. First of all, it did not feel right to narrow it down to 100. So below you will see a list composed of 110 men. I have included men that not only I find incredibly good looking but men that have enamored me with their talent and their wit. My list is in alphabetical order besides my top ten. If there is an asterisk behind their name that means they are newbies to the list. Let me know who you think is incredibly good looking. 

My great great grandfather came from Ninety-Six, South Carolina and resettled to Bensonville, Liberia. Four generations later I finally get the chance to see Bensonville. I must say its an absolutely beautiful place. Coconut trees, pineapple farms, streams and hillsides are all you see. It must have been a sight all those years ago. I was able to go on a tour all over Bensonville(now known as Bentol City). I saw the homes were my aunts and uncles all I lived prior to 1980s coup. Most of them are unrecognizable but the foundations are still going strong. I also got to see my grandfather's dream house and church where my mother grew up in. It's amazing how much time we lost due to the war that destroyed Liberia. This is an image of my grandfather's dream house. It's beautiful isn't it.

Most of Liberian food is fried, cooked in oil and drenched with pepper but I love it. Everyday a traditional Liberian dish is made in my house. From potato greens to Cassava leaf to palava sauce to palm butter, I have eaten all dishes at least twice during my my Liberian vacation. Liberian food tends to be on the heavy side. You have a late lunch and you are set for the entire night. To have anything else for dinner would be too much. The one meal I became addicted to was dry rice, my mouth is watering thinking about it. Dry rice is usually served with fried fish and gravy that is extremely peppery. I once ate dry rice gravy that was so hot my nose was running, my mouth was on fire and tear drops were falling on my face yet I was still eating it. The rice usually has okra in it and sometimes smoke fish to the side. Some people cook it with corn beef but I don't really like that version. I also enjoyed my Liberian sweets. They make these caramelized candies out of peanuts and sesame...

Here is my first top ten list. The Top ten most beautiful women in Hollywood. It was a difficult list to make, because there are so many beautiful women in Hollywood. This is my opinion and there will be people who disagree with me. All of these women are beautiful in their own ways. The rankings do not make one less attractive than the others. These women are absolutely beautiful and they all represent strong sexy independent woman of the 21st century. Here is the list. 10. Halle Berry She gets more beautiful with age. With a new baby and a new man Halle just proves that there is nothing more beautiful than a women in her 40's. 9. Tie- Jennifer Lopez/ Sara Ramirez Jennifer- One of my role models. It does not hurt that she is absolutely adorable and fabulous to boot with her beautiful face. Sara- Representing the extra sexy on TV. She is one stunning girl and I feel that they are under using her on Grey's. I look forward to see what she does in the future. 8. Catherine Zeta Jon...