Happy Birthday: Michael Jackson

No complicated words. No long drawn out tribute. Just a simple message saying: 
Happy Birthday to the best that ever did it, Michael Jackson. We miss you. 

Picture Perfect: Aleesia

I met Aleesia through a mutual friend and we instantly hit it off. She's a hot mama! You know the mom-to-be that most of us women who never carried a child gawk at. Unable to tear our eyes away, and secretly wishing to look like her when it's our turn. From behind, you can't even tell that she's preggo because she's all belly. 
When the opportunity came for me to shoot my first maternity session, I was nervous, but excited. I need all the practice I can get, so I immediately said YES! 
Aleesia was amazing. Due in just 2-weeks time, with baby #3 (yes, she has 2 kiddies already!) she rolled into the park with props and the best attitude. She was willing to jump through leaps and bounds without complaining once. I think I whined more than she did, which is super embarrassing to say. She is definitely an inspiration.

Moxie Monday: Move forward

The proverbial pity party. Who hasn't thrown one? Just don't make it last too long. Move forward.

Winner, Winner!

Happy Friday!!


I know today is the day many of my readers have been waiting for :) Today, I announce the winner of the $50 Sephora gift card. Without further ado ... 
... the lucky reader is ... 

I drew her name the old fashion way and had my husband pick the names out of a hat. He enjoyed being a part of the process, as you can see, lol:

Congrats lady and enjoy it! Send me an email with your mailing address to birthdayalamode@gmail.com. 

Thank you to everyone who participated. I'll be hosting more giveaways in the future, so be sure to keep reading!

Have a great weekend guys :)

Picture Perfect: Natacha

I am so happy to be adding a new element to my blog! 'Picture Perfect', will be posts where I showcase my photography skills to you all. 
I've always been in love with taking pictures. It's something that has excited me since I was a young girl. I never thought I was a GREAT photographer, but, I just knew I enjoyed it. My husband has been encouraging me to keep at it so I can get better and maybe even start a portfolio. I decided, that's not a bad idea at all. I knew there was a reason I kept him around :).

Today, I shot my friend Natacha at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, NJ. She's gorgeous and super photogenic. So, out of the 300+ pics I took, it wasn't easy choosing my faves of her. It was also lava rocks HOT and she was such a trooper, flouncing around in her pretty dress and wedges while the sun beat down on us.

Birthday á la Mode Turns 1 + FREE Giveaway!!

Hello Chéres!

Today is a cause for celebration. Why? Because, it's my blog's birthday! *throws confetti*
It seems like it was just yesterday when I wrote up my first post. Now, 103 entries later, here I am :)

I first started this blog as a way to keep a positive attitude about all things big and small. Exotic and plain. Creative and exciting.
My thought process was, if I focused all my energies on things that I love, it would make my life so much brighter. Everyone should focus on the things that make them happy and live everyday like it's their birthday. That's the mantra I try to live by ⎯hence, BALM (Birthday á la Mode) was born!

I'll admit that I never thought anyone would be remotely interested in what I had to say, but, I'm happy to see that my readers enjoy what I write and actually interact and send me emails. For that, I would like to say THANK YOU!

Keeping up with good spirits and positive energy, I would like to show my appreciation to all you lovely readers out there. I am hosting my first BALM giveaway! The lovely prize is a $50 gift certificate to one of my favorite (cause that's what it's about) stores: Sephora. To enter to win, you all need to do just TWO things: 

1. FOLLOW (if you're not already) the blog. You can do that by clicking the "follow" button on the right hand side of the homepage. You may have to scroll down a bit to find it.
2. FILL OUT THIS FORM. It's quick (7 easy questions), painless and pretty self-explanatory. Just in case though, instructions can be found at the top of the page. 
Giveaway entry ends one week from today. I will select (at random) and announce the winner on Fri, 8/19!

That's it! So, to everyone GOOD LUCK and THANK YOU again! Can't wait to see what the next year holds :)

Celebrate the future!

You can find me in VA

I've always wanted a brother. This past weekend, I gained four "little" ones. 
My two girlfriends and I road-tripped it down to Virgina Beach, VA for a change of scenery and a little fun in the sun. 
My friend's brother lives and goes to college down there, so he and his friends took us in and let us elders (they kept calling us old, lol) hang.
This was my first time in VA, so I didn't know what to expect. I will admit, I was a bit skeptical because I thought it would be, well ⎯ country. But, we had big fun and did so much in the short time we were there. 
I definitely plan to go back to stay a little longer next time.

Bathing beauties.

Brother and sister love. Nikki & Brandon.

The beach was kind of packed for a Thursday afternoon.

 Danny aka WavyD. Future fashion stylist. Guy after my own heart.

Rome. Future athletic director.

Peek-a-boo. It's Nikki!

Donny V. Future photographer extraordinaire. Another guy after my own heart.

It's Brandon. My friend's little-big brother, football star and man with an appetite!

Now, THIS is living. Ahh, take me back!

Befriended a praying mantis. Even though we all ran away.

Lunch with the girls. We literally murdered everything on our plate. That food didn't stand a chance.

Me and my chica MoMo Jones ... Not her real name, but the story behind it is pretty funny. Insider ;-)

Strike a pose? Sure. Nowadays, I'm barely the one in front of the camera.

Made some time to visit my grandmother-in-law and deliver some goodies to her. She was so excited to see me, meet my girlfriends and tell us some stories :)

She wanted me to take a shot of her heyday picture. Pretty, right?

Night out on the town. Ready to dance and let loose!

Group shot. I miss my new little babies/brothers.

Mood Music: All I Want Is You

It's a quiet Sunday afternoon, and I have a rum cake baking in the oven. In just a few hours, my husband and I will be heading over to my parent's house for dinner with the family.


In the meantime, I'm updating my iPod which I try and do daily. I'm a music lover, so I'm always scouring the internet for new music whether it's mainstream or underground. Right now, I am so feeling Miguel Jontel. A fresh and new R&B crooner who I believe is the future of R&B. I heard a few samples of his work, but All I Want Is You is on heavy rotation for me this summer. It doesn't hurt that he paired up with RocNation's very own J. Cole on this hit. J.Cole is another artist who I know will be going places. 


The smoothness on this track is taking me somewhere. Perfect for a laid back, rainy day like this one: