saidcedra

[saidcedra]

The #KentuckyDerby may take place at Churchill Downs, but the #BlackDerby thrives beyond the track. In this installment of @saidCedra presents... Louisvillians weigh in on how the #BlackDerbyExperience breathes life into black business, entertainment and plain ole' fun. Without further adieu, @saidCedra presents...

           Beyond the Track: The Black Derby Experience

#saidCedra #CedraAlice #CedraMayfield #BlackDerby #FhoniaEllis #GQUnlimited #DerrickAshby #SondraWilkerson #BigCityStyles #TGTProductions #NicoleHayden #MsKentuckyPlusAmerica2014 #JuliusBryantPhotography #BlackDerbyExperience

[saidcedra]

#WorkInProgress: Up late editing @saidcedra presents... Beyond the Track: The Black Derby Experience. Here's a #sneakpeak. #StayTuned!

#latenight #editing #saidCedra #CedraAlice #CedraMayfield #thatsTGT #sneakpeak #behindthescenes

[saidcedra]

                      #SneakPeak: @saidcedra presents...Black Derby

Here’s a behind the scenes look at my latest adventure… Beyond the Track: The Black Derby Experience. Big #ThankYou to Kris & Narada of #TGTProductions for their help shooting! #StayTuned  Follow @saidcedra & @thats_TGT on Twitter. Ciao!

#saidCedra #CedraAlice #BlackDerby #thatsTGT #sneakpeak #behindthescenes

[saidcedra]

     STRIPped down: Vegas off the beaten path

Travel down the Las Vegas strip and there’s a good chance one, if not all, of your five senses will be stimulated. From flashing lights and glistening advertisements to ornate architecture, artwork and statues, the strip has a lot to offer. There is, however, much more to Vegas than the strip.

During a recent extended weekend trip to Las Vegas, I decided to do some moderate venturing off the strip. First up, Old Vegas a.k.a. Downtown a.k.a the Fremont Street Experience.

This is the original Vegas, complete with old school light bulb casino fronts like Sam Boyd’s Fremont Casino and 4 Queens. This section of downtown Las Vegas, also known as Old Vegas, is undergoing a renaissance transforming the original sin city playground to include modern elements like the renovated SlotZilla zip line and use of Bitcoin currency transactions. Among its most noted attractions, however, is the Viva Vision canopy spanning the length of five football fields and nightly light show featuring more than 12 million LED lights.

Up next, the Downtown Container Park. Located at the southeast corner of 7th & Fremont Street, this trendy multi-level venue features shops, diners and even a playground made from recycled shipping containers. From fitness classes to performances, this outdoor venue offers a variety of entertainment. While there is no onsite parking, it’s only a short walk from the Fremont Street attractions. Entry is free weekdays and weekends. After 9pm, only adults are permitted entry. You can find Downtown Container Park on Facebook, here.

Last, but definitely not least, I ventured to the Las Vegas Premium Outlets – North. As an avid shopper, I found myself pleased by the store selection and layout. While the desert theme didn’t tickle my aesthetic fancy, it didn’t take away from the overall retail experience.  In addition to snagging a few deals, the location of the outlet offered a quick tour of “real life” Vegas through the eyes of the locals that live and work nearby.

Sticking true to my mission of helping you live, laugh, and love life on a dime, getting to any of the aforementioned places is not only simple but cheap! Your best bet for traveling along, and off, the strip is aboard the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada RTC Deuce. The public bus offers unlimited ride passes at a rate of $6 for two hours, $8 a day or $20 for a three-day pass.  Needless to say, my one-time $20 in-city travel expenses trumped any one-time, one-way $20+ taxi ride. To learn more about the RTC Deuce, pricing or routes, click here.

While I still enjoy the commercialized version of the Las Vegas strip, I must say venturing from it can be refreshing. From mingling with actual Vegas residents and employees to marveling at the transcendence from past to future taking place downtown, there’s plenty of fun to be had off the beaten path of Las Vegas Boulevard. I’m sure there’s far more out there. If you find it, share it with me via Twitter, @saidCedra. Ciao!

All pictures taken & owned by juliusbryant, a very talented, yet simple young man with complex views. Check him out!

#saidCedra #CedraAlice #Cedra #CedraMayfield #LasVegas #Vegas #VivaLasVegas #OffTheStrip #DowntownContainerPark #FremontStreetExperience #OldVegas #LasVegasPremiumOutletsNorth #Travel #TravelHost #TravelBlog #JuliusBryant

[saidcedra]

Week 4 UPDATE:  Maybe Mayo: a quest to lose 10 pounds after a decade of decadence              

*Disclaimer: I recorded this video on March 7, two days before my official one month mark on this 10lb weight loss challenge. Why, you ask? Quite frankly, because I had a trip to Vegas planned the following day and KNEW I had no intentions of “eating clean” during my four-day trip. …Just being honest!

Nonetheless, even wrapping up my challenge two days early, I’m pleased to announce I met my goal. I cannot, however, vouch for the Mayo Clinic Diet because I literally adhered to it for all of the first week. Beyond that, my eating schedule became inconsistent. I did, however, stick to eating “clean” and seriously increasing my workout routine—even opting to do workouts before work and bedtime.

Post Vegas: I’ve gained nearly half the weight back…or at least, that’s what the scale is saying in this very moment! While my celebratory weekend of great drinks and food was pleasurable, the numbers on the scale are not. So, back to work I go. What matters most, though, is I now know losing 10 pounds is an attainable goal.

How’d you do? Update me on your progress via Twitter: @saidCedra. Ciao!

[saidcedra]

In Real Life…or Nah?: Week 1 UPDATE - #DIY Teeth Whitening Recipe

After one week, I must admit I don’t see much of a difference. Granted, this is only my second application of the weekly homemade teeth whitening recipe. I’ll give it at least one month—my standard benchmark for trying things. After that, I’ll determine if this #DIY Teeth Whitening regimen works In Real Life…of Nah.

#saidCedra #CedraAlice #teethwhitening

[saidcedra]

Week 3  UPDATE:  Maybe Mayo: a quest to lose 10 pounds after a decade of decadence              

After three weeks, I’m barely down two-tenths of a pound. Plateaued? Not quite; at least, I don’t think so.

Honesty is key: I cheated majorly this week. While I hadn’t intended to, I definitely did…and multiple times. Between two work-sponsored events involving foods made exclusively from chocolate and then Girl Scout cookies and then a celebratory night out …I’m lucky I didn’t gain all my lost weight back!

It’s hard to eat right, let alone exercise daily. That’s no excuse, though. With just one week left to lose five more pounds to meet my 10lb weight loss goal, I’ll give it all I’ve got. Can I do it? Check back next week to find out. Don’t forget to update me on your progress via Twitter: @saidCedra. Until next week’s final weigh in, ciao!

#saidCedra #CedraAlice #tenpoundweightlosschallenge

[saidcedra]

Week 2 UPDATE:  Maybe Mayo: a quest to lose 10 pounds after a decade of decadence              

After two weeks, I’m down another three pounds for a total weight loss of about six pounds now. While I've tried harder to not cheat, I've inadvertently done the opposite. I haven't been eating enough!

I'm anti-anorexia/bulimia/eating disorders. My busy schedule has just made sticking to three meals a day difficult. So, with these last two weeks of this weight loss challenge, I'm going to try something new: meal prep. I'm hoping that will help me continue to lose weight the healthy way. I'll update you on my progress. Let me know how you're doing via Twitter: @saidCedra. Until next week, ciao!

#healthyweightloss #tenpoundchallenge #CedraAlice #saidCedra

[saidcedra]

In Real Life…or Nah?: #DIY Teeth Whitening Recipe

I'm a huge fan of Do It Yourself (#DIY) endeavors, especially those that save money. I am not, however, a fan of gimmicks. So when I saw this teeth whitening recipe online, 

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Post by Fitness Ladies.

I decided to give it a shot to determine if it's legit "in real life...or, nah."

  In Real Life...or Nah? is an opportunity to test out, confirm or deny a little bit of everything #DIYers are curious about. Want it tested out? Tweet it to me @saidCedra.

#DIY #DIYers #saidCedra #teethwhitening #teethwhiteningrecipe

[saidcedra]

Week 1 UPDATE:  Maybe Mayo: a quest to lose 10 pounds after a decade of decadence               

After one week, I’m down about three pounds. Let me be the first to admit, I cheated on the Mayo Clinic Diet twice—Valentine’s Day and my anniversary today. (Joe’s Crab Shack was totally worth it!) I also have not worked out daily; more like 3/7 days this week if we’re counting. -_-

While I’ve managed to still lose a few pounds, I can’t help but wonder what my weight would have been had I remained 100% faithful to the Mayo Clinic diet and working out. That said, I’m holding myself accountable to do better. We’ll see how that goes at next week’s weigh in. Tweet me your progress and/or suggestions: @saidCedra. ‘Til then, #forksdown, #willpowerup. Ciao!

[saidcedra]

"PAIRadox: don't be fooled by the box," @saidCedra.

From heels to sneakers, I have a love for shoes that is unmatched! At nearly 200 pairs of shoes, I've got a pretty impressive collection. I must admit, though, there is a method to the madness. Here's my process to scoring great shoes without breaking the bank:

Step 1: look first, buy second. Always shop around.

Step 2: know more, save more. Same shoe. Different Stores. Different Prices.

Step 3: Ship it or pick it up? Depends. Compare coupon codes to in store promos, style selection and size availability.

Step 4: $20 or less, don't second guess! Shoe love is true love; just get them!

I’m always in the market for a great deal! Share your shoe shopping tricks with me on Twitter: @saidCedra. :o)

#saidCedra #shoeaholic #shoesavings #cheapshoes #savemoneyonshoes #heels #sneakers #cedra #cedramayfield #charlotterusse #forever21 #gojane #agaci #fashionista

[saidcedra]

Maybe Mayo: a quest to lose 10 pounds after a decade of decadence

All my life I’ve been rail thin. That is, until somewhere between after college and turning, say, 24. From then on, the weight magically appeared; even had the nerve to stick around. Terrible work schedules, 8-hour sedentary shifts, little sleep and lots of stress now all stand charged as accomplices to the torturous murder of my metabolism. The result: 10-15 extra pounds I can’t seem to lose.

Seem is the key word. In all honesty, I probably haven’t been trying hard enough. So with a renewed determination and heightened sense of accountability thanks to the public nature of this blog, I’m giving myself a new challenge:

Lose 10 pounds in one month.

Why not the 15? …Let’s just say all fat isn’t bad. With that said, my goal is to tone up, trim down, and once and for all, obliterate these 10 pounds.

  My game plan is to follow the Mayo Clinic Diet AND workout.

Mayo Clinic Diet: I’ll be following two different versions of the Mayo Clinic Diet. #TruthMoment: I need meal variety in order to not cheat. Not sure if it’s the control freak in me that needs options or what, lol.

                  Here’s the first meal plan: click here for instructions

Breakfast.  A fruit yogurt parfait (1 cup fat-free yogurt mixed with 1 serving fruit).

Lunch.  1 serving tuna and pasta salad (combine 1 can water-packed tuna, 4 cups cooked shell pasta, 2 cups diced carrots and zucchini, and 4 tablespoons low-calorie mayonnaise — serves 4); 1 small orange.

Dinner.  One-third of a 12-inch crust cheese pizza; green salad (2 cups lettuce with 1/2 cup sliced tomatoes, red onions and mushrooms); 2 tablespoons fat-free salad dressing.

Snack.  1 small apple, sliced.

You can include a calorie-free beverage with each meal.

  Here’s the second meal plan: click here for instructions

Breakfast.  1/2 grapefruit or 8oz unsweetened juice, 2 Eggs any style, 2 Slices of bacon, Black coffee or tea, no sugar

Lunch.  1/2 grapefruit or 8oz unsweetened juice, Salad and or raw veggies (any dressing, {not low fat or fat free}), Meat (Cooked any way)

Dinner.  1/2 grapefruit or 8oz unsweetened juice. Meat (cooked any way) Vegetables (any green or red, may be cooked in butter or Seasoning or a salad as above) Black coffee or tea, no sugar

Bedtime.  (opt) 8oz Tomato juice or skim milk

  Work Out:  I’ve been working out with a boot camp style group for several weeks. We meet three times a week. However, in order to reach my goal, I’m going to have to step it up. Working out must take place at least 30 minutes to an hour daily.

  I’m giving myself one month (March 9) to achieve my goal. I’ll post weekly updates. Stay tuned.