"13 nights of Halloween"

I don't know how or when this happened, but Halloween is Tamia's favorite holiday.  She loves the songs, the decorations, the costumes, and oh yeah, the candy; she loves it all. And here we are 13 days away from Halloween, and we are still without a costume. We have had some ideas, but little miss Mia keeps changing her mind. One day she wants to be a Zombie, and then the very next day she wants to be Joy from Inside Out. She literally goes from one extreme to the next. But at least until we figure it out, we can spend some family time preparing for the Spooktacular day, and ABC Family's 13 Nights of Halloween is going to help us get ready.  I am so excited to watch some of the best movies and Halloween classics with Tamia, and that's the glory of being a parent: experiencing again all of your favorites with your children. I can't wait to see Matilda with her. Maybe then she'll want to be a little witch.  With any luck, one of the movies will finally help her figure out what she wants to be. I sure hope so!

The Spooky Lineup is Below via

I have bolded the ones we will be watching!

Monday Oct. 19

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 1:30 p.m. ET | 12:30 p.m. CT
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 5 p.m. ET | 4 p.m. CT
Hocus Pocus 9 p.m. ET | 8 p.m. CT
Tim Burton's Corpse Bride 12 a.m. ET | 11 p.m. CT

Tuesday Oct. 20

Tim Burton's Corpse Bride 4 p.m. ET | 3 p.m. CT
Hocus Pocus 6 p.m. ET | 5 p.m. CT
Stitchers 9 p.m. ET | 8 p.m. CT (All new Halloween special)
Casper 12 a.m. ET | 11 p.m. CT

Wednesday Oct. 21

Casper 5 p.m. ET | 4 p.m. CT
The Addams Family 7 p.m. ET | 6 p.m. CT
Addams Family Values 9 p.m. ET | 8 p.m. CT
I Know What You Did Last Summer 12 a.m. ET | 11 p.m. CT

Thursday Oct. 22

The Addams Family 4 p.m. ET | 3 p.m. CT
Addams Family Values 6 p.m. ET | 5 p.m. CT
The Hunger Games 8 p.m. ET | 7 p.m. CT
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer 12 a.m. ET | 11 p.m. CT

Friday Oct. 23

The Hunger Games 5:30 p.m. ET | 4:30 p.m. CT
Sleepy Hollow 8:30 p.m. ET | 7:30 p.m. CT (ABC Family premiere)
Matilda 12 a.m. ET |11 p.m. CT

Saturday Oct. 24th

Matilda 7 a.m. ET | 6 a.m. CT
ParaNorman 9 a.m. ET | 8 a.m. CT
Tim Burton's Corpse Bride 11 a.m. ET | 10 a.m. CT
Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas 1 p.m. ET | 12 p.m. CT
Casper 2:30 p.m. ET | 1:30 p.m. CT
The Addams Family 4:30 p.m. ET | 3:30 p.m. CT
Addams Family Values 6:30 p.m. ET | 5:30 p.m. CT
Disney/Pixar's Monsters University 8:30 p.m. ET | 7:30 p.m. CT

Disney/Pixar's Toy Story OF TERROR! 11 p.m. ET |10 p.m. CT
Hocus Pocus 11:30 p.m. ET | 10:30 p.m. CT

Sunday Oct. 25

ParaNorman 7 a.m. ET | 6 a.m. CT
Tim Burton's Corpse Bride 9 a.m. ET | 8 a.m. CT
Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas 11 a.m. ET | 10 a.m. CT
Casper 12:30 p.m. ET | 11:30 a.m. CT
The Addams Family 2:30 p.m. ET | 1:30 p.m. CT
Addams Family Values 4:30 p.m. ET | 3:30 p.m. CT
Disney/Pixar's Toy Story OF TERROR! 6:30 p.m. ET | 5:30 p.m. CT
Disney/Pixar's Monsters University 7 p.m. ET | 6 p.m. CT
Hocus Pocus 9:45 p.m. ET | 8:45 p.m. CT

Monday Oct. 26

Sleepy Hollow 5:30 p.m. ET | 4:30 p.m. CT
Disney/Pixar's Toy Story OF TERROR! 9 p.m. ET | 8 p.m. CT
Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas 9:30 p.m. ET | 8:30 p.m. CT
Tim Burton's Frankenweenie 12 a.m. ET | 11 p.m. ET | 10 p.m. CT

Tuesday Oct. 27

Tim Burton's Frankenweenie 4 p.m. ET | 3 p.m. CT
Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas 6 p.m. ET | 5 p.m. CT
Disney/Pixar's Toy Story OF TERROR! 7:30 p.m. ET | 6:30 p.m. CT
Hocus Pocus 9 p.m. ET | 8 p.m. CT
ParaNorman 12 a.m. ET | 11 p.m. CT

Wednesday Oct. 28

ParaNorman 4 p.m. ET | 3 p.m. CT
Hocus Pocus 6 p.m. ET | 5 p.m. CT
Dark Shadows 8:15 p.m. ET | 7:15 CT
Casper 12 a.m. ET | 11 p.m. CT

Thursday Oct. 29

Casper 5 p.m. ET | 4 p.m. CT
The Addams Family 7 p.m. ET | 6 p.m. CT
Addams Family Values 9 p.m. ET | 8 p.m. CT
Hocus Pocus 12 a.m. ET | 11 p.m. CT

Friday Oct. 30

The Addams Family 2:30 p.m. ET | 1:30 p.m. CT
Addams Family Values 4:30 p.m. ET | 3:30 p.m. CT
Hocus Pocus 6:30 p.m. ET | 5:30 p.m. CT
Poltergeist 8:30 p.m. ET | 7:30 p.m. CT
Poltergeist II: The Other Side 12 a.m. ET | 11 p.m. CT

Saturday Oct. 31

Batman 7 a.m. ET | 6 a.m. CT
Batman Returns 10 a.m. ET | 9 a.m. CT
Poltergeist 12:30 p.m. ET | 11:30 a.m. CT
Sleepy Hollow 3 p.m. ET | 2 p.m. | 1 p.m. CT
Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas 5:30 p.m. ET | 4:30 p.m. CT
Hocus Pocus 7 p.m. ET | 6 p.m. CT
Hocus Pocus 9:15 p.m. ET | 8:15 p.m. CT
Sleepy Hollow 11:30 p.m. ET | 10:30 p.m. CT

The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of ABC Family and this station.

Media Monday: "Straight Outta Compton"

Straight Outta Compton in Theaters Friday, 8.14.15

When I was growing up my mama was strict, and maybe a little over the top, but when it came to art and self-expression she was usually pretty cool. That's why when I bought the N.W.A cassette tape and my sister bought the Eazy E cassette tape, I could not for the life of me understand what the big deal was. I thought, "it's just music; what harm can it do?" To prove her point, she sat down with us and listened to the tapes with us, and they were, to hear my sister retell the event, "cussin' like hell." But it didn't matter to us, we were in Chapel Hill jammin' like we were "Straight Outta Compton". 

Now their story is coming to the big screen, and it is long overdue. Considered to be one of the 100 greatest artists, N.W.A is still relevant. These men changed the rap game completely. They had a different kind of swag; that Jheri Curl swag. Before (Ice Cube) N.W.A, I was in love with Big Daddy Kane and LL Cool J, the pretty boys of rap. I didn't know anything about West Coast rap, but when they stepped on the scene, music was no longer the same. They showed the world how important it was to "Express Yourself" about the many problems Black Americans face, especially when it comes to law enforcement. To be completely honest before N.W.A much of America was unaware of the West Coast lifestyle: the poverty, the police brutality, the gang life.  However, their message, then controversial, seems prophetic now as Black America is still being unjustly targeted by law enforcement.

Stereotyped as angry black men, they simply were products of their environment, and through their music, they found an escape. I am so hype to see their movie, and if you ever doubted who these men were then or even now, you have to see how their struggle was a necessary one for everybody! 

Media Monday: Bloodline

Bloodline: A Netflix Original

I generally spend my summers marathoning anything dramatic and thriller like that I can find on Netflix or Hulu, and I think I have found a keeper. Netflix has. Done. It. Again. This time the drama takes place in the beautiful Florida Keys, a place I'd love to visit, but in the meantime, I'll let Bloodline take me there.

Bloodline, created by the same people who brought us Damages (another one of my favorite series) is one of those shows that draws you in from the start. If it is not the always captivating Sissy Spacek, who plays Sally Rayburn the family matriarch who catches your attention, then it has to be her dreamy-eyed son John Rayburn, played by Kyle Chandler whom I have had a soft spot for ever since Friday Night Lights.   

Bloodline features the Rayburns, a well-to-do family who owns and runs a quaint island inn in Islamorada. The Rayburns have made it; they have a beautiful family, a successful business, and they are well loved and respected, but there is more to the family, and that more is the sketchy older son and brother Danny Rayburn, played by Ben Mendelsohn. Danny is the "black sheep" of the family, and very quickly the audience becomes intrigued as to why this is the case.

The Rayburns, one by one, let you into their lives and their homes, and for some odd reason, you want to be there. As each chapter of their lives unfolds, you are there, feeling what they feel, and wanting what they want. You will find yourself thinking that you are a part of the Rayburn Clan, and you will take a side. The question is, will you choose the right side? 

After meeting the Rayburns, I have to say that I have not watched a show this intense in a long time. If you are looking for that next drama to carry you away, choose one with as many secrets as it has beautiful scenery, and you'll be hooked. Bloodline is a well-thought out thriller, and lucky for us, it's only getting started. Netflix envisions 6 seasons, and I say bring them on, Netflix, bring them on. 

Meet the Rayburns

Media Monday: Rissi Palmer

Rissi Palmer

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to hang out with a few of my girlfriends at a local lounge to listen to some live music. I was already looking forward to some adult time, and really, any occasion to get dressed up is a plus for me. We met up at The Shed, a super cute music lounge in Durham, and enjoyed each other's company while we waited for Rissi (pronounced Reecy) to take the stage. 

The Shed

Now, anytime music is involved, I am all in because music is my outlet; it is my therapy. So I was ready for a night of musical therapy, and that's exactly what I received. Rissi, a gorgeous woman, did her thang, and all I have to say is Rissi Palmer is my new favorite artist. She is a down to earth stylish country girl, and let me tell you, after hearing her sing her hit song "Country Girl", she has me thinking that I might be a country girl too.

Me and Karen

So how did I stumble upon this Country Beauty? Well, she's a local vocal coach. Not mine of course, (cause I can only buy a tune, not sing one), but she coaches a good friend of mine, Karen. Karen has been sharing her vocal/musical journey with me, and in doing so, I learned about Rissi. Karen eventually shared that Rissi was dropping a CD Back Porch Sessions, and invited a bunch of us to Rissi's launch party. I had no idea that when I heard Rissi sing, I would  fall in love with not only her style of music, but her meaningful lyrics as well. I gotta tell you, Rissi is positive and powerful, and easily one of the best vocalists I've ever heard. Her lyrics tell a familiar story, and if you really listen closely, you might recognize that bits and pieces of her story are similar to yours. Rissi tells it like it is in what have now become two of my favorite songs, "Well Enough Alone" where she tells us it is important to leave the past where it is, and "Soul Message" a song that exemplifies how important it is to have a connection with your soulmate. Her songs remind me of diary entries, very personal and meaningful, except these entries are too good to keep a secret. I am telling you now, that Rissi Palmer is the real deal, and if you don't know her, you should!

Thanks, Karen, for a wonderful outing, and for introducing me to the sweet, sweet vocals of Rissi Palmer, and Rissi, if you ever get a chance to read this post, I'd love to meet you and go shopping with you (I love shoes too). Not to mention, you seem like you'd be cool to hang out with. 

Check out Rissi's hit song "Country Girl", and find out what it takes to be one!

thoughtfully,