Forever Michael Review & Michael Jackson BAD T-Shirt.

Hey all!

So I am back with an update on the Michael birthday weekend festivities. It was really a great weekend overall but, can I say that I could hardly move on Sunday afternoon?

#truestory

It all started with the MJ Fun Fest held by Heal the World for Children. 

I was one of many volunteers there and was at the registration/sign-in table for the majority of the time. I really enjoy that job because I am pretty organized and consider myself to be a people person so, dealing with wristbanding and consent form collection is my thing. And if you've been reading my blog for a while, you know that my career goal is to become an event producer, and registration is one of my specialties.

The sun was blazing hot but, the shining rays were lovely reminders of Michael's love and the good that we were doing for all of the children. (Plus, we had our handy dandy Michael Jackson umbrellas shading us from the sun. Can you see my arm peaking out on the right side?)


The children engaged in Arts&Crafts, played games, and got to snack on pizza and yummy cake. The best part was watching the kids interact with the Thrill the World dancers and Aarteast, one of NYC's best tribute artists.


And onto the night, Forever Michael.

This year DJ Spinna held a slammin party at Dekalb Market in Brooklyn and as always, the party was awesome and rockin' all night long. I used to dream about parties where they'd play MJ all night long.

Kinda like the HIStory Remix music video but cooler.

Yeah... :)


Here are some pictures of me getting my groove on.

It was a fun weekend. I chose to wore the BAD shirt because we are all so anxiously awaiting BAD 25 and what better way to show my love for the BADDEST man in the history of music?

I got my shirt right here on amazon.com. it's really good quality and a nice fitting Ladies Shirt for those of you who like the BAD era like I do.

Celebrating Michael is always bittersweet but, many good memories were made with my MJ Family.





Well, until the next adventure....

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Michael Jackson and the songs he never performed live.

I feel deprived ya'll.

Well, I do.

I told you guys about my experiences seeing the Jacksons Unity tour (here, here, and here -yes, I went three times) but I don't think I mentioned that one of the reasons I couldn't get enough of this tour was because I was able to hear a live rendition of a song that Michael had never done live before!


Yes I know that some folks in the MJ community have reservations about seeing the Jacksons Unity Tour but let me tell you... They did "Can't Let Her Get Away" and it was one of my favorite parts of the entire Unity Tour Experience.


I have a million other songs that we never heard or saw Michael perform live but, I am actually really surprised at how much I enjoyed hearing this song performed by a live band (cause its never been one of those I'd yearned to see performed on stage). It was THE BOMB! Although it wasn't MJ's voice, the music was just EVERYTHING.


Seriously.


One of the things I miss most about Michael is seeing him perform live. Actually no, not even perform. I miss seeing him alive. Like just seeing him smile, walk from a building to his big black SUV, scribble an autograph for a fangirl, I even miss just seeing him blink.

Yes, I do.


But the fact that we will never see him perform live again is something that like just totally breaks my heart when I sit and think about it. 'Cause he should be here. He shouldn't be a past tense memory.


Hearing the music always brings him back to life for me though so, I want to thank the Jacksons for doing the Unity Tour and breathing life into the musical legacy of Michael Jackson this summer.


It means more than you'll ever know.




Do you guys have a song that you wish Michael would've performed live? Share it with me in a comment :-).

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MJ Season comes to a close with 2012's Heal the World for Children's MJ FUN FEST

image via

So folks, Michael Jackson season finally comes to a close this weekend. Usually this is my favorite time of the year but, with so many last minute changes, spur of the moment even announcements and cancellations, this year has me quite exhausted. I have to admit that I am looking forward to this weekend but, I also want to be done with the packed schedule I've been having lately.


The end of MJ season is bittersweet but, don't think that the celebration is over for the fans.


Its never over!

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Weekend is here!

So I am finally on my way to the weekend again! 

I am going away with my family for our annual summer reunion. I mean to be honest, I see most of my paternal family on a monthly basis because we all live in the East Coast and have the annual BBQ for my uncle's birthday that's like THE must-attend event in the family. But, since we have property in North Carolina, we kinda just go down because its a nice relaxing getaway. We do everything from having a fish-fry, to sitting around and watching bootleg movies on DVD, to taking pictures, playing spades, and of course eating some more.

I love being around all of the kids, especially. I am definitely not ready for (or planning to) have any children of my own anytime soon but, I love interacting with children and this weekend I'll be trying to capture lots of cuteness on candid camera. I also love seeing my family grow! It used to be all of us cousins but as we grow, our significant others and children come and enjoy the togetherness as well.



Did I tell you guys that I've made progress with my Michael Jackson Gallery Wall? 

Here are some sneak peaks:

This one was HAND DRAWN by my good friend Shannon. She is SO amazing and MJ is her muse... if you are interested in some beautiful, handmade MJ artwork, let me know. 

In other news I'm bummed about having to downsize our big BAD 25 event. At this point in time, I just don't have enough money to cover costs in case our group does not spend enough at the venue. It is my hope that one day this won't be the case but, it seems like our meetup will end up being at our normal venue again. I am totally okay with that but, I know that everyone craves some kind of change of environment. I used to be an event production intern so I may consult my old manager on some funding/venue ideas. I hope I'll be able to get it together as, I don't want to disappoint my co-organizer or the #MJFAM.                

Its tough.

I have been very good lately about my money though, which is great news. #schweet I've been doing things after work that are either free or very cheap. I have been making lunch and not spending anything, except occasionally when I am in need of my usual chocolate cake doughnut from Dunkin' Donuts with an iced coffee (because someone got me hooked! x_x) OR a hot tea and chocolate croissant from my local deli. Either way, 2 bucks 3 or 4 times a week will not make or break my budget.

I may have mentioned this before but, I was promoted after my hiatus in the Spring and kinda went batsh*t crazy with spending and am just getting my priorities in order. I have a lot of big goals and plans for the future and I don't really want any financial issues holding me back. I've been offered great suggestions, including using mint.com and also reading Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover to get my accounts in order. I will get it together for sure- its just taking some time.



Anyway, I'm off to pack and relax on the rest of this Friday night. I will be lighting a candle, enjoying some green tea ice cream, and hopefully primping and prepping for my short trip.


Talk to you later MJ family!

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Spike Lee, Brooklyn Loves MJ Cancelled - DJ Spinna to Still Spin on August 25th

One of the biggest and most shocking disappointments of Michael Jackson season 2012 has been the sudden cancellation of the BK loves MJ party in Prospect Park. 

I can say that I, like many others looked forward to this all year and the cancellation just 12 days before the event was really frustrating. It was also cancelled last year due to Hurricane Irene.

I hope that it will go on next year since it will be Michael's 55th birthday in spirit.


On the flip side, its awesome to know that the party isn't stopping for DJ Spinna! He will be throwing an alternative event from 6pm-12am in Delkalb Market, also in Brooklyn. Its open to people of all ages and free for children 13 and under - only 10 bucks each for everyone else. You know that I've raved about his work here and here so, you can guess where I will be!


There are also other options like the annual Heal the World for Children Festival which will feature activities, food, and fun for children of all ages that morning. After that, there is the MJ Fanmily Event (organized by 3 rockin' ladies who spearhead the Thrill the World event every year) in Central Park at 3pm.


All of these events can be found my doing a simple Facebook search and if I have any updated information I will post links accordingly.

What are you doing to celebrate Michael's birthday this year?

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A Night with Austin Brown - NYC BET Music Matters Review

Hey all!

How has everyone been doing?

I have been trying to go lots of fun things to try and stay busy after work. I am not the clubbing type and I've become a super cheapskate so its sometimes a struggle to stay on top of this "afterwork fun" goal of mine. However, when I got the chance to attend this year's BET Music Matters event, I thought "hey- Why not?!".

Within my family and with non-fan friends, I am the resident Michael Jackson fan. (Among MJ fans, I'm the resident Jacksons fan but... That's another story for another post). Anyway, I kept getting texts and messages asking me to turn on 106 & Park to see a fresh (and very attractive!) face on the music scene. It just so happens that he is a 2nd generation member of the legendary Jackson family (and don't forget the Brown genes too- he always mentions it, hehe!) One of my friends was like "Austin Brown- do you know him? He's Janet Jackson's nephew!" to which I replied telling her

1.  That I did indeed know of him    and 
2.  That I was going to his first show in New York that very night!

Performance

Austin Brown's performance at BET Music Matters was nothing short of amazing! Here are 5 Things I Loved About It:

5. Style- he's got this funky signature style already and I love it! From his beanie hat to the denim vest and Converse sneakers and plaid patterned shirts, his style is very much HIM (and we all know how important that is).

4. The Band- his band was sooo talented and really had the place jamming! I loved the guy on the synthesizer/background vocals- DOPE!

3. His energy- he almost seemed like another person on stage! Austin's energy was very high and he was dancing, grooving, and feeling the music truly! I kinda have this thing for musicians who are THAT into their performances (makes you wanna jam right there with them!)

2. Personality- His personality totally shines through in his music. I especially loved the times in-between songs where he would talk and connect to the audience.

1. His Music- Three words--- BUY THE SINGLE! It's called Menage A Trois... and while you're at it, check out BET's 106 & Park and help to get this awesome music video on the countdown.

Meeting Austin

My friends and I actually got the chance to meet Austin twice! Once before the show, while we were waiting to get into the venue and once again after his performance. *Thanks to Gadget Trish for this, as she is probably the biggest JACKSON family supporter I know and I've heard that many of the Jackson family members watch and enjoy her videos on Youtube! Check her out here if you haven't already.*

Austin was super friendly and soooo down to Earth both times we met him! I have to admit that I was a little nervous when I saw him the first time.

I mean hey, I was looking forward to his show tonight and here he was standing right next to me and chatting casually all like HEY- What's Up!?   Haha.

He was nice enough to take photos with everyone after the show and that's super cool :).


Here's my photo with Austin:

If you ever get the opportunity to see Austin Brown perform-- do it! Not because he's a Jackson but because he is VERY talented, kind, and his career is about to take off to another level!

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Thanks for reading everyone! For more information on Austin Brown, check these links out below!

Web:  austinbrown.com   Twitter:  @austinbrown    

Tumblr: http://austin85.tumblr.com/

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Jacksons Unity-- 3rd Time's A Charm!

Yes, you can guess it! 

I went to see the Jacksons again and had a beautiful time! 3 times in less than 3 months has gotta be a record!

Although my MJ Family and I had to wait for 4-5 hours (some waited almost 20-- but I wasn't brave enough) but I got 6th row seats!

Did I mention the concert was free?!

Here is the only other Jacksons shirt I have. It's a Vintage Victory Tour reproduction shirt and I got it online from PacSun a while back. It's a J5 Collection shirt so, they may be limited but, totally worth it if you can find one online! Sorry there are no shots of me wearing it! I didn't have the time or anyone to help take pics of me in the sweltering heat (smile). 

Some random shots I took of the night! 

Did anyone else see the Jacksons Free Concert and enjoy it as much as I did?

Kudos to Brooklyn for being an awesome borough!

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My Favorite songs of the moment and failing exams.

Every few weeks, the fans know how it goes, the TOP 3 songs that you play kinda shuffle around and other MJ favorites come in and become your new fave of the moment. Here are my favorites right now:

1. You Were Made Especially For Me
2. Can't Let Her Get Away
3. With a Child's Heart

So lately I've had this huge huge huge goal that I have yet to achieve hanging over my head. I've slid through my undergraduate and b-school programs like butter (pretty much) but I have yet to achieve my ULTIMATE GOAL. I've been studying Japanese for almost half of my life but still have not been able to conquer the beast that is JLPT2. I totally SUCK at memorization (unless it happens to do with Michael music, lyrics, photos, quotes etc) and memorizing the 1500+ characters needed to officially become BUSINESS LEVEL certified is a totally difficult thing for me. I was totally unprepared because of drama I went through right before the exam last December but NOW that I am on my own and pretty much don't have any distractions, I can say that I'm ready to take the challenge one more time.


But I have failed. Not once but... Twice. The second time stung the most because 3 thousand dollars and countless hours of studying and late nights at classes later, I was STILL losing. JLPT 2 : MJFANGIRL 0. This time, I'm not sure that I'll pass but I need something to put my energy into once MJ season dies down. Passing this (and memorizing these damn characters and vocab words will be a major career boost and could possibly get me more money and better opportunities -including the possibility of starting my own Freelance business.

Right now I am a woman who is pretty much free as a bird. I'm not married, no children.... (yet!)


Do y'all think I should take this exam again? Or just take the L in the Japanese department once and for all?

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