Nice Entertaining - Fall 2014

Nice Entertaining Fall 2014 | NiceEntertaining.com

Great Gatsby

Mila J

Finding her voice for her visual EP, family traditions and how she’s spending the holidays.

Halloween Thanksgiving Dinner Party

ne | NiceEntertaining.com

DJ Dark Knight’s Gameday Playlist Tailgating Essentials

Contents Fall 2014

Features Mila J

The R&B songstress talks about her music, family and how she's celebrating the holidays. PG 22

Political Influencer

Marissa Evans, health editor for Morning Consult, speaks on balancing politics and a healthy lifestyle. PG 26 2 Nice Entertaining Magazine | NiceEntertaining.com

Departments PG

26

PG

Taste

PunchDrink.com’s editors give us the 411 on wining and dining this Fall. PG 7 See our editor’s LA food indulges. PG 8 Cookbooks that have recipes to adopt this season. PG 9

Play

DJ Dark Night gives us tailgating music in the midst of his 60-city DJ tour. PG 12 We suggest the albums, artists and songs you should download for the season. PG 13 Our tech guru picks his top Bluetooth speakers for your indoor and outdoor entertaining. PG 14

Themed

30

Artemus Hart of That Perfect Touch Events designs our amber-decored Thanksgiving party. PG 30

Conversation Piece

Save time with Jibo, get holiday gifts a super-low prices, build a recycled home, get a smartphone on your wrist and charge your battery faster. PG 34

The Experience Stylish Gameday’s Alexis breaks down her essentials for tailgating season. PG 18 Our product picks for your Great Gatsby Era Halloween party. PG 20

PG

34 Fall 2014| Nice Entertaining Magazine 3

Nice

You’re Invited!

Entertaining TEAM Editorial Director Carmen Smith

Marketing Director Jayne Walton

Subscribe to the NEWSLETTER for exclusive recipes, music and interviews.4

Copyediting Myeisha Essex

Contributing Writers

Briana Barner, Mia Coward and Eric Pinkett

Contributing Photographer Daniel Krieger

Consulting

Tamara Jeffries and Sheri Clawson, 3CCreativ

About and Terms

Nice Entertaining Magazine is the complete home entertaining guide. Our content is centered around the elements of entertaining – food, entertainment, decor and hosting – and as well as inspiration from pop culture celebrities, political influencers and professional event planners.

Contact via email: carmens@niceentertaining.com Website: niceentertaining.com ©Nice Media 2014 All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited. Not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs.

4 Nice Entertaining Magazine | NiceEntertaining.com

Behind the Scenes

Gold, sequined pumpkins, fresh cut magnolia and burlap are a few of the items used to create our Thanksgiving dinner table. Artemus Hart shows that throwing an elegant holiday sit-down dinner doesn’t have to be stressful.

Editor’s Letter Fall is here! While summer is my favorite season, fall is an opportunity for us to see nature transition into another vibe. Things slow down and the holidays enter, giving us more time to spend time with our friends and family. As our covergirl, Mila J told me, “I just feel like it's something in the air around that time of the year when people are just nicer.”

In addition to talking about her family and their traditions, Mila also shares how she became more confident and found her new sound on page 22.

Our other feature, Marissa Evans, is another example of transitions. She says that as a health policy editor in D.C. she makes time to wind down and enjoy the important things and people who are in her life on page 26.

“..it’s something in the air around that time of the year when people are just nicer.”

To assist you this season in slowing down and celebrating fall with your loved ones, we’ve included some cookbooks that you should grab and adopt recipes from, while PunchDrink. com’s editors give us advice on the difficulty of wine selections. We also have a tailgating playlist from DJ Dark Knight, as well as tailgating essentials from Stylish Gameday’s Alexis Jackson for all you football fanatics.

If you decided to throw a Halloween party or host a Thanksgiving dinner - see our recommendations on page 20 and 30. As promised every issue, we also have new trends that you should know of in Conversation Piece.

Enjoy this season and let us know what you will be eating, drinking, listening to and how you will bring your circle together.

See you this winter!

Fall 2014| Nice Entertaining Magazine 5

Taste Eat and Drink

6 Nice Entertaining Magazine | NiceEntertaining.com

Editors’ Traveled Food Delights

When I travel, I enjoy dining at a various restaurants to see current food trends and to taste different dishes. See my most recent food delights in Los Angeles, California.

Double Trouble French Toast Blue-Crab Cakes This was so good, I had to give it a take two for a sideview! EAT restaurant in North Hollywood prepares three layers of brioche bread served with homemade vanilla cream sauce, garnished with chopped grilled pineapple and coconut flakes drizzled with vanilla caramel. - AMAZING!

Gladstones in Malibu have topped my list for the best crab cakes I’ve tasted. While I am used to the Eastcoast-style of large cakes, I found the Westcoast ones just as equivalent because of their flavor. From the first bite, you can tell they marinate the crab meat in advance and then combine it with corn among other ingredients. It is served with baby greens, pickled onions, heirloom cherry tomatoes with chili mostarda.

Caramel Chocolate Cupcake

Caramel and chocolate are my two favorite sweets, so I was all in when I stopped by Velvet Cupcakes in Sherman Oaks and saw the richlooking cupcake in the window.

Chocolate cake is among one of the toughest cakes to make because of moisture and flavor - two things this cupcake was not short on! Both the cake and the icing was chocolate topped with a caramel drizzle and salt to top (keep the salt, it really adds another delight to the experience!).

Do you have food snaps to share? Let us see them on Instagram @NiceEntertaining Fall 2014| Nice Entertaining Magazine 7

Fall Harvest Cookbooks

Submit your favorite Cookbooks and their recipes on Facebook4

Fall is harvest season and often the best time to mimic others heartwarming recipes. We’ve selected some of our favorite new cookbooks for Autumn and beyond.

Make It Ahead: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

The title alone is reason enough to open this book. Ina Garten’s eighth cookbook focuses on preparing meals in advance so that you can focus more on hosting as you entertain. She has been a favorite through her cool, calm and collective approach of cooking on her show. (Clarkson Potter October 28)

The Chew (Festive and Delicious Recipes for Every Occasion): A Year of Celebrations One of the most helpful cooking shows, is giving us a full year of celebration recipes. The Chew’s five hosts have created a spread for each occasion including appetizers, drinks, entrees, sides and desserts. For this season, Michael Symon shares his Halloween Trick or Treat Mac and Cheese, while Carla Hall covers Thanksgiving with a Pumpkin Pecan Pie . (Kingswell September 23)

Cooking with Amar’e: 100 Easy Recipes for Pros and Rookies in the Kitchen New York Knicks power forward Amar’e Stoudemire has taken his talents from the basketball court to the kitchen with his recent cookbook. His personal chef, Maxcel Hardy teamed up with him on this project to bring 100 Asian, Caribbean, French and Southern family recipes to others. The book also features stories, tips, advice, and instructions on cooking techniques, equipment, shopping, party planning, and preparation for home cooks of all levels. (It Books - June 10)

Brown Sugar Kitchen: New-Style, Down-Home Recipes from Sweet West Oakland

An Oakland, Calif. staple, Brown Sugar Kitchen is a soul-food restaurant that has been getting a lot of buzz. Owner Tanya Holland is releasing 86 customer-favorite recipes for people to recreate beyond The Bay. Dishes include her famous chicken and waffles, creole shrimp and grits, smoked mashed sweet potatoes, caramel layer cake with brown butter-caramel frosting and even drinks such as a brown sugar sangria. (Chronicle Books September 9)

8 Nice Entertaining Magazine | NiceEntertaining.com

Wine and Dine

PunchDrink.com’s Editor-in-Chief, Talia Baiocchi and Deputy Editor, Leslie Pariseau, share how to pair wine with your meal when preparing a dinner or happy hour. Photos by Daniel Krieger

B

efore choosing a wine this Fall, find the right store and person to guide you. That is the foremost advice Talia gives, but it is also important to match a wine with entree.

“One of my favorite things in the universe is always just a regular white burgundy with roasted chicken. And I love just your sort of basic, entrylevel sauvignon blanc,” Taila says.

“And on the fish side, there is always this sort often quoted creed in the wine world that says “what grows together, goes together.” I think what’s always fun is that if you are going to be cooking a seafood that you should choose wines that come from an area where seafood is quite prevalent. Whether that’s the Lagrein Coast of Italy, or the Island of Portage, you have then built a narrative to your dinner and you can talk about where this wine comes from and do a little background.”

Leslie, who says her expertise are cocktails, suggests the spritz. The wine-based drink, is sometimes misrepresented with wines that weren’t so great or too-sweet cocktails, but she says it really works for entertaining because it is a forgiving drink. The cocktail is sparkling wine mixed with a mata fruit, a citrus and then topped with soda water or prosecco.

“We always have those (spritz) in the afternoon and we always start off a cocktail hour with them. It’s one of those things you can think about serving before you even start a meal with hor devours,” Leslie says of the drink. “It’s always nice to put something in someone’s hand as soon as they walk in the door and the thing about the spritz is it is low in alcohol, so it’s kind of a great way to kick off a meal.”

Negroni Sbagliato

The Negroni’s spritzy cousin, the Sbagliato subs prosecco in for gin, creating a buoyantly bitter Italian aperitivo drink.

Serving: 1 INGREDIENTS 1 ounce Campari 1 ounce sweet vermouth prosecco or any dry sparkling wine Garnish: orange peel Glassware: rocks DIRECTIONS In a rocks or lowball glass, add Campari, sweet vermouth and ice.

Top with prosecco or sparkling wine and stir gently to combine.

Garnish with an orange peel.

Fall 2014| Nice Entertaining Magazine 9

Play

Music, Entertainment and Tech

10 Nice Entertaining Magazine | NiceEntertaining.com

Page 13

Page 14 Page 12

Fall 2014| Nice Entertaining Magazine 11

Play

Music, Entertainment & Technology

DJ Dark Knight:

Tailgate Music Profiing DJs, their top music picks of the season and exclusive playlists.

DJ Dark Knight is a name that is soon to become more familiar.

Currently, he is in the midst of his 46-city North America tour schedule, where he is doing shows every night for up-and-coming Atlanta rap duo EarthGang. He also is the DJ for J.I.D.

DJ Dark Knight

“We’ve been having meetings consistently. We’ve been in and out of buildings,” he says. “We haven’t been to sleep yet - really.

Everywhere we’ve been going it’s just been promo, promo, interview, interview.”

For most DJs, their first tour isn’t this large. He started DJing his sophomore year at the University of Georgia - back in 2009 - years later he is still balancing how to finish his consumer economics degree, which he is only three classes away from completing.

“I really put school on the backburner just so I could put an extra foot forward with this DJing thing to get my name out there. I was kind of already out there with party promotion, but DJing put me on a whole different level,” he says.

12 Nice Entertaining Magazine | NiceEntertaining.com

While DJing is difficult, from music selection to mixing and speaking in the mic - he says that you can still make a great playlist for your party.

“I really put school on the backburner just so I could put an extra foot forward with this DJing thing to get my name out there. I was kind of already out there with party promotion, but DJing put me on a whole different level,” he instructs. “So they will give me their top five and then I’ll have my top five and I mix them. That’s the top ten right there. Then I’ll get another five that I wasn’t even thinking about, and then another five.

You’ve already complied 20 songs, and that’s probably 2 hours worth of music already.”

DJ Dark Knight has taken some of the work out for you this season.

His exclusive tailgate playlist includes a lot of current rap hits, blended with some radio favorites.

Listen to the Playlist4

Jessie J.

On Deck: New Music Create your Fall playlists with new music.

By Mia Coward Jhene Aiko,“Souled Out” - Sept. 9 The album includes features from Common, Cocaine 80s and Jhenes’ daughter Namiko and talks about love, life and family with some encouragement songs like “W.A.Y.S.” and “Pretty Bird”, which is actually a freestyle that was put on the album. The music is a synopsis of her life through soft beats and melodies; its relaxed feeling makes it easy for fans to listen and groove with at any occasion.

Chris Brown, “X” - Sept. 16 Each song seems to be a level of emotion that we have seen him personally go through in the media.

But the album is not just filled with slow jams, the upbeat songs will sure to be on the radio just like his new hit “Drunk Texting” featuring Jhene Aiko.

Ne-Yo, “Non-Fiction” - Sept. 30 While we have not heard much from Ne-Yo in while, he has a hot new single with catchy beat and chorus called “She Knows” with rapper Juicy J, which talks about how a woman knows what she wants and knows how to get it. He also has another single called “Run” featuring School Boy Q. His album is said to have a new effect on his fans than the smooth R&B tone.

on this album she says that she has put even more emotion than usual and has even gotten sexier. The two hit singles “She” and “Next Time (Won’t Give My heart Away)” are just a sample of the dynamics that are said to be on her new release.

Jessie J, “Sweet Talker”- Oct. 13 “Bang Bang” featuring Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande as well as the “Burning Up” featuring 2 Chainz are both upbeat songs. Her music promotes a slight different vibe but it still has the party and fun feel to it.

Taylor Swift, “1989” - Oct. 27 Hits like “22” and “Red,” have contributed to making Taylor one of the most known country artists. Her new single “Shake It Off” is relatable and fun. While she is now four albums in, this is said to be a vibrant album, the title alone sets the scene and tone of the album for it is when Swift was born. We can expect the soft yet edgy country sound that she always gives with constant breakup to make up songs, empowerment and fun.

Nicki Minaj, “The Pink Print”Expected release of November Her numerous collaborations like the radio hit “Touchin, Lovin” with Trey Songz and “She Came to Give It to You” with Usher. The album is Keyshia Cole, “Point of No Return” expected to be sexy and a hit with - Oct. 7 the club scene as well as the pop Her last album, “Woman to Woman” culture scene. told a story of the lovey dovey emotions of a relationship, however Fall 2014| Nice Entertaining Magazine 13

Play

Music, Entertainment & Technology

Pump up the Volume Every event needs music and our resident tech guru, Eric Pinkett, has found the best speakers to play your jams this season.

Bose Soundlink Mini

The leader on speaker quality, the Bose© Soundlink© Mini Bluetooth© speaker offers 30 feet of Bluetooth connectivity that lasts up to 7 hours.

The size, just 7 inches wide and 2 inches high and in depth, also brings in great customer reviews, making it easy to take on trips or to place it in any space when entertaining. An AUX port is also included. $199

14 Nice Entertaining Magazine | NiceEntertaining.com

Beats

If you are looking for multiple uses from your speaker the Beats by Dr. Dre Pill 2.0 maybe your choice.

Its four, full-range built-in speakers connects up to 30 feet and weighs just .7 lbs. The Pill 2.0 also has a minijack auxiliary input for laptops, game consoles and will charge your phone with it’s USB cable. The battery lasts up to 7 hours and has the auto shut-off feature after 30 minutes of inactivity. You can also take calls with its built-in microphone. $199

Skullcandy

Skullcandy’s Air Raid speaker lasts up to 14 hours of maximum battery life when used at mid volume, 10 hours at mid to high volume and 5 hours at maxed out volume. The speaker has Bluetooth connectivity up to 33 feet and it’s rugged design isn’t just for looks, it is also drop-proof and water-resistant. Another great feature is your ability to change tracks on the speaker.

You can have it for $149

Braven

For just $99, the Braven BRV-1 has a lot of features at a lower price tag. It has the ability to change tracks like the Air Raid and charge your phone like the Pill 2.0, and has 12-hours of playtime. It also has an IPX7 waterproof rating, making it withstand incidental exposure to water of up to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes. This speaker also allows you to take a call via its built-in microphone.

Soundlink II

The best sound-quality and clarity, no doubt comes from the Bose SoundLink® Bluetooth® II speaker is the option for you. The performance is well worth the higher price tag of $299. Weighing 3.03 lbs and 10 inches wide by 5 inches high and 1.89 inches in depth, this speaker last for 14 hours. The II is a preference over the III for design reasons. The II has a slight tilt to the speaker which allows sound to travel further. The II also has a sleeker and more modern look.

Fall 2014| Nice Entertaining Magazine 15

The Experience Products that complete.

16 Nice Entertaining Magazine | NiceEntertaining.com

Page 18

Page 21 Page 20

Fall 2014| Nice Entertaining Magazine 17

Experience

Products that complete.

2014 TAILGATING ESSENTIALS Stylish Gameday is a blog dedicated to elevating your tailgating experience.

Alexis Jackson shares her essentials for tailgating this season.

Click the photo to shop.

18 Nice Entertaining Magazine | NiceEntertaining.com

I am a big fan of the “walking taco” and any kind of dip is easy to eat while standing (avoid the super cheesy ones though).

I’m very intrigued by these bags.

I approach tailgating like I’m planning a party at my house. I try to bring as many indoor elements to the outdoors.

I encourage you to add lighting or even an outdoor rug to your tailgate.

My wish list definitely has one of these outdoor Pizza ovens from Pizzacraft on it.

I love paper table runners so you can toss them at the end of the day and they help protect your tablecloths or tables and this chalkboard one is one of my favorites.

Classic games like washers and throwing the football are great. I also like ring toss and ladderball, especially for the kiddos.

These tables are perfect for a small tailgating footprint.

I love these smaller, very portable grills from Weber.

Fall 2014| Nice Entertaining Magazine 19

Experience Click photos to shop

Products that complete.

A Great Gatsby

Halloween

Grownups can dress up too! Instead of doing a regular Halloween party, establish a theme like Great Gatsby/ Prohibition Era for some adult fun.

By Jen Ford

Costumes A little hidden flask wouldn’t hurt anyone.

If you want to save time on shopping around on a women’s costume, Spirit Halloween has a Dazzling Flapper Adult Womens Costume that includes a dress, choker and headpiece for under $40.

Men can simply where a pinstriped suit with a cap, khaki pants with a striped blazer.

20 Nice Entertaining Magazine | NiceEntertaining.com

Smoking is bad for you, but these fake cigarettes will take you back to the 20s and your kiddo days. The cigarette holder above, is a detailed addition.

Gifting, is always a Nice idea.

Create a selfie booth, with this 1920s mugshot background.

Decorations Make the theme complete with this Retro Gatsby Style Gramophone Miniature Unique Decoration Antique Wooden Trinket Box for just 453 from ElCidVintage on Etsy.

Accessorize with Mr. Great Gatsby himself - Leo iconic photo imprinted on a pillow.

This designer has already made the perfect invite for your party.

Games

Keep guests entertained with this croquet set.

Baker’s game, now know as Solitaire, was a popular game.

Target has a black and gold set, sure to fit in with the theme.

Fall 2014| Nice Entertaining Magazine 21

Mila J

R&B's New "It" Girl?

By Carmen Smith

Mila J has a refreshing sound and look that makes you look twice. This wasn’t an overnight industry manufactured rebirth of the 1990s meets 2014s songstress. Mila worked for this. Before she was 20, she had the experience of traveling as a young dancer - even scoring a gig in Prince’s “Diamonds and Pearls” video and had her own success as a Billboard chart maker with former group, Gryl. In the early 2000s, she gave the girl group another shot with Dame Four and even a solo pursuit.4

22 Nice Entertaining Magazine | NiceEntertaining.com

Fall 2014| Nice Entertaining Magazine 23

“Prior to my solo career I was always in groups. When you are in a group you kind of get to be laid back and decisions are made and it’s about compromising - it’s about four people coming to agree on one thing, your voice isn’t as prominent,” she says of her former sound. “But as a solo, it’s like ‘OK, well this is all on you. Whatever you see, whatever you dress, whatever you dance like, this all reflects you.’ So I needed it to be me at that point.”

“I like the feeling of it. Even for the people who don’t celebrate it, I just feel like it’s something in the air around that time of the year when people are just nicer,” she says. “And you get to spend time with people you haven’t seen in a minute, even Music is all in the family. Her father was if we live in the same city at least a musician, who often recorded music everybody around that same time in their home’s garage. She credits her has time off so-to-speak.” musical genes and influence to him, who she says gave her a musical outlet For Christmas, they choose a theme growing up. Today, she still sings for dinner such as Mexican or Italian, with her family, having “harmonizing to switch it up from the Thanksgiving sessions” in the car. meal, which extends for weeks because of all of the leftovers. she has seven siblings and Family and Traditions Although her grandmother’s home is full with Right now, as any artist, her schedule Mila’s aunts’ and uncles’ families, (her is full - she is doing a BET College mother came from a large family) Tour, events and other promo, but she says no one skips out on gifting. she is hoping to have time to enjoy the holidays.

Her family recognizes the Japanese record because they know we are sisters, but it’s like it needs to be right, as far as just the right timing and just the right subject matter,” she says. “We don’t want to record just because we are sisters.”

If you listen to her music from then and compare it to now, you hear the difference. Before, it was mostly soft ballads, and now, while her visual EP M.I.L.A. (Made in Los Angeles) continues with similar songs such as “Times Like These” - her sound has developed into more of a true-toself type, with more up-tempos with tracks “Smoke, Drink, Breakup” and “My Main” and even her signature Being of mixed-raced - Mila is Black, Japanese and Native American grunts. her family had a combination of “It was definitely intentional. This traditions. time around, I’ve got more control and I’m just writing more. So I feel like this time around it’s definitely more me,” she says. “It was basically because I discovered myself.”

“I’m a sucker for Halloween, because it’s just fun to dress up,” she says. “Everyone meets at my grandmother’s for Halloween. We all dress up to this day, even though were full grown adults, and we take all the kids around (trick-ortreating).”

Her sound has also been noticed from her musical peers, earning her a collab on B.o.B.’s “So What,” Trey Songz’s “Disrespectful,” and She knows what she wants to be this Prince sampled “Blinded” on his new year. The inspiration comes from an album’s “U KNOW” - even keeping old movie character, but she’s not her vocals as a backdrop. ready to announce until she is sure she can pull it off.

Her sister, Jhene Aiko, is receiving just as much attention, garnering talks Thanksgiving dinner, her favorite of when she and Jhene will collab holiday, is pretty standard with yams, and according to Mila, she doesn’t fried turkey, greens and her mother’s know when, but it will happen. seafood special.

“I think like right now, everyone says

24 Nice Entertaining Magazine | NiceEntertaining.com

New Years, eating a special soup called Ozoni, that is supposed to bring good luck.

Outside of the holidays, Mila is social. While she doesn’t host often because she wants to avoid the task of cleaning up, she is who you want to include on your invitation list.

“I’m more of the one like that likes to prep. I like to cut the stuff and peel it. So the kind of stuff no one wants to do, I actually enjoy. That’s where I come into play,” she says of her gettogether participation.

While she admits that she is hyper, loud and a dancer, she is more chilled when it comes to spending time with friends.

“I’m more low-key because my circle’s small, but when I do go out, I do like to have fun,” she says. “I’m more like a bowler type-girl. I love

"I'm more low-key because my circle's small, but when I do go out, I do like to have fun."

to eat, I like a get-together at a house or something like that.”

Her ideal date night is the same. She likes the simple things - like enjoying a nature trail walk, trampoline park or even fishing.

waiting seven years, she randomly met one of the Castle’s magicians who invited her. While she says, she had different plans, she believes in making each birthday special.

“You don’t know what year you are going to make it to. I feel like if you She hopes to take a trip to Jamaica have the idea to do something, and this year for her 31st birthday on you have the time to do it, just do it.

November 18, but is fine with Don’t wait for a landmark birthday. If being able to wake up and having I have the time to do something big, dinner with a red velvet cheesecake. I’m going to do it big and I don’t care For her 30th she enjoyed dinner how old I’m turning,” she says. and a rare opportunity to visit Los Angeles’ renown Magic Castle, a Her Look decades-old magician destination, Mila is naturally a tomboy. She loves where admission is only granted by members. Luckily for her, after men’s clothing, but also loves to be super sexy - two separate extremes

that she says she chooses between depending on where she is going.

She is a self-proclaimed sneakerhead who just bought her first pair of heels.

Her style is a familiar one - Aaliyah, TLC and Ciara have gone in between baggy-sexy. And like all of these successful artist, she dances and brings an original style to her music and her dress. While we are just getting to know her, it will be interesting to see if she follows suit and continues to give us quality music and great performances - possibly becoming R&B’s new IT girl.

Fall 2014| Nice Entertaining Magazine 25

Photography by Chyami Hill, CHillDesigns Photography

26 Nice Entertaining Magazine | NiceEntertaining.com

Covering Policy &

A Healthy Life Health policy editor and mediaprenuer, Marissa Evans, shares how she maintains a healthy social life while working the policy beat in our nation's capital. By Briana Barner

T

wentysomething journalist Marissa Evans is one to watch. While still in college, Evans started InHue, an online health magazine for young women of color, and was named Student Journalist of the Year by the National Association of Journalists. After graduating from Marquette University, she moved to one of the hottest cities for young professionals - Washington, D.C. She now serves as health editor for Morning Consult, where she covers policy and the private industry. We caught up with her to chat about what that ever-important worklife balance looks like for her, and how she utilizes the space in her studio apartment.

on another. ​I love having this space to think, write and c reate. I was going crazy when I first moved into my studio in May and was sitting on my air mattress trying to get work done. I didn’t realize how much I valued having a workspace until I didn’t have one.

H ow do you th ink that your entertaining style has evolved over time?

I think my entertaining style has been allowed to evolve because I have more room to work with. In college, I was in the dorms for three years (the first as a resident and the next two years as a resident assistant) and then s enior year I was able to get my own apartment on Do you get to entertain your friends often? campus. Having a kitchen really changed things for me as ​I don’t have much space (or furniture) in my studio so I was able to make the foods I wanted to make and share I can’t say I entertain very often but I do love having them with others. I’m still cobbling together furniture for friends come visit and making them dinner. I really think m y studio and figuring out how to make the most of food brings people together and there’s nothing better the space I have. Once I do, I plan on having more gett han sharing a meal with others and swapping stories. togethers at my place even if only for a a couple of hours I’ve heard rave reviews about my black bean enchiladas before going out with friends. and I always have my chocolate chip cookies on hand too. I’ve also been known to bring Ziploc bags of cookies Do you find it difficult to socialize post-undergrad? for friends though, if I haven’t seen them in a long time. ​ ​I think when I first moved to D.C. this time around it Describe your favorite room in your apartment.

M y favorite part of [my studio apartment] is definitely my desk area. I feel like I channeled Pinterest with the way it looks and am proud of getting my desk on sale a nd a folding bookcase to go right next to it with my printer on one of the shelves and my Zadie Smith novels

was a little difficult as I was adjusting to my job and the first couple of months trying to settle into a new housing s ituation (I was dealing with three roommates!)​. It felt difficult to have people over and with so many equally ambitious friends in the D.C. area, I had access to them b ut we all ha d different work related priorities at the time. Once I got settled into my job last summer I got Fall 2014| Nice Entertaining Magazine 27

“It’s important to work hard and strive to achieve your goals, but I also think it’s important to look up from your work and enjoy the people and things around you.”

Why do you feel that what you do is important? ​I think journalism as a whole is important to helping people understand and gain insight on why things work the way they do in our society and how people ​from different walks of life make a way for themselves. I truly think journalism is a lens into the lives of others and it really gives me joy to have someone trust me enough to tell their story. I love what I’m doing now as a policy reporter because I think oftentimes people get bogged down with what they hear or read in the headlines and disengage from issues that are still important and relevant As the founder of a magazine geared toward​(minority)​ to them. I like to think that my reporting on health policy young women, why do you think it is important that i s helping everyday citizens and different stak eholders we take time to enjoy ourselves? u nderstand how the Affordable Care Act is going to I think oftentimes as not only young women, but affect them and how it impacts those around them. I also Millennials we get caught up in “the hustle.” I think it’s think being able to explain policy in the plainest English important to work hard and strive to achieve your goals possible makes people feel like they too can understand but I also think it’s important to look up from your work different policy issues coming out of Washington. and enjoy the people and things around you. That was my mistake when I first came out of undergrad last spring.

I was excelling at work but my social life felt like it was tanking with not making an active effort to see my friends or do something for me, be it taking myself out to the Cheesecake Factory or seeing a movie on my own. Once I started to look around a little bit more I felt like I had found my work hard, play hard balance and it felt great. a planner and made a concerted effort to put things on the calendar that would have me out and about in D.C., be it with friends or by myself. I even had a color coded system with work related events and social things just to keep track. I also got more into the habit of just asking p eople to hang out. I think people underestimate the value of picking up the phone, telling someone “Hey, I miss hanging out with you. We’re in the same city, let’s do something!” Once I started doing that things became less difficult.

How do you “recharge” so that you can perform your work to the fullest? ​I’m guilty of having too many shows to binge watch on ​Netflix and other sites so I oftentimes relax by just catching up on my TV shows. Some may think it numbs the mind but as someone who has to think about policy, write about policy and explain it as my day job, I relish being able to turn on my Real Housewives shows and not have to think too much. That and I find these shows incredibly entertaining alongside a bowl of spaghetti and some pasta sauce and a glass of ginger ale. Having some c hoc olate cake on hand also doesn’t make for a bad week-night wind down.

Roasted Walnut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies

M arissa’s food blog is full of her favorite recipes and n ew ones she has discovered. Since she loves to give her closests friends cookies, she decided to share one of those recipes with us. Click Here

28 Nice Entertaining Magazine | NiceEntertaining.com

Photography by Chyami Hill, CHillDesigns Photography Fall 2014| Nice Entertaining Magazine 29

Themed

Holidays in Photos.

30 Nice Entertaining Magazine | NiceEntertaining.com

An amber and gold themed

Thanksgiving

Dinner Party

Fall 2014| Nice Entertaining Magazine 31

Themed

Holidays in Photos.

A

rtemus Hart of That Perfect Touch Events is our event designer and planner for the evening.

“My main gold for this design was to blend the old with the new. I wanted to use 3 or 4 layers with this design. Whether seating your guests at a single long table or mixing a combination of squares and rounds for a layered look, the new trends in tables are anything but boring,� he says.

32 Nice Entertaining Magazine | NiceEntertaining.com

Layer linens, mirrors and runners in similar colors and patterns for a cohesive, curated feel.

Fall 2014| Nice Entertaining Magazine 33

Starters Conversation Piece Conversation & Everyday Solvers

S

ave time with Jibo, get holiday gifts a super-low prices, build a recycled home, get a smartphone on your wrist and charge your battery faster. By Auryel Walton

1

. “This little Bot of mine” The world's first family robot - named Jibo - is here thanks to Cynthia Breazeal and her MIT team. The commercial, formulated for the masses, makes you feel like you’ve just landed into a futuristic era where robots and people connect. For many years people talked and even tried to formulate robotic functionality but none seen as innovative as Jibo. Jibo, seems to be the first step in humanizing technology for public use. Jibo can take pictures, educate, and send you reminders for your daily use. The preorder period has ended, but you can sign up to be in the next set of lucky owners. See the commercial4

2

. Are you ready to bid on Black Friday?

Long lines, heavy traffic, product sellouts.

Unfortunately these are the usual descriptions for Black Friday, but what if a retailer promised your product for less than Black Friday price deals and you wouldn’t even have to leave the comfort of your home? That is what the new company Quibids is promising. On their website, an Apple iPad recently sold for $21.38, a Samsung Galaxy Note Tablet recently sold for $37.70, and an Apple MacBook Air recently sold for $33.50.

Black Friday is clearly becoming less and less popular by the mark of new websites and very popular Cyber Monday. But with deals this amazing, you might not even need a Black Friday.

34 Nice Entertaining Magazine | NiceEntertaining.com

3

. Babe, Let’s Build our Dream House…

Imagine that you have just married the love of your life and in order to care for your expanding family you believe its time to move into a more homey dwelling. You’ve decided that you want to build your dream house and ‘go green’ to save cost on materials and labor. And you find an option which only needs $2,000 to start. It’s a growing fad which is not only cost effective, but durable and recyclable. People have decided to use shipping containers as amazing and unique homes. The creations and décor people have come up with are simply amazing. So would you take the voyage with a container?

What cool ideas could you come up with in a 10 X 12 house?

Poteet Architects / Photos by Chris Cooper

4

. Will.i.am to Unveil VoiceControlled Wristband Smartphone The race to the best watch is on. Multiple companies including Samsung and Apple must believe watches are the wave to the future because they all are developing technology that is not only fashionable for the wrist but has multiple functionality for users.

Will.i.am’s personally funded and developed product can make calls, play music and videos and post to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Will.i.am is quite the tech entrepreneur. He has worked for IBM in their creative modules and even helped NASA with a few projects. He’s in depth knowledge seems like it will be vital to the future of his company. Either way we can’t wait to see what he comes up with next and how well his new watch will do.

Will.i.am

5

.A New Charge and We Want It! Scientists in Singapore have supposedly developed new technology, a lithium-ion battery that can go from zero to 70% power capacity in two minutes.

That is clearly mindblowing! Not only does it charge fast but it also doesn’t need to be replaced for 20 years. The industry believes this development will be mostly used for electric cars because replacements can be quite costly, but could you imagine that kind of power in a phone?

Photo: Nanyung Technical University

Fall 2014| Nice Entertaining Magazine 35

Nice Entertaining

Be the first to see the winter 2014 issue.

Sign up Now4 Connect:

Nice Entertaining .com

Advertise 36 Nice Entertaining Magazine | NiceEntertaining.com