It is Business...Just Business! -- Upcoming Small Business Programs, Conferences, and Events in the DMV

It has been a crazy week!  I have been working on some posts but did not have everything to publish them.  I then went back to the true goal and purpose of this blog...highlighting resources for small businesses.  So,...

Calling All Small Business Owners!  This Blog Post is for you!
*More details are provided in the links.

November 16, 2014 -- 1:00pm to 5:00pm
"The Women in Business" Networking Brunch
Pure Nuphoria Bed and Breakfast
Fort Washington, MD

All Women Owned Businesses, Professional Women, Entrepreneurs & Women considering starting a business should attend.  This event will provide business owners with information and knowledge that will help them to achieve their optimum success sooner and with excellence.


November 25, 2014 -- 6:30 to 8:00pm

Small Business Property Ownership Program 

Washington, DC

This program seeks to offer small businesses technical assistance in identifying properties that are available for purchase or lease, and provides feasibility studies and evaluation of financial costs.  This is a bi-monthly event held on the fourth Tuesday.

Saturday, December 13, 2014 -- 10am to 1:00pm (PST)

Facebook and Twitter for Entrepreneurs & Small Business 101
Bethesda, Maryland

Learn how to leverage the power of social media and online marketing to improve your business, establish your professional reputation, and achieve your goals! With our advice and instruction we can help you succeed! This 3 hour class will provide basic information about how to create, manage, and use Facebook and Twitter professionally. It will be taught by our CEO and Founder who has 8 years of marketing experience and has taught blogging and social media at the Writer's Center and the City of Gaithersburg. You will receive a notebook of tips and instruction to take home with you. We will provide bagels and coffee! Note: Please bring a laptop computer with you!

More to come....

....A Few of My Favorite Things...October Edition

As you can see from the badge on the right, I've committed to #NaBloPoMo. By posting this badge, I am declaring that I am committed to this blog!

Let's start November by highlighting some of my favorite products, services, and experiences that Made OCTOBER special!

Accessories
I am really loving stud earrrings.  I really believe it is because I appreciate the simple elegance they bring to your face.  Whenever I can find them, I scoop them up...IMMEDIATELY!  When I saw these on the clearance table...I had to have them. The Coastal Grey Stud Earrings by J. Crew are my favorite this month.  They are well made and sturdy.  Unfortunately, they are no longer available in the store.

Makeup
I'm not a makeup person but my favorite makeup product is Mascara.  I'm loving Benefit's They're Real.  Truthfully, it is beyond a favorite, it is a holy grail product.  It helps make my eyes pop!

Food Item/Snack
Due to some recipe snafu, I would have been snacking on Starbucks's pumpkin scones.  However, Trader Joes's came to the rescue with Pumpkin-mania--every pumpkin flavored product a mind could conceive.  Check it out for yourself but go quickly!   Everything sells out fast and is not usually restocked,  So since I'm a pumpkin-loving person and the slapped the word pumpkin in front of it...it was my favorite snack!

Best Customer Service of the Month
Rolling Ribs Part II
I mentioned them in a blog post earlier this week and while the food was really good the customer service was absolutely the best!  I could not help but give them a second shout out for the week.

YouTube Channel
During October, I focused on DIY channels but cannot narrow it down to one.  Channels such as Be My Guest with Denise, At Home with Nikki, Very Keri, The Unfrumpy Mommy, and more filled my YouTube viewing time.  These women encouraged and inspired me to tap into my crafty and creative side,  As a result, I'll have a DIY to post here on this blog this coming Monday!

Event
During this month, I attended a couple of weddings, a home blessing, and a host of other activities that filled the October calendar page of my planner.  They were all exciting and joyous events.  I was extremely honored to be asked to be a part of those special occasions.  I was also able to include attending the Dance Theatre Harlem at the Sidney Harmon Theater as another special moment for this month.

Overall, it was a good month!  Let me know what made your month special.

Until next time,

Keep it Resourceful!

The ResourceNista

Is it the Weekend--Already?! -- DMV Events for the Weekend of October 31 - November 2

I had a great weekend!  While I was not able to participate in any of the events I posted last week, I was able to spend time with someone celebrating the purchase of their first home.  I enjoyed a Game Night with a group of Christian Singles on Friday and a Soup Tasting on Saturday evening with a group of dynamic women who Love the Lord and know how to laugh!  By Sunday, I was tired yet inspired.  So with a LivingSocial deal to Rolling Ribs Part 2 in hand, I pressed my way.   And I'm here to report, I now understand why my Godchildren's father exercises and tracks his calories to make sure he has enough to eat there!  If you like ribs, chicken, soul food sides, sweet lemonade, good cake and GREAT customer service, please give them a visit before they close out for the season on November 23, 2014.

Now on to your events for this weekend!

October 31, 2014
Truckeroo Festival--Navy Yard Metro Station
Truckeroo is a monthly festival held April thru October at the corner of Half St. and M St., SE showcasing food trucks from the Washington, D.C. area.

November 1, 2014
DC Meet Market
Our next market is filled with thankful activities ranging from a canned food drive, thanksgiving crafts for kids, and hearty food from Sloppy Mama’s. As always, the market will showcase over 40 local vendors selling their goods from home décor, handcrafted jewelry, accessories, and prepared foods!

Beautiful Woman Inside and Out, Inc--Omni Shoreham DC
The  "Beautiful Woman Inside and Out"  conferences are designed  to educate, empower and equip women to live their BEST lives. Our objective is to address the “whole” woman and provide the necessary information in a culturally relevant manner that allows women to make informed choices about their health/wellness with a focus on both their inner (health/wellness) and outer beauty (physical attributes). It is a fun, glamorous event that is a very special day for women.  Celebrity hair stylists, makeup artists, dermatologists, wellness/health professionals, fashion experts and fitness and nutrition specialistsa are all part of the lineup!  It is an over the top day filled with extravagant gifts, special treats and prizes.

Future Planning Dates
November 9, 2014
Live! at Montpelier Arts Center -- Laurel
"Jazz Giants of Washington, D.C." with Rusty Hassan

November 11, 2014
Concert for Valor--Washington DC and Variety of Media Outlets
The concert will feature a broad array of talent from the worlds of music and entertainment, including Jack Black, The Black Keys, Bryan Cranston, Eminem, Jamie Foxx, Dave Grohl, Jennifer Hudson, Jessie J., George Lopez, Metallica, John Oliver, Rihanna, Bruce Springsteen, Carrie Underwood, Bob Woodruff and Zac Brown Band, as well as special appearances by Tom Hanks, Will Smith, Steven Spielberg, Meryl Streep, Oprah Winfrey and Reese Witherspoon among many others.

November 14, 2014 (Plan Early--Ticketed Event)
Gilt DC Warehouse Sale -- DC--GET YOUR TICKETS NOW
This designer warehouse sale will also feature an exclusive Spring/Summer 2015 Trend presentation.

November 15, 2014
Luxury Hair Affair Workshop--GET YOUR TICKETS NOW
Hair demos, brunch bites, gift bags, shopping and more!

Keeping it Resourceful,

The ResourceNista

A Week Ago Today: Someone was Married and I Almost Missed It

Well, from the title you know what I was doing last friday.  But...I was not in the white dress, I was the one who made it to my seat in the audience with 7 minutes to spare!  My church starts everything on time!  So when attending a wedding, funeral, or Sunday morning worship at my church, we all know to plan accordingly (church word).

For this wedding day attendance, I had a well-planned day.  Dry cleaners, Hair appointment, quick conference call while under the dryer, quick errand, home to get ready for the wedding and out the door to arrive 30 minutes prior to the start time.  What's the saying...the best laid plans go awry?  A awry, away from expected or proper direction, is definitely the perfect word.  I made it to the dry cleaners but I had to eliminate the errand, the conference call was scheduled earlier which threw off the start of my hair appointment, and the hair stylist was determined to work her magic a little slower than I would have liked.  All to say, I still left home on time but arrived 27 minutes after the published start time due to traffic.  But I hope you did not miss what I said, the published start time.  Yes, the  couple pulled a fast one on us and I've never been so happy to be deceived.

What I'm curious about is...is this now common practice...to publish a false start time to make sure your guests arrive on time?  Let me know.

Will You Be There? -- Upcoming DMV Events

I love attending local area events!  Do you?  Well, if you do but never find out about them until after they happen, let me help you out!

Here's a list of events for this weekend (October 24-26, 2014) and a few beyond those dates to give you a little jump start for activity planning:

Fashion, Food, Shopping, & The Arts

October 24, 2014
Downtown Crown -- Gaithersburg
Downtown Crown chefs offer tastings of their signature dishes, live music, photo booth, giveaways and more! Plus, purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win some exciting prizes!

Live! at Montpelier Arts Center -- Laurel
"The Evolution of Modern Jazz" with Willard Jenkins

October 25, 2014
Downtown Crown Beauty Bash -- Gaithersburg
Fashion trucks, product sampling, demonstrations and more. Join us at this one-of-a-kind beauty and glamour extravaganza.

Fashionista Flea Market -- Bowie
Maryland's Most Fashionable Outdoor (Shopping) Event

Fashion Art and Design Georgetown
An all-day, into-the-night annual event celebrating the area’s creative culture. Expect in-store parties and promotions at more than 40 Georgetown retailers, street style photo shoots, art happenings, music, and more.


October 26, 2014
Fashion Yards--SW Riverfront
The Fall edition of Fashion Yards brings back your favorite fashion trucks from the first event, but with even more trucks and retailers. Expect more menswear, shoes, accessories, and unique finds.

October 31, 2014~Added 10/24/14
Truckeroo Festival--Navy Yard Metro Station
Truckeroo is a monthly festival held April thru October at the corner of Half St. and M St., SE showcasing food trucks from the Washington, D.C. area.

November 1, 2014
DC Meet Market
Our next market is filled with thankful activities ranging from a canned food drive, thanksgiving crafts for kids, and hearty food from Sloppy Mama’s. As always, the market will showcase over 40 local vendors selling their goods from home décor, handcrafted jewelry, accessories, and prepared foods!

November 9, 2014
Live! at Montpelier Arts Center -- Laurel
"Jazz Giants of Washington, D.C." with Rusty Hassan

November 14, 2014 (Plan Early--Ticketed Event)
Gilt DC Warehouse Sale -- DC
This designer warehouse sale will also feature an exclusive Spring/Summer 2015 Trend presentation.

Keeping it Resourceful,

The ResourceNista

Q-pons!

I have a secret...no, not really because if you talk to me for any period of time, you will soon come to know...

I LOVE COUPONS!

More importantly, I love what coupons can do for you.  What? (that is you asking me)  Well, coupons allow you to purchase and experience the things you want to purchase and experience...for less!  Let me repeat...for less!  And I think that is a very good thing!

Last year, I discovered Ebates.  I had seen their advertisemenst many times but I filed them under "scam."  I just could not believe they would give me money to shop.  That was until, I got a recommendation from a Vlogger/Blogger who I deemed reputable.  I decided to give it a try and it is legitimate--the deposit to my paypal account confirmed it!

Here's how it works:
When you are ready to make an online purchase, go to Ebates first.  Locate the store and click on the site to be taken to the store's website.  Ebates creates a tracking number and then you shop as normal. You can still use coupon codes and any other discounts.  Once your purchase is complete, Ebates will let you know the amount that you will be receiving (based on the percentage/deal offered for the store..2%, 6%, and more).  Payment is not immediate but you will be paid.  Overall, that is the deal.  If you are an online shopper, Ebates is for you!

Interested in learning more?  Ready to start collecting your "Big Fat Checks?"  Use this link  and head on over to Ebates!

In a future post, I'll come back and share some tips and deals I have discovered along my couponing journey!

Until then,

Keep it Resourceful!

Vending Opportunities Alert for the Week of October 13th

Are you a small business vendor looking for new opportunities...

This is the list for you:

Sparket - A Creative Market -- Every Wednesday until November 17th

Fashionista Flea Market --  October 25, 2014 (currently the last one for year)

The Beautiful Woman Inside and Out Conference -- November 1, 2014

Crystal Couture -- Thursday, February 5 - Saturday, February 7, 2015

Keeping it Resourceful!

The ResourceNista

Me and My Big Mouth

Well, I'm back...for good this time!  But in order to be in this space again, I had to open my big mouth to a perfect stranger and was then challenged  to do something I know I love...sharing information and resources with anyone who will listen.  Can you believe this person had the nerve to challenge me by saying she was going to mention me in her blog and I needed to get some new posts up?????  Where are they doing that?

Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond my control...I didn't meet the deadline...but she kept her word.  And now here I am, back to where it all started...

As I reflected on that perfect stranger, who, by the way, is living her Out-Rageously! Good Lyfe, I know that the timing of our meeting was divine.  Just a couple of hours before I met Debbie White, I was given some mind blowing news from a phenomenal person about them-self.  While the news was more than a mindful, I was the most blown away because the person didn't realize how special they are to me and that the news they shared would evoke the stream of tears that flowed from my eyes.

See there are times in our lives when people will touch our lives and they may only regard you as the nice lady/man who they greet and share a joke/smile/nice conversation.  But in the midst of those small moments, the person could be impacting our lives in greater ways.  Just like Debbie didn't know that she had a divine assignment, to encourage me to take another stab at this blogging experience.

While I'm not excited about the news I received on that day, I'm forever grateful because that news left me in a place of openness to receive, to answer a call, and To BE!

That said, Me and My Big Mouth will be back each and every time we are inspired.  Inspired to share resources, experiences, and whatever else floats through my heart and brain.

Thank you for stopping by and hopefully I will give you a reason to come back and stay awhile!

Keeping it Resourceful,

The ResourceNista