Category Archives: Saturday in the A

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Saturday in the A – Featuring Life’s A Fish & Then You Fry…

Hello World,

AJ & Chris...

I have been classified as an introvert, but the older I get, the more I find myself being out and about – especially in the A, my beloved hometown…One of the events I recently attended was “Life’s a Fish & Then You Fry,” which is more of a movement instead of just a regular ole summer fish fry…Read my interview with entrepreneur Anthony “AJ” Joiner, one of  the brainchildren behind one of the summer’s best parties…and check out these pics…

Phillippia performs...

 

1.How and when did the “Life is a Fish and Then You Fry”start? 

“Life’s a Fish & Then You Fry” started as a birthday party in April 2009. I bought all the fish, fries and fixings, and invited people to my home for my 36th bday. And it was completely free. People encouraged me to charge for fish plates, but I didn’t want money to get in the way of people having a fun experience.

After the first party, people literally begged me to do it again so that they   could bring their friends. So…I did another one, and that’s when I decided to give it a name. “Life’s a Fish & Then You Fry” was officially born.  I wanted to continue doing it because people were having a genuine good time. There were never any incidents; everyone was meeting new people. It was just fun. It was an option for people who didn’t want to go to the club or for people who liked to do something every once in a while.

2. Tell me about the evolution of the party and how it got bigger and better every year

It turned into an underground movement! It grew exponentially from 60 plus,  to 150 plus to 500 plus! It was sheer word-of- mouth and people posting their pics on Facebook!

For the last two years, we partnered with Chris Cornell , owner of E Period LLC , and this year, we partnered with Clayton County Commissioner Wole Ralph and others to host this party in the Clayton County International Park and Beach!

Chris used to attend the house parties. He had his own large scale barbecue that he did yearly for his birthday. At one of the fish fries (the one where police and news helicopters were hovering above trying to figure out what was happening) we discussed a partnership… and the rest is history…

Commissioner Wole Ralph attended one of the fish fries and expressed interest in creating a county partnership with Clayton County. He enjoyed the event and thought the partnership would make sense. We could organize, promote and make the event unforgettable. The county could provide the facility, security, emergency management plans, and help facilitate our needs to make it city-wide! The park had over 3,500 patrons over the course of the day so we were really excited!

A collage of Josh Bias & The 630 Band...

3. Who were some of the featured performers?

We had a great lineup of performers – Untitled, Soulantis, Josh Bias & The 630 Band, and we ended the party with an incredible show by Phillippia and a fireworks show! We also had some great comedians – Comedian Landry, Comedian Arnesto and and Gerald Guillory!

Oh, this was ONLY the beginning. For anyone in ATL the 4th of July weekend 2013, it will be even more spectacular! So, if you’re NOT going out of town – get $10 ready for an evening of unforgettable live entertainment along with a few tricks we have up our sleeves.

Any thoughts?

Below is a video of Phillippia performing for the crowd! Check out the couples dancing onstage!

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Retrospect: 2011 in Posts….

Hello World,

Wow, in just THREE DAYS, a New Year will be here! To me it is no coincidence that the New Year follows our celebration of the birth of Jesus. Once we discover and rediscover our Savior, life can begin anew…and so that is where we are three days before 2012 commences…

As has become my custom, I like to take the time to reflect on my year here on After the Altar Call and remind me and you of my favorite posts for every month of the year…So if you have a few minutes, take this journey with me…

January 2011 – Remember our snowstorm earlier this year?! We in the A were hemmed up for nearly a week!!! I wonder what God has in store for us as far as weather is concerned this winter – Divine Hem Ups aka Atlanta Snowstorm 2011

February 2011 – Although I have lived in the A since I was six years old, I went to the Bronner Bros.  International Hair show for the first time in February, and I took you with me! If you haven’t been yet, you definitely need to check it out!  See for yourself why – Saturday in the A – Featuring the Bronner Bros. International Hair Show

March 2011 – I pondered what happens when your girls start getting married and you’re not. This is an issue that continues to evolve as other issues continue to emerge – What To Do When You Friends Get Married

April 2011 – I got it poppin’ on After the Altar Call after I posted my thoughts on Anthony David’s song “God Said.” Tribute to God or Jesus it was not in spite of the title…And David stopped by here to speak his piece making for a very interesting discussion of 31 comments – Controversy – Anthony David’s “God Said” video…

 May 2011 – I wrote a tribute to my mama that I’m proud of. I rewrote Proverbs 31 to describe my mama-girl Alice May – Alice May, It’s Your Day (Happy Mother’s Day to All Mothers)

June 2011 – I “spoke” publicly about my book for the first time…I still cannot believe that in less than two months I will have the published copy in my hands…Goose.bumps. – 2011 Faith & Fiction Retreat aka Debuting My New Book!!!

July 2011 – In July, after a few revisions, my book cover was released…I love it so…what do you think? – The Vision I Had in My Head Debuting My New Book Cover Woo Hoo!!!

August 2011 – I was blessed to interview Dr. Alveda King, niece of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and daughter of his King’s younger brother Rev. A.D. King, about her uncle and his dream the week that the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial, which is located on the national Mall, was to be officially dedicated…But God had other plans…A hurricane made it necessary to postpone the dedication to later in the year – Let Freedom Ring: Dr. Alveda King Remembers Her Uncle Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

 September 2011 – In spite of the attack of the enemy, we are still here 10 years after September 11, 2001 – Remembering 9/11 10 Years Later…aka We Won’t Stop…

October 2011 – I never imagined when I began blogging in September 2008 that I would love blogging soooo much!!! And this year, I went to my first blogging convention where I was able to meet other bloggers who love it as much as I do 🙂 – Be Blogalicious! 

November 2011 – My line sister Lola Brown, who is a two-time breast cancer survivor, was featured on 11 Alive and TheGrio.com. Her full testimony is also featured in my book – My Line Sister is a Two-Time Breast Cancer Survivor Under 40 Years Old

December 2011 – And I was so elated to interview Kim Fields (Tootie from “Facts of Life” and Regine from “Living Single” last week!!! And wasn’t “Holiday Love” great?! I hope it becomes a Christmas classic! – Check out Kim Fields in her TV Christmas special “Holiday Love” airing on Christmas Day!!!

Any thoughts?

 

 

 

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I’m Bout It Bout It aka Marketing & Promotion Month 3…

Hello World,

Well, y’all, if you have spent even a minute perusing my blog, you know that I have a book that will be released on February 14, 2012 – that’s right…the holiday of love…Valentine’s Day…which I think is cool as my book is about developing a personal relationship with God…Now, I’m not one of those Christian women that believes that God is my husband, but I do believe that having a personal relationship with God is more important than any other relationship you will ever have period…

And although I’m more of an introvert by nature, I have realized that I must market and promote the book so the people that need to read this book will actually know it’s out there…So once a month leading up to V-Day, I will be posting about my marketing and promotion efforts…Your feedback is very much appreciated…

Miranda Parker at the AJC Decatur Book Festival

So to recap my marketing & promotion efforts for September…As I have said in previous posts, one of the main thrusts of my efforts involves supporting other authors and just getting out and about in the A to meet people and tell them about my book. So on Sept. 3 (Labor Day Weekend), I attended the AJC Decatur Book Festival where I went to see Miranda Parker, author of “A Good Excuse To Be Bad” and Dr. Pamela Thompson, author of “Surviving Mama: Overcoming Strained Mother-Daughter Relationships.” Both of these books were released this year, and I actually featured Dr. Thompson on my blog.

I also attended “For Sisters Only”  on Sept. 17 where I was able to go to the Urban League Empowerment Summit. Hands down, it was one of the best events I attended this year. I attended two seminars. My favorite seminar was “Transforming Your Life, Reclaiming Your Power.” One of the panelists Tirrell D. Whittley, who is the executive leader of Liquid Soul Media, a lifestyle marketing agency, offered some really good advice for combatting fear on the way to success…

Tirrell D. Whitley of Liquid Soul Media

  1. Become excellent.
  2. Accept criticism.
  3. Be self-motivated.
  4. Understand who you are (your unique selling point).
  5. Trust God.

I could dedicate a whole post to what I learned, but I have to move on for the sake of this post. Last Saturday, I attended the “Talk Back Series: The Sex Kitten v. The Super Brain” in which a panel of etablished women in the field of media and entertainment discussed the politics of women and sexuality in the media. The event was held at Spelman College. It was another invigorating and educational discussion.

From left to right - Saptosa Foster, Angela Gomes, Renee Knorr, Nicci Gilbert, October Rose, Nina Brown & Jazzy McBee

Of course, I still have some other things in the works, but I cannot reveal them all just yet…stay tuned…

My favorite verse as I get out of my comfort zone and really go hard at this marketing and promotion thing is…

Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:8-9

It has taken some real courage to get out there, but thankfully the Lord is with me wherever I go…

Any thoughts?