Chicago friends, I do not consider myself a beauty or a fashion blogger…rather, a home grown, art-lovin’, urban adventurer, food crazy, mom-juggling, netflix-obsessed, overall power woman Chicago blogger.  I actually have been a licensed stylist for the last 9 years, practicing my craft on and off and just now mastering my contour.  So beauty maybe […]

The spirit of the gypsies was colorful and vibrant.  As was this weekends ballet performance of Day of the Gypsy at the Harris Theater in Chicago.  A live band supported the dancers in the foreground emitting the vibrancy of a culture from fables and fantasy.  I recently had the opportunity to speak with Day of the Gypsy‘s creator, Gordon Peirce Schmidt, […]

HalfStack was invited to the bi-annual Carnival showcase earlier this month to view Chicago’s top talent, once again, all on one stage. Different from other showcases, this show originated in LA and has been conquering other cities throughout the world.  The Choreographer’s Ball is known to have launched or boosted the careers of today’s well […]

If anyone has been following me along on my Halfstack journey, you may have read briefly about my adventure in dance.  Since hanging up my performance jersey several years ago, I volunteered to help my friends out put on their annual showcase. My participation in this has been paramount to who I was and what […]

While I have one eye on Rio, I am multitasking my other eye, live streaming an international hip hop competition. Yes, Rio 2016 is here and I, among the many, am spending the next few weeks obsessing over superhuman strength and abilities.  Abilities that basically remind me that my summer body is far too late.  […]

How defeat doesn’t declare an end, it echoes opportunity Suavé & the Hip Hop ConnXion   “Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable…Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.” Martin Luther King Jr. Passion is a word that is almost solely […]

Before I get into my actual review of the spectacular show I witnessed, I have to get into this brief introduction to perhaps better understand my experience. My entire life was lived in Spanglish.  I had a mix of two cultures, learning about my origins and how my people adapted to living an American Dream. […]

Marina Alyse is an upcoming performer coming out of Illinois, who is eager to shed some light on personal strife. “I just want to write songs people are able to connect and relate to. In many situations you can feel like this is only happening to you, you’re the only one. But that’s not true.” […]