BLODEGA BY THE PERALTA PROJECT

Thanksgiving is in our rear view, the coquito bottles are being prepped, and the lechón has been ordered. Ready or not here come the holidays! “2020 2.O”, as we like to call it, is coming to close and we all have a special someone that helped us get through these crazy times. Why not show them some love during this season of giving by copping them a nice little sumthin’ sumthin’. We wanted to make things easy for our gente and share some of our favorite Black and Brown small businesses who aren’t dealing with “supply chain shortages” like the large corporations. We hope this inspires everyone to continue to shop local, shop small, and shop black and brown ALL YEAR ROUND!

 

Without further ado here is the 2021 Blodega Black Brown Small Business Holiday Gift Guide:

 

For the person always canceling plans because they’d rather be home…

The Black Home is a lavish home decor store dedicated to celebrating Black creativity, artistry, and excellence. 

 

 Arawax Records and Tea will be your one stop shop for those “blasting music in my sala”  homies. 

 

 

Tawa Threads Co. not only creates uniquely crafted home goods but also donates a portion of their proceeds to organizations working to increase diversity in outdoor spaces. 

 

 

Are flowers ever a bad gift? We think not! Head to Bloomed in Queens for elegant personalized dry and fresh floral arrangements. 

 

 

 

For the person in your life who is ready to shut down the sala with their fit…

These handcrafted goods by Bobby Joseph are perfect for that loved one who loves to stand out. 

 

 

RootsnRooftop is made for the anti-fast fashion friend providing quality goods created under sustainable practices. 

 

  

Hause of Curls has it all for the curly haired homies who are proud of their hair crowns. 

 

 De'Alma is more than just a jewelry brand, it is a mission, to bring a beautiful piece of our Dominican cultures magic to the mindful beings around the world.

 

 

Toofly NYC is the signature fashion & accessories collection based on the art, design, and life of New York City's most naturally talented female graffiti artist "Toofly."

 

 

 

For those trap beauty queens and kings in your life…

Not only are Maddy The Artist Cosmetics perfect for the lovers of a good lip color, they are also vegan and cruelty free. 

 

 

You know that friend that has a 12 step skin care routine? 917 Drops will be the game changer for their dewy skin. 

 

 

Our ancestors passed us many gifts, Skin by Jem tapped in to her Latinx roots creating a skin care line based on those home remedies. 

 

 A celebration of color and living out load Midas Cosmetics has an array of pallets for everyone’s liking. 

 

 

Necromancy Cosmética is the line for that person that indulges in the dark side of the beauty aficionado life. 

 

 

 

For that person who doesn’t stop sending you food post…

The sweet and savory pies from Style and Sustenance are the perfect mouth watering gift. 

 

 

Nothing says I love you better than a fantastic cocktail made right in your home with the help of Mix’d Roots.

 

 

Don Carvajal Café is ethically and sustainable coffee brand that will leave your coffee lover saying Starbucks who? 

 

 

 

For those who would rather go to a book store more than a bottomless brunch…

What better place to shop for books and sip some wine than The Lit Bar, the only independently owned bookstore in the BX.

 

 

Adanne is a bookshop that celebrates African-American culture by selling books and other products like apothecary, tote bags, t-shirts and accessories.

 

 

Libélula Books & Co. is an independently queer and BIPOC owned bookshop in the heart of Barrio Logan, San Diego. 

 

 

 

Last but not least for the tiny future leaders, game changers, and creators in your life…

Cozy n Cute Kids Boutique is a Black women owned shop helping parents feel confident when it comes to purchasing their kids stylish clothing at the best price. 

 

 Ikuzi Dolls are Black dolls that represent the different and gorgeous shades of Black beauty. Teaching our kids to love who they are. 

 

 Canticos combines the power of nursery rhymes with the benefits of bilingualism to provide your child with an innovative learning experience.

 

 

Kido is a Chicago kids store filled of sustainable and unique toys created by Black creatives hoping to keep their family’s entrepreneurial legacy alive. 

 

 

Caras Lindas books and products highlight facts and honor legendary Puerto Rican figures with fun illustrations and bite sized text designed to share and read aloud. 

 

We hope you enjoyed our dope gift guide and hope you spread some cheer and remember to shop SMALL! 

October did a quick little drive by and we are now in November! Along with partaking in every foodie’s favorite holiday it is also Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month. We want to encourage men or anyone who identifies as male to break the “man up” stereotype and seek help when suffering from mental health issues. Globally, on average, 1 man dies every minute of every day due to suicide yet depression is under diagnosed for male identifying individuals. Let’s do away with the stigma behind “masculinity” and give grace to anyone who needs to express, feel, and process their emotions - no matter their gender. 

For more information or to obtain help check out us.movember.com. 

 

 

 

We all know that as adults our homes and more specifically our bedrooms are sacred spaces. They are the sanctuaries where we can escape the craziness of the outside world. As a child, having your own bedroom was the ultimate win. It is was the one room where you were able to express yourself and dream up who you were going to be. For people with limited resources and life long disabilities, their bedrooms are where they spend the majority of their lives. Martha & Alex Gold-Dvoryadkin, the founders of Blissful Bedrooms, wanted to make sure that the bedrooms for those young disabled individuals were safe havens and hubs of empowerment. Created in 2009, this non-profit organization provides free extravagant bedroom makeovers on a monthly basis for those young disabled individuals. Their ultimate goal is to enhance these kids lives inside and outside of their bedrooms. If you are looking to do some good, you can volunteer or donate to their organization. Spread the word! 

 

 

 Homelessness and poverty are two of America’s major societal issues. After the pandemic, in cities like L.A. and N.Y.C., these problems have only been amplified due to the lack of help provided by our government. The unfortunate truth is that real change only takes place when it comes from within the communities in need. Like the free breakfast program created by the Black Panthers, LaRayia Gaston founded a non-profit organization, Love Without Reason, under which she created a free meals program, Lunch on Me, which provides about 10,000 plant based meals to the homeless people to underserved communities. In addition to this LaRayia owns a L.A. based shop called LaRayia’s Bodega where she offers a vegan food menu where everything is $5 or less. In a world where it feels like only the wealthy are able to eat healthy, shops like this bodega are blessing to the communities they serve. Feel free to donate and/or volunteer and let’s all rally behind LaRayia and her team!

 

 

 

We wanted to thank the people of Atlanta for their southern hospitality that was given in abundance to Tony during his recent trip and event down in ATL last month. Who would have known that after Tony designed the ‘ATL Machete’ tee the Braves would go on to become the World Series champs! A huge congrats to the team and the delightful people of Atlanta! 

If anyone were to mention old westerns to you, your mind would immediately go to movies like “The Lone Ranger” or anything John Wayne starred in, right? Well in 2021 “The Harder They Fall” is here to blow your mind - pun intended! Not only do we finally have a real representation of the Wild West (yes, people of color were doing the damn thing back then!), it is packed with a star studded black cast - Regina King, Idris Elba, Jonathan Majors are just a few to name, and produced by non other than one of the greatest rappers alive —Jay-Z. As a lover of films, the stand offs that we have seen in old westerns cannot stand next to the jaw dropping cinematography composed by director Jeymes Samuel. Ride on over to your couch and tune in!

 

 

 

Harlem on its own is one of the most historic and iconic areas of NYC. From the Apollo Theater to Sylvia’s Soul Food, black culture is embedded in the blocks that make up the streets above 125th and below 165th. The abundance of legends that have called this area home are endless - from Alexander Hamilton to Teyana Taylor, the list goes on and on. When it comes to hip hop, the same can be said - Biz Markie, Dipset, A$AP Rocky, Diddy, and even Dave East all came from Harlem. There is no place like it and the way this neighborhood shapes people is incomparable. The Harlem Trap Experience, an interactive pop up exhibit by Trap Genius took place over the past weekend. Rellz the owner of the brand created this event in tribute to a specific time in Harlem and his own life during the 99’s to the 2000’s where there was a shift from praising the drug game to praising the rap game and how the two constantly overlap but the hustler mentality remains the same. From flip phones to the Juelz Santana bandana the exhibit nailed the vibes of the times. We can’t wait to see what other legends are birthed in those Manhattan streets - from Harlem to the world! 

 

 

 

Times Square now has on display its first fountain and you’ll never guess what it’s made out of - 400,000 acrylic nails. Artist Pamela Council created A Fountain for Survivors, a vibrant 18-foot cocoon shaped piece for survivors of all kinds. Once inside you are welcomed by a warm and inviting environment igniting your sense of touch, sound, and scent where the tiered running fountain is housed. In Pamela’s words, “fountains have this way of working in culture as meeting places, as gathering places, and places where people make wishes, giving people this ebullient sense of hope.” Having worked with acrylic nails for over 13 years, the artist developed her own style of African American camp aesthetic which she calls BLAXIDERMY which she applies to all of her work. If you want to take in this architectural wonder in person, you have until December 8th. 

 

 

 

 

If you are looking for some heartfelt laughs with a good dose of realness please tune in to Aida Rodriguez HBO comedy special “Fighting Words”. This Puerto Rican and Dominican Latina bares it all when it comes to the hilarious yet at times painful experience of growing up as a Latina. Aida is the type of comedian ‘que no tiene pelos en la lengua’ like our people like to say. Touching on topics like colorism, misogyny, and even the infamous beef between Ricans and Dominicans she helps us laugh through the pain that resonate with us all in our own personal journeys of Latinidad. Stay tuned until the end as she shares her travel documentary short during her trip back to both of her motherlands. Aida, we are rooting for you no matter which side you rep! 

Now that we have set our clocks back and our nights are longer it is the perfect time to do all things cozy! A person who knows just what to do for cozy season is Terrell Davis, the self proclaimed ‘good times dispenser’. Thanks to his viral videos on Tik Tok, Terrell has become popular for sharing his delicious homemade tea recipes that will warm any cold soul right up and his love for plants which were ingrained in him by his grandmother. Not only is Terrell blessing us with these quick step by step videos of his tea time he is advocating self care while doing so. We love to see it and cannot wait to try one of this teas on a brisk fall night. 

 

 

 

Longer nights in the fall also mean we have less time to cook dinner at home since our bodies will start getting into their hibernation mode. Vivian Aronson has a quick solution and all you’ll need is a rice cooker. With over five million views on TikTok, her “one tomato lazy rice” video recipe won over every person who is need of an easy but flavorful dinner. This Minnesota chef who has appeared on Master Chef season 10 says that rice cooker recipes are common in China where she is from due to the lack of ovens. As a busy mom, this “rice cooker” skill has saved her plenty of time when it comes to both prepping and cooking the meals. If you want to try this out, check out her Mini Rice Cooker Chicken Curry dish - it’ll spice up your dinners even on weeknights! 

 

 

 

What other dish could solidify the arrival of fall better than the tastiest stew ever created by Latinos and Caribbeans in all of the diaspora - sancocho! For those that may not be familiar with this hearty dish (which comes in many different versions depending where you are from) in essence, it is a meat and roots based stew typically paired with white rice and avocado. In case you have not been passed down your ta-tara abuela’s family recipe we got you with this one from the oldest and largest Dominican cooking websites since 2001 DominicanCooking.com. Get ready to impress the whole family including the tia que critica todo! 

As African beats have taken over our playlists and feeds there was one song that was everywhere and we do mean EVERYWHERE, I’m sure you already guessed it - - - “Essence” by WizKid featuring Tems. Easily that song could have been named song of the summer or maybe even of the year. Tems, the 26 year old Nigerian singer, writer, and producer featured on the song is on everyone’s list of collabs. Dubbed “the future” by Rolling Stones she is the hot commodity for hit makers. You know you’ve made it when Drake calls you to be on his latest album. Currently on her first solo tour, Tems admits her musicality is something she has no control over as, per her words, she “hears thousands of melodies in her head”. Her talent may come naturally to her but after a recent experience while being incarcerated with about 50 women in Uganda due to Covid violations her mission became clear -  create healing music while at the same time making change for Africans. We are sure that her impact will be felt all over the world. 

 

 

 

The most impactful art is usually composed by someone who bears it all. Someone who isn’t afraid to be vulnerable and freely express themselves, and new comer Bangladeshi-Irish singer Joy Crookes is that someone. Her soulful ballads land as if you are reading pages from her diary or like listening in on an intimate conversation between her and her friends. She poetically touches on topics like generational trauma, saving her friend from suicide, and even politics in her own way. Her aesthetically pleasing music videos are packed with representations of her mixed heritage and the country where she was raised, the U.K. There is no doubt that Joy is the full package and is headed towards being the voice of her generation. 

 

 

  

A group of young fierce females who are joining forces to have their voices heard are the first all women rap group from Roma, Pretty Loud. Based in Serbia, a country which still upholds outdated traditional gender roles, their songs and lyrics are rebellious protests against the trials, pressures, and tribulations experienced by the women of Serbia. As female oppression is something that rings true for women all over the globe they hope that their lyrics resonate with those in need of hope and strength to find their own way.