Do you own any room you are in? Do you turn heads or provide the type of style that gets people talking? Are you simply the most influential person you know?

This & every Saturday night we encourage you to be that INFLUENCE at VII Luxe Lounge for our Saturday night event aptly named; INFLUENCE.

The decor of VII Luxe Lounge is ahead of it’s time. Luxurious; spacious and glitzy are a few words to describe it. The location is ideal being just off the Ben Franklin bridge and Interstate 676 and there is parking right across the street. The security staff is also available for those ladies that do not want to walk to their car alone at 2am. We have everything covered for you because your experience starts when you park and ends when you turn on the ignition.

Lastly; your attire should be influential. You should want to immediately change someones mind about you by what you choose to wear that night. We will not tell you what NOT to wear because if we have to; this probably isn’t the event for you. Some people feel fly in one thing, when others don’t; so use your judgement. We trust you.

You are mature; probably in your late 20′s or 30′s and feel your nightlife has no identity; well we are here to be your influence and expect you to be an influence to others.

FREE BIRTHDAYS & BIRTHDAY PACKAGES AVAILABLE:

If you have a birthday this or any week you would like to celebrate for FREE; please email Nupe894@aol.com. We also have part packages for larger groups or others who would like to secure their own space.

RSVP FOR $5 ADMISSION BEFORE 11PM BY A SIMPLE CLICK TO LINK BELOW: www.be-an-influence.eventbrite.com

Contact Name: Mike Jackson

Phone: 610-563-6438

Email: NUPE894@AOL.COM

Status: Who are you?

Whitney: Whitney Thomas Photographer from Philadelphia

Status: Tell us what exactly it is that you do?

Whitney: I shoot beautiful humans, mostly Beauty and Fashion photography,
I’ve also been shooting food and products for the last few years.

Status: How did you get into the photography game, and how long have been doin’ this thing?

Whitney: Photography is a second career for me I have a degree in Engineering, I used to do technical sales and marketing, from industrial process control systems, to system integration primarily in the Washington, DC area. I was tired of the corporate culture and working for other people, so I decided to start a business doing something I enjoyed. Photography had been a hobby for years and since I’d spent years doing business development, I figured if I was any good I could make it work.
That happened at the end or 2000 early 2001, The rest is history…

Status: What makes Whitney Thomas different from other Photographers?
I mean what sets you apart? Why do all the celebrities come see you?

Whitney: I’ve created a style for myself that is very clean, classic and pretty, it translates well in the world of promotion, marketing and so on. I like to describe it as Beautiful Cool. I also shoot in a way that reflects my personality, my shoots are fun, personal and easy. It always helps when people like you as well as your work.

Status: It seems like nowadays everyone with a digital camera thinks they are a photographer and has started some type of photagraphy service or agency?
How do you feel about these folks?

Whitney: I wish them the best, I’m personally self taught although I do suggest people get a fuller technical understanding of what they’re doing to get better results from their images. The only drawbacks have been a sort of bastardization of the craft that does often lead to low quality images as well as a sort of cheapening of the form. Fortunately the quality work that’s being done out there does finds it’s way to the top.

Status: If you were to give a young photographer advice, someone who is just getting started, what would you tell them so that they could do their thing the right way?

Shoot what you love and work to become excellent at your craft. A big part of my success has been shooting Women in a way that shows them in the most beautiful light possible, my love and appreciation for the amazing beauty of Women translates in my work.

Status: Tell us about some of the favorite shoots you have had? What made them so memorable? Any favorite places to us as a backdrop or favorite locations?

Whitney: It’s hard to choose favorites but some of the really enjoyable people I’ve had the privilege of shooting include Will Smith one of the best people you’ll ever meet, Wendy Williams who was exceptionally nice and friendly in a way that shows her true spirit. Anthony Hamilton is just a great Dude, good heart, the love in his music is a reflection of who he is as a person. Flava Flav stands out, he was a lot of fun and not as crazy as the TV image. Mos Def who’s an artistic favorite is very cool and easy to work with.

The beautiful Elise Neal was great fun, she’s so charismatic and open. Terry and Rebecca Crews stand out just from their giving souls, their faith and belief systems mirror my own so I consider them kindred spirits. Klark Kent, a new Gospel group made of super music producers, wonderful Brothers who also share my love for Jesus the Christ. A little closer to home a few of the people I’ve enjoyed shooting several times include the incomparable Mr. Will Downing who I’ve become good friends with and is an excellent photographer himself. Kindred the Family Soul, Aja and Fatin who gave me the chance to shoot the first album cover of my career are wonderful people and great friends. Another Philly homegrown favorite is Res, she’s an incredible talent and such a gorgeous Woman she’s always a fantastic subject. I also have to mention someone who’s given me many great opportunities from shooting his cookbook and working together on jobs for companies like Coca Cola as well as traveling to places like Sao Paolo, Brazil is my great friend Chef G. Garvin a super talented, hard working Brother with a heart of gold.

Status: Is there anyone that you haven’t worked with yet that you’d like to?

Whitney: I have a list ( smiling ) starting with Naomi Campbell, the best to ever walk a runway, Angelina Jolie the face dreams are made of, and Beyonce, one of the very best combinations of beauty and talent to ever grace a stage. And not to leave out the fellas, I’d have to say George Clooney and Brad Pitt, the two coolest Anglo-Saxons on the Planet and Mr. Denzel Washington, the best actor of several generations and the personification of cool.

Status: What makes Philly special place to you as a photographer? Why do you live, play and work here?

Whitney: Philly has been a great starting point for my career thanks to the amazing collection of musical talents I’ve been blessed to work with and hang out with including the likes of Carol Riddick, Jill Scott, Marsha Ambrosius, Jeff Bradshaw, The Legendary Roots Crew, Musiq Soulchild, the Late Great Teddy Pendergrass, Jaguar Wright as well as immensely talented producers such as Dre and Vidal, Carvin and Ivan and Hall of Famers Gamble and Huff. It’s close to New York which helps when I need to travel to The Big City.

I’m from Philly so the ability to see family and longtime friends is definitely a plus. It allows me to benefit from the blessing of friends such as Charlie Mack, Dyana Williams, and Syreeta Scott who’ve all been extremely helpful in my career. Philly is also the home of two makeup Superstars who make my job much easier, Meredith “The Great” Marshall-Sabir and the Spectacular Sparkle Hill. Culturally, as somewhat of a foodie, I love many of myriad restaurants Philly has to offer, perfect example, I can always get a great cocktail and a tasty tuna tartare at Square 1682 in the Palomar Hotel from bartender extraordinaire Denethia “Trice” Durgin a great friend and one of my favorite photo subjects over the years. It’s always nice to have great friends in cool places….

Whitney thank you for taking the time to share your self and craft with Philadelphia. To see more of Whitney’s work you can visit http://whitneythomas.com

Roscoe’s made Chicken and Waffles a ritual of sorts in LA culture. But this is Philly and we have a habit of doing things a bit differently. So why wouldn’t it make sense to combine another traditional morning staple with a wonderful medley of crispy fried goodness.

The good folks at Federal Donuts have just that. This South Philly specialty shop’s menu consists of just 3 items prepared to perfection, Coffee, Chicken and Donuts. Homer Simpson would feel like he was in heaven after discovering this delectable variety of cake filled bliss. Each morning they open for business at 7 AM and they serve donuts till they’re gone.

The assortment includes some intense flavors like: The Key Lime Fancy, it is loaded with lime curd, then dipped in a sweet lime glaze and topped with graham cracker crumbs. The Nutella-Tahina-Pomegranate Fancy is filled with tahini Nutella, dipped in a pomegranate glaze and sprinkled with sesame seeds, it’s tangy blend is a sophisticated take on peanut butter and jelly. The Chocolate-Raspberry Fancy is piped full of raspberry jelly, glazed with chocolate and topped with dried raspberries. The taste simply amazing, I mean who does’nt love chocolate covered donuts.

At noon chicken is served. It’s a scrumptious buttermilk battered Korean fried chicken, a whole ($15) and half ($8). You can order them either glazed with chili-garlic, honey-ginger sauce or crispy and sprinkled with seasoned salts. You couldn’t go wrong either way. Just make sure you get there early cause you don’t wanna miss the daily batch. Once they are gone they’re gone.

Federal donuts has recently extended their hours of operations to satisfy the increasing demand. They are now open on the weekends for dinner, Saturday and Sunday 5 PM till it’s gone. I think you get the routine by now.

Federal Donuts is located at 1219 S. 2nd St (2nd & Federal).
Head on down for a true Philly Phoodie experience.
Let us know what you think and what is your favorite type of chicken and donut.

If you are a foodie, then you are probably enjoying a little slice of heaven right now.
Once again it is restaurant week in Philadelphia, where culinary aficionados can send their taste buds into extreme factory overload. This uber popular event takes place throughout the center city district a few times a year, each event running over a two week duration. This installment spans from January 22-27 & January 29-February 3, 2012. Participating restaurants offer three-course dinners for only $35 per person. In addition, many of the participating restaurants will also be offering a three-course lunch for $20.

This program gives folks an opportunity to experience some of the city’s most exquisite establishments for a fraction of the typical price. Advance reservations are an absolute necessity for marginally popular to trendy spots. Take this opportunity to have a taste of what the city has to offer. Philadelphia is generally recognized as a premium destination for culinary excellence and is home base for many world renowned chefs. Don’t miss out on your opportunity to enjoy fine dinning Philly style.

Your feedback is essential to our success.
Share your restaurant week experience with Philadelphia Status.
In the comment section answer these 5 simple questions about your dinner or lunch.

Let us know where you ate.
How was your dining experience.
Rate your service.
Give us the skinny on the atmosphere and ambiance.
And most importantly tell us how was the food.

In an abbreviated 66 game season which started over a month late due to a 161 day lock-out, the Sixers are one of the leagues biggest stories. The teams sizzling start may have taken national pundits and analysts off guard, but former Sixers player and current head coach Doug Collins believes his guys are capable of accomplishing big things this year if they play together.

This next generation of Sixers is led by fresh faces like 2010 2nd overall pick Evan Turner, budding star PG Jrue Holiday and emerging big man, Spencer Hawes. They are the 3rd youngest team in the NBA, with an average player age 23 years, this can be an incredible asset when they are forced to play back to back games and travel to multiple cities with little time for rest in an uber condensed schedule. So far the Sixers have taken advantage of their young legs, demolishing their opponents with suffocating defense, allowing a mere 88 points per game. In a league filled with superstars and egos these Sixers have 7 player who average double figures and none over 20 a game. In fact Lou Williams comes off the bench to lead the team in scoring putting up a little over 15 points a game.

Coach Collins has built the quintessential team, his players have bought in, play hard and the fans are loving it. In the early stages of this season the team has begun to turn things around. The shift is evident both on the court and in the arena. It’s no accident fans are starting to show up to the Wells Fargo Center in large numbers again. This summer the Sixers were purchased by a group of investors led by U Penn Grad and Billionaire buy-out specialist Joshua Harris. The ownership also consists of CEO, Adam Aron who is a Philly native and life long Sixers fan. Hometown hero, actor/musician Will Smith adds star power to consortium. It appears that Smith will be an ambassador for the team, playing a similar role as Jay-Z does in New Jersey for the Nets.

As CEO Aron runs the day to day operations of the franchise. He is a personable guy and dedicated to interacting regularly with the fans. This couldn’t be more evident then by tracking his new found fame on his twitter. Over the pass two months @SixersCEOAdam has amassed over 10,000 followers. The new ownership has attracted more visitors by slashing the ticket prices of over 9,000 seats in the Wells Fargo Center. Game tickets can be purchased now for as low as $10 in the upper bowl. As a result attendance has sky rocketed from recent years and the atmosphere has been simply electric.

These new owners are dedicated to producing a memorable experience at the arena and delivering a quality product on the court. I wouldn’t be surprised if the team adds substantial talent to bolster it’s already exciting roster in the near future. If you haven’t been to a game yet this year, get there! Become a part of the Home Court advantage and experience this passionate, intense and proud team.

In an abbreviated 66 game season which started over a month late due to a 161 day lock-out, the Sixers are one of the leagues biggest stories. The teams sizzling start may have taken national pundits and analysts off guard, but former Sixers player and current head coach Doug Collins believes his guys are capable of accomplishing big things this year if they play together.

This next generation of Sixers is led by fresh faces like 2010 2nd overall pick Evan Turner, budding star PG Jrue Holiday and emerging big man, Spencer Hawes. They are the 3rd youngest team in the NBA, with an average player age 23 years, this can be an incredible asset when they are forced to play back to back games and travel to multiple cities with little time for rest in an uber condensed schedule. So far the Sixers have taken advantage of their young legs, demolishing their opponents with suffocating defense, allowing a mere 88 points per game. In a league filled with superstars and egos these Sixers have 7 player who average double figures and none over 20 a game. In fact Lou Williams comes off the bench to lead the team in scoring putting up a little over 15 points a game.

Coach Collins has built the quintessential team, his players have bought in, play hard and the fans are loving it. In the early stages of this season the team has begun to turn things around. The shift is evident both on the court and in the arena. It’s no accident fans are starting to show up to the Wells Fargo Center in large numbers again. This summer the Sixers were purchased by a group of investors led by U Penn Grad and Billionaire buy-out specialist Joshua Harris. The ownership also consists of CEO, Adam Aron who is a Philly native and life long Sixers fan. Hometown hero, actor/musician Will Smith adds star power to consortium. It appears that Smith will be an ambassador for the team, playing a similar role as Jay-Z does in New Jersey for the Nets.

As CEO Aron runs the day to day operations of the franchise. He is a personable guy and dedicated to interacting regularly with the fans. This couldn’t be more evident then by tracking his new found fame on his twitter. Over the pass two months @SixersCEOAdam has amassed over 10,000 followers. The new ownership has attracted more visitors by slashing the ticket prices of over 9,000 seats in the Wells Fargo Center. Game tickets can be purchased now for as low as $10 in the upper bowl. As a result attendance has sky rocketed from recent years and the atmosphere has been simply electric.

These new owners are dedicated to producing a memorable experience at the arena and delivering a quality product on the court. I wouldn’t be surprised if the team adds substantial talent to bolster it’s already exciting roster in the near future. If you haven’t been to a game yet this year, get there! Become a part of the Home Court advantage and experience this passionate, intense and proud team.

Historically UPPN (Urban Philly Professional Network) has the most consistent gathering of upwardly mobile urban professionals in the Delaware Valley. Join the network this Friday as they celebrate the holiday season and the end of the year at Red Zone in the Old City district of Philadelphia.

Click below to RSVP

URBAN ANGEL LLC “1″ YEAR ANNIVERSARY BASH- COME AND AND JOIN US TO CELEBRATE OUR 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF OUR SOCIAL SITES… VENUS VS. MARS, PREACH MY SISTER , UNIFIED SOULS, AND BROTHER TO BROTHER!! OVER 5000 MEMBERS THROUGHOUT THE TRI-STATE AREA!