Featured WAGS Dionne Boldin: Wife, Mother, Philanthropist #GameChanger!

Sincere, gracious, genuine, intelligent, chic and classy AND that is to say the least. Mrs. Dionne Boldin, wife of Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, Anquan Boldin, is more than what meets the eye. Dionne is as fabulous as she appears in her killa’ #selfies we see on social media with a timeless air of bold self-confidence. A wife first, mother to two boys second and a philanthropist third, who believes in not only leaving a legacy of giving but creating the mindset to give as well.

Name: Dionne Boldin

Husband/Teams: Anquan Boldin (Cardinals, Ravens, 49ers, Lions)

Children: Ashton (6) & Anquan “AJ” (12)

What #hashtag describes you best: #gamechanger

FUN FACTS

Favorite place to vacation: It’s a tie between Greece & Paris

Best Concert you’ve EVER been to: Beyonce

Interesting Fact about yourself: I’m Jamaican

Hobbies: Traveling & cooking

Your favorite memory: Giving birth to my boys

PERSONAL DETAILS

Where are you originally from and how did you get to where you are now?

DB: I am from Belgrade, FL, which is a little town in West Palm Beach County. We now live in Delray Beach, FL so we are still surrounded by our family. We chose to live near this area specifically early on so we could be closer to our family and create a home base, which was especially important to us as the kids got older.

How did you and your husband meet? What’s your love story?

DB: We met in high school. He is from Pahake (FL), a neighboring small town to the one where I grew up so we have always known each other and we met in probably 5th grade. I was a junior and he was a senior when we started dating in high school. After that, we both went to the same college, Florida State University.

ON THE NFL

What are some of the challenges of being married to an NFL player and what do you like about it?

DB: I like the platform it affords us. The ability to be able to walk into a scenario where you instantly have a platform for whatever your cause may be has always meant a lot to me. As a wife, there is a fine line between staying in a supportive role to your husband and positioning your platform in a way that you are grabbing the right audiences as well. Your presence, your behavior is important because people are always watching to see if you are going to screw up and that makes a difference as far as the type of “positioning” and respect you’ll garner. I have known my husband since he was very young so it has always been great to be able to see him live his dream. What I don’t like about it (and that’s the hard part because we knew what we signed up for)--I do miss having privacy. I miss being able to go anywhere and him not being noticed. I will say that I don’t like the scrutiny that the guys get. The fans can rip them apart for the smallest things and they are seen as“just athletes” when in reality, many of these men are fathers, husbands and genuinely good guys.

WR: What are some of your favorite fondest WAGS memories?

DB: I like the camaraderie. Every team has their own sense of camaraderie and there are always a few wives who will reach out to you when you first arrive. From team to team, I have picked up life-long friends. Whether we are out to dinner with the girls or at a game, those moments (the time spent together) are some of my favorite memories. Of course, Super Bowl year with the Ravens was another fond memory. My time in San Francisco was one of my favorite memories.  In both Baltimore and San Francisco, I led the women's Bible studies.  Being one of the “older girls” in the group, I enjoyed seeing the younger girls grow. I learned so much about each of these girls and really enjoyed pouring into them.

ON FASHION & STYLE

WR: Is fashion a hobby for you or a love? We’ve seen your Instagram looks and are impressed to say the least!

DB: I’ve kinda always loved fashion. Over the years, I have tried to switch it up and make my look different and fun. I went out on a limb last year and brought on a stylist.  We have been working together for over a year so at this point, we are friends now and we’re just having fun! In my free time, we talk fashion and put looks together. At some point in my life, I will be in the fashion industry. Where? I don’t know. For now, I am building my budding  personal shopping concierge service called The Art of Shopping.

WR: What are your favorite pieces and collections that you have been wearing recently?

DB: Everything Gucci is doing is really great right now.

WR: Any all time favorite designers?

DB: Hermes or Chanel, accessories wise. I like what St. Laurent has been doing the last few seasons. My favorite pieces are Jackets and Bombers and I like nice, structured blazers by Balmain.

WR: Don’t we all?...!

ON THE ANQUAN BOLDIN FOUNDATION & WALTER PAYTON NFL MAN OF THE YEAR AWARD

WR: Your foundation work and charitable contributions are nothing short of amazing! Tell us more?

DB: Thank you very much. We started the foundation in 2004 and originally it was just an opportunity to give however that may be. My husband and I both grew up in underprivileged areas and our thought was that we would create opportunities only for those communities. So that is what we have been doing every since we started. In each city where Anquan has played, we have tried to serve in whatever and wherever that city had its specific needs. About two years ago, we created an endowment: It’s a $1 million dollar scholarship in San Francisco and Palm Beach areas for students who academically deserve and have shown a commitment to community service. Our mindset has always been to give and share wherever there is a need but more specifically, we want to CREATE a mindset of givers as opposed to just leaving a legacy where we were the only ones giving.

WR: Has there been one particular charitable experience or individual story that you really valued?

DB: Yes and I definitely see the results. For example, we had one kid who was expelled from his high school. He later went back and got his GED so we gave him a scholarship and now he’s a teacher and started a mentoring program back home (in FL). You can really change lives and shift their perspective and anybody that has been helped, anyone I have poured into- I hope I have created a mindset that this is what YOU need to do as well. We also have a family in San Francisco right now where the mother was homeless with two boys. We put her in an apartment where all of her bills are paid for, for the next year. She’s now saving money, on track to support herself and I speak to her at least every other week making sure she is doing everything she “should” be doing. I like the building of the relationships as well. We aren’t helping you to leave you. Life is about relationships and serving. There are so many rich people in the world who are mentally poor.

WR: Your Husband was recently awarded the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year. What type of impact has this had on you and your family?

DB: It’s impacted us in two ways. It has afforded us a platform to get our message out to a different group. This year as well as the year before he was nominated, we’ve seen such a jump in interest. I also like the notoriety of this award. The NFL finally displaying a positive light on the men enables me to appreciate the League for putting this award, front and center. There are so many guys doing the same kind of work who are as deserving. Secondly, we have been able to spend some personal time with the Payton Family. Growing up, Walter Payton was Anquan’s hero. They (The Paytons) are “who they say they are” and they are great people to be around.

IN CONCLUSION

WR: That is powerful. Shifting a bit as it’s wedding season and you have been married for over 10 years now. Every day, we see another picture of a beautiful bride. Before we wrap up, do you have any veteran marriage advice or tips for a newlywed?

DB: I have learned to prioritize one another and even before your kids. Prioritize your marriage and your spouse, which seems difficult when we have babies running around but putting kids in their place has helped us a lot. During the season, I do what’s uncomfortable for me and sometimes that requires me to do what’s not physically comfortable because I travel to every game. It gives us some time alone so I make it a priority. Keep people out of your business! That means not involving your girlfriends or your mother or father but keep your business at home. In the world of sports, there are a lot of insecurities floating around and rightfully so but, give your husband the opportunity to protect you.

WR: You seem like a lady who gets "it" all done!  Tell us, what do you do in your home that no one else can do?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jq626fEPjzQ

Featured WAG: Katie Levitre

Down to Earth, gorgeous, ambitious, genuine; ½ of a dynamic duo is Katie Levitre; former sideline reporter, Bills cheerleader and wife of Andy Levitre, offensive lineman for the Atlanta Falcons.  If you haven’t met Katie, then you are in for a real treat as we chatted about everything from how she met her husband (“love at 2nd sight”) to what she is passionate about (hint, her family and empowering other NFL WAGS).

Name: Katie Levitre

Husband/Team(s): Andy Levitre/ Atlanta Falcons (formerly the Tennessee Titans & Buffalo Bills)

What #hashtag describes you best?

#multihyphenate

"A large percentage of us don’t work outside of the home because of how much we move, so we don’t have something outside of marriage and children to call our own. I am definitely lucky that Andy always goes out of his way to make sure I am comfortable and made to feel just as important as he is, regardless of the situation. Having someone like him as my husband can make this hard transition a lot easier. I have always been a career driven, independent woman and Andy still treats me like one." Katie Levitre

Who is Katie?  Where are you originally from and how did you get to where are now?

I was born and raised in Buffalo, New York.  Since I was a little girl I knew I wanted to be a journalist, specifically a broadcast journalist.  I am passionate about writing and speaking and have always been comfortable performing in front of large groups of people.  I graduated #1 in my journalism class from Buffalo State College and immediately pursued my career.  I started with an internship at the local NBC station then freelanced for an entertainment website run by the Buffalo News.  I moved on to sideline reporting for Time Warner Sports for a year.  In early 2013 I was up for a full-time reporting job at one of the top 3 news stations at the same time Andy was ready to move back to California for his first off-season as a free agent.   When he asked me to move with him, I had to make a decision that I knew would affect the rest of my life.  I was deciding between love and my career.   I knew the NFL lifestyle wouldn’t be conducive to my life as a journalist.  In the end I know I made the right decision by choosing Andy.  It’s easy to think about what life could have been if I had chosen to follow my dreams, but no part of me regrets my decision.  If I had to do it all again, I would choose love every time.  

How did you meet your Husband?

Andy and I met at a children’s toy drive hosted by the Buffalo Bills.  It was his rookie year playing Left Guard for the Bills and my rookie year as a Buffalo Bills cheerleader.   We spoke briefly at the event but there was no romantic spark (and thank God, or I would have been kicked off the squad!).   Two years after we met, he walked into the bar I was bartending at in college and we both got that butterflies in the tummy, hearts in the eyes feeling.  We think of it like love at second sight.  There is something so beautiful about timing.  We were both in such a stable place when we met the second time around, it was almost as if fate wanted us to wait a little while to really find our soul mate.

Tell us about your day to day?

I am a big spin fan!  They have a great place in Atlanta here called Flywheel and the instructors are amazing.  I finally understand what people mean when they say they get “addicted” to a workout.  After spin, I run a lot of errands and take care of our house(s).   I am a dedicated mommy to two French Bulldogs and as anyone with a Frenchie knows, they are quite high maintenance!   I also love to cook, which you can imagine is quite enticing to an Offensive Lineman! ;)

What’s your game plan when adjusting to a new city?

I am in the process of trying to downsize everything!  Andy and I have lived in 4 states in the past 3 years.  My usual game plan was to pack 3,000 bags and hope I had enough.  But now I am trying to get rid of things I don’t need so I can alleviate some stress when we go back and forth to our home in California during the off-season.  When it comes to making new friends and feeling at home in a new city, it definitively isn’t always easy.  Each football city has been totally different for us.  I remember my first year dating Andy in Buffalo, some of the veteran’s wives told me that they don’t give new girls or girlfriends the time of day because they don’t know whether they’re going to be around for long.  I remember thinking how sad that was! But, now I sort of get it.  I will ALWAYS be welcoming and kind to new people but it can be so hard to find friends that you absolutely love only to have one of you leave the next year.   In a sense it’s like starting your social life over from scratch every year, not to mention if you’re like us and live in another state in the off-season.   Sometimes you just have to take it one day at a time and do your best to make this crazy life feel normal.   I’ve been blessed to meet some really incredible people along the way.

What are some of the challenges of being married to an NFL player and what do you like about it?

I think when some people find out you’re married to a man in the NFL they automatically think your husband must be cheating or constantly followed around by women.  It may be true for a small portion of the league but for the majority of us- that is definitely not the case. To be honest, its not the women at all- it’s the grown men that are big football fans!! Haha! I joke that I could be standing next to Andy naked and if a guy finds out he plays football they wouldn’t even notice me!  In all seriousness though, it can be easy to feel like you’ve lost a big part of your identity.  A large percentage of us don’t work outside of the home because of how much we move, so we don’t have something outside of marriage and children to call our own.   I am definitely lucky that Andy always goes out of his way to make sure I am comfortable and made to feel just as important as he is, regardless of the situation.  Having someone like him as my husband can make this hard transition a lot easier.  I have always been a career driven, independent woman and Andy still treats me like one.

What are you passionate about?

My family is my greatest love.  I love being a wife, a dog mom, a daughter, sister & daughter-in-law. There is nothing more important to me than the people who surround me.  Something else I’ve been passionate about lately is giving not only myself, but also every woman in the NFL a chance to stand on her own.    I want to be known as Katie Levitre, not “Andy’s Levitre’s wife” or “the football player’s wife” and I know other women feel the same.   Solely identifying as someone’s wife or someone’s mother is not AT ALL a bad thing, but I want to give women a chance to have something outside of the home to call their own if that is what they want.   People outside of professional sports don’t understand that its not glitz and glam; women have to leave their families, friends, homes and careers to support their significant others.   In every city and on every team we’ve been on at least 5 women have told me that they wish they could work but “no one wants to hire someone for 5 months of the year.”  So, I’m making moves to try to change that.  I recently spoke with someone from the NFLPA about helping women find companies that would be interested in hiring us in the cities we live in during the season.  After all, we are a league full of intelligent, hardworking and mature women!  

Tell us about your babies, the bulldogs!

Awww, my babies! They are amazing!  I got Titan right after Andy got signed with Tennessee, hence the name.  We had to find a dog that could travel in a plane with us and Andy and I both didn’t want anything too fluffy.  We were deciding between a French Bulldog and a Pug- until we heard that pugs eyes can pop out when they get too excited!  We found Titan (who is blue with tan paws and a white chest) in Dallas.  Four months later, I had puppy fever all over again and Andy surprised me for Christmas with a little black and tan Frenchie puppy.  I always wanted to name a little girl Olive, but Andy wasn’t in to naming a human baby after a food- haha! So, my little black puppy became my Olive.  They are my only children for now and I spoil them accordingly!

Love it!  Now for something a little less rigorous; a fun question for you:

What do you do in your home that no one else can do?  Lights, Camera, Action!

[iframe id="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jUU9NBASRtw"]

Doll me up! Warm Summer Glam|Nicole Camak

Hi Beautys, My Beach Babe look is sexy and fierce, great for a summer evening out on the town! I'm wearing 3D Mink stacked lashes (reusable up to 25 times) -today's YouTube shows how to fix a common nose contour mistake, shares some wonderful NEW products and spills the perfect waterline shade everyone can wear. What makes you feel "Summertime" fine? Write me below & Enjoy my video!

-Nicole xo

Outfit Details:

PlaySuit: Free People

Sandal:  

Free People

Okay ladies, now lets get in formation! A Grey Smoky Eye with a Spicy Ivy Park look!

Hello Beauty & Fashion lovers,

Todays video features a clever way to keep your hair out of your face, a sultry/sexy  grey smoky eye so simple even you can do it too and a Spicy Ivy Park Look! Let me know if you're feeling this look and if so give me a thumbs up and subscribe to my channel! xo

Behind The Brand: Ariana Horry of Milk & Honey Babies Boutique

This week’s Featured WAG, Behind the Brand edition is with the brilliant and super sweet Ariana Torry, fiancé of Indianapolis Colts' Safety, Mike Adams.  We had the opportunity to laugh at little (she has a great sense of humor!), talk about parenting and discover how she impressively manages both bedtimes and her brand new beautiful baby boutique, Milk & Honey Babies.   Ariana has graciously extended a discount promo just for our readers! Go online to www.milkandhoneybabies.com to purchase, use nflwags10 and receive 10% off.   Shop till you drop!  Also, don't miss our new tradition; scroll to the bottom of the interview and click the video to meet Ariana in person!!   Name: Ariana Horry

Player/Team(s): Mike Adams/ San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts

What #hashtag describes you best? #humblewithahintofkanye

Where are you originally from and how did you get to where are now? I was born and raised in New York City in the Bronx and attended to the University of Delaware for both my undergraduate and graduate degree where I met Mike. After grad school, I was offered a position at NBC as a digital researcher and when someone offers you a job in the city working for NBC, you take it! This was before children, of course. I became a full-time mother when I moved from NYC to Cleveland but when my oldest was around three, although I definitely enjoyed a sense of fulfillment from taking care of my family, I started longing for something else. I mean at this time my daughter was attending pre-school and Mike of course was killing it in the game ;) (he doesn’t believe in an off-season which is why he is blessed to be entering his 13th season) so I desired something I could call my own. After having our second daughter Avery in 2013 I began to notice there was a void in the baby retail market. I found it increasingly difficult to locate a lot of my favorite baby products in any one given store. And by “my favorite” I mean healthy, eco-friendly and innovative stylish products (either made from organic or natural plant based ingredients). So, once I knew we were going to call new Jersey home in the off season I jumped on the opportunity to open my own store back in New Jersey.

How did you meet your fiancé? Mike and I knew each other throughout college and we always had a great vibe. He always knew how to put a smile on my face and we finally got together in our senior year of college. So while he started his playing career, I was beginning my first year of graduate school. While working on my masters degree in Delaware I flew back and forth quite a bit to San Francisco where he was playing for the 49ers. After graduating and beginning my research career in NYC we were pleasantly surprised with our oldest daughter Maya and shortly afterwards I moved to Cleveland full-time where Mike was then playing with the Browns and after moving to Denver we had our youngest daughter Avery.

Tell us about this precious company, Milk & Honey Babies? Milk & Honey is like our third baby! We’ve been open since September (2015). Our store is located in Englewood, NJ. We decided to open in NJ because Mike is from northern NJ, Paterson to be specific and I’m from NYC. we like to think of Milk & Honey as a luxe one-stop-shop for new parents. We carry a premium selection of high quality nursery furniture, gear, toys, clothes, and specialty baby products. We’re really happy with our collection of what we like to think of as “must-have” baby items. We truly believe in the lines we carry and we’ve worked so hard to vet the lines we carry to help take guess work out of the equation for new parents. Our typical customer are new parents looking for sophisticated, safe and eco-friendly items that don't sacrifice on style.

Can customers shop online as well? I saw the website and it is beautiful! Yes! Thank you! We launched both e-commerce and our brick and mortar simultaneously. As a mom, I get that you want to come inside a boutique and feel the fabric, push a stroller, touch an item and if its your first time trying out a product; you want to see it (in person) and make sure its a good fit for your growing family’s lifestyle.

What’s big picture for the brand? I am still getting this baby off the ground but I am hoping to open a Milk & Honey Too down the line. We’ve received a lot of positive feedback from the community and its nice to know that people want us to expand. We often get asked if we will franchise but those ideas are much later down the road.

If you could expand anywhere, where? I am a New York baby! I love the East coast and Mike and I are both from this area but (Editors Note: a pause and a chuckle moment happened here as I could tell she didn’t want to betray her “stomping grounds”); IF I could let my mind go there to expanding then maybe the west coast like San Diego, one of my favorite cities. I have to add though that without our families, this dream I have, we could not have even executed. Without my family and Mike’s family helping out, supporting us, watching the kids while I stayed at the store late; none of this would have been possible without them. Family support was and continues to be crucial in helping to make our store a success.

What does your day to day look like? Well, since OTAs just started… Monday through Friday I always get up at 5:30. I have to drive 30 minutes to the store and my daughters’ school and after that, I am in the store until the end of the school day. The second part of my day is getting the girls home, helping with homework, preparing dinner, bath time and making sure they are in bed by 7:30 and I don’t play with bedtime! I then try to squeeze in a workout and after that I’m checking e-mails and preparing for the next day. Girls need their beauty rest, you know this! This is so true. My oldest wants to be involved with the process now. She tells me when her braid or bun is a little off or gives input on her outfit but that’s Maya for you!

If you were not an entrepreneur, what would you be doing instead? Hmmm, honestly I would have probably gone back to school and picked up with where I left off, on track to get my Ph.D and would probably be a college professor. After completing my Masters, I felt like I was a little isolated in the academia world. I was missing Mike, my parents and my sisters (I have five and we are annoyingly close). But I’ve always had a love for research and analysis. Give me a topic and I love to apply theory and make sense of it all! I love debate and thought provoking conversation.

A college professor, I love it. Well, now for something less rigorous than academia; a new tradition that we've started at #WAGR.  Tell the people what they want to hear!

Now for the fun question (we have a new tradition that we love!): Lights, Camera & Action!

https://youtu.be/w0umYArtYhk