Thursday, April 28, 2011

Love Portrait: Davone and Tiffany

We are delighted to bring you yet another love portrait. This time we get a glimpse into Davone an Tiffany's story. They are currently in the running to be our Cutest Couple, to vote for them click here to visit the contest page.

A 2008 Love Affair...
Our love affair dates back to 2 years ago in 2008. We met through Dollhouse Enterprises Inc., a social networking company for lesbians and bisexuals in which Davone is CEO and Founder. Tiffany emailed Davone regarding a few events she was interested in attending and they immediately began to date after that. Davone instantly knew Tiffany was something special. Tiffany told Davone she found her to be beautiful, smart, funny, ambitious, and down right sexy. Davone found Tiffany to be extremely attractive, intelligent, and so warm and giving. They had so much in common and conversations between them were never dull. Tiffany was hesitant to tell Davone her age as she knew Davone would have an issue with Tiffany being 27 years old and Davone was 35 at the time. It took Davone for a loop when Tiffany revealed her age, but Davone began to call Tiffany her PYT (pretty young thing)! Sadly 2 months later Davone started to push Tiffany away because of the age factor. Davone and Tiffany eventually went separate ways and they both were saddened, because they knew deep down that they were perfect for each other.

A Second Chance at Love...
Davone: 2 years and a couple of emails, texts, and phone calls passed by, in June 2010, we ran into each other at a Pride event. As soon as we saw each other, the same feelings from 2 years ago came over us. We hugged each other and we instantly didn't want to let go. Tiffany sent me the sweetest text at 5AM when I got home saying that she was happy for me and the growth of my company and that I looked amazing. I immediately called her back and we had an hour long phone conversation at 5AM which was amazing and felt like we never left that moment in 2008. We went to dinner the very next, or I should say the same day and we were inseparable ever since.

We always talked about getting married like it was second nature but on a chilly evening in October Tiffany said lets go get our initials tattooed on our ring fingers to signify our love. We went to a tattoo parlor in Greenwich Village and got engaged. As flashy and over the top as I am, this was the most low key thing She has ever did, but it was the most emotional thing as well. It was as if Tiffany got down on one knee and asked me to be her wife, but we did it OUR WAY! We instantly went into planning mode for our wedding and that's where we are now. We are planning a huge Diamond winter wonderland theme wedding that will be taking place in December of 2011 in Long Island, NY. We will officially be getting married in Connecticut about a month before our huge NY ceremony. We are planning on honeymooning in St. Barts. After about a year of being married, Our plans are to expand our family and have a child.

About us as a couple:
We truly enjoy laughing together, laughing, shopping, traveling (Tiffany took Davone to Aruba for her birthday in September 2010), working on our weekly radio show Dollhouse Life Chat, going to Broadway and off Broadway shows and being pampered at spas. We also attend church weekly as our faith and spirituality is very strong to us and keeps our relationship grounded. We have date night once a week to take time out as a couple because our work schedules can get hectic at times. We both got a second chance at love and we vow to not let it go this time around.

A little bit more about Tiffany Jackson and Davone Madison:

Tiffany Jackson, New York City, is 29 years old and works as a computer engineer, Radio Talk show host and IT expert on the weekly internet talk show Dollhouse Life Chat Radio Show and is starting her own IT Consulting firm in 2011. She loves technology, sports, cars, and helping others in any way she can.

Davone Madison, New York City, is 37 years old and works as a finance supervisor for the federal government. She also CEO and founder of Dollhouse Enterprises Inc., social networking company for lesbians and bisexuals that has entities in NYC, NJ, ATL, TX, Philadelphia, and Canada. She is also owner of Dollhouse Media Group and host of Dollhouse Life Chat Radio Show, a weekly internet talk show. Davone will be appearing on TLC's show Say Yes To The Dress which will showcase her looking for the perfect wedding dress at the prestigious bridal shop Kleinfelds in NYC. She is the first African American lesbian to be featured on the show and the 3rd lesbian to be featured on the show in 6 seasons. The episode will be airing in April 2011.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Love Portrait: Katrina and Toni

The meeting...
I am an author of lesbian fiction and one day I noticed this person named Toni sent me a friend request me and I really didn't think anything of it at first. The same evening, Toni posted a poem on my wall and I was blown away by it! That hardly ever happens because, as a writer being in the publishing field, you can imagine I read tons of poems. But there was something about her poem that gave me goosebumps and a strange sense of deja vu! I knew I just had to find out more about her, although I did so secretly and very quietly. Toni eventually contacted me wanting information on publishing her first book and we spoke very briefly on the phone, but my interest was already piqued at that point.

The Connection...
Things started to take off quickly after that, we had a very intense connection. What's funny I had told myself I was going to give up on finding a great relationship because I'd been met with such disappointment in the past. We met for the first time in person on Valentines day. That weekend we spent together was like something out of a movie; deeply romantic and fun! We went on a cruise through the gulf of Mexico and I remember looking at some of the older couples on board and I turned to her and said "I'd like for that to be us someday." She smiled at me, took my hand and said "I think I could arrange that."

The Future...
Ever since then we have been building towards a beautiful future together. Toni and I complement each other so well it wa like we were designed for each other! We hope to someday settle down in San Francico, buy a beautiful, old Victorian home and move our kids plus maybe a crazy cat and dog or two into it to live happily ever after!

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Love Portrait: Nekita and Toni

We are excited to share the love stories of our Cutest Couple Contestants!
Featured Couple: Nekita and Toni of Alabama who married on July 16, 2010 in Springfield, VT.

 
The Meeting...
We meet a local club here in town, I was meeting friends for a "girls nite out" and I was early, I was sitting at a table and noticed her looking at me, but she didn't come over, so I pretended like I was looking for my lighter (I knew where it was, LOL) and she came over, gave me a light and introduced herself." We've been together for 8 years.

The Proposal...
We were having dinner, and Toni just looked up at Nekita and said "marry me." "I playfully replied " I can't marry you.....you don't have any money !" She said " I have enough for you.......and I'll make damn sure that you will never want for anything." Oh man, the tears started, and I was gone after that !

Two Hearts Become One...
We decided to get married because we are in love with each other, didn't want anyone else, wanted to share our lives with each other, wanted to have a life commitment to each other and wanted to share it with our friends and family, and raise a family together.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Opinion Piece: Much ado about weddings, what about the relationship?

We are not without a fair share of wedding shows on television, from Say Yes To the Dress, Platinum Weddings to the over the top Bridezilla's. And while almost all of these shows claim to be "reality tv" (which we know is sometimes scripted and edited to alter how things really transpire...but that's another topic for another blog). 

A wedding is a celebration of love and a public acknowledgment of the commitment of two people to spend the rest of their lives together.  Yes, planning a wedding, even a small wedding takes a lot of work.  I think the advantage in some ways that gay and lesbian couples have over straight couples is that because our unions are not federally recognized and only a handful of states allow gay marriage, we don't take marriage as a given.  Now, this is not to say that straight couples don't value marriage at all, there are plenty of heterosexual couples in long, happy relationships. But with the divorce rates, shows like the Bachelor and 72-hour celebrity weddings, marriage for some is as disposable as a paper cup.

Depending on where you live, if you are gay no matter how much you love your partner, you can not marry them. In my personal opinion these sham marriages is an insult to those of us who truly desire to be married but can't because of our sexual orientation.  But I digress, this post isn't about ridiculous beliefs of others that are upheld as law...smh...this about not letting wedding planning cloud you to what really matters...marriage.

So to all couples planning a wedding, don't forget about each other.  The best advice I've heard is not to treat your partner like you've already "got" him or her, that makes things safe and sometimes boring.  Keep the pursuit alive, the passion.  Yes, a wedding should a wonderful affair. And planning, while intense should be enjoyable but don't get so swept away with table tents, wedding favors and wedding party gifts that you forget the reason why you are doing all this in the first place.

Friday, April 1, 2011

President Obama To Marry Gay Couple?

That's what we are hearing.  President Obama has long maintained that his personal views are that marriage is between one man and one woman; but also says that he will not stand in the way of marriage equality. 

Double talk? I don't know but recently President Obama offered his officiant service to marry his social secretary Jeremy Bernard to his long-time partner Rufus Gifford. The couple are planning a Spring 2012 wedding.  Personally, I would love to see this come to pass, it would be at the least ground breaking and a strong stance for marriage equality.

For the full scoop visit:  http://www.examiner.com/lgbt-weddings-in-washington-dc/president-obama-to-marry-gay-couple