When I did my year in review last week, I looked at all the posts I wrote about FLOTUS Michelle Obama. She has been scrutinized for her body parts, her hair and almost every single piece of clothing she’s worn since her husband took office. It has always seemed like folks were getting too familiar with the FLOTUS but PETA’s (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) latest move takes the cake. The Associated Press is reporting that the outspoken animal rights group has decided to feature Michelle Obama in its latest anti-fur ad campaign without her permission. Kind of presumptuous don’t you think? Read the full story

Today it’s back to reality for us all. But it’s nice to know that the First Family had some downtime too. During their vacation in Hawaii the POTUS Barack Obama and family enjoyed both the beauty of nature and the biggest blockbuster of the moment with a viewing of “Avatar”. Glad to see he’s rested, the battle continues in 2010.

We’re in week two of our countdown of stories that shaped the images of black women in popular culture. We’ve chosen a dozen stories (the good, the bad and the ridiculous) that captured our attention in 2009. Here’s the story that made our hot list today:

#1: Fascination with the FLOTUS (aka “Picking Apart Michelle Obama Is the New National Pastime” originally published April 8, 2009) Read the full story

There are so many reasons to love FLOTUS Michelle Obama. One of them is evident in this photograph. She is making sure that her daughters, Malia and Sasha, understand to whom much is given… you know the rest. They are all active on yesterday’s visit to the Children’s National Medical Center. And it warms the heart because it’s not an act.

It is clear that many in our community hold up the marriage of the President and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama as a strong example of black love. Like other Presidents, their marriage is often analyzed and speculated about but unlike other Presidents and their wives the Obamas have been more candid about their ups and downs. Even if you don’t do the Sunday paper anymore you might want to get yourself a copy of The New York Times Magazine this weekend so you can keep a hard copy of Jodi Kantor’s in-depth interview (curl up with a cup of coffee long) with the couple about their marriage. Because while this story is inspiring it is also a reality check about what it really takes (and I’m sure they’re not even telling us everything) to have a strong relationship. Read the full story

Sorry Oprah but yesterday I tuned into “Ellen” because Gabourey Sidibe from “Precious” was going to her one of her guests.(In a word: adorable.) But one of the other guests was Katie Couric who was talking about her desire to do more in-depth interviews on television and in print. She mentioned that her first sit-down as a new columnist for Glamour was with FLOTUS Michelle Obama. But I didn’t know until a few hours later that it was because The First Lady had been named one of the magazine’s Women of the Year. Yes, I know that our FLOTUS has been on tons of covers in the past 18 months or so but this is considered a high honor. Woo-Hoo goes right there. Read the full story

FLOTUS Michelle Obama and Oprah are in Copenhagen as part of the delegation hoping to persuade the International Olympic Committee that the 2016 Games should take place in The Windy City. Although most of their time on their first day was dedicated to chatting up the officials and enjoying all the festivities they also found the time for a chat. I wonder what these two are talking about?

Michelle Obama gave  retailer J Crew the thumbs up without saying a word—she’s just worn their clothing on more than one occasion. So sisters know that this once “preppy” retailer has other things to offer (stuff they may actually like). Take this yellow satin clutch for instance, it gives me a Holly Golightly feeling with those dramatic floral details. It will look equally festive at a weekend brunch as it will on an evening out. Get yours soon, they’re selling out fast.