Neutral Stripes

Sunday: I bought this knit maxi dress back in the Fall. It’s not a heavy gauge knit, but still too heavy to wear in the warmer months. Today was the perfect day to wear it, not too cold and not too warm. I love the length of it. Being as though it was very long, I could wear my heels with it to cancel out the fact that horizontal stripes can make one look wider. “They” say to avoid horizontal stripes because they add width. That especially goes for those of us who carry their weight in the hip area. Being as though I’m more on the taller side, I love when pieces that are supposed to be long, are actually long enough for me. That’s one of the reasons why I love the maxi dress. So you know me, when I bought this dress, I also bought two other colors. Well, they were marked down! I got an all black one and another striped one (love me some stripes!), navy/black (which somehow rang up for only $5!). As far as the accessories goes, I picked the bracelets (ones with the gold details) up recently after they had been marked down 70% off! The necklace is old and just matches the bracelets by coincidence. I usually don’t do matchy jewelry but when I put this outfit together, the use of ethnic jewelry seemed appropriate. And yes, I am wearing all chunky jewelry when it is said to wear only one statement piece at a time. I wore big earrings, statement necklace and chunky bangles, all together! I think it works in this case! What do you think?

Vest: Jessica Simpson (Marshall’s)

Dress: Old Navy (Fall 2011)

Platform Booties: Tinley Road (Piperlime)

Necklace: Charles Klein (BCF- 2011)

Bangles: Gold Details- MNG (JCP); Wooden (?)

Giraffe Ring: ?

Olive Me

Saturday: I dug out these old camo cargos because I thought the color and style of these wedge booties would work well with them (so what if camo is not “on trend” right now). I know the colors aren’t exact but that’s the way I like it. I wore the striped sweater because I know stripes and camo don’t really “go” together but I like how they look together. I think they work because the colors are all neutrals and the contrast of the two give the outfit more interest. I wore this to the mall so my youngest could get some sneakers. I wanted to wear some comfy shoes for all the walking (you know I just can’t go to the mall and only go into sneaker stores). I threw on the camo belt to “camouflage” in with the pants (also needed it to keep my pants from falling down!) and I like how the gold studs pop against the camo. I just gives a little something to an overall neutral, non-girly outfit (sorry gold studs don’t show up well in pics). And in case you’re wondering what the “F” on the chain stands for, when I saw it will thrifting back in the Spring/Summer I originally bought it to stand for my maiden name. So, today, of course, my son asked me what it stood for (all while calling me GI Joe, which I rebutted with “GI Jane”, thank you). I told him of the maiden name thing, then I said “or Fabulous, Fly, Fierce”, whatever I may be feeling at the time I’m wearing it! It’s vintage, a wooden block with the letter in gold metal on a gold chain.

And as you see, another windy day but not as bad as yesterday. Just a little blowing of the bangs. I am slowly starting to embrace this natural hair thing! I actually like it, a little, I think?, I’m trying to work with it! I like variety, so I’ve been trying to do different styles with it just like when I was relaxed. I like the thickness of it though. My hair has always been thick but when you relax for so long, those chemicals literally strip the hair of it’s natural texture (I have been really learning alot about relaxers/chemical hair straightners during this journal to au natural!). I can definitely see a difference in my hair with using the all natural products (shampoo, conditioner, etc.) that I have been using. They are alot better for your hair and love the natural clean smell I get when I use them (they are more expensive, but well worth it!) I still have a substantial amount of relaxer on the ends so I can’t wait for it all to be gone which will make it easier to wear in all out curly styles. Ok, enough about my hair. What did you do on this lovely Saturday? P.S.-Christiana Mall was off the hook! It seems like Christmas time all over again! Since they have stepped up their game, we definitely seem to get alot more shopping traffic then in the past. Alot of out of staters come for the tax free shopping. I just can’t wait until they are done with the road work for the new entrance/exits for the mall because traffic is a mess (this mall was not made to accommodate all the people/cars that now visit it. Well, enjoy what’s left of the weekend! Thanks for reading!

Vest: Old Navy (last season)

Sweater: A.N.A. (JCP-Fall 2011)

Cargos: Almost Famous (Boscov’s-old)

Belt: M.Kors (Macy’s-old)

Boots: Wild Diva (Marshall’s)

Necklace:Vintage

Bracelets: Random; Thrifted; Fossil; BCF

Wind Swept

Friday: First of all, the wind was blowing like crazy (as if I needed to tell you that)! So these are the best that we could do under such conditions! My hair was blowing in my face, I had to hold on to my hat, all while trying to keep my eyes open, it was just a mess! Meanwhile, the same was happening to Michelle, who stood in as my photographer today since we were out together (thanks Chelle!). The morning started off rainy and gray so I decided to wait until it cleared up for pics. Not knowing that the winds were going to be crazy! But anyway, I wore this bright blue pants to brighten up a gloomy rainy morning. I purchased them from Target along with a couple other colors. They are mostly cotton with very very minimal amount of stretch. Well, the reason why is say all this is to let you know that if you consider buying them, they do run extremely small! I had to go up 2 sizes!! So do try them on if you’re considering them for purchase. So I finally went and checked out this consignment store that I heard about, Rags to Riches. I loved it! They had a variety of pieces, ranging from everyday brands to high end designer. From clothing, outerwear, jewelry and designer bags. The shoe selection is a little weak though, especially in my size range 81/2 -9. But that’s always the case when thrifting. My favorite section is definitely the vintage! I like “one of a kind” old school pieces to add to my wardrobe. The pieces that usually get passed by with the average shoppper. I only purchased a hat, a vintage sequin top, a DKNY leather skirt and a Mara Hoffman Kaftan Dress. I could have easily bought a whole lot more (self-control, thank you!). But I will definitely be going back to this spot to purchase and consign some of my own stuff. The only downfall is their prices are a little steep on most things. Don’t get me wrong, they have some great pieces, but you will pay for them. Not all, but most. They are having a good 50% redline sale right now though (that’s what I took advantage of!). Then, their winter sale starts this coming week. I saw quite a few vintage pieces that I will be stalking for price reductions! I’ll keep you posted! Have a great weekend!

Jacket: GAP (last year)

Oxford Shirt: Le Tigre (JCP-old)

Pants: Mossimo (Target)

Belt: M.Kors (old)

Booties: Tory Burch (old)

Hat: Hat Attack (Marshalls)

Jewelry: Random;Tory Burch; Thrifted

Necklace: A.N.A.(JCP)

Urban Prep

Sunday: 1st things 1st, happy 13th b-day to my youngest, my baby!!!! He is finally officially a teenager! He has been rushing this teenager thing for the last few years now. Even though we like him being our little (big) guy, we know he has to grow up. But guess what, he will always be our BABY, no matter how old or big he gets! Anyway, well, there you have it, our 1st “significant” snow storm! I was not a happy camper when that forecast was announced! It came exactly as my channel 10 weather team said it would. In my area we got a couple of inches followed by freezing rain which just coated the snow and made everything icy. Thank God it happened on the weekend cause I do not like to move when it snows! I enjoyed every bit of staying in the house, the entire day! That’s the ONLY good thing about the snow for me! No cabin fever for me, I could stay in for days on end, especially when it’s cold, and especially when it snows! So, I had my outfit picked out for today but had to change it up due to the unknown conditions of the terrains that I might have encountered. That was the first thing my mom said when she knew I was going out today. No heels! Ok, so I didn’t exactly not wear heels, I just wore a “heel” with a gum rubber sole to prevent any accidental slippage/falling on any leftover ice (cause that wouldn’t be a good look!). So anyway this is what I wore. Layered up and warm for this horrifically cold weather! This outfit is a combo of a few different styles. The urban side is the slouchy/baggy jeans, the hat and the door knocker earrings (which I wear with any and everything), the preppy is the brown/white gingham shirt and the orange/white buffalo plaid button down and the fur jacket gives that little touch of glamour. How was your weekend? Do you like the snow or hate it, like I do? It does make for a pretty scenery though!

Shirt (orange/white): American Eagle (Myrtle Beach-old)

Shirt (brown/white): Men’s Paper Denim&Cloth (TJ Maxx)

Jeans: A.N.A. Boyfriend (JCP-old)

Belt: ? (very old)

Faux Fur Jacket: A.B.S. Silver Label (TJ Maxx-old)

Boots: GAP

Jewelry: JCP; Fossil; Random; Thrifted

Wooley

Friday: I’ve been waiting for the perfect appropriately cold/brisk day to wear this sweater (it’s actually alot heavier than it looks). I found this 100% wool sweater @ a yard sale back in the fall. It was the end of her sale and the lady was selling everything for $1. She didn’t have much left that caught my eye, besides some things that another lady had already piled over to one side (you know the old saying, “if you slow, you blow”) but I did manage to get a couple of items. This big, cozy sweater was one of those finds. I also picked up it’s fraternal twin, a cardigan, that is exactly like this pullover style. Have you found any goodies @ yard sales? Or do you even shop yard/garage sales? If not, you don’t know what you could be missing! “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure!”

Sweater: No Name (Yard Sale)

Jeans: Marc by Marc Jacobs “Chrissie” (Loehmann’s-very old)

Boots: Tory Burch (last season)

Hat: Betmar New York (Boscov’s-very old)

Jewelry: Random; Fossil; H&M; Shamballa

Nails: “Planks Alot” (OPI)

Clear but Cold!!!!

Sunday: I wore this to church today. I like how the denim shirt makes the outfit more casual.  I like a denim/chambray top but this one really caught my eye. Most are button downs, but this one is actually elastisized (if that’s even a real word; but you know what I mean!) around the waist which gives it a difference vibe. Rather than tucking, untucking or the half tuck, you don’t need to make that decision, it sits right at your waist or you can stretch it down a little further for a different look. I put the leopard booties on to add to the edge of the leather. The leather pants are  lightweight, very butter-soft, not still like some leather pants can be. But this also makes them very fragile and vulnerable to any little nick, bump or bruise. But I’m not worried about that because I didn’t pay alot for them so it wouldn’t hurt too bad! I actually got them for 1/2 off like the leather dress I wore in last week’s post. I always throw on some extra jacket/cardigan on to complete the look. I love this little jacket! The crop, the color the lapel detail, everything! It’s not real leather, but even if it was, I would still have put it with these leather pants. I usually don’t like when leather is paired together. It looks to forced, matchy-matchy, too bikerish (nothing wrong with looking like a biker if really own/ride a bike!), but not for the average person. This combo works because of the cut and color of the jacket are totally opposite in style compared to these leather pants. I like how the whole outfit came together. No real color, just all neutrals. Except for the red clutch I added  just for a little pop of color. If you notice that a couple of the pictures were taken on a basketball court. That was gonna be my backdrop today but only got to take those 2 pics when my camera died on me. I forgot to change/charge the batteries after the last week or so and without warning, the camera shut down! Well, there was the battery light that flashed a few times and the camera cut off and I persistently kept getting Javar to turn it back on, but that wasn’t working, batteries were completely drained! So after nearly freezing our butts off, we gave up and went home to retrieve fresh batteries and just took the pics out front. It is cold!!!!!! Taking pics for the blog under these conditions is really challenging. But you know how much I love fashion and this is just one of those sacrifices that we encounter for the love of fashion! Plus, it’s nice to not have people out gawking at me when we take pics! For now, they’ll be back when it gets warmer! How are you staying warm and stylish during this fridgid weather? Enjoy what’s left of your weekend. I don’t know about yall but I’m off tomorrow for the King Holiday, yipee! I will be relaxing, doing school work and watching all of the King specials/programs on t.v. all day (honoring a wonderful man who made a difference in our lives, thank you Dr. King!). And did I say napping and lounging (my favorite past time)! Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!

Jacket: Ali & Chris (BCF)

Top: GAP

Leather Pants: Designer Consigner

Booties: Wild Rose (BCF)

Necklace: Charles Klein (BCF)

Jewlery: Random; Thrifted; Shamabala; JCP

Sunglasses: M.Kors (old)

Clutch: Random (?)

Untitled

Saturday: Another cold, windy day! So what I complain about the weather all the time! There are only a couple of things I like about this time of year. One is the options when dressing. You can add many layers and still be comfortable. I see girls layering in the summer and don’t know how they do it! It is just too hot for all of that! No, I’m not complaining about the heat, I just like to wear the lightest fabrics possible to stay comfortable when it’s hot outside. The other thing about this time of year is the position of the sun. I love how low and intense it is! It makes for great pictures if you catch it at the right time. I only had a meeting to go to at church today so this is what I wore. The jeans are vintage Versace that I thrifted back in the summertime. They are typical 80’s jeans, high waist and tapered leg. The boots are very old, probably over 7yrs old. The only reason I can remember that is because I remember wearing them when my twin goddaughters were born and they turned 7yrs this past November. I believe that probably was the last time that I wore them! No reason, that’s just how it is. I love the color of these boots, they “match” nothing, but go with everything! They remind me of the color that Etienne Aigner used to use for alot of their pieces back in the day. The jacket is real old too. Just figured it didn’t “match” anything I was wearing but added an interesting color combo with the boots. Oh, and the hair! Don’t get me started on that! I have been growing out my relaxer for the past year now and finally decided to really take care of my hair as a “natural” girl does. I came across a great blog on natural hair, Black Girl With Long Hair, that has really helped me on buying the right products. I was looking for the best shampoo and conditioner, but also any other products that might help me restore my hair to a healthy state. I also found some good info on the sites too. Did you know there is a hair typing system used to categorize curly hair? Yeah, I didn’t either. Google it! Apparently it was developed by Andre Walker, Oprah’s longtime hairstylist. It is basically used to aid in the types of products that will work best for a hair type. Anyway, I used the shampoo and conditioner and air dried my hair overnight. It was ok until I tried the curly product/curl holding products. For the most part it was ok, but I didn’t like it because my ends are still really straight from the relaxer so it was not working! I don’t know about this natural thing, I’ll probably stay relaxer-free but just keep straightening it with flatiron/curling iron. Natural/curly girls, I give you props! So that explains my fuzzy updo you will see in the next couple posts.If any of you have any further advice or recommendations, please feel to help a sistah out!

Jacket: J.Lo (very old)

Cardigan: GAP (old)

Shirt: Abercrombie

Jeans: Vintage Versace (thrifted)

Boots: Steve Madden (very old)

Sunglasses:Club Monaco

Jewelry: Random

Head of Estate

Friday: Wow, what a difference a week makes! This weather is sooo crazy! Last weekend we were in the 60’s and now it’s like 30 degrees! Ok, so what, I know it’s winter but I do prefer to be warm/hot over being cold any day! We have just been blessed by the mild weather that we were having. And since we haven’t had any significant snow yet, I can’t really complain too much! Anyway, I wore this to go check out this estate sale that the thrift store “Sister’s” was hosting. They actually buy houses full of items and then sell them off to the public. Initially the sale takes place at the house then what’s left they take to their store and sell it. I have always been interested in seeing what an estate sale was like. I have seen them advertised in the newspaper before but never actually been to one. So when I was in  Sister’s last week, they told me of the sale and I decided I would check it out. This estate sale wasn’t the exact type that I wanted to go to (you know, affluent owners who have old money!), but it was interesting. Nothing too much that I wanted but alot of other people were in there buying out the contents of the house (the sale consisted of everything that was in the house, including furniture, clothing, tools, jewelry, etc). It was an experience that I hope to do again but in a more affluent neighborhood. I’ll be on the lookout for one of those. P.S.- As you will notice in the next few posts that I have my hands curled up, no I’m not hiding undone fingernails, I’m just cold and the hand balling up thing is an unconscious reaction to the fridget temps! Thanks for stopping by! Stay warm!!!

Sweater: Old Navy (past season)

Turtleneck: GAP (last year)

Jeans: DVB by Victoria Beckham (old)

Boots: Michael Kors (old)

Belt: ? (very old)

Bracelets: JCP; Shamballa; Thrifted; Chanel

Tougher than Leather

Sunday: Remember that Run DMC album “Tougher than Leather”? Ok, I know I’m dating myself on that one, by referencing  an “album”. Anyway, this post has nothing to do with either, I just named it that because of the leather dress I’m wearing. Anyway, I picked this dress up from Designer Consigner. I had my eye on it and was about to purchase it until my attention got turned away from the dress to the Tory Burch riding boots I posted back in October. Then later, the same thing happened except with the Prada riding boots. I thought I had lost it forever!  3 months had passed when I went to DC to consign some of my stuff, that I looked for it and there it was! No one had snatched it up all this time! I decided that I had to have it, it was meant to be, KISMET! After all this time, no one had taken it home, the fashion angels knew that I would give it the perfect home! But it doesn’t end just like that. As I pulled it from the rack, I noticed a red line going thru the tag. Could it really be, was my dress on sale! Yes, not only was it still waiting for me to take it home, but it had been reduced to 50% off!!!! I was thrilled! So here it is! Anyway, I don’t what to call this color, sunflower?maybe?,  but I styled it with brown and put on the “leopard hair” peep toes (have you seen the shoes that are covered in animal “hair”? for instance a lot of designers have done pony hair shoes/accessories, well these are a cheap version, “faux hair”) to give the outfit more edge/interest. I put on my Fozzie the Bear (yall remember him from the Muppets right?, well, he was more of an orange-ish color but the fur is the same texture) cropped jacket to give the dress more “omph”, but also for warmth. What do you think?

Dress: Spencer Jeremy (Designer Consigner)

Jacket: Anne Klein (Marshalls)

Belt: Vintage

Shoes:  Pia di Franco(BCF)

Necklace: Vintage (Sista’s)

Jewelry: Thrifted; Random

Earrings: Tory Burch

Ring: ??? (don’t remember)

Nails: (dark)Sinful Colors-“Nirvana” (light) UO-“Plan B”

Ultra Low

Saturday: Another beautiful, warm Winter day on the East Coast today! Not quite as warm as yesterday, but very unseasonably warm anyway. I wore this outfit today to spend the day with my family for my youngest nephew’s birthday. I can’t believe my lil peanut (that’s what I used to call him when he was a baby) is 5 years old already! I bought these jeans because of the ultra low slouchy style. I don’t know what it is, but I like a dropped crotch/slouchy jean (or pant for that matter)! I just think it gives a cool, laid back, kind of rebellious vibe to an outfit. It shows some personality, that one enjoys fashion and don’t mind looking different than what anyone else might wear. I styled them with this feminine, girly floral blouse to balance out the edge with something a little more girly. The booties were purchased several years ago and just have been sitting amongst many others, waiting to see the light of day. When I bought them, I also bought the navy pair too (you know about that thing I have for buying multiples). I like a pointy toe shoe. I think it gives a little edginess to a shoe. Pointy toe, round toe, square toe, cap toe, almond toe, all of these go on and off trend, but it doesn’t matter which is in right now, I wear whatever I think goes with the outfit better. Don’t conform to trends! Wear what you like. That’s what personal style is all about. I’m not saying don’t follow any trends. I’m just saying you can incorporate the trends you like, but still go with your own instinct of what looks good to you and what feels good to you. Style is not always just about how you look, it’s also about how you feel. As long as you feel confident in what you’re wearing, you will exude that confidence to the world and what they may think about what you’re wearing will be irrelevant! “Everyday is a fashion show and the world is your runway!” (I love this quote-unknown author! It’s one of my top favorite quotes about fashion/style).

Cropped Sleeveless Peacoat: GAP (old)

Blouse: I Heart Ronson (JCP)

Jeans: Levis 524 Skinny (TJ Maxx)

Belt: The Limited

Booties: NOW!! (BCF)

Bag: Jessica Simpson (DSW-very old)

Sunglasses: Marc Jacobs (old)

Necklace: Monet (Boscov’s-very old)

Bracelets/Watch: Random; Thrifted