The Weekender

I believe in taking it easy on Sundays. I believe in easy to wear outfits such as one piece rompers. I believe in the freedom of choice to not wear make-up or style your hair. Thank God for baseball caps to cover up all of that "freedom".

On humid days like this particular Sunday, I like to keep my style simple and low key. A trick I like to do is wear something that can be instantly transformed from "no effort casual" to "casual glam". My one piece romper for instance is simple yet stylish. Depending on how you pair you accessories with this romper will determine how your overall look comes off. I paired my baseball cap and fringe purse with this one piece to play it "no effort casual". But say I wanted to grab lunch with a friend; I would simply chuck my cap, flip my hair a little and be on my way looking "casual glam". It's crazy how one thing can completely transform an outfit! I find this trick to be most effective on basic items such as; basic T- shirts with jeans or leggings, basic camisoles with shorts or even just a one piece romper. Simple pieces of clothing that are ordinary at first glance, but can be instantly transformed with accessories. But, let's not forget; no matter what you wear, OWN IT and make no apologies! Accessories or not, YOU make the outfit, not the other way around.

Thanks for spending your Sunday with me, loves!

Until next time,

Xoxo

Romper: F21
Sandals: Aldo
Purse: Foreign Exchange
Cap: Lids

Retro Vibes

Something about the summer makes me want to listen to certain genres of music: The Temptations, Jimi Hendrix, The Supremes, and even some " Doo Wop" songs. Even though the late 60's, early 70's is way before my time, I have much admiration for that era. That time had so many changes going on and people were finding their voices and not taking anything less than what they felt they were owed. But, let's be frank here; that generation had some pretty sick fashion moments too! Bell bottoms, platforms, fringe, costume jewelry, etc. It's easy to get carried away with the "Retro" look when putting an outfit together because the overall look starts to get a mind of it's own. For instance; my outfit started off with my bell bottoms. They obviously have a bohemian feel to them so I just played from there. I went for a high-low grey shirt because I wanted to wear something that was going to be cohesive with my look, but not compete with my pants. From there, I just went with the flow (pun intended) and grabbed my fringe yellow necklace, my headband, my Jackie O inspired sunglasses and carried on.  My fringe grey leather purse you've seen me wear in a couple of my previous posts was something I just gravitated towards to complete this look. And finally, the sandals I kept simple because like I said about my shirt, I didn't want anything to compete with my pants. Honestly, I put ZERO thought into this outfit. It put itself together, I swear!! I guess a free spirit came over me (last pun).

Thank you guys for your continued support and for tuning in. I can't thank you guys enough!

Until next time,
Xoxo

PS. I put the descriptions of my outfit in the labels column... I tried to be a little professional... wink..wink..

Prairie Fancy

As you already know, I'm a dreamer. I've explained in previous posts that certain pieces of clothing make me think of different scenarios or themes. When I first saw this dress, "Little house on the Prairie", came to mind. I also had the thought of a woman wearing this dress in a field, having no cares and just taking in the country fresh air that has a hint of Star Jasmine to it. A woman that is so centred with herself that she has this calm sense to her. I'm not that chic...at least not yet anyway. So I hope I translated my vision as close as possible for you guys.

The dress is a busy piece, so I didn't indulge in accessories. I added a vintage statement necklace to add some extra flare to the "Prairie" look. If I was in a country field, I would still want some sort of costume jewelry . I'm weird like that. I didn't include a purse with this look because when you're way off in a field of dreams, do you really need a purse?!

Thanks for tuning in, loves! Have a good Sunday and I'll see you soon!

Until next time,
Xoxo

Dress: H&M
Sandals: Aldo
Necklace: F21

Finish Line

I find it ironic that even though I've been a runner for almost 20 years, I only recently have started to"enjoy" it. I ran track and field as a kid and all throughout my teen years. The events I'd  run were always the 200, 400 and 800. Not going to lie; I was pretty damn fast. For a minute there I had dreams of one day going to the Olympics... don't laugh. But I remember I never really "loved' the sport. I just did it because my family was so proud of me when I would win and it was actually the only thing I was good at. I ran because I had the need to be the best and coming in first at the end of the race was my validation. But, as I grew older in the sport I realized how selfish my way of thinking was. Later in my Senior year of High school I had a couple of team mates that suffered bad injuries and they were never the same. Not only could they not run anymore, but they couldn't be as active again in their day to day lives either. The thought of being young with your body giving out on you for a sport  you didn't have that much interest in anymore  scared me immensely!  I only liked the part when I'd win, (it's okay to laugh at that last statement). After I came to grips with the fact that I couldn't continue on with the sport that I felt gave me a sense of identity, I had to dig a little deeper inside and find what else I was capable of.

Obviously, years later I found my niche. I found my calling in fashion and never regretted my decision to start a new path. It wasn't until after I had my daughter, Millie, that I started back up with running. Selfishly, I needed to lose the weight  I gained while I was pregnant. I knew my body well enough to know that running would be the easiest way to shed the pounds. I would load Millie up in her stroller and go for a  2 mile run about three times a week. Before I knew it, Millie and I were doing 4miles, five times a week. It actually got to the point to where I NEEDED to run! About 3 months back into my running groove, it hit me: "I'm in love with running". How the hell did that happen? I mostly think it's because it's my time to think. I just listen to my music and think about all of the things I'm so grateful and happy about.  That, and the fact that Millie loves it when I go fast. So that pushes me for sure. How funny is it that now I run fast for my daughter's amusement and not for my own validation? Full circle or what!?

For the outfit choice in this post, I'm not going to go into too much detail because this post is simply dedicated to the sport that taught me how to push through pain, how to keep focus and that you're not done with the race until you've crossed the finish line. And most importantly, NEVER GIVE UP!

Until next time,
Xoxo

Top:F21
Sports bra: F21
Shorts: Fila
Shoes: Nike Flynet 4.0

Mother's Day

This is a late post, I know. But, better late than never, right !?! I hope all the mothers out there had a wonderful Mother's day and your day was full of love and positivity. I hope the new mom's hearts swelled as they received their hand made cards with the glued on macaroni and painted hand prints all over it. And I hope the seasoned mothers got the chance to relax and pamper themselves. And to the mother's that are trying and have yet to receive their bundles from the stork, I especially hope you know this day belongs to you as well. The heart of a woman is enormous and is built to endure more than what we can actually comprehend. Your hearts are, I believe, to be the strongest and most pure. Never lose hope.

I was blessed and most fortunate to be raised by a woman who is both my Mother and Father. A single mother who worked a demanding job as a Paralegal and went to school at nights and still managed to raise three young girls. I know it wasn't easy for her. However, growing up I had no idea that times were hard and that financially we were struggling. And with me being so unaware of the fact that my family was barely getting by, I never felt like I had a disadvantage from the other kids in my neighborhood. I still to this day have no idea how my mother managed to keep me and my other sisters completely unaware to the fact that we were struggling at times. As I write this I am getting choked up because my heart is just so full of love for this woman.  My mother taught me to fight for what I believe in and to never let anyone or anything stand in the way of my vision. God knew I needed you to be my mom.

The outfit for today's post is pretty simple. Chambray tops go with everything and florals are just a must for Sundays. At least that's what I believe anyway. I wore my tribal statement necklace to kind of take apart the girly look the floral skirt gives off. I tied in the colors from the pattern of the skirt with my orange purse to break up some of the business from the overall look. This look is both "Mom" appropriate and "casual lunch date" appropriate. Whatever "appropriate" look you're going for, make sure you wear the best accessory: Confidence!!

Until next time guys,
Xoxo

Chambray top: H&M
Skirt: F21
Heels: Zara
Purse: Michael Kors
Necklace: F21

Day-cation

I've been waiting for the perfect weather to break out my favorite sundress. I was immediately drawn to this little number specifically because of the the Sunflower print. Fun fact: Sunflowers have always been my favorite flower. For some odd reason they're a big mood lifter for me.
It also helps that the style and print of this dress goes perfectly with the upcoming Summer season. I mean, when I think of Summer I automatically think of sundresses and Sunflowers... that and state fairs along with a delicious funnel cake. Since it's not quite Summer yet and state fairs aren't around for the moment,  I could only bring half of my vision of Summer to you guys in today's post.
I also really wanted to pull together a look that was simple and easy because when the weather has you feeling just as good as it looks outside, you find that you don't have to overcompensate.

Until next time,
Xoxo

Sundress: F21
Arm cuff:F21
Purse: gift from Nigeria
Sandals: F21
Sunglasses: H&M

Mesh-n' Around

Mesh is a fabric that I feel is often misunderstood. You often find it in lingerie or other risqué fashion. I wanted to make this post about how you can wear Mesh and not look so provocative. By adding a couple of statement pieces, you can take Mesh to a whole new level of sophistication. My silver statement necklace adds dimension to this outfit. Without the addition of the necklace, this outfit would have fallen flat and we all know I like to do a little extra. I also added a camel coloured blazer, which is another statement piece that adds polish. This look works fine with or without the blazer, but I wanted to show how one simple add-on can change a whole outfit. The strappy heeled sandals keep the overall look cohesive, while the side slung purse gave this sophisticated outfit a playful twist. Life is too short to not have a little twist to it.

Until next time,

Xoxo

Mesh dress: F21
Blazer: F21
Under dress: Vintage
Purse: H&M
Heels: Aldo
Necklace: F21