Friday, August 30, 2013

What I Wore: Casual Friday

I'm writing this post from my home state: Michigan! I'm a native of Detroit, and although I love the natural beauty that is California - it feels too good to be home for a visit!
Not only because of the overflow of love, visits, and good times with family/friends; but because of the feeling that I am truly grounded here. I am connected to this place. I guess that is indeed the nostalgia of being...home.


Dress: Cynthia Rowley
Jewelry & Sandals: Jessica Simpson

Monday, August 26, 2013

What I Wore: Mellow Yellow

 
Blazer: Jones New York
Dress: Worthington
Shoes: Calvin Klein
Handbag: Coach
Jewelry: Nordstrom & Thrifted
Sunnies: Betsey Johnson
 

Friday, August 23, 2013

What I Wore: I Miss Fall

Here in Southern California, temps are generally mild year round. Being a gal from Detroit, I appreciate the seasons, especially fall. Although I am not in fall-like temps, I felt inspired to pull out some of my fall fashion.



Pussy-bow blouse: Ralph Lauren
Dress: Kay Unger
Booties: Levity
Handbag: Coach

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

What I Wore: Mustard

When I saw this dress in the store, I instantly knew it was made for me. The color, the cut, and the fit had me from the beginning. 
Dress: Miss Sixty
Shoes: Fergalicious
Handbag: Coach

Monday, August 19, 2013

What I Wore: Blue & White



Straw hat: DSW
Dress: Thrifted, 60s
Clutch: Vintage (Block)
Peep toe booties: Steve Madden

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Thrift Store Score: Vintage Evening Bag

I picked this up in a small city. The store worker thought it was broken, so she sold it for.....$10.00!!!!!
Imagine my excitement when I cleaned it and discovered it was sterling silver! #thriftstoreshopperforlife



Friday, August 16, 2013

Women I Grew Up Watching

Growing up, I was captured by the black women I watched on TV. Why? Not only were they funny, but they looked like people I knew; people in my family, people in my community. They didn’t have perfect bodies, perfect hair, perfect skin, perfect teeth, or even perfect lives. Yet, I felt connected to them. I felt they were beautiful. Somehow by watching them, I felt beautiful.
Over the years, it seems like things have greatly changed.
For instance: If someone refers to the beauty of an actress or entertainer, how often do you think that they look like women in your family, or women in your community? Does watching them make you feel beautiful? Or does it seem like you become more self-conscious about any perceived personal flaws?

Do you find yourself saying: I need to lose weight/get in shape? Or: I wish my body/hair/teeth were like hers?
Let's take a walk down memory lane, in tribute to the women in television that made us laugh, and feel comfortable in our own skin.

“Every Single Woman in America Is Now Curvy”

If curvy can mean anything we want it to — on a scale of size 2 to size 22 — then our reductive thinking on the subject of bodies and beauty standards hasn’t actually changed. The ubiquity of “curvy” is just a gloss of body acceptance, not actual body acceptance. Once you start looking for it, for every positive article about celebrating bodies of all shapes and sizes, there’s an equally negative one; though we’re celebrating new shapes and sizes, it all adds up to zero.

What are your thoughts on Lauren Ban’s article? 

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Little Known Fact: Our Sizing System


During 1939 and 1940, about 15,000 American women participated in a national survey conducted by the National Bureau of Home Economics of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It was the first large-scale scientific study of women’s body measurements ever recorded. The purpose of the survey was to discover key measurements of the female body - that is the important measurements from which other measurements could best be predicted - and then to propose a sizing system based on this discovery.

Monday, August 5, 2013

Seize the Moment


We were on our way to a reception, and I decided to seize the moment. It felt good to do the unordinary and then to feel extraordinary! I bought this vintage dress at a thrift store in my hometown, Detroit. I love the color and the flow of the fabric. Why were all the best clothes made back in the day?!

Over to you: What do you do to step outside your box and feel fab?