May 20

Occupy TJ Maxx – A Cute & Casual Bargain Weekend

Posted in Reviews, Shopping

This weekend proved to be very busy in Chicago with the NATO summit in full swing. I’m not into politics at all, I actually had no idea what the NATO summit was all about. Thanks to Google and Wikipedia I now know. The summit is being held at the McCormick Place Convention Center which is about a 5 minute ride from my home, so it made traveling north of my residence very difficult.  There are thousands, and I do mean THOUSANDS, of protesters here. I made it my duty to stay as far away from the action as I can. Unfortunately, I have to work Monday, and I get the privilege of heading right into the action of downtown Chicago. Friday, armed guards surrounded my building so I’m not sure what lies ahead tomorrow.

Friday evening, I hosted a meet & greet dinner for the guest of the Family & Friends cruise to Aruba and 3 other islands that I’m hosting in August. I love planning events, I really do take the time to make sure people enjoy my presence and any event that I sponsor.  For my outfit, I decided to wear to some recent bargains that I came across. My sister also dressed cute and casual for the event. We had a blast as always but the waitstaff at Leona’s on 91st and Stony Island was HORRIBLE. I’ll leave it at that!

Here’s what I wore:

Jacket by Cynthia Rowley – TJ Maxx clearance for $19.99

Floral Pheasant Blouse- Target clearance for $8.00

Denim Trousers – Lane Bryant clearance $6.99

Shoes – DSW clearance Steve Madden Metallic Gold Wedges $10.00 (Discounted from a coupon I had in conjunction with a few loose threads on the back of the shoe. Don’t be afraid to ask for discounts if you feel something is slightly damaged)

Purse- Michael Kors Berkeley Clutch in Pale Gold purchased from the Michael Kors outlet in Concord, NC $99.00

Bracelets- Amrita Singh $30.00 from Ruelala

I have no idea where my sister Le’Nae got that adorable dress from. I know the purse is Kenneth Cole, the shoes are Nine West, and the diamond necklace is from Ice.

On Saturday, I opted for cute and casual once again. We decided to do some light shopping and go to a carnival. Unfortunately, we got there and the carnival was gone, but nonetheless, the show must go on. I wore a navy blue maxi dress from Ashley Stewart that I purchased last year for less than $20.00, a crop jacket I purchased from Lane Bryant on clearance for $6.99 and Coach Folly Sneakers I purchased from Nordstrom for about $60.00 on sale, Lounge Lizard Necklace by Betsey Johnson. I carried my BCBG quilted leather tote that I purchased for $79.99 from Ruelala that retails for $348.00. It’s on Sale at 6pm for $139.00 now.

 

So while protesters were out occupying downtown Chicago

Photo Courtesy of Chicago Tribune

I was out occupying TJ Maxx & Lane Bryant – Check out that cute Michael Kors Purse :)

Around 10:00 pm we decided to make a run to Target which prompted us to go north. We were meet with resistance as traffic was backed up for miles…..Why did my ass decide to go North knowing we possibly wouldn’t be able to…….inquiring minds want to know!

Enjoy 15% off Fabulous Jewelry at Ice

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May 18

Fab Fashion Finds: It’s A New Dawn, A New Day, A New Life & I’m Feeling Good

Posted in Shopping

Nina Simone actually inspired this post, I’ve had a good week and yes, I am feeling rather good. Pandora sealed the deal for me when I was getting photos together for this post and “I’m Feeling Good” suddenly blasted through my laptop speakers. Maybe it’s the wonderful weather we’ve had this week, excitement for the summer, or just plain ole happiness, either way this chick is feeling good.

This week, I sought inspiration from the internet for my Fab Fashion Finds. I found 2 things this week that I absolutely adore. The first one is the Gretchen Metallic Clutch from Juicy Couture in a pretty shade of pink. This cutie pie was on sale half off the original price and will work well for the summer. The second is the trinity wedge from Matisse that I purchased from Hautelook for half the retail price. Hautelook is becoming my favorite sample sale website because every day they have awesome items for sale. Sign up today to be alerted of upcoming sales and save more than a buck or two.

Remember I said this season was all about color for me so I purchased a new set of bracelets from Amrita Singh in a gorgeous shade of pink. I was on a waitlist for these from Ruelala and they finally came in. Sign up for Ruelala here, you won’t be disappointed.

I walked in Walgreens this morning and was instantly attracted to the bright colors of nail polish on sale. So I bought 4 bottles, 2 from Sinful Colors (Dream on & Happy Ending) and 2 from Sally Hansen (Lickety-Split Lime & Hard Lemonade) a girl’s fingers and toes got to be cute this season as well! The total for the 4 bottles was less than $10.00 which is a good deal on Sally Hansen.

Lastly, I received this statement necklace and this super cute Echo scarf in my May Little Black Bag. The necklace is by M.Haskell and it really is an eye catcher. The scarf as pictured looks like it’s white and a dark shade of yellow but it’s actually pink & coral like color. I wanted to take a super cute picture in the scarf but honestly, I have NO idea have to tie this scarf fashionably like I see on models. Scarves have evolved into one of the cutest accessories. In the past, I used scarves for 2 reasons, to tie my hair up at night and to keep warm. After I finish this post, I will be searching YouTube for videos on cute ways to tie scarves.

Have a wonderful weekend♥

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May 14

Is Facebook & Social Media Slowly Killing Your Relationship

Posted in Dating, Relationships

I can’t believe I’m up at 10am on a Saturday morning with my beloved furry sidekick and a cup of Kona Chocolate Macadamia nut coffee. Since I’m up earlier then my normal rising time of 12 noon, I decided to once again get my thoughts out.

My mind is on social media and the role it plays in our romantic relationships. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve heard of things going bad in relationships because of social media and the internet. Your partner has accessed your email accounts, an ex has contacted your partner on Facebook, unknown people are flirting with your partner online, or maybe you have a huge amount of Facebook friends & Twitter followers and your partner is jealous. The list of potential problems goes on and on. All of these things spell Trouble with a capital T!

Social media has opened up a whole new can of worms. I’ve seen private fights go public, bitter ex’s attack, baby momma drama, and enough scandal for me to sit at my computer with a freshly popped bag of popcorn and take it all in. People no longer take their fights to the street, they take them to Facebook!

For the life of me, I can’t figure out why ex partners seem to request you as a friend on Facebook out of the blue. I also can’t figure out why people accept the connection when they’re in a relationship with someone else. The only thing I can think of is curiosity; I don’t think there’s a person alive who hasn’t wondered how an ex flame life has turned out after you’ve parted ways. Now I don’t necessarily see anything wrong with someone wanting to say “Hi, how’s your life going” but some will launch a full vendetta to get you back using social media as a start. It will start off innocently enough with a hello, an innocent hello then becomes I miss you, and then they follow you on every social media website your apart of. They’ll comment on all your Facebook statuses, retweet all your tweets, and then start sending you private messages that’s flirty in nature. Now would be the time for you to remove them but do we? No, we continue the connection out of curiosity and we all know what happened to curiosity, it killed the cat.

There are plenty of different scenarios that can play out when we participate in online activities. These activities can’t kill your relationship unless you let it. You control who you let into your social circle and you have the ability to decline any connections from people who may be a threat to your current relationship. If you value the current relationship you’re in then there’s no need to e-mail , accept friend request, or engage in any type of online or offline activity with an ex partner. At some point, the shit will hit the fan and major damage can be done, drama! Don’t let social media ruin a good relationship; just say no, it’s that simple. If your partner is the initiator of the contact, this would be a good time for you to re-evaluate your relationship and possibly update your info to single on Facebook. Initiating and maintaining contact with an ex partner or anybody else in an inappropriate way is never a good sign, I don’t think there’s a person I know who would be comfortable with their partner being bosom buddies with an ex, or a new found friend online or offline. Do you agree?

Too Faced Cosmetics

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May 11

Fabulous Fashion Finds: Seeking Inspiration at DSW

Posted in Reviews, Shopping

In the past when I would shoe shop, I had the task of going to 3-4 different shoe stores in order to find what I was looking for. As most of you know, I love to shop, but driving around to 3 or 4 stores in search of the perfect pair of shoes is a time consuming process. One day out the blue, the shoe Gods heard my prayers and DSW was born.

 
I’m shopping in preparation for a trip to Vegas, My birthday next month, and a 10-day vacation which includes visits to Miami, Aruba, the Grand Turks, & the Dominican Republic. So as you can imagine, it is very important that I stay within a certain budget. So today I decided to visit the DSW by my job that opened this week. I went to be inspired by bold tropical colors in preparation for a busy summer.

The first stop, clearance! I found this cute Nine West wedge for $69.00 with 40% off

Take a stroll on the Island with these colorful Dollhouse sandals

I loved these embellished thongs from Zigi Soho, soooooo cute with maxi dresses and denim rompers

Hot multiple color wedges from Impo, cute for spending the day on a tropical island

 

DSW was super crowded but I spotted at least 20 pairs of shoes that would look good in my closet and on my vacation. This definitely warrants a mid-week trip when the crowd is lighter and merchandise is restocked…… I’m inspired now :)

Have a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend

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May 9

Excuse Me, No Damaged Goods Here

Posted in Dating, Relationships

This past weekend, I attended a gathering at Dave & Buster’s and found myself in a brief conversation with one of the women who attended. We were talking about various topics and she made mentioned to the fact that she was divorced and how divorce translates to damaged goods for some people. I didn’t tell her that I too was divorced but I sure as hell know how she feels. I can recall numerous of occasions when I have spoken to someone or went out on a date and when I mentioned the fact that I was divorced they looked at me like I had the bubonic plaque, like I was damaged goods, and someone to be avoided. As a result, I stopped telling people I was divorced because in my opinion it basically translates to single. I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s none of their business until they show some consistency in my life. Plus I got tired of answering the same questions about the when, where, why, and how of divorce. I swear the same 3 questions seem to come out of everyone mouth. What happened, Why didn’t it work out, and my favorite, what did you do? Really! So now, I‘ve developed my own rule, don’t ask me shit and I won’t tell you shit!

As I thought about the whole damaged and divorced stigma, the first question that popped in my head was what exactly makes me any different from anyone else who has been in a long term relationship with someone? I mean does having a piece of paper, saying two words, and wearing a white dress make heartbreak that much more severe. I don’t think so, heartbreak is heartbreak any way you look at it and anyone can become damaged goods after being with someone for an extended period of time. Whether you’re married, in a domestic partnership, or been living together for the past 85 years, everyone can become damaged goods. No one is immune from heartbreak, mental anguish, and emotional despair; especially if you have a trail of several failed relationships behind you. I know plenty of people who haven’t been married but suffered big time during a break up. So this so called label that some people have chosen to give us divorce women will not apply here. I choose to look at my past as a lesson learned and a new beginning. You won’t find any damaged goods here, but you will find a much stronger and confident woman.

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May 7

Online Dating: Meet Your Top 6 Contenders

Posted in Dating, Relationships

This weekend I got into an interesting conversation about online dating. I used online dating  off and on until 2010 when I  said enough is enough. I found myself thinking that almost everyone you meet in an online environment is slightly “off their rocker” but wondered if the same could be said about me since I was on there as well. I soon learned that if you get to know a person well enough you find out why their ass is single and looking for love or whatever online. I initially got on there because it’s convenient and It offers a preview of the person so you can weed out the ones who seem to align with you and ones who don’t….easy enough right? So after some strong evaluation of my online dating adventures, I have compiled a list of the people you find fishing in the online dating pond.

The Weirdo

Some people are just plain weird and you immediately pick up on it. Their profile reads like a normal human being but when you speak in person or on the phone you realize that the elevator doesn’t quite make it to the top floor. Things that make you go hmmmm…….

The Rebounder

One thing about internet dating is that contact happens fast! People who have recently went through a break up or divorce often turn to the internet as a way to find someone to fill the void and take their mind off the failed relationship. You realize this because when you speak or go on a date, you end up listening to all of the problems they had with an ex and honestly, it the last thing I would want to hear. Yes, everyone needs a shoulder but why me?

The Con-Artist – Phase I & Phase II

This person uses online dating as a way to market his services or scam you. You have a few decent conversations and decide to go out. When you meet they immediately try to sale you services and got the nerve to be persistent about it. In my case, it was shitty prepaid legal services.  The guy had the nerve to try to obtain my social security number from me. Phase II happens when you meet someone with no car, financial problems, and no place of their own. They move FAST, they will try to quickly get in a relationship with you so they live with you, eat you out of house and home, and become the worst squatter you’ve seen in the history of man. You may have a few decent dates and some conversation but it all comes out sooner or later…RUN LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT! People prey on the lonely and the desperate!

Father Time

It’s nothing worst then a man in the 60 and up age range who patrols the dating sites looking for much younger women strictly for sex. I think love can be found at any age but after a certain point you get to old to be playing games to earn the player of the year award. Sit your ass down and enjoy retirement!

The Freak Master

He uses online dating sites strictly to cater to his freaky off the wall sexual desires. You won’t know much about him but you will know all the things he wants you to do to him and what he wants to do to you. Some of it may even gross you out, if not all of it. It will be enough for you to shut down every profile you have for at least a few months. You will need time to recover just from hearing his thoughts. Let’s not forget about the ones who only want sex and got the nerve to bad at it. If that’s the only thing you want at least be good at it.

The Chat Buddy

You meet online and have a few phone conversations but it never progresses. You discuss meeting each other and find that you both have a lot in common but never meet. Two years has passed by and you’re still chatting online, unless of course you meet someone, because you won’t have the time to chat with anyone. This happens quite often with people who live in different states, but it also happen with local people to. It eventually bores you; I know it bored the hell out me after awhile. When two people hit it off but don’t meet it’s a reason. Unfortunately, I didn’t care enough to find out.

I think internet dating is an excellent resource for meeting people, but as with anything else it has its pros and cons, everyone has a different experience.

Am I forgetting anyone? Please do share!

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May 4

Fabulous Fashion Finds: I Want What I Want

Posted in Shopping

I purchased my first Kate Spade from Neiman Marcus about 10 years ago give or take a year or two. I remember the experience vividly because I walked in the store one day after work with my mom who tagged along with me. As I recall, I had the hardest time finding someone to help me out, I had one of those Julia Roberts Pretty Woman moments where people felt I couldn’t possibly afford anything in their store. Needless to say, I finally found someone to help me and I purchased my very first Kate Spade bag. That was 10 years and 10 Kate Spade bags ago. Had this been me present day, I would’ve told them where to stick their merchandise and would’ve walked out of there empty handed. I haven’t been in that particular store since that incident. Last week, I went on the hunt the whimsical Kate Spade Magazine clutch. The bag was sold out online and of course with me having the “I want what I want” personality; I picked up the phone and called the Kate Spade outlets until I found the clutch 2000 miles away from me in Camarillo, CA. The bag retailed $295.00 and I paid about 80% less thanks to a sale at the outlet. So a special Thank You to Janie at the KS outlet for graciously shipping the bag to me with a nice note telling me to call her if I desired anything else. A brand is only as good as the people who represent it; I’m a huge fan of GOOD customer service!

Did you know that elephants are good luck? In Indian tradition, an elephant with his trunk pointed up brings good luck and prosperity. So when I seen this ring from Betsey Johnson, it had my name written all over it. I purchased the ring from the Betsey Johnson outlet store on eBay and paid half of the full retail price. Look for some decent sales from Betsey Johnson as I just learned that Betsey Johnson filed bankruptcy and will be closing most of her boutiques. I love her stuff but her designs are not for everyone. Her designs are definitely for those who like to be noticed!

I hadn’t been in Payless Shoe Source in years but this week, I paid a visit for one reason only, Isabel Toledo. For those of you who don’t know who she is, she designed our FLOTUS (First Lady of the United States) inauguration outfit. She has a line of shoes at Payless that is super cute and very unique. I noticed these shoes about a month or so ago. Well this week they went on sale for 50% off and after I seen they were sold out online, I made the 6 block walk from my job in search of my prey, the Espawind Flatform Sandal. Payless has improved tremendously. Cosmetics, bath & body products, and whimsical jewelry are now sold in their stores. Whenever a brand revamps its image an increase in price comes along with it. Most of the shoes I seen that I would wear had a nice price tag attached considering its Payless :)

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Have a wonderful weekend!

 

Too Faced Cosmetics

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May 2

I Remember A Time When Dating Was Much Simpler

Posted in Dating, Relationships

I remember a time when dating was so simple and fun. Someone would ask you out via a phone call not text, you say yes, and when the day of your date arrives they contacted you to tell you what time they would pick you up. You spent all day picking out the right outfit, the right shoes, making sure your hair was together, and your manicure was fresh. You went out had a good time and you could expect a phone call. Men actually courted women and made their interest known. After a few dates and a bunch of phone conversations, you were together. You didn’t have to have the talk nor did you have to wonder if you were actually dating or going out as friends. People at that time actually had relationships and you didn’t waste your time dating and getting to know someone for 6 months to year without it going anywhere. Yes, I’m having a moment of reflection, I’m thinking of a simpler time in life when people actually dated. A time when you didn’t have to figure out what your place was, or have a  conversation to find out if you were indeed dating.

This new age dating shit has thrown me for a loop and most of the time you end up confused, misunderstood, and just plain crazy. You end up confused because now when you date people you actually have to ask if it’s a date and then they say some crazy shit like “we hanging out” what the hell does that mean. Next, they say we’re friends but then treat you like someone their dating and you end up confused because you don’t know what the hell they doing and they don’t either. You then become misunderstood because of the fact that you have to have conversations to find out if you’re actually dating and to find out if they’re on the same level. So you ask “what are you looking for & what are your views on commitment?” You then get the look of death because for some reason asking these questions makes someone think you’re ready to settle down and marry the person next week, so you‘re now officially misunderstood. Once you’ve become confused and misunderstood, you then become crazy. After you’ve went through the hassle of putting on your make-up, getting all dressed up, asking the right questions, and having what you thought was a nice time, you wonder why you don’t hear from him/her. You then sit and stare at your phone and wonder if maybe you should call them thus driving you completely insane for at least a few minutes. You then get the wonderful privilege of meeting someone else which basically starts the cycle all over again. This happens over and over again until you either meet the “one” or go bat shit crazy, whichever comes first! Nobody courts anybody anymore and almost everyone wants to be slick rick! There are still good people out there but the pickings are getting slimmer each day.

You would think that I would be tired of the dating cycle, but despite its changes, I will continue to get all dolled up, pull out the perfect outfit, and get ready to at least be entertained. Nothing worth having is ever easily obtained, love included. You continue until you find that needle in the haystack or until that needle finds you♥

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Apr 30

Do I Really Have To Think Like A Man?

Posted in Dating, Relationships, Self Love

Like millions of other women, when the book Act like a Lady, Think like a Man hit the book shelf, I eagerly purchased me a copy to see what the comedian turned relationship expert had to say. I read the entire book and thought that he made some valid points about men and some of the things to look out for. I didn’t use the book as a road map to dating and having success in the relationship department, nor did I highlight specific points like I was studying to pass some type of test. I simply read the book and put it away with the other books that I’ve read over the past few years. This weekend I had a chance to check out the new movie think like a Man that has topped the box office since its release on April 20th. I found the movie to be entertaining and funny and much of that is due to comedian Kevin Hart. I didn’t go to the movie theatre expecting to learn some type of life lesson about men, I went to be entertained.

In the book, it mentioned that a woman should wait 90 days before sleeping with a man. This was one of the more controversial requirements that he noted in the book. It is described as being some form of probation period to determine if he’s worthy. I think that most women already know that giving it up on the first date pretty much seals your fate. You should get to know someone and exactly what your place is in their life before sex is considered. However, you won’t have to wait 90 days to find out and if you do, there’s no guarantee that the man will be neither faithful nor does it solidify that he was telling the truth about his intentions with you. As a woman with male platonic friends, I can tell you that a man will say almost anything to have sex. It’s up to you to decide when the time is right or if they’re worthy. The idea is to move beyond physical attraction and some people never progress beyond that point. The book covered everything from standards to asking the right questions, baby momma drama to introducing men to your kids. It basically covered every situation we would come across in our quest to find a worthy mate. The one point that stuck out to me in the whole book that I personally know to be true is, if a person is not happy with themselves they cannot possibly know how to make someone else happy. You need to have your shit together before you consider committing to anyone. People who are lost cannot adequately be in a relationship with someone. This applies to everyone, not just men.

Overall, the movie and the book were entertaining and did provide insight and a good laugh. I don’t live my life based off of self help books. I don’t take notes and pull out a list of questions to ask someone when I meet them. I don’t make strategic plans to get them to do what I want and I don’t sit around memorizing paragraph after paragraph of a book to find out if I’m doing the right thing. The men who are described in the movie include the player, the dreamer, the mama’s boy, and the commitment challenged. These are issues that would be highly recognizable after a few dates or a few conversations. In my opinion, you don’t have to think like a man to get a man; you only need to think like a woman with some common sense. You will be able to tell sooner rather than later whether or not someone is right for you. Put the book down, love yourself, and when the perfect mate comes along you’ll know and you won’t need a book to tell you a damn thing♥

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Apr 27

Fabulous Fashion Finds & The Worlds Most Beautiful Woman

Posted in Reviews, Shopping

The Dooney & Burke Florentine Satchel: Where have you been all my life?

On Tuesday, I received an e-mail from Dooney & Bourke advertising the Spring Look Book. I haven’t bought a Dooney purse in years and honestly, I’ve never been a huge fan of them to begin with. The bags I’ve seen previously looked like some kid had took a crayon and scribbled all over it and the remaining all weather leather bags looked like something my grandmother would’ve carried, but that’s only my opinion. Well, this week they shocked the hell out of me and lit fire in my ass when I actually took the time to view the e-mail they sent me; which of course prompted me to take a look at their site. The beautiful  rainbow  of colors are just in time for the season and the new Happy bag did exactly what they wanted it to do …made me happy :)

 

So now, I must add one of these bags to my list, hmmm maybe the outlet has them.

The Happy Bag, Davis Tassel Shopper, O-ring Shopper, & Florentine Satchel

 

 

Beyonce: The World’s Most Beautiful Woman

 

So this week we learned that Beyonce was voted the “world’s most beautiful woman” by People’s Magazine, not a shocker here! Beyonce is truly a woman on top of her game and she is indeed quite beautiful; so I don’t disagree with their decision at all. If someone told me to name 10 celebrities who I thought should make the list she would be at the top along with Adele. In reality, I find that all women are beautiful in their own way and that true beauty comes from more than a pretty face. So when I clicked on the story featured on my Yahoo home page and seen this initial picture of Beyonce three things came to mind. 1) Why is she about 2 shades lighter than her normal complexion? I’ve seen her in concert and I can tell you she’s not this complexion. 2) Is it me or is something wrong with her lips, did someone take some fat out of her lips or something, they look weird, and last but least

 

3) Shawn & Marlon Wayans from the movie White Chicks, I swear this immediately popped in my head!

 

Why photographers aim to Photoshop the blackness out of African-Americans is beyond me. Luckily, the recently released pictures from the spread in People’s magazine look much better than this initial picture.

Have a wonderful weekend & Be Happy for the hell of it!

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