ALMOST READY FOR FALL

Consumer VS Connoisseur

If fashion is not my passion then i have been traveling down the wrong side of the road for a long time. If loving it is wrong then i don't wanna be right......There is a misconception about fashion lovers/worshippers...And that is to love something as materialistic as clothes, shoes, jewelry, accessories, Chanel's Fall Collection,Anna Wintour, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kanye's Denim Jackets, June Ambrose, Rachel Zoe and pretty much everything made in Italy means you live a shallow life....That is just absurd!!! I have finally figured out that people confuse shallow consumers with fashion connoisseur's. A shallow consumer is someone who needs a label to define them and they feel compelled to give every soul they cross the price of each item they purchased. A connoisseur on the other hand will appreciate and purchase some designer labels but are most proud of the $5 sweater that looks like its worth a million bucks that they found while thrifting. A connoisseur knows it not just about looking good its about making a statement. A shallow consumer only feels good in expensive wear (even if they cant afford it) on the other hand a connoisseur feels good whether she is in a pair of Brian Atwood knee length boots or a pair of 1980's Keds (ok maybe not Keds but you get my drift).  My point is shallow is shallow and shallow can never be or measure up to the Connoisseur's of America......Peace and God Bless!!!

P.S.

The pictures below are all styled by me.....enjoy!!!

FASHION IS IN THE EYE....

Fashion is in the eye of the beholder. I use to wonder was i educated on fashion enough or do i have what it takes to be in that particular industry. Do i have to say "fabulous" and "fierce" after every sentence to truly belong? Do i need to know designer names from Alexander McQueen all the way Yves Saint Laurent? Will i actual have to watch and apprectiate every fashion show that goes on during fashion week and discover the story that each designer is trying to convey? Or if i miss reading an issue of Vogue will i be outcasted from the fashion society? But then i realized i have a true love affair with anything that involves garments, shoes and accessories. The idea of walking into a thrift store and taking these discarded items and making them beautiful again gives me a high that should be illegal. The site of High Fashion and couture (or anything i cant afford) makes me all warm and tingly on the inside. I slowly but surely began to realize i am having an emotional love affair with fashion that has grown into a full blown obsession. An obsession that has help me realize that fashion is what you make it out to be. Its not about keeping up with what the stars are wearing or the latest fads. Its about the art of expression and distinguishing yourself from the rest. So now i know that i can give a rats ass about what the media or "fashion critcs" have to say about whats in and whats out or about whats hot and whats not because the only opinion that ultimately matters is mine. Because like i stated in the beginning Fashion is in the eye of the beholder.

RAPPER-CHIC is an adjective i have just added to my own personal dictionary. It is a word i would use to describe the face of todays rapper/moguls. Long gone are the days of baggy, saggy pants and over-sized shirts that are large enough to parasail with. Rappers today have made the smooth transition into this seasons Marc Jacobs fall wear, the Yves Saint Laurent tee has replaced the old white tee and the classic Armani suit is more present then ever in the hip-hop world. And I personally believe the better a rapper begins to dress the better business deals and investments they begin to make.Think about names like Jay-Z, Pharrell,Kanye and Diddy.....great looking, great style and great, big, fat bank accounts.Its no secret that hip-hop has always been the most dominating culture but now it's setting trends that are worth following. And sending a message that is worth listening to...which is....A REAL MAN IS REAL CHIC!!!!!

SUCH IS MY LIFE

IF YOU REALLY KNEW ME...

I was watching IF YOU REALLY KNEW ME on MTV and i swear by the end of the show i was in tears. Because my heart goes out to any teenager in high school. We all know the pains of insecurities and the pressures that high school comes with. The habits you start not knowing they will be hell to break. Essentially you begin shaping who you are based on what people think you should be. And it immediately took me back to high school and the things i went through....So with that being said....
If you really knew me in high school you would know that i had a dangerously low self esteem.I hated not only being skinny but people reminding me everyday of how skinny i was. I loathed everything from my head to my toe. I bought into the theory that light skin and long hair was beautiful and that was obviously everything i was not. Every time i turned the Tv on there was nothing there that reflected me.Not to mention i had an older brother who was not only popular but he was also (and still is)gorgeous and the women he brought around didn't reflect me either. I stuffed my bra from sixth grade all the way to senior year. I would wear two and three pair of pants at a time to appear larger and the idea of someone ever seen me completely naked made me sick to my stomach......

If you knew me now you would know that i am annoyingly in love with all things me. I thrive off of going against the grain and being as much of an individual as possible. When i look back on how i felt about myself and how much i hated myself i feel so foolish and a little sad for the old me. Because i allowed myself to miss out on being and feeling beautiful. It took a few years under my belt to realize that self-esteem is just a state of mind and what you believe about yourself others will believe it too. Because lets face it i'm still skinny mini i'm still on TEAM A-Cup! Im still dark skin and during that special time of the month i am still blessed with acne (but i will take acne over pregnancy). What i'm saying is essentially i am still the same and pretty much look exactly the same as in high school. The only difference is i love myself!!! I was so distracted with what i thought was a flaw that i never notice i had a nice smile, nice legs a flat stomach (that apparently is a big deal) and i can eat whatever i want with out thinking about my weight. My point is not to brag its just a reminder that life is too short to focus on the negative. Because when you dwell on the bad it blinds you from seeing the good. I am not perfect nor am i am People Magazines most beautiful list (at least not yet) but i am happy in my own skin and that all that matters.

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF EVEN IF NO ONE BELIEVES WITH YOU.

THIS SONG IS MY LIFE