Its the most wonderful time of the year

Happy December guys!!! I have a love hate relationship with this month, the reason being that me and being cold don't get along but I absolutely LOOOOVE the holidays! The smell of fresh cut Christmas trees, hot chocolate with marshmallows, holiday decor and snow on the trees makes my soul happy!  Although this time of year can be a tad bit hectic and crazy to begin with it slows and the quality time spent with family and friends is priceless, and I find that the older I get I could really care less about the material things that comes with the holidays but there's more meaning to it and I fully appreciate it. 

Its also time for protective styling in which in the past I kind of struggled with because I would run out of ideas for my hair besides top knots and two french braids with a hat thrown on top. So for my curly and naturals out there do you have any suggestions as far as protective hairstyles? I will also try to share the styles that I do come up with and feel free to do the same :)

Ive been wearing this twist updo for the past 5 days. Its really easy to do and is a great protective style!

Hugs and Holiday Love :)

Wishlist

Its that time of year again! When our emails are filled up with wishlists from everyone from your mom to your step cousin in law! Every year I create a wish list not only to give others an idea about what I would like during the holiday season but I also use it as a reminder for myself for gifts that I would like to get others.

I picked the top 8 items of many on my wishlist that I loved from Need Supply, so if your a friend or family member or even just a generous stranger reading this post take note! lol (the links are provided)

1. Dual Cardigan

2. Fedora

3.Bangle

4. Nixon Watch

5. Dolce Vita Bootie

6. Baggu Bag

7. Circle Scarf

8. Leather Notebook

Also Need Supply is having a "Win your Wishlist" contest, where you have the opportunity to win whats on your wishlist. Click the link for contest details and a chance to win. 

What would you put on your wishlist? If you make a post about it leave the link below :)

Hugs and Love :)

Faux-leather on a rainy day

Yesterdays weather was really draining that consisted of off and on rain, winds that felt like they were going 40mph and an overcast that made you want to stay in bed all day. Seeing as though I couldn't stay in the bed like I wished, I went to work and took these pics when I got home in between rain showers.



I don't get a chance to wear these pants that often so I'm glad when Eboni kinda forces me to wear the things in my closet :). I decided to put some sneakers on instead of the go to heels because of the weather and the fact that I haven't worn these shoes yet, smh. I need to join a Shoes Anonymous group or something because this is becoming a problem!

Kirna Zabete Leather Leggings old (similar) | Jcrew Sweater | H&M hat | Sugerga Sneakers | Avon Collar Necklace (similar)

Hows the weather where you are? Would you wear sneakers or heels with leather leggings?

Hugs and Love :)

Quick Dinner

So lately I've been wanting to actually cook dinner more often (outside of my usual pasta dish) and I don't know where this recent urge has come from but my family isn't complaining.

Sunday night I made Chicken chow mein with veggies, in my new Wok that I absolutely love, and last night I made mini pizzas! It was super last minute but came together perfectly and took about 20 mins to do!(including prep time)

What you"ll need:

-Grands biscuits makes 8 mini pizzas

-Pizza sauce ( I used Traders Joes Tomato Basil pasta sauce works just as well)

-Shredded Mozzarella Cheese 

-Toppings of your choice (I used turkey sausage and I think next time I'll throw in some green peppers)

Spread each biscuit to about 4-6 inches round and place them on greased cookie sheets. Spoon on sauce, toppings and mozzarella cheese. Cook in a 375 degree oven for 12-15 mins. Enjoy

This might have been one of  the easiest meals that I have ever made and I will definitely be making them again, probably in the near future.  If you try it out let me know what you think.

What toppings would you use? And dont mind my pictures, I was rushing to to these haha!

Hugs and Love :)

Mad for Plaid | SMF

Ive been trying to come up with something to wear with these Chinos for the longest time and then this weeks Style me Friday turned on that light bulb in my head, I can wear PLAID of course!!

Seems like an easy enough thing to think of, especially since it is fall, but when you cant even think of the items you have in your closet it makes things alot harder.  Anywhoo I've been wanting a pair of chinos for what seems like forever and when my brother gave me the heads up about them being on sale, I knew I had to jump on that opportunity. 

Andie Chinos | JCrew
Plaid Button up old | (similar)

Heels | Zara
Sweater | SheInside

Hugs and Love

Fitness Friday | Workout gear

If you don't know by now, I love anything health or fitness related. Its totally a healthy obsession but an obsession nonetheless.  I am currently on the hunt for a new pair of running shoes and leggings when I came across these.  I absolutely loooove the Nike Free 5.0+ shoes and the print and color of these made me love these even more!

I've never really been the type to wear sweatpants and an old torn shirt to the gym or to workout in.  I figure if your working on improving yourself why not look good doing so?  When buying exercise wear I tend to go more for solid colored tops and printed or bright bottoms, and I usually work the outfit around the leggings and/or shoes and find an appropriate bra and top to go along with them. The print of these leggings caught my eye as soon as I saw them and are described as having a "body-hugging fit with stretch fabric and flat seem so you can move freely during a workout. Strategically placed mesh vents maintain airflow where it's needed most." 

As far as sports bras go...they are always the last thing I think about since no one really sees them, unless its hot outside.  I have a small chest and most times I'll have a tank on over the bra anyway.  I find that thinner straps are more comfortable for me to wear instead of the thicker straps, which tend to add extra pressure on my neck and shoulders for some reason. 

Nike Print leggings
Nike Free 5.0+
CamelBak Water Bottle
Sports Bra (on sale)
Half Zip Top

So this is pretty much how I look on any workout day, whether Im running outside or inside the actual gym.

What do you guys wear to workout in? Any suggestions on cheaper alternatives? Let me know :)

Sweaty Hugs and Love!

Thirsty Thursday | Almond Milk

While browsing the internet the other day I stumbled across a "How to make almond milk" recipe. I'm not lactose intolerant but I love soy and almond milk! I love any kind of milk really which is why I thought this DIY was perfect, and because I don't own a cow for regular milk the almonds will suffice.

[source]

So yesterday my brother and I decided to try it out and make it on our own. I figure it can't be that hard especially if you watched the vid and the only ingredients you need are almonds and water.  I let my almonds soak while I was at work, which was the smart thing for me to do because its kinda hard for me to hold in my excitement and I probably would have taken them out way too soon lol. When I got home we drained the water and threw the almonds in the blender with 4 cups of water.



I didn't have a thin mesh to strain the milk through so we used a colander which worked perfectly (thanks to my brother) because the holes were small enough to catch the almond bits left in the milk. We chose to add a cap full of pure vanilla extract to sweeten it (although i think we should have put in another cap of vanilla) and it made it taste and smell amazing!

                               

I got the carafe from Ikea for 3 bucks!
Do you like almond milk? If you try it out let me know what you think :)


Hugs and Love

26

Where do I begin?  I guess to say that I am blessed would be a great enough start. Every year we look forward to birthdays to come, to get one year older and hopefully wiser. We get the opportunity to celebrate what is not always guaranteed to alot of people, so how do we make a difference in not only our lives but others for that next year?

A few months ago (maybe in July) I decided that I wanted to do 26 random acts of kindness leading up until my 26th birthday (Sept.18). One thing I didnt really do was keep track of how many acts I did which was kind of the point, and Im not sure if I finished the entire 26 but I will share some.

1. Unofficially adopted a tree
2.  Helped a woman in a rest stop pick up the items she dropped and let her get in front of me in line.
3. Threw away a guys trash for him.
4. Returned the carts in the Trader Joes parking garage.
5. Left a friendly note on a strangers car window

6. Bought 11 balloons for patients in a Rehab and Wellness Center

7. Returned a lost eyeglass case that was found by another person
8. Bought my co worker Chipotle (his fav)
9. Put a 'Take a Smile' paper in the elevator
10. Left a dollar on a vending machine.

11.Put my neighbors trash cans away on trash day
12. Complimented stranger on his attire.

I realized that I made being kind to others a habit and that even the small things like complimenting someone one how well dressed they are can make a huge difference! I hope that me doing these things not only impacted that specific persons life but also the people around that may have seen the random act of kindness and they also were kind to another.

If we all aspire to inspire the world one small act of kindness at a time and watch the positive change that can come from it! I will continue to complete the rest of my 26 RAK's and I will update you guys on my progress!

Hugs and Love :)

Fitness Friday | Sh*t Yogi's say...

Happy Friday!! Whoo hoo! I could have sworn that it was just mid July and now its late August..seriously ? Anyone else feel like life is moving way too fast and your not even buckled up yet? As for the fitness friday posts, lets just blame the lack of these Friday features on the summer and hope for more when the fall gets here.

Im sure you guys remember when the "Shit so-and-so says" was popular on YouTube and there was literally a video for everyone?! Well somehow I wasn't aware about Shit yogis say until recently when my friend sent me the video in a text. Apparently she thinks this describes me well..haha!!



I will agree with 75-85% of these things lol but being a yogi is a way of life, I cant turn back now!

Any other yogis out there that can relate? Let me know!

Namaste.

Curly Hair Day!!!

If you didnt already know...Im a curly girl! One of the best decisions Ive made in my adult life. Although my hair has never been chemically altered from the age of 18 my hair was always flat ironed, which lead to crazy amounts of damage. When I turned 23 after I had died my hair I realized I needed to make a change in my hair's health and the curly girl in me was born...again.


Anyway back to the reason for this post. Wear your hair curly day is to help support The Willie Mae Rock Camp in which Garnier is donating $20,000. Being able to support young girls become more confident and build self esteem is such a great thing!

The Girls Rock Camps build self‑esteem, encourage creativity and help girls find their voice and become their best selves through music education and performance. At the camps, girls form a band, learn to play instruments, write songs and then perform in a rockin’ concert. Learn more about Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls here.


Sign the pledge HERE and wear your hair curly today! IG hashtag #WearYourHairCurly


....and if your interested in learning more about my hair story click here! :)


Hugs and Love :)

*not a sponsored post

Sales!

I dont know about you guys but my favorite time to shop is sale time!! With alot of stores preparing for fall and winter fashions this seems like the best time to get those great deals!  I usually love end of season sales because I  can get that item I was eyeballing at the beginning of the season now for alot less and its the perfect time to be ready for next spring/summer.

These are just a few items that are on sale that I love.  Those trousers are definitely coming home to me!

Belted Trousers 
Sunnies
Lonely Hearts Tunic
Stack Rings
Funktional City Shawl
Espadrille

Check out Need Supply's online sale where everything is an extra 40% off!

I just want a Picasso...

I literally have no words to describe this film other than amazing! This is why I love Jay Z..its genius!
Saw this on Malibu Mara' s blog and thought it was so great I had to share it!

Summer bucket: Updated

Its so not fair that we wait so long for summer and when it gets here its almost over in the blink of an eye. With only a month left  to try to fit everything in I found myself going back to my bucket list to see if I actually did anything that I set out to do, and to my surprise I was able to check off more than I thought!





Random weekend getaway: Although not completely random I was able to go down to the 757 to see my wonderful friends, chill by the pool and just catch up. Havent seen them in months and it felt like we were never apart.

Rooftop pool: Oh yeaaa! This was probably the best discovery of the summer! With it being literally 2 blocks from my job its perfect and they have pool happy hour specials! #win

Beach Bum: This past weekend, although I was sick (insert sad face with mask around the mouth), I went to Myrtle Beach, SC with my BFF and her family. Im about one shade darker lol and my god daughter was able to make sand castles and my head cold got better (granted I was highly medicated!) All in all it was a pretty great weekend :)

Baseball game: My love for baseball has def grown over the past few years! With the Nats playing so well last season I knew that I had to make it to at least one game this summer.  An old co worker of mine had tickets and invited me to go so I hopped at the chance. If it were a dodgers game (Matt Kemp) my life would be complete!

Meet new peeps:  I will admit that I havent met as many new people that I would like but I still have time! On a happy hour/bday outting and 4th of July celebration  I met a few pretty cool people and I look forward to going to other different places with new crowds!

Cant wait to finish up the rest of this list and maybe add a few more! Have you guys checked off anything from your summer bucket list?

Its Been A Long Time

Heres a little video catch up :) Hope you enjoy!

Extra Lasting Lipstick

Hugs and Love :)

"Be the good you want to see in the world.."

Im not perfect and I definitely have my downfalls and flaws. I get moody for no reason at all and have slight road rage (im working on that tho lol) but who doesn't?  But even with all my craziness I'm a super softey and will cry if I hear something that's touching or good that someone has done for someone/something else. If animals are involved someone pass me the entire box of tissues because Im no good.

Recently while spending my work day on Pinterest (i seriously need to be more productive at work) I came across an amazing pin about a woman who did 38 random acts of kindness for her 38th birthday. Her story was really inspiring to me and made me want to do the same thing. So leading up until my 26th bday I plan to do 26 random acts of kindness (fingers crossed).

Being able to do this, Im sure will not only make someone else's day brighter but also my own. Knowing that I helped make a difference in someones life whether it be small or not is a great feeling to have.  I also plan to try to document some of the R.A.K if I can and I hope that it will in someway I inspire someone else to pay it forward and that if you want to see change let it start with you. 

Mahatma Gandhi was a very smart man. 

Follow me on pinterest

Hugs and Love :)


Oh and if you have any suggestions as to some acts of kindness feel free to let me know in the comments, but Im hoping that the opportunities present themselves.

Warby Parker review | Guest Feature

An unwanted week of rain and overcast days didn’t stop me from wearing and trying out two of the Warby Parker shades.  I had 5 days to look at some aspects of two of their products, the Winston and Jasper sunglasses.

Starting with the negative—just to get it out of the way and focus on the good—I noticed that the glasses were a little small, in terms of width and in actually reaching snuggly behind my ear. Perhaps it was just the size that they chose to send for the free home try-on but regardless, it was a somewhat disappointing factor to deal with. It was mostly the Jasper that felt too small, more suited for a woman’s face.  The second issue was with the feeling of the glasses themselves. I have a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses that I wear almost exclusively and they are pretty much the best pair of sunglasses I’ve ever owned—not to say that the Warby Parkers didn’t feel solid, they did, however in comparison they would not be glasses I spend over $100 on.

Now on to the positive. Although they don’t seem like shades worth the Ben Franklin in my pocket, they are nice quality glasses that I would probably pay $40 or even $50 for. This is understandable, because similarly to TOMS shoes, Warby Parker gives a pair of seeing glasses to someone in need for every pair that you purchase and it would make sense that you also cover the cost of their providing glasses for a deserving individual. The Winston are glasses that I would gladly wear as an alternative to my Ray-Bans. They fit better than the Jasper and it is a style of frame that seems familiar yet different enough to look unique. Both pair’s lenses are a deep orange color that I actually like and they both have a slight ombre effect, however one wouldn’t notice unless wearing them.

Overall, Warby Parker produces fine quality sunglasses and as a plus they make them right here in the USA, more specifically in New York. They are a close second to Ray-Bans for me but don’t let that stop you from considering them as your choice of eyewear providers. They have a wide variety and assortment of pairs to look at on their website and are generous enough to let you spend 5 days with any 5 pairs that you like…for FREE. So be sure to give them a shot, you may or may not be disappointed, but it’s a shot that won’t cost you.

Warby Parker "Winston" Sunglasses

Kenzie: In a previous post I stated that I picked two pair of men's sunglasses with my at home try-on program for my brother to give an opinion on as well so Im super thankful to him for taking the time to do this! 

...and if anyone needs a graphic designer let him know and check out some of his work HERE


Hugs and Love :)

Tuesday Talk....

This is a super random post but this Magna Carta Preview commercial gets me excited every time I see it.



What happens when you get the dream producers, Swizzy, Pharrell, Timba, Rick Rubin and Jay all in one room? Genius' at work and Im sure that this album is going to be AMAZING!


Are you guys excited to? lol

Hugs and Love

Fitness Friday #10 | Cranberry Cleanser

If you couldnt tell by now with all these fitness friday posts, I am a health nut! Anything having to do with improving health and wellness I am obsessed over.

About a year ago I deceided that I wanted to start jucing and making my own smoothies just so that I could get the nutrients that I was missing. I came across the Simple Green Smoothies website at that time and that jump started my change with easy recipes and their 30 green smoothie challenge. Below is one of there smoothie recipes called the Healing Cranberry Cleanser.

5 Pairs..5 days!

With the recent blazing temperatures and the blinding sun I have found myself on a search to find another pair of sunglasses.  The sunnies that I currently wear are the Ray Ban High Street, but with me being an accessories junky just one pair wont do!

I do alot of my shopping online (especially at work...shhhh!) and buying sunglasses that suit your face are kind of hard to find on the internet. A while back I randomly came across an Eye wear website called Warby Parker where they have a Home Try on program. You pick up to 5 pairs of glasses, whether they be sunglasses or RX glasses (without the prescription of course) and you have 5 days to wear them out and about, get opinions on them and see what works best for you. The best part of the program is that its free to try!

I chose 3 pair for women and 2 pair for men for my brother to try out!

Winston (Men)

Jasper (Men)

Crosby

Evelyn

I put this pic on my instagram and these were my favs..I dnt think I can stay away from Tortoise framed glasses haha!

So if your in search of a new pair of sunnies I would suggest trying it out and with every pair of glasses purchased 1 pair will be donated to a person in need. I absolutely love 1 for 1 campaigns!! :)


Hugs and Love :)

Crop it! | STYLE ME FRIDAY

 Its the day we all look forward to....Friday!! Now all we need is a roof top pool and a margarita in hand to officially get this weekend started. The inspiration for this weeks Style Me Friday is the crop top. I paired mine with bright pants and shoes since the top is so basic. It shows just enough skin to still keep things classy

Crop top H&M (cute alternative) | Pants H&M | Shoes Prabal Gurung for Target

Seriously if you guys havent participated in SMF with Eboni over at Fashionista next door what are you waiting for? Lol

Hope you guys have a wonderful weekend :)

Hugs and love 

Summer Bucket '13

Happy Hump Daaaaay! Just as soon as the week started, its almost over and Im not complaining! I hope everyone had an enjoyable Memorial Day weekend.  Mine was filled with my favorite F words...fun and food of course, and I am definitely feeling the lack of sleep right now. But back to the Subject at hand....

I feel the best time to explore and try new things is during the summer. The weather is nice (most of the time), people have more free time and 9 out 10 theres some FREE event happening that needs to be taken advantage of. So without further ado, I present my summer bucket list.

Sunglasses | Coral Sandals | Brown Sandals | Stripe Bikini (Similar)

I plan to add more but for now this will do. Whether what you plan to do is for the weekend or even just a day thing be sure to have fun and make it count! What are your plans for the summer?

Hugs and Love :)



Fitness Friday #9: workout playlist

Its Friday!! What better way to end your work week than with a little exercise. I know that sometimes if the music you listen to doesnt motivate you to run that extra mile or do that last set of squats then your workout wont feel as successful.

 
We all need that musical boost to get us through those workouts so I wanted to share mine with you! I use Spotify to build  different playlists for different moods including a workout playlist. 

I included songs that are somewhat upbeat and/or lyrically motivating. I usually run about a mile twice a week and the playlist is probably long enough for a 2.5 to 3 mile run at my pace. 

 I have spotify premium which is $10 a month for unlimited access and I think its def worth it especially for those people who arent able to get every new song that comes out and 9 out 10 spotify will have it. You can always use itunes or any other program in which you can create your own playlist specific for what you want. 

Have fun during your next workout! :)

Hugs and love

Weekend Recap

Hey Guys!!!

Since last Thursday I have been going non stop and now its finally time to breathe and of course share whats been happening! The stress of the entire weekend was a bit overwhelming but I made it through :)

Thursday night: Art and Soul restaurant for the rehersal dinner. I forgot to take pics while I was there but the food was amazing and even Art (Oprahs Chef and owner) stopped by our dinning room to have a quick chat. 

Friday Morning: Drove to Richmond for my little (not so little) brothers graduation from VCU!! Im so proud of him! Were getting old :(

Friday night: Rush back home (2 1/2 hr drive because of traffic) to get to my bff wedding!! YIKES I literally got home in enough time to breathe, eat a little something and then I was back out to help set up for the wedding.

I met this woman waaaay back when we were running around the playground in kindergarten haha and now 20+ years later shes walking down the aisle and Im glad that Im able to stand there beside her! We def had some ups and downs over the years but nothing could break our bond. 

Late friday night: after the wedding, after the i do's, after the eating, drinking, dancing, and more drinking we took a pic in the rain!  

L to R: groom, me, tee, bride in back, will, jordan

Alot more happened on Saturday and Sunday but I dnt have pics so I just shared the gist of it! I hope you all had a great weekend and mothers day!

LBD and neon

What happened to April? It feels like it was just the 1st...but anywhoo on to the post. 

Thanks to TFND and her friday link ups I had something that would bring me out of my blog hibernation, but as life would have it some technical difficulties occurred hence the style me friday post on a monday lol. 

The inspiration was from Kourtney Kardashians LBD with a pop of neon.  Perfect for me because I bought these neon shoes about a month and a half ago and only wore them once. I swear I think Eboni might know what I'm not wearing in my closet haha.

Dress (old) |  Prabal Gurung for Target sandals

I was so over my hair last week smh, that bun was the only thing that got me thru and kept my sanity because I was coming close to cutting it all off! lol

Hugs and Neon Love :)

Summer Craving

Its official...mother nature has totally skipped spring and went straight to summer and because my wardrobe was not ready for such warmth this soon I had to stop everything I was doing and shop haha! Seeing as though I have a shopping problem this situation with the weather didnt help much but if you really think about it these things are a neccessity! Right?

Stopped pass one of my fav websites Need Supply and originally just wanted to see if they had some cute white jeans. The next thing I know an hour has passed and im still adding things to my cart! I weeded down my favs and created this collage to share with you guys!

A few summer basics but unique enough to set you apart from the crowd :) Oh and the Baggu bag is perfect for on the go! I won one last summer  from lyst and of a kind and I love it!

Rag and Bone Denim | Voyager Tank | Jack Sunnies | Baggu Pouch | Versus Sandal

What are you guys craving for the summer?