Shirley

Dress: Theory (similar) / Sandals : G by Guess / Necklace: c/o 9th & Elm  / Bag: Zac Posen

Rarely do I love every piece of an outfit as much as I do the pieces in this one. I wore this yesterday for a busy day of running errands and I will be the first to say that it was the perfect pairing to flounce around the city in. The star of the show was of course my new Zac Posen Shirley Bow Satchel. I've been coveting this bag since early summer but until recently, remained reluctant to cough up the bucks to buy it. I finally decided to indulge a little and treated myself to this classic stunner. My white Theory dress was an awesome Goodwill score that found last winter. I took it to the cleaners and once it was all pressed and starched it looked as good as new. 

Coming in a close second for my favorite piece of this look is my gorgeous gold nameplate necklace. Gifted to my by the folks over at 9th & Elm, a website that carries handmade and independent designs, this particular necklace can be customized in silver, gold and rose gold.  I chose gold because most of my jewelry falls in this category. My younger sister doesn't know it yet, but I also ordered a nameplate for her from the site in silver. As summer begins to fade I know my Shirley satchel and nameplate will make a smooth transition into fall.

 

Purple Reign

Top: Zara (thrifted) / Jeans: Gap / Purse: Kate Spade / Pumps: Steve Madden / Shades: Rue21 

On this month's cover of Essence magazine is music legend, Prince, who turned 56 on Saturday. In the magazine, Prince shares his [recent] decision to refrain from using profanity in his music. Though for many people Prince, the artist, is synonymous with racy lyrics and good music, for me, mention of Prince elicits thoughts of curls, platform heels and of course, a long purple trench coat. Even though this outfit doesn't quite match the grandiosity of something Prince would likely wear, the richness of the purple hue and silky texture of the top made me think of him and his Purple Rain music video nonetheless. 

I came across this purple silk tunic in Goodwill one day last week, and despite its enormity, had to have. Purple is not a color I wear often, so the uniqueness of this color to my wardrobe only made me want it more. Before long I'm going to have to retire these ripped jeans, but for as long as I can still wiggle my way into them, I plan to keep them around. I threw these on with the top to add a little bit of a grungy edge to the look, but sprinkled back in hints of prissiness with my pink and purple snakeskin pumps and hot pink Kate Spade. I wore this to my younger cousin's graduation party for something that was casual and youthful, but most of all, sophisticated. I have plans of belting this tunic so that it can be worn as a dress. I guess one good thing about it being so blousy is that its pretty versatile. 

'Twas The Night Before Christmas

Dress:  Goodwill (Similar) \ Necklace: New York &Company (Similar) \ Shoes: JcPenny\ Coat: Guess (Similar)

'Twas the night before Christmas and my mother said to me, "You look like Dorothy Dandridge," when she saw my fabulous "Lucy Curls." For months now I've been following the incredibly talented Chynna (@bigdoesmyhair) on Instagram and lusting over the signature curls she gives her clients. I finally decided to stop by her salon and give "Lucy Curls" a try, and I am in LOVE! 

Feeling inspired by my glamorous hair, I came home and put together this Holiday Glam look. The dress was a Goodwill find from this summer. Its a little hard to see the details of it in the pictures (sorry!) but its satin with a bit of a floral design. I also added on my mother's diamond/pearl statement necklace from New York and Company and my metallic silver pumps from JCPenny. Because its so cold I also threw on my mother's textured Guess peacoat. The perfect look for a winter date night or holiday party.  I can't wait to get all dolled up again tomorrow for Christmas! 

Merry Christmas Eve! 

P.S. - Don't forget to enter my Sammy Dress Giveaway! 

Soul Sista

Dress: Goodwill/ Shoes: Gianni Bini / Bracelet: Rue21/ Ring: OldNavy 

I LOVE this dress. In fact the instant I ran across it in the Goodwill I said a silent prayer that it would fit and boy did I breathe a sigh of relief when I got into the dressing room and it did. It doesn't have any type of tag or size on the inside of it but it reminds me of a Missoni print. I guess this is why it also reminds me of the 70s, since Missoni was super popular during the 70s.

These shoes were a surprise gift from my mother. Earlier in the summer I had been talking to her a lot about how I wanted some chunky platforms. When I got these I thought they were adorable but really had no idea what I would wear with them. Finding this dress, quickly answered that question and together the pair made for an outfit reminiscent of something that a real Soul Sista would wear.

The Showstopper

 

 

Dress: Malloy via TJMaxx/ Shoes: ZooShoo/ Clutch: Victoria Secret via Goodwill/ Ring: OldNavy/ Bracelet: Rue21

Everyday this summer as I drove home from my internship, I would pass by the marquee of the Carolina Theater and I would always think to myself, "I really want to take some pictures there." 

The day before I returned to Raleigh for school, I did, wearing a dress that I absolutely love.

The dress is a black ballerina-esque number that I purchased from T.J. Maxx. I love how the leotard -style slims my body and also how the chiffon skirt hangs. It really is a lovely dress. 

The dress is a Malloy Los Angles Design. I've got several dresses from this brand (All via TJ Maxx and Marshalls). I would love to find the website for it however, because the dresses are all so flattering and inexpensive and  I want more! I originally wore this dress to a fashion show I covered for my school newspaper back in April. It definitely turned a few heads. 

I'll even go as far as to say it was a showstopper. Which is fine with me, because occasionally I like to turn heads and break necks. 

I accessorized this look with my (favorite) gold link bracelet from Rue21, snake ring from Old Navy and gold sparkly clutch from Victoria Secret. 

What is your favorite showstopping piece of clothing? 

Cotton Candy Ice Cream

Top: Macy's / Jeans: Bisou Bisou x JcPenny/ Wedges: Rue21/ Purse: Goodwill/ Bracelet: Rue21/ Necklace: Flea Market 

Cotton candy ice cream is not my favorite.

In fact, this may sound silly, but the only reason I ordered cotton candy ice cream is because it matched my outfit.

Judge me.

 I walked into Baskin Robbins with my mouth set on a strawberry sugar cone and came very close to ordering it, when the purple and light pink swirled cotton candy ice cream caught my eye instead. Much to my surprise, it actually tasted just as good as it looked with my light pink jeans and white tank.

This look came together as the result of me really wanting to wear my new wedges from Rue21 (can you believe they were only $5!? ). White shoes can be a challenge to style, which is why I took the easy way out and simply paired them with my white tank top. I added the pink pants (really I could have worn any colored pant) because, well, pink is my favorite color. It just so happens that I also had on baby pink nail polish, which again made the pink pants a no-brainer. My statement necklace from the flea market in Hawaii was the perfect accessory, accentuating  the pink color of my pants as well as the gold trim around my shoes.

The look was simple, chic and cute-- which is typically what I aim for in my personal style.

What do you think of this look? Would you ever order ice cream based on whether or not it matched your outfit for the day?

Circus

According to Britney (Spears that is), there are only two types of people in the world-- 

           those that entertain

                                                                                    &

                                                                         those that observe.

I'm not quite sure that I agree with Brit-Brat and that statement, but yesterday as I took these pictures I channeled my inner entertainer,  acting as a "put on a show type of girl." 

I took a trip to the small city of Lumberton, North Carolina to visit my grandmother for her birthday, and lets just say my midriff bearing, cookout attire had heads turning. In a country town full of old people, what more can you expect though?

Even as I took these pictures, downtown at the local Children's Museum, I could feel the eyes of the little oldies taking a Sunday drive watching me curiously. To be fair, I guess it's not that often they have small scale photo shoots taking place in the middle of downtown. 

Shirt: Forever21-$24.99

Shorts: DKNY Jeans (Goodwill)  transformed into DIY Cutoffs - $5.00

Belt: Goodwill- $1.50

Shoes: Converse- $39.99 (Sale)

So, what do you think of my circus attire? 

Linking up with: A Little Bit of Laquer