Building My Wardrobe: Fall Edition

As August wraps up, many of us ladies find ourselves looking to update our wardrobes for the upcoming fall season.  For the last few weeks I've been taking inventory of what I have (that fits correctly) and making a wish list of things I wanted to add to my closet. I've also been reading various magazines and ripping out pages to add to my lookbook/mood boards/ ( or random scraps of paper that make me feel like I'm doing something overly creative lol).  Am I a glorified fashionista?  Not at all.  At least not yet, anyways :-)  But my style has evolved over the past year, as I am maturing and learning what works for my size and shape.  I want to look my personal, polished best when I step out into the world as a mother, wife, and self-proclaimed diva, so I began putting in a little time to attend to my wardrobe.  Thanks to Polyvore, I was able to create a few visuals for my fall wardrobe basics.

Tops & Outerwear:  The tops I've added are versatile and easy to create looks with.  As someone who wears short sleeves year round, I rarely add long-sleeved blouses to my wardrobe.  I'd rather layer, wearing a cardigan over a short-sleeved shirt, for instance, because I tend to be what my grandmother calls "hot-natured."  I added a few patterned pieces for add some spice to the basic wardrobe and added the peplum blouse and bow-tie blouse to give the wardrobe a trendy feel.  The jackets and blazers are my go-to pieces that can be interchanged according to the occasion.

Bottoms: As far as bottoms go, I'm pretty much a jeans girl in the Fall. They seem to go well no matter what the occasion. When I'm dressed down, they look great with loafers or sneakers. If I want to dress up, they go great with boots or pumps. And just in case I don't look dressy enough in jeans, I've added a pencil skirt and pair of black pants into the mix.

Shoes & Accessories: These items really speak for themselves! In fact, I probably should have added this entry first, because I have a tendency to pair outfits around what shoes and accessories I want to wear for the occasion. Backwards, I know.  But with my style and my wardrobe choices for fall, I feel like these items work best.

**I was going to add dresses to the wardrobe, until I realized every dress I have or am adding to my wishlist  seems to be a wrap-dress.  Can you ladies please give me some suggestions for dresses?  I would love to know which stores and styles are best for women who are top heavy.  I would really appreciate it ;-)

What are you looking forward to wearing this fall?

Tuesday's Tunes: Volume 2

Happy Tuesday ladies and gentlemen!  How is your week going so far?  Have you started off your day with a playlist of your favorite songs or are you just enjoying random selections today? My musical choices this morning lean more on the random side, though a couple of them are among my favorites.  Check them out:

U Do It For Me by Algebra-  Being in love is such a beautiful thing.  And hearing Algebra's incredibly soulful voice lull about waking up at 6 AM thinking about "him" reminds me of that.  This song shares the wonderful feeling of appreciating another's love and being more than willing to reciprocate.  Wouldn't you agree?

You Got Me by The Roots-"Somebody told me that this planet was small. We used to live in the same building on the same floor and never met before until I'm overseas on tour."  This is how Black Thought, the front man of band The Roots, began his tale of a budding relationship.  Black Thought and Eve dialogue in perfect poetry, sharing concerns of trust while Erykah Badu belts out the chorus with her one-of-a kind vocals over the infectious instruments of the band. The Roots, Jill Scott (who co-wrote and did the original vocals on the chorus), Eve, and Erykah made a classic with this one.

Unpretty by TLC- This song really needs no explanation.  Every woman has experienced feeling "unpretty" as TLC suggests with the title.  With so much pressure from society and the media to look and act a certain way, we can easily become obsessed with perfection.  I commend TLC for making a song that amplified the pressure and obsession as well as for making this thought-provoking video.

I'd Rather Be With You by Bootsy Collins- Who doesn't love hearing a little Bootsy every now and again?  I'm a fan of the funk and Bootsy's vocals and guitar put me in a mood every time I hear this song!  And of course it makes me think of the movie Baby Boy as well.  Speaking of Bootsy, will Old Navy be selling Bootsy's boots again in the fall?  I'm so serious.

Bra by Cymande- I am so glad that this song was featured on the soundtrack of Spike Lee's movie Crooklyn.  Had it not been for indulging in this film several nights with my younger siblings, I would have missed out on this classic piece from the 70s.  This electrifying surge of vocals, percussion, saxophone, and guitar is out of this world!  If you have never heard this song, please click play on the video and drink deeply.  And promise me you will enjoy that awesome break at the 2:50ish mark.

Are you a fan of these tunes? 

What are you listening to today?

TAG: Most Worn Things Summer 2012 Edition

Now who's down for a fun blog tag?  I for one am always down! Earlier this week, I was tagged by my lovely beauty blogger friend Silvana of Glitz Glam Budget to blog about my Most Worn Things of the Summer.  In this tag I will share with you guys the beauty products and a few clothing/apparel items I gave the most play this season.  Here goes!

Tuesday's Tunes: Volume 1

Do you all start your morning's work with a good playlist like I do?  For my first installment of "Tuesday's Tunes" I wanted to share with you guys a few throwbacks on my playlist this morning.  I hope you enjoy these blasts from the past!

Breakin' My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes) by Mint Condition-This was the first song I have ever heard by the R&B group Mint Condition, formed in the late 80's.  After falling in love with the smooth vocals of lead singer Stokley Williams, Mint Condition became one of my favorite groups of the 90s.

Girl Next Door by Musiq Soulchild- Hearing this song reminds me of childhood in a warm way.  Musiq and featuring vocalist Ayana do a beatuiful job of vocalizing memories of the girl and boy next door, making this one of my all-time favorite songs.  

I Swear by Cherokee- I promise you I got chills when I first heard this song on the radio in high school.  The explosion of the guitar, the horns, the lyrics, and Cherokee's captivating vocals lured me in instantly.  And to later find out that this song was inspired by her then relationship with Bilal (who I adored) put the icing on the cake.  It's just too damn bad they didn't give this song the spins it should have gotten back then. Speaking of, where is Cherokee nowadays?

Don't Mess With the Radio by Nivea- Seeing this colorful video for the first time in 2001 made me want to get up and dance.  This is such a fun and upbeat song.  This song marked the beginning of my participation in the Nivea fan club lol.

Love for Free by Rell- ...and this song right here!  Yes, "Love for Free" still gets heavy rotation from me, as if it were newly released. This song is from Jay's Streets Is Watching soundtrack and was in my top three from the album (along with "Only a Customer" and Christion's "Pimp This Love").  Rell's vocals are everything to me on this track and the hook is so catchy! But what happened to Rell though?

Were you a fan of these tunes? What are you listening to today? Please share in the comments :-)

Empire Girl: Adrienne Bailon Inspired Look

Since watching Adrienne Bailon on screen most Sunday nights in Style Network's hit tv show Empire Girls, I've been in awe of her style choices.  As you can see from the above pic, she brings the glam, but adds a touch of spice to everything she wears.  From her makeup, to her fashions, even down to her manicure, Adrienne's looks on the show do not disappoint.  Here I've recreated her makeup look as well as her fashion look from the most recent episode.  I hope you enjoy!

All White Everything: House Party Edition

Have you guys heard the news?  The word on the blogs is that there will be a sequel to Kid 'n' Play's House Party!  What do you guys think of that?

Well I for one am excited!  You guys know I stay all up in some 90's nostalgia around here so anything House Party related is no exception to the rules.  The original is indeed one of my favorite movies and because of this movie, I've been on the search for the perfect house party to attend most of my life lol.  Since I have yet to crash the perfect one (and the few I've been to don't count),  I've decided to plan one of my own.  I even came up with a cute little look with this hot Moschino top and the Ash Bowie sneaks I've been craving.  And yes I'm going there with the all white everything!  

And I will be sure to let the DJ know that these three house party jams must be in rotation!

When is the last time you've been to a great house party?  What did you wear?  How was the music?  Tell me all about it in the comments! And will you be anticipating the next House Party movie as much as I will?

Crew (Tee) Love: Featuring Glam-Aholic Lifestyle

SAME GIRL, DIFFERENT HAIR.  How many of you ladies feel like that statement fits your lifestyle perfectly?  Well that's exactly what I was thinking the first time I checked out Glam-aholic Lifestyle.  Of course, this tee for sale caught my eye because I'm forever changing up my hairstyle.  Just from looking at my pictures shared here on the blog, you guys know I will go from a tapered look to long flowing curls in a down-south second (my equivalent to a New York minute).  So you know I had to snag one of these for myself!

According to Mia Ray's website Confessions of a Glam-Aholic, which consists of an online store and blog, a Glam-Aholic Lifestyle encourages one to "Be Glam, Be Fab, Be You."  I feel like rocking my cute white tee with the words "Same Girl Different Hair" gives me one more way to express myself, while maintaining my "Glam" and "Fab" factor.  

To learn more about the Glam-Aholic Lifestyle and to peep more info on the tee, check out the site here.  

Are you feeling the tee?

Monday Dose of Diva: You Want This

Picture it:  Eastern North Carolina, circa 1994 (in my Sophia Petrillo voice).  There's a skinny little brown girl twisting her hair up at her grandmother's house and dancing to the Janet Jackson video You Want This, belting the chorus lines out as if she were in concert.  She bites her nails as she studies Janet's look, Janet's moves, and the sassy lyrics to Janet's song.  She is in awe.  She wants to dance like Janet, sing like Janet, look like Janet, and be just as sassy.  Now picture that same young girl all grown up and staring at the screen watching her Velvet Rope Tour DVD in that same adoration she did as a child.  Yep, you guessed it.  That young girl was me.  

Janet Jackson will always be my definition of iconic beauty, poise, and sexiness.  

What is your favorite Janet Jackson song/video?

From the Archives: June 2011

DUPED: Up the Amp vs Divine

Hey ladies! I hope you enjoyed last week's post as I shared a great dupe for MAC Viva Glam Nicki.  This week, I decided to share another quick dupe post.  This time, I'm sharing a dupe for one of my all-time favorite lipsticks, MAC Up the Amp.

MAC Up the Amp lipstick is described on MAC's website as a lavender violet.  It has an amplified creme finish, giving it a rich, creamy application.  It retails for $14.50 $15 on the MAC website and at your local MAC counters.  Now for a cheaper alternative, I share with you Covergirl Lip Perfection in Divine.

Here are the swatches.  Can you tell them apart?

The one on the left is Covergirl Lip Perfection in Divine.

The one on the right is MAC Up the Amp.

Do you see a big difference?

As far as differences go, I can see a slight difference in the shades.  While both of them have creamy consistencies, and are long lasting, Up the Amp appears to be more blue-based.  And of course, while Up the Amp rocks a $14.50  $15 price tag, you can purchase Divine from CVS or any other drugstore for around $7.99.

Covergirl Lip Perfection in Divine comes in great, sleek packaging and I have never seen another shade like this one in drugstores.  It really stands out on the shelves and in my opinion, is a real steal!  Quality lipstick at an unbeatable price?  I ain't mad at that!

DO YOU HAVE EITHER OF THESE? IF NOT, WILL YOU BE TRYING THEM?

Stay tuned for next week's "Duped!" post!