High/Low

Dress: H&M
Belt: Burlington Coat Factory, similar here
Shoes: Valentino, here
Clutch: Burlington Coat Factory
Cuff Bracelet: Gifted
Pave link bracelet: JCrew, similar here
Crystal stretch bracelets: Groupon

Whoa! So it’s been a while since my last post! I had to take a break from blogging due to personal reasons, but blogging has certainly been on my mind.

My birthday was last month, so my husband took me on a birthday getaway to Cancun, Mexico. We had an awesome time, and it was great to experience warm weather for a few days (a nice change from the DMV weather!)

My birthday dress was one that I was extremely happy about…because get this…I only paid $10 for it. Yes, you read that correctly…ten dollars! I love a good bargain! I found it on the clearance rack last fall at H&M. I almost passed it up because it wasn’t my size, but after trying it on I knew I had to have it! I figured I could get it taken in by my seamstress (which I did). But told myself if worse came to worse, and she couldn’t alter it…it was only $10 anyway. The dress did not come with a belt, but I added gold skinny belt to give it some shape. So next time you see an item of clothing that may not be your size, but the price is right, grab it and take it to your seamstress! I completed the look with gold accessories and my hot pink Valentino Rockstud shoes.

Snow Day Chic!

Faux fur vest: Barney’s Outlet
Shirt: Forever 21, similar here
Jeans: Joe’s Jeans, here
Boots: Halogen via Nordstroms, here
Beret: Betsey Johnson, here or similar here
Clutch: NY & Co
Watch: Michael Kors
White bracelet: Forever 21
Gold bracelet: JCrew

Some of us love snow days, some of us can do without them…me? I love a good snow day, especially when it comes to fashion. What better day than to pull out your favorite cold weather clothes and accessories?  But just because it’s snowing, and temperatures are below freezing, it doesn’t mean you can’t look chic and fashionable. Instead, wear layers (I’m wearing a thermal shirt and pants under my clothes), pull out your favorite fur pieces, (faux only for me) and strut your stuff!

Sweet and Sassy

Dress: Slate and Willow “Madeline Sheath” via Rent the Runway, here
Shoes: Ivanka Trump “Carra” similar here and here
Clutch: Macy’s
Jewelry: Gifted

My husband and I had a special event to attend on Saturday night, but I knew I wasn’t going to have time to shop for a dress, which is when I thought about Rent the Runway. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this site, Rent the Runway is a website where you can rent high-end designer dresses and accessories for a fraction of the cost. I knew what I was looking for; a dress that was classy, but sassy where I could dance in comfortably. After a few minutes of browsing the site, I found this gorgeous dress that was perfect for the occasion, and rented it for $40. When I received it in the mail, I was very pleased because it fit perfectly and looked just as it was pictured; champagne colored with a beautiful silver lace overlay. I was able to dance in this dress non stop for three hours without having to pull or tug on the dress, and received many compliments throughout the night. Overall I was happy with my rental experience, and would rent from them again.

Disclaimer: Rent the Runway did not solicit/pay me for this rental. 

Holiday Cheer!

Dress: Eliza J via Nordstroms
Blazer: H & M
Shoes: Brian Atwood, here (P.S. These shoes are so comfortable!)
Bracelet: J Crew
Watch: Michael Kors
Broach: Gifted
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all! Christmas has always been my favorite holiday and probably will always be. Not only because of the presents (although I don’t mind them;) but I love the carols, decorating of the tree, endless Christmas movies, and most importantly giving and spending time with loved ones.  I wore this polka dot dress today to Christmas Day church service with my family, it was fun, playful and dressy. And of course I couldn’t neglect wearing a Christmas color, so I paired the dress with red pumps for a nice pop.

Enjoy your families this wonderful holiday, and I wish you all to have happiness, joy, love, and peace.

Winter Solstice

Dress: Nordstroms
Blazer: H&M
Wedges: Guess
Necklace: Forever 21
Bag: Nordstroms

It was 70 degrees in the DMV today, so my hubby and I took full advantage of the weather and went to the National Harbor to soak in the sites. It was also the perfect opportunity for me to wear one of my favorite spring/summer wardrobe items…a maxi dress. The pastel colors were perfect for this ‘spring in the winter’ weather, and the lace detail in the back made for an interesting feminine twist. I considered pairing the dress with a denim jacket but since they’re quite ubiquitous, I opted for a cream cropped blazer which also had lace detail in the back.

Winterize

 
Cape: NY and Company
Shirt: Kohls
Skirt: J Crew
Tights: Target
Shoes: Christian Louboutin simple pump 100
Bag: Louis Vuitton
Watch: Michael Kors, here
Earrings: Gifted
Bracelets and necklace: Forever 21
Sunglasses: Valentino
Gloves and Scarf: Nordstroms

I have lived in the DMV (D.C., Maryland, Virginia) area for the past 14 years, so I’ve become accustomed to the cold Winters; however it doesn’t mean that I have to like them! lol. Every Winter I act like the cold weather came from no where (as if it’s not almost December), and tend to hibernate quite bit. The temperature here dropped from the mid 50’s a week and a half ago (fahrenheit) to the mid 30’s/40’s this week. But when hubby told me he was taking me to dinner this evening, I decided to brave the cold weather in my favorite winter cape that I purchased last year, and paired it with this wool mini skirt. Since I like to wear skirts, even in the cold weather, I wore patterned tights for warmth and also to create texture to the look.

Half Marathoner

I ran the Woodrow Wilson Half Marathon (13.1 miles) on Sunday, November 10. It started in Mt. Vernon, VA and ended in the National Harbor, MD. I’m not a novice runner per se, and this was not my first half marathon; in fact I’ve been running for two decades! But this race was particularly significant to me because it’s my first half marathon since I had major foot surgery in March this year. I had a double bilateral bunionectomy along with toe shortening. So long story short, I was unable to walk for 8 weeks post surgery and I’ve only been back running for almost 6 months. But I was determined to run a half marathon this year, and did just that:)

Whether you’re starting to run for the first time, or running after a surgery, the best way to start running is by starting off slowly. When I say slowly…I’m referring to speed as well as distance. The biggest mistake I see novice runners make is they start of too fast, so their bodies rebel, they’re sore for several days and they’re left wondering why anyone would want to run in the first place. My advice is to begin by walking, then eventually build up to jogging. There are several training guides available online such as the Couch to 5k program, designed for those who want to run, but are unsure how to start. For those of you who are looking to run your first half marathon, I recommend following Hal Hilgadon’s training guide. His training guide helped me complete my first half-marathon in May 2005 in 1:42 mins. Prior to that, the longest I’d ever ran was 6.2 miles.

My next goal is to run a full marathon (26.2 miles), which I will do next year. I already have my sights set on either the Baltimore Marathon or the Marine Corps Marathon…both are in October so I’ll have to choose one.

Black Tie Creative

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(Below) Engagement Photoshoot – 2009

Dress: Teri Jon by Rickie Freeman via Neiman Marcus
Bracelets: Forever 21
Shoes: Kurt Geiger

I’m so excited to be blogging again, because I have missed it…but life sometimes gets in the way:(

But, I’m back, and what better way to come back than in black tie attire! I love getting dressed up, so when I received an invitation to a family friends birthday party and the invitation called for “black tie creative,” I was excited! Black tie creative for women, means that you can be a little bit flashier in your choice of gown colors, so I knew exactly what dress I was going to wear. The last time I wore this beautiful silk gown was in 2009 for my engagement photo shoot, but it fit perfectly and was just as beautiful as I remember. I paired the dress with bejeweled shoes that mimicked the neckline of the dress, and wore gold bracelets to complete the look.

I also took a trip down memory lane and added some pictures from our 2009 engagement shoot when I first wore this dress. Oh…and this is also my hubby’s debut on my blog!:)

 

Skater dress and studs

Dress: Forever 21
Shoes: Valentino – real vs steal (I have both! Steal – worn here, and here)
Clutch: Nordstrom – similar, here
Bracelet: Forever 21, here
Earrings: Gifted

I consider myself a girly girl with an edge so I love feminine silhouettes, but I don’t shy away from edgy pieces, especially when it comes to shoes! So when getting dressed for dinner with my hubby today, I wore this cream skater dress, and paired it with my favorite “rockstar chic” shoes. I love skater dresses because they are very versatile and are perfect for just about any body shape. I added a skinny belt to give the dress a little more structure, and kept accessories to a minimum because I felt that too much jewelry would be overkill with my studded shoes.

Liebster Award

I was nominated for the Liebster Award from the sweet and stylish, and may I add DIY diva, Mid-Day Spritzer. Thank you Glitzy Spritzer! ❤ I have to admit, at first the look of confusion swept over my face when I received the email email alert on my iPhone. I was running on the treadmill so I read it quickly and with the small iPhone font I read it as Lobster Award! I thought to myself: 1)  what type of award is a lobster award, and 2) what could I possibly have done to receive such a strange award? But of course I read the email properly once I finished my workout, and saw that it was The Liebster Award which is given to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers.

So, what is a Liebster? I looked up the meaning and found that Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome. Isn’t that sweet? Blogging is about building a community and it’s a great way to connect with other bloggers and help spread the word about newer bloggers/blogs. I enjoyed getting to know more about Mid-Day Spritzer, and I hope you enjoy getting to know more about me.

Rules:
1) Thank & Link- Thank the person who nominated you! Link their blog to your post
2) Copy & Paste Award- Copy and Paste the Liebster Award in your post
3) Nominate- Nominate 10 other bloggers with 200 or less followers
4) Q&A- Answer the questions given to you (at the bottom of my post). Create a new set of questions for those you nominate.
5) Notify- Notify your nominee’s via comment

Below are the questions that I answered:

1) Why did you start your blog?
I love fashion, health, and fitness…and in my everyday life I don’t really have a creative outlet like this. Additionally, for years friends and strangers always want to know who and what I’m wearing, compliment me on the outfit, but follow it by saying what I was wearing looked out of their budget. I would always respond by saying “I’m going to start a blog one day, so you can see that not all of my closet is high end,” and here I am.

2) Did you tell your friends and family about it? Why/Why not?
Not yet, because I want to start with “real” followers…bloggers/blogs that share a common interest…I even told my husband he couldn’t follow me right now…hi babe! *waves*

3) A secret that you would tell your blog friends but not your real friends… until now.
I have really big feet, especially considering my height (5’4”)…I wear a 9.5 and can wear a 10 if it’s a sky high-heeled shoe…Thanks for the big feet dad!:)

4) What makes you literally LOL (laugh out loud).
Those AT&T and Geico commercials! They never get old.

5) Share a fun fact.
Most people think that I’m prissy and girly, but I LOVE extreme sports! Especially ones that involve heights.

6) What or who drives you?
My husband (cue the violins)! He truly is my biggest supporter and encourages me like no other, and his patience is admirable…because I can be a lot to handle! INFJ in the house!

7) What is your favorite quote?
“Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life, but define yourself.”
-Harvey Fierstein

This quote summarizes how I’ve always lived my life.

8) Thanksgiving or Christmas?
Christmas…I didn’t move to the U.S until 1999 (I lived in London before that), so I didn’t start celebrating Thanksgiving until I was a teenager.

9) One thing that you hope never changes.
Ones ability to show compassion for others.

10) If you could speak another language fluently what would it be?
My native language, Igbo.

The following are my nominees…I’m a new blogger, so I broke the rules a bit and nominated some of you that have more than 200 followers, but under 500 (I think). But I’m looking forward to learning more about you!

1. Lovely J and L
2. Inspire Desired
3. Anastasia and La Mode
4. Food Love Inspiration
5. Chug Your Greens
6. Sugar Love Chic
7. Uyendoe shopping
8. Kenya L Fashion Blog
9. Beauty Blogger Goddess
10. Sheer Embellished

Questions for you to answer:

1. Your favorite season?
2. The strangest thing someone has ever told you?
3. Who is your favorite author?
4. If you could travel anywhere in the world and money was no object, where would you go? Why?
5. What beauty product can you absolutely not live without?
6. Red or white wine?
7. If you had to live in a decade other than the current one, which would you choose? Why?
8. Something that you learned recently?
9. How do you define success?
10. In the Sex and The City movie, should Carrie have taken Mr. Big back after he ditched her at the altar?
11. What fashion item(s) are you currently coveting?