The one with the side coif

Hi Everyone!

It took me longer than usual to get ready this morning.  Unlike most people, I never put my clothes out the day before.  Instead, I awake with a general idea of the kind of colors and textures I want to wear--both of which are affected by my mood. Today I woke up feeling a bit risky.  I took out my braids from the day before and styled my hair as you see below.  What do you think? If I had more time, I would have used a small curling iron to achieve more of a curly look.  I'll probably play around with the style more and will be sure to share those results with you. 

The pants you see are from Forever 21 and were purchased as part of their B1G1 promotion.  I love the harem style of the pant because I believe it does a great job at concealing my tummy. I played around with a couple of top and necklace combinations and couldn't really figure out which looked best.  I ended up wearing my Dorothy Perkins shrug to work which provided more warmth than the other top. 

Also, sorry for the clothes tag you see poking out! I was going to retake the photo but then I thought against it--there is nothing wrong with a fashion "boo-boo" now and then! ;-)

The top is a long cardigan from F21.  I just tied the ends and tucked them in the sides of the shirt.

...with a different necklace...

...with a different top...

Cardigan: F21

Shrug: Dorothy Perkins (purchased in London several years ago)

Turtleneck: Zara (they offer free shipping and returns to the US! And the shipping is super speedy!)

Pant: F21

Shoes: ASOS

Bead necklace: ASOS

Earrings: F21
Bangle: Ashley Stewart

Statement necklace: Anthropologie

Clutch: F21

Mime-time...

Hi Everyone!

It is Friday!! *does happy Friday dance* The Old Navy ponte pants I wanted to wear today were dirty and so I went into my closet to see what I could find.  About a year ago, I bought these suspender pants from ASOS and I couldn't remember for the life of me why they were waaaay in the back of my closet.  Anything that is relegated to the waaaay back of the closet is there for one of 3 reasons: 1) either it's flawed in some way, 2) it no longer fits  or 3) is so ugly you can't even remember what drove you to buy it in the first place.  I tried to remember if the pants fell in any of the above categories and I couldn't remember for the life of me so I chalked it up to an error on my part and put them on.  Ok, so they were back there for a reason.  First, two of the buttons meant to hold up the suspenders were missing.  I immediately fixed that problem with safety pins. Ok, what else?  Ahhhh! I remember! The pants do this weird gape-y thing in the back when the suspenders are on.  Seriously, the gape was so huge, I was able to fit a cantaloupe back there!  Luckily, when the suspenders are down, the gape is not so bad so I am resolved leave them down at least for the time being. I did want to share some outfit pics with you despite my gapeyness. 

My shoes, which you can't really see, are Pour La Victoire and the color is called Oxblood. I got them several years ago from Urban Outfitters but never wore them.  I throw all my shoes in the bottom of my closet so when I pulled these out, they looked pretty beat up even though they were new.  I think I may have to invest in a shoe rack at some point.  Anyways, the shoe bottoms are super smooth and I almost broke my neck when I walked into the building of my job.  I kinda played it off like I was looking for fallen change or something.  I think the security guard knew because he smirked. Dagnabbit.

Disclaimer time.  My fly is down for a couple of this pics and didn't realize this until afterwards.  I really liked the pics so let's all agree to look the other way on this fashion faux pas shall we? ;-)

My serious "So-what-I'm-wearing-suspenders-and-my-fly-is-down" face

Top: Zara

Pant: ASOS Curve

Shoes: PLV

Bag: 7Chi

Earrings: ASOS

Have a happy weekend everyone!  Look out for a contest next week and my Amazon Warehouse Deals video! <3

Zig to the Zag and opening up...

Hi All!

It is cold as heck here in Boston! I left the warmth of my house, stepped outside, and turned right back around to go back inside! I was born and raised in Boston and I swear I am not used to these temps!  It seems ridiculous to be wearing short sleeves right now but here I am...

I went to Old Navy yesterday to return some pants I had purchased and saw a zig zag pattern out the corner of my eye.  I had seen the shirt before during one of my previous visits but didn't pay it any attention.  When I saw it again, I grabbed it and held it up. $7! I rushed to the checkout like a giddy schoolgirl and resolved to wear it the next day.

ETA: Fully aware the shirt is visible through my pants in the pic! It's the flash of the camera that makes it more noticeable than it is i real life I promise!

Top: Old Navy

Bottom: F21

Belt: Old Navy ($5!)

Shoes: Old Navy

Necklace: American Eagle

Earrings: ?

Bag: 7Chi

In deciding to start a blog, I thought alot about how much information about myself I would divulge to my readers.  Initially, I thought keeping it fashion focused would be best as I assumed that no one would care about my personal life.  I have demurred from that position as of late because I believe that sharing my struggles and joys could provide insight/perspective to someone who is going through something similar (or not).  In my daily life I try to be as forthcoming and candid as possible with people I meet.  I do not think that it should be any different for my blog.  I thank you all for reading and hope that my opening up does not scare anyone off!  Let's start shall we?

I have a son and he is five.  He has special needs.  It took me a while to even come to terms with that phrase because I am a person who is 100% anti-labels.  I have been advocating for him since he was born and am fighting now to get him the services that he needs and deserves. I am a social worker by training (I have my MSW) and know plenty about advocating for those not able to do it for themselves.  However, as a parent with a child with special needs, I have had to navigate through very turbulent and scary waters.  I have crossed paths with people who want to remind me how "complicated" he is and that he will never be in a mainstream school.  Who tell me that he will need meds for the rest of his life and that I need to "hurry up" and get this diagnosis or that diagnosis.  In my frustration and anger, I have yelled at everyone and no one only to come to this realization: I have to be an advocate for my son.  I have to be an advocate for him because no one else will.  In life, sometimes you have to advocate to be heard, to be validated, to be understood, and to be made to feel that you are a human-being.  Some people want to push their views and values on you and claim to know what is best for you.  Do they? Do they have your best interest at heart?  In many cases they do not.  Only when you realize that only you can determine what is best for you can you then effectively advocate for yourself. Thatisall.

Another year...

Hi Everyone!

I hope you all had an enjoyable New Year's! I spent my New Year's hosting a sleepover with my daughter and her friend.  I didn't think they'd be up as late as they were but I guess 3 year-olds like to get down like everyone else!  Watching them made me realize how much older I am getting.  You know you're getting old if 1) sitting "indian style" hurts your knees and 2) you feel like you've been beaten by a gladiator after sleeping on the floor for 30 minutes. This morning I was so not in the mood to dress up in anything but all black. What changed my mind was my skinny jeans I got from Eloquii a few weeks ago.  Now I know I did a review on the jean and it wasn't a glowing review.  But something about them being 50% off was enough to change my mind.  Also, the red jean is so vibrant in person that I instantly fell in love with them the moment I put them on.  I decided to buy the 14W so I could achieve a more fitted look.  If you recall, the size 16's in my video review were very ripply in the thigh area.  These fit perfectly and because they are a size smaller, the inseam is the perfect length.  So what does one wear with a bright red jean? A tuxedo jacket! There is something about the black, white and red color combo that I can't get enough of.  If you look back at my previous posts, you'll see a similar pattern in this regard.  I feel that the jeans give the outfit the perfect pop while not detracting from the style of the jacket.  What do you think?

Tuxedo blazer: F21

Silky chemise: Old Navy

Jean: Eloquii

Shoes: Old Navy

Earrings: ASOS

Necklace:  The strap from an old clutch

Can we take a second to talk about resolutions for 2012?  Do you make them?  I've resolved to shop less, volunteer more, and be more active.  I'll be happy if I can achieve at least 2 of the 3!