A Diva State of Mind

This holiday season, it’s not only about the dress and accessories, it’s also about the shoes!!!! A pair of shoes can make or break an outfit.  I know we all dream of wearing a pair of Christina Louboutin shoes one day, but until we reach that level of fabulosity with our footwear, here are some Nine West styles that are essential for the holiday season; they are definitely affordable and FIERCE, helping you put your best foot forward throught the holidays.

I like to call these my “Sex in the City” inspired shoes.  A satin shoe is essential for the holidays.  These satin Bowtie shoes from Nine West are FIERCE!  Compliment the shoes with a sexy black satin dress and you’ll be sure to stand out at any holiday party.  I’m waiting for my holiday party invites so I can show these beauties off! Currently 30% off at www.ninewest.com or in store.  Available in Black, Purple and Red.

Can’t go wrong with a bootie and suede! Dress these up with a dress or skirt, dress then down with skinny jeans or leggings.  Either way you can’t go wrong with the Phantom peep toe suede bootie!  They are great for fall; wear the peep toe out on cool nights and rock them with tights in the winter.  Currently 30% off at www.ninewest.com or in store. Available in Black or Purple.

This DIVA is the epitome of SWAG.  She moved down to the DMV about 3 weeks ago and has already got the city going crazy! This new socialite hasn’t wasted anytime expanding her networking in the city; going out to clubs, going on dates, becoming the center of the her friends’ social scene!   She also landed her first job as a research analyst in Northern Virginia, where she’ll be working for a government agency.  She exudes swag, self-confidence, a positive attitude, intelligence and a passion to be successful. Lyndsay will have no problem calling the DMV her new home

As we all know we are in a recession and money is tight for many of us (well money was tight for a lot of us before the recession, especially if you just got out of college).  At the same time, being in our mid-twenties, many of us strive to stay fashion forward and on top of the trends.  But how do you do that without spending a lot of money???

Well I know I have a shopping problem (yes I’ll admit it). And it doesn’t help that I work at a retail store with a great discount!  But most of us don’t work in a retail store, so what can we do to stay fashion forward without going broke??

1.  Research the sales - Many stores are having sales because inventory isn’t moving as fast as they thought they would due to the recession. Many stores take an additional % off current sale prices.  Always compare sales at different retailers to make sure you’re getting a great deal.

2. Search for Coupons – You could save sooo much $$ if you had coupons. The store I currently work for sends coupons out every month; when one ends, another one begins.  Along with researching sales, sign up to receive email alerts from retailers and search for coupons in the mail.  You will receive great savings by doing so!

3. Check out new online “personal shopping sites” – I know many of us are starting our first jobs and are looking for more “grown up” attire to wear to work. Usually that equates to higher end clothing.  Companies such as Ideeli and William B + Friends will sell designer products at DEEP discounted prices. We’re talking 70-85% off the original price.  So if you ever want that designer bag or blouse, check out these websites.  Other sites like Shop It To Me, will send you alerts when your favorite designers have sales at certain retailers such as Nordstrom.

4. Save $$ for shopping – This is some advice I need to follow because like many females, I can sometimes get carried away.  To have a handle on your spending habits, I would suggest you create a budget for shopping.  Set aside an amount you will use for shopping and DO NOT spend over this amount.  That means you shouldn’t transfer $$ from one account to another just because you think you have to have those pair of boots!

5.  Purchase alternatives – Many retailers are not spending the money on expensive pieces like leather.  Instead, they are opting for faux leather which gives the illusion of being real, but at a less expensive price.  It reduces the cost for retailers and it gives you the opportunity to be fashionable without spending a lot of money.  In the case of the leather, I like to call it “recession proof.” Check out Express.com for the “recession proof” leather jackets ranging from $98 - $118.  Please keep in mind, last year’s real leather jackets were $300!!!  Check out The 80′s Are Back blog post for more information on alternatives this season.

6.  Invest only in essentials – Trends come and go in less than a year so if you are going to make an investment,  only invest in staple pieces.   Don’t spend a lot of $$ on trends.  Please check out the What’s In Your Closet? blog post for the male and women wardrobe essentials. 

7.  Get a part-time job in retail - Another way to save money on your favorite brands is to get a part-time job working at your favorite store(s).  Associates receive great discounts on clothes!! (Believe me, I know lol!)

Follow these tips and you too can become the fashionista you want to be! I’m continuously working to reach my fashionista potential, one shopping trip at a time!

Picture by http://media.photobucket.com/image/fashionista/natrinac/fashionista2.png

Now I know with this current album, Beyonce has been a little more “creative” with her music; black & white videos, three dancer or less and a little more edge to her style.   But I’m not sure how I feel about this new Video Phone video.  What do you think??

Here is the video again.  I’m not sure how long it’ll last until it is removed from the YouTube website.

I’ve said it plenty of times, my friends are flirts. We all are! LOL So a group of us went out Saturday night to celebrate my best friend’s birthday and the drinks were definitely flowing.  Let’s just say, tequila told me it was ok to lock lips with a friend of mine.  Now at the time, I didn’t care; he’s single, I’m single and he likes to flirt so I didn’t think anything of it. UNTIL…..word on the street is that he has a girlfriend.

Now I love my friend to death and after doing some thinking, there is a possibility I would’ve even considered dating and seeing what would happen since he’s such a great guy (my girls LOVE HIM), but if he has a girlfriend, there is no reason he should be acting the way he’s been acting.  I don’t care what the situation with his girl is like; if he’s still calling her his girlfriend and taking the time to go see her every other weekend there is absolutely no reason he should be flirting with me.  And to make matters worse, he says in a joking manner “yea I just can’t hang out with you.” Uh yea you can, you just need to behave. I never really took him seriously so I guess it shouldn’t matter that it happened but if I was his girl, I wouldn’t want him saying and acting the way he was with me towards some other female.  I would be offended.  And I respect my boy too much to disrespect his relationship like that.

So my message to you ladies and gents is this:  If you have a girlfriend or boyfriend, regardless of the situation, it is NOT ok to flirt, grab, kiss, etc the opposite sex.  I don’t care if the relationship you are in is going through a rough patch, on the verge of breaking up or you’re unhappy. It doesn’t matter.  You are still in a relationship and as long as you are, you have signed up to be in  COMMITTEED, TRUSTING relationship and that means you shouldn’t say or do anything that your partner would feel is being unfaithful or questionable.  If the situation is that bad, BREAK UP and then you can do whatever you want as a SINGLE individual with other singles.  Yes, it’s that simple!

Last week I wasn’t really feeling like myself; exhausted, wanted to stay in, low self esteem, bad attitude, etc. Something just seemed wrong and I wasn’t the person that I usual am. Usually I’m full of energy, great attitude, and eager to go out and mingle.

So this past weekend I had originally planned to have a house gathering and chill all night but that Saturday morning I woke up with a new attitude. All of a sudden I wanted to go out; I had friends coming in from out of town and it was my best friend’s birthday. And I sat in my bed trying to figure out what changed my attitude. And then it hit me, that day I was going to spend the day with the loves of my life; the friends that are my REAL friends and love me for being me! They don’t play games, they keep it real and they have always been there for me making sure I’m being me. So I spent the day being domestic, preparing a birthday dinner and getting ready for a night filled with fun and love. We hadn’t all hung out together and I was really excited to finally hang out with my friends that are here in DC and those that come down, most of them from college.

The people that I hung out with this weekend have been my rock (and a few of you were missing. You SHOULD know who you are). They give me the love and support that I need when I’m feeling down, rejuvenating my spirit. At the end of the day, they allow me to be me; there isn’t any pressure to be any other person but myself. I am truly blessed to have them in my life. They are the brothers & sisters that I never had.  I had a great weekend and I truly feel better.  My spirit has been lifted.  I hope this weekend was just the beginning of a bond that will continue for many years to come! So I want to say I LOVE YOU and thank you for being in my life!

If you haven’t done so already, please do yourself a favor and get a copy of the Trey Songz “Ready” album!!!  This album is a must have! It’s hot and so is his new video!

I think I’m in love…….

The words like, love, and in-love are used so interchangeably these days that we sometimes forget there is a difference between all three.  What is the true difference between love and being in-love? How do you know you love someone versus liking them a lot??

My boy posted this article that talked about the difference between like, love and being in-love.  In your opinion, what is the difference between liking someone, loving them or being in-love?

Check out “What’s the Difference between Like, Love and In-Love?” at http://sivers.org/inlove

My friend Julie* has a habit of putting people on the spot, so the other day at dinner she asked me, what are you looking for in a man?? I sat there like “uh, well..I don’t know.  It doesn’t matter because I’m going to be single the rest of my life anyway!” And the reason I don’t know is because I’m not really looking.  But the fact that I don’t know may be the reason I haven’t had any luck either.  So at dinner, Julie pulled out a sheet of paper and made me come up with a list of qualities I’m looking for in a guy. Let’s just say I came up with a longer list on the spot than I thought I would.  It was actually kind of therapeutic.  You know Oprah once said that we should write down everything we want and hope to accomplish. By doing so, it will come to fruition.  So if I write a list of qualities of what I would like to have in a man, will that mean I’ll find him??

I suggest everyone make a list of the qualities they are seeking in a significant other.  You will be surprised at how much you are looking for.  I also suggest making a list of all the things you want to accomplish in your lifetime.  I started making a list of the things I want to do in the next 5-10 years and by doing so, it has sparked me to really think about what I want to do and what moves I can make now to get there!