A Diva State of Mind

I don’t know why, but I always wait until the Spring/Summer season to start looking for new books to read. I may read a book occasionally during the fall and winter, but once that Spring weather hits, I’m on the hunt for new material. I guess subconsciously I’m still stuck in my younger school ways, when we would have a list of books to read over the summer. Who knows!!

What I do know is that having a number of great books is definitely helpful during the summer when I’m more likely to travel. Nothing like being caught up in a good book while flying to Vegas, Miami or Chicago. It definitely helps traveling to my final destination go by faster.

So when I found out Paul C. Brunson, the founder of One Degree From. Me, was hosting a book club, I was excited! Paul C. Brunson is a Modern Day Matchmaker. He has hosted Modern Day Matchmaker Wednesday (MDMW) on twitter, a weekly series that uses twitter to help a bachelor (or bachelorette) find a potential mate. According to Paul, he decided to launch the book club because Modern Day Matchmaker Wednesday is part entertainment, matching making, and education and he wanted a platform to underscore the “education part.”

What makes this book club different is that it’s all done through twitter. There are no meetings or public website for updates; everything is via Twitter following hashtag #MDMBookClub (Modern Day Matchmaker Book Club).

Yesterday was the first book club session where the rules of the club were discussed. The first book is How to Win Friends & Influence People. Sessions will take place every other Wednesday at 12noon on Twitter. The first session begins May 11th.

#MDMBookClub Rules:

1. You must tweet about #MDMBookClub.

2. You MUST tweet about #MDMBookClub.

3. You must read the assigned section PRIOR to start each session.

4. You must tweet at least 1, no more than 3, DISCUSSION QUESTION 24hrs prior to each section (using #MDMBookClub).

5. You must complete the TASK prior to the start of the next session (each week there will be 1-3 TASK…fun stuff).

6. The duration of each session is 1hr at NOON EST every other Wed (and bring your debating “A” game).

7. If you cannot participate in LIVE session, use #MDMBookClub hashtag to review. Occasionally there will be LIVE evening recaps.

8. Paul will moderate each session and cover 3-5 most popular DISCUSSION QUESTIONS.

9. You are not OFFICIALLY a MEMBER of #MDMBookClub until you complete the “entry TASK” - simply buying the book is not enough.

10. If you choose to be a MEMBER, you must commit to follow ALL of the #MDMBookClub RULES.

If you’re interested in trying something different, I recommend joining. The general task is to read first 3 chapters of the book aka Part 1 by May 11th. The entry task is to tweet a photo of your book (or page of digital download) AND your favorite beverage w/MDMBookClub. Check out my picture for an example.

Yes, that’s a glass of Riesling next to my copy of the book I’m definitely looking forward the book club. Not only is this a great way to use social media, it’ll definitely expose me to some new books that I may have never considered reading. The club is also a great way to network and meet new people through a social media platform. If you do decide to join, I look forward to our discussion beginning May 11th!

For the first time ever, Urbane Lifestyle & Entertainment Group bring together Jay-Z’s DJ Young Guru and DC’s #1 Party DJ, DJ Quicksilva on Saturday, April 30th,at Café Asia (1720 I Street NW) in DC.

Inspired by Gentleman Jack ‘s ‘Art, Beats & Lyrics’, the event will feature an art+fashion show with a transition to an ultimate DJ party experience. Co-produced by Kenyatta Smith, a former fashion editor and stylist, the fashion show will feature designesr by local, national and international designers.  

Following the fashion show, DJ Quicksilva and Young Guru will take center stage.  The self-titled ‘DMVs Party Kingpin,’ DJ Quicksilva, is the resident DJ for “Park Thursdays” at Park at Fourteenth where Urbane host its weekly happy hour & late night party. Young Guru is currently in London with Jay-Z & Kanye West recording “Watch The Throne” compilation. Fresh from studio sessions, he will return to the states to bring DC an inspiring party experience.

Doors open at 9pm.  To learn more, follow Urbane Lifestyle & Entertainment Group on Facebook and Twitter.  Guest can RSVP for the party at http://www.urbaneworldwide.com/guru.

I was watching “Love & Hip-Hop” last night (don’t ask me why), and Chrissy, Jim Jones’ girlfriend of six years, proposed to him in front of a group of family and friends. She knew that her future included Jim as her husband, so she took the next step in their relationship to try and make that a reality (of course we’ll have to wait until next week to find out if he says yes). While I understand why Chrissy proposed, she has been with Jim Jones for six years; if he hasn’t proposed after all that time, is he really interested in getting married? More importantly, does he want to be married to Chrissy?

If you knew your boyfriend was the man you wanted to spend the rest of your life with, would you be as bold as Chrissy and propose? I’m not talking about a casual “we should get married.” I mean a real proposal, ideally how you’d want him to propose to you. Society has taught us that the man should propose. But in the year 2011, when more women are courting men (asking them out on dates, paying for dates, etc) is it really a society faux pas to ask a man to be your husband?

I believe a man should ask for a women’s hand in marriage.  It’s an unspoken rule.  While the male/female dynamic in relationships have become so untraditional these days,  a man proposing to a woman is one tradition that should not change.  That is a moment in time when a man has decided he is ready to settle down and truly commit himself to one woman for the rest of his life. For men, that’s a big deal!!! Plus, who wouldn’t want a man to go through the entire proposal process from buying the ring, planning the proposal and seeking parents (especially the father’s) approval?

While I do believe in this gender role, I do understand why a woman may take it upon herself to propose. Ok maybe I don’t really understand, but here are some possible reasons: she may feel like a guy should not have to deal with the pressure of being the one responsible for taking the relationship to the next level. Or she may feel like she should not have to wait around for him to step up to the plate.  If he hasn’t stepped up in terms of moving the relationships forward, by proposing, a woman may actually be saving herself some time and energy because if he says no she will really know it is time to move on.

I can’t explain a woman’s frame of mind in terms of proposing to her man. What I do know is this: if a man wants to marry you, he will step up and act accordingly.  It’s really that simple.  If you’ve been in a relationship as long as Chrissy has with Jim Jones and he hasn’t made strides towards marriage, something you really want, it is probably not going to happen. He’s just not that into marrying you.

Every morning for the past 2 weeks, I have logged into my gchat account and within 5 minutes, my friend Erikka has sent me a link about a maxi dress. “Do you like this one?” “What about this one?”

Of course the next question was “you don’t have a blog about maxi dresses?” My bad for not having a blog post about one of my favorite summer wardrobe pieces! What was I thinking??

Maxi dresses are definitely a Diva Must Have. Why should every woman have one? Because they are comfortable, easy to dress up, come in a variety of colors & prints and can be worn for a variety of occasions during the summer. Can you wear them to a cookout? Yes. Running errands? Yes. To the beach or site seeing while on vacation? Yes. Date night or girls night out? Absolutely!

I know a lot of women who are petite think they can’t wear them. That is completely false!! You can look fabulous in maxi dresses too. Look for dresses with an empire waist (waistline sit higher above your natural waist). This will give the illusion that you are taller than you actually are, elongating your frame. A lot of dresses are made too long for petites. To solve this problem, visit your local tailor to have the dresses shorten.

So if you’re like Erikka and in need of some maxi dresses this season, check out the selections below:

More Asos…

More Seafolly…

If you’re not sure about a dress, you know I’m here to help! Shoot me an email or hit me up on twitter.

Ladies, we have all been in this situation. We’re out at various places (metro, party, grocery store) and a guy approaches us. Instead of nicely turning him down, we respond with “I have a boyfriend” knowing we are completely single and just not interested.

Now one would expect that telling this tale would deter a guy from continuing in his approach, but that may not necessarily be the case. Clutch Magazine last week posted a video from comedian Jerry Lavigne Jr.; he provides men with advice on how to respond when a woman says “I have a man.” The video is hilarious, but at the same time, I’d look at a guy like he was crazy if he reacted in some of the ways Lavigne suggests.

Ladies, to avoid a possible psycho reaction from a man that approaches you, just be honest.  Now you don’t have to be rude; nicely let him know you’re not interested and keep it moving!  You should not feel guilty or feel like you have to lie. Plus, what would you do if you lied and the guy went completely crazy in public?! Then you’d be standing there wishing you would have just told the truth and moved on in the first place.

I’ll admit I have used the “I have a man” excuse before in the past, but moving forward, I’ll just stick with being honest!

For the past four years, H&M has created a Fashion Against AIDS Collection, a special collection created to support Designers Against AIDS (DAA) and various international HIV/AIDS prevention projects. This year, H&M reached out to a number of celebrities including Keri Hilson and Akon to model the collection.

This year’s collection is unisex and full of casual pieces: hoodies, metallic shorts, jumpsuits, graphic tees, vests and more.  The collection will be available in select stores located in Chicago, Los Angeles , New York City and Las Vegas on April 26^th. 25% of sales will be donated to DAA and various HIV/AIDS projects.

Check out a few items from the collection:

I really hope H&M will add the Fashion Against AIDS Collection to DC, Maryland and Virginia stores one day! This would be a great opportunity to get the DC area community out to support a great cause, especially since this area has one of the highest number of HIV/AIDS cases in the country.  If you’re in any of the cities featuring the collection, please show your support for the fight against HIV/AIDS by making a purchase!

Visit http://www.hm.com/us/fashionagainstaids to learn more.

Each month I highlight an amazing woman or women and up until now, all of the women featured have been chosen by me. So this time I thought I’d try something different; I want to hear from YOU!!  Who would you like to see highlighted in this month’s Diva Spotlight??

Please submit your Diva Spotlight post to adivastateofmind {at} gmail.com. Yes, your submission will be the guest Diva Spotlight post for this month!!  Make sure you also include your twitter handle and website name and link if you have one so I can include that in your post.

Check out previous posts (the link is located under the categories section in the right sidebar) for an idea of what the Diva Spotlight looks like. 

I look forward to reading your submissions!

When we think of trends, the first thing we usually think of is apparel; printed skirts or tops, bright pants or jackets. But let’s not forget, the season’s trends carry over to accessories as well.

A must have for EVERY diva is a bright bag. Clutch, satchel, tote, it doesn’t matter! A bright bag will definitely add some flair to any outfit. Bright bags are also a great option for those of you who are more conservative in your apparel color choices but still want to integrate the bright color trend in your wardrobe.  Bright bags can be found at any store and at various price points, making this an easy trend to incorporate. We are all searching for a new bag for the Spring season, so why not make it a bright one?!

More Marc by Marc Jacobs…

Day Dresses by Ann Taylor
Sandals by Badgley Mischka

I can’t wait to pull out my bright yellow Nine West bag I purchased years ago. It’s one of my favorites!

I saw someone tweet about the new Jimmy Choo “Ellie” Wedge Platform Sandal Boots, so of course I had to do some investigating.  Let me just say, these shoes are BAAAADDDD! The nude 5 1/2 inch wedges are made of Italian leather with a patent leather platform.

As we all know, nude is one of the biggest Spring trends and has become the new black so these shoes will go with anything!  Take a dress from day to night by pairing with a colorful mini dress or maxi dress. These wedges will also look great with a nice pair of jeans (skinny jeans to really show off the shoe) or shorts this summer.  For those of you ladies who can afford to snag these $1,495 shoes, the 1 3/4 inch platform, padded insole and back zipper add the necessary support and comfort we all seek from a fabulous pair of high heels.

• Coast Tamara Prom Dress, Purple, $155 - johnlewis.com
• Jimmy Choo Ellie Wedge Platform Sandal Boots, $1,495 - saksfifthavenue.com
• Marc by Marc Jacobs Large leather wallet, $250 - net-a-porter.com
• Ben-Amun Gold Coral Colored Stone Cuff Ben-Amun, $170 - maxandchloe.com
• Gold Hammered Teardrop Earrings, $45 - charmandchain.com

Shoes are available at Saks Fifth Ave!

We were first introduced to Teyana Taylor on MTV’s “Sweet Sixteen.” Ms. Taylor is all grown up and is looking FABULOUS in a recent photoshoot for VIBE Magazine.

The actress, musician and socialiate went wild rocking some fabulous prints and color combinations (this is a prime example that you can mix prints).  What I love about this shoot is not only does she look amazing, but majority of the pieces she’s modeling are affordable which means we can all express our wild side this summer.

• Animal-Print Scarf, worn as a top, $13 H&M
• Embellished stone jacket $70, H&M
• Shorts $30, H&M
• Silver Leaves Ziggurat #8s, $2,875, Masha
• Vintage Turkoman Teke Cuffs, $49, Silk Road Tribal

• Purple Gold “Paris Dakar” jumpsuit, $150, Adama Paris
• Bronze belt, $100, Adama Paris
• Bronze bracelet, $85, Adama Paris
• Brown and gold bib #3 and “Chieng Mai Teahouse Series,” $4,875, Marsha
• “Lucie” Laser-cut shoe, $149, Bebe

• Sleeveless jacket, $595, L.A.M.B.
• Animal-print one-piece swimsuit, $25, H&M (looks like I need to take a trip to H&M soon)
• Hunan three hoop earrings, $225, Masha
• Vintage Kuchi Upper Arm Cuff, $35, Silk Road Tribal
• Contemporary Kuchi Bell Anklets, $24, Silk Road Tribal
• Tribal Belly Dance Fish Belt, $86, Silk Road Tribal
• “Watchout” shoe, $110, Steve Madden

• Saffi Tunic, $118, GUESS?
• Traditional Vintage Kuchi Headpiece, $38, Silk Road Tribal
• Vintage Afghan Spiked Cuff Braclets, $42, Silk Road Tribal

• Safari animal print dress, $85-$125, La Vie Boheme Collection by Christine Graza at Melrose Space
• Tribal necklace, $35, Melrose Space

Teyana Taylor better WORK!!!!

Source: The YBF