A Diva State of Mind

In less than 5 days, we’ll be celebrating a new year.  Time flies when you’re having fun!

It has been a great year! I worked new clients this year on my own and through the Style for Hire network. I was also able to showcase my styling skills by working on makeovers for SNOBSWAP and an editorial for Façon Magazine.

This year I committed myself to a dating challenge and encouraged you to join me! We had fun pushing ourselves outside our comfort zone (I hope you had fun doing so).  Life begins when you challenge yourself and step outside of what’s comfortable. I knew if I blogged about it I would be held accountable for challenging myself all year. So thank you for joining me on that journey.

Styling clients and dating weren’t the only things keeping me busy this year.  DC had some great events. I loved the BET Hip Hop Awards Style Lounge and Beauty That Runs Deeper Concert Series And the year would not have been complete without the A Diva State of Mind Three Year Anniversary Party! I am truly humbled by the support I have received over the three years and really appreciate everyone who reads this blog.

Those are just a few of the major highlights of 2012. With so much that has happened this year, I pray it is only the beginning of what is yet to come. I am excited to see what 2013 has to offer!

Are you ready for the New Year? What are you looking forward to in 2013?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

To end 2012 on a ratchet note, Oxygen Network has greenlighted the production of  All My Babies’ Mamas, a reality show following the life of Shawty Lo, his 10 baby mamas and 11 kids.  According to deadline.com, the show will showcase the highs and lows of the ‘blended family’ as they navigate their financially and emotionally connected lives.

Who really thought this was a good idea? This is a hot mess on so many levels….

Will you be watching?

Source: The Jasmine Brand

Sequin leggings are my current obsession! I recently purchased them from The Limited and I love them.  As we prepare for New Year’s Eve parties, sequin leggings are a great alternative to wearing a party dress.  Whether you plan on wearing them to a party at a venue in the city or a house party, below are three looks I am sure will be appropriate for any occasion.

Just like with leather pants (or matte leggings), you can wear sequin leggings with a blouse. Above, the leggings are paired with an ivory pussy bow blouse.  Since it is now winter, you can have fun mixing textures in your outfit by adding a fur vest and heels.  Normally, I would suggest a pair of black pumps, but why not have fun by adding a blue shoe? Have fun with color!! If you really want to be in the holiday spirit, you can wear red shoes instead. Complete the look with a bold lip. This look is great for a holiday party.

Leggings and skinny pants look great paired with blazers.  Pair your sequin leggings with boyfriend blazer, oversized t-shirt or tank and statement necklace.  You may wonder, won’t the statement necklace compete with the pants?? Nope!  The sequin disks are small so they don’t override the necklace. You can wear a black blazer or be bold and wear a blazer in a bright color like red. Depending on where you are going, there’s the option for a leather bag or leather clutch. Add a little edge with the leather spike bracelet and bold red lipstick to complete the look.

The third option is a great for a house party or if you’re attending dinner.   Pair the leggings with an oversize sweater a solid sweater or one with graphics. Keep in mind, the sweater does not have to be oversized. I wore my leggings two weeks ago with a v-neck sweater and statement necklace to a holiday party.   Pair the sweater and leggings with your favorite ankle booties.  In this case, instead of using accessories to add color to the outfit, do so with a smokey eye and nail polish in your favorite winter shade. Like the second look, if you did not want to carry a leather bag, you have the option to include a clutch.

If you still need help creating the perfect look for NYE, I am here to help you.  Please send me any style questions you may have. Closet shopping and personal shopping appointments are also available. I am still offering 15% off services through the end of the year.  To schedule a consultation, please contact me at (301) 836-1451 or [email protected] .

For more inspiration on how to wear sequins, click here, here and here.

*Click on the pictures above for more information about the pieces featured.

In September I told you I met a guy at a restaurant when I ran into a mutual friend. Well, we dated for a few months but unfortunately things ended a couple weeks ago.  Was I disappointed? Yes. But I also understand that all seasons must come to an end, whether it is four months or four years. I know that dating is a process and if I am going to date I will experience many situations that don’t work out before I experience one that does.

This year of the “dating challenge” was an interesting one.  It really became less about the dating challenge activities and more about my attitude towards dating.  As someone who did not date often in the past, deciding to challenge myself and attempt to have some control over my dating life this year was a big deal.   This year was fun and a little emotional but also a learning experience.

Here are a few dating takeaways I gained personally from my own experience and my friend’s dating experience:

1. Being receptive and having a positive attitude makes meeting new people easier and more fun.  And it just may increase your chances of meeting someone whether through a friend or at a restaurant.

2. Move on if you don’t feel any chemistry.  Life’s too short to waste your time or your date’s time.

3. As much as many of us hate to do it, we’re going to have to take a chance and let our guard down if we’re dating someone we really like. Yes there’s a chance things won’t work out but we’ll never know if we’re always so guarded.

4. Don’t pray for a mate and then sit back and do nothing. You won’t find your future mate by sitting on the couch every night.  As Demetria L. Lucas said “Degrees aren’t handed down; they are earned. Promotions don’t just appear; you strategize to get them. Money doesn’t fall from the sky; you work for it. Meeting high-quality men, dating and marrying are not exceptions to the rule.”

I won’t declare a dating challenge for 2013, but do I hope that I will continue to meet new people and date.  The New Year equals new opportunities; I am excited to see 2013 has to offer!

What was your dating experience like this year?

Thank you all for entering the AiKan Bijoux giveaway for a chance to win the all black bracelet set.

The winner of the giveaway is…

Congratulations Khalilah! You will receive an email from me in the next 24 hours.

For those that didn’t win, no worries.  There’s still time left to enter the giveaway to win a hair/body products gift basket from Endless Touch. Click HERE to enter!

I’m really excited about today’s giveaway! My friend and hair stylist Alicia Holiday recently created a line of 100% natural hair and body care products. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen me post a picture of her products.

Endless Touch products include body butter, hair and body oils, body scrub and lip balm.   Products are available for men, women and children. The body oil is one of my favorite products.  It’s great to use after taking a shower.  Unlike other oil based products, the body oil absorbs quickly but still leaves your skin moisturized   I also tried the lip balm and body scrub. I love the lip balm because you don’t have to reapply it every 30 mins; this balm will keep your lips hydrated for a few hours.  The body scrub does a great job leaving your skin soft after use and like the other products, it smells amazing!

To honor the release of her new line, I partnered with Alicia to give away a gift basket! The basket includes a sugar scrub, body butter and hair/body oil. Enter the giveaway by using the widget below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more information about Endless Touch visit www.endlesstouch.biz.

GOOD LUCK

We all know guys usually need a bit of a help in the wardrobe department, so what better Christmas gift than something that makes him a bit more stylish? Clothing is too often overlooked when we’re buying presents, but there’s no reason a great shirt or jacket can’t be just as thoughtful a gift as a watch or jewellery - especially if you choose something that reflects his personal style.

Unless yours is particularly sensitive about his fashion sense, most guys appreciate being given a (subtle) nudge in the right direction clothes-wise. This doesn’t mean it’s a green light to throw out his wardrobe and get him to dress the way you want - but the odd purchase here and there can go a long way, especially if you make a point of telling him how good he looks in his new clothes!

When choosing what to get, think about the kind of thing he usually wears and try to pick a garment that fits in well with the rest of his wardrobe. It’s best to avoid anything too out-there or anything that’s not what he’d usually wear: even something as simple as a work shirt that’s a little bit more upmarket than what he’d usually buy makes a great gift.

*This is a sponsored post*

On Tuesday, the internet was buzzing about Instagram’s new Private Policy and Terms of Service that go in effect January 16, 2013.  The terms were written to make all of us Instagram users believe our photos were going to be sold to advertisers:

“You agree that a business or other entity may pay us to display your username, likeness, photos (along with any associated metadata), and/or actions you take, in connection with paid or sponsored content or promotions, without any compensation to you.”

In response to the uproar, Instagram founder Kevin Systrom responded on Instagram’s blog.  His post focused on three areas he heard feedback about the most: Advertising, Ownership Rights and Privacy Settings. Below is what he had to say about Advertising, the area that had people ready to delete their account:

“Advertising is one of many ways that Instagram can become a self-sustaining business, but not the only one. Our intention in updating the terms was to communicate that we’d like to experiment with innovative advertising that feels appropriate on Instagram. Instead it was interpreted by many that we were going to sell your photos to others without any compensation. This is not true and it is our mistake that this language is confusing. To be clear: it is not our intention to sell your photos. We are working on updated language in the terms to make sure this is clear.”

To provide context, we envision a future where both users and brands alike may promote their photos & accounts to increase engagement and to build a more meaningful following. Let’s say a business wanted to promote their account to gain more followers and Instagram was able to feature them in some way. In order to help make a more relevant and useful promotion, it would be helpful to see which of the people you follow also follow this business. In this way, some of the data you produce — like the actions you take (eg, following the account) and your profile photo — might show up if you are following this business.

The language we proposed also raised question about whether your photos can be part of an advertisement. We do not have plans for anything like this and because of that we’re going to remove the language that raised the question. Our main goal is to avoid things like advertising banners you see in other apps that would hurt the Instagram user experience. Instead, we want to create meaningful ways to help you discover new and interesting accounts and content while building a self-sustaining business at the same time.”

Systrom also stated users will still own their photos.  This doesn’t mean that user information won’t be shared (if you’re on Facebook, you’re information is shared there too), but it does mean users don’t have to worry about photos being sold or featured in advertisements without approval.  I’m glad Instagram took the time to clear this up, because I, like so many others, considered not using the social media site after January 16^th.

If you still aren’t a fan of the new terms and no longer want to use Instagram, Huffington Post offers a few types on how to back up your photos and Instagram substitutes you can use.  If you plan on deleting your account, you won’t be able to reactive it or use the same username in the future. If you need a break from Instagram but want to consider coming back to it in the future, it may be wise just log off of the site, both online and on your phone.

What do you think about Instagram’s new changes? Do you believe Kevin’s statement? When news broke that photos would be sold or used in advertisements, did you consider deleting your account?

Click HERE to view Kevin Systrom’s full blog post about the Private Policy and Terms of Service changes.

I have always been a fan of Rachel Roy. I fell in love with her designs all over again after I saw pictures of her Pre-fall 2013 collection.  Inspired by her time in Kenya and Haiti, Roy’s collection effortlessly mixes prints and textures.  The collection is fresh and modern including printed jackets and skirts, wide leg pants and gorgeous dresses.  From the red carpet to the board room, there is a piece in the collection for every woman.

Here are my favorite looks from the collection. Check the slide slow at the bottom of this post to view the entire collection.

Last month I received an email from AíKan Bijoux to review a bracelet set from their couture jewelry collection. Of course I agreed to do a review; what girl wouldn’t want to review jewelry?!

When I opened the box from AíKan Bijoux, my first reaction to the black bracelet set was “this is cute!”  The bracelet set is from the Knight Collection and features black faceted cut stones that create a shimmer effect with rhinestones and charms.  One bracelet features the word LOVE, a message we could all use right now.

Because the bracelet set is all black, it can be worn in both a casual and formal environment.   I can easily wear this set to to work, on the weekend to brunch or with a cocktail dress for an evening event.  I received the set right on time; the bracelets went perfect with an outfit I wore to a holiday party Saturday night.

The collection boats 100% genuine agate gemstones. Each hand crafted bracelet is custom made in the USA.  All bracelets are made with durable stretch material, eliminating the need for a clasp, so they’ll fit most wrist.  However, AíKan Bijoux does offer custom sizing if necessary.

I look forward to wearing my new bracelet set again and one lucky reader will get a chance to enjoy the same set too!

If you’d like a chance to win the black bracelet set above, follow these simple steps:

1. Like A Diva State of Mind and AíKan Bijoux on Facebook.

2. Leave a comment below letting me know you liked both pages

The giveaway ends on Friday, December 21, 2012 at 11:59pm.  I want to make sure you receive the set by next week just in time to wear for the new year!

Good luck!