Summer is Cuffing Season.

As the weather gets warmer your jeans should be worn just a bit cooler. It’s the law. We break out the cute sandals or low boots for the warm weather and what better way to show off cool shoes than with an awesome fitted jean worn cuffed at the ankle or calf. Lets take a look at some denim styles that are worn cuffed. You can find them all at http://shop.nordstrom.com/th/cuffed-jeans.

_12198036 — Cool Matchy Topshop Lilac Acid Wash High Rise Jean.

All of the denim brands mentioned above are fantastic for curvy girls as well. Jeans are a great base for a more dressed up or dressed down look. A great fitting pair of jeans can take you from a fun picnic with the kids when paired with a white or black tee shirt to a sexy dinner date with the hubby or boyfriend, just add a cool blazer and a statement piece necklace.

June 14, 2016 0

Workout Wear As Everyday Wear. NYC 18th Street and 5th Ave.

I’ve deemed 18th street and 5th Ave as the workout Mecca of New York City. On that city block or its’ proximity there are major athletic wear stores for women such as Tory Burch Sport, Athleta, and Lululemon. Athleta has a wonderful workout studio and offer FREE classes for customers. The classes are taught by certified yoga and dance instructors and offer a great burn in a great environment. They also have a great girls line and also offer workshops geared toward healthy body image for young girls. I love that!

The ladies in Lower Manhattan are decked out in workout wear for errands and the gym. They are still NYC chic even when decked in spandex. The outfits are normally topped by a cool jacket and killer shades. You are now ready to slay the streets or the gym.

Some of our favorite celebs who rock workout wear as everyday wear:

2011-06-08-16-02-49-1-nicole-richie — Nicole Richie

kelly-rowland-gym-clothes — Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams

031416-tswift-karlie-lead — Taylor Swift

beyonce-wipes-out-on-roller-skates-for-ivy-park-video — Beyonce in Ivy Park

f5bb90c8852a81f3d36b16de93827494 — Gabrielle Union

2408039000000578-2872902-Back_in_black_The_34_year_old_star_had_her_raven_coloured_tresse-a-8_1418502456581 — Kim Kardashian

1448927079-elle-celebrity-post-workout-glow-gabrielle-union — Gabrielle Post Workout

What are you wearing to the gym?

June 11, 2016 3

What is Your Passion?

Passion. When I used to think of the word, I thought of romance and steamy love affairs but did not really think of “passion” as being how you want to walk through the world. Your passion is what makes you happy, thrive, and wake up in the morning. I’ve learned that your passion does not always have to be the way you earn a living. It would be optimal if your checks came through you living your passion but let’s face it, that is not a fact for most of us. Our passion, the thing that wakes us in the morning, does not always pay the bills but please believe that while you are paying those bills you must have a reason to rise.

How to Find Your Passion:

What is the “thing” that you think of or do most often? Figure out what it is and embrace it. Don’t be afraid of what your friends or family thinks.
Do it!! There are so many free or super inexpensive mediums now for everyone to express themselves through. If you love art then create it. If you love to write then write. You will find your voice when you begin to create.
Grow and become comfortable in your own skin because there is no better place to be.

What is your passion and how do you foster it on a daily basis?

June 11, 2016 0

If At First You Don’t Succeed…

We know how that mantra ends. “If at first you don’t succeed, try try again.” Those are words to live by. We won’t always win on the first try. Failure exist as a teaching tool for the next time you attempt a task. You fail and then you try again, only this time implementing the lessons that you’ve learned from failing. I failed today. Am I a failure? Nope. I’ll try again at my task on July 5th only this time implementing what I’ve learned.

I had a beach day recently and even though the Atlantic Ocean is not my ideal beach it always serves the purpose of helping me recenter. I can feel really big and super important at times but I look at large bodies of water and remember that I am small and there are greater powers outside of myself and whatever drives me.

What drives you and how do you deal with failing?

June 6, 2016 0

Dinner at Dessert at The Standard Grill: NYC Nights.

Celebrated my 40th birthday the only way I saw fit-with a NYC Night.

We spent my birthday in one of my favorite NYC neighborhoods-The Meatpacking District. It’s home to the Highline, cobblestone streets, amazing sunsets from the Hudson River and cool hotels/restaurants like the Standard Grill.

A delicious carrot and pecan birthday cake for dessert. It comes with the candle whether it’s your birthday or not. That is a divine idea. We should be celebrating everyday and making wishes every time we eat a slice of cake.

On of my dearest friends gifted us these bracelets as Bridesmaid gifts. I love the versatility of the bracelet and it’s time less design.

My favorite Anya Hindmarch cluch. She did a collection for Target and I wish I scooped up 10 of these when I had the chance.

My makeup was done by a great makeup artist here in NYC. Her name is Amaly. You can find her here: www.instagram.com/vivalaamz

Amaly did a subtle smoky eye and a deep red lip (Ruby Woo from MAC) which was a perfect nighttime look. (Photo Credit: Amaly)

May 22, 2016 0

Fresh Face for Spring: Essence Beauty Box Edition

I am not a big make-up, beauty girl because I suck at applying makeup but I do love it when I see beautiful makeup applied on gorgeous skin. At 40, I realize that my skin needs better care more now than ever. Yes, at 40 your skin can be prone do dryness or oiliness and pimples. My skin changes from day to day and it is harder to look “fresh faced” when I wake up in the morning. I love a good foundation but I don’t want to be a slave to it. I want to be able to have healthy skin that can go without foundation. I know, I may be asking for too much. LOL. This month’s (May’s) Essence Beauty Box had two gems that I have really been in love with. The face wash from Equitance paired with the light face oil from Biossance are BOMB.

The Beauty Box Stars:

The Equitance Face Wash: Goes on creamy but lathers and feels amazingly soft and leaves skin silky smooth.

The Biossance Face Oil: Light face oil that absorbs easily into the skin and leaves your face fresh, luminous and radiant enough to go without foundation.

Let me also add that these are small sample sized products from the box but a little goes a long way. I’ve been using these two for a little over a week now and still have enough product for another week.

The Full Beauty Box Lineup:

In reality, this is really an All-Star box. Oh wait, I’m missing a great shiny lipgloss that I gifted to my 11-year old daughter. She loves lipgloss. She is also fascinated and in love with the Poo-Pourri. (Insert weird emoji face). It really does work and leaves a great sandlewood scent in the bathroom. I’ll be getting more of this stuff again. Also great lose with the Simple face wipes and a great Pur mascara. May was a good month.

What is your skin care regimen for healthy skin?

May 22, 2016 2

What We Can Learn From DJ Khaled’s Keys.

DJ Khaled has risen from your favorite producer and DJ to the King of Snapchat. He has made the word “They” commonplace and everyone now understands what and who “they” are. “They” are the naysayers, the back biters, the people who don’t want you to succeed or see you shine. Khaled warns us to:

Stay away from “They”.

Secure Your “Bag”.

What is your “bag”? Your Bag is your source of income or the money that you make. Your Bag is your cheddar, your coins, your Benjamins. Securing your Bag is great advice.Whether you are self-employed or working a 9 to 5 it is crucial that your source of income is ever flowing and if you are really a boss you should have multiple sources of revenue. One source is no way to Secure Your Bag.

Cloth Talk

“Cloth” is translated as the major moves that you make with the major players in your life. The Cloth Talk are the conversations that you have where you might learn about strategies that are used in order to Secure Your Bag. We often learn about employment, savings strategies or investments from people we are friends or family with. Securing a circle of knowledgeable people around you is crucial in order to learn about potentially financial lucrative advice.

Overall, DJ Khaled provides us (and more so himself) daily motivation and thanksgiving for all of the blessings that he has worked so hard to secure. He often highlights the many artists that he’s worked with and has constant contact with his fans for “Fan Love” meetups. Khaled is happy and exudes the qualities that are endearing and we want to see him “win, win, win no matter what.” (I had to do that). If you can sift through the sayings that might be a little hard to get at times, without a doubt, DJ Khaled is dropping keys on Snapchat and beyond. He has used the medium to garner a whole new level of success.

More DJ Khaled:

http://www.theydontwantyouto.win/

http://wethebeststore.com/

Great New York Times Q and A Interview: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/15/magazine/dj-khaled-is-extra-careful-around-beyonce.html

May 16, 2016 0

Consistency is Key!

Whether you are cooking or working at accomplishing a goal, consistency is key.

Definition:

con·sist·en·cy-

noun

1.

conformity in the application of something, typically that which is necessary for the sake of logic, accuracy, or fairness.

2.

the way in which a substance, typically a liquid, holds together; thickness or viscosity.

—We often look at those who are “winning” (you know what winning is. You know the people who are 30 something and making 6 figures, traveling to exotic places, eating at 5 star restaurants-not just on special occasions- , dressed in designer wares and not necessarily relying on the sale at the nearest Target for the season’s wardrobe) and wonder what makes them special. How are they different from you? There might even be qualities that you possess which you consider a bonus on your behalf. You might be more educated. You might be better looking. You might be a more stable or even a nicer person but alas, they are winning and quite frankly, you might not be. What makes someone a winner? Consistency. A winner is consistent and works at perfecting the “thing” that he/she wants to be great at.

—Let’s face it. Most of us quit at most things that we try to accomplish. How many times have you gone on a diet that ended after a strong 2 weeks of dedication and one night out the with girls or guys derails the entire plan. Diet plans work, people don’t.

—At work, are you consistently great or do you excel some days and feel or possibly act like a sloth other days. If you are to be great, that description does not work. It’s hard but it is integral to be great everyday. Will you be great everyday? Nope. We all make mistakes and fall short at times but if you were working to be consistently great then falling short will only serve as a means of learning a lesson and not a self depreciating feeling.

What are you doing consistently ?

May 11, 2016 0

Ben Franklin: Not Just A Pretty Face on the Hundred Dollar Bill.

Who knew that one of the founding fathers of our nation knew about finances and really watched his coins? I had idea. If you knew then you should have let me know before now. I took a recent trip to Philly during Spring Break and really discovered an entire side of Franklin that I find intriguing. I feel like now more than ever there are many bloggers and podcasters who have great knowledge on acquiring wealth and maintenance of wealth. Well, back in the day, Franklin was the blogger/podcaster of his time. He wrote financial articles for the Almanac that was published under a pseudonym. He clearly wasn’t looking for fame or notoriety. There was a small hand held book being sold in all of the gift shops titled, “The Way to Wealth” written by Franklin (1758) and it is chock full of verses that we might have grown up with about spending and saving. There is a book version that sells for under $5. It’s also sold on ibooks for about $3 or $4 but most importantly, there is a free version online and on ibooks. The free version is not fancy and translated but Franklin would have been proud if you were frugal and translated the Old English yourself.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from “The Way to Wealth”:

…the taxes are indeed very heavy, and, if those laid on by the government were the only ones we had to pay, we might more easily discharge them; but we have many others, and much more grievous to some of us. We are taxed twice as much by our idleness, three times as much by our pride, and four times as much by our folly…
It would be thought a hard government, that should tax its people one-tenth part of their time, to be employed in its service; but idleness taxes many of us much more; sloth, by bringing on diseases, absolutely shortens life. Sloth, like rust, consumes faster than labor wears; while the used key is always bright…
Lost time is never found again; and what we call time enough, always proves little enough. Let us then up and be doing, and doing to the purpose; so by diligence shall we do more with less perplexity. Sloth makes all things difficult, but industry all easy…
He that riseth late must trot all day, and shall scarce overtake his business at night; whileLaziness travels so slowly, that Poverty soon overtakes him. Drive thy business, let not that drive thee; and Early to bed, and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise,
So what signifies wishing and hoping for better times? We may make these times better, if we bestir ourselves. Industry need not wish, and he that lives upon hopes will die fasting. There are no gains without pains…
But with our industry we must likewise be steady, settled, and careful, and oversee our own affairs with our own eyes, and not trust too much to others; . . . Trusting too much to others’ care is the ruin of many…
but to these we must add frugality if we would make our industry more certainly successful. A man may, if he knows not bow to save as be gets, keep his nose all his life to the grindstone, and die not worth a groat at last.”, A fat kitchen makes a lean will.
Beware of little expenses; A small leak will sink a great ship.
Many a one, for the sake of finery on the back, have gone with a hungry belly and half-starved their families. Silks and satins, scarlet and velvets, put out the kitchen fire.
A ploughman on his legs is higher than a gentleman on his knees, as Poor Richard says. . . . But this they might have known before, if they had taken his advice. If you would know the value of money, go and try to borrow some; for, he that goes a borrowing goes a sorrowing,
Your creditor has authority, at his pleasure, to deprive you of your liberty, by confining you in gaol till you shall be able to pay him.

Philadelphia is gorgeous by the way.

May 3, 2016 0

Reap What You Sow. Springtime Gardening.

It’s Springtime and if you have access to your own bit of land or not, it’s the perfect time to plant something and watch it grow. I’ve gone to countless homes and backyards and is just always in awe of all the pretty flowers or fresh vegetables that are planted in yards. This year, like most, I will plant some annuals in the front of our yard but for the first time, I’m going to try planting some veggies. String beans, peppers and lettuce to be exact.

When you have these goals in mind then it’s important to visit you local garden center and here in Brooklyn one of the best is at the Brooklyn Terminal Market. Brooklyn Plantology by Lapide provides an array of plants that you can take home and practice your green thumb on. The place is gorgeous and filled to the brim with all types of plants. If you are looking for it, they will have it.

My recent visit: