4 The Life of ME

The past two weeks I’ve been having too much fun! I’ve been able to attend several events and this weekend I attended the 6th annual  Nappy-Oke. Again I was able to meet some AMAZING entrepreneurs. There were several natural hair vendors, clothing vendors, and please don’t get me started on the GORGEOUS handmade jewelry!! We sang karaoke, belly danced, and of course it would not have been complete without the Wobble Baby Wobble Baby Wobble Baby Wobble! And ended it with a Fashion show where I was able to dress a few models…Over all the event was a blast! Can’t wait to see what they do at the Convention Center next year!

Hodge Podge making sales

Belly dancing lessons! We was LIVE ok!! Now Drop *move hips* lol

Angie and the host dressed in Hodge Podge’s latest fashion LOL He was too fly!

The beautiful Melissa Baptiste Jewelry Owner and Designer of Honey B. Jewelry. She was a sweetheart and some amazing pieces

Check out Honey B. Jewelry! She made all of this! I thought it was so awesome!

Pretty Little Wire! Allison the owner makes all her pieces as well & sold me a beautiful ring!

Pretty Little Wire^^^ That’s my hand 🙂 I bought one of these ring in brown with and elephant charm! I love it!

The lovely ladies of Ivie Rose! I was so excited to meet them especially when I found our they sold PLUS SIZE clothes!  I bought a convertible tube dress from them that’s in the pic below (the yellow and black)! I absolutely love it! Please check out their website they have amazing pieces for the CURVY CHIC WOMEN!

The models for Ivie Rose! And the 2nd girl from the left that’s my boo Andreka!! We had so much fun!

Now these EARRINGS I LOVED!! I was so impressed with all the unique pieces she made!! Please check her out http://www.inmyimageproduction.net

I saw these on Barbara’s table and thought these were creative as well Clutches made with magazine clippings! Dare to be Different!!

A night out in DC with my girls outfit curtousey of Forever 21 Teardrop Studded High Low shirt, Double Zipper Moto Jacket, and Leggings

The CW presesented Fashion, Beauty & Lifestlye Expo held at the DC Convention Center on Oct. 20 2012, was an awesome event featuring several local designers and boutiques. It was a successful attempt to put DC on the map as being one of the fashion capitals and seriously I don’t understand why we not on the map anyway! There were over 60 different boutiques set up there. There were some amazing pieces on the runway as well as the cutest models ever to walk the face of the earth for a boutique called Boogie Babys. Miss Jay known from America’s Next Top model not only graced the runway for us but also signed copies of his book as well as took pictures with his fans.

It wasn an amazing experience over all. I really met some great people and had so much fun and wanted to share the experience with you all….

Cutie Pie model from My Bougie Baby graces the runway in trendy yet age appropriate attire. I am a new fan of Wendy Pittman!

Chatting it up with another fellow blogger I met name Cathy>>>check out her blog on Latin Fashion

I was plesantly suprise to see a table full a virant nail polish and had an interesting conversation about how and why she started her business. I love it! >>>>http://kimykat.com/

Event number 2 was a boutique party hosted by my lovely friend and hairstylist Kenya…Hodge-Podge BY Nessa’s Boutique is her baby and she has hit the ground running combining event planning with her love for fashion. I had so much FUN!! It’s a great way to get close to your customers find out what they like and don’t like…

I tried to steal these blue wedges!! Royal blue is one of my favorite colors!

Over the past week I’ve had the pleasure to attend quite a few events. My top favorite was Dream Day at Howard University. We had the pleasure of hearing from  2 different panels which I classified as the new generation and the older generation. I of course was overly excited to know that yes my loves Angela Simmons and Vanessa Simmons was going to be there and from the crowd that was there I wasn’t the only one who felt that way. I thought that they would be the highlight of the event pertaining to fashion and business but I was so sincerely wrong! As the panels came to an end Fonzworth Bentley who was the host of the event and also equally amazing, introduced Jeff Johnson, well-known as Cousin Jeff   from BET’s Rap City. WHEN I SAY THIS MAN SPOKE VOLUMES INTO MY LIFE AS I TYPE THIS TO YOU ALL IN ALL CAPS. I mean man, as it was said in Love Jones he broke it down so that it would be consistently and forever broken! He encouraged us to dream dreams that did not make sense! He encouraged us to stop wanting to be MEDIOCRE!! Basically stating there is more to life then being a ball player, a rapper, a singer, a dancer, a model, etc….He challenged the individuals in that room to become more. To become someone so much more greater than that because we CAN!

So what has God put in your spirit to do that you have down played and said that it can’t be done. What the Wright brothers decided that they couldn’t fly that dream was too impossible to be or Steve Jobs decided that the Iphone was just totally unrealistic idea. I mean seriously WHY NOT and don’t let any one stop you. We can’t let our parents or our “friends” be our dream killers. If they are confused about their life and don’t know which way is up you don’t sit there and be confused with him you just GO!! Go after you dream full throttle and never quit eventually they will see you leaving the station and try to hop on too.

I am so inspired by his belief in the fact that we can do more that I am looking at going to school in London to get my Bachelors degree in Fashion Merchandising and Marketing and I’m completely excited. I have never been out of the country so this would be like umm insane for me. I’m EXCITED! I DREAM BIG! I have a clothing store to open, a hotel to run, and a non-profit to start. Those are my dreams well the starting point any way because once God puts the SUPER on my NATURAL ain’t no telling where I might go. This was supposed to be a review of the event lol but I hope you are encouraged by this to DREAM BIG BE SUPERB and NOT mediocre.

More pics from Dream Day below

Later Loves!

Today I woke up EXCITED and after my talk with GOD I’m feeling invincible!! Today is a day of endless possibilities, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH IT??? Also it’s HOWARD’s HOMECOMING this week, who wouldn’t be excited about that if you’re in the DMV area? Hey Lance!!! (SN: Speaking of dreams I’m going to marry this man..*clears throat* ok I’m back) Today I will be attending Dream Day at Howard University and I’m so excited about the information I’m going to receive and be able to share with you all. Just stay tune as I will be bringing you pics and info soon! I will leave you with the HU’s motto for Dream Day…

We are a movement, a body of people who know our purpose and move toward it without fear. We pursue our dreams without compromise. Our movement will be televised. We will inspire the world. We will find the place where impossibilities hide and we will live there.

We are Young Dreamers.

Sitting in the beauty shop on last Friday I was looking at my stylist collection for her mobile boutique HodgePodge and what stood out to me was this high low pink and black shirt with spike on the shoulder. It was super cute! It made me think about my Vince Camuto pumps that I bought in 2010 with the studded detail on the heel. I was thinking how I didn’t think that studs and spike wouldn’t be a trend that take over the way it did but there are some super cute statement pieces that I have come across so I had put together a collage about of a few statement pieces that I love!! Enjoy 🙂

We often get paralyzed by fear. I found myself in a long conversation with one of my closest friends as she was late yet AGAIN for another OPPORTUNITY to kick start a part of her DREAM in being a model. I started to question whether or not she sabotages herself on purpose because she was afraid of the possibilities that were held on the other side. As we discussed I reflected on myself and how I’ve been the same way. I should have started this blog months ago but I kept postponing the start date by signing up to help others kick start their dream and making myself completely busy with other tasks that had nothing to do with the direction that God had instructed me to go. For you all to understand that let me back up a bit. I’ve worked as a retail manager for about 5-6 years of my life and my last retail management job was HELL on EARTH for real! My boss was rude, manipulative, conniving and honestly just all around insane. So I can vividly remember being in the office in the stock room praying and talking to GOD saying GOD I know this is not it for me. I know you have something for me that’s better than this. Please tell me WHAT TO DO! I was at my breaking point in my personal and professional life. I wanted to know what my purpose was…Loud and clear I heard OPEN A STORE. My confidence at that particular time wouldn’t allow me to believe that that was accurate. I was like ME? OPEN A STORE? Seriously? But I loved retail, I loved fashion, and I have a heart for helping others. And now here I am taking my last few classes to get my Associates degree in Business Management, writing a blog, and connecting with other business owners to make some things happen on my behalf.

We can so easily sabotage ourselves and be bound by fear without even really knowing it. Think about how many times you’ve had an idea and never acted on it, only to watch someone else take the very same thought you had and make something out of it. GOD HAS GIVEN US THE ABILITY TO DO WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU WANT TO DO.  With that being said (to my friend) build up the courage to chase after your dream, don’t get left behind wondering what if… YOU CAN BE GREAT I SEE IT IN YOU!! You are one of the most amazing people I know! As Dr. Dee Dee would say IT’S OUR TIME!! Don’t let it pass you by

OTN: I leave you all with my one of my FAVORITE inspirational quotes EVER from Marianne Williamson….

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Some other quotes and scriptures that motivate me hope it starts a fire for you too!

“FOR THE LORD SHALL BE YOUR CONFIDENCE, firm and strong and shall keep your foot from being caught in a trap or some hidden danger” Proverbs 9:26

Failure is no more FATAL than success is PERMANENT

“The most pathetic person in the world is the person who has sight but no vision” Helen Keller

“…He will never leave you nor forsake you” Hebrews 13:5

“Write the vision and make it plain” Habakkuk 2:2

Ok one thing you will learn about me is that I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Simmon’s family. Run’s House, Daddy’s Girl, Kimora Lee’s Fab Life… I love it all!! This Sex and the City pic just validates why I love her even more… Fashion wise she knows how to dress her body!