Pesky Strangers

(I've had that little clutch purse for so many years, I have no idea where I got it)

I'm not going to lie...I kinda felt cute in this today. I love this top with all thine heart and all thine soul. Especially the ruffled details in the back. Also, note that I am not wearing one stitch of black today. That's rare yet totally unintentional.

(I feel like I'm on the verge of finally breaking these shoes in. Just a few more wears and I will have conquered the pain)

 I look like I really am going somewhere, don't I? Ummm...yeah, I went home and ate a huge bowl of Chex Cereal and watched Parenthood (That' my new favorite show)

You've got to be rolling your eyes at all these pictures! LOL...I am! I would like to state for the record that bloggers who take pictures of themselves with a tripod and set timer, in front of total strangers deserve some type of award. I'm just saying:)

I was driving and saw this little park with very few people in it. in  There were a few dog walkers and a few old ladies speed walking in their inclined flip flops sneakers. I had a few people look at me crazy but I decided to flip the script and look at them crazy. Instead of being embarrassed (which I was), whenever a dog walker passed by looking befuddled...I just kind of looked back at them as if THEY  were the ones in violation! The nerve of THEM to walk in a park where supermodels  teachers posing as bloggers  take pictures of their shoes in a public park! Ugh... regular people amuse me (lol)

For those of you who didn't catch it, I gigged over at the Shop It To Me website. Check it out:)

Random Question of the Day:

If a crystal ball would tell you the TRUTH about any ONE thing you wished to know concerning yourself, life, the future, or anything else, what would you want to know?

JACKPOT!

This is the jackpot dress that I found when I was in Austin a few weeks ago! If you've been following me for a year or so, you know that I like anything that is ethnic and pretty much channels Diana Ross or Beyonce on stage! This is THE caftan that I've been longing for all my life. It's a vintage 70's caftan and was under $20...priceless to me!

And to clarify...I most certainly did wear this dress to work. Why wouldn't I?!? Oddly enough, even though it fits loosely, I really felt quite sultry in this all day. That just goes to show that your clothes don't always have to be tight. This look is not for the conservative or the faint of heart. I tend to like what I like and then ask questions later:)

Here are just a few of the compliments I got today wearing this outfit.

1. From my gangbanger student: You look pretty Ms. G!

2. From a teacher: You look like a Moroccan Princess:)

3. From a stranger in WalMart: You did good girl, you did good! DO IT!

4. From a certain somebody: I just don't get it:(

5. From the teacher across the hall who still wears Rudolf the Rednosed Reindeer Sweaters...*blank stare*

*From Me: I have finally achieved my Diana Ross meets Beyonce' on stage meets Wulona from Good Times moment!  Then I twirl, and twirl, and twirl like Diana Ross in Mahogany!!

These Shoes FAIL

This is what I wore this weekend in Austin. I actually got the concept from a pic of Victoria Beckham. I figured, I could pull the look off. It's nothing special but this blog is about my personal style, right? Somedays...it's a khaki and t shirt kind of day. Keep in mind that right before this picture, I just completed an eight hour test from the pits of hell. I felt blah in this but I'm sick of blogs where the girl is chasing bees in perfectly crisp clothes and smile to boot! Right after this, I ate some chicken tacos and the best queso dip I ever had in my life! So there:)

'

Photo credit: Victoria Beckham on People.com

Now, let's talk about these freakin shoes! Comfortable? Check! Cute? Check. Evil Shoes? CHECK! I freakin fell in these shoes! I was getting out of the car to get take a stupid test  to prove that I am worthy to be a principal and was so busy trying to figure out how long the line was to sign up that I completely missed a step and fell from grace! I swear it felt like it was in slow motion. I just remember landing on all fours and purse falling after I did! The whole line turned around to look at me!

Can we say EMBARRASSED!! OH MY GOD!

So I just laughed at myself and wobbled to the line. I am pretty sure everybody was saying "That's what she gets for coming up in here with those heels when we are about to take an 8 hour test!"

You know what I did? Strutted my ass in my seat and pulled out my snacks and lined up my pencils on my desk and looked straight ahead! Most people showed up wearing jogging suits and flip flops...but not MOI'! I am trying to channel Victoria Beckham and busted my ass!

If you are a veteran follower, you will note that this is NOT the first time that I've fallen from grace...atleast I didn't go get a hamburger to soothe my ego this time:)

...(Click here to get that joke)

Girl Fight!

(You have no idea how hard I would strut in this whole outfit. IT would be ridiculous. There would be smoke trailing my steps because I would be digging my heels in the ground so hard)

When I saw these pics from Sea of Shoes, I gasped. Like literally gasped. Then I got angry. VERY ANGRY. I would even say irate.

WHY ISN'T THIS WHOLE OUTFIT ON MY BODY?!?

So this is what I have to say to Jane from Sea of Shoes.

Dear Jane,

I know you are a teenager and a model and all of that stuff.  I know you have the model body and that great red hair and a closet sea full of fabulous shoes. But why would you taunt me with this outfit? You knew it was mine when you put it on. You know that I am obsessed with looking like Diana Ross at the most inappopriate times. Not only did you wear this fabulous kimono but you had the nerve to pair it with those killer shoes and THAT delicious bag. Do you have something against me? I don't even know you. I teach kids your age. I love the kids. But this is war.

So either you send me that sequin kimono and shoes to Houston immediately or be ready for all this jelly. Yes, I am a teacher and it's ethically wrong for me to fight kids but not on the weekends. I will fight you Jane.

 I WILL FIGHT YOU. AND I WILL WIN!

 Just give up the goods and I will continue to love your shoe game and nobody gets hurt. We can even do lunch if you want. We can meet in the middle. We can even meet in Madisonville, Texas...halfway point between Dallas and Houston. Nobody gets hurt and you can live your life being the fabulous teen that you are.

Just to prove how much I would worship this whole outfit, here is a list of all the places I plan to wear it.

1. To work...yes I teach high school but whatever.

2. To church...jeans and all...except that I will be holding a black Japanese fan in my hand to fan off the holy haters.

3. To the supermarket to pick up some gum.

4. To the movies to see "Why Did I Get Married Too?"

5. To pick up my nieces from school early...I would make sure that I walked all the way into their classrooms too so the little kids can whisper "Is that your auntie? Can I touch her?"

6. To job interviews...I would just sit and let them stare at me first.

7. To Zumba/aerobics class...and I will be in the FRONT row...not the back per usual.

8. To the Jill Scott/Maxwell concert this summer.

9. To my neighbor's house to borrow some eggs.

10. To the Oprah show when she finally gets wind that I'm still trying to be on her BFF team. This is so an OPRAH outfit!

See Jane? I have plans for the whole ensemble. Don't deprive me. Think about it....or else:)

Toodles!

(Just kidding! Jane is actually a blog diva with the fiercest shoe game.  I'm so jealous of her. I love you Jane...but send the kimono. Seriously. NO...Seriously)

One Hot Summer's Night...

I was out frolicking today. I decided to break out this vintage dress I got from Atlanta's Little Five Points area last year. I paid next to nothing for this dress. I had the hem and the shortened (of course) and the sleeves taken in a little bit but I could never find the right belt to go with it. I think I also didn't wear it because I thought I would melt in the polyester material but I survived!

I decided to whip it out today as I frolicked, and I loved it to pieces.

The belt I found at a thrift store for 50 cent and it was perfect. I have made the executive decision to look for unique belt buckles from now on. This belt totally fit the bill.

I also found that fan for 75 cent because it was a cloth oriental fan...why would I pass that up? I ended up getting 4 colors.

If you are wondering if I wore the fan for the sake of pictures only....ummm...NO...I straight up walked around with it for a trip to the ice cream parlor after dinner. It's hot in Texas! A certain somebody rolled his eyes but that just made me fan harder!

At any rate, this is just a quick post until I can get a few ideas together. I am thinking about having a challenge for my readers but you won't win anything lol! Because I don't have it like that but it would be fun nonetheless...I'll get back to you on that.

In the above pictures I am wearing my Bollywood inspired sandals by Steve Madden. Below I am wearing some thrifted gold ballet flats by Jeffrey Campbell...umm yeah...2 bucks! Score...I'm not ashamed!

I know it seems like I am only talking about thrifting lately but don't you know me by now...I'll be over it and have a new obsession by next week. That's the way it goes:)

... a certain somebody also wonders why I am telling people that I thrift? What does he know?

You Are My Friend...

I am singing Pattie Labelle's song "You are my friend". (sing it with me!)

The alterations lady that is...lol. You know how people make friends with hairstylists...not me. I must have my tailor on my team at all times. If you look at the dress above, I had the dress shortened to right above the knee. Can you see what a nip here and tuck there can do? Remember that I got this dress from GOODWILL...A Neiman Marcus dress at that.

What is the saying? Someone's trash is the next man's treasure? Yeah...SCORE! I absolutely adore every single thing about this dress. The full sleeves, the buttons, the pattern, the pockets! It has pockets!!! LOVE IT! I had the tailor use the scraps from the bottom of the dress to make a belt/sash/occassional headscarf!













The above dress is my Nurse Jackie look (Mocha Trina gave me that name:) Remember this came from Good Will too. Instead of making it super short, I had it taken in around the hips and knees into a pencil skirt. I love the fit of this uniform...I wish I could find a black one. I would rock the heck out of a black uniform. I threw on silver pumps and a scarf just to give you an idea of how I am trying to de-uniform the look:)












Lastly, I confess. I went back to Goodwill. How could I not? It's my new obsession. I feel like this is my week to thrift. I even literally discovered 3 additional thrift stores in my area completely by accident. It's as if God wants me to thrift! Is that going too far? Probably. Anywho, I picked up this dashiki at Goodwill for $4.99.

Yes, it can be a little too Power to the People or Ebay from Good Times (gotta be a true Good Times fan to know who that is), but I saw potentional in it.

I am really into prints these days and usually am drawn to ethnic prints. I immediately thought that I could turn this into an ecclectic professional look. I think I succeeded. I went through my closet and found a pencil skirt and some old pumps for my loyal readers!

I just wanted to show that you can pull off a look if you mix and match. Thrifting is my new obsession!













Shoes w/pink dress- Karen Scott pumps (got these atleast 5 years ago
Shoes w/Nurse Jackie dress-Silver pumps by Calvin Klein via Ross
Shoes w/dashiki- Nine West weaved shoes (They are torture to wear so they stay in the closet)

Belt w/Nurse Jackie dress-Scarf from Target (2 years ago)
Skirt w/Dashiki- Nine West via Ross (last year)
Belt w/Dashiki-Vintage aka can't remember

Jacket w/Dashiki- Banana Republic Wool Cropped Jacket (about 5 years old)

ps....Do not Right Click on my pictures! And please send a link back to this site if you choose to reference something you see here...thank you:)

The Other Pop Icon

Yes, I'm still soaking up all things Michael Jackson and I have become mildly obsessed with playing my favorite MJ song "Butterflies".

Yet, I wanted to flip the script slightly and show you pics of me rocking my Prince T-shirt that I mentioned here.

I ordered this shirt three months ago and I just recently got it. I guess the fact that Beyonce' rocked the shirt publicly started a production frenzy. By the time, I got it...I was pretty much over it and now I wish I had a Michael Jackson T-shirt. I am sure there won't be a shortage of those though:)

At any rate, here I am with Prince all over me:) Cute shirt. Great fit...just ridiculously late. I am totally into shopping in my own closet so this ensemble was a mixture of that. Nothing spectacular but thought I would show you what the tshirt looked like. Enjoy.

Top-Chaser Tee "Prince's Life is A Parade" tshirt

Belt-Vintage (meaning I bought it years ago and have no clue where I got it)

Skinny Jeans-Urban Outfitters (earlier this year)

Silver Platforms-Calvin Klein via Ross Stores

Red Clutch-a gift for babysitting my friend's baby...I have a great bartering system going:)

Chandelier Earrings- Forever 21

I wish I cared enough to want to photoshop myself but in these days when everybody is dying every other day, I am just grateful to be alive...extra thickness and all. So here I am in my fabulous natural glory...definitely looks better with a belt. Yes, it seems that I only have one pose...the hand on the hip:)

*Now allow me to get back to singing Butterflies off key*

Toodles and Amen:)

I Am Good! Part 2)

This was a busy weekend. There was my friend's wedding and my future mother in law's birthday. There was a common theme among both of them...I helped style both of them. Well, I sort of did...keep reading.

Let me start by saying that the older I get, I realize that I can do more than just teach ungrateful high students how to understand Romeo and Juliet...I actually like personal shopping for others and I enjoy the creative side of weddings.
First, my future mom n' law...aka "Mrs. Ball State University".

She turned the big 5-0 this weekend and looked fabulous doing so. A few months ago...well, alot of months ago, she had me tag along while she went shopping.

I encouraged her to enjoy the splendid treasures of Club Tar-Jay (Target) and she came out with a few cute pieces.

We found this beautiful Isaac Mizrahi Shirtdress under thirty bucks and she finally wore it on her birthday. She paired it with same strappy sandals and this bad azz blue/turquoise (never been that good with naming colors) handbag. Of course, I had something to do with forcing her hand to buy the purse.

Doesn't she look fab! Granted the handbag cost more than the dress but that's the beauty of fashion...to mix and match!

Whenever she gets tired of this look, she could have the sleeves taken off by a tailor, pop the collar tall and wide and throw on yellow accessories...BAM! A whole new outfit!

Also this weekend, a friend of mine got married. You may recall me saving the day by finding her wedding shoes for $40 at Nordstrom's. Well, the big day arrived and she looked FABULOUS in my creation (lol at "my creation).

She rocked the Apple Kiwi Green shoes with her wedding dress and it matched perfectly. I was the hostess and wore the green dress from the previous post. Of course, I forced her to showcase the shoes for my own personal gratification and selfish reasons. (insert evil laugh here) She wore her own dangling gold earrings and green bangles to give it a modern/eclectic look.

I also wanted to share with you her dress that she wore to her rehearsal the day before. We went to Marshalls's (of course) to pick out a dress for her bridesmaid. T, that's what we will call her...wanted to incorporate green into every aspect of her wedding.

We grabbed this beautiful green, silky dress off the rack for under $49. The goal was for the bridesmaid to wear the dress for the weddng but somehow it never made it past T. Go figure. T claims the dress belonged on her body thus she kept it.

She rocked the dress at the wedding rehearsal with a black braided belt from Urban Outfitters, pewter heels and of course her Mantilla Wedding veil. Hey...why not...get as much wear you can out of it right?

This dress actually wasn't the exact green she needed which also contributed to the bride wearing the dress for herself. I believe the dress was made by Donna Ricco, I will check with her and update if that is not correct.

Still a cute look. Simple, classy, flattering, chic and can be worn over and over again. This is how you have a chic and affordable wedding.

You need a personal stylist? A personal shopper? Hire me! You would be helping the economy and by "economy", I mean ME!

Lastly, I wanted to share this one photo of a guest at the wedding. I had to take a picture of Ms. Tonya because she rocked her curves to death! I love it when women aren't afraid to celebrate their shape and do it with confidence. Two things drew me to this outfit...The neckline she created with the bolero and the belt! Perfect! Don't be afraid of patterns, solid colors can be boring.

I am practicing what I preach by wearing more patterns this summer:) I kind of feel like Wulona from Good Times in this dress but the colors make me happy:)

Enjoy....Oh, Don't steal my pictures. If you must reference a photo, please reference my site or link back to this post. It's the right thing to do. Plus, I have a pact with God...let's just say you don't want to go that route:)