My Bedroom, My Mini Retreat

These days I spend 90% of my time, when at home, in my bedroom. This was never the case in the past, preferring to sprawl out in my livingroom or lounge in my backyard. But in my current dwelling, my bedroom is my everything room just because it's the one room in the house that is all about me. It's the place I do yoga, write papers for school, sketch new designs for Jypsea Leathergoods, mediate and of course, sleep.
I even have a sewing machine in here behind a beautiful Asian screen.
Here are some shots:

Get great bedding sets, amazing scented candles/incenses, comfy pillows, a few pieces of furniture that really speak to your personal aesthetic, and art that you enjoy; you'll barely leave your little retreat either. 

What's your favorite room?

Cocktails, Cupcakes & Couture! Host a Jypsea Trunkshow

Would you love the opportunity to get luxe leather handbags and accessories for yourself and gifts for fashionistas on your holiday shopping list for FREE? Looking for an excuse to have the girls over?
Host a Jypsea Trunk Show in the comfort of your home, boutique or community/work space. Your guest will enjoy shopping from Jypsea's selection of one-of-a-kind leather handbags and accessories, a fun impromptu fashion show, and ordering custom-designed pieces in an elegantly girly atmosphere of cocktails and cupcakes!
As the hostess, you will earn $25 of Jypsea credit for every $100 your guests spend, plus a FREE leather clutch and have first dibs on merchandise before your guests arrive.
It's a fabulously fun time!
Available in NJ, NYC, PA, MD, DC Must book 3 weeks in advance. Email NOW for holiday availability: Jypsealeathergoods@gmail.com

Polka Dot Dress, Day to Night

In response to my last post about my complicated relationship with polka dots, I've decided to throw this on. The dots are small, so I can rock with this....still not over the big-polka dot-Kwame-thing though...lol

Trendspotting: Polka Dots

Picture: AFP

So, this is the thing: I was a pre-teen in the late 80s, early 90s and you know what that that means: polka dots mean Kwame! LOL And Hip Hop legend, Biggie put that to bed with his line, "your life is played out like Kwame and those effin' polkadots." WOW. Smh

SOOOO.....to see that it's the "next big thing in fashion" again has me on the fence. The Marc Jacobs photo on the left, it NOT haute, imho. Who wants to look like a dalmatian? Not I. But these fashionistas below have pulled it off. I personally own a polkadot dress in navy and white that I purchased a year ago but these  are TINY dots. I just don't see me doing the big polka dot "Kwame" thing but I do think a few polka dot accessories will find their way into my wardrobe and I give props to those who have pulled it off.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/oktak?ref=seller_info

Picture: BRIDGET FLEMING

Folake of Stylepantry.com

Teenvogue.com

Teenvogue.com

Digging This Look! Soccer Mom Chic?

Fellow blogger, flygirl and mom, Folake Kuye Huntoon, looks amazing as she cheers on her little boy at his soccer game. SCORE!
Check her fressssssh on Stylepantry.com.

Streets of New York

I used to attend college (FIT) and work in NYC for about a decade in the corporate fashion industry. Now that I live in the boondocks of South Jersey, I only get to the city about once a month...sometimes less. So I'm always hyped to be in my home away from home when I make the trek. Check these images I took on my way to be filmed for The Jane B. Show.












The dress was just in some window that was not a boutique but possible at office or gallery. Hard to tell as I was rushing by.
The girl on the subway platform was there as I got off the A train. She was just so NYC cool, I NEEDED to snap her.

The ballerina photos are not mine but I saw them the same day posted on FB by a friend. They were taken in NYC as well. Learn more about The Ballerina Project at http://ballerinaproject.com/

STYLE STAR

 

Aisha K. is the definition of style and sophistication. Confident & classy, she rocks ensembles that are casually sexy without spending too much, exposing too much or trying too hard. Young ladies, take notes!

Denim jacket and satin blouse: Zara International

Cream shorts with asymetrical placket: H&M

Nude leather sandals: BCBG

Jewelry: Target

Patchwork Leather Handbag (not shown): Vintage

NEW! Authentic & Creative Bookstore

Get my most highly recommended books on everything from personal strength, creative projects, business, finance, style and spirituality.

Talk Tuesday StyleSocial with June Ambrose

Girl Crush: Tracee Ellis Ross

Interior Design: Brooks and Bailey

Wanda Anderson and Alicia Bailey are BROOKS AND BAILEY.

When you think of BROOKS AND BAILEY think SEX & THE CITY meets HGTV. This super savvy, self-taught, stylish duo offers beautiful creative, functional, aesthetically pleasing interiors as well as home staging, image consulting, personal styling, personal shopping, and event decorating services at an affordable price.

Their story is a unique tale of two friends who together discovered their mutual passion and talent for creating beautiful environments representative of a combination of their own signature styles & the ability to bring out the interests, style and visions of their clients.

"WE STAND FIRM THAT BEAUTIFUL LUXURIOUS ENVIRONMENTS AND FASHION ARE NOT MEANT FOR THE WEALTHY ALONE. A SKILLED EYE FOR QUALITY AND KNACK FOR CREATIVITY ALLOWS US TO TAKE PEOPLE AND PLACES FROM DRAB TO FAB ON A LOW TO MODERATE BUDGET."


BROOKS AND BAILEY believes that feeling good and having a positive self image has an inspirational impact on yourself and all whom you encounter and is essential to your personal success.
"ITS IMPORTANT TO US TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT AND SELF IMAGE FOR OUR CLIENTS THAT THEY CAN BE PROUD OF AND THAT ALLOWS THEM TO EXPRESS WHO THEY ARE".

Brooks and Bailey are well known for finding that perfect conversational piece like a leather trunk for a bachelor that houses a bar for entertaining and/or those amazingly inexpensive yet valuable pieces they discover at an auction and in their travels. Snagging a pair of antique or vintage chairs that were once used at a Ralph Lauren studio or a Mies Van Der Rohe Barcelona chair signed by the architect or even a prized Phillipe Starck Miss Paramount chair for their clients is just the kind added perk you come to expect from working with this duo as a pleasant surprise to their clients. The educated their clients that certain elements included in their design are investments an heirlooms that not only add character and intrigue but increase in value. Their eye for quality and talent for combining the old and new, bringing together modern and traditional, casual and classy and/or glamorous and functional sets them apart from the rest.

BROOKS AND BAILEY combines a full spectrum of possibilities. One can be elegantly edgy & fashionably luxurious: live like the wealthy at an affordable price.

For a limited time: Receive a free Interior Decorating consultation @ WWW.BROOKSANDBAILEY.COM/INTERIOR OR EMAIL BROOKSANDBAILEY@GMAIL.COM.

BROOKS AND BAILEY also has an online boutique which offers exotic handbags and accessories handpicked by them for you. They select one-of-a-kind pieces chosen for their immaculate quality and craftsmanship as well as their affordable price points.

www.brooksandbailey.com
THE ART OF STYLE
"Live in extraordinary significance...live in style."

Saffiyah Jordan Rogers, Stylist & Owner of My Girlfriend's Closet (Boutique)

I recently caught up with the ever-stylish, New Jersey-based, stylist-turned-online-boutique owner, Saffiyah Jordan Rogers, to hear about her latest venture.

Q: Saffiyah, you recently made the transition from stylist to online boutique owner. What inspired the switch?
A: I’ve always dreamed of owning my own business. In particular a clothing boutique where I could share my vision of fashion with everyone.

Q: Where did you study fashion?
A: I’ve always been very stylish even as a child and I studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Q: As a stylist, what is your aesthetic?
A: As a stylist my rule of thumb is to make sure that my clients feel comfortable in their own skin. If they feel good about themselves on the inside then it will resonate on the outside no matter what they’re wearing. I never try to force them into a particular style or look that doesn’t represent who they are and what they would like to portray.

Q: What are some of the difficulties of being a stylist that most people don't realize?
A: Being a stylist takes a lot of hard work. You must be flexible. You are sometimes on set for 12 hours a day. You also have to do a lot of researching of fashion trends. You are going to run into a lot of different people and personalities so at times you may have to humble yourself. Most important you have to hustle if you want to make it in this field. Since most of the jobs you receive as a stylist come from referrals of other clients that you have worked it’s always good to maintain positive working relationships.

Q: How do you overcome them?
A: Be Flexible! Keep an open mind. Don’t think it’s above you to start at the bottom. Any job you get no matter how small ALWAYS give 100%.

Q: What sets your online boutique, My Girlfriend's Closet, apart from the masses?
A: My boutique offers quality women’s apparel at affordable prices. Our clients range from size 2 to 22. We also offer personal styling sessions for clients that need a little extra help.

Q: What are your fashion-related plans for the future?
A: I intend to start my own Girlfriend’s Closet line of apparel.

Q: Nice! Can you leave us with any style tips?
A: What’s old will be new again. So never throw away your entire wardrobe. You can always mix and match the old with the new. Stay true to yourself and always let the real you shine through!

Shop Online at :
http://www.gfcboutique.com

Blog:
http://girlfriendscloset.wordpress.com

Jypsea Chicks S/S 2010 on the Behance Network

See the full collection and behind-the-scenes video:
Jypsea Chicks S/S 2010 on the Behance Network

Tom Ford's Five Easy Lessons in How to be a Modern Gentleman

ATTENTION MEN: Take cues from the force behind much of the success of Gucci,  designer and film mogul, Tom Ford.

 1. You should put on the best version of yourself when you go out in the world because that is a show of respect to the other people around you.

2. A gentleman today has to work. People who do not work are so boring and are usually bored. You have to be passionate, you have to be engaged and you have to be contributing to the world.

3. Manners are very important and actually knowing when things are appropriate. I always open doors for women, I carry their coat, I make sure that they're walking on the inside of the street. Stand up when people arrive at and leave the dinner table.

4. Don't be pretentious or racist or sexist or judge people by their background.

5. A man should never wear shorts in the city. Flip-flops and shorts in the city are never appropriate. Shorts should only be worn on the tennis court or on the beach.
Reposted from http://www.anothermag.com/exclusives/tom-ford

What I'm Rocking this Spring!

 

From top to bottom: Raghouse International Knit dresses http://www.etsy.com/shop/raghousenternational, Lunaversoul Ring http://www.etsy.com/shop/Lunaversoul, Nine West Peep toe booties www.ninewest.com, Jypsea Snakeskin bangle www.jypsea.etsy.com, Peace Image Jewelry brass earrings and chest plate necklace http://www.etsy.com/shop/peaceimagesjewelry, Boa Yoga mat carrier http://greenglamgo.com/product/dhyana-yoga-mat-bag/

Street Style

Outsapop.com

She's looks so freshly scrubbed yet dark and mysterious. Love.

Kick Up YOur Wardrobe with Meca Mckinney on NBC's The 10! Show

2011 BUCKET LIST of Meca McKinney

I don't do New Years resolutions. Instead I map my life out, loosely. But for 2011, I'm employing the BUCKET LIST mentality. What things would I want to do if I only had 12 months to live? List them and do them. Fullproof way to maintaining a happy life and defining my own definition of success.

In no order, here is Meca McKinney's BUCKET LIST 2011
Graduate college
Get accepted in grad school in NYC, London, Paris
Visit Japan
Find a vacation residence
Sell my house
Move near or to a major fashion capital
Get a Vespa
Become heavily involved in fundraising for The Girl Effect
Teach design to children again
Learn Japanese
Publish the first book in my series of design books
Show my line during New York Fashion Week
Publish Jordan's children's book
Break into the Japanese market with Jypsea
Make more time for dinner parties and lunch dates with my friends, less time for "social networking"

Season's BEST Looks the Fellas, Faera Style

Get additional style inspiration from Faera Style here: http://faeraisstyle.onsugar.com/