new york, new york

I'm in New York in my boyfriend's cozy summer apartment :) Everyone have a great weekend and I will be back to posting when I return!

P.S.-Out of the million times I've been to New York, this was the first time I flew in at night and the view was gorgeous!

wearing: elliott luca bag, f21 blouse, skirt from macy's, maitiko wedges, michael kors watch

worn to: my friend's baby shower a few weekends ago

untitled

Thanks to everyone who offered advice for my pink eye. It's been a week and it still hasn't gone away completely, but it's much better. Hopefully it continues to improve so I don't have to worry about it when I board the plane to New York on Wednesday.

Anyway, I wore this to my family reunion picnic a few weeks ago. Rompers remind me so much of dresses, because there's little to no thought put into the look and you still look put together.

And I'm so happy I finally found a basic sandal to replace my brown "Jesus sandals" that I've been wearing all summer for two years now.

tj maxx romper, elliott luca bag, madden girl sandals (i think)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!! I hope I can wear leopard and high waisted skirts when I am in my 60's ;)

it happened for a reason

freaking heat/humidity!

and mosquitoes!

taken months ago in boston...

also taken months ago in boston...

I was supposed to be headed to NY today, but because of my boyfriend's demanding work schedule, he suggested that I push the trip back a week. Sunday night I was thinking to myself "I know everything happens for a reason...wonder why it wasn't meant for me to go on the trip this week?" And I kid you not, I woke up Monday morning with PINK EYE!!!! Can you believe that? Anyone have any tips for getting rid of this crap, or care to share their pink eye experience? I need some moral support! On a happier note SHOUT OUT TO PRISSY MUM FOR FEATURING ME AS A STYLE ICON ON HER BLOG!!!!!! CHECK IT OUT HERE! f21 floral top and mini skirt (1st 2 pictures) f21 floral top and urban outfitters skirt (last 2 pictures)

NOLA

While I was in Louisiana, I took a trip down to New Orleans for a day with my parents and niece. As you can see I kept it very casual...jean shorts and a top ;) You can't do much more in that icky humidity!

Check out my niece at the ultimate souvenir store in the Riverwalk.

And check out me with the ultimate mask in the ultimate souvenir store. Notice the sign in the background that says "no pictures w/mask" Oops ;)

Me and the Super Bowl Saints Bear ;)

Eventually we braved the heat/humidity and walked around the French Quarter for a bit. I love the architecture down there! It's so charming. I wish I would have gotten some more shots :-/

But it was getting late and time to head over the bridge, back to Grandma's house.

A Bientot Big Easy!

it's a family affair

Just got back from my family reunion in Louisiana! There's nothing like family, even if I didn't know 1/2 of the 200+ people there :)

Anyway, I wore this dress to the banquet the first night. I almost went out and bought a new dress for the occasion, but I had to say to myslelf "Self, you have a closet full of clothes. Why is it that you like to resort to buying something new, when what you need is already here?"

And that is when I rediscovered this Urban Outfitters dress and I am so glad I did.

The lace detail is exquisite...these pictures really don't do it justice.

Here's a bonus picture of last time I wore this dress last year in June to work. I think it dresses down as well as it dresses up. Click HERE to see more pictures of the dressed down look.

sneak-a-peek

I'm off to Louisiana tomorrow for a week...and then I will be home for a week....and then I am off to New York for a week...and then I am back home for another week before I move across the country! Because I am insanely efficient (a gift and a curse) I laid my clothes out for both trips over a week ago. Here's a sneak peak of what I am taking and what you will see in future posts....lots of prints and lots of color. I'm probably going to be outrageously overdressed for every occasion, but what fashion blogger isn't? See you when I return :) Toodles!

countdown to cali

While everybody is out celebrating the 4th of July, I'm freaking out a bit because today marks the one month point until I move back to California, and I have no time to think about it because I have two other trips to prepare for and an Economics class to finish! Lord help me!

Needless to say celebrating, the fourth was at the bottom of my list of priorities today and therefore I didn't do anything except read about the cost and output determination of a business. Riveting, I know. But in honor of this holiday I will post what I wore last year. HAPPY FOURTH!

Wore this to dinner and to watch the fireworks.

f21 dress, thrifted belt, kenneth cole "jesus" sandals

Wore this to party that night and to celebrate my b/f's bday!

target tank, thrifted belt and bag, missoni skirt, christian louboutin heels

let your hair down!

I'm almost as excited about finally wearing this Rachel Roy dress as I am about getting my hair done! I love my curly bun, but my goodness did I need a good wash, conditioner and blow out.

God bless the Dominican hairstylists who were able to tame the mane and God bless Rachel Roy for designing this dress. How hot is the back? I purchased it in May when I got the chance to meet her.Click HERE to read about that fabulous experience!

Because you can't waste 2 hours worth of salon time by coming home and watching DVR with a plate of fish and spaghetti (yum), I had to whip out my dancing shoes and go to the club!

In the words of my b/f who knows I'd rather go to a lounge or dinner/drinks than a club any day, it was an "epic ordeal".

rachel roy dress, thrifted belt, steve madden heels

american apparel is my friend & my family

Remember I told you I was hitting up the AA friends and family event last week? Well I did and this is what I wore...an AA skirt of course :)

This Elliott Lucca bag that I copied from my mom. She has it in purple...

And this owl necklace a teenage salesgirl at F21 convinced me to buy. I guess I'm still a kid at heart.

I also told you guys and girls that I was going to leave the event with something velvet, and I did...VELVET STIRRUPS!

And because I am a sucker for a deal i.e. 2 items for the price of 1 and a half I also got this jumpsuit! I'm getting ready for the cool San Francisco weather :)

BTW thanks for all your comments and questions in the last post. I've received enough new questions to do a part II so stay tuned. Feel free to keep the questions coming via comments or e-mail me at simplychic08@gmail.com!

mysterious minds

This dress can be yours! Click

HERE to see how!

I enjoy reading your comments as much as I enjoy reading your e-mails, so I've decided to do a post dedicated to some questions I've received. If there's something else you want to know, please leave a comment OR shoot me an e-mail and I will do part 2! You can ask me anything about any topic big or small, but I reserve the right to plead the fifth ;)

Any advice for getting into the fashion/retail industry?

Depends on where you are in your career, but an internship is always a good place to start. Scout out all the retail companies in your area and apply for whatever job they have available. There are plenty of people at my former job who started off answering phones in the call center and our now working on the corporate side doing everything from buying to internet marketing. A foot in the door will take you a long way.

Can we exchange links?

Absolutely! Just leave me comment or send me an e-mail.

I'm new to blogging. What's the best way to get my blog out there?

Make sure you leave comments on your favorite bloggers pages! Other than that I don't know. Lol. While it's GREAT to have a following and my heart skips a beat every time my number of followers goes up, I blog because I love to do it, not to be the biggest blogger out there. Just have fun with it, and the rest will come.

Do you have extensions?

Nope. My hair is all mine, all the time, in every picture :)

How do you keep your hair so healthy/what is your hair regimen?

I can be quite insatiable when it comes to my hair, so I appreciate all the hair compliments I get. My regimen is fairly simple...I get a relaxer every 8 weeks, and I get my ends trimmed every other relaxer. In between relaxers, I normally go to a Dominican hair salon where I ALWAYS get a deep conditioning treatment and I normally only get my roots blown out. When my hair is pulled back, which it is a lot these days, that means I've done it myself and I just wash it with conditioner (no shampoo as weird as that sounds) and I put a few braids in it take them out and it's curly. I think the key to healthy hair for me is getting it washed weekly and not using heat in between salon visits.

Are your married?

No. The ring I sometimes wear on my ring finger is a 25th birthday gift from my mom. BUT for as long as my boyfriend and I have been together (8 years or so) I think we may be common law married ;) I just need to get the ring...

Do you live in Atlanta?

Yes! I heart my city :) :) :) BUT I am originally from Oakland, California (right outside of San Fran) and I am moving back in August.

What/who inspires your style?

Me! Just kidding. I can't take all the credit. I totally get inspiration from other blogs and people around me, and I do experiment here and there with the latest and greatest trends, but for the most part, I stay true to myself...simple and chic. When I try to get fancy and add a bracelet and hat and a ring etc, I end up looking silly. I like to pop my outfits with shoes, bags and scarves. O, and nail polish!

How tall are you?

5 feet 2 inches. I'm VERY petite, but I've got my body issues like everyone else!

How can you afford designer shoes and bags?

I GO TO WORK EVERYDAY! That's what I want to say when I get this question or some form of it, but that sounds a bit abrasive. My PC answer, back when I was working, goes like this....I work hard, and I am young, single, with no kids, so now is the time to splurge on me, and that doesn't happen regularly. For the most part I'm in thrift stores, Forever 21, H&M, Old Navy, Urban Outfitters etc. AND regardless of whether I am at Saks or GoodWill, I rarely buy anything full price. Yes, that's right folks...even GoodWill has sales!

If you weren't blogging about fashion what would you be blogging about?

FOOD! I love to eat. I love to cook. I love restaurants. I love new recipes. I actually contemplated calling my blog food and fashion or something of the sort. Maybe I will try to incorporate some food stuff in the blog from time to time.

daddy's girl

I wore this last weekend to the American Apparel flea market and brunch. They had a TON of stuff but I didn't buy anything because I am being good :)

However, I am going to an AA friends and family event this week and I already know what I'm going to be walking away with and it's velvet ;) Stay tuned...

Caught...checking out my reflection in my car...tee hee :) I've worn this skirt a million times a million different ways...

But I think pairing it with a fuschia tank and a dark green belt that don't really "match" any of the colors in the flowers is my fav!

thrifted skirt (express) and belt, target tank and earrings

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO MY DAD AND ALL THE DAD'S WHO READ MY BLOG ;) I CAN PROBABLY COUNT THEM ON HALF A HAND!

romping around

Does anyone have that one go to item in their closet they throw on without even thinking? I have several, but at the moment mine is a little plain, boring, black Old Navy romper. Other than the fact that it doesn't really need to be ironed ;) there's nothing special about it. I wasn't going to even post it BUT it's such an important part of my current Sabbatical lifestyle, I had to feature it!!! So here she is...plain, black and boring with a little bling on my cardigan to spice things up :)

Bonus picture of one of the other 50 times I've worn this romper in the last 2 months

outfit 1 old navy romper, banana cardigan, nine west loafers

outfit 2 old navy romper, j crew cardigan, mia jazz shoes

MORE SHOES FOR SALE...last time I had 7.5's-8, and there are still some available so please e-mail me about those, but I also have a friend who wants to get rid of some very gently used Coach & Guess shoes in sizes 9.5-10. Please e-mail simplychic08@gmail.com if you are interested in seeing pictures of either selections.

10 sweet bloggers

Over a week ago I received a Sweet Blog Award from Corie at It's My Taste. The rule was to pass it along to 10 sweet bloggers and I am finally getting around to it!

Make sure to check out Corie's blog as well as these 10 sweet bloggers. All blue names are clickable links. Enjoy!

Africana Wardrobe Diary- This fellow Atlanta resident was the first person I reached out to for advice when I was starting my blog, and I am a loyal follower to this day!

Quean- This New Yorker has a style of her own for sure. I love to see what she's going to come up with next. And I am so jealous of all that hair!

Nubia's Nonsense- Another NY'er with a unique sense of style. I'm starting to see a NY theme ;) Love these glasses!

Chic Therapy-This lovely lady loves color and make up and she's always providing tips and inspiration!

Lions Tigers and Fashion Oh My- Whether she's keeping it simple and chic or wild and crazy, I always enjoy what she puts together. And she's big on DIY's.

Sunny- Living in "fashion starved" (her words) Kentucky, Sunny manges to find great shoes, and of course clothes.

God's Favorite Shoes- A striped button down and a floral dress. Can you say hot? Love it and can't wait to try it!

Irie Chic- This Law School student is rocking my all time favorite color combo. I need those shorts!

Fashion Bananas-So many times I go to her page and she has on something I own or something I have my eye on. Her style is so relatable and I love it!

We Were Damsels-This is only one half of this sweet blog. You get 2 for 1 with We Were Damsels and b/c they each have their own unique sense of style, you are sure to find inspiration somewhere.