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.

hello sunshine

I normally snap shots of myself when I return home from whatever I am doing. However, yesterday I didn't think I would make it home before the sun set, so I took them on the way out and the sun was BEAMING!!! Besides the fact that I was hot as ba**s and sweating profusely, I was having a tug of war with the clouds and the sun trying to get some shots in when it wasn't too bright out. Ugh! Results below...

Of course, the back shot and the picture with the A/C in the background would be the clearest pictures!

Anyway, I had a long, yummy Mexican lunch with former coworkers, then killed time browsing in high end jewelry stores (best place to go when you don't want to spend any money since there's nothing in there under 4 figures not to mention they have free champagne) and then had dinner and drinks with another coworker later that evening. Life is just swell!

anthropologie tunic, f21 mini skirt, badgley mischka bag, kenneth cole sandals, target hoop earrings

a cause for celebration

Before flying home from my Boston trip, I made a pit stop in NY to celebrate my friend's birthday. Isn't she just simply chic?

Despite the fact that we sometimes get a little silly, we actually had a very adult celebration...dinner at Tio Pepe in the West Village, which I highly recommend, followed by a bottle of Pinot Noir at?????? (I'll update IF I figure out the name)

I was only in New York for one day, and of course that day just so happened to be the hottest/ickiest day of the year, but it was well worth it to catch up with friends! Can't wait to go back (FOR A WHOLE WEEK) next month :)

If you live in the Atlanta area and you love American Apparel, they are having a rummage sale this coming weekend. I'm definitely going to check it out, and you should too. Details and Facebook link below:

American Apparel Flea Market

Atlantic Station

20th & Fowler

Atlanta, GA 30363

Friday, June 11th 10:00am - 8:00pm

Saturday, June 12th 10:00am - 8:00pm

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=121154274591346

no jelly??!!

Back to the Boston photos...

This is at the Boston Wharf, or the Boston Harbor...not really sure of the name, but there was water and boats and plenty of seating to sit and take in the breeze.

We also had brunch at Cheers, yes like the show, and it was the worst! Who serves toast with no jelly? You should have seen the look of disgust I gave the waiter when he said "We don't have jelly but I can bring you butter" Seriously? Since when is butter a substitute for jelly?

The presentation was nice, but come on...no jelly??!!

Anyway, this is back on the Harvard Business School campus in front (more like the side) of my b/f's dorm. I had a different look planned for this skirt, but it was a bit more chilly in Boston than I was expecting, so thank goodness I had this cardi to throw on, even if it did sort of make me look like I was going to work in some one's office.

j crew cardi, tj maxx skirt

all kinds of crazy

j crew cardi, old navy tee, thrifted shorts, kenneth cole sandals, opi fiercely fiona polish

That's the only way to describe Ms. Carrie Bradshaw :) :) I'm not going to discuss the movie in case people haven't seen it yet, but let's just say, I thought I was doing something mixing florals with stripes. Ha! In every scene, with every outfit change and each accessory added, all I could do was shake my head, chuckle and wonder how fabulous it must be to live in a world where it's ok to wear that. Love her. Love all the girls and of course I loved the movie!

it feels so good to be home

I had a marvelous time on my trip, but there's nothing like coming home to your own bed, and who would have thought I would be so happy to get in my car and drive! I've never walked and used public transportation so much in my life. I could do without both...

So, Boston....I'd move there in a heart beat if I could bring my car and live in Back Bay, and sit on Newbury Street sipping Sangria and watching some of the most stylish people on earth walk by. While I was there, I said repeatedly to the b/f "I need a street style blog (and a new camera)" LOVE THAT CITY! Here are some (a lot of) pictures from day one.

Life is GREAT!

Patiently waiting on my Sangria!

Up the hill and over the pond, on the way back to the dorm...

Primping in the mirror before dinner.

I replaced my Mia jazz shoes for Louboutin booties...

And just like in my previous post, my outfit took me from day to night once again!

badgley mischka bag, zara blazer, urban top and pants, mia jazz shoes, christian louboutin booties

pretty in purple

I had to breakout my purple Zara pants for dinner with some friends last week. Actually, I wore the pants all day to run errands but I threw on some heels...

a F21 necklace that I only "tucked out" for this picture because I felt like it looked like an old school chandelier next to the white shirt...

and I swapped out my baggy white pocket tee for this low back American Apparel tee.

And in 2 mins I went from grocery shopping attire, to an outfit chic enough to dine at a restaurant with exposed brick walls and bright red floors ;)


On a random side note, I've started cleaning out my closet in preparation for my move across the country. People have done great posts on their fabulous shoe closets. ..well mine is not so fabulous, but I'm posting it anyway! I got rid of about 30 pairs of shoes, and I held on to about 60 (this picture excludes all my boots and designer shoes). I think I maybe a bit of hoarder :-/



ANY SIZE 7.5 OR 8's OUT THERE??? If so, I have some shoes you may be interested in. Please e-mail (simplychic08@gmail.com) me for more information and pictures. Brands range from Steve Madden to Charles David. Sorry girls, no Christian Louboutin's this time ;)


I'm headed to Boston/NY tomorrow. Hope to be able to post while I am away, but if not, see you when I get back ;)