Perfume Bottle Inspired Clutches

I’m a little behind on this one but these Charlotte Olympia clutches make me want to DIY my own. What do you think?

Charlotte Olympia
Perfume Bottle Clutch in Yellow
$1,295

Charlotte Olympia
Perfume Bottle Clutch in Pink
$1,295

Alana, author of the blog Dreams, Create went ahead and made her own Chanel N.5 Clutch. Take a look at how her clutch DEFINES chic here.

Lazy Oaf And Looney Tunes Collabo

Way way way, way back in the day the Looney Tunes were EVERYWHERE. You remember the Looney Tunes right? They had a crew that included Taz, Marvin the Martian, Tweety Bird, my dude Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and a string of other members.  They had a show and enough merchandise to fill a warehouse and at one time or another Warner Bros. did host their merchandise in a Maryland warehouse to make distributing things to retailers a little easier.  I’m sure that wasn’t the only one though. I would sit and watch Bugs Bunny on tv like he was my boo and he was shooting in the gym. I tried to support everything he did, visit him at the theme parks, wear his shirts, and a watch. I had a big pillow that Warner Bros. still makes (I checked their site) and I even had a Looney Tunes bed set but unfortunately it wasn’t one for Bugs.  It was a pink Tweety Bird set and I asked for it repeatedly because I didn’t want it to sell out like the other one I had my eye on in a Fingerhut magazine. They could’ve at least had Lola you know?! I’m still torn between baby Looney Tunes and The Peanuts as far as kiddie bedrooms are concerned.

The one I had my eye one. I was never fond of Tweety but my cuzzo loved that bird sooo much lol

My set looked something like this. I don’t know where mine is but Google helped me find it online.

Anywho, on to more current cartoon fashion affairs. Lazy Oaf, a London based clothing line has collaborated with Looney Tunes and I’m trying to be all in the mix while I’m still at an age where I can get away with wearing cartoon apparel without my peers side-eying me. Hopefully I can find my old stuff but if not Etsy and Ebay have a few things and if I can’t find what I want on those sites well there’s always this collabo. Take a look…

Welcome to the ‘Space Jam’

To Buy or DIY

These sweaters were DIY inspiration for me but hey, if you’re not up for the challenge then you can buy one and come back to see what I end up creating. Click the pictures for the link to their sites.

ASOS Chunky Sweater With Leather Look Sleeve
$71.19

 

ASOS Sweatshirt with Glow in the Dark Skeleton
$53.39

Maurie & Eve Mirage Sweater
$210.00

SIS by Spijkers & Spijkers Varsity Sweatshirt with ‘S’ Applique
$151.28

Wildfox
Leopard Spots Sweater
$189.00

ASOS Acid Wash Sweatshirt with Eyelets
$62.29

 

SheInside
Black Long Sleeve Eye Embroidered Sweatshirt
$31.48

ASOS Sweatshirt with Embellished Eagle
$71.19

 

Glamorous
Boom Long Sleeve Sweater
$60

Thrifted Thursday : Hat Boxes

I paid $8 for all three hat boxes! Gotta love a steal like that! You never know what you’ll find on a trip to the thrift store.

Herbs 101: Flavoring Beyond Salt and Pepper

I reblogged this post from Life & Dim Sum for those of you who may be new to cooking and looking to add more flavor to some of your dishes.

lifeanddimsum

The only time salt & pepper should be the only seasoning you add to a meal is when you’re making a steak or a beef burger. Other than that, you need to make sure your dish has plenty of love(aka flavor).

The best way to build complex & distinct flavor in a dish is by adding herbs.

I prefer fresh herbs but in a pinch, dried will do as well. Just note that you will always need to add more fresh herbs than dried herbs(2-3 times as much) to a recipe to achieve the same level of flavor.

What are my favorite herbs? Well, I’m glad you asked.

1. Thyme 

This one is my absolute fav! I use it on chicken, beef & pork. In sauces, Dominican style rice & pigeon peas and literally in everything. Dried or fresh, anytime I’m cooking and feel like something is missing, I…

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Alexis DEFINES Chic

Are you a fan of The Little Mermaid? If you are, let it show like one of my readers! Alexis recently showed her love of the film and she wanted to share with the rest of you.

Almost makes you want to sing, right? Sebastian is the best singing crustacean to have ever graced a screen! Get your turtle drums ready.

Hopefully if you don’t already own the movie on VHS or DVD then you went and purchased the newest release, the Diamond Edition, for your little princess. Happy Tuesday!

Weekend Reads

1. LifeAndDimSum cooked up some Lemon Ricotta Waffles and I’m actually thinking of making them this weekend using the recipe she provided! How about using honey instead of syrup? Warm honey, lemon, and waffles… yum.

2. What should you be watching this weekend? “The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete” opens in theaters today. I’ve been patiently waiting for this since I read about it on the Sundance website. George Tillman, Jr., the director behind Soul Food, Men of Honor, Barbershop, and Notorious was said to have fallen in love with Michael Starrbury’s script for this movie and thankfully he was in a position to bring it to life.  The film is told through Mister’s point of view for the most part. His mother does more than dabble in drugs and after she’s apprehended by the police, Mister and Pete are left alone to face more than any child should just like some do in reality.

3. I said this fall I would purchase my first pair of Uggs so I went to the site and found that they launched a customization feature. They’re letting customers modify the classic short boot and/or the furry slipper. I doubt anyone can make that slipper look like it’s worth spending $110 on but hey give it your best shot. The short classic boot is $220 and you can makeover the boot, bindings, heel, and sole. Click here to get started! You can’t have names sewn on or anything but that’s what craft stores are for 🙂

4. How a Purse Snatching Led to the Legal Justification for NSA Domestic Spying

5. How would you like to live the American Dream… you know, shop at your favorite stores (Zara, TopShop, etc), surf, ride some rides, ice skate, and catch a live Cirque du Soleil show and maybe ride a few water rides all under one roof? American Dream is a slow project still in the works aiming to become one of the largest unique shopping, entertainment and tourism centers in the world. Check out the website here.

6. R. Reuel the woman behind the collection Demestiks New York has 2 pages of pieces made up of African wax prints.

7. Fashion, Art, Design (FAD) Georgetown takes place this Friday – Saturday. To view the list of happenings for these two days click here.

8. Have you been searching for suspenders to fit your little one? Try Ryann’s Closet! Suspenders are $10 and you may even find a matching bow or bow tie.

9. Well I don’t know about frightening but these parents set the bar pretty high for creative costumes for kids. Check out the competition here.

H&M
$29.95

10. You’ve seen leather gloves but how about mittens? H&M recently added some to their site but if you’re feeling crafty, try DIYing your own! Hopefully you took advantage of their two-day 30% of sale this week 🙂

11. Lastly, Old Navy has some sweatshirts on sale for $8 in 7 different colors. If you need any for DIYs then these might be great for you to use. If you read the reviews, you’ll find some people purchased more than one. The sale lasts through Monday.

Thrifted Thursday : Vintage Hair Dryer

Here’s my thrifted find of the week! I’m not sure who would want an old vintage dryer but maybe someone could DIY it into a usefull home good.

Made for Tv: “House of Versace”

Lifetime TV is at it again with another movie you don’t want to miss. Remember when you would spend your days on the couch their movies? Oh, you still do that? Hehe, well that’s okay because this Saturday you won’t be alone… at least for a few hours. This Saturday, October 5th at 8 p.m. Eastern, you can watch Gina Gershon in the role of Donatella Versace. “House of Versace” stars Gina Gershon in full pout and platinum blond wig as Donatella Versace. The summary on the site states that the movie chronicles “”Donatella’s inspiring triumph over tragedy by carrying on her brother’s legacy.” Following the movie’s premiere, at 10 p.m., Lifetime will air an hour-long documentary, “Versace: Beyond the Headlines.” The documentary is said to provide an in-depth look at Gianni Versace’s start and rise to fame and feature interviews with those who knew him best.

Will  you be watching?

Thrifted Find and More on Terrence J.

This is the only good picture from that day… the other’s weren’t very clear

I’ve seen enough of this next thrifted find. The fabric/print will always remind me of an old lady’s couch, some ragged vintage piece of tapestry or some luggage lost in the attic and for good reason. I have never been fond of it but one day about two weeks ago, I went to the thrift store and ran into this messenger bag for $4. It wasn’t bad-looking so I picked it up and recently wore it to the book festival on Sunday. Skip to the bottom for more about Terrence J’s short talk session.

Just incase you’re looking for your own granny’s attic chic piece, I’ve done some work for you:

Mod Cloth
Someone Ladylike You Flat $65.99

New Look Medieval Tapestry Sneakers
$16.88

ASOS RECLAIMED VINTAGE Jacket in Tapestry Floral
$101.26

ASOS RECLAIMED VINTAGE LOOK Backpack in Floral Tapestry
$59.07

Sheekshat
Skater Dress
$94

Target $12.99

Shop Ruche
Tennyson Tapestry Oxfords By Restricted $48.99

Glamorous Tapestry Coat
RRP $84.38
$50.63

Bellfield Tapestry Bomber Jacket With Fur Trim Hood
$109.69

Before I end this post, I want to tell you a few things that I remember from Terrence J’s presentation on Sunday. I missed the opportunity to tell you on Monday’s post and while I did mention one story he told on Twitter, I thought it only right to add it to this post for those of you who don’t follow me and/or don’t have Twitter.

I wish I would have taped it for you but I thought that would be a bit rude and a distraction to my listening ears. Terrence J. told us about how much of a challenge it was just to get on BET’s 106 & Park. When he was in school, he heard about the NY audition but he only had about $400 in his bank account at the time. Plane tickets prices to NY were astronomical at about $600 most likely because this was a last-minute effort. Thankfully the young lady he was dating at the time allowed him to borrow the rest from her just so he could take the first step to accomplishing his goal. After the audition in NY he was told, “No.” He didn’t appear to have what they were looking for so like any tired person, on the drive home, he went to sleep. When he woke up, he was in Philly and when he asked why, the friend who was driving told him that he heard about another audition taking place in Atlanta and he thought Terrence should be in attendance. The friend drove him to yet another friend who would drive him the rest of the way and Terrence took this time to use what he learned in the first audition to prepare for this second one. With that long of a drive what better thing is there to do than rehearse lines and build your confidence, right?

Once he reached the Atlanta auditions, they weren’t letting anyone else in and Terrence told a little fib, “I was here already but I left my phone outside so I had to get it.” The badge or name tag he wore to NY’s audition helped to validate his story because how else would you get one of those if you weren’t already in there. He went from round to round and finally made it through to becoming the next host of 106 & Park. While working there he made lasting friendships, studied acting, finished school, and eventually got the job of actor in “Think Like A Man.” He also did a bit of networking and ended up doing the radio show, “Khloe After Dark” with Khloe Kardashian. That show was produced by Ryan Seacrest and as you know Ryan Seacrest was E News’ managing editor and also the producer of their red carpet coverage. Can you see how one thing led to another?

Without those quality friendships he made with those friends of his and that persistence and determination, he would have stopped in NY. His friends believed in him enough to take time out of their schedules to help him reach that one goal even after he was told no the first time because he believed in himself!  Those friends were with him at the festival and you probably see them with him often and rightfully so!

A few other things I made note of?

• Network but don’t just network, nurture those relationships. Take a minute to go by someones workplace to say hello and take them coffee or send a card if you happen to know their birthday. It’s one thing to give someone a resume, every and anyone can do that or ask for a job or reference but when they know a little more about the kind of person you are, they may not mind putting in a good word, or passing your name along. Now this is one I knew but I can’t say that I was exercising it as well as I should have been. Can’t just follow-up folks!
• Spend a little more time actually getting to know your family members. Terrence told us that while he knew his mom prior to making his book, they both know each other 10x better now. In “Think Like A Man” he is a momma’s boy but he let us know that that is not the real deal. He is a man and like most, when it came to venting or you know just talking, he didn’t really turn to her. It was while filming and writing that he took time to ask her simple questions like what her hobbies were growing up or what she was passionate about. All he knew up until that point was that she used to punish him for staying out past curfew and all that other stuff we as kids know so well, chores, study hard, work hard, curfew, blah blah blah haha. After his mother read the book, Terrence told us that she cried because the book was kind of like his vent session and there were  things she wasn’t aware of. Let’s see… what else:
• He mentioned that BET was very nurturing to his blossoming career. They allowed him the freedom to pursue side ventures. They kept him on the payroll and helped him grow into a better host because he knows he wasn’t the best when he first started hosting.
• To all of the people pursing careers in media know that you can get to where he is and surpass him if you’re a diligent and hard-working. Plenty of people told him that studying mass communications wouldn’t pay off and certainly not on a national level for him being a black male but look how far he’s come and he’s just getting started. There will always be people to tell you no but there WILL be a yes if you keep going.
• He understands that there are other things that take our time away from doing things we need to do to reach our goals like caring for family or need another job for additional income. He had a girlfriend that passed away in addition to needing to pay school loans and just get by but he was determined to overcome those struggles. Just keep swimming!
• He mentioned watching Charles Barkley or another esteemed basketball player on tv back in the day. They were talking about how they weren’t a role model and he said the more they said that, the more he thought otherwise. He knows that people do look up to him and he doesn’t mind being put in that position. He believes the more responsibility you are given the more you take on even if you don’t think you signed up for that specific task. There are some things that come along with the territory and we cannot shy away from them with excuses.That’s all I can manage to remember at this point in time.  To see what I wore Saturday to the festival click here. I have finished TJ’s book and it was a nice read. I already know of someone I’m going to buy a copy for and if you’re a mentor then you might want to check this one out. To those of you that support my blog and my endeavors, I want to say thank you. Whether you’ve left a comment, liked a post, shared a post, purchased an item, sent me a contact, sent a contact my way, gave me feedback whether it was positive or negative, or just asked me how things were going, please know that I am thankful for your support. My wish for you all is that if you haven’t found your passion, that you find it and not allow anything to deter you on your journey to fulfill whatever that vision entails.