Summer Neon Power Suit

July 15, 2019

WEARING: NEON POWER SUIT | NEON SUMMER SUEDE SANDALS | GOLD SNAKE EMBOSSED CROSSBODY | GOLD HOOP EARRINGS

THIS POST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY EGO AND PIPER & SKYE, BUT ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN.

Starting Monday strong in a neon power suit: Summer Style Edition! I always like a pop of color to start my week - it’s all-around positive vibes with a definite side of eye-catching ability. But what I love most about this look is how comfortable and confident I feel in it! You can wear it down with chunky ‘dad’ sneakers or style them up with high-inched stilettos. Whatever floats your boat in terms of style, a pant suit can bring a lot of variety to your closet. You won’t believe it but this power suit is now on sale at only $15! Continue to see full visual story along with where to shop this look.

What’s cool about matching sets is its versatility. Like this pantsuit - I can wear the blazer by itself (styled with a green dress in this post here) or the pants vice versa. The blazer looks great with dresses, jeans, shorts, and skirts - and the pants look great with a white tee or different colored blazer such as black or white. My favorite is with the two together, as it makes quite the statement… don’t you think? How would you like to style this pantsuit?

Being that it’s summer, I chose to wear sandals with the power suit to give it a more laidback yet still chic vibe. Very L.A. ‘workdrobe’, ha ha! I could have kept the outfit completely monochrome and styled it with a neon handbag but I thought a different color would make it even better. Which is why I went with this gold snaked embossed crossbody by Piper & Skye. The brand inspires elegance in every day life - so I styled it in two different ways while still being completely practical for everyday. One way was the belt bag style and the other is crossbody. You can also carry the bag as a boxy clutch.

The neon faux suede flat sandals are from Ego Shoes. Slip on and pair with cropped frayed hem jeans for daytime or slip into a floaty maxi dress for vacay vibes. I styled my hair in a pretty sleek braided ponytail to give the look a stronger feel to it. The chunky big hoop earrings are great when the hair is worn up, such as this kind of look. I think the gold accents pair nicely with the neon color, what do you think? Thanks for stopping by and checking out this outfit! Leave your comments/thoughts down below - links available throughout this post. x

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LOVE & XX’S,

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My Best Tips for New York Fashion Week

January 28, 2019

THIS POST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY HEARTLOOM & CULTRESSE BY ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN.

Happy Monday! How was everyone’s weekend? I spent it working, while also preparing for next month, which is one of the busiest months for me. In less than a couple of weeks New York Fashion Week will be here. This will be my sixth season attending NYFW, and after a few years in the ‘rodeo’ I definitely have learned a few lessons along the way. It’s not all what it is cracked up to be, in that it’s not something you just show up to, like going to the movies. It takes weeks (more than that if you’re out of towners) to organize and plan for the week, from meetings with brands/pr agencies that you’ll be working with, to the shows you will be attending, and even squeezing in a couple of photo shoots and dinners/site seeing along the way. And if you’re visiting, you’ll need to handle your flight, hotel, transportation, etc; So in today’s post I’m sharing 5 of my best tips for New York Fashion Week. Whether it’s surviving or thriving (let’s hope both ha ha) - during the week here in New York, these tips will keep you moving and grooving!

1. IT’S ALL ABOUT WHO YOU KNOW

A blogger once told me that if the brand could not seat her front row, she would refuse to attend the show. So it’s not only about who you’re connected with, because in the 7-day binge of networking with other like-minded people you could potentially partner with in the future, it’s about how you are connecting (while certainly being kind to others) to begin with. And this is not in terms of logistics, but rather taking value in a person’s time and input, and actually connecting on a creative level. For example, getting in the Coach show because it’s a place to be seen is not going to get you in at all. You have to gain the experience in the industry along with a growing audience in order to achieve some sort of recognition, only then to have bigger opportunities in meeting with the bigger labels in fashion. I’ve been fortunate to meet many in the business just by chance, or even taking another chance on smiling at someone backstage and striking up a conversation, only to lead to some sort of connection. Nowadays it’s all about numbers and what’s on the phone, but I think in order to build any sort of successful business relationship (or any for than matter, not just business), there has to be a personal connection, first and foremost.

2. BE PREPARED

No matter how much you think there’s time to prepare for what’s a veritable buffet for fashion bloggers during NYFW, it goes by so fast and there is a ton of preparation to deal with beforehand. For example, the emails that are sent out and received. Hopefully, your emails are not automated/robotic-like and have some sort of ‘you’ in the message along with yes, your numbers, because stats are also important. Then the organization of what you chose to do everyday, from events to shows, meetings, shoots and, hopefully some sleep, along with preparing looks each day before as well. It’s a lot of work for only a week. And even more if you do more than just one fashion week, like I have been doing for the past two seasons attending London Fashion Week, where next month will be my third time visiting - I’m very excited! Bring a really good external/portable charger. With all the phone usage from ubering, texting, photo/video taking, and more, your phone’s going to die rather quickly. Here’s a little tip: To conserve your
phone battery during fashion week, put your phone on airplane mode during
fashion shows. You can post what you want afterward, of course after turning the airplane mode off.

3. EAT HEALTHY & STAY HYDRATED

I can’t tell you how many times I would only have one meal a day during Fashion Week because of my crazy hectic schedule. And I was the crankiest, hangriest b-ya there ever was, haha! Kidding, but really, no one is pleasant to be around when hungry, and it’s just not good for you. Duh. Yes, I confess on solely relying on caffeine, such as soda and coffee instead of water where I became extremely dehydrated. Now I try to drink water everyday, but I also tend to drink a ton more while traveling, especially while on the plane. I also will eat a bit more on the healthier side just to give myself as much energy as I can get - and obv. the overall way of eating and drinking properly while literally being on the go for a week straight.

4. WEAR WHAT YOU MAKES YOU FEEL CONFIDENT

Every time I wore something I was even 10% unsure about, I would not get photographed by the street style photographers and I would just feel uncomfortable about wearing it the entire day. And this shows in photos. You got to know your style and own it! This is the time to have fun with your styling skills, but also shining on in that department! Who doesn’t want to look their best during Fashion Week? Again, if you’re a fashion blogger and you’re maybe doing it to just go- as in see and be seen, it may not be within your best interest then. You should want to go for the experience and to learn from it, to make you a better blogger and person, overall. But wearing what makes you feel 100% great about yourself, is something we all strive for and definitely want to showcase during this time of the year, while also sharing emerging talent/designers.

5. SERIOUSLY THOUGH, HAVE FUN!

You can kiss that “perfectly scheduled day” goodbye, so you might as well make the most of it! Each day you’ll maybe get around 5 hrs of sleep (if you’re lucky and have an editing team) will not eat perfectly, and will definitely not be stress-free. Don’t forget why you’re doing what you’re doing, and I hope it’s because you absolutely love it, want to meet other people and connect, and maybe learn something you haven’t yet, whether it’s your first time visiting New York or your tenth - from all there is to do in my city, I hope it’s out of support and passion for fashion. And when is it a bad thing to catch up with old friends, too? I love seeing everyone during this time period too :)

I hope you guys enjoyed today’s post! I do realize not everyone that comes to my blog is solely doing so for my fashion content, more so the content from fashion week. But rest assured, lots of more beauty and lifestyle content coming your way very soon! If you come here for fashion + styling tips, what would you like to see more of on the blog? And if you are attending fashion week, drop your comments down in the section below with your number one tip for NYFW! Wishing you guys a killer week, get it done and have a good time while doing so! Catch y’all back here soon.

LOVE & XX’S,

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Rainbow Brite

July 2, 2018

WEARING: ACNE CORAL BLOUSE | WHO WHAT WEAR COLLECTION STRIPED PLEATED SKIRT | 
EGO FRANKIE HEELS | LITTLE E NYC KC BEAUTIFUL DAY BLUE BAG | NEUBAU DANI SUNGLASSES | 
BING BANG NYC AALTO ASSYMETRIC EARRINGS

THIS POST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY WHO WHAT WEAR COLLECTION, EGO SHOES, & NEUBAU.

Us New Yorkers are enduring a major heat wave, where temps rose past 100°F. I'm not one to embrace such hot days like these, where the humidity and scorching heat literally makes me sick. I get headaches and feel completely lethargic, no matter how hydrated I am! Plus I'll have little to no appetite and trouble focusing from feeling "hazy" from the weather. Any tips/suggestions on how to feel more energized during the dog days of summer? Even though the weather has me feeling a bit bleh, I won't let that get in the way of my style and mood! In today's outfit post, I am all about color! I just recently celebrated my 12-yr dating anniversary with the hubs where we went to our favorite restaurant in all of NYC for dinner. After all that we have been through, I think it's only a miracle we're still together. And we've been through it all. I know a lot of you are asking more about me and my husband so I'm thinking of doing a post dedicating that for you guys, as well as a better chance getting to know us! To say I'm happy is an understatement. Continue reading to learn more about this vibrant summery outfit that totally goes with my current mood and where to shop the look!

In case you missed this Instagram post, I was wearing a dress from one of my favorite places in the entire world. Target. Yes, folks. You can look stylish while shopping at "Tar-jeh"! And can you believe this rainbow-striped pleated skirt in this post today is only $30?! It has a matching long-sleeved top if you want to match with the bottom, but I opted with warm orange tones like coral and neon orange. I have had this shirt for years and adore the details of the buttons in the front. It definitely brings something to this look.

These shoes are my favorite at the moment. I don't wear many pairs of heels because one I'm too old to be running around the city in heels all day long and two, like every woman who has certain insecurities about herself, my feet are definitely not my most favorite feature on my body. But after putting these heels on, I felt like a million bucks! They're sexy, edgy, colorful and only $40. What more could you want in a shoe for summer?

Other accessories include this blue ostrich bag, orange tortoise sunnies and these asymmetric earrings by one of my favorite jewelry brands here in New York City. What do you guys think of this "Rainbow Brite" summery look? Don't forget to shop the look at the beginning or the end of this post. Got questions? Just want to say hi? Drop me a line or leave a message down in the comment section below. Wishing you a short and happy week :)

LOVE & XX'S,

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What it Takes to Rule an Empire

June 7, 2018

This post is sponsored by USA Network but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

A new favorite TV show of ours is Queen of the South. Have you guys seen this series before? If you enjoy strong female leads and empowering, passionate, and action-packed stories, this is definitely a show you'd love! In today's post, I'm sharing what's coming up for Queen of the South and also what it takes to rule an empire. Because it takes one boss lady to another to know how much goes into it, let alone remaining on top. Continue reading for my top three pieces of advice to what I think is key in order to rule an empire.

1. BE UNWILLING TO COMPROMISE

In matters of ruling an empire, I believe the best way is by being pretty savage. Okay... correction: VERY savage. You have to be merciless and cannot have anything get in the way of your goals/ambitions. Many will want your time, will want to use you for their personal gain, will want your attention, but you have to remember that to rule and stay on top, you're not here to be anyone's best friend, and if anyone or anything is going to be standing in the way, you have to make the necessary sacrifices sometimes. This also means no compromises.

2. BETTER DO YOUR HOMEWORK

You think the greatest of anything became that way? Nope. Lots and lots of training, experiences, and more. And then more again. Oh, and let's not forget all the uphill battles along the way to climb your way to the top! You better be ready to give your blood, sweat, and tears... literally! Ha ha!

3. BEING A BIT CRAZY DOESN'T HURT EITHER

One does have to be a little insane to want to rule an empire (of any kind) so I do think it takes someone who's a tiny bit nuts to want to do that. Also, this is all kidding aside, but perhaps someone who is slightly a sociopath would tie in to not just being ruthless, but also having no time for any real human emotion, like remorse, fear, sadness. It's not like it wouldn't hurt or work in favor when it would come to ruling an empire. :)

Queen of the South returns for season 3 and Queenpin/Boss Babe Teresa Mendoza (Alice Braga) is finally on top and has seized the throne. While seasons 1-2 showed us Teresa’s start from the bottom and her rise, season 3 focuses on Teresa becoming Queen of her own drug empire. Although she’s obsessively hunted by Camila (Veronica Falcon), Teresa refuses to hide in a hole, continuing to live the luxurious lifestyle of a Queenpin. No longer the apprentice, Teresa enjoys being boss and the power that comes with it. After experiencing betrayal and heartbreak, she soon realizes the best way to rule is by being ruthless.

Queen of the South premieres Thursday, June 21st at 9/8c and will air each week on Thursdays at 9/8 c!