If it makes you happy, wear it!

Hope you enjoyed your Valentine’s Day, whether single or in a relationship! I actually love Valentine’s Day. A lot of people think I love the holiday because I’ve been in a relationship for a few years now, but I’ve actually loved it since I was younger.

As a young girl I watched wedding shows sometimes more than cartoons…I know, weird right. I was the student who wanted to give Valentine’s candy and cards to all of my classmates growing up. I just always loved the idea of love.

I know some people believe that Valentine’s Day is just a superficial and commercialized holiday, but I see it as a special day to go all out for your signifcant other in a different way than the other 364 days of the year.

And if you are single, practicing self-love and taking yourself on a date that makes you feel beautiful, confident, and happy is also a perfect way to spend Valentine’s Day.

Yesterday, Shawn and I actually had a very lowkey Valentine’s Day. It was a rainy LA day so we decided to stay in and catch up on all of our tv shows, which was fun and relaxing.

I only left my apartment to take the pictures you see in this post and then went back to the comfort of my bed, blankets, and snacks.

A few days ago I was trying so hard to figure out what to wear on Valentine’s Day just in case we went out somewhere. I was thinking about buying a pink skirt or a cute red dress to wear, but I honestly wasn’t feeling pink or red this year for the holiday.

I felt like every year I aimed for something pink, red, or white in my outfit to match the usual theme of the holiday, so I switched it up this time for a less bright and less girly look and I loved it.

Don’t get so tied up on themes or what other people are wearing, wear what makes you happy. For my non-traditional Valentine’s Day outfit, I decided to wear navy and black!

I wore a navy blazer from H&M and paired it with a black Topshop bralette, black FashionNova jeans, and black dress shoes from Nordstrom Rack. I felt like this outfit was sexy enough for the lovey dovey holiday while still being simple and stylish.

As I mentioned earlier, it was a rainy day, so I was excited to add my umbrella to my outfit. My umbrella has pink and white polka dots on it, which added a nice pop of color to my Valentine’s Day look.

If dresses make you happy, wear them. If crop tops make you happy, wear them. If you don’t feel comfortable in shorts and they make you unhappy, don’t wear them.

Anybody can wear anything that makes them feel confident and happy. All bodies are good bodies!

Have a lovely weekend!! 🙂

Mulling over Mules

Mules for a Monday! Yes, I have given into the mule trend, but it’s a stylish fashion statement.

These red mules are from Topshop and add a great POP of color to any outfit. In case you have no idea what I’m talking about, mules are slip-on shoes that are taking the fashion world by storm.

They come in different types of fabrics such as leather and suede. Some also come adorned with buckles, fur, or pearls. Heeled mules are also just as trendy as flat mules!

The ones I am wearing are called the Angelina Flat Mule, made from real leather, and are a deeper shade of red. I paired them with a striped Lush wrap dress purchased at Nordstrom!

The dress has a snap button closure at the chest to avoid being too lowcut and a string belt to tie around and cinch your waist.

Since the dress is so colorful, you can easily match it with almost any color shoes. I also recently purchased my first watch ever, a simple Brass Plum marble watch with faux leather straps.

The great thing about this dress and the mules are their versatility. I could easily throw a blazer over this dress with a nice pair of pumps and have a decent interview outfit. I can also kick off the heels and blazer and add some Converses for a fun day in the park.

I could wear the mules with a dress like I did today or with a tshirt and jeans for a more casual look. To me, purchasing clothing that is versatile is the best fashion tip I can offer.

What’s a great fashion tip someone gave you? Did you fall in love with the mule trend?

Leave a comment below and let me know. Make the most out of your Monday and your week!

Last month of 2017!

It’s December! The last month of 2017 has arrived. Can you believe it?

This month I am focusing on self love and care. As the year comes to a close and holiday season approaches everything can seem overwhelming.

Take time this month to reflect on the positive things that happened to you this year. If you didn’t meet all the goals you wanted to meet this year that’s ok because next year you can push harder, work faster, and you can get it done.

Don’t give up on yourself and don’t hesitate to take time out each day or each week this month to meditate and reflect on 2017.

In this post, you’ve seen 2 new pieces in my wardrobe! I purchased these items as a self care moment, I’ve been working hard and haven’t shopped in a while so I decided to splurge a bit.

The 2 new items are my Topshop denim jacket and lavender Asos pants! I paired the jacket and pants with a mesh vneck top by Lycra, and my go to comfy black TOMS.

Make time this month to do something you love and enjoy because self love and care is important and should be practiced every day.

Ways to practice self love and care:

1) Meditate with music or in silence

2) Try a new activity to expand your horizons (yoga, hiking, acting classes)

3) Treat yourself to a spa day

4) Shopping trip

5) Watch a childhood movie you loved watching growing up

6) Write a list of 10 things you love about yourself or 10 things you are good at

7) Drink more water

8) Say positive affirmations everyday (I am intelligent, creative, etc)

Hope you use some or all of these tips this month. Take care lovelies!

What I Wore Wednesday

Happy hump day! I hope your week has been great and productive so far.

Today, I am showcasing an outfit I wore to work recently. As some of you may know, I currently work at Nordstrom and specifically in the Young Contemporary department also known as YC.

YC consists of three subcategories/brands: Savvy, Brass Plum/BP, and Topshop. Savvy has special occasion items such as dresses, jumpsuits, and blazers.

BP, a Nordstrom exclusive brand, has everyday wear such as sweaters, tshirts, blouses, and jeans. BP also carries dresses, but are more casual than the Savvy dresses.

Topshop, one of my favorite brands, carries a mix of BP and Savvy-esque items. It is a trendy, low price, but high fashion brand.

Topshop carries everything from leather jackets, to sequined dresses, to embroidered jeans, to fur vests! Anything trendy and up and coming in the fashion world Topshop has.

Working in YC allows me to dress more casual than I would have to dress if I was in another department, but also allows me to be trendier. The outfit seen throughout the post definitely represents what YC is all about.

I paired a Forever 21 Rugrats bodysuit with super comfy green cropped ASOS pants. To add more color to this look and accent the colors on my bodysuit I wore a lightweight linen Halogen cardigan as a layering piece.

To wrap up my look, I paired the outfit with red TOMS. What do you think about this look? And I hope you learned something new about YC brands!

Have a wonderful rest of your week lovelies.

Embrace your ever-changing style

Happy Fri-yay! Excited for the weekend??

Im off today so I will be catching up with some friends from college, which I am excited about! Today, I am showcasing my Caslon sweatshirt dress!

I paired a red lip and red TOMS with the dress to give the charcoal gray a pop of color.

Ive not so secretly been obsessing over this dress ever since I saw it at Nordstrom, where I work in case ya didnt know. 🙂

It was $79 when i first saw it which is pricey for me. Im a bargain shopper for sure.

So I patiently waited almost 2 weeks for it to go on sale. So the sale price in addition to my employee discount got me this amazing dress for only $27. A steal!!

What I love about fashion and style in particular is that you can definitely see how your style has progressed and changed over the years. As you get older and go through different stages in life your style changes and matures.

Im saying this because honestly a few years ago I would never have purchased and definitely not worn a dress like this. Growing up, my idea of fashion was always having to dress up and look super feminine and cute in order to be stylish.

Now I’ve learned that you can dress semi-casual or completely casual and still look flawless and fashionable. Im glad that I learned this in my late teen years because now at 22 I feel more stylish and beautiful than ever.

Remember fashion is ever changing and you can always reinvent your style. As long as you feel beautiful, wear what you want and wear what you love.

Have a great weekend lovelies!!

Hair Spotlight: Lemonade Braids

Happy Hump Day lovelies!!!

Today, I am showcasing a new protective style perfect for when your natural hair needs a break!

Side braids, also know as lemonade braids (thanks to Queen Bey), are a simple, but fierce style. Lemonade braids add a touch of sophistication and edge to any look.

Depending on whichever side is your “good side” or how you are use to wearing your hair, let that determine which side is slicked back and which side the braids will fall on. I am right handed and consider my right side my “good side,” so that’s the way I wanted my braids to fall.

Upkeep for the braids are simple; wrap them up in a scarf or bonnet at night and unwrap in the morning. Piece of cake!..Which I kind of want a piece of now after mentioning it 🙂

I unfortunately felt stuck with my natural hair so to get out of my hair funk, I tried this look and loved it!

It is okay to not be in love with your hair every moment, just make sure you take care of it and it will flourish. Sometimes all you need is a new look to make you appreciate the hair God blessed you with.

Having natural hair requires a lot of trial and error. Some products may work for your mom and best friend, but does absolutely nothing for your hair and that’s okay because you will find something that definitely works for you.

My “hair funks” or feeling stuck and powerless because I am not sure what to do with my hair usually goes away pretty quickly. I’ve been natural for going on 4 years and it is still a learning process.

But do I regret going natural or want to go back to the creamy crack, never!! Being natural is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. So love your short fro, long curly hair, kinky bush, or long lemonade braids. Embrace it baby ❤

P.S. This is my favorite picture out of the group…super dramatic super edgy

Talk to you all again soon!!!

Love,

Tati

New Look, Most Complimented Item, and a Word of Advice

Is there one item in your closet that seems to get an outstanding amount of compliments? I know there has to be at least one piece that does every time you wear it!

For me, that’s this blouse that I purchased in South Korea over 3 years ago. Its lightweight, sleeveless, sheer and the collar is accented with gold triangles to give it an
elegant touch.

I paired this blouse, with pink joggers, and black lace TOMS. Overall, I would consider this more of a dress down look for me, simple and chic, with a dash of sportiness. Also, in case you haven’t noticed from the pictures, I have another new hairstyle!

This style is called feed-in braids, because the hairstylist “feeds-in” or blends my natural hair with the fake hair to create this gorgeous look. What do you think about it and would you try this look out?

Now, this post isn’t to brag about my shirt or hairstyle, it simply came to fruition based on a thought I had yesterday when I wore this shirt to work and everyone seemed to ask where I got it from, how much it cost, etc. It is one of my favorite pieces because it is one of the few items I have in my closet that I purchased overseas.

The important information I would love for you to grasp from this post is don’t let your clothes be the only definition of what makes you you. Don’t hide behind fancy clothes or an outlandish style in order to hide your true self.

Having an unique sense of style isn’t a problem, I love my eclectic style. But I also know that when I dress down in a t shirt and leggings, I am still beautiful, strong, and I should still feel like myself.

Don’t let your clothing mask your true self; let your clothing speak volumes and add to the beauty and great personality that is already there. Hope that this encouraged you on this lovely Hump Day. Enjoy the rest of your week lovelies!

Stripes and Curves

Last weekend, I wore a striped bodycon dress to my little brother’s graduation. It was an exciting event!

I paired my bodycon dress with rust orange sandals. I love this dress because the colors are great year round and the pattern makes it unique.

Not only are those factors true, but I think the dress is quite flattering. Bodycon dresses are meant to be fitted and show off your curves.

Don’t be ashamed to wear fitted dresses and don’t let anyone tell you you can’t wear one because of your body shape!

We all have body insecurities and parts of us we may not like as much as others. Embrace your curves, love your body, and stay stylish!

Dress & Sandals: Forever 21 ❤

Daya by Zendaya Bomber

Hello lovelies!

I apologize for the delay on this look, it was suppose to be up on my blog way sooner but here it is.

I have to say this is one of my favorite looks ever and its super simple to put together and comfortable.

I purchased the blush bomber  from Daya by Zendaya. A clothing line started by the outspoken, inspirational, and beautiful Zendaya Coleman.

Not only did I want to support her because she is an amazing role model and a black business owner, but also because I never saw a bomber as chic as this one. Her prices are also affordable!

The color is gorgeous and it is long! Leave it zipped for a chic look in itself or if you leave it open its a perfect jacket to throw over almost anything…dresses, a top and skirt/pants, or how I wore it.

I paired the bomber with a black crop top from Charlotte Russe, black leggings from Forever 21, and black boots from Nordstrom.

Head over to dayabyzendaya.com to check out this bomber and other stylish gear!

Protective Style Tips- Wigs!

Hello lovelies. Hope all is well 🙂

Can you believe that June is one day away! Wasn’t it New Year’s Day like a few days ago??

As I mentioned before, I consider 2017 the year of change because I have a few big goals I am achieving this year.

So with me focusing on change this year I decided to switch up my hairstyle and try out a wig. Not only is it a cute look to try, but also gives my real hair a much needed break.

The first tip when it comes to wig shopping is deciding which hairstyle you think will fit your face. I went with a shoulder length bob with a bang. It’s simple and easy to upkeep and when I had relaxed hair, bobs were my go-to style so I knew it would look okay!

The second tip is wig maintenance. Making sure the hair is clean, straightened or curled (depending on your hairstyle), and washed when necessary.

The third tip is braid up your hair underneath the wig so that your hair lies flat. The fourth tip and most important tip in my opinion is making sure your natural hair under the wig is properly taken care of.

Don’t neglect your natural hair because you have a wig on!!!

Make sure your hair is moisturized, braided up, and, in short, properly protected. Still wash your hair as often as you did before wearing the wig.

The fifth tip is to enjoy every moment with your new look and love the fact that you can take it off and go back to your usual hairstyle whenever you want to.

Hope this post peaked your wig interest! Enjoy the rest of your week!