Shoes Gist....Animalistic Instinct.

Hi Friends, it's time again for some shoe gist in this corner. This time, it is all about fur **Grrrrr** (growling...:-)). I hope there are no anti-fur movement members reading this blog post right now and if you are one, I apologize upfront. You see, I love animals too but I do eat them and would wear a real fur coat if gifted with one because I cannot afford to make a splurge on one right now; with that being said; **clears throat...** I beg to continue..

These animal print pumps Dee Keller pumps are recent additions to my shoe closet. I got to know of this shoe designer when I first set my eyes on this black and white print pumps; but they were out of my size and I kept stalking the site for months. When I realized my size was never going to be restocked, I decided to get the brown color instead and later added the zebra prints when they had their summer sale. Now, I just have to figure out how to style these beauties or figure out what outfits would work with them because as you can see, these prints are different from the usual leopard prints.

 

                                                                       Here


Do you have styling ideas for these kind of prints? I know they'll look good against solid colors or monochrome looks like cream on cream or white on white. If you have any ideas, please share; and thanks a lot for stopping by here. There is so much sadness and bad news in almost every news media these days and all around the world and this is my own little space for creating my escape by talking about things that put a smile on my face. I love you for stopping by here.



                                                             

                                                         Thanks so much for stopping by



                                                                     Beauty Ojo

Fiery Orange...

Hi Friends, thanks a lot for your well wishes on my last post and "yes" I do feel better and "no" I'm not wearing red colors again in this post. This is actually fiery orange and tan combination. I purchased this sweater from J. Crew factory last fall and have been looking for the right occasion to wear it since then.  It is similar to the sweater I wore on Valentine's day here. Also, I have had this Gap cord pants for a while now and I was very excited when I realized that I could pair it with the sweater. Well, today is Good Friday and I knew that this  graphic sweater with the love sign embellished on it would be the perfect top for today. I accessorized the outfit with my Ann Taylor mini bucket bag and animal prints flats; very simple outfit.

If you are familiar with my blog posts, you will know by now that I do not really like to wear flats but there are occasions that really call for it like today. We watched a family movie together this morning titled "God is not dead" then we lazed around the whole day and later took the kids out in the evening for a dinner date with lots of games. I posted some pictures on my INSTAGRAM here. I had to put on this light trench coat too because it was a little chilly today.

Sweater: J. Crew Factory
Orange cords: Gap
Mini bucket bag: Ann Taylor
Shoes: Neighborhood boutique similar here

Yeah, I do look tired in the picture here but I know I just need more rest so I can get my strength back. The cold I had for the last couple of days really hit me hard but I'm grateful to be alive and I count my blessings. Some people are struggling with worse conditions. Also, it is good to know that Good Friday is a day we can all reflect on the great gift of salvation God gave to us all by sending his son Jesus Christ to die for our sins. God's love is real guys. I'll be with you again very soon.





                                              Thanks so much for stopping by



                                                          Beauty Ojo

John 3:16New International Version (NIV)

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

                                                         

Shoes shoo blues..

       So, this post here is for shoe lovers; not shoe addicts because addicts would need a different kind of intervention. I put myself in the first category because I know I have full control over my shoe obsession and thankfully, my shoe taste does not discriminate. I love all kinds of shoes so long as they are pretty and are of good quality with a good heel. I can buy shoes from Payless stores or a discount shoe store if I like it and I can also buy shoes from Neiman Marcus and Saks if I need to but for the most part, I try to avoid those bigger departmental stores because when I am in there, my interest does not end at the shoe store as I find myself gravitating to the clothing racks. 'For this reason, I like to just go to a regular shoe store and get whatever I need without looking for extra trouble...:-). And one of my favorite shoe store happens to be DSW. The ones around my city constantly change their inventory and there is always a great pair at a good deal for the shoe lovers.                                                      

    I posted some photos on my INSTAGRAM yesterday about my activities and still on the subject of addiction, the reason I was skeptical of getting on Instagram for a long time was because I heard all the stories of people getting addicted to it and I was already addicted to this blog and I did not want more addictions...:-). At the time I finally got on Instagram, most of my friends were out because they were just tired of it or cutting off on their social networking. Well, I'm still on Instagram and I won't say I'm addicted yet. If you want to join me on there, please do. I always follow back and my Instagram profile/id/handle is; beautyojo.

Back to my story; we had some snow on Monday and it was not too unusual because I live in Minnesota and snow in March or April is not uncommon so, Monday's snow was no big deal. I wasn't too excited about the snow though and I had some winter and Monday blues and that is why I decided to stop by at the shoe store yesterday evening. In my previous visit mentioned here, I had seen this pair of ankle strap pumps on the clearance rack but I just admired them and put them back on the rack. However, I was determined to seek out the pair of pumps yesterday without the shoe associates help and my thought was that; "even if I did not find them, at least I could enjoy the thrill of looking."

                                                 
                                                                               HERE                                                                               


Well, as you can see, I found them and they were still on clearance at 30% off. I paid close to a hundred bucks for them but was a little disappointed when I checked out the shoes on Michael Kors' website when I got home and found out that they were on sale for about $60...oouuch!!!
Do not forget to check out my Giveaway sneak peak in my previous post and be back on Friday for the vote.





                                                           Thanks so much for stopping by



                                                                          Beauty Ojo








                                               

My Closet Update

Pointed toe Pumps

Hi everyone; so, I'm still enjoying my mini vacation; spending time with my lovely family and making sure the kids are settled in nicely for the new school year. My Labor day holiday was quiet; I spent the day indoors watching movies with the family then dashed out of the house in the evening to get last minute supplies for the kids but I did not leave myself out...:-). I took advantage of all the savings and discounts I could find online and in-store and stocked up on my favorite things; shoes.
I would say that I gave my closet a "Shoe Makeover." Or let's just say I got bitten by the pointed toe shoes bug.

Prior to now, I only owned mostly round toe or almond toe pumps and never really cared for pointed toe shoes that much; except for a few pairs I purchased either because they were on sale and too good to pass or I liked the color or design so much that I could not resist. Also, I feel like my feet are wide and my toes so huge that pointed toe pumps were somewhat uncomfortable. Well, that was my feeling years and months back. Fast forward to today and I have gradually replaced every round toe shoe in my closet with a pointed toe pair.

There has been a lot of hype about pointed toe shoes or court shoes (as some people call them) of recent and all those platform shoes that were trending a few seasons ago are now backstage or deep down in the closet. I have read blogs where there were ongoing debates about pointed toe shoes versus platform shoes. Some ladies are of the opinion that pointed toe shoes are classy and chic and should be the only shoes that trendy or classy women should wear. In my opinion, "it is the woman that makes the shoe classic and chic. When you are confident in whatever you wear; whether it is pointed toe shoes or round toe shoes, you will be classy and chic." Platform or pointed toe shoes are trends that come and go and as we all know, fashion trends keep recycling over the years. You might be thinking; "why did I bother updating my shoe closet then?"

 And my answer is this; "I love having fun with fashion." And that is the premise behind this little blog of mine; to document every trend I'm willing to experiment with. So, I just had to do a shoe closet makeover and as for my toes and feet being too wide, well, they just have to adjust for now..:-). However, I'll still wear my round toe pumps whenever I want because no one is going to sue me if I do...:-).

Well, in order to find a happy medium and make everyone happy, hubby included, I did not purchase any expensive item or make any major splurge and it's been a gradual process for months. 80% of my shoes are from Victorias secret anyway and their shoes are pretty affordable with a couple of louboutins thrown in here and there. I also bought some pairs on sale at Charlotte Russe recently after I discovered  that they sell quality items too. There are other pointed toe shoes I have owned for years that are not shown here but I would certainly be wearing them all now.

Now, I really like this calf prints pair here from VS and I loved the splurge here that was on my Summer List and this pair here but I couldn't bring myself to splurge. You know, it's all about finding a happy medium and making everyone happy.
I trust everyone is happy and well?





                                                            Thanks so much for stopping by


                                                                           Beauty Ojo

Color Block in the Park and Playing Tagged...

Hi, I am back with another post which is long overdue by the way...:-).  I was tagged by my lovely blogger friend Nerline a few weeks back in the very inspiring blogger award. My appreciation and love goes out to Nerline who makes blogging so much fun by lending her support, comments and view on almost every post I publish. Thanks so much Nerline. **Muah!!**Kisses**


I wore this colorful outfit to a playdate with one of my friends over the weekend. We took the kids to a very cool park in a different city from where we live. The park had a splash pad and we had so much fun. We chatted about fun stuff while the kids splashed around and played in the park. I usually do not dress this bright and colorful when I am around kids but I decided to just have fun and go all out with the color. My old pink tee and this lime color loft skirt which I actually wore for the first time since it was purchased two summers ago made the cut. The cute straw messenger bag is a gift from my older sister and I really love it.

Now, let's go straight to the nomination.

Tee: Abercombie
Skirt: Loft
Bag: Gifted
Jewelry: Old
Animal print slingback: Simply Vera by Vera Wang

Rules

Thank and link the amazing person who nominated you.

List the rules and display the award.

Share seven facts about yourself.

Nominate 15 other amazing blogs and comment on their posts to let them know they have been nominated. 

Optional: Proudly display the award logo on your blog and follow the blogger who nominated you.

                                        Thanks again to Nerline for nominating me.

I had to think for a long time on what seven facts to share about myself since I have done several tagged posts already; Liebster, Versatile..to name a few. I think I have said all that needs to be said about me...:-). I didn't have the time to search through my blog archives to link all the other tagged posts incase you want to read them and I did not want to keep this post waiting for too long so, I decided to say some things that are a little personal which I feel I have not shared before and here it goes...:-). And I will try to keep it as short as possible; you all know I love to write long essays by now, right?...:-)

1.  My real name is Beauty (like you don't know by now?..:-))**eyes rolling**...LoL!

2.  My favorite number is 7 (just like Nerline...:-) and my favorite letter is A. Now, don't ask me why unless you want me to start quoting scriptures again...:-)

3.  My number one fashion accessory are shoes, then, scarves

4.  My number one beauty product is the lip gloss.

5.  Growing up, I used to be very quiet and shy but now? **clears throat**you don't want to know! LoL

6.  I used braces in my younger years and so did all my siblings. **blame it on genetics**

7.  I have nothing against cosmetic surgery and enhancements so long as it is needed and done in moderation. **Now, don't ask me if I have had any work done because I haven't...:-). I rather spend my money buying shoes...LoL!!!

So, there you have it. I was not able to put up cute pictures for every answer like Nerline did...:-). Do stop by her blog to check it out. I'm following her blog already and I enjoy all the information she gives on hair and fashion.

I didn't have the time to nominate other blogs and I feel like I have nominated all my blogger friends already in previous nominations. So, if you want to be tagged, let me know in a comment. 

                                                                        Thanks so much for stopping by

                                                                                              Beauty Ojo

                                                                                       

My Crop Denim Jacket

Hi Beauties, I feel like I abandoned my blog since my last outfit post but I got my groove back and in full force too…:-). I created some outfit collages for July 4th last night and you can view them on my previous post. A big thanks to my friends Nerline and Adegbite who stopped by to check out my selections and a big thanks to all the friends who have been readers and supporters of this blog over the years. It's just a few hours to the reveal of my first giveaway and I can't wait to publish. I was rooting for everyone and really wished I could make everyone a winner. There will be lots of other giveaways after this and who knows? Someday, I might be able to fly all my blog readers and friends to a Bahamas resort and treat them to a bash! AMEN to that! I'm praying seriously for it to come to pass. Before we have the bash, we'll first of all have a service and my hubby would preach. If you have not guessed y'all, my handsome hubby is a serious preacher. More on that later…

Now to the outfit of the day; my crop denim jacket. This crop jacket was purchased a long time back when denim jackets were trending from a neighborhood store called Deb. That was about eight years ago and all of a sudden denim jackets are trending again. You see, fashion just keeps revolving so there is no need to waste money on any piece at any time and if you have any clothing item in your closet that is trending and you love it, just do not toss them waiting for the next big trend. Now, I'm not saying you should be a hoarder and not give or donate items…no! no!! I'm just saying it is wise to keep those timeless piece because they will always be in style and you also get to save money for other things.Well, I located my denim jacket somewhere in my closet and the fact that it is a crop jacket makes it a win! win!! too…:-).

 I was invited to a friend's barbecue today and that's why I got dressed up but I could not attend because it's been raining cats and dogs all day and the barbecue was supposed to be at the park. **sad face.** There are several reports of flooding in Minnesota today because the rain has been on and off for the last couple of days. I'm beginning to feel like I now live in Seattle. I pray for all the flooding victims that they find quick relief at this time of their need.

Crop Denim Jacket: Deb Stores
Pants: LOFT
Purse: (old) Gifted
White tee: Hanes
Shoes: J Crew (old)

Thanks so much for stopping by and do not forget that there is an ongoing giveaway on the blog. Check out the link below.

GIVEAWAY

Beauty Ojo

Search Over...

Yeah, the search is finally over; I got my low heeled Leopard print pumps for the season. After shopping around, I found this pair at my local J. Crew store. It was on clearance and so last season compared to the recent calf skin pumps which retails for about $300. This pair is patent with wooden heels and I love that it is not totally flat soled and also not too high. At 3 inches high, it is definitely what I need this fall and winter with the delivery of the baby approaching very fast as each day goes by. I love Animal Prints and do not think I can ever have too much of it in my closet. Plus, it is one of the few trends I am willing to embrace this season.

                              Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend.



                                                                         Beauty Ojo

The Chill is here...

Black Tee: Victoriassecret
Blazer: Old
Skirt and Wedges: Victoriassecret

We had the first snow flurries for the season on Saturday. It was a snow/rain mix in the twin cities and though there was no accumulation save for some areas up north, the system ushered in the chilly weather. I spent some parts of the weekend rearranging my closet just to make sure my jackets and gloves were within reach. However, I am not ready to go into the full fall wardrobe yet. We do have very long winters in Minnesota and most people including myself try as much as they can not to embrace the Fall or Winter weather whole heartily. We put up a fight until it becomes absolutely difficult to ignore the freeze. This was the outfit I wore on Saturday to lounge in the house. Some friends came over to visit and we all hung out for a while hubby did some work in the garage. You can still see traces of grease on the ground.

I hope you all are having a great week so far. Thanks for stopping by and thanks for all the sweet comments.


                                                                       Beauty Ojo