My-Shopping...How?

Hi beauties! I'm back.....!! I trust everyone is doing great and gearing up for thanksgiving. Although everyone is in a celebratory mood at this time and ready to do all the end of the year shopping and enjoy all the holidays coming up but please let's not forget the victims of Hurricane Sandy in the East Coast. They still need our prayers and all that we can give to help.

The pictures in this post were all taken over a year ago when my family and I went to the Mall of America for some shopping and some fun and that is exactly the answer to my own question; My- Shopping...how? and the answer is that I just have fun! A lot of ladies enjoy shopping and I will say I am one of them. I do try to shop when I can get good discounts though and whenever there are big sales going on. Yes! That is being thrifty. There is no use throwing money away when it can be saved for something else. And have you ever bought something at regular price and then see that same item go up on sale soon after that at a very great discount? Well, I have and ouch!! it hurts!!!

So now, I just stalk particular shops where I like to shop and the best way to do this is to sign up for E-mail discounts from the store and if you are like me and do not like to get all those hundreds of annoying marketing e-mails in your regular mail, just have a different e-mail set up for store discounts and you can check in occasionally to know what promotions are going on at your favorite store. You can also give your mailing address too if you do not mind and all those coupons and promotional offers can be mailed straight to your home. A word of caution about this though. You must learn how to exercise restraint so that you do not run off to shop each time you get a good bargain. I have shoved a lot of coupons in the trash or passed them off to friends because I do not want to be a shopping addict. it was hard to do at first but now I've got good control and shop on my own terms. Some stores also want you to use their credit card in order to get good discounts and such mail gets in the trash mail too.

                                                                          My beautiful family

                                                                                          Moi

                                                                        My Kids and their friend

                          My baby...I had to add a dash of color to her outfit with the fuchsia ankle boots

                                                                  The leaders of tomorrow

                                                                                     My friend J and I  

Yeah, this was actually the same day the pictures above were taken. We went to the MOA (Mall of America) after church service and I took a change of clothes with me and actually changed in the restroom  into my casual clothes. A quick clean-up with hand sanitizer and I had fun shopping and playing with the kids. Mall of America in Bloomington Minnesota has very a wide range of entertainment for shoppers; parks, theaters...

                                                                           My Church Look

 

My Casual look

 

 

 

Thanks for reading everyone and enjoy yourself with family and friends this weekend and do not fail to thank God for everything in your life including the bad moments. If you give him total control of your life, he will turn your sadness into joy. He is there just waiting for everyone to reach out to him and he will never force himself on anyone but will welcome everyone who is ready to come to him with open hands.

 

 

Beauty

Ojo

My-Shopping...When?

Hi beautiful people, we are gradually approaching the end of the year and definitely the most beautiful time  of the year too with all the holidays, shopping and festivities. Thanksgiving is next week; "Yay!!" and as those of us in the US know, this is the official kick-off of the shopping season. I have not started my Christmas shopping yet but I decided that this is the best time to do a blog post on shopping. More so, since I have had these pictures saved on my computer a long time, I felt like this is the best time to upload them on my blog.


My first thought when I uploaded these pictures a year ago on my computer was that I'll never share them with people due to the serious wardrobe malfunction in the pictures but somehow I changed my mind and I am sharing them any way. **Do not ask me why**...:)

So here I am in this pic strolling through the aisle of a department store in heels. Do I always shop in heels or do ladies usually dress up in five inch heels to go shopping? And the answer is "Yes" and "No."

I was on my way to a friend's birthday party with hubby and remembered that I had not completed my shopping for the week and made a dash for the store. We were a little early for the party and had some time to spare so I rushed from aisle to aisle getting toiletries and all the knick knacks I needed not knowing that hubby who was supposed to be waiting for me in the car had followed me into the store and was taking pictures. You can guess I got quite a shock when I bumped into him in the aisle!

I was wearing this little navy blue glitter dress I bought from Tj Maxx with hot pink Jennifer Simpson's clutch and Victoriassecret pumps in a different shade of pink called lingdonberry. It was close to being matchy-matchy but I liked the way the two colors blended together. I also had silver drop ear-rings with pink studs and a black jacket on hand for the sudden change in weather.

                                                                                                                         Hubby and I

          At the Party and yeah, that is all we had to drink; pop! We are not drinkers at all...:)

So to answer the question "When do I shop?" I will say I shop whenever it is convenient for me. On my way back from work  or online. It is something I always do in a hurry and spontaneously most times. I rarely will leave the house dressed up just to go to the store and shop. It is always something I do while trying to get other things done so I always go to places where I can get good deals and quick check-outs. I am a busy-busy mom...:-) I wish you all a happy thanksgiving in advance.

Beauty

Ojo

Black and Green Check..

So, the weather was all nice yesterday as usual and it was actually quite unbelievable because we made it to sixty degrees. It was the perfect weather to deck out in shorts and capris and I did just that! This black and green check blouse from the House of Dereon is one of my favorite blouses because it is casual and yet so dressy. The top part of the blouse which is sheer  is attached to a stretch knit fabric that really acts as a sort of shaper and helps to keep everything nice and tucked in in the waist area...:)

                                         A green pair of heels and simple accessories  completed the look.

I secretly wish the weather would stay this way but I know nature got to take its course. All the seasons work together to give a perfect balance and harmony. I took a break from study this morning to put in some blogging time before getting ready for church service. Also, I have not had time to go visiting other fellow bloggers and to see all the beautiful pictures they have created but I would create time for that soon. Blogging is very relaxing and a very cool hobby and if you are not a writer at heart, you will never understand the benefits of pouring your thoughts out on paper or in this case on a blog. Thanks so much for reading. Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

 

 

 

Beauty

Ojo

Birthday Dress

Hi beauty Kins; hope everyone is doing great! This post is all about my birthday dress. My hubby got me this gorgeous black sequin body-con dress from Express for my birthday. Yay!! I know if I had made the purchase myself, black would not have been my first choice because I desperately try to avoid buying black colored outfits these days. I think I have too many black and grey colored clothes and this blog was actually started at the time I started a closet makeover; incorporating color into my closet. Anyways, color aside, I just love this dress!! Aside from animal prints, sequins and glitter are my next thing.

So, after I thanked hubby and all, I decided to take a peek at the Express website to do some investigation on this dress and this is what I found; it comes in two other gorgeous colors- dark raspberry (somewhat dark purple?) and flower pink. Here are the beauties below;

Black body-con sequin Express dress (Front View)

Black body-con sequin Express dress (Back View)

Dark raspberry sequin body-con Express dress

Flower pink sequin body-con Express dress

The dark raspberry would have been my first choice but I love the choice my hubby made and I can't wait to wear this out on a dinner date with him and my sequin and glitter party dress collection is growing. I have a navy blue sequin dress I wore for my first daughter's one year birthday and a gold color glitter one-shoulder dress I wore for my second daughter's one year birthday. Below are pictures of both dresses and you can see an earlier post I did on them here.

 

 

 

So now I have my dress and I do not think I can wait for another baby's one year birthday to wear it..:) and besides, I have not had a birthday party yet although to tell you the truth, I am not even planning to have one. I'm super busy with school. However, I am thinking of how best to accessorize it right now. And of course since the dress is black, accessories have to be a color blast. I am thinking of using the Fushia heels from this Colin Stuart's collection with another Fushia piece; either ear-rings, necklace or a clutch. (Which I currently have in my closet) Or the black heels from this same collection and a bold color clutch in red which I also own already...:) I tried to order the teal color heels also but they sold out so fast in my size and I know they are smiling in hundreds of Fashionistas' closet right now. I always like to shop Victoriassecret shoes because the quality and prices of their shoes are just unbeatable.

 

 

 

 

 

Then there is the Christian Louboutin's Bianca which does not need a second red color accessory to go with it. It can hold its own any time. This can go with the black sequin dress perfectly and with a black clutch and minimal jewelry, I'll be party ready. "Yay!!!"

 

 

 

 

 

The back view is always so exquisite!

 

 

 

 

 

And yes, along with my sequin dress, I also got some cute black lace and Animal print pattern stockings from hubby and some cute silver jewelry all from Express. I just can't wait for that party! Invites anyone???...:)

 

 

 

Oh, did I mention that the dress looks perfectly okay without the satin sash? **obvious right?** Below is a pic I got from the Express Website of a Model wearing the dress without the sash.

 

 

 

 

 

Okay, now I have to leave Blogs Ville **Sad Face** and go to the library to put my study hat on. I have a couple of essays and a field report to write and my LSAT is coming up too. **Kisses**

 

 

 

Beauty

Ojo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Recycling"- Neutral Everything.

Yeah, I definitely love being green. "Save the dollars, save the Planet, save the earth!..." We all are green one way or the other and we definitely recycle too even when it comes to clothes. No matter how rich anyone is, there is always that favorite piece of clothing that just needs to be worn a second time just the way it is or in combination with other pieces to revitalize the look. Is there someone out there who has never worn a piece of clothing twice? I'll like to know...


The cropped pants I am wearing in this post is what I wore in my previous post too and I am actually putting on "all neutrals," accessories included in this post. A very simple but fun look. While styling the pieces, I had the feeling the end result might end up being boring but I must say it actually ended up looking so vibrant and fun.

My scowling face..

This boho top which can be worn on or off the shoulders is from Next and a gift from my Uncle in Manchester.  My younger brother visited Manchester last year and came back with a bag of goodies for me and my peeps from my Uncle. Uncle Mike, If you ever get to read this; this is to say a big thank-you again for all the wonderful gifts...:)  I still have a couple of outfits from Next in my closet that I haven't worn. They have such trendy styles and pieces and I will definitely visit the store when I visit the UK.

I'm still enjoying mixing and matching my clothing items and I'm still on a shopping freeze. If nothing in my closet meets the current trend, I'll just pass up on the trend and focus on other beautiful things. Like I always say; Fashion is great but it is not everything...:) Another thing I am also enjoying right now is the beautiful Fall weather God has blessed us with. It's in the fifties today and will be so the next couple of days. Fun! fun!! fun!!!


                                                               Have a nice weekend everyone

                                                                                   Beauty
                                                                                      Ojo

The Closest thing to Peplum 3

The weather is still very nice here in the twin cities and the forecast for tomorrow is actually in the fifties for most parts of the state; loving it actually. This means we are going to have fewer months to deal with the Winter. Again, this is not to say that I hate Winter. No! I love all the four seasons. All are beautifully created by God to achieve a purpose.

In this post, I am wearing one of my lost and found peplum top over a khaki color cropped pant; very summery outfit in the middle of Fall. The burgundy color top was purchased at Macy's years back and I actually do not remember what store I purchased the cropped pants from. My gold color clutch is from Tj Maxx and a pair of dark brown Colin Stuart pumps to complete the look.

I like the mock sash on the waist and the ties at the back is very girly too. Now that I have recovered these peplum tops from my closet, (see peplum 1 and peplum 2.) I know it means big savings for me. I did not need to spend extra money to get this trend. Lesson learned: Take a critical look at anything before you put it away because you might have use for it the very next minute.

Now that I am done sorting my closet, I have to get back to the other chores on my list. More so, I have so much hours to put into my study too; a couple of essays and field reports to turn in in class in a few weeks.

                                  Have fun the rest of the week everyone. God bless and see you soon.

                                                                                Beauty
                                                                                   Ojo

Little Polka dots...

My week is going great and I hope everyone else is also having a great time in Blogs Ville. A big Congratulations to the forty-fourth President of the United States, Barack Obama for his re-election. Now we all can move forward and look for creative and fun ways to make things work better in the economy and all what not...:)

So, I spent my weekend putting finishing touches to my closet. I had to put all those summer outfits away and get all my winter attire within reach. Funny enough, the weather is still very nice and beautiful and it looks like this is going to be an amazing winter. I am up for that! "Amen to an amazing winter." Like I was saying; got really busy fixing up that closet and suddenly realized that there was no more room for any new stuff. My modest walk-in closet is already jam packed with clothes and shoes and with the little spill-over in my daughter and son's closets,I know it is time to stop! My son was even complaining a while back that mummy's clothes are starting to take over his closet. So, I will just shop my own closet from now on and make pieces work for any occasion. It will save me a lot of money too. No more running to the store on on-line store to purchase any outfit for that up coming occasion. **hmmmm, we'll see how it goes.**

The outfit I am wearing here in this post is one of those tops I forgot I ever owned. I saw it amongst a pile of oldies and went oh! la! la!! I totally forgot about it. Thinking about it now, it does look like a peplum top but not quite; it's actually an empire blouse. I am happy to say that I found a couple other peplum tops in my closet during the reorganization. I've had the tops for years and never even knew they were going to become trendy again. I actually didn't even know they were called "Peplum tops" until the trend hit the fashion scene again last year...:-). I will showcase the other lost and found tops later but for now, let's talk about this reclaimed blouse which I bought from Tj Maxx. (I'm a big fan of the departmental store cos there are lots of trendy pieces at affordable prices.)

I paired it with my black cropped pants which you might have grown tired of seeing by now but I love it a lot and can not let go of it until the snow piles up to my feet! **nice rhyming, right?...:)**

Wearing the black pumps from the super-model collection by Colin Stuart from Victoriassecret as seen here and thrifted cuffs (Which has similar "poky dots" as my top) I added some color with the red clutch and Bingo!..:)

Thanks for reading my blog and thanks for all the beautiful comments. I wish you loads of fun for the rest of the week and please, remember to always count your blessings. **Kisses.**



                                                                                            Beauty
                                                                                              Ojo

Still very nice..

Hi beauties, the title of this post is "still very nice" but I am not referring to my outfit; I am referring to the weather. It is in the late forties today and most unusual for the state of Minnesota which can be called "Minne-snow-ta" in a fun way! Yeah this is a snowy state and in previous years, we would have been buried in heaps of snow with very cold and chilly temperatures in November. Right now, a lot of people can still do without jackets here. In Minnesota, we wear shorts in forty degrees temperature like it is right now because to us, this is pretty warm as opposed to our usual below freezing temps. In this post, I am wearing a grey fun skirt from Express with a white frilly top from Loft (I love that store; very beautiful fashion for the corporate world) I accessorized with an Aldo over sized black bag and black leather Zigisoho pumps from Designer Shoe Warehouse. My necklace is from Victoriassecret.com.

 My prayers go out to those victims of Storm Sandy; so much devastation in those areas. I know it can really be difficult dealing with loss of any kind especially the loss of lives. Possessions can aways be recovered butves can never be replaced. However, God can redeem any situation no matter how bad. If you are in those areas, please know that now is the best time to connect to God and hype up your faith. Do not wait for any man or government even though they'll try to do their best. God alone is the only one that can heal those wounds in the heart and lift up any spirit. His intervention in any situation is always a miracle; baffling to all humans. I continue to pray for you.

 

 

 

Have a wonderful weekend.

 

Beauty

Ojo