WOW! Quarter 4 had arrived and I was completly in shock and in awe of God's hand on my year. I had an idea, had said some v...
Well Hello!!! Happy New Year!!!!! It's 2018 and I am ready for God to blow my mind and praying that you are ready too!
I'm going to let 2018 finish but I must continue my 2017 recap. So, here's my Quarter 3 recap!
Well Hello!!! Happy New Year!!!!! It's 2018 and I am ready for God to blow my mind and praying that you are ready too! I'...
Now for the Quarter 2 recap! I walked into spring 2017 locked and loaded with goals. Let's go....same format.....
Highs. Lows. Lessons. Clothes.
Now for the Quarter 2 recap! I walked into spring 2017 locked and loaded with goals. Let's go....same format..... Highs. Lows. Le...
January 2017 – March 2017
I entered 2017 very hopeful and very excited. I completed my vision board in January 2017 and was very clear with my goals. I have not been able to blog as much as I wanted to this year.
January 2017 – March 2017 I entered 2017 very hopeful and very excited. I completed my vision board in January 2017 and was very ...
Life is happening so fast around all of us and there seems to be an influx of purpose driven people these days. I was chatting with a friend recently and she was sharing how interesting it is that people can go from being mean girls to being on the "Empowerment" train. This conversation among other things made me think about myself and my journey. It made me think about my transformation and how far God has brought me. As I prepare for my first full day conference, that is happening in just a couple of weeks, I am compelled to apologize. God snatched me from a life full of pride in 2014 and I have not turned back. (2014 just happens to be the year that I turned 30 by the way)
When we get a revelation or have an "aha" moment, most of us go full steam ahead forgetting the old and embracing the new as much as we can. I mean isn't that what we're supposed to do?? Well, this conversation that I recently had made me think a little more. I began to think more about my behavior and how I treated some people prior to my desire to grow. There were moments that I acted superior to other women because I felt like I had better manners or whatever other random reason I had conjured up in my mind. During my short marriage, I would find myself in odd predicaments where I would be completely rude and bitchy towards other women. At the time I felt like disrespect warranted disrespect. *Sad face*
To those women who remember that girl......this public apology is for you. To the women and people who I judged, wasn't the nicest to, and any other crappy situations my pride got me in to....this apology is for you. I recognize that most times the enemy's goal is to have us struggle in the very areas where we are supposed to thrive. The enemy's goal is to make everything I am doing completely invalid. BUT GOD, PEOPLE! GOD continues to show me myself and I am no longer trying to be right, my ultimate goal is to grow in Christ. I welcome correction and look forward to the moments that I can exercise the things that I am learning. I am very thankful when I encounter people who seem completely shocked that I was ever that girl. haha! Don't get me wrong, this sour behavior was not my norm but I had some horrible moments for sure!
I have apologized and acknowledged mistakes and etc with family and friends but what about those strangers....the same strangers that I now seek to share my journey with. Those are the people that this apology is for. For anyone out there who may be skeptical because of a sour encounter with me, this is for YOU. I get it and I apologize!
When you know better, you do better!
And for the women who have acted a complete fool out there. .You know the ones who have let pride, anger, jealousy, men, or other things take you completely out of character........I want you to know that YOU ARE NOT YOUR PAST OR YOUR MISTAKES!!!! You can thrive in the areas where you once struggled. You can repent, apologize, accept a new identity in God and be GREAT!
Outfit details! I totally LOVED this look! I shopped my closet and pulled out some old faves....
Neon skirt from H&M circa 2015!
Shirt-The Limited
Socks - Zara
Shoes - Christian Louboutin
Life is happening so fast around all of us and there seems to be an influx of purpose driven people these days. I was chatting with a ...
Hello There!!
OMG! Let's talk a little fashion talk today! Do you consider yourself high fashion?
I'm talking premium brands, designer labels, couture style and etc?
Well, I personally love mixing the "highs" with the "lows"!
Hello There!! OMG! Let's talk a little fashion talk today! Do you consider yourself high fashion? I'm talking premium b...
Heyyyyy!!!! It's been a while and that is what this blog post is all about. *DEEP SIGH*
The stretchhhhh!
The struggle for balance is very real. I know that God is stretching me and although I am very thankful, it's not the most comfortable. Life is amping up and the ideas are coming so quickly that my prayer is for strategy and balance!
I have never in life felt so fulfilled while being a single woman. I have absolutely had moments of joy but not this level of fulfillment. I know this is nothing but GOD transforming me from the inside out.
This transformation has put me in a position that I could have never strategized or imagined. My cup is truly running over these days and I am learning that God is stretching me and preparing me for more. I have found myself in amazing moments complaining and I had to switch out the language of complaining to a language of gratitude!
As much as I can feel this stretch I can also feel HIS grace covering me and guiding me along the way. As a budding entrepreneur, this journey requires supernatural strength and the ability to sacrifice. I have learned that sacrificing in this journey is really learning to be disciplined. So, this is my season of strict discipline. I am becoming okay with saying no and working on the many ideas that God has placed in my mind.
I have said it before and I will say it again.....I refuse to leave this earth without living in my purpose.
Thank God for the stretch!!!
Hello to new levels!!!!
Heyyyyy!!!! It's been a while and that is what this blog post is all about. *DEEP SIGH* The stretchhhhh! The strugg...
If you know me you know that I think fashion is fun! I am not one of those girls that is hanging on the edge of my seat for the latest arrivals and etc. Fashion is not life for me. I am not in love with fashion. Period. I think it’s cool, ya know!? Fun! Expressive! Yours to own!
This past Sunday I rocked a plaid shirt that has been sitting in my closet for a while. I wore the shirt about a year and a half ago and had not worn it since. The first time I wore it, I tied it in a knot for a fun casual look. I was celebrating Christmas so the knee high socks were a must. lol! Fast forward to March 2017 and I received the cutest pants from Gwynnie Bee and this shirt seemed to pair perfectly with them. The shirt was purchased from the Gap 2 years ago.
I am a huge fan of shopping your closet. (I even offer style consulting services to help you see your clothes in a new way!)
This dress I LOVE!!! I have blogged this outfit before! Be creative with your closet! Have fun with your clothes. I am a firm believer that every item in your closet has multiple ways that it can be worn! Go for it!! Original post here with details on outfit!
Lastly, this dress, I have also shared on the blog! The 1st look was worn to church with a classic triple strand pearls. The 2nd look I turned the dress backward, with the zipper facing the front for a bit of a sexier look! BTW: Most dresses with pockets can be worn backward seamlessly! Dress details here!
How many of you have something in your closet that you can pull out and wear and give it a new twist!?! Shop your closet and if it's nice, WEAR IT TWICE!!
I like to call this, being fearless in fashion!!!
If you know me you know that I think fashion is fun! I am not one of those girls that is hanging on the edge of my seat for the lates...
When you feel a shift in your life, it is imperative to shift your faith and make sure that your foundation is rock solid. More tests = More faith
My past is truly behind me, it’s all a testimony now. As God is doing many new things in my life I am slightly freaked out, but mostly thankful.
My past is truly behind me, it’s all a testimony now. As God is doing many new things in my life I am slightly freaked out, but mostly thankful.
During this time in my life these three areas are things I am constantly reminding myself of:
1. It’s Okay to change, grow, and evolve
Don’t feel boxed into thought patterns that you once had. It’s okay to have a new perspective on things. It’s okay to change your mind. It’s okay! Someone recently said to me, “you didn’t feel like that before” about a situation, and I simply said to them, JESUS DID IT!!!! For real! Don’t feel like you have to stay married to your past mindset. The more that I let God into my heart, the more I see how much I don’t know and how far I have come and how far I have to go.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17
2. Seasons
Seasons are important to understanding because during this transforming process we enter seasons of major shifts. I learned this a lot in 2015. Where I thought God was saying no, I learned that sometimes HE was saying not right now. This is another reason why I stressed having the ability to follow the voice of God. There are moments where God is pruning you, separating you, cleansing you, and fixing you up to make you presentable to Do HIS WORK. Don’t be afraid of those seasons. ACCEPT THEM! I recently had a shift from partying so much, I believe that God wanted to shift my perspective of what I considered a good time. It was major for me to accept the season that I was in and allow God to transform my mind and renew my heart.
“To everything, there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
3. DREAM
Dream and never stop! I am realizing that I dream way too small! I limit how I see God which limits my prayers, which limits my mindset. If I believe that God can do the impossible and can perform miracles then I have to pray just that! I have to believe just that! I always hear people say “God is up to something, but I don’t know what it is.” I challenged myself to stop being vague about my dreams in my prayers. I had to start being specific! I had to start proclaiming the WORD OF GOD over my life and my dreams. The more that we call HIS word back to HIM the more we activate our faith and hope in Jesus!
Here are a few scriptures I remember to speak over my life and dreams.
“God has not given me the spirit of fear, but of power love and a sound mind.”
2 Timothy 1:7 - I remind myself that I will not be afraid in executing my goals.”
“I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me” Philippians 4:13 - So, I declare that every dream, vision, and goal will come to past because of GOD’s strength in me.”
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NIV) – God has plans for me to prosper! His pruning is not intended to harm me, HE plans to give me hope and a future!
He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them skilled workers and designers. Exodus 35:35 (NIV) – I am skilled with gifts and talents from God!
A man's gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men. Proverbs 18:16 – I love this scripture because it reminds me that I don’t have to accept the “hustle and grind” that most entrepreneurs brag about. I follow my purpose and my gift that God has blessed me with and doing that will bring me before the great people that I am supposed to meet!
YASSSS!!!!!
As we quickly approach the end of 1st
quarter 2017, I wanted to share my journey with you all. Remember that it’s
okay to change and evolve, remember accepting your season provides you peace,
and lastly remember to ALWAYS dream bigger!!
 |
| Interested in outfit details? Shirt from Zara & skirt from Eloquii! |
May the peace of God that surpasses ALL
understanding guard your heart and mind during this season in your life.
XOXO!
When you feel a shift in your life, it is imperative to shift your faith and make sure that your foundation is rock solid. More tests...
My 2nd Tot Talks was simply amazing and I am so thankful! I had a dynamic group of women who were ready to be fearless in fashion. The theme for the entire workshop was to SHINE!!! I decided to use a light bulb as my ultimate inspiration for the theme of the workshop. Here's why: A light bulb has the potential to shine bright but some things have to be in working order for it work properly. First, the inside of the bulb has to be wired properly in order for the bulb to work.Then, once the wires are all in place the bulb has to be connected to a SOURCE such as a lamp to actually illuminate the light. The light bulb was my inspiration because shining starts on the inside for all of us (i.e. confidence, self-awareness, and etc) and we must be connected to a source (JESUS CHRIST for me) to be effective in our pursuit to SHINE! We went through 5 very specific areas to shining from the inside out throughout the workshop. Every time I give this presentation I walk away learning more and more about this journey and I and so thankful to God to be doing what I am doing.
I decided to wear a black power suit for my 2nd Tot Talks!
I scored this suit on super sale from The Limited during their closing sale. They tend to run a bit small so I got a 16 Long pants and a size 16 jacket.
Keep scrolling for more pics from the Tot Talks workshop and a quick guide for buying suits in 2017!
I loved having Tina with her bubbly personality at the workshop! She was the spice to the day!
Thankful for my girl Mary who is always rocking with me!
Ms. Brenda found the event on Eventbrite and I was soooo happy to have her!
All pink everything!
My girl Cort came to slay in this amazing pink blazer!! BTW: I can't wait to find it and add it to my wardrobe.
A fellow blogger came out and as you can see from the screenshot, she had a great time! Make sure you guys follow her and check out her blog! Her Instagram is above.
The young and fly! She came to have some fun in her all denim!!
Of course, some on the spot styling is always fun! Remixing your clothes and making them your own is major key!!!
This was truly a success and I am so thankful!!! I am working on some ways to capture more details of the workshop and the full experience. Stay tuned!!
Now, let's talk power suits!!
I LOVE a great black suit! If you are in the market for a good suit see below!
I listed just a few of my go to places below. I hope this helps!!
Express – Express has some awesome colored suits! They run up to a size 18 in most of their suits.
Eloquii - The perfect place for my curvy friends! Eloquii starts at a size 12 and goes up to a 24. The quality of their pieces are exceptional and they ship pretty fast.
Banana Republic – Great suits and a variety of patterns! They go up to a size 16 online and most of their pieces have a decent amount of stretch in them.
Tahari - QUALITY!!!! Tahari carries amazing suits with sleek and tailored blazers that can work for any body type. Tahari runs up to a size 18 and is sold at Macy’s. Bloomingdales, and other major department stores. (Macy’s is my favorite because of their deals!)
My 2 nd Tot Talks was simply amazing and I am so thankful! I had a dynamic group of women who were ready to be fearless in fash...
Hello, Lovers! Happy Valentine’s Day 2017!
I am so excited to share this post today. I wanted to discuss friendships here on the blog and I could not think of a better person to start with other than one of my closest friends Mary-Ann! Mary and I met in 2010 and have been rocking ever since, well we had a little break but that’s not important. Haha! Actually, that is what this is all about, celebrating friendships and learning how to be a friend on purpose. Mary helps me a lot with my photos for the blog, so I was very excited to get her in front of the camera. One of the major things that I learned in 2016 was the importance of maintaining healthy friendships and Mary was for sure one of the people that helped me get that lesson. I thank God for friends.
Well, here’s Mary’s dope post in her own words……
Friends are truly the family we get to choose! One of my favorite scriptures on friendships is in Proverbs - "a friend loves at all times" (Proverbs 17:17a). This is so helpful to me because it challenges me to question where my heart is and if I love my friends from a sincere place. It really encourages me to be purposeful, which is what I want to focus on in this post.
Doing friendships on purpose!
I think there is a much different approach we must have in order to maintain and develop our adult friendships, than those we have had since childhood. To be purposeful in our friendships, we need to start by asking ourselves what that even looks like. I always thought I needed to be any and everything I could be to all of my friends all of the time! This caused me to sometimes go way beyond what was even necessary for a particular situation. Well according to that scripture, my purpose should be to love my friends at all times! ALL times? Really?!?! What a charge right??
Well in order for me to do this, I had to invite God into my friendships. It is easy to pray about my family and my romantic relationships, but before recently, I hardly (if ever) prayed about my friendships. Inviting God in and committing to praying about my friendships has enlightened me to quite a few things I needed to begin to doing on purpose.
The first way I sought to do friendship on purpose was learning to be accountable…
I have never really considered this as something that was important or anything I was interested in with my friends! LOL! I have always been pretty protective over my private life and being accountable meant giving someone else access to information that can sometimes be embarrassing and vulnerable. My adult friendships helped me realize how guarded I was around my own issues, insecurities, fears and failures. While I was happy to provide accountability for others, I quickly withdrew into myself and would not allow anyone into those deep places I am sure God was eager to heal in me through my friendships! Inviting God in, through prayer, has helped me understand why this is so important. With God, friends can stretch each other, check each other, affirm each other, celebrate together, cry together, and support each other and so much more!!
"Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 NLT
The second way I sought to do friendship on purpose was learning to walk in forgiveness…
This is a biggie for me!! All relationships that have access to feelings carry a risk as well…being hurt! Whether we hurt our friends or they hurt us, it is imperative for us to forgive both them and ourselves. Without forgiveness, we end up inviting a ton of other issues into the friendship (bitterness, shadiness, tension) and it is hard to move forward healthily. God has done quite a bit of work on me in this area. Sometimes it seems too hard to forgive when you have been betrayed or hurt, but the freedom I have experienced by choosing to forgive has been invaluable. The Bible helps us see that God wants us to live at peace with others, to be kind and forgiving and that there are benefits in it for us too!
“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:31-32 NLT
The third way I sought to do friendship on purpose was by being more committed…
Since we CAN choose our friends, sometimes it is easier to dump them too! Trust plays an important role in commitment. Without the wisdom of God, it is impossible to rightly determine who to trust, be vulnerable with and give that access to. Being committed to someone is to obligate yourself to that person and just like with forgiveness there is some risk attached to that. I think God wants us to commit to our friendships more and not jump overboard with every twist and turn of rejection or betrayal. There's a resilience we can learn in our friendships that can help both people grow tremendously!
“Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.” Ephesians 4:2-3 NLT
Lastly, the fourth way I sought to do friendship on purpose was to increase my self-awareness…
This point is sort of a combination of all the others, in that the self-awareness my friendships now provide me is crucial to knowing what is in my heart or lying beneath my surfaces that I cannot see. Because we cannot really experience ourselves the way our friends do, they are there to help us identify certain actions that are clear indicators of deeper problems. Without some of the things mentioned above (accountability, forgiveness, and commitment), it will be hard to allow our friends to actually help us with our heart checks…but the value is irreplaceable! True friends are able to genuinely, yet gently, help bring us into a revelation about ourselves and out of attachment to our negative behaviors and attitudes. THAT is love and "friends love at all times"!
I can honestly say that I am truly grateful for my friendship with Tot because we have had experience and growth in all four areas! Our friendship has endured a large amount of failures and successes and yet we are still really great friends! After some time, it was clear that our friendship had a purpose that was far beyond what we could see, but it was not until we both invited God in that we could begin to value the good, the bad, the ugly and the exciting. We are both extremely committed to being open and honest with each other in ways that stretch us beyond our limits!
We have recently figured out that although we share many of our views on life we are actually very different. Almost extreme opposites in some areas! She is pretty transparent, while I kind of prefer not to talk about most things. With transparency, she is open to way more criticism from me, the very thing I am ultimately trying to avoid! LOL! And through my privacy, I can often feel like my personal space is being invaded by her. Both scenarios have happened quite often and have threatened to be the end of our friendship on so many occasions!! LBVS!
Though at times very difficult, the great thing about letting God in to our friendship is that He is able to lead and direct our emotions, thoughts, responses and even energy toward dealing with the less than desirable aspects of each other’s personalities. We often have to stop and pray in the middle complicated conversations or tense situations in order to prevent a really bad argument or hurt feelings. Sometimes, because of our prayers and purposefulness, God will direct us to shelf certain topics until we are both able to deliver and receive from each other without any stress! God has helped increase our respect for each other’s emotional and physical space, and while this formula could never lead to perfection…the effects have been so positive!
The funny thing about this post being about doing friendships on purpose is how much it lines up with who Tot is and what her entire brand is about! One of her taglines is “Living Purposefully”. Upon meeting her, living on purpose was one of the first things I learned about life from her. We even joked about creating a workshop to help people Live Their Best Realities (we should trademark that.. LOL!) She actively helps me love on purpose, forgive on purpose, dress on purpose and even be a better mom on purpose. There are so many things she helps me figure out by way of accountability, forgiveness, commitment and increasing my self-awareness and I am a better woman for it!
On the flip-side, I have also left some impressions on her life as well! I helped her understand that God is a loving Father that desires a very personal relationship with each of us. I actively help her seek God more purposefully by fasting on purpose and praying on purpose for everything we could ever need…even those things we do not readily consider (i.e. your co-worker who won’t stop looking over your shoulder). I even help her grow creatively by challenging her with questions I am not always sure why I am asking LOL!! This all similarly comes by way of accountability, forgiveness, commitment and self-awareness, as in my life through her! While our friendship is still a work in progress, because of our decision to let God in, we help each other do our friendship on purpose!
Through our many peaks and valleys, we truly understand how iron sharpens iron and we now know that the lessons learned from our failures were actually meant to serve as the bridge to our greatest victories! This would have been completely and totally impossible without God. Our Father in Heaven, never intended for us to live life alone and He created the gift of friendship for our benefit in multiple ways. Purposeful friendships maintained through constant prayer and communication with God is my greatest lesson learned through my adult friendships. This purposefulness cannot happen without full dependence on your relationship with God. By cultivating your relationship with God first, all your other friendships will succeed as well!
“But seek first his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”. Matthew 6:33 NIV
Hello, Lovers! Happy Valentine’s Day 2017! I am so excited to share this post today. I wanted to discuss friendships here on...
