UO blazer (old), Kirna Zabete for Target blouse, Gap skinny trousers, Tory Burch booties (old), Super sunnies, M.A.C. lip pencil in Vino & Goes and Goes lipstick, personal jewelry

Happy Monday!

All most of the fuss has dwindled since the U.S. Presidential election is over, and for me personally, I am breathing easier and less anxiously (lol).

I tuned into Black Girls Rock last weekend, and was really inspired from it. It was a night filled with the celebration of women. I feel like I'm giving Janelle Monae with this outfit today. In her acceptance speech, she mentioned that she always wears her signature "uniform" to pay homage and respect to her parents. Her speech was really touching, you can check it out here, and view other clips from the show here.

I absolutely love this blouse! Isn't it great? I love the mixed patterns and the colors remind me of the ocean! Below are my favorite boots. I picked up these bad boys years ago, and I still wear them regularly. They're so fun, and super comfortable! Louis Vuitton has a very similar pair out now, but of course that isn't in my budget. And if it ain't broke, why fix it?

Here's another statement made by Alicia Keys that I felt was inspiring:

"Everything you want to be you already are, and you are on the path to discovering it."

I hope that was a little inspiration to get your week started! Keeping working towards your goals, you'll get there!

Oh yeah, Instagram has finally made web profiles. Here is mine if you want to check it out!

Have a great week!

-Kris

F21 necklace, sweater (similar here), and shoes, LEVI'S jeans via JCPenny (similar here), M.A.C. lip pencil in Vino, Laura Mercier Seduction lipstick, OPI Malaga wine nail polish, personal jewelry.

It was this time exactly one week ago, when all of us East Coasters were preparing for Hurricane Sandy.  That same time a year ago, we had a big snowstorm that left a lot of us without power, a lot of trees down, but in all, nothing too major.  And I think that's the attitude everyone had going into this storm. 

We were wrong.  

I luckily only lost power for a day, no flooding, no trees down on our property.  We were lucky.  Just down the road trees were uprooted, people are still without power, and lots of damage done to people's homes. To the extreme flooding in NY and NJ, my heart goes out to any and everyone affected by the storm.

It's never too late to help.  Whether it's donating $10 to RedCross (by texting REDCROSS to 90999), volunteering your time at a local shelter, or donating clothes to people that may have lost theirs in the hurricane.  People are still suffering from Hurricane Sandy.  Don't know where to start?  Search your state website or do a basic google search on "Sandy Relief" to find ways to help, if you can!

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NOW GETTING PAST THE HEAVY STUFF!  Whew!

Let's talk about the 'fit.  Oxblood/Bordeaux/Burgundy, whatever you want to call it, I like it.  It's such a rich color, and perfect for fall/winter months, so I say yes to the trend.  What do you guys think?  Are you incorporating this color into your wardrobe this season?

The U.S. Presidential election is less than 2 days away and it's no secret who I'll be voting for... I usually go in on my beliefs/opinion/statistics on my twitter page, so I'll save you the rants (lol).  But I do encourage you to use your voice.  Go out and VOTE!

Have a great week guys!

-Kris

Today is my blog anniversary technically, it was yesterday to be specific!  But for the sake of celebrating, we can all virtually celebrate together on this day *cue virtual ballons, hors d'oeuvres and cocktails.*  I can't believe it has already been two years since I started this blog-- and it certainly has been a great journey so far!  I feel comfortable with my style (writing & fashion sense), and I also have to be honest and say that I take blogging seriously.  So much goes into creating and maintaining a blog.  It can be very time consuming, and I always want to produce something that leaves you with thought, motivation, and perspective, rather than just posting photos of my outfits, and stating that I'm meeting up with my boyfriend to grab a Starbucks. #noshade

TJ Maxx hat & vest, F21 sweater (similar here), Gap skinny trousers, Banana Republic boots (old), personal jewelry

And what would my blog be if it weren't for you all who read it?  I can't say thank you enough to everyone who supports my blog by subscribing, commenting, tweeting, Facebooking, spreading the word!  You all are my motivation to keep going, I'm so blessed to have such great support from you! 

To tell you a bit about the scenery here, these photos were taken at a place called, "God's Acre."  I don't know if you can tell with all the leaves, but it is a graveyard-- which also happens to be a part of the campus where I work lol.  The name comes from the Moravian belief that bodies of the dead are "sown as seeds" in God's Acre, or field, so that they can rise again when Jesus returns to the world.  The Moravians were also strong believers of equality, in life and in death, and every gravestone is made up of the same material and size so that no one is more superior than the next.  Deep, right? #historylessonMondays?

Like many of you, I'm spending my Monday at home since Hurricane Sandy has called many Northeastern states into a "State of Emergency."  I pray that she has mercy on us, and that minimal damage is done.  Plus, I would really rather not lose power so I can catch up on blog reading, amongst many other things #firstworldproblems... But seriously, be safe guys!

I'm also obsessed with hashtagging everything now.  Darn you twitter!  I will try to keep #-ing to a minimum in future posts. #icantmakeanypromises (lol)

-Kris 

I've gotten a face lift!!  Well, not me of course, but my blog!  You like?  And my commenting system is easy breezy!  You are no longer required to have a google account to leave me a message.  You can now be logged into twitter, Facebook, Google, etc. to do so.  Easy as pie!  I look forward to reading them :)

TJ Maxx hat, Chanel glasses (similar here)), The Limited blazer, F21 denim shirt (similar here), thrifted mens Levi jeans, Dolce Vita boots (similar here), personal jewelry

I thrifted these jeans while I was in NYC a few weekends ago.  Found them in the men's section, for a whopping $5!  I wanted a "dropped crotch" baggy look, while still maintaining somewhat of a figure haha.  I think this purchase goes along greatly with my "spending freeze," right Mom?

Oh, and thanks for letting me borrow your fab turquoise necklace as well (I'll miss borrowing her  wardrobe when I leave home)!  :/

As mentioned in my last post (I'm always referencing back), I stated how I had a big interview coming up.  Well, that interview happened, and it went VERY well!  That is all I will tell you for now.

Thank you to everyone who kept me in their thoughts and prayers!  You guys are AWESOME!

I've been listening to one of my favorite albums lately, Kind of Blue.  It's such a classic album, and listening to it makes me want to fall in love.  My favorite tracks are Flamenco Sketches and Blue in Green.  Gorgeous!  Lastly, on the topic of love, my 90 year old Pop Pop tells me after watching an hour of Bridezillas together, that I should just skip the wedding and elope in Vegas.  Thanks for the advice Pop Pop!

-Kris

How do you like my hair?

I'll start this post with a little story.  I saw a lady whom I hadn't seen since my early college years, and she asked me if I'm dating, then proceeds with, "WOW, I thought for sure you'd be married by NOW!"

I was a little taken aback from her statement.  I'm a young 20 something (turned 24 this past summer), out of college for only 2 years,  still living at home with my parents since economic hardships prevent me from living in New York City on my own at this present time, but she expected me to already be MARRIED??

Am I missing something here?  I plan to have a career before marriage anyway, so marriage is not really a priority for me.  But speaking of my career...

As I stated in my last post, I went to NYC for the weekend, and let me tell you- it was absolutely grand!  I stayed with my friend Nicky, and it was like a big college reunion! I got to see many of my guy and girlfriends I hadn't seen in at least a year, and it was great catching up with everyone!  I had fun exploring the nightlife in Brooklyn, fooding, thrifting, and also attending Nicky's show (she KILLED IT btw)!  Traveling around the city, I kept bumping into Berklee alums- it was pretty awesome, and I did some networking with a few bloggers while I was there too!

I realized during the trip, in consulting with my girlfriends who are musicians/music industry folks as well, that I'm just going to have to take a leap of faith and move there (which is what they all actually did).  I'm going to save a bulk of money from now all through the summer, and just go.  The economy isn't holding me back, I am holding myself back.  With my job now, I'll have a year more of experience in the specific field I want to work in, I'm more financially stable, and I might as well do it while I'm still a young independent!  NYC is all about the grind, and that's what I have to do.  I have to create the opportunity, not wait for the opportunity.  Furthermore, I can't continue to worry about what everyone else thinks I should do.  I am in control of myself, and now is a better time than ever to do it!

Really committing to this (I plan to move by the end of next summer), I'm going on a spending freeze.  I have a certain amount of money that I WILL save before moving.  I can easily get a job at a restaurant to pay dem bills while looking for a job...  But I actually have a meeting coming up for a potential employment opportunity (career affiliated) in the city, so I'll keep you guys posted!

I'm of course not excited about this spending freeze, but I actually have come up with some ways to make this kind of fun!  That'll be in the next post ;)

Another thing I realized while in the city, is that footwear is everything.  I love to wear heels, especially heeled boots, and I actually survived all weekend wearing various pairs.  My trick?  Dr. Scholl's for her high heel inserts.  LIFE CHANGING.  Get you some!

H&M jacket (old), Gap Sweater (similar here), Rachel Roy scarf (gifted), Loft corduroy cropped trousers (similar here), Joan & David leather boots (old), Super sunglasses (here), Michael Kors watch (here)

My best friend is also FINALLY back from Germany, after a year away!  She surprised me by jumping out of my closet as I entered my room as soon as I got back from New York.  She scared the living daylight out of me and Leilani, who was also at my house at the time (we were set up)!!  I'm so glad she's back!

I'll leave you with one last thought.  Something I posted on my Facebook status, that I'll be keeping in mind:

"I'm realizing that you can't wait around for the right time or opportunity to occur.  Sometimes you have to make that opportunity happen in your own time.  Which for me, is right now.  3 days in NYC have really solidified what I want and NEED to do to get to where I want to be.  I'm excited for my future.  Putting things into my own hands!"

-Kris