Shadowing Anita Blanton…

Anita Blanton is an phenomenal news anchor and journalist that I have admired for the  last few years. The first time I watched Anita Blanton on the news I was immediately drawn to her infectious personality and by the way she carried herself. She then became my favorite news anchor!  From that moment on I always made sure that I never missed watching her segments on the news! Fun fact:  She and I share the same birthday!  

On last Wednesday I had the amazing opportunity to shadow her. It was by far one of the most amazing experiences that I’ve ever had. The entire day was everything that I imagined and more!

Anita welcomed me with her infamous smile along with a hug! She took me on a tour of the news station and introduced me to just about everyone that worked there. Not only was every single person that I met at WAVY News 10 so nice, but they gave great advice and were genuinely interested in learning a little about me. All throughout the day Anita explained different aspects of her job and went into detail about how things were done. I got to see and experience how a news station runs on a daily basis, along with how everyone works together to get the job done. I especially loved being on set and watching Anita along with the other anchors report the news live. It was one of my favorite moments of the day!

At the end of the day Anita and I sat down where she then went on to share her career journey with me. She discussed her great moments, hardships, and most of all she kept it real. I truly appreciated her honesty and sharing so freely about her career. Not only did she give me excellent advice, but she intently listened when I expressed and shared different things with her. One thing that she said that stuck with me was to make sure that I made the best decisions for myself and to enjoy my journey along the way.

I am truly grateful for Ms. Blanton for giving me the opportunity to shadow her! I can definitely say that this was one of the most amazing moments that I’ve had in college. It was an experience that I will cherish for a lifetime.

It’s been a while…

It’s been a long while since I’ve blogged or let alone had the courage to actually come to terms with whether I wanted to continue blogging or not. I haven’t felt passionate about blogging in a while. To be completely honest I haven’t even missed blogging during these last two months.

I’m a writer and I’ve always loved writing. However, for the last few months every time I tried writing I immediately started doubting myself. I just couldn’t do it. I knew that I was a good writer but I kept doubting that I was actually good at it. That left me frustrated, angry, and confused.

I hadn’t told anyone this until one day my cousins and I were talking in our group chat. I wasn’t having a good day, so I just spilled the beans on everything that I was dealing with. In this very moment I was broken and had no idea why God was allowing me to go through this. My cousins poured encouragement into me and I immediately began to feel better. They promised me that I was not in this alone because they too had once experienced this.

As of right now I am in the process of getting my groove back! YASSSSSSS! I am taking it one day at a time and allowing myself to be okay with not having it all together right now. I’m a planner and I put time limits on different things that I want to do with my life. So when I hit this roadblock to me it felt like everything was messed up.

Last week I was listening to Joel Osteen and one thing that he said that stuck with me was that you can’t put time limits on what God has planned for you. CONVICTION. From that moment on I became okay with not knowing exactly where God is taking me. The beauty in this is that I am finding out who I truly am. I’m realizing that God puts you in certain situations sometimes to get your attention. I know for a fact that He is allowing me to go through this, because MY greater is on the way. I’m trusting my journey and His plan for me. When you trust Him in spite of your situations or circumstances He rewards you in the most amazing way.

As for blogging there won’t be a consistent schedule for new posts. I’m only going to blog when I feel led to do so. I might not be blogging as frequently as I used to, but just know that I ain’t going anywhere!

Also, feel free to follow me on Instagram because I share a lot up there! I am ALL the way present over there!

Remember to live in the moment and trust that everything is going to happen in its perfect timing.

That’s all for now. I promise that I’ll talk to ya’ll soon!

The shift dress…

Shift dresses happen to be one of my favorite style of dresses. They compliment my figure and they are so comfortable!

I was shopping in Old Navy a few weeks ago and this dress was the first thing that I spotted when I walked in. I loved everything about it and I knew that I absolutely had to have it! The icing on the cake is that it was on sale for $15! It comes in three colors, but I am so upset that I only got one. However, I checked online and the other colors are still in stock! You better believe that I will be purchasing them!

As you can see I took my braids out! This is my first time wearing my natural hair since I cut it back in June. This is the shortest that I have worn my natural hair ever! To be honest I don’t really don’t like my hair at at this length, but I have been getting compliments on it like crazy! My family and friends love it too, but it seems like I am the only one who doesn’t like it! I think that I just have to get use to it being this length.

Dress: Old Navy | Boots: Dillard’s | Necklace: Forever 21 | Watch: Marc Jacobs

Body & skin favorites…

I am obsessed with body and skincare products! I not only like my body to smell good, but I like for it to feel silky and smooth! I’ve been using these six products for a while now and I absolutely love them. They not only are amazing, but the price of them is perfect too! All of these products are under $10!

1. Nivea creme: When I first get out the shower I put on baby oil while my body it still wet. Then I put this on my body for extra moisture. It keeps my skin moisturized all day long and it smell amazing. Some cremes have a tendency to be too thick, this one a great consistency and it glides on your body well. It also isn’t greasy so, you don’t have to worry about it transferring on your clothes.
2. Johnson & Johnson – Baby Moisture Wash (Vanilla Oatmeal): This is a creamy body wash and the scent is very light and feminine which is what I love the most about it.
3. Caress – Fine Fragrance Body Wash (Love Forever/Adore Forever): This is the world’s first body wash with fragrance release pearls that causes the scent to last on the body for 12 hours unlike other body washes. The scent actually lasts all throughout the day! The first day that I used this body wash I had forgotten to put on perfume and I got compliments from people all day telling me how good I smelled. So, if you aren’t a big perfume wearer this body wash is perfect for you!
4. Dove – Cream Oil lotion (Shea butter): I am a huge fan of Dove products! So, when I tried this lotion I knew that I would more than likely be pleased with it. This is the best lotion that I have ever used. This lotion is better than others because it is very creamy and it provides your skin with moisture all day long.
5. Olay Daily Exfoliating Body Wash: I like using an exfoliating product on my skin daily because it helps keeping my body smooth all year around especially during the winter months. I use this prodcut in the shower right before I use my regular body wash. This is a creamy exfoliating product that isn’t harsh or rough on your skin at all.
6. EOS Ultra Moisturizing Shaving Cream – Vanilla Bliss: This is the best shaving cream that I have ever used! It’s more like a shaving lotion instead of a cream and that is what I like the most about it. Not only does it smell amazing, but it keeps you legs and armpits moisturized after shaving.

Please be sure to let me know if you try any of these products!

Let’s connect: Instagram | Twitter | Bloglovin

Moto jacket + stripes…

I had been looking for the perfect moto jacket  forever, but I couldn’t find one that was just right. At the beginning of the summer I was browsing around Target and I came across several moto jackets on clearance. I tried on several and I finally found a black one that I had to have. I got it on sale for $12! It fit perfectly and I’ll be wearing this one with my casual looks. I am still on the search for a dressy one and H&M usually has cute ones in there, so I’ll be going in there soon.

I wore this look last week when it was super chilly and I wasn’t in the mood to be too dressed up for class. The weather was perfect to finally wear my moto jacket so I was thrilled! I chose to pair it with a stripped top, because I happen to be obsessed with any and everything stripped. I have so many stripped shirts that its ridiculous, but who cares! I threw on some jeans along with oh so comfy UGGs because they’re my favorite shoes during the fall and winter.

Moto jacket: Target | Stripped top: H&M | Jeans: JCPenny’s | Boots: UGGS – Bailey Button

How to wear a duster… | Part 1

I am completely obsessed with dusters! They are must haves for my wardrobe this fall and winter. I have been buying new ones for my wardrobe since the end of the summer. I just can’t resist buying them when I come across super cute ones! Not only are they stylish, but they are so versatile! I also love them because I am not a fan of wearing a coat, so they are perfect for fall days.

In this look I paired this grey duster with a stripped shirt and pair of jeans. I was running errands when I wore this look, but I still wanted to look cute. It was comfortable and perfect for the chilly fall day.

Duster: JCPenny’s | Stripped top: Cotton On | Jeans & Flats: Target

Black and white… | Collaboration with Asa of Lace and Pearls

Today is the final day of my collaboration with Asa of Lace & Pearls! Asa is one of the sweetest ladies ever! I am so happy that she happily accepted the invitation to do this challenge with me when I asked her.

The second and final look of our collaboration with is the classic black and white! Pairing black and white is so easy to do, so it was a no brainier when Asa and I were deciding what looks we wanted to do. The black dress is pretty simple, but the kimono is what completed this entire look. Kimonos are a staple in my wardrobe because they can be paired with so much!

Kimono: Target | Dress: Cotton On | Necklace: Forever 21

Let’s connect: Instagram | Twitter | Bloglovin

Chambray & lace… | Collaboaration with Asa of Lace & Pearls

I am so happy to be collaborating with Asa of Lace & Pearls this week! Be sure to check out her blog if you haven’t already. Asa is one of the sweetest ladies ever! She also happens to be very stylish. Though we’ve never met each other in person, but I consider her one of my blogging friends! However, I do hope that we get the chance to meet each other one day! For our collaboration we both created two looks based upon our personal style.

The first look of our collaboration is about all about chambray. I am a total fan of chambray! It is classic and you can pair it with just about anything. I decided to pair my favorite chambray shirt with a lace skirt. I had been wanting to pair these two items together for a while, but I hadn’t had a chance to. I absolutely loved this look!

Chambray shirt: Walmart | Skirt: Joe Fresh – JCPenny’s | Flats: Target | Necklace: Forever 21 | Watch: Movado

Be sure to check out the second look on Thursday!

Let’s connect: Instagram | Twitter | Bloglovin

Be brave and willing…

Sometimes you have to be willing to let go even when it hurts…

Often times we want someone or something so bad, but time and time again things just don’t work out. Not only is this exhausting, but it affects you mentally and physically. If you have tried time and time again but your efforts are not coming together maybe the next best option is to let go. That does not mean that you are quitting, but it symbolizes you releasing something that just isn’t good for you anymore. Not only is this a scary feeling but is also makes you brave. Yes, it makes you brave! It takes a strong person to let go of someone or something because the feeling that comes after they or it is gone hurts like hell.  It might hurt for a period of time, but only you have the power to make YOU happy.

BE BRAVE AND WILLING.

Current beauty favorites…

As you all know I am addicted to beauty products! However, I do not post about beauty products up here often. That is totally silly of them! I will definitely be making it a habit of sharing about beauty products more often.

For the last month these three products have become a staple in my beauty regimen! I seriously cannot get enough of them. My skin has been looking AH-MAZING because of these products!

1. NYX – Matte Finish Makeup Setting Spray: This finishing spray is the absolute truth! After I am done applying my makeup  I spritz this on my face two times. It leaves my skin hydrated and it keeps it looking matte all day.
2. Maybelline Fit Me – Dewy + Smooth: During the week this is my go to foundation! It is super lightweight and it gives me the perfect amount of coverage. I also love it because it has an SPF in it!
3. Mineral Fusion – Skin Balancing Moisturizer: I came across this foundation when I shopping in Bed Bath & Beyond. I had heard about this product before and when I saw that it was on sale I decided to give it a try. The regular price for it is $23, but I purchased it one sale for $9. That was another reason that made me purchase it! It is a creamy lightweight moisturizer that does not leave your face greasy. It is age-defying with natural antioxidants and it is 100% vegan!

All three of these products are amazing! Your skincare and beauty regimen should always enhance your skin. The goal to having healthy skin is finding out what products work best for you!

Also, if you happen to try out any of these products please let me know!