1/19/18

Cough... Hey Girl!



What's up! I am literally writing this knowing full well that it may not reach many. I haven't posted since 2016! But that's about to change! I missed this space! I missed being able to share tidbits of my day along with a style post here and there.



The truth is I didn't know how to navigate the space anymore. I felt like having kids and writing about it would completely be the nail in the coffin for my style readers. So I tried to create spaces where the two (being a mom and being style blogger) were exclusive. So, I lost my way.

Honestly, I was running away from being a mommy blogger who was sharing "tmi" about potty training. But that's who I am. (Not the "tmi" part) Along with still being a teacher (I will fill you in on that soon), trying my hand at a new business and still caring about cultivating my style.

Then I realized why do they have to be separate? God's Favorite Shoes means more than just a cute shoe. I will share more on that later.

So, really this post is just to say I will be back. You will see changes and there will be a completely new look and vibe being unveiled in March. If you are still reading, drop a comment and tell me what you would like to read more about? Parenting? Teaching? Style? Marriage? Or just say hi!  (I'm not promoting this post on social media so this will for sure only reach my old faithfuls!)

Hey girl!!!

11/11/16

When Doves Cry



I can't even find the words to describe this week. 
Election week. 
One for the books. 
Still trying to find the words. 
Instead, I will let you into my random thoughts...




1.  I need to call my brothers (my real biological brothers) and tell them to be careful. They are for sure a direct threat to anyone who fears tall, strong, black men. No really. 
2. People are going to take this win and allow it to justify (and expose) the true hate in their hearts. 
3. I'm scared for my children. They are going to grow up in a society where being OPENLY hateful will be tolerated and sometimes celebrated. 
4. How do I teach my children to have a strong sense of self but still be careful with their words because everyone doesn't care for them the way that mama does. 
5. I can't allow this "win" to dictate how I am going to handle myself. I was dope before "the win" (I refuse to type his name) and I'm dope after this win. I refuse to allow this to diminish who God says I am. 



6. God is really in control. 
7. This is really going to empower those cowards who have no souls and already suffer from the God Complex to be even more blatantly bold against minorities.  
8. Why does the Electoral College even exist in 2016?



9. I'm going to miss President Obama and MY First Lady Michele! 
10.  I can't believe Michael Jackson and Prince are really dead! (Still not over Whitney either)  

But most of all...get into this cape t-shirt! I'm allowed to be shallow at a time like this!


Get Shirt Here
Jeans here
Shoes here



(Side note: I have dropped a few pounds since this summer, (24 to be exact) so it was hella hard to do this photo shoot at a yogurt shop!)

11/1/16

Warby Parker For The Win!






If you know me, you know I believe in investing in cute glasses. If you MUST wear glasses, PLEASE LORD, let them at least be cute! 
I recently ordered some glasses from Warby Parker and I am obsessed with them! 
Obsessed! 
And today they launched a new collection! 


The newest collection is especially perfect as we transition into cooler temps. 
Edgy, vintage yet classy is what Warby Parker does well.
And this new collection is no exception! 

I was given a preview of the new collection and these were my absolute favorites. 
I love a classic shape with a a little something unexpected and edgy. 






What I love the most are the consistent price points. 
A reasonable price for something you have to wear every single day is always a win in my book!
Click here to check out the latest collection and tell me which ones you love! 

I am a semi-collector of frames so I see a new pair from the collection coming soon! ("See" what I did there! Ha!) 




*The glasses I am wearing are not part 
of the new collection. These are the first pair that I purchased from Warby Parker that made me fall in love with the brand*

Product Images Provided by Warby Parker
All other photos by LaCoste Photography



10/17/16

The "You Got Kids So You Have To Take Them To The Pumpkin Patch" Post




Shoes: Here
Scarf: Here
Jumpsuit: Here




The Mini-Me's are getting so big. 
Zara's vocabulary is so crazy. 
And Mr. Man has mastered walking without crash landings finally. 
Life is good. 
How are you guys?



Zara's Vest: Here
Zara's Dress: Here

8/29/16

Are Blogs Still Hot in the Streets?


I hadn't really planned on writing about this. 
It kind of just popped in my head. 
Then I thought, why don't I just ask? 
Are you over blogs?
(I realize the irony of that question considering you are reading my blog right now but just go with the flow!) 



Blogging has changed so much since I started about eight years ago. 
It's a great way to make money now. 
I wasn't even thinking about that when I started blogging! 
I regret being behind the cuve ball on that! 
I am now trying to find new ways to monetize what has been my special little corner of the internets but it's hard out here in these streets. 



A lot of blogs have come and gone. 
But what makes you stick around? 
Do you have any die hard blogs that you still can't wait to read every day/week?
Do you think social media such as Instagram and Snapchat are easier to digest than whole blogposts?
Are you over them? 
Tell it! 








Dress here 
Bag is my old favorite, no longer available from Zara
Shoes here
P.S. I am loving mixing silver and gold jewelry together lately


Photography by Lacoste Photography

8/25/16

Patience is NOT My Ministry!




I am literally waiting on some news and a few other things to happen right now. 
Like literally waiting on a specific call to come through that will ultimately affect my life in the next few years. 
But I've been waiting for over a week. 
And it's killing me! 



I'm trying to be all zen and all like "whatever happens is supposed to happen when it is supposed to happen," but really I am screaming inside. 



I also am waiting on the baby boy to walk! 
He turned 1 a few weeks ago and I know he can do it. 
He has taken two steps sporadically but we are still waiting on one solid stride to happen. 
The crazy part is that he can climb a full flight of steps with great ease!



But, I am still waiting nonetheless. 
I am sure there is a great scripture about patience that I could google. 
But I really just want things to happen already!!! 

LOL! 


You can find this ASOS dress here...I have it in 4 colors because I'm obsessed. 
You can't see the shoes but here they are and on sale! 
My necklace is sold out from Zara but here is a really cute one from Forever 21
Bangles here ( I usually buy 3 sets at a time)



8/3/16

MAMA IS BACK! (Travel Noire)



I celebrated my 5th year wedding anniversary in Cancun! 
Hubby and I stayed at The Finest Playa Mujeres Resort. 
IT. WAS. AMAZING! 
AMAZING. 
It was the chicest, dopest, cleanest, most modern resort I've ever been to. 
(P.S. This was my first time at a resort lol) 


Do yourself and your boo a favor and book a week or weekend there! 
You won't regret it. Seriously. 
It's nowhere near the "strip" where all of the other resorts are in Cancun. 
I wish I had taken pics of everything but I was kinda in "chill mode" the whole time but if you follow me on Snapchat, I'm sure you saw glimpses of it! 
I'm a creature of habit which means we will be going back with the kids. 
I loved it that much that I don't even want to bother looking for a new spot...unless I am doing a paid resort review of course! 

(THESE PICS ARE NOT FROM THE RESORT!


But I did wear this oufit at the resort (as seen on Instagram).
I got it from Grass-Fields
I had to do the typical alterations like cut off about 2 inches off the bottom and add straps to the top...you know my standard tweeks. 



I felt amazing in this two piece. I'm kinda into matching sets lately, which means I am probably about to overdo it until I hate them. 
But right now, they give me life! 






(I was not paid to write about Finest Playa Mujeres Resort. It was just that dope!) 
Again these pics were not taken at the resort. 


Find Shoes Here
Here is a cute African Print 2 Piece 
Outfit from Grass-Fields here
Forever 21 bracelets here

7/25/16

Grateful!!





All day the word grateful has been swirling in my spirt. 
So here are some things I am grateful for lately...

NINE WEST Indira Heels found here 

1. I am grateful to celebrate my 5th year wedding anniversary this week! Can you believe it! It's been 5 years! 
2. I am grateful that we will be enjoying a much anticipated anniversary vacation near a beach! 
3. I am grateful that I don't look like what I have been through in the last year, especially the last month! 
4. I am grateful that I serve a God that does not keep a running tab of all the things he has done for me or how many times I have let him down. I would be in trouble if he did. 
5. I am grateful that my little baby boy is about to celebrate his first birthday in a few days!




What are you grateful for?






Set: Grassfields (here) 

Truth Zone: I ordered this two piece set from Grassfields. They specialize in African print modern pieces. You know I'm the queen of alterations so I took it to "my people" to get a few adjustments done. I had to almost re-design the top because I am soooooo top heavy. So my tailor and I decided to rouche the top and make it into a bikini top. Also, I am a shorty and I felt that the print was too overwhelming for my height so I had it turned into a midi skirt to show a little skin. I bought it for my anniversary trip to (Cancun) so it is the perfect piece to bring with me. (My 5 year wedding anniversary is this Saturday:)  Overall, I do enjoy Grassfields for their price points. Nothing a little visit to my favorite tailor can't fix. 

(Don't forget to Pin any of the looks you like from the blog on Pinterest!)








7/13/16

Confessions of an Entrepreneur







God is really teaching me a lot of lessons this year. 
I'm learning quite the lesson in business, entrepreneurship, about myself, expectations, family, friendships, faith...well basically LIFE. 



I mentioned in the previous post that this month marks a year that I have been offically a business owner. 
I thought that it would be kinda cool to compile a quicklist of the lessons I have learned so far. 



1. Just start. I can't say this enough. If you have an idea. A gift. A business. Whatever it is. Start now. There will never be a perfect time. 

2. Be authentic. Be Yourself. In the short time that I've been on this "create what you existed" journey, I have learned that there will always be someone who might lift your idea. The thing is that anybody, can steal your style, your words, even your pictures, but they can never BE YOU. DO YOU. THINK LIKE YOU. It's impossible for someone to replicate you. 

3. People will tell you how awesome your idea may be or say they are going to support you, but don't expect it. I think it's human nature for people to nod their heads when another person is talking but that doesn't mean they will use your services or buy your products. Be okay with that. Keep trying to find your target audieence. There is an audience for everything. The only one who should be passionate about your business is YOU. You can't expect that same passion from everyone else. 


4. Manage your expectations when it comes to support from your family or friends. I learned this the hard way.  For some reason, it's much easier for a stranger to sow a seed into your business than someone you know. (There are exceptions of course.). I don't know the science behind it but now I try to support my friends and family in their businesses by becoming a customer/client...because I know how it feels. 

5. Be flexible. I started God's Favorite Surprises originally as a concierge service to send cards and flowers to encourage other women. That business model has changed so much so that I now sell exclusive t-shirts and cards to send as  surprise gifts. I am even adding a few more things to my services like hosting "Gratitude Pop-Up Shops"  for conferences/events. A year ago, that never existed....what a difference a year makes. 



6. Nobody has it all figured out. You can have the best business model in the world but until you actively are in business, you will figure out fast that you are probably a fish out of water. THAT'S OKAY! Figure it out and keep it moving. 

7.  Open your mouth! Closed mouths don't get fed. I am not a natural hustler/social butterfly. I have to work hard to mingle, socialize and network. But over the past few months, I've had to step out of my comfort zone and simply let me people know what I do. I don't have time to be shy about it.  God keeps opening doors for me that I didn't even know existed. 

8. Don't limit yourself. You can be good at more than one thing. You don't have to box yourself into one thing. I have this style blog and I have a concierge business. I try to make both of them work for me in some way! 


"You Are So Dope" tee from God's Favorite Surprises  (here)
Skirt: ASOS (Similar here)
Necklace: @Frugalfindsnyc
Shoes: Nine West ( here )

Earrings: H&M ( here )
Hat: H&M ( here )


9. Don't allow someone to tell you that you don't deserve to be in the business you are creating. I struggled with that. But really, it's not really my business what other people think of me or think about what I do. 


Bonus! Be open to collaborations! Collaborations are a good thing. It allows you to breathe new life into an old idea. 
With all of that said, this post doesn't mean I have it all figured out. I struggle everyday. It's hard to keep your business relevant in a sea of so many businesses popping up everyday. 
But there is a place for my business. 
There is a need for what I do. 
I stand firmly in that. 
Who knows. 
Next year might find me back in a traditional classroom (sigh), but I still stand by every lesson learned. 

La Coste Photography

“The only way that we can live, is if we grow. The only way that we can grow is if we change. The only way that we can change is if we learn. The only way we can learn is if we are exposed. And the only way that we can become exposed is if we throw ourselves out into the open. Do it. Throw yourself.” 

What have you learned about entrepreneurship? 
Are you sitting on a business and still want launch it? WHY? 
Let me know in the comments! 
Feel free to share this past! 
Sharing is caring! 

7/6/16

Hot Sauce In My Bag! (Anniversary Time!)





Guess what! 
Today marks an exact year that my little business, God's Favorite Surprises has been in existence! 
Well, at least publicly!
That was the first time that I publicly introduced my new venture (really an adventure) to you! 
I am so proud of myself. 
Because I kept with it. 
I'm still trying. 
I'm still going. 
How many can really say that? 
Like really. 




It's not easy. 
It's not always rewarding. 
But I believe in it. 
I believe in the movement probably even more than I did a year ago. 
To suprise someone who has invested in you with a simple gift of gratitude. 
That's all to it really. 
It's not about the expense. 
It's not about the card. 
It's about the simple gesture of letting someone know that they are dope. 
We all get busy. 
We all have something pressing to do. 
And that's exactly why my business exists, to fill in the gap for you. 
I saw a need for something and decided to fulfill that need. 
And really, considering what we see in the news EVERYDAY, can you really argue with the spirit of my business at all?



I had to take my off cutesy heels for this shot! LOL The things we do so that our pretty shoes won't get ant infested!

Nine West Heels (Here)

My next post will be a reflection on my first year as an entrepreneur and what's next for this year. 
For now, I'm going to have the hubby make me a Lemon Drop Martini and work on the Anniversary GiveAway fro God's Favorite Surprises. 
See you next week. 



And not for nothing, if you have been "waiting" to do something. 
Waiting for the perfect timing...
Don't. 
Just do it. 
So you can look back a year later and say I DID IT. 
I EFFING DID IT! 
(Mind you that I was 8.5 months pregnant when I launched!)
(I said the real cuss word in my head) 

P.S. You can purchase the limited edition "You Are So Dope" tee right here!
Buy one for you but most importantly, let us surprise somene with it FOR YOU!
That's what we do! 

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