What I Wore in SD

First of all I have to say please forgive me because this post is so late. Memorial Day weekend I took a last-minute trip to San Diego and fell in love. It’s such a beautiful city made up of diverse landscape, culture and food … all some my favorite things. I spent most of my time exploring, walking and taking in the sites. So, I made sure that I packed comfortable clothes and shoes. It was probably my first trip where the majority of the shoes in my luggage were sneakers. My top highlights were visiting the Japanese Friendship Garden, going to a Padres game and having dinner at Juniper and Ivy. I also really enjoyed La Jolla Cove and Coronado Island. The Japanese Friendship Garden is absolutely stunning and so serene. The San Diego padres stadium is one of the coolest stadiums that I’ve visited. and Juniper and Ivy, well there is no explaining it, you just have to visit. Food a 10, ambiance a 10 and service a 10. Actually, I take that back, the food is a 15. Anyway, you get the point. Well enough about that, I know you came to see what I wore. First of all, I bought nothing new…I told you it was a last minute trip. Second of all, comfort was key…I did a lot of walking and it was chilly in the morning and evening . And lastly, I wore lots of dresses…I hate checking a bag and dresses take up less space. 

So here’s what I wore in SD!

Do Your Research

Everyone knows that I love shopping. Everyone knows that I love beautifiul clothing. Everyone knows that I love good sales.  Well one thing you might not know, I despise feeling gypped. Well that extends to shopping. If I buy anything from food to clothes, and I don't believe the price fair, that's problamatic. Well I've recently been doing a lot of online dress shopping for an upcoming wedding. And ya'll know I love weddings too. Like most of my occasions, I buy tons of dresses and then return the ones that I don't like. Well this week, while shopping, I came across the exact same dress at Eloquii and Shein. I shouldn't have been surprised because I follow a woman on IG who often compares various brands to Shein including Zara. So I knew this was a thing, I'd just never experienced it. Well now I can say that I have. The only difference between the two dresses, other than the price of course, is the color. The dress at Eloquii is red and the one at Shein comes in green and apricot (aka gold). However, the price is the real WTF. Well we all know Shein stuff be dirt cheap so I aint even going to ask ya'll which one you think was the gypper. However, can you guess how much more the Eloquii dress is being sold for? Well, let's just say there is a 400% markup. Yes, that's right. The Shein dress is being sold for $30 and the Eloquii dress for $120. Now to play devil's advocate, I'm sure the Eloquii dress is higher quality and maybe even slightly better made. However, let's not downplay Shein. I have purchased many items from Shein and majority of the time (I'd even go as far as to say 90% of the time) the items are good quality. As a matter of fact, I can only recall two items that were so badly made that I never wore them. Actually they're in a bag for Goodwill that I've been saying I'm going to dropoff for months. Well, check out the two dresses below and don't forget to do your research. In fact, I'll share with you a cool trick that I recently learned. If you have the Google app on your phone, you can upload a picture or take a picture of any item and Google will do a search for you. So for example, you can upload a picture of the Eloquii dress and find similar items at other stores. If you already knew that, kudos to you (I was just put on game a few months ago). And if you didn't know that, you're welcome. Happy Shopping!!!

https://www.eloquii.com/mini-satin-wrap-dress/1248222.html?dwvar_1248222_colorCode=41&index=9&item_list_id=search_results&item_list_name=Search%20Results 

https://us.shein.com/SHEIN-Plus-Solid-Belted-Wrap-Satin-Dress-p-9942204-cat-3099.html?src_identifier=st%3D2%60sc%3Dgreen%20dress%20plus%20size%60sr%3D0%60ps%3D1&src_
module=search&src_tab_page_id=page_home1653179949864&scici=Search~~EditSearch~~1~~green_
20dress_20plus_20size~~~~0

Why Not?

About a month ago I was chatting with a friend and she asked me about my recent trip to Italy. I exclaimed "it was beautiful, the food was good, the weather was surprisingly nice for winter in Europe," etc. etc."Her reply, you're always on the go." My reply, still excited, "Yeah, girl! As a matter of fact I'm headed to Antigua, Guatemala in about two weeks for my birthday."  She, now obviously annoyed with my galavanting, yells "GUATEMALA? Why do you want to go there?" My reply, now confused by her response and tone "why not?" Her response, well she didn't respond. Therefore, I elaborated, "I've never been, it looks beautiful and historic. So, why not?" I have yet to get a response to my "why not" question. She was not the only person who asked me why I'm going to Guatemala. And that question totally baffled me every time. I want to go EVERYWHERE. I can't imagine not traveling to unknown parts of the world. One co-worker said, "isn't Guatemala dangerous?" Well isn't everywhere dangerous. Yesterday, nearly two dozen people were injured during a shooting in the New York subway. I've been there many, many times and I've never been asked why I'm going to New York. I live and work in the DC area. And according to Crime Grade, DC's crime rating is a C and a crime occurs every 3 minutes (on average) in the Washington metro area. So, why not? Literally, if it's not a war-torn country and I haven't been, then nine times out of ten I want to go. Well, let's talk about Guatemala. Yes, I understand that Guatemala has a bad reputation and admittedly, I knew very little about the country prior to a year ago. However, a buddy of mine visited Antigua, his pictures were amazing, and it seemed like he had a great time. So, I started doing a little research and found out that Antigua is quite popular among backpackers, it's a colonial town about an hour from Guatemala City, has beautiful mountain views, only an hour and half from active volcanoes, has a vibrant night life, tons of quant restaurants, booming markets selling traditional textiles and a top producer of chocolate and coffee. Sounds like my type of town! And, when my birthday was approaching, I decided to look into flights and much to my surprise the flights were pretty inexpensive ... probably because it's not on people's radar yet. So I booked a flight, found the most adorable air bnb and had one of the best trips I've ever had. In fact, it was way too short and I'm already planning to go back for a longer visit.  The people were friendly, the food was delicious, the town is beautiful, the history is unique, and I had a blast! So, the next time, you're thinking of a short getaway to somewhere off the beaten path, and not super touristy yet (but it's coming), consider Antigua, Guatemala! Why not!

Buongiorno

What’s something you’ve always dreamt of? Maybe like skydiving or mountain climbing or losing weight or sleeping with your celebrity crush? Well there are a lot of things on my dreams/bucket/travel list and I recently got to fulfill two of them. One was going to Italy And two was attending fashion week in another country. So you can imagine how excited I was when two of my dreams became reality Milan and fashion . God works in mysterious ways because when I booked the trip to Italy, I didn’t know it was fashion week. Yes, everybody was dressed in their best ensemble, celebs were there, the city was booming with music, parties, fashion shows, and more. And although I enjoyed every minute of Milan, my favorite part of the trip took place about an hour from Milan in a little town called Bellagio. This town sits of the coast of Lake Como and the entire area is absolutely breathtaking. We took a boat tour of the region and it did not disappoint. Just imagine any European movie with picturesque scenery and I’m sure Lake Como could match the awe!!!! We also visited a few other quaint towns along the calm  and beautiful lake, Verana and Como.  It was a whole vibe, from the colorful houses peeking through the mountains and the cute little cobblestone streets and Café shops whipping up cappuccino and gelato. Italy was a dream and I am truly blessed to be able to experience it for myself. Most people travel to Europe during the summer months because of the beautiful weather. But when you find a great deal, you just can’t pass that up because of a little chill on the air. Thankfully the weather was perfect, and remained in the 50s throughout the whole trip (low 40s at night) and no rain. That was amazing considering some February‘s in Italy drop down into the 20s. So how did I plan for the cold the weather. Let’s just say I went coat shopping on Shein and I was not disappointed. Usually when I’m traveling, I’m headed somewhere warm so I knew my options were limited. I thought about the pictures and I knew I didn’t want to have on the same coat ever time. So I decided to buy a few inexpensive costs just for the trip. So, here’s what I got…all for under $100 might I add. 

Ugg Season

It’s officially ugg season and although I am not a fan of cold weather, I do love boots. Traditionally, I’ve been more of a leather, calf-high boot kind of girl. However, as I get older one thing has become increasingly more important in my life and that’s comfort. Yep, I’ve traded in my jeans for leggings, my dresses for sweats and now my leather boots for Uggs. And the pandemic certainly doesn’t help. I have not worn real clothes or shoes in two years. However, that will all be changing because I’m headed back to the office soon and I’m certainly going to miss these Uggs. I’ve always liked the teddy bear feeling on my feet but I can say with confidence that I have worn Uggs more in the last few months than I have in my entire life combined. I never used to wear them out, they were reserved for Saturday errands like the grocery store. But not anymore! I have been pleasantly surprised by how I’ve managed to pair them over the last few months. From jeans to leggings and sweats, I have created entire ensembles around these Uggs and to my amazement they actually go well with a lot of outfits. Here are a few of my favs… 

BOGO Done Right

If you’re not already hip to the game, let me school you. The best time to shop for clothing and many other items is right after the holidays. Suppliers are shipping out new merchandise and stores are eager to make room for spring and summer goods. And what better way to get rid of old stuff than to run a deal so good that customers can’t refuse. Well this weekend those after Christmas sales gotta sister. Usually I can avoid them by simply avoiding the stores. But, I received a super cute sweatsuit from my brother and sister-in-law for Christmas that was too big … so off to the mall I went to exchange for a smaller size. Honestly, I was excited to get out because the foot of snow that hit the DMV last week kept me in the house. Well, I made the mistake or maybe I should say, I strategically parked by Forever 21 just so that I could walk through and casually browse the sale section. Well I’m glad I did! There clearance was buy one, get one free. So I bought two pair of shorts and a few other items but the shorts were the star of this receipt. Now granted there’s still snow on the ground, it’s 20 degrees and clearly I won’t be wearing shorts unless I go on vacation (which is always a possibility in my world). I couldn’t, wouldn’t, shouldn’t pass up on this deal. The bargain on these shorts was so good I didn’t even try them on and that’s saying a lot for me because I try on EVERYTHING! I got two pair of shorts for a grand total of $3. Yes, each pair was $1.50. They were originally $30 each and marked down to $3 and then buy one, get one free. Yes, I’m repeating myself … partly because I’m excited and partly because I’m still pleasantly surprised. The icing on the cake, I got home and tried them on and they are so cute and fit perfectly! Check out the pics below, go shopping and enjoy the after holiday sales. Oh, and if you find a good sale, let a sista know. 

Travel is My Love Language

I had the most amazing two trips, all in one week might I add. The first was to jax Beach. The second was to the PHoenix area. Both were exactly what I needed, a break from cold weather and a re-set before the new year. Both spoke to differnt parts of my soul, Jax Beach game me relaxation, food, and love. Arizona gave me beauty adventure and fun. Jax is one of the prettiest beaches I've visited in the US. It has the easiest sand to walk on and some of the best comfort food. Arizona was simply breathtaking. I was in awe of the scenic mountain views, adorned by palm trees and cacti. I also had one fothe best massages EVER at the cutest little spa in Scootsdale. Oh, and don't even get me started on the night trek through the Arizona Desert Botanical Gardens that was illuminated with glass scultures. All I can say is I"m ready to go back. As as always, what's a trip without cute outfits, random photo shoots and pictures of the things I saw, did and ate. 

Jax Beach

Arizona