Heart, Print & Style

Up A Notch

2012-02-23T12:10:00.000-05:00

I wanted to spruce up a bit. Go a little glam, if you know what I mean. Hey, I was celebrating CapFABB's 1st birthday. It had to be done.

photo c/o Glam Soup

If I had my way, all of my tops and dresses would come with a sweetheart neckline. I just think it compliments me the best. Especially, since I'm carrying some DDs (throw some Ds on them...!!!). Speaking of DDs, do you know which kind of bra managed to hold them bad boys up? Ashley Stewart's Convertible Strapless Butterfly Bra (mine is black). The brilliance of the bra is the double back wrap panels. This needs to be in your life. Anywho, so you can imagine my sheer (no pun intended) joy when I came upon a bodysuit with a sheer mesh top AND a sweetheart neckline. *faints* And...AND!!!...it was on sale from ASOS. It had to become a new addition to my closet. I wore it with a midi skirt, also from ASOS. Let me tell ya, this skirt was a hit at the event. I truly appreciated all of the compliments.

I will say that I suffer from 'the waistline of the skirt feels more comfortable right underneath my boobs' syndrome. No matter how many times I pull that sucker down to hit, y'know, my waist, it rides all the way back up. Up right underneath my boobs. A daily struggle.

Bodysuit/Skirt: ASOS, Faux Leather Jacket: Target, Shoes: Evans, Tights: Spanx
Necklace: vendor, Bracelets: Lane Bryant/Mom's, Purse: gifted

Nail Polish: OPI Do you Lilac It?

photo c/o Glam Soup

Until next time...

CapFABB Meetup: Cities Restaurant & Lounge

2012-02-22T22:59:00.003-05:00

Event: CapFABB Anniversary Soiree
Where: Cities Restaurant & Lounge
Summary: CapFABB is one years old! I remember the first meetup I went to. (Oh gosh, look how horrible my pictures were back then! But then again, it was taken with my camera phone. But still. Ugh.) April 2011. Yo, time flies when you're having so much fun! And I definitely am with this blogger group. I have met so many great bloggers...great PEOPLE...through this group. Attended awesome events due to this group. It has really brought me a lot of joy this past year. So, of course, I headed off to Cities to celebrate CapFABB's one year anniversary. Hosted by H Bloom, this was truly a wonderful event. Open bar, great food, a photo booth and a flower bar. That's right, a flower bar. At the flower bar, attendees were encouraged to create a bouquet, corsage, bib or even a fascinator (which seemed to be the popular choice of the night). Congratulations Liz & Lacey, co-founders of CapFABB! Wishing this group many more successful years to come!

Alrighty, you know what time it is. Pictures time! Enjoy.

picture c/o Chain Strap Purse

For more pictures check out Glam Soup here.

A Good Ol' Swap

2012-02-20T22:50:00.000-05:00

Event: Curvy Clothing Swap

Where: Sisarina

Summary: Even with the change of date, the swap was still a success. I went with Bibi of Fatshion and Fattitude. Once we stepped in, we were greeted by the host of the swap, Kim. Ms. Curvy C E O, herself. I finally got to meet her. We got to swapping and chatting and discussing what we scored at the swap. In between, we indulged in some cupcakes, brownies and drinks. There was also three raffle drawings. And guess who one one of the drawings? ~~Not I.~~ Me! It's been oh so long since I've won some kind of drawing/contest, so I was super geeked. I got to choose a prize that was remaining and I chose a self motivation book. And, of course, the best part of the event was catching up with bloggers that I know or I have read and meeting new ones. I was pretty darn satisfied with the items I managed to get. Even though there was this pair of banging Jessica Simpson heels. I mean, these shoes were so freakin' nice! BUT it was a size 9. Grrrrr! No one in the swap was a size 9. Everybody was a 10 and up. It was to the point that we were begging somebody, anybody!, to take the shoes home. Finally, a person who arrived much later saw the shoes, tried it on and it fit! She took those babies home with her. We were happy and satisfied. Couldn't let those shoes go to waste.

This swap definitely brought out the plus size/curvy women of all ages. So great to see.

Pictures time!

Kim and Nicole

Deb & I

Nic came with her friend

Kim, me & Bibi

I was in heart with Deb's Marc Jacobs flats.

Renee's Michael Kors bag. Love the color!

Holding up the raffle ticket and my prize.

Until next time...

Hangin' with Blogger Friends

2012-02-16T00:00:00.005-05:00

The great thing about this whole social media phenomenon is getting to meet new people who share the same interests as you do. In this case, fashion/beauty blogging. From there, you may even get the opportunity to hang out with these folks outside of the usual fashion and/or blogging events.

*****

During Restaraunt Week this past Janaury, I wanted to try out this fancy lil' restaraunt called SAX. I rounded up my blogger friends but the only one that could make it out that night was Lelita. Which was cool because we still had a great time! We went on a Monday which just so happened to be Burlesque Monday night. Every Mondays, SAX entertains their customers with burlesque shows. It was pretty cool to be eating a 3 course meal (Act 1, Act 2 and Act 3) while watching a show. Did I mention that these shows are being performed in a 20ft enclosed infinity stage that is right above the bar? Yeah, craziness. At one point, I mentioned to Lelita that all of these performances reminded me of the reality dance competition show, So You Think You Can Dance, routines. She laughed but I truly meant it as a compliment.

Dress: Lane Bryant, Cardigan: Old Navy, Shoes: Torrid, Purse/Earrings: vintage, Glasses: ASOS

Ring/Necklace: Forever 21, Watch: Michael Kors, Bracelets: Lane Bryant/vendor

Only performance picture I took with my camera phone.

Kabocha Squash Bisque

Saxual Chocolate Cake

Lelita

Last Wednesday, Brea and I went to the Knicks vs. Wizards game at the Verizon Center. We took advantage of the GroupOn deal that was going on at the time. Also with the ticket we got a John Wall t-shirt. ~~It's currently in the 'Donate' pile in my room.~~ Unfortunately, Melo did not play because he was (and still is) out with a groin injury. (Get well soon, baby!) Even with Melo's absence, I was entertained by Brea, the folks up in the nosebleed section and Jeremy 'Linsanity' Lin. 75% of the crowd were Knicks fans which is sad but then again, the Wizards suck this season so it made sense. Anytime Lin scored and especially after his dunk, the nosebleed section we were sitting at started chanting, "M-V-P! M-V-P!" So funny.

Speaking of nosebleed section, it was the first time for both of us sitting up there for a whole game. Ha. We made the most out of it, though. I will say that when it comes to playing contests, or shooting t-shirts or Chipotle burritos in the stands or getting shown in the Kiss/Dance Cam, the nosebleed section gets screwed. Big time. It's pretty funny but whole time I was like, "Are they really about to ignore us?" Yes. Yes, they were. I guess we get what we paid for. *shrugs*

Dress: Lane Bryant, Bag: Nine West, Blazer: vintage (Salon Z), Brooch: vintage, Boots: Avenue

Just realized that I'm wearing the same dress. Ah well. At least it was styled differently both times. Probably I should change the title of this post to reflect that.

Nah.

Have a great President Day's weekend! And for those outside of the States, have a great weekend, too!

Another Day, Another Museum

2012-02-14T21:58:00.001-05:00

Where: Crime Museum
Summary: My love for museums will never go away. Next up on the list: Crime Museum (thanks to GroupOn!). This place is deceivingly huge. My friends and I spent a little over 2 hours reading all kinds of information regarding how crime and punishment was served throughout each era. Cool fact about the museum: It also has the filming studios for America's Most Wanted. There were some fun interactive activites to get into. One of those activities is a simulated FBI shooting range, which pretty much tests your skills in accuracy and judgement. There was a person due to, I don't know, nerves or something that kept shooting unarmed people. Twas funny. Thank goodness it was a game, though.

Blazer: thrifted, Blouse: Avenue, Jeans: Forever 21+, Shoes: Simply Be, Bag: Nine West, Ring: vendor

After the museum, we ate at Nando's Peri-Peri. The restaraunt is known for their chicken. I got the Chicken Breast Pita. It was just alright but I will say that it was definitely filling.

How cute are Afro Style's ASOS brogues?

*Sidenote: There has been a change of date regarding the Curvy Style Swap. It is now on Feb. 19th. Repeat: Feb. 19th! If you have not done so, please register here.

To look at more pictures from the Crime Museum...

This. Blew. My. Mind.

Thermal Imaging Technology

Grammy Awards 2012

2012-02-13T01:00:00.000-05:00

~~This year's awards show sucked.~~

Okay, okay. It didn't suck. But it was very long. And very tiresome. And at one point, I actually wanted to go to sleep. I was super excited for the Grammys and then my excitement started dwindling after each hour of watching the show. This is always the case with me. Get super excited....*next scene*...I'm let down. Gotta remember to always be neutral. Don't expect too much. Ah well.

Anywho, there were some good moments. Like performances by Bruno Mars, Jennifer Hudson's tribute to Whitney Houston (R.I.P.), and Adele. Also, Adele sweeping all of her categories. I'm truly happy for her. A little part of me would've liked for her to have received this adoration and recognition for 19. But that's just me. Still kinda of miffed that My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was snubbed from Best Album of the Year category. He should have won that. But that's just me.

Fashion Time!

There were some high points but there were definitely some low points, too. I mean, loooowwww. Like, bottom dweller low. Like, sadness personified low. As the lovable Laura Bennett of Project Runway: Season 4 once said, "There was a lot of ugly going on..." At one point, I felt embarrassed for this show. Like, why and how did some of these randoms appear on the red carpet? My friend explained that some folks actually pay tickets to attend the show. Then it all made sense to me.

Favorite Looks:

Gwyneth Paltrow
Best look of the night.

Corrine Bailey Rae in Christian Siriano

Kimberly Perry in Moshcino

Kelly Price
Beautiful dress. Not feeling the hairdo.

Taylor Swift in Zuhair Murad
Another case of loving the dress but not the hair.

Not So Favorite Looks:

Fergie in Jean Paul Gaultier
Say one nice thing about this look? Um...I like that it's orange.

Sasha Gradiva
What. In. The. Hell?

Nicki Minaj in Versace
I feel that her career took a huge hit tonight with that horrible, useless, tacky performance.
And her costume was just pointless.
It tried way too hard to be something. And it just was not.

R.I.P. Whitney Houston

2012-02-11T21:16:00.003-05:00

I haven't updated this blog in more than 2 weeks. I was actually in the midst of posting a style post when my brother told me that Whitney Houston is dead. Without hesistation I said, "Boy, be quiet", and kept it moving. Of course, I hopped on Google and nothing came up. Then I went to my next source, Twitter. It was confirmed there. Finally, I turned on my TV to CNN and it was breaking news.

So sad.

48 years young. A great talent has left us tonight.

*le sigh*

I'll leave you with my favorite Whitney song, "When You Believe":

Fiery Tag

2012-01-30T14:03:00.005-05:00

Taken at Shecky's Girls Night Out last Dec.

I was tagged recently for the Blog on Fire! award. Thanks, Kim of Curvy CEO!

Rules:

You must post 11 random things about yourself.
Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post.
Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
Go to their blog and tell them that you have tagged them.

Let's begin, shall we?

11 Random Things About Me
Probably I'm just being lazy but I can't think of 11 more random facts about myself. I think I've listed them all here and here. So check it out.

Questions to Answer
1. Name a dessert you don't like. I'm not a fan of any dessert that has fruit in it. I would even go as far to say anything fruit flavored. If I do have to eat it (re: no other options available and/or I want something sweet in my tummy), I'll just pick out the fruit or try to eat the non-fruity sections of the dessert. Yes, it's that real. Stop looking at me like that.
2. How far back can you remember? Age 5? Age 3? The earliest memory I have of myself is when I was 4yrs old. Maybe 5. It was a Saturday morning and I recall playing with my toys in the living room. The sun was beaming through the ceiling to floor windows of the apartment. It just brightened the whole area. The TV was on but I don't remember what was showing. Music was playing. I was just so happy that day. Another early memory I remember was when I was 6yrs old. Thanksgiving Day. We were moving from our apartment to our new home, a rowhouse. I was carrying a box of utensils from the elevator to our car. I was excited.
3. What is your favorite city in the world? I don't think I have a favorite city in the world. I've traveled but I think I need to do a bit more travelling before I can come up with the answer.
4. Do you feel like the best is yet to come? Definitely!
5. Be honest: An 'eye for an eye' or 'turn the other cheek'? A little bit of both. There's nothing wrong with giving someone a taste of their own medicine. Just do not go overboard with it. The only time I reach that point of giving someone their medicine is when I'm done turning the other cheek. I can overlook a lot of things. But once I feel that I have reached that limit, yeah, it's not pretty.
6. How many brothers and/or sisters do you have? One (big) little brother and one (big) little sister. I'm the oldest, shortest and fattest. Yay, me.

7. What is your favorite blog post you've done so far? My favorite post is Gold Rush. It featured items that I bought from Macy's at a ridiculously affordable price. It's actually one of my favorite outfits from last year. I wore it to the Bloggers Night Out DC.

8. What are you most looking forward to in 2012? Lots of things! *chuckles*
9. You have an unexpected hour of free time. What do you do? Hmmm...I'd either catch up on my TV shows or read up on my magazines/books.
10. Where is your favorite place to shop? Thrift/Vintage stores! Old Navy! ASOS!
11. Do you like to cook? I don't care much for cooking. If I have to, I will. If I don't, oh well.

***
I am *tagging...

Allison of Wardrobe Oxygen
Bella of 2 Snaps and a Twirl
Bibi of Freshly Fatshionable
Brea of What I Wore: Tip to Toe
Chyanne of The Yuppie Lady
Elle of Chell Bellz
Genevia & Sade of Vice...As If
Krystin of Be Loud, Be You
Lauren of Haute off the Press
Lelita of Diva Style
Liz of So Much to Smile About
Sade of 9 to Fly
Stephanie of Thrift and Style
Tammy of A Loyal Love
Trisha of Fashion Hungry

*Giving some DC area bloggers a little love.

...to answer these eleven (11) questions:
1) What is your sign? Are the characteristics of that sign pretty accurate description of yourself?
2) What was your style like back in high school? Give a visual example. *evil grin*
3) Do you like to watch sports? If so, which one?
4) Besides DC, which other city/town/state/country have you lived in?
5) If you were given the opportunity, which celebrity would you banish from the limelight?
6) Which fashion faux pas do you secretly like?
7) Sunglasses being worn indoors at a club, lounge, etc. What are your thoughts?
8) Name your favorite TV show guilty pleasure.
9) Where is the location of your ultimate dream vacation?
10) There are a couple types people become when tipsy: flirty, touchy, loud, sleepy (me!), etc. Which type are you?
11) What is your greatest asset?

SAG

2012-01-29T22:36:00.001-05:00

Just finished watching the Screen Actor's Guild Awards. Supposedly, Golden Globes is tagged as the "hipper, cooler" show but I think that title belongs to SAG. I always enjoy watching their show. For one, there is no host! Anywho, I'm happy for the following wins: Octavia Spencer, "Modern Family", and Viola Davis.

But let's get to why we are here: the fashion!

Best Dressed:

Rose Bryne in Ellie Saab

Viola Davis in Marchesa

Tilda Swinton in Lanvin

Julie Bowen in Temperley London

Octavia Spencer in Tadashi Shoji
This is definitely a "love it or hate it" dress.

Worst Dressed:

Shailene Woodley in L'Wren Scott
No words.

Kristen Wiig in Balenciaga
The dress was already a meh and then she threw on that godforsaken black choker.
Why?

Kaley Cucco in Romona Keveza
Wrong venue.

*Pictures c/o Getty Images, InStyle

Spring-Like

2012-01-26T08:54:00.002-05:00

The weather around here has been straight up bi-polar. One day it's sunny and pleasant. Next day, it's windy with freezing rain. The day of the meetup, Mother Nature treated us to a pleasant day. It honestly felt like it was springtime...in the middle of January. I sort of took advantage of that with this outfit. Flowers + denim. Wearing black opaque tights would've 'wintersized' (yes, I made up that word) the outfit so I opted for sheer black tights. I am in love with the slightly oversized denim vest I got from a thrift store. This item will definitely make another appearance (or two...or three...) on this blog. Of course, it'll be styled differently. Beause that's how I roll.

Necklace: boutique in Nigeria

Bag: market in Nigeria, Shoes: Avenue, Sheer Tights: CVS, Bracelet: Lane Bryant

Denim Vest: thrifted, Skirt: Old Navy, Top: Faith 21

CapFABB Meetup: Madewell

2012-01-25T14:38:00.000-05:00

Event: CapFABB Meetup

Where: Madewell

Summary: Last night, I attended the 1st CapFABB meetup of 2012. It was held at the trendy retail store, Madewell. We were treated to champagne and tasty cupcakes (I gotta find out where the cupcakes are from. Once I do, I'll update). Per usual, the reason for going to such an event is to not only catch up with my blogger pals but also to meet some new fashion, beauty and lifestyle bloggers. And that leads to more blogs to ~~stalk~~ read. Score.

Enjoy the pictures!

Next month will be CapFABB's one year anniversary! Amazing.

Curvy Clothing Swap

2012-01-22T09:00:00.006-05:00

Kim of Curvy CEO is hosting a clothing swap for DC area plus size women, size 14 and up! I've been waiting for something like this to spring up, so I am all for attending. It will be held on Saturday, February 18th at Sisarina in Bethesda, MD. You must bring at least five (5) items to swap. There will be a raffle drawing for prizes to win. Finally, all left over items will be donated to DC Goodwill.

To register, please click here.

Save the date and don't miss out!

*Don't forget to check out my eBay page here.

W Magazine: Best Performances

2012-01-19T07:17:00.003-05:00

I first heard/read about this W Magazine's fantastic editorial last year on one of my favorite fashion and entertainment site, Tom + Lorenzo. The concept is taking the best performers of the year and switching up their style/persona in something we, the audience, haven't seen yet. I enjoyed last year's crop. Especially, this lil' number:

Mark Ruffalo

Poor Mark. lolol. I mean, why? Why did they...they didn't have to do this to him. No.

I can't stop laughing.

After seeing that, I was like, shit, I can't wait for the '12 editorial! Even though there wasn't a photo that comes close to the above photo's insanity, it was still pretty cool to look at. You can view the whole editorial here. Here are my favorites from the bunch:

Viola Davis

Octavia Spencer
My #1 favorite look of the bunch.
She looks amazing.

Tilda Swinton

* All photos c/o W Magazine

Golden Globes

2012-01-16T07:55:00.003-05:00

Taking a bit from my first inspiration post, another thing I would like to do and continue to do on this here HPandS is to post the dresses/outfits that caught my attention after a televised awards show. First up, Golden Globes.

I watched the show with a little help from Twitter. Seriously, how in the world were we existing before Facebook/Twitter sorta kinda took over our lives? It was a good show. Ricky Gervais was okay. A few of his jokes made me laugh. I was very much happy to see Kelsey Grammer, "Homeland", Claire Danes, Peter Dinklage, Octavia Spencer and "Modern Family" win in their respective categories.

As for the fashion? Here are my selections for best dressed:

Viola Davis in Emilio Pucci
My pick for best of the night.

Charlize Theron in Dior Couture

Evan Rachel Wood in Gucci Premiere

Dianna Argon in Giles
This is definitely a "love-hate" dress. You either love it or hate it.

Josh Brolin in Dolce & Gabbana and Diane Lane in Reem Acra
My pick for gorgeous couple of the night

Can't have a 'best of...' without dishing out the 'worst of...'. It goes hand in hand. The following looks made my eyes cross:

Sarah Michelle Gellar in Monique Lhuillier
She said that her 2yr old daughter picked out this dress.
I say that her 2yr old daughter set her up.

Lea Michele in Marchesa

Freida Pinto in Prada

*all photos c/o Style.Com

Did you watch the Golden Globes? How did you like it? What are your thoughts about Ricky Gervais as a host? And finally, what are your picks for best and worst dressed of the night? The great thing about Disqus is that you are able to add an image to your comment!

Remember to check out my eBay page here.

On Hiatus

2012-01-08T06:53:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year, folks!

It's that early time of the year when people begin to put their money where their mouth is and actually go through with their numerous resolutions. I'm not into all of that...that resolution stuff. Not really my style. I just always hope to do better and be better than what I was the previous year. That's about it. Anywho, I hope everyone had a fun and safe New Year's weekend. To ring in the New Year, I was under the covers battling a horrible headache and body pain. Yep. How fun.

I do have a bit of some exciting news. I am on a shopping ban! woop, woop! (._.) A couple months ago, Uche and I agreed to go on a shopping ban immediately after we complete our Christmas shopping. We made our pact over our Twitter timeline. There was a slight hiccup, though. I've been searching high and low for the perfect faux fur vest and I told myself I want to get it before I start this ban. Finally, I found one the last week of Dec. I mean, it's not THE perfect faux fur vest I've been harping about on Twitter. But it's something.

Since I won't be shopping for a while, this post will be on my most recent purchases from the past two months, Nov & Dec.

ASOS and ASOS

Two-in-one. For the longest, I've been looking for a black top or bodysuit with a mesh bodice. Not only does this item has that but it also has a sweetheart neckline. Awesome. I just think this midi skirt is really, really nice. It's a great transitional piece.

ASOS

Of late, I've been sorta kinda obsessed with geek glasses. A few years too late on this trend, no? Ha. But I may also make this my regular prescription glasses. We shall see. I went for the leopard design.

ASOS

Sweetheart necklace + faux wrap + wide straps + on sale = gots to get it.

Love, Cortnie

I've been telling Cortnie for the longest that one of these days I will purchase one of her coveted clutches. And...here we are. I chose this velvet clutch because, well, it's velvet. But also, I love the whole splattered black/gold print going on.

Simply Be

How could I possibly pass up on an orange tunic dress with beaded cuffs that was on sale? I will say, though, that when I opened the package up, the dress wasn't as bright as I would have liked it to be. Besides that, it's still nice.

Simply Be

Still trying to make my shoe game a bit more relevant. Slowly but surely.

Old Navy

I purchased this skirt from Michelle because it was too big on her. Win for me!

Old Navy

Polka dots + sheer. A versatile blouse.

One Stop Plus

Like I said, not THE perfect faux fur vest but I'll take it. I like the color. I like how it stops right on the hips. Probably once this ban is lifted, I'll start searching for a black one.

Before I close out, check out my eBay page here. I'm already selling some great items from both me and my sister. I will be adding loads more this morning before I head off to church. Just selling gently used items. Some are trendy, some are thrifted/vintage. Measurements are provided in the info section. Free shipping for the US of A residents! For international shipping, it depends on which country you reside in. Don't miss out and spread the word!

Wishing everyone a superb 2012!

Reminisce

2011-12-30T08:32:00.002-05:00

This post will clock in as the finale of Heart, Print & Style 2011. It was a pretty darn good year - blogging wise. So sit back, relax (with a glass of wine) and enjoy this month-to-month recap of my outfits and a few highlights in between.

January/February

I honestly don't know why I was not blogging much during these two months. Weird. Anywho, I was featured on Afro Style.

March

This was the month that I really became serious with HPandS. I went to my first DC fashion related event, Closet Runway. Also, I was featured on Madison Plus.

April

I started to discover other DC bloggers ever so randomly. You click on one blog which leads you to the next one that leads you to the next one, and so forth and so on. That's how I discovered Alison. Then she told me about an up and coming bloggers group (formerly) called DC FABB (the new name is now CapFABB). They were planning their 2nd meetup at a local DC bar. Seeing as to how I wanted to connect with other bloggers like myself, I was all for attending.

May

June

Backstreet's back, alright! Headed to my beloved BSB concert. Twice. Visited Jersey Shore for the first ~~and last~~ time. (Both of these events occurred on Memorial Day weekend but I posted about them in June). I was featured on Stylish Curves as a Stylish Curves of the Day.

July

I went to my first clothing swap. Very interesting experience. Checked out the Alexander McQueen exhibit and feeling like a rebel, took pictures of his work when we were specifically told not to. *pops collar* Attended the 2nd Annual DC Africa Festival which was organized by my lovely sister, Zi. Overcoming my fear, I finally did an outfit post wearing a sleeveless dress. I blame the atrocious hot weather.

August

Traveled to Vegas and Boston. Attended the monthly CapFABB meetup.

September

I had so much fun meeting up with so many bloggers (including Katherine, Jen, Katie, Sade, Alisa, Nadia, Marley, etc.) at the IFB Conference in NYC. Also, the beginning of the Fall TV Season started this month. I did a post on it here. Funny enough, from the shows I've listed, I only watched one of them - Pan Am. Ha! The other new shows that I love and watch are: Revenge, Homeland, Up All Night and Boss.

October

Birthday month! Libra in house! woop, woop. This month also marked my 1 year blog anniversary. I forgot to celebrate. Ah well, I'm celebrating now. *blows into a party blower* Checked out Taste of DC. Great times at the grand opening of LOFT in Georgetown. And, of course, CapFABB monthly meetup.

November

So, I ball so hard, motherfuckers wanna fine me. Okay, not really. But I and the sis did wild out at the Watch The Throne concert. Right before that, I went to the Refinery 29 DC launch party at Madewell. OMWord, that was so much fun. In short, that was just a fun day. Period. Tried my hand as a stylist for a day at Eddie Bauer. Supported Chyanne at her event at Urban Chic. And finally, went to Vice As If launch party and a private Ann Taylor event. I was featured on Glam Soup. If you want to see how awkward I am on camera, here's your chance.

December

Last CapFABB meetup of the year. Went to support Katherine and her holiday lookbook launch. Bloggers Night Out (BNO) brought their talents to DC. Unloaded a whole rack of clothes at a style swap and brought back a spiffy statement sweater. The start of the 2011-12 NBA Season! Skorch Magazine approached me to be a blogger for their online magazine. I was featured on Wardrobe Oxygen and Plus Model Magazine's Fashion Friday.

*****

Just want to thank everyone, from the followers to the lurkers to the wonderful people that I have met, for supporting this blog. All the comments...all the emails, I read each one and I am truly grateful. One of the main reasons why I installed the Disqus app was to reply back to each comment that I receive, knowing that my reply will be sent to your email box. iCare.

I don't know know what's in store for Heart, Print & Style in 2012 but I can't wait.

Wishing everyone a safe New Year weekend!

Laid Back

2011-12-28T10:38:00.003-05:00

What up! How was everybody's Christmas weekend? Hope it was a safe one. Mine was pretty chill. Christmas Eve was mostly spent hanging out with my sister and friends. Christmas Day was chillin' with the fam and watching a marathon-like NBA games. In other words, no Christmas outfit. Yeah. Besides that, I enjoyed the day. Especially since my boo thang and his team won (Melo & The Knicks) and the Bulls gave it to the Lakers.

Jacket: thrifted, Tank Top: Target, Jeans: Forever 21+, Shoes: Simply Be
Purse: Liz Claiborne, Shades: Gucci

I am in love with this mustard (almost orange) purse that I ~~stole~~ ~~borrowed~~ ~~took~~ adopted from my Mom. I mean, I had to rack my brain to remember the last time she wore this purse. And that would be, NEVER. That's right, she has never worn this purse. So, what's the point of it whiling away in her closet when it can come home to a more welcoming place - my closet. It just makes sense.

Her ASOS bag...
I want it.

How cute are ladybug earrings, though?

Shubby, Zi & Cee

Until next time...

For Old Times Sake

2011-12-23T06:31:00.003-05:00

It's 5:54am and it took me about an hour to go through my entire tumblr page. True story, when I finally decided to start a style blog, I chose to use tumblr as my platform. That lasted for about two weeks. *chuckles* To me, tumblr is more of an online inspirational board. After more of a year using it, it's still my inspirational board mixed with some funny memes and videos. Instead, I came over to blogspot to kick start my style blog and well, the rest is history.

Here are a bunch of outfit posts from Tumblr. These pictures were taken almost two years ago (EEK!), '10. With one being almost THREE years ago! *faints*

Favorite colors: 1) purple 2) YELLOW 3) Navy blue
Dress: Old Navy, Purse: Michael Kors, Belt: Lane Bryant, Shoes: store in Costa Rica

Denim never goes outta style!
Dress/Purse: Target, Vest: thrifted (Levi's), Shoes: Avenue

The most common (and safe) way to mix prints.
Top: H&M, Skirt: Target, Earrings: vintage, Necklace: Forever 21

I wore this to a wedding in ATL.
Dress/Bag: vintage, Necklace: Forever 21

Representin' my favorite two colors!
Cardigan: Target, Dress/Belt: vintage, Shoes: store in Costa Rica, Purse: Forever 21

Dots + Flowers
Cardigan: Target, Dress: Old Navy, Purse: Aldo, Necklace: Forever21

Taken '09.
Aseobi for my BFF's wedding
Dress: custom made (Idia Designs), Belt: Lane Bryant, Shoes: Payless, Purse: vintage (Givenchy)

Once again, for someone who's not a fan of pink, I sure do wear the color a lot. (._.)

Christmas is this Sunday. I'm sure everyone is uber excited. Me? Sunday is the start of the 2011-12 National Basketball Association Season. *raises the roof* *dougies* *multiple air humps* That's what I'm uber excited about. (^_^)

Have a great weekend everyone! Make it a safe and fashionable one.

Happy Holidays! Click here to see my personalized e-card for all my readers!

Inspiration #1

2011-12-20T09:22:00.000-05:00

I just realized that I have never featured like an inspiration post or highlighted a blogger's outfit that has inspired me on this blog. For someone who loves style so much you would think this blog will be filled with posts about folks killin' it in their outfits.

Well. Let's start today, shall we.

Perfection.

Check out Krystin's blog here.

BNODC

2011-12-17T16:43:00.001-05:00

Event: Bloggers Night Out DC
Where: Bloomingdale's, Chevy Chase
Summary: Earlier this week I attended Bloggers Night Out DC. Bloggers Night Out is a group that "creates and manages exclusive events for the blogging community that connects bloggers, offer networking opportunities and provide exposure to the brands (it) work with." I first heard about BNO during NYFW in September. I wasn't able to go to their event but I heard (and saw via photos) how successful it was. At least 450+ bloggers were in attendance. Craziness! Two of the founders, Erika and Caitlin, decided to bring BNO to DC. The event took place in the personal shopper section on the 2nd floor of Bloomingdale's. We were treated to champagne and cupcakes from Cupcake Boutique. Prizes were given away courtesy of J Brand, Send the Trend and Stylebook. Speaking of Stylebook, I really like their concept. It's an Apple application that allows its users to organize their closet, create outfits, track what outfits was worn on what day with the help of a calendar, create an inspiration tab, and plenty more. All through your Apple product! Too bad it's not available for Droid users because if it was I would've definitely downloaded this app to my phone.

It was great to hang out with some familiar faces but also to meet new faces/bloggers.

Enjoy the pictures!

Co-Founders of Bloggers Night Out and the hosts
Erika and Caitlin

I am a watch person. So, naturally, I gravitated towards watches.
It'll be a great gift for a loved one.

Another gift idea is a Godiva box set. Add the cute Godiva teddy bear to make someone smile.

Co-Creator of Stylebook
Jessica

Angela

(l-r) Nesaya, Brea and Jen

Kate and Aika

(l-r) Morgan's friend, Morgan and Waverly

Carlis and Genevia

One of the highlights of the night was finally meeting Nic.

Carlis and Katya

Ally and Emily

Ashley

Nic and Cortnie
Both are carrying Cortnie's creation: Love, Cortnie Clutch

Ashleigh

Miles of Fashion (m) with her friends

photo c/o Lauren

Franky J

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend! Make it a safe one.

Gold Rush

2011-12-15T00:07:00.005-05:00

http://prettyshinysparkly.com/bdib-sequins-link-up/

It's only right for me to wear something gold, no? It was about that time. I got the gold sequin jacket and gold/black tweed pencil skirt at a ridiculous price from Macy's. And I'm saying 'ridiculous' in a good way. Oh, and it was good! You see, the original price of the jacket was $99.50. Macy's was having this crazy ass sale of like 60% off and a chance of it being higher at the register. Final price? $29.85. VICTORY! Same goes for the skirt. Original price was $74.00. Final price? $29.60. VICTORY! Funny enough, I bought both of these items together but it didn't dawn on me until I got home that it'll look great together as an outfit. So, that's what I did. Keeping the holiday spirit alive!

Jen and her love of taking candids. I love taking candids too. But not when I'm the subject.
I just think candids don't work for me. Weird...I know.

Jacket/Skirt: Macy's, Lace Camisole: n/a, Black Camisole: Old Navy, Shoes: Torrid
Purse: Forever21, Watch: Michael Kors, Earrings: vintage, Bracelets/Ring: Lane Bryant, Lipstick: MAC Lady Danger

Next post will be about the event I attended, Bloggers Night Out!

*Check out my eBay page here. Page will soon be updated with more goodies from me and my sis!

Specks of Color

2011-12-13T09:06:00.000-05:00

Since I'm still on the hunt for the right faux fur vest, I thought I'd try my luck at some thrift stores. On Saturday after some serious winter cleaning, I went to my favorite one in Adelphi. No luck there. Sunday, I decided to check out a thrift store I haven't been to yet. But first - brunch! Cee and I finally hit up the new Busboys & Poets location in Hyattsville. The brunch is pretty good. Mimosas and Bloody Marys (I have yet to taste it and when Cee told me tomato juice was one of the ingredients, I am never tasting it) were $5 a glass. Not bad but I've had it for cheaper (Tabaq, for one). Afterwards, it was time to thrift. Cee took me to one of her favorite stores, Value Thrift. I noticed how neat and organized it was. Well, I should say color organized - the clothes are grouped together by color which is very helpful when, let's say, one is looking for a white blazer and you can find it immediately since it'll be in the 'white' batch. It is not organized by size. That can be a bit annoying to sift through each item just to locate the size you want. Having patience is key. Unfortunately, I did not find what I was looking for. It may seem like this faux fur vest has to be bought at a retail store. Something I was really trying to avoid because it may be on the pricey side. We shall see.

This is what I wore for a day of brunch + thrift.

Sweater: Forever 21+, Skirt: Target, Tights: Eloquii, Shoes: Avenue, Bag: Buffalo Exchange NYC
Earrings: thrifted, Watch: Michael Kors, Bracelets: Lane Bryant, Ring: Forever 21, Lipstick: MAC Up The Amp

Having some fun with Picasa 3.

I totally forgot to upload the video I took during the Watch The Throne concert. Enjoy the brief segment.

Vibrant Hue

2011-12-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

Keeping with the trend of dressing for the holiday season at a holiday party, I wore my Old Navy embellished sequin dress with black tights that had sequins on the back. Too bad I couldn't get a good picture of the tights. To inject some color, I layered the dress with my trusty thrifted wool blazer. That's pretty much it. *chuckles*

Blazer: Thrifted, Dress: Old Navy, Tights: Avenue, Shoes: Evans, Earrings: vintage

La Petite Marmoset Vintage + Violet

2011-12-10T18:42:00.001-05:00

Event: La Petite Marmoset Holiday Lookbook Launch Party
Where: Violet Boutique
Summary: I went to support the fabulous Katherine and her La Petite Marmoset brand at Violet Boutique. It was a holiday party featuring LPM holiday lookbook. There were a few people that helped out with the LPM holiday lookbook, too: Spicy Candy DC, The President Wears Prada and A Lacey Perspective. Katherine specializes in selecting quality vintage finds and reconstructing them. Not only are her clothes being sold at Violet but it's also being sold online. You can check out her etsy store here. It was my first time at Violet Boutique and I gotta say, I absolutely love it. The location is right in the heart of Adams Morgan (And right across the street from a spot called Bukom Cafe, a place I've been meaning to check out. Hmmm...I think there is a brunch at Bukom and shopping at Violet Boutique day in the near future). All in all, it was a fun event. Congratulations, Katherine!

Lady of the Hour, Katherine

Me with Keri and Lauren

Denisio and her lovely skirt she did herself!

Lauren trying on this fab fur coat.

Genevia

Lauren

Allix. Her dress was my favorite of the night.

Naseya

Jen

Carlis and Waverly

Victoria and Carla

If you would like to see the finish product of LPM Holiday Lookbook, click here. There is cute video, too. Click here.

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend, so far. Make it a safe and fashionable one!

Style Swap

2011-12-10T17:25:00.001-05:00

Event: Style Swap
Where: Kay Spiritual Basement at American University
Summary: My sister and I had a lot...and I mean A LOT...of clothes that we didn't need anymore. (The rest are being sold on my eBay page. Click here to see some good stuff!). So, when I received an email about a style swap happening, I knew exactly where to take my 'luggage'. My goal at the swap was to find a nice shiny item. Maybe in a form of a sweater, blouse, skirt, etc. I brought along my friend, Cee, for the ride.

And let me stress, it was definitely a ride. We got lost. We couldn't find this Spiritual Basement place for nothing. We had to keep stopping and asking folks where it was. Their directions took us this way and that way but not TO the place. *le sigh* But we did manage to find ourselves in a wealthy neighborhood filled with beautiful mansions. I love looking at unique homes so that took my mind off the fact that we were lost and late. Finally, with the help of Michelle, who was also going to the swap, we got to the destination. After lugging our stuff and kicking the bigger 'luggage' down a flight of steps (yes, this did happen), it was time to swap!

Carolyn

The organizer for this swap was the awesome and very funny Carolyn Becker, a student at American University. The fee was to donate one canned food. The canned goods was donated to Positive Force DC. At the end of the swap, the leftover items went to Goodwill. A great way to give back this holiday season.

Cape: Old Navy, Shirt: Target, Jeans: Forever 21+, Shoes: Simply Be, Scarf: Coach, Watch: Guess

Messing with Picasa

You: But Vivi? Did you ever find a shiny item in a form of a sweater, blouse or skirt?
Me: Well, since you asked...yes! Yes, I did.

This beauty is a 'L'. Considering I'm usually a 'XL/XXL' on the top, I started to get a bit worried. But a lil' itsy bitsy voice in my head pushed me to feel out the material. It had a bit of stretch to it, so I came to the conclusion that it will be fine. Once I got home to try it on, it was a perfect match. The moral of the story? ~~There is none~~ Never be discouraged by what the label says.

For more pictures of the style swap click here!