soulae

Ready to get back to work after hiatus!!! Now to conquer writers block...

Wardrobe Challenges Pt. 1

Today I faced a dilemma while choosing my outfit. It is one of the rare occasions when the temperature in Nashville has reached a cold enough temp that I can pull out the fur lined boots. I have only worn these boots twice, they were brand new when I moved from New York.

Anyway, I like to make sure that the fur shows because it matches the color and the style of one of my winter coats (purchased that way purposely). My options were the staple pair of skinny jeans and a comfy sweater or my baggy winter jeans and same sweater. I am sure you are wondering what the issue is? Well the skinny jeans fit inside the boot and will display the fur but they are not very warm and the long johns are not a good wear underneath. The traditional baggy jeans would have to be rolled up to show off the fur but would cause a draft.

So you see my dilemma is clear because by no means did I want to sacrifice a possible wear in this cold weather. So my solution, skip showing the fur, wear my comfy traditional jeans and long johns and be warm. There are points in life when I skip sacrificing health for beauty and today was one of them.

It all worked out because I still got the complements I was looking for and got to wear the boots I wanted to wear. What would your choice have been?
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Fall into these haute looks!

So you know that fall is fast approaching and right behind it is the dreaded season of winter. As always we like to share our opinion on what the trends should be!

The “hautest” items for warmth this fall are double the pleasure, (double breasted that is), all of which will depend on your sense of fashion and style.  This seasons coats are not only chic and up to the minute in fashion, they come in an array of lengths, textures and colors with the most tantalizing (never grow old) design detail borrowed from the military by creating coats that are light weight and move with you (hence the take charge look of the coats) feel with the double breast, which are figure faltering to those of us who may have a little bit more to command.     

I have never been what you would call a coat wearer.  During the fall and winter season I prefer to dress in layers for warmth, rather than wear a coat.  To me coats can be restricting and depending on where you are they can restrict movement and be uncomfortable.    

The new latest styles are made seem to give style as well as warmth and comfort.  The materials are lighter and the styles are much more fashionable than in past seasons.  I found a few styles that I really like.  Don’t let the price deter you; the point it in having variety, is it gives you the ability to find the style and price that suites your taste and budge. 

Instyle magazine, which I love to read, especially for the fashions has given a list of styles, colors and prices for the ‘hautest” coasts this season.  Take a look at some of the styles that I like the best.

One of the things you will notice is that these coats may be a little pricey for some of us, but the key is to shop around to find a less expensive version; NY&Co., Burlington, Macy’s and JCPenny’s are great places to start.   My picks are just to give you an idea of what the latest and “hautest” styles are for the fall.  

 

Shoes, the fifth and necessary element!

To me shoes are the fifth and necessary element. The shoes you wear say a lot about you. We all want to look our best and be notices (I know I do). It feels good when people admire my shoe game because I feel like I am doing something right. It is tough when times are tight to buy new shoes just for the heck of it. So there are certain rules that I follow to make sure that my feet always look there best and money stays in my pocket. 

Save a sole, Repair!

Instead of throwing out that worn down pair of heels, grab it and make an assessment of how bad the actually damage due to wear and tear is. Is it just the heel that may need to be replaced? Can those scuff marks be buffed out? Take your shoes to the local repair shop, for just a few bucks you can get new soles or get your scuffs buffed. 

Get your shine on!

Instead of buying that shiny new pair of shoes you see in the window, visit your local shoe shine guy and let him hook you up. Your shoes will look like new and you would have helped someone out during this rough economic time. 

If you must shop, do so wisely.

If you just have to have those shoes that you have been dying for shop around. You may not need to buy that expensive shoe when you can find the exact shoe or something really similar at a cheaper price. If you want that designer look for prices that fall within your budget check out stores like Aldo, Steve Madden, Bakers and Pay less. You will be able to find those designer looks for a whole lot less than what you would pay and you may even be able to get a couple pairs with that extra cash you will be saving. 

For a peak at what Aldo and Steve Madden have to offer check out this article in Essence magazine. 

Until next times Dyva's and Divo's!

What we think about Silk Elements

Here’s something I’ve found that works wonders on natural hair.  It’s called Leave-In  Hair Moisturizing Cream by Silk Elements.  It works like a conditioner and leaves your hair feeling soft and for natural hair it holds the curls.  It also works like a hair oil but doesn’t leave your hair greasy.

Silk Elements  Leave-In Hair Moisturizing Cream really does a great job of holding your curls in place and keep the “frizzes” away, which can be pretty common when wearing natural hair styles. 

You can use this product on wet or dry hair, and according to the directions it works well on chemically treated styles as well, to protect the hair from “thermal” styling.  There is no brassy or overwhelming sent to Silk Elements products.  Not only is the leave-in hair moisturizing cream light weight on the hair, it’s light to the nose too

You will be able to find this product and all other Silk Elements products in Sally’s Beauty supply www.sallybeauty.com  for about $5.00.  It may also be found in other drug and beauty supply stores as well. 

I like the whole line of Silk Elements products from the shampoos to conditioning treatments and they all are in the same price range from $3.00 - $5.00 and they leave the hair feeling well,  like silk.

Nine West Spoils me "Rotten"

via www.zappos.com

One thing you will learn about me is that when it comes to shoes, Nine West can never go wrong (if they do it is very rare). They have me spoiled "Rotten" with their styles and colors. No matter what the occasion I can always find the shoes that I need at Nine West.

Anyway, I found this lovely pair on sale at www.zappos.com and love them. I must say that I prefer the tan color but brown is screaming my name since it is on sale. Anyway this can be considered a deal of the day because these and many other Nine West (and other brand shoes) are on sale now.

So check them out and Happy shopping!

got milkshake?

via labloggergal.com

CARAMEL TEQUILA MILKSHAKE

1 pint vanilla ice cream
1/4 cup caramel sauce
1/2 cup milk
2 shots of tequila

Combine all ingredients and blend. Divide between two glasses and top with whipped cream, a drizzle of caramel sauce and enjoy!

For more fun milkshake ideas check out gotmilk.com

News - Tyra Banks to Reveal Her "Real Hair" | Usmagazine.com

via www.usmagazine.com

Comment: Well, unfortunately this is all true. No fried chicken for me, thanks! And all you "african american" women quit getting so mad when you try to bleach your hair blonde and it comes out ORANGE!! hahahah. BLACKIE

Comment: Take your nappy hair and do whatever you want....whites dont give a damn!! At least we can take a shower without having to wear a friggin shower cap every time!! hahaha you and your animalistic ways. You stink to high heaven. Your kids look like spider monkeys. Whattya gona do about it? Too bad your husband took off years ago, otherwise he might be able to defend you. Just DIE.

Comment: FYI Lice came from Africa...lice like European hair beacause it it smooth, silky and smells good. They also feed off of blood that is higher in nutrients since white people eat healthier. Oh well, one of the draw backs to being a perfect race.

If you were questioning whether or not the race issue is dead, here is your response. These comments were made on the US Weekly site in response to an article about Tyra's upcoming fall season premiere. In the article Tyra announced to the media that she would be wearing her natural hair for the first show of the new season of "Tyra", her TV talk show. The new episodes are set to begin airing September 8 on the CW.

What was meant to be an attempt at encouragement for black women and young ladies has turned into something more. I was shocked to see that the comments posted by some of the readers at US Weekly had not been moderated, censored or deleted.

I must say, this leaves me speechless and discouraged.

Gabby's Burgers - Nashville, Nashville, TN, - Restaurant Printable Coupons - Nashville Entertainment Coupon Book

via nashville.entertainment.com

Why is it that the best tasting foods come in a greasy bag?? If you are ever in Nashville and looking for something to eat, run (don't walk) to Gabby's Burgers and Fries. The best tasting burgers I have had in a while, and did I mention the sweet potato fries?

Well, I just finished my cheat lunch for the week and wanted to share. This has inspired me to share more Nashville Hot-Spots... Look for that coming soon...

If you have a favorite spot in your city that you would like to share, let us know!

Triple Moisture: A new Product from Garnier

Can I say, not what I was expecting? I found this product in my local dollar store for $3 and purchased both the shampoo and conditioner. Since the label promised triple nutrition I decided to give it a try that night. My first impression was not good at all. The shampoo left my hair feeling waxy, and the conditioner did nothing at all for me. I tend to lean towards conditioners that are heavier and give me that certain softness to my hair, this did none of that. 

I am a garnier user, my regular hair reggie includes:

• Deep Condition with Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine Fortifying Deep Conditioner. Since I am on a strictly no heat reggie, I make sure that my DC/EVOO mix is covering my hair, then I plastic cap it, and go about my chores for the day. I leave it in for anywhere between 45 mins - 4 hours(I know but sometimes things happen). Once I feel that my hair has had enough conditioner, I rinse and shampoo.
• Shampoo with with Garnier Triple Nutrition. This is new to my regimen, I just decided to try this out because it looked great. Triple Nutrition contains three essential oils, Olive, Avocado, and Shea. These are three products that I use seperately in my hair anyway so why not us a product that says it contains all three. 
• Condition with Garnier Triple Nutrition. Again, this is another newbie to my hair reggie and it is worth it. 
• Once I have conditioned I add my essential mixutre of oils before I dry m hair at all, this way I can seal in as much moisture as possible. Like said before I have always been a Garnier junkie. My initial love with Garnier products started with the Moisture Works line which really helped to cut back on the dryness of my hair. As I have mentioned many times in other posts, I suffer from desert hair (I know, it's like the sahara!), so when I am searching for new products there are things it must have and promises it must make before it can come home with me. 

Anyway, I decided to give the GTN another try and re-worked my regimen to see if I could achieve better results the second time around. Instead of conditioning first with the GTN, I decided to shampoo and then Deep Condition with the GTN Conditioner. The results were fantastic, my hair has never been as soft and easy to manage. I was able to finger comb my hair and did not have to use as much oil and moisturiser as I normally do to achieve some semblance of decent hair. 

My curls were more defined and my hair smelled great, needless to say three weeks later I am still using this as part of my weekly reggie and love the results. I havehad to switch up to try new products and have even ventured back to my GMW, but still I must say that the Triple Nutrition gets my vote of approval. This one is a keeper!