Recent Shots

I have not been consistent as of late...life taking over, but I have been taking a  few shots when I could. Hopefully now that my house in a little bit more orderly (internally and externally) I can commence to blogging...but in the meantime, here are a few snapshots from my life...

Dress: Merona at Target

Me in my fav boots and leggings for a day outing...

...then switching it up for a natural hair gathering...(jacket, Material Girl at Macy's; necklace, vendor in Brazil)

(clutch, vendor in Brazil; ring, vendor in Brazil)

My mom, dad, son, and I aunt my Aunt Jean's funeral...she was so fashionable and she re-peaked my interest in style and this blog!!!)

Hanging out at Historic Fort Wayne in Detroit...I love historic sites!!

Notice how I stay in dresses and jeggings/leggings/tights? They have become my staple, along with scarves. I have recently undergone a bit of a style metamorphosis and will be blogging about that soon...till then...peace!

The Greatest Love of All

Today I was loading a website on my laptop, but it was taking a long time, so I ran upstairs to get something. When I returned, there was a picture of a beautiful woman on the screen. I remarked to myself, oh she is pretty, who is she? I looked closer, and realized that it was me. No lie. I did not recognize myself (it was the profile page of a site that I frequent, but it had loaded wrong so the site background was off and the picture was not in its usual spot, and I had forgotten that I was loading that page). Being the self-reflecting woman that I am, I started to connect this with other experiences that I have had with seeing pictures of women that I think are beautiful online or even women in person, and then realizing that they look like me (sometimes because others pointed it out to me). I used to play this Jedi mind trick on myself when I was suffering from a bout of low self esteem; I would pull pics of gorgeous women into a folder and then add pictures of me to the folder. It was a way of getting me to associate myself with what I considered beautiful.

Its hard for me to say that I am beautiful. You may be saying, well, you have mentioned it a few times already, lol, but it is true. For so long I have struggled with self image issues, and those struggles continue, from time to time. Perhaps that is partly why I have been remiss in posting as of late. But for so many of my formative years, I was told that I was ugly. I didn't believe it, not really,  and I now understand where viewpoint came from. I talk about it more in this post on my other blog. But even though I have mostly overcome those feelings of inferiority, I am sometimes plagued with self doubt. And then shame, because I have, at 35, still not conquered these issues. I still don't accept myself 100%.

Part of me feel its okay to not to be okay with me all the time. My spiritual path teaches that you have to be compassionate, not only with others, but with yourself. So I give myself a break for not having it all together, for not being totally self assured and self confident. I just have to remember to do and say the things which validate me, even when no-one else does. I must have love for myself. I must recognize and not be surprised by my own beauty.

More Corinne Bailey Rae

I am working out some technical issues, but I will be back to posting soon. In the meantime, here are some great photos of Corrine Bailey Rae.

http://photos.nola.com/nolaphotos/2010/09/corinne_bailey_rae_at_the_hous.html#incart_hbx

I love her music, and her hair is just amazing!!!!

Back to Black, Date Night, and other escapades...

Oi pessoas! This has been a busy week, as always, but I have been making some fashion efforts and taking pictures...here are a few updates!!

First of all, my hair no longer is multicolored (well, not as multicolored as before). I went from this:

Notice the ladybug MAC lipstick

to this:

Color in a bottle: Softsheen Carlson Natural Black. The hair is styled in a twistout.

The dye did not cover all of my gray spots and there is still some reddish brown in parts of my hair, but for the most part it is jet black, which I love. I think the color makes me look a little older, but I still prefer it to the lighter color(s) that I had before. Black makes my curls shine more and I like glossy hair.

So, I went out on a date last week too. We met in trendy Royal Oak and went on a coffee run. We sampled Turkish and Arabic coffee. I preferred the Arabic...it was sweet with a hint of nutmeg. It was a first date with a guy I met online, and I wanted to be cute, but comfortable, so I settled on this outfit:

shirtdress: Mossimo, Target; leggings: NY&C; belt:  NY&C; flats: Bandolino; purse: Kathy VanZeeland; earrings and necklace: indigenous Brazilian vendor (made from guava seeds)

As you can see, red tones are becoming my new signature. I have so much black and brown in my wardrobe, and red is a useful way to jazz it up a bit, especially with my raven hair.

errand running outfit...I really need to deal with my lopsided hair!!!

work meeting outfit: dress: Merona, Target; shoes: Naturalizer; purse: Vittorio, Las Vegas vendor

I also recently got to spend some quality time with my bestie, Y. I need to check to see if I can put her beautiful photo up, but here is mine:

shirt: Express; skirt: Ivete, Brazilian department store; purse: see above

; shoes:

The skirt was a bit short, especially considering that my legs are not a toned as I would like. But I am working on that. In the meantime, I think I will not wear this skirt again until I can wear tights (or I trim the fat, whichever comes first).

We went out for fondue and then watched Eat, Pray, Love. I have some things to say about that movie and the book, but I will post on my other blog and then link here, so stay tuned.

I have an orientation at my son's school to go to, but other than that, I have no other engagements until Friday (another date, different guy) so I will post that date night outfit then....peace!!!

Last Days is Brazil; First Days in Michigan

Drummer at the Cultural Festival in Salvador

And I'm back!!! I have been getting settled into life in the States for the past....week and a half, maybe?, and I am LOVING IT!!!! I really missed home; there is no place like it. I realize more and more how much I need structure in my life....globetrotting can be fun, but in small doses. And I am staying on this side of the border for a while (at least the next few months)...

My townhome is a hot mess, but it is coming around; I will have some "decor" and clothes based pictures to share soon, but for now, here are a few of my last days in Brazil and my first days back home....

Me and a few of my students

I spent the last week in Brazil finishing up things with the group of students that I was working with. It was hard to say goodbye, but I know that they will do well and at least three of them will be coming to the U.S. in the next year for undergraduate study. The organization that the class was part of had a cultural festival during my last weekend, so I attended and got to see some of the students perform (I will have to add those youtube videos later). I also was reminded of the great times that I had during Carnival (ooh, those pics should go up too....I will link to them later).

All female drum troupe...if I was from Salvador, I would SO be part of this group...reminds me of my days as a cultural performer...

Hanging out with one of my students

Crowd scene: There was a mini samba circle going on, plus, I was trying to take some candid natural hair shots....such beautiful people!!!

Exactly one week later, I had my own party to throw in the USA....my son, F's, 13th birthday!! I decided to just do something simple at the local park (I grew up going to this park and its really close to our new place) and invite all the kids we know (cousins and friends). We sat all day waiting for folk to arrive...I said the party was going to be from 1-5 and do you know most folk did not show up until after 4pm!!!! CPT is NOT cool, y'all!! I was a bit miffed, but my son was just happy to be around his folks that he did not complain (too much)...

F. and I throwing the football around

These cuties were NOT hours late! Thanks Y!!

Women's group doing the hustle....everybody hustles in Detroit

He should model, in my motherly opinion...

My little cousins....THEY were hours late, thanks, T. (I need a side eye smiley here)

He is almost as tall as me (amazon that I am..)

The next day, mom, dad, son, and I headed up to the E.L.C. (East Lansing) to complete my transition from mid-Michigan to Southeastern Michigan. I got my stuff out of storage and my dad and F. brought it to the townhome in a Uhaul (we had movers on each end of the trip load and unload the stuff....dad is in great shape, but at 60, refuses to lift furniture when he can pay others to do so....well I paid, but he would of if I needed him too...once a daddy's girl, always a daddy's girl).

My guys...they both have to same "will you hurry up" look on their faces, don't they?

So now all of that stuff that was in storage is strewn around my house....this weekend I hope to have a great portion of it put away...I need to purge too, but the excess is in the basement for now. Gotta get it together, cause, technically, I start work next week....now, when do I get my first paycheck....?

Eleven More Days

I have eleven more days here in Brazil, and a whole lot of stuff to accomplish before I go. I love to spin plates, I guess. So, before we leave for the U.S. I need to (mostly) complete a conference paper, pack up a 3 bedroom apartment, teach a class (and transition the students to a new teacher), homeschool my son (we are trying to finish up the last math chapter before we leave), finish buying souvenirs, get to the beach at least once, see a number of friends, attend a festival...I am sure there are a few things that I am forgetting. So, I think this will be my last post until I am back at home. I do have pics from a recent outing...I have had this dress for many years...

I noticed that it was a little tight in the chest area, but I was surprised at how puckered it was in the pictures. I am not sure if my chest has gotten bigger, or if my entire upper body has expanded (fat for sure and muscle I hope), but I don't think I will continue wearing this dress if it looks like this. Maybe I could wear it with a sweater or jacket...I will say that the camisole that I wore under it was not the one that I usually wear, so maybe that made a difference in how the dress fit.

I bought the black purse last fall to use as an everyday purse. I am a serious "bag lady", and I will buy low end and high end (to me). I just like a good purse that "speaks to me" when I pick it up. This one did its job, but the straps are starting to unravel. I am starting to rethink the whole "cheap purse" thing...in the future, I plan to just save and invest in higher quality pieces.

Anyway, I will be back in a couple of weeks!!!

Dress: New York & Company
Purse: St John's Bay, JC Penny
Earrings: Vendor in the U.S.

Wintertime and the living is easy...

Today we had a lazy Saturday in the neighborhood. Its winter in Brazil, which means lots of rain here in Bahia, but today we got a bit of a reprieve. I decided it was time to hang out a little bit, so, after F. recovered from his allnighter,

(

(F. stayed up all night until about 11 am the next day, then passed out on the living room floor.)

we went out to get F. a haircut, visit a local thrift shop, and get some acai and egg cheese sandwiches.

Then we hung out a bit along the coast...

 

(My windblown wash and go was on point today!)

 I decided to wear one of my American Apparel convertible dresses ( I have three, the others are red and brown). I don't plan on buying anything else from the company, after reading about the executives' views on women, black women in particular, but I will get my money's worth with the ones I already own.

Dress: American Apparal

Cami: NewYork & Company 

Purse: Target

Earrings: Dagbovie Designs, gifted

Bracelet: gifted by stranger during the Carnaval street party

Ring: Brazilian shop

 

7/14-7/15

(A traditional Bahian dinner at Axego Restaurant in Pelourhino, Salvador da Bahia, Brazil)

Wednesday was a "work" day, so I had to get up, get out, and get something...done. Haha, I'm corny, yes. Anyway, on Wednesday's I teach a conversational English class at a local educational and cultural center. Its so much fun and so inspirational too. Teaching has long been a vocation of mine, and even if I do not become a professor when I finish this PhD. I will continue to look for opportunities to teach.

The students had previously met my son, F., and requested that he come to the class, so he, another Fulbrighter and friend of mine, and I ventured to the Santo Antonio neighborhood for the class. This was my "work" outfit.

The bottoms are a little snug, I suppose. The top I like...I need to incorporate more red tones into my wardrobe. I need more "work appropriate" tops as well. I don't show my shoes yet cause, basically, all I am wearing are flip flops. I don't really have many options here, but once I get home, I will up my shoe game, I promise. Overall, I was okay with this outfit.

Afterward, we walked down to the historic district of Pelourhino to have dinner at the family owned Axego restaurant. We had a wonderful shrimp moqueca, and F. had octopus stew as well (he had been begging me to make some octopus but I. just. couldn't. so this was the next best thing...probably better).

(

(Our dinner companion, K.)

Today, I will be working from home and grocery shopping. I am wearing my comfort skirt. F. doesn't like it (he is becoming quite the fashion critic) but it fits and its not butt ugly, so until I can find another denim skirt, this will have to do. Its not "that" bad, is it?

red and black top: Style & co. J.C. Penney
black bottoms: Merona, Target
bikini top: Xilaration, Target
marron tank: New York & Company
denim skirt: Cherokee, Target
wood earrings: Brazilian vendor

Corinne Bailey Rae - Closer

Corinne Bailey Rae - Closer

I am loving this video...way to represent for the sexy natural sisters!!! I especially love her updo with the veiled hat...I wanna wear a hat like that...one day...

My Preferences

 (baby deer at the Salvador City Zoo)

Okay, I know I said that I would not start blogging until September, but I pushed my U.S. departure date up a month, so I will now be leaving in just under 3 weeks! In anticipation, I have actually been dressing myself in "outside" clothes more often and taking pictures. So, I am ready to post. One thing I noticed about my wardrobe is how I really love how certain things fall on me and detest others. Case in point, the outfit that I wore on Monday.

This is my favorite skirt. I love the way it fits perfectly around my waist and gently hugs my hips. The cotton material and the slight a-line makes this an easy and versatile piece that I don't wear often enough. The tank is in one of my favorite colors (my other favorite is green...go Brasil!) and it usually is a bit short, but it works with this skirt. Longer tanks makes this outfit look...dumpy, but here, I look slim and curvy. I like it!

Now this dress, le sigh. I love the color and the material and the shape...but not really on me. Its just a little too flowy and adds weight, in my opinion. The dress is retro; it reminds me of a dress my mom wore in the late 70's - early 80's. So, for nostalgia's sake, I wear it (well, that and the fact that I have limited clothes here in Brazil).

But I just don't feel...my best in this dress. So as I go about my wardrobe overhaul in the next few months, I am going to weed out things that don't make me feel fabulous. I will try to salvage this and other pieces, using what I see on other blogs as guides, but I am vowing to STOP wearing things that make me look dumpy.


yellow blouse: Blue Steel, Brazilian shop
black and white polka dot skirt: New York & Company
dress: Bisou Bisou, J.C. Penney