Outfit of the Week: Casual Prep

 



  This was my outfit of choice to wear back to work after being on holiday vacation. Despite me wearing a blazer, which can be restricting depending on it construction, this outfit is extremely comfortable. The blazer, which I got from Forever 21, is made out of a soft knit material which makes it both warm and allows the fit to feel more relaxed than your normal stiff suit jacket/blazer.

Tales From the Roots: Length Check and Update

   The fall season has really set in here in Chicago and the winter is coming quickly around the corner. With the brisk air and low humidity I decided that this was the perfect time to straighten my hair. So far I have only done this twice in my journey, once in April 2014 and now in Oct-November. The first time it only lasted about a week, maybe two because of the humidity but this time around I've been having more luck.

Product Review: Younique "Moodstruck 3D Fiber Lashes"

     If you have a social media account, namely Instagram, you have seen posts from popular pages raving about the Younique "Moodstruck 3D Fiber Lashes" for the past few months.
    Every post features a pretty girl with her eyes open wide, showing off thick, long eye lashes that unbelievably came out of a bottle. I went from becoming mildly interested to captivated when I saw a video review from one of my favorite YouTube personalities Miss Ken K. She loved the product of course but when she mentioned that this was a great alternative to false lashes I was sold.
    I recently received my order and was able to use it a few times. Keep reading to see my full review.

Tales from the Roots: Chunky Twist out for a Stretched Afro

     I have been natural for over a year now, my last perm was on May 4, 2014. Since then I have been on a constant path of learning how to manage my the health of my natural hair while also learning to love and style it to my liking. Most of that learning took place after my Big Chop in January of this year. Since then I have had good and bad hair days but recently it seems like I have finally hit my stride with this natural hair thing. It is my opinion that the best successes with hair, any texture, natural or relaxed, comes with both trial and error and also embracing what you have to work with.        As a new natural I did a ton of research on YouTube and Instagram on how to style my hair and get that 'look'. You know, the curly, flowing, natural hair. fast forward a couple months down the line I realized that that hair was never going to be my hair. With that realization and adopting bits and pieces from the regiments of other natural girls, I began to have a better understanding of what works for me. 

    I took a lot of my current hair styling process from MyNaturalSistas, MissKenK, and Yolanda Renee. I suggest you check out their videos and their Instagram accounts for some great tips and styles for kinky, thick, natural hair. 

Now let's get into my process. I recently wrote a general update on my natural hair but in this post I'll be showing you, in detail, how I achieve my twist out and how I make it last for three and sometimes 4 days.

Tales From the Roots: Natural Hair Update

     

      It has been a couple months since I've done a natural hair update so I figured it was about time! At this point in my journey I have learned a lot and I have a lot of advice for those new to the natural hair life.

Before I get into my updates I just want to go over my natural journey time line to get you up to speed:

May 2013- Last Perm

June 2013- Partial Chop, Bob hair cut

January 2014- Big Chop

May 2014- 1 Year natural Anniversary 

July-Sept 2014 Weave

October... about 16 months natural 

Growth

     

     I am now starting to notice a significant change in my hair length. This summer I used protective styling for about 2 months and it really helped me
1. Give my hair a break from constant styling
2. Give me a break from those long nights of twisting
3. It helped my hair grow.
     After taking down my weave I quickly realized that my hair had grown a significant amount. It actually took my about a week or so to figure out that the styling techniques I would use for my smaller TWA just didn't cut it anymore. When I first big chopped I was more concerned with curl definition and having a very neat, uniformed look. Now I am more concerned with showing off my length.

     I put my hair in chunky twist, which I stretch and bobby pin to my head, almost every night using my staple products and pick out my fro in the morning. I usually get the best stretched look about 2 days after washing it. Even though my hair has grown a great deal when I style it wet, or if I use smaller twists, my hair will shrink back to a fro about the size that it was in January (not to mention that it literally takes forever for it to dry now). It will be cute and coily but it won't hit its big, fierce, fro potential. This is why I like my hair to be in a mostly dry state. Even at night when I retwist it I hardly ever get my hair really wet with product.
 

Ways to Wear it: Little Black Dress

     I'm all about getting the bang for your buck and the best way to do that in your closet is to figure out how to wear your clothes many different ways. In this blog I will be showing you how to create five different looks using this $12 Black dress I got from H&M. I'll be wearing the same dress with different accessories, jackets and shoes to tell a different story with each outfit. Since it is late September I will be showing you five different fall looks with this long sleeve body con dress but you can do this with in any season.
    If you are not comfortable with wearing such a form fitting dress you can also create these looks with skater or flare dresses. You could even check out Pintrest and see all of the different ways you can wear your summer maxi dresses in the fall. Of course I used Pintrest to gain inspiration for my looks. If you want to take a look at my Pin-spirations for these looks and get more ideas you can check out the Little Black Dress board I created on the Little Things B Loves Pintrest Page.

Fall Look Book

     There are a lot of great fashion trends for this season and I have picked a few of my favorites to showcase. Some of these pieces are new, I did a lot of shopping during Labor Day weekend (a time for amazing fall sales), but others are items I previously wore in the summer and transitioned to fall or were bought last season.

     Most of the time that I am dressed in more than pajamas I am at work so when I am shopping I am very conscious about the versatility and office friendliness of the things that I buy. The dress code in my office is mostly casual- to business casual so I don't have a very severe split in my wardrobe when it comes to the clothes I wear in my personal life and the clothes that I wear in the office. Most of the looks in this look book will be casual but work appropriate and of course they will always have room to be dressed up or down depending on how you feel.

So without further adieu here are my 5 Looks:

Ways To Wear It: The Fall Transition

Fall is upon us! Chicago did not have a summer full of sweltering heat and humidity as per usual so it never quiet seemed that far off to me but either way as we approach mid September the weather is slowly changing and your wardrobe should be as well. At this time of the year we can reach 80 by day but only the upper 60's in the early morning and late night, which means it's time to break out our flats and light jackets. In this blog I will be showing you how I transition some of my summer pieces into early fall knockouts! 

I'll also be showing you quite a few of my new fall pieces that I pick up during last week's labor day sales at various stores so be on the lookout for my great deals! 

Battle of the lip Crayons

       In case you didn't know lip crayons are all the rage and have been for quite some time. Nearly every makeup line has created their own version, so it won't be hard to find one that suits your lip needs, be that matte color, moisture, full coverage or lip tint. I only have a couple (so far) from varying brands & prices. Here's my collection and how I rank each one:

Tales from the Roots: Protective Styling- Crochet Braids

For the past 5 weeks I have had my hair tied away in Senegalese Twists. I know that style usually lasts a lot longer than 5 weeks but I rarely keep styles that long so I was ready to take them down! I mostly missed washing my scalp and running my fingers through my hair but I knew that I wasn't ready to deal with my hair on a daily basis again, sometimes a girl just needs a break! So I was searching Pintrest & YouTube for ideas and came across this video about Crochet Braids and decided to try it out

Work Friendly Makeup

   BB Your Self! 

  I really love makeup but like most of the women in the world I am not a magician with a makeup brush, nor do I have ample time to apply my makeup in the morning. On the weekends or before a night out it's nice to take my time applying foundation and dramatic eye liner but most of the time that I am wearing makeup I am on my way to work.
   
     I try to use the bare minimum products to create a beautiful and natural makeup look so I only use a few products and usually it only takes 5-7 minutes to apply my makeup. I know that might sound crazy but after you see what exactly it is that I do to my face every morning you will understand.

Ways to Wear it: Day to Night OOTD

 

     A girl on a budget needs to be able to work the versatility of her clothes. When I'm shopping I always try to envision my options with whatever piece I'm thinking about buying, be that shoes, a dress, a top or even jeans. I rarely buy anything that I will only be able to wear one way or once period. This not only saves money but also saves space when traveling. I bought this crop top from Forever 21 in preparation for my trip to Las Vegas which is where I am in the above pictures. It saved a lot of time when I was getting dressed to go out because I didn't have to change my whole outfit, it also saved space in my suitcase because I didn't need to pack another full outfit. If you want to learn how to dress up/down a crop top keep reading! 

How to Wear a Romper to Work: OOTD

I finally figured out how to wear a Romper to work!  

I picked up this Romper last month from H&M. I paid $17 for it, which is not bad at all. This one is floral with black stripes but I also got a coral one. Both are pretty short, and feature a low cut back with cute strap detailing in the back. 

Charming Charlie Haul

Last week I went to Charming Charlie and picked up a few things. I'm headed to Vegas for the first time in a few weeks so I wanted to get my mother and I something cute to wear. Although Charming Charlie does offer a wide array of jewelry and clothes, all arranged by color, I ended up buying purses.

Two of them are everyday bags that can be converted into night and the last is a sexy clutch. If you are looking to pick up something you can check them out online at http://www.charmingcharlie.com/. I went to the Nordstrom location which is located right on Michigan ave.

Quilted Queen Crossbody Bag 

For everyday usage I picked up the Quilted Queen Crossbody Bag  for $25. It's a modest size, which makes it perfect for those days that you don't want to carry a big bag, but it has plenty of storage space so you won't have to leave some of your things at home in order to carry it. The size also makes this perfect for going from day to night. It comes with both a removable cross body strap and a wrist strap. I thought this was perfect for my mom who doesn't have many purses so she needs them all to be very versatile. It comes in nine colors. I bought my mom the Rose Gold and the Light White for myself
Nine colors, pictured in Rose Gold and Light White

Cut It Out Clutch

As soon as I saw this clutch I feel in love! It is really dazzling in person. The pink-Lavender snake skin of the bag is accented with gold detailing that shimmers based on the angle. I got the
Cut It Out Clutch for $19. Unfortunately this is the only color it comes in. The inside is lined with black and white stripes. There isn't much room on the inside for much of anything besides your phone, ID and lip gloss but you shouldn't need much else at a party!

I cant wait to use these! Be on the look out for more pics :)

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Happy Feet

About a week ago I went into Payless to window shop a little... long story short I left with two pairs of shoes but I got some great deals!! Usually the best deals at payless are during their BOGO (buy one get one half off) but I was able to pair two sale items with a Payless Rewards Member discount! 

Chevron Dreamin'

The wait is finally over! I have completed my room renovation! This has literally taken me month due to sleeping in a leaky basement, insufficient funds and a busy schedule but somehow I managed to make my Pintrest dream room a reality!

Make sure to follow me on Instagram :)

Don't Forget to Follow Me!! 

@littlethingsbloves on Instagram 

Little Things B loves on Pintrest 

Subscribe to my blog by entering your email blow

 :-) Thank you for reading! 

Living in the Lime Light

This lime skirt has quickly become one of my favorite pieces in my wardrobe and

It is just as whimsical as it seems...

Ways to Wear It: Seeing Green

 I've been completely obsessed with full, flowing vintage styled skirts this season so imagine my excitement over this little green darling. This skirt is from an online company called She Inside. I discovered this site while watching style haul videos on YouTube.

OOTD: God bless Chevron

Top: A'Gaci

Jeans: JC Penney

Shoes: Keds

Bag: Sears

Accessories: Forever 21

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Tales from the roots: Twist Out Reloaded

     The thing about going natural is that your products, go to styles & hair regiments change with the season, length of your hair & mood you are in. When I did my big chop 5 months ago I went through a bunch of products that naturals on YouTube swore by and hated all of them but one, Shea Moisture's curl enhancing smoothie. I haven't changed my mind about that product. It gives a me a nice, semi strong hold for my twist out & does a nice job defining my coils but about a month ago I decided to go back & give Eco styler another shot. 

OOTD: Flower Child

OOTD: B & the City

I wasn't planning on doing a blog today but I couldn't resist posting the details about what I wore to work today! 

Riding Bikes in Skirts

Natural Hair Humor

Tales from the Roots: A Mile Stone

                            Officially one year natural          

On May 4, 2013 I got my last relaxer. When I decided to go natural about 5 weeks later I was not prepared or too confidant that I would even stick to it. But here we are a whole year later and I not only stuck to it but I broke a lot of rules I initially set for myself. 

When I decided to go natural I wanted to do a long term Transition. In theory I did because I didn't Big Chop until January (Almost 9 months in) but I honestly didn't see myself doing a big chop at all.

OOTD: Mint to Be

                     

Its finally 85 degrees in Chicago so I broke out a dress that I bought about 2 months ago (As you can see I've been ready for this weather). 

Outfit Details:

Dress, Ross $16.99

Necklace, H & M $9

BElt, H & M $4

Rings & Bracelet, Akira $9 & $15 ish 

Shoes, JC Penney $20

Bag, Target  

Hair Bow, Forever 21, $1.80

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High Tea

Vintage look with a twist. Tea Length skirts for spring and summer 2014! I got this one for a steal...

Funky Flats

While winter was over staying its welcome in Chicago I was keeping my eyes on the prize (and my coupons). Spring Cometh!  I have been diligently working on my shoe game because at the beginning of last summer I realized I was in a bad spot. I owned one pair of sandals and one pair of flats. I know right, a nightmare. I bought a few pairs in the essential colors and I really worked those four pairs the entire summer. But this summer I will do better!! It's not sandal weather just yet so I am working on my flats and gym shoes.

The great part about spring is the sales. You can find a lot of great winter or fall things going on sale because the stores are preparing for spring, but you can also bank on the sales and promotion for the new spring clothes. From my experience these sales are no where near as good as the end of season sales but you can still get some good stuff. Another thing to look out for is Easter, Father's Day & Mother's day coupons and sales. Even if you aren't buying Easter Sunday attire or a Mother's Day gift you can still take advantage of the deals most stores are offering at this time. I took advantage of the 30% coupon Payless sent me as part of an Easter promotion and bought the colorful flats pictures below. I ended up only play $16.99 (before taxes) for these shoe. On a different day my mom and I went back and took advantage of a friends and family 30% coupon, allowing me to scoop up that darling pair of blush/nude flats.

The Secret Trench

Allow me to introduce you to my latest love, The Secret Trench from Victoria's Secret....

Lunch Bag Swag

     I know this is about to sound crazy, but I hate buying take out! I would much rather spend my money on things I can enjoy later... Let me explain. When spending money on clothes, hair, even your bills you can see the results. You pay the light bill and you can see the lights on in your house, you buy clothes and you can have them to wear  later but if you're spending big bucks on fast food you eat it then its gone and so is your money .And the worst part is that you'll just be hungry again later!

      As the weather gets nicer I notice that a lot of my co-workers are going out for lunch pretty much everyday. I'll admit it is very temping. We are right on Michigan Ave in downtown Chicago and there is literally everything within walking distance from us. But things change when you really sit down and add up the money you spend eating take out every week.

Work Wear: Gold and Bubbly

Ever since I stopped working at Target I vowed to continue to wear the two pairs of Khaki pants I bought specifically for Target purposes! I just think it would be wrong if I let two perfectly good pairs of pants (That I JUST bought) sit in my drawer and rot. Sooo I have been incorporating them into my wardrobe. I usually only wear dark denim, cotton or leather leggings and skirts as bottoms during the winter. Even in the summer I find myself in dark denim shorts or brightly colored bottoms, never khaki. In my mind it was always a color or type of pant that was for work or formal wear. But with some playing around and consulting Pintrest for ideas I found that Khakis aren't just for Target employees and Country Club kids, they're cute! 

Work Wear: Houndstooth Swag

 This entire outfit is from New York & Company, one of my new favorite places to shop for cute work clothes. Our dress code is pretty lenient but I like to look cute, comfortable, casual but still mature and classy. This gray sweater has a wide neck, which allows a little skin to be shown in the shoulder area. The hounds tooth pattern is metalic so it shimmers at a certain angle. When I bought this the store was having a 40% off sale so I paid no more than $15 for this shirt, which is great because it was originally $50! The jeans I have on are actually dark wash denim leggings, a steal for only $30. I am in love with these things. other than the waist back and the lack of a front zipper, no one would ever know that you were wearing leggings. My original plan was not to wear my grey uggs with this outfit but because of the snow and cold I had to properly protect my feet against the elements. I wore my 'B' necklace, also from NY&C with diamond studs.