Shop the Barneys New York warehouse sale and save 50-75% off regular prices on their selection of the finest designer clothing, shoes, and accessories for men and women, as well as gifts for the home. Visit their website at Barneys.com.

The sale starts Thursday August 19, 2010 and Ends Monday September 6, 2010 (Labor Day)

Weekdays 10am-9pm

Weekends 10am-7pm

Labor day 10am-7pm

255 W. 17th St. btwn. 7th & 8th avenues. (212)833-2900

THE SALE ENDS LABOR DAY!!! 9/6/2010

The other night I went to Sofrito, a spanish restaurant in midtown, with a friend. One of their specialty drinks was the Pineapple Mojito. I had never had one before and so we tried it. It was delish! I didn’t think mint and pineapple meshed well together, but it was a great blend. Check out the food we ordered also

This was our appetizer. It consisted of calamari, chicken, mixed empanadas, cheese sticks, and pork fried green plantains topped with shrimp, octopus, cod fish, and steak.

I ordered the grilled salmon with sauteed spinach

He ordered the roast pork with arroz con grandules and fried sweet plantains.

This piece of pork was massive! This picture is not doing it any justice, but our waiter said it is the biggest dish on the menu. Everyone that passed our table just stared at it. It was too funny! My little piece of fish was nothing compared to this pork. It was also the best roast pork I ever had. It was so tender and full of flavor. He gave me a substantial portion and he ate quite a bit himself, and once we were full, we were still left with half of the pork. At the table next to us, there were three guys who kept staring at his plate. They ended up ordering one. These dudes were pretty big and they all shared one plate and they still had left overs. It was ridiculous. If you ever go to Sofrito’s and order the pork, you are in for a massive meal.

Here is a look that I created that is similar to what I wore.

Dinner w/ Friends by Her Goody Bag featuring hoop jewelry

Woven Deep V Tunic, $20
Folk Pipe Skinny, 20 GBP
BKE Sole Finella Snake Shoe, $36
Edgy Silver Multi Layered Necklace, $38
GUESS by Marciano Sara Sculpted Hoop Earrings, SILVER, $38

Last night in NYC, I had the privilege of attending the grand opening of the new Call It Spring Shoes store in Manhattan Mall, courtesy of Shine Media PR and John Simon from John Simon Daily . This grand opening was one of the most anticipated events of the summer and a great way to usher in the Fall season.

Everyone in attendance was able to view the hottest trends in sandals, shoes, boots, handbags, and accessories for the fall season. Music was provided by DJ Reach, and we had delicious hors d’oeuvres and drinks (my favorite white wine sangria) provided by Indiana Catered Food. The most exciting perk of this event was the $150 gift card given to each guest. So imagine a room full of bloggers and fashionistas, and a $150 gift card in their hands….it was total MAYHEM.

Call It Spring Shoes offered a great variety of styles and their price points were definitely budget friendly. Being the sister store of Aldo Shoes, the prices at Call It Spring range from $19.99-$119, a great alternative to Aldo. They offered great prices on the season’s hottest styles like oxfords and wedge booties. They also offered great prices on their handbags. The most expensive bag that I saw was $40 and that is not expensive at all.

I caught up with the usual blogging buddies Makeup By Kim Porter, O So Chic, Kitty Bradshaw, The Style and Beauty Doctor, Temple of Glam, The Fab Chick, The Bliss List, KMP Blog, Divas and Dorks, Living Fly On A Dime, Oh My Spry…I hope I did not forget anyone.

Overall this was an amazing event. It did get a little hectic because there were so many people who needed assistance and there was a long wait for shoes, but most people were extremely patient and calm, and the staff was amazing. I was able to score 2 pairs of wedge booties and a cute pair of shooties. The gift bag included cookies from Indiana Catered Food and a cute cross body bag. Overall, I was pleased with my experience and I will be purchasing from Call It Spring Shoes again in the very near future (maybe this weekend lol).

My purchases:

The Spring Recipe
Spring specializes in the creation of high-quality fashion footwear, leather goods and accessories. This sought-after brand pays close attention to detail and to fine craftsmanship. Spring is dedicated to bringing you both quality and cutting-edge trends at affordable prices, season after season. What’s more, Spring’s dedicated team of buyers and stylists constantly travel the globe to keep you on the pulse of fashion. Whether the latest footwear trends are breaking in London, Milan, Paris, New York or Tokyo, Spring will have them on your feet first! Spring shoes is also the sister company to Aldo Shoes. Here are some additional photos of what Spring Shoes has to offer.

Check out Call It Spring Shoes Online at www.myspringshoes.com or visit their Facebook fan page.

Special thanks to Shine Media PR for an amazing event.

Kelis has been known to push the fashion envelope, but how do you feel about this look?

Leopard leggings, beige sheer shirt, gold blazer and gold pumps. She is rocking a new hair color also. Did she nail this look or is it a fail?

Mary J. Blige is definitely one of the most consistent, stylish women in the entertainment industry. Her look from her “What’s the 411?” days has evolved tremendously and she is one of the most fashionable celebrities. Here Mary J. Blige transitions from day to night so effortlessly.

Doing my daily rounds on the internet, I found this article on Essence.com about the most common myths for “black hair.” When I read this article I was surprised at a few of the myths because from my experience, I have found them to be true. I will share which hair myth I am referring to once you get through reading the article.

Via Essence.com Interview with Ursula Stephens (celebrity hair stylist)

MANE MYTH: Trimming your hair will make it grow faster.
TRESS TRUTH: “While frequent trims are great for removing split ends, they don’t actually make your hair grow faster,” says Ursula. That being said, don’t skip your trims! If you ignore split ends for too long, they can creep up the hair shaft, and then you’ll need to snip off more than you bargained for. Regular snips every 6 to 8 weeks will keep your coif looking crisp and clean.

MANE MYTH: Natural hair is stronger than relaxed hair.
TRESS TRUTH: According to Stephen, natural hair is actually quite fragile. “It should be treated gently at all times to prevent breakage,” she says. To maintain your strands’ strength, never brush your natural hair while it’s wet; instead, use a detangling comb or your fingers. Also, skip cotton pillowcases — the rough fibers can cause fragile hair to break off. Try a silk or satin pillowcase, or wrap your hair in a silk scarf.

MANE MYTH: Braids make hair grow.
TRESS TRUTH: We think this myth started when Black women began sporting braids to carry them through the grow-out process. But while braids are a cute style option, they have nothing to do with the rate of hair growth. “Hair grows about a half inch a month, period,” says Stephen. “Strong, healthy hair comes from the inside out… it has nothing to do with any attachments you might wear!”

MANE MYTH: Black hair doesn’t need to be shampooed often.
TRESS TRUTH: According to Stephen, there isn’t a “correct” schedule for washing hair, but infrequent shampooing can result in dirt, oil and product buildup, which weighs down the hair shaft and makes it look dull. It’s best to wash hair once a week, at least.

MANE MYTH: Greasing your scalp keeps hair healthy.
TRESS TRUTH: Stephen says that grease actually clogs pores, which can inhibit scalp circulation and hair growth! “A healthy scalp is gained by a healthy diet,” she adds. To help maintain strong, healthy hair, eat tons of proteins (like fish and chicken), and foods high in vitamin C, which help with scalp circulation.

Ok so the myth about the braids was surprising. When I was younger I went to Florida for the summer with my siblings to visit my aunt and cousin. I went to the pool EVERYDAY rain or shine. To make a VERY VERY long story short, my hair was badly damaged from the chlorine. My mom ended up doing the “big chop” and I had to start all over. From the middle of 8th grade until the end of 9th grade I wore my hair in braids-in every style you could imagine. My hair grew TREMENDOUSLY in within a year and a half. I went from not having a pony tail (not even a stingy one smh) to hair that reached my shoulders. So I was shocked to when I read that because I thought the braids helped with the hair growth, not the actual extension, but just having my hair in one set style for 6-8weeks and not fussing with it. I guess for me there is some truth to that myth.

Oxford shoes are definitely on trend for Fall 2010. So many stylish women have been rocking these cute and sophisticated shoes for many seasons now. I have wanted a pair since last year, but I did not find a pair that I was in love with or fit my budget….until now.

These Oxfords are great for creating sophisticated and chic looks. What’s even better is the price. They are only $19.99 and can be purchased at Target. I prefer the brown/cognac pair over the black.

There are endless possibilities with these shoes. Pair them with skinny jeans or leggings or even your summer floral dresses, if paired with tights.

Place your order today or visit your nearest Target to see if they are in stock.

• Xhiliration Women’s Taree Oxfords in Cognac $19.99
• Xhiliration Women’s Taree Oxfords in Black $19.99

Great!

Despite the trouble that she has faced these past few weeks she manages to put a smile on her face. I’m glad she is not letting the negativity from the media get to her. She looks great in this black and silve sequins dress and over the knee boots. This is a great look for the fall.

Love Amber and Kims dress

Shaun Robinson looks amazing in red

Tracy Morgan is a fool lol

Yesterday at church, there were many different messages that came from all areas of the service. Whether it was the weekly announcements, the offering, the special musical selection, or the sermon, I felt enriched with great words of wisdom. While there were many messages said or taught, I found the message of renewal to be very profound. Renewal is defined as the act of renewing and to renew means to restore to a fresh or new condition; to recover; to revive; to reestablish. Pastor Bernard touched on this topic because often times we want our situations and circumstances to be different, but it is our mindset and thought life that prevents us from changing. He said transformation occurs by the renewing of our mind. If our minds are not renewed, our outlook on the current situations that we want to change will never change, therefore, we will be stuck in the same place.

What we think and how we think affects every aspect of our lives. Our thought life can either motivate us to move forward, or hinder us and we remain stagnant. Whatever is on your mind is either going to break you down or build you up, therefore, we must have a healthy state of mind. This requires:

1. Getting ENOUGH rest- Tiredness sometimes alters one’s judgments
2. Feeding your mind- we must READ. Reading not only empowers us, but it also helps us function in many capacities. Yes we learn through experience, but we also learn through books and we must continue to educate ourselves.
3. Not MAJORING in the MINORS!- We need to not dwell on the small things or the negatives. There are people whose circumstances are worse than ours, but they try to find the good and positive in everything. We can’t “sweat the small stuff.” So we must stop complaining, especially when it involves trivial things.

“Change is a process, not an event” and I don’t expect this renewal to occur overnight, this is going to take a lot of work and a lot of time. We must be willing to put in the effort if we want to truly change and transform.  I am going to start by keeping a journal of only positive thoughts. At the end of each day I am going to (well try to) write down at least 5 good things or positive things that occurred. We can no longer let negative things control our mind and our outlook on life. We can always find something positive, we just have to look. So let this be the first step towards our renewal.