I am beautiful!

There is something powerful in having the confidence to speak these three words aloud. Looking in the mirror during my daily morning routine, which includes drinking 12 oz. of water, washing my face, and brushing my teeth, I often times take a few additional minutes to appreciate my facial features. The subtle slant of my eyes, the fullness of my lips, the shape of my nose.

I do this to remind myself of the features in my face that make me special and different from anyone else on this planet.

I like to do this first thing in the morning because I have no make-up on. This allows me the opportunity to really focus on the nuisances in my face. This exercise is important to me, because, I realized a majority of the day I’m looking at other people. The people on my social media, on tv, in magazines, my relatives, friends, my clients, professional colleagues, or people that I pass on the street. It’s easy to start making comparisons looking at others thinking you wish you had “those eyes”, “that hair” or “those high cheekbones”. And then I’m reminded, the same way I do this with others, someone is doing this with me. Sure, it’s nice to admire those physical qualities we see in others. But, it’s just as important, if not more, that we recognize and acknowledge our own physical beauty, too.

I would even take this a step further to include other parts of your body. For me, I love the length of my neck, my shoulders and upper-back. Too often when we do look at ourselves it’s through the lens of all the things we wish we did or in other cases didn’t have. And this is the reason the “appreciate my beauty” minutes in the morning have been important to me as I grow to be comfortable in my own skin. I’m intentional about appreciating my natural beauty first.

This for me sets a tone: though I enjoy wearing makeup, make-up does not define my beauty, I do! 

Get Moving!

Waking up at the crack of dawn to make it to the gym has never been my thing. When I made a 4-month attempt at an evening run in my neighborhood, I found my knees didn’t agree. Swimming was great exercise, one I have always enjoyed, but unfortunately it came with a bit more hair maintenance than I was willing or wanted to commit to. My sweet spot is a combination of #yoga, #pilates and free-weight lifting with bike-riding sprinkled in for variety.

My health journey started at the age of 10, at which time I started doing yoga. It has been a great way for me to relieve stress, maintain good circulation and digestion, strengthen my core, and support toned muscles. I firmly believe it is a contributing factor in why I have so much energy with those that are close with me.

I personally enjoy working out in the comfort of my own home. I still listen to the same Contemporary Jazz CD by the group, “Four Play”, that I’ve listened to for years. While I love and can appreciate all types of music, that nostalgic feeling every time I press play on the CD helps me to get excited about my workout.

I later added free weights and Pilates to my exercise regimen, and to this day, I do the exact same routine. While I choose to work out three days a week, ever so often I take a much needed workout hiatus to rest my body. Eating a balanced diet and drinking mostly water and cranberry juice rounds out my health regimen but, I’m not so stringent with myself that I don’t allow myself to enjoy a slice of pizza (or two), tacos, lemon pepper wings with crinkle fries and any other of my favorite rich foods, on occasion. 

So many times, we find ourselves creating unrealistic expectations about what we can and cannot do. We become almost robotic in our quest at living a healthy life and lifestyle.  What works for me, may not work for you, and that’s okay. Finding exercises that work for you, adopting healthy food choices that you can stick to and, if necessary, establishing an accountability partner helps to encourage you on your journey. 

I believe that not only is exercise and healthy food choices beneficial to the body through improved brain function, #productivity and #creativity, but, also supports mental alertness. True enough, this isn’t always and easy journey and some weeks are more of challenge then others. But, I’ve found that if I press through, those temporary negative and doubtful feelings will subside. 

Always remember that you got this! I promise, your body will “Thank you!”

When I fell in love with fashion

I remember the day I fell in love with fashion; I was four years old to be exact. My mom walked into the kitchen where I was seated eating my Saturday morning bowl of cereal. This particular morning she made a grand entrance in a colorful crepe de chine halter maxi dress that she complimented with beautiful wraparound ankle strap espadrille wedge shoes, gold bangles, gold hoop earrings, tangerine orange lipstick, and perfectly coiffed hair to complete the look...

It was official…I was in LOVE!

From that day forward, I became enamored with fabrics, textures, and patterns of all types in clothes and accessories. With my mom’s assistance, I would meticulously pick out what I was going to wear; and additionally, give specific instructions to my mom, sister, or whoever I was delegating on how I wanted my hair to look for that day. In my preteens, when I was able to do my own shopping, I got such joy out of bringing outfits to life. A great top from that store, the skirt from this store, and a one-of-a-kind dress from that store with, of course, the perfect shoes and accessories to match.

By the time I was in high school, I had loads of inspiration to draw from; my sisters, my always well-dressed grandmothers, a father who also had a penchant for men’s fashion, and the countless fashion ads and model spreads in Essence, Ebony, Seventeen, Vogue and W Magazine. In my teen years, I remember spending hours reading and studying every inch of these magazines. To this day, I still have several because of what they meant to me.

During my college years, I went through an exploratory period, testing and stretching my style boundaries. Admittedly, this meant lots of short, tight, see-through, and expensive purchases, none of which my parents preferred. I appreciate that they understood; they accepted that it was all a part of my fashion journey.

By the time I hit my 20s, my fashion style started to become more refined. I appreciated well-tailored pieces, and was okay with a wardrobe that spoke to quality over quantity. When my maternal grandmother did a purge of her closet and I became the proud owner of some phenomenal vintage pieces I thought life couldn’t get better. To this day, even in her passing, I still treasure the timeless clothing and jewelry I inherited from her. During this same time, I began to travel more, my second love, here in the U.S. and abroad. And whether for work or leisure, I’ve always been able to locate great clothing pieces and accessories.

When someone says to me, “I sure do love that dress, “or, “Where did you get those shoes?“, I get a kick out of saying, “Oh, I got that while in Paris” or, “Those shoes came from a great little Boutique in L.A.”

My love for fashion runs deep. Every day I find such pleasure in showcasing my #personalstyle. This is also true for the clients that I have the privilege to work with as their #Style & #Image Consultant. I get such joy out of working with amazing individuals assisting them with tailoring a look that fits their style and personality. I celebrate #fashion and the fashion industry for the impact you’ve made in my life.