One Day... (What I Wear)

Yep, blame Phyllis Nefler for my near life-long fashion goal.

I want a dress cape. I got close in 1998 to buying a dress suit with a cape but I only had $100 and that particular suit was $375. I settled for this great Kasper Scarf Suit. I loved that suit.

It's no secret I love to dress up. Oh it was nothing for me to dress up "just because" in high school and college. Probably one of the reasons I was referred as "Dime Piece" behind my back at Lamar University. I didn't care if I was overdressed just to go to class. If I wanted to dress up, I did. I'm not a flip flops and jeans everyday type of girl.

As little girl, I often day dreamed about the flair and flash of being stylish. You walk in and command attention without saying a word.Nothing demands attention like a cape. I used to take my outer coat off with flair just practice for the day I wore cape. Amazingly enough, no one ever asked my why. I see capelets on suits are becoming popular again.

They are cute. I've tried a few on. I didn't like me in one. I look restricted. I'll stick to a full cape. Long or short, they all are cute. And I know I would be cute in one. Preferably in Navy Blue or Heather Grey since I don't wear all black suits. Plus an all black suit with a cape look rather vampire like. LoL That reminds me of a bank/cops/comic book store story I'll have to tell you guys, one day. Keyword is One Day.

Ooh I came across this beauty of a bridal gown.

If I wasn't so clumsy and fear tripping over it on big day, I would consider wearing a cape on my wedding if I have a cool weather wedding. I can just see me arriving to the beginning of the aisle, opening my cape to reveal my dress like Shelley Long in Troop Beverly Hill and then starting my walk to my groom. I told you, I love the flair aspect of dressing. All eyes should be on me on that day anyway so, let me give them something to see. ☺☺☺

So that is something I want to wear. I guess you can say a suit cape is on my Fashion Bucket list. When I get one, I'll post a blog about it and let you guys know. And if you see one that you think would good on me, don't be afraid to point me in it's direction or even better get it for me as a gift. ☺☺☺

 Always, Talking to You in Adult Terms

Wrote a Poem. Wanna Read it... (Poetry Corner)

No, it doesn't rhyme.

Proof I Wrote It

It is probably more of a performance piece. Might post a video of me reciting it one day. I'll keep you posted. Here it is...

Time to be Ousted

I know I can't ever hold him again on this side of the horizon

But, I'll be daggum if I look up at Heartache's mug everyday

Grief and Sadness can't ever stick to the lease contract

Just had to sneak their sibling in to squat

All three together always wreak havoc

Month to Month tenants trying to take over

The permanent residents are in an uproar

In addition to my Ticker being struck

Joy, Happiness, & Hope are displaced

The Eyes’ plumbing is overflowing

And the penthouse resident, Ms. Brain is not getting proper rest

Oh but I own this building called The Body

So I, the Landlord is cleaning house

Memories, you can stay but you little friends got to go

Sorrow Triplets, it is Eviction Day

Get Your Crap and Get Out!!!

Ooh, You Smell Nice (What I Wear)

Perfumes, colognes, and scented lotions are things I own but I don't invest in. I like fragrances that have fruity, vanilla, and chocolate notes in them. I know it's cliche' with being plus size for me to totally smell like food. I just like notes of it mixed in with other smells like amber, bergamot, nuts and a few flowers. I'm not a big floral person. Gardenia and Plumeria make me smell older. I act old enough as it is, no needing to had an elderly smell to my personality.

Fragrance is like makeup, it depends on my mood. So just like I am face naked most days, I'm not perfumed up most days either.

Most days, if I smell like anything, I smell like one of these scents, Original Jergens (Cherry Vanilla), Almond & Milk by Avon or Palmers Cocoa Butter (only one that doesn't smell like coconut or plain lotion).

Now in the warm weather time, one may notice my skin has a hint of this fragrance. I have a painful allergy to mosquitos so I must wear Off or some kind of insect repellent. I used to be cute and not wear it going out but with the rise of the West Nile virus I stopped that. The smell of insect repellant is better than painful welts and catching a preventable disease anyday. Even my plain Suave lotion has insect repellent added to it, just in case I forget.

Most of the scents I wear are economical. If I wear a more pricier perfumes, I have smell and worn them prior to buying them.
It is nothing for me to wear a sample. I don't have money to wear stuff I don't end up liking in the long run. So if a company is giving away samples of their newest scent, I sign up for some of them. When Macy's & Dillard's put samples in the Sunday newspaper during holiday, I check them out. Oh I like when a magazine put a cologne sample of something I sign up for.

It's like I get to sample a sample. I don't get to do that often, magazines don't put perfume samples in their magazine like they used to. I keep my samples in a zip top bag like this one, so I can keep up with them. And yeah I actually do buy some of the stuff I sample. My favorite company to sample is Escada.
Sometime their newest scents smells either too floral or too fruity. So sampling them is a must for me.

Yeah, I'm a little sucker to try out celebrity endorsed scents.

Not a fan of the music of Beyonce or Jennifer Lopez but their colognes smell delightful. I love Outspoken by Fergie of the Black Eye Peas. But my absolute favorite celebrity endorsed scent is endorsed by Lamman Rucker.
The Passion scent of his ForPlai is delicious. I always get compliments when I wear this. It's like chocolate married cotton candy. Yumminess for the skin.

Okay there is nothing wrong with body sprays. I can't afford to wear my eau de toilette & oils daily. I have to save those for special occasions.

I own a few scents of Bath and Body Works. I wear the classic Country Apple and Pear Berry. I have few bottles of different vanillas from them. Summer is over so Berry Vanilla will put away but Warm Vanilla Sugar is there to take it's place. I wish they had not discontinued my favorite scent Vanilla NoirI loved that scent. I don't want to smell like Pumpkin Waffles. It makes think of breakfast. Madagascar vanilla with black plum, bergamot and seductive musk that is call Vanilla Noir makes me smell glamorous. I have to use it sparingly, this is my last bottle. Maybe I should start a petition to make Bath and Body Work put Vanilla Noir back in the rotation.


Scented Lotions are use for layering for me. I rarely wear scented lotion by itself. Using the lotions intensify the the fragrance and makes it last longer.

Who likes perfume that doesn't last long? Who likes having to respray the scent constantly. I don't like that at all. So, I put a little scent cream on my skin, spritz on the scent, and Viola, Smell Good Time!!!

So, is what I wear to smell good. Nothing special. What are your favorite scents? I bet it smell good on you. LoL

Always, Talking to You in Adult Terms

My Relationship with Quotes

If you are pained in knowing me offline and/or online, you know I am full of quotes and facts. Some are inspirational. Some are funny. Some are snarky quips. Here are some of my favorites:

"Living MY Truths Only"

"Those who know, don't tell and those who tell, don't know" ~ Zen

"IF IT CAN HURT, IT CAN HEAL" ~ Addie (OLTL)

"Everyone Can't Be in YOUR Front Row"~ Unknown

"Take me as I am, or watch me as I go." ~ Unknown

"I'm not Weird. I'm a Limited Edition"~ Unknown

Well you have to blame my grandmother's friend and mission sister, Doll (RIP) for that. Even though being inspirational and/or a smart aleck is pretty hereditary in my family, my style is somewhat learned. It all started with quotes. Well really a quick lesson on dishing out quotes.

Until I was 10, at church I sat between my mother & grandmother, whom sat around my grandmother's mission sisters one being her friend we called, Aunt Doll (Nickname that is Nowhere near her biological name). Because my family were church workers before service started they would be in a quick meeting so, I sat by myself on the bench behind Aunt Doll and the other mission sisters. Well one Sunday when I was 7, before service Aunt Doll was light weight fussing with one of the deacons and she ended it with a zinger. After the deacon left, a couple of the others joked with Aunt Doll about what she said. Aunt Doll said, "That's the best way to say goodbye, Give them a quote". Then she turn around to me and said "Are you listening, baby" and she repeated herself. I nodded my head in understanding and sat in wonderment the rest of the service. So yeah, that's how I got into quotes & sayings. Now, she and life later taught me that she actually meant "to get someone out of your face, slam them with a slight insult". But a good lesson was still learned, one of many. Give them something to ponder as you leave. And that is what I do. So, I'll leave you with this I found that I know would get me an "atta girl" from my Aunt Doll.

Always, Talking to You in Adult Terms

Compliments that are Not Compliments

Have you ever heard and/or said any of these statements?

·         Your looks are so Exotic.

·         You don’t act like Regular black people.

·         That dark skin girl is so Pretty.

·         Oh you are so Cool, for a white guy.

·         Many ugly people are the sweetest people on earth

I know you meant well but those and many others are Not Compliments. Just like good intentions pave the road to hell, they hurt people’s feelings too. Some are them are backhanded. Most are based on stereotypes.

I got to college and was never told “I was very articulate” until then. As a lifelong code switcher, I've known how to rotate speaking slang & grammatical English depending on my audience. This particular day, I was in College Speech 1301 and I gave my first assigned speech that made the teacher “clutch her pearls” in delight. I thought in my mind, “Well I made an A on that one”. Then the professor said, “You are so well-spoken. Good Job!” My face fell from proud to confused. The three other black students looked at me with an “I understand” look as I went to my seat. After class one of the guys we called Rev. Eric (he was a minister) asked me, “You never had anyone say that to you”. I told him “No”. He said, “Welcome to a New Day”. We laughed. I knew what he was talking about. The statement wasn’t shocked that she said it. It shocked me that she said it to me.  It reminded me of the book “Vernon Can Read” by Vernon Jordan. I love how people believe a stereotype so strongly that they never see that they limit their mental & social understanding gravely.

I didn't meet my mother’s work bestie in person until she retired a few years ago. I was so used to being told by so many strangers that I was “So pretty to be so heavy”, I didn’t know how to receive a real compliment when I heard one. My mother came in and said, “Janie said you are so pretty”. Now, I was expecting her to finish and say “To be so heavy” and how my mother went smack off on her. Sad, society and its insincere compliments had me on the defense. That’s why I really want this crop top. That is such a powerful message. Not pretty or handsome for a “whatever” person. Either one you think a person is Pretty or Handsome or you don’t.

So if the compliment you give has a two-faced handle included with it or is based on a clichéd belief, don’t say it. We all have said them. I know I had it bad to say “Oh, he smells nice for a guy from the Middle East” in college. That was very rude of me and I am very mindful of what I say for compliments. I should have said, “That guy smells nice”. Nothing more and nothing less.

Always, Talking to You in Adult Terms

Michael, Robin & Ice

It takes a lot for me to call someone else petty. I know I'm a petty individual (Hello! Have you read this blog?) and nothing will change. Some small stuff (It grates my nerves for friends of  friends to click like on tagged pictures of their friend on FB) just bugs me and I understand that. Most people have a level of pettiness, some slight and some are extreme. So for me to think someone is being petty means that person or those persons have gone too far (Folks complaining about Blue Ivy's hair, your days are numbered) .

If you think that people can't mourn a young black man getting killed, a beloved celebrity committed suicide and donate & take a fun challenge to raise fund for a cause, You Are Petty. I want to believe most people are complex enough to have empathy, sympathy & joy in their hearts at the same time. The web is full of articles admonishing during the sad time of Michael Brown’s murder & Robin William’s suicide, people who will throw buckets of iced water over their heads in fun to raise donations and awareness for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease".

I know I've mourned and donated at the same. I loved Robin Williams. He was so talented. My favorite character of his was Pappas in the movie, “House of D”. To use old urban slang, He did that! My heart broke to hear of him passing away. I read a notice from ABC News and was still in disbelief. They only celebrity death that did me that way was Whitney Houston. He will be missed. Depression is running rampant everywhere. We all need to talk before it’s too late. Robin Williams could be any of us.

If you follow me on Twitter you know for the past week and few days my timeline is full of retweets or my opinions on news surrounding the Michael Brown murder. I am outraged. Not just for Michael Brown but for the climate of change that has been needed for decades. I also want the chief of police in that area to fall on his sword and resign for that press conference full of lies. For personal reasons I didn't watch coverage of the funeral but I followed along with tweets from others.

Oh the picture of his family’s handprints on his casket drew me to tears. Heck I'm blinking them away as I type this. It was refreshing to hear that the students of Ferguson finally started school after a week long delay. Michael Brown was supposed to start college a few days after he was murdered and we say that education is key so let the students go to school.

Of all the crazy and harmful challenges people are into these days (Fire, Pass Out, Cinnamon, etc.) using a challenge to raise awareness to a crippling disease was smart. Who knew about ALS before the Ice Water Challenge?

I bet you know more now. I've donated. Ice water goes in my mouth not over my head. I have a relaxer. LOL The donation total at this point is over $88 million. That is cool. Who knew ice water could raise so much money?

You know other black men & women have been murder in police involved other than Michael Brown and know one posts snarky stuff about that. So, stop criticizing people for not being focus on one part of the world. All these little snarky articles and post doing so are not necessary.

We all care about lots of things not just what is in front of us at the moment and we move on. Yes, the world keeps turning but we still care about All that is going on. But that’s my petty opinion about other people’s petty opinions.

Always, Talking to You in Adult Terms

Bottoms Up (What I Wear)

So pants, capris, gauchos & shorts look funny on me.

I have a short torso and legs (Yes, I'm squatted 5'2") so, all of it is too long. There are not many plus size petite bottoms out there so I either use my middle school sewing skills or wear them long. My hemming skills are not that bad. I actually used to make my extra spending money hemming pants, sewing on uniform patches & replacing buttons in college. Yet, I'm still lazy and sometime I let my pants drag or pull them up around my bust line (Another reason why I don't tuck my shirts in).

Thought they look weird on me, I still wear pants, capris, gauchos & shorts.

Pants: I mostly wear pants during the cold weather months. If I wear a dress or skirt, I have on pants or leggings under them. I live in North Texas and it can get cold like Highs in the 40s cold. I don't usually wear long pants in the summer at all. If I do, it has something to do with modesty and a dress code for an event I may work as a server.

Shorts: Who wears short shorts? I don't.

God gave me short legs because he knew I would dress like this all the time. I love the short shorts and heels look. But for me to wear the style I would have to wear bathing suit shorts. So, I just admire it on others. Until God stretches my legs, these will be my shortest shorts. LoL

Gauchos & Capris:

I might as well call them tea length pants. That's how they fit.  Have on a cute tunic or a very short dress then throw on some knit capris and flip flops and I am dress  for on the go. They are very comfortable. They're just longer than everyone else's, thats all.

Maybe this 2nd grader knew, I wasn't going to be very tall.

That might be why she decided to wear dresses for a whole school year minus one day. Even her pants are too long. Oh well the pants didn't win her any athletic ribbons that field day. Maybe it is because I'm a non-athlete. But she was cute and in one of our favorite colors. :-D

Always, Talking to You in Adult Terms