A'Gaci, academia, Academic, academics, accessories, accessorize, accessory, Antonio Melani, apparel, B2S, baby powder, Back 2 School, Back-to-School, Back2School, beauty, Beauty Tuesday, bleed, bleeding, blood, boots, BTS, Charlotte Russe, class, classes, Classroom, clothes, clothing, College, color, color coordinating, colors, coordinate, coordinating, coordination, cramp, cramping, cramps, crimson tide, cupcakes, Doc Martens, Docs, doll up, dolled up, Dr. Martens, dress, dress up, dresses, ensemble, ensembles, Esprit, fall, fall semester, fall term, fashion, fashionista, footwear, in-season, Johnson & Johnson, Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder, layer, layering, layering top, layering tops, layers, marathon, match, matches, maxi, maxi dress, menstrual cycle, menstruation, mix tape, No Strings Attached, on the rag, on-trend, OOTD, OOTDs, outfit, outfit of the day, outfits, Outfits of the Day, Outfits of the Days, pad, pads, pair, pairing, pattern, patterned, patterns, period, period mix, period playlist, plaid, PMS, polka dot, polka dots, polka dotted, powder, premenstrual syndrome, print, prints, professor, race, rag, rag time, ran, run, running, sandals, scarf, school, school clothes, school wardrobe, Season, semester, skater, skater dress, solid, solids, spring, St. John's Bay, stripe, striped, stripes, student, students, study, style, stylish, stylista, summer, summer dress, sweater, sweaters, tampon, tampons, teach, teacher, teaching, trend, trending, trendsetter, wardrobe, wear, wedges, what to wear, work, work wardrobe
In ♥ & Soul, Beauty Tuesday, Community, Health, Higher Ed, Home Sweet Home, Pro-DiSPO, Public Interest, Relationships, Travel, Weekly Wonders, What's Hot, Workin' Woman, Yours Truly on 08/11/2015 at 00:40
Plaid🏁 • Polka Dots👙 | Solids🎱 • Stripes👔
Recently, I made it my mission to add a couple of new 🍁seasonal🍂 staples to my wardrobe …

First, I sought a layering top to complete my ultimate presentation🎤 ensemble and went so far as to look for different colors🎨 and 🐆prints. I searched for a color-coordinating overlay, but did I want a solid🎱 sweater since I already had a patterned👙 dress? When I thought that I was getting warmer in reaching the 👓vision by shopping online, I imagined my striped sweater👘 that I scored earlier this summer ~ suprisingly perfect with polka dots in the same colors!

Next, I needed plaid🏁 for the 🍁fall🍂 and found this snap-button shirt that pairs well with my new skater 👗dress & come to think of it, may match my new sneakers for the 1st day of school! I can pull off this kicka** look!

Even when I wasn’t trying, when I went to my 🙏🏽Holy💖 💒Hour⏰ the other day, I made a masterpiece match with this 💐🌾spring/summer🍃 dress💃🏻 and striped👔 scarf🏂 that still could make a statement as we enter the cooler months!
Then I realized that I had my latest pursuits as classic pieces in my closets all along!
P also is for …
Period
Since it’s my time of the month ~ YES, I admit it, no shame in my TMI as I bring more FYI ~ I don’t want my cramps to interfere with my shut-eye or staying productive as I power through my paper (I’ve also wondered whether the “crimson tide,” as Clueless‘ Cher puts it, will hit when I present it, but I’ll have to deal when that time comes and look dayum good in the process) … However, when I felt fatigued and craved energy yet didn’t want my coffee to add to my bloat, I sought acclaim/affirmation for or at least alternatives to caffeine
- This Women’s Health article advocates coffee and caffeine during our cycle!
- This SheKnows article recommends reducing intake of caffeine, including in coffee, and reaching for dark chocolate while staying hydrated!
Therefore, I drank a little bit of coffee while more liberally downing my *Star* Water + indulged in 1 piece of my Dove Almond & Dark Chocolate Promises to tide me over as I typed away!
Also, I reminded myself that this flow wouldn’t mess with my flow. In fact, over a decade ago, when I worked at my my hometown gym, I wouldn’t empathize with fellow females who used their flow as an excuse not to witness their fitness ~ even when I felt crummy from cramping, I’d still exercise!
Well, this brand-spankin’ new member to our 26.2-mile club gives running while being on the rag a whole new meaning.
She even brings up chaffing, so speaking of which … enter {drum roll, please}
Powder
I’ve rediscovered this product that my mom had patted on my skin when I was a baby and had me keep applying it to maintain my hygiene as a child. When I ran my marathon, I realized how effective it could be to areas that experienced a lot of friction (which will remain unnamed) ~ now I use it more during this exceptionally hotter-than-usual ☼summer☼ whether I have a fun run in the ☼sun☼ or am just sweating bullets!
My personal preference: Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder with Cornstarch
To ease some tension on this taboo topic, please check out my beauty guru‘s rag time collaboration!
For more cramp & comic relief, this No Strings Attached scene (no tampon pun intended) shows a period ♪playlist♫ ~ now I wish that someone could bring me cupcakes (red velvet & other assorted flavors ~ I’m not picky) like this character did!

♪I keep bleeding … keep, keep bleeding ♥love♥♪~ ♫Leona Lewis♫ | Pretty picture (“crime scene in my pants”), right?
age, aging, Antonio Melani, apparel, BCBG, beauty, Beauty Tuesday, black platforms, black wedges, bottoms, Calvin Klein, church, clothes, clothing, color-block, color-blocking, colorblock, colorblocking, day, day look, day to night, Dillards, dress, dresses, ensemble, Express, gray, gray hair, hair, hair color, JCP's, JCPenney, Liz Claiborne, mall, night, night look, nude, nude heels, nude shoes, nude wedges, OOTD, outfit, outfit of the day, pants, platforms, roots, sandals, shoes, silver, silver hair, slacks, style, wardrobe, wear, wedges, white, white bottoms, white hair, white pants, white slacks, work
In ♥ & Soul, Beauty Tuesday, Community, Health, Home Sweet Home, Public Interest, Relationships, Travel, Weekly Wonders, What's Hot, Yours Truly on 07/21/2015 at 13:05
I started going gray before I turned 30.
TMI, am I right?
- Going gray
- I’m >30yo
But I might as well keep it real about my age and aging process!
How’d I begin my silver streak👵🏽 in the first place?
- My seasoned teacher colleague whose office was down the hall from mine had a head full of gray hair and suggested ~ actually, more declared ~ to me that this is a sign that we’re smart
👴🏽White👓 = 💡WISE!!!
My BFF and sis observed their own prior to mine. I first noticed it while I was doing my game day braids👧🏻 the post-season after my NBA D-League🏀 team won the 🏆NBA-DL championship…
Now that I’ve found a few more stragglers as I’m growing out my hair to donate without chemicals after I graduate, I’m looking at the bright [light –> white] side ~ the silver lining, if you will (hence the pun)
At least I still have hair on my head!
Speaking of white, here in other news📰 …
🌠My impeccable style + my adjunct 🍎teaching🍏 income (lack thereof ~ yet happy to have a job) while I’m on sabbatical for doctoral school = 🍹champagne🍸 taste on a 🍺beer🍻 💰budget💸
Enter Mami Aya👩🏻 to the rescue!
My dear Nanay has been wanting to revamp my 💃🏽wardrobe, and with my 🎈birthday🎁 around the corner (hint hint), I took her up on her offer while mixing in pieces that I already have!
White Bottoms & Color Blocking + Silver & Gold = #BOLD

Since I wear white bottoms between Memorial Day & Labor Day, here’s what I wore to our evening/Vigil Mass at Church last weekend: my new *white HOT* slacks {Liz Claiborne Emma} paired with black off-the-shoulder blouse {*Express} over navy blue tank top {GAP} + black patent leather wedges {BCBG} + black & white color block handbag {Coach Hamptons} ~ I pay attention to every single detail, so the silver hardware on both my purse & sandals coordinate! [Alternate top: zebra striped cowl neck peplum {EXP*} 🇺🇸💒👠👒👜

Peachy Keen: My obsession with peach/coral has taken us by storm through this color block dress with taupe piping & white bottom {Calvin Klein} that looks dayum good with these nude patent leather cork wedges with gold trim {Antonio Melani, Dillard’s exclusive} ~ top it off with my rose gold heart tote {Guess?} + gold ♥heart♥ jewelry & we’re off! #PrettyInPink #GoForTheGold 🍑🌺👗👡💝👜👛🎀

My *new* nude (also available in black) patent leather cork wedges with gold trim by Antonio Melani can go with anything! ♥Love♥ the Tiffany Blue box & surroundings?
“So, ok.” Happy 2-Decade ♥Anniversary♥ to Clueless ~ an inspiration behind my own teenage trendsetting! “As if!”