Her Conference 2016

The saying goes,"Give a woman the right pair of shoes, and she can conquer the world." Shoe lovers everywhere probably wouldn't argue that point but choosing the right pair this season proves to be harder. Of course, I mean this metaphorically, correlating it with the community that there is amongst women. Too much so lately the media has been pitting women against each other like the Taylor vs. Kim ordeal or the Taylor vs. Katy or the Taylor vs Nicki, it's totally heartbreaking. At a time when women should feel celebrated for all of the hurdles that we've had to overcome in the past century, and the many more to come in the future it surely is a time where the tables are being turned. Fortunately there are associations and group for women to join such as Her Campus to praise all of the accomplishments of the fairer gender. I recently attended the annual conference in New York City to be a part of the wonderful community at Her Campus and be witness to all of the amazing opportunities there. 

A 1920s Rendezvous

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

I'll admit, I didn't actually watch The Great Gatsby movie from 2013 until just a few months ago. As a tween in high school, The Great Gatsby was a required reading at my school. In that time I fell in love with the story, the story about a culture, a time period, fashion, music and of course unrequited love. The Novel made me imagine what I would see in that era, The kinds of cars that would driven, the kinds of dresses and shoes one would see, the way the fabrics would feel like, it was just a beautiful story to conjure up in my head! When I saw the movie, with Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan, I felt like my imaginations were greatly satisfied! Everything about the way the fashion was depicted including the music and culture surpassed my original imaginations. I was like a kid in a candy store! When I found out that Philadelphia would be having it's very own "Gatsby" inspired party, I was highly intrigued! 

The Wonder Palace

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

Have you thought about where you"ll be when the clock strikes midnight, on December 31st? Every year, many of us put off thinking about New Years Eve festivities until the last second because you think, "It shouldn't be quite that difficult to decide on something, right?!" I've fallen into that sequence many times, tickets are sold out, venues are filled to capacity, friends change their minds or some other type of event. This year, I've decided ahead of time, you can find me at The Wonder Palace! 

#Primania

Shopping in America has never been so easy. With over a million different retailers to choose from, one is never short on options! From high end to low brow, timeless to trendy, bright to bold, every one will fit the bill for the right retailer thats tailor made for them. Occasionally, shopping can feel quite daunting and dare I say boring! What if I don't want to wear what everyone else is purchasing, am I to give in because of my big, yet seemingly small options?! Fresh, new and still complying to my wardrobe's "dress code" is all i'm after, that's where European fast fashion retailer, Primark steps in! 

Fashion Hack Show Recap

A few weeks ago I met a group of very tech savvy people. Among them was Leslie Birch, an entrepreneur in the wearable tech field. It's really inspiring to me, to see women move into the world of technology. For years, technology, engineering and hackathons have been dominated by men and many companies have been touting for women to join and not actually letting them get on board with the program. Leslie Birch is a self proclaimed feminist, she's breaking down the walls and barriers to show the world that anyone can do it! I was recently invited to a fashion show in Philadelphia, in which wearable tech pieces were the focus and I even got a chance to model a piece! 

Fashion Hack

A few weeks ago, I met an amazing fashion designer in Philly that creates wearable tech fashion designs, Leslie Birch. Leslie's inspirations sparked from a technical festival she attended years ago in New York, Wired NextFest. From that point on, she knew she found her true calling. What's inspiring and refreshing about Leslie, is that she's pushing to see more women in the tech world. With the tech and programming industry becoming increasingly popular, it only makes sense for more women to dominate it, right?

Stardust Uniform

I recently attended an event for the third year celebration of Stardust Magazine. As some of you might remember, I used to intern for Stardust in the early days of Burgundy Whispers as a fashion coordinator and stylist. In those days, you could always find me running around and trying to keep things organized. I may have been frantic but the end results were always wonderful, when the latest issues were revealed to the public. Such gratification, and now that the magazine is in it's third year, I couldn't be happier, even if i'm not a part of the process! 

Finding Your Size

I love online shopping, no need to wait in lines, no need to argue with other enthusiasts over the last pair, and best of all, you don't need to dress up because you're in the comforts of your own home! If you're like me, then you hate having to do returns. I make sure to avoid that by keeping a measuring tape within reach and reading the fine print of the fit details to know what to look for. I used to wonder if there was an easier way to go about that method, that's where True Fit comes in! 

Brow Game

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

It seems that lately, the eyebrows are having a moment. Personally, I'm a huge fan of thick eyebrows, they frame the face better than thin brows and tend to give off a youthful appearance. On rushed mornings, if there's anything I can't leave without doing, it's definitely the eyebrows! I feel like an extraterrestrial with weird brows (see image). I recently discovered that a salon that specializes in the art of the brow would be coming to Philadelphia, The Brow Bar at Deneen Marcel Lashes! 

Vintage Meets Modern

If you love fashion as much as I do, then you probably appreciate a good fashion show or two. Fall fashion is the most sought after season especially when it comes to the French designers, Chanel, Balmain, and Dior to name a few. How about a fashion show with vintage designer pieces updated with new designer pieces? That is exactly what the Alliance Francaise organization  of Philadelphia and Chloe Johnston Boutique are bringing to Philly next month!

Fit Retreat

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

As you might already know from reading my Twitter feed, I'm addicted to fitness. Fitness has totally encompassed my lifestyle and I'm okay with it! Living a healthy lifestyle was something I've always taken seriously, it was never a fad or a trend for me. Once I set a goal, I do everything in my power to reach it and lately for me my fitness goals have been achievable, one after the other. But like many, you reach a point when you want to learn more and do more, that's when I found out about City Fit Girls Fit Retreat! 

Made In America Fest

It's almost that time of the year, the unofficial end of Summer, Labor day weekend. Time to say good bye to those fabulous warm weathered adventures and fashions but one Summer time goodness still stands true, the music festivals! Music festivals are great because they provide you with many rhythmic choices. If you're not into one artist's music then you can walk over to the next tent, for another that meets your satisfaction. My favorite fact about music festivals is that it has a way to unify people. Genres are molded together in one place to bring people from all over to celebrate bliss with sweet beats. "Like minded people gather together." It's truly a beautiful thing! This Labor Day weekend, August 30-31st, in Philadelphia, the Budweiser Made In America Festival sets up shop for it's third consecutive year to showcase the hottest and latest in music right now!

Shoesday

You might remember my gushing about shoes in previous posts, shoes have a way of elevating any outfit and taking it to the next level! Shoes are definitely my favorite accessory and I was excited to find out that Nine West and InStyle were launching an exclusive Fall collection. Nine West never disappoints with their shoes and I'm sure this collection will be just as fantastic! There's always a shoe for every occasion! 

New Spodee

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

As you may all know I'm a huge fan of Spodee wine. I've never been one to absolutely love alcoholic beverages but Spodee's easy and sweet taste is hard to resist! It combines the best of both worlds with its velvety, red wine taste and hints of chocolatey flavor! One sip of Spodee and you will never question this red wine again! Fortunately, the makers of Spodee have introduced a new variant, Spodee White wine! 

Miami Pop and Denim

I recently hosted a fun event with some fabulous bloggers and Urbandaddy at the local Gap store in Philadelphia! It was absolutely fun filled, a big social hour with fashion, food, music and wine! Gap recently introduced their new spring/ summer line for both men and women, in stores. Pastel color blocking, reinvented staples, stripes, bold prints and of course denim! This collection is one not to be missed! 

Gap Styld. By Event

Hello readers, I have some exciting news to announce! I was asked to be one of the few brand ambassadors for Gap's local Styld. By event! It's truly an honor to work with such a great company. Guess what, you're invited to join me and the other fabulous bloggers for a fun night of new fashion! 

Cool Runnings

It was one fine, chilly afternoon in Philadelphia. Inches of snow was on the ground, the sky was heavily clouded and thousands of people were calmly chatting  and walking around in their skivvies! No, it's not a normal everyday Philadelphian thing, but a big group of people getting together to make a difference for tons of children in need. It was the day of Cupid's Undie Run and boy was it a sight to see! 

Fresh Foam Fabulous

I recently got the opportunity to attend an exclusive preview of a new product launch by New Balance. New Balance has been one of the USA's top brands for fantastic running footwear and apparel since the 70's and now NB is introducing us to a new form of footwear that redefines the science of soft! 

Love Run

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

It's almost that time of the year, where couple's come out of the wood works and start flaunting their love around. I have no problem with couples but I'm not a fan of major public displays of affection, sometimes I just want to yell, "Get a room!" Valentine's day is just a couple of  weeks away, and rather than being a third wheel with your bff and her date, why not strip down to your bedroom best and and run a mile with thousands of other people and raise money for cancer?

#ArtistLife

The day came and went, my first ever art exhibit! It was thrilling, exciting, and absolutely exhausting! Now I know why my fellow alumni friends prefer to do group shows rather than solo.  Setting up your own show consists of finding the right "venue" for the work, food, music and a bit of incentive to get people to come! It was not easy but I got it done! Challenges are always worth it.