Style Bloggers of Color Conference 2013

Last week this time, I was an attendee of the Style Bloggers of Color (SBOC) 2013 Conference which took place here in Miami.

My day 1 outfit was pretty simple - I wore a screened tee I got from Marshall's, my favorite Forever 21 skirt, a vintage Gap denim jacket, and my green heels from target. My bag was from a local store called Steps, and it fit ev-er-y-thing from my wallet and notebook to my camera with all three lenses. Perfect!

I didn't take many photos on the first day, but I did snap one of Natalie Live of The Tiny Closet during her photography workshop. She's just the sweetest little thing!

Day 2 was packed with great panels which were informative and hilarious! The first panel was "Content 411", all about enhancing blog material and keeping readers engaged, featuring Ty Alexander of Gorgeous in Grey, Kimberly Walker of KimmyGotSoul, Cortnie Elizabeth of StyleLust Pages, and Jillian Martin of NuSphisticate.

The second panel was "Social Media Butterfly" about how to use social media as tools for connecting with readers, networking, and making blog content accessible on multiple platforms featuring Blake Von D of Blake Von D, Shayla Drake of All Things Slim, Charles Wade of Tuff Magazine (such a comedian!), Inez of Style Chic 360, and Nife Oluwole of Skinny Hipster.

The third panel was "Multimedia Blogging" with Kéla Walker of Kéla's Kloset, Nicole Garner of The Garner Circle (a PR Powerhouse!), and Janel Martinez of Black Enterprise.

The fourth panel, "You Dot Com", stressed maintaining individuality while blogging. I'm a firm believer in delivering content that is honest and true to the purpose of the blog, so this session was a great reminder that being me around here is perfectly OK! Panelists were Leslie Young of Fashion du Jour, Ria Michelle of Ria Michelle, Martha Dominguez of Princess Martha, Ariel Burke of Fashion Devotee, and Chanel of Chanel Files.

Mattie James of Mattieologie and the SBOC Conference Director lead the fifth session on "The Business of Blogging" (sorry, no photos!) and closed out the conference. I learned a lot and met so many lovely ladies and dynamic style influencers!

 

This was my day 2 outfit - My shirt and dress are Forever 21, my vest is Old Navy, and my Zara lookalike heels are JustFab. My handy Steps bag did so well on day 1 that I brought it along for the ride again on day 2.

I was glad to have styled some of my regular pieces that still fit even at nearly eight months pregnant. As I mentioned in my last post, maternity clothes are expensive! So I've been getting creative with putting together outfits from items I already have that still fit.

"My Love on Top" and me :)

Here, I'm pictured with the lovely Leslie, and "kutie" Kéla  It was such a pleasure to have met them and so many other inspiring and stylish ladies!

Looking forward to #SBOC2014!

From My Heart to Yours

WE'RE EXPECTING!!!

This post is long overdue, I know. I sincerely apologize for being away for so long. The days turned into weeks, and the weeks into months, and I just didn't know how to come back and introduce you to our new addition. Please know that I've missed you all!

Life over the last few months has been interesting -- full of new surprises, lots of dreaming, and plenty of lessons learned along the way. More than anything, I can truly say that we are blessed. And excited! In just two months, the two of us will be three :)

Now that I've shared what's kept me away (I hope by now you've forgiven me), I must be honest... I'm not sure how blogging consistently is going to work with my new life. I'm not at all saying that I'm going away for good -- just haven't figured everything out yet. That's OK, right? 

I've had requests to do modest maternity wear, but truth be told, I haven't been feeling very fashionable lately. Plus -- maternity clothes are expensive! I'm open to your suggestions though.

Thanks for always allowing me to share a little from my heart. This blog means so much to me, and I'm determined to find a way to keep it going. (I'm even scheduled to attend a bloggers' conference this weekend to get some fresh ideas!) Your support, patience, comments and prayers do more than you could ever imagine. For that, I'm so very grateful.

Hope to be back soon!

Love,

Typh

Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV)

Photos by K|D Imagery

Three-Year Wedding Anniversary

Today marks three years since I married my best friend, my partner, my love, my heart... my husband, Dwayne Stewart. He's one of the most caring, considerate, and surely the most handsome man I know! One of the best things I could have ever done was say "I will" and "I do" three years ago, and through our ups and downs, I've never regretted it.

Babe, thank you for keeping me grounded in God, teaching me so much about myself, and loving me in the process. I love and respect you more than you'll ever know!

Love, Your Wife,

Typhanie

To my readers -- Thank you for remaining faithful to the blog. I won't be giving up blogging any time soon, but I will be taking an extended break, of course popping in here and there until I can blog regularly again. 

I appreciate you all for understanding. See you soon :)

Daddy's Girl

Top: Forever 21 | Skirt: Express | Shoes: Zara

I'm wearing my Daddy's favorite color (blue)... Why, you ask? Tomorrow is his birthday! Although I didn't have the privilege of growing up with him on the day-to-day, I was (and still am) quite the Daddy's girl. I really love that guy, and I credit a lot of who I am to him.

Daddy, I hope you have a wonderful birthday, and I wish you many more! My hope is that one of these years, we'll spend it together. Until then, know that I love you and I'm thinking of you always.

Psalm 103:13

Find me on MoMoMod: Sunshine State Spring

Dress: Forever 21 | Jacket: Guess | Belt: Thrifted, Plato's Closet | Shoes: Zara

Be sure to skip on over to MoMoMod to see my featured post today!

Déjà vu

Dress: The Limited | Cardigan: Target | Belt: Express | Shoes: Nine West via Ross | Bag: Steps

I may or may not have worn this dress almost exactly the same way on the blog before. 

What can I say? I'm a real person... Sometimes I need things to be repeated.

Acts 10:9-22

Matchy-Matchy

Blazer: The Limited | Top: The Limited | Skirt: The Limited | Shoes: BCBG via Ross | Clutch: Thrifted, BCBG via Plato's Closet

If I'm being completely honest, sometimes I like to dabble in print mixing and unusual color combos. Most times, though, the "plain Jane" in me just loves to match. I get exciting when my bag matches my shoes and my brooch brings an outfit together. Perhaps I'm a traditional dresser just trying to get by in a world of exciting and new trends. Who would've thought one day matching would be boring? I still like it.

2 Corinthians 6:14

Smart Shopping On a Budget

(Image Source)

If you’re on a tight budget or if there is a particular item in your radar that you would really like to have but just can’t see yourself paying the original price, here are a few tips I use:

1. Set a maximum price in your mind. If you see something that is originally priced out of your spending range, set a goal in your mind for how much you’d be willing to pay. For example, if a pair of shoes (I know, I always defer to shoes!) costs $150, and you’re only willing to pay at most $100, stick to that number. More than likely, with a little patience or searching, you’ll find what you’re looking for at the price you’re looking for.
2. Wait for the sale. If you’re a patient person, and a bit of a risk-taker, wait for the item to go on sale. Sign up for the store's mailing list or check back twice a week or so in order to catch the sale as soon as it comes around. The risk here is that when the item finally does go on sale, depending on how popular it is, you stand the chance of not finding it in your size or it being sold out altogether.
3. Check eBay or Amazon. If you’re impatient like me, but still like a good bargain, check other stores that may carry the item. Stores tend to be very price competitive though, so chances are, you’ll find that the items costs about the same wherever you go. In a case like this, check eBay or Amazon! I love eBay’s slogan, “If it’s on your mind, it’s on eBay!” The convenient feature about eBay and sites like it is that you’re able to search for the exact item you want, let the search know how much you’re willing to pay (this is important so that you don’t get tempted to spend more), and the site will notify you when it's available and  fits your criteria. They’ve taken the work out of shop-stalking! Brilliant!
4. Search online for something similar. In the rare case that that sale never comes or you can’t find the item on eBay, search online for something similar. Most likely, you’ll find a good knock off or a style that suits you even better for half the price!
5. Don’t go into debt over it. Debt management is most important, in my opinion. (I’m speaking to myself here!) No matter how tempting an item might be, DO NOT go into debt over it. If you can’t buy it cash or debit, or at least pay what you spent during the very next payment cycle, don’t buy it! It’s not worth it! By the time you pay it off, you probably won’t even like it anymore.

Again, these are just some easy tips that I shop by to find items I love at the most affordable prices. There are so many options these days to shop smarter, so why overspend in the first place? Hope this helps!

Lady in Hiding

Dress: Ross | Shoes: Mossimo for Target | Bag: Steps

Hello! Nothing to fancy today. I've practically lived in this dress for the last week or two... (Well, not really, that would be nasty. But, I'm positive I wore it at least twice.) I figured I might as well take some photos in it.

I know it seems like I've been hiding, but I assure you I'm not going away any time soon. I've just had a LOT going on. (Nothing bad though, thanks for wondering.) There may be times where I won't post as often, but I promise I won't be gone for too long. 

Psalm 92:1-2

What Not To Wear When It's Windy

Shirt: Forever 21 | Skirt: BCBG (very old) | Shoes: Zara | Clutch: Forever 21

Note to self: Don't wear a skirt with large pleats when it's windy.

These photos do this skirt no justice, between not capturing the true gold color (and the specks of black making it look brown) or the true shape due to the wind massacring the pleats. Oh well. At least the shoe photos came out nicely. I can always depend on shoes.

Back to the wind. It's going to be a stormy weekend here in South Florida. All you locals, stay safe, and don't get blown away.

Ephesians 4:1-15

Find me on MoMoMod: Easy Dressing

Shirt: Zara | Skirt East 5th, JCPenney | Shoes: Zara | Clutch: Express

Find me over at MoMoMod today. I will be blogging there every other Wednesday (instead of Thursday) now. See you back here soon!

Something Different

Dress: Asos | Belt: Forever21 | Shoes: Mossimo for Target | Clutch: Aldo

Although the silhouette of this dress is classic "me", the print is definitely something different... and I love it! One of my style goals for spring is to wear bolder prints and colors (occasionally staying true to my blacks and whites, of course), and I think I'm slapping that goal in the face with this post!

 "Create your own style... Let it be unique for yourself, yet identifiable for others."

-- Anna Wintour

Happy Monday.

Romans 12:2

Vertical Stripes

Shirt: Forever 21 | Skirt: Marshall's | Shoes: Nine West via Ross | Clutch: Aldo

Black & white and vertical stripes are huge trends this spring and summer. I thought I couldn't love stripes any more, until vertical stripes came along. I find them to be much more slimming and interesting than regular stripes, don't you?

Pairing this shirt with bright green was another accidental combination, and I loved it. I should style my outfits by accident more often.

Luke 12:48

1 Peter 2:21-25