Ms. Aikasha is wearing a XOXO brown poly satin trench coat, Lulu Bravo black merino wool turtleneck sweater, Lori Joy olive green asymmetrical high-low rayon/cotton wrap skirt, BCBG Max Azria black leather and suede peep-toe booties and Vince Camuto camel pebbled leather cross-body bag. Coordinating chunky bangles and green/blue/gold cascading earrings accessorized todays look

 

The thing with the Fall is that EVERYONE starts with the dull, drab, dreary colours. I understand that New Yorkers are notorious for the whole ‘dress in all black’ thing, but I mean, come on now….really? So today, I thought I’d do Fall colours, but spruce it up a bit with a little shimmer, a little pizazz, and showing just a little thighJ.

 

Note: The thing with having teenage and young adult daughters is they shop for me as if they're shopping for themselves. Hence the XOXO trench coat which was a gift from Miss Alosha (my US Air woman).

 

Tip: Textured hoisery would've worked well with this outfit, but the forecast was 50 degrees today, so every chance I get to NOT wear hoisery, I take it!!

 

Tip II: Notice how the green bangle does NOT match the green skirt? But they're both green........



Ms. Aikasha is wearing a Bask black cotton chunky waffle knit sweater coat, Derek Heart rayon knit blue/grey shawl collar short sleeved mini dress, Boutique 9 grey flannel and leather peep-toe lace up booties and Vince Camuto camel pebbled leather cross-body bag. Today’s outfit is accessorized with a sheer blue/black/grey variegated silk scarf, gold and pearl shoulder duster earrings, turquoise beaded necklace, Steve Madden black fishnet hosiery and suede/leather animal print ½ gloves (not sure what to call them – but they’re really cute!)

 

It’s my first day back and it was a good day. Since “Sandy’s” visit, things have been a bit “topsy turvy” and I have had no idea what my commute will entail. This morning, however, it barely took me an hour to get to work, which was Amazing!! And all I did was follow my intuition………(whispering: that was God talking to me J.)

Tip: When wearing "seamed"  hoisery (as above), make sure your seams are straight.  Take your time putting on your hoisery and give yourself a double check in your Full Lenght mirror (an absolute Must Have) to make sure that the seam that's supposed to run straight up the center of your leg, is NOT twisted around it!

Note: Maybe it's just me, but I look as if I'm 'holding myself up' on the railing. I'm not though, really, I'm not!!

US Veterarns driving mini vehicles at the Veteran's Day Parade

Clowns?......also part of the parade

On Saturday November 10^th we went downtown San Antonio and watched the Veteran’s Day Parade. We then went to the famous “River Walk” which is a sub level network of banks and pathways along the San Antonio river, lined with trees, stores and restaurants. The weather was perfect, and we proceeded to just walk, and walk, and walk – enough walking to wake up anybody’s appetite!! We later dined at Luciano Italian Restaurant. The food was amazing! Since Miss Alosha will be doing on the job training in Mississippi for three months, I don’t have any plans to revisit San Antonio – but if I do, this will be my restaurant of choice.



that's my youngest son, Amru, walking behind me

On Friday November 9^th, 2012 my youngest daughter, Miss Alosha completed the US Air Force Basic Training and graduated to officially become an US Air Force air-woman. That's my Baby!!



Seven of us, including my mum (pictured above with Miss Alosha and myself), flew to San Antonio, Texas for the graduation and had a wonderful time. It was sooooo good to see Miss Alosha – it had been eight weeks! I felt I couldn’t hug her tight enough…….

 

Ms. Aikasha is wearing a Triple Fat Goose peach coloured down filled jacket, Ashley orange cotton blend turtleneck  tunic, Connection 18 black velvet leggings, Beverly Feldman black patent leather booties and Michael Kors pale pink leather handbag. Black chunky knit leg warmers, black patent leather/leather gloves, and large hammered copper earrings accessorized todays “ready for the slopes” look.

The First Snow of the Season!  Awwwwww! As much as I complain about the cold,  the first snow is always so exciting and beautiful to me – despite the fact that today it caused NY Penn Station to close down just as I got there, preventing me from taking my scheduled train and causing me to wait an extra hour for the next one – and that’s just half my trip home!  Nonetheless - nothing was going to phase me today - Obama won the election, so I'm All Good!! 

Note: When I asked my son to come outside to take my blog pics - he looked at me as if I was losing it, lol!! 

Tip: Gloves, scarves, hats/ear muffs make this season far more tolerable - I highly recommend them all





Ms. Aikasha is wearing a Moda International (Victoria Secrets) burnt orange cable knit wool blend turtleneck dress, Express brown leather shearling vest, Boutique 9 brown leather peep-toe boots and Tous leopard print calf hair and brown leather bag. Accessories included  her favorite brown/orange silk scarf, Portolano brown leather cashmere lined gloves, orange and brown bangles and brown wooden earrings.

The trains aren’t running due to damage caused by Sandy.  It’s been a bit complicated and often times quite harrowing making it to and from work – I’m averaging about 2 ¼ hours each way the past four days. I didn’t post yesterday because by the time I got home everyone was gone – to bed, or out – so I had no one to take my pictures. Not to mention the fact that I was exhausted!! So, bear with me as I inundate you with pictures today. Btw – this is one of my most absolute favorite winter outfits.

Tip: My advocacy for the body slimmer/shaper is only strengthened  in the winter because not only does it make your fitted dresses look amazing, but it also serves as an extra layer of clothing......think warmth!! I don't know who invented/designed slimmers - but I Love Them!!

Note: Today's look is taking orange and brown to the extreme - right?
Note II: .......and really -  how hot are these boots? Right? I absolutely Love Them!!

Ms. Aikasha is wearing an Express grey cashmere funnel neck sweater, XXii yellow cotton racer-back tank, Connection 18 grey velvet leggings, Laurie b. cream coloured bubble hem, hooded, lined cardigan, Mazzini cream leather handbag and Patrizia Pepe grey suede down quilted high heeled boots. A variegated yellow rayon scarf, yellow leather belt, gold shoulder duster earrings, and yellow and grey bangles accessorize this warm, cozy (and sassy) look.

 It’s been a week since my last post – a lot  has happened

I think Hurricane Sandy caught a few of us off guard. To all those who experienced loss of power, flooding, or any kind of property damage, I’m really sorry and hope you’re able to recover and regain comfort. My family and I were fortunate and only of couple of us lost power for a very short time……..we were and are truly Blessed. Since power outages, poor internet connection, and disrupted service to mass transit prevented us from going to work/school, we used the unexpected time off as an opportunity to commune, which was really, really nice.

 

Tip: Wearing a belt when wearing a sweater thats not fitted can give the appearance of a 'peplum' hem - which works since it's all about the peplum right now. This is also a really smart way to utilize a sweater that has lost its shape in the wash, or just over time..........

 

Tip II: 'Shades of grey' is generally considered very conservative. Add a touch/pop of colour and it's now contemporary

 

Tip III: Tying your scarf in a bow is a nice change every now and then {although I do it quite often :)} 

 

Ms. Aikasha is wearing her Margaret Godfrey black leather shrug, Thalian Extract sage green suede mini skirt, Motivi sleeveless angora cowl neck sweater, Boutique 9 sage green brushed suede booties, and Tous leopard print calf hair & brown leather bag. Gold/silver filigree disc earrings and black/animal print bangles tied this look together.

I didn’t absolutely need to pull out the hosiery today, but thought it appropriate because of my choice of boots. I’m not a fan of hosiery, but since I love, Love, LOVE a mini skirt/dress – they’re perfect addition to my fall/winter wardrobe – they do actually help to keep my legs warm, and………they’re a lot of fun!!

Tip: To prolong the life of any hosiery, I recommend gently hand-washing each pair after each wear and allowing them to drip dry. They last, and last, and you won't have to worry about 'lint balls', snags, or holes - an unavoidable issue if you machine wash

Note: Watch how many eyes are "drawn" to your legs when you wear textured/patterned hoisery, lol!!

Ms. Aikasha is wearing a Kor @ Kor black wool/rayon blazer with attached vest, The Limited black satin cigarette trousers, Adele Fado leopard print satin tunic with black lace trim, Louboutin black sueded hidden platform pumps and Tous leopard print calf hair and brown leather bag. A large red VEDA silk/cashmere (pashmina) scarf, pearl/gold shoulder duster earrings and red ceramic and rhinestone bangles accessorized today’s outfit.

 A few posts ago, I had said, (paraphrashing) "........if you find a brand that fits, go for it". I was referring to suits, which can be a bit challenging finding the right fit and feel, but the same applies to most tailored items: blazers, trousers, vests, etc. I'm breaking my arm patting myself on my back right now, as I'm practicing what I preach. Today's blazer Kor @ Kor. So was yesterdays!!

Note: I'm struggling with the lighting in my  pics tonight. I really need to work this out!!

Tip: Leopard print can be a bit overpowering. I like to tone it down a bit with one of the neutrals - black, brown, beige, grey. Then - a pop of color like red (shown here), orange, yellow or even white - this really does it for me.

Ms. Aikasha is wearing a Kor @ Kor grey poly/viscose ‘hook & eye’ blazer, Casual Couture by Green Envelop grey rayon knit fit & flare high-low skirt, White & Warren red cashmere halter turtle-neck sweater, BCBG Max Azria black leather/suede peep-toe booties and Tous leopard print calf hair and brown leather bag. A red rhinestone bracelet, large red wooden rectangular earrings and multiple gold-tone bangles complete todays look.



 My favorite style dress/top in the Summertime is a halter. In the winter – it’s a turtleneck. You can’t imagine how ecstatic I was when I found this White & Warren cashmere halter turtle-neck. It’s like the best of both worlds!

I felt the same way when peep-toe boots hit the runway. Since sandals are my absolute favorite type shoes, closely followed by boots, the combination got me all excited!!

Tip: Although I'm not a fan of hoisery with sandals - they look fabulous with open toed boots/booties - especially the textured ones.

 

Tip II: This same outfit will be worn when it gets colder - add hoisery, gloves, and a down vest and I'll be  'good to go'!!