Sorry dudes....this is a girly post

I have not always been a girly girl. I'm not really one now. But over the last year or so I have definitely stepped up my game when it comes to the world of fashion and beauty. I think it all started when I decided to cut off all my hair and go natural. Sometime around then I decided to submerge myself into make-up, hair and fashion. I guess I just wanted to be presentable to society. Plus, I'm always down for a way to express oneself, especially if you can press norms while doing so. Luckily for me fashion is one of those outlets. Not to mention I went/go to the #2 voted stylish institutes in America. While every other co-ed is rocking sweats and baseball caps to a bio lab, we at Howard wear Tori Birch heels and French Connection trousers. Sick, you may call it, but at least our grades are well enough to place more focus in the style area.

Anyway, now that August is around the corner and my last semester of school is about to start I need to get it together. I'll be student teaching the entire 4 months so I need to be fully stocked on the buisness cas. Not that I'm not familiar with a professional look, since I worked for the NAACP for 3 years. But it was much more casual. As we Brits say, I want to smarten up. But I want to still be stylish.

1. I'm wearing heels everyday! People on my campus wear them from 8 in the morning to 9 at night. I think I can at least do it from 9 to 3. So I'm going to start now. I'll wear them around the house, going to the grocery store, walking around the mall, cutting grass if I must! I gotta get it together!

2. Dig deep into the archives of some of my favorite fashion bloggers.

( Delmy of Fashion Bananas. I LOVE how classically feminine she is. She's a beautiful women who wears beautiful clothes.)

(Franceta of Frantic Dreams. She's about 6' 5" and very curvy. Yet she wears what "fashion rules" tell us people her size can't wear. I'm 6 ft. tall myself, and it's inspiring to see someone push the mold so well.)

(Dulce Candy of Dulce Candy. I watch her youtube videos and read her blog religiously because sometimes I feel like I can't put an outfit/ make-up together with out her help. She has such a HUGE wardrobe and is starting to get looks from fashion moguls everywhere. But she stays earthed and humble, and that's why I love her.)

(Lexy of BeautyFash. A girl after my own heart. You'll find lots of colors and animal prints on her page, yet she dresses it up to take the Joan Rivers edge off of it. Plus she has delicious recipes which I find myself stealing constantly.)

3. Stacking up on accessories. They are the easiest way to dress up and down an outfit. I maybe the queen of earrings but I need to add some bracelets, necklaces, scarves, hats, handbags and belts into the equation.

4. Find some work appropriate hairstyles. Although I'm fiercely against the idea that straight/relaxed hair is the only hair appropriate for a professional setting, I think I want to find some up-do's to go with my new "grown-up" look.