Features & Series Archives | Page 2 of 5 | Blueprint for Style

Features & Series

my may obsessions & purchases

May Purchases I had to get a garlic keeper because I was sick of having the bulbs just hanging out on the counter! My girlfriend, Steph, told me to grow up and get it so I did I sweat [not glisten] when I’m outside doing my socially-distant walk/jogs so I find my face needs more exfoliating. I scooped this Josh Rosebrook cleanser/exfoliator and I’m officially glowing!! I mentioned working out – – I need to do double-time after being away

2020/05/31

Features & Series

9 do’s & don’ts of quarantine dressing

I’ve been working with NBC News’ [know your value] team since last year. I contribute to their efforts with style articles every now and then – and this latest one details the 9 do’s & don’ts of quarantine dressing + some of my favorite pieces to make working from home easy! My guidelines include: DO create a uniform. DO focus on flexible pieces. DO rethink beauty and makeup essentials Read the rest here….

2020/05/13

Features & Series

the power of pivoting

2020 was supposed to be a different kind of year – full of promise, collaborations, and business successes (that’s what I asked God for). And then COVID-19 jumped upon the scene and well….I guess 2020 has been different but just not in the way I was expecting! If you are an entrepreneur then you understand what it means to pivot or change direction. As my mother used to say, ‘if you don’t bend, you’ll break‘. As an entrepreneur, you have

2020/05/11

Features & Series

my april impulses & obsessions

This month with COVID-19 lock down in full swing everywhere, I’ve taken to the internet like a madwoman! The only difference is the things I’ve been buying are more about supporting my business and helping small retailers and designers which feels better than just making random purchases. Impulses My mind was wandering to better days and warmer locations, and I purchased this roomy frock in hopes that I’d be out-and-about by the time summer rolls around! I started a Marie-Kondo style

2020/04/30

Features & Series

working from home productivity hacks

As an entrepreneur and former remote worker, I understand how to do remote working and actually get stuff done! Here are a few productivity hacks to make life-at-home a bit easier.… Create a morning routine Make a dedicated office space Create an actual schedule…with timelines and daily goals Implement the Pomodoro technique Combine multi-tasking with time wasters (surf IG and Facebook while making coffee or a midday snack, etc) And have a little fun with it….just not too much since you still

2020/03/16

Features & Series

Milan fashion week: takeaway #1

Takeaway #1 from Milan Fashion Week = leather….everywhere! Find your leather skirt/dress/pants/top and rock it everywhere!

2020/02/24

Accessories

my 11 favorite items in January

We all like to buy nice things and get the things that make us ‘jump and and down’ when it’s finally in our hands! In January, I acquired a few fun pieces that I thought we were sharing….based on the feedback and number of “where’d you get that?!”s I received. Enjoy! My favorite, of course, is the lil easy bag by Parker Thatch (pictured above) but I’m into all 11 of my items even though it meant discarding a few oldies-but-goodies….

2020/02/02

Features & Series

our newest venture – an online school!

Blueprint for Style is expanding in 2020! Our newest venture, in conjunction with Teachable, is an online style school dedicated to providing know-how and virtual support to help you become the most stylish version of yourself. The new online school, the Style School, will offer courses that vary from two days to 10 or 12 lessons across weeks, and will include everything from the fundamentals of dressing well to everything you need to create a more eco-friendly wardrobe! And the BONUS?!

2020/01/12

Wardrobe Stylist & Personal Branding Expert

Dresses & Outfits

9 Fall Game Changers For Your Wardrobe

“The best closets have the great basics and then have those statement and game-changer pieces that make the ordinary stand out,” says wardrobe stylist Monica Barnett. I recently joined the Know Your Value team with Mika Brzezinski at NBC News. My first article about the 9 game changers you need NOW for your fall wardrobe is live. Read more….

2019/10/25

Features & Series

My 2019 Theme

I started talking about new year’s resolutions and getting rid of them in my newsletter so this is just a continuation…. In hopes that it helps someone do more and feel better in 2019! For the last few years, I’ve gotten away from “resolutions” and have jumped on the “theme” bandwagon – as a way to focus my actions throughout the year but also because my work as an entrepreneur meant blending work and personal – and the lists were getting

2019/01/02

Features & Series

presidential portrait

Happy Valentine’s Day!! The official portraits of former president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama were unveiled February 12th at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C. and it was a wonderful doozy! Both painters— Kehinde Wiley, for Mr. Obama’s portrait and Amy Sherald, for Mrs. Obama — are black! Barack Obama’s portrait will be even more of a standout at the National Portrait Gallery because unlike the others, the former president sits in front of a

2018/02/14

Features & Series

do something different for valentine’s day

I’m writing to advocate sending love to someone else this year on Valentine’s Day. Consider your girlfriends, your boys since childhood, the lady you’ve been crushin’ on but haven’t bothered to say anything to, or your kids (regardless of age)… It’s a made-up day anyway so make good use of it! Show your love and make someone feel special next Wednesday (and I find etsy does great at these kinds of gifts)… [show_lookbook_widget id=”384577″]

2018/02/08

Features & Series

NBLSA 50th Annual Convention

I’m honored and ecstatic to be speaking at the National Black Law Student Association‘s (NBLSA) annual Convention taking place in Brooklyn, NY in March! While the convention’s theme is “Celebrating Our Legacy, Advancing Our Mission”, I’ll be speaking about the power and last impact of the first impression and the importance of one’s personal brand. Looking forward to sharing my expertise and wisdom with our next generations of attorneys, judges and politicians….!!

2018/02/07

Features & Series

FIVE new year resolutions that are not resolutions

In full disclosure, I found an article that had several more REAL new year resolutions but these FIVE seem like excellent ones to implement IF you wanted to effect real change… Or perhaps you can adopt my philosophy which is to simply implement changes on an as-needed basis….thus avoiding the start-of-the-year shenanighans! #1: we get stuck on everything we’re doing wrong rather than focusing our attention on the things we do right or well. in 2018, flip-the-script and see the

2018/01/09

Features & Series

holiday tipping guide

Here is a quick n’ dirty listing of how much to give who because spreading love and holiday cheer is always stylish!: Nanny ~ one to two weeks’ pay is the norm Dog walker ~ a weeks’ pay…or a gift card if they just ‘do their job’ without any awesomeness Grocery bagger ~ $2 and a smile Gift wrapper ~ $1 per present wrapped Personal assistant/secretary ~ a 2018 planner + [if they’re dynamite/irreplaceable], a weeks’ worth of net pay is a good thank you Babysitter (a couple times/week) ~

2017/11/22

Features & Series

azzedine alaïa passes

Tunisian-born in 1935 worked with Christian Dior He opened his own maison in 1979 An independent couturier who was known to move to his own beat…including seasonal releases He dressed the likes of former First Lady Michelle Obama, Victoria Beckham, Lady Gaga and too many more to mention…. His clothing was known to be structured, sculptured and fitted Naomi Campbell opened his last show! He will be missed but his designs will live on! RIP Azzedine Alaïa, 1935 ~ 2017 Here are a few

2017/11/20

Features & Series

hoity-toity meets mass retailer

What happens when an old school, high-end, old fashioned brand meets a mass retailer anxious to conquer the world? The result is…you’ll soon be able to shop Lord & Taylor on Walmart.com!! 2017 saw lots of mall brand and store closures; and now everyone is teaming up to compete with Amazon… Nike has decided to start selling through Amazon Sears has put its Kenmore appliances on Amazon Google and Walmart are working together on voice shopping to compete with Amazon’s

2017/11/17

Events & Happenings

#roadtrip in DC and to Philly

Roadtrip! Roadtrip! Roadtrip! As soon as Toyota dropped off my new Lexus NX, I was in love and all I could think of was the roadtrip I wanted to take that weekend….alas, it never happened. I caught a cold and the bed became my only adventure. But they decided to let me keep it a few days longer and the middle console charging pad and sleek design of this beauty became my travel companion as I headed to the #BeBrilliant

2017/10/18

tracee ellis ross holiday capsule collection

Fashion / Style Events

a fashion collab i can get excited about!

I am truly excited about this collaboration ~ besides being a HUGE Tracee Ellis Ross fan, everything about this collection says “I’m going to snag a few fab pieces!”. “The main thing that I wanted to put in this collection was a tux, but I didn’t know if it was possible at a low price point, because I didn’t want anything over $100” Ellis Ross explained. Apparently, she discovered that the addition of pockets (and not lining) would hike up

2017/10/17

Features & Series

erdem x h&m collab

London-based designer Erdem is collaborating with H&M to launch and women’s and men’s collection on November 2, 2017 — BOOM! Erdem collections retail from $800 for a cocktail dress to north of $3000 for one of his enchanting gowns. With the Erdem x H&M collection, the label will definitely reach a wider audience with a much lower price point…. Style notes: expect florals, bold prints, and rich details….guess who will be in line on Nov 2nd?!

2017/10/03

Beauty

forever young with hyaluronic acid

Hyaluronic acid is in EVERY beauty product you have today because….it’s awesome! Part of stylish living is being the best you can be! Hyaluronic acid (HA) is actually naturally occurring in your joints, eyes and deeper skin It’s not acid-y acid like glycolic acid Dry aka “old-looking” skin = lines and saggy skin so HA plumps it up (temporarily) It’s a humectant which means it attracts water (!!!) BIGGEST STAT: it can hold 1,000 times its weight in water (=

2017/09/28

Features & Series

how to layer properly & bulk-free

There is a key to looking stylish while staying warm and layering…. There are three layers you need to consider: Moisture Insulation Weather The first layer is about managing moisture and wicking sweat ~ you know what it’s like to put on so much that you’re actually sweating before you leave the house, right? That’s wrong! This layer should be thin and fitted like silk in the form of undies, tights, tees, etc. The second layer should be focused on

2017/09/27

Features & Series

a lesson on leather

So simply put – all leather is not created equally! To keep this education simple, there are four types of leather: Top grain Full grain Split/genuine leather Bonded leather Top grain leather just means its been corrected in some way. Any leather with the entire grain intact (and not corrected) is called full grain and is typically your most expensive leather. Leather that has been split from the grain and is the bottom part of the leather is called split

2017/09/25

Accessories

diamonds are a girl’s best friend…

If you clicked here from the morning report then you already know there are FIVE tests to evaluate whether your diamond is real. We talked about three already: the setting test, density water test and fog test. The other two tests to perform are: read test: if you place your diamond flat-side down on a newspaper and can read then it’s not real because a real diamond generally has too many facets and reflects light such that you cannot see

2017/08/14

Features & Series

News: The Morning Report is Coming

It’s official! Blueprint for Style will kick off a new daily newsletter offering a mix of industry news, sale insights, shopping tips and more. Stay tuned for more updates. Here’s the catch: it will feature a maximum of two articles — something newsworthy (does an epic sale count?!) and something fashion-forward (does an epic sale count?!)….maybe even something to ensure you can get dressed in less time and look better (does that count?!)!!

2017/07/13

Our Blog

News, Articles & More

my may obsessions & purchases

9 do’s & don’ts of quarantine dressing

the power of pivoting

my april impulses & obsessions

working from home productivity hacks

Milan fashion week: takeaway #1

my 11 favorite items in January

our newest venture – an online school!

9 Fall Game Changers For Your Wardrobe

My 2019 Theme

presidential portrait

do something different for valentine’s day

NBLSA 50th Annual Convention

FIVE new year resolutions that are not resolutions

holiday tipping guide

azzedine alaïa passes

hoity-toity meets mass retailer

a fashion collab i can get excited about!

erdem x h&m collab

forever young with hyaluronic acid

how to layer properly & bulk-free

a lesson on leather

diamonds are a girl’s best friend…

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