Hey gang. I know I’ve been very neglectful, my sincere apologies. September was busy on the personal front. Distance learning started for my girls, nothing worked. It was very stressful the first two weeks. So our long overdue vacation was quite timely. I came back relaxed and ready to go but as fate would have it, Sanaa and I got sick, run of the mill cold for me, a bit more serious for Sanaa. But I’m glad to report we’re both right as rain.
The Style Hunt DMV: photo meet-up and fashion show
September wasn’t a total bust. I was able to attend my first social gathering for DMV (D.C. Maryland Virginia) creatives hosted by The Style Hunt DMV; a photo meet-up and fashion show. The event was originally scheduled for a weekend in August but the weather was acting real 2020 and it decided to rain so the event was moved to a date in September.
What’s life without a little click-bait?! Now that I have your attention I’m thrilled to announce IVN is officially two years old!!! That’s right we’re officially in year two of our journey to fashion icon domination…lol. The last two years have been nothing short of amazing, far from terrible. It hasn’t been all rainbows and unicorns that’s for sure. If I’m being completely honest I seriously considered abandoning the blog, especially when the pandemic hit. Earlier in the year I felt like I wasn’t growing fast enough, by all standards (standards I created in my head) I was creating meaningful and visually stunning content, right?! So why am I still in the same place, seemingly. I wasn’t where I wanted to be and that is an army of followers on IG and too many subscribers to count.
But I heard my dad’s voice in my head saying ‘Bonehead’ nothing worth it, comes easy. Don’t misunderstand me I don’t want the easy way in, I thrive on progress. If the needle doesn’t move fast enough, I’m low-key freaking out. The fact is people have access to massive amounts of content, printed and digital and I’m just getting started. While most people see the pretty pictures, the business of influencing is an ACTUAL business. There’s still so much to learn. This isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon and patience is key. I also had to realize there are so many variables that I can’t control, conversely there are so many I can.
However as soon as I came to that realization the pandemic hits!
I said to myself, whelp there goes my big influencer dream. Honestly, who cares about fashion, travel, and beauty when they just want to keep their families healthy and safe, right?! But I realized a life worth living isn’t merely surviving, it’s thriving. The world can always use a little pretty. I hit the pause button at the beginning of the pandemic but I’ve re-evaluated my WHY- if your WHY doesn’t make you cry, it’s not big enough. The little humans you see in the pictures below are my WHY. I want them to know anything’s possible if you do the work and stay focused.
And I also had to remind myself why I started this journey. I wanted to help people feel confident in their own skin through fashion. Ultimately I wanted to be a trusted resource to as many people as possible. Those may not seem like very lofty goals to some folks, but it’s my WHY. Every time someone DM’s me on Instagram, asking for advice, i.e. can I really trust that brand, how did this work out for you, it makes me so happy! There’s nothing like that “YES I NAILED IT” feeling, it’s so gratifying. It makes all the hard work worth it. And that’s happening a lot these days, like I said, worth it.
Essentially I had to remember who I was and the God I serve.
As long as I put HIM first everything else will fall into place or it won’t. Listening to a little (or a lot) of Beyoncé, the queen of women empowerment, didn’t hurt either. My favorite Bey line, “Imma keep running cause a WINNER don’t quit on themselves” -Freedom, Lemonade the album, do yourselves a favor, give it a listen. And I’m a WINNER BABE!!!
I’m not sure if you noticed all the black girl magic on my timeline but here’s a little bit more if you’ve been under a rock for the last few weeks. You’re looking at the designer Andrea Iyamah (AI) swimwear from her Butterfly Collection. Swimwear is just a small part of this stylish, chic and so on trend, ready to wear brand. However the Butterfly collection in particular is giving me LIIIIIIIIFE. To be clear this isn’t sponsored post, I purchased every piece with my own coins. I’m infatuated with her swimwear line so expect to see me in one of her ready to wear pieces soon.
ANDREA IYAMAH SWIMWEAR
Gone with the wind
Funny story, you’re looking at an active golf course, ladies and gents. We decided to shoot this look while visiting my mother and my aunt; they live on a golf course. My aunt suggested we take advantage of the picturesque fairway that’s literally her backyard. The lesson here is listen to your elders. We had to keep our heads on a swivel for stray golf balls and carts. Yes I commandeered the fairway for a photo shoot, anything for the shot right?!
***This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase via my links I will be compensated***
This post is long over due but I wanted to get this one out to you all because some of favorite brands are having huge sales. If you’ve been paying attention (of course you have) I posted most of these pictures on Instagram over a month ago but I failed to give the IVN family the deets. I know I’m terrible. Quite a few brands are in trouble financially, so it’s not a huge surprise we’re seeing steep discounts. We’re taking full advantage over here at IVN. The way I see it, if the world goes back to normal we’ll be the best dressed group around…lol If not we’ll be well dressed for the apocalypse either way I’m not seeing a downside…lol
Summer Midi Skirt Looks
Big surprise one of my favorite silhouettes is the midi-skirt, specifically the pleated midi-skirt. I love the midi-skirt because it’s flattering on just about any body type and more often than not you can dress them up or down depending on your mood.
The summer midi skirt featured below is from J. Crew . Nobody does the midi-skirt better than J. Crew. The shoes are an also J. Crew. J. Crew is one of those brands going through tough financial times, which translates to big savings for us. They’re currently running a 40% off sale on your entire purchase; as of today, I can’t guarantee what tomorrow will bring. This skirt is so much fun because it features a peekaboo stripe, one side of the pleat is pink the other side is white. This skirt can be dressed up or down. I decided on a dressier look. But it can easily be paired with sneakers and a white tee for dressed down look. The color contrast makes twirling in this skirt so much fun. One of friends suggested I wear this look to Whole Foods. While more a Giant/Trader Joe’s kinda gal, I’m strongly considering it.
We had a lot of fun with this next look.
It was a total Mommy and Me moment. We dressed these skirts up with heels and brought them back down with some platform Converse. Sanaa and I are both 5′ 3″ aka fun-sized, so a little height is always nice where we’re concerned.
Hey gang. I hope everyone is doing well. I’m at the beach, kid-less and husband-less, yassssss. I felt a tiny morsel of guilt and I do mean tiny, leaving them behind but this trip was very necessary (pun intended) if we’re going to make it through the summer. I think it’s fair to say we all need a break from each other. In fact, the next trip will be something fun for them. With most of the fun places closed it should be interesting what we come up with, especially because almost every where you would want to go, requires you wear a mask. But if you’re going to wear a mask, make it fashion!! Smooth transition right?!
Fashionable Face Mask
Let me just say I wear a verified K-95 mask whenever I’m in highly populated areas, so yes I’m referring to the grocery store, otherwise I opt for something a little more stylish. I found exactly what I was looking for in CandyCreationsBling. The mask featured is a custom CandyCreationsBling piece; Candace Chesnut on Facebook. Candace is actually a family friend. Short story, my sister Shana was on the hunt for a fashionable face mask for an up coming celebration. She reached out to a few designers and soon learned of Candace’s amazing pieces. She had a pearl mask made, similar to the photos below.
The finished product was stunning, so you know I had to have one made also. I opted for the all black crystal mask. My mask features two crystal hearts as well, cause I’m all about the love. These mask are handmade, to-order, and can be customized to your liking. The mask also includes a mesh insert that you can remove and wash as needed. Candace can embellish just about anything you can think of, not just face mask. Sooooooo, I say all that to say, get yourself one or pick up one for your fashionable friend. A million things have been canceled this year, but cute has not been cancelled.
Stay tuned for some mommy and me fun. Sanaa and I are going to give you some super cute midi skirt looks for the summer.
Full disclosure: This post contains affiliate links to my Amazon store. If you use my links to shop (please do) I will receive a commission.
Hey gang! The mini-me and I snuck out of the house for a little social-distancing photo shoot so we could debut our prettiest Mommy & Me look yet. It’s no secret I’m a huge fan of Blair Eadie. She speaks to my soul with her bright, cheerful, yet ultra chic style. If high fashion and a rainbow had a baby, that’s Blair. I’m sporting a dress from her latest collaboration with Halogen X Atlantic- Pacific. Halogen is one of Nordstrom’s top selling ready to wear brands. It’s also become one of my favorite brands outside of it’s collaborations with Ms. Blair.
HALOGEN X ATLANTIC PACIFIC
It’s all about the strips for me. Do I look like a summer day walking or nah?! I think so. About the dress, it’s sheer and light-weight. The dress comes with a removeable slip, a sign of a pretty well thought out garment. I wore undergarments that were very close in color to the slip so it blended seamlessly. I’d advise you to wear nude undergarments with this one; better safe than sorry. This garment definitely has some room for growth; it’s very forgiving. The only con in my opinion is that the dress get a case of the wrinkles earlier on; which is true of most pieces made with organza. Not a real deterrent for me as they are hardly noticeable but if you are a neat freak it may bother you. Either way you’ve been advised.
Hey gang, it’s May, we’re still on lockdown but there’s so much to be grateful for. Here are few things I’m looking forward to…
My wedding anniversary!!!
This year marks nine years of martial bliss. Marriage isn’t easy but it’s totally worth it. It’s a lot of loving, give and take, conceding, arguing about stupid stuff, forgiving one another after you’ve had some time to cool off about said stupid stuff. And sometimes, sadly, it’s about grieving together. My father-in-law passed away last week. It caught us all off guard. He’s survived so much so we didn’t expect he would pass away so suddenly, nor did we know he was so ill.
I’m heartbroken for my husband, his siblings, and step-mother. Just going to the funeral will present an extra layer of anxiety due to travel restrictions. You can’t even grieve normally anymore. I think we can all agree Corona sucks. I had plans to make this a special anniversary celebration, now I want to make it extra special. Despite enduring such a great loss, it’s also gives us an opportunity to take stock of what we have and be GRATEFUL for what we have, each other.
Cinco De Mayo.
Mexican culture is one of my favorites. The food, the people, the music, it’s all a wonderful assault on the senses and I’m here for it all. And let’s face it we could all use a shot of Tequila at this point. I’m making shrimp tacos with The Funny Momma tonight you should join her Instagram live if you’re free, this woman cracks me up for reals. Grateful for her and the margaritas we finna mix up. Just an FYI Sombreros, tequila, and tacos have nothing to do with the purpose of Cinco De Mayo, see a funny and condensed history lesson here. You’re welcome!
Last but certainly not least it’s Teacher Appreciation Week!!!
Hence my especially studious look for this post. I’m channeling chic nerd here but I digress, this about the teachers. I am especially thankful for my first teachers, my parents. They both have/had an incredible work ethic; moms retired, dad can’t seem to sit still. They both showed us how far hard work and a little dedication can go, for that I will be eternally grateful.
Studious or Nah???
Big news I’m running a Teacher Appreciation Week giveaway on my Instagram page. Like the post, follow me, Omneisia of Ocessories, and tag your favorite teacher for a chance for them to win this set of Ocessories beaded bracelets and an Amazon gift card. Visit my feed to see complete details.
I sincerely hope everyone is doing well. Life in quarantine has been taxing on us all. Check on your extroverted friends, they are not ok…lol. We’ve all been trying to manage as well as we can. One of the ways I’ve been coping is by imagining life post-quarantine. Where will I go? What will I see? What will I do once outside reopens? Most importantly (for a fashionista) what will I be wearing on all my adventures post lockdown?! I’ve been prepping for my spring debut ya’ll. Oh what a show I’m going to put on?!
Some people don’t mind spending a few more pennies on that yummy potato bread whereas others could care less. They just need something to hold the meat and cheese together. The same applies to fashion, some of us are more discerning than others. One thing is for sure we shouldn’t have to sacrifice style for affordability, there’s a happy medium and that’s where fast fashion comes in.
Fast Fashion Picks
I tend to do a little dance between lux and affordable pieces. This look is a prime example of the Cha Cha slide I do between lux and affordable.
Here are my top picks on fast fashion brands, IG (Instagram) Boutiques, and online stores I’ve come to know and love.
The cleanest my house has been in ages. I actually live in my house… sue me
Full disclosure this post contains affiliate links, if you make a purchase I will be compensated.
Hey guys this one is long overdue. I started drafting this post just as the Coronavirus began interrupting everyone’s lives. For the past week and a half I’ve been adjusting to my new normal and I’ve straight up neglected my baby, my blog.
That happened for a number of reasons. First I felt like who cares about style and fashion right now, as I’ve been living in pjs, sweats, and hoodies myself. But then I read something on social media that said during the quarantine in London several lifetimes ago, William Shakespeare wrote King Lear. Please make no mistake I am not comparing my blog post to the literary gifts of Shakespeare but my words, pictures, and insights might just brighten someone’s day. So I’m back at it, ladies and gents and I’m here for the long haul. Stay safe, healthy, and happy. And say a prayer for all “the essential workforce” out there, cause Corona and Jesus are everywhere…lol
This blog post was drafted pre-Corona
Hey hey hey!!! We’re halfway through March already! Can you believe it?! I know we say this a lot but time is FLYYYYYING!!! I’m loving all the amazing Women’s History Month events, art, music and dope content that’s made its way to my social media timelines. It’s a lovefest for women and I love it. It’s nothing like witnessing a glow-up.
My Chic Living Room
Speaking of glow-ups I’ve had my own miniature glow-up in the form of a mini/major home improvement. I finally bit the bullet and bought an adult couch. Say hello to Betty ya’ll. Yes, I give inanimate objects names; cars, couches, kitchen appliances, it’s what I do 🤷🏽♀️. Betty seems like a very grownup name right?! Lol
My chic living room.
I purchased Betty online at Wayfair.
This wasn’t my first purchase on Wayfair. I purchased my dining rooms chairs as well as several other household items from Wayfair. You could say Wayfair and I have some “history.” They never disappoint. I can always expect quality products and on time and careful delivery. They are the best!!!
This is my dramatic and exhausted pose… Am I selling this well or nah?
The chic living room before and after
I deliberated over this purchase for the better part of a year, mostly because I wanted a chocolate brown couch like Betty. But for some reason, the brown couches were way out of my budget; so I settled. I never settle, fatal flaw of mine. If it’s not exactly what I want, how I want it, I seldom cave. But I did in this case and the results weren’t terrible. I was trying to create the magic in the picture, on the left (designed by Maureen Mahon). And I think I nailed it. I protect Betty from my wayward family with this amazing couch cover I picked up from Amazon. It comes in a variety of colors so if you have kids or pets this is a good look.
Interior Design images for Maureen Mahon Interiors
I love the month of February for a plethora of reasons. First it’s Black History Month and I love US. We also get some of the best fashion of the year for V-day. Let me be clear Valentine’s day is for suckers! I do not approve of the commercialism of it all and I want flowers and love everyday…lol And that’s my PSA for the day. But I do get a kick out of all the pink, red, and burgundy looks that come my way. It’s a wonderful assault on the senses. And we can talk about all the floral arrangements and installations that will most certainly flood our time lines this week.
Taking over Lee’s Flowers Gift Shop!
Lee’s Flower Gift Shop
If you live in the DMV (D.C., Maryland, and Virginia) you can have the most beautiful flowers delivered to you from Lee’s Flower and Card Shop anytime you want and I want ALL THE FLOWERS. Lee’s has in been in business since 1945, it’s a black owned, family business in the heart of the district.
The Lee’s
I stopped into Lee’s for some rose petals and flowers for the look you see before you. And as good fortune would have it I stumbled into the cutest little gift shop I ever did see. The space was curated so beautifully, I had to ask if I could take a few pics in the shop for this look. The owner humbly obliged. Everyone was so hospitable and welcoming. I really love US!!!. They have a new forever customer in me!
I also discovered the dopiest all natural/eco friendly air fresheners, laundry detergent and cleaning supplies. The shop features an all natural line called Eco Daisy Home by Dr. Priscilla Johnson. Dr. Johnson is sprinkling her black girl magic all over us with her bomb air fresheners and household supplies, y’all better get into it. Rest assured a product review is coming your way.
