As promised, fresh new content for 2023. I was suppose to post this Monday but totally missed the mark, so let’s talk makeup. So here it is on a Thursday. This update is kind of a big deal for me. I had the privilege and pleasure of slaying Dr. Stella Chukwu face for her very first television appearance. Hopefully this will be the first of many of Dr. Stella’s TV appearances.
Continue reading “It’s #makeupmonday on IVN… on a Thursday”
Hey Gang! I hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend. I couldn’t let the season end without doing an EveryBODY Matters swimwear edit with my bestie Amanda. Fun fact, Summer isn’t technically over until September 21st, but folks love closure and Labor Day weekend usually gives the Summer haters (aka lovers of all things Fall/Winter) closure. A debate on the change of the seasons isn’t why we’re here. It’s all but the swimsuits. This year we’re in Good American Swimsuits.
As you can imagine finding a flattering swimsuit, that we both loved or liked a enough to be photographed in was a challenge. I heard Good American had a plus size line so I decided to test them out. Yes I’m keenly aware this is Khloe Kardashian’s brand and none of them need anymore of our money than they already have. But I wanted to see if the brand lived up to the hype. Short story I wasn’t disappointed but I wasn’t impressed either. Before I get into the critique of the swimsuits, we need to discuss the shoot location.
Amanda wanted to do something “different” for this year’s swimsuit edit, she wanted to do the photoshoot at a waterfall. Queue TLC’s Don’t Go Chasing Waterfalls. Since going to the rainforest of Costa Rica was out of the question, I found a local waterfall at Scott’s Run Preserve in McLean, VA. With very little time to scout the location (fresh off my Grecian vacation) I had no idea what to expect. However from the little research I did do, it seemed easy enough to get to, a 1.5 mile walk to the falls, EASY. However we didn’t take that path. For reasons I can’t explain, we decided to just follow the people walking up the stairs. I never follow the crowd but this time I figured why not; big mistake!
Continue reading “EVERYBODY MATTERS- GOOD AMERICAN SWIMWEAR EDITION”Warning there is no fashion news here. Just life happening in a big uncomfortable ways.
It’s been an interesting couple of weeks, truly stranger than fiction. I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried. Where do I start, ah let’s start at the lock down at Laila’s school two weeks ago. Yes that was as nerve wrecking as it sounds. Her school sent out the alarming text below about an hour before dismissal:
“Our school has been placed on lockdown. We have no additional information to report at this time. All children are safe and secured in the building.”
No cause for concern right?! The safe and secure part is the only thing that kept sane. The no additional information part is what I was struggling with. Given what little information I was given, I was proud of the level of calm I maintained. I called my husband to tell him what was happening. He was his usual cool and collected self, nothing to see here. While he was doing his best to reassure me this was probably nothing, Laila texted, deep sigh of relief. She let us know she was just fine but her classmates were whispering loudly (point of fact they were not whispering at all) and if this was an actual threat she’d been done for.
This kids starts texting us her survival plan which consisted of playing dead and covering herself in someone else’s blood. Plan B was hiding in the coat closet. I immediately thought how sad is this. This kid is devising survivial tactics to make it through the school day. I never had this particular and peculiar worry. Sheltering in place, in case of an active shooter was unheard of when I was in sixth grade and I went to school in NYC, the shooters were usually outside. Different struggles, same sad world.
Fast forward to the stranger than fiction part. This is probably one of THEE wildest things that has ever happened to me. I was born and raised in Brooklyn NYC, I’ve seen my fair share of extraordinary. Let me set the scene, it’s a sunny Tuesday morning, I’m working from home, under my heated blanket, minding my business, living my best life. Then I hear a ZOOM, SCREECH, BAM!!! It was like an old Batman & Robin episode, sirens blaring, helicopters hovering, and shouts of GET OUT THE CAR, GET OUT OF THE CAR!!! I peek out my bedroom window to find police officers, what I eventually learn are actually U.S. Marshalls arresting someone.
Continue reading “STRANGER THAN FICTION”One of our dedicated supporters noticed I pulled a Tiffany Haddish, a fashion faux pas, clutch you’re pearls, oh no she didn’t offense… The crime, I wore a statement piece twice and I was photographed in it. The first time I wore said cardigan was during a 2018 photoshoot in Dallas, TX. I dusted her off again for our recent Black History Month photo shoot. The cardigan is as old as the blog. It’s only right that she is the star in this edition of “Shop Your Closet.”
There are so many reasons you should give the clothes in your closet another spin around the block. First you’re not a celebrity no one remembers or cares that you wore that dress twice. Second it makes sense from an economic and sustainability perspective. Third we may be on the brink of another Cold War with Russia. Buying new clothes will be the last thing on the to do list.
If the US imposes any of the sanctions reported, gas prices will skyrocket, and we’ll be paying $20 a gallon on gas. Californians might not even flinch at that kind of increase they already pay something close to that right now…lol All I know is Russia is super annoying right now and I need them to chill; it’s upsetting to me and my homegirls. Ok that ends my take on geo-political matters, back to the fashion.
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Raise your hand if your granny always had her dinning room table set like she was gonna have a five course meal daily? My granny did so I’m sure I’m not alone. I rarely ever set or dress the table when I’m having dinner. After I’m finished cooking and cleaning I barely have time to dress myself let alone a table. But lately I’ve been adulting and dressing my table really has me feeling like a big girl.
You don’t need a lot, start with a center piece, a simple floral arrangement is great place to start. You don’t have to do too much. I grabbed a bunch of seasonal flowers right out of Trader Joe’s and made a lovely arrangement for this shoot. If you don’t have the time or skill set for making your own arrangement, head to @leesflowersdc they know how to do a center piece like nobody’s business.
Next grab you a table runner with some sparkle. Sequin, shimmer, or shine just make sure it pops. The table is gonna need a little light. Some people prefer candles on their table, while candles are elegant, they scream fire hazard for me, so I prefer string lights. Super affordable and far less likely to end with a visit from the fire department.
Continue reading “DRESS THE TABLE”
*** Full Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, meaning if you make a purchase via the link provided I will be compensated.***
At this point it’s basically an IVN tradition to shoot a look from Target’s Annual Fall Designer Collection. Ya’ll know I love me a good high end meets low end look; high on the design low on the price and Target never disappoints. Since I aim to please, here are a few of my fave’s from this year’s drop.
My favorite designer from the drop was Victor Glemaud collection. The collection featured his signature- knit skirt sets. These sets are as, bright, bold, and well made as his higher-end designs. Of course I bought every piece of the polka dot set and made Amanda buy the top and skirt. Amanda would not let shoot this collection without her. The quality of the pieces is impeccable, soft, comfortable, with plenty of stretch.
Hey gang! I know the unofficial end of summer was last weekend but me and Amanda are still summering…lol Since we’re all about to be pumpkin spiced to death we didn’t want to miss the opportunity to share our annual body positivity swimsuit shoot with you all.
In our latest installment of the everyBODY matters series, we’re wearing the Matte Collection’s Kai swimsuit. I’m rocking the white Kai-Cheetah print and Amanda is in the black Kai- Snake print. Why did I choose the Matte Collection for this year’s shoot, it should be pretty clear as to why, but I’ll go ahead state the obvious anyway, they make swimwear for everyBODY!!! The Matte Collection swimsuits are super affordable, comfortable, stylish, and just the right amount of sexy. Perfect for the ladies that want to give’em a little razzle dazzle on the beach or pool side.
Continue reading “EVERYBODY MATTERS- SWIMSUIT EDITION- THE MATTE COLLECTION”
It’s our 3 year anniversary gang! This past year has been A LOT!!! Between you, me and the walls I didn’t wanted to throw in the towel on the blog, for a number of reasons. At the height of the pandemic it seemed silly, dare I say insensitive to post about fashion and fun when some many people were sick, suffering, and quite literally dying. So many people are still struggling just to make ends meet. However instead of throwing the baby in with the bath water I decided to pivot, because that’s what champions do they adjust.
I’m so glad I made the decision not to quit, not to give up on my dreams, not to give up on the community we’ve built. The IVN community is small but thoroughly engaged, something you can’t find just anywhere. It’s really all about the engagement and adding value. It will be so cool to have big brand sponsorships and an enormous following on all my social media platforms one day, but having an attentive and engaged audience is what I’m most proud of and how I measure our success. You guys allow me to experiment and grow without being pigeon-hold to one genre or niche. At it’s core this blog is definitely about fashion but you all let me share everything and I appreciate that more than words can express.
Hey gang! The Nordstrom Anniversary sale is still on and popping!!! I promised a shoe edit, well here you go!! This edit includes shoes, boots, booties, and slippers.
The Comfort Zone
And our first category for the evening is comfort. Nothing beats a good house shoe. I love me a good Ugg slipper, I love them even more when they are on sale. Ugg slippers usually retail for a $100 or more, trust me the discount this sale offers is definitely significant.
1.Ugg Cozette Slide– This slide comes in several colors, however the brighter, bolder colors are currently are only a part of the anniversary sale.
2.Ugg Sherling Slipper– This slipper also comes in several colors, however the brighter, bolder colors are currently are only a part of the anniversary sale.
Sexy Lady Sandals
These Vince Camuto sandals are giving major Bottega Veneta vibes without the Bottega price tag. The shoe comes in three different colors. Steve Madden also has Bottega-like sandal, the Kenley (not on sale) but worth the purchase.
Schutz Strappy Sandal- this sandal is great alternative to the higher-end all be it iconic Stuart Weitzman strappy sandal. I own several pair of Schutz shoes/boots and they are worth their weight in gold. The shoes are always well padded, adding extra comfort which equals extra wear time. Let’s face it after the age of 30 all heels have a shelf life of 30-60 minutes.
Booties & Boots
Continue reading “THE NORDSTROM ANNIVERSARY SALE- The Shoe and Boot edit”PSA-I love sneakers!!! If you’re new around here get the memo, I’m a certified sneakerhead. Air Jordan’s have a special place in my heart for a lot of reasons. We’d be here all day if we got into them all but I’ll direct you to this blog post for the backstory. Just know I’m living my out my childhood dreams of owning countless, rare, fun, and interesting sneakers, aka kicks aka tennis shoes aka gym shoes; choose a name I love them.
This post features several pairs of sneakers I purchased via established resale companies Stadium Goods, Stock- X and KicksCrew. This is an informative post on the sneaker resale game, so do read until the end. The hottest sneakers sell out in minutes via normal channels, Nike.com, Eastbay, Footlocker, etc. Thanks to bots and other opportunists in the sneaker world most of us get left out in the cold on these releases, especially when it comes to the rare releases; i.e. the Ben & Jerry’s Chunk Dunky’s. I can’t even post a picture I’m so heart broken over not getting these sneakers 🙁
Ben & Jerry’s the iconic ice cream company collaborated with Nike to create a sneaker ya’ll, a sneaker!!. I’m still in my feelings about that release a year later. Companies like Stadium Goods, Stock-X and KicksCrew, resale high-end, hard to get, sneakers, they are angels on Earth, depending on who you ask. For some they are both the problem and solution. The exorbitant resale prices on rare releases are problematic for some, but the option to have a rare pair of kicks is a non-issue for a die hard sneakerhead. Today we’re doing a review on all three of the aforementioned.
Earlier I used the phrase “established resale” company, because there are a lot of unscrupulous people praying on desperate sneaker lovers with fake and/or non-existent products. KicksCrew has gotten a bad wrap for their lack of communication but I’m not one to fret over not getting an email that it’s being processed or that it will be shipping soon.
KicksCrew provides an order confirmation and shipping confirmation, tracking information is obviously included. Were there a few days in between both emails, yes. Was my order delivered in a timely manner and with care, yes. The company is based overseas so there is a time zone issue (Hong Kong based) which may account for the delayed response time. If you’re the anxious type don’t use KicksCrew. I had a great experience using their service to find the beauties below; yes I matched my sneakers with my nails. KicksCrew gets the IVN seal of approval.
Shipping Speed: A
Quality & Authenticity: A
Communication: B
Continue reading “Where did you get those sneakers???”