Wednesday, August 31, 2016

The Pom Pom Tassel Sandal



















Colorful. A word I would use to describe this look and my mood lately. That and tired but mostly colorful, happy and excited and when I wear these shoes my mood gets even better! These shoes make me giddy ya'll. The colorful bright pom poms make it easy to see why this was one of this summer hottest trends. When I spotted these beauties on Zara.com I knew I had to have them. Paired with anything white and festive and they truly pop.

I mentioned in THIS post that I'm only adding items to my wardrobe that make me happy and these do exactly that. I have to get just a few more wears out of these beauties before I trade them in for booties and snow shoes :-(

What are some of your favorite pieces you're going to be sad to put away this summer?
Share:

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

{Almost} Fall





Fall is almost here. I seriously can't believe it, I feel like it was just January now it's almost September. Anyone else feel like time is flying by at a scary rate??

In this look I'm embracing the fall color palette and mixing Navy and Olive. I love this color combo, it's so rich and neutral. Throw on a burgundy lip and this look would be perfectly Fall appropriate. I paired it with a neutral super high wedge sandal and tribal necklace to add a bit of interest. Fall is going to be fun this year, I'm excited for the Fall trends and layering goodness. Not to mention I can NOT wait to decorate my home for fall and cook all kinds of pumkin approriate goodness!

What are some things you dolls are looking forward to this fall? Is it the trends, fashion, weather or food??? I'll take all of those things please and thank you!!

SHOP THE LOOK


Share:

Monday, August 22, 2016

6 Beauty Products for Summer Stay All Day Makeup


So summer is here in full force and if you're like me you’re struggling trying to keep your makeup in place. I spend a lot of time in Arkansas for word, like A LOT of time.

Hot, Humid and Muggy Arkansas. 

It’s humid in DC but that Arkansas heat is just different. I’ve literally left work and looked in the mirror just to look like I can fry chicken on my forehead. It was gross. Here are a few products I love and count on to keep my face flawless. Now to keep my edges laid......Uggh, that's another story! SMH
  1. Oil Cleanser, this is a good one
  2. Murad Oil Mattifier Lotion w/SPF
  3. Makeup Forever  Step 1 Primer
  4. Laura Mercier Setting Powder (OMG! This stuff is AMAZING)
  5. Urban Decay Setting Spray
  6. Blotterazzi Beauty Blender Sponge


Share:

Thursday, August 18, 2016

My current wardrobe dilemma: I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR






These photos are NOT recent but the most simple of simple looks have been my uniform for the past 9 months! Uggh
I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR! 

Ok, I know we all say that while staring at a closet FULL of clothes. What we are really saying is I have nothing I WANT to wear. Yeah, that was me before my last move. Me all day long. Not now. Now, I mean it. After moving from an 1300 sq ft space to 541 sq ft, I needed to downsize. A purge was necessary. So purge I did. 

Then I moved to my house and felt an overwhelming urge to get rid of more of the old and bring in the new, brand new! New house, new furniture, new me, new wardrobe. LOL, hmmm yeah ok! I thought that was what I wanted until my booski Courtney came to visit. Man. He basically veto’d every single thing in my closet and left me with NOTHING. 5 FULL trash bags later, I seriously have NO clothes ya'll. Then I had the bright idea to NOT shop until I lost all the weight I had gained the last 6 months. 

Well how’s that working out for ya Naja?

Hmmm let’s see, I basically live in work clothes and workout clothes, exclusively. Yes, that is all I have that fits me. I have nothing in my closet that tells an amazing story, nothing that makes me happy, nothing that inspires me or makes me feel beautiful. Sigh. So I say again…..I have nothing to wear! But we’re going to change that and soon. 

I’m taking a different approach to shopping these days. A more intentional and well planned process for cultivating a LIFE wardrobe I’m in love with. 

Here are my 5 tips to do just that.
  1. Think about it. NO more impulse buys or duplicates. Know what you have and spend time to think about each purchase. Sleep on it if you have to.
  2. Quality over Quantity. You don’t need 10 basic and cheap quality white button ups. You need one amazing one that will last you for years to come.
  3. Start with the basics. You need to have a strong foundation people, period. Invest in good undergarments, jeans, blazers, simple jewelry...etc.
  4. Buy what you love. Like really LOVE. If you see it and it doesn’t bring you joy. Leave it. 
  5. Do you. Ignore the trends and allow yourself to shop what you genuinely like and looks good on YOU. You don’t owe off the shoulder tops NOTHING if you’re built like a linebacker. Leave that iiiish where it’s at. 
  6. BONUS TIP: Set a budget. Like carve it out and plan for it. Don’t go broke for this but be realistic with yourself. Once you invest you won’t have to do nothing but seasonal maintenance to your wardrobe from then on. It’s worth it. 

So that’s it. My tips for building my dream wardrobe I will be following myself . What do you dolls do when you have nothing to wear. Do you regroup and start over or assess in a different way? Let me know below!
Share:

Monday, August 15, 2016

Life Update! New Year, New House, New Job, New Adventures!









9 months, 1 week and 6 days. That’s how long it’s been since my last blog post. Where in the ENTIRE hell have you been some of you have asked. I honestly didn’t think it had been that long until I checked the dates. I have been “MEANING” to blog again for so very long. I mean the ideas for blog posts flood my head daily, outfit inspiration is everywhere, new beauty products come out and I want to tell you ALLLLL about it. I’ve missed you, I promise. It’s not you, it’s me and before I get to all those things I can’t wait to talk about with you dolls....I will answer your first question. WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN, GIRL!!??

I’ll start around June when in my opinion my life went far far left! Let’s see, I was in the process of building my first home when I got laid off my job. A job I hated and was miserable at but paid me a pretty penny and truth be told I wasn’t ready to let go of at the time. Did I mention it was my birthday. Yeah, that was a pretty shitty one, HAPPY BIRTHDAY here’s a pink slip! I was at the end of my lease and in the process of packing up my 2 bedroom, 2 bath, 1300 sq ft apartment (size is important in this story, bare with me) so my life was in boxes. With no job and no immediate plan I felt it best to let go of my home. My beautiful, beautiful home I had dreamed of owning one day. My home with every fixture and feature picked out by yours truly. I was devastated. So with NO job, NO home and NO place to go I found a smaller (that’s a joke, this place was a closet at 541 sq ft!) much cheaper apartment to move to while I ‘figured it out’. I was devastated. Totally confused and lost.  SO where most people would just get another job and move on, I was at a crossroads I felt. Was this the time to go out on my own and start the business I wanted to? Was this GOD telling me to switch careers, did he not feel I was ready for a home, was there something better to come? Maybe this is a good thing, Naja? But how?! You’re moving backwards, 31 with no job living in a 541 sq ft apartment with absolutely NO direction or idea of your next move. This is NOT a good thing!

From there I fell into a depression. I was a go getter my whole life. I had a plan my whole life. I had up to that point achieved everything I had put my mind to and excelled at it. I hated this confused, ‘helpless’, broke Naja. Anyone that knows me, knows that I HATE being broke and my lifestyle is EXPENSIVE. I spent 5 months unemployed, trying to figure it out, tried to listen to GOD’s voice instead of my own. I budgeted like a beast, I ate like one too, I prayed like one as well. I gained weight, I got sadder and sadder. What do you want? What are you doing with your life? This is what you go through in your 20’s Naja, you should have this shyt figured out by now. I wasn’t very nice to myself during this time looking back.  Then there were some great things that came out of it. I joined a local church that I love. I got stronger and more resourceful, there is something powerful in making something out of nothing and pulling yourself out a hole. Most importantly clarity did come. Peace did come. I figured out WHAT I wanted then wrote down the steps I needed to take to get there. 

I got another job….a better job. I bought a different house……a better house. I got closer to GOD....much closer. I got closer to my family for sure and learned to open up more. I learned to be vulnerable and allow people to help, something I refused to allow in the past. I'm good now. Not perfect by far but I’m back to blogging because I’m in a better place to tell you how I got there and take you with me on my journey as I still have a LONG, LONG way to go. Like I said earlier. I missed you guys, I missed NajaDiamond.com and I’m back. 

Share:
© Naja Diamond | All rights reserved.
Blogger Template Developed by pipdig