Tuesday Treasure: Chescalocs

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Ok, apparently, I've been living under a rock for who knows how long because I'm JUST NOW discovering the awesome youtube sensation that is chescalocs, one of Franchesca Ramsey's youtube channels. This girl is amazing! She's a comedian, a natural hair enthusiast, a runner, a singer, an amazing graphic designer, and has been doing videos for about 6 years now if I'm not mistaken. She's got such a bubbly personality and she's one of those people that I'm sure if I met in real life we would become good friends instantly!

As you guys know, I have dreadlocks. I have been itching for some inspiration on how to wear them in cute and stylish ways as they grow... well now that I've found chescalocs, all my troubles have vanished! lol. She's SUCH a style inspiration to thousands of girls with dreadlocks and she's just as amazing for people with no interest in dreadlocks whatsoever. I found her channel and her blog and I'm just going back through the archives because she's got the kind of content that you get hooked on immediately!

She's seriously got so many interests in common with me, it's like she's my sister from another mister! Those are the best kind of bloggers, you know, the ones that you can relate to.

Please check out her blog and her youtube channel. I promise you, you'll be hooked as well!

Chic Noire

Suggested by Elodie of Elle Yeah:

Dress #23
Belt #10
Shoes #8

I'm completely loving this simple monocrhomatic ensemble put together by the lovely Elodie! Easy as can be, yet sophisticated and fashionable. Thanks for the suggestion, Elle!

Star-Studded Thursday: Glare on Bottom

Inspired by Victoria Beckham:

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Top #2

Pants #16

Shoes #15

Belt #9

The always fashionable Mrs. Beckham looks so posh (pun intended) and polished in this picture, what with the white high-waisted sailor pants and the appearance of a pep in her step. Totally inspired me to pull out some items from my closet which most closely resembled her get-up, complete with a beehive hairdo and oversized sunglasses. Gotta love her!

Tuesday Treasure: lemlem

Hi Dolls!

This is probably the most inspirational Tuesday Treasure feature I will ever do... I absolutely LOVE the whole concept behind this amazing company. I especially love what the founder Liya Kebede, is trying to accomplish. Liya, who is Ethiopian by birth, started the company lemlem, with such a heartwarming and inspiring objective in mind: To preserve the ancient artform of traditional weaving which she realized was dwindling in Ethiopia.

From the website:

Liya Kebede discovered that traditional weavers in her native country of Ethiopia were losing their jobs due to a decline in local demand for their goods and wanted to do something about it. Recognizing the beauty, quality and historic significance of their work, Liya started Lemlem in 2007 as a way to inspire economic independence in her native country and to preserve the art of weaving.

Isn't that amazing? I'm so happy to know this thriving company is providing employment to people that deserve to show off their skills and bringing attention to a treasured artform such as weaving.

The concept behind lemlem hits especially close to home because I too have found different artforms to be dwindling in my home country of Angola, where I currently reside, due to the highly westernized lifestyle of the younger generation. Arts such as shoemaking, basket-weaving, jewelry-making, and more are all but forgotten in today's fast-paced environment.

I've had ideas swimming in my head for a while now, and since hearing about lemlem, I'm THAT much more inspired to make a difference among Angolan artisans!

This is definitely not the last you will hear from me regarding this concept. But for now, please check out lemlem, support the business, and spread the word!

Monday Maven: Elodie

Hi dolls! Today's Monday Maven is such a cutie with amazing style. Her blog is chock-full of fashion inspiration for any style-lover and her posts describing her adventures in her journey to a career in fashion keep you coming back for more. I present to you, Elodie from Elle Yeah!

StyledByU: What made you begin blogging and what motivates you to keep going?
Elodie: I had been reading blogs for a few years before actually taking the plunge and start my own. I really wanted a place on the internet that I could use as a diary, a portfolio and an inspiration board, and that is how I came up with Elle Yeah. I love the fact that sharing my inspiration, my outfits or my favorite trends with the rest of the world is only a click away, but whenever I hit a bit of slump, I just remember why I started my blog in the first place.

SBU: What advice would you give rookie bloggers for building a successful blog?
E: Firstly, make sure your blog looks appealing. Don't overdo it on the design. Instead, keep it clean and easy to read. Obviously, you can have the best quality photographs and the clearest blog in the blogosphere, without a good content, it is not worth anything. So get typing! Also, don't let the follower count gets you down. Chances are, you have a lot more readers that just don't have a google account, or simply don't use this feature on theirs. Instead, you should look at your stats and comments. Sometimes you'll see the same names over and over again in your comments. These are your readers, not the ones who followed, hoping to be followed back. Last but not least, never lose sight of who you are, and what your blog is all about. Freebies might be nice, and being invited to fancy events is definitely a plus, but always remember why you started blogging in the first place and most importantly… HAVE FUN!

SBU: How would you describe your personal style?
E: I would describe my personal style as classic with a twist. Indeed, I am not one to take a lot of risks when it comes to fashion, but I do like spicing my outfits up with accessories, jewelry, or even makeup!

SBU: Who is your all-time favorite fashion inspiration, living or dead?
E: Believe it or not, my sister is actually my biggest source of inspiration. She has an amazing eye for fashion, and always seems to be a step forward. She spots trends earlier than magazines do, and it is not rare for me to talk about a certain must-have item, only to realize it has been sitting in her closet for months! Some other ones worth mentioning would be Audrey Hepburn, for her class, Olivia Palermo, Blake Lively, and my fellow bloggers of course!

SBU: Tell us something about yourself that we wouldn't know just by following your blog…
E: Not many people online know this, but I sing and also play the guitar. In fact, if you were to ask me what my most precious possession was, I probably wouldn't be able to make up my mind between my Mulberry oversized Alexa, and my 2001 Fender Telesonic electric guitar.

SBU: Will you style my outfit for the day?

E: Dress #23, Belt #10, Shoes #8 for a sophisticated and fashionable look.

Thanks Elodie! LOVED your answers!

Check back later this week to see how I wore her suggestion :)

Star-Studded Thursday: So Cool, So Chic

Inspired by Kim Kardashian:

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There's nothing like an easy-to-wear, versatile piece that makes you look and feel cool and chic in one fell swoop. That's exactly what I loved about the look Kim K rocked in the picture above, which inspired me to wear an office-appropriate version of a striped maxi dress. I love the way it turned out... what do you all think?

the back detail makes my heart go pitter-patter...

All the items I wore are part of the emergency haul I did during my trip which I hope to capture in a haul video soon! :D

Gray Blur

Suggested by Opal of Opal by Opal:

Dress #3
Shoes #14

Today was a blur... I'm still in a daze from the action-packed week I spent in Namibia doing all sorts of fun things which included long talks late into the night (or more like into the wee hours of the morning) with my cousins whom I hadn't seen in a long time.

Opal's suggestion of this cute gray number was the ticket to getting me through the day full of backed up workload, grocery shopping, and a quick dinner with friends.

Thanks Opal!