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Back to Black: The Little Black Dress

Back to Black Series: The Little Black Dress (LBD) is a necessity in your wardrobe!

I am excited to participate in a collaboration with several other AWESOME bloggers showing you how to style those never ending black items that we love! Make sure to check out the other bloggers style picks via the links at the end of this post.

As ya’ll know from this post here I am re-organizing my closet and trying my best to include clothing I absolutely love. The little black dress (LBD) is definitely a staple I needed in my closet. I actually want to add another one more suited for our hot Houston weather. And even though we have had freezing temperatures here the dress I am wearing today fits our normal winter weather. This dress is made of a thicker ribbed sweater material and ruffles I love placed strategically around the armholes which helps to hide this big ole arms of mine! I found this dress on clearance at Express for additional 50% and ended up paying around $15!

I styled the dress for a date night in this post since V day is next month and kept the emphasis on the short hemline and plunging neckline. However I believe this dress can be styled with black opaque tights and a camisole or tank underneath for more conservative events.

I decided to show a little leg (my children were not pleased) and instead of wearing the usual over the knee boots I wore my black boots (4 yrs old from Forever 21) that reach right below my knee. I was trying to keep it sexy but these knees are a little chubby hunny! Hopefully the Keto diet will take care of that lol!

I know I love black for several reasons (especially the slimming aspect) and you will see all black everything in my closet quite often. Please be sure to check out the bloggers by clinking the link below to see how fabulously they styled everyday black pieces before we get with all the colors that spring bring!

Bianca from Curvaceously Bee

Briana from Confessions of a Beauty and Style Blog

Tia from The Millenial Wives Club

Love Ricki

She’s Basic: 5 Reasons I’m okay with being Basic

It’s okay to be basic

So I had planned another outfit for this post but last minute I had to pick something else. I couldn’t bring myself to wear much less promote anything from a company that obviously doesn’t want my coins and as a mother of a black son I’m just not here for it. So anyway I really had no idea what I wanted to wear and went to the mall for some inspiration. While browsing the clearance racks I found this gray duster and figured this would work with my favorite skinny jeans and a white shirt. But then it hit me! This outfit is so BASIC. No one will be excited about seeing these pics. I was on the verge of picking something else out, spending coins I shouldn’t when I said to myself this is a cute outfit. Why would I spend money I didn’t need to spend in order to impress anyone? I’m sorry that’s just not what a Seasoned Woman does. So instead I bought it and styled it (if you can even call it that) for the blog. I’m okay with being basic. And here are some reasons why:

Being Basic keeps my coins in my purse- When we try to impress people (people that don’t really care anyway) by being the flashiest or most extra, we are normally spending money we may not even have. Believe me ladies I know, I know. I’ve been the one with the designer bag and high heels trying to be the epitome of the Trina song we know so well. It didn’t do anything but leave me with no money to put in that purse and bad knees. As I’ve gotten more seasoned I’ve become okay with wearing basics. And this doesn’t just apply to clothes. It can happen when you try to be flashy and “front” as we used to say by being at every event knowing full well your gas light in your car is on or trying to keep up with Jones’ and having every cable channel, NBA league pass AND NFL ticket when no one humanly possible even has time to watch all that stuff much less pay for it! Hell I don’t even want cable anymore. I’ll Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime and chill any night. Or read a book (or listen to one).
Being Basic helps me stay in my own lane-A big part of being better (my word for 2018 -see the post here) is to focus on my strengths and improve upon my weaknesses and being basic helps me focus on that. When you’re not try to do all things and be everything and everywhere you learn to focus on what you love and what’s important. Suddenly losing so many loved ones last year helped me regain focus on truly living my life, discovering my passion and loving the ones I’m with.
Being Basic keeps me drama free-Nothing to see here cause I’m basic. When you give them nothing to talk about, there’s nothing to talk about. I’ll just stay over here making my moves in silence. Thanks.
Being Basic makes me unbothered- I don’t let too many things, people or situations bother me anymore. As a seasoned woman I have learned what is and what isn’t worth my time and energy. Sometimes that means being quiet, forgiving the offense and moving on to other things. I’ve also learned that worrying solves nothing and prayer solves everything. Saying just pray about it may be the most basic response someone can give when an issue arises but who can argue that prayer doesn’t work? I’ll wait.
Being Basic gets ish done- When you’re in your own lane, got a few dollars in that basic bag and you’re drama free and unbothered you get finish things. Honestly if I was trying to do the most, this blog post wouldn’t have gotten done. I think we all spend a little too much time on elaborate ideas instead of just executing simple plans, step by step. I always believe the mantra, progress is better than perfection. And who really wants to be fabulous but not moving forward in life. Not saying you shouldn’t present your best but just don’t get caught up that nothing is accomplished. Rather than trying to be the perfect most original blogger ever (in my opinion there is really no original idea only an original you!) I’ll just be basic and live my best life!

Love Ricki

Closet Goals

My closet is definitely something I am working on this year and this dress was a must have!

So probably by this date you are sick about hearing about goals and all that jazz so I won’t carry on or be long today. All I want to say is that you can write your goals down, pray over them, memorize and meditate over them whatever you do but none of that means anything if you don’t take action! Those same goals will be sitting in that pretty planner until next year and the year after that until you get up and start taking some steps even if they’re tiny ones. I think everyone wants to talk about the pretty side of goal setting but you have to know that nothing works until you do. And that may mean sacrificing time or money on other things or doing something toward your goal when you don’t feel like it (kind of how I felt today lol) but I say if you REALLY want something you’ll do whatever it takes. So go ahead and write that goal down (and subscribe to the blog so you can get your goal action plan download 😉 but make sure you put in the work too!!!

Dress: Zara (sold out) similar Boots: Shoedazzle

Now on to this dress hunny!!! This dress was definitely apart of my closet goals. To me closet goals is being able to go into my closet and wear whatever is there and look and feel good in it. No more never feeling like I have anything cute to wear! Am I the only one that feels like that? Anyways I absolutely love this dress except even though it fits everywhere else it is quite snug around my chest. Ugh!!! Fashion retailers if you’re listening you need to create sizing for us larger busted women. Okay rant over now let me tell you why this dress is amazing. First the pattern is classic and it’s a midi length shirt dress so it’s perfect for the office or church but I certainly think that you can dress it down for a brunch or happy hour (check out that split). And this Zara beauty is also goals because I can rock it with boots now but later in the spring some sandals and a colorful belt would look good too. You will definitely see me in this again just in a different way. Now tell me do you have closet goals too?

The Power of Red

The color red exudes so many emotions. It is definitely a color that makes you feel powerful!

So I think I’ve mentioned before I used to hate the color red when I was younger. It is my mother’s favorite color and she CONSTANTLY dressed myself and my siblings up in it. She even bought us the ALL red Reebok high top shoes which I secretly despised. But what can you do when you’re 8 yrs old? So I had no choice but to go with it. I actually avoided wearing a lot of red during my teenage years and thru my twenties and early thirties. I am now embarrassed to say I completely understand why my mother loved the color red so much. Sorry Mama.

Sweater- H&M / Pants-Boohoo / Shoes-Sam Edelmen (thrifted)

Earrings-H&M / Lippie-Too Faced Liquid Lipstick in Lady Balls (how appropriate!)

I guess I was too young or hadn’t been thru enough life experiences to completely understand the power that comes from this emotion provoking color. The color red is said to represent strength, power, passion, determination and love. It can even raise your blood pressure!!! (Per Colorwheel pro.com) No wonder this color is trending so much this season. Especially in women’s fashion when the current powers that be want to demean women and minimize our qualifications and capabilities. I love the color because it makes me feel empowered and sexy. Those are feelings I didn’t recognize or experience until I became “seasoned” thru life’s ups and downs. Now I wear this color with confidence! I hope you give the color red a try this season, not just because of how you may look in it, but how it makes you feel!

Love Ricki

Ruffle My Sweaters!

Sweater: Forever 21 Lippie: Avon: Superb Wine here

I love fashion because it is mostly just recycling what we used to wear before! Right now trends from the 90s are hot and one trend I wanted to try was the ruffle sweater.

If you have looked lately tops and blouses these past few seasons have been all about adding feminine details whether it’s just a touch or boldly. I decided to just go with a touch but after styling this sweater I think I may be ready for the bold! Ruffle sweaters have been seen in all the online fashion sites and brick and mortar retailers. I took a gamble and picked this one up online from Forever 21 in a size large here. It was a gamble that paid off because I was afraid it would not be the best quality considering the price. I was also afraid I wouldn’t fit it properly due to my larger chest. I am happy to say the material is great, not thin but not too thick for Houston’s “fall” weather. And this is from Forever 21’s contemporary line which runs a little larger so it fit just right. I will say I have a long torso and I am y’all so it was ALMOST cropped so I made sure to wear my Fashion Nova high waisted jeans. Are you loving all the ruffles and bell sleeves being featured on blouses this season? Do you remember this trend from the 90s?

I am loving it!!! (well the updated version!)

And for all who have asked for details about my hair on my social media pages it’s a half wig which I purchased here. And here is a link for the video I followed to achieve this style. Thank you for the compliments! And if you would like to see a video or blog post about my wigs and why and how I wear them let me know in the comments below because I would be happy to make one1

Love Ricki