style influencer

What to Wear?

Dress: Forever 21 (Here in other colors) Shoes: Zara (no longer available)

So today I thought I would share a simple date night look with y’all. Let me first say being seasoned and dating is very interesting! There are a lot of things that have changed since my younger days. And unfortunately actually going out on a real date doesn’t happen like it used to. I won’t comment here but check out my instastories on IG where I talk about what I believe a real date is.

So what would a seasoned woman wear on a dinner date? Something slightly trendy, stylish and accentuates your best accents. This dress fit all of that in my opinion! This dress was a winner in my eyes because it was on trend with the button down look, midi length so you don’t show much leg but had some sexiness with the neckline. Now this dress was perfect for ME. As a seasoned woman you should be familiar with your shape, what you feel you look good in and your best assets. My suggestion (and this is totally opinion) but I would wear a dress or skirt that embodies those qualities for the first date. Femininity is a lost art that men still appreciate.

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I also liked this dress because I feel with a tank under I could wear it again for work with some heels or cute slides. You know I always like to get the most bang for my buck! So tell me what would you wear for a first dinner date?

Love Ricki

The Shirtdress – 3 Ways: Part 1

One of my main goals when it comes to buying clothes is to be able to wear the item in several ways. I had been wanting this cute shirt dress from NY and Company for a minute but it was either not on sale or not in stock. So when I finally visited my local mall and it was there and on sale for 50% off I figured I would snatch it up. A shirt dress is a wardrobe essential because it easy to wear, just add some accessories and it can be styles in several ways.

I personally thought of at least 3 ways I could wear it and plan to show you in upcoming blog posts. First up is the obvious way, as a dress! I paired this with some simple silver jewelry which I got from my Boo The Cost Conscious Fashionista who is also my sponsor on our Paparazzi jewelry team. Check out my $5 bling here. I also went with simple wedges I got from Just Fab. They are a dupe for the popular Marc Fisher wedges for a fraction of the cost. To join JustFab use my referral link here (I do earn rewards so you’ll be helping me bring more cute shoes to the blog! LOL). Easy, lightweight and a perfect look for summer. Stay tuned for more ways to wear this item!

Love Ricki

A little Consideration

Dress: here (Currently 50% off )

I am going to make this post short and sweet. As a mother of four I do thoroughly enjoy Mother’s Day. I even bought this dress specifically to celebrate the holiday but as I have become more seasoned and experienced life changes I now understand that Mother’s Day can be a hurtful holiday for some. Of course celebrate the mothers in your life or your own motherhood but keep in mind our sisters who may be experiencing a not so good time. As we approach Mother’s Day I want us to remember these things.

Illustration is by Marie Andrews via Instagram

Also, be sure to remember to be sensitive to those who may have lost the people that celebrated them as mothers (i.e. spouse).

Just remember even if it means nothing to you, it may mean everything to them.

Love Ricki

Represent

When I first started my blog all I heard about was finding your niche and identifying your target audience. You had to know who you were speaking to and who you were serving. I really had no idea who that was. I knew I loved fashion and makeup and everything associated with those things. I knew I was a woman of a certain age and I could no longer relate to younger women who were showing more than I cared to show anymore. I settled on blogging for women who were my age and enjoyed the things I loved and who wanted to see what I saw. But eventually that wasn’t enough for me anymore. Fashion is awesome and where would I be without concealer but I wanted to cover topics that were relevant to me and possibly to other women who looked like me.

I wanted to represent for the ladies that are in that weird place in life (at least it was weird for me) where you are getting older but you are not old! You still have so much life to live and share but you can now do it with more confidence because life experiences have taught you valuable lessons. I was stuck on how to describe this woman when my good friend Sheena (who I actually met through Instagram follow her @she_is_fab) told me you are not getting old you are just becoming seasoned. Thank you Sheena because I took this word and as you know I ran with it! I think it is the perfect word to describe where I am in life as well as other ladies in my audience. What does it mean to be a seasoned woman? My definition is a woman who has not just survived but conquered all those things that life tends to throw at us like hurt, pain and loss. Even though those experiences (which we tend to collect as we age) can be hard those experiances are necessary and help to sprinkle us with wisdom, perseverance, strength and that certain je ne sais quoi! Shoot that description right there makes me proud to be a seasoned woman! I mean who really wants to be bland anyway?

I decided at the request of my fellow seasoned sisters to create merchandise geared for us. My first venture into this scary new world is a graphic tee. I love T-shirts like the next person but I am careful about what I broadcast across my chest. For instance, I love trap music just like the next mother of teenagers, but I don’t want a T-shirt that says TRAP QUEEN. I wanted a T-shirt that was fun but at the same time expressed my pride in being a Seasoned Woman. I designed two shirts so far that I felt expressed and I hope you like them. Of course, these are samples and the final edit will be a little different (and better quality, I am figuring all this out as I go!) but I am uber proud of what I have came up with. So be on the lookout in the future for these and more! (Hint: sign up for email so you can get updates on the launch, pre sale information and discount codes. Do it now!)

Are you a seasoned woman? Does the definition describe you? Also what do you think of the shirts, would you buy and wear one? Let me know in the comments!

Love Ricki

Seasoned and Sexy

Seasoned and sexy and loving it!

ZarahereBy now everybody knows (In my Phaedra Parks voice) that I absolutely love being a Seasoned Woman!!! It really does feel good to love yourself, have confidence and know what and who you want in your life. One of the things I have learned from being seasoned is the way you carry yourself is important! Growing up my mother ALWAYS emphasized that as a woman you should carry yourself a certain way. As a child I never quite understood what that meant but now I understand completely.

The way you look, speak, treat other people makes up the way you carry yourself. I think the way we look is very important whether we want to admit it or not. It is not how other people should define us but our image is what gets us through the door whether its business or personal. And I am not talking about beauty. I am talking about class. Are you neat and clean? Are your clothes ironed and pockets tucked into your jeans (my pet peeve with my kids!)? Is your hair combed or out of place? Are your fingernails dirty? Do you smile or frown? All of these are things people see and make a determination as to whether they want to get to know you better.

Another thing which may be a touchy subject for the ladies is are you showing too much? I’m not talking about a little cleavage here or there or wearing a crop top. I’m talking about the barely there painted on dress. Don’t be shamed because I have done it but now I understand that leaving something to the imagination is way sexier than baring it all. Some celebrities and even influencers think it’s cute to show us everything they’re working with, but I am here to tell you it is not. Leave that for your man, woman or whoever you are dating in 2018. I’ll tell you another thing Sallie has said. If I can already see your whole city, state and country- why would I want to travel there anymore?

That was one of the main reasons I chose this dress as my Valentines look. I am almost completely covered but I am still SEXY (If I do say so myself). This dress is midi length which I love and has an open knit fabric which has a slip underneath but still shows just enough skin (size down for a more form fitting look cause the dress has a nice stretch). I don’t have to worry about tugging and pulling a dress down, scared I’m going to show all my mama blessed me with. I don’t have to think about a boob popping out or sliding up under my bra (Yes that has happened smh). I am still SEXY and SEASONED without giving everybody a peep show.

Don’t be scared, tell me how you really feel about women showing a lot of skin? Do you agree with what I said or think I’m too old school?

I pray you have an awesome Valentine’s Day whether you or boo’d up or single and satisfied. Remember to love yourself first because that’s how people will love you in return!

Love Ricki