I'm Going on a Diet!

Yes folks, you read correctly. I'm going on a diet. No, not that kind of diet. I'm cool with my size and weight (although your girl needs to step up her sit-up game with some crunches). The diet I am embarking on has nothing to do with food and everything to do with shopping.

Let me explain. Earlier today, I was checking out one of my favorite sites, Glamour.com. I came across this post about The Great American Apparel Diet. Quickly intrigued, I checked out the main site for TGAAD and decided I had to be down. These are the specifics in a nutshell:

* I can't purchase any clothing (ready-to-wear or outerwear) for myself before August 31, 2010.

* I am allowed to purchase footwear, accessories and undergarments. (Thank goodness! Truthfully, this caveat was what made me agree to sign up.)

* Gifts and swapped items are also okay.

Why am I doing this? Well, there are the obvious reasons: I just got laid off and drastically need to curb my non-essential spending. But, I've been attempting to cut clothing spending for a minute. And I was pretty impressed by the other women who are already on-board with the diet. They are seemingly women who really have their ish together. My fellow dieters are primarily business owners, living in two-income households and have exciting, fulfilling careers (sure people often "color" their bios but still none of these chicks appear to be wanting for nada). You know what they say about birds of a feather... After losing my job three weeks ago, I was reminded that my savings wasn't close to where I wanted it to be and where it should be. (I don't count my 401k account. I prefer to pretend that money is untouchable.) Better late than never. I know it seems crazy to think I will be able to "save" now of all times but I'm determined to try. Plus, I kinda appreciate the challenge of having to get creative with what is already in my closet.

So, please leave me your comments of encouragement and support. I will need it. I have four closets in my apartment at home and a long dresser drawer filled with clothes -- I enjoy shopping. A lot. But because I own so much daggone stuff, I know that I can pull this off if I truly try. And I know that I will be stronger (and my savings greater) as a result.

Well, one day (almost) down and about 300 days to go. Yikes!

Keeping Up with the Obamas

I've expressed my appreciation for Mrs. Obama shopping in her closet here on PPT before and even wrote a story about it for the old gig that was picked up by Shape.com. As the wife of the U.S. President who is currently leading a country facing a massive recession, she's wise not to boast new, expensive looks every week.

Well, the First Lady recently did it again. The mom-in-chief wore a J. Crew ensemble that we first saw last year during her first Jay Leno appearance. Mrs. O rocked the same blouse, pencil skirt and cardigan again last week at a health care event at the White House. This time around she flipped the look by losing the brooch and adding one of her signature wide belts.



Loves it!

Here are a few key points for all of us to remember when shopping in our own closets like Mrs. Obama:

1 - Investing in quality -- not necessarily expensive -- clothing is key. Remember that a bargain isn't a bargain if it falls apart after three washes. By the same token a good deal loses it's value if it just sits in your closet and never sees the light of day.

2 - Taking care of garments to ensure a longer lifetime is crucial. Washing whites with the other whites. Handwashing delicate items. Dropping our boots and shoes off at the cobbler when necessary. Taking clothes to the cleaners and tailor when appropriate are all important in extending the lifespan of the clothing and accessories we love.

3 - Stacking up on items that fit our lifestyles and paying less attention to trends. Mrs. Obama frequently wears pencil skirts and separates that she can easily mix and match. She's also a fan of shift dresses. All of these items are ideal for a wife and mother on the go and are essentials to most female professionals working in an office setting.

Attempting to keep up with the Jones has put many of us in debt. Let's try something new.

Shopping in My Own Closet

Hey, folks! Last week I was laid off from my job. Yep, my position at ESSENCE.com has gone bye-bye. Thank God for discernment and an awesome circle of loved ones, because I am more at peace than I have been in a long time. When I mentioned this to my good friend D, and added that I was feeling somewhat guilty (and confused...Was my hurt/anxiety coming later? I am notorious for delayed reactions after all...), he assured me that it was quite alright for me to have a positive outlook on the situation and not to force myself to be bitter, angry or depressed. "B, you should own your serenity. So what if people think you're not normal? You've never been normal." See why I think my peeps are so dope?

Moving along, I actually wanted to post about shopping in my own closet weeks ago but now the timing feels just right. Last month, I attended the wedding of a close family friend in North Carolina. The wedding and reception were both taking place indoors; at a church and a loft space respectively. In preparing for this wedding, I did what most of us do and made the decision to buy something new to wear. I had convinced myself that it would be worth it if I found something that I could also wear to the office later. (Isn't God funny?)

So, on one of my rare lunch breaks just days before the nuptials, I head to a Banana Republic a stone's throw away from my former j-o to find an appropriate frock to wear for this occasion. En route I remembered that I already owned a perfect dress, also from Banana Republic, I had only worn once or twice before. Hmmmm. I decided to check out Banana anyway since said dress might not read "fall" (I picked it up on sale over the summer in New Orleans). Well, nothing in Banana that day tickled my fancy enough to purchase it so I stuck with the dress I owned.

The outcome: The dress was perfect. I received many compliments and more importantly, I felt great in it. I paired it with a pair of metallic gold slingbacks and a vintage gold clutch from my mother. These accessories help take the dress from summery to fallish. Plus, since the dress contained neutral colors, the wedding was in North Carolina (temps don't really drop there until late November) and everything was held indoors, my fears that my dress would appear too "summery" were quickly dismissed. Nice!


Me wearing my "old" dress (on your right) and my cousin at the wedding reception. She just might flip that I posted this pic but it's the only one I had access to from the wedding.

Ironically, I spoke on a panel recently and urged the audience (the majority of them were residents of NY's Queensbridge Public Houses) not to buy something new just because society pressures us to do so. As the holidays are approaching and invitations to cocktail parties, office soirees and like start floating in; I strongly suggest we ALL reevaluate what we own before purchasing something new to wear.

Remember this post? Well, now ya girl will really have to practice what she preaches in this career transitional phase of my life. Regardless of what God has in store for me, shopping smarter is an absolute must.

Have you learned to shop in your own closet recently? Leave me a comment with your stories.

It Was The Best Of Times, It Was The Worst Of Times

This was an interesting week for me. I made a couple of mini-power moves that I'm proud of. Getting a little closer to a much larger goal I have. And I'm still high on the fact that Barack Obama is my president and that he and his beautiful family are living in the White House. I really am. But I realize that, as Q so eloquently pointed out in her recent blog post, the work has only just begun. Which leads me to the down side of this week. I found out that 7 people I know were laid off from their jobs. SEVEN. That is bananas. And then someone very near and dear to me received some unfortunate news about their health. What a week it was.

I also found out that one of my fave mags is folding as of their March 2009 issue. Now, I'll admit that I never had a subscription to Domino (it's been on my to-do list for about a year though) and I didn't even buy it that regularly. But whenever I did, something in it put a smile on my face. And I will miss it. The last page of every issue of this cool shelter mag listed the ten things that made some hip mover and shaker happy. One of my favorites was when VIBE magazine EIC Danyel Smith was profiled. (She's a fan of lemon water, too.) So, in honor of the soon-to-be defunct Domino, I decided to post my personal list. I might not be a hip mover and shaker to Conde Nast, but I really dig this stuff and think you will too.

Oh and before I start, the point of this post is to remind us all that despite what craziness is going on in our lives, there is always something to be happy about. ALWAYS. My father often used to tell my brother and I this (probably after we complained about not having some silly toy): I used to complain about not having new shoes until I met a man with no feet. Now that didn't mean very much to my adolescent ears at the time, but like so much of the wisdom my father bestowed upon me as I child, I am very appreciative of those words now.

Without further ado, here are 10 Things (And People and Places) That Make Me Happy (in no particular order). Recession and all.

1 - Smythson of Bond Street Stiletto Note Cards
I've blogged about these before. But I had to include them because they're just that fly. Writing and sending handwritten notes in this digital age is refreshing. And the red high heels are sexy (but tasteful). I save my pennies for these because I think they're worth it and they've become a trademark of mine.


2 - This is the first piece of "adult" furniture I purchased for myself and I'm quite proud of it. Still. There's nothing like the first, right? I like to sit on it and write in my journals or read the Style section of the New York Times on Sunday. And I got it at Macy's! Don't sleep on their furniture.


3 - Taking a shower in the dark with just the light of a scented candle is heavenly. It really is something to write home about I tell you. I like to pretend I'm back at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Miami when I do this, by far my best spa experience.(If your bathroom is large, you might need a couple of candles.)

4 - Drinking out of my purple martini glasses is always a quick pick-me-upper. I'm not a big drinker but my good friend Tamara gave me the glasses so they're quite special to me. I usually drink iced tea or cranberry juice out of them. I found these similiar ones at amazon.com

5 - Dancing in front of the mirror in my living room. This is one of my guilty pleasures. It has helped me get over everything from drama at work to a broken heart. I turn up the tunes in my apartment as loud as my neighbors can stand it and dance my little heart out in front of this huge mirror behind my couch. The best things in life really are free.

6 - Playing hand games with my 6 and 8 year old nieces fills my heart like nothing else in this world. "East, west, I met my friend at the candy store, she bought me ice cream she bought me cake..." Let's do it again, Auntie B! They get such a kick out of it and so do I.

7 - Getting together with my family, eating food and talking ish about everything under the sun. The last time this happen was Christmas. I love my family and we have so many great memories and I look forward to creating new ones. It doesn't take a lot of money for us to have a good time together. I used to take this for granted but now I know how blessed I am to have them.

8 - One of my favorite things to do in NYC is eating at Fred's. Located in Barneys New York (the flagship store on Madison), one would think it is stuffy but it isn't. I like to sneak in there by myself from time to time to eat and people watch after window-shopping. I never spend more than twenty-five bucks on my meal either.

9 - Kai Perfume Oil
I've blogged about Kai before too. I guess I'm pretty brand loyal, huh? Kai has a sweet and light scent that I love. It's an oil and not alcohol based like so many popular fragances. I can't really stomach the smell of alcohol in perfumes.


10 - Over the last couple of years, I've become a huge fan of dresses. They are such a no-brainer. My all-time favorite dress is a Levi's denim number I picked up in Chicago over seven years ago. (And I'm still rocking it.) I always receive loads of compliments on it but even if I didn't, I love it because of the unique details (it's longer in the front than it is in the back) and it is a rare item that looks just as good with kicks like my Air Riffs as it does with shoes. (This pic is so not doing my dress justice.)


What people, places and things make you happy?

8 Things I'm Happy About Right Now

Happy Hump Day!

Today's post doesn't have much to do with anything. This right here is just for sh*ts and giggles. Okay maybe just for giggles. With so much depressing stuff in the news (If I hear about one more corporate layoff -- geesh!) I have decided to post a list of things I'm happy about. Feel free to leave me a comment and tell me what is on your happy radar today.



1 - This is the time of year that everyone plays Christmas carols and I love it. I actually listen to them all year (my poor coworkers can vouch for this) but for the next few weeks I can play Little Drummer Boy without the funny stares.

2 - My first article has been published in Real Simple magazine. This is a big deal for me folks. Be sure to check out '7 Ways To Return Anything' on pages 71-73 of the January 2009 issue. Not just because I wrote it, but because there are some useful tips in it too. Remember, I'm a returning queen.

3 - I had the willpower to pass on the Tracy Reese sample sale this week. Gotta keep saving for a rainy day.

4 - Two stories that I wrote for the j-o have been very popular with readers this week. See for yourself here and here.

5 - Did you hear? We have a Black First Lady to be that isn't the pastor's wife. Still wrapping my head around this y'all.

6 - While I'm bummed about my throat being extremely sore, I'm thankful and happy that I have health insurance and can call my doctor to hopefully get some relief for tihs bug. Real talk - I've been without health insurance before.

7 - Last week I attended the Victoria's Secret store opening in NYC, got a cute little gift bag filled with goodies and bonded with my dear friend Mija. It was one of those classic Big Apple moments as we had no plans to go five minutes before we rolled up. Oh and the Ugg store opening last week with my friend Eddy was pretty cool too.

8 - I found my all-time favorite song sang by my church's choir on YouTube this week. You have no idea how much I plan to listen and watch this now. Everything in me gets right after I hear this.

Money, Money, Money, Mo-ney: We are in an economic catastrophe but guess who’s still shopping?

FALL MEANS BACK-TO-SCHOOL SHOPPING! Don't believe the hype...

Okay, so I didn’t plan to blog on this topic until the weekend when I had a moment to flesh out my thoughts but I gotta get some stuff off my chest. In light of the recent ish that has gone down in the finance world, I needed to post now and find out what others were feeling. In hindsight, maybe my boy Ans was a catalyst for this post. First off, I must admit my knowledge of the financial industry is quite limited. However, one of my friends who traveled with me to South Africa is an auditor and over dinner one night she attempted to explain the significance of the recent Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae events. I still don’t understand most of it but I know that basically, ish is really effed up. And then the news of Lehman Brothers on Monday and AIG yesterday just put alcohol on an open wound. (And am I crazy for wondering where our country got $85 bill from?)

And I’m sure there is more to come.

Hey, I have no right to criticize how other folks spend their dough because my own financial house is not completely in order. I’m trying but I certainly have my moments. C’mon, do I really need a Freakum Dress? (Btw, I am going to find one for much less than $200 now.) I believe in balance and moderation. You know, working hard and playing hard. But folks who break their necks to get spanking new outfits for themselves or their children to wear on September 2nd is bananas to me. In most parts of the country, it is still hot when kids return to school. Who made the mandate that "summer clothes" couldn’t be worn after Labor Day? Said person should be fired! I plan to wear my summer threads well into October and will transition in fall pieces as necessary. Sure I already have my eye on a couple pairs of boots and a coat or two but I know those items will probably be on sale in a few weeks. Most retailers will be aiming to get their holiday merchandise out by mid/late October. And because of the disappointing year most have had in terms of sales, they will be trying even harder than usual to make up for it last quarter.

Perhaps because I wore a uniform to school from first through eighth grade, I don’t get the desire to wear something new the first time a little chill hits the air. Especially since I’m not a trust-fund kid. Truth be told, old money is rarely pressed to show off new wares every season anyway. It is the rest of us (and the new money having peeps) who have accepted that role.

I realize how important image is to most of our careers but as my mother says, I can’t let my wardrobe get on my dinner table. (Leave me a comment if you don’t get that.) In a couple of weeks, I am gonna try to make another trip out to Beacon’s Closet. And I’m keeping my rule of waiting at least 24 hours before I buy something - if it is meant for me, it will still be available the next day. Although I don’t have children of my own, I am not buying any of my nieces or godchildren clothes for a minute. Books, savings bonds, dance/piano lessons are much less depreciating.

How are you trying to save money in our current grim economy but still stay fly? Have recent events with the stock market and such made you rethink dropping a G on that new purse?


Happy Born Day BLB, Sr.! I miss you much.

Recession… What recession?

Let me guess, you have been under the impression our the nation’s economy is in a little bit of trouble, right? I thought so. What gave it away? Was it the rising cost of fuel that ultimately leads to the rising cost of everything from cereal at your local supermarket to the increasing advertising costs in your favorite magazine? Or maybe it was the alarming number of foreclosures that our country has seen this year or the fact that 80,000 people lost their jobs in March alone. It just might have been that startling figure of 47 million: the number of uninsured Americans. Well my amigos, we have all been bamboozled!

Clearly there isn’t a recession going on if homes are on the market for -are you sitting down?- $125 million dollars. Yes, ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE MILLION DOLLARS. What the crap? I had to share this because it is so un-freakin’-believable. My office happens to be walking distance from Christie’s and I spotted this bargain courtesy of their window display the other day on my way home from work. Since this is so priceless (no pun intended) I needed to take a pic. It’s no surprise that the home/estate is located in Greenwich "mo money, mo’ money" Connecticut. And as if the pricetag itself weren’t enough, best believe the property taxes in Greenwich are through the roof as well. Oh wait, turns out this is Leona Helmsley's old crib so maybe the owners don't have to pay taxes? I'm just sayin'...


I’m just wondering if the $125 mil includes psychiatric counseling.