My Funky Full Skirted Coat

I found this funky coat at, you guessed it, Foreign Exchange ($140).  It was actually cloudy, cold, and windy in L.A. today so it was time to bust it out!

I was shopping at Foreign Exchanges online store, and saw that they're having a buy one get one 50% off sale.  That's a great deal.  Go!

Essential Fall Accessories Part I

Sooo I tried to DIY my own Turband, but that was a fail...so I just ordered one from NastyGal for $22.

I have a ton of lovely pink lipsticks from Mac, but with fall here as well as my new blonde streaks, I wanted a good RED lipstick.  Since I ended up spending extra money on my turband, I wanted a cheaper lipstick.  I got this nice shade of red from Target for $5.99.  Can't beat that!  I also got my liner from Target as well :)

Fresh New Braids

Sooooo much has changed in the last week.  I started a new job! (without really any notice and I'm still working my night job for two weeks at the same time because of this).  I also decided to re-braid my hair!  I wanted to do something different (as usual) and I came up with the idea:  Ombre Braids!  So I went online and found some awesome braiding hair, straight from China yo!  (AliExpress.com)

I think this will be the last time I braid my hair for a while.  I have been concerned that my hair might need a break.  Sometime if not taken care of correctly braids can be damaging.  So after I finished unbraiding my old braids I made sure to quality check my hair.   I am very happy to report that my hair is much healthier than it was six months ago, and it has grown so much!

Before I got braids, I used to put a very powerful relaxer in my hair every six weeks to help me straighten my hair.  That, combined with my flat iron, was causing my hair to break off so it seemed like it just stopped growing!  I LOVE my braids because it has become a protective hair style that allows me to grow out my relaxer while protecting it from heat and breakage (aka, my flat iron).  

*Braided by Alexis Jobe at Design Studio

My Fall Transition

Fall is here!  But if you live in Los Angeles you know it takes a while for the temperature to cool down to "sweater weather" status.  Therefore I've been taking my time and collecting myself before I take the plunge into 2013 fall fashion.  I feel it's time for a change so I need to figure out what look I'm going for, and get my clothing budget in order. I'll be back in about a week!  Happy October!

Art AIDS Art

I recently volunteered my time and photography skills to help promote Art AIDS Art.   This nonprofit organization promotes education and sustainable economic development through the arts.   Founded in 2003 by educators and human service professionals, Art Aids Art serves women and children through programs in impoverished townships surrounding Cape Town, South Africa (source: Art AIDS Art).

I had no idea that South Africa has the highest number of people in the world living with HIV: some 5.5 million, or more than 10 percent of the entire population. And that figure is closer to 20 percent of women of reproductive age (source: NBC News).  Although they have come a long way from the days of Apartheid, socially South Africa has a long way to go.

So I met with one of the founders yesterday to photograph some recent artwork from South Africa that will be sold online.  Every purchase contributes to the sustainable income of a working artist, and additional profits fund projects for AIDS-impacted families in Cape Town.  You can purchase the artwork here:  LovingAfrica.com

The photos above are a sneak peek of what is to be added to the Loving Africa website.  I will let you all know when my photos have been posted so you have a bigger selection to choose from!  I already got the pink flamingo, which will make a great addition when I finish redecorating my living room J

*Photos courtesy of Art AIDS Art and LovingAfrica.com

Never Look Back

This is one of my "Funky Fall" looks.  My dog Bart made a cameo!  He needs to work on his modeling skills, but he mainly provided security to make sure the Riff-Raff was held at bay :)

I got the sweater ($20), tights ($9), and beanie ($3) from Forever 21.  My frames are from ALDO ($12), and my shoes are from my new favorite store Call It Spring ($45).

It's still kind of hot here in L.A. ugh! I'm looking forward to the cool down :)