TRIBUTE TO FASHION ICON MICHELLE OBAMA...

With less than 10 days until the Obama Family leave the White House and we crawl into our beds crying wondering what we did wrong to end this relationship (lol), I wanted to look back on some better times.

From the first time I saw Michelle I fell in love with her style.  Maybe it was our similar love for sleeveless fit and flare dresses, her serious yet quite demeanor or her need to smile when it was time to smile and not because the public said "you should smile more".  Her personally was like gravity and her style was like silk to me.  Strong, soft, flowing, non conforming and unmatched to any other.  The more I saw her the more I wanted to see her. 

Over the last 8 years her style grows, changes and matures as her children and husband has changed.    She wore all of my my favorite designers and open my eyes to a few new ones as well. 
To show how much I love Mrs. Obama style, I wanted to show my top 10 FLOTUS looks from the last 8 years.

1. Isabella Toledo on Obama 2008 inaugural walk through Washington
The fact that she chose Toledo on such a special day let me know I had found my new fashion Icon

2. Christian Siriano @ The Democratic Convention

3. Missonni in Milan

4. Tom Ford

5. Jason Wu (this is now apart of a museum collection....a MUSEUM people!!!)

6.Thome Browne (you know I screamed when I saw her wearing Thome)

7. Naeem Khan

 8. Jason Wu (again)

9. Kenzo (Can we all look so polish & amazing stepping off a plane)

10. Versace

(The president said to her "They not looking at me" #damerightobama)

First Ladies of the past were known to wear one designer over and over again.  FLOTUS Michelle changed the fashion of first ladies by doing the exact opposite. Mrs. Obama ambition to feature American fashion designer or young and upcoming designers was not lost to me. She mixed high end designers with off the rack. She wore sneakers, jeans and shorts, which was something never seen before.  She was colorful, polish, and bold.  All the making of a style icon. 

I will miss Michelle representing the US as our first lady but I know there is more style to come. 

OOTD: SMILE THROUGH THE SHADOWS....

Back in the fall, I took  photos with a heavy shadow falling on me.  I don't know why but I held back on these photos.  I wasn't sure if I should show them at all.  The outfit was fine and the lighting was perfect but still I didn't want to show them. 

I now realize why.

During the time I took these photos I was dealing with a lot of change.   I'd gain 20lbs. My mini me was starting middle school and would be taking public transportation for the first time by herself.  I had major doubts about my application to my Masters program.  I loss contact with friends that I considered dear to me and wasn't sure why.  My body was hurting and I was mentally drain. 

When I took the photos, I had all these thoughts and doubt and wasn't sure how to deal with them.  When I saw these photos I just saw all the shadows.  All the darkness around me.  Nothing stood out but the shadows. 

"In 2017 I will be...." is the phrase heard over and over again.  A new year signify a new beginning.  Feeling like the world is on re-set every year maybe great for most but not the way I handle a new year. Most New Year goals crash and burn because people can not plan.  I should now.  I was a terrible "New Year New Me" resolution setter. 

 

Maybe its because I'm a Cancer but, doing things that way didn't work for me.  I've walked to the beat of my own drum and done things on my time. Now, I don't reset for 2017 or create goals for beginning of the year.  I set goals throughout the year.  I make a commitment to work towards the goal and work it every day. 

 I move forward through the shadows.

When you do things differently you handle things differently.  By then end of 2016 I had done more then I expected.  I'm in school (meaning I got my ass in gear finished my application and got accepted).  Mini me is doing just fine and even made new friends while taking the bus home. The weight came down and my mental health is getting back on track.  I realize I may have lost some friends but I gain SO much more and even though I am sad at the lost connections I am also grateful for my new ones.
I guess the main thing I learned is to smile.  Smile though your shadows.  They are there ( they will always be there) but that doesn't mean they hold you down.  Sometimes you have to pick your head up, smile and move forward.  The shadows will always be there, but you just smile and everything will get better.
I started this as just an outfit post but I want to send a message to my Stylistas that you have to smile through your shadows and remember to always keep moving forward.

In 2017 lets smile through our shadows

Outfit details (because it was a fly outfit)

Jacket: Lane Bryant

Jeans top boots: Avenue 

Much love to my photographer Lee!!!

Hit her up on Insagram @artnlee