Tuesday, August 11, 2020
Friday, July 10, 2020
Office Essentials On and Off the Clock
If you are looking to start your office wardrobe or are just replacing the essentials, you may be surprised at how these basics can serve as more versatile options off the clock.
1. The Blazer
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| Banana Republic Black Blazer Photo: Banana Republic |
2. The Pencil Skirt
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| Ann Taylor Black Pencil Skirt Photo: Ann Taylor |
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| Ann Taylor Navy Pencil Skirt Photo: Ann Taylor |
Blue or navy pencil skirts are an essential to many office work environments and can be easily paired with a cardigan, tunic, collared shirt, or blazer. I have several of these skirts and I really like the fit of this brand because of the wider waistband and paneling on some of them.
3. The Cardigan
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| Premise Studio Gray Shawl Collar Cardigan Photo: Stein Mart |
This gray cardigan is a great office essential for more "Casual Friday" dress days. However, this cardigan can also be worn on the weekends for a day at the beach over a sundress, or with jeans and a tank. I happen to love the Premise Studio cardigans because of the quality of the material they use. I also feel that the shawl collars look more modern and are more versatile than a traditional fitted button down cardigan.
4. Not Just Dress Pants, Dress Pant "Yoga" Pants
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| Betabrand Dress Pant Yoga Pants Photo: Betabrand |
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| Perfect for the office |
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| Or the lunch time lotus |
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| They stretch too! |
5. The Black Sheath Dress
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| Banana Republic Black Sheath Dress Photo: Banana Republic |
The black sheath dress is a great alternative to separates, or can be worn on those mornings when you don't know what to wear and you are in a rush to sit in LA traffic or catch the train. Throw on a cardigan or blazer, add a scarf, or a chunky necklace and ta da! You're ready to start your day. This dress can also be worn for most social events when accessorized accordingly.
6. White Collared Shirt
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| Banana Republic White Collar Shirt Photo: Banana Republic |
The white collared shirt is a timeless classic for both men and women in an office space. You can never have enough of these for each season because white gets dirty easily and constantly needs to be refreshed in one's working wardrobe. A white shirt is great for job interviews and adds crispness to most day or evening looks. The white shirt is probably one of the most versatile pieces we own because of its' layering capabilities. On weekends, this shirt can be worn with jeans and a tank, layered over a thin turtleneck with a trench or blazer, under a vest, or under a v-neck sweater
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| Cole Haan Black Pumps Photo: Cole Haan |
The shoes are one of the most important parts of any office wardrobe because it is the basis of how you will be feeling for the next eight hours. Cole Haan makes excellent, comfortable, and stylish work shoes. Basic black work heels with a closed toe is always a safe choice and can pair with many outfits. Over the course of working for many years in an office environment, I can honestly say that if you have comfortable shoes on, you will have a good attitude on as well. Many of you may know that in any work environment, Attitude is Everything!
Hope you enjoyed this post and see how office essentials are not only useful for the boardroom, but are also versatile for life outside the office space.
XO Joanna
Tuesday, July 7, 2020
Creating a Memorable Wooden Watch with Engraving
*This is a sponsored
post and I received a Jord watch to review.
Hello! How are you?
Today, I wanted to share a sponsored post with you about personalization
with Jord watches. Hand-crafted, Unique, Gorgeous! These are all key elements of JORD watches. I was looking for a watch that was both
beautiful and customizable because I like options. One of the nicest options is being able to
engrave these watches for that special someone.
Engraved time pieces mean so much more when they are gifted with a
message on the back. I remember
receiving a beautiful jewelry box that had a special engraved message on
it. I still have it, and I will always
remember the person who gave it to me.
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| Photography: Mason Hall |
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| Photography: Mason Hall |
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| Photography: Mason Hall |
Engraving
Watch engraving is an option that can add even more
personalization for a memorable Valentine’s Day gift, Anniversary, Wedding,
Graduation, or Birthday gift. A funny
quote, an inside joke, or a meaningful message can make this watch a “timeless
keepsake” or “heirloom piece” that can be passed down in your family for
generations.
Watch Selection
Browsing the Jord website was easy. They carry both men’s and women’s watches
with small and large faces. When I chose
my watch, my eyes quickly landed on the women’s Cora Koa wood watch with the rose gold face. I love rose gold because
it can go with just about anything. There
were so many pretty watches to choose from, but I thought this one was the
prettiest.
Wood Selection
There are several types of wood to choose from. Koa wood is actually sourced from Hawaii and “koa”
is a Hawaiian word that means “brave, bold, and fearless”. Nice! I also have a connection to this particular type of
wood because my family is from Hawaii.
That’s when I knew that this beautiful wooden watch was the one for
me. The selections of wood are: dark sandalwood, maple, zebrawood, koa, purpleheart, ebony, walnut,
kosso, stacked sandalwood, rosewood, and olive.
Face Selection
There were many beautiful watch faces to choose from
however, the rose gold face was a nice neutral tone that would pair nicely with
so many items in my closet. Engraving
can be done on the back side of the face to make this a very special
sentimental gift piece as well. Additionally, there were also many face colors to choose from like: sable, vintage rose gold, Aegean blue, navy, turquoise, grey, ivory, rose, smoke, ash, plum, champagne, slate, emerald, khaki, maple, burl, sandalwood, and mint. I received my watch packaged in a beautiful cedar wood box and it was even more beautiful in person!
If you ordered one, would you get yours engraved? Who would you give it to and what would it say?
If you ordered one, would you get yours engraved? Who would you give it to and what would it say?
Photography: Kendra Blair
Watch: Jord
Saturday, July 4, 2020
The Freedom to Choose!
*This is a sponsored post and a dress was provided by eShakti. However, all opinions are my own and I was not paid for a positive review.
Dress: eShakti
Heels: Bebe
Umbrella: Forever 21
Hair: Angie Williams @ Flaunt Salon in Long Beach
Makeup: Elizabeth Jones @ No Labels Just Beauty
Photography: Franz Swantko
Happy 4th of July everyone! What an appropriate post, just in time for the 4th! "Freedom" is definitely a gift, and is something that we should celebrate with great joy. What better way to celebrate, than with a dress from eShakti!
Recently, I was contacted by eShakti to write a review on a dress from their company. However, they also offer: tops, pants, skirts, jumpsuits, shorts and special occasion dresses. This company's slogan is "We Design. You Customize." I prefer to call it "The Dream Dress Store" because only something this good could exist in your dreams right? eShakti allows a shorty like me, the freedom to customize a dress in the perfect size and length according to my height and individual measurements. They offer clothing from size 0-36W.
Additionally, they offer customers the freedom to choose a customization option in regards to the length of the dress, the type of sleeves, and the necklines they desire. Also, they have plenty of nice selections offered in classic and modern styles to suit your taste. While scrolling through the choices, I had a difficult time deciding on which one I would pick because they had so many cute dresses to choose from! If you have unusual sizing issues like myself, and have to get practically everything altered to fit just right, then this is definitely the online store for you. I chose this dobby-dot print dress with a corseted top. It arrived quickly and the material it is made out of is really soft and of high-quality fabric. The stitching is sturdy, and as soon as I put it on, it fit my proportions perfectly! I chose the length to the knee and kept the sleeves in the original design. It came with a matching belt that you could tie at the waist, but I thought it looked better without it. It also gave me the option to choose pockets with this dress, but I opted to have no pockets. I liked having so many options in the ordering process.
I love my dress from eShakti! It fits me perfectly:) Thank you eShakti! This will not be my last time ordering from here.
I hope everyone has a fun and safe 4th of July! Now go ahead and exercise your freedom to choose something "made perfectly just for you" from eShakti!
XO Joanna
Monday, June 1, 2020
Allyship In Honor of George Floyd
- Documentary About Women Entrepreneurs "She Did That"
- Allyship by Inc.com
- Popsugar -Best Black Owned Beauty Brands
- Oprah Magazine - 10 Black Owned Makeup Brands
- Wbur.org - 10 Books From Black Authors
- Essence - 24 Books Written By Black Authors
- L.A. Times -85 black-owned food businesses in L.A.
- The Good Trade -Ethical and Sustainable Fashion
- LA Mag - Black-Owned Restaurants and Shops
- Etsy Market Black Owned Business
- Capitol Chic Designs- Stationary, stickers & planners
Friday, May 29, 2020
Firmoo.com Global Online Optical Store
*This is a sponsored post and received eyeglasses from Firmoo to review. All opinions are my own and I was not paid for a positive review.
Eyeglasses: Firmoo.com
Jacket: H&M
Skirt: Armani Exchange
Scarf: Tattered Boutique
Shoes: Vintage
Hair: Loryn Ruiz-Mendoza @ Envy Beauty Studio, Long Beach, CA
Makeup: Cindy Jensen @ Envy Beauty Studio, Long Beach, CA
Photography: Franz Swantko
Happy Wednesday to you! How have you been? The weather has been a bit chilly, so I threw on a scarf to wear to the office. It's been so cold here, that all I want to do is drink hot coffee and tea to stay warm. How about you?
Lately, I have been working so much on the computer with my full-time job and also with this blog, that I feel that it is time to get reading glasses. Do you wear reading glasses? Recently, Firmoo contacted me and asked me to review their glasses.
So here it is...
My experience with Firmoo.com has been smooth. This company is a global online optical store that offers "vision and fashion the frugal way" according to their website. This is true, these glasses are being offered at discounted prices compared with most prescription eyeglasses that I have seen. My biggest fear was picking frames that would not look good on my face, but there was no need to worry about that because Firmoo.com offers a really neat virtual frame experience called "Try On". They show samples of several different face types for both men and women with each of the style of frames that are offered.
The other great way you can choose frames is to upload a picture of your face onto the Firmoo.com website, and it will show you virtually how you would look with that style of frame on your face! Awesome! After that, you can enter in a prescription if you need one. Firmoo chooses thin and light lenses with anti-reflection and anti-UV coatings automatically when you order. My glasses were received quickly, and came with a beautiful map design case, a cleaning cloth, a small bag to carry it in, and a screw driver to adjust the sizing. They thought of every little detail, and that boosted my level of satisfaction with this company. Overall, I was very impressed with the quality of Firmoo.com.
Lastly, I hope you will be able to visit this site to see what great deals you can find for all your eyewear needs.
Hope you are having a wonderful week:)
XO Joanna
Tuesday, May 5, 2020
Interview with Catherine Grace O'Connell, Founder of the Forever Fierce Revolution
So, here we
go…
Hi
Catherine! Thank you for spending your
time with us today.
You have accomplished so much in your
life! I am super impressed. Can you please tell us a little about your
background?
Thank you so
much, Joanna. I’m honored and always humbled. I’m 57 and coming back from
almost losing my life to Lyme Disease just 3 and a half years ago. My voice was
silenced by abuse at a young age and the abuse and trauma continued to play out
throughout my life and my marriage. I left a 20 year marriage after breaking
into a million pieces. I moved out to LA to get my Masters in Spiritual
Psychology and to begin a new life. Not long after, I had a series of very
serious and life threatening health challenges. After over a decade searching
for answers, I was finally diagnosed with late stage Lyme Disease in the spring
of 2014. By then, the disease had spread to my brain and within a month of
treatment, I couldn’t walk for a year due to daily seizures. On 11/11/14, I
went through a Near Death Experience and didn’t understand why I survived…until
now. Finding my voice and launching my blog was the key to saving my life. I
set an intention to use my blog as a platform and my voice to empower and
inspire through my story.
How did fashion play a role in your
healing from lyme disease?
My love for
fashion is literally in my DNA. As a little girl, my bed would be strewn with fashion magazines and I would dream of being
in the pages. I found that fashion changed the way that I felt immediately. 3
years ago, my daughter encouraged me to start an Instagram account. Honestly, I
had never heard of Instagram. She began taking photos of me and I decided to
use fashion as a medium to share my message. I always say, “I’m not changing
clothes, I’m changing lives.” I find that fashion is a powerful way to capture
a woman’s attention. I had no idea the impact finding my voice would have on my
healing. At the beginning, I was very weak and frail from the illness but I
found that I got stronger and stronger each day. Finding my voice became the
key to healing. Eventually, I stopped all the treatment and protocols and
started living from a space of passion, purpose, joy, creativity and serving
others…and I began healing rapidly. I was seeing a doctor who was a specialist
in Lyme who told me she had never seen anyone so ill and she had no idea how to
help me. I found that I had to help myself through personal empowerment. Today,
there is no trace of the disease.
What made you decide to start the
Forever Fierce Revolution group?
In February
2016, I launched a campaign called The Fierce 50 along with 3 fashion bloggers
although the campaign wasn’t about fashion. The idea I had was to bring
together 50 bloggers over the age of 50 on the 50th day of the year
to celebrate one another and create a collaborative, supportive community for
women over 50. The vision and mission was centered around a message to shift
the perception of women at Midlife & Beyond and to show the world that we
aren’t who you think we are. We only had a few weeks to plan the campaign and
we ended up with 70 bloggers. Within a month, I launched a Facebook Community
and soon after I changed the name to Forever Fierce. We had a huge demand from
younger women who felt invisible. The Gen X generation was forgotten. The
Forever Fierce Revolution is a global community for women at Midlife &
Beyond. To us, Midlife isn’t an age but an experience when the world starts
treating a woman differently or she starts seeing herself differently. We have
women from 20 to 80 and from many countries around the world. We also have a
few brave men who are known to support our demographic. FFR is a Movement, a
Revolution to shift a paradigm and perception of women over 35. Our current
culture tends to be very youth focused. We are here to show the world that we
aren’t over the hill…we are conquering the hill! We have almost 6000 women and
it’s grown solely by word of mouth. I have a fabulous team of about 15 women
who volunteer their time to run the community and help with the mission of The
Forever Fierce Revolution.
How would you describe the “Forever
Fierce Revolution” group and what will we find there?
The Forever
Fierce Revolution Group is intended to be unlike anything else a woman has
experienced. We are changing the culture of the way women treat women. We
believe in spreading kindness and uplifting one another. The team members share
the same heart centered values. We had one member post in the group that she
felt she had just woken up from a bad dream and landed in heaven on earth! It’s
comments like those that keep us working around the clock on our mission. Women
at Midlife & Beyond aren’t seen as relevant, productive and visible members
of society. When they join the FFR Sisterhood, we make sure they know they are
relevant and they are valued. We have many women literally springing back to
life starting businesses, launching blogs and finding a new lease on life. I
like to think of myself as a Cat-alyst. I have no desire to influence anyone. My
greatest desire is to spark change from within a woman to allow her the space
for her dreams to come true. We help her to believe in herself so she has the power
to go for her dreams.
How large is this group now and how
fast is it growing?
We have
almost 6000 members and we are in the midst of planning a big event in LA in
October that’s only for FFR members called FierceCon 2018: It’s Not a
Conference, It’s a Connection. We will be celebrating love, relationships and
sisterhood with the theme: Our Fiece Love Story Starts Now. Our team has worked
together to launch 3 global social service campaigns over the last year and we
have reached almost 10 million in following. We are spreading our message in
many different ways. One of the campaigns was called Bridging the Gap and
paired 100 Millennial Influencers with 100 Midlife Influencers to blur
boundaries and end divisions amongst the generations. We are on a mission to
grow to 10,000 members this year and our next goal is 100,000 members. We feel
there is power in numbers. You may not notice 1 Midlife woman on a street
corner but you can’t miss 100,000. The more women we have joining our mission
and our movement, the faster this paradigm will change and we will be seen as
relevant.
What do you enjoy most about being a part
of this group?
Absolutely
everything! When I entered the world of fashion blogging, it was hard to see
the way older women were treated. We were so disconnected from one another and
we didn’t have a voice or a unified presence. I created what I needed which was
a true sisterhood and community. I’ve made some of my closest friends in my
group. The women on the Admin team are some of the kindest and most giving
women on the planet. The time they invest to change the world and ensure that
we have a safe and sacred place to allow these women to open up and be their
most vulnerable touches my heart every single day. The stories we hear from the
women about their lives changing by believing in themselves and being truly
loved, supported and accepted by other women is incredible.
Can you tell me what turning “40
years old” was like for you, what your mindset was like at that time, and what advice
do you have for the rest of us who have that big birthday coming up?
40 was an
interesting time in my life. I don’t like the term Midlife Crisis. I refer to
it as a Midlife Awakening. When I turned 40, it was as though the Universe
said…ok…you’re not going to pretend to hold it together any longer and that
façade is going to come crumbling down…and it did. The wheels came off. I was a
big runner for 20 years and my knees blew out. I was literally grounded and
couldn’t run any longer. I began having really serious health challenges and my
abusive marriage spiraled out of control. When I turned 45, I had a breakdown
and my doctor looked at the stack of medical and hospital records and told me
that if I didn’t leave my marriage, I wasn’t going to make it. Soon after, I
filed for divorce. I thought the worst was over but it wasn’t only just
beginning. Looking back, I’m grateful for what I’ve been through in my life,
including almost losing my life to Lyme Disease. This time has truly been an
awakening for me. I’ve been on a deeply spiritual path for over 25 years and have
done a great deal of inner work with lots more ahead. I believe with all my
heart that this beautiful Universe is designed to force us inwards to do the
work we are meant to do. I’ve learned so much about myself through this process
and that I’m a lot stronger than I ever knew. In the end, the only thing that
matters in life are the lives we’ve touched along the way and leaving this
world a better place. It’s a true “Heroine’s Journey,” the toughest and most
rewarding journey is the one from within.
What is your
mindset like now when it comes to approaching our “big birthdays”?
Honestly, I don’t even think about it. I feel so young on the inside. I had such a different perspective on aging growing up. What I saw was so vastly different than what I’m experiencing today. Every year is a blessing. There are definitely some challenging parts of aging such as menopause and the hormonal fluctuations that come along with it that I don’t love but have to accept. The most important thing is the way that we feel. It’s so important to take care of your health so “big birthdays” can be enjoyed and celebrated rather than feared.
Honestly, I don’t even think about it. I feel so young on the inside. I had such a different perspective on aging growing up. What I saw was so vastly different than what I’m experiencing today. Every year is a blessing. There are definitely some challenging parts of aging such as menopause and the hormonal fluctuations that come along with it that I don’t love but have to accept. The most important thing is the way that we feel. It’s so important to take care of your health so “big birthdays” can be enjoyed and celebrated rather than feared.
You look Stunning and Fit/Healthy in
all of your photos! I think we would all
like to know what your diet is like, what you do to stay healthy/fit, and about
any skincare secrets you can pass along to the rest of us.
It wasn’t
long ago that I was under 100 lbs with daily seizures. I looked dramatically
different than I do today. I’ve shared those photos openly as I feel it’s so
important for women to understand that we all have challenges. My life has been
a journey with some beautiful highs and some painful challenges and dark times.
It’s such a mix of pain and beauty. I’ve been studying holistic healing and
nutrition for over two decades. I’m an energy worker and a meditator. I use
food as medicine and love Farmers Markets and natural remedies to disrupt
aging. I have tried many different “diets” such as vegetarian or all raw and
found that balance works best for me. I favor healthy, organic choices and grass
fed chicken and and beef. I absolutely love fish. My diet is more paleo with
lots of healthy fruits and greens. I start my day with a meal replacement shake
that’s filled with live, raw enzymes. I add MCT oil to add some healthy fat and
boost my metabolism. I also add an immune booster that’s loaded with a variety
of mushrooms that help with energy. I’m a big believer in using probiotics and
prebiotics. I always have raw sauerkraut in my fridge to boost healthy gut
bacteria which is vital for health and well being. I use vast amounts of oils
such as ghee and flaxseed oil as well. Avocados, eggs, salads, raw nuts are a
big part of my nutritional plan. I also like to have fun and absolutely love
dark chocolate. I work with a functional nutritionist to help me disrupt aging
as naturally as possible. I’m very active physically. I start my days with
meditation and yoga or the Bar Method. I do yoga for my inner world and
flexibiity while Bar Method is an amazing isometric workout for toning. I just
added in weight training which becomes really important for our bone health as
we age. When it comes to beauty, I love trying new things. I don’t have any
botox or filler in my skin. I’m definitely open to it and simply haven’t had
the time. I’ve never used lasers before but would love to give them a try. I
discovered a skincare system by a Korean company called “Saranghae” and it’s
become the cornerstone of my skincare routine. I approached them as I had done
a lot of research and tried many different lines but this one is my absolute
favorite. It’s all natural and loaded with the finest ingredients including
mushrooms and truffle extracts. I find that my skin has changed dramatically
with menopause and this has made a huge difference by restoring moisture and
radiance. I absolutely love their masks for an instant glow.
Part of my goal in starting my blog
was to show the world that beauty exists in all of us regardless of our socio-economic
status, ethnic background, or age. What
advice would you give to young women in their 20’s and 30’s who are afraid of
aging?
I love this
question as this was a big part of the mission behind The Bridging the Gap
Campaign to take the fear out of aging. A lot of that fear comes due to a
misperception and misunderstanding. Did you know the research shows us when
someone has a fear of aging that it takes 7 years off of a woman’s life? Now,
that’s crazy as that is completely in our control. What I would say is the most
important thing in the world is to know yourself. Being mindful and conscious
about who we are, the authentic desires in our hearts, and being real and
vulnerable with ourselves and others. Letting go of our judgments, particularly
the ones we have about ourselves and moving into Self Acceptance and Self Love
is vital to our health and well being. Being mindful means being aware of our
negative thoughts, particularly about ourselves. Every time we have a negative
thought, there is a cascade of hormones sent throughout our body and that will
do more damage to us than anything else. Our thoughts can feel out of our
control but they are completely in our control. I’m not an enlightened being by
any means and I have to work regularly on my mindset and thought process. Our
culture can be very unkind to women as we age which only makes it that much
more vital that we choose to be kind to ourselves. When we love ourselves, the
world looks brighter.
If we are a woman in midlife and
would like to join the Forever Fierce Revolution, where can we join?
We would love
for you to join the kindest sisterhood on the planet. Click here to join the FB
Group. We also have a fabulous newsletter where we feature women in our
community and share our fierce secrets for health, well being, mindset,
fashion, beauty and wanderlust. If you’re a member of the tribe, you can join
us in LA this fall for FierceCon 2018!
Where can we find you?
Blog: CatherineGraceO.com
Forever Fierce Facebook Group:
Forever Fierce Show/Podcast:
Pinterest:
IG: @catherinegraceo
Thank you for your words of wisdom on
beauty and aging and for sharing your health, beauty, and fitness secrets with
us. The Forever Fierce Revolution is
such a wonderful group of women who have a treasure trove of knowledge to share
with the rest of us. Every time I listen
to your podcasts/ radio show, read a Forever Fierce Revolution blog or Facebook
post, I learn something new and feel truly inspired to grow into my own wisdom and fierceness. Thank you for sharing this community of fierce women in midlife and beyond who are "conquering the hill!". You are an amazing and inspiring woman!
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