The Retail Therapyst: Truth or Dare

The Retail Therapyst: Truth or Dare: Truth or dare, I m trying to rock my curly look differently, I always get stuck doing the same old thing, cause its easy and quick!! not a...

Truth or Dare

Truth or dare, I m trying to rock my curly look differently, I always get stuck doing the same old thing, cause its easy and quick!! not a good formula for being daring!!! lol!! So I found a style in ESSENCE MAGAZINE, that i thought would be cute! (tell me what you think!) 

Yes it required a little more work, but it was actually adventurous!  

I'm getting close!!!, try it, pick something this week that you never do, and try it!!!! I dare you! Let me know the outcome!

We all remember that age old game played  at the slumber parties in elementary school, truth or dare.  Little did we know that that was a real life game.  Fast forward, twenty years, we are really playing truth or dare right now.  Daily living is truth or dare. If you are trying the live the best quality of life, that is.

Long cardigan, Philthy Ragz, Shoes Jessica Simpson....

See my new do from the back!!!

Progress always involves taking risks; you cannot steal second base by keeping your foot on first.  You have got to take that first step and get your foot wet. Make some mistakes and learn from them.  I know, that’s even a hard step to take because let’s face it; many of us don’t take risks because we are afraid of failure. We talk about it, but we aren’t being about it!   

Side Profile......

Ok, you know I was feeling myself, but I felt confident and empowered. I had conquered a simple tasks...and I finally used something out of the magazine...instead of just being stacked in my studio!

Our minds are programmed to believes in the “what if’s”. “What if I fail? What if my momma don’t like it? What if I lose everything? What if my friends don’t like it? Whose happiness are you here to sacrifice?   What if that new business does work, what if going back to school elevates your life, what if you treat yourself to something you have always wanted to do? What happens?  At the end of the day, life is all about taking risks to create the life that you want for your happiness…But you got to put the first foot forward!  Personally I am more afraid of what would happen if I didn’t try.  I’m afraid to live with the guilty feeling of regret and I certainly don’t want  the disease I call the  shoulda’,  coulda’ , woulda’s !!!!

I used to be a kindergarten teacher and the first weeks lesson with every class was…..” as you try you will never fail”.  In fact it was plastered across my wall for each year’s class to learn and let resign ate in their souls.  I’d read to them stories like “the Little Engine that Could” to teach them that all you have to do is KEEP TRYING!  It ain’t easy, but this world is ours to conquer, don’t be afraid of what could happen, be afraid of what could NOT happen, if you don’t try. 

So…..truth or dare, what you gon’ do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Much Love,

The Retail Therapyst

The Retail Therapyst: If the Shoe Fits.....

The Retail Therapyst: If the Shoe Fits.....: Vintage bag, paired with a pencil skirt, a great look for work, a date or hanging out. Shoes...karmaloop.com Don't hesitate to col...

If the Shoe Fits.....

Vintage bag, paired with a pencil skirt, a great look for work, a date or hanging out.  Shoes...karmaloop.com

Don't hesitate to color block. The key to dressing is NOT being totally matchy matchy, but creating an ensemble with colors that blend and have a common color that pulls it all together.....pencil skirt,Philthy Ragz

 Often times I am indirectly previed to some really crazy conversations and get to witness how women react to one another it various situations.  I have seen other women shrink when other beautiful women enter the room and I have seen women get louder to match the “appearance” of another.  Can’t say I have seen it all but I have seen a lot!!  I must say that the thing that drives me most crazy is listening to judgmental women....by  that I mean, women who make a judgment call based on a twenty second shared moment.

No matter whats paired at the top, slouchy sweatshirt, blazer or sheer blouse, leopard mixes and matches with anything to create the perfect day or night time look......

When I was young, I hated the color burgundy!!! As you can see now, its the perfect color  for color blocking with blues, pinks or greens........shoes, Lamb...Leopard jeans, Philthy Ragz Boutique

I have found that women tend to be quite judgmental and harsh, unnecessarily.  We get to whispering and 

chatting about things we are truly unaware of, I too have been guilty of this!  I mean it’s one thing to give an observation or an honest opinion but when it’s hateful and has no foundation and  unwarranted, we have got to stop it!!   All of us are relative to our experiences, and as long as human life exists, we will all be different.  That is a given.  Difference is not man made, it came from the creator. 

Truth be told, nude shoes were thought to be worn by older women back in the day, fast forward..... you should NOT BE caught dead without a pair, when you are unsure of what color shoe to wear, go nude!!!!!!! (shoes, that is)lol!

Wide leg palazzo pants can be  worn with fitted tee, long cardigan or crop  top.............

shoes, BeBe, pants, Philthy Ragz

My wish is that  women take the time to get to know one another, or at least give the other person an opportunity to show and prove. You never know how some one's story can have a direct and positive affect on your life.

I cant tell you if its the comfort, the style or the unique qualities, but right now Jeffrey Campbell shoes are my favorite!!!!!!!

 Lets begin to consider what another individual may have been through prior to your arrival. This requires us to be selfless, but consider this:  she may have just had an argument with her significant other, or her child was just mouthing off or hell! She might have just gotten fired! We will never know until we give another a chance....

I am just saying we have all got to take a moment to consider walking a mile in someone else’s shoes. We don’t know what they have been through or what it took to get them to the moment of your encounter.

We have got to take the time to consider someone else’s journey.  You never know what a  "how u doin" (in a Wendy Williams voice) might do for someone else.  Sometimes the load may be so heavy on someone that they are consumed with their own journey they may not realize their aura.  You can break that energy! Smile, compliment or a give a gentle nod............

So like I have heard plenty of old folks say, “if you ain't got nothing good to say, don’t say nothing at all!” ….especially if have haven’t walked a mile in my shoes!!!

(I am sure you get the metaphor, why I chose to post pics of shoes only, right??? I'm just saying..............)

Until you see me again!
The Retail Therapyst  

The Retail Therapyst: Talk it Up!

The Retail Therapyst: Talk it Up!: Your thoughts represent possibilities. You are what you mean. You are what you stand for. You are what you speak. The words you speak ...

Talk it Up!

 

Your thoughts represent possibilities. You are what you mean. You are what you stand for. You are what you speak.   The words you speak or that are always spoken to you have power. Refuse to relinquish your power and know that greatness is infectious, when you believe. 

 

Given all that women go through daily, I felt compelled to send out good vibes and wished my Facebook friends a prosperous day, only to receive a questionable inbox message.  The writer expressed her gratefulness for the inspiration, but she was perplexed by what I meant by having a prosperous day, (her reasoning was that everyone was not self-employed). 

I wrote to her that prosperity was not for an elite special class of people.  Prosperity is the state of flourishing, thriving success and good fortune and to me was not just in riches, but in the power of thoughts.  So everyone should be prosperous!   

 I further explained that thinking prosperous thoughts is the most powerful, because what your mind thinks your body wills itself towards. Your thoughts are not only powerful but physical.  Whether negative or positive, anything we give attention to when you speak it, it will come back to you. 

 

Several years ago I read a book about prosperity and the most prevalent chapter was The Law of Attraction.   The premise was; what you radiate, you inevitably receive. an ah ha! moment!!!!!  Soon after reading the book I became desperately obsessed with the power of positive thoughts. My own Reality became unrealistic. I learned that  the most commonly road traveled to mediocrity, is being realistic, because where you are is not where you’re going to be,  I WAS THINKING OUT OF THE NOW!  If people like Edison, the Wright Brothers, Benjamin Banneker, or Garrett Morgan were realistic, collisions, nappy hair, plugging in your phone, dashing in out of town would be a mere thought!!! I had to see myself in the future...... and how I envisioned myself to be....(at the time I was at the end of working on a grant funded position, and was pondering the thought of opening a boutique)

 Embracing these thoughts is difficult at first because as humans we tend to look at the circumstance around us as final and we feed into people who can’t do something trying to talk you out of accomplishing your goals because they don’t see it, ( it really Ain’t for them to see, cause  they are not the one with the vision!)and whether you realize it or not, those negative thoughts resonate in you...    Sometimes to be prosperous you got to make a shift!

 Prosperity is not just for some special class of people, it exists for everyone who can think, dream, hope and believe. There is redemptive power in choice..... so choose to attract everything you deserve, by obsessively thinking, acting and talking  that you can and will do whatever your little heart desires! Now talk it up and make moves baby!!

That’s ……Real Talk!

The Retail Therapyst

Xoxoxox!  

The Retail Therapyst: Aint Nothing but a G Thang

The Retail Therapyst: Aint Nothing but a G Thang: Standing in the midst of the fly and fabulous fashionista sisters........... Over the weekend I had the pleasurable experience of attend...

Aint Nothing but a G Thang

Standing in the midst of the fly and fabulous fashionista sisters...........

Over the weekend I had the pleasurable experience of attending a wonderful yacht party.  From the moment when my husband and I pulled up the excitement was brewing just  seeing all of the attendees fashionable gear, women dashing to put on the last swipe of lipstick and of course the beautiful boat.  I had on my dancing shoes on and was ready to go!!!!  I love a good party!

Marina Del Rey, California, California Yacht Cruise.....

Something about the water, always calming...............

The fabulous birthday girl, 35 and Philthy!!!!, Jumpsuit designed by yours truly for Philthy Ragz....

Guiding the yacht with my 5 inch heels!

I was excited to see the birthday girl, because not only was it her birthday……but because I had the honor of designing her birthday suit!!! lol! I am still in awe when clients approach me to handle such a grand task, because it’s such a huge responsibility.   Earlier I’d asked her why she chose me and she told me that my creativity reminded her, of her mother. She went further and explained that her mother used to make her garments and redesign shoes!

Fabulosity and its finest, wisdom, style and character......

Upon meeting her mother that evening I could see that this woman was still fly and fabulous.  After a few cocktails, great dinner and a little dance floor fun an amazing conversation brewed between us, the hostess mother told me that my craft and style reminded her of her! I was honored! Not only was she fly and talented, she was the mother of a beautiful humble daughter, and also the acclaimed producer Dr. Dre.  She was the producer of greatness!! We all know that you cant be great by yourself....

Getting our groove on..............

Layering with 3/4 fur jacket, or fur vest always adds a touch of glam to any outfit!!!

Black gloves and dark nails add elegance to any party wear...

Vintage long pink pants, fur 3/4 jacket, Philthy Ragz, leopard shoes, Sam Edelman, .... Color blocking with warm or cool colors,pencil skirts or pants, mixing prints... its .the trend  for the season!! 

me, always finding a moment for thought and  tranquility........

Dr. Dre and his beautiful wife Nicole, myself and my husband.......
People always crave celebrity likeliness, when in fact the hunger should be to be  fulfilled with longevity to impact and to leave a mark on the world through the use of your God given gifts..... There is no party you can go to without Dr. Dre's gifts and talents being roared through the speaker!!

As the night continued, he and I had a conversation and I asked him, How do you do it? what’s the key to longevity?  His answer was simple. Think GRAND AND BE DETERMINED. His mother chimed in and also had these words of wisdom…Use your gifts for greatness.  Given his longevity in the entertainment arena, (I’m not sure of the stats, but I know I used to party to his music in high school and I’m ___ years old!!! Lol!) As an entrepreneur,  I was truly inspired by our conversation.

Because of our enlightening conversation and his ever so famous song, Ain’t Nothing but a  G Thang, the G now developed a different, more valuable meaning.  No matter what the G stood for before, for me, it now stands for GREATNESS, GAME CHANGER, GIFTS, GRAND ,GLORIOUS, GALLANT, GRACIOUS, GENEROUS, GRATITUDE, GODLINESS and  GOODNESS!….  Conscientiously and consistently we must remind ourselves  and each other to keep the G things first and foremost in life as we continue to build and grow. As sisters lets encourage each other to let the G thangs be at the forefront of keeping us determined to experience a life of meaningfulness, longevity and success, along side each other.  We were created to live the G words out loud, literally……………don’t be surprised when greatness comes your way because …it AIN'T nothing but a G thang baby…………lol!! 

The Retail Therapyst: Free Your Mind!

The Retail Therapyst: Free Your Mind!: Color blocking, mixing trends with vintage, as your learning one of my favorite, pastimes....shoes, Steve Madden. Layering the look wit...

Free Your Mind!

Color blocking, mixing trends with vintage, as your learning one of my favorite, pastimes....shoes, Steve Madden.

Layering the look with a Philthy Ragz fur vest  adds the final touch for a cool night.

Here I come baby!!!! The chair on the left is waiting for me!!!!!!!!!!!!

This weekend was full of celebratory activities! Great conversation, beautiful people and timeless memories!! After tossing back a few "Ronni Martini's" an amazing thought provoking sentiment was expressed,  as we were all sharing memories of the birthday girl.  One of the guests joked about how the honoree easily makes new friends and easily invites them in.  Without any harsh intent, she lightly mentioned that she'd never do that....her reasoning was that after a particular age she just didn't need any new friends....I remember having the same thought about 10 years ago, which  at that time came from a negative space, relative to the experiences of the former years.

The beautiful Huntley Hotel Santa Monica, California.......

The "Ronnitini", mixture of watermelon and cucumber martini, something the bartender concocted it and it was excellent!

I could relate to her comments  and understood where her intimate revealings were coming from. I too at some point shared the same sentiment.  It wasn't until my long time friend told me something that changed my life. She explained to me that by being close minded and not opening up that it gave way to projecting the pain of my past onto others and unintentionally blocking my own blessings She told me that forgiveness was a gift to myself, and a closed mind comes from remaining in a painful place.  She expressed to me that when you open your mind and let go of the pain, you free yourself from negativity and you then gain the joyful experience of learning and discovering others! Those shared experiences open you to a positive place where you then you get the gift of  affecting and effecting the world around you, both  profoundly and positively.  Those very words penetrated my soul, and forever changed my life. I had to free my mind.

   Everyone  in this life is relative to their experiences and its not  only the experiences that mold you, but  its the growth behind the message of the experience. Freeing your mind allows you to see things from a positive perspective and the opens the doors to new experiences, and potential life changing occurrences.  I could not imagine my life without the  new encounters, conversations and countless hours of meaningful life changing conversations that I have had with growing  personal relationships...both professional and personal.

The birthday girl in the middle, an example of the power of an open heart and open mind.....with both of these friendships we  clicked from day one,  so many common interests and experiences.  I could not imagine life with out their impact.....

Another testament to the power of a timeless friendship, they been friends since elementary school, and are now college grads, still loving and supporting one another, profoundly and positively.........

I thank God for opening my heart and mind to receive and be a blessing....... these folks are part of TEAM PHILTHY!!!!!

The latter celebration was for my store manager,  who at a young age life's experiences have had a profound affect on me and vice versa.  Her college experience, her degree in business management, have  added character, organization and SWAG to Philthy Ragz!!! No matter what age, no matter what your journey, somebody has something to give to you and you to them.......give the gift of forgiveness to yourself........ you've got some blessings to share and receive!!!!

Free your Mind..............It'll change your swagger.......

The Retail Therapyst