There is nothing more inspiring than shoes, which is why it is only appropriate that I end a dry spell of posting with the following:

These shoes are from Charlotte Olympia and can be found at http://www.charlotteolympia.com/ 

Besides being incredibly unique they are each like works of art in their detail and structure and perfect show stoppers. In a Christian Louboutin World this designer manages to keep the shoes beautiful without be too similar in any way. Love them!!!

More Fashion to Come!!

A few days ago I was able to hop in a car with friends, drive 45 minutes out of Vegas and relax at Mount Charleston. We had an amazing time. The weather was great and the scenery was awesome. We just sat around ate, drank, and had great conversations (hilarious conversations…Yatzee!!!)

So many times people complain about living in Las Vegas because it’s all the same but in actuality if you drive for 45 minutes in most directions you end up being somewhere completely different.  I feel like I have had a complete vacation and I only got away for a few hours, so here are a few places you can go to feel the same:

95 South (which is really east): Go to downtown Boulder City and visit the little shops and eat at a cafe. It makes you feel like you are in a little tourist town on the way to a bigger city.

95 North: Go to Mount Charleston. There are several picnic and camping areas. The ones closer to the city are free. There is also the lodge, hotel, and you can rent condos. In the winter there skiing!!!

215 East: Lake Las Vegas. ENOUGH SAID. 

Blue Diamond West: Pahrump. I actually really enjoy the wine made at the Pahrump winery and its a great place to have lunch.

Charleston West: Red Rock. Great for outdoor activity. All my climbing, biking, and running peeps have fun!!!

prepstr:

Exactly! And the GOP means to tell me that a piddly tax increase that people in the top income brackets won’t even feel the pinch of is in any way UNFAIR?!?

youlikemealready:

jenniferanne:

The 400 wealthiest families in the U.S. aren’t just filthy rich, they are downright dirty. Collectively, these households own $1.37 trillion dollars; a number so high that it’s nearly impossible to comprehend. Here are 11 shocking things $1.37 trillion can buy that you can’t.

• The richest 400 households can pay off every student loan for every single student in the entire United States. No more paying for an education, so that you can get a good job so that you can… well, pay off your education.

• The richest 400 could pay your rent, and the rent of every single renter in the entire United States for three years.

• The richest 400 could pay the mortgages of every house in the whole country for 14 full months. 

• The richest 400 households can buy every single house that was foreclosed on in 2007 and 2008.

• The richest 400 households could pay the annual salaries of 19 million families for one year. So go ahead, take that year-long, family vacation around the world you’ve always dreamed of.

• The richest 400 can pay off all credit card debt for every single person in the entire United States. Imagine that! No more credit card debt looming over your shoulders!

• The richest 400 households can afford to give a $10,000 bonus to every single worker in the entire country. What would a hardworking person like you do with that extra money?

• The richest 400 can afford to buy a new car for every family in the United States. Meanwhile, many of us must ignore the flashing check engine light.

• The richest 400 can pay for 3 ½ years worth of gas for every driver in the country.

• The richest 400 households can afford to triple the number of teachers in the United States, then give every single one a $30,000 raise. Teachers are being laid off everywhere, their salaries are being cut, and they are suffering. Teacher-to-student ratios in schools are abysmal. But what can we do about it when so much wealth is in the pockets of so few families?

• The richest 400 families alone could replace 70% of all money lost in the Great Recession, for everyone! How much money did you, your parents, or grandparents lose in the Great Recession of 2008? 30%, 50% of your portfolio? Not only do the rich still have enough money to fund their wildest dreams, but they can also fund your retirements.

Lets not forget: it’s not that they *still* have money despite the recession, but that they are the ones vacuuming up assets everyone else has lost, turning even deeper profits *thanks* to the recession. These numbers really put that wealth into perspective eh?

What continues to make me angry-sad is how many of my students see ~nothing wrong with this kind of unspeakable wealth but find school lunch programs a repugnance. #stayclassy

A while back Vogue Italia (also know for their all Black issue) had a plus size issue with plus size models which I loved. I have always been partial to plus size models because they exemplify the body type I have always aspired to have. I think they are incredibly beautiful. 

I think that fashion in general needs diversity and although plus size models still are incredibly above average women they represent some of that diversity.  It also opens doors for a lot of designers to display their lines in sizes 12 and above. Lately I have found a ton of designers who break the size 14 barrier and in honor of the beautiful ladies above here is a list, stay fashionable ladies!!!

http://carmakoma.com/

http://us.asos.com/

http://www.forever21.com/

It’s not secret that I love fashion but what most people probably don’t know is that I love fashion in the fall more than any other time of year. There is something so amazing about being able to mix regular and cold weather fashion together and in Vegas it is so hard to feel great in your clothes when it is 110 degrees out. 

That is why every time I go looking for what I want to wear I end up with thing like the knit top above which is gorgeous. It’s from the Dutch fashion line Carmakoma and they have amazing clothes that can can be shipped to the US. It is sophisticated and yet cutting edge at the same time.

What is everyone else planning on wearing this fall?

There are moments in a girls life that just must be had and one of them is loving boy bands. I don’t care if your was pop, r&b, hip hop, rap or all three there must be a boy band in your past and you must pick a favorite. Lol!

This past fourth of July weekend I got to see two of my boy bands perform together at Mandalay Bay and it was awesome. Both New Kids and Backstreet Boys were and the inner teenage girl in me is happy because I got to touch both Brian and Nick. Jordan also came to my section and sang to us!!!

All the members in these two groups are still super talented and is it bad that I totally want New Kids to come back to Vegas every year? Lol!!!!

And I’m back!!! It has been a while since I have been able to have one of my Sundays at Home but today I got back into the groove. As you may remember the purpose of Sundays at Home was to do at least one thing to improve my quality of life and today I did that by cooking.

I had a craving for Mexican but wanted to be healthy. So I made fish tacos and a black bean soup with cumin lime sour cream in the middle. I also got introduces to Mexican Crema which is delicious.  It is super delicious and I have leftovers for the week. Yummy!!!!!!!

I have recently come to the conclusion that I love jewelry. Putting a few simple (or in my case not so simple) pieces of jewelry and a great pair of shoes with an outfit can really make it stand out. I have also been very conscious of the prices I pay for these accessories. This is why I am bringing you my self proclaimed top 5 places to buy jewelry. Feel free to add to the list and we can all save!

5.  Home Jewelry Parties: Host a party for a company like Lia Sophia and save a bundle. Get your friends to do the same and they can save also.

4.  Coupons: Recently I went to express with a $25 off $75 coupon when they were having a buy one get one 50% off sale and a gift card. I got nearly $100 worth of jewelry for the tax. Good Stuff!!!

3.  Swap Meet: Amazingly at the indoor swap meet they have amazing pieces of all sizes.

2.  Claire’s/Icing Stores: I admit that I used to be a Claire’s snob. I never used to shop there because everything looked so much like costume jewelry. But these days I have realized the brilliance of these type of stores and it is bulk. When you don’t want one rhinestone bracelet but 10, this is the store for you. When you need your 10th pair of pearl earnings because you keep losing them, welcome home, lol!

1.  Hand Me Downs: Recently I realized that my mother is a great source of EVERYTHING. So many trends repeat themselves and come back around. Things also look extremely different depending on who is wearing them.  This is why I don’t mind borrowing something and rocking it like it is mine. I also borrower things from friends because great taste is a requirement to my friendship.

Tonight I gave a piece of really good advice and I am pretty sure the only one truly knew that but me. It is hard to compete with a philosophy that repeatedly does not work and yet people chose to hang on to it because its easy and comfortable. You can’t force people to make changes that are difficult and unknown to them and unfortunately its when they don’t that you tend to grow apart as people. Some people will always be stuck in the past whether that be mentally or emotionally but life moves on and I so must I.

So instead of living in the constant frustration and questioning why the next step can’t be made and people don’t learn from the past, I chose to take my own advice and move on. I mean, it is really was great advice and the second I decided to take it myself I not only immediately felt better but knew better than to try to change anyone but myself.  :-) 

I was recently at a concert featuring Janelle Monae and she was abstractly the shit!!! I have never seen someone as artistic as her on a stage. She sang, she danced, she painted, and stage dove all during the show.  Her band was amazing and so were the performers on stage with her.

My favorite part of the show by far was the song Cold War (this is a cold war, you better know what your fighting for!) Amazing song!!! Her style is ridiculous and she is incredibly talented. I wish there were more opportunities in Vegas to see artists like this.