WATCH ME BUBBLE

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Out here chewing my gum and checking the time and wondering where it all went because August is literally flying by. By the way, have you noticed I’m back at it with one of my favorite color combos, pink and green?Nope, I’m not a sorority girl, I just love these two colors together and whenever I get a chance to style it, I do. Speaking of style choices, lately I’ve been styling and profiling my best looks with my new Atlantis wristwatch. Watches are certainly out of my style comfort zone, but this summer I’ve had the amazing opportunity to partner with Atlantis Wristwatches and I must say, their watches are so classy and sleek. I love the watch selection so much that they were able to send me 5 amazing watches to wear and style. In these pics, I’m rocking the Serendipity Watch with the rose gold backdrop and white wrist band. Confession, up until a about a year or so ago, I had no interest in wearing watches because I thought it would just distract me and hold me accountable for time, LOL. Awful, huh? Well, it’s not so bad after all. I barely check the time on the watches I wear now and just wear them for style purposes. My Apple watch gets a lot love these days because I’m tracking my steps and making sure I keep my weight down for the pageant. It’s great to have a watch that notifies you when to breathe and stand. Talk about accountability, LOL.

Something you may not know about these amazing watches is that their men’s watches. I think they have such a sleek, clean look to them that I consider them unisex and wearable by just about anyone if you ask me. Watches have become one of my new favorite accessories to style and profile these days and I’m hoping to keep watches as a style staple in my closet to pair with more fun outfits. And, on the topic of outfits, keep scrolling for deets on this one.

I got this cute hot pink skirt from the Uptown Cheapskate consignment shop and got the sheer frilled white top from Target on sale for 12 bucks! I know <> Lately, I’ve been mixing some of the most unusual clothing pieces together to use clothes that have been sitting in my closet collecting dust for years. Much of the new pieces you’re seeing on my IG page and FB page are not actually new, they are just items I couldn’t fit as of a few months ago. I’ve tweaked my diet and workout routine and have been seeing some impressive results in my measurements. I haven’t weighed myself because I know the scale will say I’ve gained, but the fact that my clothes fit very well and I can wear my mini skirts again tells me everything I need to know about my results and lets me know my body is changing for the good. Too many people are focused on being skinny but main concern is making sure I can get some wear out of the clothes I own. No use spending your hard-earned money on items you’ll never use, right?

Anyway, hope you all have an AMAZING week. Till next time.

Sincerely,

Deidra Marie

WHY VINTAGE?

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I’m really feeling these chocolate and copper colors these days. Just embracing my neutrals and loving how my skin is tanning with each day of NC sun. Along with neutral and copper obsessions comes an obsession with vintage blazers, which I’ve been so into these past couple of months. I literally don’t shop anywhere now but on Instagram and at random vintage and thrift shops. The clothing is pre-owned, affordable and funky.
I had an epiphany this past summer when me and my bestie, Natalie, attempted to give our clothes away to consignment shops for money back. Unfortunately, our plan for getting back buckets of money failed as each store we visited turned our gently used clothing and shoes away. They gave us the speech; if you’ve attempted to exchange your clothing for money, you know this speech. It goes a little something like this: unfortunately, we are unable to accept the following articles of clothing as they are pieces that we feel are dated and are styles that do not appeal to our clientele and blah blah blah blah. I wasn’t offended, not one bit, just irritated at how much money they were willing to give for the pieces they did want to take. They were offering pennies, literally pennies. The question that kept popping up in my head was, how much were clothes “actually” worth? It seems that the minute you buy an article of clothing and it leaves the store, it is worth half the price. The combination of my clothing value epiphany mixed with my frequent thrift store visits, as well as educating myself about fast fashion and the amount of clothes sitting in thrift stores that haven’t even been touched or put on the floor has really helped me to become more conscious of my spending and how I purchase clothes. After watching “The True Cost” a 2015 documentary currently on Netflix, I made a decision to invest more of my coins in pre-owned clothing. I want to do my part to reduce the amount of merchandise sitting in thrift shops, and be more sustainable with my clothing. I buy a new item from stores every now and then, but have been shopping mostly thrifted items. Clothing in the US is not really at the caliber of quality it use to be, but at thrifts, you are sure to find quality fabrics and occasionally fabrics made in the US (which is rare by the way). I’m continuing to educate myself on sustainable fashion, fast fashion, and constantly trying to figure out ways to save by shopping pre-owned. I don’t care about being trendy, or dressing in the latest styles. I care about being me, rocking what makes me feel good and I found out that I can do all these things by shopping thrift and vintage.
Just so you know, I’m not knocking anyone who shops full price or who shops stores that are part of the fast fashion movement. I’m only encouraging everyone to be more aware of where their coins are going. Shop consciously, be wise about the fabrics you’re buying. Don’t buy just because it’s cute, buy to express yourself and your personal style, and most importantly, invest in quality fabrics that will last a long time. When it’s time to say goodbye to them, offer your pieces to a friend or donate to an orphanage or organization that supports clothing exchange and donations. We can do our part by shopping pre-owned and passing on our unwanted clothing to others who can and will use it.
Sorry for the long post, but I just wanted to share with my readers why you’ve been seeing so many vintage style post this past year. Hope it was helpful and insightful.
Have a good week!
Sincerely,
Deidra Marie

BIRTHDAY PRINTS

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I couldn’t be more happy with how this weekend turned out. Spending time with family and friends is really all that matters to me, and to do that this weekend brought me so much joy. Good food, family, a little bit of cardio workout mixed in and VOILA, a happy Deidra at the end of the day, LOL. Now it’s back to reality: school, work, Spanish class, and the occasional Netflix binge session. No lie guys, after all the shenanigans this weekend, I still feel like I haven’t exhausted all my energy. I think the older I get the more energy I have. Thank God for that.

So, about this outfit. The pink jumpsuit was purchased sometime last year from the new Gabrielle Union clothing line at New York and Company. I am such a sucker for a jumpsuit and even more of a sucker for a jumpsuit in a neon bright color. If this is your first time reading the CCC blog, then you couldn’t possibly know that I’m completely obsessed with bright colors, prints and anything vintage or thrift. I work hard to bring color to my content and hope that it brings happiness to your day. My blazer was purchased from a vintage shop called vtijkandi.com I found them while scrolling through post on Instagram. I’ve purchased several items from this shop and they never go wrong. All items are reasonably priced and they have $5 deals! Can’t beat that, huh? If you’re ever in the mood to buy a funky printed blazer or top, check them out at the website link above or check them out on Instagram at @vintijkandi.
Who else is obsessed with bright colors and jumpsuits? It’s a great go to piece for parties and such.
Sadly, my jumpsuit is no longer available but I’ve provided a link above to similar jumpsuits from NY and Company.

Hope you guys have an awesome week!

Sincerely,

Deidra Marie