If This Town Is Just An Apple, Then Let Me Take A Bite.

Ya girl is finally in NYC! 

WOO CHILE! I made it! Praise GOD! *cue praise break*

Now, let me try to quickly give you the tea while the pot is still hot!

American Apparel

cropped tee,

ASOS

skirt, 

Super

Sunnies,

David & Young

 hat, 

Loft

snakeskin print clutch,

Gap

jean jacket,

Converse

sneakers

Long story short, I found an apartment, moved to the city, and 5 days later landed a job. It's been truly a blessing! I was hustling y'all! For real!

Since moving here, I've been to a lot of cool events around the city: concerts/shows, art events, meeting/networking with new people- coming out of my shell! And the best part has been meeting followers of my blog! Hi guys!! :)

Shot these photos the other day in Soho. I love the towny feel with the cobblestone roads, and it's an escape from all the massive sky scraper buildings. And there's so many cute boutiques to

window

shop in! lol

I just thank God for making a way for me moving to NYC. I am so grateful and really on my grind here. I moved out here to make connections and start my music career, and that is exactly what I'm doing! Can't wait for you to hear some tunes!

How are you guys? I will mention that from now on my blog posts will be consistent, this post serves as a re-launch if you will! I'm excited for this blog moving forward, and I hope you are too! Drop me a line, let me know how you're doing!

Twitter

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Facebook

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IG

-Kris

Photography by

Anthony Lewis

Hawaii 3.0

A lot of you who follow my blog, follow me on 

instagram

twitter

tumblr

, or

Vine

- and if you do, you know what's been going on in my life! If you don't, I suggest you start following me there, because I obviously don't post on my main blog as often :/...!

What can I update you guys on? Well, since my last post, I have finished my marketing job here at home, and I am moving to NYC in just a couple short months, I have my roommate situation figured out (thank the Lord), and am just trying to save as much money as I can in the next couple of months before the big move!

Aka, no going out and spending a lot of money, less shopping, sparsely eating out. It has to happen. It's already happened. It is what it is haha. But I of course don't plan to have a dull summer! I have some great concerts and music festivals I will be attending throughout the summer so it's all good!!

About a month ago, I attended The Roots Picnic in Philly, and had a blast! My friend 

Jennah Bell

 was a featured artist, and overall the day was a lot of fun! A lot of great music! The only downside was that it was 91 degrees without a cloud in the sky, and ya girl almost fainted ha! She had to have SEVERAL SEATS until she could get her life together haha! I was also snapped by a few street style photogs, one being 

Essence Magazine!

Another awesome thing that happened was going to Hawaii to attend a wedding of a good family friend! I had SO MUCH FUN! Ugh, I want to go back...! It wasn't my first time to Hawaii, but my first time to the island of Oahu-- we stayed in Honolulu, Waikiki to be exact. It was great to spending some quality time with my parents, and reconnect with folks I hadn't seen in years! And the wedding was just phenomenal! Congrats again Paula and Keith! :) xo

Here are some photos from the trip!

Topshop

crop top & skater skirt,

Zara

sandals

F21 two-piece-- so cute right?!

How cute are my parents? I kept teasing them for "accidentally matching" throughout our entire trip... Do you match with your partner? Do you think it's

corny

cute? LOL weigh in on the topic!

The infamous "Shave Ice"

Topshop lemon swimsuit

Topshop

crop top and shorts

I call this photo, "Polynesian Realness." WERK!

Calvin Klein maxi dress via TJ Maxx

I was all the way obsessed with my body chain. I'm pretty sure it's in EVERY SINGLE PHOTO of me on this trip haha!

I have to give credit to my talented photographer Mom for the above shot! Yes, that is real, this is what we witnessed! The wedding was truly phenomenal! The weather was perfectly sunny and hot, and you could feel the love and happiness all around! They are a great couple!

H&M

Suit, 

Zara

Shoes 

This is what I wore to the wedding. Oww!

Let's toast to the bride and groom!

Me and Pop with our matching baldies LMAO

I just want to say thank you to everyone who reads my blog! You are here for me, and I have been MIA, which is not fair to you guys! I am putting myself on a schedule so there will be no LACK of posting... Thanks for sticking with me on my journey! I am going through a big transition right now, glad to know I have your support along the way. Thank you!

What's going on with you guys? It's summertime, and the weather is surely proving so! Any vacations or cool internships, or travel plans? Fill me in, leave me a line, it's been forever!! Hope you all are well!

-Kris

Spring
Hey guys!

Here I am, back from a hiatus. Let me tell you, life can get crazy busy sometimes!! But it's honestly great to blog again. I was itching to do so, but the break was much needed. How are you all?


In my last post you saw that all of my big puffy long hair was gone! And it's still gone! LOL. I am still in love with the short hair, And as you can see, I tapered the sides, which I love even more than my first haircut! 


These photos are from a natural hair photo shoot taken by my lovely mother and her friend Sandy. We had a lot of fun playing dress up, make-up done by Crystal Carmen (pictured middle), and it was awesome to spend the day together enjoying laughs, nice weather, and expressing our beautiful and unique natural hair! Thanks to Beautiful Affirmations for putting together this lovely shoot!


Updates from me, the school year is quickly approaching its end, and I will be headed to New York City this summer. I can't believe it's almost here! I'm SO excited, but just as nervous, as this will be a leap of faith for me. I know in my heart it's what I have to do! I've been trying to save as much money as I can (I still have bills to pay and a shopping habit to kick) JUST IN CASE I have to move there without a job. But I have faith that I'll lock in SOMETHING before I move lol... Please keep me in your prayers y'all!


My birthday is also Wednesday, May 1st, and I'll be a quarter century! Ahh! I'm actually excited to turn 25. 24 was a great year of experience, learning, and change. Transitioning into 25 will be even more major change! But I'm up for the challenge!


(This was my "Mom's Do Natural Hair" advertisement LMAO)!


On another note, I just want to mention the Boston Marathon bombing. Usually I save the politics and feminist rants for my twitter or tumblr, but I do want to say this. I was really down and out over the bombings. I understand that there are other countries that are experiencing this and far worse all over the world, but this felt personal to me. I was mad, outraged. Boston is a place I used to call home, as I spent my whole undergrad career there in school. Where the bombing took place, Back Bay, was right where my campus was. I can't even count the number of times I walked back and forth on Boylston Street, or hung out in Copley Square. My thoughts and prayers are still with all the families affected by the tragedy. One thing I know about Boston, is Boston Pride. It was great to see everyone come together in times of grief and adversity and help each other out. That was beautiful. 



On a lighter note, above is my new youtube video, me in the salon getting all my hair cut off! Check it out!

Fill me in on what's been going on with you! Hope you're well! :)


-Kris


Man, I feel like a woman.
Wearing thrifted Jones New York blazer, H&M men's v-neck t-shirt, Zara jeans & boots, Lookmatic "Austin" eyeglasses

I CUT MY HAIR!!!!!
For those of you who follow me on instagram, twitter, or Facebook, you already know this, but please act surprised (for me) lol. OMG!! Can I just mention how OBSESSED I am about my new haircut? I absolutely LOVE it! There are a couple reasons why I cut my hair off, and reasons why I waited so long to do it (which I will explain in detail in an upcoming youtube video), but I feel so liberated, and am rocking my natural texture and just letting it do what it do!


I think my new haircut brings out my face and my features, which I am also loving-- I'm still playing around with products to make my curls pop, but I think I've finally found what works. It's been so long since I rocked my natural texture. I was always manipulating my natural curls when it was long. Not saying that's a bad thing, but this is just so much easier lol. I think I'm actually going to tweak the cut just a tad bit next time I go into the salon. Shout out to Pay for cutting my hair! I think she was more excited than I was to cut it! My bestie Lei recorded the whole thing, and that will also be up on youtube soon! You guys will be able to see the transformation, and me sort of freaking out when I actually hear the scissors cutting off all my length haha!


Ok, let's talk the outfit. I love how sophisticated but easily casual a blazer & t-shirt combination can be! I recently picked up these frames! They are prescription, but they have the UV Ray tinting, and I love how they turn a nice golden brown in the sun. Very 60's indeed!

These boots are my everything! By the time I peeped them and wanted to buy, they were sold out everywhere! I luckily snagged them on Threadflip, and now they're all miiiine! *cue Thriller laughter*


How have you all been? I hope you're well! :) I can't believe we're already halfway through March!


Drop me a line, I really do appreciate when you guys leave me comments! Have a good weekend! 



-Kris
Writings on the Wall
H&M oversized turtleneck sweater, ASOS black & white plaid trousers, thrifted earrings, vintage necklace via my mother, Zara fringe leather boots

When did it become cliche to write on someone's Facebook wall? I've noticed the drastic decrease in traditional wall posts on fb lately. You'll have a few folks who still write on walls, unaware of the new anti-wall trend because they only access their pages a couple times a month, or it'll be that random (usually older) family member... But when we do write on people's wall, it's usually about ourselves. "Hey, check out my ________," or "Watch this funny YouTube video," which IS most of the time, pretty funny. But is it ever in genuine interest of the person whose wall you are writing on? It usually has nothing to do with the actual person, but about yourself. Furthermore, the few times you do write on a "friend's" wall, it pops up on everyone and their mama's timeline "IN THE NEWS" style, and sometimes you get unwanted commenters on a conversation that has nothing to do with them. What about online etiquette? People feel completely comfortable telling all their personal business, posting drama driven Facebook statuses, or other inappropriate pictures that nobody wants to see. Facebook is also NOT a diary.


Which brings me to Facebook inbox messaging. FB messaging is like the new wall post. If you have something you feel is worthy of posting beyond your own benefit or something that you don't necessarily want other commenters on, you message it. That's the safest way. Transactions such as trading phone numbers, spitting game (smh), or swapping info for future networking/business opportunities take place there. Totally acceptable. 

However, I think FB has turned into an unrealistic way for people to connect without actually connecting. For instance, I can be FB friends with someone that I went high school with, not ever talk to them (barely talked to them in hs), but know that they have a child, work here, just got a new car, and are going on vacation to Cancun on Spring Break. Isn't that a bit odd? OR, someone you don't know that's a "friend of a friend" can subscribe to your public updates and comment/like/share them. I also find that odd. I just feel that Facebook supports unrealistic and inappropriate forms of communication, which is another reason why my generation has trouble communicating with actual human beings in real life. Then that brings me back to this and this post.


But anyway, enough about social media problems, you know my life is full of social media- personal and work wise, and sometimes I think of these things and like to share my thoughts... On another note, I attended a natural hair meet-up in my area the other night, and it was really fun! Most of the ladies were newly natural, so it was cool sharing my experience, tips, and products based on many years trial and error lol. Oh to be newly natural again...

It's also my parents 27th year anniversary! Congratulations you two, love you more than the world itself!

Until next time!


-Kris
Inspiration: The Color Red.
The color red is beautiful for various reasons. In some cultures, red is a symbol of sacrifice and pain. In other cultures it's associated with beauty, passion, and happiness. I used to not care for the color red. Not that I didn't think it was a nice color, but I just didn't like it on me. I thought it too matronly, and I felt it didn't look good against my skin tone. My delusions have obviously faded since then, and I totally love the color red! Let's look at some reasons why I find the color red beautiful...


NYFW 2013 Look #1


NYFW 2013 Look #2



NYFW 2013 Look #3




images via tumblr & chictopia

What's your favorite NYFW look I created? I also found myself on the NY Times Fashion & Style homepage, here's a direct link to view the photo. Pretty cool, huh!




-Kris
The Wedge

Christmas is long gone, but when I see these pictures, because of the snow, my first thought is Boyz II Men's "Let it Snow" *starts snapping on the 2 and 4, cue 90's dance moves.* This past Friday we had a pretty snowfall, the kind that looks like it's filled with diamonds because everything looks like it's covered in glitter as you drive by. For those of you who live up North, you know what I'm talkin' about!

Urban Outfitters blazer (old), F21 scarf, Target beanie, H&M jeans (old), Super sunnies, Puma wedge sneakers
I initially didn't like the wedge sneaker when it first popped off, and told myself I wouldn't indulge in the trend. My mind has obviously changed after I stumbled across these. I was really digging the 80's vibe they were giving me, so I said why not?! These pups will become regulars once summer hits!


I woke up this morning to a notification that my school was closed because of snow/sleet/ice. I was oh so very happy and slept for an extra three hours! I ain't mad at it! Maybe I will finally clean my room and fold some laundry since I have no other plans today lol. Oh! I mentioned a few posts ago that I'm now a Lucky Magazine contributor, here's my latest post on the site! Check it out, and vote me up pleeasse! 



-Kris

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Inspiration: Black & White [No Color Necessary]

Fashion is going back to the basics. Spring '13 and Pre-Fall '13 (whatever the heck that means) are taking things back to black... and white. Last Spring was so extra with the neons and the color blocking (I loved every bit of it), but this year they (whoever's calling the shots... Wait who exactly is calling the shots?? Am I supposed to know the answer to that?) are stripping everything down, and I'm liking it. No, I'm LOVING it. It's classic, timeless, and it looks great on EVERYBODY. Yes universally sound fashion trends! Diane, Marc, Jill, Calvin, Stella, and Prada (to name a bunch) are all blessing us with their designs for the upcoming seasons, and it's even more fun to see how street style incorporates high fashion and makes it their own, which I find most inspiring! Are you participating in the black & white minimalist trend? Here's some of my favorite b&w looks!


You could easily throw a little pop of color into your look...



-Kris

images via tumblr.com & chictopia.com
Double Denim 2.0

This is my first post of 2013, and I want to wish you all a Happy New Year 13 days late! The past month has been a pretty busy one! I've been traveling to and from NYC a lot (all of which is documented via instagram) for various events, and although it's been fun, I ran my body down to a flu bug that I caught this past weekend. mehh. The chills, body aches... But luckily I sweated it all out and thanks to rest, medicine, and nurse Dad, I'm feeling much better now *blows nose.* I know, what a fun weekend, right??



I am so excited for this new year! My circle of friends and I are really supporting each other in our goals this year, and I'm on my grind, since you all know I'm moving to NYC this summer AND pursuing my music career... There's literally no room for slacking. I'm focused mane!

F21 denim shirts, scarf, & wedges, thrifted levi's jeans, thrifted Banana Republic coat, personal jewelry.
I decided one day that I wanted to wear an all denim look, so I literally took all the denim pieces from my closet and threw them on, and BOOM- this look happened. I had more denim pieces on, but decided it was a little TOO MUCH denim for one 'fit, but I think this works pretty well. I feel like I should be headed to an art studio to work on my next masterpiece, or to fix someone's leaking faucet... LOL.

I've also switched up my hair style, do you like it? I think it's pretty cool, and it's super easy to maintain! I plan to record a new video for youtube talking about this style, and my hair updates (for all you naturalistas that follow me there) as soon as I get my voice back! Stay tuned! I hope you all are doing well, drop me a line!

Have a great week!


-Kris

photography by Sasha Phyars-Burgess