Homegirl Quel (kel) in Austin

Wordless Wednesday

Makeup Monday: Kiss Me Tonight

I'm as happy as the next girl to pull out my boots and trench coats as the weather cools off, but one thing I always miss about summers in Austin is the humidity. At the right time of day, some sun with just the right amount of humidity can be hot...not sun hot, but sexy hot. You know, when your skin is all dewy and moist and touchable? Mhm. It's still hot and sunny in Texas, but for many of you, the chill of fall is officially in the air, and there's nothing moist about it.

It's time to revamp your skin treatments to combat dryness and Vaseline (as awesome as it is) will not always do the trick. Especially on your lips. As a teenager, to keep my lips soft (for teenage reasons) I would sleep with tons of Vaseline on them and after brushing my teeth in the morning, I would brush my lips with my wet toothbrush. Harsh much? Consequently I became a Chapstick addict because my lips would crack the minute air hit them because I had exfoliated them to death. Thank goodness those days are over. Enter Philosophy.

Philosophy reminds us to "always kiss goodnight" and makes sure we're kissable with Kiss Me Tonight Intense Lip Therapy ($20). It's a nighttime treatment that will have your lips in top smooching condition in no time. If you're dealing with some serious dryness and  cracking, this is a heavy duty treatment--you want this stuff. If your lip situation is cool and you just want to maintain soft, smooth, full lips throughout the winter--you want this stuff. I don't use it every night, but I think it's a must to add to your p.m. beauty routine.

Quick Tip:

Use Philosophy's Kiss Me Exfoliating Lip Scrub ($15), then apply Kiss Me Tonight Intense Lip Therapy right before bed.  The next day, apply one of those awesome Soft Lips balms ($9) and you will fight the urge to kiss your own self!

Soft lips and happy smooches to all!

Fashion Friday: A Trend For All Seasons

OK. So, there's nothing wrong with being a trendy dresser. They're called trends for a reason--what's in is in--which is fine. It's just expensive to keep up with. Since I quit working to stay home with my son, I have had to tweak my shopping habits a bit. I take a bit longer to decide on what I like and I ask myself if I'd feel as comfortable and stylish wearing this 5 years from now as I would right now. Hopefully I'll establish a wardrobe of pieces that say more, "HomeGirl Quel" than "Quel broke, but wearing what's in." I feel more comfortable now whenever I need to dress in more than my signature jeans, Puma track jackets and chucks. I wear way fewer trendy things than I use to. Notice I said "fewer" trendy things, because some fashion trends are just worth getting into.

My fave current fashion trend: Vests

My current object of desire: The Forest Floor Vest from Anthropologie, $88.

When I ran across this vest, I wanted it immediately. The shape, material and, shade of this vest just scream relaxed, comfortable, stylish and special; all words that I think (and hope that my peeps agree) also describe me. And just wait until you see the back of it! It's wearable year-round, especially in Austin, where it's rarely very cold. Of course I won't own this vest anytime soon, since I hardly ever pay full price for anything (why, when I can get it on sale later?), but it's definitely on my watch list.

What would I wear with such a special vest? I'm glad you asked.

On cooler days, I'd wear it with a long fitted tee and trendy yet SO worth getting into skinny jeans and great ankle boots all in neutrals like this:

When the weather is warmer (and my biceps/triceps game is tight), I'd throw the vest over a sweet, simple sleeveless dress and  awesome flats and I'd pull it all together with a few cool accessories. Yes, I know gladiator sandals are trendy, but these ones are awesome looking so:

What fashion trend are you feeling right now?

Not a mom yet, but definitely a do-gooder.

Future Mama over at BabyMakin(g)Machine has taken a breather (believe it or not) from blogging the play-by-play of her first efforts at conception, to raise money for a good cause, March of Dimes, an organization that is dedicated to improving the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. Her original goal was to get companies to donate $300 worth of products and services for her to raffle off on her website. Within days of posting her call for donations, she received $1000 worth of donations from 25 companies. Not too shabby. And, y'all, she is taking nothing away from this deal--no products, no cashola, all the products are going to people who enter the raffle and 100% of the funds raised will go to March of Dimes. Again, not too shabby.

I'm doing my part to help a do-gooder do gooder by giving you guys the opportunity to do good too. Simply enter the raffle by donating between $1-$20. If you donate $15 or more you're GUARANTEED a prize from Future Mama. For specific details and to make a donation, click on the image to the left or click here.

Do good!

Wordless Wednesday

I'm happier now that I'm a mom, but it's not all about the baby.

So I think I've figured out why people say becoming a parent is all sappy and happy and the best thing that will ever happen to you blah blah blah. With all that was involved in growing a whole person inside me, then being the only person on the whole planet responsible for the basic daily care and nurturing of another helpless human including the awesome figure reconstruction, the sleep deprivation and the poop, the overwhelming joy that I hear about seemed overstated. But today, as I was driving home with my son in the backseat, I noted how happy I was when I saw the rain this morning, and how excited I got at the sight of a school bus passing us on the road. I also thought about how much I look forward to the garbage pick-up guys to come by every Monday. Before becoming a parent, I didn't care about those things. And rain on a weekday morning usually evoked emotions very opposite of excitement in me. But I'm giddy at the sight of them now, because I get to show my son the rain, and the school bus, and the garbage truck, and seeing him light up the way he does just makes my insides all mushy. It's a bit selfish (which is a word that has been used to describe me, but I think everybody should be a little selfish), but the happiness my child has brought into my life isn't just about him. He makes me live inside of every moment when we're out in the world together. I'm just happier in general, I think, because I have a hundred little reasons to genuinely scream and laugh and speak in a high-pitched voice out of utter joy that, "YES! There's a CUP!"  I know the day will come when rain and big trucks won't matter to anybody in this house. Hopefully by then I will have learned to live inside of every moment and enjoy as many happy moments as I do now.

Makeup Monday: Revlon Brow Fantasy

It's a gel and a pencil and it's awesome. I used it for the first time years ago and have used it, just about everyday since. I keep two wands handy--one in my everyday makeup bag and one in the cosmetics stash in my bathroom so I'm never without it. Whether you're a chick who glams it up on the daily, or a homegirl like me, who wears the bare basics (mineral powder, mascara and lip gloss) most days, Revlon's Brow Fantasy will polish up your look with perfectly finished brows that stay that way all day. I use the gel, in black, every day that I leave my house, even if I'm only in Chapstick, for a surprisingly natural and pulled together look that says, "I just wake up every day with awesome eyebrows".  If I'm wearing a full face of makeup, I sweep over my brows with the pencil followed by the gel for a look with more drama that says, "I'm glamming it up today, and I just wake up every day with awesome eyebrows". It comes in 4 shades, dark blonde, brunette, dark brown and black, so there's a shade for every girl. And it retails at about $8. Worth every penny. Get some!

The Owls Have It

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know that I love frog things. It actually crept up on me. One day I looked around and realized I had a LOT of frog stuff. And decided (along with my gift-giving sister) to move forward consciously getting frog things in my life.

Lately I've been all about owls. Frogs and owls--very Harry Potter, no? I don't know what it is about the birds that do it for me, but I'm all about them right now. This actually crept up on me too! After my most recent purchase of this scarf:

 

...and this dress:

...as well as an awesomely charming owl charm necklace, I realized I had an affinity for hooters. They're wise and witchy and apparently also trendy! These are just a few awesome owl things I found online. The tee and wristlet by Marc Jacobs have me spellbound and I'm watching them like a hawk to see if I can get them on sale--I love owls, but these ones in particular do not love my pocketbook. Aren't they lovely?!

Items pictured above:
Marc by Marc Jacobs Cotton owl-print T-shirt, $88
Owl Drop Necklace, $14
Stamp Of Approve-Owl Ring, $12
20x200 : Print Information : Owl No. 1, $20
Marc by Marc Jacobs Owl Appliqué Wristlet at Zappos.com, $98

Laura James' art is now available to the masses!

Laura James is an artist and she's amazing. Her depictions of motherhood are harrowing and powerful, and her religious art is simply beautiful. Yes, "beauty" is subjective--in the eye of the beholder and all that, but I feel strongly enough about her work to share her with my world, and that includes you guys. Don't you feel so special? :) I have two of her pieces, Black Girl Wings and People Waiting In The Sun adorning the walls of my dining room and entry hall. Now you can have her too! Over 100 Laura James prints and posters are now available on art.com.

I met her online years ago (which I blogged about here) when I purchased Black Girl With Wings (that's her to the left) directly from her and have been a fan of the artist and of her work ever since. This was the first piece of art I purchased. It sparked my interest in art in general and I've amassed a sweet collection over the years.

Right now I'm talking with another artist (fingers crossed that he'll get the piece I'm after to me) who I'll be introducing y'all to pretty soon. I'm keeping him to myself for now--or at least until my hands are on the object of my desire. It's an extremely limited edition, so forgive me for being shady and hiding him from y'all. It's a bit selfish of me, yes, but you understand, no?

It doesn't have to be Laura James. Just get some art in your life y'all! Get some!

Book Preview: 31 Hours by Masha Hamilton

Book reviews, I've done for years upon years. But book previews.This is a first for HomeGirl. I was contacted by the folks over at Unbridled Books, who had enjoyed reading some of my posts and asked me to tell you guys about the newest release from Masha Hamilton, called 31 Hours. I haven't read the book yet, but what I've seen and read about it so far was enough for me to share it with you guys sight unseen. Of course it's on my reading list, so a review is inevitable.

31 Hours is story told by 21 year-old Jonas. He's struggling with extreme religious beliefs and political motivations that leave him teetering on the edge of mass murder and suicide. His mother tries to reach her son physically and psychologically in time to prevent the the death of her son and possibly hundreds of others. She only has 31 hours to do it. The book was released on September 8th, appropriately, just days before the anniversary of 9/11. Here's the video preview (Can you believe it?! Books have video previews too!):

Masha Hamilton also started a project called The Afghan Women's Writing Project, which, according to the website is aimed at allowing Afghan women to have a direct voice in the world, not filtered through male relatives or members of the media. Here's a video of Marsha talking about her inspiration for the project:

Empowering women, especially women who face cultural barriers that systematically take their power and their voices away, is always a good look. Go Masha!

Visit awwproject.wordpress.com for more information.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

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Blogalicious Fashion Chronicles: What to wear to Blogalicious 2009?

Now that Blogalicious is less than a month away, we're all registered (September 25th is the deadline to register for you last minuters), business cards are printed up and hotel rooms are booked, we can now focus on actually planning for the trip. The conference agenda is packed from sunup to sundown and non-stop on conference days and we all want to look awesome for every event. With conference sessions and cocktail parties and nights out on the town scheduled back to back, there is a lot to think about. Namely, how to look great at each event in all the blog and twitter pics and not be in the same outfit every time--you know, the important stuff. :)What better time to be discussing this than on the heels of New York Fashion Week?!

Miss DoingSoWell has officially started something. The looks she posted on her blog are definitely for the fabulous bloggerista and are beyond inspirational. As I remarked over there, I am closet shopping (mostly) for this event and have managed to pull together some decent sets. My main objective was to pick looks that:

1. I can wear to the conference all day then tweak a bit to hit the parties later on,
2. Fit comfortably in a carry-on bag, because hello?, paying extra to check bags is not awesome,
3. Fit comfortably ON me all day, and most importantly,
4. Match my personality and my real personal style. There's nothing worse than playing dress-up and totally not being yourself...especially when you're meeting new people. Well, there are worse things, but we're talking about clothes right now so...

The following looks are what I'll be wearing to Blogalicious 2009. I don't have all the pieces here, but the ones that I have and could find online are here alongside awesome look-alikes of my digs. I chose pieces that easily layer on and off , dress up or down and fit into a carry-on bag with room left over for awesome conference goodies. What my looks say about me: I love my legs (even if you don't, but you SO do because they are awesome), I love my feet (comfort first, then style), and I love dresses! That last one is very new...I usually wear jeans and Chucks whenever possible, but dresses have officially grown on me--I'm rollin' with that.

Continue reading to see my looks...

New Clinique Video Review: Different Lipstick

This lipstick definitely had my teeth glowing during the "after" video compared to the "before". No camera tricks, promise. And, once again, it's the perfect pink for my skintone. Love this.

Blogalicious 2009 is right around the corner!

Updated 9/10: Registration extended to 9/25!

Time is winding down! Register before midnight tomorrow for Blogalicious 2009 to get in, y'all. There are only a few spots left, and a sale on admission tickets, so don't miss it. Get the scoop on the awesome panels, events and sponsors for Bogalicious and (most importantly) register for the conference>>here<<.

I'm looking forward to meeting my some of my favorite bloggers in person. Looking at the agenda, and I fully expect to come away from Blogalicious with information, tools and new blogger buddies to take my experience as a bloggerista to the next level. That's what's up! 

Now, I need to figure out WHAT TO WEAR and how to pack it all into one carry-on! Conference, cocktails, and parties, oh my!

Hope to see y'all in Atlanta!

Here's to the good old days.

This is from back when Bey's videos where something to look forward to. You never knew what to expect--the belly dance sequence toward the end of this one came out of nowhere. And the video for "Crazy in Love"! it was crazy! Every video was different. Now, you can pretty much bet the following: 1. The video will be in black and white or mostly in lack and white, there will be two background dancers and 3. They will do lots of youtube-knockoff-worthy choreography. The "Single Ladies" video was hot, but every one that followed was so similar. Don't get it twisted I stans for Beyoncé. And I still like her videos. I just miss looking forward to the next one.

Black Girl in Paris by Shay Youngblood

I hugged this book when I finished reading it. I do that sometimes. I'm a book hugger. Consequently, so is my toddler--hugs his favorite books all the time. Anyway, Black Girl in Paris, had been on my to-read list for years upon years, when I found it, used, on the clearance shelf at Half Price books for $1. I wrote about what I found inside it >>HERE<<--one more thing that made finally reading this book that much more special.

It reads like a memoir. Eden, is a young American girl, who loved books and writing and always knew she wanted to go to Paris, like her idols had, to become a writer. She knew that she was meant to go there and meet James Baldwin and be changed forever, but she had no idea how it would happen, nor what the specific change would be. She was a dreamer. After graduating from college in the 80's, she buys a ticket to Paris. While in Paris, she meets some pretty colorful characters who touch her in many ways, literally and figuratively. When the author describes sexual encounters with men and women Eden meets, she does so in a way that is so poetic and sensual that even the most disturbing encounters don't seem disturbing at all. These encounters are important in telling Eden's story, but this book is NOT about the sex. It's about having a dream and single-mindedly pursuing that dream (unavoidable cliché alert) against all odds.  There where so many reasons why Eden should have never gone to Paris,and times when she should have gone back home, but she was so determined to (another unavoidable cliché alert) achieve her dream that she suffered through some pretty tough times to realize them. The stories of some of the people Eden met ended sadly, but her ending...also her beginning...is uplifting.

So uplifting in fact that it inspired me to do something very French: a bath. In the novel, there is a Turkish bath house, but we don't have those here--and frankly, even if we did, I would stay very-very far away from them. Still, all the talk of steam and heat and relaxation and nudity made me want to participate in my own hot bath soaking action. And what better way to make it feel French, than by adding Rose Bath Powder by L'Occtaine to the bath? What's the point of taking a bath anyway if you're not going to indulge? I digress.

I've never been to Europe, but I would like to. I don't have dreams of going anyplace and walking in anybody's footsteps for inspiration to take my own steps. But, like Eden, I do have dreams. Childhood dreams. And after reading her story, I'm inspired to pursue them with more passion.

Obama is NOT Hitler! Bunch of crazies. I'm so over them.

I heard radio callers likening Obama to Hitler this morning referring to his upcoming speech to school kids saying "this is how it starts".  And they where so serious, y'all. I listen to conservative talk radio every day and it's scary and shocking to hear actual real people call in and talk about serious fears they have of president Obama becoming a "supreme leader". Those people get. on. my. NERVES! Hitler?! because he wants to speak directly to the kids about staying in school? God forbid the most influential person on the planet reaches out to your kid to encourage him or her to set and pursue personal goals toward higher achievements in life. This outcry is NOT about the president reaching out to kids. There was no outcry from these same folks when Bush gave a similar speech to school kids or when he encouraged them to get fit during his fitness initiative. This is NOT about the president overreaching, this is about a black president reaching out to kids. What are they so afraid of--their kids having high aspirations...or maybe they're afraid of all kids having higher aspirations? Hm? Get on my nerves. Yes, the "pledge to serve President Obama" thing is kinda weird--not the best choice of words, but Hitler?! Just because a black man is in charge now, doesn't mean he wants to return the favor and punish a whole race of people.  Get over yourselves. Getouttahere. ON.MY.NERVES!

I had to get that off my chest, y'all. I'm done.

And another thing (added after original post)--thanks Natalie for your comment--

I get that conservatives are against president Obama's policies and that they are just doing their part to keep the parties polarized, but some of the people who call in to the radio show I listen to, which is what set me off in the first place, have some serious issues and they have to do with his race.

Words are SO unnecessary...

OK. Maybe one word. AWESOME?!