November and my birthday...

There are often some serious decisions that need to be made and emotions sometimes hold us back from making the right decisions. This last trip to Nigeria was one of such times. My calendar is often FULL of a few things going on at any given time from work (its fashion and entertainment so that means events) to personal and family events(my birthday, my son's birthday, charity events and school events)Its a constant juggle. Why? Well, you never want to let anyone down. I love being a mother,wife and fashionista...but sometimes I have to make decisions that I HATE!!

There were a couple of meetings that I KNEW had to happen before the end of the year. Traveling to Nigeria for Christmas wouldn't work because of our son's school calendar and our holiday obligations, so that meant I needed to go BEFORE the holidays. Here's the problem...we were already in October, my son's birthday was coming up, as well as mine and I was also cooking for thanksgiving and I usually take him to all of the parade's and trick or treating - HELP!!!

Now I have to talk about my husband for a second. He is absolutely AMAZING!! He is my best friend, my business partner, my fashion sounding board...and my biggest supporter!! He encouraged me to go and soothed my fears (yes I have them too) told me there would plenty of birthdays to come... I love my Husband. He makes me feel very fortunate to have him!!!

With that in mind, I booked the trip!

A lot of my work is done well in advance and its simply about finalizing things which is always a good thing.

Anyway...I have to say my thank you's to my friends in Nigeria who always make me feel welcome...Tola, Titi, Bukky, Ebi, Niyi, Bodunrin, Morin and Dolapo. We have been through so much together I am so happy to have had you as friends for the past 10+ years!!!

To my new friends...Nobs, Jibbs, Dayo and the rest who know exactly who they are - thank you for even understanding me and caring enough to know about me and attend my birthday dinner...it really made me smile - THANKS!!!

Enjoy the pictures.

All at my birthday dinner.Thanks to my darling Tola for organizing this for me. Love you LOADS!! Thanks to everyone who attended too :-)


A day in my life, the Nigerian version filmed for Nigeria International while on this trip. Here we are in Emmy Collin's Store looking through some of his new gear.


Joy and I...We have our work cut out for us come 2009 darling...I cant wait!!!



Mr Taj Adepetu and I...Its a good thing I have a thick skin. this meeting was long overdue! Thanks!!


Chenna and I...I'm sad we didn't meet sooner. I enjoyed meeting you and can't wait till you get here next week!!!


D-1 and I , Thanks Dayo for taking the time to meet with me...I learned A LOT!!


Tammz and I after the M.I album release party


Tola, Dolapo, Me and Titi - No. 10 V.I, Lagos


All of us at Bodunrin and Lola's wedding...

What does "married " look like?

I have been in Nigeria for almost 2 weeks now and I can't wait to get home!!!

I hate apologizing for lapses, so I won’t. But please know, that I know I should have …but been rather busy to do it.

I am up ridiculously late because I am finishing up a proposal…but I took a break to reminisce on my day. Had an impromptu show on Channels TV to attend (thanks to Mr. Debola Williams for thinking of me) and later went to a friend of a friend’s birthday party at a private residence. The celebrant walked over to me and we started talking. As is usual for me, I steer the conversation towards my family and what I do (I never want people to get the wrong impression)…his first comment is you don’t look married! I get this comment a lot and its part of why I am blogging this late at night.

What does “married” look like??

Since I deal with image, I cannot act like I don’t know what people mean when they say this. I have been very quick to point out that the women of today are not like the women of old. But as a wife myself I know it isn’t easy to look great all the time and be a wife, mother, daughter and business owner or worker. It’s much easier to do when you’re single because your focus is only on yourself. Once you get married, it’s so easy to fall into the ”why bother” phase. I mean you’re already married right? No point to get all dolled up for the man, right? WRONG!!!! If anything, this is the time when it’s even more crucial to keep your body looking right and stay on top of yourself as well as your family. Is it easy? HELL no! It’s actually easier to let it all go!! I have never liked the easy way out so I would rather keep myself looking the best I can, while I am still able to do so…I am known to be very STUBBORN!

Now men, this isn’t just for the ladies though. A lot of men that used to work out don’t anymore…and a lot of flat tummies of old which have disappeared are often blamed on the cooking of the good wife. Mind you, if you don’t cook, you’re an awful wife! Sharp dressing…out the window. Marriage is tough enough on its own without adding the additional changes that come due to lack of foresight or certain nonchalance to staying attractive for your spouse. So newlyweds don’t say you weren’t told…and for others who are in this rut and are trying to get out of it…CALL ME!! We can schedule a consultation!

Have a great week everyone!

Accessories...

Accessories…

Getting dressed is something we all do, that is unless you live in a nudist colony. But despite the fact that we all do it, HOW we do it varies. I have always been a huge fan of accessories (handbags, belts, sunglasses, necklaces, cocktail rings, earrings, cuffs, bangles..I have an endless list!) and they are an important part of my wardrobe.

So, why accessorize? Well, the obvious answer would be because you want to stand out, which is absolutely RIGHT!! My motto is Image is Everything and as such I want to make sure I always make the right impression. I don't wear an outfit without fully accessorizing the entire look. There is a big difference between wearing a simple black dress without accessories (you might look like you’re in mourning or attending a funeral) and wearing the same black dress with an AMAZING belt, a brooch (I am currently in LOVE with them) and a pair of killer pumps…sigh, I could go on and on with so many different variations!! It also makes your closet seem bigger than it really is. How? Well imagine wearing this same black dress with a chunky gold statement necklace, gold studs (never pair statement necklaces with elaborate earrings, doing that = OVERKILL!!!), bare legs with a lovely pair of hot colored pumps (I love purple right now, it could change in a month, lol) this is one look. Look 2 – same black dress, this time with a big colored belt, elaborate silver earrings (lacking in elaborate? Try big hoops), a brooch and boots…I could go on and on. But the point is your options are limitless as long as you have enough accessories to play around with.

Should I talk about shoes? Nah…that would be a really LONG post – LOL!!!

Anyway before I go totally off topic (I do have that bad habit at times) let me give the men out there a quick tip too. Guys, invest in some unique cuff links, funky bow ties/ties (you need a LOT of colorful ties to stand out) tie pins/clips (two different things that do the same job but achieve different looks), pocket squares, socks, an assortment of belts (don’t say one in black and one in brown is enough, or that you can wear the same belt for denim on slacks. The more effort you put into it, the better you will look. And women love to see a man who is put together …it leaves an impression.

What are your favorite accessories and why?

Image is Everything!!

Tony Hsieh and Aaron Magness of Zappos.



One of the major disadvantages of long weekends...SLOW STARTS!! I feel like it takes longer to get my act together!

Now besides working on international shopping and shipping for my clients (and the rest of the world) outside of the USA, I have also been busy working on updating my own company image, sigh like I am not busy enough!!

I feel that in order to grow, you must be able to learn from your mistakes - right? So as I am revamping everything, I had to think of every single complaint or comment I had received in the past 3 years. Now its not like take every single comment to heart...but I do try and weigh comments against what I want and if they make any kind of sense - that's the only way NOT to become narrow-minded.

Now when I chose my plastic cards, I knew I wanted them to stand out. Are they unique? Totally and they said exactly what I wanted them to say...Style. I wanted something that showed it without opening my mouth and it definitely achieved that. But what it didn't do was tell people how I could help them(list of services) and some people even after looking at my card, still asked for my email address. Funny right? Not to me...all of that is going to change.


How often do you change your image?? I think that both professionally and personally, its very necessary. My image and wardrobe has changed dramatically in less than a year. Why? As an employee , I dressed down to work to make sure that I was appropriate to where I was in the corporate world. How would you feel if your assistant dressed better than you?? I got fired once for this and obviously learned a valuable lesson from it. So in this case...I kept the fabulousity for after hours.

Now that I am running my own ship - I can truly be me. And trust me, I dress accordingly and so should you!!!

Have a fabulous day everyone and stay tuned to the unveiling of the new improved Versatile Shopper.

xoxo
Image is everything

P.S I am working on a few things with zappos. That's also why the website has to change. Above is a picture with me and the zappos men. Thanks Tony and Aaron for squeezing me into your busy schedule.
Go Zappos!!!

Question: Online shopping worldwide...

There is so much going on in the world today and boundaries are shifting. Online shopping is alive and well over here in the USA, but it isn't quite as accessible in other parts of the world. Anyone who knows me, knows I started to think!!!

As an image consultant , stylist and personal shopper based over here in the US. I get a lot of questions from people in Africa and in Europe about how they can get access to items we have over here. The obvious problem is no one wants to ship internationally, in other cases, its simply not knowing who to trust or how to even factor that into your current business.

I personally feel that it is very possible to get everything we get in the US to clients worldwide. Shipping outside of the United States is something I am tackling head on for a number of people and its working.

So my question here is this...if you could shop freely on a great website such as Zappos.com and get guarantees from ME that it would be delivered to you in about a timely fashion, how valuable would you find such an idea?? Shipping and clearing would be paid by you the customer (the company I use handles that too and its reasonable) But you would be guaranteed the same phenomenal customer service that companies such as Zappos offers over here...

Would it be worth it for you??

Please comment and feel free to share. This is possibly a great way to get more products into Nigeria and Africa as a whole.

Thanks in advance everyone I really need comments. Even if you disagree...comment anyway.

Have a fabulous weekend all!!!

The 60th Annual Emmy Awards....

Phew...

Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend!

The Emmy Awards were yesterday and to be honest it is one of the most BORING of the award shows and I honestly never watch it for anything other than the fashion. Since I didn't style anyone this time around, it means I simply get to watch what everyone else has done - also a lot of FUN! Unfortunately because I had to take my son out , I wasn't able to catch the Red Carpet Arrivals, so I watched with the TV muted while I did some ironing before heading over to my friend's place.

I of course, have my personal views on the fashion choices made by others (not surprising). But I honestly never fully agree with the Worst dressed list. Pushing the envelope should never be viewed as a fashion no no.

I personally liked Eva Longoria's dress. One has to remember that they have a TON of these events to attend and of course you don't want to look the same each and every time. I also have a thing for Bows...

Glenn Close's black dress to me was very age appropriate! I understand that some people cannot stand the shawl, but please compare it to Mary Tyler Moore who wore a black dress as well but with no shawl, we could see exactly how her face and her arms totally DO NOT match!! After a certain age, those arms HAVE to be covered up. So in my opinion the shawl NEEDED to be there!!!

Cynthia Nixon's total lack of bling to me is simply her being simple. One doesn't always have to have bling to complete a look. She had something on her wrists. That is what she was aiming for...If I were to change anything, I would make the color of her dress a little brighter...just saying.

Brooke Shield's fuschia Badgley Mischka I hated!! Don't ask, something about it rubbed me the wrong way...and this was on the BEST DRESSED list!!

Vanessa Williams DID look stunning in her Kevan Hall dress...our skin always looks very good in neutral tones, the print also made it stand out.

However , for some reason, I feel like I have seen America Ferrara in several black dresses of late, so I was a bit bored by it! I love her as an actress, but unlike her character on Ugly Betty, I don't think she does anything edgy on the red carpet...but then again, that might just be the look she was going for!

I don't think Felicity Hoffman's dress did anything for her frame. She has an amazing body, but I felt this outfit made us focus so much on her shoulders and thats not necessarily a good thing...

Blah on Marcia Cross' dress -oh so bland!!! And the GORGEOUS number on Nicolette Sheridan. That color was DIVINE on her...

Julia Louis-Dreyfus looked and walked away a winner! The Narciso Rodriguez creation was divine!!! We all know I am a bit(ok, maybe very) partial to color.

This is obviously not a full list. I have to leave some for the rest of you to comment about - LOL! Were you watching the awards? Which ones did you love or hate. Remember we all have opinions and I would love to hear some of them!!!

Have a great day all...

P.S Congrats to Jeremy Piven on his win yesterday! He cracks me up on Entourage!!

***all pictures courtesy Wireimage.

Random musings...Celebs and friends

Its Sunday evening, 6:38pm. I have just finished running through several blogs. Some of my favorites, some new ones and also thinking about my own. Its one thing to commit to blogging and another to actually do it! Fortunately, I can definitely see an improvement myself. Thank Goodness for the Blackberry!!! My one true addiction!!

Do I love to write? heck yeah (I was an English honors student-that should tell you something)... just as much as love to talk, LOL!! I always have an opinion about numerous things, but sometimes the bone of contention is figuring out which one to yap about. Would love to talk about work...but unfortunately that would be telling and I really do have to put my clients FIRST. And I doubt I would have any clients at all if I put them on full blast now would I?? So that's out of the question - LOL!! I guess I could also talk about my views on life in general...but my thoughts are sometimes sooo far left field it's not even funny! SO sometimes its a bit of a pickle isn't it??


As open as I am about my own life. I find that privacy is CRUCIAL for others. I am privy to so much information it is INSANE. I am also fiercely protective. I guess its the mother hen in me. But I am not even tempted to say anything or even give an opinion about certain things because I never believe its my place to talk about anything other than myself and my direct family. Does that make sense? I hope so...

Recently an old friend that I had just reconnected with(courtesy of Facebook), wanted to know something about one of my clients. She is a football FANATIC and so once she found out that I was his stylist she HAD to ask. This is not the first time this has happened to me, and since I am not a child, I obviously knew how to handle her. What was amusing(and bit surprising) was her response and how rude she became when she realized I wasn't going to tell her anything. I guess we now know why we lost contact in the first place...Sigh!!!

I have never believed like the rest of the world that Celebs aren't entitled to their privacy. If anything I feel very sorry for them most times. Who wants to see every pound gained /lost monitored and splashed across every paper/mag?? Every time you have a bad hair day/bad fashion day (not courtesy of me!)/bad fight...I mean you name it...they have had it, splashed as a headline everywhere!! Can you imagine every person you have ever dated being put under a microscope?? Whew...considering we have to kiss a lot of frogs to find that Prince charming. I guess we should count ourselves lucky that we were able to do it in peace.

Have a fabulous week and remember Image is everything!!!

xoxo

Sexiness and you...

Someone asked me a really interesting question the other today.What do you find sexy? I wanted to know why she asked (very weird question).She explained that she had just met a guy and asked me what I thought about him, because even though he was cute, she didn't find him sexy at all.

That made me think... I couldn't really give her an answer. Why? Sexiness for me is a lot of different things combined and its not purely just looks. I have dated guys that according to my husband, he didn't quite get what I saw in them!(I say the same about some of his ex's so we are pretty even on that one-LOL) But I always had an answer...it was just something about them!

So...that prompted me to ask people around me and obviously fellow bloggers.

What do you find sexy?

I find my husband's smile sexy (its also what attracted me to him at the airport in the first place), his confidence and his honesty...the day he picked me up and carried me across a huge puddle of water in Nigeria has got to be the sexiest moment of all time in our marriage (and trust me we had our moments)!! I am huge believer of what lies within and the fact that he KNOWS me (a little too well) and knows that those Gucci shoes mean so much to me and that if they got wet/trashed I would be SOOOO upset; all this without me saying a word!! That night...I paid up the way a good wife is supposed to!!

On a totally weird note, I find heels SUPER sexy!!!
I find fashion done correctly sexy...either on men or women!
Swagger...SUPER sexy!
The same goes for good manners and chivalry!


I unfortunately don't find Denzel Washington, LL Cool J, Vin Diesel, David Beckham sexy! I know they have great bodies and I can totally see why people want to take off their underwear for them - LOL. But I don't view them as sex objects, if I got to know them...then maybe. I can hear women screaming across the world - LOL. Let me explain fully!! For me it's much more than skin deep. I am not the kind of person who would see LL cool J (which I have) and think of what he would be like in bed or what I would do to him - HECK no!! I don't know him like that and that makes it difficult for me to even include him on a fantasy!! I am also just too much of a professional to view people that way. However, I know most women look at him lick his lips and automatically think of what those lips would do to them or vice versa! I am very weird i know...but it did make me curious enough to ask post this question to everyone else.


So...what do you find sexy? I really want to know!!