Urban Chocolate Challenge - Piece #4 - The Unexpected

I can't believe I completed a piece tonight, like really? Yes, really! And I finished it before 10 pm. I had no plans on even touching the tools, plus I left my magazines in the car and it's cold tonight. While I checked my emails, I thought I might just steal a peek inside Essence Magazine online, since it was the next issue I planned to buy. My fav section on their site and in the mag itself has got to be Street Style, hands-down.

Talk about everyday women with fashion flair. Yep, they're all right there. One day, in my glazed over, daydream tone, I'll grace Essence Street Style with my eccentricity. Right...with my luck, the day I see the photography crew headed my way, I'll probably be wearing my I just went to the corner store to buy some milk diggs...note to self, always be found with style.


Now back to the piece. No the inspiration didn't come from the magazine, but it came from the online version and today is March 9th, so technically, it counts. The inspiration, dramatic stones & simple chains. This was a no-brainer. I recently added some super thick, rich brown, glass stones to my collection, really didn't have a project in mind for them, but one look at the inspiration and it instantly came to me!

Yes, I celebrate colors, and wildly insane graphic prints, but I also appreciate the simplicity of monocromatic tones. I was asked by a styling client recently, while painstakingly deciding upon her accessories, about my approach to accessorizing. A really tough question for me and maybe some can understand, but the answer can really be sought in the shapes, angles and lines and not always in the colors. So yea, the structure and design of the pieces below is what really caught my eye.

I toyed around with adding color or various shaped stones to this one, but thought it best kept simple and clean. It's approximately 18 inches long and it's pretty weighty. Now, let me add that while I adore this piece, I wouldn't mind adding one more stone. Something wider and eye-catching. I may stop by Bead Couture close to the Main Library and scope out something real special. But I'll leave it be for now, but when I find that perfect stone, please believe...I will be reconstructing.Good night, beautiful people. Tomorrow is a special day for me and I'll need the energy to take it all in. Say a prayer for me and I'll do the same for you.

Love,
Kim

Urban Chocolate Challenge - Pieces #2 & #3

Good Morning, Beautiful People and it is 12:19 in the morning as I type this post and I am sleepy as all get out (disregard that time at the bottom of this post, it is soooooooo wrong) . I still have some exciting news that I will share with only the readers of my blog, because you are tops! Facebook is fun and necessary for me, but I find it to be vain and superficial and not always befitting to share every thought. But blogging is so me.

Now, back to the challenge and I do mean a challenge. I assumed that I would at least be able to design 3 pieces during the week and 4 on the weekend, but that has proven to be negatory. Yet, I have not given up! Now let's dig in.

Piece #2 was a major move for me because it's my first pair of clip-on earrings, inspired by probably one of my favorite spreads ever in Vogue. The spread, beginning on page 554 and aptly titled The Life Rhapsodic, is full of color and ethnic inspired prints, plus Savion Glover, John Legend and Anthony Mackie - three reasons why this spread may go on my wall.

Let me say, the May 2011 issue of Vogue is FULL of ethnic inspired prints, I mean from beginning to end. Allow me to also add, that I played around with the idea of such prints like two weeks ago with my hand-wrapped bracelets from the Ultimate Urban Collection and I just picked up this mag today.

So here's a few pics of the spread and the earrings, made from a Kente inspired cloth...I almost wanted to add something to the center to balance it, but I love the simplicity of, plus I didn't want to take away from the cohesiveness of the colors.

I love clip-ons and post earrings, especially now that my hair is short; they provide a certain crispness, that larger pieces many times fail to do. I'll rock them this weekend to test and make sure they're ready to brave the elements and I promise to give you better pictures, you know when my make-up is right and I'm actually awake. You can click the pics to make them larger...
Now to piece #3, inspired by a FOUR page fold-out, Fendi spread-actually the inside front cover.
Four pages, yes!!!! These are great, cause they offer a panoramic view and allow the reader to just take it all in. Now, I chose this spread simply because the colors were just too magnificent to not mimic. Deep sea blues, corals, chocolates and emerald greens with splashes of magenta and gold. I mean, the possibilities of what I can do with all these colors, is like crazy endless.

These bad boys are from my new Urban Candy Collection. Sweet and unashamedly colorful! They're kind of like charms for your ears. Absolutely love them. Be sure to check out the blue chain and the copper trinkets.

These actually proved to be a lot more difficult to design than I expected. Making sure they were both even in length, spacing the charms just right, the feng shui of the charms...it was such a headache to piece together. But oh my! The end result was most definitely worth the pain. I'm glad this Fendi ad was placed in the inside front cover, cause had it been in the middle or towards the end I would have skipped right over it :(

Now that's all for me tonight...no, this morning. I wish I could tell you more about these pieces, cause I really do adore them. Both will be in my Etsy shop, which I have not set a launch date, but soon.

3 down and 27 pieces in 22 days to go. Let's get it!

Urban Chocolate Challenge - Piece #1 / Anchors Away

I know, I know; It's been a minute...don't give up on me yet. It's been a trying couple of months for ya girl. Challenging, yet fulfilling and enlightening. So much so, that I have allowed my challenging past couple of months to serve as a springboard for a personal challenge. Crazy, right? I know, but I do crazy, off the wall, out the box, type stuff on a daily.

Speaking of off the wall and out the box, I'll be sharing some great news with you in a couple of weeks. So stay tuned, here? Back to this challenge. I have given myself 30 days to create 30 accessories all inspired by the March issue of any magazine. I originally said the March issue of InStyle, but why limit myself? The only rule is that the inspiration must come from a March 2011 issue and that I must create a total of 30 pieces by the end of the Month. Other than that, no holds barred baby!

Now, allow me to introduce my first creation "Anchors Away," inspired by page 311 of InStyle, which so happens to be a Sperry ad. Absolutely love stripes, have loved them since the beginning of time. And navy or just about any shade of blue is quickly making it's way up my gotta have more of or GHMO list. The nautical look has been around a couple of seasons now, but what better time to sport it than this Spring!

Matter of fact, I sported stripes a couple days ago...see? By the way, if you love the earrings, check out my girl Kelanie Hayes of Very Prissy.

She was one of the vendors at the Indie Crowd Market I hosted last year. Bold earrings should mos def be on your GHMO list.

I do hope you like Day 1's challenge, I love it. I'm in the process of setting up my Etsy store, so this will be there until it sells. I dare not charge more than what I'll pay for it, so this will probably go for $15.00. All I did was add a handmade fabric rosette to a vintage clutch and embellished it with an old sun charm and some smaller trinkets. I included silver and gold, to take the fuss out of what color accessories to rock with it.

Personally, i would wear this with a a simple tank, a mens- inspired blazer and a pair of high-waist, wide-leg pants ( which will be in this spring and summer, also a necessity on the GHMO list) and a red heeled shoe. Without the blazer, it'll look real nice with red flats or red flat sandals. Wish I had time to put together a look so you can get a visual. Maybe tomorrow, maybe not.

That's all for tonight, beautiful people, gotta catch up on some orders. Be sure to check out www.URchocolateboutique.com.

Style Junkie - One Year Anniversary Celebration!!!

If you consider yourself to be amongst the fashionable elite and you haven’t checked out Style Junkie, it’s seriously time to reconsider your style status. Celebrated by many style conscious and trend-savvy socialites, Style Junkie has quickly become the source for trendy shoes, handbags, and accessories. The fashion forward lifestyle boutique is known for its innovative ad campaigns and chic events.

I had the opportunity to collab with Style Junkie’s owner, Andrea Fenise, during a styling session for a LoveNuArt Magazine cover. Andrea, a major player on the Memphis fashion scene operates with the philosophy when you look good, you feel good, and she’s helping women get there, one closet at a time.

Commemorating its one year anniversary, Style Junkie will premiere its spring lifestyle collection to the city’s fashionable professionals and tastemakers. Guests can expect an awe inspiring high-fashion runway show that promises to deliver a fusion of fashion and art. This chic celebration will take place at the Style Junkie Boutique @ 639 Marshall Ave in Downtown Memphis. I definitely plan to be in the building, won’t you join me?

For more information, email info@stylejunkieboutique.com or visit www.stylejunkieboutique.com

Giveaway Winner!!!

Thanks everyone for entering the contest. It was certainly my pleasure to read your comments on this fabulous clutch and to have you follow my blog.

So now to the winner, right. Well.............................................................................let's give a big round of applause to ATHOMPSON!!!! I will be emailing you shortly to confirm and you'll have 48 hours to respond.

My next giveaway will be a bracelet/earring combo from my handwrapped collection.

Be sure to check out my new series of posts dedicated to Black History Month, entitled Color Me Cultured.












Thanks again ya'll for all the support and love!!! SN - I hate typing the word ya'll but I'm from the south and I use the word a million times a day. For those who aren't used to saying and/or hearing it. It looks mighty funny and sounds even funnier, but it's just my dialect.

Good Night, Beautiful People.

-Kim

Color Me Cultured - Because style is optional, but culture is essential

Bruce Oldfield – Distinct Style at its Best

I was watching/listening to Good Morning America earlier this week (which has become a weekday necessity for me as I get ready for work) and their sometimes overly obsessive coverage of the royal wedding. Now, I’m not one to really care about the happenings of royal affairs, but I do remember as a young woman who was growing into a love of style, my fascination with Princess Diana. I can vividly recall being totally enthralled every time I saw her on TV. She was like the Jackie O of England – always pomp, ever graceful, and forever just freaking fresh.

Anyway back to me and the news….so whilst applying my makeup, I overheard the upcoming story revolving around the infamous wedding dress to be worn by Kate Middleton, Princess in waiting. Note-to self, Princess Diana was always on-point and from what I’ve heard and seen on the news, Kate Middleton definitely has noteworthy style…Kim, you might want to watch this story. La-dee-dah, putting on makeup and the news comes back on, which was my queue to step away from the bathroom mirror and get in front of the TV.

To my surprise, there sat this captivating black man with a distinguished British accent speaking on style and fashion and I’m thinking, who is this Bruce Oldfield guy and why is he not in my style radar? One of Princess Diana’s favorite designers, Bruce Oldfield was rumored to be the designer of choice of Kate’s dress. He denied all speculations, not to mention Kate prefers that the designer’s identity be kept a secret.

Check out this dapper debonnaire at www.bruceoldfield.com

Well Mr. Oldfield, if you‘ve dressed past and present style icons such as Joan Collins, Sienna Miller and Rihanna, shame on Kate for not choosing you to design the wedding dress of the century. But who am I? If style were a lifespan, I would be thirty-something, no longer desiring to follow the trends and fads of the masses, but slowly constructing my own distinct and flair.

Vintage Style sewing pattern - Designed by Bruce Oldfield.

I don’t have much time to detail Bruce Oldfield’s work or accomplishments, but believe me when I tell you, this man has style and he definitely has my attention.

Bruce Oldfield, designer with Dress of the Year 1985

OAN1: Don't forget, the clutch giveaway ends today at 8:00 pm central time
OAN2: I'm planning a trunk show in the Memphis area this Saturday
OAN3: Check me out at www.URchocolateboutique.com

Goodbye for now, Beautiful People,
Kim