Personal Style Diary: Yellow Brick Wall

                      Pants: Need Supply Co. $88, Top Brandy Melville $25, Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell $160 

Baby Greens & Quinoa

Deeeeeeeeeeelicious! Snap from lunch at The Daily - Grilled Chicken and Quinoa salad! 

I made one at home the other night and TBH mine tasted so much better but this one was more photogenic! Recipe to follow soon. 

Monthly Snags: July

Some of my recent snags from this month... peep the snags from the Nordstrom sale (wink wink) 

Aesthetic

Nicki said it: "Rag & Bone jeans I can slip off"- these jeans are the softest things ever they feel like sweat pants. Snapped a OOTD selfie at while working, I have this thing with wood floors, white button downs, and jeans - sounds strange but I like the aesthetic. It's all about the aesthetic people!! If you're wondering what I'm talking about go check out my TUMBLR  for a crash course in Michelle's aesthetic 101. 

Personal Style Diary: 70s Jumpsuit

The 70s are back and I'm so into it. My Nordstrom anniversary sale pick (ASTR Jumpsuit) see Nordstrom sale post here:  Nordstrom Picks Post

Words cannot describe how much I love this jumpsuit, beyond just the accessibility and comfortableness of a jumpsuit this one definitely makes a statement and screams 70s. 

Personal Style Diary: Olive Jumpsuit

The Deets: ASTR jumpsuit- on sale for $39 Shoes- South Moon Under Chloe & Mo $45 on sale 

My Picks: Nordstrom Anniversary Sale!

Well I did it, I shopped the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale for the second year in a row and I found some amazing things that I obviously am in love with. As promised I am sharing them with you all so you can get a peek at my fall wardrobe for this upcoming season. 

SHOPPER'S TIP:: First off - I highly recommend shopping strategically! Before I even set foot into Nordstrom I made a personal list of all the items and trends that I wanted to look out for as I shopped. This way you aren't shopping "blind" in the sense that you kind of have a feeling for what you are looking for and more importantly what you really need!! While I will say we all have those shopping trips where you just buy whatever you want just because you can- it is so much more satisfying, in my opinion, to cross things off a list and have a goal as well as a budget of what you are shopping for and how much you are willing to spend. 

Denim: 

Boy I made out like a bandit as far as denim is concerned, which is always a good thing for me because I am always and I mean ALWAYS shopping for denim. It's one of those items that you can really never get enough. I have denim for all occasions and in a variety of styles but these three pair are my new faves!

The first are a pair of J Brand Lovestory Flare jeans - Originally $225, Anniversary Sale: $149

I love these babies and I have already worn them once since I purchased them this past Tuesday and let me tell you ladies - they feel like a dream on! They are super soft and get this... wait for it... they are super slimming and make your butt look like a 10 out of 10! Not to mention they are actually a little too long for me and I am 5'9" without heels - so they are most definitely meant to be worn with heels but if your'e not into the whole heels scene, Nordstrom's will alter anything you purchase from them free of charge! --By the way these are my first pair of J Brands and it's official we are in love. 

Next up are my second favorite and those are the AG Stilt Cigarette Leg jean - Originally $225, Anniversary sale $149 

These AG's are my first pair of AG's and I can honestly say that it was love at first sight. I am sorta cheating on them with the J Brand flares but it's okay because I have big plans for these babies. They are cigarette leg which I love because they are literally the complete opposite of the J Brand flares. They are cropped just above the ankle bone and when I tried them on with the shoes ( both pair in the pic) they looked AMAZING even with a flat bootie they look so cute and of course with a pump, I mean come on, duh! 

And last but not least for the Jeans are the Citizens of Humanity Ariel Slim Jean -  $168 

Don't get me wrong I do love these jeans but unfortunately they are the only one's that were not on sale but they are definitely worth the splurge. I rarely ever buy things that are not on sale but I bit the bullet and just did it! These are great because they are little bit longer than the AG cigarette leg and the wash of them is what really sets them apart from the pack. These have a sort of metallic finish to them which makes them perfect for the fall and winter. I think they would look great with a brown boot and a simple white blouse or turtle neck. 

Shoes:

Next on my list were a pair of ankle booties - and I found em! 

These are  Dolce Vita Ankle Booties Originally $130, Anniversary Sale $84

I absolute love the look of the beige ankle booties! They go great with every pair of jeans that I bought and I really just think they are going to make a great staple in my closet for just about every season. I plan on styling mine with dresses, skirts, and jeans so they sky is the limit with these bad boys. (PS they look so similar to the mega chic Saint Laurent booties too!) 

Vince Camuto Pump Originally $129, Anniversary $85

The second pair of shoes were actually a steal by my Mamacita! She had been looking for a pair of black pumps and these just happen to meet all her criteria. 

Tops:

Trouve Textured Knit Tunic Originally $78, Anniversary Sale $49

Fun fact this exact same style and color was in Zara last fall and I had been dreaming of it ever since. I love it so much that I bought it in both black and rusty orange! As hard as I tried it did not work for me as a dress, I know so sad, but it looks so cute over the skinnies from above and the flares too! 

So glad I bought it in black and orange- well worth it!

Jumpsuit : 

ASTR Floral high neck jumpsuit Originally $78, Anniversary Sale $52

This jumpsuit was love at first sight, I know I say that about everything but it really was true this time. I mean how could you not fall in love with this 70s inspired pattern and high neckline. AM I RIGHT LADIES?! This is a winner across all boards in my book, not to mention- super comfortable. This right here is my show stopper outfit, so if you're looking to turn some heads, look no further. 

Moto Jacket:

BLANKNYC Vegan leather Moto Jacket Originally $98, Anniversary Sale $64

One main item on my list for this year was a black moto jacket. Last year I stumbled upon an amazing BlankNYC vegan leather jacket for under $100 ,so I had my fingers crossed that this year I would be just as lucky to find a black one. Low and behold, there she was: a black vegan leather jacket with all matte black hardware! AWHHH perfect and guess what?! It is even by the same brand as my other one! Ahh life is good. When you find something that you love why not get two?! I find leather jackets super useful. I wear them with dresses, sweat pants, yogas, denim, shorts... all the above a great moto jacket can be a game changer. 

Home:

Loloi Zebra stripe Rug Originally $64, Anniversary Sale $40

Now if you know me, you are probably completely not surprised that I walked out of the Nordstrom sale with a big fluffy floor rug. I couldn't help myself it was just soon fluffy! Not to mention I will be moving back up to NY for the school year and I definitely need a new rug to go beside my bed - so naturally I thought this would make a perfect fit. Zebra print, I mean do I need to go on?  

Well that did it for me, shop smart and shop often... el oh el that is horrible advice

xoxo
Michelle Nicole

Word of the day : reflection

These past couple of days have been funny for little ole me. You know those days where you just can't find anything you like about yourself? -- Yea well I was having one of those days, a couple of them actually. 

Living in this world and society, where so much of what we contribute to success and happiness is how a person looks or how we look ourselves - it gets hard to separate ourselves from that and remember what is on the inside that really matters and more importantly who we actually are besides all the stuff we have and the way that we look. 

We all have our insecurities, I sure do, and although they may not make sense when we say them out loud, it doesn't mean that they are any less real. We are our own worst critics, hell I can tear myself apart just as well as the next girl but at the end of the day I have to remind myself that all those things that I was just complaining and worrying about are all superficial and shallow and no one really gives a damn at the end of the day! 

For me, I have always been insecure about the way I look - which is typical (everyone deals with it at some point) but I definitely struggled with not looking the way all my friends did when I was little and as I went through school - all the way up through high school. My biggest insecurity besides my skin color was my hair. Oh how I battled with my hair over the years. I had long beautiful hair up until the 9th grade, when I decided to chop it all off just underneath my chin (bob style) because it had gotten so damaged from trying out a new hair stylist. I remember when I had to get that hair cut, I was mad, sad, embarrassed-- all the above! Throughout high school all I wanted was to have long beautiful hair again, I even thought about getting clip in extensions and everything but I could never commit because I was afraid that my friends and the people I saw everyday would think I was trying to be something I wasn't and that getting extensions randomly one day would be too obvious. Ultimately I was afraid of being rejected and also afraid of rejecting myself and what I wanted as a result. So I waited until I went away to college, with people I had never met before and knew nothing about me or my insecurities to finally get hair extensions.

Well, let me tell you - my oh my did it make a world of a difference just in the way I felt. I could give two craps about what other people thought and even though people would compliment me on how beautiful I was (am) - to this day I don't wear hair extensions for other people, I wear them because I want to and because it makes me feel like myself again. Now, don't get me wrong my hair has definitely grown back to be on it's way to be super long and beautiful just like it was years ago, but now I wear my extensions because I want to and to help my hair grow and not because I have to. 

Although I still have my insecurities about my hair and other things as well I am dealing with them and I am grateful for them because without these insecurities I wouldn't have anything to work towards or make me human. I am not perfect and I know that, but I deal with my insecurities in the best way that I know how and that is doing what makes me happy and finding the things that I LOVE about my self like my smile, and my beautiful skin color, and my legs! Wow, I have soo much to be grateful for. I have beautiful parents who blessed me with great genes and I know that I am beautiful in their eyes, in God's eyes, and in my own eyes and I am okay with that. 

Am I cool yet?

Hey all you cool kids, am I doing it right? Lolz just kidding I'm not cool and I understand that but hey can't knock a girl for trying! 

Check out this crafty bralette inspired body chain I made - deets to follow on my new jewelry creations! I also got some of those cool trendy metallic tattoos - cool huh?! (except I failed at applying them) 

 MWAH 

xoxo 

michelle nicole 

New Friends

You had me at hello Jeffrey Campbell. Ahh alas I found a comfortable yet trendy pair of shoes. Normally I am not on trend at all - it's one of those fashion things that I just never caught on -- but these babies, I happen to stumble upon this past holiday weekend. (July 4th) I scooped them up during a lunch break at work at a store called Need Supply Co. in Carytown, Virginia. For all you Richmond-ers, I know you trendy fan  hipsters -  know what I'm talking about when I say Need Supply (el oh el). Anyway they are the most comfortable sandals I own now - apart from my Rainbows. 

The color is perfect because they go with just about anything. As we speak I am wearing them with black highwaisted skinnies and a striped grey and white tank. Voila! Perfect - an effortless minimalist shoe that can be dressed up or down! Moral of this short story- do yourself a favor and get yourself a pair ...you're welcome.

xoxo
Michelle Nicole

PS. I will have the details for ya soon to come! MWAH

Grapefruit is So photogenic

Now can we just take a moment and  just appreciated how well my breakfast photographed this morning?! I mean -- am I right ladies?? I halfway look like a real blogger! 

So I am trying this new thing where I cut out dairy from my diet-- (says no one ever) but yes I really am doing it! Why? Because my body sometimes decides that we are no longer on speaking terms and decides it is going to revolt to whatever I choose to put in it (our studies show that 99% of the time my body does not respond well to dairy) so! What's a girl to do? Cut it out all together, they said! So- here I am. Dairy- less and crying because I can't have my almond iced latte for a whole two weeks while I figure this thing out! Ohhhhhemgee! How will I survive? 

Please excuse the dramatics it's for special effect :) 

I settled for grilled grapefruit and toast this morning - yea that's right I throw my grapefruit on the grill with a little bit of brown sugar because I'm high class. 

Laters Baby-- 

xoxo

Michelle Nicole 

Let's chat - topic of discussion: July Agenda

HELLOOOOO JULY! Well, it's the start of a new month which means summer is officially in full swing (just in case you we unaware). So to start off this month let's see what's on this month's agenda shall we?! 

First off: The Fashion Memo: a series of a pre fall looks and inspirations 

This series will include a collection of my picks for pre fall lust/must items that are a mix of items that I have in my own closet (the 'must' part) as well as some of my favorite high end fashion items that are setting the pace for this seasons fashion trends (the 'lust' part)

Second: Shopper's Anonymous - my how to guide of avoiding "shopper's remorse" 

This series includes my two cents on what to splurge on and what to save on and how to shop a sale the right/ strategic way (take my word I'm really really good at shopping and I am especially good at sale shopping) 

Third: I've officially branded myself as a content creator, brand strategist, and social media/ marketing consultant in addition to fashion stylist and jewelry designer -- wowee that was a mouthful ,I may have trouble fitting that all on a business card - but the point is your wish is my command! I haven't quite decided if I am going to link my service website to this blog yet or set up a brand new website -but have no fear it is definitely in the works and should be up and running by the end of the month! YIPEE! More info on my brand Con-Cepts is coming soon so be sure to look out for that! But for now to quench your thirst you can check out my temporary portfolio CLICK HERE!

That's all for now beautiful human beings of the internet (promo plug for Lauren Elizabeth) 

Self Promo plug as if this blog isn't enough - I have to say follow me on social medias because if I didn't I wouldn't be a true marketer/ branding consultant (el oh el!) 

@michellenapper -twitter/instagram/facebook/linkdin

Fashion Toast? - My Fashion Memo

A question a lot of people ask me is where do I get my style from - and in answering that I always say from a pool of different inspirations. Believe it or not, I find a lot of my inspiration just from random people walking down the street! I combine their inspirations with the classic taste that my mum and grandmother embody and of course I always put my own touch on it as well. I never try to exclude myself from different styles, colors, or patterns because you really never how something is going to look until you try it, which sounds so blah cliche but it really is true. If all else fails- whenever I am feeling stuck or need some new inspiration I take a scroll through my tumblr feed (which you can peep in the 'inspiration' tab)! Believe it or not I find a TON of fashion, home, and life inspiration on there and it really just helps me build and create my true aesthetic. So there ya have it - "fashion toast" or fashion wisdom from me! 

Lets go to the beach-each

When in doubt speak in song lyrics - I thought none other than Nicki Minaj would be appropriate for this occasion because I did in fact go to the beach - with my mum this past weekend. Despite the monsoon that took place two days out of the three it was a great weekend (el oh el). No but really, it was a nice little getaway from work and normal life, sometimes you gotta just take some time to get some sand in between your toes folks!

xoxo
Michelle Nicole

Minimalist Moods

For once there were no little munchkins running around the life-size chess board so I took advantage of the opportunity and snapped a pic! To me there is nothing chic-er than black and white and the way those colors are so minimalist in style but hold so much versatility and style with minimal effort - and to me that is what fashion is all about: versatility, effortlessness, and minimalist