xoxo-
<3 Parker S.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Stay Tuned...
The past month has been absolutely amazing! I have had the opportunity to attend so many wonderful events. Needless to say I have a lot to catch you guys up on, so stay tuned. I will begin my regular posting soon!
xoxo-
<3 Parker S.
xoxo-
<3 Parker S.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Sonsi Be-YOU-tiful Pop Up Party
About a week ago I was invited to attend the Sonsi Be-YOU-tiful Pop Up Party during Full Figured Fashion Week in NYC. I can not tell you how honored I was to attend. For those of you who don't know, FFFWeek was not even on my radar until my number one supporter/mom sponsored me to attend. I was actually 2 days past the application deadline to see if I could be invited to the party, but still submitted it anyway. After not hearing anything after about a week, I tried not to be bummed out about it, but decided I would just strive to make it next year. Surprisingly a couple of days later, Emily from Sonsi emailed me and extended the invitation! Needless to say, I was beyond excited.
When I arrived at the party, I was the first guest there. They weren't quite ready to let us in yet, so thankfully, 2 other early birds joined me in the hall. Curvy model & fashion writer Olga Gonzalez-Ramos & fellow blogger Georgette Niles were kind enough to chat with me and pose for a couple of pictures. Finally, we were able to enter the fabulous oasis that Sonsi had created for us. First off, we grabbed our printed name badges and a TDF swag bag and started circulating.
My first stop was at the Palm Beach Jewelry table where I scored a gorgeous bracelet and earrings set in a mini swag bag. Their jewelry is fun and affordable and is a budget fashionita's dream come true!!
My next stop was at the Catherine's booth. Catherine's actually started as a small store in Memphis and has grown to 400+ stores nationwide. They specialize in clothes from sizes 16-34/0-5x. With that broad range, they are able to accommodate a variety of women. I was fortunate enough to meet the buyer, Aretha Blake and have the most inspiring and moving conversation with Designer/Product Development Manager Marcella Chambers. These women are doing big things and it's so inspiring to see their work unfold.
Next was date with SWAK (Sealed With A Kiss). I was able to chat with Director of Marketing and Creative Development, Sarah Sapora and preview the fall collection. Guys, SWAK is AMAZING. While there, I scored "The Perfect Leggings" and the effortlessly chic "Felicity Poncho Top". This outfit was literally a lifesaver. Of course, being the diva I am, I totally by-passed comfort on this trip and went for cute. I actually put these pieces to the test later that day (full review coming soon).
After checking out some of the other vendors, I ran into fellow Atlanta Blog Fab Fashionista, Nikka Shae of Oh!Nikka. We had an amazing time catching up and meeting other fun bloggers. We did and impromptu photo shoot courtesy of Sonsi and actually met the Founder of FFFWeek, Ms. Gwen Devoe. Nikka also won an amazing Diane Von Furstenberg tote and all was right with the world!
The party was absolutely amazing. I have never felt more in my element than being surrounded by great brands and other fabulous fashion bloggers. It was a day that was both fun and educational and hopefully the beginning of some life-long friendships! For more information about any of the brands listed above, visit www.sonsi.com. Stay tuned for the runway fashions from FFFWeek!
xoxo-
Parker S. <3
When I arrived at the party, I was the first guest there. They weren't quite ready to let us in yet, so thankfully, 2 other early birds joined me in the hall. Curvy model & fashion writer Olga Gonzalez-Ramos & fellow blogger Georgette Niles were kind enough to chat with me and pose for a couple of pictures. Finally, we were able to enter the fabulous oasis that Sonsi had created for us. First off, we grabbed our printed name badges and a TDF swag bag and started circulating.
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| @grownandcurvywo , @olgaplusmodel & me #sonsibeYOUtiful |
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| Peaking inside #sonsibeYOUtiful Pop Up Party |
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| FAB bag of swag courtesy of Sonsi |
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| Palm Beach Jewelry |
My next stop was at the Catherine's booth. Catherine's actually started as a small store in Memphis and has grown to 400+ stores nationwide. They specialize in clothes from sizes 16-34/0-5x. With that broad range, they are able to accommodate a variety of women. I was fortunate enough to meet the buyer, Aretha Blake and have the most inspiring and moving conversation with Designer/Product Development Manager Marcella Chambers. These women are doing big things and it's so inspiring to see their work unfold.
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| FAB Caftan by Catherine's |
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| Me & Buyer, Aretha from Catherine's |
Next was date with SWAK (Sealed With A Kiss). I was able to chat with Director of Marketing and Creative Development, Sarah Sapora and preview the fall collection. Guys, SWAK is AMAZING. While there, I scored "The Perfect Leggings" and the effortlessly chic "Felicity Poncho Top". This outfit was literally a lifesaver. Of course, being the diva I am, I totally by-passed comfort on this trip and went for cute. I actually put these pieces to the test later that day (full review coming soon).
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| Sarah from SWAK |
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| New Looks from SWAK |
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| Nikka Shae working the camera |
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| The FAB Jessica Kane & moi |
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| Twin Fashion Bloggers Jeka & Jeke of La Maison Deux |
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| Nikka Shae winning big! |
.JPG) |
| Me & Ms. Gwen Devoe |
The party was absolutely amazing. I have never felt more in my element than being surrounded by great brands and other fabulous fashion bloggers. It was a day that was both fun and educational and hopefully the beginning of some life-long friendships! For more information about any of the brands listed above, visit www.sonsi.com. Stay tuned for the runway fashions from FFFWeek!
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| Me, Vice President of Fashion & Home Eric Kreller & Asst. Account Executive Rebecca Masterbone of Lippe Taylor Brand Communications Firm |
xoxo-
Parker S. <3
***Fashion Flash***
Join me tonight to help raise awareness around the issue of Domestic Violence.
Show your support and help White Out Domestic Violence by attending this exclusive shopping event.
Come experience an evening of inspiration, empowerment, food, entertainment, and of course FASHION!!
Partial proceeds from ticket sales will go directly to support Chayil, Inc and NuRevelations in their mission to help formerly abused women transition from victims to victors!
This is an all white party, so come in your best summer white!
Friday, June 22, 2012
The Last Outlaw: Review/Album Release Party
So, I know you’re probably thinking that I must be President of the Pastor Troy fan club, since this is the third post I have written about him in the last 2 months, but honestly, I am just showing my appreciation for the first artist to show me love. Whenever he has an event coming up, he is always kind enough to extend an invitation my way. As I have told you before, our meeting was completely by chance, and the vast difference between his boisterous public persona and his genteel southern demeanor totally fascinates me.
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| Chance Meeting @ House of Adrene #SwapnistaDay |
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| Outside 255 Tapas Lounge |
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| DJ Kerosene |
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| Inside 255 Tapas Lounge |
It's rare that you find a rapper who is also a lyricist. When you have the ability to take your listeners on a journey with your music, as Pastor Troy does, you truly have a talent that's worth taking note of. Earlier on Tuesday, I downloaded my copy of The Last Outlaw. Because this will be Pastor's 24th album, I really didn't know what to expect. However, I was pleasantly surprised to hear that the tone of this album was remarkably different.
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| My digital copy of "The Last Outlaw" |
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| Pastor Troy & Guests enjoying the patio |
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| New Artist Mesha Write featured on "Keep Shakin' Baby" (new artist spotlight coming soon) |
Although there are still elements of the classic PT that we all love as displayed in "Shut the Club Down", "That Chevy Thang" and "Turn It Up", he also allows us to experience his disappointments and frustrations in "I Thought About It, "When I Was F*cked Up", & "Everything That's On My Mind". In addition to being both crunk & thought provoking, the album also allows you to observe Pastor's continuous struggle to find the balance between his secular lifestyle and strong, religious foundation. In tracks, "The End Times" and "My Father Told Me", he proudly proclaims his love for God and his desire for retribution.
"The Last Outlaw" marks the dawn of a new era for the Pastor Troy brand, and I am excited to see this next chapter unfold. As I have told you before, this is the "Rebirth" of Pastor Troy. This album shows a more self assured Pastor Troy that is not afraid to express the disdain that he feels for the lack of respect he has been shown over the years. "The Last Outlaw" is about him stepping up to taking what rightfully his. I strongly recommend you download this album today and support a truly remarkable artist. The album can be purchased at Best Buy stores nationwide or can be downloaded from iTunes or Amazon.
See You On the Front Row!
<3 Parker S.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
#SonsiFFFWeek Day 1
Hey Guys! I'm sorry for the radio silence, but I have been trying to regroup since I returned from Sonsi Full Figured Fashion Week 2012! There are so many amazing things that I want to share with you, so I am going to break it up into different posts as not to overwhelm you. Last week, for 4 days, curvy girls from all over the world transcended upon the Big Apple and took over! With this being my first FFFWeek, I really didn't know what to expect, but I must honestly tell you, I was totally blown away. I arrived in NYC on Thursday, and was moving non stop the whole weekend long. Unfortunately my flight arrived late, so I missed the Blogging 101 panel discussion. Therefore, I decided to hit up the "Curves in the City" shopping event.
The shopping event was a curvy girls dream come true. Some of the best boutiques and brands from around the world were there showcasing their collections. Of course, yours truly, had to put her best foot forward, so I decided to color block in my FAVE JCP jacket & ASOS Curve dress (no longer available in plus but available in straight sizes). The dolls from the UK clothing brand Evans, were kind enough to snap a photo of me and also go over the launch of the new #EvansUSA website.
I took a twirl in a FAB purple skirt by independent clothing designer, Savannah Red (full article on her FAB line coming soon) and scored some arm candy from the divas at Curvaceous Boutique (2012 Plus Boutique of the Year Winner).
After giving my Visa a workout, I went upstairs to change for an evening networking mixer. While walking to the venue, I ran into fellow team #thiqwitit brand ambassador Shanta, and Thiq Boutique owner, Chrystal Jackson! Because I spotted Chrystal in the city, I scored a $50 Thiq Boutique gift card!
After catching up I continued on to the most amazing networking party ever. I was greeted at the door and then escorted into an ultra sexy lounge! I also met tons of amazing fashion bloggers from all over the world. During the mixer we were treated with savory bites and an amazing concert including singers that were hand picked to entertain us.
Can you believe all of this happened in just one day??? Stay tuned, I will be bringing you some of my favorite fashions from the runway shows and more coverage from some of the amazing parties I attended!
xoxo-
<3Parker S.
The shopping event was a curvy girls dream come true. Some of the best boutiques and brands from around the world were there showcasing their collections. Of course, yours truly, had to put her best foot forward, so I decided to color block in my FAVE JCP jacket & ASOS Curve dress (no longer available in plus but available in straight sizes). The dolls from the UK clothing brand Evans, were kind enough to snap a photo of me and also go over the launch of the new #EvansUSA website.
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| ASOS Curve Dress, JCP Jacket, The Spoiled Diva Clutch, Eloquii Belt, Steve Madden Shoes |
I took a twirl in a FAB purple skirt by independent clothing designer, Savannah Red (full article on her FAB line coming soon) and scored some arm candy from the divas at Curvaceous Boutique (2012 Plus Boutique of the Year Winner).
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| Designer, Savannah Red |
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| Me Twirling in a Savannah Red Circle Skirt |
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| FAB Divas from Curvaceous Boutique |
After giving my Visa a workout, I went upstairs to change for an evening networking mixer. While walking to the venue, I ran into fellow team #thiqwitit brand ambassador Shanta, and Thiq Boutique owner, Chrystal Jackson! Because I spotted Chrystal in the city, I scored a $50 Thiq Boutique gift card!
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| 2 Thiq Diva's |
After catching up I continued on to the most amazing networking party ever. I was greeted at the door and then escorted into an ultra sexy lounge! I also met tons of amazing fashion bloggers from all over the world. During the mixer we were treated with savory bites and an amazing concert including singers that were hand picked to entertain us.
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| Amazing Concert! |
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| Bloggers from the US, Canada & Australia |
xoxo-
<3Parker S.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Fashion Flash: #ThiqWitit
I am so excited to announce that I have been chosen as a Brand Ambassador for The Thiq Boutique!! Check out their website and follow them on twitter @thethiqboutique. Stay tuned for more exciting details and Rock your Thiqness!!!
xoxo-
Parker S.
ps- Check out the promo video with previous brand ambassadors! I can't wait to rock my thiqness!
ps- Check out the promo video with previous brand ambassadors! I can't wait to rock my thiqness!
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Chic Racers Day Party
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| Red Bull Soap Box Derby Photo Courtesy of Rosalynn Wilson |
Unfortunately I wasn't able to attend the derby, but I have to say, no one throws an after party quite like Ros. From the Hpnotiq Harmonie Chic Racer signature cocktails, to the eclectic mix of people, the Buckhead Bottle Bar was poppin! Check out her blog, The Chic Chronicles, purchase your tickets now for the next Chic Boutique Tour and follower her on twitter @chicboutiquetr .
See you on the front row-
<3 Parker S.
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| Rosalynn & Me (Shirt- JCP, Skirt- Forever21+, Jewelry- lia sophia) |
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| Party Guests @BuckheadBBB |
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| Click here to purchase tickets |
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Two-Way Tuesday: Inspired Style
A couple of months ago, I met a fabulous fashion blogger that goes by the name of Curvie Birdie. We met at Swapnista Day and bonded over our love of budget fashion. Birdie fell in love with a coral and white striped body-con dress I was wearing from Target. The dress was actually apart of the Xhilaration juniors line. Now obviously, there is nothing junior sized about me, but I have found that some pieces do work for us curvy fashionistas. I try it on and if it fits, great! If it doesn't, on to the next.
With that thought in mind, Birdie decided to take my advice and experiment with different sizes. While attending Curls Night Out at #SBOC2012, she came up to me wearing the coral and white dress! She looked so amazing and I was so excited to have been her style inspiration that I had to feature her on Two-Way Tuesday! Check out her blog, Curvie Birdie and follow her on twitter @curviebirdie!
xoxo-
<3 Parker S.
With that thought in mind, Birdie decided to take my advice and experiment with different sizes. While attending Curls Night Out at #SBOC2012, she came up to me wearing the coral and white dress! She looked so amazing and I was so excited to have been her style inspiration that I had to feature her on Two-Way Tuesday! Check out her blog, Curvie Birdie and follow her on twitter @curviebirdie!
xoxo-
<3 Parker S.
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| Me @ Swapnista Day |
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| Curvie Birdie @ Curls Night Out #sboc2012 |
Monday, June 11, 2012
#SBOC2012
This weekend I attended the first annual Style Bloggers of Color Conference. As many of you
know, my blog was one of four blogs nominated for Best Rookie Blog. Although I
didn't win the award, I gained new friends and developed valuable relationships. The
weekend started off on Friday night with a fashion show/networking mixer at INK
Art Gallery in Castleberry Hills.
Although there were some glitches in the evening, I reconnected with some bloggers that I hadn't seen in a while and
made some new friends, too!
Saturday was when we got down to business with the panel discussions. With amazing panelists like Nicole Garner from The Garner Circle, Marie Denee of The Curvy Fashionista, and Danica Kombol from Be Everywhere, the general consensus of all the panelists was to “be you”. You are the element of your blog that makes it unique, so embrace your own writing style. Don't try to be something you aren't. Help each other out. We are stronger in numbers and you never know who will have the potential to help you in the future. Also, be consistent and be deliberate with your content. Have your business in order. When you are looking to approach a potential brand or sponsor, have a media kit with concrete facts. Everyone that was featured on the panel worked hard to reach the level of success they have, and the reason they are so successful is because they do what they do for love and not the money. Anything you don't have to work hard to get isn't really worth having.
After soaking up all of that valuable information, we got to let our hair down at Curls Night Out! This was an upbeat event that had an AWESOME DJ, fabulous vendors (The Spoiled Diva was of course representing) and the Shoetini signature cocktail! I am also proud to announce that in addition to winning a #SBOC2012 twitter contest earlier in the day, I also won the grand prize drawing of a year’s worth of shoes from Sole Society! How AWESOME is that?!?!?!
Finally the culmination of the weekend’s events was at the awards ceremony on Sunday. Claire Sulmers, founder of The Fashion Bomb Daily, was the keynote speaker and gave a very encouraging and inspiring speech. She gave us her personal story which highlighted her struggles as well as her successes. She never gave up on her dreams and sacrificed a lot to be where she is today. She closed by sharing her favorite quote by Henry David Thoreau; "Go Confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." That quote was the perfect ending to the weekend.
I hope this recap inspires you to continue pursuing your dreams, believe in yourself and of course to "Make the world your personal runway!"
See you on the front row-
<3 Parker S.
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| Gorgeous paper flower wall |
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| @mattieologie & her crew #sboc2012 |
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| The Runway |
Saturday was when we got down to business with the panel discussions. With amazing panelists like Nicole Garner from The Garner Circle, Marie Denee of The Curvy Fashionista, and Danica Kombol from Be Everywhere, the general consensus of all the panelists was to “be you”. You are the element of your blog that makes it unique, so embrace your own writing style. Don't try to be something you aren't. Help each other out. We are stronger in numbers and you never know who will have the potential to help you in the future. Also, be consistent and be deliberate with your content. Have your business in order. When you are looking to approach a potential brand or sponsor, have a media kit with concrete facts. Everyone that was featured on the panel worked hard to reach the level of success they have, and the reason they are so successful is because they do what they do for love and not the money. Anything you don't have to work hard to get isn't really worth having.
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| The Style Pundit, Allison Pregner |
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| Dea Wynn of @pgrdresses, @dumpyduchess & Me |
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| Tia Lou of If I Were a Brit Girl |
After soaking up all of that valuable information, we got to let our hair down at Curls Night Out! This was an upbeat event that had an AWESOME DJ, fabulous vendors (The Spoiled Diva was of course representing) and the Shoetini signature cocktail! I am also proud to announce that in addition to winning a #SBOC2012 twitter contest earlier in the day, I also won the grand prize drawing of a year’s worth of shoes from Sole Society! How AWESOME is that?!?!?!
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| One of My FAVE accessories designers @thespoileddiva |
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| Customized shoes by Ms Mary Mac Shoes |
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| Nicole Garner of The Garner Circle & Me modeling The Spoiled Diva |
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| Posing with my winnings from Sole Society |
Finally the culmination of the weekend’s events was at the awards ceremony on Sunday. Claire Sulmers, founder of The Fashion Bomb Daily, was the keynote speaker and gave a very encouraging and inspiring speech. She gave us her personal story which highlighted her struggles as well as her successes. She never gave up on her dreams and sacrificed a lot to be where she is today. She closed by sharing her favorite quote by Henry David Thoreau; "Go Confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." That quote was the perfect ending to the weekend.
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| Claire Sulmers of The Fashion Bomb |
I hope this recap inspires you to continue pursuing your dreams, believe in yourself and of course to "Make the world your personal runway!"
See you on the front row-
<3 Parker S.
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