But first... Shampagne

Hey everybody!! How are y'all feeling? Today I want to talk about champagne.... Now not the champagne you drink… and unfortunately not Champagne Papi, but Shampagne | The Web Series!!!!!

If you've been following the hashtag #OscarSoWhite you've come to understand the difficulties black actors have in creating a place for themselves in Hollywood. This web-series definitely highlights the struggle one rising actress faces as she tries to break into the business.

Shampagne | A Web Series was created and produced by Melissa Mickens. It was inspired after she recalls going to three casting auditions and being asked if she could rap… Now I get it… you're probably thinking what I thought at first… She's auditioning for an actress role, not trying to be the next Jay-Z….

"Why does the industry want me to be hashtag urban so bad?" is the question she asks herself that lays the foundation for this new web series Shampagne.

In the first episode we meet M, a 20-something actress trying to make it in New York City. Only problem is, everybody assumes she can be something that she's not. Will M be able to play the game by the industry's rules, or will she change the game completely?

Check out episode one below to find out!

M could've easily dismissed the requests to become so hashtag urban… In fact, many would argue that black actresses should stop limiting themselves to roles that are too rough (Taraji P. Henson as Cookie in Empire) or too submissive (Viola Davis as Aibileen Clark in "The Help")... M, on the other hand, decides to embrace the roles she is offered.  On her YouTube Channel she so eloquently highlights how rap was created from the black community… and instead of dismissing the roots of black culture that is rap… she embraces it and becomes PagneCham.  Subscribe to her channel to meet her friends and family as she makes some BIG CHANGES! Hurry up and subscribe as episode 4 will be released today!!!!!

And ladies… I didn't forget about those of you who are wondering what I wore this week.  This look is inspired by PagneCham herself… So don't forget to subscribe to her channel and check her out… But first, Champagne…. 

Shirt from Charlotte Russe; Jeans from Target; Shoes by Jessica Simpson

Jessica Simpson Floral Printed Dress

Hey ladies! How y'all feeling? Today I want to talk about something that I'm pretty sure we've all experienced... Buyer's Remorse... Remember that time you just had to get that outfit even though the price wasn't too hot... Well that happened to me not too long ago... Luckily with a little bit of patience I was able to turn this shopping tragedy into a shopping treasure...





I first saw this dress Fall 2015 while shopping in Dillard's. I can't remember the exact month (September or October), but I remember I was looking for a dress to wear to my friend's wedding in October. When I saw this dress, I knew it would be the perfect dress for the occasion. The only thing I did not like was the price tag. At this time the dress was listed at regular price around $99. Feeling that I would not find something to wear before I left for the wedding, I made the rash decision and bought the dress. After my purchase I felt really good... I could check this off of my list of things to do in preparation for my trip... but then something happened... Buyer's Remorse. Now I know to most $99 may not seem a lot, but for a graduate student whose loans continue to stack up year by year this was a very large coin to lose... Every time I would see this dress hanging in my closet all I could think about was the amount of groceries I could've gotten with that much money or how many times I could have filled up my gas tank... I just couldn't get over spending that much money on a dress I would probably wear once... and maybe a few times to church once the spring time hits. So my conscious got the best of me and I returned the dress maybe a week after it's purchase. Surprisingly, I ended up wearing something out of my closet to wedding. The older I get the more I realize that you don't have to buy a new item for every event. Now that probably was the first time in many years that I didn't buy something new for an event, but lets just say I'm still a work in progress.

Now being an avid window shopper, I probably visit Dillard's maybe once a month. I rarely buy something on these trips... Shopping just happens to be something I enjoy to past time. In the months to follow I continued to see this dress on display. The wedding had passed, but I was still in love with the dress. The price tag on the other hand, had yet to budge. Fast forward 5 months and I'm in Dillard's doing some window shopping and guess what I see... a sign that reads "Clearance 65% off." Usually I avoid this section... By the time clothes hit clearance in Dillard's it's usually something that I don't want or something that is not in my size... Nevertheless, I decided to check the rack out. To my surprise I see the dress hanging with a price tag that reads $34... and guess what??? It was just my size!! Yep thats right... 65% off the original price... I'm pretty sure you guys know I did not hesitate to make this purchase.

This floral printed dress from Jessica Simpson features a beaded neckline and side slit. It is the perfect combination of feminine and ultra chic. Though there's no weddings coming up any time soon and nearly half a year has passed, I do think this purchase was right on time as the weather heats up. To finish off the look I paired it with some Vince Camuto criss cross strap platform sandals that I also purchased during the Dillard's Clearance Sale. These were a whopping $24!!!!! Macy's is still selling this exact same shoe for $90... Talk about a STEAL!!! If you're trying to get my look for the same price I suggest visiting your local Dillard's or Macy's... I've searched everywhere but unfortunately the dress seems to be sold out everywhere online...

In an effort to avoid experiencing buyer's remorse I want to leave you with a few little tips.... Count to three. 1.... 2.... 3.... Let's stop buying things because we want it... First let's think if we really need it... In the event that you absolutely need to purchase an outfit for a special occasion, lets try not waiting to the last minute to buy it... In the situation above I made a rash decision in purchasing the dress because I felt like I would not have enough time to find another dress.... All it took was a little delayed gratification… Hope you guys enjoyed reading the blog today… See you next time!!